//------------------------------//
// 111 - Great and Powerful Lessons 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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Trixie tapped a blackboard with a pointing stick held in her magic firmly. On the board was a mess of numbers and diagrams. Without relying on his instinctual need to combine spells, it seemed dizzyingly complex to Silver. Trixie seemed to see that confusion and smiled. "My dear colt, if you continue playing with magic without a more true understanding, you will certainly be remembered, but likely as a cautionary tale."

She put a hoof to her chest. "Trixie understands the need to excel and have the world marvel at your amazingness and it doesn't surprise her that her offspring would share that desire, but she wants you to live to a ripe old age and to have a life full of achievements without some of the less... desired parts that can come by being careless. Do you understand so far?"

He was being chastised and lectured... But he could tell it was with good intention, and that Trixie bore him no ill will. He smiled a little. She was his pony mom, dressed in bright blue fur. He would trust her. "Of course, Trixie."

Trixie pointed at him. "To all else, Trixie, to you, Mother, or mom."

Right. "Mother." An old memory of his true mother appeared in his mind and he wondered how she was doing. Well, he hoped, though there was no way to confirm or deny that.

"Excellent." Trixie turned back to the board. "Today, she will explain the basics of elemental theory. She would have gone over this a long time ago, but the last time we were together, you hadn't yet mastered the unicorn alphabet." She smiled over her shoulder, the rest of her body still facing the board. "She is very pleased you're not laboring under that hooficap anymore."

Silver decided to not explain the dream from which the knowledge of the alphabet emerged.

"Now, to a lay pony, it would seem that fire and water, as well as earth and air, are opposites, and this is true to an extent." She began to draw new lines and diagrams. "But once you're past that basic realization, you must realize that all the elements thrive on one another. Earth without air, water, and fire is barren and no more than sand. Water without fire? Just ice, forever static and robbed of its innate fluidity. Air without earth? Only then is it truly formless, but it would also become listless and without movement. The interactions between the elements allow for truly great works of magic." She tapped at the board. "But also ways to bring great catastrophe. Water and fire can create sudden hot explosions of air if not properly balanced."

"Steam," spoke Silver, that much, at least, making basic sense.

Trixie perked an ear. "Ah, yes. Did you not mention your people understood the nature of things in some ways?"

Silver bobbed his head quickly. "We abandoned the 'elemental' approach and replaced them with new elements. We discovered and organized the universe down to a table of elements by their smallest portions. Um, do you want me to go into detail?"

Trixie waved it off. "Fascinating but not relevant to our magic. If her foal wishes to reorganize the basic elements themselves, then he will be busy for the rest of his life writing it out and arguing with other unicorns." She raised a brow. "Perhaps a worthy endeavor, but don't expect to get much else done." She resumed her drawing. "As Trixie was saying..."

She was the teacher for the day. Just as when Silver was learning his first letters. Larger concepts were easier to digest than the letters. General methods of how the universe fit together worked more naturally for him than learning a language ever would be. So he paid attention and asked questions when it made sense, but mostly just paid attention.

"Are you not going to take notes?" Trixie raised a brow at him.

"Huh? Oh!" He hadn't been taking any notes while she talked. "I don't usually take notes, sorry."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Trixie will recommend a book for you afterward. She doubts you have memorized all of this." She set the pointer down and approached Silver. "Now, my colt, show Trixie your new spells."

Silver perked his ears. "How complicated do you want it?"

Trixie tilted her head a little even as her eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge? Do you think you have made something that can befuddle her? Very well then, show her your most advanced spells. Bedazzle her with your progress!"

Silver realized what he had stepped into with a bit of a cringe. He didn't want to show up Trixie, but showing her something weak would just make it worse. He pulled out his book with his magic and flipped through quickly. Even as he browsed, Trixie moved around to have a look. "Just how many spells have you created, Silver?"

He blushed a little. "I haven't been putting numbers on them, but--"

"More than two?"

He blinked. "I think it's getting closer to a dozen."

Trixie put a hoof to her face. "Trixie should not be surprised, and yet, she is." She brought down a hoof on the book even as he flipped. "Here, what spell is this?"

Silver went bright red and tried to flip to the next page, but Trixie's hoof wouldn't allow it.

"Why are you being so evasive?" Trixie raised a brow. "Is this one you think Trixie can't handle? Well Trixie can!" Her eyes scanned over the spell ravenously. "She will show you the extent of her skills." She laughed, or rather cackled with confidence.

Silver closed his eyes. "I'm not going to convince you otherwise, so I'm closing my eyes. Let me know when you're done."

"Is your confidence in your mother that small? She admits, it does seem complex, but not outside her skill level. Behold!" With the faint sound of releasing magic, the spell was cast. There was an uneasy silence a moment before Trixie backed up into a wall with a thud. "Why do you have this spell?! This shouldn't even be possible! Keep your eyes closed! Don't you dare open them!"

"I won't, promise." Despite himself, a smile spread on his snout. He knew what Trixie was enduring. "So... interesting, isn't it?"

"Interesting is not the word she would use, if she even is a she anymore." He could feel Trixie scowling at him. "Tell Trixie this is temporary. Wait, why hasn't her voice changed at all? Is Trixie a stallion or not?"

"Mother, yes, it is temporary. Please stay calm." The urge to giggle was becoming overwhelming, but Silver sat on that urge, squirming instead of letting it out.

"Good... Why do you have this spell again?" She leaned closer to him. "You have strange tastes, colt of Trixie's." He could feel the heat coming from her sudden overwhelming blush. "Do you use this on your wife?! Wait, no, don't answer that! Trixie does not need to know!"

Silver shook his head. "Going to anyway, no. No, I don't. I don't think Night Watch would be interested in that."

"This is good..." There was another faint sound of magic. "You may open your eyes now."

Silver did, and beheld his restored and whole mother. He let out a little breath of relief. "Now, would you like to try a real high-level spell?"

Trixie raised a brow skeptically. "Is it in any way related to that spell?"

"No!" Silver flipped quickly to his fire spell. "I have two high-level shields. Both are extremely taxing. The second knocks me right out on casting it, and I'm a low level 4."

"Level 4?" Trixie smiled. "Trixie is proud. If this spell is that taxing, Trixie will not be attempting it, but she would like very much to see this." She slid in beside Silver. "Knowing your limits is a part of being a Great and Powerful magician." Her eyes traced over the page quickly, a frown developing swiftly. "Trixie is no grand master of spell design, but there is something off in this." She pulled the book over to in front of herself, re-reading the page from the start.

Silver tilted his head. "What do you mean? It's a combination of the basic unicorn spell and the fireball spell I earned my cutie mark with."

Trixie nodded softly. "Trixie sees... but it's... It's riddled with letters Trixie feels certain shouldn't be there."

Silver waved at the book. "Well, go ahead and remove them then. I'm not too proud to accept corrections if it makes the spell better."

Trixie shook her head firmly. "It's not nearly that simple. Removing a letter at random will, at best, destroy the spell. At worst, could create an entirely new effect. Magic is wickedly complicated in the creation of new spells. Your shortcut, while intensely powerful in its scope, is also wildly inefficient."

Silver deflated a little. "Some of them work out quite well." He flipped back through the book and pointed. "This one uses your spell."

Trixie's eyes were drawn to the arcane writing. "Trixie recognizes it, even if changed." She played the spell almost immediately, unleashing a torrent of Trixie images from her horn. "While I don't oppose the idea of this image, why does it create so many of them?"

Silver chuckled a little. "It's a distraction. Used suddenly, it can really confuse an attacker and give time to get away."

Trixie clopped on the ground. "You continue to live an interesting life if you need to make such spells." She glanced away and back at Silver. "Trixie is a little jealous. Perhaps next time you shake the foundations of Equestria, you can invite her along?"

Silver hugged her suddenly. "You're always welcome, mother." The hug was returned and they were quiet a moment. He fell back to all fours. "Not having fun at home?"

"Oh don't say it that way!" Trixie wrinkled her snout. "Rough Draft is a gentlepony and treats me very well indeed, even when she is a little demanding of him. But Trixie thinks she prefers traveling if she isn't doing something suitably awe-inspiring."

A soft clopping came from the door before Night's head came into view through it as it cracked open. "We're heading out to get something to eat. Want to come along? Even Star Swirl took breaks."

Silver and Trixie both rose to their hooves and moved to follow after Night. Their lessons could wait a moment.





"Letter for you, Your Highness."

Luna accepted the letter with a stately nod. The moment the mailpony had departed, she took wing to Celestia's side. "They've replied!"

Celestia gestured at the hovering envelope. "Well, don't keep us in suspense any longer. Open it and let's see what they've written."

Dark magic popped the seal and plucked free the letter hiding within. Soon it was unfolded before their eager eyes.