A week had gone by since Twilight had shown up at Ancient Scroll's doorstep and she was finally starting to settle into living with the other two fillies.
During that time, she had found out that Ancient Scroll more often than not, slept in his study, leaving the girls to take the bed most nights. Twilight however, had made the rather wise decision to sleep in the main room.
On the subject of the study, Twilight had asked Ancient Scroll if she was allowed in, to which he refused her entry.
When he saw the heartbreak in her eyes he merely chuckled his signature chuckle and patted her on the head.
"Now don't be like that, little filly," he had said with a warm - if teasing - smile, "you can go in once you've earned it."
"But... but why?" Twilight had cried petulantly, "Sunset gets to go in whenever she wants!"
"And she's been here far longer than you, Twilight," Scroll admonished, "she's earned it. She's already shown that she can be a responsible little filly and you have to do the same."
"But I am responsible!"
"I'm sure you are, little one," he said with a nod of his head, "but I have yet to see it, and until I do, you're not to set hoof in my study," he eyed the lavender filly sternly, "got it?"
"Yes, Uncle Scroll..."
Ancient Scroll observed the dejected look on Twilight's face and decided it didn't suit her.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, little filly," he whispered leaning down to Twilight's level. Twilight's didn't look up, but her ears perked up in interest. Ancient Scroll looked around as if to make sure there were no other eavesdropping little fillies about before turning to Twilight.
"I'm going to be starting my magic lessons with the three of you pretty soon-"
"Really!?"
Ancient Scroll put one hoof to Twilight's mouth and shushed the now excited filly with the other.
"Settle down, girl," he hissed, "want it to be a surprise. Now," he removed his hoof and stood up straight once more as he spoke, "the point I'm trying to make is that if you do exceptionally well in my class, you can consider your entry earned. Deal?"
Twilight nodded enthusiastically before practically bouncing away.
It had taken all week, but Ancient Scroll had finally worked out a teaching schedule and was ready to begin Twilight's, Sunset's, and Trixie's lessons. He had initially planned to get an idea of what branch of magic each filly was strong in before he dove too deep into his lessons.
To that end, he had gotten in touch with one of his old colleagues and asked them to procure a very special item.
An item no good teacher could do without...
It was on of the particularly warmer winter days that Ancient Scroll had decided to start the fillies lesson. Each of the girls were lined up outside the cottage around back waiting for their instruction as Ancient Scroll paced back and forth between the three, eyeing each and every one of them critically.
"Alright, fillies," he announced his tone formal and businesslike, "before I begin your lessons, I want to know a few things so that both you and I know what magic each of you is best at."
Sunset Shimmer raised a hoof and Scroll nodded in her direction, prompting her to speak.
"I've already taken formal lessons, Uncle Scroll-"
"Professor Scroll, while you're in my class, filly," Ancient Scroll interjected with a stern glare. Sunset nodded obediently.
"I'm sorry, Professor," she amended, "but like I said, I've already been formally taught the various branches of magic."
"And you fancy yourself an expert?" Ancient Scroll challenged, his gaze boring into the orange filly.
"Well, no. I just meant-"
"Tell me Sunset Shimmer," Scroll asked suddenly, "what do you think your cutie mark means?"
Sunset blinked in surprise and looked back at the yellow and red sun motif adorning her flanks before turning to Ancient Scroll.
"Well..." she began hesitantly, "I first got it when I helped..." she paused and furrowed her brow, staring at her hooves briefly before speaking again, "I think it means I have an affinity for fire magic."
Ancient Scroll raised an eyebrow at Sunset's sudden change in demeanor, but didn't comment on it.
"It's possible, yes," he conceded as he resumed his pacing, "but not certain. Your cutie mark could also mean that you're destined to become a savior of some kind, or perhaps a shining example - somepony that others can look up to."
Sunset gave Ancient Scroll a skeptical look but remained silent as he continued his lecture.
"A cutie mark can have several interpretations, and - when it comes to unicorns - many of them are not necessarily indicative of a specific magical talent. That said..." his horn lit up and he pulled a small black box from the saddlebags on his back. He raised it in the air so that the girls could get a better look.
"...the object in this box will tell us exactly what branch of magic each of you has an affinity for."
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the box.
An object that can reveal a unicorn's magical affinity, she thought, rubbing her chin, I know I've read about something like that before...
"Trixie doesn't need some trinket to tell her what she's good at," the blue filly scoffed, "Trixie already knows her true calling is the magic of the stage!"
Sunset and Twilight gave Trixie a deadpan stare.
"...What?" Trixie asked after a moment, "Why are you staring at Trixie?"
"Trixie," Sunset groaned with a facehoof, "stage magic isn't an actual branch of magic. What you're talking about is prestidigitation."
Trixie looked at Sunset in confusion and Sunset rolled her eyes.
"Sleight-of-hoof," she clarified, "parlor tricks that don't use any real magic."
Trixie blinked.
"...Oh."
She cleared her throat and looked away, her face reddening in embarrassment, "Trixie was aware of course," she muttered, "she just... wanted to make sure you knew the difference."
"Sure Trixie," Sunset said with another roll of her eyes.
Ancient Scroll watched the exchange with no small amount of amusement before he spoke up on the matter.
"Since we're on the subject," he said, using the opportunity to segue into the next part of his lesson, "which one of you can tell me what each of the branches of magic are?"
Both Twilight and Sunset's hooves shot up at the same time and Ancient Scroll looked between the two for a few seconds.
"Twilight," he finally decided, nodding in the lavender filly's direction, "I haven't heard from you yet. Go on."
Twilight straightened up and raised a hoof.
"There are six main branches of magic that have been recorded and categorized so far. Soul Magic, Light Magic, Dark Magic, Time Magic, Elemental Magic, and Mind Magic. Soul Magic is inherent in every tribe of pony and it's what gives a unicorn their unique magic aura and everypony their own unique magic signature. Light Magic is-"
"That'll do for now, Twilight, thank you," Ancient Scroll replied, giving Twilight an approving smile, He turned to Sunset who still had her hoof raised, "Sunset? Did you have something to add?"
Sunset nodded, "There's also Runic Magic and Summoning Magic, two other branches of magic that fell out of use over a thousand years ago."
Twilight looked at Sunset Shimmer in shock.
"I didn't know that," she muttered quietly, "two entire branches of magic and I didn't even know they existed..."
"That, little filly," Ancient Scroll answered peering at the orange filly suspiciously, "is because that knowledge is something our dear Princess keeps very close to her chest," his gaze intensified and Sunset began to squirm uncomfortably, "tell me, Sunset, how did you come to possess such knowledge?"
Sunset looked at her hooves and said nothing.
Ancient Scroll stared at her for another minute before he shook his head and sighed.
"We'll discuss this little matter in detail later," he promised, giving Sunset a hard glare, "for now, I want you girls to focus on what's in here."
He raised the small box up and it clicked open, revealing what appeared to be a large glass marble resting on a velvet cushion. He pulled the marble out of the box with a hoof and held it up as he swept his eyes across the three fillies.
"Can any of you tell me-"
"An Orb of Insight!" Twilight cried, clapping her hooves together, "I knew I had read about it somewhere before! Oh, I've always wanted to use one, but I've never even seen one up close until now! Are you going to-"
"Calm yourself, filly!" Ancient Scroll interjected, cutting off Twilight excited chatter, "give me a moment to explain how the thing works to those that haven't seen it yet."
"Sorry, Uncle - er... Professor Scroll," Twilight said, grinning sheepishly.
"It's alright, girl," he replied with a smile, "you're just excited, nothing to be ashamed of. Now then..." he turned his attention to all three of them, "as Twilight was so eager to point out, this here's an Orb of Insight. And as the name implies, it gives insight into a unicorn's magical affinity. All you have to do..."
He lit his horn and lifted the orb in his bright green aura. After a few seconds the aura surrounding the orb turned white and began to glow brighter and brighter. It eventually became so bright, the fillies had to shield their eyes.
Just before the light became too much, Ancient Scroll cut off his magic and the orb dropped back into his hoof - looking as if nothing had occurred.
"...is surround it with your magical aura and it'll do the rest."
They all looked at the little orb with awe and growing excitement.
"As you can see," Scroll continued, "I have a natural affinity for Light Magic." He held up the orb and examined it as he explained, "when the Orb of Insight comes into contact with a unicorn's Soul Magic, it 'scans' their unique magic signature and activates a specific spell according to the most prominent type of magic in the body - be it Soul, Light, Dark, Time, Elemental, or Mind," he gave Sunset a pointed look, "it even tells you if you're natural affinity is based in Runic or Summoning Magic."
"Trixie would like to go first," Trixie announced suddenly, "she demands to know what magic she can use to wow the crowd!"
"What happened to not needing some trinket?" Sunset muttered. Trixie ignored her and turned a pleading gaze in Ancient Scroll's direction.
"Can Trixie go first? Please?"
Ancient Scroll shrugged hoofed Trixie the orb, "Be my guest."
Trixie grabbed the orb and, without preamble, she encased it in a pink glow and lifted it into the air.
The orb promptly vanished.
Twilight and Sunset blinked.
"Where did it go?" Twilight asked looking over to Trixie accusingly, "Trixie what did you do?"
Trixie looked back at Twilight in confusion, "What are you talking about?" she asked, "Trixie has done nothing wrong, in fact," she looked back to where the orb had disappeared, "Trixie hasn't done anything at all! The orb hasn't changed!"
Now it was Twilight's turn to look confused.
"What are you talking about? I can't see it!" she turned to Sunset, "can you?"
Sunset shook her head with a thoughtful frown.
"You're pulling Trixie's leg and she doesn't appreciate it!" Trixie cried, "Trixie is telling you the orb is right here! Completely unchanged!"
Ancient Scroll decided to step in before things got any worse.
"I'm sorry, Twilight," he said with a half amused, half intrigued grin, "but Trixie is right."
Twilight whipped her head around to face the stallion, "What?"
He shook his head, and gave the lavender filly a knowing smile.
"While it's true that I can't see it either, the orb is still there - we're just under the illusion that it's not."
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, thought for a moment, looked over to Trixie, and her eyes widened in realization.
"Mind Magic..." she muttered in shock, "Trixie, you have a natural affinity for Mind Magic."
Trixie tilted her head in bemusment and looked at the orb. She released it from her magic and it once again became visible to everypony present.
"Well that's..." Trixie paused in thought for a moment, "Trixie doesn't really know how to feel about that," she rubbed a foreleg uncomfortably, "Trixie admits she... doesn't know much about Mind Magic..."
"Don't you worry, little filly," Ancient Scroll said reassuringly, "I'll teach you how to use Mind Magic properly and responsibly."
"But wait," Sunset interrupted, "Isn't most Mind Magic illegal?"
"Not all the way out here it isn't," Ancient Scroll answered readily, "now why don't you give it a go, Miss Shimmer?"
Sunset nodded and trotted over to Trixie. She grabbed the orb and wrapped it in a red glow that, after a few seconds, began to turn orange... then white as it abruptly burst into flames. After another second the flames seemed to twist themselves around the orb and to the fillies amazement, the blaze hardened into dark brown stone which then dissolved into water that exploded outwards and evaporated into a sudden gust of wind that ruffled everypony's mane as it blew by.
The cycle continued to repeat itself as Sunset held the orb in her magic, going from fire to earth to water to wind and back again. She eventually dropped the orb back into her hoof and stared at it in awe.
"Well, I guess that answers that question," Trixie commented, then in a quieter tone, "it was certainly a lot flashier than Trixie's."
"Elemental Magic," Ancient said with a nod and an impressed stroke of his beard, "a very versatile magic to learn, though difficult and time consuming," he smiled at the orange filly, "looks like you may have been right after all, Sunset."
Sunset nodded absently, still stunned at the results of her assessment.
"And last, but certainly not least," he said turned to an eagerly bouncing lavender filly, "Twilight, you're up."
Twilight practically bowled Sunset over in her haste to use the orb. She grabbed it and wrapped it in a magenta glow.
A low thrum filled the air as the orb blackened... and then blackened some more. Everypony watched in complete silence as it darkened to the point that it appeared as if a perfectly circular hole to the void had opened up in time and space. The three fillies stared at the orb, transfixed - feeling as though they were being slowly drawn in.
Twilight and the others were snapped out of their reverie by a loud bang and the orb fell to the snow covered ground. They blinked rapidly as they came to their senses and Twilight looked over to see Ancient Scroll staring at her with an unreadable expression - the green aura around his horn dying down.
"Dark Magic, huh?" he muttered. He trotted over to the Orb of Insight and scooped it up with a hoof, looking from it, to Twilight.
"Wasn't expecting that. Not at all."