What did ponies do outside of school? What did friends do?
Luster Dawn kept rethinking the questions as she watched Flurry Heart from across the table. The alicorn filly was simply looking around the house, studying them with a casual air of disinterest, but Luster could tell she was drinking in the details to try and learn more about both Luster and Cozy Glow. Starlight and Sunburst popped in every few minutes, nosy and eager to monitor their daughter's unfolding friendship. After an intrusion by Sunburst where he struck up a conversation with Flurry Heart and left the filly blushing, Luster unintentionally found a topic to discuss.
"Wait..." the unicorn felt a smile tug at her lips, "do you like my dad?"
"No!" the alicorn's denial was so instantaneous that even she realized how obvious it was. Flurry buried herself under her forelegs and wings, groaning. "It's a stupid crush! Everyone gives me grief over it!"
"Relax, it's not that big of a deal," the unicorn snorted. "He's an attractive stallion, all things considered; it's only natural for a filly to be attracted, especially if you've spent so much time with him." Luster giggled a little but stopped when she saw the bewildered expression Flurry was giving her. "What?"
"You just called your dad attractive..."
"Isn't he?" Luster seemed confused. "I mean, aesthetically-speaking, he has a clean and symmetrical face, and despite living a largely sedintary lifestyle, he's in good health with a decent build. Intellectually, he's a genius, but is also humble. He's also really charismatic, which frankly I'm jealous of because-"
"It's just weird for a filly to be attracted to their dad is all," Flurry grinned a little.
"From the research I've done and what I've noted in my observations of mares, it seems being attracted to one's relatives is fairly common," the unicorn shrugged. "I don't see a problem in admitting that my father is attractive anymore than admitting my mother is attractive. Just because someone is attractive doesn't mean I want to couple with them romantically."
"That's fair," Flurry grunted, "but in the future you might want to stick to calling them handsome and pretty. Less weird looks that way."
"Noted," Luster smirked. "I'm new to this... hanging out thing. What do friends do?"
"I don't really know," the alicorn confessed, rubbing her chin. "Cozy and I usually just talk."
"Really?" Luster seemed unconvinced. "What about? I mean, I remember Cozy talked a lot as a filly, but after I left for school, she became increasingly reserved when I visited. Does she just stay quiet around me?"
Flurry noted the twinge of concern in Luster's voice. So, the unicorn did care - at least in some small part - about her relationship with her sister.
"I think she's like that with most creatures," Flurry assured her. "Back to hanging out, uh... you mentioned you've been working on a magic project? I take an interest in magic."
"Really?"
"I mean, I'm an alicorn born to a royal house of the most powerful magic-users in Equestria," Flurry chuckled, "and you know my aunt."
"I should also remember that my dad was your tutor growing up," Luster smirked, playfully.
"Can we not bring him up?" the alicorn had a light blush on her cheeks. "The experiment?"
"Follow me," Luster said quietly, swiftly leading her friend up the stairs and to her room. Her horn glowed a moment and Flurry could hear several locks being undone on the other side of the door before it opened. "After you."
The alicorn walked into the room and whistled. Despite the fact Luster had spent most of her foalhood in Canterlot and then in the dorms of the School of Friendship, her room was still filled with experiments and volumes upon volumes of books. She watched Luster lock the door before summoning a particular tome from some hidden space. It was blood red with golden-edged pages. Flurry felt mildly uncomfortable watching it levitate in the unicorn's magical grasp. For a book, it almost had a certainy gravity to it.
"What is it?" the alicorn asked.
"A grimoire I found in the Royal Library at Canterlot," Luster spoke quietly, with an excited and conspiratorial tinge to her voice. "It's the only one of its kind that I've found. It talks a lot about old magic."
"Old magic, huh?" Flurry deadpanned. "You're definitely Sunburst's daughter."
"You wanted to know what my experiment is, didn't you? Well, this is it."
"Old magic?"
"Pre-harmonious magic," Luster locked eyes with Flurry as she spoke and the alicorn wasn't entirely comfortable with what she saw there. "There are ancient legends about powerful forces existing before the pony tribes united, magic that could be called upon and drawn on. I've been doing a lot of research about Equestria's ancient enemies, about where they took got their magic from."
"Like who? Discord? Tirek?" Flurry stepped back, suddenly wanting space.
"No, not them," Luster giggled, breaking the eye contact to place her grimoire down on a desk. "Discord's magic is similar to the magic generated by friendship and harmony, but is derived from wacky and unpredictable elements in nature. Where our magic is orderly and interwoven, his is chaotic. And Tirek, well, his magic is more of a... a sponge, really."
"So what enemies?"
"I'm not sure really," the unicorn inhaled sharply, levitating a notebook over to Flurry. She opened it to a page of scribbled notes and stood beside the alicorn. "See, I have a working theory. Where do alicorns come from? Why are they so powerful in magic, so orderly and precise and perfect? Conversely, where do entities like the windigos, Nightmare Moon, and the Pony of Shadows come from? What created the umbrals?"
"I don't follow you..." Flurry furrowed her brow as she skimmed the notes.
"The alicorns are embodiments of ultimate good. You're power is benevolent because it is from the same font as all pony magic," Luster explained. "Pony magic is interdependent; no tribe can exist without cooperation with the other tribes."
"Yes, I celebrated Hearth's Warming Eve," the alicorn sighed.
"Pony magic is inherently benevolent. It's built off of creative energy and cooperation, order and cohesion. One might call it good, if you look at it from a moralist perspective," Luster shrugged, clearly not fond of that perspective. "Alicorns are the culmination of all pony magic - passive and active. You can control the weather and the land, as well as perform active magic, fly, and even control astrological bodies."
"...Wait, alicorns can control weather?" Flurry was astonished. "We can farm?!"
"As far as my studies have shown, alicorns are capable of everything regular ponies from the three tribes are capable of," Luster nodded, "and magnified a hundredfold. Of course, princesses haven't participated in agriculture or weather in many, many centuries."
"Wow, this is some pretty cool research, actually," Flurry admitted. "I should take up gardening."
"That isn't my research," the unicorn shook her head, bringing the red book to them. "I theorize that there is an opposite, equalizing force in magic. Pony magic is creative and orderly - harmonizing. There must be, arguably, a destructive force in opposition to it."
"Discord."
"No, no, no," Luster shook her head again. "Discord is disharmony incarnate, but his magic is creative and spontaneous. He doesn't destroy so much as... randomly generate. I mean, there needs to be a force of corruption, or erosion, as opposed to creation and harmony."
"And you believe creatures like the Pony of Shadows are such a force?" Flurry spared a look at the red book and felt that unease again.
"Exactly!" Luster beamed. "This book details so much information about pre-harmony history, culture, and spells. It's... not pretty. A lot of the spells and rituals required sacrifices."
"Sacrifices?" the alicorn's eyes widened and Luster giggled and waved a dismissive hoof.
"Relax, not like that! Think of it like a bargain: if you want something, you must exchange something of equal value. Some of your vigor, your sight, a part of your soul..."
"I'm sorry, what?!"
"Alright, so it sounds pretty bad, but the rewards were usually greater than anything that could be brought about by conventional pony magic," Luster explained. "Pre-harmony unicorns could use beneficial magic much like they do today - as I said, pony magic is centered on harmony. That's how unicorns were able to raise and lower the sun and moon; because it was beneficial for all three tribes. Unicorns could also call upon this other pool of power, to generate greater abilities at a cost."
"So, you're theory is that before the tribes unified, unicorns could cast spells like they have nowadays - spells that are largely beneficial to all three tribes - or they could bargain away their health for greater power?" Flurry pursed her lips. "Where do the enemies fit in, again?"
"My theory runs that the windigos were created as a result of the sacrificial magic," Luster explained. "It goes against the grain of cooperative magic. The windigos are a physical manifestation of destructive disharmony. The Pony of Shadows, the Nightmare entity, the umbrals... all are possibly manifestations of this kind of magic. As a counterpoint, I theorize the first alicorns were the result of harmonious magic."
"This is all really fascinating," Flurry confessed, "but how would you prove any of this? I mean, you're running off of, what, a one-of-a-kind book you found in a library?"
"Like I said, I'm working on an experiment," Luster smirked. "I won't go into the details, but let's just say that once I've got it down, all my theories should be validated. Princess Twilight will recognize my brilliance as a magical student and stop trying to force friendship on me."
"I mean, if she didn't force you to try friendship," Flurry mumbled, "we wouldn't be friends..."
"Oh!" the unicorn blushed. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I just meant... She can be really pushy about it, and you know how it is... being made to feel like we need friends, but not really... clicking with others."
"Yeah, I get it," the alicorn nodded, offering a smile. "You are smart enough to be successful without a degree from the School of Friendship."
"I just want Princess Twilight to acknowledge it, too..." Luster sighed. "She puts so much faith into me, and I just don't understand friendship or see the need to understand it; I mean, I have a friend, and that's great, but it won't be enough for her. I don't want to disappoint her."
"She wouldn't be disappointed in you."
"I want her to accept me as I am and not try to force her ways on me," the unicorn continued, ignoring her friend's comforting words. "If I told her so, she'd forsake me for a more pliable pupil! I couldn't live with that kind of failure, not after all these years studying under her, but I also can't... I can't be the student she wants."
Flurry stayed silent, unsure what she could say or do. Luster was baring a lot of her soul, a lot more than Flurry had even expected she was capable of. It spoke volumes of the trust the unicorn put in her, but it made the alicorn uncomfortable. Flurry was unskilled in friendship, unskilled in socializing, and unskilled in relationships. She had no advice to offer her friend that wasn't possibly catastrophically wrong. In the end, the alicorn approached her friend and gave a tenuous shoulder pat.
"Sorry!" Luster giggled, blushing in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to get all broody."
"It's fine, Luster," Flurry offered a friendly smile. "I'm kinda the Princess of Brooding."
They shared a laugh. Luster remembered that she had something she wanted to give to the alicorn as a token of their friendship.
"Oh, a gift really isn't necessary!" Flurry paled at the thought. She was a princess, heiress to an entire empire! She didn't need anything, and it always made her feel uncomfortable whenever others gave her things.
"I want you to have it," Luster insisted, levitating a necklace out of a drawer in her desk. Flurry grasped it with her own magic as Luster passed it to her. "I made it in Professor Rarity's class shortly after I got to the School of Friendship."
The necklace was relatively simple. It seemed to be a corded braid of kite string terminating in a clasp around the back. Glass beads decorated the weave, forming a rudimentary pattern. At the center of the necklace was a scrap of wood with a rune carved into it. Flurry was no expert, but the wood looked very old - ancient, in fact - and the rune was like none she'd ever seen before. Despite the simple materials, it was obvious a lot of planning and work had gone into it.
"It's very nice," Flurry said, fixated on the rune.
"It was a craft project we had to do," Luster explained, "to make something that reminds us of our loved ones. So, I asked mom for some kite string - because she loves kites - and dad for one of his more expendable antiques, and I made a necklace. The clasp and beads were supplies Professor Rarity had on hoof."
"I can't take a memento you made of your family," the alicorn frowned.
"I want you to have it," Luster assured her friend. "I see my family regularly, and I can make new mementos, but this one is... special. It symbolizes my first serious attempt at the School of Friendship, and I can't think of a better gift to give my first friend than that! Besides, don't think of it as made from things my parents like; think of it as made from things I like."
"You like kites and antiques?" Flurry snorted.
"I mean, you've met my parents," the unicorn smirked, "and my mentor. You wouldn't be the first one to call any of us dorks."
Flurry let out a genuine bark of laughter at the admission and accepted the gift, clasping it around her neck. It fit well, hanging comfortably across her chest.
"Thank you, Luster," Flurry smiled, "this means a lot to me. If it's anything, I don't think you're bad at friendship; you're doing a really good job at it."
"Oh... thanks," the unicorn became flustered again, unused to praise about friendship. "Well, enough of the sappy stuff, right? Would you like to help me with another project?"
"Sure, I guess. Is it another magic exp-" Flurry stopped dead and her eyes widened as her friend produced a box out from under her bed. "Is that a Mecha-Bronco assault carrier?!"
Sure enough, the unicorn was levitating an unopened box of one of the most expensive and modular units in the entirety of Hyperspace Hyperwars. She looked around for a moment, perplexed.
"Um... I guess so?" Luster shrugged. "I saw it on sale at the crafting store my mom usually goes to for kite supplies and thought it looked neat. See, I've picked up assembling and painting models as a hobby over the years. You can't see them because I have them stored in a small pocket dimension."
"How many models have you built?" the alicorn's eyebrows raised.
"...Enough to need a small pocket dimension..." Luster giggled, nervously. "Princess Twilight noticed I wasn't using my allowance for anything 'fun', so she encouraged me to find a hobby, but I remembered a lesson about coming into my own and not just doing what my parents did, so I tried to find something new, and I'm rambling..."
"It's alright!" Flurry assured her. "I never knew you were in model-making! Especially not for Hyperspace Hyperwars!"
"What's that?"
Flurry fixed her friend with a grave stare.
"Only Trottingham's greatest contribution to pony culture ever."
"What about Shakespony?"
"To hay with Shakespony!" Flurry snapped. "This is Hyperspace Hyperwars. A miniature wargame with over a dozen factions, several hundred units, each with dozens of configurations. The lore alone is covered in hundreds upon hundreds of books, each one a dramatic narrative of heroism and despair in a grimdark future!"
"That sounds... oh, what's that thing you always say?" Luster put a hoof to her chin. "...Metal."
"Believe me, it is," Flurry grinned. "But, you're only into the model-making part, and that's cool too. I can't imagine why you'd need my help, though. These kits aren't particularly difficult."
"Well, now you've got me curious," the unicorn placed the box on her bed, "I'm thinking of making a diorama now, maybe a small-scale battlefield. I would need your expertise on what goes best with a Mecha-whatever-this-is."
"Hmmm..." Flurry tapped her chin, thinking.
The pair worked on designs for the better part of the day, Flurry gushing about the lore while Luster envisioned the diorama. The alicorn was a little distressed so many valuable miniatures would be never used in battle, but to make something as epic as their proposed diorama, she would gladly contribute to the cause. They agreed it would be a joint project, both buying, assembling, and painting a small force to be used for the display. Who knew? Maybe they could even submit it as a friendship project.
Eventually Flurry Heart returned home, leaving Luster to her own devices. The unicorn returned to her studies, making sure her door was locked before opening the red tome and studying the glyphs hidden in the pages with a revealing spell. She was surprised that Flurry Heart hadn't thought to do the same, a mixture of relief and disappointment coursing through her. The rites and rituals written out in worming glyphs were some of the most powerful magic she had ever seen, but each with steep costs. The passage she had been studying detailed a particular artifact of immense power, one she'd heard Twilight and Trixie lecture her about. If she could get the artifact, she could unlock it's true power, far more than Trixie had ever used.
Unfortunately, the artifact was locked away. It would take a powerful spell to claim the Alicorn Amulet from its confines within the Royal Vaults of Canterlot, and such a spell would require a great personal sacrifice. Luster was certain she had found the perfect spell for the job within the tome. All she needed to do was contact her other mentor and arrange the bargain.
Soon she would make Princess Twilight see. Friendship wasn't the only kind of magic out there.