At the lecture’s conclusion, many students crowded Thomas to pick his brain on the lesson, instantly making him uncomfortable. Luckily, the two guards demonstrated that their titles weren’t just for show and kept the ignorant masses at bay. Equally luckily, most students were sufficiently dissuaded once they noticed the guard armor, so Moonlight didn’t need to bring out her signature shield. Even so, the mare pair hurried Thomas down the least crowded hall until they reached an open, but lightly crowded indoor space. It appeared to be a common area with numerous tables, so Moonlight picked one of the smaller ones for Thomas to sit while she and Jet remained on alert.

“Are you okay?” Moonlight asked.

Thomas took several steadying breaths as his heart rate calmed. “Yeah. J-just not used to being mobbed,” he said with a half-hearted chuckle. “That was something, though.”

“Indeed,” agreed Jet. “They seemed quite intrigued with your lesson.”

“Hey, it wasn’t my lesson,” Thomas corrected. “It was just a fun segment from a movie I saw as a kid. It’s the academics who made a lesson out of it.”

“True. However, whether you like it or not, your contribution was undeniable,” Jet reminded. “I was particularly intrigued by your suggestion at the end. Having non-ponies construct fictional magical systems is inspired, to say the least.”

Thomas pursed his lips. “I’m almost certain I heard that from someone else.”

“A pony?” Jet asked.

“Probably not.”

“Then, as far as anypony can tell, the idea came from you,” Jet flatly stated as she studied Thomas’ expression. “Does that make you uncomfortable?”

Moonlight’s expression said it’s about time you noticed as she put her hand on Thomas’ shoulder.

“A little,” Thomas admitted. “I guess… Everyone fantasizes about being famous. There’s a bunch of stories of how fame actually makes people miserable, but people are still swept up by the spectacle of the thing. I-I guess I just figured that if I ever became famous, it’d be for something I did, not for passing on someone else’s ideas.” He slumped in his seat and stared down at the table.

Moonlight frowned at her stallion’s intolerable state. “Well, where’d the idea come from?”

“Huh?”

“The Sword in the Stone. That was the movie the clip came from, right? Well, who made it? If you don’t want to take credit for somepony else’s work, then give credit where credit is due. We’re at a university, so cite your sources.”

Thomas smiled appreciatively. “That’d be great, but I don’t really know who. These clips all come from my memories, and I never focused on the credits, so I don’t know who did what, only the company that produced it. Besides, the movie is based on a legend that’s over a thousand years old, and people can only guess how it started, let alone all the people who made changes over the years.”

“So, if I follow correctly, there is nothing you can do to credit a virtually untraceable source?” inquired Jet.

Thomas chuckled mirthlessly. “Sounds about right.”

“Then why worry?” asked the bat mare. “If it is something outside of your control, then fretting about it achieves nothing.”

“She’s right,” Moonlight agreed. “Don’t you like to say that you’re the architect of your own misery? No matter what bad things happen that you can’t control, the thing you can always control is how you react to it.”

Thomas lifted his head and stared ahead at the common area as ponies milled about. “Ya know what, you’re right.”

“I’m your mare. I’m obligated to be right,” Moonlight beamed.

“If these ideas help, then they help. It doesn’t actually change anything if ponies miscredit me or not. I didn’t even know about this place until you brought me here.”

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn,” Jet began. “However, I doubt that Princess Luna sending you to that lecture was done in malice.”

“She’s right,” Moonlight agreed again. “Luna probably wanted to cheer you up and show that you’re doing more good than you may realize.”

Thomas allowed himself a smile and rested his hand over Moonlight’s. “It’s still weird, but you’re right. Think she’ll be mad if we skip the other suggestions?”

“I’m sure she’ll understand,” assured Moonlight. “Still, we’re at a prestigious university. It seems a shame to visit without learning something. Plus, it’s still a while before your appointment, and I know you hate being bored.”

“True,” Thomas agreed as he reclined in his seat and stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling. Then, just as he was about to give a suggestion, a familiar face returned.

“Funny bumping into you guys again,” Star greeted.

“Star! Good to see you,” Moonlight replied while sticking to Thomas’ side. “How was class?”

“Not great. My degree requires credits in history, but the professors are all so dull. I swear, this guy actually fell asleep a few times in his own lecture,” Star bemoaned.

“Funny,” Thomas remarked. “Isn’t history class just the bullet points of all the most relevant and interesting things that led up to us being here? Seems almost like an accomplishment to fall asleep while you’re talking.”

“Well, professors like to think of themselves as experts, and this one is definitely proficient in that field,” Star joked and then groaned. “What’s worse is that I could have skipped this class and missed nothing. There’s a guest speaker that I really want to see, but my schedule makes it impossible. Maybe you’ve heard of her. She’s Subtle Tear, and she’s—”

“Giving lectures on creative uses of magic?” Thomas finished.

“Uh, yes. How’d you know?”

“Guess where we just came from,” the human replied.

Star’s eyes lit up as she pulled up a chair, set her supplies to the table’s side, and sat across from Thomas, only for her ears to splay when she looked up at Jet’s aggressive posturing. “Whoa, easy there. I’m a friend, remember?”

“Yeah, calm down,” Moonlight chided.

“She’s a friend of a friend, so she’s cool,” Thomas agreed, finally getting the bat mare to relax.

“Still, you ought to ask first,” Jet gently reminded.

Star nodded. “Noted. Anyway, what can you tell me about the lesson? I heard that Subtle is super eccentric.”

“That’s not the word I’d use,” Thomas countered. “More like she’s dripping with ‘I’m too good for this place’ energy. Just about everyone she called on didn’t meet her standards, so she put them down.”

Star chuckled. “Sounds fun. Was it warranted, though? I mean, did she know what she was talking about?”

“Moreso than the students,” Moonlight answered. “Want us to give you the cliff notes?”

“Please and thank you,” Star replied with a grateful nod.

So, Thomas and Moonlight ran through the presentation’s premise, each transformation, and some of Subtle’s more noteworthy remarks, all while omitting the parts about Thomas. They stopped just as the dragon caught the mouse.

“Subtle paused the lecture to ask the audience how they’d get out of that mess,” Moonlight explained. “Out of curiosity, what would you do?”

“Well, my transformation ability is virtually nonexistent,” Star admitted. “However, assuming I had some specialized mana crystals to do the heavy lifting for me, I don’t think I’d have gotten that far.”

“How so?” Moonlight asked.

“Well, Mim cheated from the start. After that, all bets are off. Assuming I already knew that she was the sort of pony who cheats, I’d have planned ahead and brought some sleeping potions. I’m good at those.”

“Clever,” Jet praised.

“Well, what if there isn’t time to make any potions?” Moonlight asked.

Star beamed and fished around in her materials until she pulled out a corked test tube with a clear pink liquid inside. “Enchanted, so it doesn’t break by accident, only by intent,” she bragged. “Never leave home without it.”

Jet didn’t say that she liked this mare, but her expression probably betrayed her thoughts.

“Alright, but what if you’re both completely naked, so there’s nowhere to hide any potions?” Moonlight added.

Star chuckled. “It might not be dignified, but I’d slip it in my butt when she isn’t looking.”

“That’s gross,” Moonlight deadpanned.

“Whaaat?” Star asked with a broad grin. “It’s small enough, so I’d just put it between my cheeks. Not… you know…” she bashfully trailed off, her meaning clear.

“That’s still gross, not to mention poor form,” Moonlight gently chided.

“To be fair,” Thomas interceded. “In this scenario, she’d only use the potion after Mim already cheated, right?”

“Exactly. After the first cheat, all rules are off the table, and it turns from an ‘honorable duel,’” Star said in air quotes, “into a fight. Sticking to the rules after that is just naïve idealism.”

“Ya know, since it’s a duel to the death, aren’t both parties incentivized to cheat anyway?” asked Thomas.

“That’s still dishonorable,” Moonlight countered.

Thomas shrugged. “So? If my life is on the line, I don’t really care. Also, if we’re dueling, I probably don’t like the person anyway, so I’m doubly incentivized to cheat.”

“My thoughts exactly,” agreed Star. “A proper match in the ring is one thing, but… Let me put it this way. If Thomas’ life were on the line, can you honestly say you’d stick to the rules? Even if the other pony plays fair, I’d still do whatever it took to protect my herd.”

Moonlight puttered her lips. “Well, obviously, I’d do the same, but I feel like we’ve gotten away from the point. You were supposed to say how you’d defeat a dragon with only transformation magic.”

“Correct,” agreed Star. “You asked me, and I outmaneuvered you. Therefore, I won,” she boasted like a triumphant kindergartener.

Moonlight snorted her annoyance, only to chuckle. “You sound just like you did back when we were little. Nice to see some things haven’t changed.”

“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” Star replied with a smile. “Anyway, what would you two do?” she asked. Then, looking at Jet, she added, “You guys saw the original lecture, so don’t let them cheat.”

Jet nodded and turned her scrutinizing eyes upon the herded pair.

Moonlight’s lips twisted as she thought. She’d felt so smart back during the lecture, but it seemed that the lesson hadn’t quite taken.

“What was that you said about mana crystals?” Thomas asked.

“Specialized mana crystals,” Star clarified. “You can not only store magic in them, but inscribe runes that help with certain spell matrixes. They’re pretty pricey, so unless you know ahead of time that you’re going to need that particular spell, you probably wouldn’t even think to get one. Dream Walkers use them a lot since, while we might be good at dream manipulation, a lot of us aren’t too good at combat magic that isn’t necessarily dream-related, so the crystals give a needed boost.”

Thomas nodded as he thought. “Well, assuming that cheating is on the table—”

“Which it shouldn’t be,” Moonlight interjected.

“—I think I’d pull an anime,” Thomas finished.

“I have no idea what that means,” Star admitted while sounding intrigued.

“Wait, anime is just the animated version of those comics Honey likes, right?” inquired Moonlight.

“Yeah. In this case, assuming I survived the gator”—Thomas snickered at the absurdity of it all—“I’d become a rock on the ground. Then, using the ground for leverage, I’d become a giant stone spike and go right for the gator’s gut. Classic anime move.” He continued chuckling at what felt like a grade school discussion, only to notice that all three mares were staring at him. “What?”

“Using the ground as leverage to propel yourself at your opponent…” Jet muttered. “That’s actually clever.”

Thomas brought up a halting finger. “Hey, remember what we were saying earlier. I’m just copying what I saw from other people.”

“We should probably write some of this down,” Moonlight suggested. “Star, do you think you could—?”

“Here.” Star hurriedly handed over the writing implements. “Just make sure to give me a copy. I think my commanders would like to hear some of these.”

Jet tapped at her ear while pretending to scratch. She didn’t need to speak for Firestorm to catch the hint. He would be annoyed at the implication that he wasn’t already taking notes, and that’s what mattered most.

“Well, alright,” Thomas allowed as he watched Moonlight scribble away. “But I’d just like to reiterate that I didn’t actually come up with that. It’s just something I saw a lot in… stories,” he said, self-censoring for Star.

“So?” Star dismissively asked. “Except for Moonlight’s signature spell, do you think she came up with all her moves on her own? I doubt it. She had trainers who taught her the basics, and then she built her style around that. Just because her technique isn’t completely original, that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt if she decides to kick my flank.”

“Only if you deserved it,” Moonlight assured. “Oh, gator spear,” she said while quickly writing. “That’s a good name for an attack.”

“Yeah, but that was also his plan,” Star reminded. “How would you deal with the dragon?”

Moonlight chewed on her lip as she thought. “Oh, I know. Sneezing nettles. If I work the spell right, I could wrap my vines around her face until she inhales. I’d have to let go before the sneezing fits start, but her concentration would be critically hampered. Plus, at least every third sneeze would probably trigger a random transformation. If my response time is better than hers, I can take advantage of the first weak transformation she goes through.”

“Oooh, that’s good,” praised Star.

“I guess I was right to suggest games,” Thomas added. “This feels just like a D&D discussion.”

“A what?” Star asked.

“Oh, I guess you’d call it O&O,” Thomas corrected. “I think that’s basically what we’re doing right now, just making stuff up to deal with the game master’s challenge. It’s just like what kids do on the playground; only we pretend it’s sophisticated because there’s charts.”

“Hmm, now there’s a thought,” Moonlight suggested. “We could remake a version of O&O for the classroom to make learning more fun and engaging for younger students. Although, I doubt the teachers would be too happy with allowing all this cheating.”

Star nodded. “True. These fuddy-duddies are sticklers for tradition, even when it’s detrimental.”

Thomas chuckled. “I just thought of this one story from my… home. It was about this guy who’d go on to become one of the best captains in the fleet. He was supposed to take this simulation test called the Kobayashi Maru, which is supposed to be a no-win scenario. The test is how a prospective captain handles certain failure. The student, Kirk, had already taken the test twice, which was basically unheard of. On the third attempt, he succeeded, but it was later found out that he cheated. He messed with the simulation because, in his own words, ‘I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.’ And the academy let him pass because they liked that kind of outside-the-box thinking.” When Thomas finished, he found all three mares staring wide-eyed at him. Shit, I did it again.

“You should have brought that up to Subtle,” informed Moonlight as she added to her notes. “That sounds like exactly the sort of thing she wanted to hear.”

Thomas huffed in amusement. “Funny how you always seem to think of the best things to say right after it’s too late.” He looked at Star. “Anyway, did you wanna hear how Merlin beat Mim?”

“Absolutely,” Star said with utmost seriousness.

“Well, he became a disease, which she caught,” Thomas finished.

Star snapped her fingers. “Yeah, that’d do it. Then again, you’d need to have rather extensive knowledge in virology to maintain proper control. When you change back, you’d need to leave enough of yourself behind so the illness lingers, but you also need to be careful that you don’t leave too much, or else risk a pandemic. Then there’s the labor of separating your consciousness off from the rest of the germ, so you don’t clone yourself. Not to mention—” Star stopped herself when she saw Moonlight’s teasing grin. “I let that get away from me, didn’t I?”

“A little, but I think that’s also the sort of thing Subtle wanted to hear,” Moonlight explained. “New ideas are all well and good, but we also need ponies to point out their downsides. The way you put it, becoming a germ actually sounds like more trouble than it’s worth, unless you just want to show off.”

“Which, if you could, you obviously would,” Star plainly asserted.

“Oh, definitely,” Moonlight agreed. “It’s like rubbing salt in the wound, showing off that you’re not only more capable, but more clever.” She and Star shared a mock-evil laugh before she gave Thomas a friendly smile. “It’s a unicorn thing.”

Blinking, Thomas turned to Jet. “Are there bat pony things?”

“Aside from hanging from ceilings, not especially,” Jet evenly replied. “My kind are not innately prone to megalomania.”

“Hey, that’s offensive,” Star accused.

“It’s also true,” Moonlight matter-of-factly admitted.

“It’s still offensive. Wait.” Star turned to check a nearby clock. “Okay, good. You guys have a knack for eating up my time, but I’ve still got a bit. Anyway, if it’s not too personal, could you tell me more about this super checkup of yours?” she asked Thomas. “Dream Walkers are technically combat medics, so I know a lot of the doctors around here.”

Moonlight looked at Thomas, silently letting him know that this was his call.

The man shrugged, lifted, and rotated his hand for all to see. “Well, there’s been this weird tingling in my wrists. It doesn’t happen often, but we’re being careful by checking it anyway. And since the equipment at the castle hasn’t picked up anything, we came here for a super scan, or whatever they do.”

Star nodded thoughtfully. “I see. So, I take it that this isn’t a well-known human condition?”

Thomas shook his head. “Not really. There’s this thing called a carpal tunnel, but I don’t think I’ve done the right things to trigger it. Plus, the pain seems a little too random for that.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard of either,” Star apologetically admitted. “I can make some guesses, but if you’re already going to see a professional, then there’s no point. And, since you’re with Luna, I’m inclined to think that there aren’t any dream monsters involved. Those things generally aren’t suicidal to go anywhere near her.”

Moonlight chuckled.

“Any chance that it could be psychological?” Star pressed. “Like, maybe you’re responding to a particular kind of stress?”

Moonlight stared sternly at her man.

Thomas shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m no expert, but I’ve heard a little, and random wrist pain like this doesn’t fit anything I can think of. It’s a total mystery.”

Star’s frown grew. “You seem awfully calm for a mystery medical condition.”

Thomas lightly chuckled. “I have weird reactions, even by human standards. Right now, I don’t think it’s quite registered as real. I’m a little anxious, sure, but it helps to keep distracted with stuff like this.” He gestured around his present company. “Also, as Moonlight just reminded me, there’s nothing I can really do anyway, so there’s no point in fretting.”

Star nodded. “Interesting. Well, that sounds like a healthy response. Whatever it takes to keep calm is probably for the best.”

Thomas frowned. “The way you say that makes me wonder if ponies react differently.”

“A little,” Star admitted. “Keeping yourself distracted from negativity is good. Although ponies, especially mares, prefer to do things. We like to tackle problems head-on and be proactive in what happens.”

“Huh. Humans are the same; only it’s the guys who are the proactive ones. I once heard that old human funerals across multiple cultures followed the same basic formula. The women were given an area to grieve by emoting while the men had to do all the things for the funeral. Whether it was prepping the body, or doing a ceremonial dance, or even bungee jumping. If the culture said that these things were necessary to help the loved ones pass on, the men did it, and that was how they dealt with grief.”

“That’s interesting,” Moonlight commented. “I think I read that ancient pony cultures did something similar, only it wasn’t so exclusive. Both mares and stallions spent a little time with emoting and funeral work, but it was mostly the mares working, with stallions mostly emoting. It’s fascinating all the little ways we’re different, but also similar.”

Fascinating is certainly one word for it, Jet thought.

“Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Star said. Then, checking the clock, she stood and gathered her materials. “I have to go now. But hey, in case it’s psychological, I can guarantee the Dream Walkers won’t let you down.”

“It was good to see you again.” Moonlight stood and heartily embraced her old friend.

“Likewise,” Star grunted as she returned the guard’s squeeze and finished with sharing cheek kisses. She then gave Moonlight a slip of paper and added, “Here’s my new mailing address. Send me any other cool ideas you come up with, and don’t be a stranger this time.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Thomas stood and was about to extend his hand to shake, only for the mare to scoop him up in a fierce hug, winding him.

“You be sure to look after Moonlight, little guy. Don’t let her get into too much trouble.”

“No promises,” Thomas chuckled, doing his best to return the embrace.

Smiling in approval, Star kissed Thomas’ cheek before setting him down and departing once again.

“Ponies sure are friendly,” Thomas remarked as he touched his cheek’s wet spot.

“Only with those we like,” Moonlight informed.

“Say, was there any rule about not eating before the checkup?” Thomas asked.

Moonlight shook her head. “Hungry?”

“I could eat.”

The trio went to the local cafeteria to grab a quick bite. Even Jet munched on an energy bar while standing.

“Are you doing alright?” Moonlight asked after Thomas stared too long at his burger.

“Eh, I guess Star got me thinking about the exam. It should be like what we did back at the castle, right? I stand in the machine, and it does all the work, only it’s a slightly bigger machine this time?”

“I think so,” Moonlight agreed. “Is there something you’re worried about?”

Thomas shrugged. “It’s probably nothing. I’m just a fan of how magic is, ya know, minimally invasive. Not much needles or thermometers or whatever.”

“There might be a little, but I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Moonlight promised. “Be grateful you’re in the Princess’ good graces. Otherwise, all of these tests would be obscenely expensive.”

“I’m grateful to have a sugar mamma,” Thomas remarked and took another bite.

Maybe this part was a bit of a lazy recap of the last installment. However, I like Star, and I wanted an excuse to bring her back. You guys have probably picked up by now that I’m not the best planner. I’ll spend several chapters setting up characters who seem like they’ll play a bigger part later, only write them out of the story or just forget about them because I couldn’t think of a way to bring them back. With that said, I’m hoping that things will be different for Star. She’s more of a brainy type, and her interactions are fun to write. Here’s hoping I can follow through with my plans for this one.

Plus, I threw in a follow-up to how the orthodox in magical thinking really needs a kick in the pants, especially regarding combat. While ponies aren’t completely helpless, it’s been too long since they’ve had a real fight with a worthy foe. They’ve gone unchallenged for too long, leading to stagnation. And for as much as Jet distrusts what she sees as humanity’s war-like nature, an injection of new ideas couldn’t hurt, especially given upcoming events.

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