> Two Spells, One Mistake
>  by Frozen Quill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> We Called...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The academy campus was bathed in moonlight as two hooded figures glide across the grounds, making their way behind the main school building. They stop for a moment to survey their surroundings, the figure with the smaller build removes his hood to reveal a 19yr old male with pitch black hair that has silver streaks and midnight blue eyes.

"Did you bring the salts?" He asks glancing to the other figure.

The other figure pulls his hood down wearing a confused expression. He has a slightly bigger build than the first with brown hair that has orange streaks with dark hazel-green eyes, they appear to be slightly older.

"What salts?" The bigger figure asks.

"The salts you were meant to get from the spa..." The smaller figure deadpans.

"What spa? We have a spa?!" The bigger figure exclaims.

"Of course we have a spa, Edward! It's on the east side of the flipping island. How have you never been to the spa?!" The smaller figure rubs his temple.

"Nobody informs me of these things..." Edward states, crossing his arms.

The smaller figure sighs and looks through the messenger bag Edward has with him before pulling out a brown pouch.

"This basically, it's table salt but it should technically do the same thing... I hope." The smaller figure bites his lip hesitantly.

Removing items from their messenger bags they begin to set up a ritual circle, drawn out with salt and placed candles on important points.

"Alexander, why are these candles 'sugar cookie' scented?" Edward looks at the label of a spare candle.

"It was literally all I could get a hold of at the time... Be grateful, the owner of the magical surplus store will not let me get away with this again." Alexander states sighing deeply.

The two stand back to admire their dimly lit work. Alexander looks at Edward with a raised eyebrow as he crosses his arms, seemingly waiting for something.

"Oh, oh right, the book." Edward scrounges around in his messenger bag before pulling out an old tome.

Handing it to Alexander, the man in question flips through several pages before stopping on a page which details summoning beings from other worlds to serve as a mage's familiar.

"Explain to me again why exactly we wanted to perform a level five ritual spell?" Alexander asks, checking the instructions against their work.

"You came up with this! I simply found the book!" Edward exclaims.

"I simply entertained the notion of having a personal familiar which would aid in our studies... That notion did not and I repeat did not extend to 'wandering' into the forbidden wing. 'Misplacing' a book on 'Merlin's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning'. Then deciding to enact the most promising looking ritual in the cover of night, which could most likely get us shipped out on the next boat... Did I leave anything out?" Alexander asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks up from the book.

Edward raises a finger to protest a point but lowers it again slightly.

"I don't think you missed anything... Plus, I don't think anyone noticed..." Edward states.

"We haven't started yet... Besides, you'd think they'd have more security on something dubbed 'The forbidden Wing'." Alexander takes a final look at the instructions.

"Maybe they think nobody is stupid enough to steal anything..." Edward comments.

"It's a good thing we are not bound by the shackles of common sense, shall we?" Alexander smiles.





Meanwhile on the other side of the universe...

Twilight walks through the halls of her castle levitating a tray, holding two mugs of hot chocolate with a packet of marshmallows. Making her way down the main hall she takes a right into the library, where Starlight is pondering over an old dusty tome.

"I'm still not exactly sure why we took out 'this' book." Starlight quizzes as she glances up at Twilight.

"I thought that studying 'Starswirl's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning' would be an interesting new area for us. I've yet to dabble in that myself after all." Twilight states, placing the tray on a nearby table.

"I suppose. Hey, if there is an unfinished spell, maybe we could have a crack at it and turn one of us into smoke?" Starlight raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, would we need the map for that?" Twilight returns the jest.

"Touche', so, which one do we pick to try out? They all look almost identical to me." Starlight asks, standing up.

Twilight walks over to Starlight and begins musing through the pages as Starlight sneaks off for her hot chocolate. Flicking back through some pages Twilight stops on one she finds intriguing. 

"What about this one? It details the process for summoning an entity from another world. That might prove to be a nice little practical experiment." Twilight levitates her own mug over taking a sip.

"What's that note at the bottom, though? 'Beware unstab.... Unstable... It's very scribbled and I seriously cannot make it out, but it sounds like a warning." Starlight comments, throwing a marshmallow in her mouth using magic.

"It's likely nothing. I wouldn't think about it too much." Twilight places down the book before looking around for everything it requires.

Starlight comes back from the kitchen carrying a table salt shaker.

"Seriously, explain to me why we are using all these weird items?" Starlight asks confused.

"I tend not to question a lot of what I read but this does seem odd." Twilight takes the salt.

Using the salt she draws the summoning circle before placing candles on key points like the book instructs. Starlight picks up a spare candle and ponders over its label.

"Twilight... Why are we using 'sugar cookie' scented candles? It's not even Hearth's Warming yet... Did you buy these early again?" Starlight deadpans at Twilight.

"I... Umm... Yes? That hardly matters right now." Twilight brushes off the judgement stare before lighting the candles with a match.

"So, do we both have to chant this incantation here or..?" Starlight asks, placing down her mug.

"I think so, it'd make sense if there was another pony involved. Remember Starswirl would have performed this alone." Twilight clears her throat as they begin.





"Hear these words..."

"Hear my cry..."

"Familiar from the other side..."

"Come to me, I summon thee.."

"Cross now, the great divide..."
> The Universe Answered...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander groans as he rubs the back of his neck, now sitting down against the wall. Edward was in a similar position next to him but holding his head instead.

"Edward, are you dead..?" Alexander asks, his eyes closed.

"I don't know... Let me check." Edward groans back as he punches Alexander in the shoulder. "Nope, still alive."

"That was me, you idiot! Either we are both dead and this is hell... Or we're still in our regular hell." Alexander blinks his eyes open.

"There is a difference?" Edward queries.

"I sometimes wonder that myself... What the feck happened-" Alexander stops himself suddenly.

In front of the pair where their summoning circle had been drawn now sat Twilight and Starlight. Each groaning and holding their own heads, before Starlight looks up to lock eyes with Alexander.

"What the hay are you?" Starlight asks.

"Edward... Edward... Will you fecking look at this!" Alexander asks, shaking his friend while not taking his eyes off the pony before him.

"It's a talking horse..." Edward observes, his eyes now fixed with Twilights.

"It's a talking pony, but terminology hardly matters... It can talk." Alexander adds.

"They also have hands..." Edward observes again.

"Clothes too..." Alexander struggles to process what he is seeing.

"I think they can hear us..." Edward observes a third time.

"We can hear you..." Twilight states.

"We can also see you if that was going to be your next quandary." Starlight quips.

"They can talk Edward...." Alexander blinks a few times before looking at Edward who is wearing a deadpan expression.

"I don't think I know if I'm alive yet..." Edward states.

"What?! It's a valid observation which perplexes the shit outta me!" Alexander exclaims.

Twilight and Starlight share confused glances at each other before jointly standing up.

"I thought you said it was a summon ritual..?" Starlight asks with a raised eyebrow.

"That's what the book said... It mentioned nothing about trans-dimensional travel." Twilight replies with a frown.

"So, is that warning label significant now?" Starlight places her hands on her hips.

"That smoke suggests that our 'ritual' may have... Exploded? Or at least something to that effect..." Alexander comments.

"Which means campus security..." Edward adds.

"Escape plan Alpha?" Alexander asks as the pair stand up.

"Which one is that?" Edward asks back.

"The invisible cloak one." Alexander answers brushing off his cloak.

"You mean the cloaks we have yet to buy, cause we're poor..." Edward folds his arms.

"Yeah... Oh... Plan Beta then." Alexander adjusts his messenger bag.

"Oh, the one where we hide in the nearest closet and wait for our detection meters to go down? This isn't Unity." Edward deadpans.

"Fuck..." Alexander sighs deeply. "Fine, we'll use the travel powder. You realise this shit is expensive? I had to do a lot of favours for this and we have used so much already." Alexander pulls a pink pouch out of his messenger bag.

"Everything is fecking expensive!" Edward exclaims.

The pair turn to the ponies, who they realise had been staring at them during the whole of their conversation.

"I think it might be best to discuss the 'what the hays' and the 'who the hells', in the relative safety of our dorm room." Alexander states to the mares.

"Given they were here when this happened, it's likely they are involved." Starlight poses to Twilight.

"Then it might be prudent to go with them, at least for now. We shall go with you for the time being so we might figure this out." Twilight nods to Starlight.

The two mares steps closer to the pair as Alexander takes a pinch of the very pink powder from the pouch.

"Pink?" Starlight asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Shaddup... it was the only colour he had left... Do me a favour and don't hold your damn breath." Alexander comments before being stopped by Edward.

"Don't we need a chimney for this?" Edward asks.

"What? No... We just did that a few times for effect, remember? This isn't the damn movies." Alexander sighs deeply.

Throwing the powder between the four of them it erupts into a much larger dust cloud than expected which engulfs them before dissipating.





Twilight pops back into existence landing on a slightly messy bed. Across from her on a similar bed, Starlight pops in on the same smoke. Suddenly a noise is heard from a room across the hall.

"Edward! You left the shower on!" Alexander hisses with annoyance.

"You left the stove on! The room could have burnt down!" Edward replies.

Twilight and Starlight raise their eyebrows at each other. The door of the bedroom opens to a soaking wet Alexander, who grabs a nearby towel and begins to exit the room before stopping.

"Please do make yourselves at home. We will be right with you..." Alexander groans as he shuts the door.

"Are you sure that coming with them was a good idea?" Starlight asks looking around.

"It's literally our only option till we figure out exactly what happened. They seem to have some form of magic here, even I can sense that much." Twilight sighs as she lays back on the bed.

After several minutes of waiting, Alexander and Edward enter the room holding their cloaks. The pair wore matching navy blue uniforms which have blazers. The trim on their uniforms is a mid-tone gold, the same as their ties. The room itself is fairly plain with two beds that have wardrobes against the wall at the end of them. In between the beds, under the window, is a bedside table with a lamp and an alarm clock on it. Alexander puts up their cloaks while Edward is holding a tray of hot chocolate.  He places two of the mugs on the bedside table before sitting down with Alexander on two beanbags.

"This night has been a bit more eventful than I'd like..." Alexander states grabbing his mug.

"You think..?" Edward stares at Alexander who shrugs.

"Perhaps we should conduct introductions before going further?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking thing one and thing two might work for them." Starlight comments with a smirk.

"What would we call you then? Horse one and horse two?" Alexander raises his eyebrow.

"I think it would be pony not horse." Edward interjects.

"Shush you, I got this." Alexander glances at Edward.

"Okay then, smart ass one and two." Starlight glares.

"Jackass one and two." Alexander glares back.

"This is getting us nowhere..." Edward states, sipping his hot chocolate.

"I concur... Would you two get a room and buck already so we might discuss the situation at hand?" Twilight glares at Starlight.

The squabbling pair looked at the other two then back at each other before making the same dissatisfied noise and leaning back in their seats. Starlight picks up her mug and takes a sip.

"Hmm, it's actually really good." Starlight comments.

"Thank you." Alexander states taking his own sip of hot chocolate.

Starlight raises an eyebrow at Alexander. "I meant, it's alright."

Twilight groans before the pair shut up. After clearing her throat she motions to begin.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship in Equestria." Twilight motions for Edward to continue.

Alexander stops mid-sip of his hot chocolate before looking at Edward with 'wtf' eyes. Edward simply shrugs before clearing his throat.

"Edward Meteor, fledgeling magician." Edward looks at Starlight.

"Starlight Glimmer, faithful student to Twilight Sparkle." Starlight glances to Alexander.

"Alexander Night, apprentice magician." Alexander glances back at Starlight.

"Well, with that out of the way... How do we continue from this point?" Twilight asks, sipping her hot chocolate with a satisfied sigh. "This is very good."

"See, someone likes it!" Alexander exclaims.

"I said it's really good!" Starlight replies back.

"You said it was 'alright'." Alexander raises an eyebrow.

"Oh shut up and get on with it." Starlight groans.

"Okay... So, how did you end up in our summon circle?" Edward asks.

"Well, we found a book in the Canterlot castle library called 'Starswirl's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning'." Twilight is interrupted.

"I'm sorry... You say what now about whose theories?" Alexander puts down his mug.

Reaching over to his messenger bag he pulls out their book and shows it to Twilight, who gets out her own book and shows it to Alexander.

"'Starswirl's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning'..?" Edward muses.

"'Merlin's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning'..?" Starlight blinks a few times.

Twilight and Alexander share a look which reads 'it can't be' and open to books to where an image of the author would be printed. In Twilights book sits a portrait of an elderly grey Unicorn with a grey mane, long beard and has light amber eyes. He wears a traditional magician's cloak and hat. Alexander does the same with his book to the same page which shows a portrait of an elderly gentleman wearing the exact same outfit with grey hair, long beard and light amber eyes.

"They look way too similar to not be the same guy..." Alexander struggles to understand the situation.

"So he didn't die! He must have attempted the same ritual we did and ended up here!" Twilight exclaims excitedly.

"Are you telling me that old Unicorn actually ended up stuck in another dimension?" Starlight queries.

"Old? I think 'ancient' would be a more suitable term... He has been long gone in our world for several centuries." Alexander puts the book down.

"He was supposedly alive during the medieval period, right? When magic was being majorly discovered, feared and what not." Edward states.

"You paid attention in 'Magical History'?" Alexander asks, looking surprised at Edward.

"You don't?" Edward folds his arms.

Alexander shrugs looking away. Twilight looks at the two in shock.

"So, he is dead after all?" Twilight's expression drops dramatically.

"I'm afraid so. His crypt is here on the island, it's why the academy was built here. To honour his memory and contributions to the magical arts." Alexander states causing Edward to stare at him. "What? I read in my spare time."

"Yet, you don't pay attention in 'Magical History'?" Edward sighs deeply.

"You say tomato, I say learn where the fecking spa is!" Alexander states, crossing his arms.

"Okay, before this becomes a domestic, did you guys use scented candles?" Starlight asks.

"'Sugar Cookie'..." Edward glares at Alexander.

"Table salt?" Alexander asks.

"It was in the kitchen, closest type at the time." Twilight comments, still looking over the two books.

Starlight begins to walk out of the room.

"I'm so done... Where is your bathroom?" Starlight asks, annoyed.

"Just to the right as you leave here." Alexander gives directions.

Starlight leaves the room as the atmosphere becomes tense.

"So, let's run through this... We are stuck with two mares, who we have technically summoned as our familiar's, but that's bullshit and this is a result of an identical dual spellcasting across the multi-verse. Did I leave anything out?!" Alexander asks looking at Edward.

"Other than that table salt and 'Sugar Cookie' scented candles were both used, not that I can think of." Edward comments.

"We are so boned..." Alexander groans and sinks into his bean bag.
> A 'Shocking' Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander groans as he rolls over onto his side to look at the alarm clock which reads 8:59 am. The alarm clock then goes off making the man groan even louder before hitting the 'off' button.

"Every fucking morning..." Alexander rolls back over.

"You have a serious problem with waking up just before the alarm goes off..." Edward states getting dressed by his wardrobe.

"Yeah? You have problems getting up so pissing early." Alexander pulls the quilt over his head.

"Well... You're going to have to make breakfast, so get the hell up. I doubt our guests will be happy." Edward comments, adjusting his tie.

"We don't have guests... Oh, shit we do have guests... It wasn't a dream..." Alexander groans harder.

"Yeah, it wasn't. We have two legit equines sleeping in the living room on the pull-out sofa." Edward leaves the room briefly before popping his head back in. "Oh, and no bacon."

"Oh, fuck off!" Alexander sits up and throws a pillow out the door towards Edward, who made a hasty retreat.

Alexander kicks off his quilt cover before getting up and slowly trudging to the wardrobe. Opening the wardrobe, he looks through his many school uniforms.

"Blue, blue, blue-" Alexander is interrupted.

"They are all the same. Just pick one." Edward shouts from the kitchen.

Alexander rolls his eyes and picks out a uniform in the middle before putting it on and adjusts his tie while walking through to the living room. Looking around he can see Twilight and Starlight asleep on the pull out sofa in their underwear. Moving to the kitchen, he hangs up his blazer on a coat rack before rolling up his sleeves.

"Let me handle this, while you wake up those two." Alexander begins pulling many different things out of various cupboards.

"Fine, I guess. You do realise they are in their underwear?" Edward states with a raised eyebrow.

"I've just woken up... I've also been denied bacon... Two equine females with barely any clothes on are not enough to interest me this morning." Alexander states, making some batter and mixing it in a bowl.

Edward crosses his arms and stares at Alexander, who he notices glanced several times at the two females.

"You are so full of shit." Edward shakes his head.

"You're meant to be waking them, remember?" Alexander coughs and goes back to cooking.

Edward slowly makes his way over to the pull-out sofa and leans over to nudge Twilight gently. The mare in question, simply groans and rolls over ignoring the wake-up call.

"Umm... Twilight?" Edward nudges her shoulder more.

"Five more minutes mum..." Twilight sleepily states.

Edward stares at the mare blankly before looking at Alexander and shrugs.

"Try something else." Alexander states pouring the mix into a pan.

"Hmm, how does one even wake up what she is?" Edward asks looking for an exploit.

"Well... Given they are an equine race, both with horns which must be very close to the Unicorns of our world... So, I'd have to wager that a slight, if not distinct discharge to the peak of their magical focus would shock them into an awake state." Alexander states, plating up several stacks of pancakes and drizzling one with syrup.

Edward stands up and glances at the mares and Alexander several times before opening his mouth.

"Do what now with the which part? Also, discharge what?" Edward asks.

"In the simplest form, I can manage." Alexander walks over to the trio.

Rubbing his hands together and muttering a simple incantation, he leans down and taps the top of Twilights horn causing a slight spark. The mare sits upright with wide eyes and a slight 'eep'.

"W-what the buck was that?" Twilight asks looking around.

"Oh... Why didn't you just fecking say use electric magic on the horn?" Edward asks.

"I did. Were you not paying attention?" Alexander asks, looking confused.

Shaking his head he leans down again and grabs the top of Starlight's horn using more electric magic than with Twilight. Starlight shoots up faster compared to Twilight with more of an exasperated gasp.

"Holy buck give me more~" Starlight states quickly before looking around and coughing slightly.

"You used more didn't you..?" Edward asks looking at a slightly shocked Alexander.

"Umm... Just a tad... That was an unexpected reaction..." Alexander is blushing slightly.

"Wait, you shocked me you bucker!" Starlight states with false annoyance.

"Yeah... Breakfast is ready, so if you both want to get dressed... We can eat in the living room." Alexander turns around, blushing more as he walks back to the kitchen.

"Get dressed..? Oh!" Twilight suddenly blushes realising their state.

Edward retreats to the kitchen with Alexander as the mares get up. Twilight wears a light purple shirt with navy blue shorts while Starlight is wearing a lilac shirt and a purple skirt. After a few minutes to let them get dressed and move the coffee table back into place, Alexander brings out the pancakes while Edward gets a bean bag from their room. Alexander sits in the armchair near the sofa. The four begin to eat their pancakes in silence, least before an elevated squeak from Starlight broke it.

"What? These are seriously good. I mean Spike's pancakes are good, but these are addictingly good." Starlight states.

"Your cooking classes are showing again." Edward comments taking a forkful of pancake.

"Feck off... I don't mean it too." Alexander sighs deeply.

"I still fail to see how it's a bad thing now." Edward looks at Alexander.

"I'm not even going to go into this discussion right now with the present company. Plus, it'd spoil the pancakes." Alexander states.

"Fine... By the way, I meant to ask, Twilight. What are you?" Edward asks looking at Twilight.

"I'm an Alicorn, which in Equestria, normally makes you royalty and a Princess." Twilight answers.

"Although there was a reference to an evil Alicorn I can vaguely remember in some extremely old musty tome, but I believe it said she is gone now." Starlight comments.

"So... We did kidnap a princess from another land..? How boned are we going to get for this?" Alexander asks sighing.

"We didn't exactly kidnap them. Technically the two spells cast at the same time did this..." Edward comments.

"Either way you put it, we are now several universes from home and stuck here." Starlight states, with a large mouthful of pancake.

"Our friends are likely to notice very soon and then they can use the book to bring us-" Twilight grimaces a little before looking at her bag.

"Well, I'm sure that plan won't go through." Alexander remarks.

"Least it was an idea... I'm not sure who here could help." Edward ponders.

Alexander finishes his pancakes and takes the plate into the kitchen as a knock is heard on the door.

"Either way... It's not like they are hopelessly stuck here. While Merlin could not find a way back, I'm sure we can... Somehow." Alexander states going to the door and opening it.

Edward stands up and stretches before walking towards the kitchen. He stops as he also sees who is at the door. Standing in front of a pale Alexander is an elderly gentleman wearing a long flowing blue wizard's robe and pointed hat which is slanted.

"Hello boys, it's my understanding that we need to have a serious discussion regarding your situation..." The elderly man states in a calm voice.

"I told you we were boned..." Alexander whimpers to Edward.





The four now stand in an office-like room with a desk in front of them where the elderly man is sitting. Upon closer inspection Twilight can see he has ashen grey hair with fire red eyes and a long beard of the same colour. He strokes his beard deep in thought before turning to the two males.

"When the chancellor came to me last night and inquired if I knew any students who might perform a summoning ritual in the dead of night behind the main school building, do you know what I told him?" The man pauses for a moment.

"No..." Alexander and Edward squeak in unison.

"I told him 'I don't know any student of mine who would be so damn right stupid enough to perform a level five summoning ritual in the dead of night behind the main school building... Do you wanna know what I was really saying inside?" The elderly man stops stroking his beard.

"No... But you'll tell us anyway..." Alexander comments.

"You're damn right I'm going to tell you anyway! How could you two have been so foolish as to perform such an incantation without the proper training, this could have been a lot worse... I always tell you to exercise caution with unknown spells, because you don't know the risks." The man sighs deeply.

"If it's any consolation we think Merlin might have been a pony." Alexander states.

"I mean I've never met such a pair of students who have such disregard for proper education." He continues.

"Grandpa Ignis, he said Merlin was a 'pony'" Edward states.

Both Starlight and Twilight look between the two parties confused.

"They look nothing alike..." Starlight whispers.

"I know, but..." Twilight whispers back.

The elderly man looks at the two ladies making them jump very slightly.

"They are obviously not my actual grandchildren. It's a thing around the dorm, I suppose. Given my nature and how I treat the students under my care, they refer to me as 'Grandpa Ignis'. My full name is Ardentem Ignis, but I prefer Ignis if it's all the same to you. Now, about Merlin..." Ignis stands up.

"Yeah, according to what we can gather from the book these two have and our own. We believe that your Merlin is in fact, our Starswirl the Bearded." Twilight explains.

"Haven't heard that name in a very long time. I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone else to bring that name to my attention." Ignis walks over to the window.

"Wait... Wait a bloody minute! You knew Merlin was an Equestrian pony!" Alexander exclaims.

"Well, yes. I'm surprised it's been such a well-kept secret. Not exactly a guarded one as nobody would really believe such an outrageous thing. Only those in the circle of magi know exactly to be precise. Although, that's not a surprise as Merlin created the circle of magi." Ignis goes on to explain.

"Great Scott..." Edward states.

"This is heavy..." Starlight comments.

"Well, this puts a new perspective on the universe, life and everything we know..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Really?" Twilight asks.

"Nope, just a serious blow to how I viewed my role model." Alexander sits down on the nearby sofa.

"We should move on to discuss what we will do about you, Princess." Ignis states, sitting down.

"He knows already?!" Edward exclaims.

"Of course, Merlin did explain a great many things about Equestria and its works. We were friends after all." Ignis explains.

"How old are you gramps?" Alexander asks before ducking under a small fireball.

"Old enough to know I'm a sight damn wiser than you two fools. For now, we will go under the guise that these are your otherworldly familiars that you two summoned under my supervision during a controlled experiment." Ignis states.

"Seems like the most sound plan till we can find a way home." Starlight comments.

"Quite. Oh, I'll also be taking that book back you lads 'borrowed' from the forbidden wing." Ignis waves the book at them before putting it away in one of his desk drawers.

"We were going to put it back..." Alexander clears his throat.

"Umm is that everything, Grandpa Ignis?" Edward asks.

"For now, go on before you're late for first period." Ignis states as the four leave the room.

Leaning back in his chair he spins round and stares out the window, deep in thought.
> An Irregular Day on Campus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Alexander and Edward are walking down the path leading from their dorm to the main school building where the pair were last night. Twilight and Starlight are following close behind now wearing the female version of their uniforms, which has a skirt with blue trim at the bottom that stops at their knees. Both Alexander and Edward have some form of music player box on the right side of their belts with headphones.

"I've been meaning to ask, mainly because the majority of people we have seen thus far are wearing them, but what are those boxes for?" Twilight asks.

"As well as being music players, they have a frequency for the academy radio station." Edward informs the equine mares.

"It's normally run by Cera Valentine, isn't it?" Alexander asks, looking at Edward.

"I believe so, at least for as long as we can remember since joining." Edward replies.

"What is this place anyway? I get it's an academy, but what is its name?" Starlight asks.

Alexander looks at Edward before turning to the pair.

"Oh, right... We never formally introduced you to the name of this place." Alexander states as they walk up the hill towards a large fortress looking wall structure.

The group come to an archway which leads through the wall and out into a courtyard where a large castle can be seen at the end of the main path. Edward and Alexander smile at the pair before taking a deep breath.

"Welcome to Kilgharrah Academy for Arcane Studies." The pair state to introduce the academy.

"Snow cone?" A random male pops up between the two mares with a tray of various coloured cones with ice shavings in them.

Edward and Alexander both take a red snow cone. Both mares look equally confused at the sudden appearance of the small human male. He is a bit shorter than Alexander with a regular build, short brown hair and brown eyes. He wears the same colour uniform as Alexander and Edward.

"Sup, Adam?" Alexander asks.

"About as normal as every other morning. Kinda curious about your present company, though." Adam looks the two mares up and down.

"It's a long story... For now, let's just say they are our familiars." Edward states.

"When the hell did you guys get familiars?" Adam stares at the two confused.

"Unofficial version is they exploded into existence in front of us during a controlled magical experiment." Alexander states.

"The official version?" Adam deadpans.

"A ritual spell supervised by Grandpa Ignis." Edward states.

"Gotcha. Well, see you later." Adam continues walking up the path towards the main academy building.

"Who was that strange little man?" Starlight asks, confused.

"That was Adam Rider, he is in the same dorm as us." Alexander explains.

"He seemed... Interesting?" Twilight ponders.

"He is the least strange friend we have and that's saying something." Edward states.

"Remind me what we have for first period again?" Alexander asks, putting away the music player in his messenger bag.

"I believe it's Mathamancy." Edward replies.

"Fuck my life... Woke up before the alarm, denied bacon, caught by gramps and now Mathamancy for first period... Today is not my day." Alexander sighs deeply.

"What's so bad about Mathamancy?" Starlight asks, causing Alexander to groan.

"It's the professor, they don't get along... At all..." Edward states.





The classroom had several lines of desks with a bigger desk at the front which belonged to the professor. Behind the professor's desk is a large blackboard, but there is no chalk. Several students are packing up their things to head out and onto their next class, sitting behind the front desk is a middle-aged man with navy blue hair that has aqua blue highlights, his eyes are a deep ocean blue. Unlike Ignis, he wears an outfit similar to the students male uniform with a blazer, tie, and smart pants with fire red trim. The student desks appear to be two by one in length meaning a familiar can be sat beside if applicable. At the back of the class are Alexander and Edward with the mares sitting beside them. Sitting next to the window are Alexander and Starlight who have their heads down on the desk, groaning. Beside them are Edward and Twilight who appear fine.

"The numbers, what do they mean..?" Alexander groans.

"I have no idea..." Starlight replies.

"It really wasn't that bad..." Edward comments.

"I found it actually quite stimulating." Twilight smiles.

"You would..." Starlight glances up at her.

"I told you he hates me..." Alexander sits up and glares at the professor who simply smiles.

"I think I see what you mean..." Starlight sits up and sighs deeply.

"Please tell me we have something good next?" Alexander asks, looking at Edward.

"Do you ever remember our lesson plan?" Edward asks back.

"Yeah... I'm just hoping you'll lie to make me feel better..." Alexander shrugs.

"Well, I'm afraid it is Literacy..." Edward states, packing up his things.

"Why cruel world? Haven't I been punished enough?" Alexander groans and slams his head down on the desk again.

"Is he always this dramatic?" Starlight asks.

"Not always... Just a lot." Edward comments.

The group spend several minutes gathering their things before leaving the classroom.

"It's not 12:00 pm yet is it?" Alexander asks.

"I don't think so, there hasn't been an explosion." Edward replies.

"Either she is running late or maybe we were let out early-" Alexander is cut off by an explosion which sounds like it came from across campus.

"Now it's 12:00 pm." Edward states.

Twilight and Starlight look at each other confused.

"What was that?" Twilight asks.

"That was the resident clutz/alchemist/midday clock. Her name is Mai Singulton, don't let her last name confuse you, she is very proficient at gravitational magic." Alexander explains.

"So, the explosion is an everyday occurrence?" Starlight asks.

"I never said she was a good alchemist." Alexander adds.

"And we're not saying she is a bad alchemist." Edward states.

"I see... This place keeps getting weirder..." Starlight comments.

"You have yet to see the worst of it..." Alexander sighs.





The Literacy classroom was set up very much like the other one with lines of desks, a professor's desk and a blackboard. The professor this time was a middle-aged woman in her early 40's with long lightning yellow hair that contains white streaks with dull yellow eyes. She bares a slim figure with voluptuous assets, wearing a white lab coat with brown trim, black shirt, brown trousers and black boots. The woman stands at the front of the class looking around before stopping on Alexander.

"Alexander, how'd you make a word a plural?" She asks.

"You put an s... You put an s on the end of it." Alexander replies weakly.

"When?" She asks.

"On weekends and holidays..." Alexander answers.

Starlight looks at Alexander with confusion.

"No, Alexander... Let me show ya." She turns to Edward. "Edward, what's the plural for an ox?"

"Oxen, the farmer used his oxen." Edward smiles.

"Alexander..." She turns back to Alexander.

"What..?" Alexander shrugs.

"Alexander, what's the plural for a box?" She asks leaning back on the front desk.

"Boxen, I bought two boxen of doughnuts." Alexander states with confidence.

Starlight slams her head down on her desk as everyone deadpans at Alexander.

"No, Alexander, no... Let's try another one." She turns to Adam who is sitting behind Alexander. "Adam, what's the plural for a goose."

"Geese, I saw a flock of geese." Adam smirks.

"Alexander..." She turns back to Alexander sighing deeply.

"What..?" Alexander wears a painful expression.

"Alexander, what's the plural for a moose?" She rubs the bridge of her nose.

Alexander thinks for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"Moosen! I saw a flock of moosen. There were many of 'em, many much moosen. Out in the woods, in the woodis, in the woodson..." Alexander bites his lip.

"Alexander, Alexander... You're an imbecile." The woman groans in unison with Starlight.

"Imbecilen..." Alexander mutters.

"What are you speaking German, Alexander?" She looks at him weirdly.

"German, Germane! Germane, Jackson! Jackson five, Tino!" Alexander exclaims.

"Alexander, what the hell are you talking about?" The woman blinks several times.

"I don't know... I don't know, Really." Alexander awkwardly smiles.

Starlight can be heard practically crying into her half of the desk as the professor looks at the clock above the class door.

"Well... I guess that's enough torture for today. You can all go to lunch now." The professor states before leaving herself.

"You didn't tell me it was going to be this bad..." Starlight glances up at Edward who simply shrugs.

"Words wouldn't have been enough to describe what you just had to suffer." Edward states.

"I feel for Starlight, though... That was rather painful to witness." Twilight comments.

"I know, right... She is very cruel." Alexander crosses his arms.

The three look at Alexander with Starlight glaring harshly at him.

"Anyway... Where are we having lunch?" Edward asks.

"Oh no, we are having this conversation! You-" Starlight turns around to see Alexander gone. "W-what? Where-" Starlight turns to Edward and sees Alexander exiting the room in a crab-like fashion making odd noises.

"Good luck with that-" Edward begins to say, but Starlight stands up and begins to run after Alexander.

"Get back here!" Starlight exclaims.





Several minutes later the group are walking down the path from the main academy building. Alexander is rubbing his head slightly.

"You didn't need to hit me..." Alexander whimpers.

"You weren't listening! Plus, you ran from me!" Starlight states looking away from him.

"Yeah, because you were trying to hit me!" Alexander states back.

"Psh, details..." Starlight sighs deeply.

"Seriously though where are we having lunch?" Edward asks looking at the others.

"I believe Adam said he and Robert will be waiting in Sparkles for us." Alexander states.

"What the hay is 'Sparkles'?" Twilight asks, looking confused.

"Oh, right. 'Sparkles', is the name of the main café on the island." Alexander explains.

"Is there a jewellery store called 'Glimmers' too?" Starlight deadpans.

"How did you know?" Edward asks making her groan.

"Never mind..." Starlight rubs her temple.

"The student village is kinda a halfway point between Wyvern and Hydra house. It's also not that far from the main campus." Alexander states.

"What else do they have there?" Twilight asks.

"Well, they have Sparkles Café, Glimmers Jewels, Dash Arcade, Rare Threads, Pink Pies Bakery, Heartstrings and U, Shy's Familiars, Jackapples Tool Shed, Scratch's Hardware, Mack's General Store, Drop's Confectionary, Bab's Barbers... I think that's everything, least what I can remember." Edward states.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Starlight groans harder.

"So... Much... Wrong..." Twilight sighs deeply.

"You forgot 'Valentine's'." Alexander adds.

"Oh, yeah the bar." Edward realises.

"It bothers me so much that there is stores or business with ponies names that I know." Twilight states with a frown.

"That bothers you? I'm just waiting for the painfully obvious punch lines that will come with each..." Starlight sighs.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about, but we are here." Alexander points out.

The pair look up to see the student village before them, which is much less cliché than they anticipated. As the group continue forward the mares relax a little bit more upon seeing the before mentioned stores are not as they feared they would be. Alexander leads them to a café where Twilight can see Adam sitting in a window booth with another male. Above the door is a sign which reads 'Sparkle's Café' in lilac writing with a flare of six-pointed stars. Entering the café, the pair can see it's fairly normal with wall and window booths, some sparse regular tables, the main counter which has a big menu above it on the wall and some pleasant decorations like plants and posters. The group walk over to Adam's booth and upon closer inspection, Twilight can see the other male wears the same uniform as the three, has short pitch black hair with a slightly long quiff and brown eyes.

"Nice to see you finally joined us." The male states moving to sit beside Adam.

"Oh, piss off Robert, you're late more than we are." Alexander slides onto the seat moving around to sit opposite the opening in the U-shaped booth.

"You can blame those two for having a chase being the reason we are late." Edward states as he lets Starlight sit beside Alexander before sitting down with Twilight.

"How does ordering in this place work?" Starlight asks.

"Well, you can go up there and order, but a lot of people just call with an order along with their table number or if ordering take-out their dorm room number." Alexander explains.

"So, what is everyone having?" Edward asks.

"I'll have a #9." Adam states.

"I'll take a #9 like him." Alexander adds.

"Give me a #6 with extra dip." Robert states

Edward gets a phone out of his blazer pocket and dials a number.

"Hello, welcome to Sparkles, how may we help you?" A young lady asks.

"I'll have two #9's, a #9 large, a #6 with extra dip, a #7, two #45's, one with cheese and 8 large sodas, table number 9." Edward states making everyone look at him before he hangs up.

"Okay, I get the two #9's, I imagine the large is for you, the #6 is for Robert, I imagine the two #45's are for Starlight and I, given they are mostly salad, who is having the #7?" Twilight asks.

Suddenly a tiny chibi like pale girl pops into existence beside Robert. She has tiny black wings, pitch black short hair, red eyes and wears a Gothic black dress which has sparse armoured parts like gauntlets and a pauldron on her left shoulder.

"That would be her's." Alexander states.

"What or who is she?" Starlight asks.

"Her name is Nāve, she is a Shinigami familiar." Robert explains.

"Although even the professors were confused at how he summoned such a high level familiar during the entrance ceremony. Especially as he has failed to budge from fledgeling magician since then." Edward remarks.

"Yeah? You're still a fledgeling and Alexander is an apprentice, yet you both couldn't summon familiar's during the entrance ceremony until last night apparently." Robert looks at them both with a raised eyebrow.

"What about Adam's familiar?" Twilight asks.

"It left him." Alexander states with a flat tone.

"Turns out not even a chibi version of a dragon can handle his bullshit..." Edward adds.

"Pretty much..." Adam admits.

A girl with long purple hair that has a pink stripe through it and purple eyes, wearing a purple skirt, white shirt with 'Sparkles' on it and black boots walks over to them carrying a labelled box.

"Sorry for the wait, here is your order~" The girl sings before leaving.

"We are in Tartarus... That's where we are..." Starlight comments.

"S-she... T-the hair... T-the eyes... I think I'm breaking already..." Twilight mutters.

"What? You mean Midnight Sparkle? Daughter of the owner-" Alexander begins.

"Neigh! Don't say it!" Twilight exclaims.

"-Vivi Sparkle..? What did you think I was going to say?" Alexander questions.

"N-nothing... It's nothing." Twilight shakes her head.

"Okay then... Let's see if we have everything." Edward opens the box to begin pulling items out of it.

He hands two burger shaped wrapped items to Alexander and Adam, he keeps a larger one by himself. Edward then passes a box over to Robert with a sealed pot of dip along with a bag which goes to Nāve, making her squeak happily as she pulls out a cream roll to nibble on. Reaching deeper into the box he passes two salad boxes to Twilight and Starlight complete with forks. Twilight continues to stare at the box when Edward hands out the large sodas, making her blink several times.

"How does that cardboard box contain all of that?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, they use dimensional magic with their containers to make an efficient service." Edward explains as he unwraps his large burger to take a bite.

"I don't know how much more of this place I can take..." Starlight comments eating some of her cheese coated salad.

"You think this is weird? You should see the weekly meets with some of the clubs around here..." Robert comments.

"Speaking of which... What day is it today?" Alexander asks.

Thinking for a moment with a chicken nugget in his mouth, Robert replies after swallowing.

"I believe... It might be the 6th of September..." Robert states with uncertainty.

"What makes you ask the date?" Starlight queries.

Before Alexander can answer a small voice is heard outside.

"Expelliarmus!" The voice exclaims.

"Hit the deck!" Alexander exclaims as another small voice can be heard in response.

"Expulso!" Another voice exclaims.

The group duck down suddenly following Alexander as an explosion breaks the windows of Sparkles.
> The Night Wrist Technique
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The group manage to duck down into the slightly cramped space below the table as the window is blown inwards. Nāve can be seen hunkering next to Robert, protectively defending her bag of cream rolls. Starlight shakes her mane slightly and groans.

"What the buck was that?" Starlight asks peeking up above the table.

"The fucking nerd club..." Alexander states while putting mayonnaise on his burger.

"Seriously? Shit is going down outside and you are more concerned about your food?" Starlight asks, looking at the group.

"Yeah? I mean, hell, they didn't pay for this shit." Alexander states, taking a bite.

"He has a point. Ain't nobody going to interrupt my nuggets." Robert adds.

"I agree... Who was paying anyway?" Edward asks.

Alexander, Adam and Robert look at each other before pointing at Edward who deadpans.

"Seriously? Again?" Edward asks, but only gets nods in return.

"I take it this is a regular thing?" Twilight asks, nibbling on some salad.

"Yeah... They normally rope me into paying for lunch." Edward states eating his own food.

"Oh, I meant the club thing that just blew out the window." Twilight redirects her question.

"Kinda... It's a weekly occurrence. Not always with the nerd club, but more often than not it is." Alexander explains.

Adam peeks up past the window after finishing his burger to see who is actually involved.

"Looks like the Golem House nerd club for sure... Hard to mistake that little shit for anybody else... The other party is-" Adam ducks down again.

"W-what is it? You look a tad pale." Alexander looks at Adam.

"It might be better if you look for yourself... The Golem House nerd club picked a fight with the biggest Otaku on campus..." Adam shares a scared glance to Alexander.

The man in question suddenly inhales his burger rapidly before swallowing hard.

"You are fucking kidding me! She never comes out of her hole for mundane shit!" Alexander scrambles up to take a look before diving back down.

Grabbing his soda he downs it all making Robert look a little concerned.

"Who the hell is up there?" Robert asks.

"Lucita Night, my fucking sister!" Alexander exclaim

Nāve stuffs the three remaining cream rolls into her mouth, chewing them comically before swallowing hard and 'poofing' out of existence. Robert does the same to his nuggets before scrambling out from under the table.

"You're on your own, later." Robert runs out the back of Sparkles.

"Son of a bitch... Least Adam stayed-" Alexander looks to Adam.

Where Adam used to be is an outline which blinks a few times.

"Ugh! You are kidding me!" Alexander groans.

"What is so bad about your sister?" Starlight shrugs.

"Oh god..." Edward rubs his forehead.

"I'm sorry, what?" Alexander blinks a few times.

"You just had to say it..." Edward shuffles himself and a still eating Twilight away a bit.

"What is wrong with my sister..?" Alexander states lowly.

"Now you've done it..." Edward and Twilight are now across the way underneath another booth.

Alexander gets very close to Starlight making her shrink till she is practically lying on the floor.

"My sister is a fucking bitch!" Alexander exclaims.

"S-she can't be that bad, is she?" Starlight asks.

"Oh, sweet Jesus..." Edward and Twilight are now across Sparkles.

Alexander's eye twitches and he gets much closer to Starlight.

"She is beyond incestuous it's not even funny! On top of that, she is a kinky freak! Like, okay, I get collars look good on some people. However, my sister is the chains, whips and bondage kind of fucked up!" Alexander glares deep into Starlight's eyes.

"That was... Unexpected..." Starlight blinks.

"You have no idea how bad she is. Why do you think Adam and Robert booked it? They ran for a reason." Alexander states, easing up on Starlight.

"Okay... Umm, are you going to kiss me or get up a bit? It's a little awkward when I'm practically lying on the floor." Starlight states looking between them a bit.

"What if I kiss you?" Alexander asks with a raised eyebrow,

"Get the buck off me." Starlight states.

"Fine, fine..." Alexander gets off Starlight.

"Oh, Alexander~" A sing-song tone can be heard which makes Alexander shiver.

"Fuck!" Alexander exclaims with wide eyes.

Alexander reluctantly stands up and sighs deeply.

"I know Edward is in there too, I already saw the other two run for it. Likely you should have done the same when you had the chance instead of practically screaming about me." Lucita states making Alexander groan.

Edward chuckles lightly and gets up with Twilight who just finished her salad. Starlight decides to not waste hers and finishes it fairly quickly before getting up.

"For what little it's worth, least I have your back." Edward states looking worried.

"We are so boned..." Alexander states as they walk out of Sparkles.

Standing a small distance from the café are two groups of people. On the right side is a group of four students wearing male uniforms with yellow trim. On the left is a girl, just a tad taller than Alexander with short pitch black hair that has dark purple highlights, aquamarine eyes and pale skin. Her uniform is slightly adapted from the regular Wyvern House female uniform, she has black leggings which reach the start of her thighs and black shin-high boots. Around her neck is a pitch black choker which reads 'Lucita' in silver letters, on her wrists are two silver arm bands which complete her overall apparel.

"Hehe... You are so screwed, but good luck anyway." Lucita exclaims.

"What are you even doing here? You never come out for mundane shit." Alexander folds his arms.

"Screw you, Alexander! This is hardly a mundane matter!" The small male standing at the front of the group exclaims.

"Oh, for fuck sake Chris... What could it possibly be this time? If you say she insulted your waifu, I'm just walking." Alexander deadpans.

"In all fairness, they are pretty shit." Lucita states casually.

"Suck a cock you freak!" Chris exclaims.

"I would, but the one I want is very reluctant towards me." Lucita glances at Alexander licking her lips.

Starlight's eyes widen and she looks at Alexander.

"You weren't kidding..." Starlight states.

"Why would I kid about this kinda shit?!" Alexander asks looking at Starlight sharply.

"Oh? Who is this? I heard you and Edward were walking around with familiars, but I thought they were store bought trash." Lucita states looking at Starlight and Twilight.

"That sentence is so full of shit, but whatever..." Alexander rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Did she just..? She did, didn't she..?" Starlight asks looking at Twilight.

"She did." Twilight replies.

"Oh, I'm going to-" Starlight is stopped by Alexander.

"I really wouldn't... She's a Journeyman level if not higher but stayed back to be in the same year as me... She should be a third-year student." Alexander sighs deeply.

Lucita begins walking over to Alexander but stops when Chris opened his mouth. Before even letting him say anything she lowered and flicked her wrist in his direction making a sudden harsh gust of wind hit and knock over their group. Another small man wearing a referee outfit runs over and checks the group before shaking his head and raises a red flag into the air before running off again.

"Da buck was that?" Starlight asks.

"The magic duel referee, it's literally his job to announce the victors of any and all magic duels on the island." Edward explains.

"What if multiple happen at once and are won at once? How does one man cover the whole island?" Twilight asks.

"He uses duplication magic and is a master level magician. Let's just say he isn't a student..." Alexander explains.

"Is he a professor?" Starlight asks.

"Nope, worse... Our sports coach..." Both males shiver.

"Is he that-" Starlight begins to say, but stops when both Edward and Alexander give her deadpan expressions.

"I believe the last time you said this was only moments ago and we are faced with Alexander's sister now." Twilight points out, crossing her arms.

"Meh, I'm pretty much done here if I'm honest. Bumping into you was just a coincidence, maybe I'll see you later." Lucita smirks at the group before walking off.

Alexander sighs before starting to walk off.

"What about Chris?" Edward asks, looking at the downed group.

"What about Chris? I don't give a shit, he got himself into that mess." Alexander continues walking.

"Is he going to be alright?" Starlight asks, folding her arms.

"Maybe... But today is going so badly and it's only halfway done. I'm surprised he hasn't exploded yet." Edward states as he starts to follow Alexander.

The two mares shrug and follow the pair, Starlight wearing a more concerned expression.





The main gym area is very large containing bleachers on the left side and many outlined courts on the floor for magic duels. Currently running around the gym wearing black shorts and shirts with various coloured trim is the class. Among them are Edward and Alexander with Twilight and Starlight, who are looking the most tired.

"Why the buck do 'we' have to run too?" Starlight grumbles.

"Apparently, physical fitness is important for both magician and familiar..." Edward states, trying to keep up.

"I can somewhat see what they mean... But this many laps is ridiculous..." Twilight comments, sweating heavily.

Alexander has yet to comment but looks the worst out of the four. As the class pass a large scoreboard on the north wall of the gym a whistle is blown to signal they can stop. Upon which many do, few collapsing to their knees while others like Alexander, lay splayed out on the floor panting heavily, of which he is the only one.

"You... Are such... An Unhealthy... mother fucker..." Robert comments from nearby, sitting on the ground.

"Fuck... You..." Alexander pants heavily while flipping him off.

At that moment the short man from before walks over to the group, now wearing black shorts, a white shirt with yellow trim and a whistle around his neck. Without his referee hat on he can be seen to be bald. Now being able to get a closer look, Twilight can see he is indeed short. Slightly taller than Adam, but still short with brown eyes.

"Alright, ladies! Line 'em up!" The small man demands.

The class reluctantly get into lines, still marginally exhausted. The man strolls back and forth in front of them a few times before stopping.

"We all covered the basics in year one. We all know how to fling our shit around and maybe hit something. Perhaps some of you even learnt a bit of control, good for you. It's in year two you learn how to fight something which can actually fight back. I say fight back, but when you'll be facing each other that expectation is limited." The small man chuckles.

The class groan a little before looking at each other.

"Glad to see ya'll are excited to be kicking the shit outta each other! I notice we have some new faces among you, for those of you who do not know, my name is Theodore Biceps." Theodore states with enthusiasm.

Starlight and Twilight deadpan with a slightly surprised look in their eyes.

"This is such a contrast..." Starlight comments in a whisper.

"I presume you all learned proper duel etiquette, but for those of you who skipped that in basics, I'll explain it again." Theodore walks over to a nearby closet to grab a roll of something.

Walking back over to the group he places it on the ground and steps on one end before kicking the roll out towards the other side of the hall. The roll begins to even out and is nearly the full length of the gym, only off by several inches. Theodore then drags over a foot pump device, which he hooks up and begins pumping the deflated object rapidly.

"One: Remember to bow, bowing is the sign of respect towards your opponent both before and after the duel. Two: No physical contact is to be had during a magician's duel and only magical means may be used to subdue your opponent. Three: Obviously no lethal spells are to be used unless the conditions of the duel allow. It's a very simple three rule system which has worked since the time of Merlin." Theodore finishes pumping the now inflated stage.

The stage turns solid after fully inflating making Starlight groan a little as Twilight looks intrigued. Theodore looks over the group.

"I wonder if your luck still sucks today..." Edward comments to Alexander.

"I hope not..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"You look particularly eager today, get up here Night." Theodore states looking at Alexander.

"You did this Edward..." Alexander grumbles as he walks towards the stage.

"I'm sorry..." Edward whispers.

Alexander gets onto the stage and stands at the far left where it's marked to stand. Theodore looks around for another willing victim before stopping on a medium built, blonde girl with blue eyes wearing a brown trim uniform.

"Amelia Strike, you're first. Do try to be gentle, Night." Theodore states causing the class to snicker. "Oh, y'all snicker, but y'all don't know shit."

Amelia steps up onto the stage and stands on the right side where it's indicated. The pair bow to each other as Alexander lowers his hand down mimicking what his sister did before.

"What are the chance of him winning?" Starlight leans towards Edward.

"You mean what are the chances of him losing? Because I think that's a much better debate... Magical Defence class also doubles as a stress relief for some people." Edward states looking sorry for Amelia.

"I take it Mr Biceps knows this too?" Twilight asks, folding her arms.

"Oh yeah... Take into account how shit his day has been already... Waking up before the alarm, denied bacon, having Mathamancy and Literacy back to back, lunch interrupted by Lucita and Chris, then having to run that many laps in Magical Defence... I'm surprised somebody isn't dead..." Edward states.

"You're making him sound just a tad evil..." Starlight looks at Edward.

"Not exactly... It's just a bit bad when he is very pissed off... Normally it's fine, but..." Edward sighs deeply.

"He encountered his sister today... Oh dear..." Starlight grimaces a little.

Amelia holds out her arms to begin channelling sparks in her spread hands while Alexander doesn't move. Amelia stares down Alexander for several seconds before attempting to lunge forward to shoot her electricity. Alexander simply flicks his wrist in a slightly different way to his sister, causing a very cold harsh wind to be propelled forward to Amelia which impacts her and sends her rolling across the stage, onto the floor. The floored girl in question is panting and coughing slightly.

Theodore scratches his head as he sighs deeply. "You do know the definition of 'being gentle' don't you, Night?"

"Hmm not at this moment, no." Alexander replies annoyed.

"Well, let's see how many more duels we can run through..." Theodore makes his cap and clipboard appear with magic.

"What are the odds anyone will not be hurt?" Starlight asks Edward.

"Hmm... Would you like that as an exact number or to the closest decimal point?" Edward asks raising his eyebrow.

"Sweet Celestia..." Starlight rubs her eyes sighing deeply.
> The Four Great Houses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The group walk back into the dorm room with Starlight sighing deeply as Alexander throws his messenger bag onto the sofa.

"You honestly don't know the meaning of gentle, do you?" Starlight asks sitting down in the armchair.

"Oh, I know how to be 'gentle', just not today..." Alexander states as he hangs up his blazer on the coat rack near the kitchen.

"I still think you overdid it just a bit... I mean... Half the class is a bit excessive." Edward states sitting down on the sofa.

"Mr Biceps just kept sending 'em up... Who was I to complain?" Alexander states as he walks into the kitchen to get out multiple woks from the cupboards.

"You could have seriously injured someone..." Starlight adds folding her arms.

"Seriously injured? Shit, I was aiming for at least maiming them." Alexander chuckles pulling out a big bag of rice.

"Are you any less stressed?" Twilight asks sitting on the bean bag where it was left this morning.

"He is cooking, so, I'm going to wager that's a no... It's normally take-out unless he is stressed." Edward sighs deeply.

"What is the big story behind him hating cooking, yet he does it when stressed or something?" Starlight asks, making Alexander sigh.

"The short version is we used to have a maid at the Night estate who taught me how to cook when I was young." Alexander states as he begins to cut up various vegetables.

"I notice there is a 'was' in that sentence." Twilight comments.

"While cooking became a good stress relief... It's also a reminder of them, they passed away a few years later." Alexander states as he begins to cook rice in four separate woks on the stove using magic.

"That's quite a sad story... Not sure exactly how I'm supposed to respond to that." Starlight states perplexed.

"Think of something or don't, doesn't matter to me. I'm able to create good food, so it's something." Alexander states adding in the chopped ingredients.

"I've been meaning to ask, but what exactly are these houses we keep hearing about? If we're going to be stuck here we should know how the social ladder works." Twilight asks looking at Edward.

Edward looks at Alexander who shakes his head.

"It's you this time, I'm busy." Alexander states getting out a rice cooker to place some more rice in.

"I guess... Well, in total there are four great houses on the island. There is Wyvern House, which we are in. Hydra House, representing the mighty multi-headed sea beast. Golem House, which represents the sentinel of the earth and Valkyrie House which depicts the maiden of lightning. Each one, as I'm sure you have noticed represents an element like fire, water, earth and lightning. The houses are named as such for just a few of the ancient familiars Merlin used to command." Edward explains.

"Okay, that sounds logical... Why are the uniforms different colours then?" Starlight asks, crossing her legs.

"We lost a bet..." Alexander states from the kitchen.

"With who? Because it seems all the houses have switched uniforms with their opposite element." Twilight asks.

"The chancellor... Basically the head of our academy and the circle of magi on the island." Edward explains, taking off his blazer.

"W-what? The houses lost a bet to the chancellor and now all the uniforms are switched?" Starlight asks confused.

"Pretty much. Should be over soon, though. It'll be nice to have red back than blue." Alexander comments, placing bowls of fried rice on the coffee table.

Twilight looks puzzled as Alexander carries a fifth bowl to the end of the corridor past their bedroom and bathroom. Placing it on the floor, he knocks a few times before leaving it. Coming back to the living he takes a seat on the sofa as he takes his bowl, looking back to the corridor Twilight can see the bowl is gone.

"W-what the..." Twilight stutters confused.

"Lucita lives underneath our room in a pocket dimension basement." Edward explains making Alexander groan.

"That's how she knew about us then..." Starlight mutters.

"I don't hate my sister per say... It's a complicated thing to try and explain." Alexander sighs before eating some rice.

"I see... So, you hate your sister?" Starlight asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, I hate my sister." Alexander replies quickly.

"That was pointless... Given we are throwing backstories around, Edward, what is yours?" Twilight asks, turning to Edward.

"There isn't much of a backstory to him. Rich kid from a working class family, who smith metal on his father's side and his mother is an astronomer. He has a younger brother and doesn't really use his money for much, less we rope him into paying for stuff." Alexander states leaning back in his seat.

"Son of a... You just simplified an overly complicated and emotional backstory." Edward frowns.

"Yours really isn't that emotional... Nor overly complicated." Alexander deadpans.

"I know, but still... I could have made it out to be. I mean, yours is more of a train wreck on acid than anything else." Edward comments.

"So, basically what we are saying here is that in comparison... My family and backstory is a train wreck on acid which sees more drama than a fricken soap opera and yours is mundane as hell... Did I leave out anything?" Alexander asks, placing his finished bowl on the coffee table.

"Hmm... Nothing I can think of, although your grandparents are worse-" Edward begins, but his mouth is shut by magic.

"Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Alexander begins as a hatch opens up at the end of the hall past the bathroom.

"I swear to every single last god if you even continue that sentence, I'll fucking kill you! Do not invoke that kinda hell around here!" Lucita states before shutting the hatch.

"What the hay was that all about?" Starlight asks looking confused as she finished her dinner.

"Let's just say... However bad my father is... He is nothing compared to grandpa... Like, you don't even know." Alexander grimaces.

"Okay then... Well, that's backstories out of the way, I guess..." Twilight sighs deeply.

A muffled tone comes from beside them as Edward tries to say something making Alexander raise an eyebrow.

"What the... Oh, shit." Alexander removes the muffle spells.

"Bastard... I was going to say before you muffled me. Well, it's not exactly it, but it's included in the after part. What are we going to do about their clothes?" Edward looks at the mares.

"What about 'em?" Alexander questions.

"They're going to need more than the uniforms and clothes they came here in. What kind of 'masters' would we be if we didn't care for our familiar's basic needs." Edward states standing up as he takes the bowls to the kitchen.

"I guess... I really didn't want to go to Rare's Threads anytime soon." Alexander stands to stretch.

"Just because the owner stalks you a tiny bit, you go all paranoid." Edward comes back into the living room.

"That and I owe her sister money..." Alexander admits.

"What the hell did you bet on this time?!" Edward crosses his arms.

"I bet on the nerd club this week." Alexander sighs deeply making Edward slap his face.

"You idiot... What possessed you to bet on Chris?" Edward asks picking up his bag.

"I didn't anticipate my sister coming out of nowhere to fuck things up..." Alexander picks up his own bag.

"Get rekted sucker!" Lucita exclaims from below them.

Both of them groan as the mares share a confused expression.

"I guess we can take care of the clothes tomorrow. I need to pay a visit to Jerry anyway, we're getting a little bit low on a few things." Alexander leaves the room heading to the bedroom.

"We'll see you two in the morning then, goodnight." Edward leaves the living too.

"Well... That was interesting. Tomorrow might be exciting." Twilight states.

"You're kidding, right? This is going to be meme central tomorrow in the village..." Starlight sighs deeply as she flops back in the armchair.
> Art of the Dress ft. The Shady Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander groans as he rolls over, burying his face into his pillow. A second later the alarm clock goes off making the man in question shoot the object a death glare. All Edward can hear from the kitchen is a magical explosion outside from the direction of the bedroom. Alexander stumbles out of the door looking more annoyed than usual.

"You're paying for a new alarm clock..." Edward states while scrambling some eggs.

"Are you making egg sandwiches again?" Alexander asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I imagine you'd want a bacon and sausage sandwich?" Edward asks, looking over his shoulder.

"You heathen... Yes, please... I'm going to get a shower." Alexander states while yawning and walking towards the bathroom.

"Okay, oh... Wait!" Edward turns sharply to try and warn Alexander, but it's too late.

Alexander ignores Edward and opens the bathroom door to see Starlight in the shower naked. The mare in question blinks a few times as they stare at each other, her hands' frozen mid wash in her mane.

"Umm..." Alexander blinks several times himself.

"Alexander... What are you doing?" Starlight asks casually.

"Was going to take a shower..." Alexander states in reply.

"I'm using it..." Starlight deadpans.

"What if I join you..?" Alexander states in question.

"Get the fuck out!" Starlight suddenly blushes before firing a ball of magic at Alexander.

Alexander quickly retreats, closing the door to avoid the magic missile which leaves a burn mark on its surface. Walking back into the living room Edward sighs making Alexander look at him.

"Not a fucking word..." Alexander sits down in the armchair.

Twilight is sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed reading a magazine.

"He tried to warn you. Besides, how did you not hear the shower running?" Twilight asks, looking up from her reading.

"He is oblivious in the morning. It takes him a while to wake up properly." Edward states placing several sandwich plates on the coffee table.

Alexander happily takes his bacon and sausage sandwich and layers some ketchup on it before he starts eating. Twilight only lightly salts her lettuce and egg sandwich while Edward has melted cheese with his egg sandwich.

"I still say you're disgusting, tainting cheese with egg. You heathen." Alexander states.

"Everyone's a critic..." Edward states with an eye roll.

Starlight comes walking through into the living room dressed in her academy uniform, still doing her hair. Sitting down on the bean bag she levitates her own lettuce and egg sandwich to her after adding some sprinkled cheese from a nearby plate. Edward stares at Alexander who simply stares back with a dumbfound expression.

"What?" Alexander asks confused.

"She just used cheese on her egg and lettuce sandwich, no comment?" Edward asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No, why?" Alexander looks even more confused.

"I... I can't... I gotta leave." Edward states finishing his sandwich and getting up.

"Edward, we're you going? We only just started eating." Alexander looks even more confused.

"There's a lot to see in this life, I ain't wasting it here..." Edward states leaving the living room and entering the bathroom.

"Son of a bitch just used the bathroom before me..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"I can see why he is annoyed..." Twilight comments munching her lettuce.

"I'm so confused... Oh, I wanted to ask about something. Starlight, I noticed your tattoo, does every Equestrian have those?" Alexander asks putting his empty plate on the coffee table.

"So you did stare at my ass." Starlight states nonchalantly.

"I mean... Umm... Yeah? Edward, help me?!" Alexander plead's to the bathroom door.

"Fuck you! I ain't having that shit!" Edward replies loudly.

"Only those of the equine variety get cutie marks in Equestria, which is what they are called by the way. They display, for the most part, a ponies talent." Starlight explains.

"Okay, what does yours mean then?" Alexander asks leaning back in his chair.

"It's more or less magic related." Starlight answers plainly.

"Mine is magic related as I am the element of magic." Twilight states confidently.

"How come she's an element?" Alexander asks, folding his arms.

Starlight blinks a few times before thinking about it and looking at Twilight.

"I don't know, she just is, shush." Starlight states, folding her own arms.

"Okay then... Well, I'm going to go get dressed properly." Alexander states getting up and heading to the bedroom.

"To make today an effective use of time, me and Edward will be going to the clothes store while you and Alexander go find this 'Jerry' person so they can get some other supplies. Least, this was the plan we came up with." Twilight states to Starlight who stands up to stretch.

"I suppose that's okay, will you be alright going there with Edward by yourself? Remember how the student village is?" Starlight states looking at Twilight.

"It won't be that bad, right..?



	

Alexander and Starlight are walking around the student village with Starlight holding a bag of red liquorice while munching on one in her mouth happily.

"We can say what we want about the annoying similarities, but the Bonbon equivalent still does the best sweets." Starlight comments.

"I suppose so, she never fails to impress. Does that bag make up for this morning or?" Alexander asks, but winces at Starlight's death glare.

"You walked in on me... In the bucking shower! I was naked Celestia damn you!" Starlight complains.

"You might be shouting that a bit too loudly..." Alexander covers Starlights muzzle slightly.

Starlight blushes as she realises a few people around them staring. After quickly moving on they walk past an alleyway.

"Okay, so what are we looking for around here? Edward and Twilight went on ahead to get the clothing, but what are we doing?" Starlight asks confused.

"We're looking for a friend of mine to get some stuff." Alexander states looking around as a shadowy figure sneaks up behind Starlight.

"Psst, hey kid..." The figure leans towards Starlight slightly making her turn around.

Starlight turns around and looks down slightly at the odd male figure dressed in a full black trench coat, fedora, boots, trousers and shirt with black shades. His trench coat has the same blue trim as Alexander's uniform.

"Wanna buy a sundial?" The man opens his trench coat to reveal a plethora of sundials decorating the inside of his jacket.

Starlight blinks a few times at the odd man as Alexander sighs making him recoil slightly and close his jacket.

"Hey, Jerry... Two seconds in and you're already trying to pawn off one of those sundials." Alexander crosses his arms.

"Can you blame me? We gotta shift a whole crate of this junk. What brings you and the new mare here?" Jerry asks looking Starlight up and down.

"Just the general supply gathering, you wouldn't happen to have restocked since last time?" Alexander asks unfolding his arms.

Jerry thinks for a second before vanishing down another side alley. After several seconds a section of wall flips around to reveal a market stall on the other side. Jerry now stands behind the market stall leaning back with a variety of wares being displayed on the table.

"Feel free to browse my fine wares. For you old friend, I might be willing to cut you a deal. 0.01% off!" Jerry states with confidence.

"Is he serious?" Starlight deadpans.

"You despise me, don't you?" Jerry asks in a weird voice while staring into Starlights eyes from behind his shades.

"Bad touch! Bad touch! Stranger danger!" Starlight hides behind Alexander.

"Well, that was interesting... Why do you always have this effect on people?" Alexander asks as he chuckles lightly while looking over the wares.

"I tend not to question many things around this place. I take it you will be needing more travel powder? I still only have the pink stuff." Jerry offers, dragging their attention to a box on the right side.

"Yeah, we used a lot of it recently. Do you have anything new?" Alexander asks as Jerry passes him a pink pouch.

"Hmm, now that you mention it I did get something odd in trade the other day. They were a hooded figure not too much unlike myself." Jerry scrounges around before pulling out a weary leather pouch.

"What was it?" Starlight asks moving out from behind Alexander.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I was very sceptical of the whole trade, but she seemed alright." Jerry opens the pouch and pours a few multi-coloured gems out onto the table.

"What's so weird about the gems then that makes even you sceptical?" Alexander asks examining an odd red pear-shaped gem.

"They don't show up in the magician's compendium. Not even in the section detailing the many gems of our world. Also, another thing, they are cut and polished. Like, who would have these?" Jerry questions as Starlight simply stares at the collection of gems.

"What would you want for them?" Alexander asks as Jerry gathers them back up.

"How much for the mare?" Jerry asks quickly.

"Da fuck?" Starlight stares at Jerry.

"Kidding, just kidding... Honestly, I'd be happy to just give them to you. I have no idea if I'd be able to move them given they aren't in the directory." Jerry states giving Alexander a pink pouch with the leather one.

"Umm thanks, I guess. See you around, Jerry." Alexander places a few gold pieces on the table before walking off with Starlight.





Alexander and Starlight walk towards a white and pink decorated building bearing a sign which reads Rare's Threads. Upon entering the store they can see a relatively large open space where clothes of various natures are displayed on racks. These clothes range from academy uniforms to everyday casual clothes with some more formal wear in between.

"It's no surprise whose work this is..." Starlight rolls her eyes as she looks around.

"I take it you have an equivalent back in Equestria?" Alexander asks, looking at Starlight.

"Something like that, yeah. Ours is called Rarity and her sister is Sweetie Belle." Starlight explains.

"Well, the pair who run/live in this shop are called Rachel and Sasha Belle. Although I don't doubt their looks will reflect their Equestrian counterparts." Alexander explains as a little girl walks over to them.

The girl has white skin with forest green eyes and a long lilac coloured slightly curled hairstyle that has faded pink highlights. She wears a pink skirt, pink and white striped top with a pink jacket and pink knee high boots.

"Sup Lexi?" The girl states practically beaming at him with an unnerving smile.

"Hey, Sasha..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"So... Chris, huh?" Sasha smiles wider while creeping up alongside Alexander.

Alexander takes his wallet out of his pocket, Starlight notes it has the motif of a fleur de lis on the front. He takes out a gold coin which he flips her. Sasha happily catches the coin and pockets it.

"Pleasure doing business with you~ My sister is currently busy with Edward and the other new girl, she shouldn't be much longer." Sasha explains skipping off.

"That's the supposed little demon you made the bet with? Seems harmless enough." Starlight states.

"Do I need to remind you that you doubted me about my sister? Are we really doing this again?" Alexander begins looking around.

"Fair point... This island is nice if nothing else and seems to have everything you could need to study and stay here, but what about money?" Starlight asks looking over a purple shirt.

"There are jobs available around campus, mostly working in the various stores in the village or other facilities." Alexander states browsing a black trench coat.

"Oh, you mean like the spa Edward can't find?" Starlight asks with a snicker.

"Yes, exactly like the spa." Alexander chuckles.

"Fuck you both." Edward states coming out of a nearby door.

"I'll hold it over you for as long as I live." Alexander folds his arms.

"Oh, like the 'Sugar Cookie' scented candles?" Edward folds his own arms.

"Fuck you... Where is Twilight?" Alexander asks as she enters the room behind Edward.

Twilight is now wearing a lavender T-shirt, hip length purple jacket and a pair of blue jeans. Behind her steps out another girl who flicks her long royal purple curly hair to the side and sighs deeply. She has ocean blue eyes and wears a white t-shirt, black thigh high skirt, black tights, a black hip-length leather jacket with lightning yellow trim and black knee high boots.

"I'll say, darling, it was a challenge to fit your clothes mainly because I've yet to find any equine familiars, but it was enjoyable. Oh~ Lexi, you have one too~" The girl exclaims excitedly.

"Hey, Rachel..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Don't be so excited to see me then. Anyway, come we have work to do." Rachel begins dragging Starlight off.

"What? Wait! I'm not ready yet, there is still so much I have to do! Help me, help me!" Starlight looks at Alexander.

"It was an honour serving." Alexander simply salutes.

"You son of a bitch!" Starlight exclaims disappearing into the room.

Alexander chuckles before his blazer is gripped in magic and he is being dragged to the room too.

"Oh fuck off! This is unjust bullshit!" Alexander screams.

"Just let it happen, Alexander, just let it happen." Edward states smiling.

"Bitch! You set me up!" Alexander dramatically points at Edward.

"I had to endure it too... Just bare with it." Edward states as Alexander is dragged away.

"Will he be alright?" Twilight asks, concerned.

"I think so... We should be nearly done for this morning. We just need to pick up our job loads for next week." Edward states staring at the door.

"What do you two do for work..?" Twilight asks.

"Oh... It's kinda a long story, so I'll explain it when we go pick up the job loads." Edward states as they go to browsing more clothes while they wait.
> What Happens at Glimmer's...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight looks at the small clock on the wall which reads 12:30 pm. Edward checks his phone which vibrates as he receives a message.

"We can start heading to Glimmer's, Alexander says they might be a while." Edward states as he stretches.

"Really? We were only in there for an hour... They are half an hour past what we spent in there." Twilight gets up from her chair and also stretches.

"I have no idea, but I can only imagine they are being difficult." Edward comments as they walk out the door to Rare Threads.

As the pair begin to exit Rare Threads they can hear a small random voice which seemingly calls out to them.

"Psst... Hey... Pssst... You over there..." The voice states.

Twilight looks around confused before Edward takes her over to the nearby dark alley. In the alley, the pair can see Jerry leaning against the wall.

"What's up, Jerry? Did Alexander forget something?" Edward asks folding his arms.

"So, this is the infamous 'Jerry', nice to finally put a... 'Figure'? To the name." Twilight shrugs.

"Pleasure is mine, but I'm here for a slightly more serious reason. He didn't forget anything per say, is he here?" Jerry asks looking around.

"He is currently in Rare Threads with Racheal. What's up anyway?" Edward now looks concerned.

"I couldn't find anything myself on those rocks I gave him, but I asked Cherry and she came up with something." Jerry rustles through his trench coat past all his sundials.

"What rocks did you give Alexander?" Edward looks at Jerry sternly.

"I figured I'd give them to him, seeing as he cuts gems for Glimmers. However, I decided after he left to ask my sister about them... I couldn't find anything on them, but she looks in places we don't. Somewhere in the forbidden section, she found another compendium where the gems were detailed as being already cut and polished. According to her, they are of 'Equestrian' nature, whatever that is." Jerry informs them making Twilight's eyes widen.

"Are you absolutely sure she said that?" Twilight steps slightly closer to Jerry.

"I'm sure. Sweetie, we deal in information as well as goods. Mishearing information isn't in the Shady family way." Jerry straightens his trench coat.

"When did you get these gems?" Twilight asks quickly.

"Some female in a hooded cloak who stopped by my alleyway stall after dark. I couldn't see her face, but she needed a pouch of my travel powder I normally sell to Alexander. The gems are what she paid me with... At the time I didn't think much of it and thought Alexander would know more." Jerry states with a sigh.

"Hmm okay... Thank you for the heads up, Jerry. Will this cost anything?" Edward asks raising his eyebrow.

"Edward... Buddy... I'm hurt you'd think I'd charge you. Am I really that tight?" Jerry asks taking off his hat briefly.

Edward gives Jerry a deadpan expression. "Yes..."

"You're right, I am. That'll be five silver coins if you'd please." Jerry puts his hat back on with a smile.

"You never charge Alexander for this kinda stuff..." Edward sighs as he gets five silver coins out of his wallet.

"True, but I've known him a bit longer than you. Plus, Alexander is broke as fuck." Jerry comments taking the silver coins.

"Only because he spends it all with you." Edward puts his wallet away.

"That he does, Edward, that he does. Have a nice day now." Jerry takes small steps back.

"I don't suppose Jerry might know where the hooded entity might be..?" Twilight ponders as she looks down the alleyway.

Twilight blinks several times before looking up and down the alley in sheer confusion.

"He does that sometimes... Best not to think about it." Edward states as he starts to walk away.

"But he was just here! How the buck?!" Twilight frowns deeply.

"Magic." Edward states with a laugh as the pair continue their way to Glimmers.





"I don't think it's going to fit." Alexander comments.

"Trust me, darling... I've fitted things bigger than this... It'll fit." Racheal comments with some grunts.

"It's... Not... Going to... Bucking... Fit..." Starlight pants.

"I'm telling you it's seriously not going to fit." Alexander sighs deeply.

Racheal stops trying to tighten Starlight's corset as she lets them both take a break.

"It's such a shame too... Your hips would look killer in a corset. I'll have to browse for another style, one moment." Racheal states as she leaves the room.

Starlight sighs deeply as she throws off the corset and stretches before putting her bra back on. She then sits on a nearby sofa where Alexander is munching her liquorice.

"This is very awkward..." Alexander comments passing Starlight her bag.

"You seriously don't even get to say that... You've already seen more of me this morning than I ever intended..." Starlight takes a stick of liquorice.

"That was hardly my fault and you've yet to seriously complain..." Alexander leans back in his seat.

"Is that a problem? I mean why would I lose my mind over it? Though, I can see Twilight being defensive like that." Starlight ponders.

"So, you show everyone who walks into the shower your naked body?" Alexander raises his eyebrow at Starlight.

"What? No, of course not. What kind of hussie do you take me for?" Starlight stands up.

"So... You're saying I'm a special case?" Alexander looks at Starlight who now chooses to blush.

"No, shut up. You're doing that thing where you say stuff for no reason." Starlight looks away from Alexander.

Racheal comes back into the room carrying several hangers of clothes which she places on a work table.

"Right, let's try this again, darling~" Racheal smiles widely.

The pair whimper before sighing deeply in unison.





Edward and Twilight enter Glimmers to see a glass counter to the right where the cash register sits, while to their left were quite a few glass display cases and wall cabinets filled with various accessories and jewellery. Some of the pieces have a faint glow and are already enchanted, several are without enchantments, but are not without their own beauty.

"Well, this place looks nicer than I imagined it would. Especially from a counterpart of Starlights." Twilight states looking around.

"I guess, I can't really comment on that. However, Glimmer just sells and enchants the pieces." Edward explains as he watches Twilight.

"Okay... So, who does the other stuff?" Twilight asks, folding her arms.

"That would be those two idiots." A voice comes from behind them.

The pair turn around to see a girl with dark purple hair that has turquoise highlights with pale blue eyes. She wears blue jeans, black boots and a long sleeved dark purple plaid shirt with a lilac pattern on it.

"Hey Schorl, how's it going?" Edward asks moving to help the girl with her box.

"Can't complain, wish you two were a year older, then you could work here more..." Schorl stretches a little after Edward takes the box and puts it on the counter.

"What do Edward and Alexander do for you exactly?" Twilight asks.

"Hmm, you must be the new familiar I've heard about. Everyone is still surprised you two were able to summon any. To answer your question, Edward here smiths the ring templates and chains for the jewellery you see around here. Alexander, on the other hand, cuts and polishes the gems which go into the jewellery and then I enchant them with whatever I can that the client wants." Schorl goes behind the counter and brings out a cloth to clean the top.

"Using magic makes workloads a lot easier to handle. Schorl has the facilities here, but in order to study at the same time students can take on work packages which they take back to their dorms each week and hands in when completed. It's a lot more flexible and works for us." Edward explains.

"I suppose that makes sense, what don't you and Alexander do? You can smith, manipulate metal with magic I assume, is rich. Alexander can refine gems, manipulates the wind with magic, is broke... Okay, never mind, now that I think about it, you two don't really do much..." Twilight sighs deeply.

Schorl chuckles slightly as she wipes a tear from her eye.

"I think I like this girl, maybe you should work here." Schorl takes a breath to calm herself down.

"Harsh..." Edward pouts, folding his arms.

"I suppose, Starlight and I will need to get jobs eventually. I wouldn't be against it, I likely know some spells which would make great enchantments." Twilight smiles.

"That could be helpful, we can talk about it later. I've no doubt Edward and Alexander have things to do." Schorl places two large bags on the counter.

At that, the door opens and Alexander enters the shop, closely followed by Starlight. The mare in question now wears a turquoise t-shirt with a sleeveless hip length black jacket and blue jeans.

"Racheal finally settled on something... I thought I was going to die." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Nice to see you too, 'Lexi'. Here are the two workloads." Schorl states drawing his attention to the bags.

"Fun... Hello to you too, Schorl." Alexander takes both bags with ease.

Starlight and Schorl share a mildly intense stare which seems to last forever before they both speak in unison.

"This is slightly trippy..." They state together.

"I'm honestly not going to ask about it, but fill me in later when you guys make sense of it." Schorl states as she leaves to go back downstairs through the door she entered with.

"Do you think she knows?" Alexander asks as the door shuts.

"Judging from her reaction and her quick exit from the room... I'm going to say yes." Edward observes.

"In any case, she seems content to wait till we tell her what 'this' is about." Twilight comments pointing to Starlight and herself.

"You think we should explain it?" Edward asks.

"We can't bullshit her... But for now, we should keep this in the house." Alexander states leaving the store.

The three follow Alexander as they leave Glimmers and begin heading back to the dorm.

"Today hasn't been too bad thus far. I mean, nothing has exploded." Edward comments.

Alexander starts looking around, seemingly waiting for something.

"Well... Maybe we'll get lucky after-" Alexander is suddenly cut off by an explosion in the distance.

"Mai seems to be running late today..." Twilight comments rolling her eyes.

"No, she isn't the midday clock on the second years days off. Although, that does beg the question why there was an explosion." Edward ponders.

"That was in the direction of Shimmers Emporium, namely it's the place for all your alchemical needs." Alexander explains.

"You're bucking with me..? SHE gets an emporium?!" Starlight rubs her forehead.

"I'm going to kick myself for asking, but... Who runs that store?" Twilight asks hesitantly.

"I believe her name is Phoenix Shimmer." Edward replies.

"Could have been worse..." Starlight sighs deeply.

"Well, it's nothing to do with us so we should just go home with these heavy bags and... Guys?" Alexander stops suddenly and looks behind him.

Edward and the two mares are walking in the direction of Shimmers Emporium, in the opposite direction to their dorm.

"No... No... Come on! These fucking things are heavy! Edward, man... Come on! You know why I can't go to Shimmers!" Alexander complains as he slowly follows them.

"What could it be this time? She isn't a sister in law is she?" Starlight says jokingly.

"She is one of his ex's." Edward states calmly.

Starlight stops suddenly and blinks a few times, registering what she was just told.

"The buck is this shit?!" Starlight scowls as they continue walking.
> The Alchemist and The Emporium
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Edward steps over the blown open door with Twilight and Starlight into the somewhat messy emporium. A small distance in front of them can be seen a barrier of orange light, which is protecting half of the emporium where the counter and more important alchemical ingredients are kept on shelves. Sitting on the counter behind the orange light barrier is a slightly tall, slim build girl with long fire red hair that has lightning yellow highlights and cyan eyes. She wears a long white lab coat, purple shirt with a sun motif on the front, blue jeans and black boots.

"This looks like one hell of a mess..." Edward observes as he steps over several broken phials.

"Observant as always Edward... What is it about an explosion that draws people like you to them? I took my eyes off of her for just a second..." The girl sighs as she looks down at a girl lying on the floor.

The downed girl has long straw blonde hair with dark purple highlights and dark purple eyes. Her figure is smaller than that of the girl sitting on the counter. She wears a black lab coat with red trim, black jeans and black boots.

"Hehe... Go boom..." The small girl exclaims raising her right hand up in a cheer motion.

"Oh, you are embarrassing..." The girl on the counter comments rolling her eyes.

"I imagine the girl on the floor is Mai, while that girl is Phoenix?" Twilight asks pointing at them both.

"Edward... Guys... These things aren't light, you know..." Alexander walks through the broken doorway and stops just before the group.

"Fancy seeing you show up, 'Lexi'..." Phoenix raises her eyebrow.

"Wasn't my choice, 'Nixie'..." Alexander glares at Phoenix.

"The atmosphere just got a lot tenser didn't it?" Twilight looks at Edward.

"That's an understatement..." Edward sighs deeply.

"Well, you hardly have any other reason to visit? It's not like we dated at all..." Phoenix states jumping off the counter and moving back behind it.

"Oh fuck off... You know my sister is scary as hell, you don't exactly have much of a backbone either when it comes to her." Alexander puts the bags down onto the floor hard.

"That's hardly the point, everyone is scared of your sister. It's the fact you didn't defend 'us'." Phoenix states crossing her arms.

"Did you miss episode two part one where she blew me out the window for telling her to leave you alone? Or that might have been because I refused to cook breakfast, but I'm fairly confident they are related." Alexander attempts to defend himself.

"They were, I remember... She was mean that day." Edward shivers.

"Why does it always seems like your sister is depicted as the devil? She isn't that bad." Starlight states crossing her arms.

Both Alexander and Phoenix's mouths drop open as they stare at Starlight who looks between the two.

"Did she just..?" Phoenix asks, looking at Alexander.

"Yeah... I know..." Alexander replies rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I'm going to assume you're new around here and a familiar given you're with these two..." Phoenix sighs deeply as she begins to arrange the ingredients on the shelves using magic.

"She's nice to me~" Mai stands up suddenly and brushes herself off.

"Fuck off Singulton..." Alexander and Phoenix state together.

"Anyway... I was mainly curious to see what was going on." Edward states as he starts to help clean up.

"Piss off you lying rat bastard! You know exactly why you dragged us here!" Alexander picks up the bags and begins to leave.

"Hey, Lexi!" Phoenix exclaims making Alexander turn around.

"What do you want now..?" Alexander groans as he turns around.

"Do you still cook that cookie type thingy you used to do..?" Phoenix asks still sorting shelves.

"I might vaguely remember the recipe we came up with... Why?" Alexander asks raising an eyebrow.

"Don't be an ass... I know you never forget a recipe... I might want/be requesting... You too maybe make me some..." Phoenix stops briefly during her sorting as she waits for an answer.

"I guess... I'll need the ingredient you added then." Alexander replies as he walks out of the emporium.

"What the buck did we just witness..?" Starlight asks confused.

"That's the 'Nixie & Lexi' conundrum, trust me everyone has been trying to figure them out." Mai comments before skipping outside.

"And nobody has come close yet... You're still paying for all this, Singulton!" Phoenix yells after the small girl.

Starlight seems even more confused than before but snaps back to reality when a jar is placed in her hands using an orange aura.

"Those are the crystallised fire wyvern tears he will need for the recipe." Phoenix states to Starlight as she leans on the counter.

"I'm sorry, what?! The recipe uses fire wyvern tears? That's expensive!" Edward protests.

"That's Alexander, you should know this by now. Oh, just so you know pony girl, there is nothing between me and Lexi.  If anything, it's close friends/ex's/something I don't even know... But not really anything romantic." Phoneix explains.

"So... Friendship with benefits?" Twilight asks, raising an eyebrow.

"This girl's a funny one. Believe me, sweetie, I wish. If you'd seen half the shit I have, she'd wish something too. I could tell you, but that'd be a spoiler." Phoenix chuckles as she takes a crate into the back room.

"What have you seen? Phoenix? Come on!" Starlight protests.

Edward sighs as he and Twilight start leaving. Starlight turns and looks sharply at them.

"Edward! You know what she is on about, tell me!" Starlight starts running after the two.





Alexander opens the dorm room door, lugging the heavy bags through before dropping them on the coffee table as a loud creaking sound is heard. Edward comes in with the mares a few seconds later sighing deeply when he looks at the coffee table.

"That table is going to break one of these days from you doing that..." Edward states taking off his blazer.

"It's fine, it's withstood more than our workloads." Alexander states as the coffee table groans before breaking.

Starlight gives Alexander a deadpan expression while Edward rubs his forehead hard.

"Shit... Must be heavier than normal... Weird." Alexander ponders the broken table for a moment.

"How much did those bags weigh?" Starlight asks raising an eyebrow.

"I'd wager a few tonnes... Given they are gems and metal... Yeah, a few tonnes at least." Alexander states before pulling out a rectangle device with a navy blue fire decal design on the back.

"How... I don't see how the buck you could carry both those bags..." Starlight sighs before placing the jar she is holding in the kitchen.

Twilight walks over to four shopping bags which sit by the hallway entrance towards the bedroom. Looking through them she finds several outfits matching her and Starlight's tastes.

"I think Rari- I mean Racheal sent over some extra outfits." Twilight stands back up before stretching.

"Least we have clothes now, maybe we could get her something to say thank you." Starlight states before the pair share a grim expression.

"Money..." They sigh together.

"You'll have to get jobs then." Edward states as he struggles to drag his workload bag towards the bathroom.

"Do you need a hand?" Alexander asks, looking up from his phone.

"I got it... I think." Edward grunts a few more times.

"If you say so..." Alexander shrugs as he sits up.

"Oh, I should mention as Edward is busy, but we ran into Jerry before going to Glimmers. He told us that his sister found some information on the gems he gave you, apparently they are recorded as being of Equestrian nature." Twilight informs Alexander.

"If that's true, where did they come from? Or more accurately, who?" Starlight asks crossing her arms.

"Well, whoever they are... There is no question where they came from, but the real question is when and how they got to be here in this world." Twilight ponders deeply.

"Well, while you girls figure out that mystery, we have workloads to start." Alexander states as he leaves the room.

After several minutes, Alexander comes back through with a sheet of black metal which he sits against the wall underneath the window beside the armchair. He then sits a stool in front of it before searching through his bag of gems for a red one.

"Please tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do..?" Starlight asks hesitantly.

"I'm only going to use the wrist wind manipulation technique my family developed over countless generations to cut these gems before adding a polish... What did you think I was going to do?" Alexander asks as he prepares his right wrist.

"Oh... I thought you were going to pull out something else that you're really good at and cut them..." Starlight shrugs.

"What? No... What do you think I am? A Deus ex-character from anime? Fuck off..." Alexander rolls his eyes before turning back to the gem.

Using his wrist technique with a slightly different twist he precisely cuts the red gem into a diamond shape by rotating it and cutting it repeatedly.

"You masturbate with your right hand don't you..?" Starlight asks raising an eyebrow.

"Where the fuck did that come from? No... I mean, yeah, but... Fuck off." Alexander shakes his head blushing before going back to his work.

"I'm just going to watch Edward work his metal." Twilight sighs as she starts to walk off.

"Oh, so that's what he calls it?" Starlight now looks at Twilight who blushes deeply.

"You are insufferable sometimes!" Twilight yells as she walks into the bathroom.

Starlight chuckles to herself before relaxing on the beanbag as she watches Alexander cut and polish the gems.
> Colour and Scratch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander yawns as he stands beside Edward, the pair of them are waiting with the rest of Wyvern House, who are gathered in the courtyard of the main castle academy building. Twilight and Starlight are standing with them and it's only now do they realise the sheer scale of the main castle campus. Looking behind them they can see the many female students that belong to Valkyrie House, directly to their right is Hydra House and behind them is Golem House. Everyone is actually lined up neatly in their houses, seemingly waiting for something to happen.

"Can't believe he used the big bell..." Alexander whispers in a groan.

"Can't argue it's effective..." Edward comments rubbing his eyes.

"What sort of evil creature would wake everypony up at 8:00 Am in the morning to assemble out here?" Starlight whispers in a grumble.

At that moment everyone looks up at the third-floor head office balcony doors which open and an elderly gentleman steps out to greet them. He wears a long crimson jacket that has gold trim, black gilded trousers, black shoes, a white shirt and a crimson wizard's hat with its own gold trim and bent tip. Squinting their eyes, the two mares can see he has a long grey beard, short grey hair and light amber eyes. His overall presence causes any whispers to be silenced.

"Good morning, my students. I apologise for waking everyone at such an early hour, but I figured you'd all like an ample amount of time to enjoy the end of our bet's deal. I'm sure you all know what that means." The elderly gentleman rubs his hands together.

Holding his arms out with his hands spread, a cloud of many lights begins to come forth above the courtyard. Once the cloud of lights covers the whole courtyard, it begins to multiply and slowly hails many more lights which descend and cascade over the student. Looking all over each other and themselves, Starlight and Twilight notice that the colouring of their uniforms begins to change. The uniform of Golem house begins to shift from a lightning yellow to a rich dirt brown with gold trim, in front of them Hydra house's uniforms morph from the red to a more deep ocean blue with gold trim. Glancing behind them, the mares can see Valkyrie house regain their luxury bright yellow with a bold gold trim to help the main colour stand out. Now looking back to their own house, they practically see the colour of their uniforms become engulfed by an intense fire red which replaces their ocean blue and gets completed by the same gold trim as the others. All the houses besides Hydra elicit an excited cheer at the return of their natural forms.

"I am pleased to see you all missed the colours which define who you are as a house and represent the embodiment of your house familiar. I hope that next time you won't be so hasty to put your pride up for grabs on a bet. It was also a nightmare changing all the colours on campus, so please, do refrain from such bets in the future. I wish you all a pleasant day off to enjoy what you have regained." The elderly gentleman chuckles before walking back inside and closes the doors.

Alexander stretches, before looking at his uniform. "Feels nice to be back in red again."

"I concur, it's better suiting than the Hydra colours." Edward comments.

"It does kinda make two pastel coloured ponies stand out more, though..." Starlight comments, looking around herself.

"You're a pony and pastel coloured... You were going to stand out like fuck anyway..." Alexander sighs.

"Are you saying red doesn't look good on me?" Starlight frowns at Alexander.

"That's- I didn't even say those words..." Alexander deadpans at Starlight.

"If anything I think Twilight would stand out more given her race." Edward states looking at Alexander.

Alexander is giving Edward a sincere deadpan expression before sighing deeply.

"What?" Edward asks, looking innocent.

"They are sentient talking pastel fucking ponies... Regardless of if they have wings, a horn or even both, I think they'd stand out in this world... It's not like anyone else has familiars like this." Alexander begins walking out of the courtyard with the rest of Wyvern house.

"I mean, I guess..." Edward states in reply before following him with the mares.

"Speaking of people standing out... Who was that man?" Twilight asks as they exit the main gateway.

"That was the chancellor, the head of Kilgharah Academy." Alexander explains.

"We have been here for little over a week now and it's the first time we have seen him." Starlight comments as they begin to head back to their dorm.

"He's a private man mostly, comes out every now and then. Doesn't mean he isn't a great chancellor." Edward explains.

Starlight seems agitated as she tries to stretch multiple times, but doesn't seem to fix her problem.

"You okay, Starlight?" Twilight asks, looking concerned.

"I guess? Just can't shift some uncomfortable back issues... Must be our 'adequate' living conditions." Starlight rolls her eyes.

"The floor is always available if you don't like the pull out sofa..." Alexander comments as they walk.

"Do you still help out your other ex at the spa?" Edward asks bluntly.

"How many exes do you have?" Starlight asks with a frown.

"Just two, in case you thought there were seven of them and I haven't since we broke up, why?" Alexander asks.

"Well... If you remember what she taught you, maybe you could give Starlight a massage." Edward states as they reach the student village midpoint.

"I don't think-" Alexander attempts to protest.

"Okay." Starlight agrees quickly.

"You sure..? I mean, her techniques are good, but..." Alexander rubs the back of his neck.

"I think she'll be fine. In the meantime, we need some supplies from the general store in the village. Twilight can help me with that while you sort out Starlight." Edward states as he and Twilight break off the group and head into the village.

"You're such a bastard..." Alexander groans under his breath as he and Starlight continue back to the dorm.





"So... Why are we shopping again?" Twilight asks squatting down on the floor to browse a spice shelf.

"Well, it's true we are in need of a few things. However, it's mainly due to Alexander's learnt techniques... It involves electric magic." Edward states as he holds a green basket.

"Ah... We won't be able to hear them from here... Right?" Twilight asks looking worried.

"That's the idea... However, his sound spells still need so much work..." Edward sighs deeply as they move on through the general store aisles.

"What do we actually need then?" Twilight asks grabbing a bottle of grape soda.

"A few spices, other essentials for cooking, milk, etc. It's not too much if I'm honest." Edward states grabbing a bottle of milk from the nearby fridge.

The pair collects everything they need plus some other luxuries before heading to the checkout. Behind the counter is a well-built male wearing a checkered shirt, blue jeans, sneakers and a white apron which bares a half apple logo on it. He has short spiky bright orange hair and dark green eyes with a white complexion. Twilight can't help but stare at him while Edward places their items on the counter for him to scan and place into bags.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" The man states making Twilight jump a little.

"Not that I can think of Big Mac, thanks." Edward states as the pair exchange gold and silver coins.

Edward leaves the store with Twilight who blinks several times before opening her mouth.

"He spoke? His name is still the same, though..." Twilight gets handed a bag.

"You have a Basil Macintosh in your world too?" Edward asks which gets a deadpan expression from Twilight.

"Not exactly, our version rarely speaks and he is called Big Macintosh or Big Mac like that one." Twilight replies taking up the bag in her magic.

"This world must seem extremely weird for you to live in? I mean, it's been over a week but I'd imagine learning stuff about our world is unsettling in some aspects." Edward states as they begin to walk back towards the Wyvern House dorm.

"It is somewhat weird despite spending a small amount of time here... The lessons are interesting enough and living conditions could be worse." Twilight looks up into the sky.

"We should invest in some inflatable mattresses that you two can sleep on rather than the pull out sofa. It'd likely be better for Starlight's back too." Edward states looking at Twilight.

"They should be done by now, right?" Twilight asks as they slowly approach the dorm.

"In theory, yes... However, for all its effectiveness, the whole thing would take a small amount of time. The assembly thing ended at 8:20 Am or something. It would have taken them at least ten or so minutes to get home... It's now 9:00 Am..." Edward promptly turns around with Twilight.

"W-what? Where are we going?" Twilight asks very confusedly as she is pushed along.

"Not going home, not yet. It's only been about thirty minutes since they would have gotten home... Factor in about ten minutes setup for Alexander... That's only twenty minutes into the massage... I don't think either of us needs to hear whatever she'd come out with given her affinity for lightning based magic..." Edward states shaking his head.

Twilight remembers the last time Starlight was woken up with lightning magic let alone if the application was used in a massage technique which makes her blush a bit.

"Something tells me they'd take longer than any normal massage he would have done on behalf of his ex..." Twilight keeps a fast pace with Edward as they retreat back to town.





Alexander and Starlight walk through the door before Alexander hangs up his blazer and rolls up his shirt sleeves.

"Could you get me the ingredients to make pancakes in the kitchen? We might as well have breakfast before starting and I need a little time to set up." Alexander asks as he walks through into the bedroom.

Starlight walks to the kitchen and begins setting up everything Alexander will need to bake them pancakes before leaning against a nearby work surface. A few minutes later, Alexander comes back through and begins sifting ingredients together into a bowl. He then puts on some butter to melt in a small pot before whisking milk and a few eggs together in a separate bowl.

"Who is this ex that taught you the massage technique?" Starlight asks, which gets a pained expression as its response.

"'She' is a bitch... Pretty much all I have to say about her." Alexander replies swiftly while adding the melted butter to the milk and egg bowl.

"You don't have that response towards Phoenix." Starlight states in observation.

"Phoenix is... A very different case to my first ex..." Alexander states mixing the two bowls before whisking with a fork.

"Oh, I thought Phoenix was first." Starlight gets out a non-stick pan from one of the cupboards for Alexander.

"Both of my relationships happened during my first year here... Phoenix was the better one and came after my first. I've no doubt someone could tell you about what happened the first time... I would, I want to tell you myself, but... It pains me to explain it again." Alexander states pouring the batter into the non-stick pan.

Alexander makes three thick pancakes each for them with the batter he made. Starlight helps by getting out two plates and any extras they might want such as maple syrup and sugar. Alexander sprinkles sugar on his pancakes before adding a healthy dose of maple syrup atop them. Starlight simply sticks with her sugar coated pancakes before they go and sit down on the sofa to start eating.

"Seeing as we are on the topic of relationships, do you have any back in Equestria?" Alexander asks cutting off a bit of pancake.

Starlight chuckles a little as she eats her own cut off piece.

"Not quite. I used to, they were even my first. However, it was time to move on at some point and we just didn't find the time to properly be together. So, we settled for being close friends." Starlight states with a slight smile.

"Sounds nice... It's not exactly like me and Nixie, but we are very close. I suppose how we are, confuses people the most, many can't decide if we are dating, screwing, disliking each other or all three. Before you ask it's none of those I just mentioned, we... I guess you could say we are how we are. We used to be a couple, my sister made things complicated but I understand why." Alexander sighs a little.

"You seem to have a list of complicated relationships. Why did she make things complicated, or is it connected to your first?" Starlight asks finishing her first pancake.

"It is... I'm sorry if my reluctance frustrates you." Alexander sighs deeply finishing his own first pancake.

"It's fine, I understand. How do your pancakes taste with the syrup as well? I normally only have sugar by itself." Starlight states looking at Alexander.

Thinking for a second, Alexander cuts off a sizeable square of a pancake before offering it to Starlight who suddenly blushes.

"I-I didn't mean you have to give me some... You can just put it on my plate you know?" Starlight tries to look anywhere else but at Alexander.

"I could... But I think the blush you're wearing is worth feeding it to you." Alexander continues to offer Starlight the pancake.

Rolling her eyes in defeat she leans forward and eats the offered square of pancake, before humming in delight.

"It's very nice~ You're still an ass for making me do that." Starlight nudges Alexander's arm with her fist playfully.

The pair finishes the remaining pancakes fairly quickly and washes the dishes before they head to the bedroom where Alexander has set up a towel on his bed with a bottle of oil on the bedside table.

"Well... I imagine you'll know how this will go?" Alexander coughs a little.

Starlight begins removing her clothes till she is entirely naked in front of Alexander. She stretches a little before laying down on the towel.

"If you've done this a few times, why do you seem a little awkward?" Starlight asks getting comfortable.

"I've only done a few and never someone I actually liked, always people I didn't really have any afflation with." Alexander takes a deep breath before applying some oil to his hands and rubbing them together.

Alexander lays a warm towel across Starlight's plot before placing his hands on her back to begin the massage.

"Hmm~ that actually feels nice." Starlight relaxes.

Alexander slowly slides his hands up Starlights back before bringing his hands down her sides and repeats the process a few times.

"I should mention that this oil isn't regular oil, it's a special composition I made a special request for to a friend of mine. It's expensive and used for specialist massages, luckily for all my ex is a bitch, she is one of the best masseuses on the island." Alexander informs Starlight as she continues to hum.

"I guess I'm lucky then, what's so special about the oil anyway?" Starlight asks relaxing.

Alexander takes this opportunity to whisper a few select words while gathering an aura in his hand. He casts his spell which makes the walls glow briefly minus the door wall.

"That should have sound proofed the dorm room... I hope... I'm still new to that magic." Alexander states before channelling electric magic to his free right hand while his left remains on Starlight's back.

"Hmm? Why would you need to sound proof the room?" Starlight asks trying to glance back at Alexander.

Alexander smiles briefly before running his finger along Starlight's spine softly while releasing the stored electric energy. Starlight suddenly shut her eyes and moans quite loudly which surprises Alexander but he keeps going till he reaches the base of her back. Once Alexander takes his finger away and after a few seconds Starlight calms down before looking flushed in the face.

"W-what the living buck was that?" Starlight asks blushing brightly.

"That was her unique technique. It's a special kind of electricity channelling which stores a charge within a select part of your body to be released either upon contact or when the caster wishes. The oil is unique because it magnifies the condensing factor of any afflicted surface, once it's all washed out the effect goes with it." Alexander explains as he continues massaging her back.

"To be honest... That felt amazingly good and I'm quite glad Twilight didn't have to hear that... Not feeling much better that you did either, though." Starlight looks away from Alexander.

"You don't like I'm able to make you moan?" Alexander smiles playfully as he discharges a small amount of electricity across her back making her squeeze the pillow nearby.

"You cheeky bastard... You're very weird, one minute feeling awkward but you get playful when the feeling is returned. Are you like this with all mares?" Starlight asks as she shifts slightly.

"You're one to talk. You've had several playful moments, but get awkward or embarrassed once it turns a certain direction." Alexander quips back.

"I suppose... Though, I would have thought you'd felt a bit weird seeing me naked in general. I'm a different race after all." Starlight gets comfortable again.

Alexander shifts the charge to both his hands and rubs up against her sides slowly making her bite her lip, trying to hold back any moans she might feel like releasing.

"Magicians are known to have relationships with their familiars from time to time. I know you're not a familiar, truly. However, people will see you like that as they don't know the truth... I'm just saying, I mean... Not that I'm saying we will be in a relationship, just that odd taste isn't as abnormal as you'd think here between races." Alexander coughs a little as he blushes.

"Oh? So, you wouldn't want to be in one with your current portrayed familiar?" Starlight smirks a little.

Alexander suddenly takes this opportunity to move along to Starlight's thighs and applies more oil before using a light charge to get a playful moan out of her.

"If I'm being honest... I'd say you're a rough yet beautiful mare who can be prickly at times but is ultimately sweet and kind... You can also be kinky as hell." Alexander states massaging Starlight's thighs.

"Shit~ did you seriously have to discharge it that close?" Starlight muffles herself with the pillow.

"What do you mean? Oh... I umm... Sorry?" Alexander swallows a little and looks awkward.

"I wasn't complaining- Oh, shut up and do it again~" Starlight blushes.

Alexander complies with the request releasing a larger charge while massaging Starlight's thighs which makes her moan louder into the pillow she is laying her head on.

"Maybe I shouldn't do that again... You might make a mess at this rate if you haven't already." Alexander wears a bright blush as he moves to massage her feet.

Alexander slowly massages Starlight's soles before lightly using a slight charge which makes Starlight bite harder into her pillow with a loud moan.

"M-maybe I should have mentioned... I like having my feet played with..." Starlight pants a little.

"I'll have to remember that... Do you think maybe we should finish up? It's kinda getting a little heated." Alexander states as Starlight finally manages to look at his eyes.

"I suppose... To be honest I was quite enjoying myself... Though, it's feeling a bit intimate or at least is heading there. We've been here little over a week so... It's a bit early for stuff like that." Starlight states in a non-confident manner.

"Something tells me you don't fully believe or want me to stop... I honestly have no idea what I'm doing at this point and you being naughty doesn't help... I'm not saying I don't enjoy hearing you and such... This is where I get terrible with words." Alexander blushes brightly as he moves to massage her back again.

"I honestly don't mind... I am liking this a lot, maybe a bit too much... We're not foals but it'd be better to wait for some things." Starlight clears her throat.

"I agree... Sorry if this suddenly went from arousing to awkward... Though if we ever eventually figure 'that' out, I'm sure another more explicit massage could be done." Alexander chuckles a little nervously.

"I think I would like that, for now, we should finish up before they get back." Starlight relaxes again.

Alexander nods in agreement and decides on one last surprise. Getting a little bit more oil he slides his hands around underneath Starlight to lightly cup her breasts and apply a final charge to her body which makes her moan a bit too loudly then he expected. Suddenly they hear the door close and both share an expression of sheer terror.

"What the buck was that?" Starlight asks as they both suddenly get up.

Alexander hands her a fresh towel which she uses to start wiping off oil and anything else which might have appeared during the massage.

"The door, I guess?" Alexander starts clearing up his area.

"I meant that final charge you used." Starlight asks while getting dressed.

"I don't know, a little surprise I guess." Alexander blushes fiercely.

"I loved it by the way, just in case you were worried I didn't." Starlight states in reassurance.

"I umm... you're welcome? Let's not talk about any of this outside us, yeah?" Alexander states before his eyes widen in sudden shock.

"What? Is something wrong?" Starlight asks before following his eyes to the floor.

Starlight's eyes reflect the shock that Alexander's holds.

"Did she not..?" Starlight asks fixing her uniform.

"I did not see her at the assembly..." Alexander adds as they look at each other.

"She would have heard every sound I made... Is my life in danger?" Starlight asks as they finish clearing up.

"I hope not... But to be safe I'd not say anything too obvious when she is around." Alexander and Starlight leave the room.

Looking to the right into the living room area they can see a fiercely blushing Edward and Twilight who coughs lightly upon seeing the pair.

"Umm... How is your back now, Starlight?" Twilight asks, her eyes looking all over the room.

"It's much better, thanks... Umm..." Starlight feels very awkward as they put the towels in a wash basket that sits in the bathroom.

"You guys ran a bit over my estimations... We even had breakfast before coming back hoping you'd be finished by now." Edward coughs.

"We were just finishing... Umm... Let's not talk about it..." Alexander takes a deep breath before going through to the kitchen.





The group spent the day in relative silence other than continuing their designated workloads for this week. Lucita came out of her hole briefly but avoided contact with anyone, especially Alexander as she passed in silence wearing a bright blush. The dorm room is relatively quiet as everyone was busy doing their own things till Edward noticed it was 9:00 Pm. Getting up from his work setup in the bathroom which is composed of the bath filled with cold water, a metal stool and pair of tongs, he walks through into the living room stretching lightly. Twilight is reading on his green portable iPad which has a black gear and hammer decal on the back. Starlight is lying on the sofa watching Alexander cut some gems to fit into the jewellery Edward has made.

"Alexander, have you heard from Adam and Robert?" Edward asks looking over the work.

"Mhmm..." Alexander replies as he tries to fit a red gem into a necklace.

"What did they say about our regular Friday night?" Edward continues his question as he stands back up straight.

"One sec..." Alexander states before holding his breath.

Using extreme precision, Alexander manages to fit the gem into a tricky slot position. Once done he exhales before looking up at Edward.

"Well..?" Edward presses Alexander who gets given his phone by Starlight.

"They said we should meet them at the student village entrance before we continue on to where we are going." Alexander states checking his text messages.

"When do you think we should go? It should be pretty dark by now or at least it should be getting close, no doubt they are open by now." Edward states as he heads back to the bathroom to clear up.

"So, where are we going?" Starlight asks looking up from Alexander's phone.

"Just somewhere we normally go with the guys on a Friday night. It'll be fun, least it normally is." Alexander stands up and stretches.

"There's only one nightclub on the island right? If I remember my information correctly... It's the Fantasia, which is run by Nigel Lights." Twilight informs Starlight.

"Hmm seems kinda odd, not that I can't see Neon's counterpart having a nightclub. It's just not what I expected." Starlight states getting up from the sofa.

"We're going to have to get you a phone of your own, that way you won't have to use mine to play any phone games you might like." Alexander sighs deeply as he struggles to get his phone back from Starlight.

The group gather anything they need and head out the dorm door to start making their way to the student village. Alexander constantly tries to wrestle his phone from Starlight who keeps it away using magic.

"No, it's addicting... You can't make me give up your phone." Starlight protests.

Using a controlled discharge to her back which makes her squeak, losing her focus which causes her to drop the phone. Alexander grabs it and chuckles in victory as they walk down the path.

"Ha, I know your weakness." Alexander exclaims as he saves and exits the phone game before putting the phone in his pocket.

"You're no fun..." Starlight pouts cutely as they reach the student village after a few minutes.

Upon reaching the entrance to the student village the group are approached by Adam and Robert before they continue towards their destination.

"So, did you tell them where we are going?" Robert asks as Nāve pops into existence to sit on his shoulder.

"Not yet, I want it to be a surprise." Alexander states as they pass the general store.

The student village looks a bit more peaceful and less hectic at night. The group eventually come to a large building close in size to Rare Threads with a sign on it saying 'Fantasia'.

"Is this the place?" Starlight asks looking at the nightclub.

The nightclub is decorated rather brightly with plain building materials but is illuminated by colourful magic lights. Alexander chuckles and leads the group down a side alley to the right of Fantasia.

"No, you see, while Nigel runs Fantasia there is another nightclub in Kilgharaha. However, it's rather select in its company. Despite its long list of clientele you have to get invited by Vivienne first before you can actually enter the club." Alexander walks them up to a seemingly very secure door.

"That door has some serious wards and enchantments on it... What is this place?" Twilight asks looking confused.

"This is where the misfits and less popular members of Kilgharaha come to unwind and have a drink. You have to get a magically encrypted digital invitation from the owner before actually being able to get into the club.They are unique to each individual she sends them to and requires you to input a personal security question when you fill it out. After that, you open up the app she sent you, input the password, use it on this door and you're in." Alexander explains while typing on his phone.

"That explanation seemed a little long..." Adam complains as he, Edward and Robert get out their own phones.

"Familiars are automatically welcome along with the owners so we should be fine." Edward shares a knowing worried glance with Alexander.

The four hold their phones up to the door which makes several clicking noises before finally opening.

"Right then, let's go see what tonight has in store for us." Edward states as the group slowly enter through the door.
> Misfits at the Illuminare Consortium
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group enter a dimly lit hallway before the door shuts behind them and the sound of multiple locks can be heard.

"That sounds like a crazy amount of security for a club..." Starlight comments as she looks at the ridiculous amount of locks on the back of the door.

"Vinyl likes to make sure her clients are as safe as possible, it's more for comfort than anything else." Edward states in response.

As they continue down the hallway they take a left to see a curtain door guarded by a well-built looking male in a suit, he wears shades and has a navy blue goatee while being bald.

"Anything interesting happening tonight Lockdown?" Alexander asks as they approach the curtain.

"Nothing much, although Lucita came by not long ago and is still inside, just fair warning." Lockdown informs them.

Alexander takes a deep breath and pats Lockdown's shoulder.

"Thanks for the heads up... I'm gonna go get drunk now." Alexander sighs deeply.

Lockdown holds the curtain to the side allowing the group to walk through into the main part of the club. Upon crossing the curtain threshold, they are assaulted by a barrage of multicoloured lights from the disco ball above the dance floor which is indented down a level from the main floor. Looking to the right they can see a line of wall booths for people to sit in a more private manner. Across them past the dance floor is an extensive bar with racks upon racks of multiple brands of drink. To their left is a set of stairs which lead up two elevations before leading to a walkway which leads to a platform in front of the dance floor. The first elevation is an area with few chairs and tables for relaxing, the second elevation is where the walkway leads around to the platform which appears to be a DJ stand. On the stand is a pale skinned girl with wild blue hair that has electric blue highlights. She wears a pure white tank top that stops just above her belly button, with a black eighth note on the front, black jeans with electric blue sneakers and a pair of pure white headphones with electric blue trim on them. Her eyes are hidden by a pair of big rimmed purple shades.

"What's up Kilgharah?! It's Friday night people, it's time to sit back, unwind and chill from the week's trials!" The girl twirls dramatically before stopping to face the dance floor again.

Throwing her hands out towards the dance floor a plethora of multicoloured lights spew forth and slither their way across the air like snakes, pulsing to the beat of her music like slaves to a symphony. Pumping up the volume slightly the colour intensifies before exploding into a hail of light rain which graces the room uplifting the mood into new heights.

"Besides the speaking part, she is just as eccentric as our Vinyl Scratch." Starlight comments looking around.

"How many counterparts are there?" Alexander turns around to look at Starlight but finds his gaze stolen by Adam and Robert who wear deadpan expressions.

"Familiars, huh..?" Robert states in a flat tone.

"So, about that unofficial version..?" Adam folds his arms.

"Shit... We're going to need drinks and a booth for this." Alexander sighs turning back around to look up at the DJ stand.

"Could you two go find us a booth seat to use while Alexander and I sort something out." Edward asks looking at the two friends behind them.

Adam and Robert share a glance before walking away to find a booth seat while the four moved towards the bar past the dance floor. Working behind the bar is a white girl with a fluffed up raspberry hair style and raspberry eyes. Serving drinks with expert precision, she wears a white shirt, black waistcoat, black trousers and a pair of black shoes. Twilight notices on the girl's waistcoat is a gold pin of a outlined strawberry and bunch of grapes.

"What'll it be tonight then?" The girl wipes the bar with a white cloth before looking up at them.

"I think tonight I'll need the cinder fruit punch..." Alexander asks sighing deeply.

"One of those heavy nights, huh?" The girl begins looking around underneath the bar.

"The usual gala gem cider, my need is less than his." Edward states with a glance to Alexander.

"What about the two with you?" The girl asks looking behind them as she peeks her head above the bar.

"Umm... I think two apple ciders will do us just fine." Twilight answers unsure.

"My name is Belladonna Punch or just Bella will do." Bella stands up holding two apple ciders and the two other ordered drinks.

"Adam and Robert are here with us as well, they'll have the regular order." Edward states taking his drink.

Bella turns around to grab two bottles out of another cupboard before putting them on the counter too. Alexander takes his drink as well as their friends while the mares take their apple ciders. Before walking away from the bar, Alexander pays Bella a gold coin before giving his and Edwards drinks to the mares which cause's them to have to hold some in their magical grasp.

"Where are you two going?" Starlight asks looking at the pair.

"We just have something we need to take care of before joining you two in the booth, it'll only take like ten minutes at most." Alexander explains as he and Edward head for the stairs leading to the upper elevations.

Starlight sighs deeply as she leads Twilight to where Robert and Adam had settled in a booth halfway down the line. Alexander and Edward walk up the stairs going past the relaxing area before heading up onto the pathway leading around to the DJ stand. The girl bobbing her head notices them and slides the headphones down to around her neck just before they reach her.

"Sup, to what do I owe this pleasure tonight?" The girl asks placing a hand on her hip as she turns slightly towards the pair.

"We... Have a favour to ask you, Vivi." Alexander states painfully.

Vivienne chuckles and waves her hand in front of her to summon a little white ghost-like entity with a pony upper half and just a tail for the lower half. Their mane is spiky and rough like Vivienne's with big rimmed shades and a pair of headphones.

"Man the stand for me while I deal with this." Vivienne waves to her familiar and leads them to the right of the stand.

Vivienne leads the pair into an office type room which has big windows on the side facing the club to see across the entire room. The office itself is decorated with a dark purple carpet and electric blue walls, the furniture is also just as lively with a desk, CD rack behind it, a black swivel chair, two sofas and a coffee table between them with a plant by the door.

"I've never seen your familiar up close... So weird." Alexander comments.

"I find it rather adorable, despite my partner's reluctance to admit that fact." Another girl in the room states.

Their attention is brought to a girl lying on the second sofa away from the pathway door. She has long dark grey hair with lighter grey highlights and deep purple eyes. On a nearby coat rack can be seen her Valkyrie House blazer while her black shoes lay at the foot of the sofa.

"Forte... We have been through this... She is cool, not cute... Anyway, what is it you two need? I heard your wallet scream in agony when you asked me for a favour." Vivienne states as she sits down beside Forte.

The before mentioned girl cuddles up to Vivienne while the pair sits on the sofa opposite them.

"They asked for another favour? I would have thought that the price alone is enough to discourage more than one.

"Yeah... We honestly would not have come back if we didn't feel the need was great..." Edward glares at Alexander.

"What? You know I was stretched thin that month... Either way, we need to know what you can dig up about these." Alexander states placing the bags of gems Jerry gave him on the coffee table.

Vivienne levitates the bag over to herself and takes it physically to have a close look at its contents.

"What are they?" Vivienne asks examining a red gem.

"Well-" Alexander begins but is interrupted.

"I mean what did Jerry tell you they were?" Vivienne looks at Alexander with a displeased expression.

"Right... He said some shady looking figure in a hood sold them to him and he then gave them to me given my affinity for gems." Alexander begins before looking at Edward.

"His sister also managed to find out that their description is labelled as Equestrian in one of the Magician's Compendiums." Edward adds as Vivienne puts her feet up onto the coffee table.

"Vivi..." Forte glares at Vivienne, who puts her feet down.

"Sorry... Anyway, it's likely she didn't get that information from any official compendium... These aren't in any of the publically or privately available Magician's Compendiums. I should know, I have them memorised..." Vivienne states placing the gems back onto the coffee table.

"So... How much do you reckon this favour will cost?" Alexander asks reaching for his wallet.

"Nothing." Vivienne replies as she stares at the pouch of gems.

Everyone bar Vivienne blinks in the room and looks confused, even Forte sits up and looks very concerned at her partner.

"Umm dear, are you feeling well?" Forte asks placing her hand on Vivienne's forehead.

"I'm fine, I'm just somewhat curious about these stones... I'll let you know if I find anything out. I suppose this one can be considered on me." Vivienne states before standing up and stretching as she walks over to her desk.

"Umm... Thanks, I guess... We'll get back to our friends now then." Alexander states as he and Edward stand up.

"Ah, yes. I heard your familiars were settling in quite well." Forte comments lying back down.

"Why does everyone know about them..?" Edward states in a groan.

"Two of Kilgharah's familiarless students get a pair of anthro equine partners randomly one night under the official story that it was a controlled supervised summoning by Wyvern House Archmage Ignis. Surely you know how quickly such news would spread in the academy paper? Everyone reads that and your little stunt was front pages worthy, not exactly main article but it had a spot at the bottom." Forte chuckles at the pair.

The two look at each other before sighing deeply and leaving the room. After getting to the path across from them, Forte gets up and goes to Vivienne.

"You're not fine are you..?" Forte asks raising an eyebrow.

"A little yes and a lot of no... I get the feeling I've seen those gems referenced somewhere before..." Vivienne states trying very hard to think.
> Looking at the Bottom of a Bottle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Alexander and Edward walk over to the booth their friends are sitting at to find a lot more bottles on the table then they brought before. Twilight and Starlight have two bottles each, one that is half empty and one empty, while Adam has three empty and one that is quarter full. Robert isn't so bad, with only two that are empty and one that is half full. Edward and Alexander's drinks remain untouched.

"We left you guys alone for literally a few fucking minutes... How the hell did this happen?" Alexander groans.

The booth they are sitting in is shaped like a U, much like the booths at Sparkles. Twilight gets up, allowing Alexander to slide around and sit next to Starlight while Edward takes the end seat after she sits back down making him sit opposite Adam.

"What could you two have possibly said that caused this many bottles to pile up?" Edward asks looking at Twilight.

"They started explaining about the world they come from..." Robert begins swirling his drink around.

"Then the ponies..." Adam adds.

"And the friendship..." Robert continues.

"And ze wrapping up of winter..." Adam slurs.

"It doesn't sound that bad..." Alexander nervously chuckles taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, that's not even the best part... They then went on to explain about estrus and all sorts of other things I wish I did not know..." Adam shakes his head in fear.

"Okay, that one was not my fault... Starlight spear-headed that conversation." Twilight defends herself.

"What? They asked the bucking question..." Starlight takes a swig of her drink.

"Joys... What 'else' was discussed while we were away?" Alexander asks sighing deeply.

"I then went on to explain Unicorn magic theory and after that, I started to explain about Alicorn magic theory where Adam made a very weird noise like he was dying." Twilight explains to the pair.

"Sweet Jesus... It's worse than I thought then." Alexander takes a large swig of his drink.

"For the record, I tried to stop her... She simply wouldn't listen, even when Robert started foaming at the mouth." Starlight comments.

"I kinda feel sorry I missed it..." Edward states in displeasure.

"I'm not... You can kill your brain cells with that shit another time." Alexander replies quickly.

"Perhaps you can explain that unofficial version now before I beat myself unconscious with one of these many bottles..." Adam sighs taking a heavy swig of his drink.

"The short version is that we stole a book from the forbidden wing and used a spell within to try and summon a familiar." Edward explains.

"Only, using a very similar book from our world, we cast exactly the same spell at the same time as these two and now we are stuck here with no way home." Twilight continues to explain.

"Great Scott..." Robert states.

"This is heavy..." Adam finishes his drink.

"Yeah... Hence why they are under the guise of being our familiars while we find a way to get them back home." Alexander states getting halfway down his drink.

"In hindsight, I suppose that plan sounds pretty solid... But you forgot the familiar seal." Adam states deep in thought.

"What the fuck is a familiar's seal?" Alexander asks which makes Edward slap his face in realisation.

"How the fuck could I forget such a basic element? I'm surprised we haven't been found out already..." Edward downs half his drink harshly.

"Well, people don't generally ask to see your familiar's seal as it's a personal thing between a magician and their familiar. It's also not always on such an obvious part of the body or would be on display much with our current uniforms." Robert explains leaning back in his chair.

"What exactly makes them personal?" Starlight asks in confusion.

"Generally when making a pact with a familiar, a seal chosen by the familiar in question will be branded upon the magician to show the evidence of said pact. Although, it's a bit deeper than that general description." Robert adds to his explanation.

"It's also not always in a given location, that depends entirely on the pair making the pact." Adam states sliding his bottle to the others.

"So... Where are yours?" Starlight asks.

Adam and Robert glance at each before adjusting their uniforms. Adam rolls up his sleeve to show a black tattoo of a pistol with a dragon wrapped around it held on a shield background. Robert, on the other hand, has a black hooded reaper holding a scythe within a steampunk style cog wheel on his collarbone.

"They are actually pretty cool." Starlight comments.

"However, the problem still remains that we don't have them..." Twilight muses deep in thought.

"It's weird as people normally ask to see them if it's a new familiar." Robert ponders finishing his drink.

"What about forging the seals?" Alexander asks getting looks from Robert and Adam.

"You can't just forge a familiar seal... Jesus Christ Alexander." Adam sighs deeply.

"You seriously didn't pay attention in familiar class, did you... The seals are the evidence of a pact, not exactly something which can be forged lightly, nor should they." Robert states in concern.

"So, what options do we have if someone asks? We'd be sitting fucking ducks..." Alexander downs the rest of his drink hard.

Alexander shivers slightly as an intense burn hits his stomach making him regret his decision.

"Isn't there something which can be done?" Starlight asks looking at Robert.

"I guess... When you summon a familiar, obviously a pact is made... However, even detailed books always leave out the most important part. It's the familiar's job to brand their partner, the ways in which they do this are always the same. The process, however, is extremely sacred to familiars in general hence why it has yet to ever be documented." Robert explains to Starlight.

"So, if we learn the process, we could do it?" Twilight asks frowning.

"Yes, in theory. Familiars themselves are in essence an entity. Much like Merlin's familiars and the elements they were made of. It's more or less a magical way to bind your destiny with that of another, which is what the pact is for. It ties your being to that of your familiar and vice versa, in essence entwining your destinies. However, the reason why only they know the spell to do so is a mystery even to me." Robert replies to Twilight.

"You know an awful lot about this subject..." Alexander states in desperation.

"I just pay attention in class and find familiars to be an interesting subject. In short, I suppose if you really wanted to... Nāve could potentially teach you the spell you'd both need in order to umm 'brand' your 'partners'." Robert states as Nāve pops up to stand on the table.

"What about the familiars? Do they get a symbol of the pact?" Twilight asks looking at Nāve.

Nāve shifts her dress to show the same tattoo that Robert has in exactly the same place that he has his.

"They'll get the tattoo in the same place that they brand their partner. It's to show to any other magician that they are 'owned' in a sense, or bound to another." Adam states with a sigh.

"To be honest even if we couldn't find a way home, it's a pretty big decision..." Twilight states finishing her second drink.

"I suppose but how long can we keep up the charade otherwise? It's only going to work for so long before someone starts asking awkward questions... It's not like we can kill them and hide their body in an alternate reality." Starlight states which get her a few stares.

"She has a-" Alexander begins before being cut off.

"I can't believe you'd even agree with her suggesting that!" Twilight interjects.

"Seems flawless to me." Adam comments.

"Absolutely flawless." Robert adds.

"Are we the only two who think that's a very bad idea?" Edward asks concerned.

"I have no problem with it and I'm still sober." Alexander states in reply.

"I can't even believe this is being mentioned..." Twilight rubs her forehead.

"Well... What do you suggest? Not everyone is going to be brought by a sob story of two equine mares stuck here due to a magical experiment which landed us a one-way ticket to this fucking place!" Starlight states in frustration.

"I... I don't know... I guess we'd have to enrol?" Twilight shrugs.

"What about memory altercation?" Edward states finishing his own drink.

"Oh? Besides also being illegal, are any of us a high enough level to cast such a spell?" Alexander raises his eyebrow.

"She could... I guess." Edward points to Twilight.

"I refuse to believe a horse is a higher level magician than me..." Alexander deadpans.

"I did fire a beam of consorted light into the face of an evil centaur using the combined power of four princesses." Twilight states proudly.

"I also may or may not have used an adaptation of a Starswirl spell with Twilight's table and almost destroy all of Equestria by bucking with the space-time continuum." Starlight states casually.

"This is fucking bullshit is what this is..." Alexander sighs pushing his empty bottle away from him.

"So... You're fucked from every angle is what I'm seeing." Adam states finishing his drink.

"I'm not drunk enough for this shit..." Alexander states teleporting out to stand beside the table.

"Where are you going?" Edward asks looking confused.

"To get drunk, the Night way." Alexander sighs deeply as he walks away from them.

"What the buck does that mean?" Starlight asks looking concerned.

"His wallet is boned as well as the entire bar if someone doesn't watch him..." Edward leans back in his seat.

Starlight teleports out to also stand beside the table.

"I'll watch him..." Starlight sighs walking after Alexander.

"In case things go south... What's the escape plan?" Robert asks playing with his empty bottle.

"What escape plan? Lucita is here too..." Edward states sighing deeply.

Both Adam and Robert blink before looking at each other and then in the direction of Alexander.

"We're boned..." Adam grimaces.

"Quite boned..." Robert adds laying his head on the table.
> How to Inebriate the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Alexander walks over and takes a seat at the bar sighing deeply as Bella pours him a shot of his preferred cinder fruit punch. Nodding his thanks he picks up the shot and downs it hard.

"Already on the punch this evening dear brother? A stressful night is it?" Lucita comments from his left.

Turning his head, Alexander can see Lucita sitting to his left.

"Something like that dear sister..." Alexander downs another shot which is poured for him.

"Remind me why we fight again?" Lucita asks drinking her own bottle of cinder fruit punch.

"Because you're annoying maybe?" Alexander replies coughing.

"Oh come now, we both know I simply love to tease you like all hell." Lucita chuckles taking a second swig of her drink.

"Yeah, in public..." Alexander drinks a third heavy shot.

"There is that, yes. Other than that we really don't have anything to argue about. I suppose that freaks people out more." Lucita comments smiling.

"What? That in public most times I can't stand the very sight of you and on the odd occasion when you act like a normal sister we seem like a perfectly normal sibling pairing? I still get mind fucked by that, never mind everybody else." Alexander rolls his eyes and sighs.

"You and I both know that what everybody else thinks doesn't mean shit. Least if they have nothing to do with us that is." Lucita states coldly.

"I suppose but some opinions matter like that of friends." Alexander replies making Lucita cough violently on her drink.

"I don't have friends, you fucking know this, you dolt." Lucita states as she sighs in amusement.

"Mainly because you repel people, dear sister..." Alexander rolls his eyes.

"I wouldn't change for anything, you know this. For all our bullshit, for all we endure, we're the Night family, fuck all else." Lucita states before taking a heavy swig.

"Words our family seem to live by like a religious passage." Alexander sighs taking his own heavy swig.

"The holy book of Night? Now that would be something I'd read." Lucita chuckles.

Starlight runs over to the bar panting slightly as she bends over to catch her breath making both Lucita and Alexander stare at her confused. As soon as she gets her bearings, Starlight stands up and looks at the pair oddly.

"You okay there?" Alexander asks raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah... I should have gone around the dance floor... It's bucking impossible to navigate that shit..." Starlight states taking a breath.

"Worried about me were you?" Alexander asks making Starlight sigh.

"I was more concerned for everyone else at this bar if I'm honest." Starlight takes the seat between the two and moves it a little bit back so their view is not interrupted.

"I doubt anyone has to worry about us." Lucita states getting to halfway down her bottle.

"I hope nobody makes it our problem anyway..." Alexander adds in reaching his own halfway point.

"So, I was right?" Starlight asks looking confused.

"Right about what?" Alexander asks also looking confused.

At that moment a drunken Hydra House student wanders over and starts trying to talk to Starlight but gets ignored.

"About if Lucita is really that bad?" Starlight reminds Alexander of her cursed line.

"Oh... Well, it depends on the day if I'm honest..." Alexander replies rolling his eyes.

"So, I was right?" Starlight asks again.

The student attempts for a few more tries to get the mare's attention but still fails to as she is engrossed in her own conversation.

"I'm that bad any day of the week little Starlight." Lucita chuckles.

"Hey! I'm trying to talk to you here! Ya, little *hic* bitch-" The student blurts out.

Finally having enough Lucita and Alexander in unison rotate themselves into a joint punch which smashes the student squarely in the face sending him unconscious onto the ground.

"We are having a conversation!" Alexander and Lucita state in unison.

Both straighten their blazers and sit down to finish their drinks making Starlight look surprised.

"What?" They both ask looking at Starlight's expression.

"You two are definitely siblings..." Starlight giggles.

Alexander and Lucita look at each other before shivering slightly.

"I think I need more drink..." Lucita states blinking a few times.

"I'll second that myself..." Alexander states alongside his sister.

Bella serves them two more bottles each for good measure before moving on to other customers.

"How close are you two anyway? It's only been a week or so since she got here." Lucita asks taking a gulp of her new bottle.

"It's a working relationship between mage and familiar." Alexander states taking a sip of his own drink.

"What I heard this morning was not a fucking 'working relationship'." Lucita states with a raised eyebrow.

Alexander spits his drink onto the bar while both he and Starlight wear a thick scarlet blush.

"T-the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Alexander states with wide eyes.

"I mean that if Edward hadn't of came home with Twilight you two would have got really freaky real fast by the shit I heard half awake this fucking morning." Lucita states annoyed.

"I-it wasn't even like that!" Alexander points a finger at Lucita in defence.

"Of course, shocking her tits is perfectly professional in the massage workplace!" Lucita replies with increased volume.

"That's beside the point!" Alexander replies looking at Starlight for help.

"I honestly have no defence here..." Starlight states blushing harder.

"Oh fuck off! You were enjoying it!" Alexander turns his attention to Starlight.

"Yeah but you're the one who cast a shit sound barrier!" Starlight snaps in defence.

"Fuck! You have a point!" Alexander turns back to the bar and downs his second bottle of drink.

"Oh dear brother, messing with you is truly too much fun." Lucita smiles as she reaches the bottom of her bottle.





Twilight stares at the empty bottle in front of her, deep in thought while Edward had his arms crossed, also thinking.

"Do you think their minds are fried yet?" Robert asks leaning towards Adam.

"It's hard to tell..." Adam replies leaning back towards Robert.

"Getting there..." Edward states to the pair.

"Why does everything seem so complicated? Stupid book..." Twilight lays her head on the table sighing deeply.

"Least the uniforms are fashionable." Edward comments.

"A notable plus but it doesn't make the situation any better... Though I suppose we could have ended up in worse places with much worse magicians." Twilight adds groaning lightly.

"You could have also been in Golem House..." Adam shakes his head slightly.

"Or Valkyrie House..." Robert states making the two shiver.

"What's so bad about those two houses? I notice you didn't mention Hydra House." Twilight sits up rubbing her nose.

"Golem House isn't all as bad as Chris but the majority are." Adam begins the explanation.

"Don't even get us started on the stuck up bitches of Valkyrie House... I mean, not all of them are that bad but the majority are." Robert adds yawning.

"So, Hydra House, are your allies or something?" Twilight asks looking confused.

"Fuck off." Robert and Adam state in unison.

"Hey, it's not like we explained the social circle thing to them yet." Edward states frowning.

"Are you guys stupid? That should have been one of the first things you explained about our academy..." Adam rolls his eyes sighing deeply.

"Hydra House is by far the furthest you can get from an ally in this place." Robert states pushing his empty bottle away.

"They are our opposite element, even in this place tension is high between most of the houses. You can't deny many don't care and have friends crossing all four houses but in general, crossing elements is frowned upon." Edward explains looking at Twilight.

Suddenly Starlight runs over to the booth panting heavily wearing a panicked expression.

"Starlight? What's wrong?" Twilight asks shifting towards the mare.

Starlight wheezes slightly still trying to get the words out, making weird hand gestures.

"The bar is out of alcohol?" Robert asks but Starlight shakes her head waving her hands again.

"The bank of Kilgharah has run out of peanuts." Adam states in confidence getting a twisted expression from Starlight.

"There is a political coup being planned in the club and it's up to the student powers combined to foil a plot that could turn our fair academy upside down by way of reviving an otherworldly visitor who will use untold magics to take over Kilgharah?" Edward states excitedly making the other four turn and look at him weirdly.

"This is not a fucking anime." Adam states shaking his head and sighing at Edward.

"As interesting as that sounds... Lucita and Alexander have gotten into an intensely heated argument with a Hydra House male who looks like he was hit by a frozen lamppost and bears a very stupid quiff?" Twilight asks making Starlight's jaw drop slightly.

"How the buck did you even guess that?" Starlight asks finally catching her breath.

"I didn't need to guess, I can bucking see it!" Twilight states pointing behind Starlight.

The group can see the before described scene which makes their eyes widen as they scramble to get out of the booth.

"I suppose we back them up?" Twilight asks Robert, Adam and Edward.

"Fuck that, I'm out." Adam states quickly leaving towards the club entrance.

"My girlfriend wanted me to see her tonight so, I'm out too." Robert states making his own retreat.

"Looks like it's just us then." Edward rolls his eyes as the three head in the direction of the bar.
> The Twin Winds in the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander and Lucita stand in front of their stools staring down a Hydra student who seems agitated. The student in question wears a slightly altered Hydra House uniform which has a tailcoat compared to the regular blazer, he has long blonde hair in a ponytail and brown eyes.

"You two will pay for decking my brother, you insulate heathens!" The male rants pointing his finger at the two.

"He was being a pest..." Lucita rolls her eyes and downs the remainder of her bottle.

"Plus, he was drunk..." Alexander states sipping his lightly.

"Regardless of the circumstances you Night fellows always opt for the neanderthal way rather than being civil like normal people. It's about time somebody put you in your place!" The male states snapping his fingers.

Four more Hydra House students join the male and take position either side of him flexing their limbs and readying themselves making Lucita smile.

"Oh come now Crowly, surely this will just end like all the other times we have duelled?" Lucita asks crossing her arms.

"I was hoping for at least a peaceful night, Vermillion... Why have you got to crush those hopes?" Alexander states finishing his drink and placing his bottle on the bar counter.

"I, Vermillion Crowler, do not care for the hopes of peasants like you." Crowler states in a defiant tone.

Vivienne walks out of her office rubbing her forehead before leaning on the railing.

"Yo! What the hell is happening out here?!" Vivienne yells, sounding annoyed.

"Just going to kick the shit outta five entitled Hydra House elite fuckers who interrupted our evening." Alexander states to Vivienne sighing deeply.

"Oh, carry on then." Vivienne begins to walk away.

"W-what?! Miss Scratch, surely you do not side with these Night heathens?!" Crowler asks sounding offended.

Vivienne stops and sighs deeply before turning around looking very annoyed.

"They pay their tabs! Besides, you're Hydra House, like I'm going to side with you fuckers. Oh, one more thing... Cock block me again you sons of bitches and I'll fuck y'all up!" Vivienne growls before walking back into her office.

"Well, that just happened." Lucita chuckles unfolding her arms to lower her right, preparing her wrist.

"I suppose we are lucky she didn't just fuck us all up... Still, how quickly do we dispatch these morons?" Alexander asks lowering his own arm to prepare his wrist.

The group of Hydra House students flinch ever so slightly in their resolve upon seeing the signature Night wrist stance in front of them but decide to stay put. Starlight looks at the two groups back and forth as they stare each other down intensely. Crowler claps his hands together and clears his throat.

"Okay, it's apparent that we might be in the middle of some form of misunderstanding. I'm sure we can all calm down and sort this out like mature adults." Crowler rubs his hands together and looks extremely hopeful.

Alexander and Lucita share a painfully amused expression before chuckling between themselves.

"Sister, if you will." Alexander states grinning widely.

"Bitches love cannons!" Lucita yells joyfully before leaping towards Crowler and the group.

Lucita jumps up and uses wind magic with her dual kick to propel him over the dance floor rail. Alexander then flicks his wrist to send a precise burst of wind magic towards the left side of the group pushing them away from Lucita while she spins around after landing on her feet to use her own wrist technique to propel the right side group away from her.

"That could have been worse..." Starlight states before looking at a Hydra House student standing beside her holding drinks.

"Hey guys, I got the drinks- what the hell happened here?" The student blinks a few times before looking at Starlight.

The mare, in a panic, teleported in a frying pan to whack the student in the face rendering him unconscious on the floor. Two more people from Crowler's group come out of the bathroom to walk over to the scene before being knocked unconscious by Starlight's panicked frying pan technique.

"Your familiar is a savage." Lucita comments throwing a ball of wind at the two Hydra House student she propelled away.

"She is yet to be house trained... Can't argue with her technique though." Alexander comments as he dodges blasts of water from the other two Hydra House students on the left side.

"Why thank you... Hey! That's mean!" Starlight turns to face Alexander, accidentally knocking out another student.

"It is bloody effective isn't it, scariest part is she is doing it by accident." Lucita states sitting on the rail of the second floor relaxing area.

Edward and Twilight run in and jump around each other in all angles back to back before relaxing as they realise they really aren't needed.

"What the hell took you guys so long to run over here..?" Alexander asks looking unamused.

"It's not my fault! The text only has us enter at this point!" Edward exclaims frowning.

"He is not wrong... We would have been here much sooner given the distance to travel, but the script is quite clear on our entry timing." Twilight states as she makes a paper-clipped stack of pages disappear into thin air.

"You guys are taking a heavy hammer to the 4th wall, ain't ya?" A girl states as she walks by them sipping a soda.

The random girl in question has a fluffy pink hairstyle with blue eyes and a pale complexion. She wears a female Golem House student uniform and pink trimmed boots. Her random and very casual walking by makes the group pause in their conversation before looking at each other weirdly.

"Who was that?" Starlight asks blinking.

"I have a pretty good idea..." Twilight comments sighing deeply.

"Speaking of having good ideas, I forget that we are currently in the middle of a fight." Alexander states looking around them.

The previously blown away students, including Crowler, are now standing back up and surrounding the group.

"I think it's time we wash the dirt from this place." Crowler states gathering water between his hands.

"This will all end in tears..." Lucita groans.

"You can see the outcome too? I'm already plotting my escape." Alexander states looking around.

"By god..." Edward grimaces at Crowler before looking at Twilight.

"What? A little water never hurt anybody." Twilight shrugs at Edward.

"Yeah, but a lot can kill ya." Edward states before taking Twilight's hand, leading her to the exit.

Crowler and his group unleash their gathered water towards Alexander and his sister.

"Come with me if you want to live." Alexander states grabbing Starlight before using some of his travel powder.

"You son of a bitch!" Lucita states as she is drenched in water.

A lot of water splashes all over the place making several plug sockets fizz and spark before the power blows out making the club go dark.

"Crowler!" Vivienne yells in shear anger.

"It wasn't just me!" Crowler states in a meagre defence.
> Magical Falling Stars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Edward and Twilight run out of the Illuminare Consortium panting heavily as they stop to catch their breath. Suddenly the street lights flicker as the nightclub is plunged into a complete blackout and Vivi is heard yelling very loudly.

"That was... An interesting encounter." Twilight comments before looking up at the starry night sky.

"Crowler is... A very acquired taste, normally he is harmless enough." Edward states looking up with Twilight.

The night sky is vividly clear with very few clouds around, even the moon is big and clear. Twilight can be heard sighing deeply as she marvels at it all.

"So, seeing as the nightclub is a bust, I suppose home is our destination?" Twilight asks glancing at Edward.

"Not exactly, the night is still young and there are a few places we could go." Edward states in reply as he begins to lead Twilight through the quiet student village.

Twilight looks around the student village as they walk past the various houses and shops which, during the day are more lively compared to the night.

"This village is very peaceful at night, reminds me of the many nights I spent walking around Ponyville to clear my thoughts." Twilight states sighing deeply.

"I imagine you miss your home?" Edward asks glancing at Twilight.

"Yeah... I've been to another world before, but I always had a way back. This time, I have no idea where to even begin figuring that out. We are stranded in an unknown world with no way back home." Twilight stares back up at the sky as they walk past Glimmers.

"If it's any condolence, I was once stuck in another country before with my family and had no way home at the time. What is your home like? You've been learning about our culture since getting here, I'd like to know about yours." Edward states picking up a random rock to play with.

"It's not exactly the same, but thanks for the thought. My world isn't that different in regards to landscape. Some of the people we have met here are counterparts to those back home. It's weird, but not entirely uncomfortable." Twilight comments levitating the rock away from Edward.

The two eventually reach the village entrance before Edward leads them on the left path towards the Wyvern house dorm.

"What's the magic like in your world?" Edward asks folding his arms.

"Again, not much different from this world. To be honest, it's fortunate we came to a world with magic otherwise, it'd be much harder to find a way home." Twilight states levitating the rock around idly.

"What about you specifically? As in more about you." Edward asks levitating the rock back to him with his own magic.

Twilight chuckles a little and sighs before taking a deep breath.

"I'm not too much of an interesting subject, honestly. I used to be a Unicorn before finishing one of Starswirl's spells, I then ascended to become an Alicorn. Like I might have explained before, Alicorns are princesses. In total there are five Alicorns in Equestria at the moment." Twilight explains as they continue walking towards the dorm.

"Where did you learn to do magic?" Edward asks throwing the rock off the road.

"At a young age, I went to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I was then sent to Ponyville to continue my teachings where I met my friends and managed the library. Then I became an Alicorn, had the library blown up by an evil centaur which led to me getting my own castle." Twilight continues to explain.

"I wonder if Alexander could apply to get a castle for his families last house." Edward comments chuckling.

"Wait, Alexander's house blew up? How did that happen?" Twilight asks coming to a sudden stop.

"It didn't blow up." Edward replies as he keeps walking.

"Oh, that's not so-" Twilight starts to say.

"But it did burn down." Edward interrupts.

"How in the name of Celestia did he manage that?!" Twilight asks catching up to Edward.

Edward chuckles as he leads Twilight past the Wyvern house dorm and towards a cylinder building in the distance.

"It's a long story which he'll have to explain as I don't know the full details." Edward states as they walk the new path.

"Where are we going exactly? We have been here a week, but hardly explored the campus itself." Twilight asks looking around at the trees.

"It's a surprise, but trust me it'll be worth it. There are quite a few facilities at Kilgharah we shall have to take you both to at some point." Edward states as they approach the cylinder building with a dome on the top.

Taking her over to the building they eventually find the double door entrance and proceed inside to see, what resembles a makeshift astrology museum. The cylinder shaped room they enter has exhibits, diagrams and dioramas of various astrology based models. On the right side of the room is a curving staircase which leads to an upper floor.

"Wow, this is quite the collection of astrology works. I used to stargaze back home at the Canterlot observatory and my own balcony." Twilight comments.

"Where I live is a very nice open hill where you can view the night sky very well." Edward states as he leads Twilight up the stairs to the upper floor.

The upper floor of the observatory has a large rectangle slit in the roof where the large telescope sticks out of. Looking up, Twilight can see the night sky is magically projected onto the roof of the observatory dome.

"This is beautiful, it's different to the night sky back home, but it's still beautiful." Twilight states looking past the telescope at the starry night sky.

"There has to be something around this academy about interdimensional travel." Edward states frowning.

"If there was, I'm sure Starlight and I would have found it by now. Though, we have yet to explore the forbidden wing." Twilight states sighing deeply.

"They really need more security on that place..." Edward rubs his forehead.

"I can imagine if you and Alexander were able to steal from there... Still, it might yield some results if nothing else." Twilight folds her arms.

"One way or another I'm sure we'll find a way to get you both home, hopefully before anyone finds out you're not actually familiars." Edward states smiling.

"We can but hope, thanks for being supportive. Speaking about Alexander though... I wonder where he and Starlight ended up from the club." Twilight ponders that thought for several moments.

"Knowing him, he had some escape plan. We'll see him in the morning no doubt." Edward states.

"Hopefully he can keep Starlight out of trouble till we reunite." Twilight states, but hears Edward chuckle.

"This is Alexander we are talking about... Don't count your chickens just yet." Edward states sighing.

"Fun..." Twilight deadpans.
> The Apprentice and her Cool Breeze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight can feel a light breeze as her eyes are tightly shut, unsure of where Alexander and she ended up after leaving the club. Feeling around, she is unable to find any purchase to stand or hold on to.

"You have had your eyes closed for a few minutes now, maybe you should open them." Alexander's voice states in front of her.

Hesitantly, Starlight opens her eyes to see Alexander before her... Floating? Sure enough, on closer inspection, she could see that there were white clouds all around them. Looking around and down, Kilgharah Academy could be seen below them in its full glory. Startled, Starlight instinctively levitates herself causing an aqua blue aura around herself.

"You don't need to do that, Starlight." Alexander chuckles as he floats a little bit backwards.

Starlight notes that Alexander's posture is very relaxed, with one leg slightly bent while the other was mostly straight and his hands are in his pockets. She can't see any psychical levitation magic effect like hers which arouses the curiosity within. Taking a deep breath, Starlight releases her levitation and finds she stays in place. Waving her arms around slowly, it feels like the wind itself suspends her being with ease.

"How? I know you are quite adept at wind magic control, but this is..." Starlight struggles to find her words.

"A bit more advanced than you figured an apprentice was capable of?" Alexander asks looking amused.

"To be honest, living in Equestria you learn most things are possible.  Especially when it comes to magic, but flying using wind magic is new for me." Starlight states crossing her arms.

"'Floating', not flying. The wind magic is used to help control aerial movements and, of course, is also used to keep you aloft." Alexander explains, taking Starlights hand to lead her on gently through the air.

"You certainly have a unique perspective on things. Remember, your definition of 'gentle' is very different." Starlight chuckles letting herself be led by Alexander.

"That's just because it was a bad day... I know the meaning of gentle, but something tells me you don't like it that way." Alexander smiles making Starlight blush.

"Full of low blows this evening it seems..." Starlight coughs a little.

The pair slows to a halt as the moon comes out from behind the clouds and illuminates Kilgharah in its gentle light.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? The soft moonlight, the cool breeze... Often when troubled, I like to sit on clouds and relax for a bit. Edward and the guys still don't know where I vanish to sometimes." Alexander chuckles as he adopts a sitting position with his legs crossed.

"It is very beautiful... I'm torn between going home and staying here. I know it has only been little over a week, but... This world is so different, so new. It has magic I haven't seen back home." Starlight sighs deeply.

"So, you want to stay in order to further your magical knowledge and grow as a pony. On the other hand, you want to go home and stay with Twilight in Equestria. You're also unsure how Twilight would react to the decision if you chose to stay here, does that sum it up?" Alexander asks, crossing his arms.

Starlight blinks a few times at the man before her, wondering how exactly she came to be in this situation. More specifically how she came to be suspended in midair by wind magic above an Academy island.

"It's a little abridged in details, but that's the main gist of it. This world has so much to offer in terms of learning prospects, it's insane to even think about. I'm scared though... I'm afraid to leave the home I knew behind to seek new opportunities in another land let alone a whole other world." Starlight states looking all around her.

Taking a deep breath, Alexander unfurls his sitting position to return to his standing form with his hands down his pockets. Smiling, he begins to take them closer to Kilgharah through some clouds. Starlight smiles and for once finds herself flying through the air without using her own magic to levitate herself. The lack of aerial control scares her a little, but oddly enough she isn't worried. Taking them over the mountain, Starlight is treated to a safe view of the Kilgharah cliffsides along with Valkyrie House. The house itself is fairly grand, boasting its own mountain top estate. Behind the dorm is a pretty large pool with adequate lighting for late night swims.

"They seem well furnished." Starlight comments looking at the house in awe.

"So it seems, Hydra House is also well off in terms of facilities. Wyvern and Golem House are evenly matched though." Alexander explains.

"Sounds like Wyvern and Golem are the underdogs of Kilgharah Academy. As much as I am enjoying floating around on air magic... It's getting pretty late." Starlight states yawning cutely.

"I suppose, but we could always go for some more drinks if you want." Alexander offers as they come to a stop.

"I thought the Illuminare Consortium would be closed after earlier." Starlight raises an eyebrow.

"Sweet Starlight, poor sweet naive Starlight. What makes you think I was on about the club?" Alexander chuckles as he begins directing them towards the base of the mountain.





An hour or so later Alexander is leading Starlight up a dusty mountain path which appears to go on forever.

"How much further is it? My feet are killing me..." Starlight states short of breath.

"Not much further. I could just give you another massage if you wanted." Alexander chuckles.

Starlight thinks about it for a moment as she remembers the last massage and a little shiver goes up her back while she blushes lightly.

"I-I mean that's up to you... I'm not really against it..." Starlight states trying to catch up to Alexander.

"You're cute when blushing." Alexander smiles as he vanishes over a ledge.

"I just don't see... Why we couldn't... Simply fly up here." Starlight pants as she goes over the same ledge and stops beside Alexander.

"Because the view is so much better when you feel it was worth it." Alexander takes in a deep breath and directs Starlight to look up.

The mare in question catches her breath only to have it stolen away again by the view before her. Their track up the mountainside had taken them quite high and Starlight could see the full moonlit view of Kilgharah in all its glory. The whole picture was complemented by a backdrop of the starry night sky with a beautiful moon unobstructed by any clouds.

"What is this place?" Starlight asks, still entranced by the view making Alexander chuckle.

"It's a secret little spot very few know. The photography club students know about it and use it for some very nice shots every now and then. It's also used by couples to impress their partners from time to time." Alexander sits down on a nearby ledge overlooking the whole view, placing the case of his preferred cider beside him.

Starlight blushes at Alexander's blunt implication but tries to think nothing of it as she sits down on the other side of the cider.

"It's very beautiful... Sights and experiences like this, almost make me forget how much I miss my home. I know it's only been a week and a bit, but... We have no guarantee the spell we used would even get us home. There is no pony back home who'd know the spell to try and summon us again. We have found nothing in any of the official compendiums about universal travel... It's just looking hopeless." Starlight sighs deeply and looks down.

The mare's attention is diverted when she feels a cold bottle against her cheek making her jump slightly. Alexander chuckles and hands her the bottle of cider before opening one up for himself.

"Just don't think about it. While all may seem lost and there might be no way back for you... That doesn't mean you should let it ruin your experience here. Twilight is looking, you're looking, Edward and I are looking. That's two magicians and two very talented magical ponies looking for your way home. So, for the time being, you're stuck in this dump with this poor excuse for a magician, might as well enjoy yourself while you can." Alexander states taking a heavy swallow of his cider.

Starlight sighs lightly as she drinks her own cider and stares out at the stars. While still unsure what will happen and if she'll ever see her home again, Starlight is more at peace than she was. The mare playfully nudges Alexanders arm with her fist while smiling.

"What's up?" Alexander asks, raising his eyebrow confused.

"You're not as much of a piss poor excuse for a magician as you think, not as good as Twilight or I, but you have your own flare." Starlight chuckles and smiles warmly.

Alexander smiles and laughs a little before Starlight joins in and they both share a relaxing moment before continuing to drink cider and stare at the stars.
> Hazy Morning with a Side of Cider
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward groans as he slowly gets up from his bed. Looking at the alarm clock he can see it's 9:30 Am, glancing over at the calendar he can see that it's still Saturday. Cracking his neck a little he goes to stand up before narrowly avoiding a purple furry thing on the floor. On closer inspection, he can see that Twilight adopting a sleeping bag from last night and is curled up beside his bed. Smiling a little to himself, Edward places a blanket over Twilight which she cuddles gently.

"Maybe we stayed up a little too late last night." Edward steps over Twilight and exits the room while stretching.

His trip is interrupted as he backs out of the bathroom slowly, blinking a few times towards the living room. Shrugging, he disregards it for now and continues his morning routine in the bathroom. Getting a shower and change of clothes for the day he comes out of the bathroom, placing his blazer on their rack by the door. Twilight sleepily walks through in some shorts and a rugged top, still holding the blanket and rubbing her eyes as she too blinks at the sofa.

"I'm not the only one seeing it, right?" Edward asks Twilight who slowly nods.

"I don't think we're both having the same dream..." Twilight yawns cutely.

Before them on the sofa in question is a mostly dressed Alexander with Starlight laying on top of him with a blanket over them both.

"What time did they get in..?" Edward asks quizzically.

"They were not here when we came home so... I have no idea. I'm guessing much later." Twilight states as she stretches lightly.

"I'm more curious about the number of clothes lying around..." Edward states with a deadpan expression.

"If I'm not mistaken, happens rarely ever, by the way, they are mostly if not all of Starlights worn clothes." Twilight states with a nod before blushing and slowly looking at the sofa. "Shit..."

"What?" Edward asks sighing deeply.

"I forgot she sleeps naked at home..." Twilight rubs her forehead, sighing deeply.

"Must you both be so loud..." Alexander grumbles as he shifts himself, still with his eyes closed.

"Did... Did you get wasted last night?" Edwards moves to the kitchen to start prepping breakfast.

"I'll give you a medal if I can shove it up your ass..." Alexander remarks groaning.

Edward gets out some microwave pancakes and begins heating them up.

"I'm more concerned with what you might have shoved in my student." Twilight states crossing her arms.

"The fuck are you even on about..?" Alexander asks opening his eyes slightly and looking at Twilight.

Alexander thinks for a moment before looking in front of him at the mare cuddling him. Blinking several more times after that he continues to process the situation for many moments.

"We didn't fuck..." Starlight mumbles as she gets comfortable.

"That's comforting..." Alexander states still unsure of the entire situation.

"Bastard..." Starlight mumbles again with a frown.

"Not inaccurate..." Alexander remarks yawning.

"How much did you two drink after leaving the bar?" Twilight asks sitting down on the bean bag.

"Umm... Let me try and remember... Two eight packs of cinder fruit punch from Jerry, I think." Alexander states as he stretches.

"Did you drink them all or what?" Edward asks making sure to keep the microwave as quiet as possible.

"I drank ten with ease, Starlight had the other six." Alexander states as he attempts to sit up, but is stopped by Starlight.

"No move... Too comfortable..." Starlight groans and snuggles into him.

"You're drunk Starlight, go home." Alexander states rolling his eyes.

"We can't go home." Twilight states with an amused deadpan.

"It's a figure of speech... Starlight, you're making me a little uncomfortable." Alexander groans.

"Wimp..." Starlight mumbles as she shuffles.

"That's not what I'd call it..." Alexander blushes slightly.

Finally having enough of the shenanigans, Twilight teleports the two away from each other. After a few seconds, Twilight uses a bucket of cold water on Starlight who screams before looking sharply at her teacher. Another loud noise is heard from the bathroom which they assume is Alexander.

"Fucking bitch the shower is fucking cold!" Alexander shouts angrily.

"Yup, that's Alexander." Edward states as he plates up the microwave pancakes.

"Twi... Why'd you have to go and do that..?" Starlight states as she uses magic to get dressed and dry the blanket.

"Because you were being clingy in public..." Twilight looks away, trying to be disappointed.

Starlight yawns and wraps herself back up in the blanket before smiling.

"Just because you aren't close to getting any." Starlight sticks her tongue out at Twilight whose eyes go wide and she blushes.

"You are embarrassing sometimes!" Twilight states with a huff.

Edward can be heard choking harshly in the kitchen at what was said before Alexander comes through in a change of clothes and a blanket around his shoulders.

"Choke you bitch..." Alexander groans before sitting down beside Starlight.

Edward comes through with the plates, a pot of sugar and the syrup which he places on the coffee table.

"If my head wasn't intent on killing me this morning, I'd happily kick your ass for using microwave pancakes..." Alexander grumbles before he starts eating.

"What can I say except, you're welcome." Edward states with a smile.

"Did you just fucking..? I can't..." Alexander shakes his head before rolling his eyes.

Everyone else gets their plates and begins to eat their respective pancakes before Starlight frowns a little.

"They aren't bad, but... Meh." Starlight drowns them in sugar and syrup to make up for what they lack.

"So... The agenda for today?" Twilight asks taking a bite of pancake.

"Sleep." Alexander states without hesitation.

"You do that all the time anyway..." Edward states annoyed.

"Do you have a hangover? No, hence, sleep." Alexander states groaning.

"Ditto." Starlight states to agree with Alexander.

Sighing, Edward finishes his pancakes and puts the plate in the kitchen sink.

"Well, Twilight and I were going to visit the library to see what we could find that might help us send them home." Edward states getting a nod from Twilight who also finishes her pancakes and disposes of the plate.

"I doubt we'll find much of anything, but it's worth another look. This place does have an extensive library after all." Twilight states as she exits to the bedroom to get dressed.

"Well, while you two have a lovely date at the library, I'll go back to sleep and try to ignore the world." Alexander states as he levitates his plate into the kitchen sink.

"I second that motion." Starlight states yawning as she levitates her own plate into the kitchen.

"Objection!" Twilight states as she exits the bedroom.

"Overruled!" Alexander states in response.

"Sustained!" Starlight states joining in.

The pair look at the mare in question who sinks back down to her seat.

"What? I felt left out." Starlight mumbles.

"Dismissed!" Edward states making the three looking at him.

"I can't with you right now..." Alexander states sighing.

"Either way... We'll see you both later then." Twilight states sighing deeply before leaving the room.

"Maybe you could take her to the spa." Edward comments before following Twilight.

Alexander lays down on the sofa groaning slightly as he sighs deeply.

"You don't have a hangover, do you?" Starlight asks sitting on the edge of the sofa seat.

"Nope. It takes a bit more than twelve cinder fruit punches to get me drunk." Alexander states closing his eyes.

"How the buck? Those things aren't exactly light. I should know... I do have a headache..." Starlight teleports herself out of her blanket and under Alexander's.

"I figured as I had to carry you home. I'm just not really willing to go out today..." Alexander states getting comfortable.

"Why is that?" Starlight asks closing her own eyes.

"Maybe I'll talk about it later, for now though, I'm sleeping for a bit." Alexander replies before slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Okay..." Starlight sighs deeply before doing the same.
> That Old Book Smell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward and Twilight walk through the halls of Kilgharah Academy till they pass two large medieval styled old looking doors which open up into a very large library with several large tables down the centre of the room with lamps atop them. Above the pair is the second and third-floor balcony which are filled with rows upon rows of shelves filled with books big and small, new and old. All over the place are slightly smaller floating bookcases held aloft by some form of magical suspension.

"Maybe if I wasn't stuck here I could take the time to appreciate what a marvel this grand looking library is... So many books and I think it'd take me at least a year to get through them all." Twilight sighs gently taking a deep breath to admire her surroundings.

"I'll have to admit the sight never gets old and I'm fairly certain they are also expanding the Academy collection. You know this is the first wing of three, right?" Edward asks looking at Twilight.

Twilight makes a slight dying noise as she slowly turns her head to look at Edward with wide eyes.

"I'm going to assume that the other wings are just as large... I'd be in heaven if I wasn't so worried..." Twilight sighs again.

"I'm sure either your friends back in Equestria will find a way here or we'll find a way to send you home. That doesn't mean that while looking, you can enjoy your time here while it lasts." Edward states as he progresses further into the library.

"You're not wrong, I suppose..." Twilight mumbles to herself before catching up with him.

After some time searching, the pair found a secluded spot at a table midway through the library and they began collecting books to look through.

"It astounds me as to how this world can have more books than the royal library and my old home combine, I even think it'd give Canterlot library a run for its money." Twilight states slowly flicking through a book on Galactic based magic and spatial energy theories.

Edward blinks a few times at Twilight's choice in reading before moving onto his own choice of rift magic theory and the manipulation of dark matter.

"Remind me why we collected such weird books?" Edward asks as whatever the book is talking about doesn't seem to stick.

"I summarise that looking at the weirdest magic that allows one to manipulate some form of trans-dimensional matter outside the regular list of earthly elements is the best possibility to potentially find a way home... That and it's fascinating~" Twilight squeals lightly as she continues reading.

"If you say so... This stuff is hurting my head..." Edward leans back in his chair to stare at the ceiling.

Etched onto the ground floor ceiling is a complete magically animated rendition of the night time constellations, which is oddly very soothing.

"I feel if I stop to accept the situation then it becomes more real than I want to believe. Would you be okay knowing that you're currently stuck in an unknown world, that has never seen your kind before and that you might not have a way back home?" Twilight asks, still reading.

"I suppose it'd be that way for a short while, but after some time I'd try to make the most of the situation." Edward states looking back at Twilight.

"You have more optimism than I do. However, everything I know and love is back in Equestria. My friends, my family, I'm a princess for buck sake... I have duties and obligations I need to get back to..." Twilight sighs as she places her wing in the book to mark her page.

"I'm confident we'll find you a way home, Twilight. Though... Saying that, if we did find you a way to go home, I was curious if I might come with you?" Edward asks closing his own book.

Twilight looks at Edward with an expression of confusion and curiosity.

"Are you sure about that? I mean, you also have friends and family here as well as your studies into the arcane." Twilight states as she continues reading.

"I wouldn't want to get stuck of course, but it's kinda the risk of adventure." Edward states in response.

"I guess I wouldn't be against you coming back with us if you really wanted to." Twilight blushes very lightly as she flicks a page.

"It'd be fun if nothing else." Edward slightly blushes as well before putting the overly complicated book on the pile in front of him.

Edward's pocket lightly vibrates as his phone goes off making him more than a little confused, but doesn't distract Twilight from her reading at all. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Edward answers it.

"Hello?" Edward asks hesitantly.

"Hello Edward, I'm calling to see how you're doing. It's been a week or so since you last called home." A slightly Asian sounding male can be heard on the phone.

"Hey, dad. Yeah, it's been somewhat of a hectic week in some regards to studies and such." Edward states with a thin layer sugar.

Twilight's ear flicks a little at hearing Edward's conversation but keeps her focus on the book in front of her as she flicks through more pages.

"I can imagine, what with learning how to care for a familiar and all." Edward's father states casually.

"What..?" Edward asks sweating slightly.

"Ignis might have mentioned it a week ago, I wanted to see if you'd call in the meantime to let your own parents know that you finally summoned a familiar." The male states with sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"Umm... Yeah... I mean sorry... It was kinda sorta a surprising thing that happened randomly during an experiment..?" Edward states not believing himself either.

Edward looks at Twilight who looks back at him equally before shrugging and shaking her head, clearly not knowing what to do either.

"I see... Well, it'll likely please you to know that I might be planning a little trip to come and congratulate you on finally getting your magicians familiar." Edward's father states with an audible smile behind his voice.

"That's... That's great, yeah. I look forward to it dad." Edward swallows hard and his eyes are now wide.

"Good, well, I'll leave you to your studies and familiar. Bye for now." Edward's father states.

"Okay, bye dad." Edward hangs up and blinks several times.

"You umm feeling okay there?" Twilight finally speaks making the man in question squeal in terror.

"We're so boned..." Edward states sighing deeply as he lays his head on the table.

Edward's phone vibrates on the table making him groan and sigh deeply.

"Shall I answer it for you?" Twilight asks as Edward shakes his head.

"No, I got it, thank you." Edward looks at the caller id to see it's Alexander. "I don't think I got it..."

Taking a deep breath Edward answers it and puts the phone on speaker.
> Restraint is so Overrated
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander yawns as he stretches hard before opening his eyes and looking around their room to not see Starlight. Hazily picking up his phone he can see that it's 11:00 am, making him groan annoyingly as he throws his phone onto the bean bag across the room. At that moment, Starlight walks into the living room using a towel to dry her mane while being dressed in her uniform.

"Awake are we? It's about time, I was getting bored." Starlight states putting the towel down and using magic to finish styling her mane into its regular shape.

"Why don't you play that phone game or something..." Alexander states before rolling back over to face away from her.

Suddenly, Alexander is hit by the towel which drapes itself atop his head making him groan.

"You're being very depressing, which is abnormal since I got here." Starlight frowns as she picks up his phone and sits down to go on her game.

Alexander takes the towel and drops it on the floor before sitting up and sighing deeply as he rubs his eyes.

"Fine, I get it. Where would you like to go out to?" Alexander looks at Starlight with an unamused expression.

"Hmm... Let me think... How about..." Starlight begins thinking before her eyes go wide at an idea.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Alexander stands up and grabs his blazer before putting it on.

"I'm not sure, but it's somewhere I've yet to visit." Starlight stands up and hastily head out the door followed by Alexander.

The pair passes many students in the Wyvern House dorm who give Alexander concerned and frightful looks. Starlight is too focussed on her phone game to pay them much if any attention as they exit the dorm lobby. Eventually bored, Starlight floats Alexander's phone back to him which he pockets and stretches. Staring up at the sky he sighs deeply and rubs the back of his neck. This time as they pass the student village the looks Alexander is getting are noticed by a less distracted Starlight who now wears a confused expression.

"What's up with everyone's face when they look at you?" Starlight asks spinning around to walk backwards and face Alexander.

"It's a long story, one I'm not telling." Alexander states speeding up to pass Starlight.

Starlight frowns at Alexander before running to catch up with him as he redirects them to pass the academy campus and head towards the east of the island.

"We are going to the sports centre right?" Alexander raises an eyebrow.

"Nope, I want to go to the spa~" Starlight sings gently.

Alexander silently groans inside as they carry on walking to eventually reach a large building on the shoreline where a beach sits. On the beach are various students having fun either sun bathing, playing sports or swimming. As they press forward, the path gets more narrow and cuts through some jungle trees which decorate the trail. The two exit the trail to see a decently sized domed building on the cliff edge which is pearl white and boasts a calming, yet advanced design.	

"Ooh~ that's a very sleek building." Starlight squeaks a little.

"Arcane studies are hard enough as it is, so they spill a lot of money on facilities for the magicians to relax and recharge between weeks of study." Alexander takes a deep breath.

Starlight continues to innocently push forward to the building and then inside through the automatic sliding doors. Before the two, behind a desk is a pair of rather pretty girls who are shifting through paperwork. The girl working away on the laptop atop the desk is wearing a pure white tracksuit with light aqua blue trim, she has pale rose hair with some white highlights and azure eyes. The girl on her right sorting through paperwork is also wearing a pure white tracksuit, but with pale rose trim, she has light aqua blue hair with white highlights and azure eyes.

"Who are those two?" Starlight asks as they approach the desk.

"The girl on the laptop is Indigo Blossom and the girl beside her shifting through paperwork is her twin sister, Iris Blossom. They mainly work and run this spa." Alexander explains just in time for them to reach the desk.

The girls pause from their work and look up at the pair, seemingly surprised at Alexander.

"Oh, Alexander, we are surprised to see you... At all today... Here of all places." Indigo states looking to her sister, worried.

"She is here isn't she..?" Alexander asks with a deadpan expression.

"Who is here-" Starlight's eyes suddenly go wide. "I so badly forgot..."

"I could be here, more importantly, why are you?" A cold harsh voice stated as a third girl entered the reception area.

The girl in question is white with dark pink hair up in an elevated ponytail with aquamarine streaks and indigo eyes. She wears a modified spa outfit in the form of a pure white lab coat with yellow trim, a dark pink shirt and pure white thigh high shorts.

"My familiar dragged me here..." Alexander states flatly.

"Aww, always the muscle bound puppy. Such lack of direction or motivation for anything productive, where as some of us like to work and earn our way." The girl comments as she looks through a clipboard.

"Wow..." Starlight blinks a few times.

"I honestly wasn't planning to leave the dorm today..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"How cute, someone still can't stand to do fuck all on the day of our former anniversary." The girl continues her cold onslaught.

"You never told me that part!" Starlight lightly hits Alexander's arm making him shrug.

"Didn't seem important for you to know about it." Alexander states as he continues to shrug.

"So, is this your so called familiar and likely piece on the side?" The girl asks looking up briefly from her clipboard.

"I'll have you know I'm a-" Starlight begins.

"I don't care." The girl cuts Starlight off.

"Son of a bitch." Starlight states in response.

"Daughter of a bitch to be more accurate, but that's hardly anything to do with how much of a second rate skank familiar you are. If you had to get any type, just any type at all, you could have summoned something better than a coloured horse." The girl puts down her clipboard and puts her hands in the pockets of her lab coat.

"I'm a Unicorn damn you!" Starlight states loudly and with defiance.

"And I'm a fucking pixie. Doesn't matter. You don't matter because soon enough you'll be replaced by a bright haired alchemist. Oh, wait, that's me." The girl states as she gives Starlight a blank expression.

"That's enough Amber, I didn't leave the dorm to deal with this shit..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Well, either way, Amber Sweet might be my name and I honestly don't care for the name of a familiar." Amber turns and begins walking away back where she came from.

"So, Indigo... I was wondering-" Alexander begins before a sudden click of fingers and a loud crash cuts him off.

Looking beside him, Alexander can see that Starlight has her arm outstretched and her wrist in a certain position with her palm facing upwards and fingers in a snapping position. In front of them, the hallway is quite torn up like a hurricane tore through it with a new hole at the end where he assumes Amber was thrown.

"Did you just...?" Alexander asks vaguely.

"Send your queen of bitches ex-girlfriend through the wall of the spa hallway using an Equestria adapted wind controlling wrist technique like yours? Maybe. Oh, and it's Starlight Glimmer faithful student to princess Twilight ya bitch!" Starlight yells down the hallway at Amber who doesn't seem to reply.

"Do you think she survived?" Iris asks curiously.

"I fucking hope not." Alexander states, obviously in a much happier mood.

"I'll go look~" Starlight cracks her wrists as she walks down the hallway.

"Is it bad I'm finding her so hot right now..." Alexander asks the twins who shrug.

"To each their own I suppose." Indigo states as Alexanders phone begins to ring.

Taking a deep breath he takes out his phone and answers it, already knowing exactly who it was.

"Alexander my boy-" The manly voice is cut off by Alexander hanging up.

Looking unimpressed, Alexander goes to pocket his phone before it rings again making him answer.

"Did you just hang up on me?" The voice asks sternly.

"Did it sound something like this?" Alexander hangs up again and attempts to pocket his phone before it rings for the third time.

Alexander reluctantly answers it and goes to hang up, before he stops suddenly.

"Don't you hang up on me boy." The voice states sounding annoyed.

"What do you need?" Alexander asks with a sigh.

"Is it a crime for me to want to call and congratulate my son on a fine job summoning his very first familiar?" The voice asks with dramatised pride.

"I'm fairly certain I can find it illegal somewhere... Wait, how the fuck?" Alexander looks at his phone weirdly.

"Ignis called me a week ago and informed me of your progress, but asked that I give you a week to settle into your new role before I called." The manly voice states proudly.

"Old mother fucker..." Alexander clenches his fist in annoyance.

"Oh and I should mention that Kinzoku and I will be visiting very soon." The man states excitedly.

"Please no... God please no..." Alexander whines.

"I think I knocked the bitch out!" Starlight cheers from the hole in the hallway.

"I hope to see you both very soon~" The man hangs up, leaving Alexander to stare at the phone blankly.

The twin sisters look at each other before clearing their throats to get Alexander's attention.

"Will that be cash, credit or cheque for the damage?" Iris asks.

"Cheque, please... I gotta call Edward..." Alexander states before frantically dialling his roommate.
> An Obsidian Umbrella for Night Meteors
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sunday morning seemed to progress like any other with students getting up early to meet with friends or do their weekend preparations for the week ahead. The air was somewhat still with a few light breezes, but this particular Sunday morning had an off feeling which nobody could place so they tended to just ignore it. Edward and Alexander lay in their regular beds while Twilight and Starlight shared the living room again. Enjoying their own separate dreams, the pair were rudely awoken by an alarm clock which had unexpectedly gone off in-between them on the bedside table. Practically growling, Alexander buries his head into his pillow before sighing in annoyance at the offending item.

"Edward... You better have a good fucking explanation for this bullshit..." Alexander muffles into the soft pillow.

"Don't look at me... It's 7:30 am for fuck sake..." Edward replies back as he covers his head with his own pillow.

Reaching up, Alexander grabs the alarm clock and throws it out the window between their beds to hear it smash on something, most likely a rock. A moment of silence passes in the room before Alexander finds himself pondering something.

"Ed... If it wasn't you... Who set our alarm?" Alexander asks before slowly realising something which his roommate seemed to share.

"Oh, I think the jig is up." A slightly Asian male voice states with a mild chuckle.

The pair slowly turn their heads from the pillows with wide eyes to see a big masculine white caucasian male who has a bald head, a thick majestic silver handlebar moustache and light blue eyes. He wears a white shirt, a long forest green stylish trench coat which has an open front below the waist, forest green trousers and pitch black boots.

"Alexander, my boy! Get your asses up so we might talk!" The man states enthusiastically.

"God no, please god no...." Alexander states burying his head in his pillow and throwing the quilt over himself.

The man shakes his head and grunts as he flips Alexander's bed with ease making him land on the slats with the mattress atop him.

"Nope! Now rise, Alexander!" The man states chuckling loudly.

"Owww I think I broke something..." Alexander complains while slowly trying to get up.

The pair are left alone to get changed and go to the bathroom to freshen up before slowly walking through to the living room as Alexander is still making his tie. Before them, they can see the man from before sitting on the bean bag with his arms crossed. Sitting on the sofa is Twilight and Starlight with another middle aged white Asian male, who is slightly smaller than the other, sitting between them. He boasts a somewhat smug aura with brown hair and dark green eyes. He wears a similar trench coat to the other man, but his is more decorative in a mid tone brown and seemingly tailored for an alchemist.

"I wanted to give it a little while before visiting, but Alex is more than persistent." The Asian male states before sipping his cup of tea.

"Kinzoku, you above anyone else would understand why it simply couldn't wait." Alex states to Kinzoku who just nods in response.

The two ponies sit awkwardly either side of Kinzoku, sharing confused glances towards each other before Alexander clears his throat and sighs deeply.

"Starlight, Twilight... Meet our parents, Alex Night and Kinzoku Meteor." Alexander states hanging up both his and Edwards blazers on the rack.

"Vice versa... These are our familiars, Twilight and Starlight." Edward states as he goes to the kitchen.

"It's not like they are presenting their girlfriends to us, you girls can relax." Alex states with a chuckle.

Twilight shares a deep blush with Starlight at the implication combined with their imagination. Coughing slightly, Twilight clears her throat before trying to speak.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship." Twilight states without really thinking which causes Edward nearly slam his head on the kitchen counter.

"I'm Starlight Glimmer, her student." Starlight follows up to complete their introduction.

Alexander sighs deeply as he leans against the wall beside the hallway as his sister yawns before entering the room, fully dressed in her uniform.

"What's with all the noise..? Oh, fuck..."  Lucita comments upon seeing their father.

"Ah, Lucita my girl. You're looking well!" Alex chuckles while smiling.

"I'm good... Why didn't you fucking tell me dad was coming for a visit!" Lucita whispers as she leans towards Alexander.

"I didn't fucking know!" Alexander whispers back annoyed.

"Well, I have something I need to get to this morning. Nice seeing you dad." Lucita makes her hasty retreat out the dorm room door.

"It's pleasant to see you two get along, for the most part." Alex comments unfolding his arms to pick up his cup of tea and sips it slowly.

"Yeah... Not so much..." Alexander sighs deeply as he rubs his eyes.

Starlight shifts a little to get comfortable before choosing to speak.

"I'm curious to ask, but what is your familiar Mr Night?" Starlight asks picking up a third cup of tea.

Alex laughs heartily before snapping his fingers to summon an almost identical mini looking version of himself, except the familiar has a single curly tuft of hair out of his forehead and his moustache is blonde. The familiar also seems to lack the trench coat and shirt showing a very muscular upper body.

"Sweet Jesus you just had to ask..." Alexander groans into his hand.

"Armstrong is his name and he is a strength based familiar as you can imagine. Needless to say, his abilities include super strength and increased endurance." Alex states proudly.

"Because you totally need to use either one of those abilities... I sometimes wonder what purpose he actually serves." Alexander looks up from his hand.

"Familiars offer more than just the abilities they hold. They also provide companionship towards their magicians." Alex states with confidence.

"Alex is not wrong. Sometimes the only friend a magician has is the familiar by his side." Kinzoku comments in addition.

Twilight finishes her cup of tea before turning to Kinzoku.

"Pray tell then, what is your familiar?" Twilight asks putting down her cup.

"My familiar is a lesser earth golem who is currently watching the shop for me while I am here. It'd be impractical to summon him at this time." Kinzoku states putting down his own tea cup.

"Am I the only one who is confused how everyone is getting a cup of tea out of nowhere?" Alexander states with a distressed expression.

Edward walks over to stand beside him, also holding a cup of tea.

"I don't know what you mean." Edward sips the tea slowly.

"Oh for fuck... Screw you all then, I'll get my own damn tea." Alexander states walking to the kitchen.

Alexander walks over to the kitchen and puts on the kettle as he prepares a cup and tea bag. Alex stands beside Alexander to wash up his cup, occasionally passing glances at his son with an underline worry in his eyes.

"Have you been having any issues since leaving home?" Alex asks looking at his cup as he washes it.

"I'm fine, dad. I haven't encountered anything thus far that I couldn't handle." Alexander replies.

"I still want you to be careful... Nothing like this has happened in our families history, so it's wise to proceed with caution." Alex warns Alexander as he puts his cup into the cupboard.

"I know... It hasn't been too bad at the moment. Maybe a little difficult to manipulate my wind magic with my regular precision sometimes, but otherwise I'm doing just fine." Alexander states trying to reassure his father.

"I have every bit of faith in you... It's simply the depth of the situation which we find ourselves in, just try not to overdo it. Remember, I know what you're like most of the time." Alex comments and pats his son's shoulder a few times before leaving the kitchen.

Alexander sighs and makes himself a cup of tea before heading back into the living room when Kinzoku stands up.

"I think we should be getting back to our regular duties now, wouldn't you say Alex?" Kinzoku states to his friend earning him a manly nod.

"I concur, old friend, we should be going. I hope to see you again miss Glimmer. Miss Twilight, Edward... Alexander." Alex gives a nod to each in turn before stopping more on his son before leaving the dorm room.

"See you around Edward, my son. Try not to have too much fun, I remember my younger days at the academy. Your studies are just as important as extracurricular activities." Kinzoku states chuckling slightly as he places his arms behind his back.

"Jeez dad, I get it! Just go already!" Edward states blushing brightly as he ushers his father out of the door.

Starlight giggles slightly as Twilight is turned beet red from the comment made to them.

"They weren't that bad, were they?" Starlight comments still giggling at Twilight.

"Shut up..." Twilight states trying to calm herself.

Edward sighs as he walks back in and collapses onto the bean bag.

"So, what happened to the plan we made over the phone yesterday during our panic at our parent's oncoming arrival?" Alexander asks, sipping his tea.

"Don't even talk to me about that now ruined piece of shit... Digging to China would have never worked with our families." Edward states with a heavy exhale as he tries to relax.

"Look on the bright side, least it can't get any worse, right?" Starlight comments making both the friends groan in sheer agony.

"What? Was it something she said?" Twilight asks, confused.

"She had to fucking say it!" Edward exclaims nearly crying.

"Welp there goes my relaxing pace for the next few chapters... I'm getting a shower, fuck this shit." Alexander states as he puts down his tea and walks out of the living room towards the bathroom.
> Ominous Winds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A harsh cold wind blows through the midnight setting of Kilgharah Academy fermenting an ominous feeling of foreboding but was ultimately ignored by the sleeping populace. Deep in the forest, between the spa and main campus castle stood a cloaked female figure holding her open hand up to the moon. She appears to be slim, wearing a pitch black simple outfit with a matching cloak and pair of gloves. Her face is hidden entirely by her cloak and with no visible skin. Lowering her hand, she chuckles lightly before reaching into a sizeable hip pouch, covered by her cloak, and pulls out a mid-size cube coated in runes and engravings which appear to be heavy wards.

"Such a small container for something so destructive by nature. Yes, I think you'll do for an opening act." The figure speaks with a light, yet playful tone.

Pressing several runes in a sequence and flipping the cube around a few times she sighs deeply.

"You always had an annoying taste for long passwords, old man..." The figure lets out a low growl before letting the cube sit in her hand.

After several minutes, a sealed circle grate on the top face of the cube opens suddenly making a wide grin appear within her hood. Choosing to wait just a little longer, her patience is rewarded by a small partly cloudy purple slime slowly easing itself up out of the opening on the cube. Hovering her gloved hand beside the opening, she tempts the slime onto her hand by focusing a very small amount of magical energy in her palm causing a dim light to glow under her hood atop her forehead. The slime eagerly takes the bait and slips onto her palm, seemingly eating the magic with ease.

"Perfect... Your hunger for magical energies appears unhindered after so long in prison..?" The figure motions as if she is raising her eyebrow.

The slime is waving two arms towards the figure seemingly begging for something.

"Be patient, I didn't release you so you could mindlessly gorge yourself again on magical essence... Oh, wait, yes I did~" The figure giggles and sighs as she stares happily at the slime.

At the mention of magical essence and gorging the slime's mood changed drastically from begging to excited shuffling in her palm.

"Eager to get to work it seems, okay." She lowers herself to let the slime plop onto the ground before standing up again. "This should give you a decent start, try not to waste it."

Holding out her finger she concentrates more magical energy onto its tip, gathering a sizeable orb before letting it down onto the ground where the slime awaits. Not even letting it touch the floor, the slime grasps it in both its 'hand's and begins furiously eating it with zeal.

"Excellent~ Let's see how you perform devouring the magical potential in this so called Academy of Arcane Studies~" The figure gleefully smiles before casting a spell and vanishing, leaving the slime behind.





The dorm room is abnormally quiet as Edward prepares breakfast in the form of pancakes, using Alexanders already prepared pancake mix. Twilight is nowhere to be seen currently, but Starlight lays still asleep on the pull out sofa.

"Not the riding crop there!" Starlight states suddenly sitting up outstretching her hand towards the kitchen before falling back down into her sleeping position.

Edward blinks a few times, looking out into the living room with a confused expression.

"What the hell..?" Edward sighs and rubs his forehead.

At that moment Twilight suddenly teleports into the kitchen holding two bags of shopping.

"I'm back~" Twilight states happily as she begins unpacking the goods.

"We seriously need to stop letting her have cheese before bed..." Edward states with a deadpan expression.

"The riding crop again?" Twilight states with a tinge of a blush.

"Something like that yeah..." Edward shares the slight blush but continues with the pancakes.

Twilight walks over to the sofa and throws a cushion at Starlight who groans and turns over.

"Five more minutes mom..." Starlight states hazily in her sleepy state.

Twilight wears a deadpan expression as she lights up her horn to charge an electricity spell which she then discharges into Starlight's horn. The mare in question shoots up muttering curses under her breath as she looks sharply at Twilight.

"I'm not old enough to be your mother..." Twilight states folding her arms.

"You're getting there though, 'teacher'... What the buck was that shock for anyway?" Starlight groans as she rolls out of bed.

"I thought you enjoyed that kind of magic and what do you mean getting there?!" Twilight glares at Starlight as the offending mare pulls herself up.

"I do... Just not your version of electricity..." Starlight states avoiding eye contact as she stretches.

"By that, I assume no identical spells from two different people feel the same, fascinating... Though what did you mean by 'I'm getting there'?!" Twilight sounds intrigued then frustrated again.

Starlight chuckles as she begins walking towards the bathroom, leaving a flustered Twilight.

"I'll let you dwell on that, teacher." Starlight smiles,

"Edward! What did she mean with what she said?!" Twilight asks Edward with pleading eyes.

"She might have been implying that you're... Old?" Edward states gingerly as he tends the pancake mix.

"What?! I'm still in my mid-twenties for buck sake! I'm hardly old!" Twilight states defiantly glaring in Starlight's direction.

Oblivious to the noise, Starlight walks straight into the bathroom before seeing Alexander in the shower, midway through washing his hair.

"Oh my..." Starlight states, as a deep blush appears on her muzzle and she can't help but stare.

"Starlight, what are you doing?" Alexander states seemingly unfazed.

"I was planning to get a shower..." Starlight replies.

"I'm using it currently." Alexander states as he stares back at Starlight.

"What if I join you?" Starlight states a little too eagerly.

"I'm sure there is enough room." Alexander replies back with a slight smile.

Starlight blinks several times before blushing much deeper and promptly leaves the bathroom closing the door.

"T-too much, nope, Queen Chrysalis was nothing compared to this shit." Starlight tries to calm herself as her heart pounds in her chest and her face feels hot.

"You okay there?" A familiar voice states as Lucita walks up from the hatch in the floor which shows a small set of stairs.

Raising an eyebrow the girl is wearing her traditional uniform and collar while staring at Starlight.

"I-I, your brother, s-shower." Starlight manages to squeak out as she leans on the door.

"Wait, what? You didn't?" Lucita hints with an even higher raised eyebrow.

Starlight nods her head furiously somehow blushing deeper. The girl in question works her jaw trying to think of anything she could say to the information she was just sparsely given.

"I don't get paid enough to deal with this." Lucita begins to walk away as Starlight lightly grabs her skirt.

"You've seen him like that before right? I mean it's not just me?" Starlight pleads to the woman who now shares the blush.

"N-not exactly, no..." Lucita looks away before beating a hasty retreat out of the dorm room.

Whimpering, Starlight walks back to the living room and sits down on the sofa hiding her face with her mane.

"I thought you were getting a shower?" Twilight asks as she sits down with a plate of pancakes.

Starlight shakes her head furiously still hiding her blush.

"N-nope, no shower, I don't know what you're talking about." Starlight states defiantly.

"Oh shit, I forgot to mention Alexander was in there." Edward states putting the other plates on the coffee table before sitting down on the bean bag.

"I-it was like Alex's familiar, how I imagine he is too but in like a middle-aged packaged sort of fresh outta high school but like- I don't even know how to word this right now!" Starlight whimpers as she struggles to form a proper sentence.

At that moment Alexander walks through wearing a fresh uniform as he sits in the armchair with his pancakes. The other non-broken people/ponies in the room stare at Alexander making him blink.

"What'd I do?" Alexander asks innocently as he takes a mouthful of pancake.

"You broke her." Edward states bluntly.

"I'm not the one who walked in during another's shower this time." Alexander states before taking another mouthful.

"You and I both know what she saw will haunt her dreams for weeks." Edward states starting to eat his own pancakes.

"I hold no sympathy for this situation." Twilight states sighing as she eagerly forks herself some pancake.

"I strongly protest to-" Alexander is cut off by the door suddenly opening.

Bursting through the door is a flustered Forte Melody who seems very out of sorts from her normal stature.

"You'll have to forgive the intrusion so early in the morning during breakfast, however, this simply could not wait and Vivienne said I should go get you while the nurse examined her. Well, truthfully she wasn't really conscious enough to say as much, but she makes a point to speak highly of you so." Forte takes a deep breath trying to steady herself.

Alexander puts his plate down and disappears out the door with haste as Forte tries to keep up with him leaving the others confused.

"Should we follow them?" Twilight states in query.

"After we finish out pancakes, he'll be fine." Edward states as he continues eating his pancakes.
> Missing Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander enters the Iluminare Consortium, the club looking slightly different without the loud music and bright lights while also not being packed with people. With haste, Alexander makes his way up to the office area where he and Edward went several nights prior. Lying on one of the sofa's is a slightly more sickly pale than normal Vivienne who is holding a glowing blue runeic sphere which emits a gentle magical presence. Checking the girl over is a mature female wearing a white nurse outfit which looks more akin to a fantasy elf healer than a traditional nurse. The woman has white skin, sapphire blue eyes and faded pink hair while kneeling beside the sofa to tend her patient.

"Is she alright Nurse Redheart?" Alexander asks as he silently enters the room.

"Ah, Alexander. I was wondering if it was you Forte was going to get when she said she'd find help. Vivienne is fine, just a little magic deficiency." Nurse Redheart explains as she stands up.

"Magical deficiency? You know I find that hard to believe given who we're talking about. Vivienne is practically never out of magic even when performing her more complex show spells." Alexander states, crossing his arms.

At that moment Forte enters the room leaning over slightly to pant.

"Would it kill you to slow down..." Forte catches her breath and slows herself before going to Vivienne on the sofa.

"I thought you were right behind me if I'm honest." Alexander shrugs as he sighs deeply.

Nurse Redheart moves over to stand by Alexander before turning to face the two girls again.

"I've given her a magic sphere so she should start to feel better in a few hours, once her mana begins getting closer to normal levels. I can't quite explain her condition beyond being a result of extreme mana depletion, however, I have no theories as to how a girl like Vivienne got to this state. Although I can say it's not the first case I've seen this morning..." Nurse Redheart ponders with a worried expression.

"What do you mean 'not the first'?" Alexander asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly what I said. Vivienne is not the first case of odd magical deficiency I've seen today... Which worries me as to how exactly the students are ending up like this. Either way, with this many suffering the same illness I'll need to submit a report to the chancellor and see what he recommends us to do." Nurse Redheart states before leaving the office.

"I can ask around and see if anyone has seen anything to do with these mysterious cases. I can't exactly do much being just a student and from Wyvern House, but I won't sit and do nothing." Alexander states as he begins to exit the office.

"Thank you, I suppose. Just don't go getting into anything too over your head. Heaven knows this dummy never listens to that advice and you've been a good friend to her." Forte states before Alexander waves bye and heads for the exit.





A few hours later in the middle of lunch, Edward and Twilight are playing chess with marble white pieces on one side and the opposite shaped from black onyx. Starlight is beside Twilight slowly eating a vegetarian sub roll as they sit in a spacious cafeteria with an extensive serving area which offers a wide variety of food for the students. Alexander walks into the cafeteria, stretching slightly as he sighs and heads over to the line where Jerry is the last in the queue.

"Hey... Wanna buy daylight saving device which uses no power source and can always tell the time when the sun is out?" Jerry asks, leaning towards Alexander.

"You're trying to sell me a sundial again, aren't you?" Alexander asks, raising an eyebrow at the business.

"What? No, I'd never try and pawn off the same item onto a customer twice... But while we're on that subject, how about a magical totem enchanted by the legendary magician known only as Nova Mortis? Rumours say it can summon a reaper with the magic contained within." Jerry states as he wiggles his eyebrow at Alexander.

"Providing this is a legit item, how much would something like that even cost me?" Alexander asks looking intrigued slightly.

"For you my old friend, a loyal and unwavering customer... I'll say around twenty gold? Was tempted to settle on fifteen gold, to be honest." Jerry states as he picks out some healthy fruit items with a bit of meat mixed with rice for his lunch.

"That has to be the lowest price you've ever offered me and it does sound interesting for sure." Alexander states in replying thinking for a moment before handing  Jerry a gold coin with a twenty engraved on it.

For his lunch, Alexander picks out some chips with a double beef burger and a side bowl of rice with two chocolate with mint topped moose. After moving a little down the line, Jerry hands Alexander a totem carved into the iconic hooded shape of a reaper with small ruby jewels for eyes. Alexander places the totem in his messenger bag before they manage to get to the till to pay for their lunches. Jerry then leaves his side and the exhausted man walks over to the trio, sitting down opposite Starlight.

Edward uses magic to move one of his knights to take a bishop of Twilights which is within its movement range. The piece slides into position before coming to life and drawing its sword to decapitate the bishop and hold its head up by the pointy bit on their hat before throwing it back down beside the main body for Edward to collect.

"That's barbaric..." Twilight looks unamused, partly also because she is losing.

"That's Magicians Chess." Alexander states as he settles in, before adding a sachet of salt to his chips and burger. He then adds two sachets of ketchup to his burger.

"It's awesome~" Starlight sings as she starts a second well made generously filled out sub.

"I'll have to play it with you sometime, Starlight." Alexander states before taking a sizeable bite of his burger, making a sound very similar to an orgasm.

"You really love those don't you?" Twilight states raising her eyebrow.

"It's just sho good~" Alexander states happily.

"So, what happened when you went to see Vivienne?"  Edward asks as he stares at the chess board.

"She was suffering from magical deficiency, as in a full depletion of mana." Alexander manages to reply through a break in his eating.

"This is Vivienne we're talking about right? I didn't think that was even possible for her." Edward looks at Alexander concerned.

"That's what I told Nurse Redheart and she said that Vivienne was not the first case she'd had this morning." Alexander states pointing a chip out to make a point only to have half of it eaten by Starlight.

"I take it this isn't a normal occurrence than for the Academy?" Twilight states trying to move a pawn up the board only to have it taken by a castle.

"That's my chip, if you wanted some you could have got your own." Alexander sighs and eats the half he was left with.

"Nah, I'd much rather sponge off your chips~" Starlight states happily.

"It's really not so common here. Yeah, students sometimes push themselves too hard or over exert themselves with complex spells, but nothing that'd leave so many with magical deficiency." Edward states as he moves his own pawn up the board having it taken by Twilight's queen, but follows up with a second bishop that was in wait to attack the queen.

"Is there anything we can do or are we hopeless in this situation?" Twilight asks sighing in defeat as she flips her king, tired of playing the game and clearly losing.

"Of course not Twilight, we must investigate!" Alexander states happily as he finishes his burger and shares his chips with Starlight.

"How are we going about this then?" Edward asks confused slightly.

"Well, I'll be Basil, you'll be Dawson, Twilight can be Mrs Hudson and..." Alexander thinks for a moment.

"What about me?" Starlight asks raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, you can be Toby." Alexander nods his head and smiles.

"Oh that doesn't sound so bad-" Starlight is cut off by Edward.

"Toby is a dog." Edward states bluntly as he packs away the chess set and the broken pieces repair themselves.

"You son of a bitch!" Starlight exclaims as she glares at Alexander who has already finished his rice bowl and left promptly as it still spins on the cafeteria tray.
> Slippery Evidence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander flops down onto the sofa with a deep sigh as he pulls the Sherlock style hat down over his face and aimlessly spits out the pipe he had in his mouth.

"I got nothing!" Alexander exclaims as he throws his arms up in mock defeat before laying them on his stomach.

Starlight sits on the arm of the sofa by Alexanders head, flicking through a book labelled 'The Magician's Complete Bestiary To All Things Magical'.

"He only lasted five days." Starlight comments as she turns the pages.

"Well, we have been searching non-stop and compiled most of what we could find out..." Edward states sitting in the armchair.

"Which amounted to just glimpses of eye witness accounts that say they saw something odd around campus, but don't know what exactly..." Twilight states rubbing the bridge of her nose as she closes a book and sets it on the coffee table.

"Is someone stealing magic?" Starlight asks stopping on the page detailing the Phoenix.

"Possibly, but there is no evidence of any shady... Well, no more shady than normal characters hanging around." Alexander comments from under his hat.

"So, by that, we can safely assume that it's some form of monster. However, there is nothing in the bestiary about such a creature that drains magic..." Twilight states as she stands up and stretches.

"There is no way it's new, we'd have heard about something like this on the news." Alexander states putting the pipe back into his mouth.

Edward raises his eyebrow as he stands up and heads to the kitchen to fix everyone something to drink.

"Dude, you don't smoke." Edward states bluntly as he passes the sofa.

"It's a show piece damn you, it's part of the look!" Alexander exclaims leaning up from the sofa to shout.

"Either way you look at it, sitting around here is getting us nowhere." Starlight throws the book to the side making it land on Alexander's stomach, causing him to grunt and slap her ass on impulse.

"I... That was an impulse, I wasn't really aiming there specifically..." Alexander coughs a little and tries to look innocent.

"Hmm was a lot softer than I expected it to be when I imagined you slapping my flank." Starlight comments looking disappointed as she walks to the kitchen.

"I don't need to hear any of this conversation..." Twilight sighs as she rubs the bridge of her nose sighing deeply.

Alexander also stands up and stretches before looking at the time on his phone.

"I would recommend a trip to the club but even after five days, Vivi isn't feeling one hundred percent. Forte is currently overseeing the club while she rests." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Why not just a walk then to canvas the Academy. It'll get us fresh air, potentially further the investigation and we can get ice cream~" Starlight states sipping on a soda through a straw as she walks back into the living room.

"I find it seriously difficult to argue with that plan of action." Alexander states grabbing his blazer off the rack.

"You wouldn't... I suppose a little fresh air wouldn't hurt anypony." Twilight comments as she is passed her own blazer.

"Sounds like a plan. Pray tell who is paying for said ice cream?" Edward asks as he slips on his blazer and joins the group at the door.

"Oh silly, you are~" Starlight states before leaving the room making Edward deadpan.

"You are a bad influence on that girl!" Edward exclaims to Alexander who simply shrugs as they all leave the dorm.





The group walk into a brightly decorated shop which had an image of an ice cream cone with eyes and a smile on the sign. The name next to the lively image reads 'Minty's Ice Cream Parlour' in cursive writing. The parlour itself is quite quaint with private booths along the edge of the walls from the door with a centre area filled with more tables and booths separated by walkways for the customers and servers to walk. The group walk up to the counter where a slightly tall man with a built upper body, tanned skin, flowing black shoulder length hair with hazel eyes. The man wears a blue top with a yellow collar, purple shorts and an odd dome hat with a bobble on the top of a flexible black bendy stick thing. As the group approach the counter they can see him pouring several cup ice cream cones with various flavours and toppings out of some pouring machines and tubs of toppings.

"Is this guy some sort of ice cream magician or something?" Starlight asks as he places the ice cream cups onto a tray before placing it on the counter for a serving girl to take.

"Actually ma'am I happen to be a third-year student with an advanced degree in magical food preparation." The man states as he cleans the area.

"Before you ask, yeah, that's a thing." Alexander states as Twilight opens her mouth.

"I didn't even think magic could be applied in such a manner." Twilight states perplexed.

"Magical energy can be applied to a lot more than just combat. Edward can agree with me there as he and his family use magic in their smithing craft. As such, it's not too far a stretch to be able to apply magical energy in the preparation and execution of food items. For example, one could use magic in order to enhance or dumb down specific attributes of a certain type of flavour thus, being able to control exactly what flavours are more prominent within the recipe you're making. This becomes especially helpful if you're combining powerful tasting items, but only want certain aspects to be mixed together and shine above the rest." The man explains as he mixes and combines various flavours of ice cream into a bowl with sprinkles and chopped strawberries before making light sparkles rain down onto the ice cream bowl.

"Kronk, I think you've frazzled her mind enough for now." Edward states looking a little confused.

"I get it." Twilight states with confidence.

"I don't get it..." Alexander comments blinking a few times.

"So... Who is this again?" Starlight asks as she looks over the menu of ice cream to the side of them.

"Oh, right. My name is Kronk Krape, yes much like the ice cream pastry, but with a k rather than a c." Kronk states as he begins making crepes of various flavours.

"Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, a pleasure to meet you." Twilight introduces the two mares to the strange man.

"So, what can I do you for today?" Kronk asks plating up the crepes and a serving girl takes them to a table.

"We're after some crepes if you don't mind. I'll take the mango special, what about you guys?" Edward asks as he gets out his wallet.

"Hmm, I like the look of the strawberry choco if you please." Twilight states with a cute smile.

"I'm not too overly fussed so long as it's not cookies & cream." Starlight comments looking over the menu some more.

"I like cookies & cream..." Alexander states seemingly disappointed.

"Well... I mean I never tried it properly... I'll just have the Nutella banana milk fresh cream crepe please." Starlight asks while avoiding looking at Alexander.

"Alexander?" Kronk asks as he prepares what he needs.

"Cookies & cream please..." Alexander states before walking off to find a table.

"He'll be fine, don't worry about it." Edward states as he looks over the drinks menu.

Alexander manages to find a seat with a large hand out menu on it in a two part booth which is parted by a low wall in the middle. Across from Alexander in the other part of the booth is a medium sized purple slime wearing a wig, top hat and sunglasses. Both of them have their menus up so neither can see the other. Alexander puts his menu down to look at the counter before putting it back up as the slime puts his down to do the same. They repeat this process a few times before both dropping their menus and looking at the counter. After several minutes the group walk over to Alexander with the tray of drinks and crepes. As they settle in, Alexander looks over the low wall to see the odd slime and blinks a few times before Edward blocks his view.

"What's up?" Edward asks as he raises an eyebrow at Alexander.

The man in question just leans out again to look past Edward and to his surprise the slime is gone.

"I think I'm losing my mind..." Alexander states as he sits back upright.

"What else is new?" Starlight states with a deadpan expression as she takes a rough bite out of her crepe.

Alexander sighs deeply as he takes his own crepe and begins silently eating it as he contemplates what he saw. Twilight takes a sizeable bite out of her crepe, humming in delight as she washes it down with some fizzy orange soda.

"He wasn't wrong, magic has tasty applications within food preparation." Twilight smiles as she takes another eager bite.

Twilight stops a moment as Edward cleans up some stray whipped cream that was on her cheek making her blush.

"Thank you..." Twilight states weakly.

"As nice as this outing is... We're still not any closer to figuring out the mystery." Alexander states as he lets Starlight take a bite of his crepe.

"Hmm~ I'm sure we'll find something before the day is out, it's only the afternoon." Starlight states with a slight hum.

"Well... We could try and narrow it down, starting with types of creatures that have a great affinity for magical energy." Twilight states taking a mouthful of her soda.

"If I had to say any type of creature, it'd be a slime as they often appear attuned to a specific element of magic." Edward states as he thinks for a second.

"However, I've never heard of a slime that absorbs magic like this and there is nothing in the bestiary about such slimes." Alexander states eating more of his crepe.

"Could it be a new variant? Or perhaps an extremely old variant?" Starlight asks leaning back in her seat.

"If it was a new variant we'd surely of heard about such a creature and if it was an old variant, how old exactly would it need to be and why is it not in the bestiary?" Alexander states gulping down his cherry soda.

"What if, bear with me here. What if, this variant was sealed away somewhere or in something because of this very ability to absorb magic like we've been having on the island." Edward proposes which gets him one or two odd looks.

"Fair theory, but why only now would it be showing up again if it was indeed sealed away?" Alexander poses in minor objection to Edward's theory.

"That could-" Edward is cut short by a scream from outside.

The group quickly finish their crepes and sodas before rushing out to see what the commotion is about.

"The horror. The horror!" A dramatic girl states as she has knelt beside another girl on the floor.

The girl in question has long straight blonde hair with a Lilly flower sitting behind her ear, matching blonde eyes and white skin. The girl on the floor has long flowing dark raspberry hair that has lighter streak within, light green eyes and the same white skin. They both wear the Valkyrie house uniform.

"What's happened?" Edward asks looking concerned.

"My sister went to pet some strange creature but then collapsed after a minute of doing so without warning. It then slithered off in the direction of the spa, this is just horrible!" The girl exclaims again.

The group, without thinking about it much decided to give chase in the direction pointed out to them by the dramatic girl.
> Sticky Situation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group rush into a clearing in the forest just off the path towards the spa as they look around and wear perplexed expressions.

"Where did it go?!" Edward asks as he frantically looks around.

"Does anyone even know what we are looking for?" Alexander asks, catching his breath slightly.

Twilight lights up her horn in preparation to cast a spell as she focuses, before releasing her magic and making her eyes glow a tinge of blue.

"Well, going by our profile thus far... A slime of some description?" Twilight looks around and points towards a blob of mass through her thermal vision spell. "There is something hidden in the bushes over there."

After several seconds the purple slime slides out of the bushes and grows slowly in mass as a magical looking energy inside it shrinks and is absorbed.

"I guess we found the culprit who has been stealing the students magic, but how the hell do we subdue it?" Alexander asks standing in his regular preparation stance with his right arm lowered.

"That is a very good question... The more important question would be how to subdue it without magic." Twilight states in observation as she runs through several scenarios.

The slime simply stands there looking at them before stopping on Alexander and wobbling up straight upon recognising him. Alexander does the same before his eyes widen and they point at each other.

"You were that funky looking dude in the parlour!" Alexander states but the slime appears to mimic it with his body movements.

"You saw him in the ice cream parlour?" Starlight asks raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he was wearing sunglasses, a wig and a top hat, but I know it's the same guy." Alexander explains as he settles back down out of his combat stance.

"In all honesty, it doesn't appear to be hostile at all and that girl said her sister collapsed after petting it..." Twilight muses rubbing her muzzle.

Alexander glances up towards the nearby mountainside with a frowned expression as he can't quite make out a presence using his wind magic. Twilight suddenly feels a tiny pinch on her neck making her slap the spot on instinct before looking at her hand in confusion as she can't see anything there. Twilight's chest suddenly feels very tight and inflamed as she clenches her shirt tightly.

"What's wrong Twilight?" Edward asks concerned as he steps closer to her side.

Twilight can feel her magic fluctuate and begin to rise within her body before the slime in front of them stares blankly in her direction. Twilight's magical energy continues to rise causing her to hold her head and chest as her horn begins to build-up too.

"I think we should get the hell away from here!" Alexander states as he begins to back away from the scene.

Starlight and Edward nod at that notion and they both begin to help a struggling Twilight hobble quickly away from the slime who appears to be drooling. After several seconds, Twilight's magic reaches the point it bursts into an intense faint aura around her person causing the nearby slime to turn bright red and scowl. The creature then roars loudly and begins chasing after the group with abnormal haste while spitting smallish sized slime pellets at them. The group is able to dodge the majority of the slime pellets, but several lands on Starlight and Twilight's blazers.

"Excuse me, princess." Edward states as he rushes to strip Twilight's blazer while avoiding the slime.

"I apologise in advance." Alexander states as he skids and comes to a stopping point in his iconic combat stance.

"Sorry for what- don't even think about it!" Starlight states before Alexander snaps his fingers.

The resulting air slashes tear Starlight's blazer to shreds but manage to remove both it and the slime. Starlight glares at Alexander as the trio catch up to him and continue running.

"Edward, I don't suppose you perfected that metal bending you've been practising?" Alexander asks as he attempts to send airwaves at the creature, they make holes in the slime which quickly close up.

"Good a time as any to actually field test it, though I warn you making rings is all I've perfected." Edward gives Twilight to Starlight before fishing in his pocket for a box of marble sized metal beads.

Opening the box, Edward throws four up into the air and concentrates some magic while uttering an incantation before slapping said hands together. Looking up, the slime is confused when four spikes suddenly land around him and then fan out to create a dome.

"Holy shit, you actually did it... Figures you'd use that anime character's signature clap, but I won't belittle results." Alexander states with a slight deadpan expression.

"Thank you, but I'm surprised it worked at all..." Edward states panting slightly before staring at the dome in confusion.

Leaking out from minuscule gaps in Edward barrier can be seen the bright red slime who slowly weasels its way out of the trap. The group groan and continue running before they are quickly pursued.

"I have an idea, it is a very bad idea but it's all I got right now." Alexander states as he redirects them.

After several paces through the forest, they come upon the poorly boarded up entrance of an old mineshaft. Not having time to argue against the plan, the group slide through the boards and begin to run down the mine.

"According to the records wasn't this place shut down several hundred years ago." Edward asks, now holding Twilight again.

"Apparently, yeah. The guys and I come down here for D&D every Thursday night." Alexander states with an awkward smile.

"That's where you've been going at night on Thursday! I'd been trying to follow you, but got nowhere." Starlight exclaims.

"Yup, wait... You were following me?!" Alexander states before they hear a loud roar making the tunnels shake.

Suddenly the ground begins to crack and rumble before giving way into a black abyss which swallows the group whole. The slime creeps up to the edge of the hole and growls before slithering off.






Alexander groans as he slowly opens his eyes to barely see the dimly lit cavern which appears to be a certain shade of lilac. The dim light coming from behind it appears to be light turquoise in nature.

"Starlight, you can get off me now..." Alexander states as she sighs.

"I've been awake for at least an hour by now and you haven't complained." Starlight replies without moving.

"Get your flank off my chest for the love of god woman." Alexander snaps his fingers to elevate the mare off him and sit her nearby.

"Spoilsport... Any idea where we are?" Starlight asks as she stands up and dusts off her skirt.

Alexander stands up and stretches, cracking several parts of his body before groaning and looking around.

"Likely deeper in the mine... You know this would have been a softer landing if you didn't grab my arms on the way down." Alexander states rubbing his neck.

"You had no problem moving anything! Your wind magic should have saved us from a hard landing..." Starlight states folding her arms in a humph.

"Hold on a moment here... I'm just going to say what I'm sure everyone else is thinking by this point." Alexander takes a breath.

Starlight turns away from Alexander and sighs.

"What is that then?" Starlight asks.

"Why in the name of all that is magical in the world did you not just levitate yourself like I've seen you do before, you could have easily avoided landing on me." Alexander shouts, pointing at Starlight dramatically.

Starlight blushes deeply before turning sharply to look at Alexander.

"That's hardly the point of any of this! Besides, I did use it just before landing on you so I didn't crush your chest, so there ha!" Starlight exclaims pointing back at him.

"So, what you're saying is, you purposely landed on me with your flank in my face and proceeded to stay like such for an hour? What the hell were you doing for that whole time?" Alexander asks, folding his arms.

"I... Well... Objection! I didn't mean anything by it, I was just too lazy to move. As for what I was doing... Playing Plants V.S Zombies on your phone till you woke up..." Starlight avoids looking at Alexander directly.

Alexander tries to work his mouth, but can only just stare at the mare in front of him before sighing deeply.

"You give me headaches, Starlight... Headaches. We need to find Edward and Twilight before that slime thing does and hopefully find a way to fix her." Alexander looks around and spots a tunnel leading off from where they are.

"I guess I'll go first then seeing as I have the light magic, but you better cover my ass with your wind magic so nothing jumps us." Starlight states as she walks in front of him towards the tunnel.

"Oh, believe me, I won't take my eyes off it." Alexander states as he starts walking a little bit behind her.

"You are terrible..." Starlight sighs as they descend down the tunnel.





Edward slowly blinks open his eyes and moves a little before groaning and holding his arm as he flinches in pain. Looking around he can see Twilight laying a short distance from him, her magical aura still pulsing around her. Between them is a metal sled made from the same material as the balls Edward threw at the slime before.

"Least the days spent practising that technique during last winter paid off..." Edward mutters to himself before moving over to Twilight.

Gently touching the mare to try and move her, Edward could feel that her body is rising slowly in temperature.

"Ngh... W-where are we..?" Twilight asks as she comes around but keeps clutching her chest.

"By the looks of things, deeper within the mine. We got separated from Alexander and Starlight part way down the fall, I was lucky enough to be able to reach my metal balls and form the sledge which saved us." Edward states drawing her attention to the nearby metal sled.

"Thank you... With me unable to seemingly do much with my magic, unstable as it is..." Twilight sits herself up despite her intense pain.

"It's fine. We need to find a way out of here and meet up with the others before the slime finds us." Edward states standing up and looks around.

A short distance away from them, Edward can see a tunnel leading off from the room they are in. Nodding to himself, he squats down and prompts Twilight to get on his back.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Twilight asks as she slowly moves onto Edward in a piggyback position.

Edward slowly stands up and Twilight gets comfortable before settling.

"It's the best method to get around right now with you suffering how you are. Please just bear with it for now." Edward states before they start moving down the tunnel.

"Thank you..." Twilight states before closing her eyes.
> Dysfunctional Tea Party Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jerry walks into Minty's Parlour to look around before heading towards a group of three students that were all drinking sodas. Waving to the group he walks over and sits beside a white girl with a slightly spiky lightning yellow hair style, sky blue eyes and wears a Valkyrie House uniform. The other two are males, one has short brown hair with hazel eyes and dawns a Golem House uniform while the other wears a Wyvern house uniform, has a slender figure, black flat topped hair, a black thick moustache and hazel eyes. Jerry takes off his hat and removes his shades to slide them inside his trench coat. Now visible, the man's hair can be seen to be light blonde with fire red eyes.

"Taylor, Chris, Vinny. So nice to see you all here on this auspicious evening." Jerry states as he stretches and relaxes.

The girl in question identified as Taylor slides him a soda which he generously takes several gulps of.

"Well, we all showed up... where is our ever favourite wind mage?" Taylor asks as she leans back in her seat.

"It's abnormal for him to be the last one in, even with his new familiar." Chris states looking perplexed.

"Maybe he got held up or something, I'm sure he'll be here." Vinny states as he tinkers with some straws.

Jerry leans forward onto his elbows and interlocks his fingers as to rest his chin upon them.

"Perhaps... However, Alexander not showing up to our weekly D&D meet has me concerned." Jerry states before putting on his hat and shades again.

"Going to look for him, I take it?" Taylor asks as she looks at Jerry.

"Naturally, it'd be bad for business if I lost my most promising customer, no doubt you'll naturally help me." Jerry smiles as he heads towards the exit to Minty's Parlour.

Taylor rolls her eyes before finishing her soda and getting up to join him as the other two followed. Once outside they took in the early evening setting of Kilgharah. The tomboyish girl stands beside the businessman and closes her eyes before looking up into the sky while taking a deep breath.

"Why so many people have to use different perfumes astounds me..." Taylor states before cocking her head to the side.

"Found him?" Chris asks as he and Vinny join the pair.

"Maybe, but... The direction doesn't make much sense and this scent trail is an hour or so old..." Taylor states before opening her eyes.

Taylor begins leading the group towards the spa following Alexander's trail which leads off the path slightly into the forest. They eventually come to a clearing but see no obvious signs of activity.

"Are you sure he went this way?" Jerry asks looking around before squatting down to pick up a very small dart.

"Mhmm... Though it now leads this way." Taylor begins walking in the opposite direction to the spa.

The group come to the metal dome that Edward made to try and contain the slime.

"I'm starting to think he's not having a tea party." Vinny states examining the dome.

"Evidently... Can you follow it further, Taylor?" Jerry asks and gets a nod from the girl in question.

Taylor now continues leading them forward till they reach the mine entrance and they descend inside. After a minute of walking the group come to the hole in the tunnel floor.

"Leads down here." Taylor points down.

"Like a theme park slide then, I imagine?" Vinny states looking down the hole.

"I somehow doubt it, but we should split up and search for them. Any takers for the hole?" Jerry asks as he looks around.

Without saying a word, Taylor leaps down into the gap with a flash of yellow lightning as her lightning hawk familiar forms and attaches to her back to aid her with its wings.

"She loves showing off her lightning hawk like that..." Chris states folding his arms.

"Maybe I should roll for a safe landing, huh DM?" Vinny comments before jumping into the hole to follow Taylor.

"I guess we'll sweep the upper floor then, come on you hopeless romantic of an archer." Jerry states to Chris who sighs deeply before following him.





Edward and Twilight come out into a small cavern which seems a little roomy. Adorning the walls are medium sized crystals which seemed to dimly glow as they entered. Letting Twilight down against a wall, she gingerly undoes her shirt a little to breathe.

"Whatever that sting did to me... It's clearly getting worse..." Twilight observes as her aura continues to pulse.

"There's got to be something I can do to help." Edward states as he takes the crimson handkerchief from his blazer pocket and uses it to pat Twilight's forehead.

"I have a theory... But it's very embarrassing." Twilight admits as she blushes.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it has to be better than suffering like this." Edward states with a sincere expression.

"You're going to have to... Force my magic... To release via... Oral horn stimulation." Twilight states blushing bright red.

"I'm not quite sure what you're asking of me..?" Edward raises an eyebrow.

"In more simple terms... You're going to have to... Give me a horn job." Twilight blushes even deeper which seems impossible.

"I still don't-" Edward is interrupted.

"For the sake of Celestia, I need you to suck my horn like a lollipop!" Twilight shouts with her eyes clenched shut as her face is beet red.

"Oh... Oh! A-are you s-sure? Isn't that like..?" Edward begins to state looking down at himself.

"N-no! Horns are entirely different to the stallion genitalia you fool!" Twilight looks at Edward sharply, clearly offended.

"How am I suppose to know?! Unicorns are rare in this world alone and I've yet to hear of someone in a sexual relationship with such a familiar!" Edward states in his defence.

"Sorry... This magical imbalance affects more than my mana... I suppose I can try to describe it, but I've never experienced nor given one..." Twilight takes a deep breath while still blushing. "Starlight describes it as... I guess, flavoured hard candy... Granted I've never tested or disproved her statement, but apparently, our magical aura's give some form of 'magical flavouring' to our horns."

"How would Starlight know?" Edward asks raising his other eyebrow.

"I think she had a 'phase' while in Ponyvile. Least she calls it a phase rather than being bisexual. She had a short fling with a Unicorn in town and obviously they 'experimented' to a point." Twilight explains keeping her flush expression.

"I suppose it makes it better to think of it like that... It's still embarrassing though." Edward blushes half of what Twilight is capable of.

"Given our limited equipment... Not to mention the location and lack of time... It's the only theoretical method we can use... To avoid a complete magical meltdown." Twilight explains through the pants in her pain.

"I take it for an Alicorn that'd be a bad thing?" Edward asks cringing.

"It'd be equivalent to a magical mega bomb with enough magnitude to cover a small to semi medium country." Twilight continues to explain.

"A bit bigger than our island then?" Edward asks shuffling closer.

"Hmm... I suppose if you combine two or maybe three islands the size of Kilgharah... That might just cover... What I'm trying to convey." Twilight groans a little at the end.

"I get it, I think... It's very bad. If you're sure about this I want to at least try to help..." Edward states blushing a little brighter.

"You also understand... This is a sexual act, correct?" Twilight asks in confirmation.

"I... I understand. I just hope you're okay with me doing it..." Edward states as Twilight leans on him a little.

"To be honest with you... I doubt it could be anyone else from this world I'd trust enough to do it... It'd just be weird if it was Starlight." Twilight states with a very light chuckle.

"Okay then... Whenever you're ready..." Edward states as he gulps.

Twilight takes a deep breath and angles her horn towards Edward more directly, the atmosphere was hesitant, but not reluctant on either end. Twilight can feel Edward's hot breath on her horn and his scent seems to linger on her senses more than normal. The Alicorn tries to chalk up this experience to what the magical imbalance is doing to her body, but she isn't so sure that's entirely true. Then suddenly she feels a pleasing shock flow through her as Edward's tongue makes contact with Twilight's horn. The sensation is rough with the texture of his tongue but gentle and pleasing at the same time.

"Hmm..." Edward hums a little as he seems to stop.

"W-what is it..? Does it taste weird?" Twilight asks, her face flushed but less embarrassed.

"Grape... Your horn tastes like grape..." Edward states as she suddenly feels his tongue go back to work more eagerly on her horn.

The mare in question writhes and wiggles atop him as she feels his tongue explore the contours of her horn. Starlight did once describe to her what it felt like but... Twilight felt at this moment in time, her description doesn't do it justice. Edward, despite being very inexperienced, simply did as he was advised to... Imagining Twilight's horn as a grape flavoured lollipop. Gently holding the mare by her hips, Edward tried to keep her as still as possible while she panted at his work. Sliding his tongue from the base of her horn along its contours to the tip especially got a throaty reaction from the purple mare as she let out her moan a little too loudly for her liking, painting a distinct blush across her muzzle. However, she showed no indication of desiring anything less than his continued pampering of her horn. An appendage she previously only thought of for practical use now had a whole other image in her mind. Twilight was then caught off guard when Edward rose up to take her grape flavoured horn into his mouth and begin sucking on it with fervour. Twilight feels a distinct wetness and pressure begin to build up between her legs despite it being her horn that is stimulated.

"B-by Celestia..." Twilight moans softly as Edward sucks her horn harder.

The human male offers no words, not because his mouth is around her horn, but because he has none to suit the situation. Twilight can't help herself and slips her hand down between her legs to lightly stroke her slit through the fabric of her panties. Though her release came quicker than the mare had expected upon Edward adding in his tongue to the mix against her horn while inside her mouth. The inexperienced mare found this stimulation overwhelming and quickly slid her horn from Edward's mouth leaving a saliva trail. Shortly after leaving his mouth, she lets out a loud moan as she climaxes, her horn shooting a beam of condensed magic up into the cavern ceiling, the crystals around them glowing vibrantly and erratically. Edward uses his magic to manipulate and divert any falling debris as Twilight's laser burns through the rock with ease. As the scene calms down Twilight is left panting heavily as her aura shrinks but remains above normal leaving her skin faintly aglow. The previously intense glowing crystals calm down with Twilight as she gets her breathing under control.

"W-was that too much..? I kinda thought I went overboard..." Edward blushes deeply.

"N-no, it was... It was wonderful... Edward. Do you... Do you really like grape or..?" Twilight blushes to match him.

The man simply nods making Twilight feel special in a way. However, her blush deepened more when she realised the state of her undergarments.

"I t-think there is a small wellspring over there... Y-you could use it to clean up..." Edward states turning away from her.

"Okay..." Edward heaves a long sigh at her confirmation. "Thank you..." Edward tensed slightly at the mare whisper by his ear before she pecks his cheek and moves to the back of the cavern.





Meanwhile, in the top office of the Kilgharah main campus castle, the Chancellor is sitting behind his desk reading a book called 'The Mare in The Moon' by S.B. Ignis knocks before entering the office and closing the door.

"Excuse me Chancellor Sheppard sir, but have you felt that odd fluctuation of magical-" Ignis is cut off suddenly.

In the distance, towards Golem house next to the mountain spews forth a concentrated beam of dark pink magical energy which shoots up into the sky, skewering some clouds. Chancellor Sheppard simply flicks the page of his book before glancing briefly at the beam of energy.

"Umm... Sir?" Ignis blinks a few times as he stares expectantly at the elderly gentleman.

"It's all well in hand old friend, you need not worry." Chancellor Sheppard states as he looks up at Ignis with a non-worrying almost too chill expression before going back to his book.

"Uhh... If you say so, sir... I'll leave you to your... 'Reading' then." Ignis states before leaving the office.
> Traps and Trials
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander and Starlight are walking down a tunnel before they come to a sudden halt, Starlight shooting Alexander a weird look.

"What's wrong?" Starlight asks frowning.

The tunnel suddenly shakes mildly for several seconds before calming down.

"Didn't you feel that release of intense magical energy just now?" Alexander asks looking down either side of the tunnel they are in.

"I did... Do you think it was Twilight?" Starlight stares forward down the tunnel with a concerned expression.

"It's possible... I'm slightly more worried about the four new entities that entered the mine-" Alexander frowns as he looks up slightly.

"What's the matter now?" Starlight asks trying to follow his gaze.

"My wind magic that was mapping the mine has been dispelled... Which could mean only one thing." Alexander sighs as he grins slightly.

"What? What does it mean?" Starlight questions sounding frustrated.

The hallway is coated in a dense purple magic aura as it's morphed into a stone hallway compared to a run down mine tunnel. Alexander's clothes also morph to a flowing emerald green tailcoat that has gold trim, a white frilled collar shirt and black trousers with brown boots. Around his neck appears a dragon pendant holding a green gem and attached to a silver chain.

"What in the name of Celestia happened to the mine? Not to mention your odd change in fashion sense." Starlight asks placing her hand on her hip.

"I wouldn't exactly be judging if I were you..." Alexander folds his arms as he stares at the mare.

"What do you mean-" Starlight begins to ask before looking down at herself.

Starlight is wearing a pitch black corset with a generous amount of cleavage being exposed, a long dark purple tailcoat that has deep silver trim combined with a black skirt and a pair of see-through black stockings, finally with a dark purple lace choker around her neck.

"What the fuck is this?!" Starlight asks surprised at her sudden change in clothes.

"If I had to make any guess, those four who just entered are my D&D group. Among them would be Jerry, our DM." Alexander observes as Starlight twirls a few times still trying to grasp her outfit.

"That still doesn't explain these slutty clothes!" Starlight exclaims.

"Jerry has... Questionable, but not entirely displeased tastes." Alexander states as he nods a few times with his eyes closed.

"You're enjoying this aren't you..?" Starlight stares at Alexander with a deadpan expression.

"I wouldn't be a man if I didn't appreciate what is currently before me." Alexander exclaims with pride.

"Pervert..." Starlight states with a sigh.

Alexander stretches before swiping his hand in front of him to make a drop-down menu appear in thin air like something from a video game. Looking through the options he selects one labelled 'Help', he then picks 'DM Support' from the next menu as a ringing phone symbol appears in place of the menu.

"Welcome to DM support, how may I help you this fine evening?" Jerry asks with a smug tone in his voice.

"I'm going to imagine you either came here anyway or somehow had Taylor follow my scent trail here... You know if I didn't show to the parlour there is something wrong?" Alexander states as he sighs deeply.

"I had Taylor track you and I do, why do you think I set up our dungeon for this evening? Not only will it allow us to progress the story but it will also make things a tad easier to help you." Jerry states in response, as an orb appears in front of Starlight and scans her body.

"I see, I suppose it makes sense... So, what's our setting for tonight?" Alexander asks as Starlight pokes the orb.

The said orb morphs into a detailed character sheet with a keyboard below it.

"Put your name in the sheet Starlight. I'm so glad you asked, it's floor 99 of the Gorgons Tower. As always you must find the waterfall cavern in order to locate the exit to the final floor. Good luck and be sure to message me if you need anything." Jerry states before hanging up.

Alexander sighs and looks over at Starlight who is filling out the desired locations of her sheet before it glows and finishes itself.

"I think I've done this right... Most of the basic details were filled out already. Maybe you can make sense of some of these 'stats' though." Starlight prompts Alexander who walks closer.

"Let me see-" Alexander's eyes go wide when he looks at her sheet. "How the fuck do you have a level 99 magic skill! Not only that but all your magic-related skills are stupid high for a starter... You're level 85 too! Da fuq is this shit!" Alexander exclaims as he groans frustrated.

"Why what are your stats?" Starlight asks looking confused.

Alexander pulls out his menu and navigates to his character sheet for Starlight to look over making her even more confused.

"Hmm it's only a little higher than yours but you're level 90." Starlight states as she looks up at Alexander.

"That took me a few weeks, you're right from the fucking start! This is frustrating..." Alexander takes a deep breath before exhaling to calm himself down.

"So, what is the plan?" Starlight asks, again looking at her clothes.

"We press on I suppose. We all have to find the exit so that'll allow us to meet up and work on a plan for the slime." Alexander explains as he raises an eyebrow at Starlight who is staring at her flank.

"These clothes make my plot look amazing... Don't you think?" Starlight asks Alexander as she cocks her head to the side.

"Why don't you lead for a bit?" Alexander suggests with a slight cough.

Raising her eyebrow amusingly, Starlight turns around and purposely begins to lead them while sauntering a little.

"If ever there was a time to die happy..." Alexander states under his breath.





Starlight holds out her hand and forms a blazing fireball, almost the size of the hallway before incinerating a group of skeletons wielding falchions and iron shields.

"This is actually a lot of fun and is surprisingly easy~" Starlight sings as her XP counter goes up.

"She could have likely soloed this entire dungeon if she wanted..." Alexander sighs as the fire dies down and they continue walking.

"So, how exactly does this D&D thing work for you guys?" Starlight asks as they walk through the ashes of her fallen foes.

"Basically Jerry and his family are very proficient users of trans-dimensional magic. Jerry combines this with his illusion magic to create what he calls his DM magician loadout which he uses to do what you see here. The loadout allows him to manipulate the layout of the mine so no floor is the same in our dungeons. His illusion magic allows him to form and summon realistic creatures for us to face and to even create our D&D clothes." Alexander explains as he juggles an orb of concentrated wind in his right hand.

"You should have told me about this before when you started sneaking out, this is so far a lot of fun." Starlight states happily.

"I'm sure Jerry would let you join if you asked. For now, we should focus on trying to get out of this floor... Remember that slime is still on the loose."

The pair comes to an engraved door with a shield and sword insignia upon it. Intrigued Starlight opens the door and they enter a dark room before the door shuts behind them.

"Figures it'd be some form of trapped room..." Alexander exclaims as the room brightens to give more visibility.

Now being able to see, they can see the room is a very vibrant pink which makes Alexander uncomfortable. Along the middle border of the walls is a string of heart decals.

"This room makes me nauseous..." Alexander states groaning.

In front of the pair are three large chests, one silver, one cobalt and one pink. Starlight walks over to the chests and looks them over, obviously intrigued by what might be inside them.

"Should we open them?" Starlight asks, looking at Alexander.

"I'd rather not... Given the room and that the chests could be trapped, I've no doubt Jerry has something up his sleeve here." Alexander sighs deeply.

Entirely ignoring Alexander's potential warning, Starlight proceeds to open the pink chest which releases a dense cloud of the same colour.

"Gah!" Starlight exclaims as she falls back onto her flank.

"Wait a second... I swear Taylor mentioned something about being trapped in a room like this for two hours or so... The door isn't locked though." Alexander ponders before looking at Starlight. "I said don't open the chest goddamnit!"

Starlight groans and sits up as she blinks a few times before looking at Alexander with half-lidded eyes as she begins to crawl towards him.

"Hmm, Alexander~" Starlight sings which makes Alexander shiver slightly.

"You either look drunk or horny and as normal it's difficult to tell which bloody one you are... Hold the phone..." Alexander looks past Starlight to see the chest is decorated with love hearts across its pink shell. "Jerry you sneaky son of a bitch DM, we talked about putting love spells, potions or gas in our dungeons!"

At that moment Alexander gets a pop-up tooltip from a spell he has called 'Area Analysis'. The report details the aerosol as being 'Desireant' which makes Alexander deadpan due to its name. The description states that the inhaler of the gas is given unbelievable confidence to seek out and fulfil their innermost desires.

"Oh, you sly coat wearing mother fucker..." Alexander sighs deeply before clicking his fingers and wraps wind around Starlight's wrists in a makeshift pair of handcuffs.

Satisfied with his work, Alexander is surprised when they are dispelled with relative ease making his expression drop instantly. Snapping his fingers again he forms a barrier of wind in front of Starlight and relaxes. A faint glow can be seen on the other side as Starlight channels a spell to her hand before touching the wind wall, making it dispel again with ease.

"Hmm, try harder~" Starlight sings as she gets closer.

"That moment in your life when you realise a pastel coloured pony from another world is a better magician than you are..." Alexander grimaces as he continues to walk backwards.

Attempting to move aside and slip past her, Alexander is suddenly placed in two pairs of glowing light purple magical handcuffs which render him immobile as he trips and falls onto the floor. Scrambling as much as currently possible he leans himself up against a nearby wall.

"That's how you make an effective restraint spell~" Starlight smiles seductively.

"This is just fucking depressing! Not the fact she wants me, but because I'm losing this battle of magical wits to a godforsaken pony. Fuck losing to Crowler, this is much worse!" Alexander practically whimpers in his debilitating state.

Alexander becomes very still as Starlight slides up and along his person to rest her head against his chest. The immobilized man in question is able to lower her head by roughly holding her horn, making her moan by mistake.

"You're always so rough~" Starlight states playfully.

"Because this Thursday couldn't get any more stressful..." Alexander grunts as he struggles against Starlight.

The mare in question lowers herself and caresses Alexander's groin lightly while nuzzling it gently. Alexander practically freezes before hearing a familiar voice.

"Should we come back later, Alexander?" Looking towards the door, Taylor can be seen standing there while Vinny leans against the doorway.

"Am I a terrible person if part of me wants to say yes?" Alexander asks in innocent curiosity.

Sighing, Taylor walks over and runs her finger along Starlight's spine shocking her back to normal as she appears to climax.

"That should flush it out of her system." Taylor states standing back up as her lightning hawk lands on her shoulder.

"Did you just make her...?" Alexander asks as the cuffs dispel and he stands up.

Starlight writhes in bliss under them before calming down and blinking her eyes open as she looks up at Alexander. The mare in question sits up quickly while blushing a bright shade of red.

"Umm... I don't really have an excuse to give at this moment in time..." Starlight states as Alexander helps her stand up.

"You don't really need one." Alexander sighs deeply.

"So, what's the plan?" Vinny asks as he pushes away from the door.

"We need to find the others while heading towards the exit. Be on the lookout for a magic eating slime that is on the loose, it already chased us down here." Alexander explains to the pair.

They nod and exit the room while Alexander and Starlight follow close behind. The mare being unable to look at Alexander directly.

"You don't need to feel ashamed about your desires, Starlight. Just do me a favour and don't change." Alexander states while looking forwards down the tunnel.

Starlight glances at Alexander giving him a slight nod while still blushing, but a bit happier than before.
> Roll for Initiative!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward sighs slightly as he stretches to ease some tension in his muscles while he waits for Twilight. The mare in question steps beside Edward as she yawns lightly.

"H-how do you feel, Twilight?" Edward asks, blushing as he looks at the princess.

"A tad better than before, but I still feel my magic slowly building again..." Twilight sighs deeply as he looks at her chest.

"Do you have any idea what could be causing your magic to build to such unstable levels?" Edward asks wearing a concerned expression.

Twilight ponders this for a moment before thinking back to the pinch she felt on her neck when they first encountered the slime.

"I've no evidence, but it might have something to do with the object that hit my neck before... If I had to theorize, it might have been a dart designed to cause one's magic to flux and build out of control. If left untreated the build-up would cause the magician to explode with the force of their maximum mana capacity." Twilight folds her arms and stroked her chin in thought.

The cavern they are in suddenly becomes engulfed in a dense purple magic aura which morphs it into a stone decorated room with a fountain rather than a natural water source where Twilight washed up. Edwards clothes morph into the form of a black button up top, black trousers and boots complemented by a long, flowing brown coat that bears gold trim accompanied by a pair of brown leather gloves. Meanwhile, Twilight's clothes have morphed into an intricate emerald green dancer's bra with a knot at the front combined with a pair of emerald briefs and dancer's sash of the same colours.

"This is an interesting development..." Edward states as he muses at his clothes.

"That's alright for you to say!" Twilight states blushing profusely at her clothing.

"Oh my..." Edward blushes a very bright shade of red as he stares at the mare in question.

"There you two are." The pair turn around to see Chris standing in the entrance to the cavern.

The man in question wears a brown leather tunic atop a white shirt, brown leather pants, pointed leather shoes with a quiver strapped across his back accompanied by a pure white intricately engraved bow. Adorning Chris's head is a triangle shaped, slanted hat much like that of Robin Hood.

"Chris? Seriously? What are you doing here?" Edward questions as he looks very confused.

"I believe I can answer that." Jerry's voice states as an orb hovers by and lands on the ground to form the man himself.

"Reaction shot?" Edward asks as the three turn to Jerry.

Jerry folds his arms and nods slightly before looking at the pair.

"I can understand that, but if you'll allow me to explain the situation. This is how we normally compose our regular D&D sessions, which no doubt Alexander was forced to inform you about. This time I have two reasons for forming my dungeon during this dire situation. One: It'd be a shame to waste a beautiful Thursday evening by not developing our story further. Second: The formed 'room' allows the players to contact me via a function called 'DM Support' through their menus." Jerry begins explaining before floating two more orbs over to scan Edward and Twilight.

"I can see the tactical benefit of said plan... Though I do have one serious query." Twilight states folding her arms.

"Oh? Do tell." Jerry prompts the mare.

"Why the buck am I wearing this outfit?!" Twilight states shaking her fist and frowning at Jerry.

"Ah... I have a problem, sorry..." Jerry chuckles lightly before clapping his hands.

Twilight's clothes glow and slowly re-morph to form a flowing midnight blue tailcoat with purple and gold trim while bearing her cutie mark upon the chest, black stockings and pure white gloves.

"I'd hate to think what you made Starlight wear." Edward comments which earns him a glance from Twilight.

"Oh that one was much more- it was a tad more-" Jerry pauses a couple of times as he tries to think of a suitable sentence, "it wasn't much more modest than that if I'm entirely honest with you."

"Figures I guess... So, what do we have to do here?" Edward asks as the sheets form in front of them.

"Please fill out these sheets and I'll let Chris guide you in today's session which is floor 99 of the Gorgons Tower. Your goal is to proceed to the deepest waterfall cavern which serves as the exit to the next floor. I wish you all luck and will be seeing you later." Jerry states before vanishing.

"I guess we have no choice with that slime around..." Twilight muses as she looks over the sheet and they begin to fill them in.

"You'll find the sheet should display your skill levels for various stats which are a representation of our actual magical ability." Chris explains before moving closer to help them.

"So, I imagine that's what these all are... Any idea what an 'Elder Red Magus' is?" Twilight asks as Chris glues himself to her sheet, reading it carefully.

"A Red Mage is generally a mage specialized in multiple schools of magic without being specifically tied down to one. I'd imagine 'Elder' would refer to your level of magician within this class... Which is true, I believe that's the second highest mage class available. Alexander will be so depressed to hear this." Chris sighs deeply.

"That would explain why I have such a variety of spells from various fields in my abilities section." Twilight nods in understanding.

"Also, it should be noted that a Red Mage is also more psychically able than their other counterparts often wielding a melee weapon alongside their magic." Chris explains as Twilight browses her inventory.

Musing over the contents of her bag she notes one item in particular and decides to equip it as a rapier forms on her hip.

"Are you sure using that is a good idea?" Edward asks as he looks puzzled.

"Hmm? I don't see why not. My brother made sure to teach me some form of combat to defend myself in case I was unable to use my magic." Twilight informs him as she expertly draws it to inspect its quality.

"Well, we should press forward if we hope to find them in time tonight. We will be encountering many mobs on the way just to warn you both." Chris explains as he walks past them.

The pair nod as Twilight sheathes her rapier and they begin to follow Chris through this mine turned dungeon.





Twilight flicks her rapier several times in the air to draw an intricate red sigil. Once complete she spins around before plunging the tip of the blade into the centre, casting the level 3 inferno spells to obliterate the skeleton soldiers down the hallway from them.

Edward and Chris are standing a slight way behind her feeling a little underequipped in comparison.

"Well... With her mana pool, I doubt we'll be needed at all till we reach the exit." Chris states to a stunned Edward.

"So hot..." Edward states randomly making Chris raise an eyebrow before sighing deeply.

Twilight wipes her forehead and walks back over to them looking happy with her work.

"So, can we expect any stronger enemies in this dungeon?" Twilight asks before looking at Edward.

"Depends on Jerry's mood I guess." Chris shrugs.

"Is Edward okay?" Twilight asks raising an eyebrow at the man in question.

"I'm doing grape- I mean great! I'm doing great." Edward coughs a little and stretches to look innocent.

Twilight blushes slightly and finds it difficult to formulate a response before blinking and shaking her head.

"Okay then... I'm just a little disappointed at the level of opponents here, it's great therapy~" Twilight sings a little, perhaps with too much enthusiasm.

The whole group hear a 'ping' sound ring throughout the dungeon as Chris pales slightly and sighs deeply before drawing his bow.

"You talk way too much..." Chris deadpans at Twilight who looks confused.

Suddenly the hallway shakes as roaring can be heard further down. After several seconds a Minotaur just barely able to fit in the hallway begins charging towards them with a big metal axe in its hands.

"Oh shit." Edward states swallowing hard as he steps back a little.

Chris gets an intricate monocle out of his chest pouch and looks at the enemy before gasping and choking.

"It's a fucking level 150 Minotaur! Why, why did you have to say anything about the enemies?!" Chris backs away slowly.

Twilight moves her muzzle around slightly as she stares at the creature slightly. She then flicks through a list of sigils that she apparently knows and stops on one she finds interesting. Holding up her rapier in preparation before starting her mid-air drawing of an ice blue sigil.

"If you two could just hold it back for a little bit, that'd be great~" Twilight hums as she continues drawing with grace.

"She is enjoying this a tad too much..." Chris states before moving in front of the sigil to fire arrows at the charging Minotaur.

Edward briefly flicks through his inventory before spotting an item of interest and equipping it before joining Chris in front of the sigil.

"I think I found something which might be of some use in my bag." Edward states as he calls out a lance-type weapon with a drill atop it.

"That's an unconventional weapon, to say the least..." Chris looks more than a little nervous.

Edward tries experimenting with the weapon, inspecting it closely before finding a mechanism which springs the thing to life, spinning up the drill like a motor. The man in question then charges at the Minotaur and holds it back slightly by making contact with the flat face of its axe. The creature continues holding its charge at a slower pace but is clearly being affected by the drill pushing against it.

"You can move now." Twilight states as she jumps back to perform her lunge, giving Edward and Chris a small window to get out of the way.

Once clear, Twilight lunges forward the same as before while mouthing the incantation labelled 'Diamond Dust' which adds another layer onto the sigil. The resulting cast sends a bone-chilling whirling blizzard down the hallway into the Minotaur freezing it solid as its charge is halted. The spell continues past their vision as it travels down the hallway. The purple mare walks over to the Minotaur and taps it with the tip of her rapier, causing it to shatter into ice dust before she continues past it onwards to the exit. Chris and Edward pull themselves up from the floor and put away their weapons before Chris looks at Edward who is staring at Twilight.

"Is it abnormal for a magician to marry a familiar..?" Edward asks dazed again.

"I don't think so... Though I wouldn't know for sure." Chris replies as he sighs again.

"Okay..." Edward simply follows Twilight as Chris brings up the rear.





Alexander exits the hallway with his group as they come out into a large decorated cavern which holds a large waterfall as its centrepiece with a decently sized crystal glowing above them. Starlight sits down against the wall and pants lightly, soon joined by Alexander.

"If I find whoever chatted shit to get that bell rung, I'll kill 'em myself..." Alexander states as he calms his breathing.

"Chris... It has to be." Taylor comments as she folds her arms.

"Possibly, but you remember that one time he did and then bugbears everywhere?" Vinny adds waving a stick of dynamite around.

"Either way... I think I'll take a massage after this nightmare is over..." Starlight states as she looks up at the crystal.

"That can be arranged... That crystal isn't part of the illusion, by the way, it's a proper magical crystal. There are two we know of within the mine, one sits in the DM chamber Jerry created where he hosts the D&D sessions. The other is up there in the ceiling of this cavern." Alexander explains before standing up.

"Oh, sounds very nice." Starlight states as she is helped up by Alexander.

"Wasn't there a third smaller crystal in the mine?" Taylor asks looking at the group.

"Oh, you mean that really nice red one with the smooth edges and beautiful engraving craftsmanship?" Vinny asks as he puts away his dynamite.

"Yeah, that one." Taylor asks again.

"Went boom." Vinny replies holding his hands out either side of him.

"Vinnnyyyy! That was a wonderful crystal!" Taylor complains as she sighs deeply.

"What? I didn't expect it to still hold any charge when I wired up a magicore 3000 dynamo explosive conduit to the thing..." Vinny shrugs.

"Dude... What... It's a magical explosive being hooked up to a magical crystal core... What did... How..?" Alexander struggles to figure out his exact motives as he stares at Vinny.

At that moment Twilight and her group walk through into the cavern from another hallway which leads off the room. The group wave at each other before the slime drops down from the ceiling to land in front of the waterfall before roaring.

"Shit! What is that thing doing all the way down here?!" Starlight contemplates before looking up to see the crystal core is gone.

Looking back at the creature, she can see the core is floating around inside the slime as it absorbs the magic held within.

"Well... This is a pickle, isn't it." Jerry states as he stands between the two groups.

"Took you long enough to join us." Alexander states glancing at Jerry.

"I had to finish my dinner and then wrap up the session. Not to mention I was distracted trying to take down that mare over there..." Jerry glares at Twilight who looks innocent.

"You!" Alexander points dramatically at Twilight who looks even more confused.

"Me?" Twilight points at herself.

"Her?" Edward asks even more confused.

"Slime?!" Starlight draws their attention back to the growing slime in front of them.

"I hate to concur... However, given the situation, Starlight is right... Our most pressing matter is the creature before us." Jerry states as he looks around.

The dungeon that formed around them slowly returns to the normal setting of an abandoned mine and Jerry leans against the wall for support.

"Jerry?" Chris asks as he strafes over to the shaded man while keeping an eye on the slime.

"I'm fine... Just it seems it was absorbing my magic through the illusion of the dungeon. I have a large mana pool but I'm not an infinite source." Jerry explains as the slime roars again.

Edward hops on the spot slightly in panic before looking to Alexander who looks back at him confused.

"Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed?!" Edward asks quickly.

Alexander looks at the slime and weighs something up slightly before looking back at Edward.

"Maybe, but do I look like I have a fire extinguisher?" Alexander replies as he holds his hands up before looking quickly at Starlight.

"What?" Starlight raises an eyebrow at the man.

"Cold bitch, any ice-based spells?" Alexander asks in shorthand making Starlight deadpan.

"I might do... Though why should I do shit for you after that comment?" Starlight folds her arms and looks away from him.

"Massage." Alexander states bluntly.

Starlight sighs deeply and groans as she nods before using her horn to channel magic, casting an ice spell.

"Do you have any balls left?" Alexander asks Edward who reaches into his pocket.

"Smooth..." Taylor comments as she chews on a bit of strawberry gum.

Edward brings out his case and curses under his breath as it's empty.

"I'm all out..." Edward replies before sighing deeply.

Alexander stands in his regular stance but changes it slightly to where his legs are further apart and his arm is raised a little higher. He then begins clicking his fingers repeatedly forming a funnel of wind in front of him which grows with every click of his fingers. Glancing back to Starlight, she takes that as her cue to start channelling the ice magic into the wind funnel which chills it to below freezing.

"Jerry?" Alexander asks as he looks back at the man in question.

"Yeah, yeah... 'Room'." Jerry states placing his hand onto the nearby wall creating a black human-sized oval shape.

"Any non-essential magicians, please vacate through the portal." Alexander states before slapping his feet together and lowers his arm with a final click of his fingers to release the torrent of wind upon the slime.

The creature in question begins to slowly freeze and become immobile as the chilling wind rushes around it, keeping it contained. The group slowly begins to go through the portal one by one till just Alexander, Starlight, Edward and Twilight are left.

"Will that hold it?" Twilight asks as the four move closer to the oval.

"Not for long I imagine, it's freezing the outside of the slime as the core within will keep it warmed up with magic. Eventually, it will expand and the wind funnel will run out." Alexander explains before grabbing Starlight and leaping through the portal.

"Hey-" Starlight is cut off as they go through.

Twilight stops for a moment and spares some time thinking about the slime while looking sad before she and Edward pass through the oval portal as it slowly closes behind them.
> Team Hydro and Team Heat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight heaves a sigh of relief as Alexander is sitting above her in a position which lets him tend her whole back during their massage. In front of Starlight is a floating magic sigil which is written in intricate and elegant runes.

"Are you even paying attention to me?" Twilight's voice states from the sigil as it glows briefly with every word.

"What? Yeah, yeah... Of course, I am paying attention to you Twilight." Starlight states as she melts into the pillow her head lays upon.

"Right... Well, I've checked and double checked everything I could find in the library that is related to or even hints at Slimes, Oozes, or other liquid type creatures of the world. I then went and did the same thing to every single ancient text or adaptation I could get my hands on... I see nothing talking about what Jerry trapped in the mine. Hmm, little to the left~" Twilight states with a little hum.

"Because I'm the only one getting a massage..." Starlight states bluntly.

"Yes, but mine is a simple shoulder massage as I pulled something while performing my fencing magic sigils in the mine. It's been a while since I even practised with a rapier." Twilight replies sharply.

Starlight stifles a moan as Alexander runs his finger along her back using electricity. Glancing back at him she blushes slightly before turning back to the sigil.

"What options do we have then?" Starlight asks as she rolls her eyes while biting her lip.

Alexander had lowered his hands to just above her flank and was massaging very sensually with the slight addition of electric magic.

"Jerry's sister, Shana Shade a.k.a 'Screwball' to her friends, is the girl you go to in order to buy knowledge if you are in need to learn something that isn't readily available. That is, so long as it doesn't violate the mages forbidden laws. I sent her a text a few days ago when we got home to look around for anything on the subject." Alexander explains as he slides his hands up to Starlight's shoulders.

"What makes you think she could find more than what I have?" Twilight asks sounding offended.

"I don't mean to imply your efforts are worthless, I apologise if I undervalued your work towards the subject. I simply asked her because she looks in places that would be dangerous for us four to be poking around. Each member of the shady family specializes in dimension magic and one other speciality per sibling. Jerry has illusion magic while Shana utilizes cloaking/displacement magic. All four of the shady family can use each of their taught schools of magic, but they prefer to further study one each." Alexander explains while deeply rubbing Starlight's shoulders.


"I entirely forgot she did that for a living... Why didn't you go to her before? We could have avoided your Sherlock phase completely..." Edward states with an unseen deadpan expression.

"Hey fuck you it was good while it lasted... Besides, she is very picky with what she will look for and her interest changes more often than a girl changes her seasonal wardrobe. Plus, I needed to find out what her preferred sweet was this week. That cost me a packet of smokes to Jerry to find out." Alexander sighs as he runs his fingers up and down Starlight's spine, gently releasing electricity as he goes along.

Twilight raises an unseen eyebrow on the other side of the sigil as she wears a confused expression.

"You smoke?" Twilight asks mewling gently from her own massage.

"No, basically think of Kilgharah as having a prison system of sorts, or alternatively a school student system where we trade items, information or other such things for the same things. We tend to refer to it as equivalent exchange to use the alchemist term. Thus, I traded him a packet of Mighty Magus smokes for what his sisters preferred sweet was this week. It's a very simple system, where the shady family are practically the forty thieves in four siblings." Alexander slides down lower than before just slightly easing onto Starlight's flank making her bite the pillow.

"Are they that good at trading?" Twilight asks making Alexander push down on Starlight's flank making her release a moan.

"That's not even something you joke about... Those four run a  spider web designed by four trained spiders that were taught 'trading is the heart of business'. They are the top of trade around the Academy, one does not simply get a better deal than the shady family." Alexander blinks a few times before realising he has been tightly squeezing a little of Starlight's flank which she doesn't seem to mind at all.

"Starlight? Should I hang up now or?" Twilight asks hesitantly as Starlight waves her hand in front of the sigil.

"N-no, I'm fine I promise~ What do we do in the meantime while Shana is finding the information?" Starlight asks as she relaxes back down into the pillow.

"Well, there is nothing we can do but rest and regain our magical energy which we expended during the last fight. I might have used a lot on the way up to the slime..." Twilight sighs lightly in relief.

Alexander decides to be a tad brave and slide lightly to sit on her thighs before rubbing his hands together, generating electricity between them.

"Oh by the way, how did you fix the build-up of magical energy?" Starlight asks as she wiggles slightly, noticing the absence of Alexander's hands.

Twilight blushes deeply with Edward on the other side of the sigil before coughing to clear her throat.

"I-I don't want to talk about it, please..." Twilight states lightly as Edward coughs in the background.

"Holy shit, you let him-" Starlight begins to state as she leans up from her pillow.

At that moment Alexander starts from the bottom of her flank, tightly squeezing it as he moves his hands up and across the firm plot releasing his electricity as her ass got a very sensual massage which sent her over the edge. Alexander's hands continued over her flank and up her back just as hard.

"Sweet bucking Celestia!" Starlight moans very loudly, "H-hang up now, right now!"

"W-what? We were in the middle of-" Twilight begins.

"Now!" Starlight fails to hold in another moan after he moves past her ass.

Twilight jumps slightly and quickly hangs up, her face is beet red accompanied by Edward's who was just as red.





In the mine, a group of sixteen students walk down a mineshaft in two rows of eight. Either side wore very different uniforms from each other as well as the standard house attire. The right eight students wore black shirts, black trousers with gold trim, black & red boot and fingerless gloves each with gold trim and finally short hoodies which were red with pointy ears on top. The left eight students wore black and blue striped shirts at varying lengths per gender, long blue trousers with gold trim and blue gloves. The two leading either side wore mostly the same attire, only the blue leader had a long coat of matching colour while the right wore a full coat & hood with pointy ears.

"I still fail to see why Ignis would send you to accompany us during this mission." The blue male leader states sighing deeply.

"Afraid I'll get hurt hun?" The red female leader states in reply.

"Not exactly Agni, it's simply abnormal for both elite teams to be deployed at once." The blue male leader replies as he waves his hand in dismissal.

"You're sweet brook. My main concern would be if they deployed either of the other two... In comparison, we are the lower two teams of elite students. I'm still surprised Wyvern House was given permission to make said team." Agni comments looking back at her comrades in red.

"I can't exactly say the Hydra House team is the pinnacle of our house but they are the only ones who volunteered." Brook states as he sighs glancing back at his own comrades in blue.

Two of the further back students leans towards each other while still walking.

"Do you think things got a little bit weird since they started dating?" The blue girl asks the red male who ponders this for a moment.

"To be honest Aqua, it's always been weird... Brook isn't exactly the poster model of sane." The red male states in reply.

"Yeah, but Flint... You forget how weird Agni is on a good day." Aqua comments as the two leaders turn around to look down their isle.

The two outstanding students shift quickly back into place before heaving a sigh of relief. As they progress, the group funnels out into the same cavern as Alexander's group fought the slime in before. Each side spreads out across the back wall of the cavern beside both entrances.

"What did they tell us to watch out for again?" Brook asks as he surveys the cavern.

"If I remember correctly... A slime of enormous mass and is purple." Agni states in response as she closes a notebook.

"Ah... I somehow believe that description is accurate but lacking in certain places..." Brook comments with a slight swallow.

"What makes you say that?" A nearby blue female asks, looking at him confused.

"Well, Delta... I don't believe they mentioned it being of a thick consistency or having eyes!" Brook states pointing up dramatically.

Both groups look upwards to see the before described slime, however, it does indeed include the changes mentioned by Brook. The massive creature drops down from the ceiling and causes it to shake as they impact the ground. The two squads of students angle their hands to all aim at a location each before their leaders summon an elemental orb of fire and water in front of each group. The left and right side then begin channelling elemental energy into either one before fully charging the orbs when they glow brightly.

"Dual cast, Magma River." The two leaders state in unison before two beams of elemental energy are released unto the slime.

The creature in question recoils at the sudden burst of joint elemental attack which is burrowing into its being. The slime roars and begins growing as the magic energy being use upon it is eagerly absorbed and consumed to their surprise.

"Oh, shit..." Flint states as he struggles to maintain his flow of fire magic.

"This is yet another unexpected development..." Brook states, himself struggling as the flow of magic is being forcefully withdrawn by the slime.

The slime continues to grow and grow as it's accidentally fed an enormous amount of elemental energy. Brook and Agni cast a disconnect spell which severs the connection between the students and the orbs they were powering. The cavern begins to shake violently as the creature moves around and multiplies its mass more and more as it gets thicker. Looking around, Agni directs them to a small alcove just big enough to fit both groups which they take shelter in.

"It'll be a poor story should we die in such a dreary place." Brook states with a very odd laugh.

"If you want to, go ahead but I'm not." Agni replies as she begins channelling magma magic from her hands to add mass around the edge of the alcove.

Sighing with a shake of his head, Brook adds his chilling water magic to Agni's efforts to cool the magma a sight quicker so the shell of the alcove is built before the slime engulfs it below his growing mass.

"I suppose he'll get a kicker out of this failure if nothing else." Brook states sitting down against the alcove wall.

"Shit... I guess so... Damn bastard." Agni chuckles lightly as they can do little more than wait for now.
> Smooze of Old
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander is in the kitchen preparing the afternoon tea tray which seemed to become a regular thing since Twilight showed up. The mare in question having a mini-breakdown when she lacked her afternoon tea, this caused Edward to prompt it to Alexander which he didn't particularly mind. Upon said tray were a cup of black coffee, one latte and two teacups with a decently sized black teapot containing ginseng tea. Also adorning the tray is a plate of digestives, chocolate bourbons and party rings. Picking up the tray, Alexander walks into the living room where Edward is sitting in the armchair and Twilight has taken the beanbag. On the sofa sits a blushing Starlight whom he sits next to after putting the tray on the coffee table.

"Bastard..." Starlight mumble taking a digestive to roughly bite.

"Don't blame me, she didn't hang up quick enough." Alexander states nibbling on a chocolate bourbon.

"I'm innocent in this argument... I wasn't the one coping a feel." Twilight states in defence.

"If that's what you'd call what he did..." Starlight comments.

"Must we have this conversation..." Edward sips his coffee.

At that moment a girl no taller than Adam wearing a long black cloak, black boots and black gloves with fire red trim steps out of a swirling portal. The outfit itself seems very similar to Jerry's attire. The girl in question takes down her hood and brushes out her slightly curly violet hair with magenta-ish white highlights, her eyes are purple that has a slight pale light grey swirl to them.

"Sup?" The girl states bluntly and with abnormal calm having just intruded into their living room.

"You're a little late..." Alexander states grabbing a brown bag from the lamp table between the armchair and the sofa.

"A wizard is never late, Alexander Night. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." She states beaming widely with a smile.

"I forgot we'd have to suffer this and don't you Lord of The Rings me you little scrub." Alexander states throwing her the bag which she catches.

The girl in question sticks her tongue out at the man before checking the contents of her new bag pulling out a stick of red liquorice in the form of a twirl. Sampling one, she hums in delight before nodding rapidly.

"Hmm, yup this'll do nicely~ I found what you were looking for in the forbidden wing. Took some searching, but the results might be to your liking. Though, having read the article myself I will have to ask your intentions with the said information I've collected." She asks happily nibbling on her new sweets.

"'Shana's trial no.2', even if you find out her preferred sweet and she finds what you're looking for. If she doesn't like your intentions, you've basically wasted your money and time." Alexander explains while Twilight ponders for a moment.

"Well, really it can't help what it's doing... When we first met the slime it was pretty docile and even the flower girl said it only affected her sister when she pet it. Thus, I'd try to find a way to help the creature rather than harm it for something which isn't its fault." Twilight states before looking up to find everyone staring at her. "What?"

Twilight is suddenly thrown an old musty book with a worn leather binding a faded trim.

"I suppose it'll do, good luck with that goal and all." Shana states before jumping up to spawn a portal below her. The girl somehow manages to pull up her hood as she falls and vanishes.

"Well, that was an interesting encounter... Could this day get any weirder..?" Starlight states just as the doorbell rings giving her an unamused expression.

"I'll get it-" Alexander begins to get up before getting beat to it by Starlight.

"Enjoy your tea, I'll handle it..." Starlight pushes him back down before walking over to the door.

Upon opening the door Starlight comes face to face with a white girl wearing a Wyvern House uniform. She has pale cornflower blue hair with very pale cerulean stripes and dark greyish violet eyes.

"Hi, I'm looking for my girlfriend, Lucita. Is she still here?" The girl asks placing a hand on her hip.

"Trixie? What are you doing here?" Starlight asks bluntly staring at the girl in question.

Trixie? I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else. I am the great and powerful, Trinity." The girl states with dramatic flair.

Starlight deadpans at Trinity, 'yeah, she is definitely Trixie's counterpart here,' the mare thinks to herself before Lucita rushes past her.

"I'll take it from here, thank you." Lucita gives an awkward smile before turning to Trinity, "and you, shut up."

"What? I was simply asking if you were here, I don't see- Oh!" Trinity suddenly realises making Lucita roll her eyes.

"I love you but god you're such hard work..." Lucita states pushing the girl along before waving back to Starlight.

The mare shuts the door before going back to the sofa and sitting down to continue her coffee.

"Wait... Your sister is a lesbian?!" Starlight shouts suddenly making Alexander cover her mouth.

"Shut up, jeez... It's a long-running joke which has worked since last year and takes heat off her relationship because she doesn't want people to know yet." Alexander states before raising an eyebrow at Starlight who is licking his hand.

"You know that won't make him remove his hand..." Edward states sipping his black coffee.

Starlight moves Alexander's hand down from her mouth accidentally into her cleavage before turning to glance at Edward.

"Just because you want Twilight to lick you." Starlight states with sass.

Edward chokes a little on his coffee and Twilight buries her head in the old book, both sharing a blush. Starlight blinks a little and turns back to Alexander before looking down.

"You did this, not me." Alexander states giving her a slight squeeze.

Starlight pushes Alexander's hand away while blushing brightly unable to form a comeback. Suddenly the ground begins to rumble violently throughout Kilgharah island making Alexander stand up.

"That doesn't feel good..." Alexander exits the door closely followed by Starlight who quickly drank her coffee.

"Why can't we just have a quiet afternoon..?" Edward muses before quickly drink his own coffee and following them shortly after.





The trio exit the dorm before heading up the stairs to the third-floor balcony where other students from Wyvern House have gathered as the second-floor balcony was full. Looking around they can see everyone looking in the direction of the mountain behind Kilgharah Academy where they previously fought the slime.

"Fuck..." Alexander whispers as they watch in horror at the travesty which followed next.

"Can you guys hear that?" Edward states trying to listen more closely.

"As someone who commands wind, I wish I couldn't hear it..." Alexander states sighing deeply before turning to some groaning beside him.

"I second that..." A female student states while leaning on the balcony rail.

The girl in question obviously wears the Wyvern House female uniform, has short rough, slightly spiky rainbow coloured hair with cerise eyes on a petite athletic frame.

"You hear it too, Ripley?" Alexander asks giving a pained expression.

The girl turns around to lean back on the rail, giving a nod.

"Yeah... Everyone else will hear it soon enough." The girl states heaving a heavy sigh.

"Ripley?" Starlight asks confused.

"Hmm? Oh right, I haven't met your familiars yet. My name is Ripley Dash, don't ask... My parents had an odd fascination with the alien films when I was born..." Ripley states shaking Starlights hand firmly.

The ground suddenly rumbles again as an explosion of rock is heard from the mine direction.

"Ah, took long enough for that travesty which was mentioned." Alexander states as singing could be heard, ringing throughout Kilgharah.

In the distance can be seen a rising tide of thick, purple slime which appears to be singing the song that can be heard now by everyone. As the slime progressed further towards the Academy, it hit and was suddenly stopped by a magical barrier which kept it from touching the building itself. As the creature expanded around and past the main building and heads towards the student village with increased vigour before slamming into another barrier, this time made from an electric blue magic aura. Spreading out to try and engulf each dorm building, the slime is met with the same result as the main academy with the student village being the only one with a different colour shield.

"We should go back inside, Twilight said she found something." Starlight states confusing Alexander and Edward.

"When did you talk to her?" Edward asks perplexed.

"Telepathy spell for long-distance communication." Starlight explains as she begins walking back down the stairs from the third-floor balcony.

Alexander shrugs at Edward before they both follow Starlight.
> Understanding is Half the Battle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trio re-enter their dorm room to see Twilight still reading through the old musty book while on the sofa, sipping some tea, is Jerry.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alexander asks as he closes the door.

"I wasn't entirely sure either a few minutes ago as I was magically teleported from a poker game with my siblings. However, I am assured it'll be worth my while." Jerry states before taking another sip of his tea.

On the coffee table beside Twilight is an assortment of mysterious items all surrounding a magical crystal core much like the ones from the mine, but is much smaller.

"I hope it's okay, I just borrowed your wallet to get some items of importance." Twilight states as she manages the items using one of her hands and magic.

"Dude, not even married and she's already bleeding you dry." Alexander states to a sighing Edward.

"Oh, no. I'm using yours." Twilight corrects him.

"Fuck a duck!" Alexander slumps down on the sofa beside Jerry.

Starlight plops down on Alexanders lap making him groan as she lands on him.

"Sucks to be you." Starlight states with a light yelp as her flank is smacked yet again.

"I seriously have a problem with that impulse..." Alexander blushes as he adjusts the mare to be more comfortable.

"I'm not saying a single thing." Jerry sips his tea quietly.

Twilight begins mixing ingredients into a small porcelain bowl while grinding it up with a pestle. After finishing her concoction, she submerges the crystal within a gooey thick dark purple liquid and lights up her horn to cast a spell on the whole thing.

"What are you doing?" Edward asks looking over her shoulder.

"I'm creating an original formula using this worlds components which should absorb and seal the vast amount of magic held within the Smooze, thus returning it to its first form." Twilight explains as the glow dies down.

"I get it." Edward states nodding his head slightly.

"I don't get it..." Jerry states looking confused.

"Just go with it..." Alexander advises looking equally confused.

"Oh, speaking of which... I should mention I managed to get ahold of more materials for you to make more of that oil you seem to have used more of lately." Jerry informs Alexander who sighs deeply.

"Not sure I'll be able to afford it-" Alexander is cut off when Starlight lifts herself to land hard in his lap again.

"He'll be able to afford it~" She smiles as Alexander groans again in slight pain.

"I see... You guys have gotten much stranger since our first year." Jerry comments before putting his cup down and standing up.

Twilight levitates the stained crystal core out of the dark purple liquid and lets it dry off in her magical grip before wrapping it in an anti-magic fabric which finishes her preparations.

"Even with all this complete... We still have no way to safely get to the source of the Smooze without alerting it to our presence." Twilight ponder as she strokes her chin.

"Oh... I don't think we'll need to worry about that." Alexander states as he stands and stretches.





Moving from their dorm room to the second-floor balcony, many students have retreated back to their own dorm rooms as instructed by the academy administration. Below them, is a sea of thick Smooze which is held back by a magical forcefield around the Wyvern House dorms.

"So, what exactly is your plan to get us there? Going to manipulate some wind or something?" Twilight asks before Alexander hushes her.

"Did... Did you just hush me?!" Twilight states in clear annoyance.

Alexander does it again and prompts them to listen in the distance where some faint singing can be heard. Twilight's ears flicker slightly as she recognises somewhat the tune that is being sung which bears a very close resemblance to the one her old science teacher in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns used to sing.

"You called our science teacher for help?" Jerry rubs his eyes gently.

"Damn straight I did, you gotta love the guy." Alexander wears a bright smile.

As the song progresses a small dark oak sailboat can be seen riding through the sea of Smooze on its way over to the group. Upon the boat, an average man can be seen with dark orange-red hair and black eyes wearing a Wyvern House lecturer outfit with the traditional red on gold trim, black trousers and black boots. However, the difference is he wears a monocle, has a thick handlebar moustache and wears a fire red graduation cap which also has gold trim.

"Why have we not met him before?" Twilight asks unable to stop looking at the odd boat.

"He's been on vacation..." Edward states bluntly.

As the song ends the boat pulls up beside the balcony and the man ties his boat off before suddenly jumping up to stand on the railing.

"Ho ho ho, I go away on an excursion to Africa for a few months and I return to have our beloved academy swamped by some form of magic eating ooze. You always seem to be the magnet for abnormal situations, dear nephew." The man laughs as he adjusts his monocle.

"Holy shit is he related to you?!" Starlight asks pointing dramatically at the man.

"Dad's brother, my uncle..." Alexander explains sighing deeply.

"B-but he's skinny! How?!" Starlight exclaims, trying to understand.

"Ho ho ho, never judge a book by its cover miss. I believe you called me here with a purpose?" The scientist asks, looking at the mare below.

"Oh... I guess a way to get to the source of the Smooze without alerting it to our presence would be great." Twilight states still staring at him.

Their teacher thinks for a few minutes before looking down at his boat.

"I believe I have your solution with me right now. I made this boat from dark oak I found on one of my many adventures. While this situation is quite terrible, I couldn't resist the actual chance to test it out in an abnormal environment." The man laughs as he jumps back down into his boat.

"I guess we follow him then..?" Starlight asks making Twilight nod hesitantly.

"I guess that's why they call him Martin 'Solus' Night... He hardly needs any assistance when it comes to adaptation." Jerry shrugs and sighs deeply.

Alexander and Edward jump in the boat, shortly followed by Twilight and Starlight. The group take their seats as Martin stands at the front of the boat steering it around to start heading back towards the academy itself.

"How is he moving the boat if its sail-powered?" Twilight asks curiously.

"How perceptive of you to notice, miss Sparkle. I'm sure you understand how we are masters of wind magic and have a wrist technique that has been passed down through the Night family for generations," Twilight Sparkle looks to see Martin's wrist in a similar position to what Alexander would have it in, only it's slightly rotated and elevated a little, "you see, this part of our technique is called 'passive wind control', it allows us to subtly control the wind of a local area while being discreet enough we would never be noticed by those ignorant to our ways." Martin explains much like a teacher would.

"Ah, I see. While your family can seem quite... Lively, I still find your techniques interesting." Twilight comments as she cradles her crystal core.

"Oh, I take it you've met my brother then?" Martin nods to himself before looking up towards the sky, "I suppose you could say our family are quite different than what you'd imagine. I took a very different path compared to my brother and our sister, seeking a more academic outlet."

"Different is one way to put it, uncle..." Alexander states bluntly.

"Now, now, we're still your family. However, speaking of things which are over eccentric, we should be approaching the source of the Smooze very soon." Martin states as they sail past the bubble protecting the student village.

Looking down past the rooftops of the student village they can see Vivienne and Forte standing in the middle of the street with Vivienne holding up the barrier.

"Ten gold says you collapse before we fix it!" Alexander yells to the clearly struggling girl as he leans over the boat edge.

Glaring over at the passing boat above them, Vivienne manages to yell something.

"Fuck you tailcoat, I raise you by fifty!" Vivienne yells back as her hands are spread out channelling her magic to the shield.

"Must you antagonize her at this time?" Edward asks rolling his eyes.

"Always. Keeps her motivated." Alexander smiles lightly before the boat passes the village.

"If I may be so bold, Miss Sparkle. What is it you plan to do?" Martin asks as he looks back at her.

"Well, I've learnt what I can from the old bestiary from the forbidden wing. The reason nothing we were doing worked because we didn't understand what it was we were facing. I'm sure you understand more than anyone that knowing is half the battle. With what I made, I hope to absorb all the magic he collected and return him to a more manageable state." Twilight explains as she looks at her altered crystal core.

Edward looks at Alexander with a smug grin making him deadpan hard.

"Edward if you don't want to swim I suggest you shut it..." Alexander turns back to face their destination, looking very unamused.

As they pass the student village and head towards the mine entrance they briefly past by the main academy campus where Twilight catches a glimpse of what she believed to be the chancellor standing in his office window.

"We're here..." Martin states as the Smooze rises before them sprouting two big white eyes with black pupils and a large mouth just below them, "Prepare yourselves!"
> The Birth of Stephan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Smooze raises up a large hand before bringing it down on the boat in front of it. Starlight acts quickly to deflect the attack with a dome of turquoise light.

"Twilight, I hope you have some semblance of a plan?" Starlight asks as she slowly feels her magic draining.

"Would it be bad if I said I'm not entirely sure..? I believe we need to get the altered core inside the creature's mouth to ensure it reaches its centre." Twilight explains as she stands up.

Alexander stands up and sighs before stretching.

"So, uncle... You have a back up just in case the Smooze sinks the boat, right?" Alexander asks flexing his wrist.

"Not a single one, ha ha." Martin exclaims proudly.

"Holy shit there is no doubt you're my dad's brother is there..." Alexander sighs deeply as he facepalms hard before groaning.

"I don't suppose you brought your balls with you, Edward?" Starlight asks as she holds up the shield.

Edward blinks a few times trying to process the question correctly.

"The metal one's dude, don't get too excited..." Alexander deadpans at Edward more unamused than normal.

"Oh, right." Edward fishes through his pockets looking for his small box.

Suddenly the Smooze raises both its hands and brings them down hard onto the shield.

"Going to have to figure something out now!" Starlight states as the shield caves in and shatters into shards.

The group scatter as Twilight spreads her wings and flies up while Alexander and Martin use their wind magic to avoid the attack grabbing Starlight and Edward respectively. The resulting impact into the boat sees it break and splinter into several pieces spread across the immediate area.

"Darn, I quite liked that boat. Not as sturdy against a giant Smooze, duly noted," Martin frowns before looking down at the boy he carried by the back of his collar. "Are you unharmed lad?"

"Just my pride..." Edward sighs before finally finding his box inside his blazer pocket.

Throwing a ball down below him he tests making a curved circle bowl which seems to float nicely. Martin gently lowers Edward onto the makeshift bowl before letting him go once it seems safe enough to do so. Nearby Alexander pulls Starlight up to hold her in the more comfortable bridal position.

"That's much better." Alexander states in relief.

"While I'm grateful for the rescue, I doubt you can use your wind technique like this..." Starlight states before she suddenly puts her arms around his neck in surprise as he alters their position to lower his right arm into the normal technique position he uses.

"That's how, though with the added weight my mobility won't be as great." Alexander states bluntly before looking at a unamused Starlight.

"Are you implying I'm fat..?" Starlight stares into his eyes like searing flames.

"What? No..." Alexander looks around slightly. "If anything you're well proportioned while being perfectly plump in some areas..?"

"That was so weak I won't even let it save you..." Starlight sighs before levitating herself with her magic.

"When you two are done having a domestic dispute, perhaps we can get back to saving the academy?" Twilight states, slightly frustrated as she tries to assess the situation.

"It would appear we require a tactical solution..." Martin thinks about it for several seconds before everyone's attention is grabbed by a distant voice.

"Hey, you guys!" A very familiar voice states coming from the direction of the Wyvern House dorm.

"Oh god please no..." Alexander turns to face that direction, very afraid of what he'll find.

Heading towards them is a pure white bathtub being hastily rowed by Robert. Standing in the boat with one foot on the front edge like a golden age explorer is Adam. Both ponies stare at the scene with the utmost confusion that can be afforded with their impending doom right next to them.

"Ha, I told you it'd work!" Adam laughs triumphantly.

"Dude, we're still fucking leaking!" Robert yells as he tries to keep himself out of the ooze with Nāve's help holding up his ass.

Turning around Adam blinks a few times before looking back past them to see a floating plug.

"When the fuck did we lose that?!" Adam scrambles around his pockets.

"Well, we did!" Robert states with growing panic.

Pulling out a reel of black tape, Adam pulls off a strip before slapping it on the plug hole making sure to seal with a few strips.

"Ha, flex tape!" Adam states confidently.

Nāve frantically rushes around bailing out ooze with a spawned black bucket trying not to get any on herself.

"Seriously, what the fuck are you guys doing here and with a fucking bathtub..?" Alexander asks with his mouth slightly agape.

Calming down Robert stops rowing when they reach the group.

"We thought we might be able to help," Robert stops to stare at the big Smooze. "Holy shit!"

"Ooh is it grape?" Adam asks staring at the creature eagerly.

"What is it with this place and grape?!" Twilight asks in frustration before the Smooze roars very loudly.

The Smooze slams its hands into the ooze ocean to cause a wave to travel towards the bathtub boat.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Adam states hastily holding onto the edges of the tub.

"Aye, aye!" Robert replies as he rows faster now with the help of Nāve.

Just barely able to row out of the way before the wave crashed down, the resulting ripple now sending them towards the Smooze.

"Oh, shit..." Adam states as they loom towards their doom.

From nowhere a loud voice is heard which sounds very close to Jerry.

"Catch white boy!" They shout as something can be seen spinning in the air, flying towards them from the mountain direction.

Looking up in surprise Nāve just barely manages to help Robert catch what appears to be an old shower head and pole design for much older baths.

"The fuck do we do with this?" Robert looks confused before the flex tape below them springs a leak.

"Gah! Gimme that!" Adam takes the shower head and sticks it in the leak in the flex tape.

Suddenly spewing forth ooze in the form of a makeshift speedboat engine, it begins propelling them a little faster towards the Smooze.

"Oh, for fuck sake, as if this situation wasn't complex enough already!" Alexander shouts as he grits his teeth in annoyance.

Twilight flies over to Alexander and Starlight quickly unwrapping the crystal core.

"Okay, I think we can use this. I don't have time to explain so, I'll just transmit the plan to everyone telepathically who is significantly involved and hope for the best." Twilight states looking at them both before lighting up her horn.

"I think your nuts Twilight." Starlight looks worried.

"Let's do it. I assume there will be risks, but we hardly have any choice right now." Alexander replies flying off to get into his position.

Alexander hovers opposite his uncle on either side of the Smooze. Twilight flies up above the Smooze taking deep breaths as Starlight teleports into the bathtub with Adam and Robert.

"Why are you here?" Adam asks before being passed a coin.

"Alexander said you'd be able to be creative with this." Starlight states before teleporting out again to be behind the Smooze.

"This should be fun..." Adam stands up and faces the Smooze before preparing to flip the coin towards the Smooze.

Roaring, the Smooze looks down before preparing to smash its hands down into the tub and its inhabitants. At that moment Martin and Alexander restrain the Smooze as best they can with their wind magic. Starlight reinforces those wind chains with her own magic chains and distractions to keep it focused on them. Down below a crackling blue can be seen seemingly charging up before Adam shoots the coin through the Smooze creating a large enough hole with the shockwave for them to speedboat through its mouth.

"Here goes nothing..." Twilight takes a deep breath before skydiving down at the Smooze, her wings folded back.

Diving down into the mouth of the weakened Smooze, everyone releases their magic before backing off slightly to give the slime a wide birth. After several seconds pass with no change which makes Starlight very nervous. Suddenly the Smooze makes weird facial expressions like it's ill or something and begins groaning as it begins to drain, shrinking its size slowly. As the Smooze shrinks, the group lower themselves safely till they reach the revealed clearing in the woods where they first encountered the slime. Adam and Robert lay in the bath chilling as they calm down from all the excitement.

"Next time... We stay home..." Robert sighs deeply.

"Not a chance mate." Adam laughs as he nudges Robert's shoulder.

Starlight rushes over to the main shrinking pool of ooze as it reveals Twilight with a glowing purple crystal core beside her and in her arms is held tightly a little purple slime, a smaller version than what they first saw.

"Twilight?" Starlight asks, nudging Twilight's arm.

"Ngh... Maybe get back to me tomorrow..." The mare in question groans as she slowly sits up with Starlight and Edward's help.

"You are crazy, though that seems to be normal around this place." Alexander comments, folding his arms.

"What is that?" Edward asks pointing to the slime held within Twilight's arms.

"From what I understand and have read, this is the Smooze's base form." Twilight explains as she gently holds it like a child.

"Oddly enough in that form, it's very cute..." Starlight states in observation.

"That was very impressive," The group turned to see the Chancellor accompanied by Ignis standing a little way from them.

"Ho ho ho, I'll be holding this victory over Hydra House for some time." Ignis chuckles as he strokes his beard.

"Oh, thank you, sir." Twilight states a little nervous.

The Chancellor moves a little closer causing the Smooze to bury itself against Twilight making her confused.

"Ah, well... We should ensure he can't hurt more people and contain him somewhere." The Chancellor states keeping his distance.

Twilight looks down at the adorable blob of purple slime in her arms and thinks for a moment.

"I think Stephan could stay with me for now." Twilight states to the Chancellor who blinks a little at her.

"I'm sorry, Stephan?" The Chancellor asks confused.

"Mhmm, that's what I decided to name him." Twilight strokes it gently.

"I am not even going to comment..." Alexander sighs and looks over at the bath, shaking his head.

"Hmm..." The Chancellor stares at the Smooze, sizing up the situation carefully.

"If you're worried about him running amok again, I'm fairly confident it'll be okay. As you can see they aren't draining my magic like before and he is extremely docile. I would wager that being locked up in whatever he was for so long starved him. I'm sure anyone would crave fulfilment but somewhere along the lines he was enraged and began gorging himself on magic energy... I am sure with a regulated diet and someone to understand how to care for him, he'd be a wonderful pet." Twilight explains happily while staring at Stephan.

The Chancellor puts his hands behind his back and seemingly surrenders to her flawless debate.

"Well, Edward... That's quite a strong-willed and smart familiar you've been lucky enough to have. I suppose I cannot find a reason to argue with such a detailed explanation, Miss Sparkle." The Chancellor smiles warmly while Ignis wears a bigger smile behind him.

"Oh, thank you, sir." Edward states in reply.

"Be sure to look after him carefully and I shall leave him in your capable hands." The Chancellor steps back a bit to stand beside Ignis once more.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you'd surrender to such a youngster." Ignis chuckles lowly.

Heaving a heavy sigh, the Chancellor looks up at the sky.

"She is very capable and one could hardly argue with her logic on the situation or the evidence in her arms..." The Chancellor replies calmly.

"Mhmm, you know this is just the beginning?" Ignis asks before looking at the man beside him.

"I do... Perhaps having the elements on standby wouldn't be so bad..." The Chancellor sighs before looking at the spot where Twilight's crystal should have been.
> This is Halloween!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight yawns as the group are walking up the path heading towards the main academy. Looking at her new purple phone which has her cutie mark on the back she groans.

"Alexander... It's 11:45 pm for buck sake... I was happily asleep before you kicked our asses out of bed." Starlight protests before stretching.

"I agree, it does seem awfully late for any activities..." Twilight joins the protest looking tired.

"Trust us, this is worth it." Edward states with confidence.

"It's pretty much a Kilgharrah tradition as far as we know. The Chancellor doesn't even need to ring the bell for everyone to gather for this." Alexander explains as they near the student village.

Running up towards the academy archway is Vivienne and Forte, the latter of which is still fixing her hair.

"Hurry up slowpoke, you still owe me fifty gold for the bet!" Vivienne shouts to Alexander who sighs deeply.

"Dude, you should have known better than to make a bet against Vivi when it comes to the size of her available mana pool." Edward folds his arms as they reach the archway shortly after the other pair.

"I know..." Alexander rubs his eyes sighing deeply.

As the group come out into Kilgharrah's main courtyard the students are all gathered like before, only this time they are more jumbled up in a sea of four colours. 

"Woah, this is a lot more chaotic than before." Twilight looks around briefly checking all around her before relaxing.

"You okay there?" Starlight asks looking concerned.

"Yeah... I'm good, I think. Just wanted to make sure I didn't invoke anything I'd regret." Twilight sighs in relief before being poked in the back making her jump.

"Well, someone is on edge this evening." Jerry stands just behind the mare despite not being so a moment ago.

"W-where did you come from?!" Twilight asks looking around.

"Hmm... Magic." Jerry chuckles slightly before moving past them to join Shana who stands the other side of the courtyard.

Starlight looks around at the mass gathering but still looks confused as to their purpose being here. At that moment, like before everyone's attention is captured by the Chancellor's presence on his balcony.

"Thank you all for gathering here so late in the evening. I know many, if not all of the first year students are wondering why their older classmates dragged them here on such short notice. Before I get to that, I would like to take this opportunity to address publicly the events which were talked about in the Kilgharrah student paper last week. As I'm sure you all know by now, the creature responsible has been subdued and is being taken care of. On this note, however, I would like to congratulate the members of Wyvern House who desire to remain unknown for their admirable service to their academy and home. That said, I would like to personally praise the efforts of two brave girls in particular," The Chancellor extends his hand briefly to cause fireflies to appear around Vivienne and Forte highlighting them. "Without the extremely selfless actions of Miss Scratch and Miss Melody, the student village would have sustained far more damage than it did."

Everyone in the gathering gives the pair a round of applause as Forte blushes slightly at the sudden attention compared to the regular crowd pleaser beside her who is adoring it. Once died down the Chancellor continues.

"Now, for the main event. It is, as always, a great pleasure to announce the start of our Halloween festival season!" The Chancellor rubs his hands together to generate some magic before pulling them apart to slap back together with a loud clap.

The resulting flying sparks spread out and fly all around the academy campus and beyond. The academy itself taking on a slightly darker tone with Halloween decorations popping up everywhere which include ghosts and skeletons on the walls, scarecrows and hay bales in the courtyard. Above them are banners accompanied by black and orange stringed triangles which liven up the place. Also dotted around are various carved pumpkins serving as jack-o-lanterns which gives the atmosphere a dull lighting against the black night. The student's uniforms shift and change colour replacing their main reds, blues, browns and yellows with pitch black while their gold trim is replaced with orange trim. Upon their left chest is formed a crest displaying either a gold Wyvern, Hydra, Golem or Valkirye.

"During this time of year, much like Christmas, we dedicate twelve days to properly indulge the Halloween spirit and everything it offers. I thoroughly encourage each and every one of you to make these next few days count and enjoy yourselves. With that said, yet again our student council vice president was hard at work even during her vacation to bring a wonderful Halloween experience to you all. Please be sure to thank her and her sister for their amazing work during the days to come." The Chancellor finishes his speech before retiring to his office.

The whole crowd clap and cheer before calming down to begin leaving or conversing.

"I take it back, I'd of been pissed if you let me sleep through this." Starlight exclaims looking around in excitement.

"Someone seems a little more than happy." Alexander comments folding his arms.

"Back home we had a similar tradition called 'Nightmare Night', it is essentially exactly the same with a few differences." Twilight explains as she also looks around.

"What's with the different name too?" Edward asks as they begin to leave the courtyard.

"Well, it's a long story but the basis is to do with Nightmare Moon who was an alter ego of Princess Luna." Twilight states making Alexander blink.

"Princess Luna..?" Alexander asks looking at Edward.

"I guess some things don't change much from their world to ours." Edward shrugs as they exit the archway and head to the student village.

"Hmm? What do you mean Edward?" Twilight asks before he directs her to look at a gallows which has been set up just a little way into the student village.

As they get closer, Twilight can see atop the gallows are two girls standing boldly to address the new gathering of students. The girl on the left is wearing a Final Fantasy cosplay of a white mage with her hood down. She has pale light greyish magenta eyes with long beautiful flowing hair made up of light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue and pale heliotrope streaks which shimmer in the light. Meanwhile, the girl on the right is wearing the black mage outfit Yuna wears in Final Fantasy X-2. She has enchanting moderate cyan eyes, long flowing sapphire blue hair with a greyish Persian blue outline which also sparkles lightly in the moonlight. Both girls twirl slightly, their hair gracefully following their movement before they stop and lean away from each other, holding hands in the middle for support.

"Greetings and salutations," The black mage girl states to begin their performance.

"I, Cassandra, your student council president and my sister, student council vice president, Lilith, wish to welcome you all to our annual Halloween celebration." The white mage girl continues happily.

Both girls now part and stand away from each other before they resume their introduction.

"For those who were with us last year you'll remember how this all works." Lilith states leaning on her staff.

"However, for those who are unfamiliar with Kilgharah customs like many first-year students, we shall gladly explain." Cassandra and her sister summon a magical screen to display a calendar.

"The Kilgharah Halloween festival lasts for a total of twelve days and nights. During this time lessons are suspended and will resume the Monday afterwards." Lilith explains highlighting the days on the calendar.

"This will give everyone five days in total from the 1st of November to the 5th of November to work out any hangovers they might have accumulated during the celebration." Cassandra states with a nervous chuckle.

"Is that in there for them or you, dear sister?" Lilith asks with a playful smirk on her face gaining many chuckles from the crowd.

"I have no idea what you'd be implying, sister dearest," Cassandra clears her throat to move the presentation along, "Anyway... During the twelve days the festival is active, there will be a plethora of things for everyone to enjoy."

Kicking her staff up to grab and use as a pointer Lilith continues.

"These will range from bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, shooting galleries, other fairground games etc." Lilith points to each icon on the magical screen.

"Of course, also on the agenda is the Kilgharah group pumpking carving halfway through the festival in the student village center." Cassandra points to a big pumpkin symbol on the board.

A girl can be heard in the crowd coughing and clearing her throat loudly making Cassandra sigh slightly before passing the matter along to her sister.

"As per normal, the clubs will also be open during most, if not all of the twelve days during the festival offering their own themes and music to our celebration." Lilith explains in place of her sister who takes a deep breath to collect herself.

"That's everything for now for the presentation, at this moment please feel free to relax or head back to bed in preparation for Tomorrow's proper start for the full festival." Cassandra states before the two sisters close the screen and give a bow to an applause.

The crowd begins to disperse leaving sparse little groups to do as they wish till tomorrow's proper festival start.

"That was..." Twilight struggles to process.

"What gave it away? The way they spoke to each other or the seriously obvious hair?" Starlight asks leaning slightly towards her teacher.

"Told you not much seems to change then." Alexander states for the second time before walking in the direction of the Iluminare Consortium.

"Where are you going?" Edward asks looking confused.

"I am going for alcohol dear Edward, you can do whatever." Alexander states before waving bye to the group.

Edward and Twilight deadpan in Alexander's direction before slowly turning to Starlight who raises her eyebrow.

"What? Buck no, I have been installing a new phone game all day and was going to play it when I woke up." Starlight crosses her arms and looks away from the pair unamused before glancing back at them slightly.

"I got this..." Twilight uses her magic to spawn a chocolate chip cookie.

"W-what do you take me for?!" Starlight looks back away even more unamused.

Sighing deeply, Twilight spawns a brown paper bag into her hand raising Starlight's interest. Opening the bag just a little, the bag can be seen to be full of red liquorice making Starlight turn fully to her mentor and bit her lip.

"Buck me... You never play fair," Sighing deeply she takes the bag. "Fine, I'll watch him..."

"Just make sure he doesn't destroy anything or put anyone in intensive care." Twilight folds her arms.

"You say about playing fair but she did save Kilgharah last week." Edward tries to interject.

"She saved Equestria many times before, I'm not really surprised. Doesn't mean you're any closer to getting laid... Anyway, I'll see you guys later~" Starlight sings as she skips off leaving both of them seriously blushing and speechless.
> Beat of the Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander enters the Iluminare Consortium stretching lightly as already a sizeable portion of students have gathered in the establishment. Looking over to his left up the stairs at the elevated sitting area can be seen two familiar figures wearing the only cosplay in the entire club. Making his way up the stairs he stops to lean on the rail beside their table before being passed a bottle of his regular cinder fruit punch.

"Quite the opening speech as always Miss Eclipse." Alexander states taking a mouthful.

The student council president groans slightly in her chair beside him much to the amused giggles from her sister across the table.

"Don't mind her, she hasn't slept very well since we returned. I hear though you've been having quite the adventures with your new familiar." Lilith states taking a sip from her glass of fireball whisky.

"Don't even get me started... So many late nights to make sure preparations were up to our projections that we worked out on vacation." Cassandra comments taking a heavy mouthful of black coffee.

"Jesus, when do you properly take a break... In terms of our new familiar's, it's been... A little chaotic to say the least." Alexander sighs slightly taking a sip of his punch.

After waking herself up a bit from the coffee, Cassandra sighs in relief before taking a few glances out to the floor spotting Starlight at the bar.

"Hmm, isn't that your familiar standing idly at the bar?" Cassandra states taking another blissful sip of her black coffee.

Alexander stops mid-sip to take a look over at the bar.

"Well, considering there is likely only two anthro pony familiar's on campus at this time... Also, factoring in she was sent by my roommate and his familiar to keep an eye on me. Yeah, that's her. How do you know what she looks like?" Alexander asks glancing at Cassandra.

"I have little flames everywhere, you know this." Cassandra smirks behind her coffee mug.

"She likely has more spies than you do, Alexander." Lilith comments idly.

"I don't have spies... I have a full guild on Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, but no spies here..." Alexander states taking a heavy mouthful of punch.

Lilith leans against the rail beside Alexander, sliding into place with the silence and grace of a midnight breeze making him shiver slightly.

"Hmm so, what words would you use to describe the relationship you have with her?" Lilith inquires like a deadly whisper making Alexander choke on his punch slightly.

"W-what is wrong with you Lilith? T-there is no relationship!" Alexander states in protest.

"Hmm, that's not what your neighbours said~" Lilith sings slightly.

"Holy shit, it was just a massage, come on!" Alexander groans lightly in protest to the interrogation.

"Mhmm, from what I hear in the gossip circles you two are hardly inseparable while walking around. Where one is seen, the other isn't far away." Lilith has an amused expression on her face as she sips her whisky.

"You have no proof-" Alexander looks down at the bar before dawning a deadpan expression. "This is hardly the best example..."

"If you two don't have something going on then I'm not a princess." Cassandra states idly sipping her coffee.

Alexander glances down to his left looking confused.

"The thing is though, you are a princess- Oh, I see what you did there..." Alexander deadpans before sighing deeply.

Lilith finishes her whisky before levitating the glass back to the table.

"Okay, level with me, my friend... It seriously didn't take me long to piece together the puzzle between you and her." Lilith drapes her arm across Alexander's shoulder.

"Though, it's highly possible that the signs have gone unnoticed by you, given your previous relationship." Cassandra puts her coffee mug down.

"I don't see what you're trying to point out to me here-" Alexander begins but is shushed by Lilith.

"You spend a serious amount of time around each other." Lilith observes.

"From what we hear, you don't shy away from some heavy flirting." Cassandra adds standing up.

"You and I both know you haven't given a massage to anyone since last year when you and your ex split." Lilith continues as she leans on him more.

"You two sound like the lonely hearts column of the academy student paper..." Alexander comments with a sigh.

"Psh, Alexander, sweetie, we are the lonely hearts column of the academy student paper." Cassandra states with slight sass as she fixes her hair.

"I had a suspicion about that section of the paper for the longest time..." Alexander states happy knowing he was right.

"Regardless of the hobbies my sister and I partake in. The main question I'd have for you is," Lilith leans in even closer clearly violating personal space awareness. "Did you take her on a flight?"

Alexander's attention is entirely stolen by that one simple question making him confused.

"Considering how very few people in this academy know about what I do in my spare time such as when I take flights... How do you even know about that one time?" Alexander questions with a more than normal serious expression.

"Alexander, no need to look like I just killed your dog. Jerry might have passed along a little information to me when I came back and it wasn't 'one time', was it?" Lilith states with her own serious expression.

"Might have been a few..." Alexander's attention switches back to the bar and to Starlight.

"Mhmm and as far as we know, neither Phoenix nor Amber were treated to midnight flights using your wind magic. Shall we also consider the fact that not even your closest friends know where you disappear to from time to time." Cassandra comments from his left as she leans back on the balcony rail.

"Okay... So, we spend a lot of time together, we heavily flirt a lot, I give her massages where I don't other people-" Alexander is interrupted.

"Special electric massages I should point out which 'nobody' used to get from you ever, not even your ex who taught you the technique." Lilith points out with playful eyes.

Clearing his throat loudly he tries to continue.

"Fine then, special electric massages, and I just so happen to take her along on my sacred midnight flights which I use to clear my head, oh my god I have feelings for her don't I?" Alexander states covering his face with his hand as Vivienne flips a record onto the Dj deck as if on cue.

Cassandra and Lilith high five behind Alexander's back.

"That's one way to put it. I imagine these massages have her naked." Lilith quizzes.

"Yeah..." Alexander answers bluntly.

"No limits of where she likes it and doesn't protest if you 'accidentally' have bold moments?" Lilith adds playfully.

"Holy shit I'm dense... I thought she was just being generally playful." Alexander keeps covering his face as his eyes are wide still staring at the bar.

"Any other quirks which have become insanely obvious?" Cassandra asks glancing at Alexander.

Alexander rolls through the past month and a bit in his mind. 'Massages, lots of time together, heavy flirting, she did deck my ex hard, midnight flights, saw each other naked in the shower and didn't really protest, me slapping her ass when she dropped on my lap, her liking my electric magic on her body...' Alexander swallows slightly as his insides do summersaults and his heart feels very tight.

"That's not poss-" Alexander begins to choke out before Lilith stops him sharply.

"I know what's the source of your doubt... I want you to forget it, right now, right here. Last I checked she got what she deserved not too long ago on your former anniversary. If you let Amber stop you from having this, I'll slap you myself and that's saying a lot." Cassandra states with a stern expression.

"You know how strongly my sister feels about what happened last year... We didn't work you through that just to have you stop in your tracks here. We should be getting to bed to set up the festival early in the morning. We'll see you around Alexander, try to get some sleep for the festival." Lilith pats Alexander's back before leaving down the stairs.

"I apologise if perhaps we were a bit too intrusive into some things since coming back... We felt it wouldn't have felt right not saying anything but we both hope it works out if you decide to take it further. Goodnight Alexander, I hope you get some rest." Cassandra bows slightly before following her sister down the stairs.

Alexander eagerly downs what's left of his cinder fruit punch before sitting down. He angles himself so he can still stare at Starlight, who suddenly notices him and waves lightly before making her way from the bar towards where he sits.

"This is going to be a long night..." Alexander takes several deep breathes.
> The Untold Backstory
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward and Twilight stand there as Starlight skips off in the direction of the Iluminare Consortium after Alexander.

"I promise she doesn't normally exert such..." Twilight begins struggling to find the words.

"Sass?" Edward finishes the sentence making Twilight nod.

"Yeah... I mean, she does give a little every now and then but since she met Alexander it's on a whole other level." Twilight comments crossing her arms.

"He has that effect on people I suppose." Edward adds as he looks around at the dispersing students.

"Perhaps... But Starlight and Phoenix are the only two I can comment on. I don't feel you and your other two friends really qualify but that might just be me." Twilight states yawning lightly.

"To be honest I expected her to be a lot worse at this point given your situation, even you show amazing composure towards it." Edward comments before they start walking back towards the dorm.

"Hmm... I suppose it comes with the territory, being a princess I mean. You have to have composure a lot of the time when normally it'd be difficult to maintain such things. That said, I'm by no means perfect... There have been many occasions back in Equestria where I've lost my composure, although those times I had my friends to lean on. Here, in this world, it's just me and Starlight alone. We don't have the same luxury we are used to." Twilight explains staring up at the sky.

"You have me and Alexander to help in any way we can. Not to mention there are others alongside us who help out too like Alexander's D&D group in the mines and his uncle with the Smooze incident." Edward tries to state in reassurance.

"It's a nice thought. Perhaps, I'm thinking too small. You two have been nothing but gracious and providing hosts since we arrived." Twilight takes a deep breath before exhaling slowly, still staring at the stars.

"That's one way to put it... Alexander and Starlight have a very, hands-on relationship..." Edward states awkwardly.

"Yeah... Even I'm not sure what the situation is between them. They appear to dabble quite heavily in teasing and or flirting with each other, yet neither seems to commit to any feelings." Twilight states in observation as they reach halfway down the path back to the dorm.

"True enough. Any comments on our direction then?" Edward asks before somewhat regretting doing so.

Twilight, for a moment, gives no answer for several minutes as they continue to walk.

"I don't know..." Twilight states breaking the silence. "In that, what happened in the mine, while being very nice and stimulating, was also done as a necessary act to prevent a major magical meltdown. That isn't to say you don't have your own charm and we certainly do share some interests. It's just that we have been living with you now for a month and fifteen days... Not that I have been counting. During that time though, apart from trying tirelessly to find a way back everything else has been more or less white noise to me. As in, I haven't stopped to think about any of it and I feel that if I allow myself to do so I'd either break down from stress or find some reason not to go home..." Twilight tries her best to explain while evidently struggling at parts.

Edward gives her his full attention and follows the best he can during her explanation.

"I believe I get what you're saying. While it'd be nice to have something like that you don't want it to complicate things when you two manage to find a way home. Thus, arriving at the very difficult choice you'd have to make either staying or going home." Edward tries his best to summarize.

"I think that's the jist of what I'm trying to say... Though while I firmly believe all of what I just said, there is some small part of me which feels it'd be worth it as I have no idea how long it'd take to find a way home. However, like I also said before if that happened I fear I'd stop looking. That said, I was able to get by before as I hadn't met anyone I'd consider in that light and the only other time I felt something it was a minor fleeting feeling. Take that last statement as you will but I won't deny you have an attraction of sorts." Twilight continues to explain while blushing.

"I can see where you're coming from and I'd likely do something similar if in your position. Though, if during your stay, you decide that you wanted to give in to that small part of you, I have no doubts I'd be available. Especially seeing as I can say I have no ex's here at the academy." Edward states to try and comfort the mare beside him.

"So, you're saying you have ex's outside of the academy then?" Twilight raises an eyebrow.

"No, no it was just a figure of speech. I've never really had a girlfriend outside of false hopes and minor flings which ended before they barely started." Edward explains in his best defence.

" I see... Speaking of past relationships though. I realise you never really got to talk about your backstory, which leaves me somewhat curious." Twilight states gaining a lighter demeanour.

"It's okay in my opinion, it's not exactly quite like Alexander but I can tell you if you'd like." Edward offers as they near the dorm.

"I'd like that." Twilight states with a small smile.

After a brief moment Twilight decides to teleport them to the observatory where Edward took her several weeks ago when they escaped from the Iluminare Consortium. The pair takes a seat on a nearby bench before Edward starts his explanation.

"To begin with I imagine you noticed the race difference between my father and I. While not very significant, I took on more of my mother's appearance traits and was born in America rather than Japan. While growing up, my father was enlisted in the army as such, we got moved around a lot where he was needed. It was during this time we encountered Alex and his family who knew my dad from their early military days. As it turned out his son, Alexander attended the same school of magic I was going to. We were only there for just over a year though before we moved again. When my father decided to retire I took to helping him around the workshop on my off days from school after we moved back to Japan." Edward explains to Twilight who stares at him intrigued.

"Sounds a lot better than Alexander played it off to be. Perhaps I'll get to see it someday, your home I mean." Twilight states idly as she stretches.

"There is that possibility soon. Winter break is fast approaching and most of the students, those who don't have makeup classes that is, tend to go home for the duration. I imagine Starlight will want to go see Alexander's home but you two might also want to explore on your own." Edward states leaning back against the wall.

"Hmm, possibly but I wouldn't trust this world exactly being okay with the idea of two tattooless familiars wandering around on their own. Thus, it'd likely be better if we each went with our magicians for the duration of winter break." Twilight replies to Edward's idea as she rubs her chin.

"I doubt it'd be a problem for you to come live with us during winter break. We'll have to explain the idea to Alexander and Starlight." Edward states, yawning lightly.

"For now perhaps we should turn in early and be up at a decent time to start enjoying the festival." Twilight comments standing up.

"Sounds like a plan." Edward also stands up, giving a light stretch before they leave.





Ignis stands opposite the Chancellor's desk while the man himself idly fiddles with a crescent moon shaped cookie.

"Since the incident last week, the elements have been put on standby. Though, as you can imagine Midnight questions their defensive positions during the last crisis when she knows we had the key buildings secured with magic barriers." Ignis explains with a sigh.

"She is still young and is likely to be curious. Their positions are more or less suggestions more than actual orders so she is free to hand out her own or question them if she feels free to." The Chancellor comments.

"But you know she won't. I can understand wanting them to develop and grow in their own direction but surely even you know a certain level of intervention is required at times." Ignis protests while looking concerned.

"You know that you need not worry old friend. It worked out perfectly fine for the first crisis and I trust them to make their own adjustments should any more pop up in the future. As much as you know I enjoy your company, I am expecting a call soon." The Chancellor states putting the cookie down and rising from his chair.

"Very well... I hope you know what you're doing." Ignis states before leaving.

Turning to stare out the window it isn't long before a familiar tune graces the ears of the elderly man making him smile widely. A moderate glow comes from behind the Chancellor to the right above a set of drawers is a large decorated wall mirror that the glow belongs to. Taking his time to walk over to the mirror, he swipes his hand over the front to activate and answer the calling entity.

"I believe you know exactly why I am calling you so late at night..." The familiar regal voice states.

"Oh, I have an idea." The Chancellor states with a sly smile.
> Dear Princess...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile on the other side of the universe...




Rainbow groans as she has her face pressed into the map table.

"It's hopeless..." She states lifting her head up briefly before slamming it back down.

Rainbow and the others are sat around the table with the obvious absence of Twilight.

"They 'ave got to be somewhere, it's not like either to simply vanish." Applejack states deep in thought.

"Aj, we have looked everywhere we can think of... She hasn't been seen around Cloudsdale." Rainbow states, face still against the table.

"Nothing in the Everfree or other such places." Fluttershy adds softly.

"Fillydelphia and Manehattan are both clear as far as I could tell." Rarity comments from her chair.

"I got nothing." Pinkie states before eating a random slice of cake.

"Neither Ember or Thorax have seen either of them at all if they did visit their respective lands. At first obviously, I thought that maybe they were conducting an experiment in the basement, however, I realised they weren't eating the food I left them..." Spike states concerned.

"You also mentioned before about burn marks in the library and melted 'sugar cookie' candles... Like seriously, why does she always stockpile this early..." Rainbow mumbles from her chair.

"It's been twenty-two days now though... I doubt we can keep it under wraps much longer." Rarity comments making the group nod in agreement.

"Perhaps we should send a letter to the Princess now?" Fluttershy asks meekly.

"So... We go back to 'my' original idea then..?" Spike states folding his arms.

"Spike, just take the stupid letter..." Rainbow groans.

"I think we need coffee. I'll be right back." Fluttershy states making Rainbow's ear flicker slightly.

Spike pulls out a quill and piece of parchment to begin writing.

"So, how shall we begin?" Spike asks those still in the map room.

Rainbow pulls her head up to lean back in her chair rubbing her face slightly.

"Just do it how we always do it..." Rainbow yawns slightly.

"Dear Princess Celestia..." Spike begins to write.





Celestia gently sips her tea while Luna sits opposite her nibbling on a biscuit.

"Such a perfect evening to enjoy a cup of herbal tea while sitting under the moon with one's little sister." Celestia comments taking another sip of her tea.

"'Tis quite a pleasant moonlit setting for a peaceful cup of tea. The company makes it all the better." Luna states grabbing another biscuit in her magic.

"It would take a circumstance of extreme importance and utmost urgency to spoil such an evening-" Celestia begins before suddenly being interrupted by a scroll poofed in by dragon fire.

Celestia raises her eyebrow at the scroll before using her magic to open and start reading it carefully.

"Perhaps it's from Twilight?" Luna states seemingly very interested.

Scrolling her eyes slowly down the parchment while sipping her tea she raises an eyebrow before shrugging it off.

"Luna, dear sister, remind me what book Twilight last took out of the royal library..." Celestia asks rolling up the scroll and placing it on the table.

"Hmm if memory serves me well... It was 'Starswirl's Theories of Trans-dimensional Summoning', least that's the book she showed me." Luna states nibbling the second biscuit.

"I see... Unfortunately, that circumstance of extreme importance and utmost urgency has come to pass... Please excuse me for a moment." Celestia wipes her mouth with a napkin before getting up and walking back inside the castle wearing an unimpressed expression.

Levitating the scroll over to herself before unfolding it and casually reading while sipping her own tea. Upon reaching halfway her eyes widen and she swallows her tea hard.

"Oh my..." Luna gives a worried expression in Celestia's direction.





Celestia walks along several corridors before coming to her bedchambers, which were only a short distance from where she and her sister were having tea. Entering said chambers she closed and locked the door, closed the curtains and dimmed the lights before sighing deeply. Walking over to an aged mirror with a gilded edge, she waves her hand in front of it which makes it glow and spring to life.

"I swear if he knows anything about this and didn't contact me on purpose..." Celestia mumbles to herself before the mirror displays a swirling vortex. "Universe seventy-six please."

The mirror makes a connecting tone like an old computer. An ominous, if not powerful piece of music begins playing as the mirror glows and lightly vibrates much akin to a mobile phone. After a minute of waiting, the call is finally picked up and the Chancellor can be seen on the other side of the mirror in his office.

"I believe you know exactly why I am calling you so late at night..." Celestia states with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, I have an idea." The Chancellor states with a sly smile.
> Mid Morning Beatz
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vivienne groans as she shuffles slightly, hugging tightly the soft silk-like entity next to her as she gets comfortable again.

"Hmm... Sweetie, we need to get up." Vivienne hears Forte state softly.

Vivienne groans and shakes her head in response, unwilling get up from their nest on the sofa of the club office.

"Too early..." Vivienne protests.

"We don't want to miss the opening ceremony for the Halloween festival... Plus you have to open early today, we need the revenue hun." Forte whispers into Vivienne's ear making her shiver.

"We can just skip a day..." Vivienne mumbles in reply.

Shuffling out of her grasp, Vivienne grumbles and buries her head in the pillow before opening her eyes to the dim office light. Just in front of the sofa is Forte, stretching in a pair of deep purple lace underwear.

"You joining me in the shower or will I be all alone?" Forte asks placing a hand on her hip.

"I think if I did we'd both be late for the ceremony..." Vivienne replies with regret inside.

"That's the most sensible thing you've said yet this morning. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later." Forte smiles before leaning down to give Vivienne a light kiss on the lips.

Vivienne leans up into the kiss turning it a tad deeper, making an effort to follow her girlfriend as far back as she could before stopping to not fall off the sofa.

"Tease..." Vivienne lays back down hard sighing deeply.

"Yup, now get up and brew us some coffee while I take a shower. You're getting one right after." Forte states walking over to the wall between the armchair and potted plant.

Placing her hand on a section of the wall to the right, above the plant, a handprint is revealed as hers is scanned and a door is opened up. As the section of wall slides up, it reveals a bathroom beyond as Forte strips her underwear after entering. The bathroom itself boasts a nice looking shower booth, corner bathtub, sink with a mirror above it and various cupboards. Vivienne gets up slowly and stretches lightly before making her way over to the coffee machine in the corner of the office, behind the desk next to the bookcases. While waiting for the black brew, Vivienne levitates over her phone and begins going through her social media and other apps like games to collect her daily bonuses. After the coffee finishes, Vivienne slips her phone under the strap of her bra while she sorts out two cups of black coffee and any extras either of them have. Midway through walking back to the sofa with the coffee cups in hand, Vivienne's phone starts to vibrate.

"Woah, who the hell?" Vivienne quickly puts the cups on the coffee table before pulling her phone out and answering it as she sits down on the sofa. "What do you want, Tailcoat?"

"W-what makes you think I want something?" Alexander replies with mock hurt.

"You ALWAYS want something when you call me and it's always mundane shit." Vivienne sighs deeply and rubs her eyes.

"That's... I have no comeback for that." Alexander says something underneath his breath in defeat.

"That's what I thought Tailcoat. Now, what's her name and how much fruit punch will you need in order to explain the whole complicated process that's inside your mind to me?" Vivienne asks taking a sip of her black coffee.

"I haven't even fucking asked you anything!" Alexander exclaims in protest.

"You don't need to. I've known you since last year, or have you guys already forgot about the level 80 Bard you used to roll with?" Vivienne raises an eyebrow.

"No... We haven't, sorry." Alexander sighs.

"My point exactly. Besides, I'm like your fucking therapist when it comes to woman, so I know. Plus I have a pretty good idea who it is to and don't even deny it, man, you make it painfully obvious to everyone but yourself." Vivienne stands up when she hears the shower turn off and finishes her coffee.

"Will tomorrow afternoon work for you?" Alexander asks much, unlike his normal tone.

"Yeah, I'll have to open early anyway so I will drag a case of fruit punch up to my office and you'll have to explain to me why you've been off since I saw you talking to the student council president and her sister." Vivienne states as Alexander groans on the other end of the phone.

"Does nothing get past you?" Alexander asks, with a deep sigh.

"Not in my club, it doesn't. I gotta go shower now so stay intact until tomorrow. I'll talk to you later." Vivienne states before hanging up on Alexander.

Forte walks out of the bathroom wearing a dark purple towel that bears a treble clef on one of its corners, around her waist and another wrapped around her hair.

"Shower is free, who was that?" Forte asks walking over to the opposite side of the room.

Reaching her destination she swipes her hand across another built-in pad on the wall just a few inches from the glass panel in Vivienne's office. The section of wall above Forte's waist opens up to display several uniforms from both Wyvern and Valkyrie House hung up with folded skirts and shirts below them, with shelves either side for pairs of underwear. Leaving a gap, another section opens from halfway down her thighs to just above her ankles. Within the open section can be seen a various selection of normal shoes alongside several pairs of vibrant sneakers.

"It was just Alexander having one of his moments. Guess I should get two cases of fruit punch out of stock." Vivienne strips her underwear before stretching and heading to the bathroom.

"Oh, that sounds about right for a relationship problem... Heaven knows Bonbon shelled out on a lot of ice cream for when we first started out dating." Forte chuckles as she begins selecting her uniform for the day.

"Hey, I was not that bad!" Vivienne shouts from the bathroom before the shower turns on.

"You've gotten much better dear, I'll say that much. However, you're by no means an Angel." Forte states as she folds and puts down her towel before putting on her underwear and shirt shortly after adjusting them.

"That's your job and even then you're not good at it." Vivienne sighs as she drenches herself in hot water.

"Hmm I blame you for that one hun, you're a terrible influence." Forte chuckles as she slips on and zips up her skirt before sitting on the arm of the sofa to put on her stockings.

"I don't hear you complaining." Vivienne states as she uses a strawberry scented body wash.

"Hmm no, I don't. Do you ever think that's because I like it?" Forte giggles before sliding on her blazer and slipping on a pair of shoes before working out her tie.

After washing her hair and cleaning away the soap Vivienne turns off the shower and grabs a towel from a large towel rack which is pure white and bears an eighth note on one of the corners. Briefly drying herself as thoroughly as possible Vivienne walks over and quickly picks out her shirt, blazer and skirts, placing them on the sofa.

"I'd imagine so, otherwise you wouldn't put up with me. I hope he doesn't consume all my fruit punch... His sister will kill him." Vivienne passes the towel to Forte so she can dry her hair.

Vivienne puts on her fresh underwear before slipping on her shirt and blazer doing them both up before Forte finishes drying her hair the best she can. Sighing deeply, she slips on and zips up her skirt before putting on a pair of socks to match her sneakers. Forte spins the girl around to apply and sorts out her tie.

"You know I really hate skirts..." Vivienne grumbles.

"I know, but we have regulations, little rebel." Forte gives her a kiss when done and rushes them both out the office.





Leaving the Iluminare Consortium, the pair can see that the sky is still dark and the student village has been outfitted to be more Halloween themed with decorations, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, spider webs and other such additions.

"Hmm, I see the sky around Kilgharah has been darkened again to mimic nighttime during the day. It's going to be a pain adjusting to that again." Forte states with a slight sigh.

"Doesn't bother me as I wear shades 80% of the time anyway." Vivienne wears a smug smile as they begin walking towards the village gallows.

"You sleep in and stay up late constantly so any change in our atmosphere doesn't really affect you to begin with, dear." Forte comments shaking her head.

"Yeah, but you're becoming equally as bad." Vivienne states as she flips around to walk backwards.

"That I blame on you. It's only when we sleep together, do I consider staying in a little longer." Forte explains as they begin to see a group in the distance.

Vivienne flips herself back around and gives Forte a quick peck on the cheek before they join the group around the gallows where the two sisters stand again in the same outfits as yesterday.

"I love you too." Vivienne whispers to Forte before they both turn their attention in front of them.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to the annual Kilgharah Halloween festival." Lilith opens the introduction with a little flare.

"As you are all aware, today is the proper start to the festival. From this day onward until the end, there will be activities each day to ensure there is a variety of things to do." Cassandra continues before folding her arms and looking at Lilith.

"Included is, of course, is the 25th when we shall be carving the academy pumpking to sit proudly at the centre of the village." Lilith creates a big outline of a pumpkin above the gallows.

"Also, there will be various opportunities at the club and other events, which will allow students to dress up in mostly whatever outfits you'd like." Cassandra adds happily adding a mask beside the pumpkin above them.

"We'd also like to remind people that clothes are mandatory and we don't want a repeat of last year... Please, do not repeat last year..." Lilith shivers with flashbacks as she shakes her head.

"Other than that... Most costumes are welcome. The regular facilities are open such as the spa and sports centre but alongside those are various little games that have been scattered around to provide some fun entertainment during the festival." Cassandra explains as her sister adds a carnival booth above them with the other symbols.

"Within these games offers the chance to win various numbers of tokens which can be exchanged at the prize booth being run and supplied courtesy of the Shady family." Lilith states directing everyone's attention to Jerry, Shana and two other males all wearing black suits, shades and black fedoras.

"Lastly there will be various chances to indulge yourselves in the magical talents of Trinity and her magic show." Cassandra adds before standing beside her sister.

"Well, we're sure everyone has spent more than enough time standing here listening to us talk. So, please go and enjoy the Kilgharah Halloween festival." The twin sisters state before the symbols above them spray out into fireworks which explode in the sky met with an applause.
> Magician's Trick Chest Coveted by the Wind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trinity groans and shuffles slightly as she snuggles up to the warmth beside her which groans in protest to the movement. That protest only grows as an alarm clock beside the bed goes off. The offending item is roughly turned off by a dark purple aura before the warmth beside Trinity hugs her closer while yawning.

"You realise Trinity has a show this evening that she must perform, yes?" Trinity asks the entity beneath her quilt.

"Mhmm... Nope... I know no such thing..." A girl mumbles just loud enough to hear.

"Well, regardless Trinity shall attempt to procure our breakfast," Trinity looks at her clock saying it's 2:30 pm. "Or perhaps lunch would be more accurate..."

"That's brunch, Trinity... It is a thing." The girl comments groaning.

"I suppose for some people. Either way, I'm going to need my body back if I am to get us any food." Trinity states before being able to stand up and stretch beside the bed which is bolted to the floor.

Trinity herself is also naked but doesn't get much reprieve as she is soon yanked back into bed by the same purple aura. Wrapping her arms tightly around her waist she nuzzles Trinity's back softly.

"Not yet... I don't need food at this moment..." The girl states muffled by Trinity's back.

"Lucita..?" Trinity glances behind her at the now revealed face of her girlfriend.

"Please... I need my rock more than my stomach needs food..." Lucita nuzzles Trinity's back hard and hugs her tightly.

"Luci..." Trinity gets comfortable and manages to hold Lucita's right hand tightly with her left. "With all the preparation for the show last night, among other things... I almost forgot it's this month, isn't it?"

Trinity feels Lucita nod against her soft back making her sigh ever so slightly.

"Yeah... It is." Lucita states with a shaky tone.

Trinity holds her girlfriend's hand tightly and keeps her breathing steady despite not really knowing how to handle the situation. Lucita's head rested softly against her back, the girl in question finding comfort in her lover's heartbeat.

"Trinity has never really been good with deep emotions as you know... Took us long enough to figure that out before I could convey how I felt... But it's also because of this that I have no idea how to help ease your pain..." Trinity sighs deeply as she stares at the wall of her wagon in front of her.

"I know... You didn't have to deal with me like this last year... I'm sorry." Lucita states sighing as the pair entwine their legs together.

"Trinity should be the one apologising as she feels that she could do more but doesn't know what..." Trinity glances back at Lucita before getting comfortable again to stare back at the wall of her wagon.

"Trinity does plenty, trust me." Lucita kisses Trinity's back before nuzzling it gently.

"Besides being better than any sleeping tablet ever was?" Trinity comments making Lucita laugh and chokes lightly.

Taking a moment to regain herself and wipe the tear from her eye she sighs lightly.

"Yes, Trinity, besides being far better than any sleeping tablet ever was. The best acidental night of my life by far wouldn't you say?" Lucita asks turning Trinity to lay on her back so she can use her ample chest as improvised pillows.

"I seem to vaguely recall that we'd been throwing insults back and forth over multiple bottles of your favourite fruit punch for hours. It was after this we stumbled back to my wagon." Trinity continues as she adjusts to keep hold of Lucita's hand.

"Mhmm and used my stash to get drunker and have sex many many times... Remind me how the start of that decline went again?" Lucita asks shuffling close to Trinity.

"Hmm, well you stole my fruit punch after I got back from the bathroom... It got pretty fast from there." Trinity chuckles as she snakes her right hand around Lucita to stroke her hair.

"I vaguely recall a back and forth match of insults before making out and blah blah..." Lucita half continues the story before leaning up to deeply kiss and make out with her girlfriend.

The pair lay close together content to simply dance with their tongues in sweet bliss rather than wrestle each other like they did last night. After several moments and minutes pass they reluctantly part and cuddle again.

"Now we just skip straight to the making out, saves a lot of time." Trinity chuckles and kisses Lucita again.

"Heh, yeah. See you do help more than you realise." Lucita smiles and lays her head back down on Trinity's chest.

"I'm happy if you're feeling better, can Trinity get up now and get that food?" Trinity asks before Lucita's stomach growls making her cough.

"Yeah, okay... I want food now." Lucita admits letting go of Trinity so she can get up.

Lucita wraps herself up warmly in the soft thick quilt as she watches Trinity walk across the wagon. 'Least I have the best view in Kilgharah every morning', Lucita thinks to herself before getting comfortable again.





Alexander sighs as he leans back in his seat on the third floor of the mock spectator stands, which have been set up in front of a stage halfway between Wyvern House and the student village. Either side of his stand are two more of equal size which gradually fill with various students. The stand he is currently sitting on remains bare besides the bottom seats and some of the second-floor seats, the third-floor rows remain empty save for himself.

"Heads up, grumpy!" A female voice states making Alexander look down from the sky.

The man's vision was quickly being filled by a speeding bottle heading in his direction. Realising a little too late the bottle in question smacks Alexander in the face before bouncing off to land in his left hand, which isn't covering his face at the moment.

"Mother fucking piece of shit! Dear god fucking why?!" Alexander yells and groans holding his face.

"Hmm, maybe I should give thought to joining the Kilgharah Blaze Ball team as their pitcher." The all too familiar voice of his sister states before he feels them sit beside him.

"You're such a bitch!" Alexander blinks several times and manages to shuffle the pain slightly enough to look next to him.

"I know, but what can you do?" Lucita states before popping the top of her bottle of cinder fruit punch.

"To be honest I'm surprised with the lack of disturbances I've not heard about since yesterday. You've been good so far it seems." Alexander comments opening his bottle and taking a heavy swig.

"'Good'? You and I have very different definitions of that word dear brother." Lucita chuckles taking her own mouthful.

"You know what I mean... You've been quite different since you started dating Trinity. That shows, especially now." Alexander comments as he looks at the stage where the before mentioned girl is setting up her show.

"Pfft... I guess... What's your excuse? The weather forecast doesn't seem to be all over the place this year." Lucita remarks with a smirk.

Alexander takes another sip remaining quiet for a moment while he thinks about his response.

"Good question... Don't suppose I have an excuse if I'm honest." Alexander looks up at the sky.

"Seems I'm not the only one who is 'behaving' for someone special." Lucita states taking an especially heavy swig of her bottle.

"Am I..? You and I are known for being wildcards. The king and queen of misfits... Our brother is the most behaved one out of the three of us." Alexander sighs as he easily gets halfway down his bottle.

"They make these things too small don't they? I'll have to order some of those XL ones they do to prepare for the Christmas season." Lucita laughs lightly.

"Jesus Christ, don't even go there. We're still in October for fuck sake." Alexander coughs slightly and takes another mouthful.

"Seriously though... It's unlike either of us to be so," Lucita thinks for several seconds about what word to use.

"Tame?" Alexander states making her nod.

"Yeah... We can both be sure it's not our own doing. Wanna tell your sister what had you looking like such a depressing fuck before I came up here?" Lucita asks making Alexander coughs again.

"It's nothing-" Alexander is cut off.

"Bullshit." Lucita blocks him instantly.

"Fine," Alexander sighs deeply. "Just having some issues with some things up here..." Alexander taps his head with his bottle.

"Do you like her?" Lucita states bluntly before finishing her bottle.

"For fuck sake, what is it with you and Vivi both thinking it's a girl?" Alexander states in protest.

"Because it's you, dear brother... Well?" Lucita presses him.

"Well, what?" Alexander shrugs.

"You fucking idiot... Do you like her?" Lucita deadpans, looking very unamused.

"I guess, yes?" Alexander finishes his bottle shortly after.

"Jesus Christ, you're hard fucking work... Does she like you?" Lucita continues to prompt her brother.

"Maybe?" Alexander replies unsure.

"Fuck it, go for it." Lucita states bluntly.

"It's not that simple you sex-crazed nymph." Alexander rubs the bridge of his nose.

"I deny nothing. Most times it is that simple, stop being such a hung up pussy." Lucita stands up before stretching.

"Fuck you." Alexander comments looking away with a sigh.

"I bet you fifty gold that Vivienne will tell you exactly the same thing I just have. There is no point dwelling on it, you might as well take the plunge and go along with the current." Lucita looks at her bottle depressed before throwing it into a bin at the bottom of the stand.

"Nice... Besides, don't you think we're four arcs too early for a romance to develop for one of the main protagonists?" Alexander asks earning him a 'really' look from his sister.

"Hell no, it's never too early for a little romance. Don't even give me that bullshit, 'but it's a Halloween arc', fuck off." Lucita stands with one hand on her hip.

"Yeah, yeah... I'll think about it." Alexander puts his bottle down beside him.

"Don't think too much, brother. Otherwise, the opportunity will pass you by. Anyway, I gotta go help Trinity finish setting up." Lucita waves as she walks down the stairs.

"Psh... 'Don't think too much' she says... Like I have a fucking choice..." Alexander sighs deeply before leaning back to look up at the sky again.
> The Magic of Shipping
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward just barely manages to wake up and turn off the alarm clock before it went off. Leaning over slightly he glances at Alexander who shuffles a little but fails to react otherwise. Getting up Edward shifted through his wardrobe and draws to find his uniform for that day before leaving the room to let Alexander sleep in peace. Glancing down the hallway he can see Twilight is already dressed and brushing her mane on the sofa while the faint smell of a breakfast package from Sparkle's makes itself known to his senses. Entering the free bathroom, Edward gets changed, does his essentials and adjusts his tie in the mirror above the sink before leaving to join both mares in the living room.

"I figured Alexander wouldn't be cooking this morning, so I took the liberty of ordering the Sparkle's breakfast package for us." Starlight states placing a few plates on the coffee table.

On Twilight's plate is a couple of waffles coated with syrup and sliced banana, Edward has an egg sandwich with a side bowl of multi-coloured small rocks called Moon Rocks. Starlight simply has a breakfast bagel with lettuce, egg and sliced mushrooms.

"Both him and his sister seem very off since the start of the festival. Lucita hasn't even been sleeping here the past two days." Twilight comments cutting off a piece of her waffle.

"It's a family thing for both of them... Not really my place to explain in too much detail, but it's seriously depressing for the both of them. That said in comparison to last year they are doing a lot better." Edward comments taking a bite of his egg sandwich.

"Oh..." Starlight's ears droop slightly before she takes a meagre bite of her bagel.

"So... What's on the agenda for today?" Twilight asks sipping her orange juice.

Edward checks his phone before thinking about the answer.

"Well, I was hoping we could take a look around the festival today and perhaps play some of the games they mentioned?" Edward asks looking at the two.

"I'd love to, Starlight?" Twilight looks to her pupil who shakes her head.

"I think I'll pass for now. I should keep an eye on Alexander to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Starlight states as she finished her bagel.

"Well, there are plenty days of the festival left so hopefully you can experience them at some point." Twilight states slightly concerned.

"I will, I just don't feel it'd be a good idea to leave him to his own devices is all." Starlight states before leaving to check on Alexander.

Twilight and Edward finish their breakfasts relatively quickly before clearing up.

"She seems a little more than distracted today, much less sass than normal." Edward comments making Twilight nod.

"Yeah... I imagine it has something to do with Alexander not being himself lately. Understandable she is worried about him." Twilight states finishing her orange juice before putting the glass in the sink.

"I suppose... He normally lets me know if he is about to do something either very stupid or very dangerous. It's kinda like a code he uses for us." Edward explains as he puts on his blazer from the rack by the door.

"What is this code?" Twilight asks wrapping a purple scarf around her neck.

"Eh... You'll know it if he uses it, trust me." Edward vaguely explains before they leave the dorm room.





Edward and Twilight enter the student village to see various new stands and several games have been set up for the third day of the festival. The overall atmosphere is very pleasant and it's not too busy but not too sparse either.

"It's quite different from our Nightmare Night back home but I still like the look of it. I've also noticed quite a few couples walking around which is nice albeit weird for me." Twilight explains as they begin to walk around.

"I take it because those you recognise are either not with someone or some of the pairings aren't what you're used to seeing?" Edward asks as they stop to watch a confectionary stand.

Running the confectionary stand is a white girl with slight curled cobalt blue hair that has light fuchsia stripes and arctic blue eyes. She wears a frilled blue and white dress with white stockings and knee-high boots. The girl beside her wearing an identical outfit is another white girl with light greyish cyan hair that has white highlights and gamboge coloured eyes. They both wear a pink and mint green bow respectively.

"For example, those two known as Bonbon and Lyra in my world are a couple." Twilight points out to Edward.

"Lilly Heartstrings and Samantha Drops a.k.a 'Bonbon' are still a couple here, one of the most powerful I'd have to say. They arrived in year one together so we assume they were together before coming here and still remain a strong couple despite their sparse fights." Edward explains to Twilight who nods.

"Sounds about right for our counterparts too. It's a very sweet pairing to watch though as they work so well together." Twilight comments folding her arms as they move along.

Edward and Twilight walk a bit further into town before stopping to watch a couple of girls on the ball game where you have to throw balls at moving targets. Unsurprisingly, Ripley is pitching particularly hard balls into the targets while Racheal is standing beside her for moral support.

"Now those two are a power couple... Racheal obviously owning her own boutique on the island and her own clothing lines while Ripley is vice-captain for the academy Wonderbolts sports team." Edward comments as Ripley wins Racheal a big stuffed teddy bear.

"This... Is a surprise to me. Back in Equestria, Rainbow Dash and Rarity are just friends and Rainbow is engaged to Fluttershy." Twilight explains rubbing her left arm gently.

"You seem rather upset over this one too." Edward points out making her shrug.

"I know they are not the same and things are likely to be different from universe to universe. Obviously, I'm biased as I spent several years with them both and watched their relationship bloom as a result. I'm not saying that didn't happen to them and I'm happy for them, truly. It's just aspects of this world are bound to make me uncomfortable." Twilight takes a deep breath before they move on.

They manage to make it halfway through the village before coming to Minty's ice cream parlour which is decked out for Halloween. Outside the shop are tables and chairs with a custom carved pumpkin engraved with the words 'Minty's Parlour' in fancy writing.

"This store looks even better in Halloween~" Twilight cheers up slightly.

"If the last couple made you uneasy, I hate to think what your opinion is on them." Edward states before pointing out a pair at the table next to the door of the ice cream parlour.

Twilight looks confused before her attention is drawn to a couple of girls sharing a large chocolate ice cream sundae with slices of banana and strawberries, a few cherries dotted about and coated in whipped cream with chocolate sauce drizzled on top. The two girls in question are Midnight Sparkle and Lilith Eclipse wearing the Halloween special uniforms.

"Oh my..." Twilight blinks several times as her fragile brain attempts to process the scene before her.

This, of course, all goes out the window when the two begins sharing spoons of ice cream and adorable kisses making Twilight's wings pop out which surprises Edward.

"T-Twilight? You okay there? Your wings are umm being weird." Edward tries in vain to suppress her wings.

Twilight yelps slightly and shuffles away finally coming back to her sense with a bright blush on her face.

"N-not the wings... Not yet..." Twilight clears her throat and fixes her hair.

"Okay... I was simply trying to help as we were getting a few weird looks." Edward glances around slightly.

"Sorry... It's extremely weird for me but I'm not surprised... I know about Luna's 'interests', I just never gave a proper response," Twilight thinks for a moment before shaking her head. "No, that's wrong. I was afraid to give her a proper response because I liked her too..."

They move to a nearby bench across the street before Edward gets them both a couple of soda's to help her calm down.

"I didn't think that taking you to the festival was going to be so stressful for you." Edward comments opening his drink.

Twilight shakes her head and downs half her soda can before forming her response.

"No, it's not that it's stressful... It's just different and new to me. Then you have them two and I know that could have been me back home if I wasn't afraid of messing up so much... Two spells and one mistake later, we're sitting here and I am fighting with conflicting emotions. On one hand, if I go back home I could still have that with Luna. On the other hand, I also have an interest in you and the possibility that I don't find a way back home." Twilight sighs deeply as she leans back slightly.

"I don't have a response to this type of situation... I'm very flattered obviously and I like you too, which is a new thing for me as I've been single since coming to Kilgharrah. I still want to help you find a way back but I feel, whatever happens, happens. In the end, it's up to you which path you want to follow, I'm just letting you know that you have my support either way." Edward tries to comfort her the best he can.

"Thanks... I'll get around to a choice at some point. I just need time to think about what I want and who I want to be with..." Twilight downs the rest of her drink before they continue to look around the festival.
> Confessions of the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight shuts the door after quietly entering Alexander and Edward's room. Alexander stirs slightly but not by much, a faint whimpering coming from the base of his bed. Looking down, Starlight can see Stephan trying to get up onto his bed. Smiling to herself, she walks over and squats down to pick him up before softly giving him some magic to chew on.

"Hmm... Did you forget your wallet or something..? I should mention we're out of some stuff..." Alexander grumbles underneath his quilt.

"That might be a good thing to tell Edward next time you see him." Starlight chuckles as she pets the slime.

Alexander turns over and hazily looks at Starlight, blinking a few times.

"Why are you in here?" Alexander questions, looking confused.

"Good morning to you too..." Starlight looks unamused.

Alexander turns his head back and gets comfortable again. Starlight rolls her eyes before letting Stephan out of the room.

"Do you plan to get up today?" Starlight asks placing her hands on her hips.

"Maybe sometime in the morning, maybe sometime in the afternoon... Or maybe not at all." Alexander mumbles under his quilt again.

"You've been very reclusive since the start of the Halloween festival... Edward vaguely explained it was a sad family thing but said it wasn't his place to go into details. While I don't expect you to either, I now wonder why I came in here at all." Starlight states pondering her exact motive for coming into their room, to begin with.

"Only you know the answer to that question... I don't blame him for not wanting to explain, it is fairly depressing." Alexander turns over to face the wall, hugging his quilt.

"Would you like to explain it to me now or talk about it even?" Starlight offers as Alexander shakes his head.

"Not really at this moment... Still getting rid of a hangover. Remind me not to try and outdrink my sister again..." Alexander sighs and groans as he remembers the crushing defeat.

"How many did she beat you by?" Starlight asks, sounding like she is struggling.

"Quarter of a bottle... It was devastating. I only managed eleven and 75% of that last twelfth bottle. My sister, however, got up to twelve bottles... I'm surprised you haven't gone with those two, I believe Edward planned to take Twilight round the festival." Alexander states hearing the shuffling stop.

"They did offer but I declined to come in here." Starlight states before she takes a deep breath.

"It would have been more fun if you went with them. I doubt you'd find much entertainment in-" Alexander cuts himself short suddenly.

Feeling his quilt lift up, Starlight slides in behind him before cuddling tight against him. 

"Alexander, I'm curious. Given the current season and how chilly it has been getting at night, what possessed you not to wear a shirt last night?" Starlight asks, clearly teasing him.

"I was drunk, don't question me... I'm more concerned with what possessed you to besiege my bed, naked!" Alexander attempts to state in distress.

"It's really hard to believe you're complaining given how much you like touching my body during our massage sessions." Starlight snuggles closer so she is tightly pressed against Alexander.

"You give me headaches... Headaches!" Alexander sighs in defeat.

"Correction, I give you erections. I cure headaches." Starlight nuzzles his back softly.

"Do you have to be so damn blunt! Jesus Christ woman..." Alexander blushes brightly but doesn't make any attempt to move.

"Just go back to sleep, I know I am." Starlight gets comfortable.

"You are beyond cruel..." Alexander sighs deeply before going back to sleep himself.





Alexander strolls into the Iluminare Consortium stretching and sighing deeply before Starlight follows closely behind.

"Feeling any better?" Starlight asks folding her arms while wearing a smug grin.

"Shut up... You didn't need to come with me, you know?" Alexander states looking around at the mild population of the nightclub this evening.

"Yeah, but it would have been boring in the dorm alone with just a slime and besides I wanted a drink." Starlight states wandering over to the bar.

Alexander rolls his eyes before looking up at the DJ setup to see Vivienne in her normal spot with her trademark headphones. Nodding to Alexander, she beckons him up to the office before leaving the deck to her familiar. Leaving Starlight at the bar, Alexander makes his way up the stairs and along the balcony to reach and enter Vivienne's office.

"Figured you'd of been here a bit sooner if there was alcohol involved." Vivienne states motioning to an open bottle of cinder fruit punch on the coffee table.

"I was... Indisposed for a bit since this morning." Alexander blushes slightly as he sits down.

"I can imagine..." Vivienne sits down on the opposite sofa where a mug of coffee sits waiting for her.

"Not drinking yourself?" Alexander asks taking a mouthful of his beverage.

"Not yet... Still a bit early for me." Vivienne sips her coffee and gets comfortable in her seat before looking at Alexander.

"What? I'm not lying down on the sofa like a therapist patient... You ain't qualified yet anyway." Alexander states folding his arms.

"You realise the amount of alcohol and time you owe me from last year? I should have started billing you for god's sake. Plus, give it a year, you know me and Forte are taking classes. We could one day be your licensed therapists." Vivienne chuckles.

"The scariest part of that paragraph is that you're not wrong..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Lucky for you its just a side class, now back to you and your... Problem? Or perhaps personal issue is a better description." Vivienne removes her shades to stare at Alexander with her magenta eyes.

"You don't think it's a problem do you?" Alexander asks quickly reaching halfway down his bottle.

Vivienne sighs and places her sneakers up onto the table, sipping her coffee before forming a response.

"I think you have to decide if you're content to let the past restrict your future," Vivienne places down her coffee mug. "Or if you want to take a chance on the unknown rather then regret what could have been." Vivienne sighs lightly.

Alexander finishes the rest of his fruit punch before stretching and standing up. Vivienne puts her shades back on and lets her regular smile creep across her lips.

"If you ever wanted to take a break from being a DJ, I can see you being a good therapist." Alexander takes a deep breath before leaving the office.

Vivienne heaves a heavy sigh as Forte exits the bathroom clearly feeling refreshed.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Forte asks leaning over the sofa to wrap her arms around Vivienne's neck and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"He will be, he always is." Vivienne relaxes in her girlfriends embrace.

Alexander passes Vivienne's familiar, giving it a light pat on the head making it squeak happily. He walks slowly along the balcony to take in the lively atmosphere and busy dance floor. His sleeve is grabbed suddenly when he goes to pass a table on the elevated seating area. Confused, Alexander turns to see Starlight with a collection of drinks sitting on the table.

"You okay, you seem a little out of it?" Starlight asks concerned.

Alexander shakes his head and sits down opposite her before picking up a bottle staring at it slightly before wearing a smile.

"Nah, I'm good." Alexander takes a sip before leaning back in his chair to relax.

Starlight frowns but decides to let her worry melt away in present company. Across the way, she notices Vivienne take her deck back and spin a disc in her hand, smiling in Alexander's direction. Placing the disc on the deck she selects a track before wearing a very wide smile as she weaves a bit of magic to make the lights dance with a magenta and electric blue hue. Hearing the music, Alexander sighs slightly as he wears a light smile himself.

"Did I miss something?" Starlight asks picking up a bottle for herself.

"Not much, no need to worry. We can stay out for a bit if you'd like." Alexander sips more of his fruit punch.

"I'd like that, here's to another long night." Starlight states holding out her bottle.

Tapping his own against it they both take a heavy mouthful and prepare for a slightly different night than normal ahead.
> Familiar Mentor in an Unfamiliar Place
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight groans as she bangs her head against one of the big bulky shelving units in the library. The mare in question reckons she has gone through, maybe, twenty-five percent of everything the place offers.

"I'm still no closer to home..." Twilight bangs her head again groaning louder than before and sighing deeply.

"You look exactly like Alexander did when preparing for his end of year one exams. Truthfully, it was quite adorable." A voice states from beside Twilight making her jump and squeal slightly.

Looking to her right she can see Cassandra wearing a Valkyrie House Halloween uniform and soft expression.

"P-Princess Celestia?" Twilight asks confused making Cassandra giggle lightly.

"I've been called many things, can't say that 'Celestia' has been one of them. Though you can call me Cassandra, no need to use the princess part." Cassandra states adjusting her long hair.

"R-right, sorry. Um..." Twilight struggles to formulate any words.

"You seemed to be struggling, so I figured I'd offer you some assistance." Cassandra offers with a smile before looking at the book Twilight is holding.

"I could use some... I'm still no closer to a solution for my problem." Twilight sighs as she puts her book back on the shelf.

"Trans-dimensional magic alone is a very specialist field with few able to pursue it at all. I might have been watching you for a tad longer than you'd assume. Call it curiosity rather than stalking, after all, you're a familiar to one of two people who didn't summon an esper during their 2nd-year entrance ceremony." Cassandra explains folding her arms.

"Right... That would explain the odd feeling I've been having for the last couple of hours. If it's such a specialist field, how am I going to find much on it?" Twilight asks with a hint of distress.

"While I happen to develop such magic myself, I doubt I'm at any such level to help fix your problem," Twilight goes to bang her head again before Cassandra stops her by placing a hand on the mare's shoulder. "However... I can impart what I do know, shall we walk a little?"

Twilight nods and allows Cassandra to lead her deeper into the library past many bookshelves.

"So... Where are we going?" Twilight asks looking around at a vast plethora of books she has yet to read.

"Walking. I do it sometimes to clear my head, while it may be odd to walk around a library, I find the atmosphere calming." Cassandra takes a deep breath before exhaling. "Now, while I do not know your problem I can tell you that it requires a lot of research as much is unknown about the magic itself. It is as rewarding as it is dangerous. Merlin himself had a theory on said magic way back in his era and it was transcribed into a short book a few years ago. He theorized that using the magic itself was fairly easy, however, that is where the danger lies. While it is possible to jump to other universes within the multiverse, without the proper magical designation number to input into your spell, you'd be jumping blindly each and every time you cast the spell. Which means, that if you lack the proper information when using trans dimensional magic-"

"You'd be forever jumping through an infinite number of portals which means you might never find the one you seek or return to your own. Like trying to hit a grain of sand with a nuke..." Twilight sighs deeply as she folds her arms.

"Can't say I've ever heard that expression before but I quite like it. It's also not wrong, Merlin did develop a spell to determine the magical designation number of a universe. That is to say, the number which all magic in that universe emits as a collective source. Umm, its universal frequency, I suppose." Cassandra explains as they continue walking.

"I somehow sense a 'but' coming where his spell is concerned." Twilight deadpans.

"You'd have a good sense then... Merlin's spell and the knowledge of how to use it was lost along with him when he supposedly died." Cassandra states as they walk out into a long room filled with countless shelves and thousands upon thousands of books lining them.

"I noticed a 'supposedly' in there..." Twilight points out making Cassandra smirk slightly.

"If I was a teacher you'd likely be my favourite student. When researching Merlin I noticed a lot was fuzzy about his death let alone his existence. I would have researched further, but my position on the student council doesn't permit me much free time on the best of days. Though, if per say a particularly curious familiar were to be interested I'm sure she'd be able to get a lot further than I could." Cassandra drops the obvious hints.

"So, you're basically saying if I look into Merlin I might find what I'm looking for to help solve my problem?" Twilight asks giving the student council president an odd look.

"I might be saying that. Which would bring me to the purpose of our walk, these are called computers and are specifically set up to help you find books within the library. My personal terminal is a little further up and has a sun symbol on it." Cassandra points to a computer a bit further up from them.

"Right... What's the password for it? Edward mentioned it's normally a good idea for people to put passwords on their phones and other electronic devices." Twilight asks raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about that. The password is Banana, however, you'll find a specific folder you can't get into. That's my porn, please don't try to guess the password." Cassandra states placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder to en the point.

Twilight blushes deeply and coughs several times trying to recompose herself.

"R-right, stay out of the porn, got it," Twilight nods furiously as Cassandra starts to leave. "Aren't you going to help me for a bit?"

"I would but the cafeteria is doing a special latte with a hint of banana extract. They have had several non-judgement days due to our vacation, it's time I paid them a visit, that and they have Halloween themed cake on sale today~" Cassandra squees in delight before speeding off.

"I should have seen that coming if I'm honest." Twilight sighs with a slight smile on her face this time before turning to head over to the computer Cassandra mentioned.





Twilight stretches lightly staring at the computer screen before her covered in various notes and diagrams which she has put together in the last several hours.

"It's progress if nothing else... Still nothing concrete though." Twilight sighs and shuts her eyes for a brief moment.

"Hey, Twilight!" Alexander states seeming to suddenly appear beside her.

"Sweet Celestia, what the buck are you doing here?!" Twilight opens her eyes sharply and jumps slightly in her seat.

"I was passing by and decided to check out the library. Figured if you weren't glued to your love interest you'd be here." Alexander chuckles before leaning over to inspect the computer.

"That's- He is not my love interest! What are you doing now?" Twilight groans as Alexander invades her personal space.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you're using Cassandra's personal computer. I've been meaning to get into this thing for a while but couldn't find the login password." Alexander begins flicking through various files.

"She's letting me use it so I can do some research. Hopefully get us closer to a way home... Alexander?" Twilight deadpans as he continues browsing.

"Yup?" Alexander replies but doesn't look at her.

"What are you looking for?" Twilight asks folding her arms.

"Her porn." Alexander states bluntly making Twilight sigh deeply.

"She told me not to touch that and that it's password protected." Twilight warns him but it goes ignored.

Alexander eventually comes across a folder which requires a password input.

"Gotcha... Now I just need to remember what Shana told me." Alexander ponders for a moment.

"See, it needs a password and it's highly unlikely that you know-" Twilight cuts herself short as Alexander types something in the box.

The folder opens up and another list of folders are revealed to the pair making Twilight twitch lightly.

"Cake." Alexander states as he smiles to himself.

"W-what the buck? How did you figure out her password?" Twilight stares at the screen horrified.

"Her greatest weakness as everyone knows is cake. I got the password off Shana last year but could never find out her login password." Alexander states smiling back at Twilight who stares at him blankly.

"Seriously? I should have seen that coming too..." Twilight rubs the bridge of her muzzle while sighing.

Alexander begins looking through folders but slowly starts to frown as he scrolls over their contents.

"This is..." Alexander struggles to find the right words.

"I am going to hate myself for asking but what did you find?" Twilight asks looking past Alexander.

"Cake... Pictures upon pictures of cake. Oh, wait there's a banana cake... A cake shaped like a banana... How the fuck is there a banana shaped like a cake?" Alexander gets progressively disappointed as they go through more folders.

"I don't think I've ever seen this many cake recipes or such a variety of pastries before... I'm confident she said this was a porn folder." Twilight also seems perplexed.

"I did, didn't I... I also said not to go into it." A voice stated from behind them making them turn their heads slowly.

Behind them is Cassandra with her arms crossed, glaring more at Alexander than anything. The man in question quickly closes all the relative folders and stands back trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Hey Cass, sup? This your pc? I had no idea." Alexander chuckles while backing away slowly.

"Right, sure... Looks like I'll have to have words with Shana when I'm done with you. She's the only person who has helped me compile my... List." Cassandra unfolds one of her arms to begin collecting fire magic in her right hand.

"I don't know what you mean. Perhaps a less obvious secret folder password might help? Just saying." Alexander coughs lightly as he continues backing away.

Cassandra looks extremely unamused before he shrugs and starts running down the room aiming for where she and Twilight entered earlier in the day. Rolling her eyes she tests the small fireball in her hand by throwing it up and down.

"I suppose it'll do." Cassandra limbers up slightly and sizes up her mark as it runs further away.

"Umm... Princess-" Twilight begins but stops when Cassandra holds up her hand.

"Just a sec." Cassandra states before taking a deep breath.

Winding up her pitch she waits to throw the ball after Alexander has turned to run down the right side of the long room entrance. Smirking, Cassandra throws the ball like a professional baseball pitcher making it fly away from them and in Alexanders general direction. Cassandra signals to Twilight she can continue.

"Firstly, I'm sorry for not stopping him sooner. I didn't expect him to actually know your password." Twilight sighs.

"I kinda expected him to get around to using that password at some point. Who do you think leaked it to Shana to begin with?" Cassandra chuckles as she watches her fireball fly down the right side following Alexander's trail.

"Wait... So, you knew this would happen? Baited him even?" Twilight blinks several times.

"Hmm quite. What did you think to my trolling skills? Second to none thus far." Cassandra states pulling up a chair to sit beside Twilight.

Twilight sighs deeply in relief as she calms down. 'Seems some things really don't change, no matter the universe you come from.' Twilight thinks in contemplation as she begins showing Cassandra what she had compiled before Alexander showed up.
> What Glimmer's in the Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight sips her large soda through a straw while staring out the window of Sparkles Cafe at the festival outside. Sighing lightly, she looks at the table to see another five large empty soda cups, admitting she might have a problem.

"I think I have a problem..." Starlight states to herself, dropping her ears a little.

"That's one way to put it, though I wouldn't be complaining about the business." The voice states with a light chuckle.

Starlight turns her head sharply from the window to the girl standing next to her booth, wearing a Valkyrie House Halloween uniform. Her hair is the same colour as Twilight's but is in a different design that covers half her face from time to time. Everything else screamed identical to her teacher, eyes, calm composure and an aura of friendliness.

"Oh, yeah I suppose you wouldn't." Starlight replies after composing herself.

The girl makes a motion to the seat opposite Starlight, silently asking if she could sit to which the mare nods.

"Thanks, I figured I'd come sit with the familiar whose ordered six large grape soda's since she came in and sat down this morning." The girl chuckles lightly as she slides a fresh soda across the table to Starlight.

"Yeah... I have a problem," Starlight takes the soda with thanks as she quickly finished what was left of her current cup. "they just taste so good~" Starlight takes a light sip before sighing softly.

"Heh, true. My name is Midnight Sparkle but I imagine you knew that already being Alexander's familiar. Might I ask your name?" Midnight asks leaning on the table to interlock her fingers before placing her head on them.

"I'm Starlight Gli- just Starlight... Hehe..." Starlight chokes slightly on her soda before chuckling nervously.

"Starlight... Quite a nice name if I'm honest. Naturally, I'm very curious seeing as you've been sitting there since early in the morning and it's now the mid-afternoon. You didn't even have lunch yet." Midnight states leaning her head to the right while on her hands.

"It's... Complicated." Starlight states staring out the window again.

"Hmm right. So, who is he?" Midnight asks randomly with a slight smile.

Starlight nearly spits out her soda as she chokes hard making Midnight giggle before pulling out a handkerchief to hand the mare.

"T-thank you..." Starlight coughs before cleaning up the mess and her muzzle before handing it back

Midnight places the handkerchief back in her pocket before giving Starlight a specific look which she has seen before, like the girl is waiting for an answer.

"What makes you think it's a guy?" Starlight asks a little defensively.

"Because I've sat exactly where you are. Though I had about six cups of Mocaccino before Schorl found me and we talked for a while." Midnight sighs lightly as she remembers that long morning.

"Hmm, why were you where I am?" Starlight asks making Midnight come back to reality and blink.

The girl pulls out a pink and purple cased phone before pressing a button so she can unlock it. Sliding the phone across the table, Starlight can see a cute picture of Midnight and Lilith as her background.

"I was approached a few days prior by the student council vice president and she asked me out while down on one knee." Midnight chuckles lightly before taking her phone back.

"Oh, my... But isn't that gesture normally for..?" Starlight asks vaguely making Midnight nod.

"Proposing, yeah. I learned from Schorl that Lilith didn't do stuff like that at all, as such she sought the advice of her older sister. Needless to say she gave her teasing advice to be playful. It was no wonder she looked so incredibly awkward while asking me out." Midnight takes a breath before looking out the window.

"How did that all progress?" Starlight asks sipping her soda, seemingly interested.

"Well, to start with when she asked me out it took me by surprise, so I asked/begged for time to think about it. Then came the talk with Schorl before I saw how cute Lilith was and decided if nothing else I'd roll with it. Can't say I've found a reason to regret my choice yet." Midnight smiles warmly staring idly at her phone.

Starlight processes the story before soon running out of soda making her whimper but she decides that seven should be her limit... Maybe.

"So, you're saying if I like them I should see where it goes?" Starlight asks, not sure what she should do.

"I'm saying while you're sitting here drowning yourself in grape soda waiting for your head to catch up, your heart already knows what it wants. Sometimes it takes others to point this out to us before we realise it, like Schorl did for me. Maybe I've done the same for you, who knows." Midnight sits back in her seat before looking at the analogue clock hanging on the wall. "Oh, crap, I'm late for a meeting I was supposed to go to! I told Lilith I'd meet her outside Minty's ten minutes ago."

"It's okay, you should go. I think I've got it from here." Starlight states with a contented sigh.

"Thank you, I wish you luck with Alexander." Midnight states before getting up to leave out the main door of Sparkles.

"Th- Hey! What makes you think it was Alexander?!" Starlight stands up and yells before looking around at the sparse faces in the cafe staring at her. "Da buck are you all looking at?!"

They all look away suddenly making Starlight scoff, sighing she puts a few notes on the table beside her cups before leaving the cafe herself.





Starlight stretches as she walks along the corridor leading back to their dorm room. Upon reaching the door, she stops to listen to some vague grunting coming from the living room making her blink a few times.

"You've got to be kidding..." Starlight sighs before opening the door to walk inside.

Once inside she shuts the door and walks to lean on the pillar which is part of the kitchen hole from the living.

"Son of a... You will fit... Bitch!" Edward can be seen trying to do something on the coffee table.

"Stop masturbating-" Starlight begins to state but stops when he turns suddenly throwing something at her with magic.

Looking slowly to the left of her face she can see a piece of metal shaped like Twilight's cutie mark embedded into the pillar.

"Jesus Christ woman don't sneak up on me like that, I nearly cut myself." Edward sits down from a kneeling position and sighs.

"Cut yourself... You nearly bucking ninja'd me!" Starlight exclaims while poking the sharp metal star.

"Oh... Sorry about that. I was trying to bend a metal I've never done before and it wasn't being cooperative..." Edward tries to explain but doesn't make Starlight feel better.

"You nearly killed me!" Starlight explains stepping into the living room proper.

"The metal and the physics, the bending and the flinging..." Edward makes a few nervous chuckles.

"You're lucky I'm reformed... What is this deadly weapon even for?" Starlight asks lying down on the sofa.

Edward sighs and pulls the star out of the pillar, placing it on the table with other metals, gems and materials.

"Trying to make a present I guess, it's going through some trial phases... A lot of trial phases..." Edward rubs his face before groaning.

"I thought metal 'bending' was within your magical profession?" Starlight asks making air quotations.

Edward shoots Starlight a deadpan expression before turning himself to face her.

"It's not just metal 'bending'," Edward makes the same air quotations. "metal magic is derived or evolved from earth magic. You could say metal magic is a branch of earth magic or a specialization of such."

"Seems legit. So, what is this present for exactly?" Starlight asks sitting up on the sofa and looking at the components on the table.

"Well, on the 8th of December, Kilgharah has an annual Christmas festival much like this one but a lot more festive. I figured I'd make her a necklace or something as a present for that." Edward glances at the failed attempts that litter the table.

"How long does the festival go on for?" Starlight asks intrigued.

"Umm about the same length as the Halloween festival, I think." Edward states a little unsure.

Starlight runs through the calendar she saw before in their bedroom in her head as she works something out.

"That should give us enough time to perfect this gift of yours so you can give it to Twilight." Starlight states standing up to head in the direction of the bathroom.

"What do you mean 'us'?" Edward asks looking very confused.

Starlight stops and sighs.

"Well, I figured if I can't recruit Twilight to Alexander's harem, I might as well help you make her happy." Starlight smiles before she carries on walking.

"Haha, that was a joke... Starlight? That was a joke wasn't it?" Starlight simply turns around to smile wider before entering the bathroom. "S-Starlight? That was a joke yes? Starlight!" Edward's voice grows more in concern as he goes on.
> Morning Eclipse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cassandra groans as she rolls over to turn off her obnoxious alarm clock which sits on the bedside table next to her bunk bed. Burying her face in her pillow she fully prepares herself to sleep a bit longer before a voice shatters that hope like a sledgehammer.

"As much as I know you'd like to, today is rather important as you pointed out yesterday evening." The female voice states besides the bed.

"Surely I can afford to sleep in for a few minutes..?" Cassandra asks turning to face the voice but keeping her eyes closed.

"While normally I'd wish to agree with you given how hard you work, this written note states otherwise. You also signed it, your highness." She coughs a little.

Cassandra groans more and opens her eyes before yawning slightly.

"Surely not even I was stupid enough to-" Cassandra stops when the blur leaves her eyes and she reads a piece of paper being held up to her top bunk. "I, Cassandra... Yeah... Mhmm... Hereby grant Raven... Right... Permission to... Oh for fluff sake..."

The girl in question holding the piece of signed paper has pitch black hair styled up into a bun and brown eyes, she wears the Halloween special Valkyrie House uniform.

"So, as much as I might want to, I am under your direct written instructions." Raven sighs lightly smiling a little.

"How did I even write a full side of A4 paper for a simple wake up call? I have issues..." Cassandra sighs deeply before slowly moving to get out of bed.

Raven places the piece of paper on a desk beside the bedside table before starting to look through her phone and a clipboard. The princess in question climbs down from her bunk and leaves the room to enter the bathroom. While she strips off to take a shower, Raven leaves the bedroom to walk through their living room making her stop at the kitchen where she puts on a pot of coffee.

'Shall I relay today's agenda to you?'. Raven asks internally while she texts an order to Sparkles.

'If you'd be so kind.' Cassandra replies within her mind.

'At 10:00 am you have a meeting with the Agriculture Club to do with the requested pumpkins they have grown for today's event. Then at 11:30 am you are required to meet with Rivet and the Architecture Club to discuss the areas for each house's carving locations.' Raven begins the list whilst pouring two cups of coffee, preparing them with cream or anything else they liked. 'Moving into the afternoon, you have lunch with your sister, Princess Lilith, at 12:30 pm in the academy cafeteria. After that, you have an hour and a half before opening the Kilgharah House Pumpking Carve event at 2:00 pm alongside your sister.' Raven unpacks a Sparkles bag which appears on the kitchen island from a portal, placing a couple of piping hot banana pancakes on one plate while placing two British crumpets on her own plate.

"Oh, I do believe I smell Sparkle's infamous banana pancakes and a cup of delicious coffee~" Cassandra states walking through into the living room as she dries her hair, now dressed in her own Valkyrie House uniform.

"Your favourite if I remember rightly. I figured you'd need such a breakfast given the day ahead of you." Raven states as she brings the tray through into the living room and places it on the coffee table.

"I often wonder how I'd get by without those who support me day to day like you and my sister. The simple truth of the matter is I wouldn't." Cassandra sits down on the sofa to finish drying her hair.

Raven butters her crumpets before taking an eager bite out of one, as always Sparkle's food is on point. Cassandra puts her towel to the side so she can drench the pancakes in maple syrup before sprinkling a healthy amount of sugar on them. Cutting off a square piece of pancake, Cassandra places it in her mouth eliciting a content moan of delight.

"I'm beyond delighted they added this to their menu this year." Cassandra states happily.

"Didn't you pester them with countless request letters?" Raven asks before taking another bite of her crumpet.

"Tsk, that's beside the point. It would have happened eventually, with or without my intervention." Cassandra coughs slightly before eating more pancake.

The pair eats in relative silence for the last part of their breakfast before clearing everything up and getting ready to leave.

"I'm sure today won't prove too difficult, your highness." Raven states as she picks up her clipboard from the kitchen side.

"Since when has that ever been the case?" Cassandra sighs lightly before they leave out the door.





Lilith sits at the farthest end of the rightmost cafeteria table, reading a book casually while a tea tray sits in front of her. Along on the tray is a pair of china cups, plates and a teapot. Between her and the tea tray is a plate holding a double beef burger with lettuce and fries. Chuckling slightly, she spots Cassandra walking over with a tray of her own while noticing she already looked run down. Taking the seat opposite Lilith, Cassandra puts her tray to the side putting a plate in front of her holding a chicken burger with lettuce and fries. The girl then lays her head on the table before groaning lightly.

"How un-princess-like for you, dear sister." Lilith giggles before placing a bookmark on her current page so she can put it down.

"Don't even get me started, Lilith..." Cassandra sits up, taking a deep breath. "Okay, so... The original concept we drew up was that the houses would have two giant pumpkings to carve."

"Thus splitting the house into two teams, yes." Lilith pours them both a cup of tea before sitting back with hers.

"Apparently there were some complications with magical bugs getting into the greenhouses where they had been growing the pumpkings. As it stands currently, each house is getting one giant pumpkin to carve as a collective." Cassandra heaves a sigh of relief upon taking a sip of tea.

"I knew you'd need a few cups of Earl Grey, lest someone be banished this evening." Lilith chuckles lightly.

"I was debating the moon after that meeting, tis true..." Cassandra takes the time to lightly salt her fries.

"This does leave us with a dilemma when compared to our original draft which we submitted to the Chancellor." Lilith sighs slightly before happily taking a bite of her burger.

"The only real solution we have is to change the draft to a whole house carving rather than the original idea. They'll have to decide amongst themselves how they wish to carve the pumpking exactly." Cassandra begins to eat her fries, letting her chicken burger cool down.

The pair sits in silent contemplation while they drink their tea and eat their lunch. The younger of the two sighing slightly before looking through a schedule on her phone.

"Tis not exactly the worst incident we have tried to make the best of since we took charge of the student council, I doubt anything could compare to last year." Lilith states before chuckling a little at her sister's expression.

"Lilith, please! We swore that we would not revisit those traumatic, terrifying times..." Cassandra shivers.

"What you call 'terrifying', I find rather humorous." Lilith sips her fourth cup of tea.

"You would, wouldn't you..." Cassandra deadpans.

After finishing their lunch, the two sisters relax to enjoy what's left of their tea before a girl with pale blonde hair, light amber eyes and wears a navy blue post office workers uniform, walk up to Cassandra.

"Oh, hello Daisy Hooves, what can I do for you?" Cassandra asks the girl.

Daisy ruffles through her messenger bag before pulling out a wrapped parcel.

"Just an afternoon delivery!~ Please sign here." She offers Cassandra a clipboard which she signs.

Daisy leaves the parcel on the table before nodding and leaving.

"Who could possibly be sending you a package in the middle of the day?" Lilith looks confused before putting down her teacup.

Cassandra inspects the parcel before taking off the brown wrapping paper to reveal a pink box.

"Hmm I'm not sure but the card simply says 'Enjoy'. I have an inkling, but- Oh that bitch." Cassandra sighs when looking inside the box.

"Sister! Language." Lilith states before Cassandra turns the open box to show her five eclairs with white banana cream frosting along the tops, "Oh that bitch."

"Princess Lilith, language!" Raven states discreetly as she passes by them with an empty tray.

Both of the girls sigh before chuckling between themselves.

"I should have known she'd send me something like this after our last recent argument." Cassandra breathes in the scent of banana from the eclairs.

"Oh, yes, Cristina, the girlfriend you obtained last winter when we had that Christmas academy mixer celebration. I'm still unsure about it." Lilith states with a heavy sigh.

"She is rough sometimes and has a few issues but she tries. She is also really sweet sometimes... Most times... When it counts." Cassandra states with a nervous chuckle at her sisters serious deadpan.

"I'm not doubting that but she used to be a lot worse..." Lilith looks at the time on her phone, "sister, we need to go. We have few minutes to get to the opening of the event."

Cassandra looks at her sister then at the eclairs, back to her sister then to the eclairs again.

"But Lilyyy... Eclairsss... Pweaseee..? Just five minutes I promisee." Cassandra begs with her eyes.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me..." Lilith rubs her eyes before glancing back at her sister's adorable face. "Gah! Fine! Only five minutes though!"

Cassandra smiles widely before she starts enjoying the first eclair with a pleasant moan making Lilith roll her eyes.
> The Great Pumpking Carve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cassandra stands next to a very unimpressed Lilith on a wooden stage by the student village. Beside Cassandra and Lilith are the Chancellor, Ignis and Alexanders math teacher now known as Clifford Wave, they stand to the left of the two sisters. On their right is a middle-aged female with slightly wild white hair with electric yellow streaks in it and yellow eyes. She wears pale yellow heels, pitch black body suit covering her legs up to her ample chest with three chevrons cut out of it to expose her stomach, just under her breasts and one on her chest to display her generous cleavage, lastly, she wears an open front armless dress which stops at the top of her thighs and is connected at the bottom while missing a large strip from the front. She is head of Valkyrie House known as Electra Tesla. Next to her is a slightly muscled male with combed brown hair with black highlights and hazel eyes. He wears a much different outfit consisting of a brown waist-length tough leather jacket, a pitch black shirt, hefty-looking faded green cargo pants, leather forearm braces, black fingerless gloves with three pouches connected to his heavy looking belt, one on his left and two on his right leg. His name is Wilson Slate, otherwise known as Sgt. Boom.

"That was not five minutes big sister..." Lilith whispers to Cassandra who blushes slightly.

"Sorry... They were too good..." Cassandra whimpers lowly.

"You are terrible..." Lilith sighs as she rubs the bridge of her nose.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to an event which marks the halfway progression of our Halloween festival. To further the introduction I shall give you over to our esteemed student council president, Cassandra Eclipse." The Chancellor states before stepping back beside Ignis.

Cassandra clears her throat and steps forward.

"Thank you, Chancellor. It's good to see nearly everyone here this afternoon, however, I notice a couple of iconic faces are missing from the crowd. As you can see behind us there are four large covered objects, seeing as you all know the name of this event it's no surprise what they are." Lilith removes the sheets from the objects revealing four giant pumpkings. "These are the Agriculture Club's precious achievement they have been working on special for today. For the first time, the pumpking carve will be a whole house event, this means that each of the houses will get one giant pumpking each to carve as a collective. How each house decides to carve their pumpking is up to their students, but they are able to get suggestions of their house teacher. Without further adieu, I present to everyone today's event, 'The Kilgharah Pumpking Carve'!" Cassandra announces as fireworks are set off in the sky.

The crowd gives applause and cheers before they begin talking among themselves, the house teachers left to move the pumpkings with a team of students to their carving areas. Edward is standing with Twilight and Starlight with Vivienne nearby.

"I don't suppose you know where that idiot is this morning do you?" Vivienne asks Edward while she stretches.

"Not since this morning, no. He didn't even tell Starlight where he was going." Edward states as Starlight turns away from them with her arms crossed.

"He seemed quite perplexed during breakfast, maybe he has something on his mind." Twilight ponders out loud making Edward wonder.

"Maybe... It's going to be chaos trying to decide on how to carve the pumpkin as a house." Starlight states looking around at the Wyvern House students.

"Oh, I don't think it'll be that bad." Jerry states from behind Starlight making her jump slightly.

"Why do you always bucking show up out of nowhere?!" Starlight shivers a little before crossing her arms again.

Robert and Adam walk over to the growing group as Phoenix approaches from the other side.

"Has anyone seen that idiot this afternoon? He was meant to drop by the shop this morning but he never showed." Phoenix asks making them all shake their heads.

"Come to think of it, I've not seen his sister either..." Robert states looking around cautiously.

At that moment Trinity walks over to Starlight, getting her attention.

"Have you perhaps seen Lucita? I've not seen her since this morning." Trinity asks Starlight while rubbing her left arm.

"Can't say I have, but then again we haven't seen Alexander either. You could try calling her, if you have the number." Starlight offers the suggestion making Trinity blink.

"Oh, yeah, I could have done that. One second then." Trinity fishes out her phone from her inside blazer pocket.





Alexander leans back on the large cloud taking a nap before hearing a phone go off to his right.

"Lucita, really?" Alexander glances at his sister who is also laying on the cloud.

"Sorry... It's Trinity, shit I was meant to call her." Lucita groans and rubs her eyes.

Answering the phone, Alexander stretches and rolls over while his sister deals with things.

"Luci, where are you? I didn't see you for lunch either like we were meant to." Trinity sighs on the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry, I got caught up talking with my brother then we took a nap after eating. I guess we kinda lost track of time." Lucita states laying back down.

"I see... Will you be coming to the pumpking carve? It's already started but it is a house carve this year, they are still making a design." Trinity informs Lucita who looks over at Alexander.

"To be honest we were going to pass it this year... Mainly because of last year we didn't really want to disturb the festival again." Lucita chuckles nervously.

"A plausible reason, given what did happen last year... But this one is now, this year. I'd like you to come. While you think on that someone wants to speak with Alexander." Trinity can be heard passing the phone to someone.

Lucita looks at her brother with a deadpan expression before flicking some wind in his direction.

"You have a caller, brother." Lucita states trying to pass him the phone.

"I doubt it's anyone I actually need to talk to-" Alexander yawns lightly.

"You pick up this damn phone and talk to me you bastard!" Starlight yells from the other side making him jump.

Alexander takes the phone and clears his throat before thinking what he should say.

"Hey Starlight..." Alexander states meekly.

"Don't bucking, 'hey Starlight', me you ass. I didn't even see you at breakfast, then you're going to skip out on attending the carve?" Starlight sounds very annoyed.

"Sorry... I hope you didn't worry, but I imagine it's stupid of me to assume as such. What's happening with the carve anyway?" Alexander asks sitting up.

"It's a house carve apparently, one giant pumpking per house." Starlight explains.

Alexander and Lucita look over the edge of their cloud and are able to see the four giant pumpkings in each house's location.

"Jesus... Talk about eccentric... I guess we could attend but-"

"Hmm? Oh, apparently you don't have a choice as they are asking for you both. Something to do with a plan they have." Starlight states making Alexander frown before he looks at Lucita.

"Hmm... We'll be there shortly then." Alexander hangs up and they both sigh deeply.





Back at the Wyvern House pumpking area, a group of students were working on a large piece of paper, mocking up several designs. Another group were inspecting the pumpking and its properties supervised by Jerry. Agni and team Heat are waiting nearby when she spots the siblings walking over.

"Was starting to think you'd left your house out to dry, Night." Agni chuckles and folds her arms.

"I guess we were conflicted on whether you wanted us here." Alexander sighs lightly.

"Last I checked you wore a Wyvern uniform, you know the houses stand by there own." Agni pats his shoulder.

Alexander takes a deep breath before nodding.

"I guess I forgot, sorry." Alexander glances at his sister who is getting scolded by Trinity.

Jerry and Adam walked over to Edward and co who is joined by Alexander.

"Well, the artists in Wyvern House are just finishing the carving design. How was your end, Jerry?" Adam asks folding his arms.

"We've established the properties of the pumpking and can easily mark out the carving areas." Jerry states smiling.

"Whose on the carving team?" Alexander asks before they all look at him and Lucita.

"You can't be serious..." Lucita blinks several times before Agni shakes her head.

Picking up their paper the art group and Jerry's group begin planning out the design on the pumpking.

"Who else would be qualified to carve our house crest onto a giant pumpking, than the Wyvern House students with the sharpest winds on campus." Agni explains and signals her team to get into a formation.

Alexander who looks at Lucita as she shrugs.

"I guess if my sister wants to, we can try." Alexander and Lucita stand either side of each other, facing the pumpking.

The design and tactical team finished up their part and left the pumpking which had a magical outline on its front face of a big wyvern. Getting into their regular stances, Alexander and Lucita limber up their wrists. At that moment a gentle breeze passes between them making them smile.

"Looks like brother wishes to join us." Alexander sighs.

"This should be easy then." Lucita states as they take deep breathes.

Watching the pair closely, the siblings click their fingers, then again, then again as each time more wind is gathered in front of them stirring the clouds above. Unable to take her eyes off Alexander, Starlight could see he wore a wide smile while working alongside his sister.

"Any suggestions?" Alexander asks his sister as the gathered wind forms a bigger sphere.

"I'm thinking a three or a four, you?" Lucita states as she moves to hold both hands in front of her.

"With three of us, we should be able to get up to a five? Shouldn't need a six." Alexander states doing the same as his sister.

Frowning, Starlight looks confused before noticing Jerry invading her personal space to the right again.

"What?" Starlight glances at him.

"You appear perplexed so I thought I'd offer some insight. They are talking about hurricane categories to determine what strength they should use their wind at. Normally each one of their own would be about a two or three, both siblings maybe a four, borderline a five. Now, if you combine all three siblings, you have the potential for a lethal category six." Jerry explains.

"RIght... What about their technique now?" Starlight asks looking back to the pair.

"Their wind generating claps uses the same wrist mechanics as snapping their fingers. Only with a clap, they can generate more wind compared to precision wind." Jerry further explains.

The siblings grow their sphere with a few claps before switching to snapping their fingers again. Once the winds are moving fast enough within the sphere, they take a step forward to send it over the pumpking. Once about the vegetable, they snap their fingers hard to make it slam down and form a funnel around the pumpking.

"Agni, category five flame hurricane!" Alexander yells to the captain who nods.

Her team hold out their hands and begin channelling fire magic towards the seemingly controlled hurricane slowly following up around it, lighting it ablaze. Closing their eyes, the siblings begin clicking their fingers rapidly while moving their eyes a little slower. Before long the work was done and the hurricane began to slow while dissipating. Once the hurricane has slowed enough, the product of their hard work can be seen past the flames, a practically glowing pumpking with a precisely cut carving on the front of the houses wyvern crest. Inside the pumpking burns a brilliant flame.

The whole house applauds and cheers at the talented work considering their pumpking complete.

"See, you are useful for something, Alexander." Agni chuckles.

"Psh, bite me." He remarks back.

"Nope! That's my job, I mean... Just no." Starlight blurts out making her blush.

"Surely that's my job if anything?" Alexander teases her making her puff her cheeks.

"Shut up, idiot." Starlight turns away while folding her arms.

Nearby at the student village, Lilith is calming down her sister who was breathing heavily.

"It's gone sister, you don't need to panic anymore." Lilith rolls her eyes.

"He used a hurricane to carve a pumpking Lilith! I have every right to panic about that, what if they didn't handle it?!" Cassandra grabs her sisters shoulders and shakes her lightly.

"I hope somewhere out there is a universe where you're the more relaxed one..." Lilith sighs deeply as she keeps trying to calm her sibling.
> Fifty Shades of Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

26th October... 7:00 am... Somewhere inside Kilgharah Mountain...




Jerry takes a deep breath as he walks along the concrete corridor lined with heavy steel beams to keep it stable. Holding a clipboard in his right hand, it can be seen to have a medium sized stack of papers secured to its surface, in his left hand is a pencil which he taps against his leg. Reaching a heavy-duty blast door, Jerry walks over to a terminal embedded in the wall behind a secret panel. The device has many different sections and items needing to be filled out, such as a number password, keyword panel, eye scanner, voice recognition box, enhanced magic scanner system and a coin slot to the far right. Looking it all over, Jerry gets a coin out of his pocket which is engraved with a draconequus and flips it into the coin slot. The blast door begins sliding up to open without him needing to touch the other security measures. Walking into the large, slightly chilly warehouse-like room, Jerry can see his sister up on the second floor already checking through the 'spare furniture' section.

"Gotta love the mid-week stock check..." Jerry sighs deeply but does not appear sad.

"Morning brother." A man states passing Jerry on a yellow forklift.

The man wears an outfit in a similar colour scheme to his siblings. His attire is comprised of black jeans, black cowboy boots with silver etchings, a long buttoned up trench coat which has an attached hood on the back and a black cowboy hat all with brown trim.

"Morning Barret." Jerry states in response as he puts the clipboard on top of a crate.

After a few seconds, Barret's forklift is followed by another being driven by... Barret?

"Morning brother." The second Barret states.

Jerry adjusts his trench slightly while holding out one hand with a finger up.

After a couple more seconds a third, fourth and fifth forklift pass by Jerry each being driven by Barret, as each one passes Jerry puts up another finger till getting to four which is how many manifestations of himself that Barret can handle at one given time. Picking up a megaphone, Jerry turns it on and points it in Shana's direction.

"We got any inventories we can check off yet?!" Jerry shouts making Shana turn around.

Opening a portal next to her, another one opens above Jerry's head so she can stick her own through it. Shana ends up upside down next to Jerry.

"The Smooze incident didn't do too much property damage thanks to the barriers holding. That said all the park benches, several lamposts, beach equipment etc was either swallowed and dissolved or floated into the ocean. In the case of the latter, we either haven't found it or it's to water damaged to be of any use. In total we used extra alcohol sales to make up the difference, thus rebalancing the books." Shana reports with a smile before dropping down to properly stand beside Jerry.

Barret drives up to them on a transport cart meant for personnel to get around their warehouse.

"Also thanks to the Smooze our medical bill for this month is a lot more than in past instances. We nearly ran out of emergency magical spheres while barely stopping people going into sudden magical deficiency shock. We'd planned to use the revenue from the Halloween festival to make up the loss in the books." Barret explains crossing his arms.

Jerry looks through his sheets before ticking a few things and humming lowly.

"How well is that going so far?" Jerry asks glancing at Barret who simply sticks his thumb up. "Right, there was something important on my list I needed to check but it should be able to wait till later."

The trio gets on the transport cart, Jerry riding shotgun, Barret driving and Shana sitting on the back. They begin driving through the many corridors and vast array of rooms which make up the Shady family warehouse.

"So, prior to this inspection did it look like we were running out of anything?" Shana asks looking over her shoulder.

"We're going to need to place a large bulk order for those medical orbs along with some other requests made by Nurse Redheart. The spa appeared to be running out of quite a few things, obviously, recent events have several people stressed. I'm praying we have enough alcohol to last us until the end of the festival, but we should make an emergency purchase just to be safe." Jerry states as he looks around the rooms as they drive.

Eventually, they reach a fence gate which parts to let them drive through into a very large room. The odd thing about it is the sky and clouds, combined with the fact the 'room' appears to be outside... The finely crafted menagerie is the product of their fourth sibling and second sister, Harriet. It's a vast section of their warehouse that is made up of many state of the art magically simulated biomes with an overview day & night cycle, golem crafted personnel to handle the feeding/manual care of the plethora of animals they keep there. Every animal held in the menagerie eventually ends up at Shy's Familiars, from fully bred dragons to direwolves and fairies. Considering its size and needed upkeep, it was decided that Harriet could just oversee this operation if she so desired.

"Our sister has a serious love for animals and familiars with what she turned this place into." Shana states looking up into the 'sky'.

"Aye, but our sister has a talent for that sorta thing. Just like Jerry and his illusion magic, you with your transportation magic and me with my duplication magic." Barret explains as they drive down a slightly rocky path.

After twenty minutes of driving they reach a tunnel on the other side of the menagerie. Passing through they come out into a large warehouse with various support beams keeping it stable.

"We need to make a stop by the alcohol section to make sure we still have enough for the festival end party. Both Vivienne and Nigel will need the extra stock to survive the sales that night... If I know a certain two like I do, we might need to break open the reserve." Jerry flicks through some papers and ticks several things as they drive past various sections.

"I doubt it'll be that serious, we have yet to run out of stock in the two years we took over management." Shana states happily making Barret chuckle.

"Don't ya go forgetting the various close calls and last-minute stock resupplies we have needed to do." Barret glances back at Shana who pouts.

They finally reach a caged area which contains many different packed crates of alcohol. The cage itself is heavily enchanted by the four siblings combined with wards to lock the front gate. Using his coin to unlock the padlock on the gate the three siblings begin going through each crate carefully.

"I still wonder how some people drink most of this stuff, but each to their own poison I guess..." Jerry ticks off the various crates as they get searched.

"Brother, what exactly are we looking for here?" Shana states tidying up some crates.

"We don't have any do we..?" Jerry begins to look worried.

"I ain't seen a crate yet... It's also not a brand we keep in the emergency stash..." Barret states as the three share a slowly growing look of worry.

At that moment Jerry's phone goes off to a very familiar ringtone which makes all three look at his coat pocket.

"Five gold he'll say he felt a disturbance in the force..." Shana states looking at Barret.

"Ten gold, I'll raise you." Barret replies as Jerry gets his phone out to answer it.

Jerry rolls his eyes at the pair before fishing his phone out to answer it.

"*Ahem*, hey dad." Jerry states in greeting.

"Ah, Jerry... I couldn't help but notice a disturbance in the force and sensed that we might be in a bit of a pickle?" The voice asks in a gentleman-like tone.

Barret swears slightly under his breath before tossing Shana a small brown pouch with ten gold in it.

"You could say something like that..." Jerry deadpans at his siblings before rolling his eyes again.

"Well, what is it? It can't be worse than the Valentines rush last year." The voice is heard vocally shivering. "Now that was chaotic."

"The cinder fruit punch is gone, dad..." Jerry states in earnest.

There is a brief period of silence without any noise whatsoever followed by a mild cricket sound.

"Oh bother... That is a pickle, isn't it... Right, we're 25th..." The voice can be heard flicking through notes and what Jerry assumes is a calendar. "Halloween party is 31st... Place an emergency order here... Five days... Hmm? Oh, move some of my troops into Russia and I'll call that a move."

Jerry looks at his phone confused for a moment before putting it back to his ear.

"Dad, are you playing Risk?" Jerry asks perplexed.

"Quite and chess, while trying to sort this out so we avoid unneeded damage. If we place an order now, label it an emergency, we should get it in time for the Halloween party. Oh, invading Japan? That's diabolical, I love it." The voice states obviously having two conversations.

"Thanks, dad. I'll let you know if we need anything else." Jerry hangs up and heaves a heavy sigh.

"Told you so." Shana folds her arms and smiles widely.

"We're so boned..." Jerry pockets his phone before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly the trio hears a voice scream into the warehouse section they are in. Confused, they step out of the alcohol area and look around.

"Clear the road!" A female yells down at them.

Looking in the direction of the menagerie area the trio can see a flaming three-headed dog running towards them. They dive out of the way letting it pass as their sister speeds past on a motorcycle holding a leash.

"You were saying, brother?" Shana states with a giggle looking at Jerry beside her on the floor.

"This place is a constant fifty shades of chaos isn't it..?" Jerry lays his face against the floor.

"Ooh, that could be a book! Or better yet the title of a chapter!" Shana exclaims seeming excited making Jerry groan under his hat.
> Why is the Punch Gone?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vivienne sighs while directing several students where to place the boxes of various alcohol near and around the bar. Belladonna is carrying each checked box down to the basement for storage once Vivienne signs them off.

"Come on, come on. We've got four days before the big party, we need enough stock to last those days and then the party itself." Vivienne exclaims to the working male students who are moving the boxes.

Vivienne feels a pair of hands massage her shoulders from behind, glancing her head back she can see Forte.

"You really should relax, dear. There is still plenty of time to get everything in place." Forte tries to reassure Vivienne who nods lightly.

Vivienne takes a couple of deep breathes before feeling a sense of calm. Their attention is grabbed by Vivienne's phone which goes off in her blazer pocket making Forte roll her eyes.

"What could he possibly want?" Vivienne looks confused as she gets it out to answer it.

"Vivienne, sweetheart, wassup?" Jerry states nervously.

"What do you want Shade?" Vivienne asks with a deadpan expression.

"Vivi, Vivienne, sweetheart, w-whatever would give you that idea?" Jerry coughs slightly before sighing deeply. "We ran out..."

Vivienne raises an eyebrow before looking at her phone weirdly.

"Ran out of what exactly? I doubt it's too much to worry about, even if it's alcohol based. We should have enough till another shipment arrives." Vivienne states as she wanders around the club checking preparations.

"The punch is gone..." Jerry states bluntly.

Vivienne stops suddenly with an audible record scratch as she comes to a complete stop.

"Why the fuck is the punch gone?! You had one job, Jerry, just one!" Vivienne slaps her forehead making Forte walk over to her.

"Everything alright, Vivi?" Forte asks rubbing the girl's shoulders.

Vivienne turns to Forte with a pained expression.

"The cinder fruit punch is gone, Forte..." Vivienne feels Forte stop massaging briefly.

"Ah, I see... Vivienne, why don't you go to the spa for a bit to relax and I'll handle things here?" Forte offers handing the girl her pure white hoodie with an eighth note on the back.

"I shouldn't really take such a break when there is still so much to do around here." Vivienne states looking concerned.

Forte helps Vivienne put on her hoodie before getting her phone taken briefly so Forte can continue the call.

"Trust me, Vivi, I will take care of things while you unwind a little. Please, for me?" Forte pleads making Vivienne sigh deeply.

"Only because you asked me to... Just, notify me if anything changes." Vivienne gives Forte a kiss before reluctantly leaving the club.

Forte turns around her smile fading to a serious expression as she clears her throat.

"Right, let's discuss this shortage of fruit punch, shall we?" Forte asks walking up to the office.





Walking into the spa Vivienne can see Indigo and Iris behind the main desk sorting out paperwork and other assortments. Noticing Vivienne, Indigo looks up fully from their work.

"Afternoon, Vivienne. What might we help you with today?" She asks standing up to stretch.

"I'm just here to relax in the hot spring for a bit while Forte handles things at the club for now." Vivienne replies handing the girl some gold coins.

"Of course, would you like me to take you or?" Indigo asks before Vivienne shakes her head.

"Nah, I got it. Looks like you two have your hands full anyway." Vivienne chuckles as she begins walking further into the facility, hearing angry french words coming from Iris about the paperwork.

Eventually finding a female changing room next to one of the few hot springs they have. Vivienne begins to undress, placing her clothes into one of the provided baskets.

"Okay, I just need to avoid running into Alexander or Lucita or their familiairs... Shouldn't be too difficult, he never comes here anyway." Vivienne mutters to herself as she removes her bra.

"Hey, Vivienne." Starlight states as she walks in and begins undressing beside Vivienne.

"Hey Starlight." Vivienne states casually as she removes her underwear.

Blinking a few times it takes her a moment before she turns to look at Starlight who simply returns the look.

"What's up?" Starlight finishes removing her clothes.

"Is it too much to ask that Alexander isn't with you?" Vivienne asks as they both grab towels to wrap around themselves.

"Hmm? Of course not, this is the females changing room, I think... It'd be kinda weird." Starlight reassures her as they pass through into the hot spring area.

The hot spring itself is made of magically shaped stones, a few side rocks as decoration, some panels for privacy etc. Moving to a washing area beside the hot spring, Vivienne and Starlight wash in preparation before entering the spring properly, placing their towels behind them on the stone side. Vivienne sighs deeply as she relaxes into the water.

"I'll eventually learn when Forte tells me to relax I should... She's normally right." Vivienne closes her eyes and leans back.

"Hmm~ more than likely. I didn't get to do this last time because of Alexander's ex~" Starlight melts as she relaxes back into the water.

"Speaking of which, I heard that someone knocked her out in one with a very strong wind attack. Naturally, I assumed it was Alexander, but it wasn't was it?" Vivienne asks with a sly smirk.

"Maybe~ it was extremely satisfying." Starlight chuckles lightly.

Vivienne nods before looking forwards to see Alexander sitting across from them, both parties vaguely obscured by convenient steam... Obviously not enough steam.

"Starlight... You said he wasn't with you!" Vivienne looks towards Starlight with wide eyes.

"Yeah, because he wasn't in the changing rooms but we came here together." Starlight shrugs lightly.

"Ladies." Alexander states calmly as he's laying back in his place entirely unfazed by the whole situation.

Submerging herself more, Vivienne sighs while blowing bubbles in the water.

"First the punch shortage, now I run into one of two people I had hoped to avoid today..." Vivienne groans to herself while muttering.

Alexander raises an eyebrow at Vivienne which she notices and slaps herself.

"I swear people forget wind users hear better than normal... Now, what do you mean punch shortage?" Alexander leans forward, both intrigued and a bit hopeful he misheard for once.

Vivienne avoids eye contact before eventually giving in and sighing deeply.

"We might have... Maybe... Possibly... Ran out of cinder fruit punch..." Vivienne admits with a nervous chuckle.

Alexander leans back in place seemingly processing what he was just told.

"I see... Lucita should have enough backed up to-" Starlight stands up suddenly exposing herself.

"That's what I forgot! Your sister said she and Trinity accidentally drunk all her stash last night!" Starlight places her hands on her hips proud of her memory recovery skills.

Alexander's expression drops but his anger is somewhat distracted by a well endowed familiar who is seemingly unfazed by her exposure. This last shortly, however, as he remembers how much he loves his punch. Instead of words, outside the hot spring begins to rain heavily.
> Kilgharrah's Halloween Celebration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight stands in the living room tapping her foot on the floor while Starlight lays on the sofa sighing, flicking through her phone.

"Edward is taking his time changing..." Twilight mumbles before looking back down the hallway, "have you managed to get 'him' out of his room yet?"

Starlight passes Twilight a deadpan expression which speaks volumes.

"He has been... Difficult. Seems he and his sister really love that stuff... Like, obsessively, love that stuff... I don't blame him but at the same time... I want my fresh pancakes." Starlight sighs before stretching.

"Doing a little research, it's not actually very alcoholic compared to other recipes out there. It's not particularly weak by any means, using a fine blend of Cinder's Cider in combination with a neatly blended then strained strawberry fruit punch. They recommend it's served chilled, I honestly cannot argue with their results of Cinder's Fruit Punch." Twilight explains as she folds her arms.

"I'll go talk to him in a minute... Don't you find it strange that the clothes Jerry picked for us in the mine were identical to the clothes we wore from Equestria?" Starlight asks while sitting up.

Twilight strokes her chin and ponders this for a few minutes, running through some theories before shaking her head.

"I have a few theories in mind but... I'd either not want to think about them or dismiss them entirely. Other theories have me cringing and praying an insane amount they aren't true." Twilight rubs her arms as she shivers upon thinking about some.

Starlight stands up before shrugging a little.

"Whatever the reason, we'll just have to ask. I'm now going to kick Alexander's ass out of bed." Starlight states before leaving down the hallway as Edward exits the bathroom.

"Good luck with that." Twilight shakes her head slightly as Edward enters the living room.

The man himself had opted for a cosplay of an anime character he'd previously mentioned to Twilight.

"Is he still in the room?" Edward asks, glancing back to their bedroom door where Starlight had vanished to.

"Seems so, he is still bummed about the fruit punch." Twilight states sighing deeply.

"Not too surprised, they didn't run out last year as far as I can remember. We'll be meeting Adam and Robert outside the club before going in for the party, it's spread between both the Illuminare Consortium and Fantasia to cover enough space. That said we'll just stick to the consortium for simplicity, Fantasia tends to be more flashy and such." Edward explains as the pair can hear a commotion from the bedroom.

"I'm not doing it." Alexander states in defiance.

"If you don't I'll start stripping." Starlight replies.

"How is that a countermeasure exactly?" Alexander questions sounding confused.

"You have a point, I won't then." Starlight counters trying to sound clever.

"Now you're just being cruel." Alexander comments before sighing.

After several more minutes, the two leave the bedroom, Starlight still clothed and Alexander also wearing a cosplay of another anime character while carrying their hat.

"There, job done." Starlight passes Twilight wearing a smile, her mentor shaking her head again.

"So it would seem... We should think about leaving soon if we wish to make the best time." Twilight points out as the time approaches the evening.

"You going to be okay?" Edward asks looking at an unamused Alexander.

The man in question simply sighs before putting on his hat and moving to leave the dorm room.

"Let's get this over with." Alexander states before leaving.

Edward sigh deeply before he and the girls follow Alexander, locking the door behind them.





Inside the Illuminare Consortium Alexander has his head on the table with his hat beside him. Sitting either side of the booth table is Edward and Twilight opposite Adam, who was wearing a third anime character outfit and Robert who had opted for a very gothic trench coat styled attire which matched his familiar.

"It didn't work... It did not work..." Alexander groans deeply against the table.

Starlight sighs from the other side of Alexander.

"Must be following your example..." She rubs the bridge of her muzzle.

"It was a decent entrance," Robert states making Alexander glare up at him before laying his head back down. "Okay, it was pretty terrible..."

Leaning back in his seat Alexander sighs before teleporting out of the booth and begins heading towards the bar.

"Make sure he doesn't kill anyone." Edward states as he throws Starlight a bag of strawberry liquorice.

"Why does it always have to be-" Starlight is cut off by a chocolate chip cookie which is levitated into her mouth.

"Because." Twilight states with a slight smile as Starlight swallows her cookie.

The mare sighs before teleporting out of the booth and follows Alexander. The two in question high five before taking a swig of their individual drinks.

"That escalated quickly... Speaking of which, what is the deal between those two?" Adam asks drinking his drink through a straw fed under his mask.

Twilight looks in the direction of the recently departed pair and ponders it a little.

"A very good question on the best of days. Even as her mentor, I'm not entirely sure what either of them intends with the other. I think they have the potential, but neither seems to be willing to make the final move..." Twilight strokes her chin as her eyes begin to hatch a plan.

"Hmm it certainly seems that way, it might take something chaotic to push either one past the gap they seem to have put between them." Robert comments taking a sip of his bottle.

Alexander sits down at the bar before attempting to look over their selection when a low noise grabs his attention from the left.

"If you're going to try and sell me another sundial..." Alexander looks towards the noise to see Jerry sitting beside him.

"Alex, my friend/best customer, of course not," Alexander gives him a deadpan expression. "But! I might have something else you'd be interested in."

Alexander shakes his head and fully turns to Jerry before being presented a bottle of Cinder's Fruit Punch.

"I thought you were out?" Alexander asks taking the bottle, confused.

"We were, the actual emergency stash comes into port within a couple of hours. This is from... a Personal collection I have in case of 'rainy days'." Jerry smiles as he tips his hat slightly.

"Thanks, I imagine you already gave one to my sister? She gets more grouchy than I do." Alexander asks as he removes the cap to take a very satisfying swig of the delicious beverage.

"Naturally, she was very thankful as you can imagine. Hey, have you noticed it getting colder lately and I don't mean because of winter?" Jerry asks sipping his whisky gently.

Alexander raises an eyebrow before thinking about it.

"Not really, but I don't mind the cold so I wouldn't notice if I'm honest." Alexander answers before taking a few more mouthfuls.

"Hmm, okay. Might just be my imagination, least I hope it is." Jerry finishes his whiskey.

Alexander stands up to stretch before picking his fruit punch up again.

"Well, I shall be getting back to the others now, thanks for the bottle, Jerry." Alexander pats Jerry's shoulder.

"Of course. Oh, congratulations by the way." Jerry also stands up and moves slightly.

Alexander looks confused before he turns around to spot Starlight walking towards him before a nearby Shana yawns and extends a well-placed foot to trip her up into Alexander making him stumble backwards. Jerry's new placement allows him to trip Alexander as he stumbles, putting the pair on the floor while grabbing the bottle to put on the bar. At this current moment, Vivienne throws a random song onto the turntables as the pair, who have been tripped over to land onto the floor, muzzle to mouth as they were forced into a kiss neither seemed eager to move from nor end anytime soon. Shana strolls over to take a seat beside her brother as he pours them both a glass of whisky before they toast to a job well done.

"It's all in the wrist, you see." Jerry smiles as they drink.
> Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the edge of the mountain path, where Alexander took Starlight before, sits the mysterious mare who previously released the slime. This time she sits with a medium sized box with similar intricate engravings as the cube that held the slime. Pressing several mechanisms and buttons it eventually whirls and opens a circle slot which pours forth a thick dark shadowy entity which materializes beside her in the form of a big bird with bright red eyes outlined with black.

"Ooh~ oh yess~ that feels amazing after a few centuries imprisoned in such a small box." The creatures states stretching its limbs.

"It took me a while to find what I needed, you'll have to forgive my tardiness." The mare states glancing at him.

"That's one way to put it... I see nothing has changed and-" The creature looks at the academy. "Well, I guess building an academy on the tomb of your rogue pupil is one way to do it..."

The mare glares at him from under her hood.

"It's not funny nor amusing Shadowfright... Or would you prefer 'Larry'?" She states making him groan.

"Fine, sorry... Still a bit much though, don't you think? Also wasn't there more land here before?" Shadowfright asks looking around.

"Once upon a time, yeah... We have work to do." The mare gets up and begins levitating down the mountainside followed closely by Shadowfright.

Once they reach the bottom, the mysterious mare leads them towards the other side of Kilgharrah Academy opposite the spa. Searching through the forest the pair come upon a dilapidated old rundown dorm facility which has been warded and closed off. Atop the fence pedestal at the gate is a Pegasus relief which has been grown over with ivy. Looking around Shadowfright appears weary of the place.

"While I agree we need to use everything in our arsenal to revive you... Is this a good move? Opting to release 'them'?" Shadowfright reluctantly follows the mare into the dorm facility.

"I brought you back, didn't I? You both create a material I need in order to fulfil my mission. You don't need to work together, in fact, I encourage that you don't." She waves her hand in front of an old door to the left of the dual staircase in the main room.

Clicking unlocked, the door creaks open to reveal a set of stairs which lead downwards, likely to the basement. Following the path, the pair explores the cobwebbed remains of the dorm facilities storage rooms.

"If you say so... What happened to Camelot?" Shadowfright asks as he peeks around in a few barrels.

"We're in it." She replies casually inspecting a wall.

"We're on an island... You can't seriously tell me he took up all of Camelot to here?" Shadowfright looks at the mare sharply.

"Do not be stupid, the land itself is also Camelot... He detached and shifted it here, then rejoined the land. Why do you think England is just that little bit smaller?" The mare smiles back at Shadowfright.

"And he called you crazy! That's ridiculous... I get he imprisoned you below Camelot but... Wait! This academy is Camelot castle?!" Shadowfright flies beside the mare with wide eyes.

"He never did do anything the easy way, he imprisoned all that era's problems... Including his own, coward..." The mare draws a magic symbol in the dust on the wall in front of them before standing back with Shadowfright.

Clicking her fingers the magical sigil explodes to reveal a tunnel beyond.

"I still say moving the whole kingdom was a bit much..." Shadowfright follows the mare through the hole.

The hole is just as run down as the building above with a faint glowing light at the end. Exiting the tunnel the pair are faced with a small room where the whole end wall is some form of mirror but the reflection is distorted. Upon getting closer it can be seen Shadowfright has no reflection while the mares is a twisted dark image more malicious than Shadowfright's.

"There you are... It's been too long since he sealed you away after you slaughtered all of Pegasus House... Let us see who will die this time." The mare chuckles as she strokes the surface lightly.

"I'll leave this to you while I gather my brethren from the surface of the lunar realm." While leaving Shadowfright stops briefly. "This will be the last time we follow you, two chances is more than enough for you to deliver on your promise. Camelot will be ours or it will burn this time..." Shadowfright leaves making the mare roll her eyes beneath her hood.
> Voices on the Wind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward sighs while writing down some notes in a book as the class waited for Ignis to arrive for 'Magical History' period. Looking to the desk to his left, past Twilight he mentally groans as Alexander is specifically absent from his usual spot.

"We did all we could this morning to try and move them both... Unfortunately, Starlight is a very proficient Unicorn and has the most annoyingly solid spell work. Namely, her shields..." Twilight sighs, rubbing her forehead.

"Alexander wasn't exactly helping the situation, but then when they both drank nearly half the bar... It was to be expected." Edward rolls his eyes as he sits back in his place properly.

"I suppose. Though I must hand it to Jerry, while it was very basic and somewhat crude, his method for getting them to finally be together was effective... If somewhat lacking in finesse." Twilight comments as she too is writing down some notes.

After a minute or two, the door opens to a slightly flustered Ignis who walks in with several dusty old tomes to be set upon his desk.

"Okay kids, today will be a little different from normal... I wanted to put this lesson off till we knew more, but the Chancellor felt that should the situation escalate, you should be prepared to defend yourselves in the worst case scenario." Ignis is wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

Staring at their teacher blankly only one student puts their hand up before being prompted to answer by Ignis. Standing up the student looks a little nervous before asking his question.

"Sir, are we going to die?" He asks seeming genuinely concerned.

"No, Steven Little, maybe, depends really on how you perform during the time of crisis." Ignis replies vaguely.

"Oh, okay. When do you reckon that'll be?" Steven asks tilting his head slightly.

"Well, this where we have a window of opportunity. It could be tomorrow or several weeks from now." Ignis begins setting out his tomes.

"Well thanks for the heads up, I guess..." Steven sits back down looking somewhat more nervous than he was before.

Twilight gives Edward a concerned expression while the man himself shrugs slightly.

"While I understand this is a slightly sudden thing to be hearing about, I assure you we fully trust in our academies defences. However, we also need to ensure our students are fully prepared as much as possible to tackle the challenges that may present themselves in the future. For this purpose, it was decided that your Magical History lesson will be slightly different while we cover one specific portion of this worlds magical history... Edward?" Ignis deadpans towards the metalsmith in question.

"Yes, sir?" Edward sits up before groaning when Ignis looks back at Alexander's desk.

"Where is Alexander..?" Ignis sounds unamused.

"Would you believe me if I said he isn't in bed with his familiar with a hangover each?" Edward asks hopefully.

"You basically just told me exactly where he is in comparison to where he isn't." Ignis sighs before walking over to the chalkboard.

"I know..." Edward sinks in his chair.

Ignis opens one of the dusty tomes and starts drawing a large series of overlapped symbols on the chalkboard which merge together to form a screen outline and a collection of moving pictures within.

"Okay, firstly, I should explain the portion I am about to explain goes as far back as the origins of magic itself, during the Merlin era. At a certain point during that time, the evil enchantress Morgana forged an alliance with a race of corrupt Lunar beings known only as the Nightmare Force. Their leader, a bird-like entity known only as Shadowfright, lead the Nightmare Force at that time. They threw the land into an age of perpetual darkness under the rule of their new queen which had become Morgana. Her goal was to conquer and subdue Camelot in order to rule over it and the rest of the land. It took Merlin, King Arthur and a collection of Camelot's bravest to beat back the rising Nightmare Force and return the land to its proper state." The moving pictures depict this in a series of magical murals which portray what Ignis is telling. "Shadowfright was imprisoned in a magical cell while Morgana was supposedly destroyed in the war. The remaining Nightmare Force was reported to be scattered but it was never confirmed nor denied if they perished or not. It is the Chancellor's belief that the subtle disturbance in the magical force last night was caused by Shadowfright's release from his prison. Thus, we shall aim to teach you some very effective spells that should help to counter him and his Nightmare Force."

As the illustrations end and the spell wipes the board clean Twilight raises her hand making Ignis raise an eyebrow before he prompts her to go on. Standing up, Twilight takes a breath before formulating her question.

"While I understand the reason to practice self defence against such a foe, this world is a big place. However, what makes you believe that this academy specifically is in danger from this 'Nightmare Force'?" Twilight asks making Ignis cough violently on his coffee.

"T-that is a most excellent question, Miss Sparkle. It's possible that the Nightmare Force might seek out a seat of moderate power in order to weaken the defences of the realm and one such place would be the select few magical academies around the world." Ignis answers back almost expertly.

Twilight raises an eyebrow before sitting down with nothing further to say. The lesson progress into dark magical defence and counterspells with some demonstrations before the bell rings and most of the class pile out the door.

"That could have gone better..." Edward sighs.

"I suppose... We should go home and check on Alexander and Starlight. I don't like hearing about an enemy I've never personally encountered nor heard of in Equestria." Twilight puts her books away in her own messenger bag with her cutie mark on the front.

Edward nods and gets up to begin following her out the classroom.





Alexander groans as he tightly hugs the soft mewling mass beside him, both he and Starlight unbelievably reluctant to get up from the warm cosy bed which they had to fight the dorm rooms alternate pair to stay in earlier that morning.

"Remind me why we have remained in bed 'til the early afternoon, I'm pretty sure it's lunchtime." Starlight states hugging his arm closer to her which is draped over her waist.

"I didn't feel well this morning despite the annoying loud protests of Edward... Plus hangovers, it felt better to stay wrapped up in bed than to force myself into class." Alexander groans.

"Makes sense, but you're normally fine after drinking through the night." Starlight comments, stroking Alexander's arm.

"Normally, yes. I can generally deal with hangovers well enough, but I don't feel it's related to my drinking. I just have this very wrong eerie feeling..." Alexander shivers slightly.

Starlight shuffles back a little more against Alexander before settling again snuggling the quilt closer.

"We'll have to check around later and see if anything is up to warrant your feeling. You wouldn't be having doubts, would you?" Starlight asks glancing over her shoulder.

"Despite it being Jerry's plan, it's possible to have happened eventually, he just sped things along. I'm not really complaining." Alexander states before shuffling to get out of bed and stretch.

Reaching out, Starlight groans and stretches in the bed, rolling herself up in the quilt.

"My heat sources hath been stolen from me..." Starlight groans as she rolls up in the quilt.

Shaking his head Alexander exits the bedroom, heading to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and take some aspirin for his head.

"That should help-" Alexander is interrupted by a sharp pain in his head.

"HELP US... FREE US... SEEK US OUT AND SAVE US..." A random booming collection of voices state at once inside Alexander's head.

Groaning in pain, Alexander is just barely conscious to see Starlight run into the bathroom before he passes out on the cold tiled floor.
> A Deception Most Foul
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander sits up suddenly, blinking several times as he looks around the infirmary type room with white walls, one hospital bed, a few curtains, windows which peer out to more white and a sink with a mirror above it.

"That's the last time I mix my drinks..." Alexander comments looking around before his attention is drawn to the only green metal door in the room.

Glancing down, Alexander can see he is wearing the regular fire red Wyvern House uniform. Shaking his head, he slowly moves out of the bed to stumble a little, regaining his balance. Eyeing the door oddly, Alexander moves to open it revealing more pure white walls in the form of hallways. Feeling this whole setting is more than a little creepy, Alexander leaves the room and begins searching around finding nobody else in his venture. Walking past an open door, he takes a few steps back and looks inside to see two armchairs in front of an old fashioned tv.

"I've seen this shit somewhere else before... I swear if some fucker pops up like, 'this is all a dream' or 'this is known as the matrix', I'm out." Alexander looks around the room to find it unsurprisingly has the same white wall theme.

"Hello, Alexander." Alexander's gaze is drawn to a male, identical to himself but with slightly glowing royal purple eyes, white hair with black streaks and wearing a black version of his uniform.

"Who the fuck are you? Where the fuck am I?" Alexander asks looking very confused.

"Well, it's not whatever this 'Matrix' is. Nor is it a dream, per say. We are, however, in your subconscious mind, it's just easier to hear our voice like this." He leans back in the right armchair.

"Great... I'm unconscious on the uncomfortable bathroom floor..." Alexander groans as he sits in the left armchair.

"Indeed. Now, as for your first question, simply refer to me as Diamond. While the name might not fit entirely, it is not unfounded." Diamond explains making Alexander nod slightly.

Folding his legs and interlocking his fingers in his lap, Alexander thinks for a minute before looking at Diamond.

"So... Why am I unconscious on the bathroom floor again?" Alexander asks

Sighing deeply and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Diamond looks slightly to his right like listening to something.

"I'm getting to it... Yes, I had planned to mention that... Will you just let me handle this? Jesus..." Diamond turns back to face Alexander who looks a little worried. "Don't mind her, just the wife. You're unconscious because it's easier to communicate with you like this. Wind magic users who are rather proficient in their craft can hear us better than most, but it's still more efficient in here."

"Right, so what do you want me to do? I remember somebody saying something about help?" Alexander asks raising an eyebrow.

Rolling his eyes, Diamond stands up before making the tv and armchair dissipate.

"That was Emerald... She isn't exactly subtle when it comes to her methods. Basically, we need your help... There's a delicate matter concerning a location on the academy campus we need you to go to. Find an object perform a spell and that's it." Diamond explains smiling.

"That's it? No strings or otherworldy requirements?" Alexander stands up and looks at Diamond suspiciously.

"Nope, just go to the location, cast a spell and done. The spell might be beyond your level, but I doubt that'll be a problem for you." Diamond poofs the other armchair before walking towards the now closed door which led into the room.

"How will I know where to go?" Alexander turns to look at Diamond who has reopened the door.

"We'll be in touch." Diamond states before walking through and closing the door behind him.

Alexander looks around the white room eventually coming back to the door which has also vanished.

"Well, what the fuck do I do now?!" Alexander yells at the room but gets no response.





Alexander opens his eyes to see a naked Starlight squatting to the side of him as he lays on the, as predicted, cold, uncomfortable, bathroom floor.

"That's the last time I mix my drinks... Could it have killed you to move me?" Alexander asks looking up at Starlight.

"I could have but you've only been out for a couple of minutes. What happened?" Starlight asks, helping Alexander stand up.

Alexander looks around the room before hugging Starlight slightly, feeling up her body as she glances at him weirdly.

"Hmm... You feel real enough..." Alexander pushes her away slightly.

"Bucker better not be suggesting he thought any of this wasn't natural..." Starlight deadpans at Alexander who chuckles a little and shakes his head.

"No, your body is perfect, I was just unconscious in my mind, I think. This really weird dude named Diamond spoke to me..." Alexander explains as he stretches, moving back into their bedroom.

Following him, Starlight is more than a little confused.

"Right... You can explain that to me later I guess, Edward text and said, 'coming home to check on you two, please finish up any freaky or erotic shit BEFORE we arrive... Please." Starlight recites the text which makes Alexander chuckle.

"He makes it sound like we're erotic deviants or something. Which we're not... Yet, anyway. You can be here when he gets back but I have to check something out." Alexander begins looking through his wardrobe and gets dressed into a uniform.

Starlight casts a spell which makes her uniform appear on her naked body, which she adjusts slightly before catching up with Alexander who is now in the living room.

"Wait a second... I'm confused enough as it is. Where are you going?" Starlight stands in front of Alexander looking concerned.

Alexander doesn't look any less confused himself as he struggles to properly form, let along think of what to say to the Unicorn standing in front of him.

"I don't know... Not entirely at least. It's somewhere on campus, not too far from here I think. I'd like it if you came with me, I'd be lying if I didn't admit I was a tad out of my depth." Alexander states rubbing the back of his neck

Starlight chuckles before sighing at Alexander.

"I'd be more worried if you told me to stay here. In case you missed what everyone else seems to have noticed, we haven't exactly been apart too much since I got here... You'd have to magically paralyze me in order to stop me following you." Starlight gives Alexander a kiss which seems to calm him down a little.

"RIght... Sorry, I'm not used to open relationships like this. I also know I shouldn't dwell on my past ones and move on with you... I'm fortunate enough that you've been patient with me this far and we weren't even together." Alexander takes several deep breathes.

Starlight skips lightly to the door before opening it with a smile and prompting Alexander to follow.

"I like you, Alexander. I can be patient when I want to be and for things or people I like. Heh, least I'm not bottling up the emotions I'm feeling towards you or situations like I did with a friend back home..." Starlight wears an awkward smile.

"While I don't know what became of that situation, I'll just be thankful you're not doing it. Let's go see where my feeling takes us." Alexander walks out the door followed by Starlight who locks up.

"What's the worst that can happen? We get captured by negative mirror shades of ourselves and held captive for some of our friends to walk into a trap? Pshh this isn't the movies after all." Starlight jokes as she catches up to Alexander who raises an eyebrow at her.
> Beyond the Looking Glass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight slowly comes to as she looks around the area she is in to see a large wall sized mirror in a cavern type room. Glancing beside her she can see Alexander is tied up, looking down she can see that she is too.

"Ugh... I feel ill..." Alexander groans lightly.

"What happened?" Starlight prompts Alexander who deadpans at her.

"Don't even go there... You fucking jinxed us, remember?!" Alexander shouts looking unamused.

Thinking slightly Starlight tries to recall the prior events leading up to their apparent capture.





Alexander and Starlight are walking casually through a part of the forest, near the academy docks where boats come and go on a weekly basis. The duo eventually comes across a section of forest which is much less maintained than the rest. The trees are more overgrown and the ground is littered with leaves, twigs and vines.

"I feel like we're getting closer..." Alexander states as they find the abandoned dorm from before.

"What the hay is this place? It looks run down." Starlight states looking over the Pegasus plague on the front gate.

Inspecting the moss covered brick gate, Alexander hums at the plague as he isn't exactly sure. Stepping past the broken iron gate, he continues up the vined path, glancing at dorm garden which has been severely overgrown, including the double door in front of him which is covered in vines. Following close behind, Starlight catches up till she reaches the door.

"These vines were very recently moved..." Alexander states before pulling them down so he can open the right door.

Sighing deeply, Starlight follows Alexander as he enters the old run down mansion styled building. The main lobby is comprised of a door to the left and right as you come in, then a staircase directly ahead, which splits off in either direction to reach the second floor. There is a decayed portrait of a majestic Pegasus familiar hung just above the centre staircase.

"This looks like a house dorm, but I thought there are only four houses." Starlight states in observation as they look around.

"There are, or at least now there are. A few centuries ago though, I heard there were two additional dorms. Notice how each of the dorms have an equal or opposite element should I say. Right now it's Fire - Water, Earth - Lightning. However, the official magician's compendium lists them as thus, Water - Earth, Fire - Ice, Wind - Electricity and finally Light to Dark. There is also a more advanced table which lists many of the known sub-categories and variations of standalone magic that exist. Going by that table there are two potential missing houses. This appears to be one such house and if I had to guess by the current evidence, this was Pegasus House... The home of wind magic..." Alexander states seeming a bit sad in his last words.

"You would have liked it here then... Seems a shame it has been gone for so long." Starlight sighs and rubs Alexander's arm.

Recollecting himself they begin to search around the main lobby before Alexander's attention is drawn to a door under the stairs on the left side of the room. Turning the handle, Alexander finds the door is unlocked and opens it to see a set of stairs leading down.

"Starlight, I found some stairs." Alexander states as he begins to go down.

Summoning a little ball of light, she follows Alexander down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, the pair finds themselves in what must have been the Pegasus Dorm storage area as there are cobwebbed boxes and barrels still down there. Looking around, Alexander follows a path of disturbed cobwebs which leads him to a blown open section of wall, glancing beyond he sees a tunnel.

"I think someone was here before us... I'd wager very recently." Alexander mumbles before going down the tunnel.

"W-wait for me, you've not been acting normal since your headache at the dorm... Are you okay?" Starlight asks, sounding concerned.

"For the most part yeah, I just feel something drawing me in through here." Alexander replies as they begin to come to the tunnel's end.

Exiting the tunnel the pair enter a small room where the whole back wall is made of some form of mirror. Looking curious, Alexander begins walking towards it with Starlight following just behind him.

"I don't think this is a good idea anymore... We could go back to the room and have a nice massage or cuddle?" Starlight asks looking behind her before back to Alexander.

"Just a few more moments." Alexander states staring into the mirror, the two now next to it.

In the mirror Alexander's reflection is slightly twisted with purple eyes, meanwhile, Starlight's reflection is more twisted and has emerald green eyes.

"Alexander..." Starlight whimpers.

Ignoring her for the moment, Alexander lightly touches the mirror making the pair be engulfed by darkness which blasts them back against the opposite wall, knocking them out cold.





"Oh... That's what happened... But how have I jinxed us? I don't see any negative mirror-" Starlight suddenly looks in front of her. making her sigh deeply.

Sitting on a medium sized box is a replica of Alexander wearing a black version of his uniform, has white hair with black streaks and slightly glowing royal purple eyes. Atop his lap, however, is an almost exact replica of Starlight wearing a matching uniform, has the same coat, but her mane is black with emerald streaks the same emerald as her eyes.

"Thank you for finally waking up, even more for allowing us to be free from that mirror once again." The Alexander copy chuckles as he cuddles the mare in his arms.

"Yes, thank you. It's enthralling to have a physical form again after so many long years." The Starlight copy smiles and nuzzles the man.

Looking confused, Starlight looks between them and Alexander before shaking her head and she begins to struggle against her bindings.

"Diamond and Emerald, I presume.." Alexander sighs deeply.

Tapping the ass of his mare, she gets up so he can leap up and stretch.

"Yes, indeed! Allow us to properly and formally introduce ourselves. I am the mirror gem entity known as Diamond. I lead the other gem rabble who are still in the mirror." Diamond introduces himself before giving his Starlight copy a slap on the flank as a prompt.

"Ah~, my name is Emerald, Diamonds second and his wonderful wife~" She giggles and spins to bump into Diamond, who holds her close.

"We mirror gems can replicate the bodies and abilities of those who touch the mirror. However, there are certain limitations... They must have the same birth month as the stone. For example, you are April, the gem I am for and Starlight is May the month Emerald is for. Searching through what you both know, we determined that your friends are perfect for two others I need out at the moment." Diamond chuckles evilly as he squats next to Alexander.

Struggling in his binds, Starlight actually sees Alexander start to get genuinely angry when Diamond mentioned his friend.

"You fucking hurt any of my friends and I'll shatter your white ass so fucking hard, your kiss ass gem friends in the mirror will feel it, you cheap knock-off cu-" Alexander rants before his throat is grabbed by Diamond.

Laughing hard, the gem in question eyes glow more brightly than before and after a few seconds calm down.

"You have a lot of spirit... It's a shame none of the prior Pegasus house had the power you do to back it up. They all died together, exactly like they wanted, but none of them was powerful enough to prevent their destruction. You on the other hand... You have it, don't you? I know what you know and I know what you hide away in here... It's a shame you'll never use your full potential, even when they need you most..." Diamond pushes against Alexander's chest hard before standing up.

Diamond and Emerald leave the room and Alexander to his thoughts. Starlight remains silent, not sure what to say or do as she has never seen her partner so worked up.
> How to Tame a Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening the door, Twilight slowly walks into the dorm room holding a shopping bag while Edward is behind her, eating the remaining half of a cheeseburger from Sparkles.

"We're home!" Twilight calls out as she puts the bag down on the kitchen island.

"We delayed our arrival by about thirty minutes by going shopping and getting lunch at Sparkles... There is no way they'd still be in the middle of anything." Edward states finishing his burger before depositing the wrapper in the kitchen bin.

"You say that, however, we both know trying to calculate a time for them is folly. Cute try, though." Twilight stretches as she steps into the living room, but frowns when she hears nothing.

Following Twilight into the living room, Edward tilts his head slightly at her frown.

"What's up?" Edward asks looking concerned.

"Can you hear that?" Twilight prompts to which Edward takes a moment.

Listening, Edward can hear the vibrations from the kitchen fridge, the dripping of the coffee pot, the birds outside and the sound of doors from the students dropping home to their dorms during the lunch period.

"I can't hear anything 'indecent' happening... Maybe they are asleep?" Edward asks as he heads to their bedroom.

Opening the door, he can see his side is still neat from this morning while Alexander's side is messy as always. The most concerning part was that the newly made couple were missing. Walking back into the living Edward shakes his head to Twilight who adopts a thinking pose as she begins pacing back and forth.

"It's not that abnormal... In the time I've been living here with you, even I've noticed Alexander likes to vanish at times for privacy. I believe Starlight has gone with him more than once so..." Twilight ponders as she continues pacing.

"It's likely not anything to worry about then. One sec..." Edward takes a deep breath. "Gee, I bought all these double chocolate chip cookies and I've nobody to share them with..."

"What are you-" Twilight begins but stops when Edward raises a finger.

After waiting for a minute nothing happens so he drops his finger and sighs.

"Looks like Lucita is with Trinity or just not here, she has a cookie addiction." Edward states before sitting down on the sofa.

Twilight sits down on the opposite end of the sofa dropping her thinking pose for a more relaxed one.

"So... This would imply we have the whole dorm room to ourselves..." Twilight states glancing at Edward who glances back at her.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Edward asks raising his eyebrows.

Twilight nods before both of them jump up and Twilight begins flicking through a nearby CD rack which sits next to Edward's side of the sofa.

"If I remember the timetable correctly, the next class should be sometime in the mid-afternoon... Ah, here it is." Twilight picks out a CD before opening the case and putting the disc into a small round purple CD player on a small table on the other side of the rack.

As the song plays the pair begin to progressively go through their dorm, room by room, cleaning up the place. Moving through the living room, Twilight uses her magic to clean and freshen up the sofa while fluffing the cushions at the same time. In the meantime, Edward is in the kitchen using a cleaning solution from a spritz bottle with a cloth to wipe the work surfaces and the island. He also makes sure to wipe down the microwave, coffee maker, cooker any other reachable surfaces, using a spell Twilight showed him to clean the hard to get places. Back in the living room, Twilight has finished cleaning the sofa as the cushions are back on it and straightened. Teleporting in their upright magic hoover, she happily begins cleaning the carpet while levitating what she needs to get under it. Finishing up in the kitchen, Edward dodges Twilight's hoover to get to the bathroom. Reaching the said room, Edward locates the cleaning products he needs from cupboard underneath the sink. Taking what he requires, he begins scrubbing the tile floor, the walls, the sink and the toilet. Taking a short break, leaving just the shower and the bath left, Twilight has finished completely with the living room and is standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Want a hand to finish up in here?" Twilight offers as she walks in.

"Can do, I just have the shower and bath left." Edward states wiping his forehead with a cloth.

Using a simple spell, Twilight runs it over both bathroom items, leaving them shiny and clean.

"While I can't argue with the satisfaction of cleaning products, magic is just as effective for time consumption." Twilight smiles as she helps Edward put away the cleaning products.

Leaving the bathroom, the pair now stands in front of Edward and Alexander's dorm room.

"I apologise in advance for Alexander's side of the room..." Edward states as they enter the room, Twilight scrunching her nose at the mess.

"Sweet Celestia... I don't even have words for this..." Twilight shakes her head.

The pair begins working together to change both beds, pick up and fold any dirty laundry, actually put away Alexander's clean laundry and open the window for some fresh air. Looking at the room after the two had 'purged' the mess, it had room for you to move around now. Twilight teleported away the clothes with her magic before taking a seat on Edward's now fresh quilt on his bed.

"That was very satisfying for an afternoon cleaning spree, they are both away so few times it's a rare occasion." Edward states also sitting down.

"Mhmm, I think it helps keep the atmosphere of the dorm nice and fresh. Though... I feel that was over fairly quickly, I guess that happens when I've gotten quite proficient at it." Twilight giggles slightly before sighing and laying back on the bed.

Edward thinks for a moment before weighing an idea in his head, debating it for a time before taking a breath.

"If that's the case then we have more than plenty of time before we need to head to M.D.E class... I know it's more Alexander's thing and I promise I'm not trying to steal his more promising feature... I was wondering if you'd like a massage this time around? It wouldn't involve electric magic of course, but I remember seeing how his ex taught him the basics and stuff. He wanted me to walk back to the dorm with him after lessons as it was still our first year, needless to say, we both changed a lot." Edward smiles at Twilight sheepishly.

"Hmm, from what I understand, he uses a special oil. Do you have any normal massage oil?" Twilight asks as she leans up on her elbows.

"Funny you should mention that," Edward reaches into the top drawer of their two drawer bedside table before pulling out a bottle of oil. "The top drawer is mine while the bottom is Alexanders."

Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Right, and you just happen to have regular massage oil on hand? Almost like you've been planning to ask me for a while?"

Edward works his mouth to try and come back with a retort that could save his ass from the accusation... He got nothing...

"Well... Those two are rarely out at the same time when we're home... I also figured since you work so hard searching for a way home, you might like some time to relax?" Edward prompts, shrugging slightly.

"Well... Normally when either one of them is out I spend a lot of my time at the library researching... Especially more lately since Cassandra gave me her computer access. In essence, you've not really been given a chance to do anything nice for me... Considering, how good your shoulder massage felt that one time it'd be relaxing to get a wider scoped version, I suppose." Twilight replies as she stands up.

"Oh, really? We can use my bed if you'd like for more room." Edward stands up and goes to the bathroom in order to get two towels.

Coming back, he lays one down on his bed and folds the other up for her to use later on. Turning around, he lets Twilight strip as much as needed before she takes her place on the towel, laying her head on his pillow.

"Y-you can turn around now." Twilight states meekly from behind.

Mentally preparing himself, Edward turns around slowly before eventually seeing Twilight fully... His preparations meant nothing. Lying in front of him was the near perfect vision of beauty that he imagines an Alicorn princess emits on a regular basis, least that's what he thought. Twilight's figure was slender, yes, but it wasn't by any means without substance. In other words, she had a more shapely, yet perfectly sized flank than Starlight, least from he could tell from a clothed perspective of the other mare. Staring ever so slightly, Edward notices that Twilight's legs are a tad toned but not to a massive extent, no doubt from all the walking she has done back in Equestria, and here.

"Gorgeous..." Edward states under his breath slightly.

Blushing brightly, Twilight's tail is swaying around as she squirms.

"You're staring, Edward..." Twilight whimpers as she tries to find someplace in the room to look.

Snapping back to reality, Edward lays a towel across Twilight's naked flank before moving to kneel either side of her on the bed, making sure he is just at the small of her back. Composing himself, Edward began to massage Twilight's back nice and hard sliding his hands up her back, parting out and sliding back down via her sides. Edward takes great care to gently massage the bases of Twilight's wings so as to cover all basis. Mewling and gasping below him at the work being done to her body, Twilight felt her stress melt away. Taking her reactions into consideration, Edward applied more basic oil before softly sliding his hands along the ridges of Twilight's wings, making her release an unexpected moan. Using what he was taught in Familiar Care and Maintenance, Edward carefully preened Twilight's wings sorting out her feathers.

"H-have you done this before?~" Twilight stutters as her wings are preened.

Edward shakes his head as he finishes with her wings. "Not exactly, but we're taught in a class called Familiar Care and Maintenance about those with wings and how to properly care for them. One such example was a Pegasus, which applies here."

Edward slides his hands up and down Twilight's back before stopping at her shoulders on his journey up, taking the time to properly extract any stress hiding there as his hands slid up her neck slightly.

"Hmm~ I could honestly use this more often and it'd be cheaper than the spa... Maybe Alexander could show you some things too." Twilight sighs in relief as her aching muscles are tenderly cared for.

"True, I suppose... However, they are more experienced than I am." Edward states bringing his hands down Twilight's hips before subconsciously massaging her perfect flank.

Moaning in response as her flank is tenderly massaged, she blushes brightly but makes no effort to move.

"E-Edward, that's my f-flank..." Twilight murmured loud enough to be heard.

Blinking, Edward flinches back from her cheeks in surprise. "Oh, I wasn't really paying attention and they sorta moved on their own there..."

Blushing to match Twilight, the mare shifts a little to ever so slightly wiggle her rear below Edward.

"I-I didn't say you had to stop... Just that, maybe, you needed more oil..." Twilight states nervously.

Nodding and not wanting to turn down an invitation from an Equestrian Princess. Edward applied more oil to his hands and Twilight's ample flanks before going back to work. Starting from the base of her rear, by her thighs, Edward pushing up and squeezed at the same time like Alexander did before to Starlight, this time pushing across the whole surface of Twilight's toned ass. The mare in question moaned, which encouraged the young magician to massage her harder and more tenderly.

"Hopefully, it feels good, Twilight." Edward states biting his lip as he squeezes her flank tightly.

Moaning, Twilight nods, breathing heavily as her ass is massaged and played with. Feeling playful, she wiggles it slightly to catch his groin which she notices is larger than normal.

"It does..." Twilight hums to herself.

Swallowing, Edward feels her wiggle before subconciously grinding against her while clothed. Suddenly an alarm on Edward's phone snaps them both out of it. Wiping his hands he checks it and blinks.

"Holy shit, it's time for the next class already? We might be late if we don't hurry up." Sliding off the pouting princess, he wipes his hands and begins finding his stuff.

Helping Twilight wipe off the excess oil, Edward helps Twilight find her clothes as she got dressed in front of him, seemingly not minding that he's being given a full unfiltered view of her body. Once done she straightens her outfit and sighs.

"Never thought I'd see education as an annoyance before..." Twilight mumbles as she blushes and heads out the door.

Sighing himself, Edward sorts out his trousers before following the mare towards their next class.
> M.D.E and Codded Calls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the floor of the sports centre like normal for their Magical Defence Education class, or M.D.E as they abbreviate it, Edward and Twilight were sitting as normal when the instructor showed up. A bald elderly gentleman wearing a loose-fitting Hawaiian shirt, loose purple shorts and sandals. He's bald, has a medium length white beard and wears red-rimmed sunglasses.

"Go on vacation for a few months and all hell breaks loose, I swear," The man grumbles as he walks over to stand a few feet away from the class, "Well, as you can guess, your regular M.D.E teacher has returned... "

Waving his hand across the floor in front of him, a square is outlined before opening and a terminal is raised up. Pushing a few keys on the touchpad, the main portion of the gym begins to shift and change to form an arena.

"Umm, sir..? Mr Biceps never showed us this function of the sports centre before." A Hydra House student states from the class.

"Oh, really? I guess we normally train the first and second years on mats before moving them in the third year to simulated field training... However, I believe in real combat, you won't have mats, you won't have the luxury of such safe environments. Now, let's see who should start us off... I remember correctly, Alexander?" The man looks around before frowning.

"Alexander's been absent since this morning, sir." A Wyvern House student exclaims.

"Hmm... That's abnormal, while I'd not put it past him to skip other classes, M.D.E on the other hand... I guess we'll go with the second best option, Edward!" The instructor looks at Edward who blinks.

"W-what..? WHAT?!" Edward exclaims staring at the instructor.

"You heard me, come on, up here, I'm not getting any younger." The instructor states typing on the pad.

Edward sighs and stands up before following the instructor's directions to stand in the middle of the formed mountain arena.

"Sir, are you sure..? I don't feel comfortable doing this..." Edward whines moving a pouch from his pocket to attach to the hem of his shorts.

Ignoring Edward's plea for mercy, the instructor sends in the first wave. One Hydra, two Golem, one Valkyrie and one Wyvern onto the field to face Edward. After twenty minutes of explosions, dust and smashing environmental noises, along with one or two flying poles of metal the arena settles down.

"If some of you could just retrieve them for me, I'll be selecting the next few..." The instructor states while looking through the terminal data.

Edward comes walking out of the arena, checking his shoulder and sighing to himself. "Am I done..?"

"Nope. Just a few more, should be no problem. Oh, try a little less flying poles this time." The elderly man chuckles weirdly.

"Of course, Master Roshi..." Edward sighs deeply as he walks back in after the others carry out their classmates.

Looking very confused, Twilight decides to cast an observation spell in order to look over the arena from above. Sending in another five students, Master Roshi, as he was called, picked two Hydra, one Wyvern, one Valkyrie and one Golem house members this time. Watching the fight this time, Twilight can see the five are of mixed houses, which makes sense to get the most diversity in combat training. Fixing the arena using the terminal, the five begin to approach Edward slightly unsure of their tactics. Deciding for a quick finish, the two Hydra students begin channelling their aqua magic while the Valkyrie charges up her hands. Using this time to be distractions, the Wyvern and Golem students move in for close range combat. Prior to their attack, Edward could be seen juggling three of his marble-sized metal balls in his right hand. Using two to create a dense double thick shield, Edward blocks a fire jet attack from the Wyvern student before using the remaining ball to bounce it at the feet of the Golem student, the impact causing a pillar of rock to rise and smash up into the student. The resulting blow throws him backwards and unconscious. Turning his attention to the Wyvern student, he jumps away as the other three have finished preparations for their joint effort. Merging his shield with another two metal balls in his pouch, Edward creates a sizeable cover to hide behind while the two Hydra students assault him with dual hydro pumps. Stepping back from their water attack, the Valkyrie unleashes her lightning strike on the now wet metal cover and surrounding ground.

"Checkmate, sorry Edward." The female student smiles.

Suddenly, the two Hydra students are struck with metal balls which draw pillars of earth towards them, striking and pushing them back into each other. Looking confused, the Valkyrie student glances towards them before she is struck by a large fire jet from behind which forces her into a suddenly raised earth pillar, knocking her out. Edward sighs deeply as he stretches his limbs while walking out of the arena. Twilight ends her spell and smiles slightly. 

"That should do for today, thank you Edward." Master Roshi states with that same weird chuckle.

After the rest of the lesson passes Edward heads to the locker rooms with the other boys while Twilight waits outside, using magic to change her outfit. Opening his locker, Edward sees his phone vibrating and checks the caller id to see Alexander.

Answering the phone, Edward sounds concerned, "Where the hell are you? I get missing the first period but you missed M.D.E class."

"Eh... Long story, short version requires about two bottles of fruit punch, one camping site and some whisky..." Alexander states sighing.

"I'll bring the hard cider then." Edward hangs up before rolling his eyes and gets fully changed.

Leaving the sports centre the two begins to head towards their dorm.

"So, who called you?" Twilight asks randomly.

"I guess you could hear that from the door. Alexander was talking about two bottles of fruit punch, a campsite and some whisky. Basically what he was saying was two enemies, one secluded location and that they are strong. It's weird and random but it works for a code." Edward explains.

"Right... That is very weird but I can't judge. What's the hard cider for then?" Twilight asks raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's where I come in~" Edward smiles as Twilight looks even more confused.
> The Return of Topaz and Amethyst
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting tied up on what had to be one of the old Pegasus dorm rooms, Starlight was struggling against her rope bonds trying several times to cast magic, only to have it fizz out limply. Alexander sighed deeply beside her, occasionally glancing over at the mare whom he practically got into this mess.

"When we get out of this, I'm going to show that entitled little pony the meaning of 'magically induced explosion', no pony puts a magical inhibitor on me and gets away with it!" Starlight struggles more but to no avail.

"An interesting notion, as magical inhibitors are used as a form of foreplay in your world for Unicorns. Twilight can be very educational." Alexander smirks as he glances back at Starlight.

"W-why did you even ask about it?! I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but..." Starlight blushes slightly before sighing as she stops struggling.

Looking around the dorm room, they can see it is designed much like their own, only this room had a three seater sofa with a curved corner seat then two more seats.

"These people had a much fancier sofa than us... We could likely get one if we did away with the armchair." Alexander comments to Starlight who rolls her eyes.

"We're being held hostage so our friends will come save us and you're making jokes? Sounds about right... That call I helped you do earlier was weird." Starlight states leaning back in her seat.

"That's the point, it's intended to be weird and not taken seriously should anyone overhear it. The four of us came up with it just in case." Alexander replies chuckling slightly.

Starlight nods in agreement before trying to struggle against her bonds again before the door opens and Diamond walks in.

"Nice to see that you're both still here. I'm honestly surprised your friend hasn't come looking for you yet." Smirking, Diamond strolls over and stands in front of the pair, "Emerald managed to put a magical inhibitor on your horn, I heard you put up quite the fight."

"I got a few lucky hits in..." Starlight smiles smugly at Diamond who chuckles.

Diamond looks at a watch on his right wrist before sighing lightly.

"Well, as fun as tossing quips back and forth with you is... I have to go welcome two members of my crew back into this world, ta ta." Diamond bows before leaving the room and locking the door.

Waiting until Diamond is a decent distance away, Alexander sighs before looking at Starlight.

"I have a plan... Not sure if you'll like it given our current situation, but provided it works we can escape." Alexander explains making Starlight raise an eyebrow.

"Right... What's the catch?" Starlight asks, shifting to face Alexander.

Blushing slightly the magician fidgets a little, "Well..."





Walking through the forest near the Kilgharrah docks, Twilight is struggling with some vines while Edward checks his phone.

"A little help would be nice!" Twilight grunts and eventually gets out of the vines.

"I'm checking Alexander's location... He normally keeps it off but for these situations, he turns on his Snapchat location." Edward looks up and hums as he walks in Alexander's direction.

"Sanpchat? Are you kidding me?!" Twilight sighs as she follows Edward, looking around at the overgrown portion of the forest.

The pair continues searching through the dense overgrowth before stumbling upon the Pegasus House dorm making Twilight's eyes go wide as she hurries to inspect it.

"What's up? Do you recognise it?" Edward asks catching up with Twilight who shakes her head.

"Not exactly no, but in my research, I came across references to two lost houses which used to inhabit Kilgharrah. One was the noble house of Pegasus, the majestic wind familiar, the other was the icy cold Wendigo familiar. Both of them had their own house, resulting in six houses of opposing elements... What happened to them?" Twilight ponders out loud while running her hand over the Pegasus insignia on the gate pillar.

Moving past the gate, Twilight walks up to the door which she notes has disturbed vines. That along with Edward's 'location method' would suggest Alexander and Starlight did enter here. Opening the door, the pair press further coming to the lobby of the Pegasus dorm building.

"There are so many ways they could have gone... It'll take all afternoon to search this place." Edward states looking around before noticing Twilight is entering the door under the staircase, "Wait for me!"

Not paying much attention to Edward, Twilight followed her senses to the basement before looking around briefly to head down the tunnel to the left, coming to the mirror room.

"That's where that slight vibration is coming from, I've never seen such a fascinating wall mirror before..." Twilight mumbles to herself as she slowly moves closer.

Edward manages to catch up quickly and stops to take a breath in the same room, "Can we slow down a little..?"

"Sorry, I felt this slight magical vibration and wanted to follow it to the source," Twilight states looking at the mirror closely, running her fingers just every so slightly off the surface, not actually touching the mirror itself.

Walking over, Edward gently touches Twilight's arm to try and pull her away from the mirror.

"That doesn't look safe and is in an extension of the mansion's basement, I wouldn't trust it," Edward states making Twilight nod slightly.

"Unfortunately kids, you're going to have to touch it." A mysterious voice states from behind before they are both pushed into the mirror.

The resulting touch engulfs them both in darkness, the pair being thrown across the room onto the floor once it's done its job. Twilight groans and is barely conscious when she watches two entities walk out of the mirror and take on the form of her and Edward. Diamond steps into view, straightening his blazer as he looks them over.

"Seems like the absorption process was a success, how do you both feel?" Diamond turns to Edwards counterpart with yellow hair, goldish highlights and gold eyes, "Topaz?"

The man referred to as Topaz clenched and released his hand a few times before stretching lightly, "I still wonder why we need to absorb energy in order to form, but... It's tolerable either way."

Rolling his eyes, Diamond looks towards the counterpart of Twilight who has deep purple hair, lighter highlights and purple eyes. "Amythest?"

The mare looks at her equine body before stretching and yawning, "I feel wonderful, she had a lot of energy to spare~"

Diamond smiles wickedly before turning to the downed magician and semi-conscious Alicorn, "Keep an eye on those two, I need to wrap up some business upstairs."

The gem pair shares the same wicked smile before nodding, Diamond taking that as his cue to leave the room.

"We're finally back, Amythest," Topaz states taking a deep breath.

"This should be so much fun~" Amythest squats next to Twilight, smiling widely.
> Twin Cyclones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you kidding me?! We're being held hostage, our friends are in danger and THAT is your solution?!" Starlight states seeming very distressed.

Alexander shrugs and tries to look as innocent as possible.

"It's the only option we have, least as far as I can see. I can't do magic because of my own inhibitor, you can't because of yours... This way, we can try to overload your inhibitor with the raw magical energy that would be released as a result of the solution." Alexander explains while blushing.

Sighing, Starlight looks away, blushing to match. "Still... I can't believe you asked my teacher about it, that's embarrassing..."

Alexander sighs and looks around the disused room, trying to figure out how they can escape their bindings. Tilting his head to the left like he's listening to something, Alexander soon shakes his head at whatever it was and tries struggling again.

"Ugh, this is beyond frustrating... Whatever happened to an uneventful academy year..? Next time I want to help my friend get us some familiars, I'll say no..." Alexander sighs deeply.

"Didn't Edward say it was your idea?" Starlight raises an eyebrow, looking at Alexander.

"Details... Either way, next time I'll say no... To a friend or myself." Alexander shakes his head before shuffling closer to Starlight.

The mare in question looks a little nervous as she considers the solution in front of them.

"W-what if you just try to remove it with your teeth?" Starlight asks hesitantly.

"To be honest I don't think it'd be as comfortable and I'd rather avoid biting or scrapping your horn," Alexander explains to which Starlight nods slightly.

Alexander checks the door again and listens for any movement, it's a bit harder without his wind to amplify the ability.

"It's not I haven't thought about it and I have experimented with it before... Just, I didn't expect our first one to be in these circumstances." Starlight states trying to fidget against her bindings.

"Sorry... It's not an ideal environment to enjoy it fully and I really wish it didn't have to be like this either..." Alexander sighs before giving Starlight a kiss on the cheek to try and make her feel better.

Starlight tries to shuffle closer to Alexander, but can barely move. She's still close enough for him to reach if she lowered her head.

"It's okay, I understand we need to... It's just we can't use a noise dampen spell like this..." Starlight blushes deeply.

Alexander blinks a little before raising one eyebrow at her.

"So, your problem isn't with the hornjob, but more the possibility we can be heard? Here I thought it was me." Alexander chuckles lightly.

Starlight blushes before rolling her eyes and lowering her head towards Alexander, her horn well within reach. Before the mare can protest further, Alexander gives her horn a long lick, from the top of the inhibitor to the tip of her horn making Starlight shiver.

"I forgot how amazing that feels~..." Starlight bites her lip before glancing at Alexander, "How does it taste?"

Alexander licks his lips before giving his reply in the form of swallowing her horn up to the inhibitor, running his tongue up and down it over her ridges playfully. The mare reduced to little moans and shivers as she rolls her eyes, enjoying the attention he gives to her magical equipment. Slipping off her horn with a pop sound which makes her moan, Alexander chuckles at the mess of a mare before him.

"You taste like cherry. Surprising, but a friend once told me they can grow purple in some places of the world, Google said he was right." Alexander kisses her horn lightly making her coo.

"I imagine that was Edward-" Starlight is cut off when Alexander goes back to work much more eagerly than before, "Shit- You like cherries I take it~, Twi said the same about Edward and grape when I pestered her enough about the mine~"

Alexander pampered her delicious horn as much as possible using his tongue to caress her ridges, making her horn wet and slick. After several more minutes of intense sucking on her horn, the mare shivered hard as she reached the peak of her limit, the inhibitor blinking and sparking as magic was expelled from her horn in a magical glowing, light turquoise paste which surprises Alexander but he decides to swallow it, making his throat feel tingly.

"Hmm, that tasted like cherries but also like magic I guess? What was that?" Alexander asks as Starlight's inhibitor dimmed down from the overload of sudden magic.

Coming down from her high, she blushes as Alexander licks her horn clean, "It's basically my mana as such. Flavoured like me and it's a kinda paste which exits our horn tips when they are stimulated like such..."

Starlight levitates the inhibitor off before melting the holding point of her binds, doing the same for Alexander. Both of them stand up, giving the magician time to stretch until he is assaulted by a deep kiss from Starlight.

"W-what was that for?" Alexander asked, blushing deeply and blinking.

"The wonderful, albeit not ideal hornjob~ Next time though I'll need you to stimulate other parts too, I'm pent up in another location..." Starlight blushes as she coughs.

"You're welcome and we'll have to sort something out once we're out and home." Alexander chuckled and stroked her cheek.

The doors to the dorm room opened and Diamond could be seen about to enter before he spotted them and stopped, "Oh, bollocks..."

Attempting to back away, Diamond notices Alexander enter his specific stance as he snaps his fingers. Briefly confused, it becomes clear when Diamond is flung into the wall behind him, indenting it slightly as he groans. Eventually dying down, the gem is able to escape back down the corridor he came from as he is pursued by Alexander and Starlight. Sliding down the centre stair railing, Diamond jumps off to stand just shy of the dorm entrance, Alexander and Starlight catching up at the top of the first stairs platform.

"You effectively clipped my wind you piece of shit..." Alexander states not looking happy.

"I had to restrain you both, we needed our comrades out in order to begin our plan.-" Diamond is interrupted by a snapping of fingers and barely blocks a sharp gust of wind with a white gem patterned shield. "Did you just block my monologue?!"

"I've seen too many movies where the bad guys talk way too much..." Alexander stretches lightly before sending another three of his sharp air attacks at Diamond.

Still holding his shield, the gem groans as he holds his own against the onslaught. The magician in question slowly walks down the steps sending wave after wave of sharp air attacks as he clicks his fingers with each step.

"Your family technique is impressive to be sure, refined through the passing of generations, as I understand it. However, I've been in your head, I know your moves Alexander Night." Diamond states as he more effectively blocks or deflects the sharp air attacks.

By this point, Starlight has moved to the left side where Emerald was also waiting, the two having a standoff while their partners fought. The two charged up their magic to begin fighting, but it was interrupted by events to the right of them.

"It's not my head you should have been looking in." Alexander claps his hands together before pulling them apart, wind generating between them. "Dragon Twister would be this one's name..."

Alexander slams the wind energy ball down at his feet, a spiral tunnel of wind quickly forming around them and then expanding. Starlight and Emerald groan as they put up bubble shields of their colours. The twister gains more and more speed as Alexander uses his magic to keep it under control, however, the building around them begins to be ripped up and flow upwards along with the whole roof.

"Such sheer destructive force for such a young magician..." At that moment Diamond swears he saw something around Alexander but blinks and shakes his head, "That's ridiculous... Emerald, we're leaving!" Diamond states before vanishing in a white smoke.

Emerald looks shocked and soon does the same with a green smoke making Starlight confused. Alexander soon turns down the twister before it vanishes, the torn off parts falling back down around them. Starlight moves to include Alexander within her bubble so they don't get hit by debris.

"What did you do that made him run?" Starlight asks raising an eyebrow.

Alexander shakes his head, "I don't know..."
> Shattering the Barrier
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward groans before opening his eyes again to look around the room, the pair still in the mirror room. The newly resurrected Topaz and Amythest were stretching their powers nearby, making constructs out of their respective gem colours. Their fun was interrupted when Diamond popped back into the room with a white flash.

"You two, we're falling back for now." Diamond states making the two look at each other before popping out of the room with their leader.

"What could have made them retreat for now..?" Edward ponders before hearing breaking wood upstairs.

Dusting herself off, Twilight has already gotten free of her bonds and untied Edward, sitting down beside him.

"Whatever is going on, it looks like they put a barrier on the exit made from earth-based magic. Also... I wanted to ask you about what I saw in the gym when you were asked to fight a few groups of students." Twilight prompts getting comfortable.

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" Edward rubs the back of his neck before sighing. "My family is one of... Specific talents and professions. Granted my mother is an astrologist and my father comes from a long line of Japanese blacksmiths. The rest of my family... It's kinda awkward to explain... Let's just say my dad's side of the family, might be one of the prominent Yakuza families in Japan, maybe... My mother's side isn't much different, in fact, there used to be four prominent Yakuza families in Japan. Then my mother and father married and combined two of them so now there is three." Edward smiles awkwardly.

Twilight stares at Edward for several moments processing what she's just been told but doesn't seem to blink.

"Oh... I didn't see that one coming. That explains the training you displayed and the proficiency for metal magic." Twilight still doesn't blink.

"Umm... You okay there? You seem to be having a difficult time processing this?" Edward comments rubbing his left arm.

Twilight finally blinks and makes many noises, struggling to think of a response to Edward family.

"I mean... I didn't expect it, to say the least... I mean, it's not that I think it's bad or anything, it just took me by surprise. From what I understand online it varies on how they are perceived." Twilight states seeming a little better.

"My family is fairly good when it comes to their reputation. Sometimes working with the police, able to do or find out things they can't because of their job restrictions. Between all the family members they own a wide variety of businesses, the majority of which are legit like my dad's blacksmithing shop." Edward explains standing up to examine the barrier on the hole in the wall.

Twilight stands up, joining Edward to inspect the barrier that stops them leaving.

"That Topaz used earth-based magic to form this barrier, so in theory, if we use a lightning based spell it should counter it." Twilight states running through the scenario in her head before nodding in confirmation.

Edward thought about it for a moment and nodded, agreeing with the Alicorn.

"Sounds about right, you've picked up on our various magic applications pretty quickly since coming here." Edward comments making Twilight blush slightly.

"W-well, I am the element of magic, it'd be a bit bad if I couldn't learn a new type of magic in decent time. I'm assuming using metal magic, your proficient schools of magic include earth and fire?" Edward nods at Twilight's observation before she continues, "Studying your magic I decided to dabble a little in each of the primal schools of magic... So, if I'm right..."

Twilight lights her horn and begins channelling electrical energy between her hands as she holds them in front of her. Smiling at the result she decides to gather a bit more before directing it in the form of a bolt towards the magical blockade. The resulting impact caused the barrier to whirl and spark sending out a wave of yellow coloured energy which pushes the pair back slightly.

"Mph! That didn't work... Interesting," Twilight steps closer to inspect the barrier, touching it lightly, humming to herself. "I shouldn't assume their capabilities... They appear to be adept at magic. I'll try this again, you might want to stand back."

Edward nods as he stands back a bit, Twilight gets into the same stance as before. This time she closes her eyes and begins channelling again, the gathered energy forming an electrical orb between her hands and begins to spark as energy is added to it. The mare's mane starts flowing and sparking slightly behind her, Twilight's horn sparking as well. Opening her eyes, the mare directs the intense electrical energy charge towards the barrier, striking and duelling with the sealing magic. The Alicorn struggles slightly, forcing more and more energy into the charge to increase its power. Eventually, the barrier gives and collapses on itself taking with it the electrical charge that Twilight releases, the mare wiping her brow as she catches her breath.

"You okay? That looked like a lot of magical energy you had to output in order to collapse the barrier." Edward states at Twilight's side to help her.

"It was, phew... We shouldn't underestimate these mirror gems, not when we know so little about them. However, this does make me wonder... If they are indeed so powerful, capable of erecting a barrier of this density, what made them retreat so readily?" Twilight ponders as her and Edward look down the tunnel.

"Alexander... Though, I didn't believe he was that powerful. Though... There are times I wonder if he holds back on purpose. Like, I've never heard him use our code for when he might get a little crazy nor have I seen him do any major wind manipulation outside of tornados and hurricanes every now and then. Could it have been Starlight?" Edward asks helping Twilight stand up properly.

Twilight ponders for a moment but shakes her head, "Starlight is on par if not more adept at magic than I when it comes to certain aspects... However, as much as I want to believe their retreat is down to my pupil, I don't think so... Diamond looked very scared, frightened even at what he thought he saw. That's not the impression Starlight gives off and makes me wonder if another had a hand in it or Alexander is more than he appears."

Edward thinks about it for a moment before shaking his head. Surely he of all their little group knew it all when it came to his own roommate... Right? Shoving his doubt aside, Edward helped Twilight through the tunnel till she felt able to walk properly, not used to channelling this worlds different magic yet. The mare having had little time to practice given her intense studies to get her and Starlight home. Entering the basement proper, the pair can see that the stairs are blocked by a jumbled pile of wood and rubble from the dorm above them.

"This will take me a few minutes to clear, shouldn't be too difficult. Just rest on one of these boxes while I get to work." Edward states as he starts the burn the wood using mildly controlled fire magic.

As the wood crackled and popped, the thought stayed in the back of his head that Edward might not know Alexander as well as he assumed. The idea his roommate and friend couldn't confide everything in him troubled Edward, gnawed at him even that Alexander might not trust him as much as he thought. No matter how hard Edward tried, he couldn't shake these thoughts and decided he'd confront Alexander at an appropriate time.
> Earth, Fire, Water Heed my Call...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight sighs as she begins to sift through the rubble and splintered wood, before the pile blocking the basement stairs spontaneously combusts clearing the way. Edward helps Twilight up the stairs into what remains of the Pegasus dorm lobby, looking around at the wind-swept carnage.

"That's a lot of damage..." Edward comments as Starlight moves to check Twilight.

"I'm going to take Twilight back to the room to rest, we'll see you both later, try to be careful." Starlight vanishes with a magical pop using her magic.

Edward sits down on what's left of the lobby stairs, sighing deeply.

"This academy year feels like it's going to be anything but simple, I think I'd prefer a Smooze to this bullshit." Alexander stretches before sighing himself.

Alexander begins to walk towards the ruined entrance before Edward's next words make him stop.

"What did you do to make Diamond run off? By the looks of it, you were in storm mode, but we both know he's likely the leader of those gems which makes him very powerful... Twilight doesn't believe Starlight gave the impression that was needed to make him look how he did when he collected his minion downstairs." Edward asks, looking at Alexander's back.

Alexander finds himself in an impossible situation, one he's pictured a thousand times without coming to a useful solution. Taking a deep breath, he turns to face Edward.

"Would you believe me if I said we had a staring contest in a cyclone and he shit himself?" Alexander asks sounding hopeful.

"If it wasn't an ancient mirror gem who plans to conquer our academy, yes... Not this time though." Edward deadpans making Alexander rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Saw that coming at least... Fuck sake," Alexander sighs deeply, "If I said I had my familiar's indirect help?"

Edward raises an eyebrow, "So, Starlight did help you drive him away?"

Alexander groans slightly, wondering how to word the next part of his reply.

"Not Starlight..." Alexander states weakly.

"Alexander, you don't have another 'familiar', we don't have any other 'familiars'," Edward states rubbing his forehead.

Alexander rolls his eyes and sighs harder, not figuring any good way to say what he wants, he decides to say fuck it.

"I have a familiar..." Alexander mumbles not loud enough to be heard.

"Dude, I can't hear you when you talk like that..." Edward deadpans harder towards Alexander who rolls his eyes.

"I HAVE A FAMILIAR GOD DAMN IT!" Alexander shouts with his eyes closed.

Edward stares at Alexander for several minutes, unable to accurately process what he's just been told or dismissing it entirely. Finally, his brain snaps back into place with an odd noise.

"Waaaaa?!" Edward blinks several times, "W-what the fuck are you even on about?!"

"Oh for fuck sake." Alexander rolls his eyes and throws off his blazer.

Unbuttoning his shirt, Alexander turns around and drops his shirt down to reveal a large fullback black draconic tattoo much like a familiar mark. Edward's mind further breaks with the same odd noise as before.

"Waaaaa?!" Edward blinks even more now standing up, "Is this why you always change away from the other in M.D.E? I thought you were just shy, which made no sense given your muscled genes!"

"Shy?! Seriously?! I'm surprised those other idiots bought it for this long. I mean, slightly, but that is beyond the point of this scenario!" Alexander groans putting his shirt back right.

"This still doesn't make any fucking sense! A magician can have multiple familiars, so why when we performed the ritual together at the year two ceremony did none show up?" Edward queries sounding slightly annoyed.

Alexander picks up and dusts off his blazer before putting it back on.

"I'm sure it was explained to us that not all familiars get along with each other... Especially when a familiar has been sealed/blacklisted by their former magician..." Alexander explains folding his arms.

"That doesn't make any sense either, what familiar could you possibly have that would even-"

"It's the Wind Wyvern, Ventus, who used to serve... Merlin." Alexander sighs as he leans against a nearby wooden pillar which survived.

Edward's mouth fell slightly open at this, not entirely sure what his roommate is implying.

"What possessed you to form a contract with a blacklisted familiar?! No wonder we got no reaction from the ritual... It's been two months since then and you couldn't even mention this to me? Having me believe this whole time we were in the same situation and couldn't get familiars yet!" Edward sounds extremely annoyed.

"How the fuck would I even do that? 'Oh, by the way, I'm technically breaking magician law by forming an unconditional pact with a blacklisted familiar', what the fuck was I suppose to do?!" Alexander replies, sighing annoyingly.

Pacing back and forth in front of the stairs, Edward continuously groans in frustration.

"It's highly unlikely your family didn't know, so is there anyone else who you've told?" Edward asks still pacing.

"No, we thought it best to keep it in the family..." Alexander replies.

"So, that doesn't include the three friends you've known for several years? The three you consider so-called 'brothers' that you couldn't even share this important secret with? Especially the one you screwed over at the year two ritual. Did you think we'd rat you out?" Edward asks facing Alexander, who appears unsure how to answer.

"You of all people know I'd never of done that on purpose, I figured familiars would still show up... It was only after that Ventus explained it to me, I wasn't sure how to even begin to tell you, let alone share it with the group..." Alexander rubs his forehead.

Edward groans louder, "Something would have better than nothing! You didn't even try to tell us or even hint! Has all the wind magic you've used been influenced by your familiar?"

Alexander shakes his head, "No, I don't let Ventus influence my wind techniques, I reject his help if anything despite how he insists at times... I guess it could of been him that Diamond saw, an original familiar might caused that reaction given their power."

Sighing, Edward heads for the dorm entrance, "I need air..."

"Dude, come on, it's not like I didn't trust-" Edward interrupts Alexander by continuing to walk out the ruined entrance.

Sighing deeply, Alexander snaps his fingers at the lobby stairs in frustration, exploding them in a flurry of wind that splinters the wood.
> Cut from the same Gem
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking into the lobby of the ruined Pegasus dorm, Diamond, Topaz, Emerald and Amethyst are dragging two students each. Throwing his two in front of him, Diamond groans.

"Take these humans to the mirror and release more of our people..." Diamond commands while walking away to look around at the dorm.

Glancing at each other, Topaz and Amethyst bow before taking the humans downstairs to the basement two at a time. Looking concerned, Emerald walks over to Diamond who appears deep in thought.

"We didn't retreat earlier just to kidnap more students, did we?" Emerald queries while folding her arms.

"No. That, for lack of a better word, boy, holds a lot more within him than I thought at first. I thought I saw someone I haven't since the war in Camelot... You remember Ventus?" Diamond asks, glancing at Emerald.

Emerald turns to Diamond, frowning more as she looks confused.

"When we decimated Pegasus House, did we not hear he got himself blacklisted as a familiar back then for betraying Merlin?" Emerald asks, unfolding her arms.

"Either that changed or the boy has a blacklisted ancient familiar and is playing with power far beyond his understanding..." Diamond rubs his forehead, groaning harder.

"Let us hope he won't pose much of a problem, though that seems evident at this point." Emerald states as she looks around at the dorm wreckage.

Diamond shakes his head and sighs, walking over to a nearby pillar.

"We'll set up here, so we might protect the mirror during our invasion. Bismuth will just have to do what he can to repair and fortify the dorm." Diamond's attention is drawn by two coloured people walking up the basement stairs and over to them.

The first girl is short, around 5'0 with light green eyes and messy short dark green hair wearing the same black uniform. The other girl is taller with light blue eyes and matching hair, wearing the same uniform as her smaller comrade.

"Peridot and Aquamarine, ready for service." They both state as they kneel in front of Diamond.

"Excellent, would you kindly scout the docks, Wyvern House and Hydra House... Those two are my first targets of a long-awaited revenge." Diamond commands making them nod and quickly leave the dorm.

Taking a deep breath, Diamond holds out his hand for Emerald to take. Looking a little confused, she does so with a smile, letting him lead her down into the basement of the dorm and through the tunnel to see the mirror. In front of the mirror, Topaz and Amtheyst are moving the unconscious students who were used to revive six more gems. All six bow to the pair, the first is a girl that has long hair with a swirling mixed rainbow pattern, her eyes sharing the same. The second is a male the same average size as the first girl, having pitch black short hair and eyes.

"Opal and Onyx, if you could please keep watch in the woods nearby." Diamond commands making the duo nod before leaving the basement.

The third is a tall, skinny girl with pure white hair and eyes, standing beside her is an equally tall but not as skinny girl with dark blue hair and eyes.

"Pearl and Lapis, it would be beneficial if we could construct a gem forge in the basement storage area." Emerald commands beside Diamond, making him smile slightly.

They both nod before walking past them to get to work, shifting the crates, barrels and boxes somewhere else. Turning their attention to the remaining pair, the fifth revived gem has taken the form of a largely built, slightly tall man with a more vivid multi-coloured short hair and eyes, leaning against them with their arms closed was a short girl with bright orange hair and eyes.

"Bismuth and Garnet, I trust you require no instructions for your assignments?" Diamond asks, looking at the pair.

Bismuth smashes his knuckles together, chuckling heartily.

"Leave the fortifications and conversion of this new base to us, even this hovel shall be fit for a Gem Lord." Bismuth states proudly before leaving with Garnet.

Sighing lightly, Diamond turns his glance towards Topaz, who raises an eyebrow.

"I'll be taking a trip back with Emerald for a short time, can I trust you to hold the fort while I am absent?" Diamond asks, making Emerald look confused.

Topaz nods and bows slightly, "Of course, so long as your energy remains, you should have no problems coming back through without needing to drain more."

Diamond nods before passing through the mirror with Emerald, Topaz and Amythest sharing odd looks.





Stepping out of a rippling mirror situated on top of a hill, Diamond takes a deep breath, Emerald following not soon after.

"Beloved, if you'll excuse my curiousness, after waiting so long to get out of this world... Why do we return so soon after?" Emerald asks taking his side.

The world around them is bright and vibrant, the grass a lush dark aqua colour, the sky a lively mid-tone green. A large vast multi-colour empire lays before them below the hill, airships and planes made from various gem parts flying flawlessly through the sky.

"Because it's our home, my dear. Despite how long we have been trapped in this cursed mirror dimension, we conquered it and all that was once here. We built our vision, carved from the very essence we plucked from below its surface. This, all of this, is the empire we strived to create centuries ago in the waking world. The blueprint for the grand plan that we now have a second chance to build out there. Our empire, our dream. That is if you still want it." Diamond states drawing her attention to their seemingly decorative prison before holding her hands.

"Of course it is, my love... You know I've always supported and wanted to help you fulfil that dream. I'm content and satisfied to be by your side." Emerald holds Diamond's hands back, smiling gently.

Diamond sighs slightly as he stares at Emerald, smiling happily.

"You know I'm nought without my Emerald beside me. Out of all those trapped in here with me, you took the closest interest in my wellbeing, stayed the closest to your Diamond. Believe it or not, I've come to be content with this world... So long as I have you I do not care where I live, however, I strive to satisfy those under my rule and this means building the kingdom I promised them." Diamond takes Emerald's hands and begins dancing around the hilltop with her.

The pair dance around for several moments, Emerald's form shifting back into a regular girl with long dark green hair and matching eyes, her features a lot more beautiful than previously seen gems. Laying her head upon his chest, Emerald sighs gently.

"You've been so generous towards me, so kind and loving..." Emerald takes deep breathes while they dance.

"You're my perfectly cut and beyond beautiful Emerald, with a clarity unmatched by any other Emerald. We can go back at any time you'd like." Diamond states, the pair performing a very calm, beautiful waltz across the hilltop.

Emerald nods slightly, her head still upon DIamond's chest as she relaxes to enjoy every second of the moments they spend together.
> Whispers of Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Landing somewhere in the forest between Golem House and the spa, Shadowfright stretched and slowly morphed his body. Moving his limbs one by one, he formed the basis of a human female form with pale white skin and red eyes, sweeping back her dull silver hair. Sighing, she continued to morph the darkness around her body to make boots, skinny jeans and trench coat all in a sinister pitch black with a white shirt. Flicking her arm out to the side she summoned a stylish black trilby which she placed on her head, before adjusting and making sure her coat fit perfectly.

"Much better, now..." Shadowfright clicked her fingers, glancing back to see five shadowy creatures land near her.

The first to morph is a short fat shadow, turning into the size of a small male with short black hair and blue eyes, forming black boots, cargo pants, waist-length jacket and a white shirt.

"Jerome..." Shadowfright states as they kneel.

The next two to morph were shadowy rabbits, morphing into short females with long white hair and pink eyes. The two girls are identical twins, the only difference being how they form their clothes. Matching black boots and short white shirts, but the first girl's thigh-length jacket and pants are white with black trim, the seconds is black with white trim.

"Gin and Tonic..." Shadowfright sighs as they kneel.

The third is a big shadow wolf which howls before shifting into a tall well-built white male with pink eyes, forming black boots, cargo pants, short jacket, gloves and a white shirt.

"Saber..." The shadow states himself in a fairly deep voice before kneeling.

The final shadow is a bat-like entity who morphs into an elegant skinny white female with white eyes and black shoulder length hair. She slowly forms black knee-length booths, tight-fitting pants, a frilled white shirt and long detailed black coat with gold trim.

"Maestro..." The bat bows at the mention of her name.

"Pleasure to be back, Shadowfright." Maestro states as the group stop kneeling.

Walking forwards, Shadowfright leads them to what appears to another abandoned dorm which has a ghost-like horse creature engraved on the gate, which surrounds the dorm with a short stone wall.

"Ah, Wendigo House, the subject of a much greater tragedy than that of Pegasus House. Built in times of limited budget, housing fifty-two students and one very vengeful spirit. Despite the capabilities of all those in charge at the time, it wasn't noticed fast enough and they all fell down." Shadowfright explains as they enter the dorm.

The lobby feels chilled, the decorations and design based on the element of ice. The chandelier specifically looking like hanging icicles as it dangles above them. The lobby itself is designed much like the Pegasus dorm but without a basement door on the left side, instead, it sits on the right. Taking a deep breath, Shadowfright exhales to see her breath displayed in front of her through the cold. Glancing back at Jerome, he nods before addressing the twins and Saber.

"We'll gather the materials we'll need for the lunar gate." Jerome leaves for the basement with the before mentioned shadows in tow.

"What would you have me do?" Maestro asks, flicking her long coat out for dramatic flair.

"Cleanse this place of any other lingering presence, just in case..." Shadowfright turns around, walking past Maestro towards the exit.

"Another appointment?" Maestro queries as she summons a detailed black violin.

"Something I need to do... Look after things while I am out?" Shadowfright asks, making Maestro nod before she leaves.





The Chancellor sighs as he sips a half-full glass of whisky, looking out at the academy through his balcony window which overlooks the castle courtyard. Glancing up he can see the moon, so bold and bright above everything else as it glows majestically.

"Larry..." The Chancellor states as he takes a sip of his whisky.

Behind him, standing just a short distance from his desk stands Shadowfright. A small mix of emotions struggles to decide which should be displayed on her face.

"It's Shadowfright now, you know this already old man..." Shadowfright states, folding her arms.

"I do, but even an old man can hope." The Chancellor states, moving to sit down in his chair.

Rolling her eyes, Shadowfright simply stands there and stares at the Chancellor intently, not quite sure how to progress.

"How-"

"Mystical relics have their benefits and or curses. The holy grail happened to me." The Chancellor states leaning back.

"Seems legit... You look older than I thought if that's the case." Shadowfright states sitting down on a chair opposite the Chancellor's desk.

"Magic." He replies casually, staring at the strange girl in the chair before him.

The two stare at each other, both now unsure how things should or would progress.

"You put me in a box..." Shadowfright states plainly.

"'She' put you in a box. You realise I had several made for contingancy plans. The special one I made, meant to contain the darkest of elements, disappeared randomly on me." The Chancellor states swinging in his chair slightly.

Raising an eyebrow, Shadowfright looks confused.

"Here I was having this whole thing planned out, strolling into your office all like, 'my name is Lariat Moonsage, you put me in a box, prepare to die'. However, you now have me more curious than vengeful... So, speak." Shadowfright demands crossing her legs with an unamused expression.

"585 BC, height of the Trinity War, Gems, Shadows and Humanity caught in a triad of violence. To secure the alliance of the recently cursed Moon Sages, she sealed the Gems in a heavily enchanted mirror... To gain favour with an ancient power, she sealed you in one of my specially crafted containment cubes. Without a leader, your people grew more confused and violent without any direction, sealing them in the place they worshipped seemed like a mercy." The Chancellor stands up and walks over to stare at the mirror on his wall.

Shadowfright's expression becomes a single twisted vision of repressed rage, blinking slightly as she gripped the arm of the chair.

"She promised us a ruler... One in line with the moon, a lunar kingdom... SHE let me out of the cube I assumed you sealed me inside. SHE made the same promise she did centuries ago, and here you are telling me she played my people like a well-tuned violin! The very mage who advised the kingdom we were at war with, the one who sealed my people in the moon! Why, in the name of the lunar light, would I ever believe what you are telling me?!" Shadowfright stands up and holds out both her hands to summon orbs of swirling darkness.

Finishing his whisky, the Chancellor puts down his glass before taking a deep breath and turning around to face the angry girl, taking several steps towards her.

"Because, if there is one thing I've learned running this academy... Sometimes it's not so simple as sealing your problems away and hoping time sorts them out. No box, no sealing magic, no tricks, just a simple promise." The Chancellor states calmly as he slowly makes Shadowfright lower her magic.

"What could you possibly offer me?" Shadowfright folds her arms and looks away, still very pissed off.

"The very thing my pupil could not deliver. The one and only thing you've been searching for since your tribe was cursed all those years ago..." The Chancellor states, making Shadowfright glance at him curiously.

"You have my attention, for now... Starswirl." Shadowfright sighs deeply.
> Homefront
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rushing through the smoke, a skinny male Wyvern House student is tightly holding a brown package within his grasp. The landscape around him is rough and battle-torn with some leftover crystal shards which have been launched against them. Glancing into the distance he can see his goal, the Wyvern House dorm shored up with magical sandbags and shield defences. Two females students stand at the entrance to their compound from the direction of the student village, stopping the male to inspect his package.

"Are these those materials?" The first prompts opening it slightly.

"Direct from Cassandra herself... It's a mess out there." He states catching his breath.

"Then don't let us stop you, run you fool." The second female states signalling the courier is coming through.

Nodding in thanks, the male student rushes forward eager to deliver his package to the field commander. Wyvern House looks more like a military outpost than a student dorm, the third-floor balcony has an antenna and some wires leading inside to their communication hub, the basement converted into what looks like a magical workshop and a tent has been set up on the south side of the dorm, near the cliff edge. The male student looks around before heading straight for a third-year male student wearing a long fire red jacket on his shoulders and a captain hat on his head, staring out towards the observatory with binoculars.

"First-year courier, Simon Pax, reporting!" Simon states as he comes to a stop, catching his breath.

"Sup, Third-year field commander, Nicolas Sage. You got what I asked for?" Nicolas puts down his binoculars, tied around his neck.

Nodding the student hands him a bag from Sparkles, aside from his regular package.

"One breakfast burrito from Sparkles, sir. I also have the advanced magical mathematics textbooks the second-year students requested." Simon explains as Nicolas begins eating happily.

"Excellent, despite this being your first 'warzone', you're doing well in your assigned task," Nicolas calls over a girl wearing a thigh length black hoodie, shorts, sneakers, gloves with a backpack on and wearing a rabbit mask.

"Second-year first class delivery courier, Ciri Lightning." The girl turns around before opening her backpack with magic.

Removing the books from the brown package, Nicolaus places them in her backpack and closes it.

"Your fellow second-year students on the A1 gem front need this immediately." Nicolas orders making her nod.

As the girl gets comfortable she soon speeds off with a dust trail behind her. Nicolas looks around before calling over a male student who was tinkering with a magical explosive.

"Sup?" The student asks still tinkering with the explosive.

"Vincenzo Santorini, right?" Nicolas asks, but ducks at the sudden nearby explosion from the gem front direction.

"That's not good, don't do that." Vinny shakes his head before turning to face Nicolas.

"I seem to vaguely remember hearing about you... We need to take that observatory if we hope to gain at least some advantage, so... I need you to demo their nearby bunker which prevents us from getting close." Nicolas asks glancing in the direction he is talking about.

"Any recommendation on the size of 'boom' you're looking for?" Vinny asks as he begins ruffling through his strapped duffle bag.

Raising an eyebrow again, Nicolas ponders this fellow for a second.

"A big one?" Nicolas asks confused.

Vinny simply nods as he begins walking off, leaving the confused field commander to his thoughts. Walking over to Nicolas is Vivienne, wearing purple and white sneakers, a white tank top with an eighth note on the front, a hip length white leather jacket with her signature headphones and shades on her head.

"Sup, Nic?" Vivienne asks tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, Virtuoso, I didn't think you'd be back so soon," Nicolas states seeming worried.

"Keeping an eye on our supply route to the main campus wasn't much of a task, more importantly... Where is the Commandant and have you seen the Metalsmith?" Vivienne asks, sighing deeply.

"The first is in his room... He hasn't come out, even if Cassandra asked for him. I mean, I know Alexander has been depressed before, but this is something else entirely. In terms of the Metalsmith... Edward hasn't been seen since this all started in earnest a week ago." Nicolas answers, glancing back towards the dorm.

Vivienne takes a deep breath as she begins to make her way towards the dorm, heading for Alexander's room.





Over at Hydra House, the scene is pretty much the same as Wyvern House only they are holding back Shadowfright and her so-called, 'Nightmare Force'. Directing their efforts is a third-year girl wearing a similar outfit to Nicolas, but she is wearing a navy captain's hat instead.

"Come on, come on! I want to see some hustle on that aquatic artillery! Get that pipeline to the lake hooked up ASAP, we needed to get wet yesterday! You, pick up that pace damn it!" She yells orders continuously while spinning around to keep an eye on various departments. A second-year male courier student quickly approaches the field commander with haste before stopping to address them.

"Field Commander Marci Singer! Second-year courier, Steven Scar, reporting!" He salutes briefly.

"Is there news?" Marci takes a break from yelling to face the courier.

"Yes and no, the pipe to the lake has been met with some resistance but is holding for now. There is also a request by several students for a tutor in Advanced Summoning Mechanics for Arch-Familiars on the front." Steven finishes his report.

Marci sighs and clenches her fist dramatically.

"Damn it, there are no other such magicians in Hydra House who practice such advanced summoning methods... I guess there is no other option!" Marci turns to get the attention of a nearby commander wearing a regular navy hat, who is directing supplies. "Commander Ser Drownman, you're in charge till I get back!"

Marci removes her jacket before putting it on properly and straightening her hat before running off in the direction of the Hydra House front lines.

"You want to know what the most amusing thing about this whole situation is, Ser?" Steven turns to the temporarily prompted field commander.

"Other than the fact that, despite how real the threat is from the gems and Nightmare Force, should we get through this ordeal, failing the mid-term exams is a much bigger threat in comparison," Ser replies making Steven nod before they both shiver.

"Fuck that shit!" They both state in unison before going back to their duties.
> Mountain Homefront
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Setup along the mountain ridges are a large percentage of the Valkyrie House girls, working in teams of three to four they try to suppress the seemingly endless tide of Shadowfright's minions. On the balcony next to the pool at the Valkyrie House dorm, sits a second-year, field commander dressed female in black and lightning yellow with a matching captain's cap. Beside her, along the balcony, are a few solo shooters using lightning bolt snipers to try and help the forward bulwark.

"Ya'll shoot like men on prom night, start aiming ladies! I want to hear those Nightmare Force goons hit the floor damn it!" She flips through a gun magazine that she is reading.

"Commander Steele!" A young girl in a regular Valkyrie House uniform runs over to the woman, "Private Rebbeca Shale, reporting! It would appear that our vanguard at the base of the mountain is encountering increased resistance from two identical twin girls, we suspect they'll hit our secondary bulwark within hours, ma'am."

Sighing deeply and standing up to stretch, Steele throws the magazine behind her into the chair before walking over to the rail and leaning on it. Glancing beside her, a small impish size familiar wearing the same style of outfit as Steele, with red spikes on her shoulders and chewing a stick of wheat. Forming a bow of lightning, she aims it quite high, her familiar aiding in pulling back the string harder than normal. After channelling enough power, she releases the formed arrow which flies into the sky, splitting at its apex to rain down a hail upon the Nightmare Force around the base of the mountain checkpoint. Majority of the Nightmare Force hit, explode into shadow after impact, leaving their stronger friends behind weaker than before.

"I'll do a few more in a bit, anything else?" Steele asks glancing over at the carnage that is the Golem House fortress wall, that protects the academy direction.

"They did always say they'd build 'that wall'..." Rebbeca states unamused as she leaves the field commander in peace.

Flipping out her phone she dials a number which is soon picked up by one, 'Richard Stoner'.

"Nice light show, Chica!" A sudden voice states from the other side.

"Always. Did you have to build that eyesore on my view?" Steele asks, leaning on the pole again while her familiar sits down.

Steele hears a lot of yelling and shouting in Mexican before his attention is drawn back to her.

"It was the best place, kinda. It's just until we get our bunker fortifications in place, that stuff takes a lot of material so... We're taking it off the wall little by little but also keeping the defensive line sturdy. These pendejos don't know when to quit so it'll likely be a while, how's the spa doing?" He asks now sawing something.

"Mary Iron has it covered, for the most part, you just worry about keeping those 'pendejos', off the academy and the student village..." Steele rubs her forehead, glancing up at the sky.

Above them can be seen the pinnacle of the Valkyrie House defence force doing what they do best, aerial combat. The 'Valkyries', girls of the house properly trained to form wings from their lightning, are proficient at being the strongest aerial combat units at the academy, rivalled only by the Dragoons from Wyvern House.

"Let us hope so, it'd be a real blow to morale if we lost one of the most popular relaxation spots on the whole island... Anyway, gotta go, still plenty to do." He hangs up quickly after shouting something to someone else in Mexican.

Rolling her eyes, Steele sighs and leans on her hand, staring into the distance at the whole academy.





Shadowfright sighs as she leans back in her old oak chair, chewing what appears to cherry flavour gum. One of the bigger dorm rooms has been converted into a planning room with a shadow map on a dark oak table at the centre displaying the whole campus.

"You appear to be agitated, Shadowfright," Maestro states relaxing on a nearby sofa.

"It's been two weeks and still no promised ruler... He said to have patience and hold back. I'm sick of being lied to and betrayed, it's time we took what is rightfully ours." Shadowfright stands up and adjusts her jacket.

Getting up to follow Shadowfright, Maestro is led through the hallways of their HQ all the way downstairs to another room which has been converted into an armoury of sorts with various metal cages holding several different shadow weapons. Looking up from their welding is a slightly fat, short black haired pale guy wearing a striped shirt, black jeans and shoes.

"Ho, what can I do for you?" The male asks in a slightly deep voice.

"I'm going to need my Lunar blade, we're not waiting around anymore playing with those idiots and their wall..." Shadowfright demands still chewing her gum.

Thinking for a moment, he walks over to a drawer, opening it to pull out a key.

"This is going to take a few days, your sword wasn't sealed in the easiest to reach place..." He states grabbing his coat before leaving the back of the room through a portal.

"Charlie better be able to get my sword... In the meantime, I want you to give the troops an order." Shadowfright states as she turns to leave the room.

"What order might that be, my lady?" Maestro asks, placing her hands behind her back.

Smirking slightly, Shadowfright glances behind her before spitting the gum into a nearby bin.

"Execute order, 66..." She states before leaving, Maestro nodding with a slight bow.
> The Great Divide
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight sighs deeply as she sits on the sofa with a blanket around her, wearing a pair of short black spats and a purple top which stops at the top of her stomach. Nearby in the armchair Starlight can be seen curled up in the same type of clothing, also with a blanket over her as she sleeps. Glancing at her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening, the time saying 7:30 AM. The mare in question sighs deeply as she lays down, curling up with the blanket before flicking through her contacts to find Cassandra. Dialling the number she was given, it takes a few seconds before Twilight's silent prayers were answered.

"Twilight? I wouldn't have expected you to have called me this early in the morning, I assume something is amiss?" Cassandra states with concern.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to pick up so quickly if I'm honest..." Twilight states with a hint of surprise.

A nervous chuckle comes from the other end of the phone.

"Well, this month is mostly major preparation for December when we have our mid-terms exams from the 4th to the 8th. Being some of the only third years on the island, my sister and I are well sought after by second or first years to tutor them. As such, getting up early is going to be a basic part of my life for the next few weeks," Cassandra sighs lightly, "So, what did you need my dear?"

Twilight takes a few deep breathes before sighing.

"Edward didn't come back to the dorm yesterday after we dealt with a few gem-like entities who took Alexander and Starlight hostage. After resolving the situation, we went back to the dorm to rest while Alexander was left behind with Edward... A little while later and only Alexander returned looking very depressed, Edward still has yet to return at all since then..." Twilight states, unable to hide the worry in her voice.

"I see... I shall have to note that for further investigation, send me a text after where this confrontation took place, please. Now... Even if those two had an argument, I've never seen or heard about one so bad that they were apart for long... While I feel they'll bounce back, this news troubles me greatly." Cassandra mumbles something to herself before sighing, "I'll look into it on my end, for now, be hopeful and get some rest. No doubt it'll get better, just have a little faith."

Twilight nods subconsciously, "Okay... Thank you for picking up Cassandra... It means a lot."

The girl hung up the phone, leaving the mare to her thoughts as the lighter blue seeped more through the living room curtains. After another half hour of staring at the wall next to the beanbag across the room, Twilight gets up and stretches before getting dressed in a fresh uniform.

"Hmm... Where you going?" The sound of a sleepy Starlight catches her attention from the armchair.

Twilight glances behind her to see Starlight wiping her eyes slowly while yawning.

"I've been up since we got back... I really need a walk and some Sparkles coffee..." Twilight states trying to smile for her pupil.

"Bring me some... I could use a pick me up..." Starlight states as she settles back down into cuddling her blanket.

Twilight chuckles very lightly to herself before sighing deeply and walking towards the door.

"Did you want anything else?" Twilight asks back to Starlight who seems to have drifted back to sleep.

Getting no reply, the mare goes to open the door before something made her pause.

"I'm sure he'll be fine..." Twilight turns back to Starlight whom she believed mumbled something but soon hears the mare snore cutely.

Blinking a few times and shaking her head, she continues to open the door and leaves the dorm room. Groaning, Starlight gets up several minutes after Twilight's departure and groggily walks down the hall towards the boy's bedroom. Touching the doorknob, Starlight's hand is repelled by a shield which shocks her slightly. Growling lowly, she lights up her horn to make the barrier in front of her shatter and dispel with little effort. Starlight then continues to open the door, entering the room and closing it behind her. Knowing exactly what she wants, the Unicorn shuffles towards and crawls under the quilt of Alexander's bed, finding her mark and cuddling close to him.

"Hmm... Starlight..? The barrier meant I'm not in the mood to talk..." Alexander shuffles around so he is facing Starlight in the darkness.

"Then don't... Just shut up and cuddle, talk later... Too early to sort out friendship problems..." Starlight groans and mumbles as she snuggles into his chest, getting comfortable.

Of all the many things going through his head at that moment, Starlight was the only thing he was sure about. Wrapping his arms around her and settling down, he sighs deeply and takes in her comforting raspberry aroma.

"I fucked up, Starlight... I kept secrets... I... I hurt someone I called a brother..." Alexander states with a heavy sigh.

The mare below him mumbles in her new sleeping position, snuggling into him tightly.

"Can be fixed... There's always a way..." Starlight replies, somehow managing to comfort Alexander even if just a little.

"I don't know how... But I guess if 'pupil of the Princess of Friendship' is anything to go by... I'll take your word for it." Alexander smiles at Starlight, stroking her hair as he pulls the quilt up to comfortably cover his mare, "I love you... I don't know what I'd do without you here."

Despite being heavily asleep, these words brought a smile to Starlight's face in the waning darkness.
> Ripley's Review
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ripley groans as she wipes her eyes, following a fully dressed Rachael to the door of her Wyvern House dorm room. The couple embraces before letting go, Rachael stepping out the door.

"You sure you'll be okay darling? I know this month is fairly flexible with classes but..." Rachael looks past Ripley back into the room.

"Yeah, I've dealt with him like this before, I'll be fine. Even if they are flexible, the boutique isn't going to run itself." Ripley nods and smiles lightly.

Rachael sighs, giving her lover a final kiss before walking off down the hallway in her Valkyrie House uniform. Taking a couple of deep breathes, Ripley turns around to adjust her slacks and long white shirt, walking through into the living room where Edward lays on her sofa hugging a pillow.

"Sorry to be a bother..." Edward sighs deeply.

"Normally you're back there in the morning... Which makes me think something is up." Ripley states getting comfortable.

Edward avoids looking into her eyes as he continues trying to process fully the information he learned from Alexander.

"I don't want to talk about it..." Edward states sighing deeply.

Ripley shakes her head before getting up and going to the kitchen to put on the coffee pot.

"You're not staying on my couch, dude. As much as I love you guys as friends, we enjoy our privacy. I don't want to press you, but you're going to have to talk about it eventually." Ripley states waiting for the coffee to boil.

Edward sits up and takes many deep breathes before looking towards the kitchen, still hugging the pillow.

"Ripley... I can confide anything in you, right?" Edward asks as the girl in question walks back through with two mugs of coffee on a tray with sugar and milk.

"Duh, why else would you come to me? Unless you killed somebody, I'm not up to that level of shit." Ripley sits down to get comfortable again on her bean bag.

Edward nods at her confirmation, glancing down at his coffee mug before looking out the window.

"So... To understand why this is a big deal for me, you need to know something about our 'familiars'... Twilight and Starlight are from another dimension and came here by accident when we performed the same spell on opposite ends of the multiverse. Thus, we took them in as our 'familiars' until we figure out a way to get them back home." Edward begins to explain, picking up his mug.

Ripley simply begins sipping her coffee as she stares at Edward, not really leaning towards any specific facial expression.

"Then yesterday Alexander and Starlight were kidnapped by some people we believe are some form of gem entities, where certain events lead to Alexander revealing he has had a familiar since starting Kilgharrah and never told me about it..." Edward continues before sipping some nicely brewed coffee.

Ripley chokes ever so slightly when mentioned that Alexander has a familiar, but she remains calm while lowering her mug.

"What grade is his familiar?" Ripley asks, sounding curious as she didn't expect this when she got up this morning.

"Blacklisted..." Edward replies making Ripley choke again as she goes to take another sip.

"Oh..." Ripley puts down her mug, "that's a lot of heavy stuff to have happened in one day..."

Edward nods and rubs his eyes, feeling tired as he slept little last night.

"I know he's been my friend for a long time but this sorta thing is a big deal for a magician... I feel betrayed because it appears he couldn't trust me enough to tell me about his familiar and why none answered our summons at the second-year ceremony..." Edward frowns, sipping more coffee.

Ripley gets up and goes to the kitchen to fix herself some eggs and bacon for breakfast.

"Would you like anything?" She asks but Edward shakes his head, "I understand what you mean, at the same time Alexander is absent-minded quite a bit and can be fickle. Why else would he go through so much trouble to do another summoning ritual with you? I know it hurts now, but you need to seriously think about what your friendship means to you."

Edward gets up to stretch before heading towards the door.

"I'm going to go for a walk, thanks for letting me crash here again Ripley." Edward states before leaving the dorm room.

Ripley sighs deeply to herself and takes her breakfast to the sofa where she gets comfortable.

"Now that is dealt with, I can enjoy a leisurely paced breakfast of delicious eggs and perfectly crisp bacon~" Ripley cuts up some egg and bacon before taking a slow bite, her phone suddenly going off which turns her delighted moan to an annoyed groan.

Glancing down at the irritating device, she swallows the mouthload and answers it reluctantly.

"Ripley, how soon would you be able to come to to the student council room?" Cassandra asks before sounding like she is sipping some tea.

"Oh umm, hello Cassandra, in about half an hour, I suppose?" Ripley states eyeing her plate with sadness.

"Could you do twenty minutes? Something urgent has come up and I require your aid." Cassandra asks putting down her cup.

Repressing a sigh she nods to herself before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, I can do twenty, see you soon." Ripley states before Cassandra hangs up, "guess it'll be a rushed breakfast after all... The princess doesn't normally call so I wonder if everything is okay..."

Ripley quickly eats her breakfast all while getting dressed in her Wyvern House uniform, grabbing her charged phone before speeding out the door.



 

Splashing some water on his face, Alexander sighs deeply and stares at his reflection in the mirror contemplating the mess he is in right now. Hearing a knock on the door, he dries off with a towel before going to answer it, seeing an unimpressed Ripley standing in his doorway.

"You could have changed at least, you're still in your pyjama's..." Ripley comments entering the room and walking to the living room.

"I put on a shirt didn't I, what more do you want from me? Least I was already wearing pants when you knocked on the door." Alexander comments, grabbing two sodas from the fridge.

Shaking her head lightly, she accepts the soda as Alexander sits down.

"You realise you're an utter asshole?" Ripley queries which makes Alexander smile just a little bit.

"All the time, only now I feel like a cunt." Alexander opens his soda and takes a heavy mouthful.

Ripley winces slightly in disagreement, "I wouldn't go that far, but you should have told him."

Alexander nods with a deep sigh, "There was no good way to say it, no ample opportunity to bring it up... Then I tried to make it up to him and it ended up dragging two ponies miles from their home, I assume he told you about them?"

Ripley nods, "He did explain some aspects to me."

"Believe me I wanted to... While a familiar is a big deal for a magician, it's much different for someone with a blacklisted familiar... I trust those three entirely but that kind of thing is hard to bring up so casually..." Alexander finishes his can and puts it on the coffee table.

Ripley opens and downs her soda quickly sighing in relief and short buzz.

"You will have to face up to this mistake sooner rather than later. I now need to go meet Cassandra on the main campus, I had twenty minutes and I spent fifteen of that talking to you." Ripley states standing to stretch.

"With your particular electric magic, you'd be there in ten seconds," Alexander comments also standing up, collecting his can as he goes to the kitchen.

"Yeah, but Racheal needs me to get some shopping so I'll do that first," Ripley opens the front door before frowning, "Hey... Edward said you and Starlight were kidnapped by some unsavoury types... Be careful, yeah?"

Alexander gives Ripley a silent nod before she speeds off leaving a rainbow trail behind her. He shuts the door and leans back against it, sighing deeply before heading back in the direction of the bedroom.
> A Double Dose of Purple
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight heaves a heavy sigh while watching students pass by the window of Sparkles', thinking about where Edward might be and how little sleep she got during the night. Her attention is suddenly snapped back to reality when a tea tray is placed in front of her and a large cup sat on her side. Looking up at the culprit, she is surprised to see Midnight Sparkle preparing her own cup before sitting down.

"Please forgive the intrusion, I don't start work for a couple of hours and I thought you might like some company." The girl smiled at the mare, taking her by surprise.

"Oh, thank you, I suppose." Twilight idled a little before deciding to take a small sip of the offered beverage, then a larger sip when her eyes widened.

Midnight giggled at the expression made by her counterpart and sighed.

"I thought you might love it." She states, taking her own mid-sized sip.

Stopping herself from draining the cup, she stares at the girl opposite her with a puzzled expression.

"What makes you think that I would love this combination of coffee and chocolate?" Twilight asks, soon taking another sip.

"Hmm, it's almost like staring into a mirror, no?" Midnight comments, taking in the mixed aroma of her mochaccino, "You know I'm not so dull and easily notice the resemblance, Miss Sparkle?"

Twilight chokes a little and rubs the back of her neck, sighing in defeat she nods silently at the implication.

"I suppose I'm not surprised, just that it took this long." Twilight glances out the window.

Midnight finishes her first cup before eagerly getting more and relaxing down one again.

"When those two first brought you and Starlight into our cafe, I knew. I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't notice the likeness from another dimension. I wanted to let you girls be for a while, but I did help Starlight with a problem recently which I think worked out for her." Midnight smiles and sips her fresh cup.

"Thank you for helping her, I have honestly thought about this conversation for a while and when we'd actually get to have it." Twilight sighs with a weak smile.

"I can relate, but the stuff I'm dying to ask you can wait for a little bit. I want to help with that frown you think is hidden so well. I suppose, to start with a proper introduction might be nice." Midnight clears her throat and sits properly. "My name is Tara Sparkle, 'Midnight' is the nickname I was given due to my magical affinity. Midnight being supposedly when the veil between worlds is thinnest and magic at its strongest. However, the second part of that depends entirely on the type of magic as some magic is actually stronger during daylight hours."

Twilight smiles then laughs lightly but it gets deeper and louder before she calms down.

"Please forgive me for laughing but... It feels so strange to hear yourself tell a fact within an introduction. Like we couldn't help ourselves from doing so." Twilight sighs and keeps smiling, "Twilight Sparkle, Princess of friendship and the element of magic."

"Ooh, Princess, I like it. Shame I wasn't so fortunate, but then again those with immense magical power are considered magically royalty. I suppose in that regard, we are the same." Tara gives Twilight a refill when she runs out.

Feeling somewhat relieved, despite how odd her present situation is, Twilight sighs and closes her eyes to listen. The world inside the cafe is actually really serene during the early hours of the morning. The gentle ticking of the wall clock, the light tapping of the rain on the window outside, the pleasant drip from the coffee machine on the counter. It oddly put Twilight more at ease, she was so focused on Edward that she was winding herself up when she should have been staying calm.

"So peaceful..." Twilight whispers as she looks down into her cup.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Tara adjusts on her seat as she looks out into the cafe. "I could study, I could prepare for the day, I could do any number of things but I like to sit here and listen while I enjoy a cup of mochaccino. I can't honestly say I ever feel this serene other than when with Lilith."

Twilight suddenly blushes deeply upon the mention of Princess Luna's counterpart.

"Y-yes, I suppose spending time with your lover would be serene..." Twilight downs a healthy gulp of her beverage.

Chuckling to herself, Tara grabs a napkin before leaning over to dab Twilight's mouth slightly to get a little spilt mochaccino, making her counterpart blush more.

"You are close with her counterpart I take it? No doubt she is a Princess just like Lilith. I honestly don't think I can imagine my life without her anymore. When she asked me out it was in the form of a proposal, least that's what her position suggested, a little tease from her sister as the girl had never dated before in her life." Tara giggles lightly at the memory while wearing a fond smile.

"That sounds like something Celestia would do..." Twilight sighs with a light chuckle.

Tara nods, knowing that's likely the name for Cassandra's counterpart.

"Yes, however... We've been together a while now and the more I think about it, the more I know what I want. I gave Schorl a very special custom order and knew Alexander was the only one who could cut the gem how I envisioned it." Tara takes a deep breath and shows Twilight a lovely midnight blue box which white stars across its surface. Once open, she can see that an elegant engraved silver ring sits comfy in a purple cushion. The ring itself houses a stunning dark blue sapphire cut in the shape of a crescent moon.

"Oh my, it's beyond beautiful. It's well thought out, how very us." Twilight smiles but frowns a little as her chest aches a little.

Tara puts away the ring and sighs deeply before staring at her counterpart.

"I believe there is something I need to tell you. Something that, maybe someone needs to tell you so it's possible to move past it. This is my universe, this is my life and the girl I'm with is who I've chosen to spend eternity with." Tara stands up and brings Twilight to rise by her hands gently, "Maybe your Lilith likes you, but do you like your Lilith? Should my life dictate yours? It's okay to blush and think 'what if', but you're sitting here pining for the company of someone else, right?"

Twilight nods slowly, knowing what Tara says is the truth.

"We fix friendship problems, so maybe love is a little out of our field." Tara takes a deep breath, a wide smile on her face, "I made my choice and I'd never dare regret it. I see the same look in your eyes that I have when Lilith has meetings or is so busy I can't see her. You already know what you want," Tara places her hand on Twilight's heart making the mare's ears perk up as she looks down, "In here. Don't let our overthinking take that potential happiness away from you."

Twilight can't help but take several shaky breaths, she does know what she wants. She spent all night worrying about the one thing she wanted, the one person who wasn't there when she wanted them to be.

"Don't you just hate it when we're right?" Twilight sniffs and wipes her eyes a little, "Thank you very much for the drink, and the advice." Twilight gets out her purse before Tara stops her and shakes her head.

"Nope. It's on the house. Now, how about we find that idiot so I can scold him for making you worry?" Tara cleans up her tray and their cups before holding the door open for Twilight.

The mare in question is stunned but pleasantly surprised by her counterparts actions, but then... Is this not what she does? Do they not fix friendship problems? As of this moment, is Twilight Sparkle not a friend with a problem about another friend? Or perhaps it was deeper than that. Collecting herself, she left Sparkles' with Tara and began her search anew for Edward.
> Fears of a Diamond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight walks down the steps from the second-floor balcony of the Wyvern House dorm, heaving a heavy sigh as she turns off the path heading towards the left side of the building. As she gets closer, Trinity's moderately sized wagon sits, just tucked by the side of the dorm next to a drain outlet.

"He should be fine... I'm only just outside and won't be gone that long." Starlight states semi-reassuringly as she approaches the wagon.

Taking a deep breath, she opens the door to see Lucita and Trinity still in bed and now moving around rapidly since she entered.

"Starlight?!" Lucita asks annoyed as she covers them both with the quilt.

"I'm really sorry to barge in like this, but you're the best option for me to turn to..." Starlight states closing the door and rubbing her right arms slightly.

Sighing deeply, she adjusts to cuddle Trinity to her while Starlight is prompted to sit on a bean bag nearby. Getting comfortable, Lucita looks at Starlight.

"So... What can I, or we help you with this early in the bloody morning..?" Lucita asks laying her head on Trinity's shoulder.

"It's about Alexander... Something happened between him and Edward yesterday and things have been tense since... From what I overheard this morning from Ripley and Alexander's conversation, I'm led to believe he does have a familiar..." Starlight begins to explain playing with her fingers nervously.

"That secret came out sooner than we'd planned..." Trinity feels Lucita hold her slightly tighter, "I think it'd be best to explain it when we're all here."

Turning to her left at a sudden sound, Starlight can see Alexander enter the wagon accompanied by another Wyvern House male student. He has slightly tanned skin with a short afro and brown eyes.

"I figured you'd come to my sister for answers as I wasn't in much of a talking mood... I thought if we were going to explain a family secret, the whole family in Kilgharrah should be present. Allow me to introduce you to our rather elusive third sibling and most studied brother, Steveland Night." Alexander states as their brother's bows slightly.

"I confess it's nice to finally meet you, I would have introduced myself sooner but... Out of the three of us, I am the most recluse. Steve is just fine, by the way." Steve states leaning against the doorway.

"Our sister is the older sibling while Steve and I are twin brothers," Alexander explains, lifting Starlight to sit under her.

Blushing lightly, Starlight gets comfortable on Alexander's lap.

"Where should we begin? I guess... For a couple of generations, Ventus has watched over our family. Though until this point nobody has ever formed a contract with him." Lucita states glancing at Alexander.

"Granted he is our most well-kept secret, however, it's not exactly illegal for a familiar to protect a family, just not form a contract with them if blacklisted. Alexander, was exploring a cave nearby the family estate when he stumbled upon Ventus. It's a mystery though how he came to form a contract with the ancient familiar who hasn't been seen since Merlin's time..." Steve states folding his arms.

Alexander sighs, Starlight feels him shift slightly.

"I was curious, a couple of months before I actually came to Kilgharrah Ventus and I talked... We formed a contract because the circumstances required we did. Since then it's been a one-sided relationship and I've never tapped into his offered power." Alexander explains holding Starlight tightly.

"That's quite impressive if the wind magic you've used thus far has been only your own." Starlight states wiggling a little.

Both Lucita and Steve smile slightly as they look at Alexander and Starlight.

"You two are enjoying this way too much..." Alexander states sighing deeply.

"You just look so cute together, I always thought it'd be Phoneix but I'm happy to see you close with someone," Lucita states giving Trinity's shoulder a kiss.

"I'll admit it's comforting to know she looks out for you," Steve adds unfolding his arms to stretch, "As much as I'd like to stay for more, I need to finish some exam preparations." Steve leaves after saying his farewells.

Starlight slides around on Alexander's lap so she can see his face. Her expression one of unease rather than comfort.

"What made Diamond run away yesterday, he saw something when you were being a little wild with your wind magic?" Starlight asks, idly placing her arms around his neck.

"From what I have been told, he and Ventus fought back when he was still Merlin's familiar. During said fight, he was able to hit Diamond a couple of times, actually cutting him which surprised the gem. It stands to reason if he thought Ventus might still be around, that he'd be the biggest threat." Alexander states with an unsure shrug.

Starlight lays her head on Alexander's shoulder before letting out a big sigh, glancing up into his eyes.

"I think a trip to the spa might be in order... We can figure out what to do from there, and where we might be able to find Edward." Starlight stands up and thanks Lucita.

"It's only been a day, he'll come back when he's ready... That's not to say I don't want to find him, I do. I just feel we both need space to think after yesterday, I need to think after yesterday..." Alexander slides past Starlight to exit the wagon.

"Look after the asshole for me, I get the feeling this shit is only the beginning," Lucita asks Starlight who nods before following the magician.
> Corrupting the Bond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sighing deeply to himself, Edward rubs his face before staring up in the afternoon sky. His head feels like it has a thousand thoughts going through all at the same time since yesterday evening. The shower and small nap at Ripley's helped but it didn't remove the problem or make him feel any better. Ruffling his hair in frustration, he laid back on a decently sized tree stump he'd found halfway between the main campus castle and the spa.

"This is all wrong, how did it even come to this?" Edward groans as he covers his eyes.

"Feeling the lonely sting of betrayal, huh?" A female voice asks from beside Edward.

Sharply opening his eyes, Edward sits up to look behind him. Sitting cross-legged just to the left is Shadowfright playing with a coin.

"Who are you?" Edward asks raising an eyebrow towards the very goth-like woman.

"Nobody important, just leader of the Nightmare Force and your friendly neighbourhood shadow. Though, if names were important I'd encourage you to use Shadowfright." She hops off the stump to spin around and bow.

Edward fully turns to face the woman, even more confused and perplexed than before.

"Edward Meteor, what do you want?" He asks, crossing his legs.

Shadowfright grins and tilts her head slightly, still playing with the coin.

"A little insurance, a plan B, something to turn the tide when things get ugly. To be blunt and truthful because I can imagine your sick of lies, I'd like you to join us. Being recently freed, I'm not as strong as I was before. You can sit here avoiding the problem, sulking in the middle of nowhere surrounded by doubt and pain, or..." Shadowfright leans forward to flip up her coin into her fingers, "You can inflict it on those who wronged you... Why suffer alone, right?"

Edward thinks about it for several seconds, staring at the coin. Was revenge even the right path? Is it what he wants? Would he get another opportunity like this to make Alexander feel what he does?

"I suppose it's only right isn't it?" Edward takes a deep breath taking the coin.

"Excellent! Of course, there is a process etc and some paperwork but we'll get everything sorted..." Shadowfright snaps her fingers, glancing back at Edward with a wide sinister grin, "Let's see how far the rabbit hole goes..."

The surrounding area is slowly engulfed in darkness and Edward finds himself fixated on the silver coin he was given, somehow ignoring the encroaching abyss. Shadowfright chuckles to herself as she walks away, eventually laughing loudly at her secondary plan. The sudden clink of a coin hitting wood is heard from behind as Edward is nowhere to be seen, raising her hand the coin is recalled and pocketed by Shadowfright, earning her a much wider grin.





Alexander sighs as he walks through the forest, heading towards the spa passing the same stump Edward was on.

"Starlight, do you think he'll forgive me..?" Alexander asks, stopping just past the stump when he gets no reply.

Turning around, Alexander can see Shadowfright sitting on the tree stump with her legs crossed, playing with her coin.

"Hello there~" Shadowfright states with a wide grin.

"While I'd love nothing more than to make a reference of that opening... Who are you..?" Alexander asks frowning, "More importantly, where is Starlight?"

Shadowfright grabs her coin and jumps up, straightening her jacket.

"Taking a recurring walk through the same section of forest while we have this chat, oh don't worry she's perfectly safe." Shadowfright pops up beside Alexander making him raise an eyebrow, "...for now."

Alexander shrugs her away, looking more annoyed than he did before.

"So, what does the pasty white ass goth chick want?" Alexander states making Shadowfright sigh.

"You do need to learn some humour, that serious attitude won't do any good for your blood pressure." Shadowfright chuckles, "Okay, fine. Instead of worrying about Starlight you should be worrying about Edward. The poor boy looked so troubled you betrayed his trust."

Alexander begins to form swirling wind in the palm of his hand at the mention of Edward.

"Keep talking..." Alexander states bluntly.

"Hmm... I might have offered him a tiny route of salvation in the midst of his cloudy judgement." Shadowfright plays with her coin again.

The wind in Alexander's hand grows making her a little more than weary.

"You tricked him basically, taking advantage of his state of mind..." Alexander frowns at the woman.

"A state of mind you caused, might I add." Shadowfright grabs her coin and points to Alexander, making his expression soften as the wind disperse.

Smirking at her upper hand, she slinks closer as he sighs deeply.

"... What do you want?" Alexander asks, less annoyed than before.

"It's simple. The winds are changing around Kilgharrah, certain events are soon to unfold. If you can find and convince Edward to forgive you, I'll give him back and reduce any front I might have at said appointed time. Do we have a deal?" Shadowfright asks, extending her hand.

"I don't really have a choice..." Alexander shakes her hand making her smile widely before vanishing into black smoke.

At that moment Starlight comes walking up to Alexander a little confused.

"When did you pull so far ahead? Also, did I see someone else talking to you?" Starlight looks around and furrows her brow.

"Nobody important..." Alexander rubs his eyes before they press on, much against Starlight's inquiery.
> Isn't it Erotic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 days later... Early afternoon...





Starlight groans as she is coddling a large mug of coffee, curled up in the corner armchair. Twilight is passed out on the sofa, cuddling a cushion as her mane is a mess. Their front door opens and Alexander walks in with some shopping bags which he puts in the kitchen. Sighing to himself, he walks through and looks at the two ponies.

"I didn't realise Vivi held a party here. She looks awful..." Alexander notes about Twilight.

"Doesn't help she hasn't slept much since Edward mysteriously vanished... She and Tara have been searching a lot the past five days." Starlight yawns as she finishes her coffee and places the mug on the table.

"He'll pop up when he does... The Chancellor has called an assembly in the main campus schoolyard, no idea what it's about, but I have an unfortunate inkling." Alexander flops down on the bean bag.

Starlight stretches as she eases up from her sitting position properly, "When is that..?"

"Few hours," Alexander replies removing his tie.

"I should likely shower and get dressed..." She comments, noting she is naked.

"I'm not complaining, you don't need to get dressed right after. I did get a new batch of oil from Indigo at the spa." Alexander comments making Starlight blush slightly.

Starlight gives her answer in a nod before walking through to the bathroom and turning on the shower as Alexander goes to put away the shopping he brought home. When done, Twilight groans and shuffles up off the sofa, crawling into the kitchen as Alexander makes her some coffee.

"Thank you..." Twilight takes the mug and begins sipping it lightly after blowing on it a little.

"Still no luck?" Alexander asks as he sighs.

Twilight shakes her head and takes a few more sips while fixing her hair with magic.

"No, nobody has seen him since five days ago and he hasn't been back here. Ripley doesn't know either... Tara is treating me to the spa soon today, to help ease us from our recent searching." Twilight yawns.

"I wish I had some clue, but... All the spots or people I know of either are empty or don't know. I've got nothing, I haven't given up... Just I'm working a different problem for a solution." Alexander sips some of his own coffee.

Twilight nods and soon finishes her mug, placing it on the kitchen island.

"I understand, I know how close you two were. I've grown to like him too, I miss his company." Twilight heads to the bedroom to grab some fresh clothes before leaving the room to meet Tara.

Alexander wanders to the bedroom where he lays out a couple of towels on his bed and prepares a bottle of his custom order oil on the bedside table while testing his wrists and hands.

'Is this such a good idea?'

"Hmm? The last thing I require is your comment on my personal relationships... It's still some time before the gate is even ready so... Not a lot else can be done." Alexander states lowly to himself.

'I'll leave you to it then...'

Alexander rolls his eyes before shaking his head and slapping his cheeks to shift the mental focus. He then hears the shower turn off and after a couple of minutes, Starlight walks into the bedroom drying her hair.

"I've dried the majority of my body with the help of that hairdryer you have. Using fire crystals is somehow more effective than hot air." She lays down and gets comfortable.

"They are helpful." Alexander chuckles before taking a kneeling position just behind her flank to have the best access to her back.

Applying a layer of oil to his hands he then begins from the small of her back, dripping more between his fingers. Alexander then starts sliding his hands hard up her back, making sure to massage any tense spots he comes across with his palm.

"Hmm, I take back my hesitation... I needed this..." Starlight hums and lays her head on the two pillows.

"I know you've been stressing about finding him too, among the other stuff going on around here lately," Alexander comments, reaching her shoulders to rub them deeply.

Starlight hums in response before gasping as Alexander slowly drags the fingertips of his right hand down her spine, applying a light electrical shock.

"T-Twilight is still asleep?" Starlight asks, blushing.

Alexander shakes his head as both hands travel up her back, sliding down against her sides to curve back up again just above her tail.

"Tara is treating her to the spa conveniently. You can still put up a sound spell if you're feeling noisy." Alexander chuckles, making Starlight blush deeply before lighting her horn, making the room flash purple.

Chuckling, even more, he applies more charge, making Starlight bite the pillow and moan into it.

"I think I like electricity too much now thanks to you..." Starlight comments as Alexander gives a sudden very tight squeeze to her plush shaped flank, oiling it.

"Don't even try, you were a bad mare before you met me. I imagine you didn't have anyone to be it with." Alexander comments as she blushes more.

"You have no idea, but not in this way... Just keep going~" Starlight replies, giving off more gasps as her flank is roughly squeezed, oiled and handled.

Likely enjoying her plush rear a bit too much, Alexander applies some electricity to her flank making her jolt slightly as she seemingly pushes her cheeks back into his hands that massage her hard.

"You really like your flank handled don't you?" Alexander asks giving her a surprise swat.

Unable to even muffle her moan she nuzzles the pillow, "Sweet Celestia, you're being more hands-on than normal... Do it again." Starlight asks with a crimson hue across her muzzle.

Alexander obliges giving her other cheek an equal swat before delivering two more harder slaps on either side, making the mare drool as she doesn't bother hiding her moans.

"I mean... You don't mind our messages are more intimate compared to before Halloween? I don't want you to feel we're going to fast." Alexander comments as he gives her two more shocks before applying more oil and focusing on her legs.

Starlight shakes her head and sighs in relief, "I don't believe so. I feel only we know when we're moving too fast and we were rather flirty and playful before Halloween... Thanks to Jerry, things progressed, so I'm happy." She states making Alexander feel at ease.

Flipping around to barely kneel above her flank, Alexander massages her thighs how she likes, deep and hard using light electricity. He slightly increases the voltage and to her surprise spread her flank in order to tease around her sex, making her moan and bite the pillow.

"T-that was an un-orthodox surprise attack!~" Starlight holds the pillows tightly as he lightly traces around her slit, never touching it directly.

Chuckling to himself, the effectiveness of his massage is made greater by how utter dripping wet Starlight's sex is, making it easier to tease her with his electricity. Leaving her in want, he progresses further down her legs, making sure to fully massage her toned limbs.

"I still find it nice how elegant yet toned your legs are," Alexander comments, applying more oil and electricity to the area.

Starlight hums and sinks back into comfort as she sighs, "You do enjoy legs, don't you?~" She chuckles.

"Guilty, but having to walk a lot without cars, I can see why yours are better." Alexander chuckles and rubs a little harder into her tense areas.

Bending her lower legs up a bit to have a better angle, he begins to slowly massage her feet hard, making the mare swiss her tail and groan. These turn to moans and a deep blush when she feels his hot tongue stroke up her feet and teases her.

"I shouldn't have told you so early of that weakness, Celestia~" Starlight moans and nuzzles the pillow more, breathing in deep as she feels her feet, rubbed, licked and teased.

"I feel you regret nothing," Alexander comments back with a chuckle as he strokes up and down her feet with electricity making her shiver.

Starlight's reply comes in gasps and moans, all the teasing buildup and stress releasing at once as she reaches her first climax, resulting in a sweet-smelling mess around her nethers as Alexander continues massaging her feet. After a couple of seconds, he leans back and props his hands on her flank, squeezing her again.

"You made quite the mess, normally you hold out, but I guess you were more pent up than I thought." Alexander chuckles lightly before blushing deeply and biting his lip, giving himself an idea.

Alexander decides to shuffle off her, adjusting his attire as he slips between her legs, the mare herself shuffling.

"Hmm, what are you up to-" Starlight moans louder as she is caught off-guard yet again, feeling Alexander's hot tongue slide flat up against her slit before his lips press hard against it, "A-Alexander!~ Sweet Celestia~"

"Your smell is sweet and intoxicating, not to mention your cherry flavour..." Alexander's voice drops off as he slides his tongue hard against her again, this time pushing her slit open very slightly with his tip.

Starlight hums in approval, letting her stallion pamper her how he wishes, losing herself in the very intimate and pleasurable massage. Holding her ample flank, he teases, licks and kisses her kitty passionately, coaxing more juices and cream from her inside.

"Oh my... If you keep going I'll orgasm again, Alexander..." Starlight pleads, more to encourage him than anything.

Starlight is made to instantly question her choice of words when light electricity is applied to the area surrounding Alexander's work. Deciding to not hold back on her, she feels his warm wet appendage fully slip inside and begin caressing her walls. Starlight lets out sparse moans into the pillow and holds it tightly, her body feeling such delightful pleasure. Just as she promised, Alexander is treated to a flood of flavoured juices which are consumed eagerly before he draws out her euphoria by stroking her kitty with electricity, making her moan more.

After a little time passes and Starlight has calmed down, Alexander chuckles as his position hasn't really changed. "Feeling better?" He asks sitting up.

"You have no idea... I might need another shower, or else I'll smell like a sex shop." Starlight sighs and chuckles, sitting up also before giving Alexander a kiss on the cheek.

The Unicorn stands up to stretch before leaving for the bathroom, "You're welcome," Alexander states making her glance back and smile.





After both of them getting changed and waiting the remaining time, they met everyone else in the academy schoolyard where they normally gather. Starlight and Alexander look around, but can't seem to find Twilight or her human counterpart.

"How are we going to find them in this chaos?" Starlight asks, looking around.

"I don't believe either are here yet," Jerry states from behind Starlight making her jump slightly.

"Why do you always do that?!" Starlight exclaims, adjusting her uniform.

Jerry turns to Alexander, shrugging with a chuckle.

"Any idea what this is about? It's abnormal for them to call an emergency gathering so suddenly." Alexander looks concerned as nearly everyone arrives.

The Chancellor steps out onto the balcony, looking over the students before taking a deep breath.

"Dear students, thank you all for coming at such short notice. As many of you might have noticed, our academy has been besieged by unnatural forces in the last few days. It would appear that darkness has come to infest our beloved home, Shadowfright and his Nightmare Force have made a holding here and are growing in power." There are murmurs from the crowd of concern before the Chancellor quiets them back down, "Additionally, it would appear students have been disappearing, only to pop up later in unexpected places. I'm afraid to say, that this is the signature of another ancient evil. Stories, again from the days of Camelot, tell of similar disappearances that were the work of mysterious animated gems. The beings took a very humanoid form, but still retained distinct gem related features, including a heart made of the same material as their names. However, during the time it was heavily rumoured that they vanished without a trace suddenly. Their return appears to be at hand and here no less." Sighing deeply the Chancellor looks back down at everyone, "Due to these two dangerous opposing forces, we feel it is most important to make as much preparation as we can. In light of this, we shall be enacting siege game rules and protocols. Unlike the siege games, this isn't practice or a rival academy. We are facing two very ancient and very dangerous factions who once tormented the land of Camelot. However, like the siege games, there will be a barrier erected around this campus, so those who do not wish to fight can help here and be safe. That is everything so far, please be safe and let's get through this crisis together." The Chancellor walks back through the doors before they close.

The students all look at each other in much greater concern before a voice is heard, "Well, fuck!"
> Steamy in Purple
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tara stretches as she and Twilight enter the spa, seeing Indigo behind the desk without her sister.

"Oh, Tara, I didn't expect to see you so soon." Indigo smiles as she looks up from her computer screen.

"Edward's familiar was feeling down, so I figured a little soak in your spring might help relax her." Tara smiles as the pair walk to the desk.

Indigo steps out and nods, leading them towards the hot spring.

"We haven't got many visits lately since the atmosphere around Kilgharrah seemed to shift most suddenly. Ripley made a comment towards it the other day when she was here." Indigo informs them as they reach the sliding doors.

"Thanks, we'll keep that in mind and my tab is still good?" Tara asks, idly biting her lip.

"Mhmm, Miss Sparkles tab is still B266 in credit, I still wonder why you paid so much in advance." Indigo shrugs as she smiles before leaving the girls to their hot spring.

Tara leads Twilight into the changing room, sighing as she strips slowly, placing her clothes in a basket. Twilight follows suit placing her uniform in the basket beside Tara's as they grab towels and head inside the spring.

"Let's get you fresh first." Tara smiles as she sits Twilight down on a stool, grabbing the conditioner to apply to the mare's mane.

"It seems hopeless..." Twilight sighs deeply as Tara washes her hair, "We can't find any trace of him, not even magically. It's like something is blocking him or something."

Tara frowns, washing out the conditioner before helping with her body.

"It's possible. You did tell me about the gem people and we've had lessons on the Nightmare Force. It could be one or the other has kidnapped/recruited Edward... Also given what you've said, they could have preyed on his state at this time..." Tara soaps up Twilight's front and back, "To this, I'd wager the Nightmare Force lured him to their side."

"Is it weird to be felt up by an alternative version of yourself from another universe?" Twilight asks randomly making Tara blink, realising she's casually groping her chest.

"Hmm, not ideally, no. Though one could argue that's why I didn't realise, we are, by definition, the same person. Logically, it's no different than touching myself, but at the same time it is." Tara puzzles as she squeezes lightly making Twilight freak out and blush deeply.

Tara laughs lightly as she smiles, "I-I see what you mean, doesn't make it any less awkward!" Twilight takes a breath, "I've been thinking... If we travel to alternative universes and see certain conditions, would those conditions influence how we see certain ponies or subjects in a different light."

Tara hums as she doses Twilight in water to wash her off before she switches places.

"Thinking about Lilith or your equivalent?" Tara smiles as her counterpart blushes, "Heh, we can't seem to hide anything either. Random guess, you're bi and it's not the first time you've looked at a girl?"

Twilight nods, "Rainbow/Ripley-" Both girls state at the same time, using either's name for the mare in question.

Twilight takes her turn to laugh, "I guess we both fell for the toned body and brash nature. For me, I'm not sure what happened but Fluttershy had better chemistry than I did, they are getting married soon."

Tara sighs as she finishes washing quickly, "She was wonderful... It just didn't last. Instead, Rarity saw an opportunity, which is fine. Our affair was more an experiment, to begin with, I simply was too slow to claim her affections."

Twilight sighs too as Tara finishes washing, both girls getting in the hot spring to let out a synced content sigh.

"Anyway... I saw how you and Luna are and... It's making me see things I didn't before, certain gestures or nods that are now so clear..." Twilight plays with the water.

"But, you've grown to like someone else and don't think 'Luna', would be open for sharing?" Tara queries, leaning her head back.

Twilight nods, "I know she wouldn't... I also think I've waited too long to see the signs, not for her, but for myself... She's strong, gorgeous and so many other things, but... I really like someone else." She groans, lowering her muzzle into the spring

"You're adorable. Variables happen, we both know this. Because Rarity took Rainbow, I'm engaged to Lilith. Who knows who you might have liked if you didn't get sent here, but you did. From that variable, Edward was the result, it's just how things turned out." Tara stretches, as she looks at Twilight, "Though, we have to find and or save him before you can develop that route."

Twilight lifts her head out of the water, glancing up at the blue sky, "Romance is complicated..."

Tara couldn't help but laugh at that, "I'm sorry, it's like watching me from an earlier stage in development, amusing, but also interesting. You'll get there, just as I did, least you have me to help you." Tara sighs, sinking a little lower, "For now, we soak here then figure out where he could be, or rather where they might have him."

Twilight agrees, also leaning back to try and relax before they continue their search.





The darkness seemed to expand in an endless landscape in every direction, Edward sat in a cross-legged position to meditate on his feelings as instructed by Shadowfright. Assuming he is all but along till his concentration is stolen by a familiar voice.

"So, we're reduced to this, are we?" The voice asks, chuckling a little.

Opening his eyes, Edward blinks as in front of him is practically a reflection of himself, albeit a little darker in aspects.

"Over a little spat between friends?" Edward sighed, "I feel like I need to get over it."

The being squints slightly, "Little? Hmm, you stayed in Rainbow's dorm then took up Shadowfright's offer. Is it as little as you wish to believe? Trying to repress your broken feelings again?" The dark reflection chuckles amusingly.

"While I am angry and disappointed at Alexander for not telling me about his forbidden Wyvern familiar, everyone else is suffering around me...." He looks down, "Even Twilight is probably wondering where I am."

"You don't even know how long we have been here, has your 'brother' even been looking for you? How much time do you think she'd waste on a pointless search?" Dark Edward asks, moving to lay on his side.

Edward closes his eyes and disregards what his darkness said about Twilight's search. Taking a deep breath then releasing it, he continued, "For the past five day's, six if you including meeting with Shadowfright, I've been trying to find out what my resolve is." He opens his left eye, "I've figured out half of what I want to do."

The dark version of himself adjusts to face him, lying on his stomach with his head in his hands. "That must be an interesting idea... Given the only likely way out is accepting me and fully taking Shadowfright's deal to fight Alexander in order to subdue Ventus... Are you so sure you won't succumb to the dark, again?"

Edward bit the bottom of his lip, "The last time I let that happen, my heart was torn to pieces by...." His body felt heavy as he calmed himself, "By one that shall not be named." He looked at his shadow self unamused, then an idea passed his mind, "Did you want to make a deal?"

Blinking slightly, dark Edward seemed confused, perplexed even. "Okay... I'll bite, you've intrigued me."

"You take over my body and we take care of Alexander with our combined might. This will leave me satisfied with the anger that I have left over. Then when he is down, we destroy that mirror the gems are in and Shadowfright as well." He explained, "My desire, no matter what it takes, is to have a peaceful outcome and as a reward, you get to stay with me."

Dark Edward blinks even more, "You do realise I am a shade of the Shadow Plane? Normally not considered a good thing... Your willingness to take on a shade is abnormal and hasn't been a thing for centuries... The last tribe to do so were banished to the moon."

Edward leans back and gets his legs comfortable, "That’s an interesting fact that you gave me. I need you to work with me, I’m not as violent as you think I am. I am, as you said, abnormal." He leans forward and looks his darker self in the eyes, "Abnormal for my nature to be a gentle giant until something pisses me off. I am willing to fuel you with all of my anger and negative emotions, but for a price. Then there is you, what do YOU want Dark Edward? As I see it you need to have your own freedom." Edward fiddles with his fingers to make them pop.

"That is... A rather interesting offer. I suppose I'm curious enough to see just where you end up after all this... Whether or not you will keep your friendship or burn it. Human nature is so... Fickle. It's amusing to watch." Dark Edward states floating slightly, morphing into a black silhouette with red eyes and a wide grin. "She's coming..." He states before sinking himself into Edward's chest, causing him great discomfort.

Hearing footsteps, Edward is soon confronted by Shadowfright, who crosses her arms. "So, had enough time to think yet? I'm honestly surprised you stayed in here this long."

Getting comfortable with his new friend within him, he smiles, "I had to set some plans, Alexander is quite clever with his wind." 'Do I let you take over or?' He thought, asking Dark Edward thinking he'll respond.

'I'm taking a nap... You'll know when it's time.' The shade replies before going silent as Shadowfright hums.

"Good, then you'll at least be somewhat ready when we start taking the front. The earth and lightning houses are first... You'll come in when required." She informs him before walking off into nothing.

"As you wish, Shadowfright." Edward smirks, but then realizes something, "Um... How do I get out?"
> This is War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diamond takes in a deep breath, looking out the Chancellor's balcony before turning around to see the man himself brewing some tea.

"You're a hard gem to get hold of, Diamond." The Chancellor finishes his preparations before sitting down in his chair, Diamond moving to the other side of the desk.

"That's the idea... I honestly didn't expect to hear from you after this long. You fleshy creatures aren't as... Eternal, as diamonds after all." Diamond smirks before sitting down.

"Only a few minutes in my office and you cannot help yourself before making a 'diamonds are forever' reference... We're just waiting for one other to arrive." The Chancellor sips his tea slowly before Shadowfright shifts into the room.

Diamond stands up suddenly, wearing a dark frown.

"Why is she here..?" Diamond asks, trying to retrain themselves.

"I was invited. Weren't you a woman last time we clashed? Didn't take you for the type to have a sex change." Shadowfright chuckles as she moves to her seat.

Rolling his eyes, Diamond sits back down, "Gems are above such base notions as 'gender'... Though, if we are being honest... Yes, I was a 'female' and I miss my true form a lot..." Diamond looks away, sulking.

"Fucking hell, you look like I just killed your dog for fuck sake." Shadowfright comments, crossing her legs.

The Chancellor puts down his tea before sighing deeply, "Ladies, please... I didn't call you both hear so you could assault each other vocally, although I greatly appreciate the restraint to not beat one another to death in my office." He puts his hands together and takes a deep breath, "I'm... Sorry."

"Da fuck?" Shadowfright and Diamond look sharply at the Chancellor.

"Over the countless years since the Trinty War, I've been left to reflect and contemplate the events that happened, those I lost and actions I am responsible for... I understand that I locked a lot of problems, or what I perceived as problems, away. It was my default solution to seal you and others away and figure out how to deal with or dispose of said problems... As I was always advised, it would solve nothing. Turns out she was more or less, right. You both sit before me, both having been sealed away by one mage or another and it progressed or solved nothing..." The Chancellor stands up and walks to the window.

"This feels like a trap..." Shadowfright mentions, looking around for sigils and boxes.

"No traps, no seals, no boxes. Just... Hopefully finding a solution." The Chancellor turns back around, walking to his desk and picking up his tea.

Shadowfright crosses her legs and leans back in her chair, "So, what do you suggest old man?"

"Siege games." The Chancellor states making both raise their eyebrows. "It's a random sports event we hold, normally against other invading academies at any given time. The students never know, normally, when a siege game will take place and it's arranged beforehand by the heads of the academies only. Then the invading academy loads up a ship and sails it to the rival island, where upon entering their border, the rune beneath the school will prevent any fatal injuries such as death. Any who are badly injured are transformed into adorable chibi versions of their house mascot. This way all three sides can have a no holes bared war to settle our centuries long differences and leave it in the past where it belongs." The Chancellor summons a contract and grabs his nearby quill.

Shadowfright and Diamond look at each other in doubt before looking back at the contract.

"Are you suggesting another Trinity War? As in, a proper Trinity War without that little brats meddling..?" Diamond asks, seeming tempted.

"Mhmm, least for the most part alliances with said individual are written in as grounds for nullification, resulting in an instant loss." The Chancellor lays his quill down at the bottom of the contract.

Shadowfright bites her lip before caving in and sighing at the bottom line where she was directed. "I better not regret this old man..."

Seeing Shadowfright sign made Diamond also give in as she does the same before sighing deeply.

"Thank you both. We can begin the siege game tomorrow, gives you both time to prepare." The Chancellor signs the final signature before dispelling the contract into magical dust.

Both nod before leaving the office in their own unique transport spells as Ignis comes out of the shadows.

"I know I've said it before, but..." He walks closer, looking concerned.

"I believe I know what I'm doing... I hope so anyway." The Chancellor stands up and looks out the balcony window, sighing deeply, "Merlin give us strength..."





Alexander groans as he leans back in his seat, sitting at a booth in the Iluminare Consortium as he fiddles with a diagram. Dotted on the table are a large number of cinder fruit punch bottles.

"Never mind the fucking portal being ready, the spell won't even be finished..." Alexander grumbles, picking up an empty bottle which makes him sigh, "Why is the fruit punch gone..." Rolling his eyes, he stands up and wobbles slightly, "That's why."

Alexander walks over to the bar, sitting down to order a couple more bottles which Belladonna serves him reluctantly. Meanwhile, beside him, a meek girl sits down to order a sparkling cherry juice, making him raise his eyebrow. She wears black slip-on shoes and a thigh length plain yellow dress with a black belt.

"Hi..." The girl states, brushing a stray strand of long pink hair behind her ears, constantly glancing at Alexander with her cyan coloured eyes.

"Hey..." Alexander sips hic cider slowly, seemingly cautious. "You okay there, Fae?"

She nods, taking a sip of her drink before biting her lip, "I-I noticed y-you were trying to make a spell to go to S-Spirita..."

Alexander raises an eyebrow, "How do you know what those scribbles mean on my paper?"

"W-well... Studying year 3 summoning magic, the subject broaches a lot about the familiar realm of Spirita, where all non-contracted magical creatures reside. I recognise many of the symbols your using, but not the language they are in. Y-you're also trying to mix in magical teleportation, which isn't my area but that part seems fine." Fae explains, making Alexander blink a little, "I-I could help you fix the summoning related part of your spell if you'd like?"

Alexander mentally frowns at Ventus, who shrugs slightly and grumbles, "I would like that a lot, Fae, thank you. I imagine you'd want something in return?"

Fae shakes her head, before nodding it a little faster, "J-Just one small thing really... I-It's tiny, I promise..." She fiddles with her drink, playing with it. "C-can I pet your Dragon while I work?"

Alexander spits out his cider, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he looks wide-eyed at Fae, who shrinks a little.

"How the fuck do you even know about the Dragon?!" He asks, making Fae cover her ears slightly in response, "Ah, bollocks... Sorry, I forgot."

"I-It's alright... I-I don't tell many people about it... M-My affinity is summoning, so... My familiar's mark gives me Spirit Sight, so I can see yours on your back..." Fae states meekly, blushing.

Alexander raises his eyebrow again, "Does this sight go through clothes?" She nods, "Skin?" She shakes her head, "Is it an on/off ability?" Fae nods again, blushing harder.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to peek that much..." She sips her drink more and blushes harder.

"You surprise me Fae. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?" He smirks making her blush harder. "Come over tomorrow and I'll see what I can do."

Alexander stands up, going back over to his table as Fae practically breaks, steam rising from her head as she is beet red.

"Such a little freak~ Didn't even turn it off~" A small female voice states, making Fae even redder as a small adorable rabbit sits in front of her, smirking widely.
> The Wyvern Home Guard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A thin layer of smoke hung in the air around Kilgharrah as the island was more alive than normal around the dorms. Wyvern House, in particular, was tamer than the others as they moved at a leisurely pace, bringing crates over from the main campus, which are being unboxed by Alexander and Jerry.

"It's amazing to think these uniforms still fit each year," Alexander states as he checks each one, folding them up.

"They are lined with magical shifting threads adjusting the uniform to an individual wearer, ensuring it's comfortable. Saves money in the long run between years, I suppose." Jerry comments doing the same with his crate.

Alexander chuckles before sighing as he reaches the bottom of his crate before Vivienne walks over rubbing her neck.

"Stupid siege game rules..." Vivienne groans as she grabs a female commander uniform and ducts behind a screen to change.

"I thought you had your own uniform?" Alexander asks, flipping open a crate by flicking his wrist and snapping his fingers.

More groans come from behind the screen before Vivienne walks out, wearing black and crimson military fatigues. She stretches, cracking a few limbs before making a few hand motions, collecting mana before slapping her hands together. The resulting impact sends out a very loud shockwave into the sky, slightly shaking the atmosphere and nearby windows.

"Get out here ya lazy bums!" Vivienne yells at the dorm, hearing multiple groans and crashes as she turns back to Alexander, "I do... Racheal has put it in for a cleaning at the moment which blows..."

Alexander and Jerry uncover their ears as people start slowly coming out of the dorm to get their uniforms and get changed behind screens as Vivienne did. Ignis sighs as he walks down the stairs from the third floor to stand in the middle of the preparation area.

"As you are all aware, we are using the Siege Games ruleset to deal with this particular threat. During these times a seal is activated under the academy which prevents death, but turns you into a small stuffed toy sized chibi version of your familiar while you recover mana and heal." At the mention of this, Alexander groans lightly while looking around, "During said time until the situation is resolved, I encourage everyone to perform at their best in their assignments and help one another during this difficult time. I leave you all in the capable hands of your commanders." Ignis states before making his way towards the main campus.

Vivienne takes a seat on a nearby table as they are joined by Ripley and Nicolas, Jerry putting his hands in the pockets of his trench coat while looking at Alexander. The man in question shrugs before Vivienne punches his shoulder.

"Go on. Time to live up to that nickname they gave you in the first year." Vivienne smiles as Alexander sighs deeply. "I know you hate public speaking... But the atmosphere is so fucking dense right now... We're literally the bottom of the pecking order here, spirits aren't exactly high."

Ventus chuckles, 'she has a point, even Pegasus was a vastly sturdier house in comparison.' He comments making Alexander scoff slightly.

"Fuck you and your Pegasus House bollocks..." Alexander states under his breath, making Vivienne tilt her head before he jumped up onto a table, the girl in question clicking her fingers to make a loud noise that quiets the crowd. "I'll make this plain and simple, I hate public speaking... However, it seems nobody else knows what to say and everyone looks like someone just killed their dog..." Alexander takes a deep breath, spotting Starlight joining the crowd nearby, "During my first year here, it was rough... You're new to magic, people tease you, put you down then start giving you shit for apparently being in the lowest house. I was fortunate to have a few friends coming here with me but it wasn't any less of a pain. Normally last year in games like this we got Sophie Spitfire to give such rousing speeches, this year you have me. I'm an asshole, I'm not nice and stubborn most of the time but you all seemed to think it was a good idea to nickname me the 'commandant'... While not being good at personal relations, I seem to apply peoples skills where they need to be. We're not the best, we're not the brightest, we're the house of misfits and offcuts that nobody in the other houses wants to think about... But we're also fucking Wyvern House! We're named after a fucking Dragon! We're not here just because. We apply magic in our own unique way and develop it accordingly. We're going to show either one of these ancient assholes that we don't give a fuck if you're blue or yellow-"

"What about brown?" A random student shouts.

"Golem House is cool, we get along with them." Alexander had to think then point in their direction, "But yeah, we don't give a fuck what colour you come from, we'll struggle as much as we damn well please to send them back where they fucking came from!" He concludes, looking around at the lack of applause, "And there will be loot!" Alexander adds which excites an applause making him sigh as he sits down.

Jerry shrugs as Vivi pats his shoulder, "Not exactly a Spitfire original, but it'll do."

Starlight makes her way over to Alexander who rubs his face and sighs, "You really do hate public speaking, don't you?" She giggles and smiles making Alexander roll his eyes.

"Was it that obvious?" Alexander chuckles, "Shame I won't be here after everything starts kicking off. I've been working on a plan for after Edward is found and it's something I definitely need to do. I've asked someone to come over later to help me add some touches to a spell, Fae Shy."

Starlight flicks her ear, "Seriously? Fluttershy? Well, this should be interesting. I hope you plan to explain everything later?" She raises an eyebrow at Alexander.

"I do, eventually... It's still in the works and needs a lot of tweaking. I doubt it's even safe to do..." Alexander muses to himself out loud.

'Considering it has only ever been done once... I'd say the chances of you becoming food for some wandering sprite, highly likely.' Ventus comments making Alexander frown.

Alexander stands up and sighs, looking at Starlight. "They can handle things here, want to come wait in the room with me?"

"Come what? Oh, right. We can do, I'm intrigued to meet the other Flutters." Starlight replies blushing as she starts walking towards the room ahead of Alexander who watches her leave.

'I will comment your taste isn't entirely lacking...' Alexander clicks his tongue annoyingly.

'Don't eye up my girlfriend you perverted Dragon... That's not cool at all.' Alexander replies inside his head hearing a chuckle.

'You do not want to make this a size contest, I am much larger than any pony she has likely seen.' Ventus comments with pride.

'I don't care if you're fucking Godzilla, I'll make you a eunuch, you bastard.' Alexander states before following Starlight.

'You are welcome to try in Spirita little boy.' Ventus comments making Alexander groan.





Alexander pours himself a shot of Cinder fruit punch before sighing as he hears a knock on the door, Starlight's ear perking up as she peeks over a magical grimoire she borrowed from the library on sigils and ritual layers. As Alexander opens the door, he can see Fae standing there wearing the combat uniform for Valkyrie House which is an above knee height skirt with black stockings, white shirt and yellow blazer with an insignia of two vertical silver blocks held in the middle by two lines near either end.

"I was wondering if you'd make it, given what was dumped on the houses this morning. They promoted you to Captain this year? That's nice, albeit unexpected." Alexander comments, letting Fae in as she sighs and walks to sit on the beanbag.

"With so few third-year students able to take leadership roles at such short notice due to being off campus... I didn't really have much of a choice." Fae glances over at Starlight, looking her slender body up and down despite wearing the Wyvern House girls combat uniform. "Oh dear... Alexander, what did you do?"

Alexander groans and directs the normally timid girl to his messy sheets on the coffee table, "It's a long story... The notes are there, hopefully, you can do something with them."

Fae frowns before shuffling to the designated spot, looking over things before already grabbing a clean piece of paper to begin scribbling her work down. Starlight grows more confused as the girl passes her glances every now and then till she simply has to ask.

"Does this make my butt look that big?" Starlight asks abruptly, making Fae blush wildly.

"Don't distract the poor girl with your ass... That is like me without my shirt." Starlight blushes as he strokes her legs, "She's glancing because she knows you're not my familiar. Her personal sprite allows her to see magician's symbols, it's an extremely rare gift that is very selectively given."

Starlight looks at Fae who continues to blush before giving her another glance which gets her a wink making her explode further. Alexander shakes his head, sighing before realising something which makes him look around slightly. After several moments and phases of switching his facial expression, Alexander makes a circular motion with his arms, forming a sphere in between his hands before it pops and a small scaled Dragon stretches, sporting a look much like the Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon from YU-GI-OH.

"Behold the majesty that is the king of the wind, the almighty-" Ventus opens his eyes, looking at his frame as he jumps up and grabs Alexanders collar. "What did ya do to me, you vile wretch?! My magnificent visage reduced to this adorable mockery!"

Fae stands up, plucking Ventus from Alexander before sitting back down on the beanbag, the Dragon in her lap as she pets his head softly while figuring out some equations. Ventus makes a fuss for a minute or so before being subdued by the experienced summoner, falling victim to her head pats.

"Wasn't expecting that... It's the first time I've had to do something like this..." Alexander sighs as he lifts up Starlight's bare legs, placing them on his lap as he takes a seat, "I feel the plan could backfire... Fae's magic is solid, there's no worry there. However, entering the familiar plane to find a summon who will answer me with Ventus there... That's another challenge."

Starlight places a bookmark on her page before closing the grimoire, "Did none answer the call at the start of the year?"

Alexander ponders for a moment, idly stroking and squeezing her legs as he thinks, "I recall one presence. Given how strong Edward's affinity is, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Golem class familiar. Golems are often made up of a singular material, but it is not uncommon to get more complex versions. I'd wager it was a Golem of the fourth tier, maybe third, they'd encompass the elements he'd likely require given his profession."

Starlight nods, paying attention as she hums and sighs, watching him idly work her legs before stopping as he realises with a blush. "Oh, please, continue. Don't mind the company, she's more than occupied."

Alexander rolls his eyes, "You're terrible, maybe you'll get more later but I have some preparations to make before the trip. Though, I suppose I could spend a little more time on this." He chuckles as Starlight leans back, Fae simply blushing while she works on the spell composition.
> The Dark Dilemma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stretching her arms up, Shadowfright steps out of a dark portal into her command centre on the upper floor of the dorm the Nightmare Force occupied. Glancing behind her, she waits a few seconds before rolling her eyes.

"Hurry up and step through, we've got little time to mess around... Edward." She continues further, sliding around the old oak table holding her scaled shadow map of the campus.

Shortly after, Edward steps through after her, now wearing a black with gold trim version of his Wyvern house uniform.

"So, what's our situation then? How long have I been away?" Edward asked since he had no concept of how much time had passed by.

Shadowfright slips down into her slightly bigger chair at the head of the table. "Seven days, if I'm bothering to remember correctly. We've simply been fortifying the dorm as of yet... Though Golem House has been busy." Shadowfright makes her hands glow as she adjusts and zooms to show a wall built of stone erected between the Golem House and Sports Centre. "That affront to nature standing in our way..."

"Stay hidden or reconnaissance?" He asked simply stretching his back. It then pops into place making him sigh.

"You ask the question as if they are mutually exclusive from each other..." Shadowfright sighs as she leans back on her chair, "Also, brave of you to assume I'd consider sending you out on a mission when I'm unsure I can trust you."

Edward sighs again when popping his neck once on the left and right, "How else are you going to trust me? If you just give me one order while I'm on your side, wouldn't that make you a reluctant leader?"

Shadowfright chuckles before standing up, "It makes me cautious... Last person who promised me success trapped me in a box and my people on the moon... I'll not apologise for refusing to let history repeat itself. That said, it'd be a waste to not use you while I can... Maestro."

The girl in question steps out from the shadows, tossing her coat to the side for dramatic flair before bowing, "You called, Shadowfright?"

"I want you to accompany the human and scout out the Golem House defences." Shadowfright states before laying down on a nearby sofa, tipping her trilby to cover her eyes.

'Welp, this is going to be a bit difficult isn't it Eddy?' Edward thought, naming his own shadow in the process. "Of course, now I see that you have your doubts and I understand." He looks to the pale girl, "Nice to meet you Maestro, and may I say that your eyes are very alluring." Edward extends his arm for a handshake.

'I'm going to pretend you didn't give me such a silly nickname and continue sleeping...' Edwards shade grumbles before falling silent, leaving only caution against the woman before them. Maestro tilts her head before smirking with an unnaturally curved wicked smile as she glanced at Shadowfright.

"Can I eat him? He doesn't look like he has much to offer, but it'd do." She adjusts her head with a further tilt to add empathise to her creepiness.

Shadowfright hums before chuckling, "Not yet."

The man ignored her comment before grinning, "Oh? You have some jokes, don't you? Most men would find that very kinky."

"Cute of you to assume I'm kidding." Maestro licks her lips before turning to leave the room.

"I guess I should follow her then?" He asked Shadowfright.

Shadowfright has already started breathing gently, clearly in the midst now of taking a nap prompting Edward to simply follow Maestro out of the room as he sighs.





Maestro practically saunters ahead of Edward, seemingly paying him no mind as she focuses mostly on the mission they have been given. Travelling through the forest in the direction of the academy sports centre.

'Would be nice if I had some kind of disguise spell...' He thought to himself as he kept up with Maestro, "So... Is this going to be a one-sided thing where I talk and you don't acknowledge me until I do something useful?" He asked quizzically.

"You assume I want you to talk at all. We've spent centuries on the moon simply because we trusted one of you once... Not eager to make that mistake again." Maestro comments, keeping her sight ahead of them.

Edward thought back to the history lesson that Ignis taught, "As far as I know, Shadowfright wanted to conquer the land, but the leaders of Camelot stopped her." He thinks about it for a moment, "What was her reason, or rather what were both of your reasons to come to that conclusion?"

Maestro grumbles, "Figures history is written by those left standing... That witch filled her head with such drivel and delusions of purpose, proclaiming herself our long-awaited queen of the night. Only to be stabbed in the back, sealed in a box while I was sent to the moon with the others..."

"Morgana was her name right?" Edward wondered as he matched Maestro's pace again, "As far as we know in history her 'good' deeds seemed to be suspicious when written." He glances at the pale girl, looking at her eyes, "I know it isn't saying much, I am sorry for what you and Shadowfright have gone through..." The man sighs, "Being betrayed like that doesn't sit well with me either... Twice actually."

Maestro glares, "When you've spent several centuries away from your betrothed because some human with illusions of grandeur and revenge dragged your whole village into a war they should have had nothing to do with, then come back and try to sympathise... I tell you all this not for your pity, but so you understand why I will never trust your filthy kind and won't hesitate to end you if you get in my way." She explains picking up her pace.

Just like that past scars of Edwards past seeped through the cracks, his moulded expression went dark to only have a creeping smile on his face. In quick succession, he stomps his foot to cause a wave of earth to ripple around them, tree's shook as it made them fan wind in a circular direction, "Oh... Oh... I know what it's like when you're dragged into an alluring bitch who seems to be the entire world only for the entire mafia that is my family to go to war with the Japanese underworld." His hands go into fits, making his fingernails stab into his palm, "Tell me this, how would one feel if someone had the motherfucking balls to kill their family member in front of them?" Now he's gritting his teeth, "Knife and all..." With one step and swipe his hands chops down three trees as he realizes what he's done. "Hah.. hah.. hah..." His breathing was erratic as he slowly came back to reality.

Maestro tilts her head, seemingly unfazed by any of Edward's outburst. "Your pain amuses me and you'll find no words of pity either. I wonder if she should have left you in that place till needed... Which would have been never as we don't need the help of a human." She comments, unflinching in her hatred towards his kind as she hastily moves on from the site to avoid any attention he might have caused them.

"Tch." Edward clicked his tongue as he follows her, "I don't need your pity." He forcefully cracked his neck and continued, "I think this conversation is done." It was that moment Edward saw his personality had changed since the ooze from those scars were bleeding through. Hatred was slowly taking back control.

Maestro stops them when they reach what looks like the sports centre, glancing around to see very few people around. Grabbing Edward's shirt behind her, she quick-steps across the beach clearing using her bat wings which recede once in the cover of shadow. "You would have been too slow had I left you there to follow..." She comments before sneaking in through the back door, not exactly following the scout order they were given.

"Sure... Just watch out for the supply boxes..." He whispers as he sneaks behind her.

"Make sure you don't fall behind..." Maestro replies as she morphs from shadow to shadow, avoiding any security devices that might have been set up. The pair eventually come to a stock room where humming can be heard making Maestro smile widely, "Sounds like lunch is just around the corner." She glances at Edward.

The man leered towards her, "Scouting mission remember?" He hissed quietly, knowing full well who is in the room. "Or do you want Shadowfright's trump card exposed?"

"Says the one who threw a tantrum only five minutes ago." She slinks away in the shadows, around the crate to aim for the humming, Edward hearing a surprised squeak from the individual. Glancing above the crate he can see it's Twilight being restrained in the most unbecoming fashion, a clipboard on the floor.

"Fuck." He says under his breath as he covers his face with a towel. "You have no idea what you're toying with." Attempting to guise his voice.

"Lunar, you look ridiculous... If I'd known your on hand thinking was that awful I'd left you back at the base..." She rolls her eyes, groping Twilight and keeping her subdued with horn stimulation, "In several hundred years, you Unicorns never change, do you... Though you're of the more colourful variety..." Maestro is prompted to think a moment.

Thinking very carefully of what he should do, "You'll might as well take her magic or do you plan to torture her to make her build up so you can take it?" He said keeping the guise voice while crossing his arms, hoping that Twilight will climax and cause a large explosion for them to flee.

"R-release me! W-watch where you put those!" Twilight struggles, blushing only slightly but struggling more than she is aroused, blowing Edward's plan away somewhat.

"How little you know of our people..." Maestro sighs, "I could simply eat her, it'd be the simplest solution. The other would be to hold her hostage and lure this familiar master into a trap." She smiles wider, knowing Shadowfright would be pleased.

"I-It's not going to work..." He said trying to come up with something until he concocted a plan, "I know the familiar's owner, his name is Adam and he's away from the island while his familiar is collecting missed homework assignments." He just had to wait a little longer for Twilight to be stimulated more, "It might get his friends to help find her, but that's only a small handful."

"Ha, j-jokes on you, Adam's true familiar would be too much for you to handle and Edward wouldn't be so stupid as to fall for your trap anyway." Twilight blurts out making Maestro squeeze her a little tighter before binding her wrists and horn in some form of shadow bonds.

"Oh really, he wouldn't?" Maestro smiles, glancing amusingly at the man in question wearing such a shoddy towel disguise.

Edward sighs as he cracks his back, "Alright, you win, let's take her in." He gives in while holding the different voice.

Maestro wears a playful expression, stroking Twilight's horn. "I think my darling will enjoy this little development, don't you?" She opens a dark portal to her right, glancing back at Edward before stepping through.

Edward sighs to himself, "As my British friend would say, 'Fuck a duck...'" He states walking through the portal.

After Edward steps through the portal, Tara walks into the storage room with two vanilla ice cream cones, looking around confused. "Twilight? I got the ice creams with extra sprinkles. Where did you go?" She frowns, before licking her ice cream with a pondering look.
> Questioning Resolve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Groaning while stretching, Diamond looks up at the sky above the Pegasus dorm, humming lightly as he glances at Peridot who is tinkering with some form of device.

"I'm going for a walk, hold down the dorm for me." Diamond states making her jump a little, nearly dropping the device.

"W-wait, what? Emerald said not to let you go anywhere alone with that Dragon about." Peridot informs him, trying to seem firm.

Diamond rolls his eyes and continues walking out the gate of Pegasus House, "You're welcome to tag along."

The smaller coloured girl looks between Diamond and the dorm, groaning as she promptly follows their leader into the woods. The pair walking in relative silence till it's broken by the sounds of commotion coming from Wyvern House in the distance.

"They sound busy..." Peridot comments, making note of the activity.

Diamond hums before continuing, heading more in the direction of the observatory, looking around at the trees before again up at the sky. "Peri... Why are we doing this?"

"Hmm? I don't think I understand-" Peridot is cut off by Diamond as he turns to her.

Diamond sighs, "We lured Alexander to the mirror, taking advantage of his air affinity then have brought through others. Then we prepare for revenge on she who locked us in that infernal place only to be dragged into a war game between us, Merlin's old apprentice and the Nightmare Force... The one who wronged us, to begin with, isn't even here so what purpose does any of this serve?"

Peridot retracts her hand slowly, seemingly deep int thought as she ponders her answer for a moment. "I want to say getting even with the Nightmares, but... You'd likely argue it was centuries ago, what does it even matter now? So... As disappointed as you might be, I don't honestly see a point to our current course."

Diamond smirks, turning around to continue his walk as she follows close behind, the pair soon reaching the observatory. Diamond sighs, now looking upon the ocean as he bites his lip.

"That's just it, there isn't a point to it. Originally it seemed like a good idea when I got out, smack a little payback on them both, but... In the end, we'll still be slaves to the mirror if we don't find a way to break it. We'll forever be quarter of a species stuck in rotation for eternity while we never get to see our friends or my sisters again." He rubs the back of his neck, sighing deeply.

Peridot walks up beside Diamond to also look out on the ocean, "Perhaps a more defensive strategy could be employed for the war game? Simply fortify and defend our area for its duration while figuring a way to break the mirror? I know several of our more active members won't like it, but if we're invaded they could let off some steam. It's merely a suggestion, but I feel it's the best one."

Diamond nods, glancing down at her before ruffling her hair. "That's why you're my smartest friend." He smiles and looks back towards the water.

"I know." Peridot holds her head up smugly with a beaming smile.

"You can head back now if you want and tell Emerald about the plan so she can set it in motion, I want to stare at the ocean a little more." Diamond states walking forwards as Peridot bows a little bit before walking off reluctantly.

Diamond walks forward to the edge of the cliff next to the observatory as he takes a deep breath, glancing down to take in the view before looking up and turning around to see Alexander leaning against the wall of the building.

"Found my spot I see... The one time I decide not to ponder deeply on a cloud." Alexander sighs deeply, closing his eyes.

Diamond chuckles, "You too?" The comment makes Alexander raise an eyebrow, "Back in the old kingdom, I used to enjoy laying on clouds. Magic has been around for such a long time since the beginning I'd wager."

Alexander seems sceptical but decides to indulge the gem by walking over to the cliff edge, standing beside them. "I take it you vanished a lot when needing some time alone or time to think?" He asks, still keeping his arms folded.

Smiling as Diamond leans his head back, "Oh yeah, more often than Emerald would have liked to be honest. You overheard my conversation with Peri, didn't you?" Alexander nods, making Diamond smirk a little, "I don't expect you to accommodate my change of plans, nor do I think you would for the same reason we won't tell our friends to not fight any who wander too close."

"Yeah... Letting off steam. I feel several of our houses could use the combat, upcoming exams are stressing everyone out. I imagine yours have been couped up for several years inside that mirror." Alexander questions, glancing at Diamond.

"Exactly... While we're here, what's on your mind?" Diamond questions as he passes a glance towards Alexander making him sigh.

Thinking for several moments, he unfolds his arms and looks up. "I'm flinching... Tomorrow I'm meant to use an untested spell to enter Spirita, the familiar realm. I want or rather I need to, in order to fix this mess I've caused. Someone made a deal with Shadowfright because of a secret I kept from them..."

"About Ventus?" Diamond quizzes.

"Yeah, I lied about not having a familiar when none showed up to our joint summoning ritual at the start of this, our second year. I should have told him then, I promised my family I wouldn't say anything because he's blacklisted... I really fucked up and now I'm hesitating to fix it." Alexander sighs deeply, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, that's where that neck rubbing habit came from, didn't think I did it before. Due to the mirror taking energy, we tend to have residual habit effects linger for a bit." He chuckles, sighing to himself, "If you care enough about this person you wish to save from Jerry, I'm sure you'll find what you need inside to take the leap." Diamond turns around to begin walking back in the direction of Pegasus House.

Alexander frowns, seeing the point he makes, even if he doesn't agree with where it comes from. "Thanks, I guess... See you around maybe."

"Maybe." Diamond waves back to Alexander before vanishing into the trees.

Alexander sighs, groaning loudly as he swears several times. "Argh, fuck a duck!" He kicks the ground a bit, sighing deeply.





Walking down the corridor towards his dorm room, Alexander stops at the door for a brief moment to internally sigh before entering the domicile. Frowning, he closes the door behind him and proceeds to the living room where Ignis can be seen on their sofa scratching a particular spot behind Ventus' ears which seems to have subdued him entirely.

"Alexander, a senile old man hath invaded the domain and subdued the mighty Ventus, wind dragon god of calamity~" Ventus complains but seems to be purring in a dragonish way.

Ignis glances down at the small dragon with a raised eyebrow, "Mhmm, maybe one century that title will stick... You seem a little nervous, Alexander."

"Heh, I would ask if it's that obvious, but evidently it is." Alexander sits down on the opposite beanbag, looking around, "Where are Fae and Starlight?"

"Out for ice cream I believe." Ignis looks up at Alexander, "I knew, you realise, about Ventus when you and Edward took your year 2 summoning ritual. Assuming you paid any attention in magical history, you'd know the one other magician who has ever wielded the power offered by this familiar's pact?"

"Merlin?" Alexander replies, shuffling a little while staring at his housemaster.

Giving a slight chuckle, Ignis nods slowly, "Indeed, only Merlin has contracted Ventus prior to yourself. This is no mere coincidence either, though I imagine it's still too early for me to explain why..." Closing his eyes in an almost Asian fashion, Ignis thinks for several moments before opening them again. "Your bloodline, specifically, is what enables you to form and maintain the pact you have with Ventus. That is to say, Merlin's bloodline on your mother's side..."

Alexander blinks several times, staring at Ignis before tilting his head to the side still contemplating the sudden ancestor bomb he's been handed. "Da fuq?"

Ventus squirms, mewling out of character for a split moment, "Tis true, while an extremely rare occurrence, select familiars form blood pacts with their magicians that transcend through their bloodline to any descendants like your mother. Though thy influence was limited to spiritual protection given thy incarceration in that cave." Ventus explains briefly before going back to a purring mess.

"Quite, however, out of Merlin's many and varied familiars, only Ventus formed the blood pact. Why this is, remains a mystery to all except the woman herself." Ignis states as he leans back in the seat.

Alexander raises an eyebrow at the slip from Ignis, "Say what now?"

"Hm? I thought it was all explained rather well, to be honest." Ignis boasts, moving around his beard slowly.

"No, no, no, you just said 'woman'." Alexander leans forward as Ignis silently groans inside.

Ignis shakes his head slightly, "I might be getting old but I'm not senile yet as to slip on the gender of history's most prestigious founding magician." He states proudly making Alexander smile.

"So, what you're saying, is that in order to not be considered senile enough to slip on the gender of history's most prestigious founding magician, they'd have to, indeed, be female, right?" Alexander queries with a smirk.

Ignis nods several times slowly, "That's right- wait a minute..." Ignis narrows his eyes at Alexander, "You're a pain in my ass, I hope you know this boy..."

"I try." Alexander leans back before he sighs deeply, "Joking aside... Was Merlin a female?"

Ignis lets out his own sigh, musing over something briefly before giving in. "Your ancestor was indeed female compared to the widely known male version, or as your companions know it to be Starswirl. As much as I'm sure you'd love for me to unravel that mystery for you, I'm sure that you have prior commitments to prepare for."

Ignis glances over to the coffee table which still has all of Fae's spell sheets sprawled around with her final version laying in the middle. "Oh..." Alexander states, swallowing as he glances at Ignis, wondering what his warning will be.

"I can't imagine you'd have this made for a simple 'giggle' adventure... I can only speculate as to the dire circumstances you must be in to consider the journey. I will simply compel you to be cautious... Getting to the fabled Spirita is a chore all its own, actually finding what you seek and getting back is another entirely." Ignis shuffles Ventus off his lap, onto the seat beside him before getting up.

"I'll keep that in mind... You know I wouldn't listen, even if you told me not to go." Alexander states making Ignis chuckle.

"Then you'll understand why that's not what I did. You are a lot like your mother in many regards, especially when it comes to the lengths you'll go for those beside you... Try to make it back, you wouldn't be able to comprehend the level of trouble I'd be in if you were to die in such a place." Ignis comments as he shuffles out the door, leaving Alexander to his thoughts.

After several moments, he looks sharply at the door, tilting his head, "The hell you mean 'if I were to die'? Hey, old man! What do you mean 'die'?!" Alexander yells, frowning before getting up to follow Ignis but is blocked when Starlight and Fae return.

"Oh, you're back, we brought ice cream if you want some. Was Ignis just here?" Starlight asks, walking into the kitchen.

"Something like that..." Alexander groans, dropping back down onto the beanbag with a deep sigh, making Starlight frown.
> Leap of Faith
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander sighs as he idles in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea while Fae has been preparing the transport circle in the middle of the living room. Starlight is sipping coffee next to him with a concerned look on her face.

"That's your fifth cup this morning alone... Anyone would think you're nervous about heading into a mostly unexplored realm of limitless magic and familiars..?" She states, with a slight nervous chuckle.

"I am... I don't expect it to be easy but I fully believe it'll be dangerous with Ventus... I don't know the kind of reputation he has in his home." Alexander explains finishing his mug before putting it in the sink.

Starlight hums idly while feeding Stephan with her magic making him a light turquoise colour, "What about the radio communication we had to set up next to the sofa? Who's going to coordinate all that?"

Alexander walks back through to the living room, Starlight following with the slime in her hands, "I was hoping you'd do it, to be honest."

Starlight laughs for a second before wearing a deadpan expression, "You're an ass leaving me behind to deal with your responsibilities."

"Someone has to cover for me while I'm in there... Better you than other people. How long will the transport circle be, Fae?" Alexander asks as the girl stands up, brushing herself off.

"W-well, it's practically done. You just need to activate it now and jump I suppose... The spellwork is solid but without having done this before, I can't promise any results." Fae explains with a light sigh before Alexander pets her head making Starlight squeeze Stephan a little.

Taking a couple of steps back, Alexander uses his snap technique to start channelling Ventus' magic to the transport circle, making it glow. Within a couple of seconds, a portal opens up above the circle in the form of a swirling mass.

"Right... Wish me lu-" Before Alexander could finish his sentence, Starlight pushes him through the portal before throwing Stephan to Fae who fumbles the slime a little.

"Hold down the fort for us~" She states, jumping through herself, shortly after which it closes.

Fae stands there in the middle of their dorm, looking around then down at the slime in her arms, giving a light sigh. "Oh, dear..."





Meanwhile, Twilight is being held in one of the ritual rooms below the Nightmare Force dorm of operations. Shackled by shadow cuffs and her horn nulled by the shadow ring Maestro placed on it when capturing her. Still attempting to magic her way out, it only ends up fizzling and dying due to the ring making her sigh. After several more attempts at the same action, the mare notices a small light heading in her direction from where she was brought in. Upon getting closer the approaching figure is revealed to be Edward.

"I'd ask what you're doing here, but the more pressing question in my mind right now is... A towel? Really? That was your on the spot disguise idea? Just from looking at that other woman it was plain to see you lacked the same style... Not exactly sure what's up with your uniform either." Twilight asks and explains with a deadpan unimpressed expression.

It pained Edward to see Twilight in such a dilemma, however, he couldn't reveal his colours just yet, not knowing if the room was being monitored or not. Looking around, he tried to see if there are any cameras around the ceiling or corners of the room. "It will all be explained at a later time, but for now, I'm sure you have questions for me other than the ridiculous disguise," Edward explains leaning against the wall.

"Oh, I figured that appalling disguise was the most pressing... The other potential questions make me a tad angry when thinking about them considering how many days and sleepless night both Tara and I spent looking for you, only to now learn you wear the colours of the Nightmare Force... When you consider these factors, you wonder if any answer would satisfy at all." She states before looking away, clearly extremely annoyed at Edward.

'Yep, she's mad....' Edward thought and chose his words carefully, "Well, when your stuck in a dark room where time seems to be... Non-existant, I don't think that I did feel the amount of time passing during the time I was missing." He explained, "After being convinced by Shadowfright, that I may have my revenge on Alexander, she wanted me to confront my... Nightmare self so to speak." He uses his earth magic to make a stone stool to sit upon, "I suppose you can put your thoughts together, Twilight or would you like for me to explain more?"

"So, instead of talking about it like proper friends... You decided revenge was a better route? Against Alexander of all people? I confess this disappoints me as I thought there was a stronger vibe to your friendship than this... Especially when he, himself, have been toiling on a way to make it up to you." Twilight explains, sighing as she stares in front of her at the wall.

"To be honest, if Alexander would've told me from the beginning that he had a Familiar that was banned causing me to not having one, then we wouldn't be in this mess." Edward says putting his hand over his heart, "Broken trust is what caused me to turn Twilight, I still..." He paused, frowned and cleared his throat, "I didn't want you to get involved, but my colleague thought it was a good idea." He smirks, "However, now I think it is a good one to lure either Starlight or Alexander. One will come after the other."

"From how I understand things, he promised his family not to tell anyone, would you betray your families trust so easily? I don't agree it was right not to tell you because of what happened at the year 2 summoning. From where I'm sitting, one of you is risking his life to fix something they consider precious to them, while the other is content to throw it away. I was actually growing really fond of you and the bond you shared with each other..." Twilight sighs even deeper, herself feeling betrayed as Edward casually sits on his stool.

'Kinda punches you right in the box, doesn't it? I bet she feels really betrayed right now watching you throw away the very ideal she's the princess for.' The voice snickers with an amusing sigh as they continue to watch the exchange.

It was dissolving in front of Edward, his potential relationship, Alexander's bond, and he's getting close to the point of no return. 'Shut it, Eddy.' He thought as his vision was welling up with tears, "When you had your trust upon someone for that long you see him as a brother, not a friend." Tears are now streaming down his cheek, "When you have a girlfriend who understands you and cares for everything you do, you become even more open." The ground shakes for a bit, "Then that girlfriend starts a war with your family... Then your 'brother' tells you a crushing truth... You feel helpless." The shaking stops as he gets up, "Not anymore..." He looks at Twilight and walks up to her. His hand cups her cheek as he whispers towards her ear, "I'm sorry, I'll try to make this right..." Pulling away, he wipes his face on the way out and closes the door behind him.

After Edward leaves, a pair of narrowed white eyes appear in the darkness, followed by a curved wicked smile that soon vanishes.
> The Plains of Spirita
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Birds chirp in the distance across a bright jungle-esc environment before Starlight and Alexander are spat out of the same portal that they jumped through. Groaning, Alexander shuffles himself, blinking his eyes open as he glances around.

"It's disgustingly bright..." Alexander comments, sitting up as Ventus sighs beside him.

"For once, I concur..." Ventus states before jumping up to hover with his little wings.

Turning around behind him, Alexander's hand lands on something very soft and decently sized. Raising an eyebrow, he gives it a rough squeeze which makes Starlight moan.

"N-Now is not the time Alexander~" Starlight blushes as Alexander fully looks back to see the mare laying down behind him.

Alexander takes his hand away, much to her disappointment before Starlight sits up herself, taking a glance around their new surroundings. Standing up to brush off her skirt, she begins to explore a little.

"Do try not to partake of every pretty berry thou happens to set thy sights upon... Not all of them taste good, I assure you." Ventus comments, hovering about the two as he gets his bearings back.

Growling lowly, Ventus begins leading through the apparent jungle, looking for a way through. It takes the Dragon several minutes while he remembers the route, pushing through some brush to bring them out onto an edge which overlooks an expansive meadow, filled with bright blue grass, exotic plants and complete with a wide variety of both cute or vicious-looking wildlife.

"It's gorgeous..." Alexander stands there breathless, looking over the expanse before them. Ventus feels a hard beat within his chest for the first time in centuries that was truly not his own, giving Alexander a glance.

"It really is, while not as exotic or bright, the colours remind me of my home." Starlight sighs, taking a deep breath.

Ventus lets them soak in the atmosphere as he scans around for where he wants to go, finding it reasonably quickly. He hurries the pair along, leading them down a path which leads to the plains itself, however, their progress was quickly halted as he spotted a herd of horses coming towards them from across the plains, several are on fire.

"Ah, shit... It figures he'd be the first to feel thy return... Thou would prefer to avoid this old acquaintance if entirely possible." Ventus states as they start running, the equines already catching up when the Dragon looks past Starlight and Alexander.

It doesn't take the trio long to get cornered by the large herd next to a cliffside, below is an expansive swampland of varying fauna. Several of the equine part to let through an imposing Unicorn stallion with black skin, lush white fur and a large crooked horn, his amber eyes staring down Ventus. "After all this time... I never thought you'd have the gall to return given your abrupt banishment, Dragon god of wind... Ventus..."

Ventus glares at the Unicorn, clearly not happy to see him as he growls, "Ixion, been a while you glorified horse battery... To what doth I owe this unfortunate pleasure?"

Ixion huffs, glaring back at Ventus before looking at both Starlight and Alexander. "I'm not sure how you've gone and done it... But you know full well there are proper channels for allowing... Visitors." He stares at Starlight.

Alexander sighs, glancing back to look down, weighing his options as he turns back around. "I'm guessing he's going to want us to go with him or something?"

Ventus glances at Alexander, as Ixion huffs again. "That would be preferred... It'd simply be bad manners to let you wander around here-"

Before Ixion can finish his statement he's taken aback by the abrupt actions of Alexander, who grabs both Starlight and Ventus before jumping off the cliff. Using his snapping technique, Alexander rushes forming a compressed construct of air to take the brunt of their fall, still hitting the trees a little quickly. After passing through them, the trio is deposited on the ground, Ventus looking up to see the herd disperse from the edge above them.

"Thou art fucking nuts... You didn't even know if magicians could use magic here." Ventus groans as he makes himself hover again midair.

Alexander brushes himself off and helps up Starlight, "If I couldn't, I imagine you would have... I came here to accomplish something, I don't have time to be babysat by a bunch of horses. Though in hindsight it was a lot better up in the meadow, compared to down here."

Their surroundings have been vastly altered to reflect a lush, verdant swampland with trees and marshes. Starlight rubs her arm as the air is particularly unpleasant in both aroma and temperature.

"I'm not a fan of this icky environment either..." Starlight sighs deeply.

Alexander stands up to brush himself off before helping Starlight to her feet. Ventus sighing deeply as he's forced to get his bearings once more. Sniffing the air, he reels slightly, "The swampland... My favourite..." He states in distaste as he leads them forward once more, flying over or under obstacles.

The swamp itself smelt horrible yet not enough to warrant an extreme reaction. The assortment of rare and exotic plants enough to distract them from the sounds as they walked further through the thick brushes. Struggling a little, Starlight sighs as she narrowly avoids a mud bubble, falling slightly into Alexander's arms.

"Steady, last thing your fur needs is to fall in the mud here." He chuckles, helping her across some large lily pads that span a small pond. "Despite the rugged introduction, what's your opinion thus far?"

Starlight rolls her eyes before folding her arms, "There's no downside to getting a little dirty... Well, it's beautiful and feels different, even to Equestria."

Alexander squeezes the mare's hips as he lifts her off a log onto steady footing. "If it gets dirty I won't lick you," Watching Starlight blush deeply, Alexander chuckles, "Still, it's vastly more than I ever imagined. Many magicians dream of coming to Spirita, then only a select few have actually seen this wondrous place... The air feels like electricity, there's magic buzzing in every single atom and it's intense." He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly with preparation in his voice.

"You're an odd one to think of such a dangerous place as wonderous... She was odd in the same way." Ventus states under his breath making Starlight raise an eyebrow.

Reeling himself in a little, Alexander glances at the small Dragon hovering in front of them. "I'm assuming as you've let us get this far, you know a way we can find the familiar who would have answered Edward's summons a few months ago?"

"I already know who it is and she is no fan of I, let me tell you... I'm more worried about running into someone else I haven't seen for several centuries. Look, there's a gap in the cliff face up ahead, we'll find shelter within while I figure out our next move." Ventus states as Alexander raises an eyebrow.

The trio cross one last section of swampland before reaching the sizeable crack, big enough for a fully grown Dragon one would assume. Passing through what looks like a dark, damp cave, Starlight moves closer to Alexander. Seeing a light in the distance, the tunnel opens up to a sparkling cavern full of sparse crystals in the ceiling which illuminate the surroundings in serene blue light. Down some steps to the left is a medium-sized crystal clear pool being cycled in by a small beautiful waterfall. Meanwhile on the right side of the cavern are two beds of, what looks like fresh large cuts of grass, one being of a much larger size than the other.

"This is gorgeous... Is it safe to swim? I feel it'd help after that swamp." Starlight inquires, already stripping her academy uniform.

"Yes, yes... Least it should be, I'm sure if it isn't Alexander can handle it. I need to look around so you kids play nice." Ventus states glancing at the already naked mare before rolling his eyes, hovering over to the large bed to inspect it.

Alexander does the same as Starlight, stripping naked to slip into the pool of slightly warm water which makes her coo slightly. The mare swimming around to explore while teasing her boyfriend idly under the water which makes him return the favour in kind.

Hearing the noises from the pair below, Ventus rolls his eyes before hearing a faint whistling noise that sends shivers up his back. Suddenly, the little Dragon feels his body swept up into a silky embrace, swallowing hard while his head is brought back into intense softness. Looking up, Ventus is treated to the angelic smile of a pale woman with bright pink eyes, long eyelashes and hot pink hair. Sitting in a slanted position on the grass bed, the mysterious woman is shown to be wearing a sparse greek pure white dress which just barely crosses over her large DD pillows. The Dragon's eyes drawn to her sexy slender legs and matching grabbable hips as she feels his wings flutter against her. "It's been ever so long, hasn't it Venti?"

Swallowing hard, Ventus surrenders himself to her embrace, feeling a heavy guilt build within him. "I... There's nothing I can ever say that would make up for the time we've lost..." He looks down at the floor.

Ventus feels his head lifted and a gentle loving kiss pressed against his little muzzle, "How about, 'It's a pleasure to finally see your lustful visage again, my eternal Fylo?', then proceed to shower my silky body in passionate kisses and nips till I tell you to stop~" She giggles, cuddling him tightly between her heavenly breasts.

Ventus tilts his head, "I know you're mad at me... However, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat and still wouldn't hesitate." He leans his head up against her, met with equal nuzzling in return.

"I know, tis why I'm not mad. It's not something one would have done for selfish reasons. After all, any Dragon who would have done it differently isn't the Dragon I married." She strokes down his body, admiring his smaller frame which lets her smother him a lot more.

"You're several hundred years of pent up desire... Least I'd hope you are." Ventus raises an eyebrow at Fylo who gives him an unamused look.

"Sweetie, keep joking about my sex drive and you'll feel every second of those long lonely centuries in detail when I get really crazy. For now, I'll tease you... Who is the kinky pony and delicious human you brought with you?" She asks, nipping his ear as he shivers against her touch.

"My new magician and his Equestrian girlfriend... Don't get any ideas, he's packing but I wouldn't count on me sharing you." Ventus growls lowly which makes her adjust their position to lay him down, pressing her upper body against his small frame.

"Don't be a cruel tease, if he's your magician then I don't mind. I'd never consider it otherwise sweetie, but I'd want you both at once... Something for another time though. You know you shouldn't have come back here..." Fylo looks sad as she sighs, kissing his chest.

"I needed to... If not for you than for him... He's the most stubborn bastard I've ever met and insisted coming here of all places to help a friend." Ventus closes his eyes as he leans his head back against the grass.

Fylo giggles, "That should remind you of someone... Don't worry about those two, I've sprinkled a little something to help the mood so they'll be busy for a while... I want to indulge my Dragon husband who I've not felt in too long. I'm assuming this petite form has its benefits?"

Ventus smirks as he looks up to see the blue crystals turned pink, "Allow me to show you what those are, my silky Goddess."
> Reflections Long Forgotten
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Covering his eyes from the sun above, Edward sighs as his progress has taken all morning. Slipping away from Shadowfright was challenging enough under the excuse of recon, then getting past Golem houses familiar landmines littered across the beach and finally trekking through the forest to try and reach the outskirts of Pegasus House all while avoiding gem patrols. Thinking back to what Maestro said when they had their... One-sided argument about history being written from one perspective compared to the other. Clenching his fist to rid himself of said recent memory he looks upon the house perimeter, "Peacefully Edward... Do this peacefully." He mutters to himself.

A shimmering clear spike sticks into the ground in front of Edward as he looks up to see the mimic of Alexander, this time with white hair that has silver highlights. "You appear lost friend. I think your dark covern is on the other side of the island." Diamond states as they play with the cuff of their blazer.

Taking a deep breath, Edward sighs before facing the Alexander look-a-like, "Well, I'm just on recon, but decided to go on a detour here." He slips his hands into his pant pockets, "Though, I am wondering. I love history so much that I think the one humanity wrote has given a bad name to the Nightmares and the Gems. I know nothing of you other than you need someone's body to take form. I'm willing to exchange information if it's not free." He informs the Gem.

Diamond chuckles, leaping down from the tree as the spike dissipates. "For someone who 'loves history', I'm not impressed. We don't need someone's body to take form, just their mana. Otherwise, we wouldn't be returning the students we kidnapped after you and lavender crashed our house warming."

Edward took in the information quietly and hummed to himself, "That's very true, we wouldn't be here having this conversation. Although," He presses down with his foot to form earth chairs behind them as he takes a seat, "While you're very interesting beings, I do want to clear things up in my mind about what happened centuries ago."

Stroking the top of the seat Diamond sighs, "Still so far..." Brushing off his hand, he opts to stand. "What is there to clear up? Shit happens, more often than not, humans tend to be at the epicentre of each incident. I digress though, I'm not saying I hate you as much as the Nightmares, but you're up there." They state, sighing nearly every time he speaks as if it's a chore.

Nodding, he raises an eyebrow, "As far as I know the Nightmares, specifically Maestro had an argument with me about this matter. The information may or may not cross if I tell you this name... Did the Gems get involved with Morgana?" He asked, preparing for any reaction that this Gem will bring.

Taking a deep breath, Diamond begrudgingly sits down sideways on the chair, their legs over the other arm. His sitting position entirely weird for a male to take. "Which side didn't have dealings in the dark... As I understand it, we were sold out so she could get in good with the Nightmares, then they were backstabbed for whatever reason. Both sides having got involved with the Camelot war for their own reasons."

'That definitely checks out.' Edward thought, "I didn't ask the Nightmares this, but what caused the war in the first place? As far as I know, history didn't write what she did to you or the Nightmares. You're another piece of the puzzle I'm trying to solve." He intertwines his fingers and forms it into a fist, "So please, humour me, sir."

"I'm a woman..." Diamond groans as 'they' look extremely uncomfortable in their current form. "All the gems are naturally women but due to the mana taken to even release this corporal form... We assume the gender of whose mana we took. Just another part of our curse." They sigh again, glancing at Edward, "I doubt anyone honestly remembers the start... One of those things which become obscured with time before you're simply angry, unsure what it was that set you off to begin with."

"My apologies ma'am, another lost piece of information I never thought of." Edward raises a hand to quickly wave off his feelings. When he rests his hand back down he looked at his eyes with interest in what he said, "I'm all ears with what you have to say, but before we start talking, "My name is Edward, what is yours?" Giving him a smile.

"Diamond. I would say White Diamond but none of my sisters are out so I have the privilege of just being Diamond for now." He replies, still not happy about talking but indulges Edward due to boredom.

"Nice to meet you, Diamond, I hope we can put our differences aside and try to figure out why we're in this mess to begin with." He explains as his right leg goes over his left knee, "At your leisure, let me know what happened back then."

"War, backstabbing, mirror imprisonment. Pretty straight forward series of events... My one searing gripe is our wedding was interrupted." Diamond groans, having to recall the memory, leaning back in the chair as it reclines much to Edwards surprise.

'Alright, Gem's seem to have an affinity for Earth power.' He thought as he drew the connection about weddings, "I apologise that you and your lover's wedding was interrupted, Maestro and Shadowfright's wedding was also interrupted. Was it on the same day, I wonder..." He taps his chin before shaking his head, "You mention about the mirror, did... Did Morgana seal them all in there... Is there a way to break the curse?"

"You're asking the wrong questions. Someone darker than Morgana cursed us into the mirror and if there was, I wouldn't have a dick this very moment... Would I?" They squint at Edward, looking up from their laying position, "I doubt it matters what day they were on... The fact ours was interrupted at all is what annoys me. Though, I don't remember if the witch was the cause. It's a little fuzzy to recall." Diamond shrugs slightly.

'Alright, have to be careful here.' He thought, "I'm sorry for that, curiosity is a fickle thing." Scratching the back of his head, "Let's just say that Morgana was the reason that she interrupted your and Shadowfright's weddings and it was all a set up from her. That's what the pieces are saying at the moment. Shadowfright  was sealed in a box and the rest were sealed in the moon." He recollects past memories about the Smooze, "On an unrelated note, someone released a Smooze that consumed magic around it to grow upon the academy that wasn't seen in centuries and that was sealed in a box by Merlin or Starswirl." He cracks his neck to ease some tension off, "So, here's my question to you Diamond, what really started that war? Or, in other words, who was pulling the strings?"

"Oh, you met the Smooze? Normally a pretty docile and harmless thing in the right circumstances. Someone must have pissed them off or he was stupidly hungry." Diamond stretches lightly, "Those are all well and good in theory. Those infernal magic prisons are stupidly complex like those ridiculous coloured cubes you people love to play with. I personally hate them... In that regard, the mirror curse is a vacation." Diamond raises an eyebrow as they sit properly, "What would you know of Starswirl anyway?"

The man just smirked, "Well I know that Starswirl isn't from this world, in fact he's from another. So with that in mind, I plan to see the chairman of the school and have a chat with him. They might know more about what really happened centuries ago." Edward held his hands together and sighed deeply, "I have two questions left to ask you. If you found the truth about what happened and my theory's correct, what will the gems do?" He wondered.

Diamond shakes his head, "You know nothing Edward Meteor... History is repeating itself and there's potentially only four here who even realise it. Though I'll be honest, I've no interest in participating personally this time around, that'd make things... Unfair. I'm sure Larisa feels the same way, right, Spooky?" They state, tilting their head at Edward seemingly looking at him but not at him.

He deadpans at Diamond giving the look of 'I'm being watched aren't I?' Sighing to himself, he gets up to dust off his trousers, "Last question, is there any way to stop this war? To be honest I'm sick of it... Reminds me of my home before I got here." He informed Diamond.

Diamond laughs before jumping up, condensing the chair into a spear of similar material. "You are funny. Technically, this war was never concluded and is now playing out its remaining acts till she reaches the finale as she was supposed to centuries ago. All that bearded fool did was seal festering emotions in a small box till now when they were released. Shadowfright has no intentions of signing a cease-fire 'till she achieves her goal... Right?" She asks, looking at Edward again before narrowing her eyes in annoyance as nothing happens. Before Edward can reply, Diamond spins and thrusts her spear towards the man suddenly.

"Waitwaitwaitwait!" A voice Edward recognises states rapidly as a shadow figure leaps out from behind him to wave its arms frantically, "Why are you always so extreme?!"

Diamond chuckles, "You were being silent while I was talking to you, Spooky."

"I was fucking asleep you crazy bitch! What is your damage?!" Spooky exclaims before turning to Edward, "And you! The hell did you think an earth wall was going to do? That thing is made of diamond for gods sakes, she is several leagues above the majority of earth-based magicians you have here..."

Calming himself down, he looks at the so-called 'Spooky', "To be honest, I thought using earth walls would stop its momentum." He then looks to Diamond, "I assumed Spooky meant Maestro was watching." Shaking his head while pinching the arch of his nose, 'Your name reminds me of a cat I used to have...' He thought internally, "Welp, how do you two know each other then? While my life was at stake, more questions popped up than answers."

"Oh, Maestro is crazy bitch, if you've met the girl you'd understand why. If I really wanted to I could have added your wall to my spear, I did make it out of your chair to begin with. Well, I have run out of time to chat, I'm sure several people felt earlier that someone did something extremely stupid in the direction of Wyvern House. Your friend actually went through with his plan and if, by some tiny miracle, he isn't consumed by the beasts of Spirita... Shit will get pretty chaotic around here." Diamond dissipates his spear before stretching to rub their neck, a trait Edward notices.

His eyes widened as he realized that Alexander went to Spirita, 'What is he doing?' He closed his eyes and bows to Diamond, "Thank you for your time and talking with me today. This information is helping me to figure things out. Good day." Using the earth magic beneath him, he shoots himself into the air via a magical retractable earth pillar and fly's towards the main school district.

Diamond shakes their head at Edward, seeing Spooky has also vanished. "That boy..." Groaning, they begin walking back towards Pegasus House.





Walking through the hallways of the main academy castle, Edward is joined by the entity now revealed to be Spooky. An awkward silence having been shared since he landed nearest to the campus from flinging himself with the earth pillar.

Edward smacked his lips, "So... Uh... When were you going to tell me you had a physical form?" He asked as he navigated through the halls, making sure no one was there to see Spooky.

"When you finally figured out I wasn't your actual 'dark side'." He deadpans towards Edward, folding his arms.

"I knew that you were part of the nightmare and you took some kind of form in my head, so how else am I suppose to greet this form?" He told him as he stopped to face Spooky, "There isn't much of a guide book on how Shadows work ya' know."

Spooky floats in front of Edward, "If it matters, my name is Spooky. I'm one of many infiltration and subterfuge members of the Nightmare Force. Surely you had to know Shadowfright wouldn't let you play for her side without insurance..." He comments, arching his eyes curiously.

The man just physically shrugged, "All I was told I was going to get great power to take revenge on my friend. Nothing more, nothing less." He informed Spooky, "I don't recall anything being told to me by Shadowfright or Maestro for that matter." He hummed as he cupped his chin.

"Of course not, who would tell someone they are under observation..? Defeats the whole point." He sighs and shakes his head, "I'd be more concerned for that friend of yours if I were you... Spirita Isn't a joke. Only one or two that history knows of have returned from going there." Spooky states as he glances at Edward.

"That would be Starswirl correct?" Edward pops his neck, "Besides, I'm sure he has some sort of plan in mind. Knowing him, he's probably going to give me a gift because of what started this dispute in the first place." He then turns silent. "So... Is Maestro or Shadowfright watching me through you?"

Spooky shakes his head, "As far as our archives go up to, we only know of Morgana and Merlin who both travelled to Spirita and returned. We don't believe Starswirl was able to join Merlin on her venture there as he was left at Arthur's side... Hence why my concern for your friend. It's a saturated realm of magic where familiars come from, it's unpredictable and would overwhelm lesser magicians." He looks forward before thinking for a moment, then turns back to Edward. "Additionally... According to the shadow web, his known familiar was left behind to handle Wyvern House communications."

Edward nods as he sighs, "Then you don't know what's really happening. Which is good, since you didn't answer my question if I'm being watched, then it's a given I should keep my mouth shut." He said as he resumed to walk towards the door leading to the Chancellors office.

"Oh, that... As bored as Shadowfright is, even if she could, I'm sure your emotional trifles would bore her to tears, no offence. Maestro..." Spooky looks away, pondering something as he lowly groans, mulling something over. "We aren't conduits they can look through. We give reports and details about our charges and their activities, just like regular spies. There is a minor detail... Something I'm debating telling you as I'm still sizing where we stand."

"We had that discussing ages ago." He said sighing, "Either your on my side to get some sort of freedom or you're on their side." Edward stops and leans back beside the door, "I'll come clean if you do as well, on the condition, you fib to Maestro and Shadowfright, give them a fragment or extension of the truth."

Spooky crosses his arms, "You realise I'm a Nightmare Force first and foremost, Shadowfright is... It's hard to describe how our people work but she is important in a sense to each of us, we follow her for individual reasons." He dips down and slides back up closer to Edward, "That isn't to say I agree with the current course... You heard Diamond, they have both grown past this grievance whereas those who follow them hath seemingly not. If I had to hazard a guess, it's a war of closure for those two with Kilgharrah playing the role of Camelot." Spooky leans back slightly, but still uncomfortably close to Edward's face. "What do you think I do already? You'd hardly have a fraction of your current freedom if I told the truth... That said... Do you feel no concern for your friend? What if he indeed doesn't return, leaving things between you in their shattered state, never to be resolved?"

"Point taken, what did you tell them to get me my freedom?" He asked as a knowing smirk forms on his face, "That's the thing, the information I'm going to tell you secures my confidence with him. I'm still pissed with him, but at the very same time, it's been a while since we had a proper fight." He pushes himself to his feet and looks at him, "Are you even ready for the truth?"

"Given you live here I've been feeding them scout reports and or shadow maps of the island as we've been going along. Seems to have worked thus far..." Spooky floats back a bit to give him space, "What do you know then that makes you confident your friend will survive?"

"His banned Familiar which prevented me from getting mine, Ventus." He raised his hand to prevent Spooky from speaking as he began to whisper, "The 'familiars' we have aren't our familiars, they're from another world that is similar to ours." He then turns around to open the door, "Do with the information as you will, I hope to get along during this 'War'." He then walks inside into the office.

As he walks in the Chancellor spins around in his sizeable armchair, the tips of his fingertips touching like an 'I've been expecting you' vibe. "I have always wanted to do that." He chuckles before leaning back, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr Meteor?"

Antics aside, he takes a seat across from the Chancellor, "Hoping to get some answers, sir. Looking for the truth behind what's going on. I have a vague idea, but I need your input if it isn't much trouble." He said with a determined look.

"It's a Trinity War siege game with no holes barred warfare to resolve some past issues the Gems or Nightmare Force still have." The Chancellor explains bluntly, even teleporting the signed contract in front of Edward on the desk, leaning back as he waits for the reply.

Edward deadpans physically and sighs deeply, "So it is what it is... But why? I'm not a fan of this and I'm sure some of the student body doesn't want to be part of the war." He told him, "I've been trying to gather information to find out what really happened to settle disputes... Like a certain family of mine." He informed him.

"You've taken part in the siege games before, Edward. While this time has some... Extra players and ulterior objectives, it should essentially be the same. Though, I can't help but notice your attire change... Did something happen for you to betray your brothers and sisters at Wyvern House? Out of all the houses, I dare say they are the closest in Kilgharrah." The Chancellor visibly frowns, seeming to find it more upsetting than one would imagine.

"I switched sides for two things, one a proper fight with Alexander and second information. I want to end this war overall, maybe sabotage it all together, but sadly my familiar got captured and due to some circumstances, she can't get out of Shadowfright's building. Once she is safe, I could have a lot of fun ending everything, like my parents did with problems like these." He smiles giving him a knowing look, "I wonder if you knew about Alexander's real Familiar while I was caught in the crossfire."

The Chancellor sighs as he slowly stands from his chair, "I see..." He strokes his hand along the cabinet below the mirror, "I'm hardly in a position to lecture you about how to conduct your own siege games. As you know we leave the majority of choices up to the houses while we maintain the spell which prevents fatal afflictions. However, I assume you've managed to meet both sides. If so, you'd know why both Diamond and Larisa have abstained from the frontlines, to give their comrades chances to let off centuries worth of built-up resentment. Neither would quite see it end so abruptly, I'm sure you understand." The Chancellor hums as he walks back to his chair, sitting down again. "In regards to Mr Night's blacklisted familiar... While true, Ventus is a forbidden contract, I saw it as an opportunity to observe both him and his magician Alexander when he first entered this academy." 

"So, you wouldn't even try to reschedule a familiar ceremony for me to get one? My friend and his new girl are in Spirita trying to get what I've been missing all this time to make up for the mistake he made." He sighed, "I did meet both sides of this war and there is nothing I can do, right? If that s the case, then I know what I must do." He gets up and looks at the Chancellor once more, "Thank you for this enlightening conversation, have a good day." He bows before heading towards the door.

The Chancellor stands up and sighs deeply, "Edward... I'm sure you understand but there is a small number of people who returned from Spirita. His heart is stupidly in the right place which unfortunately reminds me of someone else who was exactly the same... While he likely has Ventus with him, the Wyvern's power is severely limited due to the restrictions placed upon all blacklisted familiars based upon their level of power." He takes a deep breath, "Ventus was, is one of Merlin's former companions, he's going back to the land he was exiled from... I know you have faith in your friend, but I urge you to also consider the worst outcome. He might not return."

Edward stops before turning his head to the Chancellor, "I'm sure he'll be alright, besides, I'm sure the all-powerful Ventus has some sort of connections before his exile. I'm not worried at all, it's basically an increased difficulty to a normal day for us." He then turns back and steps out of the office, walking towards Shadow... No Larisa's domain, "So what will you do with this information Spooky?" He asked aloud as he exited the hallway.

The shade slips back out of Edward's shadow to float in front of him, being silent for a moment, "Your friend is proper fucked... Ventus made a lot of envious enemies within Spirita as far as I know. Naturally, because he formed a contract with Merlin, a powerful magician but also, according to what we know about him, he married one of the most sought after maidens in Spirita known as Aphrodite's Disciple. As you can imagine, being the disciple to the goddess of love... She sounds like a stunning beauty. Given he's never been there before too, his magic will be unpredictable... Yeah, the deck is not stacked in his favour." Spooky goes to float away before sliding back to, once again, invade Edward's personal space. "Oh, I forgot to mention... Maestro knows about your inclinations towards the pony that was brought in recently. Thought I'd outta give you the heads up, 'pal'."

Once Edward got outside the building he once again launches himself off the ground towards Larisa's domain, "Fucking hell... Here's to a new rocky partnership pal." 'I'm coming Twilight, I'll get you out, even if I have to cause some damage..." His fists were clenched tight as he launched from pillar to pillar.
> Dragon God of The Wind and The Avatar of Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Ventus was distracted by Fylo, Starlight and Alexander were still swimming in the pool beside his nest. Feeling something odd in the air plus the crystal auras in the cave becoming purple, Alexander stops by the right lowered stone edge by the water to pull himself out. Crawling a little from the ledge, he lays down on his back to look around the cavern, hearing estranged noises from the nests beside them. Suddenly the magician feels Starlight's soft body crawling up his legs to caress him gently.

"You seem rather amorous all of a sudden..." Alexander swallows, the sensation of the Unicorns chest pressing against his lower appendage makes him bite his lip.

Starlight adjusts herself to lay between Alexander's legs, pushing up so his rod would slide comfortably between her breasts. Wearing an alluring smirk, she lightly grinds along his length while nuzzling his stomach. "It's not terribly sudden, is it? There's only a mild magical aphrodisiac in the environment right now... I could dispel it but do you want me to?"

Alexander was about to protest given where they were but that soon melted between the same chest his rod was trapped. Feeling his marefriend caress every inch with those soft melons and tease the tip with her wet tongue made him sigh. Giving in, Starlight rewarded him by lightly suckling on his tip like it was a lollipop, circling her tongue around it while staring up into his eyes playfully.

"You are an extremely bad mare, Starlight Glimmer..." Alexander states, his cock betraying his scold by throbbing between her embrace.

Starlight smirks widely as she plumps up her tits either side of his shaft, grinding harder as she pops the tip out of her mouth loudly. The mare's tongue caressing around its edge while planting deep kisses against it to tease him. "I'm your bad mare, Alexander Night..." She watches him melt further when applying a warm magical aura across his entire length, massaging him eagerly.

"Using everything at your disposal I see, how very resourceful of you," Alexander states as he reaches down to lightly stroke Starlight's horn, using slight electrical magic to excite her.

The mare moans in response, drooling on his rod slightly as she bit her lip. "That's just cheating, I was measuring~" She dispels the magic, having completed her job. "8.5 isn't bad by any standard, though looking at your body and what came from, I'm not surprised." Starlight blushes, adjusting her body so she can grind his cock between her tits harder.

Alexander groans, running his fingers through her hair lovingly as she continues to slide his member into her warm moist embrace. The mare's tongue pampering him to no end while her eyes stare up at him to watch his expressions of ecstasy at her experienced work. "If you continue like this I don't think I can hold out much longer..."

The mare giggles before releasing him with a loud pop that makes Alexander shiver, "Brave of you to assume I want you to hold out. I'm more than eager to sample my well-endowed stallion~"

Planting kisses along his pulsing member to tease him, Starlight slides Alexander's tip along her tongue to resume sucking lovingly. Before she could indulge anymore of the magician's succulent flavour, the mare found his grip tighten around her horn soon making those alluring lips kiss his groin hard. Rolling her eyes, Starlight presses her chest against him more licking frantically with her tongue. "Starlight!" Alexander groans, discharging electricity into her horn which makes her eyelids flutter as his thick cock shoots a substantial, creamy load deep down her throat. Moaning in pure bliss, Starlight bobs up and down slowly to fully taste her lover's seed, releasing him with a much wetter noise, her pants begging for more.

"I'm not sure if it's legal to be this utterly delicious... I think I'm addicted to you, Alexander..." Starlight bites her lip, panting like she's in heat as he stares down towards the needy Unicorn.

In a burst of excitement, Alexander flips Starlight over and in one swift motion mounted her generous chest. Before she even had time to complain, she found her mouth roughly filled with the rod she coveted not moments ago. Rolling her eyes as the pace was stripped from her, she felt him dip from tip to base in her throat before sliding out to sit between her sizeable chest. "You're such a good girl when you want to be," Alexander smirks widely, kneading Starlight's soft perky tits hard as he thrusts.

"Sweet Celestia, I think it's you who tease me... My master~" She says in a low seductive tone making him shiver before pulling her nipples.

Biting his lip, Alexander slaps his hard member against her mounds, making sure to pique her need. Leaning down, he lovingly kisses her lips with strokes and squeezes of the mare's soft body. Pushing her tits together, Alexander pampered both of them with licks, kisses, bites and heavy sucks, all to rev Starlight's dripping engine.

"No more fighting words my familiar?" He smirks, kissing down her body before roughly pushing Starlight's legs up and apart making her gasp as the chilled air rushed against her spread flower.

Alexander lightly licks and kisses around her pussy, making great effort to not stimulate her directly as it was his turn to look up at her. "Y-yes, I'm sorry! P-Please don't make me beg..." Starlight pleads as he chuckles. To alleviate her worries, she felt Alexander run his tongue slowly along her spread slit.

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but eagerly moan at her lover's work. Alexander's tongue danced up and down her pussy eagerly, humming and breathing heavily as he lapped up as much grape flavoured juice he could. "Heavens... You never cease to taste divine." Starlight blushes deeply but lets out sweet coos when his lips lightly kiss and pamper her clit.

"A...Alex... Lex... Mi amor..." Starlight suddenly changes language briefly as she is orally pampered for the second time in their relationship. Alexander switches back to lapping against her succulent flower before sliding two fingers inside to part her walls. The mare reacting by leaking yet more juices for his pleasure, tensing slightly as she began to moan louder.

Without saying a word Alexander pumped her at a level pace, licking and pampering Starlight's clit with loving attention till her back left the smooth stone side. As her chest pushed forward, Alexander's mouth was flooded with a generous helping of the mare's grape flavoured juices. His attention not stopping till her back touched down again, panting heavily as she stared at the cave ceiling. "To your liking I take it?"

Starlight chuckled, staring down at Alexander lick her clean before shuffling her up a bit more. "You, are everything I could have asked for..." She blushes very deeply before feeling his hot pulsing shaft press against her needy flower. "My, my~ won't you let a poor mare rest before you ravage her with your... Well endowed human cock~"

Alexander chuckles before kissing Starlight slowly, nipping and licking her neck to get her excited. "You flatter me miss Glimmer. Though... I'm happy the spell did what it did, summoning you and Twilight... I might not say it, often at times it'd feel like I don't appreciate it, but I wouldn't honestly change what happened for anything." He admits, making Starlight kiss him deeply.

Alexander is suddenly pulled against Starlight to roughly impale her with his length, making her eyes roll and hum into the kiss loudly. "Oh my, that feels bigger than it looks~" Starlight blushes between moans, making out with the magician.

Adjusting to have better leverage, the mare cranes her legs either side of Alexander helping him to thrust inside. Using his arms to lift himself above Starlight, staring down into her eyes as she blushes deeply. The two share several moments of blissful silence, the only noises exchanged were deep moans and enthusiastic grunts as the pair continued their entwined dance of lustful indulgence.

Smirking, Starlight used her magic to help flip them so she was on top, now free to ride her lover eagerly without restraint, her hands caressing his chest as her back arched needily. "You are as dearly beautiful as your namesake..." Alexander gently states making the mare blush deeply, her hips betraying how delighted she was to hear such compliment.

"You are such a dork..." Starlight leans down to lick and bite Alexander's neck, breathing heavily as her hips worked even faster. "I'm so close... Sweet Celestia, I love you..." She groans and raises herself up again, the mare's back curving with delight as she drenches Alexander's member in her sweet juices eagerly while shaking.

Groaning loudly, Alexander squeezed Starlight's hips tightly as he felt himself pump even thicker ropes deep inside the mare's constricting tunnel that he loved dearly. After several moments, she collapsed on top of him, mewling in protest as he popped out of her pussy. "Would you be offended if I said we definitely need to do this again..?" He chuckles, gently stroking Starlight's mane as she nuzzles his chest.

"Not in the slightest and be careful what you wish for, a mare could get addicted to this glorious rod of yours... We might end up doing it too much, not that I'd care how often my wonderful boyfriend treated me to this bliss." Starlight states, snuggling Alexander closely.

Humming to himself, the magician pulls Starlight against him by her flank roughly. "I'd be down to do it as often as you like my dear. We have to make it out of here first then sort out our sex life... For now, I think we'd both love a nap while Ventus sorts out whatever he is doing over there." Alexander chuckles as they hear loud sex noises.

Starlight smirks, adjusting so they can better cuddle before closing her eyes, feeling extremely happy and fulfilled beside Alexander.
> Midnight Tea Party and Spa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Edward rushes through the old dorm he notices hardly any presence or resistance for that matter to his hurried advance. Choosing to take this as a good sign, he goes downstairs into the basement dungeon where Twilight was being held before. Upon getting to her cell, he's shocked to find the Alicorn sitting at a tea table with Shadowfright, who is sipping from a cup.

"You know, after Maestro brought your little connection to my attention I expected you to arrive a bit earlier than this." Shadowfright comments, glancing between the two.

Edward keeps a calm demeanour as he leans into the cell door frame, "I happen to have information from the Gems and found out that this is just to settle the dispute centuries ago." He looked to Shadowfright, "As far as I can tell Morgana might have been involved in brewing up trouble for a certain Gem's and your wedding."

Shadowfright puts down her cup and starts sarcastically clapping. "Well done, Edward, I hope that didn't take terribly long to figure out. Morgana was simply a pawn held by a higher player to begin with. Neither of them honestly as clever as they lead themselves to believe. I figured out a very long time ago it was that witch who interrupted the happiest day of my life to start a pointless war with the gem people." She states, pouring herself more tea as Twilight sits in silence.

"In any case, I honestly don't want to be involved in this war anymore." He said, "It reminds me too much of my home and I'm sure Maestro mentioned my little outburst before Twilight capture." He crossed his arms, "Not to mention a friend of mine and his familiar are in a Spirita trying to make up for what he did."

Shadowfright nearly chokes on her tea, "Some crazy bastard, a friend of yours no less, actually fucking jumped into the familiar realm? On his own volition?" She puts down her cup and sighs deeply, "What is it with the people of this era... Either way, I cannot stop my part in the siege games, my comrades are too pent up about it, too angry. We never got to conclude the ancient war because someone felt it better to box their problems rather than deal with them.  I don't care if you participate for us or not but I cannot let someone as strong as you go back to their house for the moment."

"So I am an asset then." He sighed, "Well, to be honest, I'm willing to make up with my friend after talking with the headmaster. I do have confidence that he'll return since he has Ventus on his side." He looked to Twilight, "If I can't switch houses, then I'll just do whatever as long as I can bring my familiar with me. Thus being neutral to what's going on."

"In a sense, I somewhat expect a confrontation when I call for you. Whether or not you fight when he shows up is down to you, I simply need to be seen giving the order to make use of you." Shadowfright stands up and stretches, "Try to stay out of Maestro's way till needed, she's the less stable of our partnership... Go where you like but don't stray far, find a room to copulate or whatever you people do these days." She comments making Twilight blush insanely while leaving the ritual cell.

Edward blushes as well, clearing his throat to rid of any awkward silence between them. Walking to the seat and plopping himself down, he sighs, "I've been an idiot and after I got the information I got, I understand what happened. I'm not mad anymore, just frustrated that he and Starlight would dare jump into a world to which they never would return." His eyes met with hers, "I'll say sorry to my friend and reconcile, but I just want to make it up to you, involving you was the last thing I wanted."

"Well... You know what Alexander is like, he was bound to do something drastic when you were so angry and stayed away as you did. Understandably, he could have been scared to lose one of the few friends he has at this academy." Twilight finally speaks with a sigh.

"I understand that now," He replied, "I need to wait for him and Starlight to return, which I'm confident that they will be just fine..." He then deadpans, "Unless... Knowing them, they could be fooling around..."

Twilight blushes deeply, "Surely they wouldn't elope in such a magically dangerous place, both of them have more sense than that... Right?" She questions, thinking it over as the answer seems more and more likely.

Edward continued his deadpan and raises an eyebrow, "You sure?" He asked with a chuckle, "Knowing him, I'm sure he's teasing her with shocking magic." He scoots the chair closer to Twilight, "Anyway, I want to apologize to you, my mind has been wondering what to do with my emotions and I've been avoiding you, but I should've been asking for your advice since you are the Princess of Friendship and all..." He gets off of the chair, drops to his knees and bows towards her, "I'm sorry."

Twilight sighs, "You're being embarrassing... I didn't plan to stay mad at you, I just didn't want either of you to lose what meaningful friendship you've cultivated over the years. Friends sometimes frustrate us, even outright annoy us but in the end, it's what we do with that which defines a friendship." She looks down at him warmly.

He gets to his feet and sits next to her, "May I ask a selfish request?" Edward questions as he looked down with a blush.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, leaning back in her chair to glance up at his eyes.

"May I have... A hug?" He asked bashfully, "After going through all that, I need some comfort..." Edward raises his arms, "It's all up to you though, I'm being selfish that's all."

Twilight indulges him by standing up to give him a gentle hug, pressing her body against him for comfort. "It's not selfish, we all need a hug sometimes. Though the latest troubling times make me jealous Starlight gets the massages she does."

Hugging her back lightly, he whispers into her ear, "T-Then did you want to continue where we left off?" Edward implied since they were interrupted by classes and he knew he was taking a shot in the dark if Twilight was even interested or still miffed.

Twilight blushes deeply and coughs, "Oh, right, that time before class when we got sidetracked by things... I wouldn't be opposed to continuing our massage. As I recall it was very relaxing and umm 'stimulating'. Where would we even get the oil though?"

"Well, we're not too far from the Spa..." Edward mentions, "We could have a walk there and use a room for ourselves." He blushed while pulling away from the hug and holding her right hand.

"Sounds like an ample idea. Hopefully, Shadowfright won't mind." She smiles, "It'll be nice to relax amongst all this chaos."

Edward nodded, "Shall we head there now?" He asked as he looking into her eyes. Twilight nods as the leave the ritual cell and head upstairs.





Walking into the spa building, the pair can tell it hasn't seen as much business since the siege games started. Behind the counter is just Indigo reading a magazine while idly waiting. Twilight hums lightly as they approach her, "It doesn't look like you've had much business lately."

Indigo sighs deeply, "Not since Golem House regulated the road leading over here to stop Nightmare Force progression to main campus, no..."

Edward takes in his nerves and speaks, "Do you mind if we took one of the massage rooms for my familiar and I? She's been pretty stressed about this whole situation and needs some R&R." He asked as he fished out his wallet for payment.

"It's not like we're packed but I'd advise the hot spring to start then we can provide a environment and oil for the massage. Full disclaimer we are not responsible for cleaning up any 'foreign' liquids or substances which occur as a result." Indigo explains while typing some stuff on their computer.

Twilight blushes deeply, hiding her face behind one hand. "Sweet Celestia I cannot believe she just said that with a sincere straight face..."

Edward nods as he pays Indigo for the hot spring and oil massage. "You think that's bad, try coming here during graduation..." Edward blushed remembering the embarrassing stories the Seniors left behind during their going away party.

Indigo shivers, "This is why we have policies now... Also a mop and bucket will be supplied to you. After the last female student and male Minotaur incident, we leave nothing to chance..."

"We'll take that into consideration..." Edward trails off as he grabs Twilight hand and gives her a smile, "Let's head off now then. No need to waste time standing around."

Indigo watches the pair leave towards the mixed hot spring and enter the changing area. "Well... You don't make as much mess as a Minotaur..? Right?" Twilight blushes bright red while looking at the man in question.

"No comment..." Edward blushes as he closes the half curtain and sighs, "Sorry about that... I knew you were probably getting uncomfortable there..." He says as he chooses a basket and begins to take off his uniform to reveal his muscle toned back to Twilight, "I...I'll head to the springs first..." He informs her as he started to go ahead with a burning embarrassed face.

Before Edward can walk through to the spring, Maestro steps out into his path wearing only a towel. "I'm not even going to ask..." She rolls her eyes, stepping past to reach baskets on the other side of the room.

Blushing, he continues forward to enter the hot springs, lowering in to hide his face, up to his nose and makes frustrating bubbles under the water. He looks up to the sky and sighs, raising his head and leaning back against the smooth rock. "She just had to be there..." He mumbled as he thought, 'Though I didn't mind the view....'

"Hmm thinking dirty thoughts about Shadowfright's wife?" Twilight's voice suddenly asks from the side as she's standing by the spring edge in nothing but a towel.

"Huh?!" His thoughts were screwed up when he see's Twilight in that get up, "If I'm being honest, that's my hormones talking, and she was right there... Sorry." Edward apologized as he got a good look at her and blushed, "You look stunning by the way.."

Twilight giggles before dropping her towel to the side and slipping in naked. "I'm naked, Edward and despite being a bitch, Maestro does look very attractive... Even if she did kidnap me."

"I won't deny that." Edward sighs as he looks to Twilight's breasts that were in the water, being a little buoyant as they jiggle, "A-Anyway, we're not talking about her, we're talking about... What you did trying to find me..." He sighed trying to look away, but was failing to do so, "Did you want to spread your wings out to relax?" He asked.

"Oh, my wings are fine." Twilight smiles, adjusting slightly as she jiggles a little. "Which part aren't we denying, that I'm naked or Maestro is kinda hot?" She giggles, leaning back to relax a bit more.

"That your naked." Edward smiled as he leaned back. They sit in silence as he glanced down to see her hand sitting on the seat alone. Feeling brave, he reached for her hand and held it, "Twilight, now that I'm thinking about it, I've been wanting to know more about you and the way I left like that makes me feel terrible." He admitted, "I know you were worried about Alexander and I, but I wasn't thinking straight and you got involved, for that I really am sorry."

"Hmm, Midnight and I looked nearly everywhere for you because I was worried you'd do something silly after the fight you and Alexander had." Twilight squeezes his hand back a little, "I look amazing naked, I think. Starlight tells me to have more confidence in my body but eh..." She blushes deeply.

"Then how about this..." Edward takes a deep breath and speaks honestly, "Your body looks like the goddess's have blessed you with a divine gift that even I can't stop looking at you. The mere fact that you have this combined with your personality, is a double whammy to my heart and soul. I cannot even measure the astronomical love I have for you I'm trying to contain in my metal heart..." He sighs, while slipping into the water with his mouth making bubbles. Edward surfaces, with his chest still pounding, "D-Did that help?" He stuttered.

"I think it was a little overboard but..." Twilight leans over and kisses Edward gently for a brief moment before parting their lips, "It was very sweet despite how aroused you are." She comments, glancing in the water with a deep blush.

"That's because of you..." He said not trying to hide it, "I meant everything I said." Edward blushes as he returns the kiss on Twilight's cheek, "How about this? I love you Twilight Sparkle..." He said, as his face was getting more red than before in embarrassment. 'I said it!!!' He shouts internally.

"I'm very fond of you too, Edward Meteor. You and Alexander have been very supportive of our plight to return home, with us spending more time together. Between the mineshaft incident and our interrupted massage at the dorm, I feel we've been progressing towards a relationship point. Unless I'm misreading things?" Twilight asks curiously.

Edward shook his head, "No, I.. I don't think you are. I thought I was rushing things, but I am so happy that you feel the same." He said as he scooted closer. "A-Are we official then?" He wondered as his hand was still holding on to hers.

"You could say the same about Alexander and Starlight but they are still together. They have flirted more obviously than we have but I still find your company very pleasing and like you overall. So, if you wanted to be my coltfriend, I'd very much like that... Sorry, boyfriend."

Edward smiled as he inched closer to Twilgihts head, "You can call me coltfriend or boyfriend, and I'll call you my marefriend or girlfriend." He says as their eyes locked on to one another, "Twilight..." He says as his lips were getting close to hers.

Twilight answers by leaning in and kissing Edward deeply, placing her hand on his thigh to squeeze it lightly. The warm water around them heating both up comfortably. "I like this outcome a lot... Although I'm quite inexperienced with relationships."

"I will be honest, I do have some experience when it comes to relationships." Edward said as he grabbed Twilights thigh and giving it a rub, "We'll take it as it goes, one of the things that I missed which I'm sure all guys and girls want is cuddling." He said as his arm wrapped around her shoulder, "Would you like that?" He asked.

Twilight shuffles as she slides herself onto Edward's lap, pressing against him. "It would be nice... I also realise I might be abnormally bold in this instance. I hesitated to get much closer to you after seeing Midnight and how happy she was with Luna's counterpart. I couldn't help but wonder if... Maybe I should be with her or something like that but I realise every universe isn't the same and that I decide who I want to be with."

"The universe or multi-verse isn't the same, that's for sure." Edward says sitting his hand on top of her flank, "There are times where even I asked what if this happened if I wasn't so dense on taking the hint. I decided to let that go and keep moving forward. Whatever destiny or fate puts in front of me, I say bring it." He leans forward towards her pressing his forehead below hers, locking eyes with one another, "Besides I'm not complaining." He blushed.

"You can be sweet when you want to be, still annoyed you joined the nightmares and had a hand in kidnapping me... But in the grand scheme of things, I suppose it could be forgiven. It's also a blessing the spa even stayed open during a siege game... Your academies here have odd ways to approach learning." Twilight comments nuzzling Edward gently, getting comfortable on his lap.

Edward laughed, "Well you can thank Alexander for that..." He scratched the back of his head but realized his erect member was already in between her legs. Gulping internally, he tries to continue the conversation, "I'm also glad that you've forgiven me overall. I would like to repay you by giving you a massage." The man rubs Twilight's lower back, feeling some tense muscles, "I want to melt that stress away that you have..."

"Which part can I thank him for, that you able to be sweet or joining the nightmares? Because regardless of what he did it was still a choice you made." Twilight boops his nose, her flank pressing down on his member whether by accident or on purpose, Edward cannot tell. "A massage would be nice but we should enjoy the spring a little longer."

Edward groans inwardly, "I-I think we should." He said, not wanting this moment to end. Lifting her chin with his hand, he kisses Twilight again, but this time wanted access to her mouth. His tongue prods her lips as they kiss. If he was correct on how she was feeling, he'll take initiative.

Twilight gently stroked his chest while her flank shuffled lightly against his groin, clearly, the mare roughly knows what she is doing. "Hmm, you realise it's not exactly small and hiding it against my thighs isn't quite going to work. Full disclosure, I've no idea what I'm doing... Running off instinct and facade confidence at this point." She states with a blush, leaning against Edward's body.

"Then I'll take the lead." Edward said, "Go ahead and open up so I may show you where to go." He gulped when Twilight parted her lips as he started to make out with her. The taste of her on his tongue was addicting as he explored her mouth. Progressing as softly as possible so they could tango with one another. His free hand traced Twilight's shoulders, down to her breasts, circling around the mare's nipple, softly groping and kneading it. With what experience Edward had, he had to keep it slow for her.

The Alicorn parted from her new lover, a bright blush across her muzzle. "You seem to have more experience than I do with this sort of thing. I'm not complaining, just glad one of us can guide the other." Twilight mumbled, shuffling her legs so she could reach between her thighs to pull his member between them. Wrapping it within their soft embrace and her tender touch along its shaft.

Edward smiled at her warmly, 'We'll discuss where I got that later.' He thought internally as he grunts, feeling her soft legs against his member. "As you said, your instincts are helping you here." Using his hands, he turns Twilight so her back was against his torso. Leaning up to her ear, he whispers, "Let me know when to stop." With that, he grabbed both of her breasts and began to massage them in full force. His mouth kissed, licked, and nibbled on her ear, neck, and collarbone, trying to please her sense's. All the while using his hips to grind up and down against her puffy nethers.

"Brave of you to assume I'd want you to stop but we really shouldn't make a mess in the public hot spring..." Twilight purrs lightly, sighing deeply as she resists the urge to moan at his delightful work. Wanting to indulge their position just a bit longer, the mare snaked a hand down to press his shaft between her lips, Edward able to feel how hot Twilight was as she gently rubbed his tip in circles.

The man smirked through his panting as he whispered into her ear, "If I recall, we just need to clean up after ourselves~" Edward said in a husky tone, "I don't think it should be an issue if we made a mess." His fingers lightly pinch and tease the Alicorn nipples. Using his hips, he bucks them to nearly penetrate her entrance, making her want more, "I do have an idea though~ While we're both having fun, did you want this here or while we're massaging each other?" He offered, giving her neck a hickey.

Twilight mumbles something, pushing her chest out into Edward's hands. "Hmm... Well... If we think about it realistically, there won't be a mess if..." While talking, she pushes his harder against her needy lips, moaning louder as she shuffles up to force herself down onto his cock. Twilight's eyes flutter as she feels his thick member stretch her virgin pussy to his shape. "Oh, you are a big boy~" She coos, biting her lip as she steadies him a few inches inside, enough to pop her and get used to the sensation. "I-if you c-cum inside... T-there won't be a mess if we keep it all in." Twilight blushes brightly before starting to move up and down slowly.

Edward could only groan when she pushed herself down his cock, "F-Fuck." Feeling Twilight's tight loving tunnel wrapping around him, he doesn't resist using his hips to thrust deeper. "I-If you insist." He pants, using her hips to help along, "Let me just do this..." He grunts as his index finger rubs her clit underwater. While feeling that she was going up and down herself, he used his other free hand to stroke her horn, teasing it by tracing along the crevasses.

Twilight shivers as she feels Edward stroke her sensitive spot, using soft momentum to ride his sizeable cock hard now taking the majority of it. "H-how big are you Edward? You're hitting so deeply it's super addicting..." She leans her head back against his shoulder, pushing down till her lips kiss his base with every up and down motion. Edward surprised how quickly she adjusted to ride every inch of his thick cock that is now tightly pampered by her slick walls.

"I'm surprised you can take it like this." Edward panted, "Last I checked, it was eight inches." With the tip hitting a certain spot as he continued to pull Twilight down. "How close are you Twilight?" He asked while stimulating her clit and horn. Pulling away from her horn, he grabbed and stroked the base of her wings, knowing that they were sensitive as well. Since they were in the hot springs, Edward would last longer than usual. His body was weird when he was stimulated in the cold, it would end quickly, but in the heat, he would last for a long time.

Twilight fluttered her wings and moaned lowly, trying not to disturb anyone else that might be around the spa. "Honestly it's the first time I've felt this good so very close~" The Alicorn pushed out her chest and arched her back, making quick panting noises as her riding sped up. Before the two could exchange more words, Twilight tensed up with several spasms and muffled cries of ecstasy as she came to her climax, her walls convulsing against his thick rod with every tightened motion.

When her walls tightened around Edwards shaft, his balls flared up and ejaculated stands of cum within her womb, groaning as it became sensitive. "F-Fuck..." He grunts, panting as he lets Twilight lay back against his torso. His hands were still messing with her breasts, "How was it Twilight?" Edward asked as he nibbled on her ear.

Fully melting back into his embrace and playful motions, Twilight sighed deeply grinding on his base to keep Edward inside. "Hmm, if I get too addicted to that we'll need to figure something out for our room... After all the flirting or awkward situations between us, it's nice to feel them come full circle like this. What about you, how was your first virgin Equestria Princess?" She asks, reaching back to stroke his cheek gently.

He smiles warmly at Twilight and pecks her cheek, "I'd say you did amazing and also," He leans in, "I don't see a Princess, all I see is a beautiful mare who is my girlfriend." He whispered in her ear. Much to his dismay, he grabs her by the hips, to lift her off his cock, so he could let her face him. "I love you Twilight." He says kissing her lips.

Leaning her chest against his body, Edward could feel the Princess' groin pressing against his shaft to idly grind while they made out. "Hmm, you'd want such a sexually repressed Princess of Friendship as your partner? I confess I might have overly enjoyed that small session a lot more than I let on... Would you still like me if it turned out I was sexually addicted?" Twilight hums, embracing the warmth between them.

Edward smirks as he lines up his already erect cock to her entrance and pushes her down on it, "I think you have my answer~" He says huskily, kissing her a little harder as he used his hips to thrust into her, not wanting this feeling to end any time soon.

Twilight rolled her eyes and shivered as she felt her walls part again to her lover's thick shape. "Oh, Edward... Definitely addicted to this amazing feeling you give me deep inside. Glad you're not opposed to a potentially sex indulgent girlfriend or nymph, I believe it's called. Though I hope you save enough for the massage, I get the feeling we'll need their mop and bucket." She smiles, happily making out with Edward while the pair lost themselves within one another.