A beautiful warm winter day in Ponyville. The leftover snow from the last storm is slowly melting, making way for the next in a few days time. The foals are on the last week of school before winter break. Homes are warm and cozy. Mares and stallions are heading to work or going downstairs to do the same.
In a giant gingerbread house, the proprietors started hours ago, ensuring that all customers will get a steamy hot breakfast, or early snack in a foals case. In a corner booth there are six ponies and a dragon, each with a selection of goodies and hot cocoa in front of them. Each was paying attention to the local alicorn and Princess - Twilight Sparkle.
"I got everything I need for it yesterday, I just need a wide open space to perform the spell." She said looking at one of her best friends - Applejack.
"Well I imagine you can use our cornfield since it's winter and nothing is growing right now." She answered with a happy grin, sipping from her mug. Her family makes good apple juice but Pinkie makes a mean hot cocoa that's perfect for just a day.
"Thanks Applejack. Rainbow, do you think you can make sure there is no wind while I'm busy." She looked at her other best friend - Rainbow Dash - who had her face in a bowl of chocolate oatmeal cookies. Also made by Pinkie.
She needed a moment to chew and shallow. "No sweat Twi, just give the order and the whole team will make sure not a breath interrupts you." Giving a wide smile she didn't wait for an answer before slamming her face back into the bowl. Pinkies cookies were just that good.
"That won't be necessary, but thank you Rainbow." She giggled as her friend waved at her while still stuffing her face.
"Rainbow, dear, do you think you could eat less sloppily? No offense but Dinky has more table manners then you."
"Heh heh. Come'on Rares, you can't blame her for wanting to eat Pinkies cookies." A giggle came from the pink mare next to Applejack.
"I don't mind. Just means after this i need to make more for lil Dashie Washie." Another giggle came as the cutely mentioned mare sputters in her bowl. Its been a few weeks since she started saying that like Rarity does with Spike. When asked why her response is "She is so adorable when shes embarrassed."
"But still she should be more ladylike in public." But Rarity still gave a sigh of resignation, knowing that Rainbow is the one mare she simply can't change.
More giggles. "Thanks girls. Is 10 good for everypony." Nods all around. She again turned to Applejack "Great! I'll stop by your place earlier to transport and prepare everything."
"Well why don't ya stop by for a bit of breakfast. I know Granny will be happy to put some meat on your bones." She says with a good natured smile.
"Well as long as I'm not too full to cast my spell, sure, I'd love to. Thank you Applejack." She responded with just as much good natured teasing. Ever since her last meal with the Apples, Granny Smith has been determined to but "meat on the growing young alicorn." Not that it's a bad thing, far from it, she has keep a proper figure and weight even with her food (she believes) growth spurt. Her eyes were now at the same height as Rarity's horn.
"I just can't believe you are going to summon a familiar tomorrow. It's like a dream come true for any unicorn. <sigh> I wonder what mine would be like." Rarity says wistfully, staring into what can be assumed is her imagination.
An extra long giggle. "Didn't your dream come true with Derpy?" At this Rarity snapped to attention with a red face while Applejack looked away. The yellow one - Fluttershy - and Rainbow Dash ( who took the time to look up) glanced the farmers way. Twilight, Spike and Pinkie being oblivious to what occurred 2 months back.
After calming her beating heart, Rarity spoke up. "Yes it did, though not the way I expected. Ah but a mare can dream." She smiled again.
After a moment, the last yet to speak spoke up. "So Twilight, what do you think you will summon." Said Fluttershy as she picked up a cookie (raisin white chocolate macadamia nut, one of Pinkies strangest, yet to her delicious sweets).
"I honestly don't know Fluttershy. There are thousands of ingredients with even more combinations. The book said that every summoner will get a different creature, but I'm hoping mine will be truly unique." She brought up her forehooves to clap.
"Why's that Twi?" Said the orange mare, curious about the summoning of a familiar since Earth Ponies can't do it and since this is the first time the alicorn divulged anything about what she would be using for it.
"I haven't told you!?" Five shakes of their heads and one grumbling dragon. "Oh well, there are two ways to summon a familiar. The traditional way, which involves runes and ingredients depicting the attributes you want in a familiar and will burn upon completion, and the modern way, which uses more modern practices and does not use the methods used with the first. The difference between the two is the abilities, power, intellect and capabilities of the summoned. The traditional method will bring forth a stronger, faster and overall greater creature, but will also need to be "tamed" (she brought up her forehooves for air-quotes for this), while the modern method will bring a lesser creature, who likely doesn't need taming, and even somepony like Rarity can summon. Though even after "taming", it is still required to train it." She paused to look at her friends.
"So its like catching a wild creature and training it to accept you as its master?"
"That's exactly it Rainbow, though there have been some creatures that seem to automatically acknowledge their master without them lifting a hoof. The book says that Starswirl had such a creature, a salamander, whose saliva was lava and skin harder than steel."
"Okay. but what does it have to do with having a truly unique familiar?" Rainbow Dash was getting quite impatient with the long explanation.
"Well Rainbow, as I'm sure you noticed, I'm using the traditional method. And ones of the ways you can select an attribute is magical affinity. Many ponies use common ingredients such as gems, metals, an element or a combination of any. Starswirl used a Firecore Emerald," Rarity gave a strangled gasp. Firecore gems numbered in the low hundreds and currently only Princess Celestia was the only one who could distribute them, "as the affinity for his summon. I, however, managed to get my hooves on a Voidstone, or well, the shaving of one." Rarity looked shocked.
"B-b-b-bu-but Voidstone. There are only..., How?" Rarity's shock was well warranted. There are only 5 known to exist in the world. 1 with Luna (was returned to her by Celestia after she returned), 1 that was passed down through the Gold family (currently in Bluebloods possession), 1 with the Minotaur Royal Family (last few centuries with the Bloodhorns), another with the Shamans of Zebrica (given to the Eldest as sign of wisdom) and the last was lost long ago when the Flutterponies disappeared in what is now known as the badlands (though with the Changlings and their home being there, it is though that they are currently in possession of it).
<Eh heh heh> "I kinda convinced Luna to let me have a bit for a few favors." Nopony else knew this, but Luna found a way to use the Voidstone to remove nightmares that required a firmer touch to get rid of.
"Wait." This came from Fluttershy. "Doesn't Voidstone negate all magic it comes in contact with." Looking to a flabbergasted Twilight, she shrunk down in her seat. "Sorry."
"No no, you're right Fluttershy. Voidstone does negate all magic. However, familiar summoning is one of the few magics that throw all Laws of Magic out the proverbial window. Which is why I'm hoping it works and I get a creature like nothing before it. Even if it doesn't work, I got a backup affinity I can use."
"Well I hope it works for ya sugarcube, but what are the other attributes you've selected."
"Oh well there are many others that are going into it but it all comes down to Spirit, Mind and Body, with the magic affinity belonging to Spirit. Mind can be used to determine how smart the creature is, how quickly it learns and the ability to apply what it knows to any given situation. I've made it so will be very well off intellectually. And Body determines the shape, size, strength, durability and such for the creature. For this I'm basing it on Spike's body type since I've found I quite like the bipedal body for all its uses and enhancing it a bit. Though without the dragon sneezes."
"Geez Twilight, one time!" He dropped his chin to the table where his big sister/mother/employer/it's complicated rubbed his head. She gave him a light chuckle.
"It's ok Spike, I've forgiven you." She gave him a quick hug which he returned. "Anything else you girls want to know?"
Pinkie brought a foreleg to her chin, hummed then asked, "Well you said you can select what you want, can yo also do the opposite?"
"Yes actually. As with Spikes dragon breath I made it so it can't expel anything that would burn, freeze, boil, melt, or otherwise harm from its mouth, along with a few others but those are minor." She shrugged it off with a shake of her hoof. "Anything else." They all shook their heads. "Good. Pinkie, Bakers dozen cupcakes to go, I want to celebrate a little." And off went the Pink Missile to parts of the kitchen unknown.