Spoiled Rich smirked to herself as she strode towards Ponyville School. Arranging an emergency vote was almost too easy. With that incident from yesterday, these idiot commoners were much more panicky than usual. A few words here and there and she’d have both that stallion and his whole freakish family thrown out of town.

Which was why it was such a surprise to see that stallion casually lounging around outside the schoolhouse, reading the morning paper and drinking a cup of coffee. He glanced up to look at her, before returning to the crossword. “Eleven letters for narcissistic,” he muttered.

“W-What are YOU doing here?” Spoiled exclaimed. How was he here? Did he know about the meeting and planned to sabotage her? Or maybe he’d threaten her again?

“Oh nothing much, just stopping you from breaking your own charter,” Aspect replied, reaching into his saddlebags and reading from a sheet of paper. “In the event that an emergency vote is called for to discuss a teacher’s behavior, the teacher in question must be present so that they may defend themselves. Standard stuff really, just saving you the trouble of tracking me down.”

Spoiled snorted. “That only applies to ‘official’ teachers hired by the School Board, not… barbaric drifters like yourself.”

“Actually, I think you’ll find,” Aspect returned as he rummaged in his pack, before pulling out another form. “That even when I was hired on, the form said supplementary teacher. I do believe Cheerilee has the authority to hire on whoever she deems worthy for that position, am I right? After all, the School Board is so busy with matters beyond her understanding.”

Spoiled growled under her breath. That Cheerilee was a pain in the flank. If she wasn’t such a good teacher, she’d have her fired as well. Hmm… now there’s an idea~

“Fine,” she said. “Do come inside then. I’m sure this day will turn out alright after all.”

“A word to the wise, before you begin,” Aspect returned as he put all his paper in one saddlebag. “This is your last chance to call this off. You can’t imagine the bog you’re about to set hoof in if you do call for a vote. I won’t have you saying the phrase ‘you didn’t warn me.’”

“Humph! If you think paltry threats are going to dissuade me, you are sorely mistaken,” Spoiled huffed and walked inside, waiting for Aspect to bear before closing the door in his face. Aspect didn’t even flare his wings before a massive gale blew the doors open for him, allowing him to stroll in and carefully ignore the mess he’d made of her mane.

“Did I forget to mention I’m a master of Aeromancy? Silly me. I’m just so used to using the wind to do things for me, I forgot to mention it,” the pegasus replied as he walked past her.

Spoiled bit her lip to suppress the scream of rage as she fixed her mane and walked in after him. Sitting in the room were a few ponies, one was a stallion with a silver coat and a white mane and tail. His cutie mark was a trio of silver bars.

Miss Cheerilee was there, as well as a half dozen mares and stallions Aspect hadn’t met before.

“So,” the silver stallion asked as Aspect and Spoiled entered the room. “What’s this meeting all about?”

“Apparently miss Spoiled here finds some issues with my teaching methods,” Aspect replied as he sat at a chair. “And she honestly thinks that calling me here at an ungodly hour is going to accomplish anything. I would have preferred to do this sort of thing after lunch, after seeing to my children and making sure my hospitalized son is okay, tending to my garden, things like that. But some ponies simply have to prove they’re better than others.”

“Yes, because your personal life is so much more important that the amount of property that was damaged yesterday because of your… supposed teachings,” Spoiled sniffed. “The town was turned upside down yesterday, and as if having that purple unicorn here inviting disaster on a weekly basis wasn’t enough.”

“To be fair,” Cheerilee pointed out. “Ruby, Sweetie and Dinky did apologise for it and spent the whole day helping clean up the mess, without magic I might add.”

“And it wouldn’t have happened at all if this stallion thought it’d be a good idea to teach such dangerous magic to mere children!” Spoiled continued, the silver stallion and a few others nodded in agreement.

“Tell me,” Aspect said softly. “Do you know how dangerous an Earth Pony is? How little force it would take to cave in a ribcage? One well-timed buck, that an untrained foal could do, and somepony would need serious hospitalization.”

The room had fallen deathly silent at that. Even Spoiled Rich couldn’t refute that.

“How about a pegasus learning to fly?” Aspect continued. “They might take their friends up and up and up...and not have had their parents yet teach them that only pegasus ponies can walk on clouds. Or a unicorn throwing rocks around. They could easily put eyes out. The point I’m trying to make here, is everypony can be dangerous. I don’t see you doing something about everypony.”

“Because everypony knows that,” Spoiled scoffed. “You’re teaching pegasi and earth ponies how to use magic! You’re only making them more dangerous!”

“Now look here,” Cheerilee started as she rose to her hooves. “You can’t just—”

“Oh yes, thank you for volunteering,” Spoiled sneered. “He would be doing as such if it wasn’t for your brilliance. Tell me Cheerilee, would you let any random stranger come off the streets and near our children? Relations to the Princesses or not, he is a stranger and you leave him alone with our foals!”

That seemed to get a rise out of the other ponies as their frowns started to turn to glares at the earth pony mare.

“Actually,” Aspect spoke up, raising a wing. “I have never once conducted any of my own special classes with the chosen pupils without her supervision. Even she is being educated in the ways of Geomancy, and she can pull the plug on this operation at any point in time, and I will listen to her implicitly. The only reason I continue to teach the foals is not for the money, which, let’s face it, even if you doubled the small salary Cheerilee is able to afford to pay me, wouldn’t be enough for anypony to live on, but because I enjoy seeing the foals’ happy smiles. Actually, while I think about it, miss Cheerilee, what do you get paid?”

“I doubt what Miss Cheerilee gets paid is any of your business,” the silver stallion said curtly. “We’re here to discuss about the dangers of you teaching your strange magic to foals!”

“Au contraire,” Aspect retorted, pointing a wing at him. “It is highly important the amount of funds Cheerilee has access to. Both for herself and for the classroom. If she is able to live a better life, come into work well-rested and prepared for the day ahead, then she would be able to hold her head up high with pride when she says that she is a teacher for such a diverse community as Ponyville. And the more things she can afford to educate the foals on, the more opportunities they have access to later in their lives. So that she doesn’t have to hire whoever she can manage, but has options in what they’ll learn, I request to know exactly what she has access to, and whether or not her funding is comparable to other teachers across Equestria.”

“I’ll have you know she receives the same wage as any other teacher of her skill, and of a class her size,” the silver stallion said.

“Four hundred, fifteen bits a week,” Cheerilee said plainly. “Before taxes.”

“Foals are the future,” Aspect replied simply. “Would you want any foal to have to say they didn’t know how to best go about solving a problem because they didn’t learn the skills to do as such in their school? What a dark and dreary place the future would be, if they didn’t know how to solve anything that came their way, didn’t dream, didn’t hope to make the world a better place. I motion that the board look into the effects of a higher-paid teacher’s effects on their students and apply the same research to the same school they’re sending their own foals to.”

The Board looked at one another, Cheerilee gaping at Aspect like he’d grown a third head. This wasn’t the first time she’d brought up a pay rise, but she’d been ignored almost every time. If it wasn’t for the fact that teaching was the only thing she knew how to do…

“And I motion for the board to consider what will happen if this madstallion is allowed to teach his dangerous magicks,” Spoiled continued. Then he caught a look in her eye… one he did not like in the slightest. “Dangerous magicks that put his own son in the hospital mind you. In an attempt to create an alicorn!”

You could have heard a pin drop as the room fell silent and all eyes looked at Aspect.

“Actually, the truth of the situation is that there is in fact a new alicorn in Ponyville, but he is quite weak at the moment,” Aspect agreed with a shrug. “He is the alicorn of Art, near as I can figure. But becoming one is not without its drawbacks. He is currently sensitive all over his body, most notably his new horn, along with his wings and hooves. Anypony that doubts this is free to look him up in the hospital, under the name of ‘Realm.’ And while he is a practitioner of one sort of magic that I teach, it is not that that brought him low. It is an art that I am not proficient in, and his act of living for it and nothing else. I was half thinking of putting on an art show in my home, to allow all to see and be inspired.”

“A likely story,” Spoiled scoffed. “Silver tongue spinning lies and slander. I bet your boy believes every word too doesn’t he?”

“There are only three alicorns,” the silver stallion added. “One simply does not… become an alicorn. Else we’d have a whole lot more of them.”

“Likely an attempt to overthrow the very princesses he claims to serve,” Spoiled said.

“Believe what you will, ponies have free will to think what they want,” Aspect shrugged. “I can only offer the proof that exists. Although if one of you wants to go check on my word, by all means, I’ll wait for you to confirm it. You need only glimpse his wings and horn to see that I hide nothing from you. Meanwhile, you have a mare who only thinks to attack my honest word sitting next to you. Remind me, which was an aspect of Harmony, again? Was it Honesty, or Spite?”

“Oh, we aren’t doubting he became an alicorn, I’ve already seen him for myself,” Spoiled replied. “What we’re doubting is the method you claim he became one, and the fact our own foals are left in your hooves, and that a teacher we supposedly trust is allowing this!”

“I will admit, in a moment where I was looking after my other charges, I took my eyes off of Realm and allowed him to do as he would,” Aspect nodded. “I taught him everything I could, and then he outstripped me and proved himself my better in the realm of the arts I taught him. He ended up nearly sacrificing his all to bring to life one painting. One glorious creation, that now hangs in my drawing room. The onus lies on me for not wondering what he was up to sooner, but he was brought to medical attention in time. As for your other claims,” Aspect replied, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a letter, displaying the crest in wax for all to see.

The symbol of the sun. More importantly, the symbol of Celestia’s cutie mark.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware,” Aspect said softly. “Forging a royal seal is grounds for imprisonment.” He then passed the scroll over to Cheerilee, for her to read aloud to the gathering.

To whom it may concern.

This stallion, the one by the name ‘Balanced Aspect’, has been a treasured Knight of the Two Princesses for most of his life. While he may come across as curt or even a little smug, his sense of honor and duty know no limits.

Over the years, he has taken many a young under his wing, to either care or teach them in whatever manner he could. All had lived better, enriched lives as a result. What they can do, what they ‘could’ do and what they ‘did’. All because of the generosity and care Aspect has shown.

Discounting the countless times he has saved all of Equestria from the horrors that even your deepest nightmares couldn’t hope to conjure, a little leeway in his attitude is given. Most would have lost their minds at what he has lived through.

Why I remember one such pony, Opulent Riches. While Aspect may not recall every student he has had, I’m sure even he would remember that little hoofull of a filly…

Cheerilee paused in her reading and raised an eyebrow. Spoiled sat there for a moment… before her eyes started to widen.

“Took ages to learn that the best things in life weren’t things that you bought, but things you nurtured and cared for,” Aspect replied, nodding his head. “Became a better pony for it. Don’t know what happened to her after that.”

“You know…” Cheerilee smiled and looked at Spoiled. “Wasn’t your great grandmother named…”

“Enough of this farce!” Spoiled stomped a hoof. “We already knew he has the Princesses favour!”

“So what’s good enough for the Princess, is not good enough for you?” Aspect questioned the board. This was the crucial moment. Ponies were herd creatures. The Princess was seen as the leader of the herd. If they thought they would be breaking away from the herd by defying her...

The board looked amongst themselves, before the silver stallion looked back at him.

“The Board moves to postpone any decisions until further studies can be made. That will be all.”

“My thanks,” Aspect said with a nod. “I’m sure that the board won’t hold these magical hiccups against my charges too badly. You don’t make a unicorn foal pay for the damages it causes when it has magical surges, after all, or a pegasus foal pay for all the delicate vases it knocks over. Or all the things an Earth Pony foal breaks when they start getting their strength.”

All the Board members left, one by one until just Spoiled Rich remained. And she looked none too amused as she glared at him.

“You can’t hid behind the Princesses tails forever,” she glowered. “You’ll slip up and reveal yourself for what you truly are. And I’ll be there to say ‘I warned you!’” And with that, she flicked her tail across his muzzle as she walked out of the room.

“And that, is how you outstubborn a rich mare,” Aspect said to nopony. “Divert the conversation, bring up any amount of other topics, and always, always, be honest, even while you’re bringing up all manner of skeletons in their closets. Proving you have nothing to hide while showing they do.”

“Enjoying yourself father?” A voice echoed in his head.

“Oh, you know, just dealing with the messes I seem to leave in my wake for once,” Aspect mentally replied. “I do hope you had nothing to do with that Sorcery getting out of hoof.”

“Who me? Now why ever would I want to teach the fillies a valuable lesson like what would happen if their powers are misused? Honestly father, you think so little of me.”

“Mmhmm. And I’m sure helping them remember the first lesson a little more wasn’t a boon as well,” Aspect thought back as he made his way towards the hospital to check on Realm.

“Something about omelettes and eggs, that is the saying no?” Yggdrasil chuckled. “And tell me, what of my new baby brother? I hear that was quite the sight… despite a few kinks.”

“I wish you could see the painting he crafted, the things he made. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a full week to recover, though. He truly lived for the art in that moment. I can almost feel his essence in the things he made.”

“Yes, I hear his latest is quite the ‘blast from the past’ so to speak,” the tree replied. “But do try to keep a better eye on him eh?” The tree paused and decided to ask something else. “And… what is your goal with Loyalty? Why get involved with somepony with such a destiny?”

“She chose me, not the other way around,” Aspect replied. “She’s free to leave at any time. Anypony’s free to leave whenever they want. But as long as she’ll have me, I’ll strive to be at least as loyal to them as they are to me.”

“And you couldn’t have said no in the first place?” Yggdrasil pointed out. “Tell me father, why get embroiled in this. You know she has a great destiny awaiting her, along with the other Fragments of myself. One that may very well put you in danger as well. Even now, I can see Fate shifting, changing...”

“Then I will deal with the hand I have been dealt when the time comes,” Aspect replied. “There are things I know that none are permitted to understand, comprehend. I have an ace in the hole, as it were. Should any situation truly turn dire. I have prepared for it, for ages.”

“…” Yggdrasil remained quiet for a moment. It was his Power that let him see what was to come. And how he wanted tell of what he knew. But he could irreparably damage the future if he did.

“I know, my son. The fabric of Fate is your charge, and you wish to preserve it as best you can. You needn’t worry too much about your father. I’m hardier than I look. I’ll do my best to keep the future going. That’s what I’ve always done.”

“If only you could see what I can…” he sighed and decided to take a risk. “I foresaw Nightmare’s return. The seal weakening ever since my Fragments broke away from Tia… father, Nightmare wasn’t the only thing my Fragments sealed away…”

“I know,” the stallion replied, thinking of the statue he’d seen out the window in Canterlot. “When that day comes, that old ‘friend’ and I will have a discussion. One he won’t like.”

“I pray success finds you…” Yggdrasil said and brought up his third topic. “And… correct me if I am mistaken. But I thought I sensed the Aspect of Battle in Ponyville a while ago.”

“She attended the party, but only for a moment,” Aspect agreed. “I don’t know what we’ve done to her to make her so...antisocial. I’ve tried reaching out, over the years...she’s always shied away.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet again soon. Just keep in mind who she is alright?”

“I will try,” Aspect replied as he neared the hospital. “Stay safe.”

“You as well,” Yggdrasil replied before he cut the connection.

“Hello,” Aspect said to the nurse behind the desk after walking through the main doors of the hospital. “I’m here to check on Realm.”

The nurse’s look went from cheerful… to a deadpan expression. “Oh… him.”

“What did he do this time,” the stallion sighed.

“Please, explain to your son that while this is a hospital, we do not… ‘play Doctor’ here,” the nurse said in a tone that implied somepony had spent too long around Realm before realising the truth.

“I warned Redheart to warn you about him,” Aspect returned. “He’s just reaching that age. I tried to rein him in, but an aunt corrupted him quite thoroughly.”

“We were warned, but not quite prepared,” the nurse sighed. “Anyways, as long as he stays off of his hooves, he can return home. He’ll need bedrest for the rest of the week however.”

“So basically carry him home and make sure he doesn’t try walking anywhere,” Aspect summed up. “I can do that.”

“We have a wheelchair you could put him in,” the nurse said. They walked in as another nurse exited. It was Nursey Rhyme, the little filly nurse and she’d just spent the last hour talking to Realm.

In rhyme.

All. The. Time.

“I used to carry him when he was smaller, I can do it again if I have to,” Aspect replied. “Plus, I was never good at using those things.”

“Aright then,” she said and looked at Realm. “Good news… for us. You’re going home with your dad now.”

“Mmhmm,” Aspect replied, walking over to the colt and pulling him onto his back. “Bad news, you’re confined to bed until you fully heal.”

“Aw, what?!” Realm exclaimed. “Come on!”

“And no art supplies, since you tried hitting on your nurses.”

“That’s torture that is!” the young artist protested.

“Seems you have everything in hoof,” the nurse replied and pulled out a roll of tablets. “Give these to him, one every four to six hours. He’ll be fine soon enough.”

“Can do,” Aspect replied, sticking them in his bag and making sure everything was secure before nodding once. “Thank you for your service. Did you already take care of his shot as well?”

“Sure did, that was fun, wasn’t it kiddo?” the nurse flashed a dangerous smile. Realm whimpered and buried his face in his father’s mane.

“Aaah, kids, what else are you gonna do but scar them,” Aspect said fondly. “Welp, time to go home, say goodbye to the nurses Realm.”

The colt whimpered again.

“Goodbye,” they all smiled, that smile reminding him of what would happen if he tried that again.

This time Realm let out an actual cry as he did his best to squirm away from the nurses. Nurses who just continued to smile and wave as he left the hospital.

“Everypony in this town is mental,” Realm muttered as they left the hospital.

“You’re learning,” Aspect quipped.

Their trek home was a quiet affair. And when they returned home, Aspect found three Wonderbolts waiting for him. Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Soarin.

“Hello there,” Spitfire waved. “We’re here for our next lesson.”

“Gimmie just one minute to make sure everyone else is situated,” Aspect replied, looking back at Realm pointedly before returning to gazing at the Wonderbolts. “Though, thanks for showing up. I needed something to do to take my mind off the crazy that’s been going on as of late.”

“You live in Ponyville and you complain about the level of crazy?” Spitfire snorted. “That’s like living on the sun and complaining about the heat.”

“I just had to stop a Sorcery getting out of control, defend myself in an impromptu court full of rich, stuck-up snobs, and deal with my son ascending,” Aspect replied in a deadpan. “And that’s without the Bearers around to make it all worse.”

The three pegasi now pointedly stared at the tiny alicorn on his back, their eyes and mouths slowly widening in shock.

“Yup, Ponyville and everypony in it is crazy,” Aspect nodded before pushing the front door open. “Okay, be right back.”

Three minutes later, the stallion emerged again, humming happily to himself. “All right, fall in!” he told the Wonderbolts. The result was immediate, the three forming up and saluting with perfect precision.

“Okay, so, you all have learned how to draw your magic into your wings,” Aspect hummed. “Now I think we should focus on an exercise that you all might actually find difficult.” He raised a hoof and pointed it at them. There was a puff of air that came from it, blowing their manes back. “Channeling your magic into your hooves. You do it subconsciously when you cloudwalk or work with clouds. Channeling your magic into your hooves is more difficult. Done right, you can create little puffs like this one. Or…” He put his hoof back down and smiled at the Wonderbolts. With a puff of dirt, he was about a foot off the ground.

“Wait…” Spitfire held up a hoof. “Did you just generate wind through your hooves to achieve lift?”

“Mmhmm, points to the studious mare,” Aspect replied as he landed. “You can use this skill to generate thrust in any direction you point your hooves. Help make sharper turns mid-air, or take off from a standing start. Or if you wanted to get clever, you could use it to push a cloud along from a distance.”

“Interesting, we could stop rogue storms without getting too close,” Fleetfoot mused. “So I take it that that’s what we’re practicing today?”

“Mmhmm, and it’ll be a little harder than you’re used to,” Aspect returned. “If you just gather the energy in your hooves and give it a push, it’ll generate a puff of air. What I’m looking for is a coordinated four-hoof liftoff today. No wings. Just using the power that you can push through to your hooves to take off. Even if it’s just an inch of the ground, so long as you managed to push the power through all your hooves, it’ll count. Whoever gets to twenty-five first can take a break first.”

“Uh… Teacher bro?” Soarin lifted a hoof. “You gonna tell us how to do the wind hoof thing?”

“It’s simple, you call on the same sort of energy that you pushed through to your wings,” Aspect replied. “Only this time, you’ll be pushing it down into your hooves. Let it pool for a second or so, and then give it a shove outside your body. That’ll generate the wind. The trick is making sure all four hooves have an equal charge.”

“Ooohkay?” Soarin looked at his hooves. So, they’d be trying to fly… with their legs?

Spitfire was the first to try, but her wings twitched and she accidentally used last week’s lesson. Getting a little airborne with her wingpower, she swore and lowered herself back down to try again.

“Nice to see the lesson still stuck,” Aspect smirked. “I know your instinctive response is to use your wings, you’re pegasi after all. That’s why this lesson is so hard. You have to avoid your wings and still take off. It confuses most.”

Spitfire nodded, then her eyes opened as she got an idea. “Hey teach?... Got any rope?”

“Aaah, I was wondering when somepony would ask!” the stallion smiled at them, before ducking inside for all of a second and pulling out three lengths of rope. “Most teachers bind their student’s wings before they start this lesson, I was waiting to see who would ask first! I wanted to see if you could do it without needing your wings bound, but if you ask, I can certainly do that for you.”

“Hehehe,” Soarin snickered. “Or maybe you were just waiting for Spitfire to ask you to tie her up?”

“S-Shut up!” Spitfire actually blushed. “Happen to have any muzzles as well Aspect?”

“Ohh, kinky,” Fleetfoot joined in with a giggle of her own, leaving Spitfire’s face to turn scarlet.

“Sadly I’m taken, so that won’t be happening,” Aspect returned as he pulled a length of rope over to Spitfire. “Okay, keep those wings folded,” he commanded the mare, before setting about winding the rope around her middle. A knot at the top made sure she wouldn’t be using her wings anytime soon.

She shifted around a little, it wasn’t too tight but her wings wouldn’t be able to move. “Perfect,” she mused as she stomped her hoof on the ground. “Okay, take two then!”

Aspect moved to Soarin and Fleetfoot, the latter deciding to make it as uncomfortable as possible for him with the sounds she made. Spitfire just rolling her eyes.

“Less yap, more flap,” she commanded. “Or… you know what I mean!”

“Yes Ma’am,” they saluted.

“Once again,” Aspect said as he sat in front of the three. “Pull your magic out of your core, hold it, and then send it down into your hooves. Then give the magic a shove out of your body.”

Soarin tried...only he pushed out of just his front hooves… which led to an impressive backfip and a faceplant that made his teammates wince.

“Half there,” Aspect stated. “Don’t worry. I’ve been informed that once you learn how to do it, it’s a trick that you don’t easily forget. Which is also the point of making you do it so many times.”

“Oh, untie me for a sec, I wanna show you something!” Spitfire said almost eagerly. Aspect rolled his eyes before pulling on the knot, causing the bindings to become undone in a second as the rope fell off her form.

She spread her wings and her teammates eyes widened. It was too late for them to escape as she slammed them down. There was a sound, like a heavy ‘whump’ and the blast of air that sent them tumbling head over hooves. With a single flap, the pegasus mare had launched several hundred meters into the air.

“She,” Aspect stated as he picked himself up and looked up at the speck she had become. “Has been practicing her pegasus magic building exercises.”

“Day and night…” Soarin groaned as he picked himself up for the second time in as many minutes. “Guess that Rainbow mare really ruffled her feathers. But yeah… Spitty’s training has been intense.”

“I can tell somepony is going to be put out of sorts when she hears about this,” Aspect snickered. “Oh well. So yeah, you all have pretty large pools to draw from. It’s just, awakening those pools to more active manipulation isn’t the...easiest thing. Unless you practice nigh-constantly.”

“Give her a month… maybe two and she’ll likely outperform you,” Fleet said as Spitfire landed, slamming back down into the ground with one hoof raised, looking a lot like a superhero from a comic book.

“So… how was that?” she asked, only slightly dizzy from the rapid ascent.

“Pretty good, especially for someone that only just learned about it,” Aspect nodded. “There are other ways to use that skill as well, which I’ll show you next time. But if you’re done showing off your impressive magic pool, we do have an exercise we’re trying to accomplish.”

“Oh… right,” Spitfire smiled sheepishly as her wings were bound again and they went back to the exercise. Soarin would faceplant a few more times, but it was Fleetfoot that actually managed to do it first. The mare hovered a few inches off of the ground, before the gusts died out and she dropped back down.

“Did… did I… do it?” she panted.

“Mmhmm,” Aspect smiled at her proudly. “Now, while the sensation is fresh in your mind…” he pointed a hoof at her. “Twenty four more reps! Don’t you dare forget how!”

“I take back what I said the other day,” Fleet sighed at Spitfire. “He’s waaay worse than you.”

“Yup! That’s why he’s great,” Spitfire chuckled as she started to get the hang of it as well. After a few hours, even Soarin was doing it, and eventually, Aspect had three hovering pegasi, wings bound, floating in front of him.

“Perfect!” Aspect cheered. “Okay. Now, do you all feel tired? Or do you think you’re up for another lesson right now? Answer honestly.”

Spitfire nodded. “While I’d like to say we could go…” the others nodded. “We’re a little beat. Is it okay if we rest up for a bit. Grab some lunch?”

“That’s fine,” Aspect replied, before pointing at the ground. “Land and I’ll take your bindings off, you all can go into town and grab a bite to eat.”

As he did, a voice called out and he saw Bon Bon trotting up the road towards them, a basket of sorts balancing on her back.

“Heeey! Aspect!” she called.

“Hello dear,” Aspect called to her. “Let me just see these featherdusters off and you and I can eat.” He winked at the Wonderbolts to show he wasn’t serious with his insult as the last binding was released.

“Ignore him,” Bon Bon said to them. “I figured he’d be putting you poor dears through Tartarus, so I made enough lunch for everypony.”

Fleetfoot and Soarin exchanged hoofbumps.

Spitfire spoke up however. “You really don’t have to do that Miss?”

“Bon Bon, and yes I do. Knowing Aspect, he was going to enjoy a delicious lunch while you lot had to go and buy your own?” She looked at the stallion with a raised eyebrow.

“I was perfectly willing to make my own, or buy my own, as my mood fancied,” Aspect retorted.

“Well, I’m here now,” Bon Bon nodded. “Have to make up for my absence anyway. Didn’t want my widdle snookums getting lonely~” She added a nuzzle for added effect.

“D’aawww,” Soarin and Fleetfoot snickered.

“It’s not like I didn’t have ten other things to take care of as well,” Aspect replied with a roll of his eyes before nuzzling back. “But yes, I do appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to visit me.”

“Well I heard that Realm got out of the hospital, and I feel bad I wasn’t able to visit him,” Bon Bon nodded. “And I know their food is terrible, so I figured I’d bring him a treat to cheer him up.”

The three pegasi caught the scent of what was in her basket and their stomachs gave a unified roar.

“Well, that settles that,” Bon Bon giggled. “Let’s go inside and I’ll prepare lunch.” She looked around and blinked. “Hmm, where’s Dashie?”

“She and the others are out of town, doing a thing,” Aspect replied, rolling his eyes as he led everypony inside. “Like things aren’t crazy enough without them anyways.”

“That Sorcery incident,” Bon Bon shuddered. “I figured that was three naughty fillies. It took all morning to clean my kitchen after that… ah well.”

Spitfire looked around the spacious kitchen until she spied a painting and trotted up to it. “Hey teach… Is this a painting of the Commander Hurricane?”

“After a fashion, yes,” Aspect replied, noting that the paintings had noticed the ‘fresh ponies’ and decided to act like normal for now. The moment Spitfire turned to look at him, Hurricane made a face at the mare behind her back.

“She was my idol growing up,” Spitfire smiled. “I was raised on her old war stories… wishing I could be at least half the mare she was. I mean, her single-hoofed assault on a Griffon slaver camp? That was legendary!”

The moment Spitfire turned back to look at the picture, Hurricane was in the same pose she had been when the ponies had entered the room. Now, though, a painting across the way was moving. Painted ponies were so mature, laughing at the fresh stock silently behind their backs.

Spitfire offered a salute to the old warmare, smiling at her. And then she was shocked out of her feathers when the painting saluted back.

Her eyes widened and in a flash, zipped behind Aspect. “Y-Yo teach… that… that painting moved!”

“I know,” Aspect replied, motioning to the table with a wing. “Sit down and try not to be too shocked. You must have impressed her if she saluted you.”

“I...I...what?” Spitfire blinked, now noticing that a lot of the paintings were moving.

“It’s like a freaking carnival,” Soarin whispered, sticking close to Fleetfoot.

“Think it’s haunted?” Fleet gulped.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes as she stirred the pot of soup. “Would you brushbrains quit teasing them, or I won’t give you the surprise I have.”

“Aww,” all the paintings said at once.

“We were having fun with the new ponies!” one spoke up, an image of Smart Cookie.

“Eh, they’re alright in my book,” Hurricane replied, puffing out her chest. “They at least know tales of us, so that’s something.”

“You like anypony that sucks up to your ego,” Starswirl snorted.

“Mares and stallion, Pictomancy,” Aspect explained. “The ancient art of bringing art to life. In the case of ponies and the like, you can make paintings with a populace that can talk back to you. I have to be careful thinking out loud in here, because the walls literally have ears and will talk back to me.”

“I… just…” Spitfire stared… mostly at Hurricane. “She heard all that!?”

“Ya damn right I did!” Hurricane replied. “Good on ya for knowing the tales! I was a master of the Gale King and Aeromancy back in the day, and if this runt of a pegasus is teaching you anything along those lines, then I’ll be damn proud to say I was the head of the Wonderbolts again!”

“Yeah, Spitfire’s totally awesome,” Soarin spoke up, much to his captain’s embarrassment. “She’s not captain of the Wonderbolts for nothing ya know!”

“I’ll hold my judgement until she learns the trick this runt of a featherhead can do,” Hurricane replied, before looking at Aspect. “When are you gonna show them how to throw lightning?”

All three Wonderbolts turned to look at the stallion.

“I’m gonna run them through basic air manipulation first,” Aspect replied. “Make it to where they can make a storm go away or come into being with a few well-applied flaps. Run through the aerial tricks they can pull off with the Gale King. Only when I’m sure they have the magic pools and fine control needed for it, will I teach them how to throw lightning around willy-nilly.”

“Good answer,” Hurricane nodded sagely. “It’s not a toy, it’s a tool. Remember that, featherheads. It’s not something you play with. It’s something you use for a purpose.”

“Obviously,” Spitfire snorted and shook her head. “We’re not foals Aspect. We know how to handle lightning.”

“One of the trainings we have to go though is weather manipulation,” Fleetfoot said. “Performances aside, the Wonderbolts are still a part of the Equestrian military.”

“One moment, that’s all it needs,” Aspect said. “One moment when you aren’t thinking about it. And the lightning you would use would backfire on you. Every time when I called it up before, I was able to hold it in check. Simply because I knew how to hold it, knew the trick to keeping it contained. If I failed that, at any moment, I would zap myself. And zapping yourself with the Gale King hurts. It’s all about a particular state of mind as you give it a spark of magic to start. And if you think of anything other than that trick to hold it…”

“It’s fine, we’re not going to ask for advanced techniques when we haven’t got the basics,” Spitfire said as Bon Bon placed some bowls of soup and hoofmade bread on the table for everypony.

“Mmhmm, wiser than half my students by far,” Aspect replied, before adopting a higher-pitched voice. “But sir, I wanna throw lightning around nooooow!” he mock-whined. “Only Realm was actually gifted enough to handle it,” the stallion muttered. “All the rest had to build up to it and didn’t manage it until they were stallions.”

“Well, Fleetfoot and I are screwed,” Spitfire chuckled, earning a small shake of her friend’s head.

“You know what I mean,” Aspect chuckled. “The colts came to me to be taught. For some reason.”

“While the fillies and mares, I handled,” Hurricane piped up. “Damn, I wish I wasn’t just a painted pony. I could give so many lessons!”

Spitfire turned, her eyes sparkling. “Any ideas or advice you have would be a great benefit Ma’am!”

“Hey, easy on the hero worship,” Hurricane chuckled, but ate it up all the same. “Well...okay. There’s gonna come a day when the runt there thinks you all are ready for lightning. And I’m gonna warn you all right now, it’s probably also gonna be his last lesson with you all. But training never ends. If you all actually can manage to throw around lightning, then you’ll be ready for the things I know.”

Spitfire’s tail might have been wagging at that particular piece of information.

“I left something in the Everfree painting,” Bon Bon said. “A little gift from Pinkie Pie… how she makes cakes out of paint is beyond me…”

“I’m not complaining,” Hurricane replied. “But I still don’t think any of us are ready to go into that place. Bucking thing nearly ate its maker.”

“Well it’s the only one I can enter,” Bon Bon replied. “Just get Starswirl to go and pick it up.”

“What am I? A messenger service?” the old stallion grumbled.

“Until Realm can get back on his hooves and do something about the way that painting feels, yes, yes you are,” Hurricane sniped back. “Unless the oh so powerful Starswirl the Bearded can accomplish it without him.”

“You know as well as I do that paintings are his department… and I’m only a copy of Starswirl… you puffed up old thunderhead.”

“Oh you are dead!” Hurricane called as she began flying through the paintings after the mage.

Said mage just stepped outside of his painting and into the kitchen, poking his tongue out at the pegasus mare.

“Little tip,” Aspect said to the other pegasi in the room. “Never call her old. Call her an old warmare, that’s the only way she’ll accept it.”

“Bah, that old windbag can go suck a cloud,” Starswirl chuckled as he left for the newest painting to fetch the cake.

“Well,” Aspect said, finishing off his lunch. “Whenever you all think you’re ready, I’ll give you a new exercise to practice at your own pace.”

“Cool,” Spitfire nodded and turned back to her soup. She dipped some bread and took a bite, her eyes widened. “Oh feathers, this stuff is amazing!”

“Marry me?” Soarin begged Bon Bon.

“Ohh, a proposal from a celebrity,” Bon Bon chuckled and bat her eyes at him.

“What, I’m not enough for you?” Aspect asked the candy mare.

“Well, I am pretty famous,” Soarin chuckled and buffed a hoof against his chest. Bon Bon smiled and kissed Aspect on the cheek.

“Flattered as I am, Aspect got to me first I’m afraid.”

“Well, hitting on my marefriend aside,” the stallion returned, kissing Bon Bon on the cheek as well, “I’ll be waiting for you all on the lawn. This particular exercise will be interesting.”

“I feel worried… should I be worried?” Soarin gulped.

“Probably, you hit on his mare you moron,” Fleetfoot chuckled.

“I wouldn’t worry,” Bon Bon smiled. “He’s not a vindictive stallion… I think.”

While Aspect was inflicting new tortures on the pegasus trio, Bon Bon headed upstairs to find Realm’s room. Pausing at the door, she raised a hoof and knocked.

“Come in,” she heard the colt call from inside the room. She nudged the door open and stepped inside… only to shake her head at the sight.

“Realm,” she said calmly. “Didn’t your father say ‘No art supplies’?”

“I’m just painting with them,” the colt replied, even though nothing was on his canvas. “It’s not Pictomancy, it won’t strain me.”

She looked at the paints and saw no Spectra paint amongst them. “Very well, just be careful okay?” She pulled up a stool and sat on it, sitting upright like Lyra often did. “You know, my mother’s a painter… turns out I didn’t have a hoof for it though… despite many, many lessons.”

“Some people just have a different knack for art,” Realm replied. “Or express themselves differently. There’s no one way to go about it.”

“True, and I found my love of creating candy,” she nodded. “I guess it’s art in it’s own way. It looks good, people enjoy it. Speaking of…” She pulled out a bowl and a hoof-sized loaf of bread. “I made you something to eat. Probably better than the dreck they gave you at the hospital.”

“Oh, thanks,” Realm said, looking at it. “Might as well, I’m not getting anywhere on my painting.”

“I imagine your wings and hooves hurting isn’t making it easy,” Bon Bon chuckled. “Did you need some help eating?”

“Yeah, probably,” Realm said with a wince as he tried to use a wing and flinched from the pain. Bon Bon nodded and lifted a spoonful of soup, blowing gently on it before holding it up to his mouth. He took a bite, the celery soup was cooked perfectly, the vegetables still crunchy and there was just a little bit of kick with the added herbs.

“Mmm...thanks,” Realm replied after gulping it down. “You’re right, it is better than the stuff at the hospital.”

“Well I should hope so,” Bon Bon nodded as she continued unto the bowl was empty, mopping up the rest with the bread. “And now… be a dear, close your eyes and open your mouth.”

Realm sat back, eyes closed and mouth open like instructed, waiting for whatever she had in mind. Then he felt something settle on his tongue, something… chocolaty~ He opted to close his mouth and savor the taste instead of say anything about it.

Bon Bon waited until the chocolate melted… and he reached the popping candy inside…

“Mm!” the colt exclaimed, opening his eyes as he felt the candy pop on his tongue. “Tingly!”

“I thought you might not have had that before,” Bon Bon smiled. “My own invention actually. You like?”

“Didn’t know you could do this!” the colt replied, swishing the candy around. “Pretty neat!”

“Mhm, though unicorns give me an odd look when they try it… but nopony will tell me why,” Bon Bon sighed. “It was Lyra’s idea actually. I just made it a reality.”

“That’s what art is,” Realm replied as the candy stopped popping. “Having the courage to take dreams and imagination and make them real in one way or another.”

“Thanks kiddo,” Bon Bon smiled and placed a light kiss on his forehead. “Now you rest up and get better quick okay? Everypony’s worried about you.”

“I’ll try, but no promises,” Realm returned as he lay back on his bed. “My everything hurts…”

“Hmm… well, maybe I'll sneak you some ice-cream after dinner,” Bon Bon smiled.

“Ice cream?” Realm asked with a tilted head.

Bon Bon paused, blinked and looked at him. “You’ve… never had ice-cream?”

“Why would you freeze cream?” Realm asked. “That sounds unappetizing.”

“Hmmm…” Bon Bon tapped her chin. “Well I won't spoil it for you. Only that this will change your life.”

“I doubt it,” Realm scoffed. “I coulda been a knight if I didn’t like painting as much as I do. You’ll have to try hard to ‘change my life.’”

“Well see~” Bonnie sang as she got up. “Anything else you need kiddo?”

“Anything that dulls pain would be great,” the colt replied. “The stuff they gave me is wearing off…”

“I'll go and see what's in the medicine cabinet,” Bon Bon said and trotted off, returning a few minutes later with a small bottle with a red liquid inside. “Here we are, one painkiller potion.” She uncorked it and held it up to his lips. The colt thankfully drank down a little of the potion, sighing in relief as he felt it get to work.

“Oooh, that’s better,” he sighed.

“I can imagine,” Bon nodded. “Do you have any requests for dinner?”

“Anything that is better than what they served me,” Realm replied. “I like your cooking, miss Bon Bon.”

“Such a charmer,” the mare smiled. “But none of this ‘Miss’ stuff. I'm not that old.” She kissed his forehead again, tucked in his blankets and trotted from the room.

“You’re very good with him,” she heard from a nearby painting. Turning to look revealed Private Pansy staring down at her with a kind smile.

Bon Bon put a hoof to her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. “I will never get used to that,” she sighed and looked at the painted mare. “Um… Pansy right?”

“That’s right, and it’s rare to find somepony that can put up with Realm’s...quirks,” the mare replied. “Most get driven off by his attitude.”

“Oh he's alright,” Bon Bon smiled. “Besides, it's only natural for a colt his age to be curious about mares. Hmm, I wonder if Aspect ever gave him The Talk?”

“Hurricane, the real one, did that ages ago,” Pansy giggled. “He knows a lot already.”

“Ahh,” Bon Bon nodded and a thought occured. “I wasn’t too… motherly was I? I don't want him to think I'm trying to take her place or anything!” The mare was actually looking a little panicked now.

“Realm’s tale is a little different from Celestia and Luna’s,” Pansy explained. “They didn’t have the same mother at all, but manticores did play a factor in how they came to Aspect’s care.”

“Oh no…” Bon Bon put a hoof to her mouth. “I'm so sorry.”

“It’s fine, it really is,” Pansy smoothed over. “Realm’s been needing a good conversation partner...besides one that he’s painted. It’s nice to see him connecting with ponies in the new age we’re all in.”

“Well he seems to get along with Twilight pretty well,” Bon Bon smiled.

“Mm, and I hope he makes more friends,” Pansy added as she nodded her head. “But for now, you should probably go on to making that dinner you talked about.”

“Oh! Right!” Bon Bon exclaimed and cantered down the hall, yelling out a farewell.

“She’ll do well in this family,” Pansy smiled to herself as she watched the mare go.

Author's Notes:

Hey, a chapter released on time! Who'da thunk it?

Spoiled Rich does not know the mountain keep which she is assailing.

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