//------------------------------// // Learning With Fire // Story: My Little Kirin: The Lost Tribes // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// Ponyville had its share of charms for Kunzite. It was always nice when she could look around and see ponies walking around in harmony, getting along and making the most of the day. Not to mention, the rustic roads, the thatched houses, all the things that made Ponyville what it was, she was happy to make it her home. Her mother might have said it was simpler back when she visited it for the first time, but it was still quiet compared to Canterlot. Nevertheless, the kirin felt truly at home when she went into the forest. Which forest? Any of them. The fresh air everywhere, watching the sunlight filter through the fields, the wild critters running among the grass, it was paradise for her. She loved it so much that she hovered above the ground when she went through it, just to make sure she didn’t harm a single grass blade. It would get to her if she destroyed even one piece of nature, she would claim. No wonder she admired Fluttershy at times. That was a pony that understood the beauty of nature like her. The forest by the Dragon Lands was just as picturesque as the forests near Ponyville. She glided peacefully by the trees and took in all the wonderful, fresh air around her. Her ears picked up the sounds of squirrels scurrying around in the bushes nearby, and the blue sky was barely visible in the thick shade above her head. She couldn’t see that far ahead in this neck of the woods, but she had a good idea of where she was going. Given how she had to come here once a week, she learned this place like the back of her hand. It wasn’t long until she picked up new sounds, all while her wings carried her gently into the woods. Wait, was that a hawk she heard? Her eyes turned to see if it was the case, but she couldn’t make it out for sure. She hadn’t seen one in a while, and she couldn’t wait until she did. At least there was a deer not far away. They were some of the cutest animals she only found in the forests. Too bad they were too shy to hang out with her. Her train of thought was soon interrupted with the worst sound of all: The crunching of several grass blades. Kunzite winced from the sounds, and it was causing her to panic. She went to investigate it and hopefully put a stop to it. Whoever was doing that was getting a stern lecture, and then they would see the error of their ways. Her tone changed completely when she saw who it was. “Moonstone? You’re already here?” she balked. “This is early for you.” “Oh, hey again, Kunzite,” the dragon responded. He took one look at her face and got the hint. “Let me guess. I’m stepping on grass again, and it’s driving you crazy.” “You know how much that means to me,” she pleaded. “Please?” He sighed and flapped his wings until he came up a few inches above the ground. “Is that better?” She nodded and smiled. “Thank you. How’s it going at your place?” “Eh, nothing new. Hoard’s getting bigger, cave’s getting smaller, and I’m getting stronger. He’s not gonna pick on me too much this time, I hope.” “Don’t worry. I think he’s softened up on you a bit.” He snorted and puffed out smoke. “Barely.” “Anyway, I had to do some public speaking right before I got here. Can you imagine what it’s like to go up in front of a thousand students? They were asking all the questions you can imagine about me and what species I am. I wasn’t scared when it happened, but now it’s over, by Celestia’s mane! I can’t imagine anything scarier than public speaking.” “Heh, you clearly never had a fight with a twenty foot dragon, then.” “Really? You did that? What was it like?” “Well, he wanted my cave for himself. It might not have been mine to begin with, but I worked hard to make it mine. He said I could move it or lose it, so I told him he could lose his pride while he was at it. Was almost a goner there for a while, until I smacked him right in the forehead. Never saw him again.” Kunzite’s eyes widened. “That sounds...really violent, but that’s what they do over at the Dragon Lands, I suppose. At least you didn’t back down.” “What can I say? I’m good at punching. Just gotta face whatever life throws at you, that’s how you get through that crap.” “Gotta...face it on…” She pulled out a notebook from her knapsack and scribbled it down. “Get through...c-r-a-p by facing it on. That’s a cuss word, but Mom’s not reading my diary anytime soon.” “You’re writing notes about that? It’s no big deal. That’s something everyone learns at some point.” “There. All finished.” She put her notes away. “Wildfire’s place shouldn’t be too far from here.” “Kunzite, you’re a dork. At least you’re a smart dork.” They went on their way together into the woods, keeping the distance close between them. Moonstone wasn’t exactly thrilled with what was coming up, while Kunzite was thrilled out of her mind. This day of the week meant something to them, but for very different reasons. Eventually, the thick foliage gave way to a clearing. The directionless ground gave way to curated roads decorated with flowers on both sides. Without the worries of stepping on grass, Kunzite landed down on the nearest one, with Moonstone following her. It wouldn’t be long until the dirt roads fed into ones made of stone tile, leading up to a beautiful garden. It was filled with flowers from all over Equestria. This was too curated to be natural in its formation, and they knew who created this place very well. Anyone would be able to tell, judging from the lone figure there. He was sitting down in the middle of the garden, crossing his arms and legs with his eyes closed. Much like Kunzite, he had a pony like form, while his belly and chest were scaled like a dragon’s. The dark orange shade contrasted with his red pony colors, and he sported two horns on the top of his head. Kunzite halted and held Moonstone back with an arm. “Shhh. It looks like he’s doing some kind of meditation. We probably shouldn’t disturb him.” “Meditation?” Moonstone puzzled. “What even is this ‘meditation’? He’s just taking a nap. I do that all the time. Feels better than sleeping on a rock floor.” “Meditation is where you tune yourself with your body and spirit, calm yourself down, or something like that. I think he’s using it to get closer to nature.” “Nature. Right. You guys really like nature.” After all that reasoning, Kunzite still couldn’t help herself. She went into the garden to join her fellow Equestrian Kirin. He looked truly at peace with himself, and she wanted to experience that peace for herself. She found a nearby spot and sat down, spending some time to get to the same position as him. It took a moment to get comfortable, but she felt like she got the form just right. Moonstone watched from the garden entrance. Man, he wish he had snacks to enjoy the show right now. As wise as Kunzite was, she sure could outdo her mother on the adorkable scale. He couldn’t help but snicker while she tried to meditate for herself. After a few second went by, the gardener slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were bright teal. “Kunzite?” “Yes, Professor Wildfire?” She went deep into concentration, focusing on the leaves of the trees around her. It wasn’t obvious if this was how meditation worked to her, but she put her all into it. “I think you’re sitting on the grass.” Her eyes bulged in their sockets, and she looked down to see it for herself. In all that concentration, she never realized she sat down right in the middle of a grass field. She sprung up to her feet and ran away from it as fast as she could. “Oh no! All those grass blades, all crushed! This is all my fault!” Moonstone burst out laughing. “You really like grass, don’t you?” He covered his mouth with a hand, and yet, he couldn’t stop laughing. “This isn’t funny, Moonstone!” Kunzite interrupted. “What if I broke one of your gems by accident?” “Settle down, you two. Nothing to get worked up about,” Wildfire stated. He rose up to his feet and dusted his legs off. “I’ve made that same mistake out here before. It’s no bigger if you screw up every now and then. We all do it.” He looked at the imaginary wristwatch on his arm. “You got here early this time. Never did believe in ‘fashionably late’. Just a bunch of tardy ponies acting like it’s a new trend. I assume we’re ready to begin?” “Yes, sir!” Kunzite landed back inside the garden, and she made sure she was on the dirt this time. “Ready as I’m ever gonna be.” Moonstone straightened his back and joined the rest of the group. “Alright. Let’s get started.” The elder kirin rubbed his hands together, and he was ready for this yesterday. “How have things been going with your practices in the last seven days?” “I made friends with five more squirrels recently,” Kunzite cheered. “It helped that they were all Fluttershy’s so they were already domesticated, but they really liked me. Was I supposed to accept these as gifts?” She pulled out a bag full of acorns in a baggie. Wildfire couldn’t believe his eyes. “Errr...yes. I’m not sure what you’d do with that many acorns, but squirrels like them. What the hay, you got on their good side, so that’s good enough for me. Moonstone, your turn. Make it as blunt as possible, always more fun that way.” “I punched a griffon in the face today,” the dragon replied calmly. Kunzite winced from the thought and wondered why he didn’t share that with her earlier. “Now now, didn’t we say you shouldn’t get into any fi--” “I didn’t. He wanted to fight me. Trust me, I wasn’t picking fights with anybody. Still, he flew hundreds of feet from my swing. Think that tells you how strong I’ve gotten recently.” He rubbed his right arm a bit, it might have gotten sore from that nasty uppercut. “Hmm, that makes way more sense. Self defense is fine every now and then. If you fought a griffon and came off scratch free, that is indeed a sign of strength. Just for fun, I’m gonna put your skills to the test to see how much you’ve learned for myself, both of you. Moonstone, you’re particularly going to like this one. Follow me.” Moonstone raised his eyebrow. If Wildfire of all people thought he would enjoy this, it was going to be interesting. The elder kirin brought them out of the garden into another corner of the forest. There, the foliage was so thick that no ray of sunlight was able to pass through. The bushes covered more ground there than anywhere else, and the grass was hard to spot below them. A lot of bird nests decorated the branches of the trees, and deer gracefully made their way around the bushes to pass through. Wildfire sat down on one of the bigger branches in the air, and he pointed to another branch for the students to rest on. Kunzite was positively giddy being in a place like this, while the dragon remained curious about his test in the back of his head. One thing was certain with their teacher: No matter what happened, it would be entertaining. “This is one of my favorite places in the forest, because it has the least amount of visitors from Equestria and the Dragon Lands,” Wildfire explained. “Everything you see here has been mostly undisturbed. Despite the lack of ponies and dragons that come through here, it has some of the most life. Kunzite, I want you to close your eyes, concentrate on everything around you, and tell me what you feel. Take your time, we’re not gonna rush it.” “I’ll do my best, sir.” Kunzite adjusted herself on the branch and closed her eyes. She tuned out her thoughts and feelings, concentrating solely on her surroundings. The sounds of nature passed through her ears, and she went into a trance as she got to work. Noting how peaceful this forest was, how every sound it created had its own story to tell. Moonstone leaned against the tree trunk to rest while she did her thing. For him, this was just watching her note through ‘meditation’ what he could see through his eyesight. The sounds of his scales rubbing against bark echoed throughout the forest. “I hear a dragon resting against a tree. Is that you, Moonstone?” she commented. “It’s just me. Don’t worry, I won’t make any other noises.” “Please don’t apologize. You’re fine. It’s good that I can pick up on that, isn’t it?” “That means you’re listening,” said Wildfire. “Keep going.”   She nodded and resumed her search for more sounds. There were so many things happening around her, from the sound of wind to the nestling of trees, it was difficult to count it all. Certain noises stood out to her more than others, however. That’s where she knew she needed to focus on. “I feel like there’s a flock of birds arriving south of us. A lot of nests are being built for them. Maybe they’re arriving from their home in the winter. Wait, is that a deer below us?” Moonstone glanced down below to see for himself. “Yep, that’s definitely a deer.” The creature sniffed the flowers around it and went on its way. “I was wondering about that. Wait a second. I think there’s a breeze coming in.” Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the forest through their hiding place. It sent her mane in five different directions before it left. “That tickled. And there’s something else happening. What is it? Oh. That’s water. Are we near a stream?” “Yeah, there’s a pretty big one fifty feet from here. I’m impressed,” Wildfire commented. “You can open your eyes.” Kunzite opened them and sighed. “Whew. That’s a relief. I thought that stream was another thing at first, like another gust of wind. Did I do good? It wasn’t that great, I know.” “You found a deer below us with your eyes closed, you knew a breeze was coming in a second before it got here, and you still think you bombed?” Moonstone marveled. “Why you gotta have standards like that?” “My parents?” she meeped. “It’s really hard to compare to what they’ve done.” “Hey hey, you did good,” Wildfire butted in. “You’ve got room to grow, but you’ve also shown improvements over the last month. Remember that much, and you’ll get to where you want to be someday. Moonstone, you’re up next. You ready for your test?” The dragon stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. “Bring it on. You sure I’m gonna like this?” “It involves breaking stuff, so yeah.” They got up and left the forest for the nearest valley. There used to be a mountain next to Wildfire’s forest home, but it eroded into nothing in the last few centuries. As a result, huge boulders and chunks of rock laid in ruins everywhere there. It was desolate and empty of life, reminding Moonstone of his homeland in a few ways. Given this area didn’t have a single blade of grass for miles in every direction, the two kirin were okay walking on solid ground for this one. Moonstone was more than happy to do the same, but he noted that some of these boulders had gems sticking out of the surfaces. That was one way to get his attention. “These bad boys you see here, there, and...everywhere...used to make up one of the tallest volcanoes in the world. I should know. I climbed it a few times. One eruption later, it’s a shell of its former self. Still, I think you’ll like this little test of strength. You think you can punch ten of them to shreds within, oh, let’s say, ten minutes?” Moonstone couldn’t believe his ears. Was Wildfire doing something fun with this lesson? “You’re joking.” “Come on. Show us how strong you really are. Unless you’re a chicken.” “I’m no chicken! I’ll rip them to shreds!” “Heh, now that’s the dragon spirit I want to see. Kunzite, put ten minutes on the clock. Start when he gets the first punch in.” “Ready when you are!” Kunzite pulled out a stopwatch from her knapsack, winding it to exactly ten minutes on the dial. “Then get to punching those boulders, Moonstone. Punch them like they’re that one griffon that won’t leave you alone!” Now that got under Moonstone’s skin. He huffed and came up to the nearest boulder. It was a little taller than him, and he knew he could take it out easily. Before he knew it, he punched the rock down the middle. His fist hitting the hard surface caused the boulder to shake. Right when Kunzite pressed the button on her watch, a crack ripped through the sides of the boulder. It wasn’t enough. He smacked it  with one blow after another, striking wherever he could. The crack grew wider and wider with each hit, and more cracks formed everywhere on it. One last punch did it in, and it collapsed into a pile of smaller rocks. A drop of sweat formed on his head, yet it wasn’t enough. Even if he wasn’t being challenged, he needed more than that. He lunged for the next boulder, one that was even taller than the last one. The dragon leaped into the air and kicked it as hard as he could. The valley echoed with the sickening crack from the strike. Even though there were gems sticking out from it, he needed to keep going. It wasn’t long until there was a second pile of dust in the valley. “Eight more! Eight more!” he shouted. The sweat started to pick up on his face. “You can count? Of course you can count,” said Wildfire. “Get the other eight, and I better see more of that fight in ya!” Kunzite watched in awe and fear from the destruction. She was wise enough to know he’d never harm anyone like her, but she didn’t envy anyone who was on the receiving end of hits like that. That griffon he fought had to be in the hospital by now. Encouraged from the results, Moonstone went for the other rocks getting on his nerves. All those pent up nerves he gathered from the dragons, that griffon, the frustration that built up over the day, he was allowed to let it all out here. He had to make the most of that chance. Sweat poured from his face and dirt caked on his body as he kept going, but he didn’t care. He had a job to do. A few birds flocked away in terror from the sounds of violence coming from the valley. Each boulder Moonstone tackled disappeared into a cloud of dust, and he grabbed some of the gems they left behind from the later. Then he came to the tenth boulder, which was three times taller than he was. He panted for air as he stepped up to the plate. “Not getting tired yet, are you?” Wildfire teased. “You don’t know that!” Moonstoned sweated. “I just got finished warming up!” He took a huge gasp of air and punched the sides of the boulder with both fists. He screamed from the impact on his knuckles, but he went for round two on the strikes. The boulder had splits on both sides from the two blows. He kept it up on both sides, kicking and punching the rock. Soon, his whole body was drenched in sweat, but he wasn’t finished. Kunzite glanced at her watch, and he still had plenty of time to kill. She considered stopping it to put an end to the pain, but she knew Moonstone too well. He was going to see it through. His fists and legs were hurting, but he still stood on his two feet. He sucked in all the air he could muster, rose up to one leg, and delivered a spin kick to the side of the rock. It cracked like thunder from his might, and it split right through the middle at an angle. It was enough to send the top half crashing to the side. He grunted and fell down to one knee. “Moonstone!” Kunzite cried out. She ran to his side and tried to lift him up, but he held her back with a hand. “Did...I...make it in time?” he gasped. “Are you hurt? Please let me check on you!” “Did I make it?” he repeated. She gazed at her stopwatch. “You had just over a minute left.” After hearing the good news, he rose to his feet again. All the anguish on his face disappeared, replaced with one of the proudest grins she had ever seen in her life. He lifted his head up, took one last breath, and roared at the top of his lungs. The roar went through the forest and valley, startling even more birds. Kunzite covered her ears from the roar. “Wait, are you okay? You were in a lot of pain back there.” “That was nothing. I’ve been through more pain than that. I was just worried about the time limit, and it sounds like I crushed it.” “Literally, I would say,” Wildfire commented. “Any dragon can just punch something, but it takes skill to channel your energy to grind a boulder into powder. I’m talking things like which angle to hit them in, seeing your opening and taking advantage of that, all that good strategy stuff. You’re not just a brute, you got a brain between your two ears.” “So you’re saying I passed.” “You had to ask? You blew through that exam. Speaking of channeling your energy the right way, this reminds me of something…” “That sounds like a lecture,” Moonstone and Kunzite said together. He was annoyed to hear it coming, while the younger kirin giggled and couldn’t wait. “As you both know, every Equestrian Kirin has his or her special destiny, kinda like ponies. Kunzite, your mother’s destiny was rooted in magic and friendship, and Moonstone--” “Dragons don’t have special destinies,” he interrupted. “Your mother would beg to differ. Everything changed in your homeland when she took the title of Dragon Lord, didn’t it?” The silence from Moonstone told Wildfire that his point was crystal clear. “So that means the future holds something in store for you. Not to mention, with that magical link Kunzite sent out to you after you were hatched, we think you have a part to play in Kunzite’s destiny.” “That’s right, we both have something awesome to look forward to! I might never get a cutie mark, but I can still do something pretty cool.” Kunzite took a seat on one of the smaller boulders. Moonstone sighed and sat down next to her. “But what does the whole channeling energy thing have to do with it?” Wildfire turned his sights to the sun above, going down near the Dragon Lands. “I heard the stories of other Equestrian Kirin, ones Equestria didn’t account for. They all accomplished their purpose and having stories written about them, ones your historians once believed were just myths. But when it was my turn to do my thing, I spent years freaking out about it. What was I supposed to do with my life? Did I need to study all the things? Don’t do that, by the way. It will hurt your brain.” Kunzite gasped. Learning everything is BAD? “Nevertheless, it was obvious when your grandfather, Torch, tried to invade Equestria when Princess Celestia and Luna were merely fillies. My path made itself before me.” The mention of Moonstone’s grandfather got his attention. “So I confronted him, fought to a draw, stopped everything, and that was that. Now, here’s a good question. Did I fulfill my special destiny by forcing myself into it, or seeing what was wrong in the world and doing something about it?” “You did something about it,” Moonstone answered. “I still can’t believe my grandfather nearly pulled a stunt like that. It wasn’t right.” “Indeed, it wasn’t. I guess in retrospect, there was more to life than that one moment for me, but it sure was a shining moment of glory. Still, before we go, there is something I wanted to show you. An illustration of my point, to be exact.” He channeled magic to both of his horns, and they shone with the color of the sun. The magic he needed was so massive, he grunted from the force of it. Still, he kept his concentration going, and the air around them twinkled from the magical aura. Kunzite watched in anticipation as the valley started to take a new shape around them. Rather than the rocks and mountains around them, a town similar to Ponyville started to come into existence. Grass formed on the ground, streets came into being, and hut houses dotted the landscape. They would soon find themselves in this town’s entrance, from the looks of it. In addition, a few ponies populated the town, of various shades of color and tribes. They trotted around town like it was just another day. Even Moonstone couldn’t believe his eyes. “Did you just make a town out of thin air?” “Nonsense...it’s just a...whew, that takes a lot out of me.” Wildfire wiped the sweat off his brow. “It’s an illusion spell. Nothing you see around you is real.” He went to a mailbox and swiped his hand through it, as if it wasn’t there at all. “It takes a lot of practice and power to pull something like this off, but I figured the best way to teach you what I mean is to show you. Look around, see what you can find.” “Oh, I’m definitely gonna look around now. This is one of the coolest spells ever!” Kunzite grinned. She grabbed Moonstone’s hand and yanked him forward. “Come on, let’s see what’s around here. I want to see what Wildfire came up with!” They ended up in the middle of a marketplace, where there was a lot of imaginary ponies. It was like a normal day in Ponyville’s own markets, full of life and color. Moonstone hesitated and pulled her to a complete stop. “Wait a second. He wouldn’t just make this fake town for his own amusement. This isn’t Discord we’re talking about here. He has to have his reasons for a spell this powerful, all for a lesson.” “Maybe, but we could have some fun along the way. It’s not often that you see a fake town made out of nothing, right?” “I don’t know. I’m keeping an eye out for something.” He went into the marketplace with her and kept an eye out for anything that looked fishy. There had to be a telltale sign of what Wildfire was up to. In the meantime, the elder kirin stood by the entrance, wondering if his students would be wise enough to get the picture. Kunzite spotted a bakery not far from there, and she was tempted to find out if Wildfire got the smells of Sugar Cube Corner in here. Before she did, she heard something like crying in the streets. “Do you hear that?” “I can hear it, too,” said Moonstone. He searched around to see who was doing there. “Hello? Anyone there? Seriously, can none of you hear it?” Everyone in the marketplace were carrying around their business, like nothing bad was happening. “I’m over here! Somebody, please help!” a voice cried out. “Hold on, we’re coming!” Kunzite went with Moonstone to find this person. Their search led them to an alleyway, and that’s where they found the pony. He was just a little colt, maybe eight years old, with a green coat and a green-yellow mane. His leg was pinned down by a boulder, and his skin around the rock was bloody. “I can’t get it off!” he said. No matter how hard he pushed it with his hands, it was stubborn to come off, and he looked to the duo in desperation. “Oh crap, did I do that?” Moonstone complained. Nevertheless, he rushed to the kid’s aid and started pushing it away. It was a huge chunk, maybe half the size of a fully intact boulder, and getting it out of there was harder than he imagined. It was one thing to destroy it with a few punches, another to push it away. “Here, I’ll help you!” Kunzite grabbed the rock with a levitation spell, using both horns for safety. It was enveloped in a purple magical aura as she pushed it, and it was starting to budge. “Keep pushing!” “That’s what I’m trying to do!” The dragon grunted as the rock came up a few inches in the air, just enough to get it off the leg. With a little help from his friend, he picked it up with his bare hands and threw it to the side. It rolled away and hit the side of a house. “Oh Celestia, this looks serious!” Kunzite looked at the spot the boulder crushed on the leg, and it didn’t look too good. The skin was purple from the force, and a little bit of blood had rushed to the surface. “I don’t know if I can lift him up with this illusion spell, but I’m going to try.” “Seriously, how did Wildfire get us to care about a fake pony like that?” Moonstone asked in disbelief. Still, he tried picking up the poor colt himself. There was nothing but air in his arms, but the illusion of the colt lifted up and clung to the dragon for support. “Hey, you’re gonna be okay. Just gotta find you a doctor.” “O-Okay, Mr. Dragon, I trust you!” They went out on the other side of the alley and searched for the nearest hospital in the town. If Wildfire was so willing to throw an injured pony their way, surely he gave this town a hospital their way. They went down every street they could find, yet they couldn’t find anything. Right when they were about to turn a corner, they heard someone behind them. “Stop! Is that my child in your arms?” They came to a halt and turned around to see who it was. It was a green unicorn, clad in a dress and crown. She seemed to be in her thirties, complete with the most worried face they had seen in a while. “Are...you his mother?” Kunzite stammered. “He was pinned down by a huge rock, and we were trying to find the nearest hospital.” “Oh my Celestia, that’s my son!” She rushed to the colt’s aid and picked him into her arms. “I’m so sorry I left you back there. I’ll see that the physician takes care of you right away. Is it true that a rock fell on you?” “Y-Yes, Mother. Nobody knew I was back there. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know what would happen to me.” “Is that so?” She lifted to get a better look at her son’s rescuers. “I cannot thank you enough for saving him. He’s not just my son, he’s also in line to take the throne of Equestria one day. The country owes you its thanks.” “He’s a WHAT?” Kunzite marveled. “I had no idea he was a prince. I guess we really did do a good job today.” “Yeah, we sure saved that hologram,” Moonstone snickered. “That hologram means a lot more than you realize,” Wildfire interrupted. The magical aura on his horn faded, as he came up behind the princess and her son. The town vanished piece by piece into dust, including the townsponies themselves. After a minute of this, the valley returned to its natural form. “I guess that makes two tests we crushed in a row?” Moonstone grinned. “Two for two, big guy.” Wildfire gave him a couple of love taps on the shoulder. “But you get the point of that illustration, right? That took a lot of planning.” “I think so, but just so I don’t miss it, can you go over it in detail?” asked Kunzite. “Very well. The point of the illustration is how your special destiny can illuminate itself to you. Most ponies just see a helpless little colt and think they should help him. Then that’s it, you did your good deed for the day and that’s the end of it. But if that colt is important like, say, a princess’s son, you might have just opened the door to new adventures. Maybe you gain a spot in her court one day. Maybe she sends you out on a quest that changes your life, because this one act got you in her good graces.” “Ohhhhh. I get it now. How didn’t I get it the first time?” “No biggie, you got a teacher to let you in on things like this. More than anything, this should be your takeaway: Your special destiny can come from anything. Nothing is too small for fate to have its hands all over it. Be open to any little opening, any chance to do the right thing, and it might lead to a big opportunity.” “Not sure if it’s gonna happen like that, but I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m punching boulders,” said Moonstone. “Wait a second. You made sure that kid was pinned from one of my boulders on purpose.” “Well, the butterfly effect exists for a reason,” he grinned. ------ “I knew it! Every single time he’s teaching us something, there’s a prank at the end of it. He might not be Discord, but he sure learned a lot from that guy.” “Just ignore him. He’s not doing it because he hates you. That’s just the way he is. Celestia’s over a thousand years old like he is, and she likes messing with ponies. It might just be be a side effect when you’re that old.” “I really hope your parents don’t end up like that. I can’t take that any more pranksters in my life.” “They won’t, they’re too dorky to do that. That’s why everypony keeps calling them adorkable.” By then, they were almost at Ponyville, taking a moment to calm down on one of the hills nearby. A break every now and then wasn’t so bad, especially with Wildfire’s lesson out of the way. Kunzite sat down in the middle of the nearest dirt field, while Moonstone took a spot next to her. “He had a good point with that lesson, though,” Kunzite brought up. “We really should keep an eye out for anything we can help out with. It’s the right thing to do in the first place.” “Yeah yeah, I’ll be sure to rescue every possum from the well, just in case it belongs to Princess Luna. Either way, it’s not gonna look like that, I’m sure of it. It’s gotta be bigger than that. If Wildfire had to go blow to blow with my granddad, that means we gotta be ready for something huge. Something like…” “...a Kirin retreat?” She lifted her head off the dirt and couldn’t stop giggling like a filly. “A what now? Don’t tell me there’s a sudden explosion of Equestrian Kirin now.” “Not that kind of kirin. Mom’s holding a retreat for all the Kirin tribes over at Autumn Blaze’s village. She invited me to come along once we got Wildfire’s lesson out of the way, and it’s out of the way now! What if that’s what our special destiny’s tied to?” She leaned into Moonstone and gave him some puppy dog eyes. “Oh no. I met Autumn once. My ears were ringing after her twentieth song. I couldn’t go visit that place again. That’s more of your thing.” The puppy dog eyes only intensified from there. “It might just be the opening we’re looking for. Even if it isn’t, won’t it be nice to get out of the house for a while? Or, err, the cave?” His eyes lit up at the offer. “Now that you mention it, I could use some time out by myself. Doubt my parents will mind if I’m gone for a day or two, they’re used to it. Just make sure Autumn doesn’t get in my face without warning.” Kunzite squeed and hugged Moonstone. “Yesssss! I’ll make preparations so we can leave right away! This is going to be so much fun!” The dragon gasped from the kirin’s grip. She was a lot stronger than she let on. “Yes...fun...that thing your family does…”