//------------------------------// // Magic Talk // Story: Forgotten: Mists of Bridlewood // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// "Sunset, really, I've got it handled. I'm your assistant, remember? I gotta be a little capable," Izzy commented when Sunset offered to help her carry the derelict scooter back to her house at the edge of Bridlewood. "By the way, sorry about being late for class. When I saw this thing, I couldn't resist the unicycling opportunity." "It's alright, Izzy. You were there, in a way. You made me the rainfall scroll last night in case something came up," Sunset replied, walking next to her protege as she levitated the vehicle down the path. She had seen scooters all around back in the mirror world, but it was almost always self-pulled carriages, airships, or trains when it came to methods of transportation in Equestria. Yet Izzy told her she had found this off to the side of a path to the southwest, like it had broken down and the previous owner had decided to cut their losses. Sunset had seen it sometimes in the mirror world. Junkers, they were called. "You have a place to put this? You know, in case of adverse weather?" Sunset asked as they came up to Izzy's house. "I'll get a tarp thrown over it for today. I'll have a small canopy built for it in no time, you'll see. Then I'll see about actually fixing it up," Izzy said, as she gently set the scooter down in the grass a few feet from her door. "I never took you for a mechanic, Izzy," Sunset told her as the lilac unicorn began to look the vehicle over. "But it looks like you'll have plenty to keep you busy when we're not having classes." "Yup! I'll have it up and running in no time. Don't worry, I'll be making it to the next class. What do we have, an hour or two?" Izzy asked. Sunset nodded. "I'm wondering where to do lunch, no sense in doing the second class of the day on an empty stomach. By the way, Izzy, is there a record keeper or something like that in town?" Sunset asked. "What, you mean like music?" Izzy asked as she dug out a blue tarp from a nearby supply chest and began to drape it over the scooter. "No, like, birth certificates, vital records and reports, that sort of thing," Sunset clarified. "Hm. Well, one of the village elders is a Keeper, and I think they keep track of that kind of thing. I'll check with Alphabittle; he can point us in the right direction, and we'll probably have time to pay them a visit after our last class. Why, what's up?" Izzy asked. "I don't want to jump to any conclusions yet, and don't want to encourage anypony else to, either, so I'm playing this pretty close to the chest for now, Izzy. I'm curious about one of my students, and the information she gave me in her file is raising my suspicions a bit. So I just want to see if this Keeper has any additional info that could shed a little more light my way." Izzy looked at her quizzically as she secured the tarp with a bit of rope. "I don't get it, why not just ask this student yourself?" Izzy asked as they went back to the main path and began trotting farther into town. "That would... Be jumping to a conclusion. I don't know yet. If she isn't up to anything, I don't want her to know I'm suspicious yet, and if she is up to something, well, same, I don't want her to know I'm suspicious, and have her vanish," Sunset explained. Izzy was trying to put this explanation together, but didn't want to push too hard. Sunset had to know what she was doing. "Well, like I said, we can check with Alphabittle if you want to hit up his place for lunch," Izzy suggested. "Sadly, he said he doesn't open on Monday, and he's in the first class tomorrow morning," Sunset answered, immediately recalling how satisfied she had felt on her previous visit to Alphabittle's new restaurant and bar, bummed that they wouldn't be eating there today. She also had to keep getting used to the terms she hadn't heard on a regular basis; such as Elder, which she was guessing was a unicorn that had been given any kind of authority outside of their own home, mostly older ones. They came to the more densely populated areas of Bridlewood. A playground on the left had several fillies and colts playing, and they waved when they recognized the two new teachers in town, who immediately waved back. "Wonder how long it'll be before we're having magic water fights in town," Izzy said, snickering. "Well, the village-wide enchanting isn't close to done yet, so magic practice is restricted to out in the open fields for now, so, not anytime soon," Sunset answered. She knew unicorns were eager to use more and more forms of magic, but they had to do so safely, which was why she was here. "I assume you've heard about the 'magical' developments over in Maretime Bay?" "Ooh, yeah! Sunny sent me a small demonstration. So Bridlewood isn't the only place about to get magical!" Izzy replied excitedly. "Yeah, and I can't help but be a little bit worried about that. I know Sunny will probably visit sooner or later, and she'll probably wonder if I've uncovered anything about it. But I was serious when I told her; earth ponies have never had that kind of direct, influential magic in all of recorded history. I can spend years and years showing all of you all manner of horn-powered spells, but the earth ponies are stepping into completely uncharted territory. I mean, hoof-powered agrokinesis? How are they going to be comfortable stepping anywhere now?" Sunset wondered aloud. "Agro-what-is?" Izzy asked. "Agrokinesis. Manipulating plants with magic," Sunset replied. "If things get out of control, I'm not sure if I'll have any advice to give them. I remember the first time I didn't have the answers to magic-based problems, and it got frustrating pretty quickly; to the point that I was snapping at my friends. Don't get me wrong, I'll help Sunny however I can, and I hope they can thrive with magic as part of their daily lives now." "Well, if Zephyr Heights can figure out flying traffic flow, and we can figure out magic, I'm sure the earth ponies will do just fine, even if they struggle at times; everypony does," Izzy offered. "Yeah, you're right about that. Well, enough magic talk for now, let's go eat!"