//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Hocus Pocus // by Pegasus Rescue Brigade //------------------------------// “So let me get this straight,” Honeydew panted as she struggled to keep up with her friends. “We’re going to rescue Scuffle?” “Yep,” Dinky said bluntly as she pushed open a large door with her magic and dashed into the stairwell behind it. “You do realize we can’t do a thing to stop his brothers,” Honeydew pointed out. “We can’t,” Dinky agreed, “but if we can get back to the residence towers before they do, maybe the overseers can!” “But that’s hardly any better!” Honeydew argued. “If the FrostFire Twins find out we’re interfering with their intentions, then we’ll be targeted. If Scorch and Frosty were after me, I’d waste no time dropping out of this school!” “We’re not gonna let them find out!” Clarity said. “If we get there quick enough, we can let somepony know and then get away before the twins and Scuffle even arrive. Why else would we be galloping through the school like our lives depended on it?” “If we’re too slow, we’re gonna get caught, so our lives kinda do depend on it,” Honeydew deadpanned. “Exactly! Run faster!” The fillies burst out the side door of the castle and looked wildly around. “There’s no sign of them,” Dinky said breathlessly. “Hopefully that means they’re still in the castle. Hurry!” Dinky led the way as the trio climbed the stone incline leading to the promontory on which the residence towers sat. “Ok, so you told me how we’re helping Scuffle,” Honeydew continued, unwilling to let the topic drop, “but you haven’t told me why! What reason has he given us to stick our necks out for him?” “He hasn’t,” Dinky answered simply. “But right now, he needs our help. I know you don’t like him; I don’t like him much either, but I’m not going to let him get beaten up just because of that.” Honeydew tried to formulate another argument, but ran out of time as the fillies reached the tower. “Sparkler!” Dinky called as she scurried into the building. “Are you here? We need your help!” The room was deserted. Dinky ran to Sparkler’s private chamber and pushed open the door. The bedroom was littered with books and the bedcovers were a mess, but there was no sign of the young mare. “She’s not here,” Dinky said. “Now what?” “Let’s go see if Presto’s around,” Clarity suggested. “Are you serious?” Honeydew asked. “Scorch and Frosty will be coming up the path any moment. We’ll be caught!” “Not if we hurry!” Dinky and Clarity bolted from the tower. Honeydew shuddered, but after a moment’s hesitation she followed her friends. The fillies hammered on the door of the colts’ tower until it was opened by a confused-looking blue unicorn. “Uh, hi,” he said awkwardly. “What is it?” “Is Presto here?” Dinky asked frantically. She tried to lean past the colt to look around the chamber, but her head collided with a hard, invisible surface. She quickly remembered the barrier spell meant to keep fillies out and backed up, blushing. “Yeah, I think Presto’s in his room,” the colt said. “Could you get him?” Clarity asked. “Like, right now?” The colt nodded and shut the door, leaving the fillies out on the landing. Honeydew turned around and watched the path warily. For several minutes, the fillies stood in silence, but nopony from within the tower came to the door. After a few minutes, Honeydew gave a fearful squeak and backed against her friends. “They’re coming!” she said urgently. “I can see them down there; they just left the castle. That means they’ll be here in about a minute!” Dinky turned back to the door and lifted her hoof to knock again, but it swung open before she got the chance, revealing the black and white colt she was looking for. “Hello, girls,” Presto said pleasantly. “Sorry for the delay; I was in the middle of helping a friend who lives at the top of the tower, so it took me a bit to get down here. I take it Sparkler’s not around, since you’ve come looking for my help, right?” “Right,” said Dinky. “There’s not much time to explain. The FrostFire Twins are coming, and they’re not too happy with their younger brother right now. You’ve got to stop them from hurting him!” “Or us…” Honeydew added timidly. Presto didn’t wait for further explanation. His horn lit up, and the girls were concealed with what Dinky quickly realized was a considerably powerful invisibility spell. “Stay still,” Presto mumbled under his breath. The colt left the fillies standing out of the way and slowly backed into the residence tower, leaving the door open just a crack. Soon, the voices of the colts traveling up the path became audible. “Come on, guys,” Scuffle whined. “This has gotta be some kind of misunderstanding! I’m plenty tough! Us tough guys gotta stick together, right?” “Aww, sorry bro,” said Frosty with mock sympathy. “You’re not quite as tough as you think. But don’t worry; because we’re such awesome brothers, we’re gonna fix that for you.” “I know how you two fix problems,” Scuffle mumbled. “It’s somewhat more painful than how most ponies fix problems.” “Well, you could decline our ‘help’,” Scorch said in the same patronizing tone, as he continued to drag Scuffle along by his tail, “but that’d just be worse. See, if you’re not tough enough, you’ll ruin our image. That means we’d have to treat you like everypony else. And you don’t want that, do ya, Scuff?” Scuffle rolled his eyes. “So, my options here are get roughed up, or get roughed up as punishment for not letting you rough me up. Gee, which should I choose?” “You’re in no position to mouth off!” Frosty snapped as he yanked open the tower door with magic. “Be quiet, or when we get in there we’re really gonna—” “Going to what, Frosty?” Frosty jumped when he realized he’d come nose to nose with Presto. The big grey colt backed off rather quickly. “Oh, hey Presto,” said Scorch in a voice positively dripping with false goodwill. “How’s the, uh… overseeing coming along?” “Fine,” said Presto sternly. “Mind telling me what exactly it is you’re doing there, Scorch?” Scorch realized Scuffle’s tail was still suspended firmly in his magic’s grip. He dropped it and backed up until he was next to Frosty. “Nothin’,” he insisted. “Just having a chat with little Scuffle here.” “I’m sure you are,” said Presto sarcastically. “I think you two had better head inside for now, just to make sure you’re keeping out of trouble. I need a moment to speak with Scuffle alone.” Scorch and Frosty exchanged a glance. “You’re the boss,” Scorch said. “Come on, Frosty.” “Don’t worry, Scuffle,” Frosty said, grinning maliciously. “We’ll finish our little ‘conversation’ later.” The twins pushed past Presto and slammed the tower door, leaving the overseer outside with their younger brother. Scuffle stood and brushed the gravel from his coat. “So… what’s up, Presto?” he asked awkwardly. “What did you need to talk to me about?” “Oh, nothing really,” Presto admitted. “I was just helping you out of that sticky situation. I don’t know what you did, but you of all ponies should know not to get on Scorch and Frosty’s bad sides.” “Wait, you just did that to help me?” Scuffle asked, surprised. “Uh… thanks.” “It’s not me you want to thank,” Presto chuckled. “I wouldn’t have been here to help if I somepony hadn’t warned me you were in trouble.” Scuffle cocked his head. “Somepony warned you? Get real, Presto. There isn’t a single pony at this school who would go out of their way to help me.” “Apparently, there are three,” Presto countered, “and they’re the ones you ought to be thanking.” Presto finally dropped the invisibility spell, and Dinky, Clarity, and Honeydew looked at one another as their bodies came back into view. Scuffle’s jaw dropped. Presto smiled at the colt’s reaction. “I’ll leave you four to chat,” he said, turning toward the tower door. “Do try to stay out of trouble, Scuffle. I doubt you’re going to have backup like this all the time.” Presto nodded in farewell and disappeared into the tower. “What was that all about?” Scuffle asked. “I didn’t expect you three to actually help me. If Scorch and Frosty had seen you with Presto, you woulda’ been in trouble.” “That’s what I said,” Honeydew pointed out. Scuffle pointed at Honeydew and grinned. “This filly gets it,” he chuckled. “Yet here you three are. I appreciate the help but… why’d you bother?” Dinky rolled her eyes. “Are Clarity and I the only ponies who don’t think doing something simply because it’s the right thing to do is strange?” she asked. “Well, maybe I would have understood that if I was a stranger,” Scuffle said. “But we’re not exactly on the best of terms. I know I wouldn’t help someone who’d put me through the kind of trouble I’ve put you through.” “We’re not on bad terms,” Clarity pointed out. “I’d call it something more like neutral terms now. We can’t just erase the past, but we know you’re trying to be kinder. Heck, that’s how you wound up in that situation in the first place.” “True,” Scuffle mumbled. “Well, thanks a lot for the help. It’s not gonna change anything, though. My brothers are great at singling me out and cornering me. I don’t have any friends to keep an eye out for me and get a professor or an overseer like you girls just did, so it’s only a matter of time until they give me their ‘lesson’ in being the kind of pony they’re willing to respect.” Dinky furrowed her brow. “You don’t have any friends?” she asked. “Why would I?” Scuffle asked bitterly. “Up until now, I’ve been either ignoring everypony, or treating them like I treated you three, just so I could keep my brothers from turning on me. Now that that’s happened, I’m kinda on my own.” Scuffle’s expression seemed indifferent as usual, but Dinky couldn’t help but feel that the colt was simply hiding his feelings. “Let me ask you something, Scuffle,” Dinky said levelly. “Does that… does that bother you at all?” Scuffle shrugged. “I guess,” he admitted. “I’m used to it, though. It’s already too late for me to make any friends at this school.” Dinky looked at her friends. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking, right?” Clarity nodded. Honeydew looked alarmed but said nothing. After a moment, Dinky turned back to Scuffle. The colt just stared at her, looking bewildered. “Listen, Scuffle,” she said quietly, “now that you’re on your brothers’ bad sides anyway, there’s no more reason for you to act like a big bully, right?” “I guess,” Scuffle said once again. Dinky extended a hoof. “Well, then I’ll be your friend, Scuffle. If you want, that is.” Scuffle eyed the filly’s outstretched hoof disbelievingly. “You're just gonna overlook what I've done?” he asked. "You're not serious, are you?" “I am serious,” said Dinky. “I’ll treat you like a friend if you’re willing to treat me like one.” Scuffle blinked. “I… wow, I didn’t think you’d, you know… give me another chance,” he stammered. “Anypony who is willing to change deserves another chance,” Dinky assured him. “Now, are you interested or not? I’m getting tired of holding out my foreleg.” Scuffle smiled. The expression caught Dinky by surprise; it wasn’t a smirk or a devious grin, just a plain old pleased smile. He reached out and shook her hoof. “Alright, yeah. Friends.” “I’m up for this too,” Clarity announced. “Dinky and I hang out together all the time anyway, so there’s hardly a reason not to be friends too.” Scuffle shook Clarity’s hoof as well. “Thanks, Clarity,” he said sincerely. “I’ll, uh, try my best to do the same.” Scuffle turned to Honeydew. The pink filly stared back at him, her expression vacant. Scuffle raised his forehoof halfway, and Honeydew backed away another pace and looked at the ground. Scuffle cleared his throat awkwardly. “Right. I kind of figured that might happen. Totally understandable.” Honeydew chanced a glance in Scuffle’s direction before reaffixing her gaze firmly to the earth. “Alright,” Scuffle said, trying to move the conversation past the uncomfortable lull, “Dinky, Clarity, I’ll see you two soon, I hope. And thanks again for what you did with Presto and all.” “Don’t mention it,” Dinky replied. “See you later.” Scuffle waved, and after a final glance at Honeydew, he turned and trotted off toward the castle. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next two weeks were particularly busy. The term, which ran from spring until late autumn, was just about to reach its halfway point. The students prepared for the inevitable change in their schedules; some elective classes only ran for half the term, and would be replaced with new ones once the second half began. Dinky spent some time finishing papers and projects for the classes that were coming to a close, but luckily, only a few were leaving her weekly schedule, so she and her friends still found a little time to get together. Scuffle remained rather introverted. He sat with the girls during meals and occasionally joined them to study, but usually kept quiet while doing so. Dinky often tried to include him, but whenever she got him to open up and participate more actively in a conversation or activity, Honeydew would become more reserved or even come up with an excuse to leave for a while. Dinky found herself unable to do much, other than hope Honeydew would warm up to the colt with time. So far, Scuffle seemed to be avoiding the full force of his brothers’ grudge toward him. He told Dinky that Presto had begun to keep a closer eye on the three of them while they were in the residence tower, which quickly proved a very useful change Dinky spent more time with Sunbeam as well. His schedule gave him plenty of free time that coincided nicely with Dinky’s, and the two of them headed to the deserted classroom several times a week to practice the strange, alternative magic while Clarity, Honeydew, and Scuffle were in class. Soon, the last day of the first portion of the term had arrived. Dinky sighed in relief as the bell rang, bringing her half-year Magic in History class to a close for the last time. She swiveled in her seat to face Sunbeam. The colt smiled in greeting. “Hi, Sunbeam,” the filly said. “Looks like we made it through the first half of the term.” “Looks like it, yes it does,” Sunbeam agreed. “So… are you up for a little practice today?” Dinky frowned. “I dunno, Sunbeam. I’m still tired from last time. These spells are hard work.” “Oh. Well, um… could we just do a short session? There’s one new spell I really wanted us to try, yes there is.” Dinky chuckled. “You are really dedicated to this stuff, aren’t you?” she asked. “Fine, I guess just a little practice wouldn’t hurt.” “That’s the spirit, yes it is!” Sunbeam cheered. “Come on, we’ll go right now, yes we will.” Sunbeam trotted down the hallway, clearly thrilled. Dinky fell into step next to him. “So, do you feel like your body is adjusting to the magic yet?” Sunbeam asked. “I bet by now it feels less strange than it did the first time you tried it, yes I do.” Dinky nodded. “Yeah, it doesn’t take much effort to bring the magic into my horn anymore,” she admitted. “It’s still really weird, though; my body has stopped fighting back when I try to summon the spells, but there’s still something in the back of my mind that just doesn’t feel right. I can’t put my hoof on what, but something about those spells still bothers me a bit.” “Maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you, yes it is,” Sunbeam suggested. “Perhaps deep down you still don’t feel right because your body is trained to expect spells to behave in a certain way. The mind’s hesitation to use the spells outlasts the body’s unwillingness to cast them, yes it does.” “So… that nagging feeling will go away on its own?” “Definitely,” Sunbeam replied. “Just practice with me for a little while longer, and you’ll soon find the difference between casting regular spells and alternative spells just… disappears!” Sunbeam gave an unsettling chuckle that turned into more of a gurgle. Dinky stopped and stared at him, slowly raising an eyebrow. “Sorry,” the colt mumbled. “I have a bit of a cold, yes I do.” A welcome distraction appeared in the form of the door to the abandoned classroom. Sunbeam quickly pushed it open and the foals entered the room. “So what’s this ‘special spell’ you mentioned?” Dinky asked impatiently. “Let’s give it a few tries so I can get going. It’s been a busy week and I need a break.” “It’s a spell that you will probably find very useful, yes it is,” Sunbeam proclaimed. “It is a fire conjuring spell. A similar spell exists within the realm of normal magic, of course, but they don’t teach it here until the third year of our study, no they do not.” Dinky looked around the room. “But there’s no fireplace in here,” she pointed out. “It’s just wood panels. We shouldn’t practice fire spells on a flammable floor.” “Quite right, yes you are,” Sunbeam said. “Wait right there.” Sunbeam trotted to the blackboard and felt around on the ledge for chalk. Finding a half-used stub from a long forgotten class, he returned to Dinky’s side and scribbled a series of interconnected triangles that formed a ring on the floor. Dinky looked at Sunbeam suspiciously. “Is that a magical symbol?” she asked. “Yes,” Sunbeam declared. “It will prevent any conjured fire from spreading beyond the edges of the design, yes it will.” “But… how did you even learn about those?” Dinky questioned. “You can’t even take a class on use of simple runes here until your second year. Compound symbols like that one are probably fourth term material.” Sunbeam swallowed. “Well, uh—” “You’re a nice colt, Sunbeam, but something about your background in magic seems off,” Dinky said. “Why do you know so many things that first term students aren’t taught?” “I-I just do a lot of research!” Sunbeam said defensively. “It’s not like advanced spells are off limits to younger students, no they are not! The library has an entire section on magical symbols; I just looked into it for safety reasons when practicing spells like this one, yes I did!” Dinky sighed. “I guess that makes sense,” she admitted. “Sorry for accusing you. There’s just something so… so different about you. I just can’t figure out what.” Sunbeam pouted and looked at the floor. “I bet that, combined with my speech, is why all the other ponies avoid me, yes it is,” he muttered. “I thought you were a pony who looked beyond that, yes I did.” “I am!” Dinky insisted. “I’m sorry, really. Come on; let’s try your new spell.” Sunbeam’s mood lifted instantly. “Okay, just copy me,” he said. The colt’s horn erupted with black light. He lowered his head and shot a bolt of energy into the center of the ring. A powerful black and purple flame sprung up immediately, casting much more intense heat than Dinky had expected. She backed away from the flames until the heat was no longer uncomfortable. The chalk lines on the floor blazed with purple light, and as Sunbeam had promised, the fire did not extend past the circle. Sunbeam let it burn for a few more seconds and then cast another spell. The purple ring flashed white, and the fire was snuffed out as quickly as it had been conjured. “Now you try,” he instructed. “Call forth the magic and imagine that spot consumed with black fire.” Dinky concentrated. Her body offered little resistance this time, allowing the alternative magic to flow forth into her horn. Dinky paid no heed to the blackness on her horn or the violet energy around her eyes as she focused on the chalk circle. The magic gave a loud crackle as the filly let it loose, and once again, black flames sprung up inside the ring. Awesome! Dinky thought. With this, I can destroy anything with flame! An instant later, she paused and shook her head forcefully. Wait, what? Why am I even thinking that? I don’t want to use magic destructively. Sunbeam noticed Dinky’s apparent discomfort. “Are you alright? You look shaken.” “How do I cast the spell to put it out?” Dinky asked quickly. “Just pour base magical energy into the circle,” Sunbeam explained. “The design is already meant to extinguish the fire when activated by magical energy.” Dinky lit her horn. A few more black sparks flew, but after a second the usual yellow returned. The filly energized the circle and the fire vanished. “Easy, yes?” Sunbeam asked. “Yeah,” said Dinky breathlessly, “but I think I’d really better get going. I must be really tired; I’m not even thinking straight anymore.” Sunbeam nodded understandingly. “Get some rest, then. Practice can wait until next week, yes it can.” Sunbeam flashed a genial grin, and Dinky returned it. She trotted from the room as Sunbeam began to erase the chalk circle. Her reaction was intriguing, yes it was, he thought to himself. She is making progress just as quickly as I had hoped. We only have to keep this secret for a short while longer, and then if she finds out the truth, it will be too late, yes it will… The colt gave another gurgling chuckle as he drew the light from the orb and exited the room. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Alright, maybe I just need to adjust one of the light output layers. Which one do you think is messed up?” Dinky looked up from the novel she was reading long enough to roll her eyes. “Give it up, Clarity. This spell is beyond you.” Clarity stamped a hoof. “It is not beyond me!” she insisted. “I am going to figure out this invisibility thing if it kills me!” It was Saturday afternoon. Dinky had chosen not to make the journey home to Ponyville this weekend, and she and Clarity were spending the afternoon relaxing in the student lounge between the two residence towers. Or at least, Dinky was relaxing. Clarity had decided to jump ahead a few chapters in the Practical Magic textbook and test out invisibility spells, and Dinky couldn’t help but giggle each time the grey filly’s attempts led to some bizarre color change or unnerving translucency. “Quit laughing!” Clarity whined, as her latest attempt at invisibility managed to invert the color of her mane, leaving it a fierce orange. “Sorry,” Dinky hiccupped, trying to force herself to stop giggling. “Why are you doing this, anyway? Professor Morningstar doesn’t expect any of us to manage total invisibility yet; it’s way more complicated than the spells we’ve been practicing in class.” “I know, but it was just so cool when Presto turned us invisible a couple weeks ago,” Clarity admitted. “And I still say that my special talent must have something to do with illusions! If I can just manage a total invisibility spell, I’ll get a Cutie Mark for sure!” “You remind me of some friends back in Ponyville,” Dinky said. “They’re always going way out of their way to get their Cutie Marks. You’ll get it when it’s time to get it. There’s no sense worrying about it.” “Cutie Mark or no Cutie Mark, this is still an awesome spell,” Clarity said stubbornly. Clarity tried the spell again, and this time, she managed to match her color to the backdrop entirely. For a split second, it looked like she’d managed the spell, but as soon as she moved, her position was revealed; the spell on her coat failed to change to match whatever was behind her. Dinky had to cover her muzzle with a hoof to stop herself from bursting into laughter. “Did you really just change your coat to match the colors of everything around you?” she asked. Clarity snorted indignantly as the usual grey and blue hues returned. “Hey, come on. It was the best attempt so far.” She glowered at Dinky, but she couldn’t hold the mock serious face for long. Soon she too dissolved into laughter. “You have a point, though,” the grey filly admitted. “A very detailed color change isn’t even in the same ballpark as actual invisibility. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up, though.” “At least take a break,” Dinky urged. “I’m gonna go outside for a little while. You should come too.” “Go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Clarity said, lighting her horn again. “I just wanna give this a couple more tries.” Dinky nodded and trotted through the doorway connecting the communal lounge to the fillies’ tower. Just as she stepped through, the front door of the tower swung open as well, and a purple rump that clearly belonged to Sparkler backed into the room. “I told you I’m not interested, Presto!” Sparkler said forcefully as she stood in the doorway. “Just leave me alone, I’m busy!” “Don’t get so defensive!” Presto replied from somewhere outside, beyond Dinky’s range of vision. “All I asked was if you felt like joining me for a game out on the grounds, since it’s such a nice day.” “I don’t have time,” Sparkler said quickly. “I don’t know how you manage to be so laid back; you’re an overseer for Celestia’s sake!” “You always say you don’t have time,” Presto said, more quietly. “You’ve been saying that for four and a half years now. There’s not much time left, Sparkler. Don’t you wanna have a little fun before we graduate and leave this place for good?” “I am here to study and to perform my duties as overseer, not to enjoy myself,” Sparkler answered as she backed fully through the doorway. “I don’t want to go out and have fun.” “Don’t want to?” Presto asked. “Or… won’t allow yourself to?” Sparkler’s horn flared, and she slammed the door so hard the vibrations could be felt halfway up the tower. She turned and noticed Dinky standing by the lounge door. “And what are you looking at?” the older filly snarled. Dinky noticed Sparkler’s expression was a little more severe than usual. The overseer was blinking back a few tears. “Nothing, Sparkler,” she replied quickly. “I was just on my way outside.” “Well, get going,” Sparkler hissed, turning away. “I have lots to do, and I don’t need you first-term foals underhoof.” Dinky hesitated. “Sparkler? Is there something going on with you and Pres—” “None of your business!” Sparkler yelled, cutting Dinky off. “Get out of here. Now.” Dinky sighed and hurried out the front door before Sparkler got any angrier. What exactly is going on between Presto and Sparkler? the filly wondered. A colt as friendly as Presto can’t actually have something to do with the reason Sparkler’s always in such a sour mood, can he? Dinky looked back at the tower, where Sparkler had most likely locked herself away in her room as usual. I can’t let myself be bothered by this, Dinky decided. I have enough things to deal with without getting wrapped up in the overseers’ business too. Trying her best to focus on something else, Dinky trotted away, leaving the tower and the grumpy overseer behind. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Monday at breakfast, Dinky and the other fillies took a moment to compare schedules and see if any of the mid-term changes would affect them. “Well, we still have Practical Magic,” Clarity said absentmindedly as she pored over the chart. “Enchantments and Transformation and Conjuring are full-year classes too.” “And Dinky and I still have Magical Biology,” Honeydew added. Dinky looked down her own list. “Do either of you have Astronomy?” she asked. “My tutor suggested I sign up for that. Looks like I have it on Tuesday night.” Clarity shook her head, and after glancing quickly at Honeydew’s schedule, shook it again. “Sorry, Dinky. Looks like you’re on your own for that one.” Dinky shrugged. “Eh, it can’t be any worse than having Magic in History without you two,” she said. “Are there any other new classes in there?” Clarity looked. “I have Magical Artifacts on Friday,” she said. “It’s in the afternoon, after Transformation.” Dinky had almost forgotten to check Friday, since she was so used to Magic in History filling the afternoon slot. She grinned when she saw that she too had been assigned to Magical Artifacts. “Looks like we’ll have that one together,” she said, giving her tail a cheerful flick. “What about you, Honeydew?” “I have Friday afternoon open now,” Honeydew said, “which is good, because I have a class now on the day I used to go help Professor Chestnut with research. I’ll have to talk to her about moving our weekly meeting.” Clarity glanced at the clock. “Do that later, Honeydew,” she said quickly. “It’s time for class.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new week played out much the same as usual, until the time came for Dinky’s first Astronomy class. The course was held late in the evening, as expected, and the usually busy castle seemed almost deserted for once as Dinky made her way to her classroom. Or at least, Dinky tried to make her way to her classroom. The Astronomy hall was inside a turret in a part of the castle the filly typically had no reason to pass through. After a few minutes of baffled wandering, she gave in and retrieved the map of the Academy from her saddlebag. Dinky continued to trot aimlessly forward as she tried to determine her position on the map. She rounded a corner and collided with another pony. “Whoops! I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I don’t really know where I’m going and—” Dinky looked up from her map and realized the pony she’d run into was none other than Scuffle. “Dinky?” the colt asked. “Wasn’t expectin’ to see you here. Where are you headed at this time of night?” “Class, actually,” Dinky replied. Scuffle raised an eyebrow. “At this hour? It’s not Astronomy, is it?” “It is.” Scuffle raised his eyebrows. “Well, how about that. I’m on my way there too.” “Oh, that’s a relief,” Dinky said. “I thought I was gonna be stuck in a class with nopony I knew again.” “Clarity and Honeydew aren’t in this class?” Scuffle asked, as he and Dinky continued toward the classroom. “Nah.” Scuffle chewed his lip thoughtfully. “That might be for the best, actually. It’s pretty obvious that Honeydew doesn’t like me too much,” he said. “I’ve been trying my best not to upset her these last couple weeks, but it’s just a lot easier to be myself when she’s not around.” “Is that why you’ve been so quiet lately?” Dinky asked. Scuffle nodded. “It… it just doesn’t sit right with me, what I did to her,” he admitted. “I don’t blame her; she has the right to be uncomfortable, I guess. Heck, I’m lucky that you and Clarity were able to give me another chance; it would have been a little too good to be true to expect all three of you to forgive me right away.” "What about your brothers? Have they given you any more trouble?" "Not lately," Scuffle said. "Presto put up a magical ward around my room after a while, because it was obvious they were out to get me. It's kinda like the one around the colts' residence tower that keeps the fillies out, except it doesn't let anypony pass except for Presto and me. I still have to watch my tail when I'm outside the tower, though." At last, Dinky and Scuffle arrived at the door they were looking for, located at the very end of a long hallway at the back of the castle. Dinky pushed the door open and was somewhat confused with what she found on the other side. The room was clearly a classroom, but it wasn’t quite what she was expecting. It was a circular chamber with a very, very high ceiling, built entirely of darkly colored bricks. The room was lit by one half-charged illumination orb and dozens of candles glowing faintly with bluish-purple flames. The desks were more like tables; each had room for two foals to work instead of one. At the front of the room was a wheeled blackboard, on which somepony had written “please choose a seat” in overly intricate cursive hoofwriting. There were no decorations, nor were there any windows. “Yecch,” Scuffle grumbled. “This classroom looks like it’s probably looked the same for the last couple centuries.” “There aren’t even any windows,” Dinky observed. “How are we supposed to do Astronomy if we can’t see the sky?” Scuffle rolled his eyes. “This is probably another one of those stupid classes that’s all study and no practice,” he said. “Then why hold the class at night in the first place?” Dinky asked, bewildered. That stumped the colt. “You know… I don’t know,” he answered. “Anyway, these desks are for two ponies. I don’t know anypony else here, so… wanna be partners or something?” Dinky shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” The foals proceeded to one of the remaining open desks and sat down. The class remained relatively silent as a few final students entered the room and took their seats. Minutes passed. No professor arrived. “Do you think the professor’s running late?” Dinky asked quietly. Scuffle rolled his eyes. “Maybe he or she had the sense not to bother to come to this rat hole of a classroom.” Suddenly, the room was filled with the grating sound of metal on stone. Several students jumped in surprise and looked around for the source. An iron portcullis descended from the classroom doorway, reaching all the way to the ground in a matter of seconds and thus sealing everypony in the room. “Whoa, what!?” Scuffle yelled, standing up and giving the metal barricade a good shake. “It’s stuck! We’re trapped in here!” There was a loud, low rumble, and the whole chamber began to shake. Dinky clutched her desk for support, and Scuffle staggered sideways from the vibrations. After a moment, the entire floor began to move upward. “This whole thing is some kind of gigantic elevator!” Dinky gasped as the platform that held the entire classroom made its way up the interior of the turret. She watched the sealed door, which remained at ground level, disappear entirely. “So now what?” Scuffle asked as he finally managed to return to his chair despite the shaking. “If this keeps moving, eventually we’re going to be squashed against the ceiling!” “This whole thing has to be purposeful, right?” Dinky asked, wishing she felt as sure as she sounded. “This place is old, but it’s still part of Celestia’s Academy. It’s not like we’re in some booby-trapped dungeon or something.” Several more moments passed, and soon the platform was only a half-dozen pony lengths from the ceiling. Still it did not stop rising. Many of the students began to panic. “Uh, Dinky,” Scuffle murmured, “If you’re right about us not being in danger, then something kind of needs to happen right now!” As if on cue, the seemingly seamless ceiling suddenly parted. The two halves of the circular roof slid apart, leaving a wide, round opening. The platform continued to ascend into the open air before finally coming to a shuddering halt when the floor became flush with the uppermost surface of the turret’s walls. The view was fantastic; the classroom floor now sat atop one of the highest towers in the castle. Dinky could see the rooftops of all the other wings of the huge, irregular building, as well as every structure built into the valley nearby. Most of the buildings were dark, but the windows of the distant residence towers glowed with the energy of dozens of illumination orbs. A balcony was built around the entire circumference of the raised classroom. At its edge was an ornate railing, functioning as the only barrier between the students and a dizzying plummet to the roof of a lower part of the castle or possibly the valley floor. Telescopes and other astronomical instruments were set up around the balcony. Dinky looked at Scuffle, who appeared just as amazed as she felt. “Alright, I take it back. Not really a rat hole of a classroom after all.” “There’s one thing that still doesn’t make sense, though,” Dinky pointed out. “Shouldn’t the professor have entered the classroom before it rose to the roof?” “What’s that?” Everypony turned toward the student who had cried out, and followed his gaze skyward. A large silhouette appeared in front of the moon. The shape spread its wings wide and began to descend toward the tower. Dinky squinted at the shape, struggling to tell what it was as it approached. Soon, she could make out the familiar outline of a pony. “Wait a second, is that—” Dinky was cut off as the descending figure gave off a burst of dazzling, deep blue magical light, revealing its identity to the students. The silhouette became a familiar midnight blue alicorn with a mane like the starry sky. Gracefully, she touched down on the stone floor next to the chalkboard. “Good evening, my young unicorns,” she greeted loudly. “I am Princess Luna, and I will be your instructor for this Astronomy course.” There was a collective gasp. A few students quickly climbed out of their chairs and bowed before the princess. The rest followed suit. “That will not be necessary,” Luna said. “While this class is in session I am your professor first and your princess second. Sister says this arrangement will put you more at ease during lessons.” Luna cleared her throat as the students returned to their chairs. “Now, I expect some of you may be feeling a bit surprised right now,” she continued. “After all, to my knowledge, no notification was given that I would be conducting this class. I have only been back from my extended stay on the moon for about two years now, but Sister believes I am prepared to take on a teaching role once again.” “You’ve been a teacher before, Princess?” one filly asked. “I know this Academy is old, but I thought it was established within the last thousand years.” “It was,” Luna said matter-of-factly. “Do not think that there was no such thing as magical study before the establishment of this academy. I aided many a scholar in astronomical study in Equestria’s days of old. Due to my connection with the night sky, in these recent years I have been oft regarded as the greatest modern authority on the subject in all the land.” Luna lifted a piece of chalk with magic and trotted to the chalkboard. “And on that note, I suppose we should get started,” she announced. “I take it none of you have had any formal instruction in Astronomy before, so we shall begin at the beginning.” Luna looked toward the pedestal holding the illumination orb and instantly put out the light within it. She then gave a mighty flap of her wings, the gust extinguishing all the candles and leaving only moonlight and starlight to light the classroom. “There are two heavenly bodies with which almost all ponies are acutely familiar,” Luna said. “What are they?” Nopony moved. “This is not a trick question,” Luna added. “Just call out the answer, if you wish.” Dinky decided to chime in. “The sun and the moon,” she answered. “Correct,” Luna said, nodding. “Each day, the sun and the moon pass over Equestria, due to the continued efforts of Celestia and myself. Most ponies know that it is Celestia’s job to control the sun, and mine to control the moon. Naturally, this means Celestia reigns over the day, while I rule over the night.” Luna paused, staring at the night sky pensively. “While I cannot deny that I find night preferable, I have come to realize the benefits of both night and day,” she said finally. “Astronomy, however, does not focus solely on the sun and moon; it is a study of all the heavenly bodies in the skies beyond our fair Equestria, and how their energy affects the magic unicorns wield.” “Wait, the stars have an influence on magic?” a green colt asked. Luna nodded. “It is for that very reason that unicorn scholars have taken such an interest in the subject. Positions of constellations and alignments of planets channel certain energies through the cosmos. Some spells are so powerful that they can only be properly utilized when the astronomical conditions are correct.” Scuffle raised a hoof, and the princess nodded in his direction. “But… can’t you just change the positions of the stars?” he asked. “As Princess of the Night, I thought that would be another of your duties.” For the first time since arriving, Luna smiled. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, my child,” she said. “I do not control the stars. They remain in place; they just become impossible to see during the day, as Celestia’s sun obscures their faint glow. Is it because of the softer light of my moon that the stars become visible, but they are always there.” “That’s why it’s easier to study Astronomy at night,” another filly said aloud, “and why you’re Equestria’s greatest expert on it. Right, Princess?” Luna smirked. “Actually, my expertise comes primarily from the fact that I was stranded on the moon for a millennium with little to do but study the heavens,” she said, chuckling. “But yes, my knowledge was vast even before my imprisonment.” The princess gestured to the telescopes on the balcony surrounding the classroom. “Before we can formally begin our investigation of the heavens, we must make sure you are familiar with the primary instrument we will need. There are more than enough telescopes for everypony; choose one and I shall help you learn to focus it properly and train it on distant targets with great precision.” The foals jumped to their hooves and trotted eagerly to the telescopes around the tower’s perimeter. Dinky and Scuffle found two arranged next to one another, and waited for the princess to continue. “Y’know,” Scuffle said quietly, “this might actually be a really cool class.” “I hope so,” Dinky replied as she peered through the lens of her telescope. Scuffle watched the filly fiddle with the device for a few moments. “Hey, d’you think you can help me out when I get behind?” “When you get behind?” Dinky asked. “Not if? That’s a pretty negative outlook.” Scuffle kicked at a loose brick in the floor. “I’m not the best student, ok? I’m not exactly passing all my classes right now. My grade in Practical Magic has come up since I started working with you and your friends, but that’s about it.” Dinky frowned. “Maybe I can help,” she offered. “I’m not in most of your classes, but I can at least show you some study skills. It’d be a shame to see you flunk.” Scuffle looked as if he was about to reply, but after a moment, decided to just smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. For now let’s focus on Astronomy.” “Fair enough,” Dinky said, as Luna began calling out instructions. “Now hush. If we don’t listen to the princess, we’ll both be behind.” Silently, the two foals began to follow Luna’s recommendations and focus their telescopes on the glimmering night sky. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dinky yawned as the classroom floor shuddered and descended back into the tower. “Man, it feels late,” she mumbled. Scuffle nodded. “My brothers are probably asleep already. I should be able to go back to my dorm and crash without any trouble from them.” “You go ahead,” Dinky said as the classroom reached ground level and the portcullis slid open. “I want to talk to Princess Luna for a moment before I go back.” Scuffle nodded. “Fine by me. See you tomorrow, Dinks. Don’t stay up too late.” Scuffle followed the rest of the foals out the door, leaving Dinky alone with the Princess. The mare continued to erase a diagram of a telescope on the chalkboard, seemingly unaware of Dinky’s presence. “Excuse me, Princess?” Dinky squeaked. “Can… can I talk to you for a moment, if you aren’t too busy?” Princess Luna turned slowly around. At such close range, Dinky realized quite acutely just how big the Princess was compared to her. “Of course, child,” Luna said. “Was there something in my lesson that was not clear?” “No, your lesson was fine,” Dinky said. “I actually just wanted to thank you; it occurs to me that you’re part of the reason I’m even at this academy in the first place, and I’ve been waiting all term to meet you and show how grateful I am.” Princess Luna raised an eyebrow. “Of what event do you speak?” she asked, confused. Dinky opened her mouth to reply, but Luna cut her off. “Wait! I think I may understand! I see a familiar pony in you; a pony who surprised me greatly with her selflessness. Tell me, child, are you about to tell me that you are Dinky, the daughter of the pegasus Ditzy Doo?” Dinky grinned. “So you do remember!” Luna smiled broadly. “You really do resemble your mother,” she said. “After Mrs. Doo and her coworkers helped me stop that saboteur from ruining the social event I had planned, she asked me to speak with Celestia about reconsidering your enrollment application. I take it your study with Twilight Sparkle went well?” “Very well,” Dinky said, hopping in place happily. “But it wouldn’t have happened in the first place if it wasn’t for you. So… well, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Luna chuckled. “All I did was fulfill the debt I owed your mother,” she pointed out. “Ditzy Doo was free to ask for whatever she wanted, and she chose to help you. If anyone, it is your mother who deserves the thanks.” “Don’t worry, I’ve thanked mom dozens of times already!” Dinky assured her. “You have with your words,” Luna said, slightly more seriously, “but the greatest expression of thanks you can give, young Miss Doo, is in your actions. It is through your mother’s sacrifice that you stand here today, and I am certain nothing will please her more than to see you make the most of this educational opportunity.” Dinky nodded. “I understand, Princess. My mom has always given her all for me. I’d never do anything to let her down.” “Your spirit resembles your mother’s even more than your body,” Luna commented. “I expect to see you continue to excel, Dinky Doo. Now go; it is late, and a filly must get enough sleep.” Dinky replied with another yawn. “I can’t argue with that. Goodbye, Princess Luna.” Dinky trotted across the dark classroom. She had one hoof out the door when she remembered something important. “Oh! Princess Luna, I almost forgot! Pipsqueak from Ponyville says hi!” Luna beamed. “Tell Pipsqueak that his favorite princess hasn’t forgotten about him. I look forward to seeing him again someday.” “I will,” Dinky promised. “Good night, Princess Luna!” “Good night, Dinky Doo.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning began like any other Wednesday. Dinky, Clarity, and Honeydew woke up at the typical time, ate breakfast with Scuffle, and attended their weekly Enchantments class. It seemed at the time, at least by the standards of Celestia’s Academy for Gifted Unicorns, to be a very normal day. Soon, it was mid-afternoon. Dinky and her friends were in the base of the fillies’ residence tower, where Clarity was once again practicing invisibility, and a hoofful of other spells not connected to any classes. “So, how was Astronomy?” Honeydew asked Dinky. “You got back so late last night you didn’t have time to tell us much of anything besides the fact that Princess Luna is the professor.” “That alone must have been cool,” Clarity said as she struggled to amplify the partial translucency she’d managed to cast. “I wish I had a princess as a professor.” “Princess Luna was a really good teacher,” Dinky agreed. “Scuffle and I both got our telescopes working pretty quickly and got to look at some of the formations on the moon.” “Scuffle’s in that class?” Honeydew asked. “Suddenly I’m not so jealous.” Dinky shrugged. “I dunno, I actually kind of had fun working with him last night.” “And I’m happy for you. But I think I prefer to keep my distance,” Honeydew said, her expression wooden. Clarity’s spell broke suddenly, and the filly groaned as her grey coat became opaque once again. “I still can’t get this,” she grumbled. “I think it’s too dark in here, even with the illumination orb. We need some more light.” “The only way to make it brighter is if somepony lights the fireplace,” Honeydew pointed out, “but none of us know any fire spells.” Fire spells? Dinky recalled her last training session with Sunbeam. The fire spell he’d taught her did not produce conventional fire, but it was easy to cast and to extinguish. The filly had no idea how Sunbeam had drawn the containment circle, but assumed that as long as the fire was started inside the hearth, it wouldn’t be a concern anyway. Sunbeam doesn’t want me to use these spells outside of our practice sessions, though, she thought. Clarity glanced at Dinky. “Dinky’s cookin’ up a plan,” she announced. “I can see it in her expression.” “I… actually do know a fire spell,” Dinky admitted. “It’s an unusual one, though. I learned it from Sunbeam, but I’ve told you before, he wants to keep the spells he’s been teaching me secret.” Clarity tapped a hoof to her chin. “Well… what if Honeydew and I look away while you cast it?” she suggested. “You could keep your method secret, and we’d still have some fire.” Dinky thought about it. “I guess that’s alright,” she said finally. “But don’t peek. Sunbeam will be upset if more ponies learn about these spells before the school wants them to.” Clarity and Honeydew obediently turned to face the opposite wall. Dinky walked up to the hearth and took a deep breath. “Alright, here goes nothing. I’ll let you know when it’s done.” Magic flowed into Dinky’s horn. The filly called forth her reserve of the alternate magic, and waited as her aura darkened to black. She began to prepare the spell. Fire. I need to conjure that same hot, black fire. The glow around Dinky’s horn grew larger, and the magic, as it so often did, began to crackle and spark. Clarity’s ears stood straight up. The filly fidgeted nervously. She chanced a glance at Honeydew, and noticed she looked equally concerned. “That isn’t what I think it is, is it?” Honeydew whispered. Clarity bit her lip and waited, but the crackling sound increased until Clarity was certain there could be no doubt what it was. Against orders, she turned around just in time to see Dinky fire a black bolt of light into the hearth, creating a black flame. The grey filly’s mouth dropped open. Dinky turned around and stamped an indignant hoof. “What the heck, Clarity, I told you not to look! Sunbeam doesn’t want anypony to know about the alternative magic yet!” “Alternative magic!?” Clarity cried, flabbergasted. “No, Dinky, that was—” Clarity was cut off as the fire gave off a loud noise and began to consume not only the log Dinky had cast it upon, but the surrounding bricks. Within seconds, it had spread across the hearth floor and began to work its way up the walls. Honeydew backed against the far wall, and gave Clarity’s tail a yank, pulling the transfixed pony back with her. Dinky was stunned. Sunbeam didn’t say anything about this fire being able to light things that normal fire can’t! she thought frantically. Time for an extinguishing spell! “Don’t worry, I can put it out!” Dinky announced, casting the spell she had used to smother the fire during her practice session. This time however, it had absolutely no effect. All at once, Dinky understood. She turned to her friends, her expression fearful. “This isn’t normal fire at all!” she gasped. “It seemed safe enough when we practiced it, but I think it consumes everything unless it’s contained in that symbol Sunbeam drew. And without the circle, I can’t put it out!” By now, the fire had snaked its way halfway up the exterior of the brick chimney above the hearth. It groaned under the heat and shifted, and a huge chunk of flaming brick broke free, toppling forward into the room and spreading the dark flames even faster. All three fillies screamed. Sparkler burst out of her room, looking annoyed. “Hey!” she yelled. “What’s going on out—” Sparkler stopped and took a fraction of a second to look first at the room, which was rapidly being taken over by dark flames, and then at Dinky, who still had telltale wisps of purple around her eyes. Without wasting an instant, the overseer teleported away. “Sh-she’s gone!” Honeydew squealed. “Now what do we do?” “We’ve gotta get upstairs!” Dinky urged, pushing her friends toward the stairs in an effort to put more distance between them and the roaring flames. “What good will that do?” Clarity asked desperately. “In a few minutes, the fire will engulf the whole tower! We’re all going to burn to death in here!” That was as much as Honeydew could take. The pink filly swooned, and collapsed on the rug in a dead faint. Dinky lifted Honeydew with magic, and just as the trio was about to make for the stairs in the interest of prolonging their life by a few precious moments, Sparkler reappeared in a purple flash, carrying a huge, beaten book in her aura. She placed herself between the fillies and the oncoming flames. “Counterspell! Where’s the counterspell!?” the overseer cried, flipping through the book as quickly as possible. “It’s got to be one of these!” Just as the leading edge of the fire began to lick at Sparkler’s hooves, the young mare found what she was looking for. Purple magic flared around her horn, and then a second, larger cone of magic appeared around the first. Sparkler mumbled an incantation in an unknown language, and dozens of white spheres of energy blossomed from her huge aura. Immediately, each of the shining orbs began to fire forth hundreds of tiny white beams, striking the black fire like tiny lightning bolts. Each time one struck, the fire was beaten back a tiny distance. It took several minutes and the combined efforts of over three hundred of Sparkler’s magic spheres, but eventually, all the fire crawling across the floor and snaking up the walls had been beaten back to a space smaller than a single pony-length. It continued to try to spread, but each time it did, the spheres bombarded it with white light, preventing it from moving. Sparkler’s horn now cast a purple beam that burned a symbol into the already wrecked floor around the fire: a circle made of interlocking triangles. Cautiously, the young mare allowed the white orbs to flicker out, and sighed with relief when the fire failed to extend beyond the boundaries of the ring. Her horn gave one final flash, and the circle glowed white, snuffing out the last of the flames. An instant later, there was a loud grinding sound, and Sparkler leapt back as the rest of the chimney and hearth collapsed into a pile of rubble. Then there was silence. Nopony moved for a good thirty seconds. Sparkler stood in the center of the wrecked lobby, quivering as if struggling to stand and breathing heavily. Dinky became aware that a number of ponies had heard or felt the commotion from upstairs, and were now standing on the steps behind Clarity, Honeydew, and her, all watching in a sort of stupor Sparkler gradually seemed to catch her breath. She finally turned and walked slowly over to the ponies gathered on the stairs. “Is she okay?” the overseer asked, gesturing to Honeydew. “Was she hurt by all this?” “She just fainted,” Clarity said, her voice barely audible. “She’ll be fine.” Sparkler nodded, and then turned to some of the older fillies on the stairs. “Fifth-term students, please escort everypony else outside,” she instructed, “and then get some professors up here to inspect the damage and determine a course of action. I’ll let the dean know myself. We need to make sure at least the upper part of the tower is livable by nightfall.” The older ponies agreed, and teleported to the base of the stairs. At last, Sparkler turned to Dinky, her face devoid of all expression. “And you,” she said. “Come with me. Now.” Dinky tucked her tail between her legs and stared at the floor. “Yes, ma’am.” Clarity and all the other students watched in total silence as Sparkler led Dinky out of the tower. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a long walk devoid of conversation, Dinky and Sparkler arrived at the dean’s office. They proceeded into the waiting room and Sparkler pointed to a chair. “Sit.” Dinky sat. Sparkler disappeared into the dean’s chamber. It was quiet for a long time. In the unbroken silence, Dinky’s thoughts began to race. What happened?! Why in Equestria would Sunbeam teach me such a dangerous spell? If any of the other magic he’s been teaching me is anywhere near as destructive as that was… well, who knows what trouble I might cause if I keep using it! She frowned. Is this all somehow my fault, or has Sunbeam been deceiving me about the purpose of these spells all along? Finally, the door opened. Sparkler strode out and motioned for Dinky to enter. The filly hopped off the chair, but paused before entering the dean’s office. “Hey, Sparkler?” “What?” Dinky pawed at the carpet ashamedly. “Even in the midst of all this trouble, it’d be wrong of me not to say thank you. You saved my life. You saved all our lives.” Sparkler gave Dinky a long look. Then she turned to go. “The dean is waiting.” And she was gone. Dinky swallowed hard and cautiously stepped into Bright Spark’s office. “I-I’m here,” she murmured. Bright Spark looked up from the mess of papers on her desk and nodded. “Well, don’t just stand there,” she commanded. “Sit down. We need to talk about what just happened.” Dinky climbed into the chair across from the old mare. Bright Spark didn’t appear to be seething with uncontrolled anger; there was a hint of something else in her expression, but the filly couldn’t quite make out what. “Well, Dinky Doo,” Bright Spark began, “it seems you’re here because of more serious offences against school code than last time. Namely, the use of strictly forbidden dark magic, and severe damages to the residence tower and endangerment to lives of dozens of ponies that resulted from its use. Before I even say anything more, I’ve just got to ask: what do you have to say for yourself?” Dinky blinked. “I’m afraid I don’t follow, Professor Spark,” she said slowly. “I mean, the fire was my fault, but… dark magic? Is that the spell I used?” Bright Spark rolled her eyes. “If you honestly think playing dumb will get you out of trouble, Miss Doo, then clearly I have overestimated your common sense,” she said icily. “At the moment, I am baffled. I am racking my brain trying to think where in Equestria a first-term filly could have possibly learned how to cast any dark magic at all, let alone a spell of that caliber.” “I’m not kidding!” Dinky insisted. “So, what you’re saying is, those spells that turn my magic black are dark magic?” Bright Spark raised an eyebrow. “Spells? As in, more than one?” Dinky blanched. “No, no, I… uh, I mean, hypothetically. That spell changes the color of my aura, so I assume others like it would do the same.” Bright Spark squinted through her spectacles. “Then yes, those spells are classified as dark magic.” “And dark magic is… widely known for its destructiveness?” Dinky asked tentatively. “Among other negative effects,” Bright Spark said, nodding. “Its use is illegal, and it is considered extremely dangerous by every major unicorn colony in Equestria. I’m sure you’ve demonstrated for yourself why that is.” So Sunbeam was using me! Dinky realized. He’s been teaching me dangerous, forbidden magic the whole time, and I fell for his excuses! Bright Spark leaned forward. “Now, there is no easy way out of trouble, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, Miss Doo. But the best way to do it is to tell me where you learned that spell, immediately.” “I learned them from another student!” Dinky yelled, making the dean jump. “I come from a family with no unicorns, remember? I never even knew there was such a thing as dark magic before today.” Bright Spark looked more interested. “Do tell,” she prompted. “A colt named Sunbeam convinced me that dark magic was an experimental alternative type of magical energy that the professors were studying in secret,” Dinky explained. “He told me he was one of a few students helping with the study, and asked me to help him.” “As I’m sure you have guessed, there is no such program,” the dean replied. “But that means Sunbeam is the one who is responsible!” Dinky said frantically. “I’ll never use dark magic again now that I know what it is! It’s him you want!” Bright Spark stared at Dinky for several seconds. “Describe this ‘Sunbeam’ to me,” she demanded. “He’s a first-term colt, with a yellow coat and orange mane,” Dinky said quickly. “His Cutie Mark is a ray of sunlight breaking through a dark cloud.” Bright Spark stood and strode to her file cabinet. She retrieved a file from one of the drawers and placed it on her desk, removing a photograph from it and placing it in front of Dinky. “Is this him?” Dinky only needed to glance at the picture to recognize the conniving colt that had played her. “Yes, that’s him.” Bright Spark snapped the folder shut with magic. “Dinky, you have just ruined your alibi,” she announced. “Wait, what?” Dinky asked. “I told you who was responsible, and you recognized him! What’s the problem?” “The problem, Miss Doo,” the dean said acidly, “is that Sunbeam has been dead for forty years. He perished in an unfortunate accident in my very first year as dean. I don’t know how you found out about him, but choosing to incriminate him has only succeeded in solidifying your guilt.” “But I’ve seen him!” Dinky cried. “I’ve talked to him! I’ve practiced what was apparently dark magic with him! He can’t be dead!” Bright Spark ignored Dinky completely as she returned Sunbeam’s records to the cabinet and withdrew a different file. The manila folder flipped open as it landed on the desk, and Dinky found herself staring at her own image in a photograph. “I must say, Dinky,” Bright Spark continued, “you and I have been in disagreement since your arrival at this school, and I admit I have been waiting for a reason to incriminate you, but I never thought you’d blow it quite so spectacularly.” It was at that moment that Dinky finally recognized that mysterious look in Bright Spark’s eye. The dean was smug; she realized she’d finally cornered the filly she had such a grudge against. Slowly, the dean withdrew a paper from the depths of Dinky’s file. It bore the royal seal, so Dinky supposed it was the official record of her enrollment at the academy. “You realize, of course, that you’ve left me no choice,” the dean said, not even bothering to conceal her complacent grin. “You’ve broken not only the most important rule of this Academy, but the biggest rule of modern unicorn society as well.” The dean reached over and opened a small metal box on the corner of her desk. She withdrew a rubber stamp coated in red ink. For emphasis, she used her hooves, rather than her magic, to slam it down upon Dinky’s document of enrollment. When she lifted it away, a huge red X covered the page. “I was wondering if I’d actually get my chance to say this…” the dean said, tapping her front hooves together and looking quite pleased with herself. “As of this afternoon, Dinky Doo, you are hereby expelled from Celestia’s Academy for Gifted Unicorns!”