//------------------------------// // Defense // Story: Forgotten: Mists of Bridlewood // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Sunset awoke to the slightly cool breeze coming in through her open window. She sat up, pulled the blanket off of her, and stood up with a stretch, and took a look around her small bedroom that she had created from one of the former Tea Room's storage rooms. When she had told Izzy that she was moving to Bridlewood, some of the village's unicorns had insisted that she get a house of her own. Once she had discovered that they had renovated the Crystal Tea Room for her, she was adamant that one of the largest buildings in the forest would be enough for her. With how busy she figured she would be with the school, she didn't really like the idea of having to keep two places clean and tidy. She didn't have a whole lot of prep to do over the weekend for this morning's class, and figured that planning her curriculum would be fairly simple until her students were ready to progress to Class II, III, and above. For now, she was keeping things simple, basic, and straightforward. That was good for her, and her students, because she honestly spent a considerable portion of the weekend unable to get her mind off of her newest student, Misty. Sunset had a couple novice students in her younger class, but even they showed some ability. Misty, mysteriously, didn't seem to have any. At the very least, she should have been able to do simple levitation, but she even had trouble with that. Part of the headmare's thought process wanted to set some time aside just for her, get to the heart of why she was having so much trouble with what most unicorns knew to do just by instinct. After all, most unicorns could do basic levitation ever since Reunification Day, months before she showed up. But another part of her wanted to exercise caution. Her experiences at Canterlot High had taught her to not to disregard her intuition if she began to feel like something wasn't right, but to also not come right out and scream about things not being right. Over the weekend, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with Misty. After a quick shower and a brush of her mane, she put her saddlebags on and was out the front door into the brisk autumn morning. Knowing that she was on schedule to arrive about fifteen minutes before class started, she figured at least some of her class would beat her out to the grassy prairie just south of Bridlewood. She had announced that practical magic lessons with actual practice and demonstrations were going to begin after a week of taking down student information and reading the basics, so no doubt they would be eager and excited. Sure enough, after a ten minute trot south, she caught up with a couple of her students as she passed Izzy's house on the south side of town, and when they reached the grasslands, she indeed found more than half of her morning class, mostly sitting in groups of two or three, reading or otherwise mingling to pass the time. As she scanned the groups, it didn't take her long to notice Misty standing alone with an open book back closer to the trees. "Good morning, Misty. Your class isn't until tonight, right?" Sunset asked, remembering that she had put the new arrival into the evening slot. "I know, Miss Shimmer. I just figured since I didn't have anything else to do this morning, that I'd come and watch, if that's okay," the unicorn replied. "Of course it's okay, I doubt you're the only one that wants to get a head start," Sunset told her, having also noticed a few others from her afternoon and evening classes had come to get a look ahead of time. Sunset continued walking towards the open grass, not wanting the unicorn to get a hint of her newest suspicion; the pink-spotted butterfly cutie mark. Sunset knew if she focused on this too hard, it wouldn't be fair to everypony else she had taken under her tutelage, and made a mental note to come back to it later. She went to the center of the scattered groups of students and took off her saddlebags, taking out a clipboard to begin to take attendance of the students who had already shown up, and those who were continuing to come out of the treeline one and two at a time. When that was done, it was time to start her class proper. She silently cast a minor amplification spell on her vocal chords before she got to her hooves. "Alright, good morning everypony. I see by how many of you beat me out here this morning that we're all pretty excited to finally try some spellcasting today," she began, seeing some smiles widen when they heard the confirmation of what they would be doing out here in the fields today. "I think the best place to start, beyond simple levitation magic, is defensive magic. Not only are defensive shield spells still fairly simple, they'll also be great to have memorized and practiced for when we get into potentially more dangerous spells." Sunset took one last look around all the students that had gathered before continuing. "I'd like you all to stay spread out from each other for now. I was also expecting Miss Moonbow to be here as well, but she has seemed to gone off somewhere. No matter, that's why I brought this..." Sunset lit her horn up, and pulled a spell tome and a rolled scroll out of the saddlebags that sat next to her feet. She opened the spell book, turned the first few pages, before returning it to her bags. "Clypeus!" Sunset called out, her horn flashing, before a circular, glowing orange barrier materialized in front of her. There were a few 'oohs' and 'ahs' from the gathered students as they were mesmerized by Sunset's new spell. "Clypeus is one of the most simple protective shield spells. It is maintained via focus, and is directed by your horn. The barrier can absorb magical energy, as well deflect most physical objects. Now, I trust you've all brought your copies of Magical Defense 101, so please get them out and turn to page 4. Morning class only, please. If you insist, you may read along, but I have to insist that demonstrations be limited to my morning class only; you'll all get your turn." Sunset picked up the book again, and read aloud, as her class followed along silently. "Defensive magic spells are the foundation of any well-rounded mage. Finding their beginnings in the school of Restoration, magical wards block magical energy and small physical objects. More advanced spells can even absorb the magical energy for it to be turned on the offensive caster. Shield spells can protect a portion of your body, your entire body, and more advanced defensive mages can project shields around buildings, and even entire cities, or causing whole armies to be impeded." Sunset cleared her throat before lowering the book from her face, returning her attention to her scattered students. "Clypeus can protect about half of your body, and can be projected in any direction, usually the direction your head and horn is facing. I'd like for each of you to try casting it now, and keeping it up for a few moments, until I sound this whistle." Sunset slowly turned on her hooves, watching as each group looked the page over for proper pronunciation, and began casting. Most of the results were mere flickers, or shields that lasted barely a second. But most of them improved with each subsequent attempt. After a few minutes, she sounded the whistle, and the spellcasting stopped. "Alright, some really great first attempts. Remember, you're generally not going to nail a spell on the first try, and that it will take focused study to really hone a spell's performance. Most mages specialize in one discipline of magic. My plan is to take you all through the most basic spells of several disciplines, or 'schools' of magic, so we can discover what you're talented with. We're starting with defense because it's the best way to protect yourself and each other, not only during class and practice, but in actual emergency situations. So now, how about a pop quiz?" Sunset asked. There were some looks of concern and uncertainty from her class upon hearing this question. "Don't worry, nothing too serious. But some unicorns find their magic is more powerful in stressful situations," Sunset began, turning her attention to the rolled scroll in her magical grasp. "Enchanted scrolls serve as one-time-use spells for unicorns that have the ability, but not necessarily the knowledge, to cast a particular spell. That's where this comes in. You have to protect yourselves from this spell." Their uncertainty grew, and one unicorn closer by even called out, "you want us to block a spell after barely practicing?" Sunset smiled as she unfurled the scroll. "Don't worry. Failure won't get you hurt..." She said, putting the scroll in front of her. "Just wet. Imber!" The scroll immediately left her magical grasp, glowed blue for a moment, before disintegrating to nothing in glowing blue flames, before shooting up to the sky, to a point dozens of feet up, where rain clouds started to form. "Better get those spells ready, last shield up gets lunch on me," Sunset told them. As the raindrops began to descend onto the grassy field full of unicorns, calls of 'Clypeus!' began to echo across the immediate area. Sunset smirked confidently when she saw that although some of her students' shields dissipated against the rain, some of them managed to hold them up for a bit longer, acting as magical umbrellas against her unexpected shower. But also all too apparent were the groaning and complaining of those who hadn't maintained their shields, and they and their saddlebags were now getting wet as a consequence. Try as they might, no shield lasted over sixty seconds, and now every unicorn on the field was now getting wet. Sunset caught a glimpse of Misty looking up worriedly at the rain that was beginning to fall through the trees, before she turned and galloped farther into the forest where the spell had spread to. "Alright, good tries, everypony. Now, close in and form a circle around me. Quickly, this rain is only going to last another few minutes," Sunset instructed. Half of her class saw that as a good thing, as the two dozen unicorns closed in from their groups and surrounded Sunset, taking about thirty seconds to space themselves out evenly. "Now, listen carefully. Clypeus simul. Clypeus simul. Channel your horns, and on the count of three, repeat that. Ready? One, two, three!" "Clypeus simul!" Came the near-unified call from her class. There were startled gasps and widening eyes as they witnessed a brighter, far larger curved barrier materialize above Sunset, and covered the entire group, as they quickly felt the absence of rain on their coats. "Not only can your magic be more powerful when your emotions are more powerful, but it is almost certainly stronger when you work together," Sunset lectured them, as almost all eyes were on the large glowing shield between them and the rain clouds. Even the unicorns who had trouble casting alone were astounded by the fact that motes of magic continued to float up from their horns to contribute to the group shield. The rain began to let up, and when they no longer saw the drops fall on the shield, they let go of their focus, and the shield vanished as the morning sun shined down on them once again. "Fantastic first try, everypony. Well done," Sunset said. She happened to glance back at the hill to the south and saw Izzy come towards the forest, pushing... Something, with her magic. "The first 'offensive' spell I'll have for you will let you form groups to practice together. Nothing dangerous, pretty much a magical water balloon. For now, feel free to continue practicing Clypeus and Clypeus Simul either alone or in groups." As her students began to pair and trio off, she left the center of the field and went down to see what Izzy had been doing with her morning, and found the unicorn pushing a rusty old... Scooter? "Hey Izzy. What have you got there?" "Morning, Sunset! Check it out!" Izzy said ecstatically, motioning to the rusty, muddy grey scooter. "This is going to be the best unicycling project of. All. Time."