superspyro3000

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 9- DualCore’s Genius Plan The arrangement at Sugarcube Corner did not work out as planned. Pinkie Pie was not normally let down, but it was suddenly clear how difficult it was going to be to help DualCore on his first assignment. The odds were stacked against him. If even she couldn’t make it any easier, then maybe he was destined to fail after all. DualCore kept his cupcakes in several large to-go boxes, and carrying the bag on his back, he shuffled home. Once more, there were no detours, no additional stops. All on his mind was the swirling torrent of vicious remarks. One second he could hear,“You never belonged here!” The next second he heard, “Go away!” More and more of these phrases played out, keeping DualCore awake in the late night. DualCore’s bedroom was still that sickeningly adorable pink color. He did not bother to repaint the walls, or the floor. He did not want to get out of his bed, but at the same time, he could not relax. His brain had hundreds of insults and jeers blasting at him with relentless fury. He couldn’t help but imagine himself back at Celestia’s throne room, surrounded by Princesses awaiting his punishment. The vision was so clear he had to wonder whether he was dreaming or not. By morning, he was simply exhausted. He couldn’t tell if he got any sleep that night, or if he was in a dream. But he solemnly picked up his bag and trekked his way alone to the School of Friendship. Rainbow Dash’s loyalty class was not particularly DualCore’s favorite class. Rainbow Dash’s injuries had finally healed enough to get her out of the full body cast, but the other students still eyed him uncomfortably, reminded that he was the reason she was injured so badly. Of all the classes, he shrunk down the most here, actively trying to keep his footprint in the class as small as he could. While Rainbow Dash wrote on the chalkboard on the defining characteristics of a loyal friend, DualCore was passed down a note. Unusual, to say the least, but he silently took the note and read it. “You will never belong here. Go home, freak!” The other students were suddenly staring at him intensely, as though daring him to leave. Another note fell upon his desk. “You are a sick and twisted monster!” From outside the window, the once blue sky had turned an unsettling orange. Rainbow Dash’s lecture was no longer recognizable from the whispers of “Nobody likes you” and “Just get out of here” and the countless other comments rumbling around him. A deep rage started to boil from within. DualCore was losing himself. One more message fell upon his desk. “You ugly horned mule! Everyone hates you!” This had gone too far. DualCore was so angry that he tried to fight. He was weighed down to his desk. He couldn’t even lift his hooves to break free. He was too weak. Rainbow Dash was no longer lecturing. She too was now sneering at DualCore, spewing the same comments as the students. Several other students peeking outside the classroom door also scorned. Something snapped inside of DualCore. A point of no return. His horns began glowing, not the brilliant gold he once remembered, but black, heavy enough to obscure each horn in a void. The black aura was consuming him, malforming his horns until they curled back, pointing inwards like thick hooks. His eyes inverted, and a shadowy blue haze engulfed his vision. Next second, his teeth sharpened, growing fangs like a bat. His aura swelled, engulfing his entire desk. The students quickly began cowering away. There were no more whispers. No more sounds. Everything became deathly still around DualCore, who was now completely unrecognizable. After what seemed like a minute of silence, all of the noise came back to the classroom so intensely the school began to quake! The magic around DualCore had lost control. The aura swelled once more, consuming everything around, turning all it touched to dark flames. The darkness had grown to such a feat that the whole class was blinded by pitch black, consumed by fires that made the flames of Tartarus look cute. Everyone was screaming DualCore’s name, pleading for mercy, but it was too late. The entity that had taken over may as well have been deaf. The cries only grew louder, everyone desperately calling for him. “Dualcore!!! DualCore!!!” They got louder and louder until- POW!!! DualCore was woken up with such a jolt his papers flew off his desk. He was panting heavily, clearly in a cold sweat. He looked sick, from his shaking pale fur, to his baggy eyes. “Hey, Two-horns, you can sleep after class!” Said Rainbow Dash. She dropped a textbook with an ear splitting thud to wake DualCore up. If the other students weren’t watching before, they did now. DualCore was shaken, so much so that his normally blank and silent demeanor was broken. He did not look this frightened since the trial. What even was this, he thought astonishedly. He could not remember ever becoming such a hideous… whatever he was in his life. Though, he still had large, vacant pockets in his memory. DualCore had to remind himself that he did not have powers anymore, and that whatever this was, it was all just a dream. It did not stop the fact that this nightmare haunted him, and not in the usual way a nightmare would. Something about it felt more real, as though it possibly could have happened before. Dreams don’t become this vivid. The rest of Rainbow Dash’s class went on as normal, the scare of DualCore waking up from his daydream ultimately checked off as just something that happened. As everyone was dismissed, Rainbow Dash stopped DualCore in his tracks. “Stay here for a second.” She said bluntly. DualCore sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned around to face her. “What did I do this time?” He asked exasperatedly. “Nothing. Look… are you sleeping okay?” Rainbow Dash asked, meeting DualCore’s baggy eyes. “Because you look awful!” “I don’t rest.” Said DualCore nonchalantly, looking away again. “That’s the problem!” Rainbow Dash responded, a smile touching the corner of her cheek. “If you don’t make time for yourself, how are you going to make time for your friends?” DualCore yawned, still tired, but now too anxious to want to close his eyes again. He had nothing to say back to Rainbow Dash, her advice making some sense to him. “Look, don’t sweat over what happened… I’m still cooler than you are though. Don’t forget it!” Rainbow Dash smirked, shaking off her injuries like they were nothing. “Yeah whatever.” Said DualCore, who couldn’t help but smirk back. The nightmare still lingered over DualCore’s mind, but as he wandered the halls during lunch, the chill came back to him. The vision of himself that jumped him on his first day was back again. This time, however, it looks like he had not figured out where he was yet. He was done with the anxiety. He glided across the hallway, intercepting the double horned doppelganger in the hallway. “Who are you?!” DualCore asked commandingly. “Isn’t it bad enough there’s only 1 of me here?!” The doppelganger flinched, sweating profusely as though he was about to be attacked. “Well?? Who are you?!” DualCore asked more clearly. The facade evaporated instantly, and before DualCore was no longer a double of himself, but now was a muted teal colored changeling. She was scared to the verge of tears, and when they streamed down her face, DualCore stepped away, immediately regretting what he said. Without saying another word, the changeling flew off. Stumbling on his words, DualCore tried to apologize, but it was too late. She was gone. DualCore did not mean to come off as aggressively as he did. He knew that he did not want to harm the changeling, nor did he intend to threaten her. Not that he had the ability to do either in this situation, but nonetheless, he was now even more afraid than before. Princess Celestia would surely come down and banish him for going after another student, he just knew it. The dark cloud above DualCore carried over in Applejack’s class. By now, he did not want to fall asleep, or speak, or even look at anyone. The Changeling from lunch was in the same class, and she was not in class today. The alarm bells rang for DualCore. No doubt she was talking to a counselor, ready to rat him out, and then his mind spiraled back into an endless sea of scenarios playing out in his mind like a TV guide of melancholy. What shook him back out of this deep dive was Applejack. She asked DualCore, “Can you tell me a sign that a pony could be lyin’?” Shaking off the worst of his fears, DualCore cleared his throat. “Check their body language. A liar will send mixed signals.” Applejack eyed him intently. “That’s right… Honesty’s about more than just telling your friends the truth, but it’s about being true to yourself. Very good, Two-horns.” Despite some of the class watching over him as though they didn’t expect him to answer it correctly, receiving a little praise did brighten his spirits. The rest of the class carried on. For DualCore, the pace felt a bit too smooth. Something had to stop him. There was no way in his mind that he was going to get away with hurting another student’s feelings. As the class ended, DualCore was dismissed, moving on to his study period. The feeling of impending doom still loomed over him, a bubble carrying the weight of all of his actions raring to burst at any second. By the time he was dismissed from Twilight’s class, the feeling that the next horseshoe would drop was even heavier. When Twilight stopped him before making his way to the exit doors, his hair stood upright at all ends. “Remember that you have until Friday to invite a friend to the Friends and Family gathering.” DualCore’s heart sank. He totally forgot about the two tickets. The gathering was in three days, and he was more than certain nobody liked him. As he headed off, he looked around, hoping to see someone, anyone who was interested in going with him, or at least not too bothered by the idea of having him nearby. Finding a friend to go with went exactly as he expected. In his week of living in Ponyville, he had not explored any of it. He did not know where to go, and his attempts to invite a pony to go with him to this gathering were all quickly turned away. Most ponies wouldn’t even give a response. They’d look away, or walk off before he could pull the tickets out. Some ponies went a step further and flew away, like he carried a contagious virus. The bramble was still erected throughout Ponyville and beyond, its dark thorns pulsating with the same potent darkness as strong as it was when it first grew. Against his better judgement, he lunged for one of the brambles. It was rooted to the ground good and tight. No amount of tugging could free the thorny growth or even stir it. DualCore kicked the wall of thorns, unable to do much else. Several ponies passing by were watching, but turned their heads when he turned around. He didn’t know what he was thinking. All he wanted was to rip the large bramble from the ground at that moment. Without magic, he couldn’t do anything about it. It’s not a mystery why nobody would want to go anywhere near him. This was his fault, and as much as he hated to admit that, it was the truth. The rest of the evening was spent circling around Ponyville. DualCore asked pony after pony if they wanted to go with him to the Friends and Family event. Many ignored, but the few who responded did not mince their words. It was clear that nobody wanted to go, and a few of the ones with plans to go already would even consider cancelling their plans instead. DualCore felt defeated. Nothing seemed to work out, he thought. He tried as hard as he could, asking as many ponies around him as he found. There was no way around it. He had to accept it. This assignment was impossible. Once again, DualCore laid in his bed, unable to close his eyes for a moment, not even to blink. His anxious thoughts played over again, but now was not the time to sleep. DualCore needed to take action. He had to do something to get this assignment out of his hooves. He thought it over, tiring his overworked brain for a solution, and one possibility hit him. Twilight Sparkle has a dragon. The one that told him he was not the only double horned pony… That one. He is her companion, and some days he appeared in study period to draft and send letters to Princess Celestia herself. That’s it!! Finally, there was an idea worth putting to practice! DualCore ripped the pink curtain from his bedroom, and draping it over himself like a hood, he snatched the two tickets from his notebook and scurried outside. DualCore passed by the Castle of Friendship on his trek to school every day. From what he knew, Twilight Sparkle slept there. So if she was there then so was her dragon. Not many ponies were out at this time of night, allowing DualCore to scout ahead. Making it to the Castle of Friendship was easy enough, DualCore thought. As wrong as it felt to creep inside, this was easier than making a friend. Far easier. The castle’s interior had no traps, no obvious detours, nothing on the surface. The echo was the worst at a time like this. Each step DualCore made, even the daintiest of tiptoed gaits, carried like a stomp. It did not take long for another set of scurried steps to be heard. DualCore panicked. His opening came in the form of a shadowy corner. He crouched low, leaving a crack between the hood and the floor to peer through. The footsteps grew louder, and sure enough, it was Spike who came down. “W-Who’se there?” He sheepishly called. He was holding a candle light outwards, looking for the apparent intruder. This was his chance. DualCore got back on his hooves, and he calmly approached the frightened Spike. Spike spotted the hood and was about to scream like he saw a ghost. Before he could, DualCore stifled the dragon with his right hoof. “Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Will you help me?” Said DualCore in a low voice. Spike was fighting to break free, biting at DualCore’s hoof, but he held his breath, tears welling up as he kept Spike from calling for help. He exhaled, looking at Spike with watery eyes. “Please, if you do this, I have some cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner. You can have some of my cupcakes if you help.” Spike’s expression softened. “Do you have any sapphire cupcakes…?” “I saw like, three of those in my box, yeah.” Said DualCore quietly. “Give me all three and it’s a deal.” Three sapphire cupcakes were a small price to pay for this plan. DualCore let go of Spike, and he pulled the two tickets from within his hood. “Okay, my first assignment is not working out. I’ve asked nearly every pony in this village, and not a single one wants to go with me to this stupid gathering. I think the best thing to do is to just go alone. I already know I won’t make any friends within the semester I’m here, so I’m done deluding myself with the possibility.” Spike held the second ticket in his hand, unsure of what DualCore really wanted. “And… what do you want me to do with this?” “Send it back to Celestia. If I hide it I’ll fail. If I make up some imaginary friend, I’ll fail. I’m just going to cut my losses.” “Well, if you’re sure… Do you want to attach a letter to it?” Spike asked a little more genially. “Sure why not?” Said DualCore indifferently. Spike took out a scroll and attached the ticket. Reaching for his quill, he prepared to write. He peered back at DualCore, signalling him to word out the letter. DualCore, realizing what Spike was doing, cleared his throat and took a breath. “Dear Princess Celestia, I tried my best, but this first assignment is not working out. I understand you wanted me to make a friend within the first week, but that’s not how ponies are. I’m okay with going to the Friends and Family gathering alone. Honest. I’d rather go alone than with anyone who was only obligated. I’m sorry. Sincerely, DualCore” “How’s that?” Asked DualCore, feeling like he lifted the weight of the castle. “Good enough.” Said Spike, using his powers to send the scroll and the ticket to Princess Celestia. Mission accomplished, thought DualCore. Thanking Spike for his help, he promised to give the sapphire cupcakes the next morning, and was gently tiptoeing his way back out when a loud CRACK echoed throughout the entire castle. Another letter appeared in front of DualCore. Clutching his chest, DualCore panted heavily. “One of these days, somepony is going to scare me DEAD!” he whispered savagely. Just when matters could not get any worse, another pair of footsteps began to issue from up the stairs. Twilight Sparkle, in a particularly sour mood, descended with a furrowed frown. “Spike! You better have a good reason to wake me up this late!” She said scaling down to the foyer. Before she could say anything else, her eyes locked right to DualCore’s. The color had gone from his fur. “What is going on here…?” she whispered violently. Spike snitched. “DualCore made me do it! I had nothing to do with this! He offered me his sapphire cupcakes if I could help him!! It’s not my fault!” DualCore could not decide whether to be scared of what was to come or upset at Spike for squealing so easily. Either way, Twilight Sparkle looked more livid than ever, her eyes darting between him, Spike, and the letter in front of him. She teleported in front of DualCore, and he tripped over his own curtain. He forgot how fast her magic made her travel. Twilight opened Princess Celestia’s scroll, and a ticket to the Friend and Family gathering fell out. She began to read… “Dear DualCore, I’m afraid you have lost the point of this first assignment. I can forgive you for not thinking outside of the box, but the point is not to just give the ticket away. To make a friend, you have to open yourself up to others. This is why you are a student at the School of Friendship. To develop the social skills needed to forge new friendships. Everypony starts at the bottom, and that is okay. To practice these skills, you need to speak up and participate. Best regards, Princess Celestia P.S. Do not ever send me letters using Spike again!” Twilight Sparkle’s twisted eyes met DualCore’s again, and before he could see himself out, he was hurled up in the air. Levitating, Tangled by the curtain he used as a hood, he flailed helplessly. “Heeey, what are you doing?! Not this again!!” Said DualCore, no longer trying to be quiet. He fought with all of his strength, but without magic, he was weaker than an earth pony. Twilight Sparkle launched DualCore out of the castle with the force of a Chinese firework! His screams woke up several ponies as the lights in the houses flickered on. “GOOD NIGHT!!!” Yelled Twilight angrily, slamming the door to the castle, and going back to bed.

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 8- Duo’s First Assignment As soon as DualCore and Rarity made it to his house, she directed him to a tremendous stack of other items. Slabs of glass for the windows that were broken, various tools, filler for the walls, dirt to fill in the space where the house was dropped, and even new squares of lawn. “Where did you get all of this?!” Asked DualCore, taken aback. “That’s not your concern.” Retorted Rarity hurriedly. “I’m going to help you make this disgusting hole of yours livable! So just take these-” Using her magic, she handed DualCore the cleaning supplies. “-and start downstairs! I won’t help you inside until you dust your horns off!” Rarity went to work immediately, leaving DualCore stunned by her bold assumption that he would follow this order from her. After the way she berated him, he could not imagine her wanting to help anymore than she attempted to this morning. While Rarity was magically pouring the bags of dirt at the oversized hole around the house, Duo rolled his eyes, and began to clean as well. Scrubbing the floors, dusting the cobwebs, washing the windows, replacing the broken glass with fresh panes, filling the cracks on the walls, and many more tasks. Cleaning up the house with Rarity took the entire evening. DualCore was noticing the house transform before his eyes as the layers of thick dust were wiped clean, and Rarity was noticing the shift as well in not only the house’s condition, but also in DualCore’s attitude. It seems putting him to work on something really mellows him out, she thought to herself. By nightfall, they finished, and the two stepped back. Dualcore wiped the sweat from his brow, surprised by the transformation the house had undergone. “That should get you started…” Huffed Rarity, hardly breaking a sweat. DualCore was worn from the effort of cleaning the whole interior, but after gulping down some water, shook off the fatigue. “Yeah… It looks more like a home now… Minus the shelves, and the books, and the art desk-” “Okay, okay, that can be tomorrow’s trifle.” Rarity interrupted. “Just please keep your house this clean moving forward… Pretty please?” She finished in a more girly voice. DualCore thought it over, rolling his eyes from Rarity’s faux simpering plea. Reluctantly, he said, “Alright... I’ll do it, but only because you helped.” Rarity then added, “Good! You’ll have a much easier time making friends in a clean home!” DualCore made his way up the top stair, and before he closed the door, he stopped. Without turning around, he spoke. “Thanks. I don’t know why you chose to help, but I appreciate it…” Rarity gave him a weak, but clear smile. At the very least, the horrors of returning to a dust-covered crime scene were over. “And remember- nopony is to hear about what happened this morning!” Rarity said, back to her more haughty tone. “I’ve never seen anypony take such poor care of themselves or their living spaces in all my life. At least try to work on that, or you will be seated outside my class.” Rarity left, leaving DualCore to his newly cleaned house. The first week came and went quickly for DualCore. His schedule was a 4 day week. Mondays and Wednesdays he had 4 classes- First was Rarity’s Generosity class, then Pinkie Pie’s laughter class, Fluttershy’s Kindness class, and then he had to report to Twilight Sparkle for his study period. Tuesdays and Thursdays only had 3 classes- First was Rainbow Dash’s Loyalty class, then Applejack’s Honesty class, and finally, a double study period with Twilight Sparkle. Of his classes, he had the least amount of trouble in Pinkie Pie’s class, though he was a target for the tickle stick for two straight days. His most hated was without a doubt Fluttershy’s. His Wednesday class fared no better than before. The class had to show an example of kindness by complimenting one of her animal friends. DualCore was partnered up with the grizzly bear, and even with an earnest effort to say something nice, the grizzly bear would not accept the compliments and tried to maul him. Fluttershy had the door closed on DualCore for the rest of the class when he had to go retreat to the nurse, who couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of having to tend to the wounds of “Equestria’s most dangerous pony” on his third day of school. By Friday evening, only five days into the semester, Twilight Sparkle called for a meeting between her friends. Everyone met up together in her office, and the group huddled together at Twilight’s desk. “How is everybody doing with their classes so far?” The others gazed at Twilight for a moment before she continued on, “Before we get into what we should do from here, let’s see where we are now.” There were a few murmurs in the group, but there were also complaints about how the classes were running. “Good… Well, Friends and Family night is going to mean everything. Chancellor Neighsay sent a letter this morning. He is coming to the gathering, so we have to prepare for him, and the biggest hurdle we have is… DualCore.” The teachers went silent. Fluttershy turned away. “How has he handled your classes so far?” Asked Twilight broadly. Rarity, who had to deal with him on his first day, spoke first. “He’s like an annoying little brother… I have had to baby him each class I had him. Poor thing didn’t even know how soap worked… But I must admit, he isn’t failing on my coursework.” Twilight looked to Applejack, who seemed like she wanted to speak next. “I don’t know what to expect from him,” said Applejack anxiously. “So far he has been up front about why he is here, and he doesn’t really cause a ruckus in class.” “Everypony keeps staring at him in my class…” Said Rainbow Dash as she rolled her eyes. “He gets one lucky hit and he has all their attention!” “I think he really likes my class!” Said Pinkie Pie, swiveling in her stool. “He even likes my new nickname for him!” “What’s his nickname?” Asked Applejack suddenly. “Sorry, but no-can-do! That’s a secret.” Pinkie Pie replied back with a tease. “Well, there are a few things we have to set straight.” Said Twilight hurriedly. “We have a few places where we can improve, so next week I will be inspecting each class and ensuring that we have everything running up to the standards set out by the EEA.” Fluttershy remained dismissive, but her avoidant gaze was starting to drip with sweat. She was hoping this meeting could just end before she had to say anything. Sure enough… “There is also one thing that we need to address…” Twilight signaled to Fluttershy. She was now unable to hide her nerves, but continued to be vigilant. “Fluttershy, DualCore told me you are disrespectful to him.” Fluttershy gave a small scowl, turning her back on the group. “I was treating him as he deserved to be treated…” She said so firmly, it sounded nothing like her. “I understand how you feel, but if you keep treating him like a monster… Well, it might make it harder for him to pass. He already considered skipping your classes-" "Good!” Fluttershy interjected. “If he thinks we’re wasting his time he should just leave.” “Fluttershy, don’t say that!” Said Pinkie Pie, her smile wiped away. “What’s gotten into you…” Rarity butted in. “Oh, so you’re choosing to side with this monster?” Fluttershy said recklessly, her voice rising in volume. “Fluttershy!” Twilight was now wearing a scowl of her own. “None of us asked to have DualCore as a student! Princess Celestia gave him a chance to redeem himself, and we are tasked to help!” Fluttershy was cornered, and she couldn’t break free from her own friends, closing in like they were walls. Twilight was looking her in the eyes, almost begging for her to admit what she was feeling. Everyone else waited tensely, until Fluttershy finally got up again, her face streaming with silent tears. “I’m just looking out for you...” Said Fluttershy quietly. She pushed her friends aside, stormed out of Twilight’s office and to the exit doors. Twilight Sparkle called for her to come back, but she kept running, and by the time Twilight could see her, she flew away. The remaining five teachers stood silently, concerned for Fluttershy, but also concerned about Friends and Family night. Twilight sighed, thinking about the possibility. Unable to reassure her friends, she went back on, continuing where she left off. “For this week, we have the next units ready for your courses, and for DualCore, an additional assignment will be handed to him. Any ideas?” The group was puzzled thinking of a way to teach DualCore. Eventually, they all came to an agreement on one key issue; DualCore could do the written work, but he does not interact with anyone. Outside of Kindness class and the study period, he is first to appear in classes, he never speaks, and he avoids all social interaction. Twilight Sparkle expected as much. After what felt like an hour, Applejack perked up, reminded of the Grand Galloping Gala. “Remember when you had that second ticket to the Gala but couldn’t make up who you wanted to go with?” she asked matter of factly. “What if DualCore’s first assignment is finding somepony to go with him?” Twilight Sparkle beamed at Applejack. “That’s a brilliant idea! It’s still a week away, so he will have time to invite somepony!” she said happily. The meeting concluded with mixed feelings, the most polarizing thoughts on Fluttershy. Chancellor Neighsay being at the celebration too did not help the matter either. DualCore was being watched rigorously, which was enough to make him less of a threat in a gathering like this. Twilight remained in her office. She read over a few letters, but she couldn’t shake off how Fluttershy stormed off during the meeting. She knew that she meant well and wanted to protect her, but she was so convinced he was disingenuous that she would not give him a chance. There was no talking her out of this, either. For the entire weekend, Fluttershy locked herself in her home, and she wouldn’t answer the door unless there was a situation that had nothing to do with DualCore. The only ones welcome in her company were a few of her animal companions, who have stepped up to support her. DualCore was keeping himself locked up in his home, too, but seeing as he had no friends at all, he was truly alone. Now that he wasn’t sleeping entire days away, he was faced with nothing to do, nowhere to finish his work, and he still had no supplies. The house may have been much cleaner, but it was empty, and DualCore, sitting at his old bed and staring at the stained glass in his bedroom, was going insane from boredom! DualCore wanted to go get more supplies, but without money, he was left with the few supplies given to him, namely a single sketchbook, and some ink with a quill. He had the whole weekend free, and this was all he had. Opening up one of the blank pages, DualCore took the quill, and started to sketch. He did not know what he was drawing, but it started to take shape, and he settled with drawing some dandelions, since he had a plate of them in front of his sketchbook. By the morning before the next school day, Duo had made at least 6 drawings in his sketchbook. The drawings stayed under his bed. As usual, DualCore was sound asleep, the morning sun now touching the stained glass. Behind DualCore was a shadowy figure. It looked like it had no face, but was staring down the sleeping colt, peering at him like fresh prey. It came closer, close enough to kiss his cheek when he finally began to open his eyes. The figure made DualCore jump so abruptly that he flew from his bed and sank down to the floor with a crash! “Goooood morning, Twosies!!!” shouted Pinkie Pie enthusiastically. “Are you ready for a new day of school??” DualCore clumsily made his way back up, his chest pounding like a war drum from the scare. What caught his attention next? Something that froze his blood solid. All of the walls were painted bright pink. The door, the floor, the stairs, everything was now a hot, fluorescent pink. Pinkie Pie, noticing DualCore’s pale, exasperated gaping face, explained, “While you were sleeping, I went to the trouble of painting your house for you! It looked pretty sad, but now you’ll come back to a happier home every day!!” DualCore was rooted to the floor. The whole room had so much pink in one space. He felt like he was trapped in a bottle of strawberry milk, and it was the same bright pink downstairs as well. He could not help but stare at his home as Pinkie Pie escorted him out. Pinkie Pie happily trotted out of the freshly pinked house. “You better hurry! The paint will still be there when you get back!” she called out playfully to a very distant DualCore. The entire day, DualCore was shell shocked. The only thing that played to his benefit was the other students had stopped approaching him by now. At least he did not have to explain what spooked him. His classes felt more of the same. Rarity’s was still hooves on in the lessons of basic generosity, and Pinkie Pie continued to target DualCore with the tickle stick. The other students continue to snicker when Pinkie Pie calls for him by his new nickname, “Twosies”. DualCore’s reputation was still notorious among the students. While he didn’t make much of an effort to befriend anyone, nobody was courageous enough to interact with him, especially after how he was treated on his first day in the Kindness class. He was referred to as “Two-horns”, “Twosies”, or “monster” by anyone talking about him. The belief was that he could strike again at any moment, so nobody spoke too loudly around him. Trying to turn invisible was impossible. In the hallways, he was able to use its crowded nature to avoid unwanted attention, but in classes, he wasn’t able to hide. Fluttershy was still acting coldly to DualCore, and at times, he would bark back. The students in this class were almost looking forward to seeing this hateful relationship unfold. At long last, it was time for study period. This was the best class of the day, allowing DualCore to catch his breath and finish his extra assignments without anyone else around him. Today, however, Twilight Sparkle asked him to sit at the front of her desk. She carried her usual demeanor, mixed with that usual hesitant twitch. “So DualCore…” Said Twilight, trying to gather her words. “Friends and Family night is this Friday. You are going to be invited to come, but for your first main assignment in my class…” Two tickets materialized in front of DualCore. They fluttered gently in front of him on Twilight’s desk. “You are going to be inviting one friend to come with you.” Twilight finished more confidently. A black cloud had covered the sun, the rain from outside pelting the window as DualCore wrapped his head around what he was given. DualCore stared blankly at the tickets. After his first day of school, he had not wanted to talk to Twilight Sparkle. Twilight read Duo’s face, from his befuddled eyes to the tickets in front of him. She expected him not to say anything, but she sighed to herself, not knowing what else to do. “Have you made an effort to befriend anypony your first week?” “No, Teach…” Duo trailed, still looking away from Twilight. “They wouldn’t go with me. No use asking them.” “You’ll find somepony if you try.” Twilight used a spell to place the tickets on Duo’s stack of belongings, packing the tickets in his sketchbook. DualCore was not convinced he could make a friend by Friday. Sure, there was Gallus and Sandbar, but they haven’t spoken to him after Fluttershy’s class. Pinkie Pie would tickle him, but he didn’t believe that was her being friendly. Besides them, everyone else avoided him like his aura alone could kill on contact. DualCore was finished, but Twilight Sparkle was not. She urged him to come back to her desk when he turned back to his notebook. “Avoiding me is not going to help you with this assignment.” Said Twilight waringly. “You haven’t tried to make any friends here… But you’re not going to pass this course, or any of your classes if you just focus on the written work.” “The written work doesn’t talk about me under its breath.” DualCore mumbled, avoiding Twilight’s keen eyes still. “And you’re not going to learn how to make a friend if you don’t give yourself that chance!” Twilight continued, ignoring his mumbling. “This assignment is about putting yourself out there… To show your peers that you are… well, more than your reputation. Isn’t there something, anything that you would want to share about yourself? A hobby, or favorite music?” Sighing heavily, DualCore calmly closed his eyes, letting the pouring rain outside fill the ambience. He was not on board with this assignment, but without saying anything, he grabbed for his notebook, moving the tickets to the page behind his latest drawing. “DualCore, I’d appreciate it if you answered me.” Said Twilight, more assertively. “What do you like to do?” DualCore still had no answer, but Twilight broke his concentration, forcing him to look at her. “I draw. But it’s nothing that would make friends though.” Said DualCore finally. “Nothing…?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. “Art can say much more than you think. Rarity is an artist, and she uses her talents in her boutique. Even Fluttershy-” DualCore suddenly looked more angry, that cold expression not unlike the one Twilight first saw coming back to him. She stopped talking at once. After a moment’s silence, he returned to drawing. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I did tell her that she needed to treat you more respectfully. She’s just going through a lot right now. She isn’t as cruel as you’ve seen.” DualCore looked up, his eyebrows still furrowed. “I don’t want to talk about her.” Neither of them spoke for the rest of the class period. As he left Twilight’s office, his now empty expression coming back, he was stopped by the bustling students. Particularly a yak and a dragon who had passed him by. This pause bought Twilight enough time to call for him once more. “You left these…” Twilight whipped her magic, and the two tickets flew back into his notebook. “You have until Friday to find a pony or non-pony to go with you. It can be a student or a friend you make outside of class. I’m not grading you based on whether you made a friend. Just try.” As DualCore left the School of Friendship, he couldn’t help but leer at the tickets indifferently. Twilight Sparkle did not understand, he thought. No, she was just trying to project a more optimistic outcome. That made more sense to him. Why else would she try so hard to convince him he could make friends if she wasn’t trying to convince herself it was possible too? “There you are, Twosies!!!” said a loud, bubbly voice from behind DualCore’s ears. DualCore’s bag flew. He jumped, and his voice cracked. “Geez, don’t scare me like that!!” He said, panting heavily as he clutched his now pounding chest. “Oh… Sorry about that.” Said Pinkie Pie lightheartedly. She pranced in front of DualCore, leading the way. “Before I take you back home, you must see this!” While the sky began to clear up, puddles of rain were everywhere beyond the walkway. Pinkie Pie was bouncing on each one without a care in the world. DualCore was bringing up the rear. Whatever she had to show him, he thought, was not going to be good. He still could not get over his entire house being painted pink. Pinkie Pie trailed far ahead, occasionally prancing back to circle around DualCore, who was still glaring at her. “Awww, turn that frown upside down, Twosies!” She said amusingly. “Where I’m taking you to, you’ll have no choice but to smile!” To DualCore, that sounded like a threat. Without realizing it, he tensed up, his brain now sending warning signs like they were free pamphlets. By the time Pinkie Pie arrived at her destination, she was dragging poor DualCore by his tail. She ignored his clear and sudden shift in tone, for she was confident this detour was going to be fun for both of them… “Okay, Twosies… Here we are!!” Said Pinkie Pie excitedly. DualCore kept his eyes shut, hoping for the insanity to end in his mind. Pinkie Pie took notice, and smiling cheerfully, shook him once more. “Awww come on, Twosies! Open your eyes, we’re here! You’ll like it, I promise!” Against his better judgement, he opened his eyes. Before him was what looked like a bakery, only the roof looked like it was made of gingerbread. Frosting-like material coated it as well. The sight, and the smells were so sweet that even he was struck dumb by the warm aura surrounding it. DualCore finally began to speak again. “Ok, where did you take me?” He asked flatly, shaking himself back to his defenses. “This is Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie replied ecstatically. “My parents work here! I’ve told them about you already, and they agreed to make you something special!” While DualCore wanted to believe this was a sweet gesture from Pinkie Pie, he was still skeptical. There was no way he deserved this, he thought. He couldn’t even say no. She was already pushing him closer to the entrance. The aroma was so pleasant that DualCore’s defenses were slowly coming down. Whatever was being made in here, he thought, was the greatest smelling confection of his life. Pinkie Pie still had to push him into the bakery, but was met with less resistance. DualCore had no choice now. He was looking around, and he was met by two figures who looked very much like Pinkie Pie’s parents. “Welcome!!” The two said together, jolting the double horned colt. “You must be Pinkie Pie’s little pupil!!” “Little?” DualCore stumbled. “...Pupil?” Ms. Cake interjected. “Pinkie Pie told us about you, and we wanted to welcome you properly.” Behind her was a tray, hot off the oven. On it were a dozen cupcakes, each a different flavor. There were so many that DualCore was punched with a direct blow of delight. “We understand how difficult it is to not know how to fit in. You’ve been the talk of the town since you came here!” Said Mr. Cake, his warm grin meeting DualCore’s still unsure one. “Oh really? I’d rather not worry about what they have to say, honestly…” Said DualCore, feeling more and more on the spot by the moment. “That’s the spirit!” Said Ms. Cake enthusiastically. “Just make yourself comfortable, and we’ll get these cupcakes prepped just for you!” There had to be a catch. This was too good to be true. Pinkie Pie was by DualCore’s side, pleased to see an unmistakable smile on the corner of his cheek. Several other ponies were making their way to the bakery, and almost on cue, she poked him. “Why don’t you offer a cupcake to one of them?” Pinkie Pie whispered coincidentally. “Gotta invite a new friend to the Friends and Family gathering after all!” Of course… This was all just an opportunity to put DualCore in front of other ponies to do his assignment. He did not feel ready to approach anyone, and sure enough, the ponies who visited looked over, and knew immediately they did not want to step closer to him. He remained where he sat, looking away from them as best as he could. Pinkie Pie noticed he was not going to try. The group of ponies peered over again when she called for them. “We have an open seat over here. Want to join us?” She asked kindly. “No, it’s okay. We’re not staying long.” the pony said back. DualCore was thinking about this assignment, and fell back into a pool of anxious thoughts. While he didn’t show it, he was certain this assignment was not going to work out. Mr. Cake stepped out of the kitchen with a fresh set of cupcakes for DualCore and Pinkie Pie. The frosting only further made these look irresistible. At least for a fleeting moment, it made DualCore stop thinking about failing his first major assignment. “Go on…” Pinkie Pie whispered, in a more comforting tone. “Offer the pumpkin flavored cupcake. Those are delicious!” The group of ponies were ignoring DualCore. To him, this felt like a waste of time. If there was anything he could detect without any magic at all, it was the cold shoulder. “I would, but they don’t look interested.” Said DualCore quietly. “That’s only because you’ve been shut in for so long.” Pinkie Pie retorted in the same comforting tone. “Go ahead, try…” It would have been better to just say nothing, but DualCore stood up, peering over to the group. “D-Do any of you like pumpkin?” He asked sheepishly. “I’ve got a pumpkin cupcake for anyone who wants to join my table…” No response. DualCore gave up, now looking more downhearted. It was not a surprise, either. Pinkie Pie finally picked up on DualCore’s soured demeanor. He was actively hiding it, as though the fortress in his mind was building another wall. By now, even she didn’t bother to suggest trying again. There was no mistake in the way the group behaved that they wanted nothing to do with DualCore. There were not enough cupcakes in the world to sway them. “Don’t worry about them…” Pinkie Pie whispered, catching some of DualCore’s more somber energy. “There are more ponies in Ponyville you can ask.” She smiled, more weakly than usual.

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 7- The Kindness Teacher DualCore’s first class was Rarity’s. While the rest of the school body were mingling, Duo retreated to the halls. Several waves of embarrassment washed over him as he imagined Rarity having to teach him after his first impression. Alone, he hurried around, looking for the matching class number. In his mind, all he wanted to do was to get this over with. After a few minutes, he eventually found Rarity’s class. Nobody was there, but DualCore did not want to bother anyone else. It was clear that anyone who recognized him knew he was only enrolled as a punishment for his attack. Relieved, he sat by himself at the front of the class. The seating was organized by name. It was not until a quarter of an hour later that Rarity made it to her classroom, peering at DualCore impatiently. She had not gotten over the mess from this morning either. “Class doesn’t start for another 15 minutes. You could go say hello to the other ponies here…” Suggested Rarity curtly. “And get interrogated? No thanks.” Said DualCore blankly as he looked at his class assignments again. Rarity really did not want him in her class, but after looking at him, she sighed exasperatedly. “Well, if you intend to stay, do yourself a favor and jot down the notes on the board.” She commanded, pointing to the chalkboard. Dualcore stared at the board and back to his desk. “With… with what?” he asked sheepishly. Rarity made an exasperated groan. “With your quill and ink! Do you not have those? Do you even have a notebook?” “I… I don’t.” Said DualCore nervously. “You are hopeless… So you don’t have any supplies to get you started?” Rarity expected every pony to be prepared, but the fiasco she endured picking DualCore up from his house frustrated her so much that it did not occur to her that he would come to school without any supplies. “At the very least, you have two horns… Could you manifest what you need?” Asked Rarity, her blood now starting to boil. “No… My powers haven’t worked since… well, you know.” DualCore admitted. Without his magic, he had nothing to get him by on his own. This revelation changed everything. “So you can’t use any of your magic? You’re powerless?” She asked curiously. “No. I have no magic.” He said back with his head down. He was now slumped to his desk, but the classroom started filling up, and as the seats filled up one by one, he went silent. Rarity gave DualCore an odd look. He did not know what this meant, but she took a few things from her desk. Magically dropped upon his desk were a quill, a bottle of ink, and a few notebooks. “Here you go. I’ll let it pass this one time. But you will need to get your textbooks and other supplies this week.” Said Rarity quietly as she went back to her desk. The bells rang, and Rarity closed the door and introduced herself to the class. “Welcome to my Generosity course. My name is Rarity, and I also run the Carousel Boutique here in Ponyville. Here, you shall develop skills that make you a more generous friend.” The students were given their syllabi, and DualCore looked over his as Rarity continued on. He read through the course work, and another wave of dread hit him. Many of these assignments involved interacting with his peers. He was trapped so deep in his thoughts that Rarity carried a ruler to his desk and tapped it to his desk to regain his attention. “Let’s start by introducing each other, so everyone by seating order, please share your name and an act of generosity you can think of. If you can’t think of one, that’s okay. We will give you some to remember by Friends and Family night.” The roll call was a bit much, DualCore thought. What to say was racing in his head faster than he could keep up. He was not ready, but he had to say something. Beads of sweat dropped down his face the closer his turn came. Before he knew it, it was already his turn. He stood up, and everyone watched him, waiting for him to speak. He froze on the spot, and trying to clear his throat, he mumbled, “My name is DualCore. Rarity gave me this quill and notebook.” He quickly sat down, feeling like he had bench pressed the whole school. Sitting next to him was a hippogriff named Gallus. When he introduced himself, he kept looking over at DualCore, and when he sat back down, he leaned over and asked, “So, you’re the big tough pony who fought the head mare?” DualCore, looking back at him as he stretched in his seat, replied, “Yeah… Why do you ask?” Gallus’s feathers flustered, but he looked away, regaining his composure. “Nothing. Just wanted to know. You must be pretty strong to put Rainbow Dash in a wheelchair…” “Ugh, this again?” DualCore thought. He knew he had her class tomorrow, but he was not ready to visit her. Nobody had to come here as a punishment like him. “So Duo, you staying on campus?” Duo? DualCore raised an eyebrow. He never went by this name before. “Nah, I got a house on the other side of the world. What’s with calling me Duo?” Gallus laughed. “Well, it’s got a better ring than Dual-Core…” He said back a little too loudly, and Rarity intervened. “You may talk when class is through. For now, you’re on my time. So please pay attention!” Commanded Rarity. They both went quiet. Rarity’s class was, on the whole, strange. It was more because DualCore had to deal with her prior to coming to the school, but he was still thinking about his new nickname. Duo… It was simple, but he liked it. The next class on his schedule was Pinkie Pie’s, the laughter teacher. DualCore continued skimming his class schedule until a massive cannon blocked his path. He wondered if he was in the right class at first. All that was in the room were the same desks and board, but also a huge cannon. This left him completely dumbfounded. What was this cannon doing in the class? Hoping there was no assigned seating, he made an effort to sit away from the blast zone, but it was too late. The seats were taken, except for one right in front of the cannon. When the bell rang, the door closed, and the fuse ignited. DualCore braced himself, hoping he did not have to face an attack, but what shot out of the cannon surprised the whole class. Pinkie Pie shot out, bouncing along the walls as the confetti landed dead center on his desk. Pinkie Pie stuck the landing in front of hers, laughing from the spectacle she had displayed. The class was applauding and laughing with her, while DualCore shook the confetti out of his mane. “Welcome, welcome welcome, everypony! I’m Pinkie Pie and I’ll be your laughter teacher this year! You’ll learn what makes each other laugh, and how to apply laughter to a healthy friendship.” DualCore was not sure how he felt about Pinkie Pie. The cannon was flashy, but he was the only student who wasn’t laughing. Like Rarity, there was a roll call, only this time, everyone introducing themselves had to share something that made them laugh recently. When it became DualCore’s turn, he stood, but he had to stop and think- When exactly was the last time he laughed? The gears were spinning, but nothing was coming to mind for him, and Pinkie Pie, whose smile began to fix, asked politely, “Ohh, come on… You have to remember at least one time you laughed in your life.” DualCore kept trying to recall a moment where he laughed, but he could not remember at all. Maybe if he could remember a time he was laughed at, there were plenty of memories of that, but he sat back down and, in a low voice, said, “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed.” Pinkie Pie walked up to DualCore with an inspecting stare. She was not smiling anymore. “Hmmm, perhaps you’ll remember this?” Said Pinkie Pie reassuringly. She grabbed a doctor’s bag and pulled out a stethoscope and nurse’s cap. “Wait, what are you gonna do with that?” Asked DualCore with a slight break in his voice. Pinkie Pie put the end of the stethoscope to his chest and read his heartbeat. “Mmmhm! You definitely have one… but it’s not happy.” She tossed the stethoscope back into her doctor’s bag, and DualCore’s mouth fell open when she took out a fishing rod from her bag. “How did you keep that in there??” He asked in bewilderment. “Every pony knows the cure for heartache is a good laugh!” The class was staring at DualCore. Pinkie Pie took the fishing rod, and began to tickle DualCore with it. It was almost like magic. DualCore had several booming laughs forced out of him as Pinkie Pie playfully tickled him with the pole, until he was laughing so hard he fell from his desk. When she was finished she simply put the rod back in, and the class roared with laughter once more. DualCore got back up on his seat, his fur standing upright in places, still in fits of giggles. What was this pony’s power, he imagined. “And that is your first lesson. If you have a bad day, come see me, and you’ll get to try the tickle stick!” Said Pinkie Pie with her usual smile. By the time Pinkie Pie’s class ended, she placed a sheet of paper showing the names of all the ponies and non-ponies in her 2nd period class, along with what made them laugh, on the wall. Everyone came up to read it and they left in fits of laughter, and the reason hit DualCore as he saw it for himself. DualCore’s name was written out, but to the right, Pinkie Pie wrote… “Twosies- loves being tickled”. Not everyone had a little nickname, but DualCore was one of them. “The nicknames are for the ponies that I feel need the most laughter.” Said Pinkie Pie from DualCore’s right side. “I’m sorry you haven’t laughed for so long, Twosies. I will be keeping an eye on you, and I’ll make sure you have at least one laugh every day.” When she walked off to her desk to prepare her next class, she gave Duo one last smile before he left. In only two class periods, he already received two nicknames, and his peers either asked about the bramble that split Ponyville or his attack on Twilight and her friends whenever they were close enough. All he wanted to do was just to get through the day and head home, these new feelings of embarrassment and bewilderment overwhelming him, but he was not able to express it. Like a statue, he visibly had no reaction to the swirling pool of sensations overcoming him. Lunch break had begun by this point in the day, and rather than sit at the tables- They were already filled with other students- DualCore decided to take his lunch, quickly ate it down to the tray, and walked around the school. With everyone sitting in the dining hall, this gave him his first chance to breathe as he explored the corridors, looking into every class. This was a rather large school, so big that there were classes going on while he looked around. He was minding his own business until he crashed into something that scared him pale. DualCore was face to face with himself. Too scared to speak, he gaped at himself, and the pony turned tail and ran off. What was that all about, he pondered. Was the school haunted? It couldn’t have been if it just opened, but the pony who looked just like DualCore changed back to her normal form when she returned to the dining hall. It was a changeling. She sat with a group of students that were in both of his last two classes as he continued trekking the hallway. DualCore only had two more classes before the school was dismissed for the day. There was Fluttershy’s Kindness class, and then he had to report to the Head Mare’s office. He had two more classes tomorrow, followed by another visit to the Head Mare’s office. The only thing he heard about Fluttershy was that she was very soft spoken, polite, and had the sweetest friends to help her. This was the only class he sort of looked forward to. The nicest pony DualCore could imagine was Pinkie Pie, and she shot herself out of a cannon aimed at his seat. He was the first to her classroom, and he sat at a random seat. “Get out.” said a sharp, but quiet voice. Fluttershy’s lips tightened as she looked down at DualCore. She stood her ground tenaciously. “Why?” Said DualCore with a befuddled noise. “I thought we were allowed to stay a few minutes early. Rarity said-” “Rarity can make the rules in her class, but you’re in mine. Get out!” Said Fluttershy with a sneer. DualCore and Fluttershy locked eyes, and his temper began to falter. “Fine, I just realized I’m in the wrong class. I’ll go look for my Kindness teacher, since she clearly isn’t here!” DualCore picked up his notebook and quill, storming from the room. Fluttershy slammed her door. The bell rang a few minutes later, and DualCore, who was sitting by Fluttershy’s door, was fuming. He knew this was because of his crimes, but she was as bad as the ponies in Artax County with the way she treated him. Compared to Rarity, who at the very least obliged to help him when he needed it, Fluttershy was not going to show any patience to him. Even though it was time to come inside, DualCore was face to face with the door. Fluttershy refused to open it until the entire class was waiting. Even then, DualCore waited outside, listening in to the conversations passed along. “Wonder what Fluttershy will have planned for us.” Said one colt to the unicorn behind him. “Yeah, the first period class got to see a bear!” Said that unicorn. “Phht, so that’s what she does? She has a bear that eats the misbehaving ponies?” DualCore mumbled to himself. It was not until DualCore stepped away from the door when Fluttershy finally introduced the class. “Um… S-sorry for the long wait. I had to… um… I had to have a small meeting with my little friends.” Sure enough, a group of small animals, one of them being a pouting rabbit, congregated on her desk. Fluttershy’s entire aspect changed on a dime. DualCore reluctantly walked inside the class after his teacher walked in, and it seemed the seats were assigned here too. DualCore’s seat was noticeably further away from his peers, and without bothering to look at her, he took his seat. “Um… hi. Welcome to my Kindness class… I’m your teacher… Um, my name is Fluttershy. Here, you will learn how to show those around you that you care, whether you are friends or not.” She was more confident in the second half, according to her animal friends, who were supporting her from her desk. “I would like every pony and non-pony to introduce themselves to the class, so we can all get to know you.” “Not again…” DualCore mumbled under his breath. Each student introduced themselves as normal, but when DualCore stood up, he was cut off by the next student in the next row. Fluttershy skipped him. Okay, maybe he was going to be last, so he sat back down. By the time the last student gave their name, DualCore stood, and just as the class looked at him, he was cut off again by a harsh voice. “Sit down!” Said Fluttershy in an uncharacteristically shrill tone. “Hold on, I’m in this class too! Why can’t I introduce myself?” Asked DualCore brashly. “Everypony already knows who you are! Now sit down!” Said Fluttershy quickly after. The entire time in Fluttershy’s class was like this. DualCore was treated like he did not belong there. The rest of the class noticed immediately. Whatever DualCore had done to Fluttershy, they all thought, must have been especially heinous. Fluttershy would talk in the sweet, small tone with her other students, but hardened to stone the moment she had to address Duo. The entire class was talking about him as though he was not to be trusted. Fluttershy hated him. This was clear enough to the class, and for some of them, that was enough to avoid DualCore altogether. Even Gallus and Sandbar avoided him from this point forward. He left the classroom without looking at his new teacher. If he was not regretting ever coming to this school before, he was now. He was already feeling out of place, but his treatment in Fluttershy’s class felt unjust. Though, he had to remind himself what he was here for, and while the anger bubbled lower than before, he could not rub off the feeling he deserved it. His final class was listed as “see Head Mare’s office", so he hurried off. He made more of an effort to hide from the other students this time. The last thing he wanted was for him to get anymore attention. He found the office at the last second before the bell, and out at her desk was Twilight Sparkle. This was the first time since the battle between them that DualCore was face to face with her. “Please sit down.” She summoned a tiny stool for him to sit on, which scooped him up, and before he knew it, he was sitting in front of Twilight. “Princess Celestia asked me to help teach you the magic of Friendship. Here, you will be given additional time to complete your assignments, you will be able to talk to me if you have any questions or problems, and I will be giving you additional assignments outside of the established curriculum to help you become more acquainted with Ponyville. Do you have any questions, DualCore?” “When do we get out of here?” He asked blankly, looking out the window. He avoided looking Twilight in the face. “In an hour and a half…” Said Twilight as she eyed him over. DualCore’s ears drooped, still avoiding eye contact. “You haven’t had a good first day, have you?” At first, he kept to himself, but shaking his head, the feelings that overwhelmed him before, now mixed with the frustration of Fluttershy’s class all burst out, “This place is mad!! My Generosity teacher attacked me from my bed and dropped me 30 feet! My laughter teacher aimed a cannon at me and shot herself out of it! There is something lurking in these hallways that looks just like me, and my Kindness teacher is a total witch!” DualCore unloaded his day on Twilight like emptying a heavy sack of sand. “Well, as much as I hate to tell you, you’re here because Princess Celestia sentenced you to. You are required to come here, and there is nothing I can do about that.” The two of them sat in silence for a minute before she continued. “It’s my duty to make sure you are performing well in your courses. I assure you that you will come to understand your teachers, as well as your peers… You just have to give them a chance.” After the day DualCore had, he was ready to go back home. He continued to look down, sighing heavily. “Look, I don’t know if I can do this. Making friends never came easy for me, and everypony keeps asking things like ‘Did you really beat up the princess?’ or saying, ‘You must be the most powerful pony ever to do that!’” Twilight looked awkwardly at DualCore as he closed his eyes. “That is why you need to be here…” She said back gently. “Making friends isn’t easy, but if you don’t learn, you’ll never work up the courage to try. As for… what got you here, we will work that out as we go along the semester. You are not the only pony who tried to fight me. One time, Starlight used time travel to try and undo my friends’ greatest achievements!” “Oh? Hold on, she traveled in time? Like, she just went to the past and changed things?? You can do that?” DualCore looked up at Twilight for the first time. “Yes, she did, and now she works at this school. She was my first student.” Said Twilight, now beginning to smile. DualCore could not help but notice the smile seemed forced, but it was more of a smile than he could work up. “So you taught her what you knew, and she is working here as a result?” He asked with more interest. “Yes, and I will do what I have to in order to help you…” Twilight was trailing off as she said this. While Duo appreciated the dedication, the last face he saw before blacking out came back to him. It was Twilight’s, her face streaming with tears as he was moments away from finishing her off with a magical blast. “....But you’re also scared.” He said in a low rumble. Twilight’s warm demeanor shattered. “Scared? Why would you say that?” She asked as a chill struck her. “Because I hurt you. You’re afraid I’ll snap and do it again… One of those friends of yours is convinced that I will, so tell me… Why even bother helping?” DualCore looked Twilight in the eyes, now standing. Twilight was not talking anymore. She was now looking at DualCore, unsure where this was going to go, and DualCore broke this short silence. “I made a promise to Princess Celestia. She offered me this chance. I guess she wants me to go through with it because she even gave me all this food back at home.” Twilight eased up upon these words. “Heh, that sounds like her. She gives every pony a fair chance.” She said back as DualCore stood in front of her. “I can’t change the past. Even if I had my magic, I never learned time travel- I didn’t even know that was a thing! But…” He lost his focus for a moment. “Yes, DualCore?” Twilight asked sheepishly. “Nothing. Just know that if you can stop a time traveler, then… I guess I could learn something from you.” His voice warmed up, and he was looking at Twilight Sparkle with more determination than before. “I’ll stick to it, but I’m going to need a lot of help… Even before I lived in the Everfree Forest, Artax was nothing like Ponyville is.” Twilight relaxed, and with her first real smile, she said back to him, “Ponyville is a great place to start. I even made my start here.” The period ended with DualCore and Twilight seeing a little more eye to eye than he expected. The end of school bells rang, and before DualCore was bowed out of Twilight’s office he asked, “Before I go, I gotta ask. What’s with the Kindness teacher? What does that two-faced bat have against me?” “DualCore! We don't call names in this school… And Fluttershy, well… She has not been herself lately. I was afraid she was going to give you a hard time.” Said Twilight as her ears fell. “I’ll have a word with her.” DualCore was halfway across the stone path out of the School when Rarity teleported in front of him. DualCore leapt in surprise and fell into the water. “What’d you jump me for?? Another bath?!” Said DualCore, now dripping wet. “I’m escorting you back home. I figured you would like a trip back…” Replied Rarity, helping DualCore out of the water. She tried not to get her teaching dress wet in the process. “So I saw you and Gallus became friends in my class?” “No.” said DualCore so firmly that she forgot about her dress. “What?? What happened?” She asked suddenly. “The Kindness teacher is what happened! She treated me like dirt for the entire class and it scared everypony off!” Rarity caught herself trailing far behind DualCore as he walked off without another look. “Fluttershy? It isn’t like her to treat others like that…” she said catching her breath. “I think it is. The headmaster says she has been out of it since my attack.” Rarity had to admit she was not wrong. Fluttershy was distant from everyone else lately. Even to her closest friends, it seemed she was not herself. “I wouldn’t worry about her. What I would worry about is your new home.” Said Rarity, trying to change the subject. “Hm? What’s wrong with my house?” Said DualCore. “I mean you need to worry about cleaning it. I will be brutally honest with you. What I saw was horrific! And the fact that you stayed there for three days and didn’t do so much as bathe… Why did you let yourself get this way?” DualCore couldn’t answer this question. He flushed again, and without looking back at Rarity, he took a breath. “Because I’ve been through a lot… It’s hard to adjust, and I haven’t really coped with staying here.,.” Rarity kept up with DualCore as they walked along the marketplace. Several ponies stared at DualCore’s horns as they walked by. “Even so, you need to take care of yourself. I won’t tolerate excuses not to do that. Starting today, you will be taking care of yourself, beginning with your house.” Rarity took a turn at one of the shops as DualCore, who was awkwardly getting around the ponies staring at him, ran inside with her. Rarity left the shop with cleaning supplies, and she offered to help him clean his house if it meant he would keep it that way. For somepony who DualCore thought wanted nothing to do with him, he was surprised by how far she was willing to go to help him. As the two continued the journey back to his house, DualCore looked back on his day as a whole. As bad as it was, he felt that surviving it was an achievement. Now that he knew what to expect, he felt more like he could somehow finish his courses. The only roadblock was Fluttershy. DualCore did not get over the way she treated him. He survived his first day, but he had far more coming, and all he wanted to do was to come up with a plan- something, anything to get him through the semester.

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 6- The School of Friendship The next three days in Ponyville came and went, and to the surprise of many of the residents, there were no attacks, no sudden magical outbursts, nothing to report in any way. DualCore stayed in his new home, despite having none of his belongings. He contemplated escaping to pack up his Everfree Forest hut, but he was not risking it. He was not allowed to leave Ponyville, so he sat in his home, wasting away in his bed. His neighbors were okay with this. The house was rooted far enough away from them that you’d have to go out of your way to visit, and the Two Horned Pony wouldn’t even leave for food or drinks. Several residents whose homes were lifted by the brambles were hoping he starved to death before he had to go to the school. Others were keeping their young fillies away from the house, as though it was haunted by ghosts. DualCore had no idea where to begin. His first day was the next morning, and he was totally lost. Late into the night before school, DualCore’s stomach was howling. Losing his powers also meant losing his ability to grow his own food. In the Everfree Forest, he had a way of growing his own fruits from above his hut. He used to live underground, but this allowed him to hide from the various predators. While he could use his powers to keep the wildlife at bay, he had to stay hidden in case anyone from Artax County found him. Now, here he lay- trapped in a new town, going to a new school, and completely unsure what would happen from here. One thing was certain- He needed to eat something, or he would collapse. Several loud pops could be heard from downstairs moments after DualCore closed his eyes. At first he tossed and turned in his bed, ignoring the sounds. He stared at the ceiling as the moonlight hit the stained glass hypnotically. His gaze was interrupted by another loud pop. He shot up from his bed so hard a spring came loose. He was face to face with a letter floating in front of him. DualCore clutched his chest with his hoof, and read the letter… “Dear DualCore, I apologize for interrupting you this late, but it’s come to my attention you have not eaten since we last met. I have decided to help you out. You have a big day ahead of you, and a long journey beyond that. Please don’t neglect your health. You will find that there are shops and restaurants across Ponyville. They will help you out too. Sincerely, Princess Celestia” DualCore was confused, but he hopped from his bed and rushed downstairs. Sure enough, there was a variety of fruits, flowers, and hay, all assembled at his table. His jaw dropped at the sight. He could barely process what he was looking at before he devoured several fat apples. There was no taste like it. DualCore was able to grow apples before, but they were always sour and small. These apples, on the other hand, were sweet, and roughly three times the size he was used to growing. He chowed down on a few of the dandelions, and he looked over at the letter Celestia sent him. The look of shock faded, and what remained was a faint smile. By the next morning, ponies and non-ponies alike were getting ready, heading over to Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship. The sun had barely tipped above the town, the night sky was still fresh, and Ponyville was waking up, ready to begin the day… That is, everyone except for DualCore. He snored ferociously, tossing in his small bed. He was covered from head to hoof in his thin blanket, his curtains blocking out the windows. The light hitting the stained glass made the room more vibrant, but it could not wake DualCore up. Nothing could prepare him for the day ahead, but for the time being, he was sound asleep, lost in his latest dream. Across the outskirts, there was a pony approaching the house. She stomped in frustration. “They can’t do this to me!” She muttered to herself in a huff. “I never had any luck pulling straws! They set me up!” The sun rose higher still, and on the steps of DualCore’s house was Rarity. Miraculously, her injuries had healed up quick enough that she no longer needed to wear casts, but for good measure, she had on some silky thin leggings on her hooves. She had on her best dress for her first day of teaching, and her first impression of this house was one of sheer horror. The door had a broken window. The outer walls were cracked, and the roof had multiple blemishes. It had not been repaired from its entanglement in the brambles. “How could he live like this??” She asked herself in astonishment. She thought it could not get any worse until she peered inside. The walls were coated in thick dust. There were hoof prints that revealed the floors were coated too! Rarity let out a terrible shriek, and before she knew it, she was using her magic to pave a clear path to the stairs. Rarity may have been able to dust off the path to DualCore’s room, but having to jump the gap on the second story further upset her. DualCore’s bedroom, in Rarity’s eyes, was a shell of its former self. The dust that coated the first story was here too. This house was untouched for decades, and yet, the first pony to move in, in her mind, was not bothered to clean it up? This was the final straw. “Alright! It’s time to wake up!” Shouted Rarity as she threw the curtains aside. The morning sky shined right at DualCore’s bed, but he was still asleep. Rarity huffed. “Wake up!!!” She bellowed. DualCore screwed his face, and began to open his eyes. Rarity eyed him like an angry hawk as he came to his senses, and he yelled sharply and flew back, falling off his bed with a crash, tangled in the moth eaten holes in his blanket. “What are you doing here?! What do you want?!” He asked with a short breath, panting as he tried to get on his hooves. “Ugh, the nerve of you…” She scoffed angrily. The realization on her face devolved into a scowl of pure disgust. “How… do you expect to come to school… looking like THAT?!” Rarity was so angry she was red in the face, whether from her blood pressure or from embarrassment, DualCore did not know, but before he could say anything she ranted on… “I cannot believe you! You had three days to prepare yourself for your first day in this new school, and what do I come to? A disgusting house you never cleaned and you look like you have not bathed in Luna knows how long! Oh, look how matted your fur is! Your hair is so coarse it could shatter my combs! You are absolutely FILTHY!” Rarity raved and rambled, and at the rate she was talking, it would be nightfall by the time she was done. DualCore’s mouth hung open, unable to let a word in. He tried to prepare his horns, but once again, his magic failed to work. He had gotten used to conjuring his way out of problems before, but now he was stuck. “When was the last time you ever took a bath?!” Rarity finished. She stood lividly, waiting for a response as DualCore tried to say something. “7 years… But seriously, have you ever tried-,” DualCore suddenly stopped as Rarity exploded into a conniption fit. “7 YEARS?!?” she cried with more disgust than before. “I will not have this!! You are getting a bath, and you will not come to this school until you do! I will tell Princess Celestia I am BUCKING APPLES before I teach such a foul colt such as you!!!!” Rarity yanked DualCore in the air with her magic. The blanket flew off of him as he flailed helplessly. “Heeey!!! What is this?!?” DualCore freaked out as Rarity dragged her out of the bedroom. In her haste, she unfortunately forgot to mind the gap, and both of them fell straight down to the hallway. The both of them landed on their faces, sore with pain as DualCore got back up. “So this is your game, huh? You’re trying to snuff me out?!” DualCore flared. He was so flustered by Rarity’s gall that his voice cracked. “Have you ever tried to bathe in the Everfree Forest?! No magic could filter the muck from those lakes!” Maybe this point could have come across, but Rarity shot upright, squealing in despair. She was now covered in the same thick dust that coated the floors. The despair quickly turned to anger again, and DualCore went quiet. “I just washed too!! Ooh, you are going to pay for this!!” Rarity whipped out her magic, carrying DualCore again. He protested as hard as he could, but nothing could be done. Rarity turned the faucets on his bathtub, and the water shot out ice cold. It was not long before it became hot, but Rarity, nearing her breaking point, dropped DualCore in the water, splashing the whole bathroom. DualCore coughed and sputtered, yelling incoherently as Rarity lobbed a bar of soap at his face. “You will not leave this house until you are SPOTLESS! I am not going anywhere until you are done, AND YOU BETTER BE DONE QUICKLY!! I have to wash off too!” Rarity seethed as the dust on her body shook with her. She sat outside in the hallway, talking angrily to herself, and DualCore, now submerged in the water, sat there without a word left. Never before had he met anypony as dangerous to cross as her. He conceded, sitting in the tub all hot in the face, but he had no idea what to do with the soap. Artax County had baths, but they did not use anything like this. He sat in the water, staring at this bar of soap. Rarity, who was losing her patience, tried to calm down. “It’ll be okay, Rarity…” She mumbled. “You don’t want to age a whole month in one morning…” She sat outside the bathroom, but was stirred by DualCore. “...Could you help me out?” He muttered loudly. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this…” Rarity stormed in, but it was with a slightly softer tone that she asked, “What do you mean you don’t know how soap works…? Did you ever learn how to take a bath?” DualCore shook his head. “...I lived in the Everfree Forest for 7 years, and my hometown didn’t treat baths this way.” Rarity was exasperated, but she rolled her eyes. “You are such a cave-pony…” She picked up the soap with her magic, and began scrubbing DualCore violently. She ignored his yelps of pain and kept telling him to hold still as she was almost skinning him with the soap. Like a potato peeler, the layers of dirt were coming off, turning the water a dark, murky brown. Rarity scrubbed down every single nook and cranny, and while DualCore was feeling waves of pain from how hard she was scrubbing, the wave of embarrassment was even more painful for both him and Rarity, and by the time they were finished, she could see the difference. His fur was now a much brighter shade of red than before, almost pink, and the soap made him shine in the light. Rarity eyed DualCore over, and reluctantly sighed. “Fine, that will do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to wash up again!” She closed the door in a hurry as she set up her own bath. Even with his magic, this was an energy he dared not to challenge. As much as she made him furious, All he could think of was she may have had a point. He looked over at the hallway mirror, and was stunned. He looked far more bright than before, but he still needed to brush his hair, which drooped heavily over his face. After Rarity finished with her bath, she came out with a brush and finished off her hair. “Could I borrow your brush?” Asked DualCore calmly. He was still annoyed at Rarity’s nerve, but with a look that suggested she was buying a new brush anyway, she gave it to him. The trip to the school was deceptively long, thought DualCore. They walked from his house all the way to the mountains, where this school was built. Rarity was scouting far ahead, not wanting to say a word as DualCore timidly walked along. They were taking a straight path, as though Rarity wanted this to end as soon as possible. DualCore may have been much cleaner than before, but the more he thought it over, the more he thought how much he realized he was not used to living in a place like this, and even though he wanted to explain this, Rarity ignored him. He kept to himself for the rest of the walk, until finally the two arrived at the School of Friendship. DualCore expected a schoolhouse like the one in his old home town with a single classroom, but what he stared up at looked nothing at all like a school to him. “Are you sure this is the right place? This looks a little too nice to be a school… right?” DualCore asked nervously, looking around. The school did look nice. Better than nice. It was gorgeous! Pristine, even! The walkway and steps were made of stone, and the school itself was surrounded by a thin pool of water, flowing onwards by the waterfalls that traveled around it. The entrance was revealed by splitting the center waterfall to each side. “Come on, you can sightsee after your classes…” Rarity huffed once more before masking herself with a veil of faux excitement to start her first day of school as a teacher. After what happened, she did not want to look at DualCore again, but she continued. “You may wait in the entrance hall until further instructions… and don’t ever speak of what happened this morning!” She said quickly, walking into the school as she tried to catch up to her friends. DualCore followed, still unsure where his day was going to take him… The entrance hall was bustling with ponies, but also many other creatures. For a moment, DualCore was overwhelmed. Not even his hometown was this populated. He was not sure how to handle this first day, but after the fiasco he and Rarity were put through, he wanted to keep a low profile. The only thing that was not so bad was because there were so many ponies and non-ponies here, he was not the center of attention yet. Sure, there were some from Ponyville who stared at him, but it seemed that he did not have as big of a reputation here as he feared. However, he caught the attention of Twilight and her friends. Rainbow Dash still had another few days in her body cast, but she was able to remove the cast surrounding her head, allowing her to speak again. Fluttershy was reciting how she was going to introduce her class, but was cut off by the sight of DualCore. She had a plan in motion to handle him, and hardened. Trying to hide her distress, she looked back at her animal friends. Twilight Sparkle could not help but notice that DualCore looked brighter than before. The reason was apparent when Rarity whispered to her, “You owe me for the horrors I endured getting him here!” She did not have time to ask what happened yet, for she was supposed to greet the new students. Putting what Rarity told her to the back of her mind, she stepped up and brought everyone to attention. “Welcome to the School of Friendship. I am your head mare, Twilight Sparkle. Please follow guidance counselor Starlight to sign in and get your class assignments, and then we can show you to your living quarters.” She announced cordially to the students. DualCore looked over at Starlight Glimmer, who was accompanied by Spike. “Living quarters? I already have a house…” He thought to himself, but he was already halfway in the line when he bumped into another pony by accident. “Agh, sorry about that.” He said hurriedly. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m Sandbar. Aren’t you the pony who did that to Rainbow Dash?” He alluded to Rainbow Dash’s injuries, which were so severe she had to roll around in a wheelchair. Several of the ponies were signing her body cast, one was drawing her cutie mark on the flank. DualCore flushed. “Y-yeah, I did that.” He said quietly. Sandbar took a step back, and he looked over at the line to Starlight Glimmer. “You will not be a pony anyone will want to mess with, that’s for sure…” He said back with a weak laugh. DualCore’s stomach dropped. Starlight Glimmer was handing class assignments from pony to non-pony, and finally, it was DualCore’s turn. “Hello there, I was expecting you. Twilight Sparkle wanted me to give you this in addition to your usual assignments.” Starlight Glimmer was smiling at him, nearly unphased by DualCore, which took him aback. “Thanks… but I have no idea where to start from here, so do I start at signing in, or with living quarters?” he stammered, his bewilderment juxtaposing completely with the reputation he carried. Starlight laughed, but she caught her breath before replying, “You already have your living quarters arranged. However, since you are new to living in Ponyville, Princess Celestia and Twilight are making accommodations to make your time here easier.” “Oh, so I don’t have to worry about it?” Asked DualCore with a warmer tone. “Not as far as I know. Just enjoy your first day here!” Starlight moved on to the next pony in line as DualCore picked up his pamphlet from Spike, who upon looking at DualCore for the first time, handed his pamphlet and his additional assignments more hastily. “You know… you’re the second pony in Equestrian history to have 2 horns.” He said matter of factly, trying to be friendly. DualCore raised his eyebrow. “And who was the first?” He asked curiously. “Oh, just some pony Twilight read about…” Replied Spike, shrinking down a bit. DualCore skimmed through the class assignments, as Twilight Sparkle announced once more to the students and their parents, “Thank you all so much for supporting the grand opening of our school! I hope you’ll join us for Friends and Family day to see the amazing progress your students are making.” Friends and Family day? What was that, DualCore thought? His family was still in Artax County, he doubted his parents would want to see him again, and he had no friends either. Twilight Sparkle was watching DualCore carefully, and she could tell he was not grasping everything so quickly. He stood alone amidst the groups of ponies and non-ponies, as though he felt out of place. She turned to her friends for a short meeting before classes began. “So far, he has not caused any trouble… but keep your guards up just in case. Who is teaching his first class?” Twilight’s friends looked at each other, and Rarity shook her head. “Of course it had to be me… It was not enough that I had to baby him this morning!” Twilight felt sorry for asking, but the plan was laid out. Both for DualCore and the new school. “Everything will go according to plan.” Twilight insisted, taking out her massive EEA book. “As long as DualCore causes as little fuss as possible, we should be okay.” Unbeknownst of Twilight, he heard them. He knew from the start that he would have to face the same ponies he fought, but it was still awkward for him to imagine having to be taught by them as their student. In Artax, he remembered his teacher being like some form of gargoyle, but he could not make out her face anymore. Recollecting memories still hurt, but some of his classmates would spread jokes alluding to how old she was, such as one freckly earth pony who told his peers the Schoolhouse teacher settled there when Artax County was founded. These teachers had to be more or less around his own age. His time to think was cut short by the first morning bells. He followed the herd of ponies to the hallways. From there, he solemnly took his leave for his first class.

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 5- DualCore’s New Home The following evening, Twilight Sparkle and her friends met up in the throne room of the Castle of Friendship. The trial for the Two Horned Pony did not go as anyone planned, but Twilight knew that if Princess Celestia gave anypony a chance, then she had to have seen something no one else could. “Alright… So Princess Celestia has given us a new task. We have to teach this double horned pony what friendship is all about…” Said Twilight uncomfortably. “She believes that we can do it, but we need a plan. After what he’s done, I don’t know what could happen next.” She sat at her chair and used her magic to create a makeshift model of the school of friendship. Twilight Sparkle was so excited about having a school of her own. She was able to create a learning environment of her own for others to follow, but with the prospects of having to teach a pony like DualCore, her biggest dream was mixed in with a nightmare. She had not gotten over the big confrontation, but Fluttershy was especially shaken. She was staring out the window, watching a group of unicorns lifting an old house from the brambles. Her friends never saw her this upset before. Rainbow Dash muffled through her cast. Nobody understood what she was saying, but it sounded something along the lines of “Count me out!” Rarity also spoke out, “How does Celestia think we can just reform him? We barely know who he is!” Applejack butted in too, “And he caused enough trouble already. How much would he take if we gave him an inch?” Pinkie Pie spoke next, “True, but what if deep down, he is actually not that bad? You know, maybe he is just in a shell, and we get to help crack him out of it?” “Pinkie Pie, we are talking about THE two horned pony! This pony is rumored to bring about the end of all friendship! And his actions don’t help! I just have to know… What does Celestia see in him?” Twilight sat with her hooves to her head, fishing for anything that could explain what was going on. Everyone stared at her. “Where did you learn about that…?” Asked Rarity with a shaky voice. Twilight, who was wrapped up in her thoughts, looked up. “About what?” She asked. “About this pony being the ‘end of all friendship’.” Said Rarity more clearly. Twilight flushed. She never told her friends about the passage on two horned ponies, and this knowledge only caused more of a panic. “So Princess Celestia really is goin’ crazy?” Asked Applejack. Rainbow Dash muffled through her cast in agreement. Twilight, for a brief moment, became defensive. “Don’t say that! Princess Celestia has always known what she was doing…” Upon saying this, she became distant. There was a tiny pocket of doubt that grew in the pit of her stomach. She knew Princess Celestia had a reason to give him a chance, but was this really the right choice? “Alright then… S’pose he wasn’t who we think he is…” said Applejack, getting Twilight’s attention. “If there was anyone who could help him learn the magic of friendship, who else could do it?” Rainbow Dash muffled again in disapproval, but Rarity interrupted. “I don’t think anypony would want to. After what he did, he should’ve been exiled. And honestly, good riddance.” “If we have to, why not try our best?” Said Pinkie Pie, trying to put a hoof around Twilight, but her neck brace got in the way, and she winced. “I mean, yeah… he did bang us all up, but if we could help him, imagine how that would look for the school!” Twilight was thinking it over, and it was not like this was never done before. Pinkie Pie thought the same thing. “Look at Discord. He was our enemy once, and then he was given a chance, and now he’s our friend!!” Twilight had to admit she had a point. “And Starlight Glimmer. She is our friend too, and she used to be our enemy!” This was also true, as Twilight could remember the time she tried to change Equestria’s timelines. Twilight was able to teach her the magic of friendship too. Reluctantly, Applejack conceded. “Maybe we could try it out. After all, we are teachers now.” The thought of teaching DualCore still made her shutter, but the evidence was overwhelmingly on Pinkie Pie’s side. She was the only one willing to try it out, but this was not new. Pinkie Pie was always willing to make new friends, even if they’ve caused trouble before. Twilight sighed heavily. “Okay, okay… Here is the plan. We need to understand who he is, and what we can do for him. If we have to teach him, we need to start gathering what information we can get. It means we will have to spend time with him outside of classes, but if Princess Celestia has faith in him, then perhaps we can help him.” The plan was laid out, and Twilight and her friends came to an agreement… Everyone except Fluttershy. She continued to stare out at the old house. Twilight left her chair and joined her. “Fluttershy… are you alright?” She asked, trying not to sound too worried. “...I’m fine,” said Fluttershy flatly. Twilight was taken back by the finality in her tone. “I know you don’t want to do this, but maybe we are the right ponies for this task… We just have to try.” Nothing could change Fluttershy’s mind, but outside of leaving, there was nothing she could do. Without stirring from her spot, her ears drooped. “I’ll do it…” This was enough for Twilight to step away. “I’m not excited for this either, Fluttershy… But we can do this. I believe in you.” Twilight then looked over to all her friends. “I have faith in all of you! We can do this! This is our school! DualCore is just our newest student, and we will do what we can! Besides, this is an opportunity for us to learn about him. As far as we know, he is the second pony in Equestrian history to have two horns! This is our chance to learn how he came to be, what he can do, and if he reforms, he won’t be any more trouble for us!” While Twilight Sparkle fought to find the silver lining in this situation, DualCore was left more confused than ever. After trying to run off, he was kept in a holding cell after the trial had ended, but as the sun began to touch the mountains in the late afternoon, he was back to sitting in Princess Celestia’s throne room, surrounded by her royal guards. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched over him with sharp gazes. Luna in particular was showing much more interest with her stare, which made DualCore a little uncomfortable, but the silence was broken by Princess Celestia. “DualCore, I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna.” DualCore kept silent. As much as he wanted to say “Nice to meet you”, the impulse was quickly burned away by the intimidating aura cast by the surrounding guards. “You are being moved to Ponyville tonight. There is a house that is available for you. It was recovered from your bramble attack, but I trust that you will refurbish it as you please.” Celestia’s unblinking glare also made DualCore uneasy, but one question burned in the back of his foggy mind. “Why are you doing this?” He asked timidly. “Because I know more about you than you think. And from my understanding, you have no friends. Banishing you or turning you to stone would do nothing but satiate an urge to punish. You have one chance to turn your life around. You will not be allowed to leave Ponyville, and you will be required to pass your courses in the School of Friendship.” “Okay… but what if they all just reject me? What if my teachers and those other students…” He trailed off. Thinking about this hurt, and trying to keep his composure, he hardened up before he could show anymore vulnerability. Princess Luna looked to him with a touch more sympathy. “Thou doth naught to fear, young Twonicorn.” Said Luna with a voice more gentle than she is used to. “Ponies who hast done wrong are often given a chance to set things right here. Thou deserve a sporting chance.” Celestia nodded, her sharp look fading. “Yes, you will be able to redeem yourself, and I hope you use this chance to see what friendship is all about.” DualCore gaped at the two sisters with disbelief, but he chose not to argue. “Well, if I have to… I just don’t know if I will be able to… you know… make friends.” He admitted. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna smiled. “Did you know that Luna once had that same fear?” Asked Celestia. He could not remember who told him, but he could faintly remember the castle he raided. “So a battle did take place in that castle…” Celestia nodded. “Yes, and Princess Luna, who took the name Nightmare Moon, nearly took over Ponyville too. You aren’t as different as you look. You can prove that by giving us a chance to help you. Of course, you can refuse, and I will go forward with banishing you, and you can live out your days in isolation. It is your choice.” DualCore weighed in the two options. It would be nice to get this over with and go back to living alone, but what if he could make a friend here? “What makes Ponyville different from Artax?” He asked suddenly. This question hung around Celestia’s mind for a short while, but she smiled. “Ponyville is far more diverse than Artax County. There are unicorns, Pegasus Ponies, earth ponies, and alicorns alike. Additionally, non-ponies are allowed to enroll in the School of Friendship too. You’ll be among dragons, yaks, changelings, and far many others.” After what felt like minutes, DualCore made up his mind. “Alright. I’ll go to this school.” It was settled. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna smiled. “Wonderful. Your first day of school starts in 3 days. This will give you a chance to make yourself at home.” The two sisters bowed DualCore from their throne as Luna called out, “I wish thou luck, young Twonicorn!” It was now midnight, and DualCore had been escorted by Celestia’s guards from Canterlot castle to Ponyville. The forest of briars that split the town in half was still standing tall over the village. The bridge between the town and the Everfree Forest was in shambles, and the houses in its path were still trapped above, almost too totaled to be salvaged. He could see that the wall of thorns went so far, it reached the castle he had just left. The pit of his stomach churned. A whole walkway was ravaged by the thorns, and a group of ponies were tearing it down as he walked past. He could not linger for long, for the royal guards had him chained. “KEEP MOVING!” barked one of the guards, breaking DualCore’s concentration. Aside from the wall of brambles, Ponyville was much larger than Artax County, or at least from what he remembered. Many of these homes had multiple stories, and they had the same pink color scheme across each home. The guards eventually stopped at an old rickety shack far on the other side of the town. “Here’s your new home…” Said the guard holding DualCore’s chains. It looked like it was carried to another land by a twister. It turned out this house was the only one that was salvaged from the bramble forest. It had to be carried down by a group of unicorns, and then it was rooted back to the ground. DualCore said nothing, as he stared at this new home. It was bigger than his hut in the Everfree Forest, and it was also bigger than his childhood home in Artax. It had two stories, and a domed roof with stained glass. The house looked ancient, older than most of the houses in the distance. Without another word, the guards took their leave. DualCore realized something crucial that did not come to him earlier. What about his belongings? He ran to the guards as they flew off. “WAIT! WHAT ABOUT MY STUFF?” He yelled, but all this accomplished was making the neighbors far off look out their windows, wondering who was yelling so late. DualCore’s head hung low as he approached his new home. The stairway creaked loudly as he made each step, and he opened the door. The house had no living room. It had a kitchen combined with a dining room, a single hallway leading to the house’s only bathroom, and the second story. The floor of the second story was missing. Pieces of the floor had fallen to the hallway of the first story. This was obviously a problem, because the only bedroom in the house was on the other side of the second story. He climbed the stairs, which also made loud creaks with each step, and with a solid jump, he made it to his bedroom. The only good thing about this room was the stained glass from above made the room glow a beautiful blue color. Other than that, the room was empty, with the only piece of furniture being an old bed with its springs loose on one side, and a large paperweight on one of the legs. The closet held a pair of thin sheets and a pillow, but nothing else. DualCore was immediately regretting his choice of staying. How was he supposed to live here without his personal belongings? He did not have any of his books or his supplies, his room was mostly empty, and he assumed the cupboard in the kitchen was probably empty too. He was starting over from the absolute bottom. Not a coin to his name or two to rub together. With nowhere else to go, he slumped to his bed, and he stared out at the window. The curtains were open, and he could see more of his neighborhood in the distance. All of his deepest anxieties, his fear of being hated by everyone, his fear of possibly being bullied, and his powers no longer working, all ate at him until he couldn’t lie down. For as long as DualCore could remember, he used to use his magic as a way to keep the threats of the Everfree Forest away from him. Dating further, he used to remember his last day in Artax County, but now, he still struggles to recollect his memories. This brain fog was as concerning as his new lack of powers, but without his magic, he had no way of protecting himself. His brain continued to paint countless worst case scenarios throughout the night. How he went to sleep, he did not know, but eventually he did. Far off into the Castle of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle was also stirring in her bed. Having a plan did not stop her from having anxiety over having DualCore as her newest student. She thought about the injuries her friends sustained. She thought about Fluttershy, and she thought about those last moments before DualCore could finish her off. All that reassured her was Princess Celestia was there for her, and if anything could go wrong, she was prepared. Twilight fluffed her pillow for the fourth time, turning her head on the coldest side and wrapped up in her blanket. “Princess Celestia believes in me,” she said to herself. “I can do this… I can teach him.” She kept saying this to herself, until she, too, drifted off.

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 4- The Trial Twelve hours passed since the battle in the Everfree Forest, and Princess Celestia was still taking in the damages. Several square acres of the forest was uprooted altogether, a twenty foot tall and nearly hundred mile wall of sharp brambles split Ponyville in two, and Celestia’s star pupil and her friends nearly died trying to stop the pony that caused it all. She sat in her throne room, contemplating all that had taken place. The culprit was still sprawled out unconscious, but now a solid pink barrier was conjured around him. Celestia’s niece, Princess Cadence, volunteered to restrain the Two Horned Pony. The throne room was filled with princesses from all across Equestria, royal guards, Celestia herself and her sister Luna, and lastly, Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Twilight was bandaged up in multiple places on her body, but her injuries were nothing to the ones sustained by her friends. Rarity and Applejack had broken legs and were wearing casts, Pinkie Pie had on a neck brace, and Rainbow Dash’s entire body was wrapped in a cast. Only her eyes were visible. Fluttershy, who was the only one that didn’t get injured in the battle, glared down at the pony. He had not gotten up yet, but deep down, she wanted for him to stay that way. The room may have been full of ponies gathered together, but the banter going on was low, as though many were afraid this pony would retaliate. The Two Horned Pony’s eyes flickered, his ears shook, and slowly, he was groggily regaining consciousness. It did not register to him that he woke up to his own trial, and at first, he was getting the morning crust out of his eyes. As the world around him gradually cleared, he realized he was trapped. He had no idea what to do. He froze in place, peering at face to face. He did not know any of these ponies, and in a state of growing panic, he turned tail. BAM! He collided with the barrier, which was as hard as a solid wall. His panic further expanded as the murmurs from the princesses and the guards continued. He could tell that he was in serious trouble, but he was having the worst migraine of his life. He was trying to remember what he could have done to get himself in this position, but nothing came to him. His brain was pulling blanks at the worst time. He had to escape, but his magic was not working. Was it the barrier, he thought? Regardless, he kept trying to make an escape happen, but all of his efforts failed. The room was silenced at once when Celestia stepped down from her throne. The royal guards bowed, as well as the rest of the princesses, and Twilight Sparkle. While her friends couldn’t bow, they did what they could… that is, except for Fluttershy, who, despite being the only one in the fight who was not injured, stood with blank fury. The Two Horned Pony could only guess that this was some powerful figure that he had angered, and that she was going to exact some form of divine punishment. He backed away, cornered by the barrier surrounding him. At last, Princess Celestia examined the pony. For someone who caused as much damage as he had, she expected this pony to handle his trial with dignity, but he was near shivering with fright. “What is your name?” commanded Celestia, her voice now void of the warmth and care Twilight was so familiar with. The pony said nothing. He could hear her clearly, but he was too scared to say anything. Celestia barked once more, “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” He jumped. Shaken, he quickly blurted out the first thing in his head. “DualCore!” Celestia continued on. “DualCore, do you understand why you are here?” Timidly, he shook his head. The truth was he knew he lost his temper and sent a path of briars to stop some thieves, but the details were not clear in his mind. Princess Celestia analyzed DualCore’s every move, as though her eyes could see through him. “I think you do.” She said coldly to him. “Yesterday, you summoned a bramble wall that stretches all the way from Ponyville to the mountains near my throne!” He tried to interject, but Celesia kept going, “And you had the nerve to attack my star student and future princess of all Equestria!” Every word DualCore ever learned was spilled over like a glass of milk in his head. He could not speak, even though he wanted to. He tried to use hoof gestures that went nowhere, and Celestia pushed on, “You even attacked her friends, and you deforested a chunk of the Everfree Forest! Explain yourself!” Frozen in place, he tried to talk, but he was suffocating from the pressure the room was putting on him. “I-I was trying to stop thieves from stealing something of mine!” he said almost defiantly. He couldn’t look Princess Celestia in the eyes. “And you accuse my star student of stealing?” she asked. DualCore nodded, and Twilight Sparkle intervened. “Princess Celestia, the real thieves were the Diamond Dogs.” she said firmly. “When I left you yesterday, they pushed me, carrying this book. Then that bramble wall sprouted and it tangled them!” DualCore could not believe that. “But why would these dogs want my spellbook? They aren’t unicorns! They can’t cast magic!” Said DualCore in a more collected tone. He thought he had a good point. Why would anyone want a spellbook if they could not cast magic themselves? Twilight shook in place, but replied, “Because that book had these jewels encrusted on the cover, back, and spine.” DualCore worked his brain raw to remember the crystals on the book. “Yeah, those are Pyre crystals. They are dug up from near the center of the Earth. They are said to contain magical properties, and they are so rare because they are so hard to harvest.” He did not realize it, but he made an argument against his own case. “Pyre crystals…” Celestia thought to herself, reviewing over DualCore on the spot. “Alright, where did you get this book?” She asked demandingly. He shook in a crumpled heap. “I had it for as long as I could remember... My parents had it on their shelf.” he bluntly replied. “Pyre crystals are most commonly used in tandem with dark magic. Nopony in Equestria has harvested them for hundreds, if not, thousands of years!” Celestia said back to DualCore, her voice booming across the throne room. “This book must be one that contains ancient powers to have to be containing its magic with Pyre crystals! Where is the book now?” DualCore faltered. He had no clue where the book was now! Twilight intervened again. “It vanished after Fluttershy saved me. It did this… this incantation on its own, made his horns glow, and disappeared!” It could not be true, DualCore thought. That spellbook was special to him, and it just vanished? He wanted to rise, he wanted more than anything to break this barrier and go find it, but the overwhelming feeling of the walls closing in on him kept him in place, more defeated than ever. “I will send my guards on a lookout for the book. This could be even more dangerous than we anticipated.” Said Celestia, maintaining an unwavering look at DualCore. “Where do you come from?” Her voice softened up slightly. DualCore, staring at his hooves, solemnly said, “Artax county…” “I beg your pardon?” Asked Celestia. “Artax County!” DualCore blurted looking at Celestia with wide, exasperated eyes. “Artax?” murmured the throne room. This was a strange answer to everyone but Princess Celestia, who was putting the pieces together. Artax County was an Earth pony village that maintained traditional values dating as far back as before Equestria was founded. How could any unicorn, let alone a pony as rare as one with two horns, be raised there? “B-b-because I didn’t know what magic was back then, and I couldn’t cast any magic, my parents convinced the village to let them raise me.” DualCore kept his hooves together and swayed, looking down at them. The princesses stared blankly at him, not believing what he was saying. To them, the thought of a unicorn not knowing what magic was sounded utterly ridiculous. DualCore ignored their vacant gazes and continued, “I ran away from there long ago, and ever since, I’ve lived in that forest...” He said blankly, trying to choose his words carefully. The throne room’s murmurs grew again. This whole time, DualCore lived right under the snouts of every pony in Ponyville? The room began to buzz with even more soft murmurs until Princess Celestia gestured everyone to silence. “So all this time, you have lived in the Everfree Forest. You were the one who raided my old home several nights ago?” For a moment, DualCore did not understand, but then it hit him with the force of one of Applejack’s kicks. Princess Celestia looked very much like one of the ponies depicted in that abandoned castle! “That was YOUR house?!” For the first time since the moment Celestia first approached him, the two locked eyes. “Yes, that was…” Said Celestia stoically. “Was there any reason to take books from my study?” She stared intently. “The books I grabbed had these illustrations… and I wanted to paint the castle from my home, so I wanted to get mental images of the place…” He said, trailing off. He remembered going, but so much of his life suddenly became fuzzy since he woke up. Was it nerves? Possibly fear? It couldn’t be, thought DualCore. He had been given a wide birth in the Everfree Forest for eight years. Then again, it was not common for him to have such a foggy memory. He tried to think, almost popping a blood vessel to remember, but he could not recall much more than what he already said. Princess Celestia interviewed DualCore further and further, the whole throne room watching with their breaths held. All of the evidence was clear, but the longer the two interviewed, the more soft Celestia’s voice became, almost to the point where the court could no longer understand them. She was more calm, as this allowed her to get more information from DualCore. “Then why run away from home? Do you truly believe living all alone is better than a life where you could make friends?” DualCore turned bitter, looking as though his mouth was glued shut. “Yes!” he said coldly. “I tried to make friends, but ponies are cruel! They laughed at me, and they left me behind!” Hearing this, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Was it probably because you were a unicorn living in Artax? I understand… The residents there even banned me from visiting.” DualCore looked back again at his hooves locked together. “Yeah… They hate magic. They see it as nothing but witchcraft, and a means to discredit the ponies who ‘built this world…’” He breathed heavily, scared of the possibility that he might never get to go back to his Everfree Forest home. He might be banished, or worse, sent back to Artax! He was so filled with anxiety the already cramped barrier was basically crushing him. “Tell me this,” Celestia ordered, her voice still soft enough to not travel to everyone else. “If you were given the opportunity to learn about friendship, would you take it?” This sounded silly to DualCore. He pondered what Celestia was playing at suggesting this, but he answered with a sigh, “Maybe… But why would you think I deserved such a treat? What makes you or any of these other ponies any different?!” Where this was going, nobody could figure out. Princess Celestia was thinking to herself, wondering what DualCore really wanted, and why he caused so much trouble. She was furious, but there was more to him than just what he did. He had a book that may have contained the very dark magic she sought to destroy. He was not against friendship at all, but was kept away from making friends due to circumstances beyond his control. Maybe, just maybe, he could be helped, but he needed proper guidance and a chance to set things right. Princess Celestia called the other princess to follow her, and they all huddled together at her throne. What they were saying was unintelligible, but what few thoughts DualCore had left were racing in his throbbing head. Twilight Sparkle stood by with her friends. The image of the pony moments before he fell haunted her. To her left, Fluttershy was borderline expressionless now. Was she dissociating? Maybe, but perhaps she was imagining what could be awaiting him after Celestia’s punishment. After ten minutes of hushed arguments between the princesses, Celestia had made up her mind. Many of the Princesses made expressions looking as though they had witnessed a grave injustice. Twilight and Fluttershy were getting closer, ready to finally watch this pony face judgment. “DualCore…” Boomed Celestia. “You have been found guilty for crimes of terrorism, assault, the use of forbidden magic, and the destruction of land and landmarks! As punishment for your charges…” DualCore tensed up more than ever. He felt as if the barrier imploded. He did not want to hear what would happen. He was begging, pleading for whatever was to come to him to do so quickly and painlessly. Celestia exchanged a look so sharp it cut DualCore’s barrier, and he took a deep breath. “You will be attending Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship.” The next moment, there was chaos! The princesses expressed outrage. The royal guards spoke out in protest. Even Twilight Sparkle, the alicorn who for years had idolized Princess Celestia, was certain she lost her mind! Fluttershy’s disgust and shock was veiled by a hollow, distant look. Princess Cadence was taken aback so much that her magic broke, the barrier vanishing. DualCore had no idea what to do now, but his first instinct was to run. He bolted, bumping right into one of the guards. A reckless fit of panic had come over DualCore as he tried to conjure up some way out, but he was holding his breath for nothing. His magic failed again, and his migraine intensified. He tried to cast a spell, any spell, but he was completely powerless. Cornered, he backed away from the guard. DualCore quickly found himself surrounded by guards. He was unable to escape the room or the deafening pandemonium going on. Celestia had to use magic to bring order back to the room. “I am sentencing you to community service and you will be attending classes in the School of Friendship!” Said Celestia more clearly. She stood by this choice, to the unpleasant surprise of every pony in the room. Strangely, Princess Luna was the only pony in the room to not protest. DualCore was in a desperate panic, but he glanced at her, and she gave him a faint smile. Twilight Sparkle leapt out ferociously. “I object to this!” she said defiantly. “What if he tries to retaliate?? Princess Celestia, with all due respect, I saw what he was going to do!! He had no remorse!!” Each remark was like a needle penetrating DualCore’s heart. He was no longer able to speak, but his face gaped stupidly, paralyzed by the bedlam taking place before him. “Twilight Sparkle, please control yourself… We will discuss this after the room is cleared.” Said Celestia. No amount of protesting or convincing swayed Celestia’s judgment call for DualCore. Her decision was final. Now that the trial was over, the princesses made their leave. They were bewildered that a pony with charges as serious as his was not at the very least exiled to a land away from them. The majority of the princesses came to believe she was crazy. Some talked of banning the pony from traveling to their lands, and others considered appealing this trial. Only Twilight and her friends stayed around. DualCore was escorted away by the royal guards. Twilight Sparkle took off to Princess Celestia, pleading to reconsider his sentence. “This pony tried to kill me, and he almost pulled it off! Look what he did to my friends!!” She gestured to her to look at the injuries her friends had. “How could you possibly think this… this monster has any chance to reform?!” Princess Celestia let Twilight finish, and closing her eyes, she let out a heavy sigh, and said, “Twilight, this pony here is a mystery to all of us. I have the belief that he is much more than what he appeared to be.” She gave a comforting smile to Twilight as she sat back down at her throne. “You will be given an assignment. Your task will be to help reform him.” “WHAT?” shouted Twilight and her friends together. “You heard me right.” Said Celestia. “You will all be tasked with teaching DualCore the magic of friendship. This school is an opportunity for him to pay for his crimes, as well as to find a better life than the one with which he started.” Dumbfounded, Twilight stammered. “B-b-but what if he doesn’t?! What if he turns on us?” Celestia interjected again. “If he does I will banish him. However, I noticed something. Whatever happened to him after that fight, it must have taken away his magic… He nearly escaped, and no doubt if he had any magic, he would have.” “I-I really don’t know… but I can’t…” Twilight could not string the words she wanted to say together. “Yes you can.” Said Celestia, turning misty eyes on her pupil. “You have all the capabilities and the friends you need to help you. Everything you’ve learned, it can be taught down to him too. Yes, what he did has upset me. I nearly lost you, but there is something to this pony that we must uncover. To do this, we have to put him on the right path. Twilight… He is not the only enemy of Equestria who was given a chance to reform. I believe that DualCore will benefit greatly from this opportunity. All he needs is the right guidance. And I trust that you are just the team to do it.” Twilight Sparkle’s voice had gone from her. It was true that she helped enemies in the past see the magic of friendship, but the fear of this pony in particular going on a rampage unsettled her. While not entirely convinced, she conceded. “Okay… I’ll do it. But I will need some help keeping a close eye on him!” Celestia nodded. “Of course. I will watch over him and make sure that he doesn’t cause any more trouble. If I suspect him of causing another problem, I will come down and banish him.”

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 3- The Two-Horned Pony A wave of anxiety swirled Twilight Sparkle on her way back home after her talk with Princess Celestia. She was imagining the possibility of her school being invaded, or worse, burned to the ground like the one Celestia saw years ago. Maybe she had it all under control, but what if this unique pony escaped? If they were on the run, Equestria would not be safe. Her school could run into trouble with the Chancellor if friendship wasn’t enough of a strategy to face the imminent darkness. From there, her mind wandered deeper into the wild possibilities, like falling into a rabbit hole. While Twilight experienced her domino effect of dangerous possibilities, one was rushing towards her. It was the Diamond Dogs, sprinting as fast as they could. They were scared beyond reason as they shoved Spike and Twilight Sparkle out of their way. “GET OUT OF HERE!!!!” said Spot in a panic. “HE’S AFTER US!! HE’S AFTER US!!” cried Rover. Fido was the furthest ahead, screaming like a lunatic. Twilight got up with a start. Shoving her to the wayside like that was uncalled for! She had to fly to catch up with them, and the first thing that caught her eye was the thing the diamond dogs were carrying. Fido was holding an old, foreboding looking book, adorned with dimly glowing jewels, and a symbol that looked like the letter “I”. This was not a typical book, Twilight thought. Before she could ask what the Diamond Dogs were doing with such a book, the ground shook violently. A low rumbling roar emitted from beneath Twilight’s hooves. Spike was below her, too afraid to move. In a split second reaction, Twilight had to fly to Spike, pushing him out of the path. Not a moment sooner, the reason why came through. An enormous wall of thorny brambles sprouted from the ground. It was growing rapidly. A forest of thorns! Within seconds, the brambles grew to about twenty feet in the air, the path stretching beyond Ponyville. Houses were uprooted, walkways were destroyed, and the wall of thorny growths glowed at the roots. Could this be the dark magic Celestia warned her about? If so, then her worst nightmares were already being realized. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew over to Twilight Sparkle, helping her back up. “Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “I’m fine,” said Twilight with a higher voice than anticipated. Rainbow Dash flew upwards to see how far the brambles stretched. “Wow… This has to be about a hundred miles!!” she said in amazement. Applejack and Pinkie Pie rushed to the others next. “Did you just see what grew? This looks pretty dark!” Said Pinkie Pie. “Who do you suppose did it? Chrysalis?” Pinkie Pie mimed Chrysalis’s mannerisms, but Twilight interjected. “No… I think this is much worse.” She followed the stretch of thorns, stopping at the Diamond Dogs, who were entangled by the growths so badly that they were stuck. The book they were carrying had fallen on the ground. The Diamond Dogs may have been trying to steal this book, but Twilight could not let them stay suspended in the air like this. With a blast of her magic, the brambles carrying the Diamond Dogs sank back to the ground, and they ran off to the side, abandoning the book they had tried to steal. This book was almost otherworldly to see, but as soon as Twilight tried to have a closer look, it glowed a bright orange, hovering along the path of the brambles. It was traveling to the Everfree Forest. “Come on! If we follow the book, we might see who made this wall of thorns!” Said Rainbow Dash, following the book. Twilight was alert, and followed suit. Her mind was traveling faster than ever. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight ran after Rainbow Dash and the book. It hovered far into the forest, until it became so dark they could not tell if it was still daytime. “Any ideas who we’re up against this time?” Asked Pinkie Pie as she imitated Nightmare Moon. By now, the group of friends visited the Everfree Forest many times, and the forest no longer scared them whilst they were together. Upon reaching the outskirts of the forest, Twilight’s friends exchanged possible answers, but deep down, Twilight knew. She kept her mouth tightly shut, hoping beyond hope that it was somepony else. Finally, a dark figure stood in the path, and the book was levitating to the pouch on his hood. It flew snug into place inside the pouch. The banter between Twilight’s friends halted so suddenly it was like they had all gone deaf. The figure stared at the ponies. He was about their size, but their expression was unreadable, Their eyes glowed a piercing yellow. “Why did you steal my book?” said the figure in a soft, but cold tone. “Stole?” asked Rarity in a haughty voice. “We did not steal this book, and frankly, I don’t even know why we would want it!” “Yeah!” yelled Rainbow Dash. “You have no right to accuse us of taking it!” The figure stood their ground. “You will watch your tone, or I will hurt you.” they said bluntly. The air was chilling by the minute. Fluttershy was cowering in place, hiding behind Applejack for support. Twilight, who was trying to regain her composure, stepped forward. “Who are you? Do you know who you’re talking to?” “No. I don’t tolerate thieves, and I won’t be talked down to by the ones who stole it.” said the pony, his voice rising. Rainbow Dash was getting angry. Pinkie Pie was no longer joking. Even Applejack was stepping back. “We did not steal your book!” Rainbow Dash yelled. The Figure’s face glowed from under his hood. He was definitely a unicorn. A vine sprouted from the ground, wrapping Rainbow Dash’s leg. She tried to break free, but she was thrown into a tree, landing with a crash! “Alright, you’ve asked for it!!” shrieked Rarity, firing a blast of her own magic. The spell stopped dead in its tracks, right in front of the book. The book created a force field around the figure, which expelled enough force to lift the hood from their face. The sight was enough to make Twilight Sparkle faint. The pony’s lifted hood revealed two horns, with long, unkempt brown hair surrounding them. The pony was a colt, his face contorted into a scowl as his yellow eyes shined from the barrier’s reflected light. Rarity’s spell was blasted off course, the barrier vanishing shortly after. The pony looked at his book, as though it was speaking to him. He replied with “Yes, master.” and he began to approach the Mane Six. “Don’t come any closer!!!” yelled Twilight, firing a spell far more powerful than Rarity’s, but the barrier returned, freezing her spell in place too. The Two-Horned pony lifted a hoof, and swung it, launching that spell away from him. “This is my book. Its magic only obeys me. If you take it, I will not hold back.” The pony said in a voice that shook the branches. “So you made that wall of thorns??” Asked Applejack, raring to kick this pony for his attack. “Yeah.” he said back, walking closer to them. Twilight charged her magic, shining the whole forest. A beam of energy struck the two horned pony directly, engulfing him completely within the blast. At first, he was knocked back, but the barrier stopped this spell too. With an ear splitting BANG, the beam got launched high over the Everfree Forest. This could not be possible, thought Twilight. That was as strong a spell as she could conjure! Making matters worse, the Two Horned Pony charged his left horn, which glowed gold over his long face, wrinkled in fury. All the trees around them shifted their leaves, shrouding what little light could pass through. The ground started to rumble again. Twilight and her friends expected another bramble, and sure enough, more sprouted. Fluttershy shot up in the air, avoiding the brambles altogether. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were caught, and the brambles began striking the ground side by side with immense force. Twilight sliced the brambles down with her magic, but her friends were now in a daze. Pinkie Pie was battered the hardest. She was struggling to stand upright, while Applejack caught a second wind, rushing down the pony, trying her hardest to kick him. The Two Horned Pony dodged each one, stepping back to get out of her range. Applejack then unleashed a final kick aimed for his head, which missed, because the Two Horned Pony hopped upwards, using his magic to propel him higher. His left horn glowed, and the tree to the right of him was unrooted. He swung the tree with his magic, and Applejack, failing to react in time, was shot aside, colliding with a tree with such a brutal impact that the tree was knocked over. He continued to swing the tree, but the others managed to avoid each swing. Frustrated, the Two Horned Pony lobbed the tree like a giant lance. Twilight had to teleport out of the way to dodge it. Rarity charged her horn, ready to strike the pony down, and she fired a flurry of beams. It was no good. The pony grabbed Pinkie Pie as she struggled to get back up, and he held her in front of him as she took each and every attack Rarity fired. He tossed her aside, his ire aimed directly at her next, broken by the faintest whistling sound growing from above. Rainbow Dash recovered from being thrown into a tree, and she was performing a sonic rainboom with the intent to attack him. He reacted before Rarity, using his magic to grab vines from the trees, and yanking Rarity closer to him. “Aah, let me go!! What do you think you’re doing?!” Rarity protested and shrieked, but the Two Horned Pony looked up, and teleported. Rarity fell over, taking the vines off of her right as the sonic rainboom collided with her. The blast was powerful enough to knock down every plant and tree within a mile of it. At first, Rainbow Dash was proud of herself, thinking she had taken down the pony, but realized quickly that the pony she rainboomed was none other than Rarity. Meanwhile the Two Horned Pony grabbed Rainbow Dash by the neck with a vine. She soared into the air at breakneck speeds, trying to shake off the pony, but the vine was traveling along her body, entangling her legs and torso. The Two Horned Pony was using his magic to hang onto the vine, concentrating hard on maintaining his grip as the two went higher and higher into the sky. Rainbow Dash was performing multiple flips and twirls, but nothing could shake this pony off, until the two began to reach the end of the atmosphere. Rainbow Dash was losing her breath, not from the vine, but from the lack of air. If she tried to fly any higher, she would pass out. This was the Two Horned Pony’s opening. He yanked down at the vine, catching Rainbow Dash with his hoof. “Nice trick…” Said the pony, also straining to catch his breath. He flipped Rainbow Dash below him, using his magic to swirl her around him. Faster and faster she spun as the Two Horned Pony plummeted closer to the forest again. “Is this how you did it?!” He asked sadistically, launching her straight down. The impact was not quite as big as the actual Sonic Rainboom, but it was enough to knock Rainbow Dash out of the battle. The voice in the Pony’s head interjected. “Your execution needs work. Her attack was more powerful, and she lacks magical ability!” The Pony shushed the voice, concentrating on his power to make a safe landing. With the help of the book’s aura, he stuck the landing. He was growing tired. Never in his life has he had to use so much magic at once. Twilight noticed this. She found a hiding place, charging up a barrage of magical blasts. There had to have been about a thousand of these being charged, all of them flying directly at the Two Horned Pony! He could tell Twilight was angry now. Afraid, but furious. It was time to channel in the power of the book again. Sure enough, he charged his right horn. For the pony, every second slowed down. The adrenaline rush hit. He began charging right into the blasts, teleporting out of the way of each one. It was no use to jump over them. These balls of magic followed him, but if he could trick the magic by teleporting, he could cancel each one out. The plan mostly worked. From Twilight’s perspective, she saw the pony moving so quickly it was like 1 hundred of him were charging for her. A few of her magical beams hit his barrier, but he leapt in the air, charging both horns at Twilight’s face. She strafed backwards with her wings, firing several more balls of magic. The Two Horned Pony lifted vines and brambles, charging for her again. The beams hit his barrier, cracking it in places. He would not usually be so careless, but he had his target on sight. He was willing to strike now, even if it meant taking a few pot shots. The Two Horned Pony’s vines and brambles sparked and glowed with magic as he grabbed Twilight’s legs. Where Rainbow Dash was strong enough to fly away, Twilight was more focused on using her magic to destroy the brambles. This worked, but she was being outpaced by the amount of vines being thrown at her. He kept entangling her, until he had enough of a grip to hurl her into the ground.There was another deafening BOOM, and Twilight Sparkle, exhausted, terrified, and now too hurt to get away, struggled to break free. The Two Horned Pony made his way to the crater that formed, looking down at Twilight, his yellow eyes now glowing green. He was scowling worse than ever, his veins throbbing as the dark magic took its hold over him. It was all over. Twilight was defeated. Her friends were scattered about and collapsed on the ground. A single tear shined in Twilight’s eye and rolled down her shaking face. The two horned pony came to a halt. He looked into Twilight's eyes, and could see the tear drop down her cheek. His horns still glowed, but the dark aura began to fade when… CLUNK! A rock was lobbed right at the pony’s jaw, and just like that, he too collapsed, knocked out cold. From out in the bushes, Fluttershy stepped forward, a sneer of tenacity carried over her. It was she who threw the rock. Relief had finally come over Twilight Sparkle as she realized what happened. For a moment, she believed she was going to die. “Who… no, what is he??” she asked exasperated. Fluttershy stared down the unconscious pony. She was ready to throw another rock if he got back up. “I got him…” she said with a shaky voice. Never before had such a rage come over her. Twilight, who was ready to collapse herself, hugged Fluttershy. “Thanks… I really thought that was it for me.” said Twilight, breathing heavily. Fluttershy accepted the hug, but she was not responding. Her mind was racing. What was this pony truly capable of doing if he could easily defeat a princess and her friends by himself? To the left of the Two Horned Pony’s conked out body was the book. It was glowing again, and this time Twilight could hear the whispers coming off of it. It was casting a spell on its own. The Two Horned Pony’s horns glowed. Twilight and Fluttershy hopped backwards, and the book, now glowing a violent scarlet, vanished. There was no way to tell where the book went. Fluttershy and Twilight kept close, but the air warmed up again. The threat was gone. Princess Celestia landed in the middle of the field that was once a part of the Everfree Forest. The battle that took place knocked down every tree within the mile. Leaves, branches, and uprooted trees littered the place. “Are you alright, Twilight?” Asked Celestia urgently. Twilight was bruised up, but still standing. She nodded. “But my friends…” She directed Celestia to the spread of unconscious ponies around her. Of the fallen, Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked the most injured. Rarity was covered in debris, and her upper hooves were broken. Rainbow Dash, after being spiked to the ground, had broken legs, cracked ribs, and her overall condition looked critical. Celestia wasted no time. She used her magic to carry Twilight’s friends. “I will take your friends. You and Fluttershy handle him.” She ordered. “But Princess Celestia, he nearly killed me! What if he tries to attack me again??” Twilight panicked, but Celestia was already flying off. In the distance she called out, “You’ll be okay! I will make sure he doesn’t hurt you!”

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 2- Celestia’s Sighting Twilight Sparkle returned home after her last adventure. After the Storm King’s defeat, she and her friends noticed the map of Equestria grew significantly. There was potential to expand their reach when it came to teaching the magic of friendship to others. Even Tempest, a unicorn who was once an enemy, had declined an invitation to Ponyville to spread the word of the defeat of the Storm King. To Twilight, the next journey was clear. She wanted to build a school, one where ponies and non-ponies alike could learn the magic of friendship. What better way to expand the reach of Equestria than to extend her hooves to everyone? Princess Celestia was supportive of the idea, exclaiming it was a brilliant plan! Twilight was so enamored by her newest ambition, asking question after question, such as what time the school should begin, how students were to be seated, and so on. However, Princess Celestia was trying to ask for a moment to speak. Due to Twilight’s sheer excitement, it took a minute straight to calm the air. While it was exciting that she wanted to build a school, there was a serious report Celestia had to share, and she needed Twilight’s undivided attention. “Twilight, there was a sighting last night. One of the ancient dark magics I have wanted to stop since before I ruled Equestria.”, said Celestia, watching Twilight Sparkle with the same adoration. “I’m not sure if I had seen it correctly, but the pony who carried this power might have had two horns.” Twilight’s stupor dropped with an unpleasant thud. She had just finished off one journey around the world, and now there was a possibility her newest school might be in jeopardy before it was even built. “T-two horns?” Stammered Twilight. Celestia nodded. “That can’t be right. Two horned ponies are not real. They don’t exist!” Said Twilight with a self assuring tone. “What would this mean anyway?” As Twilight took in the news, Princess Celestia smiled once more. “I’m sure this is not going to require any immediate action yet. I am keeping a close watch on this development, so you can focus on finishing your new school. If there is anyone who can run it well, it is you.” While Twilight was excited to run her own school, the image of a dark pony with two horns loomed in her mind. Who could this pony be, anyway? It couldn’t have been Tempest. She had learned the magic of friendship. Could a two horned pony really exist? She had never seen one before, neither in the flesh or in a book. If this pony could perform dark magic that Celestia herself wanted to stop, then this could be another particularly dark wizard. All she knew was she needed to get to reading. If Twilight had questions that no one else could answer, she resorted to her books. The next day, Twilight got busy as she read through a variety of books about famous and infamous creatures. Princess Celestia pitched in, handing her resources to help her with her school, including the EEA guide book. This guide book contained many strict regulations required to run a school. She had so much to do, from her presentation to get her school approved, to overseeing developments of the school, and not to mention she had to study up on the woefully difficult to find history of multi horned ponies. By the evening, she was so exhausted there was nothing she wanted more than to put everything down and go to bed. She had no progress on finding a pony with two horns, but her school was, for the most part, approved, though the Chancellor interpreted Twilight’s school as a place to teach specifically ponies how to defend themselves against the darkness. This misunderstanding was not enough to stop the development of the school, much to her luck. With the school being built in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle wanted to oversee the project. The image in her mind of the double horned dark pony continued haunting her, causing her more than enough anxiety she was already enduring. Ponyville’s libraries had failed her, so she took a flight to libraries out of town. Her finds continued to come up short, and after Canterlot’s libraries failed her, it was clear where she had to go. Even though the two horned pony was sighted in the Everfree Forest, there was no way this pony was going to murder her in cold blood in Princess Celestia’s childhood home. It didn’t sound possible to her. At the Castle of the Two sisters, Twilight read through book after book, each one was no help to her. What did not help was many of the library’s shelves were emptied. One book looked ajar, but upon grabbing it, a secret passageway opened. “Oh no…” Twilight initially thought, deciding to go in the passageway. The only book beyond the stairway of this hidden path was a spell book with a stone cover adorned with spikes. Skimming through a few pages, Twilight placed the book back down and returned to the main library, her expectations to find anything relevant dwindling, until finally, one single book had the answer to her long burning question. It was labeled as one of Princess Luna’s guides on dark creatures, and it was short, each description only taking about a page’s worth of information on each creature. Twilight skimmed through the book, and there it was. “The legend of the Double Horned Pony”. She read on… “In the earliest days of Equestria’s founding, one of the threats to the harmony of ponies was a two horned pony. She was considered the only one of her kind, and she had powers beyond the likes of the unicorns. Only a handful of unicorns aligned with her, but her true intentions and origin are lost to time. The greatest mystery was how she lost her powers. In the midst of battle, the unicorns broke out in a war against the two horned pony, and her powers vanished. She was never able to recover from the loss, and all of the resources from which she learned the powers were lost as well. While the unicorns celebrated, nothing more can be confirmed of this pony’s whereabouts. After she vanished, there had not been a sighting of any pony with more than one horn. Few experts speculate the second horn was the work of a powerful, evil curse, but ultimately, for unknown reasons, this pony was able to escape without being recorded by history. There are rumors that another two horned pony could rise in the distant future. When that day comes, given the fear of what little is known, the magic of friendship could be lost.” Twilight took the book along with her on the way back home, but her hopes of finding potential information to save her from an attack were dashed. The single passage was not enough. She needed more information. Who this pony was, how she gained two horns, what she did to learn a magic so powerful. The only solace to be gained was the confirmation that a pony with two horns existed. How could such a rare pony make it through Equestrian history without even a single full page of her life, or her accomplishments? Something was off. By the dawn of the next day, Twilight Sparkle was run ragged, and in her opinion, she had nothing to show for it, other than the school of friendship’s near completion. The only thing she could think of doing from here regarding her search for two horned pony history was request Princess Celestia’s advice. She rushed to her castle, Spike tagging along. The princess looked to Twilight with her usual warm smile, noticing how tired Twilight was. “Did you get any sleep last night?”, she asked concernedly. Twilight attempted to reply, but was stifled by a powerful yawn. She was not ready to sleep, even with her body shutting down by the minute. “Princess Celestia, I found a report on a two horned pony. Why is there nothing about this? If multi-horned ponies exist, why isn’t there a shred of evidence in our history books?” Celestia looked at Twilight with her smile, and the two sat at her throne. “So my sighting the other day rattled you… Well, here is something to understand. There has not been a sighting of any pony in Equestria with more than one horn ever since the one during Equestria’s founding. I suspect this pony was capable of wiping the memories of ponies to prevent her knowledge from spreading, otherwise she would have been better documented.” Celestia peered over at her windows, holding her bright smile. “To tell you the truth, I think there is another pony with two horns in Equestria. There was a fire that broke out in this earth pony village many years ago. The fire that broke out was the result of the same magic I sensed the other day. Just like that sighting, I could only get a mere glimpse of the pony running away. I couldn’t chase after him because I had to rescue the ponies trapped in the schoolhouse.” Twilight Sparkle was overcome with questions about this. “But why would he set a school on fire like that? And if he was not an earth pony, what was he doing in that town? Didn’t that earth pony village ban unicorns and pegasus ponies? If you really saw a two horned pony years ago, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Question after question was fired, until Princess Celestia held out her hoof, signaling to let her finish. “I assure you, if this pony makes their rounds again, they will not be alone. I have my eyes on them and their whereabouts. You have a new school to run, and you need your rest before you start teaching.” Warm as ever, Celestia gave Twilight an embrace with her wing and sent her on her way. On the way back home, Spike was joking about beating the two horned pony himself to save Twilight the trouble when she interrupted. “I’ve got too many questions left unanswered, Spike. This pony… Who was it? What kind of power do they have that’s gotten Princess Celestia’s attention? And if they’re lurking about, what if they cause a problem at the school?” Twilight thought that Princess Celestia was able to help put her mind at ease on the situation, but all she did was open up a multitude of questions, further driving her anxiety. “I’m sure she has everything planned out, Twilight. If they’re being watched now, I doubt they will be any trouble.” said Spike reassuringly. He bounced ahead of Twilight, giving her a bright, confident smile. It was not much, but it did help. Twilight calmed down, knowing well Princess Celestia would not just let a pony with dark powers on the loose, let alone one with two horns. Twilight and Spike took their leave, not knowing that trailing behind, something was running right into their path…

For context, this story takes place at the beginning of the 8th season of Friendship is Magic. I am posting this story chapter by chapter, so stay tuned for updates. Other than that, I hope that this years in the making story brings as much joy for you as it does for me! This is a reformatted and edited chapter! Chapter 1- The Raid The pitch black outskirts of the Everfree Forest were always bustling with the sounds of mysterious and fearsome creatures, and tonight was no different. The continuous chirps, hollers, and screeches just about polluted the dank landscape. It was some three hours before dawn when the noises that normally filled the dark forest were suddenly silenced. A figure was walking across, unphased by the darkness, or by the creatures lurking inside. If anything, the creatures this figure walked past ran off, hid from far away, or stopped making sounds. The figure wore a raven-colored hood, which covered his head, but the pony was most likely a unicorn from the way the hood stuck out at the top of his head. The hood flowed in the gentle winds, and a large pocket was situated upon their chest. In the pocket was what looked like a nestled bundle. The bundle seemed to be a book, with jewels glowing a dim scarlet, and a symbol shaped like the letter “I”. The book was glowing bright enough to light the way in front of this pony. Along their travels, the pony would hunch over, whispering to the book, and listening back to it, as if the book could speak back to them. “This place no longer exists, boy…” the voice droned in the pony’s head. “What you’re looking for was destroyed a long time ago. There is nothing left to find.” The pony scoffed, continuing his way. “You’re only saying that because you’re scared of being caught…” he whispered back to the book. The book’s scarlet light went out as quick as a candle. Now there was no light left to guide him. “I told you there is nothing here. Now go back!” the voice in his head commanded. The pony looked at the book with a raised eyebrow, and lifted part of his hood, and it was clear that this was no typical pony. He had two horns on his head, one horn on each side! With a smirk, he summoned a branch, and brought it to his left horn, lighting it on fire. The two continued on the path.”Geez, you are such a killjoy…” he spoke back, a little louder than he meant. What this pony was looking for was later revealed as the trees became fewer and farther between, and what faced him next was a rickety bridge, leading to the ruins of a large castle, deep in the forest itself. “There it is! A little beaten up, but standing. What did I tell you?” The pony gave another smirk, as he crossed the bridge. The voice in his head roared, “I am not asking you, I am commanding you. Leave this place!” The pony ignored the voice as he kept going. “Oh come on! Don’t be a baby! What’s the big deal about this place anyway? You don’t usually get this worked up over abandoned property…” The pony asked the book cockily. “This is the Castle of the Two Sisters… Surely you know of the two sisters in question?” The voice waited for an answer from the pony, but he said nothing. “Boy! I’m looking in your head, so you best not hide your answer from me!” The voice roared again. The pony looked down at the book and retorted, “I don’t know a thing about these two sisters! But whatever they left behind could be enlightening. Maybe some priceless paintings can be salvaged, or perhaps it could be revamped and we could make that our new home! You always told me you used to live in a castle before you were cursed!” The voice could not convince the pony to turn around, but he spoon fed the ignorant dimwit the origins of the castle and its owners. “The two sisters are princesses of day and night. The Princess of the night was jealous of the reputation of her sister, and with the use of dark magic, she tried to plunge the world to an eternal night. If you explore the abandoned remains, boy, you may find yourself in line with other thieves and plunderers who will try to take me…” The voice in this pony’s head was adamant to keep him from waltzing about this place, but he didn’t care. The two entered the ruins, finding a large foyer, illuminated by the night sky. The pony looked around, both for something to take home, and to take in the atmosphere. “There must have been an epic battle here long ago… This place is really beaten out of shape… Guess remodeling it will take some more effort.” The pony continued whispering to the book. The book glowed a dim scarlet once again, this time, it seemed to be looking around using the symbol as an eye. “Long ago? The last battle faced here must have been very recent. This place is under watched eyes, boy! Trespassing here will put us in more trouble than it’s worth!” The pony rolled his eyes, and with a glow of his aura, he was creating mental images of the foyer. “Hey, what are you doing, boy?!” The voice flared. “Can’t I keep a few mental images of this place?” The pony asked back. “Much of whatever was in this foyer has been snatched anyway…” The pony was looking at the platform that once carried the elements of harmony. It was this centerpiece that further convinced the voice in the pony’s head that this place was foraged before, likely more than once. The hooded pony and his book wandered all throughout this castle, and before it was time to go, he found a way to the castle’s library. Amazingly, there were books on the shelves that survived whatever had taken place long ago. He had hit the motherload. “Were the mental images not enough for you, boy? Must you resort to robbing this place too?!” The voice kept going, almost yelling at this point, but the pony shrugged. “Look, it isn’t stealing if nobody is around to own it. There could be all sorts of diamonds in this rough, and you can’t convince me otherwise!” He found one book without a title on the spine, and he tried to take it from the shelf, but as it got out partway, it jammed. No amount of force, physical or magical, was budging this book any further. “Ach! This one’s stuck… Hey, be a pal and help me out with this one!” He winced at his book, his magic not enough to pull the book out. “You are a complete buffoon if you think I will follow your command after all the ones I told you not to do that you ignored!” The voice argued back, the both of them not even noticing an entire pathway opening up beside them. They kept at it until the pony finally gave up, leaving the book and the secret tunnel behind as it closed back up. “Fine, whatever this book has, the world may never know!” He huffed, using his magic to gather the books he wanted. “But if it has a guide to ancient powers older than yours, it’s your fault I couldn’t take it…” The pony lifted his hood back over his face as he left the rubbled remains of the castle. He continued down the path and back into the dark forest, disappearing into the pitch black undergrowth, a trail of books following him tightly. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone. The creatures of the forest stayed put, hiding in case the hooded pony returned. One group of creatures, however, did not heed the subtle warnings of the timberwolves and insects to go away. The Diamond Dogs were following the trail set by the cowering wildlife. The group had caught a glimpse of the gems that adorned the book being carried, and they had set out to take it! Those jewels were rare enough to them that they were willing to absorb whatever risks or consequences that followed. “There he is!” Exclaimed Spot, one of the leaders of the Diamond Dogs. Rover, the second leader, interjected. “Did you see under his hood?” “Nah, who cares what’s under that?” Said Spot, hurriedly. “I just care about those Pyre Crystals! That book’s decorated with the rarest jewels in the world!” Rover followed along, but he was thinking to himself. Did that pony really have two horns? What if they were caught? Fido was not afraid of that possibility. “If he catches us, we could fold him like his book. He does not look that tough!” Spot was blinded, intoxicated by the prospects of having the world’s rarest gems in his hands. If this pony knew where Pyre Crystals were, his group could make him mine all the crystals they could ever want! They kept going, vanishing in the mist as they kept close to the floating books that trailed behind the hooded pony.