//------------------------------// // Paradigm Shift [Part 3] // Story: Stargate: Shangri-La // by Grey Ghost //------------------------------// Elmis walked down the halls of Shangri-La, deeply satisfied with the deal she had struck for her people. She hummed a tune to herself as she idly wondered what to do now that her people were guaranteed food. Her mind drifted toward Higgs; Razor had talked about the soldier a lot in the time of their move. "Considering he's stuck in a bed at the moment, he could likely use some company," she mused to herself, altering her course. She slipped into the medbay, heading to Higgs' bed. "Good morning, Higgs, I thought you might like a break in the tedium." "Hey, Elmy," Higgs greeted, sitting up in his bed with a little sway and giving her a large smile. "How are ya?" "I'm fine." She frowned, looking him over, "I don't think you are, though." "I feel pretty good," Higgs waved off. "The doc gave me some painkillers so I don't scream in pain from moving my leg the wrong way." "Right." She sat on her haunches, watching him. "How is your leg doing?" "Thanks to your goo, I'll be walking again pretty soon," He replied, giving her a grin. "I owe ya one for that, by the way." "Don't worry about it. I couldn't let Razor's new best friend die." She waved him off, soaking in the praise. "And I insist that I repay you," Higgs pressed. "My mom raised me better than to leave my debts unpaid. Especially when it's to a lovely lady." "You can repay me by staying Razor's friend," she insisted, giving him a stern look. "I haven't seen him this happy before." "That won't be any trouble at all," Higgs replied with a grin. "That little guy is great. Makes me wish I had a son of my own." "You don't have anyone?" Elmis knew ponies didn't share changeling courtship norms, so, she had assumed humans didn't either. "I'm surprised. I'd have thought you'd be claimed." "Me? Nah, being a soldier for a classified program kinda leaves me with little time to find a wife," he replied. "Plus, I'd hate to die offplanet and leave someone with a folded flag and a bullshit story." Elmis nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone." "Yeah, my best bet would be to find someone that already knows about my involvement with the SGC," he said. "That way if something does happen to me, they can know the truth." "Does this someone... have to be human?" she asked carefully, watching his face. "Nah, after meeting aliens I can safely say I don't care if who I get with isn't human," he said. "Just as long as she's a good girl who can make me laugh." "Good to know," she smiled, looking rather pleased with that information. "What about you? Why don't you have a guy?" Higgs asked. "Are changeling queens not into monogamy or something?" "Kings come and go." She shrugged. The quickest was Razor's father. They had spent many passionate hours coupling, only for him to scram after the deed was done. "My lovers never stayed." "Is that an arrangement you're okay with?" Higgs asked, scratching at the bandage on his leg. "It does get lonely sometimes, but I have my children." "I feel ya there," he replied with a nod. "The bed gets a little cold at night, but I've got the SGC." "Perhaps we could solve each other's problem," she offered with a grin. "Whaddya mean?" he questioned, looking up at her with a quirked brow. She leaned in close, breathing in his face, their lips almost touching. Higgs' eyes widened in realization, but he remained still. He tried to think, but his mind was sluggish from the medicine. "But," she quickly pulled away, "it'll have to wait until your leg heals." Higgs blinked owlishly for a few seconds before chuckling, "Well aren't you a tease?" "I have a lifetime of experience," she laughed, "and that includes more... intimate things as well." "Why ,Queen Elmis, are you trying to seduce me?" Higgs asked with a smirk. "Am I that obvious?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "Hey, I like a straightforward lady," he waved off. "Who's got time to weave their way through word games? It's way easier just to say whatcha mean." "You'd make a terrible changeling," she teased. "Hey, I bet I'd be a great changeling," he said with a laugh. "I could gather love with the best of 'em." "I highly doubt that, Higgs." "Guess we'll never know," he replied with a shrug. "Let us dispense with the barbs." She moved closer, sitting next to his bed. "Now, tell me about yourself." "I'm not that interesting of a guy," Higgs replied with a shrug. "I'm a soldier through and through. I follow my orders and give them every now and then." "Come now, there's more to it than that," she prodded, poking this side. "I'm being honest here," he said, chuckling and batting her hoof away. "I'm a simple guy. I watch my game and unwind with a good ale every now and then when I'm off duty." "Game?" she asked, tilting her head. "Oh, I'm talking about watching a sport called football," he elaborated. "Especially a Seahawks game. Can't miss one of them, although I suppose I'll have to settle for recordings now that I'm stationed offworld. And Seahawks is the name of the team, before you ask." "What is a 'sport'?" She frowned, wrapping her mouth around the foreign word. "Well, a rough definition would be a game involving physical effort where two or more teams compete against each other," he explained, scratching the side of his head. "Ah, I see." she nodded. "So what about you?" he questioned. "What do you do to relax?" "I like to soak in a hot spring. It helps sooth the carapace." "I soaked in a hot spring when I was stationed in Japan a few years back," he said with a grin. "Once you get past the smell it's pretty relaxing." She got comfy, the two of them chatting back and forth. Floyd slowly felt himself return to reality. He groaned as he sat up, his body feeling like it was made of lead. "Ugh, what the hell happened to me?" he muttered, rubbing the side of his head as he tried to recall what had happened to him. "Oh shit... Alex was going to kiss me..." He froze as the image of her pursed lips replayed in his mind. "I... have no idea what I'm gonna say when I see her next time." He stared up at the ceiling, trying to sort out his feelings. Did he like her? Sure she wasn't human but, she wasn't an animal either. Hanging out with her had been fun, a lot of fun really. And if he was being honest, it was more fun than he'd had with most, if not all of his exes. "Why did life have to get so complicated?" he muttered to himself, pulling his blankets tighter to his body. "Should I tell the Doc and the General about this? Would I even be allowed to pursue Alex if I wanted to?" He sighed, rolling over in his bed. "Really wasn't expecting this when I signed up." He gave a silent prayer to his grandmother, hoping she would give him some form of guidance from wherever she was. His ears then perked up, a low sound coming from another part of the room. A woman's voice carried over to him, giving a sensual moan. A male voice followed shortly after. 'That... can't be what I think it is, can it?' He listened closer, trying to figure out where exactly the noise was coming from. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the room, a pair of shadows dancing on a divider. One of them was human shaped, the other was of a more equine variety. 'Uh, I think I should just get up and let whoever that is have some privacy.' He eased himself out of bed, staring at his new musculature. "What the hell?!" He ran a hand up and down his chest. "When the hell did I get abs?" "Ah, it seems the youngling is awake," the female voice commented. "Yeah, looks like he's alright," the male voice added. "Uh... hi..." Floyd called, suddenly feeling rather self conscious. An aura surrounded the divider, pulling it back to reveal Higgs and Queen Elmis. "Hey kid," Higgs waved. "You look pretty good for someone who was just had a magic seizure." Floyd noted that Higgs was fully clothed. "I guess I do," Floyd frowned. "Do either of you know what happened to me?" "According to Princess Celestia, that amulet you took was slowly changing your body," Higgs said. "You can do magic now... some pretty crazy stuff, too, if that insanity from earlier is any indicator." "What?" Floyd blinked owlishly, reaching up to touch his amulet. "The doc said your scan was similar to Cadance's," Higgs elaborated. "Probably why you've got more muscle now." "Right..." Floyd gazed at Higgs's legs. "What happened to you?" "A shadow unicorn shot a crystal into my leg," Higgs explained. "Luckily, I got something to stop the bleeding before going through the gate." "That sounds horribly painful," Floyd winced. "I'm Floyd, by the way." "I'm Higgs," he greeted. "And we've already had the pleasure of meeting," Elmis said with a chuckle. "That we did," Floyd nodded, gingerly getting to his feet. "Lucky bastard," Higgs muttered. "You get in here after me and you're gonna be walking out first." "Yeah, I got all the luck." Floyd rolled his eyes, looking toward the door as the doctor walked in. "Well would you look at that," Dr. Juan said as he looked over Floyd. "The magician has woken up." "Yeah, I heard about that. Please tell me the headaches will stop," Floyd all but begged. "I think it's safe to say that they will," Dr. Juan said. "But I think I should keep an eye on you for a little while, a few days at the most. You did just collapse on account of that necklace, after all." "Yeah, I figured. How long was I out for?" "About a day," Dr. Juan answered. "And you can thank Princess Celestia for your waking up I'm sure. She said she triggered a 'magic surge' in you. Heh, you turned the IOA rep into a cactus." "A cactus?" Floyd asked, raising his eyebrow skeptically. "Yup, it was pretty funny," Dr. Juan said. "Although I suppose it wouldn't be funny if he were still a cactus. The Princess fixed that, too. Anyway, I'll let General Carter know that you're awake, you just sit back down." Floyd nodded, hopping back up on his bed. Juan quickly went over to Higgs, checked his bandages, and left the room, the door closing behind him. "And so the waiting begins," Floyd sighed, laying back down. "You get used to it," Higgs assured him. "And hey, at least ya got some company in here." "That is true," Floyd nodded. "Really didn't see this coming when I took the job." "Welcome to the SGC," Higgs said with a chuckle. "Where the unexpected is totally expected. And you're not the first member to get superpowers from jewelry. You should ask your boss about armbands the next time you see him." "Armbands?" Floyd asked, his interest piqued. "It'd be best if he told the story himself," Higgs replied with a chuckle. "But I'll do it if he clams up." "I'll keep that in mind." Floyd closed his eyes, his thoughts traveling back to Alex. "Are you having mare problems?" Elmis asked, her wings fluttering on her back. "Mare problems?" Floyd looked over. "This place just loves the puns." "That wasn't a no, kid," Higgs pointed out with a chuckle. "I guess it wasn't..." Floyd admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "Anything you want to talk about?" Elmis inquired. "I'm a good listener." "I mean... I don't even know how I feel about her," he groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I could tell that from here," Elmis said with a giggle. "Confusion is at the forefront of your emotions." "Yeah yeah, laugh it up," Floyd grumbled, crossing his arms. "I wasn't laughing at you," she assured. "I make it a point not to laugh in matters of the heart. Now, why don't you walk me through your situation?" "A friend of mine tried to kiss me and I don't know if I like her like that..." Floyd explained, feeling a bit like an idiot. "Is it because she's an alien that looks like a horse?" Higgs guessed. "I dunno, maybe?" Floyd pouted. "I don't think she's an animal..." "Then why not tell her the truth?" Higgs offered. "That you're not sure about what you're feeling and that you're not outright rejecting her." "She probably thinks I died or something..." Floyd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I expect she'd tackle and hug you at the very least when she sees you next," Elmis chirped. "Yeah, she seems like that kinda girl." "On the bright side, it'd be like getting a hug from a living teddy bear," Higgs chimed with a grin. "So..." Floyd glanced at Elmis. "How are you settling in? I can't imagine this has been easy, what with all the new faces and location. Hell, the new planet." "Changelings are nothing if not adaptable," Elmis replied. "And this ship is more comfortable than a cave." "You just like the free food," Higgs joked, a goofy grin on his face. "The free food certainly does help things," she admitted, chuckling. "And now my children and I will be exchanging our services to your organization for love. So we won't be going anywhere anytime soon." "Oh, hey General." Floyd sat up, straightening up when he saw her. "I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." "You didn't cause any trouble," Carter assured him. "We're all glad you're okay. Our IOA representative is particularly happy about it," she continued with a knowing smile. "Right..." Floyd didn't exactly know how to feel about that smile, and it added to his already burdened mind. "How did it all go?" "It went very well," Carter replied. "We've come to reasonable agreements with the major world leaders of this planet and we'll have a place to set Shangri-La down in soon. Our only real concern at this point is finding out more about those shadow ponies." "What, uh..." Floyd paused, ignoring the building dread in his chest. "What happens to me now?" "When Doctor Juan gives you a clean bill of health, you'll return to your duties," Carter replied. Floyd stared at her, rather dumbfounded. "That's it?" He asked, looking rather incredulous. "I get magic powers and I get plopped right back into being cameraman again?" There had to be something else. No one but the government knew he was out here; they could do whatever they wanted to to him. "What, are you expecting me to order experiments on you?" Carter asked with a laugh. "I don't treat people like something in a petri dish. We can learn about magic without turning you into a lab rat." "Yeah, and they traded Manhattan for some worthless beads," Floyd shot back. "I don't think you'll have to worry about a repeat of events like that happening to you," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Floyd shifted his attention to the doorway, stopping on the form of his father. Floyd muttered something only Dan seemed to understand, not looking pleased. "A simple 'hello' would've sufficed," Dan said, walking over and stopping at the side of Floyd's bed. "I'm glad to see you're up so soon." "So how long have you been lying to Mom and me about your job?" Floyd asked, giving his father an unamused look. "Floyd, I never lied about my job," Dan countered, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I just... left out some details." "And that's called a lie by omission," Floyd countered. "I may be 'just a film student' but I'm not an idiot." "Floyd, please, can we not do this?" Dan gave his son an exasperated look. "Just look at it this way, we both have a secret to keep from your mother." "Ooh, looks like we have something to bond over," Floyd said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gee shucks, Pops, are ya gonna finally teach me how to throw a curveball, too?" Dan let out a long sigh, giving Floyd a tired look. "Floyd, I get it, I haven't always been the best father," Dan started, "but I do love you. And I'll let you get all your aggression against me out later." "What are you even doing here?" Floyd asked, letting some of the venom bleed out of his voice. "They let family visit now?" "I'm the IOA representative sent to finalize the negotiations between the countries of this world and ours," Dan answered. "Everyone loves some good ol' nepotism," Floyd scoffed, "Lemme guess, you got Jason signed on as our resident crazy man?" "No, I didn't get Jason involved in this," Dan replied, running a hand through his hair. "Lucky him." "Listen Floyd, I can't let the IOA find out about your newfound magic," Dan said. "That means you'll have to stay in Equestria for a while." "Wasn't I already going to be doing that?" Floyd frowned, not liking exactly where this was going. "And how long is 'a while'? Days, weeks? Years?" "I can't give you an exact timeframe," Dan replied. "You'll be here until our research team makes good progress on studying magic." "Fun fucking times," Floyd laughed bitterly. "Hey while you're at it, can you take care of my college debts too?" "I don't like this turn of events either," Dan said, frowning. "But this is a better option than you becoming an experiment to be poked and prodded day in and day out by strange men in labcoats hired by my colleagues." Floyd turned away, looking at the wall ahead of him. "I can think of worse places to stay than magic horse land." "I'm sure you'd be happy to know that you turned me into a cactus when Princess Celestia triggered a magic surge in you," Dan offered. "Complete with a pot." Floyd chuckled despite himself, looking down at his hands. "Wish I could have filmed that..." Floyd toyed with his amulet, watching as it shimmer softly. "If you learn how to control your magic, you might be able to do just that," Dan said, fighting off a smile. "Yeah, hopefully..." Floyd bit his lip, debating on whether or not he wanted to ask the General about his crystal pony problem. He sighed and decided to bite the bullet. He had nothing to lose anyway. "Um, General, I've got a question that might seem a bit odd." "And what would that be?" Carter asked. She had chosen not to comment on their squabble, considering her own difficulties with her father. "Is there any policy against getting involved with people on the planets we visit?" Floyd asked carefully, bracing himself for her response. Dan gave his son an odd look, his mind trying to find the logic behind such a question. "There is a guideline detailing the rules on relationships between USAF civilian staff, which includes you since you work for the SGC, and non-USAF personnel. It's totally fine as long as your performance isn't being hindered by the relationship." "Oh, okay, I guess that's good to know." "Why do you ask?" Carter asked. "I may have a crystal pony attracted to me," Floyd admitted slowly. "And how do you feel about them?" Dan inquired. "Can we not talk about that part?" Floyd pleaded, not wanting to even attempt to wrangle in his emotions. "I have enough on my plate as it is." "Well, no matter what your intentions are," Carter started, "no one in the SGC will stop you." "Thanks." Floyd nodded, going quiet as his stomach growled. "Er... can I request some food? I'm starving." "That won't be any trouble," Carter assured him with a smile. She pressed the button on her walkie talkie and requested someone bring in food to the medbay. Floyd got off his bed again, stretching his limbs. He popped a few joints, letting out a satisfied sigh. "So, uh... how am I supposed to learn how to use magic?" Floyd wondered aloud, examining one of his hands. "Do I just get a wand and start shouting nonsense words, or...?" "You'd have to ask Princess Celestia," Carter said. "She knows more about this than we do. She may even point you in the right direction of a good magic teacher." Floyd just sighed, muttering to himself. A moment later, a soldier came in with a tray of food in her hand. "I have that food you wanted, General." "That'd be for me." Floyd graciously took the tray, not even waiting to sit down before he started to eat. "You might be interested in knowing that your scan was similar to Cadance's," Carter chimed. "Yeah, Higgs told me." Floyd noted that the food was better than he was expecting, which wasn't all that much. "Glad I didn't get wings or anything." "General O'Neill also commented on the prospect of you growing wings," Dan noted. "He said that you would've needed a good tailor if you had." "General O'Neill?" Floyd paused long enough to down his milk carton, diving right back into his food. "He uh... the speech before we left, right?" "He's also the former leader of SG-1 and the head of Homeworld Command," Carter added. "Good to see both my patients are recovering nicely," Dr. Juan said as he reentered the room. "If you don't mind, I'd like to run another scan on the younger Mister Hendrix now that he's awake." "Go right ahead doc," Floyd said with a nod, setting his tray down. "I'll need you to lie on one of the scanners." Dr. Juan gestured to the room he had just come out of. Floyd nodded and got up from the bed, following the doctor into the other room. Dan and Carter stood at the doorway, watching with interest. Floyd lay down on the nearest scanner, the doctor pressed a few buttons on it and a 3-D image appeared overhead. "Am I going to live?" Floyd joked, trying to lighten his mood. "I give you three weeks, tops," Dr. Juan replied with a chuckle. "But in all seriousness, you seem fine. Though there is something peculiar about your scan. Your hormone levels are abnormally high." "The hell's that mean?" "I'm saying your testosterone, HGH, etc. levels are of someone at the height of puberty," the doctor elaborated. "If I had to guess, your body started producing more hormones to compensate for your sudden changes. You'll probably need to up for food intake." "I'll keep that in mind," Floyd said, rubbing his stomach. "Now that you mention it, I am still kinda hungry." "I think we can spare another serving of food for you," Carter said, turning to the soldier that had brought the food to him. "Could you grab another tray of food for Floyd?" "Yes ma'am," the soldier nodded, briskly walking out of the room. Haakim walked along the halls of Shangri-La with the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia. They made sure to stick to underused halls as they talked. "I am sure that I'm not the only one of us that is apprehensive regarding this deal we are making with the humans," Haakim stated. "It does appear to be rather... one sided," the Duke agreed. "What is it that gives these humans the right to this city?" the Duchess asked. "It is on our planet." "They found it abandoned," Haakim offered, though, he didn't seem all that convinced. "Abandoned on land that rightfully belongs to the Crystal Empire," the Duke stated, "and by extension, Equestria. Yet, the princesses seem to be bending over backwards for these humans." "I had no idea Equestria owned the Frozen North. We both know no one owns this land." "If anypony could make a claim to the land, it would be the Empire," the Duke clarified. "They are the closest country to it." "That would only cause problems. If the Empire did try to claim the city, it would throw everything into chaos. I don't like this deal either, but risking a conflict is not something I'll back." "So what would you suggest, then?" the Duchess asked. "To roll onto our backs, allow these humans to claim the Stargate for themselves and to resign ourselves to their scraps?" "I don't know," Haakim growled, "but I trust Celestia enough to follow her judgement." "Hmm, I suppose you are right," the Duke said, relaxing slightly. "If she thought there was something amiss, she would've told us by now. She wouldn't have let us offer up our resources in that case." Haakim nodded his head, glad they were on more even terms. "I think we should still be wary," the Duchess said. "I would rather not be caught unawares by something untoward." "Agreed." Haakim let out a sigh, looking down at her. "But, no matter what, our world will never be the same." "Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen," the Duchess replied. "We can only be vigilant and hope for the best," the Duke said. The trio continued to wander the halls, talking about the prospects of the future as they went. Celestia and Luna walked together, talking about the recent developments. "So, young Floyd has finally awoken to his magic?" Luna asked. "That is correct," Celestia replied with a nod. "And he has some potential if his surge is anything to go by." "You had this in mind when you first saw him, didn't you?" Luna asked, giving her sister a hard look. "I saw the possibility there," Celestia admitted, "but what he does with his potential is up to him." "And you didn't think how it would affect him?" Luna frowned. "You heard Floyd's story," Celestia started, "something drew him towards that necklace. I didn't think it was my place to interfere with something like that. Perhaps our old mentor thought Floyd was a worthy successor and was the one that drew him towards it." Luna sighed, letting the frustration bleed out of her. "I just hope Floyd can handle the consequences." "I think with a little help, he will," Celestia assured, giving her sister a soft smile. "Do you never stop scheming, Tia?" "You make me sound like such a villain," Celestia replied with a pout. "And no, if I did stop my planning, Equestria wouldn't be where it is today." "So then tell me, what is the plan this time?" "I'll tell you when we get back to Canterlot," Celestia replied. "But I'll give you a quick taste right now." She leaned in and whispered into Luna's ear. "Things are certainly going to get 'hectic' around here. One might even say... 'chaotic.'" Luna raised her eyebrow, giving her sister an expectant look. "And that's all I'll share with you at the moment." Celestia pulled her head away from her sister and flashed her a mischievous smile. "I hope you know what you're doing, sister." Luna gave her a look, wondering how long before a plan blew up in her sister's face. "Of course I know what I'm doing," Celestia assured her. "I don't take these things lightly." "If you say so." "Come now, have some faith in your big sister," Celestia said as they turned a corner. "When did I say I didn't?" Luna asked, stepping aside to allow a pair of humans to pass. "Very true," Celestia giggled as they continued down the halls. They stepped into the medbay, their eyes widening at the sight of several discarded trays around the room. "Somepony is certainly hungry," Luna commented, looking around the room. Her eyes landed on Floyd, who was typing away at his laptop. "Yeah, the doctor said my hormone levels are through the roof to help my body adjust," Floyd said, not looking away from his laptop. "So now it's like I can't get full." Luna trotted over to his bed, watching him work. She focused on his hands, watching them whiz over the keyboard. "What are you working on?" Luna asked, her eyes not leaving his hands. "Doing some editing," he explained. "We don't have any of our normal means of entertainment, and I don't want my work to pile up." "It seems you're making some good headway," Celestia commented. "I take it this is faster than how you usually work?" "It helps that I have something I don't want to think about." Floyd took a moment so sit back, cracking his neck. "Hmm, and what is it that you don't want to think about?" Luna inquired, sitting on her haunches next to the bed. "A lot of things," Floyd grumbled, falling back onto the pillows. He brought his hands up, staring at a pair of tattoo-like patterns that had recently formed on his palms. The medical scanners indicated that they were in fact alicor deposits, although the doctor was at a loss to explain how that much alicor had managed to worm its way into Floyd's system. Floyd was just glad they didn't affect his range of motion. "I'm sure that this is a lot to adjust to," Celestia offered, sitting on the other side of the bed. "But I think you'll find magic to be a useful skill to have." "I'll take your word for it." He frowned, shifting his gaze to her face. "My sister and I can help you learn to control your magic," Luna suggested. "That is, if you want our help." "Don't you have more important things to do?" Floyd asked, looking between them. "Like running a country?" "We do manage to find free time," Celestia said with a chuckle. "And we could always have somepony we trust teach you in our stead when we are too busy." "We realize this must be... surreal for you, but it is imperative you are given a proper teacher," Luna added. "And why's that?" Floyd asked. "What's the big deal if I learn magic or not?" "You don't need to 'learn' magic, you already have it. You need to learn to control it," Luna corrected, "I imagine you have less control than even a foal." "Okay, and what happens if I don't learn to control it?" Floyd asked, arching his eyebrow. "Will more random people get turned into flora?" "And probably worse things, like teleporting yourself around the countryside." "Then consider me your newest student," Floyd replied, gulping as he looked down at his hands. "A wise decision." Celestia smiled. "I can't wait for us to get started." "I'll do my best," Floyd told her. "I expect as much." Celestia nodded, her smile growing. "I do believe this will make you Luna's first official student." "I am excited by this prospect," Luna chimed with a large smile of her own. "I bet my student will outclass yours soon enough, dear sister." "Our student, Luna," Celestia reminded. "You didn't deny that he'd outclass Twilight," Luna pointed out with a smirk. Celestia rolled her eyes. "It's not a contest, Luna." She turned back to Floyd. "Negotiations have ended for the day, so why don't we start our first lesson?" "Do you think that's a good idea?" Floyd asked. "I mean, I'd hate to screw up and disturb Higgs' rest." "Hey, don't stop on my account," Higgs chimed in, looking up from his book. "I won't lie and say I'm not interested in watching." "Alright, but you better be ready to change into an onion or something," Floyd told him with a weak chuckle. He turned back to Celestia. "Okay, I guess we can start." Celestia nodded. "First, you need to find your spark." "And what is that?" Floyd asked, already confused. "Forgive my sister, she's used to teaching unicorns," Luna began, "The spark is the place in your mind your magic resides in. If we are to actually teach you, you need to find it." "And I'm gonna guess that this spark is in a different place for everyone," Floyd said, sighing. "If only it were that simple. But the sooner you find it, the sooner we can move on." Luna gestured to his head. "Close your eyes." Floyd nodded and did as she asked, taking a deep breath. "Now, search your mind." "How will I know when I've found it?" Floyd asked. "You'll feel the buzz of power prickling your skin," Celestia spoke before falling silent. Floyd nodded and started looking through his mind. He was silent for a few minutes, with nothing seeming to happen. "How long does this usually take?" Floyd asked, not opening his eyes. "It depends on the pony." "Okay, and is there any way you can help me find it? Something tells me this could take a while." "This is something you must do on your own," Celestia insisted. "That's totally unhelpful," Floyd replied, his mouth arching into a frown. "Can you tell me about your own sparks? It might help me with mine," Floyd said. Anything was better than just sitting here like an idiot. Celestia nodded at Luna, motioning for her to go first, feeling that it would be better if Luna tried her hoof first. "My spark comes from my first memory of gazing at the stars with my family," the blue alicorn explained. "I will never forget how captivated I was." Celestia smiled to herself, picturing her sister as a filly again, dancing around their parents as she talked about the night sky. "Mine comes from witnessing a solar eclipse." Celestia closed her eyes, recalling the precious memory. "Alright, that helps... I think," Floyd muttered, suddenly feeling like he was in a fantasy movie. The phrase 'stranger than fiction' came to mind. He closed his eyes and searched in the deepest part of his memories. After a few minutes, a memory of his mother taking him to the reservation played out in his head. His grandmother had insisted he take part in the Night Chant. Just recalling the memory brought to mind the sting of the yucca whip. "I believe you've found it," Celestia said, and he found he could feel goosebumps forming on his arms. He continued to focus on the memory, recalling the awe he felt, watching the dancers, each impersonating a different god. His hands started to glow, flickering with grey light. "You might just be a natural at this." The flickering grew and he felt a sinking pit forming in his stomach. He groaned, suddenly finding himself sitting on a very cold, metal object. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but icy tundra in front of him. "I am very cold and very confused right now," he whined, blinking owlishly as he shivered. He blanched, realizing he was on top of one of the skyscrapers. "Hey! Major Tom to Ground Control!" he shouted, holding on for dear life to where he was sitting. "I could really use some help up here!"