> Lessons In Darkness
>  by kudzuhaiku
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a lackadaisical, hurried urgency, Sunburst searched his cluttered desk, trying to find the lesson notes that he had left buried somewhere among the heaps and piles. He was distracted for a moment by a photo of Starlight Glimmer, and he allowed his eyes to linger. ‘Twas reasons just like this one that his desk and his study were never cleaned, never organised. Moments became seconds, seconds progressed into a good minute, and then, Sunburst sighed. Soon, he thought to himself.

But first, other things…

The late autumn sun shone at a low angle, flooding through his narrow study window and filling the room with brilliant, golden orange light that illuminated the many dust motes that had taken flight since disturbing his desk. Standing in the sunlight directly, bathing in its wholesome glow, Sunburst could feel the minute influx of power, the direct effect upon his magic. He was sun-touched, enjoying a tiny boost of power from Princess Celestia’s sun, and once again the Court Wizard of the Crystal Empire was distracted as he paid attention to his well-attuned senses, his thoughts of Starlight Glimmer already lost, forgotten.

“Looking for these?” a snide, sardonic voice asked.

Grinning and a bit startled, Sunburst turned about, only to bang his rump against his desk. The resulting thump caused the tall paper Canterhorn to collapse, and even more dust motes rose up to play in the remains of the day that streamed through the window. Standing in the doorway stood Dim, Sunburst’s fellow Court Wizard—but of the recently established Night Court of the Crystal Empire.

“You gave me these to go over,” Dim said, his reedy voice both nasal and somehow commanding. “Your lesson plan is sound. I have cleaned up the places where you rambled about Starlight Glimmer in the margins. The little loopy hearts nauseated me and are disgusting.” He held up a thick folder crammed with ink-stained parchment.

“Oh, why, thank you…” Blushing, Sunburst tried to say more, but words failed him.

The Starlight Glimmer issue was complicated and Sunburst was now thoroughly convinced that he was cursed. Every single time, without fail, when he tried to make the magic moment happen, something dreadful interrupted. Princess Celestia had even issued a playful decree (in jest, of course) that further proclamations of love and affection were strictly forbidden.

His last attempt to woo Starlight into something permanent had ended with ice orcs invading.

Before his frogs could get too sweaty, Sunburst changed the subject. “I feel like I am losing Flurry, Dim. She’s growing up… changing. Sometimes, it feels like I can’t talk to her—”

“Just like you can’t seem to talk to Starlight?”

Sighing, Sunburst bore Dim’s antagonism with good grace and patience. “Yeah.”

“Funny… I see it quite differently. Flurry has grown willful, insolent, and rebellious. She openly challenges her father now, and fearlessly argues with her mother. She raises her voice to those in authority often and frequently. The only pony she treats with any sort of civility… is you.”

“Oh?” Sunburst pulled off his glasses and began to polish them with the corner of his cloak. It was a useless gesture, he had magic to clean his lenses, but the act helped to clear his mind. Somehow, he hadn’t noticed, but his distractions were many. Squinting, Sunburst gave careful consideration to Dim’s words, but couldn’t reach a conclusion.

“Poor Shining Armor can’t even get a word in edgewise before Flurry trumps him with the words, ‘alicorn instincts.’ She dismisses everything he has to say after that, much to his frustration. Flurry has become haughty… arrogant, even. You might be the only pony that can level her out.”

“Do you really think so, Dim?”

“I wouldn’t say it otherwise, you should know that by now.”

Still polishing his glasses, Sunburst nodded. Dim—a pony known for his lack of tact—was not given to base flattery and useless words. Hearing his friend state the facts—hearing Dim come right out and state the obvious—inspired a little much needed confidence, and Sunburst found himself smiling even with his doubts. Dim was a difficult friend to have, but he was also a good friend to have—at least, Sunburst felt so.

“You are a greater teacher than Star Swirl the Bearded—”

“Okay, Dim, now you’re being sarcastic.”

“I offer no jest. Star Swirl offered tutelage to two alicorns while you have tutored three. These are facts, the medium which you and I deal in.”

Putting his glasses back on, Sunburst squinted even more, trying to read his friend’s face, but Dim’s eyes were hidden behind his mirrored smoked glass goggles and his mouth was obscured by his diabolical goatee. Dim’s stunning point thumped around inside of Sunburst’s head for a moment, and it was then that the slow-thinking-but-still-quite-wily unicorn realised that Dim was also praising himself.

Sunburst laughed, suffering an explosive burst, and when he tried to contain himself it came out in piggy-snorts. He opened his mouth to take a deep breath, but sucked in his own goatee, which caused him to cough and sputter like a cat with hairballs. Meanwhile, Dim’s stoic face never changed expressions, which somehow made this even funnier for Sunburst, and funny wasn’t what he needed right now. No, he needed air and perhaps a trim to his goatee.

“Flurry will fail tonight’s lesson.”

The flinty, harsh words spoken by Dim caused Sunburst’s laughter to die in his throat. Still no expression could be read on Dim’s face, and Sunburst wondered what Dim might be thinking. In silence, he waited, knowing that his fellow wizard would continue when he felt like it—maybe.

“Flurry is too haughty, too arrogant. She trusts only what she sees. She claims to be fine tuning her alicorn instincts, but the truth of the matter is she ignores her own supernatural senses and trusts her eyes far too much. Flurry is all eyes, and once blinded, she will be as helpless as a newborn.”

“Ugh… do you really think so?” Sunburst spat out a few stray goatee hairs and thought about Dim’s words.

“Yes.” Dim’s expression became one of shrewd cunning. “When she is scared and weak, she might listen to you. If you are attentive and remain focused, an opportunity to reach out to her might present itself. I certainly can’t, but I am confident that you might succeed where I will fail. You must try to focus this evening, and put aside distracting thoughts about Starlight.”

“Easier said than done.”

“I know.” There was no judgment in Dim’s words, no malice, no hidden, snide undertone.

Not knowing what else to say, Sunburst changed the subject. “How is Sinister? Any change?”

Dim sighed, a heavy sound, and Sunburst felt keen regret for asking his questions. He had done it without thinking, it was just something he had blurted out, and Sunburst was now aware that the mood had changed, though not for the better. Dim was clearly in pain, and Sunburst had inadvertently caused it.

“She has spent the past few hundred years in Tartarus, suffering in a way that no mortal should. Sinister is quite mad and Luna’s coma-spell continues to hold.” For a moment, Dim shuffled on his hooves, and the sound of them scraping against the stone floor caused Sunburst’s ears to perk. “Luna has an idea, but she and I are in disagreement.”

“And that is?” Sunburst’s question was almost breathless.

“Luna wishes to draw Blackbird into the nightmarish dreamscape that is Sinister’s mind. For some reason, Luna is convinced that Blackbird has a knack for restoring sanity in troubled Darks. It is… quite dangerous to Blackbird, but Blackbird doesn’t seem to care that she too, might go mad. She is willing to go. We’ve been fighting about it.”

“Dim… I’m sorry.”

“I’ve been in there, trying to reach Sinister, and it is dangerous. Sinister’s madness is such that her nightmares can wreck you in mind, body, and spirit. I am… surprisingly resilient to things that damage one’s sanity. Perhaps it is because of my mental illness.”

“Dim, if it’s any consolation… when I first met you, you weren’t well. While Cadance did much to restore you, it was Blackbird that saved you.”

“I know.”

Again, Sunburst wanted to change the subject, because this was just too intense, too much to bear, and if this continued he would be distracted all night with thoughts of it. “Come, Dim… let’s go have tea and go over that lesson plan. I want to hear what you have to say about it.”

“Very well, let us go have tea and discuss our lesson plan.”





The sun fled over the horizon, retreating from the velvet shroud of night that settled over the Crystal Empire. In the air, the chill of winter was alive and well, so much so that Sunburst was convinced that the snows would come early this year. Much of the Crystal Empire was still being rebuilt after the invasion of the ice orcs, and this winter would be an uncomfortable one for many. Cadance would no doubt treat many for chionophobia when the snows of winter finally came, because the ice orcs had been brutal.

Outside of his window, the lights of the city began to blink on, creating islands of blessed light to hold back the coming darkness. Much of the Crystal Empire was about to go to bed, and truth be told, Sunburst wanted to go to bed as well. It had been a long day, but this lesson required darkness. Flurry had chosen the night, and so she would have it, Sunburst would see to that.

“Hiyas!”

Once more, Sunburst was startled in his own study by somepony dear to him.

“Heh, look at you… such a dork. Totally lost and staring out the window.”

“Starlight, how are you this fine evening?” Sunburst turned about just in time to see Starlight rushing him, and he braced himself for her enthusiastic affections.

She pressed against him, standing neck to neck, and Sunburst closed his eyes. When he took a deep breath, Starlight smelled rather medicinal to him, so much so that he almost sneezed, and he wondered what she had been doing. The stench of ozone also clung to her hide and the way she leaned against him suggested extreme exhaustion.

“I’ve been studying ice orc samples,” she replied and her innate cheerfulness gave way to fatigue. “I don’t have Twilight’s alicorn endurance. I swear, the only other creature that can keep up with her is Spike. She’s in one of those moods… she doesn’t want to hear excuses, she only wants results. I was lucky to get a break.”

Sunburst frowned, the corners of his mouth pulled down so much that it made his goatee waggle. He was the expert when it came to ice orc stuff, and he had been somewhat lax in his duties as of late, because he had students, a life, a needy Starlight Glimmer, and all of the duties of a Court Wizard. The need to find out more was strong, because another ice orc invasion could happen at any time, anywhere, at any moment. To say that Twilight was consumed was an understatement.

“Twilight hates you just a little bit right now—”

“Why?” Alarmed, Sunburst pulled away from Starlight and looked down into her weary eyes.

“Try as she might, she can’t seem to reach any conclusions beyond what you’ve already discovered. This makes you one of the most gifted researchers of our age… you know that, right? Twilight is grumpy that she can’t progress beyond the point you’ve reached. I am secretly enjoying her distress.”

“Starlight, don’t be wicked.” Sunburst’s words earned him a giggle, and he did his best to appear disapproving, but Starlight wasn’t at all impressed with his attempts to be stern. “Why is it that all of my close, best friends struggle to be good?”

“I’m good!” Starlight’s lips puckered into a moue of mock-outrage.

A kissable moue of mock-outrage, and Sunburst was tempted. Either he moved closer to her, or she moved closer to him, he couldn’t quite tell at the moment, and he could feel her hot little snorts rustling the hairs of his goatee. Starlight was a good pony, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, because she was one of those sorts of ponies who required constant self-vigilance to remain good. She struggled with it, a never-ending battle to do right. Meanwhile, Dim couldn’t be considered good at all, but neither was he evil. Dim was Dim and Sunburst valued his friendship for the change of perspectives it offered.

“So, this year’s Winter Moon Festival?” Sunburst asked.

“Barring any sudden disaster,” Starlight replied and her moue vanished. “It’s funny, Sunburst… other ponies can fall in love and be married in a month or two. Or even a week. It’s been weird for us.”

“We had to clear up past hurts—”

“And random disasters kept happening!” Starlight blinked a few times, distraught.

“Yes. Those.” Sunburst let out a groan and then pressed against Starlight once more. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re doomed to remain forever friends—”

“Don’t say that,” Starlight murmured while she rubbed her neck against Sunburst’s. “You’re my best friend… my first friend… and I’ve worked so hard to earn and gain your respect after everything I’ve done.”

“That you have.”

“Now, I won’t say that I deserve to be rewarded for all of my hard work, because I know how I can go off the deep end when I feel entitled, but a little recognition might be nice. I just want the same things as everypony else. Having to work for them feels weird though.”

Starlight swayed from side to side and Sunburst could feel the static crackle of their pelts rubbing together. He was proud of her for being aware of her faults, her weaknesses, but said nothing, because now wasn’t the time. Actions spoke louder than words, and he planned to show her, later, when the time was right.

“The Winter Moon Festival can’t come soon enough,” Starlight whispered. “It took some pleading, but I’ve found a few bridesmaids.”

“Spike has agreed to be my best pony—er, dragon.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I have to get back to work,” Starlight said and her voice cracked when she pressed even tighter against Sunburst.

“And I have a lesson to teach,” Sunburst replied while he rubbed his jaw against her ear, revelling in the sheer softness of it. “The hour draws ever-nearer.”

“Just a little bit longer, Sunburst… just give me a few precious moments more…”
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was cold enough to make the nostrils sting and dry out. Sunburst stood in the doorway, adjusting his scarf and tugging his cloak down around his body so that it might cover him better. The scarf—knitted by the one and only Fluttershy—was a thank you gift for solving a mystery that he could never talk about. Such was the life of a royal researcher. A bitter wind blew, causing leaves to billow and scrape along the cobblestone walkways.

No moon rose this night, no visible moon anyhow. With the thick cloud cover, no stars were visible. This was a dark night and Sunburst, though he would never admit to it, was scared of… a lack of available light. To ward himself against the gathering dark, he ignited his horn and then basked in the warmth of the resulting glow while taking comfort in the light it offered.

Sunburst shivered, but not from the cold. For the briefest of moments, he wished his friend Dim was here, because Dim was the dark, and nothing could keep one safe from the terrors that lurked in the night like Dim or Luna could. While there were many who feared Dim, and Luna as well, Sunburst was a far more practical pony, or so he liked to think, because if you wanted protection from the dark things lurking in the gloom, who better to defend you than the Masters of the Night?

When there was most certainly something lying in wait beneath the bed, something too horrible and icky to describe, something too awful to name, when darklings and shadowlings infested a dwelling, the residents of the Crystal Empire were more than happy to welcome Dim into their home. But, much to Sunburst’s dismay, they would shoo him away once the issue was resolved. If only they would give Dim a chance, they might like him as a pony, even if he was just a bit… creepy.

Starlight had much the same problem. She had, in fact, turned over a new leaf, and while she struggled to do right, she was a good pony, for the most part. The legacy she had left behind though, weakening the nation for Mister Mariner and laying the ideological foundations for the Ascendancy, ponies placed the blame upon her directly for these events. Starlight was a pony haunted by her past, overshadowed by the spectres she had spawned.

Sunburst liked Luna, Dim, and Starlight because they were still somewhat shunned. These friendships were difficult, challenging, these were friendships that took a special amount of work to maintain, very much like his collection of tiny bonsai trees. Satisfaction and fulfilment came from the constant effort and dedication to keep these relationships (and his tiny trees) healthy.

Dim and Starlight both appreciated his collection of diminutive trees and the work that went into them. Hours had been spent with both of them, showing them how to trim back roots, prune branches, and how to turn a tall and mighty tree into something… else. Shining Armor certainly didn’t pay it much attention, and while Cadance found them pretty to look at, she had neither the time nor the patience for such a hobby, even though Sunburst felt it would suit her so well. Flurry would sigh with boredom the moment that the word ‘bonsai’ was even mentioned, but at least Skyla showed a tiny bit of interest. Maybe, if he was lucky, he might have a new tiny tree friend.

With bonsai on his mind, Sunburst thought about Hachikō, the diamond dog that shared this fine bit of art. It had been a while since Hachikō had been seen in the Crystal Empire, and Sunburst hoped that his honour-bound friend was doing well. Perhaps, if Hachikō returned, maybe he could help with Flurry. Maybe Flurry needed the advice of a warrior. Or maybe she just needed to grow up.





Beneath a street lamp, Sunburst found his apprentice, Chartreuse in the company of Spike the Dragon. Even on a night such as this one, Chartreuse seemed to have her own glow, and like himself, she was bundled up. Spike was smiling, his head bobbing, and laughter could be heard coming from Chartreuse. The fond feelings that he had for his apprentice warmed him and the cold didn’t seem quite so bitter.

From the sounds of things, the pair of them were talking about their favourite subject: Rarity. Sunburst smiled without realising it and his gait quickened as he approached. It seemed that everypony had an Element of Harmony that they favoured; for Sunburst, he was a quiet, secret devotee to Twilight, and he had even visited her shrines a few times when he had been troubled. Most residents of the Crystal Empire openly engaged in worship of Cadance, though many a home had a shrine or idol of Chantico for their hearth.

“Hello Miss Le Feu, hello Mister the Dragon.” Sunburst bowed his head as he came to a halt. “Spike, I am surprised to see you out and about.”

“I told Twilight to stuff it,” Spike replied, and he flashed a toothy smile while flexing his stubby fingers. “If anypony is going to figure out more about the ice orcs, it’s going to be you, Sunburst.”

“You think so, Spike?”

“I know so.” Spike shrugged, which caused his tail to rise and fall.

“Thank you, Spike, that is very kind of you to say.” The effect of Sunburst’s words were immediate: the little dragon beamed from the affectionate praise and the cold of the night was somehow lessened. “Would the two of you be so gracious as to accompany me to the training yard?”

“We both waited for you,” Chartreuse replied, each word visible as a cloud of steam in the freezing autumn air. “I walked all this way, not caring that I would have to walk all of the way back. Spike was a gentledragon and he offered to escort me. Why, there might be ruffians about, kicking over rubbish bins and spitting on the streets.”

Casting a glance over his shoulder, Sunburst looked back at his home and thought about inviting the two inside for tea; surely there would be time, and to not do so would be rude on a night like this one. Who knows how long they had stood out here waiting for him, enduring the bitter tundra air. Turning to face Chartreuse once more, he allowed himself a polite laugh and then loosened his scarf.

A low mist crept along the cobblestones and Sunburst wondered if it too, had someplace to go, a destination where it needed to be. Wary, he tried to attune his magic sense to it, because weird weather now made him nervous, but try as he might, there was nothing to sense. At least it wasn’t snowing. Sunburst wasn’t looking forward to the first snows of winter and the panic they would surely bring.

“Have you been practicing?” Sunburst looked his student in the eye and waited for her response.

“I have, actually. It’s helped me to understand the challenges that Chalcedony faces. As Dim instructed of me, I blindfolded myself and I have been trying to figure out how to ‘see’ with my telekinesis. Nomination also blindfolds himself and we make a game of it. His echolocation gives him quite an advantage.”

Sighing, Sunburst felt a pang of inward disappointment, because he was almost certain that Flurry had not done the same. As much as he wanted to believe the very best about her, her behaviour had been a little… off as of late. Still, he smiled, his best smile, and he offered a nod of praise to Chartreuse. “It is good that you have taken this lesson with all due seriousness and that you have gained some empathy for Chalcedony. I am pleased by this development.”

“Thank you, Sunburst.” Chartreuse bowed her head and her eyes glittered as though a thousand stars were twinkling, even though the skies above were dull, empty.

“Shall we be going?” Sunburst asked of his two companions. “We have much to accomplish before it grows too late.” Guilt nagged him for not inviting them in for tea, warmth, and maybe treats, but this was how he became distracted and lost track of time. Perhaps later, when this was done, there might be time for tea. Heaving out a huff of steam, he steeled his resolve and prepared himself for tonight’s lesson.





Ahead, the training yard was a vast sea of darkness and the only light came from Flurry and Sumac, who stood around waiting with their horns lit. Not that long ago, this had been a battlefield, but Sunburst did his best not to think about that, because violence did not suit him. His magic senses alerted him to Dim’s presence, but his friend was nowhere to be seen. So that was how it was to be; Dim was hiding, no doubt watching, and Sunburst wondered if his fellow clever wizard would reveal himself.

There were others here, much to Sunburst’s surprise. Sleet was present, along with Skyla, and Sunburst could hear them discussing something in a low voice. This pleased him, because Sleet was a fount of wisdom, and Sunburst hoped that Skyla would listen to Sleet’s quirky, folksy tales and fables. The stark white pegasus almost had a pale blue glow in the light offered by Flurry and Sumac’s horns, at least the parts of Sleet that were visible beneath her heavy, voluminous coat and cowl.

Spike broke away, off on a beeline for Sleet and Skyla. Chartreuse continued her one pony assault against the night itself, her bold colouration defying the darkness. Sunburst could see that Sumac and Flurry were horsing around and the misty, foggy night was filled with the muffled, subdued sounds of their laughter. This was a strange time for a class to come together, but also the right time, Sunburst was sure of it. A good teacher used every advantage.

“Are we ready to begin?” Sunburst asked and it took him several long seconds before he realised that he had failed to get Sumac and Flurry’s attention. “Ahem! Are we ready to begin? Are you two feather brains ready to settle down?”

Flurry, looking sheepish, folded her wings against her sides while Sumac laughed. Sunburst smiled, his gentle nature overcoming his stern outburst and a short distance away he could hear Spike, Skyla, and Sleet all chuckling. After everything that had happened, it was good to hear laughter and for Sunburst, it was a reassuring sound.

“Let’s get this over with!” Flurry cried as she pulled Sumac into a headlock and gave him a noogie, which knocked his glasses off-kilter. “Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, I can settle down and act like a princess.”

“So glad you could join us, Flurry.” Sunburst dimmed his horn a bit so his students could look him in the eye and pay attention. “Sumac, are you okay?”

“No,” the colt replied, “Flurry might be a princess but her wingpits smell like a troll’s crotch rot—”

“And just how could you possibly know what a troll’s rotten crotch smells like?” Flurry demanded.

“Because Vinyl Scratch and I had to go and sort out a troll with a bad case of crotch fungus that came crawling out of the Froggy Bottom Bogg.”

“It’s not fair,” Flurry whined and her lower lip protruded in a pout. “I swear, you get to have all of the fun. I wanna battle trolls and—”

“Flurry...” Sunburst narrowed his eyes at Flurry and he saw her deflate.

“Fine, let’s get this over with.” Rolling her eyes, the little alicorn filly let out a whiny huff.





“We have six senses,” Sunburst said as he settled into his lesson, and he observed the faces of his three students. “We have all of the usual senses of most animals… sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. These allow us to interact with the world around us. All of us also have a magic sense, and this allows interaction with the supernatural. For some of us, our magic sense is underdeveloped, but for others, like our sorcerer here, the ability to sense magic is a powerful asset.”

Sunburst inhaled, filling his lungs with cold night air, and he dimmed his horn just a little more, allowing the darkness to encroach. “Sumac’s magic sense is unique and it is a trait that belongs to sorcerers. Nothing else is quite like it, and we only know a little bit about it, from notes made in the past, observations of those wise and mighty. In my opinion, Sumac’s magic sense is his greatest, most powerful gift, simply because he can use it to gather so much knowledge, so much information, but this requires that he pay attention.”

“I still don’t understand how sorcery works,” Chartreuse said, her voice soft and rather apologetic, no doubt for speaking out.

“It’s complicated.” Sunburst lifted one hoof, gestured in Sumac’s direction, and called to mind everything he knew. “Sumac draws in magic from all available sources, even other planes of existence, and broadcasts it in a small radius around him. Because Sumac has been getting lessons from Princess Celestia to help him hone his magic sense, he can discern some of the sources of magic, like the astral plane, the dream realm, the magic of the world around him, and he draws from the realm of the Void, which we know next to nothing about. Sumac is a conduit that draws magic from other places.”

Sunburst waited, hoping this might sink in, and after taking a deep breath he continued, “We are more than just flesh and bone, more than just these corporeal bodies. All of us, every one of us, every creature that lives in Terra Prime, we are connected to the primordial force known as magic. And that is just one of our many connections, the many ways that we can interact with the world around us. Tonight, I wish to heighten our senses, and it is my hope that we can all be more aware of the world around us. Did anypony read the lesson plan for this evening?”

Chartreuse’s foreleg shot upwards and Sunburst nodded at his eager student.

“To use our magic to replace our senses somehow, such as using telekinesis to ‘see’ and feel our way around. We are to explore our connection to the world around us and heighten our magical awareness.”

“Very good, Chartreuse.”

“I don’t see how this is useful at all. Sounds like mystical mumbo jumbo.”

“Flurry, that is the point of tonight’s lesson. To show you practical applications and see if we can make this more than just ‘mystical mumbo jumbo’ to you. So to start, I thought we’d take a hooves on approach, and I’ve brought these blindfolds that I expect all of you to wear. We’re going to attempt some exercises. If you’ve done your homework, you should already be a little practiced and well prepared for what we have planned.”

“The homework was fun!” Chartreuse blurted out in her eager, overexcited way. “We made a game of it!”

“Good, good.” Sunburst nodded, patient, and held out three thick blindfolds. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Tell me, Flurry, what can you sense? Tell me anything and everything. What can you observe from your surroundings in your current state?”

With every word spoken, Flurry’s ears twitched and Sunburst could see her wings fidget against her sides. She was a visceral creature, Flurry Heart: not one for prolonged bouts of thinking, but good for swift action. Flurry was a warrior through and through—and a proven one now at that—but warriors didn’t have to be stupid. Shining Armor was a canny warrior and Sunburst hoped that Flurry might take after her father… perhaps, with time and maturity. Sunburst clung to his sunny optimism and hoped that Flurry might surprise him now that she was put on the spot. When she began sniffing, Sunburst stepped back and waited for her report.

“I smell wood shavings,” Flurry began, and her nostrils flared wide. “Somepony has been sharpening pencils, I think. Sunburst, Starlight washed your cloak, I can tell, because she puts lavender oil into her laundry, because that’s how Twilight likes the laundry to be done. I can also smell woodsmoke, and I know that’s coming from Spike. Sumac is near because he has that musky, sweaty colt smell. I can hear the sound of fabric against hair and the wind is moving against my face at a speed relative to a slow walk.”

While all of this was impressive, it was all physical senses, and nothing that Sunburst had hoped for.

“Wait…” Flurry’s ears pricked and the filly strained to listen to something. “I can hear my mother’s voice. She’s distant, and above me, so she is probably on a balcony somewhere. She is… she is… talking—no, she is whispering with Luna because she doesn’t want to be heard. They are discussing Sinister and Luna is trying to get my mother’s help to convince Dim about something. Also, Skyla just cracked one off.”

How did she do that? Incredulous, Sunburst cast a side-eyed glance at the palace, which was quite a distance away. In the darkness, he couldn’t see anything, and he had no way of knowing if Flurry was telling the truth. But if she was… if Flurry could actually hear her mother’s distant voice, that was incredible.

“Skyla!” Sleet’s voice rang out, piercing the night. “A nanny could just die! Oy vey, you cracked an egg, you little stinker!”

With his ears pricked and a smile on his face, Sunburst stood still—rigid—so he could listen to Sleet wail and lament her situation while Spike giggled. Flurry’s physical senses were amazing, but Sunburst was disappointed because that was all she had registered. Not one mention of magic. A lecture would have to come later, perhaps. Or she might pull through, he was hopeful.

“Also, somepony is using magic, I can both hear and smell it happening. A horn is being charged up.” With that final statement, Flurry went silent, then stood there with her nostrils flared wide.

Maybe with some time, Sunburst hoped, she might have more to say. “Chartreuse, what about you? What can you sense around you?”

Sunburst was surprised by the sudden tingle that overcame his face, and his eyes were dazzled by brilliant light. It was a gentle touch, though it did leave his glasses askew. A moment later, there was a tug on his goatee, followed by Chartreuse’s enthusiastic laughter. Sunburst too, found himself chuckling, caught up in the magic of the moment, this time of discovery.

“I can sense you, Master Sunburst, and I can feel your glasses and your goatee. It is very, very difficult, but after listening to Dim’s advice, I can actually feel the individual hairs on your chin, though I don’t think I could count them. The details that I can feel match the memory of you I have in my mind.”

The creeping prickle moved down Sunburst’s neck, over his scarf, until it found the clasp of his cloak, and Chartreuse said, “I know what this is. It’s the puzzle clasp for your cloak. It exercises your telekinesis with each use. When we first met, I had trouble opening it. Now I find it quite simple.”

When the glow departed, Sunburst watched as it settled upon Flurry, who squirmed.

“This must be Flurry, I think. She’s ticklish. This is actually harder than I thought and this might be Sumac. They both have a horn, and wings, but wait… Flurry is heavier and far more solid than Sumac—”

“Thanks a lot!”

“Oh, don’t mention it, Flurry, and thank you for speaking. I felt your mouth move and I heard your voice, which confirms that this is actually you.”

“Did I just get duped?” Flurry asked as she stood there, slack jawed.

When Sumac laughed, Flurry let out a huff of righteous indignation but could do nothing to defend herself. The glittery glow lept from Flurry and seemed to be searching, moving around, a cloud of light and crackling energy. It found Sumac, overtook him, and Chartreuse began to examine his features with her telekinetic touch.

“I have found the charming rogue,” Chartreuse announced. “Flurry’s face is rounder while Sumac has fine features. He is slimmer—I would call him willowy but that is not flattering to his gender. Normally, he wears glasses, round ones like you, Sunburst, but right now he is wearing a blindfold, so his most distinguishing feature is missing. I can also feel a scar on his jaw, one hidden beneath his pelt. The hairs lay in a different direction in one tiny spot.”

“Applejack’s barn.” Sumac offered no further explanation.

“I am exhausted.” Chartreuse’s magic expired even as she spoke and her horn spat out a shower of sparks. “Trying to sense that much detail… I cannot keep going, I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine, Chartreuse.” Sunburst did his best to sound reassuring. “You did well and I am impressed by your efforts. Your magical endurance, it shows improvement and I can tell that you’ve been making an effort to do better.”

“It shows?”

“Yes, Chartreuse.”

“Thank you.”

Taking a deep breath, Sunburst turned his head to study a blindfolded Sumac. Flurry had extraordinary senses, no doubt amplified by magic and Sunburst was still wondering if she could hear her mother’s voice from this great distance. It seemed possible, for sure. Chartreuse showed promise and it was obvious that she had been hanging on Dim’s every word, learning how to observe fine details with her telekinetic touch from him. So far, two of his students showed promise of exceptional extrasensory ability.

“Okay, Sumac… I want you to reach out with your mind… and wow us. I know what you are capable of, so no excuses and no slacking off, or I’ll tell Lemon.” When Sunburst heard a worried gulp, his smile broadened just a tiny bit, and became a good-natured smirk.

“I can’t always control this so well… my magic has become erratic,” the colt warned and his orange tongue flicked over his lips. “It’s puberty, messing with me. Be ready with food and drink.”

“Sumac?” Sunburst felt the first pang of worry, a pressing sense of concern for his student. Sumac was usually so confident in his abilities, boastful even, and his warning almost seemed out of character.

“I’ll be fine, just be ready to revive me if something goes a little too right.”

Brows furrowing, Sunburst nodded and then thought about how stupid that was of him, because Sumac couldn’t see. At least Sumac was optimistic about things going right, and Sunburst was certain that this was Lemon’s influence on the colt. Like himself, Lemon believed in the best of the ponies around her, and her constant positivity left the world a sunnier place.

Just as he was about to say something, Sunburst was struck dumb by the sheer force that washed over him, some intangible presence that overloaded his own magic sense and left his horn smarting. Chartreuse cried out, Flurry whimpered, and Sunburst gritted his teeth. This was like standing too close to Celestia when she raised the sun. His eyeballs were vibrating in his sockets and the gristle in his ears buzzed in a manner most unpleasant.

“Twilight and Starlight are near… they’re watching—”

“Really?” Spike sounded alarmed to Sunburst’s ears. “I promised Twi I’d be right back! Oh no!”

“Twilight took great pains to conceal herself and Starlight, and while I can’t sense her directly, I can still sense the residual magic that she cast to hide her presence. There is still ice orc magic all around me… it hasn’t faded away yet. Dim is close… much closer than Twilight. His magic is distinctive because he is Void-touched. When I focus on him too much it burns my mind, because of his connection to the Infernium, the same plane that Vinyl draws her magic from. Speaking of Vinyl, she too, is watching and probably judging me. I can feel traces of Sombra’s magic here… it still pollutes the ground. There are astral presences about, powerful ones, and we are being watched even now.”

With a flap of her still-folded wings, Flurry let out an exasperated huff, followed by an angry outburst. “I don’t sense any of these things! For all I know, Sumac could be saying anything he wants and we have no good way to prove it right or wrong. At least Chartreuse was believable.”

Feeling dismayed, Sunburst’s mouth was pulled down into an uncharacteristic frown. Flurry’s outright denial was typical of how she coped with these sorts of situations. With a sigh, Sunburst shook his head from side to side while trying to collect his thoughts so that he might know what to say. Constructive criticism was hard sometimes.

“Flurry, I can tell exactly where you are standing. I can sense all of you, but your horn and your wings really stand out.”

“Oh yeah?” Flurry’s incredulous tone rang out in the darkness. “Prove it!”

Before Sunburst could react, Sumac reached out with one wing and slapped Flurry right across the face, and this was no light, playful slap either. It was a meaty collision, a hearty smack, and Flurry reeled backwards from the blow. Sunburst heard a gasp from Sleet, and somewhere, out in the darkness, a familiar laugh could be heard. Sunburst would have to have a polite chat with Dim later about not laughing at the misfortunes of others. Schadenfreude was just unkind and really, Sunburst believed that Dim was a better pony than that.

With a shriek, Flurry turned on Sumac, but he was already gone, sidestepping her. Flurry’s own wing slap landed on nothing but air, so she tried again, and again, but Sumac kept ducking away with a casual, unhurried calm. Sunburst was about to say something, but he felt claws on his leg. Looking down, he saw Spike looking up at him. When had Spike drawn so close?

“Trust in their friendship,” Spike whispered. “This needs to happen, I think. This is a language that Flurry understands.”

Then, just as Spike said the word, ‘understands,’ Sumac landed another punishing blow on Flurry’s cheek, followed by a second that landed square on her hindquarters. Dim’s rollicking laughter rebounded through the darkness, and Sunburst’s mouth moved, but no words seemed forthcoming.

Sumac utterly lacked raw strength and combat prowess, but had cunning, intellect, and speed. Flurry was a brute—Sunburst didn’t want to think that Flurry was dumb… and she wasn’t—but Flurry was a physical thinker and not a mental one. She wasn’t one for cerebral pursuits, but excelled in all things action. Sunburst was terrified that one of his students might get hurt, but… there might be a lesson to be learned here.

“Hold still, Professor Egghead!” Flurry slashed with her wings but connected only with empty air, because Sumac was behind her. “Hold still and take what is coming to you!”

Sunburst saw her ears pivot around and shivered with terror.

“Why would I want to do that?” Sumac’s words were almost his undoing, and Flurry bucked out in his general direction.

This was a near-miss, and Sunburst wasn’t sure if his nerves could take it.

Sumac was circling now, silent, and Flurry’s ears rotated, trying to hone in on him. Sunburst watched with dreadful anticipation and could not help but think that Flurry was a predatory animal while Sumac was more like prey—but what wily prey Sumac was. The colt whistled, a somehow mocking sound, and Flurry fired off a blast of magic.

Much to Sunburst’s relief, it bounced harmlessly off of a shield that Sumac raised in just the nick of time. Sumac whistled again, and Flurry lobbed off another shot. What was Sumac doing? Sunburst didn’t understand, but combat was strange to him and violence was some vast, unexplored frontier. Again, Sumac whistled and within seconds, Flurry responded with another well aimed blast.

Suddenly, the night air was filled with whistling, which seemed to come from all directions, a veritable cacophony of shrill sound. Flurry’s ears quivered for a moment, overloaded, and pinned back to her head. She froze and Sunburst realised that her primary advantage in this situation was lost, undone by a simple ventriloquism spell that Flurry didn’t seem to know how to counter.

Leaping in, Sumac landed a flurry of blows upon Flurry, smacking her face on both sides.

It was like watching a dragon be undone by a mosquito. Flurry recoiled from the many blows, and unable to go on the offensive, she raised her wings to protect her face from Sumac’s stinging slaps. This continued for a time, until Flurry shielded her face with one wing while trying to feel around with the other. Sumac retreated, light on his hooves, a terrible grin could be seen on his face when he used his telekinesis to grab his friend by the tail.

When he gave it a sharp yank, she cried out, whirled around, and tripped over her own legs. With Flurry down, collapsed in a heap, Sumac stepped in and pounded out a quick staccato rhythm on her backside, beating on her like bongos, and then pronking away before she could retaliate. With a roar, Flurry regained her hooves and then stood with her wings spread, still defiant.

“Sissy tail tugger!”

Chartreuse had retreated, and now stood with Skyla and Sleet a safe distance away.

Sumac stepped up his antagonism with arcs of lightning, zapping Flurry’s horn and her wings. She cried out from the painful jolts, but Sumac was relentless in his opportunistic assaults. The whistling continued, a bewildering sound, and again, Sunburst was tempted to end the fight. Looking down, he glanced at Spike, who still clung to his leg, and he could see the worried look on Spike’s face.

“Spike, are you okay?” Sunburst whispered to the anxious dragon.

“No,” Spike replied, shaking his head, “I’m watching my niece get humiliated. I want to go help her, but that wouldn’t be helping her at all.”

Sunburst knew that it was usually Sumac that was on the receiving end of a beating and the colt was no stranger to abuse. What must Sumac be thinking right now? Was he enjoying this? No, Sunburst decided. Sumac might be having a bit of fun, but the colt just wasn’t the type that would delight in Flurry’s suffering. When this was over, Sumac would be there to pick Flurry back up again, because the two of them were inseparable friends.

“Do you yield?” Sumac asked while he pronked around outside of Flurry’s physical reach and his voice could be heard from every conceivable angle.

“Never!” In defiance, Flurry finally raised a shield, something she should have done quite some time ago. Barrel heaving, she stood there, sucking wind while her tail slapped around her hind legs. “Once I figure out how to get my hooves on you, I’m gonna wring your scrawny neck!”

“Good luck with that, slowpoke!”

Now, it seemed that the two were at an impasse and Sunburst agonised over making a decision…
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Just because I can’t reach you doesn’t mean that you’ve won,” Sumac said while keeping his distance. “You’re just hiding from the problem, same as you always do. So I can’t reach you and you, you can’t touch me. Delay is not victory, Flurry.”

The scalp muscles on the back of Sunburst’s head drew tight as his ears pinned back. Had Flurry protected herself from the power of compulsion in Sumac’s words? Could she? Even while saying he couldn't win, Sumac was employing the one weapon that almost ensured that he would. Even if Flurry couldn’t ward herself against his compulsion, she could, if she so wanted to, block out all sound entirely.

But Flurry wouldn’t do that, Sunburst realised, because she depended upon her sense of hearing far too much. Did Sumac know this? Was he ruthlessly exploiting his friend’s weakness? It appeared that way and just thinking about the dizzying intricacies of this betrayal made Sunburst feel swoony-headed.

“When all else fails, you hide behind your shield, Flurry. You’ve done this for as long as I have known you. You hide behind your shield with the hopes of waiting it out or having somepony come and rescue you. There’s been plenty of times that I’ve hidden inside of that shield with you. Hiding in your portable safe space doesn’t negate the fact that you just got trounced.”

“In a fair fight I would’ve kicked your scrawny backside to the moon, Sumac Apple!”

“Then I have no motivation to fight fair, do I?” Sumac replied in a voice of utter calm that echoed in all directions around him. “Physically, I am the weakest of the alicorns, Flurry. Even Skyla is stronger than I am. I was the weakest of my playmates, growing up, and still am. My friends—our friends, they’re all stronger than I am. Pebble is a titan… a colossus… Megara is quite literally a monster. Even Boomer is stronger than I am. Rather than feel weak or inadequate, I found other ways to fit in… to belong… to compete… to—”

“You cheated!”

“Well, duh!” Sumac clucked his tongue, a mocking sound, and continued, “And you exploited my cunning nature every chance you got. ‘Oh, Professor Egghead, we need a plan!’ Sound familiar?” The colt mocked Flurry by speaking in a high falsetto but he did not laugh.

Sunburst found the tension paralysing.

“I can’t overcome your shield, Flurry Heart, but you can’t outthink me. You’ve been letting me do your thinking for you for the longest time and as your friend, I’ve done you wrong. I should’ve made you think for yourself, but I wanted to belong and to feel important.”

When Flurry lowered her shield, Sunburst released the breath he hadn’t realised that he had been holding. Lightheaded, he filled his lungs with much needed air and wondered when Sumac would renew his assault. The calm, the lull, it was somehow worse than the combat—the continued peace was maddening and Sunburst hoped that something would happen to break this terrific, terrible tension.

“Flurry… you’ve used your magic sense in the past. You’ve told me about how you’ve sensed things. Why not now?”

“It only works when I’m not thinking about it,” Flurry replied, blurting out the words in a hurt, foalish manner. “If I try to force it to work, nothing happens! I have to be doing something else for it to work. Standing around bored with a blindfold on makes it impossible.” Then, after a moment, she added, “Still friends, Professor Egghead?”

The ventriloquism spell ended and Sumac revealed his location with the sound of his voice. “Of course.”

Flurry advanced, still blindfolded, and Sunburst forced himself to breathe again. Flurry had just been humiliated by her own best friend, and she was a filly that did not deal well with being humiliated. Sumac had handled himself with grace and aplomb though, admitting his own faults so that Flurry’s might not sting so much. It was with no small sense of irony that Sunburst concluded that Sumac and Flurry were as different as night and day.

“You know”—the sudden sound of Starlight’s voice almost caused Sunburst to leap out of his skin—“I met my best friend during an impasse. It was a fight that neither of us could win. I could have kept the fight going, I could have held on to my stubborn pride, but I saw how the world ended—er, at least one way for the world to end if I didn’t let go of my pride. Twilight talked me down from my haughty position… she did with friendship and words what couldn’t be done with magic and brute force. Somehow, she did it without diminishing me, or belittling me, and she somehow left me feeling hopeful rather than allow me to continue wallowing in my hopelessness.”

A short distance away, Flurry and Sumac embraced, both still blindfolded, and Sunburst turned to look at Starlight, who now stood beside him. Starlight’s eyes were misty, and Sunburst knew how much tears stung in the cold. As he stood, looking her in the eye, he watched the first tear fall and admired Starlight’s courage.

Twilight Sparkle too, appeared, her magical concealment falling away like an unwanted cloak. She stood staring at the two foals for a time, her expression unreadable, and then she placed a wing over Starlight. Using his cloak, Sunburst wiped Starlight’s face for her, saying nothing so he wouldn’t embarrass her, and then leaned up against her side.

Meanwhile, Spike was offering up his best apologetic grin to Twilight.

“We should go somewhere and get warm,” Sunburst suggested, and he was overcome with a pressing need to have his friends and loved ones gathered around a cosy table. “It’s never too late for tea.”

“There’s work to be done,” Twilight responded, and she gave her head a sad shake. “Now that I’ve found my Number One Assistant, I can get back to work. Have a nice time without me, Starlight. I want to see you bright and early though. Dawn.”

Sighing, Starlight nodded her head.

Sunburst didn’t know what to think about everything that had just taken place, and knew that he would need plenty of time to sort everything out. A lesson had been learned here tonight, though perhaps not the lesson he had planned. Flurry was still hugging Sumac, her wings wrapped around his neck, and both were still blindfolded.

Sniffling, Starlight echoed Sunburst’s previous sentiment: “It’s never too late for tea.”





⇺The End⇻