It was only when he woke up, and saw the room for what it was, that he finally realized that it had all been a dream. Things could have been worse, but there was still the concept of the failure that had just happened. Something told him that he hadn’t achieved the task that he hadn’t done what was expected of him, that he hadn’t been able to do something that students could easily do. How did that make any sense? Hokey Smokes was a stallion, not simply some colt who couldn’t do magic. There shouldn’t have been any trouble; he should have been able to do something as simple as that. A shake of his head, he wanted to push that thought into the back of his mind as quickly as he could, and then he glanced around. Where was Twilight Sparkle? There was also a lack of a purple dragon watching him, something that he had almost gotten used to. The machine wasn’t powered up, either, which was something that made him think that the experiment might have been concluded while he was unconscious.

Why didn’t she wake him?

A hoof moved to swipe at the few things that were connecting him to the machine. He tried to stand up, but practically fell on his face. You don’t stand up too quickly, silly. I should have come up a bit slower, especially after passing out like that. Oh well, you live and learn. When he had fallen back down, a hoof had actually knocked over a nearby table. It was the best thing that could have happened, though, as he soon saw a piece of paper floating to the floor. Hokey Smokes might not have been the strongest, but he was capable of lifting the single piece of paper.

Dear Hokey Smokes,

You are, no doubt, wondering what happened to me. I had thought about staying behind, if only to make sure that you were alright, but there were urgent matters that I have to attend to. I’m afraid I can’t tell you more; I have to head out quickly. You are more than welcome to borrow a book on basic magic, and practice it to see if your condition improves. I shouldn’t be gone for any longer than a few days, and then we can conduct a few more tests.

I will also ask the Princess if she knows anything about what might have caused your condition.

Twilight Sparkle

That wasn’t much information to go on, but he was sure of one definite piece of information. Hokey Smokes didn’t feel right staying there. To him, it didn’t matter if this was a library. This was somepony’s home. He simply had to get out, though there was still the book that he was told he could borrow. Should I really be going back to the basics, though? Being tested with the basics is one thing, but having to study them is another. I should be able to do this, I shouldn’t need that book. Eyes moved to the bookshelves, and there were a lot, with the thought of finding the book that he was told he could borrow. Did he want to? That was something that would be a little more difficult to answer. Then again, I might be able to push myself forward. I should be able to do something about the fact that I’m not able to do magic as well as I should. He started to walk toward the shelves. If he knew anything about the way libraries were set up, and he did, then the basics should be around where he was looking. Alright, all I have to do is find the one book that will help me with this problem that I-

No!

That final thought, the decision, was not likely a good one. Hokey Smokes turned, started walking, and soon left the library. He had decided that he didn’t need the book, that he would figure this out on his own. There was no way that somepony with his knowledge, experience, and raw talent would ever stoop to being forced to read the basics again. Well, okay, maybe I don’t have all of that right now. I did once, though, and I will figure out what it is that took that from me. After I do that, I’ll be as powerful as I was before. After that, I’ll be able to do that basic test that Twilight Sparkle set up. He scanned the crowd for anyone following him, he didn’t really want that. This wasn’t out of some fear of being followed, he simply didn’t want to be seen practicing. His ego had died a lot since he had regained his memories, and figured out that his magical talent was barely there, but there were some things that he still didn’t want. Letting Applejack or Twilight Sparkle know about it is one thing, but that’s as far as it goes. I don’t need everyone knowing that I’m slightly more magical than a carrot. That won’t be forever, though! I will fix this, I will figure out a way to make sure that I can’t perform spells beyond imagination.

That wasn’t likely, but it was still possible.

Alright, all I have to do is find a nice spot in the woods and practice. It shouldn’t be that bad, really. It should be close to the entrance, just in case I need to run. It shouldn’t be too close, though, on the off chance that somepony else shows up. That wouldn’t work out well for me. He didn’t even turn to look at anyone else, there was no reason to. Hokey Smokes needed to get to the good destination, he needed to practice, and he needed to make sure that nopony saw it. Alright, I’m getting close… I can feel it. I see the forest, I don’t think anypony is following me. Everything is working perfectly. It was unknown to him, of course, that he was being followed. Spike hadn’t left with Twilight Sparkle; he had stayed behind to make sure that Hokey Smokes didn’t do anything to the library. It hadn’t made Twilight Sparkle any happier, she didn’t like the idea of such a lack of trust, but she had given in when Spike had insisted. Things might not have gone so well for the small dragon in Canterlot anyway, he wasn’t sure. The thing that he did know was that this new person wasn’t to be trusted.

Spike would prove it.

Hokey Smokes, on the other hand, was just determined to be able to lift two twigs at the same time. Weight shouldn’t have been a factor, but there was still the simple fact that he didn’t know his new limits. The only thing he did know was that he couldn’t lift two things. Maybe I should start with a single thing, and make sure that I can lift large objects. I should start by trying to… Eyes scanned around, trying to find something that could help him out. The only thing that seemed to be big enough for a good test was a tree branch. It would be a good way to see if he could lift the branch, and if he could pull it off. The thing wouldn’t be ten pounds or anything, but it was a thick enough branch that it might be a good test. A glow enveloped his horn, and then the branch. He took a deep breath, and then he did his best to pull the branch down from where it was. Sadly, the branch came off easily. When it hit the ground, he saw that there had been damage to the other side. No, no, no. I’m trying for something too small. I have to push my limits with a single object, I have to find something that weighs a good fifty pounds or more. Eyes moved around, trying to find the perfect thing that could help him push himself.

And then he saw it, a fallen tree.

The tree itself was too large for him to do anything, but the remaining stump was definitely something that he could work with. Alright, I just have to move that. I should be able to pick it up, I should be able to move it. If it didn’t work the first time, he was willing to sit here for hours until it did. His magic would improve; he would find that special thing that helped him fix his problem. Maybe it’s like muscles. I just have to work on my magic, it will come back. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. A deep breath came, and then he did his best to move the stump. A glow enveloped his horn, and then the stump. The only bad news came when he tried to lift, and barely anything happened. The dirt around it moved, as if to show that somebody was trying to move it, but that was it. There wasn’t anything real that had happened, nothing that could be measured anyway. Hokey Smokes was starting to sweat, his breath becoming quickened for the effort I should be able to lift that. There have been reports of ponies being able to lift hundreds of pound. Lifting something as small as that should have been easy, it just should have been.

He didn’t give up, though.

Once again, his efforts came to nothing. The only thing that happened was that he was soon a passed-out stallion in the forest.

”You can do it, Hokey Smokes.”

The voice of his mother was always one of encouragement. This had been his seventh birthday. The only thing that he had wanted was a single book, something to help him learn the basics of magic. If he could learn the basics, he might be able to help out with things. Aside from that, there was always the school for gifted unicorns. It would be great to know that he was skilled, but that wasn’t even the only reason. It would be nice to make his family proud, to make sure that the family name was one that everypony looked up to. That was something that had pushed him to looking at the most difficult thing that the basic book had. He was supposed to be able to turn water into ice, something that was well beyond his skill. It would have been nice to be able to do that, but nothing was happening. The water wasn’t even becoming chilled, which would have at least been a step in the right direction. If nothing was happening, he might not have the skill that was needed to get into the school. He might not have been a gifted unicorn; he might have just been like every other one out there. If he wasn’t special, in any way, he wouldn’t be able to help out. A single tear left his eye, and his mom was quickly trying to console him.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to do it. All you have to do is practice.” After she said that, she whispered something in his ear. “And you might want to start with something a little smaller.”

That wasn’t what he had wanted to hear, but it was probably true. What was it that he should start with? One thing came to mind, and that was lifting things. He wasn’t bad at it, this was a basic skill that all unicorn learned at some point, but there was always room for improvement. All he had to do was flip to the section that told him about it, and then he could start practicing…

When Hokey Smokes woke up, he could still feel the moist tears on his cheeks. He missed her so much, but he would find his family eventually.