Little Ember

by Heresy Incarnate

Excitement

Books, reading under the big blue sky, excitement

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I was beginning my first lessons in being an alicorn, apparently while important, the princess bit could come later. I had yet to actually try flight and was excited to get started, even if I would be learning from some strange pony I hadn’t met before. By pony standards, I would say he was huge. Rippling with muscles and probably in peak physical condition, but it somehow looked wrong on him. I was a little nervous about learning from him but The Lunar Sister had recommended him herself and from what I had seen with how other ponies reacted to her, she was top dog around here, second perhaps only the The Solar Sister. I only saw her for the banquet on the first night, but I wasn’t too concerned. The number of ponies in her city made me think there must have been some sort of Great Meeting going on, and I could understand being busy during that.

I followed Drill Sergeant Bulk’s instructions and spread my wings wide open as far as I could. I couldn’t help but notice that he had the smallest wings I had ever seen, and needed to flap about 4 times as quick as the other winged ponies to keep himself airborn. “Like this Drill Sergeant Bulk?” I extended my wings and gave a few experimental flaps as he walked around me and seemed to examine my form. I wasn’t happy about the scrutiny but I would attempt to play nice.

“YEAH!” I flinched a little at his loud acknowledgment of my success. He was right in my ear. In any case it seemed flying was going to be easy, just spread and flap and there shouldn’t be any problem. Before he could give me my next instruction I tried extending my wings rigidly and flapping them up and down, much like his. I was able to hover about a foot off the ground before I collapsed in sudden pain and my wings locked behind me.

Drill Sergeant Bulk dropped beside me and got into my personal space and I really was not ok with it, pushing him out of the way while trying to deal with my wings. “HEY! Do you want your wings and shoulders to stop hurting?”

I was startled by his question, no duh, of course I wanted it to stop hurting I wondered why would he even ask me that? All I managed to get out while cringing was “Yeah…”

He slammed his hooves right in front of my face and startled me for a moment. “YEAH?! Then you are going to let me help you with that dislocated joint or you’re gonna end up losing those fancy new wings you got!” I gave him a confused look and stopped struggling as he moved behind me… and hit me right between the shoulder blades. I cried out in surprise and turned to snarl at him, flapping my wings aggressively and… I flapped my wings again real quick.

He pointed at how my wings were flapping now. “YEAH! That’s closer to how you are supposed to do it. I got tiny wings so I gotta hold them rigid, you don’t let yours flap like that and it’s going to cause you pain in the long run.” Let it not be said that he lacked enthusiasm.

I turned my head upwards in gratitude and began walking away. “Thank you, Drill Sergeant Bulk, I think I’m done for today though.” He raised a confused eyebrow as I turned the corner to head to my assigned quarters. Decent sized, about as big as Amber’s den, but much colder. It seemed no matter where I went that problem persisted. It was always too cold, and I think it might have been affecting my flight performance.

As I began to curl up in a pile of pillows to rest my wings, they still hurt a bit, there was a series of knocks on the door, and I could almost… sense without opening it that it was The Lunar Sister. I opened it anyway and lightly ever so slightly angled my head up. I had come to trust her. “How may I help you Lunar Sister?”

She looked me up and down for a moment before responding with a question of her own, worry seemingly on her face. “Little Ember, are you feeling well?”

I responded with a quizzical look of my own and lowered my head to a neutral level. “Yes, is there any reason I should not be?”

She seemed to consider for a moment and merely shrugged, returning to her original purpose. “No matter, this is why I invited a couple of your magic tutors friends as well. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you.”

I was getting really confused. “I’m… sorry? Why do I need help?”

The Lunar Sister gave a small smile and shook her head. “Nothing for you to worry about yet I must say. Your alicorn magic instructor has arrived from Ponyville, though I suspect you are already familiar with her. Would you please follow me?” I nodded and rose to my feet, as long as I didn’t flap my wings around I decided I wouldn’t have a problem.

I was lead to a large library that seemed to be the center of animated discussion, something about spell matrices, fabric patterns and theoretically irresponsible magical accidents. I didn’t catch very much of it. The Lunar Sister directed me to the center of the library, featuring a large table nearly covered in books, a purple alicorn who seemed to be levitating hundreds of them at a time and looking at them one by one, and another pony, a unicorn with white coat and purple mane who was filing her hooves and casting overly dramatic looks at the alicorn while they continued their discussion. The Lunar Sister caught their attention with a chuckle. “I am sorry if I am interrupting, perhaps it would be better if your student met you at some other time Princess Sparkle?”

I looked in awe as all the books that were being levitated seamlessly flew back onto the shelves and Princess Sparkle just began to speak as though it was nothing. “Luna, we’ve known eachother for years, you know I just prefer Twi-whoah!” Her eyes widened as she turned and saw me. “What happened to you?”

I was getting a tad bit annoyed with people looking at me funny and I spoke in what I hoped was a sarcastic tone. “I grew wings.”

This seemed to stump her as she just started sputtering and tripping over her words her companion seemed to pick up where she left off though, rushing over to me and looking me up and down. “Oh no no no… this just won’t do. Hmmm, I hope you don’t mind Twilight darling, but I’m stealing your student for the day.” My eyes widened a I realized that this must be the Twilight that wrote the book, gee, I felt like a real jerk. I lifted my head to try and apologize as her friend practically dragged me out the door.

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“Hello and welcome to the Silver Cliff Spa, my name is Dew Drop and how may I help yooooOOOOOUUU!” I really was getting sick of ponies acting this way, what, did I have some carrion on my face? “What happened? Did you get in mud wrestling match with a minotaur or something?” Now that was just absurd, where on Draconia would she get that idea?

The Proprietor of the Carousel Boutique Fashion Chain, as I learned was one of her titles, butted in before I could speak up. “Dew Drop, we need one full treatment for my friend here and… oh… I don’t know… maybe a hooficure for me?” What was with these ponies calling each other by name? Were they all family somehow? That really didn’t make much sense. The spa pony gingerly took my hoof and lead me into another room to undergo “The Full Treatment.” I emerged hours later.

I was staring at a pony. One with ash gray fur, a long and curly deep red mane, and styled hooves. The pony was staring back at me, fiery orange eyes burning with the passion and pride of a Dragon. The pony was in the mirror. I was too shocked for words. The Proprietor tried talking to the pony. “Well look at you now! A whole new mare! No more mud in your coat or tangled unkempt Mane! You would make waves on the fashion circuit!”

I lowered my head, warning this pony to back off. “You stupid pony, this isn’t me! I’m not some pretty little pony I’m a mighty Dragon!”

She looked me with a quizzical expression “I’m sorry dear? What was that? There’s no need to bashful, just look at yourself you look beautiful!”

I was starting to growl out my words. “I said that I wasn’t pretty, or beautiful, or any word you would use to describe a fragile little pony like you!”

Confusion from everyone present, The Proprietor broke the momentary silence. “I’m sorry, but I can’t understand… whatever language that is…” With a start I realized I had been speaking in Draconic, but I had automatically thrown in the Equestrian words that fit in the holes of my speaking ability. It a chill down my spine and I knew I needed to go home. I screwed my eyes shut and started channeling magic into my horn, remembering the steps for Trailblazer’s Terrestrial Teleport from Twilight’s book. I opened my eyes and was greeted with shocked expressions before there was a bright flash, and I was gone.