Ghost of the Everfree

by David Silver

33 - Fresh Casters

All the pressure was on Dry to think up a proper name. "Magic's been here before, right?"

All three fillies bobbed their head. Sweetie pointed up at her horn. "But it used to be unicorns only. With Everglow magic, that doesn't matter so much."

Dry tapped his chin, curious a moment how that worked. To have all spellcasting in one tribe of ponies. He could imagine problems. "Alright, so this isn't a new thing, but it is a new approach to an old thing. A fresh start. Fresh Casters?"

Scootaloo hopped up, wings fluttering in a giddy moment of flight before she came back down. "That works no matter how old we get."

Apple Bloom polished her chest with a hoof. "Makes me think of mah apples, and ah like that."

Sweetie giggled at the idea. "Nice fresh apples, I imagine. Alright. Fresh Casters!" She thrust a hoof out, and the other two clopped their hooves to meet it. She looked to Dry. "C'mon, yer a Fresh Caster too."

"O-oh! Yes." He got his hoof out as quickly as he could, bumping the others. "Fresh Casters! Wait. There are at least two others that should be here."

Apple Bloom frowned with thought, but it came to her. "Oh right! Ya learned how to do the cleric thing from Silver Spoon, who's a 'warpriest', right? But who's the other?"

Scootaloo shoved at Apple Bloom. "Really?! Who goes with Silver Spoon. Diamond! Is she a caster though?"

Dry pondered on that with a soft hum. "I think she is a rare kind. I don't know what they are called, but she implied she could glare at a person and do things."

Sweetie Belle whistled sharply. "Our worst dreams, come to reality." All three fillies shivered, but Sweetie was already giggling. "Good thing she's on our side these days."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Well, if she's a caster the Everglow way, she qualifies as a Fresh Caster."

Apple Bloom raised a hoof. "Objection! Um, not about her specific, but wouldn't Twilight an' Pinkie count? Twilight's where we got our first book ah magic from, don't forget."

"Pinkie does magic?" Dry was not that knowledgeable of the ways of Pinkie.

Sweetie covered her mouth with a hoof in a vain attempt to hide her giggles. "She's been performing magic since before she went to Everglow and it only got worse since then. She's a bard, like me!"

Dry clapped with a smile. "Have you asked her for bard advice?"

Sweetie inclined her head. "That's... not a bad idea. I'll ask her next time she looks free. She's a busy pony!"

Scootaloo waved that away with both hooves. "If you ask her, she'll make time. If you wait, you'll be waiting a while."

Apple Bloom crossed her arms with a firm nod. "Scoots has the right of it. Gotta put yerself on her radar and she'll figure out the rest. Don't try to out schedule Pinkie."

"I'm not that good at schedules." When Pinkie had arrived could not be said, but she was dangling from the roof, falling to her hooves among the foals. "Heya!"

Dry jumped back, as did the others in surprise. "Oh! Miss Pinkie."

"That's me." She pointed to herself to make that crystal clear. "And you are Dry Whisper, and Scootaloo, and Sweetie--"

Scootaloo casually popped a hoof in Pinkie's available snoot. "Since you're here, Sweetie was wondering if you'd be open to some bard lessons. She's one of those, like you."

"Wow!" Pinkie slipped around Scootaloo to peer at Sweetie curiously. "Got the magic of music all buzzing inside you, desperate to escape?"

"I just have to sing!" That last word was sung out musically as Sweetie grinned at her fellow bard. "That magic feels right to me. You sing sometimes too, don't you?"

"Mostly heart songs." Pinkie tapped her chest. "But those count. Those are the world's bardic magic. I always remember them. You should too, if you're already doing song magic."

Sweetie frowned in thought. "Hearts as strong as horses." This only got curious looks from everypony else. "What? It was a song we sung, together." She waved at the other Crusaders and back at herself. "You don't remember?"

Apple Bloom inclined her head. "I remember saying that, once. I don't remember it bein' no song."

Dry flipped his ears back. "Song magic is very scary."

"Aw." Pinkie through an arm over Dry. "Don't be like that. Heart songs are great! Besides, you remember yours."

Dry perked an ear. "Y-yeah... how do you know that?"

"Cheerilee told me." As if talking to teachers about their students was entirely normal. "You're from Everglow, right? Do they have heart songs there?"

"I never heard of them!" Dry rubbed behind his head. "At least... until I came here. We sing because we want to sing, not because we are told to."

"Well." Pinkie shrugged dramatically. "Nopony tells us to sing, we just do. What's wrong with that. Anyway." She twirled to Sweetie. "You, young song student, want to learn more about it?"

"Please." Sweetie danced in place. "If you have the time."

"I will make the time." Pinkie winked even as the other Crusaders looked so smug with their prediction coming true. "What about the rest of you?"

Apple Bloom shook her head slowly but firmly. "Nah, but since yer here! We're startin' a new club an' ah was reminded you qualify for it."

Pinkie's eyes widened. "What?! Really? What kinda club?" She leaned into Apple Bloom's personal space. "Is it fun?!"

Apple Bloom shied away from the eager Pinkie. "It's about creatures what use Everglow magic. We're callin' it the Fresh Casters."

"Oooo." Pinkie clapped as the meaning became clear to her. "I'm one of those! Everglow magic is fun, but so is Equestrian magic. Together is even better!" She threw her hooves wide, confetti exploding from them. "Like Sweetie."

Sweetie Belle blinked at being called. "I'm not..."

"Of course you are, silly." Pinkie waved that away. "You're a unicorn, so you got Equestrian magic for days! But you also use Everglow magic, combination, pow!" She punched at the air, bouncing like she was in a boxing match. "It's great!"

Sweetie edged away from the energetic earth pony. "You... have a point, perhaps... What combination do you use then?"

Scoots ribbed Sweetie with a laugh. "Are you serious? Pinkie is... Pinkie. She was full of magic from the start. Only Twilight or Starlight can match her for being magical."

Pinkie tipped the overdone hat she hadn't been wearing. "Aw, thanks. I owe it all to the mistakes of my future self." The all peered at her oddly. "What? Things happen, later. Trust me. It'll make sense eventually. So Fresh Start, huh? Sign me up!"

"Fresh Casters," corrected Dry, two hooves close together but not touching. "Welcome to the club."

"Yay! So what about Twilight?"

Apple Bloom sat up proudly. "Done brought her up afore. We just need to go ask her."

"On the case." Pinkie was gone, a cloud in her shape fading away where she had been a moment before.

Scootaloo reached out, waving a hoof through the cloud as it evaporated into nothing. "Easy come, easy go... That's Pinkie for you."

Dry looked to Sweetie. "Can you do that magic?"

"No!" she squeaked out. "That's all Pinkie magic right there. Oh, do you think she'll show me how?"

Apple Bloom shrugged softly. "Maybe? Can't say right fer certain. But ah do think our official first meetin's a success. See y'all next week."

They were all looking at him. Dry blinked slowly. "See you next week?"

Sweetie giggled softly. "We have to get back to Crusader stuff." She made gentle shooing motions. "So..."

"Oh!" Dry hopped to his hooves and made for the door. "Sorry, wasn't trying to be in the way."

"You're not in the way, Dry," assured Scootaloo with a smile. "But you don't want to get bored to death with our stuff. We'll hang out later!"

---

"Didja hear?!"

Twilight looked up from her telescope. There was Pinkie, hanging off her balcony. "DId I hear what?"

"The crusaders!" Pinkie threw herself up onto the balcony properly. "They started a new club!"

"Is.... it cutie mark related?"

"Nope!" Pinkie pointed at herself. "And I'm already a member."

"Are you now?" Twilight pushed her telescope away a few inches. "Is it a..." She trailed off, considering. "Why don't you tell me. What kind of club is it?"

"Fresh Casters!" Pinkie wobbled her hooves as pink energy wafted free of them. "For ponies that use Everglow magic, like me, and maybe you? That's what I'm here for!" She bounced high. "Wanna join?!"

Twilight hiked a brow high. "That those three practice Everglow magic is not someting to celebrate."

"But it's also not going anyway." Pinkie landed and sat on her haunches. "So you can help them, or complain about it. One sounds way more fun."

Twilight wrinkled her snout at the idea. "Do they even want me in their club, or is this entirely your idea?"

Pinkie pointed at her purple princess. "They were talking about you, and I was there and I said--" She pointed at herself. "That I'd go and ask you, so I came over and you were looking in your tele--"

Twilight put a hoof on Pinkie's nose. "I get the idea. Well, if the purpose of the club is to exchange magical knowledge and tips concerning it... That does interest me. Do they have an official meeting place yet?"

"Nope!" Pinkie leaned dangerously forward. "But I bet you have an idea."

"I... do..." She pointed down at the tower of a castle she owned. "We have a fine library, which would make an excellent place to keep notes about magic."

"One thing!" Pinkie raised a hoof. "This does mean you have to stop telling them to not do magic anymore."

Twilight hiked a brow. "I... Hm." It would be hard to join their club of magic using if she was still trying to convince them not to use magic. "I can still voice my concerns on how it's used?"

"Of course." Pinkie bobbed her head. "But not about if it should be used. They're using it. I'm using it. You're using it. Arguing that is kinda silly! If you're alright with that, I'll tell them!"

Twilight weighed the sides of that. "Hmmmm... Scootaloo uses magic I understand. I will want a copy of her spells."

Pinkie tilted her head. "And she wants a copy of your spells. I think that's a pretty common kinda want. I don't need your spells though." As if she had any use for them. "Apple Bloom wouldn't mind having a peek."

"Hm? I thought she was a potion brewer, like Zecora? Why would she want to look at my spells?"

Pinkie shrugged softly. "She has a book of spells like you, even if they end up as potions. Don't ask me, ask her! Dry, Silver, and Diamond don't need a peek. None of them use that kind of magic."

Twilight sat up, ears quivering on her head. "When did we get so many ponies that... Dry?"

"Dry Whisper?" Pinkie gave a dismissive wave. "I threw them a party? You were there! You don't remember him?"

"Ah, right, of course..." She had not remembered every party Pinkie threw. "And he practices magic?"

"Ayup! Don't know what kind, but no books, so no spell swapping, sorry. Meet him at the next meeting!" Pinkie was vibrating with excitement. "Which will be right here? In one of the libraries? I better tell them." And she was gone, not even leaving a cloud behind.

Twilight shook her head at the space that once held Pinkie. "This should be interesting... Still, this may be good for them. Diamond and Silver deserve to have a chance to speak about their... experience and what mark it left on them." She set a hoof on her own chest. "Listening is one part I can play, as a responsible adult in this new 'club.'"

Author's Note:

New developments! And it has a Pinkie in it, so it hasta be fine, right?

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Twilight as the responsible adult, in a room of multiple new forms of magic?

Theyd be better off with Pipsqueak?

[badninja]

I would say that adding Pinkie to the club the fun has been doubled, but that saying belongs to Luna. She has her own adventures elsewhere.

[howard035]

I wonder how Di will feel about ponies knowing she has magic. I got the impression she liked to be subtle about it.

[redmar]

Twilight has at least accepted that the Crusaders use Everglow magic. Talking to Diamond and Silver about their experiences is also good.