Magic on Sweet Apple Acres

by Blade Star

Chapter 11 - Friends Old and New

I stood there, amongst the crowd, feeling the cold wind blow. It was late fall, almost winter, and it was biting cold, even with my suit and coat to keep me warm. My mind was wandering, it still hadn’t really sunk in. Even now, with Shining Armor standing up front, addressing the assembled crowd, somehow, it didn’t seem real, like a bad dream.

Strong Shield, a pony who I had come to admire and respect, was dead.

This was the first time I’d lost anypony since coming to Equestria. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, and certainly not to him. He was hardly a young colt, but he was hardly an old man either. It was a heart attack of all things; he just keeled over in his office, dead before he hit the floor.

I was still reeling from the shock of opening the invitation to the funeral. Shining himself had wired me to let me know what had happened; a kind gesture by the captain. To tell the truth, I think the whole of the guard was in shock. Looking around, I saw plenty of faces that matched my own, not quite comprehending where they were.

Shining was giving a beautiful eulogy, his wife standing close by, and with her, Celestia and Luna. I’ve never seen either of them look so broken up. Ponies seem to feel loss, even a distant one, a lot more keenly then humans do. Perhaps that explains why their history is a lot less bloody.  

I was one of the few civilians here. I felt out of place in a simple suit, rather than a dress uniform. But I had to come, to say goodbye. While he may not have said the same always, I considered Strong Shield one of my best friends. He’d taught me to fight with magic, with swords; he helped me become the pony I am today.

And now he was gone.

I turned to my left and looked up at Dad, who was standing next to me, his form sticking out from the crowd like a sore thumb. He’d helped Shining plan all this. Strong Shield, as far as anypony knew, had no family. And he’d not said much about any friends in the Changeling Kingdom either. I briefly wondered what had happened about that; did a changeling’s disguise hold in death? It certainly seemed that way. He’d taken the secret of his true nature to his grave.

Shining finished his eulogy, something I regret to say I barely heard. My dad now stepped forward to say a few words. They had extended an offer to me too, and I’d agreed to say something after Dad. It’s just...I’ve never been good at funerals, and I’ve never found closure in them. Funerals just remind me of the loss and I feel it more keenly. Before we ended up here, I couldn’t even walk into a church without feeling a pang of loss and sorrow.

Dad passed Shining in the aisle of guards, putting a comforting hand on the stallion’s withers. In his other hand was a copy of the bible, one of many books that had come through the strange rift that had brought us here. He’d checked with Shining and the princesses first of course, and they had no qualms with him putting some of his own religion into the service. After all, it is quite a foreign concept in Equestria. He took his place and began to read. Meanwhile, seven unicorn guards across from the coffin readied themselves.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?”

As he finished reading, I saw Celestia briefly levitate a silk handkerchief to dry a couple stray tears that had run down her face. As Equestria’s mother, she felt the loss perhaps the most keenly, even if Strong Shield were not truly one her little ponies, she had always treated him as such. Dad went on to give a brief sermon on the passage. It was a kind gesture. I just never believed in its message.

And so, it was my turn. I’d tried to write something meaningful and moving. I think I’d managed something passable.. Like Dad, I’d fallen back on old customs, hence why there was now a solitary poppy attached to my jacket. Stepping up, I paused to put a hoof on the coffin, trying not to think about what lay within. With my magic, I took my notes from inside the jacket pocket.

“It is ironic that we meet here today, on the eleventh day of November. On my world, this was the day, a century ago, that the worst conflict in our history finally ended. Thousands had died in just a few short years of fighting, and there were many services like this one, to our honoured dead.

“The battlefields were scarred wastelands, the grass long gone, and only mud remaining. But one thing did grow there, and that was the poppy. It became the symbol of remembrance. Even today, a hundred years later, my people still commemorate that day. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month; that was the day the guns at last fell silent, bringing peace back to the world.

“And that is what we always say to the dead, isn’t it? We hope that they will rest in peace. And I am glad to see that my friend, Captain Strong Shield, can indeed rest in this peaceful land for which he gave so much.

“There is a particular passage of a poem, written after that terrible war, that I think is quite appropriate for this solemn occasion.

With that, I stepped down again and returned to my place among the assembled crowd. Celestia now took over for the final committal. The group of unicorns standing nearby let off their own version of a twenty one gun salute, while a solemn, solitary bugle played the Last Post, another little overlap between our worlds.

The coffin was lowered into the ground and the assembled ponies began to sing the anthem of the Royal Guard; a tradition at such military funerals.

And with that, my friend was laid to rest, among his comrades in the Cemetery of the Equestrian Royal Guard. I don’t really remember too much about what happened afterwards. Dad and me walked with Shining to a nearby bar, which had been rented out for the wake. That was actually the part that made the most sense.

You see, typically, a wake is a solemn affair, either back at the deceased’s home, or at some other gathering place with food and drink. Everyone stands around drinking tea and eating cucumber sandwiches, swapping stories about whoever has just crossed the Jordan. There may be the occasional laugh or joke, but for the most part, the mood remains as dour as the funeral itself. The military though, treats things a little differently.

It’s not real laughter, you understand. It’s their way of dealing with the loss. To the outside observer, getting absolutely blitzed after just burying a comrade may seem a bit cavalier, but I can say quite comfortably that it is very cathartic. Everyone laughs, jokes, reminices, and occasionally a small fight breaks out. And so it was that evening. Shining drew first blood, walking straight into the bar and grabbing himself a large cider. Dad went and got a large scotch and I had some fine Appleloosian whiskey.

The three of us sat down in one of the booths and began to talk. Dad also introduced Shining to the British concept of buying a round, something that was completely foreign to the American inspired Equestrians. At least we all ended up with empty wallets by the end of the night.

“I just can’t believe it,” Shining was saying. “That stallion got me through basic. He was my first instructor at the academy. And when I became captain I made sure that he had a good position in training. After the first incursion, he helped with the retraining and the wargames. Princess Celestia had him instruct her own personal detachment in changeling detection. He even offered to teach Flurry Heart some self defence tactics when she was old enough. Now that’ll never happen.”

The blue maned stallion sunk his head onto the table dejectedly and took another swig of his drink. Dad put a comforting hand on his back.

“He was a good bloke, Shining,” he said, already slightly slurring his words. “Anyone who can whip my son into fighting shape is okay in my book. He was a proper old squaddie. They don’t make ‘em like that no more.”

“He weren’t that old, Dad,” I said with a shake of my head. “He was younger than y’all. Ah still can’t believe a guy who kept himself in such good shape would suffer a heart attack.”

“Oh, it happens, Bones,” Dad replied. “We lost your Uncle Dick the same way. Healthy as you like and then one day, his ticker gives out and he wraps his Cortina round a tree on the Goscort road.”

“I don’t even know who I’m gonna get to replace him,” Shining went on. Dad nearly coughed back his drink.

“Jesus, Shining! He’s not even cold yet!” he exclaimed.  

“Hey, I’ve gotta get all the interviewing done by next week!” Shining shot back with a glare. “It makes me feel awful, but it’s gotta be done.”

“Ah yes, Captain of the Royal Guard,” my dad said with a sneer, he was quite drunk at this point. “Expert at being Celestia’s social secretary, not noticing his wife’s been lifted and getting his magic sealed off or nicked.”

And that kind of sent things south a bit. Luckily they were both too drunk to remember anything about it the next morning. I don’t think Dad meant it either, he was just sad like everypony else.

But anyway, long story short, it kicked off. I tried to break up Dad and Shining, me putting my hooves on the captain got me decked on the nose, which caused Dad to retaliate against that aggressor, and before you knew it, we all found ourselves violently ejected by the proprietors.

It didn’t help that it was lashing down either. We all got chucked out into the beer garden and went skidding across the grass, getting ourselves covered in thick, glutinous mud. More than few a dress uniforms were ruined.

But as is the way with drunk fights, we all suddenly found it funny. Laughing like lunatics, we all staggered back to our homes. Me and Dad made for the train station to catch the late train back to Ponyville. I’d need to sneak in tonight, or at least wash myself off. AJ would probably kill me if she saw, never mind smelled the state I was in.

I figured that somewhere out there, that old guard was laughing. Either that or yelling at us for bringing the service into disrepute. One or the other.

The next month or so saw me doing my best to move on from my friend’s untimely passing. It was difficult for a lot of ponies, particularly Shining and Twilight, who had known him since they were foals. Still, time heals all wounds as they say, and while I doubted I’d ever entirely return to my old self, slowly but surely, the pain dulled.

AJ did a lot to support me and make me feel better. Without being too morbid, she’s more than qualified to talk about the grim subject of death. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t bawling like a baby every night, but you could tell that the death of the old guardspony had had an effect on me. Even in a land of sunshine and rainbows, where friendship always triumphs over evil, you can still get depressed.

As I said though, in good time, I bounced back. I found myself smiling again. While there’s nothing wrong with mourning the death of a friend, it doesn’t do to dwell on such things forever; that just eats you up inside.

I found myself then, once again, relaxing into the somewhat idyllic life on Sweet Apple Acres. It would be a good three months before anything of note happened. And it all started with Granny Smith reading the morning paper.

I’d just come downstairs, as usual in the early morning for breakfast. Big Mac was already down there setting the table, while Applejack and Apple Bloom were following behind me. Granny was sitting on her chair, reading today’s edition of the Foal Free Press, the school newspaper. It’s actually quite informative, albeit more of the Guardian than the Telegraph, but what do you expect from students? I was just sitting down and about to grab myself a round of toast when Granny spoke up.

“Ya seen this here symposa-whatsit in the paper this mornin’, Bones?” I looked up at the old mare.

“What’s that, Granny?” I asked, briefly using my magic to pull AJ’s chair out for her as she joined me. Granny Smith went on.

“Well, it says here there’s some kind of big meetin’ happenin’ in the Crystal Empire next month. Something to do with that fancy heart thing they’ve got up there.”

Ah yes, the Crystal Heart. Like the Elements of Harmony, we don’t fully understand how the Crystal Heart works. I mean, I can tell you it amplifies the love of ponies and turns it into energy, creating a magical barrier that protects the empire, but I’ve not the slightest clue how it does it. Sometimes I think ponies lack the curiosity of humans. After all, that artifact has existed for over a millenia, and only now has somepony suggested tinkering with it. Perhaps that near miss involving a certain baby alicorn gave them the kick up the rump they needed.

“What are they doin’ with the Crystal Heart?” I asked curiously. “And who?” Granny re-examined the article.

“Says here it’s some feller called Sunburst.” Applejack perked her ears at that.

“That’s Starlight’s friend,” she commented. “He’s the Royal Crystaller up there. Kind of a head honcho or somethin’ when it comes to the Crystal Heart.” Activating my magic, I gently took the paper and examined it for myself.

“Hmm,” I said, reading the article over. “It says here he wants to study how it works to try and replicate it to protect other cities.” It certainly sounded like a good idea. The heart was like the Elements in that it could defeat pretty much anything that was evil or dark magic based. If possible, you could create a sort of defence net for all the cities.

“It says all sorts of wizards and magic experts are gonna be attendin’, Bones,” Applejack said. “Ah bet y’all could have a great time up there.” I balked at that, before breaking out into a disparaging laugh.

“Applejack, Ah might have some knowledge ‘bout magic,” I said kindly. “But this here symposium is for the experts, ponies who graduated from Celestia’s school and the like. Ah’m just an amateur.” Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Sugarcube,” she said. “I see y’all regularly debatin’ with Twilight ‘bout all sorts of magic; things Ah can’t even begin to understand. Besides, Sunburst himself isn’t exactly an expert. Twilight told us that he didn’t even graduate from magic academy.”

That surprised me. A dropout in the single most important position beneath the imperial family? Applejack continued.

“Tell ya what, Bones,” she said, leaning into me a moment. “How ‘bout the two of us go up there for a trip? Ah’ve been meanin’ to try getting some of those crystal berries to see if they’ll grow down here. That could let us start our own vineyard. You could go see this symposium at the same time.”

I paused to think. The article did say that all ponies were welcome, and it would probably be quite interesting. And let’s be honest, I had been slacking off on my studies for a while now. If you don’t exercise the mind, it has this worrying tendency to deteriorate. And hey, how could I say no to spending some time with Applejack?

So, I agreed, and the two of us prepared to travel to the Frozen North.

Believe it or not, this was my first time going to the Crystal Empire. A brony in Equestria for more than a few years, and I don’t go to one of the first big new locales introduced in the series. Well, farm work had a habit of getting in the way. And I liked Ponyville. Even back home, as I’ve said before, I didn’t travel around too much. My Dad’s been up there once or twice in his role as the legal advisor to the princesses. Lizzie too has visited there on holiday her coltfriend, Dewdrop.

I’d seen plenty of pictures of the place, but little prepares you for seeing it with your own eyes. The train got us there just after dark, with Luna’s moon hanging high in the sky. The snow all around the barren tundra glistened in the moonlight. And off in the distance, was this point of light. It looked like the lights of some strange ocean liner sailing upon a frozen sea. It was so beautiful; an oasis of life and warmth in this harsh wilderness.

AJ and I had boarded the train at Ponyville and headed north along the main line. It was probably the longest train trip I’d ever been on. Long enough for their to be sleeping berths at any rate. The only overnight trains back home was the Caledonian Sleeper up to Scotland, and as I’m of sound mind, I’d never felt the need to go to that corner of the kingdom.

I’d been dozing slightly, with Applejack fast asleep on the berth above. I’d taken the bottom one, due to my annoying habit of rolling out of bunk beds in my sleep. Still, I was awake enough to feel us slowing down and hear the squeal of the train’s brakes as we pulled into the station. I reached up and shook AJ’s hind leg, which was hanging over the edge.

“‘Jack. ‘Jack, wake up; we’re here,” I said quietly. Eventually she stirred and was soon awake again.  

The two of us stepped down from the train onto the platform, with me carrying our luggage in my magic. We both travelled fairly light, in contrast to certain unicorns I know, with only a case each. After all, we’d only be here a day or so. All we really had were toiletries, some warm clothing and ourselves.

We quickly made our way to the hotel, walking through the dimly lit, yet shining streets. The lamps caused the crystal roads to literally sparkle, along with pretty much everything else. There were a couple crystal ponies about, but given the late hour, most were tucked up in their beds.

Reaching our accommodation for the night, we quickly checked in. AJ was struggling to stay awake on the way there and was pretty much dead on her hooves in the reception. So as soon as we were done, I bustled her upstairs and got her to bed. We’d both have a busy day tomorrow. On the other hoof though, I decided to stay up a little longer.

Stepping back out into the street, I found myself sitting down, enjoying the paradoxically warm night air, and staring up at the large full moon that hung in the sky. Most ponies might have gone to bed, but I was going to enjoy the stargazing the cooler temperatures of the north afforded. After all, somepony ought to appreciate the night once in a while.

I cast my eyes over to the palace in the centre of the city, which held both the royal family and the Crystal Heart. I’d be going there tomorrow to attend this symposium. I couldn’t help but feel nervous. It had been a long time since I’d been in university, and at the end of the day, Twilight apart, Ponyville was very much a small pond, and I was a big fish.

Still, at least it promised to be interesting.

The next morning, the two of us woke up feeling refreshed. Between the sleep on the train up here, and a good night’s sleep that night, Applejack had had more than her eight hours. To be honest, I think she needed the excuse; she is the literal definition of a workaholic when it comes to the farm, and I often find myself worrying about her running herself ragged.

Still, there was something of an upside. Due to the short notice with which our trip was planned, we’d only been able to get the one room. I’ve been Applejack’s coltfriend for a couple years now, but I’ve not yet shared the same bed with her. Not because I don’t want to, or because I’m asexual or anything, it was more the fact that Big Mac had made clear his disapproval. The Apple family are quite conservative after all, and we weren’t married. We’d got away with relaxing together on the sofa, but I’m certain that the big red stallion would rip me in two if he caught me in his sister’s bed. It’s one of the few points that the two of us disagree on.

The upshot of that was that we were in something of a detente. I respected (and slightly feared) Big Mac, and so didn’t go against him on the issue. But when the opportunity presented itself. Plus Applejack was more than happy to go along with things. The both of us think Mac’s overprotective of her. Then again, I’m just as bad when it comes to my little sister, so perhaps I shouldn’t throw stones.

I woke up with Applejack wrapped up in my forelegs, something she seemed quite happy with. The sun was just coming over the horizon and the reflecting crystal was projecting a cavalcade of colours onto the wall of our room.

Getting up, the two of us breakfasted. We could take things at quite a steady pace today. AJ said that she wanted to look around the crystal market, to see if there was any other produce that might reasonably be transplanted down south. She’d also promised Pinkie Pie to buy her one of those flugelhorns that are still in use in the empire. I think that’s mainly to get back at Rainbow Dash for napping in the barn last week. She’ll just release Pinkie on the world with a vuvuzela on steroids.

As for me, the symposium didn’t start until one, so I had the morning to go wandering around. I planned to visit the palace and see the Crystal Heart up close for myself. Even here in the hotel, I could feel the powerful magic reverberating in the air around me, keeping the uncontrollable weather out. I also wouldn’t mind seeing the palace gardens. Cadence had had it all planted as a tribute to all those who suffered during Sombra’s brief but horrific reign. After the symposium was finished, I’d meet with Applejack, and catch the night train back home, getting there the following morning.

I spent a couple hours with Applejack. It was nice just to have some time to ourselves, and put any thoughts about the farm or work to one side, and just be a couple for a change. We may not always be the most romantic pair, but, as my darker half showed during Twilight’s experiment, I care for her deeply, and she me.

Eventually though, the two of us temporarily parted, with AJ heading for the market, and I for the palace. Following the main road, I soon found myself standing before the Eiffel tower like building that was home to Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, and little Flurry Heart. Instead of heading inside the castle though (which is something you can do, with the building being a tourist attraction as well as the seat of government), I turned left and followed a path before finding myself in the gardens.

The gardens of Canterlot Castle are an impressive sight, almost being a nature reserve unto itself. But it faced staunch competition from the Crystal gardens. The place glistened not with dew, but due to the crystal lattices that made up so much of the flora. It was like looking at a field of Tiberium. I found myself wandering rather aimlessly, until I realised that I was not alone.

Naturally, in such a well kept garden, you’d expect gardeners. But I was surprised to find an undisguised changeling, dressed in a gardeners uniform, pulling away at some weeds. He was clearly an older changeling; the multicoloured carapace and chitin was slightly dulled and wrinkled, but he wasn’t elderly by any stretch of the imagination. He was presently pulling out some sort of weeds with his hooves. On one eye he wore a black eyepatch. As I walked up, he looked up and I saw surprise flash across his face for a moment.

“Damn weeds,” he said, turning to me again. “They choke the vines. The poor plants don’t have a chance to grow.” I took a look for myself at the fine black vines that were ensnaring the crystal plants.

“Ya should try a herbicide or magic repellant, stead of pulling em out by hoof,” I suggested. The changeling gardener waved a hoof.

“These things are too delicate,” he replied gruffly. I decided to do my good deed for the day; I had a couple hours before I needed to head inside.

“Well, let me give ya a hoof then,” I offered, activating my magic and pulling away at a couple weeds. The changeling smiled.

“You know much about plants, do you, rook?” He asked.

“Sure,” I replied. “Ah live on an apple farm in Equestria; gave me a bit of an interest in gardenin’.” The two of us steadily began to remove the weeds, placing them in a small pile of the adjacent path.

“Ah gotta say, Ah’m surprised to see a changeling workin’ up this way. Ah thought all you folks were back in the hive now Chrysalis is gone.” The changeling shrugged.

“Well, not of all us want to go back there,” he replied. “Some of us burned our bridges during the queen’s time.” I nodded.

“Yeah, a friend of mine found himself in the same predicament,” I said.

“What did he do about it?” the gardener asked, pulling a few more weeds up. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Nothin’,” I answered. “Feller stayed disguised til the day he passed. Took his secret with him.”

“Well,” said the gardener. “He probably didn’t fancy telling the whole of the Royal Guard that he’d been deceiving them for almost twenty years.” I nodded.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

At that moment, I realised what he’d just said and jumped up with a shock.

“Now just wait an apple pickin’ minute!” I exclaimed, briefly charging up my horn. “Ah never said nothin’ to ya ‘bout my friend! How d’ya know all that? What, did you know him or somethin?” The gardener smiled and got to his hooves.

“Well of course I know him, rook. He’s me.”

And with that, much to my amazement and surprise, green fire washed over the changeling’s form. As it receded, I found myself standing face to face with my old friend; a blue coated, eyepatch wearing unicorn.

“Strong Shield?!” I exclaimed. “But...but…” The old guard let out a laugh at my expense.

“Alright, rookie,” he said with a smile. “I’ll make it simple for you. I wanted to stop living a lie. I couldn’t bring myself to just drop my disguise and reveal myself. And simply retiring would still mean at some point revealing that Strong Shield never existed. So I went to your father for help. And with some assistance from the princesses, I faked my death. You were weeping over sandbags.”

For the first time in a very long time, I found myself rendered utterly speechless. Here was my friend, previously thought dead, now alive before me. The stallion who had taught me so much, and who I missed dearly. There was only one thing to do.

I got him square on the jaw with a good right hook. Caught unprepared, he went sprawling on the ground.

“Ya could’ve told me!” I said crossly, nursing my now sore hoof. The old guard shook himself before he got back up, none the worse for wear. He dropped his disguise again, returning to his natural form.

“I was planning on it,” he replied, rubbing his jaw with a hoof. “I just needed to get myself set up first, and then I was going to write you. What are you doing up here anyway?”

“Ah’m attendin that symposium in the palace,” I explained. “‘Jack’s with me too.” I shook my head, trying to collect my thoughts. “So who else was in on this?”

“Just your old man and the princess,” he replied. “And I’d like it to stay that way.”

“But what about Shining and Twilight?” I pointed out. “They know your true nature.” He nodded, going back to pulling weeds with his hooves.

“And they also shared in my lie. Think about it, rook. How would ponies react if they knew they’d sheltered a changeling that actively took part in the attack on Canterlot?” He raised a good point.

“So what are you doing now then?” He laughed again.

“What does it look like?” he asked. “Your old man helped me get a job as a gardener here. I’ve been here about a month or so now.”

“Well, it’s good to know you’re still with us, cap,” I said, before catching myself. “Actually, what should I call you now anyway?”

“Oh, you can keep on calling me captain, rookie,” he replied with a grin. “But your Dad helped me get a new identity. I didn’t fancy using my original name. If anypony else is around, you call me Pliskin.” I resisted the urge to laugh.

At that moment, I heard a bell chime somewhere in the city. It was time to head into the palace. It would be hard to stay focussed now though. I hadn’t been this happy in ages. The melancholy I’d felt at the loss of my friend was lifted.

I explained to Strong Shield, or rather, to Pliskin, that I had to go. He promised he would write to me some time later this week so we could keep in touch.

And so, with that absolute loop under my belt, I headed into the palace to talk magic.

The Crystal Palace (not to be confused the British Empire exhibition venue of the same name) was already full to bursting by the time I arrived. As AJ had said, it had drawn ponies from all walks of life, from respected scholars, to amateurs such as myself. There were several seminars planned for the event, according to the schedule posted out front. And the one I was most interested in was on the Crystal Heart itself. This seminar was to be given by Sunburst.

Following the crowd, I soon found myself in the large amphitheatre, which sort of reminded me of my university days. I managed to get a seat relatively near the front and spent a couple minutes chatting with my new cohorts. On my left was a bookstore owner from Baltimare, who had an interest in crystal magic and had made it into something of a pet project for himself, just as I had done with some elements of dark magic. And on my right was a research professor from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot.

The three of us spent some time talking amongst ourselves before the seminar opened. We all had our own theories and ideas about what Sunburst might be proposing. Before we could come to much of an accord however, the show began.

Now, I’m not too sure where I go from here. I’ve been studying magic for a few years now. With help from Twilight, I have a fairly good grasp of applied magical theory, more than a fair share of unicorns at any rate. But when writing for someone who doesn’t know what magic feels like...it can be quite difficult to describe. Imagine trying to describe small to someone who has no nose, and then explain the intricacies of how scent affects our perception of the world. Not to sound pretentious or anything, but I’m not sure I can give you much of a summary without giving a long series of lectures beforehoof.

So, to cut a long story short, the seminar offered some very interesting theories that led to more than its fair share of debates. I was certainly impressed by Sunburst’s knowledge. His approach, while unorthodox, was also quite practical and seemed more than possible to achieve. I actually found myself asking why I hadn’t thought along those lines before. Now I guess I know how Twilight felt when I pitched my anti-draining spell to her.

The highlight of the day though, was toward the end. We all had fairly frequent breaks for coffee and to talk amongst ourselves. This gave me an opportunity to approach Sunburst and introduce myself.

Physically, the stallion reminded me a lot of myself, my human self. I might not have the goatee beard, but when I still walked on two legs, I wore spectacles not too dissimilar to his own. He was, while knowledgeable, just as socially awkward as I used to be. And like me, prior to his current position as Royal Crystaller, he had found himself directionless in life.

So, while we were having a tea break, I trotted over and introduced myself.

“‘Scuse me, Sunburst?” I said, walking up to the stallion. He turned round to me, and I found that we're about eye level with one another.

“Yes?” he asked, sounding a little nervous. I could tell that hosting this whole palaver was a bit of a strain on him. I reached out to shake his hoof.

“My name’s Blade Star,” I said, introducing myself. “Ah’m a friend of Princess Twilight.” He brightened up at that and shook my hoof.

“Oh right,” he said, now smiling. “Twilight told me that she’d been tutoring somepony.” I didn’t know how much she’d told him, and as I was in public, I decided to keep quiet about everything else.

“Ah was very impressed with your theory in there,” I said with a nod. “Your idea of incorporatin the crystal lattices into a high level resonance field is truly remarkable.” Sunburst smiled.

“Well thank you, Blade Star,” he replied. “I just hope that we can turn it from a working theory into a working fact. There’s still a way to go until we can even consider a physical experiment.” I nodded in agreement.

“I was struck by something you said though,” I answered. “Earlier you were sayin how you couldn’t replicate the emotional connection to the actual crystal structure. Ah don’t s’pose ya considered following the changeling love absorption model; wouldn’t that allow the crystal to attune itself to the local magical environment.” Sunburst smiled as his eyes went wide.

With that, the pair of us really hit it off. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk magic with Twilight or Starlight until the cows come home. But Sunburst...it was almost like talking to myself. I may look like my old OC, but there’s little in common with how I used to look as a human. Sunburst though, he looked more like my old self ponified.

It honestly was like I was talking with somepony on exactly the same wavelength. Maybe this is an example of the Doppelganger Syndrome you read about? In any case, we spent the next hour or so talking magic. I also explained how I was native to Ponyville, and how I knew the other Elements and had kept abreast of their adventures.

Sunburst too was glad to have another friend. Another thing we had in common was how he had previously, and still occasionally did, wall himself off from the rest of the world, getting caught up in his own hobbies. I can see why Twilight liked him too; she’s just as bad sometimes, only she has Spike to drag her out of the castle.

By the end, we’d swapped contact info with each other, and he’d promised to write both myself and Twilight, to keep us updated on the progress of his idea. I was glad for the chance to expand my circle of friends. To think, in one day I’d not only discovered an old friend I thought to be dead, but also made a new one. That’s a good application of friendship if you ask me.

After departing, I met up with Applejack. She’d spent some time picking out the best produce that was likely to thrive in Ponyville’s warmer climate. She now had a sizeable load of crystal berries, still on the vine, ready to be replanted.

With both our tasks complete, the two of us headed back to the train station. It was early evening by now, and I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing train ride with my marefriend.

I had quite the story to tell her though first. Best get her to Pinkie Promise though, just to be safe.