//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Magic of the Heart 
// by Pegasus Rescue Brigade 
//------------------------------//

For March, the weather was way above average.  Although it was technically still winter, a southerly breeze brought uncharacteristically warm air to Ponyville.  Only a few small, white clouds dotted the sky, giving the sun a chance to shine down in full force, melting away a lot of the remaining snow and letting the colors of the town's architecture shine through.  All in all, it was a beautiful Thursday morning in Ponyville.

Ditzy felt like it was mocking her.

As the townsfolk went about their business all around her, the grey mare slowly trudged down the street in silence.  She was clothed in a simple, lightweight black dress; one she'd had to dig to the very bottom of her bureau to find, slightly dusty but neatly folded beneath everything else.  It made sense, she supposed, for it to be there; after all, she'd worn it only one other time, seventeen years earlier.

The park near the center of town came into view.  Ditzy noticed dully that a few strings of flowers hung from the park gates, as they always did when there was to be a funeral.

"Hey Ditzy."

Ditzy turned her head, forcing a small smile as Breeze trotted up to her.  Her coltfriend wore a dark suit jacket.  He looked quite dashing in it, but this wasn't at all the time or place for trivial compliments.

"Hey," the mare replied quietly, "seen Watt and Cloudcover yet?"

"They're usually really punctual ponies," Breeze reminded her.  "They're probably already here."

Ditzy simply nodded.  Side by side with Breeze, she walked silently into the park.

The ceremony was set up not far from the fountain.  Candyfloss had very little living family, and thus, not an awful lot of ponies were expected to attend, so there were no more than two dozen chairs set up.  This had proven to be a mistake; the park was full of ponies, many of which Ditzy didn't recognize.  Only upon closer examination did she realize that these weren't Candyfloss's friends or family, but his clients.  She spotted a few ponies she herself had shipped over the years, and a good number more that she distinctly remembered discussed by her coworkers.  A number of much older couples were there as well; ponies, Ditzy assumed, that Candyfloss had brought together himself, during his days as a private matchmaker before the inception of Equestria Speedy Shipping Services.

Candyfloss always seemed like something of a loner, she thought, her eyes drifting to each pony in the crowd, but he touched the lives of so many, and now they're here to pay their respects...

At a small portable pulpit in front of them, Ponyville's elderly minister, Mr. Waddle, carefully organized a hoofful of notes and other papers.  To his left, set up right before the fountain, was a long table with a group of ponies gathered around it.  Ditzy quickly spotted Watt and Cloudcover among them.

As the two pegasi quietly approached, Cloudcover turned around, giving his coworkers a somber nod of greeting.  He was dressed in a coat much like Breeze's, and had respectfully removed the green beret he was almost never without.  "Watt, the others are here," he said, giving the other stallion a gentle nudge.

Watt turned around, and Ditzy was slightly taken aback.  She had, after all, known the earth pony for five years now, and in all that time, this was the first moment she'd ever seen his electrically-charged mane and tail respectfully combed and styled.  Unlike Breeze and Cloudcover, he had chosen to wear just a black bow tie to the service.  His eyes, usually intensely alert and flicking all about, instead gave Ditzy and Breeze a solemn, level stare.

"Not, uh... how any of us were expecting to spend the day, is it?" he asked sadly.

Ditzy closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.  "Not at all, Watt."

"Let's step aside, old friend," Cloudcover said softly.  "Ditzy and Breeze should take a moment with the boss."

The two stallions moved a few paces away, and a lump formed in Ditzy's throat as she got her first real look at the table behind them.  On it was a large casket, made of fine polished wood, and lined inside with white satin cushioning.  Dr. Candyfloss's body was lying peacefully inside.  The old stallion's forehooves rested together on his chest.  His airy mane swayed gently in the morning breeze.  Although his eyes were closed, a gentle smile, calm and mysterious as always, was on his face.

A tear hit the table, and then another.  Ditzy leaned forward, supporting herself with her forehooves and squeezing her eyes tightly shut, gasping and trying to stem the inevitable flow of tears.  She felt Breeze's wing stretch across her back, holding her body against his.

"It just doesn't make any sense," she whispered between sobs.  "He had come down with something, sure, but we saw him in the hospital.  He was getting much better.  He was supposed to be coming back to the office with us today, and now..."

Breeze's wing flexed, clutching her tighter.  "I know, Ditzy," he mumbled back.  "Sometimes... the unexpected just sneaks up on you.  I see Nurse Redheart over there with some of the other guests; maybe she knows a little more about what happened."

Ditzy rubbed her eyes with a forehoof and nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from Candyfloss's body just yet.  After a few more moments, she reached into her bag and withdrew a tiny pouch.  The clinking of glass could be heard as it moved.

"What's that?" Breeze asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Just before we lost Candyfloss, he lost a friend of his own," the mare replied, opening the bag to show Breeze the shattered, but unmistakable, remains of Mr. Feathers, before closing it again and placing it carefully inside the casket.  "I'll think he'll be happy to have the company.  At least one friend can go with him."

Breeze managed a smile.  "He'd really appreciate that, Ditzy," he assured her.

Ditzy glanced at Candyfloss once more.  "Let's go talk to the nurse," she said, quickly turning away to try to avoid crying again.

Breeze followed, allowing a few more of the guests to step up to the casket.  The two pegasi trotted over to Nurse Redheart, who was already talking to Cloudcover and Watt.  She nodded in silent greeting once all four ponies were in front of her.

"I'm so sorry," she said, sighing.  "I told you all, earlier this week, that Dr. Candyfloss would be fine.  And barely a day ago, it still seemed that way.  It happened so fast.  We really tried to save him, but..."

She trailed off.  After a few seconds, Breeze managed to speak.

"Nurse Redheart, what actually happened?  Why did his health fail so quickly?"

The nurse frowned.  "I can tell you what happened, but even we couldn't determine why," she admitted.  "Yesterday afternoon, all was well.  Dr. Candyfloss made a few calls to the office you four work at.  He seemed a social sort, and had a few casual conversations with the nurses as usual.  When he ate his lunch, his appetite seemed fine, and he was aware enough to read the novel he kept at his bedside.  He seemed no worse off than a colt getting over a cold might be."

"So what changed?" Cloudcover asked.

"Late afternoon yesterday, he calmly complained that he was feeling a bit ill again," Nurse Redheart continued, shaking her head.  "Just to be safe, we decided to run some tests.  We weren't even finished hooking up all the equipment to measure his vitals when things suddenly started failing.  Heart rate, temperature, blood pressure... it's like his body rebelled against him all of a sudden.  We administered emergency medication, but it had almost no effect."

"And he was gone, just like that?" Ditzy asked, cringing.  "Was there anything else?"

"There was something else a bit strange," the nurse admitted.  "Throughout the whole ordeal, with doctors and nurses rushing around him, and instruments hooked up to him going wild, Candyfloss remained strangely calm.  He watched almost as if he was passively observing the event, rather than the subject of it."

"Did he have anything to say in those last moments?" Breeze pressed.  "About us?  About Equestria Speedy Shipping Services?"

"I was about to get to that," Nurse Redheart replied.  "As his vitals began to go critical and it became clear he would soon lose consciousness, he weakly motioned for my attention.  And then he looked right at me and quietly instructed 'Give them the journal.'  He said the phrase about three or four more times before he slipped out of a waking state and we... couldn't, um, resuscitate him after that.  I don't suppose you all know what journal he was referring to?"

Ditzy exchanged a knowing glance with her coworkers.  "Candyfloss kept a journal about his matchmaking work in his desk," she explained.  "It was never something he shared with us before, but we saw him write in it almost every day.  I can't imagine he was referring to anything else."

Nurse Redheart looked relieved.  "Then it shouldn't be hard to honor his dying wish," she said.  "With his passing, Dr. Candyfloss's journal apparently now belongs to the four of you."

Somepony cleared their throat loudly, commanding everypony's attention.  Mr. Waddle stood up at the pulpit, and motioned for the mourners to be seated.  There weren't nearly enough chairs, but most of the crowd seemed content to sit quietly on the grass.

"Today," he began, his elderly voice straining to project to the crowd, "we have gathered in the name of Ponyville resident of many years, Dr. Candyfloss.  Although he worked out of the public eye, Candyfloss nevertheless spent years and years providing a unique service to the citizens of Equestria.  Many, many ponies owe him thanks as the catalyst that led to their long, happy relationships.  And so we have gathered to celebrate his life, and bid him farewell as he moves to the next one."

Ditzy hung her head as the minister's monologue continued.  She tried to push the troubling thoughts out of her mind:  thoughts of the changes that would have to come to Equestria Speedy Shipping Services, and of never seeing the strange and wonderful pony that was Dr. Candyfloss again.

"And now, the time has come to say goodbye," Mr. Waddle said as his speech drew to a close.  "Until we meet again, Dr. Candyfloss.  May your travels to the next realm be easy."

Two stallions stood and, working together, slowly lowered the lid on Candyfloss's casket.  Unable to be held back any longer, Ditzy's tears, and those of her friends and the whole grand assemblage of ponies around her, flowed freely as the stallion disappeared from view for the last time.  Emblazoned on the lid of the casket was a shimmering image of a golden bow and arrow, identical to the one that had adorned Candyfloss's flank.

Ditzy clutched at Breeze, sobbing softly as the ponies carried Candyfloss away.  "What do we do now?" she choked out.  "What do we do without Candyfloss?"

"We do what he asked us."

Surprisingly, it was not Breeze, or even Cloudcover, that had answered.  Ditzy looked up in surprise at Watt; despite the tears on his face, the earth pony looked more resolute than she'd ever seen him.

"What?" she asked, bewildered.

"I know, I know.  I'm the wacky one.  Hardly the one who has the important, meaningful stuff to say," Watt continued, glancing between the other three ponies, "but though my style's always been a bit different, I cared about Candyfloss and the company just as much as you three.  And just a few days ago, Candyfloss told us directly that the only thing he wants us to do once he's gone is keep Equestria Speedy Shipping Services alive."

He turned and looked out of the park toward Ponyville.  "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna do just that.  I had way too much respect for the Doc to do otherwise."

"I agree completely, Watt," Cloudcover declared.  "Candyfloss isn't truly gone until we let his legacy vanish as well.  I, for one, certainly don't intend to let that die too."

"Same," Breeze said, nodding.  "What do you say, Ditzy?  Are you in too?"

Ditzy felt a wave of admiration for her coworkers engulf her.  "Are you kidding?" she asked.  "Equestria Speedy Shipping Services is one of the best things that's ever happened to me!  There's no way I can give up now.  Especially not with Dr. Candyfloss counting on us to carry on."

"That's the spirit!" Watt cheered, a bit of his usual pep returning.  "It's still morning.  Let's get over to the office and decide where to go from here.  We can do it!  For Candyfloss!"

"For Candyfloss!" Cloudcover and Breeze parroted.

Ditzy glanced at the now very distant pallbearer ponies, watching sunlight glint one last time off the receding casket before it disappeared from view.  Her tears hadn't abated, but in spite of them, the tiniest of smiles crossed her face for the first time that day as she spoke.

"For Candyfloss!"





Equestria Speedy Shipping Services had never been a bustling place.  Tucked away on a little-used back street of Ponyville, and employing only a few ponies, it was always a quiet environment.  But today, a silence seemed to hang in the air far more than usual.

The four matchmakers, forlorn but determined, sat at the meeting table in the employee lounge.

"So, if we get a call today, do we tell them we're closed?" Ditzy asked.  "I don't think any of us are in a state to go on a shipping assignment today."

"Already taken care of," Cloudcover said, nodding.  "I already changed the message last night so that anypony calling in will receive a notice that shipping ponies will not be available for the remainder of the week.  That will give us a few days to get affairs in order here before we return to business."

"The first thing we're gonna need to do is hire somepony," Breeze reminded them.  "Ever since Glow was fired, it's been just the four of us and Dr. Candyfloss, and that's been just barely enough.  There's no way four ponies can run the office and complete all the incoming assignments; we need either a new shipper, or a new office manager."

"There's a help wanted sign in the boss's office," Watt pointed out.  "Let's grab that bad boy and slap it up in the front window."

"Do you remember the last time we tried to hire somepony?" Cloudcover mentioned.  "We waited months without a single applicant until our dear Ditzy arrived, and if you recall, she thought she was applying for a mailmare position."

"It's a shame," Ditzy admitted.  "Just yesterday I met this little changeling who had all the right skills to be a shipper, but she's still a student; even if she wanted to work here, we'd have to wait a couple more years to hire her."

"Even if she's out, we've got to start somewhere," Breeze said, flapping once or twice as he got to his hooves.  "We'll make sure to be more aggressive with advertising the position, but let's at least get the help wanted sign up."

"And we can grab Candyfloss's journal while we're in his office," Ditzy added.  "Maybe he left something in there for us in case this day ever came.  Some sort of guidance, maybe."

"He had to have!" Watt said loudly, leaping out of his chair.  "The boss was always one step ahead of me, and considering I'm usually a lot of steps ahead of most ponies, that's pretty far ahead.  He wrote something to help us in that journal of his, I know it!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cloudcover asked.  "Let's see what's hidden in that battered old book of his."

Ditzy led the way as the four ponies trotted downstairs and crowded into Candyfloss's small office.  Breeze quickly grabbed the dusty help wanted sign off the top of the filing cabinet, while Ditzy bent down to open the drawer of the boss's desk.  She gave the drawer handle a tug, but nothing happened.

"Uh oh," she said, glancing between her coworkers.  "It's locked."

"The key's gotta be around here somewhere," Watt said quickly, jumping in place to try to see on top of some of the larger pieces of furniture.

"Erm... there's a possibility Dr. Candyfloss kept it on his person," Cloudcover realized, his wings drooping.  "If that's the case, it's now a few pony lengths underground."

This garnered a moment of worried silence from the others, but surprisingly, Ditzy smiled.

"Well, there is a second option," she said hopefully.  "If we wait two more days, Dinky can come home for the weekend, and she knows more than enough magic to unlock a locked drawer."

Breeze knocked a hoof to his forehead.  "Why didn't I think of that?" he mused.  "Getting Dinky's help is probably the easiest option."

"Then perhaps it's best if we reconvene here in two days time," Cloudcover suggested.  "If Dr. Candyfloss has indeed left us a starting point on the road that now lays ahead of us, then let's wait until we can see what he has to say.  For the moment, perhaps we should all go and be with our loved ones; the events of the last day have taken a toll on all of us."

"Yeah..." Watt agreed.  "Pinkie Pie will have definitely made a 'sorry for your loss' cake by now, so that'll help a little."

"See you guys on Saturday," Ditzy called as the two of them made their way out.  A moment later, she was standing alone with Breeze.  With a long sigh, she leaned against her coltfriend, and felt his wing drape over her.

"Our to-do list sure is getting long, huh?" Breeze asked softly.  "Get Equestria Speedy Shipping Services back up and running, then find and apologize to Sparkler, and then plan the wedding again."

Ditzy nodded slowly.  "Even if we aren't going to be married for a while, it's not like we have to be apart," she pointed out, closing her eyes and cuddling under the other pony's wing.  "I've always put the needs of the ponies I care about before my own.  This is just another one of those times."

"I know," Breeze said comfortingly.  "That's one of the reasons I love you."

Despite the depressing events of the day, Ditzy smiled a bit.  "Come on," she said finally, "we have one more thing that needs to get done today.  Let's go write a letter to Dinky."





That same afternoon at Celestia's Academy, the mood couldn't have been more different from the somber one in Ponyville.  Grinning ear to ear at the thought of what was to come, Dinky galloped down several staircases as she made her way to the castle's lowest level, deep underground.  She soon skidded to a halt in front of the door to the only classroom located on this floor; the battle magic arena.

"It's finally time!" came a male voice, echoing from a different set of stone steps leading to the same corridor.  "C'mon, Clarity, hurry up!"

Scuffle rounded the corner at breakneck speed, his hooves knocking against the stone as he charged over to Dinky.  "Oh, hey Dinks!" he greeted.  "You ready for this?"

"You bet!" Dinky replied.  She had to admit, she'd really shared Scuffle's excitement for battle magic lately.  She was itching for a chance to duel with one of her classmates, though maybe that was just the naturally-aggressive wraith in her talking.

Clarity finally appeared, trotting at a much more normal speed.  "You two are ridiculous," she chuckled, tossing her mane out of her eyes so Dinky could see her give them a roll.  "Class doesn't start for a few minutes.  Getting here faster isn't gonna change that."

"Yeah, make fun of me all you want," Scuffle said, smirking.  "We'll see who's laughing once we've dueled.  You won't know what hit you."

"That implies you can hit me in the first place," Clarity cooed, returning his smug grin.  "I know so many illusions now, you'll be beaten before you can even figure out where the spells are coming from!"

Scuffle laughed haughtily.  "Oh, bring it, Clarity.  There's nothing you can cook up that I can't fight my way through."

"It certainly sounds like you three are eager," came a smooth male voice.

With the usual strum of a guitar and clack of castanets, Tango Trot entered the corridor.  "I take it all three of you have Magical Combat now too?" he asked, smiling.

"Hey Tango," Dinky greeted.  "Yeah, we're all in this class."

Tango Trot looked between the three ponies momentarily.  "And... what of Honeydew?" he asked.  "She won't be joining us?"

Scuffle snorted.  "You could offer Dewey a thousand bits and she still wouldn't take this class," he chuckled.  "She's not exactly the combative type."

"Except that one time she almost killed you with a tree when we were foals," mumbled Dinky dryly.

"Yeah, but I deserved that," Scuffle said extremely casually.

Tango Trot raised an eyebrow.  "As intriguing as that story sounds, it will have to wait," he reminded them.  "Class is about to start."

The four unicorns trotted inside.  Dinky had seen the battle magic classroom last year, but it was still an impressive space.  Arranged much more like a school gymnasium than a regular lecture hall, the room consisted mostly of open floor space, with several uniformly-sized duel arenas painted on the floor.  Against one wall was what was essentially a set of bleachers, as one would see at a sporting event, but they'd been modified into a rather curious construction that provided a narrow table at the front of each row for the ponies to take notes at.  Small alcoves cut into the high stone walls on all sides of the room each held an illumination orb; the combined light of dozens of them left the huge chamber brightly and warmly lit, despite the fact that it was technically a dungeon beneath the castle.

"Ah, there you are," came a voice.  "I knew there was no way in Tartarus that Scuffle wouldn't be in this class."

Dinky turned to face the speaker, a pale green unicorn with a very short, straight, dark grey mane, and a crumbling brick wall as a cutie mark.

"Professor Surge!" Scuffle hailed, quickly trotting over and hoof-bumping the stallion.  "You're definitely right on that account.  I've been waiting to take this class for years.

Storm Surge, the battle magic professor, was a lively pony that Dinky had met the year before when she took Elementary Battle Magic with the rest of her friends.  He was one of the Academy's youngest professors, and almost reminded Dinky of Scuffle's older brothers... save for the fact that he wasn't a total jerk like they were.

Dinky, Clarity, Scuffle, and Tango Trot slid into one of the unoccupied rows of the bleachers and waited for the lesson to begin.

"Ok, now that we're all here, welcome to Magical Combat!" Professor Surge called, his voice echoing around the room.  "Now, I know the lot of you are a bunch of feisty fifth-term ponies who are finally mature enough— and skilled enough— to take the one class at the Academy where you're allowed to use magic against each other.  A group like that hardly seems the type who wants to sit around and listen to a lengthy introduction, so I'll try to keep it short."

"Taking notes on the introduction would be Honeydew's favorite part, though," Clarity whispered, making Dinky grin.

"When you chose this elective while creating your schedule for the term, you all had to sign a waiver stating that you understand that battle magic can be dangerous, and that you plan to use all spells in this class in as fair, mature, and safe a manner as possible," the professor continued.  "In Elementary Battle Magic, you learned how to cast various attack and defense spells, but here, the focus will be on utilizing them in real time, to overcome an opponent.  Much of this will be accomplished by sparring with your classmates, and sometimes, by actually dueling."

Dinky raised her hoof.  "What's the difference, exactly?" she asked, ignoring the disappointed look Scuffle shot her.

"Sparring is just an exercise," Surge explained.  "For instance, you may be asked to use a certain type of spell, over and over, while your sparring partner practices defending against that spell.  When sparring, there's no way to win or lose; both ponies are expected to communicate what type of spell they are about to use and when they're going to use it.  Dueling, on the other hoof, is a competition between two ponies to best one another with magic.  This is where that waiver comes in handy; as I'm sure you all understand, there is a possibility that you will be mildly hurt during some duels.  If everypony follows the rules, though, even the worst outcome in a duel should be nothing the nurse can't fix up in a heartbeat."

"Got it," Dinky said, scribbling the difference down in her notes.

"Now, our first class will be a pretty simple one," Professor Surge continued.  "We're going to do some sparring to practice defending against the most basic of unicorn attack magic, a simple undifferentiated energy bolt.  Pair up, and I want each pony to cast a basic magic bolt, and their partner to shield, counter, or deflect the attack.  Keep the power level low; if somepony does get hit with a spell, we don't want it to cause any more harm than a few seconds of uncomfortable stinging."

Dinky and her friends stepped down from their seats and made their way toward the battle arenas.  "How should we pair up?" Dinky asked.

Tango Trot chuckled.  "I couldn't help but notice Clarity and Scuffle seemed rather eager to sling a few spells at one another at the start of class," he noted.  "Perhaps, Dinky, you'd like to practice with me, while those two face off with each other?"

Scuffle cast a sidelong glance at Clarity.  "Bet you can't get past my shields," he challenged.

Red light was already building around Clarity's horn.  "We'll see about that."

Dinky laughed as her friends hurried off to an unoccupied arena, before following Tango to one of their own.

"Would you like to attack or defend first?" the colt asked, letting icy blue magic shimmer around his horn.

"Let me try defending first," Dinky said.  "I've always been better at offensive magic, but Scuffle's been helping me with a few new tricks."

Tango Trot flashed a gleaming grin.  "Very well.  En garde, my friend.  Let's see what you can do."

As the professor had instructed, the colt loosed an energy bolt in Dinky's direction.  Concentrating hard, she threw her head back as she conjured a golden wall of light, shielding herself entirely from the incoming spell.  

"Nice work," Tango complimented.  "Shall we try a stronger strike, to see how well it holds up?"

Dinky nodded, widening her stance and focusing hard on keeping the spell active.  "Do it.  I'm ready."

Tango Trot hurled a noticeably bigger, brighter bolt of magic at the shield.  There was a fairly loud sound as the spell collided, and the shield wavered, but didn't collapse.  The colt raised his eyebrows.

"It seems Scuffle is quite the teacher, if he's the one who helped you learn to cast a shield like that," he commented, clearly impressed.

Dinky glanced across the room, where Clarity was frantically hurling bolt after bolt at one of Scuffle's shields, while the brown colt stood yawning behind the safety of the impenetrable wall of light.  "Yeah he's... pretty good at this stuff," she admitted.

"Step aside now," Tango Trot instructed.  "I'm curious to see if I can break it if I give it all I've got.  We don't want you to get hurt though, should I succeed."

Dinky moved out of the line of fire, keeping the shield in place.  Tango Trot reared up for a moment and threw a blazing blue spell as he brought his hooves back to the ground.  It screamed through the air and punched through Dinky's shield, like an errant buckball through a window.  Dinky watched, startled, as the shards of solid magic fell to the ground and vanished into nothing.  Her partner looked quite pleased.

"I see any opponent you face is gonna have to be more creative than just blocking everything," she said finally.

Tango just chuckled.  "Shall we switch roles?" he asked.  "There's a few defenses I'd like to try that don't involve shields."

Dinky built up a bolt of magic in her horn.  "Sure, tell me when to fire," she replied.

Tango Trot paused for a moment to run a hoof over his slick mane and take a dramatic defensive stance.  "I'd like to show you my signature defense," he said with a smile.  "Cast your spell, and watch closely."

Dinky took aim and fired a bolt at the pony across from her.  His horn suddenly flared, and a long narrow pillar of light, almost a whole pony length long, projected from his horn.  Gracefully, he swung his head, using the blade-like projection to slice right through Dinky's spell an instant before it reached him, causing it to fizzle out in midair.

Dinky's jaw dropped.  "I've never seen anypony do something like that..." she breathed.

"There's a bit of history behind it," Tango admitted, staring wistfully into space for a moment.  "Back in Maregentina, my great-grandfather, may he rest in peace, was an excellent duelist.  Not in the sense that unicorns duel, though. He was an earth pony, and was known far and wide for his skills with a rapier he held clutched in his teeth.  I grew up in awe of his legacy, but I simply didn't have the strength or dexterity to follow in his hoofsteps in the same way, so when I began to learn magic, I came up with a little something of my own."

"How skilled are you with it?" Dinky asked.

"I do hate to boast about my skills," the colt replied, with an expression that implied quite the opposite, "but I'm quite handy with it actually.  Perhaps you'll get a chance to see a bit of magical swordplay, once we start dueling in this class.  But let's shelve that topic for now and get back to work; we have plenty more defenses to try."





An hour later, the sparring session ended and the class returned to their seats.  Panting, Clarity flopped down beside Dinky and rested her chin on the long table in front of them.

"For future reference..." she mumbled, not bothering to push her mane aside as it swung in front of her eyes, "if you ever have to duel Scuffle one-on-one... don't try the direct approach.  It doesn't work."

Scuffle, who in contrast didn't even look winded, sat down on the other side of Dinky.  "That was a nice little warm up," he said smugly, casting an exceedingly complacent grin at Clarity.

"Alright, quiet everypony!" Professor Surge called.  "Class is almost over, but there's one more thing to talk about before we go.  It's an event the Academy holds every year, so many of you may already know what it is."

Dinky glanced at Scuffle.  She wasn't sure what the event was, but based on the colt's expression, he sure did.

"Each year, the Magical Combat students have the opportunity to show off their skills in the school's very own battle magic tournament!" Surge announced excitedly.  "Over the course of the year, there will be a series of duels, made up of random match-ups of the students, until the final bout between our two most successful battlemages occurs near the end of the term.  We'll have one duel a week, just before the end of class, with a few weeks off in between rounds in order to make the tournament last the entire term.  In these duels, you'll be permitted to use not just battle magic, but any magic at your disposal, to come up with creative strategies to best your opponents.  Each pony will also be permitted one enchanted accessory or potion per match; choose wisely, and that could give you the edge you need."

There was excited chatter among the students immediately.  Scuffle knocked his forehooves together, grinning darkly.  "This is what I was waiting for," he said in a low voice.  "I'm gonna rock this whole class, Dinks.  Better hope you get eliminated before you get matched up with me."

"Now, these duels can sometimes get a bit rough!" the professor warned.  "We will have the Academy's medical personnel standing by in case anypony needs first aid.  Duels end when one pony either announces a forfeit... or is knocked out.  You're certainly encouraged to forfeit if you realize your opponent has gained an insurmountable upper hoof, but the duels don't always end that way.  Though, if you signed up for this class in the first place, I doubt most of you are concerned with a little roughness."

"Will we find out which pony we're facing before the day we have to face them?" a red filly in the front row asked.

"Yes, of course," Professor Surge answered.  "Studying your opponent is an important part of dueling; you'll all be expected to take time outside of class to talk to other ponies around the school, to try to get to know your opponent before you must face them.  In fact, we're going to create the match-up bracket right now, so you'll all know in just a moment who the first pony you will duel is."

The instructor lit his horn, and a huge hidden panel in the far wall slid open, revealing a scoreboard with sixteen blank spaces lining the edges of an empty tournament bracket.

"I want every one of you to fire an energy bolt at the reflective part at the center of that board," the professor explained.  "It will identify your magic, and once all sixteen of you have entered, it will randomly pair you up, creating our match-ups for the year.  Go on, do it!"

Dinky excitedly charged up her horn and loosed a yellow bolt at the scoreboard, as many other bolts in every color of the rainbow traveled through the air alongside it.  The board began to hum as it was charged with all their combined magical energy.  A moment later, the blank spaces were suddenly filled with images of the heads of each of the students.

"We have our bracket!" the professor announced.  "Find your first opponent, everypony."

Dinky spotted Tango Trot's face first; it was on the left half of the bracket, and was the only face of anypony she knew well on that side.  Before she could scan the other half, there was a gasp from Clarity, and a laugh from Scuffle.

"Dinks, look!" Scuffle shouted, pointing.

Scuffle's face was at the bottom of the right side, paired up with a pony Dinky didn't recognize.  A few rows above, she finally spotted her own face, and immediately below it, her opponent, an unmistakable grey and blue filly.  She turned to Clarity, who was wearing a stunned expression.

"Oh, this is gonna be something!" Scuffle whooped, banging a forehoof on the desk.  "Dinks vs. Clarity!  I've wondered for years which of you would win in a fight, and now I get to find out!"

"I'm sure it will be a riveting match," Tango Trot added, smiling at the two shocked fillies.

"One last thing!" the professor called, quieting the chattering students.  "This tournament is open to spectators!  If you have friends outside the class, feel free to invite them to watch your duels!  Now get out there, and get practicing, because next week, the battle magic tournament begins!"





"I, uh... didn't think we'd have to face each other in a duel so soon," Clarity admitted as she and Dinky ambled along the edge of the treeline of the Academy's forest.  "But you know, we've known each other for years.  We both have a big variety of tricks to pull in a battle.  I guess it is about time to try 'em out, huh?"

Dinky smiled.  "It'll be fun!" she assured her friend.  "We've got a couple more weeks to prepare before its time for our match anyway.  Let's just both do our best, and there'll be no hard feelings no matter who wins, right?"

Clarity returned the smile and nodded assuredly.  "In that case, you'd better study up, Dinky!" she warned.  "You know me well enough to know what kind of strategy I'm gonna use.  The question is, can you beat it?"

"I'm sure Scuffle will show me how," Dinky teased, giggling at her friend's indignant pout.

"Scuffle only had the upper hoof because that exercise was about direct attack and defense," Clarity argued.  "In a duel it would be a different story.  Besides, Scuffle's gonna want our match to be as intense as possible, so even though he's probably gonna help you prepare to fight me, you can bet your last bit he's gonna spend just as much time preparing me to fight you."

"Well, true, but—"

Clarity suddenly pressed a forehoof against Dinky's muzzle, silencing her.  "Hold that thought," she whispered, her left ear twitching.  "Do you hear that?"

Dinky listened.  In the distance she heard a small, familiar female voice ringing out.

"Ow!  Hey!  Please, stop!"

"Somepony's in trouble," Dinky realized aloud, "and they sound familiar..."

"Because that's Inkwell's voice!" Clarity cried, already dashing toward the source of the commotion and forcing Dinky to break into a full gallop in order to keep up.

Not far away was a small garden, surrounded by hedges and decorative unicorn statues.  The two young mares came to a halt and peered through one of the trellises on its perimeter.  Little Inkwell was indeed inside, squirming and protesting as a grey-green colt with a surprisingly bright pink mane and a color wheel cutie mark used magic to tug on her auburn braids, laughing harshly.

"Quit it!" Inkwell whined.  "What are you, in elementary school?  Leave me alone already!"

"Don't pretend you didn't start it," the colt snapped, causing Inkwell to squeak as he pulled on her mane again.  "I'm just teaching you to watch what you say, you loudmouth.  Unless you think you can stop me with those piddly spells of yours."

Dinky didn't even flinch as Clarity teleported from beside her, choosing to simply watch as she reappeared an instant later in the garden right beside Inkwell and the bully.  "Maybe she can't, but I can," she said sternly, her cinnamon aura engulfing the colt's entire body and lifting him up to her eye level.

The colt just stared, speechless, before quietly dropping the ends of Inkwell's braids from his magic's grip.  "O-overseer Clarity..." he mumbled, his dark purple eyes widening.  "Uh, hey."

"Clarity!" Inkwell gasped, darting behind the much bigger filly once her mane was finally freed.  "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Yeah, I bet you are," the floating colt mumbled.  "You're all buddy-buddy with the Overseer, so I'm the only one who's gonna get in trouble."

"Neither of you are off the hook until we talk about what's going on here," Clarity replied levelly, eliciting a slightly surprised look from Inkwell.  "Now, if I set you down, are you gonna be civil and talk this through with me?  Because the alternative is a trip to Dean Script's office, and she's definitely stricter than I am."

Clarity's captive nodded slowly, and she gently lowered him to the ground.  Inkwell cautiously crept out from behind the older filly to face him.

"Now, why were you two acting like that?" Clarity asked.

"Fiberglass wouldn't stop pulling on my mane," Inkwell grumbled.  "Even if he's mad at me, come on, we're not foals, we're thirteen.  How childish can you get?"

"Stop acting like I'm the only bad guy!" Fiberglass growled, stamping a forehoof.  "It's not my fault Clarity wasn't here when you were the one being a jerk."

"And what did Inkwell say that made you so mad?" Clarity questioned, tilting her head slightly.

Fiberglass blushed slightly.  "She... made fun of my mane.  Like everypony does."

"I just said it was... unusual!" Inkwell squeaked.

"No.  You said it was weird," the colt countered.  "And that's awful hypocritical coming from somepony with two paintbrushes dangling from her head."

"Stop, both of you," said Clarity firmly.  "Inkwell, did you say that or not?"

Inkwell's gaze faltered.  "Um... yeah," she admitted.  "But I really didn't mean for it to come out quite so... mean?  I've just never seen a colt with such a feminine color before."

"That's what everypony says," Fiberglass huffed.  "I just, you know... I got tired of everypony picking on me cause my mane is light pink.  I get it, it looks stupid."

Clarity sat down so her head was closer to the two students.  "Y'know, I have a friend just like that," she commented.

Fiberglass raised an eyebrow.  "What, a colt with a pink mane?"

"No," Clarity chuckled.  "A friend who acted like a bully to try to stop other ponies from bullying him instead.  One day, he made one of the fillies he was bullying really, really upset, and realized he didn't like having to act that way."

"And... did he stop?" Fiberglass asked.

Clarity smiled.  "Considering that filly is now his best friend, I think you can figure it out," she replied as she stood back up and turned back to Inkwell.  "Now Inkwell, can you watch what you say, please?  The best way to stay out of trouble is to try not to upset anypony in the first place."

Inkwell nodded.  "Got it.  Sorry Clarity."

"And Fiberglass," Clarity continued.  "Instead of lashing out at ponies who hurt you, try surrounding yourself with ponies who like you instead!  Trust me, I've seen ponies try both of those methods, and the latter definitely works better."

Fiberglass nodded.  "So... I'm not in trouble?" he asked finally.

"Not this time," Clarity said.  "I don't want to catch you doing something like that again though, okay?"

Fiberglass smiled a little.  "I think, uh, I'll just take your advice instead," he said sheepishly.  "It sounds smarter anyway."

"Good," Clarity concluded, nodding as she started to trot out of the garden.  "I'll see you two later."

"Wait, Clarity," Inkwell called as Fiberglass started to wander off.  "Uh, will you have any spare time in the next few days?  We were gonna talk about runes, remember?"

Clarity smiled.  "I'll tell you what," she answered.  "I have my first Runic Syllabary class on Monday of next week.  We'll meet up that evening and I'll share a little of it with you, alright?"

Inkwell grinned.  "Can I bring friends?" she asked.

Clarity thought it over.  "Just one or two," she said finally.  "I'm just doing a little private session, not teaching a class."

Inkwell nodded.  "Just a few," she promised.  "I'll see you then!"

The filly happily trotted away.  Clarity strolled around the edge of the garden and was greeted by a grinning Dinky.

"You're so much nicer than Sparkler would have been to us in that situation in our first year," she laughed.  "Those kids are lucky to have an Overseer like you."

Clarity blushed.  "I'm just doing my job, Dinky..." she mumbled, swaying her tail self-consciously and smiling slightly.

"Keep doing it like that, and those foals will look back on this place in their fifth year and remember you were their favorite Overseer," Dinky encouraged.  "Now come on, let's go find Honeydew and Scuffle."





As the end of the first week of the term approached, the student lounge between the residence towers became a busy place, bustling with colts and fillies collaborating on projects or discussing new spells they had learned.  In one unoccupied corner of the room, Dinky and Clarity sat crammed beside one another in an overstuffed armchair, poring over some Transformation homework.  On the plush carpet nearby, Honeydew was lying with a blanket draped over her lower body as she paged through a complicated-looking botany text.  Scuffle, in contrast, had busied himself trying to use magic to juggle a couple of his school supplies as he laid sprawled on the floor beside her.

"Oh, Dewey, I almost forgot," the colt said suddenly.  "Me and Dinky and Clarity wanted to invite you to⁠—"

"⁠—Watch you participate in the battle magic tournament?" Honeydew interrupted, earning a surprised glance from Scuffle.

"How'd you know?" he asked.

"I ran into Tango Trot in Professor Chestnut's lab hours ago," she replied, smiling.  "I may not have any interest in battle magic myself, but I do care about all of you.  Let me know which days the three of you are scheduled to duel, and I'll make sure I make time to come and watch."

"Well, Scuffle's first match is at the end of the month," Dinky informed her.  "And Clarity and I are dueling two weeks into April."

"Got it," Honeydew said, jotting the dates in her planner.  "And what about Tango?"

"I didn't check," Dinky admitted.

"I'll just ask him the next time he checks in on my Lifesense research," the pink filly decided as she began to pack up her books.

While she was still speaking, there was a flash of green light, and a scroll materialized in midair.  Dinky calmly caught it with magic on its way down; the sight of dragon mail was hardly an event of any particular note at a place like Celestia's Academy.  She unfurled the scroll and read through it quickly.

"Wha... oh no!"

Clarity, who was still sitting just inches from Dinky, jolted at the outburst.  "What!?" she gasped.  "Is something wrong?"

"It's from mom," Dinky explained, concern quickly growing in her bright eyes.  "Apparently... Dr. Candyfloss died suddenly yesterday."

"Who?" Scuffle mumbled, as a small, spiral-bound notebook he was attempting to juggle fell and bounced off his snout.

"The boss at the matchmaking company!" Clarity realized, staring at the letter in shock.  "Oh, Dinky, I'm really sorry.  Your mom must be crushed."

Honeydew put a forehoof over her mouth.  "Is... is your mom's company going to be able to keep running without him?" she asked softly.

Dinky sighed.  "Mom keeps repeating that I shouldn't let it worry me in the letter," she admitted, "but you know her; she's the type of pony who will take on any burden to keep it off her loved ones, especially me.  And the whole situation is really weird, too.  Mom was talking about Dr. Candyfloss like he was fine just last weekend."

"Then why tell you now?" Scuffle asked skeptically.  "If it's not your problem, couldn't she have waited until the next time you went home?"

"Because she needs me to come home this weekend," Dinky replied.  "She's supposed to retrieve something from Candyfloss's office, but its locked up in his desk.  They want me to open it magically."

"Are you gonna blow it up?" Scuffle asked.  "That counts as opening it, right?"

Dinky glared.  Honeydew placed a hoof against Scuffle's foreleg.  "I know you want to lighten the mood, but maybe... not like that," she advised.

"You should take your mom's advice for now, Dinky," Clarity suggested.  "There's nothing in that letter than says her job is in jeopardy.  Just try not to worry about it, and you can find out all the details this weekend."

"I'll try, but it's gonna be hard to focus in class tomorrow," Dinky sighed.

Surprisingly, Clarity cracked a smile.  "I dunno about that Dinky.  We both know what class we have tomorrow.  I've known you long enough to know that if there's one thing that'll keep you distracted, it's some Enchantments."





Friday morning dawned, and Dinky awoke earlier than usual.  As always, Honeydew was already awake, so the two fillies kept their morning conversation hushed as Clarity peacefully snored from the top bunk.

"So, it's finally your turn," Honeydew whispered, as she slowly ran a brush through her long mane.  "We already had my favorite class, and you and Clarity joined Scuffle for his.  None of us are in Clarity's high-level illusions class, but she seemed to enjoy that as well.  Are you excited to study your favorite subject again?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Dinky chuckled.  "I haven't quite dedicated my life to enchantments like you have with magical biology, but I still think they're really cool.  I mean, there's just no other magic that's so... versatile."

She demonstrated her point by clutching her pendant against her chest.  Despite the early hour, it glowed brightly; Pipsqueak was clearly already awake if he was responding to her magic, but perhaps that wasn't surprising; military ponies were usually up by sunrise, if not before.

Honeydew smiled.  "I still think that enchantment you and Pip share is the sweetest thing," she cooed, gazing at the soft golden glow as it slowly faded from the diamond.  "If I have a special somepony someday, maybe I'll have to make a pair of my own."

A knock on the window startled Honeydew slightly, and both fillies turned to see Scuffle standing just outside.  Dinky shook her head; one thing that was different about living in the Overseer suite was that it was on the ground floor of the tower. Since Honeydew often opened the curtains to let in the morning sun, Scuffle had quickly begun using the feature as an efficient, if slightly invasive, way to get his friends' attention.  She pushed the window open.

"What, Scuffle?"

"Is Dewey in there?" Scuffle asked, trying to lean his head into the room.  He didn't get very far; the barrier that kept colts out of the fillies' tower stopped him after just a few inches.

Honeydew trotted to the window.  "I'm here.  What's up Scuffle?"

"I'm bored," said Scuffle flatly.  "Clarity's still sleeping, and Dinks looks like she just crawled out from under a rock, so I'm guessing neither of them are ready to go out yet."

"And you clearly look so much better than me," Dinky retorted, patting down some of her messier strands of hair.  "I see you spent at least four whole seconds on your mane today.  What's the occasion?"

Scuffle smirked.  "Anywho, Dewey," he continued, now that he'd finished amusing himself at Dinky's expense, "Wanna go for a walk around campus or something?  We'll meet the other two slowpokes in class in like an hour."

Honeydew blinked.  "Oh, uh, sure," she chirped.  "Just let me grab my bag and—"

Scuffle's blue aura surrounded Honeydew entirely, and she gasped as she was unceremoniously lifted out the window and placed on the grass beside her friend, with her saddlebag arriving a moment later.  "That... works too," she managed, looking befuddled.

"Alright, we're off!" said Scuffle, unusually quickly.  "Later Dinks."

As Scuffle turned to go, he hastily flicked a scrap of paper through the open window with his tail, and then slammed it shut with magic before Dinky could comment.  She watched Scuffle and Honeydew wander away for a few seconds before curiously unfolding it with her magic and reading the very short note within.



Gonna try to tell you-know-who the thing you've been telling me to tell her.

Wish me luck!

~Scuff







"Please," Clarity begged as she and Dinky approached the Enchantments classroom. "Please let Scuffle have gone through with it."

"It has been a long time coming," Dinky admitted.  "How do you think Honeydew reacted if he did?"

"She really finds a lot of comfort in Scuffle's presence these days," Clarity pointed out.  "Even if she says no, I don't think she'd be upset that he tried."

At that moment, Scuffle and Honeydew turned the corner and nearly ran right into the other two ponies.  "Who tried what now?" Honeydew asked.  "I just caught the end of what you were saying as we approached."

Dinky and Clarity glanced at Scuffle, who discreetly shook his head.  "Oh, nothing Honeydew," Clarity said quickly.  "Let's just head inside so we can get seats near each other."

Honeydew nodded and disappeared into the classroom.  Dinky and Clarity's heads snapped to the nervous looking colt still standing with them.

"Let me guess.  You bailed?" Dinky asked.

"I bailed," Scuffle confirmed, hanging his head so his tan mane obscured his eyes.  "She was just enjoying the first signs of spring in the morning air so much, I didn't wanna risk ruining her mood by, you know..."

Clarity sighed.  "Just get in there before she wonders why we didn't follow," the grey filly grumbled.

The three of them hurried into the Enchantments classroom and joined Honeydew at the table.  Dinky scanned the room for a moment and quickly spotted Professor Luster.  The mare was always easy to pick out; her delicately pink coat and beautiful pink and yellow mane really drew the eye.  Most of Dinky's male classmates thought the professor was really hot.

Heck, Dinky thought she was really hot, and she was into colts.

That didn't change the fact that Professor Luster was brilliant beyond all compare in the field of Enchantments though, which was the real reason Dinky admired her so much.  She quickly joined her friends at one of the tables.  Clarity clapped her forehooves excitedly.

"I can't believe all four of us managed to get in the same class!" she raved.  "I mean, when's the last time that happened? Practical Magic when we were foals?"

"I think we all managed to wind up in the same Transformation and Conjuring class in our third term," Honeydew reminded her.

"Even so, it's really rare," Dinky added.  "Let's enjoy it; this is the last time we'll all get to collaborate on classwork."

"Attention everypony!" Professor Luster called.  Perhaps redundantly, Dinky thought, for almost all eyes were already on her anyway.  "Welcome to Advanced Enchantments.  Are you as excited to be here as I am?  In the coming months, you'll all be learning ways to imbue objects with magic so powerful and complex, only a hoofful of ponies in all of Equestria have even an inkling of their potential!"

As Clarity had predicted, the promise of new enchantments commanded Dinky's attention.  She took her friend's advice and forced her worries about her mom's situation at home, and her frustration as Scuffle's failure to confess to Honeydew, both to the back of her mind and focused on the idea of learning more of her favorite type of spells.

"Now, because we're going to be working with such powerful enchantments," the professor continued, "it's extra-important this year that you're all proficient at disenchantment spells.  After all, failure to fully and cleanly remove a powerful spell from an object can leave behind traces of the original enchantment, which can behave in chaotic ways.  So to practice, I've hidden your textbooks with an enchantment you'll need to remove!  They're on the desks right in front of you, but you can't see or feel them because of the spell placed on them.  Remove the enchantment now, please."

Dinky smiled confidently; she'd done enough experimenting with enchantments on her own time to have plenty of practice with disenchantment spells.  Yellow light only had to surround her horn for an instant before a wide, colorfully-bound textbook appeared in front of her.

"Once you have your textbook," Professor Luster instructed, "you'll find that, while the first half contains your lessons, the entire second half of the book is a compendium of complex, powerful enchantments.  Since enchantments are often support spells used to aid in other tasks, I'm sure many of you are already thinking about how you can use them to aid in the work you're doing for other classes.  And fortunately for you, I know better than to try to keep the attention of a room full of students who are distracted, so today's assignment is very simple.  You have the whole class period to explore the enchantment compendium, and all you have to hand in to me is a single gem containing any one of the spells found there.  If you're talented with these sorts of spells, that shouldn't take you more than a few minutes, and the rest of the class period is yours to experiment!"

Clarity turned to Honeydew.  "Shall we see if there's any spells that can aid with Magical Biology in here for you?" she asked.

The pink filly smiled as she began to page through the text.  "Sure, but I still don't think we're going to find anything as useful as the Life Empathy charm we put on my tail ring years ago," she admitted, swinging her tail so the bejeweled silver band was briefly visible.  "What about you Dinky?  Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"It's a secret," Dinky stated, waggling her eyebrows, "but don't worry, you'll all see it soon enough."

While Scuffle, Clarity, and Honeydew discussed spells together, Dinky flipped through the massive catalogue of spells, searching for something very specific.

We can bring a single enchanted item to our duels in the battle magic tournament, she thought, but what enchantment will help me cope with Clarity's illusions, and all the other tricks and fake-outs she's going to pull?

Dinky turned another page, and a big, mischievous grin slowly spread across her face.

Oh, now this could work...





The weekend arrived.  Ditzy Doo trotted back and forth along the length of Ponyville's station platform, impatiently awaiting the arrival of the Academy's train.  The others, she knew, would already be waiting at Equestria Speedy Shipping Services for her to arrive with Dinky.

At last, the train arrived, and Ditzy spotted her daughter's lilac coat as soon as she stepped out of the passenger car.  Dinky cantered up to her mother and threw her forelegs around her.

"Mom!  I'm so sorry to hear about Dr. Candyfloss..."

Ditzy petted the filly's mane for a moment before breaking the hug.  "It'll be okay, muffin," she replied, smiling sadly.  "We think the doc left us everything we'll need.  We just need your help to get to his instructions."

"Still, our condolences, Mrs. Doo," came another voice.

Ditzy looked away from Dinky at the familiar grey and blue unicorn standing nearby.  "Oh, Clarity, you're visiting for the weekend too?"

"Is that okay?" Dinky asked.  "I thought I'd bring her along, just in case I need help with this lock you're talking about."

"Plus, I'd kind of love to finally see what Equestria Speedy Shipping Services is like," Clarity added, giving a quick nod that made her mane bounce.

"I'm afraid you're going to be a little underwhelmed," Ditzy confessed.  "It's not anything exciting to look at, and the pony who gave it all its charm is..."

She trailed off.  A moment later, she felt Dinky's body gently leaning against hers.  She turned her head and found her daughter wearing a determined smile.

"He may be gone, but with those hints he left, and the enthusiasm you and the other matchmakers have, I'm sure the charm isn't going to disappear anytime soon," she declared.  "Lead the way, mom!  We have a lock to open."

"Right, follow me."

Ditzy quickly turned away to hide the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.  Dinky may be grown up now, she thought as she led the pair of unicorns through town, and though she's become so headstrong and confident, the little unicorn who just wants to make the ponies around her happy is still in there.  And as long as I have her, I can get through this.





"Is she here yet?  It's only been two days, but it felt like two months!"

"I'm reasonably certain you just perceive time differently than most of us, Watt old boy."

Watt, Breeze, and Cloudcover occupied the employee lounge, waiting for Ditzy's arrival.  Having not gotten the answer he wanted from Cloudcover, Watt turned to Breeze.

"Did Ditzy give you, like, an estimate or anything?" he asked, idly tapping a forehoof.

"The train should already have arrived in Ponyville," Breeze replied.  "Just give Ditzy a few minutes and I'm sure she—"

Breeze was cut off by the sound of several sets of hooves in the stairwell.  Ditzy strode in a moment later and smiled.

"Guess who brought not one, but two unicorns to help us out!" she announced.

Dinky and Clarity stepped into the room.  Clarity took a moment to take in her surroundings, but Dinky, who had visited Equestria Speedy Shipping Services a small hoofful of times over the years, trotted over to the three stallions instead.

"Hiya, kiddo," Breeze greeted, patting Dinky on the back for a moment.  "School going alright so far?"

"Exciting as always," Dinky admitted.  "I'm sorry to hear the excitement here in Ponyville hasn't been the good kind."

"Yes, I'm afraid we'll be mourning the loss of Dr. Candyfloss for some time," Cloudcover sighed.

"We're not giving up though!" Watt added quickly.  "The doc wanted us to keep this place alive, and by gum, that's what we're gonna do!"

"That's the spirit!" Clarity encouraged as the joined the group of ponies.  "Now, can you take Dinky and me to this locked drawer?"

A few minutes later, all six ponies crammed into Dr. Candyfloss's small office.  Dinky approached the drawer and lit her horn.

"Okay, so what kind of spell are we dealing with here?  Do any of you know?"

There was a long pause.

"...Spell?" Ditzy asked finally, tilting her head.

"Yeah," Dinky replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  "Do you know anything about the enchantment that's keeping the drawer locked?  Clarity and I can probably break it, but we need to know if there was any reaction when you tried to open it."

"I... think there may be some misunderstanding," Cloudcover said slowly.

"There's no enchantment that we know of," Ditzy clarified.  "We just... don't have the key."

Dinky blinked, and glanced incredulously at Clarity, who was already beginning to snicker, before turning her gaze back to the team of matchmakers.  "Wait, so... you literally just need me to open a normal mechanical lock?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Bingo!" Watt said.

"Dr. Candyfloss was a unicorn, wasn't he?" Clarity asked, eyeing the desk as if she didn't believe it.  "Was he not much of a magic user?"

"I can't recall seeing him ever use it for anything besides simple levitation and the special magic that allowed him to perform his shipping duties," Ditzy explained.  "If he knew any enchantments or anything like that, he kept it from us."

"I see," Clarity said, disappointment evident in her voice.  "Well, um, you can go ahead and take care of that then, Dinky."

Dinky sighed and lit her horn for approximately half a second.  There was a small, metallic click from somewhere within the desk.  "There you go," she said flatly.  "And hey, if I can make a suggestion: next time you guys hire somepony, try to get a unicorn.  It'll save you all some hassle."

Ditzy trotted over to the drawer.  "Thanks, dear," she said, nuzzling Dinky and managing to get her to smile.  "Now, without further ado, the journal of Dr. Candyfloss!"

The mare pulled the drawer open with aplomb and looked inside.

Bare, grey metal stared back at her.

"Uh, hang on," she said quietly, leaning down and stuffing her head into the small space.  "Dinky, could I get some light?"

Dinky lit her horn again, filling the interior of the drawer with a golden glow.  Ditzy quickly scanned the area and felt her heart sink.  There was no denying it; the drawer was empty.

"The... the journal is gone," she mumbled as she slowly lifted her head.

"What?" Breeze gasped.  "But we saw the doc store it in that spot almost every day!  I don't think he took it with him to the hospital..."

"Then where is it?" Watt asked, quivering nervously.

"Maybe it is hidden with an enchantment?" Clarity asked, turning to Dinky.  "You don't think it's invisible or something, do you?"

Both unicorns lit their horns, scanning not just the drawer, but the entire office, for any sign of concealed magic.  After several tense minutes, Dinky sighed and extinguished her magic.

"Sorry," she said, defeated.  "I don't think there's any magic at work here."

"So... that's it then?" Ditzy asked finally.  "That journal was Dr. Candyfloss's last message to us.  If we can't find it..."

"Then we improvise," Breeze finished, stomping a forehoof with determination.  "Maybe the journal will turn up somewhere, but if our only option is to go on without it, then that's what we have to do.  The doc was counting on us.  We ran this place by ourselves for a few days while he was in the hospital.  Running it permanently will be a lot harder, but we've got to try."

Ditzy's big, misaligned eyes met those of her fiancé.  "Do you think we can do it?" she asked.

"Can you do it?" Dinky asked, flabbergasted.  "Mom, you worked your rump off to make enough bits to raise me, all by yourself, for years.  You've taken on countless assignments, often with the odds stacked against you, to help ponies all over Equestria with their wild shipping requests.  And all your coworkers are just as dedicated as you are.  Do you really feel like the four of you can't keep a small business afloat when you can do all that?"

"The kid makes a good point!" Watt chimed in, grinning and waggling his spiky tail.  "It's gonna be tough without the doc's help, but that's never stopped us before.  If we work together, we got this."

The approving nods of Dinky, Clarity, and her coworkers stirred a glimmer of hope deep within Ditzy.  "Alright," she said finally.  "Starting next week, a new chapter in the story of Equestria Speedy Shipping Services will begin.  And we'll make sure that chapter comes to the conclusion Dr. Candyfloss was counting on."





"I hate early morning classes..." Clarity mumbled, dragging her hooves as she trudged down the corridor the following Monday.

"Why stop at classes?" Dinky remarked, smirking.  "I'm pretty sure you just hate mornings."

"You got me there," Clarity yawned.  "It's not fair.  Honeydew's up at this hour every day anyway, and yet somehow she didn't wind up with any classes this early."

"Well, once we get started, I'm sure you'll feel more alert," Dinky reassured her.

Clarity cast a sidelong glance at Dinky from the eye that wasn't currently obscured by her dangling mane.  "It's Runic Syllabary, Dinky," she said flatly.  "Not that it's boring, but it's gonna be a lot more reading and writing than actual spellcasting."

Runic Syllabary was the one class Dinky hadn't had yet, since the previous Monday had been the day for the students to move in for the term, rather than a day to hold classes.  While she couldn't say she was as hyped up for the class as she had been for Magical Combat and Advanced Enchantments, the subject still piqued her curiosity; in four years of magical study, she'd hardly dabbled at all in the use of runes.

"So, I guess this class is just the two of us, huh?" Dinky asked.  "Honeydew and Scuffle don't have a class during this period."

One corner of Clarity's mouth turned up in a small smirk.  "Well, that's true, but there'll be one other pony we know keeping us company..."

Strummmm~

Clack-a-clack!

"As if on cue," Clarity chuckled as Tango Trot sauntered around the corner, looking far more awake than his fellow Overseer.

"Well, well, Clarity and Dinky," the blue colt said, flashing his usual grin.  "How are you this fine morning?"

"Sleepy," Clarity deadpanned.

Tango Trot gave a silky, sophisticated laugh.  "I suppose it is a tad early," he admitted.  "But, alas, magical study waits for nopony.  Now, shall we?"

He gestured to the classroom.  The two fillies entered, with Tango bringing up the rear.

Dinky hadn't been in this particular classroom before, but it wasn't too far from what she expected.  The desks were fairly close together, and there was no empty space in the back of the room for magic practice; as Clarity had predicted, this course appeared to be more about written work than anything else.  The one feature that made the room unique was the number of bookshelves.  They lined almost every wall, and were packed with strange tomes with titles written in characters Dinky didn't recognize.  The three unicorns took seats near the middle of the room.

"So, how was your weekend in Ponyville?" Tango Trot asked casually.

"How'd you know we went to Ponyville?" Dinky asked.  "It was a kind of last-minute thing."

"Honeydew, naturally," Tango Trot explained.  "Rarely have I seen a pony so dedicated.  She spent most of the weekend engrossed in her research.  She sought me for a second opinion on Saturday afternoon, and we got to chatting."

"You must be doing something right," Clarity commented.  "I haven't seen Honeydew open up to somepony so quickly in... ever."

Tango waved away the compliment.  "I'm sure she's simply relieved to have a friend who can keep pace with her in biological discussion," he chuckled.

There was a short pause.  The usual glamorous smile slowly faded off the colt's face.

"I must admit, since Honeydew is often so reserved, I find it... just a tad odd that she seems so comfortable around Scuffle," he mused, tapping his chin with a forehoof.  "Not to speak ill of our dear Scuffle, of course!  He simply seems... a bit far outside Honeydew's normal range of interests."

"Eh, Scuffle's harmless," Dinky chuckled.  "And he's not oblivious to Honeydew's feelings, either.  He doesn't act like such a blowhard when he's talking to her.  He saves that for me and Clarity."

Hoofsteps in the doorway drew the students' attention.  Dinky was surprised to see Dean Spiral Script trot into the room, adorned with Academy regalia as usual.

"Good morning, students," the dean greeted as she set her saddlebag on the desk.  "As many of you know, while I've been the dean for only a few years, I've been teaching this particular class for two decades, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon.  Welcome, all of you, to Runic Syllabary."

Spiral Script lit her horn, and a stack of the heftiest textbooks Dinky had ever seen floated off of one of the bookshelves and onto the students' desks.  She cringed a bit at the thought of adding it to her already weighty saddlebag.

"I know this is a bit basic for fifth-term students, but let's begin at the very beginning," Spiral Script announced.  "What is a rune?"

Clarity's hoof went up immediately, as usual.  "A rune is a magical symbol that can be written or carved into an object," she answered.  "Runes have inherent magical power that modifies the effects of spells used in their proximity."

"Exactly," the dean said with a smile.  "The use of runes is an ancient art, almost as old as the use of magic itself.  Can you tell me the historical figures who invented them?"

At this, Clarity faltered, but Dinky raised a hoof instead.  "That would be the Gemini twins, of the ancient Zodiac," she replied proudly.

Spiral Script nodded, casting Dinky a knowing glance.  She, like all the Academy's staff, knew exactly why Dinky was more familiar with the ponies of the Zodiac than most of her classmates, but this certainly wasn't the place to talk about it.

"The Gemini twins were a bit lacking in magical ability compared to their kin in the rest of the Zodiac," the dean continued.  "But, unable to be deterred, they quickly invented a way to enhance their abilities, not with raw magical energy, but with a new way to channel it!  Runes were born, and have become a staple component in especially advanced or powerful magic across all fields of study."

"Wait, runes can apply to all other magic?" a filly in the front row asked.  "How so?"

"Well, to name a few examples," the dean said thoughtfully, "runes placed strategically around an area can allow for the enhancement of spells that affect a wide space.  With the right runes in place around this room, for instance, I could cast an illusion so vast that it could fully disguise the classroom as another location entirely."

The dean's horn burst to life, and runes painted around the classroom glowed with the color of her aura, a gold strikingly similar to Dinky's.  Everything became hazy, and soon, the classroom had been replaced with a near-perfect image of the throne room in Canterlot castle.  Dinky glanced around, impressed.  Clarity, ever the enthusiastic illusionist, appeared utterly delighted.

"Perhaps a battle magic application interests some of you more," Dean Script continued, glancing at a few particular students with a sly smile as the illusion quickly dissipated.  "If you become skilled at projecting runes with illumination magic, the right symbols can upgrade the power of other spells."

The mare cast a spherical shield around herself, and then upon its surface, a rune formed of a series of interlocking quadrilaterals appeared.  Dinky didn't even need to see the shield defend against anything to understand the effect; the width and brightness of the wall of magic became noticeably stronger the moment the rune was put on its surface.

"Of course, one use of runes is more widespread than all the others," Spiral Script said finally as the shield faded away.  "Above all, runes are used in conjunction with enchantments.  When the right rune is engraved into the surface of an enchanted object, it can modify or enhance the spell stored within in dramatic ways.  Many of the most famous magical artifacts in Equestria contain some sort of rune-enhanced enchantment."

Briefly, Dinky imagined what sort of results she could get if she was able to engrave a rune into her pendant.  The thought of adding another layer to her long-distance bond with Pipsqueak was enticing, but she'd have to wait until the next time she saw him in person; since the two pendants were linked, his would need an identical engraving.

"Now, perhaps, you see the reason this class is reserved for the upperclassmen," Spiral Script pointed out.  "Runic Enhancement adds an additional layer of complexity and power to existing spells, so to make full use of their potential, a unicorn must already be versed in a wide range of magics.  And there aren't many unicorns out there with more experience than a room full of fifth-term students at the nation's most celebrated academy of magic, are there?  What you learn in this class may, on its own, be less gripping than the spells you learn elsewhere, but you mustn't fail to see the value in it.  With the power of runes on your side, each of you has the potential to cast some of the most legendary spells Equestria has ever seen."

A thousand ideas began to circulate through Dinky's mind.  Runic Syllabary suddenly seemed much more interesting than it had earlier that morning.  Clarity, she noticed, seemed much to engrossed too appear drowsy anymore, at any rate.

"Open your textbook to the first section," Dean Script instructed.  "We'll begin with the basic construction of a rune, your first step on the path to using them effectively.  Practice drawing each shape with your magic as precisely as possible; the more perfect the rune, the more profound the effect.  With that, let's begin."





That week began like any other for most of Ponyville, but for Ditzy, it couldn't have felt more foreign.  For the first time in her career, Equestria Speedy Shipping Services was open for business without Dr. Candyfloss.  The mare trotted nervously up to the front entrance, pausing to glance at the help wanted sign sitting in the front window before pushing open the door and making her way to the upstairs lounge.

"Ah, hey Ditzy," Breeze greeted as she entered.  "Do you mind taking first office shift?  Watt and I will be available for any assignments that come in, and Cloudcover is looking advertising the job opening."

"The quicker we get a fifth pony on staff, the better," Cloudcover added, as he carefully penned a note to send to the local newspaper.  "After all, we once had six ponies here, but we made do without Cosmic Glow for years.  Five ponies is fine, but just the four of us won't be able to keep up with the work indefinitely."

"Well, sure, I can cover the office," Ditzy offered.  "As soon as a call comes in, I'll let you guys know."

"Thanks Ditzy," Breeze said, trotting to the table and glancing over Cloudcover's shoulder at his progress.  "See you in a bit."

A few moments later, the mare slipped into the vacant front office.  Trying to force any thoughts of the small room's absent occupant from her mind, she lowered herself into the chair and pulled the first few pieces of paperwork from the inbox on the corner of the desk.

Ding~

Ditzy had barely written the first letter on the page when the unusual sound reached her.  Her ears perked up, and she glanced around.

Ding~ Ding~

"The bell," Ditzy said to the empty room, shocked.  There was, in fact, a small service bell in the front reception area for walk-in customers, but almost all shipping requests that the company received were call-ins; with the exception of the occasional delivery of office supplies, almost nopony ever rang that bell.

Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ Ding~

"Coming!" Ditzy cried, leaping over the desk with a flap of her wings.  She hurried down the hall and threw open the door to the reception area, causing the pony standing there to jump back in surprise.

"S-sorry about that," Ditzy stammered, straightening up.  "Welcome to Equestria Speedy Shipping Services.  Can I help you?"

It took the startled pony on the other side of the desk a moment to find her voice.  She was a pale orange unicorn, with a cute two-toned mane in shades of yellow and light blue, with the bangs held back by a headband embedded with a rainbow of small gemstones.  Ditzy's gaze flicked from the mare's big, bright pink eyes down to her flank.  On it was the simplest cutie mark she'd ever seen: a single white star.

"Um, hi," said the unicorn awkwardly, eyeing up Ditzy curiously.  "I'm looking for the pony in charge.  Is that you?"

"Sort of," Ditzy replied, biting her lip.  "We're in the middle of some... reorganization right now.  But I can definitely get somepony to handle your shipping request, whatever it is."

The other mare looked a little concerned, but managed an uncertain smile.  "Err, no, I don't have one of those," she confessed.  "I'm here about the, uh, job opportunity.  I saw the sign last week and dropped by, but nopony was here."

Ditzy blinked.  An applicant?  Already? she thought, hardly daring to believe her luck.

The visiting mare seemed to notice her brief hesitation.  "Sorry, do I need a resume or something?" she asked, taking a small step back.  "I can come back later..."

"No, no, nothing like that," Ditzy said quickly.  "But, um, just so we're clear before we start, Equestria Speedy Shipping Services is a matchmaking company.  We ship ponies, not packages."

The other mare's eyes lit up and she began to laugh.  "Well I know that much," she giggled.  "But now I'm thinking about a mailpony trotting in here expecting a delivery job.  Imagine how awkward that would be!"

Ditzy's polite laugh was somewhat less hearty than the pony across from her, but her guest didn't seem to notice.

"Anyway, my name's Ditzy Doo," Ditzy greeted, extending a hoof.  "I'm the current, um, joint owner of Equestria Speedy Shipping Services, I guess."

"I'm Wishing Star," the other pony replied, shaking Ditzy's hoof and smiling hopefully.  "So, does this mean I'm getting an interview?"

"I don't see why not," Ditzy answered, gesturing for Wishing Star to follow her deeper into the building.  "Come on upstairs, and meet the rest of the team."





"Ooh, I like you already!"

Watt darted in circles around the new arrival, examining her from multiple angles.  Wishing Star made an attempt to follow his movements with her eyes, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"Don't mind Watt," said Breeze casually.  "He's always like that."

"He's an... acquired taste," said Cloudcover carefully.

"That means ponies can find me irritating until they get used to me!" Watt declared, not sounding at all offended by the other stallions' remarks.

"Wishing Star, these ponies are Autumn Breeze, Cloudcover, and Kilowatt Hour," Ditzy explained, pointing to each in turn.  "We all worked for the company's owner, Dr. Candyfloss, for years.  Unfortunately he, um... passed away last week, and we haven't quite nailed down the new job structure yet."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Wishing Star condoled, as a more somber mood fell over the room.  "I've heard this company has quite the reputation with its past clients, though.  Surely that can't all be Dr. Candyfloss's doing?"

"Well, the doc was the manager," Breeze pointed out, "but the four of us did most of the actual matchmaking.  But he chose which of us was right for each assignment, and offered guidance when we needed it."

"Well, I don't know how good I'd be at any of that stuff," Wishing Star admitted, adjusting her gem-studded headband a bit.  "But it sounds like you four are probably way better at matchmaking than I'd be, and I do have past experience with office work.  If you hire me, maybe I could start out handling the phone calls and paperwork for a while, until you all get the plan for the future of the company set in stone?"

The four ponies exchanged a glance.  "That actually might be the least disruptive way to get things back on track," Cloudcover pointed out.  "It's a bit chaotic with the four of us taking shifts of office duty.  If Wishing Star handles it for the coming months, the four of us can focus on finding out if post-Candyfloss-era shipping will still be viable."

"I'm okay with that," Breeze agreed, earning an excited smile from the potential employee.  "We don't have to keep her off of shipping duty forever, but this might be perfect to start."

"Even if she never develops Candyfloss's knack for mysteriously appearing at the most opportune points in conversation," Watt added.  "Celestia, I'm gonna miss that."

Wishing Star turned to Ditzy.  "So that just leaves you, Ditzy," she said quietly.  "Do you think I could join the team?"

Ditzy could almost see the excitement glimmering in the pink of the mare's eyes.  Smiling, she nodded.

"It's unanimous.  Welcome to Equestria Speedy Shipping Services, Wishing Star."

A huge smile spread across the orange mare's face.  "Thank you," she said warmly, nodding to her new coworkers.  "I know I'm not Dr. Candyfloss, but I'll do my part and try not to let you down."

"You'll do fine," Ditzy reassured.  "Come on, I'll take you to your new office."

After a parting wave from her coworkers, Ditzy trotted down the stairs with a very happy Wishing Star in tow.  The two mares stepped into Candyfloss's office.

No, Ditzy thought, steeling herself against the wave of emotion that struck each time she entered the room.  We have to embrace the change if we want to keep the company alive.  This isn't Candyfloss's office anymore.  It's Wishing Star's office now.

"Hey, not bad," Wishing Star commented, inspecting the desk, cabinets, and other details of the room for a few moments.  "I can work with this.  Is there anything left in here from Dr. Candyfloss's days that I should pass to you before I pick up where he left off?"

"I don't think so," Ditzy mumbled.  "There was supposed to be a journal that belonged to him, but it's missing.  If you find it stashed away somewhere while you're working, please bring it upstairs to us.  It's really very important.  You're welcome to everything else though."

"Got it!" Wishing Star exclaimed.  "If I come across it, you'll be the first to know.  Why's it so important, anyway?"

Ditzy sighed.  "Well, we don't know, really, but the doc's last words were to make sure it was given to us," she explained, wings drooping.  "We were hoping it contained a way to make sure Equestria Speedy Shipping Services would continue to thrive without him."

Wishing Star trotted a bit closer.  "But Ditzy, it can still do that," she encouraged, smiling hopefully.  "Like I said, Equestria Speedy Shipping Services has satisfied a lot of clients over the years.  You four are probably Equestria's top matchmakers!  And as long as you keep helping ponies like that, everything should be fine."

Ditzy chuckled.  "For a pony who hardly knows me, you sure are uplifting," she admitted, patting the unicorn on the back with a wing.

"I try," Wishing Star chirped, settling into her seat.  "Let's give it a go, Ditzy.  You head upstairs, and if we get any calls, I'll come talk to you four about the assignment at hoof."

"Great," Ditzy replied, stepping out of the office.  "And if you have any questions, just come on upstairs and ask!"

"Will do!"

Ditzy breathed a sigh of relief as she started up the stairs.  Maybe this new chapter of our shipping days won't be such a tough one after all, she thought as she returned to the lounge.  I just wish I knew what happened to that journal.  Where could it possibly be?







I've done what you asked of me.  What's the next step?

More importantly, when can we meet in person?  If we're going to give Ditzy Doo what's coming to her once and for all, we should meet face-to-face and discuss the plan.

~Glow



Cosmic Glow tacked the note to her door with the provided sharp fragment of pink crystal, ignoring the growing number of nicks the shard was leaving in the wood.  Sighing, she returned to her room.

I sure hope this pony knows what he or she is doing, the thought.  It would be a shame if this turns out to be nothing but a waste of time...

Glow sat on her bed, and tugged her overstuffed saddlebag over with a flicker of magic.  After a moment of leafing through the contents, she rolled her eyes as she found what she was looking for.

"I just can't see how this stupid thing is so critical to finally giving Ditzy her just desserts," she complained to the empty room, as she yanked a battered book from the depths of the bag.  "Everything in here is just as inane as the fantasies that were always pouring from that senile old stallion's mouth."

She flipped through the pages for a moment.  "But I've got no choice but to trust that my associate knows what he or she is doing," she continued, frowning.  "Maybe once I learn the next phase of the plan, it'll make more sense."

With an exasperated sigh, Glow tossed the book aside.  It landed on the carpet and fell open to the first page, displaying the title, written in delicate hornwriting.

The Journal of Dr. Candyfloss