//------------------------------// // 4. Pen Pal Adversaries // Story: Magic Duel by Mail // by Lise //------------------------------// Noonlight didn't come up with a new spell that night. She spent a while discussing the concept of environment spells with Trixie, but in truth she was thinking about starting a correspondence with Twilight. It was a stupid, reckless thing to do. She knew it, Trixie knew it, and still there was the desire to do so. There was something about getting to know another pony through mail that made the experience so much more special. Although she would never admit it, Noonlight still kept all the letters Trixie had sent her. At times, when she felt alone, she would reread them. On one occasion she attempted to start a correspondence with her family, but that didn't work out too well. Living in Canterlot, they had come to visit her at school, instead of writing back. That had lead to some very embarrassing moments. The next day was just as uneventful. Boring lectures, spell practice with Aether Magna - practice Noonlight was excused from, due to her special circumstances, and finally evening hours with professor Scroll. "Is everything alright, Noonlight?" the professor asked. He had gotten used to act quite casually during their spell casting sessions. Usually that was a good thing, the two could get into heated arguments over magic theory and practice without consequences. At times, though, Noonlight got the impression he was being a bit too friendly. "Sorry, spelling never was my..." she began absentmindedly. "It's not your magic." Endless Scroll shook his head. "In fact, you haven't made a singly mistake during our entire session. You seem distracted." There he went with being overly friendly again. So what if she was distracted? It wasn't that she was in any trouble. And even if she were, why did he have to assume that only he could help her? Just because she had turned to him when seeking a solution for her magic problem, didn't mean she would run to him for every little thing! "If there is anything I could help," he made a step towards her, causing Noonlight to instantly step back. "I think this has been enough to practice for one day, sir," she said in an icy tone. This was the first time she had reacted so sharply in public. The effect was immediate. Taken aback Endless found himself at a lack of words. "I will see you tomorrow in class," she walked past. "I wish you good night, Professor!" Halfway to her dorm Noonlight exhaled. That was terrible! She could definitely have handled it better. It was still his fault for pressing the issue! Still, what if she had gone too far? If he told anypony of her secret, she would be done for. The faculty might not kick her out, but her classmates would. A mare incapable of magic had no place in a school for gifted casters. By the time she got to her room, Noonlight was a mental wreck. Anger mixed with fear was a horrible combination. She desperately needed a shoulder to cry on. Sadly, Trixie wasn't there. A note on the desk indicated she had gone to 'liven up a party' and wouldn't be back until early next morning. Trixie had written the party's address, in the off chance Noonlight wished to join in. At present, that was the last thing on Noonlight's mind. "Just great," she grumbled. The one time she could really use a pick me up, and Trixie wasn't there. Noonlight took a shower, had a bite of sandwich, although she didn't feel like eating, then went to bed. Some sleep, perchance some dreams, might help her relax. Sadly, neither happened. No matter how long she lay there, eyes shut, her mind wouldn't stop racing. She needed to let it all out. Moonlight shone through the window, falling on the desk. Unable to stay in bed down any longer, Noonlight got up. Right now there was only one pony she could talk to. Taking a quill and a blue scroll, she sat at the desk and started writing. Dear Twilight, My apologies if this letter doesn't have anything to do with magic, but I just needed to talk to somepony, and at the moment you are it. Without going into details, let's say that I have certain impairments. No telling whether I'll get better or not. The thing is, they have caused me to act in a certain fashion and rely on certain ponies. Lately, that has caused me to become distracted, which has only made matters worse. One of those I am forced to rely on, acted more suggestively than I was used to. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. He didn't really do anything, but somehow I felt unprepared. I just don't know. Maybe with my recent changes and this pen pal duel, I'm just going insane? Sorry if all this doesn't make any sense. Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your dragon. I can fully relate. My family could be like that a lot. Is there a way to convince him to keep the duel going? I think I can come up with a spell that he'll enjoy. I'll write it separately on a new coloured scroll to avoid confusion. No rune changer this time, so enjoy analyzing it. Not that it's anything you wouldn't know already. I have to go now. A lot to prepare for tomorrow. Thank you for listening to my ramblings, Your pen pal adversary, Starry Sun The letter completed and neatly folded away, Noonlight spent the rest of the night working on a spell to appease Twilight's dragon. Knowing his favourite food to be gems, she decided that a four-in-one special was in order. Creating and combining ruby, emerald, diamond, and sapphire would definitely make him view the duel in a positive light. It wasn't too difficult a spell either. All she had to do, was use a summoning spell to get the necessary ingredients and then form them simultaneously so they fused together in one. Simple! The spell would be called the Gem of Four Seasons, and was going to be magnificent! By morning, the rough draft of the spell was ready and placed on the desk, along with an outline of the challenge spell. Trixie hadn't come back, so Noonlight added a note explaining how to proceed onward. Another thing she did, was hide the unfinished sandwiches from the previous night. She knew that if Trixie found out she had been skipping meals again, she would flip and start one of her lectures, possibly even revert to third person speech. Classes passed quite well. Fortunately there was nothing scheduled with Endless Scroll. Right now, Noonlight preferred to avoid him altogether. A few classmates came to ask her for advice on some theoretical matters - mostly simple principles. As usual, she laid out the groundwork, providing the unicorns with references and a few familiar examples. That seemed to make them happy enough to invite her to some social event, despite knowing she would refuse. It was a nice gesture that made her smile. Come evening, Noonlight was back in her room. "You're early," Trixie looked up from the desk. "Weren't you supposed to be spell practicing?" "Practice was postponed," Noonlight lied, heading directly for her bed. "Oookay," Trixie glanced at her with concern. There was no denying that Noonlight was starting to look unhealthy. The shades under her eyes were a little deeper, her face was a little paler, not to mention she always seemed tired. Trixie went to the kitchen, then returned with a bowl of soup, cautiously approaching Noonlight. "Long day?" she asked. A groan indicated that to be the case. "Do you know how the Great and Powerful Trixie remains great and powerful?" A bed stand was levitated nearby and the bowl of soup placed on top. "Three spoonfuls," Trixie nudged. "Just three spoonfuls and I won't bother you anymore." "Trixie," Noonlight grumbled. "Shouldn't you be writing a spell or something?" One look at Trixie's serious expression and it was clear there was no getting rid of her. Noonlight sighed. Without thinking she levitated the bowl to her lips and took a sip. The taste was good! In fact it was so good, her eyes popped wide open. It reminded Noonlight of an old recipe her grandmother used to make for her when she was a filly. "How?" She began, but Trixie put a hoof over her mouth. "Two more," the blue unicorn stated firmly. Not a problem. Noonlight finished the soup in moments then ask for seconds, and thirds. Suddenly the world seemed a much brighter place. "What's inside this?" she asked after her third helping. "Carrots, thistles, kale, walnuts," Trixie started enumerating. "Everything a mare needs to remain healthy and beautiful. And, of course, a special spell of my own." Noonlight looked at her expectantly. "Memory taste spell," she said smugly. "Takes the taste of whatever you miss the most. That way you never get tired of eating the same meal over and over again. My mother used it a lot when I was little. Quite useful when one doesn't have enough bits for proper food." "Trix, you never cease to amaze." "The Great and Amazing Trixie at your service," the other bowed, laughing. "Now then, what's this gem spell? Doesn't look too useful in a duel. And why no rune changer?" "It's for Twilight's dragon. I figured if I could bribe him with something he'll continue sending our letters." "Right," Trixie noded in agreement. "Little Spike had a tendency of taking things too seriously. A good gem would make him reconsider. You know, I like your style. Seems my efforts have finally started paying off." "I'm glad you approve, mom," Noonlight gave her a friendly shove. "Anyway, how are the spells getting along?" "Finished with the gem one." Trixie went back to the desk. "I made a few stones for myself, hope you don't mind. They would be a perfect addition to my act. The other one, though, might take a bit longer. I'm still trying to wrap my head round all that conditional magic stuff." "It's simple really." Noonlight went beside her. "Let's say that Twilight casts a protection bubble around her. Our spell checks whether she has, and acts accordingly. If a barrier spell is identified, it dispels it. If not, it just continues with the next set of spell elements." "This is getting really complicated," Trixie placed a hoof on her temple. "I really wonder how you come up with those things." "And I wonder how you manage to write them down. You know, I'm really glad you challenged the princess. This might well be the second best thing that has happened to me." It had been ages since Noonlight had such fun! The evening was spent going down memory lane, talking about all the things that happened during their first years at the SGU. The pranks, the exams, the heart stopping horrors that didn't seem all that horrifying now. Rather they were funny. Their first meeting, the first time they found out they were bunkmares, Trixie's first hiccup spell on Noonlight during music class... The two laughed for hours, after which Trixie returned to working on the spell, and Noonlight went to bed. For a moment she hesitated whether to tell Trixie about her issue with Endless, but decided against it. There was no need to burden her friend with personal problems. Early next morning, the duel spell was ready. Despite her constant lectures about proper sleep, Trixie had spent most of the night completing it. It was agreed that she would send it once Noonlight started class. On her part, Noonlight promised not to let events at school ruin her mood. A promise easier said than done... her first class was with professor Scroll.