Falling straight through a cloud and plummeting towards the ground hadn't been Yona's plan for how to start the day.
She had joined the field trip to Cloudsdale that was currently visiting the Weather Factory, and this had required magical input as yaks cannot walk on clouds (in fact, most of the students on the trip couldn't given that there were only two pegasi on the trip apart from Professor Dash). It had seemingly held up well, but partway through the tour she had fallen clean through the cloud.
Now she was plummeting towards the ground at frightening speed, her eyes closed as she fell faster and faster. "Yona not want to be pancake!" she cried.
Some whistling noises echoed above, and as she opened her eyes and looked back to the cloud from whence she came, she saw several other students falling as well- alongside one of their professors, Starlight Glimmer. She looked back towards the ground, aware of the sound of the Earth rushing up to meet her at great speed, as well as whooshing sounds up overhead.
Suddenly, she stopped, inches above the ground. She looked over and around in confusion to see Gallus and Rainbow Dash holding her.
"Bloody Hell," Gallus groaned, "you weigh a ton, Yona."
"Language!" Rainbow Dash retorted.
"We all nearly plummeted to our deaths. I think what comes out of our mouths is the least of our concerns."
"Anyway," Rainbow Dash sighed, "you should be safe now. That was weird, though."
Nearby, Ocellus gently lowered Sandbar to the ground. "It's OK," she said gently, soothing the Earth Pony's nerves. "I got you. You like flying, remember?"
"Flying I have no problem with," Sandbar replied. "Falling at terminal velocity and smashing into the ground as a pie of mincemeat is what I object to." He paused. "Thanks for saving me."
Ocellus' cheeks went red. "Y- you're welcome," she said, blushing, before abruptly falling out of the sky. "Oww!"
"Any explanation for this?" Rainbow Dash asked Starlight Glimmer. "Especially considering that me and the other winged animals are suddenly unable to fly?"
!I don't understand!" Starlight Glimmer replied. "It- It's like my spell stopped working. That's... never happened before."
Smoulder elbowed Gallus. "According to what I've picked up from classes, she's one of the most powerful unicorns to have ever lived. If her spells aren't working properly, then this is serious."
"You can say that again."
"According to what I've picked up from cla-"
"Not literally."
"Yona confused. Did Gallus want Smoulder to say it again or not?" The Yak looked confused, but then again she often did.
"It's a figure of speech, meaning 'I agree with you'," Ocellus explained. "But if Starlight can't cast spells, none of us can fly- Smoulder, can you still breathe fire?"
"Fire is stored in reserve tanks in the back. No problem there. I can demonstrate if you'd like."
"Woah, that will not be necessary," Sandbar quickly interjected.
"If nocreature's magic is working," Ocellus finished, "I can only hope no Changelings attempted to change forms right now."
Back at the school (it had taken them a very long time to get back to Ponyville), Ocellus and Sandbar met privately. The day's events had weighed heavily on their minds and it was clear Ocellus was worried about something.
"I got a telegram from mom," Ocellus said quickly, clearly flustered. "Their magic has stopped working! One of her neighbours was shapeshifting into a mole to dig a hole for his garden, and it suddenly stopped! Now he's stuck as a half Changeling, half mole!"
Sandbar looked shocked. "That cannot be comfortable," he replied.
"If we're all losing our magic, something terrible must be happening!" Ocellus continued. "Perhaps some sort of storm is in the area, or a horrible magic bug like that one we found in the library is wreaking havoc, or perhaps-"
"Ocellus, please calm down!" Sandbar said, gently but firmly. Ocellus stopped mid freakout and looked over to him. "I'm certain there's an explanation for all this, but getting all flustered isn't going to help matters." He paused. "It must suck not being able to change forms though."
Sandbar dived into his own thoughts, so much so that he was suddenly jolted out of them when something crashed into the door. He opened it to see a fellow student, a unicorn, had crashed into the door. "Normally I can turn the door handle," he groaned, as he got up. Then he realised what he had done. "And this is not the way to the stairs!"
Sandbar closed the door, to see Ocellus looking intently at him. "Yes?"
"Do you love me?"
It took Sandbar a second to process the question. "What sort of a question is that? Of course I do!"
Ocellus blinked. "I- I just thought, that when you said it must suck that you can't change forms, it indicated something else. I mean, you're dating a Changeling, for Faust's sake! I could turn myself into your dream date, but without magic, I can't!"
Sandbar stepped over. "Ocellus, there are many words to describe you, but ugly is not one of them. What's the point of entering into a relationship with somecreature if you don't like what you see? I love you just the way you are."
Ocellus smiled gently, looking more at ease. "I'm glad I met you," she whispered, as she put her forelegs around Sandbar's shoulders.
"No problem, Celly."
A few hours passed, and the students got the news that their teachers would be heading off on a mission. Starlight Glimmer would be running proceedings, and the students gathered for a whole school meeting in the atrium.
To their complete surprise, Cozy Glow buzzed into place on the podium. "Good morning, friendship students!" she said, oddly cheerful given the circumstances. "I know we're all sad Professor Sparkle is away. But don't worry, because she left me in charge to do things just the way she would."
Gallus was confused. "Uh, I thought Starlight Glimmer was gonna be temporary headmare."
Cozy Glow laughed. "She was, but she left me this note." She produced a piece of brown paper with some text written on it, and began to read it;
"I have to go. Twilight needs my help. I know the school is in good hooves with you, Cozy."
Cozy giggled in an annoying, high pitched way as she finished reading it. "Isn't that sweet? We won't let Starlight down, will we?"
She then began hovering about. Smoulder, ever the skeptic, smelt a rat. "It's just kind of weird, isn't it? Like, why'd she change her mind? Why did Starlight write a note instead of saying goodbye to us herself? Doesn't make any sense."
Cozy stopped and flew over to her. "You forget something, Smoulder. We're not scheming dragons. We're ponies. Sounds like somecreature needs to do a little extra friendship homework."
Smoulder was resisting the urge to simply breathe fire in Cozy's face. Instead, she growled in frustration.
Yona, however, took up her cause. "Yak not pony either! If Smoulder get homework, Yona get homework."
"Me too!" Ocellus called.
"I'm in!" added Sandbar. "Come on, Gallus!"
"That's right, Gally!" Silverstream added. "Join in the fun! Homework party!"
Gallus rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fiiiiiiiine," he grumbled.
Cozy Glow re-engaged annoying mode. "What loyalty. Professor Rainbow Dash would be so proud. You are such good friends. You all are. And I'm grateful, because it will be awfully hard running a whole school alone. Can I count on each of you to help me?"
Most of the students cheered, but the Young Six didn't. "Thank you so much!" Cozy continued. "It's just like our professors taught us. Together, we can get through anything!"
Smoulder looked to her friends. "JCR, now," she said.
The Young Six had gotten drinks and had gathered in the Junior Common Room (JCR), sitting in a circle on sofas.
"So, what did you spot, Smoulder?" Gallus asked.
"Cozy Glow's letter was from Starlight, right?" Smoulder asked.
"So she said," Sandbar mentioned.
"Then why was it in her own hoofwriting? I know Starlight's hoofwriting very well, and that isn't it."
"Also," Silverstream pointed out, "our magic isn't working. Ocellus can't shapeshift, Smoulder, myself and Gallus can't fly, I can't change into a seapony-"
"Where are you going with this?" Sandbar asked.
"Cozy Glow was flying about with no difficulty. Her magic is still working."
Silence filled the room. It became clear that something was very wrong. "I suggest we keep an eye on her," Smoulder said. "Cozy's acting weird."
"Pink filly always weird," Yona said.
"Well, weirder."
"You don't think she's behind the theft of the magic, do you?" Gallus asked.
"If I know anything about a mystery," Ocellus answered, "you don't rule out any suspect or possibility without good evidence. Be on your guard."
Things only got weirder from there. It seemed as though Cozy was trying to bribe the others into liking her, which was not a good thing given the number of friendship bracelets and cupcakes that seemed to be doing the rounds at the moment. One night, the friends were going to one of their study sessions when they suddenly saw a mysterious shape moving through the corridors towards the main office.
"After them," Sandbar said quickly, and they followed at a considerable distance. Eventually, the figure entered the main office. They all hid behind the door and listened.
"Where is Princess Twilight?!" the voice demanded, revealing them to be Chancellor Neighsay.
"Oh no, here we go," said Smoulder.
"Oh, golly," said Cozy Glow. "She's away on a quest. I'm watching the school for her."
Neighsay scoffed and snorted in that irritating way he did. "Magic is failing across our land, and she left a foal in charge of this facility? I'm beginning to question her competence in these matters."
"Yes, sir! Is there anything I can do for you?"
There was a silence, before Neighsay spoke again. "That won't be necessary. Twilight's little social experiment stops here. As of now, I am headstallion under the Absence of Administration Act Section 4, Paragraph B, Subsection D. And I have quite a few changes to make." He grabbed a pile of files and began to leaf through them.
"What are you doing?" Cozy asked. "Those are Twilight's student's files!"
"These aren't," Neighsay growled. "Not anymore." Neighsay went onwards, his xenophobia in full flow. "With Equestria under attack, ponies must stand together. Twilight has endangered us all by skipping off on friendship trips while these dangerous creatures run loose. It won't be tolerated anymore, not now, not ever."
"You don't think they're the reason magic is disappearing, do you?"
The Young Six had no idea how to react to Neighsay's bigotry, but kept quiet as he went on. "Yes, and I came to warn Twilight. But since she is gone, it falls to me to protect you foals from these monsters."
"Is that how ponies see us?" Silverstream asked. "No wonder my cupcakes keep getting stolen?"
Neighsay turned towards the door. "Did you hear that?" he demanded. He marched over and, with a pull of his hoof, revealed the students. "You. You six have caused me untold amounts of trouble over the last few months, and that ends now." He tapped his medallion, and it lit up. The six were surrounded by a magical blue chain that locked them into place, rendering them unable to move.
"Can you shift over a bit, Smoulder? Your wingtips are shoved into my ass!"
"Try moving with a chain around you!"
Neighsay smiled. "Locked away and no longer a threat, as you should be. From now on, this school is pony only, as nature intended."
Sandbar suddenly spoke. "Wait!" he said, a cold grin on his face. "You were right about them from the beginning, Chancellor. I see that now. "
"Wait, what?" Silverstream asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You never cared about us?"
"What are you saying?" Smoulder demanded.
"I don't want anything to do with creatures that could threaten Equestria!" Sandbar continued, his voice filled with false disgust that the Chancellor failed to spot.
It worked. Neighsay disconnected the chains around him. "Wisely put, colt. Everypony will come to their senses eventually."
As the pair exited the room, Gallus spoke. "Sandbar... you piece of shit."
Sandbar's heart was pained to have to do something like that, but he knew something was up. Magical artifacts had stopped working alongside natural magic. So how was Neighsay's medallion still operational? This was getting more and more odd, and Sandbar needed to get to the bottom of it.
As he hid behind a plant pot, he noticed Neighsay dragging his friends along towards one of the dorm rooms, pulling them as roughly as he could despite their protests.
"Racist bastard. You won't get away with this."
Sandbar hid until Neighsay was well out of earshot, and then made his move. He went for the door as fast as he could without making any noise, and then bucked it open with all his might.
The door didn't move. "Huh?" Sandbar then looked up to see the door hinges faced the other way. "Oops."
So he tried something else. He noticed a small object on the floor, and instead set about picking the lock.
"It goes to show we can't trust ponies," Gallus said. "The second he had a chance, he sold us out."
"No! It has to be something else!" Ocellus exclaimed. "I know him too well. There must be some other reason he's doing this!"
"Celly, I know you're infatuated with him, but there really is no other explanation for this. Maybe he never cared for us at all." Smoulder sat at the window. "Wait a minute! We can break the window and bill the school later!"
"Stand back! Yona about to smash window!"
"And most of the wall, from the looks of it." Gallus realised Silverstream was looking at him. "What?"
"Not helping, Gallus!"
Suddenly, there was a clicking sound at the door. "What's that?" Ocellus asked.
"It sounds like somecreature picking the lock!" Smoulder noted.
There was a loud click as the tumbler rolled back, and the door rolled open to reveal...
"Sandbar?!"
"He's saved us, you guys!" Silverstream cried, as she flew over and hugged the colt. "This is so amazing!"
"I also like to be able to breathe," Sandbar replied.
"Fine work, Sandbar!" Gallus called. "I never doubted you for a second!"
The others all looked at him, confused over his very abrupt change in tone.
"Guys, something's not right with Neighsay," Sandbar said.
"He's racist?" Smoulder suggested.
"Apart from the obvious," Sandbar continued. "I noticed his medallion worked to chain you guys up. Nothing magic related is working at the moment, so how did that work?"
"Rather like how Cozy Glow is still able to fly," Ocellus said, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "If neither of them seem to be affected, what if they are somehow connected?"
"Or working together?" Silverstream suggested.
"But that doesn't even make sense!" Gallus protested. "If all the magic goes, they'll be power..." He trailed off, a horrified realisation crossing his mind. "What if they're trying to weaken us?"
"Only one way to find out!" Sandbar called. "Come on guys, let's go!"
Off the six friends went, reunited once more, speeding off in the direction they had seen Neighsay go. As they passed the broom cupboard, they suddenly heard a voice. Muffled cries.
Sandbar stopped, turned back, and opened the door. His jaw fell open in surprise when he saw who was stuck inside.