//------------------------------//
// Chapter 19 
// Story: Borrowed Time 
// by Gambit Prawn 
//------------------------------//

I wordlessly walked past Annuity as she and all twenty-three of my other classmates pointed and laughed at me. I rolled my eyes, and a door appeared on the ground in front of me. Hastily opening it, I tumbled onto the floor of my room. As I rubbed my aching horn, I noticed I wasn’t alone.

I crossed my front hooves and stared incredulously at the brown stallion. He had his arms outstretched, inviting me into a hug. When I continued to stare he started rubbing the back of his neck with a front hoof and forced an awkward smile.

“Really?” I asked. “You wanted to comfort me about this?” I pointed to my pink mane, which was a tangled mess. It was cut unevenly, had gum stuck in it and was even housing a bird’s nest.

“I thought you might want to prepare for it,” the stallion said nervously. “Every filly has a bad mane day once in awhile.” 

“I’m not a filly,” I said casually. “Previously, you tried to prepare me for my first day at school, my transformation into a pony and most recently, my coronation. Those all had some magnitude, but this?”

“I honestly thought you would be more upset,” the stallion said.

Shrugging, I pointed to my mane. “If anything I’m annoyed that this is pink. Are you trying to tell me something like this is my real color and I should accept it?”

“You do know you can change it if you want, right?” he said.

Oh, right, a dream.

Concentrating, I willed my mane back to scarlet.

“Since my work here is done, I’ll bid you adieu. Any requests? I can drop you into any kind of dream you want.”

“Hmm… I suppose I would like to see my sister again.”

He bowed. “Your wish is my command. All you need to do is close your eyes and picture it.”

I complied, and in the next instant, I found myself surrounded by three people sitting in a circle, all of them with a brush in hand. Diane’s red hair immediately caught my attention, and I looked up at her antlered head. She was smiling warmly down at me.

“Wow, Aron,” she said, softly brushing my mane, “you really turned out cute!”

I felt myself blush.

“Hmph. A humiliating fate for a soldier, though.” Will said disdainfully.

I regarded my fraternal twin, shame-induced tears fogging my vision.

"Look at how soft you are,” he chided. “Can you even fight anymore, or is it all hugs and friendship for you now?”

Despite his harsh words, he seemed to enjoy brushing me at least as much as Diane.

“There’s still a place in the world for our warlike ethos, but it is not everything,” a cool voice behind me said. I craned my neck to look back at Alex. He was a handsome, dark-haired man with an angular face that looked like it had been sculpted by the gods. He always had the aura of a great classical orator.

Diane scooted closer to him and the two of them grasped hands.

“Hey, Aron, guess what? Alex and I are getting married!” Diane announced before moving in for a kiss.

I returned her smile. “That’s wonderful!”  I said. The shared bliss of the moment was such that I felt like my old self for a moment.

She then looked down and lovingly rubbed her abdomen.

“Pretty soon, you’re going to be an uncle, Aron!”

I froze, blinking a few times before further joy overtook me. I opened my mouth to congratulate her, but an unpleasant thought tied my tongue: what inhuman deformities would this child have? In an instant, my blissful state became morose.

Diane, however, didn’t pick up on this, and her smile overpowered my concerns.

“We’re going to request that The Great One name our child. You’re welcome to join us.”

I stood up and followed my family through an elaborate tapestry that was serving as a door. I felt like a thief because of what I was about to learn. This was the greatest secret of the bearmen, and I was about to catch a glimpse of it. Sensing an overpowering aura, I felt my head grow heavy. I looked up…

My body jerked awake, and I found myself panting. My eyes darted desperately around the room, holding out a prayer that I hadn’t just missed out on my only chance for a definitive answer. Though I didn’t find what I was looking for, I did notice a midnight blue pony that was out of place.

“Good morning, Aron,” Luna softly said. “Quite an eventful night of dreaming I see.”

“Luna… Princess Luna—” My body convulsed with sudden realization. “Did you see? My dream, I mean?”

“I held vigil the entire night,” Luna said. “I saw everything.”

“Then—”

“Unfortunately, I have not the answer you seek, for my dreamsight ended the moment you wakened.”

Tossing my scarlet bangs to the side, I felt my rationality return to me. “I don’t know what I was excited about. I mean, it was only a dream, right?”

Luna smiled mysteriously. “Perhaps.”

“Explain. Please,” I said.

Luna’s horn glowed and an elaborate web appeared, connecting myriad, brilliant nodes that were numerous as the stars in the night sky.

“The realm of dreams spans time and space. There is a collective consciousness shared between dreamers, and at times ideas can migrate from one mind to the next. This is why inventors can sometimes stumble upon profound revelations in the dreamscape.”

“So what I saw was only the smallest bit based on reality?”

“Not quite,” Luna said, her smile growing. “Though you have traveled far, the bonds you share with your family remain firm.”

I wanted to deny it. Will, Alex, and even Diane had shunned our very way of life, betraying all of Rhod. Yet, there was something in me stronger than reflexive, absolutist judgments—something that I had long ago striven to purge myself of. Even now, I remained fettered by it.

Luna continued, “Although I am most attuned to dreams, by virtue of being Princess of the Night, you too may one day be able to move freely in the realm of dreams. You are yet to be an alicorn, but you possess the potential of one. As such, you have a natural affinity with the dreamscape. The visions you see may well reflect reality.”

So Diane really is pregnant? 

It was an extremely odd thought, not because motherhood wouldn’t suit her, but because I’d never thought I’d live to see the day. Only those strong enough to survive the battlefield for several years were allowed to bear children. It made us stronger and minimized distractions. I had always figured that either Diane or I would perish long before then. But now, I was really happy for her—or at least that’s what I thought I felt. I didn’t know what to make of it because her pregnancy further divorced her from our culture; yet, I didn’t take special exception to this.

I then felt a cold uncertainty radiate from my barrel. “Is—is it possible that I could communicate with them?

Luna frowned, apparently about to respond in the negative, but before she did she cocked her head and paused to think.

“It may be possible,” Luna said. “However, several conditions would have to be met. First, the one you wish to communicate with must have an affinity for the dream realm as well. Secondly, as I’m sure you know, most dreams are forgotten. Even if you were able to get through, there is only a small chance your sister would remember any of your message.”

I blushed. I hadn’t said anything about Diane specifically, yet Luna saw right through me.

“Do you miss them, young one?”

“No, I’m just concerned,” I lied. “I don’t want them to know I’m like this. And besides that, it’s not like I will be able to go back, so it would only serve to reopen wounds of loss. They’ve probably moved on without me.”

“Per chance, are you ashamed of what you have become?”

I paused to consider. Since my emotions were so transparent to her, I decided on the truth. “Yes, I wouldn’t want them to see how weak and helpless I have become. I mean, I’m actually concerned with what the ponies of school think of me.” I looked down and away. “How pathetic is that?”

Luna moved closer to me and tentatively extended a wing. “There are many types of strength, my little pony. Everypony has challenges no matter their station in life. Yours have changed it is true, so it’s okay to feel a little lost. However, know that you are far from helpless. To the contrary, you have proven yourself remarkably resourceful.”

I felt unease. 

“In any event, your world will likely be on the same time scale as ours for the foreseeable future. If you wish to communicate by more conventional magic means, we can arrange it.”

“I—I’m okay,” I said.

Luna finally retracted her wing then nodded. “As for the brown stallion, despite what we may have thought previously, he truly does seem benign. I’d recommend continuing to wait for him to reveal his nature.”

“Didn’t he reveal some of his power by connecting me to Rhod through the dreamscape?”

“Nay, it was your own doing. He merely guided you.”

“I did that?” I asked. “Are there any other powers I have that I should know about?”

Luna nodded. “In time, you, too, may be able to move the sun and moon.”

I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. 

“And I suppose you could learn Cadance’s love magic as well.”

“Pass,” I said.

“Love magic is not to be underestimated,” Luna warned. “Though I agree it has limited utility. Cadance’s true talent is to mend relationships through words rather than magic. Then there’s your aspect, which has yet to be determined. Alicorn cutie marks are unique in designating not just a talent, but also an aspect of the natural order.”

I nervously shuffled my hooves. I didn’t like how this conversation put me at center-stage and  reemphasized my importance as a future alicorn. I was grateful that the ponies around me rarely belabored the point, but this morning the topic had come up organically. 

“If it’s okay with you, I think I have to get ready for school now,” I said like a good little colt.

“Be not in a rush,” Luna said. “You have the better part of an hour still. Twilight and Cadance are both here, and they would like a word with you.”

I knew what Twilight probably had for me, but what could Cadance want? She was certainly kind, but she had an annoying habit of doting on me. 

Nodding, I accepted Luna’s assistance with getting ready. Some brushing of my coat was the minimum required maintenance, but more important was managing my mane. It was fairly long, so it had a habit of knotting and curling when I didn’t want it to. However, what made this task imperative was hiding my growing horn. Normally, a maid would help me with this task, so I had to direct Luna as to how I liked it. 

“Such a fascinating artifact…” Luna mused as she combed my bangs into place.

“My focus crystal? I’ve never thought of it like that before.  We had so many of the things, yet they were beyond our ability to manufacture,” I said wistfully. 

“What I find strange is how I cannot feel a thing. Normally I’d be able to sense the magic radiating from such mana crystals. Without knowing otherwise, I’d suppose it to be a mere trinket.”

“I don’t even know if it can rightfully be called a mana crystal,” I said. “But then again, we barely know how it works. I once heard some engineers speculate its ability to discharge is like a capacitor, but I’m not sure I fully understand what that means.”

“In any case, it pleases me to see what was once a weapon of war can be your memento of home while also keeping you safe.”

When we were finished, Luna led me to a lounge area close to the throne room. Celestia was sitting on a velvet cushion with Cadance and Twilight at her sides.

“Good morning, Aron.”

“Hi, Aron.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Aron.”

I locked eyes with and acknowledged Celestia, Twilight and Cadance in turn.

“I suppose I’ll go first,” Cadance said as the others nodded. “So, Aron, I hear there’s a certain filly with a crush on you.” I swallowed hard. Cadance was positively giddy about it.

I nodded reluctantly. “Yes, her name’s Bulwark. She’s in the Junior Royal Guards with me. Apparently she became interested in me when I defeated her in our first match.”

Cadance squeed. “The classic Amarezonian romance. It’s just like in my novels!”

I looked at her funny, and she cleared her throat, composing herself. “I’d love to help if you want some advice.”

I very quickly shook my head. “I’m fine; I’m really not interested. Even if I were, I doubt she’d take it too well if I were to become a filly next Tuesday.”

Subtle disappointment crept into Cadance’s features, but her smile didn’t fade. “You might be surprised.” 

I raised an eyebrow at her. “And you don’t realize all the other reasons I can’t date her?”

Cadance waved a hoof playfully. “Can’t you let a mare have her fun?”

I just stared.

“All right, but I hope you will consider her feelings in the matter. You know what the proper etiquette is, right?”

“Etiquette? Can’t I just pretend I haven’t noticed?”

All four princesses were shaking their heads at me.

“Aside from rejecting her right away, that’s the worst thing you can do,” Cadance explained. “It may seem fine for the moment, but if she realizes you’re playing dumb, she’ll be very hurt.”

I sighed. “What do I have to do then?”

“Courtesy revolves around the stallion giving an interested mare her fair chance. You should invite her to spend some time with you.”

I looked down, dreading where this was going.

“It’s not a date,” Cadance said, seemingly reading my mind. “In fact, if you do go anywhere, it’s understood that she’d be hoofing the bill. It doesn’t have to last too long, just long enough for you to get to know her a little better. Now, if you were already friends with her, the rules would be different, but for acquaintances, it’s about giving her a chance to impress you.”

“I guess... that doesn’t sound so bad,” I said, mostly in supplication.

“Afterwards, you’ll probably receive a small gift from her. If you reciprocate, you’re officially dating. If you’re still not interested, you don’t need to do anything else, and it’s up to her to try and get your attention again.”

“Seems like a pain.”

Cadance nodded, somewhat sympathetic. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She then turned to Celestia. “Thanks for your advice. It’s not what I was hoping to hear, but at least it is possible.”

“Good luck,” Celestia said warmly. “You’re welcome to search in the lore section of the library, but as you might expect, a lot of it is myth or speculation.”

“Ooh, a research project! I can help!” Twilight volunteered.

Cadance lightly booped her sister-in-law on the nose. “Shhh, it’s a secret,” she said before bidding me farewell and trotting out of the hall.

“So,”  I said, turning to Twilight, “you got the results back from yesterday?”

“Yeah, it was actually very simple. Antelope sprig was the anchoring ingredient, and it takes about a week to be fully digested, so that would be the upper limit of my estimate.”

“That’s all you needed to know?” I asked, disbelievingly. “I could’ve told you that…”

And saved myself quite a bit of suffering in the process.

“That’s not what I wanted to talk about, though,” said Twilight. “I heard from Star yesterday that you have a friendship problem on your hooves. And since certain magical maps don’t seem to appreciate my expertise, I thought I could lend you my help.”

“What friendship problem?”

“You know, you were upset at a friend yesterday?”

I have friends?

“I believe his name was Thaumaturgical Spectacle,” Twilight offered.

“Oh, him. Yeah, I’m mad at him for not telling me Pestle spiked the fountain with potion. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t have filly colors.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Twilight said, ears drooping. “Are you unhappy with them?”

“Well, no, but it could have been a lot more serious. I could fully be a filly right now, and it would be his fault!”

“Aron, friendships are hard enough without us throwing blame on one another for what might have happened.”

I shut out her logic.

“Well, I’m still angry,” I said. “If I don’t take a stand and object to him doing this to me now, I open myself to further injustices.”

“Do you really think he or anypony else will do this to you again?”

“Well, no, but it’s the principle that matters!”

“Is this principle worth more than a friend?” Twilight asked patiently.

“I—uh, he… I don’t,” I stammered. I wanted to say yes, as that was what I truthfully believed; however, Twilight’s mere presence as the Princess of Friendship seemed to constitute a counterargument. I should have probably said so, because I realized far too late that I was about to receive a friendship lecture.

“Aron, when you are hurt by something a friend did, it’s always best to talk to them about it. Oftentimes, you’ll find that their intentions were good. Even if a friend did make a mistake, it’s important that you forgive them. Forgiveness is not just to make your friend feel better; it’s also important to you. As long as you decide to remain angry, you will keep feeling the hurt and the pain. By tendering forgiveness, you also give yourself permission to move on. Do you really want to keep walking around with all those emotions, Aron?”

I froze. Her reasoning made sense on every level. I found it consistent with my emotional state and could not find any rational reason to continue holding out forgiveness.

“Just something to think about,” Celestia said with a motherly smile. “Now to get you off to school. Star Chart!”

“At once, Princess!” 

I stumbled forward in shock. Not only was her sudden presence unexpected, but she had shouted close to my ears, causing them to ring.

How does she do that? I wondered as I followed the pegasus.

“Wait, one more thing!” Celestia’s horn glowed and a piece of toast appeared in my mouth. “Have a good day!”

“I’m sure you’ll make the right choice, Aron.” Twilight called after me.

I didn’t know what to think. Her logic had convinced me, yet part of me still greedily clung to the wrong that had been perpetrated against me. Whenever I considered letting it go, it slithered and wound even more tightly around my gut... It was for the best. After all, I was already losing ground far too quickly to this world.





I was the last to arrive at the classroom. Ms. Fizzle had already started writing practice problems on the board. As math class was not every day, we were making slow progress. We had recently started learning how to factor out extra variables. Base 23 aside, I was still within my comfort zone mathematically; however, I soon expected we would move onto finding roots, at which point I would have to start trying again. Such were the limits of my mathematics education.

What comes after that? I wondered. Will there be no more math class after roots, or do ponies learn more? Might they have math unknown to us? In any case I was eager to find out.

I returned Zap’s wave, ignored Spectacle, and took a seat. I then devoted myself to solving the problems on the board. I still needed a head start in order to have time to convert the numbers in my head.

Next, for literature we continued reading The Making of a Queen. I was called on to read after Daybreak. I flubbed up my pronunciation only once, but, of course, Annuity enjoyed my moment of slight embarrassment.

“Xelning counted down on her fingers to the day her beloved Gildeus would return,” Blueberry Citrus read. “She lamented that her fingers weren’t numerous enough for such a purpose, making her wait seem even longer than it already was. She continued to learn the proper manners of court from her ladies-in-waiting: dining with grace, performing the traditional dances and even knowing how to play a decent game of chess were skills essential to her new life. Although she felt ignorant on matters of war and peace, she nonetheless implored her fiance to treat the ponies well. Every day she mentally thanked Celestia for giving her this blessed new life. She understood very well why some ponies deified her.”

“Thank you, Blueberry. Yes, Beakington, you want to go next?”

“Actually I had a question,” the griffin responded. “If Xelning truly had Gildeus’s ear, surely that had an effect of the minotaurs’ foreign policy. So then, why is she not mentioned in the play Maresailles?”

Some ponies looked at him weird.

“Yes, I read it already,” he confessed.

“Very good question, Beakington. Historians disagree about the extent Xelning’s betrothal to Gildeus had on the conference. Minotaur historians have tended to downplay her impact because it would make Gildeus, the first king of the united minotaur clans, look pliable. Others see her imprint on a number of agreements. Some accounts even go as far as to claim she was actually present at the conference. The royal sisters are the only ponies who can truly say, but they have been surprisingly tight-lipped about this matter, preferring to let the historians do their own thing.”

Must be convenient having a fountain of historical knowledge presiding over you. I thought. 

It took me a moment, but I soon remembered that some day this would be my fate as well. Despite my best efforts to pay attention, I spent a short while mulling over the idea of immortality. Having resigned myself to a short lifespan long ago, the concept applied to me was surreal.

“...So to answer your question, Jill, yes, it is unlikely Xelning would play the Kieseritzky variation in response to Roccour’s Classical Defense. Allgaier’s 5.N-N5 and even the Muzio gambit were considered superior back then. This is another anachronistic example of creative license.”

What exactly did I miss?

“Ms. Fizzle!”

“Yes, Squirt,” the teacher said, somewhat impatient.

“If we’re questioning the verisimilitude of our reading material, then how exactly is a slug creature turning into a minotaur plausible? I mean you’ve mentioned Camicaze the Conqueror in the past, and I know of other legends of the princesses bringing over beings from other dimensions.  But isn’t that just what they are? Legends?”

“Squirt, we’ve been over this. Although some details of Xelning’s life are fogged by two-thousand years of history—unicorn years that is—she indisputably existed.”

“But how can we sure the coming from another world bit wasn’t just what Princess Celestia told Gildeus to grab his interest?”

“Squirt! You really think the princess would lie about such a matter?”

“I think it’s convenient that Celestia suddenly stops saving beings from other worlds in the modern era when we could document it.” 

Squirt paused to think. 

“Yes, it all makes sense!  It would be a benevolent lie, but I think Princess Celestia would do so for the greater good. She makes peace with the minotaurs by presenting the king with an “otherworldy,” exotic bride. And with Camicaze, it allows the breezies to believe that someone so evil couldn’t have been one of their own. And the rest of it is a smokescreen. The details about someone’s magical signature turning them into a bug or a flower is her excuse for why she doesn’t do it more often. It’s perfect since most ponies never even have to think about their magical signature, let alone how it would work in an alien.”

Fizzle rose a hoof and started to open her mouth, but she she stopped in awe when Squirt started glowing. The rays of light caught me right in the eyes, and I shielded them with a hoof. After a moment, I blinked my eyes open again and saw a faint aura still emanating from him.

Zap was so excited that she jumped off her desk and zipped over to him.

“You did it, Squirt! You got your cutie mark!”

What!? Really? This is how it happens?

Sure enough, when Zap had moved out of the way for long enough, I saw it: adorning Squirt’s flank were a pair of question marks crossed like two swords. The one extending to the right was larger and green, while its opposite was smaller and red.

“Yeah… I guess I did. Better late than never?”

The class cheered and congratulated Squirt in too many voices to hear distinctly.

“Does this mean he has a talent for asking too many questions?” Annuity asked twice in order to be heard.

“Annuity, it’s not polite to interpret other ponies’ cutie marks,” Fizzle scolded.

I thought that maybe I should have been feeling something profound, but the true significance of the moment escaped me. I supposed I liked Squirt well enough and was happy for him. And that was good enough for me.

Some of the class asked about the cuteceañera(Squirt didn’t want one), and all told, it took ten minutes for the class to calm down from its incessant clamoring. 

“To answer your question, Squirt, it’s well documented among magic historians that the magical signature was first discovered in large part due to experiments performed on beings from other worlds. The princesses had originally wanted to find a way to reverse the transformations, but they had no luck on that front.”

“Oh…” Squirt slunk in his seat.

“If you need more evidence, you can look at minotaur genetics,” Pestle said. “In researching the color-change potion, I learned that silver-furred minotaurs didn’t exist until around the time of Xelning. Even more curious is the fact that silver fur is a dominant gene. It stands to reason that Xelning’s magical signature gave her genetic traits that didn’t even exist yet, and as such, only her direct descendants have silver fur.”

“Iron Jill doesn’t like silver-furred taurs! They’re so arrogant!”

“Jill, that’s not nice,” Fizzle said curtly. “Yes, Pestle those observations are true, but that particular piece of evidence is considered apocryphal. In any case, beings from other worlds do exist.”

“Just my luck. I get a cutie mark in being wrong,” Squirt quipped, eliciting laughter from the class.
“Though, I have to wonder: what if the princesses never stopped…”

Pestle slowly turned her head back towards me. “Such a being would absorb magic to accelerate the transformation…” 

My first thought was that I really hadn’t been paying attention before, as her mane and tail were now green to match Annuity’s. My second thought was that I was very much in trouble. 

“Of course, there’s no way someone plucked out of another world would be so fluent in Equish in such a short time...” Pestle muttered, facing the front again.

“What are you talking about, Pestle?” Spectacle asked.

“Nothing.”

I started to noisily exhale before I had the sense to muffle it with a hoof. Fortunately, the recess bell provided an immediate distraction, and everypony galloped to the door. I began to put away my things in my saddlebags.

“River, can I see you for a moment?” Ms. Fizzle asked. My breath was stolen away again.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad,” she assured me.

I walked to her desk, and she waited until everypony had cleared out before continuing.

“You’re going to get your history tests back today, and I wanted to discuss something with you.”

I stepped closer, and she hoofed me my paper. At the top, in red ink was a C+. I tried not to act too disappointed but being average at school was still irksome to me.

“That isn’t so bad,”  I managed.

“In an absolute sense, no, but I think you are capable of more, River.”

It took me a second to recognize whether this was an endorsement or a backhanded compliment before I nodded along. She turned to the third page and pointed to the final question.

“You lost most of your points on this question.”

What do you think were the most influential factors on the treaty of Quebeak? Explain your answer.

“I didn’t really understand this question,” I said.

“What I really wanted here was your opinion, River. All your answer did was recite facts from the book.”

“Why would you want my opinion?” I asked. “I’m not a historian, so what I’m supposed to learn is the facts, right?”

The mare took personal offense to this. “Is this what they taught you at your old school?”

“Yes, we were taught that the textbook author is the ultimate authority, and the more we could memorize, the more correct and complete our knowledge would be.” 

She pulled me into a hug.

“I’m… sorry?” I tried.

“No, it’s not your fault,” she said with conviction, squeezing tighter. “Your old school just adhered to an outdated educational philosophy. River, what we now try to do with education is not just impart knowledge; it’s to foster a love of learning.”

I rolled my eyes.

“We want to teach you how to learn, how to be an independent thinker.”

Independent thinking, huh? I thought, pulling away.

I knew what those words meant, and I even had something of a conditioned response to reject anything that broke with the orthodoxy. Though at the same time, this apparent character flaw was what had so endeared my sister to me. She wouldn’t have been herself without her unique ideas.

“Well, how do I do that?”

Fizzle let out a nervous laugh, but halfway through it became a whimper.

“What?”

“Well, it’s…” She sighed. “River, it’s not something I can give you a formula for. I can try to prompt you, but it would defeat the purpose if I tried telling you how to do it.” 

“So, if you can’t help me, why’d you bother pulling me aside?” It took a second, but I practically flinched at this accidental defiance.

Fizzle chuckled. “Well, you can start by telling me what you thought about Quebeak.”

“I’m not sure what you want me to say. I thought the treaty was too favorable to the ponies.”

She nodded for me to go on.

“The griffin delegation rolled over in their surrender. I wouldn’t have ceded so much land just for the sake of maintaining a few traditional settlements in pony territory.”

“You have to remember to put yourself into their horseshoes, River. There’s a reason it was one of the few things the clans all agreed upon. They each wanted their own traditional capital to remain, and that’s why none of them would agree to a simpler border with Equestria with more territory.”

I hung my head. “You see! You know a lot more about this than I do, so I don’t know why you want me to comment on it.”

I got another hug.

“I wasn’t correcting you, dear. I was just providing you with some additional knowledge to further refine your thoughts. Your opinion wasn’t wrong, but there’s always another perspective. This is why we discuss these things. That’s what history is really all about: making sense of the past in order to use that knowledge to build a better future for everypony.”

I waited until she released me to respond. “I still don’t understand why you want my uninformed opinion.”

The mare smiled warmly. “That’s okay for now. Just keep on trying, and I’ll do my best to help you improve as a critical thinker.” As if to demonstrate, she levitated my test in front of me, and I watched as she magically changed the C+ into a B-. “Now I’m sure you want to enjoy the rest of your recess, so don’t worry about it too much for now.”

I wasn’t especially looking forward to recess, but I took up her invitation for fear of being hugged again. When I got outside, I found that most of the pony children were playing tag. Apparently, Pestle’s special rules had caught on. I still didn’t know exactly how it worked, but from a few minutes of observation, I concluded that Squirt and Clever Theorem were the centers of gravity. They were certainly odd choices for team captains. Squirt normally didn’t play, so I postulated that he wanted to test out his cutie mark’s physical benefits.

“Hey, River,” came a peppy voice. I turned in time to see Zephyr Zap land next to me.

“I’m surprised you’re not playing with them,” I said.

“Of course, I wanted to, but I made a promise. Do you mind if I ask you for a favor?”

“Yes, you may ask,” I said unhelpfully, sidestepping a tacit commitment.

“I don’t suppose you would be willing to forgive Spectacle, would you?”

That took me aback.

She continued, “I know he’s a blockhead that rambles on about boring trivia, but his heart’s in the right place—usually. And he’s even more of a blockhead when Pestle’s involved, so don’t take what happened personally. Anyway he’s really sorry. Can you forgive him?” 

It’s only been a day, I thought. But that’s already too long for me to act so childishly. Plus, it may be suspicious that I’m so bothered by a simple color change. With that in mind I nodded my consent. “I’m curious, though, why’d he send you to talk for him.”

“Well, you weren’t talking to him, so—”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean why did you agree to do it? You don’t seem to be friends.” Which was strange, given she was friends with almost everybody else.

She blushed slightly. “Because he’s my cousin.”

“Come again?”

“He’s the foal of one of my mothers’ sister. I see him all the time. So, I guess it’s not surprising he gets on my nerves sometimes.”

“That makes sense,” I said simply. Seconds passed and it became apparent that the conversation had died right there. I started walking away.

“I suppose you’ll be mad at me too if I don’t tell you…”

“Hmm?”

“Annuity is—”

“Okay, everypony recess is over,” Fizzle shouted, clapping her front hooves together. Zap sheepishly trotted back inside and I followed. When everyone had taken their seats, Fizzle rendered a big smile. “Now it’s time to announce the results of the vote.”

The class cheered.

“I’m just as excited as you are to find out who will be playing Princess Celestia. So without further ado—” 

Using her magic, she levitated the ballot box in front of her and drew out the ballots one at a time. Upon seeing the first one she nodded. The second one perplexed her. The third one caused her to grimace. The fourth relieved her, but the fifth made her scowl again. This process went on for twenty more ballots. Upon drawing the last one, she sighed.

“The winner with seven votes is... River Glade!”

The class gasped, and I instantly felt the pressure of twenty-four pairs of eyes being trained on me.

“But, he’s a colt,” a filly said, verbalizing what everyone was thinking.

Do they know? 

Annuity smirked at me.

Oh, of course. I really should have seen that one coming.

This line of thinking did little to console me, and Fizzle seemed to pick up on my distress.

“River, I know you didn’t volunteer, but the class has selected you. This means the part is yours if you want it. Of course, you can always decline.”

Annuity glared at me. Naturally, I wanted nothing more to reject the offer and rain on her parade. However, something Fizzle said stuck with me: the class had selected me. The vote may have been swayed by Annuity’s influence, but it was still a fair vote. Unpleasant as it may have been, there was no rule against voting alliances. Ultimately, the fact remained that I couldn’t refuse without losing face.

“I—I’ll do it,” I mustered. “But only because it’s what the class wants.”

Fizzle’s smile returned. “In that case, it’s decided!”

I felt the strange sensation of a phantom hand brushing my mane. I looked behind me, and saw that the orange filly behind Beakington had her horn glowing silver.

“I guess it could work,” the filly said. “You do have a luscious mane and tail. I’m jealous!”

Before I could tell the filly off, Ms. Fizzle started speaking again. “The runner-up is Zephyr Zap with six votes.”

“What!?” Zap said, genuinely surprised. Her wings started flapping on their own from excitement.

“It makes sense,” Theorem said. “You’re probably the most popular pony in class.”

Annuity snorted and turned her head. “Hmph.”

“Since you came so close, I’ll let you pick whichever part you want out of those remaining.”

“I’ll take Princess Luna,” Zap chirped. Several ponies looked at her funny. “I mean, yeah, it’s the next biggest pony role, right?”

“Isn’t she, like, Nightmare Moon?” Asked the orange filly.

Murmurs of agreement came from all around.

“Settle down, everypony. Princess Luna has been completely reformed. We all need to give her a chance to earn our forgiveness, and that can only happen if we all keep an open mind.”

Did Luna do something bad? I wondered. With how easy-going ponies normally were, it was hard for me to imagine what she could have done to lose the favor of her subjects. 

Zap self-consciously stretched her wings. “I—I guess I just like her colors.” 

“As good a reason as any,” Fizzle said with a smile. “Now, I won’t allocate any more roles based on the vote, since that would be unfair to the colts, but for those of you who are curious, Raspberry Citrus was third with three votes.”

“Me?” Raspberry asked in disbelief.

“I know I voted for you, sis, but who else?” Blueberry Citrus asked rhetorically.

The fuchsia pony got a twinkle in her eye. “Maybe I have a secret admirer?”

“Don’t get your hopes up," Squirt cautioned. “I didn’t want to be the deciding vote, so I voted for you since it was pretty clear you wouldn’t win.”

“Thanks a lot,” Raspberry replied through clenched teeth.

In that moment, I realized that I could have spared myself had I voted for Zap. Instead, I had voted for Iron Jill. Maybe part of my logic was similar to Squirt’s, but part of me had felt the minotaur girl deserved a break. After all, she didn’t seem to have many friends.

From there, we tediously debated who would get which of the remaining parts. Eventually we had to default to drawing names from the repurposed ballot box. Not everypony was happy.

“Why does Iron Jill have to be Gildeus? Why can’t Iron Jill be Xelning?”

“Duh! She’s not in the play,” said Bubble Bauble. “Besides you’re the only minotaur in the class.”

“But Iron Jill’s not a bull!” Jill shouted, pounding a fist on her undersized desk.

I nodded in sympathy. And I’m not a filly.

From there, Fizzle proceeded to pass paper copies of the play out.

“Isn’t this copyright infringement?” Squirt asked.

“Educational fair use is a wonderful thing, dear,” said Fizzle. “Now, let’s review the structure of the play before diving in. Who can tell me what the first part of a story is generally called?“ I rose my hoof. “Yes, River.”

“Exposition.”

“Very good. In this play the exposition is mainly delivered through a conversation between two unnamed griffin citizens. Many other plays might use a narrator for this purpose, or in classical plays, a chorus.”

A chorus? I suppose I should be grateful this play doesn’t involve any more singing…

“Next is…” Fizzle waited for a couple of hooves to be raised before calling on Gilded Acres.

“Rising action,” the earth filly answered.

“Correct. In Maresailles, this is accomplished through an initial scene of heated policy debates. In addition to being of historical interest, it introduces the personalities of each of the griffin delegates. However, the play only really starts to ramp up when the draconequus Quarrel starts to interfere with the proceedings. The audience knows this is the case, but none of the characters are aware. This is an example of...” she called on the filly behind Beakington.

“Dramatic irony.”

“Very good, Style.”

Next, Beakington was called on to state the next event: the climax.

“In this play, the climax arguably extends across two scenes. The first is when the furious griffin and minotaur delegations try to persuade the princesses to get rid of Quarrel once and for all. Second is the actual confrontation with Quarrel where the princesses try to reform him but to no avail. With the help of Star Swirl the Bearded they permanently banish him from Equus.”

The process repeated and Fizzle talked about how debating and signing the treaty comprised the falling action and resolution respectively. 

Finally, Fizzle prompted, “Let’s start out with scene two, since we’re strapped for time.”

The sound of pages turning filled the room as all of us went to the designated scene. Certainly it wasn’t to be mistaken for enthusiasm, but in view of Fizzle’s tedious review on the parts of a story, we all wanted to start already.

“What you are proposing, Princess, is an affront to our dignity,” Daybreak read. “The Featherven won’t stand for this outrage.”

“Neither will Barbeaks!” read the class’s only pegasus colt.

“For once, the Eggnostics agree with this rabble.” Granite read.

“What was that!?” Daybreak read.

“Quite frankly it was your barbarism that dragged us into this senseless conflict,” Granite retorted.

“Gentlemen,” Zap read. “We would appreciate it greatly if you would stay on the agenda.”

“Indeed, the duty imposed on imported griffin tools and woodwork would only impact the wealthiest of traders. In fact, ponies, too, will have to pay such a tariff in the form of an export tax,” I read unenthusiastically.

“That’s what you say now, but what of the affront to our dignity?” the pegasus colt read.   

“Even if this were the case,” I responded. “You would prioritize a perceived affront your dignity over peace? The funds raised from this duty, would also help griffins displaced in the conflict to establish themselves in Equestria. If you are not acquainted with it, I’d like to direct you to section III paragraph 5.”

I turned the page. Celestia reading said paragraph took up the entirety of the next page.

And this is the abridged version? Ooh, boy. This is going to be a long class.





Soon after the bell rang, I found myself trotting off the schoolyard. I would have stayed longer, but most of the class followed Annuity’s lead and started referring to me as “princess.” I was mainly disappointed for not getting a chance to play Pestle’s new game of tag. With my limitations as a markless unicorn, I normally found tag to be a very rewarding challenge.

I was so sure that Star would ask me why I didn’t stay to “play” that I had already started to come up with excuses. However, at the gate, I was met not with Star’s cool aura, but instead with a goofy smile from a familiar tan stallion.

“Trusty, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“I thought you’d be happier to see me,” the unarmored guardspony said, looking a little hurt.

I shook my head and sighed. “It’s not like I’m annoyed; I was just expecting Star, because she’s normally in charge of me.”

“Star had to take the afternoon off,” Trusty explained.

“Is she sick?” 

Trusty shook his head.

“Then why would she take time off?” Star didn’t strike me as one to shirk her duty.

“She had to take her mother to the zoo,” Trusty explained.

“A zoo? What’s that?”

Trusty raised an eyebrow. “You know, it’s the place where they keep lots of animals.”

“But aren’t we anim—you know what? Forget I asked.”

“Will do,” he said with a broad grin. “So how was school?”

I shrugged, “Not the best of days, though Squirt did get his cutie mark today.”

“Really!? What type of mark was it?” Trusty asked, taking large strides as we walked together.

“It’s two question marks put together.”

Trusty put a hoof to his chin. “Does he like to come up with riddles?”

I shook my head. “If I had to guess I’d say it means he’s an independent thinker. He was questioning the teacher. Maybe I can ask him to teach me so I can get better grades.”

I started to pant as I needed to gallop to keep up with Trusty’s unusually brisk pace.

“Can you slow down a bit?” I finally pleaded. “Why are...  you... walking so… fast?”

“Really? I think I’m walking at a normal speed. And if I’m not, I like a nice jog, don’t you? I’m certainly not rushing to get you to the castle so I can go look for—Wallflower!”

Trusty skidded to a halt as we rounded the corner, nearly colliding with the armored pegasus. “Oh hey, Wallflower.” Trusty chuckled nervously. “What are you doing here? Did you overhear that? Well, I wanted to see you because... I didn’t know if you needed help getting around the city. Yeah, that’s it! Umm... Wallflower?”

The pegasus was silent. 

“I mean I guess you wouldn’t remember me. After all, we barely know each other,” Trusty said through more nervous laughter.

Slowly, an unnatural smile came to Wallflower’s face. “Greetings friend and/or acquaintance. How are... you... doing today?”

“Well, I guess I’m doing all right I mean—”

“I have a special business opportunity for you,” Wallflower said in her monotone.

“Really? I’m really flattered you consider me a friend… and/or an acquaintance, I guess. I’d love to hear it!”

Wallflower showed no reaction to what Trusty had said. “Be your own boss. Work from home. Take advantage of unlimited earning potential.”

Trusty timidly looked away. “Well, I kind of like my job... but I guess if it’s from you it can’t hurt to listen… I mean—”

Wallflower lazily stepped back a few paces and pulled a cart out from behind a nearby merchant’s kiosk. It was overflowing with black-labeled plastic bottles which were depicting a mare smiling from ear to ear.

“Become a distributor for Dimaryp energy drinks. Sell them to your friends, or even better, share this opportunity with them and receive a commission for every sale they make.”

I leaned against a stylized black metal fence and waited a few beats. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to point this out. 

“Trusty, something's not right here.”

“I agree,” Trusty said. 

I sighed in relief. 

“You shouldn’t have to sell all of that on your own. Let me help you!”

I facehooved rather painfully. “Trusty that’s not what I—”

“Here, try a free sample,” Wallflower intoned.”

“Trusty!”

“Don’t mind if I do,” the stallion said, accepting the bottle and opening it.

“For pony’s sake, Trusty, don’t you see the glazed look in her eyes!?”

Trusty examined Wallflower carefully for about fifteen seconds. The mare didn’t blink even once.

“Now that you mention it, that is kind of strange. Wallflower, have you been getting enough sleep?

“That’s not what I meant!” I pleaded. “I think someone’s controlling her.”

“Don't… you… trust… me?” the pegasus droned.

“Of course I trust you!” The stallion proclaimed. “My name isn’t Trusty for nothing.” He raised the bottle to his lips but hesitated for a second. “Wallflower, is somepony controlling your mind?”

“...No...” Wallflower said, eyes blinking out of sync.

“Well that’s good enough for me!” .

With that Trusty took a big swig and I hit myself even harder. 

“Hmm… it’s not bad I guess. What’s in—” The same blank look came over his face and all unnecessary movement ceased. I watched his neck slowly turn towards Wallflower and his gaze lock in on her. “I’ll take the lot,” he recited, emptying his bit purse into Wallflower’s saddlebags.

“Thank… you… come… again,” she said, with an awkward smile, as if remembering at the last second.

I started hyperventilating. Something was seriously wrong here. I didn’t think anything could scare me in this happy horse haven of a world, but suddenly fear of the unknown pierced my heart and sucked all warmth from my blood.

What exactly is going on? I asked myself in disbelief.

Trusty slowly turned his head towards me. After a moment’s pause, his body turned as well. “Greetings friend and/or acquaintance. How are... you... doing today?”

“Stay away from me!” I cried as I started to run down the street. Looking side to side, I saw that the usual merchants’ goods were now replaced by those insidious bottles. I passed the kiosks one by one a time as their owners followed me with glazed eyes. At the end of the row, I recognized a familiar vendor. Golden apples were stacked to twice my height behind the wooden counter.

“Hey! Excuse me! Do you know what’s going on?” I asked the proprietor, voice trembling.

Apple Exquisite craned his neck towards me, sporting that same unnerving smile. Seeing it, I bolted before he could utter a word, paying no heed to my destination. To my shame, I let sheer fear pull my strings for well over a minute. It was only when I spotted Wallflower flying overhead that I realized I could be doing something more proactive.

That’s it! I’ll follow her and find the source of the bottles!

It certainly seemed like a better plan than running to Celestia with my tail between my legs. I may have been powerless to do anything about the situation, but at least I would be able to report some intel to the princesses.

Wallflower was flying fairly slowly, but I still had to hustle to keep up, as she could cut corners. I focused all my efforts on remembering every single turn I took, and I soon found myself in a part of Canterlot I didn’t recognize. By the looks of it, it was a more recent construction: the houses were made of utilitarian red brick and absent was any sort of stylized architecture. Furthermore, side-streets, loops and diagonal cross-streets were abundant in the rest of the city, while this area seemed to have been precisely planned on a grid.

I lost track of Wallflower after about fifteen minutes, but fortunately I caught sight of her again upon rounding a corner. She was walking towards a three-tiered stone fountain. In front of it was a brown stallion with a lime-green mane. He wore a silver-framed monocle over his left eye, and he was sporting a handlebar mustache.

Pressing myself against the side of a building, I crouched down low and sidled closer, hiding behind a cluster of barrels.

“Here you go…. master....” Wallflower said robotically as she emptied the money from her saddlebags.

“Excellent!” the stallion said in a villainous baritone, rubbing his hooves together greedily. “Keep them coming.” 

So he’s behind it. I guess that’s all I need to know.

I prepared to slip away from the scene, but I froze when the stallion started to approach me. Quickly closing the distance, he effortlessly slung one of the barrels onto his back. I could see only a bit of daylight from the removal of the barrel. Unfortunately, it was still enough for him to spot me. 

“Why hello there,” he said, pushing his muzzle towards me. “Looks like we have a little eavesdropper on our hooves. Oh my!” 

I primed myself to sprint away, but before I could, he grabbed me by the neck with his mouth, letting the barrel roll off his back. It cracked open upon hitting the ground, letting loose dozens of Dimaryp bottles. 

I panicked for a moment, writhing and struggling in his grip, but then I realized my stupidity. I had a contingent of pegasus guards following me at all times.

“Guards!” I shouted. “GUARDS!”

“Come now, it’s not like there will be guards just waiting around for somepony to call them. Oh wait, do you mean these guards, perhaps?” he asked, clicking his hooves on the gravel street. Four familiar day guards flew out from behind a pair of nearby houses.

“Greetings friend and/or acquaintance, how are… you… doing today?” they chanted in perfect sync.

My eyes went wide and the monocled stallion cackled. “I’m sorry. Were these your guards?” I quickly shook my head, but my countenance betrayed the truth. “Aah I see. A colt with his own escort of royal guards. How curious... Who might you be who’s so important?”

Not good. Not good!

“I suppose it doesn’t matter. In any case, drink up!” He opened a bottle with his hooves and pressed it to my lips. I clamped my mouth tightly shut as he prodded it with the top of the bottle. Up close, it smelled like somewhat like ammonia, and I had to fight not to gag.

“Don’t be so stubborn.” I refused to budge. “It’s mother’s secret recipe.” I shook my head. “Oh well! More for me!” he said, pouring the bottle’s contents down his throat.

“What did you do to them!?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth.

“Tisk tisk,” the stallion said. “Do you really think I’m that dumb? It’s not like I’m going to let you stall by dictating my brilliant evil plot word for word.” 

Oh great! I get captured by the one competent villain in Equestria!

“What were you expecting me to do? Ramble on about my evil plot to turn the citizens of Canterlot into my personal army of mid-level marketing zombies? Brag about how it’s going to make me rich and how soon I, The Miser, will rule all of Canterlot? Or were you hoping I would accidentally reveal that my concoction’s one easily exploitable weakness is cold wa—?” He slowly lowered his gesticulating right hoof.. “Oh you clever little dickens, you almost got me!”

More like you almost got you! I thought to myself.

The stallion set me down and my four former protectors encircled me. 

“Well since I’ve already indulged, I may as well top it off with some evil gloating.” He stepped onto the fountain and stood dramatically on two hooves. “No one can stop me now hahahaha—ow!”

He tumbled head over hooves onto the ground as a speeding orange blur connected with a powerful kick.

“Rising Sun?!” The phoenix slapped him. “Ow! I’m not much of a fighter, you know. Ow!” Rising Sun slapped him again and then took wing, preparing to dive beak-first at him. However mid-descent Wallflower interposed her face. The phoenix desperately flapped her wings, trying to stop, but she nonetheless collided with the mare’s armor and was sent hurtling back. 

The stallion cackled. “What’s wrong? You won’t hurt them? And I thought I was one for cliches! Well just because you won’t fight them doesn’t mean they won’t fight you! Come, my minions!” At first there was silence, but slowly, a faintly recognizable sound inched closer.

“Greetings friend and/or acquaintance,” a multitude of voices intoned. Coming into sight was a small group of brainwashed ponies slowly walking down the street towards us. I recognized a few of the merchants along with Trusty Stead. 

Philomena repeatedly reared back and prepared to strike; however each time she did, Wallflower moved to intercept her. I watched helplessly as this dance between the two of them continued. 

All the while, his reinforcements continued to encroach.

I have to do something! I thought. But I haven’t absorbed any magic. This isn’t like the Chaotic Queue where stray magic was everywhere. Frustrated, I pawed uselessly at the green crystal strapped to my horn.

And I can’t use my geomancy without accelerating the transformation further…

Desperate, I looked the only direction that wasn’t hopeless at the moment—up. To my surprise, I spotted a rainbow-colored blur racing across the sky.  

I recognized the pegasus as one of Twilight’s friends, but it took me a moment to recall her name. Rainbow Dash appeared to be flying aimlessly, searching for something. After surveying the neighborhood from above she began to accelerate downward. As she approached, the brainwashed guards moved to shield the Miser from above with their bodies, leaving the lone mare of the group to hold me down.

“Aron!” Rainbow shouted, zipping through an opening in the pegasi’s formation.

“Who is it now?” The Miser asked, exasperated.

“Rainbow Dash, the most awesome pony in all of Equestria. And I’m here to save my friend!”

She considers me a friend? I’ve only met her once!

“Seize her!” The Miser ordered. Ponies started to amble towards Rainbow, but whenever they got too close, she uncorked a series of elegant kicks. I wasn’t sure if she realized what Rising Sun had about potentially hurting civilians, but I was grateful for it.

“Get off me!” Rainbow shouted as she kicked Wallflower’s armored barrel. Trusty tried to grab her from behind, but she slipped his grip. She flashed a cocky smile at me, but I could see in her eyes that she was realizing the futility of fighting so many on her own.

“Rainbow, don’t worry about me! Get the princesses!”

“No can do, Kiddo. I’m not about to leave a friend behind.

“You’re going to have to!” I urged.

“But—" Rainbow managed as she ducked Trusty Stead’s flailing and kicked him.

“Listen! Tell the princesses that the potion’s weakness is cold water!”

“Why you cheeky little thing,” The Miser scolded. “Not that it’s going to do you any good.”

“Really? Just cold water?” Dash asked.

“I think so!” I responded. “Tell Celestia and the others.”

Hesitantly, she corkscrewed away to avoid a hit from behind and escaped the pegasi that were tailing her. “I’m coming back for you! I promise!” Rainbow shouted behind her. 

Meanwhile Rising Sun was still struggling, having been reduced to purely dodging the mob. Just when I thought she was cornered, she spread her wings wide and a brilliant cloak of flames engulfed her small body. Even in their addled state, the ponies flinched back at this, leaving the Miser vulnerable. Rising Sun didn’t miss the opportunity and she dove at him, igniting his coat.

Screaming, the stallion dropped to the ground and rolled around until the flames were extinguished. The phoenix dove at him again, but he did an acrobatic roll to get behind her and land a punch. 

“Oh by the way, that bit about not being a fighter—I lied.” 

Rising Sun flapped her wings to dive bomb him, but the ponies resumed their defensive positions around him. Philomena did her trick with the fire again, but the Miser was ready this time to parry her attack. This process repeated several times, and each time the Miser took a few more steps away from her and towards my position.

Is he coming for me? I thought.

To my relief, his next movement was away from me. 

It would have been bad if he wanted to make me drink that stuff… there’s no telling what it would do with my transformation.

Nevertheless, I was still far from content just waiting for help to arrive. Wanting to make some kind of plan, I examined the spacing of the protective ponies. The Miser was a fairly tall earth pony, so it would be possible to hit him a magic arrow from my angle. 

If only I had some magic...

“You’re becoming predictable, Rising Sun,” he taunted, trying to grab her tail in his mouth. This left him vulnerable to a quick slap, but he didn’t even have time to flinch before his “minions” retook their shielding formation. 

Think! I implored myself. Think! 

Last time I had used my own magic as a trigger mechanism, but that would do me no good if the crystal wasn’t charged.

Well, what can I use to charge it? I looked around and saw a few unicorns. Despite them being under his control, The Miser never once had them use magic. Is there a reason he can’t? 

I sighed. 

That’s helpful information in theory, but it does me no good now…

By process of elimination, the only option remaining to me was my own magic.

It’s risky, but can I force the seal open? 

I spent long considering it before starting to tense my head and neck, trying to will the magic upward and out. I felt my mana well in my horn, but the pressure was just not enough. I think I had a minor migraine, as I was soon forced to stop from the sheer pain. Yet, even when I had ceased, I felt a small bit of magic pulsating gently. At first, I thought something had slipped through a crack in the seal, but I had expected a whirlwind of magical energy to follow when the dam completely burst. 

Wait! It’s the crystal! But how? 

I quickly rummaged through my memories for any sort of clue. 

Capacitor—it functions like a capacitor… A capacitor is an electronics component if I recall. But I didn’t know anything about electronics. 

As if to contradict me, faint images of circuit diagrams ran through my mind. How? I certainly had never learned about electronics in school, so how? 

Unless...

The gaps in my memory started filling in as I remembered a particular guilt-tinged Sunday afternoon. I had spent it hidden away, reading an old book I found in the attic. Although, I was never discovered, I feared reprimand for engaging in “idle diversions” so much that I never returned to it. Still, I spent days afterwards trying to commit every detail to memory, as if hoarding a secret treasure.

Resistors, capacitors, and… what was the third one again?  I briefly felt foolish for letting my mind wander, yet somehow I knew this line of thinking was the correct one.

Is it a voltage source? No, that’s more complicated. It’s something simpler. In… in—an inductor! 

Once more, I was bombarded by memories: Wasn’t there a law that allows charging of a battery without direct contact?  

And what was another type of battery? 

A focus crystal!

I think it was some change in magnetism that was needed. Maybe magic is the same way...

In that moment, I placed my entire faith in my intuition. In truth, I wasn’t sure how analogous magic was to electromagnetism, but I was ready to bet on my hunch.

Once more, I directed magic into my horn. When it reached the tip I cycled it back out. In sync with my breathing, I created a gentle tide of mana ebbing and flowing within my horn. As I repeated this time and time again, I slowly felt the familiar sensation of magic accumulating. Drop by drop, the crystal charged to fullness.

I grinned in satisfaction. When the moment was right, I pushed as much mana as I could muster into my horn, waited for the Miser to step into my sights, and released my crystal’s energy the moment an opening appeared. I could actually hear a savage thunk as the magic arrow bowled over the supervillain. 

For a moment, I even thought I had killed him. However, staggering, he brought himself to his hooves—only to be immediately struck down by Rising Sun’s pile driver of a beak. He was unconscious even before his head hit the gravel.

I exhaled in relief. It’s over.

“Greetings friend and/or acquaintance! Greetings friend and/or acquaintance!” Came a cacophony of voices.

“I have a special business opportunity for you,” the three guardsponies said simultaneously, each brandishing a bottle. I struggled in the mare’s grip, but it was useless.

Rising Sun flapped to my side, engaged her flames and succeeded in making the guard holding me release her grip.  However, the moment the Phoenix stopped, Trusty and the guards surrounded me again. She tried to repeat the feat, but this time only a lone few embers flitted from her wings.

Well, Diane, Will,  this looks like the end for me. Staring down my certain doom, maybe I’ll understand what you felt…

“Aron!” Celestia screamed, diving from high above. She was flanked by Rainbow Dash and the other princesses. Each of them was pushing a cloud. As they hovered above the crowd, they stomped the clouds and gave the brainwashed ponies a cold shower. As it soaked their coats, color returned to their blank eyes; looks of confusion were in abundance. Of course, I got drenched as well.

Celestia looked around for the briefest moment to confirm it had worked before wrapping me up in a hug.

“Aron, I was so worried.”





Opening one eye, the Miser took note of Celestia hugging the colt. He grinned, despite his failure to capture the pony.

In any case, I’ve confirmed that the princess does care personally for this foal, he thought. Perhaps “the Miser” will have something to report after all...





“So you remember nothing at all?” Cadance asked back in the throne room.

“No, after I tried his free sample. I umm... don’t remember anything. I’m really sorry for um… selling those awful drinks. If I had been smarter everypony wouldn’t have—”

Celestia stroked Wallflower’s withers. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, my little pony.” Celestia said softly. “The so-called Miser was not the common sort of villain—he was a far more sinister breed of evil.”

Luna nodded somberly. “Indeed, we know not from whence these aspiring villains come.”

“Are threats like these commonplace?” I asked.

Celestia shook her head. “No, this is only the third ‘supervillain’ we have encountered. You’ve already encountered Maniacal Laughter, Rising Sun’s principal nemesis. She is insane, but fairly harmless. The other is even less of a threat… somehow.” She looked me in the eye. “I’d like to apologize, Aron. You’ve come at a strange time. I can assure you it wasn’t always like this. After today, it’s something we will treat much more seriously.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not like you could have predicted this. If I’m mad at anyone it’s Trusty and the others for falling for his scheme.”

Trusty’s ears drooped. Wallflower’s did too, even though I hadn’t intended to implicate her.

Celestia nodded. “That is a character flaw other races have observed in ponies: we can be trusting to a fault.”

“I’m hoping this is a habit I won’t pick up.” It’s bad enough that they can’t figure out who Rising Sun is…

“You’ll have to tell me more about these inductors,” Twilight said. “It’s incredible that you were able to infer the first law of magical flux. I’m very impressed.”

I beamed.

“Unfortunately, I can’t approve of what you did,” Celestia said sternly. “Trying to use magic was extremely risky.” I felt my own ears droop. “What if you had turned into an infant right then and there? He could have held you hostage, or worse… Besides, you couldn’t know how those under his control would react to his defeat.”

Rainbow Dash closed the distance between us and stroked me with a wing. “I’m with Twilight on this. I think it’s totally awesome that you and Rising Sun were able to take out the bad guy. It was an egghead kind of awesome, but still pretty awesome.”

“Even so, Aron, you knew help was on its way. Why did you put yourself at risk?” Celestia asked.

“I knew I wouldn’t miss,” I said confidently.

“That’s not what I mean, Aron.” She sighed. “You don’t have to do these things all on your own.” A bit of moisture could be seen in her eye. “You’re very important to us.”

“...Because I’m going to be an alicorn?” I asked sullenly.

“Do you think we’re that superficial, Aron?” Cadance interjected. I flinched at the rebuke. “Don’t you think after all this time that we could love you for you?”

“I—I don’t…” I stammered. I simply didn’t know what to make of it. My whole life I had been told I was expendable, but after such a short time, these ponies had made such a strong statement to the contrary. “It’s because I’m a soldier,” I answered.

“You needn’t be a soldier any longer,” Luna said. “Although you don’t like to acknowledge it, you are but a foal at the moment. Could you entrust the fighting to us? I know you conducted yourself in a manner you would deem brave, so I will ask you to exercise a different kind of bravery now: set aside your pride and trust us.” Luna smiled warmly at me. “Can you let us protect you?”

“I—I can try,” I said, fearful of making a vow I would regret.

“That’s all we ask at the moment.”

“What of the magical seal?” I asked, changing the subject. “Did I break it at all?”

Twilight’s horn glowed its pink hue. “It is slightly damaged,” Twilight said, “It will probably hold, but I can certainly repair it.”

“Please do,” I said.   

“Sure thing.” Twilight trotted up to me, magicked my bangs to the side and wrapped my horn in her magical aura.

“In any case,” Celestia said, “our formal business has concluded. Trusty, Wallflower, you are free to go. I’m sure the two of you are eager to catch up.”

The two ponies blushed and turned away from one another.

“That’s okay, I wouldn’t want to be around me right now,” Wallflower squeaked.

“No, I should be sorry for not recognizing something was wrong with you. Maybe I could have gotten you help sooner.”

“See you later,” they said at the same time.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” they both said.

Okay this charade is getting on my nerves, I thought. They obviously like each other, so why can’t they see it? 

“Twilight, can you give me a moment?” I asked

She nodded and disengaged her magic. “I’ve got the seal fixed for most of the magical spectrum. The higher frequencies will take longer to repair, but they’re mostly redundant anyway.”

“It will only take a moment,” I said.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the blushing pair of ponies, brimming with determination. If I couldn’t unmask Rising Sun, I could at least try and break another type of obliviousness.

“Trusty, Wallflower, can I tell you something?”

“What is it, Aron?” Trusty asked.

“Look: you two both like each other. There’s no doubt about it.”

The pair blushed even harder.

“You mean he doesn’t think I’m weak?”

“You mean, she actually doesn’t think I’m overbearing?”

Yes, good....

“Well, I’m glad we both like each other as acquaintances,” Trusty said, chipper.

“Me too.”

I facehooved. Cadance giggled.

Come on you two, get a clue. All I want is you to see the obvious! See the obvious...

Without warning, I felt an intense energy pulsating in my skull, accompanied by a feeling of light-headedness. I brought a hoof to rub my forehead. 

“Aron!” Twilight called, sensing something was clearly wrong.

Suddenly it stopped. I exhaled in relief.

The next instant, a torrent of pink magic erupted out of my horn, causing a storm of magical energy to rage across room. Magical volleys ricocheted off the walls, bouncing at all angles, coming perilously close to breaking the stained glass windows. Reflexively Twilight conjured a shield around her friend and the other princesses. 

Meanwhile, Trusty tried to shield Wallflower, but when the blasts pelleted his back, a pink aura washed over both of them.

“Wallflower…”

“Trusty…”

“Aron… what…” Celestia stuttered.

“I love you, Wallflower.”

“I love you too, Trusty”

The two of them hugged one another tightly and locked their lips together.

What… what did I do? I thought, gawking at the kissing ponies as my horn crackled with magical energy.

“It’s love magic,” Cadance said in disbelief.

“Love magic? Is it even possible for a foal to surge with such specialized magic?” Twilight asked.

“Cadance did once as a filly,” Celestia called out. “Let’s just say it made for an interesting Hearts and Hooves Day!”

“Can we stop him?” Luna asked.

“It’s no different than any other magic surge,” Celestia responded. “We just have to wait it out!” 

“Can’t you put a shield around him, Twi?” 

“No, Rainbow, that would just trap him in a bubble with a dangerous amount of free magic.” 

After two more pulses, my horn seemed to shut off. Thus, I was completely caught off guard when it sputtered one last glob of magic all over me. As it seeped into my skin, every hair on my body tingled. Momentarily it seemed like I was floating. My mind calmed, and I felt like music was coming from within me. Then, an unnerving churning sensation swirled near my stomach.

What was…

Another magic blast bounced off the ceiling and bopped me right in the head. Pink haze tinted my vision, and my mind filled with pure adulation.

“I love you guys,” I proclaimed, galloping into the tiny space in between Trusty and Wallflower. I took a long moment to bask in the warmth of their presence. They were the two greatest ponies in the world. Wallflower was so kind, devoted, beautiful and motherly, just what a foal like myself needed. Trusty, meanwhile made me feel so safe. He was handsome, strong and devoted—the perfect dad.

I sure hope they adopt me, I thought, snuggling them. In that moment, I was completely content, oblivious to the lingering echoes of my magic surge. 

When the chaos had finally died down, Cadance came over and lit up her horn. I felt the euphoria fade as she exorcised the pink energy from me.

“What was—what was that!?” I panted. “What did it do to my head!? Is it permanent?!”

“Since you are young, the love magic simulated a parent child bond,” Cadance said. “It shouldn’t have any lasting effects.”

“I still can’t believe that was possible,” Twilight insisted. “Love magic is high frequency, and the probability distributions around Aron are distorted, but a surge of love magic can’t just happen on its own!”

Cadance paused to think. “Aron, did you want them to realize their feelings ahead of schedule?” she asked, putting a hoof on my withers.

I felt ashamed as I quietly murmured an affirmation.

“Volition magic…” Celestia whispered. “I never would have thought.”

The pink aura finally faded from around the kissing couple. Immediately they pulled away and blushed.

“Sorry…” Wallflower whispered.

A long, awkward moment passed.

Trusty swallowed hard and faced the pegasus. “I’m not,” he said. “I love you, Wallflower. I’d love to kiss you like that every day!” 

Silence. 

“I mean, if you’ll have me...”

“Oh, Trusty!” Wallflower flung herself on him and initiated another long kiss.

Cadance squeed loudly.

Embarrassed, I turned towards Rainbow and the princesses. Each of them slowly opened their mouths agape.

“Is he...” Rainbow said.

“What?”

“Aron, your mane is longer,” Celestia finally said. I turned my head and saw that she was right.

“Your eyelashes have grown out too,” Luna added. I blinked. Sure enough, she was right.

“And your hooves look like they’ve just been buffed and shined,” Cadance said. I could see the sheen out of the corner of my eye.

“Could it be?” Twilight asked tentatively.

No...

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and focusing on my body. 

Immediately I noted that my build was subtly different—I felt lighter, while my center of gravity had shifted slightly towards my abdomen. Hesitantly, I looked to confirm what I already knew.

Reflexively, I let out a shriek.

Sure enough, Trusty was now the only male in the room.