Chapter 11
Cool wind blew through the trees outside the Academy, rustling through the dense leaves. The whistle of a train echoed from within the depths of the cave housing the station, catching the attention of something dark and formless lurking in the bushes. The shape snaked its way through the underbrush, stopping just short of the edge of the concealing shade. It shifted and writhed ominously for a few moments, until finally its indistinct outline took on a more defined shape. Cautiously, a yellow colt with bright blue eyes stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight.
The colt watched silently as four ponies emerged from the tunnel: Princess Celestia and Bright Spark, followed closely by Dinky and Clarity.
Dinky Doo has returned, yes she has! Sunbeam rejoiced. I thought for sure when she disobeyed my instructions and used her dark magic, she had ruined everything. But if she’s being permitted to remain at the Academy, there may be hope for my plans yet, yes there may.
The colt frowned. I will have to resort to plan B, yes I will, he thought, stomping a forehoof in frustration. Dinky has learned the truth about dark magic far too soon, yes she has. Now, if given the choice, she won’t continue to use it.
The colt looked at the sky. But there is still time, yes there is. If I cannot persuade Dinky to continue casting dark spells… I’ll just have to try a less subtle option.
As the ponies drew closer to the path, Sunbeam withdrew into the darkness. Only the shimmering blue of his eyes was visible as he watched Dinky enter the castle.
“Enjoy your success tonight, Dinky,” the colt hissed as his shape once again became strange and amorphous. “But don’t get too comfortable. By the end of this term, you’ll help me fulfill my goal, yes you will, whether you want to or not…”
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The four ponies arrived at the dean’s office.
“Now, I need you to write a note to the girls’ overseer,” Celestia instructed the dean. “Make sure she’s aware that Dinky is permitted to return to the tower.”
“Yes, Princess,” Bright Spark said dully, trotting into her office and hastily scribbling down a note to Sparkler. “And what of Clarity? Are you excusing her from any penalties for truancy? She did, after all, skip Thursday’s classes.”
“That’s always been a decision left to the professors of the classes she missed,” Celestia replied. “I don’t see why this situation should be any different.”
Bright Spark’s expression remained drab. “Fair enough,” she said, passing the paper to Dinky in a small cloud of magic. “Dinky, give this to Sparkler, and then you’ll be able to return to your room.”
Dinky grabbed the paper with her own magic and quickly read the note. Clarity peeked over her shoulder and scanned it as well.
Sparkler,
By decree of Princess Celestia, the expulsion of Dinky Doo has been overturned. Please permit her to return to her dormitory, and remember that she once again falls under the students you are responsible for.
Regards,
~Dean Bright Spark
“Good. I believe that takes care of everything,” Princess Celestia said, nodding. “Go back to the tower and get some sleep, girls. You can both resume class tomorrow morning.”
Dinky bowed, and Clarity followed suit. Ignoring the dean peering at them from behind her desk, the fillies left the office and made for the residence tower.
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Dinky pushed open the door and peeked cautiously into the lounge at the base of the tower. The filly gasped in surprise.
“Clarity, come check this out!”
Barely a day before, the room had been a mess of rubble and charred debris, reduced to a smoldering wasteland by Dinky’s rogue spell. Yet now it was as if the incident had never happened. The fireplace was reconstructed; each brick was back in its proper place, and any hint of dust and ash had been wiped away. The carpet was clean and whole, and the walls were no longer charred and cracked. There wasn’t a speck of wreckage left anywhere; the whole room looked as if the fire had never happened.
“But… but how did they…” Dinky sputtered, aghast.
“That’s the power of magic for you,” Clarity chirped. “This Academy is home to some of Equestria’s most brilliant unicorns. Even a mess like that couldn’t have taken more than a day to clean up.”
Impressed, Dinky took another moment to examine the pristine room, before trotting forward and lifting a hoof to knock on Sparkler's door.
“Wait!” Clarity said sharply. “Um… can I maybe just go upstairs? Sparkler’s not gonna be happy when she sees you…”
Dinky nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. Don’t worry, Sparkler doesn’t have the authority to do anything to me.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s gonna just let it slide,” Clarity said dryly. “She may not be able to punish you, but she’ll have a few choice words for you, I’m sure.”
Dinky rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s a given. Just wait for me upstairs. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“I wish I didn’t have to leave you alone with Sparkler, though,” Clarity mumbled. “I’d stay here with you if I didn’t think I’d get chewed out for this too.”
A thought occurred to Dinky. “Maybe you can,” the purple filly said slowly. “Do you think you can cast your invisibility spell again? It fooled Sparkler last time.”
Clarity slapped a hoof to her forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Clarity’s horn glowed, and the filly melted into her surroundings. Within a few moments, Dinky couldn’t see her at all. Satisfied, Dinky turned and trotted up to Sparkler’s door. She hesitated for a moment, and then rapped on it gently.
“Whaddya want?” the young mare’s voice called from inside. “It’s late. Is this important?”
“It’s a message from the dean,” Dinky called.
The sound of hooves approached the door very quickly, and after a moment, it was wrenched open by a flicker of violet magic. Sparkler glanced out the door, and gave a small gasp when she saw the pale purple filly in front of her.
“Dinky! But… you’re expelled! I took you back to Ponyville myself!”
“Yeah, about that…” Dinky said, unable to help but feel a little smug at Sparkler’s reaction. “This note’s from the dean. It should explain everything.”
Sparkler snatched the note from Dinky and read through it in a few seconds. Her eyes narrowed, and she crumpled the note with magic and tossed it into a wastebasket in the room behind her.
“Well, well,” she said slowly. “The brash little filly manages once again to escape her fate. I gotta say, this time I wasn’t expecting you to get away with it. But time and time again, you somehow manage to worm your way out of trouble. Unbelievable.”
Dinky snorted indignantly. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault. I told the dean and you exactly what happened. If you two had believed me in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to take it to Twilight Sparkle, or ultimately to the Princess.”
Sparkler stamped a hoof. “But that’s just it! Why did they believe you? Why does everypony always take your side? It seems like you can just trot around here, causing whatever kind of mayhem you want, and nopony can lay a hoof on you! How am I supposed to do my job if you can just get around all the rules!?”
With that last question, Sparkler slammed both her forehooves down in front of Dinky, causing the latter to take several steps back. “It’s… it’s not my fault!” Dinky countered. “I know I’ve caused more than my share of trouble. I’m not trying to deny that! But all the things that have gone wrong have been accidents, or cases of me just defending myself. I’m not trying to make your job any harder; I’ve just been involved in some… unfortunate circumstances.”
“No you have not!” Sparkler screamed. “If you had been affected by any ‘unfortunate circumstances’, you wouldn’t be at this school at all anymore! But your so-called ‘circumstances’ seem to be in your favor tonight, considering you’re here with a note signed by the dean overruling your expulsion.”
The older unicorn paused, and shook her head furiously. “It’s just not fair!” she cried. “I put all my energy into being a model student, and you’re nothing but a troublemaker! How come everything works out for you and never for me!?”
Dinky’s ears perked up. “Wait, what?” she asked, her face scrunching in confusion. “Are you… are you saying you’re upset because you think my life’s better than yours? And you resent me just because of that?”
Sparkler’s expression became even more livid. “It’s none of your business why I’m upset! Just… just get up to your room, and stay there!”
“But—”
“I said get out of my sight. Now!”
Sparkler retreated into her room and slammed the door so hard that Dinky felt the vibrations in her hooves. There was the sound of squeaky bedsprings, followed by muffled shouting. Clarity reappeared and shook her head sadly.
“Listen to her,” Dinky mumbled. “I think she’s screaming into her pillow.”
Clarity sighed. “She really hates your guts, but at least now we might know why,” she replied softly. “She’s… jealous, I guess.”
“It’s too bad she never wants to say anything about her own life,” Dinky said. “I could try to help if I just knew what makes her think her life’s so much harder than mine.”
Clarity shook her head. “I’m not sure she’s going to open up anytime soon. There’s nothing we can do but ignore her little tantrums and stay out of her way for now.”
After a moment, she forced herself to look a little more positive. “Anyway, let’s forget about Sparkler for now, and head upstairs. There’s a certain filly who’s going to be beyond relieved to see that you’ve come back.”
Dinky grinned. “I almost forgot! Come on, let’s not make Honeydew wait any longer!”
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The upper halls were dark; most of the fillies had already gone to bed. Dinky and Clarity silently made their way all the way to the sixth floor, and were surprised to see the faint glow of a half-charged illumination orb coming from their room.
Clarity led the way. Trying not to disturb the residents of the nearby rooms, they slunk forward and peered inside.
The room seemed to be empty. The orb was set to cast just enough light to see around the room, which had the somewhat eerie effect of causing every object to cast a long, slender shadow. Dinky and Clarity’s bunks remained undisturbed. The curtains were drawn over the wide window. Only Honeydew’s bed appeared lived-in; the covers were all balled up in one big mass near the pillow.
“That’s strange,” Dinky whispered. “Honeydew is usually pretty tidy. Why did she—”
Dinky was cut off as the mass of covers gave a soft groan and fidgeted slightly. There were a few sniffles, and the movement stopped.
“That explains that,” Clarity whispered back. “Honeydew’s all wrapped up in there. She doesn’t sound too good, either.”
Both fillies walked into the room as quietly as they could, and Clarity approached Honeydew’s bed. “Honeydew, I’m back,” she said gently.
The lump beneath the blankets stirred again. “Clarity?” Honeydew asked, her voice no more than a muffled squeak.
“Yeah, and somepony else too,” Clarity replied, a little more strongly. “Come out and see.”
The blankets writhed for a moment, and then Honeydew poked the upper half of her body out from underneath. Dinky took a look at her friend and gave a small gasp.
Honeydew’s appearance had deteriorated alarmingly in a day and a half’s time. She hadn’t bothered to put her mane up into its usual ties, and so it hung loose in un-groomed clumps, concealing part of her face. Her eyes, watery and strangely vacant, looked both irritated from tears and desperate for sleep. Even her fur seemed to have lost its sheen.
It took the haggard filly a moment to even focus on Clarity. She rubbed her eyes for a moment and gave another sniffle.
“Well, I’m glad to see you made it back okay,” the pink filly said. “So who did you bring… with…”
Honeydew trailed off as she realized the identity of the other pony standing in front of her. The pink filly rubbed her eyes again, more forcefully this time, and continued to stare as she struggled to parse the new development.
In spite of Honeydew’s ghastly appearance, Dinky couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s bewildered expression. “Yeah, I’m back,” she said. “For a while there, I didn’t think I would be, but I guess I got lucky.”
Honeydew kicked off the rest of the blankets and got to her hooves, staggering sideways as she stood. She made her way to Dinky as fast as she could in her half-conscious state, and threw her forelegs around her, pulling her into a hug and bursting into sobs.
Dinky, unsure what to say, simply gave Honeydew a gentle pat as the pink filly cried into her shoulder. She waited for a few minutes in silence until Honeydew got a hold of herself.
“So… so what happened to you?” Honeydew managed. “How did you… why were you…”
Honeydew’s embrace finally relented, and having previously been putting most of her weight on Dinky’s shoulders, she flopped down onto the rug. Dinky cautiously lifted her with magic instead, and levitated her back onto the bed.
“S-sorry,” Honeydew stuttered. “I don’t even know why I’m c-crying. The last two days have just been so… so hard to come to terms with. Everything just kind of happened all at once, and suddenly I was alone, and nopony could say for sure what was happening, and…”
Honeydew trailed off, and Dinky sat down on the bed next to her. “I’m sorry, really,” she said, comforting her friend. “But we’re back now. For good this time.”
Honeydew made an attempt to dry her tears “But didn’t you get expelled?” she asked, snuggling back into the comfort of her mattress. “That’s what I kept hearing; all the ponies are whispering about it when Sparkler isn’t around to hear.”
“I did get expelled, at first,” Dinky admitted. “But I managed to get the matter taken to Princess Celestia, and she got me un-expelled.”
Honeydew smiled, and somehow the simple expression made her whole appearance seem less disheveled. “That’s good,” she said, immensely relieved. “I thought I would never see you again.”
As quickly as it had come, the smile faded. “Um… and about what happened, down in the lounge… you didn’t know what you were doing, did you?”
“Of course not!” Dinky replied vehemently. “I’d never purposely use a spell that destructive!”
Honeydew nodded solemnly. “I didn’t think so. You seemed just as scared as I was after the fire started…”
“That reminds me,” Clarity cut in, “what happened to you after we left, Honeydew? Last I saw you, you were barely conscious.”
Honeydew sighed. “Not much, actually,” she admitted. “I woke up in the care of the school nurse. She told me I’d suffered a massive panic attack, and she’d been monitoring me to make sure my body functions were returning to normal. As soon as I woke up, I asked what had happened, and she told me the fire was eventually controlled and nopony was hurt. She didn’t know anything about what was to become of Dinky though.”
Honeydew paused long enough to push her unruly mane out of her face. She tied it back in a single, messy ponytail, just to keep it out of her eyes.
“Anyway,” she continued. “As soon as they declared it safe to come back to the tower, they sent me back here. That’s when I saw the note Clarity left saying she’d gone after Dinky. I wasn’t able to go to class today, though. It feels like I have the flu or something, but the nurse says I’m just still trying to recover from that little… episode…”
“So you’ve just been here sleeping for most of the day?” Dinky asked.
Honeydew looked bitter. “Well, trying to sleep,” she mumbled. “I don’t really do well with anxiety, and having no idea what had happened to Dinky, as well as worrying where Clarity would wind up by following her, was kinda making it hard to get any rest. I probably look like a wreck.”
“You don’t look that bad,” Clarity lied. “And now we’re all back together, and everything’s gonna be fine, right?”
“Well, there’s still the matter of Sunbeam,” Dinky said crossly. “I need to find out who he is and why he decided to try to teach me dark magic.”
Honeydew squeaked in surprise, and her already sickly complexion became even paler. “W-why would you purposely go looking for him again?” she asked, trembling. “He almost ruined your whole life! Worse still, what if you’d kept practicing dark magic without knowing what it was? Who knows what would have happened! I think we should just go back to our normal studies and pretend he was never here.”
“But Honeydew, that’s just it,” Dinky argued. “Sunbeam did almost ruin my life, and I could very well have wound up in an even worse situation if this incident hadn’t happened. Even if things worked out for me in the end, there’s still a colt with dark magic abilities, who the staff refuses to believe is alive, running around at this school! If I can’t prove his existence and get him properly punished, he could cause even more trouble!”
“Actually, Honeydew might have a point,” Clarity chimed in. “We don’t know what Sunbeam is capable of. He could be really dangerous. He won’t be able to be a real threat to the school without getting himself noticed, and if he does, I’m sure the professors will have more than enough magic to stop him.”
“But… what about other foals?” Dinky asked. “What if Sunbeam tricks another pony like he tricked me?”
Clarity shook her head. “Dinky, I’m pretty sure you’re one of the only ponies here who honestly didn’t know a thing about dark magic,” she admitted, “and if there was anypony else who didn’t, they sure as heck are going to now. If Honeydew was able to hear rumors without even leaving her room, I’m sure the whole school is talking about what happened in the tower yesterday.”
Dinky opened her mouth to attempt to argue again, but realized she had no further point to make.
“I admire your courage, trying to protect the school from Sunbeam,” Clarity continued, sitting down next to Dinky and Honeydew on the bed, “but under the current circumstances, it’s probably best if we stay away and let it play out by itself. If you see Sunbeam again, just don’t do what he says. It’s that simple.”
Honeydew nodded. “Please, Dinky. I don’t want to deal with something like that again. Living at this school is stressful enough as it is.”
Dinky sighed. “Alright, fine,” she said, defeated. “I guess you’re right. Sunbeam is somepony else’s problem now.”
“Good,” Clarity said. “Now, I think all of us are exhausted. Let’s get some sleep.”
“Now that’s an idea I don’t have any arguments with,” Dinky said, climbing off Honeydew’s bed and crawling into her own bunk. “Let’s all get some rest, and start fresh tomorrow with this whole dark magic business behind us.”
Clarity drew the dim light out of the orb, and it took only moments for all three fillies to fall asleep.
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The next morning was Friday. Dinky could scarcely believe it was still the same week; it seemed like ages had passed since the fire.
Honeydew woke up around the same time Dinky and Clarity did instead of at dawn, and Dinky noted that some of the filly’s vitality had returned. After her usual lengthy grooming process, it was hard to tell that she was still under the weather.
Friday morning classes were cancelled to make way for a meeting in the main hall, which happened to be a “mandatory demonstration concerning magical safety.” The professors, of course, did not mention a reason for the meeting, but it was fairly obvious to most of the students, and as soon as the presenters began to talk about identifying and avoiding dark magic, those who hadn’t caught on quickly made the connection.
Although no names were mentioned, and the incident in the residence tower wasn't even brought up, Dinky could still feel several pairs of eyes staring in her direction. She did her best to stare straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge their curious glances.
For the most part, the safety meeting was a bore. By the time it finally ended, Dinky and her friends were ready for lunch.
“Did you see them staring at me?” Dinky asked angrily as she bit into a daffodil sandwich. “I may have been re-enrolled, but I’m gonna be paying for that accident for a long time yet.”
“Only a few ponies know for certain who started the fire,” Clarity pointed out. “Sure, a lot of ponies have heard it was you, but technically, it’s just a rumor. Obviously, the professors are going to keep pretending it wasn’t a big deal, so they won’t tell anypony. Just act like nothing’s different, and they’ll all stop caring within a week.”
“We can always stay in the dorm or go to our hideout if you need some peace until then,” Honeydew added between sips of tomato soup.
Dinky shrugged. “I hope things work out that way. I’m getting really tired of dealing with all the problems associated with this mess.”
“Well, now you get a chance to think about something else,” Clarity announced, waggling her spoon in the direction of the clock. “It’s almost time for our first Magical Artifacts class.”
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An aging, pale blue stallion with a forest green mane and simple metal bell for a cutie mark hobbled into the classroom and took a seat behind the desk. He surveyed the class with a passive curiosity, smiling contently. His eyes came to rest on Dinky, who had seated herself at the front of the room, between Clarity and Honeydew as usual. Dinky smiled back.
“Alright, class,” the stallion called finally, in a voice much stronger than Dinky had expected for a pony of his age. “This is first-level Magical Artifacts class. My name is Bronze Bell, and—”
Several students gasped, and a number of the more bored-looking ponies sat up. Dinky wasn’t sure precisely why, but even she had heard the name Bronze Bell before. She just couldn’t remember where.
Clarity had no such problem. “Are you the Bronze Bell? The greatest archeologist of modern Equestria?”
“Formerly,” Bronze Bell replied, chuckling. “Most of you have probably heard stories about me, but those are from a decade or so ago. I’ve retired from a life of work in the field, and, at Princess Celestia’s request, have spent the last few years sharing my knowledge with students. You can all just call me Professor Bronze.”
“Will you at least tell us a story or two about your days traveling Equestria?” one colt asked.
Professor Bronze grinned. “If we can get through the material we need to cover, I don’t see why not.”
Dinky had never seen a group of students find their quills and notebooks so quickly. Within seconds, the whole class sat at rapt attention.
“Well, since everypony is ready, let’s begin,” Professor Bronze said, his conversational tone suddenly becoming more serious. “The magic that we will discuss when dealing with magical artifacts almost always falls under the category of enchantments. Every artifact we have discovered with magical power only has that power because of an enchantment placed on it at some point in the past.”
Dinky’s ears perked up at the mention of her favorite magical topic. The filly looked at the diamond pendant still dangling around her neck. Questioningly, she raised a hoof, and the professor glanced in her direction.
“We put enchantments on objects all the time in Enchantments class,” she pointed out. “What is it about magical artifacts that makes them different than, say, my enchanted pendant?”
“I was wondering if somepony would realize the similarity,” Professor Bronze laughed. “The reason magical artifacts are considered so important, both to the field of archeology and to magic, is because they contain an irreplicable enchantment. The magic is either so ancient or so powerful that nopony alive today, not even the princesses, is able to duplicate the spell and apply it to another object. Some of these artifacts were created by great unicorn experimenters from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, who spent a great deal of time studying arcane magic now lost to ponykind. Only the enchanted relics remain to demonstrate those ponies’ knowledge and ability.”
Another filly raised a hoof. “How many magical artifacts are there?” she asked. “It doesn’t sound like they’re very common. Are there only a few?”
“Actually, we’ve uncovered several dozen over the years,” Professor Bronze corrected, smiling as the news sent a wave of surprised whispers through the class. “When you think about it, it really shows how little we actually know about our own magic. Unicorns have discovered amazing spells that have been lost, and can only be used through these artifacts. Who here can name a magical artifact, or should I say set of artifacts, that has become well-known during the last few years?”
Dinky again raised her hoof, but the professor called on a different filly, who confidently replied, “The Elements of Harmony.”
“Correct,” the stallion answered. “The Elements of Harmony are perhaps among the most powerful and influential objects ever discovered. Nopony knows where they came from; they date back to long before the arrival of our princesses. It’s also believed they take different forms. Currently, the six ponies that bear them live in Ponyville, and the Elements have taken the shape of five necklaces and a crown after first being borne by them.”
Clarity raised a hoof, wagging it through the air earnestly. The professor nodded, allowing her to speak.
“Dinky and I know one of the bearers!” she announced. “If we’re going to be covering the Elements of Harmony in detail during this course, maybe we could have her come in as a guest speaker!”
The Professor raised his eyebrows. “Oh? And which of the bearers have you met?”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Clarity said proudly, earning a few sounds of admiration from the rest of the class.
“I admit, even I’d like a chance to speak with Twilight Sparkle about her insights on the Elements,” Professor Bronze said. “We will be covering the history and power of the Elements of Harmony in more detail later in the semester. If you’d like to ask Twilight Sparkle to visit us then, I think everypony would appreciate it.”
Clarity looked at Dinky. “She’s your tutor. Will you?”
“Of course,” Dinky said. “Miss Twilight will probably be happy to come and give a talk.”
“Excellent, excellent,” the professor said. “Now, curiously enough, Twilight Sparkle is a useful way of leading into today’s topic: a recently rediscovered artifact that had been lost for over a millennium, called the Crystal Heart. You all heard all about the Crystal Empire when it reappeared a few months ago, right?”
The students nodded, so Professor Bronze continued. “As I’m sure most of you are aware, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the bearers of the Elements, alongside Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor, saved the long-lost Crystal Empire from the rule of a unicorn named King Sombra. Perhaps it’s appropriate that his name comes up today as well; it wasn’t a highly publicized fact, but King Sombra’s power came primarily from dark magic.”
Dinky swallowed. One dark unicorn enslaved a whole kingdom…?
“But we’re not here to talk about King Sombra,” the professor continued in a lighter tone. “Far more interesting, at least to me, is the object that ultimately brought about his defeat: The Crystal Heart. As you all have already been taught in Enchantments class, crystalline structures are wonderful at holding powerful enchantments when compared to other objects. The Crystal Heart contains a very complicated spell that is apparently activated by hope and unity among the crystal ponies. Many scholars believe the crystal ponies themselves are actually enchanted with the magic required to activate the heart, although this is difficult to believe because enchantments on living things, in all conventional knowledge, are short-lived, and certainly can’t be passed on genetically. Yet, the Crystal Heart is useless when crystal ponies aren’t around, and the ponies themselves can lose their physical sheen and often become depressed and apathetic without input from the Crystal Heart, so the theory of two separate enchantments complimenting one another, one in the artifacts and one in the ponies themselves, is strongly supported.”
As the professor continued to discuss the intricacies of the magic surrounding the Crystal Heart, Dinky’s mind wandered back to King Sombra. She’d heard the story shortly after the incident itself, but she’d allowed herself to assume that Sombra, like other oppressive conquerors such as Queen Chrysalis, had probably used an army and taken the kingdom by force. The realization that one unicorn had dominated an entire kingdom using the same kind of magic that she’d been using for a few weeks was startling.
Briefly, Dinky imagined herself as a colossal, armored mare, towering over Canterlot, and throwing bolts of darkness at any pony that dared to step out of line. She shivered.
That will never be me, though, she reassured herself. I stopped using dark magic before it could corrupt me, and I’ve sworn it off for good. Now nopony’s in any danger, because the only students at this school who can use dark magic are me and—
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“Sunbeam!” Dinky announced, causing both Clarity and Honeydew to look up rather suddenly.
“What about him?” Clarity asked absently as she lay sprawled on the earthen floor of the fillies’ forest hideout. “I thought we agreed to stop worrying about him.”
“But didn’t you hear what Professor Bronze said in class today?” Dinky asked. “That King Sombra guy took over the whole Cyrstal Empire with dark magic. We can’t just let a colt who knows as much dark magic as Sunbeam does do as he pleases! It took the power of the Crystal Heart to stop Sombra; what if Sunbeam tries something, and the school, or even Equestria, is put into mortal danger because of it?”
“I’m not sure that’s really that big of a possibility…” Honeydew mumbled.
“Yeah, you’re jumping to conclusions, Dinky,” Clarity accused. “Sure, King Sombra was a pony who could use dark magic, but his chance to take over a whole empire probably came from a level of cunning, strategy, and experience far beyond anything Sunbeam’s capable of. Not to mention, Sombra’s dark magic was probably a lot more powerful than Sunbeam’s.”
“We’re not saying Sunbeam isn’t dangerous!” Honeydew added quickly. “Just that we’re surrounded by powerful unicorns, and even the princesses come and go regularly. Nopony could really get away with a dark magic assault on that kind of scale around here.”
A soft pattering interrupted the conversation: the sound of Trouble meandering into the hollow. Usually when the fox arrived, he paid little attention to the fillies, but today he marched right up to Dinky, staring at her expectantly.
“What’s wrong, Trouble?” she asked.
Being a fox, Trouble did not reply. Instead, he turned and gnawed at the splint on his leg.
“Oh, that’s right. It’s probably time for that to come off,” Dinky said. “Your sprained leg should be feeling better by now for sure.”
Dinky spent a few moments considering how best to remove the splint without letting Trouble squirm or lash out. Finally, she decided to simply lift the entire fox into the air with magic. Trouble glared at her but remained limp in her aura as she carefully undid the splint. The fox’s leg appeared normal, aside from a little matted fur, so she gently returned the animal to the ground.
Trouble shook his back leg gingerly and took a few steps. He gave a satisfied yip and gave Dinky’s foreleg an appreciative nuzzle.
“Aww, Trouble’s starting to like you, Dinky,” Honeydew cooed.
Dinky rolled her eyes. “Oh boy, a fox who likes me almost as much as he likes to steal and destroy my stuff. Just what I needed.”
As if trying to prove Dinky’s point, Trouble bounded across the underground room and picked up a scroll containing one of Dinky’s half-finished essays in his mouth. Wagging his tail mischievously, he stared at Dinky, as if daring the filly to chase him.
Indignant as she was, Dinky couldn’t help but smirk. “You really live up to your name, don’t you, you ungrateful little thing?” she asked. “I took care of your injured leg, and you’re still nothing but trouble."
To Dinky’s great surprise, Trouble ceased his playful pose. Head and tail drooping, he shuffled forward and held up the scroll in his teeth.
Dinky was taken aback. “Th-that’s better,” she stuttered, reaching down to take the scroll back.
Just as the filly’s hoof brushed the edge of the paper, Trouble sprang up and bounded away again, waving his tail mockingly. Clarity burst into laughter. “He faked you out, Dinky! You should know not to trust him by now!”
Dinky growled and finally gave in to temptation. She charged at Trouble, who merrily sprang out of the way. Dinky skidded to a halt, stopping herself against a wide, flat rock embedded in the wall. Without warning, the huge rock gave way, rolling into a tunnel it had previously been concealing. Dinky, whose weight had been momentarily supported by the boulder, cried out as she toppled into the darkness along with it.
Concerned, Clarity and Honeydew ran to the newly created opening. Trouble, sensing the game was over, dropped the scroll, soggy but otherwise unharmed, next to Dinky’s bag, before hastily retreating from the hollow.
“Oh my,” Honeydew squeaked. "Dinky, are you okay?”
Dinky lay sprawled on her back atop the boulder. “I think so,” she replied, sitting up. “What happened? I always thought this rock was firmly buried in the wall. I never thought it’d topple over like that.”
Clarity carefully stepped down from the hollow onto the big rock, and then down to the floor. There was a series of small splashes as she found her hooves submerged in an inch of water. Not much of the light from the hideout’s illumination orb was available, so she lit her own horn instead to look around. As light flooded the small space, it revealed the walls and floor were made not of stone, but of neatly stacked, uniform bricking.
“Bricks?” Clarity asked, giving Dinky and Honeydew a bewildered look. “That means ponies have been here before. Maybe we’re not the first ones to discover this hollow after all…”
“Why do you think it was hidden like that?” Honeydew asked. “That rock was probably put there on purpose, right?”
“It could mean whoever was here before us didn’t want anypony to find this place,” Dinky theorized.
“Which means we totally have to see where this tunnel goes,” Clarity added eagerly.
Honeydew, surprisingly, cracked a smile. “With you two, I know arguing won’t do me any good,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Clarity gave a huge grin, as if to say ‘that’s the spirit’, and promptly turned and led the way down the tunnel. Honeydew gave a nervous chuckle as she and Dinky followed along.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Honeydew,” Dinky reassured her. “Whatever this was, it’s obviously not in use anymore.”
For several minutes, the fillies walked quietly along the passage, guided only by the combined light of their horns. The corridor began to gradually slant upwards. Other than the occasional patch of moss, the tunnel was unremarkable; the same dark, uniform bricks composed the entire length.
After several minutes, the passageway ended abruptly at another plain brick wall. Now, the shaft continued straight up, finally ending at a drain a dozen or so pony-lengths above.
Clarity groaned. “A drain?” she asked, clearly disappointed. “We find a secret tunnel in our secret hideout, and it turns out to be nothing more than a drainage shaft? Talk about anticlimactic!”
“Well, now we know where the water at the bottom came from,” Honeydew said. “But why was it sealed off if it was just a drainage tunnel?”
Dinky watched a single drop of water fall from the top of the shaft, and then begin to snake its way between the bricking down the slope. “It doesn’t look like it’s really in use anymore,” she said. “There was no reason to keep it open for potential maintenance, because there’s no regular flow of water coming down.”
Clarity squinted, trying to make out the area on the other side of the drain, far above. “Where are we anyway? Under the castle somewhere?”
“The tunnel didn’t go nearly far enough to leave Academy grounds,” Dinky pointed out. “If we’re not under the castle, we’re at least under one of the adjacent buildings.”
“Well, wherever we are, it’s dark and creepy and doesn’t lead anywhere,” Honeydew said, turning back in the direction of the hollow, “so let’s just go back to the hideout and—”
“Boo!”
Honeydew screamed in terror, turned tail from the intruder, and promptly ran straight into the wall. Dazed, she shook her head as Dinky and Clarity helped her to her hooves, and then and looked for the source of the unexpected scare. Bluish light suddenly lit the passage further, revealing a laughing brown colt.
“Scuffle!” Honeydew whined. “Don’t do that! You know how easily I scare.”
“Sorry,” Scuffle chuckled. “But come on, a nervous filly exploring a dark, scary passageway? That’s too good to pass up.”
Honeydew frowned. Dinky stepped between the two foals.
“Scuffle, what are you doing here, anyway?” she asked, a little miffed at Scuffle’s behavior.
“I stopped by just in time to see you three disappearing down this tunnel, so I figured I’d follow you,” Scuffle explained. “So, you said this is just an old drainage shaft?”
Dinky nodded. “Looks like it. We have no way of getting up there to check it out any further, though.”
“Pfft. Amateurs,” Scuffle mumbled, pushing Dinky gently out of the way and striding up to the wall. His horn glowed brighter, and he carefully placed a forehoof on the wall.
“Check out this new trick,” he said, lifting his other forehoof up against the wall. The colt gave a quick hop, and then, somehow, attached his hind hooves to the wall as well. He stood there on the vertical wall without falling, like some kind of great, furry spider.
Not even Honeydew could pretend not to be impressed. Arrogantly, Scuffle relished the fillies’ shocked stares.
“How… how are you doing that?” Clarity asked finally.
“I’m casting an antigravity spell that’s exactly equal to the force of gravity,” Scuffle said proudly. “In other words, there’s a force pulling me up equal to the one pulling me down, so I don’t move anywhere in space. Then I can just use the friction between my hooves and the wall to climb on vertical surfaces!”
He beckoned to Dinky. “C’mon, Dinks. I think I can maintain the spell on two ponies at once. At least long enough for us to take a quick look at the top.”
“You think?” Dinky parroted. “That doesn’t sound too promising.”
Scuffle smirked. “Well, Clarity and Dewey know their levitation spells well enough to catch us, should something go wrong,” he chuckled.
“Please don’t call me Dewey…” Honeydew murmured.
“He’s got a point,” Clarity said. “Go ahead, Dinky. You’ll be fine.”
Dinky stepped into the shaft, and stood still as Scuffle extended his spell to her. She hopped into the air, and giggled when she failed to fall back down again, instead remaining suspended just a short distance off the ground.
“If you wanna move up or down, you gotta put your hooves against something,” Scuffle reminded her. “Otherwise, you’ll just sorta hover.”
Dinky swung herself through the air until she could reach the wall opposite Scuffle. From her new perspective, he appeared to be upside-down.
Walking was a little strange, since very little force kept Dinky’s hooves planted on the surface she was currently treating as “ground”, but after a moment, she got the hang of it, and she and Scuffle strode to the top of the shaft.
“What’s in there?” Scuffle asked, squinting as he tried to see through the small openings in the vent.
Dinky looked as well. The room, as she had expected, seemed to be nothing more than a typical cellar. Big boxes filled at least half of the room. A mountain of woefully out of date textbooks sat in a corner, too damp and moldy to use, even if they had been recent editions.
“Just a basement under the castle,” she said. “There was no reason to assume it would be anything else.”
“Lame,” Scuffle grunted. “I was hoping for a secret chamber where they store dangerous objects of incredible magical power. Or at least a peephole into a fillies’ washroom.”
Dinky felt her cheeks redden. She glared at Scuffle, who grinned sheepishly.
“Relax, I’m kidding. Mostly.”
Dinky just rolled her eyes and made her way back down the wall. Once she and Scuffle reached the bottom, the latter removed the effects of the spell. Dinky bent her knees momentarily until she could readjust to the pull of gravity.
“There’s nothing special up there,” she announced. “It’s just a cellar. Come on, we’ve wasted enough time in this dingy place.”
“You got to witness my amazing magic,” Scuffle bragged, pretending to polish a hoof on his coat. “So obviously it wasn’t a total waste of time.”
Dinky and Clarity rolled their eyes in unison. Scuffle laughed softly.
“Hey, I’m just kiddin’ around. You know that, right?”
Clarity snorted. “Trust me, Scuffle, I’d be more concerned if you weren’t trying to get on our nerves every five seconds.”
A few minutes later, Scuffle and the fillies returned to the hollow. Scuffle stopped in his tracks halfway to the exit, and turned back to face Dinky.
“Oh shoot, I almost forgot why I came down here in the first place,” he realized. “I got a question for ya, Dinks.”
Dinky raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“There’s been a lot of crazy rumors flyin’ around the school ever since that fire in the girls’ dorms on Wednesday,” Scuffle said. “One popular one – and I don’t know where this one came from – is that you were responsible for the dark spell that set it off. Obviously that one’s just a hoax, but do you know where it came from?”
“Erm…”
Dinky trailed off, casting a nervous glance at Clarity, who shrugged.
“That one’s not fake, Scuffle. I, uh… I did start the fire.”
Scuffle snorted. “Yeah, I’m not buying it. You’re like the tamest filly I know except Dewey over there—”
“Don’t call me Dewey.”
“—and there’s just no way somepony like you would be the one using dark magic.”
Dinky huffed. “Well, I’m not going to cast dark magic just to prove I can. I barely avoided getting expelled last time. Besides, every time I use it I risk it modifying my mind and corrupting my morals.”
“You can check Dinky’s records if you don’t believe her,” Clarity said. “She was the one responsible. It was an accident, but still.”
Scuffle looked back and forth between Dinky and Clarity. “You… you two really aren’t kidding, are you? Dinks really knows how to conjure dark magic?”
Dinky nodded solemnly. “Yep. I’m never doing it again, though. It’s too dangerous.”
A curious expression crept across Scuffle’s face. “Wait, Dinky knows dark magic. And that means…”
He broke into a grin. “Holy crud, do you three realize the implications? This might be the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me!”
Dinky scrunched up her snout. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing good about this at all!”
“No, you don’t get it,” Scuffle said excitedly. “You can use dark magic. That means you’re dangerous. Heck, it means most of the students could potentially wind up being afraid of you!”
“You’re not helping,” Dinky said irritably. “And I still don’t see where the upside here is.”
“Dinks, once this news gets out, it’ll be my ticket back onto my brothers’ good side!” Scuffle exclaimed. “I’ll be able to get ‘em to believe the whole reason I’ve been hanging out with you three because I’m more scared of you than of them, and with good reason. Then they’ll accept me again, and my problems will be over!”
“Aha! I knew it!”
Everypony jumped in surprise, primarily because in the entire term, Honeydew’s voice had never achieved a volume even close to the level to which it had just risen. Dinky, Clarity, and Scuffle all turned to the pink filly, who after having hardly spoken since Scuffle’s arrival, now stood staring angrily at him.
“I can’t believe you!” Honeydew continued, outraged, before Scuffle could speak. “All this time, Dinky and Clarity have been telling me to give you a chance, and yet here you are, still just looking for a way to get back in with those awful brothers of yours!”
“Well, just because I’m hanging out with you three doesn’t mean I like the idea of being on Scorch’s and Frosty’s bad sides,” Scuffle said defensively, backing away from the angry filly.
“I know,” Honeydew said, taking a step forward each time Scuffle began to back away. “All you care about is your brothers’ respect. We both know you only hang out with us because you didn’t have anywhere else to turn when they shunned you. I had hoped, just maybe, it would turn out that Dinky and Clarity were right, and you would change your ways, but it sounds to me like you’re more than eager to get back into your brothers’ inner circle and turn right back into a bully!”
Honeydew’s horn lit up as she yelled the last few words. The enchanted stone on the ring on her tail glimmered, and something in the ceiling shifted, raining flecks of soil down on the foals. Neither Honeydew nor Scuffle seemed to notice, but Dinky and Clarity, who were stunned into silence by Honeydew’s sudden outburst, glanced at the ceiling nervously.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions!” Scuffle barked back. “What makes you think I’d start making your lives miserable again if my brothers re-accepted me?”
Honeydew snorted. “You basically already did. Are you seriously willing to abuse the trust Dinky put in you by spreading around the truth about her? You’ll get your old life back, but you’ll ruin hers!”
“Um, Honeydew—” Dinky started.
“Well what do you expect me to do!?” Scuffle continued. “I don’t want to do anything that makes anypony miserable, but I’m also not willing to suffer to keep other ponies happy. I’m sorry, but I’m not that generous; frankly, I’d be insane if I was!”
The colt turned to leave. “I’ll try to see if I can get Scorch and Frosty to keep quiet, but no promises.”
The ring on Honeydew’s tail glowed brightly. Soil exploded out of the ceiling as a root of the great tree above the hollow burst forth and snaked downwards, knocking Scuffle onto his back and pinning him to the ground.
“What the—” Scuffle gasped, fruitlessly kicking his hind legs in an effort to break free from the root’s pressure. “Hey! Let me go!”
"Sh-should we do something?" Dinky asked Clarity. The two fillies looked anxiously between their fighting friends, trying to decide the best course of action.
Honeydew seemed not to hear Scuffle. “I’m sick and tired of ponies like you!” she cried, fresh tears starting to run down her cheeks. “Everypony wonders why I have so much trouble trusting anypony. Obviously it’s because, a lot of the time, they turn out to be a jerk who doesn’t care about me at all!”
The root tightened over Scuffle’s chest. The colt winced.
“But I didn’t fall for it this time,” Honeydew continued proudly. “I knew you never really changed. I knew eventually you’d try to ruin at least one of our lives again.”
“Dewey, you’re blowing this outta propor—”
“Stop calling me Dewey!” Honeydew roared, causing another gnarled root to burst from the ceiling. It came down with tremendous force and crashed into the dirt just inches from Scuffle’s head. The colt’s eyes went wide and he gave a frightened squeak.
“Dinky! Clarity! Help! She’s gone nuts!”
Clarity leapt into action. The filly lit her horn and quickly yanked the shimmering ring off Honeydew’s tail. The roots writhing in the ceiling immediately stopped, and gradually, the ones that had attacked Scuffle began to retreat.
Honeydew stood, panting and staring at Scuffle and the receding roots. Her furious expression slowly evaporated, and was replaced with one of confusion.
“Did… did I do that?” she asked, starting at the tips of the roots as they finally vanished back into the soil overhead.
“Do what? Try to get the tree to beat me up?” Scuffle asked crossly. “Yeah, that was you.”
Honeydew was silent. Several times, she attempted to say something, but when she finally did speak, all that came out was, “I… I need to go.”
Without looking back, Honeydew made for the exit.
“Honeydew, you forgot your ring…” Clarity said cautiously.
Honeydew turned back around. “Oh… uh, you can… you can hold onto that for now. I… I just really need to go.”
Honeydew’s trot escalated into a gallop, and soon she had disappeared from the hollow.
Scuffle stared after her, and then turned and looked at the two remaining fillies inquisitively. “Jeez, I didn’t think she had that in her.”
Dinky stomped a hoof angrily. "What was that all about, Scuffle? I think Honeydew's opinion of you was low enough already! You didn't exactly do yourself any favors making her that upset! Were you really going to put me in that kind of position by telling your brothers what happened? Because if so, frankly, I think Honeydew had every right to throw a fit!"
Scuffle cringed at Dinky's scolding. “Well, I… I guess that’s what I was gonna do, yeah… but I didn’t think it’d really affect things that much...”
"Scuffle, even though it wasn't my fault, I cast a spell that put ponies lives in danger!" Dinky reminded him. "I feel horrible about what happened, and I've already had to relive the event over and over as I re-explained it to the dean, to my mom, to my tutor, to Princess Celestia... and you don't think it's a big deal to let that information get out to the student body so they can remind me what a horrible thing I did every day for the rest of the term!?"
Scuffle hung his head. "That... this is a big deal. I didn't realize..."
He trailed off. Dinky sighed and lowered her voice to normal. “Scuffle, I need you to be honest with me. Are you actually hanging out with us because you want to, or just because you know Clarity and I were hesitant to shun you?”
“Ok, I’ve been making some mistakes, but I haven’t been lying about wanting to be friends with you three!” Scuffle insisted. “I never said I was going to stop hanging out with you if I earned back my brothers’ respect. Honeydew worked that out herself. Incorrectly, I might add.”
A few moments of silence followed. Scuffle sighed and gave Dinky a doleful look.
“I'm really sorry, Dinks. I’ll keep quiet about you around my brothers,” he promised. “I guess I owe it to you three, or something like that.”
Dinky nodded. "Well, you didn't actually do what you threatened to, so I'll give you another chance. It's going to be a lot harder to get Honeydew to give you one, though."
Scuffle sighed. “Believe me, I know. Is there any chance you two could talk to her? Just to see where I stand before I approach her myself, of course.”
“I think I can do that,” Dinky said, as Clarity nodded to promise the same. “Besides, it's not like Honeydew to react to something so... forcefully. I think she’s just as confused about what just happened as you are.”
Scuffle nodded. “Let her know I didn’t mean to make her so upset,” he mumbled. “I should get going. See you two later.”
The three foals exited the hideout and soon went their separate ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dinky and Clarity saw very little of Honeydew over the next few days. According to the tracking enchantment in Clarity’s barrette, Honeydew was spending nearly all of her free time in Professor Chestnut’s lab in the Magic Biology department. She returned to the dorm to sleep only very late in the evening, and then got up at dawn and disappeared once again.
Dinky didn’t manage to find enough time alone with Honeydew to talk about what had happened until the following Tuesday in Magic Biology class. The purple filly trotted into the classroom and took her usual seat next to Honeydew, who gave her an unreadable look.
Before anything could be said, however, Professor Chestnut and Cornelius arrived.
“Good morning, everypony,” the mare called out. “We’re going to be starting on a new topic today, so I’ll need everypony to get out their textbooks and turn to page three-hundred fifty.”
“And hurry up,” Cornelius squawked, strutting along the brim of the professor’s hat. “Lots to do today, and not much time to do it in.”
Dinky opened her textbook and read the heading on the page: The Beginner’s Guide to Potions and other Magical Mixtures.
“Each pair of students will find a large brass pot under their desks,” Professor Chestnut added. “Please move it to the tabletop, and we can begin.”
Professor Chestnut turned and began scribbling notes on the chalkboard. Honeydew wordlessly lit her horn and lifted the pot onto the desk she and Dinky shared.
“Now, I bet some of you are a little surprised,” Professor Chestnut chuckled. “Potion making is a bit of a far cry from the topics we’ve covered in this class so far. But it is, in fact, one of the main pillars of this subject. Potions are a combination of two things we hold in high regard in this class: magic and elements of the natural world. Much like enchanted objects, potions are a way to gain access to a magical effect that one may not be able to produce with a single spell, as well as a way to share those effects with earth ponies and pegasi.”
“Takin’ a swig of a potion isn’t gonna last more than a couple hours,” Cornelius added. “But you can bet your tails the effect can potentially be more pronounced than those puny spells from enchanted items.”
“Indeed,” the professor affirmed. “Potions can be used to temporarily increase ability, such as allowing the drinker to become stronger, faster, or even more magically powerful for a short time.”
“Or, you know, render the poor sap confused, irrationally terrified, or just plan nuts,” Cornelius said dryly.
“Yes, but psychoactive potions are not a topic we teach to first-term students,” Professor Chestnut said quickly. “They are both difficult to make and have limited uses, especially among students. More important, perhaps, are healing potions, which we will explore later in the term.”
She indicated the chalkboard. “Today, we will be using the ingredients prepared in the baskets on your desks, combined with a few simple spells, to make an energy burst potion. This simple concoction works a bit like a regular caffeinated drink, except the effects are instantaneous and you can determine exactly how long it will last. It probably comes as no surprise that many students keep flasks of this stuff with them during the week of final exams. Your instructions are written here, so you’re free to begin. I’m always available if you have a question.”
“Just so long as it’s not a stupid question,” Cornelius said, readying himself to jump out of the way in case the professor swatted at him.
“Let’s get started,” Honeydew mumbled, already retrieving a jug of water to add to the pot. “Crush up some daffodil root, please.”
Dinky obeyed, but she wasn’t planning on letting Honeydew act like nothing was wrong. The pink filly avoided her gaze, carefully stirring ingredients into the pot and modifying it with spells.
“Honeydew,” Dinky said quietly, her voice barely audible over the chatter of the class, “I think maybe we should talk.”
To Dinky’s surprise, Honeydew nodded. “I guess we should. It’s just… a little hard to think about what happened a few days ago.”
“Well… Scuffle told me to tell you he didn’t mean to make you upset,” Dinky said. “He decided he’s not going to tell his brothers about you know what.”
“Scuffle’s not even what I’m upset about,” Honeydew admitted.
Dinky scrunched up her snout. “Wait, what?”
“No, I wasn’t actually disappointed in Scuffle, because I already expected him to do what he did,” Honeydew mumbled. “I was angry at him for fooling you two.”
“But he wasn’t fooling us!” Dinky insisted. “Scuffle’s under a lot of pressure. He’s making a big sacrifice to keep this secret for us. All he wants is a way to keep himself out of harm’s way while still being our friend, and… well, trying to capitalize on my, um, unwanted abilities wasn’t his best idea, that’s all.”
Honeydew nodded. “But that’s still not the issue. What worries me is how I responded.”
Dinky smiled comfortingly. “You were very emotional. Things like that happen. Nopony got hurt, after all.”
Honeydew shook her head forcefully. “No, it shouldn’t have happened like that. I’m a better pony than that. But I was so angry at Scuffle that I… I became a bully myself for a little…”
The filly squeezed her eyes shut to try to hold back a few tears. “It’s just, after all the things that had happened to me growing up, I couldn’t bear the thought that, even here, there was somepony who was willing to let bad stuff happen to me and my friends for his own benefit. I don’t want to spend time with somepony I’m not one-hundred percent certain I can trust.”
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Um, can you pass the leeks, please?”
Dinky grabbed the vegetable out of the basket. “Do we even need any more of these?” she asked. “I already put some in the potion.”
“We don’t,” Honeydew admitted, forcing a smile. “But if you crush them up, they make your eyes water. That way nopony will realize I’m tearing up a bit.”
Dinky chuckled and passed the leeks. “Well, I don’t think Scuffle’s quite as shaken-up as you think he is,” she said. “To be fair, his brothers have probably given him a lot worse than you could have.”
Honeydew nodded slowly. “I guess, but… well, if it’s true that he’s really still trying to look out for somepony other than himself, then I guess I need to talk to him. I behaved inexcusably and I…”
She swallowed, struggling to admit it. “I guess I need to apologize…”
Dinky placed a hoof on Honeydew’s shoulder. “Take your time,” she advised her forlorn friend. “You and Scuffle have had a tough time with each other all term. If you need some more time before you can bring yourself to talk to him, I think he’ll understand.”
Honeydew tossed a few luminescent petals into the potion and gave it a quick stir, nodding in satisfaction as the color changed to a dull mauve. “I’ll do that. Maybe not right away, but I will apologize. I owe it to him.”
“Yo ladies! Get to work!” Cornelius squawked from across the classroom.
Honeydew smiled at the bratty bird, and she and Dinky quickly continued on their concoction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
The door to the dean’s office creaked open, and Sparkler quietly made her way inside. “You wanted to see me, Professor Spark?” she asked.
Bright Spark nodded solemnly. “Yes. Come sit, Sparkler. We have to discuss something.”
Sparkler trotted forward and sat down across from the dean. “Did I do something wrong?” the overseer asked. “There haven’t been any incidents in the last few days as far as I know.”
The dean shook her head. “No, Sparkler, this isn’t about you,” she said softly. “It’s about the incident last week, and more specifically, the filly responsible.”
Sparkler rolled her eyes. “Dinky Doo. What’s she done this time?”
“Gotten herself re-admitted, as I’m sure you’ve noticed,” Bright Spark said angrily. “I respect our Princess, but she’s not infallible. She’s blinded by Dinky’s sob story and her vague excuses, and she can’t see that the filly simply doesn’t belong here.”
Sparkler bit her lip. “Well, even you can’t overrule her. There’s nothing we can do about it, right?”
“Not exactly,” Bright Spark said mysteriously. “There may still be something we can do…”
The dean smiled darkly. “Only if you’d be willing to help me, that is.”
Sparkler raised her eyebrows. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
The dean retained the unsettling smile. “I’m suggesting you start paying special attention to that filly,” she said softly. “Go out of your way to keep an eye on her. She’s already been in trouble a number of times this term. All we need to do is catch her acting out of line one more time, and I can get her out of both our manes for good.”
“But what if Dinky doesn’t do anything else against the rules?” Sparkler asked cautiously.
“You’re a smart filly,” Bright Spark said, her grin growing. “Perhaps you can find a way to… help her along.”
Sparkler blinked, and then she too smiled. “An interesting proposition. I suppose I’m not beyond stepping a little outside the lines, if it’s in the interest of making sure justice is given where it’s due.”
“Excellent,” the dean hissed. “You’re excused, Sparkler dear. And remember… I’m counting on you.”
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That's kind of being evil isn't it, Bright Spark. You do know that's going to bite you in the flank in the end. :)
"SISTER THY DEAN IS PLOTTING AGIANST YOUNGE DINKY!"
seriously i give this a week, sparkler gets caught crossing the line. luna decides she well take over looking after younge dinkies need for observation.
it also occurs to me if bright spark is taking it this far that one student got in that she believed was beneath the school. celestia should review her decisions for the past few years. i have a feeling alot of potentialy great mages where denied the right to learn.
*reads the new chapter, grinning the whole time... resists the urge to yell at 'Dewy' and 'Scuff'* JUST SHUT UP AND KISS ALREADY!
... oh dear, I said that out loud... :P
Dark magic cast under duress doesn't strike me as being as powerful as to when not done under duress. As Bellatrix Lestrange put it "You've got to mean them Potter!"
This isn't justice Sparkler, it's one fillies word against Bright Spark's Opinion. In a court of law their wouldn't be enough evidence for trial, Dinky could plead successfully about her ignorance (and be honest about it). Hope you manage to realize that before you go down with Bright Spark. My suspicions about Bright Spark being connected to Sunbeam grows, except she wanted Dinky gone even after Sunbeam felt it was too soon *scribbles out that idea*...
Yes Dinky got in because of favors in the first place but it is quite clear (or should be) that she also has the talent for it. So their is more than disgust with Dinky's entrance on Bright Spark's Mind...
My guess he see's Dinky and other Unicorns as some form of threat to either his power or the establishment's power.
Too bad power is a trick, a shadow on the wall, lying only where beings believe it resides. If more like Dinky with less prestigious backgrounds get in, the old establishment hold it's monopoly on the better magic's of Equestria jeopardizing their position. Face it Bright Spark, if it wasn't Dinky it would be some other Unicorn at a later date. Their can be no stopping this change.
You forgot to un-italicize this bit
Dropped a quote
There's an extra apostrophe there
3349247 They are pretty black for each other, aren't they? Probably not for much longer, though
Poor Dinky now has to deal with Sunbeam, Sparkler and Bright Spark...
Expelling somepony for doing something supposedly wrong is one thing, but trying to find fault in somepony is another. Real low of you, Bright Spark, real low.
But, you know what they say: "Karma's a b!tch." They'll get their retribution in the end... hopefully...
Pretty sure that the story will end with an epic battle between Dinks and Sunbeam.
We'll see how this plays out...
SPARKLER! NO! I expected so much out of Bright Spark, but not out of Sparkler. Geez, the only POV for Sparkler and it's of her doing something wrong in the name of 'justice'.
Come on, if Princess Celestia thought fit to overrule something, we shouldn't question it.
But this probably has something to do with Sparkler thinking her life is much harder than Dinky's. Does Sparkler know about Dinky's tutor being one of the Elements of Harmony, or of how Dinky got into the school? I bet Sparkler had to work her tail off to get in, or had a bad first few years at the academy or something.
Come on Sparks, I believe in ya. Redeem yourself soon.
The whole time I've been wondering "Are they trying to ship Dinky with Scuffle? I guess it's alright, but...Pipsqueak."
And then I realized Scuffle X Honeydew is beautiful.
I don't even care if it's where you're taking this. I ship it. I ship it so hard.
Because you know it's love when one tries to kill the other with tree roots.
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Unless we are going by the "black magic is easier to master, and more accessible, but you usually end up dead, undead, or incredibly evil" theory.
Or, he's going to manipulate her into using it by putting a friend or two in danger.
Clarity
Well...if the dean hadn't already made my s**t she definitely has now..
Kill The Dean.
I Found A Mistake :
“Oh my,” Honeydew squeaked. Dinky, are you okay?”
You Forgot To
Kill The DeanPut The First " In Th Second Set Of " Marks.Oh And Please
KillServe Justice To The Dean, Before She Messes With Dinky Again, Get Her Fired For Something Not Relating To Dinky Just For The Hell Of It :DNah, Just Write What You Want Like You Do.
3349785
fixed
Still not gonna verify the source of a student learning Dark Magic? I so, so want to sack/demote her for incompetence.
Well I will forever now hate the Dean and Sparkler should really need to watch her jealously.
I am hoping that Sparkler will watch Dinky really closely and learn that Dinky is a good filly who is just looking out for her friends and trying to be a good student. Then I hope she turns on the Dean and makes a report to the Princess.
That would be awesome.
Sigh.
I've been hoping the author would improve in time. But PRB is absolutely terrible at writing little kids. Reading these kid's spoken and internal dialogue is like listening to a bunch of twenty-something college students trying to impress their professor with how erudite they are.
Kids don't TALK that way. Kids don't THINK that way. I don't care if they ate a thesaurus for breakfast every morning and crapped pocket dictionaries all day. It's making the story completely unreadable.
If this is anything like the Harry Potter series, Honeydew and Scuffle are going to eventually get together as the years go by. I've lost count at how many times Ron and Hermione were at each other's throats.
Also, Sparkler continues to be an unlikable character, though she clearly has some form of tragic backstory. I can't wait til we see what happened to her to make her willing to actively get Dinky expelled, with the promise of actually causing a potentially dangerous situation if Dinky does nothing wrong. There's jealousy, and then there's...that. Something tells me the dean will no longer be in charge by the time this story is done, and Sparkler herself might be kicked out if she truly goes through with the Dean's plan.
Only time will tell.
Also, gotta agree a tiny bit with RealityCheck. The characters act as if they were in their late teens. While I believe kids are smarter than most people give credit for, they do think differently. The characters just feel like they think things through a bit too much. Younger people tend to act a bit more on impulse and feelings rather than through sound logic.
Sparkler had best tread carefully. She might not realize it but she isn't just fighting against the Diarchy
and the Element of Magic
but something that cannot and must not be denied: a mother
defending her child. What might have been done accidentally as an end result of smashing headlong into physical limitations (I just don't know what went wrong) will end up being done deliberately....
I do agree to a point that some of their thought processes are a little much for their age, but keep in mind a few things.
1.) We do not know their exact age.
2.) These are all 'gifted' students so their brain pans will be of a better quality.
3.) Even with their above average smarts they still possess a certain level of naivete that matches their level of life experience.
I personally find the balance the author has found to be spot on for this story, and honestly if I had not met an oddly intelligent kid myself I would probably be a bit more skeptical too.
When I say oddly intelligent I mean a 10 year old that could debate his own views on politics in a calm and researched manner. I thought he was simply parroting what he heard on TV or may be from his family, but if you talked to this kid at length you would see that he actually enjoys talking about and researching politics.
Great kid...but a little creepy..
I knew it was a mistake letting that dean stay on. He has crossed the line and should be expelled.
YES FINALLY HERE. Got a feeling it's gonna be good. Ok going to read now
Oh Sparkler...
I don't know why but I absolutely LOVE Cornelius. I think it might be because when I went to school, there was a bird that was really annoying that pretty much everyone hated but I loved since he accepted me much more than other people. I feel like Cornelius reminds me of him. Also I think that Cornelius might be a foil to Angel Bunny.
You know, it occurs to me that Sparkler's response here is not quite the same as "Yes, dean, I will help you with your plot." It all depends on where she thinks justice is due.
I'm also somewhat suspicious of Trouble and the way he led Dinky to that new secret passage.
Aw
I was hoping that Sparkler was a good pony in a bad situation, and while she still might be, its getting harder and harder to like her. oh sparkler, please get better
so the theory of two separate enchantments complimenting one another --> complementing
That King Sombra guy took over the whole Cyrstal Empire --> Crystal
3349433 The entire Marine force in One Piece is all about doing dirty in the name of justice. As Monty Python once put it: "Help, help, I'm being oppressed! See the violence inherent in the system!"
3350395
Your username seems to match your comment pretty well.
Joking aside... this is how I talk. I do this automatically. To be perfectly honest, it starts out even MORE advanced than this, and I dumb it down to this point before releasing it.
Yeah, it doesn't fit with 12-year olds.
And yeah, a bunch of people, you obviously included, aren't buying my excuse that they do go to a "gifted" school and therefore should talk like that.
Just letting you know that I am aware of that issue. I'm also not going to make an attempt to fix it, because I feel certain points are best gotten across with specific vocabulary. I'm not going to damage the meaning of what's being said just to make sure it sounds like an average middle-schooler.
As always, I apologize for disappointing one of my readers. But I'll lay it out here in black and white: The writing style probably isn't changing. If you can't stand it, feel free to stop reading.
Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback, too.
~PRB
The story is getting deaper, soon who knows what is coming out. Be careful now, the cards are stacked well.
Sparkler, NO! I loved you in the winningverse. Don't be a bitch to your adoptive sister. What about The Sister Hooves Social? (which probably didn't happen in this story.)
Hoping to see some more Princess Luna and get a peek at that magic runes class.
Hmmmm. Bad enough we have a Trixie in the making with Sparkler, but this is growing to be exceedingly unethical bounderies on behalf of the Dean. Seriously this isn't like Glow's beef in the Prequel, If anyone knew about Bright Spark's little "Beef" with Dinky she could loose her job and irrevocably ruin the reputation of the school
>>>Sparkler stamped a hoof. “But that’s just it! Why did they believe you? Why does everypony always take your side? >>>
Maybe because she tells the truth? Sparkler, you might want to open your eyes and, you know, stop being retarded? Just a thought.
3352020 Well, problem is, that's how the "One Piece" universe is set up. From the top down, it's powermongering, corrupt, cruel, violent dictators whose idea of justice is twisted beyond all measure of reason.
So that really doesn't fit the MLP world unless it starts out with the ponies being oppressed serfs and Tyrantlestia shouting "Let them eat cake! ... no wait! THE CAKE IS ALL MINE!! THEY GET NOTHING!!! Except maybe moldy hay! And BEATINGS!! Lots of beatings! On the MOOOOOOOON!!! BWAH HA HA HA HA!!"
>>>Actually, Honeydew might have a point,” Clarity chimed in. “We don’t know what Sunbeam is capable of. He could be really dangerous. >>>
Yeah... you'd think maybe Celestia, who believes Dinky, who was also suspicious about who gave her the Dark Magic spells... you know, maybe might have thought it wise to conduct an investigation? You know, like someone with a slightly higher intelligence than a sea sponge would do?
Honestly, the idiot ball is rolling rapidly down the hill and growing faster than a Katamari now.
Geez, Bright Spark is about as vindictive as... oh... a certain political leader I could mention...
3349247
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!
KISS KISS KISS
3352970 Keep in mind this is Princess "I'Il manipulate my student into rescuing my sister and then use her and her friends to solve all my problems because am the eternal chessplayer hahaha" Celestia. And this is mostly centered around Dinky so it's entirely possible she does this and doesn't iform anyone.
3349678
The Dark Side...quicker, more seductive...and makes you look 100 years older than you actually are.
how could you make sparkler bad pony why
also do you do all the work on this story by yourself?
3353800
I write it myself, and then I have two editors who help me get things polished before I publish each chapter.
3353294 Well, what was Celestia supposed to do about Discord, really? He basically laughed in her face. And Chrysalis came out of nowhere... as did Shinging Armor and Cadence for that matter... and the Crystal Empire...
Honestly, the 'chessmaster' image has more to do with stuff being thrown into the canon than poor Celestia moving pawns around. She's as helplessly in the hands of the evil Creators as all the other ponies, crying herself to sleep every night as she wonders what new toils shall be cast upon her and her people by the God-like Overlords of FiM.
Kinda a good plot for a dark comedy satire, eh?
You know that no matter how you look at the dark magic incident, Dinky really shouldn't be anywhere near this school.
If you don't believe her, she used forbidden magic and should be expelled for everyone's safety.
If you do believe her, there is a dark magic using entity lurking about the school that's taken the form of a long dead student and has a direct interest in her for whatever reason. 'Let's just stick her right back in there with said evil thing' is not a great path to take.
Also, it's a good thing that Honeydew hasn't been infected, because otherwise she could one shot you with 3G open. (if you get this joke, you are a nerd.)
Sweet Celestia. Even Bright Spark's written hall passes are gratingly condescending and passive-aggressive.
Well, Sparkler just lost all sympathy I had. The good thing about sticks-in-the-mud like her is that they usually don't brook things like academically sabotaging a small child, so she basically just lost her main redeeming quality over a childish bitchfit. And again...not that far off from the kind of backstabbing I've seen in actual colleges. These people exist.
Sparkler.
I am disappoint.
3352957 Yeah, this is more like... eh, I'm too tired to come up with a good analogy, though Code Geas might work as a temporary supplement.
Sparkler has justice on the brain, and all that's left is to pick the target.
I say again, after this all blows over Bright Spark needs to be sacked and sacked HARD. And be banned from ever holding a position again. And sacked in disgrace, publially, as she deserves to end up working a crappy job for the rest of ner natural, assuming anypony would dain to employ her. She'll be bloody lucky if she doesn't end up in prison, frankly. (I would not be bothered if during the eventual fall out, she comes a nasty fatal cropper, come to that...) She is incompetant and shouldn't be let anywhere near a facility that puts her either in contact with foals or in charge of anyone. She's a narrow-minded entitled bigot who is now actively making the school a more dangerous place.
There are no excuses. There is - as we know- an actual dark-magic using creature (possibly even Undead) running around the campus and she's only interested in soothing her own inflated ego (seriously, she thinks she know more than a thousand-plus year old alicorn) and now conspiring and corrupting a student (that, right there, is grounds to get her sacked alone) to carry out a personal vendetta because of her own sense of entitlement.
Ah, the old "justice = wrath" thing. I always hate characters like that.
I have low tolerance for stupidity, and no sympathy for bigotry.