Abhorsen : Friendship is Free-Magic

by MerlosTheMad


Chapter 10 : There Will Be Cake

On the edge of a town, just south of the wall—the wall which separated the region named the Old Kingdom and the country Ancelstierre—lay a house. The house was of the farm variety and sat a good distance from any neighbors. Inside the house, there was a room, and that room contained a bed, a chair, a wash basin, but little else. It was a dull room, and the door that kept the room closed off from the outside world, was a dull door. The wallpaper in the room was torn, stained, and of course, dull, as well.

In the center of the room, was a single, lilted form that breathed unsteadily from the circumstances that had transpired for her. The form's mane hung straight at her side. The circumstances which she faced had very much brought her into a state of doubt, of fear, and of depression.

She was alone; Pinkie Pie, was alone.

Worst of all, there was absolutely nothing to do in the room at all, which most would consider an unbearable quality, but for Pinkie Pie it was quite literally the last straw. Or, as she preferred to say, the last cherry on the ice cream sundae.

Pinkie's sudden appearance in a strange setting, surrounded by even stranger creatures, had been worrying, but it was made more so by the fact she had been swimming after her bestest friend, Rarity, when it had happened. Actually, all of her friends were her bestest friends, but that was besides the point. What did matter was that she had somehow come to be in a completely confuzzling and bizarre new world.

"All I need's ah smile, smile, smiiile..." Pinkie Pie sighed the words out, then looked up from the floor again and towards the door, the rest of her staying prone. The hope that her host would return with good news of some sort constantly badgered her worried pink brain. Anxious, she pushed herself up with a huff of air, done with moping for now, and began trotting in a circle. It wasn't much unlike what Twilight did when she was thinking, and all Pinkie could do at the moment was just that, thinking.

"Just where is he?" Pinkie asked aloud, thinking for the moment of the funny looking creature that had apparently found her the other day. The tall, furless and pasty skinned critter called a human—whom she was praying would return soon—went by the name Fenwick.

Pinkie Pie stopped her circling and sat down abruptly on her rump with a thud. "Alright, recap, Ms. Pie!" She held a hoof under her chin and focused. "Just the other day you woke in a stranger's house. The stranger in question wasn't just a stranger because you didn't know them though, they were a stranger because they looked strange too." She flopped on her back and began staring at the ceiling, pedaling her hooves while speaking aloud, unable to stay still.

"It turns out that you're in a strange, weeeird country called Ancelstierre with strange, weeeird magic called charter magic, only the magic doesn't work that good this far south for some reason. The strange stranger tells you is name is Fenwick, which is a strange name! Then he says to you that he doesn't know what's going on and has never even seen a pony before, let alone Princess Celestia, and everypony knows her!" Pinkie sighed and let her legs fall limply to her sides with a clunk, still watching the ceiling. "Or Rarity... Which is... really sad." She sniffed once and fought back tears that tried to come back, then exploded into a bounce all of a sudden and stood up.

"But that's okay!" Pinkie grinned at the door. "Because Luna can apparently spy on pony's dreams, although she doesn't spy on them that would be wrong and she's too great a princess for that! So great in fact, that she found Rarity and she's alright and might even be here with me because she's staying with hoomans too!" She remembered well the fun she had just last night with Princess Luna, after running around and screaming for a bit of course. Maaaybe that wasn't the nicest way to say hello to Nightmare Moon— er, Luna, but I was just so excited! She snorted back some laughter and sat down for the second time. "Now where was I? Oh right!" A sigh escaped Pinkie as she recalled some of the sadder news she had received from the equine princess.

"She found Rarity, but not Fluttershy and Twilight, and they're missing too..." Pinkie Pie's mane defrizzed again and fell flat against her side slowly, stricken by the thought of anypony wanting to hurt her or her friends. I hope they're okay... She stood up and re-began to trot in a circle once more. "Does that just about cover everything?" Humming, her normally bouncing, candy filled mind ran over the rather dreary and unfortunate circumstances she now found herself in. Likewise, her tummy rumbled up at her in response to the flickering mention of candy and baked goods going on at Pinkie central.

"Not now stomach, I'm busy thinking." Pinkie reached back and jabbed at her undercarriage distractedly, staring towards one wall of the windowless room.

For Pinkie Pie, the boredom was of course unbearable ten fold with the addition of worrying, and with nothing to ease her mind it took quite a bit to take her mind off of things. Luckily, a knock came at the door just then.

"Fanny!?" Pinkie's grin plastered itself to her muzzle immediately. "Is that you?" She stood and trotted anxiously to the door, grateful that her savior had reappeared finally.

Sunlight poured into the room as one of the two doors opened a crack. "Pinkie, don't call me that, and you were supposed to ask me the challenge, remember?" A greying, wrinkled head poked in around the edge of the door and scowled down at the pony. His voice was as scratchy as a hundred Rainbow Dash's, and sounded old enough to make Granny Smith seem young.

Pinkie made confused face, which promptly binged into realization a second later. "Oh yeah! Sorry, I've been distracted... Uhm, now what was it? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" Strangely enough the human only stared back at Pinkie. Maybe that wasn't it? "Oh, I know! How many dragons does it take to screw in a light—"

"Nevermind... Pinkie, that's fine." Fenwick sighed and limped into the room. "I brought you some food, and no it's not cake, so don't ask..." He paused, and it didn't take more than a moment for the man's quiescent nature to be overrun by the excited pony.

Pinkie stood up on her hind legs in imitation of Fenwick; she felt that it took some of the spotlight off the human. After all, she didn't want him to feel like an outsider. "Yay! But Fanny guess what, I have good news, great news! News almost as great as—"

The human set down the basket he carried and growled out a warning. "Pinkie..." The room was silent, and after a moment he crouched beside the basket to dig around its contents. "At a normal volume, please."

"Oh, right, sorry, I get excited easy." Pinkie Pie laughed nervously and settled back on her haunches. "Well I just wanted to tell you I spoke with my princess last night—"

"What?" Fenwick exclaimed in shock and looked up. His eyes searched around the cluttered old side shed to his home, but it was as empty as always, minus the magical creature he now housed in it.

Pinkie blinked in surprise at the speed from which the human looked up from the basket, a scrumptious looking bread roll in his fist. It was a little strange, the food humans ate looked alright, but it tasted super funny. Almost as if they had some sort of super special secret ingredient in everything that nopony knew about, or was missing one that her own baked goods had. The thing was she knew she didn't always use a secret ingredient, and so far Fanny wouldn't tell her if he used one. Maybe he's just really good at keeping a secret— Whoops he's talking to me again.

"-Pinkie, are you listening? Are they here now?" Fanny took a step towards her.

"Oh, no way, silly billy! I spoke to Princess Luna in my dreams! I didn't tell you about her yet, just Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie— Oh wait, that's me..." Pinkie giggled and rocked back and forth on her hind-quarters, beaming up at her helpful human friend. "So, I—"

Fanny cut her off though, which was okay; it was his home after all and who was to say that humans didn't just do that a lot. "So they aren't coming here?" He visibly relaxed, obviously disappointed that help wasn't coming after all, just like she had been disappointed.

"No... I wish they were, but the princess is in Equestria and doesn't even know how to get here! Even worse than that, she also said that several of my other friends are missing too, including Rarity, the bestest best friend I told you I tried to save..." Pinkie let out a sigh.

Fenwick raised a curious eyebrow at the strange creature that had come into his possession, nearly having a heart attack when it again bounced into its normal hyperactive state.

"But that brings us back to even more great great news! Rarity is okay! She might even be here somewhere, because she's met a bunch of hoomans too! She's at a college called Wyverly, have you heard of it? Because if you have and I bet we can find out about it really really quick then we can go there and you can use your super special way to get both Rarity and I home!" Pinkie Pie could barely contain all of the excitement that was again bubbling and churning in her. Hours with nothing to do but draw hoof-art in the dust had done a lot to quell the happiness, but now that Fanny was filled in on everything she could hardly wait. "So when can we go? Can we go now? Rarity, I mean Luna, said that Rarity said that there were lots of adorable little human fillies. Before you send us home could I maybe throw a party or two for them? I mentioned that parties were my special talent didn't I—"

"Pinkie, stop!"

Pinkie blinked and buttoned her lip politely. She watched as Fanny groaned loudly and rubbed one of his hands—which was a funny name for them—against his head, then fell back against the door, rattling the old boards against their hinges.

"Are you okay?" Pinkie swallowed and shuffled her hooves.

"Pinkie, what did I say earlier? " Fenwick schooled his face with difficulty to a calm state, trying the best his old temper and face could manage not to look angry.

Pinkie Pie smiled calmly, "I'm sorry, Fanny. I'm just so excited that she's okay, even if Twilight and Fluttershy are missing too, Luna says that she can find them maybe and..."

"That's fine, but what I said though, what was it?" Fanny interrupted again, then handed down the crusty roll he'd been holding towards Pinkie, and she took it from him slowly with one hoof.

"That your old nerves can't quite handle my perkiness?" Pinkie Pie put a questioning tone in her quavering voice, despite knowing full well the lecture she'd gotten right after meeting old Fanny-pants.

"Exactly, I've spent far too long a time scraping by and dealing with crooked neighbors to be able to handle..." Fenwick eyed the pony, unsure exactly what to make of her. "Well, to handle you, Pinkie, not that I mean any offense by that."

"You remind me of Cranky Doodle, Fanny, except you're not quite so grumpy, just really strange, and taller." Pinkie giggled, and normally about then she would have given a friend a hug, but Fanny had told her no more hugs, so she didn't.

"I'm not as grumpy, eh? Heh." Fenwick pulled up the lone chair in the room where he was keeping Pinkie hidden, then sat. "He was another pony, like you?" he asked, his gravelly voice was a sharp contrast to the pink Equestrian sitting across from him, as was everything else about the lanky man. The gray and brown stubble on his face was ragged and unshaven, completely different from the thin, smooth pink fur-coat which Pinkie possessed. The simple clothes he also wore could have been used for anything from working to farming, but they held not a pinch of color.

"Oh no," Pinkie swallowed the powdery bread roll whole with a gulp. "He was a donkey." She grinned across at Fanny cheerfully.

Receiving a grunt for a response, Pinkie grinned bigger and pressed on. "So... I hate to be a naggy mcnaggerson, Fanny, but could we look for Rarity really soon? She's really close to the wall too! I told Princess Luna all about how we were just south of it like you said, and about all the monsters and untrustworthy hoomans and stuff that you warned me about and are protecting me from—thank you so much for that again by the way—aand she said, Princess Luna that is, that she would tell Rarity and find out more from her. Either way, I couldn't tell them where I was because I remembered—silly me—that I never asked you what town we were in!" Pinkie laughed as if it were a joke, but even something as simple as her own mistake was worth a laugh for her, usually. Anything with good news like finding out a friend was okay, was worth even more laughter.

Fanny put on a look that Pinkie couldn't quite make sense of, he almost looked worried, and he definitely looked sorta like he was thinking really hard. Oh, maybe he's really constipated? Granny Smith gets a look that's sorta like that sometimes when she can't quite go. I wonder if he'd mind if I asked? He seems to hate it when I ask too many questions... She worked hard to keep the frown from her own thinking off her face. Oh, what if he's thinking about what I'm thinking about and that's why he's frowny-wowny? Because I'm frowny-wowny? Huh, circular frowning.

One of Pinkie's hooves tapped up and down against the floor, her thoughts keeping her company until an answer would come. She had learned early on that patience was required with Fanny, as he seemed to do a lot of careful thinking, which reminded her a great deal of Big Mac. He smells funny though. Fanny, that is, not Big Mac... Her nose wrinkled at the thought of the weird sweaty garlic-like smell Fanny carried around with him. Maybe I can buy him some cologne as a thank you present! Then again, I think Rarity mentioned once that was a faux pas... Either way, it wasn't quite enough to thank him for helping her out so much, but she would play things by ear.

"Well, I guess I had better be going then." Fanny stood up from his odd looking chair quickly, and opened his mouth to speak again before Pinkie could interject for once. The decision was sudden, and surprising to Pinkie. "I heard what you said Pinkie, I know where Wyverly is, too..." He wore the same face that looked deep seated in hard decision making. "I'll try my best to get you there, but it may take some time..." The oldish human trudged towards the door, then returned carrying the basket in his gnarled grip. "You're right, once we get your friend, too, we should be able to send you home. Be patient though, please." One of his hands came down and smoothed Pinkie's mane gently.

Pinkie stared up at him, smile growing wider with each promise as she listened. The petting she didn't mind, although it was certainly a bit odd, or at least it would be from where she came from. It had occurred to her that it was normal here though, so she hadn't said anything since it was all the same to her anyway. "Eee, I can't wait!" She practically rumbled where she sat on the ground, hooves barely able to sit still. "I'll be able to see Gummy, Applejack, Scootaloo, Old Stallion Mr. Waddle, and everypony else again—!"

A finger pressed itself quickly against her muzzle, muffling Pinkie's voice briefly. She grinned sheepishly up at Fanny-pack. "Shorry," she chirped out past his finger.

"Remember, Pinkie, you need to be quiet, this is a really dangerous world. It isn't nearly as kind or forgiving a place as the one you told me about." Fenwick gave her a fatherly smile, she knew it was a fatherly smile, because Poppa Pie used to give her that one a lot. "Just be patient, I'll be taking you to my friend soon, and from there everything will turn out alright, okay? You'll see."

Pinkie Pie had to resist the urge to hug the old human again, and nodded happily while he waved and shut the door behind himself. She roll over on her back and flailed her hooves briefly. "Oooh, I can't WAIT!" A jubilant, dreamy sigh escaped her while she looked at the oddly cobweb filled rafters of her temporary hiding place. "As soon as I'm home, I am going to help Princess Celestia tear through every BOOK in Canterlot to find and bring Twilight and Fluttershy home." A serious look traded onto her face not a second later. "And if I ever catch the somepony who did this to my friends and I, I am going to give them the noogy of the millennium." Her hooves rubbed together anxiously, desperate to take revenge on the one that had tried to hurt her, her friends, the townsponies of Ponyville, and maybe others.

Assuming it is a somepony, anyway, and not a coincidence... Pinkie rolled over and looked at the intricate dust drawing of a cake she'd made earlier. I only sorta have a feeling there's a somepony behind this though... It could be coincidence too, but her rear felt jiggly, and that usually meant a villain was ahoof. After Discord had failed to set off her Pinkie sense though, she had her doubts about what that particular one actually meant. Maybe it just means I need to go on a diet like Fluttershy said? One of her hooves scratched under her chin thoughtfully.

Pinkie blew her forelock of fuzzy mane out from in front of her face, then looked up again towards the door. "Hold on, everypony, whatever is going on, Detective Pinkie is on the case." Her only regret was not bringing any valuable props or fun items for dramatic flare, other than a few knick knacks in her mane— "Oh! Never mind, I did bring it." She grinned around the bubble pipe as she stuck it happily in her mouth. "Now, I just need a hat..."

"Really!?" Rarity shouted with pure, unadulterated exuberance right into Princess Luna's face. The shout continued to echo somewhat in the Canterlot-like throne room which the two ponies occupied in Rarity's dream.

The Princess winced in return and laid her ears back against her head. "Now I understand why ponies disliked my use of the Royal Canterlot voice so," she muttered disdainfully.

"Yes, Rarity, and there is no need to shout when so close..." Luna smiled in return to the shame-faced look her subject gave her. "What's more, Pinkie Pie has also found help from these humans, and it seems that the one she is staying with is quite helpful." She had been worried about that, that her subjects might be in the clutches of some sinister force or hurt, and she would be powerless to help them. It was good to learn the opposite had come to pass.

Rarity stood to sigh dramatically, "This is the best possible thing, Princess," and then fell over onto a couch that merely appeared out of thin air to catch her. "Please tell me everything. Is there any news of Twilight or Fluttershy?"

The unicorn watched the princess with a guarded, worried look, as though she may already know the answer.

"None, I'm afraid," Luna replied quickly, "but I found Pinkie right after you, Rarity. With the number of days that you were all missing before I found you, I surmise that perhaps our other friends have simply not... arrived, to wherever it may be that they have gone. It's just a theory, but..." Luna stirred a hoof on the tiled floor while she drifted off.

"I'm sure that's exactly what it is." Rarity affirmed and smiled, nodding her head enthusiastically. "And after we've found everypony, we can all get to work on getting home!" She jump hopped off of the couch, landing gracefully, then posed for effect.

"That is where I would like to come to my next point, Rarity." Luna began anew in a pleased tone, "It seems that Pinkie's human may also know something of how to get you home." She smiled confidently, in almost a smirk towards the unicorn already brimming with excitement from the news. "Perhaps better than your 'Abhorsen', judging from the description Pinkie Pie gave at least. It sounded as though 'Fanny' as he his called," Luna made a look of consternation while saying the name, but didn't falter, "knew of a sure-fire way to get her back to Equestria, to put it lightly."

Rarity gaped at Luna, "Wha— that's fantastic!" She held up a hoof to her muzzle and awkwardly worked her shocked expression into a cool, ladylike smile. "I should have never worried to begin with, it seems. Why, with all this help from everypon— I mean everybody here, we'll be home in time for dinner, Princess."

Princess Luna nodded confidently to her lost subject. "Let us hope that such will be so, Rarity, though Pinkie also bore very dire news as well. It would seem that she too is near the wall, and there are quite a few dangerous humans so close to it, as well as terrible monsters of a very violent and deadly nature." Her eyes grew serious as she spoke, "Pinkie claimed that Mr. Fanny was hiding her from several dangerous humans in her area that may wish a pony harm, for no other reason than to do it, as well, or as Pinkie said 'for no good golly gosh darned reason at all.'" The royal equine muffled a snicker with one foreleg, then coughed and refocused.

"I see... now that I think on it, the girls here did mention that being out at night wasn't allowed for them, but I didn't think anything of it. They are young, after all." Rarity furrowed her brow and thought hard, thinking back through things. "Now that I recall, the humans do seem quite... combative, there was a brief misunderstanding when I first met one face to face." She gulped, recalling the frightening memory. "It seemed that she had thought I was something dangerous, and Sabriel has mentioned that there are quite a number of things of that nature, things that honestly sound at least as dangerous as something to the effect of timberwolves, and perhaps more so."

The air remained still and quiet in the wake of Rarity's exposition of information. The dire talk going between the two of them brought up a good many concerns. In light of such things as monsters, there were other points to be had from Pinkie that were floating in both of their own minds.

A smirk reappeared on Luna's muzzle as a light whimsy took hold of her. She picked up from where she had stopped matter of factly, eager to change the mood in the dream-space. "Unfortunately, other than being near this 'wall' the same as you, Rarity, Pinkie does not know exactly where she is. So, I told her to find you at this 'Wyverly College'. I hope to bring news that she will be coming tomorrow night."

Rarity's weary consideration shifted and began battling it out with an overwhelming smile which fought to split her face in two. The news of her friend was simply fantastic to hear. "I simply can't wait, Princess. Pinkie will no doubt love the children here; they're quite the adorable bunch." She looked up at the sky, thinking now of what to do when she returned home. I imagine Sweetie Bell will want to spend the next week or so at my side, the poor dear, but at least she's safe. The news that Luna had given her at the beginning of tonight's reconnoiter had been reassuring. That everypony was aware of her well-being was also nice.

The news regarding Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been a little unsettling, and Rarity felt terrible that they had been struggling so hard to find them in the Everfree, but at least they could rest now.

Some vestige of the homesick thoughts Rarity was having must have been apparent, for Luna took wing for the briefest of moments and alighted in front of the smaller unicorn, before saying, "Trust in us my little pony, no matter what happens we will fight to return you home. Trust in harmony, also. With it, all will be unveiled as but a curtain of mist before the coming dawn. We promise you."

Rarity stared up dumbly at the princess and her sudden display of reassurance and prose. "I— yes, Princess. Thank you," was all she could manage, and she gave the royal equine a bow. A surprised squeak was squeezed out of her by a sudden grip. Her eyes stared all around, the rest of her all at once in Princess Luna's embrace.

"This is from everypony, Rarity, especially Pinkie Pie, or so she says." Luna held the surprised unicorn back out at leg's reach and regarded her. "We will get you home, for now, stay safe," she added, an edge to her voice.

Rarity's shocked look exchanged again for her cool smile. "I will, and I simply cannot wait."

Luna stood up, holding her warm smile a moment longer, taking her sister's lessons to heart as best she could. Celestia's words echoed in her thoughts. Be there for them, Luna. You are all they have of home right now. Please, sister, be strong for them, be their pillar. Her throat caught while she thought of her sibling. I will Tia, I will. "Will you be alright, Rarity? I should be going."

"Oh, so soon, Princess?" Rarity was taken aback by the suddenness at which Luna was already prepared to leave her. "I wished to tell you more of the humans and the filly's. There may be other things and... well—"

Rarity bit her lip, staring up hesitantly at the midnight blue pony's regal stature. I guess I just didn't expect you to go so soon, but I remember you need to find Fluttershy and Twilight. The thought remained with her after she recalled that she was not the only missing pony. "There will be time for that after we're home though I imagine. Good luck, Princess, and please, return Pinkie's gift for me." The hug had been one of the nicest gifts she'd ever received, given the circumstances.

Luna nodded while her horn lit up in its royal blue glow. "I will, rest easy, Rarity, and good luck with those studies. Hopefully they will not be needed."

The morning weather around Wyverly college had remained warm and sunny for the last two days, which was excellent what with the traveling that Rarity had planned with Abhorsen during their first meeting. Although, she also had to consider Pinkie's apparent means of getting them both home. I suppose we will not need to do any traveling at all now. She had wondered the thought several times since awakening. Which method of getting back to Equestria wasn't worth dwelling over, she supposed, as there was no way to know until things came to pass. Just a little longer until Abhorsen comes, and then we can give him the good news. Although, with all this good luck we've been having, maybe Princess Celestia will beat everyone to the punch and get us home? She giggled at the hopeful idea. Still, despite the comforting thought of human help arriving, she was anxious over the news from Pinkie, as well as still not knowing where exactly her fellow pony was.

The sound of the lesson going on in front of Rarity drew her attention from her thoughts, and she refocused on the class which she sat comfortably at the back of on a repurposed seat for her use.

"Now, class, I want you to pay close attention to this demonstration—"

Rarity hummed over the oddity of the human's magic. It was so much more rigid than her Equestrian variety, almost as if it had been designed rather than something that had sprung into being; at least, that was the leading theory that she thought she'd heard Twilight go on about at one time or another.

"—As you all know, with more difficult charter spells it is just as important to focus on drawing the charter symbol as it is envisioning the symbols in your mind's eye.

Sighing while watching the room, Rarity absently rubbed at a particular spot upon her forehead with a hoof, namely, the spot where she had just minutes ago received something called a 'charter mark'. It was explained that somehow the little glowing symbol was an integral part of using the art directly. The explanation was of course lost on her, or what a baptism was, but she held out hope that things would make more sense soon. I still don't understand why having a wind from the north was important at all.

Rarity huffed another sigh, and decided to raise her hoof in the air to ask a question, just like at a filly's schoolhouse. She was ready to try and get her bearings on what was being shared up front.

"Rarity, do you have a question?" Ms. Greenwood surveyed her newest student coolly, resting the long pointer stick she wielded on her desk.

Rarity tried not to stare at the instrument. "Uhm, yes, I understand the basics of how your... charter magic works, even managed to be singed by it earlier thanks to Sabriel," her fur was still crisped on one leg from the aforementioned misadventure her friend had caused. "However, I still don't quite understand what this thing I recieved is. I say 'thing' because for all that I can tell from the way it's spoken of that it is actually tangible, although it's no longer visible. Am I wrong? Is it the source of the Charter you use?" It had confused her to no end and she had finally worked up the courage to ask for a proper explanation, although even with the words in the open already she still felt silly.

The sound of giggling from around the room brought a little heat to Rarity's cheeks, but she smiled patiently along with the cheerful girls. The class in particular which she sat in was very small, numbering only nine fillies in total.

"Oh, well that's simple enough. Hm..." Ms. Greenwood turned from Rarity and looked around, then nodded to a girl that had been eying Rarity's cutie mark nearly all class. "Moiraine, you've been exceptionally inattentive and must feel you don't need to learn anymore of my curriculum to pass. Care to explain to our guest what the charter is believed to be?"

The girl-in-question's eyes shot up, wide as saucers. "Uuh," she looked around as if for help, before shaking her head and looking towards Rarity. "The charter is a— a..." Very clumsily, the girl paused to glance down at her desk, and began reading from something. "'The mysterious and eldritch art of performing and circumventing unexplainable forces to perform one's bidding.'" Her eyes wearily looked up at Rarity, then flickered to Ms. Greenwood and back to her desk, obviously hoping to be done.

Ms. Greenwood sighed and rounded the corner of her desk. "Yes, very well read from the book." The clicking footsteps her hard shoes made were barely audible over the giggling of the other girls in the room. "Everyone quiet. To put it more intelligently than whatever buffoon wrote our basic study material, Rarity..."

Rarity's eyes widened a sliver at hearing an author be spoken of so. Oh dear, well, to be fair that wasn't very informative. Not for the first time she took a moment to consider if it was worth the effort to try learning the human's magic, even if it may be a key to getting home.

Upfront, Ms. Greenwood continued speaking in her academic tone, "The charter symbol is far more than just a thing, but you very perceptively may have deduced some of its origin. Indeed, the symbol we bear is not the Charter's source." Her eyes and cool smile swept down over Rarity, then towards the girls in the room. "The charter is manifested by great stones in the north, whose own beginnings are as much legend as they are rumor. We do, however, know that they do what... Sabriel?" The teacher stopped beside the raven haired girl.

Sabriel straightened up and looked at her unicorn classmate. "The Charter Stones create and maintain the charter, but to build on that the charter is believed to be a manifestation of order and harmony between the elements, the world and its inhabitants."

Rarity's ears perked up at hearing this. "Harmony?" All of the eyes in the room turned towards her, creating a heat of nervousness on her face from the suddenness. "Oh, well, harmony is quite the important aspect of our own world; magic is its own aspect there, but harmony ensures that everything works properly. Oh, but we don't have any great stones that do what you described... at least, I've never heard of any. Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Greenwood..." She smiled confidently, trying her best to hide any embarrassment she may show from butting in.

"Not at all," Ms. Greenwood smiled back at her. "Perhaps our worlds differ less than we think, Ms. Rarity." She turned away, "Anything else? I thought next we could move outside and demonstrate a few simple spells rather than continue on cooped up in here through the heat of summer."

Again, all of the girls' eyes swiveled from the teacher and towards Rarity, eager, hungry expressions on their faces. It took a moment, but Rarity realized that the decision to move outside had been placed on her. "O-Oh, well, certainly, I would very much like to—"

The explosion of cheering from all around the room drowned her out, at least, that is, until Ms. Greenwood slapped her teacher's pointer against the desk with a reverberating crack.