The Lioness and the Unicorn

by CrackedInkWell

III: Lesson by the Ponds

Star Swirl spent the night alone pouring through human history – or at least, a book that described the history of England. He read by candlelight of how once the island was inhabited by savages until a nearby empire, who called themselves the Romans, conquered most of the land up until they got to Scotland. From there, it mentioned the introduction of a philosophy called Christianity, then the invasion of the Vikings, the beginning of the early kings that ruled over the divided patches of land. The unicorn took down notes, asking questions about certain events and people.

The book especially caught his eye on a particular legend within the book, about the supposed first real King of England: Arthur. In it, the passage described his teacher, Merlin, a powerful and wise wizard. Star Swirl scribbled a note to ask the Queen for more information about this legend.

By the time the storm outside had ceased to pour its rain, he was onto William the Conqueror and the beginning of a long Royal dynasty. However, before he could read further, he was sleeping face first into the book.

What woke him was a knock on the door; “Master?” it was Clover’s voice. “Master, are you awake yet?”

The bearded unicorn cracked open an eye, and after blinking a little, he craned his aching neck from the table. “Wait, wait,” he moaned as he got up and reached his magic to open the door where his student was waiting. “Yes?”

“It’s already past the noon master.”

Star Swirl blinked, “Really? Perhaps I’ve stayed up longer than I thought.”

“I meant to ask about that.”

Her teacher groaned, “To put it simply, I’ve been reading that history book the Queen has given me. Taking notes too. So what’s going on?”

“It’s time for my afternoon lessons master.” Before she could say anything further, Clover was interrupted with a roar from her teacher’s stomach. “That reminds me, you haven’t eaten anything in a while, have you?”

“Other than taking a nibble of the grass from yesterday, I’m afraid not. Why? Do they have something for us?”

Clover nodded, she explained to him that while she was in the dining hall, she noticed that while they eat quite a bit of meat, they did have salads that they make from their gardens. “If you want, I can have a servant go down to the kitchens to fix you one. They have flowers in them too.”

Star Swirl told her that was fine, and that once he had eaten, he would begin teaching her. Once the mare was gone, he returned his attention towards the book, to make a few more notes before a servant came with a plate of leaves for him to eat.

Two men entered the throne room, going up to the throne where the Queen sat, they both bowed to her, “What news have you brought me?”

Cecil turned to the other man. He was younger than the chief adviser by a couple of decades, yet he too had a beard that was short and dark as his receding hairline that was covered with a black cap on his head. And like his fellow courtier, he too wore black except for the white collar around his neck. “Milady, Sir Walsingham has some news regarding what has happened in the Netherlands.”

Clearing his throat, Walsingham began, “Your Highness, I am here to give you the report that time is running out. The Spanish are working faster than ever to rebuild their ships despite our sabotage efforts from last year. While we still have time to build out our army, I’m afraid to say that the southern coast of your kingdom is still vulnerable to the sea.”

“And we do not have the funds for the required army and navy to defend your shores,” Cecil told her. “For as of now, we currently have enough to defend certain areas that are in the most danger. Not only that, be we are short on trained men, ammunition and gunpowder that is necessary.”

Elizabeth thought for a moment, “How long do we have?”

The younger adviser replied, “Our spies report that they estimated that they would be ready as soon as July or August. So we only have a few months before they invade.”

“And what do we have as of now from our fleet?”

“Less than a hundred, and not counting the ones that have been built so far,” Walsingham shook his head. “The Spanish still outnumber us in every advantage. I wish we could have more time, but Sir. Francis Drake is doing everything he can to build up the navy as Your Grace has requested. Only, we’re still short.”

Here, the Queen stood up from her throne. With hands behind her back, she walked towards one of the windows. “What about the efforts to recruit arms?”

“So far, nearly every theater group in the country has taken up the call to gain as many men as possible,” the oldest adviser began. “Numbers are coming in, but not as many as we like.”

“I see…” Elizabeth nodded. She stayed silent as she watched was going on outside from her window. “Spirit, Moor, come to the window.” The two men, as soon as they heard their nicknames, obeyed. “Are you seeing what I am seeing?”

The advisers glanced out what her majesty was staring at. In the palace gardens by one of the ponds, a group of her courtiers gathered in awe at the spatial before them. The two unicorns from last night stood at the opposite end of the ponds where the elder in blue lit up his horn to hold up a sphere of water in his aura while his student watched.

“Is that the unicorn from last night?” Cecil blinked.

“What is he doing?” Walsingham questioned. “Is it some form of witchcraft?”

“Let us go and see for ourselves,” the Queen said as she and her advisers walked out of the throne room.

Star Swirl ignored the whispering from the nobles that were gawking at them. In his magic, he held the ball of water from the pond that had a little fish swimming around in. He kept a concentration on it so that not a single drop of water would fall through his aura.

Gently, he lowered the sphere down until it fused back into the pond before gracefully letting it go, not sending a single ripple to shatter their reflection. He was given applause from the humans nearby. “So do you see the way it is done?” he asked his student.

Clover the Clever looked into her reflection. “I think this one is a little difficult to pull off. Since this isn’t earth or sand that I’m using magic on.”

Her teacher smiled, “Good. And do you know why?”

Putting a hoof to her chin, she replied, “Because the element of water is much looser than sand.”

“That’s right,” the old wizard nodded. “Now the puzzle of this spell is how to pick up something so fluid that can easily slip through your magic if you’re not careful. You see,” Star Swirl lit up his horn again. “If one is to pick up water from a pond such as this, one must form a sort of bowl underneath the water. Now, when I did this the first time, I couldn’t move the water without leaking. But my mistake-”

“The Queen! The Queen!” Star Swirl lost his focus and let his horn dim as someone called out that Elizabeth was coming. The other courtiers looked around and they bowed towards the approaching monarch and her two advisers, they bowed. The two unicorns simply nodded in respect to their hostess.

“I pray that I’m not interrupting something,” Elizabeth said as she approached the pond.

“We are in the middle of a lesson,” the old wizard informed her.

The younger adviser leaned over, “And what exactly, is that lesson?”

“I’m teaching my student the basics of water magic.”

“It’s much more difficult than it looks,” Clover interjected.

“But I do trust that you can do it,” her teacher encouraged. “Now, may I continue on with my lesson?”

The Queen straightened up, “Proceed.”

With a nod, Star Swirl returned to his student. “As I was saying, the mistake with water magic that many unicorns tend to make is that they try to force the substance into forming into whatever shape they want. But this is both foolish and impractical. Water is not like earth or sand, as you have noted. For it cannot be shaped into anything you want within moments. This is because water is not always solid, such as this pond. What is needed,” here, he lit up his horn once again, and the English court witnessed a light underneath the water. “Is that you must be patient with water. As long as you don’t force in what you want it to be, let it mold not into shapes that have sharp corners, but that which is round. Allow me to demonstrate again.”

Straightening out again while sitting on his hunches, he reached both forehooves out to the pound. And with his face twisted into concentration, he slowly lifted them upward. From the pond, a form blobbed and rumbled over the surface. The shape rose higher up, almost forming into a sort of chalice as a glob of water stretched out of the pond like glass until the thinning neck broke. A smooth, watery bowl formed, yet not a drop had fallen. Then it started to shrink, and as it did so, the flat top got smaller until it disappeared, forming a perfectly round ball. The old wizard opened his eyes, and with a smile, he let the ball drift back into the pond without making a splash.

Once again, there was applause from the nobles, but for Elizabeth, she gave a knowing look to her two advisers.

“Now you try,” the bearded unicorn gestured, “And do take your time, this is a difficult spell.”

“Yes master,” she nodded. Clover looked down into the pond as if to meditate on what she was about to do. Her horn lit up, and the nobles once again saw a light from underneath the pond. As before, a clear glob emerged from the water, and the mare raised a foreleg to help her consecrate. Like before, a chalice-like shape formed from the pond, the neck started to get thinner. However, her face scrunched up she tried to have it break it away in which it became too unstable and splashed back into the water.

“Don’t force it,” her teacher reminded. “You have to wait for that moment when it is just ready to let itself go. Again,” and Clover resumed attempting the spell again. The glob pored over from the water, then came the chalice shape, and at the critical moment when the neck was getting thinner, Clover took the time to gently pull it from out of the water. “There you go. Now condense the water until it forms into a ball. But remember, patience is the key.”

The mare opened her eyes, and lifting both of her hooves up to her withers, she gently brought them together while the floating sample of liquid got smaller. She tried as hard as she could to not to spill a single drop as the flat head shrunk. Every so often, she was forcing herself to stop, giving herself and the forming clear ball time before proceeding. Eventually, she finally managed to form a perfect sphere, much to the encouraging applause from their audience.

But the younger unicorn wasn’t finished; a thoughtful look graced her face, “Master,” she began, “what would happen if I tried to keep condensing it?”

“Do you want to find out?”

Her answer came as she let her horn glow brighter, squeezing the unstable substance until it formed an egg, then a raindrop, and then – the clear orb collapsed like sand, making a splash into the water. Clover looked out at the rippling waters in thought, “So apparently, there is a limit in what one could shape water.”

“Although it disagrees with being shaped to have points such as cubes or pyramids,” Star Swirl pointed out.

“How much water could a unicorn lift?” this question came from the Queen, who like everyone else, looked on with intrigue.

“Ah…” the old wizard pointed at Elizabeth, “Now that is a great question. This all depends on the body of water you’re trying to use. From personal experience, I find that the larger the body water, the more magic is required. Why I could lift every drop from this pond alone, but it can’t be for too long because it is difficult to maintain such an amount.”

“What about waves?” Inquired Cecil. “Are those difficult to conjure up?”

“As long you don’t try to lift it out from its original source, and with enough water, you can.” He demonstrated this by moving his head as he used his magic to pick up the pond’s surface and moved it so that it created a small wave.

When this was done, both advisers knew one thing: They have a secret weapon.

“But I’m growing weary,” Star Swirl commented as he let go of his magic. “Since you’re here, Your Highness, I have begun to read that history book that your adviser gave me, and I have a few questions that I wanted to ask.”

“Perhaps later this evening after supper, so that you have time to rest. Now then, I have my duties that are in need of my attention.” She turned around and began her way back to the palace when she called out, “Spirit, Moor, let us return to the throne room.” Her two advisers followed suit behind the Queen. Once they were out of earshot, she asked, “Tell me, both of you, what are your thoughts from that demonstration?”

“Now that you’ve mentioned it milady,” the younger adviser said. “I believe that there is hope for Your Majesty’s kingdom after all. Those unicorns by the pond might provide us some use.”

“I coincide with Walsingham,” Cecil nodded. “Not only were my assumptions were correct, but it may provide us an advantage over the Spanish invasion. Our secret weapon, as if it were.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Elizabeth agreed. “This makes befriending those unicorns a priority for the sake of England.” She smiled as a thought came to her, “Why, it almost as if we have our own Merlin at our court. Not a charlatan, but one who may use such powers for good.”

“That is…” began Walsingham, “That those two have the interest to be your friend. As great as an opportunity this is, I think at the same time we must be cautious as well. To have that wizard to befriend you would be wonderful, but to have as your enemy would be a death sentence. After all, we do not know the full extents of their powers are capable of, nor do we know to combat them if they turn against us.”

The Queen hummed in thought, “He’s right. We do need to convince them to be on our side. But just as important is to know of their capabilities,” she turned to the younger adviser. “Moor, set your spies to work, monitors the unicorn’s ways in what they do with their magic and have your findings to be reported to me.” Then she turned to the elder adviser, “Spirit, have the servants organized a welcoming feast for our special guests. Have the kitchens make as many different salads as they could think of along with any other food and drink that those ponies might be interested in. And sent forth entertainment, for we must give these wizards a proper, English welcome.”

Comments

[batran]

I guess being a unicorn eliminate/saves you from being called a witch or Warlock lol

[CrackedInkWell]

8251193
If they either Star Swirl or Clover the Clever were human, this would be a different story.

[crystalbronie247]

This is a pretty good story tho there are a few grammerical and spelling mistakes but I suppose that is to be expected since it is unedited. I will be tracking this story and I hope to see where it goes. :)