Flamma: The Tale of a Pyromancer

by TMH

Chapter VI: Regal Processions and Her Majesty's School

Chapter VI: Regal Processions and Her Majesty's School

“So you’re not mad at us?” Vinyl mumbled through Celestia’s down.

“No, dear Vinyl, not at all. I just want you two to be more careful in the future, if you had done that to somepony else you might have really hurt them.” Her great wings opened just enough for the two foals to wiggle their way out of her, back into the welcoming embrace of the oxygen filled air.

“We didn’t hurt you?” Fair looked up at Celestia, clearly shaken.

“I’m just fine Fair Flame, but I think for the sake of my coat you probably shouldn’t try to help me resemble my namesake any more.” Though she meant it rather jokingly, Fair Flame hung his head shamefully.

“I’m sorry Princess.” Fair mumbled as Vinyl watched on.

“You two were just curious, I know how it goes, but I think I know something that you two would find a lot more fascinating than my tail.” She smiled as they both looked up at her.

“What’s that?” Vinyl asked as Fair sat looking at the Princess dejectedly.

“Just watch this,” and with that Celestia’s mane started shimmer and and ripple far stronger than its normal light breeze; twisting and falling into itself it resembled some incomprehensible ocean of light, it shone like star.

Both of the foals ooooooooooh’d in wonder at the dazzling spectacle of special spectral follicles. This went on for several minutes until Vinyl asked, “Can you do a puppet show with them?”

=====&&*&&=====

Silver Bells paced nervously across the porch of the welcoming entrance to the Exceptionally Powerful annex of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns or EP-CSGU, the most prestigious school of magic the known world over. Being an exceptionally gifted unicorn in her own right and an accomplished administrator of CSGU for over a decade she was use to handling high pressure and had seen many, many things. However, in all her years at the school, from her entrance exam up until the present day, she had never heard of Princess Celestia personally picking two students to sponsor to the school, and she had apparently only met the foals this very day! It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was something special, though it didn’t hurt to be one. The one royal guard assigned to this door stared impassively ahead, looking straight down the road, “The Princess’ carriage approaches Madam Bells.”

Silver Bells was shaken from her internal dialogue by the guard’s pronouncement and nearly tripped down the stairs. She straightened herself and walked down the some twenty steps to greet the Princess, and the new arrivals.

=====&&*&&=====

Sitting in the grandeur of one of the school’s reception rooms one could be forgiven for believing oneself to be sitting inside of the Castle proper, not merely a school located on Castle grounds.

The foal protagonists of our story would not need forgiveness, however, themselves being wholly absorbed in an animated discussion about why someone would build something as boring as a school next to a castle.

“...and so I recommended to the legal guardians that these two be placed under the care of the CSGU with my patronage. I have the guardians’ signed consent here Administrator Bells.” Celestia magicked over a small stack papers festooned with all manner of seals and heraldic glitz.

“I see Your Majesty, the school will be more than willing to accept these two under our tutelage. When would you like them to be scheduled for the entrance examination?” Silver Bells asked while organizing the many papers sat in front of her on the regal desk they all sat at.

“I believe three da-” Celestia began but was cut off.

“That’s a fancy word for test isn’t it?” Vinyl looked accusingly at Silver Bells while Fair continued talking to nopony for several seconds before he realized his friend was no longer responding to him.

“That would be an apt synonym Miss Scratch, but I am certain our simple entrance examination will prove no difficulty for you two.” Silver Bells reassured the foals with an understanding smile while Celestia looked toward the two foals expecting some further mischief.

Vinyl looked to Fair, confusion written all over her face, “That means yes Vinyl.” Fair answered her unvocalized question.

“Well she could have just said so, a test is no big deal.” Vinyl looked pleased with her question answered, and shortly her and Fair were talking animatedly once again.

The two adults smiled, bemused, at the pair.

Celestia and Silver spent the next hour going through paperwork and discussing the pair’s courses, living arrangements, and so forth. When the ebony grandfather clock with gold trim in the room rang eleven times Celestia decided that that was quite enough paperwork for one afternoon, “I believe we shall finish these documents upon the the morn Administrator.” She stood from her cushion and trotted over to the two foals who had fallen asleep nearly twenty minutes ago.

They had been gallivanting around the room up for some time, inspecting this and touching that as foals are wont to do, before Vinyl had declared that she was tired and Fair had yawned in agreement. Seeing as the adults were distracted they made off with several of the large cushions, some bigger than themselves!, and constructed a hasty pillow fort in a corner.

Guarded on all sides by their pillow palisades they had curled up together in the corner. Vinyl’s head rested on fair’s side and she had somehow started sucking on some of his hair, whenever she gave a particularly strong tug one of his hind legs would twitch and he would grumble some before cuddling into Vinyl. Feeling the well known and comforting warmth of his friend’s coat he would sigh contentedly until Vinyl sucked again and the process would repeat.

The Princess and Administrator watched on, smitten with the scene. After a few moments Celestia picked the whole impromptu bed up, occupants included, with her magic and motioned for Silver Bells to lead the way to the foals’ new quarters.

Vinyl’s sleep was slightly disturbed from this subtle change in altitude and she bit down forcefully on her companion’s hair, Fair twitched at this and his horn gave off a tiny spark. The spark floated slowly down from its birthplace and tumbled down its creator’s hair before falling onto Vinyl’s nose and making her face scrunch up in annoyance.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

What happened to the cover art?

[TMH]

6531832

I have no idea, but I updated it with a new one. I like it a lot more than the old one.

Carry On