For most wizards, mention of a meeting of the Unspeakables would evoke images of a demonic cult or a fraternity initiation. In a shadowy room lit by flickering torch light, a long table would be lined by high-backed chairs, each occupied by a cloaked figure with hood raised to obscure the face. The crowning detail would be magically-altered voices, giving each speaker the bass timbre that lent an air of menace to every word.
In truth, the employees of the Department of Mysteries wasted neither time nor effort on such self-aggrandizing nonsense. Instead, they took advantage of their isolation to maintain a perpetual casual Friday atmosphere. Their main conference room was warmly lit by an unseen source, and the furniture therein was anything but formal. Chairs were scattered throughout the room, and each Unspeakable would pick out whichever one was handy and transfigure it to match their personal tastes. One of the junior members had even insisted on a purple bean bag chair. He had earlier made it as tall as a throne, but after several nasty falls, he settled on a humbler height. Refreshments were always available, with tea and crumpets served on most days. With no outsiders allowed in, there was no need to maintain appearances.
With a meeting in session, the Unspeakables had arranged themselves in a semicircle around the speaker. In the center, Saul Croaker rocked on the back legs of a simple wooden chair as he continued his briefing. "Interviews showed that every one of the exiles was banished for kidnapping with intent to rape. Roughly half admitted to some form of forced sexual contact with their victims. Equestria has sent us the worst of their worst."
Over the muffled sounds of magic fingers, a wizard sitting in an overstuffed recliner said, "That statement is almost laughable when you compare them against our worst. I’d trade the lot of them for some of our ‘upstanding’ citizens, any day of the week. Yes, their crimes are serious, but not one of them seems malicious, uncaring, or unremorseful. Compared to wizards who cast the unforgivable without a second thought, these women are angels.”
“Nonetheless, what is to prevent them from abducting and raping our men?” one of the junior Unspeakables asked.
“While the acts were non-consensual, I got the impression that these women had no interest in demeaning or dominating their victims, the things we normally associate with the word 'rape'. Instead, everyone I interviewed stated that they were desperate to start a family."
“One group wrapped their stallion in a bedsheet and carted him away to have their way with him. How is that not violent and demeaning?” yet another asked.
“I know plenty of blokes who would have paid for the privilege,” the man in the recliner countered. “Speaking of money, every one of them made some mention of wanting to support their man for the rest of his life. Clearly, they aren’t interested in capturing and collecting men; they just want one to call their own.”
“I think you’re understating the severity of their crimes. After all, their former government saw fit to banish them for their misdeeds.”
“Perhaps, but the conditions that led them to their crimes are not present here; our gender ratio is roughly equal. Their country's trash is our treasure.”
“We could hold out for better quality trash.”
“I don’t think any of us here would be willing to send them back to the conditions they escaped,” Heather asserted. “I think most of them will stay in line just to avoid that possibility.”
“It doesn’t feel right to reward them for their wrongdoing.”
“They have taken their lesson to heart; now they just want to settle down and be accepted into society.”
“Says the man who let four of them jump him after knowing them less than an hour.”
“Regardless,” Croaker said, rocking some more, “we desperately need to introduce new blood into our flock. Despite the Wizengamot making disclosure of our birth statistics illegal, you each know that squib births are up fifty-four percent in the last half century, and overall births are down thirty. We cannot sustain ourselves with such numbers. With the pureblood’s power waning earlier than projected, now is the time to act.
“In short,” a woman who had been quiet up until then said, “we need to literally stop looking gift horses in the mouth and work with what we were given.”
“I’m keeping my eyes on them.”
“If I may interrupt for a second,” Heather said, derailing the pending argument, “there is more exceptional news originating from our equine friends. St. Mungo's has informed me that they have a subject who has been successfully cured of lycanthropy.”
“The Equestrians just handed us the cure for our most violent offenders?” The man in the recliner leaned back triumphally. “That alone is reason enough to accept every rapist they can produce for the next century.”
Heather eyed him distastefully before continuing. “Initially, there were some complications, but they have been ironed out.”
“Complications?” Croaker asked.
“Yes, instead of turning into a werewolf last full moon, the subject became a little horse.”
“I hardly think a sore throat counts as a complication,” the most junior member of the department said. “I think most would consider it at worse a minor inconvenience.”
“No.” Heather corrected. “I mean, instead of fangs and a bad attitude, he got hooves and a taste for hay. It lasted well after the moon had set, and they ended up just using an artifact to transfigure him back into a human, with no signs of the disease.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I imagine the hospital staff beat that joke into the ground.”
Heather sighed, “I rather suspect they did.”
Once again, the herd had the last period on Friday free. The faculty had yet to catch on to just how bad of an idea idle hands were for this group. As they wandered the halls back to their dorm, the herd realized there was a small complication in their plans.
“We can’t go to the mall jus’ yet,” Apple Bloom said. “Neville and Sweetie need to stay for detention after classes.”
“I know.” Scootaloo grumbled, “I don’t want to just sit around doing nothing all afternoon. Fay has the main power crystal, so we can’t even play our game until everyone does their homework.”
“Yeah, why do we let her do that?” Lavender asked. “It’s our game.”
“It’s not worth worrying about,” Sweetie said. “We can just get another telly and set it up in one of the trunks; that way everyone is happy.”
“That still leaves us this afternoon with nothing to do,” Ron said.
“We could get our homework out of the way,” Hermione suggested.
“How about not?” Parvati said, “You’re over-enthusiastic about homework sometimes.”
“Got a better idea?” Hermione countered.
“I say we go check out that corridor they were telling us about at the beginning of the year,” Scootaloo answered.
“I don’t like dying,” Neville said. “Remember, they said avoid that hall if you want to avoid dying.”
“It can’t actually be that bad,” Harry said. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t allow it in the school.”
“I’m going to have to agree with Harry on this one,” Ginny said, sliding up to Harry to give him a bump with her hip. “It can’t hurt to give it a quick look.”
“I was thinking of saving that until after the snow fell and we were stuck in the castle,” Sweetie objected.
“What?” Dean said. “And let all the other students have all the fun first?”
“Ah suppose we have time for a quick look-see,” Apple Bloom said. “Lead the way Hermione.”
“You know,” Hermione muttered, “just last month, I’d never would have even considered so blatantly breaking rules.”
“It wasn’t worded as a rule,” Seamus said, “more like a dire warning against bodily harm.”
Madam Pomfrey and fourteen healers from St. Mungo's had appropriated the Main Hall. They were methodically scanning each student present and recording a corresponding medical report. It was a new undertaking for the school, initiated by none other than the Minister himself. Before this, there would actually be students who went their entire stay at Hogwarts without being examined. After today, Pomfrey would have papers on the entire student body.
Luckily, she had done all the first-year Slytherins and Gryffindors earlier. Still, it was crowded with the curtained-off examination stations strategically placed about the room. With all of the other students, as well as all of the school staff, yet to be examined, even that small head start was a welcomed lessening of their workload.
The hallway was quiet -- too quiet. “You know,” Ginny said as she and her herd explored the empty corridor, “I’m actually surprised no one has tried to stop us yet.”
“Yeah,” Harry agreed, “the halls do seem awfully deserted right now, even considering classes are in session.”
“Wanker?” Magah asked, sensing the mischievous atmosphere the foals were giving off.
“We have got to teach her some new words,” Parvati said.
“She said, 'Bloody hell’ last night,” Dean helpfully reminded everyone.
“We need to teach her some new non-swear words,” Parvati amended.
“This door’s locked,” Ron said, testing the next egress in the corridor. “It’s the first one.”
“Jackpot.” Scootaloo bounced with glee.
“Jackpot?” Sweetie raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure? You know we failed at getting our lockpicking cutie marks.”
“One of these days you are going to have to explain exactly what you mean by 'cutie marks',” Hermione said, examining the door, while reaching into her bookbag. “Besides, there is a lock opening spell in our first-year charms book.”
“Can y’all cast it?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Not yet.” Hermione shook her head. “But I have it right here. How hard can it be?”
“You think a first-year charm will open it up?” Ron rattled the doorknob one more time.
“On the bright side,” Ginny said, “anything that is guarded by something that can be countered by a first-year charm can’t be that dangerous.
“Yeah,” Dean agreed, “the professors wouldn’t do something that stupid, now would they.”
It had been a very long day for the Black family, and the end was nowhere in sight. They had gone as a group to St. Mungo's. Once the requisite certifications had been issued, the family went to the Ministry. Sirius conferred with his lawyer, the new Minister, and the head of the DMLE. After taking some drops of veritaserum, he finally was able to give his deposition. All charges against Sirius were dropped with prejudice. With the requisite fanfare, the others celebrated the restoration of his status. He was now legally recognized as the head of House Black.
In his new position, the first thing Sirius did was to reinstate his cousin and her daughter back into the Black family. His next act was to formally recognize and sanction the betrothal of Remus and Narcissa. The two would be legally wed in the coming summer, but that was merely a formality. Every member of the Black family recognized the two as a de facto couple; they just had to wait for the paperwork to catch up with them. Now, all they needed was official recognition of Sirius’s status as Harry’s godfather, and they’d be one large happy family.
The truly unpleasant work, however, was just beginning. The family home had for years been unoccupied, except for the house elf. When Sirius opened the front door, the stench of decay was the least troubling thing he encountered. The house elf had taken it upon himself to reshape the dwelling to his tastes. To call it a pig sty or a rat's nest would have been an unforgivable insult to either creature. Unfortunately, that was nothing compared to what awaited them in the front hall.
“She’s just as vile as I remembered her,” Nissy said, gesturing at the silenced portrait that they were all trying to remove from the wall.
“Wicked niece be respecting elders.” The house elf, Kreacher sneered as he wrung his hands and watched the gathered magical folk attempt to assault the last remaining consciousness of his former mistress.
“Silence, you,” Nissy snapped. “My elders stuck me in a loveless marriage for their own benefit. They deserve none of my respect.”
The elf continued sneering but fell silent as commanded.
“This sticking charm just refuses to come off,” Andi commented after trying to finite the binding one more time.
“I think it’s a permanent charm,” Sirius agreed, poking at the picture with his wand as the woman in it yelled at him silently.
“Well, then just take the wall down,” Nissy suggested.
“Can’t,” Remus said. “It’s a load-bearing wall. Damaging it could bring down the whole house.”
“Silly man,” Andi said gesturing at the wall, “It’s the beams and joists that are load bearing. The wall is just some wooden planks nailed to those beams. They are what the picture is attached to, and they can be replaced.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Sirius grinned fiercely. “Someone transfigure a crowbar while I figure out where to pry.”
Remus felt the accusing eyes on him once more and said, “All right already, you can stop pouting now.”
“Couldn’t you have waited a few days before changing back?” Nyphadora whined with unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
“That got it,” Hermione said, reaching for the door she had just successfully unlocked. “Let’s get this over with before someone catches us.”
“You know,” Dean said, watching the girl peer past the barely-opened door, “you could have been gracious and pretended that one of us managed that spell first.”
Hermione snapped her head back and pulled the door shut. “Let’s go frolic in the Forbidden Forest instead,” she said.
“Can’t.” Apple Bloom shook her head. “We promised Ginny’s dad that we wouldn’t do that 'til after we get our O.W.L.s”
“What’s the problem?” Scootaloo asked, pushing Hermione out of the way. The purple-haired girl repeated Hermione's observation in a fraction of the time.
“That bad?” Harry asked, eyeing the door.
Scootaloo turned to address the bird riding on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder. “Philomena, I’ve got a job for you. We’re going to need Fluttershy for this.”
Professor McGonagall surveyed the controlled chaos that the Main Hall had become and made a startling observation. With a worried frown, she sought out seventh-year prefect. “Miss Dunbar,” she said upon finding her, “have you seen the first-years?”
Fay looked at her head of house and said, “Apparently, Madam Pomfrey did them all earlier after an accident in potions class. They’re probably up in the tower doing whatever they normally do with their free period.”
Looking around again, McGonagall noted that the first-year Slytherins were also missing. Normally, she would have sent one of her prefects, but her instincts screamed at her. She said, “I think I’ll go have a look for myself. There’s no telling what kind of trouble that group could be getting into.”
Fay nodded in agreement and then returned to supervising the younger students.
“Who’s a good doggy? You’re a good doggy! Yes, you are; oh yes, you are. Those meanies had you locked up in here with no room to move around. You just need some loving. You also need some exercise. Well yes you do, oh yes you do. You’ve got some new friends who can help. Be loyal to them and they will be loyal to you. Yes, they will.”
“Merlin, she’s gorgeous.” Seamus gasped.
“I’m pretty sure the dog is male.” Parvati corrected.
“I wasn’t talking about the dog.”
Albus Dumbledore was at his desk, working on some long-neglected paperwork, when he became aware of his deputy making her way up to his office. Without looking up or waiting, he waved the door open so that she could enter. “Ah, Minerva, I have some good news. It appears Mr. Goodman was able to renegotiate his contract and is willing to continue teaching for the rest of the year. We no longer need worry about acquiring a new DADA instructor.”
“Albus,” Minerva snapped, “the stone needs to be removed from the school. It threatens the safety of our students.”
“Nonsense,” Dumbledore said, looking up to see a furious witch staring back at him. “The first obstacle is enchanted to be unable to do any damage to our students while scaring them away. His bark truly is worse than his bite. There is no way any student is making it past him.” He managed a disarming smile with a reassuring twinkle in his left eye.
Minerva growled, “The first years are out front, playing fetch with Fluffy, right this very minute.”
Dumbledore blinked in surprise; none of the portraits had informed him of this anomaly, “How did they manage to get him out of the castle?”
Slamming her palms on the desk, Minerva leaned toward the headmaster. “The buffer between our students and the traps we’ve laid is out front acting like an overgrown puppy and all you can think of asking is how they managed to get him outside?”
With a puff of smoke, Discord appeared before a familiar cottage at the edge of the Everfree and knocked on the door.
“I’m behind you,” a quiet voice spoke up. “I just got back from a quick errand.”
“Ah, Fluttershy,” Discord greeted, grinning widely and offering a floral bouquet, “I have just arrived for our afternoon tea engagement. I even brought some of your favorite flowers.”
“My, they look delicious.” Fluttershy happily eyed the arrangement. “They will go nicely with the cucumber sandwiches I’ve prepared.”
“I only aim to please.” Discord bowed. “Shall we proceed inside?”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, “we’re not staying here today. You’re taking me over to meet Alice Rutter for tea.”
In his many years of service with the school, Hagrid had learned that the grounds in front of Hogwarts were not the place for his more boisterous friends. After all, they were the first thing that any visitor would see. The first-years had no such inhibitions.
“Bad Fluffy!” Apple Bloom admonished. “Bad dog! Yer supposed to fetch the stick, not the Slytherins. Put 'em down!”
*Thump!*
“Good boy.”
“Woof!” Three heads agreed as a massive tail whipped back and forth in excitement.
“An’ you three quit yer whining. He ain’t hurt you none an’ the slobber stains will come out of yer robes.”
“First a phoenix, then a unicorn,” Daphne snarled watching the aforementioned unicorn cropping up grass not far away, “now this beast. What’s next? Are one of you packing a dragon or something?”
Scootaloo perked up at the thought, “Hey, do you think they’d mind if we brought Spike for a visit? I’m sure he’d get a real kick out of it.”
“I don’t think they’re ready for a dragon.” Sweetie shook her head. “Even if he is just a baby.”
Bell-like laughter echoed in Celestia's private study. The princess could think of no better activity for family bonding.
“Sister, that was not humorous,” Luna said while staring at the object of her ire. Her cutie mark graced its lid, marking it as her own. “We could have broken it.”
“You should have seen the look on your face,” Celestia said, still chortling. “I thought your eyeballs were going to pop right out of their sockets.”
“We have never encountered anything of its ilk outside the realm of nightmares.”
“One doesn’t normally anticipate a piece of furniture trying to take a bite out of one’s flank,” Celestia agreed. “I will have to thank Rarity and her friends for such thoughtful gifts yet again.”
“A pony-eating trunk is a thoughtful gift?”
“They are almost harmless once you bind them to yourself,” Celestia said. “Just wait until you see the inside.”
With a huff, Luna said, “We see thou hast acquired one for Cadence as well.”
“Yes, she should be along shortly for her gift.”
“Hold that thought; we must fetch the popcorn.”
Sweetie Belle and Neville were surprised to see two bushels of potatoes waiting at their workstation when they entered the potions lab for their detention.
“I see you left your phoenix behind yet brought your mother hen,” Professor Snape said from where he stood before the workstations.
“I can’t get her to stop following me,” Sweetie griped. “Besides, I think she wants to get away from Fluffy.”
“Proof that you were where you should not be, ten points from Gryffindor.”
Magah said, "Bay con?"
“He was stuck in a windowless room much too small for him,” Sweetie complained.
“That was not your concern; you shouldn’t have been anywhere near that room to begin with.”
Sweetie pouted while Neville stood silently at her side. Snape eyed them both before sneering and gesturing toward the potatoes.
“As much as I’d love to have you cleaning cauldrons, I think our time would be better spent revisiting the proper ways of preparing ingredients. These potatoes should be suitable for that exercise.”
Neville and Sweetie Belle looked at the large buckets and sighed. Somewhere, Vulcan and Pele were taking bets.
The acoustics in the chamber were incredible. Despite the differences in volume, everyone within could be clearly heard.
“Not funny.” Cadence said, daintily stepping to avoid the popcorn spilt on the floor. Frizzed and sticking out at odd angles, her mane was in complete disarray.
Luna had overturned her bowl and was on her back, weakly kicking her legs as tears streamed from her eyes. Somehow, she was managing to laugh in her Royal Canterlot voice.
Her sister, Celestia, wasn’t in much better shape. All pretense of decorum was abandoned as she lay on her belly and pounded her front hoof on the floor, in time with her own laughter.
“Really,” Cadence groused, “that wasn’t funny.”
The Gryffindor common room somehow seemed much fuller, despite having only three occupants.
“No, you cannot keep him. I don’t care if he is potty trained,” Fay practically shrieked. “So, you can turn back to human and stop giving me those eyes. That’s just plain playing dirty. How did you even manage to get him in here? He’s too big for the doorway.”
“Please.”
“No! He’s taking up half the common room as it is!”
“Minister Lovegood, welcome,” Professor McGonagall said, meeting the official at the grand entrance to the school, a sixth-year prefect at her side. “And Luna as well. I must say that I can see your mother in you.”
“Good afternoon, professor,” Minister Lovegood returned. “I do hope that the headmaster has informed you of our arrangements.”
“Hello,” Luna said brightly.
“Indeed, he has,” McGonagall said. “Though the timing turns out to be a little awkward.”
“How so?”
“I have just been informed that the entire Gryffindor house intends to skip supper in the Great Hall this evening,” Minerva said with a small frown. “This hampers any attempt to do a sorting tonight.”
“The entire house is skipping a meal? How is that possible?”
“They have kitchens in their dorm. I assume they plan on providing for themselves. Regardless, we will have the sorting tomorrow. For tonight, Miss Lovegood here will be welcome in my house. It will give her a chance to get to know her peers.”
In the south orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack stood next to Rainbow Dash as the two stared in wide-eyed shock, unable to fully comprehend the situation.
“Well,” Rainbow said, shifting her gaze to the letter on Applejack’s hoof, “two things are glaringly obvious at this point.”
“How do y'all figure?” Applejack asked.
“First of all, we need to get an awesome gift for this Fay character. She seems to be in charge of keeping the crusaders out of trouble.”
“Yeah,” Applejack agreed, “an’ two?”
“We need to stop letting the crusaders hang out with Fluttershy; she’s clearly a bad influence on them.”
With a gasp, Applejack said, “Here now, how could y'all say such a thing?”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes and pointed a hoof at the enormous three-headed dog currently playing with Winona. Each time the larger canine licked the smaller, she was lifted bodily off the ground in delight.
Applejack sighed and looked at the roughhousing. “Ah don’t know what’s worse, that you would say such a thing or the fact that Fluttershy's not here to join in the hootenanny.”
Rainbow returned her gaze to the dogs and waited a few seconds before saying, “I have a question.”
“Yeah?”
“Is 'hootenanny' a real word or did you just make it up?” Rainbow huffed. “Because, if you did, you may want to start talking a little less to Lodestone; he’s starting to rub off on you.”
The portrait guarding the entrance swung open and Luna skipped after the prefect into the Gryffindor common room.
“Thank you for showing me the way,” she said. Then, spotting her friend, she waved to the prefect before hurrying over to say hello. “Ginny!”
“Luna! Hi! What are you doing here?” Ginny exclaimed in surprise.
“I’m starting early, just like you.”
“Are you in Gryffindor too?” Ginny asked.
“Professor McGonagall said I would be sorted tomorrow. I get to stay here tonight,” Luna said.
“That’s great! I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”
“It will be fun.” Luna smiled, eyes locked on her friend. “The horn is new,” she noted.
Ginny winked. "You should see what I do with purple people when I'm on my broom. You like?”
“Yes, may I hold you?”
“Sure.”
Applejack stuck her head through the front doorway of the farmhouse. “Big Mac! Ah’m going to need your help walking the dog over to Fluttershy’s!”
The large red stallion ambled out of the kitchen and fixed his sister with a questioning look.
“Y'all will understand once you see,” Applejack answered. “Apple Bloom got a new pet.”
“So, you’ve invited the heads of your school over tonight for a look at the new magic?” Cadence asked, eyeing the remaining shrunken trunks, “Is there any popcorn left?”
“NOPE!”
In the Gryffindor common room, Fay had placed the main crystal back into the box. Since it was Friday, she could afford to reduce the homework requirement; the entire weekend was available to finish it. Her entire body sagged with relief when she realized that she could finally relax as she waited for the promised food.
“Fay?” a voice behind her ventured.
“Oh, hey there,” Fay said to her Hufflepuff counterpart. “What brings you here?”
“The members of my house are outside. They want to watch the telly with your house.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Fay conceded. “I’m sure we can squeeze them in; how many did you bring?”
“All of them.”
What was once a lonely house was finally becoming a home.
“Saul!” Vanilla Lick called out as her stallion exited the fireplace. “Welcome back!”
“Vanilla,” Saul Croaker said, coming over for a kiss, “how’s my sweet lady?”
Vanilla giggled and said, “Mainly bored, but Cumin has dinner ready.”
“Great,” Croaker said, rubbing his hands, “I’m starved.”
“Saul?” Vanilla asked cautiously.
“Yes dear?”
"Did you bring your work home with you?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"There are pieces of a dead body in your icebox."
"What?!"
Trembling Vanilla said, "I think somepony murdered a cow."
“Eeeeeeeee!” several Hufflepuff girls exclaimed in unison.
“Halp!” Dean cried out from his new vantage in the arms of the guests.
“You’re so adorable and pink!”
“I’m fuchsia!”
“I am so glad I’m not pink,” Ron said, standing on his hind hooves and looking over the back of a couch.
“Eeeeeeeee!”
“Now you’ve done it,” Lavender said, making herself as small as possible as she squeezed under that couch. “You had better hope they don’t have any bows handy.”
Percy looked around the first-year boy’s dorm and took in the large number of cardboard boxes awaiting on top of several trunks. A tantalizing mixture of smells met his nostrils. Hermione, Seamus, Apple Bloom, Philomena, and Scootaloo all looked back at him expectantly.
“Of course, I’ll help you get these downstairs,” he said, “but where did you get them in the fir . . .” He cut himself off in mid-sentence and snapped his gaze on the only avian occupant of the room. “Oh.”
Halfway to Fluttershy’s, Rainbow Dash suddenly cried out, “Lookout! A pack of Timberwolves just wandered out of the forest!”
“What?!” Applejack shouted. “That hasn’t happened in years! We need to get the Guard!”
“I’m on it!” Rainbow Dash crouched, ready to take off.
“Growl! Woof! Woooof! Woof!”
“Yipe!”
“Grrrr!”
“Yipe! Yipe! Yipe!”
*Crunch!*
“Yipe! Yipe!”
“Or not,” Rainbow said relaxing her stance.
*Crunch crunch snap!*
“Okay,” Applejack said grudgingly, as she sidestepped a flying piece of wood, “he can stay.”
“Eeyup,” Her brother agreed.
“You’re going to have to build one heck of a doghouse,” Rainbow noted.
Scootaloo put down her load on an empty table and surveyed the packed common room. “We’re going to need more pizza,” she noted.
“Better put one of the meat ones off to the side,” Seamus suggested. “Sweetie will have a fit if she comes back and it's all gone.”
Luna sat on a cushion behind a one-way mirror and levitated a bowl of popcorn over to Cadence. Both had their eyes locked on the distinguished-looking unicorn from the School for Gifted Unicorns.
“Just tap it three times with your horn to make it grow,” Celestia said.