“I’m…not sure this is a good idea…” Twilight said as she trotted beside Trixie through Ponyville’s streets.
Trixie winked at Twilight again. “It’s a perfect idea. Trust me, it was one of mine, so I’d know.”
Twilight forgot her concern for a moment at that, as she smirked. “Your ideas are just perfect by default?” she asked.
“Naturally,” Trixie said, holding her head high and trotting with her nose in the air in true Canterlot fashion. “I’m practically perfect in every way.”
“See, ‘cause my father once told me about this ice palace…”
Trixie stumbled, though it may have also been because, with her nose in the air, she wasn’t watching where she was trotting. She managed to catch herself, though, as Twilight chuckled at the sight. Once she had her four hooves under her again, Trixie joined it.
The two mares had spent most of the hours following their discussion with Tootsie finally doing what they had set out to do – teach the foals magic. Trixie had managed to work in time with each of them, and helped them each learn a new spell, or else refine one that they already knew. Firelock had good control over her fireworks now, while Snips had learned how to change the color of his or another’s mane or coat for a short while. Trixie had shown Alula a trick to allow much more precise control over telekinesis than even Twilight was capable of, while Tootsie Flute had picked up a nascent version of Trixie’s shield spell, though Trixie had been sure to teach her a variant that was not airtight so as to prevent accidents. Sweetie Belle had learned how to magically throw her voice, as well as alter it a little – not much, but she could make herself sound like a different filly. Lastly, Trixie had shown Dinky how to ‘catch’ magic and make it her own, taking over several dancing lights that Trixie had created.
Twilight hadn’t been idle in the meantime, of course. She’s walked each of the foals through the spell stick, until the seven of them knew it well enough that they probably could have taught other foals the spell themselves. They had needed to go over several steps multiple times when a pony would return from Trixie’s private tutoring, but the repetition had actually helped everypony understand what they were doing better. At the end of the lesson, each had been able to cast stick successfully on their first try. More importantly, each of them had a more complete understanding of magic as a result. Twilight had noticed Tootsie as the first one to start examining the spells she already knew through a more technical lens, but each of the other foals had soon joined in. It was in rough terms the equivalent of foals who had just learned multiplication reverse-engineering the steps involved to teach themselves division – on their own initiative. They made some mistakes, but Twilight had been there to help.
The foals also still insisted on feeling their way through magic as well. Snails kept referring to different effects as spicy or sweet or the like, and each of the foals had similar habits, referring to magic as having a taste or color or feel. Twilight found herself more than a little lost each time they did – but, she supposed, no more lost than the look Trixie got on her face whenever Twilight spoke in more complete magical terms.
The foals weren’t quite treating magic like an art, but nor were they approaching it like a science. They’d found some middle ground, some closer to one end and some to the other, but definitely all of them were balancing the two philosophies. It seemed to be working for them, and without having to discuss the matter Twilight and Trixie decided that the fact that the foals were enjoying themselves, while still learning, was enough.
Of course, enjoying learning magic or not, each of the foals were getting hungry, and tired. Trixie had rounded them all up and escorted them home at around seven o’clock. Twilight had resolved to get back to re-shelving library books, but she wasn’t at it for much more than an hour or two when Trixie had returned, no foals in tow this time but insisting that Twilight come with her to the Punch Bowl, the local bar owned by one Berry Punch.
Like most of Ponyville, Twilight noted, the Punch Bowl had fresh paint, new windows, a new sign, and in all ways a new look to the place, as a result of the incident of several months ago. She slowed her trot when they neared, and stopped it entirely just outside the door. She could hear ponies inside, laughing, talking, playing music, and just generally having fun, it seemed. Twilight looked to Trixie nervously. “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she repeated.
“I think it’s a good one,” Trixie countered. “None of the foals cared about the Ursa Minor.”
“But these are adults – maybe even some of their parents,” Twilight objected. “Foals…foals don’t know what danger is!”
Trixie held up a hoof at that. “Most of them were kidnapped by Corona when she swung by the first time,” she pointed out. “They’re doing okay.”
“Because they’re foals,” Twilight emphasized once again. She looked at the bar’s door. “B-but…”
Trixie whickered. “One drink. Just one. It’s a tradition, Twilight, for new friends. A Neigh Orleans tradition. We have to have a drink together at the local.” She waved a hoof at the bar. “It’s a Wednesday night, even. Who goes to the bar on Wednesday? There’ll be maybe six or seven ponies in there, including staff.”
Twilight still had a front hoof raised and her weight on her hind hooves, ready to start galloping back to the library, though the more rational part of her brain knew that teleporting was a much faster option, and as an added bonus wouldn’t require her to break the terms of her house arrest. Yes – just teleport back to the library, it would be easy, she was more than familiar enough with the location now…She stared at the door to the bar and had her ears swiveled to face it like it was a dangerous creature she had just noticed, she felt every fiber in her being screaming to go run and hide…
But, after several long moments, Twilight set her hoof down, and swallowed. She closed her eyes, and forced herself to take in a deep breath, and let it out as slowly as possible, then repeated the process a second time, then a third. When she opened her eyes, she saw Trixie staring at her with her heat slightly tilted to the side, one eyebrow raised.
“Breathing exercises,” Twilight explained. “Found them in a book while I was re-shelving. That not important, though…” she steeled herself, looking at the door to the Punch Bowl – and found her resolve wavering again almost instantly.
Trixie noticed, of course, and stepped closer. “Look, um…” she said, reaching out a hoof and placing it on Twilight’s withers. “Maybe we can reschedule that drink…which maybe isn’t a Neigh Orleans tradition and I just wanted you to get inside and get to know some of the town better. Best intentions, I swear.”
Twilight nodded, though she only half-heard Trixie. “No more running, no more hiding,” she said, latching onto her new mantra in life where the breathing exercise had failed at the moment. “No more running, no more hiding…no more running, no more hiding…no more running…” she stepped forward and put a hoof on the tavern’s door, “…no more hiding.”
In spite of the mantra, Twilight had trotted into Berry’s bar with her eyes closed, which she was pretty sure was a sort of hiding, but a small one. It meant, however, that she was totally unprepared for what happened next.
“Welcome to Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle!” A multitude of voices exclaimed.
Twilight nearly leaped from her coat at the exclamation, eyes shooting open as she looked around in confusion. The tables that normally occupied the center of the bar had been cleared away in order to make room for the ponies crowded inside, which represented a sizable portion of Ponyville’s population, or at least the population of its town center and inner farms. The walls, meanwhile, were decorated with streamers and balloons, while hanging from the ceiling was a long, purple banner with pink lettering proudly proclaiming ‘Welcome Twilight Spakle.’
Twilight might have bolted away in fear – and indeed, the mare’s center of gravity and hooves had once again shifted as though she had intended to do just that – but then her eyes closed on the banner and the misspelling. “Uh – ” she began
She didn’t get any further. A pink pony had bounced over to her almost as soon as she entered, but on seeing Twilight’s look, her eyes widened. She leaped up to the banner, grabbing a ceiling rafter with one hoof as she produced a marker from Twilight had no idea where and edited in the missing R in Twilight’s name. “Sorry!” she called down. “This was kind of a rush job!” she let herself fall back to the ground as she once again trotted up to Twilight, and proceeded to hop around the unicorn with abandon. “Not that I didn’t have any warning, actually I’ve been planning this party for a whole month but I thought we’d have it in the library but then I was talking to Bluie and Bluie said that libraries are supposed to be quiet and some parties can be quiet but surprise parties aren’t, so this was a last-minute venue change and I didn’t quite calibrate the cannon right for the Punch Bowl…oh! I haven’t introduced myself!”
The pony stopped bouncing, landing in front of Twilight, who’s head had been bouncing up and down as she had followed her movements, or tried to. “My name is Pinkie Pie, and this,” she swept a hoof at all the gathered ponies, “is your official Welcome to Ponyville Party!”
“Wh…buh…” Twilight stuttered, looking at the gathered Ponyvillians. “But I…” She found herself stepping forward, mind all but blank and mouth working on its own as best it could. “B-but I brought an Ursa Minor into town! I…I endangered all of you…you should be mad at me…why aren’t you all furious?”
The ponies of Ponyville looked between each other. One of them raised a hoof. “I’m Red Splasher,” he said. “Town fire pony. I once flooded the town hall’s basement trying to put out a fire.” He tapped his hooves together. “It…might have been a bit of an overreaction.”
“Alcohol was involved,” a stallion standing close to him confirmed with a nod, as he affectionately bumped his flank against Red Splasher’s.
Twilight opened her mouth to object, but then another pony came forward, or rather flew on over to Twilight. “Rainbow Dash, weather manager, future Wonderbolt,” she said by way of introduction as she landed in front of Twilight. “I let a wild storm go over Ponyville. Ruined everypony’s day.”
“Not everypony’s,” another pegasus said as she trotted over. Twilight recognized her as one of Trixie’s friends, but she introduced herself anyway. “Raindrops. I got into a fight with a griffin that destroyed half the town square.”
“Ahh, she deserved it,” another pony – Applejack, Twilight recognized from meeting with her earlier in the day, and few weeks before at her trial – said. Rainbow Dash seemed to consider speaking up at that, but then apparently decided against it with a shrug, fluttering her wings as though brushing whatever concern she’d had aside for the moment in favor of just enjoying the party.
Applejack, meanwhile, winked at Twilight, before looking to Raindrops. “Probably coulda’ used a whuppin’ mahself ‘bout a month or two later.” She looked over to one of the ponies behind the Punch Bowl’s bar – Berry Punch herself, Twilight supposed, since she seemed to be in charge back there.
Berry Punch only shrugged at whatever Applejack had referenced. “We all know what I can be like when I get a few in me,” she said, then grinned wickedly at another pony of similar coloration who was behind the bar with her – Cheerilee, Twilight realized. “And when the Punch sisters get a few in them…”
“Things have broken,” Cheerilee confirmed. “Chairs. Table legs. Priceless antiques. The occasional leg or rib.”
All at once, the various ponies in the room all started commenting on things they had done in the past, simultaneously taking the time to introduce themselves to Twilight. Not everypony had a story of their own, and most weren't quite on Twilight's scale, but there were still quite a few tales of property damage, reckless endangerment, and a few monster invasions. Pinkie in particular managed to tell a story about parasprites that she somehow delivered almost entirely in alliteration.
Twilight’s eyes were blinking rapidly. She was aware of a presence at her side, and saw Trixie there, having acquired two cups, currently empty, and a selection of beverages, some of them alcoholic, some of them not. “Bois, Twilight, this is a party,” she commanded, displaying the bottles for Twilight to choose from.
Twilight ignored the choices. “Everypony in this town is crazy!”
Trixie considered for a few moments, before smiling. “Yeah,” she confirmed.
Twilight digested the new, but in hindsight obvious, information before looking at the drinks that Trixie had brought over, selecting one at random with both her front hooves, uncorking it, and sculling back a few gulps. Trixie hid a smile behind a hoof when Twilight finished, and looked at Trixie with determination. “Okay,” the purple unicorn declared. “Okay. Thanks. Now that I know that, I think I can handle all this.” She looked at the bottle. “Might need more of whatever this is, though.” She looked back to the Ponyvillians, who for the most part were having their own conversations now, though a few were most definitely interested in whatever she was going to say.
Twilight held the bottle in the air with telekinesis “I’m Twilight Sparkle, I brought an Ursa Minor into town, and now I’m here to make up for that and to make some friends!”
“Hooray!” The ponies exclaimed as she once again began sculling back whatever drink she had in her hooves. Twilight finished it off, acquired another bottle of the same drink from Berry Punch, and proceeded to try to do something she’d never done before: mingle.
Trixie was no longer hiding her smile behind her hoof as she watched Twilight proceed to mingle with all the grace of a rhinoceros, closing in on Rarity first. She noticed that the bartender – Bubbly Orange, wasn’t it? – watching Twilight as well, though with more a look of confusion in his face. When he noticed Trixie looking at him, he asked “isn’t that just hard lemonade? Wouldn’t she have to drink, like, four or five bottles just to get a buzz?”
“Does she know that?” Trixie asked with a chuckle.
---
Firelock stood somewhat apart from the other foals, making sure there was plenty of room between herself and them. She was also standing in the sandbox, away from the nearby trees of the school, and as an extra safety precaution that Firelock herself had thought up, the foals had a bucket of water standing by.
“Okay…” she said quietly, closing her eyes and running her magic through her horn. “Here…we…go!”
The spell was basically the incarnation of her special talent, so the magic came easily to her horn, and shaping it was an instinctive thing, no more complicated for her than holding one’s breath. With a flash, a stream of light shot into the air several feet and then ignited, burst apart in a shower of multihued sparks.
“Wow…” the other foals – unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies all – let out. They were all gathered outside, along with Miss Cheerilee, the day after Firelock and her friends had met Miss Sparkle and learned magic from her and Miss Trixie. Whenever a foal earned their cutie mark, their teacher would extend recess a bit in order for the foal to take some time to show off their new talent. Firelock was certainly eager to, and Miss Cheerilee had said that a foal who just earned their cutie mark would probably have a difficult time paying attention in class unless they got the time to let their excitement play itself out.
Firelock didn’t stop at her single firework, of course, setting loose another, then a third, each time the colors in different shades. Firelock opened one eye, grinning brightly. “And I can do this, too!” she exclaimed, closing her eyes again and concentrating really, really hard. This was a little more complicated, and truth be told she hadn’t really practiced it at all, but…
She let out another firework, this one soaring a few extra feet into the air before bursting apart. Firelock’s eyes shot open as she watched the sparks take the shape of a five-pointed star – albeit, a very lopsided, uneven five-pointed star.
Diamond Tiara’s head tilted to the side a little. “It’s not very symmetrical,” she noted with a slight whicker.
“Now Diamond Tiara,” Cheerilee objected. “Firelock’s only just learned how to make fireworks at all. She just needs to practice.” The teacher grinned slightly. “After all, I’m sure we remember what it was like when you first got your special talent.”
Diamond Tiara blushed slightly as the other foals giggled, Firelock included. Diamond Tiara’s special talent was accessorizing; on the day she’d earned it, she had come into school wearing a fortune in jewelry, looking absolutely fabulous and pleased with herself – at least until her father and mother had shown up, the latter quite annoyed that she had gotten into her jewelry box and stolen half her collection.
“Don’t worry,” Cheerilee added, patting Diamond Tiara on her withers. “Most foals go a little overboard when they earn their cutie mark for the first time. It’s a very big day, after all!” She turned her attention back to Firelock. “Fireworks, you say? I suppose you’ll be looking to help Trixie out during the Ingathering, then.”
Firelock paused. She actually hadn’t even considered that. “I guess I should make things up to her after what I did to her own fireworks…” she mused. “That’s a great idea, Miss Cheerilee!”
“I’m glad you think so,” Cheerilee said with a smile, turning and trotting back towards the schoolhouse. “Now, you foals enjoy the rest of your recess!”
Firelock smiled, looking up at her horn and setting off another firework, then another, trying to get the star-shaped one right. After a moment, though, she saw Alula sitting at the edge of the sandbox, next to the bucket of water and tapping her front hooves together pensively. “Um…” she said softly – Alula said everything softly. “I-if you don’t mind, that is…I mean, I know you’re trying to be safe and all, and that’s good…”
Firelock shook her head. “No, that’s okay,” she said, making room for Alula in the sandbox. “I should probably do what Miss Trixie said and spend some time learning fire safety from Red Splasher before I do anything else.”
Alula smiled, picking up the bucket of water with her teeth and pouring it out onto the sand, getting it nice and wet to start with so that she could begin her sand castle. She already knew what she was going to try this time – il Palazzo d’Inverno, the Winter Palace of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, located in southern Cavallia. She’d tried making it before with sand, but it required a lot of very fine detail that her hooves weren’t capable of, and nor had her telekinesis been – but maybe with the new trick she’d learned from Miss Trixie, in addition to the way she’d learned to use her wing’s feathers to smooth rough edges, she’d be able to pull it off. Firelock sat down nearby, eager to help.
Elsewhere in the schoolyard, Snips was giggling slightly to himself. He was standing behind Applebloom and Twist, who were playing that hoof-clapping game that fillies always played with each other. The colt’s horn was aglow, and he released his magic in a quick burst the way he’d learned to do yesterday. Twist let out a squeal of surprise at the result as she pointed to Applebloom’s mane, which had suddenly become teal with bright pink polka-dots in it. Applebloom gasped in surprise as well. She whirled around looking for the source, and saw Snips running off, laughing like a madpony. With a growl, she gave chase. Snips only laughed harder – he had to do something to amuse himself since Snails wasn’t around.
Meanwhile, Tootsie Flute was about a dozen feet away from Truffle Shuffle, shifting her weight around between all four hooves in nervousness as Truffle talked to one of his friends about the Wonderbolts. Tootsie took a step forward, then backwards, then three steps forward, then five steps back, behind Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Truffle didn’t notice her antics.
Sweetie let out a long groan. “Come on…” she said, getting behind Tootsie and giving her a small poke with her horn. “Get over there!”
“I think I’m fine here,” Tootsie said, avoiding a follow-up poke.
“Talk to him! You have to talk to him.”
“Trust her on this one,” Scootaloo said, nodding sagely. “Otherwise you’ll just keep it all inside until Hearts and Hooves day, you’ll make him a card, and he’ll love the card, but then he’ll think it’s from your older sister and she’ll ruin everything but it’s not really your fault because you didn’t really think things through when you should have!”
Tootsie stared at Sweetie. She didn’t know the story that Scootaloo was referring to. In fact, it had managed to remain completely private until now. Sweetie turned on the pegasus filly. “Scootaloo!” she objected, turning bright pink. “Why did you say that?”
“Everything worked out in the end, didn’t it?” Scootaloo said. She thought a moment, then smiled. “Hey, that new spell you know…” she leaned over and whispered something into Sweetie’s ear. The unicorn filly perked up at it, then grinned wickedly, rubbing her hooves together as she turned towards Truffle Shuffle, horn glowing and a lime-green effervescence wrapping around her throat. “Truffle Shuffle!” she called – her voice matching Tootsie Flute’s. “There’s something I want to tell you!”
Tootsie’s eyes widened as Truffle turned. “Yeah?” he asked, trotting up to Tootsie. The filly did the only thing she could – panic. Her own horn glowed bright as she used the first and only defensive spell she knew, the shield sphere that Trixie had taught her. She was still new at it, though, and the sphere, lavender in color like her magic, didn’t appear until after Truffle reached her. Thus, he was in the sphere too.
Truffle started slightly when it appeared, while Tootsie was just frozen in place. After a second, Truffle looked to Tootsie. “Uh…” he said. “What…did you want?”
Tootsie stared. “I…I…” she tried. “I…I learned a new spell! From Miss Trixie! It’s this shield! Isn’t it cool?”
Truffle blinked a few times. “Yeah,” he agreed, looking around at it, tapping one hoof against its side. He sat still, waiting a few moments, but Tootsie didn’t do or say anything. “Um…” he said. “Can…can you dispel it?”
“…I can’t remember how…” Tootsie responded. Truffle’s eyes widened, and Tootsie held up her hooves. “B-but that’s okay! It’s a dweomer but I don’t have a lot of magic so I couldn’t put a lot of magic into it so it’ll fade away on its own in a few minutes!”
“Oh,” Truffle said, sitting down. “That’s good. But until then, we’re stuck?”
“Yes.” Tootsie said. “Just…stuck. Together. In a sphere. Marry me.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing!”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both giggled, hoof-bumping each other; Tootsie had, apparently, forgotten that anypony outside her conjured shield was more than capable of hearing inside of it. The two fillies started trotting away when Snips ran by laughing, horn flashing, followed by an Applebloom who’s mane was now polka-dotted and who’s coat had somehow turned blue-and-red zebra striped. “Y’all have ta help me stop him!”
Scootaloo burst out laughing at the sight of Applebloom as Twist, her own coat turned green and tail now sporting rainbow stripes, joined her friend. “Why should – ” she began, when there was yet another flash, and Scootaloo suddenly found herself with a bright cream white mane, while Sweetie Belle’s coat had turned purple.
“That’th why,” Twist provided.
“Grr…” Sweetie growled. Snips had run around the other side of the school house. “Get him!”
The four shot off, rushing the jungle gym that Pipsqueak and Dinky had clambered to the top of and were currently trying to become King and/or Queen of the Mountain, as appropriate and depending on who fell off first. Dinky was older than Pipsqueak by a year, and taller too, but on the precarious (but safe) bars of the jungle-gym, size didn’t count for much and at times was a detriment. Also Pipsqueak was just better at navigating it than Dinky was, and was stronger than his size suggested thanks to being an earth pony.
At the moment, the two were butting heads, basically literally, their foreheads pressed together as they tried to push each other off. “King,” Pipsqueak insisted when he managed to push Dinky back a few inches, making her lose a few bars as he came to the top.
Dinky pushed back. “Queen,” she insisted, getting some leverage under her and pushing up. Pipsqueak had to give ground, and the two were once again even – until Dinky grinned evilly, horn glowing and grasping Pipsqueak by the hair of his tail – since it was just hair, it wouldn’t matter if Dinky grabbed it too hard, she would never have risked grabbing an actual body part given her persistent telekinesis problem of doing so. Dinky lifted Pipsqueak up with telekinesis, over her head. “Ha!” she exclaimed, stepping up to the top of the jungle gym. “Queen of the Moun – waaagh!”
Pipsqueak had flicked a hoof against Dinky’s horn, disrupting her magic. He fell smoothly, fetlock catching a bar and swinging under the jungle gym’s top, tripping up Dinky while he was down there. She lost her footing and fell onto her stomach, and Pipsqueak climbed back on top, then sat down on her back, smiling. “King of the Mountain!” He declared with a laugh.
Dinky was about to try and reclaim her Mountain, but the school bell rang. Dinky blew a raspberry at that as the two climbed back down in order to head back inside. “How come you’re so good at that?” she demanded. Pipsqueak had moved to Ponyville from Trottingham over the summer, but since school began Dinky had not once been able to become Queen of the Mountain. She hadn’t ever even tried before Pipsqueak had shown up, but for some reason ever since he had declared himself to be such on the first day of school she had wanted to try. Some part of her suspected it had less to do with beating Pipsqueak so much as it was a chance to spend time with him, though she wasn’t sure why.
“I have a jungle gym at home,” Pipsqueak informed Dinky. “It’s not as big, but it’s good practice.” He considered. “Oh, also, I lived a year on a ship when me da’ was a trader before he admitted how seasick he got. Climbed the rigging a lot.”
Dinky realized right then and there that she probably wasn’t going to ever beat Pipsqueak at the game, but equally she knew she wasn’t going to stop trying any time soon. She looked past Pipsqueak, and saw Firelock and Alula leaving the sandbox, a half-completed, very complicated sand castle sitting there; after school the two would probably finish it. Tootsie Flute was trotting to class alongside Truffle Shuffle; Dinky was surprised to see that, and even more so by the blush that both were wearing and the huge smile that Tootsie had plastered on her face. Nearby, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Twist, none of them looking very happy and their manes and coats turned a cacophony of unfamiliar colors, were marching behind Snips, who seemed to have been caught by them but was giggling and had a big grin on his face.
“Why’d you turn uth different colorth?” Twist demanded.
“Snails didn’t come to school today! Had to keep myself amused somehow,” Snips said, as his horn glowed. The four filled flinched, but all that happened was the color changes to them dissipated into nothingness. They each breathed a sigh of relief.
Dinky smiled at the sight of all her friends having fun. She felt an errant itch on her flank, and stopped to scratched it, but it didn’t go away for a few second longer than it should have. She checked to see what had caused it. Nothing was there, however. She shrugged, galloping back into class and catching up to her friends. Whatever had caused the itch, it could wait a little while longer.
And meanwhile, back in Ponyville proper, Snails lay in his room. He’d gotten plenty of sleep the previous night, and had woken up on time for school, but had still been incredibly groggy. Dewdrops and Shutterbug had decided that, now that he was getting some long-overdue rest, he deserved the day off of school, and had had Raindrops inform Cheerilee of the situation before she went to work. Snails wasn’t looking forward to the extra work he’d have to do – school work was hard for him under normal circumstances, never mind when he had to make some up – but had taken the excuse to go back to bed and finally get some shuteye.
Before he had, though, he’d stood outside of his room for a few minutes, channeling magic through his horn and taking a mental photograph of his room, and all his animal friends inside of it. He’d carried that picture in his head with him to bed as he’d lain down and closed his eyes. Just as he’d thought, he was able to carry it into his dreams, too.