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// 22 - All In 
// Story: Brilliant Sunburst 
// by David Silver 
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Sunburst found Starlight already in their room. She waved from her place at the desk, books spread out before her. "Hi, I'm home, I'm not dead. Guess what?"

Sunburst gently set Pebble down in their pen. "I'm glad you're not dead, but I wasn't expecting that? What's up?"

"I was searching for you. I went to the castle and you weren't there. Spike was. I asked him and he said you went to the school. I was so worried." Starlight hurried over to give Sunburst a hug. "Why were you at school? You're not thinking of applying, are you?" She looked Sunburst up and down. "You want friendship lessons?"

Sunburst laughed at that, a gentle airy sound. "No, I was actually thinking of giving lessons. I was talking to—"

Starlight jumped on Sunburst, hooves on their shoulders. "You what?! Seriously? What as?" She tapped at her chin thoughtfully, still leaning against Sunburst. "Seriously."

Sunburst tried to lean back from Starlight's zealous embrace. "Um, a morals of magic class? As a kind of ethics course." She waggled her hooves at Starlight, a gesture that served little purpose, other than to make a silly motion. "I might have done something a little overboard. I can at least turn it into a positive, for future spellcasters."

Starlight inclined her head. "I enslaved an entire town. I broke timelines! Why am I not teaching this class?!" She threw her hoof with each statement. "Twilight picks you, and you just messed up once? Also, what mistake did you make? I didn't see any."

Sunburst managed to ease Starlight from herself. "I'll explain in a little. For now, you wanna eat together?"

"I'd love to." Starlight curled her tail to brush against Sunburst. "Sorry, I'm not mad at you, just surprised, you know?" She pointed towards Pebble. "They have enough food too?"

Sunburst's horn glowed as she gently hefted up her rockbunny, that might also be a pony, and set them on her back. "They can eat with us. It's about them."

"About them?" Starlight walked along with Sunburst, examining Pebble for any hints of dangerous magic. "They look alright?"

"We'll get to that. Come on." Sunburst led Starlight along through the castle and to the dining room.

"So, what happened?" Starlight took a seat, waiting on Sunburst. "You are murdering me with suspense, and I don't think murder is very ethical. Not a good start to your career."

"Ha." Sunburst set Pebble on the table, then trotted off to get some food going. "Pebble was a pony, briefly. It left a mark on him."

Starlight looked at Pebble in a whole new way. "I see. Was this accidental or intentional?"

Sunburst glanced over her shoulder as she trotted. "Well, I was practicing a spell, and—"

Starlight's ears perked. "Intentional. Hence the ethical use of magic. I get that. Still, what's so ethical about it one way or the other? Pebble looks fine."

Pebble hopped up before Starlight, prompting a gentle hug from the unicorn.

Starlight nuzzled the agreeable rabbit. "I can see why everypony loves this little fuzzball, so cute."

Sunburst returned to the room, floating over a tray of a salad to place in the center of the table. "Pebble was a pony. They understand what we're saying. They can even force a word or two out, but don't seem to do it often. By some measures, they still are a pony, trapped in the body of a rabbit." She slid the bowl of salad into the table for Pebble.

Starlight picked up her fork, jabbing a few lettuce leaves for herself. "But, um, this feels like a minor problem." She chomped her greens and pointed her fork at Pebble. "Go ahead and make them all the way pony."

Sunburst flicked one ear back. "That you jumped straight to that without a bit of reservation is why, perhaps, you weren't picked for this teaching role, um, Starlight. No offense" She reached with her magic, petting Pebble gently down their back. "But you're not wrong, Pebble seems to like being a pony more than being a rabbit. The trick is actually doing it."

"Well, I have magic, you have magic, Twilight has magic. Magic-having ponies are kinda abundant. Surely, with a few spells, you could have done it already, if we had all the spells and stuff?" Starlight poked at a few vegetables. "Unless the magic is the problem?"

"Kinda." Sunburst held out a cherry tomato for Pebble, smiling as the rabbit nibbled away at it. "It needs a bit more 'oomph' to last forever. We all could turn Pebble into a pony, but just for as long as we focused on it. That's hardly a life."

Starlight looked Pebble over with new eyes. "Wait. You know, maybe we shouldn't." She leaned in. "If you can't fix this, it wouldn't be right to leave them as a pony either, would it?"

Sunburst drew her fork away, the tomato secured in Pebble's nibbling teeth. "Now you're thinking ethically, but we really only have two choices. Leave them as a rabbit, or pull them the rest of the way to being a pony. We asked them, and they voted pony. I'm just glad they understood us, or that would have been hard." She rubbed behind her head. "One other complication. If they become a pony, they will be just as young. They already want me to be their mother."

Starlight touched hooves to her cheeks. "Aww." She leaned in on the rabbit. "Oh, Sun, you gotta."

Sunburst smiled at that. "You're okay with that? I mean, we are a couple. I can't go adopting a colt without you being involved. Do you want to be their mother too? Or just a sister?"

Starlight gripped her hooves together. "Oh, that's so sweet. I haven't been a mother ever, so maybe I'm not fit, but, I can try, right? I mean, how different could it be to just caring for them as a bunny?"

"Well, now I feel a little better." Sunburst sat back. "But, did you just compare caring for a foal with caring for a bunny?" Using her magic, she bopped Starlight gently. "Stop that! Foals need different things. They need love, love that comes with words. They need to go to school and make friends, and to cry once in a while when it goes wrong. It's a lot more complicated than a bunny."

Starlight sank in place. "I--uh. I see." She waved her hooves defensively. "But, I want to try. I mean, if they're a bunny, and a pony, and a child, they still need love and attention, don't they? We just do that and they're happy, right? We're helping them be themselves! That's the most important thing, I bet."

Sunburst frowned. "You have a point, but this is a big project, even putting aside any decisions. Starlight." Starlight looked up. "Will you help me, with this spell?"

"Duh." Starlight reached to prod her partner. "We're girlfriends. If you couldn't trust on me to help with a magical ritual or three, that wouldn't be a very good relationship, I say." She winked at Sunburst. "I know I'm new to dating, but that's pretty important."

"You're not wrong. Thank you, for that. I mean, this is going to be a lot of work." Sunburst let out a slow breath. "I'll work on a list. We'll need to gather the components."

"Hit me up!" Starlight slid to her hooves, just to jump as Pebble landed on her back. "Oh, looks like I get a passenger. Guess I'll take our little bunny for a walk."

Sunburst slid down to her own hooves. "I'll get to work. Expect that list by the time you get back. Enjoy your walk!"

Starlight held a hoof up in salute. "I'll try!" She walked out of the room with Pebble riding on her back. "Okay, little guy, time for a fun jaunt."

With a smile, Sunburst watched them go before trotting off to her room. "Let's make this happen." She floated over a quill and a selection of books to get her research done. "We're making a pony! Wow, that sounds a little odd." She hook her head and got to work, determined to help Pebble as best she could.





Sunburst was pleased to see Twilight again at the school. "This is going to be my first real staff meeting." She watched Twilight as she unlocked the door to her office, the pair alone. "How many other teachers am I going to meet?"

Twilight pushed open the door to her office, unleashing a verbal storm.

"Surprise," shouted every teacher in the school, clearly having waited for Sunburst to arrive. Pinkie's party cannon blasted confetti everywhere as she giggled and cheered.

The other teachers were closing to greet the newest member of their team. Rarity brushed off a few confetti flakes as she came in. "Darling, this is so very exciting. Really, ethics in magic? I wouldn't have thought of that. So very clever of you."

Sunburst smiled, but edged back a step as Applejack came in close, picking flicks of color from her mane. "Guess the cat's outta the bag. Nice to see ya again." She nodded at Sunburst. "It'll be great havin' you 'round! I teach classes too, just so you know, in case you're a little nervous. You'll pick it up right fast, I'm sure."

Apple Bloom gave her a little wave. "Hiya."

Sunburst blinked at the little voice, looking down at the filly. "You work here too?!"

"Only as a helper sometimes." Apple Bloom giggled as she bounced in place. "I get to do lots of little jobs around the school, to help out, and make things easier."

"Welcome aboard, Sunburst." Twilight strode past to her desk, where Pebble rested, glowing with Twilight's magic. "Apple Bloom and the other Crusaders are mostly cutie mark specialists, and their talents come in handy sometimes. This little guy is going to be our subject. He'll be Pebble for a little longer, but I was thinking of a name change for him. He does seem to want to be a pony, and their current form doesn't seem to let them speak much."

Pebble squeaked as if in reply to that, but there were no words in there.

Sunburst rubbed at her cheek. "Let's wait on that. We can ask him after he has his voice, instead of pushing another name on him."

Twilight blinked, startled, but she recovered quickly. She threw a leg over Sunburst, hugging them close. "That sounds very ethical, if you don't mind my saying. Very well! Let's get Pebble on their hooves, then we can ask them how they want to be identified."

Sunburst nodded, and Twilight released her from the hug. Sunburst moved over to examine Pebble with her magic, feeling the flows of energy within the rabbit. "Interesting."

"What's that, darling?" Rarity slid in next to Sunburst. "That is a very cute bunny." She reached out to pet Pebble, seduced by the rabbit's relaxed acceptance of affection. "And your first project, I hear, dear? I do hope you'll keep up the excellent work."

"I'm doing my best." Sunburst reached under Pebble, hefting them up gently with her magic. "Pebble's a good bun-colt. Oh! Twilight, ma'am." She drew out a slip of paper and pressed it against Twilight, its glow shifting from Sunburst's color to Twilight's as they passed it. "Here's the list of things we need. Um, thank you."

Twilight tucked the list into her side. "Thanks, but no 'ma'am'. Just Twilight."

"Right, Twilight." Sunburst took a step back, adjusting Pebble in her magic. "But, since you are my boss, and I am your employee, I think that might be a little forward of me."

"Tweety, then," interrupted Pinkie as she joined in, pressing into Sunburst's side. "That's a good title."

Sunburst blinked, stunned.

Pinkie tilted her head. "Fine, go with Twilight then."

"I think I will," Sunburst laughed out. "Thank you, all of you." She turned to face as much of the faculty as she could at once. "I will do my best to enrich the students, right alongside you all. I will need your help, and make myself available if any of you need a hoof in return." She dipped her head as they began to clap. "Thank you."

"Woohoo," cheered Rainbow Dash, breaking up the moment. "I know somepony else who did a whole speech like that. Welcome aboard!" She spun around Sunburst, flying loops as she celebrated the new addition to the school.

Fluttershy smiled. "I'm glad we have a new teacher. We have been a little short handed, and the students do need someone to talk to about magic." She tapped at her chest. "Not just the unicorns. The other creatures have magical questions too. The hippogriffs all wear magic and changelings can do spells, um, for example."

Sunburst looked to Pebble. "I'm honored. Now, let's get to work on the magic part." She rubbed Pebble's head with a hoof. "Are you ready to become a pony?"

Pebble squeaked and nosed against Sunburst's hoof, appearing pleased if nothing else.

"That looks like a yes." Sunburst set their hooves back down. "Thank you all, again. See you in the halls."