The sky was the color of cherries and nectarines as the sun of Celestia was setting in the horizon, bathing the landscape in beautiful fiery colors. The area consisted of some hills with a town in the distance, bustling with activitiy. The sights and sounds of pony performing their evening rituals was lost in the distance. The birds sung their song in the sky. They were doves to be exact. They flew aroud the general vicinity, but not leaving the radius of the cart that was traveling down the path. However, the warmth of the atmosphere clashed with the atmosphere surrounding the cart and its owner.
The cart belonged to none other than the famous traveling magician, Dove the Extraordinary.
To those who know her, she is said to be a beautiful unicorn with a loving and kind nature to boot. However, when she peforms she gains a powerful aura of charisma. The crowds draw into her displays of prestidigitation and illusionry like moths to a flame. Mind-baffling tricks were shown, wonderous sights were created from air and the audience was taken on a wild ride of fun for everyone. A true artist, Dove was seemingly a very powerful unicorn. And why wouldn't she? Beyond her own talent, she proudly displays the pedigree to show for it. The daughter of the one and only, the Great and the Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.
After all, great magic is passed down, right?
Unfortunately, this isn't the case here. For all of her talent in giving form of light to dreams and for being able to do tricks that all but the cleverest of ponies cannot figure out, she possessed low levels of magic ability. Since foalhood, the mare dove headfirst into the art of spellcasting, but the results were explosive to say the least. To that end, she developed a distaste for unicorn magic since then. This aspect of her remains a powerful force in her life. To the rare arguments with her mother, to the interactions with her rival...
Anthea...
Dove turned back at the town of Ponyville and let out a rueful sigh. She is a proud mare; it helps that she rarely committed wrong-doing beyond simple mistakes. Alas, everyone would come to the point where they would make a rather large mistake. In this case, hindsight let Dove see that her ambition with her rivalry led to a plan with remarkably little planning.
Dove had Anthea attempt to perform a magic show... without her unicorn magic. She wanted to prove how hard it was to actually perform magic tricks. Anthea was blind; it was enough to be a moderate liability, despite her determination. The whole thing was initially amusing, but when Anthea's horn was struck due to an accident with the equipment, she flew into a panic. Dove later learned that Anthea's unicorn magic permitted her to see to a limited extent; Anthea could see things as 'blobs of color' as she put it. Without it, Anthea was completely blind. Worse still, Dove was unaware of the crippling fear Anthea had of the dark. She was taken aback on how frightened Anthea was and some of the foals were beginning to snicker as Anthea ended up tripping. Starburst, who was seeing what was the commotion about, dispersed the crowd through a display of her mighty wings.
While Anthea went to the doctor, Dove felt bothered by how everything went and in a clearer state of mind, not shrouded by her and Anthea's rivalry, she realized what she did. While Starburst mentioned it was an accident and Anthea did make the choice to follow through, Dove did not consider it justification for what her own actions.
Dove uttered an apology before she hastily packed her things and proceeded to make her exit out of town.
"I certainly made a mess of matters," Dove said as one of her doves was flying beside her. "I know Annie and I have... differing stances of magic, but no one deserves to be embarassed liked that. Worse, I only did it to prove the difficulty of my craft; instead, I looked like an uncultured and beast-hearted rogue. Perhaps in a few days, I will return and apologize for my large faux pas," Dove said to her feathered friend. She wrinkled her nose.
It was a rain-drop.
Dove raised her head to find that a swarm of slate-gray clouds have been lurching their way through the sky. It looked like it was going to rain; she would need to find some shelter quickly.
"Anyone see any shelter?" she asked her doves. One pointed to a direction within the forest. She pulled her cart as quick as she could and she was awarded with the site of a large yet sturdy looking hut. She didn't bother questioning the reasoning of a hut being in the forest like this, but the rain was about to come down.
"Hello! Bonjour!" she requested as she knocked on the door. "I seek shelter from the downpour," she asked. The door opened and she let herself in, her doves following her inside. Dove was not prepared for what awaited her.
Her eyes widened as she looked upon many exotic looking trinkets, tokens and items around the area. From the masks that hung on the wall to the foreign-looking furniture around the room, the atmosphere radiated a charm unlike anything Dove has seen.
"Do not worry, it is not a pain. Feel free to remain to escape the rain," an accented voice said in rhyme. Dove turned around to find a zebra facing her. Suddenly, everything fit. When she was younger, she remembered her mother talking about the zebra who lived in the forest on the outskirts of Ponyville. She didn't think she would see her, but she confessed to not being around Ponyville that often.
"Thank you. I am Dove, Dove the Extraordinary!" Dove proclaimed with the flair of showsponyship that was inherited from her mother. The zebra gave a knowing smile, something that Dove found curious. Dove spent a moment observing her zebra host. Her craft is based on misdirection and that required being able to read people to understand their expectations and deduce how to subvert them. However, her host was proving difficult to read. She was smiling a little bit and with a half-lidded expression; she clearly knew something, but was not revealing anything and Dove did not pick up on anything.
"It fits a flairful dame, Zecora is my name," Zecora introduced herself to Dove. "I humbly request that you don't mind, but are you an entertianer of some kind?" she asked her.
Dove wasn't surprised that Zecora didn't seem to know her. She seemed to be the type of pony... err zebra to keep to herself more or less. She wondered if it does get lonely out here.
"Yes I am. I'm a magician, a showsmare," she said before Zecora invited her to sit with her at the nearby table.
"You seem to be in a great deal of distress, I am here to listen as it's not good to repress," Zecora mentioned to Dove before she began to brew some herbal tea. Dove sighed before she hung her cloak on the chair. Her beloved cloak did not get wet from the rain fortunately. She was surprised at how Zecora picked up something was wrong. However, looking at her refection in a nearby mirror, she did look awfully drab.
"A few hours ago, I challenged a friend into a wager about performing a magic show without the use of her unicorn magic. Unfortunately, I was unaware of certain factors and now I feel terrible for wagering this. I feel I may have been insensitive," Dove explained, careful to leave out some details.
"It appears you made an unfortunate mistake. The guilt from it is causing you to ache," Zecora said as she brought over the tea. "However, this action wasn't led by spite so you can still go and make things right. But I am curious as to know, this challenge why you did bestow," she asked Dove.
Dove thanked Zecora for the tea and took a sip before she heard Zecora's question. In fairness, Zecora did offer her shelter, tea and some advice. Maybe getting this off her chest would help.
"My friend and I... we have differing views on magic. Me, I think magic is for entertainment. To bring delight to ponies everywhere. But otherwise... it's too dangerous! Most of the issues in Equestria were becasue of unicorn magic. I mean, the largest example that comes to mind was King Sombra. He was able to enslave all the ponies of the Crystal Empire with it. Not to mention all the problems with the nobility in the ancient era. But she... my friend, she believes magic can be used in all sorts of ways, but it's too dangerous. Lots of ponies get hurt and it's too much for any pony can handle," Dove said, her tone become increasingly loud, but never shouting.
Silence deafened the room as Dove covered her mouth with hoof, embarassed. She did not mean to get out of hoof. Perhaps this ordeal with Anthea brought out pent-up emotions.
"Doctors."
"Excuse me?" Dove said, mildly surprised at hearing the zebra not speak in rhyme, albeit it was only a word.
"Do not worry about if you were being disruptive, but I must disagree on your stance on magic being corruptive."
"I can understand your hostility, carrying magic is a big responsability. However, many ponies are at heart good and they all have their roles that must be understood. Unicorn magic can be used beyond granting mirth, doctors can use it to help parents give birth. It can be used to best heal the sick and to ensure that the recovery of injuries are quick. The ability to do good with magic is not just heal, they can build homes or to give everyone a meal," Zecora began.
"Beyond being able to do what the other ponies can do, it can also provide new insights into matters nopony knew. Magic is a vital and essential part of this world; it contains great and small secrets to be unfurled. Ponies are equal; between races there are no tiers, the gift of magic is why all unicorns, including you are here," Zecora continued before setting the cup down.
Dove remained quiet. Everything Zecora said was true. Magic was a part of the world and unicorns were the ones who knew how to find it. Not only that, their magic allowed them to do things other ponies couldn't do. She herself remembered a sickly foal who loved magic. The foal said it was because of the unicorn doctor who saved his and his mother's life with his magic. It wasn't just doctors, unicorns were all around using magic and spells to help the community. But still...
"You have a point, Miss Zecora. But it can still be dangerous and hurt the other ponies," she responded.
"You say that unicorns and their magic can be a danger, but look through the eyes of a stranger. Pegasi ponies can control and harness the weather; controlling the strongest of winds and making rocks fly like a feather. A pegasi pony on a cloud can make a bad blunder and cause a massive storm filled with thunder. Summoning large rains to cause great floods; washing away the farmlands into the mud. Or even bringing about massive amounts of snow, making everything so cold and nothing could grow," Zecora continued, calmly drinking her tea. It contrasted with the surprised Dove.
"Or what of the earth ponies, being so humble? They possess mighty strength, some to cause large stone to crumble? Being able to move very heavy objects with ease or taming animals from bears to bees? They are the main pony race who grow the food, they could leave everyone else hungry if in the wrong mood," Zecora finished before letting Dove absorb everything she told her.
Surprised to say the least, Dove begins to think of what Zecora said. Pegasi ponies can control the weather with ease, but for them to do such things... it's a very scary thought. And what of Earth Ponies? Other races underestimate them, but they are a mighty pony and are as strong and powerful as pegasi and unicorns.
If she was a pegasi and couldn't fly well or control clouds well, would she view pegasi as dangerous? Or what if she was a strong but clumsy Earth pony?
"I do not mean to throw a guess so wild, but are you the unicorn Trixie's child?" Zecora asks, breaking the silence.
"You know my mom?" Dove asks, mildly surprised.
Zecora nodded, the sly knowing smile returning to her face once more.
"Years ago, she came into town with an amulet of great power. It started to corrupt her and made the ponies of Ponyville cower. I told Twilight she needed to use the six and tricked your mother to bring things into a fix," she explained. Dove remembered her mother mentioning her doing some mean things, but didn't know this.
"You are a unicorn are you not? I suspect there is more to this than I thought," Zecora inquires. Dove let out a breath. The revelations on the positive benfits that unicorn magic provided as well as how pegasi and earth pony caused her to have doubts in the justifications for her discomfort for unicorn magic.
Because underneath it all, it was personal.
Maybe... just maybe...
"As a foal, I was not... sufficient at unicorn magic. I studied and practiced, but my spells ended in explosions and failures. That's why I see it as dangerous," she confessed quietly to Zecora. Zecora's smile softened and placed her hoof in Dove's. She understood. Underneath it all, Dove was insecure with herself as a unicorn. Not being able to perform the magic, she became frustrated and looked at her failures at justficiations. She was someone who resented. But resentment was not good ad her attitude was not harmful, but part of a childhood problem holding her back.
Zecora simply looked at Dove, she knew the mare would realize it.
Dove continued to think about everything that led her here. She thought of her mother, Trixie. Of Princess Twilight. Of her rival...
Wait... She was raised by Fluttershy. Fluttershy, the meek shy Pegasus who's talent was reserved for earth ponies. She thought back to countless other opines who did jobs that would be considered odd. She then thought of herself.
She was Dove the Extraordinary.
She was a unicorn. It didn't matter if she could do the magic like the others. She was still her and could still make ponies smile.
Dove let out a breath and smiled as she felt a burden off of her. She let go of it. Her failures and her disdain toward unicorn magic. Zecora was right. She faced the same mirror she saw minutes ago, but with pride. In herself, in her talent and her as a unicorn...
Sunlight entered the window as the rain stopped.
The storm has passed.
"Thank you," Dove said before she grabbed her coat and looked out. She faced Ponyville with hope. She needed to have a talk with her friend. She owed her an apology.
Zecora watched the mare go off. While her friends didn't come around as much, she still kept up and always helped out any pony in need.
"Right makes might," she said with a smile.