> Hogwarts: Sunset's Legacy
>  by witegrlninja
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In Which Our Heroine Expels Herself and Finds A New Mentor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought you loved me... How dare you...?!

Ugly, bubbling rage made my entire body feel hot, not at all helped by my frenzied galloping down the cold marble halls.

You lied to me... You were never going to give it to me... I never should have trusted you!

I had no time to waste. I threw open the doors to my room and slammed them shut not a moment later. A saddlebag was thrown onto my bed, and I hastily began stuffing it with supplies.

I'll show her... I'll show them all! That power should be mine! I earned it, I deserve it!

An enchanted purse full of Bits and gems stolen from the Royal Treasury. Some food and an enchanted canteen of water. Parchment, quills and ink. A couple of favorite books.

She's not gonna stop me... nopony is gonna stop me! That power is MINE!

"Miss Shimmer?" A pair of sharp, stern knocks thumped from my doors. My eyes shot towards them as I tightened the saddlebag's strap around my barrel. "Miss Shimmer, do you have a moment?"

And she's already sent her guards to throw me out... I thought she was better than this...

I took a few deep breaths as the knocking continued. I could definitely take on a few of the guards, but I needed to make it quick before the battlemages were summoned. I wouldn't get a second chance at this.

"Miss Shimmer? Please, we need to talk-"

With a blast of pure magic I threw open my doors with such force the two guards on the other side were sent flying into the walls on the opposite side of the hallway. I cared not for their wellbeing - they groaned in pain as I fled past them, my hoofsteps echoing like thunder. Any other hapless guard I encountered along the way was gripped in my aura and slammed into the floor before they could even speak.

Finally I reached it. The room where it sat dormant. The room where I had been promised power like never before. The room where that same promise had been broken into pieces.

The guards flanking the door narrowed their eyes and lowered their lances towards me as I approached, but my mind, my magic, my entire being burned. My aura surrounded them and sealed them within their own armor, leaving them unable to move as I flung them into the opposite walls for good measure. My magic then ripped the door off its hinges a moment before I raced inside.

There it was... the Crystal Mirror. Even now it showed me my reflection, of what I had been promised before... myself, an Alicorn, ruler of Equestria. Praised, respected and feared for her insurmountable magical power.

"Mine... it's mine..." I hissed through my teeth as I approached it slowly. Curiously, the surface of the mirror began to ripple. Not only was this mirror a reflection of my future, it was also a portal to another world. One that Celes- my former mentor had promised to show me before she so cruelly and callously ripped it away.

A world that promised me the power I wanted. The power I earned. The power I deserved.

My ears flicked as I became aware of distant hoofsteps growing steadily closer, heavier than those of the guards. She was coming.

It was now or never.

Without hesitation, I hurled myself into the mirror.

In an instant I was enveloped in total darkness. The ground gave out beneath my hooves, yet I did not fall. I tried to move, but my body would not respond. It was like I had become paralyzed, yet I was still so very aware of every little sensation I felt in my limbs. Slowly my body began to stretch and contort in ways it should never have been able to - bones bending, breaking and fusing themselves back together; skin stretching, tearing and knitting itself whole once more; muscles, visceral fat and organs lurching from one body part to another like giant, fleshy slugs inside me, or sloughing off entirely and vanishing into the darkness. It hurt more than any other pain I'd felt in my life, but I did not allow myself to scream.

At least... not until I felt something tear itself from my head.


~


FWUMP

I felt myself land on my stomach, on a cold, hard, stone floor covered by a rug. The strap of my saddlebags suddenly felt uncomfortably tight, and I willed my eyes open as I reached for them.

But once I finally registered what I was seeing, I froze. My body was no longer pony in shape - long, gangly appendages stuck out of my body from my sides, just beneath my neck - bent at crooked angles, with five more gangly appendages at the ends... they looked nothing like my forelegs. My hind legs were longer as well, with five short stumps of flesh at the very ends instead of my hooves. My mane no longer extended down the back of my neck but sat disheveled on my head, and the brilliant crimson and amber colors had faded somewhat. The marigold fur of my coat was also missing, revealing the ruddy-peach colored, barren skin beneath.

What... what in Tartarus? What happened to me?!

"Ah...?"

A voice belonging to an old stallion broke me out of my stupor. My eyes slid towards the voice, seeing a large room filled to the brim with bookshelves, drawers and strange devices I didn't recognize... and...

...

...

...

...some... thing.

My first instinct was to scream. Unexpectedly, the thing shouted as well.

"Godric's heart!" he spluttered a moment later, stumbling backwards a step. "Wh-What are you doing here?! How did you even get here?! Who are you?!"

My scream died in my throat, and I blinked rapidly. Now that the initial shock had worn off, and he didn't seem to be lunging forward to attack... I was cautiously curious.

"Agh! And why are you indecent?!" He raised one of his appendages to cover his eyes, while the other took hold of a long stick. I flinched as he waved it in the air, and flinched again as I suddenly felt... saw myself being covered by a robe of soft red and yellow cloth.

Indecent...? I looked down at myself again... my fur was missing, maybe that was what was indecent about me. Well... instead of attacking me, he's put clothing on me. That's... nice. "Um... thank you," I offered carefully.

"Yes, well... now, young madam, how in the world did you appear?" he asked again after clearing his throat, more calmly this time. "Why, it looked like the Mirror of Erised suddenly rippled like the surface of a pond and spat you out!"

"Mirror of... Erised?" I parroted back, turning my head towards the mirror behind me. It was huge, ornately decorated with gold and enamel with an inscription scrawled around the glass. Upon seeing myself in it, and startled by how different I looked now, I gasped as I stumbled away from it. The reflection slowly morphed to show myself, in my new form, standing tall and proud with an aura of power.

Somehow... it felt exactly like what I had seen in the Crystal Mirror.

"Oh! Your wand," he pointed to the floor beside me. Following his gaze I saw a long, spindly thing. It was the same color as my fur-

...Is that... my horn?!

In horror I reached out with one of my new gangly appendages and grasped it. To be certain, my other appendage slapped itself onto my forehead, where my horn should've been... but I felt nothing but smooth skin. The thing... my horn... even the marigold velvet of my fur was still attached, still living.

My horn... my horn...! What is going on...?!

"I... I..." My entire body began to tremble, and my horn clattered to the ground. My breathing grew rapid and shallow. My vision blacked out around the edges. My body had changed so drastically, and my horn had somehow been severed from my head! I felt my blood run ice cold, an empty void growing within my heart like a black hole.

"Hmm... Accio Calming Draught," he said, holding out an appendage. A large bottle flew into the room from somewhere and into his grasp. He took out the cork before gulping half its contents down, then he cautiously walked towards me. "Here... drink this. I see that you're just as surprised as I am, this will help to calm you down."

Drink this...? Why? I eyed the bottle suspiciously as I grasped it. Figuring it'd be rather stupid of him to have poisoned the contents or something right before taking a drink himself, I drank what was inside.

Hmm... lavender. And mint...

Indeed, as soon as the liquid slipped down my throat I could feel my anxiety ease until it was nonexistent. The thing then waved his wand at a chair, which sent it careening through the air before coming to a rest beside him, and sat down. "My name is Eleazar Fig... and you are...?"

Eleazar Fig...? What a weird name.

"Er... Sunset," I spoke slowly. "Sunset Shimmer."

"Sunset Shimmer... what a strange name," said Fig, leaning back in his chair with his paws Paws? Now that I'm thinking more clearly, I think that's what they're generally called on bipedal creatures like these... on his knees. "I suspect that you are not from around here, correct?"

Oh, really? What gave you that idea? "...You could say that," I grumbled, first rubbing the side of my head, then raising my new paws in front of me in contemplation.

"Is something wrong with your hands?" Fig asked, looking concerned for my wellbeing.

Oh... okay, they're called hands. "No... I don't think so, anyway," I replied, setting them down in my lap. "It's... uh, a long story."

"Hmm... well," Fig waved his wand again, which summoned another chair from across the room and brought it to rest beside me. "I am in the middle of preparing next year's curriculum before leaving for the summer, but I could stand to take a break from that for now." Continuing to wave his wand, a small side table appeared beside the chair, and a carafe of water and a small bowl of apples zipped into the room from elsewhere and plopped down neatly on top. "Please, make yourself comfortable. I would very much like to hear all about this... long story."

Curriculum? So, he's a teacher of some sort... and it appears he's able to use magic. But...

"...Something tells me you're not going to believe me," I winced as I stood up and made myself comfortable in the chair, picking up my horn in the process.

"Try me," Fig shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "In all my years of traveling and teaching at Hogwarts, I have seen many a strange occurrence... Although, I must admit, someone suddenly emerging from the Mirror of Erised is definitely new."

Someone...? Is that what he is... what I am now...? I bit my lip as I considered my words carefully... Wherever I had wound up, here was an old someone teacher who seemed willing to listen to, and possibly help me while I got my bearings. I wanted to make sense to him and gather as much information as I could about my present situation... but me actually being a Unicorn notwithstanding, I also did just get myself banished and expelled from Celestia's tutelage. Best not to make a terrible first impression.

"Okay, well... I'm... from a faraway land," I started slowly.

"Ah, which country?" Fig asked.

"Erm... Equestria."

"Equestria...? Never heard of it before," Fig blinked in confusion. "Is it perhaps somewhere in the Americas, or possibly the Far East?" Now it was my turn to blink in confusion.

None of that sounds familiar to me. "I... don't think so?"

"You're unsure? Have you been afflicted by a Memory Charm?"

"No, no, I haven't," I quickly shook my head. Coming up with a sudden backstory that completely hid who I was was harder than I thought. "Uh... well, at any rate, I found a strange mirror and touched it, and the next thing I know, I'm here."

"Really?" Fig's head reeled back slightly.

"Told you you wouldn't believe me," I huffed, glancing away.

"Well, no, I mean... how is it that you've appeared from this mirror? The Mirror of Erised is only known to show its viewer what they desire most... there are no records of it ever being enchanted into a Portkey."

Shows its viewer what they desire most, huh? But what's a Portkey...?

"Hmm..." I mulled over my thoughts for a moment, drawing a few conclusions. I decided for the moment that a Portkey must've been their term for a mirror portal. "...Well, I entered a mirror and wound up here, so... I guess the mirror I used was a Portkey?"

"Most peculiar," Fig hummed to himself, already lost in thought. While I prayed to whatever deities there were in this world that he would stop asking so many questions, his eyes lit up. "Oh, yes... may I see your wand? I don't believe I've ever seen one like that before."

My... wand...?

With a spark of realization I held up my horn. He nodded as he looked at it, and with great trepidation he held up his wand and floated my horn over towards himself. His wand glowed with different colors as my horn twirled about in midair, then I felt a strange, gently tingling aura surround me as he performed what looked and felt like diagnostic charms on my body, humming and chirping as he thought to himself.

"Merlin... the velvet on this unicorn's horn is still alive. And it is intrinsically connected to you... why, even if I were to Vanish it, it would simply reappear on your person."

V-Vanish...?!

"Please don't," I mumbled.

"Of course not," he shook his head, my horn floating back towards me. I snatched it from the air and held it close, just to make sure. "Godric's heart... Miriam will be stunned when I write to her about this!"

"Miriam?"

"My wife... ah, but I am getting off topic. So, Miss Sunset Shimmer... you are from a strange land called Equestria, yet you do not remember where it is located, and you're here because you touched a mirror that was a Portkey to this one?"

"...Yup."

"And you're sure you have not suffered from an Obliviate charm?"

"Pretty sure."

"Fascinating..." Fig mumbled to himself. "...I do assume you would like to return from whence you came, correct? I would be happy to help you in that regard."

Uh...

"...No, actually," I stared at the floor.

"Oh?"

"Let's just say... there's trouble waiting for me if I go back through the mirror."

"Hmm... so you've used this Portkey to escape a bad situation," Fig pondered, his hand touching his chin.

"Right." There was an uncomfortable silence between us for a few moments. My mind shifted from thoughts of my present predicament to those I would be having in the near future... a place to stay, clothes, what I was going to do with my life now... things like that. I didn't know what I expected when I leapt through the Crystal Mirror, but it wasn't... this. Fig suddenly clapping his hands together startled me back to attention.

"Well! In that case, I'll see to it that you get all the help and support you'll need," he smiled warmly as he stood up from his chair. "In the meantime, you may stay with me in my home if you'd like. I would be most honored to help you get acclimated to your new life here!"

I couldn't help but grin, hope blossoming within me - no further questions, and he was already willing to help me out? This was going better than I had hoped. "Sure... that sounds nice."

"Splendid!"


~


The next couple months were a blur. Fig was more than happy to take me in and teach me all that I needed to know about this world. From him I learned that not only was there no Equestria or even an equivalent country here, but I was in an entirely different world - a planet called Earth in a country called the United Kingdom, in the capital of London, populated mostly by humans. Magic existed in this world much like it did in Equestria; Fig was a wizard, a professor in Magic Theory at one of the world's premier magic schools. However, most humans were incapable of performing magic, and therefore were kept segregated from wizards and their society - called Muggles by the various magical communities. Besides wizards and witches there were many other nonhuman magical races: goblins, centaurs and mermaids to name a few. There were also tons of magical creatures in the world, including unicorns! ...But, to my disappointment, they were hardly sapient. I wondered how much all these beasts resembled the various races back home.

There were, of course, many idiosyncrasies I now had to accept as my new reality. As similar as most of the current technology here was in comparison to Equestria, it was also sorely lacking in some places. So many things I had taken for granted before seemingly hadn't been invented yet - the existing technology was simply too primitive. Music was restricted to classical instruments, and genres like rock, hip hop and pop just didn't exist. Most appliances run by electricity also just plain refused to work when in close proximity to magic, if they even existed here in the first place. Clocks had to be wound and rewound constantly, lest they stop working and not tell the time anymore. Candles were used for lighting if one did not have oil lamps, or gas pumped in from a factory somewhere for gas lamps. Refrigerators relied on a giant block of ice being stored on a top shelf, gradually melting away and requiring a trip to the general store for another one. Magic, of course, solved many of these problems, but the fact that electricity and magic were seemingly incompatible annoyed me, as it was simply not the case in Equestria... but, I managed, and soon found myself barely noticing the differences.

As for myself... when I told Fig that I was fifteen years old, he seemed excited. He suggested that perhaps my name might've been entered into the Book of Admittance at his workplace, and taught me about how messages were sent in this world Owls rather than a spell or dragonfire... who knew? before writing and sending out a few of his own. A few days later an owl dropped a scroll into my hands before flying off - it was neatly sealed with a wax stamp. Inside was a formal invitation to attend Fig's school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as a 5th year student. The first day of class wasn't until the first of September, but they had already arranged for my supplies to be purchased and sent to Fig's house. I was rather annoyed upon learning that I apparently wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school because of my age, due to a law passed twenty five years ago, yet after explaining the specifics Fig (and I, secretly) seemed to think the rule wouldn't apply to me.

"Besides, that's only if a witch or wizard is living in a mostly Muggle community such as London, here," he handwaved. "But as long as you restrict your magic use to only my house, or put up the proper anti-Muggle wards elsewhere, then it's perfectly fine for you to use it... After all, I think it ridiculous to tell a guest what she can or cannot do," he finished with a wink and a smirk. He continued on to explain that with so many magical children and their families to keep track of, there was no possible way to police them all. Most children who were ever caught simply received a letter of warning, or at most a slap on the wrist. Still, I hated the thought of being restricted from using something so essential to who I was.

As soon as my acceptance scroll had arrived, Fig set to work determining just how talented I was with magic, to see how much I'd need to catch up to my future peers, if at all. First, he instructed me on the use of my horn- er, my wand. By performing the corresponding movements and speaking the correct incantations, my spells would shoot right out of its tip at whatever I wished to target. After that, he helpfully put together a list of spells I should master, as well as what I could expect to learn in my 6th and 7th years of school...

...I couldn't help but sigh once I'd learned what the incantations for each spell meant. I already knew each and every single one on the list. To be sure, Fig had me perform an assortment of them as a test, and I perfectly cast them all by simply pointing my wand at my targets without even speaking their incantations.

"Merlin's beard... just what do they teach you children in Equestria?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"I did have an exceptionally talented mentor back home," I answered smugly.

"One of these days, when I have the time to write this all down for research, you will have to tell me all about your homeland!" said Fig. "From what little I've been able to get out of you, I can tell your culture is quite rich and exquisite!"

"Of course," I nodded, already going over what accomplishments I could tell him about in my mind. After we finished with the spells, he then tested my knowledge in other subjects: he was predictably quite surprised, but seeing how this was an entirely different world to me, I would need to learn Astronomy and History of Magic from the ground up. Herbology and Potions were similar to Alchemy back home... not my favorite subject, but I could still brew a potion flawlessly, and the vast majority of the plants I would use were analogues of Equestrian plants. Divination was, like in Equestria, something that only a select few were able to perform with actual accurate results... and I was not one of them, so I wondered how that was going to work. And I would need to take broomstick flying lessons as well as one more elective class - I decided on Care of Magical Creatures, to see the similarities and differences of these creatures with those from home. He was surprised again when I demonstrated my ability to teleport, or Apparate as it was known here, but informed me that it was not only disallowed in Hogwarts, but was also technically illegal for me to do so until I was seventeen.

"Geez... you wizards sure don't like to let your teenagers do their own magic," I grumbled.

"I am only telling you what the Ministry of Magic's laws are... but, again, I am not going to tell you what you can or cannot cast," Fig reiterated. The fact that my newfound guardian was willing to bend the rules like this did put my mind at ease, and I decided that I liked him from then on... at least until he made me a promise and then broke it in the cruelest fashion possible.

The more he told me about what life at Hogwarts would be like the more I found myself oddly looking forward to it, since being Celestia's personal protégé I had never attended a traditional school. The school days began at 7:30am, when breakfast would be served in the Great Hall until 9. Then there were two hour-long classes before lunch and a break, then after that were two more hour-long classes starting at 1pm. The school day ended after that, with dinner being served in the Great Hall around 5pm. On Wednesdays there would be Astronomy classes at midnight, and curfew otherwise was 9pm.

Pretty standard stuff, I guess?

Students 3rd year and above could also travel to the nearby town of Hogsmeade with a permission slip from their parents, but after informing Fig that I was an orphan he told me he'd vouch for me.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he sighed. I almost snorted in disdain, having thought of Celestia as my own adoptive mother all these years... but that was before she refused to tell me more about that mirror and the power that awaited me, before she got angry that I had tried to study it on my own when she refused to answer my questions... before she threw me out, both as her protégé and her adopted daughter.

...No. I had no parents... I never did.

The vast majority of my school supplies would be provided for, but there were still some things I needed to buy. For starters, I had no clothes other than my now ill-fitting saddlebags and what Fig had conjured for me. Upon opening my enchanted purse I found that the gems had remained the same, but my Bits had transformed into the currency of this world - golden Galleons. Fig was stunned again when I showed him just how much money I had.

"Goodness! You've certainly mastered Capacious Extremis," he gaped. The rest of that day was spent going clothes and supplies shopping and debating whether or not to open an account at Gringotts, the main wizarding bank in the area. Though it was advertised as one of the safest places in the entire wizarding world, Fig had been reading the newspaper everyday - there were rumors of a goblin rebellion being planned, but as there were only rumors the Ministry of Magic wasn't acting on them. In the end I decided I much preferred keeping my purse - and my money - on me at all times. It wasn't like I didn't enchant it to be theft-proof, not to mention my pocket dimension for storing things was still usable.

After finally getting all of my schooling things settled, Fig was more than happy to provide me with all the books on various topics that I asked for. After devouring all the knowledge in my textbooks for the year, I poured my attention into the history of the wizarding world, especially after he informed me that the professor for that class, Binns, was notoriously uninteresting. I also read about the history and traditions of Hogwarts, already wondering which House I would eventually be sorted into. Definitely not Hufflepuff, they sound laaaaame. I read books about anthropology, anatomy and physiology (as disturbingly outdated and obsolete as they were in their theories, I had to use my own knowledge of pony A&P to fill in the gaps) in order to get more used to my new body, and to learn what customs I'd need to adhere to as to not stick out like a sore hoof. I even practiced my best Trottingham accent, with which everyone seemed to speak in varying degrees of severity.

I wondered how many classmates I'd have. I was already confident that I knew more than they did, at least when it came to spells. There might've been some subjects I would need to catch up on, but I was certain I could do it. I was determined to be top in my class, to show all these peasants who the greatest witch amongst them truly was.

Yes... graduate from Hogwarts, accumulate knowledge... seize power. My reflection in both the Crystal Mirror and the Mirror of Erised had shown me my future. I was destined for greatness. And nopony- er, body... was going to get in my way this time!

Near the beginning of August, Fig received some terrible news - his wife Miriam had been found dead. She had been traveling around the world researching something called ancient magic... an extremely rare, and extremely powerful type of magic, the stuff that had created Hogwarts many centuries ago. Fig had spent years traveling with her and researching together, but he had eventually grown weary of the constant movement and accepted his current position at Hogwarts while his wife continued on. They had sent each other letters somewhat regularly, but she had stopped a couple weeks prior to the discovery of her body. Understandably Fig wanted some time alone, so I happily busied myself with more research of my own while he tended to her final wishes.

Extremely rare and powerful magic... wish I could wield that. But apparently it's been centuries since the last time anyone's ever seen it... damn.

Before I knew it, August 31st had arrived.

Today was the day.

I spent the morning packing, and the early afternoon rereading the last few pages of my History of Magic textbook before putting it away. At just before 3pm a carriage appeared from the sky, driven by another wizard but not being pulled by any sort of creature. Fig and I set about securing our luggage to the carriage and had just finished when another man dressed in a brown suit Apparated to our area a few feet away. His back was turned to us, and he spent a few moments toddering about before turning around.

"Oh!" he chuckled in recognition. "Eleazar!"

"George!" Fig raised his hands in greeting. "Glad my rather cryptic description of our location did not thwart your finding us!"

"I've Apparated to more vaguely-defined destinations than this!" George laughed as he and Fig shook hands. "Though I confess I may have miscalculated slightly on my first try... Gave quite the fright to some theater-goers on the West End," he looked towards me and grinned.

Seems jolly enough.

"It's been much too long," said Fig. "When I received your owl, I must say I-"

"Best not speak here, Eleazar... hm?" George suddenly cut him off, his eyes shifting around. The sudden need for secrecy piqued my interest... if my ears could still flick, they would've.

They can't speak here...?

"Of course," Fig nodded quickly, pausing for a moment. "...Why don't we speak enroute to Hogwarts? We have a start-of-term feast and a Sorting Ceremony to get to!"

"Wonderful idea!" George agreed, turning towards me. "As long as your young charge here doesn't mind me tagging along!"

"Not at all, sir," I replied politely... one thing I had learned from my studies was that these humans were absolute sticklers for prim and proper etiquette. It was hard to get used to, at first... anytime someone referred to me as a mere child, I couldn't help but get frustrated. Like that was a good enough reason to treat me as their lesser, especially when I could cast circles around them.

Fig didn't do that. He'd treated me as his equal from the day we met, although now that we were transitioning to school life he'd said it'd be best to refer to him as Professor in front of others... which I could understand. It just annoyed me that I had to be polite to literally everyone, even those that clearly didn't deserve it, as to not raise any suspicions. The last thing I wanted was to answer more questions about where exactly I had come from.

"After you," Fig motioned to me towards the open carriage. I clambered inside and Fig followed suit.

"Ages since I've been to the castle... Would be good to see the old pile of rocks," said George. He set one foot inside the carriage, but hesitated. He glanced around, as if he were worried about being followed. A few moments passed until he seemed satisfied that nobody else was around, and entered the carriage proper.

The bells of Big Ben clanged and clamored as the carriage driver whipped his reins at nothing, and the carriage sailed into the sky. Within seconds it passed through the lowest layer of clouds, hiding us from Muggle view. My heart began to pound - not because of the carriage ride, nor because of the apparent secrecy of our trip... but because my new life was finally about to begin.

Here I come, Hogwarts... what can you do for me?
> In Which Sunset Already Nearly Dies Twice In One Afternoon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Glad I caught you before you left for Scotland," George sighed after a few minutes of silence. We were high above the clouds now, the sun just beginning to touch their silver linings.

"Just barely," Fig nodded. George chuckled a bit before his gaze returned to me.

"And who is your traveling companion?" he asked.

"My name's Sunset Shimmer. It's nice to meet you, George," I bowed my head slightly.

"She's a new student," Fig added, gesturing towards me.

"New...?" George breathed, taken aback.

"Yes, sir. I'm starting as a fifth-year," I explained. George gaped at me for a few moments, blinking rapidly before settling back down.

"How extraordinary..." he finally said. The fact he seemed so taken aback caused me to shift uncomfortably in my seat.

"Is it really that unusual? Surely there must be the occasional transfer student... families moving and all?" I reasoned.

"Indeed, we do have students joining us from all over the world... in fact, we just had a student transfer over from the Uagadou school last year," explained Fig. "Your specific situation, however... to any of our knowledge, that hasn't happened before." Even though he kept it vague, I realized what he'd secretly meant. I was certainly a special case, having been suddenly spit into existence here one day from a different universe entirely.

"Fig told me that you seem to have been an orphan that crossed paths with him one day," said George. "Amazingly self-taught in magic, but with no formal education."

"Yes, yes... and once I had invited you to remain with me, the Quill of Acceptance immediately wrote your name down in the Book of Admittance," Fig finished my cover story, technically the truth. I nodded slightly, a subtle smile on my face, and he smiled in return. "Of course, as the other fifth-years will have been honing their magical skills for four years now, the Headmaster asked if I could get Miss Shimmer up to speed a bit before the term begins."

"Well, you couldn't have asked for a better mentor!" George grinned and winked at me. "Professor Fig is not only an exceptional teacher, he is also a remarkably intuitive and gifted wizard!" To my right, Fig was squirming bashfully at the praise.

"Mr. Osric is prone to flattery," Fig turned to me, chuckling. "I daresay it's one of the reasons he's risen so far at the Ministry." I smiled and turned back towards George, who had suddenly grown solemn. He reached behind him into his pocket dimension and pulled out a newspaper.

"Have you seen this?" he asked as he unfolded the paper for us to see. The cover story was an article about a goblin named Ranrok, his gnarled, bald head sneering at us as if deeply offended. The text beside his picture was about whether his rebellion was real or not.

It had been in the papers for a while now... I wondered why it only made the front page today. My eyes wandered to the clouds as I thought, barely noticing that one of them was slightly darker than the rest. But by the time it registered in my mind and I thought to look at it, the cloud was gone.

"I have," Fig sighed. "Opinions differ as to how great a threat Ranrok really is."

"Although I've yet to convince my colleagues at the Ministry, I believe he is a significant threat," said George, who swallowed uncomfortably. "And... it was your wife, Eleazar, who alerted me to his activities months ago."

The mere mentioning of Fig's late wife made the both of us sit up straight. "Miriam?" Fig breathed, leaning in. "...How?"

George sighed sadly. "...She wrote to me about Ranrok before she died, wondering what the Ministry knew of his activities." Fig's gaze sank to the floor. After a few moments, George pulled out another object from his pocket dimension. "Before I could respond... I received this. It was the last thing she sent me, Eleazar."

He held up the object so we could get a good look at it. It was a cylinder with cone-shaped ends, formed from a brassy, blue metal not unlike Abyssinian steel. A white metal symbol sat in the center, resembling a wisp of smoke or a flare of flame.

And... the symbol was faintly glowing.

"It came to me via her owl, but with no correspondence," George continued slowly. "I can only assume-"

"That she had to get rid of it quickly, to keep it safe," Fig finished for him, accepting the strange metal cylinder from George.

"Presumably from Ranrok," George nodded. Fig spent a few moments looking over the cylinder. "I cannot open it. Whatever magic protects this is powerful, indeed."

"...It looks like goblin metal," Fig hummed, tapping on the cylinder. "That symbol-"

"It's glowing," I mentioned. Both Fig and George reeled away from me in surprise, then examined the cylinder with twice the attention as before.

"I don't see a glow..." Fig finally said.

"Nor do I..." George agreed, staring at me. Fig then handed the cylinder over to me. It felt strangely warm as I took it in my hands, and I turned it over as I studied it.

They can't see the glow? Weird... it's supposed to open, isn't it? I wonder how-

The glowing symbol flashed, and the cylinder popped open. A golden key laid inside the blue interior, its handle shaped into the same symbol as on the cylinder. Everyone inside the carriage gasped lightly.

"Merlin's beard!" George exclaimed. "How did you-?"

"Wait!" Fig suddenly hissed as I reached to pick up the key. "We do not know what-"

An extremely loud noise ripped through my ears just as the carriage shook violently. It took me a second to realize that the entire opposite side of said carriage was now missing. My stomach instantly dropped, and I clawed desperately at the remaining windowsill on my side of the carriage so I didn't fall out.

SWEET CELESTIA! WHAT THE-

I gasped in horror as I finally registered what I was seeing - a massive dragon was flying just behind the carriage. A metal collar, glowing a violent red, sat around its neck. The other half of the carriage, and poor George, was being precariously held in the beast's mouth, boiling saliva dripping from its fangs. George screamed as the dragon tossed its head about, squeezing its jaws, the splintering wood growing weaker and weaker.

"Apparate, George!" I shouted to him. "Appar-"

The dragon's jaws snapped shut. Pieces of wood and glass flew from its mouth and dropped to the ground far, far below. My words... my breath died in my throat.

Oh, goddess! Did he just-?!

I remembered the poor carriage driver, and I carefully turned around in my seat to look at him. He was fine for now, but I was horrified to see what was now visible to me... pulling the carriage...

...Thestrals.

George was dead.

I just watched him die right in front of me.

...Oh.

The thestrals struggled to stay in control. The carriage driver desperately whipped and shouted at them, begging them to fly faster. Turning back towards the dragon, my heart stopped as I saw the back of its throat begin to glow, thin streams of lava rising up from its bowels and drooling out between its teeth.

"Jump!" Fig shouted. Without thinking I let go of the windowsill and let myself fall into the sky. Just above me, a raging torrent of fire burned the remainder of the carriage to ash within seconds, the carriage driver Apparating away at the last possible moment, the thestrals freeing themselves and flying away in different directions. The dragon surged forward and smashed into what remained of the carriage, disappearing from view.

Okay... okay, I've been in worse situations! Just need to keep looking at the ground, gotta teleport at the last possible moment-

"The key!" Fig shouted again. It had fallen out of the cylinder and was dangling just out of reach. I glanced behind me - the dragon had circled around and was coming straight at us.

"Give me your hand!" I wrenched my body through thin air, managing just barely to grab hold of Fig. I could feel the heat from the dragon's mouth coming closer and closer.

"Accio!" he shouted. The key zoomed straight into his other outstretched hand just as the air grew suffocating.


~


Not even half a second later I landed roughly on the ground, the wind knocked from my lungs. I could barely open my eyes through my coughing, but I felt immensely better once I saw that we were on the ground.

"Are you alright?!" Fig cried out, struggling to his feet. I tried to respond, but could only manage a raspy half-yes. Fig eventually stumbled over to me, holding out a small vial of green liquid.

Wiggenweld potion... oh, good.

Wordlessly I took the vial and gulped down the contents. It passed down my throat, past my lungs, into my stomach... the ability to breathe returned, and I took one big gulp of air as I stood up. "Ugh... thank you." Glancing around at my new surroundings... it appeared that we were now in a cave, except there was plenty of sunlight beaming in from the opening.

Fig was pacing back and forth, muttering wildly. "Poor George... I can't believe he... What the hell got into that damned thing?! Attacking a carriage midair... a typical dragon would never...!"

"Uh, Fig?" I moaned. It was enough to break him out of his trance, and he placed his hands on his hips as he took a few breaths. "...Where are we?"

"I'm not sure," Fig replied after a moment. "But that key you discovered was clearly a Portkey!"

Portkey... like the Crystal Mirror? Can a Portkey be anything...?!

"Come... let's see where this Portkey has taken us," Fig mumbled as he set off towards the cave's opening. I quickly followed after him out of the cave, where my breath left my throat again - the ground dropped into a sheer cliff overlooking the frothing, churning ocean about two hundred feet below. Roiling clouds covered the sky, growing darker over the deeper waters. The wind howled and screamed, threatening to blow me away, crying seagulls our only company. The only other thing in sight was a towering mesa poking out of the sea a good mile or so away... ruins of some sort had been carved into the weathered stone.

"How far did that Portkey take us?!" I shouted above the din of the wind.

"Farther from London than the carriage traveled," Fig shouted back. "We're somewhere in the Scottish Highlands!"

I considered the purpose of a Portkey for a few moments and came to a conclusion. "Do you think the Portkey was meant to lead us here?"

"Yes... to those ruins over there," Fig concurred. "This has not been the day either of us expected!"

I'll say.

"But Miriam sent that Portkey to George for a reason..." Fig continued, thinking aloud. "I believe that she... and now George... died in pursuit of whatever it was meant to lead to... If you're sure you're alright, and wouldn't mind indulging me... I'd like to look around."

"Then let's look," I agreed. "Might as well since we're here, now."

"Good!" he grinned. "Let's see if we can find a path, however faded it may be! Mind your step!" Fig then set off down the remains of an old path etched into the ground, banking sharply to the right. I followed him as carefully as I could - the rocks were slick and smooth from all the wind and moisture, the path so eroded that it was only a foot wide in some places. At times he would get so close to the edge, so close to stepping off into oblivion that my heart leapt into my throat.

"Where do you think your wife got this Portkey from?" I asked after a few precarious minutes of travel.

"A good question," Fig responded, thankfully focusing a little more on his foot placement as he spoke. "She's been searching for evidence of a long-forgotten form of ancient magic for years, now... I don't know where she came into possession of that Portkey, but I am certain it was to do with that search."

"You think so?"

"Yes... Miriam wanted to understand why such powerful magic disappeared from the wizarding world, spoke of the good it could do... But magic is no different than any power. What really matters is the one who wields it."

We continued in silence for another minute or two, passing underneath a ledge. A massive sheet of what looked like ice walled us off from the rest of the path. "Ice? Weird, that shouldn't be here."

"No, it's not cold enough here," Fig agreed. "It must be some sort of enchantment."

"Well, it's not much of an enchantment," I groused as I pulled out my wand. With a quick flick it fired a bolt of pure magic and shattered the fake ice like stepping onto a frozen puddle.

"Very good!" he praised as we passed through. The path continued downwards and back around the cliff... though we were careful there was a slope covered in wet grass, and we both lost our footing and slid down it. Clambering up a few short ledges, we made our way back to the path and followed it to its rather abrupt end, just in front of the mesa and the ruins.

I couldn't imagine what would possess someone to live all the way out here, magical or not. As Fig cast Reparo on the crumbled remains of a bridge, the wind seemed to blow even harder. I grabbed at the edges of my blazer, waiting impatiently for the spell to finish. Once the ruined bridge flew and slammed itself back into place we hurried across.

The ruins were... well, ruins. It appeared to have once been a handsome little castle, but the stained glass between the stone frames had shattered to dust long ago. Scraggly plants and sparse wildflowers struggled to eke out their existence in the windswept cracks between bricks. There was a mural of a wizard studying Divination tools carved into the cold stone ahead of us, and a cracked statue of presumably that same wizard holding a crystal ball to our left.

"Why would someone have built this here?" I asked incredulously.

"I suspect they valued their privacy," Fig shrugged. "That Portkey led us here for a reason... let's have a look around for anything that seems... out of place."

This entire ruin is out of place...

I walked around the ruins for a minute, not seeing anything particularly strange. Judging from the mural and statue I figured that whoever was nuts enough to live here long ago was a Seer of some kind. Once I got closer to the statue however, I realized that there was a path leading around the ruins towards another section hidden in back. I jogged down the short path towards this new section... one of the ruined tower's walls were made of that same fake ice from before, and as I approached it, it began to glow.

Alright, that probably counts for out of place here.

The fake ice was almost mirror-like, my blurry reflection matched my movements. Once I'd gotten within a few feet of the wall, colors began to fade in, and an image spread out from the center... it looked like an ornate room inside of an ancient cave, decorated with polished marble and stone, with a single wooden lectern holding a massive, aged book facing me. Lights shone from some lamps and a huge crystal chandelier, held together by elaborate filigree decorations. To the left, the room seemed to lead into a massive cavern... and all of this was far too big to be contained within the entire area of the mesa...

...No, it looked like a portal.

"Hey, Fig!" I shouted as loudly as I could, to ensure he heard me. "Behind the mural! There's a path by the statue!" It only took a few seconds before I could hear and feel his footsteps approaching. He slowed as he approached the wall.

"How odd... why would someone have conjured that enchanted stone here?" he mumbled, running his fingertips across the surface.

"And it leads to some sort of room within a cave," I hummed in thought. Fig dropped his hand and looked over to me, then back to the wall of enchanted stone.

"...What room? I don't see anything."

"You... You don't? But it's glowing and everything, like that Portkey container was!" I blinked, touching the wall. As soon as I made contact with the strangely-warm stone the reflection instantly vanished, immediately replaced by a gray brick wall that definitely didn't resemble the wind-worn bricks of the ruins. In fact, the roar and chill of the wind was entirely gone.

"What in Merlin's name...?!" Fig cried. Whatever had happened, he was here, too. I turned around and gasped lightly as I realized we were now in that room I had seen in the reflection. It was silent other than our footsteps, a gentle hum coming from the cavern to the left... and someone snoring.

"Now where are we?"

"I don't believe it..." Fig breathed as we walked quietly towards the lectern, our footsteps echoing lightly. On top of it, his face buried in the book, was a goblin who was fast asleep. Fig and I shared a glance before he tried clearing his throat to wake the goblin.

..zzz...

Fig cleared his throat again.

...zzz...

Fig cleared his throat louder.

...zzz...

"Oi!" I barked, losing patience. The goblin startled awake with a shout, sending a quill flying in his stupor. After a few moments he was awake enough to realize we were there.

"...It can't be!" he mumbled, as though pleasantly surprised. The goblin clambered down from the lectern, revealing that it was a good five feet taller than he was... hell, even if I were still a pony, I still would've been taller than him. He was dressed in a neat white collared shirt and green vest with a yellow necktie and brown pants, looking very professional as he bowed graciously to us. "Welcome to Gringotts Wizarding Bank!"

Oh... so this is Gringotts.

"Vault number 12, I presume?" the goblin continued.

"Precisely!" Fig nodded quickly as I glanced over to him. The goblin paused for a moment, the smile slowly slipping from his face.

"...The key?" he grumbled, holding out a hand. Fig froze as he worked out which key the goblin might've meant... from what he'd told me about Gringotts, I remembered that every customer of theirs owned a key to their specific vault, which they couldn't otherwise access... not without threatening to blow the poor workers up or something, anyway.

"You know... the key we have," I whispered. Fig opened his mouth in realization and fished the Portkey out from his robes, handing it to the goblin.

"This way, then!" the goblin pointed towards the cavern with a smile. We followed him a short distance as he motioned towards a floating set of rails. He whistled, and a few moments later a strange cart came rolling from out of view, stopping just in front of us. It was a haphazard-looking thing with barely a platform to stand on in order to sit in one of its four small seats, two on each side. The goblin hopped into the driver's seat on top of it as Fig and I carefully sat down. "Keep your hands inside the cart if you don't wish to lose them!" he chuckled.

Oh, great...

The cart lurched forward and gained speed quickly, nearly making me fall out of the tiny seat. I held on for dear life as it sped up, zooming down the rails through a tunnel and into the depths of the cavern. Vaults were carved into every wall and every massive stalactite and stalagmite, flanked by lamps that did little to illuminate the vast space. The goblin gave us a bit of a tour as we went, speaking about how many hundreds of vaults were in Gringotts, mentioning that private entrances to the bank (like the one we'd just entered from) were reserved only for the wealthiest and most powerful wizards, then alerting us to take a breath. Before either Fig or I could ask why, the cart took us directly beneath a waterfall.

"Gah!" I screeched. That water was freezing!

"That waterfall washes away all enchantments! It's a security measure!" the goblin plainly informed us. "Never experienced the Thief's Downfall before, I see?"

"Heard of it," Fig grumbled as we cast drying charms on ourselves. The goblin continued with his tour, mentioning how we were passing the lower vaults now - Gringotts had been built over four centuries ago, and Vault 12 was, of course, one of the first to be commissioned. There was still a long way to go, and I did my best to listen while watching the cart's wheels spin all around us like a roller coaster, even though the cart itself remained stationary.

It was really doing a number on me. I hoped this ride didn't last too much longer.

After a few minutes the goblin began to slow the cart down. We had reached the first 100 vaults of the bank, and there was a platform where another goblin in a security guard outfit was standing. The cart came to a stop, allowing me a few deep breaths.

"Vault number?" the guard growled.

"Vault 12... momentous day!" our driver beamed. The guard didn't seem too impressed.

"Hmph... on your way," he gestured with his right arm as our cart began to move again. It was then that I noticed that he was wearing an arm band of some kind... it was glowing the same violent red that I'd seen on the dragon. The guard shuffled away as we sped up, only to reappear on his own cart on a separate set of rails a few moments later, zipping off into a tunnel and out of sight.

That red color... it almost burned itself into my mind. It begged to be mentioned.

"Fig," I whispered.

"Hm?"

"That arm band that guard was wearing... it was glowing."

"...Like the glow you saw on the Portkey container?" he whispered back.

"Not quite... it was glowing red. I saw something similar on that dragon a bit ago-"

"What was that?" the goblin suddenly piped up. He must've assumed we had a question for him.

"We were just wondering about that goblin back there," Fig explained.

"Oh, he watches over the oldest section of the bank," the goblin replied. "Rare anyone goes there anymore."

Hm, guess that makes sense... the people who these vaults are for are probably long dead by now.

Finally, the cart slowed to a stop in front of a single vault hewn out of a huge stalagmite. This was Vault 12. Fig and I carefully stood up from our seats and walked onto the platform, making our way towards the vault.

"When was the last time this vault was accessed?" asked Fig.

"A goblin has been stationed at my desk for hundreds of years. In that time, no one has visited Vault 12... until today," said the goblin. He approached the door to the vault, a brass-colored oval covered in complicated-looking pistons and gears. He slid the key into its hole and the various bits on the door shifted, eventually opening it. He then stood to one side and bowed, ushering us into the vault.

"Thank you for your help," Fig nodded as we stepped inside. For a bank vault that apparently hadn't been opened in centuries, it was disappointingly quite empty. Enchanted candles illuminated the shelves where barely a full set of plates and goblets sat.

Seriously? This is what that stupid key is leading us to?

"Hmm... sir, I wonder if you might-"

"The instructions for Vault 12 indicate that I am to grant access to the holder of the key, and then close the door," the goblin interrupted Fig. Before either of us could protest, the door to the vault slammed shut. I could hear all of the pistons and locks sliding back into place.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"Best of luck!" came the goblin's muffled voice from the other side. Fig took a deep, exasperated breath.

"Well... now what?" I frowned.

"That was certainly unexpected," Fig muttered as he put his hands on his hips. "Let me think... there must be something here."

I sighed, putting a finger to my chin in thought. That Portkey couldn't have led us to something as disappointing as an empty bank vault... there had to be something more to it, right?

Hmm... there wasn't much point to using it before, but now might be a good time for a revealing charm.

"Revelio," I muttered, flicking my wand. A faint blue pulse of light like a radar flashed outwards from its tip, bathing the room. Towards the very back of the vault, something flickered. "Oh, over there!"

"Hmm... move a bit closer and try again," said Fig. I did as he instructed, getting right up against the wall before casting. This time a brass and blue metal door appeared, that same white, wispy symbol as the Portkey and its container etched into the very center. "Well, that's a start... there's that symbol again."

"Alright... so there is something here," I hummed. "And it's glowing just like the Portkey container was."

"If what you can see reveals the way forward, then I daresay we are about to discover the secret of this vault!" Fig grinned. "Lead the way!"

The symbol responded to my touch, but not in a way that I expected. In the blink of an eye all of the candles extinguished themselves, and we were thrown into pitch black darkness. As soon as Fig and I were able to cast Lumos to see again, I saw that we were no longer in the vault, but a massive, empty stone room. All that occupied it were pillars that stretched upwards into the darkness.

"This is no ordinary vault," said Fig. "I suspect we will need to earn our way out of here."

"A challenge, huh? Finally, something interesting," I smirked.

"Stay close. There will be no Disapparating if things go poorly... not out of Gringotts." We walked together through the darkness for a few minutes, not seeing any sort of hint as to how to beat this challenge... not until I noticed another glowing, blue light like I'd been seeing, this time on the floor. I moved away from Fig towards it, reaching it just as he noticed and jogged over to me.

The light swirled all around me like a vortex as I stepped onto it, warm and airy. It was hard to describe, but I could feel a sense of power in the light. It whispered to me in an arcane language, begging me to let it surround me, flow into me... for me to use it. I held out my wand and gasped as the light seemed to want to disappear into it.

This light, this power... it's calling out to me.

I waved it around a little, and the light followed. I felt a surge of power deep within my heart, and I flicked my wand. The light pulsed and then extinguished, sending Fig and I back into the darkness for a moment before he cast Lumos again. The room had changed yet again, although this time instead of an empty stone room, there was nothing but the enchanted stone on the floor for as far as I could see. Curiously, there was a reflection of a kneeling suit of armor in the floor, leaning on its sword.

"What happened?" Fig whispered in awe.

"I saw another glowing spot, this time on the floor. I stood on it, and... it felt like it wanted me to use it."

"Wanted you to use it?" he parroted, curious.

"It's some kind of magic... I can't think of anything like it that I've seen or used before," I replied. Fig hummed in contemplation.

"...You seem to have caused the floor to change," he said as he glanced around.

"Right... there's a reflection of a statue in it." Fig looked down and around for a moment, clearly not seeing what I was seeing. I cast another Revelio, and the statue itself appeared atop its reflection... except it was facing the complete opposite direction.

"Ah... I assume this is what you saw reflected in the floor," said Fig.

"It is. But the reflection doesn't match the statue." Fig walked around the statue... as he did, the statue's reflection seemed to follow the light from his wand. "Oh! The reflection's following your light!"

"Hmm... perhaps you should cast Lumos," he suggested, putting out his wand as I cast the spell with mine. I could already see where this "puzzle" was going. A couple seconds later I had matched the reflection with the statue, which suddenly stood up straight. It raised the longsword it was holding a few inches and tapped the floor with its tip.

Light suddenly pulsed and swirled around us, illuminating the area. A number of similar statues dropped down from above, but this time their swords were poised for battle. The first statue then raised its sword and wasted no time in aiming for my neck.

Good... I was getting bored with this challenge!

Fig cried out as I cast Protego, shielding myself from the blow. The sword bounced off harmlessly, but the momentum was still enough to push me back a couple feet. In an instant the rest of the statues charged at us. Sadly they were rather weak, as one good spell was strong enough to shatter them in one hit. Fig handled those that came his way with equal ease. Before I knew it, all of the statues were lying in pieces on the ground. The light surrounding us howled like a gale, flickering as if it would go out any moment.

"Stay close!" Fig yelled, but it was too late. The light pulsed downwards, changing the room along with it. As soon as it reached the center of the area, Fig disappeared from sight. Not even  Homenum Revelio showed me where he had gone.

Hmm...

I began to wander around what area I could see, stopping abruptly when sparks of light suddenly shot out from my steps, flying off into the darkness. I felt a subtle pull as I walked in their direction... they seemed to be leading me somewhere.

After a few moments, there it was - another glowing spot on the floor. I stepped inside the vortex and again felt its balmy caress, heard its gentle whispers. I felt another surge of power within my heart, and I flicked my wand in response. The light pulsed and again revealed an enchanted stone floor, this time with three reflections of knights within it.

Seriously? This again?

It took me mere seconds to arrange. As soon as the three knights tapped their swords on the floor in unison, they attacked me again. I rolled my eyes and cast a Depulso in shockwave form around me, instantly crumbling them where they stood. Despite this, more of the statue knights fell from the sky.

"Oh, come on... I thought this was supposed to be a challenge!" I groused as I destroyed the knights almost as quickly as they appeared. No sooner than the last one fell that the light died from the room again, more sparks of light forming beneath my feet and leading me somewhere. This time, however, besides another glowing vortex, the lights also led me to a large, glowing silver statue of that swirly symbol I kept seeing. The vortex was just in front of it.

The magic caressed me once again... it smelled of fresh air and ozone, of heat and something metallic. I became slightly lightheaded, but in a way that didn't concern me at all... it was as though I was absorbing the magic every time I encountered it.

And I was more than happy to embrace it.

I flicked my wand again, and the statue before me melted. The liquid metal quickly reformed into a graceful, pointed arch, and a portal appeared inside of the opening, glowing a soft blue. Inside I could see a large room decorated with lit sconces, with blue stone flooring and pillars and walls decorated with gold, empty except for...

...

...what appeared to be a birdbath.

Huh.

Seeing how there was nowhere else to go, I entered the portal. The room was even more grand than it had appeared on the other side. As I approached the birdbath, I noticed that there was something floating above it... a small vial of white crystal and silver filigree, hanging from a delicate chain. I carefully plucked it from the air, and I heard doors behind me opening - Fig walked through them a moment later, looking relieved to see me.

"There you are!" he shouted, jogging towards me while scanning the room. "How did you... What is this place...?"

"No idea," I shrugged. "But I found this little vial floating over the birdbath here."

"Birdbath...?" Fig mouthed as he glanced behind me, realizing what I had meant. "That is no mere birdbath... that is a Pensieve, for viewing memories."

"Viewing memories?" I parroted back. I could see memories in this thing?

"I wonder...?" Fig mumbled, looking at the vial I had picked up. I let him take it, and he opened it up over the Pensieve. A thin stream of shimmery, silver liquid poured out of the vial and into the Pensieve's water, turning it cloudy. He instructed me to follow his lead, which made me slightly concerned as he then proceeded to stick his head under the water's surface... But, I figured if he was doing it, then I wasn't going to drown myself or anything.

It didn't feel like water when I stuck my face into it. Instead I felt a pulling sensation as black wisps of smoke danced in my eyes, eventually fading away into a vision. I saw a massive room, carved out of bluish-grey stone and white marble and decorated with arches gilded in gold. An old man in Renaissance-period clothing and a long, white beard was creating the room with magic that glowed blue and warm... exactly like what I had been experiencing. With simple flicks of his wand he raised elaborate pillars with decorations that twined and curled around them like vines. Another man soon came into view, this one younger and barely fitting in his clothes.

"All is in place," he said as he sheathed his wand, turning to the old man.

"The Portkey is well hidden?" the old man asked.

"Perhaps too well. I wonder if the path we've created-"

"May be impossible to follow? It will only be impossible for one who cannot see traces of ancient magic, as I can," the old man reassured.

"Your ability to see what others cannot will not be enough, Percival," warned the younger. "We are entrusting the one who embarks on this path with powerful secrets, with knowledge others will do anything to obtain."

"Yes, and if we are correct, Charles, the witch or wizard who completes the trials will have proven themselves worthy of that knowledge... and the responsibility that accompanies it."

Charles paused for a moment, admiring their work. "We've done all that we can." He turned to Percival and nodded. Percival then pointed his wand at his temple, a stream of something silvery exuding from there and wrapping around his wand. As it happened, I felt myself being pulled out of the Pensieve, the wisps of black smoke clouding my vision until I gained the willpower to lift out my face.

"That's what you're seeing?" Fig gasped, staring at me. "The glow that surrounded them?"

"I... believe so," I responded, blinking in disbelief. Traces of ancient magic... could it be? Am I really that lucky...?

"Astonishing!" Fig stared into space.

"I... I can see... use ancient magic?" I gaped, hope and excitement swelling within me to almost bursting.

"Yes..." he replied with a reverential awe. "...The magic that Miriam had always believed existed... but could never..." He paused for a moment as he realized something. "...Miriam, and perhaps George... died in pursuit of knowledge that has been dormant for centuries... and you, it seems, are the key to understanding why!"

Me...

My mind raced with new thoughts. I had always known I was destined for greatness, to be the most powerful unicorn, or now witch, in the entire world... but this! Somehow, I had struck gold! Somehow, I was handed the opportunity of a lifetime! Of several lifetimes!

Ancient magic... it was apparently extremely powerful. And... was it possible that it chose to reveal itself to me? I was already an incredibly strong witch myself... Or maybe it was because I was a unicorn, and therefore attuned to magic in ways any other human was not? I could think of no other reasons why it had happened, why I was now so incredibly fortunate.

From that moment, I made my decision. I was going to learn everything I possibly could about this ancient magic. Mastering it would only aid me further in my quest to become the most powerful witch in the world, to elevate myself to heights no mere mortal could ever touch! And Celestia...

...Even she would have to bow to me.

"It all looks rather different than it did a moment ago..." The sudden muffled voice of the goblin from earlier knocked me out of my thoughts. Fig and I looked towards the direction of the voice - multiple pairs of footsteps were accompanying it.

"Someone's coming," Fig warned, gesturing for me to stay behind him.

"Who were they?" Another muffled voice, this one sounding deep, cruel and mean.

"I don't know... but sir, you shouldn't be here!" the goblin from before warbled just before the doors opened. A goblin that looked strangely familiar to me sauntered through, his dark red eyes glowering with malice. Thick, brass-colored armor covered his shoulders and arms, intricately decorated and subtly glowing that same violent red I had seen on the dragon and the security guard.

"I was right," he growled slowly, glaring at Fig and I.

"Ranrok," Fig growled in return. He began walking towards the goblin and his companions, and I followed.

"Seems my reputation precedes me," Ranrok snarled as we halted our advance. "I was beginning to think no one was ever going to visit Rackham's vault."

"And why are you here?!" Fig demanded as he whipped out his wand. I followed suit. Ranrok slowly raised his hands, but his demeanor never changed.

"No need for that. Just give me whatever it is you found here, and we can let bygones be bygones," he hissed. The way he carried himself made my hackles rise, made the hairs on my arms and neck stand on end. There was no trusting this guy, this... this angry little cabbage.

I don't think so... how do you even know about this vault?

Huh?

I blinked rapidly, though I never took my eyes off of Ranrok. What was that I had just heard? It sounded like Fig, except I was sure he hadn't spoken...

...No. It was more like I had felt Fig speak.

"S-Sir? They had the key to the vault..." the goblin that had accompanied us chuckled nervously as he tried to deescalate the situation. Ranrok's eyes shifted towards him, yet his head didn't move.

"...Choose your next words wisely."

"I, uh, I only meant that the instructions for Vault 12 were quite clear... Sir, I-I must insist. I was to grant access only to one with the key, and you didn't have-"

Closing his eyes in disgust, Ranrok raised his hand in the goblin's direction. An angry red glow, even brighter than I had seen before, shone from his armor and coursed down his arm in an instant. The goblin's body was suddenly surrounded by that glow as he was raised several feet into the air... then Ranrok swiftly brought his arm down. The goblin's body followed, and his voice cut out with a sickening crack.

Ohhhh... that guy... yep... he's dead.

"...I have no patience for traitors," he curled his lip, never taking his eyes off us. "Now... where were we?"

"I'm not giving you anything!" Fig retorted, thoroughly appalled by his actions. Ranrok sighed, annoyed.

"Well... perhaps your young friend here will be more helpful," he pointed to me. Before I could snark at him, Fig roared and cast a spell at Ranrok, who deflected it simply with a wave of his hand. He then sent a blast of magic our way, and to my surprise it punched straight through Fig and I's Protego charms and sent us flying to the opposite side of the room.

It was a few seconds before I realized that the ground was shaking, and it wasn't just because I had been sent tumbling from the hit. The floor rippled like water, and the lights died out as the Pensieve dissolved itself into a silvery puddle. From that puddle an immense statue of a knight rose up, much different from the ones I had seen. This one was a good thirty feet tall, its body glowing brightly as though it were made of pure ancient magic, form only given to it by the elaborately carved metal armor it wore. To my relief, it seemed to have taken offense at Ranrok's presence as it raised its massive sword and swung for the goblin.

I picked myself up from the ground and helped get Fig steady. I felt a pulse of magic behind me and looked - the portal I had entered this room from had changed, now showing me what looked like a clearing in the middle of a forest. The ground shook again, and I saw that Ranrok and his two companions were fighting the giant knight. It was staggered from their blasts of red magic, stumbling backwards in our direction.

"Fig! This way!" I shouted, my body already poised towards the portal. But Fig seemed entranced by the battle, ducking as the knight's back slammed against a pillar, then swung its sword so hard it got stuck in the wall behind it, just barely missing Fig's head. Thankfully, that brush with death seemed to knock him out of it, and he ran as fast as he could towards me.

He'd be cutting it close, though... the knight's impact had cracked the pillar in two, and half of it was falling in the portal's direction. I grabbed his arm and yanked him through just as the pillar slammed down atop the portal's arch.


~


The ground suddenly stopped shaking. All was silent except for the singing of crickets and frogs. I dared to open my eyes and wonder just where the hell we were now.

Other than a large stone wall with an empty pointed arch for a decoration, we were now in the middle of a clearing in a forest. Night had fallen since I'd last seen the sky, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. There was a clear path through, and in the distance I could see a lake with a castle on its shores. In addition there was a wooden sign with a lamp, with two arrows pointed towards two distinct directions: Hogsmeade, and...

...It couldn't be. What kind of strange coincidence...?

"Are you alright?" Fig asked, catching his breath. I nodded my reply. "...I've never seen so powerful a goblin, he seemed wholly unaffected by my magic!"

"Is that...?" I pointed towards the castle, still unsure whether I was really seeing it. Fig followed my gaze and soon broke out into a chuckle, all but confirming my suspicions.

It really was Hogwarts. How in the world...?

"It can't be," he grinned. "It seems those who set up the Pensieve, the vial locket, and the path to both... wanted someone with your ability to end up here." He took a few steps down the path and into the light, forcing me to jog after him.

After that very eventful detour... this was it.

I was finally here.

"Come... we've a Sorting Ceremony to get to."
> In Which Sunset Meets - And Beats - Her New Classmates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Though I wanted to run all the way to Hogwarts, it was a rather long trek from the forest to the castle. Fig took my hand and Apparated us a short distance away from the main entrance, and we finally made our way through the massive, carved wooden double doors. I couldn't help but be impressed by all the highly-polished stone tiles and marble carvings, the gold and silver and bronze decorations, the jeweled accents, the magnificent tapestries, the countless living portraits and sentient suits of armor, all alit with candles and sconces and lamps that glittered in the reflective floors.

Sure, it wasn't Celestia's castle... but I'd always found it a bit bright and gauche for my tastes. And besides, this one was larger, and far more impressive.

Finally, we were standing in a room just before the Great Hall, where the Sorting Ceremony and feast was taking place. I could hear muffled cheering on the other side of another pair of double doors, causing the gemstones within the four house point hourglasses to rattle.

"Oh, good... we haven't missed the Sorting Ceremony," Fig sighed, listening in through the door. He glanced my way, hummed, then took out his wand and waved it. The clothes I was wearing instantly transformed into flowing black robes and a school uniform without any colors - that would come later. "I'm no expert, but that seems more appropriate."

"Oh, right... thank you," I replied. With everything that had happened in the past few hours, I'd completely forgotten that I wasn't dressed for the occasion. ...I wonder how much of my stuff survived that dragon attack?

"Now... I need to study this locket as soon as I can, but first, I must contact the Ministry," said Fig as we both approached the doors. "They need to know what happened to George, and be warned of Ranrok... For the moment, I ask that you keep all that's happened this evening between you and me."

I blinked a couple times... he really wanted to keep this sort of thing a secret? It seemed rather... you know, important...

...But, at least it was a secret I was privy to. I could live with that. "Sure," I nodded.

"Thank you," Fig smiled. He then took a breath and rubbed his hands together. "Ready for the Sorting Ceremony?"

I nodded again, emphatically. Fig quietly swung one of the doors open and peeked inside - up in front, a young, new student had evidently just been sorted into Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat was taken off his head by an older woman, who the child looked up at nervously before making a beeline towards his table. At that point a man with black hair and facial hair walked forward and raised his hands as though he were going to give a speech, but his mouth closed into a grimace as his eyes laid upon Fig, and he began to make his way towards us.

"Phineas Nigellus Black..." Fig groaned, positioning himself to my right with a sigh. "...Prepare yourself to meet the Headmaster." I had heard that Headmaster Black wasn't much of a Headmaster, more concerned with his image and comfort than he was actually doing any work. He was also one of those kinds of wizards who insisted their pureblood status meant they were better than everyone else.

Well, you can't get much more pureblooded than being an actual unicorn.

Moments later the door swung open again, Headmaster Black slipping through. True to his reputation, he was dressed in an immaculate, dark green and gray three-piece suit studded with gold, and carried himself with an air of pompous, pretentious ignorance... the kind I knew all too well back in Canterlot.

"Fig. Nice of you to join us," he snorted, stepping forward. "The Sorting Ceremony's over."

"Er, there were... complications-"

"Complications?" Black interrupted Fig.

"It seems the goblin problem has-"

"Enough!" Black shook his head with a dismissive groan. "Goblins... I've no time for rumors, Fig, and I'm rapidly losing whatever patience I had left. If you're lucky," he grunted as his gaze shifted to me, "we might still be able to get you sorted this evening." He then motioned for me to follow him, which I did.

Fig cleared his throat to catch my attention. "I'll be in touch!" he hissed before leaving in the opposite direction, presumably to go inform the Ministry. I nodded and turned my thoughts towards the Sorting Ceremony.

The Great Hall was truly an incredible space. Hundreds of candles floated above the four long tables that took up the center of the room, the ceiling further enchanted to resemble the evening sky outside. From the left was the table for Slytherin, then next to the right was Ravenclaw, then Gryffindor, and then finally Hufflepuff. A quick estimate counted about eighty or so students per table... I assumed my class size was going to be somewhat small. The faculty sat at a long table at the back of the room, the wall almost entirely made up of an elaborate stained glass mural. On a small raised platform between the faculty and the students' tables there was a stool, and the older woman approached it as she held up the Sorting Hat.

"Professor Weasley! We've one more to be sorted," Black called out as we made our way to the raised platform.

"Welcome!" Professor Weasley greeted warmly. "You're just in time! Have a seat." A small smile broke out on my face as I sat down on the stool, facing the other students. I felt the Sorting Hat get placed on my head... and then I felt a strange presence, as though I was no longer the only voice in my head.

"Ah, yes..." the Hat spoke with a deep, male voice. "A bit older than the others, aren't you? You come here with preferences and preconceptions, certain... expectations." It paused, and I felt obligated to speak...

...Although, I wondered what exactly to say. I was excited to start my classes and learn all the magic I could from this place... so, maybe that? "I can't wait to start learning... I'm looking forward to meeting my professors and starting classes."

"Indeed. Hogwarts has much to offer a dedicated student," the Hat replied. "And what you learn in class will prepare you for challenges outside the classroom as well."

It must've liked my answer.

"Hmm... You do not give up easily, do you?" the Hat continued. "You are undaunted by challenges that lie ahead... And your loyalty to a friend delayed your arrival here this evening."

Wha... how did you know that? And what do you mean 'friend'? I wouldn't exactly call Professor Fig my friend...

"Perhaps... you belong in Hufflepuff."

NOOOOOOO

"No, hmm? I see you don't fancy that house..." I swallowed and blinked as I glanced over to the Hufflepuff table, wondering if they had heard any of that. "Hmm... you're clever, indeed. You have the ability to reflect clearly on that which puzzles others... and you've a ready mind. Quick to learn... Oh, but you're also brave at heart. Exceptionally daring, undaunted by the unknown! Willing to forge ahead alone, if you must."

Yea... I could live with Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.

"But above all... I detect a growing sense of ambition. An eagerness for power. And you've recently learned that you possess a rare ability. Yes..."

Oh? That one? ...Yea. I do like that one.

"You belong in... SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat roared. Though everyone applauded, the table now to my far right erupted into loud, raucous cheers as Professor Weasley took the hat off my head, the presence along with it. She waved her wand at me, and I saw the emerald green of House Slytherin decorate my robes and uniform, the trim and metal bits transforming into bright silver. I looked over towards my new housemates and smiled... secretly analyzing them all.

...Pfft. None of you look all that smart.

"Oh, and one more thing," Headmaster Black spoke up as he walked in front of me like I wasn't the center of attention right now. "Due to the unfortunate injury on the pitch in last spring's final, this year's Quidditch season has been cancelled." This bit of news was immediately met with loud boos and jeers, to which Black wasn't the least bit affected. "Enough! It's not as though I've banned flying altogether, but! ...Don't tempt me," he warned, which quieted everyone down. "You are here to focus on your academic futures... I'm sure you all have plenty to do before classes begin tomorrow."

Everyone stared at him.

"I said... I'm sure you all have plenty to do before classes begin tomorrow!" he reiterated. With a cacophony of groans and complaints, all of the students rose from their tables and began shuffling out of the Great Hall.

No wonder nobody likes him.

"Quite an entrance," Professor Weasley mumbled beside me. "It's lovely to meet you! I'm-"

"Professor Weasley!" Black shouted. "Would you be so kind as to show our new student to their common room?"

"I shall see to it, sir," she replied, not hiding her glare. Once Black had moved away from us, she spoke again. "As I was saying... I'm Professor Weasley. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well, Professor," I bowed my head slightly. Though at this point, you really didn't need to tell me that... I kinda figured.

"As Deputy Headmistress, it is my distinct honor to show you to your common room," Weasley continued, gesturing. "Right this way." We walked together to the castle's dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located, albeit in a more roundabout way than the other students had taken. "It's good to see you tonight, Miss Shimmer... I was starting to get a little concerned when I didn't see you among the first-years for the Sorting."

"Oh, right..." I blinked, zoning back in from staring at all the fantastical architecture around me. "Fig- er, Professor Fig and I were... delayed."

"So I've heard... the poor carriage driver arrived a few hours ago, with a couple pieces of singed luggage and four panicked thestrals! What in Merlin's name happened to the two of you?"

I wondered how much I could safely tell her. "Well... I think I should let Professor Fig explain that. It's... still a bit of a blur to me, to be honest."

"I absolutely shall! Is there anything you need, in the meantime?" Weasley asked with genuine concern. "According to the carriage driver, it would seem that most of your belongings were sadly destroyed."

"My belongings- ...Oh. Oh, no," I groaned. I mean, I had watched the vast majority of our luggage get burned to ashes by dragon fire, but I was hoping that more of them than that had simply shaken loose and plummeted to the ground.

"Not to worry, the first few days are always light on coursework. I shall see to it that replacement supplies are made available to you."

Well, that's a relief. "Thank you, Professor."

"Of course. Can't very well leave our new fifth-year unprepared, especially due to unforeseen circumstances," Weasley waved a hand. We finally reached the castle's dungeons, and before long she led me towards a blank, empty stone wall. Composing herself, she turned towards me. "It's quite uncommon for a student to begin as a fifth-year... It may be a bit of a challenge, but one I'm sure you're up for. This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. In order to enter, one must simply speak the correct password: aspiration."

"Alright... Aspiration," I spoke loudly towards the wall. A huge silver snake suddenly appeared from the crack between the floor and the wall and slithered past, a kink in its body jutting upwards. As the kink passed by, it revealed the hidden double doors to the common room. They opened on their own, inviting me in, greeting me with a statue of a pair of mermaids.

Neat.

"Well done," said Weasley. "Now, go on in and get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow! I shall be back in the morning to collect you for your first class."

"Thank you, Professor," I mouthed, already halfway through the doors.

"You're welcome... I hope you enjoy your first night at Hogwarts. Sleep well!" she called after me. I quickly made my way down the spiral staircases and into the common room. Though empty, it was a gorgeous space made cozy with a couple roaring fireplaces. One part of the huge room was under the surface of the Black Lake, the windows offering a view into its murky depths and staining the light green. Fish flittered past among the aquatic plants that gently flapped against the glass. It was dark, mysterious, serene... beautiful.

Professor Weasley was right, though. After all the excitement of today, I was exhausted. I made my way across the room towards the dormitories, which were arranged in a loop within a tunnel that reminded me of a sewer. One of the doors denoted that it was for fifth-years, so I entered.

Five other girls were preparing for bed. The shared bedroom was large and shaped like a hexagon, with a curtained four-poster bed and dresser for each of us. A caged brazier holding a fire crackled in the center of the room, keeping everyone cozy and warm. Everything was decorated in cloth of shades of green, white and silver, the walls and floors were carved gray and white marble, covered with rugs and large animal pelts. All of the beds had been claimed except for one, which I figured was mine.

"Oh! You're the new student!" A stubborn-looking brunette reading a book exclaimed. "Hello!"

"Hi," I waved without looking at whoever had spoken, poking through the dresser beside my bed. It would seem that at least some of my luggage had survived, but not much. All I really had were my clothes, a stack of parchment and a box of quills with an inkwell, an enchanted alarm clock and some toiletries.

Though I did also have my purse and saddlebags, safely tucked away in my pocket dimension. Neither of those were terribly relevant at the moment, however.

"I'm Grace Pinch-Smedley," said a girl with blonde hair and bangs. "From the Bath Pinch-Smedleys? Known for our contributions to both science and art?"

"Nobody cares, Grace," another girl, a relatively kinder looking brunette groused. "I'm Priscilla Wakefield, pleasure to meet you."

"Mmhmm," I muttered, focused on digging out a pair of pajamas to change into.

"My name's Nerida. Nerida Roberts," said another brunette with bangs.

"I'm Violet McDowell," said a black-haired girl of Asian descent.

"And I'm Imelda. Imelda Reyes," the first girl who had spoken said, shutting her book. Quickly finding myself becoming too tired to think, I quietly changed my clothes and slid into bed, finding the blankets and comforters thick and pillowy, the mattress perfectly firm. Then I noticed that the others had stopped speaking.

"Oh. Uh... Sunset. My name's Sunset Shimmer."

"Sunset? What a lovely name," said Priscilla.

"Thanks... look, sorry, but I'm not in much of a talking mood right now," I bit my lower lip, feeling like I just wanted to collapse into my pillow. "In the morning, perhaps? I'm beat."

"Oh... sure. Speak to you in the morning, then," said Nerida. I flashed them a quick smile before using my wand to close all of the curtains on my bed tight. Finally alone and in darkness, I closed my eyes and let my mind rest.

"...Not one for conversation, isn't she?" I heard Violet mumble through the crushed velvet.

"Wonder if it had anything to do with her arriving late?" speculated Grace.

"Feels different without Anne here," Imelda sighed. "I hope she's alright."

"I heard it was an especially severe case of Dragonpox," Nerida began to mention. By this point, however... my mind had drifted away into slumber.


~


I woke up feeling slightly sore... probably from everything that had happened yesterday. I groaned as I stretched and opened up my curtains, glancing around for the other girls but not seeing them. I was alone.

Oh... did I wake up late? I don't remember hearing any sort of alarm go off... Did I even set my alarm? Shoot.

There was something on my dresser that hadn't been there last night... a vial of Wiggenweld potion. There was a note attached, which I took and read.

Thought you might need one after last afternoon, if my own sorry state is any indication. I'll meet with you later today.
Professor Fig

"Aw, that's very thoughtful of him," I smiled, drinking the potion down. Within seconds the pain and soreness had faded away. After getting myself dressed I made my way to the common room.

Now that it was daytime, light streamed in from tall windows and a stained glass dome in the ceiling, further bathing the room in green. Numerous candelabras and oil lamps were lit along with the fireplaces, yet the air wasn't at all smoky or dry. There were lots of potted plants and vibrant flowers lining the walls, and tapestries and curtains that hung on the walls beside more of those living portraits, and tables with display cases and tiered plates and bowls full of things to snack on, and plenty of couches and chairs for everyone. A number of students were sitting and conversing with their friends, a couple were already nose-deep in their textbooks, and some younger students were leaning up against the windows peering into the Black Lake. From a distance I could see Imelda standing over a pair of boys playing chess.

"Hey, it's that new fifth-year," I heard someone whisper.

"Must be... different... starting Hogwarts in your fifth year," whispered someone else.

"I wonder where she's from?"

"She's lucky she didn't end up as dragon food, like that poor man from the Ministry," someone else mumbled.

George? Wow, word travels fast around here.

"Did you see the way she just waltzed in at the end of the Sorting Ceremony last night?"

"Can't imagine starting a new school this late."

I let out a deep sigh, quickly feeling annoyed... I didn't really care enough to introduce myself to all these people, nor did I want to get to know any of them. They were all beneath me. All just stepping stones on my way to becoming the greatest witch in the world.

Buuuut... I suppose I should at least introduce myself to the others in my class. It's the... polite thing to do.

My stomach growled. Thankfully, there was a full bowl of apples on a table nearby. I grabbed a few and stuffed most of them into my robe for later, eating one as I approached one of the only two boys in my year. He paced back and forth in front of a fireplace as he intently read though a thick spellbook I didn't recognize. He wore a mop of medium-length, reddish-brown hair sheesh, does anyone in this world have hair that's more than just one plain old color?! messily styled to his left with matching eyes, and his cheeks were speckled with freckles.

Upon looking at him, something deep inside me twinged... Maybe I was hungrier than I thought. I wonder if there's anything more substantial to eat down here.

"...Can I help you?" the boy suddenly spoke with an air of irritation. He had set his book down on a nearby chair and was staring at me. I jumped slightly in surprise.

"Oh, hello... you're a fifth-year, right? My name's Sunset Shimmer."

"Ah! You're the new fifth-year," he replied, the irritation in his voice vanishing in place of a slight grin. "I'm Sebastian Sallow. Welcome to Slytherin."

"Sebastian... nice to meet you. Oh, and thanks."

"Of course... Not everyone has a Ministry escort to school," said Sebastian, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, he was a friend of Professor Fig's. Joined us for the trip here."

"Still... impressive," he smirked before his face fell. "...Dreadful way to go, poor fellow. Glad you and Fig are alright."

"It was... quite the experience," I nodded. "Lot more excitement than I thought would happen yesterday."

"Interesting perspective... How did you and Fig manage to escape?" Sebastian pressed. Unconsciously I swallowed, this guy was asking all of the right wrong questions. And I hadn't forgotten that Fig didn't want me to talk about this for now.

"Uh... a bit of a blur, to be honest."

"Didn't mean to press," he said quickly. "You just get yourself settled, we can talk more later." I felt another twinge deep inside me, and paid a little more attention to it. It was a feeling reminiscent of when you had a loose baby tooth, and you were doing your best to pull it out yourself because you'd lost patience with it... painful, but a good kind of pain.

I chalked it up to finally eating something since lunch yesterday... no real point in bringing it up now. Not to mention I was curious about the book he'd been reading. It didn't look like any of our textbooks. "What book were you reading?" I pointed.

"A spellbook I picked up. Has a few interesting things, but... not exactly what I was looking for," he replied. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, but not every spell you may need can be found in our... assigned textbooks."

Oh? I'm listening. "Is that so? And just what kind of spells might those be?" I prodded with saccharine charm.

"Seems I may have met a kindred spirit!" Sebastian laughed. The twinge returned. "That is a conversation for another time."

Damn... but perhaps I can wheedle it out of him eventually. "Very well... I believe we have all the same classes together today, right? Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms and History of Magic?"

"Indeed we do... speaking of which, I'd better get going. Don't want to be late," he smirked again as he put his spellbook away in his pocket dimension. "It was good meeting you. Good luck today." And with another smile he made his way towards the stairs out of the common room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Sebastian, huh? ...Maybe there's one peasant here that might prove useful to me.

With a smirk of my own I wandered over towards the windows that held back the lake. A few of the younger students were excitedly peering out into the depths, while the other fifth-year boy leaned against a nearby windowsill, looking rather pleased with himself.

"I-I think I heard one!" one of the younger students shouted as she pointed somewhere in the water. She and her companion stared harder through the window while the fifth-year boy laughed to himself, shaking his head. This one had neatly-groomed dirty blonde hair and green eyes that were clouded over... was he blind? His skin was fair and pale, studded with a constellation of moles on one cheek and just a couple on the other.

"Hmph... doubt mermaids find us that interesting," he grinned as I approached. He stood up as though he were aware that I was facing him, but his head and eyes were pointed downwards to my left. "Ah... based on all the chatter when you entered the common room, I'm guessing you're the new fifth-year."

"Yes... my name's Sunset Shimmer."

"I'm Ominis. Ominis Gaunt."

"Nice to meet you, Ominis," I smiled awkwardly. Yep, he didn't seem to be able to see, at least not in the conventional sense. I wondered briefly if it was true that the rest of his senses might be enhanced due to it.

And, he actually has a normal-sounding name! ...Granted, it sounds very questionably evil, but still!

"You certainly had a memorable arrival," Ominis smirked. Oh, now he's going to ask all the right wrong questions? ...Guess that's the "cunning" of Slytherin for you.

"Well, if I'm going to make my mark here, I had to start right away," I snarked.

"Ha! You're definitely in the right House," he grinned again. "Do let me know if I can be of any help as you navigate your first days here... Though I doubt you'll need it."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Quick, change the subject before he starts asking about how I got here! "...Did that student say she thought she heard a mermaid?" Ominis laughed.

"Yes... but I've never heard of a mermaid showing up outside our common room window. It is fun to play along, though. Been known to keep some first-years on the lookout for hours." I let out a giggle of my own now that I knew it was a prank. My eyes strayed over to a nearby clock - it was nearly a quarter to 9am.

"Oh... I should probably see if Professor Weasley's looking for me. Again, nice to meet you, Ominis."

"Pleasure was all mine, Sunset. Don't be a stranger!" he smiled as he waved me goodbye. Indeed, just as I'd taken a few steps towards the stairs, I heard Violet yelling for me.

"Sunset, are you down here? Professor Weasley's waiting for you, just by the stairs!"

"Be right there!" I yelled back, hurrying up. I ran past a lovely little pond and fountain I hadn't noticed before as I leapt up the stairs... there was clearly going to be lots to see within this castle. Professor Weasley was waiting for me by the mermaid statue, and smiled as she saw me.

"Good morning! I trust you're ready for your first day at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I've been dreaming of this day for a while," I nodded. "Can't believe I'm finally here."

"Well, you are here," Professor Weasley empathized warmly. "Make the most of it... you only have one first day at Hogwarts! Now, in light of your unique situation, joining us as a fifth-year... you'll need to catch up with your classmates, and not fall behind. Especially as you'll be expected to complete your OWLs at the end of the year."

"OWLs?" I blinked. "Is that some kind of test?"

"Yes, your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. They will determine what type of career you can have when you leave here."

Okay... kind of weird, but no problem. Those tests are as good as aced!

"After much discussion with the Headmaster and the Department of Magical Education at the Ministry, we've devised something extraordinary to ensure your success!" Professor Weasley then pulled something out of her pocket dimension, a thick, leather book with a metal lock, and offered it to me. I took it and flipped it open - it was much like a daily planner.

Actually... it was a daily planner. An enchanted one. Plus a detailed map of the castle, which was definitely handy.

"It is a Wizard's Field Guide," she informed. "It will help you to keep track of what you're learning so that you master all that's expected of a fifth-year. You would be wise to take full advantage of this exceptionally valuable resource."

"I see... thanks," I nodded as I put the book away.

"Now... shall we be off to your first class?" I followed Professor Weasley as she walked, eventually leading me to the Central Hall of the castle. I couldn't help but stare in awe at the grandness of the castle... it looked even more magnificent in the daylight. Central Hall in particular was stunning, from the heavily detailed fountain with statues of the various magical races, to the massive marble carving of a dragon above the Library that moved and reacted to the other students in the hall.

"That should be all for now," Professor Weasley suddenly stopped beside the fountain. "You'll be expected to attend History of Magic, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes today, and I'd like to be sure you get to Hogsmeade as soon as possible to replace the supplies you lost on the way here."

"Oh... right..." I breathed. Most of my stuff had been destroyed when that dragon attacked... I needed practically all of my school supplies again. "Yes, that would be great... thank you, Professor."

"A lot to absorb on your first day, and you have much to learn," she said. "Although Professor Fig tells me that you're already quite adept at spellcasting. Says he's never seen anyone as skilled as you are at your age."

"Did he?" I smiled. Professor Weasley's expression fell.

"He's been terribly vague as to the events preceding your arrival... specifically, about what happened after that awful dragon attack... My suspicion is that there's more to the story than a search for belongings and an extended trip up to the castle." She stared at me pointedly... like she expected me to talk.

So, that's what the story is... alright, I can work with that.

I promised Fig I wouldn't mention the truth to anyone, and I was a woman of my word to those I trusted. Professor Weasley... was not there. Not even close. "Sorry, Professor... but I'm afraid that's all there was to it," I shrugged.

"Hmm... almost precisely what Professor Fig said," she narrowed her eyes at me. Just then, however, I heard familiar footsteps approach from behind me - Fig was walking up towards us. "Speak of the devil... Professor Fig! Your ears must've been burning."

"Oh?" he replied innocently.

"Yes... I was just speaking to Sunset here about how you sang her praises when it comes to spellcasting."

"Ah, she does have a rare... aptitude for magic, it seems," Fig nodded. Professor Weasley hummed.

"Well, I'm just glad you both arrived in one piece... Perfectly good boats and carriages to Hogwarts, and you chose to fly in the path of a dragon," she hissed.

"I wouldn't say I chose the dragon's path, Professor... Rather unfortunately, it would seem that it chose us."

"Very well... enough chit-chat," she sighed. "I need to get to class myself. Good luck today, and remember to use your Field Guide," Professor Weasley turned to me, emphasizing her point. "It will be invaluable to you, and invaluable to me, as I'll be using it to keep up to date on your progress."

"Yes, Professor."

"Come and find me in my classroom after your final class today, and we'll see if we can't get you to Hogsmeade for those supplies." And with a final nod, Professor Weasley turned and left for her Transfiguration class, leaving me and Fig alone.

"It's good to see you, Fi- er, Professor," I spoke after a final glance that Weasley was indeed gone.

"And you," he replied quietly. "I was hoping our paths would cross today before you immersed yourself in your studies. Did I hear you masterfully evade Professor Weasley's interrogation regarding our late arrival?"

"You sure did," I couldn't help but grin. "...That said, I'm pretty sure she knows we're not being entirely honest."

"Yes, well... Professor Weasley is a brilliant - and astute - witch. It was right to keep the details to yourself for now."

I dunno... I hope you know what you're doing, Fig.

"We don't know where this path we've embarked upon will lead. It may require a bit more... flexibility with your time than she would approve of." I had to blink a couple of times, wondering if he meant exactly what I thought he was getting at.

"Flexibility... such as, if I may need to skip a class or two...?"

"And, she may feel obliged to share details with the Headmaster that would be better left between us," Fig finished, slightly smiling at me with a knowing look. The wink at the end was just the cherry on top. I had just officially been given carte blanche to do whatever it took to learn more about my new magic.

"Understood, Professor," I grinned back with a sly look of my own.

"Good! Now, as capable as you are, I believe the ability you possess obliges you to be well-trained. Happily, you have the benefit of an exceptionally-skilled team of witches and wizards to guide you."

"Can't wait to meet them," I agreed. Fig smiled warmly, nodding in return.

"Sounds like you've quite a day ahead, what with classes and a trip to Hogsmeade for new supplies. I shall reach out when I have more information about our mysterious locket. For now, focus on your classes and pay attention... More than your OWLs may hinge on the magic you are able to master within these walls."

"Yes, Professor," I smiled before turning towards the staircase that led to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower. Fig watched for a moment before turning and leaving as well. I had suffered enough interruptions... I was ready for this first class.


~


A few minutes later I arrived at the classroom. Upon opening the door I was met with a number of students from all four Houses crowding around the center of the room, between all the desks and tables. Peeking through I was surprised to see Sebastian, his back towards me, dueling a Gryffindor boy with magic beneath the hanging skeleton of a dragon.

Ooh, do we get to duel in this class?! Celestia never let me duel anyone...

Seeing them fighting made my heart start pumping. It had been years since I'd participated in a proper magic duel. There had been a period of a few months 3 years ago where I had snuck my way into an illicit dueling club held by Celestia's court battlemages. To my delight they had seemed more than happy to teach me how to duel, to fight with magic... until Celestia found out about it and shut it down.

She was always ruining my fun, now that I think about it.

The Gryffindor boy let loose a flurry of raw magic blasts, which Sebastian easily shielded himself against. "Is that all you've got?" he grumbled, unimpressed, before casting a Bombarda at his opponent. He shielded himself in time, but the cast deflected upwards into the hanging skeleton's skull and dislodged it. The skull was the size of a carriage, and would easily crush the other boy beneath it.

"Levioso!" a woman's voice called out, the skull stopping in its tracks and slowly floating back upwards, much to the Gryffindor boy's relief. Professor Hecat had appeared from her office and was working on reattaching the skull to the rest of the skeleton. "Perhaps you'd be good enough to blast each other to pieces on your own time. I get new students every year, but I only have one Hebridean Black skull."

She seemed like a dear little old lady, Professor Hecat. But she was once apparently an Unspeakable, which Fig told me was kind of like a spy, or secret agent. She slowly shuffled her way down the stairs from her office, slightly hunched over... but I could tell that she was a magical force to be reckoned with.

"It was a token from the Great Poacher Raid of 1878, no doubt you've heard of it," she continued, never taking her eyes off of the skull. "Now, you may be asking yourself how an old woman like me singlehandedly took out the largest poacher ring in eastern Wales and lived to boast about it... knowledge." And with that, the skeleton was fixed, and she stopped in the middle of the room. "To the wise, age matters very little. Today we will review a spell that has saved me from death at the hands of Dark wizards more times than I care to remember: Levioso."

"Levioso? A levitation charm?" the boy Sebastian had been dueling groaned. In one swift, fluid motion Professor Hecat cast the charm on him, sending him a few feet into the air. His legs dangled helplessly, and he seemed quite surprised at his new predicament.

"A surprised opponent is a weak opponent," Professor Hecat plainly instructed, Sebastian looking quite smug as he tried to suppress a chuckle. "Care to defend yourself, Mr. Prewett? No?" When he didn't answer, she ended the charm and let him drop to the floor. "One thing I've learned as an Unspeakable is the value of simplicity, especially in the heat of battle. Now, let's practice what we've just learned... starting with something small."

I had to hand it to her... what she said tracked with what the battlemages had taught me. Simplicity was oftentimes all you needed in a fight. For most of the class we practiced Levioso, starting with feathers. Naturally I found this to be incredibly easy, and busied myself with levitating the apples I had in my robe, other students' books, my desk, myself...

"Now, let's try something a little larger," Professor Hecat said after about 45 minutes had passed. She summoned a practice dummy out of a closet, floated the desks over to the sides of the room (not even noticing or caring that Ominis had been leaning on one of them) and instructed us on how to counter an opponent's Protego shield with Levioso. A Protego shield was rather sturdy against raw magical blasts or weaker spells like Vermillious or Baubillious, but casting something your opponent didn't expect was often enough to break their concentration, and their shield spell... Of course, the dummy's shield was no match for my spellcasting. I felt I didn't even need to cast the levitation charm to break through, but I did anyway.

Ten minutes of that later, and Professor Hecat had one more example to show us. "Very good... but the best way to practice is by dueling. We'll start with you two," she said as she pointed towards myself... and Sebastian. "Duelists, take your marks."

Ooh, a duel! I grinned widely, nearly bouncing in excitement, glancing over to Sebastian as I followed Hecat's gesture to go to the end of the main aisle.

"Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome," Sebastian chuckled to himself as he sauntered over to the other side of the classroom.

Oh, I don't think you know quite who you're dealing with, here... I couldn't help but smirk as I stood opposite him, about fifteen feet of space between us. The patch of floor we were standing on suddenly rose about three feet into the air, giving the classmates a good view...

...Of how I was going to utterly destroy this poor sap.

"Now, I want a fair duel, using only Levioso, your basic casts and Protego," Professor Hecat warned. I took the moment before the duel began to watch Sebastian carefully, analyzing his current stance, his posture, the look in his eyes.

Cocky, but lacking arrogance... his arms appeared loose and fluid, prepared for whatever I might do. His eyes flashed with mirth, he was the type to open up a fight with something dazzling and powerful. Although, seeing how this was the first official duel of the class, he might go easy on me before cutting loose...

...Yea. I think I've got him figured out.

The twinge returned.

"You may begin."

"This should be easy..." Sebastian grinned darkly, right before sending a couple blasts of Vermillious my way. Within the blink of an eye I not only deflected them all with my own Protego, I had also redirected the leftover magic and flung it right back in his face, knocking him over with a surprised grunt.

"You're right! That sure was easy," I sneered teasingly. To his credit, Sebastian got right back up and changed his demeanor, looking far more serious.

"This can't be your first duel...!" he growled, immediately casting a Protego around himself and firing more magic at me.

"Glad you realized that," I chirped as I shielded myself again, his magic harmlessly bouncing off. Then, to show off my mastery of Levioso, I cast it on him. Before he could do anything about it, my wand hand flicked several times, letting loose with a barrage of raw magic that sent him pinwheeling backwards until the charm ended. Right as he began to fall, I spun around and blasted him with an especially strong bit of magic, shouting triumphantly. He yelped in both pain and surprise as he slammed backfirst into the wall, then fell on his butt on the floor. The other students gasped and stared at me in awe. Some even applauded.

"I do enjoy a lively duel," Professor Hecat smiled. "If only all my students were this adept." The patch of flooring I was still standing on settled back down, letting me see an absolutely delicious glare of incredulousness on Sebastian's face. It soon vanished, however, as he picked himself up and walked over to me.

"Not bad... you give as good as you get," he nodded with a crooked grin, clearly impressed. I haughtily smiled back as he returned to his desk to gather his things, while Professor Hecat approached.

"I put you on the spot, and you rose to the challenge... five points for Slytherin," she praised.

"Oh, thank you, Professor," I bowed my head slightly. "Happy to have had the opportunity to practice."

"If what I've seen today is any indication, we can expect great things from you," Professor Hecat continued, and I could feel myself grow light with the praise. Now here was someone who recognized my talents and appreciated them! "I demand excellence from my students... they are capable of achieving it, and they must achieve it. A classroom duel is one thing, but battling Dark wizards, or as ever more likely, goblins... is a different kettle of Grindylows entirely."

"That is true," I agreed, yesterday's events replaying briefly in my mind.

"So, I'd advise you to keep practicing whenever you can... perhaps Mr. Sallow will have some ideas for you?" she asked in a slightly conspiratorial manner. "Again... well done today."

Sebastian, huh? ...Must be her top student. I sucked on the inside of one of my cheeks, contemplating whether I could use his help or not while Professor Hecat dismissed the class. After a few moments of debate I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if he had a secret or two I could steal. Conveniently, he was standing by the classroom's entrance.

"Nice work," he tilted his head upwards as I approached him. "That duel was quite something, everyone'll be talking about it."

"It was definitely good practice for later," I replied, unable to hide a cheeky grin.

"Practice?! Felt like I was dueling an expert! Didn't expect a new student to be so deft with a wand!" Sebastian's tone changed to one of suspicion. "Then again... perhaps this wasn't your first duel."

"You'd be right in assuming that," I grinned, feeling like my teeth were pointed like a timberwolf's. "I actually went really easy on you... consider yourself lucky I held back."

"Ha! Fair enough," he shrugged. "You owe me an honest duel when you aren't." I nearly laughed out loud at his foolishness... did he really think he stood a chance? "...You know, you might be a perfect fit for a certain exclusive... unsanctioned dueling organization."

"Oh?" So he did have a secret. "Exclusive and unsanctioned, huh? I'm listening."

"Excellent. Knew I was right about you," he smiled before dropping his voice low. The twinge returned again... geez, I should really eat something soon, it's starting to get annoying. "If you want to get the most out of your time at Hogwarts, you're going to need to break the rules now and then... whether it's joining a secret dueling club, or sneaking into the Restricted Section of the Library. You just have to be clever enough not to get caught."

A Restricted Section, huh? Sounds exactly like my kind of study material. "Thanks, Sebby... I'll keep that in mind," I replied. Sebastian adopted a somewhat cool expression.

"...I'll be honest. Not sure how I feel about the nickname after being bested like that," he groused. I couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that he now knew his place.

"Yea? Better get used to it, unless you think you can defeat me." The twinge returned; this time I had to clap a hand to my stomach. "Ugh, that's getting really annoying."

"I didn't see you at breakfast this morning... have you not eaten anything since yesterday?" he asked, suddenly looking a tad bit worried. "I do have a free period now, we could go to the Great Hall and see if there's anything leftover."

"...I am rather peckish," I agreed.

"Then it's settled," he said as he began to walk out of the classroom. "Come, let's get you something to eat." Sebastian and I made our way to the Great Hall - while the tables were barren right when we'd arrived, the lunch course appeared not five minutes later. The smells all hit me at once... fresh salads, bread and plenty of accoutrements for sandwiches, some tureens of soup and an assortment of various drinks. My stomach growled to the point Sebastian actually heard it, and he let out a chuckle as I helped myself.

"Ohhhh, that's so much better..." I sighed contentedly once I'd eaten my fill. After that we chatted for a short time, him telling me more about Crossed Wands, the unsanctioned dueling club he'd mentioned before. It was located in the Clock Tower Courtyard, after the last class of the day on Fridays. After bragging about how he was last year's champion he then told me to seek out a Lucan Brattleby, a third-year Gryffindor boy who arranged the duels. Mention Sebastian had sent me, and he'd take care of the rest. At that point, Sebastian got up and took his leave, saying he'd see me again later.

The twinge didn't return, but instead I felt a new sensation... it was as though an ember had lodged itself within my diaphragm, sputtering between hot and cool as though it were being fanned. I wondered if it had anything to do with yesterday, perhaps I'd suffered some kind of injury that didn't make itself known until now? But the Wiggenweld potion from this morning should've taken care of that.

I had an hour or so to kill before Charms... I decided to spend it in the Library. Maybe I could find out what was causing this little ache.


~


Before I knew it, it was 12:45pm, almost time for Charms class... unfortunate, because the school library had become my new favorite part of the castle once I'd seen it. I put away the book I had been reading and made my way there. The Charms classroom was fashioned like an arena, with the desks on raised tiers around the center of the room, its lowest point. Glancing around, most of the seats were already taken - I could see Sebastian and Ominis sitting together at the far end.

"Here... behind you!" someone called out to me in a thick, foreign accent. I turned around and saw a dark-skinned Gryffindor girl waving to get my attention. "There is an open seat here!"

"Ah, thanks," I nodded once as I sat down beside her.

"Hello, I am Natsai Onai," she introduced herself. "But everyone calls me Natty."

"Sunset Shimmer," I replied.

"That is a lovely name," said Natsai. "So, you are the new student! Have you met Professor Ronen yet?" I hadn't, but before I could tell her as much, the professor himself strutted out of his office at the top of a short staircase and cleared his throat. The Slytherin Head of House was a jolly older man of Middle Eastern descent, dressed in flamboyant purple and yellow robes and a matching hat - if it weren't for the green interior lining of his robe and the silver snake clasps that held it together, it would've been difficult to tell he was my Head of House.

"Shall we begin?" he beamed with a chuckle as he made his way down the stairs and towards his lectern. "Welcome to year five of Charms! Now, this will be a crucial year in your education on the art of Charmwork, but I am confident that we will take hold with the passion and rigor requisite of such a challenge! Right, now everyone, please open your textbooks to page five-one-seven."

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish when I remembered that my textbook - and the vast majority of my supplies - were nonexistent. Thankfully, Natty opened her book to the correct page and slid it over so I could share with her.

"But! Before we begin, can anyone here tell me the difference between the incantations of the Color Change and Growth Charms?" Professor Ronen asked. He waited a few moments for someone to answer him, but was met with silence.

Sure... it was Colovaria for Color Change, and Growth was-

"Ah-ah-ah-ah! I am afraid it is too late to study now!" Ronen teased as he suddenly Accioed the textbook right off Natty and I's desk.

Hey! Well, what was the point of telling us to get out our textbooks, then?! It wasn't even about those charms...

"Hmm. My, the summer months must have really taken a toll on you all," Ronen chuckled again. "By the looks of it, you all spent your holidays practicing Obliviate on one other!" He glanced around the room, his laughter dying out slightly as he realized everyone was simply staring at him. "Do you even remember how to perform a basic Summoning Charm? Hmm?"

He rolled back and forth on his heels and toes for a few seconds. I looked around the room, wondering just how dumb these classmates of mine really were... he just performed a Summoning Charm not ten seconds ago, after all.

"Hmm! Well, it seems that we are in dire need of review!" Ronen exclaimed, pointing a finger upwards. "Everyone, get into pairs and take positions on opposite sides of the classroom!" Natty and I shared a look and began to move, and soon everyone was split up into two groups. Ronen also levitated Natty's book back to her, so she had something to summon. "Now, let's put those textbooks to use as the blunt objects you so believe they are, and take turns summoning them out of one another's hands."

The next ten or so minutes were spent performing Accio back and forth with the textbook. After the third cast I quit bothering even saying the incantation, simply swishing my wand.

"That is not bad," Natty complimented. Of course it's not bad, any two year old unicorn knows this spell.

"You are a swift learner!" Professor Ronen placed his hands on his hips as he addressed me. "I see a lot of potential, but remember! Potential is nothing without practice! Keep at it, you might just rival Miss Onai here!"

Uh huh... riiiiight.

"Very good, everyone! That's enough of that," Ronen barked. "Well, as you all seem to have the basics down, and it is an exceptionally lovely day, I was thinking that we might have ourselves a little excursion - outside for a spot of fresh air. After me!" He then began walking briskly out of the classroom, the rest of us following obediently behind.

A few minutes later we'd arrived in an open field beside the main entrance to the castle. Ronen inhaled the warm late summer air, and let it out with a deep, happy sigh.

"I've always found that fun goes hand in hand with mastery, as I'm sure the Quidditch players amongst us would agree," he said, ignoring the few grumbles the mere mentioning of the sport elicited. "So, what better than a bit of sport to put our prowess with the Summoning Charm to the test, right?" He turned around, and we watched as he waved his wand, and piece by piece he created a long, wooden platform made up of four equal sections colored red, yellow, green and blue. At the distal end of this platform was a plain board, and three large, blue balls appeared and sat still on it. He also created another plain platform for participants to stand on, chuckling and chirping the entire time. The colored sections had numbers painted on them, from 10, 20, 30 and then 50.

I recognized what he was getting at - this was some sort of game in which we'd Accio one of the balls and then let go, letting the ball roll hopefully into the 50 point section. Easy enough once I got a feel for the weight of the balls.

"So! Why don't we have Miss Shimmer start us off, huh?" Professor Ronen gestured to me, the other students wandering off to the left of the playing platform, some sitting down. With as neutral an expression as I could manage, I took my place on the platform and focused my wand on the leftmost ball.

"Accio." The ball was heavier than I thought, coming to a stop on the border between the 30 and 50 point sections, moreso on the 30 side. The remaining two were flawless, however, stopping perfectly in the center of the 50 point section.

"Very good... five points for Slytherin," Ronen beamed. "But there's certainly no sport in playing without some friendly competition! Miss Onai, would you care to give our new student a bit of a challenge? Come on up!"

Looking somewhat bashful, Natty made her way onto the platform and stood next to me. Professor Ronen summoned three red balls to alternate with the newly-replaced blue ones. "You'll be the blues, just as before, and Miss Onai, you are playing red. Clear?"

"Clear," I nodded. This meant Natty would play first. She studied her placement for a moment before casting Accio on one of her balls, managing a 30.

Challenge, huh? Sigh... Now that I knew how much the balls weighed, it was no problem for me to earn a maximum score of 150 to 120. Professor Ronen wasn't finished, however... he decided to make the next round interesting, resetting our balls and adding two large blocks that slid from side to side. He did say that this would be the last round, though, and the obstacles didn't really change the difficulty for me. I won again with a perfect score, 150 to 130.

"Two perfect rounds! Excellent work!" he praised. The two games had taken up the rest of the class, and now there were five minutes left until it was over. He left the platforms intact, in case anyone else wanted to try it in their spare time, and we began the short trek back to the classroom. As we walked, Natty walked beside me.

"Good game back there! I must admit, I think I underestimated you," she giggled. "Took me weeks to become proficient with Accio! ...Took weeks for me to get anything right when I transferred here. It gets easier, I promise."

"Eh, it's no big deal," I shrugged. It really wasn't... I was hoping my classes would be more... advanced than this. But then again, this was only the first day of the year.

"To put it lightly... I remember how I felt when I first arrived," Natty continued. "I transferred here from Uagadou just before my fourth year... my mother received an offer to teach Divination here. Before I knew it, we had left Uganda and were halfway around the world at a new school in a new country."

"Oh, Uagadou?" I mumbled. Though I really couldn't care less about her backstory, I had heard about the place she was talking about. She must've been that transfer student Fig mentioned. "Isn't that the biggest magic school in the world?"

"Yes, though it never felt intimidating to me. It always felt like home," she said. Now that I thought about it, I could see why she might've thought I'd be interested in learning about her. In a way, she was once like me - leaving the home you'd always known, winding up in a new school, with new teachers...

...But she had her mother. And I... never had one.

Eventually we returned to the classroom, only to be immediately dismissed by Professor Ronen. Next was History of Magic, a class I had been sufficiently warned about.


~


...The warnings were a massive understatement. I desperately wished I had the textbook so I could read ahead... anything to entertain myself. While I was at first interested that Professor Binns was a ghost, that interest quickly fizzled out when I heard the first few words out of his mouth. Looking around the room, almost nobody was paying any attention at all. Half of the class had fallen asleep or were struggling to stay awake, another third were doodling, sneaking food or having hushed conversations with their deskmate, and the rest were reading textbooks from another class.

He was just so... droning. Like the endless parade of nobleponies Celestia held her day courts with, babbling on about their insignificant problems that would solve themselves if only they rubbed their two braincells together. His voice was low, slow and monotone... talking in one long, incredibly unbroken sentence, moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt... it was really quite hypnotic.

When the final bell of the day rang, I about ran out of that classroom, desperate to leave the boredom behind. Now that the school day was over, I checked the map in my planner for the correct route, and walked through the castle and across the lovely courtyard just before the Transfiguration classroom, where Professor Weasley would be waiting for me. Hopefully, this second half of my first day of school would be far more interesting.
> In Which a Field Trip to Hogsmeade Is In Order
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon entering the classroom I could see Professor Weasley speaking with what I'd learned to be a House Elf - a short, scraggly thing with long, floppy ears and big eyes that made you feel guilty looking into them. Being on the opposite side of the room as the entrance, I couldn't hear whatever it was they were talking about... just as well, as the house elf quickly dismissed himself and Apparated away.

"Ah! There you are," Professor Weasley stood up and walked towards me to meet me halfway. "I trust your first classes went well?"

"Sure did," I nodded.

"I heard as much from Professors Hecat and Ronen. Seems Professor Fig was right about your excellence in spellcasting, he said there was very little he needed to teach you before you arrived here, in that regard... I'd wager there's a good deal more to your travels here than what you've told me... isn't there?"

Oh no, are you gonna try this again...? "Have you and Professor Fig not discussed my training prior to my arrival?" I tried to subtly change the subject.

"He continues to be reticent about the details, mentioning only a few spells... Revelio, was it? And Lumos?" she asked pointedly.

"Um... yes. That's right."

"I see... like trying to get a sonnet from a Streeler," Professor Weasley muttered to herself. "Regardless... you must continue to build upon what you have learned. Now, regarding the trip to Hogsmeade I mentioned earlier... we've arranged to replace the supplies lost on the way here, including seeds, potion recipes and books."

"Wonderful, thank you Professor," I bowed my head slightly. "I'm definitely ready to get going."

"Very well. I'd like you to make your first visit to the village with a classmate, help you get your bearings," she smiled knowingly. "Perhaps Sebastian Sallow, or Natsai Onai? I've noticed you spending time with them."

Only because I have classes with them... I took a moment to consider the options... I wasn't particularly interested in hanging out with Natty more than I had to. Sebastian, on the other hand, was at least a little more interesting.

"...I suppose I'll go with Sebastian, then."

"Glad to hear it. Mr. Sallow is a capable young wizard, and he knows the area. He'll keep you well clear of any of Victor Rookwood's undesirables enroute."

"Who's Victor Rookwood?" She'd mentioned the name as though I should've been familiar with him.

"A rather unsavory local. Best to avoid him and his associates... including his 'right hand' of sorts, Theophilus Harlow, if you can. Now, I do believe I last saw Mr. Sallow right by the castle entrance," she said as she handed me a list of everything I would need to pick up. "The sooner you get your shopping done, the sooner you can share some Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Now, off you go."

"Thanks, Professor," I nodded as I took the list from her... it sounded somewhat like she knew who I would rather hang out with. Perhaps Fig was right about her being quite astute.


~


True to her word, I found Sebastian loitering by the main entrance. "Well... fancy meeting you here," he smirked.

"Hello again, Sebastian," I greeted with a matching smirk. "I just can't seem to get rid of you today."

"Neither can I, especially since you've been made my new 'charge'," he snarked right back. "I'm told you're in dire need of supplies, and I'm to accompany you into Hogsmeade for them."

Yep, she totally planned this out.

"Is this your first foray into the village?"

"Haven't left the castle since I got here," I nodded.

"Well, I shall endeavor to be the very best of guides, then!" he replied. "Hogsmeade's a charming little place... self-contained, too. We should be able to find you everything that you need. Shall we?"

"Let's go," I agreed. He did the gentlemanly thing and opened the doors for me, and I saw for the first time the true beauty of the castle's main entrance. Rings of hedges and flowers surrounded a large, sparkling fountain, with benches scattered around for the many students to sit and socialize on. A cobblestone path led around the fountain and out past the castle's walls, and the multicolored Quidditch pitch peeked out from behind them over to the left.

"I was glad Professor Weasley asked me to join you today," Sebastian said as we began down the path, the short journey towards Hogsmeade.

You were? "Yea? Well, thanks for coming, I guess," I replied.

"Of course! You're the only one who's ever bested me in a duel... The way I see it, I'd be wise to keep an eye on you."

"Think you might pick something up if you tag along with me long enough, do you?" I snarked. Sebastian let out a chuckle... and that damned twinge returned. This was getting ridiculous.

"Speaking of Weasley, she seems to have taken quite a shine to you."

"Is that so? I guess that's a good thing."

"I'm still surprised that a professor would entrust me with anything, given my detention record..."

"Spend a lot of time in detention, huh?"

"Just enough to keep me well-rounded." I took in my surroundings as we walked through the North Gate, seeing rolling hills and tiny hamlets in the distance. The road was lined with short stone walls and decorated with lanterns, trees, leaping toadstools, honking daffodils and other, quieter flowers. "...Speaking of detention, this trip to Hogsmeade might've saved me from one."

"Ah, so there is an ulterior motive to being my chaperone," I grinned. "And it's only the first day of school... what on earth did you do?"

"Madam Scribner, the librarian, was on the hunt for me... which is often the case. Professor Weasley came to retrieve me and was able to convince ol' Scribner that I had somewhere to be."

"The librarian doesn't like you? What'd you do to get on her bad side?"

"Well, I suspect it's a matter of differing opinions... She thinks I shouldn't be allowed in the Restricted Section, and I, on the other hand, am inclined to disagree- Oh, just one moment," Sebastian interrupted himself as we came to a break in the wall. There was a small patch of bushes absolutely covered in glowing bugs. "This is an excellent spot to gather lacewing flies. They're pretty to look at, but if you stew them long enough they make a powerful potion ingredient."

"I see... thanks for that," I said as I took out my wand. With a quick flick I collected a number of the flies and placed them into a conjured bottle, then spirited them away into my pocket dimension. Sebastian did the same, and we were off again a few moments later. The patch of bushes were on the border of the Forbidden Forest, a thick expanse of trees that contained many dangerous beasts within. As we passed by Sebastian glanced over, just as a strange noise rumbled from within.

"Merlin's beard! From the Forbidden Forest! Look!"

"What was that noise?"

"See for yourself... quite a sight, isn't it?" We stopped for a moment just in time to see a couple of hippogriffs burst from the canopy and fly into the sky. I remembered that back home, hippogriffs were a race equivalent to ponies, but had vanished from the world about a decade ago. Here, they were wild creatures - strong, proud, and dangerous if offended. "You certainly don't see that everyday."

"No... you sure don't," I breathed. After they had flown out of sight we resumed our journey.

"Anyway, that's the Forbidden Forest to the left. Out of bounds to all students."

"Pfft... but forbidden places are the most fun places to go, don't they know that?"

"Precisely! They think it's too dangerous... I think they need to have more confidence in our defensive abilities."

"Have you ever been in there?"

"...Once or twice," he admitted. Strangely, the more he talked, the more I found myself finding him pretty alright. Here was someone just as willing as myself to bend the rules if it meant learning something new and useful, and could trade barbs with me without getting offended to boot. Perhaps it'd be worthwhile to get on his good side after all. "Ah, you can see Hogsmeade just past those ruins up ahead." Indeed, I could see the roofs of the buildings beginning to peek out from behind another hill or two, framed between the two remaining sides of what was once a red brick building. There was still a ways to go, though. "Have you had much of a chance to explore the castle?"

"Not really... it's bigger than I thought it'd be."

"It is that. I've been there five years and barely scratched the surface... Loads to see. Places to discover."

"Yea? Like what, exactly?"

"Perhaps one day... I can't go around telling you all my secrets now, can I?" Sebastian grinned back at me. Now that feeling of an ember just below my heart returned, and I stopped in my tracks.

Why am I getting these weird feelings suddenly? Is it because of that ancient magic exposure? Have I been cursed? Although... it wasn't like it hurt or anything. It mostly just made the top half of my body feel warm and fuzzy, like it had somehow fallen asleep.

"You still haven't told me how you became so good at dueling," he pressed, his voice jolting me back into walking.

"All in good time, Sebby," I teased. "Can't exactly tell you all my secrets now, either." He laughed, and we settled into a pleasant lassitude... at least until a carriage being pulled by thestrals passed us by. The memory of why I could see them now forced its way into my mind, and I bristled.

"I've always thought thestrals pulling a carriage a bit grim," he murmured, turning his head to look at them again for a moment. "Though I suppose most people don't actually see them at all."

"You can see them, too?" I asked, a bit taken aback. If he could see them, that also meant that he had witnessed death at some point in his life.

"Unfortunately. But you've seen quite a bit yourself firsthand, too... most notably, that dragon attack."

"Oh... yea..." I tried my best to banish the thought... it wasn't exactly something I wanted to remember.

"Hopefully, the rest of your year isn't as eventful." Another lassitude, this one not as comfortable as the last. We were headed up the final hill before Hogsmeade, now. In the distance Sebastian saw someone he recognized, and broke into a jog. "Mr. Moon! He's the Hogwarts Caretaker... looks a bit worse for wear."

"Does he?" I wondered as I followed after him. Mr. Moon was leaning against a segment of stone fence, looking like he was going to keel over any second. His face was covered in sweat and he swayed back and forth in place.

"Hello, Mr. Moon. Have you met Sunset, our new fifth-year?" asked Sebastian. Mr. Moon opened one eye, then the other as he opened his mouth.

"Pleasure... ehh... you might wanna turn back, Mr. Sallow... turn and run," he slurred, punctuated with a hiccup. His breath stank of alcohol.

"...Is everything alright, sir?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"It looked right at me! Eyes big as saucers!" Mr. Moon shouted suddenly. Sebastian's expression turned sour.

"What did, Mr. Moon?"

"Demihicguise... Ugly and hairy and terrifying... I shall be at the castle where it's safe... Good luck to both of you." And with that nonsense, Mr. Moon slipped a little as he set off down the hill. Sebastian and I stared at him for a moment before continuing.

"A Demiguise? ...I don't know what he's putting in his pumpkin juice, but he's obviously had too much of it," he shook his head. "I've never seen him in such a state..."

"No?"

"No. But Mr. Moon is quite the character... My sister Anne thinks he's lovely, but I'd say he could improve a bit as caretaker."

"Anne...?" I blinked, just barely remembering what I'd heard the other Slytherin girls talking about the night before, right before I passed out. One of them... Imelda, I think? ...had mentioned an Anne. "She in Slytherin, too?"

"She is! Or, rather, she was..." Sebastian sighed. "She's not well at the moment, but she'll be better soon and back at Hogwarts... Ah, we're here," his voice picked back up as we finally reached the covered bridge that led into Hogsmeade. The village was full of personality - a variety of stone buildings lined the streets, interconnected by festive pennants and streamers in all colors, the few parts that were made of wood painted similarly. Townspeople in a rainbow of robes and suits hustled and bustled past, or gathered into groups on little patios or street corners to have a chat. Music was playing from somewhere within the village center, adding to the atmosphere.

I couldn't help but stop in my tracks for a moment. It was nothing like the white marble and gold-trimmed city of Canterlot, nor was it grey, crowded and congested like London had been. It was cozy, warm, inviting... charming all on its own.

"Honestly, if one could bottle the magic of this place..." Sebastian smiled as he looked around for a moment. I caught up to him as he slowed his pace. "I don't know if it's the shops or the people, but there's just something about Hogsmeade. We all flock to it, like moths to a flame."

"Yea... this is really nice," I nodded in agreement. We walked together until reaching a fork in the road, at which point Sebastian turned towards me.

"So, how would you like to do this? Weasley told me you had a list of things to get."

"Right here," I pulled out the list of supplies. "Books, a potion kit, recipes and ingredients, Herbology seeds and supplies, and some more stationery."

"What didn't you lose in that dragon attack?" he chuckled once. "Well, the shopkeepers here are pretty quick when it comes to helping students... I don't believe it will take you too long. I just have to pop into a shop to find something for my sister... let's meet up in the town square when you're finished."

"Sounds good to me. See you in a bit, then," I waved as he turned and headed further down the road, up to the center of town.

"Remember, have fun! It's Hogsmeade!" he shouted back towards me before I lost sight of him. I spent the better part of the next hour visiting the various shops for my supplies - J. Pippin's Potions for potion stuff, Tomes and Scrolls for my textbooks and stationery, and The Magic Neep for the Herbology things. Professor Weasley had sent owls ahead so all of the shopkeepers had my supplies all ready for me to pick up. In addition to my supplies, I took the opportunity to check for books that might be interesting to me... the only ones that really qualified were textbooks meant for wizards wanting to continue their education after Hogwarts. I bought them anyway... I figured I might as well.

Then I took my time wandering up towards the town square, window-shopping and soaking in the ambience. I ducked inside Zonko's for a moment, finding it full of magical practical jokes... things I could do myself if I really wanted to. There was also a heavenly scent wafting from Honeydukes, a shop full of sweets... I figured that after meeting back up with Sebastian, we could stop by. Who didn't like candy, after all?

Finally, I reached the town square. Sebastian was standing beside a tall, spiral-shaped tree. "Alright, I've got all my supplies," I grinned as I walked up to him.

"Excellent," he replied.

"Did you get what you wanted for your sister?"

"I did. So, I suppose the world is our oyster now... let's see what else we can get up to-"

A loud crash cut Sebastian's sentence short. Confused, I looked over to where the sound had come from... and from behind a house, a massive troll came stomping out, leaping into the air and slamming its metal-reinforced club into the ground, barely missing two witches as they fell over in shock. The creature was wearing thick plates of armor on its torso, shoulders and wrists... they were glowing that same violent red I had seen yesterday, on the dragon, on that security guard... on Ranrok.

Again? Why again?!

Many people started pointing, running and screaming in fear, but a couple of them began casting magic at the creature, myself and Sebastian included. Enraged, the troll turned and started stomping towards us, only stopping when a nearby policewoman's Bombarda connected with the back of its head.

"Draw it away from the buildings! Away from the village!" she yelled as she continued to pepper the troll with magic. It seemed to work, the troll chasing after her and the others as they ran. But then another loud crash shook the ground, coming from behind us. I whipped around to see a second troll burst through a house as though it was made of gingerbread. As soon as it had me in its sights it charged, forcing me to leap and roll out of the way. It halted itself and turned back around to face us.

Alright... a proper challenge this time!

"Confringo!" Sebastian yelled, a searing bolt of flame shooting from his wand and striking the troll in the face. It seemed barely affected, however, and charged right at him instead.

"Diffindo!" I shouted, swinging my wand to create a couple of tears in the very fabric of space itself. The tears flew at the troll and struck, staggering it but not having the intended effect of ripping it into two. Instead, the troll got even madder. "Damn, this guy's beefy!" I growled.

"Keep at it! We'll wear him down eventually!" Sebastian encouraged as he unleashed a barrage of spells at the troll. It roared and charged again, and this time Sebastian wasn't quick enough - its club sent him flying.

"Ooh...!" I hissed in sympathy. That had to have hurt, the poor sap. But to his credit, Sebastian got right back up and started fighting again like nothing happened. I could see that spells weren't quite cutting it, however... just like Ranrok, the troll appeared to be shrugging them off with ease. I looked around for anything I could grab with magic and throw, having a hunch that perhaps being struck with something not necessarily magical might do more damage...

...Yes, there was a stack of barrels nearby! I pointed my wand at one of them, smirking as it lifted in sync with my movements, then flung it as hard as I could at the troll, hitting it right in the face.

"What was that?!" Sebastian yelled in shock.

"A barrel in the face, that's what that was!" I retorted. And I was right, the impact had staggered the troll far more than magic had, sharp edges and splinters tearing into its skin. The creature howled in pain and redoubled its efforts, only stopped by more barrels being flung into it. Sebastian taunted the lumbering lout and kept its attention as he fired spells at its wounds, blood and bits of singed flesh spattering the ground with each hit.

A few moments later I'd run out of improvised weapons, but I could tell the troll was on its last legs. As I raised my wand to deal the final blow, I felt a surge of power blossom from deep within me, warm and familiar. Glancing at my wand in my peripheral vision, I found it to be glowing white and blue... just like those bits of ancient magic I'd encountered in Gringotts.

What... is this power...?

In the moment, I figured it best not to ask questions. I allowed the warm sensation to overtake my body, feeling it electrify every nerve, and I heaved my wand directly at the troll. The light surged forth from my wand and into the creature, and it howled once more as its body ripped itself apart from the inside, exploding with purple light and such incredible force that the bits of the troll immediately burned to ash.

I stared frozen in shock at my horn, my wand... at no point in time before had I ever been blessed with that kind of power. I barely noticed Sebastian running towards me, nor the policewoman returning to the scene.

Is this... Is this the power of ancient magic...?

"Goodness! A second troll?!" the policewoman gasped. "Did you two take on a fully-grown troll by yourselves?!"

"Yea... I guess we did," I breathed, letting out a hollow chuckle.

"Merlin's beard... are you alright?"

"I am." I glanced over to Sebastian. Although he was holding his side, he nodded. "Uh... happy to help?"

"I'd say help is a bit of an understatement," said the policewoman. "Nerve like that? The makings of an Auror, if you ask me. If you are unharmed, perhaps the two of you wouldn't mind helping me put a few things back to where they were."

Isn't this your job...? "I... suppose I could, Officer."

"Singer. Officer Singer," she replied. "And thank you, again." With that she Apparated away, leaving Sebastian and I alone. I glanced around the town square, seeing nothing but rubble and carnage everywhere... even with Reparo, this would take a hot minute to fix.

"Ah, hello there! A moment if you would!" a man poked his head out of the Gladrags Wizardwear shop a few yards away. Sebastian let out a grunt, although whether it was from pain or annoyance, I couldn't tell.

"Are you alright? That looked like it hurt," I winced, seeing a small patch of wet red on his uniform beneath his robes.

"I'll be fine. Nothing an Episkey won't mend," Sebastian muttered, hissing after turning his body towards the man who had called out earlier. "I'll go and see what he wants." I watched him walk over to the man's shop and disappear inside, sighing once I was alone.

Those trolls... why had they appeared here? Why were they wearing armor similar to Ranrok? He didn't send them here, did he? For what reason? I sighed again.

"Well... might as well get this over with. Reparo!" I yelled as I closed my eyes to concentrate. I could feel hundreds of invisible tendrils sprout forth from my wand and grasp every little bit of ruined wood, metal, glass and stone, pulling them back into their rightful places and fusing them all together. Little bits that had been destroyed entirely were regenerated from between the cracks, rendering buildings stable and containers leakproof. Even the house that had been obliterated soon looked like nothing had ever happened to it. A minute or so later, the square was entirely repaired and back to normal, albeit deserted. No one was going to wander back outside for some time.

"Now to find wherever the hell Sebastian went," I muttered to myself. I turned around and walked into Gladrags, finding him in the midst of being fitted for a new blazer by the man from earlier.

"Ah, good. Mr. Hill was just singing your praises," Sebastian smirked as he lowered his arms. Mr. Hill nearly dropped his tape measure in his haste to dash behind the counter as I approached. He was an eccentric-looking older man with a coiffed hairstyle, wearing a bright red suit.

"Singing my praises, were you?" I grinned as I leaned on the counter. "Mr. Hill, right?"

"Allow me to introduce myself! Augustus Hill, clothier extraordinaire!" he beamed as he picked up a teacup from the counter and sipped from it. "I should like to thank you for your remarkable bravery in fighting those trolls, not to mention your help restoring Hogsmeade to its rightful state!"

"Oh, that? It was no problem, sir," I replied smugly, rubbing my nails on my lapels and extending them outward.

"Frankly, you deserve an Order of Merlin! But I can offer you something... much more useful."

"I see... like clothing, perhaps?"

"Why, yes! Among my inventory are some unique items, and I'd like to give you one such set of robes in thanks for what you did today."

"Oh. Thank you, Mr. Hill," I blinked, smiling genuinely. Nothing like being appreciated for my talents! "That's quite generous of you."

"It's the least I can do!" he squeaked. "Now... let's try this on for size, shall we?" He bent down and pulled out a paper box from under the counter and opened it with a flourish. I gasped once my eyes laid upon the cloak inside... it was made from golden yellow silk, with tasteful embroidery in pale yellow of various flowers. The interior and the trim was crushed velvet in a deep crimson. I took my school robes off and put them away in my pocket dimension, reverently took the garment from the box and threw it on... it fit perfectly, and was light, but cozy. I couldn't help but examine myself in a nearby mirror, the light subtly glimmering off the cloak with a magic all its own.

In a way... I looked much like myself again. "...Thank you, Augustus," I spoke softly, amazed.

"Not at all! And, Mr. Sallow, I'll be sure to have your new blazer crafted and delivered to you by the end of the week! Please do come again!" he waved as we left the shop.

"I'd say we've earned a Butterbeer or two, wouldn't you?" Sebastian nudged my arm once we were outside. "Might help me forget that I was almost pulverized by a troll."

"Sounds good to me," I nodded.

"Perfect. The Three Broomsticks is just this way." He started down the hill, towards the largest building in town. "Assuming it isn't utter bedlam in there, you might even meet Sirona, the owner. She's a good one to know." We walked together in silence for a minute or so, until we passed by an alley. There, something caught my eye.

A man, his back turned to us, casually slipped just out of view. He was wearing a rather fancy dark blue suit with a top hat. Considering that there was absolutely nobody else out in public at the moment, his very presence reeked of suspicion.

Something inside me told me to follow him. I darted past Sebastian, who looked at me puzzlingly for a moment before joining me in hiding behind a building's corner. The man reappeared, now joined by another man in a green vest and bowler hat, wearing suspenders to keep his trousers up... and Ranrok himself.

Ranrok... Here...?!

"You said you could get to the child when they came to Hogsmeade," Ranrok snarled at the man in the top hat. "That all you needed was a distraction... I gave you a distraction!"

"I just watched a student take down your 'distraction'!" the man growled back. Ranrok didn't reply at first, glowering at the man as he argued, his voice laced with suspicion of his own. "Who is this child? What are you not telling me?"

"All you need to know is that if you cannot get to the child, you have no value to me," Ranrok shook his head. Suddenly he shifted his body and peered past the man in the top hat, almost looking me dead in the eyes.

I shivered. "Let's go," I hissed to Sebastian, and we quickly moved on, back towards our intended destination.

"Did they see us?" Sebastian let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in.

"I sure hope not," I swallowed. Child... me... why does Ranrok want me...?!

"What was that goblin doing with Victor Rookwood?!" he wondered aloud. I blinked at the name, remembering Professor Weasley's words.

"That was Rookwood? With Ranrok?" I turned towards Sebastian, who gasped slightly as he heard the name.

"...The goblin from the Daily Prophet! I knew I'd seen him somewhere!" He turned to look at me, his head shifting slightly and his expression turning worried. "Quickly! Let's get inside the Three Broomsticks!"

I didn't need to ask to know what he saw. We jogged towards the towering pub and ducked inside, closing the doors as quietly as possible. The building was full of patrons whispering excitedly amongst themselves about the troll attack. Strangely, an elderly goblin walked past me, our eyes meeting for a moment before he left. He didn't seem like a current threat, so I thought nothing more of it as Sebastian and I sat down at the bar. A brunette woman approached the two of us on the other side.

"Now, what can I- ...Oh. There's a face I haven't seen before," she grinned slightly, tilting her head in amusement.

"Me?" I pointed to myself. "It's my first time here."

"Welcome! Butterbeers on me," she replied, waving her wand. A couple of metal tankards floated over towards a keg and filled themselves as she turned towards Sebastian. "Heard about the attack... I shall be looking in on the other shopkeepers and residents shortly. Glad to see you two escaped injury." Now filled, the tankards floated themselves in front of Sebastian and I, and I gratefully took a long sip of the perfectly hot, butterscotch-flavored drink.

"Thanks to this one," Sebastian grinned at me as he lifted his tankard high. "Singlehandedly took down a troll!" I wasn't sure if it was from the compliment or the heat and slight alcohol content of the drink, but I could feel a blush spread across my cheeks.

"Is that right? Well done," the woman smiled as she fussed with something under the bar counter.

"Thank you... nice of you to realize who did most of the heavy lifting," I gave Sebastian a glance. He shrugged as he drank.

"My pleasure," replied the woman, whose face fell into contemplation. "I will say... trolls, in Hogsmeade? That's never happened before... Something's not right. The only brutes we usually have to deal with are-"

The doors swung open hard. A man grunted with exertion as he and another slowly walked inside, the sound of his voice all I needed to tell just who had entered. Sharing a quick look with Sebastian, who seemed just as nervous as I was, we opted to nurse our drinks in silence as they came closer.

"How timely..." the woman harrumphed, casually but firmly walking around the bar and meeting the two men face to face.

"Was that Lodgok I saw leaving just now?" Rookwood groused, chuckling derisively. "Your clientele's not what it used to be, Sirona."

"Not to worry, Victor... Once the two of you leave, the caliber of my clientele will greatly improve," Sirona replied coolly without missing a beat. She paused for a moment before continuing, the words coming from her mouth making my hackles rise. "Wouldn't do that if I were you, Theophilus."

"Come, now..." Rookwood purred, taking a few steps closer. "No need for theatrics... I'm only here for this one, anyway."

Damn.

I had been caught... but that didn't mean I was intimidated. I finally looked over towards the two men with a scowl, rising slowly out of my seat as I made for my wand. Sebastian did the same, staying close by.

"My friend is enjoying a well-earned Butterbeer," said Sirona, her voice low and dangerous, watching Rookwood and Harlow's every move like an eagle.

"I only want a quick word-"

Stay away from her.

I gasped lightly, blinking. Not only had Sebastian suddenly moved directly in front of me with his wand drawn, the other patrons of the pub, Sirona included, had their wands trained on Rookwood as well. Harlow had his wand drawn, but he was very clearly outnumbered. "Perhaps you didn't hear me... I said my friend is busy," Sirona warned again. Rookwood's eyes shifted from left to right, and backed away when he saw he was outmatched.

"One would think you'd all had enough bloodshed for one day!" he groused. When nobody moved he huffed arrogantly, glaring at me through narrowed eyes. "...Come, Theophilus. The Three Broomsticks isn't what it used to be. Let's take our Galleons elsewhere... Can't drink Butterbeer forever," he taunted, spreading his arms menacingly at me before finally turning his back and leaving the pub, not seeing me mocking him. Sirona stood guard for a few moments to ensure they didn't come back.

"Seems you've made an unfortunate enemy," she sighed as she walked back towards myself and Sebastian. "Watch your back... Rookwood and Harlow are worse than any troll you might encounter." With that bit of advice, she then walked past us to tend to the other patrons, leaving me frozen in my thoughts.

It wasn't that I was scared of them... I was more than confident I could beat the two of them in a fight. But they seemed to be in league with Ranrok, which was the bigger problem. Whatever that glowing armor was that Ranrok and those trolls had been wearing, it made them extremely resistant, if not immune to magic. I hadn't sensed any violent, red glow on either of them, so at least that was comforting to know.

Also... it had happened again. I had felt someone speaking, even though I was sure they hadn't actually spoken. It sounded like Sebastian...

"Trolls, Ranrok and Rookwood? What are you not telling me?" Sebastian turned to me and spoke, causing me to jump in surprise. I swallowed as my mind raced... I had promised Fig I would keep this whole thing quiet, but...

...Well, Sebastian had unintentionally bore witness to another facet of our situation. And I already knew he was quite perceptive, perhaps almost as much as myself. He would never stop asking questions about this...

...Maybe I could use his help. Intelligent, willing to break the rules, and good with a wand... a perfect lackey, at best. And a perfect meat shield, at the very least.

"...Alright. I promise I'll tell you what's going on... but not here, okay?" I glanced around the room. Sebastian nodded, sensing the need for privacy. With a heavy sigh I sat back down and drained what was left of my Butterbeer... we remained for another hour or so, hoping that the two villains would be long gone by the time we left. Finishing off my third Butterbeer of the evening, I plunked a couple Galleons down on the bar and stood up, feeling somewhat less on edge.

"And on that note, I think we should head back to the castle," Sebastian suggested, holding open the door. Night had fallen, and the streets were still mostly deserted. I pulled my cloak around me as we began the journey back to Hogwarts. "I'm certainly glad Sirona was there... told you she was one of the good ones," he broke the silence as we passed back over the bridge to town. The lights beside the pathway glowed brilliantly among the stars and Black Lake in the distance.

"I'll say. Impressive how she wasn't intimidated by either of them," I replied.

"I think you'll need to tell me why Victor Rookwood has you in his sights," he said, his lips thin. "But we can talk later... for the moment, we should return to the castle. Professor Weasley's certain to hear about the troll attack soon if she hasn't already... don't want to risk another detention for getting back after hours."

"Something tells me she'd be willing to overlook that with a good enough excuse," I hummed. "...What time is it, even?"

"Looks to be... 8:32pm," he said as he pulled out a pocketwatch, checked it and clapped it shut. "We'll be cutting it close."


~


Truthfully, I was surprised Sebastian made no effort to ask any further questions on our way back to the common room. A bell chimed 9pm just as we made it down the final staircase, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well... I'd say we had a rather eventful day," he said, turning towards me. "I'll bet everyone already knows of our exploits... prepare to never hear the end of it tomorrow."

"Oh, won't be the first time I've heard rumors about me," I waved a hand dismissively. "I just wonder how exaggerated they'll become."

"It was definitely impressive, seeing you fight... perhaps it's for the best you went easy on me this morning," he chuckled. "...Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow. Herbology and Potions, am I right?"

"I have Divination, too."

"Ah... I dropped that class as soon as I was able. I'm no Seer," he shook his head. "It's a dreadfully boring class if you don't have the gift for it."

"I see... well, that's not exactly a glowing review."

"You can always make up your own fortunes... makes the class far more interesting," he smirked. The warm, fuzzy feeling returned, far too late to be from the effects of Butterbeer.

"I'll keep that in mind... well, goodnight, Sebastian. Thank you for accompanying me today," I bowed my head.

"Of course. Sleep well," he waved as he turned towards the tunnel that led to his bedroom. I turned away and began walking towards my own, the fuzzy feeling refusing to abate-

...I stopped in my tracks. I wanted to smack myself in the forehead.

I knew damn well what that warm, fuzzy feeling was all along.

He had been flirting with me. Sweet Celestia, I think he likes me.

...

...

...

...Oh, this would be even easier than I thought, wheedling the good stuff out of him. He'd be a proper lackey in no time.

The other girls in my bedroom chattered amongst themselves as I gathered my things for a shower Why they put the bathrooms outside of the common room is beyond me... at least we wouldn't be penalized for going there and straight back after curfew and returned, ready for bed. Ignoring their questions about how I had defeated the troll and just why exactly I had spent the afternoon with Sebastian, I shut my bed's curtains and fell asleep.
> In Which Sunset Does Some Breaking and Entering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sebastian had been right.

This morning I actually made it to breakfast in the Great Hall. While I ate my fill of coffee, fruit and various pastries, I heard our names being mentioned by everyone around me multiple times. The tones of their voices were that of reverence and respect, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pride in my accomplishment.

Of course I defeated that troll. What, you thought I wasn't capable of it? Even after I wiped the floor with my companion in class earlier?

Partway through my meal the owls came flying in from above, delivering mail to the various students. I was surprised when one of them dropped a letter directly into my lap, with no indication of who it was from. Once I'd opened it, however, the message was clear.

Come and see me. I've discovered something in the locket we found at Gringotts.

I crammed the rest of my pastry into my mouth and jogged to Professor Fig's classroom. It was a strange feeling, walking inside the room I had first met him in. The Mirror of Erised had since been moved to the opposite side of the room, but it was largely just as I remembered it.

Magic Theory had sounded fascinating when he told me that was the class he taught. I was surprised to learn it was an elective for the first three years of school, but once he'd gone over it with me when I'd asked about it... well, the names, dates and places were all different, but the base theory was largely the same as it was in Equestria, at least until you got into the more esoteric, high-level topics.

I climbed up the short staircase to his office and entered without knocking. Fig looked up and smiled warmly when he saw me. "Hey, Fig... it's good to see you."

"And I, you," he sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin you're in one piece! I heard about the attack... Trolls, in Hogsmeade?!"

"Yes... and besides that, they were wearing armor, and it had that exact same red glow I saw on Ranrok and that dragon's collar."

"Goblin silver... Ranrok must have used it to control the dragon! But how... and why send trolls to-"

"Me," I swallowed. "...Ranrok wants me, for some reason. I, uh... ...Should I get Sebastian involved with this? Maybe not right now... ...I saw him speaking with Victor Rookwood in town after it happened."

"Ranrok was in Hogsmeade? With Rookwood?!"

"The trolls were Ranrok's, meant to be a distraction so Rookwood could get to me... he and his friend Harlow tried again in the Three Broomsticks, but Sirona and the other patrons scared them off."

"This is grave news, indeed," Fig exhaled. "If Ranrok's goblins and Rookwood's Dark wizards are after you... they want what we found in that vault."

"That locket, probably," I frowned. "You said you found something in it?"

"Yes, yes!" Fig nodded emphatically, tapping his finger on a piece of parchment spread out on his desk. "I discovered an inscription... when I read it aloud, this map appeared! Clever enchantment... it's a map of Hogwarts, to be sure, but I do not know where it leads." I looked down and studied the map, noting it only showed the first floor of the entire castle. A bit of blue caught my eye before long, and my eyes widened to see a glowing spot in the left side of the Library... more importantly, in the Restricted Section. The glow also seemed to extend past the building's borders.

"I do... there's a glowing area in the Restricted Section of the Library. A bit beyond it, too, but apparently not within the school."

"I suspected you would see something," Fig smirked.

"Should we go now?" I tilted my head. If I had permission from Fig to skip a class or two in order to find out more about this ancient magic, now was certainly the time.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, and I'm eager to discover what we may find there as well, but... if our experience at Gringotts - let alone what happened with Miriam - taught me anything, it's that the path we're on is terribly dangerous."

"Pfft... danger, schmanger," I rolled my eyes. "It's probably just a book, considering where it is... how dangerous could that be?"

"Perhaps we are only after a book... but we should be prepared for anything," Fig shook his head. I opened my mouth to argue but quickly closed it again... unlike how Celestia would've reacted, his tone was even, mild and kind, and he made no effort to even try to disparage me. He was much calmer, much more understanding than she ever was...

...And, now that I thought about it, he was right. While I was always confident in my abilities to face whatever lay ahead, it was also wise to prepare for any possibility, especially if you had ample time to do so. I let out a huff and nodded in agreement.

"I'll give this some thought... Come see me after classes today, alright? We'll go then," said Fig.

"Very well. I shall prepare myself as well." He nodded again with a smile, and I left the office. I needed to get to my first class of the day now.


~


Despite having eaten breakfast, my stomach growled as I opened the door to the sweltering but lovely Greenhouses. A multitude of scents wafted through my nose - some poisonous, but many lush and fragrant and enticing... and edible. I passed by a charming little fountain going down a staircase, which cascaded into a small pond and brook that cut its way through the center of the complex. There were four smaller greenhouses under its roof, and class today was in the second one from the left. I walked inside and found most of my classmates already present, some in a line beside our teacher, Professor Garlick.

She was quite lovely indeed, Professor Garlick. Only a few years out of school herself, she was vivacious and excitable. Her vibrant red hair was kept in braided twintails that reached past her hips, and she was dressed in a verdant green and yellow ensemble decorated with blue-violet ribbons, with a matching sunhat studded with orange roses. She was passing out wads of cotton from a basket to each student as I approached.

"Good morning, Professor Garlick!" the Hufflepuff girl in front of me chirped.

"How wonderful it is to see you again, Lenora dear!" Professor Garlick beamed as she handed Lenora some cotton. "Oh, here... you'll need these for today's class." While Lenora took the cotton, Garlick quickly took out her wand and waved it, summoning a small squash of some sort and setting it down in Lenora's arms. "A little treat for your auntie," she winked. Lenora nodded her thanks and moved on, allowing me to get some cotton from the basket next.

"Hello," I bowed my head slightly. Professor Garlick gasped in delight.

"Ah, hello!" she trilled, putting her arm around me as she faced me towards the other students. "Class, please welcome the newest rose in our garden." I glanced at her and then to my fellow classmates - among them were Sebastian and Ominis, all the girls from my room and Natty, who all smiled politely. I simply waved before moving towards the last empty workspace, which happened to be next to Sebastian's.

"We do look forward to growing together," Garlick nodded before setting her basket down. "How thrilling it is to have everyone back together again! This year will be filled with enchantment and excitement, but the most important thing cultivated in Herbology is knowledge. The prudent herbologist is no more afraid of the Venomous Tentacula than the Bouncing Bulb," she hummed serenely as she tossed a carrot into one of the Venus flytrap-esque maws of the former, the maw that caught it slamming shut with an animalistic squeak.

I couldn't help but give the plant a sniff. ...Nope, poisonous. Not good to eat.

"Now, then... Today we will be acquainting ourselves with the mellifluous tuber known as the Mandrake Root," Garlick continued from her lectern, reaching over and Accioing two pots towards herself: a smaller one with a mass of leaves and purple flowers sticking out from it, and one larger but empty.

Mellifluous?! If they're anything like the Mandrakes back in Equestria...

"Let's see if we can't make our fibrous friends a bit more comfortable, shall we? First, let's protect our ears." Professor Garlick took out a wad of cotton, pulled it into two pieces and shoved them into her ears. While my classmates did the same, I looked down at my wad of cotton and frowned.

If these were anything like the Mandrakes back in Equestria, they were only to be handled by the most skilled botanists in the country. Celestia had otherwise forbidden their cultivation within any city, town or village. I myself had only ever seen one once, and it had been chopped into pieces for my safety... these Mandrakes, however, were not chopped up, but alive.

To be safe, I quickly pulled out my wand and cast a Muffling charm on the cotton before stuffing it into my ears. I also donned my dragonhide gloves, not wanting to get my hands dirty.

"Now, everyone," she instructed, yelling rather than talking so we could hear her through the cotton. "Grip your Mandrake by the tendrils and give it a firm tug." I took in a deep breath and let it out before I uprooted mine. The fat, tawny, infant-like root immediately started screaming.

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Even through my charmed cotton, I could feel my brain rattling against my skull, blood rushing to my head, my eardrums popping and threatening to burst. Glancing around, the others were also cringing at the shrill sounds, Ominis especially. Above me, the glass roof shattered.

"Quickly! Place your Mandrakes in the new pot and pat down the soil!" Garlick shouted above the noise somehow, cramming her Mandrake into her pot. I didn't hesitate to do the same, sighing in relief as the screaming abruptly stopped. Hurriedly I squished the dirt in place around the leaves, perhaps a bit rougher than necessary. "The soil should envelop the root like a warm, dirty blanket, putting the Mandrake right at ease," she continued, speaking normally now. Once she'd finished repotting her Mandrake, she pulled out her wand and cast Reparo at the ceiling, fixing it.

"Ow..." I grumbled, taking out the cotton. While glaring at my Mandrake, I couldn't help but sniff the foliage... Nope, also poisonous.

"I'm very sorry about that," Professor Garlick said as she walked towards me, picking up the plant and taking it away. "Yours was a bit mature, I'm afraid."

"I'll say... I nearly went deaf," I grumbled to myself, rubbing the inside of one of my ears with my pinkie.

"Splendid work, everyone!" she called out. Our next task for the day was to plant some dittany seeds at our potting tables. I retrieved my seeds from my pocket dimension and planted them without incident, casting a spell that would hasten their growing cycle. While planting, I sniffed the seeds as well... these smelled somewhat bitter and medicinal.

"Do you smell every plant you come across?" Sebastian teased, startling me. I felt my face heat up and shot him a dirty look, which only made him giggle. It didn't help that I felt compelled to sniff the newly-sprouted dittany in my pot, either... I waited until he was looking away to do so. They smelled just like the seeds, but stronger.

"Well done!" Professor Garlick praised once the last of us had sprouted dittany. "Once it can be harvested, your dittany will be ready to use in Wiggenweld potion... I'll let Professor Sharp tell you about that. Now, what say we branch out? Introduce you to a different sort of flora... the Chinese Chomping Cabbage! You'll find that some plants are better suited to uses outside of a cauldron," she instructed as she rolled out a wheelbarrow full of green and orange cabbages, each with a disturbingly-toothy mouth right in the center of the rosette. She also brought out a couple of practice dummies, like the ones we'd used in Defense Against the Dark Arts yesterday. "The cabbages do get testy without something to chew... Fortunately, I have some dummies for them to gnaw on! Let them each have a good chomping."

We each walked up to the wheelbarrow and carefully grabbed a cabbage. Again, I couldn't help but sniff mine as soon as I was sure no one was looking... and my mouth began to water. This plant smelled amazing, I was nearly tempted to just bite right into it. I settled for picking off a leaf and chewing on it while I tossed the cabbage at a dummy when it was my turn. The cabbage was surprisingly violent, leaping on its own up to the dummy's head and gnawing repeatedly on its scalp.

"Vicious little bastards, aren't they?" a Gryffindor boy laughed, addressing me. Glancing over, I realized it was the boy Sebastian had been dueling yesterday, Prewett. "My kind of plants... not like stupid Bubotubers and Bouncing Bulbs. The kind of plants that'd have your back in a fight."

"Uh huh... probably still wouldn't have helped you much yesterday," I raised an eyebrow.

"Imagine if that wasn't a dummy," he mumbled, a seemingly dark look in his eyes.

"I already was..." my eyes narrowed, mentally telling him to shut up, his commentary wasn't needed. Prewett seemed to get the message and scooted away with a look of fear on his face. A yelp from a Ravenclaw boy brought my attention back to the class.

"And with that helpful reminder as to why we should always wear our dragonhide gloves, I shall end our lesson here," Professor Garlick drawled as she waved her wand. "Terribly sorry, Mr. Clopton."

Ouch.


~


I followed the class as they moved from Herbology to Potions. A stack of cauldrons sat outside the door, purple smoke continuously wafting up from one of them but emitting no scent. The inside of the classroom was stiflingly warm on account of all the wood-fired stoves used to keep potions boiling. The walls were lined with glass jars filled with all kinds of ingredients and reagents - bugs, animal parts, plants and secretions. I made myself at home at one of the workstations, large enough for three students and a set of scales.

Professor Sharp wasn't in the room when I'd arrived, but he soon threw open the door and entered, walking with a pronounced limp. Before becoming a teacher he had once been an Auror, but one bad mission had resulted in death for his partner, and rendered himself too injured to continue with that career. I couldn't help but wonder what kinds of spells he knew, what things he might've seen.

"Potions is one of the most challenging and hazardous subjects taught at this school," he spoke as he slowly made his way across the room... I silently appreciated that he was straight to the point, and didn't bother with pointless introductions or singling me out as the new student yet again. "As fifth-years, you will be required to reach new heights of both discipline and intellect. You will begin this term by brewing a Wiggenweld potion," he emphasized, pulling out a glass vial of familiar green liquid. "Mr. Thakkar, can you tell us why this potion might come in handy?

"Yes, Professor Sharp," a tan-skinned Ravenclaw boy spoke up. "The Wiggenweld potion can be used to sterilize and even heal a variety of injuries."

"It can heal some injuries... but not all. Five points for Ravenclaw," Professor Sharp nodded as he hobbled over to his desk and sat down with some effort. "Before today's class is completed, each of you will have brewed a Wiggenweld potion of your own... You never know when you might need it. Please begin."

I got out my Potions textbook and looked up Wiggenweld potion. While Alchemy had never been my favorite subject under Celestia's tutelage, I had still mastered it all the same. Brewing a successful potion was 90% following the recipe to the letter, like baking a cake. The other 10% was keeping an eye on the brew as you prepared the ingredients or mixed them in - sometimes a reagent wasn't quite pure, or the temperature of the stove was off by a couple degrees, and then you would need to compensate. This potion looked easy enough.

First I gathered together everything I would need. I crushed the fresh dittany along with wiggentree bark and some dried moly, along with five drops of horklump juice. After the plant matter was thoroughly combined I poured it into my small-sized cauldron and added a quarter cup of salamander blood. The potion turned red, and I stirred until the color changed to orange, and I added another quarter cup of salamander blood to turn the potion yellow. I stirred again until the liquid turned green - but that didn't mean it was finished. Instead I added another eighth of a cup of salamander blood, to which the liquid turned turquoise in color. Now I put the cauldron on the stove burner, and it quickly changed color again to indigo. Another eighth of a cup of salamander blood turned it pink, and heating it until it came to a simmer turned it red again. Five lionfish spines lowered the temperature a little, but it quickly returned to a simmer and changed colors to yellow. Then I added five more lionfish spines, as well as flobberworm mucus until it turned purple. I stirred until it turned red, then added even more of the mucus until it turned orange, then stirred again until it was yellow. Next was two-thirds of a cup of honey water, which changed the color to turquoise again, then five more drops of horklump juice. Finally I stirred the contents exactly three times, turned down the stove's heat and set the ladle down. Now all there was to do was wait for a half hour... I spent the time looking up potions that could be helpful to brew for Fig and I's theoretically dangerous trip to the Restricted Section. Most of them would take me a while longer than the couple hours I'd have for break and lunch, but there were one or two I could whip up real quickly.

Exactly a half hour later, I decanted my potion into a vial and handed it off to Professor Sharp, being the first one to do so. He held it up to the light and squinted, scrutinizing every little detail he could.

"Hmm... not an easy potion to brew. Well done," he finally said. "And from what I hear of your recent exploits in Hogsmeade, you'd also do well to practice brewing the defensive Edurus potion."

"Oh. Actually, I was just thinking of mixing one of those up in my spare time," I nodded.

"Good. For the moment, you can find the ingredients you'll need in my office," Professor Sharp motioned to a nearby door. "Come and see me when you've finished brewing, and we'll see if it was skill or luck the first time 'round."

Luck?! I wanted to argue as he limped back to his desk. I bet you couldn't have brewed something better yourself! With a huff I washed out my cauldron and dried it, then walked over towards his office.

"Psst," a red-haired Gryffindor boy hissed.

"Hm?"

"Did I hear Professor Sharp say that you have permission to go into his office?" he whispered excitedly.

"You heard right," I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Brilliant! You, my friend, have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity!" he replied with a wide, mischievous grin. "I'm Garreth, by the way... Garreth Weasley. Bit of a prodigy with potions, if I do say so myself."

I knew for a fact that that was a huge lie just by looking at him. "Weasley, huh... like Professor Weasley?"

"She's my aunt... keeps too close an eye on me for comfort," Garreth sighed. "...But she can't be everywhere."

"I see."

"Listen... anyone with a troll-sized brain can brew an Edurus potion-"

"True..." My eyes began to narrow... if he had a point to make, he'd better get to it.

"...I'm working on something that's certain to be spectacular! I'm just missing one tiny, last ingredient that will add that extra spark."

There it is. "And, I'm guessing you want me to go steal you one from Sharp's office, I take it?"

"You're as clever as I'd hoped," Garreth nodded. "I simply need a single Fwooper feather... As you'll already be in Sharp's office with his permission, perhaps you could grab one for me."

I mulled over the request for a moment. He doesn't seem like he even knows how to boil water... do I want to risk him burning the entire castle down with just this feather?

...

...

...

...I'll be fine. He... might not be. A devious grin spread on my face. "Alright, but only if there's enough of them that he won't miss it."

"I assure you he won't. Fwooper feathers aren't that valuable."

"Very well- ...Wait, if they're not that valuable, then why don't you have any?"

"I've ran out," Garreth shrugged. "But wait until you see what I'm brewing... Hurry back to me when you have that feather!" I rolled my eyes as he looked away, focused blindly on his cauldron that contained a foul-smelling brown liquid. Quickly I got inside Professor Sharp's office and picked up the ingredients - some glowing orange Ashwinder eggs, the brown, scraggly hairs of a Mongrel, and a single bright fuchsia Fwooper feather. There were plenty of other reagents inside, reagents that were poisonous, volatile or otherwise dangerous to handle, or so delicate that it would seem Sharp didn't trust any snot-nosed brat to handle them themselves. After taking a mental note of what was there, I left the office and set the feather down on Garreth's workspace.

"There you go. Knock yourself out."

"Brilliant, thank you. This is going to take a moment to brew," he grinned. Figuring I had some time before the fireworks began, I returned to my cauldron and began preparing my ingredients. Compared to the Wiggenweld potion, this one was incredibly simple. I cracked open the Ashwinder eggs until I had a half a cup of liquid, poured them into the cauldron with a half cup of honey water, dropped in a common pebble and set it on medium heat, then ground the shells until they were reduced to powder. Once the liquid was bubbling I added the mongrel hairs and stirred until they dissolved, then set it to simmer for five minutes.

Suddenly I heard Garreth shout. Glancing over, his cauldron was now in the process of violently shooting purple sparks into the air. The periwinkle liquid inside bubbled and frothed over, smelling like burnt hair as it hit the stove's burner.

I knew you were no prodigy. I chuckled to myself, smirking.

"Garreth! Not again!" Thakkar groaned.

"Ugh, the smell!" another Ravenclaw girl whined. The two students sharing Garreth's workstation cast Protego charms on themselves to avoid both the smell and the splashing. One table over from them, Ominis and Sebastian did their best to lean away from the disgusting mess.

"Well done, Garreth," Imelda laughed, clapping sarcastically from across the room.

"What now, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Sharp droned, sighing heavily. Evidently, this wasn't the first time Garreth had screwed something up in his class.

"...Sorry, Professor," Garreth moaned, his head slumped over in defeat.

"That'll be ten points from Gryffindor... again," Sharp drawled. Laughing to myself, I turned my attention back towards my Edurus potion. The mixture had thinned and turned yellow in color. I added the powdered eggshells and stirred them in just before decanting, the final liquid a champagne gold. Satisfied, I brought it over to the professor.

"Here you are, one Edurus potion," I said, setting the vial down on his desk. Sharp glared up at me.

"I'm surprised you had the time... You seemed rather busy helping Mr. Weasley brew chaos." The cocky grin on my face slipped away.

"...You saw that?" I blinked. Professor Sharp's gaze was unwavering. Crap... uh... "Er... sorry," I frowned a little and looked away. "...I thought he knew what he was doing."

Professor Sharp's eyes narrowed a little more before relaxing with a sigh. "Well... taking responsibility for one's actions does go a long way with me. I shall assume that you've learnt a lesson."

"Definitely." Sucker.

"As for the work you've done today at your own cauldron... I will say you've done well," he continued as he picked up and examined my potion, a hint of a grin on his face. "I confess I was... skeptical, given the advanced nature of this class and the fact that you're a new student."

"Well, happy to have met your expectations," I replied.

"A rare occurrence. But you'd do well to remember that you're not a Potions master quite yet... that will be all," he nodded once, dismissing me. Then he stood up to address the rest of the class. "I think each of us has had enough excitement for one day. Class is dismissed."

Now this kind of attitude made me want to brew the hardest recipe I could find, just to prove him wrong. Hell, maybe I'll even take Alchemy proper next year! While the rest of the students filed out, I remembered that I had something to do later today... something potentially (but probably not) dangerous. Professor Sharp seemed unbothered as I washed and dried my cauldron and began setting out various ingredients again for more potions, and asked no questions as I brewed a larger batch of Wiggenweld and some Focus potions.


~


I managed to finish brewing in time to have a quick lunch, then made my way to the Divination tower for my next class. After climbing the ladder that appeared, I discovered a cozy room full of poufs and cushions to sit on beside many low tables. There were way less students in this class than the others; I only recognized a couple of faces, such as Imelda and that Ravenclaw boy that had lost a fingertip to the Chomping Cabbage earlier. Even Natty wasn't in her own mother's class for what was likely an easy credit for her.

And, true to Sebastian's words... if you had no gift for Divination like a Seer did, the class was largely uninteresting. I could flip over tarot cards and interpret symbols in tea leaves, but if I tried to apply the meanings in the textbook to them, I would then reveal a very basic and unremarkable near-future... Nothing a cold-reading charlatan couldn't tell me.

I also received my first actual homework... do tarot card or tea leaf readings for five other students. I had a week to do it, but it also seemed like it would be extremely easy to just make something up for five people...


~


Finally, the last bell of the day rang, and I raced over to Fig's classroom. I found him inside his office again, whisking away some things into his pocket dimension.

"I'm here," I breathed heavily, shutting the door behind me. "I brewed a bunch of potions today for our trip, just in case."

"Wonderful," Fig nodded, rubbing his hands together. "Now, I don't wish to postpone our visit to the library any longer... shall we proceed?" he smiled with glee at the prospect of adventure. But before he could walk around his desk the door opened forcefully, and Headmaster Black waltzed into the room.

"Fig! I have work for you. Come!" ordered Black, not even bothering to look at us before turning back around.

"Headmaster, I am with a student!" Fig argued. "And my schedule is-"

"Your schedule will wait, indefinitely, as will your student," Black retorted with a scowl. "I would think that after all the trouble you caused me with Osric, you would be eager to make amends... My office, five minutes!" He stomped out of the room and slammed the door, and I couldn't help but sigh in frustration.

"I absolutely should've skipped class today," I grumbled, slapping the side of my head.

"Ugh, that man is exasperating..." Fig sighed as well. "Unfortunately, our trip to the Restricted Section will have to wait a bit longer."

"How much longer?"

"I don't know... but we have no choice. It would be unwise to provoke our illustrious Headmaster further... I shall find you when I've completed whatever toils I must endure." With another sigh, Fig walked out of the office, leaving me alone.

Damn. I really want to know what's hiding there!

I leaned against a wall, knocking over a stack of books. I pulled out my wand and waved them back into place... and then I remembered something.

A smile broke out onto my face. Perhaps I wouldn't have to wait until Fig returned from whatever it was Black wanted him to do, after all.


~


"Sebastian! There you are," I grinned widely, finding the boy studying on his own in the common room. Few other people were around, thankfully.

"There you are," he replied amicably as he clapped his book shut. I sat in the chair opposite him, pulling it slightly closer. Unexpectedly, his expression changed to a more serious tone. "...You promised me an explanation for what happened in the Three Broomsticks... Not many students have Victor Rookwood's attention. What was that all about?"

I groaned inwardly... he wanted to know this now? ...I suppose I did owe him an explanation at the very least.

"...I did, didn't I?" I hummed after a moment of thought, then rechecked to see that no one was close enough to hear. "Alright... so it seems Rookwood's working with Ranrok, right? Well... Ranrok's after me, too... he wants something I found in Gringotts."

"Ranrok?" Sebastian tilted his head. "And when were you at Gringotts?"

"It's a long story," I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "So Fig and I were flying here by carriage, right? Then that dragon attacked. But George, the other guy, he gave Fig this key before he got eaten, and it happened to be a Portkey-"

"A Portkey? To Gringotts? ...I'm not sure I follow."

"I'm getting there... anyway, that Portkey led us to a ruin, which led us to Gringotts somehow, and then it led us to an ancient vault where we found a map. And for some reason, that map leads to the Restricted Section of the library."

"You can't be serious," blinked Sebastian.

"I am... actually," I lowered my voice to almost a whisper and leaned in towards Sebastian, who mirrored my actions. "...Fig didn't want me to tell anyone about this... I'm only telling you because you were with me yesterday in Hogsmeade. You kind of got a glimpse of what I'm dealing with, here."

"Understood," he nodded. "Your secret's safe with me... whatever it is."

"It better be," I gave him a glare. When he nodded again insistently I relaxed and sat back up. "So, speaking of the Restricted Section... you, uh... mentioned 'being clever enough not to get caught'...?" I grinned and wiggled an eyebrow for extra effect.

"And I am," he smirked knowingly. "Meet me outside the library tonight... and tell no one."

"Of course not," I replied. Alright, that's settled... now what should I do until then...?

...

...

...

"...Soooo... I've got homework. Can I tell your fortune real quick?"


~


Ultimately, I met up with Sebastian as he tiptoed out into the common room at about ten to midnight. We quietly walked through the castle together, careful not to make a noise. Before long we were perched in the staircases above the library, looking down on a trio of prefects having a conversation right in front of its doors.

"See there?" he whispered. "Those annoying prefects would love nothing more than to rat on us, so don't let them see us. Understood?"

"Duh," I rolled my eyes, taking out my wand. "I've snuck past more guards than this before. Let's go."

"Hold on, now," Sebastian held up a hand. "There's a spell you should know... the Disillusionment Charm. Good for getting places you're not supposed to be."

"Oh?" I perked up immediately. A spell for sneaking around?

"Cast it, and you'll appear as little more than a trick of the light... Just as long as you keep your distance and stay quiet."

"Like... invisibility?" I breathed. Celestia had never taught me such a spell, mainly because it was incredibly difficult, requiring total concentration to bend every little atom of light around every single curve of your own body. It was something even she couldn't do without significant effort...

...That, or, if Sebastian of all people was able to teach it to me, she lied about it.

Like so many other things.

"Something like that," he nodded. "It's not as foolproof as a cloak... those are expensive. And spells... spells are free. Here," Sebastian suddenly grabbed onto my wand hand and waved it into a circular motion, "move your wand like this. The incantation is 'invisibilis'."

"I..." The feeling of my upper body falling asleep shot through me like lightning, heat billowing forth from my chest so intensely I could feel a bead of sweat grow on my temple. "...I-Invisibilis." Nothing happened, and I shook his hand from mine with a grunt. "You're messing me up! ...Invisibilis," I tried again. This time, I felt a sensation like someone had cracked a giant egg on my head, and as it ran down my body I could see my arm, then my hand, and then eventually my entire being vanish. I moved slightly, seeing my form just barely ripple into existence like a mirage before disappearing again.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Sebastian grinned as he cast the charm on himself, his body rapidly disappearing from view. Only his muffled footsteps betrayed his position. "Now... we must remain unseen," he whispered. I quickly cast a Muffling Charm on myself before going down the stairs. With this spell and my own skill in sneaking past guards, it was no problem at all waiting for an opportunity to slip through the doors. Once inside the library, however, I quickly saw that we were not alone. Madam Scribner was sitting at her desk, doing some late-night work.

"Blast... the librarian's still here!" Sebastian hissed, tapping my shoulder. "Quick, behind the bookcase." I paid attention to where his footsteps were headed and crawled behind one of the larger bookcases at the ends of the first aisle. He cursed as he canceled his charm and came back into view.

"I thought you said she'd be gone by now!" I hissed back as I canceled my own charm.

"I said usually! But it'll still be alright... you cause a distraction, and I'll sneak into her desk and get the key."

I nodded. "I'll meet you by the Restricted Section, then." Sebastian and I both recast our charms and headed in opposite directions. Once I could no longer hear his footsteps, I raised my wand and pointed it towards the back of the library, casting a silent Descendo. A random living portrait came crashing down to the floor, and Madam Scribner stood up suddenly... and then began to move.

I hoped that would be enough of a distraction for him. I quickly made my way towards the gated-off Restricted Section, where an Alohomora-proof lock kept it closed. I heard the sound of a desk drawer slowly closing, and a few moments later I heard footsteps approaching. Another few moments later, and a key appeared in the lock, turning and sliding it open.

"I said I'd get you in, and I always keep my word," Sebastian grinned as he cracked open one half of the gate. I heard him slip in behind me and shut the gate before continuing forward. Now that I had access to all these forbidden books I resisted the urge to start grabbing the ones that looked the most interesting and taking them for myself.

"Honestly... why have all these books if you don't want anyone to read them?" I grumbled.

"I know! All this knowledge, and they think it's too dangerous for any ordinary student to read," he agreed. "More knowledge can only be a good thing, don't you agree? ...Oh, that one's charmed to look more useful than it is," he muttered as I picked up a green tome decorated with red cabochons. "It's fooled me twice. Never judge a tome by its cover, I say."

"I'll take your word for it," I mumbled, setting it back down. There was a staircase leading downwards at the end of the Restricted Section, which appeared to be used for storage. Along the dark, narrow corridors were a couple of ghosts we had to sneak past, and then a second staircase leading even further down.

"Should be in the clear now... no need for us to be skulking about," Sebastian said as he canceled his charm and stood back up. I canceled my own charm again and took a moment to stretch my back before we wandered through the rest of the storage space. Especially dusty tomes sat undisturbed on tens of bookshelves, and as I walked I couldn't help but notice Sebastian checking the cover of each one as we passed.

"Are you looking for something?" I asked. Sebastian stopped for a brief moment, letting out a small sigh before moving again.

"...I'm looking for a cure to help my twin sister, Anne... so that she can return to Hogwarts. Because Merlin knows everyone else has given up," he added bitterly.

"A cure? I thought she was just feeling ill."

"It's a curse of some sort. I've been trying to get my hands on every book possible that could tell me more about it."

"And you think there might be one here? ...You've tried a, um... wizard doctor or something already, right?"

"We've tried everyone from Nurse Blainey to St. Mungo's," Sebastian shook his head before looking back at me. "But... I can research on my own. No need to concern yourself with that right now. Let's focus on what you're after... which is what, precisely?" he added slowly.

"Well... I'm assuming it's a book," I paused. "...Guess I'll know it when I see it."

"You're being awfully cryptic."

"This whole mess I'm in is awfully cryptic," I snapped back. An especially fancy tome caught my eye, green covered in golden filigree and decorated with enamel, a ruby and turquoise. I flipped it open out of curiosity, finding it full of Old English text that I couldn't quite make out.

"'Secrets of the Darkest Arts'? I'm impressed..." Sebastian hummed. Figuring that book wasn't what I was looking for, I closed it, jumping a little when the book started to shake and tremble on its own. There was finally a door at the end of the corridor, leading into a completely undecorated storage area that seemed long-forgotten, lit by a single dusty lamp. As we picked our way through the clutter, something large and metallic crashed to the floor. We rounded a corner to find a suit of armor had collapsed...

...And the culprit was a multicolored ghost, his face permanently stuck in a twisted grin. "Who have we here?" he gasped with glee.

Aw, hell...

"Sebastian Sallow and Sunset Shimmer, out exploring where they shouldn't be!" the ghost continued to taunt. "Naughty, naughty! You'll get caught-y...!"

"Peeves... don't you-"

"I'm going to tell! I'm going to tell! I'm going to telllll!" Peeves paid no attention to Sebastian and began floating back the way we'd came. You'd think the most mischievous ghost in Hogwarts would be up for students sneaking around after hours...

"Blasted Peeves," Sebastian growled. "I've got to stop him, or at least get to the librarian with a good excuse for all of this!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" I managed to grab his sleeve as he tried to run off. "And how do I know you're not going to slink away and make me take the fall for this?!" Sebastian paused for a moment.

"...Why would I do that?" he asked. "Besides... I like having friends who are in my debt," he added with a smirk. I exhaled grumpily... to think I'd let him get one over on me like this... I wasn't going to let him get away with it.

But I'd already come this far... no sense in throwing all that progress away now. I let go of his sleeve.

"...Fine."

"Now, go. Good luck with your search," he said, a fleeting smile on his face before Disillusioning himself. I heard his footsteps grow further away as he cursed that poltergeist, and soon the room was silent.

I was alone.

The cold darkness crept in, making me shiver. I retrieved my cloak from my pocket dimension and wrapped it around myself. The golden silk seemed to brighten the room ever so slightly.

Alright... I got this. I don't need him. I can do this myself.

I saw that the suit of armor had fallen in front of a doorway. A Reparo moved it aside, and I forced the door behind it open. The space inside was pitch black and covered in spiderwebs, but there was also a spiral staircase carved into the barren stone, leading ever downwards. My wand lit the way as I carefully descended, and at the bottom of the stairs I found a dead end, a hole blasted into the wall. It led to a secret oubliette, the only thing inside it was an elaborate metal archway. Once I stepped inside the oubliette, familiar sparks of white-blue light shot out from my footsteps and soared towards the arch.

Looks like I found it.

I followed the sparks to a swirling vortex at the base of the arch and stood in it, feeling the familiar warmth caress me as it danced around me. The magic flowed into my wand - whispering, pleading, begging me to use it.

I smelled the balmy air within the vortex, warm and rich. A hint of metal for an aftertaste.

Power surged within me, and I flicked my horn.

The archway suddenly surged to life, a blue portal beckoning me inside. I stared into it for a moment, then turned around to see if anything else had appeared.

Nothing else.

I stepped inside.
> In Which Sunset Accidentally Agrees To Protect Nature
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The portal took me to a long corridor expertly carved out of the gray stone, paved with familiar gleaming, smooth marble in blue, gold and white tones, and lined with twisted brass and sconces ablaze with white fire. The floor was raised far above the ground below, hidden in a pit of darkness. At the end of this corridor was a large room, seemingly held up by all the vining, carved brass that lined the floor, the walls and the columns, its only occupants an old book that floated above another Pensieve.

Told him it was just a book we were looking for.

Tentatively I reached for the book, only for it to open on its own. Thin, silver liquid bled upwards through the ancient parchment and poured down into the Pensieve. I took the book from midair and spirited it away to my pocket dimension, and then leaned my face into the murky waters.

I felt myself being pulled in, rushing past clouds of black smoke until landing softly on some dry grass. I was overlooking a hamlet somewhere... one that was in the middle of a serious drought. The rocky, hilly ground was brown and cracked, the grass and weeds starved of water. The trees were sickly and barren, and the sun was beating mercilessly down, shining so brightly the sky was almost white.

I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around I saw four people, three men and one woman, in clothing from the Tudor era - two of which I had already seen before. They spent a few moments surveying the hamlet, Percival's eyes lingering on a house on a neighboring hill. A man and his two small children were trying their hardest to tend to their farm; the son was sickly and leaning on a crutch, coughing miserably while his sister helplessly peered into an empty well bucket.

Percival looked to his companions, who each nodded in turn. He then took out his wand and cast a spell into the sky. The magic that burst forth was white and blue... ancient magic. It exploded into a cloud that quickly expanded and rippled outwards, changing from white to a dark grey. A calm wind blew as moisture filled the air, and it began to rain.

The little girl stared into the sky, the rain cleansing the dust from her smiling face. The other three pulled out their wands as well, and together the four began casting and making use of ancient magic. Spirals of twirling light appeared throughout the hamlet, and together they revitalized the grasses and crops. The trees filled out with thick, verdant foliage and fruit, and the wells refilled themselves to the brim. Flowers sprung up and bloomed, and more trees and bushes grew within seconds to full maturity. In mere moments, the hamlet had been transformed into a lush paradise.

All the while, the little girl stared in awe and wonder. She glanced back towards her family for a moment, and then her eyes seemed to lock with Percival's. It was clear she wanted to thank him and his companions, but the distance between them was too great. Percival simply nodded, and then he and his companions turned their backs and left as mysteriously as they had arrived.

The scene suddenly changed. Now I found myself back in Hogwarts, in an office I had never seen before. Through the window I could see it was storming violently, lightning flashing and thunder pealing every so often. Percival, Charles and the two other companions were standing or sitting around discussing something when a noise caught their attention. A woman about my age cautiously walked through the threshold, her uniform in the colors of Ravenclaw. From the looks of her, it appeared to be that little girl from the hamlet, now grown.

"You... wanted to see me, Headmistress Fitzgerald? Professor Rackham?" she asked.

"Miss Isidora Morganach! Welcome," Percival greeted warmly, beckoning her inside. Isidora came closer, greeting Charles and the final unnamed man.

"Professor Rookwood. Professor Bakar."

"We understand that you are adjusting well to life at Hogwarts," the woman, Headmistress Fitzgerald spoke. Isidora nodded her head. "I am glad! Especially in light of your unusual situation, starting as a fifth-year."

Oh? Really...?

"As it happens, I was also admitted to Hogwarts as a fifth-year," Rackham chimed in. "I've never heard of another like us." I couldn't help but blink at the coincidence.

"Miss Morganach," Rookwood addressed. "When we spoke yesterday after class, you asked about the beautiful swirls you saw years ago, when we visited your hamlet."

"I recognized you all immediately! I cannot thank you enough for what you did," Isidora nodded, beaming with gratitude.

"We were glad to help," Fitzgerald smiled.

"And yes, I did see swirls of magic everywhere that day! ...My father insists it was my imagination running wild, but it was certainly real to me."

"It was not your imagination," said Rackham.

"Percival- ...Professor Rackham can see them, too... but we've never known of another who could," said Fitzgerald.

"I don't understand... what are they?" asked Isidora.

"The whispers, or traces that appear when a particular form of ancient magic is wielded," Rackham smiled serenely.

"Ancient magic?"

"Few are capable of wielding it," Bakar finally spoke. "Hogwarts itself is a stronghold of ancient magic."

"So... if I can see traces of ancient magic, does that mean that I can wield it, too?" Isidora asked slowly, a sparkle in her eyes.

"With the proper training," Rackham emphasized.

"But let us not get ahead of ourselves, Miss Morganach," said Bakar.

"Before I can train you to wield such magic, you must first master all that Hogwarts has to offer," said Rackham. Isidora nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"A magic this powerful can do great harm in the wrong hands," added Fitzgerald, shaking her finger. "It must be wielded by a select few... as such, we ask that you not speak to anyone about what we have discussed here today." Nodding again, Isidora then took her leave, determination in her eyes and satisfaction plain on her face. As the four wizards watched her go, the air suddenly clouded over with black smoke, and I felt myself being pulled out of the memory.

I blinked. Such a strange sensation, peering into someone else's memory.

"Hmm..." I mumbled to myself once I had my bearings again. So far, I wasn't terribly impressed. Ancient magic was supposed to be extremely powerful, right? It sure seemed so when I had used it on that troll the other day. Their use of it had been impressive, but it also seemed like magic I could do already... it'd just take a little more time than that had.

And, there seemed to be a link between starting Hogwarts in your fifth year and being able to wield ancient magic. I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Apparently, most, if not all of Hogwarts' students began their first year at eleven years of age... I was a special case, sure, but what about those two? Rackham and Isidora?

I would need to think about this. Hopefully Fig will be back by tomorrow.

After taking a look around the room and finding nothing else of value, I returned the way I came. The portal was still active, and I exited back into the oubliette, back into the pitch-black staircase, back into the storage section. Remembering that Peeves had blown our cover, I went ahead and cast Disillusionment on myself before carefully making my way back through the Restricted Section... picking up a couple of books along the way. No sense in letting this opportunity go to waste, after all.

The gate was still unlocked when I reached it - I slid through and closed it as quietly as possible. Some movement caught my eye... and I shook my head in disappointment. Sebastian was perfectly visible, in a silent argument of gestures with Peeves. The poltergeist floated around him and towards a very displeased Madam Scribner.

"Sneaking in the Restricted Section again?!" Scribner shouted jarringly, her voice reminding me quite clearly that I had only been hearing whispers and quiet voices for the past half hour or so. I tiptoed behind a nearby shelf for a better view. "I had thought we were through with this mischief! Clearly detentions are insufficient! ...I'm afraid I must take this to the Headmaster."

"But-"

"That being said..." Scribner's head lowered, "...Peeves informs me that you didn't come alone tonight." The poltergeist crossed his arms, looking mighty pleased with himself, and I bristled.

Damn... don't you dare...!

"If someone has coerced you... I would have you tell me," she cooed. "You're a bright boy... don't waste this." Sebastian's lips disappeared into his mouth as he considered her words.

Sebastian, I swear to whatever gods exist on this planet you will deeply regret crossing me...!

"...There was nobody else," he finally said. "I came alone."

You little narc! I'm gonna- ...wait, what? I blinked repeatedly in surprise... he actually kept his word?

"Oh, Sebastian..." Scribner sighed, grabbing him by his shoulder and tutting as she turned towards the doors. "What will your uncle say?" Peeves scowled and floated directly in his face before blowing a raspberry. Sebastian only rolled his eyes as they all skulked out of the library, leaving me alone.

It was a good thing, too... I stood there for a few minutes, utterly gobsmacked. Every other time I'd ever had contact with the lesser students of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, they had treated me with derision and disdain, unable to accept the fact that I was their superior. Asking them to have kept a secret between myself and one of them would have surely ended in their blabbing it to everypony in earshot... frankly, I hadn't expected anything different from Sebastian, and was fully prepared to both eat a detention and make his life hell from now on.

But there he was, being marched off to the Headmaster... having taken the full blame...

...

...

...

I... guess some thanks are in order, next time I see him...

I blinked again. The very notion of this kind of gratitude was foreign to me. I had always relied on myself, and no one else... I struggled with the conflicting emotions of my mind as I snuck my way back to the common room, and back to bed.


~


I woke up early and rushed to the Great Hall for breakfast, hoping that Fig was back from his sudden trip to the Ministry. After eating I ran to his classroom, slowing when I heard a pair of voices coming from his office. Upon opening the door, I found Fig having a conversation with Professor Sharp.

"You cannot be serious... Goblins, working with Rookwood?" Sharp shook his head. "Makes no sense."

"It is rather... unorthodox, to say the least," said Fig.

"Unorthodox? It's inconceivable! It's-" Sharp cut off his sentence as he turned his head and saw me. "...Ah, Fig, you have a visitor."

"Please, Professor... I must insist-"

"Yes, yes... I'll see what I can find out," Sharp sighed as he limped out of the office, leaving myself and Fig.

"Well... what brings you here, Miss Shimmer?" Fig asked as he slumped into his chair.

"Oh, nothing... just that it really was only a book we were looking for," I replied as I plucked the old tome from my pocket dimension and plopped it onto Fig's desk.

"What? That's... wait," Fig blinked. "You accessed the Restricted Section? How?! ...Thinking on it, perhaps it's best you spare me the details," he admitted.

"Fair enough," I shrugged.

"I want to hear everything! But first, let's have a look," he exclaimed as he threw open the book's cover and began thumbing through the pages. The cracked, yellowed pages were covered in elaborate hand-drawn illustrations and text I couldn't read or even recognize. Eventually Fig reached the middle of the tome, and our faces fell - a couple of the pages had been deliberately torn out.

"Ugh, really?" I groaned. Such disrespect for knowledge.

"It appears someone has got to the book before us," Fig frowned.

"Who, though? I can't imagine anyone else has ever been down there."

"I couldn't say. Still, I will need time to study what remains... perhaps we can still salvage something useful, though it may take some time... I wonder why it was here, below Hogwarts?"

"Well..." I tapped a finger on my chin as I recalled. "...I did find the book in another one of those weird rooms, through a portal in an oubliette. It was also floating above another Pensieve, and it had two memories to show me."

"Another Pensieve? Godric's heart! What did it show you?"

"From what I could tell, they were from that older man we saw before, Percival Rackham. He was apparently a professor here long ago. In the first memory, he and three other professors - Rookwood, Fitzgerald and Bakar - rejuvenated a hamlet suffering from a drought, all four of them using ancient magic to do so." Fig gasped, seemingly recognizing something.

"Miriam was right," he breathed. "And the second memory?"

"They were speaking to a student named Isidora Morganach about the ancient magic she'd seen back then at the hamlet. She and Rackham both apparently started Hogwarts in their fifth year, too."

"Fascinating... why those memories?" Fig hummed, thinking to himself for a moment. "Perhaps this book will explain. Now, I'll have to take it with me to London... the Headmaster has insisted that I speak directly to the Minister about George's death."

"You have to...? I thought you went already!"

"If only Black or the Ministry were that efficient," he grumbled.

For crying out loud... "What will you tell them?"

"I don't know how much I dare say. George tried to convince the Ministry about Ranrok, but to no avail... My instinct is to follow the path we are on for the moment, and keep the details to ourselves until we know more."

Ooh. Better not mention Sebastian, then... "Alright... well, good luck with that," I shrugged. Fig set the book aside and stood up as I turned for the door.

"Don't neglect your studies! The other professors have been telling me that you've been doing exceptionally well in their classes. I look forward to seeing all that you've accomplished when I return."

"I won't, and I'll make sure you have lots to hear about when you're back," I grinned back at him smugly.

"Oh! And don't neglect your friends," he added just as I opened the door. "You may be surprised by how much you can learn from them, as well." I stopped and stood there for a moment before I left... reminded of last night's events.

At first I would've scoffed at the very thought of befriending any of these peasants, these lesser classmates of mine. What could they possibly know that I didn't? But... I had learned that I did indeed have one potential ally...

...Yes. That's all that he was to me. Just someone to be used. Not a friend in the slightest.


~


The morning was bright and sunny as I headed outside for my first flying class. Most of my classmates were much younger than me, being first or second-years, but there were some older students as well, including that Ravenclaw boy Clopton that had his fingertip bitten off by a cabbage. A couple racks of beat-up broomsticks had been set up, and before long Madam Kogawa marched out of her nearby office, holding her own broom.

"Everybody grab a broom, and we shall get started," she ordered. Clopton raced to grab his pick of the brooms before everyone else. I took one that looked relatively new and followed everyone else's lead, which was to get into two rows facing each other. Madam Kogawa set her broom down on the ground and walked between our rows, first stopping in front of Clopton who was twirling his broom around like a baton.

"Mr. Clopton... your attention, please," she admonished. Once he'd set his broom down, she continued. "The goal of today is to remind all of you how to maneuver on a broomstick - safely, as broom flight is first and foremost a means of transportation. This, I fear, some of you may have forgotten," she grumbled, giving Clopton a look. "Diving, rolling and loop-de-loops will not be taught or, in fact, tolerated in this class. We'll leave that to professional Quidditch players... like the Toyohashi Tengu."

Someone booed.

"Not a fan, I take it?" Kogawa replied snidely. "Now, let's see how well everyone kept up with their practice over the summer holidays. For those who need a refresher, step up to your broom, say 'up' firmly and clearly, then kick your leg over and rest your weight on the seat." She proceeded to demonstrate for us, quietly thanking her broom when she was finished. "Now... your turn!" My classmates all began demanding up from their broomsticks, some with many more insults towards the animated inanimate object than others.

"Up," I spoke plainly, the broom at my side immediately jumping into my outstretched hand. Sitting and making myself comfortable on the broom was awkward given the long woolen skirt I was wearing as part of my uniform... I made a mental note to buy myself some trousers I could wear instead as soon as I could.

"One leg over so there's a leg on each side," Kogawa continued to order. "None of that side-saddle nonsense, a gust of wind will throw you right off." Pulling slightly on the handle I floated upwards a few feet off the ground. "And, if you hear my whistle while you're in flight, ground yourself at once."

Madam Kogawa then instructed us to follow her through various sets of floating rings. Surprisingly, flying with a broomstick felt very natural to me, and I quickly became more acquainted with how the broom worked. In no time at all I was zooming past my fellow classmates, flying as high as I felt I could get away with and savoring the rush of wind through my hair.

So, this must be what it feels like to have wings!

It was incredible! I couldn't wait to go buy myself a broom as soon as the school day ended, as there had been a broomstick shop in Hogsmeade I'd passed by. The final lesson of the day was to fly through a set of rings that snaked around Hogwarts, and I soared through them as fast as possible. I couldn't help but scream and cheer with delight at the sensation.

"Hello!" Clopton suddenly shot past me, then slowed until I'd caught up to him. "Nice day for a flight!"

"Uh... hi?" I muttered. He flew next to me as I followed the rings, shouting about various landmarks and school buildings as he went. Through the wind I could only barely hear him say something about the boathouse and the giant squid that lived in the Black Lake, and once we'd flown directly behind the castle he motioned for me to talk.

"I say, I watched you fly through those rings. You seem to handle yourself on that dusty school broom well enough!"

"Yea? I'd say so," I replied, wondering why he was stopping me from flying around some more.

"I'd imagine you're ready for something a bit more challenging... But I'm getting ahead of myself. We haven't properly met! I'm Everett Clopton."

"Oh, uh... Sunset Shimmer."

"Am I right in suspecting that a Slytherin like you might be interested in making an escape from class?" Clopton smirked.

"Why? It's almost over as it is."

"Pssh, Kogawa won't even notice! Besides, a bird doesn't learn how to fly by staying- hey!" I rolled my eyes as I left Clopton in my dust. Maybe if he'd suggested it before there were literally two minutes left before the class was over I might've been game. I made my way back to the castle grounds and hopped off my broom as it reached the ground.

And that's just a school broom! I bet there's far better versions available in the shop.

Madam Kogawa blew her whistle as I set my broom back in its rack. I stuck around just long enough to watch Everett land a full minute later than the whistle blew, and snickered as Kogawa yelled at him and took twenty five points from his house.

Then I figured... I had a full three hours until my next class, which was also outside. Might as well make the trip to Hogsmeade now. But I didn't want to walk all the way there, so I jogged through the grounds until I was outside of the boundary walls, looked around to make sure no one was looking, and went ahead and teleported myself directly to Hogsmeade.

I reappeared underneath the covered bridge into the village, and quickly made my way onto the path. Nobody had seen me. I made a beeline for Spintwitches and walked inside, finding a large assortment of brooms and Quidditch supplies lining the walls. The shopkeeper was busy talking with another customer about why he'd been closed the other day... something about goblins disrupting the supply chain. Once he'd finished, though, he was more than happy to tell me each broom's pros and cons.

In the end I chose a Silver Arrow broomstick. It had the highest top speed of all the available brooms. After paying and leaving the store I immediately hopped on and flew high into the air, up and up until I could see for miles around. Hogwarts and the Black Lake sat right in the center of this valley in the Scottish Highlands. I could see the vastness of the Forbidden Forest, the many hamlets that dotted the hills and, surprisingly, the ocean many miles away.

The frigid wind was harsh at that elevation, though, so I made my way back to the ground. Seeing how I had time to kill, I also went back to Gladrags and bought myself a few pairs of trousers to make flying more comfortable, also choosing to wear a pair out of the business. Then I went to Honeydukes and took my time looking around... while some of the candies and chocolates sounded delightful, others had flavors or side effects I wasn't terribly interested in experiencing. I went ahead and bought myself some Chocoballs, candied pineapple, an unnamed box with an image of an elephant on a bicycle (whatever it was, it made you make different animal noises), Fizzing Whizzbees, Pepper Imps, saltwater taffy, Sugar Quills, toffee, Toothflossing Stringmints and treacle fudge.

There was still an hour and a half before my next class when I had finished my shopping. I flew on my new broomstick all the way back to Hogwarts and dropped off all of my candy in the dresser beside my bed before going to the Great Hall for lunch.


~


Back outside, I headed for a collection of huts and pens beside the castle for Care of Magical Creatures, or Beasts, as everyone seemed to call it. Beneath a shelter were sets of desks and chairs, as well as a large chalkboard divided into many sections. A couple of animals were perched on some of the desks, already being fawned over by the other students. There was one empty spot left, next to a very short, brunette Hufflepuff girl holding a Puffskein.

"Welcome, everyone," Professor Howin greeted. She was a shorter woman of Asian descent, much like Madam Kogawa, dressed in lightly-colored thick clothing for handling animals and a frayed, weather-beaten hat. "I see you've already met some of the many beasts we study in this class. Though, be advised, none of these creatures should be taken lightly. They are all, in their own way, dangerous... especially if one does not know how to handle them properly." She took a moment to feed a pellet to the white Diricawl on my desk, which swallowed it down and promptly teleported elsewhere. "Miss Sweeting, would you please assist our new student with the lesson today?" she gestured to the girl beside me.

"Yes, Professor Howin," she nodded emphatically before turning to me. "Hello! I'm Poppy... Poppy Sweeting."

"Sunset Shimmer," I replied. Looking down at her, she was rather adorable in a way... tiny, compact, unassuming, squishy... much like the Puffskein she was holding.

"Don't worry about Professor Howin's speech, she overexaggerates sometimes," Poppy whispered. "All the beasts in class are perfectly safe- GAH!" she screeched as the Puffskein took the opportunity to jam its long, skinny tongue directly up her nose. I couldn't help but snicker at the sight, and after she'd wiped her nose Poppy laughed, too.

"Miss Sweeting, pay attention, please," said Professor Howin. "The tongue of a Puffskein can be a slippery devil."

"Ah... yes, Professor."

Half of the lesson was spent simply befriending the animals at our desks. Poppy told me that this particular Puffskein's name was Gerald. We spent our time brushing, feeding and playing with Gerald, taking care to avoid letting him try to repeat his penchant for licking inside noses. The little creature hummed quietly, as though purring like a cat.

"What do you suppose the pellets taste like to Gerald? Pudding, I like to think," Poppy giggled as Gerald wrapped his tongue around the pellets like a frog catching insects. When she wasn't looking I snuck a nibble of a pellet, and promptly spat it out.

Doesn't taste a damned thing like pudding.

Poppy treated Gerald with an unbelievable amount of respect... a quality that I found strangely endearing. For a moment I wondered how she'd treat me if I were still a unicorn. It was odd, but for that reason, I didn't find myself dismissing her as being lesser than myself.

...Not immediately, anyway. She still was.

"Good work, everyone," Professor Howin said after a while. "Now let's make our way to the pens and select another beast. And please, do be careful as you feed and groom them." The other students left to the pens while Poppy sent Gerald off with extra pats and a treat. Howin suggested we work with the Kneazles - beasts that closely resembled large, shaggy, maned cats. Poppy nodded happily and practically dragged me over to their pen... when she suddenly stopped.

Two classmates, a sixth-year Slytherin boy and a fifth-year Ravenclaw girl, had their wands out and were tugging at one of the poor Kneazles' whiskers as if trying to yank them out entirely. The Kneazle hissed as Poppy ran over in a huff.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?!" Poppy shouted at them. The boy ended his spell, letting the Kneazle run away.

"Ugh, peculiar Poppy," the boy rolled his eyes. "Worried about a worthless little rodent?" Poppy's face froze, her mouth open.

"...Her name is Persephone!" she yelled, offended.

"Her name is Persephone! Bahahaha!" mocked the boy, the Ravenclaw girl behind him gesturing and making faces. I scowled angrily at their behavior... I may not have cared much about my lesser classmates, but to openly treat animals... any animal with such utter disrespect and callousness made my blood boil.

Animals were innocent. Just following their instincts and trying to live their lives peacefully as best they could, as nature intended. They were defenseless against the whims of humans... Well, some of them were actually quite dangerous, but that's beside the point! You had to be a pretty terrible person to treat a helpless animal like that, and people like that were little more than gutter trash in my eyes.

Needless to say, I generally preferred animals to... uh, other ponies. And people, I suppose... most people, anyway.

"Would you like to say that again?" I crossed my arms and glowered as I moved beside Poppy, narrowing my eyes and looking down at the two children past my nose. While the Ravenclaw girl promptly shut up, the Slytherin boy stared at me slack-jawed, taking a step closer as if to challenge me. Movement from the corner of my eyes alerted us to Professor Howin's presence, and the boy snorted arrogantly before turning around and leaving with the girl. Once they'd left, the Kneazles immediately came running towards Poppy, purring happily.

"Those two don't belong anywhere near this class," Poppy hissed while she petted and calmed them down. "Poachers in training... Persephone was on to them instantly."

"Needless cruelty... I can't stand people like them," I agreed, my voice low as I watched the two miscreants now trying to mess with a Diricawl. At least those could teleport away from them at will.

"Anyway, thank you for your help," she sighed. "Let's carry on." We spent the rest of the lesson brushing, feeding and playing with the Kneazles. At one point, some whiskers dropped off of Persephone's muzzle all on their own... at first I worried that those two brutes from earlier had damaged them, but Poppy assured me that the whiskers had fallen off naturally... they had been given to me by the Kneazle in thanks. "The Kneazles really took to you. They know a good egg when they see one... as do I," she smiled, looking up at me.

"Oh... thank you," I grinned back, blushing a little.

"It appears our time has come to an end," Professor Howin yelled from across the pens. "Please close the pens and see yourselves out! ...Now, where is our new student?" she continued while most of the other students began clearing out, walking towards Poppy and I. "Ah, there you are. I would like a moment, please."

"Yes, Professor?"

"How did you find your first Beasts lesson?" Howin asked kindly.

"Wonderful. Even soothing, actually... I think I'll enjoy this class."

"Good! You seem to understand that when beasts are properly cared for, they can play a vital role in our lives. Some provide us with magically-imbued materials, if cared for correctly," she motioned to the Kneazle whiskers I was holding. "...Which does not include torturing them for whiskers. Well done, by the way, but probably best to let me handle it next time."

"Of course, Professor." I can guarantee you you'd be far more merciful than I would be.

"They're nearly as bad as the savages in Rookwood's poacher pack," Howin shook her head. "Sadly, we're the ones who suffer. Stumbling over dead beasts... terrible waste of resources."

"And life," I added quietly. "I do hope the authorities are tracking them all down. The Ministry has to be good for something."

"Hmm... an optimistic idea," replied Howin, unconvinced. "Well, that is all. Do have a good rest of your week." After Professor Howin had walked away, Poppy tugged lightly on my robe.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you again! For saying something to those brutes so that I didn't have to. You were an Augurey at noon in the desert."

"Oh. Um... thanks? I think," I frowned, unsure of what to make of that saying.

"It's something my gran and I say... It means that something or someone is a welcome surprise," she smiled warmly. "At least, that's what we decided it meant."

"I see... well, it was no problem. Their behavior was disgusting," I muttered, staring at the ground. If I were still a unicorn, would they have tried something similar with me? Jump on my back and demand a ride, or try to yank off my horn? Rip out my mane and tail hairs? I shuddered, imagining their grubby little hands on me.

"We're of a similar mind," Poppy sighed somberly, though she quickly perked up. "Actually, in light of that, there's someone I'd like you to meet! In the forest."

"The forest, huh?" I tilted my head, wondering what she could've possibly meant by that. "Alright, then. Let's go." Poppy nodded happily, and began to jog towards the nearby forest up the hill. I followed after her.

"I wouldn't take just anyone there... in fact, you're the first," she called back after a few minutes.

"Oh?" Does she like me, too? Perhaps I could have a second lackey to call upon...? "Well... thanks."

"We think alike, as I said... pleasant surprise." We walked together for a short while, Poppy making small talk about the weather. Finally, after making our way to a clearing in the woods, she motioned for me to stand back before taking a few steps forward and whistling loudly. There was a noise from some rattling trees, and out burst a majestic white hippogriff. It soared in a graceful circle overhead before landing in the clearing, standing tall and proud just mere feet away.

Hippogriff... it looked nothing like the ones I'd seen pictures of in Equestria.

"Please, meet Highwing!" Poppy breathed. "Isn't she just magnificent?"

"Very," I nodded. Highwing squawked, staring at me with her piercing, dark eyes. It suddenly struck me that I'd seen this particular hippogriff once before.

"Go on, introduce yourself to her! But be careful, you must always show hippogriffs the proper courtesy before you approach them."

"Right..." Thinking back to what I'd read about them, I remembered that you needed to bow to a hippogriff before approaching them, otherwise they'd likely tear you to pieces in an offended rage. Slowly, I took a couple steps closer before lowering myself into a deep bow. Highwing continued to stare at me for a few moments, and I silently began to wonder if I was soon going to find a bunch of talons in my face before she finally bowed back.

"I knew it! I don't think I've ever seen a hippogriff take to someone this quickly," Poppy bounced with glee. I conjured up a brush and some pellets and offered them to Highwing, who ate happily while the brush smoothed out the feathers on her head and neck. "I come and check on her every once in a while... bring her pasties, tell her what's going on in the castle. You wouldn't know it from looking at her, but she's a dreadful busybody."

"Is that so?" I chuckled. Though hippogriffs may not be a sapient race in this world, they were still quite sentient. It might've been strange to the other humans who didn't know any better, but her ability to communicate and bond with beasts was admirable... and something I could respect, having once been one. Highwing cawed and spread her wings after she'd had her fill of brushing, and dashed past us to take off into the sky once again. We watched in awe until she disappeared from sight.

"So... what did you think of Highwing?"

"She's absolutely gorgeous... I'm, uh, quite grateful that you introduced us."

"I suspected you two might get along," Poppy grinned.

"I think I've seen her before... on the way to Hogsmeade after school the first day."

"Perhaps... did you know that once you earn a hippogriff's trust, they'll always be there for you? I've seen it firsthand with her." I nodded, recounting what I'd read about them... it begged another question.

"How did you two meet?" Poppy hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"It's... a longer story. But I rescued her from poachers a few years back. Got her to safety, and, well... she was fine. Until recently."

"Recently?"

"You may have noticed that poachers are something of a problem in the area," she frowned. "So I worry they could get her again... and I might not be there next time."

"Ah, right... Howin mentioned something similar. And that the Ministry isn't helping the problem."

"I don't often agree with Professor Howin, but on that, I fear she's right," Poppy nodded. "The poachers' influence is growing. I see them everyday in the village, lingering, talking to people... They're up to something. I'm just not sure what."

"Well, they're poaching, obviously," I groused. "Probably looking for something really valuable, like Highwing."

"Exactly... I think I'm going to look into it. Find out what's going on... what they're doing."

"Taking matters into your own hands, huh?" I smirked. "Brave. But do you think you can handle this on your own?"

"The more I know, the better I can keep Highwing safe," she nodded firmly. I found myself strangely moved by her determination. And, if these poachers were working with Rookwood... perhaps if she made herself enough of a menace to their plans, then perhaps it'd also take some of the heat off of me.

Yes... any setback they experienced would hurt Rookwood, and, by extension, Ranrok. And I could definitely make them experience several setbacks.

"I see... well, if you need any help, let me know. I may have a few ideas for you."

"Oh! Very well, I will," said Poppy. "Um, I should be going, but... we'll speak again soon, I hope." She walked off back towards the castle... and it hit me what I had just done.

Wait... did I just offer to help her with her ridiculous quest?! She can't possibly take on every single poacher in the valley! ...Not alone, anyway-

Why the hell did I just do that?! We weren't friends, and if I went along with her, I'd only be risking my own neck...

...Was it because she was just so... small? Did I admire her respect for animals that much? I don't think I subconsciously wanted to help someone like her...

...

...

...

...Well, what's done is done. Guess I'm helping to ruin many a poacher's day, now.

Maybe she can take care of it herself.


~


I spent the rest of the day until dinnertime flying around on my new broom. I'd worked up quite the appetite, and was curious as to what would be served in the Great Hall... seeing how this would be the first time I actually got to eat dinner there. I arrived promptly at 4:55pm and sat down at the Slytherin table, which was already half-full with other students, open spaces closing up fast. The table's surface was empty save for full sets of plates, bowls, goblets and cutlery, but at exactly 5pm all manner of foods suddenly materialized into existence, the smells mercilessly assaulting my nose.

As most humans were omnivorous bordering on carnivorous, there were quite a few meat dishes... roasts of beef, pork, mutton, game birds and chicken. I had tried some of them before during my time with Fig, and they were okay on occasion - awfully oily or gamey, whereas chicken was awfully dry, but all were vastly improved with sauces or gravies. Since some of the students came from cultures where meat wasn't eaten quite as much, there were thankfully plenty of various vegetables and grains, and there was always a massive fresh salad available. Some days fish, crustaceans or other shellfish were served instead, which I found were much more palatable proteins than other meats. Drinks consisted of water, tea, milk or various fruit and vegetable juices including pumpkin juice (I'd never even considered one could juice a pumpkin before, but the flavor was delectable). At 6pm some of the redundant dishes vanished and were replaced with desserts - simple fare like cheese and fruit platters, cookies or petit-four cakes.

After eating I returned to the common room and got my Divination homework out of the way... Ominis had been quite receptive to having his fortune told, and doing so had attracted a small crowd Ooh! The new troll-slaying fifth-year also tells fortunes! so I chose three at random to finish with. So much tea required some sweets, so I broke out the box with the elephant on a bicycle on it. The liquid-filled chocolates were tasty, and I quite enjoyed sounding like a lion or bear. The whale was loud enough I worried that it might shatter the windows holding back the lake... and I didn't much care for the train whistle.

I then holed up in my bed for the next couple of hours, the curtains drawn and Lumos active on my wand as I read through one of the books I'd stolen from the Restricted Section. It was mostly about magic I already knew, but a few of the Dark magic spells piqued my interest. Thinking back to life in Equestria, it seemed similar to that which Celestia had briefly taught me, more so I could recognize magic I shouldn't touch without her present, and was naturally forbidden to cast...

...Oh, if only she knew. I had only been caught in the Restricted Section of her own library because I had, admittedly, been careless. But that was far from the first time I'd ever been inside.

Finally, it was about 11:40pm. I put my book away and opened my bed's curtains, finding most of my classmates struggling to wake up from their naps. They grumbled as I walked past with my lit wand, making my way towards the Astronomy tower.

Most of my other classmates were already waiting in the classroom when I entered. The Astronomy classroom was large and circular in shape, with cerulean stained glass windows depicting the moon's phases and a mobile-like chandelier that resembled the solar system and all its planets in orbit. The two desks were shaped like crescent moons, with an aisle down the middle to walk through. Some of the students had gathered in a group at one end, a Hufflepuff girl telling Nerida's fortune with tarot cards. While they were preoccupied, the instructor for the class, a stern-looking woman of Indian descent, walked up behind them, her arms crossed.

"Ladies...?" Professor Shah sneered, the two students quickly putting the tarot cards away. "Astronomy is not Divination. You won't find the mysteries of the cosmos charted out on your palms, or at the bottom of your teacups... Alas, the heavens remain hazy to the starry-eyed," she shrugged as she walked between the desks and stood beneath the chandelier. "Now, if you were to devote yourselves to persistent and painstaking observation, you just might catch a glimpse. With that in mind, please take your telescopes - tonight, we will be on the Observation Deck."

Telescope...? Those supplies from the summer didn't include one, and Weasley never mentioned getting a telescope...

Slightly annoyed, I followed the class up multiple flights of stairs, the Observation Deck at the top of the tower. Other than a few candles placed at tables for reading, there was hardly any light to interfere with stargazing. The sky was cloudless and dark, the stars shimmering like thousands of diamonds on azure velvet, a ribbonlike puddle of celestial purple and silver running through it. Another solar system chandelier, this one unlit, swirled above our heads.

However... it was freezing out here. The night wind blew through the turrets and pillars unhindered, my classmates shivering as they peered through their telescopes. I cast a Warming Charm on my robes to keep out the chill.

"Still don't have your own?" Professor Shah motioned to a telescope, staring down at me over her nose. "You cannot be the new student forever, you know."

"I was never told I needed to buy one," I replied, trying my hardest to refrain from outright glaring at her.

"Ah, very well," she sighed. "You can share with Mr. Thakkar." She pointed to the tan-skinned Ravenclaw boy nearby... I vaguely remembered him from Potions class. He motioned over for me to look through his telescope, and I put my eye up to the eyepiece...

...It was completely blurry.

"Here, I can adjust that for you-"

"No, no!" Shah interrupted, shooing Thakkar away from the focusing knobs. "Bring it into focus, on your own."

You remind me way too much of Celestia. I grumbled to myself as I turned the focusing knobs myself, the stars eventually coming into view. Once I realized that this was the furthest I could zoom in, I found myself wishing I had had the foresight to bring a proper telescope with me before jumping through the mirror.

Oh well... hindsight is 20/20, or whatever.

"Now, I expect all of you to put in your stargazing hours outside of class, is that clear?" Professor Shah ordered.

"But Professor, it's freezing out," Prewett whined, his breath visible.

"Mere cold didn't stop the great stargazers of the past," Shah waved her hand dismissively as she spoke. "Look only to the Astronomy Tables they erected throughout the Highlands, from which they gazed, millennia ago, on the very selfsame stars above us."

Well, if you want to get technical with it... stars do move over thousands of years...

"Is that clear?" she barked. The other students grumbled in agreement, still shivering. She sighed in disappointment before dismissing us - though we were free to go, the class technically still had forty minutes left until the end. Most of the other students ran for the staircase leading back to their warm, cozy common rooms, but a couple of us remained while Professor Shah stared up at the heavens, entirely shutting out the world around her.

"I don't believe we've met officially!" Thakkar smiled widely, turning to me. "I'm Amit!"

"Oh, Sunset Shimmer."

"Ah, quite the coincidental name! I'm something of an Astronomy buff, myself," Amit gestured to himself. "But did I hear Professor Shah say that you don't have your own telescope? I have a spare one you could borrow for the rest of term."

"Do you?" That'd be quite nice, actually," I shrugged. This way I wouldn't have to go out and buy one, and if he didn't want it back until the end of the year, he might forget I even had it in the first place...

"It's my old one... I finally got my hands on the new Celestia Contemplor! You've heard of it, I assume? I mean, of course you have, it's only the pinnacle of all personal stargazing implements! ...But my old model's not too shabby, either: Goblin-cut glass, first-rate optical enchantments, even an inscription in Gobbledegook! I'm practically fluent in Gobbledegook, you know! It's all in the throat, really, and how you pronounce your 'R's... oh, but I digress! Hate to think such a fine instrument is just collecting dust."

Well... I guess I can appreciate that this guy's serious about his stargazing... and Gobbledegook. "I see... thanks, Amit."

"Think nothing of it! It's in the storage room right beneath us. Come! I'll show you." We descended a narrow staircase cut into the metal floor of the deck, finding a number of boxes, barrels and other things wrapped in cloth. Amit made a beeline for one of the wrapped bundles and tore off the covering, revealing a handsome silver telescope with a leather grip around the main tube. Despite being his old one, it had obviously been lovingly cared for and looked practically brand new.

"Wow... this is a lot nicer than I was expecting," I commented.

"I would not offer a prospective stargazer a third-rate Lunascope!" Amit scoffed. "But there is... something else I wished to mention to you."

"I see," I sighed inwardly... of course there was a catch. "Let's hear it."

"You remember those Astronomy Tables Shah was going on about? It just so happens I've been reading up on them a little myself, and it seems there may be one right here at Hogwarts! I believe we could use it to find hidden constellations!"

"Hidden...?" I blinked. "How does that work? You either see a constellation or you don't, it's not like the stars move that fast."

"Indeed they do not, but the Astronomy Tables are more of a... guide to seeing constellations that are otherwise tricky to find."

"Oh, I get it... and I'm guessing you'd like me to help you find this table, hm?"

"I do! Are you in?" Amit grinned with all the charm of a toddler. "No one from the Gobstones Club will go with me... said they'd rather get spit at by a stone than... well, they are cowards."

They're scared? Of what? It's on castle grounds, for crying out loud. "And you need the Savior of Hogsmeade to help you with your quest," I replied sarcastically, sighing. "Fine, lead the way." Amit thanked me profusely as we descended from the tower, and kept trying to make small talk as we snuck out of the castle grounds and over to the Beasts class area. From there we walked towards a segment of the castle's wall that had crumbled and climbed up, then headed through a couple of small storage rooms that seemed long-forgotten by anyone. They were full of old, dusty spiderwebs... which were enough to make Amit cower behind me while I rolled my eyes and brushed them out of the way.

And you say the Gobstones Club is full of cowards...

After exiting the second room, we found the Astronomy Table sitting in the center of a parapet. It was completely formed out of rough-hewn stone, with ancient, weather-worn carvings scrawled into the surface. A couple of stone slabs on one side formed an angled resting place for a telescope to sit, which would point us directly towards a constellation that was incredibly distant and difficult to see. Amit and I took turns laying our telescopes on the angled surface and spending a few moments focusing them. The constellation quickly came into view, resembling a lyre. I hummed as I filled out my star chart, wondering just how much useful information one could possibly glean from what was basically a form of Divination that had been disproven for centuries back in Equestria.

"I was right about the tables! They really are 'gateways to the far stars', just as the book said!" Amit shouted jubilantly as he filled out his star chart. "And your contribution was invaluable! Rest assured, you shall be credited in my memoirs one day!"

"Is that so?" I drawled. No way is this guy ever going to write anything worth writing about. "We'll see about that."

"Ha! I shall write down that you also said that! We'll see who has the last laugh," he grinned before clearing his throat nervously. "Ahem, um, anyway... glad our adventure was a success!"

...What adventure?

I shook my head and focused on finishing my star chart, just so I wouldn't have the misfortune of having to spend another evening with this total loser again. Unfortunately, Amit had the same idea, and even followed me back inside the castle like a lost puppy. Thankfully he wasn't in Slytherin, and he finally left me alone as he made his way back to the Ravenclaw Tower. The other girls were all fast asleep as I entered the bedroom to gather my things for a nice, quiet, warming shower... alone. It gave me the relaxation I needed to fall fast asleep.
> In Which Sunset Traumatizes Some Duelists and Gains Another Follower
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday was uneventful. There were Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms and History of Magic classes today, like on Mondays. Now that I had all of my supplies I could treat History of Magic like an unofficial study hall, finishing the light homework I'd been assigned in the other two classes. We were assigned a couple chapters to read for the class, plus a written summary of said chapters due by the next one. Since the topic was brand new to me - and also vastly more interesting just reading on my own rather than having Professor Binns dictate it - I knocked the assignment out that evening. I also received an owl from Fig; he'd left for London, and unfortunately didn't expect to return for at least two and a half weeks. At the very least he could return home and gather some things to aid him in studying the book, but...

...Two and a half weeks?! And I thought Canterlot's bureaucracy was slow.

Friday was largely the same as Tuesday, in that I had Herbology and Potions in the morning. Instead of Divination, however, there was Transfiguration with Professor Weasley later in the day. She was already seated at her desk when I walked in, an owl swooping down from above and landing in front of her. With a wave of her wand the owl transformed into a book.

"Settle down, settle down," she chided as the rest of the students took their seats, and she stood up and walked to the center of the room. "Transfiguration, as you may be weary of hearing me say, is an exact science that can take a lifetime to master. But, we needn't be daunted... almost anything can be transformed if you can just perceive the potential within it, as I see in all of you! Tremendous witches and wizards, every one of you... or, it could just be my eyesight." She smirked as she held up a marble for everyone to see, and with a flick of her wand it transformed into a monarch butterfly. "Now... you all know what to do."

From the murmurs and confused looks on my classmates' faces, I saw that they did not know what to do, and I shook my head. Transfiguration - or Alteration, as it was known in Equestria - was one of the first types of spells I had mastered as a filly. Spells like Weasley had just demonstrated were incredibly basic: simply imagine an object becoming another with an approximately similar mass to it. Transforming a small object into a large one, or vice-versa, was when you needed to add thaumaturgical physics calculations into the mix, and was far more interesting.

Yet another way I can show these idiots I'm far better than them all.

We were each given a marble. I simply pointed my wand at it and muttered the incantation, the marble instantly transforming into another monarch butterfly. Then I transformed it into a luna moth, then a peacock butterfly, then a poodle moth, then an emperor butterfly, then an atlas moth... all while the creature fluttered about midair.

"How in the world are you doing that?!" Natty, who was sitting next to me, gaped.

"It's not that hard," I shrugged. Now the bug became an orchid mantis, then a cicada, then a giant stag beetle. It flew around snapping its pincers at the other monarch butterflies that soon joined it in the air.

"Beautifully done," Professor Weasley praised before turning towards me with a smirk. "And, I see that our newest student seems to think that butterflies are a bit too boring."

"Not at all," I replied plainly, turning the stag beetle back into a monarch butterfly as it zipped by.

"Well, that was just a warmup... let's see how you all fare with something a little larger." The butterflies all transformed back into marbles as Professor Weasley brought out some apples to transfigure. The rest of the class was spent changing the apples into rats, and those that managed to do so were allowed to move on to even larger objects. By the end of class I was transforming an entire desk into a life-sized living plush of a Manticore. Professor Weasley was both impressed and congenial enough that I let it run around the room for a bit, half of my classmates either yelling and moving out of the way, or laughing and feigning an agonizing death as the stuffed Manticore tried to bite or sting them... I had slightly more respect for the ones that realized it was, indeed, not real.

The class finally ended, and we were dismissed. I remembered that this would be the first meeting for that Crossed Wands dueling club Sebastian had mentioned, and I hurried to the Clock Tower Courtyard.


~


The club appeared to be held in the space beneath the gigantic bell tower of Hogwarts, a massive pendulum swinging back and forth above the heads of the other club members. Besides boxes, suits of armor and other items stored away and forgotten about, there were practice dummies set along one wall and an entire shelf full of potions, salves and other healing items along the other. Glancing around I could see Sebastian over in one corner talking to Natty, but I wasn't interested in them just yet. Instead I turned my attention towards a short Gryffindor boy with a mop of curly black hair.

"Can I help you?" he asked as I approached, his voice squeaky and prepubescent.

"Lucan Brattleby?" The boy nodded. "Ah, yes, I was told to speak to you about joining your club. Sebastian sent me."

"If Sebastian vouches for you, that's all I need to know," Lucan grinned. "I coordinate the duels for Crossed Wands and draw up the grand tournament. Invitation only, so you must've really impressed him."

"Impressed him?" I laughed once. "I embarrassed him. He didn't even touch me once!"

"So I heard! I bet it was really something seeing the two of you duel."

"Right... so, what exactly is the point of this club? Just duel each other until I'm the last one standing?"

"Well, you can always challenge someone to a duel," said Lucan. "Once I get the tournament ladders all organized, then we'll be focusing on that for the last half hour of the club every meeting, just before supper. It's our way of determining the school's greatest duelists once and for all! And, to liven things up, the winner of the tournament is awarded a prize. Interested?"

A prize, huh? Wonder if it's worth it... then again, just trouncing all of these losers is a reward all its own. "Sign me up then, little man."

"Excellent!" cheered Lucan, quickly pulling out a quill and parchment. "I'll add your name to the list! ...Er, what's your name?"

"Sunset Shimmer."

"Alright... Sunset... Shimmer. Got it," he nodded, putting his list away. "Now, if you're interested, we do have a couple of members that wanted me to let them know if someone wanted to have a one-off."

"Let's begin my reign of terror," I smirked. Lucan got me paired up with a Ravenclaw girl by the name of Astoria Crickett. After showing us where to stand and laying down some basic rules (try not to hit innocent bystanders or inflict serious injury on each other), he stood off to one side and raised his hand.

"Let the fireworks begin!" he said as he brought his hand down quickly.

"I'll make you regret signing up," Astoria growled as she prepared to cast a Flipendo. The last word barely made it out of her mouth before my Depulso slammed her into the wall behind her, leaving behind a slight impact crater. She could only cough and wheeze after that, the wind knocked from her lungs. Much of the other club members around me stopped what they were doing and stared, first at Astoria and then at me.

"U-Uh... we have a winner!" Lucan stammered as Astoria fell limply out of her crater. I went ahead and cast Reparo on the crater for courtesy's sake while Astoria gracelessly dragged herself over to the medicine shelf. "Wow, Sebastian wasn't wrong about you," he muttered.

"I do hope someone here will provide me with a challenge," I hummed.

"Oh, there'll be some strong competition for you up ahead in the tournament," said Lucan. "Keep this up and you could be the next school champion!"

"Could be? Oh, I will be," I corrected the little boy. "Mark my words."

"That's the spirit! Congratulations on your first Crossed Wands victory! Would you like to duel someone else?"

The only other club member who wanted to try me, a Gryffindor boy by the name of Lawrence Davies, also lost in spectacular fashion, being Descendoed into the floor seven times in quick succession. Once he'd taken a few breaths he just about ran out of the courtyard screaming in terror, making me giggle at his cowardice.

"So it wasn't just me you were entirely ruthless upon," Sebastian strutted over calmly, hands in his pockets as he watched Lawrence disappear into the distance.

"The tournament has not even started yet, and I already do not look forward to facing you," Natty frowned in concern.

"Well... you could always luck out and lose before you ever get to face me," I grinned.

"Being last year's tournament champion, I predict that you and Sebastian will be the finalists. I don't even need my mother's help with that prediction."

"Looks like I'll have my work cut out for me," Sebastian replied coolly. "Best get to practicing, then. Can't let the new student polish the floors with my face next time we duel, now can I?"

No one else wanted to duel against me, so I settled for the use of a practice dummy. After I'd torn it to pieces and repaired it multiple times, making sure everyone knew just how hopeless their chances were in the future tournament, I got bored and left to go get dinner.


~


After eating I decided to explore the castle. Using the map within my planner I marked down various waypoints and landmarks as I wandered, taking the time to carefully inspect every statue, every portrait, every tapestry and relic. The castle had many a hidden nook or cranny, sometimes even a secret passage I'd make a note of to investigate later, with very few rooms I was unable to break into. So many fascinating things even sat in storage rooms or abandoned classrooms under a layer of dust, long-forgotten by all.

It wasn't until I had reached the Trophy Room that someone finally addressed me. "Oh, Sunset!" I heard from behind me, Natty walking in from the opposite side of the room.

"Oh. Hi, Natty."

"Do you mind if I speak with you?" she asked, glancing around quickly before approaching.

"Uh... sure?" Can't you see I'm busy...?

"I haven't had the chance to talk to you about it until now... but I was there, and saw what happened with Rookwood and Harlow at the Three Broomsticks! I have been worried about you!"

"You have?" I blinked incredulously. "Why? I can take care of myself."

"If you don't mind my asking, why were they looking for you?"

"Well..." I looked away. I really shouldn't be telling everyone who asks about this whole business... having already told Sebastian was bad enough. "...They want something I found."

"Something you found? It must be extremely important to them, especially if they would try to accost you in such a place."

"Yea, it's... a long story."

"I see. Well, it is safe to say that Rookwood and Harlow are a threat to both of us... to all of us! Which is why I wanted to speak to you."

"Eh?" I grimaced. "What do you mean they're a threat to both of us? They want me, not you."

"Everyone has been talking about you defending Hogsmeade from that troll attack, and I shall never forget watching Sirona stand up to Rookwood and Harlow. Both of you have inspired me to take a stand of my own!"

I did? "...What kind of stand?" I asked slowly.

"Men like Rookwood and Harlow are the reason my mother and I left Matabeleland... and I am not going to sit by and watch them destroy my new home!" Natty scowled, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Oh. Well... I guess that's a good enough reason," I shrugged. "I should warn you, though, Rookwood's working with Ranrok. If you're not careful, you'll be dealing with goblins, too."

"I had heard they were seen in Hogsmeade together," she replied. "All the more reason they must be stopped." The more she spoke, the more I could tell that she was serious about this stand of hers... could I perhaps be so lucky as to recruit a potential third lackey to use in my quest? "Now, rumor has it that Harlow runs Rookwood's day-to-day operations. Taking him down would cripple Rookwood's entire enterprise!"

Ah, yes... cripple. A word that sounded delightful when it came to my enemies. But now this was getting to be a trio of school students taking on a criminal organization... it begged the obvious question. "Shouldn't we let the police handle this sort of thing?"

"I spoke with Officer Singer. She was polite, but perhaps understandably would not discuss details with a student. I overheard some of Rookwood's lot talking about a massive poaching operation that Harlow is planning... I was thinking that we could investigate a bit. Try to get the evidence that Officer Singer needs."

"Us?" I crossed my arms and thought about it for a moment. "...Well, I suppose if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. What are you going to do?"

"I am going to watch and listen, find out precisely what Harlow is up to. I shall reach out when I know more," said Natty. "In the meantime, remember - I am here if you need me."

"Right," I replied blankly. I don't need you, though. Satisfied, Natty turned around and left me alone in the trophy room, leaving me to reflect on everything that had happened during this one short week.

Let's see... I had almost died a handful of times, gained the ire of no less than three villains, also gained at least three acquaintances that I could definitely throw at said villains... and now I had to wait two and a half weeks before Fig could even possibly come up with our next move. Not to mention I still only barely knew anything about my ancient magic.

...Well, nothing much I could do about Fig, or the magic for the time being. And as far as Ranrok, Rookwood and Harlow were concerned, they'd better hope they never crossed paths with me... their little rebellion would be over in ten seconds flat if I ever got my hands on them.

With a shrug, I resumed my explorations.


~


The rest of the weekend passed by in the blink of an eye. Saturday after breakfast I went outside and got on my broom, then took off on a flying tour of the entire valley. From high above I peered down on the vast, verdant expanse of the Forbidden Forest, then flew over the hills to the west of Hogsmeade to the north, where the terrain became swampy marshlands. The only landmarks were a pair of small hamlets called Upper Hogsfield and Pitt-Upon-Ford before the valley turned into mountains.

I flew across the valley before turning south. Opposite Hogwarts and on the other side of Hogwarts Train Station was another hamlet called Aranshire. Further south was another called Brocburrow, to the northwest of that hamlet was Lower Hogsfield, and then following the river that flowed from the Black Lake led me to Keenbridge. From there, to my left I could see the road snake up the hills and vanish within the trees, while to my right was a singular mountain. More towards the center of my vision, however, I could see a massive windmill - the grand landmark of Irondale. Past that town, around the mountain and hugging the coast was the hamlet of Feldcroft, and a long, winding road led upwards from there, northeast back towards the South Hogwarts region. All in all, the round trip took me about four hours, with even the two furthest hamlets from Hogwarts only being about a 30-minute flight each.

The rest of my time, when I wasn't eating or sleeping, was spent perusing the vast selection of books in the library. A section of bookcases were devoted to textbooks, but the rest of them covered almost every magical subject I could imagine, and even a few nonmagical ones. It wasn't long until I'd amassed a couple stacks of books, and I sat down at a long desk facing a window to soak in the knowledge. At some point in time during Sunday afternoon, Sebastian sat next to me with a book of his own, though I barely noticed his presence otherwise. He kept to himself, reading quietly alongside me.

Many of the books I'd picked out were quickly put back, as I already knew basically everything there was to know inside... my knowledge of Charms, most Defense Against the Dark Arts spells, Transfiguration and Potions was already stretched to the extremes. Supplemental texts for Astronomy and History of Magic were definitely helpful, as were tomes about Herbology and Beasts. There were even more books about monsters and demons, jinxes and hexes, the subjects of Magical Theory, Arithmancy, Ancient Studies and Ancient Runes, books about Muggle Studies - wizards theorizing insane ideas about how Muggles went on with their lives - and even the broad, esoteric topic of Alchemy. There were also quite a few books about art and music, both magical and mundane. Sadly, however, what little the library had about ancient magic was generic and sparse, the most in-depth passage being about the fact that Hogwarts was created from it.

Remembering the Restricted Section, I also skimmed titles for anything pertaining to Dark magic, but only found books that merely described such spells and rituals, without actually telling me how to perform such things. The good stuff must be under lock and key... but now that I knew where said key was, it was simply a matter of sneaking around.

And I did just that after the library closed for the night. With how much dust covered some of the tomes, it was evident that hardly anyone was ever granted access. I happily read myself to sleep in bed with the curtains drawn, making sure to spirit the book away to my pocket dimension before I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
> In Which a Scavenger Hunt Leads to More Questions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second week of school began uneventfully. Finally, the professors began assigning homework after class, but it was hardly anything I needed to worry about. I could write several pages of parchment about the theories behind why Imps loved their slapstick humor so dearly, let alone two inches. Honestly, I found the creatures rather amusing as described, and wondered if it'd be possible to keep one as a pet. In Charms we went over the Color-Changing and Growth Charms, and in History of Magic... well, who really cared what Binns had to say. I'd already finished his assigned reading for the next few days by the time he'd even suggested it.

Tuesday morning, however, an owl dropped a letter into my lap during breakfast. Opening it revealed a thickly-scrawled message of a nature I found... unsettling.

Greetings, young Sunset,
Scrope knows about the old book you found for Professor Fig.
Scrope can help you, and you can help Scrope.
Get to the courtyard past the pendulum. If you don't know it, you'll see it easy enough.
And don't tell anyone what you're up to! Especially Professor Black.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. How the hell did anyone find out about this book? Would Fig have dared tell them? And what kind of stupid name was Scrope? The message chewed at me throughout my classes today, and as soon as Divination let out I raced to the Clock Tower Courtyard. Thankfully it was mostly empty when I arrived, the few students present loitering about on the other side of the courtyard from where a less-than-inconspicuous note had been crammed into one of the statue's mouths that decorated the center.

Scrope knows about that book you found. Is it missing something?
Scrope does not believe it is safe to speak out in the open.
Scrope has left another note across the bridge, among the circle of rocks.
Take care. Tell no one about this.

I frowned. Whoever this was, they knew the book had been missing pages. Was this perhaps the culprit? And why the juvenile scavenger hunt for notes? In any case, the wooden bridge at the end of the courtyard led to a circular pattern of tall stones. Walking across it made me feel uneasy, each and every single wooden plank creaking and groaning under my weight. The whole bridge itself looked like it was being held together with superglue and a birthday wish.

Once I'd reached the other side I looked around. Sure enough, there was another note balanced carefully in a crack in one of the tallest rocks. I brought it down with an Accio and opened it up.

Almost there!
Head for the pumpkins, just down from the stone circle. Look inside one of them!
You may be able to help poor, brokenhearted Scrope.

"Broken-hearted?" I muttered to myself. Not only was this Scrope being suspicious, he was also terrible at making a challenging scavenger hunt. A short walk down the worn path led me to the caretaker's hut, where Mr. Moon kept his tools for groundskeeping. An animated scarecrow stood guard over a pumpkin patch, flapping its arms angrily at me as I cast a couple spells to determine which pumpkin had something unnatural inside, then burst it open. I picked up one of the shards of pumpkin and chewed on it as I read the final, sticky, seed-covered note.

The young Slytherin must be exceptionally curious by now!
Meet Scrope at the water's edge, by the broken docks.

"Well, you dare show yourself to me, huh?" I snorted. There was a path that snaked around the caretaker's hut that led directly to the old docks in question. At first I was deeply annoyed when I saw that no one was around, but within seconds a haggard, exhausted-looking house elf Apparated on top of a nearby barrel. He wore a dirty old burlap sack with a piece of rope for a belt, and bandages wrapped around his scraggly, white-haired head drew attention to the fact he was missing his right ear. "So... I take it you're Scrope."

"Thank you for coming all this way," he spoke with an unusually deep voice for a house elf. He hopped off of the barrel and came closer. "Scrope serves the Headmaster, been in the Black family for years. Apologies for the abundance of notes... Scrope wanted to be sure you weren't followed."

"Right... now tell me why you know so much about this book I got for Fig," I glared.

"Scrope can tell you more in exchange for your help, but no one, especially the Headmaster, can know."

"Well..." I grumbled, thinking to myself. The Headmaster's personal house elf suddenly disappearing and never being seen nor heard from again would probably be a little too gratuitous. "...Fine. What do you want?"

"Scrope's late mistress Apollonia Black - may she rest in peace - was a student at Hogwarts over fifty years ago. Before she died she spoke with passion of pages ripped from a book. Scrope suspects she took them to her private grotto. Oh, she was delirious at the end, poor thing... mistook belladonna for elderberries. Scrope tried to warn her," the house elf shook his head sadly.

"I see," I hummed. "So the missing pages might be there. But why does this help you, exactly?"

"Scrope believes that a treasured Black family ring is also in the grotto. Scrope wishes to give it to the Headmaster."

"And... why can't you do this yourself?"

"Apollonia forbade Scrope from entering the grotto long ago... Scrope continues to honor her wishes."

I blinked. These house elf things are more subservient than a pony-raised dragon.

"Scrope would not dare ask a student for help, but when Scrope learned you were looking for those pages, Scrope thought you might also find the ring."

"How did you even find out about this book?" I narrowed my eyes at the house elf. "Only Fig and I know about it."

"Scrope and the other house elves are good at staying out of sight," he replied slowly and shiftily. "Scrope hears and sees many things inside the castle... Scrope knows how to keep secrets."

"Oh, now I see where this is going," I grumbled, snorting. "Alright, I'll look for your ring."

"Take this toast to the grotto just down the coast. Place it in the pedestal there," he said as he handed me an ordinary piece of toast. "Good luck!"

"Wait, are you serious-" I started to yell, but the house elf Disapparated away. For a moment I stared in disbelief at the toast in my hand, reconsidering whether Headmaster Black really would notice if his house elf disappeared suddenly or not.

Well... at least I know where the pages are now.

I pulled my broomstick out of my pocket dimension and mounted it, hovering a few feet above the water's surface as I followed the coastline. A cave soon appeared, hidden by the surrounding cliffs. I flew inside it and landed, finding a large mosaic of the giant squid that lived in the Black Lake, as well as the pedestal surrounded by sharp stalagmites. Now I understood why I needed the toast... I'd read in one of my textbooks that it was the giant squid's favorite treat.

I placed the toast on the pedestal and waited. The toast levitated itself towards the mosaic and became a part of it, and the image of the giant squid wrapped it in its arms and brought it to its mouth. After consuming it, the squid swirled around in the mosaic until it was upright, its arms forming a ring, and the tiles and stone behind them vanished to reveal another room inside the grotto. I walked through the ring and into a comfortably-furnished room filled with dusty, webbed books and chests. After Scourgify-ing most of the filth away I began to poke around, becoming more and more irritated with the distinct lack of torn pages or rings I was coming across. It wasn't until I picked up what appeared to be a long-forgotten diary that anything happened.

"Hello? Do I have a visitor?" a male voice suddenly said. The air grew cold and dry, and turning in surprise I gasped as I saw a ghostly head phase through the grotto walls, being held up by it's own arm. The rest of the ghost's body soon floated into view, giving me a horrifically-detailed view of a cross section of his own neck before setting his head back where it belonged. Then the ghost bowed to me in greeting, his head falling right back off. He chuckled as he readjusted it.

"Who are you?" I groused, reeling my own head back.

"The name's Richard Jackdaw," the ghost replied. "I was a student just like you about a century ago. How in the world did you find this place?"

"A house elf named Scrope. He wants a ring that used to belong to the Black family and said it was here."

"Ah... sorry to say, but I sold the ring a long time ago," Richard glanced away guiltily. "Poor Scrope... still holds a candle for Apollonia, I reckon. Can't say I blame him... I stole all these treasures just to impress her. Alas, 'twas to no avail."

Great. Now I have a house elf and a ghost to make disappear.

"I thought a secret map I pilfered from Peeves would pique her interest, but she simply rolled her eyes. 'What would I want with yellowed old pages from a book?!' ...Not my finest moment."

"Pages from a book?" I stiffened. "How the... so Peeves ruined the book, then you stole the pages from him? Did you pawn those off, too?"

"Oh, no, I thought that if Apollonia wasn't interested in the map on the pages, perhaps it would lead to something that would intrigue her. So I followed the map to what I can only describe as an enchanted cave of some kind, and... well, you see what happened next," he sighed as he pointed to his neck.

"How foolish," I muttered. Richard gasped suddenly with a strange sense of glee.

"Here's an idea... why don't you meet me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and I'll show you where to find the pages?"

"At least you have that much sense," I sighed, blowing a strand of hair upwards and out of my face. "Very well... I hope you remember where exactly it was that you died."

"I'm sure the pages are still tucked in my waistcoat," he nodded. "If you don't mind the sight of a... well, my decapitated skeleton, they're yours for the taking." Richard then turned himself in the direction of the Forbidden Forest and floated through the grotto's wall. Now that I was alone, I let out a deep sigh and slapped my palm over my face.

I hated being sent on wild goose chases... and now I had to go wandering into some cave filled with Celestia-knows-what and hope nothing had eaten those missing pages, or his nasty, decaying body hadn't oozed onto them and made them untouchable, let alone unreadable.

Also... no ring for Scrope. I mounted my broomstick and flew out of the grotto, back to where I'd seen him last. After a few moments Scrope reappeared, kicking his foot through the muddy sand.

"Hey, so... there's no ring in there," I shook my head. "Some ghost named Richard Jackdaw said he sold it off ages ago." Scrope scoffed.

"That boy was never good enough for Apollonia... now Scrope will have to think of another way to impress the Headmaster," he sighed. I shrugged in reply as the house elf Disapparated again, and after I put my broom away I cast Disillusionment on myself before teleporting to the Forbidden Forest. I glanced around as I reappeared, moving quietly behind a tree before removing the charm.


~


Sadly, it would seem ghosts don't know how to teleport. I leaned against that tree for what felt like hours, staying hidden from view, before I finally felt a cold presence.

"Here I am, as good as my word," Richard spoke, his body peering out from a tree in the shade. "Now, follow me! I shall lead you as far as I can, but I fear I may remain a tad reluctant to revisit the scene of my demise."

I watched the ghost like a hawk as he floated deeper into the forest, ensuring that he never left my sight. We traveled for a good twenty minutes, my head on a swivel as I heard all manner of animal noises all around me. I had my wand drawn, but the noises, the scents I could pick up... there were some incredibly dangerous things living here, watching me.

"Surprising how much of this is... rather unfortunately coming back to me," Richard whimpered as we reached a fork in the road, the path to the left leading to a spider lair full of webs. "The closer I get, the more I'm remembering... Probably best to leave you to it. Uh... keep your eyes open for a birdbath... when you find it, say 'intra muros'. I think it's Latin... or Greek-"

"Oh, no, you're coming with me," I growled, casting a spell of my own at the ghost. Richard yelled in protest as he found himself no longer able to float around on his own accord, but now bound to my side a few feet away. "After all the annoyances I've had to deal with today, it's the least you could do."

"P-Please... I don't want to..."

"Now... where are we going?" I glared, speaking slowly. The ghost began to shiver as I forced him down the path, forced him to continue. After five minutes we walked across a stone bridge, and after another five minutes we passed a waterfall. Yet another five minutes later we stood in a clearing just before a placid lake, its surface mirror-smooth and dark from the canopy that concealed it from the sky. Off to the side, a moss-covered birdbath sat in front of a large hill, a swirl of stone bricks in its side appearing out of place.

"Well, h-here we are! N-Now, if you could please l-let me go-"

"Intra muros," I recited to the birdbath. The stone bricks sank and rose, rippling like water before sliding into the earth like snakes, revealing a hidden cave.

Finally... those pages better be in there. I began to walk towards the cave when I suddenly heard the whoosh of Apparating behind me. Turning around I was surprised to see a small group of goblins had appeared, wearing bits of red-glowing armor.

Ranrok's Loyalists. How had they found me all the way out here?!

"Aren't you far from home?" one of the goblins sneered.

"Ranrok knew you'd eventually lead us to whatever it is you're hiding!" another one grinned. "Attack!"

"I'll give you credit for being sneaky," I grumbled as I swung my wand, gripping all five of them in my magic and clunking them together. While they writhed in a futile attempt to get free, I conjured a long metal chain that wrapped around their bodies until they were hopelessly locked and tangled together, then flung them with a Depulso into the lake. Their screams quickly turned to gurgles, then to bubbles popping and water rippling... then nothing.

I think I've figured out that red-glowing armor's weakness... can't attack them directly. Gotta get... creative.

"My word...!" Richard breathed in horror. "Y-You just... you just k-killed...!"

"Yea. That's what happens when I get annoyed," I glared viciously at the ghost, who wilted under my gaze. "Now... where exactly did you die in there?"


~


The cave was strangely warm. Dying sunlight streamed in through cracks above, shining down on the vines and weeds that made their home here. Richard began to tremble profusely, his ghost teeth chattering as I followed the path down, finding a massive cavern at the end of it. An underground river roiled through the center, the other side of which glowed with a familiar light.

Hmm... so this is what he meant by "enchanted cave".

The path to the river was long and winding. Gates of spiraling metal and runic symbols were the only proof that someone had been here long, long ago. I found that striking the runes with my raw magic was enough to force the gates open, and with each opened gate I could feel a pulse of warmth and energy emanating from the other side of the river. Roots and stones rose from the water and twined into place, while chunks of carved stone floated in midair to form a broken bridge, further restored by every gate. Every so often a giant spider would crawl out from an unseen crack and pounce, forcing me to dispatch it... the horrid things were the size of a pony themselves.

Though I kept a sharp eye out, I had yet to find a headless skeleton. I tried to ask Richard how he had managed to get this far into the cavern, past the gates and spiders... he wouldn't answer. His eyes were fixated on the other side of the river, his trembling growing stronger, whines and whimpers and "please no"s leaking from his mouth in ever-increasing volumes.

I reached the floor of the cavern, where the mostly-formed bridge awaited me. It happened to be the nest of the spiders that lived here, and I spent a good ten minutes exterminating them all. At one point the matriarch reared her ugly head - she was the size of Celestia herself! I bristled and shivered at the sight of her, an unconscious whinny escaping my lips, but I quickly brushed it off as I found that she, like her brood, was just as susceptible to fire.

Finally, with the spiders dead, I struck the final set of runes and opened the last gate. The stones that had appeared over the river rearranged themselves and fused together, metal oozing out from the cracks and wrapping around the bridge in delicate threads. Across the distance, a trio of doors swung open. Richard began to cry and scream as I crossed the bridge... I was getting close.

And indeed - just through the doors, I saw the remains of a body on the floor, its head a few feet away to the left.

The bridge, the ground, the walls and ceiling... all of it was crafted from polished stone and marble in blue, gold and white. Warmth pulsed and echoed from the distance, calling me... beckoning me. Whatever was here, ancient magic was here, too. I skidded to a stop as I approached Richard Jackdaw's remains, a pair of ancient swords sticking out from the bones, and found nothing but dark stains and tattered cloth... and torn pieces of parchment.

"Lucky for you... the pages are still here," I mused as I bent down and collected them. I didn't recognize much of what I saw on the pages, but they were still very much readable. I spirited them away to my pocket dimension with haste.

"P-Please... I-I c-cant..." Richard begged. "B-Breeze... beware a r-r-refreshing b-breeze..." Past the bones was a large chamber, similar to those I'd come to expect when dealing with ancient magic - the polished stone, the twining, brassy metal, massive pillars... and a trio of knight statues thirty feet tall, now rising from their resting places to greet me. I stared them down, undeterred while the ghost continued to cry.

It was starting to get on my nerves.

"Skurge," I muttered, swishing my wand. Richard screamed in either pain or terror as I broke my hold over him, and he fled back the way we'd came, bits of his ethereal body peeling off and disintegrating as he went. The knight statues raised their swords and charged, with a multitude of smaller ones dashing in from the sides.

A surge of power flooded my body, further spurred by the ebb and flow of the ancient magic I could sense just ahead. I could feel it pulsing in my veins in time with my heartbeat, feel it warming my very bones from the inside out, smell the enchanting scent of summer air and hot metal... I could taste it on my tongue. I roared as I cast my spells, tearing and shattering the knights to pieces, ripping the weapons from their hands and bringing them down into their heads, flinging their flailing bodies into the air and into the ground. The larger knights took a little more time, but as I hurled chunks of their fallen comrades at them the magic within their armor flickered. They fell all the same.

There had been a massive spire in the back of the room. Once the dust settled it melted into a puddle and reformed itself into an arch. Sparks from my footsteps led me to a swirling font of ancient magic on the ground, and as I allowed it to dance along my nerves I flicked my wand, turning the arch into a portal. I entered it and found myself in a narrow hallway with a door at the end, stone railings keeping me from the abyss below. But I scarcely had the time to wonder where I was, as he hallway began to quickly fill with water.

I held up my wand and cast a simple spell, an air bubble forming around me as the waters rose. Soon it had filled the entire hallway, leaving me underwater but safe. Warm wisps of white encircled the bubble, as if further reinforcing it. I waded through to the door which opened on its own, the water refusing to pour out from it. It was like I was being held back by elastic cords, instantly cutting themselves away the second I broke through the threshold. The door closed, and I found myself at the bottom of a staircase, the end in sight.

"Now where am I?" I wondered to myself as I reached the top. I was in the center of a truly palatial chamber. Everything seemed to have been hewn from blue-grey stone and white marble streaked with grey, a few openings in the walls leading to a void barricaded by looping, swirling fencing. Sparsely-placed sconces illuminated the chamber with blue-white light, but their warmth and heat was a bare flicker of the true ancient magic I'd experienced. A circle of black marble a hundred feet wide sat below my feet, and before me were four large, pointed metal arches of gold with immaculately-detailed filigree work that held a solid stone wall behind them. Then, before my eyes, the spaces within the arches glowed with a purple light, and colors began to bleed into them, revealing four portraits of various rooms or landscapes.

And in the third portrait from the left, a familiar old man walked into view from the side. He gasped lightly as he saw me.

"Can it be?" Percival Rackham breathed. "Has someone finally found our Map Chamber?"

"Whoa... you!" I pointed in awe. "From the Pensieves... you're Professor Rackham!"

"I am indeed," he confirmed. "I must confess that I am surprised to see someone so young standing before me!"

"My name is Sunset Shimmer. I... don't know if it means anything to you, but I'm the same age you and Isidora were when you began school at Hogwarts."

"You've paid attention! And, might I presume, you share our... ability?"

"To see and or use ancient magic? Why yes, I do," I preened.

"As you have likely realized by now, our ability gives us a unique relationship with all forms of magic," said Rackham. "We can access expressions of magic that few others can. Opportunities will arise that allow you to sharpen this rare talent... do not squander them."

"Absolutely not," I shook my head with a grin.

"We have much to discuss! But first... a map found in a certain book led you here. Place the book on the pedestal," Rackham instructed, gesturing to a pedestal that sat atop a semicircle of stairs at the other end of the black circle, directly above the staircase I had entered from, with another staircase leading upwards from there. The smile on my face quickly fell as I realized what he meant.

"Oh... that book. Um... I don't have it with me at the moment."

"Hmm... that is unfortunate. I'm afraid we must pause our conversation until you return with the book."

"Is it really that important?" I shrugged. "I mean, you said this place was a Map Chamber, so... isn't there a map in here somewhere?"

"I assure you that all will be clear once the book has been placed on the pedestal."

"Alright..." I guess the book is part of the Map Chamber, then. "...Well, I can't get the book until, uh... geez, the week after next at the earliest. That okay?"

"That will do. We shall speak again once the book is in place," nodded Rackham. And before I could open my mouth to ask him anything else, he waltzed right back over to the side and left my view. I stood there for a few moments, going over everything I had seen in the past few hours.

Not one for conversation, is he? My lips thinned. Whatever this place was, it housed at least one, if not all four of the portraits of those ancient magic users. And if this was a Map Chamber... then perhaps this was a place I could learn to seek out ancient magic and receive tutelage in its use?

Yes... that had to be it! I could barely contain my excitement as I hunched over and clenched my fists in celebration. All I had to do was wait until Fig came back from the Ministry and I could start learning how to control ancient magic!

...All I had to do...

...was wait...

...

...

...

...Damn. Two weeks suddenly felt like an eternity. But I already felt just that little bit more powerful.

But until then, there was nothing for me here. I climbed up the staircase past the pedestal and upwards, finding a door emblazoned with the wisps of ancient magic. I pushed my way through it, and found myself in what appeared to be a castle of some sort. Cracked stone blocks made up the floor, walls and ceiling, the metal filigree taking the place of nonexistent window panes. A couple of stagnant puddles had gathered on the floor, and moss stretched down from above in some places. The hallway I had entered led me towards a spiral staircase that seemed to never end, but when it did, it led me into another large chamber, half castle and half subterranean. Another single hallway led me to another spiral staircase, which finally led me to a portcullis...

...blocking off a storage area located in the dungeons of Hogwarts. I blinked repeatedly in confusion.

"The Map Chamber's beneath Hogwarts?" I mouthed before rolling my shoulders. "Well. At least I don't have to go back through the forest and cave again." I pushed open the portcullis and wandered through the storage room, eventually finding my way back to the Slytherin common room. Upon entering, a nearby clock informed me that it was almost 9pm.

Alright... all I have to do is wait...

I gathered my things to take a shower, ate some of the snacks left around in the common room, and spent an hour reading through one of my stolen Restricted Section books before falling asleep.
> In Which the Way to a Girl's Heart is Through Teaching Her Dangerous Spells
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the previous week, as well as Monday and Tuesday passed without incident. Wednesday morning, however, while I was eating breakfast I felt someone tap on my back at about the same time I felt something being placed inside the hood of my cloak. Whipping my head around I could see Ominis and Sebastian walking away towards the doors... it had to have been one of them.

Sure enough, once I'd fished out whatever had been placed in my hood, I saw that it was a note. Sebastian's handwriting.

I've not forgotten about our library venture... how did you fare? If you're keen for some illicit spell practice, meet me outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom after class this afternoon. I know a discreet place near there.

My eyebrow raised in curiosity. Illicit spells and a secret place to practice them? He really does like me. At this rate I could probably weasel out all of his good secrets by the end of the year. It was nearly difficult to focus on my classes until Beasts ended, and I jogged to the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower.

I glanced around... no one was nearby. I was starting to wonder if Sebastian was under Disillusionment when I heard a psst from the nearby staircase. His head peeked out from behind it, and he motioned for me to join him.

"Ah, there you are," I kept my voice low.

"Here I am," he wiggled his eyebrows stupidly. "I have something to show you." 

"So you've told me..." I trailed off as he gestured towards a fancy cabinet. It was the only thing standing in this little corner at the end of the hallway. As far as I knew, there weren't any hidden passages or anything of the sort around here. "Uh...?"

"We can talk more in a moment, in the Undercroft. Not even the professors know about this place," he smirked as he walked over to the cabinet. It was large, about the size of a phone booth, made of dark walnut. There were various discs and dials on it like a clock that could also tell the day, date, season and lunar phases, the arms and numbers crafted from gold atop blue enamel. Sebastian waved his wand at it in a specific manner, and the arms began spinning wildly before everything seemed to point straight upwards, finishing with a startling chime. I tilted my head as the cabinet then opened up to reveal a secret passage through the stone wall behind it.

"Ooh..." I chirped. I climbed inside and followed the short passage down a few steps, where a portcullis separated it from a large room with a high ceiling, about the size of a chapel. The walls and floor were barren, but there were tons of barrels and crates stacked up against the sides of the room, some grouped together like sets of furniture, and a couple of lit sconces hung from the ceiling and the four pillars that held it up.

"How did you find this place?" I asked as he entered the room behind me.

"Ominis. He named it the Undercroft," he replied, walking past me and leaning against a pillar. "We used to play Gobstones here all the time with my sister Anne. She loved that infernal game... What I wouldn't give to lose to her again," he smiled weakly before hanging his head with a sigh.

"Is that so? Seems I should hang out with Ominis more often," I mused as I had a look around.

"I should tell you... I swore to him I would safeguard this place, so please... keep this between us. He never confides in anyone, but he's trusted me since the day we met. I wouldn't want to jeopardize that."

"Oh? So you're showing me this secret place that Ominis specifically entrusted you with, and would likely freak out if he knew I was here? How bold of you," I smiled devilishly as I walked up to Sebastian, poking him roughly in the chest. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a crush on me."

"I... w-well..." he glanced away, a slight blush on his cheeks. Mmhmm, exactly what I thought.

"Heh... don't worry, I won't tell," I grinned coyly. "This does seem like quite the useful secret."

"We used to sneak in here almost daily. We've never been caught," he preened.

"Impressive... he's blind, right? Ominis? I'll be honest, I didn't think he had it in him to be sneaky."

"He is. Ominis was born blind, and no spell could reverse it," Sebastian nodded. "You've seen how he uses his wand to navigate? It almost seems sentient... not surprising, I suppose. Ollivander always says 'the wand chooses the wizard'."

"I see... is that how he found this room?"

"No, someone in his family knew about it... the Gaunts are full of secrets. I've never heard anyone else speak of it, and I've certainly never seen anyone else here... Again, mention this to no one, especially Ominis. He has no love lost for his family or their secrets, but this place is special to him."

"Issues at home, huh?" I tilted my head. I wonder why? "Well, you have my word, I won't tell anyone." Be rather stupid of me to do so, anyway... I could definitely use a secret room like this.

"Glad you understand," he smiled. "Anyway, the Undercroft has been a perfect place to sneak off to, away from prying eyes... and even practice otherwise forbidden spells."

"Now we're talking," I rubbed my hands together, a devious glimmer in my eyes. "Whaddya have in mind?"

"How about the Blasting Curse?" he smirked. "Professors say it's not an appropriate spell to teach students."

"Pfft... a proper magical education should include all magic," I grumbled, waving a hand dismissively. "Not their fault if the student can't handle it."

"My thoughts exactly," he nodded, holding his hands behind his back and puffing his chest out a little. "A spell like Confringo is only truly dangerous in untrained hands. Such spells should be properly taught, not banned! ...To be fair, I'm admittedly partial to more fiery forms of magic, but you should learn it. I can teach it to you safely here."

Finally... getting the good stuff out of him. "Well then, Professor Sallow... Do continue with your lesson," I grinned as I pulled out my wand, ensuring my voice oozed with charm. Sebastian blinked uncomfortably, clearing his throat as he blushed again. That's right... teach me all of your secrets, boy.

"It may take a while to get the feel for it," he exhaled as he took out his wand and began slowly moving it through the air. "Mimic my wand movement. The incantation is Confringo."

"Not going to hold my hand this time, are you?" I teased, copying his movements. While he tried to hide another blush, I focused on the magic charging within my horn. At first it felt disappointingly familiar to a simple fire spell, but gradually the aura shifted. The magic felt much more... volatile. Unstable, like a poorly-brewed potion, or perhaps a perfectly-brewed one to be used as a grenade. I could feel a growing heat in my wand like a blast furnace being stoked to maximum, threatening to overheat if not kept in check.

"You're getting it! Ready to actually try it out?" Sebastian waved his wand, making the hanging sconces extinguish themselves. "Stick to the sconces, though... best to keep the Undercroft intact." I nodded, feeling the power within me.

"Confringo!" I pointed my wand at one of the sconces. It pulsed with blazing heat, taking me briefly by surprise as a ball of bright orange flame shot out of the tip and lit the sconce back up with an impressive explosion. "Whoa!"

"Nice work," he praised. "How's it feel?"

"Hot," I replied as I briefly switched hands, waving my other hand to cool it down... I hadn't expected "taking a while to get the feel for it" would be so literal.

"You'll get used to it," he shrugged. And I did, as I used the spell on the other sconces. Strangely, it was an addictive heat, like when you eat something spicy, but the feeling wasn't just limited to your face and your digestive tract... even though it hurt a little, it was nothing compared to the exhilaration and cool rush of power I felt. He continued to encourage and praise me as I lit them all on fire, which... did endear him to me a tiny bit. Nothing like being fawned over for your own superior abilities.

I had to give him some credit... I hadn't learned this from the battlemages, and Celestia definitely never would have taught me this. This spell was exactly the kind of magic I had been dying to learn. Perhaps he was worth further consideration after all. "Gotta hand it to ya... that was fun!" I laughed once I'd lit the final sconce.

"The first time Ominis and I practiced Confringo, we singed our eyebrows off," he chuckled.

"Ha! I bet you two looked ridiculous!"

"I swore we'd never live it down. To this day, there's something about that spell that's addictive." I felt another pulse of heat, but this time not from my wand. It made my entire upper half feel like it was on fire.

And yet, it wasn't at all painful. It actually felt... strangely nice. "Hmm... though I guess I can see how you two might've lost your eyebrows." Sebastian chuckled again.

"Anne, Ominis and I used to practice down here for hours. The Undercroft was our retreat." His smile fell, and he sighed deeply. "...Haven't been here in some time... it's not the same without Anne."

I frowned. I couldn't exactly relate to him, seeing how I was - as far as I knew - an only child. Sometimes I wondered what life would be like if I had a sibling... would we like each other? Tell each other our secrets in full confidence? Push each other to improve and be the best unicorns- er, witches we could be? Would they be better or worse than me at magic? Would they have even followed me through the mirror?

Psychology was one of the many nonmagical subjects Celestia had tutored me in. I had learned of the bonds between family members - siblings, of course... Twins, especially, had a unique bond with each other. And it was clear to me that Sebastian felt this kind of bond with Anne very strongly.

In some weird way... I felt slightly jealous. And slightly sympathetic. "Uh, sorry... about your sister. Um, if there's anything I could help with..."

"Perhaps when I next head to Feldcroft, you could come along. Meet Anne. She could use some cheering up," Sebastian answered quickly.

"Oh... er..." That's... not quite what I meant. I didn't really want to meet anyone new, especially if they weren't even going to school, but... he looked so... hopeful at the moment.

"She misses Hogwarts... she's been stuck at home with our guardian, Uncle Solomon." His face screwed up in disgust as he spat the name out. "Unfortunately, you'll have to meet him, too."

His guardian... it sounds like he doesn't care for him. I blinked as I realized that- ...well, I didn't particularly care for my old guardian either. "Sounds most charming," my lips thinned.

"You'll see... but meeting you will be precisely what she needs," he said.

"I... oh, alright. Just tell me when you're going," I caved in. I don't believe this... I don't cave in to anybody! The hell is wrong with me lately...

"Cheers," he smiled again. I smiled awkwardly back. Then I remembered... he had done that one thing for me... I suppose I did owe him for that. Going to visit his sister was the least I could do to repay him.

"...You know, I saw you take the blame for the whole library thing... I really never expected you to keep your word. So, um... thank you."

"Of course!" he shrugged. "Scribner tried to give me detention, but... I have ways out of these things."

"Is that so? I do hope you'll share your secret with me sometime," I smirked.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yep! Although, turns out part of it was missing."

"Missing?"

"Yea. It was a book, but, uh... Peeves had torn out some of its pages long ago, and... ugh, that part's a bit of a long story, but the important thing is that I fixed it," I handwaved away.

"Alright, good... and I assume this whole thing has to do with what you told me, about the Portkey and Gringotts and Ranrok?" Sebastian pressed.

"Boy, nothing gets past you, does it?" I sighed, shaking my head. He simply smirked while I debated whether or not to tell him about it. I had promised Fig I'd keep quiet about this...

...But at this point, he'd never let it go. I'd probably told him too much already; if he were anything like me, he wouldn't stop until he got his answers. I took a few breaths to collect my thoughts and nodded faintly.

"Alright... I'll tell you, but you must promise to keep this between us. Fig didn't want me telling anyone about this."

"I trusted you with the knowledge of this secret Undercroft... you can trust me," he nodded in return, smiling genuinely. Something about that smile of his put me more at ease than I expected.

"Okay, then I'll just come out with it. I can see traces of ancient magic." Sebastian's eyes widened.

"Ancient magic...?" he parroted. "...I don't know what I was expecting you to say, but it wasn't that! What does that even mean?"

"It's some kind of magic that no one's seen in centuries... and not only can I see it, I can use it, too. Thing is, though, when we met Ranrok in the vault at Gringotts, I could see a similar sort of magic coming from him, but darker." Curiously, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his mouth curled into a stern rictus.

"...Are you telling me that goblins may be wielding some sort of wizard magic?"

"No clue," I replied. "Honestly, I'm really more interested in figuring out how this ancient magic stuff works first."

"I see..." He put a hand to his chin in thought and was silent for a moment. "...Perhaps we can help each other. I've been studying archaic forms of magic for ages, now."

"Yea? If you can point me in a direction to start learning more about it, I'd love to hear it."

"I'll see if I've come across anything like it in my studies," he nodded boldly. "In the meantime, with both Rookwood and Ranrok after you, I suspect a bit more time practicing the Blasting Curse is in order."

I grinned. I spent a half hour or so Confringo-ing the sconces and spare barrels and crates with Sebastian, eventually becoming closely acquainted with the heat of the spell. After Vanishing all of the burnt bits of wood away we leaned against a pillar, out of breath but giggling with destructive glee. The spell was addictive.

"Spend as much time here as you'd like," he smiled again. "Just remember - keep this place between us."

"Of course," I nodded. My stomach growled... it was getting close to dinner time. "Want to grab something to eat?"

"I'll be there in a bit," he stood up. "Just going to make sure we got all the loose bits tidied up." I walked to the portcullis and opened it to pass through.

So I do like Sunset... She really is something.

What?

I turned around, seeing Sebastian examining the floor closely as he shuffled about. He was too far away for me to have heard him speak. But I could've sworn-

Might even get Ominis to cast an Unforgivable, if he ever finds out I told her about this place...

I froze. That was definitely Sebastian's voice, but he hadn't spoken at all. His mouth never moved, and he was too far away to hear in the first place...

...Telepathy? I thought up something offensive and tried my hardest to send it to him mentally, but he continued searching the floor without reacting. Not telepathy... why can I only hear his thoughts?

The portcullis clinking back down in place startled me. I stared at Sebastian for a moment longer before shrugging and turning away. I climbed up the short staircase and into the cabinet, easily pushing open the hidden door.

"Hello, Sebastian."

I nearly screamed in surprise but slammed my hands over my mouth before anything came out. Ominis had been standing right in front of the cabinet! His brow furrowed almost immediately.

"Wait...  you, there! I can hear you!" Ominis growled.

Crap. "Uh... hi, Ominis," I drawled, smiling like I hadn't just waltzed out of his secret place. "I was juuust heading to the Great Hall for dinner."

"Sunset...?" he breathed in shock, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Did you just come from the Undercroft? How did you get in there?!"

Not Sebastian. Definitely not Sebastian. "...That place is called the Undercroft, huh? I was just killing time exploring the castle when I found this cabinet by itself in a dead end, and-"

"Don't lie to me!" Ominis shouted, loud enough to make me flinch. "No one has any idea that room is there! ...Sebastian told you, didn't he?!"

"Uh-"

"You breathe a word about this place to anyone, and not even your precious Professor Fig will be able to help you! My father is friends with the Headmaster, I'm not afraid to exploit that connection if I need to!"

"Okay, okay, I won't tell anyone, chill out!" I held up my hands. "Sebastian made it perfectly clear not to tell anyone about your Undercroft, at least give him some credit." Wait, I thought you hated your family...?

"I don't need you to tell me about my oldest friend, thank you very much!" he retorted. It would've been a little more intimidating if he were actually looking at me and not a foot to my right.

"Er, I meant-"

"I know what you meant!" Ominis groaned in frustration, shaking his head. "Sebastian gets himself in enough trouble, he doesn't need your help... oh, he's going to get an earful about this," he snarled as he waved his wand to open the cabinet, then pushed past me and disappeared inside.

Ooh... Sebastian better run. I glanced wide-eyed at the cabinet door, half-expecting Sebastian to come bursting out as fast as he could, but when nothing happened I decided it'd be best if I left for dinner.


~


Thursday was uneventful, as was Friday. I checked back with Lucan at the Crossed Wands club after classes - the tournament wasn't going to start until the beginning of October, so I found little reason to hang around. After dinner I made myself comfortable in the common room and finished my homework, then studied ahead in my books. Before I knew it night had fallen, and most of the other students had gone to bed.

I shook my head. I supposed the students here were just like those back in Canterlot... more concerned with trivial things like friends and social lives and a good night's sleep, rather than the accumulation of power and knowledge. None of them were willing to put in the work such goals required... not like me.

Which was fine... even if they tried, they still wouldn't hold a candle to me. I was so far ahead of any of these peasants studies-wise, even with my late starts in a couple of subjects. It was honestly embarrassing for them.

"Go on... you won't know until you ask."

Hm?

"Alright, alright..." I craned my neck to look over the back of my couch in the direction of the voices. Sebastian was walking towards me while Ominis looked on from a distance... or, well, whatever "looking on" was to him. At any rate, he seemed slightly pouty, or resigned...

...Judging from his look and their whispers, I think I knew what was about to happen. It was bound to at this rate.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite time of the evening," Sebastian beamed as he sat down beside me. I couldn't help but laugh at the pathetic attempt at flirting, though to him it probably seemed like I found his joke hilarious.

"Is that your best pick-up line?" I snarked as I wiped an errant tear from my eyes. "Ah... what is it?"

"I was thinking... I never did get to show you around the rest of Hogsmeade, since our trip was... so rudely interrupted."

"Oh? Are you, by chance, asking me out on a date?" I raised an eyebrow smugly.

"Maybe... are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Not that I'm aware of." By the gods, he's making this far too easy.

"Then how about it?" he crooned. "Meet here at 11am?"

"Hmm..." I put on a show about deeply considering whether or not to go with him, long enough for that smirk on his face to falter. To his credit, he didn't show weakness by acting concerned that I might not, but rather getting mildly annoyed when I had taken nearly half a minute to answer. "...I guess I could use a little excursion."

"Brilliant," he sat up straight, the smirk returning. "I'll see you then. I'll leave you to your studies, now." He got up from the couch and sauntered off back to Ominis, who shook his head as they disappeared into their dorms.

I leaned back into the cushions, pleased with myself. Perhaps at this rate I'd have all his secrets and illicit knowledge before Halloween had arrived. It also wouldn't hurt to try to get on Ominis' good side, seeing how he also had plenty of secrets to pick through.

Yes... the more I knew, the better.


~


I ate a light breakfast and got ready, pulling on my golden cloak for the occasion. True to his word, Sebastian was waiting in the common room when I arrived five minutes before 11am.

"There you are. Shall we?" he asked, gesturing for the staircase that led out. He had forgone his usual school cloak, revealing the formal, yet tasteful grey suit uniform he generally wore beneath it. My upper half suddenly felt like it had fallen asleep again.

"You look quite nice," I complimented with charm. He... does, actually... I blinked as soon as I realized what I'd thought and glanced away momentarily.

"As do you," he replied quickly. Walking through the school together, I wrestled with that stray thought. I'm a unicorn, I shouldn't be finding humans attractive!

...Well, I suppose I'm not actually a unicorn now, but a human... There's absolutely nothing equine about me anymore. Hmm.

Once outside, Sebastian suggested that instead of walking to Hogsmeade, we could fly. I smirked as I pulled out my broomstick from my pocket dimension, finding myself impressed as he reached into his own and produced his broom, an Ember Dash.

"You certainly do care for fiery magic, don't you?" I remarked, looking at the glowing bristles that sparked from his broom.

"What can I say? I suppose I have a flair for the dramatic," he shrugged as he got on. The flight to Hogsmeade was brief, but Sebastian seemed intent on showing off, flying loops and barrel rolls around me while laughing. Not to be outdone, I ascended high into the air nearly vertically before looping around backwards and shooting back down at him, only barely leveling out right above his head.

"You're not the only one with fancy aerial maneuvers," I yelled back at him, still rocketing towards the ground just outside the bridge to the village. I leapt off my broom and landed on my feet, skidding to a stop as I caught the broom in my hand over my head.

"Flying like that is dangerous... and delightful," he grinned as he did something similar, although much closer to the ground and therefore not as cool. I shook my head with a chuckle.

"So, where shall we go first?" I asked. Sebastian offered me his arm, and I took it as we crossed the bridge, rolling my eyes with a smile. He led me towards the eastern half of the village that I hadn't been to yet. It turned out to be largely residential, but there were a few shops spaced here and there.

Flutes and Lutes sold many different musical instruments... Sebastian asked if I knew how to play anything, which I didn't - I'd never had the interest in learning an instrument since it wasn't related to magic, but if I had to pick one to learn then I supposed I'd choose the guitar. He told me that he and Anne had both taken harpsichord lessons when they were little, but since then he hadn't played. He'd also once bought a cheap trombone and enchanted it to appear and play sad notes whenever he'd bested Anne at something, but one day his uncle had had enough and Vanished it into the aether.

The road eventually led us to the town square. We passed by Steepley and Sons, which was a tea café. Peering through the windows I saw quite a few students inside, sitting at tables for two. Apparently this was the main venue for dates in town... and Sebastian laughed as I couldn't help but express disgust at the idea. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the establishment, but I could think of far better places to spend my time. He seemed to agree.

Next to the café was Honeydukes, of course. Now this was a shop I was happy to duck inside. We went in and did a bit of shopping around, both of us winding up with an armload of candy. He also picked out a gift for me, since this was supposed to be a date and all - a bouquet of individually wrapped roses crafted entirely out of clear sugar that sparkled like crystal. It was almost too pretty to eat... but as soon as we'd left, I unwrapped one and bit right into it, the candy shattering against my teeth. It tasted like rosewater, but with a refined, mellow sweetness. Impressed, I offered him one as we continued our walk.

We crossed a bridge that overlooked a large pond, where a water mill turned on the opposite shore. Sebastian pointed out the few buildings and landmarks on the other side of the stream - Dogweed and Deathcap, the Old Fool, which was simply just an abandoned house, and the cemetery for Hogsmeade. Crossing another bridge we passed by Madam Snelling's Tress Emporium, the local barber shop. He grinned as he told me that until a century and a half ago, barbers were also professional surgeons... a thought I found most alarming.

Soon we found ourselves at the Three Broomsticks. A drink sounded lovely after the tour of the rest of the village, so we went inside. Sirona was happy to see us again, this time under much more pleasant circumstances, and seated us at a table beside a window. After bringing us each a tankard of Butterbeer and a small bowl of nuts she left us alone to chat during the lunch rush.

"Enjoying yourself?" Sebastian asked, smiling as he rested his cheek in his hand, elbow on the table.

"I have to admit, I am," I nodded. "There's quite a bit more to the village than I thought."

"It's lovely, isn't it?" he stared out the window with a sigh. "Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to live here... there's always something going on." I hummed a noncommittal noise in response, a question forming in my mind.

"What made you decide to take me out today?" I tilted my head. He blinked, silent for a moment.

"...It was Ominis' idea, if I'm being honest," he replied. My mind flitted back to the other day with the Undercroft.

"Oh, yea... uh, he happened to be right outside the Undercroft's entrance when I left for dinner," I bit my lip.

"I figured as much," Sebastian sat up. "He was furious when I saw him. Couldn't understand why I'd tell anyone else about his secret place... not at first, anyway."

"Aw, so did you two have a heart-to-heart in there?" I grinned mischievously.

"Suppose we did," he shrugged. "After I'd explained to him that I simply wanted you to have a place you could practice your spellwork, he seemed to understand... in fact, after that he went on to... well..."

"Encourage you to ask me out?" I smugly finished his sentence. "Give you dating advice? ...Offer to help you practice things?"

"Offer to- no!" His face flushed red like a tomato. "Merlin's beard, woman, you're nearly as bad as Garreth!"

I couldn't help but cackle. "Oh, Sebby, you're simply too easy to fluster." His eyes narrowed in resignation and his lips thinned, though he shook his head with a chuckle moments later.

"And you... heh, I'm glad you like to have a bit of fun," he admitted. Somehow, seeing his genuine smile set my entire body ablaze, starting from deep within my core and radiating outward. I blinked a couple times at the strange sensation, unsure of what to make of it... I'd come to notice that for whatever reason, the feeling only happened around him.

What is it about you that does this to me...?

We talked for a while longer. After about an hour Sebastian paid for our drinks and we flew back to Hogwarts. The rest of the day was spent studying together in the common room - mostly in silence, but with a calming, pleasant lassitude between us. It was like that between us for the rest of the week.
> In Which Our Heroine Tackles The Trial of Courage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days passed by achingly slowly. Finally, on Thursday morning, I received a letter from an owl in the morning informing me that Fig had returned. The classes for the day dragged on even more slowly, resulting in myself getting lightly reprimanded a few times for checking the clock so frequently. It barely mattered to me, and once History of Magic had ended I rushed to Fig's classroom.

"Ah, I was hoping to see you," Fig smiled as I burst through the door to his office. He was slumped over in his chair at his desk, still exhausted from his trip.

"I'm glad you're finally back," I said. "I can't believe it took you that long to tell the Ministry what you could have just written in a letter!"

"Minister Spavin talks more than he listens," he groaned, rubbing some alertness into his eyes and face. "Ranted on and on about rogue dragons... wouldn't listen to a word about goblins! Speaking of which-"

"I need that book I found in the Restricted Section." I couldn't help but cut him off. The goblin problem was slightly less important at the moment.

"Oh? What for?" he asked as he summoned the tome from his pocket dimension.

"I found the missing pages. There was a map on them, and it led me to a secret space directly below us. There's also four huge portraits down there, one of which has Professor Rackham in it. He told me to bring the book and place it on a pedestal there before he'd say anything else."

Fig blinked for a moment before shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised... Shall we?"

He grabbed the book, and I led him down into the dungeons, towards that storage area that contained the secret passage. As we walked I recounted the entire story to him... Scrope's scavenger hunt, the grotto with the toast-loving squid mosaic, Richard Jackdaw's involvement, our trip to the Forbidden Forest, the small group of goblins I... dealt with, and the enchanted cave that led me to the Map Chamber. Many times he interrupted me incredulously, clearly befuddled that such a strange sequence of events had played out while he was away. Once we'd passed through the portcullis, Fig gaped in astonishment at the secret passage, glowing with its own magic as though lit by illuminated water. We descended the spiral staircase, and once we'd passed through the door he gasped at the sheer immensity of the chamber.

"...To think, it was beneath us all this time," he breathed as he approached the pedestal. Almost as though in response to the book's presence, the pedestal began to glow. Fig stared at it for a moment, surprised that he could see this glow unlike all the others I'd seen, but a grin spread on his face as he placed the book on top of it. It opened by itself, flipping to the center where the pages had been torn out, and I placed the missing pages gently on top. The pages mended themselves before our eyes, and the book slammed shut as silvery strands of liquid swirled around it, pouring down the sides of the pedestal and wrapping themselves around the banisters of the stairs that led to the black marble floor. Once they touched the floor, white light began to swirl around the perimeter of the black marble, spiraling inwards until exploding into thousands upon thousands of tiny, starlike points.

Enthralled, Fig stumbled down the stairs and walked onto the marble floor, his footsteps rippling the lights as though they were water - in fact, a half-inch of water now covered the black stone. As I followed him, the points of light began to gather and spread in certain places until they formed what appeared to be a map of the area, looking down from high above. Hogwarts was easily recognizable, as was Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest nearby.

"Magnificent!" exclaimed Fig as he marveled at the map. Over a few moments his smile gradually fell, and he sighed sadly as he looked up towards the empty portraits. "...If only you were here to see this."

Oh, Miriam...

I blinked, hearing Fig's voice in my mind. Before I could think to ask about it, Professor Rackham's visage walked back into his portrait, appearing surprised at the company.

"Hello, Professor Rackham," I spoke. "I've brought the book like you asked. And this is Professor Fig, my... mentor."

Mentor... as strange as it felt calling him that rather than Celestia, it also felt... right.

"How do you do, Professor Fig?" Rackham greeted. "And you, Sunset... you see now why you needed to return with the book."

"I sure do," I nodded.

"That you have come this far tells me that you possess extraordinary magical ability... the potential and power of which will unlock, should you prove yourself worthy," said Rackham. "The location of each of four trials will, in time, appear on the map... trials that will test you, and give you access to invaluable knowledge. Trials... that you must complete on your own."

"Trials, huh?" I smirked with a hand on my hip. "Sounds fun."

"Do you recall the Pensieve memory you viewed in my vault at Gringotts?" asked Rackham. I spent a moment recalling the memory before answering.

"I do... you and Charles Rookwood spoke of the Portkey, and the trials you'd created for one who could see traces of ancient magic."

"Precisely," Rackham nodded. "Charles is another of the Keepers, a designation we gave ourselves centuries ago in light of the knowledge that we have been bound to keep hidden... until, perhaps, now."

"Sooo... nothing Fig and I have faced so far has actually been a trial," I looked down, a finger tapping my chin in thought.

"They were an important part of the journey, but no, they were not trials themselves. The fact that you have come this far, however, bodes well... the trials were designed to ensure that the power and knowledge we have kept secret for so long does not fall into the wrong hands. They will test your abilities, both innate and learned, but of equal importance - everything you witness as you complete the trials will inform what you choose to do with all that we share."

Uh huh... So far, I'm hearing a lot of "please take this incredible power and use it to become the greatest witch in the world".

"You will need patience... the trials have much to teach you. It will take time."

"I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time," Fig suddenly interjected, shaking his head.

"We have waited this long, Professor Fig, surely a few more-"

"Respectfully, sir... while I do not know the secret you keep, I do know that Sunset here has seen traces-" Fig paused to swallow nervously, "...traces of a powerful Dark magic being wielded by goblinkind. And we encountered an uncommonly powerful goblin wielding such magic as we prepared to leave your vault at Gringotts."

"He really wanted that locket vial of yours in the vault," I added, nodding. "And now he just plain wants me... sent trolls after me in Hogsmeade and everything." Rackham frowned.

"...This is grave news, indeed," he acknowledged. "Sunset... do you trust Professor Fig?" I blinked in surprise, every memory I had including him suddenly flashing through my mind at lightspeed.

But I found zero reason to distrust him. Fig had only ever shown me kindness and grace, being deeply impressed by my abilities and gently pushing me to strive for more; never yelling, growing cross or even showing a hint of disappointment in me.

He was absolutely nothing like Princess Celestia.

"...Yes? Why?" I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Then in light of your considerable skill and all that you have already accomplished, we shall begin," Rackham nodded once. "You will find the location of the first trial marked on the map below you. Whilst Professor Fig may assist you in locating the trials, they may be completed only by one with our ability." I looked down upon the starlit map, my eyes drawn to a tower a few miles away from Hogwarts that was pulsing with light.

"I know that tower," said Fig. "It's not far... you may have seen it yourself."

"I recognize it," I nodded in reply. "I flew past it the other day when I was exploring the countryside."

"Good... and, as your 'mentor'," Fig smiled, "the least I can do is go with you to ensure that it is safe."

"Welp," I snorted as I punched a fist into my other hand. "No time like the present! Let's see what this trial is all about."

"Good luck!" Rackham called out as Fig and I turned for the staircases, on our way to the mysterious tower.


~


We left the castle and made our way past the walls, after which Fig Apparated the two of us directly to the tower, outside its walls. We reappeared in a clearing just a short distance from the entrance. As soon as my vision leveled out, however, I saw movement from the opening in the wall. Fig did, too, and we ducked behind a tree, peeking around to get a better look.

Goblins.

"Ranrok's Loyalists," Fig hissed, casting a quick Cobolorum Revelio. "Around a dozen, I can see, but could be more."

"...Do you think they know the trial's here?" I shivered. First the vault, then telling Rookwood to try and kidnap me... just how much did Ranrok know about all this?

"I'm not sure. But it would seem that they've set up camp here for a reason. I suggest we investigate a little before doing anything else." I nodded and cast Disillusionment on myself, Fig following suit as he took the lead. We carefully tiptoed forward towards the entrance, the goblin keeping watch with his back to us.

"Stay hidden, and cast Petrificus Totalus-" Before Fig could finish his sentence, I had pointed my wand at the goblin, simultaneously gagged and gripped him with my magic, then flung my arm over towards the edge of the cliff the tower complex sat upon. The goblin mumbled out a muffled scream as he sailed through the air and over the cliff, disappearing from earshot and view.

"Sorry, you said something?" I blinked. Fig was silent for a few moments... since he was under Disillusionment I couldn't see his face, though I imagined he was impressed with me.

"...Nevermind... that works, too," he finally whispered. I heard his footsteps pass through the entrance, and I followed. A number of goblins had made themselves at home in the courtyard just in front of the tower's entrance. Some were standing guard while others were busy searching the grounds, muttering that Ranrok had told them something was there, and they weren't finding it.

They know something's here. While trying to maneuver around a goblin searching a wall, Fig accidentally dislodged a stone from it. The goblin shrieked in surprise, alerting the rest to his presence. Caught, Fig immediately laid into the goblin with a Depulso, slamming it against the wall with a pained grunt.

"An intruder!" I heard another goblin shout. Thinking quickly, I spotted a nearby barrel of gunpowder, lifted it with my wand and hurled it into a group of three goblins while casting a silent Confringo. The barrel exploded on contact, cutting off the goblins' screams as they were torn to pieces. As a majority of the other goblins rushed in our direction, I waved my wand at the group with Expelliarmus in mind, their weapons yanking themselves out of their hands. They looked upwards, confused, before I brought my arm down, the weapons with it. A chuckle escaped my lips as the weapons sank themselves deeply into the faces of their wielders. One lone goblin further away from the others watched in horror as his compatriots fell to the ground, shrieking in fear as he felt himself being lifted into the air by my magic. I swung my arm repeatedly in a V-shape, smashing his head into the ground a few times before flinging him headfirst into another wall. I could hear his neck snap from all the way over here.

"I'm... glad that's over," Fig blinked as he canceled his Disillusionment charm. I canceled my own, having counted twelve dead goblins - if there were any more, they'd definitely be on the lookout for whoever had just massacred their friends within seconds. "Best head inside."

We made our way to the tower, its doors locked. I quickly forced them open with a blast of magic, and Fig and I walked inside. The tower looked mostly untouched, though ravaged by time - enchanted brooms swept in vain at a layer of dust an inch thick on the floors, the furniture and cobwebs within completely coated in it. A section of a staircase that lead upstairs had crumbled away, replaced with wooden boards. There was a statue of a wizard in the center of the floor, but it didn't look like anyone I recognized. Fig commented that he'd never seen a sweeping enchantment last on a broom for what seemed like centuries... perhaps even longer. It wasn't until we'd reached the top of the tower that we found anything of interest - a relatively dustless portrait of Professor Rackham that stretched from floor to ceiling.

"Welcome to San Bakar's tower," he said.

"Bakar...?" I paused as I turned towards the portrait. "...He was one of the other professors, wasn't he?"

"He is. Professor Bakar is a Keeper you have yet to encounter," Rackham confirmed. "I am glad to see that I was correct in presuming we would meet again so soon... though I surmise, based on the commotion I heard, that you did not have an easy time getting to me."

"No, no, Sunset took care of them all quite soundly," Fig shook his head quickly.

"There were a bunch of goblins outside looking for something... they had to go," I rolled my shoulders. Rackham hummed.

"...That goblins were aware of my vault is disquieting enough," he said. "But if they have also made a connection to this tower, then the threat may be greater than I thought. All the more reason for us to move forward! Downstairs, near the entry... a reservoir of ancient magic, like those you've seen before, has been unlocked. Command it to access a doorway... I'm afraid I cannot say more."

"A reservoir, huh?" I mumbled to myself. So those fonts of ancient magic on the ground were slightly more than just that... they were pools of magic I was absorbing into myself whenever I allowed them to flow through me. The thought of stepping into even one more of those reservoirs sent a pleasant chill of anticipation down my spine.

"As Professor Fig cannot join you, he and I will, in time, see you back at the Map Chamber," continued Rackham. "Remember what you see." And with that bit of advice, he moved out of the frame and out of sight. Fig let out a strained sigh as we made our way back down the staircase, where I quickly noticed sparks appearing from my footsteps, leading me to the reservoir. I stood in its center and let the ancient magic seep into my body, reveling in the sensation for a brief moment before flicking my wand. The stone wall before me rippled and sank away, revealing a glowing portal to another room.

"We're going to need to understand how Ranrok's Loyalists knew about a tower that once belonged to a Keeper," he frowned. "For the moment, however, you've more important things to set your mind to."

"I do," I nodded, smirking.

"Then I shall leave matters in your increasingly-capable hands," Fig smiled. "That said... be careful."

"I will. See you back at the Map Chamber," I glanced behind me. Fig flashed me one last grin before Disapparating back to Hogwarts. I faced the portal and took a deep breath, the lingering heat and metallic smell of the ancient magic seemingly empowering me as I focused on it. My eyes flicked open with determination, and I stepped into the portal.


~


I was plunged into darkness. A Lumos revealed that I was at one end of a long hallway, the other end too far and too dark to see. Though I couldn't see much else, I could tell that the hall was made of white marble with streaks of gold. Frowning at the apparent plainness of the trial, I began to walk forward. My footsteps echoed hollowly down the corridor.

It wasn't until I'd walked for ten minutes that something finally happened, sparks appearing and leading me towards another reservoir of ancient magic, right in front of where the hallway came to an abrupt end. Standing in it, I felt that this font was deeper than the rest I'd encountered - the magic seemed to seep into my skin through every pore, gathering and pooling within me. Its warm caress felt nearly uncomfortable, and the scent of ozone and metal made my sinuses sore.

But if that was the price I had to pay to accumulate more of it - more power for myself, then I was happy to pay it. I allowed the magic in, watching it dance along my horn as I flicked it. The magic rippled outwards, transforming the hallway into a large, dimly-lit chamber. Like before, it too was crafted from white marble streaked with gold, with a floor crafted from blue crystal. The only decoration the chamber had other than some lit sconces along the distant walls was a red carpet that stretched from beneath me towards...

...

...

...

...No.

"So... you've returned."

I blinked in surprise, in realization... in horror.

That voice. It was very familiar to me.

No... that's not possible. It can't be!

It was her.

She was as radiant and regal as I remembered, standing taller than the tallest horse or similar creature I'd seen in this world. Her white fur gleamed with a burning, holy light, her aurora mane trailing behind her like billowing gossamer. Even from a distance I could sense her presence, her tangibility... it really was her.

But...

...Her eyes were like hot coals, her muzzle fixed in a deep frown.

A whoosh resounded in empty air. Out of instinct I ducked down, my eyes wide as a massive golden halberd slashed through where my neck had been a second earlier. In a flash of light, golden armor sealed itself around her body. The  halberd, double the length she was, reappeared from the darkness and swam above her head in a graceful arc, its razor tip pointed at me.

She charged. I had never seen her move so swiftly, I only barely dove and rolled out of the way in time. Celestia extended her wings as she came to a rapid halt, turning in place and facing me.

"I believed in you," she growled. "I saw the potential in you, the magic you could one day unlock. I took you in and raised you like my own daughter... and yet, you threw it all away... and for what?" She charged at me again, this time I cast a Protego to block her attack, allowing the momentum to knock me away and give me some space.

I bristled at her words. So many memories came flooding back into my mind, all indelibly stained by the transgressions of our final hours together... Was she really doing this now, of all times? Berating me for my actions? Angry with me for following my instincts? Punishing me for taking matters into my own hooves when she threw me out? Was she... really attacking me for that?! Actually trying to kill me for something so trivial to her?!

Even the good memories I shared with her were already forever tainted by her lies, her betrayal, her attempt to keep me from that which I deserved... and now she was doing it again?! How dare she go this far!

"You tell me, you're the one who wouldn't answer my questions!" I shouted back, firing a Depulso at her as she charged again. The spell forced her to halt, pushing her back several feet from where she stood. "You wouldn't tell me about the mirror no matter how much I asked!"

"Because you don't deserve this power," glowered Celestia. "You haven't earned a thing!" The halberd swung in an arc, striking at my shield and glancing off, sparks flying with every hit. I grunted with exertion, concentrating on the shield's integrity as much as I could... every blow threatened to shatter it and slice right through.

"Oh, but I've found my answers! Magic only I can see and use, that's been lost to the ages for centuries... and you know what?! I did it all on my own, so I did earn it!" I cast Expelliarmus to tear the halberd out of Celestia's invisible grasp; it was far heavier than I thought, and I struggled to control it as I sent it flying back towards her like a dart. Celestia simply blasted it away with a burst of magic, the halberd clattering to the ground as she fired a searing beam of sunlight towards me.

"It is not yours," she hissed. "Only a Princess is worthy of the power you seek." I rolled out of the way of the beam, the ground it dragged over igniting with flames. Thinking quickly I ran towards her at a diagonal, slowly spiraling around her as she continued to channel. Once I'd gotten close enough I cast Aguamenti and sprayed her in the face, causing her to flinch and end her attack. Then before she could react I quickly followed it with a Glacius, extinguishing the flames and trapping her within a jagged block of ice.

I took the hard-won moment to catch my breath. It tore at my heart even more than I thought it would, to be attacked by her. Did all those years together mean nothing to her?! Was her love, her caring nature really so fickle? Was I just a toy of hers all those years, something to amuse her until she was bored of me, something she could discard so thoughtlessly? I thought of her as my own mother, for Merlin's sake! I trusted her! I loved her!

And she threw all of that away when she banished me from the castle... disowned me as her protégé, her adopted daughter... now I saw her for what she really was - a callous, treacherous tyrant. Remembering the love I used to have for her made me sick to my stomach, made me want to tear out her heart just as she'd torn out mine.

Now that I thought about it... did she ever really love me...?

"I can't believe you'd throw me out for what I did, for trying to find answers, like you trained me to do!" I glared, ugly, bubbling rage simmering within my gut, the events of that fateful evening choking out my thoughts. "After all those years, what kind of mentor... what kind of mother-"

"You are not my child!" she shouted as her eyes and body pulsed with energy, the ice shattering and whizzing past. Though I threw up a shield I still felt one of the shards sting my cheek. "And I am not your mother! I am your superior, and you will heed me!" Four orbs of golden light appeared around her head, two on each side. They glowed brightly before shooting out thin lasers of energy that cut right through my Protego, forcing me to dodge and roll to the side.

I couldn't actually remember the last time she'd been motherly towards me... the last time she'd held me close, told me she was proud of my accomplishments... told me she loved me. Searching through my memories only drew blanks. She'd only ever treated me as her student. Nothing more.

She... really never did love me. She proved as much when she threw me out. The realization hurt like a slap in the face, a sucker punch to the kidney.

And now she was demanding my respect? After everything she had done? She hadn't earned it... she'd never earned it! I was just too infatuated, too starstruck, too stupid to see it myself until now!

"No! You don't get to tell me what to do anymore... you threw me out, remember?! You abandoned me!" I screamed. My eyes began to water - I had to blink so I could properly target her with Confringo after Confringo. The explosions made her flinch and turn her head, but seemingly nothing more. "When you banished me I had nothing left! You knew that, and you still followed through with it!"

A dark sneer flashed over Celestia's muzzle. I only barely heard the discarded halberd rise into the air and sing in my direction. My Protego was only partially formed by the time it struck, taking the brunt of the damage but still knocking me along the floor like a ragdoll from the sheer force.

"Ha... look at you," she grinned cruelly as I struggled to all fours. "A scared little orphan in a world not meant for her. Do you not see how foalish, how utterly stupid you are being?!"

Wh-What...?!

My breath hitched in my throat. I blinked at her harsh words.

"I took you in from that orphanage when no one else would, gave you the best education anypony could possibly ask for! You lived a life of luxury that most ponies would kill and die for! And you dared argue, you still have the gall to disobey me?! You're a failure... a failure of a student and a failure of a daughter! You have no right to talk back to me, you filthy, low-born bastard child!"

Something wasn't right. Even at her angriest, in her most frustrated rage... Celestia would never say anything like that... right? This was my trial, I had to pass it to prove myself to Professor Rackham... this couldn't be real!

It can't be... is this just an illusion? To test my resolve?

"...You're not Celestia," I breathed. It couldn't really be her, not if she was trying to kill me... Perhaps the point of this trial was to affirm that I would do whatever it took to secure my dreams - the ancient magic for myself, no matter the obstacle. Why else would she ever attack me, let alone fight me to the death?

And what happened next confirmed my suspicions. Celestia screamed out a harsh whinny as she reared up, her massive wings fanning outwards. Her body pulsed with blinding light, forcing me to shield my eyes. With my arm raised I peered through slits and shadow... and gasped. Celestia had transformed herself, now four times her usual size, her entire body encased in twisted metal armor that glowed whitish blue, like those guardian statue knights I had faced before. Her weapon, also four times larger, spun and twirled above her as though caught in a tornado.

"FOOL! YOU WILL PERISH!" she roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice, the ground quaking violently with every word. The halberd swung as fire erupted from her horn, surrounding the two of us with a ring of searing flame. Knowing that remaining within the ring meant certain death, I cast Aguamenti at what looked like the ring's weakest point and leapt over the extinguished floor just as the water evaporated and the fire pulsed back up, the halberd sailing through the flames a half-second later. The blade was now as long as the diameter of the flaming ring, far too thick and heavy to stop with Protego.

Even though I now knew it wasn't her... it still felt so terribly real. I still wanted to scream, to sob, to rage at her for all the times and ways she'd failed me, to hit her where it'd hurt the most... So many things I had left unsaid.

"No, I'm going to prove you wrong!" I snarled. "I deserve this power, and I'm going to master it! With or without your help!" With a new flash of anger and determination I swung my wand, slicing through the flames with Diffindo and driving her back. Her eyes glowed like dying stars as more fire sprung up all around us, the searing heat making sweat pour from my entire body. At the same time my skin instantly dried out and lost all elasticity, feeling like it was threatening to crack apart and spontaneously combust. Though I felt disgustingly clammy and damp, and it was becoming increasingly painful to even move, I pushed through it all and kept up my attacks. "It was my mistake thinking so highly of you... you really never were my mother after all, despite all your false adorations and praise! I was nothing more than your faithful student... your puppet!"

"I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING!" Celestia bellowed, the flames surrounding us turning into jets of magma shooting skyward, molten rocks raining down all around. The ground shook even more violently, nearly knocking me over. Some of the rocks exploded upon landing on the ground, the shrapnel hot and razor-sharp as bits of it zipped past and sliced at my skin.

No... no, you didn't...!

"YOU NEVER LOVED ME!" I roared back, tears streaming down my face. "I NEVER ONCE HEARD YOU SAY IT!" As I fought I felt my soul light itself ablaze with a flood of raw magical power, the sensation coursing through my veins and nerves like water breaching a cracked dam. It surged down my arms and legs and wrapped around my brain, my vision suddenly becoming brighter and more focused. Out of the corner of my peripheral vision I could see ancient magic leaking from my horn, billowing like steam from a pressure cooker.

My anger, my rage... all of my emotions had reached a fever pitch. The magic was crying, pleading... begging to be unleashed.

I screamed with all my heart as I heaved my wand towards her, the scream echoing in my very soul. All the pain and rage and misery I'd ever felt because of her rocketed out along with the ancient magic, staining it a roiling red. The magic struck the amalgamation dead center in the chest, and Celestia screamed in agony as it pierced straight through her back.

The spell ended a few seconds later. As I gasped for breath, Celestia, now silent, her face empty and expressionless, took a few stumbling steps to the side... and fell, unmoving. A sick satisfaction spread through my body, and I allowed myself a sneer of triumph.

"I... am my own pony... And I... don't need you... anymore."

My mouth was bone dry, causing me to double over in a coughing fit. As I tried to gather saliva in my mouth and swallow, the fires all around me died out, plunging the room back into cold darkness. I spent a few moments simply catching my breath, dousing myself with Aguamenti and reveling in the cooling sensations before drying myself off with a simple charm. Movement in my peripheral vision brought my attention back to the amalgamation's corpse - it melted into the floor like a puddle of mercury, then twin pillars rose up and formed a pointed arch. A portal, glowing a calming blue, bloomed from within. Cautious, but galvanized, I stood up and stepped through.

I now found myself in a palatial room of polished blue stone, empty save for a Pensieve and a massive statue of someone looming over it. Upon looking up at its face, I realized that it was the very visage of Rackham. A line of silver light suddenly formed in the crook of one of the statue's eyes, slowly sliding down and gathering along the inner canthus, forming into a teardrop as if it were crying. I watched with bated breath as the teardrop fell directly into the Pensieve, the liquid within swirling.

Suddenly, something ejected itself from the Pensieve and floated above it. I moved closer to investigate, and saw that it was a long, thin object, like a string of some sort. It glowed brightly with ancient magic, whispering to me...

...Take it.

I waved my wand at the object and stashed it away in my pocket dimension. The liquid within the Pensieve was still swirling, the memory within waiting to be witnessed. Though I knew I could breathe with my face submerged, I still took a deep breath before peering inside.

Past the black wisps of smoke, I found myself on an isolated hill overlooking the ocean. Professor Rackham and Isidora, looking a few years older than when I had seen her last, were staring out towards a nearby island. Rackham watched proudly as Isidora raised her wand skyward, and over on the island I could see a pillar rising from the ground, seemingly pulled into existence by the ancient magic that surrounded it. Bubbles of blue-white light ringed with silver sparked from her wand as she worked.

"Your ability to transfigure the world around you is remarkable!" Rackham breathed in praise. I analyzed everything I could about what I was seeing, enthralled by the demonstration before me. Another pillar rose from the ground, taller than the last. Suddenly, Isidora lowered her wand with a frown. 

Pain. Sorrow. Heartache. Melancholy. Upon looking at her and realizing the frown across her lips, emotions not of my own suddenly tunneled into my mind and took root. They chewed at my heart, nearly making me cry.

W-What? Why am I sad all of a sudden? What is this?! I rapidly blinked away the tears forming in my eyes, ignoring the need to wrap my arms around myself as best I could. I couldn't understand why I suddenly felt this way.

"What is it?" asked Rackham. Isidora sighed.

"...My father isn't getting better. I don't think he'll ever recover from the death of my brother." Rackham lowered his head in sympathy, while another pang of sorrow wracked my body.

"It is agonizing to see those we love suffer," he offered in condolence.

"The drought was years ago... but the pain of losing him is as deep for him now as if it had happened only yesterday." Isidora lowered her head.

Defiance. Resistance. Yearning. Desire. The sorrow in my heart suddenly changed, these new emotions blossoming so strongly within me, as though I had never felt them before. The wetness in my eyes immediately vanished, now filled with burgeoning aspiration.

N-Now what is this...?

"He doesn't need pretty pillars... he needs peace," Isidora shook her head, turning to face Rackham. "What if I could help him, Professor?"

"You do so much for your father already, you-"

"It's not enough... I want to take away his pain!" she cried desperately. It was subtle, but Rackham seemed to be taken aback by her statement. He took a moment to compose himself before replying.

"It is tempting, I know, to use this magic that you're mastering to transfigure more than the physical world... but human emotion is a potent force unto itself." Isidora shook her head again. "Even the most well-meaning and competent witch cannot possibly know the consequences of irrevocably manipulating it."

Incredulity. Disbelief. Doubt. Distrust. My emotions changed again. "So I'm to watch as my father's pain destroys him?" Isidora blinked, her mouth slightly open.

Why... W-Why am I feeling what she's feeling...?

"It is not your pain to take," Rackham replied. Isidora stared at him for a few moments before her head shook slightly once more, and she walked away right past him. I could only watch as she vanished from view, struggling to get a grip on my own emotions.

The scene changed in the blink of an eye, and the emotions that hung over my mind like a storm cloud evaporated just as quickly. Now I was in that same office in Hogwarts as before, with Rackham and Charles. They were talking congenially about their students by the roaring fireplace when movement alerted him to another presence.

"Ah, Miss Morganach! Welcome back to Hogwarts, Professor," he greeted. I turned to see Isidora, now perhaps a decade older, entering the room. Instead of a student's uniform she wore a blue dress with red and gold embellishments.

Appreciation. Gratitude. Impatience. Pride. Foreign emotions flooded my heart and mind again.

"That's going to take some getting used to," Isidora remarked before greeting both Keepers.

"I was so pleased to hear that you accepted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Charles grinned.

"Sit, sit, Isidora! Tell us about your travels!" Rackham gestured to an empty chair. Isidora merely smiled.

"I was actually hoping that you and the others might join me at my home this evening... There's much I'd like to share with you." Pride suddenly overshadowed the other emotions I felt in the moment. My lips thinned as I considered why.

She wants... to show them something.

"That would be delightful!" Rackham agreed as Charles nodded. "We shall let the others know."

"Very well! I shall see you then," said Isidora. A sense of nervous anticipation shoved aside the pride, leaving me to feel it in equal portions as she turned and left the office. As soon as she passed the threshold I felt myself being pulled out of Rackham's memories.

I stood up straight with a gasp, breathing heavily. It took me a moment to realize that the foreign emotions were gone from my mind again.

"Wha... What was that?!" I mouthed as I stumbled away backwards from the Pensieve. My foot slipped on the polished stone and I fell on my butt, but it mattered little. Not when I'd suddenly felt a rush of emotions that were not my own.

Is that... is that what ancient magic is? Emotion? I blinked repeatedly, trying to banish all thoughts and feelings from my brain. Was the key to using ancient magic my own emotions? My own emotional state? And yet, my own emotions were dwarfed and engulfed within that memory... was that simply the memory's doing?

Another realization dawned on me, and I gasped again... all those times when I thought I could hear- feel words being spoken by others, by Sebastian, by Fig... It wasn't their thoughts I was feeling, it was their emotional states! It was simply laid bare for me to sense all on my own, as naturally as breathing or blinking came to me.

My eyes bowed to the floor as I ran through the implications of such a revelation. If emotions were the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient magic... how, exactly? Which emotions would work? Righteous anger, definitely, but anything else? ...Should I take up meditation now?

A noise drew my attention to my right. Another pointed arch had risen, the space within filled with enchanted, mirrorlike stone. I took a few breaths to calm myself before getting up and walking over to it. As I approached, a reflection of the Map Chamber appeared to me.

Well... that's extremely convenient.

I had survived the trial, and I had seen the memory... and I had taken whatever the string floating above the Pensieve was. Feeling very ready to leave, I touched the enchanted stone and felt the air change. Beneath me was the black, starry marble, and behind me, the four portraits loomed.

"Ah! You're back already!" I looked to my left, seeing Fig standing up from sitting on one of the staircases and approaching me. He must've taken notice of my shellshocked demeanor, as his smiling face fell into concern. "Are you alright?"

"I... yea," I nodded, sighing. "I'm fine." He was about to press the issue when something caught his eye, and he looked upwards to the portraits. I followed his gaze - to the left of Rackham's portrait, where the Divination professor stood watch, the image of Charles Rookwood walked into view, his hands placed casually on his hips.

"What have we here?" Charles asked with an air of amusement. I swallowed down the apprehensiveness I'd been feeling since my mind was invaded, and stood up straight.

"I am Sunset Shimmer," I introduced myself. "And this is Professor Fig."

"Professor Charles Rookwood at your service," he bowed his head slightly. "Has someone completed the first trial?"

"Yep... that would be me," I nodded. "I even saw you in Rackham's memory."

"Indeed. So, you found the Portkey to access Professor Rackham's vault, and you deciphered the map within the locket you found floating about that Pensieve?"

"I did... mostly. I mean, Professor Fig was there, too. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I did not intend for that to be an insult," Charles shook his head. "You must have considerable magical ability, as you appear to still be a student at Hogwarts."

"Well... I am. Both a student, and of 'considerable magical ability'," I groused. It then struck my mind to ask about what I had found after the trial, and I quickly whipped it out from my pocket dimension. "Oh, Professor Rackham. I found this... string-looking thing floating above your Pensieve. What is it?"

"Ah, yes," Rackham nodded knowingly. "You will find a similar artifact in each trial. Take care to keep them safe... you will need them to complete the journey we have set forth for you."

"Once you have them all, we will tell you what to do with them," added Charles.

"I see..." I glanced at the object again before putting it back. Not much of an answer. ...Alright then. So, where's the next trial?"

"Before you proceed, I would like to speak with Charles regarding the urgent situation involving the goblins," Rackham held up a hand.

"The goblins?"

"Sunset has seen traces of a powerful Dark magic being wielded by goblinkind," he explained calmly. "She and Professor Fig not only encountered goblins lurking outside of San Bakar's tower, they also encountered a powerful goblin in my vault in Gringotts."

Charles hummed in thought, then nodded once. "I'm afraid it would be wise to halt the trials until we know more."

Halt?! Wait, don't I get a say in this?! I'm the one doing them! The trial had taken more out of me than I'd first thought; I gaped stupidly at the portraits, too stunned to speak.

"We shall defer to you in this matter, of course," Fig spoke for the both of us, though his tone conveyed that he, too, was disappointed. Rackham and Charles nodded before walking out of view, totally ignoring me. I blinked in disbelief.

...You bastards.

"Hmm... Rookwood... where have I heard that name before...?" Fig mused as he stared at the floor. I considered the name myself, an answer coming to me rather quickly.

"Rookwood... Oh, that guy, what's-his-face... Victor Rookwood, right!" I snapped my fingers. "...Do you think he might be related to Charles?"

"Perhaps. But we can't be sure of the significance, if any," he shook his head. "For now... tell me what you saw in the Pensieve."

"Rackham's memories. There were two of them; the first was about him teaching Isidora how to use ancient magic. She wanted to learn how to take away pain, but he didn't seem to think it was a good idea-" I nearly continued into my next sentence, but cut myself short. How was I going to explain the sudden rush of emotions I had felt?

Was it even a good idea to bring it up? As invasive as it was, Fig would likely worry about me, maybe even reconsider me completing the rest of the-

...

...

...

...No.

Not again.

I pushed the thought as far from my mind as I could. The anger I felt bubbling up in my heart resolved itself just as quickly.

I'm not telling him that part. Not if I don't have to.

"I see... and the other?" Fig replied, jarring me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, right... and the other one, she was hired on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor here. She had apparently been traveling for a while, and she wanted to have the Keepers over at her house." Fig hummed in thought.

"Hopefully, the next Pensieve I feel you will find provides more context," he frowned. "For now, we should learn what Ranrok knows."

"He does know an awful lot about something nobody's supposed to know about," I nodded. "...Uh... how do we do that?"

"I've no idea where to start," Fig shook his head. I wracked my brain for a solution... the only thing I could think of was that one elderly goblin I'd seen in the Three Broomsticks after the troll attack, and that was likely a remote possibility. Even if I could find him again, what were the odds he'd know anything?

"I suggest we sleep on it. Perhaps a solution shall make itself known to us in the morning," Fig suddenly stretched and yawned. "It is past your curfew, after all."

"Is it? I hadn't realized." I had just spent who-knows-how-long battling an illusion of my former mentor, hellbent on killing me.

"Come, I'll accompany you to your common room so you don't get detention from an overzealous prefect." He began up the stairs to the chamber's exit. I lingered for a moment, glancing back at the empty portraits before jogging to catch up.


~


It was nearly midnight. The common room was thankfully deserted when I entered. I didn't feel like company of any sort at the moment, not even the snoozing, snoring portraits. I summoned my toiletries and pajamas into my arms and left for the bathroom, taking an extra-long shower.

I tried not to think. I tried to keep my mind as empty as possible, even though I should be thinking of a way to find out what Ranrok was up to. Instead I let the warm water wash away the events of the day, taking the emotions forced into my mind with them.

I wanted the power, to wield ancient magic. That hadn't changed. But feeling those emotions, feeling what another person felt... it was something I was going to have to get used to. Something told me I'd likely experience such a phenomenon again, and it wasn't exactly something I looked forward to experiencing.

It was almost 1am when I flopped onto my bed and drew the curtains. It was a restless sleep.
> In Which a Unicorn and a Goblin Walk Into a Bar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weekend was mostly uneventful, September changing into October. What had happened was that overnight, the entire castle had been decorated to celebrate Halloween. It was a holiday that took place on the 31st, and was largely just like Nightmare Night except for the wandering about at night in costumes for candy. There would be a special feast on that evening, and, as many of my fellow classmates tittered in excitement about, all the sweets one could possibly eat.

But I largely kept to myself those few days, partially out of concern that I'd suddenly be overwhelmed by the emotions of those around me. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about, however. Even when the other girls in my year were talking about Quidditch and boys or whatever, I kept track of how I was feeling... and felt nothing but apathy or annoyance.

It was reassuring. Perhaps it had only been a part of those memories.

On Monday morning, an owl dropped a note into my lap at breakfast. It was from Professor Weasley - she wanted to meet me on the seventh-floor's left corridor at around 3:15pm, by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. All it said was that it was a secret, somewhere away from prying eyes.

I liked secrets. It was a pleasant enough distraction to think about while going to my classes today.

History of Magic couldn't have ended soon enough. Sebastian, however, seemed to be in a chatty mood, asking me about the lecture he'd fallen asleep five minutes into. I ran through a paraphrased version of it from my memory, since I'd read the chapters beforehand and spent the rest of the class doing other work.

"Ah, so the Medieval Assembly of European Wizards was involved with the International Warlock Convention of 1289," he nodded in confirmation. "Well, that will certainly make writing that two-foot, five-inch essay much easier to achieve."

"Just two feet and five inches? You slacker," I shook my head. "I could write double that, easy."

"Are you challenging me?" he tilted his head, a hint of a smile on his face. "Mind that I've noticed all your hard work in class... but I daresay I still have the better marks between us."

"Please," I scoffed, waving a hand at him. "I haven't gotten anything less than 110% on every test I've had so far."

"Only 110 percent? How quaint," he smirked. "I got 115% on my last Charms exam."

"Now I know you're lying, you daft dolt," I turned around to face him. "There wasn't even that much extra credit on that test!"

"Sure there was... didn't you explain at least three differences between the Summoning Charm and the Seize-and-Pull Charm?"

"Yea? That was almost trivial," I raised an eyebrow. Sebastian grinned smugly.

"I came up with a fourth one. Professor Ronen even admitted he'd never even considered what I'd written down, and was quite impressed by my logic."

It was almost like I heard the needle of a phonograph snapping off in my brain. I stopped walking, blinking incredulously. The thought was just too ridiculous.

What?! No... there's no way...! "I call foul," I grumbled, taking a few larger strides to catch up to him. "I don't believe you for a second!"

"I'll be happy to show you once we get them back," he replied with a confident nod. I couldn't help but stare... if he'd actually scored higher than me on something...

...No. No way in hell was he that smart! Although, I had noticed that reading seemed to be how he spent the vast majority of his free time, at least whenever I'd paid enough attention to see him around. A lot like how I spent my own free time, in fact.

Well... this was new. Someone might actually give me a run for my money, academics-wise. Just the thought of not being the very best in class, alone atop a lofty pinnacle these other mouth-breathers could never touch... it just made me want to try harder. Study more. Gain even more knowledge...

...Knowledge. If there was one thing I'd always have over him, it was the knowledge of ancient magic. It was mine, and mine alone... even if I didn't know much about it myself. And Celestia, did I ever wish I knew more-

"Oi," Sebastian snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Are you listening to me anymore?"

"What, what?" I groused, squeezing my eyes shut and shaking my head once it registered.

"You didn't hear me," he frowned. "You seemed... distant over the weekend. Something happen?" I thought back to the trial, then back to the memories, and the emotions...

...Those damned emotions. Just thinking about them worming their way into my soul like they had drained me. I let out a groaning sigh.

"It's... a long story."

"Seems you've nothing but long stories," he quipped. We reached the tapestry in the seventh-floor's left corridor, an eternal dance of Barnabas trying to direct trolls into doing ballet, and then said trolls bashing his head in with their clubs silently playing out. "And what must I do to get you to tell me about them?" he asked as he leaned against the wall beside the tapestry.

"Oh, I dunno... tell me about another secret room of yours in the castle, teach me another dangerous spell, bribe me with money or gifts..." I counted on my fingers. "Then maybe if you're lucky, I'll give you a hint."

"Such a proper Slytherin, you are," he chuckled, shaking his head. I couldn't help but chuckle, too... I had to admit I enjoyed our banter. The subject quickly changed to more lighthearted topics as I waited for Professor Weasley to show up, thinking that whenever she did appear she'd likely tell Sebastian to scram before discussing the promised secret.

However... five minutes turned into ten, which turned into twenty. Growing impatient, I paced back and forth down the short hallway.

Somewhere away from prying eyes... wonder what that could mean? It wasn't until I'd passed by the tapestry for the third time that something happened.

"What in Merlin's...?" Sebastian trailed off, staring at whatever it was I heard to my left. I turned and saw a unassuming door suddenly being uncovered by sliding bricks. It opened on its own to reveal a dimly-lit room full of clutter.

"Huh... that's interesting," I mumbled, coming to a stop. We moved towards the door to peek inside when I heard quick footsteps approaching from down the hall.

"Forgive me," Professor Weasley gasped as she slowed her pace. "The Headmaster stopped me and I- ...Merlin's beard! I see you've wasted no time," her breath caught itself as she glanced inside the newly-revealed room.

"This is what you were going to show me?" I asked.

"Indeed it was... although, I do believe I mentioned this was supposed to be a secret," Weasley narrowed her eyes, jutting her chin slightly towards Sebastian. He only replied with a smirk and a shrug.

"Well, to be fair... I didn't know a hidden room was what you had in mind," I frowned. "I thought it'd be something else you were going to shoo him away from beforehand."

"I suppose you have a point... Very well," Weasley sighed. "I do hope that I will not have to impress upon you the need for secrecy, Mr. Sallow."

"My lips are sealed, Professor," Sebastian grinned. Weasley nodded curtly, then gestured to the door.

"Shall we?"

We followed her inside. The door closed itself gently as I took in the grand scale of the room. It seemed to be as big as the Great Hall, but stuffed to the rafters with all kinds of junk. There were piles of broken furniture from all the rooms of a house, old books and scrolls, chipped bottles of congealed potions, rusting weapons and armor, discarded portraits and musical instruments, a phonograph playing a broken record, cracked cauldrons, vases and urns, old trophies of past glories, ripped and torn cloaks and hats, and empty cages and wooden chests with no keys. Enchanted candles balanced precariously on some of the items bathed the room in a twilight-like dusk.

"What is this place?" I asked, watching a flock of books fly past us, flapping their covers like wings.

"This is the Room of Requirement," replied Weasley, a fondness on her face as she picked her way through a narrow aisle between towers of clutter. "It only appears when one is in real need of it. Ordinarily, a student might stumble upon this room entirely by accident... if ever. I'd only planned to suggest to you how to find it: by walking past that bit of wall, focusing on what you need."

"Ah, is that the secret?" I nodded, following after her.

"A handy secret to know," Sebastian remarked as his eyes danced across all of the useless objects.

"Now, where is Deek...?" Weasley muttered to herself. "He must have sneaked past and gone ahead."

"Deek?"

"The house elf I was speaking to in my classroom on your first day," she answered. "Thought he might help you use the room once you found it."

"Told you she'd taken a shine to you," Sebastian nudged my arm, grinning. I could only shrug in response. We walked down the narrow path for a minute or so before Professor Weasley became preoccupied with a bookbag she'd apparently lost many years ago, sitting on a table and waiting to be found. She shooed us onward while she reminisced, and Sebastian and I continued on in awed silence down the winding walkway. Amongst the total chaos of the room stood a few smatterings of attempted order - A portrait of a sleeping man yelled at us to turn out the lights. Another portrait of a snooty man ordered us intruders to halt, a suit of armor next to it taking one step forward in obedience before clattering to pieces. A random toilet flushed endlessly beside a bathtub, a scrap of parchment beside it denoting the annoyance someone felt when the Room had suggested they needed a bath.

The path narrowed a few minutes later, funneling us forward. There was a veritable mountain of amalgamated furniture parts before us with a small tunnel bored through to the other side, all of it surrounded by a swarm of glowing paper lanterns, floating as though hanging from invisible strings. In the darkness of the room, they were like a graceful cascade of red roses being poured from the heavens, frozen in time.

I breathed in quietly, as though critiquing a work of art. "This is... actually quite pretty. Beautiful, even, especially in all this randomness."

"You're right... beautiful, indeed." Sebastian gazed over to me, our faces bathed in vermillion light. 

Adoration. Fascination. Sentimentality. Warmth.

My eyes met his... my entire body prickled with pins and needles. It took me a few moments before I realized the feelings were not quite my own. I quickly broke my gaze and blinked rapidly, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.

W-What... this again...? Had I just felt what Sebastian was feeling? What the hell was it?! The sensation was so unfathomably alien to my body, my mind, my very soul - even more so than the emotions foisted upon me in the Pensieve. These were emotions utterly foreign and unknown to me, emotions I had never once felt for anyone before. Emotions I had doubted even truly existed in others.

And yet, despite being so utterly foreign... they weren't terrible to experience. Terrifying, to be sure... but not terrible.

A stifled cough brought me out of my thoughts, back to the task at hand. One after another we crawled through the tunnel and continued on. Finally, after what seemed like an hour straight of wandering, there were noises coming from the other side of an arch formed from detritus. A pale glow like artificial starlight beckoned us through, only to be met with a dented goblet being hucked at my head.

"Hey!" I grunted, ducking to avoid the goblet. From a crate perched above us, the scraggly-haired head of a house elf poked out.

"Oh, there you are," he chirped as he turned to face us, holding a large leather bag in his little arms. "Wait right there, Deek will come to you!" The bag was nearly as large as he was, obscuring his body as he hopped down from his perch and greeted us. Behind me, Professor Weasley had finally caught up.

"Ah, Deek... we've been looking for you," she said.

"Apologies, Professor Weasley. Deek was looking through some of what's appeared in the room since Deek was last here... is this Sunset Shimmer?" his eyes widened as he eagerly approached me.

"Indeed, it is," Weasley replied with an air of pride.

"Deek is honored to meet you!" The house elf bowed deeply.

"Oh... uh... thank you," I blinked. I wasn't sure what I'd done to warrant such a reverent greeting from him, but I wasn't complaining.

"Do I get an introduction?" Sebastian groused. Deek turned to him, though with much less enthusiasm.

"Er... Professor Weasley told Deek that this room was to be prepared for Sunset Shimmer. But Deek is also pleased to meet you, Mr.... um..."

"Sallow. Sebastian Sallow." He glared through half-lidded eyes.

"Pleased to meet you, Sebastian Sallow," Deek reiterated. Sebastian grumbled out a "thanks" and looked away.

"Deek has been a friend since I was a second-year," said Weasley. "We discovered this room together. And, as Deek hinted, we believe that you might be able to benefit from this room like I did. Deek... would you be so kind?"

"Of course, Professor Weasley," Deek bowed again before turning to me. "The Room of Requirement will always be equipped for the seeker's needs. It's Unplottable, so it won't appear on any map. Most happen upon it by accident, if ever."

"So I've been told," I replied. "What do you mean by 'always equipped for the seeker's needs'?"

"Deek has seen students in need of an extra vial for Potions stumble upon the room, filled with them. You seem to have accessed it in its form as the Room of Hidden Things."

"I see... alright. So its 'hidden away from prying eyes', then."

"We were thinking it would be the perfect place for you to catch up on your schoolwork without distraction," said Weasley.

"Oh?" I turned my head. "My own secret homework room?"

"The room can provide you with precisely that," Deek nodded. "Now, focus on what you need... just close your eyes, imagine the room precisely as you need it. The room will do the rest."

"Hmm..." I closed my eyes, my mind a blank slate. My own secret room... what do I want it to look like...? An image appeared in my mind and I focused on it, tuning out Sebastian's startled yelling and what felt and sounded like an earthquake. I could hear pieces of junk falling from the piles and crumbling into nothing, massive whooshes and thunks and thuds that started out close by, but gradually moved further and further away. The stale air cleared itself and smelled fresh and empty, and light turned my eyelids from eigengrau to ember red.

Upon hearing awed whispers from the others, I opened my eyes, gasping at the sight. The room had transformed into the interior of my very own palace. Pale yellow marble lined the walls, floors and ceiling, my Cutie Mark enlarged and emblazoned in the center of the floor, matching a similarly-shaped skylight twenty five feet above our heads. Brilliant, flowing silks in marigold and scarlet were draped from the ceiling, starting from the points of the sun in my Cutie Mark and looping downwards to decorative balconies that sat in the centers of the upper walls. Between them all were shelves of books upon books, just begging to be levitated down and read. The lower walls were lined with banners displaying my Cutie Mark, mirrors and candlelit sconces, the light reflecting all around me in ethereal prisms. Various pieces of furniture - chairs, desks, a potion-brewing station and all its equipment, a potting station beside three long rows of empty raised garden beds, gardening tools, a practice dummy and a large clock much like the cabinet to the Undercroft, but painted in my colors - all sat neatly arranged on the floor, ready and waiting for use.

But that wasn't all. An opening to the left led us down a short staircase, where a decently-sized living area was located. The walls and ceiling were the same yellow marble, but the floor on one half of the room was covered in thick, rich crimson carpeting. A king-sized bed covered in fluffy comforters and pillows the colors of sunset lay between two floor-to-ceiling-length windows of golden stained glass, flanked by heavy crimson curtains. A large, circular rug with my Cutie Mark sat in front of the bed, and a mahogany dresser and a luxurious chaise lounge sofa with matching coffee table sat on opposite ends of the walls perpendicular to it. The other half of the living area was separated by folding screens depicting a glowing sunset over an empty beach, and kept concealed an ensuite bathroom. A bathtub of solid, carved amber, clear like honey and large enough for four people to lay comfortably in, sat against the far end of the bathroom against another trio of massive stained glass windows, rainbows forming in the cracks and crevices of the giant gemstone. There was also a separate shower to the bathtub's right, along with a personal sauna made of pure cedar that conformed to the available technology in this world (I chuckled as the others stared at it in utter confusion, wondering just what the hell it was), and along the opposite wall was a counter and sink with a mirror, space enough for eight fluffy towels in shades of cinnabar and all my toiletries, a teakwood bench to sit on and the toilet.

I smiled proudly. This was the ultimate study space for me, the ultimate retreat... goddesses willing, I would never have to share space with those vapid, annoying girls in the shared bedroom ever again.

"You've given yourself quite the canvas to work with!" Professor Weasley breathed, filled with wonder by my imagination.

"I must admit... I'm feeling quite jealous that this is your room." Sebastian let out a small sigh.

"I'm honestly amazed the room let me modify it to this extent," I admitted as I glanced around, admiring my handiwork. "Thank you very much for telling me about this place, Professor!"

"You're most welcome, Miss Shimmer," Weasley nodded before turning towards Sebastian. "Now, while Sunset is inside this room, I'm afraid you will not be able to make any changes yourself, Mr. Sallow. You will have to wait until she leaves before you are able to create a room of your own."

"Understood," replied Sebastian.

"Then, I'll leave you to it. This is your space, now," Weasley turned back to me. "Use it wisely."

"If you require any assistance, do not hesitate to call upon Deek," the house elf said before he and Weasley made their way up the stairs. Sebastian and I followed after them and watched as they left the room.

"...I suppose this is where I might find you from this day forward?" asked Sebastian.

"Oh, yea. I ain't leaving this place for anything," I smirked.

"Then I'll just have to slip in when you're out for a meal," he sighed, plopping down on a nearby chair. "...Then again, I doubt I could come up with a room as grand as this one. How did you come up with it?"

"Call it... 'aspiration'," I replied, swiping my hand over the cool marble walls.

"Well, you certainly aspire to something great. It's like a palace in here!"

"That was the idea," I chuckled.

Admiration. Excitement. Fondness. Wishing. The emotions suddenly hit me like a carriage. Thankfully he was looking away, not noticing me flinch at the sensation... although it was lesser than what I had experienced before. I could actually work through these emotions without them overwhelming me.

He's... impressed. Very impressed. And... I think... The sense of wishing puzzled me for a moment. Given that I knew he fancied me...

"...Feel free to drop in anytime. Hell, without someone coming in to tell me when it's time to go to class, I just might stay in here forever." The words slipped out of my mouth before I even realized it. I sucked my lips into my mouth and bit down after the fact.

...Did I mean to say that?!

"An open invitation?" Sebastian smiled genuinely. "I think I just might take you up on that."




~


The rest of the school week was uneventful. I spent all my spare time in my new Room, setting up everything I'd need for my studies. The raised garden beds were soon filled with various Herbology plants, all charmed with Herbivicus for extra rapid growth so I had plenty of ingredients to work with at my Potions station. After arranging all of my reagents on a nearby set of shelves, I brewed potion after potion until I'd created at least one of every kind in my textbook, arranging those on a different set of shelves. The books that had appeared on the shelves near the ceiling were all textbooks and supplemental books from the seven various years, arranged by year and subject. Though it was nice to have access to them all without needing to go to the Library, only a few of them were all that useful.

And, true to my intentions, after dinner Monday evening I went straight to my dresser in the shared bedroom, gathered everything from it into my pocket dimension and returned to my palace. A mahogany desk with many drawers materialized in the living area beside the dresser, where I offloaded and arranged everything to my satisfaction. I grinned as I surveyed my new home within the school, feeling pleased and at ease.

Someday... I'd have a palace just like this of my very own. But for now, this would do nicely.

Thursday afternoon, Sebastian made good on my offer and wandered inside, wanting a quiet place to study another book he'd "borrowed" from the Restricted Section. Every so often I'd glance over his shoulder to see if the book was worth reading myself, and every so often he'd call me over to ask for my opinion on the meaning of a sentence or paragraph. After a few hours of this it seemed to me that this was a book about the theoretical ethical considerations of using Dark magic, explaining how even the worst of the Dark Arts could be ultimately used for lawful, good reasons.

The conversation the two of us had about the book once he'd finished it lasted long into the night... we seemed to be in perfect agreement. Magic was simply a tool to be used, neither good nor evil by itself. And, of course, the more one knew about the Dark Arts, the better one could prepare and protect themselves against them. Honestly, it was so refreshing to talk with someone who thought like I did, who wasn't afraid to shy away from the hard truths and play devil's advocate. Where had this boy been all my life?!


~


Saturday, I decided to test my luck and headed to Hogsmeade. That elderly goblin might've been in the Three Broomsticks again, doing whatever it was he did there. And, if not, then perhaps I could at least ask Sirona about him - he had to have been a unique enough customer that she'd know who I was talking about.

Bartenders knew all kinds of things... you just had to say the right words to get them to spill their secrets. Though the tavern was packed when I walked inside, the barkeep in question was busy washing tankards behind the counter.

"Hello there, Sunset. Nice to see you again," Sirona welcomed, smiling softly as I sat down.

"Hello Miss Ryan," I replied. "I, uh... wanted to ask you something."

"Sirona, please," she waved her hand gently. "What can I do for you?"

"Well..." I considered my words carefully, for the maximum probability that I would get what I needed. "...First, though, I wanted to thank you again for your help with Rookwood and Harlow the other day."

"I was happy to help... those two are nothing but trouble. Glad you and Sebastian were here when they found you."

"Indeed. Um... do you happen to remember that goblin that left right before they came in? Lodgok, I think his name was."

"Ah, yes," she nodded, a glint in her eyes. "He's a friend."

Yes! "I thought so. Where'd you meet him?"

"I've known him for years. We met when I was waiting tables here as a student, well before I bought the place. He was cordial enough, but we weren't friends, then... His mistrust of wizardkind ran deep."

"You're friends now, though?" I asked.

"We are. Hadn't seen him in years when he came in a few months ago, but he recognized me instantly," Sirona smiled wistfully. "...More than I can say about some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard."

I blinked at the sentiment... once I'd wrapped my head around it, though, I let it go with a tiny shrug. None of my business... good for her.

"Not all goblins are like Ranrok and his Loyalists... Lodgok is as worried as the rest of us about what's been going on."

Ah, there's the information I needed. "Is that so? In that case, I'd like to have a chat with him."

"I assume your interest is to do with the rumors I've heard about Ranrok working with our friend Rookwood?" Sirona cast me a knowing gaze. I nodded firmly. "You might find him doing business at the Hog's Head. He's a trusted metal trader."

"Perfect," I grinned, already standing up from my seat.

"You should mention that we spoke... he can, understandably, be wary of witches and wizards. Even ones as young as you," she suggested. "That said, if you're looking for information on Ranrok to help rein him in, you'll find an ally in Lodgok."

"Good idea," I nodded. "I'll be sure to do that."

"If you find him, please give Lodgok my best," she called after me as I left the tavern. "I don't know what you've done to make such powerful enemies, but please... watch your back."

It took me a few minutes to find the Hog's Head tavern, at the end of a rather dim and dingy street in the southwestern corner of Hogsmeade. Even the door seemed to exude a sinister, sordid feeling, feeling oppressively solid. Once it swung open, I was struck by the stench of stale beer-soaked carpets, tobacco smoke and general uncleanliness.

Eww...

My eyes swept through the sparse crowd, resting on the white head of someone short and stumpy. The goblin in question was sitting alone at a table, his back to a smoldering hearth. Ignoring the gaze and snorts of the enchanted warthog trophy above the bar I walked over to him, cringing as I felt the bottoms of my shoes squeaking and sticking to the floor.

"Can I help you with something?" Lodgok grumbled as I took a seat at his table. He was nicely dressed in a white corduroy shirt and brown leather apron, with a red-orange scarf tied around his neck underneath.

"You can," I replied. "Sirona said I might find you here."

"She did, did she?" His demeanor relaxed, but only a little. "Did she send you with news?"

"News? No, I'm here to ask you about Ranrok," I shook my head. Lodgok's eyes narrowed, but soon widened in recognition.

"Now I remember!" he gasped, shaking a finger. "The Three Broomsticks... day of the troll attack! You're the student he's after."

"That's right. I'm Sunset Shimmer," I said. "And I need to know what he and his Loyalists are planning." Lodgok opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as his eyes narrowed again.

"Let's say I did know... why should I trust you?" he asked. Hmm... good question.

"Well..." I glanced away, thinking of the words I needed, "...Sirona trusts me. She thought our interests were similar, and that we might be able to work together."

"Hmm..." Lodgok pondered for a few moments. "...Well, if Sirona trusts you... very well," he rolled his shoulders. "I may know of something that could help us both... A way to get Ranrok to confide his plans to me."

Perfect. "Go on," I nodded.

"Years ago, a heinous witch stole a sacred goblin relic. Rumor has it that it now rests in her sarcophagus, in a tomb accessible only by wizardkind. Ranrok and I had a... falling out... a while back. The relic could well repair the chasm between us." I frowned at his mentioning of a rocky relationship between himself and Ranrok, wondering what on earth he'd meant by that. Could this just be a trap?

...Well, even if it was, I'd be ready for anything... and this Lodgok would sorely regret lying to my face. "Is that all? Sounds easy enough... fine, I'll get you your relic in exchange for information about Ranrok."

"We will have to trust each other," said Lodgok. "I, that you will not abscond with the relic, and you, that I'll share what I learn." I raised an eyebrow... despite his grandfatherly appearance, he was also quite shrewd.

"Do you know where this tomb of hers is?"

"Follow me," he nodded, plunking a few Galleons down on his table as he stood up. Nobody paid us any heed as we left the tavern. We walked in silence until leaving Hogsmeade to the west, careful not to say or do anything to attract attention to ourselves.

"So, what's this relic you want me to get you?" I asked once we were traveling down a narrow path in the hills outside of town.

"A valuable heirloom known as the Helmet of Urtkot," he replied. "The witch considered herself a collector and purchased the helmet as a trinket... she cared not what pain she caused the goblins."

"How so? Sounds to me like that was a normal business transaction. Why'd they sell it to her if they didn't want to?"

"Goblins believe that the rightful owner of any object is its maker, not its purchaser," explained Lodgok. I couldn't help but recoil at the thought... if that was how they considered ownership of anything, then how in Equestria could they even do business with anyone? Even themselves?

"Really? That seems... counterintuitive," I remarked.

"The differences between our kinds are myriad," he nodded. "...It may surprise you to know that I do not believe those differences to always be insurmountable. It is the reason I find myself traveling with you to this tomb today." While I tried to reconcile in my mind how the term caveat venditor seemed to mean nothing to his kind, Lodgok soon led us up some stone stairs just in front of the tomb. Large blocks of stone were arranged like pillars in a circle just in front of the entrance... looking at the ground, I could see fresh footprints in the dirt, leading both in and out.

Hmm...

"I wish you luck retrieving the helmet," said Lodgok. "As a wand-carrier, you should have an advantage. Before you set off, do you have any questions?"

"A couple," I frowned. "Why do you think this helmet will get you in good with Ranrok?"

"The Helmet of Urtkot is an ancient and storied relic, forged during a time of unity among the goblin clans," he explained. "It inspired greatness... that is, until it was no longer ours. Then it became something else - a symbol of what has been lost, of all that wizardkind has taken from us. Reclaiming it would mean a great deal to goblinkind... and to Ranrok. He would be grateful to me, should I return it."

"I see..." I mulled over this bit of history. So that's why Ranrok wants to rebel... I put the thought aside for the time being. "Second question... why can't you go in?"

"The tomb has been charmed to prevent goblins from entering," Lodgok said as he moved his hand towards the open entrance. It stopped once he reached the threshold, as though held back by a faintly-glowing force. "Goblinkind would have retrieved the helmet long ago if that wasn't the case."

"Okay," I mumbled, convinced. "One ancient helmet, coming right out."

"I do hope our alliance proves fruitful," he sighed lightly as I stepped inside. "Again, I wish you luck."

The entrance led to a tunnel lined with stacked stone bricks and wooden support beams, twisting its way deep into the side of the hill. Torches lit themselves as I made my way deeper, eventually finding myself in the antechamber before the crypt. The ground suddenly began to shake as I approached, and I gasped as a skeletal hand tore itself out of the packed earth, reaching for the sky, soon joined by many others. Together they slowly clawed the rest of their bodies out of the ground, rendering it soft and unstable as quicksand.

A hot shiver raced down my spine. These things were Inferi - nigh-invincible dead bodies brought back to a facsimile of life through necromancy. Only Dark wizards and witches were crazy enough to learn the complex rituals necessary to create one, let alone bind their mindless wills to do their bidding... naturally, magic of this sort was outlawed almost as soon as Celestia had taken the throne over a millenium ago, practitioners sent straight to Tartarus if caught.

And, naturally, if I ever came across such spells... I wouldn't mind learning them. Just to know.

The good thing was that Inferi were extremely susceptible to fire. One good Confringo ricocheting around the room took care of the lot of them, their bodies catching fire like kindling and burning to ash within seconds. Once I was sure that they had all been dealt with, I carefully trudged my way through the disturbed ground and entered the witch's crypt.

A grimace formed on my face. I had expected a witch such as this one to have been buried with all her riches and possessions, but only a few dusty Galleons remained sprinkled around the floor. The sarcophagus itself had been pried open, a large crack breaking the lid in two at its foot. I approached it, my wand alight with Lumos, finding nothing but an old skeleton inside and the fresh corpse of a stranger lying against the tomb on the other side.

Damn... someone got to it before I did. There was a rather distinctive ring on the stranger's finger, resembling an Ashwinder snake. After grabbing it I turned around and left as quickly as I could manage, nearly tripping over the uneven ground. Lodgok peered through the entrance as he heard me approach.

"Did you find it?" he asked.

"No... someone got to the tomb before we did. I did find this, however," I frowned as I handed him the ring. He studied it for a few moments, his face falling.

"Damn... Ashwinders got here first! We need to get it before Rookwood uses it to further ingratiate himself with Ranrok!" he hissed. "I saw one of their campsites not far from here, but I fear you must go in alone... my fighting days are behind me."

The Ashwinders are with Rookwood, huh? "Just point the way," I smirked. Lodgok motioned for me to duck down as he tiptoed to the edge of the hill, then pointed downwards. I could just see the tops of their tents peeking out from the canopy of short trees.

"Get to that helmet before Rookwood does, or we will lose our chance at any leverage - no matter how small - with Ranrok!" he groused. "To think those wretched thieves have their hands on such a relic..." If he had any other complaints I couldn't hear them, already Disillusioned and halfway down the hill. I could hear enraged and panicked shouting as I drew closer, and upon reaching the camp I snickered finding a group of wizards surrounding and casting madly at a troll... and the troll was winning. A couple of the wizards had already succumbed to its club, their mangled bodies lying limply over some crates a couple yards away.

For a moment I wondered if I even needed to join in the fight. While they were all distracted I crept into the largest tent, finding what seemed to be the helmet in question sitting prominently in the center of a desk. Far too small for my own head, it was elaborately crafted from a metal that gleamed like silver, trimmed with gold and inscribed all over in a language I couldn't read... probably Gobbledegook. Two deep red gemstones were placed on the hinges for the faceplate, surrounded by tiny diamond cabochons.

One of the wizards screeched especially loudly, before it was suddenly cut off by a guttural noise. The helmet in my grasp, I snuck out of the tent and back around it so I was out of sight, quietly got my broom out of my pocket dimension, cast Disillusionment on it and flew away, back to Lodgok. He jumped in surprise as the helmet seemed to float in front of his eyes before canceling the charms on myself.

"Here we are... I'm assuming this is it?" I smirked proudly. Lodgok's eyes lit up as he recognized what he was seeing.

"That's it... well done! This is sure to impress Ranrok!" he cheered, gently taking the helmet from my hand. His tone changed to one of deep reverence. "The helmet shines even more brightly than I had imagined! The etchings, the contour of the profile... remarkable! You did the thieves a service by recovering it - I know many a goblin who would have killed for it."

"Glad its out of my hands, then," I replied with a grin, holding up my hands.

"Thank you... this is sure to earn Ranrok's trust! I will take it to him immediately... it may distract him from his search."

"His search?" I asked quickly. I knew he was looking for me already, but this seemed to imply that Ranrok was also looking for something else.

"It, uh... is merely an inkling," Lodgok stuttered. "...You have impressed me greatly, Sunset. I am glad that I trusted you. We shall speak soon, but best to keep our arrangement quiet for now... Many will not believe that our aims might possibly be aligned." I gazed down at the little goblin with a raised eyebrow, trying to spy any hidden, ulterior motive his body might betray.

Hope. Amazement. Longing. Excitement.

But I couldn't see any hint of betrayal... nor could I feel it. He was legit.

"...Very well. Do let me know when you've found something I can use," my lips thinned.

"I will. Farewell, Sunset," he waved, turning to leave. I watched as he toddled off back down the path, towards Hogsmeade, unable to shake the niggling feeling gnawing at my mind.

In the end, however... I figured that if he really had ulterior motives, if he was planning on betraying me, I would've sensed it. It would seem that my exposure to ancient magic meant I could now sense the emotions of everyone else, and glean whatever information I could from their deepest, most intimate secrets.

For now, I would simply have to trust him. Exhaling in resignation, I teleported myself back to Hogwarts for the evening.
> In Which Vigilantism Has Never Been More Psychotic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank Celestia Professor Weasley had told me about this Room.

It was truly the perfect place for me to study and create. While it couldn't produce food, ensuring that I would eventually need to leave at some point to go eat, everything else it provided was incredibly convenient. All the references and resources I needed for essays were right within reach, reagents I might need for a potion could nearly always be found inside one of the many little drawers of my workstations, and the practice dummy could be charmed into actually fighting back, or casting a specific spell to practice against.

One thing it sure didn't have, though, was information about ancient magic... and apparently, neither did the entirety of the Hogwarts Library. Sebastian had gone through all his past research and shook his head when he couldn't find anything about the topic that wasn't already common knowledge. I took his word for it... he did have four more years of library access than I did; he'd bet me a Galleon that I could name any book in there and he'd know what it was about.

"Maybe there's something in the Restricted Section?"

"Perhaps... though I'm quite certain I would've found something about it by now," he frowned, thinking.

"Guess I'll just have to sneak in and look around myself," I shrugged. "I can believe you've checked the entire library, but there were a lot of books down there."

"Ah, there's a special joy in going where you shouldn't," he smirked. "I'll join you, I'm about due to... exchange a couple of them."

We did just that in the wee hours of Monday morning. Under Disillusionment (we'd learned our lesson from dealing with Peeves) I spent an hour or two simply looking over the titles and prefaces of the sanctioned tomes, while Sebastian waited by sitting in a corner and reading something about hands of glory. There were plenty of books about curses, hexes, jinxes, Dark creatures, artifacts, potions and practices, all of which were supremely interesting and worthy of reading in earnest later on... but still nothing about ancient magic.

I groaned as I finished checking the final shelf. "Not a single damned thing about ancient magic down here, either." At least two of the professors here long ago had been capable of using it, you'd think they would have leftover texts from researching it themselves, or at least written something down about it! Even the little bit of information I'd found about those past members of the faculty contained nothing useful.

"That's a shame... sorry to hear that," I heard Sebastian clap his book shut and stand up. I sucked the inside of my cheek in annoyance. 

"Well, if there's one bright side to this... I can take all the credit for discovering it when I write about it myself. I'll just have to figure out how it works from the ground up."

"That's the spirit... think of the wealth you'll gain from your research into such an obscure form of magic," he suggested. Now he was speaking my language.

"Wealth, prestige, power... yea, that'll definitely make up for the inconvenience of it all," I smirked. After taking our pick of interesting tomes to read we snuck our way back out and went our separate ways.


~


Around noon on Tuesday, just before I'd finished eating my lunch, Natty hurried over to the mostly-empty Slytherin table. She plopped herself down beside me with a worried look. "Oh, I am so glad I managed to find you!" she sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" I groused, leaning away from her.

"As promised, I did some investigating to find out what Harlow is up to. I followed him to the Hog's Head, and I noticed him reading a letter... all I could see was that it was signed by and bore the seal of Victor Rookwood."

"Oh. Well, good job, I guess," I shrugged. "And you're telling me this... why?"

"After you told me that Rookwood and Harlow were after you, Sunset, I decided that you were the perfect person to join me in taking them down... for good," she said. "That letter is the tangible proof that Officer Singer needs. It is why I followed Harlow to his hideout... I need your help to retrieve it."

"Is that so?" I frowned, staring down at my plate. While I didn't exactly want to go out of my way to help her... it would definitely be wise to try and get Harlow arrested. With him out of the picture, Rookwood would be weaker, as would Ranrok by extension. And as long as those two were trying to hunt me down, that would definitely be a good move. "...Alright, I'll help you," I nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it," she grinned. "Do you know where the ruins of Falbarton Castle are?" I nodded again, having flown past it a couple times. "Meet me there after dark... do not tell anyone."

"Got it," I replied. Natty got up from the table and wandered out of the Great Hall. I sighed heavily at what I'd just gotten myself into, nearly choking on my own spit in surprise when someone else suddenly plopped down beside me.

"Well... that certainly sounds interesting," Sebastian smirked. "Are you and Natty planning on breaking into a poacher's stronghold tonight?"

"Where the hell did you come from?!" I coughed, reaching for my mug of tea.

"Just walking past. If she really wanted to keep it a secret, she should learn how to act more inconspicuously." I gulped down some tea and gasped for breath, exhaling when I no longer felt a lump in my throat.

"Ugh... and what are you going to do with this illicit knowledge?"

"I thought I might come along," he replied smugly. "You might need my help." At first I opened my mouth to disagree, but quickly thought better of it. My personal lackey had appeared in the nick of time to volunteer his services... why not take advantage?

"Oh, alright... though Natty's probably not expecting another helper."

"She'll be fine," Sebastian waved his hand. "She knows me well enough."


~


After dinner, when the sun was beginning to set, Sebastian and I made our way outside from Hogwarts. Once we were beyond its walls, he suggested we fly to Falbarton Castle.

"What for? I know where it is," I shrugged. "I can just Apparate there."

"You can Apparate?" he drew back in surprise. "They only teach that to sixth or seventh-years when you turn seventeen! Who taught you?"

"Uh... myself?" Technically the truth; Celestia had only shown me the spell for teleportation when I'd asked, not expecting me to master it within a day, especially at the young age of 7.

"Exceptional... you'll have to teach me that," he looked at me pointedly. Inwardly I wondered how that would turn out, as I'd only ever learned how to teleport the Equestrian way. Apparating apparently involved spinning in a circle until you magically appeared wherever you'd been thinking about, had a somewhat-limited range, and if done wrong could result in a loss of limbs. My teleportation spell didn't involve any spinning, had a much longer range and... well, the spell was largely foolproof, but if interrupted at juuust the right moment, the consequences were much, much worse.

"I'll consider it," I smirked, though more to hide the fact I wasn't sure how actual Apparating worked yet, rather than a refusal to teach. Sebastian had taught me two spells, after all, I could at least return the favor with one of my own.

"Shall we get going, then?" he asked, holding out his hand. At first I stared at him, then his hand, then back at him having no idea why he was doing that, but then I remembered what Side-Along Apparating was. I took his hand after a moment and teleported us to a space a couple hundred feet away from the castle. We reappeared behind a broken down wagon, out of sight from anyone that could've been watching.

"Huh... that didn't feel anything like Apparating," he frowned, glancing down at himself. "No spinning, nor were there any squeezing sensations. And I didn't even hear so much as a pop!"

"I'm just that good at it," I replied as I scanned our surroundings. "Now, where's Natty...?"

It turned out that we would have to wait for about a half hour. Once the sun's light had nearly faded from the sky, I caught sight of movement from the forest. Focusing on the movement and the sound of rustling plants, I managed to spot an African gazelle walking out from behind a tree. It then started dissolving and morphing as if it had suddenly turned to goo, reshaping and reforming itself into Natty. She glanced around for a moment before catching me waving at her.

"Psst... Over here!" Natty hissed. "We need to stay low and remain quiet."

"Good to see you, finally," I lowered my voice as I skulked over to her. Her expression turned puzzled when she saw Sebastian following me. "Sorry... I'm afraid I've brought an eavesdropper with me."

"I see... Well, you could do worse than to bring Sebastian along," she shrugged in resignation.

"Good to see you too, Natty," he grinned.

"Okay, first we must access the castle keep. I'll check the main gate, you two see if you can find another way in. I do not see any guards, but we should still try to be as quiet as possible. Harlow is here, after all."

Sebastian and I nodded, and the three of us cast Disillusionment on ourselves - I noticed that Natty only had to snap her fingers before she disappeared from view. As we made our way forward I heard her footsteps separate from us as she took the high road towards the main gate, while we crept down a hill towards the castle's wall. There was a large pile of broken crates and cages beside a crack in the ledge on an upper level, and we helped each other up it to infiltrate the castle grounds (though we did have to temporarily cancel the charms, as I nearly kicked poor Sebastian in the eye while he was trying to give me a boost... I'll have to work on modifying this charm a bit later). Eventually we managed to find the gatehouse that controlled the main gate's portcullis, and after hoisting up the gate Natty slipped through.

"This way," she hushed. We moved silently but swiftly towards the castle proper, the large wooden doors likely bolted shut. "That is the main keep. My guess is that we'll find Harlow and the letter inside."

"You seem determined to stop Rookwood and Harlow... why is that?" asked Sebastian. Natty paused for a moment, her fists clenching and unclenching.

"I knew men like them in Uganda... I know how bad things can get if they are not stopped," she bristled before continuing on. "We'll need to be careful once we get-"

Suddenly I heard yelling and squawking coming from the keep. We quickly rushed behind a chunk of ruined wall and watched as the doors blew open. I couldn't help but gasp at what I saw.

A white hippogriff was trying desperately to escape, forcing its way past a group of three men. The men quickly ran in front of it and began to strike the beast with spells, the hippogriff shrieking in pain and terror. Though it tried its best to fight against them, it eventually succumbed to the onslaught and collapsed. One of the men struck it again for good measure... I recognized him by his bowler hat.

Somehow... Harlow had managed to capture Poppy's hippogriff.

"Oh, no... Highwing," I breathed. A bubbling rage began to simmer in my gut. These bastards were going to pay.

"Do you know that hippogriff?" asked Natty.

"Get this thing back to the roof, now!" Harlow ordered. His men waved their wands, thick chains forming out of thin air and wrapping around Highwing's body. Highwing had no choice as she was led back inside the castle keep.

"Poppy's hippogriff," I whispered back to Natty. Her gaze hardened.

"Poppy has a hippogriff?" Sebastian muttered in surprise.

"...Very well, new plan. I get the evidence, and you two free that hippogriff. Agreed?" Before I could even think to answer her, Natty sprung up from our hiding spot and dashed towards the closing doors. "This is our chance! Go!"

"Hey, wait!" I hissed as Sebastian and I shot up and ran after her. Natty just barely managed to squeeze inside before the doors slammed shut in our faces. I tried pushing them back open, but they were far too heavy to move - likely enchanted. "...Damn it."

"She'll be alright, she can handle herself," Sebastian sighed, glancing to our right where another pile of discarded crates and cages lay. "We'll just have to go around."

"I hope you're right, she's on her own." We clambered up the pile of refuse to the next floor of the castle, onto an outer walkway that snaked around the keep. Now that we were inside we took care not to make a sound, hiding ourselves under Disillusionment and moving slowly. Once we'd crept our way up to the next floor I picked up on another presence. I held my arm out so Sebastian would remain behind me, and I peeked around a corner to see one of Harlow's men standing guard.

"Think we can sneak past?" he asked.

"I have a better idea," I whispered as I pointed my wand at the hapless fool. "Depulso!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!*" The guard was sent flying over the edge of the wall, the way his scream sounded sending me into a fit of giggles. My Disillusionment Charm broke as I doubled over laughing. Sebastian canceled his charm so I could see the look of mildly-baffled horror on his face.

"Merlin's beard! I didn't expect that out of you!" he exclaimed. I took a couple of shaky breaths to calm myself.

"Oh, come on... don't tell me that wasn't funny!" I wiped away a tear. "He wasn't expecting a thing, and then he was just all- PRHHHR-AAAAAAGH!" I threw my arms out and shook them exaggeratedly, making me laugh again. Sebastian blinked at me a couple of times in silence before turning to watch the guard land, a speck of darkness in the distance, his legs splayed out over his head like a scorpion.

A smirk broke out across his mouth, and he snorted. "...I guess it was rather amusing."

"I knew you'd see it my way," I grinned, having regained my composure enough to recast Disillusionment. As we continued our ascent we came across more guards keeping watch, me holding my breath as I cast silent Depulsos and sent them shooting off into the abyss, trying desperately not to crack up laughing and blowing our cover. Over time Sebastian seemed to find the humor in it, as he soon began casting silent Leviosos on the guards before I blasted them, sending them rocketing off even further.

Finally, after traversing a few more floors, we reached the castle's roof. There was one more guard watching Highwing and another hippogriff; we cast our spells, myself aiming at a 45-degree angle, and the man was quickly made not a threat. I canceled my Disillusionment charm and approached Highwing.

"Ooh! I do believe that one made it to the Black Lake!" Sebastian chuckled as he canceled his charm, watching the guard fly.

"It's alright, I'm here," I spoke softly as Highwing stood up. She purred as I smoothed her ruffled feathers to calm her down. The other hippogriff tilted its head as it watched. Suddenly I heard shouting from down below, and footsteps rapidly approaching our position.

"There you are!" Natty shouted as she came bursting out onto the roof. The other hippogriff reared up at her presence. The shouting grew louder, and I could both hear and feel more footsteps approaching.

"Time to go!" frowned Sebastian. I quickly cast Alohomora to unlock the shackles on the two beasts. The other one immediately started for the roof's edge while I leapt onto Highwing's back.

"I know we generally do the whole bowing for respect thing first, but this is an emergency!" I said as I patted the side of her neck. Curiously, Highwing seemed to nod over to Sebastian, who quickly ran over and got onto her back behind me. At the same time, Natty tried to run and reach out for the other hippogriff, but it leapt upwards and flew away. She nearly fell off the edge herself, but managed to regain her balance.

The shouting grew even louder. I could hear the door we had entered the roof from slam open. Highwing flapped her wings and ran towards Natty, the sudden momentum pushing my back into Sebastian's chest. The majestic beast took off and grabbed Natty by her shoulders with her talons just as Harlow and the rest of his men burst out onto the roof. As Highwing gained altitude and caught up to the other hippogriff, a barrage of various spells shot past us, all missing their targets.

"Avada Kedavra!" I heard Harlow roar.

What?!

Highwing banked right, the deadly green beam ripping through the air right where we had just been. Natty screamed as she was dropped onto the back of the other hippogriff and clung on for dear life. Soon, though, we were safely out of range of their spells, and Highwing guided the other hippogriff as she flew back towards Hogwarts.

Flying on a broom had been incredible... but there was something very special about flying on the back of a hippogriff. Even Natty's terrified screams quickly transformed into shrieks of joy and excitement as the two beasts soared through the night sky, Sebastian and I joining her. Highwing took care to fly as smoothly as possible, her thick feathers tickling my hands as I held on tight. We flew high over the rails the Hogwarts Express train traveled across, past the station where the students would disembark from when they arrived for the school year, then high over the Black Lake.

"I wonder if anyone can see us from the castle!" Natty called out. I didn't even care if they could... I was lost in the moment, fully absorbed in the wondrous flight. The sky above us was perfectly clear, the stars and moonlight glimmering off of Highwing's coat and the water below.

"This is the best way to appreciate the lake, if you ask me," commented Sebastian; I could feel his arms tightening around my waist slightly. "Warm, and from a distance."

"Don't like to go swimming, do you?" I turned my head with a smirk.

"No, it's not that... I just fell in my first year during flight class. I still have nightmares." The mental image of him being immediately attacked by the giant squid upon falling in made me laugh so hard I held onto Highwing's feathers extra tightly, thinking I might fall off. After passing over the lake Highwing began her descent, eventually landing in a clearing near the Forbidden Forest. The other hippogriff landed as well, and we all took a moment to catch our breath.

"How exciting!" Natty beamed over to us, still giggling.

"Wasn't it? I wasn't sure we were going to make it out alive for a second," replied Sebastian. Natty dismissively waved a hand.

"There was no need to worry... I had it all under control."

"Did you find your letter?" I asked.

"Summoned it straight out of Harlow's hands," she laughed, though her grin quickly fell. "I will say, I did not expect him to cast the Killing Curse at us... he won't forget this. Be on your guard."

"Eh, not the first time someone's tried to kill me," I shrugged. "What's the letter say?" I added before either of them could ask any questions about that statement.

"That Rookwood's looking for a phoenix. Not sure where he will find one," she chuckled with ridicule. "But it also included Harlow's orders to inspect that castle for the poachers... enough to connect Harlow to the crimes. I shall deliver the letter to Officer Singer, she'll have to do something when she sees it."

"Great. One thorn out of my side would be lovely," I smiled at her.

"I still cannot believe Poppy Sweeting knows a hippogriff! Of course she does," grinned Natty. At the mentioning of her name, a thought popped into my head.

"You know... maybe you should tell Poppy about what you're doing and join forces," I offered. "She also wants to get rid of the poachers around here."

"Hmm... that is a great idea," Natty nodded. "And she will be relieved to know that Highwing's safe. I came to the right person for help."

"Yea... that wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be," I agreed. Surprisingly, I felt my respect for Natty increase. Maybe she wasn't so basic after all.

"My mother will be worried, however... I must go," she made a face. "I will take your advice and have a chat with Poppy. Seek me out soon, I shall have much to tell you!" She spurred at her hippogriff, which seemed to have since taken a shine to her, as it obeyed her intentions and flew off back towards the castle.

"Well... that was certainly an outing I shan't soon forget," Sebastian mumbled as we watched her vanish into the distance. "You always seem to get into such exciting adventures."

"And you always seem to pop up when I'm about to go off on one," I replied. "Are you sure you don't have a Seer's gift?"

"Certainly not... I'm just concerned about how much trouble you seem to find yourself in." The grin on his face belied his statement.

"Oh, so now you tell me this isn't the usual Hogwarts student experience," I snarked, sliding off of Highwing. Once Sebastian had also slid off Highwing reared up as if to stretch her back and wings out. I conjured her up some food, and she ate happily while a conjured brush smoothed down her feathers.

"Not at all, but I delight in a bit of danger, myself," he shrugged, patting the hippogriff's back. Highwing finished her meal and preened one of her wings, then took off into the sky with an appreciative squawk. "So, now that that's over, what will you do?"

"Hmm..." Nothing really came to mind. There was a star chart for Astronomy I still needed to fill out, though it wasn't due until next week. But the view of the night sky here was very nice, and Sebastian was a hell of a lot less infuriating than Amit for a stargazing partner. "Have you finished your star chart for next week yet?"

"Just part of it. Is that what you're going to do now?"

"Why not? We're already out here... unless you'd rather be some sort of roaming delinquent skulking about aimlessly."

"But I like being a roaming delinquent," he smirked. Nevertheless, we spent a couple hours staring up at the night sky and filling out our charts, talking excitedly about the evening's events the entire time.


~


After finishing the charts we snuck back into the school, Sebastian returning to the common room while I went up to my Room. Once inside I let out a loud yawn - all that excitement had drained my energy. I was definitely ready for a shower and bed.

Having my own room with an ensuite bathroom was far more convenient than having to leave the common room to bathe. A sigh rushed past my lips as I stood under the blissfully warm water.

Ah.... warm...

A stray thought popped into my mind.

This is the best way to appreciate the lake, if you ask me... warm, and from a distance.

...

...

...

My eyes opened wide. It was no coincidence that I'd felt Sebastian hold on tighter when he'd said that.

What a shameless flirt he was. It took me a couple moments to realize that the memory was making me smile.

...

...

...

Suddenly, the water felt a little too hot. My already pink cheeks flushed darker, and I shook my head at myself.

What am I doing...?

I quickly finished my shower and dried off, put on pajamas and slid into bed, trying my best not to let that memory slip back into my mind. But it was still the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.
> In Which Sunset Celebrates Her Birthday By Breaking Someone Out of Goblin Jail
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. This coming week was my birthday, on Thursday the 19th... thinking about it had me feeling a bit melancholy. It'd be the first birthday in as long as I could remember that I'd be celebrating alone.

Without Celestia.

She always planned her schedule around the day so she could spend it with me, in its entirety. The food was always extra special, and the gifts were lavish. It was almost worth everything she'd put me through.

Well, I had Fig, now. He knew about my birthday, surely he'd do something for the occasion.

Monday, I sat by myself having lunch in the Great Hall while doing some last-minute reading for a Charms quiz later in the day. Out of the corner of my eye I saw both Sebastian and Ominis enter the hall and quickly move to a hidden corner by a staircase. Even from all the way over here, I could see that neither of them looked particularly pleased... it piqued my curiosity, and I got up and walked over to them, only just catching the end of their conversation.

"I can't agree... and I'll not say a word more. I'm sorry," Ominis shook his head. He stood up from leaning against the wall and brought his wand out, which began to glow with pulses of red light. After it had pulsed a couple times, he turned away and left the Great Hall.

"Did I miss something?" I asked, watching him leave. Sebastian let out a small grunt as his back slammed against the opposite wall.

"He's being ridiculous. Apparently, Salazar Slytherin had a secret scriptorium here in Hogwarts... I haven't told you about this yet, have I?"

"No... you have not," I drawled, automatically leaning in closer.

"Well, Ominis swears it was used for the Dark Arts, so he wants nothing to do with it. I reminded him that Anne needs a cure... this scriptorium could hold the answers we need."

"You think so? Sounds just plain fascinating to me," I grinned. "Just think of what else might be in there, I can't imagine all of it is that Dark."

"Exactly! There's more to Dark magic than most people realize... the Gaunts know this better than most." As soon as the words left his mouth, Sebastian inhaled sharply through his teeth and grimaced. "...Perhaps I've spoken out of turn. Ominis' family history is personal to him."

"How so?" I joined Sebastian in leaning against the wall. At first he opened his mouth, but closed it again while glancing away, towards the path Ominis had taken his leave from. Noticing this, I lowered my voice. "If it's meant to be a secret, you know I won't say anything. I'd just like a bit more context, is all." He remained silent for a few moments, mulling it over.

"...Very well," his head tilted downwards before facing me, "but do keep this between us."

"Of course," I nodded, showing a small smile. Sebastian lowered his voice to nearly a whisper.

"Ominis learned Dark magic from his parents... Are you familiar with the Cruciatus Curse?"

"Uh... yea," I blinked, my head recoiling a little. Crucio was one of the three Unforgivable Curses, specifically the one used for torture purposes. It caused unbelievable amounts of truly excruciating pain on its target without leaving any physical marks. While such a spell did seem like it could be useful in extreme circumstances, casting an Unforgivable on a human and being caught doing so was an instant life sentence in Azkaban... and Azkaban sounded like it was somehow even worse than Tartarus.

Still... as intrigued as I was by these curses, the context in which it had come up gave me pause. "...Why?"

"Apparently, his parents and his older siblings had no qualms about casting it on Muggles for sport," he shivered. "Ominis described the sounds of the victims' cries as horrific... so the first time he was asked to cast it himself as a child, he couldn't bring himself to do it. As punishment..." He paused for a moment to swallow uncomfortably. "...His family cast it on him. The anguish was so bad that when asked to cast it again, he... relented."

My stomach dropped on the floor as I understood his words, as did my jaw. "They... t-they did that to their own son?! Their own brother?!" I gaped in horror. What the fresh hell?! No wonder Ominis doesn't like them! "When you told me he didn't like his family much, I wasn't expecting it was because they literally tortured him!"

"Quite a few of the pureblood families are like that... I have repeatedly assured Ominis he did what he had to, but... he still hasn't forgiven himself," Sebastian sadly shook his head.

"But... he was only a child! If he didn't after that, who knows what his parents might've done to him!" My jaw clenched, my eyes retracing the path Ominis had taken away from us. "That's... so unfair...!"

"After that incident, the rift between Ominis and his family only grew... that is, until I came along. Every moment he isn't at Hogwarts, he's with us in Feldcroft. Ominis trusts me... and, more often than not, he winds up listening to me. I'll remind him of that when I follow up about the scriptorium."

I considered this new information for a few moments, and came to a conclusion. "Well... he doesn't have to come with us, right?"

"...No, I suppose not," he shook his head. "All I really need is the location of the entrance, and being a Gaunt, I'm almost positive Ominis knows where it is. I wouldn't ask him to come with us."

"Then other than digging up trauma from his past experiences... I can't say I really see a problem here. It's not like the scriptorium is going to curse us if we go inside. Not to mention all of the lost knowledge we might find in there! That's worth it by itself, if you ask me."

"Glad you get it," Sebastian smiled lightly, looking at me. "With the both of us working together, there's nothing to worry about. We can handle anything it might send our way."

"Yea... don't worry. I'll keep you safe from the rats and spiders," I turned up my nose and placed my hands on my hips, grinning smugly. He chuckled at my pride and stood up from against the wall.

"I'll make Ominis understand... he'll change his mind," his lips thinned.

"Hope so... you've got me too excited about the prospect of this scriptorium now." We went our separate ways to prepare for our next class, but even as I did so, his words about Ominis' family experiences ate away at my mind.

That poor guy... not only did his own family expect him to follow in their evil footsteps, but they brutally punished him for having a heart and a conscience. I'd heard plenty of things about the Gaunts through eavesdropping on the conversations of my classmates: they were notorious for their self-lauded connections to Salazar Slytherin, their vast knowledge of the Dark Arts, their legendary cruelty to all who weren't pureblooded, and their engaging in a frightening amount of incest to ensure they themselves remained "pure"... it was nothing short of a miracle Ominis had turned out as well as he had.

I wonder... what if I had never lost my parents, and they were actually like that...? I shivered; I didn't particularly like where that train of thought was headed.

And yet it barreled onward, prickling at the depths of my subconscious throughout the rest of the day. Through psychology, I had a clear picture of what parents were supposed to be like: full of mercy and compassion for their children, a source of endless warmth, protection and unconditional love, so filled with a desire to see them thrive that they would move heaven and earth for their child if something had gone desperately wrong.

Celestia had been all that and more... or...

...She once had, anyway.

And yet, even though she'd banished me from her castle, and disowned me as both protégé and daughter... what she had done was a slap on the wrist compared to what Ominis' family had done to him. I counted myself fortunate that Celestia would never have even dreamed of treating me as they had treated him, being such a paragon of ultimate goodness herself.

In a sense... I could almost understand him.

Almost.

The possibilities of what lay within that scriptorium overrode my sympathy for him... Anyone who was afraid of new knowledge was a coward; a weak-minded, weak-willed, sniveling, mewling baby. It was undoubtedly worth further investigation, and if he couldn't discern that then it was his loss.


~


Tuesday began like any other school day. In Divination class, though, Professor Onai pulled me aside and told me that my birthday was coming up. Surprising, since I'd never told her, but also not since she was an actual Seer.

"It is... the 19th, actually," I nodded.

"Ah, exactly as I foresaw," Onai smiled. "As a gift, I like to give my students a Divination reading for their birthdays... are you interested?"

"Yea, sure," I grinned. I'd never actually had my fortune told by a true Seer before... I'd always wondered how different it'd be from a cold-reading. Professor Onai had me sit across from her, with her crystal ball between us. Her hands gestured softly around the orb as she peered into its depths.

"Ah, the day of the projector," she hummed. "Independent, spirited and outspoken, but also highly opinionated and stubborn. You love to partake in competition, yet you must take care not to sow strife and conflict wherever you go. Less-aware individuals can be terribly afraid of having the truth about themselves exposed."

I unconsciously swallowed.

"But another possibility is to drop out of sight, bettering themselves and their skills, before reemerging more successful than ever before! The only danger here is that while cloistered, they may stagnate or get involved in a lifestyle or family situation where they, in fact, never reemerge at all."

Ah, that does make sense... I did throw myself through the Crystal Mirror for this world. Once I'd mastered both magic and the ancient magic here, I'd go back and show Celestia why I deserved to be made a princess...

"You will make a good friend and family member, but you must also be careful not to be too critical of those close to you. Your harsh words wound far deeper than you imagine, since your opinions carry great weight."

...

For whatever reason, my mind was dragged back to the trial I had faced. It took some effort to not shake the thought from my mind in front of her.

That didn't count... that Celestia was just an illusion...

"You must make an effort to break down your defensive reactions, particularly regarding your motives and actions. Now, being born on the 19th, you are ruled by the number 1... you are ambitious, dislike restraint, and demand first position. The 19th card of the Major Arcana is The Sun, symbolizing knowledge, vitality and good fortune. Both the number 1 and The Sun grant you strong solar influences, but you must take care not to misuse such power. Your contentiousness can arouse hostility in others, which ultimately may prove dangerous."

I let out a reflective hum... it seemed that a reading from a Seer was much more on-the-nose than a charlatan, I had enough self-awareness to see that every detail she brought up was something I did identify within myself.

Whether or not I agreed some of those qualities were negative, however, was where I drew the line. Professor Onai sat up from examining her crystal ball and smiled serenely.

"I hope this has brought you some enlightenment, Miss Shimmer. Rest assured, I do not take any of the negatives into account when I speak with you - we all have our inner demons to fight. I leave you with this advice: Do not abuse your projective powers. Act with kindness and consideration. Show your real feelings... you don't have to always control the situation."

Kindness? Consideration? Feh... but I guess the other stuff makes sense.

"I see... I'll keep that in mind," I nodded slowly. "Thank you, Professor."

And I did, still considering the reading as I ate my dinner. I didn't even notice Sebastian sitting down across from me, nor did I notice him trying to get my attention until he'd actually hit me in the forehead with a softly-thrown piece of bread roll.

"Whaaat?!" I groused, glaring.

"You're in a good mood," he smirked. "Or, at least you were."

"Just got a good birthday reading from Professor Onai, that's all," I replied, throwing a piece of broccoli back at him.

"Your birthday?" Sebastian drew back in surprise, ignoring the vegetable that fell into his lap. "It wasn't today, was it?"

"Oh, no, not until Thursday," I shook my head. "...Why?"

"Thursday, you say... do you have any plans?"

"No, not really," I answered neutrally. Why? Are you going to give me something? Knowing you, it'd better be good.

"Perfect. Then allow me to take you into Hogsmeade for the occasion," he insisted charmingly, a hand on his chest. "My treat."

"Really? Then I'll be expecting a proper wining and dining out of you," I grinned, agreeing quickly. Nothing like free food and stuff for one's birthday, after all.


~


The day finally arrived - my 16th birthday. I woke up to see that a decently-large gift from Professor Fig had been left on my dresser, likely placed there by Deek. Unwrapping it revealed a short message wishing me a happy birthday and that he was proud of all he'd seen me accomplish in the short time we'd known each other, accompanying a pair of black boots and gloves. They were made from dragonhide, reinforced in places with goblin silver and enchanted to protect against many common offensive spells. I smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift - I had no idea where he could've gotten these, nor how much they would've cost, but these would definitely come in handy the next time I had to fight a horde of goblins or poachers.

It took me by surprise when Ominis wished me a happy birthday during Defense Against the Dark Arts, it wasn't like we were all that close... Sebastian probably mentioned it to him. Natty and Poppy made sure to find me during the day and said their birthday wishes as well; Natty giving me another box of candy with the elephant on a bicycle, and Poppy handing me a small book while giggling (the book turned out to be a rather saucy and amusing read called Fanny Hill, I was floored she of all people would get me something so shocking). And on occasion someone in my class would wish me the same, probably having heard of it from those in Professor Onai's class. I simply smiled at whoever had spoken and went on with my day.

Finally, the school day ended. I studied in my Room for a little while until I heard the door open, Sebastian walking inside. "There you are... ready to go?"

"Yea, let's go," I nodded, shutting my book and getting up. The flight to Hogsmeade was a bit cold, seeing how it was the middle of autumn now, but soon the two of us entered the Three Broomsticks. The fire in the hearth was roaring and radiating a pleasant heat that warmed me to my core, and the patrons inside the tavern were all curled up and cozy around tankards of Butterbeer and other drinks.

"Ah, good to see you two again," Sirona greeted us warmly. "What's the occasion?"

"Hello, Sirona. Today happens to be dear Sunset's birthday," Sebastian crooned, one hand reaching around and resting on my shoulder while the other gestured towards me.

"Is that so? Happy birthday, Sunset," she smiled, bowing her head slightly. "In that case, the house special tonight is venison braised in a preserved cherry and red wine sauce with roasted root veg."

"Ooh, that sounds nice, actually," I nodded eagerly.

"Sit wherever you'd like," Sirona gestured. "I'll be right there with some Butterbeers." We took a seat near the fireplace and talked idly, barely noticing the drinks being brought to the table. At one point in the conversation Sebastian handed me a present - a very-obviously-a-book wrapped nicely in green paper. Before I could open it, though, he reached out and covered my hand with his.

"Ah, best to open this somewhere private... perhaps when you return to your Room later on?"

Is that so...? This must be a good book, then. "Alright... thank you, Seb." I grinned as he tried and failed to hide a blush, not even caring his hand seemed to linger for longer than it really needed to. We continued to talk up until Sirona reappeared with refills and our food, which smelled incredible - even better than what was usually served in the Great Hall. I hadn't had venison yet, and though it was gamey I also found it to have a rich flavor, perfectly enhanced by the sour-sweet sauce.

While I ate, I couldn't help but notice Sebastian's table manners... unlike most of the others at the Slytherin table, he ate with all the proper forks and knives, with etiquette nearly as impeccable as my own. Surely he wasn't raised by royalty like I was, but the simple fact that he didn't eat as barbarically as the rest of our classmates had me slightly more curious about his upbringing. It was clearly a sophisticated one.

After finishing the meal, Sirona brought out a shallow dish of one of her apparently-famous desserts - Shrivelfigs poached in red wine and spices with clotted cream. It tasted like something Celestia's best chefs could only dream of coming up with! "I had no idea you were such a fantastic chef," I complimented Sirona after we'd eaten our fill.

"I enjoy cooking and experimenting in my spare time," she shrugged gracefully as she took our plates. "It's not often the customers ask for more than simple tavern fare, but I do like to offer something more distinguished for special occasions."

"Thank you, Sirona. Wonderful, as always," Sebastian grinned as he handed over a small stack of Galleons.

"Thank you for your business," she grinned softly in return. While Sirona left to put the money away Sebastian and I continued with our conversation from before, though we only got a few sentences into it before we both noticed a girl standing near the bar, staring at us. Her uniform marked her as a member of the Hufflepuff house. Once she'd seen that she had our attention, she shyly approached our table.

"Um, hello... I'm Adelaide Oakes," the Hufflepuff girl introduced herself anxiously, primarily to me. Something was clearly on her mind. "Oh, dear... I feel terrible for asking you like this, but after everything I've heard about your brave exploits, I also feel as though you're the only one I could possibly turn to."

"My brave exploits?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Seems your reputation precedes you," remarked Sebastian. While I was mildly annoyed this random girl had the audacity to interrupt our meal... well, we had finished eating, I guess, and weren't really doing anything at the moment.

"...Let's hear it," I grumbled, beckoning. Adelaide took a deep breath.

"You see, my uncle Rowland is a metal trader who's quite well-known in the goblin community. He normally sends me owls every week when he's on his business travels... In his last owl, he alluded to dealings with those radical goblins, Ranrok's Loyalists... It's been ages since that owl and I'm worried, what with the troll attack here and the rumors that goblins may have been involved... well, I'm fearing the worst." Considering her tale, I winced in sympathy.

"Yea, that... doesn't sound very good," I shook my head slowly. "Your uncle may very well be screwed." Adelaide's face paled.

"Oh, no... well, you're still much more understanding than Professor Weasley was. She heard I was going to look for him and forbade me from leaving the grounds."

"And yet, here you are," I smirked, the irony not lost on me.

"Of course I am! She's convinced he can handle himself, but I can't concentrate on anything until I know he's alright!" she exclaimed.

"I take it you and your Uncle Rowland are close?" asked Sebastian.

"We are," Adelaide nodded, her voice lowering to nearly a whisper. "Uncle Rowland's looked after me for as long as I can remember. He knows I get anxious when he travels and that's why he sends me all the owls, to let me know that he's alright." She turned back towards me. "Please... I've heard you're nearly as adventurous as he is, may I be so bold as to ask you to find him? He should be in the area, but..." she trailed off to bite away a sob.

"Well, if you say he should be close by... then I suppose I could use some excitement," I shrugged, glancing at Sebastian who mimicked my grin. "Alright... but you do owe me for this, I hope you realize." Adelaide's face lit up.

"Thank you," she inhaled shakily, pulling out a piece of parchment from her robes. "He's very thorough in his record-keeping - notes all his trades in a journal, makes maps. In his last owl he drew me a map of his next stop... he'd planned to set up camp here," she pointed to an area southeast of Hogwarts before handing the map to me.

I gave the map a once-over before handing it to Sebastian. "Do you know where this is?"

"Indeed, I do," he nodded. "It's just by Brocburrow."

"I do hope you're able to find out where he is... Thank you, again, for any help you can provide," moaned Adelaide.

"Yea, yea..." I grumbled as I stood up from my seat. "Well, no time like the present. Shall we go on an adventure?"

"If you wish... today is all about you, after all," Sebastian grinned.


~


The flight from Hogsmeade to Brocburrow was about twenty minutes, plenty of time for my meal to digest. As we flew together, Sebastian carefully checked and rechecked the map we'd been given for the landmarks where Rowland had set up his camp. Eventually he waved me over, and we stopped and hovered to survey the land.

At the foot of a cliff a large tent had been set up, with crates and barrels of supplies arranged all around it. It appeared to have been a small mine of sorts, as there was a furnace and smelter right next to an opening in the cliff wall. A large, slow stream cut through the land about fifty feet away to the right, snaking past the cliffs and into a deep, barren gulch.

From above, however, I could see figures moving about on the ground. Figures that were definitely not human.

"If this is Mr. Oakes' campsite, we're in for trouble," Sebastian frowned. We landed behind some trees a good hundred feet away from the camp, peering through the underbrush to watch. A large number of goblins were rifling around in Rowland's possessions, searching for valuables and casually ignoring the fallen corpses of their comrades... likely leftovers from when Rowland had gone missing in the first place.

"If I'd known I would be killing goblins today, I would've worn Fig's gift," I sighed, muttering to myself. "Oh, well."

"Fig got you a gift?"

"Sure did. I'll show you later, if you want," I replied.

"Very well... Now, tread lightly, we're unwelcome guests here," he motioned as he cast Disillusionment on himself. I cast the spell on myself as well, and we crept closer until the first goblin was mere feet away. Almost in perfect unison, we each levitated a nearby crate and slammed them into either side of the hapless fool, squishing him like a bug. Before any of the rest of them could react, we both spun around and hurled the crates into more of them.

The goblins descended on us in droves. We fended them off easily, dancing around each other in perfect synchronization as we fired spells at anything that moved. I created a wall of ice with Glacius to block a couple of melee attacks mid-swing, then as I swung around to fire a Depulso shockwave at an approaching group Sebastian mirrored my movements and shattered the ice with a Diffindo, razor-sharp shards slicing into the attackers' flesh like knives. He cast a mass Levioso at another group of goblins, then while he spun around to deflect an attack with Protego I spun behind him, cast Deprimo to create a huge crater and finished the floating goblins with Descendo, burying them under the earth. A number of crossbow bolts collided with his shield - I caught them all with an Arresto Momentum and sent them back where they'd come from, directly into the heads and throats of those who had fired them. He saw an axe whirling through the air towards my back and caught it in his magic, then in one smooth motion sent it flying straight into the offending goblin's abdomen with so much force it went flying back into a crate and stuck him to it a few feet off the ground.

In all, the carnage lasted shortly longer than a mere minute. The ground around where we stood was painted with an explosion of blood. The two of us were silent for a few moments, simply catching our breath... I broke the silence first with a dark chuckle.

Perhaps it was for her best interests that Celestia had broken up that underground dueling club... fighting was just so much fun.

"Not scared to muddy your hands, are you?" Sebastian grinned, impressed.

"Not at all," I smirked. "I do prefer to take a more... hands-on approach with solving such problems." He turned around to face me, the grin on his face suddenly falling.

"...You're hurt," he stated rather matter-of-factly, pointing towards my arm. I looked down, surprised to see a short but deep gash in my upper left arm, wet red oozing from it and staining the severed edges of my cloak's sleeve. Apparently I hadn't even noticed getting cut during the fight, but now that I'd seen it it began to sting.

Even so, it wasn't really anything worth worrying about... I'd suffered worse before.

"Ow... when did that happen? Those little bastards," I grumbled, raising my wand. "How dare they make me bleed my own blood."

"Here, I'll take care of it," he said as he gently lifted my arm with one hand, pointing his wand at the wound with the other. "Episkey." I blinked as the wound burned for a moment, cauterizing itself shut. He then followed it up with a quick Scourgify to remove the blood, then a Reparo to mend the tear in my cloak. I flexed my arm once he let go, surprisingly quite pleased with the results. It was like nothing had ever happened at all.

"Thanks," I nodded to him. Sebastian nodded in return, though the smile quickly slid from his face as we resumed our search.

"If Mr. Oakes was here, there's no sign of him now," he sighed.

"No... let's look around," I suggested. We poked around the camp for a few minutes, searching for anything that might've belonged to the man. While I was rummaging through his belongings in the large tent, I heard Sebastian calling me over. He was hunched down on the ground near some of the smelting equipment by the cliff.

"His journal left behind... this can't be good," he mumbled, picking it up. I peeked over his shoulder as he opened it to its last entry.

Ranrok's lot agreed to meet, but I do feel a tad uneasy. They amended their requests and were angry when I asked questions. I overheard some of their plans in Gobbledegook... they're after my rare metal deposits that are suitable for drilling.

I'm afraid of upsetting them further - they seem rather volatile, but I need this transaction to happen. Perhaps we can work out a compromise... Perhaps not.

"Looks like they didn't come to an agreement," I remarked. Sebastian turned the page, revealing another map on the back of the entry. It led past a few detailed landmarks towards what looked to be the ruins of an abandoned keep.

"Oakes is an experienced trader, he marked this map for a reason," he muttered, tapping the image of the keep. "My guess is that this keep is where the goblins are camping out. I believe the stream in this map is right over there."

"Let's go," I nodded, already headed towards it. There was a path alongside the stream, and we followed it upwards through the gulch, walking in silence for a little while as the wind rustled through the trees. Butterflies and grasshoppers flitted about in the late October evening, catching the last of the sun's warmth before nesting for the night in the sparse tall grass. The dying light bathed the canyon in golden hues, but the air grew chilly as the light slowly receded over time.

"I have to admit, it's quite picturesque out here," he hummed, glancing around. "Babbling brook and all." I nodded in agreement.

"Too bad it isn't a bit warmer, though," I grumbled, pulling tightly on the sides of my cloak. "Autumn's definitely not my favorite season... just means it's gonna be cold and wet for nine months straight."

"I could lend you my cloak, if you'd like."

"Such a gentleman... but nah," I shook my head with a mischievous grin. "Then I'd wind up smelling awful like you."

"Hey! I take great pride in my appearance, I'll have you know... and that includes the way I smell!" Sebastian rumbled playfully as he stripped off his cloak. "Just for that... c'mere, you're going to wear it!"

"Ack! Nooo!" I laughed as I ran ahead of him, the cloak billowing clumsily as he chased me a few hundred feet. He was slightly faster than me and managed to toss the cloak over my head like a net, and I screeched as I hastily balled it up and threw it back at his face. For a few moments we just stood there, giggling like a pair of idiots.

Adoration. Merriment. Happiness. Affection. As though we were still fighting together in sync, his emotions perfectly matched my own. When I looked at him, sometimes I could swear I saw a lot of myself in him... I'd never met such a delightful person in all my life, someone I didn't actually mind hanging out with all the time.

...!

The sudden realization of what the exact hell I was thinking turned my laughter into a coughing fit. Sebastian's own laughter cut itself short as he leaned in, likely wondering if I was okay or if I was going to keel over in a moment... I waved him off.

What's wrong with me... why the hell do I feel the same way he does...?!

"...I think I swallowed a bug," I lied, croaking the words out. He broke out into even harder laughter, stumbling forward as we resumed our way down the road. We passed by the landmarks along the way - a rock formation after ten minutes, then a crooked tree sticking out from beneath a boulder five minutes later, and then the ruins of a tower another ten minutes later. The elevation climbed subtly - by the time we'd finally reached the keep, the both of us were out of breath.

"Guh... remind me why we didn't just fly here?" I whined, leaning against a tree. Sebastian opened his mouth to reply, but something must've caught his eye, because he dashed behind the tree and dragged me along with him.

"I saw movement higher up in the keep," he muttered.

"Goblins?" He nodded. I cast a silent Cobolorum Revelio to see how many there were... the entire keep was crawling with them. "Ooh... that's a lot to deal with."

"Well, not with the two of us working together," he smirked.

"Nah... this'll be fun," I matched his expression, twining my fingers together and flexing them outwards. We cast Disillusionment on ourselves and began working our way into the keep. At first our spells started out simple - a silent Diffindo to decapitate a patrolling goblin, a Flipendo to fling another one headfirst down a well, an Accio to drag one towards us away from his partner, followed immediately by Transfiguring him into a rock and flinging it at his partner's head.

After climbing a ladder to the keep's second floor, however, there were far too many goblins to pick off sneakily. Now Sebastian and I changed tactics, and almost in perfect unison we broke our charms and began raining terror upon the unwitting enemies. His Descendo brought an entire section of wall crashing down on a group of them, and when the dust had settled I picked up the debris in my magic, flinging half of it towards other goblins while the rest spun around us in a defensive whirlwind. I heard the plinks of crossbow bolts striking the pieces of stone, allowing me to pick out snipers in the distance.

"Alarte Ascendare!" I called out, pointing with my wand. The goblin snipers yelled in horror as they suddenly rocketed up high into the air, plummeting back down when the spell ended seconds later. I didn't let them touch the ground, instead I shot pieces of the whirlwind at them, forcefully enough that I could hear their bones crack from all the way over here. Meanwhile, Sebastian cast Arresto Momentum on another group of goblins charging towards us, chuckling darkly before spinning gracefully and casting Diffindo to cleave the lot of them in two.

Not to be outdone, I focused on another group of goblins approaching from the rear. With one swift motion I raised my wand, the stone floor beneath them suddenly bending upwards in half and clapping together like a giant book being closed, crushing them under the weight and force. Lowering my wand opened the two halves back up and returned it to its original state; I then Transfigured the corpses into swords and heaved them at yet another group that had amassed below us. The blades rained down upon them, skewering them in their heads and torsos.

"Bombarda!" I heard Sebastian shout, followed shortly by a massive explosion and a violent earthquake, the remainder of the whirlwind clattering to the ground at my sides. Turning around, I saw that he'd succeeded in razing an entire section of the keep with the single spell, a couple of goblin limbs sticking out of the rubble almost comically.

I glanced around for more movement, but saw none. For now, it would seem that we had cleared the entire keep. Behind me Sebastian breathed hard with exertion, chuckling in a growing crescendo.

"You and I, are unstoppable!" he cackled, grinning widely. I couldn't help but smile in return... something about the way he laughed in the face of danger was... oddly endearing.

"You're right... we're a pretty good team, you and I," I tilted my head, smirking at him.

Finally, we reached the entrance to the keep. The door had been left unlocked by the last goblin to have used it. We recast our Disillusionment Charms, then I cast a Muffling Charm on the door in case it was squeaky.

Inside, the ruins glowed with firelight. Lit braziers and torches lined the hallways, shadows dancing and flickering along the walls. We tiptoed our way forward, the interior of the keep largely empty. It wasn't until we'd turned a few corners that we finally found three more goblins standing watch in a large room. They shifted from side to side nervously, likely having heard or even felt the carnage we'd wrought outside.

"It's punishment to us all to have that miserable human around," one of them grumbled, gesturing towards a large metal door installed in the stone wall, covered in gears and pistons.

That must be Rowland. "Would you like to take the lead on this one?" I whispered to Sebastian.

"As you wish," he replied. Not even two seconds later, the wooden platform one of the goblins was standing on crumbled, dropping him to the floor on top of the other two. Before they could recover, their bodies began to float up into the air, and then they suddenly shot off into the walls and ceiling at a high speed, ricocheting off every surface with a crack or a thud. After maybe ten seconds of this, Sebastian ended their misery by letting them collide into each other and drop to the ground, then he levitated the bodies into a barrel and flipped it into a nearby brazier.

"Learning from me, are you?" I giggled, amused by the overkill.

"A true gentleman always keeps his lady entertained." I snorted at the sentiment - though I couldn't see him, I could definitely sense the sheer level of smugness dripping from him. Since no one else was around, I went ahead and canceled my Disillusionment Charm, prompting him to do the same. I cast a silent Alohomora at the door, but nothing seemed to happen.

Hmm... that's odd. There was a small slot near the bottom of the door, probably for shoving food through. I kneeled down and slid it open.

"Hello? Mr. Oakes?" I whisper-shouted, peering through the slot. I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear frantic shuffling, like someone quickly standing up from lying down.

"Yes! I'm here!" a man's voice replied, shouting from the opposite side of the cell. I heard footsteps quickly approaching, then saw Rowland himself as he kneeled down and looked through his side of the slot. "They've taken my wand! This cell has an enchanted lock - I have experience with these locks, but need my wand to have any chance of opening it!"

"Ah... that's why," I mumbled to myself.

"Look for a boiler door... I've heard them speak of it," he uttered. I nodded in confirmation before moving away.

"Where are we going to find a boiler door in this keep?" complained Sebastian.

"Guess we're just gonna have to pick this place apart until we find it," I shrugged. We recast Disillusionment on ourselves and began the long, silent search for Rowland's wand and a boiler door. The keep was largely deserted, almost like our earlier assault had forced the vast majority of them outside to defend themselves. I kept careful track of Sebastian's footsteps to my side... a small part of me worried that since we couldn't see each other, we might wind up separated. But no matter where I walked I always heard him right behind me, like my own shadow.

After a half-hour of searching, we finally happened upon the main chamber of the keep. A strange, circular-shaped metal door sat at the far end, with a long pipe leading from just below it all the way to the right and on an upper level. Following it, the pipe was attached to what appeared to be a giant pot on top of a large unlit brazier.

I stood there for a moment, regarding the strange contraption. "Hmm... goblins use steam power, do they?"

"They have to. They aren't supposed to have access to wizard magic," said Sebastian.

"Right... I'll admit, it's an interesting concept," I shrugged as I casually cast a Confringo at the brazier, lighting it. "Everyone loves steampunk, after all."

"...What is 'steampunk'?" he asked, the confusion thick in his voice. I nearly slapped myself in the forehead once I'd realized why.

"Ah, never mind... just something from my homeland." As the heat from the fire grew stronger, I heard liquid begin to bubble and boil inside the giant pot. Steam leaked through a few minute cracks in the pipe, a hissing noise traveling along its length all the way to the door. By the time we'd backtracked to reach it, gears and knobs on the door spun and clicked, and it swung open in two pieces to reveal another large room. It appeared to be the actual throne room to the keep, and a large number of goblins were gathered inside.

"I'd wager these are the last of them," he said quietly. "Shouldn't be any problem at all."

"Don't you feel kinda sorry for them? They have no idea what's about to hit them," I chuckled devilishly. I could feel Sebastian looking at me, and we answered in unison, shaking our heads...

"...Nah."

We snuck inside and crept behind a pillar, peering out to watch our enemies go about their business. Some of them were nervous, having heard muffled noises of destruction outside and felt the keep shake. One particular goblin was trying to keep them in line with threats about what he or Ranrok would do to them if they abandoned their posts... I decided he would be the first to go.

I waited until he wandered underneath an old chandelier made from splintering wood and cast iron. A quick flick of my wand severed its chain and sent it plummeting - right as it crashed down on top of him, Sebastian Transfigured the table just in front of the heap into a barrel of gunpowder and set it off with a Confringo. Shards of wood and metal flew everywhere, piercing a few of the nearby goblins.

The explosion sent the rest of them into a panic. Our Disillusionment Charms lapsed as we stepped out from behind the pillar and began firing spells at them. A wave of my wand caused long, thin iron spears to shoot up from the floor and fall from the ceiling, while a wave of his sent bricks flying from the left and right walls into their opposites, where they morphed and melted back into the rest of the keep to fire off again. The lethal maze we'd created made short work of them, skewering goblins to the ceiling where they slid down off the spears and dropped with unceremonious thuds beside those that had been pinned to the ground or suffered a swift brick to the side of the head.

Now that the goblins were all dead, we searched the chamber and its side rooms. In an office, Rowland's wand was sitting neatly on a desk.

"Finally... now we can get him out," I breathed. We jogged back the way we came until we were back outside Rowland's cell.

"We've got your wand, Mr. Oakes," Sebastian yelled as we skidded to a stop just in front of the cell door.

"Please, pass me my wand!" Rowland yelled, sticking his arm through the slot as much as he could. "I can't get out of this damned cell without it!" I placed the wand in his hand, and he yanked his arm back through. "My wand... oh, thank Merlin, thank you!" A few moments later the gears and pistons on the door moved on their own, and it swung open. Rowland strode out of the cell, dressed in a disheveled but sharp suit and top hat, with a flawlessly-molded handlebar moustache. "You did it! Found my wand and- ...wait, are you two students?! We must get you to safety, immediately! It's dangerous-"

"Students?! We just saved your sorry arse," I grunted.

"We've taken care of all the goblins here," Sebastian replied in a kinder tone. "There's no danger anymore."

"Dear Merlin... you're either very lucky, or very talented!" Rowland gaped. "How did you find me?"

"Adelaide asked me... she was worried about your dealings with Ranrok's Loyalists," I answered.

"Oh, she was right to be... I couldn't go through with the agreement, and when I told them, I ended up blindfolded and behind bars," he sighed. "Been locked in that infernal cell for so long they'd forget I was even there! I... overheard things."

"Like what, exactly?" asked Sebastian.

"A sad tale, really," Rowland glanced at the floor. "I think I know where Ranrok's unfortunate vendetta against wizardkind began."

"Oh?" An origin story definitely piqued my interest. "Do continue."

"Although dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, Ranrok stumbled upon an illegal dragon camp. He was young... found the creatures fascinating. He'd visit the camp in secret whenever he could, never making his presence known. After weeks of his sly surveillance, he finally summoned the courage to speak to the wizard in charge. Ranrok wanted to join them... and the creatures. The wizard happened to drop his wand - Ranrok saw an opportunity! He picked it up, and went to hand it back as a means of introducing himself."

"Uh huh..." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sebastian grimace, his face full of disdain.

"The sight of a goblin with a wand sent the wizard into an instant rage... He beat Ranrok nearly to death. Ever since, Ranrok has despised wizardkind... sees us all as cruel."

"Well... I suppose I can see his point, in that case," I hummed in contemplation. "Then again, this was an illegal dragon breeding camp... that wizard probably would've done the same to anyone, goblin or not."

"Indeed," Rowland nodded. "Alas, it had to have happened to Ranrok, and now look where we all are..." Beside me, Sebastian shook his head with a grunt.

Foolish creature.

"If only I could reward you both for what you've done... blasted goblins stole every Knut on me. All I can say is thank you, truly."

"Eh, consider the story you told us my payment," I shrugged. "At any rate, you should probably send Adelaide a letter as soon as you can, she's worried sick about you."

"And I, her... She's become quite savvy to my trading habits, always analyzing my detailed owls," he smiled, though it quickly fell to a sigh. "...If only I hadn't resorted to trading with such fiends... a lesson I shan't soon forget. Having my wand back is like being reunited with an old friend. I must return home and inform Adelaide of my safety... will you two be alright?"

"I... kinda think we've killed every goblin within a mile of here," my lips thinned as I shared a glance with Sebastian. "You just get back to your niece."

"Oh, I'm anxious to see her. And then I plan to travel far from here for my next round of trading," said Rowland. "Thank you, both of you... may life reward you justly for your deeds. Be well, friends!" And with that lengthy farewell, he Apparated out of the room with a pop.

"Mr. Oakes was lucky... Ranrok's lot would never have freed him," Sebastian frowned, shaking his head. "He's in the wrong business entirely, in my opinion."

"No kidding," I agreed. "Lucky for him I decided to go on this little quest for Adelaide's sake. Let's get out of here."


~


It was twilight as we exited the keep. We pulled out our brooms and flew up into the sky, back towards Hogwarts. It was a couple of minutes before I glanced over at Sebastian, and noticed a big, dumb smile on his face.

"...What's up with you?" I raised an eyebrow. He simply looked at me.

"Just thinking... you know, despite your merciless and frightening demeanor, you've actually quite a kind heart deep down. I never would have expected you'd agree to help poor Adelaide find her uncle." I recoiled in disgust at the sentiment and opened my mouth to argue, but I blinked before any words could form.

Kind...? Perhaps Professor Onai's reading had been much more accurate than I'd anticipated.

Agh... I don't want to be kind and considerate! I don't do kind or considerate! When had I become such a sap, willing to help others out for no gain of my own? Is it that ancient magic's doing?! It was lucky for it that I really wanted that power... otherwise I'd forget about the whole thing and go back to solely looking out for number one.

...Well, I guess I did gain a little information. Not sure how it'd help me in the future, but...

"...She owes me big for this," I muttered under my breath.

Though I wasn't quite sure how I'd collect on this favor... or if I ever would.
> In Which the Sallows Are in Dire Need of Family Counseling, and Perhaps Child Protective Services
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the beginning of the week, Sebastian informed me that he was going to visit his sister at Feldcroft after classes on Friday. Just as well... time for me to make good on my debt.

The week itself passed by uneventfully. As soon as Transfiguration let out on Friday, he and I ran for the castle's main entrance. Once outside we got on our brooms, and he led the way as we flew southwest. It was about a half-hour's journey, Sebastian pointing out various landmarks as we passed by, and the two of us trying to outdo each other with aerial maneuvers and laughing off the adrenaline.

Finally, we made it to Feldcroft. The village sat about a mile from the ocean, situated on a hill surrounded by farmland. Most of the town's residents were out in the fields harvesting the last of their crops, while a few children too young for school ran and played about in the center of town, around an old well. The land to the north of the village was foothills leading up towards a small mountain, with ruins dotting a couple of the summits. One particularly large ruin lay over to the northwest, looking like it used to be a minor castle. Sebastian and I landed our brooms atop a watchtower overlooking the fields, and I took a moment to take in the sights. Next to me, however, he sighed deeply.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, no..." his lips thinned. "Feldcroft... just isn't what it used to be."

"How so?"

"You see that castle over there?" He pointed to the large, ruined castle to the northwest. "That's Rookwood Castle. No one has felt safe here since Ranrok's Loyalists took a peculiar interest in it nearly a year ago."

Rookwood Castle, you say... like Professor Charles Rookwood? It can't be that common of a last name...

"Really? There's goblins over there?" I tilted my head. If I squinted, I could just barely make out some tents and goblin machinery hidden by the castle's walls. Sebastian nodded.

"My uncle Solomon is a former Auror, but refuses to look into it. Even after Anne was cursed by one of them... possibly with a wand, no less."

"Really?" I repeated myself, my head drawing back in shock. "But... if he was an Auror, he should've been able to clear them out no problem. That just makes him seem suspicious, or supremely lazy."

"It's infuriating, is what it is... which is why I'm on the hunt for answers. If I'm to cure her, I need to understand what happened to her."

"Ahhh... okay, that makes sense," I nodded. There were some magical afflictions that could be cured with a simple spell, but a specific countercurse was necessary for a more complex curse. I'd learned that long ago.

"Anne was always the most mischievous of the three of us... which is saying something, knowing me and Ominis." A faint smile graced his lips, only to falter again a moment later. "I'm hoping a visit from the two of us will help lift her spirits. Bring back the Anne I used to know."

Hope. Tenderness. Love. Dread. The adoration he held for his sister was plain to feel in my heart, but the last emotion gave me pause. It was so... negative compared to how he'd described Anne. This uncle of his must be a real piece of work.

"Come on... I'll take you to my uncle's." Sebastian began his descent from the watchtower, myself taking a moment to try and shake the emotions out of my system before following him. Once we were on ground level, I realized that although there had been plenty of people around while I was flying overhead, the entire village seemed almost deserted now. The tall grasses of early autumn veiled the farmers from view, and the children had seemingly vanished. Everything was eerily silent. "With Ranrok's lot wandering about all the time, everyone stays out of sight," he seemed to knowingly answer my forming question.

"It's... kinda creepy," I frowned, stifling a shiver. A minute later we had stopped in front of a quaint stone house with a thatched roof. Vines and flowers stretched upwards towards the roof, halves of barrels held tomato plants that were just starting to yellow and wither, and a fenced-off area to the right held a few practice dummies.

"Here we are," Sebastian sighed as he took hold of the doorknob. I watched him swing the door open and followed him in. The house was quite a bit larger than it had appeared from the outside, with a comfortably-sized living area adjoining the kitchen, and the bedrooms and bathroom doors to the left and right. Sebastian's attention was focused squarely on a young woman sitting at the kitchen table beside a smoldering hearth, her back facing us. He tiptoed up to her and suddenly grabbed her shoulders with a laugh.

"Sebastian!" Anne shrieked with glee as she turned from her book and stood up to greet him, grabbing his hands in hers. A wide smile spread across her face, somehow growing even wider when Sebastian suddenly produced a Shrivelfig from his pocket dimension and held it up to her. "Ooh! Is that for me?" she asked with seemingly reverent awe.

"It is," he smiled. "I thought you-"

"We've been over this, boy!" A large hand suddenly yanked the Shrivelfig out of Sebastian's grip. The hand was attached to a very stern-looking older man, his face grizzled with wrinkles and eyes sunken inward. He appeared exhausted and grumpy, carrying himself like our presence was a great inconvenience.

"Hey!" Sebastian protested, repeating himself as the older man Vanished the fruit right in front of him.

Whoa. My mouth hung open in shock. Rude.

"Shrivelfigs cannot reverse a curse! ...Nothing can," he glared at Sebastian before relaxing his gaze on Anne. "The sooner you accept that reality, the better." He turned and walked away towards the bedroom he'd come from. Sebastian sighed with a groan.

"But we haven't tried everything!" he argued. Solomon whipped back around and stomped towards him.

"There is. No. Cure!" he shouted. "When will you accept that?!"

"Never!" Sebastian glared at Solomon dead in the eyes. "I can never accept that!" Suddenly Anne doubled over, first grunting, then crying out in pain. Sebastian gasped and immediately turned towards her, gently guiding her back towards her seat.

"Now look what you've done!" yelled Solomon, simply standing there while Anne sat back down, her forehead slamming against the table in agony.

"Anne, are you alright?!" worried Sebastian. "I'm sorry-"

"Leave!" Solomon ordered, storming over to the front door and brusquely opening it. Sebastian blinked at him for a few moments before his face contorted in anger and he stomped outside. Feeling extremely awkward, I followed him out, flinching as I heard the door slam shut behind me.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Sebastian grumbled.

"You... were not kidding about your uncle," I gaped at the shut door. "Wow."

"And that's when we have company over... If you don't mind, I just need a moment alone." He stared angrily at the ground. I didn't need his emotions forcing their way into my heart to know just how sour he felt. I watched as he wandered off a few feet, kicking at a pebble... I felt like I should've said something, but... what? Just then I heard the door open again, and glancing over, Anne was beckoning me back inside.

"I'm sorry about earlier... those bouts of pain are difficult to bear," she sighed sadly as she gestured for me to sit. I sat down at the table, glancing at her textbook before she set it aside. Now that I could get a good look at her, I figured the two were fraternal twins rather than identical - Anne resembled Sebastian in only a few features, and even those were difficult to discern due to the state she was in. While her brother had ruddy, vibrant skin, hers was almost as pale as Ominis'; even her freckles had lost most of their color. Dark circles lined her eyes as though she hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. The main difference between them, though, was her long, dull brown hair tied neatly in a bun, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Are you alright? That didn't look very good," I frowned.

"Yes, I'm alright," Anne replied even as she winced from a lingering ache. "The pain from this curse comes in bouts, and often suddenly. It's not anyone's fault."

"That's what I thought," I muttered to myself, my nose wrinkling in distaste. Even worse that Solomon would try to blame the sudden onset of a symptom on her brother.

"It's nice to meet you, by the way. You must be Sunset Shimmer. Sebastian's told me all about you."

"That's me... Has he, now?" I raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Hopefully he hasn't understated my greatness... We met in the Slytherin common room my first day."

"Oh, the common room!" Anne smiled wistfully. "I adored teasing first-years about spotting mermaids through the window."

"So does Ominis," I chuckled. Anne glanced down at the floor, a slight blush on her face.

"I do miss Hogwarts," she sighed. "I wouldn't mind being in Feldcroft, really... if it wasn't so dreary now. Between the goblins at the castle, and my uncle fighting with Sebastian whenever he's home... it's not the cozy retreat it once was."

"Riiiiight..." I grimaced, watching as Solomon exited his room and walked outside. "That was... eye-opening. He used to be an Auror, right? Why doesn't he go kick the goblins out?"

"Uncle Solomon is frustrated-" Anne paused for a moment to stave off a twinge of pain, "-by what happened to me... and by Sebastian for thinking he can fix it. They both mean well... I know they do. But my uncle is right, this curse cannot be undone. I can feel it."

That's... not really a reason. "Well, not with that attitude, it can't," I bristled. "There's always a counter to a curse. And Sebastian's been spending all his free time trying to think of something."

"Sebastian cannot take away my pain," Anne shook her head sadly. "I know he would give anything to do so... I can only hope he realizes the futility of his search for a cure soon."

"Maybe he can't take away your pain, but maybe he can at least try to find something that will improve your condition," I shifted in my seat. "Was that what the Shrivelfig was for?"

"Oh, no... I mentioned in my last letter to him that I really missed the red wine-braised Shrivelfigs served for dessert at the Three Broomsticks sometimes," said Anne. "Because of my condition, Solomon and I aren't able to go to Hogsmeade very often."

"Is that so?" I blinked uncomfortably. Solomon's behavior was becoming more inexcusable by the minute. I reached into my pocket dimension and brought out three Shrivelfigs of my own. "In that case, here. Take some of mine."

"Oh, no Sunset, I couldn't-"

"You can. Besides, I've grown enough of the bloody things, anyway, I don't know what to do with them all," I waved my hand as I set them on the table.

"...Thank you," Anne smiled gently. "I can see why my brother speaks so highly of you."

He does? I began to open my mouth to reply-

Adoration. RUINED. Love. AGONY. Trust. DESPAIR. Sympathy. PLEASEMAKEITSTOP.

I flinched, barely able to hold back a gasp. Though I only felt a mild discomfort in my abdomen, it wasn't hard to imagine the true extent of what Anne was feeling, how it must've been magnified exponentially on her. My jaw clenched as I thought to myself about how her uncle had handled the whole situation.

There had to be a cure for this. To spend the rest of her life living with this pain was simply intolerable... if it were me being afflicted, I'd stop at nothing to find the cure myself. Did she really have no hope left?

"I'm getting tired..." Anne exhaled weakly, standing up with some effort. "...I should probably rest. Thank you for stopping by."

"Sure. It was nice to meet you," I nodded once as I stood up, watching as Anne retired to her room. A sigh passed my lips as I watched her flop on her bed, her body barely moving as she drifted off to sleep.

I replayed the argument in my head, between Sebastian and Solomon. As I recalled what happened, I couldn't help but get more and more angry. Not only did he seem adamant in refusing the possibility of a cure, he had given up on even attempting to lift Anne's spirits. Not even Celestia would have done the same to me, and she wasn't even related to me! To forsake his own niece, his own kin... just the thought made my blood boil. That was not what a guardian, an adoptive father was supposed to do!

I tried for Anne's sake, but I only barely restrained myself from storming out of the house. Solomon was tending to a patch of courgettes a few feet away.

"That boy will fray my last nerve," Solomon snarled to himself, though the harshness of his face mostly vanished as I approached, and he stood up straight to face me.

"So... I take it you're Solomon?" I asked, almost unable to hide the snideness in my voice.

"Oh, yes... you must be a friend of Sebastian's," he replied with a grimace. "I apologize on behalf of my nephew. He doesn't know when to stop."

"He's just trying to help his sister," I groused, crossing my arms.

"He thinks he can help Anne, but... nothing can be done for her." Solomon's eyes narrowed slightly as I shook my head.

"I don't agree... and how do you know that? There's always a counterspell to a spell, you just haven't found it yet." Solomon's eyes turned viperous, and his lip curled.

"Bah! You sound just like him! Thinking you know better than the healers at St. Mungo's!" he spat.

"Aren't the healers trained in recognizing other fields of magic? I'm sure even they would say the same thing, that they just need to discover the countercurse first!" Unable to hide my disdain for this man any longer, I outright glared at him. "Hell, I could probably find the countercurse myself after a thorough diagnostic charm!"

"Arrogant, aren't you?" he growled. "Some sort of Dark magic cursed Anne, and the goblins aren't likely to explain themselves anytime soon."

"Oh yea, about that... didn't you used to be an Auror? If I were you, I'd be tearing those goblins apart joint by joint until they gave me the countercurse! And then I'd explode that one for good measure!"

"...You give me far too much credit," Solomon paused, sighing and shaking his head. "Giving her hope is cruel. The only thing to do now is keep Anne comfortable and stay out of the Loyalists' way."

"Giving her hope is what a father figure is supposed to do!" I shouted. An icy shiver rattled down my spine... it felt like I was arguing with Celestia all over again, trying to reason with her why I deserved to know ever stronger spells, more powerful and dangerous magic... to learn more about the mirror she had shown me and then refused to elaborate on. I could almost see her narrow eyes sneering at me, deeming me unworthy for no good reason... It was kind of like having a carrot dangled in front of me, just out of reach and unable to be affected by magic to be brought closer, yet whenever I reached out and was just about to grab it, the carrot was snatched away by her with a cruel laugh.

But instead of me being denied my right to power and knowledge... this "guardian" was not only failing in his duties, but going against them outright. He refused to use the vast resources at his disposal to restore the health and safety of his own niece, instead electing to blame and chastise his own nephew for trying his best to do his own damned job. And even when a third party was telling him to his face that he was wrong, instead of seeing reason or at least reconsidering his stance, he simply doubled down and kept on wallowing in his ignorance.

So disrespectful... so infuriating... how could I possibly abide by such arrogance? To do so would be utterly pathetic, shameful and humiliating in my eyes... and I was better than that. I knew I was better than that, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind.

"How dare you argue with me?! I know what's best for Anne, and Sebastian!" the grown man roared.

"Do you?" My eyes glared until they were nearly shut. I could almost see Solomon's face merging with Celestia's.

"They are my stubborn brother's children... especially Sebastian," he hissed. "And if you really want to be a good friend to him, you'll make sure he does what he should do, not what he wants to do! He's no idea the harm he could do if he doesn't stop!"

"And you seem to have no idea the harm Anne will suffer if you give up on her," I retorted. I was done with this insolent hayseed, there was no way I could ever respect someone with so little love for their adopted children. I ignored whatever incensed words he was yelling at me and left to find Sebastian.

And you know what? To hell with you. I'll find the cure and make you beg for my forgiveness.


~


I found him a couple doors down, muttering to himself. "Why will he not listen to me? She's my sister," he asked the wind.

"Because he's a bastard," I snapped, startling him. "I can't believe the utter rot that came out of his mouth! You'd think he wants her to stay cursed!"

"You got a first-hand glance at what I'm dealing with," Sebastian glowered back at his house, before easing his gaze onto me. "I apologize for my uncle."

"Pfft, don't apologize for that waste of breath," I held up a hand. "He's an angry little man taking his frustrations out on his adopted children. It's simply unforgivable!"

"Oh, he's always angry. He's been angry since our parents died," Sebastian shook his head. "After Anne was hurt, he only grew worse... It's as though he blames me somehow, always calling me 'my father's son'. As if that's an insult," he scoffed. "I'm the one trying to help her... He's simply given up."

Always angry since his parents died...? The more the thought repeated itself in my head, the stronger I felt an ice-cold hatred blooming in my chest. What a wretched excuse for a parent! And remembering how complacent Anne seemed about her fate, how she'd probably had such a bleak, hopeless future drilled into her mind...

"Solomon seems hellbent on believing nothing can be done for her... even worse, she believes him," I frowned.

"I refuse to believe that! Anne's pain is more than physical... it has changed her entirely!" His voice began to break as he wiped his eyes with his cloak's sleeve, the sight of which made me blink uncomfortably. A subconscious shiver resonated within me as I remembered her emotions, and realized how incredibly accurate he was, likely without realizing it. "I miss my sister... and I'm going to get her back!"

Determination. Desperation. Devotion. Love. I closed my eyes as the emotions stabbed me in the heart and flowed through my body. Strangely, they attached themselves to my own emotions, and I felt my entire being, body and soul, heating up as though I was thrust into a fire.

How dare he.

How dare he!

"...I'm helping you," I opened my eyes and glared with bold resolve. "Goddesses as my witness, I will help you find your cure, and I will make him eat those words." My gaze nearly faltered as I realized what I was saying, but looking at Sebastian made our shared emotions flare up within me even stronger. He blinked with disbelief a few times before a timid smile spread across his face.

"Thank you," his breath hitched. "That means a lot to me... really." I paused, and merely nodded in return. His words seemed to fully cement what I had just promised in my mind... and I wasn't fully sure I agreed with myself anymore.

Well... it's not so much for Anne's sake... I just want to prove that sorry excuse for a father wrong. The more I tried to reaffirm the thought, however... the more I felt it wasn't quite true.

"Come with me... I need to show you where it happened," his expression hardened. He set off on a path up one of the surrounding hills, and I quickly followed a step behind. "Ranrok's Loyalists are capable of so much more than people realize, they should not be underestimated."

"Only fools underestimate their enemy," I commented, punching a fist into my other hand. "That's why you go straight for the throat in a fight... don't even let them have a chance to prove you wrong." Sebastian nodded in agreement.

"All the debris you'll see is from whatever's going on at that abandoned estate," he pointed up to the ruins at the top of the hill as we passed by a hunk of crumbling stone wall. "They've been digging for something."

"Digging for something?" I parroted back, now thoroughly intrigued. Is there something valuable underground? ...Does it have to do with that Rookwood Castle? I pondered on that for a while, until he eventually spoke again perhaps five minutes later.

"Up there... on that plateau," he pointed again, "...is where they cursed Anne." I glanced upwards, finding the plateau covered with tents and supplies. Goblins had taken it over. The path we were on would take us right through it...

...I grinned darkly. "Whaddya say we get a bit of revenge in?"

"I think I like that plan," Sebastian smirked as well. Almost in sync, we cast Disillusionment on ourselves and sneaked up the rest of the path, where a number of goblins were going about their business. Some were digging up the ground in random spots while others supervised.

"How much longer are we expected to dig through this rubble?" I heard a goblin grumble.

"Ranrok knows what he's doing," another goblin argued back. "It's an honor to be a part of it... only good wizard is a dead wizard, in my book."

"Is that so?" I taunted slowly and deliberately, my wand pointed at the goblin's throat. I applied force and clamped down on his trachea, leaving him unable to breathe as I whipped him into one of his buddies and finished by flinging him over the side of the cliff.

"Intruder!" one of them cried, his open mouth a target for a Confringo from Sebastian. He was already casting Depulso on another goblin before its head exploded, sending a few of them into a panic. I swung my wand at them with Levioso in mind, and they hovered a few feet in the air, unable to move while I spun around and cast Diffindo. Ripples in space screamed out from my wand and slashed the goblins clean in half. Meanwhile, Sebastian grabbed a goblin with his magic and slammed him face first into a boulder, Transfigured the body into a barrel of unstable gunpowder and hurled it at another goblin, then Transfigured the pieces of that goblin into more explosive barrels that rocketed off towards the rest, blowing them all up in a shower of gore.

I blinked, then I grinned at the sight of our handiwork. "And I thought I was vicious in a fight," I chuckled. Sebastian let out an amused huff.

"I confess... that was a bit more than I'd bargained for," he sighed as he smoothed down his hair. "But that was fun."

"Isn't it? Only good goblin is a dead goblin... ha!" I mocked.

"Couldn't agree more." He looked out over the now-empty goblin camp, the smirk on his face gradually falling. "...This is where it happened. We smelled smoke in the middle of the night. When we looked outside, flames were shooting from the estate. Before my uncle and I could stop her, Anne rushed out... racing towards the fire, worried someone would be hurt... She came face to face with a horde of goblins frantically trying to stomp out the flames."

"That's... pretty brave of her," I swallowed.

"There was so much smoke by the time we reached her that we could barely see each other, let alone the goblins. Suddenly, an icy voice drifted out from somewhere in the smoke... 'children should be seen and not heard'... A blinding blast followed. They didn't even give her a chance to run," Sebastian shivered angrily.

"I see..." I stared down at the ground. Revulsion of my own feeling took root in my gut as I imagined how the scene played itself out. "And she was just trying to help... they must've been hiding something big that they didn't want anyone stumbling upon."

"My thoughts exactly," he nodded. "It may be grasping at Billywigs, but I keep thinking that there might be something here that could lead me to whoever cursed Anne. Might be the only way to learn what type of magic harmed her... which could help me find a cure."

"Makes sense... although we're definitely not getting a cure out of these guys," I gestured around to the destruction we'd wrought. "But if they're still digging around, that means they haven't found whatever's hiding here."

"And at Rookwood Castle," he added. "Shall we have a look around? They seem to have set up camp here for a specific reason, they have stations for everything."

"Let's," I quipped, already poking through a rack of weapons. We wandered around the campsite for a while, looking for any sort of clue. Sebastian mentioned that there were goblin dig sites like these popping up all over the region. Inwardly, I wondered if this area had anything to do with the ancient magic both Ranrok and I were seeking... it had to be, if they were digging in specific areas. I glanced upwards from the bellows I was investigating towards the ruins nearby. It appeared to be the burnt out remains of a stone house, the only thing left intact a nearby well...

...Suddenly I felt a sense of déjà vu. "...Whose house was this?" I asked, unsettled.

"Been abandoned long as I've lived here," he shrugged. "Rumor was a Hogwarts professor lived here once, centuries ago... but that's all I ever heard."

A Hogwarts professor... centuries ago...? A pang of realization rippled through me, and I dashed towards the house. Sebastian followed after me in confusion as I glanced at the ruined house, then the well, and then the view from the edge of the cliff.

It hit me at once. "Wait... I've seen this place before... I've seen this view before!"

"What do you mean? When?" I opened my mouth to reply, but closed it again after considering how long it'd take to explain. Not to mention I wasn't really supposed to tell him, but... at this rate, with him always being around when I discovered these things, it was probably for the best I just let him know. An outside opinion on things never hurt, after all.

"Ooh... I'll explain that one later," I sighed. "For now, let's just keep looking."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he remarked. We ducked beneath the broken threshold of the ruined house and looked around. It had been totally ransacked, black ash coating every possible surface...

...But something stood out. There was a large portrait laid aside in one corner, the chipped and cracked frame covered in ash and dust. The image of whoever it was had been warped by the fire, the paint bubbling and scorched. I could only barely tell it was of a woman, but the face especially had been destroyed.

Something about this portrait called out to me, made me look at it. I couldn't tell if it was my imagination or not, but I felt like I could see the faintest, barest traces of ancient magic on it, slivers as thin as an atom winking in and out of existence. "Hey, Seb... over here," I called, hearing his footsteps a moment later. "Do you think this was damaged by the fire that night?"

"Could be..." he scrutinized. "...But it looks to me as though it was intentional."

"Then that settles it," I nodded. "This house did belong to a Hogwarts professor, centuries ago."

"Who? What do you-?"

"That night in the Restricted Section, besides that book I also found a Pensieve," I cut him off. "There was a memory of this house during a drought, and the little girl who lived here eventually became a professor at Hogwarts. Her name was Isidora Morganach... she and some of the other professors were known as the Keepers."

Sebastian blinked uncomfortably. "...The Keepers? Like in Quidditch? And you found a Pensieve in the library? ...I'm not following you."

"Wha- no, not like Quidditch," I shook my head with a sigh. "Look, this is probably one of the longest stories I've got, so I'll try to keep it simple for now. They call themselves Keepers because they're 'keeping' the knowledge of ancient magic, and it's all connected to that thing I found at Gringotts."

"So... let me see if I've got this straight," he drawled. "You have Ranrok and Rookwood after you because of something you found at Gringotts, where you ended up via a Portkey, and now you've been witnessing memories left by 'Keepers'? Oh, and this house belonged to a Hogwarts professor, who was one of these non-Quidditch Keepers... hundreds of years ago."

"...Yes?" I smiled awkwardly.

"If I didn't know you, I'd think you were pulling my leg," his eyes narrowed.

"Well... I'm not," I shrugged gormlessly. "At any rate, I think we should both be quite interested in this house... you for answers about what cursed Anne, and me for my ancient magic stuff."

"You do have a point," he admitted, his wandering eyes coming to rest on a pile of haphazardly-stacked boards held up by large rocks. "...What's that over there?" he pointed. Upon further examination, I could see that the rest of the house had been blocked off by whoever had put these here.

"Something interesting," I replied, blowing up the blockage with a Confringo. We ducked beneath the remaining support beams and found a staircase leading into a basement.

"Why bother blocking a stairwell?" he asked. I shrugged as we descended, finding the basement pitch black with darkness. A quick Lumos fixed that, and it was a good thing I had cast it, because the bulk of the basement was covered in Devil's Snare.

...I couldn't help myself. I sniffed the black, scraggly vines that seemed to have a mind of their own. Wet and mildewy... would taste like a soggy mouthful of stale moss.

"Seriously?" Sebastian chuckled as I recoiled in disgust. "With how often I catch you sniffing plants, I'm starting to think you're part-pony or something." The joke snapped me to attention, the hairs on my neck and arms standing straight up.

"Uh, n-no! Now t-that's just ridiculous," I stammered. "I just... like the way plants smell, alright?!" He laughed again as we resumed our search, growing quiet as we waved away the light-averse tendrils. Unlike the ruined house above, the basement was relatively untouched, though still destroyed. Papers, books and glass containers had been scattered everywhere, and most of the larger furniture items had been smashed to bits. The ones that hadn't formed a misshapen wall that cut the basement in half.

"They've left all of this simply strewn about. Tells me they're after something bigger," he hummed. I picked up a sheet of parchment and turned it over - it appeared to have been a journal entry. It detailed a refugee camp overwhelmed by villagers that had fallen victim to a plague, and the writer seemed to feel remorse over not being able to heal their emotional wounds, noting that they had the power to do so.

A glimmer of light flashed from the written words. I blinked, and I gasped. Sebastian rushed over.

"This... I think this is from a journal of Isidora's," I breathed.

"She must've had one here, I think this is another entry," he said as he handed me a second piece of parchment. This one talked more about her experiences at the refugee camp, and how she wished she could help more... but though it would further her research, it would also be a "fortuitous consequence of doing something good with her ability". The words flashed again, and I was left certain.

These were definitely Isidora's journal entries, and she was talking about ancient magic. Maybe there were more on the other side of the basement? After examining the shelves that blocked my way, I Vanished them and walked into the other half of the room, finding an elaborately decorated mirror that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. As I approached it, I noticed that the room it was reflecting was not the basement, but of somewhere quite familiar.

"Uh, Seb? I see the Undercroft."

"What, a daydream? Because that happens to me, too," he snarked.

"No, seriously. I can see the Undercroft in this mirror," I insisted. He walked over to my side and stared at the mirror, first a look of dumbfounded confusion spreading across his face, then a look of resigned acceptance.

"Honestly? Nothing you say sounds strange to me anymore," he grumbled.

"I've seen this before... it's related to ancient magic. It always turns out to be a portal to wherever it's showing me," I explained.

"A portal- ...Wait, so we can get straight to the Undercroft from here?" Sebastian laughed incredulously once. "Ominis will be floored!"

"We can," I smirked. "Well, I think we've seen everything there was to see down here... Anne went to bed and I have nothing civil to say to your uncle. Ready to go back?"

"Invisible, secret ancient magic passageway, here we come," he shrugged. I cautiously pushed my hand into the mirror, the glass parting for me like water. Uncertain about how it'd react to Sebastian, and not particularly wanting to strand him here, I grabbed his hand before leaping through, taking him with me as he let out a surprised shout.


~


Just like I'd predicted, the portal spit us out near one of the Undercroft's empty walls. We took a few steps forward to regain our bearings.

"Why would the mirror lead us here?" Sebastian wondered out loud. Before I could think of an answer, my eyes were drawn to a sudden burst of silver swirls on the opposite wall.

"Whoa," I muttered. Sebastian followed my gaze and caught the last of the swirls before it seeped into the cracks between the stone blocks, which spun and shrank in response. The wall slid back a few feet to reveal a hidden alcove, within which a sharply-angled wooden closet was embedded into the wall. We approached it with apprehension, and when it did nothing else in our presence I grabbed the two handles and swung open the doors. The closet was actually a ruined triptych - two of the three panels had been torn out, only the one on the left remaining. In the center, however, was a piece of parchment covered in runes. We shared a glance and shrugged in confusion.

"I... can't read this," I frowned as I grabbed the rune-covered parchment from the center and held it up. Upon further inspection, however, I could pick out symbols that resembled the wisps of smoke or flares of flame that had reoccurred on various ancient magic-related motifs... the Portkey container, the double doors, the Pensieves. "Oh, wait, I've seen these before. It seems to be... a symbol for the Keepers," I theorized.

"I've been thinking," said Sebastian, "...a 'Keeper' lived in that house centuries ago, and Ranrok and his lot have been searching there. You said that goblins may be wielding some form of this ancient magic... do you think Anne was cursed by ancient magic?"

I thought back to when I had spoken to Anne, and soon shook my head. "I... don't believe so. If it was the same red-glowing magic I've seen on Ranrok, then I would've seen it if she had." Sebastian's shoulders slumped.

"Hmm... very well. But that doesn't mean it's not ancient magic. There's still so much we don't know about it."

"Very true," I conceded. "Maybe this triptych has some answers, if we can find the other two pieces of it."

"Then we'll have to unravel what this all means," he replied, shaking his head with a groan. "I had no idea our visit to see Anne would unfold into all of this... my head's an utter mess. But I'm glad you told me everything you did."

Appreciation. Affection. Hope. Curiosity. I could feel my heart swell with these foreign feelings. The more I felt them, the less terrifying they were to experience... it felt almost enjoyable.

I still wasn't very familiar with these feelings, though... but as I watched Sebastian leave the Undercroft, I felt myself almost missing them. It was like a tiny part of my very being had gone with him... a ridiculous thought, I knew that.

But... why?


~


The next Tuesday was filled with Halloween festivities. Herbology was spent carving pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns, and we brewed anti-nausea potions in Sharp's class, as he'd seen many a student overdo it on the sweets during the feast. Professor Onai simply let us spend her class chatting or doing other work, as most of my classmates were growing too excited for the evening to focus. After the school day was over, many of the other students spent their time playing tricks on each other with Zonko's products, and others conjured themselves costumes of various beasts and monsters to scare the unsuspecting. No one had any idea what my Nightmare Moon costume was supposed to be, but once I'd hit a few underclassmen with spells that simulated their worst nightmares they were rightfully terrified of her.

The Halloween Feast definitely lived up to my expectations. While barely anyone picked at the proper food that appeared, the entire Great Hall burst into raucous excitement when the cauldrons and platters of candy, cakes and other endless sweets materialized onto the tables, accompanied by flagons of pumpkin juice and Butterbeer. As we all stuffed ourselves sick, the various ghosts that inhabited the castle flew out from the walls and performed an aerial show for us, gliding in tight loops and rolls.

When the hour grew late and the Feast ended, Sebastian and I grabbed a couple goblets of Butterbeer and as much leftover candy as we could and made for my Room, deciding to continue the party on our own. For a while we simply talked about whatever came to mind, casting Refilling Charms on our Butterbeers a couple of times over the hours. Feeling the loosening effect of the drink's slight alcohol content catching up to me, a thought entered my mind and lingered, and after mulling it over I nodded to myself and held up my hand to interrupt Sebastian's blathering about whatever a Holyhead Harpy was.

"Look... it seems like every time I find out something more about this whole ancient magic business, you're right there with me even though it's supposed to be a secret. So how 'bout I just get it out of the way and tell you about the whole thing?" Sebastian's eyes lit up like stars as he played off his interest with a cool nod.

"Finally," he grinned. He listened intently as I went over everything that had happened since the day I first traveled to Hogwarts; from the Portkey to the dragon attack, from the cliffside ruins to Gringotts, briefly recapped our trip to Hogsmeade and the Restricted Section, then spoke about Scrope's scavenger hunt that led me to Richard Jackdaw, which led me to the Map Chamber and the Keepers. I explained that the four Keepers had trials I would need to pass in order to learn their secrets, and that I had already passed one of them. I went over what I had seen in that trial's Pensieve... and finally informed him of my new ability to sense other's emotions as a result.

"Wait... you can actually sense what others are feeling?" Sebastian recoiled. "...What I'm feeling?!" He suddenly glanced away, embarrassed, his face flushing bright red.

"I can," I smirked devilishly before letting it drop. "...Though I'll admit, sometimes I still don't really know exactly what it is you're feeling."

"You... don't?" he turned back towards me, a desperate hope in his voice.

"It's... not really an emotion I've felt myself, before," I tried to explain. "It's, uh... I dunno, but it always happens around you. Whatever it is, I just suddenly start feeling like my entire upper half fell asleep, all fuzzy and tingly." He was silent for a moment, with an unreadable expression.

"...Is that so?" he finally said, a hint of a grin on his face. "It's not... unpleasant, is it?" My lips thinned as I recalled the feeling.

"No... not really. Actually it's... kinda nice. I like feeling it." I stared at the floor, feeling my cheeks heating up. The grin on his face widened.

"Well, then... I'd say it's nothing to worry about. Now, tell me more about the trial you faced... what did you have to do?"

"Eh... I had to fight an illusion of my... former mentor... to the death." Technically the truth, minus the fact that my former mentor was an Alicorn.

"Your former mentor?"

"Yea... she's actually the princess of my homeland," I spoke slowly. "She taught me practically everything I know about magic... she's, uh... extremely powerful, even for a witch."

"Is that so?" Sebastian sat up straight with renewed interest. "Which princess would this be? Which country?"

Uh...

This was going to be hard to explain. My mind went into overdrive coming up with as many convincing half-truths and outright lies as I could think of... while I did feel as though I could tell him about where I'd come from, I knew damn well he'd never believe that I came from a country of talking magic horses, let alone I myself was one.

Thankfully, I'd noticed that while wizards and witches were often sharp-witted and astute, they were also surprisingly non-curious and easily convinced of things... sometimes to the point of gullibility.

"Well... it's not gonna be one you're familiar with. The country was... hidden from the world centuries ago."

"Try me," he shrugged. Inwardly, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright... it's called Equestria." Sebastian's face screwed up in confusion, the gears in his head clearly trying to turn but jammed into place.

"...Equestria? You're right, I've never heard of that one before... do tell me about it."

"It's a peaceful country, our people are largely pacifists... which is why it was hidden so well," I continued, recalling details about home and twisting them into something not quite so far-fetched for a human with zero context to believe. "Everyone has access to magic, but everyone also has a specific talent that they're especially adept with. Some people are good with plants, for example, or animals, or building and creating things, or giving speeches and teaching... and some of us, of course, are just plain especially talented with magic itself," I preened, a hand on my chest. "Our capital city is called Canterlot, where Princess Celestia rules from her castle."

"Celestia..." The name danced on his tongue. "A name befitting a princess, I suppose... Canterlot, though, that sounds vaguely familiar for some reason..."

"There's other cities, too... Cloudsdale, Ponyville, Manehattan, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Trottingham-"

"Hold on... I'm sensing a pattern, here," he held up a hand, blinking in disbelief. "These city names, they're all... horse puns."

"Yea, uh... the horse is... seen as an auspicious symbol. Not quite everything and everywhere is named for a horse, but... well, most things are," I cringed. Sheesh, when you put it that way... Equestria does sound kind of ridiculous.

"Strange..." Sebastian hummed. I could feel a sense of mild confusion radiating from him, though it was largely overshadowed by sheer enraptured interest - so far, he believed me. "You say Equestria was hidden from the world centuries ago... would you be able to point the region out on a map?"

"I can try," I bit my lip as I conjured a world map, casting a Levioso so it hovered in midair. Looking it over I considered the basic geography of Equestria, and eventually settled for pointing at an area in northeastern Russia, in the middle of Siberia. "I'd say around there, I think... Canterlot is near the summit of a mountain."

"I see," he nodded, convinced. "How large a country would you say it is?"

"Hmm..." More consideration, more carefully-calculated white lies. "...Maybe half the size of Japan?" He nodded again.

"A decently-sized country... and what is Princess Celestia like?" I blinked uncomfortably, the words and the memories they spawned unexpectedly cutting through me like a Diffindo. I paused for quite a few moments while I searched my thoughts.

Well, she lied to me... unfairly banished and disowned me for trying to figure out what the deal was about that mirror...

"She's... a fine teacher. Extremely powerful - some of the populace is convinced that her magic is so strong, she can move the very sun and moon through the sky at her whim. But she's well-beloved by the people... seen as benevolent, merciful and compassionate." I didn't mean to trail off into silence... but Sebastian, sharp as he was, caught it easily.

"...But you've seen her behind closed doors, I assume? You've seen the true princess... the true her."

...

"I... sure have," I agreed hollowly. "I was her personal student... her protégé." 

"Huh... well, I suppose that explains why you're as skilled with magic as you are," he smirked. "Trained by royalty... lucky girl."

Yea... lucky... The memories of our fights - both during the trial and in reality, and of the words that were exchanged - seeped into my mind. "...It wasn't always as grand as you'd think it'd be," I glanced away, grimacing.

"Ah... sorry to have brought it up," he replied with a frown. "...We can set that aside for now if you'd like."

"Sure," I nodded stiffly. "Maybe another time."

"Understood." Without missing a beat Sebastian began talking about how he, Anne and Ominis had spent past Halloweens, and soon I'd forgotten all about my own past. We talked late into the night, eventually conjuring up a couple of couches to sit more comfortably on before dozing off.
> In Which Sunset Realizes Poppy Is Rather Unhinged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the school week passed by without incident, for once. As much as I enjoyed going on crazy adventures full of peril and destruction, having a bit of a breather was a nice change of pace.

Now that I'd brought it up, Sebastian was doing his absolute best to pester me with questions about Equestria. As much as I tried to keep my ever-growing list of half-truths and white lies organized, it was becoming slightly harder to explain certain aspects of my former life in a way that didn't sound totally insane. Cutie Marks were explained as a sort of personal emblem or crest that everyone designed for themselves, brought up when he asked about the recurring yin-yang sun motifs in my Room... I did not tell him they were really called Cutie Marks, because that'd just be silly. When telling him about our military forces, I had to explain the Wonderbolts as an elite band of dragoons that rode Pegasi rather than horses (nevermind the fact they actually were Pegasi). He asked if there were any neighboring countries that knew of their existence - I wound up explaining dragons, yaks, kirin and more as those such countries, all in the guise of humans, and all protected by the enchantment that kept them hidden away. What kept the rest of the world from discovering them was simply an illusion that created a barrier of impassable mountain ranges.

To my relief he ate it all up, not doubting me for even a second. And the more I told him, the more interested he became... it was slightly amusing to think of him becoming a pony if he went through the Mirror of Erised, looking down at himself in shock and surprise. I wonder what kind of pony he'd be? ...Probably a Unicorn.

When we weren't talking about that, I pressed him in return about his sister's curse. From what he knew, it was completely random when it activated, and Anne likened the pain to an acute tearing sensation that stretched throughout her abdomen, as though a hippogriff was repeatedly slashing her with its talons and reopening her raw wounds. She'd tried to continue her life at Hogwarts, but the flare-ups were just too painful and distracting for both her and her fellow classmates, resulting in her being sent home after only a few days with a modified curriculum for Uncle Solomon to teach her. Even the strongest sleeping potions couldn't keep her unconscious through an attack, and she'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming and in tears - he could hear her all the way from his dorm room when she was still at school, and it tore at him that he couldn't rush in to help her due to the anti-opposite-sex enchantment on the girls' dormitory entrance. Strange there wasn't such an enchantment on the entrance to the boys' dorms, though...

And even without Solomon's influence, the anticipatory dread of the curse flaring up again had ruined her mental state. Where there had once been a girl who sounded like someone perhaps even more fascinating than Sebastian - always pushing he and Ominis into late-night mischief and misadventures, tricking the underclassmen into repeatedly embarrassing themselves, and being a far more accomplished potion brewer than that imbecile Garreth - there was now a feeble shell, a pale imitation. She was always exhausted from not getting enough sleep, always wary and worried about the next time the curse would hit... and always whimpering in defeat while she waited for the agony to subside.

As much as she would reassure and reaffirm to Sebastian that there was no cure, and that she had accepted her fate... he knew it to be a lie, deep down. Every time he'd approached her with a possible treatment, a possible cure, her eyes lit up and a hopeful smile spread across her face. He knew she didn't wish to live this way forever, no matter what she or Solomon tried to tell him. Who in their right mind would?

And unlike his uncle, who'd stopped when the healers at St. Mungo's told him there was nothing they could do, he had tried nearly everything he could think of: from obscure potion recipes to chains of counterspells to rare reagents; a Shrivelfig had been one of the very first things he'd offered her. In the beginning Anne even helped him with his brewing, and tried to find a treatment herself, but he suspected that even after trying her best she'd simply become too discouraged to continue. He'd even resorted to researching Muggle medicines, as Muggle medical practices were a little too risky to attempt just yet... but so far he hadn't found any success, no matter what he tried. About the only field of magic left for him to thoroughly search was Alchemy, and he had already expressed an interest in taking the class next year with Professor Sharp.

He already knew the basics, but luckily for him I already knew Alchemy inside and out. After asking him where I could procure a full supply of elements, and buying most of said elements in Hogsmeade, I set aside a workspace just for the subject. There were a few I would have to somehow fuse myself, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that and I'd find a treatment without much difficulty. Imagine the things he'd be willing to do and tell me if I even found him a cure...!


~


Saturday morning, Sebastian and I were chatting about happier subjects as we had a leisurely breakfast. Towards the end of our meal, Natty and Poppy suddenly sat down at our table, opposite of us.

"Natty told me about what the three of you did," Poppy smiled. "I can't thank you enough for saving Highwing!"

"Oh, right," I recalled. "Threw a wrench in our plans, but everything worked out just fine."

"Poppy says she has news about the poachers, and that it may have to do with you," said Natty. Sebastian and I leaned in.

"I overheard them talking in the Hog's Head, and... did you know that they have orders from Victor Rookwood to capture you on sight?" Poppy frowned. A shiver of disgust rattled down my spine at the thought of that creep's grubby hands on me.

"I did not," I grimaced. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sebastian's face darken for a moment before returning to normal.

"Does this have anything to do with Rookwood and Harlow coming for you in the Three Broomsticks after the troll attack?" asked Natty.

"Probably does... Well, nothing I can't handle, especially with my personal bodyguard-slash-meat shield here," I smirked as I jabbed Sebastian lightly in the arm.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm... uncertain how I feel about that statement."

"Fair enough," Poppy shrugged. "But I hope you'll let me know if I can be of help, especially after what you did for Highwing."

I nodded. "Did you hear anything else about what they're doing?"

"Does the name 'Horntail Hall' mean anything to either of you?" Sebastian and I shared a glance.

"No... should it?" he asked.

"It's the poacher's best-kept secret, apparently. The name came up twice, but they never went into detail. I also overheard one of them bragging about all the gold they're making... at the expense of innocent creatures, undoubtedly," Poppy scowled.

"I see... so I'm guessing you and Natty want to look into it and break in, eh?" I suggested.

"Absolutely," replied Natty. "If this is how the poachers are making their money, then it would be good to disrupt their operations!"

"Would you two come with us? Everyone's talking about how you both saved Adelaide's uncle from a castle keep full of goblins, so a couple of poachers should be easy to handle," pleaded Poppy, her fingers laced together and eyes sparkling.

"They are, are they?" my eyebrows raised as I casually glanced over to Sebastian. "Well, I'm always up for giving them something else to talk about, what about you?" He nodded in agreement.

"Ah, going where we shouldn't... again," he grinned. "Let's see what we can find."

"Follow me," Poppy gestured as we all stood up. "The poachers spoke of an area in the western Forbidden Forest... I thought if we searched around a bit it might give us clues as to what they're doing." The four of us jogged out into the courtyard beside the Great Hall, pulled our broomsticks out of our pocket dimensions, got on and took off. After making sure that nobody had seen us, we followed closely behind Poppy as she led us over the forest, eventually landing in a small clearing after about ten minutes.

I noticed as I glanced around that other than the noises we were making, it was completely silent. A forest like this should be teeming with life, with singing birds and skittering rodents fleeing from our presence, and other dangerous beasts stalking through the underbrush as they kept an eye on us. But there was nothing, save for the wind rustling through the trees, dead leaves falling to the ground like a gentle rain.

"This way," Poppy waved, the rest of us falling in line behind her.  We walked down a well-beaten path, our heads on a swivel in case of any strange movements. The path gradually led us into a thick, dark copse.

Suddenly, I felt a pattering in the ground. If I were still a pony, my ears would've flicked in response. The pattering became audible moments later, and I stopped in my tracks just before the others did, staring at a moving shadow slinking closer and closer through the trees.

What soon came out of the forest was a creature I'd only ever heard about in myths back in Equestria - myths about half-equine beings with the body of a human, an unknown monster back home. His equine half was brown in color, the skin of his muscular torso a matching shade. He regarded us with wild, piercing eyes, one of his hooves pawing anxiously at the ground.

"A centaur," Poppy hissed, her hands gesturing downwards to keep us quiet and nonthreatening. "Tread carefully." Moments later a second centaur emerged, already reaching for the bow and arrows on his back.

"An entire castle to roam, yet you choose to wander here," the first centaur to appear growled, his voice low and dangerous. I couldn't help but let out a barely-audible whinny under my breath. To my surprise, both centaurs seemed to have noticed, and their faces grew but a touch lighter.

Perhaps my old pony instincts would serve me well in this situation.

"We do not want any trouble... we are simply passing through," said Natty, hiding a nervous swallow. The centaur let out a derisive snort.

"Do you take us for fools? That we do not notice more and more of your kind around here, in league with the poachers?" he snarled. I matched his snort with my own, drawing his attention.

"In league? If anything, we're going to take care of the problem ourselves," I glared up at him, matching my body language with the pony equivalent. The centaur regarded me coolly, and leaned back slightly.

"...I hope for your sake that is true. Our kind is swiftly losing patience with the poachers and those they work with." With that warning, the two centaurs turned around and left, disappearing into the trees as though they had been a mirage.

"Charming lot," Sebastian huffed.

"That could have gone worse," Poppy sighed as she motioned for us to continue on. "Centaurs aren't exactly fans of wizardkind, and the poachers aren't helping matters."

"But why would he think that we had anything to do with poachers?" asked Natty.

"I did notice the poachers talking with a few villagers in Hogsmeade, though I'm not sure why," said Poppy. "Perhaps that's why the centaurs are suspicious." We walked in silence for a few minutes, considering the thought. The path led us to a large clearing beside a pond, where a single deer was standing at the water's edge. Suddenly a dugbog sprang up from the depths and wrapped its tongue around one of the deer's legs. The deer squealed in a panic as it tried to pull itself away, but the dugbog was too strong. My lips thinned as I watched the creature pull its prey beneath the water like a crocodile, and a gush of red blossomed on the water's surface.

...Welp.

"It would seem that many beasts have been more aggressive than usual lately," Natty remarked, edging closer to Poppy.

"That's the third time I've seen a dugbog behave that violently," Poppy frowned. Past the pond another hundred feet, I could pick out the tops of some tents lining a short cliff, using it as a natural wall.

"There's a camp up ahead," I warned. All four of us cast Disillusionment on ourselves, and we approached with caution. However, upon entering the camp, we found that it was completely deserted. A number of cages had been left unlocked and open, a massive pile of animal pelts had been dumped onto the ground, and the remains of a fire smoldered lazily away in a rock-lined pit. Tankards and plates of mostly-eaten food had been left to sit out.

"Well... how anticlimactic," Sebastian grumbled as we canceled our charms. "Not a single poacher to be found."

"This is odd," Poppy hummed.

"We should search the area," said Natty. "If the poachers were here, then perhaps we can find out why." Taking care not to make a total mess of the place, we poked through the tents and leftover supplies. Though the camp was empty, there were definite signs that the poachers would eventually return. It wasn't long until Sebastian shouted that he'd found something leaning against a weapons rack.

We hurried over to him, and my eyes widened. Leaning against the rack was a large collar made from goblin silver, glowing a dark, violent red.

"I've seen one of these before," I breathed. "The dragon that attacked Fig and I on our way to Hogwarts was wearing a collar just like this."

"You don't think they're trying to catch more dragons, do you?" Natty blinked, alarmed.

"Let's keep searching... but carefully," Poppy swallowed. "Merlin only knows what's going on here." Just past the camp was the beginnings of a trail through tall grass, leading to a steep cliff and a blind corner around a rocky crag. Poppy led the way as we leaned against the brittle cliff face, shuffling our way past.

Suddenly though, a rock beneath her foot gave way and she lost her balance. Feeling herself falling she yelped in terror, her hands scrambling for something to hold on to. Sebastian and I both gasped as we awkwardly fumbled for our wands, while trying to keep our balance so we didn't fall, either.

I heard a grunt of exertion from Natty. We looked over to her and saw her left hand reaching out towards Poppy, fingers curled as though she was grasping something. More importantly, though, Poppy was no longer falling, but floating in midair.

"I've got you," she hissed, pulling her arm upwards with some difficulty. Slowly, Poppy floated upwards and onto solid ground about six feet away from us, where the narrow path around the crag widened up. I hesitated for a moment, unable to take my eyes off of Natty...

...She could use magic without a wand? That seemed incredibly useful! Of course I'd heard that students from Uagadou didn't use wands and never had, but she used one during all our classes together. I'd also heard wandless magic was supposed to be incredibly difficult to perform, even with saying the incantations while casting - I tried it once one afternoon, and even I found it to be challenging, only managing a Lumos as bright as a freshly-extinguished candle wick.

It'd definitely be worth it to learn... but it would definitely also take me some time to get down.

"Lucky you don't need a wand to perform magic," remarked Sebastian as we joined Poppy. Her hands were on her knees as she caught her breath.

"I'll never know why Hogwarts does not teach wandless magic," Natty shook her head with a sigh, walking over to Poppy. "Far more useful than silly wandwork. Are you alright?"

Poppy responded by suddenly wrapping her arms tight around Natty's neck. "Oh, I thought I was done for... thank you so much, Natty!" she panted into her shoulder. Natty blinked a couple times in surprise before shyly returning the hug, a slight smile on her face.

"Don't mention it," she replied. A moment later they ended their hug, and we resumed our journey down the path. Finally, I spotted something - a lone tent surrounded by trees, wagons and empty cages, situated on top of another mountain cliff. A bridge over a gap connected the cliff to another small camp below us, where a number of poachers were going about their business, likely serving as lookouts. Finally sensing some action, we lowered ourselves to the ground and hid in the grass.

"Definitely poachers," Poppy growled. "No creatures, though... so what are they doing out here?"

"They won't be happy to see us," whispered Sebastian. "How would we like to go about this, ladies? Disillusionment, or perhaps a less... discreet approach?"

"You know what I'd pick," I smirked at him. "Shock and awe."

"Sounds perfect to me..." Poppy grinned, a dark glint in her eyes. Before Natty could pipe up with her suggestion, Poppy reached behind her with her wand into her pocket dimension. She giggled as she swung her wand forward, a stream of maybe a dozen or so Chinese Chomping Cabbages soaring out from behind her and raining down on the unsuspecting poachers.

"What the-?!"

"Are those... cabbages?"

"AAAAH!"

The poachers began casting wildly at the surprisingly-agile vegetables, screaming in confused terror as they latched on wherever they could and began chewing viciously. Now that they were being used against actual combatants and not practice dummies, my eyes widened to see their teeth doing quite a frightening amount of damage. Blood splashed from their wounds as the cabbages ripped off scalps and swaths of skin and flesh, severing muscles and tendons and bones alike. Within a minute or so, every poacher was missing at least one limb, and a couple had passed out on the ground due to blood loss. Those still standing as the Chomping Cabbages rolled away sated were easily picked off with simple spells.

"Huh... they really are vicious little bastards," I chuckled, standing up once the last poacher was dead.

"Perhaps I should grow some of my own," Sebastian nodded in agreement.

"I always make sure I have a supply ready to use," shrugged Poppy. "Not only are they formidable in a fight, they're also delicious in Gran's stew."

"They are," I agreed, though a moment later I caught Sebastian shooting me a knowing smirk. "Er, I mean... they are?"

"Come, let us hurry before they notice their guards have been dispatched," said Natty. The bridge creaked under our weight as we jogged across, but no one else seemed to be around, and we stopped just in front of the entrance flap to the tent. Putting my ear up against it... I could hear many people cheering, and the roars of something huge.

"Something's going on in there... something with a lot of people and a huge beast," I warned.

"We should investigate," Poppy grimaced.

"Do you think one of us should remain out here to stand guard?" asked Natty.

"I can do that," Sebastian shrugged. "They'll never even know I'm here." A part of me hesitated at the thought, and I opened my mouth to object, but upon remembering both Poppy and Natty would be with me I closed it again. They would serve well enough as theoretical meat shields.

"Very well... let's go. In and out, twenty minute adventure," I motioned, casting Disillusionment on myself. The others vanished from sight as I pulled aside the entrance flap, hearing Natty's and Poppy's footsteps behind me as I entered.

I stopped rather quickly, though. I was entranced by what I saw.

"What in Merlin's name...?!" Poppy gasped as we stared at the tent's interior. Though it looked like it would only hold eight people at best from the outside, the inside had been charmed to become the size of a stadium. Past a short corridor directly in front of us, I could see bleachers crammed full of people, cheering wildly as something large flapped its wings in the center of the arena, followed by a burst of orange light and a roar.

A dragon flew upwards towards the ceiling and hovered before attacking its opponent. A red glow alerted me to the collar around its neck, as well as around the neck of the other dragon in the arena.

"Are those... dragons?!" Natty breathed in shock, the three of us canceling our Disillusionment charms once we were sure nobody was close by. Everyone I could see was firmly focused on the fight.

"It's a dragon fighting ring... this is Horntail Hall!" cried Poppy, a deep scowl on her face. "No wonder the poachers were in Hogsmeade so much, likely taking bets and spreading the word, given how crowded it is here!"

"Makes sense... many people enjoy illicit fight clubs, after all," I said.

"How could they possibly enjoy this...?" Poppy's fists curled and shook in anger. "The centaurs have every right to be disgusted by wizardkind."

"There must be more dragons here," said Natty. "The poachers are far too greedy to run a fighting ring with only two dragons."

"We should take advantage of most eyes being on the fight and look around," Poppy nodded, glancing towards me. "But be discreet... you especially can't afford to be spotted."

"They'll have far more to worry about than dragons if I'm caught," I shrugged as I recast Disillusionment on myself. Natty and Poppy followed suit, and we tiptoed down the corridor. The only path that didn't lead towards the arena was to our right, being watched over by a man standing guard by the entrance. I held out my arms so the two girls would knock into them, and whispered for them to remain still. Then I glanced over to the dragons with my wand trained on the man, waiting for an opportunity.

One of them roared loudly, and the crowd erupted with insatiable bloodlust. At the same time I Transfigured the man into a chicken, and I watched him cluck in confusion and scramble off towards the bleachers. The man closest to the entrance looked down for a moment while the chicken pecked at his shin, then picked it up and dropkicked it into the arena. 

That obstacle out of our way, we moved forward. The path to the right snaked around and underneath the bleachers, below the corridor we had entered from. To my surprise there were a number of goblins present, some watching the fight while others were playing cards around a table, talking idly about their rebellion. Another man stood guard at the other end of the room.

"Are you going to turn them into chickens, too?" Poppy whispered behind me.

"Only seems fair," I smirked, raising my wand. "Let's see how they like being a helpless beast." She giggled softly as I Transfigured the lot of them all at once, all of them clucking and cawing at their newfound predicament. I then waved my wand to grab them all up in my magic, then levitated them all into an open cage and locked its door shut.

"Doesn't surprise me that Ranrok and the poachers are working together," Natty sighed as we pressed onward. After taking a left we soon found ourselves in the back of the tent, where supplies and three massive cages sat on the floor below us. The way forward led to our right, but I could see and hear something through a gap in the wall up ahead.

We peeked through the gap, and gasped at what we saw. A huge black dragon had been chained to a small platform in a bowing position, its wings pinned to its sides by curved spikes and its mouth covered by a solid muzzle. It roared in pain as a group of poachers and goblins together beat it into submission with spells - large, bloody gashes had been carved into its head, neck and barrel, the center of its chest burned raw by a curse.

Seeing the poor creature like this... something so majestic being tortured by such fools... I felt a roiling sensation burning deep within my gut, growing in tandem with my anger.

"They must've only just captured her," Poppy remarked grimly. "She's putting up quite the fight."

"...Not for long, though, with her chained up like that," I growled.

"Let's even her odds, shall we?"

"I do hope you two know what you are doing," Natty hissed. "This is a dragon we are talking about! And a very angry one, at that!"

"You forget I faced one of these before, I know exactly what I'm doing," I replied, headed towards the door to the lower level. Opening it revealed a sort of office, perhaps where all the winnings were stored. Besides an open coffer full of Galleons, sitting in an open cage on a pedestal on the desk was a large, purple egg, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room and radiating heat like a campfire.

"Look, they've got a dragon egg!" Poppy whisper-shouted. "Hebridean, from the looks of it... we can't leave it here, not with the plans they likely have for it!"

"But what in Merlin's name are we going to do with it?!" Natty tried to argue, but Poppy had already taken the egg and spirited it away to her pocket dimension. With that resolved for the moment, we crept down some stairs and stopped just behind the corner that led straight to the dragon. Its roars, even louder than before, were growing strained.

That poor creature... how many had these poachers captured and forced to fight for them? The anger I felt transformed into a seething rage, foaming upwards in my soul like the head of a poured Butterbeer.

"Ready? The element of surprise will only buy us a few seconds," said Poppy.

"A few seconds is all I need," I glowered, my eyes focused on the poacher scum that kept striking the dragon. The roiling within me grew even stronger, almost overwhelming. Every nerve in my body suddenly lit up and tingled with power. My vision seemed to whiten slightly, as though the world was suddenly bathed in light.

A surge of magic began welling up like a rushing tide, drowning my very soul in its depths. My wand... my horn burned in my hand. Glancing down at it, I saw blue-white light ripple along its length.

Ancient magic.

Was it allowing me to tap into it? It was a question I would rather have answered through action.

A smile full of malice broke out on my face, and I began to stride towards the unsuspecting poachers. I raised my wand, feeling the surge within me rise into a fever pitch, threatening to bubble over like a boiling pot. My pace quickened, and soon I was charging towards them, my Disillusionment fading away, the poachers and goblins catching sight of me and recoiling in confusion.

I brought down my wand, and I screamed.

Within the blink of an eye, a brilliant blast of lightning erupted from the tip of my wand, crackling and blinding and molten. It struck the closest poacher square in the chest before chaining to the next closest one, then the goblin after that, and so on. They shrieked in pain, their bodies convulsing wildly as the lightning electrocuted the entire group.

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the lightning faded away. The villains all collapsed to the ground in smoking heaps.

"What was that?!" Natty shouted as she and Poppy ran towards me, their Disillusionment charms canceled. I turned back to face them, and they both skidded to a stop with a gasp.

"Your eyes...!" Poppy mouthed. "They're... glowing?"

"They are?" I blinked, the whiteness I saw fading slowly away. Poppy tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, they were," she frowned.

"I saw it too, but we don't have time to talk about this now!" yelled Natty. "We need to free her before more of them show up!" Poppy and I nodded in unison, and one Alohomora later the chain binding the dragon's head to the platform snapped into the air. Sensing its freedom, the dragon began to strain against the rest of its bonds with renewed vigor, causing not only the ground, but the entire tent to shake.

The three of us took a few steps backwards, only now fully realizing the danger we had gotten ourselves into. If and when that dragon broke free... it was going to be quite displeased to see us.

"This... might not have been the best idea," I admitted with a cringe.

"I suppose we'll find out," Poppy whimpered. More poachers began to Apparate into the room and surround us, all ignoring the raging beast just behind them... in favor of me. One in particular pointed his wand at me in a taunting gesture.

I wasn't scared, though.

Not of him or his friends, anyway.

He raised his wand to attack, just as the dragon broke free from its muzzle. Everyone turned to stare at the unchained monstrosity as it roared angrily at the ceiling, frozen in newfound terror. Then the dragon brought its face swiftly downwards, the poacher in front of me disappearing into its mouth with a scream. As if spurred into action, the other poachers began casting frantically at the dragon, who simply sat there and tanked the blasts.

Its eyes scanned the room, and for a moment our eyes met. I blinked, seeing wisdom and sentience within them.

The dragon opened its mouth, glowing orange and drooling lava. It swept its head in a wide arc as fire bellowed forth - Natty, Poppy and I enveloped ourselves in Protego shields, straining to keep them up while the poachers around us screamed in agony, their bodies blackening and shriveling. A wretched scent of charred flesh flooded my nose as their broken forms crumbled to the ground.

The air grew stiflingly hot. Glancing around, the tent had been set ablaze in every direction, flames licking upwards towards the ceiling. I looked over to my companions to see if they were okay - Natty was staring at the dragon in utter fear, but Poppy...

...Poppy was grinning like a maniac.

...

The dragon took two steps forward, looming over us. The flames were only just reaching the top of the tent, I cast a Confringo upwards to hurry it along. The explosion tore a hole above us, sunlight shining down onto the dragon, who looked up in response.

Its eyes lingered upon us for a few moments... almost as if it was thanking us.

And then, it opened its wings and flapped powerfully, nearly blowing us over as it took off out of the tent and into the sky. While Natty backed away before breaking out into a jogging run, Poppy watched the dragon disappear with reverent awe. Her reverie was soon broken by falling support beams crashing to the ground all around us.

"C'mon! We need to go!" I called out to her. We caught up to Natty, and together we raced out of the tent back the way we came, the entire place seemingly abandoned except for the straggling pops and cracks of the last to Apparate out. Sebastian was already a good distance away from the tent's entrance as we came tearing through.

"What in Merlin's name did you three do in there?!" he shouted.

"No talking, just running!" I shrieked in reply, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him along with me. We ran like mad over the bridge and down to the lookout camp before daring to stop. My hands clapped my knees as I bent over wheezing, and I glanced back up to the tent just in time to see it collapse.

We spent the next few minutes simply catching our breath. Poppy was the first to speak, her voice giddy with excitement.

"That was a Hebridean Black!" she grinned widely.

"Was that her egg, then?!" Natty gasped. Poppy only nodded as she pulled the egg from her pocket dimension.

"I don't think she knew they had her egg... she wouldn't have left without it."

"Wait a minute," Sebastian shook his head. "You three bloody lunatics not only freed a dragon, but you also pilfered her egg?!"

"Well, we weren't gonna leave it with the poachers!" I argued back. A few beats of silence followed, the gravity of the situation seemingly hitting us all at once. "Uh... what exactly are we going to do with it now?"

"I don't know," Poppy sighed. "Nothing about this day was expected, not the goblins and definitely not the fighting ring! The last thing I planned on was a dragon egg!"

"And the poachers saw us... that cannot be good," Natty frowned.

"We'll just have to keep the egg for now," said Poppy. "I'd much rather we have it than the poachers, but I don't think we should keep it indefinitely. It'll be hard hiding something like this from Professor Weasley for long."

No kidding.

"Can we discuss this at a later time? We're not exactly doing ourselves any favors by standing so close to the scene of the crime," Sebastian groused.

"You're right... if there's anything the poachers are good at, it's tracking their prey... and right now, we're it," Poppy swallowed.

"Let's get the hell out of here, then," I suggested, already hopping onto my broom. The others followed suit as I rose into the sky, and we made a beeline back to Hogwarts.


~


We didn't land until we were safely behind the castle walls, checking and double checking that we weren't followed. Once on the ground we headed inside, only stopping once we were alone in one of the many corridors. Before anyone else could speak, Poppy suddenly whipped around to face us, her face deadly serious.

"If you ever meet my Gran... this trip never happened." An innocent gaze that somehow still promised an unrelenting storm of retaliation swept over us all... I shivered as her eyes bored into my soul. "She knows how I feel about the poachers... I think she worries I'll do something... ill-advised."

"'Ill-advised'?" I repeated slowly, incredulously.

"Huh... whatever gave her that idea?" snarked Sebastian. "Well, don't be concerned on my account. I didn't see a thing."

"Neither did I," agreed Natty.

"I ain't no snitch," I shook my head. "Golden or otherwise." Poppy relaxed her glare with a relieved sigh, and giggled as she smiled happily at us.

"Good... good. Well, I'm going to find a place I can keep this egg incubated and undisturbed... I'll see you later, okay Natty?"

"Yes, of course," Natty replied, hesitating for a moment. Poppy grinned again as she turned to leave, humming to herself as she walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner. The three of us shared an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

...

...

...

"...I didn't expect any of that out of her," I frowned, blinking. "Did you guys?"

"Not at all," Sebastian slowly shook his head.

"I am unsure whether I am impressed by her courage, or terrified of her disregard for possibly being eaten alive by a dragon," agreed Natty. "...But I do admire her conviction."

"And I think she likes you," remarked Sebastian, smirking a little. Natty caught his gaze and looked away, her cheeks gaining a tinge of red.

"...It's not a bad thing that she reminds me of a crup," she hummed. "Cute and cuddly, yet ferocious towards her enemies."

"Heh, and she's a short little thing," I chuckled. Sebastian and Natty both snorted in amusement. "...But yea, remind me to never get on her bad side."

"Goodness, no," Natty shook her head quickly, along with Sebastian.

"Absolutely not."
> In Which Our Favorite Slytherins Find a Different Chamber of Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week went by in the blink of an eye. Thursday evening, I was studying alone in my Room, albeit not very well. I was... distracted.

Sebastian wasn't around, likely reading or hanging out with Ominis somewhere else, as he was wont to do. It was odd, but the dead quiet of the room was starting to get to me. As much as I liked studying alone and in silence, this was just too silent for my tastes.

Then I realized - if this really was my own palace, then wouldn't it make sense to have a band at my beck and call to perform for me? Some music would definitely liven the place up.

Of course... the only music I'd heard in this world so far was strictly classical in nature, no pop, hip-hop, rock or electronic music to be found. If I wanted to recreate the songs I'd grown fond of in Equestria, and sorely missed...

Immediately I set to work. First I conjured everything I would need - instruments both conventional and improvised, a phonograph, blank records. Then I reached into my pocket dimension for a couple particular reagents that would help with the process - multiple pieces of clear quartz. The largest one was flat in shape, with two seven-sided facets and triangular faces between them in a geometric combination of three and seven, and the rest had one large seven-sided face opposite a smaller triangular face. Such crystals were used back in Equestria to assist in enchanting various objects - nearly every unicorn had a set of their own, seeing how easy gemstones were to come by.

I bound one of each of the smaller crystals to each instrument, then magically tethered each of those crystals to the phonograph and placed a blank record under the needle. Then I set the largest crystal atop the phonograph. After this I sat down for a moment, sipped a Memory Potion from my collection and meditated, focusing on the music I wanted to remember, trying to recall every single little note, pitch, effect and lyric I could. Once I had a song in my mind, I pointed my wand at my temple and extracted the memory from my very brain, infusing the essence into the large tabular crystal.

A few seconds later the record on the phonograph began to spin, and the instruments began to play all on their own. I grinned with satisfaction as the song I'd remembered was etched into the record's grooves - sure, it wasn't a perfect match, having to rely on the primitive instruments of the current era, but a classical version of the song was better than nothing at all. After it had finished etching I played the record to test it out, smiling again as I found that it worked perfectly. I took another sip of Memory Potion and thought of another song, and repeated the process.

It was a strange sensation, removing a memory from your own brain... it felt somewhat like pinching a section of dura mater, or perhaps even a gyrus of my temporal lobe, then pulling gently as it stretched like taffy before eventually breaking away. The immediate absence of the knowledge of a song was jarring to experience, yet as soon as I heard the song being recreated by the instruments it was somehow like it had never left. Before I knew it I had filled up two records with music, and was working on the third when I heard the door to my Room open and close.

"Ah, I was hoping to see you... spare a moment?" Sebastian asked, walking towards me.

"Sure, one sec," I held up a finger as I extracted another song from my mind and infused it into the crystal. He watched with curious interest as the recording process repeated itself for me.

"What are you doing?"

"I was missing some of the music from my homeland... so I thought I'd recreate it to play again if I wanted."

"Interesting... I had no idea you knew so much about musical instruments," he hummed as a Sapphire Shores tune blared itself from the phonograph. "Didn't you tell me you don't even know how to play one?"

"That's right... it's more of a memory thing, if I'm honest," I shrugged, gesturing towards the crystals glowing with magic.

"A memory, you say? So your contraption works a little like a Pensieve... intriguing," he trailed off as he eyed the glowing crystals, watching them for a brief moment. "Hm, I can't say I recognize any of these melodies or rhythms, and I'd like to think I'm quite knowledgeable about the classics... how have I never heard of these before?" I hesitated as I considered the true reason, and pondered for a moment the best way to explain it to him...

A tangentially-related truth was the best I could come up with on such short notice. How else was I going to explain that Equestrian music was so incredibly advanced compared to this world, and we had things like autotune, electronic synthesizers and dubstep?

"...This is going to sound really stupid," I prefaced, "but where I come from... I dunno, it's like the entire country was cursed so that sometimes, one or more people will randomly break out into song and dance, with music playing out of nowhere and everything. And as annoying as it is... some of it was rather catchy."

"You're joking," Sebastian huffed in disbelief.

"I wish I were... not a single day went by without someone I knew suddenly singing a song and dragging the rest of us into it... Hell, it's even happened to me once or twice, and can you imagine me bloody singing?! You can also imagine how annoying it would be when you're in the middle of something important! Sometimes, I think the best part about being here is that nobody ever starts singing for no reason, unless they were hit with Cantis first."

"Well... can't argue with that," he agreed, placing his hand on his chin. "I doubt I'd appreciate suddenly being dragged into someone else's musical fantasy myself."

"I sure don't... Anyway, you said you wanted something?"

"Right. I tried talking to Ominis again about that scriptorium... I think I may be getting close to convincing him to tell me, but..."

"...But you still think you're a long way off," I finished the sentence. "What'd you tell him?"

"Well... I told him none of us will be able to avoid Dark magic forever, so the more we know about Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Arts, the better prepared we'll be in the future," he explained.

"Hmm... logical," my lips curled in approval. "And definitely true."

"I thought so. Unfortunately, only a Gaunt knows the location of the scriptorium's entrance, and he still won't tell me," Sebastian pouted.

"You'll never get him to spill at this rate," I groaned, rolling my eyes. Then I closed them while clearing my throat to refocus my mood, and the next time they flashed open it was with a devious grin. "Maybe he'll be a little more willing to share with me."

"You?" he blinked, silent for a moment. "...Well, I suppose it's worth a try, but don't get your hopes up. Ominis is annoyingly stubborn."

"Oh, believe me, Sebby, I can be... quite persuasive," I smirked, lacing my fingers together and latching on to his shoulder with my full weight. His cheeks burned a bright red as he cleared his throat nervously.

"I know where he is... he's wandering about the dungeons. I'll lead you to him, and then leave you to it," he replied. "Come on." I nodded, following Sebastian out of the room. Since it was just past 9pm, we cast Disillusionment on ourselves to avoid any early prefects patrolling the castle, only canceling the charms once we'd reached the dungeons - they were almost always deserted, as though nobody else liked being down here.

"Keep an eye out... never know who's watching. Although that hasn't stopped us before," he grinned.

"Well, I mean... if you want to get technical with it... you were totally caught red-handed," I grinned back. Sebastian let out a huff of laughter as he shook his head once.

"Damned poltergeist... Such a nuisance." We walked past the bathrooms and stopped when we saw a flash of pulsing red. Ominis was just down the hall, facing an empty wall. "There he is... good luck." I nodded once before quietly walking over to him, while Sebastian kept watch for any random wanderers. Ominis turned towards me as I approached, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What are you doing here, Sunset?"

"Ominis, hi," I replied with just a touch of cheerfulness - not enough to sound suspicious. "Do you have a moment?"

It didn't work... Ominis' cloudy eyes narrowed. Damn those enhanced senses of his.

"What is it? What have you and Sebastian been up to, now?" he drawled with a sigh. My carefully-calculated grin faltered for a split second, but only just.

"Nothing! I just... haven't seen much of you lately. We don't talk often, and I, uh... wanted to change that."

"Oh... I suppose that makes sense," he sighed heavily. "It's just that Sebastian's been pestering me lately about something, and I'm frustrated with him."

"Ah, I see..." I nodded knowingly. "He's still trying to get you to tell him where the scriptorium is, huh?" Ominis suddenly stood up stock-straight.

"He told you about that?!"

"Just the one time... we were talking about our House founder and he mentioned it. Wouldn't tell me much more, though," I lied.

"Yes, well... he seems to think it contains the answer to saving Anne." He paused for a moment to swallow uncomfortably. "...I think it's likely full of Dark magic that is better left untouched."

"You've never actually been inside?" I cocked my head.

"Of course not!" he recoiled. "I only know about it because of my favorite aunt, Noctua. She thought like I do... didn't agree with the family on the use of Dark magic. In fact, she'd hoped to convince my family that there was more to Salazar Slytherin than worshipping pureblood status. She'd heard of this scriptorium and thought its contents might shed some light on him... she even found the secret entrance, in this very corridor!"

I couldn't help but blink a few times. Wow... that was easy. 

"She wrote regularly to my father about her efforts to gain access... and then she simply vanished. No one else ever tried to enter," Ominis sighed, his voice growing quiet. This was my chance... while magic could solve many problems, sometimes carefully-chosen words were what you needed to get results.

"I see... I'm sorry about your aunt," I frowned exaggeratedly, trying my best to emphasize the nonexistent empathy I felt for him. "But don't you want to find out what happened to her?"

"Aunt Noctua went down this path with good intentions and lost her life... I don't want the same to happen again," he shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Well, now, we don't know for sure that she lost her life... Besides, you said your aunt thought like you. Going in there could honor her memory, get you answers about Slytherin, and Sebastian answers for Anne. It seems to me that your aunt pursued this alone... but we'll be together, and I won't let anything happen to any of us." C'mon... I'm running out of inspirational things to say.

Ominis hummed in thought, his scrunched face gradually loosening. Then, finally, he let out a hollow chuckle. "I see what you've done, here... and, I confess, you've convinced me... I didn't think it possible."

"So you'll tell him?" I smiled slightly.

"Yes... I shall tell you what I know. Fetch Sebastian, I'll wait."

"Cool," I muttered before briskly walking back down the hallway. Once I turned the corner I gave Sebastian a thumbs-up. He just stared at me and the gesture, confused, until I rolled my eyes, grabbed his hand and dragged him with me back to Ominis.

"I hope I- we don't regret this," he sighed as we approached. "These braziers grant access to the scriptorium."

"Now you'll share?" Sebastian frowned. "You wouldn't tell me when I practically begged!"

"It wasn't you who told me what I needed to hear," Ominis replied. "Now, opening the entrance has something to do with threes."

"Well, three heads are better than one."

"...It's 'two heads are better than one'."

"And by that logic, three is better than two," Sebastian quipped. "Simple mathematics, Ominis."

"You guys could quit flirting with each other and help me light the braziers all at once," I spoke up, having already located the three unlit braziers that sat just around the corner from each other, sticking out like a sore thumb.

"I can see why you fancy her so much," Ominis muttered as he cast a Confringo at one of the braziers, while Sebastian and I cast the spell at the other two. As soon as they were all lit a grinding noise came from behind me, and I turned around to see a segment of wall sliding away, revealing a hidden staircase going down. "I hope we're ready for this."

"We'll be fine," I reassured, glancing down the staircase. It didn't go down very far, ending in a hallway to the right. Sebastian smirked as he led the way.

"Dark, ominous corridors... my favorite." 

"...No comment." It took me a second before I got the joke, but once it hit me I couldn't help but giggle.

"Damn it," I hissed, shaking my head. Sebastian laughed too, but Ominis remained silent.

"Oh come on, that was a good one!" Sebastian argued, still snickering. The hallway was short, ending in a locked door. To the left was a ruined mural of some sort, most of it in pieces on the floor. Behind me I heard the wall slide back into place, the corridor immediately plunging itself into total darkness. Sebastian and I cast Lumos so we could look around; Ominis, of course, didn't.

A prickling dread crept down my spine. It wasn't so much that we were trapped inside some oubliette within the castle that made the hairs on my arms stand on end... it was the eerie silence of the room. If I'd thought my own Room was quiet before, then this was like one of those experimental anechoic sensory deprivation chambers back in Equestria. Everything seemed to sound muffled, throttled by the oppressive darkness, but if I focused for too long on trying to hear anything my ears began to ring, and I could hear my own heart beating. The air was damp, and cold, too... like the dead of night in the middle of winter.

Reparoing the mural uncovered a scrap of parchment that had been hidden under a piece of stone. Sebastian grabbed it and looked it over while I focused on the spell until it finished. "Gaunt...? Ominis, your family was here," he breathed. I glanced over to him when he didn't respond - he was facing the door, barely breathing. My lips thinned, and I turned back to the mural.

"Hmm... it's a mural of a person and a snake facing each other," I said out loud, mostly to let Ominis know. He bristled.

"That must be the voice I hear," he exhaled, his voice trembling. I held my breath as I tried to focus on the sounds I could hear in this hallway... but other than the breathing of my companions, I heard nothing. It had to be due to his remaining senses, enhanced by his blindness.

"You hear something?" I asked as I walked over to him. Ominis turned to me, his face paler than usual.

"The voice is ancient... sinister," he swallowed. "It started when you repaired that relief... I hear a whisper saying 'speak to me'." I listened closely again, and now could pick up on a faint hissing noise coming from the locked door.

I couldn't explain why, but once I heard it... my blood ran cold. My human instincts tried to reassure me it was nothing, but my pony instincts were begging me to run. "Th-That hissing means 'speak to me'?!" I shivered.

"I'm a Parselmouth," Ominis spoke quietly. "I can hear and speak to snakes... nearly all known Parselmouths are descended from Salazar Slytherin."

"I s-see... so that's a snake we're hearing," I tried my hardest to get myself together. "...Charming."

"It's not an ability I'm thrilled to have... Parseltongue is often associated with Dark wizards. I haven't spoken it in ages, but I'd wager if I speak it now, the door will open... I'm hoping you're having second thoughts."

"Second, third and fourth thoughts," I groused as I shook my head so quickly I could hear a rumbling in my ears. "But we should keep going... I can take care of a little snake if there's one hiding behind the door." Ominis barked out a hollow laugh.

"It's ironic... when I left home, I vowed to leave the Dark Arts behind... and yet, here I am. Stand back." I quickly scooted behind Sebastian while Ominis began hissing at the door. It wasn't like normal hissing sounds, however... it had a strange reverberation to it, like another voice was speaking with him.

I shivered again.

"You alright back there?" asked Sebastian, glancing back at me.

"That hissing... it just doesn't sound... right," I whimpered. The locked door glowed with a sickly green light for a brief moment, a pair of metal snakes twining themselves upwards and forming a circle that swung itself upside down. The door swung open... thankfully, there were no snakes behind it, but another corridor. "...At least it worked," I sighed, moving out from behind Sebastian and through the door.

"Between the two of you, I'm starting to feel left out," Sebastian pouted as he moved forward.

"...Between the two of us?" questioned Ominis, looking back our way. Before he could open his mouth again I shot Sebastian the dirtiest glare I could muster.

"I- ...never mind," he quickly said as he caught my gaze. Once we had all entered the next corridor the door closed itself and locked behind us. Our only hint at continuing on was a set of stone discs set on a dais next to one of the walls, thankfully with an unlit sconce beside it. Once I'd lit it, I saw that there were markings on the discs. The sconce also illuminated the rest of the area, where there was another corridor to the left with two openings, one blocked by a fully-closed portcullis. Another one blocked the way forward.

"Hmm... a puzzle, and no clear way out," I mused.

"Like a maze... Salazar Slytherin most likely wanted this to be difficult to solve," said Ominis.

"The door we came from... it closed. And there's more than one gate ahead," Sebastian remarked.

"Then look closely at each gate for clues," replied Ominis. I wandered around for a few minutes, checking the gates and memorizing the symbols engraved into the cold metal. I realized that they matched the markings on the stone discs.

"Ah, I got it, this is actually really easy," I grinned smugly. I returned to the stone discs and pushed them into the correct position, the markings matching those on the closest gate. I heard a portcullis rising and clinking into place, and I set off to investigate. There wound up being a couple more sets of stone discs to move into place to make the other gates rise out of our way - while I solved the puzzles, Sebastian and Ominis followed close behind, bantering with each other to keep the unnerving silence at bay.

Sebastian also seemed to find more scraps of parchment Noctua had left behind. They detailed the sense of dread, loneliness and distress she felt as she worked through the puzzles; she hadn't been quick enough to solve the stone dials, and had an effigy of a snake strike her more than once. Throughout it all, however, she remained resolute in her goal - to prove that old traditions should be left in the past. As he read them out loud for us, I could feel a faint sense of gratitude and sympathy coming from Ominis whenever he drew near... but also a sense of estrangement and anguish.

Finally, I set the last stone dials into place, and I heard the last portcullis scrape open. "Piece of cake," I smirked.

"Excellent work," Sebastian clapped me on the back. "We're another step closer to the scriptorium." As the dial had been positioned in a dead end, we backtracked to the gate that had opened.

Suddenly, a hint of a foul stench graced my nose. It was faint at first, but grew slightly stronger the closer we moved towards the gate. A cold chill shot down my arms as I, on some subconscious level, realized what it was.

It was confirmed once we reached the open portcullis. There was another corridor, a straight shot thirty feet down towards another locked door, flanked by marble statues of coiled snakes and unlit torches, thick cobwebs splayed between each and every one of them. And at the very end, to the right of the door, was a black mass.

"This looks troubling," Sebastian frowned as he stepped into the corridor, Ominis and I right behind him.

"This whole place is troubling," replied Ominis, his voice wavering. "But for my aunt's sake, we cannot stop now." No sooner did he finish his sentence that the torches flared to life, bathing the hallway in a sickly glow. The open portcullis slammed shut behind us.

"The gate! I think we're locked in... again," groaned Sebastian.

"Then Salazar Slytherin is not yet finished with us," Ominis gulped. 

We had no choice but to go forward. As we approached the door, the stench of death grew stronger. It wasn't until I was nearly stepping in it that I realized who it once was.

The mass was black from years of decay. Bones jutted out from it as though reaching upwards to the sky, for help that would never arrive. A skull sat at one end of it, the eye sockets nibbled on by rats or insects. It stank of rotting meat, of rancid fat, of mold and filth and dried, tangy blood.

And yet, a piece of parchment endured. With a grimace Sebastian used his wand to pull it free from the mass; a quick Scourgify cleared away the decomposition so we could read it.

I've lost hope. I'm locked in.
I heard a scream and saw the tortured faces.
The only way forward is with an Unforgivable Curse. Even if I wanted to cast it, I have no one upon whom to do so. Salazar Slytherin created a malicious challenge indeed.

In my last correspondence to my brother, I'd invited him here. Now, if he looks for me alone, I'll have led him to his death. Despite our differences, I wish him no ill. I wish we had parted on better terms.

There was no mistaking it. This was... what remained of Noctua Gaunt.

Just then, a piercing scream echoed throughout the corridor. I whipped around to face the door - the blackened faces carved into the stone were screaming in silence, their mouths gnashing and wriggling in absolute agony. A single word had been carved into the stone at the foot of the door...

...Crucio.

"This... is where she died... This is where we'll die!" Ominis wailed, taking multiple steps backwards away from the door. "I shouldn't have listened to either of you!" I didn't need ancient magic to know how desperate, how disgusted he felt.

"Ominis... I'm truly sorry about your aunt," Sebastian nearly whispered in a monotone. "...But I know what to do. It's going to be difficult."

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking... I hope we're both wrong," I frowned, glancing at the door before turning towards him. Nobody exactly wanted to be subjected to sheer excruciating pain, after all.

"Tortured faces on the door, and Crucio is etched into the stone..." he paused, swallowing hard. "My guess is that if we cast the Cruciatus Curse, the door will open... That's why Noctua died. She had no one to cast the curse on."

"Yep, I was afraid you were gonna say that," I sighed. Sebastian was silent for a moment, thinking.

"...Ominis has the most experience with this. He should cast it."

"You think he actually will?" I glanced over to him. "Given his whole 'my parents cast it on me as a child' backstory?"

"Will you ask him about this? I... admit I haven't been quite right to him, as of late." Despite the question, the look in Sebastian's eyes told me that this was likely a futile effort. I glanced back over to Ominis again, watching him pace nervously back and forth across the corridor, and sighed.

"Alright... but I really don't expect him to say yes."

"Neither do I..." Sebastian trailed off, glancing back to the door. I quietly walked over towards Ominis, who immediately whipped around to face me.

"All of this could have been avoided!" he cried.

"Ominis... I don't think any of us were expecting this," I held my hands up in front of me.

"Salazar Slytherin did... he's to blame for many unimaginable things," he glowered, then lifted his head towards me. "I overheard you and Sebastian, and I won't do it. The Cruciatus Curse is pure torture! ...I would know."

I felt a pang of guilt, my own among the hopelessness and fear Ominis was experiencing. "Sebastian... told me a little about that. What happened when you were a child." Ominis let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"I should've known he would've told you."

"Ominis... that wasn't your fault, it was either cast the curse, or face it again... maybe they would've cast something worse on you next time!" I begged him to see reason. "You had no choice!"

"One always has a choice," he shook his head, a tear dripping onto the ground. "I'm as guilty as the worst of my family."

"You are not guilty! You were forced to do it!"

"Unforgivable Curses won't work unless you really mean them! I had to want to cause pain! ...And for that, I shall never forgive myself." Growing more harried by his stark refusal, I wracked my brain for ideas.

Maybe if I phrase it right, he'd be willing to cast it on Sebastian, as revenge for getting us all into this mess? As soon as the thought entered my mind, however, my stomach curled into a painful knot. No, no... that wouldn't do.

For a brief moment, I considered using the curse on Ominis - he'd suffered through it once before, surely he could do it again! But I kicked the thought out of my mind almost as soon as it had appeared - how unbelievably evil and depraved would that be?! I might not be what I'd consider a paragon of virtue, if I was being completely honest with myself, but even I had my limits! My little heart wasn't quite that black!

...

...

...

...Not yet, anyway...

...No. That wouldn't do, either. But something had to be done. If one of us didn't cast that spell...!

"Ominis..." I whimpered. "...If one of us doesn't cast it... we're all going to die here." A sob wracked through his body, and he inhaled sharply through his teeth.

"...That spell's the reason I have no family left. You and Sebastian will need to sort out another solution." I sighed in resignation... there was truly no convincing him to cast one curse to save us all. Although I could understand where he was coming from... I also felt like I'd lost a bit of respect for him.

Those two warring emotions would have to be set aside for now. I wanted to live, damn it.

"...Fine." I left him to his frantic pacing and walked back to Sebastian. "Told you he wouldn't go for it."

"It was worth a try," he sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face me. "Ridiculous... as if dying in here is a better option than casting a damned spell."

"Hey, the poor guy had it cast on him by his own family, by people he should've been able to trust would never hurt him like that... It doesn't do us any good, but even I can see why he won't do it." I blinked at the sudden protective urge I'd felt, but quickly set it aside. There were more pressing matters at hand than an acquaintance's personal trauma.

"I know that..." he bowed his head guiltily. "...I just don't yearn to follow in Noctua's footsteps." I agreed, nodding halfheartedly... he was right. There was only one option left.

Well, two technically, but they were equally wretched. Sebastian let out another sigh, much deeper than the last. As much as I knew it was necessary... I wished it weren't.

Refusal. Bleakness. Horror. Remorse. Sebastian's emotions perfectly mirrored my own. The worst part about it was that I couldn't quite figure out why... they just did.

"...It's up to us. I can teach you Crucio... or I can cast it on you."

"You can teach me that?" My initial thoughts of pleasant surprise at the opportunity to learn an Unforgivable were immediately tamped down by the gravity of the situation, to the point I almost felt guilty about it. Normally I'd leap at the chance to learn a forbidden spell, and in this case, normally I'd cast it on him without a second thought! But... the more I pictured myself doing just that, the more I found myself hating the idea.

I found myself hating the idea of hurting him. Even though I would be right there to counter the effects as quickly as possible, and return him to perfect health... It made just as much sense as it genuinely puzzled me.

"I... don't know, really. You have to have true intent behind it in order for it to work... and frankly, I'm not sure I can muster up that intent." A pained look spread across his face.

"Me either..." I admitted. "I want to learn the curse, but... I don't really want to use it on you."

"I don't want to use it on you, either," frowned Sebastian. "But one of us has to take it. I will teach you, however... I trust you with this knowledge."

A blossom of flame enveloped my heart. It felt like a beacon of hope, however small. "Alright... teach me."

"Watch my wand movement," he instructed, drawing the tip downwards in a zigzag. Just a little more time was all I asked, time that neither of us would have to be subjected to pure agony. More time, so I could gather the inner strength to do what needed to be done.

My hand shook as I copied his movements, but I felt that I had it down after a few tries.

All I had to say, now... was Crucio.

...

...

...

We stared straight through each other in silence for what felt like an eternity. No matter how hard I tried to reason with myself, no matter what logic I used to convince myself that it was better he suffered the curse than me... it just felt so wrong to cast it on him. Sickeningly, shamefully, unforgivably wrong.

And yet, it had to be done. There was no getting around it if we wanted to survive. The rational part of my brain was getting irritated with my indecision, my unwillingness to commit. Finally, I grunted in frustration as I vigorously shook my head.

"Cast it on me."

"Are you sure?" Sebastian recoiled suddenly, blinking in disbelief. I looked away to the left, finding myself unable to meet his gaze for some reason.

"I... can't do it to you. So just... before I change my mind." His lips disappeared into his mouth as he inhaled sharply, then nodded in return.

"I shan't forget this," he grimaced. I hummed out a reply, then braced myself.

Damned brain, damned emotions... This was going to suuuuuck.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded stiffly, the dreadful anticipation gnawing at my heart like a trapped rat. A sourness formed within my throat. My mouth began to fill with saliva. Though he hesitated for a few moments, looking as though he'd suddenly become deathly ill, Sebastian closed his eyes in concentration and remained still for nearly a minute. His eyebrows slowly but surely knit together as his face twisted into a pained sneer.

He raised his wand-

"NAAAH!" I flinched. His eyes snapped open.

"I... didn't even cast it yet!"

"I know, I know... I'm not exactly looking forward to this, you know!" I snarked back in fear, then took a few moments to take the deepest breaths of my life to calm back down. "Alright... alright. Do it."

"Are you sure about-"

"Do it!" I shouted, clenching my teeth and squeezing my eyes and fists shut. Hesitating for a moment, Sebastian closed his eyes again. Another eternity passed by... the frigid, stale air full of tension, coiled springs that none present were able to see.

Finally, I couldn't keep my curiosity in check. I opened my eyes a sliver.

"S-Sebast-"

"Crucio!"

Red flashed in my eyes, and I keened. It felt like every single bone in my body had split in half lengthwise. I lost all control over myself; the one shred of conscious thought left in my mind knew that falling to the floor would hurt even more, and it did. The world exploded anew in utter agony.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I curled into the fetal position like a dead spider, thrashing, banging my head on the floor, screaming until there was no breath left in my lungs. The pain was somehow even worse than when I had transformed into a human - far, far worse.

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"Are you alright?!" I barely heard Sebastian cry out over the searing pain. It was all I could do to suck in a single breath.

"DO I LOOK ALRIGHT TO YOU?!" I shrieked, immediately regretting opening my mouth. My teeth felt like they had all been shattered with a hammer. My own voice threatened to make my skull explode. Even closing my eyes felt like my eyelids were being torn off. My face was wet with tears, snot and saliva, all pooling and congealing on the floor where I was unable to move, except to scream...

...

...

...

...I don't know how long I laid there, waiting for the pain to abate, in too much agony to even blink. I couldn't remember when my vision had become so blurry and dark, nor could I hear or even feel myself breathe. At some point in the hazy limbo I felt something rolling me onto my back, a line of cold upon my lips, and something poured into my mouth. My jaw was closed and my throat was rubbed, the instinct to swallow too strong to ignore. It was only then that the pain finally started to weaken into a more full-body numbing sensation, and I could taste again.

"...glad I had some on me..." My hearing and vision returned, but I could only bring myself to move my eyes. Ominis and Sebastian were on their knees on either side of me, Sebastian holding another bottle of Wiggenweld potion. "Sunset... can you hear me?"

It took a few seconds for the words to register, but I nodded... barely. Sebastian and Ominis both sighed in relief, the former slowly administering the rest of the potion while the latter lifted my head up for me so I wouldn't choke. Even with a couple of potions, it took me a few minutes to recover enough to sit up.

That had hurt so bad... no wonder Ominis had been so reluctant to cast it. The empty numbness that spread throughout my body slowly but surely heated back up into a simmering rage. A few months ago, I might've returned the favor... hell, I was awfully tempted to do so even now.

But the feeling of something warm wrapping around me banished the thought from my mind. I blinked a couple times, unsure of what I was seeing.

The sensation was coming from Sebastian's arms. I sat there for a few moments, letting him hug me, completely befuddled.

He said nothing, only breathing quickly and heavily... but I could feel what he would've said otherwise.

REGRET. REGRET. REGRET. REGRET.

The emotion rang painfully in my ears, and didn't begin to fade until I weakly, gingerly raised an arm and patted him on the back, each pat setting off pins and needles in my palm.

"I'm... alright... you can... get off me now..."

"I'm so sorry," he gasped as he let go... I found myself strangely missing the warmth. "I should've taken the curse... that looked absolutely ghastly!"

"Now you know why I'll never cast it again," Ominis replied plainly, quietly. His eyes were cast downwards, full of guilt. I willed myself into standing up - still feeling a bit woozy, I pulled out some Wiggenweld potions of my own from my pocket dimension and gulped them down. It took three more of them before I was feeling close to 100% again.

"...What's done is done," I spoke as I wiped off my face. "It worked, I hope?"

"It did... the door melted into the floor," Sebastian gestured. The door of screaming faces had indeed vanished, revealing a circular-shaped room inside, filled to the brim with dusty books and scrolls. There was a large crest of an old, bearded man hanging over a desk, set over a background of snakes. "We've made it... we found Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium."

"Ah... fantastic," I exhaled, a smirk returning to my lips. "Let's go inside."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sebastian asked as I walked through the threshold.

"I'm fine," I reassured, staring perhaps a little harsher than intended into his eyes. "...We did what we had to do." He hesitated, but ultimately seemed convinced, nodding once before breaking off to explore.

"I can't believe we're here," Ominis breathed as he waved his wand around. The scriptorium was of a decent size, with twin staircases leading upwards to a smaller room. We wandered around for a few minutes, I myself reading the spines of various books and spiriting them away to my pocket dimension. Such knowledge that had been forgotten about for Celestia-knows-how long... I'd be a fool not to take advantage of this opportunity!

But one book I came across stood out in particular. This book was well worn, not from age but from use. It was covered in a threadbare green velvet, with a black leather snake stitched to the front. As I picked it up, I felt a strange sensation emanating from it... something dark and mysterious.

Books that radiated energy like this... they held the most interesting magic of all. "Ooh... now this book seems interesting," I mused.

"You found something?" Sebastian poked his head out from the upper floor.

"You two go ahead, let me know what's in it," Ominis said as he continued examining the room with his wand.

"May I have a look?" I leapt up the stairs two at a time, and handed the book to Sebastian. He opened it and began thumbing through the pages, his eyebrows raising until they were nearly off of his face entirely.

"Well?"

"Looks like a spellbook of some kind... this is incredible!" he beamed. "A Hogwarts founder's possession! What an honor!"

"What'cha gonna do with it?"

"Psh, what I do with every book... read it," Sebastian waved a hand. "Having professors as parents ingrained that habit early on."

"Professors, huh?" I grinned. "Nerd."

"I... don't know what that means?" he raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to assume that it's a good thing."

"...Never mind." I shook my head in annoyed resignation. Evidently, it would seem even simple slang terms and gestures hadn't been invented in this world yet.

"At any rate... I can do that later. For now, I say we explore this room. It's breathtaking!"

"Uh, I've been getting an uneasy feeling about this place," Ominis drawled from the stairs, coming to join us. "We shouldn't linger here... let's find a way out, please."

"What? But we just got here!" I argued back, growing more than irritated by his cowardice. "I didn't get hit by a Crucio just to leave this place after five minutes!"

"Please... I-I can't really explain what it is I feel, but... it's not good," he insisted. Sebastian let out a half-groan, half-sigh.

"I don't want to leave... but I owe you. Both of you," he smiled at me. "Without either of you, we'd never have made it this far."

"We were lucky! We could have died! We must swear never to do this again!" exclaimed Ominis. Sebastian and I exchanged a look, which quickly grew smug.

Like hell we weren't going to do this again.

"...Sebastian? Sunset?!"

"Fiiiiine..." I groused. Ten minutes of searching later, after I had looted every single book I cared to from the shelves, Sebastian discovered that a strange clay figure in the back of the upper room could spin around, opening a section of the wall behind it. I recognized the hallway beyond immediately, being straight across from the Slytherin common room entrance. As soon as I'd said so, Ominis went through it without a second thought. Sebastian and I followed after him, finding him pacing wildly in front of the common room's doors.

"Ominis... about your aunt-"

"Please, Sebastian..." Ominis sighed wearily before raising his voice. "I meant what I said before. We swear, right now, never to engage in anything to do with Dark magic again!" Sebastian and I exchanged another glance... though his face was serious, I could see the rebellion in his eyes. He was absolutely going to do this again.

And so was I. This was where the good magic could be learned, after all... who knows what secrets the darkest of the four Hogwarts founders had kept for himself?

"Fine," I stated, holding up my crossed fingers while grinning. A smile broke out on Sebastian's face for a second before he willed it away.

"Understood... I'm truly sorry about your aunt, Ominis," he spoke calmly. Ominis was silent for a few moments before bowing his head.

"...I suppose after all this, I'm grateful to know what happened to her. Thank you," He smiled sadly. "...Now, if you two don't mind, it is time for me to retire for the night. Please, stay out of trouble." And with that, he moved towards the wall that held the common room's entrance, spoke the password and disappeared through the doors.

"What a shame," Sebastian sighed, glancing back at the wall where the scriptorium lay. "Although I did see you take a number of those books. I'm sure they'll come in handy."

"I was thinking it'd be good to take them, in case we never got the chance to return," I shrugged. "I'd rather not have to suffer that curse again if I don't need to."

"About that... are you sure you're alright?" he slumped a little, face fraught with as much worry and guilt as I could feel. "The Cruciatus Curse seemed to affect you far more than I'd hoped... I-I've never once wanted to harm you-"

"Save it," I shook my head, holding up a hand. "I know you didn't want to do it. We didn't have a choice." Despite my words, Sebastian didn't look at all convinced... and strangely, I didn't like how it made me feel.

It hurt seeing him like this.

"...Alright," he finally agreed, staring at the floor. I grimaced as I looked at him, feeling my own sense of guilt worming its way through the bottom of my heart. Though we'd accomplished what we'd set out to do, it came with a rather uncomfortable price... to each of us, it seemed. Hopefully it'd seem less distasteful after a good night's sleep.

Speaking of which...

"Hey... you should probably go see if Ominis is okay," I suggested. "Reliving the disappearance of his aunt, finding her body... the whole Unforgivable curse dilemma... he could probably use a kind word right about now."

"You're right," he nodded sadly. "I never meant to cause him such anguish... But I needed to know if there was anything inside the scriptorium that might help Anne. I- ...I will apologize to him."

"I get it," I faintly smiled. "I'll start going through what I grabbed and see if any of it will help us. You two have a chat and make nice with each other."

"Right... thank you, Sunset," he looked up at me, a strained but genuine smile across his face. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow... goodnight."

"'Night, Seb," I replied with a little wave, watching him turn around and disappear through the doors to the common room. As they closed and vanished I let out a heavy sigh, weighted down by intangible emotions.

"...See you tomorrow."
> In Which Sunset Decides That Maybe One More Acquaintance Won't Hurt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I spent the entire weekend organizing and researching the books I'd taken from the scriptorium, and I was both glad I got to access it - deadly torture dilemma notwithstanding -  and annoyed with Ominis for making us leave so soon. All of them were so fascinating, so full of lost and forbidden information! ...Unfortunately, they were all in ancient dialects and old alphabets I didn't quite know how to read yet.

But the library had books on translating the words, and Sebastian was more than happy to share his knowledge of both Ancient Runes and Ancient Studies with me. The more I worked at it, the more I understood for myself. Two of the old tomes in particular quickly stood out as both super useful and incredibly interesting - one was a guide on how to create and modify existing spells (a far more complicated undertaking than doing the same with Equestrian magic), and the other was about the medicinal and alchemical properties of Dark reagents.

The latter of these tomes was what I primarily focused on... and by Monday afternoon, I had read through the entire thing thrice. It turned out that it had been a grand idea to explore the scriptorium after all, as the ideas suggested within were exactly what Sebastian was hoping for! All he needed now was someone skilled enough to brew such a potion... and I fit that bill to a tee. I couldn't help but grin confidently with optimism as he jogged into my Room to see what I'd found.

"I've got some good news - I think I can make Anne something that'll help keep the flare-ups of pain away. Now, it's not a cure, mind you-" I held up my hand before he could interrupt, a smile already beaming from his face. "...But it's a start."

"Even just something that will keep the pain away will help tremendously... I cannot thank you enough!" he gasped happily.

"Well, don't thank me yet... first I gotta actually make the potion." Sebastian nodded quickly; I began asking him a long list of questions that would help me determine what reagents I'd need - specific questions about how exactly the curse affected Anne, possible correlations and causations he might've noticed, and more general things like allergies or contraindications. Once he'd told me everything he could about the curse and his observations, I first spent about fifteen minutes writing down various calculations and equations on a conjured chalkboard, then after thoroughly checking my work I gathered a collection of ingredients that directly countered every sign and symptom he'd described, as well as other ingredients that would either boost their effects or allow them to combine beneficially.

I juiced some Shrivelfigs until I had a quart of purple liquid, then I combined it with a quart of alcohol in the cauldron. To that I added five drops each of Alihotsy, Dittany and Fluxweed essential oil, a quarter cup of Boom Berry juice and a single drop of Re'em blood. I brought the solution to a simmer, then after it had boiled down by about a third I added two tablespoons each of ground lavender and borage flowers, and a tablespoon of powdered porcupine quills. Next came some reagents from Dark creatures that I'd stolen from Professor Sharp's office beforehand - three Grindylow fingers, a strip of cloth weighing five ounces from a Dementor's cloak and an ounce of Rougarou hair, and after that I added a square quarter-inch each of pure lithium and magnesium, a cup of a solution of one gram of iodine dissolved into exactly 1280 milliliters of water, and a teaspoon of Moondew.

Once the Moondew had fully dissipated the brew within changed to a pleasant lilac color - though I smiled at the progress I was making, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. What I'd created would only reduce the pain by a small amount, and that simply wasn't good enough... it needed something more. Something to give it more oomph.

...

...

...

"...Aha!" I snapped my fingers, then picked up my wand and cast a stasis spell on the potion, freezing it and the brewing process in time. "That will totally work! Heh, I'm such a genius, I scare myself sometimes."

"What will work?" Sebastian asked as I reached into my pocket dimension and pulled out a plain piece of quartz. I held it up to the light to ensure there were no flaws inside - it needed to be perfect for what I intended to do.

"A sort of reagent from my homeland, called an Umbrum Crystal. It's a pure black crystal that completely negates your ability to use magic if you're... er..."

Well, if one gets embedded into one's horn, but since we're not unicorns...

"...wounded with one."

"It can negate magic?" he repeated, a mix of scientific interest and extreme caution on his face.

"Yep. Thing is though, they're usually pretty hard to come by - you can only find them in the Frozen North, where the Crystal Empire used to be."

"Crystal Empire? Were they once a part of Equestria?" I nodded.

"It's an old myth... I bet you want to hear about it?"

"Of course," he shrugged, pulling up a chair and making himself comfortable. "The tales you tell of your homeland are always so fascinating."

"Alright. So, over a thousand years ago, the Crystal Empire was a sort of enclave country within Equestria's borders. It was ruled by King Sombra, who was a cruel and sadistic tyrant. His magic was so Dark and great that he bent the wills of all of his subjects to do his bidding."

"Really...?" Sebastian's lips thinned as he stared at the floor in deep thought for a moment.

"Of course, when word of his evil deeds reached the princess of Equestria, she gathered her army and surrounded his lands, demanding the release of his subjects and for him to step down from the throne. He resisted, and a terrible battle ensued - he sent countless numbers of his own subjects to their certain deaths, controlling each and every one of them as though they were mere puppets."

"Incredible," he breathed, still looking like he was pondering something.

"Eventually, the princess and her armies prevailed. But just as she was about to bring Sombra to justice, he cast a final spell: one that banished himself and the entirety of the Crystal Empire to the aether. It was like he was there one moment, and then everyone and everything vanished the next. The princess was left standing on top of a snowdrift, as though it was all an illusion."

"I see," he mumbled, sitting up straight. "So are these Umbrum Crystals perhaps a form of solidified Dark magic?"

"Exactly," I grinned. "Now, I said these were hard to come by, but Celestia had been studying them for... many years." Hmm... I know there's that alchemist Flamel that's like five hundred-something years old, but something tells me he wouldn't go for Celestia being over double that age. "She actually found a way to recreate them herself... and, of course, I snuck a peek at her research."

"So you know how to create one of these crystals?" he blinked.

"I think so... it does require quite a bit of Dark magic, though." I set the piece of quartz down on the counter beside the frozen cauldron. "You should probably stand back a little." Sebastian quickly stood back up and moved to the opposite side of the room as I pointed my wand at the crystal, and focused on the forbidden incantation I'd committed to memory so long ago.

My vision doubled slightly, afterimages appearing in shades of red and green. I could feel a gentle, breezy sensation just below my eyes - wisps of purple smoke were radiating from them. It didn't concern me much... a pony's eyes tended to change drastically when using and channeling Dark magic. During the process I stole a glance at Sebastian, who looked entirely unnerved as he watched me carefully.

"Er... why are your eyes doing that?"

"Don't worry about it."

The clear piece of perfect quartz grew darker and darker, until it was as black and opaque as a piece of coal. Satisfied with the result I shook away the Dark magic's influence, my eyes returning to normal. I aimed carefully with my wand and sliced off a crystal shard with a laser-like Diffindo, then I canceled the stasis spell and levitated the shard into the cauldron. A puff of black smoke belched from within, and as I leaned over to examine the results I found that my reflection in the liquid was pure black.

"Perfect." Some boiled Flobberworm mucus and imported star grass wasanbon sugar for texture and flavor, and it was ready to decant. The potion seemed to swirl within the bottle all on its own like a slow-motion whirlpool. "Here we are... if my calculations are correct, and they always are... this should both drastically lessen the frequency of the curse's flare-ups and significantly dull their pain."

"This is fantastic," Sebastian breathed as he carefully, gently took the bottle from my hand. "After all this time... Uncle Solomon was wrong. Anne can be helped!"

"And she can, and will be cured," I smirked confidently. "Now, I'll accept my payment in the form of secrets, spells or Galleons, thank you," I held out my hand with a mischievous grin.

"Ha... I'll certainly have to find something quite special to repay you," he replied, the beaming smile on his face as bright and warm as the sun. He even looked to be on the verge of happy tears. "Thank you so much, Sunset... I am forever in your debt."

Gratitude. Elation. Hope. Adoration. Feeling the emotions radiating from deep within his soul filled me with a pleasant, tingling warmth far stronger than what I had felt before. It buzzed within my veins and pulled me upwards as though I was floating... the feeling was intoxicating, bordering on addictive.

I wanted more.

"Oh, I'm just getting started... if you're already in my debt forever, then what will you give me when I find an actual cure?" I chuckled. Sebastian laughed as well.

"Not sure... but I'll definitely make it worth your while."


~


The next morning, Poppy swung by the Slytherin table to let me know that she and Natty wanted us all to get together at the Three Broomsticks after classes were over. While I agreed to meet them there, Sebastian bowed out so he could personally deliver my medicine (dubbed Umbrum potion) to Anne - she had written him that Solomon would be gone during the afternoon for their weekly shopping trip. I caught him in the grounds by the entrance just before he took off, making sure to remind him to tell her just who rightfully deserved the credit for her soon-to-be-improved health. He laughed and waved, and after he'd disappeared into the horizon I moved past the castle walls and teleported to Hogsmeade.

A few minutes later I walked into the warm, welcoming tavern. Sirona pointed me towards Natty and Poppy, seated at a table near the hearth. Beside a couple tankards of Butterbeer, there were also some papers scattered about on the table. They were all smiles as I approached.

"Hey, guys," I waved.

"Hello, Sunset, look at this!" Poppy beamed as she shoved a piece of paper in my face. I took it from her and looked it over - it was an advertisement for a gala to be held in the town square on Christmas Eve, which was seemingly this world's equivalent to Hearth's Warming Eve.

"The Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala?" I mouthed, feeling my heart drop. If it was anything like the Grand Galloping Gala back in Equestria... ugh.

"Yes! It's so much fun... there's music and food and refreshments, and everyone dresses in their finest and dances the night away in the town square!" she gushed. "It's been held every year since they stopped holding the Triwizard Tournament in 1792, the Yule Ball along with it."

"Ah, yes... the Cockatrice Incident," Natty nodded knowingly. "Part of me wishes they still held the Triwizard Tournament... it was a series of three most dangerous tasks, with one champion each from Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons... so exciting," she grinned wistfully.

"That does sound pretty awesome," I mused, tilting my head as I considering her words. The prizes - and prestige - that must've followed after winning the tournament must've been seriously enticing... definitely something I could see myself participating in, and winning, of course, without much effort.

"Oh, but the Gala is even more exciting!" Poppy insisted. "Every couple in the school attends the dance, and it's lit up so beautifully, and the adults never care to stop the students from drinking the Firewhisky eggnog... Actually, um... would you like to go to the gala with me, Natty?" she asked quietly, a shy grin on her pinkening face. Natty's cheeks flushed as she stared at her in surprise.

"I... well, yes, I'd be happy to," she stammered a couple times before answering, smiling bashfully.

"Ah, wonderful!" Poppy shook her fists beside her gleeful face. "I can't wait already! ...And, I'll bet I know who you'll be attending the gala with," she grinned slyly at me.

"You... do?" I blinked. "Eh... galas aren't really my thing."

"Oh, but you and Sallow are quite the couple, aren't you aware?" Natty smirked.

Wha... Sebastian?

"...We are?" I blinked again.

"You and Sebastian are thick as thieves these days," nodded Poppy. "I can't even remember the last time I saw either of you not around the other."

"I... see..." I stared down at my drink. Did we really hang out together that much?

"Half the school is already convinced the two of you are courting," added Natty. "You have made a number of my other friends quite jealous." My ears tried to flick in response... my contentious, competitive nature wanted to rear its head.

Jealous, eh? Well, then... sucks to be you, bitches. "Is that so?" I masked my ambiguous feelings with a smirk. Seeing the both of them nod in agreement caused a strange feeling of accomplishment to bloom within me. I unquestionably had perhaps one of the most powerful and intelligent fellow students of mine as... well, mine. And I never wanted what I couldn't own.

As I lingered on that thought, however, something twinged inside of my heart. Something like a shushing kick when the person next to you wouldn't shut the hell up, or even...

...a mild pang of guilt.

...

...

...

...Did I actually feel guilty about thinking of Sebastian like a possession? A tool? A means to an end? The more I reflected on it... I found myself wanting to agree, and imperceptibly shook my head in annoyance.

These Celestia-forsaken emotions really got on my nerves, sometimes... making me think too hard about things I didn't really want to think about. Best to change the subject.

"So... I doubt you asked me here to just talk about Christmas plans?" I asked finally. "What did you guys really wanna talk about? Like maybe what we're gonna do with that dragon egg we took?"

"Don't remind me... the thought of that tent still makes my blood boil," Poppy scowled. "I've been thinking about those poor dragons in the fighting ring... the goblin silver collars they were wearing. I've never known poachers to use anything like that before."

"The dragon that attacked Fig and I's carriage on our way to Hogwarts had one on... and Fig couldn't make heads or tails of why it attacked otherwise."

"That attack always did strike me as a little strange, seemingly coming out of nowhere," nodded Poppy.

"Surely you are not suggesting that the collars somehow control the poor creatures!" Natty gasped. I nodded grimly.

"Merlin... I don't think the dragon we set free was wearing a collar, but we should check," said Poppy. "And, if we can find her, we can return her egg."

"Right... just one little problem with that plan," I winced, gesturing with my fingers. "How do you suggest we find her, let alone return her egg without getting burned alive and eaten?"

"Leave that to me," Poppy placed a hand on her chest. "...There was something else that I wanted to discuss with you... I didn't want to press it, before."

"Shoot."

"Well... may I ask why Victor Rookwood is after you?"

"Oh, is that all?" I replied with a tinge of disappointment... I'd already told Sebastian and, to a much lesser extent, Natty... might as well let Poppy in on the secret, too. "He's working with Ranrok, and they both want something I found in Gringotts. It's... a long story, and Fig didn't want me telling anyone about it, to be honest."

"Goodness," Poppy blinked. "Well, that certainly helps to shed light on what we saw at the tent... don't worry, I'll guard your secret as if it were my own."

"As will I," Natty nodded. "I will not press for more details... in fact, the three of us should be headed for Lower Hogsfield. I have learned of a wizard who is being harassed by Harlow, he may be able to provide the evidence we need to take him down. We should speak with him together."

"More evidence, huh?" I tilted my head. "What about the letter you stole from him?"

"Officer Singer thanked me... but she clearly felt that it was not enough," she frowned. "When I took the letter to her, she told me about a Mr. Bickle. He is doing the same thing we are - providing her with evidence. The sooner we speak with him, the better... we will need something more to get Singer to act," Natty sighed. I groaned with irritated resignation... seems like law enforcement procedures were just as slow here as they were in Equestria.

"Figures... probably wants to make sure the case against him is airtight first," I grumbled. "But that always takes forever, while the criminal gets to run around and cause even more damage."

"It is a shame that hippogriffs cannot speak... Highwing could provide all the evidence against Harlow that we need."

"Oh, Highwing told me all about it," Poppy shook her head angrily. "The things he's done to poor creatures... absolutely sickening!"

"Right," I hummed, standing up. "Well, let's head over there now."


~


It was a short flight to the hamlet at the foot of the hill Hogwarts sat upon, on the shores of the Black Lake's southernmost tip. We landed in the center of a ring of quiet stone houses. I couldn't quite place it, but... something didn't feel right. Hardly anyone was around, even the traveling merchant a couple hundred feet away seemed apprehensive and on edge.

"Is this Mr. Bickle's home?" Poppy asked as Natty started towards one of the small abodes.

"I believe so," said Natty. Before Poppy and I could even take one step towards the house, a woman burst out from the front door. Her hands and sleeves were covered in blood, her hair was disheveled and her pale, wet face looked like she'd been crying for hours.

"Where are you, Archie?!" she wailed, her eyes frantically scanning the village.

"Are you alright?" Poppy gasped fearfully.

"We are looking for Mr. Bickle," frowned Natty. The woman froze, and her wild eyes locked themselves on our faces.

"My husband... is dead!" she shouted in anguish. "He killed him!"

Oh, no... there goes that plan. "Who killed him?" I prodded.

"Theophilus Harlow! I'm sure of it!" Mrs. Bickle sobbed. "He's been threatening my husband for weeks, and... Where is my son?! Where is Archie?!"

"I'm sure he must be around somewhere... when did you last see him?" asked Poppy. Mrs. Bickle sucked in a labored breath to calm herself enough to explain.

"Archie was home with his father while I was out... his satchel's missing. Hopefully he's just gone wandering, as he's prone to do. I hope he wasn't here when Harlow... when my husband..." She choked out another pained sob.

Harlow killed Mr. Bickle while his own son watched? What kind of monster...?!

"Do you know which way he might have gone?" I stared forward, trying not to allow her cries to affect me. Mrs. Bickle took a few more seconds to recompose herself.

"...He has a little hideout in the forest south of here, along the road," she whimpered. "He never wanders far, but if he witnessed Harlow doing something to his father..."

"Why... Why would Harlow have killed your husband?" Poppy mumbled quietly, her hands over her mouth.

"He was looking into Harlow's dealings and discovered some of what he's been up to... I begged him to leave it alone, but he... he was c-convinced that...!" Overcome with sorrow, Mrs. Bickle broke into another chorus of bitter sobs. Painful anguish flooded into my soul, nearly forcing tears from my eyes. A vindictive, protective urge walled it up in response, and I sucked in a deep breath to steady myself.

"...We'll find Archie," I glared. Natty and Poppy nodded in agreement, determined looks on their faces.

"Thank you... I'm afraid to leave, in case he comes back home," she shook her head miserably. "Oh... what am I going to do...?" While she fretted and sobbed, we set off down the path she had pointed out.

"A shame... I had hoped to speak with Mr. Bickle about what he had found, but... we were too late," Natty lamented.

"Harlow's going to pay for what he's done," I growled. We followed the packed dirt road south out of the hamlet, the fields slowly becoming choked with bushes and trees. It was only about five minutes before unnatural colors caught my eye. To our right was a simple tent crafted from a faded purple sheet, some sticks and some rope, sitting about ten feet away from the skeleton of what appeared to be a small dragon. The tent was decorated with some brightly-colored balloons, drawings and various trinkets that would be worth their weight in gold to a child.

However... the tent's interior had been ransacked. Many of the drawings had been torn and crumpled, and a lantern had been broken open and left tipped over. The little trinkets were scattered all over carelessly, the plain wooden chest they'd likely been stored inside smashed to pieces beside a dirty blanket covered in footprints.

"This must be little Archie's hideout that Mrs. Bickle mentioned," breathed Natty.

"Archie? Archie Bickle?" Poppy called out. But nobody answered.

"He wouldn't have done this to his own hideout... someone came here looking for him," I shivered, casting a silent Appare Vestigium. A pair of small footprints began to glow with golden light, snaking their way through the grass and deep into the forest. "And it looks like he ran for it."

"We'll have to follow them," swallowed Poppy. The three of us stuck close together as we tracked the footprints. The ambient light grew dimmer and dimmer the further we traveled, and soon ten minutes had passed since we'd entered. We were all growing anxious at the distinct lack of small children running for their lives we were finding.

"...I thought we would have found Archie by now," Natty frowned in concern.

"He must've been terrified if he's been running this long," I hummed. "I have a feeling he did witness his father's death."

"If it is Harlow that's pursuing him... I have a bad feeling about this. Men like him would not think twice about killing a child... We must find Archie quickly," she sighed, huffing with exertion. After a minute or two of further travel, something yellow caught my eye - a satchel had been left hanging on a low branch.

"Look, a satchel," Poppy gasped as she removed it and opened it up, revealing more drawings and trinkets. "It must be Archie's... why would he leave it behind?"

"Might've thought he'd gotten away and took a moment to rest," I glanced around, casting another Appare Vestigium. The small footprints appeared again, leading deeper into the forest. "But... looks like Harlow was getting close again, and he left it behind in his haste to get away."

"I really hope he did not see Harlow kill his father," Natty moaned as we continued onward. "He would never overcome it... at least not in any way I can imagine." The trees soon were thick enough to block out most of the sunlight. A sound of snapping twigs nearby made me skid to a halt, my two companions stopping a few moments later when they heard the howls.

"Oh, not mongrels," Poppy whined. "I know they're vicious, but they're only trying to survive like any other beast." I could see them moving through the underbrush out of the corner of my eye, stalking around and sizing us up.

"If they're hungry, then I'd at least wager that Archie didn't cross their path," I bristled, raising my wand. "Avis." A cloud of small, yellow birds erupted from my wand's tip, then I quickly waved it to turn the entire flock into chickens. The lot of them dropped out of the air and rolled around on the ground, clucking and cawing loudly. We moved away quickly, still following the footprints while the mongrels saw their opportunity and pounced on the free food.

Eventually, the footprints led us to another packed dirt road. Another Appare Vestigium caused my stomach to turn - the small footprints were encircled by larger ones before disappearing altogether, marching further down the road.

"Harlow caught up to him here... this is not good," Natty swallowed.

A familiar-sounding whinny caught my attention - just a few yards from the path was a small group of wild thestrals, drinking from a nearby pool of water and sunning themselves in the grass. They seemed to pay us no attention as we stopped for a brief moment to quietly observe them.

"Thestrals! They are beautiful, are they not?" Natty smiled gently. A nearly imperceptible sigh escaped my lips as I thought back to what I'd known about the beasts before coming to this world.

Thestrals, or Bat Ponies, as they were more commonly called... well, they had existed alongside ponykind many centuries ago, though never in great numbers like the three primary races. They made up the bulk of Nightmare Moon's forces; fearsome warriors with a lust for blood and violence that could seemingly evaporate into the shadows at will. They'd vanished without a trace after Celestia banished her to the moon nearly a millennium ago, only to pop up again in conversations every few decades or so via unverifiable sightings during the night. In a way they were like the vampires in this world, but in pony form.

"I... guess you could say that," I shrugged.

"You've witnessed death, too?" Poppy frowned. I glanced over to her, then back at Natty... just how many of us had seen someone die before?

"I witnessed death when I was nine... saw my first thestral shortly thereafter," Natty replied serenely. "I found comfort in it... I still do. I think those of us who have witnessed death deserve some comfort."

"I'm sorry you had to experience that so young," Poppy bit her lip as she grabbed hold of Natty's arm. Natty lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"I was with my father when he died," she whispered. "My mother was away, and I felt quite helpless... It was a long time ago in some ways, but in other ways it seems like it was only yesterday. I still see him so clearly," she raised her head towards Poppy, gazing sorrowfully at her.

"You must miss him," she tilted her head.

"My father was a wonderful man. I-" Natty suddenly cut herself off with a shake of her head. "...Let us keep moving. We must find Archie." Poppy gasped quietly, but nodded in agreement. We set off down the road again in silence.

About ten minutes later, a bend in the road revealed the tops of the tents in a camp. Natty held out her arm to halt us, and we ducked down out of sight when an Ashwinder walked out of one tent and towards another man.

"Taking in children now, are we?" he asked incredulously. "Better not be expected to feed him." I scowled as I realized what child they were talking about.

"It is as I feared... they have Archie," Natty grimaced.

"Well, we're going to save him," Poppy nodded once boldly. "The poor boy's suffered enough today."

"I bet he's in there," I pointed to the largest tent. "C'mon... let's teach these fools a lesson." We Disillusioned ourselves and crept silently towards the camp. Once we were at its edge hidden behind a tent, we whispered to each other our plans.

First Poppy began the assault by throwing out a number of her Chinese Chomping Cabbages. While they leapt around and distracted the Dark wizards Natty and I broke our charms and began firing out spells. Natty bobbed and weaved, throwing out gestures with her hands and fingers to cast a number of offensive spells - though skilled, she had a habit of not paying attention to what was behind her. But before I could help with an Ashwinder that was about to grab her from behind, she quickly transformed into her Animagus form, reared up and gored him with her sharp, slender horns. He stumbled away in shock as she transformed back, still casting without missing a beat.

Meanwhile, Poppy stayed hidden, slinking into open tents and behind crates and cages, occasionally casting a supporting spell to freeze one of the men in place or knock them off balance. And I did the lion's share of the work, Diffindos ripping through locked cage and enemy alike, Confringos blowing up supplies and burning away tents, finishing the last of them off by Transfiguring a table into a manticore. They screamed in terror as they tried to flee, but the beast easily caught up to them to bite, sting and savage.

While Poppy watched the manticore with carefree, childlike wonder, and Natty began Scourgifying the blood from her hair, my eyes were suddenly drawn to a small cage crafted from goblin metal mesh. Inside the too-small enclosure was a much rarer creature than the usual Puffskeins, Kneazles and Nifflers these camps usually held captive.

It was a Runespoor... newly-hatched, by the look of it. Its black stripes had only barely appeared on its body, the scales a soft, creamy orange along its backs and dandelion yellow along its belly. Its three heads peered through the coils of its body curiously, three pairs of eyes glinting like peridots in the shade.

I frowned - these things were not native to the region whatsoever. Setting it free would likely mean its death. With a tilt of my head, I scooped up the crate and whisked it carefully away to my pocket dimension. I'd ask Poppy on how best to deal with the incredibly venomous beast later... right now, we had a child to find.

"Well, that was... violent," Poppy chuckled to us as she patted the manticore softly on its head. After letting out a low rumble it dashed away into the forest, never to be seen again.

"They got what they deserved," Natty glowered, already stalking towards the largest tent. "Let's go inside."

We recast Disillusionment on ourselves, pushed past the flaps and entered; the tent was much like the one that contained Horntail Hall - much bigger on the inside than it appeared. To our relief it was mostly empty, only a few Ashwinders remained to keep watch. They were easily picked off with simple spells. After about ten minutes of exploration we reached the tent's final chamber, filled with a number of chests, crates and locked cages.

Suddenly, a voice cried out from close by... high-pitched and terrified. "Help... can someone help me? Is anybody there?"

"That must be Archie," Poppy whispered. Sure enough, upon peering around a crate a little boy no older than five was locked inside a cage.

"Please... I need your help," he whimpered as we canceled our Disillusionment Charms. 

"Are you Archie Bickle?" I asked.

"How do you know who I am?" he blubbered as I cast a silent Alohomora on the lock. Archie came running out, immediately wrapping himself tightly around Natty's legs.

"Your mother sent us to find you," Natty explained calmly, reaching down to comfort the little boy.

"Oh... I'm so glad to see you!" he smiled, speaking just a little too loudly for my tastes, in case there happened to be an Ashwinder hiding out we had missed. He apologized after a quick shush. "A man called Harlow... he killed my father," Archie stared at the floor.

"We know... and I'm sorry it happened," I frowned, trying not to let my rage overcome me. "He's going to pay for what he did... for everything he's done."

"First, however, we must get you home to your mother," said Poppy.

"Thank you... for saving me," Archie smiled timidly. The trek back through the tent was uneventful. Once we were back outside, Natty shielded his eyes from the carnage as she brought out her broomstick and helped him onto it. She got on behind him while we mounted our own, and in a few minutes' time we were back in Lower Hogsfield. Mrs. Bickle was pacing frantically in front of her house waiting for our return. As soon as she saw her son hopping off of Natty's broom, she froze in place and raised her arms excitedly.

"Oh, Archie!" She bent down and swooped Archie up in her arms, holding on to him tightly as she burst into fresh tears. "You're here! ...You're safe."

"Mother... oh, mother...!" Archie whined, burying his face in the crook of his mother's neck, his tiny body heaving with sobs. "Father's friends are in danger... I heard the people who took me talking about them!" Mrs. Bickle froze in place.

"...Which friends, darling?" Archie gasped for breath to steady his voice.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rabe... Mr. Philbert... and I think they also said Otto's name..."

"I shall speak with them," Mrs. Bickle sighed as she set Archie down. "You run inside." Archie nodded wordlessly as he scrambled to the front door and disappeared inside. For his sake, I hoped that his father's corpse had been removed from the home, or at least covered up with a sheet or something.

"Your husband's friends may be in danger?" Poppy asked.

"Just as he was," Mrs. Bickle sighed.

"How can we help?"

"You've done enough," she turned to Natty, shaking her head sadly. "My husband was a powerful wizard... and couldn't defeat Harlow. The last thing we need is that monster coming for all of you."

"Eh... he already doesn't like us very much. And this probably didn't help things," I shrugged.

"Then you needn't anger him further... I assure you, the threat could be a lot worse. Please... please keep your distance," she begged.

"We're sorry, again, about your husband Mrs. Bickle," Poppy remarked quietly.

"Thank you," she nodded, "and thank you for bringing Archie home. I can never repay the three of you for your kindness!"

"Not to worry, Mrs. Bickle," Natty held up a hand. "My father used to say that 'rain does not fall on one roof alone'... we are here to help each other." Mrs. Bickle nodded wordlessly, a smile finally breaking out across her face. She turned around and slipped into her house, shutting and locking the door behind her, and Natty sighed deeply. "I must learn more about Mr. Bickle's friends and why Harlow is after them," she slumped.

"You mean we need to learn more," Poppy bounced onto her toes to rest a hand on Natty's shoulder. "I thought Harlow's treachery only extended to poaching, but to resort to outright murder... he needs to be stopped!"

"We must track them down... it will be a difficult task," she sighed.

"And I'll be right here to help you!" said Poppy. Natty gave her a tired smile.

"Yes... together, we'll be able to find them. Hopefully, Harlow does not get to them first next time."

"You guys probably have a better idea of where to look than I do," I grimaced uncomfortably. I didn't really want to leave this solely to them anymore, but... was it really wise for me to make myself a bigger target than I already was? "Not to mention, I... kinda have my own problems to worry about."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Poppy shook her head. "It's definitely for the best that you keep a low profile. Rookwood and Harlow both are after you, after all."

"Yes... I would hate to have to rescue you from them if you are caught while investigating," Natty smirked. A derisive snort escaped my lips.

"You'd be investigating their complete and utter disappearance if they ever laid their hands on me," I grinned. "But definitely let me know when you find them. I'll help out." We all shared a nod as we began the walk back to the castle.

Strangely... it felt rather natural walking alongside them, brainstorming ideas together.


~


Thursday evening, I made a trip to the library in order to search for a book I needed. Upon entering I could see Ominis sitting at one of the long tables, the tip of his lit wand hovering over an open book. Suddenly I was reminded of what I'd told him just before entering the hidden passage to the scriptorium... and felt a strange need to make good on my word.

I tried to ignore it - I didn't go anywhere near him on my way to retrieve the book. But why? Why did I want to get to know him better? Despite whatever secrets he and his family might've held, he was so incredibly reluctant to speak of them, to the point that it just wasn't worth the trouble. You'd think the perfect way to get back at his family for the way they treated him would be to broadcast those secrets to everyone within earshot.

But he was so afraid... afraid of the knowledge of Dark magic, afraid of his family's influence, afraid of his own potential. Though I still felt disgusted by his cowardice and weakmindedness, I also felt pity for him in equal measure... and that pity only made me feel even more disgust, but this time focused towards myself.

This ancient magic, this newfound sense of empathy... sometimes it felt like poison in my veins. All my life, I'd never cared about others... Celestia was the only exception in my heart. Other ponies were just so inferior, so pathetic, so unintelligent and insipid and unfocused. For a brief moment I thought humans would be different, like Fig had been... but it was the same tired story here, as well. The same personality flaws in a bipedal body.

...Well, that wasn't entirely true. I'd met Sebastian, after all. He wasn't quite as great as me, but he did have more than two brain cells to rub together. But Ominis, on the other hand... it must've been the fact they were the only two boys in their year, the reason they'd become friends. Why else would he bother with him?

Friends... yeesh. The mere thought made me shiver as I allowed myself a glance at the blind boy. That shiver morphed into a prickling down my spine, a sort of nervous energy that wanted to be unleashed.

...

...

...

...Well, I did say I wanted to get to know him better... and it'd be a bit suspicious if I never followed through with it. Maybe if I saw it as... following up on my scheme to get him to reveal the scriptorium's entrance, the part of my mind that found it distasteful would quiet down. After a deep sigh, I made my way over and sat down beside him.

"Hey, Ominis."

"Hello, Sunset," he replied, his face looking up but his eyes not following. "Do you need something?"

"No, I just..." I trailed off for a moment to swallow uncomfortably. "...well, I meant it when I said we should hang out together more."

"I see... well, while I am not quite sure of the meaning of the term 'hang out', I assume it means that you wish to have a chat. Very well," he nodded once as he pushed his book aside. "What would you like to discuss?"

"Uh..." Now that I was actually doing this, my mind drew a blank as to conversational topics. His wand pulsed with a final red light before falling silent - I latched on to the thought and throttled out a question. "I've been wondering... feel free to stop me if you don't want to talk about it, but about your wand..." I paused for a moment to see if Ominis made a face or not. He didn't, so I continued. "When its helping you navigate around the castle... how exactly does it do that?"

"Hmm... a good question," he mumbled. "I've heard Sebastian and others say that it emits red pulses of light to guide me... I think that whenever it does, I can sense whatever the light touches and move accordingly."

"Whatever the light touches," I parroted, thinking to myself. "Does the light kind of bounce off the objects around you? Furniture, walls, that sort of thing?"

"I suppose so," he replied.

"Alright... so it works like echolocation," I nodded in confirmation. "Your wand uses imperceptible sound waves to help you sense your surroundings," I clarified when I saw Ominis' face screw up in confusion.

"Sound, you say?" he hummed. "But how is it that I can see these sound waves, sense exactly what my surroundings are?"

"That... would take me a couple hours to explain," I frowned, not really wanting to launch into a lecture about acoustics and biology. "You can see them, though... I wonder if it's red like the light from your wand."

"I wouldn't know," he deadpanned. "I haven't a clue what red is supposed to look like."

"Well... hmm." I bit my lip as I thought how best to describe a color to someone incapable of sight. "Red is... the color of blood." No, can't really use other objects to describe it... maybe something more metaphorical will work. "The color of danger and warnings... Of strong emotions like anger, and love."

"Is that so," said Ominis, a hint of a grin on his face. "I suppose that could be it, my wand warning me of what lies ahead... but I am aware that there's more than just one color. How would you describe them?"

It turned out to be an enjoyable mental exercise, describing colors using concepts and senses other than sight. I explained orange to him as the sourness of citrus fruits, the smell of autumn leaves and the warmth of a sunset (my old color scheme did more or less blend together to make orange). Yellow was exuberant happiness and joy, the heat of the summer sun and the honk of a daffodil. Green was lush, verdant grass and leaves, the coolness of shade, the emotions of envy and jealousy. Blue was sorrow and fear, the dual gentleness and fury of water and ice, the boundless horizons of sky and the solitude of the moon. Purple was the emotion of passion, the aura of royalty, the taste of wine.

Intrigued and amused, he spurred me on. Black encompassed the most negative of emotions, especially depression. It was also the absence of light, yet also all the colors combined into one, the isolation of outer space and the comfort of one's shadow. White wasn't quite the opposite of negative emotions, but it was purity and innocence, and the cold crunch of snow. Gray was a gloomy emotion, the touch of rain and stone and metal, and the scent of dust. Pink was another color of love, but being red mixed with white it was more innocent and pure, more young. It was also the sweetness of fruit, and the scent of flowers. And brown was the ruggedness of wood, the scent of the earth... and the sound of farts, on a more comedic note.

"Fascinating," Ominis sighed after the laughter from my last explanation ceased. "Well, from what you've described, then I suppose I see the world in shades of black, blue and red."

"I see... interesting," I hummed, trailing off. I did feel mildly sad and sorry that he'd likely never be able to actually see these other colors. Briefly I wondered if Equestrian magic would be able to restore his sight, but even if it could, it'd likely be too much of a shock to his system after so many years of darkness.

Perhaps if I could come up with the right spell... if I remembered correctly, blind people could see colors in their dreams-

"There you two are." My head whipped around to see Sebastian drawing near, taking a seat across from us. "Have I missed something amusing?"

"Sunset was just describing to me the color of a fart," smiled Ominis. I grinned as Sebastian broke out into a loud snicker.

"Ah, yes... undertaking the finest of intellectual pursuits, I see." He turned towards me, the smile on his face growing even wider. "Anne's begun taking the potion you've brewed... she's already noticed a major difference in her health. Last night was the first in months she's been able to have a full night's rest."

"I told you," I replied smugly. "My calculations are never wrong."

"You... you've actually brewed a cure for Anne?" Ominis drew back in shock.

"Not yet," I shook my head, "but I did whip up a treatment for her bouts of pain. I'm certain I'll come up with the cure with just a little more research."

"All thanks to one of the books we found in the scriptorium," Sebastian added pointedly. "It would've never been possible without going in there." At this new bit of information, concern washed over Ominis' face.

"You used Dark magic in that potion?" he bristled. "Dark reagents?!"

"Of course I did," I shrugged. "It's how you counter a Dark magic curse. Don't start worrying about it, now... it has zero negative side effects, I triple-checked all my equations and measurements to make sure of it." Despite my surety, Ominis didn't seem entirely convinced. But he put on as brave a face as he could muster.

"I hope you're right about this," he sighed.

"It's working, isn't it?" grunted Sebastian.

"It will do just fine until I can cure her for good," I waved a hand dismissively. "The important thing is that she isn't suffering nearly as much anymore." Ominis' lips thinned.

"...I suppose you are right," he finally admitted. "It always did strike me as distasteful that Solomon insisted nothing could be done for her." The mere mentioning of his name made my gut begin to simmer; across from me, Sebastian's face darkened.

"He gave up on her," he seethed. "Far too soon."

"Ooh, you did tell her to keep it a secret from him, right?" I jolted as I realized something. "I can definitely make more, but I'd hate for him to just keep Vanishing it away from her for no good reason."

He nodded. "I told her, don't worry. She suggested it herself when I informed her of some of its ingredients... Uncle Solomon would be furious if he found out about it."

"How will you explain her seemingly-miraculous recovery, then?" asked Ominis.

"Already thought of that. She'll simply play it off as a gradual recovery. By summer's end, she should be in decent enough health to come back to Hogwarts for our 6th year."

"And that gives me plenty of time to find the actual cure," I added, nodding.

"And... if you cannot...?" Ominis questioned slowly. Sebastian groaned under his breath, and I snorted in annoyance. So distrusting, underestimating my greatness... but he did have a fair point.

"...We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," I waved away. With another sigh, Ominis closed his eyes in resignation.

"...Very well."
> In Which Our Heroine Tackles the Trial of Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The annoyances began on Monday.

During Defense Against the Dark Arts, I was paired up with Prewitt (it wasn't until today I realized his first name was Leander) to practice the spell combination of Avis and Oppugno. I first knew something was up when all he could produce were flocks of lovebirds, as opposed to my hawks, falcons and kestrels... and then the praise he lavished upon me when my birds popped through his Protego and clawed at his face was... decidedly saccharine.

Then the other shoe dropped, and at the end of class he asked me to attend the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala with him. The look of pure scorn I gave him was answer enough - he slinked away with his metaphorical tail between his legs. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sebastian laughing to himself as he watched Leander disappear into the crowds.

Next during History of Magic, while I was busy doing my Charms homework, an origami crane flitted over and settled down on top of my book. Opening it I found a note from a Duncan Hobhouse, having written down a purple-prose-laden attempt at a poem with which to ask me out to the Gala.

Like hell I was going with someone known as Puffskein Dunkein. I rolled my eyes and made a show of crumpling the note into a ball and setting it on fire with a weak Incendio. I could see him slouch over in his chair in disappointment a few desks over, whimpering pathetically.

Tuesday was even worse. First Everett tried asking me out in front of everyone in Herbology, offering me a bouquet of Angel's Trumpet flowers. For his trouble I Transfigured the bouquet into a Chinese Chomping Cabbage while he was still holding it, and he screamed as it chased him around the greenhouse. During Potions, Garreth asked me to the Gala and offered me a bottle of what he said was his new-and-improved Butterbeer, although it smelled an awful lot like a questionably-brewed love potion to me... the dolt wouldn't know subtlety if it slapped him in the face. With a smirk I tricked him into thinking Professor Sharp was approaching, then quickly dumped the contents into Imelda's water flask. She managed to stop herself before taking a sip - I'd never seen anyone, let alone half-Transfigured into a baboon, run so fast as she tried to dropkick him through a window. A few House points being docked was an acceptable price to pay for that ludicrous display.

It didn't stop after classes, either... during dinner at the Great Hall, more students approached the Slytherin table in an attempt to ask me out - multiple boys from the 4th-years all the way up to the 7th-years, and even a few of the girls! Sadly, being within visual range of all of the professors, I couldn't just hex the lot of them and send them away, but soon I got sick of repeatedly telling them all "no" and retreated to my Room.

Was this was it was like to be popular? Sweet Celestia, what a pain in the arse! Hasn't the novelty of me being the new 5th-year worn off yet?! This Gala must be pretty fun if so many people are trying to find a date for it.


~


Wednesday morning I braced myself for more unwanted suitors at breakfast. However, an owl soon dropped a letter into my lap, and it was thankfully not from a fellow classmate. Ever since I'd told him I'd helped Lodgok out with retrieving that helmet, Fig had been journeying to the Map Chamber every day, waiting for the Keepers to deem it the right time for me to proceed with their trials.

And it would seem that today was finally the day. It was hard to pay attention in Flying and Beasts classes, and after Beasts let out I found Sebastian in the library to tell him about it. He expressed an interest in accompanying me to one of these trials someday, but mostly wished me luck and offered to turn in my Astronomy homework for me if I wasn't back in time. Once that was settled, I began the short journey to the Map Chamber... I think Amit might've been working up the courage to ask me out since he was approaching me with a bouquet of red rosebuds, but he sighed in defeat as I marched right past him. About ten minutes later I had entered the chamber, already finding Fig conversing with Rackham and Charles.

"You would be wise not to underestimate Sunset," said Fig. "Her aptitude for magic is beyond anything I've ever seen, and I've been teaching a long time."

"It is a joy to have such a student," Rackham nodded in agreement.

"It... can be," Charles answered hesitantly, glancing at me as I approached.

"I got your owl," I said as Fig turned towards me. "I'm so ready to get out of this castle for a while."

"Indeed... I do hope we can both trust that Lodgok fellow you met, the rumors I've been hearing about Ranrok searching the region for something are quite disturbing," Fig's lips pursed.

"Ranrok is searching for something? I feared as much," Charles interrupted. "I've heard an unusual amount of activity - goblins and wizards, I surmise - when visiting my portrait at my castle."

"So I've heard... saw it for myself, even," I nodded. Fig shot me a puzzled look. "Rookwood Castle, correct?"

"My former residence, yes... That castle is also the location of your next trial."

"Did you happen to see anything I might use to my advantage?" I asked.

"I did not... in fact, I did not make myself known," Charles slumped slightly. "I only recently returned there and did not recognize, nor trust anyone that I heard. I stayed out of sight so as to not tempt my portrait's destruction."

Portrait's destruction...? For some reason, my mind flashed back to the ruined portrait Sebastian and I had found in Feldcroft, in Isidora's old house.

But that wasn't important now... I hoped. I forced the thought from my mind, in favor of another one I feared was related.

"There's one particular wizard running around in league with Ranrok... his name's Victor Rookwood. Think he might be your descendant?"

"My descendant... a Dark Wizard?!" Charles gasped. "I'm afraid we've no time to waste! Despite the obstacles that clearly await you, you must get to Rookwood Castle immediately! Not only is it the location of the next trial, it is home to a source of power that would be devastating in the wrong hands!"

"Whoa, what?! Why didn't you say that in the first place?!" I gaped angrily. "What am I still doing here, then?!"

"I do wish we had the luxury of time... however, I do not doubt your abilities. Find my portrait there as soon as you can!"

"I'm on it," I confidently nodded. Both Charles and Rackham wished me luck.

"No time to waste," said Fig. While I cursed these Keepers' incompetence under my breath we hastily made our way out of the Map Chamber and out of the castle, then Apparated to an area just outside Rookwood Castle, out of sight from anyone who might have noticed. Once we'd set our eyes on the castle's blocked entrance, however, Fig cleared his throat and turned to me. "You said that you knew of this castle, and that there were goblins and Dark wizards interested in it... how?"

"Do you know Sebastian Sallow?" He paused for a moment to think, nodding once when he recalled the name.

"Ah, yes. Charming young man, Mr. Sallow... Little mischievous, but a talented wizard nonetheless."

"Well, a while ago we went to Feldcroft to visit his sister... he told me about it then," I explained, jutting a thumb back towards the nearby hamlet.

"I see... and I do hope you haven't told him anything about this ancient magic business going on?"

...

"Uhhhhh..." My eyes drifted to the side. Fig's lips thinned as his eyes drooped halfway closed.

"...Sunset?"

"Well... he was with me when the trolls attacked Hogsmeade, and when Rookwood and Harlow tried to kidnap me in the Three Broomsticks... I had to give him some kind of answer for why those things happened. He never would've stopped asking me otherwise," I shrugged apologetically.

"The cunning of Slytherin, I see," Fig rubbed his eyes. "I hope your trust in the boy was not misplaced." The sentiment made me recoil slightly. What the hell was he getting at, of course I trusted Sebastian!

"It wasn't," I frowned, feeling a little more than mildly offended by that statement. "He's-"

...

My...

...friend?

Is he... actually my friend...?

"...Trustworthy. He won't tell anyone," I finished, hiding an uncomfortable blink. "And he's the only one who knows anything, I haven't told anyone else." Fig stared at me for a few moments before shaking his head with a sigh. He turned back towards the castle and cast a quick Cobolorum Revelio as well as a Homenum Revelio, grunting with displeasure after each cast.

"Professor Rookwood was right... the place is crawling with Victor Rookwood's lot and Ranrok's Loyalists!" he groaned. "I'm sure you'll agree that we need to find a way in other than the front gate... Let's go." We Disillusioned ourselves before moving towards the castle, my ears picking up that Fig was headed to the left towards a path that wrapped around the exterior walls. Following him eventually led us to an auxiliary camp of goblins that were guarding a breach in the wall, easily climbed through once they had been dealt with... which I did by silently casting a reverse Bubble-Head Charm on one goblin after another. After a few moments they all realized they could no longer breathe, and they watched each other panic and turn blue in the face before eventually suffocating in silence.

We climbed through the breach and dropped into the castle's courtyard. Immediately I heard an argument taking place just past a pile of crates - Fig and I quietly crept up behind them and peered over the tops. Just a few feet away, Rookwood and Ranrok were angrily conversing in hushed whispers as more of both of their underlings went about their business.

"If I'd known your plan was to dig up half the country-"

"I wouldn't have to dig if you could simply manage to bring me the child," Ranrok growled.

"We wouldn't need the child if you hadn't sent a dragon to retrieve the container I spent months and countless Ministry favors tracking!" snarled Rookwood.

"You let them board the carriage... My options were limited once I knew it would be inconveniently beyond my reach at that infernal school!"

Well, that explains that...

"Have you not acquired enough power here?! I allowed you to tunnel under my family home-"

"Allowed me?!" Ranrok bristled. "You are here only because you are descended from a Keeper, and may at some point inadvertently become valuable." Not liking what he heard, Rookwood spun around and began to leave, which only drew more of the goblin's ire. "We had an agreement... I will share with you the power that I discovered if you locate the stores of magic that are yet to be found! So... unless you want another demonstration of my power... A power that you one day hope to wield..." 

The armor Ranrok was wearing began to glow brighter, with a sickly, dark aura. Rookwood turned around and paused for a moment at the sight, a cross between disgust and curiosity on his face.

"...Bring me the child." Rookwood watched as Ranrok stomped away out of sight, a loud crack ripping through the air before he Apparated away himself. Now that a few more questions had been answered for me, I stopped for a moment to think about what I'd heard.

"They're working together, alright, but I'd say it's far from a solid alliance," I hummed.

"We already knew they were after you, but now we know they're digging for stores of magic," Fig's lips thinned.

"And Rookwood is definitely Charles' descendant," I added, the gears turning in my mind. "So that's why he and Ranrok are working together... it sounds like Ranrok's after ancient magic, too."

"Yes, I caught that as well... Professor Rookwood said that you'd understand more once you complete the next trial."

"Let's get inside that castle," I nodded, my eyes scanning the courtyard. Over to the left was a set of stairs that led along the perimeter of the wall to the right, where there was a relatively unguarded door that granted access to the castle keep. Between us and that goal, however, were several goblins and Dark wizards. Another quick cast of both Cobolorum and Homenum Revelio revealed that strangely, none of them were actually inside the castle proper.

An idea formed in my head. I hissed to get Fig's attention. "Back here."

"Hm?" I heard him shuffling along after me. Once my back was against the wall I reached out to grab my mentor's arm, then after determining where his hand was I pressed it against the wall and cast Epoximise to magically cement it there, doing the same with my own left hand. "What are you planning?"

"Something I've been wanting to try," I grinned, focusing on a point in space directly in the center of the courtyard. Once I'd made the proper calculations in my head I glanced around for a spare sack; after finding one I summoned it close with an Accio and enchanted it with Capacious Extremis. Once the spell had taken effect I then refocused on the spot I'd picked out, held up my wand and recited the complex incantation that would create a mysteriously-tangible hole in the ground.

Then I teleported the sack directly over that hole, and watched it drop inside.

In a flash of light, both items suddenly exploded. Then the blast imploded on itself like a supernova, forming a portal to the aether. A powerful suction like a tornado reached out from within, immediately latching on to all the spare crates and supplies scattered around the courtyard and vacuuming them up. The goblins and Dark wizards soon found themselves being dragged towards the portal as well, unable to stop themselves. While they tried in vain to freeze themselves to the ground with Colloshoo, Fig and I felt ourselves being dragged along with them, but though our bodies were quickly rendered horizontal in midair, the wall to which our hands were attached held firm. Their feet were soon pulled out of their boots, and their screams sailed past us and cut off abruptly as they disappeared through the portal in a bend of light, never to be seen again.

It only took about ten seconds for our enemies to be sucked into another dimension. Another ten seconds later the portal's suction began to waver, and another ten seconds later it fizzled out entirely, the portal blinking out of existence.

I'd always wanted to see the effects of that catastrophic combination in action.

"Godric's heart," Fig stuttered as I canceled the Sticking Charms on our hands. "What on earth was that magic?!"

"Just a quick way of clearing the area," I shrugged. With nobody in our way, we canceled our Disillusionment Charms as well and simply strolled up the stairs and towards the door to the keep. It was locked, but nothing a simple Alohomora couldn't fix.

Once open, I could see that the castle had been largely ransacked: entire sections of the stone flooring were missing, replaced with rickety wooden boards. Tapestries and artwork had been carelessly ripped from the walls and were left in shreds. A mountain of refuse had been piled up against the keep's main entrance, down on the ground floor. I moved forward, but as soon as I set foot on the wooden floor it crumbled beneath my feet. With a shout and a burst of agility that surprised even me, I leapt off of the collapsed boards and onto a nearby crate as it clattered to the ground. I took a moment to balance myself, then hopped safely down, cursing the shoddy construction.

"I suppose that's the quick way down," Fig remarked as he simply Apparated to my level. Glancing around the room I spied the same runic markings I'd seen before - the wisp of flame that denoted the Keepers' presence - tucked away in dark corners. I struck them all with a simple spell, and I heard a click as I hit the final one; behind me, the doors to the castle's lower levels swung open on their own.

Together we entered the castle's cellar, greeted immediately by a beam of sunlight that shone down from a huge hole bored into the ceiling. The packed dirt floor was torn up by what looked like the treads of a large tank, leading to another hole blasted through the left wall, glowing an ominous red.

This doesn't look good...

"Goblin tracks... they're a step ahead of us," frowned Fig. "Let's see where they lead." We quietly, carefully made our way over the uneven ground and stepped through the hole, gasping at what we saw.

What appeared to be a massive chamber beneath the castle had been utterly ruined, the destruction forming a circular indentation that hinted at a bomb going off. Shards of twisted metal sat at the bottom of the crater, dripping with red energy that fizzled into an ethereal smoke, causing the entire room to glow as though it was radioactive. Cautiously I approached the metal, feeling the heat it radiated even now.

To my fascinated horror, it felt similar to ancient magic, but... not quite like I'd seen before. A feeling of dread clawed at my nerves the closer I got, and the scent of metal overpowered the notes of ozone and warmth. It was coppery, tangy, pungent... like blood.

Not to mention that I should've been excited to find more of the elusive magic. I felt nothing positive about being so close... there were no positive emotions to be felt anywhere near it.

"This must be it... the store of magic, and the source of Ranrok's power," whispered Fig.

"It's been drained dry... if they've taken it all, then why are they still here?"

"Ranrok said there's more to be found, and if he's right about that... it may or may not be located here. Wherever it is, we need to find it before they do! Where is that portrait?" Thankfully, the portrait was hanging above a fireplace in a study at the end of a hallway connected to the chamber, left surprisingly untouched after the goblins had taken their prize.

"I heard something... I was hoping that was you," Charles' portrait sighed in relief as we approached.

"Professor, the goblins and wizards are digging up your castle to find stores of magic... and it looks like they got it. Something was broken open in the other room," I spoke, gesturing.

"No...!" The painted man gasped as he shook his head, his face paling into a sickly white. "Things are more dire than I could have imagined! If, as you've told Percival, a goblin in his vault was wielding a powerful magic, then they have somehow learned- ...it cannot be!"

"They also know about you, as a Keeper," I frowned. "Victor Rookwood is, unfortunately, your descendant for sure."

"This makes no sense! How did-?!" Charles cut himself off again mid-sentence, and took a deep breath to compose himself. "...We shall discuss this later. Right now, you must complete the next trial - the power you stand to wield must first be fully understood... the trials will ensure that. Power without knowledge is dangerous, indeed. In the wrong hands... we will simply have to outwit Ranrok, and my unfortunate namesake."

"Just tell me what I need to do."

"I shall reveal the path," he stared pointedly. "Professor Fig must leave you, now." No sooner than he'd finished speaking that I suddenly felt a presence of energy in the room. A tentative step caused familiar sparks to soar to my right, and I followed them until I was standing on top of another reservoir of ancient magic. It flowed into me like a gentle stream, and a flick of my wand transformed the empty wall before me into a portal leading to darkness.

Feeling the magic seep into my body, warming me from the inside out... it was a comforting feeling after the dread I'd felt from the earlier room. Was that ancient magic tainted, somehow?

"I would join you if I could... I shall await your arrival in the Map Chamber," Fig sighed in resignation. "Be careful, Sunset."

"I will... I'll see you then." I turned back to watch Fig Apparate away before stepping through the portal.


~


Again, I found myself in a long, dark, empty corridor. I groaned to myself and rolled my eyes as I began walking.

Nothing of note happened until I'd walked for about ten minutes... which felt like forever when I was waiting for something to happen. Sparks of ancient magic appeared at my feet and led me to the corridor's end, where a reservoir lay in wait.

I stepped inside, and was nearly overwhelmed. The font of energy within was vast and deep, the whispers nearly as loud as shouts as the magic swirled around me. Feeling it seep inside my veins made me so hot I began sweating. After I flicked my wand to activate what would happen next, I blasted myself with a Ventus to cool down.

I opened my eyes... and I was immediately confused. Somehow I was right back in the Map Chamber. But certain things about it seemed off - none of the massive portraits were active, nor was Fig there. The black marble circle at my feet had lost its thousands of points of light, plunging the chamber into dim darkness. My mind raced as I pondered what the meaning of this trial might be.

It was answered seconds later. A distant explosion caught my attention, dust and pebbles falling from the ceiling high above and clattering on the floor. It was quickly followed by another one, more powerful than the last... the floor shook for a moment.

What the... is the castle under attack?

Curious, I made my way out of the Map Chamber and up the staircases. Finally I ran into the storage room, and came face to face with what was clearly a Dark wizard. Dressed in black, his cloak seemed to smoke as though it was on fire, the smoke taking the shape of melting, screaming skulls. His face was covered by a dingy metal mask, in the shape of the face bones of a skull missing its mandible.

"Oh geez, hello," I grumbled in surprise. The Dark wizard wasted no time in raising his wand, already alight with a spell. But I was faster, and after deflecting it with a Protego I Depulsoed him into a large pile of crates. They creaked with heavy weight as they toppled over and crushed him underneath.

Another explosion echoed in the distance, and the castle shook again. I wondered how many of these Dark wizards were attacking the place. Was my trial to kill them all? No, that seemed too easy... it'd take a while due to the sheer size of Hogwarts, but it wasn't at all a difficult task.

Regardless, I stealthily made my way through the dungeons. I only came across two more enemies until I reached the Slytherin Common Room, where the large number of wizards trying to break down the wall gave me pause. Why were they so interested in this area? They were so focused on their attacks that it allowed me to charge up a strong enough Diffindo that cut down the entire group in one swing.

Once they had all fallen, the familiar silver snake appeared on the wall and granted me access. I ran inside, finding the common room disheveled and deserted... except for two worryingly-familiar voices.

"You're too brave for your own good, Anne... we need to evacuate!" I heard Sebastian yell as I ran down the final few steps of the staircase. For some Celestia-forsaken reason, his sister was standing two feet away from him.

"Anne?! What the hell are you doing here?!" I recoiled, shouting. The three of us flinched as another explosion rocked the entire castle.

"I could see the smoke all the way from Feldcroft!" she explained. "I had to- ...I couldn't just leave my brother!"

"Yes, you could! You were perfectly safe out there!" Sebastian argued back. "What in Merlin's name were you thinking?!"

"Of saving my twin brother!" she retorted, her tone growing snippier. I shook my head; these two weren't going to accomplish anything at this rate other than getting themselves killed. Why were they even the only ones here? There wasn't a single sign of any of the other students remaining. Not to mention Feldcroft was a good distance away from the castle...

...Forget it. Act now, think later. "Enough bickering! We gotta get out of here, now!" I shouted over them. "This whole place is-"

The castle rocked again from a booming impact much closer than the others had been, the solid stone floor shaking under my feet. I heard the sudden, shrill ring of glass shattering, immediately followed by the rush of water. Anne and Sebastian fell silent as we all turned our heads towards the noise - over at the other end of the common room, the Black Lake had breached the windows.

"Run... run!" I ordered, already racing for the stairs. While they passed me and ran for the exit to the common room I tried to raise the floor to form a wall, hoping to cut off the rising water, but the room proved far too resistant to my magic. Not enough damage had been done to weaken the thousands of enchantments and mysterious ancient magic that held it together. With a frustrated grunt I started back up the stairs, the three of us together knocking into each other in our haste.

We exploded out into the dungeons, and I was met with a bolt of magic barely missing my head. I ducked out of instinct and shot a Confringo back in its direction, then threw up a Protego as my eyes darted around, counting the Dark wizards I could see hiding behind fallen rubble or blind corners. Beside me, Sebastian waved Anne behind him as he began firing back at them. It caused enough of a distraction for me to focus and aim carefully, sniping the enemies as they recoiled from his attacks. Bits of stone and metal were thrown and crumpled their skulls, Diffindos cleaved their bodies in two, Descendos tore down more chunks of the castle and crushed them underneath, and Confringos and Incendios set them aflame. The air was soon choked with dust, heat and screams.

Strangely, however, they all seemed to ignore me, even as their numbers steadily fell. Instead they seemed far too interested in attacking Sebastian and Anne, forcing the both of them to defend more often than strike back. At times even I would have to extend my Protego around one or both of them, just to make sure they were fully covered.

But it wasn't much of a concern. Nothing I couldn't handle. Is this my trial? Make sure they both survive? Heh... piece of cake.

Soon I'd ripped the final Dark wizard in half, and he collapsed to the floor. But I could hear shouting up ahead, and more bits of rubble and dust rained down on my head as the castle shook again. It seemed as though the bulk of their forces were holed up in Central Hall... it was going to take some effort getting these two to safety.

"C'mon... we're gonna have to fight our way out," I snarled, even as more enemies came running around the distant corner leading out of the dungeons. Sebastian and Anne stayed close behind, casting supporting spells of their own as I pushed forward. My wand burned hot in my hand from the sheer amount of magic it was putting out - Baubillious for blinding and causing distractions, Fumos for providing cover in the form of a smokescreen, Aguamenti for turning the polished floors slippery and combining it with Glacius to freeze large swaths of an area, volleys of Confringo and Bombarda to blow obstacles and enemies alike out of my way. Diffindos and Depulsos tore them apart and slammed them into the walls, the cracking of their bones echoing through the smoky, stagnant air.

Truly... I was a one-woman army. All too quickly I found myself staring down the last of the attackers, standing before the staircase leading out. The Dark witch seemed to hesitate right before casting her spell, as though she had had second thoughts about what it was she was doing. But it made no difference to me; I smirked as I capitalized on her moment of weakness and froze her solid before shattering her into a thousand pieces.

Most ponies - and people, it seemed - simply didn't have the stomach for fighting. They didn't have the heart to strike down their enemy when push came to shove, even if it meant the difference between life and death. They were wired to choose flight, freeze or fawn instead... they were the prey in a world full of predators.

Not me, though. To me, every fight was a competition, whether the stakes were for mere accolades or my own survival. Every victory was a trophy in itself, the prize proving myself superior to my opponent. It was a prize I'd handily won so many times I'd lost count years ago.

And I was going to keep on winning. To lose now would be to forfeit my chance at mastering ancient magic, to become the most powerful witch in the world... to prove to Celestia how wrong she was about me. Not to mention being defeated by some random nobody would hurt far worse than whatever spell might hit me.

The spiral staircase proved to be a brief rest, as more Dark wizards were just past the threshold, waiting for me. Making our way to Central Hall was slow and strenuous, it seemed as though for every enemy I eliminated, three more crawled in from behind their ranks and joined the fight. Sweat began to bead on my forehead, and my arms started to grow heavy, my casting slightly less precise. I compensated by widening the arcs of my attacks, and picking up detritus from the floor and Transfiguring them into either weapons to hurl at my foes, or shields to absorb an attack.

Yet they still continued to primarily target my two companions like automatons, despite the absolute terror I was proving to be. After a few minutes neither Sebastian nor Anne could cast anything offensive, focusing entirely on shields and keeping themselves alive. While a Fianto Duri cast upon both of their Protego shields kept me confident they'd remain unharmed, I couldn't help but feel a little offended that I wasn't who these Dark wizards were trying to kill. I was a far stronger adversary than the both of them put together! How dare I be treated like just an annoyance?!

I tried not to let it get to me, though. Instead I fought back harder, pushing past the pain and fatigue coursing through my arms. But by the time we finally reached Central Hall, I was gasping for breath. There were more Dark wizards crammed inside the hall than there had been in the rest of the corridors, almost like a Gemino curse that got way out of hand.

With a scream of effort I laid into them, casting a massive Depulso shockwave to knock them back. The hall was soon alight with a dazzling array of spells firing back and forth, blinding and mesmerizing. I ordered my body to dance, duck and weave around the attacks as I fought, each step growing more sluggish and clumsy. Worry began prickling at the back of my mind... I was quickly becoming exhausted. Did I bite off way more than I could chew this time?

No, never... I just need to-

I heard Sebastian shout in pain behind me, and something wet dripping on the floor. Whipping around, my eyes widened in horror to see a large gash reaching diagonally across his left ribcage. He struggled to keep his breathing even as he tried to keep himself standing.

"Damn it," he groaned, casting Ferula on himself after spitting out a mouthful of blood. Once the bandages had pulled themselves taut against his chest he fired back at the witch that had wounded him. She grinned coldly as she easily deflected it, but I saw it wiped off her face as I hurled half of the marble fountain of magical creatures at her. At once I felt a deep sense of justice and protection, coming to his defense like that...

...It was enough to make me pause. I blinked at the foreign sensation.

I didn't need to do that. He was perfectly capable of defending himself. Doing it for him would only distract me from my own battle! And I really couldn't afford to be distracted right now! Besides, if he couldn't defend himself, then he was dead weight to me-

I hesitated again, chastising my own mind for thinking that way. He was not dead weight! Not even close-

My peripheral vision suddenly brightened, alerting me to a volley of spells coming my way. I threw all my concentration into my Protego just to survive the onslaught. But then I heard a chorus of Avadas, and within that split second panic ripped through my heart. Before the second word of that incantation could be called out I cast a mass Accio on all the rubble and ruined stone that littered the ground, and formed it all into a thick shield that covered my Protego.

The stone shield was immediately besieged by Killing Curses. Each impact made me flinch as the blasts kept coming, the shield slowly but gradually crumbling.

We were surrounded. While I wracked my brain for ideas, the labored breaths of my two charges rang in my ears.

I was dangerously close to failing them... and I...

...No! I don't fail... I never fail!

"Sunset... save Anne!" Sebastian cried out suddenly. I blinked.

"What?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Anne and I both shouted, confused.

"Please... Anne means everything to me. I know she'll be safe with you!" His deep desperation flooded my heart, made palpable as my eyes slid over to him. He was holding his side, red slowly spreading through the white bandages, staring through the cracks of the shield with resigned determination.

A sigh escaped my lips, and my gaze softened. The cold fear reaching down my spine retracted, replaced by a comforting warmth.

Of course, Seb... wait, what am I thinking?! I shook the thought from my mind - a couple of tears fell from my eyes. I hadn't even noticed them forming.

"Stop it... we're all getting out of here together! I'm not gonna let either of you die!" I growled, even as a particularly strong spell impacted my shield, making my knees buckle. It wasn't going to last much longer. I needed to think of something fast.

"Sunset, please..." he begged quietly. His words, his voice reverberated in my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't block it out. I couldn't think of anything else.

Only him.

No, damn it! I don't care about Anne! I care about-

...about...

...

My shield took one final impact and shattered. At nearly the same time, Sebastian roared as he began casting wildly at the legion of enemies around us, fighting with all his heart and soul.

But there were just far too many of them. Within seconds he took hit after hit, reopening the wound on his chest and soaking the bandage completely through. The Dark wizards all around us halted their attacks as he swayed in place, lightheaded, like millions of cats toying with a single doomed mouse.

"Promise me... promise me you'll keep her safe..." he sighed, barely audible. My body moved like I was drowning in a bowl of molasses, turning towards him to run to his aid.

Sebastian... I-

"Avada Kedavra!"

The curse resonated hollowly through the air. Before I could even register what had happened... I saw a blinding green blast, and heard a familiar voice grunt from an impact.

Sebastian had just been hit with the Killing Curse.

NO

"NO!" Anne screamed, as I too screamed his name uselessly. My entire body locked up and froze as he fell forward and crumpled to the floor. Time seemed to grind to a halt as I watched his limbs splay out around him, the last time he would ever move.

...

...

...No...

I could hardly believe what I was seeing, I no longer felt like I was inside my own body. In an instant my mind was wracked with guilt and despair, my soul flooded with a desperate, all-consuming ache.

No...

I had failed... I had failed him. I'd...

I'd lost...

...my friend.

No...

Slowly, the guilt and despair that froze me solid began to thaw, anger and rage and a deep, hidden passion heating me back up from my very core. My body suddenly felt light and lithe, and my soul screamed for redemption... the kind only vengeance could hope to manifest...

...Vengeance. My mind begged for it, screamed for it.

I wanted to avenge him.

I wanted to avenge him!

"I'll kill you... I'll kill you..." I glowered, tears dripping from my eyes. Power within me flared up like never before, like an erupting volcano. Wanting nothing more than to tear out the hearts of all these bastards that had taken Sebastian from me, I reached deep inside and grabbed that power, throttling it, forcing it upwards until I felt it pulse painfully through my veins like I was being strangled. I could feel the ancient magic swelling like a tsunami inside my soul, ready to lash out and annihilate all that stood in my way. My vision grew brighter, more focused... I could see every little nervous twitch of the enemies before me; the uncertain steps backwards they took as both my eyes and my horn burned and streaked with ethereal light.

"...I'll kill you ALL FOR THIS!" I roared, hurling my wand at the closest wizard. A massive bolt of lightning snapped out from the tip and struck the wizard directly in the chest, his body instantly sent into painful convulsions as it leapt to the next wizard, and the next. Within a split second the entirety of Central Hall was aglow with blue plasma, a chorus of screams and shrieks of agony echoing off the cracked marble walls and mirroring the torturous, uncontrollable shuddering of their bodies.

And then, just as quickly as it had happened, the lightning faded away. All of the Dark wizards that had been struck by it fell dead where they stood, their bodies charred and smoking from the heat. I nearly collapsed as well... actually, consciously using ancient magic had been unexpectedly exhausting to channel. But the power was well worth it.

Anne's stifled cries behind me brought me back to reality. Blinking, I dashed over to Sebastian, still lying on the floor...

...I had to see for myself. My voice trembled as I touched his arm - it was already growing cold.

"S-Seb...?"

It took some effort, but I turned him over.

I wished I hadn't.

No... nononononononono...

There was far too much color in his face, where the blood had rushed due to gravity. One eye was slightly more open than the other, both rolled back into his head at an unnatural angle. His mouth hung partially open in a grotesque expression.

There was no denying it... he really was dead.

My eyes widened until they stung in pain, and I gasped loudly, dropping his arm as I backed away. Guilt and despair overwhelmed my senses once again, joined by a churning maelstrom of grief and sorrow. My breaths grew rapid and shallow, and I felt myself becoming sick and dizzy.

NONONONONONONONONONONO

And then suddenly, like a slap in the face, all of it vanished. I remembered where I really was. What I was really doing.

This was a trial... Rookwood's trial, not reality.

Sebastian was perfectly fine in reality. Immediately I began repeating the thought to myself in my mind.

He's fine... he's not dead... It's not real... it's not real... 

But even though I knew that... it was hard to convince my rattled brain otherwise.

not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real not real

"U-Uh... S-Sunset...?" Anne whimpered. I blinked at her voice, my vision clearing up from being muddled with tears.

The illusion's last words echoed in my mind... even though I had killed all of the Dark wizards in my way, Anne and I weren't quite safe yet.

In my heart, I had accepted that duty. I couldn't let that promise go unfulfilled.

C'mon! Get it together, Sunset! You're not done yet!

With a newfound burst of resolution, I grabbed Anne's hand and dragged her with me, past the illusion's corpse, past the corpses of the slain wizards, towards the heavy wooden doors that led outside to the castle grounds. I blew them open with a Bombarda, and we ran single-mindedly into the darkness beyond.


~


It was a few moments before I realized I no longer heard Anne's steps behind me, nor did I feel her hand in mine. I stumbled to a stop, my sides stinging as though sliced with scalpels, and gasped for breath. I'm not sure how long I spent simply recovering from the ordeal I'd just experienced.

What a cruel trial this had been, making me think Sebastian had been killed like that! Though I was furious at the Keeper that had sent me on this insane quest... the more the fresh memories raced through my mind, the more confused and overwhelmed I felt my heart becoming. Since when did I care so much about his well-being?! Since when would I ever listen to what he had to say in a life-or-death situation?! And since when would I ever bother to avenge his death?! I'm Sunset Shimmer, Celestia-damn it, I don't give a toss about anyone other than myself! Everyone else is a pathetic weakling compared to me! I don't need him... I've never needed him! I've never needed anybody! I DON'T. NEED. ANYONE!

...

...

...

No... I couldn't ignore my own emotions any longer. Not when I knew damn well what they were, not when I could no longer deny what they meant.

I did think of him as a friend. The very first one I'd ever had.

Somehow, he had managed to charm his way into my heart, to prove to me that he was worth knowing and getting to know, where countless others had failed so miserably to even pique my interest. And somehow, I had grown fond of him, wanted to have him around, felt strange when he wasn't, like I needed his company. I cared... so damn much about that boy, without even realizing it was happening.

He was my friend.

My friend...

Friend...

It felt so natural to me, like blinking or breathing... and yet, the mere thought was terrifying; my antithesis, my anathema. In the shadows of my subconscious, I felt like I was losing myself the more I sought out this ancient magic, losing what made me me. It was changing me from the inside out... forcibly changing who I was, how I acted, what I felt for those around me...!

But in spite of it all... I still craved that power.

I would still do anything to have it all for myself... even if it meant losing myself entirely.

A confused scream bled forth from my lips, echoing into the dark abyss I found myself in. The emotions, the feeling... it hurt my brain, and I clawed at my hair and pulled in anguish. The power I felt before when I was avenging Sebastian's death bubbled and boiled back up within me, flaring like fuel thrown into a bonfire. It leaked from my eyes and streamed from my horn, soft tendrils of blue-white light only barely illuminating the ground I sat upon. It seemed to reach a threshold at the apex of my scream, quickly snapping me out of my thoughts as I realized I could now control it.

The trauma I'd experienced... it allowed me to finally tap into the ancient magic I'd been absorbing throughout the trials. I blinked as I willed the power within to settle down, to lie dormant until I needed it, and it listened. It felt like a snake twisting and twining around the natural stores of mana deep within my soul, ready to strike if called upon. But I had no real need for it right now.

Right... I can have a crisis later. Right now, I had more important matters to see through to the end.

Finally turning my attention towards the darkness, I found myself in an immense chamber of stone, nothing but a Pensieve and a giant statue of Charles looming over it before me. As I approached I saw silver light stream down the curve of the statue's eye and drip down into the waiting Pensieve. In response the liquid ejected something wrapped in liquid metal, parting in wispy shapes to reveal what looked like half of a wand, split right down the middle.

Gently, I took the piece of wood from where it hovered and examined it... the polished wood was reddish-brown, perhaps made of cherry? Remembering Rackham's words, however, it likely wouldn't do me any good as it was, so I spirited it away to my pocket dimension with the other artifact.

Then I took a deep breath, and sank my face into the Pensieve. Within moments I found myself walking alongside Rackham, Charles and the other two Keepers along a dirt road. Looking around it appeared that we were back in Feldcroft, the surroundings familiar despite being cloaked by a perfect, starry sky.

"I must say, I'm curious to hear of Isidora's travels," Charles spoke as we approached a house. Before he could knock the door swung open, Isidora appearing eager to greet them.

"Do come in!" she chirped. The four Keepers smiled politely as they entered, Isidora pointing them towards a table. It was empty save for a single glass jar. "Please, have a seat."

"Isidora, we are all most intrigued to hear..." Rackham began as he sat down, but his voice trailed off as Isidora brought out her wand and picked up the glass jar, then moved towards a nearby door.

"We're ready," she calmly called out. I heard some shuffling noises, and the door soon opened to reveal an old man. "I've something to show you," she said, turning back towards her guests. The old man slowly walked towards Isidora, his face unreadable. "Father, these are my colleagues from Hogwarts," Isidora gestured.

Her father turned briefly to look at them, then wordlessly turned away and slumped down into a nearby chair. With how little his face, his head, his arms... his entire body moved, it was like he was a living ghost. Merely a shell of a human, with zero expression or emotion to speak of. His skin was pale, his eyes held no spark of life in them.

"Father... hasn't spoken since my brother died," Isidora explained, turning back to the others. "On my travels, I confirmed that which I've always believed... that we have the power to take away pain."

The four Keepers stared at her blankly. Spurred on by their inaction, Isidora sat down in front of her father and made herself comfortable. Then she lifted her wand and pointed its tip directly over her father's heart. I leaned forward in curiosity as white-blue light stained with red seemed to bubble up from underneath her father's clothing and attach itself to her wand, swirling like a tiny swarm of bees.

In an instant, I felt it - a flash of deep despair, of overwhelming sorrow, of a dark depression so powerful it hung over the man like an ill omen. I heard its cruel, maddening whispers, and I smelled it, too, as though I'd just shoved my head into a bucket of fresh offal and breathed deeply. It was almost exactly like the tainted red energy the goblins had taken for themselves.

"Isidora..." Rackham breathed. Her father gasped as the light pulled itself free from his chest, blinking a few times as Isidora held up the magical specimen for all to see. A proud smile spread across her face. "...What have you done?"

"I took his pain," she answered simply. Looking back over to her father, the difference was obvious - color returned to his skin, and his eyes flicked around the room like an excited child. His mouth twitched, his nose flexed, his arms and fingers and legs trembled with nervous energy. While he seemingly saw the world with new eyes, Isidora dipped her wand inside the glass jar, where the swirling orb of tainted emotions remained behind, then sealed it with a conjured cork.

"This is uncharted magic, Isidora," exclaimed Rackham, standing up in shock. Charles and Fitzgerald stood silently as well, while Bakar seemed to regard what he'd just seen with apprehensive interest. "You can only see what has been sealed in the jar, and we do not know what power that may hold! ...But the traces of that magic are different from what I've seen before," he finished, pointing at the jar.

Isidora wasn't listening, though. Instead her father reached out to her, and she took his hand. An endless wave of gratitude washed over me.

"...Thank you," he smiled. Isidora smiled in return as he rocked gently back and forth.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled from the memory, and I lifted my face out of the Pensieve.

I couldn't believe what I'd just seen with my own eyes.

Pain... Isidora found a way to remove emotional pain with ancient magic! Now this was an exciting breakthrough; even as advanced as both Equestrian and human magic was, between them there were no known spells or remedies that could completely remove someone's emotional pain! Even the best alchemical potions couldn't achieve those full effects!

Now I was even more determined to learn about this magic! Just think of what I could do once I'd mastered it! Why, I could even-

...

...

...

...Wait.

Emotional pain... not physical. My heart sank as I thought about Sebastian, and his sister. Whatever had cursed Anne, it had a physical component to it, too. Once I'd figured out how Isidora had done it, while I might've been able to cure her mentally... it wouldn't do any good if it was all just ruined by her next flare-up.

That won't do... I promised him I'd help him find a cure, but...

A portal had appeared to my left, mirroring the Map Chamber in its reflection. At first I could only blink at its appearance, but all I needed was a moment to compose myself before stepping through.

I was more than ready to leave this accursed place... this accursed trial.


~


Fig was waiting for me, standing and watching the portraits. His eyes lit up as I approached.

"You're back!" said Rackham.

"And in one piece, no less," Charles added. "It is good to see you again."

"Professor Rookwood told me about what happened at Rookwood Castle," Rackham frowned.

"In light of the dire circumstances in which we find ourselves, it is most fortunate that someone so competent is following this path," said Charles.

"Can't argue with you, there," I smirked.

"Are you ready to move on?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something," I held up a finger. "What exactly was that glowing energy that Isidora extracted from her father's chest?" Charles and Rackham turned towards each other, sharing an apprehensive glance before turning back towards me.

"It was... pain," Charles answered with a grimace. "You will understand more about her actions as you complete the trials." I waited a few moments for him to continue his train of thought, but quickly realized that he had nothing more to say.

"...That's it? That's all you'll tell me about it now?" Rackham and Charles stared impassively at me as I stared in mild annoyance. They sure didn't give their portraits much information when they made them... or they were holding back for a reason. I shook my head disdainfully. "...Alright, fine... what's next?"

"Some introductions are in order," Charles smiled, glancing to his right. Moments later a familiar woman walked into the leftmost portrait, regarding me primly. "Allow me to introduce former Hogwarts Headmistress, Niamh Fitzgerald."

"How do you do?" she spoke quietly with a nod. "I must say that I was not entirely surprised to learn that a student had been completing the trials. I've always believed Hogwarts students capable of anything they set their minds to."

"And I'm dead set on being the best there ever was," I grinned. "Sunset Shimmer, in case Professors Rackham or Rookwood haven't told you yet."

"I am certain that you are more than capable of completing my trial... However, I must first... how shall I say? ...Prepare the location of your next trial."

"We trust your judgment, Professor Fitzgerald," said Rackham. "You should know better than anyone how to manage the inconvenience of... well..."

"A vainglorious and exasperating Headmaster? Indeed, I should," she groused. "I shall confirm that everything is in order immediately."

"Of course," Rackham nodded before turning to me. "Professor Fitzgerald needs some time to clear the way forward... until then, you should continue to hone your magic. If you learn more about Ranrok and Victor Rookwood's activities, in the meantime, please let us know."

"Alright..." I muttered, doing my best to hide a groan as the three painted professors moved out of their portraits. Why couldn't I just blitz through the rest of these trials right now? And why were they so reluctant to tell me about the pain Isidora had extracted?

Something didn't feel quite right anymore. They were drawing parallels with Celestia that I didn't particularly like.

"Hopefully you will soon hear from Lodgok, and we shall learn how he fared with the helmet you retrieved," Fig sighed as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Until then, it would seem we are once again at the mercy of the Keepers."

"For wanting me to learn more about this ancient magic, they sure aren't very good at teaching," I grumbled, staring at the mass of lights on the floor. "I have questions about what I saw, but they don't seem to want to talk to me about it."

"I gathered as much... what did you see this time?" We left the Map Chamber together as I told him about the memory I had witnessed, the pain I had seen extracted, and we discussed what it all could have meant as we climbed up the stairs back into the castle, though we came to no solid conclusions.


~


It was past 1am; Fig accompanied me to the Slytherin Common Room, promising to look into what I had learned before taking his leave as I made for the bathrooms. Once inside and alone I stumbled over to one of the sinks and leaned unsteadily over the bowl, as though I might throw up any second.

My entire body shook with nervous energy, as if I had drank a week's worth of coffee in under an hour. It was difficult to keep my breathing steady, to not let my own emotions spiral out of control... no, I had to stay grounded.

I had to... do something. I wouldn't stop feeling this way until I did.

My mind flashed back to a certain book Celestia had assigned for me to read long ago... at the time I found it ridiculous, childish, almost insulting. But now... now I wished I had kept it, rather than set it on fire as soon as I was finished skimming through it.

Friendship For Dummies. Surely it would've been able to tell me what I should do about this? I tried my hardest to remember the words.

Friends care about each other.

Friends trust each other.

Friends keep their promises to each other.

Friends can tell each other what is on their minds.

Friends...

...I felt a need to tell Sebastian about this. A deep-seated ache that clearly wouldn't resolve itself until I did.

I wanted to tell him that I cared for him, too, that I appreciated everything he'd done for me ever since we'd met... that's what a friend does, isn't it?

...Oh, what exactly am I supposed to do? I'd never experienced this before.

I supposed I just needed to follow that book's advice.

I needed to talk to him.

I started with our common room, figuring I'd simply work my way up the castle if he wasn't there. But there he was, alone on a couch in front of a fireplace, reading yet another spellbook. I blinked slowly, the events of the evening catching up to me as I slumped down next to him. The grin on his face quickly washed away into mild concern.

"Oh, dear... you don't look too well," he frowned.

"It's been a long night," I sighed deeply. Sebastian marked his place and clapped his book shut.

"Did your trial go well?" he asked, turning his full attention towards me. I nodded wordlessly, willing the muscles in my eyes and neck to look up and to my right.

I met his gaze. In the light of the fire, his eyes sparked like embers. They were the color of rich wood, like polished mahogany, cherry, or chestnut. The color of a fine bar of imported chocolate, and just as sweet. The color of the sky when the sun was setting, the auburn red a final cry of light's defiance before fading into the darkness of night.

And the freckles... they were the stars.

The twinge - that mysterious feeling deep within my gut that I had since grown so accustomed to - pulsed stronger.

"Something on your mind?" I didn't answer immediately, but looked away to stare at the floor for a moment, gathering my courage... Only partly due to fatigue, but mostly because I suddenly needed the encouragement that a touch would give, I rested my right temple on his shoulder. I felt him tense up, and he glanced away nervously, blushing.

"The trial made me... realize something," I began, my mind struggling to pull together the words I wanted to say with total, sincere honesty, for once in my life. "You've... been a good friend to me, Sebastian, and I... feel like I haven't really returned the favor."

"Now that's not true," he soothed, moving his shoulder. Before I could sit up he wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me closer, gently holding on to my upper arm to keep me in place. Now it was my turn to blush, feeling myself shiver all over from the sudden warmth. He leaned the side of his head against mine.

I could smell something floral, faintly fruity and herbal, heady yet light - coconut, ylang-ylang, jasmine, bergamot... sweet thyme? Just strong enough to sense, but calming and reassuring all the same. For a moment I nearly forgot what I was even talking about.

...No, I can't get distracted now.

"It is... when I first met you, you seemed like the only person around here worth a damn," I closed my eyes, my voice nearly a whisper. "You openly mentioned all kinds of things I found interesting, from illicit spells to secret places... and I wanted to learn about every one of them. I... admit I didn't care much for learning about you, yourself," I frowned, my head tilting downward.

Sebastian didn't answer, though he didn't move, either. Feeling a pang of guilt, I continued.

"But... the more you taught and showed me, the more impressed I was... and the more I did find myself caring. I never thought I'd find someone here that was so much like me - so impeccably skilled with magic, equally as devoted to learning new things, just as sharp-tongued and snarky, the same unwavering drive to reach your goals..."

Being so unbelievably attractive as- ...wait, no, that's weird. Don't say that.

"...Well, I do think of you as a friend, now. A very good one," I looked up at him, smiling shyly. "I appreciate everything you've done for me... truly. And I promise to repay you for it, starting with helping you find your cure. I want to help you, and see both you and your sister happy and healthy again... no matter how long it might take."

Another few beats of silence. Inwardly I wondered if I'd screwed it up and said something wrong.

"I see..." he finally spoke. "In that case, I suppose I have a confession to make."

"Oh?"

"I thought similarly of you when we first met... someone starting as a fifth-year, escorted by the Ministry and one of our professors to Hogwarts? I was convinced there was something special about you, and I was determined to find out exactly what that was." I felt his hand glide down my arm, another shiver wracking my body. "The secrets of yours that I learned, however... I never would've even begun to imagine. From a country hidden from the world, educated by royalty, and able to see and use a form of magic few have ever even heard of... You even had the knowledge to grant my sister a reprieve from her curse, something I will never forget for as long as I live. And everything we've faced together, all the times we've fought side by side... I can't say I've ever felt more of a perfect rapport with any other companion."

He moved his arm away so he could turn to face me, smiling gently. "You truly are something special, Sunset. I may not have a Seer's gift, but I do believe fate allowed for us to meet for a reason, past finding a cure for Anne... and I'm happy to think of you as a close friend, now, as well."

Our eyes met again. Part of me wanted to be mad that he'd had the exact same intentions as I did when we met, simply using each other for our knowledge and secrets... but it was quiet, distant, as though I'd attached that part of me to a boulder and thrown it into the Black Lake, to drown and fade away in the abyss.

Instead, I felt... fondness. Adoration. An inner warmth that radiated throughout my body, caressing my very soul.

Moreover, I appreciated the irony. "...You sly bastard," I grinned through half-lidded eyes.

"You clever bitch," he smirked right back. Our smiles felt ridiculous after calling each other such names... a few moments later the both of us chuckled, gradually building up into full-blown laughter.

After we'd gotten that out of our systems, we sat there in contented silence. Time seemed to slow to a standstill, yet it also charged forward faster than I could reconcile... I didn't want the moment to end. Everything felt so perfect, so... right, like nothing else mattered in the world.

My eyes drifted over to a flyer for the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala someone had left behind on the coffee table. I leaned up for just a moment to retrieve it, then gently laid my head back on Sebastian's shoulder. His arm moved back around me, warm and comfortable.

"Have you seen this?" I asked, unintentionally shoving it into his face a bit closer than I'd intended. He took the flyer from me and looked it over.

"I have."

"You're going with me, you know," a mischievous smile spread on my face. Sebastian chuckled.

"...Of course I am. I'd be beside myself if we weren't, don't you know how many times I felt my heart stop when the others asked you?" he whined playfully.

"Like I'd even entertain their thoughts," I rolled my eyes, still grinning. "Like I said... you're the only one worth a damn."
> In Which Sunset Has to Explain Carbon Monoxide Poisoning to Wizards
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week passed by relatively uneventfully. With the transition of November into December, I would often wake up to find that the Scottish Highlands outside were dusted with snow and frost. A few more days passed before it began sticking and accumulating. 

Once the shock of the trial had worn off, I told Sebastian all about what had happened. He was quite concerned about Ranrok and Rookwood's search for ancient magic, and their apparent discovery of the source of it buried beneath the castle - it finally made sense to him why Anne had been cursed by the goblins that fateful night. It renewed his desire to find her cure, and the fires of revenge that burned deep within him. I also told him about the new memory I had witnessed, though I was sure to emphasize the fact that Isidora had only been successful in removing emotional pain from her father. At first he perked up with hope at the mentioning of removing pain, but after thinking it over he agreed that it likely wouldn't do Anne any good. Not when her symptoms were largely physical in nature, not to mention that I had no inkling of an idea how to copy what she'd done. But I would definitely keep it in the back of my mind, however, in case it turned out to be more helpful than we thought. Hopefully I'd learn the secrets behind the technique soon enough, although with how dubious the Keepers had been about discussing the matter, I wasn't holding my breath. He agreed that their behavior seemed strange.

I was hesitant to tell him about the actual trial, though. And he seemed to pick up on it, asking carefully about what I had to do... it took a few minutes of coaxing. Once I'd told him that I watched him die while trying to save him and Anne, he went silent.

"Oh... so that's why you were so gloomy when you returned," he murmured, frowning.

"It... i-it wasn't pleasant to watch," I stared at the floor, holding my arm. Sebastian sighed sympathetically, then gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm almost insulted I went down so easily," he chuckled mirthlessly. "I assure you, I'd put up far more of a fight than that illusion of myself did... but thank you for upholding your promise nonetheless. If things really were so dire that I were to make such a request... I know that Anne would be safe with you."

"Sure," I nodded, a slight grin returning to my face as I felt his gratitude and appreciation building me back up. "And it wasn't all bad, I guess... it seems that realizing we're friends let me figure out how to use ancient magic."

"Did it?" he tilted his head.

"Yea. Watch this," I smirked, reaching deep within my soul for the font of dormant mana. At my command it rose up like a surging wave, filling my entire body with power and energy. Blue-white light began to stream from my eyes and horn, and as Sebastian watched in awe I pointed my wand at my practice dummy and fired. An orb of purple light shot out and obliterated it in the blink of an eye, the explosion rapidly imploding on itself so the shreds and splinters burned to ash and left nothing behind.

This, I discovered, didn't tax me quite as much as the lightning attack did. Perhaps because it was only meant for one target, rather than multiple.

"My word...!" he breathed, eventually huffing out an incredulous laugh. "I certainly hope I'm never on the receiving end of one of those spells."

"The chain lightning one I can do kills everyone it touches almost instantly," I bragged. "Can't wait to go clear out another goblin or poacher camp."

"Incredible... can it take any other forms?"

"Probably," I shrugged as I mentally asked my Room to make me a new practice dummy, which poofed into existence a few seconds later. "I definitely plan on experimenting with it."

And experiment I did. All the while Sebastian watched, both awestruck and inquisitively interested in my newfound power.

And I couldn't help but feel proud. Slowly but surely, I was gaining that which I sought: the power promised to me.


~


It wasn't until Monday that I noticed I hadn't been seeing much of my new friend as I used to. Normally he'd spend at least the afternoons with me in my room so we could do our homework together, but lately even that hadn't been lasting as long as before, and we were only getting more and more of the stuff as our classes progressed. Inwardly I wondered if it was something I'd done or said, but covertly sussing out his emotions in class proved otherwise. If anything, he was... distracted. Determined. Impatient.

I wouldn't have to wait much longer to learn the reason why. Wednesday morning, as we ate breakfast, Sebastian whispered to me that he'd found something promising in the spellbook I'd given him in the scriptorium. He told me to meet him in the Undercroft after flying class... despite how much I enjoyed zooming around on my broom, my curiosity hounded me until I ran to the lonely cabinet and entered the secret passage. Evidently he'd made himself quite comfortable - the spellbook sat on a side table with a mostly-empty mug of tea, beside a wingback chair with thick cushions and a blanket thrown over one side. The small, cozy nook looked entirely out of place in the Undercroft's vast emptiness.

I only had to wait a few minutes before the portcullis raised and lowered, the boy in question striding through the threshold with a confident grin. "You said you found something?" I asked.

"Yes... Salazar Slytherin's spellbook was a little difficult to interpret, but fascinating," his eyes sparkled. "Evidently, he encouraged teaching Dark magic at Hogwarts; neither the Imperius Curse nor the Killing Curse were unforgivable during his time. He believed students should be prepared to use Dark magic when necessary, not to fear it. That's why we had to use Crucio to gain access to the scriptorium... he didn't want his knowledge shared with anyone who was afraid of the power of Dark magic."

"I see," I put a hand to my chin in thought, shivering a little as I remembered that moment before we'd entered the scriptorium. "In hindsight, had I known that was going to be part of the test, I would've prepared better... but, no sense in 'what if's' now... You do owe me for that, by the way," I pointed, glaring. "That hurt like bloody hell."

"No need to make me remember," he shook his head with a frown. "I still believe I should have been the one to take the curse... I should have never let you take my place."

Besides... It was all my brilliant idea, after all.

Regret. Remorse. Penitence. Guilt. He was truly sorry it had to happen... as I would be if I had been the one to cast that spell. In a sense, doing so might've hurt worse than actually being on the receiving end of it.

"Well... it had to be done, one way or another," I sighed with a shrug. "Besides... quite a bit of good came from it, right?"

"Right... I'm still glad we did, because of the alchemy book you found... and in Slytherin's spellbook I found something else," he pointed to a passage on the open book's pages. "References to a lost relic which, from what I can tell, grants the holder the power to reverse Dark magic curses!"

"Ooh, really? That's great!" I gasped happily, my eyes quickly scanning over the text. "Think this might be the cure for Anne's curse?"

"Precisely!" he smiled. "I plan to search for this relic... but I don't think we should tell anyone, especially Ominis. He... wouldn't understand."

"No, he sounded pretty mad after we got out of the scriptorium... he'd just get even madder if we told him about this," I shook my head in agreement.

"I'm glad you agree. Keeping this to ourselves will be for his own good-"

"I'll decide what's for my own good!" The portcullis to the Undercroft suddenly flew up, and Ominis stomped out towards us from behind the corner.

Sigh, speak of the devil...

"Ominis! ...We were just about to get some air," Sebastian lied smoothly. "Care to join?" But he wasn't having any of it.

"You're a liar, Sebastian! I heard everything!" Ominis stood less than a foot away from him, his face inches away from his. "You swore you'd never engage in anything to do with Dark magic again!"

"No, I didn't..." Sebastian replied calmly, wholly unaffected by Ominis' intimidation. "...I said I understood you wanting that. I'd never swear to give up on finding a cure for Anne."

"You've got him there," I smirked. Since he hadn't yet addressed me and my own interest in the Dark Arts, I figured that Ominis hadn't really heard everything... he was simply bluffing-

"Neither of you know when to stop, do you?!" Ominis shouted angrily. While I simply rolled my eyes in response, not caring in the slightest what he thought about what I did with my time, Sebastian's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I know when not to stop. Leave this alone, Ominis." He picked up the spellbook and put it in his pocket dimension, then turned for the portcullis. "I'll be on my way."

"No, I am not letting this go," Ominis hissed as Sebastian left the Undercroft.

"He means well, you know," I offered in as neutral a tone as I could manage. "Just because it's in Salazar's own book doesn't mean it's necessarily Dark."

"I know what I heard! You knew I wouldn't agree with this!" he whirled around at me. "Going after that relic is not a good idea... Sebastian doesn't even realize it, but he's as irresponsible and reckless now as his parents were years ago! ...It's why they died."

"He told me they died, but I never did ask how," I frowned, thinking. "...You know, you could get a bit of revenge on him and tell me how it happened, since he's told me a couple of your secrets."

"Mr. and Mrs. Sallow were professors," Ominis began almost immediately after I'd finished speaking. "Spent nearly every waking moment in the cellar library, noses buried in books. Anne and Sebastian were upstairs when it happened... they heard a sudden crash and ran downstairs, but it was too late. Their parents had crumpled to the floor... a defect with the lamp in the cellar caused the room to fill with an undetectable toxin. Sebastian and Anne were helpless-"

"Hold up... I'm gonna stop you right there," I waved my hands in front of me, shaking my head in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"I- ...yes, I'm being serious," he stuttered.

"No, really, are you serious right now?" I stared at him in indignant shock. "Because that sounds to me an awful lot like they died from a carbon monoxide leak. That's not irresponsible or reckless... that's a freak accident!"

"It... it is?"

"Yes! Ugh, you just... hold that thought!" I yelled, already moving the portcullis out of my way. I ran like mad to catch up with Sebastian as he was going down some stairs, grabbed his arm and dragged him back with me towards the Undercroft. Naturally he protested the entire way, and I simply ignored him until we were back with Ominis. They glanced at each other awkwardly. "Alright, this is going to sound like it's out of nowhere, but... Sebastian, how did your parents die?"

"What does that have to do with anything?!" he understandably recoiled.

"Because I want to hear it coming from you," I grumbled. Suspiciously, Sebastian glanced over to Ominis again, then sighed deeply.

"Fine... it was after supper one day, after they'd returned from Hogwarts for the summer. They retired to their library in the cellar like they often did, while Anne and I played upstairs. Two hours had passed when we suddenly heard something fall down there... when we opened the door, our mother was lying motionless on the stairs, and our father was on the floor." He paused for a moment. "Anne and I tried everything we could think of to wake them up, but when none of it worked we went next door to the Muggle neighbors and asked for help... but it was already too late."

"Did anyone ever find out the cause?" I pressed.

"It appeared to have been a gas leak from a lamp they'd had installed recently," he stared at the floor. "Uncle Solomon, of course, thought it might've been related to Dark magic, since my father had been reading a spellbook about the Dark Arts... he was a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, so of course he'd been doing research for the next year's curriculum," he shook his head.

"I see... well, he and Ominis are totally wrong, then," I huffed, shooting Ominis a glare he couldn't see. "Your parents' deaths were an accident, not Dark magic-related."

"How so?"

"The gas lamp had a leak in it and allowed carbon monoxide to fill the cellar," I explained. "That stuff will kill you if you breathe it in for too long. It's odorless, colorless and tasteless... there's no way they would have realized it until they were already showing symptoms, and then... there wouldn't have been much they could've done about it," I frowned.

"I... that's what our neighbors suggested," Sebastian looked away.

"But how would you know that's what happened if this carbon monoxide has no odor, taste or color, as you say?" asked Ominis.

"It's rare, but not unheard of where I come from," I glanced over at him. "Except we add a terrible odor to our gas so if a leak happens, we know about it immediately. Deaths by that stuff almost never happen."

"...I don't remember smelling anything awful then," Sebastian remarked sadly.

"I... don't suppose you remember what they looked like?" I swallowed, feeling mildly guilty for asking. "There are other signs, too... bright red blood and skin, swift decomposition..." He flinched, a pang of grief and disgust flaring up that I could feel in my soul.

"...The day Anne and I had our photograph taken with... their bodies. They had to be surrounded with flowers to even stand in the same room as them... and I shall never forget the blood that poured from my mother's nose when they propped her up," he grimaced, breathing a little harder. "Anne was nearly inconsolable... we've never once looked at the daguerreotype, nor did we take any of the locks of their hair when we left with Uncle Solomon." He swallowed bitterly, making a face as though he were about to throw up.

Sweet Celestia... you people take pictures of that?!

"Sebastian... I'm so sorry..." Ominis breathed.

"I am, too," I offered penitently, wrapping an arm around him. "I'm sorry I brought it up." It was a moment before he could speak again, taking a breath before doing so.

"It's... alright. As long as it's known that my parents did not die because of Dark magic," he shook his head slowly, a hand reaching up to grab onto mine on his shoulder. He squeezed it for a few moments, and then we both let go.

"...I see I was mistaken," said Ominis. "I had only ever asked Solomon about it because I didn't want to force you to remember." Sebastian scowled at first but it quickly faded away, and he nodded in understanding. "I apologize... I am simply worried for you about the path you are taking. I've practically lost Anne... I can't lose you, too."

Helplessness. Worry. Sympathy. Cherishment. I stifled a soft gasp, the emotions washing over me like an ebbing tide. Only now did I realize how much Sebastian had meant to Ominis... how much he did mean to him. And I felt a building guilt within Sebastian, as he looked away with a huff of unhappiness.

"Please... avoid anything to do with that spellbook," Ominis begged. I glanced over to my friend, an unreadable expression on his face. He remained silent.

"I dunno... the references I saw inside it seem pretty promising," I argued gently.

"Everything to do with Salazar Slytherin seems promising, until it's too late!" he retorted. "Please...!" Finally, Sebastian let out a deep sigh.

"...Very well."

I'm sorry, Ominis... I can't. I cannot let Anne suffer from this curse if the cure lies within that spellbook.

My lips disappeared into my mouth, for fear I might accidentally betray his lie. "Thank you, Sebastian," Ominis sighed in relief. "I swear to you that if I find anything that might help Anne, I shall let you know immediately."

"Of course."

With a strained smile, Ominis turned and left the Undercroft. We waited with straight faces until we were sure he was gone before speaking.

"...So, do you know where we might find this relic of yours?" I asked, a smirk immediately breaking out across my mouth.

"Not yet... though I'm certain I'll find the answer in this book. You'll be the first to know when I find it," said Sebastian, a hint of a grin on his face. "Although perhaps I should conduct my research in your room, from now on, where he can't sneak up on us like that again."

"You're always welcome," I shrugged. "In fact, why don't you bring it with you right now? You can even bring your little reading nook you've created down here."

"Eh..." he waved a hand dismissively. "The chairs in your room are far more plush than anything I can conjure."


~


A short while later, and Sebastian had set up the spellbook on a spare desk in my room. Once he had everything to his liking he dropped into a nearby chair with a sigh.

"I don't know why I didn't just do this to start with," he shook his head as I pulled up another chair and sat down a few feet away.

"He really doesn't like Dark magic, does he?" I muttered, feeling slightly resentful. "For someone who likely knows far more about it than we do, surely he's realized there can be good applications for it, right?"

"Ominis has always been... overly cautious when it comes to Dark magic," he agreed. I nodded, waiting for him to continue his thoughts on the matter, but when he'd said nothing for quite some time I glanced over to him. He was staring off into the distance, his unfocused eyes nearly glazed over. After a few moments his head dipped downwards, lost in melancholy thoughts.

"...Are you alright?" It was a moment before he responded.

"Why did you ask me that?" he barely shook his head. "Why bring up my parents?" A small pang of guilt pinched my chest.

"Well... Ominis was whining about you being reckless, wanting to research that relic, and used your parents as an example. Of course, we all know the truth of that matter now."

"I see," he glanced to the side, frowning. "I suppose I don't blame him for never asking Anne or I about it directly. It's still a sore subject for her... and of course Uncle Solomon would twist the story when telling him." His lip briefly curled into a snarl before falling away.

"Solomon lied about that?" I drew back. Part of me wasn't at all surprised by the action, but the other part of me was stunned. It would seem that if I wanted to know anything about Sebastian, and truthfully, at that - I would need to ask him myself. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. "I, uh... I never really asked you about your life, huh?" I spoke gently. "I've told you about mine... would you tell me about yours?"

"Er..." Sebastian stared at one of the tiles on the floor as though he suddenly found it extremely interesting. Though he said nothing else, I could feel an overwhelming sense of apprehension within him, laced with equal parts embarrassment, anger and shame.

It took me entirely by surprise - sure, I'd met his guardian and he was one of the most unpleasant beings I'd ever met, but... something about his emotions now felt deeply, thoroughly damaged - the kind of ruin only years of anguish and misery could cause. And Anne had only been cursed for a fraction of that time.

"It's... not exactly something I like to talk about," he admitted quietly.

"Well, now I just want to know even more," I tilted my head. "I... feel that I know why, though." He was silent again for a while... an inner voice kept nagging at me and didn't want to press the issue, but the rest of my brain was intensely curious now... and rather quite concerned over what I was going to hear. Suddenly it was even more important to me that I knew about it. "...You'll feel better if you tell someone about it," I suggested. "And I promise I'll never speak of anything you tell me to anyone else. Not even Ominis."

Sebastian said nothing, but the way his eyes flicked up towards me spurred me on. Whatever he had experienced in his life... it throttled him, strangled him, forced him to keep silent and stoic... to hide behind a mask of easygoing pride, optimism and bravado.

"You know that I know how you're feeling... it's eating you up inside. Back home, my people talk about their feelings all the time with each other, even pay others to do so while they sit and listen... it really does help." Neither of us moved or spoke for a while, as I patiently awaited his response - his lips quivered as though he were trying to force words out. Finally...

"Are... A-Are you sure?" he asked timidly. I nodded with a gentle smile.

"I've trusted you with quite a few things about myself... you can trust me." Mirroring what he'd said when he showed me the Undercroft was exactly what he needed to hear; he took a deep breath to steel himself.

"...Very well. I've told you that Uncle Solomon was always angry, ever since our parents died... the truth is..."

I listened intently as Sebastian spent over an hour detailing his life from when he and Anne moved in with Solomon, rambling from one point to the next in a nearly monotone stream of consciousness. I had to stop myself from interrupting him multiple times... then later from threatening injury after grievous injury on his uncle as he talked.

It seemed that Solomon had been the elder brother of Sebastian's father, Samuel, raised coldly and strictly while the baby brother was clearly the darling of the family, lavished with attention and praise. He had had very little support from their parents, choosing to move away as soon as he was able to pursue a career as an Auror while the brother became a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He'd always harped on Samuel for being reckless and impulsive, who was anything but... whereas Solomon was constantly reprimanded for rushing into things without thinking.

Sebastian didn't know why, but Solomon's career as an Auror ended rather quickly, though he had worked for long enough to receive a modest pension. He then seemed to drift aimlessly through life while his father moved to an upscale area in London, became relatively successful and married a fellow professor, his mother Amelie. She was a Potions master - beautiful, intelligent and full of life.

Eventually, they had Sebastian and Anne. As far as he could remember, it was a happy childhood - they were deeply loved and cherished by their parents, and wanted for nothing. They opened their minds to new experiences whenever possible, and instilled a craving for knowledge and learning early on - for a brief, bright moment, Sebastian bragged he could read his father's textbooks and understand them by the time he was three.

And then... they died. The both of them had always had a fascination with Muggle inventions. As Solomon was their closest living relative at the time, they had to move in with him. And his life changed for the worse.

It started slowly. First he'd notice that some of his favorite books - the ones his father owned - went missing. As much as he tried to keep track of them, or later hide them, more and more of them seemingly vanished without a trace. That mystery wasn't solved until four months later - when Solomon had left his bedroom door unlocked one day, Sebastian found a pile of his lost books underneath his bed. He had been too scared to take any of them back, and he regretted that moment of weakness - the next time he checked there, they were all gone. The same eventually began happening to the rest of his possessions, until only a few of them remained.

Then Solomon stopped using his name in conversations, only saying it when he was angry with him, as though it was a curse. He still referred to Anne as Anne, but Sebastian was generally only referred to as Boy. The neighbors had no idea what his name was for years... some of them still didn't know.

Then Solomon would largely ignore his presence. He'd never pass him food when asked, he'd have to ask Anne to pass it to him. If he needed help with something, he'd never receive it from his uncle. If he got a bruise or scrape while playing he'd have to tend to it himself, or if he couldn't then Anne would have to help him. When his magic manifested itself, and he accidentally pulled down a chest of drawers on top of himself as a result... he had to summon the strength to crawl out from underneath it and set it back upright. Solomon just stood there, watching with a sneer.

He couldn't understand why Solomon treated him this way back then... sometimes he spoke to Anne harshly, but he never outright ignored her, or confiscated her things for no reason, or called her Girl rather than her own name. As a result she grew relatively close with their uncle, but he never did... to him, Uncle Solomon was simply a guardian, and nothing more. 

The time eventually came that he and Anne were accepted into Hogwarts. His parents had left them plenty of money for their school expenses, as well as a generous monthly stipend in their will, and the Gringotts goblins were quite diligent in ensuring they received their Galleons on time. As time passed, Solomon seemed to become even more bitter and angry with him. His professors praised his intelligence and natural talent, and he excelled in his studies, his best grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He grew taller, stronger, more charismatic and likeable - he figured that this was why Solomon always called him "his father's son" and insulted him every chance he got: he'd grown to resemble that younger brother in both body and mind.

The abuse grew worse. Despite his Auror training, Solomon rarely explained spells or concepts to him if he didn't quite grasp them in his studies. The few times he did, he did so by forcing Sebastian to duel him in the space beside their house. "Teaching by example", he'd call it... and he showed him no mercy. By the end of their duels, Sebastian would be a bruised, burned, bleeding mess on the ground - broken, aching and gasping for breath. For his sake, Anne became quite skilled at brewing healing potions and salves, and he learned Episkey several years early.

As much as he genuinely enjoyed his company, and his kindred heart agonized for him once he'd learned of his broken home life, he also thought that having Ominis live with them during the summers would lessen his own harsh treatment... but it didn't. He theorized it was because he was a Gaunt, belonging to one of the most notorious and influential Dark wizard families... and therefore his uncle thought he was nothing but a bad influence. Solomon treated him well enough, perhaps to avoid retaliation from his family... but through a conman's grin he would lie, badmouth and blame Sebastian for everything that went wrong, trying his hardest to poison Ominis against him, to what ends he had no idea. Thankfully, Ominis was usually too smart to fall for the lies and slander... or at the very least he'd eventually come to him for confirmation. The fact that he hadn't about his parents until just a little while ago hurt far more than he'd assumed it would... but it wasn't like he'd done so out of malice. He understood that.

The worst moments of his life, however, happened on the rare occasions Solomon would drink. It tore down the last of his inhibitions, and Merlin help him if he even walked into the room wrong - Sebastian's entire body trembled as he recounted the times Solomon beat him nearly unconscious in an inebriated rage. Even Anne was powerless to help him when his uncle was like that, shouting in slurred speech about how much he hated his brother and was glad he was dead, threatening to make the brother he was currently pummeling just as dead as he was. It had thankfully been over a year since the last time.

"But now... now I can defend myself. And I'll be honest... the next time he strikes me, it may very well be his last." Sebastian fell silent as he stared at the floor, wringing the edge of his cloak in his hands.

I saw red... felt red, heard red, tasted red. I wanted with every fiber of my being to tear Solomon apart slowly, starting with his finger and toenails and working my way up his hands and feet, going all the way up his limbs, keeping him alive and in agony for as long as possible! He was worse than Nightmare Moon, worse than Queen Chrysalis, even worse than Discord himself! He wasn't worthy of being called a man, not even worthy of being called human - filth like him belonged in the deepest, darkest bowels of Tartarus, or even the hell on earth called Azkaban! The pain and fury I felt for his sake ignited my soul, and ancient magic began pouring out of my eyes as I silently swore this monster would never lay a hand on my friend again.

But looking back to Sebastian... the usual smugness he wore on his face had vanished entirely, the façade replaced by a haunted mask of despondence. The rage inside me quieted down and died away, replaced with a dull ache that nibbled at my heart. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around myself, the pressure only halfway comforting, like it wasn't enough.

No... the dull ache was compassion, pure and simple... the need to connect. The need for contact.

He sighed heavily as he stood up, no longer comfortable in his seat - I could feel a sense of deep discomfort radiating from deep within him, anguish and alienation mixed with anger and anxiety. I swallowed as I stood up as well, pausing before asking.

"Um... may I... hug you?"

"What?" Sebastian blinked a few times in confusion. "Er, yes... of course." I felt him flinch, heard him gasp softly as I practically threw myself against him, wrapping my arms tightly around his back and squeezing as hard as I could - despite the warmth of his body, he felt cold. It was a few moments before he returned the gesture with full force, a weak moan escaping from his mouth. Even through his inner turmoil, the gentle strength of his arms felt comforting, both a vow of protection and a wellspring of gratitude for simply listening to his tale. The faint scent of flowers and sweet herbs lured me into pressing my cheek against the crook of his neck, and I felt him smile.

Befuddlement. Appreciation. Delight. Peace. Had I not felt any positive emotions coming from him, I would've stopped right there. But what I felt only made me want to never let go, made me want to protect him from what he couldn't just vanquish himself in a magic duel.

The things he'd endured... it made my own struggles with Celestia feel like a toddler's pathetic temper tantrum, screaming and crying over nothing at all. If I weren't so preoccupied, I might've even felt a little bit reflective, or even... guilty. Even though my feelings were justified, both back then and now.

After a few more moments I could no longer feel the coldness within him, and the dull ache within me faded. I finally released my hold and looked up at him... his face was bright red, barely holding back an intangible expression. I found it amusing and chuckled.

"Heh... didn't expect that, did you?"

"No... but you'll not hear me complain about it," he replied with a slight grin.

"I should explain," I smiled sheepishly, trying to hide my own blush. "...Where I come from, the people are more... emotional. Touchy-feely. We appreciate our close contact with one another, try to anticipate when the other person may need it... I've noticed that everyone around here doesn't really do that."

"I see... I suppose that makes sense," Sebastian stared at the floor. "Certain expectations we all have to follow... though I'll admit that I find that they sometimes don't make any sense at all. Why hold back if two consenting parties feel the same? Especially if there are no... prying eyes to witness them."

"Exactly," I replied slyly, lightly poking him in the arm. "Good to see you've got some gumption in there when you're not flustered."

Not to mention it afforded me more excuses to leach that enticing sense of warmth from him... that delightful, delicious surge of exuberant emotions that seemed to almost fuel my ancient magic in some capacity, and quite simply felt so electrifyingly addictive.

I'd have to be sneaky about it, though. It'd be kind of weird if I did it too often, even if he seemed receptive to the action... although it was true what I'd said about ponies back home, I'd never actually been the touchy-feely type myself. The thought of embracing anypony that wasn't Celestia had only brought me revulsion and disgust, as did the thought of embracing the vast majority of the humans I knew.

But not him, though... because we were friends? What a curious observation.

"I-I don't get flustered!" he weakly argued, a blush returning to his cheeks. I simply pointed at his face and giggled smugly; though he tried to shake it off a quiet chuckle blew past his lips. "...You were right, though. I do feel a bit lighter now that I've told someone about... all that."

In a split second, remembering all that he'd told me, the smile vanished from my face. I felt a righteous fury boiling up within me once more, threatening to spill over. "I'm glad... because boy, do I want to give your uncle a piece of my mind! I can't believe all the things he did to you... I promise you, if I ever see him do anything like that to you again, if I ever even hear from anyone..." My voice devolved into a feral growl, a cross between a Timberwolf's deep, rumbling snarl and a hiss like an angry viper through clenched teeth. Just the thought made power leak from my eyes again in murderous anticipation.

I wanted to rip that bastard a new one. Several new ones. Until his entire body was nothing but a new one!

"Hey," Sebastian grabbed my shoulders, gentle but still firmly enough to snap me out of my dark desires. "Don't worry about me... and please, don't even think about blasting him with ancient magic. As much as I despise my uncle... he's Anne and I's guardian. He's... all we have left of our family."

"So what?!" I argued. "That's still no excuse for how he's treated you... haven't you heard that one saying? 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb'? He doesn't deserve either of you... If he were my guardian, I'd rather go move in with Ominis and his insane family."

A few beats of silence passed. "...I have thought about that," he admitted. "But Ominis is convinced his family wouldn't be... accepting."

"They wouldn't?" Sebastian shook his head.

"My mother was a half-blood... Pureblood supremacy and all that."

"Geez..." I grumbled, glaring at the floor. Stupid, meaningless prejudices. He squeezed my shoulders before letting go, and we stood there for a while, having a sort of unspoken conversation of understanding through our shared silence.

And as much as I didn't want to listen... as much as I wanted to personally ensure that Solomon got exactly what was coming to him... I chose to respect Sebastian's wishes. His uncle would live... for now.

"...Fine. But if you ever change your mind-"

"No, Sunset... please don't blow up my uncle."


~


Finally, the Friday I had been waiting for finally arrived - it was my first match in the Crossed Wands tournament. Being new, I had been put in one of the lowest brackets and had to wait for what seemed like forever for my duel to come up. I'd attended most of the others before me, and found my competition sorely lacking. The only matches of note were Sebastian's and Natty's - the former had won his match handily, while I found the latter's unconventional casting style fascinating. The others... well, if it had been me dueling, I would've beaten each of them in a single move.

During the gap of time between my last class of the day and the scheduled time of my match, I practiced my dueling skills with Sebastian in my Room, Equestrian music blaring from a modified phonograph. When he wasn't restricted to a couple of spells like in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, he was actually quite formidable to face off against... practically as good as myself. Had the two of us not been pulling our punches and ensured that our magic was all flash and no substance, we probably would've wound up brutally murdering each other and setting the entire castle on fire within the first five minutes.

The music drew us into casting and dodging to its beat - by now I had amassed a large eclectic collection of it, finding the changes in tempo and rhythm fun to keep in time to. I had a little of everything: Limp Bridle, Linkin Pony, Sonic Fillies, Good Connemara, Marelyn Maneson, Knights In Nightmare's Service, Kyary Ponyu Ponyu, Barbados Cherry, Super Bass, Megan, 2 Spurs, Kid Clydesdale, Hay-Z, Lil Pon, and even non-pony artists such as Pit Dog, Lizza and Dimash Yakaibergen.

One of the songs ended, and we chose that as our cue to take a break. While I sipped from a tankard of water Sebastian cleared his throat. "I imagine you know, since this music is from your homeland... What, exactly, is the meaning of, and I think I heard this right... 'popping, locking, dropping that birthday cake'?"

He'd asked with such a straight and innocent face; after I'd gotten up from the floor after nearly dying laughing for a minute straight, I asked him if nightclubs were a thing in this world. He answered that they were, although they were far more popular in American cities than they were in London, and they offered a great deal more than simply dancing and drinking - they were more like a full-blown dinner theater.

"Alright, so it's not a totally foreign concept," I nodded, grinning. "Well, Equestrian nightclubs are a little more... sultry. There's drinking, loud music, lots of flashing lights in a dark room crowded with people, and the dancing is very much not of the ballroom variety."

"Er... what other variety of dancing is there?" he asked nervously. Predicting his reaction, I got close and whispered an explanation into his ear... and I did not mince my words, I was as specific and detailed as I could manage without cracking up laughing. The more he heard, the further his jaw dropped... and his face must've turned at least ten different shades of red. "...Your people consider that dancing?!"

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. It's fun," I smirked.

"But it sounds so... salacious! It's lascivious! Licentious! It's..." he bit his lip as he glanced at the floor, "...admittedly intriguing."

"Interested, are we?" I chuckled, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Given your current emotions, I'm surprised you're not a drooling, catatonic lump on the floor right about now." He froze as he swallowed uncomfortably at being called out, his eyes narrowing after a moment.

"...I see what you're doing. You're trying to get a rise out of me," he drawled, trying to push aside the growing ache I could feel in the depths of his soul. "You know I can imagine what feelings such dancing may elicit."

"Mmhmm... And now you know what 'poppin', lockin', droppin' that birthday cake' means," I nodded in satisfaction. "By the way, was that pun intended?" Sebastian glanced at the floor again as he went over what he said. After a few moments he let out a strangled shout and slapped his hand over his face.

"...Damn you. How is it that you're far more comfortable with such intimate situations than even that philanderer Garreth?" he groaned, blushing again. I simply laughed.

"Same as how you're so easily flustered... guess Equestria's just that much more open with it than the rest of the world." Which was a fact I found quite comical, it was incredibly easy for me to mock, provoke and embarrass my classmates with even the shoddiest of innuendos. It was definitely the most satisfying to use against Imelda, that irascible, self-important tryhard who thought she was soooo talented in everything she did... even Ominis had found it hilarious when I'd suggested she was quite quick with more than just a broom.

And then I found out what an incorrigible gossip he could be... Hoo boy, was she mad when word got back to her.

I glanced over to the clock - 4:15pm. My match was in about fifteen minutes. "Well, shall we head over to the Clock Tower Courtyard? 'Fraid there's no time for you to take a cold shower first," I grinned.

"I'll be just fine," Sebastian huffed as he followed me out. "Though I do have other questions to ask about your music... What is a milkshake, and why does it bring all the boys to the yard?" I laughed again as I answered his questions on the way to the dueling club, some of them eliciting equally amusing reactions as before.

And as for my match, I dueled a Gryffindor boy named Hector Jenkins... and it was over in seconds. He was no match for being shot upwards high into the rafters of the tower, then being Transfigured into a duck... a duck that didn't know how to fly. He honked in a panic as he flapped his useless wings, a Descendo ensuring that he landed with an audible slam on the floor. A Ventus then sent him flying out of a window in an explosion of feathers, from which he did not return.

"The winner... Sunset Shimmer!" Lucan cried out as he gestured grandly towards me. While most of the other club members offered mild applause or hushed mutterings of terror, Sebastian and Natty cheered loudly. I looked over to them with a proud smirk, appreciative of their support.

Soon I'd be moving rapidly up the tournament bracket... and soon, all of these losers would be bowing to me in defeat.

And eventually... I'd have the entire world bowing to me. Me, and my incredible power.
> In Which Amit Realizes Sunset is Rather Unhinged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I knew it, the final week of school before the Christmas break was upon me. It was a rare reprieve from getting homework every day, with most of the professors electing to let their students spend the classes simply hanging out. Professor Ronen even held a small party in his last Charms class of the week, complete with candy and these strange tubes called Wizard Crackers. The massive boom they made when you opened them hurt my ears, but I was intrigued by the large assortment of random gifts they could hold inside.

Wednesday evening during dinner, Professor Weasley rattled off the names of those who would be spending the holiday at the castle - it turned out to be quite a few people, and the vast majority of them, as I'd heard through the grapevine, were attending the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala. There was myself and Sebastian, obviously (Fig had offered to return us to his home in London for the holiday if I'd wanted, but he seemed happy to hear that I had a date lined up), then Natty and Poppy, and Ominis... after those names had been called, I stopped caring and tuned the rest out.

Of course, however... the lack of any teaching or learning going on this week bored me to tears. It had driven me nearly insane by the end of Wednesday, so after eating I went straight to my Room and began brewing the most complex potion there was in my textbook. It felt so good chopping and crushing up reagents and carefully measuring liquids to pour into the cauldron.

It took a long while to brew, though. I was already bored again after waiting a half hour, with an hour and a half to go. I put some music on while I waited, and sang along quietly.

I absolutely didn't miss spontaneously breaking out into song and dance, like in Equestria. Truth be told... I never really liked my singing voice much. It always sounded too deep and husky and slightly offkey, nor could I hold a note for very long... not at all what such a lovely vision of beauty like myself should sound like. Suddenly being forced to sing along with others close by was always embarrassing, it was perhaps my one and only flaw.

But here, in the sanctity and privacy of my own Room, I couldn't help myself. One of my favorite songs began to play; using my wand as a microphone, I stood up, cleared my throat and took a deep breath.

"...Can you tell? Does it show? I'm alone in a city of ghosts, awaaaaake to the howl of silence." I improvised my dance moves, trying to appear mysterious, dark and gothic. "What is left when you're not around? I don't know where to go... Shake the pain, break away, leave it all behind. With a hint of dawn, I'm already gone!" As I got to the chorus I took an exaggerated step forward and belted out the words.

"Staring with empty eyes, looking right through me... Physically void of life, nervous like zombies-" I paused for a moment, waving my wand to pause the phonograph as well. Zombies weren't really much of a thing in this world - only known to wizardkind, and only found in one area of the North American continent.

Inferi, however... well, Muggles had no idea, but wizards knew what those were. I unpaused the phonograph.

"...Nervous like Inferi... When all you cared for is the fire, you'll end up blinded by the light... I'm the only one alive in the dead of night!"

Yea, this was sounding great! My voice wasn't cracking at all like usual! Now for the profound verse.

"You and me, I was you, it's so faded that this much is true: We were slaaaaated for greatness someday." A sly, sexy grin as I ran my fingers through my hair. "And with death to outrun, we were shining as bright as the sun... it was uuuuus and the endless highway." I put more effort into my choreography for the second bridge and chorus, sliding and posing powerfully.

"I'm the ooooonly one alive in the dead of night!" I finished the song by slinking down to the floor, looking anguished and mopey, imagining the ending echoing effects and lights fading away, throngs of adoring fans clamoring around the stage.

"Ha... eat your heart out, Britneigh Spurs," I smirked to myself, hearing the wild applause my performance surely would've received.

What I did not expect to hear was slow, sarcastic clapping.

Thoroughly ripped out of my fantasy, I sat straight up to see Sebastian in the doorway, an open tin of candy in the crook of his arm. His mouth was just barely holding back laughter.

I wanted to curl up under a rock and die.

"Bravo," he drawled, grinning. "Is this part of that curse on your homeland where everyone breaks out into song and dance at random?"

I said nothing. Instead, I grabbed the closest book I wasn't using in my magic and hurled it at his face. He dodged it easily and sank to the floor, laughing uncontrollably yet not spilling any of his candy.

"How much of that did you hear?!" I finally shouted, feeling my face grow hotter than the surface of the sun.

"Not sure, but what I did catch was certainly entertaining!" he guffawed. "The great and terrible Sunset Shimmer, putting on quite a show!" I couldn't see myself in any of the mirrors from where I was sitting, but I imagined my face- ...my entire body was as red as the scarlet tapestries on the walls.

"Sebastian... I swear to every single god that exists in this world, if you ever even breathe a word of this to anyone, I will end you," I seethed, too humiliated and enraged to even scowl.

"I w-won't... I won't tell..." he snickered, struggling to pick himself off the ground. "Merlin's beard, that was incredible to witness."

Him offering me half of his candy wasn't quite enough to get me to forget about this embarrassment, this slight against my psyche... I'd have to get him back eventually. We might be friends, but even he's not immune to my wrath!


~


On Friday morning, I received a rather rough-looking letter from an owl during breakfast. When I opened it, it took me a few seconds to realize just who had sent it - part of me had written off ever hearing from Lodgok again, but sure enough, the content inside could only have come from him.

While brief, the letter was asking for quite a bit to happen between now and tonight: Lodgok wanted to meet after 9pm, at the entrance to a goblin mine at the southeastern end of Hogwarts Valley (to which he helpfully included a map). He wrote that the two of us needed some idea of what Ranrok was plotting, as he had failed to make nice with him by handing over that helmet. He knew there had been vastly-increased activity at this particular mine, so a careless Loyalist might've left plans sitting out somewhere. However, as his loyalty was already being questioned, he couldn't be seen anywhere near this mine... which was where I came in.

There was an additional hiccup to this plan, though... Lodgok wanted me to find someone who could speak - or at least read Gobbledegook to bring along. It seemed he wanted to keep this as much of a secret as possible, so we wouldn't be taking the plans with us. This proved... troublesome.

First I tried asking Sebastian if he was up for an adventure, but it turned out he wouldn't actually be available at all tonight. After I'd told him we'd be attending the Gala, he'd managed to convince Ominis to attend as well, and tonight they were both going into the village to be fitted for their suits.

Not to mention he didn't know a word of Gobbledegook. It was apparently extremely difficult to learn, and especially since his sister had been cursed by them he had no desire to.

Next I asked Fig... while he had some advice to offer when it came to stealth, he also had no knowledge of Gobbledegook. He did offer to come along, but thought better of it when reminded of Lodgok's tenuous trust in most wizards. Instead he would await my return so he could research whatever I happened to find.

I groaned to myself when I realized exactly whose help it turned out I would need. Sweet Celestia, was he annoying... but if there was ever a good time to take advantage of his obvious simping on me, then it was now. The real question was: how was I going to get him to go without revealing the reason why?

Well, the nerd loved his stargazing... that was probably as good a reason as any. It took me a little while to track him down, but eventually I found him coming down from the Astronomy Tower with a couple of other classmates. He froze uncomfortably upon seeing me, as though he couldn't believe his good fortune.

"Hey, Amit..." I paused for a moment to swallow down a pang of revulsion, hoping he didn't notice. "Uh, I... found one of those Astronomy Tables that Professor Shah mentioned ages ago. I was wondering if-"

"Say no more, Sunset," Amit shook his head with a wide grin. "I would be happy to accompany you! Where is this table you found?" I showed him the map, taking care to obscure the notes about the goblin mine with my thumb. "Ah, I see... well, tonight is supposed to be perfectly clear, and there is no time like the present! Would you like to meet me there at around... say, 10pm?"

"Yea, that sounds great," I nodded.

"Marvelous! I shall see you then," he beamed as he turned away, he and his friends tittering in excitement as they left. Well, that's that problem solved... now to make it through the night without giving in and strangling him...


~


At the same time, I was both anxious for night to fall so I could meet with Lodgok, and dreading having to spend an hour or two with Amit for company. Around 9pm I quietly left the castle, got on my broom and traveled to the spot marked on my map. I was landing in the middle of a goblin camp about twenty minutes later.

The goblin mine overlooked the entirety of southern Hogwarts Valley, with Irondale to the left and Keenbridge to the right, both hamlets hundreds of feet below. The camp outside of the mine had been completely deserted - perhaps all of the goblins ate and slept inside the mine for warmth and shelter, as there were no tents or other accommodations I could see. Thankfully, Amit hadn't arrived yet.

A short, shadowy figure stepped out from behind some scaffolding. I whipped around and saw that it was Lodgok, and lowered my wand.

"Lodgok... good to finally see you again," I greeted.

"Same to you, Sunset," the elderly goblin replied. "I apologize it took me this long to find a lead... unfortunately, presenting Ranrok with the Helmet of Urtkot did not have the effect I'd hoped. Because he knew the details surrounding its plunder, he presumed I'd had help from a witch or wizard in retrieving it."

"Well, I mean... you couldn't get it yourself. None of them could. I don't know what he was expecting," I shrugged.

"I'm afraid we do not have the luxury of rational expectation when it comes to Ranrok," he sighed. "Damn Bragbor and his blasted journals..."

"Who's Bragbor?" my head tilted.

"An ancestor of Ranrok's... renowned metalworker. If we are to work together, I suppose I must tell you more."

"Please do. This sounds quite pertinent," I nodded. Lodgok nodded as well.

"Not long ago, Ranrok sent me to collect a recently-unearthed set of Bragbor's journals. They described 'repositories' that Bragbor had been commissioned to build for a group of witches and wizards."

"Repositories, huh?" Pushing aside the suspicion that arose when I'd heard him admit that Ranrok had asked him personally to do something for him, I instead focused on the latter half of his tale.

"Large, magically-fortified receptacles crafted from goblin metal," Lodgok explained. "Ranrok recruited others to help me locate the repositories... we were to search anywhere that was connected to the five names mentioned in the journals: Rackham, Fitzgerald, Bakar, Morganach and Rookwood. We began our search at Rookwood Castle," he pointed towards Feldcroft in the distance, just barely visible on the horizon behind a mountain.

"Is... that so..." I blinked, trying not to betray my innermost thoughts. So that's how Ranrok knows about the Keepers and the ancient magic... "...And why does Ranrok care so much about these repositories?" I asked carefully; I wondered just how much he - and Lodgok - knew.

"He cares about what they contain," he answered plainly. "For centuries, wizards have refused to share their magical knowledge with goblins... your kind will not even let us carry wands. Thus, many goblins, myself included, have spent our lives mistrusting wizardkind."

And yet you guys run the biggest wizarding bank in the country...

"Ranrok was convinced that the repositories contained a magical power that wizards wanted to keep for themselves. He was- is determined to take it for goblinkind, but he's-" Lodgok cut himself off, his ears twitched as I heard footsteps crunching through the snow. We turned towards the noise; Amit had finally shown up... earlier than even I had expected, the simpy weirdo.

"There you are, Sunset! I've been flying around for a while trying to locate either you or this Astronomy Table you speak of- ...Oh! A goblin!" his face lit up in surprise.

"Amit... this is Lodgok," I introduced with a gesture. "Lodgok, Amit." Lodgok stared at Amit, seemingly unimpressed.

"...You speak Gobbledegook?" he asked.

"Yes, I do!" Amit then proceeded to make a series of grotesque noises, sounding something like a cross between a sick Breezie and a dragon with its mouth full of sour candy. Lodgok's eyes narrowed as his mouth hung open in disgust.

"Ugh, enough! Please do not tell me that was meant to be Gobbledegook," he groaned. Amit's mouth screwed shut in nervous shock.

"I, uh... W-Well, yes. Perhaps my pronunciation was a bit off... I imagine certain dialects differ-"

"Pronunciation is not the issue... I barely recognized that as language!"

"Well, we don't need him to speak it, just read it," I grimaced, although inwardly I wanted to laugh. Figures he couldn't actually speak the language correctly... a book couldn't exactly teach you tone or inflection.

"We... do? Are we not here to do some stargazing?" Amit tilted his head in confusion.

"Nope. New plan - my buddy here says there's goblin blueprints inside that mine. He can't go inside for reasons, and I can't read Gobbledegook. That's where you come in," I grinned devilishly.

"Oh... well, u-uh... o-of course! How exciting!" He tried to put on a brave face, but I could already see him shivering in terror at the mere prospect of heading inside. "I mean, well... might this be dangerous?"

"Not at all," I lied straight to his face. "We'll be in and out before you know it."

"Good luck," Lodgok waved before sliding behind a crate to get out of sight. "I await your return."

Once we couldn't see him anymore I shrugged and casually made my way towards the mine's entrance. All they had for security was an enchanted metal door, with a single glass eyeball the size of a watermelon staring down at us at the very top. While I figured that the conventional way to get it to open up was to be Disillusioned while fiddling with the mechanisms, a simple Bombarda proved just as effective, if not more efficient.

"A-Ah... S-Shouldn't we be a little more cautious about this? And perhaps more respectful of things that do not belong to us?" Amit stuttered behind me, where he couldn't see me rolling my eyes.

"Cautious, schmautious... just keep quiet and follow me," I grumbled as I ducked through the door's remains. Moonlight streamed in from an open crevice in the ceiling, drowned out by the glow from what appeared to be tube-shaped lightbulbs encased in metal sockets hammered into the walls and connected by both wires and gas lines. As we traveled further into the tunnel, more and more signs of goblin engineering became obvious, and Amit seemed to forget his fear and glanced around in wonder.

"Books so rarely prepare one for reality... a real goblin mine... it's even grander than I expected!" he squealed with glee. Presently the tunnel ended in a room full of pipes connected to one of those boilers, which all led towards what appeared to be a sort of elevator lift. A quick Incendio relit the boiler's fire, and steam hissed from the lift as it shuddered at being activated. "Look at this lift... impressive workmanship for so simple a device!"

"Well, you realize it's simple, at least," I sighed as I stepped onto it. Amit quickly hopped on as I pulled the only lever I could see within the lift's interior, the doors sliding closed a moment later. It descended rather quietly... I estimated we had gone maybe two hundred feet into the mountain by the time it stopped. 

"I still can't believe we're inside a real goblin mine...!" he continued to gush as we exited the elevator and began walking down the mine's halls. "I've read about mines like this, but seeing one is something else altogether! I feel like a character from one of the adventure books I read during the summer holidays!"

"Are you gonna be like this the entire time?" I winced at him. "I thought you wanted to be cautious."

"Sorry," he snapped his mouth shut. However, as we entered a large room movement caught our eyes. A trio of goblins were standing guard in front of a closed door, and as I raised my wand in preparation to attack, he gasped. "Wait! A-Are you really going to attack them?!"

I lowered my wand with a grunt. "Yea? They wouldn't hesitate to try to kill either of us... they hate wizards."

"But... b-but they haven't done anything! They're just standing there... innocently!" he argued. I resisted the urge to slap my own forehead.

"Alright... and what do you suggest we do to move forward?" I groused.

"Anything can be solved with diplomacy!" Amit puffed out his chest. "I shall simply explain that we'd like to join them, and we can sneak in and acquire their plans that way!"

I blinked a few times before indulging my urge. You... cannot possibly... be this dumb...

"...You know what? Fine. Go talk to them."

Amit grinned and confidently strode out from the tunnel towards the goblins. He stumbled a bit when they immediately took up their weapons and pointed them at him, but to his credit he kept going until he was only a few feet away from their leader.

"Ah... and to what do we owe the pleasure of this intrusion?" he snarled, his eyes narrow.

"So far from the castle... shouldn't you be in bed by now?" another goblin taunted.

"Not to mention you came alone... not too bright, are yeh?" the third one sneered as his spear came within inches of poking Amit in the chest. He chuckled nervously before clearing his throat and adopting the boldest possible expression he could... which had more holes in it than a Potions colander.

"Now, now, my good fellows... I am not here to cause any trouble!" And then Amit began making those noises again...

I felt like I was watching Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to dance ballet right in front of me. Unsurprisingly, the goblins stared at Amit incredulously before recoiling, two of them laughing while their leader gasped with rage.

"You said what about my mother?!" he shouted, raising his axe high. Amit meeped in fear as he fumbled for his wand; just as the axe came swinging down I Accioed him out of harm's way, then with a flick of my wand I Transfigured the weapon into an anvil. It fell and crushed the goblin's arm beneath its weight, and he howled in pain.

"See? They're not in the mood for diplomacy," I shook my head as I effortlessly took control of the other two goblins' weapons while they struggled to realize what was happening. The spear went through one goblin's throat while his shortswords impaled the other goblin through the bottom of his ribcage and out his right armpit. They fell over into the rapidly-growing pool of blood at their feet, their leader staring behind him in shock.

He looked back at me just in time to see me flick the anvil from the ground into his chin. The impact very nearly tore his head off.

"That... was a little more than I'm used to..." Amit whimpered, eyes painfully wide as he watched the leader's body crumple to the floor.

"And that was just a taste of what you're gonna see... better get used to it," I smirked before tearing the door off its hinges and tossing it aside. It seemed to lead into the goblin's living quarters - my hunch had been correct.

Immediately to my right was another group of goblins huddled around a cooking fire, a pot of something simmering away on top. My magic propelled the stew within into their faces, the liquid like napalm while the vegetables were Transfigured into Chomping Cabbage-esque creatures that gnawed at their eyes. More goblins to my left hurriedly stumbled out of their beds and groped sleepily for their weapons, only to find themselves restrained, choked and strangled by their own bedsheets, and smothered by their own pillows forcing themselves into their mouths. Their screams alerted even more goblins from side rooms, to which I simply picked up all the tableware I could see in one graceful sweep, and sent them hurling into the attackers with the speed of artillery fire. Even I found myself quite surprised at how much damage a wooden spoon could do to a goblin's chest cavity.

Finally, the room fell silent. I poked around at a laid-back pace, going through nightstand drawers and chests of belongings. Meanwhile, my companion stared at me in utter fear.

"W-Was that really necessary?! A-Any of that?!"

"Eh, I probably could've killed them all quicker," I shrugged as I thumbed through a stack of papers full of diagrams. Maybe these were the plans Lodgok had mentioned? "Here... what's this say?" Amit took the stack of paper and flipped through them, humming thoughtfully.

"Fascinating to see Gobbledegook written in a goblin hand... the flourishes are extraordinary!"

"We're not here for samples of their handwriting... what is it?"

"A schematic... they're building something. I can't quite make it out... curious."

"Wait... you can't read it?" I turned back towards him, glaring.

"W-Well... there are quite a few d-difficult words to read in this text... very e-esoteric in nature," he stammered. "N-Not to worry... I will get to the b-bottom of what they've been building down here." I simply shot him a look that made him shiver, then resumed my search. When I hadn't been able to find any other schematics, I began down another short tunnel that seemed to lead to the next area.

Now I found myself inside what appeared to be a massive workshop. There were forges lining the walls where glowing-hot pieces of metal were being worked by enchanted tools, and smelters purifying and forming ingots for manufacturing usage. To the right was a huge waterwheel turning in a subterranean stream, which helped to power an assortment of other blacksmithing tools as more goblins supervised.

Oh, this would be fun.

First I cast Aguamenti into the smelters, quickly followed by a Protego as the molten metal inside exploded from the water's sudden evaporation, coating the nearby goblins in heavy liquid agony. While they screamed I picked up as many of the tools and glowing pieces of metal as I could in my magic and sent them flying around the room in a maelstrom of chaos, slamming into their bodies and causing an assortment of wounds from bruises and burns to concussions to fatalities. A couple of the goblins that had only gotten a bit of molten metal on them managed to drag themselves towards the stream, to which I pushed them in with a Depulso and watched as they got munched by the waterwheel. A savory, yet sickening smell soon began wafting from the nearby steam boilers.

"Oh... this really is too much..." Amit whined, holding his abdomen. He looked as though he was going to be sick.

"You need to get out more if this is enough to rattle you," I quipped as I lazily searched the workshop. Eventually I found another stack of papers on top of a desk, and called my companion over. He seemed to recover slightly as he read through the pages.

"Another schematic... If I'm translating this correctly, and I think that I am... they're building something rather large. But what?"

"Large, huh? How big are we talking?" I asked.

"This mine is too small for whatever it is," he replied. "I hope there are more schematics to find, we cannot return to Lodgok empty-'headed'."

...

I turned towards Amit in disgust. "...Really? Was that supposed to be a joke?" All he had to offer me was a gormless grin - I sighed deeply as I blew apart another door and passed through into another workshop.

If the last workshop had been unusually large, then this one was quite simply excessive. Thinking about the shapes of the bits of metal I'd seen, the last workshop might've been crafting nuts, bolts and screws, whereas judging by the size of the smelter and molds this one was producing huge sheets and tubes of metal. A quick estimate told me that the circumference of the largest tube the metal would form was larger than that of Hogwarts' own Astronomy Tower.

A shiver ran down my spine. Just what in the hell was Ranrok building? Screw stealth, clearing the place out and halting production entirely was clearly the way to proceed here.

This time I closed my eyes in focus as I poured magic into the molten metal, forming it into a facsimile of a phoenix. It rose from the glowing mass with a guttural, gurgling cry, the goblins supervising the machine running around and panicking at the mere sight of it. Then it took flight, each flap of its wings sending drops of burning-hot metal raining down on the unfortunate enemies... even worse for them, the metal partially hardened in midair into jagged spikes, seemingly exploding like miniature frag grenades as they pierced into their flesh. While I kept Amit and myself safe underneath my Protego, while he squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears to drown out the screams, I subtly summoned up ancient magic from deep within my soul, and fired an orb of purple light at the molten phoenix. It exploded in a downpour of radiant yellow, and as it coated every goblin in the room a quickly-cast Glacius hardened the shells in an instant.

Amit opened his eyes to see the room filled with tens of metal statues of goblins shrieking in terror, screaming in agony, crawling and oozing and partially melted into the floor.

"H-How... How do you sleep at night?!" he wailed at the top of his lungs.

"With your mom. Now quit your whining and come read this," I gestured plainly at the master blacksmith's desk, where yet another stack of papers lay. Unlike the others, this one had a clear picture of what the schematics were meant to create: something that resembled a cylindrical tank fixed to the front of an automobile, with three thick discs covered with studs on one end. The discs were arranged so that whatever the tank drove into, they would chew right through and crumble it to pieces. At this point I didn't really need Amit to read it for me, but... might as well let him serve his purpose.

"...This is not good. T-They're building enormous drills, b-bigger than this mine could contain," he fumbled for words. I paused for a moment, thinking about the implications.

Giant drills... probably for finding more ancient magic. So there must be more of it underground somewhere...

"...C-Can we leave now?" Amit whimpered. "I-I don't think I can handle w-what you do to these poor goblins next." As my back was turned to him I grinned smugly to myself... this purposely-elaborate display of my magical prowess would ensure that this little worm of a boy would never bother me again.

"Just one more thing..."


~


Amit came screaming out of the entrance to the mine, in more ways than one - the ground quaked beneath my feet as I jogged after him. I may not have liked the guy much, but I wouldn't have let him get buried alive inside the mine after casting Bombarda on all its support beams and weak points. A few moments later the mine's entrance caved in, the entire mountain seemingly sinking in on itself by a hundred feet or so. Another hundred feet away, Amit flinched as I moved towards him.

"Oh, come on... that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"YOU'RE INSANE! YOU'RE A MONSTER!" he shrieked in pure, unadulterated terror, his legs shaking far too much for him to move another inch. A chuckle breezed past my lips as I closed the distance between us, my face hovering inches away from his as I lowered my voice to nearly a whisper.

"And now that you've seen what I can do to an entire mine's worth of goblins... imagine, if you ever invoke my wrath... what I can do to you."

Amit froze. After a few moments had passed I lurched forward, snapping my teeth - it broke the hold his body had over him. He let out a loud screech as he stumbled away and desperately clawed into his pocket dimension for his broom, dropping several school supplies and personal items before finally pulling it out and rocketing away.

Moments later, I heard someone clearing their throat. Looking down at the noise, I jumped slightly to see that Lodgok was standing beside me. "Well, I-I don't suppose there is any risk of me being seen anymore, so..."

"Yea, no. They're all toast," I shook my head with a smirk before letting it fall away. "They're building giant drills. Ranrok's searching for those repositories, and seems to think they're underground."

"I fear you are correct," he nodded solemnly. "Other than Rookwood Castle, however, I do not know where else he plans to search." While considering all that I'd learned in the past hour or so, a thought suddenly bubbled into the forefront of my mind... and it made an excellent point.

"You know... if you don't like wizards or wizardkind, then why are you helping me?" Lodgok opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. He closed it again after a few moments, a pensive expression on his face. Suddenly I felt a wave of mixed emotions radiating from within him.

"I expected Rookwood Castle to be deserted when I arrived to begin my search... so I was surprised to find a witch there... who had set up some sort of improvised research site," he spoke hesitantly, almost painfully. "She was... studying something so intently that she almost didn't notice me. When she looked up, I thought she would react with fear, or disdain... but instead she did something that I will never forget," he paused as he turned away to gaze out upon the starlit valley, his voice growing shaky. "...Without a moment's hesitation, she smiled... and asked me to sit with her. She told me that she was a researcher, and showed me a small, oddly-shaped container with a strange symbol on it-"

I stifled a gasp. Somehow, Lodgok was talking about Miriam, Fig's late wife! And the Portkey container that started this whole mess!

"She was certain it was made of goblin metal but was unable to open it... She wanted to work together. The reverence with which she talked of goblins and their intelligence and skill, it caught me entirely off guard. I had never been treated with such respect by a witch or wizard... so, to my surprise, I let her study the container if she would allow me to search the castle on my own. We parted ways with her promising to share what she'd learned..." he trailed off wistfully. It was a moment before he reclaimed his train of thought. "More of Ranrok's recruits arrived and we began to dig, eventually locating the first repository. Ranrok was thrilled with our discovery... but furious when I told him about Miriam... berated me for trusting a witch. When I heard she had been killed..."

"...You think Ranrok had her killed," I frowned. Lodgok turned towards me, anguish and uncertainty in his eyes.

"...I don't want to believe it, but... I don't know," he admitted. "After that, something shifted in me... I had seen how the power from the repositories was transforming Ranrok, transforming all of them... I could no longer remain a part of it." He fell silent, staring off into the distance.

"I see... thank you for telling me this," I offered. "That really explains quite a bit." The elderly goblin's face grew serious, almost guilt-ridden.

"I tell you all of this so that you understand what is at stake. Ranrok never found all of Bragbor's journals, but the ones he did find suggest that Bragbor at some point built a repository far greater in size than the one beneath Rookwood Castle."

Even bigger than that one?! At the same time, my mind salivated at the thought of so much power... and shuddered at the thought of Ranrok taking it all for himself.

"What you've discovered here tonight worries me deeply... If Ranrok learns of the location of that repository, I fear we shall be destined for a great war," Lodgok swallowed. I looked over to him and nodded in agreement - if he did manage to get to that source of ancient magic before I did... even I might not be strong enough to take him down at that point. "...I will find out what he knows. Watch for my owl."

And with those final words, I watched as Lodgok toddled off a short distance before an Apparating crack filled the air. As soon as he left, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.

So Ranrok had a distant relative that made repositories to hold ancient magic for the Keepers... he'd already found one, but there was at least one more that was even bigger than that one had been...

...This wouldn't do. This ancient magic was mine, damn it. My promised power, my birthright, what I have been studying and striving and fighting for years to attain... I'll bet he can't even see the stuff! I had to hope that he never found that last journal, that it had been left out somewhere to rot and decay into nothing, so I could beat him to it.

But what about the magic he'd already taken from the Rookwood repository? Was it... possible to take it back? That was mine too, after all... the little cabbage bastard had clearly stolen it from me.

I had lots to think about now. I'd have to ask Fig if he'd ever heard about a Bragbor, maybe there was something to be gained in researching a supposedly-famous goblin metalworker.

And I gotta tell Sebastian about this, too, I mused as I prepared to teleport back to Hogwarts. But Fig wasn't really doing anything important for the next few weeks, whereas both Seb and I were gonna be busy...

...

...

...

Eh... I can wait a day or two to tell him. Right now, I have a gala and a holiday to plan for.
> In Which All Our Dreams Will Come True Right Here At the Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day of the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala, Natty and Poppy ambushed me in the Great Hall while I was eating breakfast. Natty had finally tracked down the four other informants Mr. Bickle had been collaborating with before he'd been killed - they all happened to live in Hogsmeade, and with all the hustle and bustle of the entire village setting up for the gala, now would be the perfect time to covertly speak with them all.

In fact... they were so excited to get started I didn't even have time to wait for Sebastian to arrive first - they simply grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out into the nearby courtyard. I shrugged and hummed neutrally as I got on my broom after them... I figured it wasn't super important for him to be around for this.

A short while later, we landed just outside the covered bridge that led into the village. "So how will we go about asking them?" asked Poppy.

"We should split up... it will draw less attention upon us," Natty suggested as she handed Poppy and I each a piece of parchment. On mine was a written description of one of the collaborators. "Sunset, please speak with Agabus Philbert, and Poppy, find Otto Dibble. I shall seek out Mr. and Mrs. Rabe."

"Sounds easy enough," I nodded, committing the details of the description to memory. "Then what?"

"I would like for us to meet back here, then we shall proceed to the Hog's Head. I saw some Ashwinders heading there the other day... and as my mother would never go near there, she is less likely to learn of my activities than if I were to wander the village questioning all of its residents," she finished with a sarcastic sneer.

"Got yelled at, huh?" I smirked. Natty simply groaned.

"She wasn't happy to hear that we'd saved little Archie from Harlow and his men," sighed Poppy as she put a comforting arm around Natty. "Er, well, she was happy to hear we'd saved Archie, but... you know."

"She just worries about me... but this is far more important to me than my own safety," Natty glared towards the village with determination. "Let's find them, quickly." We shared a nod, and the three of us crossed the bridge together before breaking off in different directions. The streets were filled with people rushing between buildings, fiddling with decorations, clearing packed snow from the ground and putting away unnecessary things. From inside those buildings I could hear pots and pans clattering, fabric ruffling, jewelry clinking and various musical instruments being tuned and tested. At times I had to squeeze through the throngs, silently wishing I could just fly overhead on my broom... but I had to stay grounded, so no unwanted, prying eyes would see me.

Agabus Philbert was somewhat difficult to pick out of a crowd - there were lots of senior-aged men with medium-length grey hair, a mustache, lambchop sideburns and spectacles. But I managed to find him after maybe fifteen minutes of searching, puttering around near The Magic Neep. I waited until nobody else was close by before approaching him. "Hey, are you Agabus Philbert?"

"I am... why? Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer. I've heard you recently had the... distinct honor of Theophilus Harlow gracing your presence," I answered pointedly. He didn't answer at first, only staring at me with a deep sense of suspicion. I'd have to get a little... creative with my explanation. "I knew Mr. Bickle... and I know the two of you were collaborating on gathering evidence to get Harlow arrested for his crimes. Now I'm trying to regather that evidence to turn in anonymously, to ease his wife's mind."

"Ah... tragic, what happened to Mr. Bickle," Agabus sighed sadly, his body language easing somewhat. "He wanted me to speak out against Harlow for an act of violence committed against me, but I feared his retaliation... and so I refused."

"What did he do?"

"It requires some explanation... before my extraordinary wife, Dulcibella, passed away, she had just completed a small book of poetry. As a surprise for her birthday... one she never had the chance to celebrate," he paused for a moment to sniffle. "...I'd had the book beautifully bound and plated in gold. One day, Harlow came calling... to punish me for having spoken out against the Neanderthals that comprise Rookwood's lot. Before I knew it I'd been Petrified, and Harlow was rifling through my home! He found the book of poetry, with its exquisite gold plating... I watched helplessly, lying there in my entranceway, as he walked away with the book, laughing as he went."

"...That's rude," I frowned.

"I was shaken to my core... Still am, to be honest," Agabus shivered as he stared pitifully at the ground.

"Not shaken enough to testify to the authorities if needed, I hope?" I regarded him with a raised eyebrow. The elderly man sighed in defeat.

"I suppose I have no choice... this extortion can't go on forever. You can pass it on to anyone who may be willing to help."

"Good... thanks for telling me," I nodded, immediately turning back the way I'd come. While Agabus fretted about Harlow not appreciating snitches, I jogged back to the covered bridge at the entrance to Hogsmeade and waited for Natty and Poppy to show up with their news. It was about five minutes until I saw Poppy making her way through the bridge, her face twisted into a deep frown.

"Ugh, it's reprehensible what Harlow's done to poor Otto!" she huffed. "He wants to marry Mr. Hill's daughter Rosie, but Harlow stole a note she'd given him, and Otto thinks that if Mr. Hill finds out about their engagement he'll be fired! And as long as he has it, Otto can't say a thing while Harlow robs Gladrags blind!"

Sheesh... I could learn a thing or two from this guy. "He'll testify as well, then?" I asked. Poppy nodded emphatically. "Good... well, I wonder what dirt Natty's dug up from Mr. and Mrs. Rabe."

"I hope she returns quickly... I'm curious as to what the Ashwinders are up to in the Hog's Head, now that we've destroyed Horntail Hall." I nodded in agreement as we sat down on a bench, and I told her about what had happened to Mr. Philbert while we waited.

Five minutes turned into ten. Ten minutes turned into twenty. Twenty minutes became a half hour. Around the forty-five minute mark, our growing concern (and my annoyance) reached its climax.

"...Where the hell is she?!" I groaned, flinging my arms across the back of the bench.

"I'm not sure... it's not like Natty to be late," Poppy frowned. I slumped further into my seat with a grunt, remembering what she'd said about the rest of our plans.

"Maybe she decided to scope out the Hog's Head before we went there, to make sure it was safe."

"Perhaps... but surely she would have come back to meet us by now?" whimpered Poppy. I glanced over to her, sighing culpably as I felt anxiety rippling from her body like heat from a fire.

I... guess I understand how she's feeling? I mean, Sebastian wouldn't have let himself get kidnapped in the first place, but... being friends and all, I suppose I'd be worried if he did somehow manage it. It'd mean whoever kidnapped him was pretty terrifyingly strong, or even sneakier than the both of us. And Natty... well, she was no Sebastian.

Yea... something definitely happened to her. We'd better go look. Feeling somewhat reluctant, I stood up and stretched out my arms. "...C'mon, let's go look for her." Poppy leapt up off the bench and began running across the bridge, nearly leaving me in the dust.

A few minutes later we arrived breathless at the boardwalk and docks just outside of the Hog's Head. A quick Appare Vestigium revealed multiple sets of large footprints surrounding a pair of smaller ones, leading off the boardwalk and towards the back of the establishment.

"Sunset!" Poppy cried out. I turned to look at her, finding her pulling a straight stick out of an empty flowerpot...

...It was a wand. Inwardly I let out a small sigh of relief. The chances of Natty still being alive were pretty good.

"It's Natty's," she gulped.

"She can cast without it... she wanted us to find it if she left it like that," I reasoned. "I see a bunch of footprints leading behind the building, she was probably taken that way." And just as I'd suspected, the footprints led us directly to a pair of cellar doors outside of the Hog's Head, foolishly left unlocked. We flew down the stairs into the cellar, finding naught but a bunch of crates full of sundries and barrels of beer and liquor.

Or so we thought. There were three huge barrels lined up against the back wall, so large that they couldn't possibly fit in the space allotted to the building's cellar. On a hunch I cast a spell and ripped off the top of the middle barrel, the largest one, and grinned as it revealed a hidden room behind it.

"Natty must be in there," Poppy hissed, her face growing dark. "We need to find her, quickly!" We Disillusioned ourselves and stalked into the hidden room - it had been enchanted to be much larger than it appeared, much like Horntail Hall had been. A short hallway led to the main chamber of the hideout, packed to the high ceilings with crates and barrels full of all manner of loot, both valuable and not.

There were also several Ashwinders present, seated at a long table with a particularly nasty-looking witch at its head. They were in the middle of a holiday feast of their own, eating, drinking and plotting their next moves.

"Nosy little students get what's coming to them," one of the Ashwinders cackled. "Only a Hogwarts student would be arrogant enough to come here alone."

"It's not going to work," another one groused. "Using that girl as bait? No one's coming for her... we ought to just kill her."

"Nah, we should speak to her again... perhaps she'll tell us where we can find that friend of hers."

"Aw hell, they know about me," I grumbled, breaking my Disillusionment as I peered over a ledge of crates. I heard Poppy cancel her spell beside me as she took a peek herself. "And they at least know that Natty and I are working together."

"Then I'd say we can't let any of them go free," she shrugged casually. "Ready for a fight?"

"Always," I grinned. Poppy flashed a smirk as she reached into her pocket dimension, and soon a wave of Chinese Chomping Cabbages crested out from our hiding spot and surged towards the Ashwinders.

"Eh? Who ordered cabbages?"

"Merlin's pants!"

"AAAAAGH!"

The cabbages viciously chewed on whatever they landed on, whether that was the table, the platters of food or the limbs of the Ashwinders. While their leader tried to shake one off from her gloved hand, I bewitched the roast beasts into coming back to life, flinging themselves against the Dark witches and wizards and getting melted fats and sauces in their eyes. Both of these distractions allowed me to easily pick off our enemies at our leisure: shooting a fork into one wizard's throat, crumpling a metal tureen over another witch's head and bending it around her neck so it would never come off, breaking a bottle of Firewhisky over another wizard's head and then lighting him on fire.

Poppy helped as well... the precision and skill with which she cast both Incarcerous and Diffindo was startling. A number of the Ashwinders suddenly found themselves trapped in snares or chained to the floor or ceiling, and her second attack would fully disembowel them. Even the particularly nasty-looking witch fell to her fury - Poppy outright flayed her alive, piece by piece.

"Let's see how you like it..." I heard her glower under her breath. It took me completely off guard, and I found myself shivering. This small, adorable, unassuming little girl sure knew how to field dress and skin an enemy... I guess it was cathartic for her to treat the poachers like her beloved beasts they poached.

As the last dying screams of their leader faded away, the cabbages feasting on our enemies' remains, we spent a few moments looking around. I managed to find another short hallway partially obscured by a stack of boxes, and turned back towards Poppy. "I hear voices coming from down here. I bet one of them is Natty- ...what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied simply as she let go of a scrap of burning pink paper. "Just tying up a loose end."

...

...No further questions.

Once she was finished, we ran down the hallway and found ourselves in what appeared to be an ornate office, furnished and decorated with all manner of purloined goods. In either of the back corners of the room was a cell - while the one on the right held a man in a sharp pinstriped suit and hat, the left one held a very familiar face.

"You found us!" Natty sighed happily as she grabbed at the bars. "I knew you would realize I had left my wand for you!"

"Yea, that was pretty smart of you," I tilted my head smugly. "Coming here on your own, on the other hand..."

"Yes, I am... regretting that decision," Natty grumbled as she rolled her eyes. "Could you please assist in getting Mr. Isko Rabe and I out?"

"Miss Onai told me about what you're all doing," said Mr. Rabe. "Harlow has been trying to bribe my wife Daisy into letting him run rampant through Gringotts... when she kept on refusing, he thought that abducting me would finally force her into letting him rummage through every single vault! She's a security guard there, and I'm one of their Curse-Breakers."

"That's quite the step up from the other two he's accosted," I hummed to Poppy, who nodded in agreement.

"These locks are cursed, and there's an Anti-Apparation Jinx on the cells... even I am powerless to free us," sulked Natty.

"You'll need to find my wand. Using one with which I have no connection may not work as well or as quickly to break the curses, and we cannot risk detection," warned Mr. Rabe, to which I let out a derisive snort.

"Detection? From what?" I grinned as I began rifling through the desk's contents, Poppy giggling as she searched the drawers and shelves along the walls. Mr. Rabe shot Natty a deeply concerned look, to which she simply shrugged. A few minutes later, a Revelio from Poppy revealed a small chest charmed to be invisible, and a simple Alohomora popped it open, revealing the Curse-Breaker's wand.

"Well done... I knew it was nearby," Mr. Rabe smiled as I handed it to him through the bars. "Now, you'd best stand back. One never knows how a curse will react to being broken." I stood at the ready to cast Protego around Poppy and myself if needed, but it was clear this man knew what he was doing; the lock exploded rather gently with a swish of his wand. The door to his cell swung open, as did Natty's a few seconds later.

"Thank you, Mr. Isko," she said as she jogged out of her cell. Poppy dashed over and leaped up to wrap her arms around her neck, Natty smiling bashfully as she caught her in her own.

"My pleasure. And thank you, my friends... we owe our lives to your bravery. I may be too weak to Disapparate with you all, but I'll try."

"Nah, that won't be necessary," I shook my hand. "We can just walk out the way we came, it's perfectly safe."

"You go ahead, find Officer Singer," said Natty. "We will get out of here on our own."

"Very well... but be careful." And with that, Mr. Rabe Disapparated away with only a faint pop to be heard.

"Let's find Officer Singer and put an end to Harlow, once and for all," growled Natty as we began heading for the entrance. "I heard quite a bit of commotion before you two appeared... I assume the Ashwinders have been dealt with?"

"More than dealt with," I nodded. "Done and dusted."

"We left no witnesses," Poppy smirked, her eyes dark and dead.

I shivered again.

The trip back to the outside of the Hog's Head was uneventful. To my surprise, Officer Singer was standing right outside of the cellar doors... which felt oddly soon for her to have arrived. Almost as if she had been waiting for us.

"Natsai Onai," she hummed sternly, glaring at the three of us. "I should have known... and you, the troll dispatcher... and it appears you've roped a third into your endeavors. Thank goodness the three of you are safe, Isko Rabe told me a couple of students had rescued him."

"He's alright, isn't he?" asked Poppy.

"He is... I sent him home to his wife." Suddenly I felt an echo of emotion pulsing from her, and I tried to hide my bristling... it didn't feel grateful in the slightest. It felt like pure contempt, of a cool rage that threatened to spark and grow into a wildfire.

Suddenly, I began to doubt whether or not Mr. Rabe really had made it back to his wife... or if the both of them had even made it back home.

"Miss Onai, your mother will not be pleased to learn that you're still risking your safety pursuing these dangerous men."

"Officer Singer... we've learned of several Hogsmeade residents who've had their lives threatened by the Ashwinders," Poppy spoke up. "Besides kidnapping Mr. Rabe in an attempt to blackmail his wife, he's also threatened Mr. Philbert, and Mr. Dibble!" My eyes slid over to her in an attempt to silently get her to shut up, but she didn't notice.

Something told me she very well might have just doomed them all.

"Ugh, I will look into all of that!" Officer Singer snarled before regaining her composure, keeping her voice level and smooth... too smooth. "As for the three of you... I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you're taking great risk. Next time, please let the authorities handle the Ashwinders."

The way she spoke, the subtle inflections of the tone of her voice... I recognized these as tricks of my own I often employed. Immediately I no longer trusted her... Part of me wanted to snark at her, to accuse her of being in league with the Ashwinders for all the help she had been in bringing safety and justice to the village...

...But the rest of me knew it was futile, and potentially dangerous. If she really was in league with the Ashwinders, then she was also my enemy by default. And being in a position of authority, she could easily abuse it and have me thrown in an enchanted jail cell and left to rot, or worse... handed over to Harlow, and then Ranrok. The tables would be turned, indeed.

That was if she was actually on the Ashwinders' payroll, however, and not just grossly incompetent at her job, furious that she was being upstaged by three meddling kids. All I had to go off of was the emotions I sensed and her silver-tongued tricks, nowhere near enough evidence for the accusation to stick. I might as well have based it on bathroom gossip, wild speculation, or a Magic 8-Ball.

So I decided to play dumb. "Fine... do you at least have enough evidence to actually do something about Harlow?" Officer Singer glared at me, regarding me with predatory eyes.

"...It's certainly a good start. We shall see... but you can leave this to me, now." She spun around on her heel and began to walk away, but after walking about ten feet she stopped and turned her head, her eyes pinned on Natty. "Natsai... you may wish to speak with your mother about this before I do." Natty simply scowled as she continued on her way, the three of us watching her carefully as she vanished behind a building. As she turned, the golden threads of her winter scarf glittered in the sunlight.

That scarf of hers... it didn't really go with the rest of her uniform.

"My mother will not like this..." Natty sighed heavily.

"I hope she at least holds off until after the gala," frowned Poppy. Natty nodded in agreement.

"As do I... it would be a shame to be unable to attend when it is mere hours away." This time Natty was the one to hug Poppy first, both of them blushing as she glanced over to me. "Thank you for saving me... both of you."

"Eh, no problem," I waved a hand as Poppy murmured a "you're welcome" into the crook of her neck. "Soooo... now what?"

"Well... I suppose we wait. Singer has more than enough evidence to act against Harlow. Now I would imagine it is simply a matter of tracking him down and arresting him."

"She'll probably have to bring in an entire contingent of Hit Wizards to fight through his thugs and get to him," said Poppy. "What I wouldn't give to see that horrible man meet his fate." While she and Natty talked excitedly about the justice Harlow was sure to face, I couldn't help but frown, but I kept my pessimistic thoughts to myself.

No... something definitely felt off. But while the evidence was stacked against one man, I had absolutely nothing to pin on one woman.

Well... nothing I can do about it now... and probably not for a while.


~


The three of us returned to Hogwarts, now excited to prepare for the Gala in just a few hours time. It was to be held from 7pm to 1am, fully catered and full of festivities. Natty and Poppy jogged away towards their respective common rooms while I headed for my Room.

I half-expected Sebastian to be waiting inside, wondering where I'd been all morning. But he wasn't... which I figured was for the best. My boudoir simply wasn't big enough for the both of us to prepare, after all. With a swish of my wand my clothes peeled themselves from my body, and I indulged myself with a long, luxurious shower.

After drying off I began thinking about what to wear. I thought back to the last time Celestia had made me attend the Grand Galloping Gala for inspiration... while fancy dresses had never been my favorite thing to parade around in, I did like that particular one the most of all. It only took a wave of my wand for the gown to manifest itself over my body, properly altered for my human form.

The dress was reminiscent of a piece of malachite, crafted from silk and satin dyed a rich, dark green and trimmed with light celadon, with matching ribbons to cinch the bodice together. My neck, shoulders and upper chest were all left bare, the robe-like sleeves dangling loosely around my wrists. A pair of opera-length gloves covered my hands and arms beneath the sleeves, dyed the same light celadon color, as were the shoes hiding underneath the hem. Another wave of my wand pulled my hair into a simple chignon, one thick strand left out to spill over my shoulder.

The accessories were a little harder to decide upon. Petticoats, crinolettes and bustles had fallen out of fashion centuries ago in Equestria, and for many a good reason... yet in the six or so months I'd been here, I'd seen quite a few women wearing them underneath their dresses. In the end I chose to wear a bustle that had a rather gentle shape compared to some of the ridiculous bubblelike contraptions I'd seen - it was still noticeable, but didn't overexaggerate my curves or look particularly dumb (and was charmed to be 100% fireproof). Next I took great care in applying a scant amount of a citrusy perfume to my pulse points - a proper lady knew the difference between "being discovered" versus "being announced". Finally, a Galleon and some peridots and emeralds from my purse were easily Transfigured into a set of earrings and a choker studded with green gems.





I did a once-over in the mirror... and even I had to admit, I'd outdone myself this time. I would easily be the classiest, most glamorous and exquisite lady at the gala. Satisfied with my work, I made my way to the Slytherin common room to meet with the boys.

Only a handful of fellow students were to be found in the dungeons - the girls running back and forth as they got ready, the boys chatting in groups while awkwardly adjusting their suits or bowties. I reached the end of the spiral staircase into the common room and immediately picked out Sebastian from the few others inside. He was standing near the staircase leading towards the boys' dorms, looking back towards them as though waiting. As my eyes lingered I felt something within me flutter; the charcoal-gray suit and dark green waistcoat he was wearing looked great on him... the black beaver fur top hat was an odd choice, though. A few moments later he turned his head, freezing in place as he saw me approaching. 

"You're... you're..." he gaped helplessly, his cheeks burning red.

"Beautiful? Gorgeous? Stunning?" I suggested smugly, twirling around with a bit of a flourish to drive home the point. He could only manage a weak nod. "Why, thank you... You clean up rather well, yourself."

"Ah... thank you," he smiled in return with a hint of shyness, though he soon jolted a little in realization. "Oh, right... your corsage," he said as he pulled out his wand, preparing to conjure one.

"I got a better idea," I smirked, beating him to the punch by holding up my wand at a gentle angle. "Here, just touch my wand with yours and I'll handle the rest." He did so after a moment of consideration, and I cast a simple spell, joining our magic together for a few seconds. The two tips began to glow with soft, white light that hovered in place even after I pulled my wand away, him following suit. Another few seconds passed before the light dimmed and faded away, leaving a pair of ethereal daylilies floating in its wake. They were a translucent pale blue, looking like they had been expertly carved from a chunk of ice, or a piece of stained glass.

"Equestrian magic?" he asked.

"Mhm... Leave it to my people to come up with a spell for creating the perfect corsage and boutonnière for a pair," I nodded, plucking the latter out of the air and handing it to him. He tucked it into its proper place before taking the corsage and attaching it to my wrist. His eyes danced all over me as he moved, enthralled and enchanted.

Adoration. Infatuation. Warmth. Enthusiasm. The emotions radiating from him felt especially strong, filling my soul with a glowing fuzziness that sent shivers down my arms. I was so caught up in the sensation I barely even noticed Ominis finally making his way out into the common room.

"There you are... give me that," he grumbled, snatching the top hat from Sebastian's head and placing it on his own. It made much more sense on Ominis than it did Sebastian; his suit and waistcoat were jet black with a viridian shirt underneath, decorated with silver buttons and embellishments that drew attention to his white zinnia boutonnière. The outfit was completed with a pair of black gloves made from dragonhide.

I had to admit... he looked like quite the ladykiller. It was a shame his personality was just so... disagreeable. Maybe if he hadn't been so afraid of the gifts bestowed upon him by his family and their status, I would have tried a little harder to get to know him sooner, tried to raze his many mental walls so I could plunder the secrets within. Maybe I could've even twisted him around my finger, convinced him to lie and deceive his family in the name of revenge, only to take the added power and prestige for myself.

But, maybe if I'd done that, I never would've gotten to know Sebastian... and I was plenty happy with how we'd turned out. Besides, I sensed that his heart already belonged to someone else... and while stealing myself a better asset wasn't beyond me or my abilities, I found myself letting the idea go with ease. I didn't need him.

Not like...

...

...

...

...Alright, if I keep thinking this way, I'm definitely gonna need a drink or two. To the Gala!


~


There was a long, black flying carpet waiting for us when we exited the castle. We piled onto it, and it took off along the road to Hogsmeade at a brisk pace, floating a couple feet off the ground. The three of us chatted idly, Sebastian and I people-watching as we passed them by, candidly judging their outfits and describing them for Ominis to giggle at.

There was Cressida Broom- er, Blume with Leander, as frumpy as ever... she probably put her gown on with one of her failures of a nonverbal spells. Garreth, curiously, had both a Hufflepuff boy and a Ravenclaw girl on each of his arms... even more shocking was the god-awful dress robes he was wearing. They were thick brown felt with rose-pink lace trim, and the white shirt underneath was a mess of lacy ruffles held together with green buttons. I thought they were the most hideous things I'd ever seen, and yet both Ominis and Sebastian insisted he was wearing the finest in haute couture from Bond Street in the West End!

Then there was Amit with Grace Pinch-Smedley, of all people... while Grace was kind enough to wave, I grinned when Amit let out a shriek and just about dove into the bushes upon seeing me. I saw Arthur Plummly and Charlotte Morrison together... ugh, they were made for each other, what with their irritating voices that drove me up the wall whenever they spoke in class. Puffskein Dunkein had managed to cobble together a date with the girl who was always whining about having her Gobstones stolen. Everett, Sophronia and Adelaide were walking in a large group with other students... a sure sign that all of them were dateless losers.

And then we came across Natty and Poppy, and honestly, I could throw no shade. Both of them looked stunning in their gowns, almost glowing in the night air like fireflies: Natty in amethyst purple silks with a high-necked collar and white lace trim, while Poppy was wearing coral pink embroidered with silver thread, her petticoats giving her the appearance of a rather cute overturned teacup. The elegant corsage on Natty's wrist was an assortment of flowering almond twigs among green carnations, lined with sprigs of fragrant arbor vitae; the one on Poppy's wrist a vibrant collection of small, exotic orchids from Natty's homeland, aerangis and disa.

Unanimously we decided they were worthy of joining us on our carpet limousine. We talked together in excitement until the carpet came to a stop in front of the covered bridge leading into the village. Sebastian helped me onto the ground while Ominis offered a hand to the other two girls, and soon we had passed over the bridge and through the darkened, emptied streets. I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation... I'd never actually been excited for a gala before.

And once it came into view, my breath left my throat. Hogsmeade's town square had been entirely transformed since I'd seen it last. The snow and ice had been completely cleared away from the ground while being left perfectly intact on the surrounding buildings, all of it glittering in the light of the floating candlelit lamps that resembled faceted snowflakes. Swarms of fairies danced around the windowsills and extinguished gas lamps that lined the square, their multicolored lights twinkling like distant stars. Two long tables of refreshments were set up beside Gladrags, the one on the left containing hors d'oeuvres, desserts and other small bites from the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes and Steeply and Sons tea shop. The one on the right held all of the drinks, both alcoholic and not: Butterbeers in self-warming tankards, champagne with bubbles that floated high into the air before popping, mulled cider, pumpkin-spiced punch and goblets of eggnog spiked with plenty of Firewhisky. Throngs of people dressed in their finery talked in groups as they waited for the festivities to begin, eagerly watching as a decently-sized orchestra took their places at the other end of the plaza; a number of them were seated on the roof of the post office so the sounds of their instruments would carry further.

The orchestra soon hummed to life as the conductor rapped on the lectern with his baton... as the first few measures graced my ears, I realized they were playing a song I somehow recognized, a flower waltz from a ballet by some long-dead pony known as Trotkovsky. The familiarity was strangely calming, warming me up to the idea of dancing. I heard someone clearing their throat, and when my focus returned I saw that Sebastian was standing in front of me, smiling gently as he held out his hand.

"Shall we dance?"

"You know how to?" I grinned as I took it.

"I do... my parents taught me," he explained confidently as we made our way into the crowd of other revelers, some already dancing. Once we'd found a suitable spot I draped my free arm around his shoulders, blushing a little as I felt his arm wrap around my waist.

And before I knew it, we were swaying to the music. I'd never had any doubts about my ability to waltz, but to my surprised delight, Sebastian was equally as good as I was. In perfect synchronization, we swept across the plaza in graceful circles.

Dancing so closely, it was natural that my eyes were mostly focused on him as we moved... and it was both quite difficult yet perfectly easy to stare into his. If I thought about it too hard, I would want to look away before I started feeling mildly embarrassed... so I tried not to. His eyes were just as deep and warm and radiant as that night nearly a month ago, and his smile grew just a little more whenever our eyes met. It was oddly entrancing...

Of course, the song eventually came to an end. He let go as he lowered himself into a graceful bow, which I met with an equally elegant curtsy. While the next song began, we moved off of the plaza and back over to the tables of refreshments.

"You dance rather well," he grinned as he handed me a goblet of Firewhisky eggnog. "I see you must've learned during your time as Princess Celestia's student."

"Oh, yea... she dragged me to lots of formal events. I more or less learned just by watching the other nobles," I nodded as I took a sip. The thick, sweet liquid had quite the kick to it, a painful but pleasant burn sliding down my throat. "Ooh... that's good."

"And, you enjoy your drink... truly, the more I learn about you, the ever more enchanting you become," he smirked in amusement.

"Oh, Sebby... don't you know flattery will get you nowhere with me?" I teased, hoping my smug tone would hide the blush I could feel spreading across my cheeks. "...More of these, however..." I trailed off as I tilted the goblet in my fingers, laughing when he looked away with a blush of his own.

The hours passed by as perfectly as a fairy tale. Sebastian and I alternated between dancing, drinking and sampling the many tiny plates of food on the tables. Partway through I noticed that all Ominis had done so far was sit in a chair to the side, staring blankly out into the crowds as he sipped on the nonalcoholic punch. I asked if he perhaps wanted to dance a round or something... he simply replied that he was fine, and that someone needed to stay sober to ensure Sebastian and I didn't wind up doing something lewd.

What... like holding hands?

That earned him a gentle thwack on his hat. He hummed in laughter as we dragged each other back into the crowds to dance. While the world spun around us, I let my eyes wander to those around me - Natty and Poppy were radiant, their gowns forming a candy-colored swirl as they danced and giggled gaily. At one point I managed to spy Mr. Rabe with whom I assumed was his wife, and I let out a sigh of relief... perhaps my earlier suspicions had been unwarranted. On the edge of the crowds, a man was on his knee proposing to a woman, those around them breaking out into a loud cheer. On the opposite side, a woman threw her drink directly at a man's face and stomped away, the man wiping himself off with his sleeve and hobbling pathetically after her.

Eventually it was time for another dance break. Sebastian and I rejoined Ominis, bringing him a fresh goblet of punch amongst our third eggnogs of the night. We sat down to rest our feet, but soon we'd all be standing again.

"Sebastian! Sunset! ...Ominis," a familiar voice suddenly shouted. Looking over in its direction, our eyes widened.

"Anne?!" Sebastian stammered. His sister had somehow appeared, walking briskly over to us. She'd even dressed for the occasion, wearing a ostensibly plain but elegant gown of azure satin. I smiled proudly to myself looking at her face... she no longer looked pale or sickly, nor were there dark circles under her eyes. The Umbrum potion was working like a charm on her.

"Anne..." breathed Ominis, his head turning and his eyes somehow locking directly with hers. She noticed this and stopped in her tracks for a moment, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sebastian - he was clearly glad to see her, as he reached out to grab her hands in his, but his voice was thick with confusion.

"Did you honestly think I'd miss the gala?" Anne raised an eyebrow. "I've been looking forward to it, just to see everyone again."

"I- ...no, I didn't mean that," he shook his head. "How did you convince Uncle Solomon to let you attend?" Anne simply giggled, her eyes flashing with mischievous mirth.

"He doesn't even know I'm here... I simply gave him an early Christmas present of some Firewhisky mixed into his drink-"

Beside me, Sebastian's entire body suddenly shivered and tensed; the smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes. The swirl of emotions were like a sucker punch - revulsion, dread, anxiety... fear. The alcohol in my stomach suddenly felt sour.

"...and once he fell fast asleep, I Apparated here to join in the festivities," she finished explaining.

"Sneaky... I like it." I grinned outwardly, impressed by Anne's underhandedness but also deeply aware of Sebastian's emotions - the last thing I wanted was a depressed and anxious dance partner moping in a corner rather than partying with me. As inconspicuously as I could manage, my hand moved to his shoulder and gently rubbed it; I heard him release his breath as his own hand moved to cover mine. Throughout it all Anne didn't seem to notice, or if she did she didn't say or do anything.

"I see... well, it's good to have you back, if only for a night," Ominis smiled. Anne simply smiled as she approached him, taking his hands in hers.

"Dance with me," she insisted softly. His cheeks flashed red at the suggestion, but the grin on his face widened as he wordlessly pulled Anne towards the plaza. Sebastian and I watched; while I couldn't help but chuckle, expressions of both gladness and brotherly concern rolled over his face as Ominis conjured for Anne a corsage of sweet alyssum encircling a white camellia.

"I always did think those two might've liked each other... boy, is it hard being right all the time," I smirked as I glanced up at him. He blinked a few times before letting out a small sigh.

"Right... I trust him, of course, but she's still my sister," he admitted, meeting my gaze. My smirk melted away into a more genuine smile, but then I noticed the spark had dimmed in his eyes, and after a moment the memory of how tense he'd become resurfaced.

"Hey, you okay? You started shaking when Anne mentioned Solomon." He shivered again, though only for a moment.

"I... I-I'll be fine," he swallowed. "He's not here... and even I don't think he'd willingly make a scene if he came to fetch her." Despite his words, I frowned... even now, there was a small subconscious part of him that was traumatized, scarred. A protective urge flared up within me - I wanted him to know he was safe.

"Well, he'd better not, especially if he wants to spend the holiday at home and not at St. Mungo's," I growled. "He won't even have a face to drink with anymore once I'm done with him." Shockingly, Sebastian let out a huff of laughter.

"There'll be no need for that... once he falls asleep in such a state, a herd of stampeding Erumpents wouldn't wake him. Let's not dwell on it any longer, agreed?" I stared into his eyes... I felt that he was telling the truth, but he was still feeling more than a little wary.

If that was what he wanted, though... then far be it from me to press the issue. This was a party, after all, not a therapy session. I sighed and shrugged in resignation.

"...If you say so."

The night continued, and soon the both of us had forgotten all about it. The air grew warmer through all the movement and drink consumed, and our dancing steadily grew less elegant and more sloppy. Our speech became punctuated with laughter, as everything just started to become so damned funny. Between dances, Anne regaled me with tales of what she, Ominis and her brother got up to during the last gala... and truthfully, I would have loved to see the entirety of the village's livestock be levitated slowly through the air, dressed in Nativity scene outfits (whatever those were), making those who had drank too much do a double-take.

Briefly I considered picking up a tankard of Butterbeer the next time I was feeling thirsty, but with how tipsy I was feeling I decided against it and went for the pumpkin-spiced punch. I'd discovered the consequences of too much alcohol after my last Grand Galloping Gala, having snuck away into the cellars to drink an entire bottle of brandy by myself... Celestia figured that the resulting hangover the next day was punishment enough.

When a nearby clock struck midnight, the orchestra broke out into a lively performance of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Many of the other revelers sang along, though most were rendered tone-deaf after an evening of drinking, or they were just plain shouting at the top of their lungs. I wanted to pin my ears to the sides of my head as I cringed, feeling more than just secondhand embarrassment when I noticed Sebastian grinning at me with a knowing look while humming along.

"...I am not singing," I grumbled as I glared at him. He chuckled to himself while bright, colorful lights streaked into the sky, enchanted fireworks booming overhead. The sparkling lights formed living constellations of dragons, unicorns and other magical beasts, the show ending with an astral shower of wrapped presents that vanished as they fell.

We stayed until the gala's very end - the refreshments were being taken away, and the orchestra was beginning to pack up. While Ominis remained behind for a few moments to bid Anne goodbye, Sebastian and I began the walk back to Hogwarts. We stumbled slightly over the cobblestones towards the covered bridge, giggling over nothing like a pair of drunk teenagers might do.

However, before we made it into the bridge proper, he froze.

"Hm? What is it?" I asked as I stopped beside him. He simply rose a finger to point upwards - following his gaze, I saw what had made him stop. There was a sprig of vegetation with white berries tied directly over the bridge's entrance.

Mistletoe.

Now, if I weren't quite so tipsy, I would've snorted out a laugh and just kept walking. But the more I stared at the bit of green and white... a thought formed in my mind, quickly growing in strength and ferocity like a weed.

...Eh... why the hell not? "Let me guess... you'd like a kiss to end the night?" I grinned smugly.

"I..." He hesitated, his already red-hot face somehow growing even hotter. "I-If you're offering- I mean... yes! Er... If that's alright with you, of course."

So considerate, even when drunk. "Sure," I chuckled softly. "Gimme what'chu got." For a few moments, he stared at me like he couldn't believe I'd just given him permission. But soon he snapped himself out of it, a shy, timid smile eking out over his mouth, and I closed my eyes as his face drew close.

...

...

...

The first thought that crossed my mind was of how unexpectedly soft his lips were.

The second was that... really? He went for my cheek? How disappointing. My mind, in all its brilliance, decided it wanted to know what they'd feel like against mine.

"...That's it?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking aggressively at his puzzled expression. "C'mon... 'tis the season."

And before he could say anything, I wrapped my arms around dear, innocent Sebastian and pressed my lips against his. He let out a muffled gasp, but only a moment later the tension in his body melted like snow tossed into a fire. His arms tightened around me as his lips pressed back in earnest, and I reached up with a hand to cradle the top of his neck just below his ear.

A massive blast of warm, happy and positive emotions hit me all at once - so many I couldn't even begin to pick out any specific one. All I knew was that my own emotions somehow matched them all. It made me feel dizzy and light, like I was a feather floating in a soft, sublime summer wind.

I forgot where we were, and I lost track of time. I felt like I could've spent all night standing right there, just like this...

...Until the rational part of my stupid lizard brain started kicking and screaming its way back into the forefront of my mind.

Is that... Are we... oh sweet Celestia SunsetwhatAREYOUDOING?!

"O-Oh..."

My eyes snapped open as the kiss ended, and slid towards the unwanted, unexpected noise. Garreth was standing there dumbly, swaying back and forth with a glazed grin on his face.

"My... so you two are an item, I see-"

"Glacius!"

"Depulso!"

At the same time that I froze the interloper in a block of ice, Sebastian's magic shoved him forcefully away. Garreth wound up bashing through a segment of fencing and sailed into the nearby stream. His two dates ran after him as he floated away.

It was a few seconds before my breathing calmed, and I allowed myself to glance over to my friend... he seemed to have the same idea, as our eyes met. He was the first to break the silence with a bashful chuckle. To my addled mind it struck me as funny, and I laughed as well.

And then I finally wrangled my consciousness into submission. My laughter abruptly stopped as I determined to make the moment count before drunkenness overtook me again. My hand clapped onto Sebastian's shoulder... partially to make sure I didn't fall over, and I poked him rather roughly in the chest as I glared.

"...Let's never speak of this again." Despite my best efforts to be intimidating, Sebastian simply huffed out a laugh.

"Very well... but I still know the truth of what's happened tonight," he wiggled his eyebrows stupidly at me. Part of me wanted to insist that I meant it, but the moment had already come and gone... it was totally funny again.

I laughed as we finally passed over the bridge.

Goddamn it brain, that was smart...

...But it was nice...

...Ack.

Snow was falling thickly over the Scottish Highlands, yet I felt cozy and warm. About halfway back I needed to start having someone to lean on, which Sebastian was happy to offer. The effects of all the alcohol I'd consumed tonight was really starting to take its toll on me... I began yawning almost once every ten seconds as we finally passed through the school's outer gates. My entire body felt heavy and fuzzy, sleep trying its best to claim me where I stood.

"I'm never gonna make it back to my Room at this rate," I mumbled drowsily, only loud enough for Sebastian to hear. He hummed in thought for a moment.

"Can you make it to the common room?" I made a face, the exaggerated grotesqueness of it making him laugh.

"You're not suggesting I go to my actual room, are you?" Another genius thought bubbled up in my mind, my eyes widening for a brief moment before drooping again. "Actually... there's no anti-opposite-sex enchantment on the boys' dorm..."

"Er... what are you suggesting...?" He asked slowly, suspiciously.

"You and Ominis... are there only two beds in your room?" Sebastian blinked multiple times in bewilderment before answering.

"There's... actually three of them. There've always been that many for just the two of us, although-"

"Perfect!" I shouted louder than I needed to. "I'll crash there."

"But- ...oh, alright," he relented, probably also too sloshed to put up much of an argument. No one was around as we stumbled into the common room, then up the stairs into the boys' dormitories. Once safely and securely inside he and Ominis' room, Sebastian pointed out the third bed, neatly made up as though nobody had used it since the school year started.

The last thing I remembered was flopping facedown onto the bed at an angle, immediately falling sound asleep to the muffled noises of Ominis walking inside and subsequently yelling about their sudden new roommate.


~


It took me a moment to remember where I was when I woke up. I was on my side, positioned correctly on the bed and under the blankets, my head on a pillow. My eyes slid upwards slightly, there was a plain carafe and a cup on the nightstand next to the bed, both full of water. I rose up and reached out to grab the cup, slightly surprised to find myself still wearing my evening gown - disheveled and beginning to slip off in places. With a shrug I simply Transfigured it into a pair of pajamas and a bathrobe, undoing the rest of my hair from the chignon and detangling it with my fingers.

After drinking most of the water I glanced around. Being the only two occupants, Ominis and Sebastian had quite a few personal items on their sides of the room. Now that I wasn't drunk I could fully appreciate the sheer beauty and complexity of the triple harp that sat a few feet away from Ominis' desk - it was crafted out of polished ebony, with strings that gleamed like silver threads. It was both ostentatious and modest, it wouldn't be out of place in a royal orchestra. On his side of the room, Sebastian's desk was absolutely covered in books, parchment and other stationery. Another small table had been set up with a small potions workstation on top beside it.

A particularly loud snore brought my attention to their beds. The snore had clearly come from Ominis, who was sprawled out rather gracelessly under his blankets, his mouth wide open. In the other bed, Sebastian was curled up with his back to me, mouth only slightly open but drooling onto his pillow. I stifled a snicker as I moved around the bed and lowered my head until I was right in front of his face.

It took a few moments until his eyes opened just a crack.

"Good morning, sunshine," I grinned mischievously. Sebastian groaned as he pulled the duvet over his face, only to throw it off and stare at me wide-eyed in surprise seconds later.

"What are you-?! ...Oh. Right," he mumbled before yawning loudly, stretching out his arms. "Good morning... Happy Christmas, too. Er... what was it called in Equestria?"

"Hearth's Warming," I reminded him, laying my chin on my arms crossed on the edge of his bed - if I didn't start moving around soon, I'd just want to curl up under a blanket and sleep until noon.

"Ah, yes... Happy Hearth's Warming," he smiled slightly, throwing his blankets off and over my head. I glared at him flatly after I pawed them off, and his smile grew wider. I couldn't help but chuckle as he got up, bringing his pillow with him - I broke out into louder laughter when he woke up Ominis by dropping it on his face.

Once we were all up we moved to the common room. It was largely deserted, and the floors were freezing. We quickly walked over to a couch and armchair in front of a roaring fireplace and made ourselves comfortable, Ominis taking the chair while Sebastian and I occupied opposite sides of the couch. Curiously, a simmering pot of hot chocolate and cups had been left on the coffee table, perhaps in anticipation for those who stayed for the holidays.

"I'll go first," Ominis spoke after helping himself to the hot chocolate, pulling a pair of wrapped objects from his pocket dimension. He handed one of each to Sebastian and I; I found myself mildly touched by the fact he'd gotten me something for Christmas, especially considering we hadn't been friends long. I tore apart the paper and opened the box it concealed, my eyes lighting up as they danced across a neatly-organized collection of extremely rare, extremely expensive potion reagents!

Being friends with a Gaunt definitely had its advantages. "Wow... thanks, Ominis," I grinned. "I've been wanting to get my hands on some of these for a while."

"He's always quite thoughtful when it comes to gifts," commented Sebastian, already thumbing through the thick spellbook of advanced healing magic he'd unwrapped. From a glance, I could tell that the information within was something even I would take a while to understand and learn. It must've been magic reserved for the wizarding equivalent of a brain surgeon. "I'll go next," he smiled as he pulled out his own pair of presents from his pocket dimension and handed them to us.

I nearly stopped breathing as soon as I'd unwrapped mine... Sebastian had given me a guitar. It was crafted out of a handsome dark wood with frets and tuning pegs made from polished, gold-colored horn, with my Cutie Mark painted in red and yellow enamel on its body. It even included a book about how to position my hands and play.

"It's beautiful," I murmured, feeling my heart and soul swell with warmth.

"Just like your singing," he replied smoothly, unaffected by the tired, half-lidded glare I shot him. "I daresay you have musical talent within you, and not just because of that curse on your homeland... I would very much like to hear you perform once you've learned."

"Don't push it," my eyes narrowed as I drawled in a warning tone. But after a few moments my gaze softened. "...I do really like it, though. Thank you."

"And thank you, Sebastian," said Ominis, gently turning over the pure gold fountain pen he had received in his hands. "You've outdone yourself on the enchantments this time, I can tell." A brief silence followed... Inwardly I swallowed nervously - other than Celestia, I'd never given anyone Hearth's Warming presents before. Hopefully I'd been thoughtful enough.

"Well, my turn... hope you don't mind I didn't bother wrapping them, it'll make sense when you see them," I shrugged as I first summoned Sebastian's gift from my pocket dimension. His eyes widened in bewilderment.

"...What is that?" he pointed towards the collection of green-painted drums, silvery cymbals and other bits of percussion... it even included a cowbell and a gong two feet in diameter. The entire assembly had required a Memory Potion to remember the function of every different piece, as well as the sounds they should've made, but after that it had been trivial to Transfigure some lesser-quality instruments into their current form and lock the enchantments into place. Given his own tastes in my collection of Equestrian music - leaning towards the alternative, rock and metal genres - I felt that this suited him quite well.

"A full Equestrian drum kit," I grinned as I lowered it all to the ground. "If your uncle hated your old trombone, this'll really piss him off." I conjured a pair of drumsticks and handed them to him. "Go on... try it out."

"Huh..." He stared at the drumsticks for a moment before levitating them with his wand, and one wave later the sticks were effortlessly rapping on the drums and cymbals without any rhyme or reason. The more noise he made, the wider his grin became, while Ominis covered his ears with a grimace. "You're right... he won't stand for this at all." As soon as the words left his mouth, however, the smile fell from his face. "But-"

"Already thought of that," I smirked as I waved my wand, reading his mind. Both Sebastian and the drum kit glowed white for a few moments before the light bounced off and burst into a shimmer of sparkles. "There... it's bound to you, now. He won't be able to Vanish it away from you no matter how hard he tries." His eyes watched the sparkles until they disappeared before sliding towards me.

And just like that, the smile returned. "Amazing... thank you, Sunset."

"Of course." A thought came to me as I remembered Ominis' harp, and I chuckled. "Once we both learn our instruments, the three of us could totally start a band."

"We could!" Sebastian laughed while Ominis quietly mulled over the idea. "What would we call ourselves?"

"Perhaps... 'The Emerald Trio'?" Ominis suggested after a few moments.

"Maybe. I was thinking something a little more hardcore, but it does get the point across," I nodded, plucking at my new guitar's strings. A few beats of comfortable silence passed, an invisible anticipation building up between us.

"So... what did you get Ominis?" Sebastian asked in a playful, knowing tone.

"I thought you'd never ask." I reached again into my pocket dimension, and out came a simple, dark brown wicker basket with a lid. Opening it revealed a familiar orange snake with black stripes and a yellow belly, now about a foot and a half long, curled into a neat pile of coils atop the basket's green cotton lining.

In truth, I had decided upon what I'd do with this other gift shortly after it had come into my possession. When I had returned to my Room after acquiring it, I had been surprised to find what looked like a miniature model of a greenhouse appear at the far end of my study. It then quickly grew in size until it was large enough to enter, and once I had I was amazed to find that it somehow contained four acres of an idyllic outdoor meadow. The borders were surrounded by cliffsides or fencing that stretched upwards whenever I tried to cross over it, and a shallow stream ran through the middle of the land, trees dotting the banks here and there for shade in the light of perpetual sunset. Sebastian had been equally taken aback by the Vivarium's appearance, and agreed with me as we talked about what was to be done with its single resident, which made itself right at home in the grass.

The little runespoor woke from its slumber. Its three heads rose up to varying heights, three tongues flicking outwards. The leftmost head let out a tiny hiss.

"Is that..." Ominis' cloudy eyes widened as he realized what was inside.

"It is... this little guy is all yours," I smiled. As I'd expected, however, his face dimmed considerably. His mouth twisted into a deep frown.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he growled. "You know how I feel about speaking in Parseltongue! About my family's ties to Salazar Slytherin, about anything to do with Dark magic!"

"I do... and I think you need to change your perspective," I calmly replied. I'd been preparing for this inevitable outburst for a while, now.

"My perspective?!" he argued. "Are you not aware runespoors are closely associated with Dark wizards?!"

"Just because most Parselmouths are also Dark wizards, that doesn't mean you are," I said. "Simply being able to talk to snakes isn't a bad thing at all... is it truly Dark or evil to ask one how its day is going, or maybe offer it aid if it got hurt? There are a few people back in my homeland that can talk to animals, snakes included, and none of them are evil. The very fact that you're so against Dark magic makes you nothing like a Dark wizard. Nothing like your family."

"I know that!" he groused, glaring angrily towards the floor.

"Do you, though? Because it seems to me that you don't believe it yourself," I shook my head. "You act like... you don't believe you're a good person."

"But you are. You're the exact opposite of your family, Ominis," Sebastian joined in. "There isn't a single cruel bone in your body. You care not for meaningless blood-status, nor do you relish in the notoriety of your ancestors, or their barbaric treatment of Muggles."

"And before you start," I interrupted as his mouth opened almost automatically, "you were forced to use Crucio on that Muggle. Not wanting to be subjected to it again doesn't make you culpable for doing it, that's called duress... and it also doesn't mean you enjoyed it. You didn't. The rest of your family does enjoy it, but the important part to take away from this is that you don't."

Ominis closed his mouth - I could tell he wanted to argue, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

"Sunset and I have been talking about this for a while," Sebastian admitted. "I'll be happy to help you take care of him until he's old enough to-"

"Her," Ominis interrupted. When Sebastian and I shared a glance, he clarified. "...The runespoor is a female."

"See? Would the rest of your family have even cared about that little detail?" I capitalized on the topic. "You may be a Gaunt, but you don't have to be anything like your family. Instead of fearing that which you inherited... use those gifts in a different way. Reach out and grab hold of your own fate... you don't have to live in your family's shadow if you don't want to. You are the one living your own life."

He was silent for a long time. Finally, he let out a deep sigh.

"I can't say I agree with either of you... but I do know you both mean well," he closed his eyes. "You've clearly given this a lot of thought."

"Soooo, you'll keep her?" I smiled hopefully. Hesitantly, Ominis nodded.

"It'd be terribly rude of me to refuse your gift, after all," he smirked wryly as he reached with his hand to let the runespoor sniff it. All three heads flicked their tongues at his fingers, and he let out a quiet hiss that seemed to put them at ease.

...It still made me shiver, though. That just ain't right.

But I muscled past it, and we watched quietly as the runespoor gradually grew used to Ominis. Eventually she slithered carefully up his arm, perching herself around his shoulders.

"You know... a runespoor has three heads, and there's three of us," smirked Sebastian.

"That is true... I wonder which of us corresponds to which head," said Ominis.

"Well, the left head is me, of course," I grinned. "Seb can be the middle head. So... that would make you the right head."

"Heh... the one that critiques the other two," Sebastian chuckled. "Makes perfect sense."

"I don't always critique you two," huffed Ominis. "...Only when the both of you are doing something dreadfully stupid."

"Uh huh... what are you, our mother?" I smiled puckishly. Sebastian laughed while Ominis recoiled with a snort.

"Sometimes, I do feel as though I am..." His sentence was cut off by the rightmost head of the runespoor's sudden hissing. Ominis froze as he listened intently, and a smirk broke out across his face. "Heh... and this little one empathizes."

"Oh! Can you teach her foul language?" Sebastian suddenly perked up.

"It's always fun to learn swear words in different languages!" I agreed with equal interest. We grinned childishly as Ominis tried to shield his new pet's innocence from the both of us. From left to right, the heads were soon named Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, after the three Fates of Greek mythology. After our excitement had worn off, and the runespoor moved towards a fireplace to snooze away her brumation, we spent the rest of the day lazing around. Sebastian and I read through his new spellbook together while Ominis softly played his harp, his skill deeply evident in the complicated trills of the gentle notes.

The Christmas Feast in the Great Hall later on was a welcome treat, especially after drinking so much last night and only having holiday sweets to snack on in the common room. For once I found myself happily digging in to the various meat dishes, though there were still plenty of grains and vegetables on my plate. We played with the Wizard Crackers that covered the table in between the platters and bowls of food, and joined some of the other students in the yearly bet that took place at this time; we had to determine which of the professors would become the drunkest by feast's end, as most of them ate, drank and talked amongst themselves in front. Last year's winner had been Professor Sharp.

Sebastian went with Sharp, while Ominis went with Hecat. Both of them reasoned the two of them had seen so many things in their previous careers that it seemed like a no-brainer.

As my eyes scanned the professors' table and came to rest on Fig, staring wistfully into his drink... I wanted to suggest he might be this year's winner. But I kept quiet, and instead surprised everyone by choosing Garlick. The folly of youth cared not for the experience of age... she probably didn't know how to pace herself. And while she was indeed a close second, it was eventually decided that Hecat was this year's winner when she put on a rubber topknot wig from a Wizard Cracker and started conjuring heavy glass ornaments that looked like pickles to hurl at Mr. Moon.

Fig did manage to catch me as I left the Great Hall, and beckoned me to his office. Once there I found a small box on top of his desk, wrapped in shining green paper and red ribbon. Opening it revealed a simple but radiant golden chain, to which was attached a matching pocketwatch. At first glance it seemed plain, its only adornment some etching in the shape of a sun, but opening it revealed a mother-of-pearl face inlaid with glossy black lacquer numbers, the hands and center of the clock bejeweled with sparkling yellow and orange sunstones. Additional windows cut into the face revealed that it could also keep track of the date and the phases of the moon, and the opposite side held a cloisonné mosaic of a pristine flower garden and pond.

"Wow... thank you, Fig," I breathed as I attached the watch to the insides of my robe, slipping it into a pocket. Even though he was already wearing the thick winter robe of darkened scarlet, jonquil and azure cotton I had given him, I felt that it wasn't quite good enough in comparison to his gift. 

"Of course, my dear Sunset," he paused as his hands grasped my shoulders. "I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished... and I'm glad to see that you've made some good friends over the months." His praise warmed my heart, much like it used to when Celestia would praise me...

...And I found myself not quite missing her so much. With Fig, and Sebastian, and the others... I'd already made quite a few good memories here. And they all felt just... so right to me.

It felt like... home.
> In Which Sunset and Sebastian Go Tomb Raiding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days that followed after Christmas passed slowly and leisurely. It wasn't until Wednesday that anything of note happened.

Finally, Sebastian had a breakthrough in his research to find that relic he'd mentioned - to our extreme convenience, he determined that it was located inside an ancient underground catacomb just a few minutes away from Feldcroft. It'd be no problem at all to put aside some time to go looking for it.

Ominis was also hinting at wanting to visit Anne - he had received a letter thanking him profusely for his gift of a silver and emerald locket, but he wanted to see- hear and feel her joy for himself. With everything coming together like this, Sebastian and I hatched a plan.

We'd all go visit her together - it'd be a delightful surprise for her, and hopefully Solomon would be in a more agreeable mood... or, even better, not around. But while we all agreed to head out at around noon tomorrow, Sebastian and I would sneak out at around 8am to go search for the relic. No time like the present, after all - four hours would surely give us enough time to find it, then after checking to see if his uncle was around I would quickly teleport us back to the castle, where Ominis would be waiting none the wiser.

Indeed, after scarfing down our breakfasts we hastily made our way through the castle. I asked him about how he'd come across this information to find the relic, he said there had been a couple of old pieces of parchment stuffed inside the spellbook's pages.

"I believe one of Slytherin's students stumbled upon the relic during an assignment to study sarcophagi in this catacomb," he said. "From what I read in a report by that student, they weren't permitted to take it with them, so I must assume it's still there. Here, have a look," he handed the pieces of ancient parchment to me, charmed against falling apart due to the ravages of time. "Unfortunately, there's no name on it... but I suspect if it was important enough for Slytherin to stash it in his spellbook, it's worthy of further study." I glanced over the report, finding not much else Sebastian hadn't already mentioned.

But as I recalled his words in my mind, something rather stupid suddenly hit me, and I blinked. "Wait... what did you say?"

"What? ...I said that Slytherin's student found the relic within this catacomb, but they weren't allowed-"

"You mean... 'catacomb', right?" I tilted my head. Sebastian recoiled slightly in confusion.

"Er, yes... don't you have catacombs where you're from?"

"A couple, I think? I'm pretty sure I know what you're saying, but it's not pronounced that way."

"Then how do you pronounce it?"

"...Catacomb."

"That's what I said!"

"No, no, comb as in 'comb', not 'coomb'."

"Bah, semantics," he flicked his hand as he opened the castle's double doors. "Come on, let's just get going."

We passed through the walls and slinked behind a small but strange wooden shack before I teleported the both of us to Feldcroft, the only object inside being a black telephone. Once he regained his bearings, Sebastian led me to the catacomb, a fifteen-minute walk away from the hamlet. We stared impassively at the heavy stone slab that covered its entrance, dead vines sealing it to the hillside it leaned against.

"This relic... if it's still here, I have to find it... for Anne. I need to see her," he exhaled with determination.

"We'll visit her when we're finished here... hopefully, Solomon isn't around."

"I hope so, too," he nodded, a frown already threading through his face. "...It's always so much more pleasant when he's not around." Itching with exploratory anticipation, I smirked over at him.

"Welp, let's get searching... hope you're not scared."

"I'm not, but you're more than free to cower behind me if you are," he grinned back. "Oh, by the way, Ominis was asking about you this morning. You... didn't tell him what we were doing, did you?"

"Pfft, what kind of tattletale do you take me for?" I groused, shrugging with one hand. "Of course not. Last thing I want to hear is his whining."

"Good... because he would be livid if he knew what we were about to do." Sebastian turned towards the heavy stone door with his wand out, and moved it aside. The vines ripped and snapped apart like chicken bones as they strained to hold the slab to the hillside. "I'll be interested to compare what lies inside to what I've read about this catacomb."

"How often was this place used?" I asked as we walked inside together. The light of the day began to fade as we descended some stairs dug into the ground, sinking deeper and deeper beneath the earth. The air grew damp and stale, with a musky odor that reminded me of the hallway before the scriptorium... but not quite as strong.

"Hasn't been touched for a hundred years or so, I think." He glanced over, noticing the slight grimace on my face. "I'm sure that foul smell is the scent of success... try not to lose your nerve just yet."

"Oh, please..." I huffed, "some of the things I've seen would make you soil yourself in fear." He made a neutral noise as we continued downwards; the corridor we were in emptied out into a chamber full of crypts carved into the stone walls, their contents sealed away by thick slabs. Everything was covered in spider webs, and said spiders skittered towards us as soon as we'd entered.

I turned up my nose in disgust. Why were spiders so damned big in this world? Nevertheless, we made quick work of them. "Least we know we're not alone in here," I frowned as I used magic to toss the corpse of one aside towards the distant wall.

"Perhaps that was it, and the rest of the tomb will be insect-free," he remarked, clearing away the webs with a Confringo.

"...Spiders aren't insects," I corrected him. Sebastian groaned.

"Don't start."

We continued deeper into the catacomb. It appeared to be a network of tunnels that connected each room full of sealed crypts, many crawling with spiders and covered in webs. Other than exterminating them all and burning away the webs, our descent was largely uneventful. At one point in our exploration, Sebastian nearly slipped in a thin sheen of water dripping down and made sure to warn me about it - at another point I could've sworn I heard a third pair of footsteps, but glancing back the way we came I saw nothing. This particular tunnel led us to a part of the tomb that had caved in - light streamed down from above and warmed a patch of grass, glittering in the sun.

"All this grass... it no longer feels like a tomb," he commented. "I've read about catacombs that underwent expansion efforts and ran into problems... often cave-ins."

"And then they were abandoned?" I mumbled, figuring that such a reason was why this place had been sealed away, now infested with giant spiders.

"Exactly. We'll be fine, though," he handwaved. "Besides... you've got me with you."

"Right... Mr. Trips-In-Puddles," I snarked. He chuckled as we backtracked to the last room of crypts we had come from and took a different path. After a walk down a short tunnel, we found ourselves at the entrance of a large, circular room. Besides more of the same sealed crypts, there was a stone table - an altar in the very center, a pile of crumbling skulls atop it. A few feet away was an opening that had been blocked off with a massive pile of human bones, flanked by two poles decorated with bones from a ribcage and topped with skulls.

"Now this is the sort of Great Room I want to be buried in," Sebastian smirked as we moved down the stairs, towards the altar.

"What, buried with all your earthly possessions in a massive tomb full of grandeur?"

"Grandeur, and then some. Even an altar with a pile of bones... Lovely." I mulled the thought over in my head... it reminded me of the funerary customs of the ancient Somnambulans.

"Yea... I can dig it," I nodded. "What are these bones doing here, though?" We were silent as we examined the altar... I wondered if the bones were sacrificial in nature, or simply decorative. Sebastian hummed in thought, then something must've caught his eye, as he suddenly bent down and reached beneath the altar. He stood back up holding a scrap of parchment, covered in dust and dirt and nearly illegible. He carefully cast a Scourgify on the parchment before squinting to make out the words.

"It looks like... this is from that same student who wrote the report. They hid the relic behind two barriers, using the bones of those buried here," he bit his lip. I peeked over his shoulder to read the report myself... finding myself drawn to its final paragraph.

The student mentioned learning one of the Unforgivable Curses... the Imperius Curse. This one let you control both the body and mind of its target, allowing you to force them to do or say whatever you wanted them to. Unlike the other curses, however, a person with a strong enough will could learn to resist, or even overpower the curse and break free from its influence. Inwardly, I wondered if my own mind was strong enough to resist.

"They mentioned bones as the key," Sebastian mumbled, interrupting my thoughts as he turned towards the two skull-topped poles beside the sealed door. "Therefore... bone piles must be what we need. The student's summary referenced a space beyond the Great Room, which means this can't be a dead end... and look! Bones stacked oddly on either side of this archway."

"Hmm... leave no stone unturned. Or, in this case, no bone-"

Something made a noise back down the tunnel we'd come through, interrupting my clever pun... it sounded like a pebble being kicked, or perhaps becoming dislodged and falling from a crack onto the ground.

"Did you hear that?" Sebastian whipped around towards the noise.

"I did." I turned as well, my eyes carefully examining the walls. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, though. "Probably just another spider, the place is infested with them."

"...Right," he eventually said as he turned back around, though he didn't seem fully convinced.

"Or... it could be a spooky, scary skeleton or something," I grinned darkly at him. "Maybe even an Inferius... Don't tell me that big, brave Sebastian is scared, now."

"Of course not... I'm just looking out for you, my dear," Sebastian shrugged as he casually pointed at me with his wand. "You're but a fragile, delicate flower in a tomb full of ancient corpses, after all."

"Ha! Delicate flower," I snickered derisively. "You make me laugh."

"Someone has to keep our spirits up," he smiled, handing the piece of parchment to me. "Hold on to that diary entry. There may be more to it."

"Alright, though I'm surprised you didn't see the bit about the Imperius Curse at the end," I shrugged as I accepted the parchment. "It was supposed to be their next assignment."

"Really? Interesting..." he hummed, putting a hand to his chin. "...We do need to focus on moving beyond this room, but... let me think for a moment. There's more to this than even I imagined."

"'Kay... so, I need bones," I trailed off, glancing around at the crypts that surrounded us. They've been dead for how long? You guys don't need them. I pointed my wand and began tearing off the slabs that sealed the final resting places of so many ancient humans. Most of the dusty, decrepit bones had decomposed slightly with time and were in large pieces, but some of them were perfectly intact. One of the crypts contained a spider, its mandibles chewing on the remains of a femur before I blew it apart with a Confringo. Once I'd amassed a large pile of bones I levitated the mass over towards the two poles, and watched with curiosity as the bones assembled themselves into a macabre arch over the blockage that kept us here.

"Ah, you've done it!" Sebastian grinned as the blockage crumbled away. "I knew we'd get through... I felt it in my bones."

...Goddamn it. I couldn't help but chuckle as I shook my head. "Nice." 

He strutted proudly into the corridor the blockage had been hiding, and we followed the path until finding ourselves in yet another room strangled by spiderwebs. Before I could begin casting, however, Sebastian held out an arm to stop me.

"Before we trudge on further, I've just realized something."

"What is it?"

"That parchment mentioned the Imperius Curse... I wouldn't be surprised if we're going to need it here," he frowned.

"Possibly," I agreed. My mind traveled back to the scriptorium, where we'd had to use another Unforgivable... but the sudden realization of what he might be implying broke through any lingering feelings of unease. "Hang on... are you saying you know this curse, too?" I tilted my head.

"I... do. I can teach you, if you'd like," he offered.

"When you'd learn to do this?"

"I taught myself after you told me about the legend of King Sombra and the Crystal Empire... don't tell Ominis that I've told you," he glanced away guiltily. "It's not exactly something I can brag about... but it may come in handy. I think you ought to know it."

"Oh, I'd absolutely love to know it," I smirked. "Something like that definitely has its uses." You continue to surprise me, Sebby... I can't help but say I'm impressed.

"I couldn't agree more... a spell that could save your life shouldn't be Unforgivable. You have a lot at stake, after all... what with your quest for mastering ancient magic." He turned his head away in an unsuccessful attempt to hide a blush. That damnable twinge made itself known as the words floated through my mind.

He wanted to be sure I could protect myself. I had no doubt in my mind that I could, of course... but I appreciated the thought. While he looked away I placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled as he looked back at me.

"Thanks." Sebastian smiled in return, grabbing my hand and squeezing it for a moment before letting go.

"Of course." He then turned to face me, holding his wand in front of him. "Ready? Focus your wand movement... it's not an easy spell to master." I watched as he moved his wand in deliberate motions, and copied him until I was sure I had it down. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement - the spiders were stirring.

"Ugh, more of these wretched things," I grumbled. It took no time at all to exterminate them and burn down their webs... it certainly didn't warrant the use of my newly-learned curse.

"We've rid the world of another spider... I shall sleep better tonight," Sebastian grinned as he kicked away one of their broken bodies. The path cleared, we pressed on into the next room, where another doorway blocked by a mass of bones sat before us, flanked by those poles. This time he helped in tearing apart the sealed crypts around us for bones, and soon we'd gathered enough to form another arch. "We are head and shoulders above these bones," he chimed proudly as the blockage disintegrated.

"You are so ridiculous," I gently elbowed him in his side as we walked through. This next hallway had a different aura to it than the rest of the catacombs had... the walls bore deep scratches and gouges, as though something had tried to claw its way out. The spiderwebs were nearly collapsing under the weight of the dust that settled on them... if these spiders weren't long-dead, they would be ravenous.

"I see why Slytherin's student was so entranced with this place," Sebastian breathed as he looked around. I opened my mouth to reply, but I caught a glimpse of movement and stepped aside as a blob of venom sailed past my head. Spiders crawled out from all over the walls as the venom landed on the ground, bubbling as it burned a crater into the stone.

"I'm getting sick of this..." I sighed angrily, closing my eyes in focus. Deep within my soul, I felt ancient magic roiling like a pot with a half-inch of boiling water. Sebastian covered me as I built upon the feeling, letting it blossom into my heart like a strong, proud tree. My wand waved through the air as though I was conducting an orchestra of arcane whispers, even as I heard the booms of Confringo and rips of Diffindo echo off the walls.

"Oh dear, that's a big one!" he whined in shock, the matriarch of the spiders leaping down from the ceiling and causing the ground to shake as she landed. Blue-white light began to shine from my horn, and I opened my eyes, that same light pouring from them.

"HAAAH!" I screamed as I heaved my wand at the largest spider. A bolt of lightning snapped through the air and struck it, then rebounded off of her and chained across every other spider in the room. Sebastian ducked as it came dangerously close to him - he had nothing to worry about, the lightning would never strike him. A shrill noise leaked from their carapaces as my power coursed through their bodies, their insides boiling and steaming.

Mere moments later, they were all dead. Roasted from the inside out.

"Merlin... for a moment there, I thought that'd never end," Sebastian muttered as he stood up. "You're more powerful than you let on."

"Yea, well... I hate spiders," I shrugged as I took a few deep breaths. Now that everything else was dead, I could look around the room we'd found ourselves in. It had seemed that we'd finally reached the bottom of the catacombs - there was nothing in here other than a table against the far wall, covered in centuries of dust and clutter.

"Dead end... lovely. All that for nothing," he sighed, disappointed.

"Now, now... there has to be something in here," I chided, casting a silent Revelio. Something on the table, underneath all the dust, glowed a deep, sickly green. I swept my wand across the table with a Scourgify, uncovering a number of old books and scrolls too decayed to even pick up, let alone read. One piece of parchment, however, had an illustration of what appeared to be four corpses, their spines bent at an impossible angle and their arms raised to form a four-sided pyramid.

The parchment was leaning against something. I moved it, and gasped.

Underneath sat the dark relic.

"T-That's it! That's the relic!" I pointed. Sebastian jogged over and bent down to look more closely.

"Could it be...?" he breathed.

"It looks exactly like the drawing on this piece of parchment... it has to be it! I mean, look at it!" A smile broke out on my face, and a few seconds later one broke out on his, too.

"I can't believe it... After all this, it lines up! We've really found it!" We shared an excited glance, but when I looked back, I spied something else.

Another piece of parchment. This one contained a warning.

...The relic contains abundant potential. Its possibilities could benefit not only wizardkind, but the world... But the Dark Sacrifice involved to realize its intent may be too great. Until we know more, please, do not remove this relic...

"Oh... look at this." I carefully floated the parchment in my magic over to him. "It says it needs a dark sacrifice to work." His eyes flickered over the warning, reading it in silence.

"...I see," he spoke after a few moments of contemplation, frowning. I set the parchment down as he hummed in thought, though he quickly waved it away. "Well, we're here for the relic. I'm taking it."

"Wait a second." I held out my arm to block him. In our excitement and eagerness, I had nearly forgotten to take the necessary precautions one should always implement when working with an unknown relic of questionable magic. "We should at least make sure it's not going to curse us on contact or something first." At first Sebastian shot me an uncertain glare, but it quickly melted away as he saw reason, and he nodded in agreement.

"Good thinking." The both of us cast every single curse-detection charm, diagnostic charm and anti-Dark magic charm we knew at and around the relic. I regarded the object with sterile scientific interest, doing my best not to let my own emotions, my impatience to learn more about it - sway me into taking shortcuts.

After all, I had studied quite a bit of Dark magic on my own without Celestia's knowledge - she never would've let me mention such things around her, let alone taught me. And I was certainly smart enough not to be a victim of my own hubris... studying on my own, running my own experiments meant I had to use the utmost caution when dealing with such magic, as there would be far too many questions I'd have to answer if my illicit studies ever blew up in my face. When nothing at all had happened by the time we'd finished, I let out a small sigh of relief and gave him a nod.

"All yours." He happily scooped it up in his hand and held it reverently like it was a priceless jewel.

"We were meant to find this... for Anne's sake," he smiled, spiriting it away to his pocket dimension. "Now... let's get to Feldcroft."

"Are you going to tell her about this?" I asked as we turned back the way we came. Sebastian shook his head.

"No... I must keep this relic secret. Especially from my uncle." Suddenly, I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway we'd arrived from. We froze as a familiar friend strode into the opposite end of the room, his body tensed in anger. "Is that... Ominis?"

Oh, no... the crybaby's here.

"Ominis? More like omniscient! What the hell is he doing here?" I blinked. Ominis quickened his pace slightly as he came near, breathing heavily through his nose. His runespoor was coiled loosely around his shoulders, Clotho's tongue flicking wildly while audible hissing emanated from Atropos' head.

"The sounds we kept hearing... it was you," Sebastian breathed. Ominis bristled.

'You gave me no choice... I had to follow you," he replied coolly. "Sebastian, please... leave the relic alone. We can find another way to help Anne." Sebastian's face slowly hardened.

"...I'm sorry, Ominis. But I'm taking it."

"No, you're not," Ominis scowled. "If you won't put it back, then I will." Sebastian took a step forward, glaring daggers at his friend.

What a spoilsport... well, I know how to handle this.

"Whoa, hey," I grabbed Sebastian's shoulder, feeling just how tense he was - the muscles beneath were coiled and solid. "Let's be reasonable about this... let me talk to him," I lowered my voice to a near-whisper. I felt him exhale, and his shoulders relaxed as he took a step back.

"Fine, but Ominis knows... I won't step back from a fight," he rumbled, turning his back and walking back to the other end of the room. I sighed inwardly, glad that we weren't about to have magical fisticuffs break out just yet.

"I can't believe this," Ominis shook his head as I moved towards him.

"How much did you hear?" I asked quietly.

"Everything... I heard you encourage Sebastian to take the relic, although I'm glad you at least have the sense to ensure it won't harm him by simply touching it," he hissed. "Please, we need to stand together... convince him this is wrong!"

"And... if nothing will change his mind?"

"Something has to!" His voice warbled as he began to pace nervously back and forth. "I need your help!"

"Well, you're not going to get it from me," I crossed my arms. Ominis stopped his frantic pacing.

"What?! Why?!"

"Because even if we both try to stop him, he'll just go behind our backs." As there was no need to hide it, a thin, crooked smile broke out across my face as I began spinning my web, every word carefully considered before it was spoken. I had done this flawlessly so many times before, it was almost a second nature. By the time I was done I'd have my way, and there would be no opposition or argument.

Besides... I made a promise. A good friend keeps that promise.

"You heard him, when we were first discussing the relic back in the Undercroft? He simply found a loophole in your words, lied by omission and continued his research. What makes you think he'd stop now, even if the both of us had to pry that relic out of his grasp? But more importantly... what if it works? What if the dark sacrifice is something as simple as brewing a dangerous potion, or collecting a hard-to-find reagent? You and I both know he's more than capable of doing either of those safely."

"Wh... Wh-What are you suggesting? That we just let him stray down this path?!" cried Ominis.

"Not exactly," I shook my head, though I wasn't sure whether he could sense it or not. "I say we... supervise him. Watch what he does closely. Keep him honest. If it turns out the sacrifice is something horrible like... I dunno, drowning a baby in a bucket of unicorn blood or something... then we can stop him, beat some sense into him if we have to. Even better, if we're there as he's researching it, we could even see that coming, and stop him long before it comes to that. I think you'd agree that it's a far more reliable method to make sure nothing truly terrible happens, rather than letting him lie to us and hoping for the best."

And nothing bad will happen... he's got me working with him, after all.

Ominis exhaled a shaky breath as his head dipped downwards. It's working.

"Sebastian's desperate to cure Anne... aren't you, too? If this works, he'll be forever grateful to you for not standing in his way. However, if you argue with him every step of the way, trying to stop him... don't you see that it will only drive him further away? I mean... you're best friends, right?" I grinned deviously. "Friends are supposed to help and support each other."

Ominis didn't speak for a few moments, but my grin never faltered.

This had never not worked.

"...Fine," he sighed heavily. "If I'm trusting him on this, I'm trusting you, too. The Dark Arts seem harmless until it's too late."

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Go, then... leave with the relic. I'll not say a word more."

I glanced back to Sebastian and nodded, smiling. His face lit back up, and he raced over to us. Ominis simply stood there in silence, ignoring our attempts to get him to leave with us, even as Clotho and Atropos seemed to hiss in agreement in unison. Sebastian cast him a worried glance, but eventually he shrugged it off, and we began our trek out of the catacombs.

"He'll be alright, everything's dead in here... and he won't stop us anymore," I smirked, though my voice still low in case we were being followed again.

"Really? How in the world did you convince him to change his mind?" he blinked in disbelief.

"It was quite simple, really... you used clever wording to get around your promise. I just did the same."

"You did...?" Sebastian frowned.

"Yep. I told him we ought to give you this chance, and we'll study the relic together... In fact, I've probably even convinced him to help you out too if you need it." I glanced over to him, expecting him to be pleased with my deception, but my smirk fell as I saw an unreadable expression on his face.

Suspicion. Guilt. Hesitation. Envy.

"...There has to be more to it than that! Tell me!" he ordered, a scowl forming.

"Uh... no, there really isn't," my lips thinned. "I convinced him to let you keep the relic and keep researching this, under the guise that he'll be the first to stop you if everything goes pear-shaped. I wouldn't lie to you."

"But you'd lie to Ominis... straight to his face," he remarked slowly. I pinched the bridge of my nose and half-sighed, half-groaned.

"Look, I fixed your problem. Are you happy or not?" I grumbled, shooting him a look. Sebastian glanced over to me, then closed his eyes as he shook his head.

"Sorry... you did. And I do appreciate that," he sighed. "I'm just... I don't know."

Regret. Humility. Yielding. Perplexion.

I'm being stupid... I'm letting my feelings get the better of me.

I blinked, my head slightly recoiling. Sebastian sighed again.

"I never wanted to keep all this from Ominis, he just... doesn't understand. And I didn't want to worry him all over again... As we were leaving, he wouldn't even acknowledge me! ...That's not like him." A pang of guilt slapped me in the heart.

"He's just... worried about you. Even though we agreed to it all, he still wasn't happy about it," I frowned, my eyes cast upon the floor.

"I thought he understood... he knew we couldn't give up! All of this is too important... for Anne."

I could only nod in response. We walked for a few minutes more in silence until the entrance to the catacomb came into sight. I squinted to readjust my eyes to the sun, and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

It tasted... strange.

"When we get to Feldcroft, I'd rather Anne not know what had to be done to get this relic," he said quietly. "She thinks like Ominis... it'd only upset her."

"Fine with me," I shrugged. Something didn't seem right, but I couldn't quite place what it was. A gust of wind blew a speck of something black onto Sebastian's cheek.

The wind... it smelled... hot. Thick. Smoky.

I blinked. Without thinking, my hand reached up to his face, and my finger touched the black speck. He blinked in surprise, blushing slightly as I wiped off whatever was on his cheek and stared at it.

I rubbed it between my fingers. The speck fell apart into powder. Sebastian took notice and stared, too.

It was soon joined by a few more on my outstretched palm.

Ash. There was a fire somewhere... a large one. Almost simultaneously, we looked in the direction the ashes had flown in from.

In the direction of Feldcroft, black plumes of smoke were rising. My heart dropped.

"Oh, no... this isn't good!" he gasped.

"Feldcroft... it's on fire," I breathed in disbelief. Sebastian gasped again, even louder.

"Anne... ANNE!" My blood ran cold as my stomach boiled. This could only mean one thing... someone was attacking the hamlet for whatever reason.

"C'mon!" I shouted as I grabbed his hand, immediately teleporting us behind his house. My ears filled with a cacophony of voices, my nose and mouth with the smell and taste of fire and blood. We peeked around the corner...

...It was utter chaos. Goblins had flooded the fallow fields, shrieking with glee as they slashed and shot at anyone they could see, the townspeople fleeing in terror. Supplies were being looted and destroyed, the nearby traveling merchant's cart had been smashed, and a few houses had been set on fire. Out in the middle of it all, Solomon was fighting fiercely, desperately trying to drive them away singlehandedly.

Or so I thought. Another blast of magic flared outwards as he cast at a different goblin.

Anne was fighting with him.

"Damn it!" Sebastian yelled as he ran out to join them, wand drawn and already burning with an uncast Confringo. I raced out right behind him, my magic catching an axe in midair as it sailed uncomfortably close towards his head and flinging it right back at the goblin who'd thrown it.

"Sebastian! Sunset!" Anne cried out as we reached them, standing defensively in front of her. "Where did you two come from?!"

"We came to visit, but it seems we're gonna be doing a lot more than that!" I yelled as I sent a Diffindo ripping through the air, catching a pair of goblins that were running by.

"Anne, what are you doing out here?! You need to run!" Sebastian shouted, firing another Confringo at a goblin, the explosion sending it tumbling swiftly backwards and into a wall.

"I'm fine! I'm not helpless, you know!" she retorted as she blasted another goblin with her own Confringo.

"Stay back! Keep out of the way!" Solomon roared, casting a shockwave Depulso over our heads. More goblins Apparated in all around us, and all semblance of panicked conversation was thrown out the window. I nearly lost track of Sebastian and Anne as I slammed goblins headfirst into the ground, picked up rocks and dropped weapons and torn metal and flung them as hard as I could into their bodies, lit them on fire with Confringo, tore them to pieces with Diffindo. The only way I knew they were both okay was through hearing their occasional incantation, mere feet away.

"Ghh-! Ugh... aaaaaAAAAAH!" My head whipped around to see Anne suddenly clutching her stomach - what a fine time to be afflicted by her curse! Both Sebastian and Solomon redoubled their efforts as she sank to the ground, unable to even cast a Protego on herself... Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I turned back to face the goblin horde.

The fact they would so brazenly attack this poor village... harm Anne, before Sebastian even had a chance to see her... a fire blossomed in my soul, and it screamed for their blood. I felt the ancient magic within me, saw it shine from my horn as I raised it into the air, my eyes bleeding with excess energy.

"I will end you all!" I shrieked as I brought down my wand. Lightning burst forth and chained between every single goblin I could see, wrapping around the four of us in a wreath of plasma. The goblins screamed in agony, their bodies convulsing as the lightning fried every last nerve into uselessness. The spell ended a moment later, and they all fell to the ground motionless.

But even more of them Apparated in from nowhere, this time in a group to the left. I screamed as I swept my wand in a circle, tearing blades of grass from the ground and Transfiguring them into shards of metal, and fired. Each shard that found their target nearly punched all the way through, and most of the goblins fell dead where they stood. Two fortunate ones had only suffered glancing blows, and as they watched their friends die all around them, they screamed and fled.

"Get back here!" I commanded, running after them, my rage at a boiling point. I lifted an entire segment of stone wall nearby and Transfigured it into a massive snake. The goblins screamed even louder as it slithered towards them, darting forward with its unhinged jaws and biting into the one on the right with fangs as long as my arm. His pained gurgles as blood poured out of his mouth satisfied me in a way I had so rarely felt before. The snake swallowed it down easily, never breaking its sliding stride as it hounded after the final survivor.

And then suddenly, I felt the ground rumble. I looked back towards the others, a troll even larger than the ones I had faced in Hogsmeade lurching out from behind a house. The armor it wore glowed red like fresh blood.

But the others weren't in my immediate sights. I glanced around frantically for either Sebastian or Solomon, finding the both of them a distance away from Anne. Seeing this the troll seemed to smile sadistically, and it began lumbering straight towards her.

That thing was far too big to fall to ordinary spells. This would need ancient magic to defeat.

"Seb! Stall it!" I called out to him, already focusing on building up my magic. He nodded breathlessly and began firing everything he had at the troll. Solomon joined him a second later, and the two of them ran together towards Anne. She too saw the approaching troll, and feebly tried to roll away.

No, no! I need to save her... I need to save her! As the magic boiled up inside me, I could hear Solomon casting Glacius while Sebastian cast Depulso. Solomon casting Flipendo while Sebastian cast Confringo. Solomon casting Levioso while Sebastian cast Descendo. In a rare act of selfless cooperation... they were working together.

But it was not enough. The troll shrugged off their attacks like they were flies buzzing around its head. They began focusing on spells that might halt its approach while my magic flared into my horn, and I raised my hand...

Their spells were having no effect. And my magic would take too long to cast.

But I had to try... I had to save her!

"Anne, run!" I shouted. "Get up and run!"

She tried to get up, but immediately crumpled. She screamed in fear for her life, in despair as the troll raised its club over its head.

"Anne!"

"Imperio!"

...

...

...

Suddenly, the air grew still. It took me a moment to register what had happened.

The troll had stopped dead in its tracks, its club mere inches from Anne's head. Though it was breathing, it didn't move a muscle. Anne stared in silent terror at the creature, which finally, slowly lowered its club. A few feet away, Solomon was frozen in relief, in shock... in anger.

My eyes traveled over to Sebastian. His wand was pointed squarely at the troll, his face frozen in an enraged distress. But his eyes...

...His red-brown eyes, the color of rich wood, of chocolate, of auburn skies...

...They were glowing a frightening green.

I didn't know why, but seeing his eyes like that made my heart feel like it had become an empty void.

"Sunset... hurry," he blinked, his voice raspy with effort. I gasped and grasped desperately at the ancient magic that threatened to sink away, quickly finding it again. My fear was overridden by vengeance... righteous vengeance.

"DIE!" I roared as I heaved my wand. A blast of purple light shot out and enveloped the troll, howling as the magic ripped it to shreds from the inside out and burned it away into ash. Sebastian blinked rapidly, the green glow vanishing like mist in the wind.

Afterwards, he ran over towards Anne. He sighed in relief to see she was unharmed, and offered her his hand to get up.

But Anne didn't move a muscle... she simply stared at him, a violent, confusing mix of gratitude, shock and fear in her eyes as well as her heart. I blinked uncomfortably as I realized the fear was directed towards her own brother.

The smile on Sebastian's face fell.

"Boy... what have you done?!" Solomon glowered as he all but yanked Anne away from him. Sebastian turned towards him, his face awash with pain, confusion... and outrage.

"Saved my sister!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "I-"

"With an Unforgivable Curse!" Solomon bellowed as he pulled Anne to her feet. His voice dropped deadly low, nearly silent. "...Your father would be ashamed. You've gone too far. Stay away from her... from all of us," he growled as he pulled her away towards their house. Sebastian watched in disbelief as their forms grew smaller and smaller, and I moved to his side.

But... I saved her... I...

"Talk about ungrateful..." I muttered under my breath with a scowl.

"What did my uncle expect me to do?! Nothing else we were using worked!" he finally shouted. "The Imperius Curse saved Anne's life... that troll was going to kill her!"

"I know, I saw it," I nodded. "No need to convince me... you bought me just enough time to use my ancient magic. You did what you had to."

"If I have to keep proving that to my uncle, I will," he half-growled, half-warbled, unable to control the volume or cadence of his own breaking voice. "He cannot banish me from my own home, from my own twin sister!"

...He... what...?! I gasped as the true weight of Solomon's words finally hit me.

Sebastian had just been thrown out from his home... the only home he'd known for much of his life. By a parent that was supposed to love him, supposed to care for him... and just like that, he had been discarded.

Banished.

Disowned.

Betrayed.

He was, to my shock and horror... just like me.

Just like me...

...

Ugly, bubbling rage made my entire body feel hot. I snorted as I whipped around and ran after Solomon, ignoring Sebastian's worried voice. I caught up to him just as he'd ushered Anne inside their house. "What is your problem, you ungrateful arse?!" I shouted as he turned to face me, already staring at me with disdain, with derision...

...Just like Celestia. The two of them would get along very well... and the thought disgusted me to my core.

"What Sebastian did was inexcusable!" He met my gaze with equal fury. "You cannot possibly be about to defend him!"

"Well, I am! He stopped the troll and saved Anne when no other spells were working! It was going to kill her!"

"This family does not resort to using Dark magic, even against our enemies! What Sebastian did cannot be undone," he snorted. "That you are defending his behavior at all tells me everything I need to know... you are just as guilty as he is!"

"Oh, really?! I would have done the same, if it meant the difference between her life and death!" I threw out my arm. "If the magic exists and it's the only way to save someone's life, then you'd be an idiot not to use it! Why can't you see that?!"

"Enough!" Solomon roared. "Neither of you are to come anywhere near Feldcroft! Nowhere near Anne! Unforgivable Curses are so named for a reason!"

Oh, please... like you have any say over my life. "Hmph, by milksops like you," I sneered.

"If I hear that either of you continues down this path, if either of you uses Dark magic... I will notify the Headmaster immediately!" he retorted. Now that was a threat that actually gave me pause, though I did my best not to let him see it affect me.

Getting expelled again... being thrown out by those who were supposed to love me, supposed to care for me... again.

And having the power I wished for more than anything... denied to me.

Again.

Do that... and it will be the last thing you ever regret.

A murderous blind rage pulsed through my veins, the ancient magic within me threatening to unleash itself on instinct and annihilate this insolent fool. Anne would be better off without him, Sebastian would definitely be better off without him, hell, the entire world would-

...

...

...

No... I needed to calm down. Despite how horrible he was, I couldn't harm him... besides promising Sebastian that I wouldn't, taking him out wouldn't do Anne any good. It took a couple of deep breaths, but I managed to restrain my wrath and form it into words instead.

"...I don't think I could possibly have a lower opinion of you. With how stubborn you are, I wonder if you're the one who really cursed Anne," I spat. Solomon inhaled sharply as I turned around and stomped away, back to Sebastian.

The look on his face was pitiable, to say the least. "I see you've been banished as well," he frowned.

"He can't tell me what I can and can't do," I snorted, glaring as Solomon disappeared into his house. "Of all the pigheaded, mulish, most insufferable fools I've ever met..." My muttering only stopped once my eyes drifted towards his - I blinked when I realized he was on the verge of tears.

In an instant my heart was crushed into powder.

Heartbreak. Regret. Bitterness. Uselessness.

It hurt so much seeing him like that... not just a physical ache in my chest, but his emotions twisted around my own like strangling weeds. They... reminded me of how I felt during my last few minutes in Equestria. The shock, the scorn... the inner pain that felt like it was burning me alive, and nothing could ever put it out.

That... had really been what hurt the most.

...

...

...

We couldn't stay here... and not just because the both of us were theoretically banished.

"...You want to go back to Hogwarts?" I asked softly. Sebastian took a deep, shuddering breath before shaking his head.

"Not really. But I don't wish to remain here any longer... I know when I'm not wanted." As he glanced away, I felt something inside me break. In that moment, I would've done anything to stop the pain.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

"C'mon... let's get out of here." 


~


It was only a ten, maybe fifteen minute flight to Keenbridge over the mountain, but it was far away enough that we could no longer see any sign of Feldcroft. The cold wind rattled the old wooden beams and loose shingles of the town pub as we ordered some of the house special - ginger-spiced Butterbeer. The both of us seriously needed a drink after everything that happened today.

After paying, Sebastian and I moved to the farthest edges of the pub's dock that overlooked the marshlands and the nearby small lake that fed them. Neither of us spoke a word for a while, other than Warming Charms to keep the chill of winter out of our robes. Even without hearing him speak, I could feel his dejection and turmoil lighting a fire of indignant, righteous anger within him. He snorted through clenched teeth as he suddenly kicked the railing, startling me.

"I had to stop that troll from killing my sister!" he seethed. "He had no right to banish me from my own twin! If he thinks banishing me means I'm going to give up on Anne, he's sorely mistaken."

"He absolutely is," I agreed wholeheartedly. "I can't believe how utterly ridiculous he's being... it's not like the Unforgivables are illegal to use against nonhuman targets! Would he rather have let her die?" I shook my head in disbelief. "And he has the gall to go snitch on us to Black if he thinks we're using any more Dark magic... who does he think he is?!"

"He's... well, my guardian," Sebastian answered matter-of-factly. "But that relic, Dark magic or not, is the key to saving Anne, to reverse that curse... I will not lose her for good. Now I'm more determined than ever to learn what power that relic has." I nodded in agreement, though a moment later my forehead smacked the railing in annoyance.

"...I'll probably have to figure out a way to keep getting the potion to her without Uncle Grumpy-Face realizing it's from me. Merlin's sake, what a pain."

"Just say it's from Ominis," he waved his hand. "He's likely the last of us still welcome in Feldcroft... if I had to guess, he's probably there trying to smooth things over with them." A beat of silence passed before his face lit up with a spark of inspiration. "That's right... I can always send the crest to Anne. She'll know that we'll need to meet!"

"Crest?"

"It's-" He paused for a moment as I felt a pang of tender nostalgia bleed through him. "...We just lost our parents, and we were packing up to go and live with Solomon... we couldn't take everything. She was carefully organizing her prized possessions, a box of artifacts she collected to do with our family: jewelry, cards, old photographs... She got to her favorite, a handmade crest, and without a second thought she handed it to me... 'This will keep you safe', she said." Another pause as he allowed himself to smile at the memory, which somehow made me smile too. "It holds no enchantment, but I've kept it with me since... that's how I can reach Anne. I'll get the crest to her with plans to meet."

"Sounds good," I replied. "Better make sure Solomon doesn't intercept it somehow, though... something tells me we'd both be getting Howlers for the rest of the year if he did, and I'm not even the one sending it to her." Sebastian simply shrugged.

"Even if Ominis is upset with us, he has no love lost for his family. He'd use their connections to the Headmaster if we needed his help."

"Ah, good... it's good to know a Gaunt, huh?" I grinned, though my voice quickly grew dark and low. "Saves me the trouble of simply Obliviating his arse if he tries anything."

"You'd do that? He's a former Auror, you know," he said, an expression of both surprise and amusement on his face. "He'll see you coming from a mile away."

"Psh... And I was the personal protégé of royalty. He'll be lucky if that's the only spell I cast on him," I growled, my knuckles whitening as I grasped and wrung at the railing. Before he could remind me that I'd promised I wouldn't blow up his uncle, the barkeep arrived with our drinks. Taking a warm, welcoming gulp of the spiced Butterbeer instantly put the both of us in a better mood. Sebastian let out a halfway-contented sigh after draining half of his tankard.

"I'm glad I have you to talk about this with. I... I can't imagine how I would be faring alone."

"Hey... what are friends for?" I smiled, looking over at him and raising my own tankard. He chuckled lightly as he tapped his against mine, and we fell into a pleasant lassitude as we sipped our drinks and stared out into the frozen marsh.

My mind wandered, rehashed everything that had happened. So much had transpired within a few hours - breaking into the catacomb, learning Imperio, finding the relic, laying waste to a bunch of goblins...

...

...

...

...Wait.

Thinking about the assault on Feldcroft made me think about Anne. And then I remembered that her curse happened to flare up while we were all fighting. My blood suddenly ran cold as I remembered how strong it had been.

That should not have happened.

My Umbrum potion was flawless... I'd gone over the calculations several times, always trying to improve on the formula. There was no possible way it should've allowed the curse to sap her like it did then.

Damn it... now I needed to run a diagnostic charm on her, to find out what went wrong. And I had just gotten my arse banished from visiting her... in a public setting, anyway. Hopefully Sebastian could get that crest to her sooner rather than later.

Or... I could just Imperio Solomon into leaving us the hell alone-

Another chill wracked me, harder than the last as soon as the memory of his eyes hit me. Why did it bother me so much? My own eyes changed and glowed with Equestrian Dark magic whenever I harnessed it, so why was this any different?

"Sunset."

"Huh?" I blinked rapidly as I glanced over to Sebastian, slightly confused to see him worried.

"You haven't spoken much... is something on your mind?" I hesitated for a moment before speaking...

...I'd tell him about needing to see Anne myself once we were back at Hogwarts. He already had enough to worry about right now.

But he also wasn't going to accept "no, nothing," for an answer.

"It's... well..." I stared down into my tankard of Butterbeer and took a breath. "...When you used Imperio on that troll, your eyes..."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Yes... I've heard that when you cast an Unforgivable curse sometimes, they'll change as a result of the Dark magic being channeled." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Did it trouble you?"

"...Kind of," I admitted. "When I saw them... I don't quite know how to describe it, but it made me feel... empty. Hopeless."

"Hopeless?" he blinked, a pained look on his face. "I... well, I don't remember feeling hopeless in that moment-"

"No, no, that was all me. All my own emotions," I clarified, shaking my head. "I just... don't know why that was my gut reaction." PTSD from Crucio? Though I didn't see that glow in his eyes then...

No... don't be ridiculous, Sunset. You're stronger than that. You'll get over it.

"I see..." he trailed off, turning away. We stared out at nothing in particular for a few minutes, not saying anything at all. I shook my head at myself - a part of me felt guilty bringing it up... I'd never meant to make him feel bad or anything. My mouth opened, but it was a couple of seconds before I could force out any words.

"Don't... stop yourself from using it again if you need to, because of me-"

"No... I see how much it's bothered you," he shook his head. "I don't mind refraining from such magic if it makes you uncomfortable."

"It doesn't! ...Well, most of it doesn't. It's just that one, I guess." I really didn't like the feeling in my heart at the moment, shrinking inwards on itself with guilt and disappointment. "Really, Seb, don't change what you're doing on my account... besides, we still have to find out if that relic will cure your sister, you know? And we can't do that without more Dark magic, and a lot more research."

"...You're right," he nodded, though he didn't sound convinced. "But I also don't wish to scare you again."

"Oh, stop... I'm a big girl, I can handle it," I reassured, almost grumbling in offense. But since I was thinking so much about that particular Unforgivable, I was suddenly struck by inspiration. "...Actually, it's good you taught me the curse - the Umbrum Crystals I've been making have been passable so far, but with a bit of Imperio influence, I think they'll become even more potent. Maybe the potion will even be able to block the pain entirely."

...Hopefully, I frowned to myself. That flare-up never should've happened in the first place. I hope it was just a one-off thing, perhaps because she was suddenly straining herself with so much magic use...

He smiled optimistically. "Well, at least some good came from that curse today."

"Eh, don't sell yourself short," I grinned, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Your uncle might not've appreciated your choice of spells, but I'm sure Anne's happy to still be alive."

It was evidently the wrong thing to say; the smile dropped from his face.

"Right..." His head bowed. I groaned at myself inwardly.

Damn it... that was stupid of me.

"...Sorry, that was-"

"No, I know what you meant," he raised his head back up again, a little too quickly for my comfort. Before I could say anything further, though, I felt his arm wrap around the middle of my back, gently pulling me a little closer. "Thank you... I very much appreciate you standing by me through all of this."

I held my breath as I felt the whirlpool of conflicting emotions within him, only managing a nod in return. I elected to remain silent as we stared out over the frozen landscape together for a while longer.
> In Which Sunset Becomes a Therapist, But This is Way Above Her Pay Grade
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The atmosphere in Ominis' and Sebastian's room was rather tense when the former finally returned.

True to the latter's assumptions, Ominis had visited Feldcroft on his own about ten minutes after we'd left, rushing to the Sallow residence as he realized the townspeople were cleaning up corpses, repairing everything the goblins had ruined, and yelling in panic and bewilderment as they tried to wrangle an impossibly-large snake. He was horrified to learn that Sebastian had used another Unforgivable - this time willingly - and was therefore banished, but after we'd explained why he was slightly more accepting of the fact... though he still didn't like it. He chose to agree that it was fortunate we'd been there to save Anne, and left it at that.

It was mildly concerning for all of us that at least for now, Sebastian was essentially homeless when school let out for the summer. He grimaced as he offered, but Ominis mentioned that his family owned a rarely-used villa on the eastern shores of the Isle of Man; they could likely stay there for the summer vacation without his family finding out. It was the least he could do after all the summers he'd spent in Feldcroft with them. Immediately I felt a great weight lift off of Sebastian's shoulders... and my own, I had to admit. It might've been... doable, but difficult convincing Fig that he might've needed a place to stay all summer. Sebastian thanked him profusely, promising to make it up to him someday.

Still, Ominis was generally not pleased with how the day had turned out. Not wanting our carefully-laid plans to fall entirely to ruin, I figured that perhaps letting him in on the secret of Equestrian music would help him forget about it, and brought a record or two down to their room while Sebastian conjured a phonograph. At first he was stunned into silence as the words graced his ears, but after the initial shock had worn off and I had explained a few concepts to him... he found Equestrian gangsta rap hilarious. Something about how the nouveau-riche thought their illicit enterprises made them worthy of being favorably looked upon, he said, as well as the lyrics being so vulgar it made the bawdiest of drinking songs sound like a religious hymn. And just imagine what his family would think if they knew...!

But it served its purpose - everyone went to bed that night in good moods, and all seemed to be forgiven.

The very next day, Sebastian brought the relic to my Room so we could begin our research. I set aside plenty of space for it, still unsure of what it was potentially capable of - the warning was still fresh in my mind. The dark sacrifice could theoretically be anything, and who knew what action or spell would set it off, let alone what it would do in response.

Despite this, I was eager to get started. My initial analysis of the relic revealed that it was crafted out of dried human skin stitched together with Banshee hairs and molded over a frame of juvenile Erkling bones. I couldn't exactly tell how powerful it was, but I could sense a vast store of potential magic deep inside it, just waiting to be unleashed. It was a struggle to not immediately, carelessly fall into temptation and activate the damned thing already.

Its purpose was to reverse Dark magic curses, but perhaps it could be... altered? Tinkered with to inflict them instead? Perhaps its purpose could be changed entirely? My mind swam with the possibilities. "You mind if I have a turn with the relic when you're done with it? After you've cured Anne and all."

"Of course. It's yours as much as it is mine, the way I see it," he grinned as he brought out Salazar Slytherin's spellbook. He opened it to where he had found the relic's first mentioning and began to reread the passages intently. I shifted in my seat to read as well, but was quickly caught off guard by a strange feeling.

It was a feeling I hadn't felt for some time. Not since I studied how to create Umbrum Crystals from Celestia's research.

I stared warily at the spellbook. By itself, the book's aura was noticeable but benign, but now...

A frisson of unease racked down my spine. Now that the two ancient objects were so close together, they were emitting a faint, subtle aura - too faint for the unaware or uninitiated to discern, but one I easily recognized from my past illicit studies. This kind of Dark magic had a habit of slowly, gently worming its way into one's mind without them realizing it, infecting them with a deep desire to learn more and more about its source until it was all they could think about. That desire could quickly spiral out of control and change a pony's heart for the darker...

...The same was probably true for humans.

I frowned.

"Something wrong?" asked Sebastian. My eyes slid over to lock with his.

"When you brought the spellbook in close proximity to the relic... don't you feel that? That aura?" He paused for a few moments, his eyes darting all around.

"...Possibly? I'm not sure if I notice it, or if I'm just imagining things," he admitted.

"I feel it," I shivered. "A gentle pull that lulls you into a false sense of security. It draws you in and makes you want to devote everything to the knowledge at your fingertips... it's a trap."

"A trap? What do you mean?"

"The allure of Dark magic... the secret allure that most people never realize exists, beyond the more general allure of learning what is considered evil and scary. If you never sense the aura, don't realize what it's doing to you... that's what turns someone Dark themselves," I explained. "If you're not careful, you'll lose yourself within the book, lose yourself to the ideals of the relic's potential. Your mind will become obsessed with the knowledge and power promised to you... and you'll become a slave to it. No amount of power is worth losing your own free will for... It's how many an enemy of the state Celestia had to deal with fell into villainy in the first place. They either didn't realize what was happening to them... or they did, and they let it."

"Please... You're saying that together, Slytherin's spellbook and the relic will turn me into a Dark wizard?" Sebastian scoffed.

"Only if you're not careful enough," I stared at him, narrowing my eyes until he seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. "I've had to deal with this sort of thing before... quite a few times, in fact. When researching such Dark magic, you need to take precautions to ensure you won't be affected."

"Precautions... alright, sounds reasonable enough," he nodded. "Like what?"

"Well... usually just being aware of the aura is enough for me," I frowned, staring at the floor in an attempt to remember everything I knew. "But you can, and should take breaks while studying such things, and never study it without a partner. If it's really strong, you might even need to wear a reality anchor talisman, or take a potion with similar effects before studying."

"...I'm assuming those latter things are Equestrian inventions," he said. "I've never heard of a reality anchor talisman, or a potion with such effects."

"I sure haven't found anything like them here in my research, though I could definitely try to create an analogue of one for us to use," I hummed in thought. "Really, though, just knowing it's there and what it's trying to do to you is generally enough. Both of those anchor things are somewhat hard to come by, and Celestia would've asked too many questions if I came to her for one of them. So I just trained my mind to resist it little by little, and I turned out just fine," I waved a hand dismissively.

Yep... nothing Dark about me! No-sir-ee!

Sebastian stared at the two ancient objects apprehensively. With this new knowledge, his previously laid-back attitude changed and became much more serious. Deep in the back of my mind, something within me felt relieved that he'd listened... like I'd just avoided a terrible fate yet to come.

Slowly, purposefully, he turned to face me. "...Teach me. I must know if a cure for Anne lies within the spellbook, or if the relic can truly grant it."

"Of course," I smiled. "We'll keep each other grounded... by doing this together."

And so we did... although it was slow going at first. We mostly just stuck to reading the spellbook and dissecting the meaning of every individual sentence in the passages, coming up with various theories and hypotheses to test out once we were ready. I kept a close eye on the time to ensure we took a break from our research after every fifty minutes... at times I found myself checking my pocketwatch far more frequently than I needed to.

Sometimes he'd fight me on wanting to continue researching just a little bit longer - "let me finish this sentence first", or "let me write down my thoughts before we stop". I considered every request on a case-by-case basis, and generally let him finish if it'd only take a few seconds. Other times he'd get annoyed, but an unimpressed glare was all I needed to keep him in line.

At the end of the day, I advised Sebastian that it would be for the best if the spellbook and relic were kept separate from one another when we weren't studying them. To my relief he agreed easily; I would keep the book in my Room, while he kept the relic in his room, tucked away in one of the drawers of his desk.

"Are you really this strict with your own research? How long does it take you to get anything done?" he whined. I sighed, though it was more sympathetic than a sigh of annoyance.

"I get it... it's hard to not just dive in and work at it for hours until you pass out at your desk," I nodded. "But trust me... going at it slowly is far better for you in the long run. Besides, it also helps with creativity, affords more opportunities to think outside the box and correct your mistakes early on... and, of course, has a much lower chance of turning you Dark."

"I... suppose you are right," he admitted as he shut the drawer, though not after one last glance at the relic. Shutting it caused some loose pieces of parchment to spill onto the floor; while helping him gather them back up I remembered something extremely important, something that I hadn't had the chance to ask yet.

"Oh, yea... have you started on getting your crest to Anne?"

"Not yet," Sebastian answered. "Why?" I swallowed nervously, suddenly slightly worried about how he'd take the news.

"Well... while we were fighting off all those goblins, her curse... it flared up pretty bad. And that should not have happened."

"It did?" he recoiled in worried shock. "I thought she might've been struck by a stray spell... are you certain?" I nodded somberly... his face paled as he stared at the floor. "No... no, no, no... not again...!"

"When you get the crest to her, tell me... I need to see her, too. I need to cast a diagnostic charm on her so I know what went wrong. I don't want that to happen again."

"Of course," he frowned. "It's doubly important that we do. I... hope that whatever the problem, you are able to find a solution to it."

"Me too." I turned away and stared at a nondescript bit of texture in the walls, already recalculating my formulas for the hundredth time in my mind. I hated the feeling of getting something so simple so dreadfully wrong... and I hated the feeling, just the mere thought that I might've let my friend down.

Failure... it was not something I ever liked to think about.

But as though he could read my mind, I felt Sebastian's hand gently grab my shoulder. "Hey... it'll be alright. I'm sure it's just a matter of one reagent not quite being pure enough, or something else out of your control like that. You're too brilliant to have made a miscalculation, or made an error in your brewing... you're brilliant."

His kind words didn't quite quash my anxiety, but I appreciated them - and the praise - all the same. Knowing that he fully trusted my abilities filled me with that familiar fuzzy feeling... It was my turn to cover his hand with my own and squeeze it.

"...Thanks."


~


The days passed. When I wasn't studying the relic with Sebastian, I was finishing my schoolwork assigned to me over the break, or further researching the correct substitutions and ratios of potion ingredients in this world that were the equivalent of those back in Equestria, or the two of us would hang out with Ominis and practice our new instruments (although the band idea was quickly becoming less feasible, due to Ominis' harp not exactly jiving with any of our desired genres, or Sebastian's utter lack of coordination on his drums, or my own reluctance to sing in public).

Soon it was New Year's Eve. After finishing our illicit studies for the day, Sebastian and I decided to make a trip to the castle's kitchens and see if we couldn't procure some champagne or something from the house elves. While passing by an empty hallway, however, I stopped in my tracks.

There was an odd noise coming from around a distant corner. As Sebastian kept walking and his footsteps quit echoing off the walls so loudly, I could finally discern the noise as... crying.

Someone else was speaking softly, too softly for me to pick out any words. But I could recognize the cadence of the voice as belonging to Poppy... which meant the one crying was likely Natty.

Hmm.

...I supposed it would be nice of me to go see if they were okay. Friendly, even. When Sebastian finally noticed he'd left me behind, I simply shooed him onward and said I'd meet him in his and Ominis' room, then made my way down the hallway. Immediately I felt like I was interrupting something, as Poppy was in the middle of giving Natty a big bear hug, her face buried in the crook of her shoulder.

"Uh, hey, guys..." I drawled uncomfortably; Poppy gasped slightly and let go of Natty, but relaxed as soon as she saw it was me. "Um... you okay, Natty?" She was silent for a moment, wiping her face with her sleeves.

"Some days are more difficult than others," she croaked, shaking her head. "...There are times when my father's absence drifts to the back of my mind, and I feel peace for a day or two."

"...But this is not one of those times," Poppy offered quietly. Natty shook her head harder, a sob shuddering through her.

"I miss him... I miss running with him... I miss Matabeleland..." she wept. "He should s-still be here... and it's my f-fault that he isn't."

"No... it's not your fault, Natty," Poppy whimpered as she took one of Natty's hands in hers. "There's nothing you could have done to prevent it." Natty spent the next few moments crying, too distraught to argue.

"...That is what my mother says," she forced herself to speak. "But he died protecting me... and I cannot help but feel guilty over that. I find myself reliving the moment more often than I would like." While Natty cried quietly, I closed the distance and leaned over towards Poppy.

"What brought this on?" I stage-whispered to her. Before she could explain, Natty inhaled sharply to calm herself.

"I told my mother... in the hope that she would be more forgiving of what I have been up to if it came from me," she sighed.

Ooh... I cringed. Rookie mistake.

"Unfortunately... she might, in fact, have been even less forgiving than I'd hoped," she shook her head, her eyes and mouth squeezing together painfully.

"Well... better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I always say," I glanced away uncomfortably. Why did I even come over here? I had no idea how to cheer someone up when they were like this. "Just imagine if you told her about everything we've been up to... and not just about trying to get Harlow arrested."

"Oh, if she knew any more about what I've done, she would never let me out of her sight again," Natty wrapped her arms around herself, looking genuinely scared.

"And Officer Singer still hasn't done anything about Harlow!" seethed Poppy. "Even after all the evidence we've collected, he's as strong as ever!"

"Eh, to be fair... it's the holidays, and it does take some time to plan out an assault on someone like that, and all his underlings," I reasoned.

"Someone needs to stop him... whether it is Officer Singer, or us," Natty frowned grimly, before her voice broke from a sob. "...If someone had stopped the monsters like him in Matabeleland... my father would be alive today."

The sorrow radiating from her made me feel like I was trapped within a cloud of salt water. Part of me just wanted to slink away and let her cry it out, but the other part of me was curious as to how all of this related to her dead dad.

I cleared my throat as politely as I could, and lowered my voice. "What, uh... happened to your father?" After a burst of fresh tears and conjuring a handkerchief so she could blow her nose, Natty took a few deep breaths.

"...It was a beautiful day. My mother had gone to tend to a neighbor who was ill, and so my father and I were galloping in the savanna."

"Galloping...?" breathed Poppy. "...That's right, lots of students at Uagadou become Animagi. So he...?" Natty nodded.

"He could become the most majestic giraffe... and he would carry me on his back, my arms around his neck."

"Animagi, huh?" I mused to myself - I'd certainly studied them on my own after seeing Natty change back into a human from her animal form. The ritual in order to become one was both dangerous and tedious, and relied on more luck than I was willing to gamble on. It had to be a perfectly clear night when you spit the mandrake leaf you'd been sucking on for a month straight into the vial, you had to find a teaspoon's worth of dew that hadn't seen sunlight or been walked on for at least a week, and, of course, you couldn't pick what animal you became, so you had to hope it'd be a good one.

Something told me I'd just wind up being a unicorn again if I tried it. And honestly? Now that I'd gotten used to my body... I kind of liked being a human more.

"We were on our way home when we surprised a group of bandits who had come from our village," Natty continued, her voice beginning to tremble as tears streamed down her cheeks. "One of them saw me, just as he removed a scarf from his face... he shouted, and then aimed his rifle."

"...You would have been able to identify him," Poppy moaned quietly.

"Exactly... my father bowed his neck to protect me, and... h-he was h-h-hit..." Fresh sobs wracked Natty's body. Poppy quietly wrapped her arms around her as she cried, Natty returning the gesture and holding on tightly. Waves of grief and sympathy flooded my body, nearly forcing a tear from my eye.

I blinked it away, but still felt myself being moved. Even though I couldn't relate to her at all - I had no idea who my birth parents were, if they were alive or dead, or if they'd died a violent death like her father if they were.

"As he fell... my father changed back into his human form. When the bandits saw this, they turned and ran in fear... magic terrified them," Natty barely whispered. "And then... he was g-gone. And it was a-all my f-fault."

"Your fault?" I blinked. "But... parents are supposed to sacrifice themselves for their children, in such circumstances... because they love them." As soon as the words left my mouth, it occurred to me that perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say... but so far, among the few others that had told me about their families, Natty's father seemed like the only one who matched what I thought a parent was supposed to be like.

"He died protecting me! If I had been c-capable of protecting myself, he would still be alive today!"

"You were nine, Natty..." Poppy sighed as she laid her cheek on Natty's shoulder. But Natty didn't hear her, or her grief made her ignore her.

"My mother and I tried to go on without him... but it became too much for us there. A few years later, we left to come to Scotland... but now, even here, I see the same senseless cruelty! I... I believe I would feel less helpless if I could truly put an end to Harlow, and the rest of Rookwood's miserable lot." A hiss of anger joined her sobs, creating a noise I found most unpleasant, but I tried not to express the thought openly. "With him on the prowl, there can be no real peace. Each day he remains free he does more damage, harming innocent beasts and leaving people like poor little Archie to suffer the consequences!" Poppy nodded in agreement while I took a moment to consider her words.

"...Is this why you're so intent on taking down Harlow? Do you think it'll help you avenge your father?" I asked.

"No... vengeance is not what drives me. My father would not want that," Natty shook her head. "He - and my mother - raised me to believe that it is a privilege to be able to fight for those who cannot. I know there is risk involved, but... I feel it is worth it. And I am glad you both seem to think so, too."

"Of course," Poppy replied with cold fire in her eyes. "Not a day goes by that I see the butchered remains of a beast, carelessly tossed to the side of the road... or Highwing tells me about yet another close call she's had with a poacher. That monster must be stopped!" Now the bold determination I could sense from the both of them filled my heart, and suddenly I felt myself gaining a new appreciation for these two acquaintances of mine. Far too many ponies I had known in the past had no sense of devotion, no sense of initiative, would so easily falter and look away at the first sign of resistance...

...But not these two. I could sense that they were going to see this through to the end... that if push came to shove, they would take down Harlow themselves. And this kind of dedication - though foolhardy, as they weren't nearly on my level of competence - was something I could respect.

"It's rare I see someone so committed to a cause... I like it," I nodded in approval. "You can count me in if you two decide to quit waiting for Singer to act... Harlow won't stand a chance against the three of us."

Or, well, just me, really... but let's not rain on their parade just yet.

For a moment, Natty stared at the two of us in surprise. But her face fell, and she began crying again... but this time they were tears of gratitude. "Thank you... I think my father would have enjoyed knowing that I had compatriots like the both of you." Poppy and I both nodded in solidarity, and as Natty sniffled away her tears we shared a more comfortable silence.

At least until Poppy gazed at the floor. "I'm sorry, Natty... your father sounds like he was a great man."

"He was... truly extraordinary," she replied softly. Poppy's head tilted back up towards her, and as their eyes met Natty smiled. "Thank you. We all have our burdens... my father had a saying about that."

"'Rain does not fall on one roof alone'... right?" she suggested. At first Natty seemed surprised that she'd remembered the proverb, but it quickly fell away, and she scooped her up in a big hug. Poppy happily returned the gesture, squeezing her tight.

"...Thank you for speaking with me. It was... very helpful," Natty glanced up towards me, smiling.

"No problem... I think I'll leave you two alone now," I grinned, nodding at her with a knowing look. She returned her attention to Poppy as I jogged off down the hall to catch up with Sebastian.


~


Soon the 5th of January approached... the rest of the students would be returning tomorrow, and classes would begin again on Monday. I was busy getting our workspace set up for studying the relic some more when Sebastian suddenly burst into the room, out of breath.

"Sunset... Sunset...!"

"What's gotten into you?" I recoiled as I whipped around. He skidded to a halt and supported himself on the desk while he took a few breaths.

"I'd been so preoccupied by all that's happened... I'd almost forgotten what it was that had struck me about that triptych! I recognize the view on it!"

"Triptych...?" It took me a few seconds to remember what he was talking about - the mostly-ruined painting that a secret ancient magic passage hidden in the remains of Isidora's manor had led us to. "Oh, the triptych! Wait, you know where the one image on it is depicting?"

"I do... it's a mountainside called the Overlook, a little northeast of Upper Hogsfield. I remember there's an abandoned mine there... perhaps there's something to do with your ancient magic inside?"

"Hmm... maybe," I agreed with a smirk, standing up from my seat. It had been some time since I'd been able to further my studies on the stuff - Fig had yet to hear from Headmistress Fitzgerald about my next trial, and everything he'd managed to find about the goblin metalworker Bragbor had so far failed to mention any massive repositories he might've built. But the goblin had been well known for his quality, so whatever he had built was surely still in perfect condition, just waiting to be found. While I seriously doubted the giant repository would be waiting for me in the mine, perhaps there was something else there I could use to my advantage.

And even if it turned out he was wrong, or there was nothing there at all... I could just teleport us back to Hogwarts, that was no problem. In fact, maybe it'd be faster if...

...Eh, I'll think about that later.

"Well... if you don't mind taking a break from the relic for a while, lead the way," I grinned, throwing on my golden cloak. We made a quick detour so he could put the relic away, then as soon as we left the castle we hopped onto our broomsticks and flew off towards Upper Hogsfield.

About twenty minutes later, the Overlook came into view. Sebastian led the way as we flew over the mine's entrance, and I felt my heart sink - a goblin camp had been set up outside.

They knew about this place. Thankfully they didn't notice us as we landed in a small clearing on a ledge just above the mine. I peered down at our enemies over the edge while Sebastian gazed out upon the horizon, smiling confidently.

"I'm definitely right... this is the view painted on the canvas that was left of it!"

"I'm glad you know the area so well, I never would've realized it," I said, looking back at him as he joined me. "Unfortunately, we're not alone... the goblins think there must be something here, too."

"They're searching it? The way they did Rookwood Castle and Isidora's manor... then there must be something to do with ancient magic inside that mine. Now, how do we want to handle this?" Though he was polite enough to ask, he already knew my answer.

"Same way we always do. We go in and raise some hell," I grinned darkly. "They'll never even know what hit 'em."

"I knew you'd say something like that," he matched my smile. Simultaneously we cast Disillusionment on ourselves and snuck our way down the hill towards the goblin's camp just outside the entrance. While we positioned ourselves behind a boulder, I heard one of them barking orders to the rest, instructing them to kill anyone who tried to enter.

"Ranrok's Loyalists are out for blood," Sebastian whispered behind me. "I'll let you lead."

"You sure? There won't be anything left for you to handle," I replied.

"What can I say? I like watching you work." The twinge returned, forcing an unseen smile to my face.

"...Get a Protego ready," I advised, raising my wand. Near the entrance to the mine, someone had foolishly left a couple stacks of barrels filled with explosives, and currently, no one was watching them. I surrounded both stacks in my magic and pulled them into the air high above them and their campfire, forming a jagged ball like a meteor caught in freefall.

Next, I levitated every single small piece of metal I could see. Weapons laid against racks, crates of nails, screws and bolts, scrap metal and more began to rise into the air. This the goblins did notice, and they watched in confusion as the many pieces surrounded the barrels of explosives like the rings around Saturn. The orb of death was large enough to eclipse the sunlight over half of their entire camp.

"Hey... what is that?" I heard one of them say.

"Are those... are those the explosives for the mine?"

"...Who didn't keep an eye on the explosives?!" I smirked at their stupidity, and as Sebastian's Protego shield enveloped the both of us, I let the small moon fall. I also threw in a Confringo for good measure, and prepared a Muffling Charm as well. This was going to be quite noisy, after all.

"Oh, bugger-"

The entire mass exploded with the force of a star, so loud and powerful the ground quaked. Goblins went flying everywhere, as well as their tents and other supplies, their heavy workstations tipping over in the blast. The added shrapnel tore everything apart as well, both the camp and their flesh alike. I couldn't help squeezing my eyes shut in response, and I could only imagine Sebastian was doing the same; I heard leftover bits of metal, pebbles and explosive residue pepper his shield, but it held strong. After that, there was silence.

We canceled our charms and Disillusionments and strolled into what remained of the camp. Other than a goblin corpse charred beyond recognition, there was hardly anything left to suggest anyone had ever been here.

"Have I ever told you that you're positively mental, and I adore that about you?" Sebastian quipped as he surveyed the damage.

"No... but I do love my praise," I grinned back at him. He chuckled - after we'd made certain there had been no survivors to get the drop on us, we moved a bit of debris out of the way of the mine's entrance and walked in. The entrance tunnel led us about a hundred feet into the mountain before it opened up into a small cavern, where another group of goblins were huddled in a group, wondering what on earth caused that massive explosion outside. A quick Depulso shockwave from Sebastian blew the lot of them over the edge of a cliff I hadn't seen, giving us a chance to look around.

I sighed as I saw that the walls of the cavern were littered with giant spiderwebs. "Ugh, don't tell me this place is infested, too."

"It was closed after accidents were reported... now I see why," he frowned. A path to the left snaked around the cavern and into another tunnel.

"Maybe we'll be lucky, and the spiders and goblins took each other out?"

"Nah... they're too disgusting for even a spider to prey on." A crack in the wall allowed water to seep into the tunnel, turning the floor slick and smooth. A sudden decline in the path sent us sliding down into another cavern, again populated by a group of goblins. Thankfully, they were too busy conversing with each other to notice our arrival, allowing Sebastian and I to Disillusion ourselves before sneaking closer.

"How many of Ranrok's Loyalists are in here?" he groused.

"Too many. There's definitely something to do with ancient magic here," I replied, carefully aiming a Diffindo. I swept my arm in a wide arc, the rip in space slashing outwards as it sang through the air, perfectly decapitating every goblin in one quick hit. We took turns hoisting ourselves up a short cliff to continue forward, finding another tunnel that led to an even bigger cavern than the last. The spiderwebs appeared thicker and more numerous, and wrapped bundles the sizes of both goblins and humans hung from the ceiling like stalactites.

"How could anyone ever like spiders?" I shivered, hoping they'd all been driven from the mines due to all the goblin activity.

"Could be the hairy legs, or the soulless eyes, or the venomous fangs," Sebastian began counting on his fingers, "or any number of endearing qualities, really." We followed the path deeper into the mountain, where another sharp slope plunged into darkness. Lighting my wand, I adjusted myself and slid coolly down into the next room. My dear companion, on the other hand... wasn't quite as smooth. Whereas I came to a halt right at the bottom, his momentum sent him tumbling and shouting into an empty crate, splintering it into pieces.

I snickered as I watched him pick himself up from off his back, his legs over his head. "He is beauty, he is grace. He fell on his arse and kicked himself in the face."

"Ow... should've thought to conjure stairs," he grumbled, stretching out his back. We had entered the largest cavern by far, our path taking us beside the shores of an underground lake. It took a few minutes to traverse until we finally reached another tunnel, and I froze in my tracks as I felt rapid, scurrying footsteps through the ground. Not a moment later, a swarm of spiders poured out from the tunnel, and from the walls around us.

My wand extinguished as I prepared a Confringo. Soon the cavern was alight in flames, spider parts flying everywhere. We fought, shouting with exertion, our Confringos firing out multiple projectiles at once. It was a wonder we hadn't caused a cave-in yet.

"We're making quick work of them," Sebastian remarked as the last one simmered to a crisp, allowing us to finally pass into the tunnel.

"Of course we are! You and I are the best team anyone could ask for," I grinned smugly, clapping his shoulder.

"Heh... that, we are," he smiled back. The tunnels and caves just kept getting more treacherous, the damp, dark conditions a perfect breeding ground for a huge patch of Devil's Snare. We cast Lumos and carefully stepped over the receding tentacles, littered in places with bones of indeterminate origin. The patch ended after a couple hundred feet, but only because it was on the border of a silk-covered cavern, full of even more spiders.

"Do you think we're even on the right path anymore? The goblins clearly haven't made it this far, and we've yet to see a single rune symbol," sighed Sebastian once we'd cleared out the cave.

"I haven't seen any other paths to take in here," I shrugged, forging onward. A surprisingly web-free tunnel led us into yet another room deep within the mountain... a particularly exhausted group of goblins were in the midst of setting up their camp. "Ah, look. We're on the right track after all."

"Then I hope we're getting close. I should think we've been in here a while," he groaned as he cast a Confringo into the campfire a goblin was building, sending shrapnel into its face and blinding it. While it screamed and distracted the others I ripped the weapons from their holsters and hands, swirled my wand around until I had built up a semi-sentient whirlwind full of sharp objects, then sent it after the rest of them.

But as the last one was caught by a blade and sliced to ribbons, spiders began to swarm into the room, surrounding both their bodies and us. The biggest and nastiest we'd seen yet were among them, shoving the smaller ones out of the way before sinking their fangs into the goblin remains. An audible slurping noise graced my ears as their corpses shrank inwards, desiccating.

"I suppose I should have expected I'd be exterminating an entire mountain's worth of these bloody things," I snorted, quickly growing frustrated. I reached inside myself for the bubbling magic within me, growing and encouraging it upwards until every nerve in my body tingled, the hairs on my arms and neck standing straight.

"It's almost as if they were waiting," Sebastian remarked, pressing his back against mine to cover me as I focused. My horn glowed with roiling fury, and it streamed through my eyes as I set them upon the largest spider in the room. With a scream I punched my wand upwards, lightning snapping out and striking the spider, then chaining into all the rest. A loud boom reverberated against the cavern's walls, drowning out the hiss of boiling innards escaping through cracks in carapaces. Moments later, even the largest one ceased to move, its legs curled into itself.

I took in a deep breath. That had to be the last of them! I felt that lightning strike all throughout the cave system!

"We certainly cleared the room," Sebastian noted, only relaxing his posture after he'd scanned the room for any movement. Only when he did, did I allow myself to relax, too.

"Heh... don't know why Gryffindors get all the credit for bravery. We Slytherins are full of it," I smirked as I caught my breath. 

"And we're much more fun to fight with," he glanced back with a grin. "Now... we can have a look around in peace."

"About time," I sighed. Looking around, we had absolutely littered the ground with corpses. Explosions of black ash stained the walls and ceiling, the spiderwebs torn into loose fragments carried on subterranean wind.

But suddenly, a glimmer of blue-white light caught my eye. Above us, three runic symbols of wispy flame had been etched into the ceiling, filled in with golden metal.

"Finally..." I breathed in relief. "Guess goblins are too stupid to look up." Sebastian looked upwards at my words, his eyes tracing over each rune. I then lowered my gaze in order to find the door - it was tucked behind a blind corner, soot covering it from our assault. Without hesitation I struck the three runes at the same time with a Diffindo slash, and the blackened door clicked and creaked open.

Having finally reached our goal, we walked inside to find a well-furnished room dug out into the cavern's side. Bookcases lined the walls, and tables full of dusty relics sat untouched. We wandered around for a while examining everything that seemed like it might've been useful.

At one point, I found a journal that had been left out on a side table. It was opened to its last entry. I blew off the dust and read what had been written down so many centuries ago.

The world floated back to me, as if in a watery haze. How long had I been unconscious? I only remember his eyes... empty. Empty of sorrow, yes, but also - 

I recall feeling a sense of euphoria as I watched the pain vanish... but then everything started to turn. When I fell, I must have hit my head. I neither feel nor see a mark, but the pain is throbbing. I can only hope it is not the Black Death.

At least he is no longer in pain.

No longer in pain...? I gasped quietly as my eyes retraced the words. Were my past assumptions wrong?

"Did you find something?" asked Sebastian, drawing close.

"Looks like another of Isidora's journals," I hummed, flipping through the rest of its pages as carefully as I could. Unfortunately, the rest of the pages were blank. "Strange... this is the only entry."

"Hopefully it will help us unravel more of this mystery," he said, already breaking off to examine something else. I opened my mouth to tell him about the entry, about the part that mentioned watching pain vanish... but something else caught my eye.

Traces of thin, glimmering lines surrounded a drawer in an old desk. Pulling it out, I found a large piece of white canvas had been neatly rolled up inside. Ancient magic sparkled all around it... there was no mistaking what it was.

"Hey, Seb... I think this is another piece to the triptych!" I called over to him.

"Brilliant! Our efforts weren't in vain after all," he grinned as he rushed over. After double checking to make sure there was nothing written down on it, I placed it securely in my pocket dimension.

"If the triptych led us all the way out here, then it's probably safe to say that Isidora used this place as a sort of research center," I said.

"She seems to have been everywhere," he replied.

"Right... here, the Undercroft, her manor in Feldcroft... but why all the way out here though?" I wondered.

"And why hide it behind cryptic rune symbols and ancient magic? This is all rather baffling," Sebastian hummed. "Let's take the canvas back to the triptych. Perhaps the answers are there." I nodded in agreement, and we began searching the room for a slab of enchanted stone. "This place is odd, to be sure... but I'm fascinated by it."

"I do wish there was something in here that could teach me more about this magic, though," I grumbled. "You'd think she'd have written something about it down." After a few minutes of searching, I found a wall of enchanted stone behind one of the bookcases, reflecting the Undercroft in its surface exactly like I'd predicted. Once I'd alerted Sebastian and floated the bookcase out of the way, I took his hand and stepped through.


~


"And now, for the moment of truth," he said as we reappeared in the Undercroft. I brought the canvas out of my pocket dimension, and we walked over to the incomplete triptych. As I held it up into the space it matched, I saw a flash of ancient magic ripple outwards from the canvas, and it repaired itself. Colors bloomed into it, revealing what looked like an empty field beside another small mountain.

"Do you know where this is?" I asked. Sebastian nodded.

"The good news is I do, in fact. It's by the coast."

I blinked at his response. "...And, the bad news?"

"We're in for more trouble. Ranrok has taken over a huge mine there, and the surrounding area. Marunweem has suffered for it... it's as bad as Feldcroft's become."

"I see... and I haven't been to that area at all yet," I tapped a finger on my chin, considering my options... the last goblin mine I'd been in, Lodgok had told me about it, so maybe... "...Wonder if Lodgok knows anything about this mine."

"Lodgok?" Sebastian blinked, confused.

"You know... that goblin I talked into helping me." To my surprise he recoiled in disbelief, a deep frown forming on his face.

Suspicion. Anguish. Shock. Outrage.

"A goblin?! Tell me I'm wrong! You know goblins cursed my sister to shut her up! Said she should be seen and not heard!"

"No, no, this one's far too old to have gotten into the business of setting houses on fire," I handwaved. "Besides, not all goblins-"

"Not all goblins what?!" Sebastian shouted over me. "Have you forgotten Feldcroft?! Have you forgotten the mine we just went through?!"

"Of course not!" I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms. "You saw me tear half of them into pieces!" What was his deal with being against collaborating with goblins all of a sudden? Didn't I tell him about this before...?

...

...

...

...Crap. It totally slipped my mind. Guess that's what being so used to doing everything yourself does to a girl...

"Then explain yourself! Why would I listen to someone so ignorant?!"

...

...I-Ignorant?! What the hell...?!

I blinked a couple times in disbelief. My heart filled with both anger and pain... his sudden, sharp words hurt far more than I expected. For a moment I wanted to lash out - the old me wanted to do something... quite unkind to him for yelling at me, calling me that.

But as much as I wanted to permanently Transfigure him into a cactus and set him on fire... the old me wasn't friends with him. I was. And even if he'd said something he very clearly shouldn't have, I wanted to fix this problem I'd created as quickly as possible, which, luckily for him, also meant as diplomatically as possible. It would be the most sensible course of action to sit his arse down and talk about this, nip the problem in the bud right this second... even though he likely wasn't in the mood to be reasonable.

Even so, my thoughts and reasoning did little to soothe the pain. "Excuse me...?" I drawled dangerously, defensively.

"You heard me! You know bloody well how I feel about goblins, so why the hell did you think it was acceptable to-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before I flicked my wand and made his mouth disappear. He glared daggers into my eyes as he tried to continue arguing, making all sorts of rude gestures. Serves him right.

"I'm explaining. Now, are you going to listen to me? Or am I going to have to remove another orifice first?" I raised an eyebrow. Sebastian murmured extra hard for a few seconds before quieting down, nodding sullenly. "Good boy," I groused, restoring his mouth with another flick.

"Bah! How dare you?!" he growled as he wiped at his mouth.

"How dare you?" I reiterated. "Clearly, you don't know the first thing about subterfuge. Lodgok, believe it or not, wants no part of what Ranrok's doing, and happily agreed to sneak me information so I can figure out whatever it is he's doing and stop him!"

"And how do you know you can trust him?! He's a goblin!" he argued, gesturing violently. "They're well known for being duplicitous, cold-hearted bastards!" I recoiled slightly and blinked.

"...Now that's just racist, Seb. Goblins are sapient beings just like you and me."

"Pff. Yet you have no qualms about killing them by the dozens," he retorted. I opened my mouth to reply, but what nearly slipped out was that since these creatures had no analogue in Equestria, they were as easy to disassociate from and kill en masse as if they were timberwolves or Changelings. And that was a conversation I didn't want to have right now.

"...Alright, you got me there," I settled on replying. "But it's one of the most basic lessons in warfare, trying to get a spy into enemy territory. Sun Tzu might not've been a wizard or a pony, but he definitely knew what he was talking about. Sure, it would suck if it does turn out Lodgok's been lying to me all this time, but at most it'll only be a setback... then I'll just have to do things the long, hard, and especially murderous way." I emphasized the point by narrowing my eyes and punching a fist into my palm.

"I... ugh..." he shook his head, failing to form an argument. The anger on his face melted into a worried expression. "Do you think you can handle that, though? If he has lied to you, and you'll suddenly have to fight against Ranrok and his full forces?"

Uncertainty. Yielding. Tenderness. Chastening. I was managing to talk him down... I think I see why he has such a problem with this.

"Of course I can," I puffed my chest out. "You haven't even seen the half of what I can do to those insolent fools." At first Sebastian stared at me incredulously, but it soon gave way to resignation, and he bowed his head as he sighed deeply.

"...I hope you're right about this," he uttered.

"I'm always right," I sneered. As he raised his head back up, however, I was hit with an invisible wave.

Damn it... letting my emotions get the better of me again. Come on, Sebastian, you're better than this. Don't alienate the only friend willing to stand beside you.

My expression faltered, despite my own feelings, and I exhaled roughly. "Look, let's just... agree to disagree, I guess. We're both trying our best, here." His face was unreadable.

"...Very well," he conceded. Even though it was the answer I was looking for, I still didn't feel satisfied... I was still angry. I turned and left the Undercroft; it wasn't until I was halfway down the stairs of the Defense Against the Dark Arts wing that I noticed he hadn't come with me.

...

...

...

Really? I mean... really?! What a dick!

...

...

...

Fine. Maybe some time apart was necessary... I'd spent a ton of it in his presence lately, anyway. I missed being alone... I liked it.


~


I hated it.

Inklings of guilt, emptiness and remorse kept prickling at my heart like needles, seemingly echoing off the walls of my Room and making it feel cavernous. The end of our last conversation kept repeating in my mind, and I wondered if there was anything I could've, should've said differently.

The thoughts were persistent. Agonizing. Maddening.

It was enough to make me truly consider the whole concept of friendship. This was... kind of like all those other times, with all those other ponies... they'd get mad at me for some stupid reason, likely for realizing they could never meet my standards, never match my skills, never become even a step or four below my equal... and their manners would devolve and they'd shun and scorn me. And I, in turn, would fully write them off as pathetic, miserable, talentless losers, and step on them every chance I got, just like they deserved. The main difference was that this time... I actually cared about what this one boy thought. I didn't want to just discount him and toss him into the pile of those who weren't worth my time.

No... as mad as I was, I wanted to push it aside and pretend it had never happened. I was... actually willing to forgive and forget. And I never forgive, nor forget, not even the smallest slight against me.

I was alone until the evening of the 7th, the evening before classes started up again. I was in the middle of reorganizing all the work I'd done over the break when I suddenly, finally heard the door to my Room crack open.

"Oh. Hey," I greeted Sebastian neutrally.

"There you are," he said, though the smile in his voice felt forced. Sure enough, it fell away the next time he opened his mouth. "Sunset, I..."

"Hm?" I glanced up at him with an eyebrow raised, ignoring the pangs of my soul that wanted to run over and hug him, demanding that he never leave my side again.

"I... apologize for my outburst the other day. I shouldn't have said what I did to you... called you ignorant," he shook his head. "It's just that... Feldcroft has been besieged by goblin raids for as long as I've lived there, and then Anne was cursed by the goblins. I've never thought all that much about them before, but after all that's happened I just can't help feeling disgusted by them. Every time her curse activates, and she cries out in pain... I-I can see their faces, laughing and jeering at her... at me."

I lowered my head, looking away to the side... it wasn't a great reason, but I could still understand where he was coming from. "It's... fine. Don't worry about it."

"Are you certain?" he tilted his head.

"Yea." He looked down at the floor with a morose expression; I was instantly reminded of the emotions of his that I'd felt at that time. A part of me felt irrationally guilty that he'd second-guess my loyalty to him. I let out a sigh, my lips pressing together uncomfortably as I left my stuff behind and took a couple steps towards him. "Hey... I meant what I promised you. You don't have to worry about pushing me away or making me abandon you... I'm not going to stop helping you find your cure, even if you do piss me off from time to time," I tried to smirk jokingly. A small, guilty grin broke out on his face.

"...You won't?" he asked timidly, hesitantly. I shook my head as I laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Never. I promised you we'd find it together... and I'm a woman of my word." I smiled as he reached over to cover my hand with his, squeezing gently.

"Thank you... what would I be doing if I'd never met you?" he smiled as he let go, slowly shaking his head.

"Whole lot of nothing. Clearly I'm the brains of this operation, here," I grinned smugly. Sebastian chuckled, silently agreeing with me... we giggled together for a few moments before it naturally faded away. He stared at the floor with a dumb smile, then his eyes flicked up towards me.

"...Friends?" he tilted his head, holding out his arms. Somewhere deep inside, a part of me was glad he was as receptive to physical touch as he was.

"Friends," I replied, leaning forward to accept the hug. For some reason, his embrace felt even warmer than before, the fuzzy, tingling sensation within my chest radiating more powerfully. I nuzzled slightly into the crook of his neck to catch that intoxicating floral scent of his, letting out a quiet hum.

And then it occurred to me that this was slightly more... intimate than I was used to being. For a moment I wondered in horror if he could somehow feel what I was feeling.

Quick, think of something...

"...Do it again, though, and I'll shove that relic so far up your arse it'll come out of your mouth," I threatened softly, still smiling.

"I'll not do it again," he laughed, squeezing tighter. "Promise... I know you'll make good on that threat. I don't think I want you anywhere near my arse... for now."

...

"Alright, now you're just making it weird," I snorted as I broke away from him. His only reply was a smug, toothy grin framed by half-lidded eyes. My lips blew a raspberry as I covered his face with my hand and shoved him away, making him laugh again.

I laughed as well... was this what friendship was always like? It really did feel like nothing had ever happened between us.

And I wanted to keep it that way.
> In Which Natty, Poppy and Sunset Do Something Incredibly Stupid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first two weeks back in classes passed by uneventfully. To the complaints of my classmates, our workloads theoretically increased now that the end of the school year was in sight, and with them the OWLs... I say "theoretically" because it was only now that my homework was approaching anything near the level of studies I'd undertaken with Celestia. Finally I felt as though my time wasn't being wasted, and I happily spent my evenings completing my work to the best of my ability.

And, of course, having Sebastian around made the work go much faster. Truly, I was willing to admit he was a worthy study partner, as the both of us surprised each other with the occasional enlightening insights. He was also impressively hardworking and dedicated - like me, he was happy to practice a spell for hours at a time until he could perform it with barely a thought, or rewrite an entire essay to include a point he'd just thought of when he was nearly finished, simply to further his own knowledge and understanding. Sure, it afforded much less time for us to study the dark relic, but after so many years of pursuing my studies alone, having someone who wanted to work with me - at the pace I was used to, and could actually keep up - felt wonderful. It was good to feel a sort of kinship with someone so... competent.

And due to the two of us being so much better than the rest of our classmates, we were often paired together for classwork. Monday, during Defense Against the Dark Arts, we were to practice spells that rendered the opponent unable to cast. The other students focused on simpler hexes and jinxes, stealing disbelieving glances while Sebastian and I absolutely laid into each other with everything we knew.

"Confundo!" he shouted, the spell striking me in the forehead. Suddenly I felt super drunk, as though I'd stuck my head into an entire barrel of Firewhisky and chugged it empty. Perhaps this was what it felt like to do drugs.

"Oh... whoa... oh, man," I mumbled, clutching my head while I waited for the spell to wear off. Once it did I returned fire. "Mimblewimble!"

He shook his head to try and shake it off, then opened his mouth to speak, already raising his wand again. "Agh... Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?" Unable to cast he screwed his mouth shut and blinked twice, stunned at just how incoherent he'd become. I simply laughed while he waited for the spell to end.

"Brilliant... you just might cure cancer with that logic." A few seconds later he regained control over his own Broca's area.

"Insulting my intelligence, are you?" he drew back in a mock display of offense, though a devious grin soon followed. "Well... maybe I'll have to cast Cantis on you, and grace our classmates with your melodious voice."

Wh- NO. My eyes shot wide open. A fluttering, fearful pit formed in my stomach at the same time I gave him a death glare. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" he smugly suggested.

"Not if you want to continue living, you wouldn't. I'll be glad to show you your own endocrine system before I Accio your heart right out of your ribcage."

"Hmhm, please," Sebastian shrugged cockily. "You like me far too much to do any permanent damage."

I...

...

...do? I blinked uncomfortably at his words, but my scowl quickly returned. "Bold of you to assume that I like you at all," I shot back.

"I don't need to assume... I know for a fact." He punctuated his statement by wiggling his eyebrows - immediately my mind was taken back to the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala. The all-too-familiar twinge returned, feeling like my entire body was blushing rather than just my cheeks.

For the first time since my first day of school, that first day so long ago, I gave that twinge my full attention. And somehow...

I... Was... was that what that twinge means? What it meant all along...? I tried to push the thought aside, but what he was implying had outright short-circuited my brain. I had no comeback to retort.

He... might've been right.

A snarl crawled out of my mouth as I focused my glare at the floor.

"...Damn you." He smiled even wider.

"Nothing to say, hm? So there is a way to catch you off guard... Perhaps I've finally found a weakness in your otherwise impenetrable defenses."

"And I thought I told you never to speak of this again if you knew what was good for you." Despite my threats Sebastian simply chuckled, a charming smile wide across his face.

"Don't you remember?" He winked slyly, teasingly. "...I like having friends who are in my debt. And I can easily hold this over you if I feel you're... getting out of line."

Oh... now he'd gone and done it. He really thought he could get another one over me? Even though I could feel his true emotions radiating from the depths of his soul, even though I knew he was simply taking the piss...

Nope... he had it coming. Time for some long-overdue payback. Something that would scar him just as much as it had scarred me.

"Cantis Equus!" I stated, a three-toned blast of red, yellow and blue light striking him in the chest. At first Sebastian just blinked, confused.

"Er..."

"Out of line, you say?" I tutted and flashed him a devious grin of my own. "Oh, Sebby... I'll bet you never expected me to weaponize my homeland's curse, did you?" The smile quickly dropped off of his face.

"No..." he mouthed in horror. And sure enough...

...Music began to fill the air. While the other classmates searched for the source, he quickly drew their undivided attention as he let out a startled yelp. His body forced itself in one direction, then another, and his arms stiffened and straightened out.

"What have you-" Before he could finish speaking he stared down at himself in disbelief as his hips began to sway of their own volition, his legs and feet suddenly moving intricately in dance. His arms followed next, and as the music reached its full volume his mouth opened wide.

"Show you off... tonight I want to show you off... What you've got, a billion could have never bought..."

Almost immediately I recognized which singer he was supposed to be emulating, and I burst out laughing, needing to support myself on a nearby desk so I didn't fall on the floor. Oh... thank you so much for that spell-modifying book, Salazar. Professor Hecat simply smirked at her desk while our classmates stared at him, most of them in utter bafflement but some giggling as well. A couple of the girls gasped at his movements, seen as scandalously risqué in this stuffy, prudish culture. Sebastian's face glowed bright red as he tried in vain to stop himself at first...

...And then, to my shock, he grinned smugly and really started to ham it up.

"'Cause aaaaaaaall I neeeeeeeed is a beauty and a beat... who can make my life compleeeeeeeete!" He began putting his whole heart into singing, and no longer fought against the movements his body wanted to make. While many of the boys were still laughing, a number of the girls were now whispering amongst themselves excitedly - a few of them were even starting to leer at him as though entranced.

...

...

What.

Well... this wasn't quite what I had in mind when I wanted to get him back. I waited until a break in the song to ask him, just in case I was somehow wrong. "Don't... don't tell me you're actually enjoying this?!"

"You know, I had my doubts when you first told me about your homeland's musical fantasy curse," said Sebastian as he continued dancing. "But the lyrics come so naturally, and while I haven't a clue what sort of dancing I'm engaging in, I find it quite fun! And, it would seem the ladies do so enjoy it as well," he smirked as he flashed Nerida a handsome grin. She smiled shyly until she caught me looking at her, and she quickly and nervously hid her face.

That's right, you better look away! ...Wait a minute, no! I-I mean-

"It's times like this I do wonder what I am missing out on," Ominis smirked from across the room. I groaned and shook my head as I muttered the counterspell under my breath, bringing both the music and his dancing to a record-scratching halt. He seemed almost disappointed as his arms dangled limply at his sides.

"That's not gonna work," I sighed. "Guess I'm gonna need to work on that spell a bit more... especially if you're actually into Feather Bangs."

Aaaaand now I gotta sort through yet another mental crisis...


~


Friday morning, Poppy stopped by the Slytherin table during breakfast. She whispered to me that the dragon egg we'd saved from Horntail Hall was getting pretty close to hatching - if we were going to return it to its mother, then we'd better do so soon. She'd already accomplished the hard part of tracking the mother dragon down.

Perhaps wisely, Sebastian noped right out of her insane quest. I could hardly blame him - I wasn't exactly thrilled about facing down a pissed-off mama dragon myself. But I felt somewhat obligated to go, if only to make sure Poppy (and likely Natty) didn't wind up getting incinerated and eaten in the process.

After the last class of the day, I met with the two girls over by the Beasts classroom, the various creatures huddling together in their nests or dens to keep the cold away. Over by the Fwooper enclosure, Poppy was giggling as she petted a familiar African gazelle.

I chuckled as I approached them. "Having fun?"

"Your fur is so soft!" Poppy hummed as she gave the gazelle a final pat on the neck. It shook its head before melting and morphing back into Natty.

"Sometimes, I do wonder what it would be like to take a dust bath," she remarked with a smirk. "I never did manage to get close enough to an actual gazelle to feel its fur."

"It's good that you're here, now," Poppy turned towards me. "I want to see how our poor dragon is faring if she had a collar on... and she's likely frantic about her egg," she said as she brought the glowing egg out of her pocket dimension. The warmth it radiated was nearly uncomfortable, heat shimmering all around it and making the snow around Poppy glisten with moisture. The glow from within was also pulsing subtly, almost like a heartbeat.

"You said you know where she is?" I asked, curious. "How'd you figure that out?"

"Well, I realized that she didn't know the poachers had her egg, so when she left Horntail Hall she would've headed straight to her nest. I went back to the tent and tracked her flight."

"How did you manage to do that? Horntail Hall was quite some time ago," asked Natty, impressed.

"Tree canopies, burn marks... things like that," she replied easily. "I can't be certain, of course, but I have an idea of one place she may have been heading."

"I see... well, let's get this over with," I shrugged. "Lead the way."

We flew to the northeast for nearly an hour, past the Forbidden Forest, past the faces of the mountains that bordered it, and into the cliffs and crags beyond, deep within the mountain range. Finally, Poppy pointed down towards the remains of a stone fortress, parts of it blackened with soot. It was in the middle of an uneven circle of cliffs and caves, a natural wall that further fortified the dragon's den. A single narrow canyon at the edge of a clearing was the only way we could access it... and judging from what sounded like distant roars in the wind, staying low to the ground might've been the best option. We landed as quietly as we could, our heads on a swivel for any sign of the dragon.

"Here we are... I do think this is where we'll find her," said Poppy. "The terrain's typical of where the breed would nest... I suspect it's how the poachers found her to begin with. They likely camped here and logged her patterns... Perhaps they nabbed her first, and then her egg! Dragons are hard enough to wrangle, let alone maternal ones."

"You... know an awful lot about how to catch a dragon," I raised an eyebrow. She let out a frustrated huff.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to think like a poacher," she grumbled bitterly. Before I could ask any further questions, however, she perked back up. "Well, shall we see if she's home? We only need to return her egg."

"Are... A-Are we certain this is wise?" Natty hesitated. "Surely there must be a safer method of returning her egg than wandering uninvited into her lair."

"Can't we just, I dunno... leave it here and scram?" I winced. "I mean, build a fire for it first or whatever to keep it warm, but... you know?" Poppy shook her head.

"It's best if we can put it back in her nest... It will likely be in the heart of her den, which she will be keeping guard over."

"Aaaaand... I'm guessing we can't just fly over so we can get away as fast as possible... or even Apparate?" There had to be some way we could lessen our chances of dying horribly. But Poppy shook her head again.

"If she sees us flying about or suddenly appearing right next to her nest, she might take it as a sign of aggression... or food." Natty and I shared a worried glance... our resident beast master here sure wasn't making this easy. Part of me wondered if she simply wanted to get another suicidally-close look at the dragon so she could bask in its awesomeness again.

Natty broke the silence with a resigned sigh. "Well... let's get started then," she said.

"Oh, and one more thing," Poppy quickly added as we began our trek into the canyon. "Let's not agitate her... goodness knows she's been through enough already." We nodded in agreement, focusing on carefully picking our way through the narrow gaps and jagged boulders. I couldn't help but look up every few seconds... if that dragon was here, and was particularly displeased with our presence... well, the canyon was likely narrow enough that she couldn't squeeze down here and attack us physically, but we were sitting ducks for her fire breath. I wondered if I'd be able to teleport away in time, especially if I had to grab onto them first.

Suddenly the roars grew extremely loud. I unconsciously shivered as I looked up just in time to see the dragon's shadow pass over me. It was reminding me a little too much about my first encounter with dragons in this world.

"There she is... above us," Poppy froze as she breathed in awe. "She did make it home safely."

"I do not see a collar around her neck," Natty noted apprehensively. My eyes scanned the skies just to be sure, but she was right - I couldn't detect any of that angry red glow I'd seen on the collars before. The ground shook as the dragon alighted on the canyon's ledge a mere hundred feet away; for a moment I saw its eyes glaring down at me, and every muscle in my body locked up tight - my pony instincts were kicking in. Maybe if I remained perfectly still, it wouldn't be able to see me...

...Though it could definitely smell me. And probably hear me breathe. I never did understand why freezing in place was the default survival method for so many prey animals.

But just as quickly as it had sensed me, the dragon turned her attention this way and that, her eyes taking in every little nook and cranny of the canyon, searching high and low. The ground shook again as she took off into the sky, her leathery wings sending a current of cold air and powder snow into my face.

"Poor thing must be worried sick, wondering what happened to her egg," Poppy frowned.

"For what it's worth, she does not seem to have spotted us yet," offered Natty. Suddenly her statement hit me in an obvious way; I stopped walking and blinked in annoyance.

"...Actually, that's a good point. Why the hell are we visible?"

"She can still smell us," replied Poppy. "Wouldn't want her to just sweep the entire area with her fire breath."

"...Ah."

We had finally reached the outermost portion of the fortress. A shallow gulch with a partially-frozen stream at the bottom separated us from our goal, but some decrepit wooden fencing and ruined tents lay beside stairs that had been built in haste. The stairs led to the two wrecked halves of a bridge that crossed the gulch, easily fixed with a simple Reparo.

"I wonder how many they brought to capture her... at least ten, usually," Poppy muttered under her breath as Natty focused on repairing the bridge, her fingers fluttering as she held her hands up in front of her, palms facing the sky.

"Ten, you think?" I commented. She didn't elaborate as the broken bridge reformed itself, Natty allowing herself a proud smirk. We crossed the bridge quickly and clambered up and over a small hill, while the dragon soared overhead. The ground shook again a few seconds later, but I couldn't see where she had landed.

"Hmm... I wonder how good her eyesight is?" she mused again. "I don't imagine the poachers fed her well... and from a distance, we probably look exactly like sheep to her."

"...Do dragons prefer sheep over gazelles?" Natty asked nervously. Poppy's eyes slid over to her.

"Hebrideans love sheep."

...I thought they loved deer the most. Wait, what am I thinking...?!

"Yea, uh... can you not?" I groused. "This is already a terrible idea, now you're just trying to jinx us."

We continued forward, picking our way through the ruins. As we passed a corner, a horrid stench suddenly filled my nose, images of the scriptorium flashing through my mind before I realized what was happening. I desperately shook them out, my eyes landing on the bloody, partially-decomposed corpse of a juvenile Graphorn when they reopened.

Oh...

...Its horns were still intact. Part of me wanted to harvest them for potion ingredients, as they were pretty hard to come by and quite expensive... but I figured that would be in rather poor taste at the moment.

"Oh... what a waste," Natty frowned.

"Pity... she must have been starved to pick off a Graphorn," Poppy sighed, shaking her head.

"Hopefully that means she's eaten her fill, and isn't looking to make us her next course," I grimaced. We edged around the corpse and followed the path down some stairs.

The ground shook again, this time so forcefully that loose pebbles on the ground rattled. Now we were at one end of a large flat area, where the bulk of the fortress used to stand. Bits of ruined walls stuck up from the ground like gravestones, cracking and clattering as the mother dragon landed at the opposite side, atop the cliffs that bordered her den. Beneath her was an opening through the fortress' wall, leading right to the nest.

Now I could finally get a good look at her - while her wounds were mostly healed from her ordeal in Horntail Hall, there were still a few patches of missing scales on her chest, where the leathery black skin glowed red from within. She growled and rumbled, lava drooling out from between her teeth, eyes fixated on us as though she were daring us foolish mortals to come closer.

"Well... there's no turning back, now," Poppy swallowed. "Remember, we don't want to hurt her."

"I'm not sure we could if we tried," said Natty. Suddenly the dragon hissed loudly, light welling up in the back of her throat. A searing torrent of flame followed, the range of which was startling - the three of us immediately leapt behind one of the segments of ruined wall to take cover. The fire struck with surprising force, the old stones quickly heating up and glowing red.

"You just had to say something," I grumbled. "We stand the best chance of making it if we split up, she can't target all three of us at the same time."

"Right," Poppy nodded. "Let's move when she runs out of breath, she'll need to inhale before she attacks again." And the dragon ran out of breath a few seconds later. We each darted out from behind the wall and scrambled for the first solid object we could find. The dragon's head twitched as her eyes tried to keep track of us, and she roared in annoyance as she let loose another blast of flame.

It was coming for me - I threw up a Protego just in case. It turned out to be a wise choice, as the ancient mortar that held the segment of wall I was hiding behind together burst out of the cracks like shrapnel, allowing a bit of the fire to pass through. Even through my magic I could feel its heat. Next it tried attacking Natty, who was caught out as she ran for cover slightly out of her reach. At the last moment she transformed into her gazelle form and made a wild leap, the flames just barely missing the edges of her hind hooves.

But I was right, with the three of us split up we eventually made it safely to the opening in the wall. Seeing this, the dragon snorted and took off, flying further down the path to defend her nest. Unfortunately it appeared to be a dead end, the nest on a ledge above us, but to our left was a staircase that led around a corner, which led to a second level of the ruined fortress. This one was wider and longer than the last, the segments of walls more spaced out. Over to the right I saw what appeared to be the remains of a human skeleton, scattered across the ground and picked clean.

"Here... this should help," Poppy wheezed as she cast a beneficial charm on the three of us. Instantly I felt the fatigue weighing me down dissipate, and my legs felt stronger than before. Before we could thank her, however, I heard the quickly-advancing roar of the dragon, the ground shaking again as she flew low over the ruins. Half sticking to our strategy, half out of panic we split up again, but this time the dragon seemed to have caught on. Instead of perching above us, she swooped down back and forth, spraying her fire in wide arcs in order to try and trap us.

While keeping the flames at bay with my magic was taxing, it wasn't much of a problem for me. The dragon's attacks were predictable, well-aimed Glacius or Aguamenti spells extinguished them easily enough, and my Protego was definitely strong enough to withstand a few direct hits. It was really more Natty and Poppy I was worried about... their magic wasn't nearly as strong as mine, although Natty's quick changes into her gazelle form and back kept her one step ahead of the attacks.

No... there had to be an easier way to get to the nest. While the dragon tried to roast Poppy, my eyes darted around the ruins. The bits of wall we sought refuge behind were sparse and largely unhelpful the way they were...

"Natty! Do you think you can distract the dragon for a few moments?" I shouted over to her.

"I can try! What do you have in mind?" she yelled back.

"Something that'll make this much safer!" My answer seemed to satisfy her, as she swiftly transformed and darted towards Poppy, banking away once the dragon took notice. While she easily avoided the flames I focused my magic on the bits of wall, tearing them from the ground and levitating them into a mass in midair. Next I summoned as much snow and ice as I could from our surroundings and used that to fill in the gaps, then formed the mass into a five foot-thick, convex-shaped shield. A couple more spells further fortified it, superchilling the snow and ice and strengthening the stone. "Over here!" I called out to them - Natty transformed back into a human as she leapt underneath, out of breath from dodging the dragon's attacks. Poppy was right behind her.

And right behind her was another raging torrent of flame. I channeled magic into my horn to refreeze the ice as it melted, icicles forming around the shield's edges. But it held firm. My two companions breathed sighs of relief while I afforded myself a confident smirk.

"Ha! Let's see you melt your way through this," I grinned. Enraged, the dragon breathed again with all her might, flames licking around the edges. While Poppy led the way, and Natty stayed alert in case the dragon switched tactics, I focused on maintaining the shield's integrity as we calmly walked the rest of the way through the ruins, towards a small cave. Once we'd reached it I sealed the entrance with the shield, leaving the dragon to angrily scratch, bite and breathe fire at it in order to break through. It would take even her a few minutes to do so.

"This should be it," Poppy sighed as she caught her breath. "Now, if we just return her egg, we can hopefully make it out without too much fuss."

"Quickly, then, before she breaks down that barrier!" Natty urged us on. We jogged deeper into the cave, revealing it to simply be a tunnel that led directly to the dragon's nest beside the fortress. My face screwed up in disgust as I realized what the nest comprised of - arranged around the borders were the mangled remains of a dozen sheep, the wool smeared with soot and old blood. Further into the center the sheep had been cooked until there was nothing left but blackened bones, which transitioned into rocks heated until they were glowing like embers. And in the very center of those superheated rocks was an egg-sized divot.

While we kept watch, Poppy took out the egg from her pocket dimension and carefully levitated it into the divot. The purple egg seemed to almost rattle in excitement, and seemed to change colors after a few moments until it closely resembled the glowing rocks surrounding it. With the egg finally back in the dragon's nest, the ordeal finally over, we grinned at each other.

Which was quickly wiped away as the dragon landed right in front of us. She curled defensively around the nest, some of the sheep's wool igniting as she snorted in intimidation. Her purple eyes shined and flashed, staring us down.

Then she reared back her head, opened her mouth and lunged forward as she roared. Natty and Poppy both froze as the searing heat of her breath washed over them, while I cast a precautionary Protego. But I quickly canceled the spell, as no burst of flame followed, though I could see the back of her throat glowing orange.

The dragon's roar faded away, and she glanced down at her egg before lurching forward again to sniff Poppy. She backed away nervously, nearly right off the ledge - it would appear that even she had a limit when it came to admiring a dragon. Just as she managed to steady herself, the dragon halted her advance, sniffing some more. Poppy plucked up the courage to reach out with her hand and attempted to boop her snoot, but the dragon recoiled with a heavy snort just before she made contact.

She regarded Natty and myself with a few turns of her head, perhaps wondering if we were going to try to pet her as well. Then she bent down with her long neck and picked up her egg in her jaws, carefully cushioning it with her tongue and securing it within a cage of sharp teeth. Then, casting us a final glare, she spread her wings and took off into the sky, off to find a new secluded area to build another nest in peace and secrecy. It wasn't until she was out of our sight that we all let out breaths we hadn't realized we'd been holding in, gasping for air.

The smile on Poppy's face spread from ear to ear. "That was brilliant! And did you see how clever? She left us perfectly unharmed!"

"Yea... I guess dragons are smarter than most people give them credit for," I shrugged with exhaustion. Poppy nodded in agreement.

"...She tried to kill us!" argued Natty.

"But she stopped once she realized we returned her egg to her," Poppy replied. "The important thing is that we survived it... and we returned her egg." I nodded wordlessly - having survived two different dragon encounters was definitely something to be proud of. Even Natty had to agree with that. "Thank you for doing this with me... wouldn't blame you one bit if you wanted to head back to the castle and never think about dragons again," she smiled, twisting her body back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back, as innocently as a child.

Merlin help whoever got roped into one of her crazy schemes the next time.

"I... I suppose it was rather exciting," Natty sighed, shaking her head with a grin. "Not many can say they encountered a mother dragon with her egg, and lived to tell the tale."

"I'm fine with leaving," I remarked. "We came, we almost died, we did it. I could go for some dinner, now."

"Very well," Poppy nodded, her smile suddenly becoming a frown. "...After all we've been doing, I half expect to be ambushed by Harlow's gang any time I'm not in the castle."

"Understandable... we did destroy their gambling venture, steal their dragon egg, killed off a bunch of them and set the police on Harlow himself," I counted on my fingers. 

"True... true," she hummed in thought.

Apprehension. Suspicion. Caution. Unease.

"...What brought this up?" I asked once the emotions hit me.

"Nothing, it's just..." Poppy hesitated before continuing. "I'm expecting a package from my Gran... it hasn't arrived yet. She didn't send me an owl this week, either... perhaps she's busy with her research."

"Research, eh? What's she researching?" I asked, mildly interested.

"It varies from week to week, but it's always to do with creatures... last week she was studying leg knots in Plimpys. The package is supposed to be some feed she's been developing... I was going to give it to Professor Howin for the Kneazles."

"Huh." I nodded my head once in neutral interest.

"And now that I think about it... why haven't the poachers come after us? It's not like them to let things lie... unless..." Her eyes widened as she finally put two and two together. "...Unless they haven't let things lie...!"

"Oh, no," Natty breathed as she realized what she was implying. "You don't think...!" A dark, sour pit formed deep in my stomach - I loathed the thought of animal cruelty, but attacking a weak, defenseless elder was also high on my list of things I despised. Sure, there were some that had it coming, but Poppy's grandmother sure didn't seem the type to.

"I can't believe I didn't see it... we need to leave! I need to send an owl!" Poppy cried.

"No problem," I nodded as I grabbed hers and Natty's hands, teleporting us instantly back to Hogwarts. A moment later, to no one's knowledge but myself, the discarded Graphorn corpse vanished as well in a flash of light.


~


After getting over the initial surprise over how my Apparition was different from what they'd experienced before, Natty and Poppy ran frantically into the castle, leaving me alone to harvest the Graphorn's horns that appeared behind the shack I'd taken to teleporting to and from. It was a perfect spot to do so without anyone noticing. After severing the horns with a Diffindo I teleported the corpse a couple hundred feet into the nearby edge of the Forbidden Forest and took my prize back to my Room. No sense in letting them go to waste if the poor creature was already dead of natural causes... I considered it my payment for all this insanity I'd been subjected to.

Hopefully the police wherever Poppy's grandmother lived were far more competent than Singer.
> In Which an Outing to Hogsmeade Turns Into a Horrible, Spider-Filled Misadventure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weekend passed by peacefully. Feeling that we were making good progress on figuring out how the relic worked, Sebastian elected to take a break from it and go over his past work to study for the OWLs. It was fine with me, as it allowed  me to further my own experimentation with modifying spells, augmenting some of them with ancient magic, as well as putting together a special little project.

Monday's classes came and went, and in the afternoon he popped into my Room as usual, ready to get our homework out of the way so we could spend as much time as possible continuing our research. Before he could even announce his arrival he stopped in his tracks as I swung around, my wand alit with a red glow.

"Hold still," I said as I swept his body with a broad-spectrum diagnostic charm. Hmm... no active or latent injuries, illnesses or infections... his biology seems compatible with Equestrian magic... yea, alright, I didn't waste my time with this after all. Good.

"Er... what are you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Juuust making sure what I'm about to teach you won't wind up turning you inside-out or something," I replied nonchalantly, to which he made a face. "Oh, don't give me that look. Don't you want to learn to Apparate... the Equestrian way?"

"The Equestrian way?" he parroted back, now intrigued. "And here I thought you were never going to teach me."

"Of course I was... just had to make sure I translated everything correctly." With that I handed him a small stack of parchment, covered in as many diagrams and equations as there were paragraphs. Translating Unicorn magic into something a human wizard could not only understand, but also actually use - required quite a bit of explanation and a clear comprehension of both this world's and Equestrian Magic Theory. "First, though, you do need to know how it works in the abstract. You can read while we head outside, yea?"

Sebastian nodded, already intently studying the notes... I could see the gears in his head spinning rapidly. He made only vague humming and chirping noises while we walked through the halls and exited the castle - while hardly anyone was outside, I figured the abandoned dock by the Black Lake would be a secluded enough spot to practice.

"So, you think you got it down?"

"I think so... Merlin, your people are magical geniuses! I never even imagined the aether could be harnessed in such a fashion!"

"Ain't we?" I grinned smugly. "So, any questions before we start?"

"Ah, well, I've been wondering... with Apparating, there is the risk of Splinching one's self if done improperly. Is there a similar risk involved with Equestrian Apparating?"

"Not really," I shook my head. "The spell was invented centuries ago, and it's been refined over the years until it became practically foolproof... although, if you do happen to get interrupted during the exact nanosecond your soul shifts through the aether, you do run the risk of being sent to... the void."

"The... void?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Terrifying place," I shivered. "A pocket dimension from which there is no escape, where every copy of you ever created by teleportation is discarded and left to die and rot in a dark, empty room."

Sebastian stared at me wide-eyed. "...Wh-What?"

"Oh, but that's really just a theory, it's never actually been proven... only a zero-point-fifty-zeroes-before-a-one-appears-percent chance of ever happening," I waved a hand.

"...I... suppose that's as good as a zero-percent chance." He stared at the ground, looking as though he was seriously contemplating his life choices up until now.

"Yea, don't worry about it... People have even actually tried to find it, and have yet to succeed. Any other questions?" A couple beats of silence passed before he pushed the thought from his mind and looked up at me.

"No... I'm ready to try it out."

"Alright," I chirped as I conjured up a red-painted wooden hoop a few feet down the shore. "Just imagine yourself popping up in that circle over there. Think about your visual perspective from that spot, what your new surroundings will look like. The spell will do the rest."

"Okay..." Sebastian took a deep breath and closed his eyes in focus. Just a few seconds later, he poofed out of existence with a flash of light, and reappeared right in the middle of the circle only a fraction of a second later.

...!

No way... he got it down quick!

"Heh... Perfect!" I praised as he opened his eyes and beamed gleefully. "See?"

"I... I don't believe it! That was incredibly easy!" he breathlessly laughed as he looked down at himself. He closed his eyes again, and mere seconds later he'd teleported himself a hundred feet down the bank, then to the opposite shores of the lake beneath the castle, then about fifty feet over and above the lake's surface, then as he began to fall he flailed a bit before teleporting right back to my side. While chuckling to himself he seemed to have a revelation, and stared at his wand. 

"Heh... I think this truly is better than conventional Apparition... it's so simple to perform! In fact, I'd wager I don't even need to have my wand out!" he gaped as he switched his gaze to his offhand. After a moment he slid his wand into its sheath and snapped his fingers, again vanishing in a flash of light and reappearing on top of one of the sturdier posts of the ruined dock. Another few snaps of his fingers, and he kept disappearing and reappearing in various different spots on the shore.

"Ah, you figured it out already," I smirked in approval. "Most people back home can't Apparate like that, and even fewer than that can do it in rapid succession like you're doing."

"Why not? This is almost trivial to perform once you get the hang of it!" he yelled from off in the distance. I hesitated as I considered the true reason.

Well... because it's actually a really hard spell to master, and only Unicorns can teleport. Earth ponies and Pegasi need single-use scrolls in order to do so, or a hell of a lot of magical training...

"...You'd be surprised how many people can't grasp it." He spent another minute or two teleporting himself all over the place, sometimes disappearing from sight entirely. When he finally reappeared in front of me and stayed that way, he was... soaking wet and holding a random fish for some reason. Must've teleported himself into the lake.

"This is m-marvelous... I mean, I a-always knew you were c-capable of some incredible m-magic, but this...! T-Thank you so much for t-teaching me this, S-Sunset!" His teeth chattered loudly as he tossed the fish back into the water, then cast a Drying and a Warming Charm on himself. Throughout it all, he was still smiling with elated excitement.

"No problem," I nodded, grinning. "Guess I'll have to see if there's any more spells I can translate for you... It's the least I can do after what you've taught me." Naturally, his eyes sparkled at the thought of learning more Equestrian magic.

"Is that so? Perhaps I should see if there's anything else I can teach you," he replied. "To think that all this time, you've been holding out on me."

"Well, I did tell you... all in good time, remember?" I smirked. "Can't exactly tell you all my secrets right off the bat, now can I?" He laughed as he nodded in fond agreement.


~


On Wednesday morning, I finally received an owl from Fig during breakfast. There was good news and bad news: the good news was that my next trial was ready to begin. The bad news, however... was that it was located in the Headmaster's Office, and Headmaster Black didn't let anyone in there for any reason.

But he had a cunning plan. Reading the letter alongside me, Sebastian insisted he come along, in case his input might've been useful... he knew everything, anyway, so there wasn't any point in going on my own and telling him about it later. I met up with him after Flying class, and we waited until lunchtime began to make the trip to the Magical Theory classroom.

"Hey, Fig. So, what's the plan?" I asked casually as we walked into his office. He glanced up from his desk, the warm smile temporarily receding once he saw Sebastian, but then letting out a small sigh of resignation.

"Ah... Mr. Sallow," he mumbled.

"Professor," he nodded once, grinning smugly.

"And am I to assume he knows everything we do?" Fig's eyes slid over to me.

"He does," I confirmed. "He's been nothing but a huge help to me since we met, and I trust him completely. We're basically best friends, now." While Fig contemplated my glowing review, I could sense immense pride and endearment welling up inside Sebastian - glancing over to him I could see he was blushing madly, a big, dopey grin on his face as he stared at the floor.

"...Very well," conceded Fig. "I've been conversing with the Keepers and informing them of your findings... including Ranrok's knowledge of the repositories and the fact that he's been building massive drills in secret. It is clear that he knows even more than we suspected. Thankfully it was enough to spur Headmistress Fitzgerald into action, and she has thus readied your next trial."

"...Except it's in Black's office, and he doesn't accept visitors," I nodded.

"Correct. You will need the password to get past the stone gargoyle in front of the staircase to the Headmaster's Office, as he's changed it recently and refuses to inform myself or any of the other professors on what it is. His House-elf Scrope should know it."

Ah... that little bugger. "Something tells me he won't give me the password, though... not without breaking several school rules, and perhaps some minor laws."

"No, which is why I suggest you'll need a disguise," Fig nodded sagely. "A Polyjuice Potion will do the trick. You'll look and sound exactly like Professor Black."

"A Polyjuice Potion?" Sebastian chuckled in delighted surprise as he turned to me. "You better begin soon, they take weeks to brew."

"I don't remember seeing that recipe in any of the Potions textbooks," I hummed, thinking about what I knew. It was a potion that let you transform into any person you managed to collect some hair or nail clippings or whatever from, much like a Changeling's natural abilities. However, it was also notorious for being difficult and time-consuming to make.

"I do recall that there is a Potions book in the Restricted Section of the library that contains the recipe," said Fig, his eyes narrowing as Sebastian and I shared an excited glance. "However, as I am already being watched closely by not only Black, but also Professor Weasley... I am afraid I cannot give you permission to access it. But, since you did retrieve the Map Chamber book on your own, I suspect the two of you will not have any trouble finding a way in yourselves," he winked.

"Oh, not at all," I smirked.

"Finally, my talents are being appreciated," preened Sebastian, raising his head with a haughty expression.

"I also cannot provide you with any of the more rare ingredients... though what you cannot buy in Hogsmeade, I suspect Professor Sharp may have a supply he won't miss if taken carefully," Fig continued, somehow keeping a straight face as he suggested all these ideas that were very clearly against the rules. What a dear old man... and a far better mentor than Celestia ever was. "As for the bit of Professor Black that you'll need... I can handle that. I'll also ensure that he's out of the castle when the time comes for you to take the potion."

"Alright... sounds like a plan to me," I nodded. "I'll get started on that potion as soon as I can."

"I have full confidence that you'll be able to brew it," Fig smiled. Sebastian and I shared another glance as we turned to leave the office. "Oh, erm, Sunset!"

"Yea?" I whipped around. The smile had already fallen from his face, in favor of a more pensive expression. He hesitated for a moment or two before speaking.

"...Should you happen to meet with Lodgok again, I would very much like to meet him. After learning that he met Miriam, and he was the one to let her leave with the Portkey container despite Ranrok's orders... well, I would like to thank him personally. She really could win over anyone..." he trailed off, staring wistfully at nothing in particular. I felt his pangs of tender grief and fond remembrance, and felt myself moved.

He really did love her. Somewhere, in the very back of my mind, I thought I felt a similar emotion of my own whispering for my former mentor. It was so distant, though, that it was easily pushed aside.

"...Sure. I'll pass it on."


~


It was difficult to wait until a suitable hour of the night to sneak into the Restricted Section under Disillusionment. Sebastian took to the modification I'd created for the charm very quickly - it allowed us to see each other as white outlines while under its effects, but still rendered us nearly invisible to everyone else. It took a few minutes of searching, but eventually we managed to find the book Fig had mentioned.

Once I'd found the right page I quickly read through the steps necessary to brew it, snorting derisively. It wasn't that the potion itself was difficult to brew, per se... it just required some uncommon reagents and a full month of brewing time. I already had the knotgrass and leeches, and I knew for sure Professor Sharp always had a good supply of the stewed lacewing flies, a stasis spell cast upon the jar to keep them fresh. If he didn't have any of the other reagents for some reason, then one of the two stores in Hogsmeade would surely have the powdered bicorn horn, shredded boomslang skin and fluxweed picked under a full moon.

"Pfft, this is simple... I can knock this out within the next couple of days. The hard part will be waiting for it to finish brewing," I mumbled smugly.

"With your skills and knowledge? Undoubtedly," Sebastian agreed. A book on a lower shelf slowly rose into the air and vanished as he slid it into his pocket dimension. "At this point I'm starting to think there isn't anything you can't do."

"Oh, Sebby... now you're just being a sycophant," I grinned down at him. "...I've always wanted my very own sycophant."

"Well, can you blame me for trying to get into your good graces?" he shrugged as he matched my expression. "After all, you're well on your way to acquiring immense power."

Couldn't argue with that logic. "I am, aren't I?" I chuckled.


~


Late Thursday night was devoted to sneaking into Sharp's office in the Potions classroom and stealing a suitable amount of stewed lacewing flies. To my slight annoyance he was out of the fluxweed, and there was too little bicorn horn or boomslang skin to get away with stealing any. This meant a trip to Hogsmeade was necessary, so as soon as Transfiguration let out on Friday afternoon, Sebastian and I ran outside to the castle walls and teleported directly there.

Fortunately The Magic Neep had plenty of the fluxweed, and Dogweed and Deathcap had the horn and skin. With that out of the way, we stopped at Honeydukes before getting a drink at the Three Broomsticks. After Sirona had served us our Butterbeers we spent a few minutes chatting idly about the finer points of brewing this potion... until a man plopped himself down on the barstool next to mine. There wasn't anything all that interesting about him, though he did look as though he were extremely worried about something.

"Oh... I do hope Mary and her neighbors aren't harmed..." he sighed mournfully, loud enough for the both of us to hear. Sharing a glance at first, I slid around in my seat to face the man.

"Why would they be?" I raised an eyebrow. The man jumped a little in his seat.

"Ah, sorry... I don't want to trouble a pair of students with my woes," he replied.

"You already have," Sebastian shrugged. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"Hmm... very well," the man nodded. "Name's Crispin Dunne... I trade in the surrounding hamlets. Do the most business in Aranshire... lovely little hamlet," he smiled. "Stunning gardens. Just the other day the Daily Prophet ran an article on its scenic hedgerows- ...Actually, before I go on, I should ask. Are you afraid of spiders?"

"Afraid?" I laughed once. "Do you have any idea how many of the bloody things I've killed this year?"

"Well, the hamlet's overrun with the vile things!" Crispin shivered. "And they're acting abnormally aggressively. I'm concerned about my customers, of course, but it appears that most of the hamlet's residents fled to safety."

"Ah." Wretched pests. Can't blame the townspeople, really.

"It's my friend Mary I worry about... I haven't heard from her, and I fear she's trapped in her cottage."

"Your friend, eh? And why don't you come to her rescue?" smirked Sebastian.

"I would... b-but I have a crippling fear of the eight-legged beasts which I seem incapable of conquering," Crispin looked away guiltily. "I don't know what to do... can you think of anyone who could help Mary?"

Sebastian and I shared another glance. He knew my hatred of this world's spiders was unmatched, but the look in his eyes suggested that he wanted to help the poor man out. And we'd already bought what we came here for, so it wouldn't cut into my time much...

...I guess it's time to have another rumor spread around the school about how great I am. "Sure... I can think of a couple," I nodded.

"Please do... if you can think of anyone that may be brave enough to help, I'd appreciate it. Thank you."

"Right. Don't go anywhere, we'll be right back," I said as Sebastian and I stood up and paid for our drinks. Once we were outside he stretched out his arms with a grunt, as though already preparing for a fight.

"Poor bloke," he commented. "Must be an awful lot of spiders for him to be so concerned."

"Why do you want to help this random guy out?" I winced quizzically. He let out a hum before answering.

"I've always liked Aranshire... and he's right, their gardens are lovely, especially in the spring," he replied fondly. "Hopefully this little spider problem of theirs isn't as bad as he says... I should like to show you the gardens when the flowers are in full bloom."

"Oh... is that so," I blinked, blushing slightly. Well, that's... kind of romantic, I gotta admit.

"It won't take any time at all to reach the hamlet," he grinned confidently as he pulled out his broomstick from his pocket dimension. "Just follow me."

"Alright," I shrugged as I got on my own broom. "I'm sure this won't take long, anyway... Surely it can't be as bad as that guys thinks it is."


~


Ten minutes from Hogsmeade to Aranshire wasn't nearly enough time to prepare for the horrors I saw. At first I was mildly confused as to why snow seemed to stick to the outer walls of the hamlet's buildings and billowed from the barren trees like wisps of smoke. The weather, though bitterly cold and snowy, hadn't been suitable for blizzard conditions, or even particularly windy. Not to mention the snow didn't exactly glimmer in the dying light of the sun, but had a decidedly dull shine to it.

Then I realized what it actually was.

Spider silk.

All of it was spider silk.

The entirety of the hamlet was covered in it. The buildings, the ground, the trees, the traveler's carts... all of it was wrapped from the lowest cobblestone to the highest beam in sticky, stringy, clingy silk, with more of it being produced by what had to be thousands of baby spiders crawling all over the place, like pepper spilled onto a piece of parchment. Stray bits of silk broke off in the wind and stuck to my face, and I scowled as I kept trying to wipe off the nearly-invisible strands.

I already wanted to scream.

"Oh, sweet Celestia," I groused. "Understatement of the goddamn century!"

"Indeed, this is much worse than what I was expecting," Sebastian nodded with a grimace. "Well... let's start clearing it out."

I cast an Incendio below us so we'd have a place to land without sticking to the ground, then once we'd put our brooms away we both set about lighting all of the silk on fire. It was layered between snowfalls, so it took a few seconds for the cold, waterlogged silk to combust once lit. It only took a few more seconds for the larger, more grown spiders to show themselves, their mandibles squeaking and clattering angrily as we burned down their new home.

And they were pissed - they pounced on us with the ferocity of a starved Timberwolf, spitting up blobs of venomous acid and forming netlike webs between their legs as they attacked. Some of them burrowed beneath the cobblestones as easily as if the ground were sand, and leapt upwards at us like sharks. Our incantations echoed mutely off the silk-covered surroundings as our spells ripped right through them.

There were just so many of them... after about a minute of fighting I reached deep within myself to summon the ancient magic within. My eyes and horn bled with power, and I shouted as lightning leapt from its tip and electrocuted every spider I could see, even the tiny spiderlings. But only seconds after I'd killed them all, more poured out from the buildings, the forgotten crates and barrels of supplies and the cracks in the ground, and soon it was as though nothing had happened.

I snorted in frustration - who knew how many of these things were here, both above and underground? I could blast them with ancient magic all day and night, but I couldn't be sure I'd gotten them all... I'd just tire myself out in the process.

But I could be sure I'd gotten rid of the spiders currently around us with a simple augmented spell. Pointing my wand at my feet, I focused my ancient magic into a fiery form, then quickly swept my wand in a wide circle. Blue and white flames sprayed from the tip, quickly growing into an ever-expanding ring that instantly melted the snow, burned away the thick silk and spiderlings and climbed up the limbs of the larger spiders, turning their exoskeletons to ash almost as quickly as they caught fire.

"My, my... such magic," Sebastian tilted his head with an impressed gaze as the ring continued traveling outwards, leaving nothing but ash and soot where spiders and silk once was, the buildings and other wooden objects left perfectly intact. "When did you learn to do that?"

"Told you I've been experimenting," I grinned smugly, my eyes still searching the shadows for any sign of movement. Other than the occasional spiderling, I'd succeeded in clearing the area... for now. "So... which one of these do you think is Mary's house?"

"What makes you think I know that? We'll just have to search each one," he shrugged. We began poking around the hamlet, using Ventus to blow away the excess soot that filled the air, the ground quickly becoming a burnt-smelling mud pit. A couple of notes had been left behind for would-be rescuers, explorers or looters, nailed to disheveled stalls or locked doors. They all detailed the infestation in their own ways - piecing it all together, it had apparently happened suddenly one night, forcing most of the residents to hide on the roofs of their houses. From there they watched helplessly as those who didn't make it fell victim to the spiders... the screams as their insides were liquefied were the stuff of nightmares. It was a day or two before most of them were rescued, and the hamlet had been utterly abandoned since.

One single door was left unlocked. With my wand aglow to react to any threat inside, I pushed it open.

Not all of the spider silk on the surfaces inside this house had burned away, seemingly much thicker than in the rest of the hamlet. More spiderlings crawled and rested atop the blackened, desiccated remains of a woman hanging from the ceiling, wrapped in burial silks of a predatory nature.

"Welp, I'm guessing that's Mary..." I frowned. "...Don't think I want to burn that down. It'll just make a mess."

"Here, there's a letter on her desk," said Sebastian, squinting distastefully as he read the scribblings. "Oh... I suppose we know what happened to her, now... she was breeding the spiders." He held up his lit wand so I could read it...

...And immediately any sympathy I might've had for the woman vanished. Crazy bitch was apparently farming the things for their silk and venom. A new cluster of spiderlings had just hatched in her cellar... and clearly, things had gotten way out of hand.

I pulled the note away from the few bits of web that bound it to the desk and pocketed it. "She was breeding these things in her cellar... that means there's more underground." The thought of entering a small enclosed space with Celestia-knows how many giant spiders crammed inside made me shiver in disgust.

"We'll need to destroy every last spider if this is to end," he nodded, staring apprehensively at the floor. The cellar door was outside, covered in another partially-burned layer of webbing. It took a few seconds for our Incendio spells to burn the rest of it away before we could enter.

And once we did, my heart leapt into my throat. There was hardly a surface within that wasn't covered in spiderwebs. The cellar was far larger than I had been hoping it was, and from somewhere deep within I could feel a draft. Carefully we stepped inside, torching the webs and spiderlings as we made our way through, checking every blind corner, nook and cranny.

"I'm not seeing a spider farm so far," I swallowed. Near the very back of the cellar was a hole in the brick wall, which led to what seemed like a hastily-constructed expansion. A number of egg sacs lined the corners, deflated and empty.

Aw, damn it... The smoke from the burning sacs choked the air, turning it thick and dark. Simple Ventus charms were starting to become ineffective at clearing away the soot, so I channeled a bit of ancient magic and waved my wand to create a more permanent air current to blow it all out back the way we came. Once the air cleared I sucked in a good, deep breath and sighed.

"A ladder," Sebastian pointed out. It led down into a hole in the floor, revealing a hidden cave system beneath the house. "Not sure I want to know where this leads."

"Sure you do! This was your idea," I grinned as I gently pushed him towards the hole. "Ladies first."

"Oh, I'm a lady, am I?" he chuckled. "Well then, that must mean that you're a gentleman, and a gentleman always goes first to make sure his lady is safe."

"Please... quit stalling and just go. You're no damsel in distress," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"Certainly not. But I'll go first, if it puts your mind at ease." He looked back at me, smiling bravely as he swung himself around and began descending the ladder.

...For a brief moment, I couldn't help but admire his courage. Or was it just blind stupidity?

Either way, the warmth the feeling brought was quickly snuffed out as I climbed down and set my feet on the ground. The cave was even bigger than I had dreaded. Long, pillowy strands of silk lined every square inch of the rough stone. Tightly-wound lumps littered the floors and dangled from the ceiling, some far too large to have been mere animals that had been captured. Thousands more of the tiny spiderlings skittered about, some of them already trying to encase my boots in webbing. I shook them off with haste and crushed them under my heel, but only more of them came out to repeat the same doomed task.

What was most concerning, however, was the undulating movements just above our heads. Tucked in the far corners of the cave were massive white egg sacs, pulsing with life.

They were horrifically close to hatching.

"Oh, hell no!" I screeched, firing a Confringo at everything that looked like it could be carrying eggs. A shrill screech not of my own echoed dimly through the still, cold air, soon followed by a small army of giant spiders. Though they were easily dealt with, the sheer number of them caused the fight to stretch on for over five minutes. We were surrounded by a ring of spider corpses five feet tall by the end, after blasting a way through them with a Depulso we headed for a tunnel that led deeper into the cave.

Even as we walked carefully and quietly, I could hear the distant echoes of their screeches, their skittering across the brittle stone. "Ugh... I hate to think that they can all see me, but I can't see them," I muttered under my breath. Next to me, Sebastian bristled.

"You're... you're not actually... scared, are you?" he blinked. A pang of guilty panic pulsed from his soul - I wasn't sure if it was because he was worried that this was too much for me (which it wasn't), or that if I of all people was scared, then he should be downright terrified.

Either way, I gulped it down. "No... just... disgusted beyond all measure. You owe me something good for putting me through this little venture." He nodded in agreement.

"Forget Butterbeer... I'm going to need an entire bottle of Firewhisky to forget about this." We forged onward, clearing out the small rooms at the edges of the tunnel and killing whatever lay within. At one point we stumbled across a relatively well-furnished room in the back of the cave, where Mary must've run her idiotic business from.

"Ah, another note," mumbled Sebastian, glancing down at the desk. It was left on top of an accounting book, bragging about how she'd found the perfect place for her spiderlings to grow and thrive, and she'd soon be swimming in wealth.

I mean... I couldn't fault her for wanting to get rich, but she quite obviously had no idea just how prolific spiders were. Nor was she apparently an expert at wrangling said spiders, or keeping them from crawling out of the cave into the cellar, killing her in her sleep and then infesting the entire town.

It helped explain what had happened, however, so I grabbed it, too.

After another ten minutes or so, we'd finally managed to clear nearly all of the cave system of spiders, their webs and their egg sacs. There was only one area we hadn't explored, a small chamber barricaded by silk and rocks. But it burst open as we approached, the matriarch of the spiders scuttling out to greet us, along with the last of her eldest children.

"I hope that's the last spider," Sebastian whined, grabbing a boulder in his magic and smashing it into the matriarch. Her legs twitched and slowed while her children simply crawled over her body towards us.

"Me too... then I can do this," I glowered, ancient magic pouring from my eyes. I put as much power as I could into the chain lightning spell, so much that the larger of the spiders exploded from the force, while the smaller ones were half-incinerated by the attack. The room filled with an acrid smoke, the two of us casting Ventus in an effort to breathe.

But suddenly the entire cave began to tremble, pebbles clattering as they fell from above. A huge black mass dropped down from a fissure in the ceiling, the ground shaking wildly beneath its weight. It was a spider far bigger than any of the others, even the matriarch - it was nearly the size of an entire small cottage!

No, this was no mere spider... this was one of the most feared beasts in the Wizarding World... an Acromantula. Not only were humans like us their favorite food, but the bloody things were sapient, and could talk to their prey while stabbing them with their foot-long fangs, injecting them with searing venom... and eating them as their flesh and organs melted from the inside out.

"So... it is you two that have been exterminating my brood," it hissed in a low, gravelly, guttural squeal. Its eight eyes, glowing red like embers, fell upon me. I felt my heart freeze and drop into my stomach.

...Nope.

Before I knew it I had scuttled behind Sebastian, peeking out from the crook of his neck as I clutched onto his shoulders with a death grip. Every single instinct I had, both human - and especially the pony ones - was screaming at me to run, to hide, to just get the hell away from that thing. But my legs felt like glass, that they would shatter to pieces if I tried to move. My eyes were fixated on the fearsome monster, watching its every move, every little twitch, knowing for certain that I would not be able to dive out of the way once it pounced.

"S-Sunset...?" he breathed, fear thick in his voice.

"I... I-I..." Mentally I backhanded the part of me that was scared and demanded it to fight. But it refused to back down, given a hysterical strength that for once, I could not make myself overcome. Another part of my brain quickly grew concerned about this... if I couldn't make myself move, then I was as good as a beetle on its back for the acromantula. But even that creeping dread wasn't enough to force myself to act!

Sebastian let out a deep breath, face falling into a bold scowl as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Fear not... I'll handle this." My hands were wrenched from his shoulders, half of me wanted to yell at him to get back here as he strode towards the monstrous spider, gradually breaking out into a run as his wand burned with light. The acromantula reared up and slammed down with its front legs-

And Sebastian disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing a moment later in the air behind the beast. He fired a Confringo at the back of its head, then vanished again when it swung around and tried to swat him down. This time he reappeared directly beneath its raised thorax, and he punched upwards with a strong Depulso. I heard the beast's chitin crack as it screeched in pain, then an angry hiss as it tried to flatten itself to crush him. But he vanished and reappeared again on a ledge behind the acromantula, casting a few quick Incarcerous spells to tie its legs to some stalactites so he could hoist it off the ground and get in a few more hits on the wound he'd created.

As I watched him fight, a part of my mind unaffected by paralyzing fear eked itself out in admiration. His newfound mastery of teleportation was awe-inspiring to watch, and he was trying so hard to bring the beast down himself, to smash through its steel-like carapace and tear it apart... all because he was protecting me. I could feel it so even from here.

I wanted so badly to join him - again I tried to force myself to take even one step towards the battle, but my damned instincts kept me rooted firmly in place. I still didn't want that thing to see me, notice me... eat me. I watched for what felt like an hour as Sebastian continued his assault - in time he managed to rip off three of its legs, blind five of its eyes and had beaten large cracks into the monster's exoskeleton. But it seemed that he was still unable to finish it off himself, and after crushing one of its remaining legs beneath a boulder to trap it in place, he teleported over to me.

"Here, this would go much faster with your ancient magic!" he breathed hard, pointing his wand at me. "Laetificet!" A puff of multicolored confetti burst out of the tip, scattering and dissipating back into nothing while I was bathed in soft pink light. As he teleported back to keep the acromantula's attention on him, suddenly I felt my fear vanish as though blown away by a gust of wind, replaced with feelings of serenity, contentment... even joy.

But more importantly, it got the scared part of my mind to finally shut up and release its hold over my body. With barely a nod I reached deep inside my soul and dragged the magic to the surface, light flaring up through my eyes and horn. Just as the beast lashed out in desperation towards him with dripping fangs, I simultaneously cast an augmented Reducio charm along with an Accio. It yanked the beast away from him, even as Sebastian teleported out of its way, and it shrank drastically in size as it soared towards me and landed at my feet, now no bigger than the average tarantula.

Wretched creature... how dare you terrify me?!

And just to teach it a final lesson, I lifted my foot and crushed it beneath the sole of my boot. My heart instantly lightened, and I delighted in the crunch of its fragile carapace shattering, the squish of its innards being mashed into the ground. After a few seconds I wiped off my boot on a patch of spider silk, during which Sebastian moved to my side and grinned at the wet smudge.

"Heh... not even a scratch!" he gloated in our victory. Seeing him laugh with pride at the acromantula's corpse suddenly put him in a whole new light to me. Besides taking to the teleportation spell very quickly, he'd... actually spent the time and effort to cast a beneficial spell on me.

Something that I'd always hated the thought of doing.

And all this time, I thought that spell was useless... I mean... why would I ever cast it? If someone was too scared to fight, then they shouldn't have gotten into the fight in the first place. Their lack of a will to beat back their enemy and survive would doom them before they ever even got their first spell off; that was an oft-repeated lesson I'd read in so many books about combat and warfare. Therefore, to me a Cheering Charm served no purpose other than to delay the inevitable. It was a stalling tactic. A placebo. A weakness.

But the part of me that felt as though it should've been deeply insulted by having it cast upon me was silent.

I'd trained my mind as much as I had my magic, so I'd never need to cast such a useless spell. But despite years of hardening my resolve, as much as I hated to admit it... I still froze when it counted. My mind betrayed my body and I became the prey... it was as simple as that. By all accounts, if it wasn't for him, the thing very well could have killed me. It should have killed me. I... should be thankful he clearly didn't have the same disinclinations about support spells that I did. 

But... he doesn't think of me as weak... right? No, he even said so himself: there wasn't anything I couldn't do. Of course, that was long before we faced that horrid abomination of an arachnid, but... I trusted his words, and the emotions behind them.

Maybe that spell wasn't as useless as I thought.

"Are you alright, Sunset?" he turned towards me, fretting. I clutched a hand to my chest and breathed deeply for a few moments before answering him.

"...Next time, I'm picking who we help. I'm gonna have nightmares about that thing for the rest of my life, now."

"Right... sorry." He pressed a hand to his forehead and exhaled shakily, catching his breath. "I had no idea it was this bad. To think an Acromantula was down here beneath the hamlet all along...!" I blinked as the words hit me - if one of these things had been living beneath the village, then who was to say it was the only one? What if some of those egg sacs we'd destroyed had been its eggs? What if this wasn't even the entire cave system we'd cleared out?! Surely there were gaps in the cave that we couldn't see... a spider could've crawled in and laid eggs anywhere!

No... there was only one way to be sure we'd gotten them all.

"...It's not your fault. You couldn't have known," I sighed, slowly shaking my head. "But I'm setting this entire goddamn village on fire just to be sure they're all gone, gardens be damned." Sebastian frowned, then shrugged in resignation.

"Pity... but, I can't say that I blame you."

We hurriedly made our way out of the cave and cellar, then quickly got on our brooms. Once we'd flown a couple hundred feet above the hamlet, I closed my eyes and summoned as much ancient magic as I could from within my soul. My eyes and wand burned like stars as I focused my spell, and I shouted with exertion as I hurled down a Deprimo so large and powerful it imploded a massive crater that rippled out from the center of the hamlet. It continued to crumble and form a sinkhole that dragged the surrounding buildings into the deep darkness. Once the ground had settled I set to Transfiguring every nearby house, every abandoned stall, every crate, barrel and bit of debris I could see into various types of high explosives and accelerants, then once I had amassed what I felt was enough I levitated them all into the sinkhole. The pile just barely peeked into view; I told Sebastian to brace himself, then cast a Confringo downwards.

Almost instantly the pile erupted into a fiery, earth-shattering explosion, with more of varying intensities going off in rapid succession and crumbling more of the ground, some of the thinner parts glowing bright red from deep within. The main blast formed a mushroom cloud over what little remained of the hamlet like a grave marker. Even from high above, the shockwave it caused threatened to knock us off our brooms, even through our Protegos.

We watched the inferno burn for a few minutes, then we flew away from Aranshire back to Hogsmeade, leaving it a smoking, smoldering crater.


~


Crispin Dunne hadn't moved from his spot at the bar, a small pile of Butterbeer tankards to his right as well as a couple of empty shot glasses. Sebastian and I slowly shuffled over to him and sat down in the same seats, at first not paying him any attention but simply staring a thousand miles in front of us.

"Ah, you two are back," he blinked in surprise. "Have you found someone to take care of the spiders?"

My eyes slid over to him, a cold glare to match my thin lips. Wordlessly I fished Mary's letters out of my pocket and slapped them down onto the bar. He took a few seconds to read them, his face falling.

"...Oh." He sighed sadly, taking a long, deep swig from his current tankard. "Poor Mary... what untoward scheme were you involved in? If she needed financial assistance, she could have just come to me..."

"Yea, um, speaking of 'financial assistance', I think me and my friend here are gonna need some after clearing out all those spiders," I growled, gesturing with my outstretched palm.

"I think that experience took a good ten years off of my life," Sebastian added, dramatically slamming the side of his face onto the bar.

"I... very well," Crispin sighed as he pulled out a bag of Galleons and dropped it into my hand. "I imagine the first order of business will be to help the hamlet rebuild. I suppose I have nothing to fear from dead spiders."

Oh... you're gonna be rebuilding for a looooong time. "...Even so, you'll want to prepare yourself. The place needs something of a... clean up." Obliviously, Crispin nodded.

"Thank you both for what you have done... I shall keep you apprised of the hamlet's rebuilding." He raised his tankard - if he was trying to prompt us into joining him, then he was in for disappointment. Sebastian and I watched with tired glares as he toasted himself. "To dearly departed Mary," he sighed before draining the rest of his drink, then after plunking down enough Galleons to pay his tab he stood up and shambled out of the Three Broomsticks.

"Ugh, I'm glad that's over," I groaned, rubbing at my temples. "Sirona, what's the strongest stuff you've got that you can legally serve us?"

"I'll see what I've got stashed away for just such an occasion," the barkeep nodded sympathetically. "I'll also fetch you some supper... it would seem the two of you have had quite an adventure."


~


After returning to Hogwarts, we settled on using the Undercroft to brew the potion - though she hadn't come around since she'd shown me the Room of Requirement in the first place, I didn't really want to answer any questions if Professor Weasley happened to stop by. It also wasn't as troubling if Ominis happened to wander in and discover the potion in one of the far corners of the room; we could simply pass it off as practicing for our OWLs. I gathered together everything I would need and meticulously set everything in its place before getting started. I wanted to get to this next trial as soon as possible: every second counted, and I couldn't make a single mistake.

First I poured a quarter-cup of olive oil into the copper cauldron for the base, then once it was warm I added the fluxweed and knotgrass. I stirred the ingredients exactly four times clockwise, then as it simmered I set the timer in my pocketwatch for an hour, minus the few seconds it took me to set it up. As soon as it went off with a pleasant little chime I added four plump leeches, then while they boiled and burst apart I took a cup of the stewed lacewing flies and ground them into a paste, then added two tablespoons of the gray-brown slime to the cauldron and set it to low heat for exactly thirty seconds. After this I added three tablespoons of shredded boomslang skin and a tablespoon of powdered bicorn horn, which I'd prepared during my hour of downtime. I heated the mixture for twenty seconds on high heat, then as I brought it back to a simmer I set the pocketwatch timer again for eighteen hours.

After sleeping and spending much of the next day studying Sebastian's relic, I made sure to return to the potion well before the timer chimed. Once it did I added a half-cup of intact stewed lacewing flies to the cauldron, then stirred exactly three times counterclockwise. The hard part was over... now all I had to do was wait until exactly one synodic month had passed.

"Eugh... I don't envy you for having to drink that," Sebastian grimaced as he peered down into the cauldron, a thick, muddy sludge bubbling away at the bottom like a tar pit. It smelled exactly as pleasant as the ingredients that had gone into it.

"The things I do for power," I halfheartedly agreed. "I better learn something real good from this trial, or I'm gonna be mad."

"Have you ever actually learned anything from the Keepers?" he asked. "It seems to me that what you do know about ancient magic, you've taught yourself." I sighed and nodded in agreement, crossing my arms.

"...That's true," I frowned. I was beginning to lose my patience with them... for as much as Rackham had seem excited for someone with this ultrarare ability to find him and seek his instruction, their "teachings" had so far amounted to trials that only made me look inside my own mind and examine myself in retrospect. And while I supposed that had been... helpful, it wasn't at all what I had been promised.

What I had been promised was power beyond my wildest dreams... and yet, I had earned the beginnings of that power myself. Dragged it up and into my soul from the depths of those reservoirs... and if I ever crossed paths with Ranrok again, I was going to drag the power he'd stolen right out of his body and take it back. Seeing how I had done it all on my own so far, I had already made peace with going the rest of the way on my own, too. I expected it, and expected no new enlightenment after this next trial.

But until this potion, this unappetizing sludge was finished brewing... I would just have to wait and see.
> In Which Poppy Comes Up With an Insane Plan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waiting for the Polyjuice Potion to brew proved to be annoyingly dull. More often than before I caught myself daydreaming about finally reaching this next trial, wondering what it could possibly contain. The boredom was thankfully alleviated by Sebastian and I's continued research on his relic - we were now in the process of putting together plans for experiments to determine what it could do and what the dark sacrifice might possibly be - as well as my own continued work on my ancient magic abilities. He'd also finally managed to mail out his crest and a letter to his sister, disguised as a box of treacle fudge from Ominis.

On Tuesday, Professor Onai predicted that a blizzard would roll through the area beginning early Wednesday evening. Many of my classmates tittered in excitement until she reminded us that curfew was still curfew, and there would be detention for any student caught going outside to play in the snow before the blizzard's end on Thursday morning. It was enough of a threat to make most of them settle down, but I simply rolled my eyes - clearly these lesser students were terrible at sneaking out for some fun, or so pathetically weak-willed if a detention was enough to deter them.

And just as I thought, upon discussing it with them both Sebastian and Ominis were up for a late-night romp in the snow. I'd expected it from my best friend, but hearing Ominis say how much he looked forward to it was definitely a pleasant surprise. He'd always struck me as such a stick-in-the-mud.

The next day during Beasts class, Natty, Poppy and I were grouped together to tend to the Thestral pens, on account of the three of us being able to see them. Poppy seemed to almost visibly vibrate with nervous energy as we made our way over with a couple buckets of sheep blood-soaked feed and a number of horse blankets.

"You look as though you wish to say something," commented Natty. Poppy's eyes slid over to her, and suddenly I could see they were filled with worry.

"The poachers got to my gran," she sighed. "Someone must have recognized me in Horntail Hall, and... they got to her."

"Oh... uh..." I squirmed uncomfortably. "...She's okay, right?"

"Oh, she's fine, thank goodness... she says I should've seen the looks on their faces when she caught the first one and Transfigured him into a fish, and our pet Kneazle Fauntleroy pounced on him at once," she waved a hand nonchalantly, almost with a fond grin. The pride was but momentary, however. "...But they were at her house- our house! They assumed I'd sent the egg there. She said they took the whole place apart looking for it, screaming that we'd cost them everything."

"Fauntleroy, huh?" I grinned. That was a pretty good name for a Kneazle.

"You mean to tell me your grandmother fought back against the poachers?" Natty blinked in surprise.

"Of course! My Gran can be quite terrifying when she needs to be..." Poppy's eyes darkened. "That first poacher was the luckiest among them. Even those that escaped with their lives will never be... quite the same again."

...

Even though I was quite warm in my woolen school uniform and cloak, a powerful shiver ran down my spine. Suddenly I think I knew exactly where Poppy got her stone-cold battle demeanor from.

"...I don't think I wish to know," Natty grimaced. Poppy closed her eyes as her shoulders slumped.

"Oh, but I should have known... I underestimated the poachers. And now another creature's in danger!" she sighed.

"What do you mean?" asked Natty.

"The poachers refused to leave empty-handed, so they took valuable journals that Gran had discovered when she was researching rare creatures. One of them contained theories about a secret hiding place of the Snidget, long thought to be extinct."

"A Snidget?" I hummed in thought, trying to remember what I knew about them from Beasts class... which wasn't much. All Professor Howin had ever mentioned of them was that they used to be used in Quidditch matches in place of the Golden Snitch that eventually replaced them... a rather terrible fate for such a small, fragile creature.

"It's a small bird with golden feathers," she explained. "It's incredible... it has rotational wings that allow it to dart quickly in any direction. In fact, the Golden Snitch in Quidditch is based on the snidget, which, barbarically, was actually used in the sport hundreds of years ago."

"Ah, right," I grimaced. "...And I bet you want to make sure those poachers don't go anywhere near those birds, huh?"

"Gran wants me to stay out of it," Poppy nodded with a conspiratorial twinkle in her eye. "But I know she's devastated that poachers might go after the snidgets if they still exist."

"Oh... if they ever fell into the poachers' hands, they could make far more money with them than they ever could with dragons," Natty swallowed.

"Their feathers and eyes are incredibly valuable," Poppy nodded in agreement. "That's why they're believed to be extinct - they were hunted out of existence by wizardkind. If the poachers found some now, I can't bear to think about the horrific ways they'd be bred and killed for profit."

"Did the journals have any clues to where these snidgets might be?" I asked.

"Gran says the journals were a bit cryptic, which is good... Perhaps the poachers won't be clever enough to find the birds," she hummed as she tapped a finger on her chin... for a moment she looked so adorable that I almost forgot how unhinged she really was. "From what she recalls, the journals only noted that the key to finding them 'lay in the moonlight'. Gran thinks it can be narrowed down to a handful of locations."

"Well, we had the element of surprise on our side when we broke into Horntail Hall... they'll probably be expecting us if we go looking for the snidgets, too," I mumbled, raising a hand to my chin.

"We'll need allies," suggested Natty. "Others who hate the poachers enough to help us... who value creatures as much as-" Suddenly Poppy gasped loudly.

"Merlin's beard! You're a genius! The centaurs!" she shouted happily. "They'd want the snidgets protected at all costs!" I couldn't help but flinch; this was not where I thought this discussion was headed at all, and evidently, neither did Natty.

"What?! But the centaurs are not fond of wizardkind in the slightest!" she argued. "They already didn't like us wandering around their territory in the Forbidden Forest when we were searching for Horntail Hall! If we ask them for their aid, it is likely they'll think we are searching for the snidgets to hunt them ourselves!"

"Yes, we'll need to be careful in how we approach them... tensions with them are high," Poppy nodded slightly in agreement. "Still, I think they may be our only hope... Let me think on it. I'll let you know as soon as I have a plan," she finished boldly as she turned to me. While Natty tried to reason with her I sighed in resignation... again I'd been roped into one of her illogical adventures.

...Well, if anyone had the best chance against a centaur among the three of us, it was definitely me. They seemed to have taken notice when I followed my pony instincts and imitated their mannerisms. And if push came to shove, I could certainly handle an assault from their primitive weapons. How sad that they haven't even invented or appropriated crossbows yet.

Of course, something like this would take some time to arrange - the centaurs were an elusive bunch. I returned my attention to feeding and brushing the thestrals, already thinking of ways I could subdue them without angering Poppy too much.


~


The skies grew dark with a green glow that afternoon, and just after dinner appeared in the Great Hall, snow began to fall in thick flakes from above. The wind howled and rattled the stained glass windows from both inside and out as the ceiling above mimicked the predicted blizzard, though the snowflakes melted away into nothing long before falling onto the tables. Many of the other students abandoned their meals and ran outside to celebrate, only to be ushered back inside by well-meaning but overbearing professors. They repeatedly insisted how dangerous such weather was, to which I scoffed.

Maybe if electricity and power lines were a thing in this world, or even in magic-saturated areas... which they weren't. Not to mention this world surprisingly had no analogue for the Windigoes that haunted the Frozen North of Equestria; now those were definitely not spirits to be trifled with.

It was difficult to wait for the snow to accumulate and the weather to calm. I followed the boys' advice on waiting until late at night to go outside - most of those foolish enough to get caught by the prefects or professors only waited until an hour or two after curfew, or even more stupidly, snuck right out immediately. Instead we sat in the common room, talking, drinking strong teas and admiring the steady, healthy growth of Ominis' runespoor as the hours passed.

Finally, just before 2am Sebastian deemed it the right time to sneak out. Under Disillusionment we all crept through the cold, dark castle, and muffled the double doors as we pushed them open. The light from the moon through the clouds dyed the sky a strange shade of brownish-purple, but it was still bright enough for us to see each other without the aid of magic. The winds had died down, and the thick, fluffy snow came up to our knees, with ever more falling softly from above. In excitement we jogged as quickly as we could manage to the empty fields just before the castle walls - we were alone, the only others outside were hundreds of feet away at the opposite end of the castle grounds. They made no effort to come any closer, so they must've been other students with the same ideas we had.

"So, what shall we do first?" grinned Sebastian, his cheeks already flushed pink from the cold.

"What else?" I smirked, right before sweeping my wand and causing a tidal wave of snow to break against his back. He screeched in frigid shock, making Ominis and I burst out laughing.

"Oh, you're going to regret that!" he warned as he giggled, his wand glowing with icy light. What seemed like fifty snowballs suddenly materialized from thin air all around him, and he laughed once as they all came flying towards us. While I leapt out of the way, Ominis simply raised his wand, a wall of snow bricks rising along with it to block the attack.

"I thought you would do something as predictable as aiming indiscriminately," he smiled as he heard and felt the impacts, then sent the wall sliding at a rapid pace towards Sebastian. He cut through it with a weak Diffindo, then grabbed some of the bricks in his magic and threw them at me. I managed to dodge most of them, but the last one got me square in the chest.

"Oh, it's on, now!" I grinned deviously, already readying my next attack. From there the three of us battled it out in a legendary snow fight of epic proportions. Ominis surrounded himself with a shield of multiple snowballs irregularly orbiting him like planets around the sun, lashing out almost like a whip as he fired, while Sebastian beamed proudly as he stood upon a rolling tuffet of snow that churned like a wave, allowing him a traveling vantage point as he summoned more of them with broad sweeps of his wand.

But neither of them could stand up to the snow ponies of myself that I formed, rearing up and whinnying as they charged at them recklessly. Within moments snow was flying everywhere as we all traded blow for blow.

"Aah! Why you little-!"

"Hahahaha- oof!"

"Oi! Don't think I didn't see that!"

"YEEEEE!!! ...You git, that went down my back!"

"And this one'll go down your front!"

"GAH!" While the lump of snow just barely missed me, I teleported quickly behind Sebastian with a lump of my own and hurled it down towards his head. He managed to see me in the corner of his vision and teleported away himself, the snow missing him by only a fraction of a second. While he and I chased each other around, Ominis' eyes widened as he realized what we were doing.

"Sebastian... when did you learn to Apparate?!" he exhaled in shock. Sebastian came to a stop just beside him, which finally allowed me to catch up to him and cram a snowball in his ear. He simply laughed as he shook it off.

"Sunset taught me," he grinned, jutting a thumb towards me. While I nodded proudly, Ominis nodded once in understanding, then turned his head towards the ground, sighing bitterly.

"I fear I'll never learn properly... hard to envision where you wish to go when you've never been able to see where it is you're going."

"Have you ever tried?" I asked. A grimace flashed across Ominis' face.

"My parents did attempt to teach me... or, I should say that's what they would say. They laughed when I immediately Splinched myself nearly in half after moving only a foot. It was quite fortunate Aunt Noctua was there to put me back together." While Sebastian merely nodded in sympathy, I bit back a curse.

Geez... you could have died, and they thought it was funny...!

"Perhaps Sunset can teach you her homeland's method of Apparition," Sebastian suggested. "It's quite simple to learn, and there's no risk of Splinching at all." For a moment I bristled at having the suggestion foisted upon me, but I quickly found myself entertaining the thought. Though the spell also required a visual component in determining your post-teleportation surroundings, not to mention Sebastian was - like me, certainly an outlier, just as talented with magic as I was - someone else might not be able to produce the same instant results.

"Er... I'm not so sure," he replied hesitantly. I found it hard to blame him, considering how poorly his first experience went.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I offered. "Plenty of other ways to get around, after all."

"Right..." We all stood there in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Finally, Ominis decided to lighten the mood by blindsiding Sebastian with a snowball to the chest, hitting him hard enough that it knocked him flat on his back.

"Oof! You tosser," he growled playfully as he wiped away a bit of snow that had splattered onto his face. Ominis did the same to me as I laughed at him on the ground, though I didn't mind so much. I continued laughing as I flailed my arms and legs to make a snow angel.

Once I'd finished and got up to see my work, an idea came to me. "Oh, you guys wanna make snowmen?" I asked.

"That's a splendid idea," agreed Ominis as he helped Sebastian up.

"I'll make the biggest one out of the three of us," he bragged. "Snowmen are something of a specialty of mine."

"Yea? We'll see about that," I smirked. We each stood with our backs to each other, and after counting down from ten we gave ourselves a minute to assemble the largest snowman possible. My wand glowed as it swept up vast swaths of snow in a wedge in front of me, and a Geminio Charm doubled what I had accumulated. Part of me wondered if using ancient magic would be considered cheating... considering the others couldn't harness that ability, I went ahead and refrained.

After a minute passed, we ceased our casting and stepped back to admire our work. Ominis' snowman was an impressive likeness of himself, right down to the moles on his cheeks, with a snow runespoor with the most delicately-carved scales draped around his shoulders. My snowman was similar in that it depicted myself in a triumphant pose like a statue and stood fifteen feet tall.

And then we turned to see Sebastian's snowman, our faces falling once we'd seen what he'd built...

...It wasn't a snowman at all. Rather... just a part of one.

A rather... small, inconsequential, often-forgotten body part when it came to building one.

...

...

...

It was quite clearly a huge, erect snow phallus, standing about eight feet tall. Sebastian could barely contain his laughter as Ominis' face flushed bright red once he realized what he was sensing. "See? I've created the biggest snowman out of the three of us if this bit's sticking out," he snickered.

"Sebastian!" Ominis shouted as he covered his face with his hand, mortified while I rolled on the ground due to dying laughing. "We're in the presence of a lady, for Merlin's sake!"

"Hey... it's nothing I haven't seen before," I gasped for breath with a sly grin as I picked myself up. While I felt a pulse of an emotion that clearly screamed "you what?!" resonate through Ominis' soul, an even more brilliant idea came to me. "But it's not very impressive, now is it? Surely it could be... bigger?" I wiggled my eyebrows.

"It absolutely could," Sebastian nodded, his grin even wider than my own. Mere seconds later, the two of us had not only swept up all of the nearby snow in our magic, but also added Ominis and I's snowmen to the amalgamation. From a cloud of misty white rose a towering obelisk of a male organ, over twenty feet tall and as thick around as one of the castle's smaller towers, complete with boulder-sized lumps at its base. It only took a few moments gazing upon our creation for us to cackle hysterically, while Ominis simply shook his head in thorough disappointment.

"What is wrong with you two?" he scolded as he waved his wand - instead of the giant snow phallus melting away or exploding or otherwise being destroyed like I'd expected, Sebastian and I laughed even harder as more snow packed itself onto the thing in curves, smoothing out the surface and forming alarmingly-realistic veins and ridges.

"Oh, and I thought you were supposed to be the more proper and refined one among the three of us," wheezed Sebastian.

"I am. I am also disgusted by your lack of fine detail," Ominis replied straight-faced as a wedge of snow displaced itself from the very top, forming a meatus. I snickered as the wedge plopped back onto the ground, both at the sight of our combined efforts and at the thought I had.

Heh... meatus. "...I didn't know you had it in you to be so naughty," I grinned.

"Oh, please... where do you think Sebastian learned everything he knows?" he replied, a thin smile eking out from his mouth.

"You may have taught me what you know, but I've perfected it," preened Sebastian. "Mischief is but an artform, and I am its muse."

...Something about that boast didn't sound right. "I... don't think you quite know what that word means," I smirked.

"Indeed, you're implying that you inspire mischief, and not the other way around," Ominis added with a chuckle.

"Tch... shut up, you know what I meant," he slumped over in annoyance, grumbling. While he sulked I took the opportunity to grab a lump of snow and throw it at the back of his head. "Oi! Oh, I'll get you for that...!"

We fought each other in the snow again. After about ten minutes we were exhausted and out of breath, but still laughing. I wanted to keep the memory of this night alive, so I sprayed a fine mist of water around the phallic pillar with Aguamenti so it wouldn't melt for as long as possible. Satisfied with our work, and beginning to get soaked through with snow to the point Warming or Drying Charms no longer helped, we all decided to sneak back into the castle, the cold halls surprisingly warmer than it had been outside. We passed by the portrait that led to the kitchens, tickling the pear and asking the house elves inside for some hot chocolate before heading for the common room.

We spent a while sipping our drinks in front of the fireplace, curled up on a couch with some blankets together. Despite shocking him by touching his neck with our icy hands and making him shriek, Ominis fell asleep just before finishing his cup.

Which was fine... Sebastian and I entertained ourselves for a while until weariness set in. It was tempting to simply fall asleep where I was, squished and huddled up against each other for extra warmth... I hadn't even noticed we were so close together until I caught my head bobbing onto his shoulder. At some point we'd taken to sharing a blanket and he'd wrapped an arm around me, and once I realized that I felt my heart beat harder, heating my chest like a hot coal.

"Ready to call it a night?" he smiled softly, gazing down at me through half-lidded eyes. His hair had dried out and hung messily in front of his forehead, and I... had to admit it was a really good look on him. "If we stay up much longer, none of us will be of any use in class tomorrow."

"Yea, you're right," I yawned, semi-consciously squeezing him tighter for a moment. I heard him exhale a gentle snort of contentment.

And then I felt his lips press themselves near the top of my head.

I blinked in surprise, and quickly bent my head upward to look at him; he seemed just as surprised as I was.

"Er, I... do apologize," he stammered out. "I... I don't quite know what came over me." While I could only make myself blink, inwardly I felt an overwhelming sense of glee overpowering his sense of awkward mortification.

There were times I thought back to that kiss we shared at the end of the Hogsmeade Gala... part of me wanted to go back and slap myself for thinking that was a good idea. It was a part of me that refused to be so soft, a part of me that was still convinced I didn't need him or his affection.

But the other part of me treasured the memory like it was my most priceless possession. Since then - and even beforehand - I thoroughly enjoyed every moment we spent together, even when we were simply studying in silence together in the same space. This moment right now was no different.

While I wrestled with my own mind on how to react, a faint echo suddenly whispered to me from the depths of my soul, my consciousness.

Show your real feelings... you don't have to always control the situation.

...

I... don't need to control everything.

The more I thought about it, the more that echo quieted my mind and reinforced my emotions. While Sebastian babbled on with trying to justify himself, I moved around and stretched upwards just enough to gently return the kiss to his temple. That got him to shut right up.

"Didn't know we were on those kind of terms," I grinned. He stared at me in surprise for a moment before smiling, and we stared into each other's eyes like two dumb idiots until a nearby clock chimed four times. To our right, Ominis shifted in his sleep.

"Well... time for me to get our Sleeping Beauty here to bed," he chuckled. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, then?"

"Sure will," I nodded with a wink. "Gotta see what everyone will think of our... artistic vision, after all."


~


The gossip our overnight creation caused was well worth it. The boys were amused, the girls were offended, and the professors simply shook their heads as Mr. Moon melted it away in a manner that closely resembled a sexual act. Headmaster Black threatened to take away all of the House points of whomever had created such a terrible thing, effectively ensuring that nobody ever fessed up.

And yet, during Charms class, Professor Ronen shot the three of us a knowing grin.
> In Which Hogwarts Suddenly Becomes High School Musical
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday morning came with good news - Anne had received Sebastian's crest, and had sent a letter informing us that Solomon would be out of town for the entire weekend. With this knowledge, Sebastian and I, along with Ominis, made plans to meet with her Saturday around noon... we both reassured him there would be no secret trips beforehand to go breaking into a catacomb this time.

Also, the night before we'd made a minor breakthrough in our research, though I was hesitant to call it a positive notion. From what we could tell, it would seem that every book we read about Dark relics heavily suggested that it would only work as intended in the area it was created... which happened to be the catacomb near Feldcroft. Experiments could still be performed on it, but the results they produced would be only a fraction of what Slytherin's spellbook promised. In a way I was relieved that we couldn't accidentally cause too much trouble when we began our tests.

But it was time to set that aside - it was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Hecat had hinted last week that today we'd be covering some high-level magic. While I patiently waited for the lecture to begin, I couldn't help but notice the sudden chattiness of my female classmates, the spontaneous abundance of flowers on desks and perfume in the air...

...Ah, that's right. This week on Wednesday is Valentine's Day, this world's version of Hearts and Hooves Day. Strange how this world had so many holidays that were coincidentally the exact same as those back in Equestria. 

"Settle down, now," Professor Hecat rapped her wand on the edge of a chalkboard. "Today, in preparation for your OWLs we will be going over one of the most difficult charms for any witch or wizard to cast... the Patronus Charm."

"Ooh," I chirped to myself, already scribbling down some notes. The Patronus Charm was an ancient spell that represented the most core components of the personality of its caster. It took the form of an animal that best represented the caster, even if they didn't feel a particular affinity for it, or even knew what it was to begin with. Everyone's was different - even identical twins could have wildly varying Patronuses. It was said that if a Dark wizard tried to cast the spell, a swarm of maggots would burst out of their wand and eat them alive... but no one had ever actually seen it happen. It was likely just a myth.

For as much skill and focus was required to cast it, the Patronus Charm was only effective against exactly two Dark creatures: Dementors and Lethifolds, a sort of tropical variant of Dementor that resembled an evil blanket with a mind of its own. Coming face to face with either of these things was extremely dangerous - while a Dementor literally sucked out all of its victim's positive emotions so it could feed on its soul, a Lethifold just plain ate its victim whole, leaving nothing behind. After speaking for about half the class, Professor Hecat had us all stand up so she could levitate the desks and chairs to the sides of the room, giving us ample room to practice.

"Do not be discouraged if you cannot form a Patronus, or even form an incorporeal one," she emboldened, stepping into the center of the room. "This is an extremely difficult spell to master... it even took myself years to cast properly. Expecto Patronum," she spoke as she swirled her wand - a wispy strand of silver light streamed out of its tip and coalesced onto the floor, where it pooled and rose into the form of a bear. There was the faintest trace of brown in its fur, denoting it specifically as a brown bear. It roared and shook itself as if wet, drawing out oohs and ahs from my classmates until it dissipated back into mist moments later.

I hoped my Patronus was something big and powerful like that. Although it didn't really matter whether it took the form of a kitten or a whale, they all functioned the exact same way.

"Now, the most important thing to remember is that the charm will not work unless you focus on your happiest memory," Hecat emphasized. "Anything less than that simply won't do... the Patronus siphons its power from your strongest positive emotions, and will fail to appear if there is even a shred of a doubt in your happiest memories. If you cannot think of such a memory, you may find it easier to come up with a scenario in your mind, within which you find nothing but sheer happiness and joy."

Positive emotions, huh...? While everyone around me began chanting the incantation and waving their wands, I looked back into my mind for memories that made me happy.

Hmm... being adopted by Princess Celestia herself when she heard about the filly whose magic surge turned the entire orphanage into a giant gingerbread house?

...

...Learning and mastering my first Archmage-level spell, and the praise she lavished upon me?

...

...The day I got my Cutie Mark, and how proud and moved she was that it was a sun?

...

No... all of those memories with Celestia felt less happy than they used to be, tainted by our falling out. I would need to use a different one... a new one.

And I had plenty to draw upon. In fact, just thinking about the day I discovered I could sense and use ancient magic made me pretty happy. I closed my eyes to focus as hard as I could on how I felt in the moment, and swished my wand.

"Expecto Patronum!"

...

...

...

...I opened my eyes. No silver wisps of mist were spiraling around my horn, nor was there any sign of an animal created from those mists. Guess that memory wasn't strong enough.

Alright, how about... becoming the most powerful witch in the world? Sure, it hadn't happened yet so it wasn't a memory, but it was a scenario bound to happen eventually. Just the thought of having mastered ancient magic, having all that power, and the prestige and wealth and adoration of thousands upon thousands that came with it...

...Yes, the thought was nearly intoxicating, it made me feel like a goddess! I closed my eyes again in focus and swished. "Expecto Patronum!"

...

...

...

...A small silver light appeared at the tip of my wand. The beginnings of an incorporeal Patronus! But I wasn't satisfied. I was someone who wanted to master their newest spell as quickly as possible, and just a teensy little blip of light wasn't even close to what I'd call mastering this charm.

But what could possibly make me even happier than achieving my goals?

"Expecto Patronum!" I heard Sebastian shout particularly loudly. Glancing over to him, I could see he was making the same amount of progress I was - just a tiny spark of light. Deep in thought, he stared at it long after it faded away, surely wondering what his happiest memory was as he bit his lip. 

...

...

...

...And suddenly it hit me. Nothing had filled me with more warm, happy emotions quite like the night of the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala, especially... when he and I kissed under the mistletoe. Just thinking about it brought them all back to me in a flood, making my entire body shiver with warmth and excitement. My heart felt like it was glowing like the sun itself.

I didn't even need to close my eyes to focus this time. "Expecto Patronum!"

And finally, my wand glowed like a star. A stream of silver poured out onto the ground, and from the puddle rose a medium-sized bulky creature. It was covered in shaggy, scraggly fur, had a porcine nose and two large tusks coming out of its mouth. While my classmates immediately stopped what they were doing to stare in awe, I let out a contemplative hum - my Patronus had taken the form of a wild boar.

Hey... could it possibly be a tebo? ...No, it's not... just a plain wild boar.

"Ten points to Slytherin," Hecat nodded in approval, clearly impressed. "Well done, Miss Shimmer!"

"Heh... thanks," I grinned, watching the boar trot around for a while before vanishing. The other classmates redoubled their efforts while Sebastian shuffled over to me.

"How in Merlin's name did you pull that off?!" he gaped.

"Oh, Sebby... you actually doubted my abilities?" I replied smugly. Once I'd had a chuckle at his expense, I leaned in closer, dropping my voice and trying to ignore the blush stinging my cheeks. "...I thought about the Christmas Eve Gala, if that helps you any."

His eyes widened after a few moments of thinking it over. "Oh... of course," he smacked himself in the forehead. "That would work, wouldn't it?" I took a few steps back as he focused intently, swishing his wand with purpose. "Expecto Patronum!"

And I watched with both proud satisfaction and... self-conscious realization as silver poured from his wand onto the ground, then quickly sprang up into the air. His Patronus took the form of an octopus, eight gangly arms flailing about and bunching together as it propelled itself around the room. While our other classmates gasped and stared again, Hecat was stunned into near-silence.

"...Make that twenty points to Slytherin," she finally uttered. Sebastian and I watched the octopus until it eventually faded away, and our eyes met as we shared a bashful glance.

Maybe that one kiss had meant more than I thought.


~


Most of our professors seemed to have a theme this week. Professor Ronen spent our Charms class teaching us Orchideous, the spell to conjure a flower bouquet; the next day, while Professor Garlick went over the history and uses of the rare herb Silphium, Professor Sharp had prepared a lecture on one of the most powerful love potions in the world. There was one large cauldron set up in the center of his classroom, a beautiful liquid simmering away within it. Its surface shone with an iridescence reminiscent of mother-of-pearl, and the steam that rose from it swirled in tight spirals.

"Ah, Amortentia," Professor Sharp sighed as we quieted down, an uncharacteristically-wistful smirk on his face. "A deviously dangerous potion, it induces a powerful infatuation in he or she who imbibes it, bordering on obsession with the one who administered it. It has a multifaceted aroma, different for every person that breathes in its vapors - reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if they are unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection themselves."

I stared into the shimmering liquid, regarding it with caution - potions just like it existed in Equestria, but they were strictly-controlled substances; the "love potions" generally available to the common pony were really little more than... aids of a certain lustful nature. You needed a particularly skilled alchemist to get you the good stuff, so to speak... one that either didn't know or care about the laws around them.

"Of course, it is only natural to wonder what such a potion may smell like to you. One group at a time, you may each have a turn to smell the potion. Do note that if I catch any of you trying to make off with even a single drop, you will have detention for the rest of the school year," Sharp warned as he stared particularly pointedly at Garreth. The Gryffindor boy gestured towards himself in mock confusion, wildly shaking his head. It was about ten or so minutes until Ominis, Sebastian and I got to approach the cauldron and inhale the fumes.

"Hmm..." Ominis closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. "...I smell... marshmallow candy. And... cedar wood. There is something sharp and earthy, as well... minerals, if I had to guess?"

"What an odd combination," said Sebastian. Ominis simply shrugged in agreement while I took my turn.

"Let's see, I smell..." I inhaled deeply, picking out the individual scents. Each note stood out strongly on its own, yet blended with the others seamlessly. "...Old books... hm? Ooh, that smells like a timothy hayburger-"

"A what?" asked Ominis. Behind me I could hear Sebastian snicker to himself.

"Er, nevermind that. And, um..."

It was a strangely familiar scent. A heady, yet subtle blend of coconut, ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot and sweet thyme. I blinked as I recognized where I'd smelled it before, a deep blush quickly spreading across my face.

"Well?" Sebastian goaded. I had to force my eyes to look in his direction.

"...A mix of coconut, flowers and herbs." He blinked a couple times, prompting me to be more specific. "Ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot-"

"Sweet thyme?" he finished my description for me. I barely nodded, and a blush spread across his face as well. "I... do believe that's my Macassar oil you're smelling."

"...Oh." So that's why he smells so nice... Beside us, I saw a cheeky grin spread across Ominis' face.

"Go on, Sebastian... what about you?" he egged on. I did my best to will away the blush as he lowered his face near the potion and inhaled.

"Huh... you know that scent rain has when it hits the ground? Whatever that's called... hmm, I think I also smell worn leather. And..." He took a couple more shorter sniffs, saying nothing.

"And...?" I tilted my head. Suddenly he gently but quickly grabbed a fistful of my hair and gave it a good, long sniff. My eyes felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. "Uhhhh...?!" Yo, personal space, buddy!

"I was going to say peaches, but... what shampoo do you use?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could manage... which wasn't saying much.

"Er... it's supposed to smell like nectarines," my lips thinned, the blush returning in full force as I realized what he'd smelled in the potion. "And nectarines are just... fuzz-less peaches."

"Ah... right." We glanced away in opposite directions, our faces absolutely burning. Ominis simply closed his eyes and smiled as he shook his head at us. We could barely look at each other for the rest of the class without blushing again.

"That will be all for today... I suspect that a few of you may now need to plan some last-minute outings for the upcoming holiday."


~


And then Wednesday finally arrived. I could almost see a thick pink miasma of perfume as I walked to the Great Hall. The breakfast foods were all shaped like hearts, served beside bouquets of roses and lilies and bowls of heart-shaped cut fruit and chocolates. It even extended into our classes, we fed heart-shaped treats to the beasts in Beasts class.

Everyone seemed to be in a great mood today... which clearly meant this was the perfect time to ruin the holiday dinner by testing my new and improved curse. After Sebastian and I quickly ate and warned Ominis that he may want to take his food to go, we camped out beside the doorway to the Great Hall and waited for as many students to fill the room as possible.

Finally, at around 6pm, I figured the tables were as full as they were going to get. The lavish dessert course materialized into the room, providing the perfect distraction. "Alright... ready to see the full fury of my homeland's curse?" I smirked.

"I can't wait to see this," giggled Sebastian. I closed my eyes and channeled some of my ancient magic to increase the spell's area of effect, then with my eyes aglow I picked out two particular targets to be the main victims.

"Cantis Equus." First the tricolored light struck Garreth in the back, then Imelda in her left flank. Music began to blare from the corners of the Great Hall, causing many of the unsuspecting students to jump in their seats. Notes from a saxophone drowned out the multiple gasps and cries of confusion, and then after a few measures, Garreth and his friends blinked uncomfortably.

"Garreth, how'd you get a girl as cool as Imelda?" Leander asked loudly, standing up from his seat while staring down at his own mouth in bewilderment. A smug chuckle escaped from Garreth's mouth right in the middle of him exclaiming what in the hell was Prewett talking about; I could see his pupils shrink into terrified pinpricks from all the way over here.

"Looooove is easy, man, gotta keep it breezy, man," he sang as his eyes wildly searched the Great Hall for whoever was bewitching him. "Tell her that she's pretty and she's witty, and then tell her she's the only girl in the whole-ole world, is she! And then I'll leave her with a picture of me!" He waved his wand and conjured a complex, old-timey-looking camera by Equestrian standards, and blinked uncomfortably as the bulb flashed. The other students stared wordlessly as he continued singing and dancing, his friends dragged into the motions along with him like marionettes.

"Oh, this is bloody brilliant," Sebastian cackled.

"This is even better than what I expected," I snorted, nodding in agreement, 

"Is that really all it takes for a guy to get a date?" Leander, Hector Jenkins and a third Gryffindor boy I didn't recognize sang and bobbed their heads, while Garreth replied that yep, it was a piece of cake. Their verse was over, and they each breathed a sigh of relief as they no longer felt the compulsion of the curse, ignoring the stares and laughter of those around them as best they could.

And then it was the girls' turn. Imelda and three of the other Slytherin girls blinked as the curse affected each of them.

"Ugh, Imelda, Garreth is so hot," moaned Nerida, who looked horrified that she'd just said such a thing.

"He's scorching," added Priscilla, whose face screwed up into a grimace.

"He's boiling... like water," said Grace rather matter-of-factly; her expression barely changed as the other girls looked at her. Then Imelda's mouth opened wide, and judging by her expressions she absolutely hated what came out of it.

"Yeaaaaa, he's cute and all, looks good in a suit and all, but he doesn't focus, didn't notice when I changed the way I style my hair-"

"Wait, what?!" the girls chimed in unison, complete with mock surprise.

"I know!" Imelda glowered.

"It's totally different, you cut off two inches!" they sang in a harmonious acapella. All four of them were trying desperately to stop their bodies from moving and their mouths from singing, so their reactions of pure, unadulterated horror when the entirety of the student body began to unwillingly join them was just plain marvelous.

"CAKE! It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake! CAKE! It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake!"

The expressions on the faces of a good 90% of the other students were a delightful mixture of fear, disgust, confusion and humiliation. By this point, Sebastian and I were curled up in the fetal position at the Great Hall's threshold, tears streaming from our eyes in laughter. A part of me felt so good, so vindicated that all these unsuspecting mooks had to suffer the same curse I had suffered so many times before. The professors at the front of the room exchanged dumbfounded glances with each other, then at the impromptu musical unfolding before their eyes - while Ronen and Garlick seemed to actually enjoy the show and tilted their heads in time with the music, Sharp, Howin and Shah got up and rushed towards their respective House tables... only to fall victim to the curse as well. Watching them sing and dance renewed our hysterics, but to their credit they seemed to not let the embarrassment of singing and dancing affect them too much.

"Here's a piece for youuuuuuuuu!" Garreth crooned as he handed Imelda a Cauldron Cake, his body visibly trembling in anticipation of the wrath he'd surely find himself subjected to when the curse ended. Imelda accepted the cake brusquely, her body refusing to let her fling it to the ground. "Youuuuu look beautiful!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Imelda sang, her eyes alone promising untold death and destruction.

"You're the most incredible of any babe I've ever known!" If he could've squeaked the lyrics out like a mouse, he would've.

"Now, isn't that sweeeeet?" she snarled like a lion.

"I'm as sweet as can be!" I think I saw Garreth actually crying tears of pure terror as Imelda stared him down, while the rest of the school chimed that they were the most beautiful couple in the world. Something about that depraved juxtaposition just sent Sebastian, and he howled with laughter, rolling onto his side.

Alas... the song was beginning to wind down and reach its end. As much as we wanted to see everyone's reactions once they were freed from the curse, causing this much of a stir would definitely land us in hot water if we were caught. Still laughing and trying to wipe tears from my eyes, I grabbed Sebastian's hand and yanked him up from the floor, pulling him with me as we hobbled shakily towards the closest exit.


~


"See? See how completely unnatural it is for everyone to just start randomly singing and dancing?" We were still giggling to ourselves long after escaping the castle, wandering all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I hadn't expected we'd need to retreat this far, but Sebastian had gently tugged me along whenever I'd suggested we'd gone far enough.

It wasn't like I minded, though. We'd passed the only other people I'd seen outside long ago. And considering what day it was, perhaps he had something planned.

"But it's certainly amusing," he chuckled. "It's almost as though everyone's suddenly in the middle of a grand party, thoroughly wankered!" I blew a raspberry over my lips and burst into laughter again... I had to admit, humans had some pretty great words that Equestria simply didn't.

"Poor Garreth, though... I almost feel sorry for him," I smirked. "Imelda looked like she was going to rip him in half once the spell ended!"

"Heh... almost," he snickered. "Serves him right after he somehow turned his Strengthening Solution into Garroting Gas last week."

"Honestly, how has he not killed anyone yet?" I wondered out loud. Suddenly from the corner of my eye I saw a faint glow. It revealed itself to be a floating candle as I turned towards it, quickly joined by six others that materialized out of nothing. I glanced back at Sebastian, who simply shrugged his ignorance, then back at the candles. They began slowly floating into the forest, the light soft and ethereal.

"Is this why you've been nudging me in this direction?" I asked him with a blunt grin. He shook his head, though the smirk on his face belied the motion.

"Following floating candles into the Forbidden Forest?" he teased knowingly. "Well, then... after you."

I rolled my eyes with a smile and walked after the lights. They moved at a slow pace along the faint paths worn into the vegetation, ensuring that they never left my sight. As the shadows of the forest grew darker, the enchanted lights grew brighter to keep the darkness away. We walked for what felt like maybe twenty minutes until the darkness suddenly receded.

My mouth dropped open at the sight. It was a clearing in the middle of the forest, similar to the area with the small lake beside the entrance to the Map Chamber, but the pond here was smaller in width and deeper. Alongside the candles, with the moon shining down on the mirrorlike surface of the water, the undisturbed snow on its frozen banks glimmered beautifully like a quartz geode.

"Alright, this is really pretty," I sighed happily. "When'd you find this place?" Sebastian let out a hum as he waved his wand, conjuring up an assortment of items.

"Last year while looking for some Potions reagents," he answered simply as a large cushion not unlike a beanbag chair in shape appeared, a thick blanket resting on top. Next appeared two stacks of firewood and stone bricks a few feet away from the cushion. Some of the wood levitated itself into a neat little pile, then the bricks surrounded it to form a fire pit, and an Incendio easily set it ablaze.

Then he sat on the cushion and conjured up two small, glittering port wine glasses cut from fine crystal. My eyes sparkled as he pulled out a small, dark bottle from his pocket dimension, using a weak Accio to pull out the cork.

"'Bungbarrel Spiced Mead'," I joined him, reading the label with a sly grin. "Do I even want to know how you got your hands on this?"

"I wouldn't dream of stealing from dear Sirona, if that's what you're implying," he shook his head as he poured. "But the Hog's Head? The proprietor there isn't nearly as charming... nor as meticulous about his wares."

"Heh. You naughty boy," I purred as I accepted the glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers." We toasted to ourselves and sipped, the mead far too rich to drink quickly enough for anything more than a buzz. For a couple hours we sat there in the dark - talking and enjoying each other's company with only the crackling fire making any other sounds.

The more we cuddled together under the blanket, I had to admit to myself that I really liked it. Something about the way I felt when we were close like this was just so exhilarating, so empowering... something that felt almost as good as absorbing all the ancient magic I had, if not better. If I could have my way, I'd want to stay like this forever - feeling him supporting my back as I leaned against his shoulder, breathing in the gentle scent of his hair oil, hearing his soft breaths and heartbeat.

Eventually our conversation died down. After a few minutes of silent gazing at our surroundings, I felt Sebastian's body shift. "I was... wondering... er, and feel free to say 'no' at any point, I'd rather not make you uncomfortable-"

"Just say it," I tilted my head, smiling softly as I looked up to him with half-lidded eyes.

"Well... I-I was thinking-"

"I can tell, I can see your head smoking from here," I snarked. He shot me an unimpressed glare, and I chuckled to myself as I nodded for him to continue.

"...After all this is over, when we've finally worked out a cure for Anne, and you've claimed your ancient magic... I mean, it would probably be a bit too much to handle for either of us at the moment, but... Would you, erm... be interested in... proper courtship? With me?" His voice became a low, rumbling muttering; it took me a few seconds before I realized what he'd said. I spent a few moments processing it while he babbled on about how he knew he had more of his own problems to tend to first, though the rest of whatever he said became too gravelly and inaudible to discern.

A snort painfully ripped itself out of my nose as my entire body became so hot I could melt a glacier by just sitting on it. Both of us just sat there for a moment, blinking uncomfortably.

"...Er... was that a 'yes' or a 'no'...?" he asked slowly. Mentally I kicked my brain to try to get it to work again.

He... wants to date me? I mean, I already knew he liked me, and... I guess I like him too... but...

My mind ached as it went over everything I'd ever learned and observed about this sort of thing throughout my life. Generally it tended to go well for those who had become friends first, though sometimes couples just seemed to spontaneously appear in public without any rhyme or reason. But it didn't necessarily mean everything would be all hunky-dory afterwards, either... the relationship could sour as you got more intimate, learned more about your significant other's deeper, more personal likes and dislikes. And if they happened to break up, it was rare that they wanted to remain friends after they'd ended things... and even rarer still that they actually went through with it.

...He was already my friend, though. The... very first one I'd ever had. What if it turned out that we were better that way?

I... really liked having him around. He was smart, and strong, and bold, and driven... undaunted by the cowardice or threats of others and willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Devoting over a year of his life and time to finding a cure for his sister's curse was nothing to sneeze at, especially when he had to do so on his own - practically all of the ponies I'd ever known would've given up on a similar endeavor no more than a week in. And with such intelligence came an outstanding knowledge of magic; he was the only one who could ever come close to being my equal in... well, anything. With him by my side, the two of us would certainly become the most powerful witch and wizard in the world. Hell, the two of us could probably even take on Celestia herself, and win!

He was also loyal, and thoughtful, and generous, and kind... his wit never failed to make me laugh, and even now I found myself taken aback by his sense of selflessness. Even though I'd never ask it of him, if I needed him to drop what he was doing to aid me, I had no doubt in my mind that he would. And even after all these months I still found myself being frequently impressed with him, whether it was from a keen display of his skill and power, or him just sharing a basic anecdote about a simple topic.

Not to mention that for a human, he was so attractive it nearly hurt. His looks had definitely grown on me over the months; his hair, his eyes, that smile... Though I could tell he was physically strong, he was always so soft and gentle whenever we hugged. Just thinking about how warm and peaceful it made me feel made my cheeks heat up. And the way he seemed to just melt whenever we shared a bit of an intimate moment, it made me feel like a Siren seductress.

So the thought of him wanting to make things a little more serious between us... it should have been an easy answer. I should have wanted to grab him and proclaim him as mine that very moment.

But for the first time in as long as I could remember... I wasn't sure of what I wanted.

"I feel like I should tell you," I frowned. "Honestly? You're... actually the first friend I've ever had."

"Really?" he drew back, blinking incredulously. "But you're so... extraordinary!"

"I- ...well, yea, I know that." I couldn't help myself from grinning, though it quickly slid from my face. "But because of that... well, I don't know if I want to..."

...risk losing you.

...

...

...

...Wait, I should probably finish that sentence. "...Er, I mean, I... need to think about it." I cringed slightly as Sebastian's expression fell, he was probably hoping for a "yes".

...

...

...

Well... it wasn't like I was opposed to the idea. When we'd first met and I had... less than honest intentions with him, I rather enjoyed the thought of us being the most intimidating, most intelligent, most powerful couple in the school. I still liked the thought even now, but now that I'd gotten to know and care for him, there were plenty of other qualities in our relationship that I held in much higher regard. And if the past couple of days had been any indication: the Patronus charms, the Amortentia potion? Well, those were some pretty clear signs from Fate itself, or the universe or whatever. Maybe it would all work out after all.

But I just wanted... needed to be sure. Love and its many tropes and facets were everywhere in Equestrian culture, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced this sort of thing for myself, and I wanted... needed to be certain of how it might play out. For reassurance's sake I leaned over and gently took his hand in mine, my heart skipping a beat as he looked over to me.

"It's not a 'no'... and really, it'll probably be a 'yes' once I'm done... but I'd just like to think about it a bit first, okay?" I smiled lightly. He barely nodded, the same expression spreading over his face again.

"I see... Well, then I look forward to when you're done thinking about it." A faint chuckle left my nose, and my free arm wrapped around his front so I could hug him. A pang of pure happiness and warmth radiated from the depths of his soul, joining with my own emotions and amplifying them - when I next opened my eyes, I was slightly startled to find ancient magic surrounding me in a faint aura, vanishing in the blink of an eye as though blown away by the wind.

I wondered if it was possible he could feel what I felt in that moment. 

"I must say... I so enjoy embracing you," he sighed as he pulled me closer into his chest. 'You're so warm." I laughed at how cheesy the statement sounded, though feeling how genuine his emotions were I couldn't help but squeeze tighter.

"Yea? It is nice, huh?" I smirked. "...You've very cuddly."

"Cuddly?!" he scoffed jokingly as he let go, puffing out his chest. "Don't you mean strapping, or muscular, or perhaps even - as your music puts it - cut?"

"Well, I wouldn't know, since I've never seen you with less than three layers of clothes on," I leered, tugging on his cloak. He blushed as he laughed, covering my hand with his. After our giggling died down, one of the pieces of wood in the fire burst with a loud crack.

"We should probably be going... Don't want to be caught out after curfew, after all," he hummed.

"Aw, but don't you like being out here in this secret, secluded spot, all alone with me?" I grinned deviously, chuckling as his pink cheeks flushed even redder. "...You're right, though. Let's go." I stood up and Vanished the conjured objects while he doused the fire with Aguamenti, and we set off back through the forest to Hogwarts.


~


No one was around when we passed through the doors. The plan was to pass the time in the Slytherin common room until it was time for Astronomy class, as well as glean from the other students what might've happened after my curse had worn off. We couldn't help but titter in excitement as we walked, quietly suggesting in ever grandiose fantasies how violent things might've become.

"And just where do the two of you think you're going?" The sharp tone of Professor Weasley's voice made both of us jump in surprise, though we both quickly adopted as inconspicuous a mask as we could.

"Er... hello, Professor Weasley," Sebastian answered first, flashing his most charming grin.

"We were... just going to the common room... to study!" I smiled, feigning innocence as best I could. But unfortunately, Weasley saw right through it. She tutted as she tapped a finger against her crossed arms.

"...Fifty points from Slytherin, and detention. Both of you."

"What? What for?" I blinked, acting surprised while Sebastian flipped his pocketwatch open.

"But it's only... 8:30! We haven't broken curfew, or any other rules I can think of," he lied smoothly.

"You both know exactly the reason why," her eyes narrowed. "While I and the other professors are quite impressed by your spellcasting prowess, Miss Shimmer, your modified Cantis jinx caused multiple fights involving both food and magic to break out after it ended. The House elves will be up for hours cleaning the mess in the Great Hall! And poor Garreth... Miss Reyes is lucky I am only giving her detention for two weeks as punishment for what she did to him."

"...But why am I getting detention?" Sebastian frowned while I glanced away in slight annoyance. Damn it... who saw us? Who ratted us out?!

"Professor Hecat saw both of you standing by the entrance, laughing at everyone's impromptu performance. She has also seen the two of you test that spell before in her class."

...Oh.

"Friday afternoon, after classes are finished for the day. I daresay Mr. Sallow can show you the way, Miss Shimmer," she glared at down me over her nose. Doing a quick mental check, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that neither Sebastian nor I had a Crossed Wands duel scheduled then. This wouldn't be too bad. "Now, off to the common room with you... and please try not to cause such a ruckus the next time you're experimenting with a spell."

Even as she walked briskly away... Sebastian and I shared a glance, and we couldn't help but snicker together. My spell had caused that much chaos?

"Worth it."

"Oh, absolutely."

Maybe we should've stuck around to watch after all.


~


Thursday and Friday came and went, Professor Weasley glaring at me pointedly as I left her Transfiguration class. With almost an air of pride, Sebastian led me to the Detention Chamber down a corridor in the dungeons. Once we'd finally reached the room he took a moment to peek inside through the cracked-open door.

"Oh, good," he sighed in relief. "Moon's watching over us."

"Is he lenient?" I asked.

"Very. He won't even take our wands, he'll just have us set them out in front of us on our desks." He kindly opened the door with a grin and beckoned me inside. Other than Imelda (who shot me a death glare) and a pair of 1st-year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boys I didn't know the names of, the room was practically empty. There were nine desks arranged in the center of the room, with Mr. Moon sitting at a tenth desk at the front.

"Ah, Mr. Sallow," Moon greeted casually in his nasally, faux-posh voice, clearly used to seeing him in detention. "Oh, and, uh... Miss Shimmer, wasn't it?"

"Yep." I'm honestly surprised you remember, given how drunk you were when we first met.

"Right... well, sit down, place your wands out in front of you, and we'll all get this over with," he mumbled. Sebastian and I sat down at the centermost desk and placed our wands just out of our reach on its surface. For a few awkward minutes we stared at Mr. Moon, who sighed as he kicked up his feet on his desk, pulled out a flask from his pocket and took a swig.

...

...

...

He sighed again, much louder this time. It was like he had something on his mind, yet some shred of sobriety within his brain was managing to keep him from saddling us with the burden of his barely-coherent yammering.

...

...

...

And then, the strained shred gave out and snapped. "Have I ever told you fine students about my dear relative James?" Sebastian groaned as the rest of us shook our heads.

"Not this again," he muttered, slamming his face on the desk.

"Mm, yes... James A. Moon, fine inventor of the Karikari. It was a most peculiar machine, being composed of a broad axe, some iron bars, a box half-stuffed with raw cotton, a string and a candle. One fine day, James rented a room at the Lahr house where he lived and brought with him all these things. He set them up so that the axe was weighted down with the iron bars, and the string was tied to the axe to hold it up until the candle burned through, then he prepared the box and strapped himself to the floor, resting his head inside with his neck lying on the very edge. His calculations were so precise that when the string finally burned through and the axe dropped onto his neck, there wasn't a single ligament left to join it in the box. Ah, if only someone would patent that wondrous machine, so that dear old James could be remembered as the visionary he truly was. The appliances which had been used to produce death were most wonderful, and will stand in the history of suicides without a parallel."

...

Sebastian groaned again while the rest of us stared at Moon in stunned shock. Suddenly I found myself feeling quite concerned for the loony lush.

"What... what was even the point of that story?!" Imelda threw up her hands in disgust.

"Why, I simply wish I could come up with an invention even half as brilliant," Mr. Moon replied as he took another swig from his flask. While his attention was focused on Imelda, I slowly, carefully edged my hand towards my wand. This was already a boring waste of my time, and I wasn't sitting through another disturbing story like that if I could help it.

"Brilliant?! He simply wanted to commit suicide in the flashiest manner possible!" she argued. "He sounded even barmier than... than Barnabas the Barmy!"

"Ah, Miss Reyes, it is often said that the brightest of minds are also the most eclectic!" he argued genially. My fingertips grazed against my wand; it was enough of a connection to cast a spell. I smirked as I silently Transfigured a decorative globe that was behind Mr. Moon. "The distinction of the Karikari has been unmatched since then!"

"Yes, because nobody else has been mental enough to kill themselves in such a fashion-" Imelda's argument petered out once she realized what was behind him, and she pressed her lips together.

"It is unfortunate that he had to test it upon himself in order to prove to the world that his machine deserved a patent, just imagine the refinements he could have created had he lived! The Karikari would be a household name- ...er, why are you all looking at me like that?"

It wasn't so much that the five of us were staring at Mr. Moon, but rather at the Demiguise that was sitting on the desk just out of his line of sight. He finally turned his head towards the creature, which made a confused squeak as it tilted its own head in response.

And Mr. Moon couldn't stop screaming. He froze in his chair screaming at the poor creature until his lungs were empty and the scream had devolved into a shrill wheeze. It was only then that he finally summoned the courage to get up and bolt out of the room. Once we could no longer hear his footsteps, the Demiguise calmly groomed its arm before disappearing from sight.

...

...

...

"...Hmph. Suppose I should be glad you're so good at pranking your peers," Imelda snorted, crossing her arms as she eyed me with a blend of gratitude and contempt. "You're nearly worse of a menace than Peeves."

"I have my uses," I replied smugly, reclaiming my wand and twirling it in my fingers as I leaned back in my chair.

"...Does this mean we can leave?" the little Gryffindor boy asked.

"Well, depending on how long you've been made to sit here... better make sure none of the professors catch you out," shrugged Sebastian. At his suggestion, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boys exchanged a look, then ran out of the room to their freedom.

"How long do we have to sit here?" I grumbled. "Weasley never did mention a time limit."

"Oh, usually about three hours for me," replied Sebastian with a bored expression.

"Well, you two can waste your time here... I'm leaving," huffed Imelda. "Once I'm outside on my broom, they'll never even know I'm gone." We watched as she quickly left the room, and I let out a sigh.

"...So. You wanna get out of here, too?"

"Let's. I can think of plenty more places I'd rather spend my time alone with you," he grinned. I coughed out a laugh as a blush flared across my cheeks... he could be so demure at times, yet so suggestive at others. It had to be on purpose.


~


Late Saturday morning, Sebastian, Ominis and I teleported to Feldcroft to meet with Anne. Since two out of the three of us were technically banished from the hamlet, we were gathering by a shallow cave at the base of the small hill the town was situated on, long ago dug out and reinforced with boulders and wooden palisades as a result of constant goblin raids. When asked about it, Sebastian had told me that the raids had once been rather uncommon, happening perhaps once every year or two in the past, but shortly before Anne had been cursed they'd steadily increased until they became a monthly occurrence. The last one where we'd helped in fighting them off had been the last one since - apparently they were too terrified of the giant snake I'd Transfigured to come back.

The three of us waited nervously. Finally I saw Anne approaching from the distance, slowly stumbling over the uneven, frosty ground. Even from far away, I could feel the agony and despair creeping around her heart, but also a faint spark of hope. But that spark was beginning to fade away, and fast.

"Anne!" Sebastian gasped, dashing forward to greet her, taking in her condition. "Oh, Anne..."

"It's good to see you," I sighed, looking her over with a frown. If anything, she looked even worse than she did when I first met her. Her skin was sickly, tinged with a faint yellow-green, and the dark circles beneath her eyes could've been mistaken for bruises. Her cheeks were sunken inward, and she appeared gaunt and frail. Placing the back of my hand against her forehead revealed that she was burning hot with fever. "Oh, Celestia," I bit my lip nervously, "...I need to cast a diagnostic charm on you to find out what's going on, is that okay?"

"Er... yes, go ahead," she nodded weakly. At once I pulled out a few pieces of quartz enchantment stones from my pocket dimension, then conjured up five large chalkboards that hovered around me, each with their own stick of chalk. A quick wave of my wand attached the quartz pieces to both the bottoms of the chalk and my wand, and then I cast the diagnostic charm, its light sweeping up and down her body. After a few moments, the pieces of chalk began to scratch and scribble the gleaned medical information frantically on their corresponding boards.

And what they all were writing down chilled me to my core. My face fell, and I felt a dark, cold pit engulf my stomach.

Oh, no... if that's what's happening... then I can't fix that.

"No." The denial bled from my mouth as I checked and rechecked each calculation, my eyes flashing over every bit of data being recorded. "That can't be right... no. No, no, no, damn it, no!"

"W-What's wrong?" Sebastian stammered nervously, while Anne's expression grew more alarmed by the moment.

"...She's gaining an immunity to the potion," my shoulders slumped as I went over the calculations in my head once more, finding that, unfortunately... I was correct.

"What does that mean?" asked Ominis warily.

"It means the potion has been becoming slowly less effective as time goes on, until it's practically as useless as just plain water. It seems..." My eyes flicked towards the fourth chalkboard, where there was a list of antibody percentages beside their corresponding ingredients. The data indicated that her body really did not like the Umbrum Crystal, even though that one ingredient was what kept the vast majority of the curse in check, in a paradoxical twist of fate.

Anne's eyes traveled over the list of ingredients. "Grindylow fingers... Dementor's cloak... Rougarou hair... Sebastian, is this a Dark potion you and Sunset have been giving me?!" she groaned as her eyes flew towards her brother.

"Er... well, yes," he answered hesitantly. "Didn't I tell you that?" She stared at him in silence for a moment.

"...No! You only said this potion would help treat my condition! You didn't say anything about it being brewed with Dark magic!" Ominis gently put a hand to his forehead and grunted, slightly shaking his head in disappointment.

"Well, to be fair, it's not all Dark magic," I shrugged. "Just maybe... I dunno, 51% Dark." Anne blinked a few times, her skin somehow paling to an even whiter shade as she gaped in horror.

"No... I don't want this," she shook her head, trembling. "I don't want to be cured if it means I must resort to using Dark magic!" While Ominis glanced away uncomfortably, Sebastian's face fell as he shook his head in disbelief, while I slapped my palm over my face to hide my own annoyance.

Oh for- ...thinks just like Ominis, huh? So that means you're a coward, too. Sigh.

"But Anne... I don't understand," mouthed Sebastian. "Don't you wish to be cured?"

"Yes, but not like this," she warbled. "Please... this isn't right! O-Our family does not resort t-to using-"

"Oh, forget about what your uncle says and think for yourself for once!" I couldn't help but snap. "When the potion was working, you were back to your old self, right? Do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life? Unable to do anything or go anywhere because of this pain?"

"Of course not," she weakly shook her head. "But my uncle... we've already been to St. Mungo's, used all of his old contacts in the Ministry, seen a Cursebreaker, asked Professor Sharp if he had any experience with Dark magic of this nature, and none of them have been able to help. And Merlin knows how many ideas Sebastian's come up with to try to cure me..." she sighed bitterly. "What my uncle says is true. It cannot be undone."

"Yea? And I'm only counting four things he's actually tried, out of an infinite potential of options," I groused. "If Solomon actually cared about you, then he wouldn't have given up on finding a cure for you before it'd even been a full year since you got cursed. He'd still be out searching for anything that could help!"

Anne blinked, stunned as if she'd been struck. "But... Solomon... my uncle does care about me-"

"Then he should be doing everything in his power to cure you, not telling you to just accept your fate and die screaming," I argued, pinching the bridge of my nose. Clearly, Sebastian got the lion's share of the brains between the two of them. "If the magic that will cure you exists out there, then who gives a damn if it's considered Dark?"

"B-But..." I cut her off by huffing in frustration, wondering why she was so insistent on not helping herself. It had to be Solomon's doing, and the mere thought of that foolish, pigheaded creature infuriated me.

"I just don't understand it... why would you listen to a single word that wretched man says? Especially after everything he's ever done to your brother, he doesn't even deserve to be your guardian. Surely you've noticed how much of an abusive git he always was to him!"

"I-"

"Hell, did it ever even occur to you that it might've been weird that he treated you so nicely, yet treated your own twin brother like he was less than dirt? Doesn't that bother you at all?!" Anne fell silent as she gaped at me, frozen by her heavily conflicted thoughts. After a few moments I mentally smacked myself in the forehead and sighed. I was getting off track.

...Even though I was right. It disgusted me just how much that prick had managed to poison Anne against her own will to survive... and against her own brother. Even before she was cursed, she had simply let all the abuse happen to Sebastian; sure, she did what she could to patch him back up, but she did nothing to stop it from happening in the first place.

And now, the denial, the ignorance, the kowtowing... in the moment I found myself feeling nearly as much revulsion towards her as I did for that man. How weak was she to let herself be so influenced, while her brother remained proud and unbroken?

And yet, despite all of this, this betrayal by abetment... he still loved her, I could feel it. He still wanted to see her cured, despite her inaction. That bond between them must've been unbelievably strong, she must've been one hell of a girl before she was cursed.

...Part of me wondered what a bond like that must've felt like. I heard Anne sigh painfully, and slid my eyes back over towards her.

"But... the reagents are... troubling," she finally stammered out. "How do you know the potion was really helping me? What if it was only making it worse?"

"Because it worked before, didn't it? At least for a while," I sucked my lips inside my mouth in guilt. "Look, I made absolutely sure it wouldn't affect you negatively before giving it to you, I never would've suggested it if there were any side effects. I just... didn't see this happening. My calculations-"

Anger. Heartbreak. Disappointment. Demoralization.

"Were apparently wrong!" Ominis suddenly hissed; Clotho and Atropos hissed in unison with him on his shoulders, while Lachesis gormlessly burped up an immature egg. "How dare you give her false hope, Sunset... you should have known what the effects of that potion would have been! You should have known it would no longer be effective for her!"

"I did know what the effects were, I brewed the damn thing from scratch myself!" I barely shook my head as I turned towards Ominis. "I even accounted for a possible immunization factor, my formulas included multiple ways to compensate! That's why I don't know why this is happening!"

"But it did, and now Anne is all the worse for it!" he snarled, edging closer, pointing his wand actually in my direction for once. "You think you're so smart, think you can play with Dark magic without any ill effect. You think that you know everything... well, it's quite clear to all of us that you don't! Anne could quite possibly die because of your negligence, and it'll be all your fault!"

"I... I-I..."

...Well, crap. Uncalled for, but... kinda true. The guilt I felt from letting him down, letting Anne down, letting Sebastian down... it was rapidly multiplying like a cancer within me, and with it grew a cold, paralyzing fear that dripped down my spine.

I was wrong... I was wrong.

My potion was a failure.

I was wrong.

I could feel something breaking inside of me, sharp like glass.

"I swear... if you don't somehow fix this, if you don't return her to the way she was just two months ago... then Merlin as my witness, I will make you pay for this! I will bring the entirety of the House of Gaunt to bear against you!" he shouted, trying to hold back a sob. The three of us recoiled in shock.

"...But, you hate your family," I deadpanned, momentarily pushing past my emotions.

"I will make an exception!" he roared, instantly crushing the moment of bravery and making me flinch again.

"Ominis, that's enough," Sebastian cut in, a dark scowl forming on his face. "She was only trying to help!"

"And look where that help has led us!" he argued, huffing out a mirthless chuckle. "It's exactly like I said before... neither of you know when to stop, do you?!"

"AT LEAST SHE TRIED!" Ominis flinched as Sebastian shrieked at him, unable to hold back any longer. "What have you done to help?! You're in love with her, for Merlin's sake!" Before Ominis could come up with a retort, they were both interrupted by someone else's agonized groan that quickly built up into a blood-curdling scream. Beside me, Anne doubled over in pain and collapsed, desperately clutching her abdomen.

My eyes widened as I stood there, powerless to help her. The way she writhed on the ground... reminded me of when I had suffered Sebastian's Crucio.

"Stop... please... s-stop..." she barely whimpered through heavy breaths, tears and her body heat melting the rime on the ground, the mud smearing onto the side of her face. Ominis and Sebastian immediately ceased their fighting and rushed over to help her into a sitting position. I began to reach into my pocket dimension for the Umbrum potion I'd prepared beforehand, hoping that the new formula would help to ease her pain...

...But the guilt prevented me from pulling it out. I let go of it and withdrew my arm, holding it limply at my side. "I'm... sorry, Anne... O-Ominis... Seb," I grimaced, staring at the ground. "I-I don't know why you gained an immunity, and I don't know if I-I can substitute that reagent for anything else as effective..."

"Well, can't you just readjust the formulas or something?" begged Sebastian. "We just need a little more time... we're so close to figuring out how the relic works, and once we do, we can cure Anne of this curse once and for all!"

"R-Relic?" Anne breathed. Ominis let out an unhappy grunt as Sebastian explained.

"Yes... it's a long story, but we found a spellbook owned by Salazar Slytherin himself that mentioned a relic in the nearby catacombs with the power to reverse Dark magic curses. We've learned more about it since... we cross-referenced Slytherin's spellbook with everything in the library on relics and dark sacrifices."

"It turns out the thing's only gonna work inside the catacomb," I nodded, jutting my thumb in its direction. "But that's alright, the only things that would bother us in there are some spiders. Now we just need to figure out what the dark sacrifice is to activate it, and after that, you can consider this curse as good as gone." Despite her new knowledge of this backup plan, Anne simply stared at the two of us, her mouth quivering like a fish's before finally turning towards her brother.

"Sebastian," she gasped, her eyes filled with dread. "...A lost relic from a catacomb that requires a dark sacrifice?"

"I know how it sounds," he nodded, "but if this can help you, it's worth the risk." She blinked a few times before turning towards Ominis.

"And you...?"

"He helped find the scriptorium where we discovered Slytherin's spellbook," Sebastian rationalized quickly, cutting off whatever Ominis might've been opening his mouth to say. Instead he chose to close it, his lips forming a thin line as he nodded. Seemingly satisfied with this supplied answer, Anne turned back towards Sebastian.

"...Very well, if Ominis agrees with you... but we don't have much time. Solomon... wants to leave Feldcroft."

"What?!" the three of us uttered in unison.

"L-Leave Feldcroft...?!" Sebastian stammered in disbelief.

"And he wasn't going to tell his own nephew about it?" I groused incredulously as I realized the implications of that statement - not only did Solomon banish Sebastian from his own home, but now he was also going to hide himself and his sister from him? And her own consent to this action was dubious at best... with any poor luck, Sebastian might've never been able to find her again. "Wooooow... now that's just wrong on so many levels," I growled.

"But... but..." Ominis couldn't bring himself to continue his train of thought.

"Never mind that... you need to stall him," Sebastian pleaded anxiously. "Buy us time, Anne... please." Anne's eyes locked with her brother's, then to Ominis', and then finally to mine. We were all silently begging her to stay.

"...I'll do my best," she nodded, as resolutely as she could manage in her state. She groaned in pain as she clutched her abdomen again... she was likely done with talking to us for the day.

Sebastian seemed to sense this, too. "Ominis... can you help Anne back to the house for me?"

"Of course," he sighed, already reaching down to help her up. "Come, let's get you inside before you catch a cold."

"T-Thank you," Anne shivered as she pressed herself against Ominis for warmth. They slowly began walking around the palisades and back into the hamlet, but not before she glanced back at her brother. "I... h-hope to see you again soon, Sebastian... I love you."

His breath hitched in his throat; her farewell had sounded especially morbid, as though she wasn't actually sure she'd ever see him again. I swallowed uncomfortably while he weakly lifted a hand to wave.

"...I love you too, Anne. I'll see you soon."

Cherishment. Isolation. Incompetence. Fear. He watched as they disappeared around a corner, only allowing his composure to break once they were gone. I laid a hand on his back and rubbed gently, my heart aching as I felt him tremble.

"No... Solomon can't take Anne from Feldcroft," Sebastian barely whispered as he shook his head. "Where would they go? ...When would I see her? I... I-I can't believe he wants to leave."

"He'd better not," I lowered my head. "If we're going to cure her with the relic, then we need more time. And the way he's going about this is seriously messed up, too. I can't imagine Anne's really okay with this."

He sighed bitterly. "...Solomon's never cared for what I've thought. Nor what she thinks, but... she just doesn't see that." Disgust dripped down into a puddle within my soul, rippling outwards and smoothing out until the feeling transformed into a vengeful pity.

If we could cure her, if we could save Anne and prove Solomon wrong... perhaps she'd be less willing to go along with his abuse. Maybe she would see how much more worthy her own twin brother was of her love and protection than her uncle.

Maybe the two of them... could then finally begin to heal.


~


I hadn't felt much like eating or studying when we returned to Hogwarts. I sat despondently in a chair in a corner of my Room, staring vacantly at all the blackboards crammed full of diagrams and equations, all the work I'd done on the Umbrum potion.

All those calculations, all those formulae, all those careful measurements and substitutions...

But despite all my work, despite my best intentions, I had failed. Somehow Anne had gained an immunity to the main component of the treatment... was it because Equestrian Dark magic wasn't as compatible with human biology as I thought? Even though the crystal had been imbued with the pure essence of two different flavors of Imperio, which should have halted the curse's effect in its entirety?

Maybe that was why it had failed... the two Imperio spells were counteracting each other.

...

I shook my head as I mulled it over, simulating the effects in my mind. The two spells should have been working in perfect harmony - the fluxweed and borage encouraged their symbiosis, and the added powdered half-teaspoon of Niffler's Fancy further focused their magic-nullifying effects solely on the curse. Not only that, but I'd also added an eighth of a teaspoon of Sopophorus Bean juice and two dragonfly thoraxes toasted for five minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the latter of which had the additional effect of strengthening the body against any ill effects the residual Dark magic might've caused.

I went over the list of ingredients again, and again, shaking my head once more when I reconfirmed that none of the reagents were known contraindicatives of each other... at least, none except for the one purely Equestrian reagent. I cursed at myself, slapping a hand to my forehead - I had been so sure that an Umbrum Crystal was the answer to Sebastian's prayers, the solution he'd sought for so long. In theory it should've worked perfectly, but... I guess there was something about it that wasn't quite compatible with humans.

I could likely find a workaround eventually, find the right reagent that would counter that ill effect, but... how long would it take? How many reagents would I need to experiment with before finding the right one? Anne's condition was far worse than it was when I'd first met her, and with Solomon threatening to take her away and disappear into obscurity, time was something Sebastian and I didn't have much of.

...

...

...

I hated the thought of failure. With an uncertain time limit lingering in the back of my mind, the thought became an obsession. My heart felt like something had frozen it solid and then thrown it into an ice crusher.

Before, in Equestria, when I had failed my current task I would ruminate on it until I understood exactly where I'd gone wrong, then redouble my efforts until I got it right, doing it again and again until I had it down perfectly. I had no one relying upon me back then... only Celestia, who simply watched my progress and offered me encouragement.

But here, now... someone's life was on the line. Someone's loved one was depending on me... two people's loved one, to be precise. The added pressure of not only meeting, but exceeding their expectations closed in around me, squeezing me like a vise slowly tightening around my chest. Though it was all in my own mind, the pressure was claustrophobic, nearly suffocating.

And suddenly I felt a tangible pressure on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed Sebastian entering the room.

"Sunset... are you alright?" he asked, frowning with worry. I could only groan out an immediate reply; my fingers threaded through my hair and pulled, the pain only dulling the agony of my failure by a fraction. It took me a few moments to force out the words.

"I'm sorry... I-I don't know why my potion failed... I've n-never made such a huge mistake before-"

"Hey." He knelt down onto his knees, gently wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "You said so yourself that your calculations accounted for the possibility of an immunity, and your formulas compensated for that possibility. You did all you could to make that potion work. It's not fair for you to blame yourself for something neither of us could have foreseen."

I blinked in surprise. He was depending on me to help cure his sister, but my potion had failed to keep away her pain. And yet... "You're... y-you're not... mad?"

"No... of course I'm not angry with you," he soothed, shaking his head, sighing sadly before speaking again. "...How could I be angry with the only one who will help me?"

I mean... I would be. I'd be furious if I were you, I frowned to myself as I relaxed into his hold, allowing him to comfort me. He sighed again as I let my forehead drop against his shoulder.

"I meant it when I said that I truly appreciate you standing by me through this. Even if your potion has ceased to work, you still gave Anne a reprieve from her curse, and brought back the dear sister I once knew. I could never be angry or disappointed with you for giving her... me... us that hope."

Even though his words felt like a patronizing white lie, his emotions spoke the truth: pure warmth, compassion, optimism and affection bled from his soul into mine. Feeling what he felt eased my mind, the melancholy and disappointment fading away and being replaced with encouragement and determination. I exhaled as I finally allowed myself to forgive myself.

"We will figure out how to use the relic, and we will cure Anne. I believe that with every fiber of my being," he reaffirmed. "There's nothing the two of us together can't achieve."

I allowed myself to believe him as I returned the hug, my resolve returning to me in full force.

"...We'll start our experiments tomorrow."
> In Which Our Heroine Tackles the Trial of Wisdom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Anne's curse fully active again, Sebastian and I began our experiments in earnest.

We started small, still cautious of the relic's power even though it wasn't supposed to be very effective outside of its catacomb. The purpose of these tests was to determine the nature of the dark sacrifice, starting with the most obvious possibilities. After casting Mucus ad Nauseam on a caged rat placed next to it, first we levitated valuable objects of increasing rarity towards the relic - a stack of Galleons, a pile of gemstones, a mermaid artifact I'd stolen from Nerida, an Umbrum Crystal -  then we took turns reading the curse dispersal incantation in Slytherin's spellbook out loud. Nothing happened, so we could at least rule out material offerings. The other usual sacrifice involved with objects of such a dark nature was tested next - a victim's life force.

Another caged rat was levitated beside the relic. No sooner than Sebastian spoke the last word in the incantation, the sacrificial subject squealed in agony and dropped dead. We swallowed nervously; a diagnostic charm performed on the cursed rat showed that - indeed - the curse had been fully dispelled. A promising result, but this was merely a small-scale experiment. We'd need to repeat it on larger test subjects to determine the minimum threshold of life the relic would accept.

It was a good thing Poppy wasn't privy to our plans... she'd probably gut me like a fish if she knew I was using rats to run the tests. As regrettable as the loss of animal life was, however, it was standard protocol to use something small and expendable rather than jumping straight to human testing. Going to an Ashwinder or poacher camp, disabling them somehow without harming them too much, securing them against breaking free and sneaking them back into the castle was definitely the final step in the process, but just such an undertaking needed a little more preparation. We needed to make absolutely sure they'd stay under our control and couldn't escape into the castle. I mean... these criminals wouldn't exactly be missed, but it was still extremely illegal, after all. Experimentation on innocent(ish) humans had to be worth at least a couple years in Azkaban.

The days passed. After ruling out every other possible sacrifice we could think of, we agreed that the only one the relic would accept was something's life force. Knowing this made the both of us uneasy... it was only natural to begin assuming a human life would be necessary to dispel a curse as serious as Anne's. Slowly we increased the severity of the curse afflicted on the rats, and tried decreasing the size of the sacrificial target, the results somewhat varying. It would take time to find the least problematic ratio of curse to sacrifice.

Besides homework and studying for our approaching OWLs, and my own further experimentation with ancient magic, we barely spent any time on anything else. The only break we took was on Ominis' birthday, which was February the 21st. He didn't want anything elaborate; just dinner at the Three Broomsticks and simple gifts of candy and Zonko's tat. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos even got him a dead squirrel, which was... sweet for a three-headed snake.


~


At last, on the first day of March, the Polyjuice Potion was ready to use - I could finally access the next trial. In the morning I had a quick word with Fig to let him know, then after History of Magic Sebastian and I quickly made our way to the Undercroft to bottle the horrendous-looking sludge, bringing it straight to the Magic Theory classroom's office.

"So, you've got some of Headmaster Black's hair or whatever?" I asked, holding the vial of nearly black gloop at arm's length - the smell had gradually gotten worse the longer it brewed. At this point, if I hadn't gotten used to it, it'd probably make me start retching.

"Right here," said Fig, producing three strands of oily dark gray hair from a folded handkerchief. One of them even still had the root attached to it; I chose to use that one and gingerly picked it up. "Now, time is of the essence... drink up."

"Right..." I carefully dropped the hair into the vial, my face screwing up into a grimace as the muddy liquid inside changed to become a thin, foamy green that reminded me of pond scum. I glanced over to the others before plucking up some courage... and swallowing down the thick saliva already coating my throat. Both of them were watching with bated breath, sickened and intrigued.

This better be worth it.

"Welp... bottoms up," I mumbled, lifting the vial to my lips. I tried to drink the potion as quickly as possible so I wouldn't have to taste it much, but...

...OH SWEET CELESTIA, THAT'S NASTY!

It tasted like sour cream mixed with soap, rotten apples and just a hint of denatonium benzoate. I had to force myself to swallow the dose, the vial dropping to the floor and shattering as I desperately clasped my hands over my mouth in an attempt to not throw up and waste all that effort. Knowing that I was going to gain even more ancient magic was likely the only thing that helped me keep it down.

But then my insides started writhing, as though a crazed ferret had wiggled inside my guts and was trying to claw itself free. A nauseating moist heat radiated from my stomach outwards, down both my arms and legs, then quickly morphed into a sensation like I was a candle being tossed into a fireplace. Throughout it all I could hear my bones cracking and knitting back together, feel my muscles tearing themselves apart and mending again, the entire transformation reminding me of the painful trip through the Crystal Mirror so many months ago. My eyes watered and stung, and I tried my hardest to muffle my screams in case anyone else was nearby. While Sebastian watched with a deeply worried expression, Fig simply waved his wand to Transfigure my clothes into an exact copy of Black's usual outfit.

Finally, the nausea and pain subsided. By the time I could open my eyes again, I found myself quite a bit taller than I used to be.

"How do you feel?" Fig asked expectantly. First I looked at my hands, unnerved to see them so fat, rough and calloused, then touched my palms to my cheeks and felt my new facial hair.

"Oh... oh, this is... this is weird," I mouthed in shock as I continued to grope at myself. I even sounded like Headmaster Black, my voice had changed entirely. It was like discovering myself after first being transformed into a human all over again.

"Well, you certainly sound like Headmaster Black," confirmed Sebastian, still mildly worried and repulsed by my transformation. Honestly, I couldn't blame him one bit.

"Yes, most convincing," hummed Fig. "Now, as we discussed you'll need the password from Scrope, who could be anywhere in the castle. You might look for Madam Kogawa - she's taken to badgering the poor elf about Quidditch in the hopes that he can convince Black to change his mind... thus far unsuccessfully."

"Alright... and you'll take care of the real Black for me?" I tilted my head at first when I asked, but then decided to lean forward with an imposing stare, trying to get into character. From what I knew of Changeling espionage, the drones that weren't discovered went the extra mile to copy even their mark's most subtle mannerisms, such as their gait and tone of voice.

"I have told him we're to meet a liaison from the Ministry in Hogsmeade," Fig nodded. "That should give you plenty of time."

"Ah, if you're going to the Three Broomsticks or Hog's Head, then you should buy him a shot or two of Campbell's Finest Old Whisky," suggested Sebastian. "I've heard from Ominis that he can't resist the stuff. Once he's properly buggered, he won't suspect a thing when your liaison never shows up."

"I see," Fig lifted a hand to his chin in thought, "...An excellent idea, Mr. Sallow."

"Well, I think it's a rubbish idea!" I grinned while imitating the Headmaster as best I could. "What in Merlin's name are you suggesting, Mr. Sallow? Getting me, Headmaster Black, drunk and vulnerable and ruining my sterling reputation?! I should think making you my personal assistant for a week will show you just how important I really am!" He blinked in astonishment a few times before opening his mouth.

"...That was frighteningly accurate."

"That was the idea," I huffed with pride. "So, I guess I'll see you later then, Fig."

"Take care, Sunset," Fig replied, grabbing a cloak from a nearby coat rack. "I'll lure Black out now, it should only take a few minutes until you can begin your search." After he left the office I spent about ten minutes practicing the Headmaster's mannerisms, wanting to be sure my disguise was foolproof. Once I was ready, Sebastian peeked out through the door to make sure no one was in the halls so I could leave without any suspicion. Just before leaving the classroom himself, however, he cast Disillusionment on himself, the modified charm leaving himself partially visible to me.

"Ah, you're tagging along?" I smirked.

"But of course," he replied. "An opportunity like this doesn't come often... it would be a shame if our illustrious Headmaster didn't cause some grief whilst searching for his house elf. Not to mention, I've always wondered what fun things he might have in his office..." I nodded thoughtfully, the corners of my mouth pulling downwards as I mulled it over, eventually spreading into a cruel smile.

"Oh, Sebby... I love the way you think sometimes."

"Am I not a genius?" he raised his head with a smug grin. I stifled a chuckle and cleared my throat.

"Well, then... follow me, Mr. Sallow." Hearing his careful footsteps behind me, I started down the hallway. As it was getting close to dinner time, there was hardly anyone around. No other students to terrify with just my mere presence alone.

But presently, I did come across someone that gave me a little worry. "Headmaster... a moment of your time, please." Turning my head I saw Professor Sharp approaching, and I frowned inwardly. What did he want? I hoped it wasn't something only Black would have knowledge of. Nevertheless, I kept up my appearance. "I was hoping to catch you, I-"

"Sharp! Make it snappy, for I have places to be!" I answered brusquely, hiding a smile as he quickly stood up just a little bit straighter.

"Of course, sir... only, you'd asked me about a particular potion, and I... well, I..." Judging by how uncomfortable he looked, now I was deeply curious what this potion was meant for.

"...I did, didn't I?" I sneered. "Well, spit it out, Sharp, I don't have all day."

"Er... probably best not to discuss it here, sir," he muttered in a hushed voice, glancing from side to side down the halls. The only others nearby were a cluster of 4th-years talking amongst themselves, occasionally looking in our direction - it wasn't often the Headmaster was seen wandering around the castle.

"Psh, please... I assure you, Sharp, you may speak freely," I grinned haughtily, waving a hand. Sharp swallowed nervously and took a deep breath. I had to admit, I rather liked being able to boss him around with no repercussions, and the same would likely be true for the others.

"Very well... I've brewed the Cure for Boils you wanted. I can drop it by your office when it's convenient." Behind me I heard Sebastian guffaw suddenly, which nearly broke my own wavering composure. I heard giggling from the group of 4th-years as well.

Boils, huh? Well, that's embarrassing... I think the entire school ought to know about this little revelation.

"Ah... I-I see." I forced my mouth into a thin line. "Well, there's no need for all the cloak and dagger... simply have a student deliver it." The 4th-years laughed a little more, now thoroughly focused on the two adults in the area.

"A student..." Sharp repeated slowly in disbelief - though his body language was stiff and wary, I could see the faintest hint of a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "...Very well, sir. If you insist."

"I do, and thank you! I just hope you've brewed enough for all my boils." A sudden thought came to mind, nearly forcing a laugh out of me from how hilarious it was. "Ah... say, Sharp, um... would you happen to have anything that can get rid of the clap?" Sebastian blew a raspberry as he quickly stifled his laughter from behind a corner.

"I'll... see what I can do," the professor replied, eyeing me with newfound disgust while the 4th-years were trying their hardest not to start screaming with laughter.

"Perfect," I smirked. "Well, no time like the present, Sharp! I'm awfully itchy in places it would be most improper to itch in public!" Sharp stared at me for a good ten seconds, a mixture of revulsion and secondhand embarrassment plain on his face.

"...Very well," he sighed as he turned and walked away, muttering under his breath. "Now to determine which student gets this rather unenviable task..." At the same time the 4th-years conspicuously retreated down the halls, no doubt on their way to tell their classmates about what they'd just heard. Once they were all out of earshot Sebastian allowed himself to cackle, needing to hold himself up against a wall.

"Oh, Merlin... that was absolutely wicked!" he gasped, struggling to breathe. "You're a bloody natural!" First making sure that no one else was around, I let myself laugh a little along with him.

"That was fun. Oh, what else can I get the rest of the school to think about me?" I grinned devilishly, regaining my composure. "I'm gonna make everyone I come across hate my guts by the time this potion wears off."

And the next opportunity presented itself at the end of the hallway, just after turning the corner. "Ooh, there's Garreth," Sebastian chuckled. The Gryffindor boy in question was chatting with a couple of his friends. His back was to me, so I crept up as quietly as I could manage in Black's heeled boots, watching as his friends fell silent and stared in terror, waiting until I was right behind him to speak.

"Mr. Weasley!" I boomed, startling him. "What are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Oh, H-Headmaster!" Garreth swallowed as he caught his breath. "Yes, of course... all sorts of places I'd rather be right now. Uh... do you need something from me?"

"Just whatever remains of those Billywig Stings you... acquired from Honeydukes," I glared pointedly, remembering the latest scheme he'd loudly bragged about in Potions class a couple weeks ago. "Mr. Redding tells me that some of his inventory has gone missing. Prime potion ingredient, they are... and I know you fancy yourself a 'skilled' potioneer," I taunted.

"What?!" he blinked in horror, his face turning white. "But sir, I haven't been anywhere near Honeydukes! I-"

"Used them all, have you? Mm, I do hope for your sake that Mr. Redding is not the litigious type," I grinned coldly, watching him squirm under my gaze. "I'm watching you, Mr. Weasley... I have eyes and ears everywhere." I sneered cruelly at him and continued on my way, pausing for a moment when I heard him grumbling under his breath.

"Billywig stings...I wish. Blasted Shimmer got me Blind-worm stings instead... my skin was gray and I smelled of cheese for a week straight."

Ha! You're lucky I didn't get you Mackled Malaclaw tips instead! I chortled to myself as he whined to his friends, proud of a job well done.

"...So that's what happened to him last week," Sebastian murmured. "...Bravo."

"And the sad thing is, he keeps asking for my help," I snickered. "He doesn't learn." We continued through the castle, soon coming across more students on their way to the Great Hall. Many of them stopped in their tracks once they saw that the Headmaster was among them, and stared vacantly at me. I made a show of acting supremely disappointed. "When I witness what passes for magic in these halls, I weep for the future of the wizarding world."

That got the majority of them to groan and begin moving again. As the crowds parted, I spotted Ominis going towards the doors that led to the large stone bridge that connected the schooling parts of the castle to the dormitories and Great Hall. He was on his way outside, probably to get some food. While Sebastian and I quietly strode up behind him, something happened that I'd... honestly wondered how often it happened before, yet never expected from his wand.

We watched as poor Ominis walked face-first into the wall right next to the left double door. His wand clattered to the floor as he rubbed his forehead.

"Ow, fuck," he hissed under his breath. It took everything I had within me to not double over with laughter... behind me Sebastian pounded his fist on the floor as he huffed hysterically, desperate not to make a sound.

"Tut-tut, Mr. Gaunt! Watch your language!" I chided, glad that I didn't have to hide my gleeful smile from him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"O-Oh, Headmaster," Ominis immediately straightened up after reclaiming his wand, adopting a meek expression. "I-I'm simply on my way outside."

"Is that so? Are you heading to the Great Hall for supper?" After watching him bonk his face like that, I didn't quite have the heart to mess with him... although being the perfect paragon of politeness to him was also probably extremely unnerving and good for a laugh.

"Er, no, sir... I have to write twenty inches on dittany and its uses. Was heading to the greenhouses," he answered carefully.

"Ah, yes," I hummed, recalling that same Herbology assignment from Tuesday. Sebastian and I had knocked that out during lunch that same day. "Dittany: a powerful healing herb that also has its uses in curing werewolf bites when mixed with powdered silver, preventing the scarring of wounds, or as the core of a wand. You can also use the vapors in a pinch if you need something flammable."

"Oh..." Ominis stood motionless for a few seconds, dumbfounded. "...T-Thank you, Headmaster, I had actually forgotten all about using dittany stalks as wand cores. I'm, er... appreciative of your help."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Gaunt," I nodded once. "Carry on, and mind the corners... I'm sure you'll do splendidly on your OWLs."

"...Thank you, sir?" He blinked multiple times despite the action not doing much for him at all, then slowly opened the doors to head outside. Once he was gone Sebastian couldn't hold it in any longer, a disembodied giggle echoing from a nearby corner.

"I knew it," he crowed proudly, "Ominis insists he's too prim and proper to ever swear, but now I have proof!"

"To think all it took was him whacking his face on a wall," I smirked. "Poor guy... does that happen often?"

"No, not often at all. Consider yourself lucky to witness such a rarity." Feeling bolstered, I threw open the double doors myself and strode outside. Sparse snowflakes danced in the late-winter wind as students wandered across the bridge, loitering along the railings or talked in groups. Many of them looked my way at the sound of the doors being thrown open, and I flashed a wide grin.

"As you were, you little sad sacks," I barked, passing them by. "...Miss Broke! If you keep pestering your classmates with those infernal Gobstones of yours, I shall steal them myself! Are we clear?"

"Aah! Sorry, sir!" Zenobia jumped in place. A few seconds later she muttered that her last name was really "Noke", but it wasn't like I or the real Black gave a damn. I had more important things to worry about - in the center of the bridge stood Madam Kogawa, who immediately started walking in my direction once her eyes fell upon me. I hid a sigh as best I could - Scrope wasn't pestering her like Fig had suggested. Hopefully she knew where he was.

"Headmaster, a word?" she asked firmly. "It is not too late to reconsider your decision regarding Quidditch! We... we could still have trials and a somewhat-shortened season, it would be better than none at all."

"Agh, Kogawa," I groaned. What is it with Quidditch, anyway? It's such a stupid sport. "Aren't you forgetting the dire injury one of our students suffered last year?"

"...More than one student has taken a Bludger to the head on our pitch," she replied with an unimpressed glare. "I daresay it knocked some sense into them... And they're fine now! The fact that they happened to be a pureblood... well, that's no reason to-"

"It's all the reason to, Kogawa!" I gasped, gesturing grandly. "My precious purebloods must not be harmed! Especially not by playing that asinine game."

"A-Asinine?!" she stuttered, her face turning red. "Ugh, you're simply impossible sometimes, sir! I've a good mind to write to the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry about you!"

Ho-ho! I've struck a nerve! "You do that," I grinned. "I'll even lend you my own personal stationery. Now, do make yourself at least somewhat useful, and tell me: where is my elf?"

Madam Kogawa stared at me incredulously for a few moments, too incensed to speak. "I will... and with great pleasure!" she hissed. "As for Scrope, I last spotted him in the Great Hall... seems to be avoiding me."

"I wonder why," I replied sarcastically. While she fumed even more, I was struck by another great idea; my mouth twisted into a lascivious grin as I leered at her. "...I must say, Kogawa, you're rather... ravishing when you're furious. Might I interest you in a drink later on? In the privacy of my personal study, of course."

I heard Sebastian wheeze with laughter behind me. Her glare could have served as a substitute for a Glacius spell.

"Ex-cuse you, Black!" Kogawa snarled, raising her hand for a moment as if she was going to slap me. "Such dishonorable, reprehensible behavior! What underhanded motions did you take to become the Headmaster of this school?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I wiggled my eyebrows. "Good day, Madam... I'm afraid I'm indisposed for the rest of this evening, shall I expect you at, say, 9pm tomorrow?" For a few seconds there, I genuinely thought she might cast an Unforgivable on me. But suddenly Kogawa's body shifted and relaxed, displaying a calm rage that simmered beneath the surface like boiling pure water.

"...Yes. That would do... just fine," she replied, her voice as cold as night. "Good day, sir." And with that ominous farewell she passed me and walked away. The nearby students that had heard the exchange were now engaged in frantic, disbelieving gossip.

"...I think you may have just signed Black's death warrant," muttered Sebastian.

"Eh, just means we'll get a new Headmaster, and they can't be much worse than him, can they?" I shrugged, continuing across the bridge. A minute or two later I'd made it to the other half of the castle, the Great Hall only a few hundred feet away.

But then I saw Cressida Blume talking with Nellie Oggspire and Samantha Dale, and I couldn't help myself. "Miss Broom! A word," I thundered, making all three of them jump.

"Oh, Headmaster," Cressida exhaled. "This is an interesting surprise... it's Blume, by the way..."

"Whatever," I waved a hand. "Remind me of your areas of expertise, Broom... OWLs are fast approaching."

"Charms, sir," she answered quickly. "Nonverbal spells... might work on one that makes me disappear," she added under her breath.

"Oh please... we all know what a disaster you are at nonverbal spells," I scoffed. "Even if you had an additional five years of practice, you could never cast them as well as... Miss Shimmer, that simply stupendous classmate of yours." All three girls groaned at my name, bringing a smile to my face.

"Ugh, not Sunset," Cressida growled. "I'll never forgive her for the library incident. She once offered to help me find my books... next thing I know she's read through my diary, made copies of every page, made them gigantic and then plastered them all over the Fat Lady's portrait!"

"I told her about the Daedalian Keys, and suggested she catch one to open one of the enchanted cabinets they guard," commiserated Nellie. "The very next day, a huge swarm of the keys suddenly surrounded me, and they kept swooping down and striking me for hours! It was a wonder I didn't get a concussion! And if I tried to Vanish them away, they Transfigured themselves into rainclouds instead!"

"She overheard me telling Mahendra about the family tomb's curse turning William's feet into beets," whined Samantha. "For over a week, every time I looked away, she'd Transfigure something of mine into a beet! Once she even Transfigured the very blouse I was wearing!"

"Well... it seems the three of you have quite a bit of catching up to do," I smirked, resisting the urge to laugh in their faces. "Sounds to me like Miss Shimmer is on track to become your year's valedictorian!" While they lamented the day they'd crossed paths with me, I roughly brushed past them and reentered the castle. Only two sets of doors separated me from the Great Hall and Scrope now.

However, I did notice that my ever-present shadow was silent. I glanced back to make sure Sebastian was still there - he was simply staring at me with a pensive look. "...What?"

"Er, well... I can appreciate the flying keys prank, and Blume did deserve to have her distasteful secrets exposed, but constantly Transfiguring Samantha's things into beets... well, that one was a bit... eh."

He did have a point. "...Yea, that one was a bit uninspired. Couldn't really think of anything else to mess with her," I shrugged. "I will admit that slapping all those keys around was pretty cathartic, though."

"Hmm." His emotions weren't exactly ones of admonishment or reprehension, it was more like he was trying to think of something else I could've done instead. While he pondered on that, I opened the doors to the antechamber just before the Great Hall...

...And sighed when Professor Weasley turned away from examining the four house point hourglasses and approached me. If anyone could possibly see through my disguise, it was likely her... I'd need to really focus on my acting.

"Headmaster, I need to speak to you," she frowned.

"Ah, yes, Weasley... while I have your attention, I wished to discuss something with you about Professor Fig," I quickly changed the subject from whatever it was she might've wanted to say.

"Oh? Uh... very well," she shrugged slightly. In the meantime, one of the sentient suits of armor lining the walls decided that this was the best time to begin bludgeoning the one next to it with its sword, yet somehow both of us managed to ignore it.

"Yes... I've decided to let him have a little more leeway with his time."

"Leeway, sir? Are you sure that's wise?" she tilted her head. "I confess I do worry for his students, he's rarely here as it is."

"Ah, they'll be fine," I waved a hand. "Magic Theory is merely an elective, after all, and it's only for the first years! How in-depth could he possibly go? If his students cannot sufficiently learn from the texts and their own research, then that failure is on them."

"I... see," Weasley turned her head away from me with a baffled, discontent expression. "But sir, if I may... I am wary of how much time Miss Shimmer seems to be spending away from the castle, supposedly on Professor Fig's behalf. I've heard unsettling rumors of her escapades, everything from sneaking into the Forbidden Forest to confronting Ranrok's Loyalists and Rookwood's lot! And that's not even including what she gets up to with her friends... Why, even now it would seem that she was responsible for Aranshire's utter destruction, all because of a spider infestation!"

Hmm... I wonder how much you truly know, I frowned to myself. But unfortunately I had no time to pry further, not when I was so close to my goal. "Bah... rumors, Weasley," I shook my head dismissively. "Goodness, you cannot believe every little piece of gossip you hear. Perhaps someone a bit more... level-headed ought to watch over Fig. I shall keep an eye on him. You just... keep doing the simply wonderful job that you're doing."

"I, uh... I, erm... thank you," she stammered, clearly never expecting to hear gratitude from Headmaster Black, backhanded or not. "But I am happy to look into-"

"Good, good," I cut in, already walking past her. "That will be all, Weasley. Good day."

"...Was it just me, or did you also see that one suit of armor assault the other?" Sebastian whispered as we approached the doors, far away enough from Professor Weasley that she couldn't hear us. She stood frozen in the center of the room while she mumbled to herself in confusion.

"A 'wonderful' job? Leeway for Professor Fig...? I shall never understand that man."

"No, it wasn't just you... wonder what he did to deserve that." Finally I pushed open the doors to the Great Hall, spying Scrope at the very front. He was busy polishing the decorative lectern sitting in front of the professors' table, where only Garlick and Howin were currently eating and talking with each other. Passing between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, I could hear Sebastian and I's names being mentioned - particularly because word about the infestation in Aranshire had gotten around, and thanks to Crispin everyone knew we were the ones who had, uh... fixed the problem. The fact that what little was left of the hamlet had burned to the ground inside a giant crater was incidental at best.

"Scrope!" I shouted as I quickened my pace slightly. Unlike the others I'd accosted, the house elf barely twitched at my outburst. He was clearly used to being addressed in such a manner.

"Greetings, master," he replied amicably as he set down the polishing rag.

"Yes, yes... now, remind me of the password to my office," I ordered. Scrope frowned.

"Oh, but... master made Scrope swear never to tell anyone. Even master himself."

He did? Crap. Okay, I'll just have to... get more in character. "How dare you question me?!" I gasped angrily. "Why, I've half a mind to give you a matching set of ears!"

"Er, yes, sir... of course, sir," the elf sighed, not at all phased by the threat. "...Scrope begs forgiveness. It is the Black family motto, master."

"Ah, yes..." Hm, alright... that's not much to go off of. "...And exactly what is that motto?" I drawled, glaring down at the elf.

"Hmm... Scrope thinks master is indeed testing Scrope," he muttered to himself. "It is 'always pure'."

Oh. Duh, I mentally smacked myself. "Obviously," I nodded curtly.

"And, of course, as master knows... in French."

Oh for crying out loud... "But of course! ...I order you to pronounce it for me."

"Ugh, master knows Scrope's French is most pitiful," he grumbled before clearing his throat. "Er, very well... 'Toujours pur.'"

Too-jzhoor pyoore... alright, simple enough. I allowed myself a slight grin now that I had the password. "Yes, very good. Now, this conversation never happened, Scrope! Not unless you want to lose that other ear of yours," I warned, tying off the loose end. "Continue with your duties."

"But of course, master," he sighed in a bored tone. He moved away to begin washing the stained glass window behind the professors' table. Seeing the lectern shining and unattended gave me another idea, and I cleared my throat as I stood behind it.

"Attention, students! I hereby decree that the Great Hall be forthwith decorated with the stunning banners of Slytherin." I swished my wand subtly behind the lectern; a din of confusion rose from three of the four tables as the banners materialized themselves, hanging from the ceiling. The Slytherin table was silent for a moment before timidly celebrating. "I shall be taking no questions at this time... or ever." Just as I swished my wand again, suddenly a most unladylike belch erupted from my throat. While the students laughed, a steak knife on the Gryffindors' table rose into the air, then quickly began floating over to each student's plate one by one, shredding whatever meat was on them into tiny pieces.

Ooh, just in time... the potion's starting to wear off. "Also... tunnel snakes rule," I managed to sneer before letting out another burp, this time covering my mouth.

"Uh oh, we'd better get you somewhere secluded," Sebastian mumbled in concern. "The potion's wearing off."

"I know," I nodded, swallowing down another burp. We walked briskly away from the tables and across the room to the staircase tucked away in a corner, which led to a storage area and balcony that overlooked the Great Hall. I ducked behind some crates, already feeling the painful sensations of my body morphing back into myself while he kept watch.

Finally, the pain ended about a minute later. I conjured up a mirror to check that nothing had gone wrong; once I was satisfied I Transfigured my clothing back into their original forms, then Vanished the mirror away and stepped out from behind the crates.

"I can't believe that actually worked," he sighed in relief.

"Me either," I agreed. "Now, let's get to that office." Since nobody would question the two of us together, Sebastian cancelled his Disillusionment charm. We left the storage area and walked as quickly as we could manage directly to the Headmaster's Office. It was at the very top of the Grand Staircase, past the trophy room and through a lonely, ornate corridor flanked by griffon statues. At the very end was an empty chamber that stretched further upwards, blocked by a massive gargoyle statue that couldn't be passed by any other mundane or magical means.

"Well, this is it," he said. "Would you like to do the honors?" I nodded and cleared my throat.

"...Toujours Pur." The plinth beneath the gargoyle suddenly extended into the air, the gargoyle on top rotating as stairs materialized along its length. Once it had stopped moving we ascended, the final stair leading directly into the office. We stopped for a moment and admired the lavish furniture, the thick, plush rugs and colorful tapestries, bookshelves filled with rare tomes and the undoubtedly valuable decorations. The Sorting Hat sat inside of a case to the right, and the desk in the very center of the room held gilded shelves that contained Black's personal stationery, as well as a set of cut crystal glasses on a silver tray with a matching decanter full of amber liquid. Other than one large mirror, numerous enchanted portraits of Headmasters and mistresses past were hung over every possible free space of wall, all of their subjects sound asleep - their snoring produced a calming ambience.

One of them was wide awake, however. "It's good to see you," Headmistress Fitzgerald smiled as I approached.

"Likewise," I said. "So, how do I access this trial?"

"Approach the pedestal in the antechamber and read the book that appears," she answered. I blinked uncomfortably... my next trial was a book? I was just gonna read something?

No, there had to be more to it than that. "And... what's this book about?" I asked.

"A story... I cannot say more," she shook her head. "You may recognize some elements of it, although..."

"Although... what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"When I was preparing your trial, I felt a sudden... change within its pages," she explained. "Originally the trial was inspired by a tale with which many wizarding children are familiar, but now its contents are entirely different. However, I still suspect that the lesson to be learned is the same, so I am content with you moving forward."

"I see," I hummed, wondering what on earth that could possibly mean. Either way, I knew I could handle this trial. "Alright, then... I'm sure there's more to it than just reading."

"Your suspicions are correct," Fitzgerald nodded. "We shall speak when you are finished." And with that she moved out of her portrait, leaving it empty.

"Well, as far as trials go, this one seems rather simple," commented Sebastian as he idly picked up a piece of parchment from Black's desk and read it. It was a receipt for a number of beauty products and personal items, mostly paid for by the Ministry. A curious hum passed through his lips as he began poking through the desk's drawers.

"Yea... which probably means I'll be killing even more things than a castle full of Dark wizards this time," I sighed as I ascended a short staircase to the aforementioned antechamber. It was completely empty except for the altar-like pedestal, upon which a plain leatherbound book materialized into view in a swirl of blue-white magic. "Well, time to start reading, I guess. I'll let you know when I'm done."

"Take your time... I certainly shall," he grinned as he extracted a bottle of hair tonic from one of the drawers and gave it an experimental sniff. I took a deep breath and exhaled before opening the book to its first page, my lips thinning as I found it to be blank.

Suddenly I felt a pulling sensation, weak at first but rapidly growing in strength, until I actually felt myself being lifted off the ground. I tried to shout in alarm, but my voice was cut off as my vision filled with parchment, then darkness. Sebastian came dashing up the stairs only to see my lower half disappear into the book, which then clapped itself shut and fell dormant.

...

...

...

"...Huh."


~


When I opened my eyes, it was not a dark, endless hallway I found myself in. Instead... frankly, I had no clue where I was.

All around me was an empty void, painted in shades of shimmering teal. The air was perfectly still and cold, as though total entropy had been achieved in this pocket of space. Cautiously I took a step forward after realizing I was somehow standing on nothing - I could walk.

Faint lights like ghosts swirled past and around me as I walked, twinkling with a familiar blue-white glow that radiated warmth. I followed after them, finding after a while that they were all swarming towards one specific point up far ahead, gathering together and growing in size and temperature until eventually, the heat felt like I was outside on a warm summer's day.

When I had come within twenty feet of the light, it suddenly pulsed. I shielded my eyes and tried to fight against the brightness... and gasped when I did.

Immediately, I drew my wand.

"Hello, Sunset," the light greeted softly and somberly as it faded away, revealing someone I hadn't seen in months... or, rather, somepony.

"Princess," I regarded her brusquely, never taking my eyes off of her. To my surprise, her calm, regal expression fell slightly... she seemed almost disappointed.

"...You know there is no need for you to use such formalities with me," Celestia bowed her head as she took two steps closer - seeing me raise my wand towards her barrel stopped her in her tracks.

"What do you want?" I growled. "Are you here to fight me again? Are you here to keep me from my power, my ancient magic... again?" She hesitated, regarding me with eyes full of sorrow and regret.

"No," she finally said.

"Then why are you here? I have a trial to complete... I don't have time to waste with you."

"I know," Celestia sighed as she turned her head, her horn glowing as she gave it a simple flick. I sank down further into a defensive stance to prepare for whatever sneak attack she was planning, whatever treachery she may try to inflict on me next. It was to my surprise that all that happened was the appearance of another plain, leatherbound book, hovering in midair between us. "I know not what magic calls me here," she continued. "But I count it as a blessing. There is much I wish to say to you, my dearest student."

"Don't call me that," I snapped, raising my wand again. "You lost that right when you threw me out." Celestia flinched, as though I had struck her... and it had actually hurt.

"...So I did. Forgive me."

I straightened up a little and blinked, perplexed - this was already going far different than the last few times I'd seen her. "Forgive you?" I sneered. "Why?"

"I never should have taken out my emotions on you like that, Sunset," she spoke as she lowered her head again, gesturing limply to the book. "In truth, I had just finished preparing this lesson for you... the experience left me emotionally drained, sensitive, and raw... but it was still wrong of me to have reacted so harshly to finding you in my private library yet again. I never should have banished you, I never should have declared you were no longer my student... that you were never my daughter. I regretted what I said nearly as soon as I'd said it... but the damage was already done."

I regarded my former mentor with mystified silence... she was apologizing? To me? And through searching her emotions, she was... being genuine?

Wait... "yet again"...? She knew...? No, that wasn't important right now... I was here for one reason, and one reason only.

But... the only thing in this void was her, and she didn't want to fight me this time. She gazed again at the book - If this was to be my trial...

"...What kind of lesson?" I groused.

"I have told you that once, I had a dearest sister, Luna," said Celestia, her horn glowing as the book opened on its own. "We have been separated nearly a thousand years, now... because of things the both of us have done, because I didn't see what was happening. I was blind and ignorant, and because of me, my dearest sister fell to the Nightmare." At this I gasped - I had heard tales of Nightmare Moon ever since I was a filly, tales of her possible origins that could never be proved... and I had also heard my former mentor speak of her younger sister, who had disappeared many centuries ago. Her memories of her were always fond, but full of longing and remorse.

And now I realized why. "Your sister... she was Nightmare Moon?" Celestia barely nodded once.

"What lies in this book is the true tale of how she fell to the Nightmare... of how I failed to help her. Of how her own ambitions led her to be tricked and corrupted by the power she once sought. Of how... she never should have had to shoulder her burdens alone." As soon as she finished speaking, the book suddenly glowed with the colors of ancient magic, so much that the light blinded me.

When I sensed that the light had died down, I opened my eyes again, and gasped at my surroundings. Somehow I was back in Canterlot, but in a dream rather than reality - the buildings, the greenery, the other ponies walking past... their colors were blurry and muddled slightly together, as though I had been transported into a watercolor painting.

And yet, this was not quite the Canterlot I had left behind. There were discernable cracks in the new white stone used in the construction of Celestia's castle, where centuries of plaster had rendered them invisible to all. The clothes on the ponies who were wearing them were extremely old-fashioned, the fabric rough and primitive, the jewelry clunky and inelegant. The buildings were smaller, lower to the ground, crafted from plain wood or stone and not at all painted or ostentatiously ornamented. Even the well-kept cobblestone roads had been replaced with hard-packed soil.

It was like I was back in the middle ages. I took a few curious steps forward, laying a hand on the outer wall of the castle. Suddenly words bloomed onto the stone bricks, reminding me that I was within a dream... a fairy tale.


Fate has been cruel, and order, unkind.
How can I have sent you away?
The blame was my own, the punishment, yours.
The Harmony's silent, today.

But into the stillness, I'll sing you a song
And I will, your company, keep
'Til your tired eyes and my lullabies
Have carried you softly to sleep...


"What you see before you is the fledgling country of Equestria, over one thousand years ago." I jumped slightly when I saw Celestia standing beside me, and I glared as I edged away from her. "A time when my sister and I were thought to be infallible goddesses who had vanquished the likes of Discord and King Sombra, and brought the wild sun and moon into their perfect orbits. I was known as Life Incarnate and the Light of Equestria; and Luna was known as the Watchful Shadow, the Mother of Dreams... and the Final Guide."

"The Final Guide?" Princess Celestia had always been associated with the sun, and the attributes of light, warmth and growth. It only made sense that Luna, being associated with the moon, would have opposing attributes. But Mother of Dreams, and that last title of hers, together they implied-

"Yes... the realm of dreams was under her control. And through them she would enter the final hallucinations of the dying, and soothe their pains both physical and mental, guiding their souls towards what comes next. It was a duty of utmost importance to her."

My mouth hung open slightly as I pondered this information. But soon my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a dozen trumpets blaring, and some old stallion strutted out of the castle onto a deck high above.

"Behold, Canterlot! Your Royal Highness, the Light of Equestria - Princess Celestia!" he cried. The townsponies began to gather beneath the deck excitedly, their giddy whispers exploding into cheers as the mare in question gracefully stepped into the light. Indeed, she appeared much younger than the Celestia I knew: not quite as tall, with shorter, smaller features and bright, proud eyes. She closed them as she soaked in the clamor, her smile hinting at just a bit of an inflated ego.

The Celestia beside me sighed, and shook her head. "I was young, then. Young... and foolish. I truly thought that I could do no wrong."


Once did a pony who shone like the sun
Look down on her kingdom and sigh.
She smiled and said "Surely there is no pony
So lovely, and so well beloved as I!"


Suddenly, a sepia wind blew through Canterlot, the scenery changing as it went. The beautiful watercolors became muddy and dark, and I realized that now we were in the middle of a vast slum. The ponies here appeared exhausted and miserable, their coats covered in dirt and their manes and tails scraggly and frayed.

And just then, a shadow passed overhead. I looked up to see an Alicorn, much like Celestia but so much different. Her coat was a deep azure blue, and her mane a billowing nebula of stars and comets. Her Cutie Mark was a black cloud with a crescent moon that seemed to glow with sublime purity, matching her ebon regalia.

She landed at the threshold of one of the hovels, and inhaled sharply before striding through. Following after her, my eyes befell a terrible sight.

A pegasus colt, who couldn't be older than three years of age, was lying on a filthy blanket. Patches of bare, emaciated skin were visible through his sparse light green fur, his ribs nearly poking out of his flanks. His wings were severely underdeveloped. He shivered violently as Luna approached, never opening his eyes as the shivers became jerks and spasms. His mouth weakly fell open, throat rattling as though it were filled with gravel.

Luna watched impassively. Her horn glowed an icy cyan, and suddenly colors erupted from her body. The hovel vanished before my eyes, and then the entire slum vanished as well, replaced with an endless, lush meadow beneath a cloudless night sky, illuminated by a bright, full moon and millions of tiny diamonds flashing with all the colors of the rainbow.

The colt opened his eyes slowly. At first he appeared confused, taking in his new surroundings. Then he saw Luna, and he recoiled in fear.

But Luna took it in stride. "Hello, Zephyr Gale," she greeted softly, with a warm smile.

"P-Pwincess Woo... Woona..." the little colt trembled. He didn't move a muscle as Luna's magic gently embraced him, materializing a fresh, clean blanket around his body.

"Shh... do not be afraid," she hummed as she held the bundle tight. "In a short time, you will no longer know pain nor hunger, cold nor loneliness. I shall guide you to the gates of Elysium, where you will live an eternity free of care, and play and laugh forever more."

Zephyr Gale stared up at Luna, expressing so many emotions through mere blinking alone. Confusion, fear, disbelief, uncertainty... seeing this, the Moon Princess smiled.

"...But until then, I shall grant you any wish you desire. Name it, and it is yours." The little foal's belly chose that exact moment to growl, and he made a face as he clutched at it.

"Hungwy... so hungwy..." he moaned. For a split second Luna's composure seemed to threaten to break, but she closed her eyes and nodded, her horn glowing again.

"It shall be done." A large table appeared before them, covered in bowls full of steaming mashed vegetables and grains. She lifted a spoonful of carrots with her magic and slowly fed the little colt until he'd had his fill. His stomach was grossly swollen as though he had a tumor, but... well, there was no need to worry about that anymore.

Not long after he'd finished eating, he shivered violently. "C-Cold... s-s-so c-cold..." Luna wrapped him up tighter in the blanket, and cast a gentle Warming Charm as she cradled the bundle against her barrel. Moments later, his shivering ceased.

"Mm... warm..." He nuzzled into Luna's fur - her stoic mask slipped for just a moment, a single tear sliding down her cheek as her face twisted in agony. It was so brief that had I blinked in that moment, I would've missed it. Though I watched for what felt like an hour, little Zephyr Gale never spoke again after that, drifting off into a deep slumber. His chest rose and fell slower and weaker... until it stopped altogether.

Only then did Luna allow herself to cry. Her weeping was bitter, full of pain and sorrow.

"...She cried for them all," Celestia noted as I held back a grimace. "Every little pony who did not get to live a rich, full life, whether they died of illness, or neglect, or through violent means... she thought it was so unfair. But the Equestria as you know it today was still in its infancy - poverty and crime was rampant, and we were still determining what laws were necessary to stop it. And she... didn't think we were working fast enough." She paused for a moment to sigh. "...I wasn't working fast enough."


So bright was her reign, so brilliant her glory,
That long was the shadow she cast.
Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved,
And grew only darker as days and nights passed.


The scene changed again and again, though now I felt as though I was watching from a distance. Luna wordlessly carried out her duties - while some were less depressing, of elderly ponies meeting a natural end, surrounded by loved ones and ready to go, far too many were just as, or even more heart-wrenching than before.

Once she ducked inside a burning building, comforting the souls of an entire family. Other times she broke into the secret lairs of murderers and rapists, their maimed, tortured victims finally set free in death. Still other times she arrived on the scene of countless accidents, drownings, falls and more, cradling the broken bodies in her ghostly embrace as the emergency workers called off their efforts. Just as often she found herself in countless hospital rooms, unseen among doctors and nurses struggling to save the damned and the doomed.

Through these vignettes I saw the passing of the seasons, the passage of many years. Far too often, these ponies were young. Mares and stallions, fillies and colts, just-born foals... none were invulnerable to death's gambit.

My heart ached for her. "How long did she do this for?" I breathed.

"So long, that she forgot when she began," answered Celestia. "She felt it was important to be there for every single pony close to death. She wanted to offer them comfort in their final moments, even if it meant telling them white lies... such as curing their illness when she hadn't the power, or their torturers being found out and being brought to justice."

Once the implication hit me, I gasped in horror. There were, of course, illnesses and injuries that even all the magic in the world couldn't fix, but those that had died so violently, those that had been kidnapped, tortured, murdered... All of them had died without justice? "...What? You mean... you didn't even punish the criminals?!"

"I couldn't... not without due process, not without issuing a warrant for an unrelated crime they'd committed... neither of us could," she admitted sadly. "Luna... couldn't understand that. She could see into the dreams of both perpetrator and victim, search their hearts and minds for the bare, naked truth, find them guilty of crimes even they weren't aware they had committed." She paused for a moment to exhale another bitter sigh.

"No... we had to uphold the law. Innocent, until proven guilty... but most of these criminals, these monsters... they were smart. They hid well what they were doing from the public. We would have to wait until they slipped up, either made a mistake or committed another crime with witnesses or probable cause, until we could act. It pains me to say it, but... many of them were never found out."

Rage billowed up inside me... so Celestia was even more incompetent than I'd previously thought? How terrible... how unforgivable! If I were the Ruler of Equestria, that'd be one of my very first decrees - I'd drag all of these monsters out of their homes as soon as I'd found out about their crimes and have them publicly executed! And the worst offenders would spend the rest of their lives in Tartarus, being kept alive by magic as they suffered the exact same fates of their victims, over and over until they couldn't be revived any longer.

"Why... why didn't you do anything...?!" I seethed. Celestia turned to me, her eyes soft and compassionate.

"Ponies tend not to appreciate their rulers being quite so... omniscient." I blinked as I snorted my distaste for the notion, jerking my head back a little. "Luna... she wanted to act. She wanted to bring them all to justice as soon as she realized what was happening, as soon as she saw the nightmares of the victims, the sick daydreams of the perpetrators... but she couldn't just punish them when the only concrete proof she had was intangible in nature. I suspect it pained her greatly to know this... she began searching for a way to stop this herself, a way to save those whose lives had been so cruelly cut short. It became an obsession for her... she even began to search the dreams of everypony, keeping track of those who might've been harboring ill thoughts, hoping in vain that she could somehow stop them before they came to fruition. It was for this reason why she seemed so cold and stern to our subjects, and in turn, our subjects came to fear and resent her... it only alienated her further from their graces."

I sighed in annoyance and stared at the ground... I guess I could see where she was coming from, though I still didn't like it. If there was a way to stop such horrors... then why not act? As I delved into my thoughts, the memory of a previous revelation entered my mind.

"...You always knew I liked to study in the Restricted Section... didn't you," I mumbled, feeling a tiny pinch of guilt. Celestia nodded.

"Of course. As careful as you were to cover your tracks, you were always a bit... too thorough. You would leave the place far cleaner than I ever left it myself," she replied, a hint of a wistful smile on her muzzle. "But I said nothing... to keep your trust."

Another sigh escaped my lips as I looked away.


Soon did that pony take notice that others
Did not give her sister their due,
And neither had she loved her, as she deserved,
She watched as her sister's unhappiness grew.


Now I found myself within what I assumed to be Luna's bedchambers within the castle. They were much like Celestia's, but the floors, walls and ceiling were hewn from dark granite rather than bright marble. The silver sconces were left unlit, and the blue-filtered light from the floor-length stained glass window of the Equestrian solar system kept the room dim. The ceiling was enchanted much like it was in the Great Hall, a false night sky's stars glittering like jewels.

In the center of her bed, wrapped in azure silks, Luna clung desperately to a pillow as she cried into it. Her muffled sobs full of unfathomable pain and grief were long, and still loud; after sniffling her nose clear she lifted her head to the ceiling.

"Why... why must I do this?! Why must I let this happen?!" she shrieked in agony. "I don't want to see a single pony more suffer another cruel, needless death! Why can't I help them?! It's not fair... It's not fair! Please... let me save them! Why can't I save them?!" As she buried her face back into the pillow, I bristled as a cold chill suddenly filled the air. An aura of dread, of deep desire - washed over me, so powerful my knees buckled.

It was like the aura that Slytherin's spellbook and the dark relic emitted together, but horrifically stronger. It seemed to choke out what little light filtered into the room, and suddenly the disembodied voice of an old mare echoed from the shadows.

"...You can."

Gasping, Luna shot up from her bed and eyed the corners of her room warily. "Who's there?! How did you get in here?! Show yourself!"

The voice laughed before answering. "I am simply a spirit... a shade. But I have seen what pains you, Princess, and I have come to offer you a remedy." Luna's eyes narrowed.

"...You are no mere spirit," she hissed. "Your aura is as foul as death itself."

"Perhaps," the voice admitted. "But would you not be willing to hear me out? I offer you a way to save those you cannot, to preserve the lives of those taken long before their time. I, too, find it most unfair... that you are forbidden to act, to bring these monsters to justice, to cure that which cannot be cured."

Luna's shoulders relaxed, and her glare softened. "...What are you getting at?" she groused less harshly. "Do not mince your words with me. I may not be seen nor treated as my sister's equal, but I am still a Princess of Equestria! I will not be mocked by the likes of you!"

"Never," the voice charmed through an unseen grin. "I wish to share with you what I know." Luna blinked a few times, her body frozen in place as she considered the words.

And then, she relaxed her stance. "...Very well. Begin."

All of a sudden, a blackness engulfed the room. I braced myself against it, my hackles rising as I heard Luna's pained scream erupt from within.

"No! What you are suggesting... it's sickening! It's a fate far worse than death! You're insane... I should have you thrown in Tartarus for even suggesting it!"

A billowing wind howled as it joined the void, the blackness twisting and churning. Luna screamed again as the voice argued back.

"...But it will offer them another chance... The power to avenge themselves... To stay fate's cruel hand... To live the life they were robbed of...!"

Light suddenly glowed from within the blackness, as cold as the outermost reaches of space itself. Suddenly Luna giggled, but it wasn't a happy sound. It was distorted, discomforting... deranged.

"Yes... I see it, now. It's a small price to pay for cheating death, to live the life they were wrongfully denied! And I... I am the only one who can give it to them. Oh, but my sister would never allow it, even though it is right and just! It is my responsibility... my own little rebellion against her apathy, her slow, foalish ways... Hehehehe..."

The blackness and wind suddenly imploded, sucking itself into a tiny point. As it did Luna reappeared, no worse for the wear. It seemed that despite that unnerving exchange, nothing had happened.

But then I saw it - a gleam in her eyes as cold as the light I'd seen. She stood resolutely in the center of her bedchambers, turning her head towards the stained glass window and glaring upwards at the obscured sun.

"...I can save them. I will save them. I'll show you that I'm just as capable as you are... perhaps even better."

An uncomforting shiver ran down my spine as the words graced my ears. The scene changed again, this time to a muddy road in the middle of a forest. The night sky was pouring down rain, as though mourning the poor soul who had fallen.

Luna fluttered down from above, landing with a squelch in front of a crumpled body. An Earth pony stallion wearing nothing but a thin, torn cloak lay facedown in the muck, blood seeping out of a few deep wounds and mixing with the water and dirt underneath.

At first she stared cautiously at the body, hesitating to come near. But then she snorted, perhaps at herself, and quickly regained her composure. Her horn glowed with freezing light, soon wrapping around the stallion's lifeless form. I watched with bated breath as the corpse rose into the air, watched his tan fur grow coarse and blacken until it was as dark as a shadow. Leathery black wings ripped themselves from his flanks and flapped, the flayed skin regrowing around the wounds until there was no sign of injury. The stallion's mouth lolled open, the canines of his teeth glinting, sharp and pointed like a razor.

His eyes slowly opened, the sclera a shining pale yellow, the pupils slitted like a snake's. Now that he was awake and alive, Luna gently set him on his hooves on the ground, and her magic receded.

"Rise, my little pony." She spoke softly, yet with grim authority. The stallion took a few moments to search his surroundings and then himself, as though he had been aware he was at death's door only seconds before. "Bramblevine, you have suffered Fate's cruel twist, and were sentenced to die before your time. But I... I, Princess Luna, have saved you from your fate."

"I... I-I was... d-dead?" Bramblevine trembled, his eyes fixated on the Moon Princess. She merely nodded.

"I have bestowed upon you a new life, a new body... you are now neither Earth pony, nor Pegasus, nor Unicorn. You are... Thestral." Wildly the stallion glanced down at his healed stab wounds, then to his brand new wings. His tongue traced his new fangs as he experimentally flapped them.

"I... I-I see," he finally spoke, lowering himself into a shaky bow. "Thank you, my Princess." At this Luna smiled, and a pang of foreign, darkened pride ripped through me.

"But since I have blessed you with this second chance, given you back your stolen life... I must ask you now for something in return," she replied serenely. "I ask for your unwavering loyalty in the days ahead, and I ask for your full and absolute trust. There will be those who will shun and fear you, because they do not yet understand what you have become. But I... I will ensure there is a place for you in this harsh, unforgiving world."

The tones, the subtle inflections within her voice... I knew those tricks all too well. After a moment of consideration, Bramblevine bowed once more.

'Yes, my Princess."

The scenes quickly changed again, and again did I feel as though I was watching from a distance. This time, however, instead of transporting herself to that starlit meadow to comfort the souls of the dying, Luna rose and transformed each young victim she encountered. Their reactions to the transformation varied wildly: some were grateful for another chance at life, while others were horrified of what they'd become. Some relished the chance at avenging themselves and immediately did so, while others couldn't handle the mental trauma, the newfound body horror, and went instantly mad. But all listened to her words, which were always along the same lines... asking for their trust and loyalty in exchange for a new body and life. And in the end, all of them agreed.

I saw her Thestrals being slowly introduced to Equestria. True to her words, they were shunned and feared by all but the most foolhardy of ponies, ostracized and banished to the borders of towns or the slums of the cities. Villages they founded themselves were avoided at all costs, it was considered bad luck if a traveler stopped to rest at their inns for even one night.

Their fears were well-founded. Travelers would often wake up feeling sick and anemic, the only giveaway two small, circular, parallel wounds on the sides of their throats. Sometimes they wouldn't wake up at all, their autopsies finding that they had been drained of all their blood. And the more thestrals Luna raised, the further the plague stretched throughout the land. Blood was their main source of nourishment - most of them at least stuck to livestock, or wild animals, but some were... much less discriminating.

They had all been given new life... but at what cost? At the expense of so many other innocent ponies they preyed upon?

"Where so many well-meaning wizards, thaumaturges and necromancers had failed... Luna managed to succeed, in a way," said Celestia. "A Thestral isn't quite dead, yet very much not alive. They live a cursed half-existence, requiring the blood of others to fill their own circulatory systems and keep their bodies functioning. It was the price they had to pay to live again... I know not whether Luna knew that herself, or she did and transformed them anyway."

"It's... terrifying," I nodded, my mind cluttered with racing thoughts. Celestia's face scrunched with pain as she turned back towards the vision, and sighed miserably.

"The Thestrals... whether through genuine gratitude and adoration, or through guilt and fear that she might rescind her gift of life... they bowed only to her," she continued. "Eventually there were so many of them that they posed a threat not only to Equestria, but to the countries on our borders as well. No matter how many times I begged Luna to stop, to let those dear ponies rest in peace, to consider the needs of those still alive, she refused. So when the time came that the Nightmare pushed her to attack, to lead a coup against me... I had no choice."

Her words broke through my stupor, and I stared in horror. "No choice... You mean...?" As Celestia bowed her head, her eyes flashed open with grim resolution.

"...I had to stop her."


But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly
Takes hold of the mind of its host,
And that foolish pony did nothing to stop
The destruction of one who had needed her most.


It went on for decades. By the end of it, Luna had raised so many thestrals their feeding territory reached across all of Central Equestria, beginning to spread into the neighboring countries who promised retribution if the plague was not suppressed. There was mass panic in the streets by ponies who feared having their blood stolen from their own bodies next - turtlenecks and other high-necked fashions became deeply unpopular, as those who wore them were thought to be willing victims. Mobs of frenzied vigilantes paraded through Canterlot, dragging suspected collaborators from their homes by their manes and tails before setting them aflame.

The situation had reached a fever pitch. Alone in her throne room, the younger Celestia stared morosely at the floor as she tried to think of a way to fix everything peacefully, to find a solution where all parties could compromise. The Thestrals may have been an abomination of life and nature, but they were alive, and they were still her little ponies. She cared for them equally as much as the rest of her subjects.

She was also deeply concerned for Princess Luna. Until she agreed to let her punish those she deemed guilty of their crimes through searching their dreams, and allowed her thestrals to roam and feed wherever they wished, her sister refused to lower the moon from the sky. The unending twilight had become a dark crimson hue that terrified her ponies and didn't provide enough sunlight for the growth of plants. The nation's crops had already suffered losses from an unseasonably-cold spring, she could not afford for the rest of them to wither and die. Not with the Farasi embargo against them, nor their broken trade agreements with the Griffon Kingdom and Abyssinians.

Suddenly the heavy reinforced doors to the room flew open. Luna walked through the threshold, flanked by three thestrals on either side. They were wearing suits of cobalt armor, and the Moon Princess herself wore bright silver regalia fit for a goddess of war. She was nearly unrecognizable after all those years of being influenced and corrupted by the Nightmare - her fur had transformed to become an inscrutable blackness, and her eyes had turned predatory, almost viperous, glinting out from beneath her helmet. Even the stars in her mane appeared as though they were on the verge of going supernova. Her guards remained behind, closing the door as she approached her sister... almost as though they were preventing her from leaving.

"She fully believed what she was doing was right and just," Celestia lamented beside me. "She believed with her whole heart that her subjects, our citizens loved and adored her for saving so many lives, but in truth they were horrified of what was becoming of their friends, their loved ones. Many of them petitioned me day after day, begging me to talk some sense into her, to free their loved ones from this cursed existence... but it was all in vain."

"This has gone on long enough, Luna," frowned the younger princess. "I must ask you, once again, to cease this crusade against death and dreams. We cannot sustain the Thestrals' feeding habits much longer, we are at the brink of war with no less than three of our neighbors! Equestria will not survive if we are attacked!"

But Luna stared her down impassively. "No, sister... I will not. I will not stand by and watch helplessly as countless little ponies die before their time, while you do nothing to aid them!"

"I am doing all I can! I just need more time, more time to-"

"I am through waiting!" Luna snarled, stomping her hoof. The marble tiles beneath cracked and shattered from the impact. "Clearly, you are ineffective at ruling this nation. Perhaps I would do a far better job of it than you!"

"What? Luna, my dearest sister... what are you saying-?!" Princess Celestia gasped in horror, cutting her exclamation short as she narrowly dodged a blast of magic that obliterated her throne. Just as her hooves touched the floor Luna attacked again, forcing her to leap up and take flight. Not wanting to fight her own sister, she tried to retreat out of a nearby window, but stopped in her tracks as more armed thestrals rose up from below and blocked her escape.

"I have had enough of your lies, your ignorance, your decadence... and my little ponies have had enough of you! The time of the foalish Sun is over... Now begins the reign of the Moon, of the living, waking Nightmare!" Her voice transformed in an instant, the echo of a sinister old mare speaking with her, nearly overpowering her own. Even though it was a dream, I trembled in fear of the display of wrath before me.

"The insurrection that followed was cataclysmic," Celestia closed her eyes as the pages turned. Each one depicted a terrible battle full of death and destruction. The entirety of the Royal Guard was no match for Luna's personal company of Lunar Guards made up entirely of thestrals, decimating them and painting the castle grounds red with their blood. Canterlot was set on fire as more thestrals sieged the city, swooping down and snatching innocent ponies to be fed upon as they fled in terror. The entirety of Equestria's military, led by Archmage Starswirl the Bearded and his battlemages, was summoned to stop the uprising, but the thestrals that answered Nightmare Moon's call were able to match them blow for blow.

And while all of this was taking place below, high above did Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon do battle, the full fury of the sun and moon brought to bear against each other. Even in her younger state my mouth fell open as I saw her power, her speed, her magic... I began to wonder if I could ever rival her in a fight, even after I'd mastered ancient magic. The two were little more than blurs of light as they soared and dipped and struck, each attack blowing massive craters into the ground as they missed, leveling the surrounding mountains amidst a backdrop of a blood-red sky illuminated by a solar eclipse. One powerful beam attack by Nightmare Moon carved an immense canyon into the earth; legends told that it was what had first formed the Rambling Rock Ridge. A blast of pure sunlight from Princess Celestia was deflected and scorched the ground until nothing but ashes and burnt glass remained; this was what was said to have created the Badlands to the southeast of Canterlot.

All the while, Celestia begged for her sister to stop. "Luna, please!" she cried out above the roar of battle, "I know you're still in there... I know you can hear me! I know this isn't like you!"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" roared Nightmare Moon, already charging up another attack.

"Please... I don't want to do this... I don't want to fight you! I love you!"

"I HATE YOU!" Tears dripped from her eyes as Celestia shivered, blinking as her facial features hardened. With a regretful sigh she closed her eyes in focus, and six crystals appeared and orbited slowly around her body. There was a citrine, a rose quartz, an aquamarine, a ruby and an amethyst in a simple, six-pointed shape, and then there was a large, dark pink gemstone in the shape of a six-pointed star.

"Luna... p-please... don't make me do this," she begged a final time, the crystals quickening their pace around her, glowing with a rainbow-colored magic I had never seen before. It felt much different from my own ancient magic... and yet, something about it seemed almost familiar. "I-I will ask you only o-once more... stand down."

"NEVER!" she bellowed as she fired, a massive beam of glowing, absolute-zero cold shooting down at her sister. Celestia swallowed bitterly and closed her eyes, letting the magic from the crystals bathe her in their light.

"...Forgive me."

A moment later the energy unleashed itself, a rainbow ring expanding from the center of the beam rocketing towards Nightmare Moon. The two attacks clashed together violently, a shockwave ripping through the thundering air and flattening everything still standing in its path as Celestia's magic easily overpowered her sister's. Both the Nightmare and Princess Luna scarcely had time to scream before they vanished into the blinding light.

When the smoke had cleared, Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be seen. Seconds later the dark moon rippled with faint rainbow colors, then shined a brilliant white as it began to move from its place in front of the sun. As sunlight returned to the world, I could now see Nightmare Moon's silhouette on the moon's surface, signifying her banishment for a thousand years.

And millions of miles below, on Equus' surface... Princess Celestia stared at the moon in horror of what she'd done, her pupils the size of pinpricks. The spent crystals clattered to the ground around her as she landed, falling onto her haunches. She choked on the sobs that forced their way up her throat, and she screamed to the sky with unrelenting guilt, shame, regret and despair.

It was a scream that would haunt me for the rest of my life.


Lullay, Moon Princess, good night sister mine!
Rest now in moonlight's embrace.
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth,
Through cloud and through sky and through space...


"It took nearly a century to rebuild what was destroyed," Celestia quietly remarked as she watched her younger self, a tear running down her cheek. "I won't bore you with the process or the politics... but I've never regretted any other action I've taken more in my life. In one fell swoop I lost the trust of my little ponies, crippled our young nation and rendered our greatest treasure useless, but most importantly... I lost my dearest sister."

"But how was any of that your fault?" I asked sincerely.

"If only I had worked with Luna to help our citizens more... if only I had shouldered some of her burdens, then maybe... she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to try and solve these problems herself. Maybe we could have found another way to save more ponies' lives; to help the impoverished, save those that could have been saved, and bring the tormentors to justice. Maybe... we could have done so much more for our little ponies."

While she wallowed in her guilt, I was silent for a few moments as I considered what I'd learned. "So... Nightmare Moon didn't want to bring eternal night to Equestria? Because the ponies shunned and slept through the night?"

"No, not at all," she shook her head. "It doesn't take being the Princess of the Moon to know that an eternal night would bring about the swift death of everything on Equus. And it wasn't because our ponies enjoyed the day more than the night... many of them held stargazing parties and moon-viewing festivals in the past. It was only after her banishment that rumors were spread, and anti-lunar propaganda ran rampant amongst the nobility, despite my efforts."

"Ah, right... the Solar Inquisition," I hummed, nodding along. "That movement alone took you almost four centuries to fully stop." Celestia's lips thinned as she searched her own thoughts, her eyes tired and aching.

"As time passed, however, I came to realize... what Luna did, while morally and ethically questionable, was also performed with compassion and mercy. She gave those ponies, her thestrals, a second chance at life when the first was so unfairly taken away. Perhaps... it wouldn't have been so bad if she'd somehow asked them permission in their dying dreams first, didn't hold her gift over them to guilt them into serving her. When I first realized what she had done, I thought them an abomination of life, mere monsters of her own creation... but they retained all their memories and sapience and hopes and loves. I only learned this when dealing with the survivors after her banishment."

"Maybe... there was more to her new power than you thought?" I offered carefully. After hesitating for a few seconds, Celestia nodded.

"In the end, I couldn't blame them for what had happened. I offered each thestral total amnesty, and asked whether they wanted to continue their existence or be granted a painless, peaceful return to eternal rest... Many of them were horrified by what they'd become, by what they'd been made to do to so many innocent ponies, or they'd lost all hope for the future when their families and loved ones abandoned and shunned them... they chose the latter. Those who wished to continue living were freely allowed to do so... they swore to never again feed on ponies, and gradually vanished into history."

"Despite the price they had to pay," I hummed in thought. "But... there had to be a reason why they would choose to keep living, even after their loved ones came to fear them."

"A Thestral must consume blood to survive," said Celestia. "But paradoxically, in return they are granted heightened senses and stronger bodies. They're capable of flight for much longer than a typical Pegasus can manage, for they rarely tire. And should one gain the knowledge to make use of magic, their power is nearly unmatched."

"Is that so..." Suddenly the thought seemed almost worth it, but then I quickly remembered the need to drink blood, and the fact that I wasn't much of a meat-eater. It was admirable that those thestrals were willing to continue onwards for their own reasons, wanting to live their second life to its fullest.

And I... I wanted to continue my quest. I still wanted all the ancient magic to myself, even if a choice like Celestia's or Luna's awaited me in the future. Unlike them, I didn't quite have the weight of an entire country upon my back, nor was I a reluctant Grim Reaper. I was confident that I would choose my right answer, or if there wasn't one, then I'd simply make my own.

I wanted to live my own second life, this new existence, the way I wanted to, not how someone else wanted.

"I hope you will take this lesson to heart, Sunset. My advice to you, is this: Some of our most desperate desires have too high a price to pay. Consider all the possibilities, even those you refuse to think about, when you are about to do something that will change... everything."


Carry the peace and the coolness of night,
And bear up my sorrow in kind
Luna, you're loved so much more than you know,
May troubles be far from your mind...



And forgive me... for being so blind.


The colors faded away as the book closed. I realized I was back in the shimmering teal void, cold emptiness all around me. Glancing back at Celestia, she had regained her composure, regarding me with the same soft smile she always used to have.

"A pity... I sense that my time here grows short. It is my dearest wish that you return to Equestria, but I now realize that you have gained newfound purpose in this world, to claim an incredible source of magic for yourself. I know not what you will do with it once it is yours," she gently shook her head, "...But magic is no different than any power. What really matters... is the one who wields it."

I gasped lightly at her words, echoing the sentiments of my current mentor, Fig. Suddenly Celestia glowed fiercely with blue-white light, her shining eyes closing as it swirled and sparked from her body in a spectral wind, carrying it across the void. It surrounded me in its warm caress, whispering sweetly into my ears before sinking and flowing directly into me. So vast was the magic that I nearly collapsed from the sensation, so much ineffable raw power arcing across my nerves. My entire body prickled with pins and needles as the ancient magic nestled deep within my soul, became an integral, permanent part of me.

It felt incredible. So much magic, so much power... but I still wanted more. I wouldn't stop until I had it all to myself.

"I grant you my blessing, in the - perhaps misguided - hope that you'll one day return." Her form began to glimmer and sparkle, and looking up at her I gasped again as I realized she was slowly fading away. Whatever magic had summoned her here was now returning her to her universe.

I tried to speak, to thank her for the boon of magic... but my voice was silent.

"Farewell, Sunset Shimmer... may you find the power you seek. I fully believe that you are capable of wielding it... I love you."

Her body evaporated into a burst of sparkles that vanished in an intangible wind. And just like that... I was alone.

My eyes stung; I blinked, wiping my cheek in surprise when I felt a tear drip and slide down it.

Celestia... regretted what she'd said to me? She never meant to say those things... still considered me her student, her... daughter...

...

...

...

Well... what's done is done. She still allowed herself to say those things, and because of it, I came here. If I hadn't, I never would've found out I could see and use ancient magic, never would've undertaken this grand quest to claim it all for myself. I never...

...would've met Sebastian. I never would've... made such a dear friend.

Nor would I have ever met Ominis, or even Natty or Poppy... at first I was surprised they came to mind, but I could admit that over the months, they'd all grown on me. Each of them had at least one attribute I could say that I found... favorable.

I felt my heart twisting around itself uncomfortably... suddenly all the anger, the rage and grief that I felt towards my former mentor seemed so... misplaced. But before I could dwell on it for too long, a whirlwind of warmth began to blow in from all around me, bringing twinkling blue-white lights along with it.

From those twinkles did ancient magic swarm into existence, forming a familiar sight: a massive statue of Headmistress Fitzgerald's upper body loomed over me, her expression full of sadness. A glowing white formed along the crease of her eyelid and dripped into the waiting Pensieve below. The third of four mysterious artifacts rose from the cloudy liquid, this one appearing to be a wand handle crafted from elaborately-woven strips of aspen and pine wood. I stowed the strange item away into my pocket dimension, then placed my hands on the Pensieve's rim and dipped my face inside.

Once the smoke cleared, I saw Headmistress Fitzgerald walking alongside Isidora down a path in the verdant green hills near Hogwarts. They were in the midst of a conversation about the latter's use of ancient magic to remove the overwhelming emotional pain her father suffered.

"Isidora, what you did for your father was remarkable," said Fitzgerald.

"Wasn't it?" Isidora replied excitedly. "And Percival needn't worry about the strands of emotion or the traces this magic leaves, I've found a way to contain all of it." Hearing this, Fitzgerald stopped in her tracks, Isidora along with her.

"...You haven't stopped?" she asked, her eyes warily fixated on her as she beamed proudly, gesturing twice.

"Goblin silver." The repositories.

"You spoke to a goblin about this?!" Fitzgerald recoiled in shock.

"Don't worry, he has no idea what we're containing," the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor lackadaisically threw out her arms.

"We don't know what effect any of this may have... the emotions, the Dark traces-"

"Ugh, you sound like Percival," Isidora cut her off, rolling her eyes. "And as it happens, I do know. It is a source of strength, of focus! Somehow, it enhances my ability to wield magic!"

"...I don't follow, Isidora," Fitzgerald shook her head with a grimace, making my head jerk back in confusion. How could she not follow?

"I think we can harness it," said Isidora.

"Power like this is not to be toyed with! In the wrong hands-"

"You saw what I did for my father!" she argued. "Oh, Niamh... imagine the good we could do! Everyone is in some kind of pain!" And then to my surprise, Isidora pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at Fitzgerald's heart. An angry, red glow bubbled up to the surface of her chest, being extracted from the depths of her very soul.

Yet instead of letting herself be freed from whatever emotional pain she had, Fitzgerald grabbed Isidora's wand and shoved it away. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, though her stern face quickly grew deeply concerned. Isidora had managed to keep hold of a small amount of the tainted ancient magic...

...And she raised it to her nose, inhaling it as though it was a draft of the finest perfume. I watched with cautious interest as her eyes flashed red, sensing that her power, her magical abilities had indeed increased. "Breathe it in... can you feel it?" she sighed in an almost intoxicated manner, flexing the fingers in her free hand.

Fitzgerald shook her head. "Oh, Isidora... this must stop. All of it," she breathed. Isidora opened her eyes from her stupor, glaring at her with suspicion.

"...You've kept this power to yourselves for so long because you fear it," she growled. "I choose to embrace it." The Headmistress simply stared at her as she regarded her with disdain, turned her back and walked away, back down the path. For a moment it looked as though Fitzgerald wanted to call out to her, but her courage left her, and she turned away.

My mind was already racing with thoughts, barely registering the end of the memory and being pulled out of the Pensieve. What I had just witnessed did seem a bit like a cause for concern... Isidora had just treated the tainted ancient magic she extracted like an inhalant, and though she became more powerful for it, she also acted as though she'd let the power go to her head. That was one of the first precautions I took when I first chose to study Dark magic without Celestia's knowledge - knowing that I couldn't go to her for help, I needed to be careful that I didn't allow the forbidden power to corrupt me, to control me. It was easy to realize nothing good would come from it, and I was better, smarter than that.

But also from what I had seen, had pieced together myself... it would seem that she was right. The Keepers were afraid of the full potential of ancient magic. They even saw for themselves the results of Isidora's testing, saw the drastic difference in her father when his crippling emotional pain was removed! Surely that was something many people could benefit from!

There had to be a reason they were so afraid, so resistant to watching her broaden her horizons and further her experimentation. Maybe this tainted ancient magic was toxic in nature, and it slowly poisoned its user over time? Or maybe it extracted not only emotional pain, but all emotions indiscriminately, and the side effects just weren't apparent at first? Maybe it could even leave a hole in a person's soul, letting both emotions and latent magical power drain out until there was none left?

I simply didn't have enough information to come to any definitive conclusions, I could only trust what I'd seen and experienced myself. Hopefully the Keepers would be more willing to explain to me now that I'd seen this memory, but judging how reluctant they were to discuss it even before... it would likely take some creative prying.

A sudden pulse of magic alerted me to a portal that had formed in the void behind me. It would seem that I was finally done here. I took a few moments to organize my thoughts before walking through.


~


I quickly strode towards the three occupied portraits, desperately curious about the effects of tainted ancient magic, what Isidora had accomplished, why they were so unwilling to make the same use of the magic that she did. But before I could open my mouth, a fourth person walked into the remaining empty portrait. He was dressed in exotic blue robes and a matching turban, the scowl on his face stern and calculating.

This was San Bakar, the fourth and final Keeper. "Is it true? Has someone completed the first three trials?" he asked in a foreign accent as he stared down at me.

"Sure is," I smirked. "You're looking at her."

"But... you are so-"

"Young? I don't know why you're all so surprised at that. You're in a school, after all," I couldn't help but snark.

"Who are you?"

"Sunset Shimmer. You must be Professor Bakar."

"I am."

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, I have lots of questions about what I just saw in that last Pensieve," I turned towards Fitzgerald. "Did Isidora really just... inhale pure emotional pain back there?"

"She did," Bakar answered for her. I was beginning to grow just a little bit irritated with this guy, he seemed rather... pushy.

"And emotional pain, the tainted ancient magic... after she huffed it, I could tell her magical power increased. Is it because it allowed her to tap into a state of hysterical strength more easily, therefore increasing her power? Is the ancient magic itself responsible, and the fact that it's emotional pain is purely coincidental? What kind of experiments did she conduct to figure this out? And why did you think her further research on ancient magic was not a good idea?"

"...I worry that you seem more intrigued than repulsed," Bakar replied with a glare. "I hesitate to reveal the location of my Pensieve to someone who, perhaps, has yet to understand the responsibility of power." Now that was a statement that really rubbed me the wrong way. After everything I've been through, this arsehole didn't think I was worthy enough? Because I wanted to know more about this magic? What kind of backwards idiocy was this coming from a professor of all people?!

"Why would I be repulsed? Isn't the whole point of you four teaching me about ancient magic... well, teaching me about this kind of thing?" I groused. "How can I make any sort of informed decision about anything if I don't know the details?"

"What you must know, Professor, is that a dangerous goblin called Ranrok has accessed the repository at Rookwood Castle," interjected Fig. I jumped in surprise once I'd heard his voice - it must've been pretty late in the evening if he was already back from keeping Black busy.

"He's also learned to use it, too... he plans to use it against wizardkind," I added. "So I see two ways this can play out... it's either I learn more about ancient magic, or Merlin-knows-what will happen if he gets to the largest repository before I do."

"I see," Bakar hummed, considering our words. "Nonetheless, the knowledge you shall gain after you witness my memories is too valuable to share without further consideration. I shall require time to confer with the other Keepers."

"Confer? What have you people been doing all this time?!" I threw out my hands. "Can't you hear each other through each other's portraits? You can all get together in the same portrait room through them! You've had literal months to talk about this already!" But my complaints fell on deaf ears as the four Keepers walked out of their portraits and out of sight.

Fig sighed, shaking his head. "It seems we have no choice but to wait... frustrating as it is."

"This is ridiculous," I snorted. "I've passed three of the four trials already, why is me wanting to know more about ancient magic suddenly a bad thing?!"

"I'm not sure," he frowned. "I heard what you asked Headmistress Fitzgerald, however... Isidora was inhaling emotions to gain power?"

"She was," I nodded. "She said that doing so increased her own magical capabilities. She even tried to extract emotional pain from Fitzgerald... which I guess was kinda rude of her," I shrugged. "She also said she figured out a way to store the emotional pain she extracted, in containers made of goblin silver."

"The repositories?" gasped Fig. "Bragbor's journals... I see. It's all coming together, now! That's how Ranrok has been one step ahead of us all this time - Gringotts, San Bakar's tower, Rookwood Castle...!"

"And now this genius won't tell me where the last trial is so I can beat him to the big one," I scowled, jabbing a thumb at the fourth empty portrait.

"Yes... if the Keepers won't tell you where the final trial is yet, I say we at least maintain a watch on Ranrok. Perhaps he'll lead us to more information."

"Well, we'll need Lodgok for that," I frowned, crossing my arms. "Haven't heard from him since learning about the drills. By the way," I added with a smirk, "good call on that Polyjuice Potion. It was... very successful."

"I knew it would be," grinned Fig. "I may have done too good a job distracting Black... I had no idea he can't hold his Firewhisky."

"Is that so?" My smirk stretched out into a malicious grin. "He's in for a world of hurt tomorrow."
> In Which Poppy's Insane Plan Actually Works
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a pity that I still hadn't learned how to remove emotional pain with ancient magic. As our experiments continued, I could feel Sebastian's anxiety growing by the day.

To our chagrin we'd hit a bit of a wall regarding his relic - after upscaling the test subjects from rats to Doxies, the curse would only be partially dispelled upon reading the incantation, while the sacrificial subject wound up maimed in some fashion. It was almost like something invisible had clawed and ripped at it within the span of a second, and the doxy would be suddenly missing limbs, have huge gashes in its body or even become disemboweled. While we did what we could to heal and restore them before setting them free, not wanting to use their sampled life forces in further tests, a quick death was mercifully granted with a burst of ancient magic if the damage was too severe.

We had also come to a disagreement about the particular translation of one of the final passages in Slytherin's spellbook about the relic. A couple of the words had faded and blurred over the centuries, to the point that we just couldn't be sure what it originally said, and even our best restorative charms did little to make it any clearer. Sebastian was positive the sentence fragment meant "reverse the curses of life", which, given the context of the rest of the sentence, could possibly mean that the relic would reverse all curses, including those inflicted by Dark magic.

However, I felt the curves of the faded letters formed different shapes than he thought. If I understood them correctly, then the fragment and sentence together translated to mean "reverse the curse of death". Unfortunately, that would mean the relic wasn't actually what we thought it was, and could theoretically only do one thing, except... well, you couldn't reverse death. It just wasn't possible. All you could do was turn the dead into the undead, or apparently Thestrals if you were a pony. But it was also entirely possible that I was reading it wrong - he had far more experience translating old human languages than I did, after all.

Either way, we simply weren't making the progress either of us hoped. In case we'd somehow overlooked another method that might cure Anne faster, I set to researching other options once we'd run out of doxies while Sebastian went out to hunt down some Gnomes we could use next.

The alchemy book I'd taken from the scriptorium also promised a formula to create a Philosopher's Stone - which could then be used to create a cure for absolutely anything. But upon reading said formula I found it sorely lacking in accuracy - it made no mention of the integral substances Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas or Rubedo, recommended using an earthen pot which would explode upon the creation of Citrinitas and ruin the whole batch, and the test to see whether the substance that was supposed to be Rubedo was finished boiling was backwards. I skimmed through the rest of the book for any mention of Azoth, Alkahest or Panacea, and promptly tossed it away when I found none. Any other books from the school library, Restricted section or not, offered little more information than that, and my own knowledge from Equestria could only fill in so many gaps.

No... that Flamel guy's the only one who ever managed to unlock the secret of creating a Philosopher's Stone. And I doubt he'd be willing to share his notes on how he did it, no matter who asked. Not when it allowed one to create an elixir that effectively granted immortality.

Ah, now that was a lofty goal for a truly insane mind to accomplish. I'd considered the steps to becoming immortal before - sure, it might be fun at first... until the universe eventually achieved total entropy, bringing heat death and the death of any interesting speck of life along with it, and entirely ceased to exist. And that alone would take an incomprehensible amount of time; if one waited long enough then they'd eventually see another big bang and the universe born anew, and then they could become the god of an eventual civilization... but I think I'd lose my mind by the time I'd seen the last of the infinite void of black holes burn themselves out. Part of me felt sorry for my former mentor because of that, in a way.

I continued my search.

...

...

...

Unicorn blood? No, that'd just leave her with an additional curse. It's not her life we're trying to save, anyway, she's not actively dying... not yet, at least. Hopefully it'd stay that way, the data I'd taken from her diagnostic charm had suggested that she was stable for now.

Although I had once been certain an Umbrum Crystal would suppress the curse within her without any ill effects. I just couldn't be sure about anything anymore.

...

...

...

Hmm... maybe the arcano-religious field of Demonology could cure her? When Sebastian returned from his excursion with a sack full of gnomes, I asked him if he'd looked into it. Understandably it was near the bottom of his "last resort" list, so he hadn't gotten around to it quite yet. After letting the gnomes run free into the Vivarium I began some preliminary research and preparations.

After a day of study we had a working plan. Even though he was certainly the most powerful and able, we decided not to summon Jamaz the Infernal King, for fear of what could happen if we happened to get the ritual wrong. A lesser demon would do just fine for one person, and after a bit more reading we settled on the perfect one to beseech. Yconaababur was still a horrifyingly powerful entity, known for his hot, hasty nature, but he was also known for his strength and generosity. He was said to have total power over decay, either staving it off entirely or reversing its effects... though he could also cause death at will, and if he decided to kill one or both of us on a whim... well, that wouldn't be good.

First we exited my Room so we could both focus on a place we could summon this demon as safely as possible. After a few moments the Room of Requirement spawned a thick metal door covered in protective runes, so heavy that it took the both of us to push it open and shut again. Inside the room, it was completely barren except for a table off to the side containing all of the ritual items we would need. The stone walls and ceiling were covered in more protective runes, both etched into the surface and painted over those in... well, someone or something's blood.

After reading the incantations and working out the proper pronunciations, we set to preparing the ritual. The ceremonial Wand of Solomon the Room provided us would have to do, as making our own would take at least two weeks, not to mention neither of us were particularly excited about sacrificing a live goat. We carefully constructed the magic circle to the letter of the texts, nailing the provided goatskin to the floor with nails from the casket of a recently-dead child, then using a bloodstone to scratch shapes and letters into the floor around it. We set a candle and a garland of verbena each to the left and right of the circle, then lit them and set out a vase full of willow ash in front. To my surprise an Incendio lit the ashes on fire easily; so far our preparations were working. After carefully adding a mixture of Spirit of Water, incense and camphor to the vase, we readied our Galleons and Sickles wrapped in parchment in case anything went wrong, and Sebastian began to speak the long, complicated incantation.

Nothing had happened by the time he finished it, requiring him to stick the ends of the wand into the vase's fire and read a secondary incantation that rattled off the names of numerous angels before eventually devolving into a string of letters. Once he'd reached the fifteenth "C" in the speech, the fires suddenly extinguished themselves.

And then the vase exploded in a blast far more potent than we ever expected; I just barely got a nonverbal Protego off in time to prevent it from cutting or singeing our faces. The wooden floors spontaneously burst into dark red flames that somehow didn't burn and consume them, leaving only the circle we were in safe and untouched. But despite the protections of the circle the room quickly became uncomfortably warm, and we edged closer together for safety as something materialized from the center of the flames, rising and standing slowly.

It looked strangely human for a demon, minus its skin made of blazing yellow fire. Heat shimmered off its body like a mirage, distorting its sadistic grin and gleaming eyes. Sebastian and I shared bewildered glances with each other as Yconaababur quickly bellowed out a monologue in its deep, guttural voice.

"Late is the plea of the penitent. I will bathe in the blood of the righteous. All will burn in the company of sin. My coming shall herald glorious sorrow. I will claim the flesh of man for my own. Three houses in the halls of hell, two legions in the glory of my house, one to usher tribulation."

...

...

...

"I HAVE COME-"

I blasted it with ancient magic before it could utter another word. The demon howled in pain as the magic tore it apart from the inside out and burned its flesh into ash, banishing it back to whence it came. The ashes sank into the floor and vanished, along with the flames.

A few beats of silence passed.

"I... don't believe that's going to work..." Sebastian winced fearfully. That was a little too Dark for our liking. I swallowed my wildly-beating heart back into my chest.

"Yea... no. Pass me the salt and holy water."


~


After changing the Room back into mine we piled together every single book we had that could possibly contain the cure for Anne's curse. Out of all of them, there were maybe only half a dozen that both of us hadn't read cover to cover. The rest of the day was spent quietly reading through those books.

I had finished one and was halfway through my second when Sebastian suddenly shouted. "Sunset, look at this!" he said as he waved me over. Glancing over his shoulder at what he was reading, I could see he was in the middle of a thick old tome called Magick Moste Evile.

"What'd you find?" Excitedly he pointed to a passage at the bottom of the current page.

"Look... these horcruxes offer a way to return to life after death, even after one's body has been entirely destroyed! Perhaps there's something to be learned from this ritual!" I quickly skimmed through the paragraphs... and quickly found quite a few problems we'd run into if we tried.

"...No," I sighed, shaking my head. "There might be something in there, but it's far too specific to pick apart and find it anytime soon. And while the ritual itself might work, the steps we'd have to take to make it happen would be practically impossible."

"What? What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," I began counting on my fingers. "...First, we'd have to get Anne to somehow willingly murder someone in cold blood - Imperioing her into doing it wouldn't count. And she'd have to do so while Legilimensing into their mind, then she'd have to quickly put the piece of her soul into whatever receptable she chose before it decays and becomes useless. Then we'd have to create a homunculus and have it within five feet of her when she dies, kill her and destroy her body-"

"What?! We are not killing Anne!" Sebastian recoiled in horror, though after a few seconds he calmed back down, then sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright... when you put it that way, it does sound ridiculous."

"It didn't before?" I blinked.

"I'm desperate!" he yelled as he threw out his hands. "We've been at this for weeks and we're no closer to a cure!"

"I know... and it'll probably take even more weeks of searching to find one," I frowned in sympathy. "I just can't believe it's taking this long, we should've found something by now." When he didn't respond immediately I glanced down at him, my heart aching to see him burying his face in his hands.

"...What if there really isn't a cure for her?" his voice began to tremble. "What if we're doing all of this for nothing? What... W-What if I can't help her...?"

"There is, and we will find it," I affirmed as I almost instinctively laid a hand on his back. "I know it's out there somewhere."

"What makes you so sure...?" he replied weakly after a few moments. I sighed again as I felt a dark, dense fog of fear, failure and despair coiling around his heart, choking out the light of optimism that usually shined so brightly within him. For some reason, something Celestia had told me long ago echoed within my mind.

"...The truly beautiful thing about magic, is that it has no limits to what it can do," I mumbled quietly as I knelt down and leaned my head on his shoulder, my hand moving to grasp his other. "That's what Celestia always told me, anyway." I felt him shift in his seat, his shoulders heaving once.

"Could... could she cure Anne's curse?" he asked slowly, hopefully. In the back of my mind, I wondered the same - it certainly couldn't be out of the question entirely, I knew she would try her hardest to help anyone who needed her.

But... going back felt impossible now. Taking both Sebastian and Anne with me to Equestria would raise so many questions... it wasn't what I'd done that I was worried about, nor was I worried that they'd be welcomed with anything less than open forehooves, but rather what their reactions would be to a world, a universe so vastly different from their own. Equestria was nothing like Earth, this human world. And a small part of me even feared what Sebastian would think if he ever saw me as I truly was... And that was if the mirror didn't turn them into ponies like it had turned me into a human. Who knows how well or how poorly they'd cope with that? The more I thought about it, the more I felt deeply uncomfortable with that idea.

No... that's gonna have to be my own last resort. "...I don't think so." He sighed, his shoulders heaving again.

"...Damn it."

"I'm sorry," I murmured sincerely, sighing as well. It wasn't of much comfort to feel him place his hand over mine.


~


We diligently continued our research every day after classes, as fruitless as it seemed to be. On Wednesday I was offered a break in the form of Natty and Poppy joining us at the Slytherin table during dinner - the latter had come up with a plan to ask the centaurs for help in finding and protecting the Golden Snidgets. At first Sebastian was less than thrilled at the news, half worried for my safety and half anxious to get back to our work, but I managed to convince Ominis to take him out on a last-minute outing to Hogsmeade instead. He could use the break to help take his mind off of everything, to which he begrudgingly agreed.

We were to leave at 11pm to avoid detection, which meant skipping Astronomy. It was fine with me, as I'd come to find Professor Shah's tone of voice supremely aggravating, not to mention I'd also discovered she was quite the hypocrite; divination through studying the stars and planets was just as baseless as actual Divination, if not more so. Regardless, I handed Sebastian my essay to turn in for me (two and a half feet of parchment detailing the significance of Jupiter's four largest moons in the subject that had quickly morphed into ten feet both regurgitating her teachings and debunking them) and milled about, practicing some defensive spells until it was time to leave.

The three of us flew deep into the Forbidden Forest, deep into centaur territory. We circled around a few times, hoping that those of them stargazing on this frigid, clear night would see us and alert the others. Despite the warming weather, this part of the forest was still half-covered in white.

"I can do this... I can do this," Poppy whispered to herself, psyching herself up. "They will want to help." We landed in a small clearing where the day's sunlight just barely reached the old, packed snow between the trees. Glowing lacewing flies lazily floated among the evergreen branches, offering a little light. We stood there for a few moments, eyeing our surroundings and casting Warming Charms on our cloaks to keep out the cold.

"So, is this where we're meeting the centaurs?" I asked.

"Well... they don't exactly... know we're coming," Poppy admitted, smiling sheepishly as Natty and I both shrieked. "So it's less of a meeting and more of a... surprise, I suppose?"

"Oh... they will not like this at all," Natty shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. "They may think we're plotting against them rather than asking for their assistance."

"I hope these Snidget things are really important to them," I groused, my body suddenly tensing at every little noise I heard around us. I was already half-expecting a barrage of arrows to come flying out of the bushes at us at any time.

"They are," Poppy affirmed, nodding. "Perhaps they'll be able to tell that we're sincere. There's something about them that's so... knowing. It's almost unnerving."

"I... I-I suppose they are known for having an air of omniscience about them," sighed Natty, glancing over to me. I could only offer a shrug; centaurs were largely just a myth back in Equestria. I had no pertinent insights to share.

"That's exactly the right word! I just-" Suddenly Poppy's cheerful expression fell, and her eyes turned down to the ground. "...Never mind."

"You sure?" I found myself asking out loud before thinking it through. Someone's expression didn't just change as quickly as that if it was nothing.

"It's nothing, truly," she waved away. "I've- ...we've no secrets to hide." To that statement both Natty and I glanced away nervously; Natty likely for the secrets she kept from her mother about our activities, and myself because of my true nature, the fact that I was really a pony in human guise.

"...Right," Natty breathed out after a few moments. "We will simply be honest with them about our intentions. They will have to help us! ...Won't they?"

"Yes, of course," Poppy nodded, sharing an uneasy look with her. "You're absolutely right. We'll meet with them, tell them about the Snidgets and I'm sure it'll all be-"

She cut off her sentence when I suddenly whipped around, feeling the vibrations of hoofsteps in the ground, quickly advancing towards us. A few seconds later we were surrounded, the centaurs galloping around us in a circle as if herding us together. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Natty was very nervous, but Poppy was watching them with the same foolish, entranced awe as she had with the dragon. She did, however, have enough sense to clasp her hands around Natty's when she saw she was edging towards casting a defensive spell.

The centaurs slowed their pace, arrows nocked on their bows in case we moved too quickly. One of them approached us, streaks of white in his dreaded hair and beard and a deep scowl on his face. "What do you think you're doing here, humans?" he growled.

Poppy quickly stepped forward. "Please, we were hoping to speak with you-"

"Ah... I suppose you'd like a tale for your friends of the time you spoke to a centaur, and 'it' spoke back," he interrupted with a sneer, narrowed eyes glancing around to the others. All of them seemed to share his sentiments.

"No, never! We're here because we need your help!" she pleaded.

"Enough!" the centaur threw out his hand, and at the gesture the others raised their weapons towards us. "You made a grave error in judgment in coming here, little witch."

"Put those down, or it'll be you who've made the grave error," I warned, stomping my feet as I adopted a stern pose. It didn't bother me when the bows and arrows swiveled to point in my direction, with my hand on my wand and ancient magic charged up it'd take only a swish to knock them all out of their hands.

"You dare threaten us?!" the centaur bristled. "You who mocks our mannerisms, you who would encroach on our lands?"

"Only if you prove yourselves not as wise as we thought and attack us," I snorted. "You'd do well to listen to my friend's pleas." Friend...? I think of her as my friend, too...? Whether through my threats or reasoning, the centaur hesitated long enough for another to approach, this one appearing much older than the rest. His neatly-groomed grey hair was pulled back into a ponytail (heh), his face was a maze of wrinkles and age lines, and the fur of his equine body was a dappled white.

"Leave them be, Elek," he spoke. "We do not harm the young. It is not our way."

"You forget your place, old fool," Elek hissed. "I am the leader of this herd, and while you cling to 'our way', their kind continues to slaughter beasts like us without a care!"

The elder centaur regarded us for a moment, his calm demeanor never changing. "...From what I can see, they have slaughtered no one. They will leave here unharmed," he subtly emphasized. Elek grimaced as the other centaurs lowered their weapons and nodded slightly in agreement.

"...Mark my words, Dorran," he glared. "If I ever see them again, it will be all four of your heads." With that he stormed away, the rest of the herd following after him. Once they had left, Dorran sighed and shook his head at us.

"Foolish children... do you know what happens to witches who wander here?" he chastised as he started walking in the direction of Hogwarts. "Now follow me before-"

"Golden Snidgets are still alive and the poachers are after them!" Poppy shouted all at once, unable to hold back any longer. When she saw that Dorran hadn't stopped walking or even seemed like he'd heard her, she continued. "They know that the key to finding them lies in the moonlight, but they don't know what that means... yet! Please... help us find the Snidgets before the poachers do!"

Dorran finally stopped moving, and stared off into the distance. "Could it be...?" I barely heard him mutter before he turned back towards us. "In the south, there is a cave within which lies what the poachers seek: a moonstone. Retrieve it, and place it in the henge in the forest."

All three of us blinked in astonishment. Was it really this easy? Or was this some kind of trap...?

"I, on the other hand, must go speak with the herd. Find me after you have done this." And with those instructions he turned back around and trotted away, leaving the three of us in stunned silence.

"...I don't understand," Natty finally breathed.

"So the moonlight mentioned in the journal doesn't refer to actual moonlight, but to a moonstone..." hummed Poppy, deep in thought. "What do moonstones have to do with Snidgets?"

"And why was he so certain about where we could find one?" I pressed my lips together. "I don't know if I like the sound of this... he was awfully forthcoming with that information."

"Knowing centaurs, I suspect he's referring to a specific moonstone," said Poppy. "We'll likely know it when we see it."

"That, or we'll wind up dead somehow," I grumbled under my breath.

"I just can't believe it... at least one of the centaurs wishes to help us," Natty shook her head. "It's a shame how quickly he left... what was his name? Dorran?"

"Seems to be," I nodded.

"Well, if Dorran knows something we don't, I'd rather act now and ask questions later," said Poppy. "I can head to the library and start looking into the cave he mentioned."

"I'll help you," offered Natty. "Far less stimulating than sneaking out of class and meeting with centaurs, but still quite enjoyable."

"But I thought you Gryffindors liked doing such brave, stupid things," I smirked, Natty smiling back.

"True, but there is a difference between a foolish endeavor and a suicidal one... I would have tried leaving a letter out in the forest first," she raised an eyebrow as she stared pointedly at Poppy. The little Hufflepuff girl simply rubbed the back of her head and giggled.

"...Maybe that would have been a good idea," she admitted.

"Ah, what's done is done," Natty sighed with a slight grin. "I have to admit, I am surprised you aren't a Gryffindor as well."

"I think the Hat did consider it back then, when I was being Sorted," Poppy replied, thinking. "Anyway, what about you, Sunset?" I inhaled sharply, though tried my best to downplay it. As much as I enjoyed combing through the school library for books that might've had something interesting within them...

...I didn't really have the time to spare at the moment. Not when my best friend needed me. I made him a promise, and I intended to keep it. "I'll try to help, but I can't make any promises... I need to study for the OWLs."

"But you already have the highest marks in all the classes we share," Natty argued gently. "I don't think you'll have anything to worry about when it's time to take them." Inwardly I winced, because she was right... though to be fair, in any class I didn't have the best grades in, I was a close second. Sebastian was my only competition.

"That's just this year's studies, though... OWLs are cumulative, and I've only been here the one year," I white-lied. "I want to make sure I haven't overlooked anything from the past years."

"Hm... I guess you do have a point," she admitted slowly.

"It's alright," Poppy smiled mischievously, edging closer to Natty. "We can search together." Natty caught her smile and copied it after a moment, seemingly understanding the hidden meaning beneath.

"See? You two won't even miss me," I grinned. "...If you two would like to take a 'break' during your search, almost nobody ever goes into the nook in the southeast corner of the second floor."

"I see. Do you speak from... personal experience?" Natty smirked as Poppy snickered, barely able to get her words out.

"Sallow and Shimmer, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"Wha- no!" I grumbled, cutting off her childish song. "We're not that kind of friends! ...Not yet, anyway," I muttered under my breath, glancing away.

"Ah, but you're blushing!" pointed Natty, and she and Poppy burst into proper laughter. My mouth scrunched into a frown as I clapped my hands over my cheeks.

"...Why am I friends with you two again?"


~


It was well past midnight by the time we returned to Hogwarts. I went straight to my Room, looking forward to going to bed but jumping in surprise to see Sebastian there. He was reading through Slytherin's spellbook once again, muttering to himself so quietly I couldn't make out what he was saying. And evidently he was so focused on his reading that he didn't notice me returning.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, causing him to shout and jolt in his seat.

"...I couldn't focus," he admitted after calming himself. "I handed in our homework and asked Shah to be dismissed, I wasn't feeling very well." I sighed, frowning in sympathy from the emotions churning within him.

"Did going out with Ominis help any?" He shook his head slowly.

"Not even after a Butterbeer or two. Everything we talked about just reminded me of Anne." A pause to sigh bitterly. "...I feel like I'm failing her."

"You're not, Seb," I reassured softly. A sudden, chilling thought drifted into my mind. "Uh... You're not studying the relic on your own, right?"

"Don't worry, it's still tucked away in my desk," he replied. Searching his feelings confirmed that this was a lie; I cleared my throat as I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. With another sigh he reached into his pocket dimension and set the relic on the Potions table next to the spellbook's lectern. "Alright, I did consider it... but I remembered what you've told me about studying such Dark magic and didn't go through with it. I promise." This time he wasn't hiding a lie, or even thinking about trying. It was good to know he had ultimately taken my repeated warnings seriously.

And it wasn't like I could blame him for thinking about it. "Well, that's good, at least," I remarked, coming closer.

"Sorry."

"Don't be... well, don't do it again, anyway, but... I understand." I glanced over the pages, finding him reading the passage we disagreed upon once again.

I desperately hoped that my interpretation of the words was wrong. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence I gently placed a hand on his shoulder, blinking at the sudden pang of pain I felt as he looked up at me with miserable eyes.

"Look, it's late," I grimaced. "Try to get some sleep, okay? We'll keep working on it tomorrow. I know how important this is to you, but it won't help if we're both so tired we screw up what might be the most important experiment yet." He sighed once again, though it morphed into a yawn as he stood up and stretched.

"You're right... very well." He stood there for a few seconds, eyes glazed over as though he were too exhausted to even think. I tilted my head as I waited to see him move again, then suddenly my vision filled with him.

He covered his eyes with my shoulder as he slumped against me and held me tight. Even without speaking I could sense there were words he wanted to say but they just wouldn't come out, or rather, he refused to let them out. The cold fog of helplessness and despair around him seemed thicker, his body shivering against mine.

I said nothing as I wrapped my arms around his back, simply holding him for as long as he wanted, for lack of knowing what else to do. In the depths of my heart I cursed the Keepers and their lack of useful knowledge, or their refusal to give it to me.

I hated knowing he felt so hopeless and discouraged... and I wanted nothing more than to take this pain away from him.
> In Which Hope and Despair Isn't Just for Black and White Bears
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days passed, and our hearts grew heavier.

Our experiments with the gnomes Sebastian had captured were going even worse than they had with the doxies. It seemed we'd reached the limit of what the relic could do outside of the catacomb - it could barely affect the weakest of curses on the afflicted test subject, with the sacrificial subject often becoming maimed or dying for little to no accomplishment.

Until one such test ended in an anomaly.

The sacrificial subject died, as usual, but the cursed subject suddenly dropped dead as well. Sebastian and I stared at the gnome in shock before hurriedly writing down our findings. We almost didn't realize the relic's magic hadn't fully abated yet in our excitement.

A tiny groan brought our attention back to the deceased test subject, our quills falling from our hands as we realized it was now sitting up. Slowly it opened its eyes, which were now glowing a faint red and were entirely devoid of any form of sentience. It rose from the table and unsteadily shambled over to the sacrificial subject, staring down at it motionlessly until I trapped it inside a stasis spell.

Multiple diagnostic spells were cast upon both subjects. In the end, it was determined through an analysis of their simple emotions that the two subjects had been a mated pair. I quickly searched through the emotions of the rest of the gnomes in the Vivarium, but unfortunately the ones remaining had no such feelings. Perhaps we'd inadvertently separated those paired gnomes already... though Sebastian admitted he could only get so many of them from each garden he visited.

Still, we were finally on to something... except that something was not a good sign for the relic's purported ability to dispel curses. The passage whose translation we'd disagreed upon flashed into my mind, and I swallowed down the thick revulsion that... my translation might've been right all along. But Sebastian refused to accept defeat, insisted that what had happened was an anomaly and nothing more. It was still possible that the relic could dispel any Dark curse with an acceptable sacrifice, without harming the cursed subject.

For his sake I went along with it. I knew we needed to be realistic and accept that our hypothesis might've been faulty... but every time I looked at him, felt the pain of his emotions tearing at his heart, I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I too wanted to hold on to the hope that it really was just an anomaly, just as badly as he did.

Eventually it turned out he'd collected an odd number of gnomes; one was still digging through the Vivarium's meadow by the time we'd finished with them all. While Sebastian busied himself with tidying up our equipment, I reflected on what I felt as I watched the creature root through the ground, seemingly oblivious to the gradual disappearance of its companions.

An idea came to me, half-formed, half-baked. I raised my wand and pointed it at the gnome, closing my eyes in concentration. Blue-white light spilled from my eyes as I summoned the ancient magic deep within me, and tried to extend it outwards to wrap around the simple emotions of the gnome. I tried to visualize them in my mind, seeing the emotions as a pulsing, undulating cloud of energy within the creature's body. It was a small target, but then I tried to imagine a thin tendril of my magic reaching out and wrapping around an even smaller part of that cloud, then gently pulling away.

A shrill squeak that abruptly stopped startled my eyes open. The gnome had been dragged from its hole in the ground, its body maimed in a horrific manner: its still-beating heart had been pulled through its throat until it stuck partially out of the gnome's mouth, its jaw distended and broken.

...

...

...

...So much for trying to extract emotional pain on my own.


~


The next morning I went down to the Map Chamber myself to try to wheedle out any more information about ancient magic I could from the Keepers. Again I was met with silence or a refusal to elaborate, even after I had explained why it was so important that I learned as quickly as possible. For whatever reason, now that I knew the full potential of what the magic could do for a person's emotions, they were now entirely unwilling to tell me anything more about it. 

Discouraged and irritated, I later commiserated with Sebastian about their reservations, their sudden refusal to teach. I'd already told him about the memories I'd seen in the Pensieve (though I heavily edited what I'd experienced in the trial itself), but by the end of it, I wasn't sure which one of us were more upset about that bit of news. It was imperative to the both of us that I reach the largest repository before Ranrok found it, even without the help of that missing journal.

I stewed on it until Friday evening. I was finally willing to admit we needed to start considering other, more drastic options if we were to find Anne's cure. It took nearly a half hour of convincing to get Sebastian to agree... the results we were getting from the relic simply weren't pointing in the right direction anymore. While in the middle of writing down some notes on how an infusion of liquid from the lost Cup of Jamshid might offer some relief, however, Sebastian suddenly jumped in surprise with a shout.

"What?!" I half-snapped in concern, casting a spell to suck out all the ink I'd spilled on my other pile of notes about the Langgan Efflorescence due to his outburst.

"It just came to me," he breathed. "What if we complete that triptych? It clearly belonged to Isidora... perhaps if we find the last piece her portrait will appear, and then you can learn ancient magic directly from her!"

"I guess," I blinked, surprised. "Do you know where the scenery from the second panel is located?"

"Close to Marunweem, I know... and if Ranrok has taken over the mines in the area, then it must be because he's searching for something related to ancient magic. It'll only be a matter of finding their largest campsite and poking around there for answers."

"Hmm..." I nodded. What he was saying certainly made sense, and it was certainly possible that Isidora might be more willing to teach me what the Keepers refused to. But was this really the best time to take a break from finding a cure for Anne's curse? "Well, I'm willing to go check it out, but-"

"Yes, let's go!" Sebastian emphasized as he pulled at my hands, practically dragging me from the desk. I was stunned speechless until we were halfway through the castle, wondering why he was suddenly so interested in completing the triptych. Searching through his emotions proved to be a total mess, however... desperation and fear blended together with hope and excitement in equal measure. It wasn't like my ability to sense other's emotions was a perfect equivalent to telepathy.

For a moment I wanted to try and pry further, to sense his exact emotional state... but then the image of the gnome with its heart in its mouth shot into my mind. That was the last thing I wanted to do to him.

Once we were out of the castle and past its walls, Sebastian asked for my hand so he could Apparate us to the distant hamlet. Almost as soon as I gave it to him I felt the tug of teleportation, and a mere blink later our surroundings had changed. Marunweem was a town close to the coast to the far southeast of Hogwarts, on the shores of a brackish lake with the same name. The weather was slightly warmer and drier in the region - there was hardly a patch of snow to be found, the bare ground marred with patches of tall yellow grass.

He quickly pulled out his broom from his pocket dimension, spurring me to do the same. I followed him into the air, and together we scanned the hills surrounding the town, searching for any sign of goblin activity. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, he pointed out what appeared to be a massive camp just outside of the entrance to a cave that had stone steps leading up to it. It was well-fortified by natural cliffs and canyons, and all of the surrounding trees had been clearcut - they'd see us coming from miles away if we approached them head on.

There was, however, a path at the bottom of the hill that carved upwards towards the camp, still camouflaged by a dense layer of trees that would allow us to land unseen. Only a few goblins were currently traveling along it, but we still landed as stealthily as we could, gazing upwards at our destination.

"Still one step ahead of us," frowned Sebastian. "But they can't possibly know about the triptych... can they?"

"I can't imagine they do," I shook my head in agreement. "But Ranrok does know that Isidora was involved with the Keepers in some way. That's probably why they're searching here, this mine had something to do with her." Beside me, my dearest friend sighed, shaking his head.

"It's their fault we have to resort to this," he muttered bitterly.

"Hm?"

"These 'Keepers' are playing games with you. After all this time, after besting each of their trials you've faced... but why?" he asked as he glanced back up the steep, small mountain.

"I dunno, but by Celestia, is it aggravating," I nodded, growling through my teeth. After another minute of waiting for any sign of movement to cease, we stood up from our hiding spot and started our ascent.

"Quickly, before we're spotted," he murmured, breaking out into a quick jog up the mountain path. I hurried after him, mildly surprised at his pace. "Keep a close eye out... I saw some of Ranrok's crew moving off the path just ahead."

"Off the path? That's weird," I mused. "Why?"

"Raiding, I imagine. This mountain used to safeguard local hamlet valuables, but I've heard it's been abandoned ever since Ranrok took hold of the coast."

"Damn... don't suppose he left anything good behind for us?" I shrugged. But Sebastian seemed to ignore my quip; as we reached the first of multiple switchbacks that led upwards, the tops of some tents beside a large, dormant piece of machinery came into view. A goblin was reclining in a chair, doing a poor job of serving as a lookout while the others readied themselves for bed.

More annoyed by their presence than anything, I pointed my wand in their direction, channeling only a small amount of ancient magic to empower my spell. A silent Deprimo crumbled the ground beneath their entire camp, forming a crevasse stretching a couple hundred feet straight down. The lookout jumped in his seat at the sudden screams of his companions and gaped helplessly as he watched them fall to their deaths. A Depulso pushed him into joining them. Beside me, Sebastian chuckled once darkly as the scream abruptly cut off.

We continued our hike upwards in silence. Past the third switchback, a strange, guttural whinny caught my attention - looking upwards, I saw a pair of thestrals fly past into the night sky.

"Thestrals overhead... some consider them a bad omen," I heard him mumble.

"Not everyone does," I replied. "Natty doesn't."

"Is that so..." he replied half-heartedly. When he hadn't spoken again for about a minute, I started to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"...You okay?"

"I'm fine," he affirmed rather harshly. "I'm making small talk... I'm not going to trek up this mountain in silence."

"Oh." I bristled at his tone... now, I could understand why he was particularly touchy at the moment, what with his animosity for goblins, his frustration with the Keepers and his disappointment in the relic's potential, but he knew taking it out on me was less than a wise choice... too much sass and I wouldn't refrain from smacking him.

But almost as quickly as he'd said it, he sighed and shook his head. "Sorry... I didn't mean to come off so cross. I'm just... not in the best of spirits."

"I know," I tilted my head and frowned in sympathy. Half of a smile briefly appeared across his lips before blowing away in exertion. We walked further up the mountain, again in silence, until reaching the beginning of one of the canyons that flanked the pathway. Once we'd passed the next switchback I heard another whinny, louder than the last.

"I bet the thestral nest's close by," Sebastian hummed. Sure enough, there was a crack in the cliff's walls that led to an outcropping on the edge of the mountain. The thestrals' den overlooked the coastline below, hidden amongst a blanket of barren bushes and dried weeds. They largely ignored our presence, but one of them seemed especially curious, and timidly approached me.

I flashed a welcoming smile as my pony instincts took over and let a reassuring nicker pass over my lips. The thestral closed the distance and nuzzled my shoulder, allowing me to stroke its leathery neck. It snorted happily in response and soon left to rejoin the others. I glanced over to Sebastian after watching it for a few moments - a flicker of curiosity passed over his features, but it quickly fell as he stared at the ground and sighed.

I could feel a dull ache within him... full of regret, and wishing. I bit my lip as I considered why he felt that way, and why he could see the spectral creatures. Yet another intangible pain that ailed him.

"...I'm sorry we can both see thestrals," I spoke quietly. He blinked as he straightened up a little, his jaw clenching.

"It's certainly not something I'd hoped we'd have in common," he replied, his eyes closed.

We let the beasts be and continued up the path. Finally we picked our way through the canyon that led to the goblins' main camp. A number of tents had been set up, and a blazing fire roared underneath a turnspit loaded with pots of boiling stew. Huge machines of unknown function lay motionless all around in the background, though I could imagine their purpose had to do with finding ancient magic deep underground.

Most of the goblins were gathered around the fire, chatting and drinking, but a good number of them were patrolling around the camp. "Kill any who trespass," I heard one goblin hiss to another.

"There they are... let's go," rumbled Sebastian. I nodded and raised my wand in preparation to cast Disillusionment, but stopped as he walked right past me, still perfectly visible to the world.

This was new.

"Uh... isn't this the part where you ask me how we'd like to handle this?" I blinked. But he simply continued forward, his wand already burning with a Confringo and murder in his eyes.

"I'm through planning."

He approached the two goblins and fired, his spell splitting in two and striking them each in the face. Once the others whipped around and realized his presence, Sebastian disappeared in the blink of an eye, reappearing behind one of the goblins and severing its head from its body with a Diffindo that spread outwards and slashed those in front of it. Then he teleported again, this time reappearing by a loaded weapon rack and animating them to attack their owners.

My mouth snapped shut as I got over my shock and joined the fight, but despite my desire to get involved there was actually not much for me to do. Sebastian's rapid use of teleportation made it seem like he was everywhere at once, the entire camp lighting up with spellfire. Goblin after goblin fell to his attacks: slashed and shot by their own weapons, burned with fire, ripped apart, frozen solid, launched into the air, driven into the ground, thrown off a cliff, blown to pieces, slammed headfirst into boulders and machines. Even those that Apparated in mid-fight were struck down as quickly as they appeared.

His usual demeanor, composed and confident, had been replaced with a wild, almost feral bloodlust. He had quit using the flourishes he usually punctuated his wandwork with, and his eyes were dark with rage and malice as he fought. He barely flinched as one particular goblin's blood spattered across his face, seemingly wearing it like warpaint. I could only gawk in surprise watching this side of him being unleashed upon the world.

...To be completely honest... seeing him so focused on making these goblins pay for their mere existence was... kind of hot, in a dangerous, macho-masculine sort of way. It never really struck me before how ruthless he could be.

The last goblin collapsed limply to the ground, a Diffindo having cleaved him in half almost perfectly vertically. Sebastian paused for only a brief moment to Scourgify the blood from his face before setting his glare on the entrance to the mine. Finally I found my voice again.

"Excuse me... what the hell was that?" I gestured to the mass of dead goblins, watching him already begin to stalk up the stairs. "Hey, don't just ignore me... wait!"

"Wait?" He finally stopped and whirled around. "For what? Ugh, why are you suddenly so cautious?!"

"Cautious...?" My head drew back in confusion. "...No, warn me next time you're gonna charge in like that, wands-a-blazing! I would've been fine with rushing them. Now I'm just mad you got a head start!"

Now it was Sebastian's turn to blink. "...Oh. Erm... alright. Sorry about that." I let out an exaggerated sigh and shook my head, though a chuckle soon bubbled forth from my lips.

"Eh, doesn't really matter to me either way... it's clearly cathartic for you and it's fewer goblins for Ranrok to use against me. But, now that I know how you want to play with your quarry this time... let's have some fun," I smirked viciously, raising my wand. He looked at me in surprise for a few moments before matching my expression.

"I do love how you and I think so alike."

"That's why we're best friends," I quipped, walking alongside him up the stairs. Once we'd entered the mine, we wedged our way through an assortment of digging machines before the path opened back up and the interior narrowed. Soon we'd reached a spacious cave within the mountain... unfortunately decorated with giant spider webs.

"Ugh, not again," Sebastian groaned.

"Yet another labyrinthine cavern, likely full of giant spiders, because why the hell not?" I muttered. He grunted in agreement just as one of the foul creatures crawled up from a chasm in the floor. Though I blasted it with a Confringo, more began billowing up from all around us.

"You just had to mention spiders, didn't you?" he sighed, already preparing to cast a wide arc of Incendio. A minute or so later we'd dealt with them all, and as their bodies crackled and burned we set off again down a natural tunnel in the mine.

"Can't these things hunt some other kind of prey? Like maybe some more goblins, or mongrels, or... I dunno, just not us!" I whined.

"I'm sure we taste better than a goblin dinner," he shrugged. The tunnel proved to be long and narrow, winding through the solid rock like a maze. We trudged upwards and slid downwards, carefully peeking around blind corners in case something was just ahead. One of the additional spells I'd taught Sebastian, forming Lumos into a sticky projectile so it could be cast towards a wall and used as a stationary source of light, proved very useful... because you couldn't keep Lumos going on your wand while you were in a fight.

We came across a group of spiders feasting on the webbed remains of some goblins. No sooner than we dispatched them did more burst out from all around us, flooding the narrow tunnel with their squealing bodies. Large chunks of rock crumbled down from above, being knocked loose from the spiders' tunneling, which only added more obstacles to avoid. I cast Protego on myself and Sebastian almost as much as I cast anything offensive, using the shield bubble itself to bounce enemies away from me when they got too close-

Something ripped into the back of my shoulder. An explosion of searing hot pain bled into me, quickly radiating outwards and throbbing into my ears. A strangled scream bubbled out of my mouth as I cursed and whipped around, nearly losing my balance as I shot the offending spider in the face with ancient magic, tearing its head off in a gooey blast.

But my movements were already growing sluggish. Dull, pounding heat had overtaken my right arm and made it numb. I could feel it creeping into my chest, clouding my mind and making it harder to breathe. I tried to ignore the dread and impending doom I felt as the venom pulsed through my body, tried to stay calm and slow my racing heart, tried not to think about the flesh immediately surrounding the wound beginning to melt and denature. The numbness stretched down my arms and legs, making them heavy and exhausting to move. As much as I knew it would mean my death, I just wanted to lie down and rest, maybe even take a nap-

"Antivenenum!" Within moments the hot pain began to recede, and feeling returned to my arm. My mind cleared in time to hear Sebastian cast Ferula on me, bandages materializing from thin air and pressing against the wound to stop the bleeding. Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed through the pain and incinerated the entirety of the tunnel from which we came with ancient magic-laced Incendio, the blue-white flames pouring over every exposed surface with so much heat it melted and fused the stone solid. The unbearable, dry heat caused the entire tunnel to glow a shimmering red, so I followed it up with an augmented, superchilled Ventus to cool the surfaces while Sebastian's Depulso forced the rest of the spiders down the other way, their limbs snapping as they scraped along the walls. He stepped aside so I could perform the same two spells on his half of the tunnel, effectively sealing away anything else from attacking us for a while.

Now that we were safe for the time being, I sat down with a heavy sigh. Sebastian cast another Magelight behind me as he maneuvered around to my back.

"Are you alright?" he panted as he canceled the Ferula charm. A small amount of blood poured out as the bandages fell away, tinged with a metallic green from the deactivated venom.

"I'll survive," I growled, inhaling through my teeth. He hummed in concern as he pushed away the torn fabric to expose the wound, conjured a bit of cloth to wipe away some of the blood, then pulled out a Wiggenweld potion from his pocket dimension and conjured a puff of clean cotton to pour it onto.

"Hold on... I shan't let death come for you," he murmured quietly, gently pressing the cotton to the wound. I sucked in another breath as it tingled sharply, the deep puncture beginning to heal from the inside out. His free arm snaked around my side and his hand fell open; I grabbed it and squeezed as the potion did its job.

I tried not to focus on anything else while I waited for the pain to subside. Every so often Sebastian would rewet the cotton with Wiggenweld and apply it again in a slightly different position, the pain flaring anew until that part of the wound was healed. Though I was deeply irritated that I'd allowed one of those wretched little bastards to get a hit in on me, I did have to admit it was nice to have such a thorough, caring healer by my side.

Although, I thought, it's not exactly a great reason why he's so good at this. He shouldn't have had to be... not at his age. And certainly not any younger.

My hand softened its grip on his, opting to caress it gently instead.

"...There we are. Episkey. Scourgify." I felt my skin knit itself closed and the sticky, cold dampness of spilled blood and venom leave my body.

"I... am going to devote my entire 6th year... to exterminating every single giant spider in this entire Celestia-forsaken valley," I swore.

"Annoying little beasts, aren't they?" he offered, a final cast of Reparo mending my clothing. I stood up and flexed my arm and shoulder, finding the pain to be completely gone.

"They are... thank you, by the way," I smiled with a bit of exhaustion. "I might not've been able to get to that in time by myself."

"Of course," he nodded once as he rose to his feet. "I have my uses." I hummed out a single brief chuckle, unable to look away from him immediately.

He really was quite wonderful.

The rest of the way through the tunnel proved uneventful. After a few minutes of walking it widened out into a massive cavern, holding an incredible secret. Far below the ground was a small castle ravaged by time, slowly crumbling into ruin.

"Ruins... all the way down here?" I blinked.

"I don't think anyone's been here for ages," Sebastian sighed, his eyes darting around. Some mostly-intact stairs led upwards into a corridor blocked by a minor cave in, the boulders covered with more spiderwebs. A controlled Confringo easily blew through the rubble, revealing that the rest of the corridor was being used as a breeding ground by the spiders that lived here. Disgusted, I began my arachnid genocide immediately, torching the pulsating sacs as we made our way through.

Moments later we entered the underground castle's courtyard, and I gasped in awe. The cavern proved to be truly palatial in size, the lowest of stalactites only barely dragging along the roof of the tallest tower. Moonlight streamed in through a chasm high above, reflecting off the glossy leaves in a patch of greenery that sat in the perfect position to reap what little sunlight reached these depths. Ancient, tattered banners fluttered in a weak breeze, hinting at the former grandeur of the castle during its time.

Just looking at it was starting to give me ideas for my very own castle, once I'd gained enough power to build one myself, or wealth to have one built for me. Beside me I felt Sebastian's arm brush against mine absentmindedly as he took in our surroundings.

"Look at this place," he breathed in amazement. "...Not really my style. A bit much, if you ask me."

"Really? This coming from the guy who wants a sacrificial altar full of bones in his tomb?" I chuckled.

"Well, at least with all those bones it felt a little more lived in, you know?" he replied, grinning. "Nice and cozy."

"I guess you have a point," I shrugged. We wandered around the ruins for a while, searching for anything that might point us towards the final triptych piece. Three familiar glowing runes had been carved into the walls around the double doors leading inside the castle in an upside down V shape.

"We've seen rune symbols like these before," he pointed out. I nodded, readying my wand.

"Means we're on the right track. Help me out here, would ya?" After a brief countdown we both fired an angled Diffindo at the runes, our attacks joining together on the topmost rune. Doing so caused some sort of chime or gong to resound in the distance, perhaps a sort of ancient security alarm. Whatever it was, the vibrations caused more spiders to come crawling out of the castle's long-since-broken windows, eliciting another groan from the both of us.

"Perhaps you're on to something with exterminating these things from the valley," he shouted over the flames of his Incendio as we burned the last of them to ash.

"Already thought of a way to implement it, too," I said as I Depulsoed a path through their remains. "Once I've created the poison I can Apparate to the highest point in whichever direction the wind is blowing, cast a couple Geminio spells, aerosolize it and let the wind carry it all over the valley."

"Aerosolize, hmm?" He mulled it over for a moment, the word seemingly unfamiliar to him. "...Yes. If it'll work like I think it will... that's a brilliant idea."

"I'm a magical genius, remember?" I grinned smugly. Suddenly I heard the squeak of a still-living spider, and I whipped around to blow it apart with a Confringo. "Ugh, let's get outta here. This place has lost its charm for me."

"Right. Can't get out of here quick enough," he grumbled in agreement. Thankfully the doors were still unlocked from when we'd struck the runes. Pushing them open led not to the interior of the castle like I would've guessed, but instead to another long, twisting hallway. Any doors or passageways that might've led to a side room had been caved in and torn down long ago, but casts of Revelio revealed there was nothing important past them.

In fact, the entire hallway looked as though something large had stumbled clumsily through it - parts of the walls were pushed inwards, with shallow craters here and cracked stone there. Towards its end the ground suddenly dipped downward, flattened into a slope by something heavy. We prepared ourselves and slid down it into another large chamber, where a mountain troll had made its lair. Upon seeing our intrusion it stood up from a pile of stinking, flattened animal corpses and roared, smashing its wooden club into a column supporting the wraparound walkway of the room's second floor. The column shattered to pieces from both the impact and falling to the floor, as did the staircase to and a large portion of the second floor moments later.

"Well... at least there's some variety in here," I smirked, welcoming the challenge. "Fighting a troll... it'll be just like the day we met."

"Except this time, it won't score a lucky hit on me," added Sebastian. The troll charged at us, and in perfect sync we teleported out of the way, letting it smash face first into the opposite wall. While it turned around I set to picking up boulders in my magic and hurling them at the creature while he kept its attention, teleporting back and forth while blinding it with Confringos in its face. Now that we knew how to deal with it, it was rather fun whittling down its stamina until it was weak enough to finish off.

The troll quickly grew frustrated and began swinging wildly, club flailing and bashing into boulders and walls, breaking off pieces of stone and flinging them everywhere. Unfortunately for him, one of these pieces rolled right underneath Sebastian's foot as he reappeared, causing him to trip and fall backwards. He cursed to himself as he kicked it away, then cursed again as the troll reared up and readied itself to bring the club swiftly down on his head.

But this time, I would save him. Within a split second I was standing right in front of him, ancient magic already leaking from my eyes.

"Protego!" I shouted, holding up my wand like a shield. The troll's club came smashing down atop Sebastian but rebounded as soon as it hit the magic, bouncing as though made of rubber directly back into its own face. While it was stunned my enhanced spells were strong enough to lift the troll into the air with a mere Levioso, and just before it ended I thrust my wand upwards - a huge spike of stone that resembled my horn shot out of the earth, impaling the creature straight through the chest. It gurgled loudly before going limp, its club falling out of its grasp and thudding on the ground.

"Nice teamwork," Sebastian grinned as he stood back up.

"Wasn't it? Besides, only I get to beat the tar out of you these days, you know," I snarked, matching his grin. He broke out into a jovial laugh, fondly remembering all our friendly sparring during Crossed Wands and our own private practice duels.

"Thank you," he finally said after his laughter died down. "I wasn't looking forward to being pummeled again." The smile on my face gradually fell as I glanced around, seeing how much damage the troll had done to the room while living here. There was a large, rough tunnel nearby with a breeze blowing through that likely lead back outside, while if we wanted to go further into the underground castle, we would need to fix the ruined staircase and walkway. "That troll certainly made a mess of things... debris everywhere!" he complained.

"Tell me about it," I grumbled before closing my eyes, focusing ancient magic into my Reparo spell. Within moments every little piece of rubble floated slowly into the air and began to spin as though caught in a tornado, gradually slotting themselves back into the spaces they used to occupy. Dust and pebbles melded together and solidified to fill in the cracks, rendering everything safe to walk over. However, once all the material had run out and the spell had ended, the bottommost segment of the staircase had failed to reform itself, leaving a ledge about eight feet tall above the floor. Perhaps the troll had moved that particular bit of stone away somewhere. "Hmm... we'll have to help each other up over that," I shifted on my legs as I scanned the room for the missing chunk.

"Very well... Step on me."

Wha-

"Eh?!" I blinked, my head whipping around. Sebastian had already moved towards the ledge and had his fingers laced together, ready to boost me up. "Oh... that kind of 'step on you'. I get it."

"What other kind is there?" he raised an eyebrow as I carefully stepped into his hands and let his strength push me up to the edge of the ledge.

"...I'll tell you later," I replied, swallowing down an impure thought while reaching down to grab his arm. He jumped at the same time I pulled as hard as I could, helping him climb up the ledge with ease. We ascended the rest of the stairs and moved across the walkway to a bare threshold, finally finding evidence of anyone having lived in this castle. The room we had just entered was full of dust-covered supplies and scattered papers. "Alright, finally."

We began rifling through the room, searching for anything useful; I kept an eye out for the faintest trace of ancient magic that would denote the final triptych piece. It soon became apparent, though, that this room was simply used for storage. All I did manage to find was another one of Isidora's journals, only one entry still legible after centuries of exposure.

Such joy I felt helping my father after all these years. To hear his voice again - I cannot begin to describe how much I've missed it.

I confess I was wholly stunned by the Keepers' reaction. I should have expected it. How can they stand by and do nothing when they have the power to do so much good? Who is Professor Rackham to tell me what I can and cannot do with my ability? The audacity of all of them - judging my work without any real understanding of all that I've accomplished.

I do have some hope - the Headmistress seemed somehow to understand what I was doing. When the time is right, I shall go to her. She may be able, and willing, to help.

Until I know otherwise, I must continue my work alone... for now. But I will find someone to help me. I will find someone else who understands the gift that we've been given - and our obligation to use it.

I will store what I learn safely away for the moment. One day, I will be able to share it with another who is like me.

I gasped, shocked by the implications, my own realization.

"Did you find something?" asked Sebastian. I handed over the journal and let him read it.

"You're right... it's looking like the triptych might be the key to learning from her, after all," I said. "And I already know she went to Headmistress Fitzgerald, and she wasn't willing to help her out."

"You haven't found the last piece yet, have you?" he asked, and I shook my head. "It must be deeper within the castle." Curiously, there was a staircase leading to the third floor at the opposite end of the room, but there were even more steps missing from it than the previous one. Only the top two steps remained, about fifteen feet above our heads.

"Time sure hasn't been kind to this castle," I frowned.

"We couldn't jump high enough to reach that ledge if we tried," Sebastian chuckled once.

An idea came to me.

"Who said anything about jumping?" I smirked, pointing my wand at him. "Alarte Ascendare." He screeched out a rather unmanly noise as his body was suddenly propelled upwards, just barely managing to grab onto the edge of the stairs on the way down. He pulled himself up as I cast Ascendio on myself, gracefully floating up and landing next to him while he rolled over onto his back to catch his breath and calm his heart.

"You... y-you madwoman...!" he coughed.

"What? I thought you liked how mad I was," I flashed him a smile. He let out a hollow laugh as he sat up.

"Warn me next time you decide to surprise me like that!"

"And miss out on messing with you? Never," I grinned as I helped him up. The third floor turned out to be another suspended walkway along the sides of a large chamber, with only broken furniture in a pile at the bottom. We crossed over it and climbed up a long staircase to the fourth floor, which led us back to the troll's lair but much higher up. From here there was a view of the upper reaches of the cavern the entire castle sat within - in one corner, water dripped down from thin stalactites of slick, white stone into a perfectly still pool, with small cave-dwelling fish at the bottom of it flitting about. Their bodies had a subtle bioluminescent glow to them, somewhat like aquatic will-o'-wisps. Another corner had a patch of glowing mushrooms growing along the floor, likely once kept as a tidy garden but now allowed to spread freely.

"I'm out of breath after all of those stairs... but the view...!" Sebastian gasped as he looked around. "...Well worth it!" I nodded in agreement as we followed the walkway to its end in another room. "This can't be a dead end... must be another floor above us," he hummed.

"I think you're right," I nodded as I channeled a bit of ancient magic into a Revelio, blinking rapidly when the spell seemed to radiate outwards from me for at least a thousand feet in every direction. It was far more powerful in this form, and above us and to our right, three objects glowed a light blue for a few seconds before disappearing. I also became acutely aware of a draft blowing out from a section of wall to my left; there was another hallway behind it.

Another controlled Confringo cleared the blockage. The hallway became a short, curved staircase that snaked around another large, thick stalactite and emptied out into what once must've been an opulent bedroom. The sheets and curtains on the four-poster bed were ragged and threadbare due to sheer age, and the liquids in the carafe and teacup on the nightstand had long since evaporated. Dust and dirt covered the rest of the furniture in a thick layer, nearly making the text in an open journal illegible.

I feel more and more capable each day. My sense of purpose - knowing that what I am doing is precisely what I was meant to do – has never been clearer.

The number of souls I have been able to help grows by the day. So much pain.

And I have discovered that this magic itself somehow confirms that what I am doing is right. Each time I breathe in the haze, even a little, it's as though I become more capable. I am being rewarded for my courage... Rewarded for using this magic the way that it was meant to be used.

I fear, however, that I must find a way to store what I cannot use in the moment. I do not yet understand its power and do not want to leave it to chance.

I have an idea. It is not without risk, but I feel that the risk is worth it.

"How many diaries did this lady keep?" I wondered out loud, carefully turning its pages. The last entry appeared to have been torn out.

"For all her research on ancient magic, you would think she would be a little more organized in her personal life," Sebastian agreed. We spent a few minutes looking around in case there was anything of use, but the things I'd seen with the Revelio spell were still further upwards. Another hallway at the opposite end of the bedroom led us to the final floor in a gentle slope, where we were greeted by a final set of heavy doors reinforced with metal. Multiple glowing runes lined the small antechamber, my eyes darting between them all as I considered the best, fastest way to strike them all.

"Hmm..." I smirked, appreciating how the puzzle was stretching my mind. I closed my eyes to summon more magic from within, then focused it into a Diffindo that split into tens of different tears in the fabric of space, each striking out in a different direction and colliding with a rune. The doors unlocked with a stiff click.

"Impressive," mused Sebastian. "Say... do you think it's possible for me to learn to wield ancient magic, even if I can't see it?"

"I think so," I replied as I pushed one of the doors open. "In those memories, I remember that Rackham and Isidora were the only ones who could see it, but the other Keepers could wield ancient magic, too. So it's gotta be possible somehow."

"Ah..." he trailed off, a dreamy expression on his face.

"...Of course, I also have to hope the Keepers won't deem that a bad thing for me to learn too, otherwise you're gonna be waiting quite a while for your chance." At this the expression on his face fell, becoming more pensive, and he sighed in resignation.

"Well, some things are worth such a wait." I turned my head from looking over at him, and my breath left my throat. Through the doors was a space nearly as big as my own Room - filled to the brim with furniture and bookshelves crammed full of ancient tomes, potion-making supplies, dried food and other goods. Half-completed experiments and ancient scientific equipment took up nearly every flat surface not on the floor, the forgotten results congealed at the bottoms of glass test tubes and beakers.

"Could this be another area Isidora created?" Sebastian gaped.

"Judging from the looks of this place, this must've been her main research center," I hummed. The other two glowing objects I'd sensed were in this room, if my sense of direction was correct. One of them was likely the final triptych panel; I kept an eye out for it, but the entire room seemed to be glittering with threads of ancient magic winking in and out of existence.

So many experiments half-performed... so much research, so much knowledge... lost to time.

"Sunset, look at this!" my companion called out as he jogged over to me, holding a piece of parchment. Judging from the frayed edges, this was the missing entry in the last of Isidora's journals.

How could I have been so terribly wrong? The Headmistress won't help me. I tried to make her understand... She, like the others, is blind to the possibilities of what I can do.

I have come to learn that I can rely on no one.

But I am a more powerful witch than I have ever been. And I know that it's due to the work I'm doing.

I shall not allow my magic to lie dormant, as the Keepers do... How I despise that ridiculous name. As if "keeping" power all to themselves is something to be lauded.

I confess I have begun to wonder if I will ever find another in my lifetime with whom I can share this work. If I do not, then I shall find solace in the knowledge that I have left them a trail to follow... A path from which they can learn.

Perhaps they will do what I cannot - heal the world.

Heal the world...?

I quickly pushed the thought from my mind. "She really did mean for the triptych to teach someone else about ancient magic," I breathed in, a smile spreading across my face. "Oh, to finally learn something useful about this magic from someone like-minded!"

"Indeed... Isidora should not have had to keep all of this secret," lamented Sebastian.

"No... in all the memories I've seen, the Keepers disagreed with her on the potential uses she discovered at every turn," I shook my head in disdain. "It's like they were afraid of learning something new and exciting... I can see why she chose to research in secret and hide it from them."

"I wish you could see one of her memories," he shrugged. "Perhaps completing the triptych will shed more light on all of this."

"It has to at this rate," I reasoned, holding up my lit wand to better illuminate a dark corner, bookshelves arranged around it as a sort of barrier. Within that corner was another large, ostentatious mirror that seemed quite out of place in the research lab, until the familiar view of the Undercroft rippled on its surface. I made a note of it for later and started poking through the bookshelves themselves.

And crammed behind some of the old, dusty tomes was a piece of canvas, pages falling out as I pulled them out. Normally I would have cringed at the state of the books, but the excitement of finding what we'd been looking for completely overrode it. "Yes... finally! The last triptych piece!" I cried.

"Brilliant. I knew we could find it," he sighed in relief. "I can't wait to meet this Isidora for myself."

"Me either," I grinned, already grabbing his hand. "C'mon, I found the way back."


~


Moments later we were back in the Undercroft, breaking out into a jog as we approached the unfinished triptych. "Well, this is it," I breathed, unfolding the piece of canvas.

"I cannot believe the journey this triptych took us on... Well, don't keep me in suspense! Go on, place it!" Sebastian goaded, nearly bouncing from excitement. Without further ado I held up the piece of canvas to its frame, and it left my hands as it attached itself to the wooden background. We took a few steps back in anticipation, watching and waiting for anything to happen...

...

...

...

...But nothing did.

We shared a confused glance; after a couple more seconds of nothing happening I tentatively slapped the triptych's frame a few times. Suddenly I heard a rushing noise behind us, and to our surprise a Pensieve had materialized itself. The same silvery swirls I'd seen before floated above the liquid inside, but this one also sparkled with blue and white lights.

"Another one of these," I mumbled.

"This is what we've been chasing?" he asked. I glanced back to the finished triptych, wondering why Isidora's portrait wasn't showing up, wasn't instructing us on how to use ancient magic, or even telling us why she'd done what she did.

"Hmm..." I reached out to the silvery swirls, my hand shrinking back as they froze and dripped down into the Pensieve at the slightest disturbance.

"What is it?" I looked back up at him with a grin.

"Looks like we're going to see a memory of hers, for once." Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Sebastian following my lead and lowering his face into the Pensieve along with me.

I felt myself being pulled in through the familiar black smoke. Once it had cleared I saw Isidora inside her home at Feldcroft. She walked into her father's room where he sat on the edge of his bed, staring listlessly into a roaring hearth. She sat down beside him and gently took his hand, prompting him to slowly look up at her.

Hope. Compassion. Love. Sympathy. The emotions hit me like a train, and I clutched at my chest as I recoiled from the sensation - Sebastian moved towards me in concern, but I waved him off with a shake of my head.

If this also happened with Rackham's memories, and both he and Isidora could sense ancient magic... then this must be a side effect of viewing their memories specifically. It's what they were feeling at the time.

"...I cannot bring my brother back, father... but I can give you peace," she said. Her father simply stared at her for a few moments before turning away, back towards the fire. A maelstrom of emotions flashed across her face, and she stood up and left the room with determination.

The scene changed slightly - we were still in her house, but now the four Keepers were walking in through the front door. I recognized it as when Isidora had been hired on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and she'd invited them all to her house to show them the culmination of her research. 

Again, she invited them to sit down. Again, she picked up her wand and the glass jar, and called out to her father. Again, did he enter the room with all the presence of a ghost and sit in his chair.

And again, she performed her spell. I felt the intense despair and depression as she removed the tainted emotions from his heart, overshadowed by her own excitement, passion and love. Though I tried to focus on how she accomplished such a feat, I couldn't glean a single helpful bit of information from what I saw. Beside me I could see Sebastian leaning in closer, his eyes fixated on the strange red glow.

"Isidora..." Rackham breathed. Her father gasped as the light pulled itself free from his chest, blinking a few times as she held up the magical specimen for all to see. A proud smile spread across her face. "...What have you done?"

"I took his pain," she answered simply, gazing at her father. He looked over to her as she dipped the tainted magic into the glass jar, and graciously reached out to her. She took his hand in hers, and my heart was drowned with foreign emotions.

Gratitude. Adoration. Euphoria. Compassion. Exhilaration. Relief.

"...Thank you," he smiled. Isidora smiled in return as he rocked gently back and forth.

The scene changed again. This time, the front door to her house opened, and Isidora looked down to see a well-dressed goblin. Sebastian and I both gasped in surprise.

"It worked?" the goblin asked with a confident grin.

"It did, indeed," replied Isidora.

"Of course it did," the goblin nodded. "It's goblin silver!"

"I need something much bigger," she instructed. The goblin nodded again as he sauntered into the house.

"Alright... it would help if you could tell me more about what it is you're storing-" He trailed off as Isidora briskly moved toward a counter covered in glass jars, each with a bubbling swarm of tainted magic within them. Looking closer, I could finally see that each jar was lined on the inside with the thinnest, most intricate threads of metal I'd ever seen, almost like lace.

She grabbed one of the jars and held it in her hands as she approached the goblin, cradling it as though it were a precious bottle of vintage wine. "Magic... left over from a spell I devised to remove pain," she answered proudly. "But, if used correctly, its power can be used to do even more good."

"Why would you store such magic away?" the goblin asked.

"I only need to keep it safe until I can convince my colleagues of its worth. Magic like this... unnerves some," she explained, a hint of bitterness on her lips. The two moved back towards the open front door, the goblin seemingly excited to get to work on his new commission.

"Not everyone is ready to wield such power," he remarked.

Confidence. Determination. Ambition. Pride.

"Perhaps not... But someone will be," Isidora affirmed. She turned back towards the counter with a smile as she and the goblin parted ways, and suddenly I felt myself being pulled from the memory.

I gasped as I lifted my face from the Pensieve, and glanced back towards the triptych. I had just witnessed Isidora commissioning the ancient magic repositories from the goblin Bragbor! Beside me, Sebastian was cradling his head in his hands, his eyes wide with shock.

"She took away the pain...!" he wheezed, a crazed grin spreading across his face. "I knew it... I knew there was another way to help Anne!" While he began to pace wildly, lost in his newfound hope, I continued to stare at the triptych.

Despite her wishes, despite her willingness to work with someone who would use the gift of ancient magic like she would... she still hadn't appeared. Surely after assembling all of the pieces and viewing her memories, she would take that as her cue to move into view!

...

...

...

Unless...

It hit me all at once. A deep pit suddenly formed in my stomach, feeling like the ground had suddenly fallen out from underneath me. "Wait, Seb," I held out a hand. "...Something's not right, here."

"What do you mean...? You saw what she did!" he exclaimed, ceasing his pacing to move to my side.

"No, not the memories, the portrait," I clarified. "We found all the pieces, and she said that she'd hoped to be able to share her knowledge with another like her... but if that's the case, then where is she?"

Sebastian glanced over to the empty portrait. "...I don't follow."

"That view... we've both seen it before. That's her house in Feldcroft. And when we went there, we found that burned portrait..." I swallowed, not liking where my thoughts were leading. "It... it was probably a portrait of her."

"So someone destroyed a bit of enchanted canvas-"

"You're not listening to me!" I grabbed his shoulders. "Don't you know how portraits work?! If the one of hers was destroyed while she was still in it, then that means she can't enter the triptych! I can't learn anything from her!"

"Right, but we found the memory!" he pointed to the Pensieve, then to me. "We saw what she wanted us to see! We saw what she could do, what you can do!"

"I don't know how to do what she did!" I shouted. "You saw what happened to that gnome when I tried! And I still don't know anything more about it! That was the whole point of this whole stupid mission!" But he was entirely nonplussed, disturbingly, delusionally so.

"Well then, you shall learn. The Keepers can teach you!"

"Sebastian..." My hands slapped over my face, my fingers clawing at the skin. "...The Keepers were terrified of this kind of magic! They refused to help her with her research or even humor her, what makes you think they know anything about how to do that?!" Was this... was this why he wanted to find the last piece of the triptych so suddenly? Was he this desperate for a cure? This desperate to save his sister? We already knew this was such a longshot of a chance!

I felt horrible crushing his hopes like this, but we had to be realistic. His gleeful Cheshire smile began to falter - I was finally getting through to him. We couldn't afford to blindly fumble around anymore, hoping stubbornly that ancient magic was the answer... because it wasn't.

"They were afraid of the knowledge. They were afraid of what ancient magic could do to a person's emotions, and so they refused to look into it! And if I can't speak with Isidora's portrait to learn how she did it, then I'm all the way back to square one! Not to mention it only seems to take away emotional pain, not physical! And the bulk of Anne's afflictions are physical!"

"But... you can wield it. You have the ability!" he gaped, breathing harder and heavier as reality set in.

"Not right now, I don't," I shook my head, my voice weakening. "And who knows how long it'll take me to figure out, even if we went out and tried to emulate it on every single poacher and Ashwinder we could find."

"But... but Anne..."

"I know, Seb, I know," I sighed pitifully, grabbing his shoulders again but much more gently this time. "But I'm not going to promise you something I can't keep. I'll try my hardest to figure out how Isidora did it... but in the meantime, we need to think of something else. You and I can come up with something much faster together." And just like that, the optimism and hope within his heart fizzled out and died, like a torch plunged into a bucket of water. He stared at me in silence for what felt like an hour, his eyes lowering to the floor.

"...Y-You're right. I'm sorry," Sebastian bowed his head. A pang of guilt kicked me in the soul to see him so miserable. "I was just... I truly thought that this would work, that this was the answer I'd been searching for..."

"No, I get it," I grimaced in sympathy, reaching forward to give him a hug. "I thought we were on to something, too... I'm just sorry I don't know how to do it." Sebastian returned the gesture and squeezed tightly.

Desperation. Helplessness. Appreciation. Love.

"...Please, don't start with that. It's not your fault that you can't," he reassured, his fingers snaking through my hair. "We'll just have to think of something else... and I know we will."

Despite the storm of cold negativity that swirled around him, it was that last emotion that truly made me freeze. My eyes slid to the left as though I could see his face through the side of his head.

I wondered if I was mistaken about what I'd felt lie in his soul. Compared to the other happy emotions I felt from him, it had been so much brighter, so much warmer than the rest. It made me feel as though my entire being was wrapped within a rainbow.

Love.

...

...

...

...Yea, that had to be it. He was thinking about his sister... and of course he loves her. Not-

I mentally slapped the thought out of my mind. If I was going to help Anne, help Sebastian, then I'd be a fool to ignore this revelation. I knew where that burned portrait was, and hoped that no one had thought to move it since I'd last seen it. Maybe it wasn't as damaged as I thought... maybe it was possible to repair it.

And if I could repair it, then I could learn from Isidora herself how to remove pain. It was better than nothing at all.

"...I need to get that other portrait of her," I proclaimed, letting go of him. "Immediately."

"Do you need me to come with you?" he asked hesitantly. I shook my head, taking his emotions into account. It could really either be a good thing or a bad thing if he happened to see Anne while we were there... unless Solomon was around, too. Then it'd be just plain bad.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm just teleporting to those ruins and back real quick."

"I'll wait for you in your Room, then," he replied, nodding once. We left the Undercroft together before parting ways.


~


The hamlet of Feldcroft was completely dark when I appeared on the ruin-dotted hill above it in a flash of light. I couldn't help but gaze downwards for a moment, smoke lingering in the air above the building's chimneys, blending with the fog forming from the ocean's mists.

My eyes fell upon Sebastian's house... or what used to be his house, anyway. That horrid uncle of his had so cruelly thrown him out, after all. A simmering rage boiled beneath my skin just thinking about it, how he'd treated him all his life.

He'd finally felt comfortable enough with me to tell me a little more about his past. Starting in his third year at Hogwarts, Sebastian and his uncle fought and argued with each other increasingly worse... angst and hormones on top of having that utter bastard for a guardian. Sometimes it got so bad that Solomon would actually throw him out of the house for the night or two, or Sebastian would leave on his own accord. There was a shed nearby that no one in the hamlet laid claim to... over time he'd made it as comfortable as he could with a makeshift bed, some various magical apparatuses and copies of his favorite books. It had no insulation from the cold, and rain always found its way inside through a new hole in the roof, but it was still better than having to be around his uncle. But Anne always worried about him whenever he stayed there, and would visit everyday with whatever food she could sneak out of the house for him.

I shook my head with a disbelieving grunt. Even after everything that had happened... he was still so attached to this place. Still so desperate to cure his sister. To see her happy and healthy again, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming to see it through. Why go through such effort when she didn't even seem to appreciate it? If it were me in her position, I'd appreciate any help I got, even if it wasn't successful in the end.

Just... like Sebastian, actually...

...

...

...

...It struck me suddenly, why Celestia had deemed it so important that I learn psychology as her personal student.

For many years, Anne was the only one in the world who cared about him... the only one who loved him. And for that simple kindness he was willing to put on a brave face and remain optimistic, enduring the crushing anger and pain and loneliness he felt, stoic as he held up the metaphorical weight of the world on his shoulders... biting back quiet, bitter sighs whenever he thought of his parents and the life he once had.

Despite the odds, despite how impossible his wishes seemed... he wanted nothing more than to preserve that little bit of his past, the good still left in his life. That little bit of familiarity, of family, of love, of safety... of hope.

He would not give up. He refused to. He was willing to do whatever it took to find her cure, no matter what it cost.

A lot like how I was willing to lose my old self in my quest for ancient magic. I'd mostly come to terms with having emotions foisted upon me - quite unwelcome and unwanted at first, I disliked being made to care about others when originally I'd have no reason to.  I'd always relied on myself because everyone else was so pathetic, so inferior to me in every way, shape and form, so why would I ever bother with such mediocrity? But now, feeling what I did was like a second nature to me... I could hardly remember what it was like to have my heart so quiet, so... empty.

Vacant.

Barren.

Hollow.

And even I had to admit... most of it was definitely for the better. It was surprisingly nice not having to do everything by myself. The words I'd often spoken before I could stop myself - realizing they'd been influenced by that magic - had led me to some fascinating places, given me experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise. And it was especially nice to have someone that not only met my expectations in one I could deem a friend, but exceeded them entirely. I... never would have realized that if it weren't for the ancient magic, and the sometimes-wretched but often-enjoyable emotions that came with it.

And I never would've cared about any of this without them.

Not a single thing.

...

...

...

Heh. I guess this is what happens when you force a sociopath to feel.

Finally, I reached the burned-out ruins of Isidora's manor, as soot-covered and abandoned as ever. The scorched portrait was still there. I knelt down to examine it more closely, frowning at just how much damage had been done to it. More of the paint had flaked off and laid in crumbles at its base, and the wooden base of the canvas was beginning to warp. I could only just make out the edges of Isidora's hair, from which the faintest, barest winks of ancient magic glimmered like a distant, dying star.

I wondered if repairing it was even possible. I pointed my wand at it and cast Reparo... nothing happened.

Figures.

I cast a stasis spell on the painting to prevent any more damage before tucking it into my pocket dimension, then teleported back to Hogwarts.


~


Sebastian was waiting for me in my Room, true to his word. I pulled out the painting and set it gently down on a table, the both of us sharing a grimace.

"Ugh, it looks terrible," I groaned. "You think there's any hope in repairing it? My Reparo did absolutely nothing."

"I'm not sure," he frowned. "I don't know much about magical art restoration. But even if it could, I'm certain it will cost a gorgeous Galleon to do so."

"Right. Well, I have no idea where to start looking... find me someone who can fix it," I sighed as I pulled my purse out of my pocket dimension and tossed it to him. "I don't care what it costs." Curious, Sebastian peered inside the purse, and his eyes widened.

"Merlin... it's like you've the entirety of Gringotts in here!" he mouthed. "All from Celestia's Royal Treasury, I take it?"

"Where else?" I shrugged. "Not like she was using it for anything special." He nodded firmly as he pulled the strings closed.

"Alright... I'll try to find you your portrait repairman. I do believe there's a shop in Diagon Alley that specializes in enchanted paintings."

"Good," I mumbled while staring at the portrait. Even now, I could swear I saw the very edges of it move, as though Isidora was trapped within some kind of prison and desperately calling for help.

"...Of course, even if it can be repaired, I'm sure it won't be completed any time in the near future," he frowned. I blinked and looked back at him, sighing as I saw and felt his despair. This little venture had proved fruitless in finding an answer to Anne's curse... just like so many other things we tried. Even he was beginning to lose hope.

I moved over to him, grabbing on to his arms, gazing into his eyes. They seemed dull and lifeless... I missed the sparkle within them when he was excited... happy. Wordlessly he copied my gesture, staring back at me despondently.

For as much as the ancient magic had given me... I hated feeling this pain, this dull, burning ache inside my heart. I hated knowing Sebastian felt it, too. I wanted to be rid of it... I wanted him to be rid of it.

And there was only one way to achieve that.

"We'll find her cure together, Seb... I promise. No matter what we have to do to find it."
> In Which a Certain Uncle Gets What's Coming to Him
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the OWLs fast approaching, life began to get busier and busier.

Wednesday during the third week of March was my career counseling meeting with Professor Ronan, my Head of House. It was a friendly, if rather uninformative session - while sharing tea and a platter of assorted sweets Ronan was proud to say that I was the top of the class among the 5th years, alongside Sebastian. My grades were perfect to the point that the OWLs wouldn't pose any challenge at all; I would certainly be able to handle any career I chose with splendid success, even the dangerous ones like Auror, Hit Witch or Unspeakable... he even thought I could likely become the Minister for Magic someday if I wanted to. He anticipated that I'd have no trouble at all with the NEWT-level classes or exams at the end of the 7th year.

Of course I could do anything I wanted to... it was only natural that I'd shot to the top of my year in such a short time, I was simply just that much more brilliant and gifted than the rest of these mouth-breathing simpletons; it was laughable how little some of my classmates cared about their magic. With Celestia's tutoring and the education from this school, I was well on my way to greatness. The fact that the world was my oyster made it hard to decide what I really wanted to work towards, to which Ronan let out a chuckle and clapped my shoulder - I had all the time in the world to choose.

The days passed by slowly, taken up by ever-increasing loads of homework and studies. Although it was no problem for me to work through... well...

...Poor Sebastian was nearly at his rope's end, I could tell. In a last-ditch effort to learn how to remove pain, hoping that ancient magic might be his long-sought cure, he asked me to bring him to the Map Chamber so he could petition the Keepers himself. Their subsequent behavior only further solidified my distaste and mistrust of them; at first they really didn't like that someone who had no connection to ancient magic at all knew about them and their history, and then when he fell to his knees and begged them to tell me how to do it, they outright refused to discuss anything with me further if he was present. I could only glean one possible hint as to why they so vehemently refused to speak of it - Rackham frowned in sympathy when he told Sebastian that what he was asking for had unthinkable consequences. 

And since then he had made himself scarce. It was almost like he'd accepted defeat and given up, no longer even wanting to continue our research on his relic. He only ever popped inside my Room once, and that was just to grab a book he needed to check for a homework assignment. It tore at me knowing how desperate he was becoming, but it hurt even worse that he wouldn't come talk to me about it. He knew he could.

I found myself missing our conversations, and spending hours in a comfortable silence reading or doing our homework together. And the few times I did see him I couldn't help but feel concerned: whenever I saw him in the Great Hall during meals he seemed to barely pick at his plate, he never raised his hand or even seemed to pay attention in class anymore, and if I went looking for him I could never find him in his usual spots. Ominis had noticed, too - he had no more luck than I did in finding him or getting him to talk, and whenever it was time to sleep the first thing Sebastian would do was close the curtains around his bed - something he never used to do.

It was hard to admit, but... it ate away at my mind more than I thought it would. This wasn't like him at all. This wasn't the Sebastian I knew.

And that worry was soon justified - a little over a week after my meeting with Ronan, as I slept in my Room, I was jolted awake by a loudly-hooting owl flying through an alcove and dropping a letter on my face. Blearily I opened it and read the contents, taking a few seconds to recognize Ominis' enchanted quill-writing.

I know not where you are, Sunset, but please, come to the common room immediately! I... I'm afraid there's something dire I need to tell you about Sebastian... I shall be awaiting your arrival, I hope that my quill has conveyed my message clearly.

I blinked a couple times, struggling to comprehend the words. Once it did hit me, however, I leapt out of bed and bolted for the door, conjuring on clothes as I ran like mad to the Slytherin Common Room. I had no idea what he was going to tell me about him, but something deep within my gut told me it wasn't good.

It was early enough in the morning that Ominis was the only one in the common room as I nearly tripped leaping down the stairs. "Where's Sebastian?!" I gasped.

"I... here," Ominis swallowed as he handed me a piece of parchment. "He was already gone when I woke up... this was on his nightstand." I snatched it out of his hands and read quickly.

Ominis,

Anne's condition is rapidly deteriorating... I fear the curse may take her life if I don't intervene.

I need to do something.

Don't come for me. And please, tell Sunset that I'm sorry... for everything.

I read them over and over again, my mind stubbornly trying its hardest to reject what it saw. "Anne... he's left with the relic, then? To the catacomb?" I finally forced out. "And the spellbook..." I stifled another gasp as I realized I hadn't seen it on its desk while dashing through my Room.

"Frankly, I was surprised you weren't with him," he sighed.

"No... he's barely spoken to me since Tuesday last week, almost like he's been avoiding me." A cold pit of dread began to eat away at my heart. "Oh, this is bad. All our research on the relic has been pointing to one conclusion, and it's not a good one."

"I've... only heard bits and pieces of your research," Ominis shivered. After the first time Sebastian and I had talked about our progress with him, he was so visibly traumatized that we'd actually felt a little guilty about it, and felt it best to feed him little white lies from then on, even though he often alluded that he knew we were holding back. It was easy to feel that he deeply regretted his decision to let us take the relic.

But it was far too late for that now. The pit was joined by a sharp chill dragging along my spine, making me lean over onto a couch for support.

"Damn it... damn it!" I growled. "We were supposed to do this together! I... I can't believe he ran off like this, I-"

A sudden, terrifying thought crossed my mind. I shoved it out as quickly as I could, but tendrils of it lingered behind, fluttering against my heart and brain. It was like swimming in a lake and feeling the plants below wrap around your feet, but so much worse.

No... dear, sweet Celestia, no! That idiot's gonna get himself killed!

"We need to find him... fast! C'mon!" I grabbed Ominis' hand and dragged him with me through the halls and out of Hogwarts, teleporting us directly to Feldcroft once we were outside the walls.

Once I reoriented myself, however, I gasped loudly, immediately dragged Ominis behind a wall and crept down. "Ow... what are you doing?!" he hissed.

I didn't answer... not at first. To my abject horror, the entire hamlet was infested with roaming Inferi. Many of them were simply milling about, but clusters of them were beating on the doors of every house, moaning and howling with empty voices. A couple of unlucky farm animals had already been reduced to piles of limbs and organs in pools of blood on the freshly-tilled fields, but thankfully none of the limbs resembled human ones.

The blood in my veins ran ice cold, and I cursed. "Feldcroft is crawling with Inferi!"

"Inferi...?!" Ominis reached over the wall with his wand and swept it from side to side, his cloudy eyes widening in terror. "Oh, no... I thought we'd gone too far before, but Sebastian is in real trouble now!" I scanned the houses for the Sallow residence, finding more Inferi beating on their front door as well.

"Damn... I was hoping that Anne might've been able to talk him down, but she's not coming out anytime soon. Not with all these monsters around."

"Then we'll have to reach him ourselves," Ominis gulped. We cast Disillusionment on ourselves; I grabbed his arm before he had fully vanished so I could teleport the both of us directly to the nearby catacomb. The entrance had been recently blasted open, and Inferi were guarding the opening.

Of course, they were no match for a wide arc of Incendio. Once they had burned to ashes we canceled our charms, swallowing our fears as we faced the entrance.

"Are you gonna be okay in there?" I glanced over to him, worried for his safety. "I'm almost positive that catacomb's gonna be swarming with these things."

"Don't worry... I am quite capable of defending myself," reassured Ominis. I nodded once as I took a deep breath, and we jogged into the tomb.

I didn't know what I was expecting... but the tomb was even worse than I thought. The rooms and corridors were choked with Inferi crawling out of the ground and the disturbed crypts, rendering the ground unstable and cluttered with debris. As Ominis and I worked our way forward, clearing them out with fire, the air grew stuffy and full of ash. Even an augmented Ventus did little to clear it away, making us cough and spit as we went. I tried my hardest to remember the way through the catacomb, thinking we might find Sebastian in the Great Room... but the countless undead, the smoke and the ash and the heat made everything disorienting.

"So many Inferi... I wouldn't be surprised if Solomon came to investigate," Ominis frowned. The second the words entered my ears I stopped dead in my tracks with a loud gasp. My jaw went slack.

"No... damn it all to Tartarus!" I shouted. "That's the last guy we need to come barging into this mess! He threatened to snitch on the both of us to Black if one of us did anything remotely Dark! And if he finds Sebastian before we do, he'll absolutely pin all these Inferi on him!" Ominis gasped loudly as well, freezing in place. 

"...I need to get to Hogwarts," he breathed anxiously. "I must get to Headmaster Black first! Twist the story a bit, make him think it's a family fight!"

Ooh... smooth thinking. "Yea," I nodded quickly. "I'll find Sebastian."

"I'll be back as soon as I can... be careful!" he shouted as he turned and ran back the way we came. After he was out of my sight I turned back around and pressed forward, my wand shooting jets of plasma like a flamethrower as I swept it back and forth.

"Damn it, Seb, where are you?!" I begged as I charged through the catacomb, but there was no response, nothing but the hollow moans of the monsters as I burned them down. Horrible thoughts kept assaulting my mind, forcing me to consider things I refused to entertain longer than necessary...

No... he wouldn't... he wouldn't...! No, please Seb, you're smarter than that! I know you are!

Finally, I reached the Great Room. Just as I'd hoped and feared, Sebastian was standing near the altar, the relic in his hands and Slytherin's spellbook lying open atop it, and to my horror he was flanked on both sides by Inferi. A guttural scream erupted from my throat as I hurled a Confringo at the monsters. Sebastian turned in my direction as the fiery explosions tore through them like tissue, a look of confusion on his face.

"S-Sunset?"

"Thank Merlin," I sighed as I came to a stop in front of him, panting heavily. "What... w-what are you doing, what the hell were you thinking?! And where did all these Inferi come from?!"

"Er... me. They're under my control," he blinked. I nearly choked on my own dry throat at the remark.

"...What?"

"I told you... the relic is the answer," he said as he reverently held up the relic, a wild grin on his face. "I've been trying to reverse the Dark magic that injured Anne, but this will allow me to control it... just as I can control the Inferi." I stared at him for a moment, then followed his gesture - the few Inferi I had destroyed beside him were not the only ones in the room, there were at least twenty more of them present. They stood still as statues, regarding me with their dead, glowing eyes.

Fine... but that definitely wasn't the case outside of this room. "...You sure about that? Because I had to fight my way through an entire army of the things just to get to you! They're all over Feldcroft!"

"You... did?!" Sebastian recoiled, his face paling. "Oh... oh, no... I-I'm terribly sorry about that! I could've sworn I had this down!"

"Well, you don't! You very clearly don't!" I retorted, half-angry, half in fear of everything that was happening. His despair and desperation, his faith in the relic's power... 

My warnings had been for nothing. He had fallen for its promises... his hope had driven him insane.

"Yes, yes, I see that," he said as he pointed his wand at the relic and declaimed an incantation I didn't recognize from our research. It glowed a dark, sickly green in his hand before pulsing with tangible power once. "There... that should do it. Again, I deeply apologize for those that weren't under my control... I've only been experimenting with the relic for not even an hour, now."

"Experimenting?! You don't even-" I caught myself, shook my head and took a deep breath... yelling at him wasn't going to help anything now, if anything it might send him over the edge completely. I needed to stay calm. "...No, it's fine, I can understand that. But why Inferi? And why so bloody many of them?!"

"I'm not quite sure, myself," his lips thinned as he gestured over to the spellbook. "As soon as I'd set everything up I spoke one of the other incantations to the relic, and before I knew it countless Inferi were crawling out of the crypts and the ground. I thought I was done for... but then I noticed that they weren't moving, but standing still and staring at me, as though they were awaiting orders. It must have awakened every single body buried within these catacombs, if not all of them were under my control..." he trailed off, lost in thought.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. So many questions were racing through my mind...

Why? Why did he not tell me he was going to do this?! Why did he decide to do this alone?! Was this why... why he was avoiding me all this time?!

Why...?

"I admit... I was hoping to have completed the ritual before you had found me."

"What?" The sound barely made it out of my mouth. Sebastian's voice was suddenly frail and hesitant, his eyes glazed over with moisture.

"I'm... afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you, Sunset. I... I deciphered the meaning of the dark sacrifice. The true meaning."

"You did...?" I blinked. The pit in my heart suddenly grew exponentially as it threatened to beat its way out of my chest, but I tried to ignore it. "But... Seb, we were going to do this together, no matter where the research led us. You're my best friend, you know you can tell me anything!"

But he slowly shook his head. "...Not this time."

Desperation. Finality. Regret. Fear. The cold emotions rippled lazily outwards, thick as molasses. As soon as they touched my soul I felt like I was drowning, suffocating, unable to breathe.

"...What is it?" Something told me I was going to hate the answer. Sebastian's eyes met the ground.

"The dark sacrifice... is myself." His head bowed so low I could no longer see his eyes, but I could still see a tear that dripped onto the ground. "Ever since I first read those words, I'd... always considered that possibility."

...

...

...

...NO.

"Wh... W-What?!" I gasped, desperately shaking my hands. "W-Whoa, no, absolutely not! If you go through with this you're gonna kill yourself for nothing!"

"Sunset-"

"You saw what happened to the test subjects, those doxies, those gnomes! If they didn't die outright from the ritual then the magic tore their bodies apart! And I... no, please, don't do this, this is suicide! P-Please, I don't want y-you to-"

"Sunset," he repeated himself louder, holding up a hand. "The cursed gnome was cured, because they were a mated pair... they loved each other. I love my sister... and the Dark Arts always demand a heavy price. If my life, my love will cure Anne's curse... then that is the price I am willing to pay."

"No... Sebastian, n-no..." My voice died in my throat. He was so sure this was going to work, despite all the evidence leading towards the contrary. All I could do was weakly shake my head... I wanted to scream, to yank that relic out of his hands and shatter it into pieces, to slap him across the face and knock some damned sense into him... but my body was frozen.

And the worst part of it all... was that I believed him. Against all rationality a tiny, miniscule part of me believed him wholeheartedly, wanted to believe him, was willing to let him stride towards his fate. It waged a war against the rest of my mind, the question of "what if?" its battle cry.

I slapped my hands to the sides of my head, pulling at my hair in agony. Everything I knew, everything I felt was spiraling so quickly out of control. My lungs refused to breathe, my eyes refused to see. My heart felt like it was going to explode.

No... but we're friends, right?! Friends don't leave each other like this! My first friend... my best friend...

...

...Not like this...

"I... I-I can't talk you out of this... can I?" He inhaled sharply as he lifted his head, staring straight into my eyes. They closed as he shook his head, and the pit inside me consumed me entirely.

He was just like me... too much like me. Once his mind was made up, he wouldn't stop until he'd reached his goal. Consequences be damned.

"There is... one more thing I must tell you. I know you've likely felt it on your own... but I must say it myself." A warmer emotion momentarily overpowered the others that radiated from his soul... and I gasped in horrified realization, barely able to shake my head.

There really was no talking him out of this.

Not if...

...he was actually going to...

No... don't do this... don't you dare do this to me...!

"I... I love you, Sunset."

...

"You... y-you do...?" I gaped at him, forcing myself to speak. He nodded slowly.

Something inside of me broke.

...

...Goddamn it...

"I... have for some time, now."

"Why...? Why tell me now? W-Why not sooner?!"

A hollow laugh.

"...I suppose it took staring death in the face for me to realize it." He tried giving me a weak grin, the sight of which felt like a thousand needles piercing my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes until I could no longer see him clearly.

My mind suddenly flashed back to the second trial... the image of Sebastian lying on the ground, lifeless... dead...

"You... y-you're such a... b-bastard," I squeaked out as I leaned forward and grabbed him in my arms, squeezing as tightly as possible, unable to hold back any longer. Part of me hoped that if I held on tightly enough, cried enough into his shoulder, he'd change his mind... and yet, I knew it was futile. His conviction wouldn't allow it.

"I am, I know," he sighed quietly as he held me back, still clutching the relic. "I couldn't bring myself to tell you beforehand."

"A-And what about after you'd sacrificed yourself?! W-What was I s-supposed to think?!" I sobbed, my voice muffled by his cloak. "W-What if all the relic's good for is m-making and controlling Inferi?!" Sebastian's hold grew tighter.

"It's not... it will-"

"Accio relic!"

A deep voice echoed throughout the chamber. Sebastian let out a startled grunt as the relic tore itself out of his grasp and flew across the room... into Solomon's outstretched hand.

Oh godDAMNit.

"What have the two of you done?!" he roared, pointing his wand at the relic, glowing red and crackling with power as though it was a warning. All thoughts of grief and anguish were instantly stricken from my mind, replaced by pure, unadulterated dread. Sebastian and I gasped, reached out and shouted in unison.

"Solomon, don't-"

"No, don't touch that-"

Too late... with a wave of his wand, Solomon Vanished the relic into the aether. I could feel a shift of power in the air - the Inferi all around us twitched suddenly, and began to slowly march towards us.

They were not under Sebastian's control anymore... they weren't under anyone's control.

"Oh, no..." Sebastian breathed as he let go, training his wand on the approaching Inferi. Solomon glanced around the room, almost seeming surprised that the relic was the only thing holding them back from tearing the three of us apart... the shock and horror I felt quickly melted away into seething, all-consuming rage.

That simpleminded buffoon... without taking a single second to think before acting, he'd just put us all in serious danger.

Put Sebastian in danger.

My Sebastian.

"You... IDIOT!" I shrieked, the surprise on his face disappearing in favor of a dark scowl. "That relic was the only thing keeping all these Inferi from attacking us! What is wrong with you?!"

"The two of you have gone too far... I'm ending this, now!" he yelled, raising his wand. "Incarcerous!" A pair of ropes shot out of his wand towards Sebastian and I, but I fired a quick Diffindo to slash them to pieces, then hurled a second one right at him. He blocked it with a Protego, the scowl on his face twisting even more.

"That relic was going to save Anne!" Sebastian argued back, casting a Confringo towards an Inferius that had come too close.

"Nothing can be done for her! And I will not have you toying around with Dark magic in your foolish endeavors!" shouted Solomon as he watched me warily. The rage inside of me bubbled to new heights - Sebastian and I were the only ones trying to help Anne, who was he to tell us to stop?! Why did he want her to suffer so badly?! And to just carelessly destroy the relic like that, without even noticing that it kept the hundreds of Inferi at bay... how bumbling, how incompetent, how stupid could this one man possibly be?! Was he trying to kill us both?!

Was he... trying to actually kill his own nephew now? Was he really that callous? That heartless?

That... evil?

My vision darkened, shifted towards a green and red-tinged palette; I could see purple wisps of smoke streaming from my eyes. A dark, righteous, burning desire roared up from the depths of my soul, consuming my mind until it focused on one thing, and one thing only.

This bastard... this foolish, stubborn, selfish bastard... he was going to pay.

For everything.

Everything he had ever done to my best friend!





"Crucio!" I screamed, hurling my wand. Red lightning snapped from its tip and struck Solomon directly in the chest before he could react. I couldn't help but smile as he howled in agony and dropped to the ground, writhing and clutching his abdomen, but as I remembered our few interactions it slid from my face.

I cared not that I had just cast an Unforgivable on another human. If anyone deserved to feel the excruciating pain I once experienced at Sebastian's hands, what Anne likely felt every waking moment of every day... it was him. And after I'd fully made him understand just how badly he'd screwed up, I'd simply Obliviate that one inconvenient little fact from his mind. It'd be easy once I'd beaten the arrogance, the fight out of him, like he so desperately deserved.

"You'll pay for this, you worthless piece of trash," I seethed. "What kind of pathetic, sorry excuse for a guardian are you?!"

"Sunset..." Sebastian gasped, his voice momentarily knocking me out of my reverie. I didn't turn to face him... I didn't need to see his face to understand the wildly conflicting emotions within him. I felt extreme justice and vindication for everything his uncle had ever put him through, and for his utter refusal to help his sister - I felt inner peace and even unabashed glee... but I also felt a sense of shock and terror, of repulsion and guilt. "W-What are you-"

He flinched as I fired a Confringo at an approaching group of Inferi without even looking at them, nearly striking the side of his face in the process. "Handle the Inferi... I'll deal with your uncle," I growled. He stared at me for a moment before nodding once and turning to face the approaching horde, doing his best to push his emotions aside.

"You... black-hearted child..." Solomon wheezed as he struggled past the curse's pain. "I'll ensure... you spend the rest of your life in Azkaban for this- GAAAAAH!" He screamed as I renewed the curse's fury upon him.

"Feel that? That's how Anne feels when her curse flares up on her," I sneered, delighting in his cries. "Are you sure nothing can be done for her? Are you sure you don't want to look harder for a cure?!" 

"She c-cannot be healed, S-Sunset! You must s-stop!" he sputtered, forcing himself to stand so he could cast another Incarcerous at me. Another Diffindo ripped right through it, and my eyes blazed with a torrent of ancient magic as I laid into him with a Depulso so strong and long lasting it slammed him into the opposite wall and held him there for a good ten seconds.

"And how are you so sure about that?! We have magic, for Merlin's sake! If a countercurse doesn't exist, then we'll just invent one! You just recklessly destroyed a relic that had the possibility of curing her, it's like you want her to die!" The spell ended, dropping Solomon to the ground.

"Of c-course I don't wish for A-Anne to die," he rumbled, spitting out some blood as he stood back up. "But I've been dealing with Dark magic longer than you have been alive! I know a curse is incurable when I see it!" Now he finally started fighting back in earnest, firing a barrage of spells towards me. The speed and skill with which he attacked was more than I had assumed he was capable of, and I threw up a Protego to both ride it out and watch for a weakness.

I could expose one easily with a bit of taunting. After all, he deserved to hear what I thought of him before I stripped it away.

"Well, you're doing a fine job trying to kill Sebastian and I. Destroying the only thing keeping the Inferi from tearing us all to pieces? I think you're projecting when you say your brother was the reckless one." An opening presented itself, and I first cast a flurry of Baubillious to blind him before following up with Confringo. Solomon's Protego struggled to remain intact beneath the explosion and flames. "It's disgusting behavior coming from you, anyway, blaming Sebastian for being like his father... if he was anything like you, I never would've given him the time of day!"

"And I... would hate myself if I was anything like you!" Sebastian added as he set more Inferi ablaze. "I'm proud to be like my father! He was a far better man than you could ever hope to be! He would've stopped at nothing to help Anne, he and our mother!"

"There is nothing that can be done for her! How many times must I say it?!" Solomon roared as he fired a volley of Bombardas at me. They were easily deflected into the crowds of Inferi further back, not setting them on fire but blowing their bodies to bits. Dismembered limbs clawed at the ground and dragged themselves towards us, torsos and abdomens wriggled like worms, and heads rolled like misshapen balls. No, they were not destroyed... but they were slower, easier for Sebastian to handle.

"You're their uncle, for Merlin's sake! You're supposed to protect and nurture Sebastian and Anne, make them feel wanted and loved, not abuse one and let the other die! They are your responsibility, you're supposed to care for them!"

Like... like Celestia was supposed to love me... care for me... I blinked away the moisture gathering in the corners of my eyes.

"I never wanted them!" Solomon bellowed as he cast the Avis and Oppugno combination, directing the flock of eagles to pop my shield. "It was bad enough that my foolish brother had that infernal Muggle contraption put in their house, no self-respecting wizard would ever rely on Muggle inventions for something as trivial as light! And then they left everything in their will to Anne and Sebastian... did they ever once think about who might have had to step in as their guardian?! Gringotts won't allow me to use their Galleons for food, clothing, fuel or school supplies... it all comes from my pocket!"

"That wasn't their fault!" I screamed as I countered the attack with my own summoned crows. "Would you rather have had them sent to an orphanage? Because I was once an orphan myself, and I hated that place! One of the best days of my life was the day I was adopted, to finally have a family of my own, a mother that loved me! They needed you!"

"You don't think I know that?! But thanks to the damned wording of their will, those two will inherit thousands of Galleons once they become adults while I become destitute!" A few of my crows broke through his flock of eagles and circled him, distracting him long enough for me to cast Deprimo and Descendo in quick succession. Solomon struggled as he quickly found himself buried up to his shoulders within the ruined earth.

"So that's it, then? You're salty because you have to care for your niece and nephew after their parents died to a freak accident." I didn't think it possible, but my hatred for the man skyrocketed. "Then why don't you put that Auror training to good use and find a way to better your situation?!" Suddenly Solomon shot up from the ground with an Ascendio, his wand emitting a stream of Incendio fire like a solar flare as he landed. I sidestepped the spell and let it roast some Inferi behind me.

"You arrogant bitch," he spat. "It's the same tale I've seen repeated countless times... a wizard or witch just like you thinks they know better than everyone else, thinks they can get away with pushing the boundaries of good and evil more and more until they can no longer see the monster they've become!

So many monsters... the horrors I've witnessed... what's one more to deal with...? The sudden intrusive emotion made me blink incredulously; I didn't allow it to distract me.

"The monster they've become?! Look in a mirror! You're the one who gave up on helping your own niece! What kind of guardian, what kind of father gives up on their own child so easily?!" I could feel the ancient magic within me begging to be unleashed in its entirety, crying out for his blood, his life... but for Sebastian's sake I kept it chained back, instead grabbing as many large rocks and chunks of stone in my magic as I could and hurling them at my enemy. "If helping Sebastian cure his sister from a curse you have no interest in investigating makes me a Dark witch, then I'll happily accept that!" Solomon grunted loudly as each stone struck his shield, the magic flashing and cracking with every blow.

"You haven't seen what Dark magic does to a man... it twists their very souls until there's nothing left to redeem! And I will not have my nephew be seduced by promises of false power!" He snarled as the the final boulder I threw shattered his Protego, but still refused to back down. "I saw the magic you used to destroy that troll... I know not how you acquired such power, but I see that it has already corrupted you, far beyond saving!"

It's too late... already too far gone... must stop...

"You saw that, huh? ...Idiot. That wasn't Dark magic at all," I snorted. "Even if it was, there's nothing wrong with Dark magic, because there's no such thing! Magic can't be good or evil, all that matters is the one who wields that power!" A cruel idea popped into my mind, and as another group of Inferi drew near my eyes smoked with malice. "But it scares you, doesn't it?  Then let me show you some more!" A crooked grin spread across my face as I cast Imperio on the entire lot of them, and directed them towards Solomon. One more memory to Obliviate after this was over wouldn't change anything, and I took delight in the fear on his face as they approached, pushing themselves to shamble faster. "It's amusing how terrified you are of a simple little spell... Is it because you're afraid of it? Afraid of its potential? Afraid of that power?!"

Solomon glared at me with all the fury of death itself. "I've faced hundreds of Dark witches and wizards worse than you! And I survived against them all! I've had the Killing Curse cast at me more times than I can remember!" He began waving his wand in dramatic, sweeping circles; a stream of blazing fire filled with living creatures, swirling like a tornado, came roaring out and devoured the Inferi before storming towards me.

The crazy bastard had cast Fiendfyre. He was getting desperate.

All of them tried to kill me... They were beyond redemption, beyond saving... I should have died. If I hadn't cast- ...No! I refuse to stoop to their level! I will not-!

Before I could feel any more of his emotions I allowed my own rage to drown it out, the ancient magic in my eyes and horn shining brighter than the violently uncontrollable spell racing towards me. With a scream I flung my wand at the blazing tornado, purple light shooting out and causing it to explode. I was quick enough to cast a Protego that encompassed myself and Sebastian as the shreds of residual fire burned everything they touched, but Solomon cried out in pain as the explosion singed his body and threw him back against a wall.

I snorted in derision. Pathetic. No wonder you're a former Auror.

"Is that all you've got? You are pathetic... weak-minded, closed-minded, selfish, arrogant, cruel, lazy and delusional! And you think it's fine to take it all out on your own nephew, on my best friend. You're nothing but a coward... you hear me?! A coward!" I watched with demonic satisfaction as he struggled to rise to his hands and knees, but his strength kept faltering. It seemed as though he'd finally had enough. One last Incarcerous spell to keep him still before I Obliviated him, and this would all be over.

"How dare you... You're no friend to my nephew...!" Solomon choked out. A haughty chuckle escaped my lips.

"I care about him more than you do, more than you ever have! And I-"

"Arresto Momentum!" Though I anticipated the sneak attack and dashed to the side, he had successfully anticipated where I was going - the spell tagged my hand, and I instantly felt my body lock itself in place, floating a few inches above the ground.

No! Damn it! I struggled against the spell's effects, driving my body to move even a fraction of an inch through sheer willpower alone. It was working, but at a snail's pace... not quickly enough.

"That's enough!" Sebastian shouted as he burned the final Inferius I could see to a crisp. "Stop this madness, Solomon... you've nearly gotten all three of us killed!"

"It's you who's making me do this!" his uncle snarled, spit frothing and flying from his mouth as he finally stood up and stumbled towards me. I couldn't pick out individual emotions of his or Sebastian's anymore, they had all congealed into a tempest of impenetrable negativity.

"You're... y-you're supposed to protect us!" Sebastian's voice began to break, full of anger and anguish.

"I am protecting you, you foolish boy!" retorted Solomon, keeping his eyes laser-focused on me. "You think me a coward for refusing to use Dark magic, for not using the Unforgivables... then I'll show you what a coward can do!" Just as I finally broke free from the spell, a sense of impending doom sloshed over me like a tidal wave.

Ungrateful wretch! But I'm obligated to save him... And I will save him from you!

"Avada-"

W-What?!

I froze. Time seemed to slow to a standstill as I watched Solomon's eyes glow a sickening green, his wand beginning to flash with the same frightening light. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sebastian raise his wand, and every emotion he was feeling suddenly punched its way into my mind.

Fathomless regret for letting his uncle get the drop on him and destroying his chance to cure his beloved sister. A decade of festering resentment for the way he'd been treated so harshly, like his very existence was a burden. Incomprehensible rage towards Solomon for putting us all - me - in this dangerous position.

And utter horror... that I was about to die.

I felt something snap, deep within his soul.

My parents... my sister... I'm not going to lose Sunset, too!

"...Kedavr-"

"Depulso!"

I tried to fling myself out of the way of the curse, but my legs were lead jelly. I saw the crackling jade lightning rocket towards me, sealing my fate.

But then I saw Solomon jerk awkwardly to his left, blown off balance by Sebastian's spell. The deadly curse sailed mere inches to my left, away from my chest, my very heart... and struck the wall behind me. The loud impact broke the spell my knees held over me, and I sank to the dusty, charred, unstable ground, still unable to move.

Solomon staggered, the light fading from his eyes as he tried to regain his balance. His feet tripped over the uneven floor, his hands flailing uselessly in front of him as he fell backwards. The back of his head made contact with ruined, jagged stone.

Crack

Suddenly he let out a grotesque noise halfway between a gasp and a moan. His head and neck arched upwards, his arms and legs stiffened and spasmed. His hands curled into fists facing outwards from his convulsing body, and his feet pointed straight down. The noise gradually faded through his clenched teeth, and his unblinking eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as his tremors quickly grew weaker and weaker... until they stopped altogether.

Neither of us moved for what felt like an eternity, waiting for him to move again, even just to breathe.

But nothing happened.

Solomon was silent.

Still.

Dead.

Sebastian dropped his wand. He took a few shaky steps forward before stopping, his mouth hanging open.

"Solomon?"

Another step forward. A thin trickle of blood poured from Solomon's left ear and nose.

"Un... U-Uncle...?"

"DEPULSO!"

A spell from my left sailed into the room and slammed into Sebastian's side. He gasped in pain as he tumbled along the ground, eventually coming to a stop when his back hit the wall. Though I wanted so badly to rush to his side, screaming at my muscles to let me get up and check if he was alright, my body refused to listen.

Instead my eyes shifted over to who had cast the spell. Her voice was all too familiar.

Anne hobbled into the chamber. Her face was dripping with sweat and tears - deep, dark circles under her eyes. Her breaths were raspy and labored, full of agony and grief. She didn't even look at me as she moved towards her fallen uncle, kneeling down and surveying the damage, pressing two fingers to the side of Solomon's throat.

Her hand fell limply after a few moments. Her head bowed until I could no longer see her face, and her shoulders heaved.

"Anne..." Sebastian wheezed, still reaching out for her after she'd attacked him. She glanced at him momentarily, then turned her attention towards the spellbook sitting on the altar. Anger washed over her features, and she cast a Bombarda at the book, ripping it to shreds that caught fire and burned away in the explosion. Both Sebastian and I let out a strangled noise at the book's destruction, the knowledge inside lost forever. 

She turned towards her brother with a dark, furious glare. "You were willing to put the whole hamlet and yourself in danger, on the chance that some old relic could hope to heal me-" She groaned as her hand clutched at her side, her head bowing as she endured the curse's pain. We watched with bated breath as, after a few moments of silence, she slowly looked up again to face him, her eyes empty and haunted.

"...You've made your choice," she whispered. She latched on to Solomon's body - a crack echoed all around us, forcing me to blink. Both of them were gone when my eyes reopened.

Neither of us moved an inch for a few minutes. Finally, however, Sebastian struggled to his feet, swaying a little as he cradled his side. It was the encouragement I needed to stand as well.

"...I must get out of here," he mouthed, walking towards the Great Room's exit, then breaking out into a run.

"Hey... wait," I called out for him weakly. He hadn't even bothered to pick up his wand before leaving... I grabbed it before chasing after him. He ignored my every word as I tried to get him to stop, or at least slow down as he raced back through the corridors, the dust and ash kicking back up and clouding my sight. He trudged forward with a single-minded fervor, spilling most of the Wiggenweld potion he brought out when his wounded side caused him to start limping. It wasn't until we had both left the catacomb that he finally came to a halt, leaning against a rock to catch his breath. I tried talking to him once more, simply calling his name.

"W-What is it?" He asked quietly, turning towards me. Now that I could see his face, I gasped in horror - he was pale as snow, his eyes wide and constricted. His entire body was trembling, and he began pacing back and forth with nervous energy.

"Are you okay?" I immediately shook my head. "Alright, stupid question, I know, but you're seriously scaring me right now."

"Anne won't survive this... she's withering away, inside and out... Solomon's never been there for us... not really," he shook his head. "He gave up on Anne... I'll never give up on her... He... H-He... I can't believe... he actually tried to k-kill you...!"

"I... I know," I swallowed uncomfortably. The green lightning was seared into my mind. Mentally I screamed at myself; I'd gotten too cocky, too arrogant... I let the power go to my head. If it hadn't been for Sebastian's quick thinking-

"I can't stay here... I n-need to leave... I c-can't... c-can't...!"

Sebastian dropped to his knees, clutching at his head. His breathing grew faster and more erratic, words quickly deconstructing into syllables before becoming only vague noises. Tears streamed from his unblinking eyes, and a shriek forced its way through his clenched teeth.

GUILT. REMORSE. SHAME. DESPAIR.

My breath died in my throat. I had never seen him so terrified, so out of control of himself. So many emotions were racing within his soul... I could feel myself becoming quickly affected, nearly overwhelmed if not for my own burgeoning fear.

GUILT. REMORSE. SHAME. DESPAIR.

"Hey... hey! S-Snap out of it!" I knelt down to his level and gripped his shoulders, but it was like holding on to a statue. His body was ice cold to the touch and entirely unyielding. His mind was gone, lost within what I assumed to be a massive panic attack... all that had transpired in the past five or ten minutes had quite simply broken him.

I would have to think for the both of us until he calmed down, and I had no idea how to calm him down... I wanted to help him, but how I was going to help him?! I had no idea how I was going to fix this!

GUILT. REMORSE. SHAME. DESPAIR.

...Well, that wasn't entirely true.

"Stupefy."

I tried to be as gentle as possible with the spell. Sebastian's cries abruptly cut off as he went limp and flopped over, his face lying on its side on the ground. His breathing returned to normal, but even unconscious I could see his temples twitching wildly.

No, he couldn't stay here... and neither could I.

Taking his hand, I teleported us back to Hogwarts, to a blind spot where we wouldn't be seen. After checking to make sure he was still out cold, I cast Wingardium Leviosa on his body so I could carry him easily, then Disillusionment on the both of us. Carefully floating him behind me, I ran as quietly as I could manage, but it wasn't fast enough for my liking. Casting a Muffling Charm on myself allowed me to run at full pace, and I raced through the double doors, up the several sets of staircases until I was just outside my Room.

It was so hard to envision my Room when my mind was focused on Sebastian. Finally the door materialized and I ran inside. I mentally ordered whatever magic created the room to not allow anyone else in, only then feeling secure enough to cancel the Muffling and Disillusionment Charms. I allowed myself to catch my breath as I floated him down to the living area, carefully setting him down on the chaise lounge in a sitting position - even now, his sleep was troubled.

A thought came to me, and I snapped my fingers as I dashed back up the stairs. I nearly collided with the shelves all my potions were stored in, my eyes frantically searching for anything that would help. Three of them stuck out, and I grabbed them and ran back, setting them down on the coffee table in front of him.

A deep sigh escaped my lips. Now I could help him. I held up my wand.

"Rennervate."

Sebastian's eyes squeezed together before they opened. "Wha... where...?"

"Hey, it's okay now," I shushed, speaking quietly as I sat down to his left. "You're here, in my room. You're safe."

"Your... room..." He blinked a few times before looking at me. "...How did I get here?"

"I... might've knocked you out, Apparated us, and then dragged your unconscious body up several floors while Disillusioned," I glanced away with a shrug.

"Oh... I see." He swallowed hard as he stared at the floor, his breathing already beginning to quicken again. He let out a quiet, but panicked moan.

"Shh... here," I gestured to the three potions on the coffee table. "There's Calming Draught, Draught of Peace and Dreamless Sleep. You should probably take one of them... you're a wreck right now." His eyes slid over to them, but it took a few moments for him to nod in agreement. He reached for the Calming Draught, popped it open and drained the entire bottle. Within seconds his breathing returned to normal.

"...Thank you," he whispered, wiping off his face with his sleeve. After doing so, his hands slapped over his face to hide himself. "Sunset... w-what have I done?" I felt anguish beginning to spike within him.

I couldn't let him feel that again... Not right now.

My arms wrapped around him, and I leaned back onto the couch, gently pulling him with me. Once my back was against the couch's arm I nudged his head until the side of it was against my chest, his ear directly over my heart.

For once, I neither felt nor saw a bashful response from him. Instead, he simply closed his eyes.

...You saved my life.

I exhaled slowly, deeply, resting my chin on his head.

All I wanted to do was to take away his pain... the only way I knew how.


~


I lost track of how long we laid together like that. But eventually I felt him stir.

"How are you feeling?" I asked quietly, glancing down at him through his hair.

"...Better," he mumbled. I squeezed him tightly for a moment.

"Good."

More time passed by in silence. My right hand moved rhythmically, sliding up and down his arm. I felt him release a deep, contented sigh, felt his head press further into my chest.

Any other time, I might've felt mild embarrassment by this level of intimacy... but for now, his wellbeing was my top priority. I didn't care about anything else.


~


While he slept, my own thoughts raced through my mind. Thoughts of everything the two of us had endured together.

Our triumphs. Our sorrows. Our moments of frustration.

Meeting Anne. Arguing with Solomon. Learning about how Anne was cursed.

Discovering the scriptorium. Discovering the relic...

...We had been so sure that it would help her. But the research had quickly become troubling. Then Solomon had to further ruin everything by destroying it.

And yet... if he hadn't... Sebastian might not be here anymore. The thought made me squeeze him a little tighter.

...

...

...

...Maybe Ominis had been right all along. The Dark Arts seemed so promising, all the way up until Sebastian had realized he would have to sacrifice himself to have the curse broken. And he was still willing to go through with it, despite the wishes of his two best friends.

Maybe... I shouldn't have encouraged him. Maybe I enabled him too much.

And maybe... maybe it was my fault that Solomon died.

...

...

...

...What was I even thinking, using Unforgivables on him?! If he had somehow escaped the fight, escaped before I managed to Obliviate him, I'd probably be getting arrested and sent to Azkaban right this second! I...

...No. I cast those spells because I was Celestia's personal protégé... or, I was. In the back of my mind I thought- I knew I could get away with it no matter how things turned out. But I no longer had that luxury; Fig cared for me but he wasn't nearly that influential, and I watched his contact within the Ministry die right in front of me.

Did... oh, what if Anne saw me do that?! What if she told on me?!

What...

What have I done?

What have I done...?!

...

...

...

Maybe... maybe this was what Celestia was trying to teach me all along.


~


Sebastian shifted in his sleep, and I saw something fall out of his cloak's pocket. It was a bit of a struggle to retrieve it without waking him, but I managed.

It was a folded piece of parchment. Carefully I opened it up and read what was inside.

I really should've expected it, but the words still nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Dearest Sunset,

If you are reading this... I am likely dead.

I can imagine how angry you must be, after going off to Feldcroft on my own with the relic, after we'd promised we would work on a cure for Anne together. I swear I can already feel you casting Waddiwasi at my head.

I've realized what the dark sacrifice is... in order to break Anne's curse and cure her, I will have to sacrifice my own life to do so. It must be the life of one who truly loves her... Solomon, nor anyone else, won't do.

Naturally, I've gone and done just that. But please know it was not without a heavy conscience. There is so much I wish to tell you, so much more I wish to experience with you. It pains me deeply to know I'll never get the chance.

I apologize for avoiding you these past few days... every time I wanted to tell you what was on my mind, I feared that I would lose my resolve, and so I kept my distance... I regret every second of that time spent apart.

Speaking of losing my resolve... I'd better stop. Know that I've always considered you to be my truest, closest friend that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

I love you.

Sebastian

...

I covered my mouth, a sob wracking my entire body. I probably would've started crying if I hadn't, it was a miracle he didn't wake up. This note, such a dreadful bromide, yet so heartfelt and moving...

And this idiot... this beautiful, charming, compassionate idiot, with a heart of gold beneath all that stupidity, sarcasm and dry wit... I didn't know whether I wanted to kiss him or punch him in the kidney.

Sure, he'd made mistakes... some pretty big ones, I had to admit.

But so had I.

Yet another thing we both had in common.


~


Eventually I felt him stir again. At first I tried to ignore it, half-wanting to let him drift back to sleep... but mostly, it was a weak attempt to avoid my own emotions. As irrationally scared as I was of feeling what I did, of hearing what he might say... I had to know for myself.

I decided to test whether he was awake or not. "...Sebastian?"

"Hm?" He was... though I desperately wanted to ask, the words still took a moment to work up the courage to say.

"...How long?" I asked quietly, my hand sliding down his arm. "How long have you known that you loved me?" He was silent for a few moments.

"I think I fell for you when we first dueled." The scene replayed itself in my head, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"No you didn't."

"You don't believe me?" His body shifted to my right, no longer on top of me but leaning against the back of the chaise lounge.

"No, I believe you. But the 'falling' was so... incidental, don't you think? You did hit the floor pretty hard," I smirked. He let out a quiet chuckle in return.

"Guess I fell for you in more ways than one, then," he grinned softly. The sparkle had returned to his eyes, and I gazed deeply into them, both relieved and thrilled to see that pain now absent.

And then I felt a wave of radiant heat cascade through my entire body from my heart outwards. My nerves tingled, and there was no longer any doubt in my mind.

Deep within my soul... these emotions were mine. Mine alone.

I felt exactly what he felt for me.

For him.

And I was not afraid. Not anymore.

"...I love you, too." Sebastian blinked once before his smile stretched from ear to ear.

"Truly?" he breathed. I simply smiled and nodded. Our arms wrapped tightly around each other, and yet the smile threatened to fall away. "...Even after everything I've done?"

I squeezed him as I shook my head. "None of that matters to me. Just you." Another wave of heat rippled through me to see his smile return, to realize and accept what I said as the truth.

I'd never felt more warm, more comfortable... more perfect in my life.

My eyes drifted down towards his lips. His drifted as well.

And as soon as our lips touched, I felt a rush - a blaze of emotion like never before.


~


My eyes snapped open. How long had I been asleep? Though waking up in Sebastian's embrace quickly made me forget about that question.

He had fallen asleep again. I smiled, reflecting on how adorable he looked. My eyes danced over every freckle, and I felt myself wanting to kiss every single one. Moreover, the sentiment didn't feel the least bit sappy.

But then the events that had transpired hours ago pushed themselves back into my mind. Even now I could feel a dull ache within him - a swirling sea of negative emotions that threatened to cloud his mind in a thick, dark fog, where he might lose himself forever.

If it was my fault that he had been pushed to go this far... then it was my responsibility to make things right. I might not have had the ability to remove emotional pain with ancient magic yet, but I did have Equestrian magic to pull from.

As gently as I could, I extricated myself from his grasp, rolling onto the floor to do so. I winced at the sudden noise, but he didn't stir. I reached underneath my bed and pulled out my old saddlebags, then opened them and retrieved an old, favorite book.

It was perhaps the most advanced Alchemy book I had ever seen in Equestria, won in a bet against one of Celestia's court battlemages. Inside were recipes meant for war, and treating the many negative effects war could so casually inflict - both physical and mental.

There was definitely something in here that could help him. I flipped through the pages until I found it. Though it was terribly complicated to brew, and took many unique ingredients I had not yet come up with substitutions for, the time it took to brew itself wasn't long. And none of these ingredients were Dark in nature, so I was reasonably positive there wouldn't be any complications down the road.

For hours I studied, deciphering which plants and reagents here were analogous to plants and reagents back in Equestria. A half cup of Flash Bee honey was equivalent to five drops of rosemary essential oil and a quarter cup of pure lavender honey added to a quarter cup of thyme essential oil. The roots of Crisscross Moss had the same effect as the teeth of a Fanged Geranium. Fairy wings ground together with three and a half Billywig stings could be used in place of Breezie wings. The equivalent ratios of Heart's Desire, Seeds of Truth, Windigo ectoplasm and the throat gem of a Siren could be substituted with a tablespoon of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction mixed into a quarter cup of Burning Bitterroot Balm, two newt spleens wrapped in four blades of star grass, five-eighths of a cup of chilled Lethe River water, and nine-sixteenths of a cup of a mixture of equal parts powdered gold, porcupine quills, moonstone and unicorn horn (I tried not to think too hard about that one).

Once I had figured out all of the ingredients and ratios I would need to create the potion, I set to work. I was halfway through reducing all of the liquid ingredients by exactly one-fifth when I heard a knock on the door.

"Miss Shimmer? Are you in there?" I heard Professor Weasley's muffled voice through the door. At first I felt a jolt of paranoia, already imagining handcuffs being clapped around my wrists... but her voice was as congenial as always, though tinged with deep concern. It was probably safe to answer, but I still groaned as I cast a quick Sonorus Charm on myself; I couldn't leave the cauldron for a second at this stage.

"Yes, I am... I'm in the middle of brewing a potion right now, I can't leave it," I called back.

"Ah, sorry to disturb you... I was wondering if you've seen Mr. Sallow recently." I bristled, feeling a cold panic dripping down my back... what exactly did she want Sebastian for? Most likely it was to inform him of his uncle's passing, but if it ever came to light that he was responsible for all those Inferi...

"Uh... no, I haven't," I lied.

"I see... well, if you see him, please tell him to come see me... I'm afraid I have some terrible news he needs to know." I focused as hard as I could on her emotions to glean any information on what exactly she was talking about - I could sense sympathy as the main component, so that must've meant that it was about the former.

"Okay... will do," I answered. She didn't respond back, so I figured she had left to continue her search for Sebastian, unaware that he was asleep on the lounge in the other room. I canceled the charm and returned my total focus towards the potion, adding the powdered mixture once it had reduced to the correct consistency.

Another hour later, and it was finally finished. Just to be sure I tested a sip of it myself, feeling the intended cooling rush billowing up in the back of my head and flowing forwards and downwards over the rest of my brain and spinal cord. I trembled with cautious optimism as I brought it with me back to the living area. Sebastian was awake, lying listlessly on the couch, barely having moved at all.

"What is this?" he asked as I handed him the vial, glowing a pearlescent light blue.

"It's an alchemical recipe from my homeland... it helps to ease one's mind after something traumatic has happened, though it needs a full 24 hours to take full effect." Satisfied with that answer, he tipped the vial back and swallowed its contents. A moment later he let out a groan as his entire body shivered.

"Ugh... Thank you. I'm not entirely sure what this will do for me, but I trust your judgment, and your alchemical knowledge."

"Of course," I answered hollowly as I took the vial back, feeling as guilty as I did hopeful. Sebastian laid back down with a sigh and closed his eyes, leaving me to wrestle with my thoughts on my own.


~


My stomach was killing me. I left for a half hour or so to get some food from the Great Hall, first stuffing myself full before putting together a plate for Sebastian and sneaking it out. When I returned to my Room, however, he wasn't there.

He must've gone somewhere to clear his mind... somewhere familiar. On a hunch I made my way to the Undercroft, sighing in relief when I found him and Ominis in the middle of a conversation. Both of them looked absolutely miserable.

"...She's devastated. She just buried your uncle... alone," Ominis moaned. Sebastian shook his head slowly.

"I... never meant for this to happen," he whimpered. His voice was so weak, so broken... I cursed the portcullis for opening as slowly as it did.

"Sebastian... Anne can't bear the thought of turning you in, but-"

My heart dropped into my bowels as I stepped through the threshold. Turn him in? For what, saving my life?! Just the very thought of it, the thought of what might happen to him... it horrified me to my core.

"What? Turn me in?!" Sebastian echoed my thoughts. "She saw what happened!" Ominis opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again with a hum as he sensed my presence.

"...I'll give you some time to think," he mumbled as he walked over to me, shaking his head. "Poor Sebastian..."

"I guess Anne's told you what happened, huh?" I frowned. Ominis slowly nodded, letting out a deep sigh.

"What a mess... I can't believe it. After I last saw you, I went straight to Hogwarts... before I had time to talk to Black, I heard from Anne. I rushed to Feldcroft and... found her with Solomon's body. She was beside herself with grief... part of her wants Sebastian to face the consequences - another part can't bear the thought of it. I don't want to lose him, but... I don't think we have a choice."

I bristled as soon as I heard the words, and my mouth hung open. Anne and Ominis were seriously considering turning Sebastian in to the authorities?! Getting him expelled for saving my life?!

...Okay, he might've summoned an army of Inferi, too, and that was a big no-no, but...

...After reading about the horrors of Azkaban, there was no way I could let that happen to him. He didn't deserve a fate so cruel, so much worse than certain death! Even Celestia wouldn't have sentenced him to a stint in Tartarus, not if he was truly remorseful about his actions... and he was. I could feel it in my very soul.

Not to mention... after my own wanton use of Unforgivables, and all the death and destruction I myself had wrought upon countless foes... I'd be the worst friend in the world if I let it happen, and a terrible hypocrite. If anything... I deserved to be the one who was sent away. Not him.

But of course I wasn't about to suggest that. Sebastian had saved my life... it was my turn to save his.

"We always have a choice... Tell me what Anne told you," I spoke, focusing on keeping my voice as level as possible. It was deathly important that I get this right. "What did she see?"

"It wasn't much," Ominis admitted. "She and Solomon awoke to find the hamlet under siege from Inferi. They went outside to exterminate them, but when they suddenly began moving back towards the catacomb Solomon ordered her to stay behind while he left to investigate... after a while, she grew worried and followed after him. When she was approaching the Great Room she heard Solomon beginning to cast the Killing Curse, then she heard Sebastian shout the Banishing Charm over him. Once she'd entered the room, she saw... Solomon dying, convulsing on the ground."

Alright, good... well, that's easy to work with. "I see... then she didn't quite get the whole picture," I sighed. "Solomon cast the Killing Curse against me... he tried to kill me. Sebastian... saved my life."

"He... did?" Ominis recoiled slightly.

"Yes... the Banishing Charm knocked him off balance, so the Killing Curse missed me... Then he tripped over a rock and hit his head. Sebastian didn't mean to kill him at all... it was an accident."

"Hmm... a 'freak' accident, I take it?" He made a face.

"I'd be willing to drink an entire bottle of Veritaserum to prove it," I bluffed. Let's just... ignore the fact that I goaded him into casting that. "He regrets everything... I know that for a fact. He won't do this again."

"Pfft... we've both heard that before," Ominis shook his head. Inwardly I cringed... it was true what he said. I needed a different approach... something far more believable. Far more guilt-inducing.

I ignored the pain that kicked me in the soul for thinking of it.

"We also need to think about Anne. She's still cursed, and now Solomon's gone... do you really want to take away her brother, too? They're... all they have left is each other." He let out another deep sigh, then was silent for a few moments.

"I understand what you're saying... perhaps you're right. As much as I believe that Sebastian should pay for his actions, we'd only be punishing Anne as well... not to mention, he did do good by saving your life. I just hope we're doing the right thing," he bowed his head in acceptance, while a smile broke out on my face.

Damn, I'm good. "It is the right choice," I affirmed as I reached up and hugged Ominis. He returned the gesture very gently after a moment, his face flushing red.

"I'll talk to Anne... if it comes from me, she'll agree with this decision."

"Thank you, Ominis... you're a good friend." And I truly mean that. Ominis nodded as I let him go, and he immediately left the Undercroft, presumably to inform Anne of our decision. Once I was sure he was gone I finally allowed myself to relax, extremely relieved that I had successfully gotten my best friend off the hook for his questionable use of magic. I walked over to Sebastian; in the meantime he had sat down on the floor, hunched over against a crate.

"Did you hear that?! You saw what happened... I never wanted to hurt my uncle!" He looked up at me, his face wet.

"I know," I nodded, sitting beside him.

"I c-can't believe he's gone... how did things go so w-wrong? ...I didn't mean it. I didn't m-mean to..." His eyes squeezed shut, tears running down his cheeks. "Oh, Anne... I was only t-trying to help. I can't leave now... she n-needs me more than ever."

"And you'll be there for her," I grabbed his hand in mine. "Neither she nor Ominis knew that Solomon tried to use the Killing Curse against me, and that you saved my life. I convinced Ominis, and he's off to convince Anne, too... you won't be turned in for what you've done." A sob wracked his body as I felt a massive weight being lifted from his shoulders.

"Thank you..." he sighed. "I... hate what I've d-done, but given the choice, I'd save you again and again. Solomon... when I realized what he was going to do, I j-just..." Sebastian fell silent again, his neck seemingly going slack as his head bowed.

He didn't need to finish his thought. Instead I felt the full force of his regrets, feeling as heavy and damning as my own. He had been justified in his actions; the guilt would eventually fade when the potion took full effect.

But myself? ...Not so much.

Still, it hurt so much seeing him like this. It hurt even more to know that my actions were the reason he hurt.

I needed to do something about it.

"...How about we go somewhere else? A change of scenery will do you good."


~


It was raining outside as I led him to the shores of the Black Lake. We stopped by the abandoned, derelict dock, where I had first taught him how to teleport, where I had first met Scrope so many months ago. The sun was trying its best to shine through the clouds, an endless sea of grey both above us and at our feet. All either of us could hear was the pattering of the rain on the muddy shore.

"A bit wet, for my tastes," Sebastian muttered as he idly levitated a flat rock with his wand and flicked it, sending the rock skipping over the lake.

"I'll fix that," I replied, waving my wand. First I half-conjured and half-Transfigured the remains of the dock into a stately gazebo, setting it up about fifteen feet from the water's edge. A Drying Charm ensured everything was dry, then I conjured a thick, comfortable blanket to sit on. I pulled off my damp cloak and kicked off my shoes before sitting down, motioning for him to join me.

"This is quite nice," he commented. Once he'd sat down I conjured an additional blanket and wrapped it around the both of us. He was happy to scoot over closer until he was smushed right up against me, using his arms to stabilize himself as he leaned back a bit.

"I can be nice if I feel like it," I grinned. A faint smile graced his lips, falling away as he stared into the distance. We sat in silence together for a while, simply watching the rain fall.

My mind ruminated on all that had happened. On how I had angered Solomon into casting the worst of Unforgivables... the most permanent one. On how it had forced Sebastian's hand, and resulted in his unintentional death.

On how all of this could have been avoided... if only I hadn't been so vindictive. So arrogant.

So blind.

"...It was my fault," I frowned, staring at the rippling water. "I goaded him into doing it... I said so many things I really shouldn't have." Sebastian sighed gently, and was silent for a moment.

"...They were all true, however. And the things you got him to say out loud... really explains so much, now that I think about it," he shook his head.

"I also encouraged you to research Dark magic more and more," I moaned, a breathy sob forcing itself from my throat. "If I would've suggested something else, or at least taken the proper precautions... If I-"

"No, Sunset," he cut me off. "It was my decision to take Slytherin's spellbook and leave with the relic. Mine alone... it wasn't your fault things ended up how they did."

I turned to face him... I wasn't sure if I believed his words or not.

"I don't regret any of the research. And I don't regret my knowledge of Dark magic, nor what we went through to obtain Slytherin's spellbook or the relic. But I do regret... that I went it alone," he exhaled. "I regret that I let my fears get the best of me, and I tried to use the relic when... when I knew it wouldn't work. I regret... that I left you out of it. We didn't try to cure her together, like we- ...I promised."

"Seb..."

"And now I must live with the guilt of all that's happened... I'm the one who killed Uncle Solomon, and I'm the one who drove Anne away... not you. So please... don't blame yourself for this. Any of this."

It was so hard to force out the words I wanted to say, through the guilt and the pain and regret. "No... if anything, you shouldn't blame yourself for any of this! I put you in that position with my own actions! I-"

He shut me up with a kiss. As much as I wanted to further argue my case, I quickly gave up and closed my eyes. I felt his arms wrap around me, his emotions wrap around my heart. Despite his misery, he wanted nothing more than to ease my pain, to see me happy again.

So I let him.

When we finally broke apart, we simply gazed at each other, an entire conversation playing out in silence between us.

He was perfectly willing to call it all even. We were both equally at fault.

And I could agree with that. He took my hand in his and held it tightly, as though he would never let go.

"No matter what happens from here... I'm glad we met."

My hand squeezed his in return, never wanting to let go.

"So am I."

The sun finally broke through the clouds.
> In Which Poppy Becomes a Proud Parent to Some Yellow Puffballs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days passed by in a grey haze. Even after the potion I'd brewed for him had taken effect, Sebastian was in no condition to return to school life... not with so much on his mind.

He spent nearly the entire time holed up in my Room, only leaving for meals when he absolutely couldn't stand his empty stomach any longer. During one of these excursions Professor Weasley finally caught up with him, gently letting him know that his uncle had died heroically while dealing with the curse within the catacombs that summoned all those Inferi. Inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief... there was zero mention of Sebastian having been responsible for it, and I didn't sense anything in her words that might've suggested any suspicion. It seemed that Ominis had been successful in convincing Anne not to turn him in, and the cover story that had been created tied up every loose end.

In the meantime I was happy to collect his homework for him from his various classes, and I helped him complete it all however he wanted - whether he did want to give it a try himself, or he'd simply dictate his answers to me and I'd write them down. And I was fine with him remaining in my room, of course... it felt indescribably sweet that he wanted to hide out here when he was at his lowest point. It allowed me to keep an eye on him, to get him anything else he might've needed - whether that was a Draught of Peace, or another book to read to distract his mind, or simply a kind word of encouragement, of unconditional love...

...Love. I still couldn't believe the feeling that enveloped my heart and soul, made them burn ever brighter and warmer... let alone that I'd admitted those feelings to him. Unlike the times before when I'd questioned or outright denied what I felt for him, this emotion was crystal clear, and there wasn't a single doubt in my mind when I thought about it. I didn't even need to wonder if it was the ancient magic influencing my thoughts... it didn't matter.

Hell, I'd started expressing it openly the night we'd spoken to Ominis, and I'd convinced him against getting Sebastian expelled and... worse. It was after 11pm, and he was reading a book on the chaise lounge while I got ready for bed. After so long in a school uniform, a light and airy set of pajamas felt amazing on my skin.

His eyes flicked upwards from his book, and he froze. "...Are you in pajamas?"

"Uh... yea? I'm going to bed. It's late, you know."

"...I see," he mumbled, hiding his pinkening face back in the book. I disregarded it and walked over to my bed, its softness seductively calling to me. I sat down on the right side of it, on top of the covers...

...And I glanced back at him. He'd barely moved from the couch for almost three straight days. Even as plush as I'd conjured it, his back must've been killing him at this point.

A thought popped into my head.

"Hey... you know you don't have to sleep on the couch, right? It can't be that comfortable... the bed's more than big enough for the both of us." Sebastian's eyes snapped open as his head whipped around.

"I... y-you... wha?" His voice trailed off as every visible part of him turned bright red. All he could manage after that was a strangled grunt.

"I mean, this probably isn't a good time to really break it in," I casually glanced to the side while shrugging nonchalantly. "But if you're gonna stay here for a while, then I'd like to at least make sure you're getting enough sleep." Not to mention, if we were theoretically a couple now, then... why not? He could definitely use a cuddle.

...

...

...

For a moment I thought he was going to faint from the sheer implication. People in this world were so weirdly bashful about intimacy. It just made it so much more fun to tease him, he was... cute when he was flustered.

"A-Are you sure? You really don't mind?"

"Yea. C'mon," I replied plainly, beckoning. Still wide-eyed like a scared fawn, he stiffly stood up from the couch and shuffled over to the left side of the bed. He stared at the spot as though he'd forgotten how to sit down. "Uh... I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to-"

"No! I do," he quickly answered, nodding frantically. "I just... this is so... intimate. I've never... er..."

"Huh... is that so?" I leaned back, supporting myself on my arms. "What, never even crawled into bed with your parents when you were little?"

"I've done that," he groused. "I meant with another woman."

"Oh... so you've cuddled with other men, have you-"

"You know what I meant!" he yelled, the smirk on my face growing wider as I laughed. His face was nearly the same shade of red as my hair. "You really do give Garreth a run for his Galleons, sometimes."

"I'm just teasing you," I grinned, seeing a glimmer of a smile appear on his lips for a moment. "C'mon, sit, lay down. I won't bite... unless you're into that." I laughed again as he choked on nothing; if he turned any redder, his nose might've started bleeding. "Alright... no more innuendos. Promise."

"...I swear, you will be the death of me," Sebastian shook his head as he finally sat down on the edge of the bed. He sighed as he conjured himself a pair of pajamas, then without any pomp or circumstance began unbuttoning his waistcoat and shirt.

Naturally I watched with great interest as the clothes came off, and I found myself swooning... he wasn't particularly toned or muscled, and his skin was so pale it was nearly blinding, but he still cut a handsome figure. The freckles on his face extended down the back of his neck and across his shoulders, forming a hundred delicate constellations on his back like a negative of the night sky - I blinked as I noticed a decently-sized swath of old scar tissue on his right shoulder blade.

"Ooh... what happened there?"

"Hm?" He turned his head towards me, and I reached over and poked the scar. "Oh, that..." he turned away. "Those that have seen it, I've always told them it was a birthmark, or from an old dueling accident."

"...But that's not really true, is it?" I hummed. He let out a deep sigh, his head bowing.

"Not entirely. It happened in my second year, during the Christmas break... Ominis and I were practicing our dueling, while Anne watched. We had just mastered Confringo, and I... made the mistake of using it in front of Uncle Solomon."

My heart sank. "You're saying...?" He nodded bitterly.

"...He was so angry that I'd learned it, that he cast it on me when my back was turned. Of course, he... didn't offer any sort of aid afterwards, either. Said it was to remind me of the cost of using Dark magic."

Rage began building up inside me, without anything or anyone to take it out on. It was then that I noticed that there were actually quite a few faded scars on his back, some cleanly cut and others jagged and torn. ...You know what? I'm not sorry that bastard is dead now. I wondered how many more were on the rest of his body, needing to take a few deep breaths when I felt myself wishing I could bring Solomon back from the dead, just so I could strangle him to death again with my own bare hands.

I held my tongue, however. "...I'm so sorry that happened to you." Sebastian shook his head.

"Well... I suppose he's paid for it, in the end." He slipped on his nightshirt, then stood up while grabbing at his belt buckle. After a moment of fiddling with it he paused, seemingly thinking better of the action, and with a wave of his wand simply Transfigured his belt and trousers into pajama pants. He kicked off his shoes and socks, then lifted the blankets to slide in, letting himself fall back against the pillows with a heavy sigh of relaxation.

I wasn't quite sure of what to say to that... I simply got under the covers, scooted over and laid an arm over his chest, resting my head beside his. I felt him tense up for a moment before he moved his arm around the back of my neck, letting out another, happier sigh.

"There... that's not so bad, now is it?" I smirked.

"Not at all," he hummed, his arm squeezing me tighter. "And you're right... this is much more comfortable. I could get used to this."

"Ah, perks of having a girlfriend, huh?" I replied smugly. Sebastian's eyes slid over to me, wide and questioning. "What? If we love each other, then isn't it logical to assume we're a proper couple now?"

He blinked a few times before shifting over to face me, grinning softly. "I suppose it is."

"Good." My hand grabbed a fistful of his nightshirt in a playfully possessive manner. "'Cause I'm not sharing you."

"Neither am I," he chuckled, his free hand reaching over to stroke my cheek. My eyes fluttered at his gentle touch, a surge of warmth and affection rushing through my entire body.

I no longer questioned or feared this feeling... quite the opposite, in fact - I craved it. It felt better than absorbing ancient magic... was more addictive than casting a Confringo. While I was off in my own little world, he leaned over to kiss my forehead.

"Goodnight, my dearest Sunset," he whispered. Another surge rushed through me, punctuating as my head tilted upwards to kiss his jawline.

"...Goodnight, Sebastian. I love you."

"Love you, too."

We nuzzled into each other, letting out contented sighs. However, my eyes reopened a few moments later... suddenly I wasn't quite so tired after all. It brought another random thought to my mind.

"...Would you believe that back home, we have something called 'cuddle therapy'?"

"'Cuddle therapy'...?" Sebastian repeated, less sleepily than he had been moments ago. "What... you mean people pay to have total strangers cuddle with them, like they do talking to each other?"

"Yea... you could say we're doing that right now," I smiled. He snorted a huff of amusement. 

"Your homeland is a strange place."


~


I woke up feeling a lot warmer than I was used to... it took me a moment to remember the reason why.

Gazing over to my new boyfriend, it was definitely worth waking up a little sweaty and damp. The longer strands of his hair hung down over his forehead, warmth blooming within my heart at the sight. I couldn't help but lean in close and kiss him awake.

"Ah... good morning, love," he mumbled sleepily, smiling.

"Morning," I replied, squeezing him. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than I was," he said as he lifted his upper body and stretched, then flopped back down on the bed, rolling onto his side to face me. "Although..."

"Hm?"

"I... had the strangest dream last night," he mumbled as he ran his fingers through his bangs and pushed them out of his eyes. "It started out as... well... a-a nightmare. About what happened in the catacomb... But then suddenly I found myself in a dark room that slowly filled with colorful shapes, with... I think it was the song Korobeiniki playing in the background. Then I realized I could manipulate those shapes, and suddenly I felt compelled to arrange them to form a solid surface. Once I'd done just that it vanished, and the shapes gradually fell faster the more times I'd repeated the task."

"Oh, good, that means the potion's working," I breathed in relief.

"It is?" I nodded and poked him in the center of his forehead for emphasis.

"Yep. It works by seeking out the neurons in your brain that hold a recently-created traumatic memory and coats them, so the next time you think about it, the potion automatically overrides the memory with that specific spell. You can push past it if you really focus, but otherwise it'll keep you from thinking about it until the rest of your brain can handle it."

Sebastian simply blinked for a few moments, his expression vacant.

"How far did you get?"

"Erm... I believe the highest I achieved was a 'level 56' before the shapes fell too fast for me to handle. Then it simply started anew."

"Hey, not bad," I grinned. "There's a... different version of that spell that lets anyone play it anytime. I can usually get to level 60 or so myself."

"People... play it for fun?" he blinked again. "...I suppose it was entertaining enough."

"Yea. There's lots others, too... unfortunately, though, I can't replicate those spells here," I shrugged, inwardly pleased with how I'd managed to explain video games. "Takes an unbelievable amount of enchantment work by multiple people simultaneously to make one. I can admit something like that is beyond my abilities."

"I see..." A curious look washed over Sebastian's face before his eyes abruptly lost focus, then flicked rapidly in all directions. A few moments later his focus returned as he mentally set the spell aside. "Fascinating... I can't think of anything like it I've ever seen in any spellbook or Potions manual."

"Neither have I," I placed a finger on my chin and looked away as I thought about that fact. Perhaps if I never managed to learn how to extract emotional pain with ancient magic, I could simply patent that potion and use it to make my own fortune... though first I'd have to convince the entire wizarding world of the merits of mental health. It was clear that nobody cared about it here.

I glanced over to my alarm clock - 5:52am. I groaned realizing how early it was and laid back down. "Ugh... I'm going back to sleep. It's too early to think so much."

"Brilliant idea," Sebastian agreed, yawning. "...Because I don't wish for you to get up and leave," he added with a sultry, crooked grin, wrapping an arm around my belly and pulling me closer. Warmth and affection bloomed within me again like a stoked flame, the tingles pulsing through my veins along with my heartbeat and exciting me to my deepest core.

I smirked at him as I snaked my arms around his back and closed the distance.

"...Then I won't."


~


Eventually I did manage to tear myself away and get to class. The day passed normally until dinner - while putting together a plate of food to sneak out for Sebastian, Natty and Poppy stopped by the Slytherin table. They'd managed to find a lead on a cave near Irondale that seemed promising, and after some surprising correspondence involving Persephone stealing Poppy's letter meant for Dorran and running off into the forest with it, she'd later received a message back from the centaur telling her he'd meet with us when the time was right. Kneazles were apparently much smarter than anyone generally gave them credit for.

"We're going Friday after classes, right?" I confirmed as I stood up to leave. "I'll have to ask Lucan if he can postpone my quarterfinals match." Not a hard ask, the third-year was perfectly willing to move matches to the next Crossed Wands meeting if someone couldn't make it that week. That was largely the reason why he usually only held one or two of them per meeting.

"Yes, we are," Poppy nodded, Natty nodding as well as she sighed.

"There's going to be quite a few matches during the next meeting... you and Isaac Cooper, Crickett and Lawson... Sallow and I, if he's up for it."

"How is he doing?" Poppy frowned in concern. "I haven't seen Sebastian in class for nearly a week, now."

"He's... taking it as well as he can, I guess," I pressed my lips together, staring down at the plate of food. "He's barely left his dorm, let alone our common room."

"It's truly tragic, what happened to his uncle... but at least he was able to save Feldcroft from all those Inferi," Natty bowed her head. "He sounds like he was a great man."

Oh, you have no idea, I snarled to myself in disgust.

"What will he do when the school year is over?" Poppy mused to herself. "...What about Anne? His uncle was looking after her, wasn't he?" I hid an uncomfortable swallow as I began walking out of the Great Hall, guilt and worry forming a pit in my heart.

"...I don't know."


~


Soon it was Friday. After Transfiguration ended, Natty, Poppy and I got on our broomsticks and flew to Irondale, to a lovely patch of greenery at the base of the hamlet's cliffs. Boulders arranged in a circle, some with carvings on them, surrounded a  stepping stone path that cut through a shallow pond and led towards a cave. Vivid early-spring flowers further added to the charm and cheeriness, buzzing with bees.

"It took a few hours and some eye-watering maps, but I think this might be the cave Dorran told us about," said Poppy.

"I hope so. He sure didn't give us much to go off of," I hummed.

"Well, I am not quite convinced this is the cave, but it did seem the most promising," shrugged Natty.

"I stumbled across some folklore about a cave in the area that people avoid. Seemed the perfect place to hide something of value," explained Poppy.

"But who would want to avoid such beautiful scenery?" Natty breathed as she threw out an arm, gesturing at the lush verdance. Indeed, I was finding it quite difficult to refrain from dropping to my knees and smelling all the plants and flowers myself. And Sebastian wasn't around to tease me about it, either.

"It's a bit of a leap, I confess," Poppy smiled. "But might a mysterious item such as a special moonstone be hidden in an equally mysterious cave? I think I'm desperate for anything at this point." I blinked uncomfortably as the word "desperate" graced my ears. The last time I had sensed desperation in someone...

...No, I had to stay focused. I shoved the thought from my mind. "Well, we're here... might as well see if you're right."

"Can you believe the villagers avoid this cave because of a baseless rumor?" Natty chuckled as we crossed over the stepping stones. "They say those who entered the cave were driven mad, and yet we could not find a single credible account from someone who had been inside."

"I wonder if you'd go blind from staring directly at a moonstone," Poppy hummed, putting a finger to her chin. We passed underneath the cave's threshold and walked inside, the ground sloping gently downwards. The walls had long ago been fortified with slabs of stone, resembling...

...the catacomb...

...

"You don't actually believe those rumors, do you?" I grumbled, averting my eyes from a shelf that looked too much like a crypt for my liking.

"I suppose we'll find out, won't we?" stated Poppy. Thankfully, the journey through the cave was largely uneventful. Unlike the catacomb, this place was full of life - patches of sunlight streamed through cracks in the rocks above, offering places for more ivy, grass and flowers to grow underground. At one point some neon-colored wild fwoopers soared above our heads and into an alcove, to which Poppy offered a theory on how the cave had earned its reputation: a fwooper's birdsong was known to drive anyone who heard it insane.

"If the moonstone is here, as well as fwoopers... I wonder if it is under protection," said Natty. The further we ventured, it seemed as though she was correct - soon we came across a large, empty room. There were four massive, enchanted slabs of stone with a pair of carvings on them, and between those were smaller slabs with a single carving and a rusty metal hook. The carvings on the smaller slabs correlated with those on the larger - a puzzle, albeit a pathetically-simple one.

Accioing the hooks in the correct order revealed a pair of enchanted moth automatons, formed from brass and a translucent green crystal. They seemed to be most affected by Lumos, to which they followed the light wherever it went. At the other end of the room, flanking the exit were two strange machines formed from the same materials, each with a moth-shaped indentation in them. Once I canceled my Lumos the moths sank themselves into the indentations, and the machines clicked as though something unlocked. Upon further inspection I found that the machines were a sort of winding-lock device, and after Depulsoing them both a couple times, the thick metal bars that blocked the exit slid out of our way into the walls.

It led into a breathtaking grotto - water sloshed from an underground spring and pooled into a lower part of the chamber, submerging the empty stone crypts, shielding them from my view with lily pads and lotus buds. Ivy and other vines soared up the moist, mossy walls, the air perfumed by an abundance of flowers in various shades of purple. 

There were also two more of those strange machines, but no moths to be found. Thinking quickly I cast Lumos again to coax the ones in their niches back to me, then led them to the two new machines. Smacking them around with Depulso caused a bridge to rise up from the water, letting us cross to the other side without much effort. The door at the end of the short walkway had three moth indentations on it, and another one had helpfully appeared when the bridge had risen. It was a simple matter of casting and recalling Magelight to bring all three of them over to me so I could lead them to the door.

"That was easy," I smirked as the disc holding the three indentations spun, unlocking the door. Opening it led to another large chamber that gradually sunk beneath the water. It seemed like a dead end.

"Look, where the water's bubbling!" Poppy called out, pointing to a spot in the deeper end of the pool. "How odd. Shall we take a closer look?"

"Ah... good call," I grinned at her. Bubbles forming like that could only mean there was a tunnel beneath the surface that led somewhere... I guess even the simplest among us can have moments of brilliance.

We waded into the cold water, cast a few charms to make the experience more comfortable, then dived. With Lumos I found the tunnel easily enough, and cast a few Magelights along its length to guide my companions as I forged ahead. Just as I was beginning to run out of breath, I saw light from above, and surfaced.

The sight nearly made me forget to inhale. In the center of a palatial cavern rose a small mountain from the clear water, shining brightly in the sun. Trees grew along its tan stone sides along with the vines, mosses, grass and flowers, a pristine piece of nature I hadn't seen since I'd left Equestria. A colony of fwoopers were perched in the branches, chattering quietly as they ate or groomed each other, their bright plumage glowing like a rainbow aurora near the sky.

"It's got to be here... I just know it," breathed Poppy as she gazed at the peak's summit. "Given what fwoopers are known to do, I never thought I'd be so happy to see this many of them."

"I don't know. I have been listening to them for a while, now, and I'm starting to lose my mind," Natty grinned as she glanced over to Poppy, who smiled back.

"...Very funny," she snorted. "I was just thinking how it's proof that poachers haven't been here... assuming this is where the moonstone is." Quickly we ascended the small mountain's spiral path and reached the top - at the base of its tallest tree sat an ancient pedestal of carved stone, atop which an orb of iridescent, shimmering crystal sat.

"Welp, that's definitely a moonstone if I ever saw one," I grinned widely as I picked it up and held it to the light. It was heavier than it looked, and seemed to almost hum in a low, soothing tone at my touch.

"Well done, Poppy!" Natty beamed as she wrapped her arms around her in a celebratory side-hug. "This was indeed the right cave after all!"

"A good thing, too," she sighed in relief as she returned the gesture. "We need every advantage over the poachers if we're to get to the snidgets first. We should do as Dorran suggested and bring the moonstone to the henge."

"Do you know where the henge is?" I asked. Poppy nodded emphatically.

"If we leave now we should make it there by nightfall."

"Then let's go," said Natty, already hopping onto her broom.


~


The sun was just beginning to set as we flew out from the cavern, and twilight had fallen by the time we reached the Forbidden Forest. Poppy was silent until she spotted the henge in a clearing, and waved for us to follow her down. We landed at the base of the hill where the lonely arrangement of stones lay waiting.

"That's the henge, precisely where Dorran said it would be," she sighed. "But now that we're here... I'm not entirely sure how to feel."

"How come?" I asked, bringing the moonstone out from my pocket dimension.

"Well, we knew we were at the cave for the moonstone, but Dorran didn't tell us what to expect when we placed the stone in the henge."

"Well... whatever it is, it better have to do with snidgets," shrugged Natty.

"The clock is ticking in that regard, isn't it?" Poppy nodded. "But we're nearly at the end of this." We carefully made our way up the hill in silence for a minute or two, until Natty piped up with some small talk.

"Oh, I meant to ask earlier... How is your Gran doing lately?"

"Nothing keeps Gran down," Poppy chuckled airily. "She set up a Caterwauling Charm and threatened to make a coat out of the next poacher that set foot on her doorstep."

"O-Oh..." My head shrank back in alarm as Natty cackled with laughter. As jovial as she was, though, Poppy's face quickly fell.

"...I still feel terrible that I'm the reason they went there."

"Surely she'll be pleased you've gone after the snidgets?" Natty replied as she quieted back down. After a few moments the little Hufflepuff girl nodded firmly as her hand reached for hers, their fingers intertwining.

"I hope so. Gran understands how important it is to... protect those who need it." Natty stared at her for a moment before smiling and nodding as well. From the two of them I could feel the warmth of deep affection radiating like the sun, and I smiled, too.

How about that... a simple idea I had long ago to make things easier for Natty had turned out to make quite the successful match. Something else that might've never happened without my ancient magic.

We reached the top of the hill, the center of the henge. In one of the stone monoliths was a slot in the same perfect shape as the moonstone. "Heh, no doubt about where this thing goes," I remarked as I slid the massive jewel inside. Almost as soon as I had the moonstone began to glow with pale green light, nearly as brightly as the moon hanging above.

Something chirped behind us. Turning around I saw a mooncalf bravely approaching us - it was a strange, usually shy creature with four webbed feet, shaped like a two-foot-tall llama with massive eyes that took up nearly its entire skull. It wiggled its ears as it sniffed at us, then focused intently on the moonstone's glow.

Before I knew it, more mooncalves ran out from behind the henge's stones, and all of them stood up on their hind legs and began to dash back and forth, this way and that. The three of us laughed and gasped in awe as we realized we were being treated to one of the rarest natural phenomenon a witch could witness - a Mooncalf Dance. Glowing mushrooms sprouted instantly in their wake, forming a symbol of some sort as they danced. Once it had been completed the mooncalves darted back into the underbrush as quickly as they appeared, disappearing from sight.

"That was a Mooncalf Dance!" Poppy breathed reverently. "Do you know how rare it is to see even one?! They only ever happen under a full moon... though I suppose the moonstone allowed it to happen now."

"Is the pattern they left behind on the ground... normal?" Natty asked as her eyes swept back and forth, tracing over the lines of the symbol.

"All part of the dance," nodded Poppy. "No one pattern is ever the same, though... we'll need to draw this one to get a better sense of it."

"No problem," I grinned as I swished my wand, immediately conjuring a quill and a large sheet of parchment. I waited for the quill to arrange itself over the parchment, then light beamed out from my wand in a cone as I swept it over the mushrooms, the quill slowly transcribing what the magic saw onto the parchment.

"Can't wait to tell Gran I've managed to see not one, but two Mooncalf Dances... she'll be jealous," Poppy smiled giddily.

"You've seen this before?" asked Natty.

"It was pure luck the first time. I was on Highwing or I'd never have spotted it. It was the night-"

I glanced over to Poppy when I heard her cut herself off. Suddenly she was staring at the ground, wringing the edges of her cloak's sleeves in her hands. Her face was twisted with guilt.

"...Well, the night I met Highwing, actually... I..."

"Are you okay, Poppy?" Natty frowned as she drew close to her. Her lips pressed together into a thin line as her shoulders hunched.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," I offered. After a few moments, Poppy exhaled sharply and shook her head.

"No... I'd like for the both of you to know," she barely whispered. "About five years ago, Highwing had been captured by poachers. At first they planned to sell her, but soon decided they wanted to kill her, instead... more money, I suppose." She hesitated for a moment to sniffle. "...I'd finally had enough. I freed Highwing, and we ran. We'd flown for ages when I spotted mooncalves dancing below, and we landed to watch them... It felt like an omen. A good one... a sign that the worst was over."

"Poppy..." Natty breathed as we put the pieces together, our mouths dropping open. "You mean to tell us...?"

"Yes," she closed her eyes, a tear falling to the ground. "...You see, the night I freed Highwing was also the night I ran away from home... a poacher camp. I come from a family of poachers."

In an instant my hackles rose. Poppy came from a family of poachers?! Her own family hunted, slayed and butchered poor, innocent beasts for a living?! No wonder she fought with such cruel tactics, such brutal ferocity! Now I knew for certain why she knew so much about field dressing and skinning, even flaying her enemies alive!

But- ...what if she knew about me? About my true form?! For the briefest of moments, I honestly, openly feared that little Hufflepuff girl.

But as I stared, transfixed in horror... thoughts of our shared experiences returned to my mind. Poppy had only shown me kindness and respect, even without knowing that I was really a Unicorn in human guise. She was so thoroughly disgusted by the act of poaching, the mere thought of any innocent creature being captured or harmed by anyone enough to send her into a rage.

No... I knew for a fact she would never harm me. The only creatures Poppy would ever harm now were those foolish enough to be caught within fifty feet of a poacher camp in her presence. I breathed a sigh of relief and allowed myself to relax. A pony's natural instinct to always jump to conclusions and assume the worst was, admittedly, quite foolish.

"I see..." Natty trailed off, her eyes unfocused as she stared into the distance. Poppy looked over to her painfully, biting her lip as she wondered, ached over what she was thinking. For what felt like an eternity, Natty was silent.

And then she sighed, and wrapped her arms around her, cradling the back of her head in her hand.

"Merlin... I don't know what to say, Poppy," she whispered miserably. "I cannot imagine what that must have been like for you." A few seconds later Poppy wilted into Natty's embrace, barely holding herself up with her own arms.

"I never fitted in... but the older I got, the more apparent it became," she closed her eyes. "Gran tried for years to convince my parents to let me live with her... suffice it to say, when I left with Highwing I flew straight for her house."

"That was so very brave of you," Natty soothed, nuzzling her cheek against Poppy's. "I'm so glad you escaped."

"So am I... There were so many creatures I was unable to help when I was younger... Now that's all I want to do." Natty lifted her head to stare directly into Poppy's eyes, her hands gently cradling and caressing her wet cheeks.

"...From everything I have seen, you are doing precisely that," she smiled warmly. After a few moments, Poppy smiled, too. The two shared a brief but tender kiss that caught me off guard; I would've been happy to look away or move elsewhere to give them a moment, but it was over as quickly as it happened.

"Thank you... I've never told anyone any of this, but I'm glad that you know," she said quietly. "It's nice to have someone to talk about it with."

"Of course, mpenzi," Natty breathed, gently brushing a strand of hair behind Poppy's ear, bringing a bashful smile to her face.

"Yea... I can understand why you hid it for so long," I spoke softly. They both seemed surprised by the reminder of my presence... now I kind of knew how Ominis felt when he was around Sebastian and I.

Awkward.

"...We should get the drawing to Dorran somehow, he'll need to see the symbol," Poppy blinked as she broke away from Natty, wiping away her tears. Above me the quill and parchment had finished its transcription spell, the quill Vanishing itself while the parchment hovered down to my level, allowing me to grab it.

"Got it. It looks like... some kind of bird," I mumbled, studying the drawing.

"Didn't the journal say that 'the key to finding the Snidgets lies in the moonlight'?" asked Natty. Poppy's eyes flashed in realization.

"Of course, that's it! So Dorran has to see this... not that I'd know where to find him at this hour."

"Then it is fortunate that I foresaw this very meeting," a familiar deep voice boomed from the left. Turning in its direction, the elder centaur in question strode out from behind one of the monoliths, approaching us.

"Well, that's extremely convenient," I smirked as I handed him the parchment. Dorran studied it carefully, his hardened face gradually softening with surprise.

"...And they made it after you placed the moonstone," he hummed, gesturing off into the distance - perhaps on his way here he'd seen one of the mooncalves run past, the fruits of their efforts still visible on the ground near us.

"Do you know why, or what it means?" asked Poppy. "Does it have to do with the snidgets?"

"The breadth of one's knowledge can be as wide as the seas, and yet only run so deep," he replied, crossing his arms. "I am glad to see that you are all safely returned. I did question the wisdom of sending you on a path at a time when that path was unknown at best, deadly at worst... but the acumen of centaurs is neither personal nor partial. The skies tell us what is to come," he gestured to the glittering night sky above, "and often we do not know what we have seen until it has come to pass."

"You... knew the poachers would come for us?" Natty hesitated. "Would try to kill us...?!"

"I did not know, my young friend," Dorran shook his head. "But I shall say that I was not surprised. It was in much the same manner that I expected our first meeting."

"Is that so? How 'bout you explain to us from the beginning, then," I narrowed my eyes with a snort. Dorran smiled graciously at me, bowing slightly.

"Of course... I find it is often the best place to start, is it not? Many, many moons ago, I divined a series of events... their meaning long evaded me, until you brought news of the snidgets and their poacher pursuers. I believe the symbol created by the Mooncalves' Dance marks the place the snidgets are hidden, and, serendipitously, I believe that I know the very place."

"Serendipitous, indeed," nodded Natty. One of us must've had a sip of Felix Felicis earlier or something.

"I have seen that symbol only once: on a rock face on the cliffs of the forest. We should make haste there... the snidgets that have been kept there for so many years may no longer be safe," Dorran frowned as he turned to face the east. "We cannot afford to lose them once again."

"Then no time like the present, right?" I growled as I removed the moonstone from the henge and stored it away in my pocket dimension, pulling out my broom in the same motion. "Lead the way."


~


I'd assumed Dorran had meant the eastern edge of the Forbidden Forest, not the eastern edge of Hogwarts Valley.

It took the better part of an hour to get there, with Natty and I flying beside the centaur on our brooms while Poppy was allowed to ride along on his back as he galloped as fast as he could. Unlike ponies, such an act was generally seen as deeply disrespectful among centaurs, but Dorran seemed not to care, even chuckling to himself at Poppy's abject glee at being allowed to do so. She clung tightly to the leather strap of his arrow quiver, laughing breathily with the wind in her face.

But finally, the edge of the forest came into view. Dorran slowed his pace as we entered the woods, eventually approaching a clearing near some cliffs and stone ruins. Clearly visible through one of the moss-covered buildings was the same birdlike symbol my spell had scratched onto the parchment, painted in ancient carvings and vines.

"Could this actually be where the snidgets are hidden?" breathed Natty as she and I dismounted and put away our brooms, and Poppy slid off of Dorran's back.

"Oh, I'm glad we seem to be a step ahead of the poachers," sighed Poppy. "If we're lucky they're still poring over Gran's research... We, on the other hand, had Dorran to guide us," she smiled up at the centaur, who dipped his head politely at her mentioning. "Even if the poachers do somehow stumble upon this place, we shall be long gone." We ducked beneath some fallen columns and reached the center of the ruins, and I tilted my head in thought.

There appeared to be some sort of strange machine laid out on the ground; two tall pillars of carved brass topped with glass orbs atop circular rails, surrounding a shorter pillar in the center with a slot for the moonstone in it. Around the outer edge of the rails were carvings in the ground: of five of the astrological signs of the planets, another sun and another moon. About fifteen feet away from this apparatus was a semicircular tunnel bored into the cliffside, sealed by thick stone blocks covered in the same carvings.

"Do you have the moonstone with you?" asked Dorran. I nodded as I retrieved it from my pocket dimension. "Good... it is as important to what happens next as the three of you are."

"So what does happen next? What are these pillars here?" Natty asked as she gently placed her hand on one of them.

"A safeguard, I suspect. There is only one way to find out... and as for how to go about that, the three of you may know better than anyone."

"Oh, letting us mess with it in case it's dangerous, huh?" I snarked as I bent over to take a better look at the device. After deciding there was no cause for concern I went ahead and placed the moonstone into its slot. Torches in the distance suddenly flared to life, the light focused through a series of lenses and mirrors until it shined down in cones onto the central pillar.

A puzzle. But there was almost no instruction as to how to solve it.

"Hmm..." Gripping the pillars in my magic, I watched carefully as I manipulated them around the rails, hoping to uncover a hint. At one point the pillar on the outermost rails began to glow with light reminiscent of the sun - leaving it where it was, I began manipulating the other pillar until it suddenly glowed like the moon.

Okay...

"Ah! The pillars are catching the light from above and reflecting it onto the sigils below!" gasped Natty. "Move the sun pillar so the light touches the sun sigil, and the moon pillar for the moon sigil!" My eyes followed the trails of light, only barely missing the two sigils by inches.

...Well, would you look at that. 

"Yea... I think you're right," I nodded with a smirk as I fine-tuned their alignment. Once the light struck the corresponding sigils they lit up with an arcane glow. I heard loud shattering and clattering coming from the tunnel's direction - the stone blocks covering the entrance were crumbling away.

I guess these two... friends of mine were smarter than I'd first given them credit for.

"That did it! Look, Dorran, a doorway!" Poppy grinned.

"I suspect we all know what lies beyond that passage," he nodded sagely, though he was beginning to turn in the opposite direction. "And now, I am afraid that I must leave you... at least for a time."

"You're not coming in with us?" blinked Natty.

"If the snidgets are here, the herd will want to see the truth of it for themselves," he explained. "Elek, especially. Go on without me... I will rejoin as soon as I am able." And with that Dorran galloped away, vanishing among the trees, his hoofsteps growing distant until fading completely.

"Well, we have to be close now," I bit my lip as I peered through the tunnel. It led directly into an underground fortress, a hallway leading downwards and to the right. With how much dust the rush of fresh air had kicked up, it was clear that nobody had been here in decades... maybe even centuries. "And I think it's safe to say that no one's been here before us."

"Let's hurry," Poppy puffed as she jogged inside, Natty and I close behind. As we descended it became clear to us that this was no ordinary oubliette - elaborate carvings of plants and animals lined every stone surface, and faded paintings of natural scenes in their gilded frames hung evenly spaced on the walls. The ceiling had caved in in some places, allowing moonlight to stream down upon patches of lush greenery. "Look at the murals on the wall... they're all creatures!" she breathed in excitement. "This place must have been built to protect them... they had nothing to fear."

"What makes you say that?" asked Natty. Poppy's expression fell as she walked, staring at the floor.

"The poacher camps... always felt oppressive. It's hard to explain... but the feeling was palpable, at least to me. But the sense I get here is of safety, and calm... quite the opposite of the poacher camps," she finished as she looked back up to her with a reassuring smile. We continued through the sanctuary, quietly admiring the carvings, the artwork, the brightly-colored tilework and mosaics, the miniatures oases of trees, bushes and flowers that sprung up wherever sunlight could reach during the day... at one point, there was even a small natural stream that dripped down from a crack in the wall, flowing through a shallow groove in the floor until reaching a hole where the floor had sunken a bit. Another room had a thick, sturdy tree growing in the center of it, a natural arch formed from its roots where we could pass through the overgrown brambles that surrounded it. There was even a comfortable-though-dusty hidden nook full of bookcases, each filled with books about animals magical and mundane.

"Your Gran would love it here," Natty commented to Poppy, who emphatically agreed, already anxious to tell her all about this place. Eventually, after about another twenty minutes of navigating the sanctuary we reached a palatial chamber open to the sky. Vines trailed down from above and wrapped around cracked railings surrounding hidden walkways, lining the walls decorated with faded verdant banners ravaged by time and nature. Off to one side was a large tree, its tender leaves and buds just beginning to grow in. More smaller trees and plants dotted the floor, almost making the room seem like an indoor forest.

Someplace like this had to house the natural treasure we were searching for. But as we approached the center of the room, a foreign voice suddenly called out tauntingly from above, spooking a flock of sleeping birds and sending them skyward.

"Little Poppy Sweeting... forgot how to cover your tracks?"

"What was that?!" Poppy bristled, searching for the voice's origin.

"Certainly not Dorran," scowled Natty. My eyes caught movement and I whipped around to see a large group of poachers leap down from above, slowing their fall as they landed. I could feel fear and horror pulse through Poppy's soul as she realized what had happened.

"No...!" she gasped. Natty cursed and raised her hands, ready to join her in the defense of this sanctuary. A snort left my nose as I readied my wand, annoyed by this sudden intrusion but having to admit that keeping their distance until now was pretty smart.

Of course, facing me was the stupidest decision they could have ever made. My eyes burned like stars as I channeled the ancient magic into my veins, and together we attacked. Poppy unleashed a swarm of Chinese Chomping Cabbages as a distraction while Natty and I struck down the poachers one by one, though my magic was far more impressive and destructive than Natty's. The poachers faced her with overconfidence and bravado, but once they saw me encouraging the vines on the walls to reach out and strangle their comrades, animating the banners to slap them out of the air as more dropped in from above, or even bringing the smaller trees to life, their branches swaying back and forth to mow them down... well, they tried to give me a wide berth.

They also came to deeply fear little Poppy Sweeting. She fought with a burning rage I had yet to experience before, her wand a blur as she ripped and tore the poachers apart. One unfortunate witch was strangled by another wizard's intestines, the pair of them then flung towards another group like a bola. Another poacher had their entire skeletal system pulled out of their flesh. Still another begged for mercy as she stared him down, his cries rendered into groans and gasps by someone's severed leg being used to bludgeon his head and face.

I almost felt sorry for these wretched criminals.

Five minutes had passed, and our enemies showed no signs of stopping their assault. More and more of them dropped down from above, almost like every single poacher in all the United Kingdom were here to lay claim to the snidgets. Just as I readied a wide arc of Diffindo a small volley of arrows sang through the air, striking my targets and burying themselves deep into their bodies.

"Ready your wands!" Dorran shouted as he nocked another arrow. "The fight has only just begun!" The elder centaur had returned with Elek and three others; bolstered by our reinforcements I turned my attention back to the battle. They proved to be vicious allies - besides their impeccable archery they trampled poachers underhoof, kicked and stomped with all the power of an Earth pony... even grabbed and lifted them off their feet with their strong hands, hurling them into the floor, the walls or at each other.

Finally, after another hectic five minutes of fighting, the last of our enemies fell to the ground with an arrow lodged through an eye socket. We all spent a few moments catching our breath, watching warily for any more movement.

But the air was still. "That must've been all of them," I exhaled. Elek made a gesture to the entrance of the room, and the three other centaurs separated and trotted off to stand guard, ensuring that no more interlopers could sneak up on us.

"Are you all unharmed?" asked Dorran worriedly. "I had hoped to return before it was too late."

"We're fine," Natty sighed, glancing over to Poppy who was staring at the floor.

"But if you hadn't got here when you did... I l-led them here, Dorran," she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You fought with us against your kind," Elek offered diplomatically, gazing down at her with newfound respect. "I am glad to have witnessed this... I now believe all that Dorran told me."

"They are the ones I saw, Elek," nodded Dorran. Elek turned to the elder centaur with a smile.

"Finish your work here, brother. All the events you divined have not yet come to pass." He motioned towards a door on the opposite side of the entrance to this room, emblazoned with two bronze discs depicting the sun and moon. He remained behind while Dorran and I made our way towards the door; Natty took a moment to comfort and reassure Poppy before joining us.

"Hey, it is alright now... The snidgets are safe, we and the centaurs have succeeded in defending them! We must have taken out every poacher in the valley to do so!" she hummed gently as she placed her hands on her shoulders. "You've done it, Poppy... I'm so proud of you." Poppy timidly looked up at her, smiling as she let Natty drag her towards the door. Dorran placed his palm on the moon disc, drawing back as it began to spin and glow with cool light. I heard the spinning and clicking of gears and pins within the door, and after the warm glow faded from the sun disc above it swung open at last.

The final room was much like the one before it, except the stained glass ceiling was perfectly intact, no doubt protected by countless charms that prevented the poachers from just breaking in earlier. Bright moonlight beamed down on the single large, stately tree in the center of the chamber; as we quietly approached I could just see the edges of a nest poking out from a nook in its trunk.

"There... there they are," Dorran spoke reverently. Looking closer, the nest contained three small gold-colored eggs, each about the size of a plum, each shivering gently like they were on the verge of hatching. Poppy let out a quiet gasp; Natty and I let her brush past us so she could view them... this was her endeavor, after all. They glowed subtly with light from within, cracks in the shells instantly healing themselves as though frozen in time. "Now, all that remains is to break the charm," he smiled warmly.

Poppy gasped again as she turned to face him. "You want us to...?" she asked softly, smiling when Dorran nodded. She turned back to the eggs and gazed happily at her new charges. "I only ever wanted to see them safe... which they are," she breathed as she raised her wand, carefully dispelling the stasis spell upon them. The light sparkled and faded away, and the eggs began to hatch at long last.

One by one the shells opened, revealing a perfectly-round, plum-sized chick with bright golden feathers and bulging eyes the size of marbles. I held back a slight grimace while Natty and Poppy cooed in amazement.

Oh... that's a Snidget? Not as cute as I'd expected.

"Merlin... they're lovely," sighed Poppy. The three chicks slowly opened their eyes and began chirping melodically as they focused on her, seemingly accepting her as their new mother. After a few more moments of admiration, Poppy's face suddenly fell. "But... what happens now? They can't care for themselves, and surely once word gets out about their reappearance-"

"No harm will come to them," reassured Dorran, thumping a fist on his chest. "The centaurs will see to that... you have my word." Poppy's smile returned, and she nodded.

"Thank you, Dorran... for helping us to find them, and to fight for them."

"It is you who deserves the merit, child," the centaur bowed his head. "You did what the poachers would never have... Remember that." Poppy nodded again graciously as Dorran turned towards Natty and I. "You all fought bravely today... Allow us to carry the mantle from here."

"Fine with me," I smirked in approval.

"If it's alright, Dorran... I think I'd like to stay and spend a little more time with the snidgets," said Poppy.

"As would I," agreed Natty. I glanced over to my two friends and nodded in agreement. We had spent a couple months working towards this goal, it'd be a shame to leave these little puffballs behind so soon. Even if they... weren't as cute as I'd hoped.

With an amused, gracious grin, Dorran watched as we spent the rest of the night admiring and playing with the little creatures.


~


The sky was just beginning to brighten with dawn as we returned to Hogwarts. Natty and Poppy hurried back to their common rooms while I made for my Room. I couldn't wait to tell Sebastian about everything that had happened!

Although whether he would be in the mood to hear about it was still to be seen. His emotional state had fluctuated, as expected, but fallen sharply since last evening; the potion I'd made for him was far from a permanent cure-all. He still had to grieve everything that had happened on his own, the potion just made it easier to do so healthily, with his sanity intact.

I let out a mournful sigh - I felt so terrible for him. I could feel his deep emotional pain strangling his heart like a garrote, strangling my own heart just as ruthlessly. It mirrored what I'd felt when I was banished from my home, disowned as Celestia's student and daughter, but magnified exponentially until I wanted to slam my head against a wall. It was so great I felt as though clawing out my own from my chest and removing the source of that pain was the only remedy.

I would give anything to help him. Anything to make him feel better. After all, that's what you do for someone you love so dearly... you move heaven and earth if it'll bring a smile back to their face, if it'll make them happy again. I wished desperately that I knew how to remove that pain from his heart, even if it required a dark sacrifice of my own-

A horrible thought popped into my mind. I nearly tripped over my own feet as I came to a halt, and gasped.

I... wasn't still using him, was I? Not to learn more about the castle, but to learn his darkest secrets... to steal and absorb, commandeer his knowledge of Dark magic? I stared vacantly at the floor, searching my heart and soul.

...

...

...

...No.

No.

I shook my head, relieved. Maybe that was the only reason I'd tolerated his presence in the beginning... but it didn't matter now, not anymore. Even if this horrifying experience had caused him to swear off that entire branch of magic for good, there were still so many other qualities of his I'd since fallen in love with. His kindness, his courage, his selflessness...

In fact, it was... actually kind of a good thing, if he did give it up. I still remembered the unnatural glow in his eyes when he cast Imperio on that troll, how deeply unnerved it made me feel. Maybe that was some long-buried shred of my subconscious feeling uneasy, maybe even disgusted he was heading down that path... or maybe it was because I'd feared that power myself on some base instinctual level.

But since then the shock had worn off... I didn't think it'd affect me as much to see again. And I simply couldn't deny the spell's usefulness - to let that knowledge wither away and become forgotten felt like an injustice.

What he decided to study was ultimately up to him. I could still sense that his personal philosophy about magic hadn't changed. It was mine, too, and I would be happy to study with him if it was something considered dangerous by the ignorant. This time, however, I would take far more precautions... his mind was something I didn't want to risk losing again.

I grumbled wordlessly and shook my head again, this time at myself... this wasn't the time to be thinking such things. We had all the time in the world to decide how best to move forward... at his pace.

Not to mention I could feel his despair long before I even approached my Room.

He was sitting, hunched over a desk, his chin resting on top of his arms, listening to the same record as he had been when I left after bringing him lunch. The volume was turned up as high as it would go, the horn of the phonograph only a foot away from his face.

A sigh of pity blew past my lips. I knew he was in a dark, brooding mood, and I truly felt awful for him... but did he have to be so cliché about it?

Everything falls apart, even the people who never frown eventually break down...

...

Well, I guess there isn't really such a thing as "vibing to depressing music" in this world. He's actually kind of a visionary, if you think about it.

...

And I'd give it all away... just to have somewhere to go to, give it all away... to have someone to come home to...

...

I let go, watching you turn your back like you always do, face away and pretend that I'm not, but I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got...

...

Even though you're so close to me, you're still so distant, and I can't bring you back...

I couldn't stand it anymore. I walked over to the phonograph and removed the needle from the record. Sebastian gazed upwards at me, his eyes and cheeks a raw, painful red. "You'll blow out your eardrums if you keep blaring it in your face like that," I gently chided, pressing my lips into a thin line.

His only reply was a weak grunt, and he laid his chin back on his arms. I sighed quietly, wondering what I could possibly say that would help him feel any better. In the meantime I pulled over a chair and sat down, wrapping an arm around his back and laying my cheek on his shoulder. He barely moved; we sat there in silence together for what felt like hours.

...

...

...

"...I don't deserve you."

"What?" It took him a few moments to elaborate.

"I've ruined everything... Solomon's dead, and Anne... she's terrified of me, hates me for what I've done. I-I tried so hard to fix everything, I tried so hard to cure her... but I've only made things worse! So much worse!" His shoulders heaved and his voice grew weak and shaky. "S-She might even die now, because of me... because I-I failed her."

"Seb..." I tried to comfort him, but he didn't respond. He was gripped by misery, lost in his sorrow and regrets as tears stung his eyes, burying his face in his arms to hide himself away.

"I... I-I don't know when I'll see her again... if I ever will... if she ever w-wants to see me again. A-And I... I k-killed Uncle Solomon! I didn't... I-I didn't mean to... I d-didn't want to! How could anyone ever f-forgive me... either of you? I'm the w-worst person in the entire world, I-I don't deserve you or Ominis... I wouldn't be the least b-bit surprised if either of you left me, t-too-"

"Stop that," I demanded, wrapping my other arm around him and holding him tight as he began to wail in a panic. He squeezed me in return so hard it was almost painful, digging his fingers into my clothes and skin as though he were afraid I'd disappear any second, but I endured it for his sake. For a long while I simply held him, cradling his head, running my fingers through his hair... trying not to get too grossed out by my shoulder quickly becoming damp and gooey.

But slowly, gradually, his breathing slowed and grew less hysteric. I felt as though he would be able to hear me if I spoke again. I began my words with a fleeting kiss to his ear before pressing the side of my head against his.

"I can't say what Anne will do, just... give her time, I guess. She needs to process all that's happened," I sighed. "But I... I will never leave you. Not for what happened, not for anything you think you've done... not for any reason."

He said nothing, only weeping and hiccoughing quietly. I kept trying to reassure him, validating how he felt as a result of everything that had happened; not just since his sister was cursed but throughout his life, everything that had started out so unfair but still small and manageable, before gradually snowballing more and more until it crashed like an avalanche over him, burying him alive...

He'd been quietly suffering for so long, and he deserved absolutely none of it. He tried so hard to solve all his own problems, to not let his troubles affect his loved ones, but he was only one person. He needed so much help but never received so much as a single simple gesture. Only empty platitudes, and even more scorn for wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Without thinking too hard, the words swelling up from the depths of my heart were coming out easily.

"So many people failed you in so many ways... Solomon should've put his petty hatred of your father aside, manned up and raised you like you deserved, with compassion and respect. He should've known better than to treat you like that... should've been the adult he was, should've acted far kinder and more maturely than he did. And when Anne was cursed, surely the other professors were made aware of why she had to leave Hogwarts? They should've spoken with you, seen if there was anything you needed, any way they could have helped... it's a teacher's job to help their students if they need it, and you're their student too, right? And Ominis, he kept saying he wanted to help, but... I never really heard him come up with any ideas, you know? Did he ever even try to talk to you? I can understand why he wouldn't approve of our methods, but surely he could understand why we- ...you had to try. Anne's your sister, your twin sister, for Celestia's sake... the only real, blood-related family you have left."

And, frankly, your sister deserves part of that blame, I thought to myself. She should have tried a little harder to defend you from your uncle. You deserved that much from her. I wouldn't tell him that, though. Not for a good long while.

I felt his shoulders cease shaking; he let out a loud snrrrk as he tried to breathe. After conjuring him a handkerchief and letting him blow his nose, I cleaned off my shoulder with another bit of magic, then picked up his hands in mine, holding them tightly.

"Listen to me, Sebastian... I swear to you that I will never fail you. I stood by your side from the day you told me about your sister, from the day I met your uncle... and I'll always stand by your side no matter what you decide to do from now on. And I know Ominis would say the same if he were here... he cares about you, too. He loves you... I love you."

His eyes flicked up towards mine, and I grimaced seeing the pain and uncertainty within them. I wished more than anything in that moment to be able to take that pain away from him... to never let him feel that pain again. I stared into his eyes and put my hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly to make my point.

"You are a good person, Seb... that's why I fell in love with you. You deserve to have someone in your corner, especially after all these years you've suffered alone. You deserve happiness. You deserve friends. You deserve love," I reaffirmed. "And goddamnit, I'm not gonna let you throw that away." A pained, squealing sob burst out of his mouth as a new wave of tears fell from his eyes, and I wrapped my arms around him again, this time bracing myself for the strength with which he returned the hug.

I held him for another long while, in comforting silence while he cried out his agony. Eventually he quieted back down, and his hold on me loosened.

"...T-Thank you," he whispered. "...Thank you... I love y-you... s-so much." I smiled faintly and nodded.

"I know you do... c'mon," I murmured, gently pulling him off the chair. He moved like a ghost, easily following along in my wake, raising no complaints as I pulled him onto the bed with his head on my chest. Both of us sighed: him as he nuzzled into me and allowed his body to relax; I as I stared up at the ceiling, head swimming with thoughts.

For far too long he'd carried the weight of the world on his shoulders... a world that didn't care about him, didn't appreciate him at all. Most of that weight had finally been cut loose, since Solomon was no longer around to abuse, berate or humiliate him. But it had come at a terrible cost.

Sebastian wasn't evil... not in the slightest. He'd only resorted to Dark magic because he'd first tried literally everything else to cure his sister, and it was the only field of magic that finally offered him any hope. Those closest to him, to Anne, gave up on her so quickly, washed their hands of the entire situation and let her suffer... even she gave up on herself. And then I came along, not only willing to help him with his search but willing to help him do it safely, to minimize the risks that came with studying such magic, as... morally dubious as they still were. He never meant for everything to spiral out of control like it did. Everything he had done, he had done out of desperation... out of love.

And now the guilt, the shame... the remorse ate away at his heart and soul like a ravenous Inferi.

In a way, I reflected, he was so right when he said we were kindred spirits... more than he realized. Both of us banished, both of us interested in Dark magic for our own reasons... both of us no longer having a family to go home to.

...

...

...

I'd learned everyone's secrets by now... their deepest, darkest secrets. It was only fair I told him mine.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"...I never told you why I left Equestria, did I?" I spoke quietly. "...The real reason." Sebastian rolled over onto his side and dragged himself upwards until we were face to face.

"It wasn't simply because you touched a Portkey, was it?" he asked.

"No. The truth is... over a year ago, Celestia showed me an enchanted mirror that reflected my destiny within it. I saw myself as a fellow Princess, ruling the country on my own with more magical power than I could've imagined. But she didn't think I was ready to become a princess, and wouldn't elaborate on what I'd seen or how to achieve it, no matter how many times I asked. I grew obsessed with figuring out how to make the destiny I saw a reality, and spent every spare moment I had researching the mirror's enchantment on my own... She caught me in the restricted section of her own personal library, and... declared that I was no longer her student. She banished me from the castle, and even s-said that... no daughter of hers would defy her like I did."

"That's terrible," he breathed, blinking in disbelief. I nodded slightly.

"I went to my room to pack my things... but I was still determined to claim the destiny shown to me. So instead I packed only a few supplies and made a mad dash back to the mirror, throwing aside every guard I came across. I reached that mirror, and its second enchantment made itself known to me - it was also a Portkey to another country. In my anger, and all the pain I felt because of her... I didn't hesitate to pass through, thinking that the power I sought would be waiting on the other side."

"And it led you here? To Scotland?"

"It led me to the Magic Theory classroom, if you can believe it," I chuckled once mirthlessly. "Fig happened to be there, preparing his curriculum for next year... to say he was shocked to see me come out of the Mirror of Erised is an understatement. But he took me in and became my new mentor, after nothing more than a brief explanation. He's... really been great to me," I mumbled, suddenly feeling a tiny bit guilty. For as proud as he was of me, and for as much time as I spent with Celestia, I'd hardly spent any time with him in comparison... simply being together in the same room, talking about past, present and future.

I resolved to change that. Soon.

"I see." Sebastian's voice trailed off, the lassitude between us slightly unnerving. But simply existing alongside his emotions, I could feel that none of his feelings towards the tale were negative. We laid there in silence for a few minutes.

"...Well, what else were you supposed to do?" he finally asked. "You're likely the most inquisitive witch I've ever met... she should have known you wouldn't stop until you had your answers." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in, appreciative that he was so understanding. He knew exactly how I felt at the time... how I felt even now.

We really were kindred spirits.

"I know, and... you're right," I nodded once, sliding my hands behind my head. "If I just gave up and let things lie, I never would've been satisfied knowing I did nothing to find out the truth. It would've kept me up at night for ever, always wondering to myself 'what if...?' ...Just like how you couldn't just give up on Anne."

"...You're right," he nodded as well, looking downwards. "I would've never forgiven myself if it turned out Anne's cure was something so simple. Neither would I have if I'd given up just before finding what would work... I had to keep going, in case my next discovery was the solution I'd been searching for."

"Yea... exactly," I smiled at him, though it fell away as I sighed and stared at the ceiling again. "So we're... kind of in the same boat, here. We've both done things we really regret. And neither of us... really have a family because of them... not anymore."

Another long silence. Another opportunity for me to ruminate.

...

...

...

"...I'm glad you were banished," he finally said.

"Eh?"

"And I'm glad you went through the mirror," he continued, snaking his arms around mine so he could pull me closer until every part of us touched. "...I never would have met you if you hadn't."

And as long as you're by my side... I think that's all I'll ever need.

I gasped softly, then buried my face into his chest as a flood of happiness overtook me.

I had finally gained what I once thought impossible... what I once didn't even know had been missing from my life.

I had found, and now I had for myself... that unmistakable, unshakable, unbreakable bond.

Love. Respect. Trust. Acceptance.

"...Yea. Me too."
> In Which One Cop is a Bastard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As time marched on, Sebastian slowly began to heal.

He finally had the inner strength to return to classes, for one. Most of our classmates gave him a wide berth, as though he were so fragile that anything that could possibly remind him of what had happened would send him into another panic. As a result he mostly kept focused on his studies and stayed quiet, unlike his usual boisterous self, always eager to show off his knowledge. Like me, Ominis stayed by his side; though he said little, his presence alone was both calming and reassuring to him. Natty and Poppy also made it a point to come up to him and ask how he was doing, offering their help if he needed it. He was touched by the offer, though his mood soured when Natty suggested that Solomon would be missed dearly.

She couldn't have known, of course... but a simple glare got the message across. In a way he got his revenge when the two finally had their Crossed Wands duel, defeating her by turning the floor into ice and using her own momentum to send her into a pile of crates. Frankly I'd expected nothing less from him, and I knew for a fact he'd win his semifinals match - Selwyn's face paled as he realized he'd have to face off against him. And my own skills were thus far unmatched... I was looking forward to the challenge of defeating him again, just as much as he was looking forward to our rematch from the beginning of the year.

His appetite returned, and he also tried to return to his own dorm room at night, to sleep in his own bed with Ominis across from him for company... but that didn't last long. How could it when he had me to share a bed with? Though many nights we barely got any sleep, instead simply cuddling and talking with each other until the sun rose.

And every night that passed, I could feel my love for him grow.

Life returned to normal, for the most part. The amount of homework I found myself saddled with was finally approaching the amount Celestia used to give me, although the difficulty was still lacking. One such afternoon, after finishing my Potions essay, I lifted my arms over my head and stretched, hearing my back crack in relief.

Time to relax and kick back... and what better way to do so than with a hot bath?

I jogged down the stairs to the ensuite bathroom where my amber bathtub sat. After fiddling with the knobs until the water was just right, I poured in a soapy liquid until lavender-scented bubbles covered the surface. Once it was full I waved off my clothes with a swish of my wand, stepped into the water and leaned back into the grooves of the tub. My entire body instantly relaxed, a loud, long sigh escaping my lips as I closed my eyes. The gemstone readily absorbed the heat from the water, ensuring the surface didn't feel joltingly cold for even a moment like porcelain or ceramic.

I definitely needed a bathtub like this in the castle I'd have someday.

"Ahhhhhh..."

For a long while, I heard nothing but the quiet popping of bubbles and my own fleeting thoughts. At one point I heard the door to my Room open and shut; it was certainly Sebastian returning from a catch-up tutoring session with Professor Ronen. He wanted to be absolutely sure he had Diminuendo down pat, since he'd missed that lesson. I smiled to myself and laid back again, dead to the world around me.

Eventually though, I did hear footsteps drawing near before stopping abruptly. I opened one eye and saw him in the gap between the two decorative dividers, frozen in place with his mouth hanging open.

I opened my other eye, raising an eyebrow. "...Did'ja need something?" It was enough to shock him back into motion.

"Oh! Oh, Merlin, p-pardon me!" he spluttered, covering his eyes with his hand while shuffling behind one of the dividers. A few seconds later he cautiously poked his head out from around the corner, though stopping before his eyebrows became visible. "I, well... I was going to use the water closet, but if you're using the bath currently then I can wait," he explained.

"Oh, is that all?" I sighed, reclining my head again as I lazily readied my wand. "Go ahead, then- ...wait, number one or number two?" my eyes narrowed, hoping it wasn't the latter. From behind the divider I could see Sebastian's silhouette jump.

"W-What?!" he shouted again. "Are you implying... you don't mind if I use the loo while you're bathing? You don't mind if I see you naked?!" I stared at him for a moment, blinking in stupefaction.

Humans and ponies had very different opinions on nudity, I had come to realize. It never bothered me one bit - ponies only wore clothing on special occasions, otherwise their outer bits were free to flap about in public wherever they went. Hell, even Princess Celestia only wore her crown, collar regalia and gilded horseshoes most of the time! Such constant exposure to the pony body meant that nopony ever gave it a second thought... it was just normal.

Not that I'd ever walk around the castle or anywhere here naked... it was just not practical. Too cold.

"...No? I mean... given how we're a couple now, it's kind of inevitable at this point," I rolled my eyes as I lazily lifted a foot into the air, wiggling my toes. A sudden, amusing thought came to me while I slowly lowered it back into the water. "Wait, is this because... oh, don't tell me you've never seen boobs before!" I smirked, sticking out my chest teasingly.

"I-I have!" he answered quickly, way too quickly. "Just, erm... w-well..." But then he trailed off, and my head jerked back in surprise.

"Really? But, there's like- " I paused to make a mental count, " ...at least ten paintings in the school where the woman has her boobs hanging out! And they've got jiggle physics!"

"No, no, I don't mean- ...and besides, seeing breasts in a painting is entirely different from seeing them in the flesh!" he argued with a huff. An incredulous chuckle passed my lips as I sat up in the bathtub, purposely becoming a little more visible.

"You people sure are weird about nudity," I shrugged. "It's no big deal, ya know? And yea, we have magic, but doing laundry all the time is such a pain... my people go without clothes all the time." Upon hearing this anecdote about Equestrian life, Sebastian let out another strangled noise.

"Are you seriously telling me your people don't wear clothes?!" he exclaimed. "Even out in public?!"

"They do!" I clarified.

...

...

...

"...Sometimes," my eyes slid to the side. Sebastian was silent for a while as he tried to process everything.

"Right. Well... how long do you think you'll be?" he finally asked, trying to hide a bit of straining in his voice.

"Do you really have to go?" He nodded emphatically. "Then just go. Seriously, I don't care, everybody has to do it! Just have some courtesy and cast Silencio, and a small Incendio if it's number two."

"But... B-But... I... y-you..." I sighed with a grunt, rolling my head back in slight annoyance. It's normal for boys to want to ogle women's bodies, isn't it? And I'm definitely ogle-worthy... ah, maybe that's the problem, here. I nodded to myself, grabbed my wand and cast a quick spell in his direction. He shouted in alarm and stumbled into view, everything from the knees up and his stomach downwards rendered unviewable behind a pixelated haze. "W-What in Merlin's name have you done to me?!"

"Censorship spell. Now you can pee or poop and I'll be none the wiser," I grinned. "It even plays a charming little ditty while you're going."

"I- well, that still doesn't change the fact that you're naked!" he blurted out, his face an unnatural shade of bright red. Now that I knew for certain what his sense of hesitation was about, I cackled at his barely-contained semblance of wishing to preserve my modesty, lifted my legs and stood up from the water, thin streaks of perfumed foam and bubbles sliding down my body.

"You fool! The more naked I get, the more powerful I become!" I declared, striking a daring pose. Sebastian froze again; a thin trickle of blood dripped from his nose as a slight breeze blew, and he teetered and fell straight backwards like a statue. He probably would've shattered if he really were made of stone.

Heh... Don't tell me I broke him already!

Not even bothering with a towel or robe, I stepped out of the tub with my wand and cast Rennervate on him, smirking as he came to with a snort, staring at me with wide, captivated eyes.

"So, now that that's out of your system... can you just use the toilet, now?"

He wordlessly nodded.

"Good boy."


~


Honestly, I was looking forward to the weekend... I needed a small break from my studies. On Saturday morning, however, while I was on the way back to my Room after breakfast I heard footsteps running behind me. I barely turned around in time before Natty and Poppy both grabbed my arms and began dragging me along with them. Both of them seemed very angry.

"Whoa, what's going on?" I blinked, bewildered.

"I don't believe this!" the former growled. "You would not believe what we have just seen!"

"We were out having a nice flight over the Forbidden Forest, just the two of us," the latter explained. "But then we saw him!"

"Who?"

"Theophilus Harlow!" Natty spat. "He was leading a gang of his Ashwinders down one of the roads."

"They've captured what looked like an entire herd of thestrals!" cried Poppy. "The foals were lying unconscious in cages while their parents were being forced to pull the wagons carrying them!"

"Oh," I recoiled, feeling slightly sick to my stomach. I hated the thought of a... er, fellow equine being trapped and carted off somewhere to be sold off, or... worse. But given how much effort the three of us had put into gathering evidence for Officer Singer, it also confirmed to me that the police in the area were either unfathomably slow, totally powerless or frighteningly incompetent.

And frankly, I'd had enough of playing detective.

I began walking quickly alongside the two girls, negating their need to pull me along. "Are we going to catch up with him?"

"Yes, the plan right now is to track his gang and see where their hideout is," said Natty. I nodded in understanding; as soon as we were outside we got on our brooms, and I followed them as they retraced their flight. From our vantage point high in the air we quickly caught back up with the traveling poachers. To help ensure that we weren't seen I quickly cast Fumos and wrapped us in a veil of clouds.

My eyes narrowed as I spied Harlow lounging on the passenger's seat of the lead wagon. There were five of them in total, the four behind his loaded with two large metal cages each, holding thestral foals inside. None of them were moving or making any noise, meaning they had likely been stunned or bewitched into an enchanted sleep. The adult thestrals that pulled the wagons bore numerous ugly red gashes and purple blotches on their skin, their wings tied to their bodies with thick ropes. The drivers of those wagons jeered and shouted as they whipped at the poor creatures if they showed even a hint of resistance.

Disgusting.

"Monstrous... we have to do something!" Poppy glowered, shaking her head.

"You're damn right," I agreed. "As soon as we know where they're hiding out, I say we just take care of this problem ourselves. Clearly, the authorities aren't gonna stop him any time soon."

"I agree," Natty frowned resolutely. "I have stood by for long enough. Harlow and his Ashwinders' poaching enterprise ends today!" At first Poppy seemed to be in agreement, her eyes glimmering with ill intent... but she surprisingly hesitated to let her inner bloodlust consume her entirely.

"Even so, perhaps we ought to at least inform Officer Singer?" she asked.

"Pfft, why? So she can insist she's got it, then spend another month or two sitting on her arse until he does something else?" I groused.

"And she'll only inform my mother of our plans... goodness knows I do not need another lecture," Natty rolled her eyes. "I am tired of hiding it from her. She needs to understand that I will not be safe from the Ashwinders until everyone is. I shall pursue them until they are finished!"

"You both have a fair point," Poppy shrugged, her eyes growing dark as she let out a small giggle. "A stroke of good luck that I've grown a bumper crop of Cabbages."


~


Harlow and his gang traveled for what felt like hours down the road, all of them behaving as though they hadn't a care in the world. Nobody they passed by dared speak with them, many even made it a point to look away.

But gradually the roads they traveled grew rougher and narrower, until finally it led them towards a grand manor by the coast, surrounded by thick stone walls.  The three of us halted and held our position as we watched them pass through the gates and disappear inside.

"I wonder who they had to kill to control such a stronghold," Natty sighed. As well-kept as the manor seemed, there were also obvious signs of a struggle - some of the windows had been blasted out, a number of decorative banners were in tatters, and there appeared to be a large swath of charred ground in the center left of the manor's courtyard.

"How will we get in? I can only imagine how many guards there must be if Harlow himself has made his camp here," said Poppy. I squinted as I tried to get a better view; while I couldn't see anyone on top of the surrounding walls, I could definitely see silhouettes of people moving within the manor itself. Harlow lowered himself off of his wagon and made a few gestures to the others before heading inside, leaving his underlings to take care of the thestrals. Among a smattering of tents and supplies the courtyard was filled with brown-gray metal cages... that many beasts meant that many people watching over them.

"We could always just fight our way in," I shrugged. It'd likely be the only way - there wasn't any cover we could take to sneak in, nor were there any holes in the wall to slip through. They'd definitely see us coming from the ground or the air. I wouldn't even be surprised if they'd noticed the one random cloud in the sky that was seemingly unaffected by the wind.

But my conscience nipped at me as I considered a frontal assault. While I could certainly take care of myself, I still wasn't as confident in the abilities of my two... friends. I didn't... want either of them to get hurt.

"That may be our only option," Natty nodded grimly. "I see no other way."

"It's not ideal," frowned Poppy, "but you're right. There's just no natural cover to take advantage of."

"Welp, the good ol' Gryffindor method it is, then," I remarked with a smirk. "I can at least create a diversion for you two to improve our chances." Er, well... your chances, anyway.

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'll be fine," I grinned to Natty. "You two just get ready to swoop in over the walls." After a moment's consideration she nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Be careful." I pulled some of the cloud cover with me as I flew away from them, over to the manor's western side. About a thousand feet now separated us, and I hummed to myself as I wondered how to create the most distracting chaos possible.

Something that would strike fear into their hearts and demoralize them until they fainted from pure shock.

A malicious grin spread across my face.

The cloud surrounding me glowed brightly as I channeled ancient magic into my spell, sweeping my wand in wide, slow circles. High above the manor a dark spot appeared, rapidly billowing outwards into a layer of clouds as thick and grey as smoke, sparking orange and white and roaring with thunder. Feeling the building heat from even this distance, I focused my will into the maelstrom, letting the fire and plasma coagulate and grow.

Channeling this much magic took some effort, but the results were well worth it. The air turbulence kicked up an especially loud peal of thunder as fire began raining down onto the topmost floor of the manor alongside massive slow-moving balls of lightning, a giant sprite flashing to life above the clouds. The windows on that floor shattered from the sudden heat as the stone and brick surrounding them melted when the flames landed and spread out, while the ball lightning exploded and blew it apart bit by bit. Gradually the rest of the manor was set ablaze, but the courtyard and all its caged beasts were left untouched.

That oughta do it.

Glancing back in Natty's and Poppy's direction I saw their cloud float over the outer wall and into the courtyard. I left my cover behind as I flew down to join them, finding Natty blowing their cloud away with a simple flick of her hand as they stared up at the storm in terror-stricken awe; in exchange for an apocalyptic burst of magic, it was already fading away.

"...I am not even going to ask how you managed a Firestorm that powerful," she gaped. "Perhaps it's for the best that Sallow defeated me."

"Even more impressive you left all of the creatures unharmed," Poppy breathed as we surveyed the courtyard. The entire area was lined with cages containing all manner of beasts, each of them squawking, roaring or screeching in fright or anger, begging to be released. The three of us began mass-casting Alohomora to open the cages and set them free - Fwoopers, Jobberknolls and the captured Thestrals filled the skies as Nifflers and Kneazles slinked into the shadows. The Puffskeins bunched together until they formed what looked like a giant, multicolored pompom ball and rolled away in a group through the gaps in the gate. A pair of Unicorns reared up and galloped away, while a group of Mooncalves just wandered around aimlessly until I rolled my eyes and levitated them over the walls.

Soon the courtyard was empty except for the three of us. To my slight concern, none of the Ashwinders I'd assumed were watching the captive menagerie were present. Even if I'd scared them all into retreating, there should've been at least a couple of stragglers watching their death come for them.

No... it was like the courtyard had been abandoned before I had cast my spell. So they'd noticed the strange cloud after all... maybe these thugs weren't completely oblivious. I snorted in amusement as my eyes swept my surroundings.

"Well, if this doesn't scream 'trap', I dunno what would," I grumbled. "I think we'll be ambushed shortly."

"We are stronger than Harlow, and he knows it," glared Natty. "That's why he's resorting to this sort of trickery." Suddenly I felt a massive pulse of magic radiating outwards from the manor, stretching beyond its walls. The trap had been sprung: someone had just conjured up a barrier to prevent our escape. It was nothing I couldn't break through, though it would take me some time and concentration. Far easier to just face whoever had done it and break the barrier that way, along with their body.

"And there it is," I smirked. "Just as I thought."

"His mistake... let's finish this," Poppy nodded resolutely. Pops and cracks soon echoed all around us, Ashwinders Apparating into the courtyard until we were surrounded. More of them swarmed out from the manor's entrance, Harlow himself trailing behind them with a confident grin on his face. Some of the Ashwinders had been wounded by my Firestorm, their burns and cuts hastily bandaged and still bleeding.

"Little Natsai Onai, isn't it? And her two excruciatingly loyal companions," he sneered, flicking his wrist as though his wand were a whip. "You three have done quite a bit of damage to my business interests, heh... but I must grudgingly give you some credit," he glared dangerously. "What was once a mere annoyance has become... remarkably problematic."

"Says more about you than it does us, don't you think?" I snarked. "Feels bad being outsmarted by three kids, doesn't it?"

"Oh, but fortunately I pride myself on my... problem-solving skills," he replied, raising his wand at me. "With the three of you here, I can now pluck those thorns from my side and kill you all myself... Except for you of course, Sunset Shimmer."

My eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yes, I know who you are... hard not to hear about your exploits around the valley," grinned Harlow. "You're exactly what Rookwood needs, and if I catch you here and turn you in to him... heh, why I'll be set for life."

"Who do you think you are, terrorizing people in this way?!" snarled Natty. Harlow paused for a moment, chuckling as he turned towards her.

"Me? I'm just trying to make an honest living," he answered, anger and impatience growing in his voice. "First you freed that white hippogriff and stole my orders from Rookwood... now you've killed half my men and got those blasted centaurs guarding those snidgets! Our snidgets!"

"Those snidgets don't belong to you!" Poppy yelled furiously, raising her wand. "And neither does Highwing! You'll never touch them, not as long as I'm around!" Harlow's eyes shifted towards her in turn, and he smirked.

"Then I'll just have to remedy that problem... right now." To my displeasure, his version of "remedying" the problem was to Disapparate away to the relative safety of the manor's upper floors, leaving the three of us to fight off his entire gang of Ashwinders.

How annoying... cowardly, too... but ultimately a smart move. Why exert yourself when you had your own personal army to fight for you? It was just unfortunate for him that I was more than a match for them all. My eyes flared to life with ancient magic, the power within my soul desperate for release.

At the first twitch of the enemy, I swept my wand in an arc and raised a shield of earth around the three of us. What sounded like a hundred spells slammed against the shield, but even though it cracked it held firm. It was cover enough for Poppy to unleash a horde of Chinese Chomping Cabbages from her pocket dimension, the vegetables sailing over the wall of earth like a tidal wave. Another sweep of my wand broke the shield into fragile shards of rock and sent them flying outwards like a grenade, the shrapnel slashing and piercing the closest Ashwinders, further attracting the cabbages with the scent of blood.

Our enemies scattered; we fell upon them like a pack of Timberwolves hunting a lone pony. Natty's hands were a blur as she pointed and gestured at the Ashwinders: punches shot out blasts of fire, chops sent Diffindo waves streaking outwards, her palms sending her foes flying with Depulso. Poppy made brilliant use of the spells she'd had to learn in her previous life: ensnaring her quarry with Incarcerous and gutting them mercilessly, but also surprising everyone when she pulled out a very large, potted Venomous Tentacula from her pocket dimension. Some of the plant's jaws snapped around the limbs of two Ashwinders that had been foolish enough to wander into its range, while the rest spat poisonous, acidic sap at those further away.

But, of course, my own enhanced magic did most of the work. My Confringos burned blue-hot, splitting into multiple projectiles whenever they struck an enemy. Descendos half-buried my foes upside-down in the ground, their legs flailing uselessly until their breath ran out and they suffocated. Superpowered shockwaves of Depulso sent them flying into the sky until they disappeared from sight. I grabbed entire groups of enemies in my magic and swung them around like ragdolls, smacking them into every obstacle I could see, then into each other when those obstacles eventually broke. Blood splashed and flew freely in the air as flesh split apart and bones shattered.

Within minutes Harlow's forces had dwindled to less than ten. I summoned a final burst of ancient magic and sent a bolt of lightning chaining through their bodies as the villain Apparated close by to try for a sneak attack. Natty and Poppy were ready for him, Poppy firing Incarcerous at his legs to trip him up while Natty swiped her palm downwards, her Descendo flipping him upside down and forcing his spine into an awkward bend while smashing his face into the ground. I watched with satisfaction as he struggled to recover from the blow, twirling my wand in my hand before casually swinging it downwards.

"Is this really the best you can do?" I sneered. "Give up... you're hopelessly outmatched." Harlow said nothing, only groaning in pain as he lifted his scowling, blood-covered face towards me.

But suddenly I heard a familiar voice shouting in the distance, quickly growing closer. "Girls! What are you doing?! Girls!"

"Officer Singer?" Poppy mouthed in surprise.

"What?" I tried to keep my eye on Harlow as our heads turned in the direction of Officer Singer sprinting towards us. What was she doing here? Unless Natty or Poppy had sent her a letter before coming to me, which was extremely unlikely, there was no explanation for why she had suddenly appeared.

...

...

...

Unless...

And within seconds, my stomach dropped out from within me.

"Crucio!"

"Imperio!"

It happened so fast I could barely process it. Officer Singer raised her wand towards Poppy while Natty dashed to my side out of the corner of my eye, her body morphing into her Animagus form as she leapt. She transformed back a second later, screaming in agony as the red lightning of the Cruciatus Curse arced across her body. Meanwhile, Singer's eyes glowed for a moment as Poppy suddenly froze, her eyes glowing with the same light.

My heart skipped a beat; that Crucio was aimed right at me! But Natty had leapt in its way and suffered the effects...

Ignoring the cold dread washing over me as I remembered the spell's pain, I teleported about ten feet away from my previous position to create some distance so I could face both of them at once. Harlow finally dragged himself back to his feet as Singer cut her run into a jog, then calmly walked forward with a swagger, gazing disdainfully at Natty as she twitched on the ground, her cries growing weak.

"Foolish little girl," she purred. "I told you... I would handle everything." After a moment's pause she added insult to injury by kicking her in the stomach. Natty retched breathlessly, curling in on herself like a dead spider.

"You..." I took a step backwards as she stood by Harlow's side. "I knew you couldn't possibly be that bad at your job."

"Figured it out, did you?" she sneered arrogantly at me over her nose. "A pity you never broke any laws alone in my presence... I could have had you apprehended long ago, and saved the both of us all this trouble."

"Quite a boon having the law on your side, innit?" Harlow grinned as he reached around Singer's back to pull her close, the two sharing a quick kiss.

"Alright, so you're not quite as stupid as I thought you were," I grimaced, repulsed by their show of affection. "But I'm still stronger than the both of you put together. How 'bout you just give up now before I really get angry?"

"Oh, but it's not just us you'll have to deal with," Singer smirked as she waved her wand. Like a marionette, Poppy's body hovered in from the side until she was dangling in front of them, being used as a human shield. Though she smoothly raised her wand at me, the look in her eyes was frantic.

"S-Sun... set... h-help..." she breathed through clenched teeth, trying her hardest to resist, to break free from the curse. I blinked uncomfortably at the prospect of potentially having her magic used against me - I would certainly need to defend myself, which was something I suddenly didn't quite want to do.

Against all my past-held notions, I now freely considered Natty and Poppy my friends. If this had taken place months ago I would have simply continued with my assault and accepted whatever harm came to them as collateral damage - of course I would've taken the time to heal them afterwards, but... only after the threat had been dealt with. Now, however, I didn't even want to consider such... heartlessness, I had to admit.

Both of them were in trouble; as their friend it was my duty- no, my desire to protect them. Natty was clearly out of the fight for now, so she was relatively safe. I needed to save Poppy from her fate, her puppet strings.

I scowled darkly at the crooked cop. "If you know what's good for you, you'll put her down. Right now."

"Gladly," she grinned, flicking her wand. Poppy tried to scream out a warning as an incantation bubbled out of her throat at the same time, spellfire coming straight for me. I simply threw up a Protego to block the attack, but then Harlow began casting as well, having gained his second wind. With a grunt I teleported away to a nearby alcove on the manor's third floor, staring down at my enemies and their captive while they tried to determine where I'd gone, the pair blasting what little debris remained in the courtyard that could serve as cover.

I needed to remove Poppy from the fight as quickly and safely as possible. Only then could I unleash my wrath upon these two idiots, these fools who thought they were so untouchable, so artificially powerful. I was all too happy to show these worms what true power really was... after all, it was so rare that I got to show off like this.

A smile spread across my face. The magic glowing from my eyes alerted Harlow and Singer to my position, but I had already teleported to their left by the time their spells blew apart that manor alcove.

Sorry, Poppy. "Stupefy!" Poppy exhaled roughly as she lost consciousness; now she could no longer fire spells at me while under Singer's control. The crooked cop snarled at the loss of her shield's ability to fight for her, but a smirk reappeared when she realized she could still use her.

While I shielded myself from Harlow's attacks, Singer heaved and hurled her wand, using poor Poppy's limp body like a troll's club floating in midair. Though her attacks were slow and easy to dodge, eventually I had enough and Accioed my friend by her clothing, wrenching her from the policewoman's grasp. She grunted as her connection broke, green light sparking from both their eyes before vanishing. As my friend flew towards me with the residual momentum, I broke the Accio's connection for a split second to aim my wand at the ground, defensive palisades of stone jutting upwards in front of me and making the two villains flinch. Poppy's trajectory allowed for her to sail clear over the spikes, then I caught her again in my magic and used Wingardium Leviosa to bring her body to a gentle halt. Carefully I levitated her over beside Natty, who had fallen unconscious as well from Crucio's pain, then with a surge of ancient magic I summoned a Protego around them, forming a blue-white barrier of swirling, sparking protection. Satisfied that they were now safe, I turned my full attention towards these two insects.

"Now there's nothing holding me back," I chuckled evilly at them, my eyes flaring with magic. "Cry 'uncle' if you want to give up." Harlow and Singer tensed, but stood their ground.

How foolish.

Magic swirled around me as I immediately laid into them, my Glacius firing outwards in a wide arc and flash-freezing everything in its path. Harlow and Singer Apparated out of its way, the former reappearing in front of me while I heard the pop of the latter behind. I teleported straight upwards into the air about thirty feet in response, then immediately cast Levioso on myself so I wouldn't need to think about falling. Despite feeling the pull of their Descendos my enhanced spell proved stronger, and I swept my wand in another arc to scorch the other half of the courtyard with a blue-hot Incendio.

The flames licked at their heels as they Apparated to the relative safety atop some leftover metal cages. I grinned as I flicked my wand, ripping the bottoms of the cage walls from their floors like the peel of a banana and bending them upwards to trap them. Without the walls to support the part upon which they stood, the bent cages plummeted back into the flames with a jolt. I saw the panic on their faces as they hastily Apparated away, reappearing on the small sliver of battleground that hadn't yet been affected by my magic.

My chuckling devolved into manic laughter as I lifted my wand into the air. In immediate response the ground began rapidly rolling itself up from both ends like a scroll, a layer of earth two feet thick rising up and collapsing over itself. Harlow and Singer were forced to Apparate to the frozen portion of the courtyard, the ends of the towering lump of earth colliding with each other and crumbling with enough force to shake the ground. With the ground already covered in ice I unleashed Aguamenti like a geyser, droplets instantly freezing and being swept along by the water until it carried an arsenal of jagged ice shards with it. Again they Apparated out of the way, but with nowhere else to go but the frozen ground, their momentum made them slide and lose their balance. A smirk bloomed across my lips as I swirled my wand in a figure-eight, bending the ice at the fringes upwards and over until they formed walls of sharp icicles, then sent them flying towards each other like a closing pincer with a flick upwards.

With the ice speeding everything up, Harlow and Singer could only cast Protego to avoid injury. Even so the icicles managed to puncture their shields, poking their bodies before melting away harmlessly. Meanwhile the flames from my Incendio had consumed all that there was to consume and burned themselves out. My next move was to cast a whirlwind of Ventus into the ashes, throwing a thick cloud of dark dust into the air and providing cover for my follow up.

I poured as much ancient magic as I could into my horn, the light from my eyes barely peeking through the darkness. Giant hands formed from the shadows itself and grabbed on to their limbs, holding them in place and preventing their escape. Heat began coagulating in the air, melting the larger specks of debris and attracting more motes of ash to them, where they built up and grew into marble-sized blobs of glasslike matter. The blobs stretched out and lengthened as the wind swept them around, solidifying them into ragged, fragile needles that burst apart at the slightest impact. These were small and fast enough to pierce their shields entirely, and I heard them growl and hiss in pain as thin, red scratches bloomed across their skin, their clothing seeming to fray on its own.

Eventually Harlow ripped his wand arm free from the shadow hands and cast a Ventus of his own, blowing away the needle storm and the rest of the shadows. With so many small wounds open on their bodies, so many sensitive nerve endings exposed, I smiled wickedly as a flurry of calculations flashed in my mind, and with another mere wave of my wand I Transfigured the ice and moisture in the air into hydrochloric acid. The pungent mist rose lazily into the air, and it wasn't long until both Harlow and Singer were moaning their displeasure, wiping the stinging sensations from their bodies in vain.

"Have you had enough?!" I cackled as I swung my wand again, sending a pulse of heat to melt the frozen acid into a quagmire of toxic sludge. Being distracted by the pain Singer took one step forward and instantly fell as the muck trapped her boot, her foot sliding right out of it and crumpling beneath her in an unnatural angle. She screamed in agony as she involuntarily rolled onto her side, spreading more of the sludge over her body. In her desperation for relief she latched on to Harlow's legs and dragged him down with her, the two selfishly climbing on top of each other as their bodies obeyed their base instincts for safety.

Suddenly I felt the barrier surrounding the manor shatter - was someone coming to our rescue so soon? What a pity. There was still so much more I could do to these insignificant pests. If there had been any Ashwinders whose cowardice had gotten the better of them and they had escaped, this would send one hell of a message to Rookwood, and eventually Ranrok.

To prepare for their arrival I made a few more mental calculations and flicked my wand, the ground solidifying as the acid was neutralized and evaporated. I glared at Harlow and Singer in disgust, their bodies covered in filth mixing with streaks of blood, my lip curling as I cast Incarcerous on them both, wrapping them in a comically-thick layer of chains with their backs to each other. A padlock appeared to lock the two ends of the chain together as Professor Onai came running up the hill, followed closely by two other constables I didn't recognize.

Hopefully they also weren't corrupt. I wondered to myself just how infected the Ministry's police forces were... they were a far cry from the relative perfection of Celestia's system.

"Natty! No, Natty!" Onai wailed as she completely disregarded Harlow and Singer, rushing towards her daughter. I dispelled the protective barrier around them so she could get to her side, Poppy beginning to wake up from being Stupefied. Once she realized what had happened she rolled over to face Natty, gently cradling her while Professor Onai rendered aid. The two constables, in the meantime, kept their wands pointed at Harlow and Singer; four more officers Apparated into the area, and together they officially put the pair under arrest. One of the officers in particular had a satisfied grin on their face as she yanked Singer's badge from her chest - perhaps she had drawn similar suspicions from her colleagues about her true loyalties.

For a brief moment a wave of paranoia ran through me, remembering the fears I'd had when something similarly cataclysmic had occurred just a few weeks ago and the authorities could have been involved. What about all of the bodies? The three of us had to have slaughtered close to a hundred Ashwinders. But glancing around I was able to calm myself down - my Incendio had largely cremated those the flames had touched, and the acidic sludge had dissolved the rest. Anything that might've been left over was now buried under a hard layer of black earth.

...Sometimes, I truly was quite the genius.


~


Hours later, after multiple interrogations by the police Poppy and I were finally allowed to return to Hogwarts. We'd learned that Professor Onai had had a premonition of our fight, allowing her to quickly enlist the constables in Hogsmeade before Apparating to the manor, explaining their sudden arrival. Our testimonies corroborated with all the crimes Harlow had committed that we were aware of, as well as Singer's numerous coverups ranging from bribes to coercion to destruction of evidence. I wasn't sure if their crimes - though terrible and myriad - warranted a stay in the worst prison I'd ever heard of, but it was certain that neither of them were going to see the light of day again for a very long time.

As soon as we hurried through the entrance we ran straight for the hospital wing. Poppy breathed a sigh of relief, Natty was awake and sitting at a table with a late dinner set out in front of her, albeit in a wheelchair. Her mother fretted by her side as she ate while rolling her eyes, her expression brightening as we approached.

"Oh... are you sure you are up for visitors?" Professor Onai worried, stroking her daughter's arm as she held her hand tightly.

"Yes, mother," sighed Natty. "I feel fine, and it will do me good to see them."

"Very well," she bowed her head as she stood up to give us some privacy. "But do not overdo it, Natsai."

"Oh, Natty!" Poppy gasped as she nearly leapt into her lap, wrapping her arms around her. Onai whirled around at the commotion, shooting her a look of caution.

But they ignored it. "It is good to see you too, mpenzi," Natty chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Really? A wheelchair?" I smirked with a hand on my hip. "Milking the special treatment, are we?"

"I am doing better than it appears... I am only here because my mother insisted," Natty rolled her eyes again as she jutted her head towards her mother, who was talking with Nurse Blainey. "...I was relieved when she told me that you were both alright," she sighed.

"Of course I am," I puffed out my chest proudly. "I had it all under control."

"How are you feeling?" asked Poppy.

"Well, I've had better days," Natty shrugged. "But Nurse Blainey says that I am on the mend." Just then I remembered what had happened that landed her here in the first place, and the pride drained away into humility.

"...I really didn't expect you to take that Crucio for me, though," I frowned. Though I... would rather you than me. "Um... thanks, for that."

"Oh, don't mention it," Natty waved a hand somberly. "The moment that I saw Harlow aim his wand at you, well..."

"You quickly made the choice to protect her," offered Poppy as she squeezed her again, pressing her cheek against hers.

"I did what I had to, and I would do it again," she smiled at me. "I could not simply stand there and let you get hurt."

"Yea, but... what if it wasn't just Crucio that he cast? What if it was something worse?" I glanced away guiltily, biting my lip. It could easily have been any other curse Harlow had fired at me, even...

...Even Avada Kedavra, like he did in our first encounter.

She could have died because of me.

"Then so be it. There was nothing that you-" Natty trailed off mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" Poppy tilted her head.

"...Oh. Oh, my," she stammered. "I cannot believe it took me this long to see it! H-He made a choice... based on instinct... my father!"

"Your father? ...Oh, right," I nodded, remembering what she'd told me about him, and how he'd died.

"Yes... you, my friend, are no more to blame for my injuries today than I am to blame for my father's sacrifice years ago!" continued Natty, talking more as though she were reassuring herself than explaining to us. But as she spoke I felt a weight lifting from her heart, her soul echoing with lightness and tranquility.

"From what I know of him, it seems there's a lot of your father in you," Poppy hummed as she nuzzled her head beneath Natty's in the crook of her neck. She smiled warmly as she gazed down at her.

"That's very kind of you to say," she sighed gently, resting her chin on top of her head. "I hope that you are right." Poppy giggled as she tilted her head back to kiss Natty on the cheek.

"Of course I am! And now that we've finally taken down Harlow and exposed Singer, everyone is safer now because of us... because of you," she said.

"Hmm, thank you," Natty replied with a chuckle. "But we make a formidable team."

"Hey, don't forget about me," I grinned down at them both. "You may have gotten the girl, but I think it's fair to say that I'm a pretty important part of this team, too."

"Of course you are, Sunset." The both of them laughed, Natty holding Poppy a little tighter as they quieted down. "You, my fellow traveler, have enriched my time at Hogwarts beyond anything I could have imagined... thank you. I believe your friendship to be one of the most important in my life."

I blinked in surprise, gasping quietly at the sentiment. I would've thought it ridiculously, paradoxically obvious months ago, but somehow she was genuinely grateful for my involvement in her life... both of them were. All the ponies I had ever known cursed my name and my existence because I was so much better than them, when they should have been thrilled to bask in my mere presence.

But these two... they didn't see that at all. Instead they saw me as their equal, and could relate to me... and somehow, I was content with that knowledge. Maybe even... happy, knowing they liked me. And I was willing to admit that... I liked them, too. I enjoyed their presence, the distinct lack of peace and quiet they brought with them.

I smiled as I saw them cuddle into each other, turning away to stare out of a window to give them their moment. The air was light and calm; two of my friends had finally healed from their past wounds... they had found their inner peace.

...I could only hope that one day, my best, most dearest friend could do the same.


~


Pride. Fear. Worry. Guilt.

"He... he did what...?!" Sebastian stared in horror, his face pale as parchment. Finally back in the safety and comfort of my Room and my boyfriend, I had thought it would be great fun to relax on the couch and recount the battle to him. I was excited to tell him about how I'd effortlessly ravaged both Harlow and Singer and gotten them arrested, but I was taken aback by the waves of emotion that poppled from his soul... I don't think I've ever felt him actually fear for my life.

"He missed, though... hit Natty, who decided to leap in front of the spell for me," I looked away as I tried to muscle past the emotions. "And then that bitch Singer, it turns out she was dirty - she's Harlow's girlfriend! So after she Imperioed Poppy I had to knock her out so she couldn't use her to cast at me anymore, and then she tried to bludgeon me with her like she was a hammer!" He stared a thousand yards in front of him as I explained the spells I'd cast, the strategies I'd employed, but once I'd reached the part where I'd formed the ashes into needles of glass I realized he wasn't listening, and closed my mouth with an awkward frown.

He remained quiet for a few moments. "Uh... you okay?" I asked as I nudged his arm, causing him to finally blink.

"You... you could have gotten seriously hurt... you could have... d-died..."

Ah, geez. "Well, I didn't. And it'll take a hell of a lot more than that to kill me," I tried to reassure him. Sebastian said nothing, only sighing as his eyes slowly fell to the floor.

As much as I felt they were unnecessary... I could understand his feelings. After all, it was only natural to care so much for someone you loved. With a sympathetic sigh I reached over and wrapped an arm around his back. "Hey, it's okay... I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere," I said. "I promised I'll always be by your side... a couple of criminal arseholes aren't gonna keep me away from you. You know I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he sighed again, shaking his head. "I just..."

He trailed off, but he didn't need to finish his thought. He felt guilty moping around while I was taking care of business, even though he knew he didn't need to. Overcome with the sentiment I wrapped my other arm around his chest and pulled him in close for a hug.

"...You're really such a sweetheart, you know that?" I smirked. "I love how much you care."

"Do you?" he replied halfheartedly as he returned the hug. I nodded against the side of his head, feeling empowered by the sensation of thick, soft, warm clothing pressing against my chest, his hair tickling my cheek.

"It might be what I love the most about you," my voice softened. "You just have the biggest, kindest heart, you'll try so hard to do anything for your loved ones... I appreciate that."

I closed my eyes as I felt him relax, and for a while we simply held each other in silence, his fears and worries slowly bleeding out of him. After a time the clock across the room softly chimed eleven times, prompting me to finally let go, but not before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Don't ever change," I breathed, smiling warmly. He smiled as well, leaning in to close the distance between us.

"...I won't."
> In Which the Main Villains of the Story Finally Act Like It
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word gradually got out, and before long Natty, Poppy and I were hailed as heroes.

The next time I went to Hogsmeade - since Natty had been rather unjustly grounded for the rest of the school year for seeking out Harlow, and Poppy stayed with her - I was approached by various villagers, each thanking me and them by extension for finally taking care of Rookwood's right hand man. A few of them had even suspected Officer Singer might've been covering up his many crimes, but as she had been so careful as to not leave any evidence behind, nothing could've been said or done. None were more grateful, of course, than Mr. Philbert, Mr. and Mrs. Rabe, Mr. Dibble (who asked me to inform Poppy that he'd be eloping with Rosie that very night) and the widowed Mrs. Bickle and little Archie.

The next week was the beginning of the Easter holidays; while we had no classes for either that week nor the next, the professors saw to it that we had more than enough homework to keep us busy. It still wasn't anything I couldn't handle, as I managed to finish the last of my essays on Thursday, leaving me plenty of time to pursue my own interests. Besides working on my own magic I studied the holiday of Easter, as it was one of the few Earth holidays that Equestria didn't have an analogue of. This led me down a proverbial rabbit hole of religious teachings - the Bible, Wizarding-friendly Bibles, heavily-edited Wizarding-friendly Bibles deemed satanic by Muggles, then the rest of the Abrahamic religions, then comparing those with Eastern religions... my head was spinning by the time I finished the Tao Te Ching.

Muggles were weird. I guess ponies in particular didn't really have a need for religion, not when the country was ruled by an immortal Alicorn of immense power, and once ruled by two of them... that was basically like being directly ruled over by a god. Though that did beg the question of what came before Celestia... but it wasn't like I could ask her that now.

Besides having no classes, most of the other students returning home for the holiday reminded me of how peaceful things were back during the Christmas break... when everything seemed so much simpler. While Sebastian seemed more and more like his old self as the days passed, he woke up seriously depressed on Friday: April 19th was his and Anne's birthday. He didn't want to leave the bed until I eventually levitated one side of it into the air and let gravity take care of the rest of the work around lunchtime, nor did he want to go to Hogsmeade to celebrate or pick out gifts for himself.

Instead he spent over two hours writing Anne a letter. I gave him his privacy as he wrote, scratched out a line and rewrote, erased his mistakes and wrote again. By the time he'd finally finished and sealed it closed he looked as though he were on the verge of tears. I held his hand as we walked to the owlery, and he watched with a mournful sigh as one of them carried off his letter into the horizon.

"I can only hope she'll read it," he mumbled as we left. "Something tells me she'll just set it on fire as soon as it arrives."

"Of course she'll read it," I tried to reassure him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's from you."

He tried to smile.


~


The next day brought me a surprise. An owl dropped a small parcel into my lap during breakfast. Opening it in the privacy of my Room, I found it contained a map of the Clagmar Coast with an X scratched into the mountains to the north. There was also a letter attached.

Sunset,

I found one of Ranrok's drills in a mine along the shore.

I intend to destroy it. I'm tired of trying to reason with him.

You are welcome to join me, but if I don't see you there, I will reach out when I return. I have something to give you.

Lodgok

"Something to give me, huh?" I muttered to myself. Why didn't you just send it to me in this package? Suddenly an uneasy feeling began to bloom within me.

"What was that?" asked Sebastian, raising his head from his Transfiguration textbook. At first I considered doctoring my answer, remembering the last time I'd mentioned Lodgok to him.

But surely we were past that now. I shook my head and turned towards him. "It's from Lodgok," I replied, the parchment hanging loosely in my grasp. He bristled, like I'd expected, but remained silent for a few moments as though trying his best to remain diplomatic.

"...I see. What does he say?"

"He's found a mine to the southeast where Ranrok must be testing his drilling machine, and he says he's going to destroy it." I frowned as the uneasy feeling grew in intensity. "I have a feeling he's about to do something extremely stupid."

"You think he's in trouble?" The feeling pulsed as if to confirm what I knew in the back of my mind. An elderly goblin like him wouldn't stand a chance against the other Loyalists if he was caught. And he'd been nothing but nice to me since we'd met, even if he'd first regarded me with suspicion, as I did him. And if he was actually dumb enough to keep whatever he had for me on his person while trying to infiltrate that mine...

"Definitely," I nodded. "He's pretty old, and not very strong... and I'd rather not lose my spy if I can help it." Sebastian stared down at his book, then closed his eyes and clapped it shut with a sigh.

"I'll come with you."

"You sure?" I tilted my head as he stood up. "I thought you hated the guy."

"I..." He paused for a moment. "It's true I'm not terribly fond of goblinkind, but... Lodgok's been helping you, so he can't be all that bad." I blinked in surprise, mildly relieved that he'd finally seen reason. Not all goblins were bad people... just those that stood in the way of getting my ancient magic. "Besides," he added with a snort, "I've sat around long enough. I wasn't there when you and the girls took down Harlow and Singer... I'm starting to feel a bit useless."

"You're not useless," I countered. "Not even close."

"I know," he said hesitantly. "But I need to prove it... to myself, if anything." A hum of contentment blew past my lips, and I nodded.

"Then let's go."


~


After teleporting to Marunweem, Sebastian led the way as he studied the map, eventually finding the mine carved into a mountain after the better part of an hour on our brooms. Strangely, the camp surrounding the entrance seemed abandoned. My eyes carefully swept across the tents and machining equipment for movement, but found none.

I wasn't sure whether I liked this or not. "No sign of Lodgok... or anyone here," I grumbled.

"He must be inside already," Sebastian jabbed a thumb towards the entrance. My heart began to sink, but I ignored it as we walked inside. After a few hundred feet the tunnel we'd entered expanded dramatically into a large cavern, crammed full of various bits of machinery. They'd all been charmed to operate on their own, a mechanical melody reverberating off the stone as smelters were fed ingots of metal, then poured the hot, heavy liquid into molds. More machines stamped holes and rivets into the finished pieces, which were fed by conveyor belt through smaller caves deeper into the mountain. "Look at the size of this place...!" he breathed in bewildered amazement.

"He could be anywhere in here," I whined, groaning. "This is gonna take forever."

"...Perhaps not," he hummed, nudging my shoulder. Following his gaze I spotted what appeared to be a sort of railcart depot a few hundred feet away. It reminded me much of the cart Fig and I had used in Gringotts; though the cart itself was much less ornate than that one had been, it at least had wider seats for accommodating more riders.

Of course, it was also being guarded by ten or so goblins. "Think you're ready for a fight?" I asked. Sebastian placed his wand behind his ear for a moment while taking the time to crack his knuckles, then nodded once as he took it back up and cast Disillusionment on himself. I smiled at his white outlines before doing the same, and followed him as we crept closer.

A pipe from a boiler jutted out from the ground tantalizingly. With a quick blast of magic I broke it open, hot steam billowing outwards and shrouding the area in thick fog. The goblins jumped in surprise, half of them watching their surroundings warily while the other half stumbled towards the broken pipe, perhaps to see if it could be fixed quickly. I heard Sebastian chuckle darkly as he dashed forward and vanished into the mist, soon followed by shrieks of pain and confusion.

Occasionally the steam would catch a gust of wind and blow away, just enough for me to catch the sight of one goblin suddenly losing an arm due to a Diffindo, then his legs being severed at the knees. The next time I saw that goblin was via silhouette, as his wand unleased a Confringo point-blank at its head and blew it to pieces.

Soon more explosions followed. Seconds later I heard the creaking of metal, and the steam finally dissipated. All of the goblins had been dispatched, the floor slick with their blood. Now visible, Sebastian stood casually beside the now-repaired pipe, wiping off a bit of red from his wand with the sleeve of his cloak.

"There's the Sebastian I know," I grinned as my own Disillusionment Charm lapsed. He laughed once, shooting me that confident smirk I loved to see on him.

"I never left." My chest fluttered as I resisted the urge to kiss him, instead moving closer to examine the control panel for the railcarts. He wandered over as well. "I think this cart'll lead us deeper into the mine," he suggested.

"And if I had to guess, the drill is probably in the deepest part," I nodded. Thankfully the control panel had numbers and pictograms representing the various stops rather than Gobbledegook - I pushed the button that most likely denoted the bottommost floor of the mine. Grinding and clicking noises echoed from the rails just behind me as they shifted to change the cart's direction. Once they stopped we piled onto the cart's front seat where the controls were, and pulled the lever to activate it.

I had to admit, I felt much safer traveling this way when Sebastian was holding on to my waist from behind. The cart didn't have the suspension mechanisms the one in Gringotts had, the lurching and bouncing from the track nearly making me lose my balance and fall off several times. It zipped and zoomed down the rails as we descended into what soon came to resemble an entire underground city. We passed by tens of massive buildings formed from stone and metal, carved into the cavern's sides or suspended in the air by a maze of gangways. The electrical lights twinkled like stars in the darkness, and steam rose lazily in pillars, making the air hot and humid but dustless. 

Sometimes there would be an open window between all the maintenance pipes and wires, and we could see goblins going about their business. Most were working tirelessly at their stations, hammering together metal parts or supervising enchanted machines as they produced parts. Some were traveling on steam-operated elevators to other floors of the mine, holding crates or sacks of supplies. Many of them tittered excitedly about their progress, gleefully boasting about what they would do to whatever wizard they next met, how they would crush society under their boots and become the new dominant magical species.

Their words angered Sebastian, and soon he couldn't help himself from firing Bombardas at everything that moved. His aim proved to be quite accurate, as his spells effortlessly sailed through windows and blew up workstations, factories and goblins alike. While I did my best to join him in the drive-by destruction when I could, I could only scoff at them in the back of my mind... the trip to the bottom of the mine was souring my stomach like I couldn't believe.

Ooogh... but this must be taking the heat away from Lodgok, if he's really down here.

When the railcart finally came to a halt amidst rough-hewn rock and discarded pickaxes, I weakly slid out of his lap and hunched over on the ground, taking as many slow, deep breaths as I could. I was honestly surprised I'd made it to the bottom intact... it would've been embarrassing as hell if I'd actually thrown up in front of him.

"You alright?" he asked in concern.

"Yea... just... give me a minute," I nodded queasily. After a few minutes of recovering I finally stood up, and we continued through the mine. Surprisingly there were no goblins to be found down here, but there was plenty of evidence that we were quickly approaching our destination: beside another vacant railcart depot was an elevator wide enough to fit the entire Astronomy tower from Hogwarts inside, and then some... tank treads chewed into the ground from the elevator down the path, where the cuts and gouges in the walls morphed from being clearly caused by pickaxes and explosives to a telltale rough, spiral-shaped digging motion.

A few minutes later, the air suddenly filled with a distant roar. Sebastian and I quickened our pace and followed the noise as it gradually rose into a wild din. Just as it seemed to quiet back down, the path opened up into another large clearing ten or so feet below us, where a huge crowd of goblins were gathered together. Their attention was solely focused on the the prototype drilling machine that sat on a ledge at the top of an earthen ramp... and Ranrok, who was standing right beside it.

The goblin leader was clearly giving a speech to his followers. "Another drill is complete... the Wizarding World will crumble!" he cried triumphantly over the wild cheers of his audience. So this wasn't a prototype, after all... he was full-swing into mass production.

A dark smile spread across my face.

"Looks like Lodgok hasn't made it down here yet," swallowed Sebastian. "Another drill... does Ranrok think he'll dig underneath the entire country in search of that repository?!"

"Oh, he thinks," I smirked, ancient magic pouring from my eyes. "With any luck, I can end this whole rebellion of his in the next ten seconds." When the crowd cheered again I reached deep inside and lashed out with my magic, three separate lightning bolts firing from the tip of my wand and striking the crowds. One bolt was plenty enough to kill them, but three of them was enough power to instantly vaporize entire holes in their bodies. I watched with anticipatory satisfaction as one of the bolts of lightning arced towards Ranrok himself...

...But it seemed that its power had waned too much. Ranrok easily slapped it away with a red-glowing hand, glaring angrily as he retreated into the shadows. With a growl I leapt down into the pit to chase after him, but stopped in my tracks as something slowly approached, making the ground shake with every footfall.

A mountain troll lumbered out from the tunnel Ranrok had come from, armored in thick metal plates that glowed with tainted ancient magic. I stared it down, grinning slightly as I saw Sebastian disappear out of the corner of my eye. He reappeared above the creature not even half a second later, tearing apart the ground beneath its feet with a Deprimo. The troll stumbled as the earth gave way, and my own magic quickly reformed the broken bits into spikes that shot upwards and stabbed it where the plates didn't cover. It howled in pain as it tried to regain its balance and push itself up off the spikes, but Sebastian simply landed on its shoulders to drive them in further, then teleported to a nearby ledge and cast Depulso at its upper back. The force of the spell drove the spikes into its body so deeply the tips could be seen beneath its skin, almost poking out.

He teleported back to my side as the troll roared and flailed its limbs in agony, sharing my proud smile. At nearly the same time we cast Bombarda to finish it off, though mine was augmented by ancient magic and traveled faster. It hit the troll first, shattering the stone spikes, shrapnel slicing into its skin even as its stab wounds were blown wide open. Sebastian's spell passed by a moment later, missing the troll but striking one of the support beams holding up the cracked ceiling above the drilling machine. I took notice of the serendipitous strike and glanced over to him, and as though we'd read each other's minds we cast a few more spells to tear apart the remaining supports. As soon as the last one splintered in half the ceiling collapsed, burying the drill under tons of rubble.

Even as we shared a short, celebratory laugh, Ranrok stalked back out of his cave towards us. He glared at his drill, now rendered useless, then focused his glowing eyes on me. "You..." he seethed slowly, gesturing to the pile. "That... is unfortunate."

"Oops," I snarked, holding a hand in front of my mouth in mock surprise. "Did I do that?" He snorted, anger limiting his speech to be slow and brooding.

"No matter... we will build another."

"Not after I'm done with you, you won't. I think you have something that belongs to me," I glowered as I raised my wand. Ranrok raised his fists towards me, his entire body alight with tainted ancient magic. It saturated the air and pressed down imperceptibly on my body... I could suddenly hear whispers not unlike those I'd heard when absorbing the magic myself.

But these whispers... they were nothing like what I was used to. They screamed and shrieked and roared in my ears, crying out for blood and death and destruction. I shivered unconsciously as I felt their anger, their pain, their sorrow and despair, the emotions thick like fog hanging over my head. The sense of impending doom began to cloud my thoughts, and my blood turned to ice in my veins, in my heart.

For a brief moment, I feared that I wasn't quite strong enough to fight Ranrok and win.

Sebastian suddenly hissed my name, the back of his hand fluttering against my arm. My eyes slid over to him, followed his gaze... and I cursed. Victor Rookwood himself was sauntering casually out from another tunnel, his wand aimed directly at Lodgok as he forced him forward. Even worse, the elderly goblin seemed to be clutching something to his chest, as precious as treasure.

"I found this one lurking outside," he explained, smiling coldly. Ranrok blinked in surprise; I felt his power wane, yet his expression remained stony.

"Lodgok... Come to make amends, little brother?"

Brother...?! I could barely contain my gasp - suddenly, all that Lodgok had ever told me made perfect sense... way too much sense.

"I... c-came to stop this!" Lodgok stammered, trying to keep a brave face.

"And what is this you've brought me?" asked Ranrok, pointing towards the bundle Lodgok held. He approached him slowly as the other goblin stepped back, but eventually handed it over with a reluctant sigh, his eyes locked onto mine as if to apologize. Now I could see that the bundle... was actually a book.

I cursed under my breath again as Ranrok opened it and began flipping through its pages. Gradually his face grew dark and furious, the impending doom in my mind returning as his entire body trembled with red, crackling rage.

"It cannot be...!" he growled before clapping it shut, holding it close against his own body as he whirled around. "All this time... you knew! You knew where it was!" Tainted ancient magic swirled around his arm as he flung it towards his brother, and Lodgok gasped in pain as he was sent tumbling across the room.

"Lodgok!" I shouted out in concern, relieved to see him raise a hand as he struggled to his feet.

"I will never understand you, Lodgok... so gullible," Ranrok scowled. "That witch did not consider you an equal! She, like all wizardkind, sought only to use you."

"Y-You're wrong, Ranrok-"

"The young ones are especially deceitful," he continued over his brother, gesturing towards Sebastian and I. "They are taught to hide their disgust for us as they exploit us!"

Whoa, not true! I shrank back with a blink. ...Goblins don't even exist in Equestria!

"Astonishing that our ancestors ever trusted each other," Rookwood mused, keeping his distance behind Ranrok.

"All this time... looking everywhere for the final repository... searching in vain for Bragbor's last journal...!" the goblin snarled dangerously through his teeth. "Wasted my time chasing a child... and my little brother knew where it was all along. But now," he grinned as he held up the book, "I don't need you... I don't need any of you!" he roared as he stared pointedly at Rookwood, who recoiled in shock and stared at Ranrok in disbelief.

So much for their alliance. I chuckled once under my breath at the sudden, inevitable betrayal.

"And you," he bellowed as he glared at Lodgok, his entire body rippling with tainted magic, "You are a traitor to our kind!" In a flash of light he fired a pulse of red light at the poor goblin, striking him directly in the chest and sending him streaking into a wall. There was so much force behind the impact that cracks crazed outwards along the walls of the cavern, and the ground began to quake ominously. Lodgok's body fell limply from its crater, unmoving.

"Avada Kedavra!" Rookwood cried, green lightning shooting from his wand towards the crazed goblin. Ranrok easily dodged it, firing back with magic of his own even as boulders and entire buildings began raining down from above. The mine was beginning to collapse with everyone still inside.

"We need to get out of here!" yelled Sebastian, grabbing my hand in preparation to teleport. I growled to myself as I watched the two villains fight and wander further away... as much as I wanted to watch this play out, perhaps even deigning to help Rookwood kill the treacherous goblin... he was right. There was no point in reclaiming my prize now if I wound up buried alive beneath an entire mountain.

But I couldn't just leave Lodgok behind to die... not after all he'd done for me.

"Wait! Accio!" I shouted, my magic gripping Lodgok's clothing and pulling him towards me, threading through the falling boulders like string through a needle's eye. Once he was by my side I morphed the spell into Wingardium Leviosa so I could carry him without much trouble, even as we teleported out of the mine in an instant.

Some goblins that had been near the surface were fleeing in terror. Luckily they ignored us as I gently set Lodgok on the ground, pulling out a couple vials of Wiggenweld potion while Sebastian set to splinting his injuries with Ferula. The elderly goblin moaned in pain as he struggled to keep the potion down, everything from the waist down not moving as he tried to roll onto his side.

I shook my head and growled in frustration as reality began to set in - thanks to his lapse in judgment, if Ranrok survived his fight with Rookwood and escaped that mine, he now knew where the final repository was and could proceed there with however many of his drilling machines immediately! He could very well beat me to the rest of the ancient magic... my ancient magic! It was mine, damn it! MINE! NOT HIS!

"You idiot," I sighed through my teeth, my anger barely restrained. "What did you think you were doing, coming here alone?! Why did you even have that book on you?!"

"I... was bringing it to you..." Lodgok whimpered. It wasn't a good enough answer for me... this senile little fool had just ruined everything! My chance at taking all this magic for myself, my second chance at power beyond my wildest dreams! I'd been so lucky to even have this second chance, who knew when the next would appear, if ever?! What if I'd lost my opportunity, and I'd never have this chance again?!

But wait... Maybe, by some stroke of luck, Lodgok had read the journal beforehand and could tell me where it was. There was still a chance I could get there first! "Where is it?" I demanded as I grabbed at his lapels. "Where is the final repository?! I need to know! I can't let him beat me there!"

But I got no answer... the elderly goblin's eyes were glazed over, barely conscious. Even a Rennervate wouldn't help him at this point. I let him go and moved away before I lost my temper completely, magic seeping out of my eyes as my fingers curled around an imaginary throat. I snarled and roared in anger, flicking my wand back and forth as I blew up whatever it pointed at. The noise and explosions did little to calm me.

"GodDAMNIT!" I lifted my head and screamed to the heavens.

"S-Sunset..." Sebastian's voice timidly spoke up, cutting through my anger. Even so I whipped around with a growl, my face only falling when I saw his. He seemed genuinely unnerved by my rage, but tried his best to push past it as he stood up from Lodgok's side.

I took a few deep breaths before answering him; even so, my voice snapped. "...What?!"

"I'm... sorry this happened," he flinched. In an instant I regretted my actions, the anger within me dying out like a snuffed candle.

"Shit... sorry, Seb, I didn't mean to-"

"No, I... perfectly understand the feeling. You don't need to apologize to me." He held up a hand in reassurance as he drew close, gently draping his arms around me to banish the last of the fury within my heart. "We do need to get your goblin friend some medical attention, however, if he's going to survive... I'm afraid I've done all I can."

"Ugh..." Part of me wanted to leave him where he lay and let fate take its course. It would serve him right for being so stupid. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

...But I couldn't just do that. The other part of me nagged too loudly... I had to save him. He'd done so much; betrayed his own brother, his own kin to do what was ultimately right, trusted me when he had no reason to. It was because of him that everything had been set in motion, after all... it was because of him I even had this chance at power, as distant as it was fast becoming.

I sighed in resignation.

Besides... it was on the way back to my own path, anyway. The path I was now forced to take.


~


"Fig! Fig!" I shouted as Sebastian and I barreled through the Magic Theory classroom's office doors, carrying Lodgok in our magic. Professor Fig immediately rose from his seat behind his desk.

"What the-?"

"He needs help!" panted Sebastian. "Lodgok needs help!"

"Lodgok...?" Fig's eyes widened in realization before shaking away his stupor. "R-Right. This way, quickly!" Running as fast as he could he led us to the hospital wing, which was thankfully empty of patients. "Nurse Blainey!"

"P-Professor?" the nurse replied as she poked her head out of her office, her eyes widening as we plopped Lodgok onto one of the vacant beds. "O-Oh!"

"I know this may seem like an unorthodox request, but this poor goblin is in dire need of aid!" Fig hastily explained. "Please, Miss Blainey, isn't there something you can do?!" Nurse Blainey stared at Lodgok for a few moments before shaking her head with a groan.

"Damn it Fig, I'm a nurse, not a goblinologist!" she spat as she tied a fresh apron around her uniform, then rapidly began Accioing a dizzying array of bottles and medical instruments from a number of cabinets, neatly arranging them on a metal tray. "Out! Out! Everyone out!"

We obeyed and quickly left the room as curtains of white sheets began surrounding Lodgok's bed. While we waited I explained to Fig everything that had happened, from receiving the goblin's package to the unfortunate revelation that Ranrok now knew where the final repository was.

"Godric's heart," my mentor gasped. "So Ranrok and Lodgok were brothers..."

"And he was bringing the journal to me," I groaned, my anger now at a constant simmer. This was why I had always relied on myself in the past... other ponies just weren't that smart. The old adage "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself" had become my own personal mantra long ago. Not everyone could be as brilliant as me, after all... or Sebastian.

The hospital wing's doors creaked open after about an hour, Nurse Blainey pushing her way through with an exhausted sigh. I grimaced at the sight of her apron, splattered with a good amount of blood and other liquids I couldn't quite recognize.

"Well? How is he?" asked Fig. Blainey slowly dragged her eyes over to him.

"Broken spine, ruptured internal iliac vein, fractured and bruised ribs... but he'll survive. It's a damn good thing goblins are tougher than wizards," she sighed again. "Wouldn't have made it otherwise. Doubt he'll ever be able to walk again, though." Fig and Sebastian shared some sympathetic murmurs while I stared at the floor. As soon as Blainey disappeared back into her office to clean up, I stood up from my seat and turned towards my mentor.

"I need to start that fourth trial," I glowered. "Right now... and I'm not taking no for an answer."
> In Which Our Heroine Tackles the Trial of Ambition (and Sebastian Has Some Questions)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Professor Fig, Sebastian and I hurried to the Map Chamber as quickly as the old man's legs would take him. When we finally burst through the doors I allowed my pace to slow to a power walk, adopting a scowl as the four Keepers moved into their portraits at the noise.

"You four. We need to talk, now," I emphasized coldly. The Keepers turned to face me, but their impassive gazes quickly fell upon Sebastian.

"Ah, your friend," Charles sighed, his lips thin. "Have you returned to... ask for our assistance once again?"

"Our answer still hasn't changed, I'm afraid," Fitzgerald shook her head. "We do not-"

"This isn't about him," I interrupted before Sebastian could respond, his face already twisting into a resentful frown. "The bone I have to pick with you is even bigger than that... Ranrok knows exactly where the last repository is! And unless you guys want a wizard-hating goblin to have access to that much ancient magic, then I need to start that last trial right this second!" The Keepers recoiled in shock, turning and murmuring to each other in low voices.

"This is grave news, indeed," sighed Rackham. "We had hoped for more time to discuss the best path forward."

"You've already had months to discuss the best path forward!" I rolled my eyes. "The world doesn't move at your glacial pace!"

"Ranrok is a monster! We need to know where the final repository is!" pleaded Fig. "He has the last of Bragbor's journals!"

"But... we Obliviated Bragbor!" Bakar recoiled in shock. "He kept journals? Why would he have documented all of this?! He didn't know what we were containing!"

"...What 'we' were containing?" I drawled suspiciously, narrowing my eyes.

"Because thanks to your ridiculous refusal to teach Sunset anything useful about her ancient magic, we had to try to seek out Isidora ourselves!" growled Sebastian. "She told Bragbor about the magic when she commissioned him to create the repositories for her, spoke of the good it could do! We saw her memories!"

"Isidora... left memories for someone to find?" Bakar gasped. "...You know what she did?"

"Yea... she helped her father with his complicated grief!" I retorted. "Just like in Charles' Pensieve... seriously, I don't know why you guys wouldn't be thrilled to explore her research with her! Don't you realize how useful her abilities could have been to so many people?! Even Bragbor agreed with her!"

To my surprise, the Keepers winced and drew in on themselves painfully. Rackham in particular let out a deep sigh.

"...Based on the memories she has seen, I believe Sunset is well aware of the grave circumstances in which we find ourselves," he frowned to the others. Each of them nodded in agreement - I didn't care what his sentence could've possibly meant as an area on the starlit map at my feet suddenly glowed. Wherever it was, it was deep within the Clagmar Coast. "The next trial will involve an exceptional level of magical skill... and a nuanced ability to interact with beasts."

"Is that all?" I grinned, finally satisfied that the final trial was now within my grasp. "Perfect."

"Find a face of stone and tendrils," Rackham continued, pausing for a moment as he gazed pointedly at Sebastian. "I should advise you that you must engage with any beast that is part of the trial... on your own. Professor Bakar will meet you in his Pensieve room."

"Yea, yea, whatever... let's go," I motioned to Sebastian and Fig, already headed for the closest exit from the castle. They jogged after me, only daring to speak after we'd exited the chamber.

"An exceptional level of magical skill? Nuanced ability to interact with beasts?" Fig hummed to himself in thought.

"And a face of stone and tendrils... ah, I believe I know of the area the map was indicating," Sebastian snapped his fingers. "There's a shallow cave near Bainburgh, just past Marunweem on the Cragcroft Shore. A bust of a graphorn was sculpted into the rock there long ago, and nobody knows who created it."

"Honestly, what would I do without you?" I smiled at him appreciatively, catching the slight blush on his cheeks. "Can you Apparate us close by?" Sebastian nodded with confidence.


~


We Apparated to Bainburgh, then traveled for another half-hour by broom in search of the cave - well, Fig had a flying carpet to sit on rather than a broomstick, as it was far easier on him and his old bones. A couple of signs helpfully pointed out the landmark to us, as it was apparently a somewhat-famous curiosity among the locals.

The cave was more like a crater in the surrounding hills, flanked by tall stone walls. The graphorn sculpture, covered in freshly-sprouted ivy, was far larger than I expected: at least thirty feet tall in addition to being twenty feet off the ground. In the shadow of the sculpture were three flat, stone circles carved into the ground, each with an outline of a beast etched in the center. The largest in the middle was of the Graphorn, while the one to its right bore a resemblance to a Hippogriff, and the one on the right was an image of a Unicorn.

"...I believe I know what must be done," Fig mouthed after we'd examined the carvings for a few minutes.

"What'cha thinkin'?"

"This is a carving of a graphorn... and the images carved into the ground lead me to believe that not only a graphorn, but a hippogriff and a unicorn will somehow open the way forward," he explained patiently.

"Ah... so that's what Professor Rackham meant when a 'nuanced ability to interact with beasts' was required," nodded Sebastian.

"Makes sense to me," I hummed, considering the task at hand. Poppy had Highwing, and I was sure I could talk her into borrowing the hippogriff for a few minutes, but where was I gonna find a graphorn and a unicorn around here?

"It would seem so... I do know that the last of a long dynasty of graphorns lives nearby," said Fig.

"It does?" I blinked. That's extremely convenient.

"They call him 'The Lord of the Shore'," my mentor nodded once. "I suspect you'll need to bring him here... what happens next, I can't say."

"...Bring him here?" I blinked again. If memory served me correctly, graphorns were gigantic, lumbering beasts that rivaled the size of some dragons back in Equestria, and equally as temperamental. "Uh... any advice you might have for me on how to do that? Have you ever subdued a graphorn before?"

"I have, yes," Fig replied almost fondly. "Years ago, at Stonehenge, of all places... the Ministry still owes me for that favor. It can be difficult, of course - they are massive, after all - but it's not impossible. It's my experience that many spells will have no real effect... you'll need to wear him down."

"...I have to beat the crap out of it?" I blinked thrice with a grimace.

"For lack of a better explanation... yes."

"Oh," I frowned in distaste. I had researched Professor Bakar before in my search for information on ancient magic; he had been a Beasts professor. It kind of... really rubbed me the wrong way that this was how I was supposed to complete his trial. I didn't want to hurt the poor creature, even if it could take the punishment. "Well... alright. Do you know where he might have his lair?"

"I have heard it is near the remains of a large sea creature," replied Fig. "Now, Professor Rackham made it clear that you must engage with any beast that is part of the trial on your own... but I do believe that stopping Ranrok is a far more important task than completing the trial to the letter of the law. I shall return to Hogwarts and see if I can borrow the required hippogriff and unicorn from Professor Howin."

"Awesome," I grinned, thankful that my mentor was as willing to bend rules as I was. I had a better idea about how to get the hippogriff involved, however. "You don't need to bother with the hippogriff, though, I... believe I saw a couple sunning themselves on a nearby hill when we were on the way here," I fabricated.

"Very well. Good luck, Sunset," he nodded before Apparating away with a pop.

"Did you? I figured you were just going to go fetch Poppy and Highwing," Sebastian shrugged.

"That's exactly what I was thinking of doing," I replied. "Just thought she would like as few people as possible to know about her hippogriff, ya know?"

"Excellent point... would you like me to go fetch her, then?"

"Would you? But do try not to reveal the real nature of this trial to her, it'd just take way too long to explain right now. Oh, and ask if she knows of any unicorns... it's a longshot, but if anyone would be friends with one, it'd be her."

"Of course. Be back in a flash," he smirked, just before teleporting away. I chuckled to myself over his silly pun and sat down to wait, trusting him to come up with a good enough... alternate reason for them to accompany him back while thinking of the best way to catch myself this graphorn.

Something that hopefully didn't involve a concerning amount of animal abuse.


~


About twenty minutes later Sebastian returned in a flash of light, with Poppy beside him atop Highwing. The hippogriff reared up and squawked in surprise at her new surroundings, but calmed down quickly as Poppy stroked her neck.

"There, there, it's alright," she cooed, sliding off her back. "Hello, Sunset... so what's this all about?"

"Good to see I could tear you away from Natty for a while," I smirked as I stood up, gesturing to the carvings behind me. "So there's this... puzzle here that we want to solve. We need a hippogriff to stand over there, and there's a graphorn roaming around nearby that we can have stand in the middle. We also need a unicorn... you wouldn't happen to have one of those at your beck and call, would you?"

"Ah, sorry..." Poppy rubbed the back of her head. "I've seen plenty of them in the Forbidden Forest, though... and there's Horace and Clarabelle in the pens back at Hogwarts."

Damn. "I see... alright, that's okay," I shrugged. "Well, now that you're here... wanna help us find the graphorn? He's supposed to be near the remains of a large sea creature, so I figured we could just fly up and down the coastline until we found it."

"Ooh! I would love to!" her eyes lit up. Considering Poppy's love for fawning over beasts that could kill her in less than a second, this was certainly payback enough for letting me use Highwing for whatever purpose she'd need to serve.

"Great. Let's start looking." Sebastian and I grabbed our brooms from our pocket dimensions as Poppy got back on Highwing, and we took off into the sky together. From our vantage point I could just barely see what looked like the ribcage of a Dragon Lord on the horizon, and waved for my companions to follow me. We landed not even five minutes later.

I wondered what creature could possibly have a barrel that wide...  the ribs dwarfed even the largest sea serpent, horned serpent or kelpie ever recorded in our Beasts textbook. It could've been a blue whale, perhaps, but even then it'd have to be twice the size of a full-grown adult.

"You don't suppose the Lord of the Shore felled this massive creature?" Sebastian whistled as he stared up at the tips of the ribcage.

"Graphorns aren't that big... it's more likely this beast washed up on the shore some time ago, and it's been feeding off the carcass ever since," replied Poppy.

"This thing must be huge, then," I frowned. "Uh... I don't suppose you've ever tried taming a graphorn before, Poppy? Is there any... nice way to go about it? Maybe they have a favorite food, or if you scratch them in a certain spot behind their ears-"

"Oh no, you'll have to beat him in a fair fight," Poppy shook her head. "Graphorns are terribly vicious and impervious to most spells, but if you do manage to defeat one in battle it will generally come to respect you and yield, accepting you as its superior."

Damn it. "Really? But I don't really... want to hurt the thing," I sighed.

"Believe me, if I knew any other way of subduing one of those, I would happily tell you," she shrugged. Suddenly the ground began to shake with heavy footsteps - Highwing cawed and reared up, requiring Poppy to shush and calm her down again.

And a few seconds later, the owner of those footsteps made himself known. The Lord of the Shore definitely lived up to his name - this graphorn had to be twenty feet tall at the shoulder, and twice the length with a hunched, muscular back. Its purple-gray skin glistened with mud and moisture, from beneath which glinted its golden horns the size of a horse. Its muzzle was a mass of thick, prehensile tentacles, dripping with what I hoped was just drool and not blood. As soon as it saw me, the grand beast's body glowed a bright orange from within, and its tentacles flapped as it unleashed a loud, deep bellow from its throat.

"...Do you really have to fight this thing all by yourself?!" scoffed Sebastian as even he took a few steps back.

"That's what I was trying to avoid," I muttered, swallowing. I began waving him and Poppy away to safety. "Get back... I'll be alright."

"Are you sure?" Poppy whimpered, despite her awe-stricken expression. I only nodded in reply; reluctantly the two retreated to a safe distance as the graphorn approached. I went over my strategy once more in my mind, hoping to Celestia that it wasn't immune to what I had planned.

The Lord of the Shore began to quicken his pace, breaking out into a trot. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, summoning up the ancient magic within me, letting it flow throughout my body. Blue-white light began to shine from my eyes as I reopened them, the graphorn now running towards me at full speed.

I focused on my spell; as I pointed my wand at the beast's forehead, the light shifted from two colors to three.

"Imperio!"

The green sclera of my eyes flashed brightly, matching the small but intense light that shot from my wand and struck the beast between the eyes. His eyes suddenly glowed green, and his thundering footsteps quickly ground to a halt. Soon he stood only ten feet away from me, waiting patiently as I calmly closed the distance.

It wasn't like the Unforgivables were unforgivable against animals, after all. Was it really so bad to use this curse when it would prevent a needless fight? I never wanted to harm the poor thing. Controlling his mind instead would let me use him for my purposes without the need for beating him into submission first... which seemed much more like the "right" thing to do.

Hell, it wasn't even really controlling his mind, per se... more like giving him gentle suggestions on what to do. I sure wasn't telling him to get on his hind legs and start dancing or anything cruel like that. The graphorn offered no resistance, lowering himself to the ground and extending a single muzzle tentacle towards my hand as if to kindly shake it in greeting.

"Well... that spell got my attention," remarked Sebastian as he and Poppy cautiously approached. I turned to explain myself to Poppy, but to my surprise she didn't seem the least bit aghast at my choice of spell. She regarded me as simply as though I'd just conjured the beast a treatsie-treat instead.

"I see someone's not afraid of the Dark Arts."

"Wait... you're not horrified I just used an Unforgivable?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I've seen all three of them being cast plenty of times before. The shock wore off for me long ago," she casually waved a hand. "And I can understand why you chose to use that spell on the graphorn, this way there's no need for a fight!" Well, that was quite the pleasant surprise, I could definitely appreciate such open-mindedness in a friend. Maybe Poppy and I weren't quite so dissimilar after all.

"I... yea," I replied, a small smile forming on my face as she beamed. "You understand perfectly!"

"...You what?!" Sebastian took a step back from her.

"Long story," I replied to him. "Anyway, I've got myself a graphorn... let's get him to that cave while the spell holds."


~


The trip back to the carvings was three times as long as the trip to the carcass, but far more enjoyable. Sebastian and I rode atop the graphorn's back as Poppy flew beside us on Highwing, laughing excitedly as the beast waddled and lurched down the roads. We passed by a couple of leftover poacher camps that seemingly hadn't gotten the message their boss had been arrested - Poppy gave me the idea to send the graphorn through their camps and trample everyone inside, which worked beautifully. While Sebastian could appreciate their screams of terror as they were squashed underfoot, he couldn't help but side-eye Poppy after that.

Finally we arrived back at the shallow cave. I gently guided the graphorn to stand in the largest circle in the middle, the carvings of which began to glow with blue-white light as it stepped on top. Seeing this, Poppy guided Highwing over to the hippogriff carving, which also began to glow.

"That's two beasts down," offered Sebastian, sliding off the graphorn's back. "Now what about that unicorn?"

"I guess we'll have to wait for Fig to come back with one of the unicorns from the castle pens," I shrugged, dismounting as well.

"I fear you'll be waiting a while," frowned Poppy. "The materials one can collect from a unicorn are highly valuable, so Professor Howin treats the school's unicorns as though they were qilin, she hardly ever lets them out of her sight. Professor Fig will need a grand excuse to convince her to let him borrow one."

"Oh..." I cringed, suddenly worried this trial would take a lot longer to complete than I'd hoped. And I needed to finish it as fast as possible if I was going to somehow get to the final repository before Ranrok. I glanced over to Sebastian, who could only offer me a sympathetic shrug.

Merlin, was I getting sick of hurrying up and waiting! My entire body felt like it was twitching for action as I stupidly stood there, my ears pining for the faintest pop to ring out.

But all I heard was the wind rustling through the cracks in the stone all around us.

...

...

...

...Wait a minute.

My eyes drifted to my wand... my horn.

My old unicorn horn.

I turned it over in my hand a few times, wondering if it was just crazy enough to work.

I was a human now, but... I was a Unicorn back in Equestria. And I still had a few pony-like mannerisms...

...

...

...

...I swallowed nervously. This would come awfully close to revealing my true self to the both of them, if it worked. Poppy would probably be elated to figure out that I was actually a pony, but Sebastian...

...

...

...

...No. Our relationship would survive this revelation. I knew it without a doubt in my mind. And I desperately wanted to get to that final repository and claim all that ancient magic, my ancient magic, for myself. If I wanted to do that, then I had to beat Ranrok there.

I had to complete the trial.

I took a deep breath and strode to the final circle with the unicorn carving, staring down at it for a moment before stepping inside. To my relief and to my terror, the carving lit up with the same blue-white light.

"What the-?" Sharp as he was, Sebastian noticed immediately, but the ground began to shake before he could form a full sentence. The light from the circles traced themselves up the cliffsides in arcane spirals, and the graphorn carving's eyes began to glow as well. The light seeped out from every crack, every chiseled groove in the old sculpture, draining down to the space below it and melting into the stone until it formed a doorway. It formed a spiral shape that split apart with a loud crack, shards of rock blowing past us as it revealed a hidden cave within.

Highwing reared up from the noise in a panic, screeching loudly. "It's alright, Highwing, please calm down!" Poppy soothed as she struggled to keep the hippogriff from flying off.

"...It worked." I let out a breathless chuckle as I stepped towards the cave. I could see the looming statue of Bakar and his Pensieve all the way from here. That likely meant I didn't need Highwing or the Lord of the Shore any longer.

I turned back towards the graphorn, still standing there impassively. I gave him a mental command to return to his home, and as he turned and walked away I let my hold over his mind break. Feeling our connection being severed was much like being hit in the face with an invisible pillow.

Then I turned towards Poppy with an appreciative smirk. "Thanks, Poppy, the puzzle's been solved. You can come in if you want, but... I kinda don't think the end goal will make much sense to you."

"Don't worry about it," she huffed in exertion, trying to get the hippogriff beneath her back under control. "That explosion really frightened Highwing... I think we'll be returning to Hogwarts if you don't need us any longer, she'll feel a lot more at ease when we leave this place." I gave her a confident nod, and she clicked at her mount to order her into the air. A few flaps of her powerful wings later, both Highwing and Poppy had left.

"Well? Professor Bakar's waiting for us." I looked back to Sebastian, who was still staring at me in confusion.

"But... h-how did you...? You're not... I thought we needed a unicorn to open the way forward..." he stammered as he followed after me.

"Uh, I dunno," I shrugged helplessly, my mind racing for an appropriate coverup. I glanced down at my wand and hoped it would be enough. "Maybe I tricked it somehow... my wand is a whole-arse unicorn horn, after all."

"I... well, I suppose that might explain it, but... i-it's only a single part of a unicorn! Surely the trial would've required an entire live unicorn to open the way to the Pensieve chamber?"

"Like I said, I have no idea. The velvet on the horn is still alive... maybe that was enough to count?"

"Perhaps, but- ...oh, never mind," he finally sighed as we entered the cave, shaking his head in defeat. "Merlin, magic is so strange sometimes." He remained silent as we walked down a long hallway to the other end of the chamber, the gears in his head clearly smoking as he tried to make sense of what he'd seen. Upon reaching the end I saw Bakar's portrait to the right, overlooking his statue and Pensieve.

"Perhaps Professor Rackham was right to have had faith in you," he remarked as we drew near, regarding us with a look of suspicion.

"He was. I did it all by myself, too," I groused, jutting a thumb back in the direction of the entrance. Something told me that the sarcasm would fly right over his head.

"I still have my reservations," Bakar sneered. "Isidora, as you will see, was not who she seemed... I can only hope that you are. My memories should answer any questions you may have about the power you will need to protect." I bristled at his tone and glared as he left his portrait, but couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that accusation against Isidora.

Just why were they all so against her use of ancient magic? Why were they so adamant against learning something new about their rare ability?

We walked quietly towards the statue and the Pensieve. The glowing light formed along its eyelid and gathered in the inner canthus, dripping down into the waiting basin. Something was spit out from the liquid within, which I instantly recognized to be the other half of the cherry wood wand. With all four of these wand pieces in my possession, they could now be assembled and used for... whatever came next.

"Fascinating... I wonder what we're going to see," Sebastian mumbled. We dipped our faces into the Pensieve at the same time, and I felt its familiar pull through the dark mist.

When it finally cleared, we found ourselves outside Isidora's manor on a moonlit night. Bakar was slowly approaching the front door, one hand behind his back as the other gripped a shimmering moonflower. He wore a gentle smile on his face... suddenly my instincts were telling me that perhaps he and Isidora had once been rather close.

But as he reached the front door, the smile on his face fell away. The flower dropped from his hand in favor of his wand, holding it at the ready as he pushed the ajar door fully open. "Hello? Isidora?" he called out cautiously, but there was no response.

Sebastian and I shared a glance as we followed him in. Bakar walked carefully and quietly as he examined his surroundings, jumping in surprise as his foot accidentally kicked an empty glass jar on the floor. Watching it roll away, I noticed the thin, lace-like metal intricately woven inside.

...One of Isidora's prototype repositories?

The jar rolled towards a chair facing the dying fireplace, nearly nothing but embers from inattention. At first I thought it was just padding and cushions, but the silhouette was unmistakable - Isidora's father was sitting in the chair. He was facing away from Bakar, who jumped again as he realized his presence.

"Oh... Mr. Morganach," he sighed in relief. But the old man didn't acknowledge him, nor did he even move a muscle. Instead he just sat there, still as a statue. Bakar apprehensively tiptoed towards him, his hand shaking as he placed it gently on his shoulder.

"...M-Mr. Morganach...?"

The old man finally shifted in his seat, prompting Bakar to let go. He slowly turned to face him...

...His eyes were empty. It was as though he had become a living Inferi, it was as though his entire essence, his being... his soul had been removed. Sebastian and I both gasped at the sight as Bakar recoiled in terror, unable to drag his eyes away from the soulless face.

But he eventually did, and he stumbled as he ran from the house as fast as he could.

Mist clouded my vision, and the scene changed. Now Bakar was walking quickly and purposefully into Professor Rackham's office in Hogwarts. The elder Keeper seemed deeply worried about something, speaking in hushed whispers.

"San... I'm glad you're here."

"Isidora was not at her home," Bakar frowned, fidgeting nervously with his hands.

"I know," the Seer replied.

"But her father... oh, Percival..."

"What is it?"

"...It is as though he was stripped not only of his pain, but of all emotion," he answered. A quiet hum escaped my throat in surprise - what reason would Isidora have to use the ancient magic on her father again? Why would she remove all of her father's emotions? She was perfectly successful in removing his emotional pain the first time!

Then I remembered Fitzgerald's memory... Isidora had inhaled the little wisp of emotional pain she'd extracted from her, seemingly drunk on the power it gave her. Had she now grown fully addicted? Did she leach too much from him?

"Everything is much worse than I feared," sighed Rackham as he moved from behind his desk. "Niamh was right... Isidora hasn't stopped. I have just learned that she has been wielding that magic on students!" A creeping dread rolled down my spine as Bakar recoiled in shock, his mouth opening and closing uselessly as he tried to think.

"...We must gather the others," he finally said. Rackham nodded curtly in agreement, and the two men briskly left the office.

The scene changed again, and this time Sebastian and I gasped loudly. We found ourselves in what appeared to be a massive cavern deep underground, atop a thin walkway of stone and enchanted metal high above the ground. At the end of the walkway was a gargantuan orb of twisted metal pulsing with blue-white light, contained within a tornado-shaped cage of jagged stone. The cavern was dimly lit by lanterns shaped like swirls... lanterns I had seen many times before...

...In the castle.

This was it.

This had to be the final repository.

And all along, it was right beneath my own feet.

The four Keepers stalked down the walkway with their wands drawn, quickly coming upon a Hogwarts student approaching from the opposite direction. Judging from the hat and the colors of her uniform, she was a first-year Hufflepuff. Bakar was the first to rush forward and grab her around the shoulders, seemingly breaking her out of a daze.

"I need you to return to your common room, alright?" he asked in an almost begging tone. The student nodded wordlessly and hurried down the walkway, leaving the Keepers to continue forward. As they drew near, I saw the orb of goblin silver twisting and spiraling within another, moving almost like it had a life of its own.

Even though this was merely a memory... I could feel the warmth caressing my skin. I could hear its whispers in my ears. The power within so desperately wanted to be unleashed.

The Keepers halted their advance as I saw movement from behind the repository. Isidora stepped out from the shadows, her eyes wild and her smile deranged.

"What have you done?" Rackham breathed as she raised her hands in exultation.

"Take a breath..." she droned dreamily. But the eldest Keeper wasn't having any of it.

"Students, Isidora?" he breathed in disappointment.

"Everyone feels pain... and why?" she asked as her expression hardened. "Because of your arrogance... your obsession with secrets. They won't suffer any longer... not my father, not my students... no one."

"Isidora... set down your wand," Rackham warned as the Keepers each took one step forward.

"Professor, you taught me to hone my power, not throw it away!"

"...I did not teach you this."

He struck first with Expelliarmus. In a flash of red light Isidora effortlessly blocked the Disarming Charm, shaking her head as she realized they were going to try to stop her at any cost. Her wand burned with crimson as she flung an augmented Bombarda at the Keepers, the spell flying so fast I could barely keep track of it myself. The spell exploded with such force it sent all of them backwards, tumbling uncontrollably along the sharp ground for several feet. Headmistress Fitzgerald in particular flew the furthest, the back of her head slapping against a wall of stone. She rolled limply onto her side, unconscious as her wand fell from her hand.

Rackham stared in horror of his fallen colleague as he and Bakar stood back up. He covered the latter as he stumbled towards Fitzgerald, keeping Isidora's attention by firing a jet of Incendio at her. Isidora smirked as she simply cast her own to counter his, the blue-hot flames easily engulfing his as she boldly stepped closer. By this point Charles had recovered, and joined in the attack with an arcing bolt of lightning from his wand.

But Isidora's Incendio blocked this, too. Her eyes narrowed as she moved ever closer, the force of her spell pushing the others back as it absorbed their power. The heat began to singe the ends of Rackham's beard and Charles' cap, and I could see them both gulp in fear as they realized they were clearly outmatched.

Off to the side and seemingly ignored, Bakar sighed in relief as his hand fell from Fitzgerald's neck. He glanced back towards Isidora and the others, seemingly in disbelief that it had all come down to this.

His features hardened after a moment's fleeting thought. He blinked uncomfortably as he raised his wand, eyes narrowing in focus...

...And what happened next sickened me more than anything I had ever witnessed in my life. His eyes glowed green as his wand flashed with crackling jade lightning.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Without hesitation he fired the Killing Curse at Isidora, striking her in the chest. The light died from her eyes as she took her last breath, her mouth twisted into a grotesque smile as she collapsed to the ground. Rackham and Charles stared in shock at Bakar, then at Isidora's corpse as a storm of emotions roiled over his face.

Relief.

Guilt.

Disgust.

Sorrow.

Eventually he turned away to render aid to Fitzgerald, who weakly stirred. Charles joined him, sighing in relief as he too realized she was still alive. Rackham, in the meantime, stumbled over to Isidora instead, kneeling down by her side. He picked up her still-warm wand and examined it as I felt myself being pulled from the memory, back into reality.

...

...

...

What...

What the hell...?

What in the absolute, god-forsaken hell were they thinking?!

A rage darker and more high-minded than I had ever felt before boiled within my heart, coursing down my veins and heating my entire body until it burned. They didn't even try to understand what she was doing, but just immediately jumped to conclusions like fools, like... like a pony! A simple, stupid, infuriating pony!

I tried to push past my revulsion and think critically about what I'd seen, how Isidora had advanced her research to the point she was helping her students with their emotional pain... but the Keepers saw it as falling into the depths of depravity. How did they know that Hufflepuff student hadn't asked for her help, hadn't asked her to remove their pain?!

But I also couldn't ignore the emptiness in Isidora's father's eyes. Did she really remove all of his emotions, was that really the reason why he'd wound up like that? It only begged the question... why? Why would she do that to her own father? My previous thoughts on the possible side effects of removing emotional pain returned, and I wondered which, if any, of them were sound theories.

Or... maybe Isidora really had become addicted to the power inhaling the negative emotions gave her. Maybe she'd gone overboard and drained her father dry when the cravings became too much. Maybe it was then that she turned to her students for her fix.

But unless I could get her portrait repaired I would never know the truth... the Keepers had seen to that all too well. Refusing to help and learn alongside her, telling her that trying to do more with her ancient magic was wrong, hiding her research from the world... and it had all culminated in Bakar outright murdering her! "Keepers", indeed... keep all these secrets to ourselves, keep the rest of the wizarding world ignorant of magic that could improve the lives of millions, keep your mind stagnant and never improve on your own abilities, and keep your damn mouth shut or else!

"My god..." Sebastian breathed, wide-eyed as he stumbled backwards from the Pensieve. I looked over to him, simultaneously wanting to say something, anything to him... but also far too furious to speak. My entire body trembled as I tried my hardest to contain the anger within me, to stop myself from running back to Bakar's portrait and destroying it in a blaze of fire. Let's see how he likes being erased from history when he had his chance to claim his place!

A distant rushing noise entered my ears. When I looked again, swirls of light appeared on the wall... a portal back to the Map Chamber had appeared opposite of Bakar's empty portrait. Taking one last breath to compose myself I trudged slowly towards it, Sebastian following close behind me.

I almost couldn't bring myself to cross the threshold... I couldn't promise I wouldn't just start screaming and accusing them all of murder and treachery. They never really intended for me to learn ancient magic from them... not in the way a teacher was meant to teach their student. They would only stifle my ideas and desire to learn until I was browbeaten into doing as I was told, and I was far too proud for that, far too hungry for knowledge and advancement to settle for anything less. I would rather learn how to use the magic on my own, without any help or guidance.

But I had to know what to do next. I had to know how to get to the repository beneath Hogwarts. And unfortunately, I would likely need their assistance, their "permission" to access it.

I desperately squeezed his hand as we walked through.

These Keepers had much to answer for.


~


"Ah, you have returned... and rather quickly, I might say," Charles commented as soon as we stepped out of the portal and onto the black starlit map on the floor. Sebastian gazed upwards at them with barely an expression on his face, while I couldn't bring myself to look at them.

"Never underestimate the capabilities of a Hogwarts student," Fitzgerald raised her head proudly.

"I suspect the both of you have seen Bakar's memories? You must have many questions," said Rackham.

"I... er..." Sebastian trailed off as he glanced at me, unable to form a full thought. My fists tightened at my sides.

"Now you have seen the truth for yourself... and now you see why this magic must be protected at all costs," said Bakar. "The risk it poses to others is too great to see it unleashed upon the world."

Something deep inside me snapped when my brain registered the slightly smug tone of his voice. My first words were barely a whisper.

"...Ignorant fools."

"What?" Rackham blinked, leaning closer as though the constraints of his portrait would allow for it. I could only speak through tightly-clenched teeth, my words seething out like magma in a volcano, the billowing pressure about to make it blow its top.

"You... you killed her... you killed her... you k-killed her..."

"Miss Shimmer," Fitzgerald spoke up, seemingly the only one showing any amount of concern. But my words gradually grew in volume until I could control myself no longer.

"Her blood is on your hands... all four of you! You killed her for your own mistakes!" I snarled. The Keepers were taken aback by my outburst; I could already see Charles and Bakar's faces twist in anger at being called out, and Fitzgerald let out a mournful sigh. Rackham, on the other hand, remained impassive.

"Sunset-"

"How dare you call yourselves professors?!" I shrieked angrily. "Your duty to the world is to research magic and enlighten your fellow wizards and the next generation, not censor new knowledge and murder anyone who tries to learn more about it themselves! You monsters are like the Solar Inquisition from the history books of my own home; so content to wallow in your own ignorance, so afraid of the possibility that your 'perfect' way of thinking might've been wrong all along!"

"Silence, child!" demanded Charles. "What gives you the right to lecture your elders?!"

"Shut up!" I roared, hurling my wand at him like it was a massive index finger. "It's your fault she had to resort to the measures she took, because all of you refused to help her! All of you refused to guide her when she asked for assistance, all of you turned your backs on her because she dared to dream of using her magic to benefit the world! It could have helped so many people... wars, famine, plagues, any situation where there was unfathomable loss!"

"Ancient magic is not to be used in such a careless fashion!" argued Bakar, shaking his head fanatically. "I understand what you're saying: I, too, once considered the possibilities it may have... all of us have! But the world simply wasn't ready for such revelations during our time... it is likely still not ready in yours!"

"Careless?" I laughed. "Is that really what you think it would be to reveal this magic to the world?! Well news flash, you old farts: times change! There have been incredible discoveries in both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds since any of you were still alive, and those could have been even greater if wizardkind knew about ancient magic! My people collaborate with each other, combine their accumulated knowledge... we have entire cities on clouds and total control of the weather, but the world out here does not! And all because of people, of cowards like you who refuse to understand that the march of progress is eternal and inevitable! This magic was meant to be unleashed!"

"Not at the cost of so many soulless bodies, so many empty husks!" Fitzgerald shook her head in horror. "What she was doing was unthinkable! She was performing experiments on living human beings!"

"So? Someone always has to be the first human test subject. You can't just experiment on rats and pests forever!"

"Enough!" Rackham finally barked, stunning his colleagues into silence. I wanted to argue further, but closed my mouth as he turned his gaze onto me. "Regardless of what you believe, and regardless of what you think of our actions, it is foolish to quarrel about it now. The past cannot be changed... and we have more pressing matters at hand."

It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about, and another moment to will away my frustration at the subject being changed... but he was right. I was in the middle of a race against time and luck, I couldn't afford to get into a likely fruitless dispute at the moment. "...Right, the final repository. I saw it was in the caverns beneath Hogwarts... but it seemed to be very deep underground," I put a hand to my chin in thought.

"It is... you see, we could not destroy the strands of emotion Isidora had stolen from so many, so we did all that we could to keep them safe," said Rackham. "We also realized that until they could be destroyed, the magic used to create them was a danger to wizardkind. Hence, we became Keepers... Keepers of an unfathomable secret. We knew that some day, one with the ability to see traces of ancient magic might be seduced by its power. We built the trials to lead that person to us... to allow them to prove themselves worthy of the knowledge we'd kept hidden, and the responsibility that accompanies it."

"And I've proven myself several times over," I glowered. "I'm ready to take on the responsibility... this power is my birthright! Besides," my mouth shifted into a sinister grin, "the way I see it, you don't have much of a choice. Either I get to the final repository first... or Ranrok does."

"Indeed..." Rackham bitterly sighed. "...Very well."

"But Professor!" Bakar gasped angrily. "She will certainly release the magic we've labored for decades - centuries - to keep sealed away! She does not deserve such power!" I bristled at his words, growing even more furious with him for suggesting such a stupid notion. But he was silenced with a wave of the elder Keeper's hand.

"And neither does this Ranrok. If he gains the magic from this repository as well... I foresee only death, and the destruction of the wizarding world as we know it." The Keepers were silent for a few moments as the gravity of their choice weighed upon them.

"It would seem our hands are tied," Fitzgerald's lips thinned as she nodded grimly. Receiving no further resistance from Charles or Bakar, Rackham exhaled uncomfortably as he turned back towards me.

"...The repository is protected by powerful ancient magic. To enter, you must craft a special wand from the four artifacts you found above our Pensieves."

"Powerful ancient magic, huh? Except Ranrok has a hefty bit of it himself," I grumbled.

"Yes... I fear that if he is, as you suspect, capable of using the power of the other repository, then he will be able to breach our defenses."

"Craft a special wand? Then we'll need to head to Ollivander's in Hogsmeade immediately," Sebastian commented to me. "There's no better wandmaker in the country."

"Another Ollivander? I am not surprised," Rackham acknowledged him. "As I am sure he will tell you, this wand may be used for only one purpose. Return with the wand, and we will open the way forward."

"You'd better," I hissed under my breath as I whipped around and headed for the exit. I didn't want to spend another second listening to them talk more than I had to. Sebastian walked alongside me quietly, evidently still thinking about all he had seen in the past few minutes.

"They were considering not allowing you into the caverns," he spoke eventually, shivering. "I'm glad they came to their senses in that regard."

"Just goes to show how short-sighted those idiots were," I snorted. "They don't deserve to keep any of that power to themselves any longer, not when they're so willing to let that knowledge wither and die instead of grow and flourish! I can't stand it... and look what they did to Isidora for trying to share it with others."

"I... Honestly, I'm not sure what to think," he shook his head with a sigh. "There has to be an explanation for what we saw. She was only trying to help her father in the beginning, I just can't believe that Isidora would drain all of his emotions from him like that. And what they say she did to her students..."

"It's unsettling, I know, but unless that portrait of hers can be fixed we'll never know for sure," I shook my head. "I can't believe they just... killed her like that, without even letting her try to explain herself."

"It's always sounded as though they were hiding something... holding back from you," he said. "But if the reason why is because it all went terribly wrong..." I hummed in thought as he trailed off.

What if the same thing happened to me when I took all of that ancient magic for myself? What if I could no longer control myself, what if I let the power go to my head? I might have all that magic under my command, but if I did something stupid with it like, say, immediately try to take over the country or something... well, I might be able to decimate an army or two before eventually being taken down. But full-blown wars like that tended to destroy everything that a would-be conqueror wanted from a country in the first place.

Now that I was thinking about it... what would I do with this power once I'd taken it? Ever since the trial involving Celestia's lesson, I hadn't really given it any thought. At first I wanted to return to Equestria and rub it in her face, and demand she let me rule the country... well, on my own, if I was being honest. Sure, I'd offer to rule it with her side by side, but... back then I was still furious with her. I would've stabbed her in the back and banished her to some far-flung celestial object the first chance I got, just to tear out her heart as she had torn out mine.

But now... now I wasn't sure. I wanted that immense repository of beautiful, tantalizing, intoxicating ancient magic for myself, but... I didn't want to lose control like Isidora might have. Nothing good ever came from letting something that powerful control you instead. My will had grown strong over the years as a result of taking all those precautions against the seductive influence of Equestrian Dark magic, but for this, it had to be iron-clad.

Yes... I could do it. I can do it.

I will do it.

"...Whatever it is, I'll just have to stay in control of the magic. And I know I can control it... I'm not stopping now, not when I'm so close." Sebastian glanced over to me, still concerned at first but pushing it aside to give a determined nod.

"If it helps, I truly believe you deserve this power... all of it. And I believe you can wield it." I smiled at him gratefully, feeling my heart warm to see him smile back.

"Thank you." The muscles in my face relaxed, no longer screaming in pain from being twisted in anger.

At least there were some people in the world who believed in me... who didn't doubt my greatness. Knowing he in particular believed in me, though, was all the encouragement I needed.

"We should find Fig first. Let him know we've finished the trial, and that we need to have a wand crafted as quickly as possible."


~


We ran straight for the Beasts pens. I cried out for my mentor as I saw him walking dejectedly away from the stable where Professor Howin kept the school's unicorns. Fig jumped in surprise at my voice and jogged over to meet us.

"Sunset? You've both returned... have you completed the trial already? How did you-"

"That's not important right now!" I shook my hands. "The final repository is in the caverns beneath Hogwarts! And that means Ranrok's probably gonna show up real soon with his entire army, to try to drill beneath the school to get to it!"

"Underneath... Godric's heart," Fig gasped, his face paling in an instant. "Hogwarts sits atop multiple cave systems... that monster will destroy the entire castle if he's successful!"

"But before we can access the caverns, we need to get to Ollivander's and have him craft a special wand for Sunset," said Sebastian. "It's the only way through all of the ancient magic protections on the castle and the surrounding grounds."

"I see... Then you'd better leave right away," his lips thinned as his eyes swept back and forth in rapid thought. "Whilst the both of you are visiting him, I'll ensure the safety of our goblin guest and reach out to Professor Weasley."

"Professor Weasley?" I parroted back in surprise.

"Yes... I may have made an error in judgment by not informing her of Ranrok's intentions earlier," he looked away guiltily. "I only hope it's not too late... if that terrible goblin really is going to try to drill below Hogwarts, we'll need all the help we can get."

Suddenly the images of my friends flashed through my mind; though the castle was largely empty of students now that it was the Easter break, Natty, Poppy and Ominis were still inside. Sebastian and I could definitely handle whatever Ranrok threw at us, but the three of them...

...No, don't start with that, Sunset. If you get this done fast enough, you won't need to defend them from much at all.

"Alright... then we'll be back as soon as we can," I nodded. "Hopefully before anything happens." And so we went our separate ways, all three of us running as fast as we could. As soon as I was outside the castle walls I grabbed Sebastian's hand and teleported us to Hogsmeade.

Ranrok will not get to the final repository before I do. He's not gonna get the chance to steal that ancient magic, not when it would only bring destruction and subjugation in his hands.

No... It belongs to the world...

...It belongs to me.
> In Which Sebastian Learns the Truth, and Sunset Gets Her Wish (part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took no time at all for Sebastian and I to find Ollivander's wand shop. A small bell rang with a pleasant chime as we walked inside, finding the man in question tending to his shelves stuffed so full of wand boxes they were all tilted and bowing from their weight. He was elderly with a tonsure of bushy white hair sticking out like a halo around his head, attached to his beard with equally-fluffy mutton chops and a mustache. He also wore large spectacles that magnified his eyes and made them appear larger than they really were, and was dressed neatly in a dusty mauve and dark gray suit.

"Hello, you're Ollivander, right?" I asked quickly.

"I am... how may I help you two?"

"Good, good, I have a bit of an odd request for you," I said as I dug through my pocket dimension for the four artifacts and held them out to him. "How fast do you think you can put this wand together?"

"Oh... my," Ollivander breathed as he took the items and examined them. "How extraordinary... remarkable design!"

"Can you do it? We need this wand assembled as quickly as possible," Sebastian gently goaded.

"Yes... I will be honest - I have never crafted a wand in this fashion," the old man nodded pensively. "Repaired broken wands, of course, but this is something else entirely. Keeping me on my toes, aren't you?"

"Yea, sure. Please, we're in a bit of a hurry," I prodded, trying not to become impatient with the old man's small talk. "If it's a matter of Galleons, that's no problem at all."

"I think I can work with what you've brought me," he nodded once with a faint smile. "Let me see what I can do." And with a hum he turned on his heel and walked behind the shop's counter, through a threshold into his workspace.

Now all we could do was wait... again. With a grunt I conjured a pair of stools for Sebastian and I to sit on, and tried to ignore the gently-ticking clock on the back wall.

Despite the maddening silence, I couldn't really think of anything to talk about to pass the time; evidently, neither could Sebastian. On occasion I heard Ollivander coo and chirp to himself in his workspace, and the occasional flash of blue-white light pulsed from the threshold. Outside I could see the sun beginning to set, the sky turning from blue to yellow as shadows grew and villagers headed inside out of the cold.

I was just too anxious about finally nearing the end of my quest. With this wand in my hands I would finally have access to a massive storehouse of ancient magic, the power I had so eagerly sought ever since Celestia showed me my destiny in the Crystal Mirror. My fingers twitched in anticipation as I imagined myself, body and soul being engulfed by so much raw power, electrifying my nerves and forever flowing through my veins. It filled my stomach with butterflies, made my heart shiver with a menthol-like heat that slowly expanded to fill me entirely.

So much ancient magic... the sensation would be thrilling! Exultant, sublime, nearly orgasmic-

Suddenly another thought burst through my reverie, instantly annoying me. I had just remembered that with every trial, I had absorbed a reservoir of magic into my being, received a boon of power to aid me in my quest...

...But I just realized that I had received no such boon from Bakar's trial. Man, what a jerk that guy was! I could've really used it, considering what I was up against.

You cheap bastard.

The sky had faded from yellow to orange by the time an especially-bright flash of light pulsed from the threshold, and Ollivander released a triumphant chuckle. A few moments later he walked out towards us, cradling a thin, dark green box in his hands.

"It is done."

"Sweet," I muttered as Sebastian and I stood up. Ollivander opened the box with reverence, revealing the assembled wand as it lay on a bed of azure velvet. The dark red-brown wood was delicately wrapped with threads of gold that reached up from the black-brown handle like vines. It was likely invisible to the others in the room, but I could see a faint blue glow emanating from it, hinting at its true purpose.

"I should warn you," the old man spoke as he closed the box and handed it to me, "I've never seen a wand like this before. My suspicion is that it serves a unique purpose... I doubt you shall find much use for it otherwise."

"Understood," I nodded as I pulled a small satchel of Galleons from my purse and placed it in Ollivander's hand. "Thank you."

"Let's go," Sebastian pressed his lips together as the old man happily retreated to a back room, jiggling the satchel. We quickly left the shop, a blast of chilly spring wind hitting me in the face.

But that wasn't what made me freeze in my tracks. The cobblestone streets were completely deserted... except for Victor Rookwood slowly, casually approaching us with a smug smirk on his face.

We reached for our wands. While I got mine out I heard Sebastian gasp in alarm as his voice suddenly changed position behind me. My head whipped around to see that two of Rookwood's men had grabbed him by the arms and were preventing him from moving.

"I'm afraid you're on your own," sneered Rookwood as he pointedly turned to look both ways up and down the street. "I've ensured that we have a moment to ourselves." Despite his attempt at intimidation, I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Oh, please... how predictable. You really think holding him hostage is gonna work on me?"

"Or me?" Sebastian added, covertly snapping his fingers. In an instant he was out of their hands with his back against mine, wand drawn. The two mooks blinked and shared astonished glances once they realized he was no longer in their grasp.

"Impressive... but no need for such theatrics," Rookwood doubled down as he raised a hand like one might do to calm a barking, defensive dog. "In light of what Ranrok now knows, you must agree that our... interests are aligned."

"Our interests?" I reemphasized, laughing once. "What, now you're proposing we team up to take him down?"

"Precisely," he grinned. I couldn't help but roll my eyes again.

"Well, geez," I groused as I counted on my fingers, "Maybe if you would've just been a man and asked me that in the beginning instead of, oh, I dunno... throwing a pair of trolls at me, or trying to kidnap me, or sending your pathetic thugs after me, then maybe, juuuuust maybe... I would've said yes! Maybe I was totally up for an alliance!" I gasped mockingly, clapping my hands to my cheeks before my widened eyes narrowed. "...Then I would've stabbed you in the back, taken over your gang, seduced your woman and become exponentially more successful at Dark wizard criminal stuff than you ever were."

Sebastian snickered behind me. Rookwood blinked uncomfortably as his body tensed.

"You would let goblins take what is rightfully ours?"

"Pfft, no? I'm off to go kill the little cabbage man myself. And you're sorely mistaken if you think any of that ancient magic is yours... I think you really mean to say that it's mine," I smiled darkly.

"But the final repository belongs to wizardkind... we would be fools not to work together," the villain purred, matching my grin as he tried his hardest to trick me into a truce.

I knew far better than that, however. There was no such thing as "honor among thieves"; he would certainly stab me in the back as soon as I served his purpose, exactly like I would do to him... not that I even needed his help, a cowardly weakling like him would only get in my way. I regarded him with disgusted silence for a few moments before replying with a flat glare.

"What kind of idiot do you think I am?" Rookwood exhaled roughly through his nose as he took a step back, considering his next move.

"...What's that you've got there?" he gestured suddenly to the box in my other hand.

"Oh, this?" I snarked as I held it up for him to see before stowing it safely away in my pocket dimension. "A gift for your mom."

"Hmph... might this sudden visit to the wandmaker have something to do with our... mutual pursuit?" A dangerous snarl was beginning to stretch across Rookwood's face. 

"Like I said... what makes you think any of this magic belongs to you? Can you even see it?" I threw out a hand in a shrug. "You sure aren't much of a groveling sycophant, considering all that power is my birthright."

"That repository is my birthright!" he finally snapped, his patience at its end.

"Sucks to suck, doesn't it?" I cackled in his face. "Just admit it... a goblin outplayed you, and now a child outplayed you. You clearly aren't cut out for much more than being just a simple street rat. But hey, if you pledge your loyalty to me, then maybe I'll let you work underneath me after I become rich and powerful." Rookwood drew back with a furious hiss, his breathing growing slow and heavy with anger.

"...The arrogance!" he seethed as he began pacing back and forth. "Should've known better than to try and reason with a child." The last word in particular dripped with venom as his voice lowered even more. "...I've always said children should be seen... and not heard."

Suddenly I felt Sebastian's body jolt against mine. He spun around so he could face Rookwood, at first staring at him wide-eyed. I blinked a few times wondering what had gotten into him, searching through my mind for a possible reason...

...

...

...

...And then I remembered: those words were what both he and Anne heard over a year ago, back in Feldcroft, near Isidora's old manor.

Just before she was cursed.

I gasped in shock, my entire body trembling in anger as I glared at Rookwood while he stared at us quizzically.

It can't be... it was you! It was you all along! My eyes flicked over to Sebastian again... his entire body was taut and rigid, like a piece of rubber stretched to its very limit. His eyes narrowed into viperous slits, and his lips curled downwards into a deep frown, his teeth bared like a rabid animal as he breathed deeply with increasing rapidity through them, his chest rising and falling like bellows stoking a furnace far past its heat threshold.

"You... bastard!" he spat, the sheer hatred and vitriol in his voice making even me shiver. A cruel smile bloomed across Rookwood's mouth.

"Seems as though I've struck a nerve."

I felt hands grab onto my arm and begin pulling me away, away from Sebastian. I reached out and began to shout out his name as my head turned, my heart dropping to see one of Rookwood's men doing the same to him, just barely preventing him from grabbing my hand. Before I could react my ears rang with a loud pop and I felt the squeezing pull of human Apparition. My world went dark for a split second.

When I opened my eyes I didn't recognize my surroundings. My head whipped back and forth as I tried to make sense of the kidnapping - I was in what appeared to be the dungeon of an unknown castle, plunged into darkness.

"Now, be a good little girl and hand over that wand box-"

Whoever was behind me didn't get to finish his sentence before I tore him in half with a Diffindo. I felt his blood splash against my cloak and heard his wet dying gurgles as his body crumpled to the floor. I wanted to slash his corpse into many more pieces but fast remembered I had been separated from Sebastian.

I wasn't worried about him, he could easily take care of himself... but the emotion still gnawed at my heart and mind. Cloaking myself in Disillusionment I made my way quickly and quietly through the castle's dim halls, listening intently for his voice. Along the way more of Rookwood's men stalked through the corridors in search of me, all of them dispatched as brutally as I could think of. Heads were crushed between flying bricks, bodies were paralyzed with Petrificus Totalus and then set on fire to light my way, skulls with spinal cords still attached were ripped from their shoulders and used to bludgeon others until the bones splintered apart, and entire segments of flooring, walls and ceilings swiftly flew outwards and smashed them flat like bugs underfoot.

Oh, Rookwood had struck a nerve, alright... for the mere crime of touching my boyfriend, he'd just sentenced what remained of his criminal enterprise to a painful, gruesome death, the likes of which would never again be seen until I inflicted the same upon Ranrok. And that wasn't even including what Sebastian planned on doing to Rookwood after we'd caught him. Something told me the villain was going to wish he'd never even been born by the end of it.

Finally I reached the main foyer of the castle. The light from the sconces stung my eyes as they'd become accustomed to the darkness, but they burned brighter than ever before as a group of about ten men gawked at me in surprise.

"Out of my way!" I commanded as I fired an augmented Depulso that took up the entire space, the force of the blast sending them all flying into the walls as though thrown by a hurricane. One of them bounced awkwardly off of a windowsill as the glass in every window shattered, slicing him to ribbons as he flopped outside. The barred doors to the outside snapped off their hinges and collapsed with a heavy thud. The lit sconces were all knocked over, the hot embers inside quickly setting the dry floorboards and decorative tapestries on fire.

And then I heard his voice... and I smiled.

I strode calmly out of the growing blaze, smirking as I admired how the ground glittered red with blood like a field of garnets and rubies. Sebastian had clearly had no trouble at all fighting off the bulk of Rookwood's men - there had to be at least fifty of them spread around the smoldering remains of the camp in the castle's courtyard, torn apart even more viciously than I had done. He was about twenty feet away from me, having frozen an enemy in the air with Levioso. She screamed for mercy, but instead he cut her open with a Diffindo and Accioed her heart right out of her chest.

"Ah, there you are," he remarked casually as he canceled the Levitation Charm, letting the corpse drop to the ground.

"Had to fight my way out of a dungeon. What about you?"

"Found myself in that cage over there," he gestured over to what remained of a twisted pile of metal, complete with one of Rookwood's men skewered on top of it.

"Look at you, not even needing my help," I grinned, barely paying any attention to the new wave of Ashwinders Apparating in all around us. "These idiots made a huge mistake pissing you off."

"They made a grave mistake stealing you away from me," he growled as he turned to face the largest grouping of them.

"Aww, how sweet." I heard one of them take a single step forward - without even looking I launched a Confringo at them, laughing once as I heard it connect with a howling scream. "You and I really do make the perfect team."

"That we do... I couldn't ask for a better partner," he smiled as I took my place by his side. "Now, let's finish this. I have much to discuss with Rookwood."

"Agreed."

My eyes flared to life as he vanished. Half a second later Sebastian reappeared on top of the castle's highest tower, raining down Bombardas on the thugs below. To keep them in place I raised my wand into the air, ancient magic-touched hands of earth and stone reaching up and grabbing on to their legs. A few managed to Apparate away, but most of them were hit by the spells and blown to pieces, a shower of limbs and blood flying through the air from the concussive force. Those that had Apparated reappeared, immediately flopping on the ground and shouting in agony, missing part or all of their Splinched legs as the hands continued to grasp them.

More Ashwinders appeared to replace those that had been defeated, unnerved by the screams of their comrades. Taking advantage of their distraction I repeated the previous spell, summoning even more earthen hands to grab and trap them all. This time Sebastian conjured a hailstorm of Confringos at our enemies, the explosive fireballs blasting holes of gore into their bodies and setting their flesh on fire. It spread like napalm as they writhed in desperation, and soon the entire courtyard was aflame again.

I was already Accioing all of the metal in the vicinity towards me as the next wave appeared, casting Aguamenti and Glacius in an attempt to douse the flames. A cage of twisted iron surrounded me in a spinning vortex, shielding me from their attacks as I made a few calculations in my head. Seconds later the metal instantly disintegrated into powder with a wave of my wand, flying through the air in an invisible wind, microscopic sharp edges scratching their bodies like the roughest sandpaper and scraping off their skin. Another wave of my wand caused all the powder to fly together and congeal into a misshapen, humanoid lump that stood about fifteen feet tall. While the enemies tried to staunch their bleeding or stared in confusion, a simple flick of Incendio set the thermite golem ablaze with a deep roar.

Burning white-hot, It rushed towards every Ashwinder it saw, its mere touch melting their flesh, boiling their blood and lighting their entire body on fire. They ran screaming as it chased them around, seemingly forgetting how to Apparate in their attempts to flee. A few of them more bravely tried to extinguish it with spells but both liquid and dirt burned away to nothing as soon as it made contact. After about twenty seconds of this the golem sensed its end and charged towards the castle's open doors. I flicked my wand as it crossed the threshold, then enveloped myself in a Protego as a massive explosion followed. Every single remaining window and door in the building was blown out, and huge cracks formed in the castle's walls as though it was entirely made of glass, only to crumble seconds later as the ground shook from the blast.

"Now you're just being excessive," Sebastian quipped as he reappeared next to me, within my Protego.

"I'm trying to flush the street rat out," I shrugged. "He thinks he's playing it smart hiding like a coward while we annihilate his entire gang."

"Yes... the vermin are just as awful as he is," he nodded, summoning up a Ventus to feed the flames, the gust of wind blowing them at an Ashwinder who had managed to remain mostly unscathed. She screamed as her trousers caught fire and she tried to run from her own flaming legs, the fire eventually crawling up the rest of her body. She succumbed to the pain and dropped limply to the ground moments later. Evidently, these Dark wizards had never heard of "stop, drop and roll".

But then I glanced up to the sky, nearly as red as the flames that surrounded us. As fun as inflicting just a taste of my power on these insects was, it was taking up too much time. I cast a quick Sonorus Charm on myself and shouted upwards so my voice traveled as far as it would go. "You're just sending all your henchmen out here to die, Rookwood! Get your coward-arse out here or I'll turn this entire hill into an active caldera!"

There was silence for a few moments as I canceled the charm. It was quiet, but I heard a faint pop behind me.

Stupid moron.

"Arresto Momentum!" I cast blindly in the direction of the noise, already smirking confidently. A grunt while I was still in the process of turning around was all the confirmation I needed.

"H-How are two wretched children like you so bloody p-powerful?!" Rookwood stuttered in shock as Sebastian and I sauntered over to him. The blast had already done quite a bit of damage to him - he was covered in dust, one side of his face was burned, his fancy coat was in tatters and the top of his top hat was on fire. While my smirk remained, my boyfriend's face quickly fell into a dark, disgusted grimace.

"Crucio!" Sebastian heaved his wand at Rookwood, red light arcing towards him. Rookwood immediately convulsed in my magic grasp and keened, the sound of which made me flinch. Images of that night in the scriptorium flashed through my mind, phantom pains tingling all over my body.

But as I pressed a hand over my heart I kept my breathing slow and level, forcing the fear back where it came. Sebastian was casting the curse on the man who had cursed his sister... not me. There was no deadly dilemma at play here, and while I would gladly take another Crucio for him if it came down to it...

...well, better him than me, after all.

"You... evil... son of a bitch...!" Sebastian hissed through his teeth as the spell ran its course. "Long have I awaited this moment."

"W-What... w-what have I e-ever-"

"The countercurse!" he demanded, his wand nearly stabbing Rookwood in his right eye as his free hand clutched around his throat. "If you value your life, you will give it to me this instant!"

"C-Countercurse...?" Rookwood muttered, clearly confused.

"Two Christmases ago, in Feldcroft! You cursed my sister!" he shouted in his face. "She was only trying to help those who might've been caught in the fire!" Rookwood's eyes swam back and forth a few times, widening slightly in realization... then narrowing arrogantly.

"Ah, yes... that foolish little girl," he sneered. "She's lucky I didn't just kill her where she stood."

Twin fires of pure rage ignited in our souls. I glanced over to Sebastian; his arms dropped to his sides as he stared at him in indignant shock.

And then a moment later, his fist tightened around his wand's handle, then his arm cocked back and shot forward, punching Rookwood square in the nose. He flinched and grunted in pain as I heard the sound of cartilage snapping. "Nice shot," I complimented with a smirk.

"Thanks," he mumbled, shaking his hand as his eyes slid back towards Rookwood. "You are in no position to mock her... what you did to my sister will be nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you don't answer me!"

"And... if I don't?" Rookwood drawled, a cruel, crooked grin spreading across his mouth as he glared defiantly at Sebastian. The mere look in his eyes gave me the command.

"Wrong answer," I glowered, my own eyes beginning to glow with three dark colors. "Crucio." Even though he was already winded, Rookwood's body still managed to convulse a little as the curse ripped through him. Seeing him writhe in agony brought a smile to both our faces; was it truly Unforgivable to use such a spell on someone who deserved it so badly?

But even as he wriggled like a worm in a crow's beak, the sadistic grin on Sebastian's face fell.

"I'll only say it once more," he warned, his entire body hunched and tense like a coiled snake ready to strike. "Give. Me. The countercurse." We waited for Rookwood to speak once the Cruciatus Curse wore off on him. He was silent for a few moments, his eyes closed...

...and then he began to laugh. Sebastian and I drew back a little, unnerved by this sudden show of bravado.

"Stupid boy," he snickered, his eyes flashing with malice. "You really think I bothered to come up with a counter for that curse? One I specifically created to deal with nosy little children like her? Why would I? Now, how about the both of you let me go, and I'll refrain from casting it upon either of you?"

"You're really not making the best of choices right now," I groused, Equestrian Dark magic smoking from my eyes again as I cast Imperio on him. His eyes pulsed with green light as I took hold of his mind, his body relaxed and a dumb grin spread across his face. "Give him the countercurse for his sister."

"...I cannot," Rookwood answered slowly but easily. "There is no counter for that curse."

"I order you to give it to him!" I shouted, the smoke from my eyes flaring like fire.

"...I cannot."

"I have total command over your pathetic little mind! Give it to him or I'll tear it apart!"

"...There is no countercurse. There never was. I never felt the need to create one. Nothing can cure the pain."

A grunt of frustration escaped my lips. Veritaserum wasn't exactly easy to get a hold of, but there was no way in hell this weak-minded swine was resisting my empowered Imperio. This could only mean that what he was saying was... unfortunately, the truth. After all this time, all his painful effort... Sebastian's quest to find a cure for his sister had finally, officially failed.

I shook my head as I released my hold on his mind, ignoring Rookwood's jeers and taunts. "See? I told you," he snarled. "There is no cure for the curse I inflicted upon your useless little sister! Now unhand me before my patience wanes entirely and I choose to kill you both!"

"Well, whaddya think?" I sighed. "We could always keep him Petrified or something and hide him somewhere until we can get some Veritaserum."

...

...

...

I looked over to Sebastian when I didn't hear any reply from him. He stared at Rookwood in silent fury for what felt like an eternity.

Then he closed his eyes and slowly raised his wand. When he reopened them...

...they were glowing a frightful green.

"Then you... have no value to me."

The sneer fell from Rookwood's face.

Even I didn't expect what happened next from him.

"...Avada Kedavra!"

Crackling jade lightning snapped from his wand and struck Rookwood directly in the chest. His body instantly went slack in my magic hold, and his final half-breath rasped out from his empty throat. Though at first I recoiled slightly in shock, my lip curled in disgust as I tossed the corpse aside, the limbs flailing as it hit the ground with a graceless thud.

The bastard was dead. Only one left to go now.

...

...

...

A soft breeze blew through the burning castle ruins, camouflaging Sebastian's heavy breathing. After a few moments he dropped to his knees, his head bowed low. I watched him carefully, worrying as his shoulders heaved.

He turned his head upwards to face me, a tear streaming down his cheek. "...Why does it feel like nothing's changed?" he whispered miserably, a half-stifled sob wracking his body. I merely sighed, for I had no answer for him.

Instead I knelt down beside him and held him close as he quietly cried, over a year of bitter anguish, despair and hatred finally exorcised, finally releasing itself from his soul.

It was finally over for him. He had finally learned the truth behind his sister's curse, and he had finally tasted sweet, satisfying vengeance... And, with any luck, he might've finally cured Anne. Some curses broke the instant the caster died - it was a long shot, but maybe this had been one of them.

Something in the back of my mind told me that this wasn't the case, though. I suspected Sebastian had the same feeling.

"I c-can't believe it..." he droned. "All this time... it was Rookwood. It wasn't one of Ranrok's Loyalists who cursed Anne... it was Rookwood. It was Rookwood all along! But the night she was cursed, all she saw were goblins!"

"Once the two of them became allies, both of them became interested in Isidora's manor," I suggested. "That has to be why he was there that night... and when he saw Anne he cursed her, I guess to shut her up."

"Even though she didn't see a thing... and she's never been the same. How cruel," he hissed as he glared at Rookwood's corpse. A few moments later however, he slumped as he turned his gaze to the ground in front of him, releasing another shuddering sigh full of guilt. "All this time I thought goblins were the enemy... but it was never that simple."

"...Well, technically they still are," I shrugged gormlessly. "Ranrok and his army are probably on their way to Hogwarts as we speak."

"Hmm... I suppose you're right." After a few seconds of contemplation Sebastian suddenly bolted to his feet. "Merlin, what am I doing?! We need to get back to Hogwarts with that wand!"

"It can wait a few minutes... At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore," I shook my head as I stood up again with an exhausted smile. "Of course you know the Killing Curse... and you've been holding out on me."

"Well, it's... not exactly something any witch or wizard should brag about knowing," he looked away with unease. "I've only ever read about how to cast it... and after seeing Bakar cast it on Isidora in that memory, I-I thought it didn't seem that hard to replicate."

"Maybe not," I agreed, "but knowing it would definitely come in handy for later... especially if we end up being too late and I need to stop Ranrok immediately."

"That is true," he bowed his head before nodding and holding up his wand. "Very well... you're the only one with whom I'd entrust such knowledge. Hold your wand steady... focus. Your intention must be clear." He drew his wand down in a simple lightning bolt shape, which I found easy to mimic. After copying the motion a few times I nodded to him.

"Thanks... now, we'd better get going. Who knows what we're gonna come back to at the castle." Sebastian nodded as well, and I took his hand before teleporting away.


~


It was worse than I thought.

As soon as we reappeared I heard the sounds of machinery and war. We peeked around the thick trunk of a tree and gasped.

The meadows surrounding the castle walls were filled with goblins. Their shouts of effort melded together into a cacophonous din as they tried to pierce the school's defenses with melee attacks and arrows from crossbows - a massive Protego shield of magic that easily repelled their attacks, as well as a ring of black fire that surrounded the entire castle grounds. It did seem that Fig had been successful in warning Professor Weasley about the coming invasion, however, as an army of sentient suits of armor was fighting on the front lines against them.

But they were outnumbered by a factor of ten to one. In addition to sheer numbers the goblins were accompanied by a contingent of siege weapons: from old-fashioned trebuchets and mobile towers to more modern cannons and one of Ranrok's drilling machines. High overhead a quintet of blimp-styled airships hovered at a distance, klaxons blaring as they slowly floated closer towards Hogwarts. Neither of these two threats had been fully set up yet, but once they were in position I feared the shields wouldn't hold for long.

"...This is way more firepower than I thought he had," I gulped.

"I grew up with goblin raids on our hamlet... but I never imagined they'd attack the school," Sebastian breathed. "We can't possibly sneak through all of them to get back to the Map Chamber."

"And even if we did, they'd all be right behind us." I pressed my lips together as I considered the best way of moving forward - we couldn't use stealth and we couldn't teleport... my mind led me to only one conclusion.

Nobody else even came close to our level of skill, our prowess in battle. If it were anyone else other than the two of us, this plan would end in catastrophic failure.

But together, Sebastian and I were unstoppable. A malicious smile bloomed on my face.

"...Have you ever dreamed of singlehandedly winning a war?" He turned towards me in surprise, but eventually came to match my expression.

"Only in my wildest of daydreams."

"Well... don't let those dreams be dreams."

He nodded once, then pointed his wand at a loaded trebuchet and cast Deprimo. The weapon instantly sank into the ground and fell over, its payload of a boulder wrapped in flaming oil-soaked rags rolling out and knocking into a siege tower, catching it on fire. Goblins began spilling out of it, loudly shouting that the tower had been filled with explosives - it blew up in a shower of splintered wood and metal seconds later.

"Let's take out the siege weapons first," he yelled as we broke our cover. "The school's Protego Horribilis and Diabolica won't last against them forever!"

"The goblins have air superiority, though," I countered. "They can see everything from up there. Take those out, and they won't be able to coordinate as effectively!"

"Can't we just pop their balloons from down here?" he asked. I hummed to myself as I tried to remember the differences between manned flight in Equestria and on Earth. Ponies had mastered the technology, yet our airships seemed only slightly more advanced than the goblin-built ones above our heads. Wizards and Muggles alike employed their use, but wizards were the only ones who could control them reliably - they had magic, while Muggles hadn't quite yet invented the internal combustion engine to be able to do so themselves.

Either way, both pony-built dirigibles and those for use in the Wizarding world had balloons crafted from the hides of beasts generally impervious to magic. Simply popping one was likely to be a difficult task.

"It'd probably take something really powerful to do so... I'll handle those if you can disable their siege equipment." Sebastian nodded once in confirmation.

"Very well. Be careful!" he called out before disappearing in a flash of light. I stared up at the five airships for a moment, then pulled out my broom from my pocket dimension and flew up to meet them. As I ascended I could already hear things exploding uncontrollably below me.

I chose to land on the deck of the rightmost airship in the formation, about a thousand feet up from the ground. The goblin crew immediately took notice and began surrounding me, aiming crossbows and brandishing shortswords, axes and hammers. I merely rolled my eyes as they burned with magic, my wand barely moving as I Accioed one of the crossbows straight out of its owner's hands. Another wave of my wand and I Transfigured the crossbow into a futuristic weapon that confused the hell out of these primitive fools: a long, elegant barrel of yellow-painted metal attached to a red stock, traced over with golden, glimmering flames reaching up from the shining trigger.

Back in Equestria, some Earth ponies had to resort to more inventive, non-magical methods to keep monsters and predators away from their farms. One such method was the Ponycor Apple-Jackhammer, a shotgun created by Salome "Slack-Ma-Girdle" of the Apple family some twenty-ish years ago. They generally weren't all that useful to Unicorns for obvious reasons, but they had still found their niche in the world.

Perhaps because it was the closest they could ever come to performing offensive magic on their own, guns like this were quite popular with the Muggles. Wizardkind had never adopted them because there was just no need; Protego could stop a bullet if you knew it was coming.

Unfortunately for goblins, however... they couldn't cast Protego.

The shots were deafening as I enchanted the weapon to fly around and fire on its own. The goblins stumbled backwards as hot lead blasted bloody stars into their bodies, throwing some of them over the deck railing. Once they'd all been dealt with I Transfigured the rest of their weapons into similar pieces of firepower and attached them to the railings with a wave of my wand. The enchanted weapons began firing in rapid volleys as well, seeking out the closest enemies below they could hit.

Then I headed over to the captain's seat of the airship and sat down, the controls simple enough to figure out what they did pretty quickly. I pushed a lever to ramp up the steam-powered engines and turned the rudders, aiming straight for the other four ships. Spells and buckshot might not have been enough to pop their dragonhide balloons, but a whole 'nother ship ramming into them at full speed ought to do it.

I could hear the goblins on the closest airship screaming as they tried to steer out of the way, but I was coming at them way too fast. A crazed grin spread across my face as I tugged on the whistle cord, a shrill noise filling the twilight air. My ship collided with the balloon of the enemy ship seconds later, the force of the impact throwing me overboard.

But I simply laughed as I pulled out my broom and flew back into the air. A deafening POP ripped through the air like a shockwave, the balloon deflating within seconds. Now the goblins screamed to abandon ship, donning parachute packs and throwing themselves into the sky. A simple mass Accio yanked all the weapons dangling from their sides towards me, puncturing holes through the parachutes, and I Transfigured them all into more guns. These I enchanted to flank and hover beside me, sticking out from my sides and back like the rays of the sun.

The airship I had commandeered flew for a while longer until it struck the stern of the center ship, shearing it off as the bow crumpled in on itself. As I Accioed the shotguns from the falling ship and added them to my floating arsenal, I watched as a hundred metal orbs the size of beach balls rolled out of the back and began plummeting to the ground. A few of them ruptured and exploded, tearing the hole apart even wider.

Bombs. That wouldn't do, especially if Sebastian was focused on destroying the siege equipment.

I swooped down to catch up with them and Transfigured all but one of them into bats. The last one I caught in my magic, and it hovered at my side as I flew back up to meet the fourth airship. The thaumaturgical physics calculation required to scale up the explosive a hundred times flashed through my mind, and I grinned down at the panicking goblins as the bomb suddenly inflated to become fifty times its size. I chuckled once as I ended my spell and let the giant bomb fall directly onto the ship's deck, and flew off towards the final airship as the previous one exploded in a gargantuan fireball.

The goblins on the deck of this ship were trembling in terror as I landed. With one wave of my wand, golden sword-like bayonets slid out from the trigger guards of my weapons, and another wave sent them flying towards my enemies in a whirlwind dervish. Due to the barrels behind the blades being thicker than they were, the cuts they formed weren't too deep. It was a strange combination of both blunt-force trauma and slashing damage.

But it was still more than enough to cause mass hysteria among the crew. Half of them leapt out of the airship, some of them forgetting their parachutes in their haste to get away, while the rest struggled to keep the ship afloat. Soon the bow was pointed directly at the ground and gaining speed. Gleefully anticipating the explosion this would cause, I leapt off the doomed ship and back onto my broom, summoning my weapons back to my side as I watched the airship drive itself into the earth.

The aftermath resembled a small volcanic eruption. As the last of the flames flared into the sky I landed in the eye of the storm of ash and smoke, using them as both cover and shield as I prepared my next complex spell. A hundred goblins surrounded me as I made my calculations, but I only regarded them with a cruel smile and a pulse of light from my eyes and wand. The collection of fifty shotguns at my sides began to glow with ancient magic, and they rose into the air and took aim.

And then in a dance of death and destruction, they swung and flew around me like a graceful flock of swallows caught in a tornado as they fired upon my foes. My own movements were dancelike within the center of the storm, twirling and spinning in place to catch a glimpse of the next wave of enemies approaching, my wand soaring in dips and spirals to guide their aim, my foot occasionally nudging the butt of a shotgun to move it into the correct angle. Sure, magic was second-nature to me... but there was definitely something to be said about fear-inspiring peals of thunder accompanying such sheer kinetic force.

As I danced, the world around me lit up with blinding firelight, exploding siege engines resembling fireworks at a gala. Sebastian appeared at my side a few seconds later, just as I shot the last goblin within five hundred feet of us in the face.

"Muggle weapons, eh? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just showing off at this point," he smirked as I levitated the barrel to my lips and blew away the smoke with a grin.

"...Ice cold. I knew I was the Chosen One." He laughed through his nose as we surveyed the battlefield - all of the siege weapons had been reduced to burning piles of twisted trash, the five airships were now splintered skeletal remains strewn all over the ground, and Ranrok's total ground forces had been successfully reduced by at least a third. Without the airships to guide them and the general mess we'd made of everything, the goblin army seemed much less organized now. The sentient suits of armor from the castle were finally beginning to gain ground.

"How pathetic... thought they could take the school," he murmured confidently. We shared a fond glance at each other, my body heating up as I watched the light of the flickering flames dance across his face.

But then the ground began to shake, more fiercely than I had ever felt before. I stumbled in place as the tremors seemed to approach from the southeast, pass directly beneath my feet and then continue onward. The heat within my body condensed and froze solid as I realized those were probably Ranrok's drilling machines on their way to the final repository, and there was still two-thirds of a goblin army to wade through before we could get inside Hogwarts.

Even though Sebastian and I were likely two of the strongest magic users in the entire school, maybe even the strongest, period... we just weren't killing everything fast enough. At this rate I'd never make it to the repository in time... Ranrok would steal my ancient magic, my birthright, my prize, right out from under me! I would simply have to settle for the consolation prize of-

"Mr. Sallow! Miss Shimmer! What in Merlin's name are you two doing out here?!"

Startled by the callout, our heads jerked upwards to stare into the sky. Madam Kogawa was zooming through the air on a broomstick, headed right for us. She came to a stop hovering a few feet off the ground.

"What are you doing out here?" Sebastian reiterated, as surprised to see her as she was to see us.

"Keeping an eye on the goblin's assault," she answered curtly. "If it hadn't been for Professor Fig's warning, we would have been taken completely off guard!"

"Fig..." I breathed, relieved that the other professors had taken his warning seriously. I heard a distant noise coming from the direction of the Beasts pens; looking over I saw Professor Howin on the back of one of the school's thestrals, leading the entire menagerie of creatures into the fight. The other thestrals and the pair of unicorns trampled goblins under their hooves and bucked and gored with all their might, the kneazles stalked and pounced and clawed at their faces, the hippogriffs, diricawls and jobberknolls swooped down with their beaks and talons to gouge out their eyes. On the back of another thestral sat Professor Garlick, pulling her own arsenal of mandrakes and chomping cabbages out of her pocket dimension to hurl at our enemies. Professor Shah and a few other instructors from classes I didn't have rode alongside her, casting spells and acting as her support. A sigh passed my lips as my confidence returned... the army would be taken care of without our further assistance.

"I saw both the siege weapons and airships being destroyed... surely that wasn't because of your efforts?!" Kogawa asked incredulously. "I don't know how you managed it, but thanks to the two of you, it seems the tides of battle have changed."

"Happy to be of help," I quipped. "Now, I take it you want us to get inside the castle for our safety?"

"Post-haste!" she affirmed with a nod. We quickly pulled out our brooms and followed her as she made a beeline for the Astronomy Tower and its open balcony, flinging spells at any goblin that looked our way. The Protego Horribilis parted slightly to allow us in, and as it sealed shut once again the roar of the battle suddenly disappeared. My ears rang in the absence of the noise, barely registering the sound of my feet making contact with the balcony floor. "Get to your common room and shelter with the other students... do not make any detours!" she barked.

"Wouldn't think of it," I replied, waiting for her to fly off and leave. Once she had I smirked at Sebastian, copying my smile as we ran straight for the Map Chamber.


~


Professor Fig was pacing anxiously in front of the Keepers' portraits as we raced down the steps. "There you two are... I was worried you'd gotten caught up in the battle!" he gasped as he turned towards us.

"Oh we did, and more," I panted, skidding to a stop in front of him to catch my breath. "First Rookwood tried to kidnap us after finishing the wand so we had to kill him, and then we took out a good chunk of Ranrok's army before making our way into the castle."

"Godric's heart... are you both alright?!"

"We're fine... that bastard got what he deserved," Sebastian replied with a glare.

"He thought we'd be stupid enough to join forces so he could get access to the repository, but I know a double-crossing snake when I see one," I smirked.

"Indeed... well, the Keepers have been waiting," Fig sighed heavily, gesturing towards the waiting portraits. I nodded once and quickly walked onto the starlit map to address them.

"Alright, I've got the wand. Now what?"

"You have completed all of our trials... and you have done so under circumstances even I did not foresee," said Rackham. "You understand, now, why all of this was necessary - the Portkey, the vault, the locket, the book, the trials... To ensure that one with the ability you and I share would make the same choice that San, Niamh, Charles and I-"

"Yeayeayea, whatever!" I snapped, swirling my hand in a circle. "We don't have time for this, just hurry it up already!"

"Now that you have witnessed my memory, you understand all that is at stake," Bakar picked up where Rackham had left off. "Not everyone is what they seem."

"Light does not exist without shadow, nor shadow without light," added Fitzgerald. "Simply because you can eliminate darkness does not always mean that you should."

"Even the most well-meaning and competent amongst us cannot possibly know the consequences of manipulating what should be beyond our reach," Charles joined in.

"What lies in the repository must never be released. Resist the temptation to destroy or control-"

"MERLIN'S SAGGY LEFT TESTICLE, SHUT UP AND LET ME IN THE GODDAMN CAVERNS!" I cut Rackham off, screaming at the top of my lungs with an empowered Sonorus Charm, my eyes flaring almost demonically. "DO YOU WANT RANROK TO GET THERE FIRST?!" The elder Keeper's mouth clapped shut as the others gaped in astonishment, then after a few moments he shook his head as he bowed it and closed his eyes.

I felt the floor shift underneath me. The pinpoints of light winked out all at once, and the inch of water covering the black marble drained away as the stone sank into the floor. I stepped off before it had moved more than six inches, watching impatiently as it melted away as though it had all been formed from ice, now revealing a short staircase leading to a gilded doorway at the bottom of a pit.

"You have the wand... you will know when to wield it," Rackham sighed in resigned disappointment. "We leave our legacy in your hands."

"Good... finally," I groused as I stared grimly at the door to the caverns. My heart began to pound inside my chest... I was so close now. So close to my long-promised power.

Suddenly the entire chamber trembled, dust and pebbles clattering to the floor all around me. The impact both felt and sounded like it had come from directly above. Had Ranrok's army breached the castle's defenses?

Thoughts of my friends raced through my mind... thoughts of Hogwarts crumbling to the ground with everyone trapped inside, thoughts of being buried beneath thousands of tons of stone and debris, gaining my promised power but joining the ghosts that haunted the castle, cursed to never be able to enjoy it.

There were still far too many goblins outside, trying fanatically to raze the school to the ground. As long as they were still there... no one was safe.

Someone needed to take care of that little problem, too.

"We can only hope that we're not too late," Fig's lips thinned as he walked to my side, "and that we find nothing but a repository undisturbed beyond this door."

"Ranrok's drilling machines are already on their way there," nodded Sebastian, turning to me. "We need to hurry if we're to beat them to your prize." I swallowed thickly, already feeling awful about what I had to say.

"...No, Seb. You can't come with me. Not this time."

"Wh... W-What?!" He took a step back and stared at me in shock. "Why?! If we have to fight them, then I shall stand with you!"

"I know you will... but one of us has to stay behind," I sighed, turning towards him. "It's not because I think you're not strong enough or anything, because you are... It's because Ranrok is clearly throwing everything he has left at the castle, and I can't stop him from claiming the ancient magic and his army from razing Hogwarts at the same time. Natty, Poppy and Ominis are probably terrified of what's going on, they need your help to keep them safe... And between us, I'm the only one who can see or use the stuff."

"My help? But..." He exhaled roughly, eyes darting back and forth as he considered my words, knowing I was right but still trying to think of a way he could come with me anyway. His pained expression hurt to see. "B-But... you and I are a team," he finished mournfully. "A perfect, unstoppable team!"

"We are. And I'll be with you, in a way," I smiled softly as I reached into my pocket dimension with one hand and flicked my wand with the other. A swarm of palm-sized quartz crystals came flying out, the vast majority of them sailing through the air towards the open doors leading to the castle's dungeons and vanishing from sight. Four of them refrained from joining the group; two of them floated a foot above either of our shoulders. "Part of a Cheering Charm of my own I've modified," I explained.

"I see..." He stared at the ground to hide his face. "I understand what you're saying, but... are you certain about this? If anything should happen to you down there, if there was a chance I could've saved you... I-I shall never forgive myself." I closed my eyes for a moment to will away the desire to change my mind and take him with me anyway, taking a deep breath as I laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I can do it... I've been training my entire life for this moment. Ranrok will rue the day he ever crossed me."

His eyes dragged themselves upwards to meet my gaze. A few beats of silence passed before his face filled my vision, and I felt his lips smash against mine. Warmth flooded my body, drowning out all other thoughts as our arms wrapped around each other.

I cared not what Fig nor those gutless portraits thought. For all I knew, this could very well be our last embrace, our last kiss. But I was determined to not let that be the case, and I trusted that he wouldn't let it, either.

This stupid little cabbage man was going to die once I'd found him... painfully.

All too quickly Sebastian broke away, though a hand still pressed against the back of my head kept us close.

"Don't you dare die down there," he breathed, his forehead pressing against mine. The sentiment brought a smile to my face, thinking how cute it was that he was still concerned for my safety after all these months, after countless battles fought together.

"...I love you too, dear," I smirked, gazing into his eyes as he finally let go. "Now... go show those little cretins why I believe you to be every bit my equal."

He inhaled slowly as the compliment rolled through his head, an appreciative smile stretching from ear to ear on his face. It rolled through mine, too... there was zero doubt about what I had said. It was the pure, honest truth.

This boy... he absolutely was my equal. No one else would ever come close.

"Quite an honor, coming from you," he hummed as he turned to leave, glancing back at me over his shoulder. "I'll make you proud, love." I watched as he dashed out of the Map Chamber back up to the surface, feeling a regretful pang in my heart to see him go.

It was quickly forced out by the castle shaking from another big impact. I scowled and set my gaze upon the staircase into the caverns, nodding to Fig that I was ready. Without another word, I opened the door and we slipped through.
> In Which Sebastian Learns the Truth, and Sunset Gets Her Wish (part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Torches and sconces flared to life for the first time in centuries, illuminating the hallway we found ourselves in in a dusty haze. Ahead of us was a tunnel that curved downwards and to the right, barricaded by a golden gate.

"So, the castle's thousands of protective enchantments... how far down do they reach? Hopefully deep enough to cover the caverns," I mumbled as we walked quietly, feeling another, fainter impact from above rock the castle.

"I fear they may not," frowned Fig. "Although if they don't now, I can assure you... they will in the future."

"Right... too little, too late," I bit my lip. "Madam Kogawa and Professors Howin, Garlick and Shah were fighting alongside the suits of armor on the grounds... I assume that means you told Professor Weasley what's going on?"

"I did. Hopefully, she and the others will arrive soon. They know where to find the door through which we entered."

"Heh, for as secret as those Keepers wanted to keep this, seems like everyone knows about it now." The gate easily swung open at my touch, but suddenly the ground shook hard, as though an earthquake had been triggered. Fig and I ran into the entrance of the caverns just in time to see one of Ranrok's drilling machines burst out of the rock and into the tunnel about fifty feet away. Its studded discs easily chewed through the fortified stone and thick, ancient roots interwoven through the dirt.

"Damn, the goblins!" hissed Fig, drawing his wand. "If his Loyalists are here, he cannot be far behind!"

"If they're just breaking through, then there's still time!" I shouted as my eyes burned, the blue-hot Incendio rocketing out from the tip of my wand and engulfing the machine in its flames. Within seconds the entire thing was glowing cherry-red like an ember, surely roasting the operators inside and melting its controls. The crushed, cracked stone around it fused together from the heat and shimmered like glass.

But the ground, the walls, the entire cavern continued to shake. More of these drills were coming, and fast. As Fig and I hurried down the tunnel I could hear voices behind the rock, goading and cheering unseen others along with promises that their goal was within reach. My eyes darted back and forth along the walls, and I fired more augmented Incendios at any forming cracks I could see.

After what felt like an hour of running and maneuvering through the tunnel's twists and turns, it opened up into a cavern nearly large enough to house the entirety of Hogwarts itself. My heart nearly stopped as Fig and I skidded to a halt.

There was another entire goblin army already inside! Even worse it was fortified by several trolls, all wearing the tainted, red-glowing armor of Ranrok's creation. They were all quickly alerted to our presence, and I saw hundreds of crossbow bolts being readied, hundreds of melee weapons being raised in our direction, crying out for our blood.

My lower lip stuck out as I blew an exhausted sigh onto my forehead. This would take either a lot of time or a lot of magic to work through, neither of which I could afford.

But then, just as if one of us had chugged an entire bottle of Felix Felicis right then and there, I heard five loud cracks at my sides. Standing atop outcroppings and ledges, first Professor Onai Apparated into the cavern, raising her hands threateningly as they crackled with lightning. Then Professor Hecat appeared, followed by Professor Ronen, Professor Sharp, and finally Professor Weasley. Each of them quickly drew their wands and surveyed the army, coming up with a strategy.

"The goblins have somehow evaded the castle's defensive charms," Ronen hummed thoughtfully before launching a Confringo at the closest group of goblins, exploding into bouncing projectiles that chased down others. That was the other professors' cue to begin their assault.

"Steer them this way!" Onai shouted, gesturing towards a natural bottleneck in our path with one hand as she curled her fingers to cast with the other. "We shall make quick work of them!" Soon the entire cavern was alight with spellfire, the goblins and trolls scattering like cockroaches as they tried to make sense of the unexpected backup.

"...They've got this," Fig remarked simply, nodding to me. I mimicked the gesture and followed him into the fray, picking off stray goblins as I rushed past.

If there was ever a good time to activate the Cheering Charm, it was now. With a wave of my wand the two quartz crystals Transfigured themselves into a pair of floating speakers, and music belonging to John Colta from the Equestrian Wrestling Empire began to blare from them, soon accompanied by a loud trill leading into trumpet blasts and lyrics. Almost instantly I felt the doubt and uncertainty within me blow away like dust in the wind, and a burgeoning courage and heartening joy swelled up within my chest.

And I knew Sebastian could feel it, too.

"Your time is up, my time is now! You can't see me, my time is now!"

Empowered by the charm, our casts naturally synchronized with the beat of the song. Entire swaths of goblins were incinerated, blown up or cut down at a time, the trolls among them faring little better. Many of them were swept up by strong winds or shoved off cliffs, only to fall a hundred feet to the stalagmite-covered ground below. Professor Onai transformed into her own Animagus form - an African fish eagle - to quickly swoop across the cavern and drive the goblins towards the bottleneck. Professor Hecat summoned up a Firestorm that rivaled my own, the flames and plasma turning trolls into molten lumps of flesh blindly chasing their allies around in an attempt to put themselves out. Professor Sharp masterfully levitated several small pebbles at once, then sent them all shooting off as fast as gunfire, each of them striking their targets so hard they punched all the way through their bodies. Professor Ronen forced every enemy he hit to dance uncontrollably with Tarantallegra, leaving them sitting ducks for everyone.

Finally I saw what looked like the way forward - a particular section of the grand cavern that glowed with a dark blue light. It was separated from us by a thirty-foot gap and a ledge about fifteen feet high in the air. Before I could teleport up there, however, another troll came crashing through a boulder, its eyes firmly, furiously fixated on me.

And before I could do anything about it, Professor Sharp Apparated directly between the troll and I, an assortment of shortswords and axes collected from goblins floating around him. With one smooth motion he sent them all hurling towards the troll, every weapon sailing past its armor and sinking deep into its flesh. The creature's run slowed to a stumble, its life ebbing away as it bumped full force into a pillar of stone and toddled into the gap. The momentum was enough to crack the base of the pillar, and as bits of it crumbled away it succumbed to gravity, falling straight towards me.

I glared flatly at the falling stone and was about to sidestep it when the grasp of Wingardium Leviosa brought it to a halt. Behind me Professor Weasley had caught it with her magic, and with a little effort she floated the pillar over the gap and dropped it there, creating a bridge. Impressed and appreciative of her ingenuity, I glanced over and nodded my thanks to her before grabbing Fig's hand and pulling him across, goblins hot on our tail. She held it in place just long enough for us to cross, and swiftly ended her spell to let the bridge plummet to the ground below as the lead goblin made a wild leap towards me. I simply leaned over and smiled, waving my fingers at him when he fell a few inches short and screamed all the way down.

Fig shot a worried glance towards his fellow professors, hoping they would be fine as they held Ranrok's army off. We jogged towards the blue glow as it led us through a short tunnel to a chamber clearly created by ancient magic - a single door stretching thirty feet tall lay at the opposite end, emblazoned with the symbol of the Keepers and flanked by two guardian statues just as large. As we drew closer their bodies flared to life, blue-white bodies of pure magic animating their forms. Their heads turned in our direction as they lurched forward, their swords poised high and ready to come crashing down. As Fig took a few worried steps back, I suddenly felt a gentle warmth coming from... somewhere not quite tangible.

This must be where I need to use that wand. I quickly brought the box out from my pocket dimension and threw open the lid, switching my horn into my other hand as I picked it up. The guardian statues began to quicken their pace, so I prepared to cast offhanded as I raised the crafted wand into the air, just in case.

But my instincts were correct - just before they were about to swing their swords, the two statues froze. The wand began to glow brightly with ancient magic, and in response the statues twirled their swords around so that the tips pointed straight downward, and more magic swirled around them as they were driven into the ground. Grooves carved into the metallic floor bled to life with golden light, flowing towards the door and seeping through its cracks. I heard a loud click as the doors split right down the middle, swinging open to finally grant me access. The light within the statues died and they became dormant once again.

A manic smile spread across my face. I could feel the warmth, hear the whispers from here.

This was it.

It was really happening.

The final repository sat in the center of the palatial cavern, just like I had seen it in Bakar's memory, completely untouched by time. Only a thousand-foot walkway suspended over the ground far below separated me from an unfathomable amount of pristine, enchanting, intoxicating ancient magic. The excitement was almost too much, my entire body tingling in anticipation at the same time as my legs feeling like they were made of lead-speckled jelly, but as Fig slowly made his way closer I forced myself to follow him.

"We made it... I'm relieved we got here before Ranrok," he inhaled, taking in the sheer scale of the cavern.

"There it is... the ancient magic." The words tumbled breathily out of my mouth, my eyes filled with beauty, my heart swelling with pride.

Nine hundred feet to go.

As we walked, however, the look on Fig's face transformed from awe to deep thought.

"...Think of all the pain that created it. This is what Miriam, George and countless others died for. Miriam believed this forgotten magic could be used for such good, but... she did not know the risks. She did not see what the Keepers have shown you... what Isidora showed you. You are now the Keeper of whatever power it holds."

"It's about time," I smirked.

Eight hundred feet to go.

"...What do you intend to do with it?" he asked. A bubble of laughter slipped through my lips.

"Oh, I'm definitely taking it for myself. That was always the plan from the very beginning."

"Are you?" he stopped, drawing back in surprise. "After everything you've seen? Everything the Keepers have shown you?"

"Especially after what the Keepers showed me."

"And all this bloodshed in Ranrok's attempts to take it for himself?"

"Yep... and nothing's gonna change my mind about that," I affirmed with a determined nod. "It's everything I've dreamed of since I was little, since my first mentor adopted me."

That's right... it's mine, Celestia... I earned it. I deserve it. I closed my eyes to imagine what it would feel like to finally have the power of a princess at my command.

Alongside it, thoughts of Sebastian graced my mind. Surely he'd be proud of me for finally achieving my goals. But then I remembered his goals, his dream... specifically the one that had been ripped away from him, as it turned out it was never achievable, not by intended means.

The cure for Anne's curse.

It was still a longshot - Isidora was only ever successful in removing emotional pain from her father, not physical pain. And whatever she might've done afterwards had drained him of all emotions entirely. If this was going to have any chance of success, then I had to avoid whatever it was she had done after that. It would be a good first goal to work towards once I'd absorbed all the magic into my body, to join forever with my soul.

"...But, more importantly," my eyes opened as I spoke again, "...I made a promise. And this magic will help me keep it."

"I see..." Fig trailed off as he gazed at the slowly-spinning orbs only seven hundred and fifty feet away. At first I wondered if he'd had a change of heart after learning the tale of Isidora and the Keepers... had come to different conclusions, learned different lessons than I had. Maybe now, instead of wishing to see his late wife's life's work finally finished, now he agreed with them - the thought of which made me shudder.

But then he let out a sigh, and as he turned back to me a kind smile appeared on his face. "...Then as long as there is a noble reason for your desire, I have no complaints." His words were a pleasant surprise, something I seriously doubted I ever would've heard from Celestia. They brought a smile to my face, and I felt nothing but gratitude and fondness for the old man.

Such kindness... such patience... and such trust in me to follow my ambitions. He wasn't eternally young like Celestia might've been, so being a father figure was a bit of a stretch... but he could certainly be the grandfather I never had.

"...The arrogance of wizardkind."

My heart leapt into my throat at the familiar low, drawling growl. I growled myself as Fig and I turned to see Ranrok, alone, approaching us from the tunnel's entrance. His armor and eyes glimmered with blood-red light, the cries of the tainted magic slithering into my ears, staining my nose with rust. Impending doom began to creep into the back of my mind. My Cheering Charm was still active, however, the music strangely quieting down and fading into the background as it worked to keep the emotion to a minimum.

"Goblins built this repository... it belongs to us," Ranrok hissed as he drew closer, tainted magic crackling around his body.

"And you goblins have a stupid view of ownership," I rolled my eyes as Fig and I kept our wands trained on him. "This magic is mine, Ranrok, and once I absorb it all, I'm going to rip out the magic from the other repository you stole from me and absorb that, too." The goblin sighed through his nose as his eyes narrowed, and he reached slowly behind his back.

"...I've been wanting to play with this," he sneered as he pulled out a light-colored wand, bringing it around to point it at us. Behind me, Fig let out an angry, ragged gasp.

"Miriam's wand...!"

"If she'd simply handed over the container, all of this could have been avoided," Ranrok smirked as he stared at the wand's intricate carvings, creating a swirling cage near its base. "...Foolish, self-important witch." Infuriated, Fig shouted as he hurled a Depulso at Ranrok, but it was casually deflected away with a red-tinged Protego. The goblin grinned darkly as he taunted my mentor further. "Seems you were two of a kind... she didn't know when to give up, either."

And before either of us could react, Ranrok fired a Depulso of his own, but not at either of us. Instead the bolt of magic rocketed directly between us. My head whipped around to follow its trajectory, and my eyes widened in horror as I realized what his target really had been.

Half a second later, the final repository exploded. I tried to brace myself for the shockwave's impact, but it still knocked Fig and I to the ground towards Ranrok's feet, the crystals at my sides blaring the Cheering Charm shattering to pieces. He huffed once in amusement before focusing on the unleashed magic before him, his armor glowing brighter than ever before until his form disappeared into the light. Then I felt a rush of wind blow past me over my head, and my heart sunk into my stomach.

He had beaten me to the magic after all.

Curse my hubris.

Fig and I got up and watched helplessly as the wisps and strands of ancient magic contained within the repository turned to red at his touch, the taint coalescing into an orb and multiplying until it shone with the darkness of a subterranean star. From the center emerged a terrifying sight - a dragon the size of the Great Hall hewn from swirling, twisted metal like the guardian statues, but darker in color with blood-red light glowing from within. It produced a cackling roar with Ranrok's voice as he gloated in his victory.

"Goblinkind shall answer to no one!" His voice reverberated loudly off the cavern walls, small cracks forming in the rock at the mere vibrations. Then with a burst of alarming speed he swooped down at Fig and I, a torrent of magic-tainted fire spewing from his mouth. We leapt out of the way, unable to even throw up a Protego to counter it in time... although judging by the power I sensed, it wouldn't have helped much. Just the one attack was enough to cause the entire cavern to tremble harder, with large rocks and small boulders falling from above like rain. Fissures began snaking their way across the walls, weakening them and threatening to bring down the entirety of Hogwarts Castle and the hill it sat upon on our heads.

My eyes darted towards every new crack I heard forming, every piece of falling stone. In the middle of it all I heard Fig grunting in exertion as he tried to weather the storm of falling rocks with his magic, watching anxiously for Ranrok to reappear.

But before I could find him among the blinding clouds of dust, I heard something large fall and shatter, and I heard him scream. My ears dragged the rest of my body towards the freshly-created cliff, still unable to see my mentor but hearing his voice sink faster and further away.

Fig...!

I tried desperately to find him, even as his voice gradually vanished from my ears. But I saw nothing but stone and dust.

...

Fig...

"Foolish witch!" Ranrok laughed as his form swooped past again, knocking me on my arse and out of my daze. "After all this time... the forgotten knowledge of the Keepers is mine!" I blinked a few times as I forced my brain to switch gears, shock and horror twisting into furious rage.

This goblin... this wretched little shriveled vegetable... if he thought he was gonna get away with stealing all of my ancient magic, then he was sorely mistaken! I didn't care if he was stronger, more powerful than me, because I was gonna swat that bastard out of the sky and beat every little shred of magic out of him until there was nothing left!

"And as my first act of vengeance... I shall send this accursed castle to the depths of the earth!" he cried out as he swooped past again. Now a protective urge flared up within me, matching my fury - this bastard was threatening my friends, my teachers and the few other students that had remained for the holiday break! A proper warmonger would only target those who could put up a fight against them, but this...

...This was a school. A sanctuary, a refuge... a home, for those like me. And by Celestia, I wasn't gonna let him destroy it on a whim.

"No, you don't... get back here!" I shouted, my eyes gleaming as I drew out my broom from my pocket dimension and soared up to meet him. Ranrok careened down a tunnel leading into one of the cave systems, wasting no time in breathing his tainted fire on columns formed by joined stalagmites and stalactites, and purposefully crashing into the walls to weaken them. It was a struggle to catch up to him and even more difficult to keep up, between repairing the damaged columns with empowered Reparos and sealing cracked walls with Incendios while dodging all the rocks falling from above.

He quickly caught on that I was following him, and he abruptly changed course down a different tunnel, forcing me to yank my broom's handle as hard as I could to turn so sharply. Growling as I realized it'd be too hard to focus on controlling the broom and casting at the same time, I took a moment to Epoximise my feet to the broomstick, then stood up and rode it like a surfboard as I trailed after him. The spark of brilliance worked like a dream as it allowed me to accelerate and steer with only subtle shifts in balance, leaving me free to concentrate on repairing the damage done to the cave systems. Ranrok tried as hard as he could to lose me, plummeting down various tunnels and using his wings to grab onto ledges so he could use the momentum to swing around blind corners.

I wondered just how much power, how much stamina the ancient magic had given him. He could probably keep this up forever, or at least for way longer than I could. But a full assault with magic was likely to fail right now, he certainly outpowered me by a wide margin. I would need to get... creative.

Another boulder falling past to my right was just the inspiration I needed. My eyes glowed as I caught it in my magic and slowed its momentum until it was fully under my control, then with as much force as I could manage I hurled it at Ranrok, striking him in his right wing. He screeched in pain and maneuvered around to breathe his tainted fire at me; though it was easily dodged I could feel the deadly heat shimmering across my skin as it passed by, sweat beading on my forehead and dampening my robes. But it had worked, and whenever I could spare the moment amidst repairing the damage I repeated the tactic against him. Cracks eventually formed in the hollow metal wing bones, and with a final impact from an especially-large boulder Ranrok's left wing snapped off in a massive spray of red light and fragile shards of goblin silver. The shriek of pain was nearly deafening as the dragon crashed to the ground, his body crumbling stalagmites in his wake as he ground to a halt.

I didn't allow him a moment's respite - he had landed at the base of the now-empty repository. With an empowered Bombarda I shattered the remains of the swirling stone cage that held the empty orbs, froze them in midair to cancel out their momentum and directed the huge pieces to fall on top of him, burying him alive. More of the tainted ancient magic bled out of his ruptured form and floated into the air, free from its prison. A wisp of it floated past me, and as I held out my wand the magic wrapped itself around the tip as though magnetically drawn.

I gazed at the glowing bulb of red... when Isidora had inhaled the negative emotions she'd gathered from others, it had given her power. Power that... I could definitely use at the moment. I couldn't just keep dropping rocks on top of him without risking the cavern collapsing, and he was still likely too powerful to be affected by my magic as it was.

But... was it worth possibly becoming addicted? Even now I could hear the tortured screams of the magic, smell the tang of blood that stained it. What if I couldn't control it?

"Arrogant, annoying witch..." I heard Ranrok seethe as he stirred, the boulders beginning to roll off and fall away. "I see I will have to kill you first before I can destroy the school."

"You can try... or you can just give up and let me take my ancient magic back, save us both some trouble," I shrugged flippantly. Ranrok laughed with a hint of a strain as the last of the rubble slid off his back, allowing him to stand again. His body pulsed darkly and his eyes flashed with malice.

"I see now that one dragon alone isn't enough to deal with you... how fortunate that I have control of two more." Suddenly I heard a pair of faint roars on either side of the edges of the cavern, distant but quickly coming closer. Seconds later their owners burst out from the side tunnels in a flash of red light, two winged behemoths of black scales and leather.

I gasped; my body trembled slightly as I realized I'd seen these dragons before. One was the dragon that had attacked the carriage George, Fig and I had been riding on our way to Hogwarts, while the other was one of the dragons from Horntail Hall. Both had suffered much more abuse since then, their bodies covered in barely-healed gashes beneath the heavy goblin silver collars.

Ranrok was really serious, now. I wondered if I had it in me to possibly kill three dragons at once, one of them being an ancient magic-infused abomination. And I didn't need to be reminded of what would happen if I failed... besides losing the magic, and my life. The world would definitely change for the worse... especially for my friends.

For Sebastian... for Natty, for Poppy, and for Ominis. The rest of the world could devolve into chaos for all I cared, just so long as they were unharmed, and happy. But none of them would likely be happy with the world in such a sorry state, now would they?

Yes... I saw it, now... the true price of accepting this great power. Defeating Ranrok was far more important to them - to me - than keeping a firm hold on my own sanity. I glanced down a final time at the glowing magic, and with a resolute glare I closed my eyes... and inhaled.

At once my nose filled with blood, but before I could gag it melted away into a soothing heat that quickly spread into my face, then down my neck and into my entire body. A couple seconds later the heat morphed into a tingling sensation that raced up and down my arms, making my fingers twitch with energy. The tortured screams quieted down and fell silent, leaving me with a sense of peace knowing that they had finally been seen... felt... heard. My heart felt lighter, my soul... stronger, like my magical power had increased tenfold, along with my resolve. It was like a Cheering Charm without any Charm at all.

So this was what Isidora had become addicted to.

Ranrok charged, prompting the other two dragons to do the same, flanking his sides as they soared. I closed my eyes in fear of the impact even as I teleported behind them; I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face them as they slowed to turn around. My eyes glowed as I hurled my wand skyward, spikes of stone shooting upwards at an angle around the dragon on the right to trap it in place. It roared angrily and began spewing fire everywhere, making Ranrok sidestep it before charging again.

This time I chuckled as I effortlessly teleported away, reappearing on top of the crown of stone tips above the makeshift dragon cage. It hadn't noticed I'd gotten so close in its rage, the smoke and ash accumulating on the spikes interfering with its sense of smell. While it exhaled another stream of flame to the left, my eyes spied the locking mechanisms on the back of its collar, and my eyes glowed again as I forced it open with Alohomora.

The collar fell to the ground with a dull clank. Almost immediately the dragon's demeanor changed, calming down and ceasing its tantrum. Curiously I waved away the stone cage to see what it would do, and found myself grinning as the dragon turned on Ranrok, taking off with a roar and flying directly towards him. He managed to leap out of the way in time, and the other dragon changed its course to collide with the free one. They crashed to the ground in a tangle of talons, fangs, scales and fire.

While they fought, Ranrok reared up and breathed his tainted fire at me, then swiped with his claws, his tail and his one good wing. The first blast was avoided by rolling away, and I ducked and dodged around his attacks until one got too close.  I cast Protego on reflex to try to absorb the blow from his tail, and it mostly worked - the thick appendage broke through my shield, but hit with the force of a large kneazle leaping onto my chest. Still, it wasn't something I wanted to repeat.

But from this I gauged that he'd lost a significant chunk of his magic. The next time he swung I punched my wand into the air, summoning a spike of stone between his right forearm and my body. It crumbled from the impact, but I could hear the goblin-turned-dragon snarl in pain as he drew it back. He swung again and again, growling and cursing as I kept blocking his attacks with more summoned spikes.

"How long are you going to delay the inevitable?!" he roared, breathing a gout of tainted flame as he heaved his tail at me like a whip. I raised an entire slab of stone from the ground to shield myself, my eyes racing over the rubble strewn all over the cavern from his attacks.

Just a little more.

"You want me to attack, do you?" I retorted as I summoned up three more spikes in front of me like a fence. Ranrok made a show of demolishing them, and as the final calculation fell into place within my mind, I grinned. "Alright... be careful what you wish for!" With a broad sweep of my wand, I separated the trace amounts of iron within the pulverized rocks, and fused it together with carbon scraped from the ground. The two elements melded together, and a swish and a flick Transfigured the raw steel into a rough but solid pellet the size of a loaf of bread.

I heard a bubble of mocking laughter begin to erupt from Ranrok's throat, but he shut up once I sent the pellet flying into his jaw. My eyes glowed as I controlled the metal as masterfully as a puppet, my magic wrenching it free and shooting it forward like a pugilist's punch, aiming for his eyes. Every impact rang against the monster's body like a gong, the sound reverberating off the cavern walls and forcing a rain of pebbles from above. His attacks quickly morphed into wild flailing as he tried to fight through the painful distraction, the dark metal that formed his head denting and pitting with every blow.

A loud, fiery bellow drew my attention back to the pair of dragons fighting each other - the one I had freed had the other pinned to the ground beneath its body. At the same time Ranrok opened his mouth to breathe another blast of fire, just as I saw the locking mechanisms of the other dragon's collar rattling loosely. With a flick of my wrist I fired the floating pellet straight down Ranrok's throat, and as he clawed at his own neck while choking and gagging it back up, I released the other dragon from its collar. The first dragon I'd freed lifted itself from the other, and perhaps sensing weakness or wanting revenge, both of them charged straight for Ranrok. Just as he spit out the pellet he vanished inside two blasts of flame, the pained shriek from his throat hoarse and wet. A few seconds later a cloud of tainted ancient magic began billowing out of the fire, swirling within the backdraft.

With a careful Ventus I directed the mist towards me, breathing deeply as it neared my face. Again my nose filled with the scent of blood, only to melt into a warmth so intense my body felt like it was on fire. Then came the tingling sensation, stronger than ever, like every muscle fiber within me was twitching, screaming for release... and the calming, blissful silence. The power, the raw magic flowing through my veins was unmatched by any sensation I'd ever felt in my life.

I felt like I could level an entire city with one simple spell.

The light from the dragons' flames died out as Ranrok unleashed a scream of effort. Heat shimmered from his metallic form, glowing cherry-red and melting into misshapen limbs and grotesque flaps of silvery flesh, part of his face obscuring his eyes and mouth. His other wing had snapped off and laid on the ground, slowly disintegrating back into tainted magic flying through the air.

But despite all the damage, he managed to grab one of the dragons by its neck and slam it to the ground. Its pitiful screech stung my ears as it thrashed uncontrollably, desperately trying to get away as its flesh cooked in his grasp. The scent of charred meat filled the air, and soon the dragon's movements slowed, and then stopped. Seeing its unfortunate companion fall in battle, the other dragon flapped its wings like a spooked pigeon and quickly flew away.

"No... How are you doing this?! This is my magic! My power! My possession!" Ranrok growled as he struggled to stand; he let go of the dead dragon, but his hand and arm had cooled too much - the entire limb was fused together into a solid mass. He snarled in frustration as he grabbed his shoulder with his other hand and simply ripped off the offending limb, brandishing it like a club. His movements were jerky and awkward as he stomped towards me, forcing his gait into a run.

I smiled darkly as he quickly approached. I had finally absorbed enough magic to face him head-on, I knew it without a doubt in my mind... Now I could finish this. My eyes flared brighter than ever as I channeled my will into my horn, the power leaking out of the millions of microscopic foramina that covered it like steam from a kettle, until it formed a swordlike weapon of pure magic.

"It was never yours to begin with! I'm the only one who can see it! And I'm the only one who can control it!" My legs felt light as feathers as I bent down, and as I charged forward to meet him I ran three times as fast as before, more magic streaming behind me in my wake. My mageblade slammed into his improvised weapon, the dent it formed nearly bending it in half. Ranrok gasped in shock as I huffed with laughter, my arm swinging relentlessly at his severed arm until the cracked, splintering metal finally shattered. With only one arm left, he was nearly defenseless as I used my leftover momentum to swing around, charging up and unleashing a Depulso that sent him flying into the air.

Then while he was still flying I teleported above him, anticipating his exact position at the moment of impact, and fired a second Depulso straight down in an overhead smash. The brutalized abomination bellowed in pain, then gagged loudly as he made contact with the ground. The entire cavern shook violently as dust and an explosion of dark red light filled the air.

My smile stretched from ear to ear as I teleported beside the smoldering crater. About three feet down Ranrok struggled to sit up, most of his goblin form returned to him. His remaining right arm, his lower left leg and the left side of his face still bore a monstrous, draconic skeletal form, but the metal was heavily damaged - so twisted and fractured that one more blow would destroy them entirely. Blood spurted from the stump of his left arm, between his transformed fingers as he tried in vain to staunch the flow.

"Y-You..." he gasped for breath, finally trembling in fear. "W-Who are you?! W-Why are you s-so powerful?!"

"Who am I?" I cackled until my breath gave out, inhaling the red mist through grinning teeth. So much ancient magic was rushing through my veins, electrifying my body, setting my soul on fire... and I still wanted more. "I am Sunset Shimmer... daughter of Princess Celestia. And you stole something of mine. I want it back."

I needed more.

I craved more.

"No... n-no! By my ancestors, t-this repository is mine! B-Both of them, mine! The magic within them is mine! Do you h-hear me?! IT'S! ALL! MINE!!!"

I couldn't help but laugh as his world and his pride collapsed around him. Equestrian Dark magic blazed from my eyes, brighter than the biggest supernova as I prepared for the coup de grâce... with the vast majority of his tainted magic drained, I could now be reasonably sure he wouldn't just deflect the otherwise-unblockable attack somehow. A pity it wasn't exactly something I could research beforehand, or with much ease in the future.

Oh well. I laughed a few seconds more before looking him in the eyes with a smirk.

"...Caveat venditor."

The cavern lit up with a bright flash of green, fading away as quickly as it had appeared.

...

...

...

After watching carefully for a few seconds I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Ranrok lay dead within a crater grave, within the rubble-covered ground. With his death, the remaining goblins backing him would lose their resolve, crawling back into the underground mines and the bank from which they came. The utter demoralization would ensure that there wouldn't be another goblin rebellion for a long time.

It was still rather tragic, though... he may have wanted recognition and acknowledgement for his people from the wizarding world, to be seen and treated as our equals, but this wasn't the way to go about it. 'Course, I didn't really know what else he could have done if he was already so desperate he resorted to such violence, but his actions would only further cement his kind's position in this world, for many years to come. In essence, he'd done the complete opposite of what he'd originally set out to achieve.

Such was the fate of the loser.

Miriam's wand fell from his tattered clothing, rolling a few times in a spiral before coming to a stop. I bent down and picked it up, tracing its hollow curves with my eyes. Fig would be happy to know that her death had finally been avenged...

...if he was still alive. I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since Ranrok destroyed the repository, and he'd fallen into the depths. I hoped he was - it'd only be right to show him the magic once I'd absorbed it safely into myself, show him the fruits of his late wife's labors.

But yet another tremor wracked the ground and sent boulders clattering from high above, and I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to wax philosophical. Staring upwards, the last of the ancient magic had coalesced into an enormous bubble, floating peacefully in the center of the cavern as it threatened to collapse on top of me. Both blue-white and red-black lights swirled around each other in a yin-yang fashion, seemingly stable without containment.

My eyes shifted to the walls and ceiling beyond, however. Despite my earlier efforts to repair the damage Ranrok had caused, it had just been too great. Cracks and fissures were still forming with every stomach-churning quake, threatening to crush me before I could claim my prize.

It was now or never.

I held my breath as I cast Ascendio on myself until I was directly in the center of the swirling, murmuring magic. I heard both screams of agony and whispers of joy, smelled the sharpness of ozone and the rust of blood.

I closed my eyes... and inhaled.

And my mind was overwhelmed.


~


Heat.

Blood.

A violent gale rushed around me as I opened my eyes into darkness. I saw nothing, but could feel the magic flowing around me like I was a log in the middle of a river. I could feel its presence, hear its voices, smell its essence.

But suddenly the sensations grew calm, almost frozen in midair. A dim, white light like fog bloomed into existence about ten feet in front of me, gradually taking the form of a woman. The air around me chilled rapidly until I could see my breath, but no breath came from her mouth as she spoke. Her voice was ethereal and delicate, quiet yet firm.

"Finally... you're the one I've been waiting for." As her form solidified and her features gained definition, I gasped as I realized who she was... what she was.

"Isidora...?" She nodded once with a soft smile. "You... became a ghost?"

"I did," she gently closed her eyes as she gestured vaguely with a hand to her right. "After experiencing the treachery of the Keepers I knew I couldn't rest until I had found another like me... someone who could not only see and use ancient magic, but also had the desire to use that magic to benefit the world, and all of wizardkind."

"Well, I... dunno if I'd go that far," I muttered under my breath, "but the Keepers were fools to fear this magic. Just thinking of the possibilities before me, now that it's all mine..."

"It is," she nodded again. "And I shall teach you all that I know."

"You will?!" A wide grin stretched across my face as my fists clenched in front of me. "Oh, awesome, those useless old farts barely taught me a thing! ...Well, first off, can you tell me how you extracted your father's emotional pain from him?"

"Of course," she smiled serenely. "It was simply a matter of harnessing the ancient magic to empathize, and feel his pain... then reaching deep within his soul, taking hold of those negative emotions-"

As I watched her hand reach out to me, suddenly I felt an indescribable force within my chest, pulling as though it had wrapped itself around my very heart. Somehow it felt strangely calming... for some reason, I didn't feel all too concerned about it. Once I realized that I felt that way, however, the emotions came surging back like a tide.

Hey, what... what is this?! What are you doing to me...?!

"...And pulling them out, like weeds from a garden," Isidora finished, her eyes glazing over as they flashed red. I blinked a couple times as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

That... those were my emotions! But...!

"Uh... did you just try to take my emotions?" I took a wary step back. "Why? I wasn't feeling the least bit negative."

"Maybe not now... but you will." Through her smile, her calm demeanor and soothing voice suddenly made my hackles rise, all of my hairs standing on end.

Something was seriously wrong here. "I... don't follow," my lips thinned.

"Even the happiest moment must come to an end, the inevitable void it leaves behind unbearable," she explained. "All emotions cause pain eventually." 

"All emotions?" I inhaled sharply once I realized what she was getting at, all of the pieces finally falling into place. That sure would explain why there seemed to be two types of ancient magic: the tainted negative emotions... and the pure positive ones. Those that were screams full of torment, sorrow, anger and agony... and those whose whispers elicited joy, serenity, warmth and acceptance.

But... but that would mean... the Keepers had been right. And that was something my brain was struggling to comprehend. "You took them, the emotions... Y-You took them all... from those students? Your own father?!"

"My father was grateful that I'd brought him out from his endless malaise." Isidora glanced down at the ground with a fond, yet empty smirk. "I never wanted him to feel pain nor sadness again, I couldn't stand to see him with anything less than a smile on his face. Over time, however... he would remember my brother, and his happiness would wane. Then he would worry about me, and then about his crops, the house, the other villagers, my future... his worries kept building up more and more, and he would only further slip into a depression. I did what I could to alleviate his pain, and briefly the father I knew and loved would return. He was proud of my accomplishments... eager to assist with my research."

"Research...?" I breathed, not sure I was liking where this was headed.

"First I took his fears, as well as his pain... then I took his anger when a number of the hamlet's livestock were slaughtered one night, and no culprit was ever found. Each time I felt his pain I took more and more from him, but his happiness grew ever more fleeting... and then I realized the true cause of his pain."

"The... true cause?" I swallowed. Isidora's eyes flicked back up towards me, her vacant expression chilling me to my core.

"Emotions. If one feels an emotion, they can feel the pain it eventually causes... and all emotions inevitably lead to pain. The fleeting nature of happiness leads to sorrow, and along with anger and fear, they only breed resentment and suffering. If I... if we are to heal the world, then logic dictates that all emotions must be removed... to be truly free from pain. And, of course, the opposite of empathy..."

"...Is apathy," I finished for her, my mouth dry. "Did... D-Did he realize what you were doing to him? Y-Your students...?!"

"My father... he wanted me to take his pain away. He never even had to ask - I could see it in his eyes," she said. "And my dear students... they were like family to me, almost like the children I never had. I encouraged each of them to come to me if something was troubling them... and many of them were suffering."

"Suffering...?!" I gasped angrily, finally realizing the truth of her work. "No... coming to this school and learning magic, making friends, getting away from their families... it might have been the happiest time of their lives! And you took that from them! How many students did you lure down here with your jaded promises of removing their inner pain?! Instead of... o-of therapy, you gave them a lobotomy!"

"I gave them a calm, steady mind," Isidora replied simply. "I gave them peace."

"No... y-you... you...!" My hands flew to the sides of my head, fingers threading through my hair and pulling. The implications of her words, the explanation for her research was... horrifying! How could she have treated her own father like a guinea pig, how could she have stooped so low as to prey on the children who depended on her?! How... how could my view of her have been so wrong?

I wanted so desperately to see what I wanted to see. I wanted to believe that Isidora was a visionary far ahead of her time, unjustly restricted and censored by her stodgy, stubborn peers! But the truth of the matter was that... her research had led her to a terrible conclusion, and unlike any sane, scientifically-minded witch... she cast all semblance of ethics aside. There was a stark difference between experimentation for a greater purpose and finding the results unfavorable, and furthering the experiments on the unfavorable results. And from her words, it seemed that the power she gained from inhaling those results was simply a bonus. An incidental reward.

But the worst part of it all was that... part of me actually agreed with her. Emotions were the cause of so much grief in my life. Even before I had come to this world, in my quest to find out the truth behind the destiny shown to me in the Crystal Mirror, the frustration it caused when my progress was slow, and then I was caught... the banishment from Celestia's castle and tutelage, and thinking she'd disowned me as her daughter... it hurt. It hurt so much.

And then when this whole experience first started, when I first felt the influence of the ancient magic within me, my newfound emotions had been an unwelcome addition. I wanted to be the best, the most powerful witch in the world, and to do that I had to mercilessly trample my competition and outshine them all. I used my classmates to get what I wanted, took pleasure in seeing them fail, went out of my way to torment those who had inconvenienced me in even the slightest fashion. But those damned emotions, they betrayed my pride and independence, goaded me into spending time with classmates far beneath my favor or consideration, made me... care about their dull, insignificant lives.

...

...

...

...But without them... I never would have made any friends.

I never would have gotten to know Natty. Never would have helped her cleanse the region from Harlow's callous grip. Never would have seen her transform into her Animagus form, or become fascinated by the way she could cast without a wand. Never would have cheered her on in Crossed Wands, feeling proud of her victories and respecting her skills, even if I was objectively the better duelist among us.

I never would have gotten to know Poppy. Never would have bonded with her over our respect and care for creatures, no matter how small or fragile. Never would have helped her befriend a half-equine race and gain their trust. Never would have realized the truth about her past, making her never-ending quest all the more pure and important. Never... would have brought her and Natty together.

I never would have gotten to know Ominis. Never would have spent countless classes together amusing ourselves when the material was already learned and the lectures boring. Never would have learned so much about the castle and this world without his insights. Never would have helped him begin to heal from his terrible, traumatic upbringing.

...And I never would have gotten to know Sebastian. Someone so much like me, almost like my mirror image. I never would have realized how brave, how kind, how selfless and brilliant he was. I never would have come to care so deeply for him, wanted to protect him from the unjustness of this world, wanted to teach him everything I knew and feel so proud when he mastered it all... I never would have met my equal.

These four humans... these wonderful humans I called my friends... even if we all went our separate ways after graduation, and never saw each other again... though I would surely cry, and sulk, and scream, I would also forever cherish the time we spent together. The memories we all shared made my heart glow with a warmth and brightness that rivaled the sun itself.

And those emotions, that feeling... they gave me strength.

They gave me power.

And with all of their help... I had finally reached my destiny.

I finally saw the truth of the magic I had hunted for so long, and now finally possessed.

"...You're wrong. Those emotions you call fleeting... joy, passion, optimism, love... happiness. They're all worth the pain we all endure in life," I scowled in determination. "Even the negative emotions are necessary for us to feel, because they make the positive emotions we feel all the more powerful! Without pain... we won't grow."

"Fool..." Isidora shook her head mournfully. "My father did not grow from his pain... he wilted from it!"

"Well... yea, you have a point there," I shrugged, wincing begrudgingly. "But there's always gonna be an exception to the rule, so 99.9% of the time, pain is important! We need to feel pain!"

"No! Pain must be vanquished wherever it may appear!" she shouted as she floated menacingly towards me. It was just too bad for her that ghosts couldn't do anything to the living other than make them feel wet and freezing for a few seconds. Even as I closed my eyes and her form passed through mine, I barely felt the icy dampness of her presence.

"...Some of our most desperate desires have too high a price to pay."

"There is no price too high to improve the lives of millions!" Isidora countered. "I used my power to heal my father, to heal my students... I wanted to use the ancient magic to heal the world! And if you will not accept that price, then I will not teach you how to use that power! It will be as useless to you as it was in the hands of the Keepers!"

I snorted in annoyance at her petulance. All this magic was finally mine, but because I hadn't fallen into insanity and addiction like she had, she refused to teach me anything useful about it. I refused to drain the emotions from the unwilling like a wretched Changeling.

But I also refused to seal this magic away from the world like those foolish Keepers had done. After so many years of study, so many years of striving for power and greatness, it was finally within reach. I would sooner die than put that power back where it came from, to wither away and lay forgotten!

No... I didn't like either of these choices.

So it was time to make my own.

"...I don't need you to teach me. Magic is no different than any power, what really matters is the one who wields it," I affirmed, my eyes glowing like stars, my heart and soul swelling with warmth that could rival the very sun. As I felt a threshold approaching, something snapped deep within me, and the light from my eyes came to engulf my entire being. Isidora could only stare in horror as I smirked confidently at her.

"And you... are not deserving of this power."

I closed my eyes and focused; my will transformed into a psychic force, grabbing every last molecule of the ancient magic swirling around me and pulling it into my body. Screams and whispers filled my ears, gradually falling silent as they became bathed in the warmth of my soul. Once there was nothing left to absorb I opened my eyes again, sending out a pulse of pure positive emotions: happiness, peace, pride... love.

Isidora screamed as the pulse of ancient magic drove her away, ripping her ephemeral form to shreds, taking the darkness surrounding me along with them. Within seconds sight returned to my eyes, and I found myself back in the cavern beneath Hogwarts. But a radiant light shone from my very being, casting dancing shadows upon each and every surface.

My eyes were filled with blue-white light. Another horn formed from pure ancient magic extended a foot out of my forehead, and matching wings fluttered behind my shoulders, keeping me aloft high in the air. I stared at my own glowing hands, alight with power and magic, proof that the magic was now an integral, irrevocable, immutable part of me. I now commanded the power of a princess.

A stray thought murmured in the back of my mind... but what about Isidora? Ghosts were already dead, you couldn't kill them a second time... But then again, I doubt one was ever blasted with ancient magic before. Even as I paid careful attention to my surroundings, I couldn't sense her presence at all.

All I could sense was the constant rumbling. The entire cavern was shaking as though it was the epicenter of an earthquake reaching a ten on the Yakhter scale. Boulders the size of classrooms were dropping down from the ceiling.

But it barely mattered anymore.

Not when I'd finally done it.

It was finally over.

The power...

It's mine.

Mine...

...

Hehehe...

Hahahahaha...

Hahahahahahahahaha...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

...

...

...

...Alright, now that that's out of my system... time to fix the cavern so Hogwarts doesn't fall into a giant sinkhole.

"Reparo!" My entire body glowed like the sun as I shouted the incantation, the light shooting from the horn in my hand almost blinding. Even with all my newfound power, the cracks in the stone were sealing too slowly for my liking. The cavern was still shaking wildly.

I growled in exertion as I poured more magic into the spell, the light becoming so intense it hurt even behind my closed eyes. I could feel the fissures in the rock walls closing back together, the columns reassembling themselves, the stalactites and stalagmites rolling and zipping back into place. Gradually the tremors grew weaker, but I still wasn't satisfied. I needed to be sure this cave system would never fall again. As I opened my eyes just a sliver to check my progress, I almost didn't notice a second beam of magic joining alongside mine.

"Fig!" I gasped, my head whipping around to face him. He only smiled with exhaustion in response; I turned my attention back towards repairing the caverns, relieved to know he was alright. It took nearly ten straight minutes of casting, but with my mentor's help the walls were fused and solidified, glimmering like obsidian in the darkness.

"You're okay!" I smiled as I rushed over to him. "I couldn't see you after Ranrok's first attack, I-" 

It was only now that I realized his entire left side was dripping red. And now that I'd realized it, Fig dropped to the ground in a pool of blood. I dropped down to his side as he rolled over onto his back, his head tilted to the side as he coughed up his life. My head shook in disbelief - he had been just fine the last time I saw him!

But now...

"...You're not okay. You're really not okay," I swallowed, reaching into my pocket dimension for a Wiggenweld potion. As I pulled one out, however, my body froze as my eyes locked with his - they were glazed over, and his breaths were already growing shallow and weak.

He was beyond the help of Wiggenweld now.

He was beyond the help of any form of magic.

"M-Miriam..." he wheezed. I hesitated for a moment before realizing what he'd said, and quickly pulled out the light-colored wand. Fig gasped in surprise, coughed, then sighed contentedly as he took hold of it, clutching it to his chest. His next words were barely audible. "...Miriam w-would have loved you, S-Sunset."

"H-Hey, don't start saying things like that," my voice warbled. My body began to shake as a cold chill washed over me, like someone had dumped a bucket of water on my head. "You're gonna be okay, alright? Just s-stay with me-"

"The w-wizarding world... could not be in more... capable hands... You... are stronger than you know..."

Fig's body relaxed, and his eyes drifted away before dimming completely, partially open. His grip on Miriam's wand loosened until it nearly slid out of his fingers. His chest, his neck... his mouth stopped moving.

Silence.

The cold chill froze solid, and with it my entire body, my mind, my heart and my soul.

I don't know how long I sat there, watching his body for any sign of life. The glow of the ancient magic within me faded away and grew dormant, my wings and horn disappearing in a flash of sparkles. The air was still, and cold, and far too quiet.

Professor Fig... my mentor...

...was dead.

My body felt frigid, heavy, yet empty. I had been distraught when Celestia had banished me from her castle, yes... distraught when she declared I was no longer her student... but this...

Celestia was eternal; an undying Alicorn both blessed and cursed with immortality. Fig, however... was very much mortal. And yet, I never thought that this would be the way he'd die. Wizards tended to live twice as long as the average Muggle, who in turn lived as long as the average pony. I'd assumed- expected him to be my mentor for many years to come.

But now it was not to be. It would never be. Not anymore.

Ranrok had seen to that.

"Miss Shimmer!" I could only barely hear Professor Weasley calling out to me as she ran towards us, nearly tripping over her own feet as she saw what had happened. The other professors who had joined her in the depths below Hogwarts were right behind her. "Miss Shi- ...oh... oh, Merlin, no! No! Eleazar!"

"No..." breathed Professor Onai. Hecat, Ronen and Sharp gasped and bowed their heads in sorrow, while Weasley knelt down and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss Shimmer... Sunset. I'm so sorry... you're not hurt, are you?" I couldn't find the strength, the will to speak... I simply dragged my eyes upwards to look at her, and barely shook my head. "Ah, good... that's good," she smiled weakly.

"Matilda, could you please help with tending to dear Eleazar?" Hecat asked quietly. Onai was sobbing into Ronen's shoulder as he comforted her, leaving herself and Sharp free. "Aesop and I will reestablish the protective charms within the caverns. We must ensure that the goblins can never repeat an incursion like this."

"Yes, Dinah... very well," she nodded once as she stood up. "Will you be alright, Sunset?"

"I... yea..." I forced the words out. Weasley shot me a sympathetic smile before turning her attention to Fig. I stared vacantly at a spot to his left, not really registering any of my surroundings. It was a struggle to even form a single coherent thought.

...But one finally formed. Ranrok was to blame for this... Fig's blood was on his hands. And it was time to show his followers the price he paid for his insolence.

I cast Wingardium Leviosa on the goblin's broken body, and shambled away like a ghost.


~


It took me about ten minutes to find a drill tunnel leading outside to the castle grounds, and another five minutes to make my way through. I emerged into a sea of corpses.

Hundreds of dead goblins littered the ground - chewed to pieces by cabbages, trampled by beasts, and torn apart or burned by spells. The only ones still alive were medics in dirty white uniforms tending to those lucky enough to only have been wounded.

All of them stopped what they were doing and focused on me, frightened whispers filling the air as they realized whose corpse I held in my magic. Dropping his body unceremoniously to the ground, I pointed my wand at my throat and cast a Sonorus Charm on myself. "Ranrok is dead," I decreed. "Your rebellion has failed. And unless you want to be next, then I suggest you leave. Immediately."

There were a few horrified shouts as the medics doubled their efforts and quickened their pace. I watched them emotionlessly as they scrambled, a tired glare drawing moisture from my eyes. There was a flash of light to my left about twenty feet away, and with almost a look of disbelief on his face, Sebastian sprinted over to me, sweeping me up in his arms and squeezing me tight.

I hardly moved. I could barely feel his warmth or his presence.

"...You're alright," he sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Merlin, I was so worried when your Cheering Charm cut off. Are you-?"

He trailed off as he tried to look me in the eyes - I was staring right through him. Upon realizing he'd stopped speaking I refocused and gazed at him, unsure of what to say.

"...Sunset?"

The concern on his face broke me. The tears began to fall.

"Sweetheart-"

My eyes filled with black and grey cloth as my face pressed into his chest. Sebastian said nothing, but simply held me, one hand gently stroking my back. Grief overwhelmed me, and I keened into him.

I thought I had only lost one mentor before.

Now I had lost both.
> In Which Sunset Realizes Friendship is Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sebastian and I were the heroes of Hogwarts.

I later learned that while I was fighting Ranrok, he had been responsible for decimating his forces above ground. Goblins fell to his magic like wheat against a scythe. At first the professors on the battlefield yelled at him for returning to fight and even tried to stop him, but once they saw just how powerful he'd become they rallied behind him instead, and the aftermath was what I had seen when I emerged with Ranrok's body. If I hadn't been so distraught at the time, I would've been immensely proud of him.

The next morning at breakfast, Professor Weasley asked me to meet with her in her office. The mood was somber as she plainly discussed what was to be done with Fig's remains - as he and Miriam had no children or any close family remaining, I was considered his next of kin. After going over the typical arrangements made in the wizarding world she and I decided on a simple burial alongside his wife in Teddington Cemetery back in London. I quickly passed on both having my picture taken with his body and taking any locks of his hair; I did want to pay for a large, fancy upright marker - he deserved it, after all - but Weasley was insistent that the school, if not herself would handle all of the expenses.

Next discussed was the topic of the ancient magic. Now that some time had passed and I had had time to think things over, I masked my anxiety as best I could while she explained what Fig had told her about our situation. All of the faculty had been informed about the repository's existence, save for Headmaster Black; all of the few students present in the school still had no idea of the true reason behind the siege. She told me that she and the other professors came to the agreement that keeping that secret would be in everyone's best interests - and I knew that if word got out much more than that, I could count on suddenly becoming... very popular.

Not necessarily with people I wanted to get involved with, either. The Ministry of Magic would likely stop at nothing to take me in: forcing Veritaserum down my throat until it replaced the blood in my veins, poking and prodding me like some sort of science experiment until my magic, and - more importantly - my Equestrian secrets were theirs. Those within the Unspeakables department would surely be the most interested, and Celestia only knew what went on there... Professor Hecat had never mentioned so much as a peep about her former work. As the thoughts spilled through my mind, my throat dried out and I struggled to swallow. It was very likely that if either of them ever got their hands on me, I'd never see the light of day again.

So when she finally asked about the magic itself, and whether or not I had tried to claim any of it... I lied and told her that it had all been destroyed when I killed Ranrok. He'd taken its secrets with him to the grave, and the accumulated magic was released into the air with his body's destruction and scattered to the four winds. To my extreme relief she bought it without a second thought.

"A pity... but perhaps it's for the best. We certainly don't want something like this to ever happen again." I nodded briskly in agreement; after assuring me that she would handle any inquiries the Ministry might make about the attack on the school, I was dismissed.

The days passed peacefully after that, and soon the Easter holiday came to an end. On the night of the 28th, instead of the usual light-hearted dinner before returning to school life, the professors held a memorial service for Professor Fig. Word had since gotten around that the castle had been attacked during the holiday - the students that had gone home collectively sighed in relief that they weren't around to witness it, but a number of them mourned for their fallen Magic Theory professor. A cabinet card had been set on top of every plate, featuring his birth and death dates, a short poem and an animated portrait of Fig smiling kindly. The walls were adorned with swaths of black crepe and ribbons, and there were ornate sprays of black ostrich feathers with silver embellishments set up on either side of the owl lectern in front of the professors' table, which itself had a black wreath hung around its neck and a small pile of Galleons at its base. About an hour into the elaborate funeral feast, Headmaster Black slowly approached the lectern facing the four tables, clearing his throat to begin the eulogy (it was later discovered that he'd fled the castle at the very first sign of trouble, but no one dared call him out on it).

"Professor Eleazar Fig... I daresay he was a beloved professor to many of you," he spoke hesitantly as he raised his goblet into the air in a toast. "Certainly a... long-standing colleague to his peers. A famed adventurer and renowned seeker of knowledge, he built a reputation: charging into the unknown, brazenly disregarding both discretion and safety, providing, perhaps... a rather unfortunate lesson for us all."

I groaned quietly and shook my head as Sebastian placed a hand on my back. I couldn't tell whether he'd forgotten to write a eulogy for the memorial service or he just plain never cared for my lost mentor.

"His devotion to adventure was rivaled only by his dedication to Hogwarts... and, of course, to his wife Mari- Miriam, whom we lost much too soon as well." Rolling her eyes, Professor Weasley finally stood up and walked over to Black as he stuttered over himself, evidently at his wit's end for continuing the eulogy any further. She gently pushed him aside and took his place at the lectern, smiling sadly out at the crowds.

"Professor Fig represented the best of all of us," she reaffirmed as Black nodded dumbly behind her. "He could be deviously clever, possessed a brilliantly inquisitive mind, and... was the most loyal of friends. But perhaps it was his remarkable courage for which we will all be forever indebted to him. If not for Professor Fig..."

She paused for a few moments to catch her breath, the silence broken by the occasional sobs of my classmates. "...Well, I can say with confidence that if not for him, many of us... let alone Hogwarts, would not be here today. Those that knew him best will agree that we must now honor him as only Hogwarts can - by wisely, resourcefully, justly, and bravely facing all that lies ahead."

Black cleared his throat again as he stepped beside Weasley, raising his goblet once more. "To Professor Fig!" Everyone in the Great Hall picked up their goblets and stood up, raising them to the sky in remembrance. The moment of silence lasted for about thirty seconds before the other professors sat back down, prompting the students to do the same. Platters of mourning biscuits materialized onto the tables, filling the air with the scents of anise, caraway and rosewater.

"Can't believe we lost Fig," Sebastian mumbled as he bit into one of the cookies. "I didn't know him as well as you did, but I know he was a good man."

"Glad Weasley spoke for him," added Ominis as he washed down the dry biscuit with a sip of pumpkin juice. "She honored him well... He will be well remembered." I exhaled slowly, wanting to spit out the bite of bitter cookie I'd taken.

"...Thanks."


~


After the service had ended Sebastian and I went to the Undercroft, where the triptych and Isidora's ruined portrait were stashed away. Now that I - and he - knew the truth about her research, we both agreed that there wasn't much point in trying to learn about ancient magic from her anymore (the portrait repairman in Diagon Alley had also deemed her painting a lost cause, anyway). Without a second thought we both cast Incendio at the two wooden objects, and minutes later they were both reduced to ash.

Sebastian sighed - I could sense something had been on his mind since this morning. "...Anne sent me a letter, about what happened with Uncle Solomon," he spoke quietly as we watched the embers die out. "She believes I should pay for what I did."

"And I believe you did nothing wrong," I countered immediately, frowning. "His death was an accident, you didn't intend for him to die."

"I know... she won't turn me in. She said the guilt I'll have to live with is punishment enough." Pain briefly twisted through my heart - what a cruel sentiment to have for something that wasn't intentional.

But it was likely said solely because Anne was grieving herself, in her own way. Solomon had always treated her kindly enough, so it was only natural that she'd mourn the man... even if he'd been a monster to her own twin brother. Hopefully someday she'd finally come to her senses, and then come begging for Sebastian's forgiveness in turn. Knowing him, he'd graciously give it to her with open arms.

Even so, that probably wouldn't be the best thing to say right now. "...I'm sorry," I bowed my head. Sebastian breathed hard to keep himself from beginning to cry, a tear sliding down his cheek as he faced the floor.

"The thing is," he shivered, "...I think I've lost my sister... my twin, forever. She refuses to even see me... and I can't blame her. I couldn't really blame you or Ominis if either of you gave up on me entirely-"

"Please don't start with this again," I groaned softly, pulling him into a hug. It was happening less and less as time marched on, but Sebastian was still prone to bouts of depression if he delved too far into his own head. "I will never give up on you."

"...Y-You all believed in me, and I-I let you all down..." I gently shushed him, my fingers threading through his hair as I held his head against my shoulder.

My poor dear. "It's just gonna take some time. Solomon did a number on Anne's mind, and she didn't see what happened before he died... but one day, she'll be able to forgive you. I'm sure of it." He was silent for a minute or so as he calmed down.

"I hope you're right," he sighed, pulling away with a sniff before conjuring himself a handkerchief. "I realize I can't undo what's been done, but I can try every day to make up for it. I owe you and Ominis everything for standing by me."

"You already do," I confided, gently kissing his cheek. "But I doubt Ominis would appreciate your amorous advances on himself, though." Sebastian finally snorted in amusement.

"I'm not so sure about that... he has told me that he does appreciate a good, strong embrace from yours truly."

"Does he, now?" I puckishly giggled.

"Don't tell him I said that," he grinned. "That might be what finally drives him to learn the Dark arts in retaliation."

"Right, and we wouldn't want to harm our precious little cinnamon roll, now would we?" Our laughter eventually quieted down as we gazed at the triptych's final ember winking out along the wall.

Memories of our nearly year-long journey flashed through my mind, and I sighed as I reflected on the futility of it all. "...It's too bad this idea didn't pan out, either... now I'll really have to learn everything about ancient magic from scratch."

"You've already learned so much on your own," Sebastian reassured. "I have nothing but confidence that you'll unlock all its secrets in time, even without the help of the Keepers or Isidora. Not that they helped all that much to begin with."

"You're not wrong," I snorted, my lips pressed into a line. I still found it utterly ridiculous the Keepers had always intended for me to keep all that magic hidden away from the world, instead of learning more about it and possibly harnessing it for good. Even if Isidora had gone a bit... overboard with her research, she was only one witch running her experiments. Who knows what they all could have discovered if all of them had tried?

Maybe if she hadn't had to go it alone, she wouldn't have fallen into the depths of addiction and depravity... maybe then...

...

...

...

And suddenly, it hit me. I gasped loudly as I realized where it had all gone wrong. My disgust for Isidora flip-flopped and became pity... and empathy.

"...That's it... I understand now!"

"Hm?"

"Poor Isidora... it's kinda like when you had to research Anne's cure all by yourself, before I came along," I explained. "No one would help her, so she had to research alone. And there was no one at her side to keep her grounded in reality, so without anyone telling her she was going nuts and stopping her, her research gradually became as twisted as it did! And, er... well, then you and the whole thing with the relic happened." The two of us shared a grimace, regrettably reminding ourselves of that early morning and considering its parallels. "...But if someone had helped her, reassured her when things were going wrong, gave her encouragement when things weren't going her way... if she... had a friend..."

...A friend.

"A friend?" Sebastian repeated, and I nodded in reply.

"Yea... if she had only had a friend to study the magic with, then maybe she could have done so much more instead of becoming a villain, so misguided by her own discoveries that without anyone to keep her focused, she lost sight of her original goal. Maybe she could have perfected her extraction spell and healed those in pain the way she originally did with her father! Maybe... she truly could have healed the world. I... I don't know if I'll ever figure out how she got the ancient magic to do that, but I do want to explore the magic's potential! I want to do so much with it!" I shook my fists by the sides of my head, nearly bouncing in excitement.

But then my own wishes repeated themselves in my mind, and I froze. If I was going to experiment with ancient magic, something with the potential to do such wonderful, terrible things... "...But I can't do it alone. I don't want to do it alone. I want to study it together... with a friend."

And there's no one else I'd rather start on this journey with. I held out my hand to Sebastian, a warm smile spreading from ear to ear.

"Will you be that friend for me?"

He blinked once in surprise, but without any further hesitation he smiled, reached out and took my hand in his.

"...Of course I will."

My heart, my soul... my entire being filled with pure, shining warmth. As long as I had him by my side, as long as we were together, there was truly nothing we couldn't achieve.

"Good," I sighed happily. "Stay by my side... we'll both learn more about ancient magic. And as soon as I figure out how to do so, I'll teach you how to wield it, too." 

"And then I truly will be your equal," he quipped, both of us fondly laughing. After a few moments we quieted back down, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. "...I'm grateful for your friendship."

"Oh, is that all?" I replied with a smirk, making him chuckle again. My gaze eventually softened, and I pressed myself against him in a tight embrace. "I'll always be your friend. And I'll always be there by your side, no matter what... I promise you that, from the bottom of my heart."

"And I..." Sebastian trailed off as his arms wrapped around me in return. "...Is tusa grian mo bheatha, blàths m’anama. Tha gaol agam ort, agus bidh mi còmhla riut gu bràth."

...

...

...

"Wha... what was that?!" I laughed, taken aback by the weird guttural hissing noises coming from his mouth.

"Hey, don't you mock my mother tongue!" he grinned as his fingers dug gently into my sides. "You've never heard Gaelic being spoken before?"

"Noooo, you can't possibly tell me that was an actual language!" I squirmed, now giggling from being tickled. Eventually he stopped, instead opting for simply holding me again.

"And here I thought I was being quite romantic."

"Well, I won't stop you from telling me more... you're just gonna have to translate it for me." Partway through my words, I heard the Undercroft's portcullis rise and fall.

"I thought I heard voices in here," Ominis' voice grew louder as he rounded the corner. "I do hope the both of you have your clothes on."

"Still do," I smirked as we broke apart. "For now." Ominis scoffed as he came closer, though his expression quickly softened.

"My condolences, Sunset... I know you spent much of the summer before the school year started with Professor Fig, and I took Magic Theory my first three years here. He was truly a good man."

"Oh... thank you," I looked away, frowning at the reminder of his death. I still had to figure out what the hell I was gonna do for a place to live once the school year ended, though since Professor Weasley said that I was considered Fig's next of kin, she was working on getting me a copy of his last will and testament. There was a little hope that I wouldn't have to think very hard about that problem.

"However... may I ask you about something? After everything that's happened, I just... can't get this preposterous thought out of my mind."

"Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Well... the night Hogwarts was being attacked by Ranrok's Loyalists, I was sheltering in place within our common room. I could hear some of the goblins speaking as they drew near the windows... they kept saying something about a 'repository' beneath the school, and how Ranrok would use its power to crush wizardkind under his heel."

Ah, crap. Figures he would've heard something he shouldn't have eventually, with his enhanced senses and all. With how often our friend seemed to suddenly pop in out of nowhere like a ghost, I was partially surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

"I've been thinking about it ever since. The fact that you and Sebastian carved a path through his army to return to the castle, and he fought them off while you and Fig went off somewhere, only to return with Ranrok's body in your magic and our beloved Magic Theory professor dead. Just what in Merlin's name were the three of you up to?"

"Er..."

"Well..."

Sebastian and I shared a glance, and eventually shrugged. Now that everything was finally over, there couldn't be any harm in telling him about our many adventures. And we could both trust him to keep a secret.

"...If you really wanna know... you're probably gonna want to sit down." Ominis nodded once as he did exactly that, and Sebastian and I spent nearly an hour explaining everything that had happened during the course of the school year. Truthfully, the story we had to tell was nearly unbelievable spelling it all out loud... it was really a "you had to be there" sort of yarn. Ominis was stunned into silence as he listened, his only response throughout our tale was rapid, incredulous blinking.

"I... I-I don't believe this," he finally gaped about five minutes after we'd finished speaking, his face quickly twisting into a deep scowl. "...Do you realize how much danger the both of you put yourselves in?! You could have died!"

...That's your first reaction? Scolding us?! Sebastian and I shared another baffled glance, but, like usual, Ominis' nagging was quickly disregarded by the both of us.

"But we didn't," he crowed as we grinned at each other.

"And now I'm the proud owner of an incredible, super-rare magic," I bragged, letting the ancient magic flare up within me. My eyes glowed brighter than ever, the light registering somewhere within Ominis' blind eyes and brain as he gasped again.

"I-I see... and what will you do with this new power?" he asked.

"Well," I hummed in contemplation, the light dimming away. "If I can figure out how Isidora did it, I would like to see if it's possible to remove physical pain from someone... if it is, then maybe I can finally help Anne, and cure that curse of hers once and for all." Beside me Sebastian smiled hopefully, but Ominis shook his head with a sigh.

"Still won't let things lie, I see... I'm afraid if you do manage to find a cure for her, you won't find her in Feldcroft. In her last letter to me she wrote that she needed to get far, far away from the house for a while... so she's gone and left."

"She did?" Sebastian inhaled anxiously, both of us caught off guard by this information. "Where did she go?"

"She didn't say," he frowned. "And she hasn't replied to any of my letters since. But she assured me that she would be fine on her own."

"I sure hope so. That really doesn't sound... safe," I mumbled through my teeth. With Rookwood's curse running rampant and unchecked throughout her body now, she really wasn't in any condition to travel unless it was directly to a hospital or sanatorium. If, and when I found a way to finally help her, not only was it going to be difficult to track her down... I had to hope she was still alive.

What a strange thing to do... I guess grief really does affect everyone differently.

...

...

...

We stood there in an uncomfortable lassitude for a few minutes. While I wondered to myself just how Anne was going to survive on her own... suddenly another unanswered question barged into my mind. It would help to dissipate the gloomy atmosphere, at any rate.

"You know, while we're on the subject of plot holes," I held up a hand as I turned towards Ominis, "...You know the other day back in December, when Sebastian and I snuck out to go to that catacomb before we all were supposed to go visit Anne?"

"Sure, I remember that," he nodded.

"Well, that's been bugging me for months, now... how did you get there so fast? In fact, how the hell did you even know where to find us? We never even hinted at our plans around you."

"That is a good question," Sebastian mumbled as we both stared expectantly at Ominis, who smiled thinly and chuckled once.

"When you were leaving Hogwarts, you were so wrapped up in your discussion involving the correct pronunciation of 'catacomb' that you didn't even notice me sitting on the floor in the middle of Central Hall. I only vaguely knew of the catacomb near Feldcroft from spending the summers with Sebastian, so I deduced that that was where the two of you were headed in such a hurry."

"Oh... alright," I rubbed the back of my head. "But how did you catch up to us? We Apparated there, and you can't Apparate."

"Simple... the Black Telephone Taxi Service," said Ominis. "Have you seen that shed near the castle walls that only has a black telephone inside?" I searched my mind for a few seconds before remembering that I had, and Sebastian and I both nodded. "You simply dial the number for your intended destination, and a carriage pulled by a Granian winged horse appears not a minute later. Feldcroft's number is 25515823, Hogwarts' is 20496888, and the cost to travel between the two is twenty Galleons and eighty-two Knuts."

"I see... and Granians are quite fast," shrugged Sebastian.

"Makes sense to me," I nodded.


~


Our lives finally returned to normal - a true normal. Classes resumed and homework was assigned; quizzes were given nearly every day as the OWLs drew closer. With only my own research and experimentation with ancient magic to occupy my time when everything was finished, I almost wished for another goblin rebellion to crush alongside my dearest. Although between dates in Hogsmeade and the surrounding hamlets, tranquil strolls along the Black Lake and the verdant, blooming countryside, and sneaking out at night to catch better glimpses of the starlit skies reflected in our eyes... well, I could definitely get used to peace and quiet.

A week and a half into May, Lodgok was finally discharged from the hospital wing. Nurse Blainey had kept him away from the other students by virtue of a room next to her office reserved for those suffering from consumption - nobody ever even knew he was there. While our classmates were all occupied with dinner in the Great Hall, Sebastian and I saw him off through the school's main doors; Sirona had agreed to look after him until he'd made further arrangements for himself. One of the most fascinating things I'd ever seen in this world - a goblin-made wheelchair - had been commissioned for him, paid for by dear old Fig in thanks for all he had done.

"What will you do now?" I asked as my eyes traced along the wheelchair's numerous gears and steam-operated pistons, the small but efficient boiler situated behind the seat. The machine hissed and puffed quietly as Lodgok spun a wheel around to face us.

"I don't know," he sighed. "With the failure of his rebellion, I don't believe I'll be welcome among my brother's Loyalists. And because Ranrok was my brother, I can't be certain I'll be welcome among those who were against the rebellion, either."

"I see... Er, I suppose I owe you an apology," Sebastian frowned as he fidgeted uncomfortably with his cloak.

"Hm?"

"My sister... she was cursed around a year and a half ago. Until recently I thought goblins were responsible for the attack... and I let that anger cloud my judgment. I hated goblinkind, and I wanted to see them all pay for what they did to her, but I've since realized that... not all goblins are so bad, after all." He smiled nervously at Lodgok, who inhaled deeply as he regarded Sebastian with thoughtful curiosity.

"...It's understandable," he finally said. "I fear that in losing this latest rebellion, many wizards will come to feel the same about our kind."

"Right... but it shouldn't be so. I can't speak for anyone else, but I shall strive to be a better person, and not let such prejudices poison me in the future." I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped an arm around him, squeezing his shoulder with my hand.

"Don't be so hard on yourself... everyone's a little bit racist," I shrugged. "But I'm proud of you." Sebastian smiled as well, while Lodgok chuckled to himself with a nod.

"You do speak the truth... you should hear some of the things goblinkind have to say about dwarves," he quipped. "But thank you... I appreciate the sentiment all the same. It brings me peace to know that some witches and wizards out there are willing to set our differences aside in the name of cooperation and tolerance... and acceptance."

"Yea... maybe someday, we'll all stand on equal footing," I agreed. Lodgok sighed contentedly as he turned his wheelchair back around, and began to propel himself off towards Hogsmeade.

"Farewell, Sunset Shimmer... I hope our paths cross again someday, in more peaceful times." Sebastian and I waved and watched him leave until he disappeared behind the castle walls.


~


The final Friday of May soon arrived. After Transfiguration class it was finally time for the Crossed Wands championship match. The two most worthy duelists in the school were now going to fight each other with everything they had. And who else would the finalists be other than myself and Sebastian?

Unlike the other meetings, the final match would be held out in the woods near Lower Hogsfield, in a wide clearing. The rules were loosened significantly - we could use Apparition if we so chose, and as long as we didn't cause too much collateral damage, no spells or equipment were off limits. We were allowed to prepare however we saw fit.

A tent had been set up for the two of us to prepare. While Sebastian did whatever behind a partition, I pulled on my dragonhide gloves and boots and recited as many offensive and defensive spells as I could in my head. He would certainly put up much more of a fight than the first time I'd ever dueled him, back in the beginning of the school year. I'd also taught him a good number of Equestrian spells as well - it might not have been the smart thing to do if I wanted to win, but I wanted to fight him on as equal terms as possible.

Nobody could ever give me a challenge quite like he could. The mere thought of being pushed to my limits sent a rush of excitement down my spine, my arms and legs twitching in anticipation. This was the kind of magic duel I'd been craving ever since Celestia broke up the battlemages' secret fight club.

I heard footsteps, followed by Sebastian clearing his throat - when I glanced over to him, my heart skipped a beat to see him in what he'd be wearing for the duel. It was an ensemble of short-sleeved leather robes dyed a dusty wine red with black shoulders, straps and other accents, decorated with a golden pin in the shape of a lyre. The bottom hems flared outwards slightly and hung down to his knees. Beneath it he wore a chocolate brown shirt and pants made from thick linen, further armored by tan boots and forearm bracers.

"What do you think?" he smirked as he struck a dashing pose. My eyes lingered on the way the straps of his wand holster gripped his inner thigh.

"Look at you," I purred, shameless in my leering. "How come I haven't seen you wear that before?"

"Just waiting for the right moment to show it off," he replied. "The title of Crossed Wands' Champion is on the line, after all... as is my own reputation. I can't let you beat me in front of everyone twice, now can I?"

"Oh, I'm gonna beat you, alright. This time there'll be no doubt remaining over who's the better duelist," I boasted. "You'd better not hold back on me, now." Sebastian chuckled confidently.

"Wouldn't dream of it... everything's fair game, as far as I'm concerned. Except your ancient magic, of course."

"Right... wouldn't want to fry my dear boyfriend to a crisp," I agreed with a laugh. A nearby clock ticked quietly, the time a minute before 4pm. We waited for Lucan to announce the beginning of our match - as the seconds elapsed, Sebastian took the opportunity to pull me close into a strong, supportive embrace. I blushed slightly as his lips pressed against mine, wishing they'd linger as he pulled away all too soon.

"Good luck, darling... you're going to need it," he rumbled in a low, deep voice.

"You too... either way, keep this on, because I am going to do things to you later on," I breathed through clenched, grinning teeth, gripping the fabric of his sleeves as I gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes. His own eyes eased themselves shut, a broad smirk spreading across his mouth in contemplation.

"...Now that's not fair," he whined as he reopened them, nearly a whisper.

"All's fair in love and war, don't you know that?" I replied, still smiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!" Lucan's high voice boomed through a Sonorus Charm. "The match we've all been waiting for is about to begin!" Sebastian and I released each other, boldly facing the tent's exit as we waited for our names to be called. "Introducing our first finalist, new to Crossed Wands this year, but has done nothing but impress with her skillful, powerful spellcasting... Sunset Shimmer!"

With a strut in my step, I walked proudly out of the tent and into the clearing. For how grand Lucan was trying to make the spectacle, only about thirty or so people were standing on the sidelines, most of them our fellow club members. Only a couple of them were from the nearby hamlet, curious to see the fight. All of them applauded and cheered politely.

"And our second finalist, the current Champion of Crossed Wands, known for his quick mind, quicker reflexes and- ...oh, Merlin... his dashing good looks," our announcer shook his head as he read from his piece of parchment, "...Sebastian Sallow!" I couldn't help but laugh at his description, and the way he gallivanted out of the tent like a preening peacock - his arms extended upwards and flexing, his palms facing upwards as he soaked in the louder, more wild applause.

"Thank you, thank you," he grinned smugly, coming to a stop about fifteen feet away from me. He furthered the act by blowing a kiss to me as he bowed gracefully.

"You're ridiculous," I giggled as I bowed back.

"And you love it," he replied, sinking down into a battle stance. I matched him with my own, letting out a deep breath.

"I do. But I love winning even more."

"Begin!"

And the both of us disappeared in flashes of light. For nearly ten straight minutes we rapidly teleported all around the clearing, firing spells at each other and moving out of the way within the blink of an eye. It only took a few errant blasts for the spectators to seek shelter behind thick trees or brave it out with a constant Protego, watching in awe and terror at the chaos unfolding.

Eventually, however, we both realized that this was leading us nowhere. I was the first to change tactics, casting a Deprimo in the area I predicted him to reappear, then building up the rubble around him as he flashed into view, trapping him inside a cage of earth and stone. Before I could constrict the walls and grab him, though, I heard a muffled peal of thunder, and the cage suddenly shattered outwards, peppering my Protego with rocks.

Sebastian had brought a Thunderbrew potion with him to the duel. A thick, dark stormcloud hovered over his head, stretching outwards about ten feet in diameter. A bolt of magical homing lightning accompanied his Confringo, shooting faster than his spell, forcing me to teleport out of the way. More spells soon followed, and I raised a wall of earth to block both attacks.

Alright... I can deal with this. From behind my cover I summoned up the strongest Ventus I could without tapping into my ancient magic, and directed the swirling plumes of wind towards him. Sebastian raised an arm in front of his eyes as he weathered the tempest, the stormcloud above him blowing away and dissipating into nothing.

It turned out not to bother him one bit. With a smirk he brought his wand down, my own wall of earth blasting into my face from his Depulso. Even though he only put a fraction of his power into the spell, ensuring it wouldn't actually harm me, I still flinched and sputtered as I found myself being buried under a mound of loose dirt. Before I could react I then felt myself being grabbed by my shoulders with invisible hands and yanked into the air, then an Accio sent me rocketing towards Sebastian before stopping abruptly a foot away from him. He grinned as he then proceeded to smack me in the face with Baubillious, swinging around and hitting me with Diffindo while I was blinded. Though the spell had lost all of its cutting bite, I still fell backwards on my arse with a grunt.

"One point for Sallow!" Lucan called out. I squeezed my eyes shut as I stood back up, my retinas burning. It was a good thing this duel was best out of three, but now I'd need to be careful.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked as I rubbed my eyes, blinking rapidly until I could see properly again.

"Gah... that was a good one," I growled. "I'm not falling for that again." He flashed me a quick smile of relief, and we both readied ourselves to resume the duel.

"...Begin!"

He immediately pulled out a small vial of a thin, champagne-colored liquid as he teleported away. When he reappeared behind me Sebastian's skin was suddenly the color of stone, the soft curves of his face and hands sharpened into stark angles.

Edurus potion, huh? You think that will help you?

All that meant to me was that most attacks wouldn't affect him much until the effects wore off... keyword being "most". Even if sharp objects and magic weren't effective against his rocky armor, it still couldn't protect him from good old blunt force. One broad sweep of my wand collected all the loose rocks in the area, then another wave fused them all together into a giant club. Lifting my arm, I swung it as hard as I could.

He simply teleported away, but I kept swinging to keep up the club's momentum, to make my next attack easier and faster. As soon as he reappeared I finished pivoting and sent it flying three times faster with Depulso. This time he wasn't quite quick enough; the edge of the club tagged his arm and caused him to teleport ten feet to the left of his intended destination. Just that split second of disorientation was all I needed to take advantage - punching my wand into the air sent up a pillar of stone from the ground underneath him, then before he could react the pillar split apart and formed a hand, grabbing him and sinking back into the earth, taking him with it until only his head remained above ground. He squirmed in an attempt to free himself, but the dirt was packed around him tight, he couldn't even snap his fingers to teleport.

It was then trivial to spray him in the face with a trickle of an Aguamenti, like I was watering a flower. "One point for Shimmer!" cried Lucan. His Edurus potion wore off as I loosened the soil around him and helped him out, chuckling as he shook his head like a wet dog.

"Should have also agreed we'd leave each other's faces out of this," he grumbled, casting Scourgify on himself to get the mud off before following it up with a Drying Charm.

"Hey, people pay good money for a face full of mud back home," I teased. We both got ready to resume the duel - I tried to channel power into my next spell as subtly as I could. One more hit was all I needed to win.

"Begin-"

Just a fraction of a second after my attack would have been considered a false start, I hurled a giant, blinding orb of pure magic at Sebastian, a bright orange just like my aura back in Equestria. Like he had been reading my mind, a similar attack came flying at me, this orb a deep, dark red like wine. But mine was faster, and as he narrowed his eyes and sidestepped my attack, I poured magic into my horn to form a mageblade and rushed him.

My swing came to a sudden stop in the middle of a flash of light - he, too, had cast the Equestrian spell, the dark red light forming a sword of his own. I drew back and swung again, just as he did, and soon we were locked in close combat. Our slashes and stabs were countered with each other's blocks and parries, each meeting of magic against magic creating a loud noise that was both a sizzle and a clang like metal. Whereas I took my technique from the battlemage Silver Sword, there was evidently a similar style of fighting to be found in this world, with which Sebastian was decently knowledgeable.

Even as we both tried to strike each other, a wild grin was painted on both our faces. Theoretically either of us could simply teleport away and force the other to switch strategies, but something about fighting close like this was magnetic. The way he breathed hard in exertion, the flush of red on his cheeks and sweat dripping down his temples... he was almost too attractive to continue attacking. And I could only imagine I looked the same, and was equally as tantalizing-

"Levioso!" he suddenly called out, and I felt my feet lifting off the ground. I cursed silently as I forced myself to tumble in midair to avoid his mageblade. Taking a page out of my own book, the sneaky little bugger used my own thoughts against me! I was a sitting duck while this spell lasted!

But wait, I thought to myself suddenly, remembering the times I'd cast Ducklifors on my opponents and watching them fail to take advantage of their new appendages. And I had still moved rather easily while in the grasp of the Levitation Charm...

...Ducks can fly.

I grinned as I swung my wand back and forth, using Ventus to avoid his attacks. The wind blew me back and forth like I was a feather in midair. With fatigue finally beginning to take its toll on us both, Sebastian heaved his wand especially hard, leaving him open to attack for just a mere moment. I pointed my wand directly behind me and cast Ventus once more, propelling myself towards him like a swooping Pegasus. His eyes widened as I laughed in triumph, and before he could teleport away his body disappeared in a torrent of Incendio.

The charm ran its course and I dropped lightly to the ground. When the flames fizzled out, Sebastian was glaring flatly at me, his entire body covered in soot.

"...Damn you," he coughed once before smiling. My heart swelled with pride and accomplishment.

I had done it.

As if there was any doubt I could.

"We have a winner!" Lucan shouted, running out into the clearing between us. He grabbed my hand and lifted it as high as he could, seeing how he was nearly a foot shorter than me. "And a new Crossed Wands Champion!" The crowds erupted into cheers and applause, although much more mildly than I was expecting. Perhaps they were all simply just dazzled by our display of power? Without being in the confines of the school, the battleground around us was charred black from spellfire, deep gouges had been cut into the earth and a couple of trees had been snapped in half.

"Bravo," Sebastian chuckled as he cleaned himself off. "I should've known better than to face you up close. I'll need to work on that for next time."

"And I've gotta be more careful, make sure you can't use my own defenses against me," I smirked. "...That really could've gone either way."

"Heh... it could have. Perhaps next year," he smiled. "I'll let you have the title of Champion for now... but I do want it back."

"Yea? I'd like to see you try." Even through our gentle ribbing, we gazed at each other fondly. There were no hard feelings... we were both proud of each other. I could feel it in his soul, and... perhaps, on some level, he could feel it in mine.

"Merlin's beard, I haven't seen a duel like that in years!" A familiar, but unexpected voice cut through the applause, turning it into gasps and worried mutterings. The three of us jumped in surprise to see both Professor Hecat and Professor Sharp approaching us from the right, the former still clapping.

"O-Oh... er, hello, Professors," Sebastian blinked.

"You were watching?" I asked.

"But of course. Dinah and I always watch the duels your club puts on," Professor Sharp shrugged. "It's not quite the secret some of you seem to think it is."

"Oh." Sebastian and I answered almost in unison, sharing a glance.

"Do not worry... Aesop and I think it's good for you all to have such experience," waved Hecat. "And I must say, I am quite proud of you both. Especially you, Mr. Sallow... you've always been one of my favorite students, and after seeing this spectacle of prowess I am certain that you would be one of the finest Warlocks to ever grace a duelist's arena."

"And you, Miss Shimmer... I had a good feeling about you from the moment you walked into my Potions class," Sharp nodded at me as he held out a hand towards the other professor. "You're destined for great things, indeed... Pay up, Dinah."

"Yes, yes..." she sighed as she handed him a small satchel of Galleons. I snickered a little once I'd realized I'd helped Professor Sharp win a bet between them. Maybe I'd even get extra credit for it on my next quiz.

"Well, as this year's victor, I humbly present you with our spoils of battle!" Lucan beamed as he pulled out a pair of objects from his pocket dimension. "First, of course, is your trophy."

"Oh... thanks..." I frowned, accepting the poorly-made prize from the third-year. It was in the shape of a Quintaped atop a pedestal, but it looked like the entire thing was carved from a piece of wood with a meat cleaver. I hoped the other thing he'd pulled out was also my prize, and was also way higher quality.

"And, finally, your very own set of dueling armor! Clarkson and Greenwood really outdid themselves this year... even used some leftover goblin scrap metal from the attack to fortify the chestplate and bracers."

"Ooh," I hummed, infinitely more excited about this gift than the last. There was a collared, long-sleeved shirt of black linen decorated with golden buttons and trim, and then a gray dragonhide cuirass lined with goblin silver that covered my ribs and left my abdomen bare, with attached pauldrons held together by straps and gold buckles. The pauldron on the right was also trimmed with goblin silver, as was the decorative cord and wand holster attached to the belt. Both bracers also had this extra fortification; the one for my right wrist was more like a thick bracelet while the one for my left covered my entire forearm. The trousers were made of matching gray dragonhide, and the boots - while they didn't quite match the rest of the outfit, being gold and tan in color, they were entirely fortified with goblin silver on the outside.

Now this was a fine trophy for putting up with so many wimps in Crossed Wands all year. Armor this high-quality was usually reserved only for the battlemages back in Equestria. To actually have my own set... well, now I didn't really have any good reason to wear it, but I felt like I'd be nigh-invincible in a fight. Eager to try it on, I swished my wand in a circle to summon a tube of floating pink curtains around me, then another swish materialized the armor onto my body. It fit perfectly, and was surprisingly stylish. Indeed, as I pushed the curtains aside and stepped out into the afternoon sun, the leather gleamed like lacquer, and the buttons and buckles glittered.

"Whaddya think?" I posed, grinning at Sebastian. He let out a whistle as he moved closer, eyes dancing all over me as he admired the craftsmanship.

"It suits you," he nodded. "...And I think I know why I smelled worn leather in that potion now," he added with a smirk. A blush burned my cheeks as I laughed, shaking my head.

"Well fought, you two, and congratulations," said Lucan. "Now that the tournament is over, I have a proposition for the both of you... how would you feel about being granted the title of Crossed Wands' Grand Champions?"

"'Grand Champion', you say? ...It certainly has a nice ring to it," Sebastian acquiesced, and I had to agree.

"It does! Why, because we're both just that incredible at dueling?"

"Well... yes. Frankly, the other members are absolutely terrified of the both of you," Lucan grimaced. "You'll be the undisputed Grand Champions of the club... in exchange for being barred from any future tournaments. Nobody would want to sign up otherwise."

"Oh... is that so," I replied flatly. I guess that makes sense... none of these other weaklings could ever compare to the both of us, so it really would only be a waste of time for everyone involved.

"I suppose you have a point," Sebastian deflated slightly. "...Very well. I can live with that."

"It's not all bad," I shrugged as I threw an arm around his shoulders. "We can always have our own exhibition matches... make the newbies scared of us, too."

"Do you enjoy making everyone terrified of you?" he mischievously smiled.

"Sure do! It's important everyone knows who's on top of the pecking order," I smirked as I gestured with my hand. "Them, the dirt, the worms inside the dirt, Lucan's puffskein Popo, Lucan... then us."

"I'm... glad I'm at least second," Lucan muttered to himself as we laughed.
> In Which the School Year Comes to a Close
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had finally arrived... The last few weeks of the school year were upon me.

It was time to take the OWLs. The proctors from the Wizarding Examinations Authority were introduced to us during dinner on Sunday evening, Headmaster Black nearly stumbling over himself as he foppishly dragged them along on a tour of the school shortly afterwards, boasting about the excellence of his students the entire time as they politely smiled and nodded along.

The battery of tests would replace all of our classes for the first two weeks of June. Most of my classmates only had one test per day, though there were some foolish overachievers that would have to squeeze in two at times. The written portion took place in the mornings, where we had up to four hours to finish our work, and the practical portion was held in the afternoon, or at midnight in the case of Astronomy. Our results would be available by the end of the second week, and then after that was... well, loafing around while the rest of the students had their finals during the third and final week of the year, with the End of Term Feast on Friday evening. Then in the morning, everyone would leave Hogwarts for the summer and go home.

I was more than ready to take these OWLs. After countless hours of study and practice, there wasn't a single thing I could think of that I felt lacking in. Even as Sebastian and I quizzed each other, I could answer every question he threw at me. And he could do the same.

But as excited as I was to show off my knowledge, it also made me feel a little... melancholy. Soon I'd have a little over two months of hardly anything to pass the time. I could certainly work on developing my ancient magic, but I wouldn't have access to the school library or its Restricted Section, nor my thriving Herbology garden in the Room of Requirement... and I'd be living in a large house all by myself.

Indeed, Fig had updated his will sometime back over the Christmas holidays, leaving all of his worldly possessions to me. Professor Weasley had helped with the paperwork, so everything was all settled. His leftover finances in his Gringotts vault would take care of any bills or taxes for many years to come, and once I got there and reinforced all of the anti-Muggle enchantments, I wouldn't have to worry about some random inspector from the Ministry stopping by and wondering how an underage witch never had the Trace put on her. Though I still mourned his passing and regretted not spending more time with him, I felt more relieved and at peace knowing that he had come to think of me as his own kin... perhaps like the granddaughter he never had.

Of course, though the financials might've been handled for me, there was much to do around the house to make it suitable for my own uses. Furniture would need Transfiguring and rearranging, the walls and floor would need new paper and tile to match my aesthetic preferences, and I would have to purchase some upgrades for the bathroom and the older magical apparatuses. It might not have been my very own castle, but a humble two-up two-down magically expanded into the size of a mansion on the inside would do perfectly for the time being. I absently wondered how much a House Elf or two might set me back, but that was a purchase that could wait if they proved expensive, or I needed to be seventeen to buy one - I might've once been Celestia's personal protégé, having countless maids and servants at my beck and call, but that certainly didn't mean I had no knowledge of cooking or cleaning. I hadn't had to do either ever since being adopted, and it would admittedly become annoying as the weeks dragged on, but it was okay if it was only temporary. I'd be able to survive just fine.

Imagining getting my very own house up to snuff, however, also made me think of Sebastian... and Ominis, by extension. What were they going to do for a living situation over the summer? It was questionable how much Solomon did for them around their house other than the basics, and with Anne gone it'd be one less mouth to feed, but her absence would likely only worry them sick. It'd be just the two of them, fending for themselves... both with no family to rely on. It didn't feel quite right to just let fate play out like that.

Not to mention I'd miss the hell out of my dearest... and Ominis too, I guess. And Natty and Poppy, for that matter, but at least they both had their families to go home to, as well as each other. They'd be fine.

The clock in my Room chimed eleven times. Sebastian let out a yawn as he shut his Potions textbook and rubbed his eyes. "And on that note, I think it's time for bed," he mumbled as he stood up from his chair.

"I'd definitely like to be able to enjoy my coffee in the morning before the test begins," I nodded drowsily. The written portions of the OWLs began at 8am and lasted until noon, leaving an hour for lunch before the practical portion began at 1pm. Despite our nerves we slept soundly through the night, curled up in each other's arms.

...Another thing I would miss during the summer break.


~


We woke up at exactly 6:45am, getting dressed and heading for the Great Hall so we could eat quickly and get a little last-minute studying in. Before I knew it we were on our way to the Potions classroom for our first OWL.

"Nervous?" Sebastian asked as we neared the door.

"Nah. This'll be a piece of cake," I smirked confidently. "I've never not passed a test with flying colors."

"Not even a little?" he grinned in amusement, chuckling when I shook my head.

"And so will you," I softened my gaze. "You and I are the smartest witch and wizard in this whole school, professors included." He laughed again as he nodded in agreement, gradually falling silent.

"...Here, take my cloak," he smiled as he pulled it off and handed it to me. "For good luck." At first I stared at him in surprise, but soon gratefully stuck my arms through the sleeves and wrapped it around me.

"It's warm... and it smells like you."

"Does it? And here I thought you didn't want to smell like me," his grin quickly grew smug.

"I can change my mind, can't I?" my eyes playfully narrowed. "That was before I realized I love the scent of your Macassar oil."

"Fair enough," he nodded, opening the door for me. We walked inside and sat down at one of the desks that temporarily replaced the potions stations, waiting impatiently for the rest of our classmates to arrive. Everett barely made it through the door in time before Professor Sharp waved his wand to close and lock it, then curtly nodded to the proctor seated at his desk.

"Welcome, young ladies and gentlemen," the official-looking man greeted us in a neutral, slightly-bored tone. "Today you will all be taking your OWL in Potions... I'm sure you will all do just fine, as long as you remember to stay calm. Answer what you can and come back to the prompt later if you feel that you're stuck on what to write down. You have until noon to turn in your work, but you may leave if you finish early. Any questions? You may begin."

The written portion was easy - first I had to list and describe the properties of the three selected reagents. Antimony was a flame retardant used in fire-resistance potions, Sal Ammoniac was used to purify other reagents if they were tainted by dirt or dust, and then Five Minerals Powder was a sort of cursed medicine that could alleviate one illness or injury, but in exchange it would inflict a random different one. Then I had to write down how to brew an Invisibility potion; I included a few notes on acceptable substitutions for certain reagents and even a few shortcuts that would cut the brewing time in half. It only took Sebastian and I the better part of an hour to finish - we were the first to hand in our papers and leave. The practical portion later on was also easy: create an Everlasting Elixir - a liquid that could either make the potion it was added to self-replenishing, or make the effects permanent. When I added mine to an ordinary Wiggenweld potion, it turned out I'd brewed it so perfectly the elixir added both effects to it, seriously impressing both the proctor and Professor Sharp.

And so the days passed. Tuesday was our Charms OWL. The written portion had me list the differences between the Seize-and-Pull and Accio spells. Serendipitous occurrences like these made me chuckle - I still remembered well the quiz where Sebastian had come up with an additional fact Professor Ronen had never considered. I made sure to include it in my writings. The other half involved explaining ways one could remove the Permanent Sticking Charm from an object.

Then the practical portion was quite fun: first the proctor had me cast Colloportus on a chest's lock - I cast it so well that she couldn't open it no matter how hard she tried, even after giving up and blowing it apart with Bombarda. The chest itself was destroyed in the blast but the lock was still perfectly intact! Next I demonstrated the Featherlight Charm by first Transfiguring a desk into an elephant, then after casting the charm on it she was able to lift the massive animal with one hand. The last spell I had to demonstrate was the Unbreakable Charm, which I did by casting it on a piece of parchment Transfigured into a pane of glass. She threw it on the ground, stomped on it, even cast another Bombarda on it... but the glass survived without even a scratch.

Transfiguration was on Wednesday. The written portion was a test of my comprehension of thaumaturgical physics, as I had to explain how Reparifarge would work to un-Transfigure both a wardrobe half-Transfigured into a donkey, and a monkey half-Transfigured into a doll. By the time I was done writing everything down and drawing all the charts, I felt confident that even a toddler could figure it out. The practical portion involved a demonstration of Crinus Muto - I nearly gave the old proctor a heart attack after transforming the short white hairs on his head into a fabulous rainbow mohawk gelled into foot-long spikes. Then I effortlessly Transfigured a teapot into a badger, and finally demonstrated my mastery of Evanesco and Vanished a chair into the aether.

Next was Herbology. For the written portion I had to explain how to introduce Bowtruckles to a potential wandwood tree (plenty of woodlice and fairy eggs), how to safely collect Bubotuber pus, and list all the uses for the herb dittany. The practical portion had me interacting with a Screechsnap and making it happy, collecting said Bubotuber pus, then demonstrating Herbivicus to make a maple tree grow to maturity within seconds. Mine was the tallest and thickest out of the entire class.

Then finally, on Friday, while Sebastian had his Ancient Studies OWL I had Beasts. While he had to describe the esoteric mystical practices of ancient Egyptian wizards, I had to list the similarities and differences between Dementors and Lethifolds, which was easy enough. I also had to list the similarities and differences between griffins and hippogriffs, which was a little harder - I often had to stop myself from listing facts from the Equestrian varieties of these creatures. For the practical portion we had to bathe and feed a rare Fijian Fire Crab without being burned by the flames that shot out of its arse like a skunk, remove Gnomes from a pen and trick a Kappa into bowing so the water in the dent on its head poured out.

The weekend between these tests brought a brief reprieve. Sebastian and I lounged in total confidence while the library was filled with our classmates frantically studying for the other half of their OWLs. So far he hadn't had a problem with any of his, writing down answers and achieving results with his spellwork similar to mine. Great minds do think alike, after all.

For the second week, Monday was History of Magic. There was no practical portion, which was nice, but the written test was to write a minimum ten-page essay on the entirety of the Goblin Rebellion of 1612. Several of our classmates groaned once they read the prompt, as Professor Binns' lecture on the topic had the highest rate of putting his students straight to sleep out of all of them. Nevertheless, my essay wound up being just under twenty-five full pages.

Our seventh OWL was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Other than listing and explaining the differences between Expulso, Confringo and Bombarda, the written portion was largely explaining why the three Unforgivable curses were unforgivable. I had to stop myself from snorting in laughter as I read the prompt, and considered explaining reasons and examples of how each curse could have a non-Dark use... but then I figured these proctors weren't hoping for any insightful deviations from their dogma, and I remembered that I didn't really want to give them any reason to take interest in me, lest they find out about my ancient magic or Equestria. Instead I wrote down exactly what had been in my textbook about them, word for word.

And as fun as the practical portion of the test was, it also left me wanting. First the proctor wanted me to demonstrate the Bedazzling Hex, which I did by making it look like the entire room within the castle had disappeared and become an empty space - floor, walls, ceiling and all. Next I had to use Protego to withstand a spell from an enchanted practice dummy, which was so easy and weak I didn't even blink when the dummy's Aguamenti struck my shield. Then I was to duel the dummy, but I wound up destroying it entirely with one Depulso. The poor thing shattered into a thousand pieces, the impact against the wall was so strong.

Wednesday was Astronomy. The written part didn't take long, as it was simply filling out a completely blank star chart from memory. We had to wait until night had fallen for the practical portion, where we then had to find the four moons of Jupiter in our telescopes. I found Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto easily, but not before discovering what I was pretty damn sure was a fifth moon. It was irregularly shaped and reddish in color, not at all like the others. After showing both the proctor and Professor Shah, they barely paid attention to the rest of my classmates as they talked excitedly about my discovery. If it was indeed a fifth moon, then it'd better be named after me!

There were no OWLs for Flying class, so I had Thursday off to relax. Sebastian had Ancient Runes, however, but I knew he wouldn't have any trouble with it. He was incredibly good at translating Elder Futhark, Kanbun, Hopewell Traditional runes and Mayan glyphs, and the Universal Wizarding Numerical runes were embarrassingly easy to figure out. The test only had a written portion, which was translating a set of Mayan glyphs that ended up being an anecdote from some ancient Seer that they didn't see the need to keep scrying predictions for the distant future - they had stopped at 2012.

Finally, while Sebastian could begin his weekend early, my last test was in Divination. I listed and explained the many differences between wizarding and centaurian astrology, and interpreted a sample picture of a tea-leaf reading to the best of my ability. The practical portion seemed mildly unprofessional - while the first half was performing a type of divination of our choice on Professor Onai and telling her her future (I chose tarot cards), the other half was interpreting the dream the proctor had the previous night. It was something about looking up at the night sky and not seeing stars, but huge bands of color in different shades of brown, red and tan. Then those bands began to swirl together, and he felt intensely dizzy, like he could feel the whole planet being thrown through the universe like an unfathomably-huge buckball. I simply explained that he subconsciously feared that the gods of fate were displeased with him, and he felt like an insect under their gaze... that seemed to satisfy him, as much as such a wild guess could.

The results were posted on Saturday evening, just after dinner. All of the fifth-years crowded around the massive piece of parchment that had been hung up opposite the four House point hourglasses, sighing in relief or groaning in despair. Sebastian and I pushed our way through, and a proud grin spread across my face.

All nine of my grades were Outstanding, as were all nine of his. I barked out a haughty laugh, was there ever any doubt about my greatness?

"I'll bet Shimmer cheated," I heard Cressida Blume mutter under her breath.

"I don't need to cheat when I'm just that much smarter than you," I sneered. "What, was the proctor not impressed by your nonverbal Colloportus making the lock vomit glitter everywhere?" She turned away and grumbled about her Acceptable grade in Charms, while I quickly forgot she existed and smiled at my duly-earned position at the top of the list. With marks like these, I could chase any career and take any NEWT-level class I wanted! And I wanted to take them all, just to prove that I was the best, soon to be the greatest witch in the world.

...

...

...

...But, that would leave a lot less time to spend with Sebastian. And he later agreed, coming to a similar conclusion... Perhaps there's more to life than being the greatest, most powerful witch in the world, after all.


~


The final week of school passed by peacefully, a harbinger of the vacation to come. Natty, Poppy and Ominis had all done well on their OWLs, getting a mix of O's and E's. The two girls were often nowhere to be found, surely exploring the castle and its grounds for places hidden away from prying eyes.

But Sebastian and Ominis spent much of the time together, uncomfortably discussing their plans for the summer. Neither of them were particularly excited about spending the next couple of months in Feldcroft alone. Ominis' suggestion of using the Gaunt family's rarely-used estate on the Isle of Man was rejected, as Sebastian wanted to be home in case Anne returned... as unlikely as it seemed. From the words in her last letter to him, it really did sound like she wanted nothing to do with him for a long time. They would also have the help of their neighbors if they needed anything... although their payment would likely be answers to the questions they dreaded being asked.

Where did Anne go? What happened to Solomon? Was there any threat of the relic's curse returning? Neither of them wanted to think about the whole ordeal more than they had to. And it frankly seemed unhealthy to tie themselves down to a place that brought them both such negative memories.

So I plotted and planned, and made my decision. I had also had a bit of a revelation myself in the meantime, and rushed to the Slytherin common room. The two boys were relaxing on a couch by one of the fireplaces, Ominis sipping from a teacup while Sebastian read quietly.

"You guys!" I snickered, slowing down so I didn't crash into them. "Oh Celestia, you'll never believe who I caught snogging each other!"

"Who?" grinned Ominis. Meanwhile, Sebastian didn't seem to even notice my presence.

"You know how Imelda's absolutely hated Garreth ever since Valentine's Day? Well, it looks like the two enemies have become lovers-" It was only then that I realized Sebastian was reading his History of Magic textbook, of all things. Besides not listening to my gossip, classes were over for the year! There wasn't much of a good reason to look through it now! "What are you reading this for?" I groused as I snatched it away.

"Hey! W-Wait-! Er..." His face instantly paled and his eyes went wide like a mooncalf's. Something had to be up, History of Magic never elicited that kind of reaction from anyone. I looked at the page he'd been reading, and... the material was definitely not about history. I quickly flipped to the title page of the book, which only made him cringe harder.

"...'The Romance of Lust'...?"

"What?" Ominis blinked as I went back to where I'd saved the page. My eyes lingered over a couple sentences, finding them to be so... unbelievably, incredibly filthy within seconds. A raspberry escaped my lips before I could stop myself.

"Sunset..." Sebastian drawled in a warning tone, only causing me to grin mischievously.

"...Sebastian. This is porn!" I purposely yelled, barely able to contain my laughter as Ominis' face flattened into a disappointed grimace.

"Hey! Are you trying to get me detention during our last night here?!" he recoiled.

"Not only that, but holy wow, is this some kinky stuff!" I jeered, holding the book like a pin-up calendar and letting the pages flip past. "I'm impressed!"

"...Is it any good?" Ominis asked after a few seconds of Sebastian quietly squirming in his seat.

"Looks like I've done my job corrupting you," I chuckled as I handed the book to Ominis, who shamelessly began sweeping his wand slowly across the pages. "So much for your antiquated notions."

"Oh, please... I've been reading all those confiscated books in the Restricted Section for the past three years," Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Besides, soon I won't have access to the school library for two whole months! Wouldn't you like me to have some... ideas we can try?" he purred, wiggling his eyebrows. While the sentiment wasn't entirely lost on me...

"...The Restricted Section has smut in it? Where?"

"Twelfth bookcase on the right from the entrance, second-to-lowest shelf."

"I see... Damn, I missed out," I pouted.

"You two are terrible," Ominis shook his head as he casually slipped the book into his own pocket dimension. "And besides, what if someone catches the two of you Apparating to each other's houses without a license?"

"Then... we can just use Floo Powder?" I raised an eyebrow as I drawled. "Speaking of which, do you guys really even want to spend the next few months there, in Feldcroft? After everything that's happened?" Both boys inhaled sharply, glancing at each other before looking away.

"Well... I want to be there in case Anne comes home," Sebastian answered hesitantly. Ominis nodded in agreement.

"Which I can understand, but what if she never does? You'll just be sitting there by yourselves wallowing in guilt," I reasoned. "I mean... it's not like you can't return there whenever. I'm sure the neighbors'll keep an eye out for Anne if she comes back while you're both gone."

"I know- ...Well, I suppose you're right," Ominis sighed. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but he quickly decided against whatever they might've been, and instead stared at me blankly. 

"See? So, you guys can live with me if you want," I grinned. "Fig left me his house in his will, and all his stuff. All the anti-Muggle charms should still be good so we can still use magic, too."

"You're serious?" asked Ominis, recoiling in surprise.

"Yea! I..."

I like having friends around! I... I don't want to go back to being alone.

"...Honestly? I like being around you guys. And without Fig- ...other people living there, it's gonna be real quiet and empty. You can just leave a note for Anne with the address so she can Floo over, or we can go and check the house everyday... and, well, I don't want you guys to spend the summer all depressed and moping around. We're supposed to have fun over the break, right?"

"I suppose so." Sebastian smiled as he rapidly warmed to the idea. It sure beat the hell out of having to travel to see each other again, even if that travel wasn't really much of an effort.

"Well," Ominis smirked wryly, "you may enjoy both our company, but I do believe you enjoy one of us a little more than the other."

"Hey, you're basically family to Seb, and your real family is nuts. Of course you're welcome, too," I smiled. "We'll take care of each other, alright?"

"Take care of each other..." The grin on Sebastian's face fell slightly, becoming more philosophical as he echoed my words. "...I suppose this would make us a family of sorts, wouldn't it?"

"In a manner of speaking," Ominis nodded. "If the three of us live together under one roof." I nodded as well, quietly basking in the soft, warm glow I felt radiating within my chest, deep within my soul... and between the three of us.

A feeling, an emotion I had come to crave, and love.

Yea... it's perfect. We'll be each other's family from now on.

But of course I had to ruin the moment before it became too sappy. "We're already a family - I'll be the mommy, and you can be the daddy, and widdle Ominis can be the baby," I snickered through inane baby-talk, both Sebastian and I quickly breaking out into chuckles.

"Then I'm going to start wailing whenever the two of you are in the same room," snorted Ominis. "There'll be no horizontal refreshments for either of you if I can help it."

"Eh, that's what Silencio is for," Sebastian quipped, shooting me a smirk. "Baby can't cry for milk if he doesn't have a voice."

"Or we could use it on ourselves, be as quiet as a pair of jobberknolls," I added with a chortling grin. "And you're already blind, so you wouldn't even notice if it happened right next to you."

"I most certainly would!" Ominis shrieked. Sebastian and I erupted into laughter while he groaned and shook his head. "Oh, why are my two best friends such psychopaths...?"


~


The final evening of the school year arrived. All of the students piled into the Great Hall for the End of Term Feast, where final batches of points would be given out and the House Cup would be awarded. Sebastian, Ominis and I took our seats at the Slytherin table among the other fifth-year girls, who tittered among themselves about their plans for the summer break and Imelda's new boyfriend. My eyes wandered around the room - I saw Natty and Poppy enter together, sharing a quick hug before breaking apart to go to their respective tables.

The food was especially lavish, featuring the favorite dishes of the student body and flagons of Butterbeer to wash it all down. Everyone ate and talked amongst themselves, then when the dessert course finally materialized onto the tables, Headmaster Black walked up to the owl lectern with his arms raised, and cleared his throat for attention. "This year, we have seen our students exemplify the bravery of Godric Gryffindor-"

The Gryffindor table began cheering wildly, cutting him off... which made him mad.

"Allow me to finish!" he shouted over them. But the other tables only added to the din as they were mentioned. "...The loyalty of Helga Hufflepuff, the wisdom of Rowena Ravenclaw, and the ambition of Salazar Slytherin." He stopped talking for a minute or so, impatiently waiting for the premature celebrations to die down. "And so, the winner of this year's House Cup-"

"Excuse me, Headmaster," Professor Weasley strode up from behind him. "If I may." Black's mouth formed a thin line at being interrupted once more, but he nodded curtly and gestured for her to go ahead. "In honor of two particular students' show of heroism during the attack on Hogwarts, not to mention the level to which they have excelled in their coursework, one of them as a new student, no less..."

Everyone at our table looked at Sebastian and I with a mixture of awe, respect, gratitude... and mild jealousy. Though we both held our heads high and basked in the praise, I couldn't help but feel a slight blush on my cheeks at being declared a hero out loud, by the Deputy Headmistress herself. Glancing over at him, Sebastian was blushing, too.

That's right... we are pretty amazing, aren't we?

"Well, it would seem that it certainly merits... I'd say, 100 points to Slytherin? Wouldn't you agree?" she smiled to the crowd. The other three tables cheered in agreement, though less raucously than before, and much less so than ours.

"Ha! That means we win the House Cup!" Priscilla whispered in excitement. Once Headmaster Black realized that Weasley was finished speaking, he snapped back to attention.

"Ah! Yes. Thank you, Professor Weasley," he grumbled with disinterest, then shrugged. "Then I suppose we have our winner." He brought his hands together in a clap, and two rows of huge green and silver banners depicting a grand snake appeared on the ceiling, unfurling in neat succession. They were soon joined by a shower of green fireworks and confetti, the explosions echoing off the walls of the Great Hall and almost drowning out the celebration at the Slytherin table. All the fifth-year girls and a number of the sixth and seventh-years stood up and surrounded Sebastian and I, dragging us out of our seats and lifting us into the air on their hands and arms.

Pride swelled up within me - I knew I was great, but I'd never expected I'd be crowd-surfing great. Winning this House Cup must've meant a lot to my classmates if they were this excited. Ah, how I enjoyed my rightfully-earned, justly-deserved limelight; how nice it was to be the center of attention yet again, and not just because I was the new girl! I'll bet Natty wasn't anywhere near this impressive when she transferred here last year.

Then again, she didn't have ancient magic calling out to her to find and claim, or an angry little cabbage man to wage a secret war against. But I did, and now that the magic was mine and the goblin threat was over, it felt like there was no limit to my abilities. I could become the greatest witch in the world without even trying!

...

...

...

You know? Both the Crystal Mirror and the Mirror of Erised were right. All my life I had chased greatness, wanting power and prestige equal to or greater than a princess. Both of those mirrors had shown me my destiny, that such greatness was within my grasp... and all it took was traveling to another world to achieve it. I finally had the power and adoration I had craved for so long... but I had also gained something even greater in the process.

I guess friendship with others isn't so bad after all, especially when one of them turned out to be my equal - the part of me I never knew I was missing. With Ominis, Natty, Poppy and my dear Sebastian at my side, my power and renown would only grow and flourish. There wasn't anything I couldn't do.

That's right... My legend, my legacy, had only just begun.
> Epilogue: In Which We Have Our Happy Ending
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


...But another possibility is to drop out of sight, bettering themselves and their skills, before reemerging more successful than ever before! The only danger here is that while cloistered, they may stagnate or get involved in a lifestyle or family situation where they, in fact, never reemerge at all...



~


It's funny how life works out sometimes.

By the time Ominis, Sebastian and I graduated from Hogwarts, we'd seen enough adventure and peril for a lifetime. But all throughout, we had each other's backs. All three of us knew we could rely on each other - we'd truly become our own sort of family, the support each of us never had before.

Now that we were full-fledged adults, our lives changed. Upon turning seventeen, Sebastian received the inheritance he was entitled to in his parents' will; Anne was still missing at the time, seemingly having fallen off the face of the earth. Nobody had seen her since she left Feldcroft, and our letters to her all went unanswered. Because of this he was given the option to take it all for himself, but he told the Gringotts goblins to keep Anne's half safe in their vault, just in case. All in all it turned out to be a tidy sum - combined with my stores of wealth taken from Equestria, we honestly had enough money to live pretty comfortably in Fig's old house. We could pursue any careers we wanted, not having to worry about how well it might've paid.

So I set to work on creating my legacy. With Sebastian faithfully studying alongside me I'd discovered quite a bit about ancient magic, and tirelessly worked on researching ever more, compiling my findings into a couple of books and having them published. I'd even finally figured out how to teach others to harness their own emotions and channel them along with their will, so they could wield the magic, too - as promised, Sebastian was the first to learn everything I knew. Even so, it took him a while to get the hang of it... it was nearly ten years before he fully mastered the power, to be able to use and cast the magic as naturally as I could. Despite explaining how to sense the magic within them as simply as I could, including his own input on the matter, stories of other witches and wizards gaining the ability to wield ancient magic were few and far between.

But it was spreading. Scholars the world over wrote to me about my research, deeply interested in this rediscovered lost magic and hoping for possible collaboration, or at least an opportunity to get the first news of my latest findings. The Ministry of Magic, as I had feared, took great interest in me shortly after my third book was published... but by then I had made enough of a name for myself that I felt confident I couldn't possibly be disappeared from the world without loud public outcry. Instead I was graciously invited to all of the major wizarding schools, Ministries and colleges all over the globe, giving lectures and demonstrations on the subject and inspiring countless young minds. A few of the especially-gifted students even managed to wield little bits of it after learning directly from me.

I liked the feeling of benefiting the world like this. I also began publishing books about various types of magic from Equestria that this world didn't have, such as the Post-Trauma Potion, the mageblade spell, teleportation and several others. Though they all received vast amounts of praise (and money) for their "invention", some of them were taught and used as intended far more than others. It turned out that Sebastian really was just smarter than your average wizard - teleportation was much harder to grasp than Apparition for most people. The Post-Trauma Potion was almost exclusively brewed for the game it produced when the imbiber thought of a traumatic memory... though some Muggle philosopher-protopsychologist by the name of Freud once got his hands on one, and before it was discovered by the Ministry and he could be Obliviated, he published a book about how the different shapes resembled various sexual organs and the imbiber's subconscious desire to screw their parents or something.

Ever hungry for action and excitement, and having the youthful desire to make a name for himself as well, Sebastian took Professor Hecat's suggestion to heart and became a Warlock: a professional duelist. He proved to be a natural, quickly rising through the ranks and winning nearly every tournament he entered - and thanks to the extra Equestrian spells I'd taught him, he even became the World Champion within a year. Few opponents could match his knowledge of spells or his agile mind, and fewer still could break through his defenses and land a hit on him. Even as he later refrained from using ancient magic when he was finally able to wield it, he was far too powerful a wizard for most to handle. His simplest of spells would send the opposition flying into the roaring crowds.

He became even more famous than I was - numerous businesses and companies wanted him as their spokesman, and enamored witches and wizards alike hounded him for his autograph and threw themselves at him in the streets, even as I walked alongside him. Some of their lascivious requests in their pathetic attempts to flirt with him were actually pretty funny. All the while he would gently turn them down, proclaiming that he already had everything he could ever want and more as he'd wrap an arm around my waist.

And if they persisted after that, then I was allowed to jinx them.

Between tournaments he also wrote books - his were about the philosophy of magic not being good nor evil, but simply a tool. It was also a topic that I believed in; my name appeared in his books as a co-author several times, as his did in mine. Together we explored the implications of using spells classified as Dark magic for ethically sound purposes, making arguments for the most harmless of hexes to the Unforgivables, and everything in between. These books would eventually come to form the basis of a new breed of wizard - not Light, nor Dark - but Grey.

At least a couple owls a day dropped off mail at our house from wizards and witches all over the world. Most of it was from fans that praised these combined works, like-minded individuals thrilled to finally have a proper name for their personal philosophies... of course, some of it was also from those that disagreed, running the gamut from mild displeasure all the way to thinly-veiled, amusingly ironic death threats. Howlers did nothing but hurt our ears, so they were immediately disintegrated with an Incendio; the few that were actually bewitched to be booby-trapped were fun to return to sender.

Though he was certainly skilled enough to hold a magical career, Ominis chose to pursue the arts after graduation. He focused intently on bettering his skills on his triple harp, and soon made a name for himself as a decently popular musician. He was often commissioned to perform at galas, galleries and other social events, and occasionally performed in orchestras as a special guest. It brought him a sense of great peace, knowing that at least one Gaunt was known for such purity, beauty and grace in the world, as opposed to the rest of his family. Other than the occasional rumor of his brothers scoffing at his performances or his parents voicing their disappointment in him, he was left completely alone by them, as though he'd never existed at all in their eyes. But he cared not, and was happy to remain no-contact with all of his family members.

Of course, I kept in touch with my other two best friends. Natty and Poppy were as strong together as ever. The former - with her sense of justice and desire to defend the weak - became an Auror, while the latter became a Magizoologist... and a sort of substitute professor to a teenaged Hufflepuff after learning he'd been expelled from Hogwarts after an incident involving Jarveys. The two girls had gotten married shortly after graduation - a lovely ceremony full of beasts and elements of Ugandan culture - but due to Natty's line of work they often weren't able to visit much.

A few years passed. Life got busier as we charged head-on into adulthood and its responsibilities. Five years after graduation, Sebastian finally decided to make things officially official between us - he proposed and we got married. It was a relatively private and simple affair, with only a few of our closest colleagues in attendance. Ominis was the best man, while Natty and Poppy both were my maids of honor. It was a nice break from the massive crowds brought on by fame and notoriety, of which I was beginning to tire of. All those scholars and my countless admirers were just so demanding! It was nice to have a day all about me for once...

...Until Anne suddenly showed up.

She tried to be respectful and discreet about her presence, but needless to say, the three of us were shocked. It turned out that Rookwood's curse had actually broken itself the day she and Sebastian turned seventeen, and became legal adults. But she was still mired deep in emotional turmoil, from the loss of Solomon and suddenly regaining the life they had both insisted was lost, and coming to terms with everything that had happened. She snuck out of the sanatorium that had taken her in and spent the years wandering, searching for inner peace, understanding and reconciliation. One day, after reading one of her brother's books it finally struck her how much he'd done to try to cure her, and the horrible things their uncle had said and done to him - both of them in turn.

She wasn't sure if she agreed with his philosophy, but she was grateful that he'd loved her so much, he would go so far to save her. Now she was happy for her brother's marriage, and hoped that in time, their own relationship could heal. I offered to expedite the process by removing her emotional pain - I had finally figured out how Isidora had done it, and safely, too - but nobody had ever been able to track her down. She considered it for a brief moment before shaking her head with a smile, and that was that.

I had never seen Sebastian so happy since completing our vows a couple hours prior to this reunion. He wouldn't smile that brightly again until our daughter was born.

It was clear from the start that September was a witch with my pony DNA - no sooner had the midwife spanked her into crying for air that the swat was returned upside her head with a weak blast resembling a Depulso. She was actually born in July, but I'd wanted her to have an Equestrian-styled name in honor of her heritage, and Sebastian was acquiescent to the idea. September Sallow-Shimmer quickly grew into a beautiful young woman; she had her father's reddish-brown hair with pale yellow streaks like mine, along with her father's eyes.

Our greatest strengths had been passed down, and bloomed within her. She was every bit as hungry for knowledge as we were, spending her time reading all the books she could get her hands on and assisting me with the less-dangerous aspects of my research. She couldn't see ancient magic like I could, but worked at sensing it until she could wield it much like her father. She approached every situation with poise and rationality, keeping calm and collected as she kept her mind open and full of wonder... but she was also very much capable of spontaneity, mischief and deviousness, just like we were at her age. When she was eventually accepted into Hogwarts, she was sorted into Ravenclaw. It was a surprise at first, as she shared our ambition for magical knowledge and power, but it also made perfect sense.

Sebastian especially doted on her, giving her all the love and support he wished he'd received growing up. Uncle Ominis and auntie Anne also spoiled her with attention and gifts; as Anne came to visit more and more often as she and Sebastian grew closer, her relationship with Ominis was also revived, and grew stronger. The affection they shared in their school days blossomed once more, and eventually, he left our house to live with her. They soon got married as well; neither of them wanted children, especially Ominis - they were content to babysit and play with September during the day while still being able to give her back to us at night.

The years passed, and humanity advanced. Powered flight was invented and quickly mastered, airships giving way to airplanes. A gathering of nations from all over the world was organized, holding events similar to the Equestrian Games back home. Automobiles became more and more prominent as the main mode of Muggle transportation - Sebastian and I bought one out of curiosity, and learning how to drive was both harrowing and exhilarating. Movies were finally invented, as well as the theory of relativity, plastic and washing machines. There were also major breakthroughs made in other fields of science, technology, culture and medicine... at long last, humans were beginning to catch up to ponykind.

But while there were many great leaps and strides forward, there were also many times where I just had to shake my head at the chaos in this world. While I'd never had much faith in ponykind's ability to resolve their own conflicts... well, they had absolutely nothing on the utter stupidity of humans. Muggles proved to be even more racist, bigoted and xenophobic than ponies, and they were astoundingly quick to act upon perceived weaknesses and slights against their peoples, or even themselves. Presidents, kings and more were frequently murdered in the name of revolution, the completion of the Royal Navy's Dreadnought sparked a worldwide arms race, protests against a rebellion ultimately brought an end to the Qing dynasty in faraway China, and additional parts of Africa were brought to heel under British rule.

And the Ten Rules of War soon proved to have been essential to create - various conflicts had broken out in multiple countries all around the world, the grim events linking together into a daisy chain of escalation until one Archduke too many was assassinated, and war was declared over nearly the entire continent of Europe. It only spread from there like Fiendfyre, and all too quickly the casualties on either side grew to staggering numbers. The Ministry of Magic had forbidden the wizarding world from getting involved on account of possibly causing far too many breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy to count... but the cat had clawed its way out of that bag long ago. Many witches and wizards knew Muggles that were fighting and wanted to aid them, and all the prominent pureblood families had taken sides, covertly influencing a battle here, or a treaty there.

There was also a drastic shift in wizard/Muggle relations. A schism of sorts had formed - horrified at the violent new inventions of Muggles for use in their war, the majority of witches and wizards from all walks of life had begun boycotting their technology. Magic was superior to Muggle barbarism, they would claim, and similar propaganda was spread throughout the papers for cheap ways to generate shock, outrage and profits. I vehemently disagreed, fearing that if wizardkind willfully ignored the desire for innovation, a drive to improve on the spells and mundane devices we all had access to, the wizarding world would quickly grow stagnant. No longer would wizardkind be superior, or even equivalent to Muggle culture if they allowed them to surpass us in so many fields.

But as the world fell apart around us, our family - my dearest Sebastian and September, and Ominis and Anne - remained safe. Various protective charms reinforced by ancient magic kept our residences hidden from any who might've wished to see us harmed, and well-defended against any magic, potential artillery fire, gas attacks or bombing runs. We cancelled extraneous travel plans and lectures, keeping as low a profile as our fame would allow. The Headmaster of Hogwarts also took the time to write and reassure each and every student, along with their families that security at the school would be taken very seriously. Trips to Hogsmeade were now restricted, and Aurors (though sadly, not Natty) would stand guard by the castle's entrances and within just in case.

And yet, trouble still found us.


~
August, 1915

25 years later
~


The Great War had finally reached our doorstep.

It happened in the summer just before September's 5th year at Hogwarts, coincidentally enough. The door to our house suddenly flew open, and our heads turned in shock to see Ominis and Anne fling themselves through the threshold and slam it shut in a hurry. They were out of breath as they cast several locking charms to keep it that way.

"What happened?!" Sebastian yelled, alarmed.

"A-Attacked... w-we were attacked," Ominis swallowed.

"I-It happened so suddenly... W-We were out shopping in Diagon A-Alley when we were surrounded by Hit Wizards!" Anne gasped as she returned Ominis' dropped wand to him.

"Hit Wizards? What the hell?!" I blinked.

"We only managed to A-Apparate here because my girls f-fought back against them... o-oh, my poor girls," Ominis shuddered, trying to hold back a sob. "T-They told m-me, us to run, b-but..."

"Oh, not the Runespoor," September frowned in sympathy, covering her mouth with her hands. "I hope they're alright."

"Come, sit down. Tell us exactly what happened," Sebastian glowered, gesturing to the couch in the living room. While September put together some tea and snacks, Ominis and Anne described the attack in full to us. From their experience and in researching past (and later future) articles in the Daily Prophet, we pieced together that the Gaunts had been found to be collaborating with the Germans, slipping them vital information about both Muggle and clandestine Wizarding military activities. In response, the Ministry decided that the entire family was to be dealt with... with extreme prejudice. Nearly all of Ominis' relatives, close and distant, were either arrested and imprisoned in Azkaban or killed outright when they resisted, and the family's properties and Gringotts accounts were seized and frozen. The only ones to escape this purge and vanish into obscurity were his eldest brother Marvolo and his two small children.

The fact that a Runespoor came out of his robes and struck at the Hit Wizards sent to apprehend him was all the proof the Ministry needed of his involvement and his guilt. The very next morning the main article of the Prophet would declare Ominis and his wife Public Enemies Number One and Two, and a reward of ten thousand Galleons would be offered to any witch or wizard with information about his or Anne's whereabouts.

"We can't go back," Anne shivered, staring into her teacup. "They'll be upon us the second anyone spots us!"

"That's alright," replied Sebastian, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The two of you can just stay here! You don't even need to leave the house, I'll take care of everything you might need." 

But Ominis shook his head. "I-I'm afraid it won't be enough. They know about our associations with each other, they'll likely come to this house in their search for us next! We must leave immediately, I would hate to put the three of you in such danger!"

"We can handle it," Sebastian glared, ancient magic flaring protectively in his eyes. "I'll be damned if I let anything happen to either of you."

"Me too... but I don't think even the two of us can fight the entire Ministry and win," I frowned, gently grabbing his arm. The magic quickly dissipated from his eyes as he blinked it away and looked at me. "They're far too stubborn to listen to reason, and even if we somehow wiped them all out with our magic, the Ministries from the other countries would definitely get involved, and... that wouldn't go in our favor."

"Is there anywhere they could hide?" asked September. "Somewhere the Ministry would never think to look." We all fell silent, pondering the best places Ominis and Anne could retreat to. Thoughts of remote islands and countries with strict extradition laws filled my mind, but none of them were good enough to me. The Ministry could travel wherever they liked, and word would certainly travel fast among their wizarding communities that a certain blind member of the Gaunt family had been seen in the area.

No, the perfect hiding place was somewhere even the Ministry couldn't go. Somewhere deemed the safest place on earth...

...

...

...

...Somewhere not even in this universe.

It was time to use my last resort.

"...I have an idea. I know of the perfect place where you'll be safe."

"Perfect! Where?" Anne sighed in relief as everyone turned to face me. I swallowed anxiously before answering.


~


That very night, the five of us teleported to Hogwarts. The castle was still largely empty for the summer, with only the caretaker and the House Elves inside. Even the Aurors had mostly gone home for the day, the single one left to stand guard easily misdirected away from the entrance so we could all sneak inside under Disillusionment.

"What are we looking for again? A mirror?" Ominis whispered, his white outlines glimmering like silver in the light of the sconces.

"The Mirror of Erised," September answered back. "From what mom described, I think I saw a mirror like that in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom a few months ago."

"I wonder why it's in there," mumbled Sebastian. "It doesn't strike me as being Dark."

"I don't know, but whatever the reason, I hope the Portkey's still active," I frowned. The conversation died out as we walked in silence, winding our way through the halls and struggling to ascend the many staircases (it'd been years since my legs had to work that hard, after all). As I gazed upon the sleeping portraits, the tapestries and the polished stonework, hundreds of cherished memories came flooding back to me.

And, evidently, to Sebastian. "Heh... do you remember our first time together in the Restricted Section, dear?" he grinned as we passed by the library.

"Of course," I smirked. "Peeves caught us and you took the full brunt of getting yelled at by Madam Scribner."

"You're welcome for that," grunted Ominis, though a slight smile was on his face as well. "Spent a grand total of five minutes in detention thanks to me. Scribner was furious when Sebastian waltzed out of the room with not a care in the world."

"I see... and how many times did Ominis bail you out like that?" I chuckled.

"More than I can remember... I never did thank you for having my back like that, even after being a right bastard to you sometimes," Sebastian looked away fondly, yet guiltily. "I apologize."

"Ah, don't mention it," Ominis shook his head. "I knew your heart was in the right place. You were just trying to help Anne."

"Yes, well... most of the time," he admitted. "There were also times we snuck in purely for leisure."

"It always did have some of the best reading material," I nodded in agreement.

"...They moved the smut last year. Took me ages to find it again," September complained under her breath, thinking she was being quiet enough for us not to hear. Sebastian and I's breaths hitched in shock before we broke out into laughter, while Ominis and Anne played the part of proper parents and chastised her both for going where she shouldn't and looking at such adult materials.

She really was our child.

We continued to reminisce as we moved through the school. Tales of homework assignments, spells practiced and pranks pulled were shared among the four of us, eliciting quiet giggles that echoed down the dark corridors. As we neared the Defense Against the Dark Arts wing, another memory came to me...

...And a bit of a diversion. I had to admit, a pit of anxiety was building in my stomach the closer we got to the mirror. I tried to tell myself that it was just because soon, it'd be quite difficult for the three of us to ever visit Ominis and Anne again.

"Would you guys like to see the Undercroft again? For old time's sake?"

"I would," Anne nodded. We made our way to the lone clock at the end of the hallway; the wand movements required to open the way came easily, as though I were still a student. With a nostalgic chime the door swung open, and we descended the short stairs and lifted the portcullis to enter. "It hasn't changed a bit," she sighed happily as her eyes darted back and forth.

"It's nice that nobody knows it's here, but mom's Room is so much more useful," said September. Ominis inhaled and exhaled slowly, his eyes closed in thought. 

"...If you'd like, you may tell your friends about this place," his eyes opened again. "I don't believe my family shall have need of it any longer." September's eyes widened in glee.

"Really?! Awesome! It'll be the perfect place for all of us to hang out alone, instead of hoping nobody decides to wander into one of the unused classrooms."

"Your father taught me how to cast Confringo in here," I grinned at her. "Told me all about how he and Ominis singed their eyebrows off when they learned how to cast it themselves."

"Hey!" Sebastian laughed.

"Heh, I haven't thought about that in years," Ominis smiled.

"The both of you did look rather ridiculous," Anne giggled softly. After looking around for another minute or two we left, refocusing on the task at hand. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was close by.

My heart began to pound as we entered the room, the mirror propped up against the wall near the back.

This was it.

My deepest secret was about to be revealed.

"There it is," September pointed out. "Good, it's still here."

"Right. So, how do we activate the Portkey?" Sebastian asked as he moved towards it, stopping as he realized I wasn't following him. "Sunset?"

I blinked, and thickly swallowed.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked, his face softening in concern. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, the last one a sigh as I forced myself forward.

"Yea, just... I can't believe I'm really doing this."

"Is something wrong?" asked Ominis.

"No, but... There's one last big secret I haven't told either of you... any of you." I shivered as I turned back around to face him - all of them, my lips pressed together into a thin line. "And that would be... where I truly come from."

"From... Equestria," Sebastian replied with a hint of uncertainty. "You've told me all about it, told our daughter all about it."

"Yea, but..." I hesitated. How in the hell was I going to explain this? I really couldn't, not in any way, shape or form that sounded the least bit sane. "...Well, you'll see."

"Is it dangerous?" Anne tried to hide a nervous gulp.

"No, but the... trip through the mirror might sting a little." I walked up to the mirror and gazed at my reflection. After a few moments the surface rippled like water, my reflection distorting and discoloring until it disappeared entirely. An image of a white marble room with azure floor tiles appeared in its place, the only object of note being a closed door directly in the center.

I recognized the view.

"Alright... well, let's get this over with." As discussed earlier, everyone linked their hands together with Epoximise to be certain we would all make it through. My heart was thumping so vigorously it felt like it might burst through my chest.

Would I see her again? Of course I would, it was her castle we would appear inside. But what would she say to me when we were discovered?

And what was I gonna say to her?

I looked back to my companions - my family - once more. My eyes fell upon Ominis and Anne, and the importance of shepherding them to safety quickly overpowered my apprehension.

...No use hesitating.

With another deep breath and a sigh, I stepped into the portal, with my family right behind me.

In an instant I was enveloped in total darkness. The ground gave out beneath my feet, yet I did not fall. I tried to move, but my body would not respond. It was like I had become paralyzed, yet I was still so very aware of every little sensation I felt in my limbs. Slowly my body began to stretch and contort in ways it should never have been able to - bones bending, breaking and fusing themselves back together; skin stretching, tearing and knitting itself whole once more; muscles, visceral fat and organs lurching from one body part to another like giant, fleshy slugs inside me, or sloughing off entirely and vanishing into the darkness. I had hoped I'd never feel this pain again, but even as I heard theirs behind me I did not allow myself to scream.

At least... not until I felt something slip out of my hand.


~


FWUMP

I felt myself land on my stomach, on a cold, hard, tile floor covered by a rug. My clothes suddenly felt extremely loose and baggy, and I willed my eyes open as I instinctually shook them off.

But once I finally registered what I was seeing, I froze. My body was no longer human in shape.

And neither were the others. In the process our hands had come apart when they transformed into hooves, but all five of us were still together. They groaned with disorientation as they slowly picked themselves up off the floor.

Ominis was the first to realize something was different. "What...? I feel so... wait, w-where's my wand?"

September was the next to speak. "Uh... I feel shorter."

"Hey... w-where are my hands?" Anne stammered as she stared at her new appendages. "Why do I have hooves?!"

Figuring it'd be best to just get the shock out of their systems, I conjured up a large mirror so everyone could see themselves. Ominis now had a pale green coat to match his eyes with the color of his mane and tail resembling his human hair, and had a Cutie Mark of a black harp on his flanks. September's coat was a glowing, light tan - her flanks were still blank; understandable since humans generally didn't just realize what their destiny was in a flash of inspiration. Anne and Sebastian looked very similar, having pale yellow coats and similar body shapes - the sister's Cutie Mark was of a pair of crossed vials containing a red and a blue potion, while the brother's was a black and grey quill over an open spellbook.

Ominis blinked a few times as he unconsciously activated his new Unicorn magic, the familiar red glow that used to emanate from his wand now shining from his horn. In this fashion he was able to sense himself as the others saw themselves in the mirror and shrank back in utter bafflement. While Anne and Ominis both reacted by gasping loudly, September regarded herself with her usual decorum of fascination and curiosity, and Sebastian stared at his new look in silent stupefaction for at least ten seconds before...

"...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Yep, that was my reaction, too," I nodded, my lips thin as I set the mirror down. "But we're here... welcome to Equestria." Nobody- er, pony spoke for another ten seconds, too stunned by their brand new reality.

"E-Equestria..." he and Ominis both eventually stuttered.

"But... w-what is this?! W-Why have we all been Transfigured into horses?!" shrieked Anne.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure myself, but I would guess it's because we're in an entirely different universe than Earth," I shrugged with a grimace. "You're on the planet Equus, inside Princess Celestia's castle in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. It's a nation of ponies; there's no such thing as a human in this world... but in their place, a good number of the beasts from the wizarding world are sapient and have civilizations of their own here: hippogriffs, griffons, dragons-"

"Wait... w-wait..." Ominis gaped aimlessly to my left. "We're... w-we're not human anymore?!"

"Nope, at least not while you're here, anyway. You're all... just like me now."

"J-Just like you...?" breathed Sebastian. I nodded solemnly with a sigh.

"Yes. This is... actually my true form. I'm a pony. I was never human to begin with." His mouth dropped to the floor as his eyes shrank to the size of pinpricks, listlessly dragging towards the ground as he tried to process this impossible revelation. While Anne and Ominis exchanged looks of sheer confusion and horror, September seemed rather calm and accepting of the whole situation, placing a concerned hoof on her father's back. It prompted him to finally speak again.

"I can't believe this... a-all this time, Equestria, all those horse-related names and puns, it was all because... you're actually a horse?!"

"Whoa. We're ponies, not horses," I corrected. "And, well... yes. I'm a Unicorn pony. As are all of you, as a matter of fact," I smiled.

"We're unicorns?" blinked Ominis. "Wait, is... that why I can sense my surroundings, even without my wand?"

"Sounds logical to me," I nodded. "When I went through the mirror to the human world, my horn fell off of my head... but I was able to use it just like a wand. So I'm guessing when you all went through, your wands fused to your heads to become your unicorn horns."

"Interesting," hummed September.

"But... what about you, Sunset? You have wings!" Anne gaped, pointing with her hoof. "Unicorns don't have wings!"

Wha... wings? "Huh?" It was then that I felt something strange... limbs that stretched and flexed from the center of my back. I turned my head, seeing a pair of feathery wings spreading out from my sides.

Wings... wait, then that means...!

"...Well. Would you look at that," I chuckled once, trying to work out how to consciously flex and flap my new appendages. "At some point in time, I became an Alicorn."

"An Alicorn?" asked September.

"A Princess. They embody the traits and magic of all three pony races: Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth ponies," I explained with a smile. "Celestia is also an alicorn, the Princess of Equestria and the Sun."

"I... b-but... hold on... w-why did you never tell me this?!" gawked Sebastian. "I have... so many questions about everything, about this world, a-about you! I- ...N-Not that it would've changed a thing between us, but this is the sort of thing I would've wanted to know years ago, before we-"

"Be real. Would you have believed me if I told you I came from a country of talking, rainbow-colored ponies?" I interrupted him with a flat glare. His eyes darted back and forth and his mouth hung open as he froze, thinking so hard about my question I could nearly see smoke rising from his head.

"...Touché."

Before any further questions could be asked, the door suddenly flew open. A pair of guardsponies rushed into the room, their halberds aimed squarely at our barrels.

"Halt, intruders!" one of them demanded. "Nopony is to come anywhere near that mirror!"

"Uh..." The other guard began lightly jabbing the first in the side; when he'd gotten his attention he pointed to a picture of me that had been posted next to the mirror. Underneath my picture was a notice reading that if I was seen, then Celestia was to be alerted at once, and I and anypony with me was to be given a warm welcome and asked to wait for her.

"O-Oh!" the first guard stammered. "I-It's you! Sunset Shimmer! Uh, wait right there, all of you! Um, welcome back! W-Welcome to the Royal Palace!"

"Er... thanks?" I winced as both of them raced out through the threshold and in opposite directions down the halls.

"Huh. It looks like they know who you are, mom," September mused as she read the flyer beside the mirror.

"I... see that," I nodded dumbly, my entire body beginning to shake. Celestia wanted to be alerted to my return immediately?

Well, of course she would... but why? Was she going to be happy to see me? Or was she going to immediately throw me in the dungeons like a criminal on the run, considering how I'd left? I quickly lost track of time as my mind turned somersaults within itself, the voices of my family fading into indistinct, muddled hums in the background.

"...Sunset?"

Her voice broke me out of my mental prison, and I blinked as the world returned to me. A radiant white alicorn peeked through the door, her aurora mane billowing through the threshold. Just below her was, unexpectedly, another alicorn, this one purple with an indigo mane streaked with pink and violet.

Before I could ask about her, though, whiteness filled my vision as I was immediately swept up into a tender, warm hug. The only sounds I could hear were heavy breathing and a deep, strong heartbeat.

Shock. Relief. Warmth. Joy.

Overwhelming joy.

"It's you... it's really y-you..." Celestia whimpered softly, trying not to cry and failing miserably. The breath I hadn't realized I was holding in let itself out in a ragged, soundless laugh.

Of course. I had no reason to be so afraid of her reaction to my return.

"...It is," I finally sniffled, returning the hug as strongly as I could.

"Oh, how I've missed you, my dearest Sunset... I've missed you so, so much," she inhaled slowly as she pulled away to look at me. "You've grown into such a fine young mare- ah! And you have wings!" she gasped, elated. "You've ascended!"

"Is that what it's called...?" I smiled sheepishly, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"I'll have to tell you about the process... Oh, and who are your companions?" she smiled, warmly as ever as she gazed over my shoulder. "Please accept my apologies for ignoring you all like this. I am Princess Celestia- but please, there's no need for formalities," she added quickly at the sight of Ominis beginning to bow out of respect. "Celestia is just fine." She released me from her embrace as I moved back towards them.

"Ah, right... well, this is my husband, Sebastian, and our daughter, September," I grinned proudly, wrapping a wing around each of them. "And these two, this is our close friend Ominis and his wife, Anne... also Sebastian's sister."

"Your family... your friends..." Celestia's smile grew even wider. "You've even discovered friendship."

"I did!" I nodded. The other alicorn walked timidly into the room during the introductions as not to interrupt our reunion, but I still took notice of her. "Uh... who are you?"

"Oh, me? Ehehehe... my name's Twilight Sparkle," she smiled awkwardly. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sunset. Celestia's told me all about you!"

My lips disappeared inside my mouth.

"...Ah! Mostly good things, don't worry," she clarified. "She really missed you."

"Twilight Sparkle? What kind of strange name-?" 

"Don't be rude," Anne hissed, interrupting Sebastian's disbelieving drawl by brusquely jabbing him in the ribs, making him yelp instead.

"...I could ask the same about the name Sebastian," Twilight quipped slyly, earning a chuckle from both me and Celestia.

"Oh, Sunset... It is so good to see you after all these years," my former mentor- ...my mother sighed. Her expression soon switched from happiness to concern, however. "Even though I had always hoped, I never once dreamed I'd ever see you again. Is there a reason you have returned?"

Oh... yea.

"Right... um, I have a... favor to ask," I bit my lip nervously. "Uh... long story short, Ominis and Anne need someplace safe to stay for the foreseeable future. I thought there'd be no safer place than Equestria, so I was hoping-"

"Say no more," Twilight shook her head, holding out her hoof as she smiled. "Your friends are more than welcome to seek asylum here. I'll see to it that they're well taken care of."

"And I have nothing but faith that you will," Celestia nodded once as she regarded Twilight. "Well, let's not just stand here!" she exclaimed as she looked back at me, her gaze sweeping over the others after a moment. "I want to hear all about what you've been up to, and how you met your friends and your husband! Come, let's find somewhere a bit more suitable for conversation."

"Right!" I beamed as I followed her out of the room. As the others fell in line behind me, Twilight raced down the hall to the right, only stopping when she approached a small purple dragon with green spines. Celestia moved in the opposite direction so I couldn't hear what the two were talking about, other than the words "celebration" and "friends".

But Celestia's voice prompted me to turn back towards her. There were tears of happiness in her eyes as she smiled warmly at me.

"...I'm proud of you, Sunset... so very proud."

Warmth flooded my body, tears of happiness running down my own cheeks as Sebastian and September hurried to my sides.


~


Clearly, many things had changed while I was away.

A large celebratory banquet was held that night. Alongside Celestia I also met her dear sister Princess Luna, and heard from them both that there were two more alicorns that resided in the reborn Crystal Empire: their niece Princess Cadance (married to Twilight's older brother Shining Armor) and her young daughter Flurry Heart. I also met Twilight's best friends and fellow Elements of Harmony: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, as well as her personal assistant and kinda-sorta brother, Spike. To my shock I also met Discord, who was much nicer than the legends I remembered had described him as, though he was still every bit as capricious in his actions and expressions.

I spent hours recounting the life I'd lived after going through the mirror. Sebastian and Ominis both piped up with anecdotes as I talked about discovering ancient magic and defeating Ranrok, about spoiling the plans of and destroying the local crime syndicate, and also about life at Hogwarts and the human world in general. Anne and September also helped me explain the many differences between the Wizarding World and Equestria.

Then Twilight and her friends recounted her tale - of how she was chosen as Celestia's new personal protégé after displaying a truly massive burst of magic during her entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns, how she was sent to Ponyville to make friends and save Princess Luna from the Nightmare on the 1000th anniversary of her banishment, of how she ascended and became an Alicorn after completing Starswirl's final unfinished spell, and of the many adventures they had all experienced up until now. Now she was not only the world-famous Princess of Friendship, but since Celestia and Luna had both announced the abdication of their thrones, she was also to become the new Ruler of Equestria in just a few scant months.

A tiny part of me burned with jealousy... but it was easily quashed. I'd had my taste of power, fame and fortune, and it was more than enough for me. Ruling an entire nation frankly sounded so exhausting.

CRASH

"What the-?" Confused, I turned in the direction of the noise, as did everypony else. There was now a massive hole in the side of Celestia's banquet hall, the wind billowing through and blowing the tablecloth up over our plates. Standing in the middle of the hole were three creatures: an insectoid pony covered in black chitin like armor, with stringy, corpse-blue hair,  glasslike wings and holes bored into her legs and horn; a centaur-like being with red skin, black fur and white hair, and a small pink filly with a short, curly, pale blue mane and tail, hovering in the air with her wings as she brandished a horn nearly the length of her own body.

And all three of them looked pissed.

"Gah! There you miserable ponies are!" shouted the insectoid pony. While everypony in the room gasped, my mind quickly recounted the tales Twilight and her friends had told. These had to be some of the villains they had faced before: the exiled but still terrible Queen Chrysalis, the ancient and monstrous centaur lord Tirek, and the cute but shockingly sociopathic Cozy Glow! I mean, seriously, after hearing about some of the subterfuge she pulled off, she would've put filly-aged me to shame!

"What are the three of you doing here?!" Celestia growled, her magic engulfing the table and flipping it on its side to shield us as she and Princess Luna stood up.

"We had plans, but we're sick of waiting!" screeched Cozy Glow, her horn burning with crimson lightning.

"The Bewitching Bell has given us more than enough power to take you all down right here and now!" Tirek bellowed, an orb of brightly-glowing orange building and growing between his horns.

"The Magic of Friendship will fall! And nopony will come to your aid, we've been sowing the seeds of discord between the three pony tribes for months!" Chrysalis gloated. Twilight and her friends gasped in horror, a sense of realization dawning on their faces, while I simply stared at the three villains in annoyance.

Wow... talk about overconfidence. You haven't even started the fight and you're already monologuing!

"What? Didn't you all notice something was wrong in Equestria?" jeered Tirek. "We've been busy."

"A whisper here, a rumor there..."

"Destroy some crops, cause some damage," the centaur and Chrysalis shared a grin.

"Turn pony against pony," added Cozy.

"Until your whole kingdom is on edge, waiting for just one tiny thing to push them over the brink!" Chrysalis laughed.

"There's no backup friends or rainbow magic to save you now!" howled Tirek. Meanwhile, unnoticed by everypony, Sebastian and I exchanged unimpressed glares and slowly stood up.

"Golly, I think it's time for some redecorating-"

"Depulso!" In the blink of an eye, Sebastian teleported to their left and attacked, the spell blasting Cozy into Chrysalis into Tirek and sending them all flying across the room. He vanished and reappeared several times, eyes burning with ancient magic as his wine-red aura formed astral wings on his back, almost like he, too, was an alicorn. So swift were his teleportations and attacks that it almost seemed like there were ten of him simultaneously clobbering the villains with magic bursts. While Ominis and Anne moved defensively in front of September, Celestia, Luna, Twilight and all of their friends gasped again, stunned into silence as they witnessed the very one-sided fight.

Truly, I felt so proud of my overpowered husband.

"Have you had enough?" His afterimages vanished into tiny puffs of blue-white smoke, and he grinned boldly as his aura faded, his unfurled wings disappearing along with it. Chrysalis, Cozy and Tirek groaned in pain as they slowly picked themselves up off the floor.

"W-What... What was that...?!" mumbled Cozy, rubbing her head.

"You wretched little pony... I will enjoy draining the magic from you...!" Tirek threatened groggily as his hooves kept slipping out from under him. At his words my own eyes flared with ancient magic, and their bodies began to glow with pale orange light as I lifted them all into the air by their throats.

"Excuse me?" I snarled, my eyes narrow. "You will do no such thing to my husband."

"Husband, you say?" Chysalis hissed, leering at me despite her chokehold. "Where there is marriage, there is love... I will drain the both of you dry until you're nothing but dust!" My heart burned with cold fury; not only were these three idiots a threat to Equestria, they were also a threat to Ominis and Anne's safety!

And nopony... absolutely nopony threatens to drain Sebastian like that and gets away with it!

It sure was a good thing we weren't in the Wizarding World anymore. Before I could stop myself, my eyes began to glow with Equestrian Dark magic, and the words slipped out of my muzzle.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Chrysalis vanished inside a burst of crackling jade lightning straight from my horn, making no sounds other than the hiss of air rushing through the natural cracks in her chitin. Sebastian chuckled once as I let my magical grip loose on the three, Cozy and Tirek landing on their hooves as the changeling dropped gracelessly to the floor. Ominis and Anne, predictably, seemed horrified by my choice of spell, while the other ponies in the room looked on in confusion.

The now-two villains stared at the changeling queen, waiting for her to move and growing more and more concerned by the second when she didn't.

"Is... Is s-she...?" Tirek finally stuttered after a few moments. Cozy materialized a stick and started poking Chrysalis with it, grimacing when her foreleg flopped over into an awkward position, still failing to elicit any reaction.

"...Yep. She's definitely dead."

"Huh." Their heads slowly turned towards me, and I simply regarded them with glaring eyes and a goading snort. Then they turned back towards Chrysalis, and upon realizing that their hole-filled comrade had been killed with a single, simple spell, both villains shared a glance, turned back towards us then immediately threw up their hands and forehooves in surrender, their faces stricken with utmost terror.

"That's what I thought," I smirked, my magic forming glowing, golden shackles from thin air and clapping them around their wrists and horns. I glanced back towards the others, finding everypony's jaws on the floor.

"You... Y-You killed Queen Chrysalis!" Rainbow Dash gaped.

"And you did it with one spell!" added Twilight, aghast.

"...Why didn't we think of that?!" Pinkie Pie threw up her forehooves.

"B-Because we don't kill our enemies, darling!" Rarity shrank back from the pink Earth pony. "We're more civilized than that!"

"But... ya gotta admit, it did git the job done," swallowed Applejack. When it was Fluttershy's turn to speak, she simply fainted into Discord's arms.

"Well," the Draconequus exhaled in a huff. "And here I was worried for a moment that my cunning plan might've gotten away from me."

"Er... cunning plan?" Twilight blinked. Discord's mouth instantly zipped itself shut.

"Nothing!" he mumbled through the zipper's closed teeth. Celestia blinked a few times before a contingent of Royal Guards burst through the banquet hall's doors, late as always. They too stared at the two apprehended villains in shock.

"I must say... you were decisive, at the very least," she finally spoke as she gestured with her chin towards Tirek and Cozy, prompting the guards to seize them and escort them to the dungeons.

"Sometimes, dear sister, violence isn't the answer," Princess Luna tilted her head as she watched them leave. "It is merely the question. The answer, to which... is yes."

"She... S-She used an Unforgivable... just like that," Anne whimpered as she shrank into her seat, shivering even as Ominis draped a foreleg around her back.

"Well, to be fair... we aren't in the United Kingdom anymore, or even on Earth," shrugged September. "There's probably no such thing as an Unforgivable curse here."

That's my girl!

"Exactly! And, it would seem we've thwarted their attack before it could truly begin," Sebastian grinned smugly as he moved back to my side. "I think that makes the both of us heroes to this fine country, wouldn't you agree love?" I simply matched his expression, leaning in closer as I wrapped a wing around him.

"...I suppose you're right," Celestia hummed after a few moments of contemplation, and nodded.

"Are you certain this Equestria is safe?" Ominis asked warily. "At least with the war back home, I know who our enemies are and what to expect."

"Yea, death," I groused, rolling my eyes. "Look, besides... whatever that was," I wiggled my hoof at Chrysalis' corpse - in the meantime, maids had entered the banquet hall to clean the spilled food. One of them cringed in disgust as she levitated the body in her magic and carried it out with the trash. "...Equestria is hands-down the most peaceful land to ever exist compared to Earth."

"Promise! Uh, t-that was just a fluke, I swear!" Twilight grinned widely, giggling nervously to herself. Her friends bobbed their heads up and down rapidly in desperate agreement, hoping they hadn't made too terrible a first impression.

"...Actually, we do git the occasional villain that's been sealed away fer a thousand years runnin' wild, tryin' teh destroy Equestria an' Friendship an' whatnot," Applejack piped up. "But we'll help git ya'll set up in one of the quieter cities, where that doesn't happen."


~


While Twilight and her friends dealt with the mess the three villains had made, we ended up spending a week in Equestria as everypony worked to get Ominis and Anne acclimated. Taking their advice, and being similar to London back in the United Kingdom (and boasting a track record of twelve years without some sort of dangerous creature attack or tyrant trying to take over the place), they settled on making Trottingham their new home. Though they had been given a royal deed that would let them select even a grand mansion if they wanted, they settled for a modest townhouse in the city's center. They could easily turn it mansion-sized on the inside, anyway.

As we shopped for new furniture, food to fill their pantry and other goods, they also marveled at the advanced technology of ponykind. I had nearly forgotten electrical appliances existed, having been used to using magic as a substitute for so long, and there were even new inventions for myself to discover and poke at. Sebastian and September both were enthralled by all they saw, running to and from like hyperactive puppies and asking an endless stream of questions about how things like batteries, sleep number mattresses and television worked, or what hayburgers, rubber ducks or Buckball was. Having a writ from Princess Twilight also meant we didn't have to pay for any of these goods, too - even if they were expensive. When we passed by the appropriate shops I insisted I replace Ominis' harp and a full alchemy set for Anne, so they could both continue their work.

It felt familiar enough to me that I wasn't bothered, but it did take the others a while to get used to not needing to wear clothes anymore. Most ponies just didn't, except for special occasions. They also kept wanting to rear up onto their hind legs and resume their bipedal gait, only to find standing and walking like that rather uncomfortable and wobbly. Getting used to hooves instead of hands was also a challenge, although since all four of them were unicorns they could easily grasp multiple objects in their magic instead, which was honestly much more convenient. Soon enough they had all adapted to their new bodies, as dexterous and confident as though they were natural-born ponies.

When they had finally settled in, we explored. We visited Canterlot once more to sightsee - Sebastian and September had to be Stunned and dragged out of the Library of Magic, or they never would've left otherwise. We attended a Wonderbolts aerial show at the Cloud Stadium, then visited the opera house (I encouraged Ominis to perform for them someday so he could possibly join their orchestra, they'd be blown away by his talents!), the Canterlot Historical Society (where we had to Stun Sebastian and September again), Rarity's Canterlot Carousel and tons of restaurants. Rather frequently we came across other creatures from foreign lands: young dragons, griffons, hippogriffs, yaks, reformed changelings, Kirin and more. The four were amazed by the differences between these denizens and their counterparts back on Earth, wondering if it was possible for the creatures back home to ever become this advanced. On our final night together we were all invited back to Celestia's castle for a farewell feast - Twilight and her friends had been successful in their damage control, and were eager to hear about what we all thought of Equestria so far.

And as for Tirek and Cozy Glow, we were rest assured that the two were safely locked back up in the depths of Tartarus, and also turned to stone to ensure they would never break out again. A small part of me always thought petrification was a rather harsh punishment - your body was placed in suspended animation and you couldn't move a muscle, but you could still see, hear and think, and feel the elements all around you as the seasons passed - but after learning about the existence of Azkaban, I'd happily be turned into a lawn ornament for the rest of time rather than be subjected to neverending psychological torture. When I mentioned as much to Celestia she gasped and immediately decried wizardkind as inhumane and barbaric... no offense to my human family, of course.

Celestia also explained my ascension into Alicornhood, and with it regarded me as a fellow princess and her equal. I asked about the astral wings that had appeared on Sebastian's back when he fought against the three villains - from her experience it seemed that he was close to ascending himself - he only needed to have a spark of revelation about a noble, profound truth of the world before achieving it. There had never been a male alicorn before, and the thought of becoming the first prince amused him greatly.

Alas, it was time for our journey to come to an end - soon we would need to start gathering September's school supplies and getting her ready for another year at Hogwarts. The three of us had acquired a vast collection of goods while out shopping - mostly Equestrian potion reagents and books covering every topic I could think of. A jar of live Twittermites had given me an idea for potentially introducing electricity to the Wizarding World, and the foreign ingredients would allow for many new potions to be discovered. Sebastian joked that we'd need to expand our library and workspaces at home so much the space would theoretically take up the entire row of houses that made up our neighbors.

The four of us adults then received perhaps our most precious gifts of all from Celestia: a pair of journals enchanted to allow us to write and communicate with each other, even across our different universes. She also gave a separate one to me, which would allow us to write each other as well. Even though I promised we would someday return to visit, she didn't want to wait - she wanted to know everything there was to know about my home as soon as she possibly could.

"Would you ever consider a... permanent return to Equestria?" she asked hesitantly as I packed the journal away. "Your husband and daughter are also welcome, of course... I simply worry for your safety, seeing how unstable Earth's politics appear to be, and so many countries in your world are at war with each other." I hummed as I glanced over to Sebastian and September, the former nodding with a slight smile while the latter grinned widely in excitement.

"Well, September still has three more years of school to go... but, I think we could consider it a viable retirement plan," I nodded. At once I felt a wave of relief wash over her, which in turn flowed through me.

She wanted me back. Even after all this time... she wanted me to come home. She'd always loved me, always considered me her daughter... she never stopped.

But there was still so much I wanted to do on Earth. Long, teary hugs were exchanged as we all promised we'd see each other again. As I stepped through the mirror once more, with peace and final absolution radiating throughout my soul... I was smiling.


~


I grunted as I landed on my knees coming out of the mirror, quickly clothing myself with a flick of my wand. I heard Sebastian and September do the same, only opening my eyes after the noises of swishing cloth ceased. 

"Oh!" a man's voice suddenly exclaimed softly, as though pleasantly surprised. "And what are you doing back in my classroom so soon, Miss Sallow-Shimmer? The year has yet to begin."

I gasped, taken completely off guard - it was still summer vacation, so I'd hoped we would remain undiscovered as we returned. But my fears were allayed as my eyes darted over to the source of the voice, and I grinned. Even though he was a mere firstie in our seventh year, even I had been deeply impressed by his skill with magic. So much so that I happily told him about the Room of Requirement - he could use the place to study and research once I'd graduated. Not to mention someone needed to take care of the Vivarium's lone occupant, who was currently standing on a gilded perch beside his desk.

"Brian!" Sebastian boomed as he raised his arms in greeting.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't little Percival," I chuckled.

"Sunset, Sebastian," Dumbledore nodded congenially. "Or, I suppose I should say Mr. and Mrs. Sallow."

"Always did find it interesting you decided to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor after Hecat's retirement," Sebastian replied.

"Ah, yes... Originally I thought I might apply to teach Transfiguration when the position opened up, but... I feel I am right where I am meant to be," he answered, a glimmer in his eye.

"Sure, but you could do so much more if your time wasn't taken up with teaching!" he continued. "You've researched alchemy with Nicholas Flamel himself, and discovered the twelve newest uses for dragon's blood!"

"Just think of what he could do with all these Equestrian reagents," mused September, idly feeling around inside her pocket dimension.

"Equestrian?" Dumbledore echoed, staring through us into the Mirror of Erised's surface. His lips pressed together as he remained silent for a few moments, his mind hard at work. "...So, there is more to that mirror than I originally surmised."

"There is," I said as I turned back, the image of that room in Celestia's castle already dissolving away into my own reflection. "It's, uh... a Portkey. To my homeland."

"Is that so?" he tilted his head. Though I left out all the pony parts, I gave him a brief summary of what had happened and why we had made the trip - Albus had proven his ability to keep a secret to us long ago. His eyes twinkled with intrigue as he sat at his desk, seemingly regarding the mirror in a whole new light. "Fascinating... and here I thought the Mirror of Erised had only one enchantment placed upon it."

"To see your heart's desire, right?" September asked as she stared into its surface. I idly wondered what she saw in her reflection.

"Yes, Miss Sallow-Shimmer," replied Dumbledore, staring as well with a slightly wistful expression. "...To tell you the truth, I was considering... storing it within the Room of Requirement. The tales of the power it held over many who gazed into its reflection convinced me that it is simply too dangerous to leave out in the open, even within my classroom under my supervision. And, should the three of you have further use for it, you won't have to worry about being discovered upon your return," he added with a wink.

"That would keep it safe from the Ministry should they ever somehow realize we traveled through it," Sebastian turned his head towards me, sighing in relief.

"What'd I tell ya? Equestria's the safest place in the universe... in two universes," I grinned.

"Send an owl ahead if you wish to use it, and I shall ensure that you aren't disturbed on your way to and from the mirror," Dumbledore smiled.

"Thanks, Albus," I nodded in gratitude.

"It is my pleasure, old friend." He slid open a drawer in his desk, revealing it to be full of small boxes of candy, some with the remnants of notes or gift wrapping on them. "Now, could I possibly interest any of you in some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans? They used to be one of my favorites, but lately I'm afraid I've... lost my appetite for them."


~


As exciting as our trip had been, it was nice to be home in London again. We were relieved to find that our protective enchantments on the house seemed to have worked - a bewitched note was left on the door, informing whoever it may concern that Sebastian, September and I were on holiday in the American territory of Hawaii, and certainly had no knowledge of where Ominis or Anne were, thank you very much. Everything inside was untouched, too, right where we'd left it. I wondered how long we'd need to leave it up until the Ministry lost interest in their hunt.

But with the knowledge that our friends were safe and sound, we quickly resumed our lives and our work. In another week's time we took September to Diagon Alley for school supplies, then saw her off on the Hogwarts Express. In her third year it was possible to arrange for her to spend a weekend or two home with us by chartering a Black Telephone Taxi, but with the war going on we wouldn't see her again until the Christmas break. To ease our minds I charmed a couple of small diaries with the Wizarding equivalent of Celestia's spell, giving one to her so we would always stay in contact.

Despite my worries, I knew she could take care of herself. After all, she was our daughter - with our combined strengths passed down and her own brilliant intelligence, she would certainly become the most powerful witch in the world one day, and whatever path she chose in the future, I knew she would succeed without a doubt in my mind. And her mother and her father would always be there for her, to support her if she ever needed support, with nothing less than unconditional love.

And together, with the power of friendship and family... our names will be engraved in history, and will live on forever.


~
The End
~