Chapter 5: Each to Her Own

"Unicorns: Ponies blessed with supreme knowledge and intricacy of the mind; their magic flows from their rationality and logic.

Pegasi: Ponies granted the strongest and most determined hearts among their race. Their abilities come from their unbowed spirits and harmony with the order of the world."

-"Ponies: A Primer", from the Imperial Archives

As promised, both Celeste and Claire began their training regimens immediately following that first night's sleep. Although Claire had been well-rested, Celeste had spent that whole night in restless thought, wondering about what the future held in store for her. When she awoke that first morning, Altas and Claire had already departed for the open countryside. She could only begin her own studies, and hope for the best when her six months were up.

Aquos was a stern teacher, but not without a gentle side. Celeste's day generally began with a light breakfast at sunrise, followed by several classes dealing with ancient law and government. Although Celeste usually found these lessons rather dry and uninteresting, Aquos stressed that a proper knowledge of governmental procedure would prove invaluable to a potential ruler.

After a brief lunch spent in solitary contemplation among the school's grounds, Celeste would take the rest of the afternoon in private study with her teacher. The subjects of these lessons would vary, from magical spells and practice, to intellectual development. On the whole, Celeste found herself enjoying the strict routine, and clung to the Master's side whenever she could. True to her reputation, Aquos was a unicorn blessed with great wisdom, and every so often she would grace her student's ears with a few words of deep meaning. Celeste took care to write down these profound sayings, so that she could study them later.

One day, Celeste was finishing her lunch under a large oak tree near to the centre of the compound. A bright noonday sun filtered its way down through the spread leaves of the monolithic tree, showering the grassy ground with rays of gold. Celeste loved this spot, and came here often just to think. Sometimes she would practice her magic here as well, whenever a particular spell was giving her difficulty. She was one of the fastest learners at the school, and in only a few short months had already advanced above simple telekinesis and teleportation into transmutation spells.

Celeste enjoyed magic immensely. The amount of control that she felt over her surroundings whenever she was casting a particularly intricate spell made her feel like she was already ruler of her own little patch of Equestria. Today, she held a small stone from the nearby river aloft, twisting it subtly with her mind, coaxing out its hidden treasures. With a satisfying crackle, the cold rock dissolved into steaming liquid, which she carefully poured into a waiting mug. Taking a small sip, she savoured the rich taste: cinnamon tea, with one spoonful of sugar, her favourite.

"Impressive, my student," came a voice suddenly out of the underbrush, causing Celeste to almost spill her tea. Without mirth, Aquos materialized out of thin air with a torrent of silver sparks.

Hurriedly collecting herself, Celeste stood up in front of her teacher. "I was just practicing, Teacher." Aquos preferred that their relationship remained formal, so Celeste was careful not to act too familiar around her instructor, although she did feel almost as if Aquos had become something of a surrogate mother to her in these recent months.

"Indeed, practice makes perfect, child," Aquos answered, coming forward to examine the tea, which was still hot. "Your control is exemplary."

Though she did not show it, Celeste beamed with pride underneath her stoic expression. Whenever Aquos deigned to compliment her, it only drove her forward to greater accomplishment. She had vowed to be the greatest student the Master ever had the chance to see, and to truly earn her spot at the forefront of the new Equestria.

Stopping in front of her and looking Celeste straight in the eyes, the old white unicorn maintained her stern complexion. "Come now, my student. Today I have something special planned for us."

With excitement, Celeste followed her mentor through the expansive gardens of the school's grounds. The fruit trees were just now coming into bloom, and songbirds chirped in the branches while insects flitted about between the vibrant flowers. The sun cast an inviting aura about the place, causing the whole of the surroundings to burst forth in vibrant colour. After a life spent in grey Eridian, Celeste was still taken aback by her newly verdant environment. The presence of such beauty always lifted her heart, and gave her hope for the future of Equestria. Surely with such potential, peace was only a short effort away.

Today, Aquos was silent as they walked among the orchards and gardens. Celeste became aware that they were entering a private section of the grounds, as suddenly the sounds of other students practicing among the flowery groves faded away. But the silence was broken by the cheery ambience of the woods, so the place still seemed comforting. Finally, Aquos led her to a small table set among the trees, in the shade of a spreading sugar maple. The table was a polished stone square, with two seats opposite each other. Once both ponies were seated, Aquos addressed her student.

"You have progressed quickly, Celeste. You are undoubtedly aware that you are probably one of my most promising acolytes. So I think the time has come for a test of sorts, to gauge your true potential, in a way fitting with our standards of mental purity." With a subtle smile, Aquos reached over her shoulder and gestured with a hoof. Seemingly out of nowhere, an acolyte appeared beside the table. Wordlessly, he laid a glass chessboard upon the smooth surface, the pieces already set up.

Inwardly, Celeste breathed a slight sigh of relief. She had always loved chess; in fact it had been one of her favourite ways to pass the time back in Eridian. Claire hadn't beaten her once as far back as she could remember. Granted, Aquos would likely be a more formidable opponent, but today Celeste felt as though she was truly within her element. This stood as a perfect chance to impress her teacher even further.

---

"Checkmate," stated Aquos dryly, but with the slightest hint of a smile. "Shall we play again?"

Weakly, Celeste nodded, although her eyes were still fixed on the board. Her White King stood surrounded by a forest of Black pieces. Aquos had picked apart her defences like a surgeon, playing every one of her plans against itself immediately. She felt the embarrassment settle into cold determination in her heart. So many years of annihilating Claire had obviously gotten her out of practice. This time, she would make sure to utilise her full potential.

---

"Checkmate," Aquos said again, smiling quite visibly now. "Again."

This time, news of her defeat hit Celeste like an avalanche. Examining the board again, which this time was still quite crowded with both sides' pieces; she couldn't believe that she had missed Aquos' true intentions. Her opponent had covered the front with feints, pokes which acted to hide the true insidiousness of her plan. When the final blow came, Celeste had been unable to react.

Now, as the pair began their third game, it was plain to see how much the student's confidence had slipped. Whereas before she had moved with precision and clear purpose, now she studied the board intently before grasping a piece. Every so often, Aquos would tilt her head sideways just a bit, as if asking "Are you really going to do that?" at which point Celeste would invariably retract her hoof and examine the board again.

Finally, Aquos felt that the display had gone on long enough. Reaching behind her again, she signalled her servant to come forward and remove the board. Fixing Celeste with a satisfied smile, she just waited. Expectant.

Immediately, her student spoke up defensively. "I apologize, Teacher. You see, I am quite clearly out of practice. My sister never offered me much of a challenge, so you realize I was never forced to play to my full potential. Given time to reorient myself, I'm sure we could have a more spirited game." Although Celeste spoke with conviction, Aquos could see the doubt in her eyes.

"Hmm," she replied noncommittally. Then, she suddenly spoke in a more serious tone. "When Altas and I first met you and your sister, we both mistook you for Claire's mother, even though you are only twelve years her senior. Why do you think that is?"

The sudden question initially caught Celeste off-guard, but Aquos loved to surprise her students in this way, and she had trained her mind to come up with answers quickly. "Clearly," she replied, "it is because Claire always acts like such a filly. Some pony has to deal with her, and usually that was me–"

"Stop, Celeste," Aquos interrupted in a loud and commanding tone. Uncertain, Celeste stopped talking and looked at her teacher with clear tension in her expression. Had she said something wrong? It was only the truth, after all.

With no small amount of frustration evident in her features, Aquos continued. "It is not your sister's fault when YOU fall short, Celeste, and I will not allow you to continue blaming HER for your own shortcomings. That is called projection. Now, try again."

Under her teacher's steely gaze, Celeste tried to come up with another reason, but found it rather difficult. How could it be a fault of hers that other ponies found her more mature and reasonable than her sister? All her life she had acted to deal with circumstance, doing what had to be done. If she hadn't been the mature one, who else would have taken care of them? Uncertain, she spared a glance upwards, to see that Aquos was still staring at her. Weakly, she shook her head in confusion.

Disappointed, Aquos turned to examine the tree beside them for a few moments. Speaking authoritatively, she gave Celeste the answer to the question. "First, it's because you act like it. You're very protective of her, always looking out for her to make a mistake and require your assistance. Just like a mare would a newborn foal.

"And secondly, you look like it." Aquos turned back to face her student. "All those years of worry take their toll, believe me. Barely into your thirties, yet you look like you could be my sister."

Aquos got up from her seat, motioning for Celeste to do the same. Brusquely, the two exited the clearing, heading back to the common areas. As they walked, Aquos addressed Celeste in a reassuring tone. "Don't look upon this as a failure, child. You are indeed special, and soon enough you will develop into your potential. But there was one lesson to be learned from this. Are you willing to hear it?"

Beside her, Celeste nodded respectfully. After such an embarrassing display, she knew it was time to redouble her efforts. The next time her and the Master met in mental combat, she vowed it would not be such a one-sided affair.

Aquos stopped and looked her student straight in the eyes. "The lesson is simple Celeste: you are NOT perfect. Claire was never much of a challenge to you intellectually, and you lacked an authority figure to correct your pride. Nonetheless, you MUST accept your own shortcomings. If you can personally come to terms with this fact, then you will find the power that you hold within you. But, if you continue to find fault with others to cover your own flaws, you will continue to be dependent on them for your personal security." Letting the message sink in for one moment longer, Aquos turned to continue up the path. "Now come along, Celeste. It's time for your violin lessons."

Continuing to follow her teacher through the winding pathways, Celeste reflected on the words Aquos had given her. By her own reckoning, she had two months left here in the mountains before it was time for her and Claire to switch places. She had that long to improve, and hopefully make up for today's pathetic performance. She had so much more to show Aquos, so much more to be proud of. By the time those two months were up, she would make sure she had earned the Master's respect.

After the violin lessons that night, Aquos stopped by her table in the common dining area. Celeste ate with all the rest of the students, and had found it relatively easy to make friends in among the other acolytes. They were all here to study magic and improve themselves, after all, though most of them kept a respective distance from the Master's favoured student. When Aquos approached, each of the table's occupants rose from their seats in respect.

"Celeste," Aquos addressed her immediately. "You have two months remaining with us, before Altas gets his turn with you. Tell me, how do you like it here?"

"It's brilliant, Teacher;" Celeste replied immediately, "so peaceful and calm. I've learned much more than I ever thought possible. At the conclusion of these two months, I will be sad to leave." And it was honestly the truth. She had been living in heaven here among the glades and stone towers. She had been free to pursue her own path to enlightenment, guided by the calm hands of her teacher. Whatever awaited her out in the wilderness could not possibly compare to this.

"And after those two months," Aquos continued. "Your sister will be joining us here. How do you think she will take it?"

Celeste thought this question over. Claire was a free spirit, still a foal at heart. She was always full of energy, inquisitive and lacking in caution. When the two sisters were together, their personalities balanced each other well, but Claire would be on her own when she was with Aquos, the same as now. Looking her teacher straight in the eyes, Celeste answered truthfully and with conviction. "Hours of quiet contemplation and solitude? Classrooms and music lessons? Teacher, she will find it the purest form of torture."

---

In turn, each of the clouds around her disintegrated into its own wisps of gentle vapour once struck by Claire's precise hoofs. Following her Master's directions, the dark blue alicorn let her mind fall away from conscious thought, and settled into the instinctive, reactionary state of total suspension. Her body reacted as required to deal with each threat, leaving her consciousness floating in a state of hyper-awareness, ready to analyse an opponent for weaknesses in the few seconds she might have to react.

Of course, these clouds weren't really opponents, or at least not ones that required much analysis. But practice was necessary. After several months now with Altas up here in the cloud layer, Claire knew that soon the training would have to move to something more serious.

Whipping her head around to the last target behind her, she spun into a wing-assisted roundhouse kick, adding a slight flourish as the cloud split apart. Coming up to a steady hover, she raised her eyes to face straight ahead, where Altas was watching. She could see that he was wearing his characteristic light-hearted grin.

"Fair enough, I suppose," he chuckled, letting his crystalline voice flow over the syllables like a gentle breeze. Floating down toward her, the Master ran his eyes over her figure. Both ponies were dressed in stark-white training outfits, although Altas had adorned his with a red sash tied across his left shoulder. The colour stood out in the clear sky like a flare.

"Yet still you have work to do, Claire. What was that little trick on the end? A personal addition to the routine?" He paced in front of her, awaiting a reply. Claire elected to remain silent, staring straight ahead. They were both well aware of her weaknesses.

Smiling, Altas stopped in front of her. Shaking his head, he looked off into the clear blue sky. There wasn't anything of note in that direction, at least far as Claire could see. It was just clean, azure emptiness, except for the spires of the northern mountains, which she knew were right behind her.

When the off-yellow Pegasus turned to face her again, a gentle breeze tossed his mane over his shoulders. "The true lesson, Claire?" he prompted.

"I must lose myself to find myself," she replied immediately, calling back the words from memory. "I will become one with the world, and the world will become one with me."

"And true harmony you will find thence," the Master finished for her. "You have an exceptionally strong spirit, Claire, and it refuses to fall away and let the world come in. It is your great strength, but also your great weakness."

Claire knew that Altas was right, but it was very difficult for her to let go of her individual streaks. She could feel the power of the world at the edges of her awareness, and she was fearful that her own self would be swept up by it and left adrift in the surge of the winds. "I want to succeed," she replied.

The Pegasus ran his eyes over her form once again. "Naturally you do, but perhaps that is the problem," he said cryptically. "You must not try to succeed. You must let it happen. Allow success to find you, and believe in your own ability to harness it. Come, perhaps I ought to demonstrate." Kicking up the corners of his wings, Altas settled into a low fighting stance, bringing his hoofs up into a ready position.

For an instant, Claire wondered if her Master was joking. Altas had experience, but he was slim as a blade of grass, and spent as much time bent over his desk scribbling out proofs as he did in the sky. Meanwhile, she had spent the last four months undergoing his extensive physical regimens. She was in the best shape of her life, and less than half his age. Uncertain, she settled into a matching stance.

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Altas spoke calmly. "Let the lessons speak through you, my student. Don't try to defeat me; simply know that you can." And after exchanging nods, the two came together in combat.

Claire wasn't sure what her instructor expected from her. Would he come at her with real force, or was this merely some extreme test? For his part, Altas remained very still, one hoof extended just in front of his shoulders, and the other farther out, ready to react to any of her movements. She looked into his eyes, and found their usual warmth replaced by a cold, calculating stare. If this was merely a practice scenario, her teacher was ensuring it was as realistic as possible.

Testing his defences, she jabbed out with her left hoof, an attack that he easily blocked, before countering back with speed. On instinct, she flew off to the side, avoiding the blow. Warily, the two circled each other, exchanging the odd fisticuff. Claire tried to study her opponent, tried to identify a weakness. She felt herself slipping back into the suspended state, and tried to let it happen, tried to embrace the feeling. Claire Albright became an island, immersed in a sky blue sea. In her mind there was only herself and her opponent, going through their motions.

There! She thought she saw a weakness in her teacher's defences, a momentary lapse in his concentration. Reacting with lightning-fast efficiency, Claire dodged around a punch, manoeuvring in close. Reaching back her wing for extra torque, she unleashed a kick like a slingshot, aimed directly for Altas' mid-section.

But her opponent reacted with nearly impossible speed, catching her hoof neatly, and flipping her backward with barely a flick of his front legs. She was just able to reorient herself in time to see Altas coming around with a thunderous punch. As it connected, Claire was thrown backwards, somersaulting in the air before she finally landed on a nearby cloud, more than ten metres away. Altas hovered still as a statue, and then slowly reoriented himself to a relaxed position. Eventually, he flew over to where Claire had landed and helped her get her breath back.

Breathing hard, Claire checked herself over. Surprisingly, she appeared to be intact. Surely such an intense blow must have fractured a bone, or left some sort of bruise, but as far as she could tell, Altas had left nary a mark. Confused, she looked back to him.

Altas smiled, and then answered the unspoken question. "The truth is, Claire, that I did not even touch you. I spoke to the wind, and the wind spoke through me. They don't call me the Master of Air for nothing, after all." The usual warmth had returned to both his voice and his face, so once again he looked for all Equestria like a bookish nerd.

Claire tried to reorient herself, tried to zero in on the Master's meaning. "So that's the power in store for me, too?" she asked.

Altas laughed his characteristic chuckle. "All that and more. The right to control the sky comes directly from your Pegasus genes, but coupled with the intellect of a unicorn, the power that you and your sister might command is beyond anything I could demonstrate. We have but two months remaining together, but by then I'm sure you'll have finally gotten what I've been trying to tell you."

Playfully, Claire cast the Master a sardonic grin. "I'd have gotten it two months ago if you would stop talking in riddles all the time."

"Just you wait," he replied. "If you think I talk in riddles, Aquos will have your mind running in circles just from her 'Hello'."

The two of them went back to the practice, and Claire tried to focus on the lesson, but Altas' remarks had made her realize how close the transition was to occurring. She tried to imagine her big sister, the tactician and the scholar, up here working out and pulverizing clouds with her hoofs. The image was almost too funny for her to keep a straight face.