//------------------------------// // Enchanting // Story: Turning Back the Winter // by Dinkledash //------------------------------// I hate everything about Enchantment. I hate objective analysis. I hate material bindings. I hate encasement. I... well I guess I kind of like empowerment. But I absolutely despise closure. Novice Celestia pondered the small silver bell in front of her, thinking of how many ways she could blast, incinerate, melt, slag and vaporize the cursed thing. Another bell rang and she winced. Just me and Swiftfeather left now. Better get this over with. Objective analysis: it's a silver bell with a silver clapper and a wooden handle. There are approximately six ounces of silver and three ounces of wood. Binding to wood, lift; binding to bell, shake. I could just do this with levitation so easily. Any unicorn can. This is a pointless exercise; the enchanted item is worthless. Encasement of the field within the boundaries of the object... existing potential magic was drained leaving it ready for empowerment. Empowerment... Celestia's horn glowed faintly as a tiny fraction of her magic flowed into the encased bindings. Now closure. The tricky part. Leave a space in the encasement for the thoughts of the actor to reach the binding. Small enough to keep the power in, large enough to allow thoughts to pass... The bell shot across the room to strike the wall with a thunk and fall to the floor dented, a chunk of plaster landing atop it. The class giggled. Professor Objet D'Art silenced them with a glare and admonished them with his Prairisian accent. "Classe, may I rememberz you zat Celeste es fifteen years of aje, et you es aiteen ou nonteen, yes? The enchante es tres defacile pour, uh, for the fillies et colties, yes? So le patience, si'l vous plait." He walked over to her desk with another bell. "Ah 'ave more bells, so many bells, yes? You es tres belle, so you 'ave trois bells, eh?" He chucked, putting the third bell of the day on her desk. "Celeste, you canno' allow les pense, eh, the thoughts, yes? Not the thoughts that interrupt, eh? Concentrate! He is the five steps, eh? But make him one thought. Clarify. Be precise! Relax, et un pense. Maintenant... um, now, yes. You can do him, yes? And I 'ave more bells, so many!" She couldn't help but laugh, and that cleared her thoughts. A silver bell with a silver clapper and a wooden handle, approximately six ounces of silver and three ounces of wood to which I will bind wood with lifting, bell with shaking, and encasing a field within the boundaries of the object to be charged with 20 watts, leaving a gap of two microns at the top of the handle... Pop! Celestia looked down at the undestroyed bell. The professor looked at it and it rose ringing in response to his thought. "Excellente! Ah told you you could do him, eh? Easier on the janitors too, eh cherie?" He smiled and walked over to help Swiftfeather, while Celestia regarded the bell with satisfaction. I wonder what we'll get to enchant next? ______ Celestia almost skipped down the hallway to her next class when she heard the whispering. "Look at her. They won't be able to find a gown for graduation, they'll have to get a circus tent!" She whirled around. There was nopony there. That's strange. Am I hearing things? She turned back and heard giggling. She stopped and turned around again. "Auditory illusions? How childish and cowardly. Show yourself!" Silence answered her. "If you have a problem with me, you know where to find me." The empty air tittered. Hmm... I need to learn how to identify the source of a spell. It's one thing to have an enemy, it's another to have one and not know who it is. Celestia turned right and trotted down the hall, wondering who she'd offended. A few minutes later the bathroom door opened and a small filly with a blue coat, a blue mane and a guilty look on her face walked out and headed down the hall in the other direction. ______ At dinner that Saturday, Starswirl sat with her family, preparing to enjoy a large salad. It was summer, and fresh food was available. Her mother's fellowship allowed for the occasional splurge now, and Celestia also received a stipend as part of her scholarship, most of which she sent home. Luna laughed at Starswirl's hat when he showed up. "Why do you wear that thing?" "My father gave it to me, Luna." "If my father gave me a hat like that, I'd never wear it!" That was an outright lie, Celestia thought. If her father gave her a hat like that, she'd sleep in it if she thought it would make him happy. "So what's the real reason?" Starswirl smiled sadly. "I know he meant it as a joke. He gave it to me for my sixth birthday and I promised I'd wear it until I saw him again." He got quiet and looked at Press Force, who nodded gravely. "I never saw him again, Luna. He was killed in a carriage accident that day." Tears sprung to her blue eyes. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry Starswirl!" "It's OK, Luna. It was nine years ago." "Cellie, why didn't you tell me?" "Do you want me to tell you every sad thing I know, Luna?" Celestia looked down at her little sister fondly. "If you don't need to know something, and there's nothing you can do about it, why should I want to burden you and make your world sadder than it has to be?" Star Gazer looked up sharply at her, but then looked back down to preparing the meal. "Well, I think it's very honorable of you, Starswirl, to keep your promise to your father. And it doesn't look silly now that I know why you wear it. I think it makes you look handsome." Luna wiped her eyes and smiled. Starswirl grinned his irrepressible grin and looked at Celestia. "Well, even I know one doesn't wear a hat when eating." He took the hat and levitated it over to the coat rack, where it hung with a merry jingle. Celestia looked at her coltfriend. "Are you trying to grow a beard or something?" She giggled. "Yes, actually. Dad had one." "Oh. Sorry. But Starswirl, you aren't your dad, you know." Celestia worried about his attachment to the memory of his father. It was one thing to remember somepony, but it was another to make your life a shrine to them. "Dinner is ready!" sang out Star Gazer, ending the conversation. ______ After helping clear up the meal, Celestia and Starwirl went for a walk. A chill breeze blew up and Celestia shivered. "Swirly, it's cold." "I know." He moved in beside her, warming her flank. "It's July." They kept walking slowly from lamppost to lamppost. "I know." Starswirl conjured a small flame to warm them on their walk. "Swirly, I'm scared." She stopped and turned, looking down at the colt. "Me too." He stepped in and kissed her and suddenly she was neither cold, nor scared.