Trixie led Rough and Silver through the city. It wasn't far from their home to Fancy Pants' current dwelling. "It is good that Trixie knows where he is. He moves quite often." She pushed open the gate and strode up to the door before knocking lightly.
The door opened to reveal the butler they had seen the first day of reaching Canterlot. He raised a brow, "Yes?"
Trixie smiled, "We are here to see Fancy and Fleur, are they in?"
The door closed. Rough tilted his head, "Is he getting them?"
Trixie frowned a little, "I do not know why they like him so much, but he gets the job done." She settled on her haunches and waited. Several minutes later, the delicate muzzle of Fleur poked through the door and brightened on seeing them.
"Miss Lulamoon! And you brought your family! How delightful. Do come in." She stepped back and they all entered the opulently-appointed home. "I hope the spring house has served well. I know it's a little small, but in such a rush..."
Trixie made a dismissive wave of a hoof, "The house is lovely, and its gift continues to warm our hearts. I," Silver rose a brow at her lack of third person, "wish I could say we were here for pleasantries alone, but there is a very serious affair to deal with."
Fleur looked serious, "Whatever is the matter dear? Have the neighbors been playing their phonograph too loudly?"
Trixie shook her head quickly, "Nothing so petty." She pointed a hoof at Silver, "It seems that our foal has become a pariah in the cultured circles. Some loathsome mare is spreading the worst kind of rumors of his character."
Fleur advanced on Silver and circled him, "This handsome colt? He doesn't look capable of an uncouth thought. What do they say he did?" She had the soft scent of a mare, which kept Silver's attention on her, but mostly he kept still.
Trixie huffed indignantly, "They say he coerced the hussie into playing a very improper game involving ropes and a crop, only to grow cold hooves when his father appeared." She gestured then to Rough Draft, who looked properly embarrassed.
Fleur recoiled with shock, "That is very serious."
"It grows worse," sighed out Trixie. "There was a court trial. Celestia found her innocent and Silver's testimony baseless. Between those that saw the trial first hoof and those who hear from the mare's parents, Silver can't get a break."
Fleur raised her hooves, capturing Silver's cheeks and looking into his eyes, "Did you do that to this mare?"
Silver tried to shake his head, but it was held firmly. She was surprisingly strong for such a slender model of a pony. "She brought me against my will. I didn't want to play anything with her."
Fleur looked thoughtful a moment before she nodded, "I will speak to my husband, and we will do what we can."
Rough smiled, "We really appreciate that. Silver wants to get into a magic academy but they won't even let him take the test."
"Non!" exclaimed Fleur. "This is unacceptable." She frowned in further thought, "If they are giving those, then there is no time. What school do you attend?" She asked the last of Silver, looking back into his eyes. Her hooves were still holding him. That smell was still... nice. He gave the address of his school with a faintly quivering voice.
Fleur released Silver as she stepped away, "Oui, I know of that school." She trotted away on those long legs and returned with a collection of papers. Some quick turning revealed what she was looking for. "Tomorrow you will be visited by the Academy of Curled Horns. I will visit them tonight."
Silver got curious, "What academy was today?"
"The Academy of the Elements," answered Fleur.
Trixie huffed, "This is a shame. The Academy of the Elements is a good school."
Rough asked, "So how does the Curled Horns one rate?"
Fleur gave her soft smile, "They specialize in air magic. Some of their unicorns can put pegasi out of work. It is often a matter of contention."
Silver tilted his head, "I'm not sure I want to specialize in air magic."
Trixie waved a hoof, "That matters little. Once you know magic, you can study what you wish. The practice is the important part, and good teachers." Trixie puffed out her chest, "You have Trixie for a tutor, which puts you ahead of most others."
Fleur nodded at Trixie, "Your mother is a very talented magician. You should listen to her." Trixie went dark in the cheeks as the old misunderstanding blossomed. "You be a good colt and follow her lessons."
"Yes ma'am," replied Silver with a swishing tail. "She's taught me a lot already."
Fleur seemed to grow curious, "Show me."
Silver allowed his magic to flow freely, illuminating the room with a silver glow, pure and unwavering. Light had become much easier over time. He drew the magic to the sides and conjured his silver hand. He grabbed an apple from a bowl and brought it over to Fleur, offering it to her. She took a delicate bite of it before nodding softly. He set the apple aside on the counter, unsure where to put it, and summoned the other hand, giving Fleur a soft petting across the mane. Her horn glowed softly before his hands were repelled. "Non. You do not touch a mare without permission." Her tone was soft, instructing, and devoid of anger.
Silver bobbed his head quickly, "Sorry." He thought back to Fleur's examination of him the last time he stood before her. Mares you don't touch without permission, but colts were open season. "Thank you for helping."
Fleur smiled, "It is my pleasure. I need to freshen up before I go." They were dismissed, though she was far too polite to say as much directly. The hint was received, and soon they were returning home.
Rough asked as they walked, "Do you think it'll help?"
Trixie shrugged softly, "It certainly couldn't hurt."
The next day was drizzly, as promised. Silver trotted to school with a silvery hand of force shielding him from the light downpour. The hand was far larger than the ones he normally conjured for grasping and moving, blocking all the downward falling rain from reaching him. Along the way be bumped into Lily Jump, who looked damp. He moved beside her and expanded his protection over her. She giggled, "Thanks Silver. Are you going to try again today?"
Silver huffed softly, "I didn't even get a chance to try yesterday, but yes. We think we have it worked out."
Lily bobbed her head, "I'll be a little sad if you go, but you should do what you want to do."
Silver raised an ear, "We could still be friends, right?"
Lily tilted her head, "I suppose, but I mostly see you at school. If you don't go to school, where would we meet?" She shook her head quickly, "Don't worry about that! You have to go after your dreams!" She bumped into him from the side. It was harder to tell in the rain, but Lily had the scent, though it was fainter. Was it youth or the rain? "I'm going to try my best. If I do go to another school, we'll just have to meet on weekends and stuff."
They arrived at school. In the inclement weather, everypony was inside, school started or not. When the bell rang, everyone moved to their seats. Butter Scotch was at her desk with a smile and began the lessons of the day. It wasn't until just before lunch break that a new examiner arrived. He had a long beard and his robes blew in non-existent wind. "Good day, class. Since I am the second representative to arrive, I will dispense with introductions and get on to the test. Would the hopeful unicorns please come with me?" He turned and strode out into the drizzle, though the water seemed to avoid touching him.
Silver slid from his seat and followed after, calling forth his inflated magic hand to keep dry. There were only four unicorns left. He moved over beside Soft, "Are we missing someone?"
Soft nodded her head, "Winter Breeze passed and went to the Academy of the Elements without waiting to see what other tests she may pass."
The instructor cleared his throat, "The test is simple. This drizzle is no coincidence, few things are. You must walk across the yard." He pointed to the dirty yard, muddy from the constant drizzle. "Reach the fence and return with not a fleck of dirt or drop of water and you pass." He looked to one unicorn that was already wet, "You fail." The filly sniffled softly, and returned inside.
Silver considered the challenge. He spread out his hand, forming it into more of a bubble around himself. He hopped up and let the bubble seal underneath him and landed on the surface of the silvery magic. It was more slippery than he bargained for, making him dance in place, and he could feel the strain already building. He pulled out a snack bar and began chewing as he hurriedly scooted across the yard under power of hoof and horn. He bumped into the fence and spun around before hurrying back. The pain in his horn was growing by the moment and he knew it was a race against the clock. He jumped up onto the cement by the school and let out an explosive exhalation. He kept the bubble, but release it around his hooves, allowing him to sink to the ground safely.
"Did I pass?" he asked, looking up at the bearded stallion.
"You have yet to fail," replied the examiner. Only Soft Blush eventually joined him. The other unicorn was sent back inside with a muddy pelt.
The examiner pointed up to the sky, "This weather was created by academy students, not pegasi. If you wish to join us, you will do the same. Dismiss a cloud. It is now permissible to get wet."
Silver released the bubble, shuddering in the pleasure of the moment like finally being allowed to let go of a heavy weight you were holding stiffly with an arm for too long.
Soft Blush turned her gaze to the sky. He could see an intricate pattern of magic across her horn before one of the clouds winked out of existence. "Very good," said the examiner. "You have studied air magic, clearly."
Silver silently cursed. Trixie had not shown him any actual spells yet, just magical 'letters'. Trying random letters hardly seemed the way about it. He tried to use what he knew. He threw out a silver hand, reaching higher into the sky. The further the hand went, the fainter it became. By the time the hand was beside a cloud, he could scarcely see it through the drizzle, and his horn had begun to throb in agony. He tried to push through it. How long could it take to shove a cloud away? He increased the magic flowing through him, growing dangerously hot and leaving him panting, but the force fueled his hand, making it a bit more solid. With a mental flick, the hand became a simple folded fan, unfurled and ready. He began to pump it up and down, nudging the cloud away from the others.
"The cloud must be dismissed," reminded the representative, "Not simply moved."
Silver nodded as he blinked away some sweat. He moved the fan directly into the cloud and thrashed around, trying to rip it apart. The cloud whirled and flowed around the fan, distorting it badly, but there was still a cloud. "Your time is almost up."
Silver clenched his teeth as he reconfigured the fan into a bubble, surrounding the cloud. He remembered something and shrunk the bubble violently. Something popped in his head. Everything started to whirl around him wildly. He hit the ground heavily. Was that blood? Was it his?
"Very good, you--" The instructor looked down at the unconscious form of Silver, bleeding from the nose onto the drizzle-dampened concrete. He frowned. "Fail."
The phrasing here is slightly awkward. That should be "he gets the job done" or "he does his job well."
The home is "opulently-appointed."
I'm not sure if the first five words are poetic or awkward... Maybe expand on that, something like "Silver allowed his magic to flow freely."
I'd expound on that first sentence by saying what it was that he thought back to.
This entire sentence just sounds odd. It seems to want to contrast that everyone was moving to be seated with the fact that they were already in the classroom...except those two aren't really in contrast. One simply lends further detail to the other (e.g. everyone is in the room, but not in their seats).
I'd rewrite that as "When the bell rang, everyone moved to their seats." It's more straightforward, if somewhat prosaic.
I'd change that second sentence in a few ways; make "dirty covered" be "dirty" instead, and change "muddy ;looking" to "muddy."
A fleck of "dirt."
The concrete is "drizzle-dampened."
5714122 All fixed. Thanks for keeping an eye out. I liked the flow of the chapter, what do you think of it?
5714175 I found this chapter to be almost cathartic in how it portrayed Silver during the entrance exam. The fact that we got a sequence of him being forthright and assertive, albeit with regards to circumstances rather than another pony, was a much-needed reminder that he's not becoming everypony's toy (or simply emo). It was nice to not only see him want to excel, but be given the chance to do so.
The fact that he failed abets, rather than detracts, from this. It makes his efforts feel more genuine, since he's not automatically being rewarded simply for making the attempt. In short, this chapter helped to "humanize" him somewhat, in light of what's been going on.
Fleur's gentle rebuke to Silver's petting her, and Silver's reaction to it, were interesting for the subtext they displayed. Was Fleur showing a shade of the same sexism that Carrot did (we know that she and Fancy Pants are classist, after all)? Or was it that it's expected that adults will manhandle children to an extent, and she was simply trying to teach him how to be a gentlecolt with the ladies?
The issue with Silver getting high from the scent of mares is something that seems to be more and more prominent. While Trixie may have talked about it at the end of the previous story, it may be worth revisiting here, just to remind us what the current theory behind that is. Particularly since it seems to keep affecting Silver if he ever gets within leg's reach of a mare.
5714212 I will fully admit to just liking the scenery at the end. A top down view of a toppled Silver, blood pooling lightly into runny streaks in the cement. The instructor frowned, practically scowling. Soft Blush was likely horrified, but decorum demanded she remain where she was.
So close...
It felt a lot better than going with the 'power surge solves everything' trope that has come up in a lot of similar literature. Silver was pushing beyond his limits badly, and they're called limits for a reason.
Fleur's reaction can be attributed to a combination of things. She is older, he is a colt. She is high-born, he is common-birth. She is a mare, and he, a colt. She likes him, as a colt, but that does not make it alright for him to touch her. She has no malice in this thought, it's just not proper, and one should not do it. Provided he doesn't try again, it is entirely forgiven. Being the dominant figure in every way, her touching him is alright, and he should accept it. Being a good pony, she will never touch him in any unkindly fashion. If she was asked what was wrong with Carrot Plate's behavior, she would say it was the unkindness of it, not the lack of consent. When things are done with proper decorum, consent never enters the picture, which means don't tie up lower-born ponies in the dark and whip them unless you have it on extremely good word that they like that kind of thing.
I'll try bringing up the scent thing again. He brought it up to Luna, but that only led to Luna using it like a convenient lever to get what she wanted at the time. It worked admirably for that.
Thanks again for reading! It remains a delight to compare perspectives.
5714407 It is old timey in phrasing. Luna is known for lapsing into old timey phrasings and I run with it.
Que Lemongrab.
5714418 Let me help.
5714422 ONE MILLION YEARS DUNGEON!
a vary good chapter and I say that after seeing the other post here.
and if I remember right I am seeing a plan forming as to silvers teacher will be after this all work out.
[/ no I am not telling spoiler]
happy reading every pony.
Harts Fire
5714881 Glad you're still with us. Inspiration bit me on the flank, and then the chapter immediately went off in a new direction, so you all get another chapter today!
spun
"Welcome to standing-up school-"
*whump*
"-and you fail."
Welcome to the standing up school. *WHAM*. Yoo fail
the weather thing i am sure i remember from another story. which i have also read today.
6278314 Most things I just let my muse decide.
So I guess there's no chance of him meeting Midnight Oil in class now, eh?
6737933 Who? Did I forget a pony?
Ouch - wince emote here-
The title of this chapter is altered when there is probably a pony named Dinner. Some garden-variety typos got through.
spun around (span as past of spin is "chiefly archaic")
an explosive exhalation. He kept the bubble, but released it around
There are still issues of action tags.
What is it with you and all these new words?
The last of what? Of course, easy edit would be "the last from Silver" even if it still sounds a bit tacky...
Poor guy, certainly trying too hard here, he has only just learned to do simple magic..
What is wrong with your grammar ??! They "had seen" the butler!
9593442
What do we know. Maybe Trixie shown Fleur and Fancy certain magical trick with him as assistant.
It's just as well that Silver failed the first time. He's still learning, after all.