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// 32 - Hello Night Gleam 
// Story: Blueblooded Bluebell 
// by David Silver 
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Blue quieted herself. As much as she did not want Starlight to continue, she was already casting the spell, so interrupting could have as many consequences as finishing it. It was too late to argue it any further. She could but remain there to lend a hoof if it was required.

There was, however, a bit of an issue. Twilight had the spell to turn a mare into a stallion. She was quite the scholar when it came to such things. Blue knew that. What she didn't have was the permanent one. She had no need for it. She had planned to hop over and go over how to apply the twist to make it temporary with the dear. Twilight had been quite eager to learn that, and she had planned to use that spell.

It had seemed like such a lovely idea, really. There was no problems at all.

At least until Starlight got involved. Not that Blue was angry at her, really. Worried was a far better term. She could see Starlight mouthing the spell as she ran through it right in the process of casting it, wrapping herself in a case of magic as she began changing inside and out. Her features began to bulk, growing larger all around. "Woah," she... he? declared with a voice cracking, still deepening.

Starlight wobbled in place, taking an unsteady step forward. "Wow..." They arched their back with a bright flash. "I feel like the world is, uh, back there." They peeked under themselves at the part that a mare just didn't have. "Is that what it's like to have one of those?" His voice had settled, a stallion. "Huh."

Blue was left with wondering how to inform Starlight of the situation. "Star..."

"Night Gleam," corrected the stallion, standing up properly. "Unless you want me to start Blueblooding you."

Blue colored at that. "You wouldn't!"

"I would if you return the favor." He stuck out his tongue at Blue, eyes alit with mischief. "That spell wasn't so bad. A few tricky bits, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"You are a talented magic user," allowed Blue Belle, considering. "But I do wonder."

"Did Trixie hear magic?" Trixie poked her nose in from outside. "Great and Powerful magic?" Her eyes darted between the two ponies. "Trixie does not recognize either of you. Is Twilight's castle being invaded?" Her brows fell. "I am not above being bribed."

Blue did not recognize Trixie in kind, inclining her head at the new unicorn. Night Gleam, on the other hoof, immediately trotted towards Trixie. "You don't recognize me?" He turned to present his rump. "Doesn't this look familiar?"

"Trixie is..." She trailed off, seeing the cutie mark. It clicked. "Starlight?!"

"Wrong. Night Gleam." He smiled cockily at the confused magician. "I cast the spell that Twilight faked on you."

Trixie clopped a hoof against her head. "I am very confused... and maybe a little interested..." She trotted up to Night Gleam, circling the new stallion. "Now that you are a stallion, Trixie has more right to you than that foal friend of yours."

"Sunburst?" Night tried to keep looking at her, which was hopeless without spinning, which he wasn't doing, so he had to twist left and right with his neck to keep her in view. "What about him?"

"He's a fan of magic, and Trixie can appreciate that." Trixie nodded, sitting down. "But he's not a wizard, which you are. If Trixie were to get a boyfriend, she'd want a wizard, and finding a wizard stallion is quite a bit trickier than even Trixie thought she could manage." She leaned in a little. "But there one is, and he already knows and is friends with Trixie, what luck!"

Blue gaped quietly, realizing he was watching an accelerated courtship. "Sta--Night Gleam." Oh, the bitter taste of having that difficulty thrown back in her face. "They only just arrived and already you are proposing yourself as a suitor?"

"Want to make sure everything works?" Night Gleam was grinning like a naughty colt.

Blue's face ignited in bright red hues, realizing what was going on. "Night Gleam! Have some barest amount of decorum. I expect that sort of thing from Fire, not you."

Night was leading the interested Trixie away. "How long do I have?" he called, not even pausing.

Blue covered her face in her hooves. "As long as you desire it. That spell will not undo itself."

"Good thing I have a friend who knows the cure." And off Night went, apparently not even slightly worried about the news. Both were soon lost to sight, vanishing into the castle to do... inappropriate things.

Blue let out a miserable huff, drawing the magic scroll in closer. "Not letting you get away," she grunted to herself, the scroll not caring to listen to her. She left the castle and its immoral occupants. "There." The school stood tall and pristine, a place of learning and growth!

She trotted out over the bridge that led to it, the wood echoing with the clops of her hooves. "Charming," she noted, taking measure of the place. "Not where I would attend." A royal place, it was not. But for the class of student reported to be there, quite nice. She could appreciate a fine thing that she would not use. "I do like the crystals." How had Twilight worked crystals into everything? One might think she had some insider trading with the Crystal...

"Oh." Of course she did. She was the niece and sister of the rulers of the Crystal Empire. They would certainly trade her all the crystals she wanted, at a discount. Likely a considerable one. "Little show off." Blue smiled a bit, not offended at the idea, rather pleased. Her world order was put back in place in a satisfying way. Nobles and royals made connections and they adored showing off the fruits of those efforts. This was to be expected, and even applauded. "You've done well for yourself. That cousin of mine is difficult to deal with."

Blue had failed to secure any such preferential trading privileges out of Cadance. Not that she had tried very hard. Still, point to Twilight. She would give that. She pressed on through the hallways, still and empty. Were any ponies there? Or were they in class? Studious! Good, what students should be, should they not? She wandered up to a door and set an ear against it.

Ah, sounds. Applejack was giving some kind of lecture. What commoners had to lecture one another about, that was something of a mystery to Blue, but the country bumpkin was clearly doing just that. "Best leave her to it." Blue trotted away from the door with a little frown. "Now where is Twilight hiding...?"

"Darling." Rarity was coming up another hallway, eyes on Blue. "Whatever are you doing here?"

Blue sat to produce one clap of satisfaction. "Ah, Rarity, excellent timing. I was looking for Princess Twilight Sparkle. Might you know where she is?"

Rarity inclined her head down a third hallway. "In her office more likely than not, dear. Would you like me to show the way?"

"How delightful." Blue began t trail after Rarity. "You teach here as well, do you not?"

"I certainly do." Rarity nodded as they went. "I never really thought I'd be much for it, teaching that is, but it grows on a pony."

"I can understand that." Blue could have said much the same thing, but educating little Sweetie was quite pleasing. "Something about passing a torch on to those who follow behind you."

"Oh, that's precisely it." Rarity nodded as they went. "When did you get a poetic streak?"

"When I began looking outside for a change." Blue accelerated past Rarity. "Is this it?" They were approaching a door at the end of the hallway. "Is there a decorum followed here?"

"As if half the ponies here could be so civilized." Rarity rolled her eyes at the thought. She raised a hoof to clop on the door. "Twilight, darling? Blue Belle is here to see you."

"Hm?" came muffledly from inside. "Send her in!"

Rarity rolled her eyes anew. "As if anypony was being 'sent' anywhere." Her magic opened the door a crack. "Good luck with your visit."

"Thank you." The temptation to add a 'dear' was there, but that word had been thoroughly co-opted by the commoner that saw herself as far greater. "Oh, one thing."

"Hm?"

"I would not visit Twilight's castle for a time." And in Blue went, leaving a confused Rarity behind. "Princess, there you are." She crossed the office towards Twilight, who was just standing up to meet her. "I came with the gift of magic."

"That's a gift of note." They met in the center of the room. "But you didn't have to come all this way."

"I don't know your schedule, I'm afraid, and you lack a pony one should speak to about that." Blue inclined her head faintly. "I know you're new at this, but if you want a few pointers? Your staffing seems... subpar for a pony of your station. Truly, how a princess can function without a single seneschal is beyond my understanding."

"I've managed quite fine on my own." Twilight arched a brow at the accusation. "I never needed a butler or a secretary."

"When a pony need only think of themselves, this is true." Blue inclined her head. "But as a pony rises through the stratum, they become responsible for an ever greater number of things. It is not a weakness to allow others to lend a hoof." She offered one of those hooves. "Our minds are for grander things, and what makes the world work. Who has time to launder one's own clothing? Or to keep track of a very full schedule? Now, look at me, speaking of this while setting a poor example."

She waved it away suddenly. "It's true! I'm slumming it, out here in the boonies with not a servant in sight. Trust me, I don't enjoy it, but I have also surrendered most of my duties. A vacation, if you will. Separated from my demands, I can fend for myself reasonably enough. But you. You!" She pointed at Twilight. "You are in the middle of your demesne. Surrounded with duties and responsibilities, it is not unreasonable to imagine that puts strain on anypony."

Twilight sank to her haunches. "I... see... You mentioned magic?"

Blue perked right up. "I did indeed." Out came the scroll, floating into view. "This is the permanent version of mare to stallion."

Twilight accepted it, the glow around the scroll shifting to her magic as she brought it closer. "Thank you, but I didn't plan to make any mares into stallions permanently?"

"Oh, is that so." The smug smile on her face, watching Twilight struggle to figure it out. "Then you don't want to know how to cast this spell temporarily then?"

Twilight perked right up. "Oh! Yes, please." She unfurled the scroll, though her eyes were on Blue, not the scroll. "Does this technique work on any spell, or is it something specific to... this?" She tipped her head towards the floating scroll meaningfully.

"Any spell, provided it would normally be permanent." Blue nodded sagaciously, confident in this knowledge. "There is a bit you need to modify at the start, right in the center, and barely a flick of the tail at the end." She brought up her hooves. "You are changing the sentence just a little. I want this, but only for so long."

"What would go at the start then?" Twilight raised a curious brow. "Your example implies the extra is entirely at the end."

"There's more to it," assured Blue, but she looked happy to explain it. "The first bit is informing the magic that there will be a bit at the end, otherwise it will leap on the end of the spell, thinking you've finished it, which you have, but you have a bit more to say."

"Oh..." Twilight nodded slowly. "I can see how that would be unideal. Fantastic." She brought her hooves together in a sharp clop. "This is so exciting. So, the part in the middle? The start is to inform of extra. The last is the extra. What's the middle doing?"

"Part of the end." Blue nodded softly. "You have to work it into the spell right where you want to create the pivot, what will break apart later. So, in full, you are saying 'Here is a spell with extra, pay attention until I say it's over. Here is the spell, watch for that part there. And this is what I want you to do with that part. Got it? Great, now I'm really done.'"

Twilight's eyes shined with understanding. "Fascinating! Please, teach me. Magic alteration techniques sound like they could come in quite handy. I imagine there's more than just making a spell fail at a specified time?"

"A number." Blue nodded, turning away from Twilight. "But that is the one I will show you today. We'll have to speak more, later, if you want more." Bribery that, to keep on Twilight's radar. If that common-born was going to become ruler of the land, Blue would at least work into her good graces. "Let's begin."

And the lesson commenced.





"I'm home!" announced Twilight with a great smile. "And today was stimulating!"

"Hey Twi." Spike was waving on the way past. "Dinner will be ready on time."

"You are absolutely the best." She rushed over the give her little brother a hug. "Where's Starlight hiding? She wasn't in her office."

Spike hiked a thumb upstairs. "She--he's been having his own 'stimulating' day."

Twilight inclined her head, confusion only growing. "He?"

Spike got into the kitchen and began setting up to prepare food properly. "He goes by the name 'Night Gleam' now. And Trixie likes what that means, and they've been getting, uh... real familiar." Despite this, Spike was busy portioning things out to cook.

Twilight, on the other hoof, slowly inclined her head. "I don't... Wait..." Then it hit her. "She got Blue Belle's scroll before me?!"

"Oh, you saw it too?" Spike peered into the fridge and grabbed something from it. "Yeah, she saw it and cast it, not even a pause. That's Starlight for ya."

"Night Gleam," corrected Twilight, deflated. "Who is... with Trixie..."

"Yeah... I wouldn't go onto his floor right now. They're... busy."

Twilight grabbed Spike suddenly from behind. "Spike, why are you so calm about this?"

Spike wriggled, trying his best to get back to cooking. "Which part? Starlight to Night Gleam, or what they're doing right now?"

"Is yes a valid option?"

Spike popped free, but landed facing her. "Twilight, I, um..." He rubbed behind his head. "I get confused a bit, um, when it involves me doing anything... remotely like that. I'm still, what, finding myself? Is that the right term? I don't like to pull out this card so often, but I'm still a kid, Twilight."

Twilight nodded. "No argument there, but, as a kid, why are you so... alright with this?"

Spike hiked a thumb upwards. "Twilight, you are dense, and innocent."

"Spike!"

"It's one of the best parts about you." Spike grinned a little. "Your parents are not... without wants and needs."

Twilight's confusion only grew. "How did my--our!-- parents get involved in this? Of course they have those things. Mother is hardly herself without risking everything in ridiculously over the top ways that would make Rainbow blush."

"Yes..." Spike applied a hand to his face. "They did their best for a third foal. I, uh, walked in one time. We had a nice long talk about that."

Twilight's face began to ripen rapidly into a furious red shade. Words failed her entirely.

"So... yeah, I know what they're...doing." He worried his fingers together. "So I'd like to get back to making dinner, please, and not thinking about that."

"Right, yes." Twilight allowed him to get back to distracting himself. "I..." What was she supposed to do? She emerged from the kitchen and looked to the stairs with a little frown. "This is my castle." She was a princess, darn it. A princess of the very castle they stood in.

She advanced up those stairs, confidence growing as she went. "Ponies can't just take over!" Bad enough when the yaks had done so, but they were foreign dignitaries, even undignified. So that was different!

"Starlight?" She had meant to shout that with authority, but it came out far quieter than that. "You here?" She felt and heard a thump. "Everything alright?!" She hurried towards the sound just for a door to crack with a frazzled, but pleased, trixie coming into view, just her face.

"Oh, it's Twilight." Trixie was smiling with some strange new emotion. "You can't bother me right now."

Twilight inclined her head faintly. "You're in my castle."

"Trixie only knows one phallic castle right now." She withdrew, the door closing just like that.

Twilight was left sputtering. "Trixie! You get--"

The door opened, but it wasn't Trixie. It was some strange stallion. "Sorry about that, Twi. Trixie being Trixie." He rolled his eyes. "Hey! Welcome back."

"Yes... hello?" She hiked a brow, though it became a squint soon enough. "Who are you?"

"It's me!" He pointed at himself with a smarmy smile. "Oh, right. You knew Starlight, well, I'm that, but Starlight is now Night Gleam." He turned to the side to present himself. "Behold!"

Twilight's cheeks found new bits of redness to get. "Starlight!"

"What? Night Gleam." He turned back to her, hiding what she didn't want to see. "It now makes so much sense to me why some stallions really want to--"

"--Quite enough!" Twilight crossed her arms, rearing up a moment. "Thank you. Sta--Night Gleam... I'm glad you... had a good time... But you're bothering Spike, and me." She pointed past the new stallion to the closed door behind him. "Please have your 'Trixie Time' somewhere else. I hear Trixie has a nice wagon."

Night Gleam seemed to consider that. "Think I could knock out its suspension?"

"It has suspension?" cut back Twilight a bit sharper than she intended. "Night... I want to be a good friend. I'm not your teacher anymore, so you get to make these decisions, but is this..." She wobbled a hoof at Night. "Is this what you want?"

Night's grin faded to a more serious expression. "I get it... I'm not sure." He inclined his head left, then right. "Let me explore it a bit? I'm having fun. Maybe it'll wear off and I'll get bored of it. I'm not hurting anypony, am I?"

"No..." Twilight peeked at the closed door. "But maybe yes? I... Night, you're... doing things... with ponies... and that can make other things happen..." She sat and brought up her hooves. "When a mother loves a father enough..."

"I know how foals are made." Night peered at Twilight with a flat look. "What are the odds?"

"Not zero?"

Night rubbed behind his head. "Maybe it'd calm her down a bit." But Twilight's skeptical look did not abate. "I'll make up my mind, promise!"

"It's your body." Twilight began to turn away. "I won't tell you what to do with it, but if you do something to another pony, I will expect you to handle that. Responsibly!"

Night came up on Twilight, matching her pace as he drew up on her side. "I wouldn't leave Trixie hanging. We're friends! She trusts me, and I don't plan to take that for granted. We misfits gotta stick together."

"Misfits?" Twilight turned towards Night.

The door cracked open. "Night?" Trixie's snout was barely visible. "You coming back?"

Night chuckled nervously. "Speaking of that... I'll take her outside, promise." And off he went, back to his ladyfriend. "Hey, change of venue. Let's go somewhere more comfortable."

Twilight shook her head at the withdrawing unicorn. "Starlight..." And she went off to make sure Spike was alright.





"It is with great pleasure." Blue set a little jeweled ribbon on Sweetie's horn with all proper ceremony. "--that I declare you competent in the use of your horn."

Sweetie was bursting into giggles. "I'm still new at it."

"Tut tut." Blue tapped her fellow Belle on the snoot. "We are all capable of learning more. That you wish to do so is only a sign of your greatness, as a Belle. Today remains a special day." Fancy was politely clapping behind her, not too energetic or too slow, just the right amount. Fancy was reliable like that. "You have advanced to a new level, as a unicorn. Now that you can output your magic evenly, why, this opens new potential paths for you. Perhaps the next time I visit, you will be showing off your spells to me."

Sweetie set her hooves on her cheeks. "You think so?!"

It was very unlikely. "That is for you to say." She pointed towards Twilight's castle, hidden as it was due to them being inside Rarity's abode. "You have a princess that is quite the arcane scholar and friendly towards you. She will only be tickled if you approach her for advice and lessons, I feel. Make use of that, if you wish." Blue rose up to her hooves. "But, for now, it is time for me and mine to head back to where we belong."

"If ever you find yourself in Canterlot, do look us up." Fancy dipped his head at the filly. "We've always room for a charming filly like yourself."

Sweetie's giggles only returned. "Thanks! Have a safe trip. Oh, where's the other one?" Her eyes went to Fancy, then Blue. "The lecher."

The lecher? Oh. Blue chuckled gently. "My servant is saying her goodbyes just as I am. I can only hope it is going well."





"It's not fair." Fire leaned against the doctor as he did paperwork. "I don't wanna."

"Nor I, but life is like that." He continued writing, horn glowing as he worked on whatever it is he was laboring on. "I will join you when I can. Know that I look forward to it as much as you do."

"I doubt that." He glanced towards her. "Oh fine..." She leaned in and he turned towards her without prompting, allowing for a proper goodbye smooch. "But if you don't come, I will haunt you. That's a demon thing, for real."

"I'm uncertain if that's true," chuckled out Doctor Horse, his writing resuming. "But I have little to fear. I will be there, have some faith."

"That is not something we are known for..." She took a step back, glancing out the window and back at him. "So... You gonna learn magic? You're dating one hades of a teacher. I have references." She smiled viciously. "Turned her life around. You have a nice horn, why not do something with it?"

He reached to boop her nose, but she had moved, making the effort wasted. "I am a doctor."

"And?"

"And a unicorn doctor already has a very specific use for their horn." He pointed up at it. "We need it to be exceptionally even in use. Precision. Magic use is not like that. A doctor who is also a wizard is likely not performing at their best at either. One or the other, and I already made my choice." He waved her close, and they were soon snout to snout. "I will have to rely on your wicked spells for me."

"They are very wicked," she warned, rubbing her sensitive nose against his. "And I plan to get wicked all over you."

"All the more motivation for me to finish what I'm doing." He placed a period at the end of his paragraph and slid the paper aside. "I'm missing out on being wicked upon. Can't have that for even a moment longer than required."

"Damn right." She smooched the end of his snout. "I'll miss you."