Pepper Heart was lying face-down on her creaky bed, hugging a plush fox. Her sketchbook was laying on a small table beside her. Pepper's room looked like as if a tornado has run through it multiple times. The small room was cluttered by stuff, mostly clothing, books and papers, randomly scattered everywhere and found in the most unexpected places, like a pair of boots on top of an old grandpa's clock with a broken minute arm, or some random sketches, stuffed into an empty fruit bowl. The biggest thing in the room, a huge wardrobe, had cracks running on its side. The rug on the floor was gray, although Pepper could vaguely remember it being red a long time ago.
Pepper has turned on her side. She was thinking about everything that has transpired today.
The day had a very rough start when Pepper has fallen out of her bed in the morning, breaking her favorite hoofstool. After that, on her way to school she has decided to visit her favorite spot under the tree by the road, but stepped on a hidden leash rope, one of those "hilarious" traps that monster Merrylight set for her. She was hanging upside-down for some very humiliating and infuriating minutes before a passerby pony has helped her out, wondering who would make such a trap under some random tree next to the road.
But then something interesting has happened. An unknown replacement teacher came, and alicorn and a princess. A kind of those privileged heroines of which the colts and fillies in her class were constantly talking about, often ruining Pepper's concentration. That princess was not bad, Pepper admitted, she really seemed to know much about magic, even considering the unbearably boring topic of the lesson. Pepper has managed to get a few very good sketches of the princess, wondering if she should color them later. Pepper has glanced on the wall of her small room, which was completely covered by a plethora of pictures, done in paint and, occasionally, crayons. The portrait of the princess should definitely look good there. Pepper has sat up on her bed and moved her table closer. She picked up her pencil and started to chew it absent-mindedly.
After all, the princess alicorn was not the only interesting thing that has happened to her today.
The pencil has begun to slide on the paper, leaving gray trails, that has schematically formed a head and eyes. Slowly but surely the ears have appeared along with a horn. A weird mane followed that didn't look like it was growing correctly from the head.
Yes, that pony. Starlight, was it? From the day before. Back then Pepper was hungry, so she stole some food from her. Pepper knew, of course, that stealing is bad, so the conscience has announced its presence shortly. And became even more naggy after what has transpired today.
During the princesses' lesson Merrylight was making faces at Pepper from the other end of the class, making spinning gestures, leaving no doubt about the ownership of that leash trap before. Pepper had enough. It was a third trap this week, even though it was much less painful this time. The first time was a pit, dug on her favorite walking route behind the school (and how do he always knows her favorite places like that?). When Pepper has fell into it, her ear has been hooked by a badly-cut root, damaging it.
That extremely painful experience was made even worse by professor Ash Cauldron, who berated Pepper for being tardy on the potions lesson. The second time was a few days later, when Pepper has walked into a net trap in the park. Pepper was caught in the net, but attempted to cut through it. However, when she jumped down, her tail has been caught in the net so tightly that a huge portion of it was ripped out.
Pepper knew it was Merrylight, but decided not to confront him. But as they say, third time's the charm. Pepper has called him out alone. He arrived with a whole squad of bullies. Pepper did not know what to do. She could've probably beaten him one on one without any magic, but she have overestimated his sense of honor. But then that mare came. Pepper has felt a sting of shame when that mare has, what's it was called? Stood up for her, butting in Pepper's business. But, to be honest, paper felt a strange feeling of thankfulness, because she didn't know what she would have done if the mare did not interfere. She could've made a mistake and used 'that,' ruining her chance to finish the school.
Besides, Merrylight has looked awesome as a ferret. Though if it was Pepper's choice, she would've picked a frog. Or a slug.
The pencil has ended its artistic journey. Pepper have levitated it away, looking at her sketch critically. The mare on the sketch has turned out good, in Pepper's opinion. Not bad, considering that it was drawn from Pepper's memory.
"I wonder if I reacted bad?" pepper thought, rotating the picture in front of her, looking at it from different angles. "Maybe I should apologize for being rude, just how dad told... And say thanks, I guess? If I'll ever see her again that is."
The sound of hoofsteps has reached Pepper's torn ear. Dad has returned. Pepper has lazily jumped down her bed and went to the hall to greet him.
Powder Bolt was a cobby but surprisingly lean pegasus with a short, clocked black beard contrasting with his large, angled amber eyes and grey-ish white coat, which had multiple barely noticeable dark stripes on Powder's back - a remnant of a long-removed zebra ancestry. His eyes always had a somewhat empty and tired expression at this time of day.
Dad has placed his suitcase on the sofa near the cluttered table and beamed at Pepper with a tired smile. He then proceeded to fall on the couch.
'Evening, honey. How's your ear?' he asked.
'Still hurts, but healing. Miss Summergale's healing spell should recover it by next week' said Pepper.
'Good. Are you hungry?'
'No. I have eaten at the school' said Pepper. Her belly has betrayed her by making a grumbling noise. but Powder was too tired to notice.
Pepper could not cook. All her cooked endeavors were always ending with some sort of a small-scale catastrophe, of which a failed dish was the least evil. Pepper has shrugged, remembering one time she was so angry at the eggs that they have exploded in black goo, leaving a horrible stench all over the kitchen.
'Okay. Honestly, I am too exhausted to cook anything anyway' Powder has yawned loudly.
'I think I'll go to sleep early today. Sorry about that.'
'No prob, dad.' Pepper has smiled warmly 'I already made your bed.'
'Thanks, sweetums. You're the best' Powder has smiled and went up into his room, abandoning his suitcase on the sofa.
The crickets were playing their melodies behind the windows. Pepper has stood up and went to her room. There, she has blew off the candle, lied down on her bed and threw a glance on a dusty picture frame, hanging on the wall near the window. On it, a significantly younger Pepper was held up by two ponies, whose faces were unintelligible in the dark. Before she fell deep into slumber, she vowed to herself that she will apologize to that Starlight pony if she'll see her tomorrow.
***
Starlight has woke up from several solar rays, piercing her eyelids from a nearby window. Starlight sat up and massaged her eyes, looking around. Twilight was nowhere to be seen, presumably already teaching in the lecture hall. Starlight stood up and went out towards the bathroom.
The rest of yesterday was awkward. When Starlight has walked into the tower she immediately went to look for Cosmos to confirm some of her outlooks on Pepper Heart, but Cosmos was suspiciously absent. The rest of the evening Starlight was searching for him in the tower and surrounding area, but the stallion was gone. When Twilight returned, she just shrugged on the topic of Cosmos' absence and went to sleep shortly. So did Starlight, exhausted from the long day.
Starlight has moved down the stairs when a creaking noise has attracted her attention. Cosmos was rocking in his chair imperturbably, sipping from a cup of tea. Starlight has rudely stopped the rocking chair's motion with her magic and confronted Cosmos.
'Where the heck have you been all of yesterday?' she asked, staring right in Cosmos' eyes.
'Shopping.' answered Cosmos innocently. 'Bought some good tea. Want some?' he made a noisy slurp and pointed towards the table on which a steaming tea cup stood, as if waiting for Starlight. Starlight has cocked her eyebrow, but took the tea along with a bagel from the plate nearby.
'So, have you met Pepper Heart?' asked Cosmos calmly, grabbing another bagel from the plate. Starlight has almost spat out the tea right in Cosmos' face, thinking back on how good that face would look with tea on it.
'So it was her you were talking about.' she noted, biting on the bagel fiercely.
'Indeed. So, have you noticed anything special about her?' Cosmos' face looked slightly amused.
'Aside from that she is bullied by one of the worst creatures in Equestria?'
'Worse than a witch that has enslaved a whole village worth of population to follow her selfish ideals?' Cosmos has winked. Starlight had fun in her head, Imagining Cosmos as a bearded ferret.
'Is there more to her?' she asked, gritting her teeth.
'Oh, certainly.'
'Then why won't you tell me?'
'It's a hard topic, on which even I have a bias. So does Twilight. And so, probably, do you.' said Cosmos firmly, slurping his tea.
'Try me. I am tired of your shenanigans. What stops me from getting Twilight and leaving?' said Starlight biliously.
'Twilight's having a lot of fun, doesn't she?' Cosmos has drank the last drop of his tea and stood up, heading towards the teapot.
'And what about you? Want to leave that filly alone?'
'Big deal. Twilight's taking care of it. She is the friendship pony, not I.' Starlight has turned away.
'Pepper's problem might be of your expertise, not Twilight's.' said Cosmos thoughtfully.
'What do you mean?' Starlight has turned her head back towards the tea kettle, but Cosmos was no longer there.
'Showoff...' murmured Starlight.
She sat in Cosmos' room for a few more dozen minutes, eating Cosmos' bagels angrily with the intent to not leave a single crumb behind. Then she stood up, buckled down the rocking chair for good measure and started to chant a spell.
***
Pepper has entered the classroom last as she always did, berating herself from eyeing teacher's table excitedly. The princess alicorn was there once again. When Pepper was proceeding to her seat, something unusual happened: the princess has waved and smiled her way. Pepper looked around to see nopony beside her and sat up, rather perplexed. Pepper threw a glance at a faraway seat. Merrylight glanced back with pure hatred on his face.
After the routine greetings' the princess has started her lecture.
'What do you know about magic balance, pony folk?' she asked, excitingly looking at the audience. A few hooves has flew up. And, to Pepper's utter surprise, her own.
'Alright. Pepper heart!' said the princess, beaming. It was too late to back out. Pepper has looked around the classroom nervously. The ponies were as surprised as she did.
'Umm... M-magic always exist in balance, always, like... balanced...' she stumbled, hearing snickering all around her. 'T-there is no spell without a counter-spell... Like, all magic can be undone and stuff. A-and there is always... bad magic equivalent to good magic.' Pepper has bit her lip.
'Precisely!' said Twilight happily. 'As long as there evil magic, there will always be good magic equivalent!'
'But what is the magic is neither good nor bad?' somepony asked. Pepper was covering her face with her hoof, so she couldn't see who it was.
'A good question, Lemon Star! But first, let me tell you where magic comes from.'
'Our... horns?' asked Lemon Star. Pepper has raised her head a bit.
'Well, yes and no.' smiled Twilight. 'Magic is fueled by our emotions. Good magic comes from positive emotions, evil magic comes from our negative ones. But there is also an unaligned magic that comes from pure mischievousness, like the magic of Discord. You all know who Discord is, right?..'
Pepper has looked on her forehooves, thinking of magic. "Emotions, huh." she thought, feeling strange. Realizing that she has spaced out, Pepper snapped out of it and proceeded to listen to princesses' lection.
The lesson was fun. Twilight has called down some ponies, Lemon Star included, and made one of them cast simple spell on the other, announcing it, while the target had to come up with a counter-spell to cancel its effect. The sight of Lemon Star's round yellow face being doused over and over again, trying to think of the spell to counter it, was funny in the most rudimentary way, but Pepper has enjoyed herself, drawing few sketches of Lemon Star and other ponies, stuck in ridiculous poses due to some spells being cast on them.
Suddenly, Pepper shivered. She felt as if she was being watched. She looked around the classroom, but everypony, even Merrylight, were too caught up in the magic duels to gaze around. There was a small lavender bird sitting on the window frame though, looking intently on Pepper. The filly has shrugged an turned away from the window, returning to the unfolding show.
The show has ended soon, leaving Pepper in a good mood she haven't been in for a very long time. She even answered more of Twilight's questions, one even without stumbling. When the bell has rung, Pepper, for the first time in her life, didn't want the lesson to end. She even wished to herself that the princess would always profess, eliminating professor Cosmos' boring lectures forever.
She walked out the lecture hall absent-mindedly, forgetting to put off her sketch book and holding it in front of her. The sketchbook has impaired her vision enough to not notice multiple ponies approach her.
It was Lemon Star and a blue-green filly who's name pepper did not remember. Alarmed by their approach, Pepper has stumbled. Lemon Star has made a shy step forward.
'Hey, Pepper. You seem to know a lot about magic balance...' he suddenly said, smiling meekly. Pepper did not know how to react. The question itself could have a hidden meaning concerning Pepper's "talent", but Lemon Star looked way too honest to bully her.
'Oh, what's this? Is that me?' asked Lemon, looking at Pepper's sketchbook. Pepper begun to panic, trying to cover up the sketchbook, but sudden notion of her hoof has tore the sheet from the spring, sending it right under Lemon's hooves.
Lemon has picked up the sketch with blue filly peeking over his shoulder, looking intrigued. Pepper has shut her eyes and lowered her head, preparing for the worst. But the worst didn't come.
'Wow! That is so good! It's from that duel thing?' asked Lemon excitedly. Pepper has looked up meekly.
'Give it back! It's mine!'
'Oh, come on! It's so good! I want to hang it in my room! Nobody ever drew me before. Can I take it? Pleaeease?' he made a pair of puppy dog eyes. Pepper has stumbled. No one ever asked her such a thing before either.
'Ummm... Sure, but... NO!' she snatched the paper. 'Just lemmie... It's not finished!'
Pepper has grabbed the sketch and went away quickly, not looking back.
'Did I say something wrong?' Lemon asked his companion.
Pepper has managed to escape the extreme discomfort, but strangely she felt sad.
"Oh, what the heck am I doing?" she berated herself. "The first ponies to approach me in YEARS and I'm running off like a mule. They never gonna like me now..."
Thinking on how bad her actions should've looked, pepper went forward grimly. Her mood has became even worse when Pepper has realized that the next lesson is going to be Alchemy, professed by one of the least tolerable teacher in the whole academy. Ash Cauldron always hated pepper. From the moment he has witnessed... Pepper has brushed away unhappy memories and went into the alchemy lab with a sense of doom.
The alchemy lab was placed in the core building's basement. It was always dark, cold and dry, presumably so to keep the potion ingredients from spoiling or something like this. Pepper hated this place. The odd mixture of smells of dried weeds and vinegar has struck Pepper's nose. She has proceeded in the wide room with a huge fireplace with two cauldrons, one in the fire and one on the beside the teacher's table, eyeing the audience intently. When Ash Cauldron has noticed Pepper, his cold eyes has narrowed.
The lesson went as always, boring and dreary. The professor has spent the entire time by reading paragraphs from the potions book, for which Pepper was thankful for once, since there was no need to actually brew damn things this time. Pepper's cooking disability has apparently affected her ability to brew potions: she could never mix the correct dose of each ingredient right, at least at her first try, leading to poor grades from professor Ash and even worse treatment. Pepper tried not to look at the general direction of Lemon's seat, in fear that her wish to bang her head on the desk will get the better of her. But she couldn't help but notice Lemon's worried stare.
Pepper has sighed with relief when the bell has rung. She stood up, aiming to leave the dreary place as soon as possible. This was the last period for today. But suddenly something unexpected happened: Ash Cauldron has called her name. He rarely did that, preferring to either ignore Pepper altogether or call her something along the lines of "you there". Having a bad feeling, Pepper has approached the professor.
'Yesterday you have disrupted the school's order' he started, looking down at Pepper. The filly has felt a cold grip on her innards. 'You have provoked a group of colts to leave the central building, turning out to be a reason for them to skip a portion of the lecture. What's more, you have left the school's premises, skipping the last lecture altogether.'
Pepper has felt a sting of cold anger. She quickly has subdued this feeling, remembering what can transpire out of it.
'B-but I-'
'I want to hear no excuses. I have voted to give you a proper punishment, but the school board has dissuaded me, considering the nature of your abandon. Count yourself lucky.' his voice has became even colder. 'But if you will skip one more class, I will personally make sure that you will not go unpunished.'
He threw her another piercing cold gaze and went out. Pepper has sighed with relief. Before she left the room, Pepper threw and uneasy glance backwards. The feeling of being watched has returned. But there was nopony left in the room. Only a lonely mice, peeking from-under the big cauldron. She has dismissed the strange feeling and went out.
***
Starlight Glimmer panicked. She was losing her form. With each passing second it was becoming harder and harder to maintain a rodent shape. She felt extremely nauseous and dizzy.
"Gotta get out... Find a place to revert..." she thought. She dashed out of the basement, slipping under some filly's hooves. Somepony has let out a shriek, but Starlight was too focused on keeping herself steady. She dashed through a long hall, but a tall figure has appeared in front of her. A teacher. "Oh, that's just great". She thought, making a sharp turn and slipping in an open door. The teacher or whatnot seemed to not have noticed her. The room was dark. The stairs have caught her off-guard. Starlight has rolled down, bumping on every step and cursing everything, starting from the stairs itself and ending with the person who invented it. Thankfully, the stairs were not too long.
Somewhat recovering her composition, Starlight has dashed behind a big rectangular object. She heard the sound of the door hitting the doorframe, then the sound of key turning. She was locked. Sighing with big relief, Starlight has stopped keeping her form. She began to expand, her limbs absorbing the claws and her skull changing shape. IT was not painful, but extremely uncomfortable. When the transformation has ended, Starlight felt extremely cluttered. She crawled out from-behind the rectangular object that turned out to be a huge locked chest.
Starlight's eyes has begun to adjust to the darkness. The nausea has stopped, so did the dizziness, but Starlight has felt that she won't be able to turn into any animal for a while. She has severely overdrove herself. Three hours not only in animal form, but switching between the forms of a bird and a rodent has proven out to be extremely strenuous, even for her. Starlight has shook her head.
"Just what the heck am I doing anyway..." she thought angrily. "Turning into an animal and stalking a little filly... In hindsight, it's really creepy.
"Oh sweet Celestia that idea was stupid..."
She looked around herself.
"And now I'm trapped."
She has quietly climbed the stairs and tried the door. It seems locked. Starlight thought about shouting to call somepony, but the thought of having to explain that to Twilight was too much for her. She has attempted to lit her horn to have some light, but her horn sparked and Starlight has felt a numbing pain in her cerebellum.
"Looks like I won't be casting spells for a while." she thought, rubbing her temples angrily. How could she forget? Turning into something so different from pony physiology for such a long time was a really bad idea. Starlight has felt a slight jab of conscience about Merrylight, but quickly dismissed it, thinking that if anypony has deserved the nausea, it was him.
The minutes were passing, each new one more aggravation than the rest. Starlight was pacing back and forth, waiting for her magic to return. She got somewhat acquainted with the place. The big chest in the middle of the room was not the only container. The place was cluttered by different shelves, filled with all kinds of magic stuff. Starlight has eventually concluded that the room was a storage for school's requisites and stuff needed for lessons.
Starlight has recognized most of things she found, but nothing there could help her get out or at least get her magic back. Starlight was angry. Ridiculously angry at herself for coming up with such a stupid idea; at Cosmos for being so vague and unhelpful and even at Pepper for being the source of her aggravation. Her symphaty for the filly begun to waver. She begun to remember Pepper's attitude, which made her clench her teeth. And most of all, Starlight was angry at the school itself and at Twilight for dragging her into this.
When Starlight was almost ready to give up and call somepony to get her out, she felt a sudden coldness. The temperature was apparently changing, albeit slowly. The cold gave Starlight goosebumps. The cold seems to have coming from the enigmatic chest. By looking at the chest closely, Starlight has noticed it shaking very subtly.
She stood there, hypnotized by its vibrations. It was getting so cold that Starlight could see her breath. She has slowly approached the chest and poked it with her hoof. The shaking has stopped for a few second, then begun again, much more violently than before.
'What the heck is going on?' Starlight asked in a dazed voice.
The coldness has became unbearable. The chest has begun to cover with patterns of hoarfrost.
'Oh COME ON! Don't you think I'm miserable enough without your stupid cold?!' she growled at the chest. She turned around and kicked the chest with all her might, releasing her anger.
The blow was stronger than Starlight expected. The chest's wooden lid has cracked. The cracks has expanded in a matter of seconds. With a horrible screeching sound, the chest have shattered. Starlight sat there, dumbfounded, looking at a white cloud raising from the chest's remnants, taking a vaguely horse-like shape.
'Oh...' muttered Starlight, coming to a grim realization. 'Well, that's just awesome...'
Although Starlight has never seen one live, she knew what a windigo is. Everypony knew what it is. Though this one looked a bit different from the illustrations. Most pictures were depicting windigos long and lean, with sharp muzzles and puffy manes. This one looked rather small and stump, with its mane looking long and frazzled. Overall it could've even look a bit humorous if not for its eyes. Starlight has never seen such cold, emotionless eyes before in her life. She begun to shake violently, partly from the cold, partly under the being's gaze. A chaotic cacophony of thoughts were spinning in her head like why the school have a windigo stuffed in a chest in some locker room or why has it suddenly sprang to life.
"Starlight. Seems that you have incited another catastrophe. Way to go." she thought in Twilight's voice.
The windigo has glanced around the room and turned its eyes on Starlight, who was rapidly covering with hoarfrost patterns. It has noticed a door above the staircase and went there. It has attempted to ram into it, but bounced with a horrible shriek. The door has begun to cover with frost as well, but no matter how hard the windigo tried to go through it, it has repelled it.
"Well, at least it is trapped here. Must be some magic door."
Starlight was calm. Her body has begun to cover with ice. It was cold. Very cold. Starlight has stopped feeling her legs.
"It seems I am getting what I deserve." she thought. A strong desire to close her eyes, just for the second, was growing. If only she had her magic...