His life had become pain and sickness, but a bright new world offered an alternative path where not only it glittered, but it offered him the chance to shine as well. He would never be the same again, but life as a hippogriff can't be worse.
His life had become pain and sickness, but a bright new world offered an alternative path where not only it glittered, but it offered him the chance to shine as well. He would never be the same again, but life as a hippogriff can't be worse.
Done for a loyal patron. The original plan is 2 per month updates. Let's go!
The soft beeps of the medical monitors were all he had for company. He could see outside his room from this bed, but the world was still so fuzzy he couldn't make out much more than vague shapes, and color hadn't quite returned yet. Even the blue sky looked white, as if someone had added too much water to a painter's palette.
They had provided a button. With just a press, they promised the pain would ebb, but he had heard what happened when someone got too used to that. He didn't press it.
There was a girl sitting next to his bed. That much he could make out, in sharp detail. Her skin looked black where the sunlight from outside didn't fall on it—black and gleaming like a raven's wings. He could remember he knew her, but not too much besides that.
The others came and went, all bright colors of hair or clothes that were impossible to sort out into individual shapes, faces and names. They said things he couldn't make sense of, gave him water or food, then left. They had given him a TV, a source of distraction, but it was still so fuzzy he couldn't watch anything. Besides, watching television seemed to tire him more than doing nothing did.
She was the only one who stayed. When he slept she stayed in a chair beside the bed and read.
He was tired, but he was always tired, and though his body was relaxed, his mind refused to quiet itself. He decided to make an effort to talk to her.
"What are you reading?"
His voice sounded harsh even to him—like someone had taken a nail file to each of his vocal cords individually and given them a quick buffing. It hurt just to speak, which is why he had been quiet this long.
The girl glanced at the book, as if she hadn't thought about it in days and needed a reminder. She said it was a fable, about a world without pain.
Without pain. The thought filled him with an ember of hope, a little smile. The idea of a world without pain was one of the few things that didn't feel fuzzy, that made perfect sense to him.
It was probably for children. The drawings, at least, were bright and colorful enough for kids' TV, but it was a blur, like everything else. Still, it described a better world.
He fell asleep with a tired smile on his face, thinking of that other world.
***
Aaron awoke, the sand beneath him warm and soft. "Hm?" He didn't remember sand, or the gentle breeze that played across his skin. No pain. He rubbed at his eyes, expecting to find them bandaged. He expected pain to shoot up his arm at any moment from the motion. There was no pain. His vision cleared.
"Wow." A new voice, female. "What are you?" A strange creature approached, with the front half of a bird of prey and the back half of a horse. A hippogriff, he decided. "You're like, all—" She made a funny face and spread her hands, sharp talons glinting in the bright sun. "Not all there."
Aaron wanted to reply to her, but no words came. He was only sort of there. There was no pain, but there was hardly any other sensation.
"I'll get some help. You just." She aborted her thought and grabbed Aaron, waddling off on two legs. "You're kinda light!"
Aaron couldn't perceive himself properly, only that he knew she was holding him, and she became a little brighter for doing so, as if he was some source of faint light. He looked down at his hand.
Slightly glowing fur, only as solid as his own shadow cast under bright sunlight, just... less dark. Less visible. Not much more than that. He couldn't even feel his clothes, as if they didn't exist. As if he didn't exist himself, save that he could feel she was there, and heard her frantic steps. I think, therefor I am. The term came to him, and he wanted to smile. It was all he had.
"Auntie!" The hippogriff set Aaron down gently on a blanket. "Look what I found. Is it supposed to do that?"
A larger hippogriff sat up, female, regal of bearing. "Silverstream, what have you brought me." That queen of hippogriffs rolled to her hooves and hands. "It does not look well. Perhaps it—" She clucked her tongue against her beak. "Perhaps it is already too late. You shouldn't bring dying animals to me, niece."
"Auntie, please." Silverstream nestled near Aaron. "Can't we help them? They feel nice."
The aunt raised a fine brow. "How would you, never mind. Silver, your thoughts are as alien as this creature. If you think they are worthy of consideration, I will assume you speak the truth as you see it." She reached into her midsection, drawing out a little fragment of crystal. "They have one hope."
"One hope is better than no hope," sang Silverstream, bouncing a little in place. "Please!"
"If you can hear me." The larger one leaned over Aaron. "I am Queen Novo. If I give this to you, you will become one of mine. I will treat you fairly and well, but that fact will be unchangeable. If you do not want this, let me know now."
She offered the little crystal, the size of a single slice from a marble. It didn't glow, it just felt important, as if it were something she normally wouldn't share with strangers. Aaron thought about reaching for it, but he had no hand, arm, or anything else.
Silverstream clapped with building joy. "They said it's okay."
Novo shook her head at Silverstream, not comprehending the way her niece operated. "Then it will be done." She gently placed the slice on the nothing that was Aaron and worked a rope around him, attaching it to him.
And he gasped, suddenly real, suddenly breathing. They were dry and hungry and weak, but they were alive, and nothing was in pain, aside from the wants they could feel in their body. Their arms and legs felt strange, heavy and alien, but they could move them.
Silverstream leaned over them with a bright smile. "Now I can see you!"
Aaron grabbed her head the moment it came into view, and startled, aborting the motion without even finishing it. They were gaping instead at their own hands. They weren't human hands, attached to human arms. They were talons, at the end of feathery arms. They sat up slowly, dizzy, feeling a massive weight on their back.
"Haha! They're a hippogriff!"
Novo chuckled, deep in her chest. "Your senses work fast, child. That shard has given them two bodies, two forms. They are a hippogriff on land, and a seapony in the embrace of the water, just like you or I." She rose to her hooves with a sigh and moved a bit away.
"Welcome to our home." Silverstream waved wildly over the large hallway that was Queen Novo's throne room in Mount Aris. "Your home now too, come to think. I hope you'll like it! I also hope you don't mind my saying you're a pretty hippogriff mare." She grinned broadly, tail flicking to the side.
Aaron lifted a wing, just to let it flop, Silverstream's words settling on them. "Mare?" They looked down at themselves. They had the barrel of a pony, rounded on the belly. Leaning harder, they could see they were not a male anymore. They were a female. "O-oh! Um, thank you..." They frowned, not knowing how to respond. This was going to take some getting used to.
Silverstream flopped right beside her. "What's your name?"
"My name?" Aaron frowned a little. "My old name doesn't work so well." Aaron was not the name of a female hippogriff, as far as they could tell. "Ma'am? Please let me figure that out." Aaron struggled to stand up, shaking. "I hate to ask, after you helped me. But do you have anything to eat?"
She thought about it. "Yes. You can ride me if you want to."
That idea didn't settle well. "I think I need to learn to walk first."
Silverstream was more than pleased to show how one should walk, one limb at a time with a little hum with every step. "This and that and this and—"
Aaron was doing their best, placing one hand down, then another hoof forward, stumbling, but moving. "I'm actually moving." Sure, their voice was soft, female, but they were moving. Their life was returned, and with it movement, thought, sensation. The little things one takes for granted. The pitter patter of Silverstream's feet made Aaron smile. She was helping. She had saved them. "I owe you so much, but, please, where is that food? I'll do whatever it takes."
Silverstream nodded eagerly and stood upright. "This way, please follow me and do your best not to fall."
She trotted along in that easy, casual way that only came with practice.
Aaron trailed after her, only upright for having a wall to fall against a few times, but they made it out of that audience chamber into one that seemed far more suited to food, with long tables for a host of guests, and a whole crew of cooks busily at work preparing a variety of dishes. The aroma filled Aaron's lungs and set their mouth to watering.
"Over here, please." One hippogriff of many was waving them over towards an available seat. "What would you like, ma'am?"
"Don't call me that," giggled out Silverstream. "Novo is my aunt, not my mom. I'm not royalty or nothin'." She nudged Aaron in the side. "Auntie just lets me live with her."
"I—uh. She saved me. I would have died otherwise." Aaron ducked her head. "Calling me 'ma'am' is more than enough, thanks."
"As you wish, ma'am. What would you like to eat?" The hippogriff set a carved bit of wood in front of Aaron. The writing was alien, and yet Aaron could read it. It had a menu of options, so many looking delectable. "Anything on the board, and the chef will prepare it for you, hot and fresh. Anything not on the board, we can try to find, but if we don't have the ingredients on hand, we won't have a recipe to go on, and you may have to wait until tomorrow."
Aaron inclined their new head. "That is a long way to go for me. I'll take this." They pointed to the top of the menu. "They all look great."
"Haven't eaten in a while, huh? Don't worry about it. I'm sure Queen Novo won't mind you living with us." The servant laughed with his wings wide open. "You seem nice enough to me."
Aaron examined the hippogriff. Were they handsome? How did hippogriffs measure that? They seemed nice enough, as the servant had just said. "Thank you. Really. Oh, and some—" They caught themselves, realizing a glass of water was right in front of them. They grabbed it in both hands and drank in deep swigs. Their body recoiled at the sudden flooding, but she kept it down, and the massive thirst began to ebb. "Whew. That hit the spot. Thank you for the drink."
"Good luck, Silverstream. You have your hands full, it looks like." The hippogriff servant shook his head and went off.
Silverstream set a hand on Aaron's shoulder. "Now, you acted like you were surprised. What were you before you were a hippogriff, or were you another color? Or were you an owl?! Tell me!" She was very, very interested.
Aaron found that to be a little disconcerting, but she couldn't help but answer. "No. I was... human." The word tasted a little bit off, and Aaron tried again. "Human?" The word felt foreign and strange. "I was something else, and a man." That word felt odd too. "Male?"
Silverstream blinked with wide eyes at that. "Whoah. You must be so confused. If I woke up and I was a boy instead of a girl, I'd—I don't know what I'd do! I'm a girl, and so are you." She reached to poke Aaron gently in the front, where no curves were. Hippogriffs didn't have that where human females did. "It must have been super weird, turning into this. Did it hurt? Maybe the stone knew?"
The poke in the chest was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. They flinched back anyway, finding that contact too direct for someone they had just met. "It didn't hurt, and it wasn't weird, but it isn't what I was born with."
Silverstream tilted her head at that. "Are you mad, sad, or a little glad?"
The question caught her off guard, and Aaron paused. "Glad. I'm really glad. There were a lot of problems I have with who I was. This will make things so much better." Aaron flexed their new talons slowly, watching them with some amazement. "I can move. I can talk. You tell me things and I actually remember them a moment later, not hidden in a veil of pain."
Silverstream shrank back at that. "Oh, wow, that's more than a little deep. Were you feeling that bad?"
Aaron shrugged. "I dunno." They smiled, thinking about the possibilities. That included the delicious smells sifting in through their new beak, prompting their belly to rumble with desire.
"Sounds like you're ready for this." The servant had returned, placing a plate before Aaron and another in front of Silverstream. "Enjoy! And if you want anything else, let us know." He tipped his hat and left.
Aaron leaned in close to inspect it. It was a rich stew of thick cuts of meat—lamb or beef—along with a mixture of vegetables floating among them, with an airy loaf of bread to one side. A simple meal, but to one who had been dying, it looked like a feast. They remembered to use the utensils, picking up the knife and fork, cutting with a careful motion.
Their arms shook from the strain, but it was the weakness that came from being unused to moving, and the hunger they could feel urging them on. It didn't matter that it took a dozen cuts to get through a single piece of meat—they had food. Food they could actually taste.
The savory, tender flesh of the meat slid down her throat without too much chewing, each bite better than the last, the rich, salty broth tickling her tongue even between bites of bread. They ate the entire thing, leaving nothing but a clean plate behind, feeling far better when it was over.
Silverstream watched that process with fascination, picking at her own food—some kind of noodle dish with chunks of seafood—with far less enthusiasm. When she saw Aaron was finished, though, she offered over her plate. "Have it, if you're still hungry. I can get more. You need it a lot more than I do, if you were that sick before."
She reached for Aaron's face, gently brushing a few tears there. "Do you not like it? We could get something else."
"No!" Aaron shouted, just to turn red. "No, it's wonderful. It's amazing. These are happy tears." They sniffled with an almost hiccup. "Very happy. So much better than what I had before, and thank you for that."
Silverstream nodded. "Eating good food is better than eating nothing. Anycreature would be crying if they were dying, and then somebody gave them a good meal!" She rubbed at her own cheek. "I could barely imagine being in such a bad spot. But we rescued you!" She put her abandoned plate before Aaron. "Eat up until you're full."
They did, devouring every drop on that plate as well. Each bite was a gift, a reason to live. When she had finished it as well, that left them smiling softly at Silverstream. "I want to ask you things." So they did, without even a pause. "What is it like, being a hippogriff? I am one now. How do I?"
"How do you what?" Silverstream inclined her head with clear confusion in her tone.
Aaron groaned. "How do I be one?"
Silverstream shrugged. "You are one! Now it's your job to be yourself." She threw up her arms.
"Easy to say." Aaron clacked their new beak. "I'm not a little baby, who gets to figure that out without anyone judging them." They paused. "Actually, how old am I? This body, I mean. I'm not a baby, pretty sure. Adult? Old? I don't feel old. Teenager?"
"A hippogriff never reveals their age! At least, Auntie says that sometimes." She paused, putting a finger on her chin. "I think it means not to tell others how old they are."
"Good advice." Aaron hiked a thumb at themself. "But I'm asking you to say how old I look, not how old you are."
Silverstream grumbled under her breath. "Not fair..." She looked Aaron up and down. "Um, young? Younger than Auntie, I bet."
"Okay, so not too old." Aaron considered Silverstream. "Am I as young as you?"
Silverstream shrugged. "How would I know?" She took Aaron by the hand. "Come on! Let's go explore Mount Aris! Well, there isn't a lot of it left. The palace here has the most shiny things." She led Aaron outside, where other hippogriffs flew, danced, talked, and otherwise lived their lives. "Ta da!" She spread her arms and spun around.
Aaron ducked under a wing, backing up with a soft snort. "Wait a second." Aaron examined all the hippogriffs soaring around, taking note of which ones seemed older or younger. There were plenty who had more signs of age, and others with less. "I am—I think, an adult, a young adult." The term came easily enough, along with an assurance she knew what it meant, even if the specifics slipped her mind. "You can't be any older than I am, Silverstream."
Silverstream stopped spinning, tilting her head. "And why is that?"
"Because there are plenty of adults, but only a few teenagers, and none as young as us. You fit right in, so you've gotta be about our age." Aaron nodded with building confidence. She was a young adult hippogriff. "This is amazing." They had gone from crippled to a new world of wonder. Their tail wagged with building excitement. "I want to see everything, meet everyone." She took one step forward. "I want to know what it feels like to fly!"
Silverstream backed up and threw herself off the side of the mountain without any fear, without hesitation. The wind caught her wings, and she floated high into the air, twisting and twirling with her arms above her head. "Join me!"
"Here I come!" Aaron walked to the edge and pushed off it, arms outstretched.
But they had no practice. They fell with style, their wings flapping awkwardly in an attempt to catch them, but they did come down roughly, landing hard on the ground below.
Silverstream descended next to him, concerned but not worried. "First flights are rough. Come on! Let's get you fixed up and try again. Up we go!"
Aaron took her hand, laughing at the whole thing. "That hurt." But it was a local pain, and one already fading. It was a normal pain. Compared to what she had been living, it was just another sign of their new life. "Let's try again." She didn't even complain that she was getting dirt all over, having taken the fall on her forelimbs and rear, dragging them across the ground.
Silverstream dusted her off. "If you want, we can teach each other. I have never been to the land you are from. The ocean is my home! I want to hear everything!" She dragged Aaron to their feet, walking with her, fingers intertwined.
Aaron squeezed gently at that hand, cheeks warmed at the idle intimacy of that walk. "I'm a girl."
Silverstream blinked, pausing. "You sure are. Me too. Why'd you say that?"
"It's a big deal, for me." Aaron put a hand on her own chest. "I. am a girl. That is what I am. I am a young adult hippogriff girl, and I can't wait to experience all of it."
Silverstream giggled. "There is lots to do! But if you have ideas, feel free to share. The sky is the limit!" She hesitated at that. "Once you learn how to fly properly. Oops!" Silverstream grinned at herself.
"Exactly!" Aaron laughed with her, eyes alight with hope and joy. "I don't know what will happen, but I know I want to experience it all!" She hugged Silverstream, the two meeting in a fond embrace with little avian chirps of happiness shared between them. "This is new. All of it. It's new, but wonderful. Is this how a baby feels? No wonder they smile and cry so much."
"Told ya." Silverstream hugged Aaron. "You were really messed up. It's okay now. You're better, and we'll get you flying soon! It'll be easier, since you've got a second body to practice with."
Aaron backed a step. "Novo mentioned that, what second body?" She patted herself down. "I have one. It's pretty nice, so far."
"All hippogriffs have two." Silverstream grabbed for her dangling crystal. "So long as we have this. Come on, I'll show you." She began down the slope towards the beach far below. "It's real neat. I bet you'll love being a seapony too! Then I can show you some of my favorite places and, well, everything else!"
"Seapony?" Aaron thought on the word. "Like a mermaid?" But that wasn't quite right, and she knew it. "Show me." Aaron danced along after Silverstream to the warm sands.
The water lapped at their talons, Silverstream's feet disappearing into the waves with a sigh of relief. "Yeah, seapony! Isn't that cool? That's what we are, deep down. Whenever we get in water, then, well, you'll see." She ducked beneath the waves and was replaced with an aquamarine seapony. She splashed her powerful fin, sending water spraying. "I forgot how nice this is."
Aaron felt her curiosity going. She dared to advance into the water as the necklace against her chest gave a sudden powerful tingle. "Oh! I feel something happening!" Her feet changed, becoming fins, legs becoming one powerful tail. She dropped deeper into the water, lifting her face. "Hey, you're right! I feel so light."
"Just like you were made for it! Well, the stone makes it work, but it does a good job, yeah? You look like you belong." Silverstream swam in circles around Aaron. "It's pretty nice to have both homes. Though this one is colder than the sunlit one." She dove into the waves, vanishing a moment before she popped up, giggling.
Aaron swam up to her, trying their powerful new tail. "I feel so slick." Their body was slick and streamlined, made to navigate the waves. "I love it. I love every bit of it."
"Good." Slilverstream swam a little closer. "So, what's your name? Feel like sharing now?"
There felt like no avoiding it. "My new name is Ariel. I was Aaron."
"Ariel and Silverstream! Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Silverstream lifted her arms up to the sky. "Two ponies in the sea!" With a great splash, she sent a small wave crashing against Ariel. "Nothing wrong with the old name, but you look more like an Ariel, if you ask me." She let herself float on the surface for a while. "Isn't this relaxing?"
"I already love it." Ariel floated upside down, finding it to be easy. "I don't feel like anything is pulling at my feathers." She swished her tail. "Except for you, of course." She realized a moment later. "Not that I have feathers right now."
"Feels so nice and smooth, huh?" Silverstream circled Ariel easily with soft giggles. "In the water, we are sea ponies. On the land, hippogriffs. Either way, it's us. So welcome to both!"
Ariel took the invitation and began exploring the ocean depths, swimming through kelp beds and chasing after fish with Silverstream, delighting in their new bodies. In the sunlit zone she leapt out of the water with joy and crashed back in, letting the saltwater wash away the tiredness of their previous illness.
Under the light of a rising moon, Ariel settled next to Silverstream. The sand was different in the shallows, wet and clinging to her body, but that didn't bother either of them. She had her full arms and legs back, stretching them. "My legs are my tail."
"Basically." Silverstream shrugged. "I don't think about that too much." She sat next to Ariel. "Now that the day is done, we should rest. I have so much more to show you. It's gonna be great." She grinned ear to ear. With a half-pounce, she hugged Ariel close with undisguised warmth.
Ariel returned the hug without complaint. "Thank you for finding me." She stroked her hair. "That would have been a bad way to die."
"You were glowing," whispered Silverstream. "I can't just ignore glowing things." She nestled in warmly, nuzzling into Ariel's neck with happy little chirps. "Don't worry about it. I wanted to help, and I'm really glad you're okay."
"More than just okay." Ariel breathed in deep and held the breath for a while. With a woosh of the released air, Ariel snuggled in closer. "This is a life worth living. Just that, despite it all, I am getting tired. Can we sleep as a seapony?"
"Oh, sure, sure!" Silverstream hopped up though. "We have beds down there, but even without one, just close your eyes and relax. You'll float along, peaceful as can be. Trust me, it's super comfy!"
"And you'll be there?" Ariel stretched, standing up. "It's new. I like new things, but... I want you near me."
"Aw!" Silverstream grabbed Ariel's closer hand. "Come on, we'll sleep together then. You've had a super full day. You might sleep for days!"
Ariel stumbled after Silverstream into the palace they had started from, back up the hill. The climb was easy, with no pain shooting up her legs or making it impossible to breathe. Her body worked just fine, and if she wasn't actively struggling, she hardly noticed it existed.
Back in Silverstream's room, the door shut with a creak behind them.
Ariel was in a plain, simple, yet large bedroom. There were posters of various hippogriffs she didn't recognize, books on shelves, toys and trinkets about the place. It was clearly lived in, with little touches of personality sprinkled about, but it didn't strike her as excessively girly.
Silverstream led Ariel to that warm bed and the two settled. With a whistle, the lights went out. In what felt like an instant, Ariel's body surrendered easily to a blissful sleep, dreaming of potential futures ahead.
When she woke, the bed was empty, and the morning sunlight was bright, filling the room with natural luminescence. The world was clearer today, though Ariel wondered how much of that was the improved vision of a hippogriff and how much was the passing days.
She rolled from bed and bounced once just for the joy of the motion. "A new day!" With a happy smile, Ariel emerged from the room. She spotted a hippogriff walking past and waved at them. "Excuse me? Do you know where Silverstream ran off to?"
The hippogriff stared at Ariel a moment, blinking, and pointing off in one direction. "Said she had something to take care of. Never seen you before. I suppose you're the new arrival? Congratulations on your recovery. The queen would like to have words with you when you can manage, but you look spry enough for that."
Ariel imagined Queen Novo's face, that wise and tall figure. "Of course! I will, um, find you later." She scampered off down the hallway. "I need to go swimming first." She needed to do anything first, if given the opportunity. "I miss it." Being alive, really alive, was just great. She opened the door to the audience chamber and peeked in. Queen Novo was seated on her throne and smiled as she spotted Ariel. "Hi! Your majesty."
"Ariel." That was her name. She had picked it herself. "Yes, Silverstream told me about your name. Welcome to our home, truly. Now, you are likely wondering where my niece went." Novo sat up tall. "She is preparing to return to her schooling."
"Is that nearby? I can walk there." Ariel made a walking motion in place.
"You look far more eager today, in every positive way." Novo's voice was thick with warmth and affection. "I can only assume it was the transformation that was ill fitting. I had not considered that your species' anatomy differed. I trust it's not bothering you, from the way you're behaving."
"Nope." Ariel shook herself out. "I'm loving it, every bit of it. But seriously, where's Silver?"
"Silverstream is going to school, which is not near here. She'll have to catch a train, and go to Ponyville, and attend classes. She does this sort of thing regularly, going to a pony school. She returns for holidays, but lives most often there."
Ariel froze at the thought. "Did I—"
"No, this was not because of you." Novo spread her hands. "She enjoys the school. She learns lessons of friendship, and other things besides, to raise a teen into a proper adult." She considered Ariel a quiet moment. "You appear to be a late teenager yourself. You could attend a local school."
Ariel clapped her hands to her mouth. "I couldn't!" The idea of that struck her as terrifying, to leave Silverstream and dive headlong into that life, with friends and the possibility of romance and so many more things she hadn't thought about.
"Can't you?" Novo gestured for Ariel to join her.
"I made friends, with Silverstream." Ariel stood before Queen Novo, shuffling nervously. "I don't want to lose her that quickly. Can't I just go with her? Would that make her mad?"
"Mad? I should imagine not." Novo smirked at the idea. "She adores a good friend, and you two hit it off quite nicely. But, to be clear, you are both going to school, not to play. You will have to learn, and perform schoolwork. Are you ready? This is your choice."
Ariel's face set. "I already learned a lot yesterday, and I think I can handle it."
"Well, why not?" Novo spread her hands. "Go to the train station. I imagine Silverstream is there, waiting for the next train. Tell her I said you could go with her. Oh, one moment." She drew out a quill and began writing busily. "Headmare Twilight will need to know why she has another student, and that I am aware of it. Give her this, and do not lose it."
"I won't lose it." Ariel took that letter reverently in both hands, bowing deeply. "Thank you, your highness."
With her almost literal ticket to remaining at Silverstream's side, Ariel dashed from the hallway. "I'll get straight As!"
Novo inclined her head at where her newest citizen once was. "Straight As? I don't think they teach pengriffonship there." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "Send in the next supplicant, if we have one."
Ariel galloped from the palace towards the station she could see down the hill. That same scent of the city wafted through the streets, strange and alien to her nose. Hippogriffs passed by in droves, all living their lives. None paid any attention to Ariel other than a brief nod or idle wave.
A train whistled as she approached the platform, boarding passengers. That included one Silverstream, who stood alone at one end of the carriage.
"Silver!"
Silverstream looked up, catching Ariel in a tight hug. She didn't expect to catch a flying Ariel, but didn't look unhappy about it happening. "What are you doing here? I have to get to school."
"You mean we both have to get to school." Ariel squeezed one of Silverstream's hands. "I got permission, so let's study, together."
"Oooooh. We get to be in class together?!" Silverstream bounced on her talons. "This is exciting!" She waggled her feathered brow at Ariel. "The teachers call me 'slow'. They make me do extra homework."
"You're smart!" Ariel pumped her fists in the air. "You saved me."
"That's just one thing!" Silverstream stepped onto the train, drawing Ariel along to share seats on a bench. "I get a little overwhelmed sometimes. I want to learn, but I don't, um, always. Not the same way as others, that is."
Ariel relaxed at that, folding their arms. "You are perfect."
Silverstream blushed a little, unable to shake a grin. "Perfect? Mmmm. I don't think I'm that, but, wow, thanks." She leaned against her new friend. "You sure do know what to tell somegriffon to make them happy. I'm still kinda worried. Will you be okay if you have to do the homework too?"
"I have a letter." Ariel whipped it out of her pocket. "I hope they accept it. But, yes." She gently tapped the letter on Silver's beak. "I am alright doing some homework. If I pay attention, I won't have to do as much, and I can spend more time helping you do yours."
"Wow." Silverstream beamed at that idea. "I mean, if it's too much for you, you could sit with some of the others. They're nice too."
"I'll get to meet all the other kids at the school."
Silver burst into fresh giggles. "Ha, wow, do not let them hear you call them kids. But let me tell you about them!" She eagerly began explaining the Young Six, from big Yona to the shapeshifting Ocellus. "Some of them are boys, like Sandbar, he's a pony, and Gallus, he's sorta like us but not really. Griffon, not a hippogriff, big difference. Smolder's a dragon, a girl. It's fun!"
"And I'll meet them all." Ariel hugged herself, wiggling with growing excitement. "Is one of them a boyfriend?"
Silverstream scratched at the back of her head. "Not that I know of, but I do have my eye on somegriff." She rubbed at her own chest. "Not one of the kids, either.
That got Ariel's attention. "Who is it, if it's not one of the students." She started suddenly. "Is it me?! If it is, I—"
"No!" Silverstream shook her head furiously. "It's not you. You're a wonderful, gorgeous hippogriff, but, nah. Don't worry, we're still best friends."
Ariel relaxed, but laughed all the same. "Already best friend? I'm glad to hear that. So who is it? Maybe I can help you get him?"
Silverstream flapped a hand. "Ehhhh... Maybe later." She sat back, smiling faintly. "I haven't asked her name yet."
And yet, that was a clue. Silverstream had her eyes on another hen. A griffon, or a hippogriff? Ariel almost vibrated with curiosity. She wanted to help her new friend so badly, but pushing them away by being nosey felt like the wrong thing to do. "So, how long is the ride to the school? Is there food on this train? How many stops does it make?"
"So many questions." Silverstream spread her hands. "But that's okay! I want to know all these things too, and we have plenty of time." Silver hopped to her hooves. "They have a snack bar. Let's get something to nibble on."
The two went to do just that and watch the scenery pass by in relative silence.
Ariel could feel the train slowing after a while. "I hope that's our stop."
"Hmm?" Silverstream perked up at the sound of brakes, moving to one end to peer out the window. She clapped at the sights of Ponyville slowing to a stop before the window. "Yup! This is the part where I'd say to get your bag, but neither of us have any, so..."
Ariel rushed out to stand with Silverstream as the doors hissed open.
Before them stood a purple unicorn. "I hope you had a lovely train ride. Welcome to Ponyville station." Her eyes were on Ariel specifically, though they did dart towards Silver. "Who's your friend? I don't think I've seen her before."
Silverstream waved cheerfully. "Hey, Twi. This is Ariel! She's my new hippogriff friend and she's coming to school with me, but I don't think she's a student, yet."
Ariel pulled out that letter and handed it to the strange unicorn, who unfolded it, glowing with their magic. "I see. Silver, you know I'm to be called Headmare Twilight."
Silver colored, cheeks darkening. "Sorry! I thought it was alright since we're not at school." She pulled Ariel closer. "Ariel wants to become a student. What's the letter say?"
Twilight's eyes scanned quickly across it. "It would appear Queen Novo knows you're here, which is good, and she would like me to accept you as a student, which is less good." She smiled ruefully at that. "A little warning would have been nice, but welcome." She turned away from both, starting the walk from the station towards the school. "You are entering my School of Friendship. Are you familiar with the concept and how it shapes the world around you?
Ariel thought on that a long, quiet moment, walking with Silverstream. "I understand it well. The more friends I have, the happier I'll be."
"Exactly, but it's not so simple. Friends don't make friends." Twilight kept walking on that cobblestone path, past strange buildings with carved wooden signs and windows open to let in the breeze. "Except when they do. Friendship is a complicated path, and our school is about learning all the ways it can interact." She looked over her shoulder. "Do you have many friends?"
Ariel brushed her side against Silverstream's. "One right here. One day, many more, I hope."
"Even without knowing their names or faces, you can have a friend." Twilight lifted one hoof. "Maybe you saw them on the street, or spoke to them in the at the store while doing chores. But, it looks like you two are good friends, and having one is a great start. In fact, I'd like to make it your first assignment to meet the rest of Silverstream's friends."
Silverstream clapped at that idea. "Yay! I can show you around. See, they have lunch around this time. We can visit the cafeteria! Then there's the dorms, where we live when we're not going home." She giggled with growing excitement. "This is going to be so fun."
To a young hippogriff like Silverstream, Ponyville was a wondrous place, a town that defied expectations and allowed for peace between multiple species and ideologies. But perhaps its greatest wonder was that she was permitted to be there at all, away from the safety of her own people. But that changed, as she had brought one of those with her. "Presenting!" She waved at Ariel excitedly. "Ariel!"
Ariel gave an awkward little wave. "Hi, everyone." The murmur of conversation ground to a halt. There were five other teens at one table, a varied assortment of creatures. All of them stopped talking and stood up.
The pony smiled easily. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sandbar." He pointed at himself just to make that clear. "This is Gallus." He nodded to the griffin next to him. "I heard you met one of our favorite mares already."
Gallus ruffled his wings, fixing his gaze on Ariel. "Hm. Something about you." He tapped at his beak with thought. "Whatever, hey. You joining the school?"
"Hope so. I like studying. And friends." Ariel tried to smile. "Silverstream and I have a lot in common. She saved my life. And now I'm here. I'm so glad I have the chance to say thank you."
Ocellus, the changeling, waved excitedly. "Saved you? Silver, you have to tell us that story."
Yona, the yak, nodded firmly. "Yes, tell us what happen. How save?"
Silverstream snorted, nudging Ariel. "I found her glowing in the water. She was sick, really, really sick. I took her to my Auntie Novo, and she did this thing, and then, boom."
Ariel laughed at that, clacking her beak shut as she forced herself to stop. "Sorry, but yeah, that's basically it. You tell stories in a funny way." She hugged Silversteam to make it clear there were no hard feelings. "She found me when I was sick and with Novo's help, I'm all better." She flourished her arms to show it. "I was something else, but now a hippogriff."
The orange dragon, Smolder, cocked her head. "Not a hippogriff?" She looked Ariel over intently. "You look like a hippogriff now. Either way, welcome aboard. If Silverstream likes you, you can't be too awful."
Ariel breathed deep, settling in among the new crowd. "I hope not. I didn't do much, but I'm grateful."
"Sounds like Silverstream did plenty." Yona puffed up with pride.
The conversation slipped from Ariel to other school topics. Ariel perked at that. "A project?"
Smolder rolled her eyes. "Ugh, yes. We have to pick a culture and write a story about one of their holidays."
Sandbar thrust up a hoof. "It's a group project." He pointed at Yona. "I'm working with Yona."
"We smash project." Yona nodded with complete confidence.
Smolder hiked a thumb at Gallus. "We're teamed up."
The griffin squawked in a sour tone. "Yeah, 'cause we both want it over with quick."
Ariel grinned with the conversation. "That sounds like fun."
"Weeell, maybe not exactly. I'm pairing with Ocellus." Silverstream sat up with a sly smirk. "And that leaves you to pair with, um." She looked over the table, but all the creatures there had a partner. "Oh no." She slapped a talon on her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I totally forgot we had partners. We were going to discuss it this weekend and, uh." She flailed her arms. "Ariel happened."
Ariel held up her hands placatingly. "It's alright. They may not even expect me to do it, coming in this late and all. Um, which teacher is this again?"
Silverstream launched into a full-blown explanation of how they had six teachers instead of one, and each taught them a subject, and they were expected to learn those subjects and apply them to the real world in projects that helped others.
Gallus casually reached across and shut Silverstream's beak. "None of that answered her question. This one came from Rarity, so you'll want to talk to her. White, unicorn, pony if unicorn didn't give that away." He shrugged lightly. "Diamonds on her butt."
Sandbar huffed. "That's her cutie mark, not just 'on her butt'."
Ariel clapped gently. "Alright. I'll ask Rarity as soon as I can." She turned to Silver. "Do we see her today?"
"Sure do! Let's finish eating and we can get to class."
The conversation dimmed as they focused on filling their bellies instead, with just brief passes of things around the table and the murmured statement of where things were on the tray.
It was all very new. The food here was unlike anything Ariel had eaten before, or even heard of. A kind of baked flatbread covered in sweet honey, creamy cheese, and the pieces of fruit—plums and bananas—with a faint taste of spice. She devoured it with relish, sitting at that table with new friends. It was amazing. She felt her stomach filling, and yet wanted to eat it again.
They threw their plates in the bin to be washed, and headed for their classrooms. Smolder shook her head as they walked. "Now we have two excited hippogriffons. I thought Silver was one of a kind, but you look ready to explode with excitement. Should we just get ahead of things and explain what stairs are?"
Ariel blinked at the idea. "I know what stairs are. But—" She struggled for words. "The whole world, that's pretty new."
Smolder paused. "Oh, I guess so. Sure, sure, whatever. Glad you're enjoying it." She stomped ahead of the pack, taking the lead.
Ariel walked with Silverstream to a classroom that had Twilight at the front of it, nodding at each student as they came in. "Ah, come here please." She waved Ariel closer. "Class, we have a new student. She'll need your help and guidance to hit the ground running in the middle of a semester like this, but with friendship at her side, I'm sure she can manage."
Ariel looked over the assembled ponies and the handful of non-pony students. "It's a pleasure to be here, and I look forward to making a lot of new friends."
Twilight smiled. "Good attitude. Go ahead and take a seat." She gently shooed Ariel away. "Now, as we were discussing, Magic, it's used by every species of creature, but in very different ways. Magic is one binding element that runs all across the world and ties us together. Even the most closed off cultures use magic, though they may not recognize it by that name." She lectured with practice, drawing things on the board.
Ariel felt herself zoning out a bit. She shook herself firmly and refocused on Twilight and what she was saying. It was a new world, with magic. Knowing about it felt important, and a little exciting. She raised a taloned hand up into the air.
Twilight pointed at her. "Ariel? You have a question?"
Ariel bobbed her head. "Can I learn magic?" Several other students began to snicker. "What? Can't I?"
Twilight's smile was gentle, if a bit pained. "Magic is a rare ability in a species that does not inherently possess it. To date, there are only a handful of individuals who can learn magic. Most are unicorns." She pointed up at her horn. "Magic is our tribe's specialization. Hippogriffs, on the other hoof, do have magic. You're wearing yours."
Wearing? It took a moment for Ariel to home in on the dangling crystal around her neck. "This?"
"That." Twilight nodded. "A powerful artifact that allows you to switch seamlessly between two forms, one on land, and one on water. Item-based magic is quite popular amont many creatures that don't have magic 'built-in' as it were." She smiled encouragingly. "You're certainly welcome to try, but it's highly unlikely that you have magical potential beyond what that item grants you."
"Oh." Ariel took a seat at Silverstream's side, huffing quietly. "That's dumb," she groused quietly enough that only Silver would easily hear her.
The class went by smoothly after that and with the bell, they were unleashed into the halls. Silver pointed the way towards the next class. "If you do learn magic." She bumped gently into Ariel. "I wanna see! I bet it'd be really neat."
Ariel smiled at that. "I'll show it, gladly. But how would I even start?" The hallway they were walking along seemed devoid of any magical starter books. "Where would I learn?"
Silverstream considered the matter a moment. "We have a library. It's really great. It has lots of stuff, even some magic stuff." She hesitated, a paw rubbing at the back of her neck. "But mostly about the not-spells," she admitted with a pout. "I think you need a spell-user to share with you."
"Twilight's one of those." Ariel hiked a thumb back at the class they had left. "Maybe her?"
"Maybe?" They went into the next class, where Rarity was seated, waiting for her students.
Rarity saw Ariel and lit up. "Ah! I understand you want to take my class? How delightful! I look forward to helping you make wonderful and stylish outfits, darling." She paused as she looked over the hippogriff. "You look like you could use an outfit, speaking of that." She tittered gently. "I am teasing, to be clear, dear. I will gladly assist you with fashion, but only if you wish it. My class isn't just about that, or even primarily. Welcome!"
"Thanks." Ariel bowed politely at the waist. "It's a pleasure to be here. I'm Ariel."
"I heard." Rarity pointed a hoof at the desks. "Have a seat, darling and we'll get started, hm? Glad to see you already found a friend."
"Two," added Gallus, also present for that class.
Rarity smiled warmly. "Three is even better! You'll be the belle of the ball, I'm certain. I only hope I can help you shine." She flicked her mane with a soft, almost musical laugh. "Now then, class, let's begin! This class won't teach itself. Speaking of that, how are your projects coming along?"
She went around the class, checking in on the group project the students were doing together. Each of them took a turn describing their ideas to the other. As she settled on a different topic to focus on, the students eagerly discussed their ideas.
Ariel was content to listen, not entirely sure how she fit into things.
Rarity stopped at Ariel's desk. "Now, you, poor thing. You arrived so late in the semester, hm." She curled a hoof to her chin. "I don't want to overwhelm you, but I don't want to just leave you doing nothing, dear. Is there a project you'd like to work on?"
Ariel perked at that, hope shining in her features. "I want to learn magic. You're a unicorn. You know how to cast spells? Can you share with me? Teach me to glow my horn and make things float?"
"Oh. Well!" Rarity shook her head slowly. "There is far more to it than that. It would be rather irresponsible of me to promise I could teach you that level of magic when we've only just met." She considered Ariel a moment. "It's as much a matter of talent as it is of teaching."
"We won't know until we try." Ariel clapped her hands firmly together. "Please? I'll pay attention." Her tail whipped about excitedly behind her.
"Oh my, dear, I love your enthusiasm! That alone speaks well of you." Rarity folded her forelimbs. "Let's give it a try. But, I admit, I am not the most ideal teacher." She inclined her head. "I may be a unicorn, and I can cast a spell, but you want a proper wizard. Fortunately for you, there are two that work in this very school!"
Gallus leaned forward in his desk. "Who's the other one?"
Rarity hesitated a moment before answering. "Counselor Starlight Glimmer. She also knows how to use magic and can teach you well, if you can convince her of the wisdom of trying." She chuckled at her own joke. "Now, is there a subject you'd like to explore in your project, Ariel?"
Ariel pointed at herself. "Can a hippogriff learn magic? I say yes."
"I also vote yes." Silverstream grabbed Ariel with one arm in a bright show of support. "That's two yeas!"
Rarity chuckled gently. "Keep up that spirit. Why don't you, Ariel, go speak to Starlight? I have to continue discussing the class project, but you can get started on your own, hm? I do wish you the absolute best, dear."
Ariel wandered down the hallway of the school. She was upright, walking on her equine feet with the soft clip-clop of her hooves as she looked around at the hints to the nature of the school around her. A framed picture of the student body with the staff behind them, and various plaques and medals on display. "Starlight, Starlight." She mumbled that to herself. "I know her name, but where is her office?"
She pointed at each door as she went past them, tail flicking behind her thoughtfully. "I hope she knows how to do this." A loud, sharp noise echoed through the hallway.
Clap, clap, clap. It came again, and Ariel followed it. The hallways twisted and turned in this strange place, and she wound up standing outside an open door, and beyond it, a pegasus pony. "Hello?" she dared softly as she came up to the door. "Everything alright?"
"It will be!" The voice sounded warm and soft. "I've got to get this window fixed."
Ariel relaxed with a strained laugh. A janitor! She was jumping at janitors. She felt quite silly for the whole thing. "Can I help?" She stepped into the room, seeing it was a typical office. Desk, chairs, the big glass window, and the tools to repair it. "I'm a fast learner."
"Thank you. That's nice to hear." The pegasus put a small blue orb on the floor, and it began floating upwards. "I'm using some funny tools Twilight provided." The pegasus pointed a wing at the floating orb. "That's supposed to help hold the window in place."
"But you're just holding the glass?" Ariel cocked her head, watching.
"I am indeed!" The pegasus pressed forward against the glass. "That orb's supposed to seal it in there, so I can stop holding it. This thing has... mmm... weight to it."
Ariel made her way closer to the glass, touching the sides. "Feels solid, I think." She didn't really know what it was meant to feel like, but if it needed to stay in place, why not just nail it in? The answer came to her just moments later. The edges of the school were made of thick crystal. Was one supposed to put nails in crystal? "I'll help you hold it up at least." She got in with the janitor and propped herself against the window to lend a talon or three.
"Aaaand release."
Ariel let go and watched, flexing her claws. The window stayed where it was, and she gave a pleased chirrup. "Wow!" She could see the orb was busily roaming around the edges of the pane as if making sure it was all sealed in place. "Magic?"
"Yup." The janitor turned to Ariel. "I appreciate the assist. Those windows get really heavy. Still, aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"I was just going to visit a counselor. She's an expert in magic."
"Expert? Hmm. Probably Twilight or Starlight then. What's the trouble?"
"I want to learn." Ariel gestured at herself as she fell to all fours. She could stand on twos, but four felt easier. Natural? Easier for sure. "They said not many other creatures manage it, but I want to try."
"Huh. Good luck." The janitor got their tools in a bag. "I have to get the old, broken, window out of here. You have a good day, kid."
"Wait!" Ariel grabbed for the janitor, catching a shoulder. "Which way was that counselor's office?"
"Uh, down that hall, last door on the left." The janitor pointed the way. "Hope it works out."
Armed with knowledge, Ariel thanked them and dashed off towards the door. Counselor Starlight, read the plaque on the door quite clearly. With a nervous, but excited, giggle, she knocked on the door.
"Come in," rang out a friendly female voice.
Ariel stepped through the doorway into the office. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting. She hadn't done any research at all, but she still felt like she had some idea of what a counselor's office would be like. A sofa to lie on, a notepad and pen to scribble with, a coffee machine for the one that stays up too late. A small potted plant was on their desk with a little tag that labeled them as 'Phyllis'.
She giggled at the idea of a named plant and came the rest of the way in. Anyone that named their houseplant couldn't be all bad, she decided to herself. "Miss Starlight?"
Starlight inclined her head. "Hello, but if you're going to use 'Miss', then Glimmer is what should follow it. You're a student?"
"A new one." Ariel hopped up into a chair facing Starlight, desk between them. "My name's Ariel, nice to meet you." She offered a hand.
Starlight met it with a hoof, touching, then shaking gently, though Ariel had to put in all the effort of grabbing. "Nice to meet you, Ariel. What brings you by today? Cocoa?" She reached for what Ariel thought had been a coffee machine and produced a mug of steaming chocolate instead. Her magic dropped several large marshmallows in it.
Ariel shook her head. "I want to learn magic!"
"You're a hippogriff?" Starlight looked over Ariel carefully. "And not a unicorn." She touched her own horn, considering that. "Many ponies want to learn magic, but it's rare for another species to attempt it."
"Rare, but not zero." Ariel lightly clapped her hands together. "Please? At least give me a chance."
Starlight shook her head. "That's not how it works, Ariel. You don't have a horn. That means you don't have a magic conduit, which is crucial to casting spells. But..." She turned to Phyllis, picking the potted plant up in a field of purple magic. "I don't mean to be harsh, but no matter how much Phyllis here wants to take a walk, they have no legs. No legs, no walking."
Ariel considered that. "I don't have any other magic though." She took the necklace from around her neck, holding it up. "Except this."
Starlight set Phyllis down and patted the plant gently as if it had just finished some trick. "It is magic. But is it your magic?"
Ariel closed her fingers around the crystal necklace. "Yes. Queen Novo gave it to me, and it saved my life. It's definitely mine."
Starlight opened her mouth, just to close it slowly. "Not exactly what I meant, but maybe I'm being close-minded. You know what? You're a rebel." She reached across to gently punch at Ariel's shoulder. "And I like that."
Ariel pumped her fist with excitement. "Really? Really really? Yay!"
"We can give it a try." Starlight brought her hooves together. "We may end up getting nowhere, but that's about the worst that'll happen. One thing." She raised hoof, flatside up. "Using magic, if you get that far, is a powerful thing that should be done carefully." She listed a bit to the side. "More carefully than I've done, if we're being honest." She sat up straighter. "Some creatures use it to harm others. That's unacceptable. Understand?"
Ariel's eyes widened at the very idea. "I would never! I want to make every, um, creature happy. It'd also be fun for me too. My magic should make smiles." She giddily shivered in place, tail swishing. "What's the first step?!"
"About that." Starlight sat back in her chair, one ear to the side. "I need to work out a lesson plan, and we need to figure out how well a hippogriff can channel magic through their portion of that orb." She pointed to Ariel's necklace. "I suppose we need to experiment first. If you just can't, we're done."
"Then we try some more!" Ariel leaned in closer, hope burning in her eyes.
"And if that doesn't work, we're stopping." Starlight spoke in a firm, stern tone. "We'll push, but only so hard. Twilight will be very upset if I let a student get hurt on my watch."
Ariel's smile vanished at that. "Hurt? Are you going to do something painful?"
Starlight waved a hoof at that. "No no no! But you might, if you keep trying to do something impossible and end up slipping in ways we don't even have words for. So let's go gently, hm?"
Ariel clasped her talons together. "Okay. Sorry." She stared at her feet. "I want to learn, but I'm not going to rush it." She took in a deep breath, sides swelling before she let it out with a hiss. "How do we start? I want to know if we're at least at the right place to start."
Starlight pointed up at her horn. "Everything I do with magic, I do through this. You won't, so, let me think. Hm. Hold it." Ariel held the crystal that dangled on her necklace firmly. "Like that, and feel it, deeper than the surface. Try to reach inside, with your mind. Feel what's coming and what's going."
"That's it?" Ariel searched inward. "I don't really..." She grumbled to herself. "You're right, it's not so easy." She grunted and grunted again. "I don't think it's working."
Starlight reached to pat Ariel gently. "I think you have homework now. Keep trying to feel it, until it feels like a part of you. If you can manage that, to feel it, we can proceed. If not, this may be a dead end. It has to be a part of you if you're going to cast spells through it." She stood and paced to the door. "I need to do some digging and thinking."
Ariel perked up at that. "And I should keep trying?" She clutched the jewel a little tighter. "I will! I'll keep trying, until it works."
"Don't push yourself too hard." Starlight guided Ariel out of the room. "For now, get to your next class." She waved even as her magic closed the door with a click of its latch securing.
Ariel lifted her crystal, allowing her to look through it for a moment. "What secrets do you hold?" she whispered to the artifact before shaking her head. "I have to keep trying." She walked the hallway back to where her friends were gathered.
The next few classes passed, and Ariel kept trying to find some bit of power within the pendant. It was warm in her hands, and could let her change between the two forms easily. It felt like it belonged to her, but was it actually a part of her?
At lunch, she sat with her friends, and the others explained the assignment they were working on. They excitedly talked about the pairs they had been assigned to and the things they planned to do, but Ariel was elsewhere, pondering the nature of her crystal.
"Ariel? Ariel? Hello?" Silverstream shook Ariel gently. "You in there?"
Ariel snapped back into awareness, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, yeah! I'm here." She flushed lightly at being caught so distracted. "You have one of these." She held up her crystal towards Silver. "Ever feel like it was part of you?"
"I have this." Silverstream showed off her own crystal pendant. "It was a gift. Queen Novo makes sure we all get one, so we can go between the sea and the land." With a pop, she began a sea pony, awkwardly perched on her bench. "Like this!" She shifted back and sat properly. "No, I've never thought that it was a part of me, but I'm glad to have it."
Ariel considered Silverstream's crystal fragment, then her own. "Mmm, but mine saved me." She rocked in place. "I felt like I was just going to fade away, but then she gave me this." She fingered the crystal, holding it aloft. "And with this, I became a hippogriff."
Ocellus spread her wings, buzzing them excitedly. "Wow! That's neat. What were you before?"
Ariel had seen exactly zero humans in that world. The word felt like it would only make things more confusing. "A different world, with different creatures."
Ocellus nodded at that, as if that made sense to her. "Wow! Neat. I'm glad you're alright."
"Me too!" Silverstream bounced once in place. "Why are you asking about the crystal though?"
Ariel tapped at it with a claw. "Because I want to learn to use magic, like we were talking about with Rarity, remember?" She sniffed the rock. "Starlight's pretty sure I'd have to use the crystal like a unicorn uses their horn."
Gallus flapped his wings once with a shake of his head. "And?"
"So I have to know the crystal before it'll work." Ariel closed her hand around it, sealing it from view. "Know it from the inside and out. It has to be me, as much as my fingers." She spread her claws in demonstration. "That's how you use the magic part of it. But I've never thought of it like that." She suddenly burst into giggles. "I only just got it."
As clueless as she felt, her new friends were swift to support her attempts. Each had kind words and supportive encouragements to offer her as she walked through the school with a slight gap between them and her. It felt, in a way, like she had jumped to the most popular kid, and that was a nice, if mildly concerning, feeling.
Silverstream held up her own crystal. "I just wear it. It has one trick, which I like, but that's all I ever thought about. You want to go to the next step!" She giggled at that. "Not super long ago, I was learning that steps existed."
Ariel giggled with her friend. "Steps are weird. Sometimes they lead up, sometimes down, sometimes in a circle."
Sandbar looked back over his shoulder. "You two still on that?" He was smiling despite his teasing words. "Is that a hippogriff thing?"
The group laughed and chuckled together as they emerged from the school and headed across the bridge, water lapping gently in the river underneath it. They kept chatting as they went, a vibrant bunch that liked talking to one another.
Silverstream touched Ariel's hand with her hand, guiding it to her crystal. "Does mine feel different than yours? Besides the different shape, I mean."
Ariel spent some time examining them both. They looked similar to her eyes. It was like looking at the same species, but the more she looked, the more little things she could see. They were different individuals. She rubbed each, one in either hand. "Mmm." Comparing them made her start to notice subtle things about hers. "Silver, you are a genius."
Smolder snorted into a laugh. "You okay? That isn't a term most creatures use for Silver."
"Hey!" Silver chased after Smolder, the two starting a merry game, and soon both calling and cheering as they ran about.
Ariel's eyes were locked on the two crystals, humming gently with thought. She focused on the difference in texture, the way one felt slightly rougher. But why? "Silver's is a lot smoother."
Yona reached up a heavy hoof to Ariel's side. "Silver stone held longer. Yours new." She nodded with a soft snort. "Hers like her. Yours become you. Give time."
Ariel cupped her crystal in her palms. "I haven't had mine long, have I?"
She held hers up towards the sun, shielding her eyes with it even as she gazed through it, allowing her to see further into its depths. It was shaped like a teardrop, with a wide bottom tapering off to a narrow point at the top, where the chain looped to hang from. As she rotated it in the light, she could see some markings inside it, glittering from within.
As she gazed fixatedly at her crystal with new appreciation, her friends paused their walking to watch her and her expression of growing wonder. The whole group was still, watching and waiting as they saw something happening with the young hippogriff.
Ariel looked back at her friends with a shocked sort of smile. "Oh! Did I make you all just sit there?" Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!"
Gallus waved that away. "Don't be. You looked like you were getting somewhere. What'd you see, or figure out, or whatever?"
"Um." Ariel considered the question, rolling her talon around her neck. "It's beautiful."
"Sure is." Smolder peered at it, eyes half-lidded. "It's a gemstone, not a rock." She licked over her lips. "Bet it's tasty. But what else did you learn besides it being pretty?"
Ariel smiled at Smolder and her directness. "That I'm starting to understand it." She laughed at that, more surprised that it was true. She handed Silver's gem back to her and hugged her own. "I feel a little closer to you, little rock friend." She giggled again. "Oh! I also see patterns in it, like there are things hidden deep inside it. Just like us. We have things hidden in us, waiting to be discovered."
Silverstream hummed softly. "What kind of patterns?"
"Well, see here." Ariel held out her gem, showing the way the light flickered and moved over its faceted face, shining and shimmering. "You have to watch the light on it, but it's not just a color thing." She giggled with growing excitement. "Now how do I, um, magic?"
Ocellus cooed with curiosity. "How? Do you have to 'magic' yourself first?" She looked up at her own horn, which began to glow. "My horn's different than your gem, but I imagine it like I'm getting warmer right here." She pointed to the base of her horn. "Then push it up." She trailed along the horn slowly. "Here, I can show you." She began to cast a spell, causing a simple glowing ball of energy to appear. It wobbled in place a moment before popping like a soap bubble.
Ariel and Silverstream were unified in their applause for the silly trick.
"That was amazing! How'd you do that?" Ariel peered at Ocellus, looking over her. But the answer was clear. Changelings had horns, like unicorns. The magic came from there. "Right. Right! Okay." She held up her stone. "So let's try this the same way. Get warm here." She shook her grasping talon lightly. "Focus." She closed her eyes tightly. "Feel it." She had a faint warmth around the crystal, as if it was near a fire.
The more she focused on it, the warmer it became. Others could see her efforts, her talons pinkening as blood rushed to the spot as if her hands were blushing. A faint pink glow grew from them, then faded to nothing. "I think I was almost there." Ariel sighed, slumping a moment, before bouncing with excitement. "I was almost there!"
Gallus slapped Ariel on the back with one of his wings. "Almost there is way closer than you were before. You get that, uh, glow into your crystal thingie and maybe you're there."
Ariel breathed deeply, rubbing at the crystal. "I can try again."
"Uh, we're not in a huge hurry." Smolder pointed the way. "I vote we get some snacks and refuel before you do that again. That looked like a lot of work, not gonna lie."
"A snack break sounds good." Ocellus wiggled excitedly. "I bet you're hungry." She lifted onto buzzing wings and darted ahead to one of their favorite snack stops, Sugarcube Corner. "This place is the best!" She chimed excitedly as she landed on the countertop. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" She spotted Mr. Cake emerging from the back and waved at them excitedly. "Good morning!"
Mr. Cake looked over the assembled youngsters. "It's not quite noon yet, but yes, hello to you all." He put down a heavy box he had been carrying and ambled up to the counter. "How can I help your sweet tooths today?" He smiled easily as the kids approached the counter and began to browse the goods in the display case. "You've made yourselves at home in this town, haven't you?" He was looking at Ariel as he asked.
Ariel nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think so. It's really pretty. Everyone's friendly." She sniffed gently at the air. "And this place always smells so, mmm." She thrust a finger at a baked good that was all looped on itself. "I want that one, please."
"I'll have another of those cream cheese horns." Gallus pointed with a wing to the delicacies in the display.
There was a chorus as they each pointed out their selections with hooves, wings, tails, or whatever they had that was up to the task. Mr. Cake hurriedly gathered them all out of the case and onto a tray for the students, arranging them tastefully. "That'll be six bits." He counted them off. "Including a little discount for our new resident." He nodded at Ariel.
Ariel gasped. "Discount!" She looked between her friends. "That's not fair!" She dug around and found a bit, placing it on the counter. "They've been helping me so very much."
Sandbar slid a coin up to join it. "It's no big deal. If somecreature's low, the rest of us help out. It's what friends do. And if he wants to give a discount, lettem!"
Four more coins soon joined it, contributed by other members of the band without complaint. Mr. Cake swept the coins off the counter with a nod. "All paid. Enjoy your treat. You work hard at that school, you deserve it."
Gallus squawked and fluttered his wings, eager to get to the treats. He grabbed the tray and hurried to a booth, the others trailing behind him as he set it in the center of the table, slid in and grabbed his to chomp into, beak becoming slathered in sugar and bliss. The others quickly did the same, filling the shop with happy sighs and satisfied noises.
Ocellus paused her eating, just to stare at Ariel as she took a bite. "Something wrong?"
Ariel lifted her crystal from where it had been dangling around her neck. "Nothing wrong, exactly, just excited! I feel so very close right now." She tucked the crystal away again. "But we do need fuel for all this fun stuff." She started munching on her pastry with a giggle. "Mmm, just as tasty as I'd hoped." She broke off a part and offered it to Silverstream. "Wanna try?"
"Trying new things!" Silverstream laughed brightly as she accepted the pastry piece and popped it into her beak." With a few satisfied munches, she swallowed with a happy almost purring chirp. "Very nice, yes. I like how it bends all around and around too, kinda funny!" She helped herself to one of her own treats.
Yona snorted loudly, slamming her hoof into the floor. "Want best snacks, try yak snacks." She deflated at that. "Not have yak snacks, sorry. Good though! Visit, try. You see."
Gallus flicked at one of the cream cheese horns, sending it spinning in place. "Don't know about those." He chuckled softly, snapping the horn almost in half with a crunch. "But if they're this good, I'd give them a try, sure."
Smolder poked a horn with a single claw. "I don't know, I've had yak cheese before, and it was pretty chewy and, well, rough." She took a delicate bite of her own food. "And they're tough as rocks." She smirked at that. "And dragons know how tough rocks can be. Worth it though."
Yona huffed at Smolder's review of Best Yak Foods. "Yak food for strong yak teeth." She bit into her filled doughnut so hard the filling squirted out, making a little mess on the table. "See? Too weak." She sucked on the bit of jelly she had pulled loose, sucking it into her mouth. "Too soft."
Sandbar shook his head at the sight. "We make foods for our own tastes. Ponies like soft foods."
Gallus leaned in with a smirk. "If I have the choice, I like my food with a little bite in it, that used to bite." She clacked his beak meaningfully. "If you get my meaning."
Ocellus hummed quietly. "I like plants. But some have thorns on them, so they can protect themselves." She considered that. "So you have to be careful picking them up, but then they're usually tasty." She nibbled on her sugar dusted scone joyfully. "Pony snacks are good."
Ariel considered all that as she worked on her food. "We have plenty of different snacks in my world, but I don't really have any favorites."
Silverstream was on Ariel. "Your world? Isn't, uh, this world your world and our world and his world and her world?" She pointed wildly about, trying to encompass the bigness of how much that world belonged to every creature present.
Ariel tittered with amusement. "It is. It's very big." She motioned in opposite directions as if trying to hug the world with her arms. "Um, but it's not my first one."
Sandbar leaned forward onto his elbows on the table. "Alright, story time. What world was your first then, Ariel? You can't just tease us like that."
Ariel rolled her eyes, but she was smiling all the same. "I promise to tell you every last detail." But she colored an instant later, realizing some parts that kind of needed telling. Well, maybe she could just casually not mention that part. "I was very sick in that other world. It was awful, days of sitting in a hospital."
Silverstream blinked softly. "Is that why you were so pale and sick when I found you? I'm glad we could help get you looking better!"
"It is." Ariel leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "I was stuck in a bed. I could see the rest of the world outside a window, but I couldn't get to it." She shivered with the memories. "I hated it, but I couldn't do much about it."
Smolder cleared her throat. "Were you a pony in your home world, or a hippogriff or somecreature else?"
"Somecreature else." Ariel bobbed her head quickly. "Somecreature you never saw before, I bet. It doesn't matter." She made shooing gestures. "They're gone, and Ariel the hippogriff remains, and I like being me." She flashed a bright smile, teeth dusted with sugar. "And I like having you all as my friends."
Gallus looked to the rest of the group. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't care where she came from." He gestured at Ariel. "She's been cool enough, and I want to see where she ends up with the whole magic thing. Show those unicorns they don't get to be the end all when it comes to that."
Silverstream's eyes shone with wonder. "That would be so cool!" She shook a fist. "Magic for everyone."
"Exactly." Ariel smiled, turning back to her snack. "I hope I can figure it out, but I'll know when I know." She let the crystal fall against her chest. "Thank you, all of you."
