Skycoaster

The icy unicorn laughed. “I live in the Frozen North out of choice. A self exhale into magical research and power testing. I am an ice mage after all. You can’t exactly practice winter spells without Cloudsdale and Canterlot getting after your case.” A small smirk would appear on his face. “I don’t know if your old enough to remember this, but that freak summer snowstorm over the school and surrounding area 15 years ago...that was me..on finals day...” When she asked about his travels, he shrugged. “I traveled that way for a few reasons. The most important of which, staying out of the hot sun. I also didn’t want anypony to know I still was around.” ”I don’t know if you’ve heard the name Blizzard Blitz before?”

Blizzard backed away from the mare whom had teleported mere feet from him. He wasn't used to this sort of attention. What in particular did this mare want with him, and why was he expected? It took a few moments before he recognized the symbol of her cutie mark. She was an astrologer. Everything was beginning to make sense in his head now as he watched her prepare the room for company. "So I was expected?" as he'd look up to the roof for a slight moment. What was going on, he hadn't the slightest idea, but strangely he felt like he was where he needed to be. As she lit the fire, he would remove his cloak and levitate it near the door with his gray aura before taking a seat on the nearby stool. "Who am I to say no to free tea. Perhaps I may even interest you enough to do a horoscope," he's say with a dry laugh. "Define what you mean by everything," he'd say in a half joking tone. "To begin, I am in Canterlot on a rather personal errand. Normally I would make this trips from the Frozen North with a combination of magic and hoof, however this time I decided to take the train for once on the recommendation of a friend. The journey is a day shorter this way, not having to sneak through Equestria at night, though the days of waiting between trains is enough to drive one mad in this city." "I spent a few days of my foal hood here. Field trips from the School for Gifted Unicorns and all that fun. Passing this old building sparked my memories. I guess seeing Capricornus tonight in the sky is what drove me to come in. It is my sign after all, though I'm sure somepony as talented as you could probably pick that up as soon as I walked in." Blizzard chuckled a moment. "Who would have thought Astronomy would have been a useful class in magic school."

Blizzard looked up to the star filled sky as he wondered the streets of Canterlot. With a heavy sigh he would continue to walk. Why in the name of Celesta was he still in the city? Was it this nagging feeling? Was it the train schedule? Well, actually it was in a way. His visit with the Princess had run over and set him back on his travel. The unicorns hotel was near the old observatory, a place where he had spent some of his free time as a colt. It brought back memories as he passed it, some good, some bad. Blizzard had an odd feeling, one as if he was being called towards the old building. Soon he was at the door having an inner debate; to enter or not. His rational mind told him no but his conscience told him to enter. Rolling his eyes and adjusting his cloak he would open the door and step in. He heard the voice of a mare and could see a light illuminating the area in front of him. He’d step into the light to reveal himself. “I don’t know yet...perhaps you can tell me? It’s almost as if I was guided here...”

Against her better judgement, Candy did not take off after her youngest sister, but instead kept pace with Caramel. "I think ya got the common sense in the family," she'd wink to Caramel before hearing a somewhat louder voice up around the corner and the sound of a crash. She would immediately put her hoof up to her face. "Please don't be Kettle...Please don't be Kettle...Please don't...." It was. To make matters worse, there was the pony she had to seek out, the head of the school, covered in popcorn. She'd make an grimace from the embarrassment before trotting up to Blue Blood to apologize, motioning for Caramel to follow behind. "Kettle, are you alright?" she'd say, looking her over before looking to Blue Blood. "I apologize for my sister Kettle Corn. She gets excited easily, and at least she's making friends. That's what this school is all about," she'd laugh awkwardly. She would begin to levitate the popcorn off of the school head. "This is my other sister, Caramel Corn. They are both new students here." She said as the last piece of popcorn was levitated out of Blue's mane. "It's a good thing I ran into yinz...not literally but...I'm Candy Corn. I'm their acting guardian while Pop is busy on the corn farm in Bittsburgh. I'm apprenticing here in Ponyville if anything comes up. I think I have some papers for ya." Candy would levitate something out of her left saddlebag. Her papers where in her right. She would blush before echoing Kettle's earlier words. "Um...Bonbon?"

As Twilight reminisced, the white coated unicorn soon found himself remembering his own foalhood...his home that was. He grew up living in his mother's apartment. It was full of many priceless pieces of art and artifacts. He'd frown as he thought about how he had to tiptoe through. When he was old enough, it did not take long for him to be sent into student housing. To this very day he still pondered if she saw him living with her as a nuisance or though sending him to the other building was a way of growing his maturity. Ether way he at least got his own room and it was in view of his mother's window. Who would have thought that he'd be living in a self imposed isolation for all those years after.... He would be drawn out of his semi-trance by some of the books that the young alicorn mentioned. A grin grew on his face. "All of those sound like great reading material and quite useful as well. There is one other book though that I had in mind, though over the years it seems like each class gets less and less access to it, as well as each printing. I seem to remember my mother having a copy of a book on Pre Equestria enchantments and magical artifacts. I think her copy had the chapter elemental amulet creation that was redacted. If I could only just transpose that chapter from an older copy, I'd greatly appreciate it." Eating another heavily buttered biscuit, he would lean back in his chair. "Make you wonder what poor unicorn messed up badly enough to cause it to be removed...or what they did..." He'd look over to Fire with a smirk. "I'm sure that you of all ponies have run into some interesting 'enchantments' in your line of work, or even use some yourself. I once remember one of my father's visits with my mother, talking about how his helmet had been enchanted with night vision when he was put on the night shift. He used to also joke that Celestia's personal guards all wore enchanted armor to look the same or where all brothers and cousins....and why he preferred your father's squads." He'd let out a rather mute chuckle.

"It's nice to know my sisters have made connections already," she'd say to Spearmint before looking to Chipper as well. Candy would watch as Caramel's roommate teleported just outside. Her mouth hung open in awe of the small magical feat. Candy herself wasn't the strongest in the arcane arts, but she knew some spells for making all kinds of candies and of course her family's namesake. It wouldn't take long for her to hear a small pop directly behind her before her mind thought the worst. What had Kettle done? She could still feel her hooves on her back, thank Celestia, but in a blink of an eye a bucket of popcorn found itself hanging upside down from her horn, a few pieces of popcorn in her mane. She'd turn her head to look at her smallest sister. Without saying a word, her expression was enough to communicate her thoughts. She'd sigh before rolling her eyes and levitating the bucket down and placing it on a nearby table. When the next bucket appeared, Candy let out a frustrated sigh. "Your to stay with you big sis Kettle. I'm sure you'll learn some new things here. Just for now I need you to come with me. I don't need you getting ported to someplace nopony would be able to find you. Then my life would get boring." When she heard the others talking about how soon orientation was about to begin, she looked to Caramel. "Do you have everything sis? Do I have everything?" as she frantically checked her bag for the paperwork. "Good, there it is." Looking around to all those there, she would ask a rather blunt question. "Dose anypony know where we're headed? Caramel, you been talking about this place since I came to apprentice under BonBon. Did you learn the layout of the school?"

The eldest Corn sibling was quickly met by her youngest sister as she clung to her forelegs, before receiving a more traditional hug from Caramel. Candy returned the embraces before realizing that quite a few ponies had entered the room. The first one she noticed was whom she assumed was to be Caramel's room mate, next where two more...Spearmint and Chipper. She would nod her head at Chipper's question. "Yep. That'd be me. Candy Corn." Candy's horn would glow orange as she lifted Kettle onto her back, a place where she had grown accustomed to carrying her sister many of times. "I'm here because Pop couldn't make it. As the oldest sibling, and a now resident of Ponyville, I'm both of Yinz acting guardian," she gave a quick giggle before looking back to Kettle. "Now as for you, we need to go on an adventure to find your dorm and let your sister and her new roommate get acquainted. Remember, you two are already besties. You both need to make new friends." "I see you already made at least one Kettle. Spearmint , right?" She said extending a hoof. "Now then, which way is this orientation, and then I need to speak with who's in charge of housing to find your room," as she turned to face Kettle. "It was nice to meet Yinz. See ya all dawn at the orientation. And I'm sorry if we bothered anypony. I guess we're all a little Corny."

Candy Corn Candy raced through the streets of Ponyville, Caramel's letter held in her levitation. "Oh why was it today we sold a record bonbons..." she said having just left the cart of her employer/landlord/friend? Ether way Pop had put her in charge of getting her sister settled in, and she wasn't even there to greet her at the train station. What kind of big sister was she... It was going to bother her the rest of the day... "It just slipped your mind is all. BonBon showed you a new recipe and you lost track of time and still had to put in a day of work. Caramel will understand...I hope." The school grew nearer and nearer as the white young mare trotted as fast as she could. "Guardian coming through! Which way to the first year dorms?!" as a rather confused staff member pointed, she turned that direction still in a tizzy. As she leaped over a small hedge, she overheard a parent of another student make a remark about her. She was only about six months older then most of the students starting their last year at the school, but she shook it off. She had to get to her sister...sisters? Did she read that note wrong? Second floor, room 14....214? 214 it was. She'd quickly flash her letter to the pony whom must have been acting as the resident before quickly looking for the directional signs or directory. She'd find the stairs and make her way up to the second floor as quickly as her hooves would carrier her. Other creatures where in the hall as she quickly walked, looking at each door number. Finally she was there, and with the glow of her horn, the tired, tizzied big sister stood there, panting. "I...I didn't. Didn't forget..." as she continued to breath hard.

Flurry looked up to Apple Bloom and gave a faint smile. "Well, at least that's good that you didn't get left behind alone." The young alicorn's facial expression would quickly change. "I....I didn't mean to sound like they left you and her behind. I meant that at least you still had a friend in town." Flurry sighed deeply, looking down to the ground. "You did it again Flurry," she mumbled. "I hope I didn't offend you Apple Bloom. Seems that's my talent. I'm sure you heard of the wing incident a few weeks ago...How was I supposed to know that extending your wings when talking meant a show of authority. I just needed to stretch." As the little alicorn finally set hoof into the famed orchard, Furry would set her luggage down. She would look around, focusing on various things in the farm, but only for a few seconds. Even the dirt felt different then the streets of Ponyville, and anywhere else for that matter that she had walked. Perhaps this is what was meant when her instructors had meant that alicorn's contained magic from all three races of ponies? Was she connecting with her earth pony bit? What really caught her attention however was a breeze. Some tree on the farm had to be in bloom as she closed her eyes and took in the aroma. "Such a wonderful smell..." Flurry would snap out of her small little trace and quickly pick up her luggage once more. "Which way to my accommodations?" she'd say to Apple Bloom, trying to hide her embarrassment as she could only imagine what her hosts must have thought of her. When Flurry saw Jake, she would grin from ear to ear, taking a step towards Zap and his dog's direction before re-correcting her course. She had to remember her etiquette classes on how to act, even though it took every fiber of her control to keep from running over and petting the puppy.

The snow colored unicorn would listen halfheartedly to the Captain's explanation. What should have seemed interesting now just seemed like a random novelty. "I see..." he said, though it was clear his mind was still elsewhere. Though his tears had gone dry, his face still showed the hurt that remembering the past had caused. He had to snap out of it. Was this trip really just a trip for him to relive his bad memories....No this trip had a purpose. He would look up to the skyline and then back down to the purple alicron, faking a smile. "While we're on the subject of books, I'm sure that there are a few that you can recommend. You too as well Captain. I'm curious as to what type of book you would read for entertainment, other then Daring Do of course. She seems to be one of our common reads." Blizzard let out a deep sigh at the mention of signed copies and first editions. He knew quite well that A.K.'s signed books where out there, but for him to even attempt to catch the author was an ordeal he'd rather avoid. Crowds where not his thing. "I had heard of the Battle of Ponyville. It is a shame that so much was lost. I don't know what I would do without the collection of spells and scrolls I've amassed in my time of icy exile, as well as my rather well read Daring Do books. I'm sure the more painful loss was of the library because of the memories that it held." Blizzard had to stop himself from talking for a moment. What just came out of his mouth? He shook his head for a moment. "My mother got me a copy of the Friendship Journal and left it for me on her desk one of my trips. She must have thought .....” He'd try to hide the embarsement of the fact he had read it...three times since his first run in with the princess. When Fire Walker mentioned the previous librarian, Blizzard chimed in. "Perhaps she got promoted to a more grand library such as this one....speaking of which...Is First Folio still a librarian? She's the one who stamped my card all those years ago....I think she was training under Dusty." Now those where memories he enjoyed. "You know, when I got that special stamp and authorization, I think that was the happiest moment of my colthood...and rubbing it in," he said under his breath. "Oh that reminds me...are there any new books on amulets or enchantments? I want to try my hoof at something when I get home. It was the one subject that I allowed myself to not over-preform. 98%" he coughed.

Blizzard stiffled a chuckle when when Fire Walker mentioned practicing Ice Magic outside of the Frozen North. "Oh, I do have some experience with my skills during hot Canterlot days. The summer snow day incident may come to mind," he said winking to the purple alicorn. He knew that she must have seen that little chestnut in his file. "Nothing like coating Canterlot in a few inches of snow on finals day. Lets just say it was a good thing my mother was...is....the captain of Canterlot's winter cleanup team. Though I didn't really get in too much trouble from the 'powers that be,' a mother's silence can be just as bad." As Twilight spoke, he'd look up at the dimensional fold. "Now that's a spell I need to learn." When the topic changed to friendship, Blizzard's face sank as well as his heart. "Oh..." as he trailed off. She was the Princess of Friendship after all, of course that was going to come up. This was going to be a deep wound to open. Everything else is on the table so, what the hay. "I see our early lives where quite in reverse," he'd say as he kept his gaze away from the princess, instead focusing his attention on a biscuit he was buttering. "It seemed my obsession with Princess Celestia's acknowledgment cost me quite a few friendships over the years. When I was just a colt, my friends and I would check class assignments. We had a close group. When one of my friends....well...jealousy is a powerful emotion to say the least. One by one our little group fell apart as each of them eventually got at least one class this schools first namesake...all but me. I felt sub par I guess. I was....afraid. Afraid of how I would be seen in their eyes. I know that a true friend would look past a petty thing like that, but I had my pride darn it. I doubled..no, tripped my studies. I was going to be top student and get Celestia's recognition. That was my only goal from then on. I HAD to have something to hold over them. It turned into HAVING to be something more then just Spring Thaw's son." Another tear would roll down his cheek and freeze at is hit the table. it was funny how things when full circle back to that one obsession. His need to be just more then a good student. More then a teachers son. Now he saw the friendships It cost him. Hindsight is 20/20 after all as he could feel his heart sink. "I guess the final straw when I gave up was when that magical dud...Sun Ray...was that his name? Got his one class and even flunked out of the school." By now, Blizzard's biscuit has three times the normal amount of butter. He'd give a quick, fake smile before downing it. He'd get his out, looking to Fire Walker. He was trying to hide the tears in his eyes. "Oh...those pads sound quite interesting. Are they a relatively new invention?" To an untrained ear, it would sound like he was genuinely interested in how they worked. To the trained ear, he was trying to change the subject, and fast.

He let out a small laugh at Fire Walkers commit. "I was part of the very first expedition. No train tracks existed nor did for many moons after. We where searching by lay of the land. The Crystal Empire is unique in that it was a complete circle and flat. It's former location would stick out like a sore hoof...if it hadn't been for those snow dunes." Leaning back in his chair, Blizzard would grin when Fire mentioned the yaks. "Oh, they have a few good things to snack on occasionally, though they kept trying to offload these self heating rations to me. Bean Chili and Corn Chowder seemed to be the most unwanted for some odd reason." Blizzard would let out a heavy sigh before chugging his cup of coffee. There it was, the million bit question. "If I am to be completely honest, I stayed in the Frozen North to hone my skills and try new spells. It is the perfect testing ground for ice and snow magic all year." He would stifle a chuckle. "Nopony to get mad at you for dropping a foot of snow on their freshly planted field or freezing the lake they wanted to go swimming in. I'm pretty sure I'd have Cloudsdale and the REA after me for a sheet of snow in the summer. Other then the books I had borrowed, I have transcribed copies of many books from this library as well a few rarer books that had found their way to the yak trading post. For more recent books or chapters I didn't think I needed at the time, I would make one of my little book runs...and to leave my mother a note and a Frost Lilly. Oh, and to pick up the 'newest' Daring Do book as well...after mom had read it." The unicorn would look to Twilight with a slight grin. "May ask you a rather blunt question? If you had the opportunity to go somewhere where you could test your full magical ability without fear of hurting anypony or anything for that matter, would you?" The snow colored unicorn would turn his gaze to Fire Walker. "Same question Captain, assuming in this scenario you where a 'gifted' unicorn..."

Flurry Heart Looking to Zap, Flurry would smile momentarily. "Well, it is nice to make your acquaintance Zap Apple," as she tried her best formal greeting. She would look him over from ear to tail. He differently looked what she expected a foal of Applejack and Rainbow Dash would look like. When he started to make sounds that resembled that of the body, she rolled her eyes. "I take it you take after your...." Flurry had to pause to think of the proper term. "Rainbow Dash." Flurry's attention quickly returned to the older of the Apple Kin, though what she heard was not to her liking. Letting out a deep sigh, her eyes would look to the sky. "Dumb summit," she would mutter under hear breath. As she continued to walk, there would be an awkward silence. As she opened her mouth to ask a question, "What about....is....Summit, never mind..." Flurry's body language showed her disappointment as her head hung low. At least she had Pie to look forward to. Flurry would look over to the eldest pony in her little entourage of sorts. "So...how did you get picked to handle such an esteemed task? With everypony else at the summit, I though that Aunt Twilight would want the famed 'Crusaders' there as well..." A light would go off in her head of sorts. "If your still here, they still must be in Ponyville, right?" Ponyville would soon be to their rear as the famous gates of Sweet Apple Acres grew closer.

Candy Corn The young mare made her way back to the house who’s basement she would soon be living in. Unbeknownst to the filly, she had seemed to garner the attention of quite a few colts along the way. With all the waves she got she couldn’t help but think the ponies in this town were extra friendly. Perhaps it was her accent or perhaps it was her way of walking that even had a young student from the school of friendship come up to her and say hello. The unicorn open BonBon’s door before announcing she had returned. “Yinz are so friendly in this town,” she would say turning to wave to those that had followed her. “Is this normal,” she would point out the window in front of BonBon. “Oh before I forget, do you need any help cooking or redding up before the stuff for dawnstars arrives?”

Flurry Heart Flurry nodded as she watched her father guide them in the direction of the shop. She would smile as he mentioned the names of the streets. Though the young princess had her differences lately with her mother, she was still very proud of her. Her mother ruled the whole empire after all. It didn't take long for Flurry's young mind spark a question. "Daddy, do you have any streets named after you?" Flurry's eyes went wide for a moment as an even wilder though entered her brain. "Do...Do I have a street named after me?" Her small smile grew into a grin as she awaited the answer. Flurry had to think for a moment. "Maybe together but not mixed?" as she imaged the bowl of frozen yogurt. "Kiwi, no. Maybe Banana?" Looking up, the young alicorn would gasp. "Daddy, where here!"