//------------------------------// // Bibliomancy // Story: Welcome to Batstralia // by Damaged //------------------------------// Language check. Anything wrapped in < > in this chapter is spoken Equish, everything else is in English. Just Mike and Candela, and Candela wants to work on her English, while helping Mike with his Equish. Candela checked the books, reading the start of each to ensure they were the right ones. Checking the latest, a magic primer for unicorn foals, she began scanning the lines in the book. "What's that one?" Mike had turned from his own homework, looking at the book Candela was holding in her wings. "This is a book for young unicorns. Little routines to help them master their magic." She began skimming through the first chapter, humming a soft tune. "Why? Feeling a little magical, Mike?" "No, I mean… I guess learning to read Equish is next, for some of us?" Mike lifted his pen back to his page, and started writing. "And you never know, I might be magical…" "Mike, I was born with wings." Candela closed the book, flexing one of the wings holding it as an example. "I spent a year as a little filly, telling all my friends how I was going to do something amazing and become a princess." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Truth was, I wanted magic. The unicorn fillies and colts were so much better with handling books, with writing." Mike froze, looking at Candela with a serious expression on his face. "Did… did you—" "Did I get magic? Of course not. I am a pegasus. What I can do is push clouds around. I can literally kick a raincloud out of my way. I don't have magic, but that doesn't stop me being special." Candela curled one side of her snout into a bigger smile. "I guess. I just… every time I looked at Canterlot I just felt something pulling at me, wanting me to go that direction." Mike's hand had been working while he talked, scribbling a castle in the margin. "Is that crazy?" "Nope." Candela picked up another book from the pile beside her, and started flicking through it. "This world is a lot different to Equestria. If you had said you looked at a building, here, and felt a pull… I might ask if you had a particularly strong magnet." She waited for Mike to stop chuckling. "But Equestria is all about destiny, fate, and more importantly, bonds of friendship." "Friendship?" Mike looked down at the picture his hand worked at, refining and adding details. "Is magic, or so some say." Candela felt a slight tingle herself, not as strong as when she had first gotten her cutie mark, but it was something important. "You should probably visit Canterlot, then. Find out what is there that makes your heart thud like that." "How did you know it was—" Mike froze at the knowing smile on Candela's lips. "I am just so confused." "You're a young stallion, it is natural to feel that. Did you have somepony in mind to… pursue?" Candela got through enough of the reading primer to recognize it as being one of a dozen she had ordered. When she reached to pass it to Mike, she saw the blush on his cheeks; an eyebrow rose on the mare's face. "I don't know." Mike clearly lost his resolve. "It… I should just focus on my stu—" "Here, you can have a head start on the class." Candela resolved to find out who it was Mike clearly was interested in. She passed him the primer. "You know if you want to understand everything in Canterlot, you are going to need to be able to read." "Yeah, and I already have a date set to…" Mike trailed off. "I really should ask mum first." He blushed, but opened the book. "You probably should. Now, let me help you get started." Candela pointed at the words of the book, and started reading. "." She smiled when she saw Mike's lips moving, repeating the words to himself silently. "." "Really low-level stuff, huh?" Mike grinned, but seemed intently focused on the book. Pressing his finger down, he read back. "." He paused a moment. "?" "." Candela gestured to Mike's page. "Think you are up to writing each one ten times?" She liked to practice her English as much as she could, even if helping Mike and Robin with their Equish was important. "Guess I don't have anything else to do, and it'll mean I can help others with theirs." Mike turned a little, his hand starting at the task. "You are a good young stallion, Mike." Candela went back to sorting her books, leaving the teen to his "homework."