//------------------------------// // Magnetized // Story: Fundamentals // by FerociousCreation //------------------------------// Minuette stood behind beside Moon Dancer, paying close attention to her friend who continued to stare at a quill resting on the table. Moon Dancer’s brows were bent with concentration, and her teeth were clenched with frustration. For two minutes, Moon Dancer has been trying to levitate the feather with a simple levitation spell. The challenge: cast magic without a cutie mark. Unable to conjure up a simple spark from her horn, Moon Dancer shook her head, “I can't do it.” “It's okay,” Minuette frowned, patting her friend’s shoulder. “Okay?” Moon Dancer stood up from her stool and beamed, “This is amazing research! I never knew the removal of a cutie mark would cause such a mental block! Quick, write down everything I explain to you!” The blue mare felt overwhelmed by Moon Dancer’s gleeful attitude. It was new to Minuette to see her friend so cheery and didn't know how to properly react. Minuette took the quill from the desk and levitated a sheet of paper over to her. “Ready when you are.” Moon Dancer cleared her throat, pacing around the desk. “I feel… like I have a headache that is more centralized at the base of my horn.” She paused, listening to Minuette scratch down notes, waiting until her friend was finished. “No matter how much I focus on my horn, there is some mental blockage, along with a magical silence. When I tried to cast a simple levitation spell, a pressure was felt where my horn is.” She paused again, allowing Minuette to catch up. “In other words, the flow of magic to the horn is blocked at the base.” A black moon floated in a jar, tapping against the glass when Moon Dancer got close to it. The mare observed her cutie mark with a curious stare. “Look Minuette!” “W-wait just a second!” Minuette called back, scribbling as fast as she could. When she finished her final sentence, Minuette walked over to Moon Dancer. “Watch the cutie mark…” Moon Dancer stepped away from the jar, and the crescent moon gently settled down, calmly floating in its given air. She then stepped forward. Like a magnet, the cutie mark drifted toward Moon Dancer. Curious, the mare grabbed the jar and placed it on the ground. The pony briskly walked around the container as the black moon continued to gravitate toward her. “It looks like it's trying to get to you,” Minuette said while she jotted more notes down. “The question is… what part of me is attracting it?” Moon Dancer asked. Minuette nibbled the quill feather, “Maybe it has a mind of its own?” “Maybe it's… it’s… oh!” Moon Dancer jogged in place, her mental block too much. The thought was at the edge of her mind, yet her brain refused to give the thought she needed. “What's the word…?” Minuette tried her best to think up what Moon Dancer was trying to say. “Is it… alive?” “No. Magic is more energy than a lifesource. It's…” Moon Dancer rotated her hoof, “...it’s trying to…” “Perhaps it is attracted by a part of your body?” Minuette guessed, shrugging her shoulders before resuming her note taking. “Y-yeah! That might be it.” Moon Dancer sat in front of the jar, the cutie mark eager to be close to its master. She bowed her head, thinking her mind is what the cutie mark desired. It hardly moved at all. With the mind out of the way, Moon Dancer grabbed the jar, and pressed it against her heart. The moon did seem to gravitate more toward her chest. However, as she moved the jar away from her chest, the cutie mark wasn't aiming directly for the heart. “Heart… mind…” Moon Dancer muttered. “Minuette, how does that certain saying go?” “What saying?” Minuette asked. “You know… mind… heart… something like that…” “Do you mean heart, mind, and soul?” “Soul!” Moon Dancer exclaimed. Her two eyes focused on the cutie mark, tracing to where it was gravitating towards. Moon Dancer scooted the jar toward her flank. The cutie mark slammed against the glass, making a loud “tink.” “Wow,” Minuette spoke in awe. “Don't just stare! Write notes!” Moon Dancer exclaimed, her excitement too strong. “S-sorry!” Her hoof dragged the quill across the paper, ink leaving its permanent trail of black. No longer wishing to be parted from her cutie mark, Moon Dancer grabbed the jar and began to twist the lid. She made sure the opening faced her flank. Sure enough, when Moon Dancer popped the lip off, the cutie mark shot directly at her rear. Moon Dancer looked at her hooves, watching the color return to them. The stress below her horn was no more, like a summer rain that had come and gone. Magic bled into Moon Dancer’s horn, the mare levitating the jar and lid onto the table. Moon Dancer wiggled her hips, making sure her cutie mark wouldn't fall off. “It's good to have you back.” “I bet you are,” Minuette grinned. “I felt the same way when I got back my cutie mark.” “I'll admit,” Moon Dancer replied, “it was frustrating without it. You feel like a part of you is missing.” “I wouldn't say ‘like,’” Minuette spoke, shaking her head. “A part of you is missing.” Eager to see what Minuette had written down, Moon Dancer snatched her notes and quickly fanned over them. Minuette folded her arms, bothered by how her friend didn't ask please. A knock on the door turned both mares’ ears. “Minuette, can you get that please?” Moon Dancer asked, still studying the notes. “Sure…” At least she said please… When she opened the door, Minuette saw that it was Party Favor. “Hey, Party Favor,” she smiled. “Hey,” the stallion responded flatly. “Sorry about earlier,” Minuette whispered into Party Favor’s ear. She didn't have the chance to apologize as Party Favor left to cater for his party. “It's fine.” His eyes fell to the gray stone he stood on, visibly indicating that something was wrong. “You are back early,” Moon Dancer spoke. “I thought you had your stand-up to do.” “I did do it. But it didn't go so well.” Minuette stepped forward, showing sympathy in her eyes. “What happened?” Moon Dancer’s attention was no longer on the written notes. “I was heckled…”