(Canterlot) Fire Meets Fire (Ended)

[Bellosh]

The double-doors on each side of the antechamber finally opened, revealing a disgruntled-looking Calhorn at the portal the group previously came from and an old unicorn mare on the other side of the room. [colour=#000000]“Doggone it, Ms. Marie,”[/colour] the guard complained to the counselor; “Are you trying to get me into trouble?”

[colour=#008080]“Make these flames go away and call up maintenance to re-enchant these doors now,”[/colour] Ingrid Marie retorted; [colour=#008080]“Before I complain and get you into even more trouble!”[/colour] With a sigh, Calhorn activated his horn and sent magic energy towards the dragon statues and the fiery cages. Within a short moment, the statues stopped glowing and the imprisoning cages vanished, freeing the trapped unicorns. His work done, the security guard reluctantly left the scene and cantered upstairs while other bystanders back at the basement intersection looked on.

Turning towards the elderly mare, Counselor Marie started to apologize to the pony who oversaw the Incubation Room; [colour=#008080]“I’m so sorry for the trouble we’ve caused,”[/colour] Ingrid began, rubbing the back of her neck with a foreleg; [colour=#008080]“I was taking these fillies on a tour of the school grounds, but apparently the auto-open enchantments on these doors must have failed somehow. I hope we didn’t cause too much trouble.”[/colour] The other unicorn didn’t respond other than chuckling and beckoning the others inside.

Thus did Ingrid Marie enter the Incubation Room… or as it’s lovingly-nicknamed by the faculty, the Dragon’s Nest. The air in this room was kept chokingly-warm by magic spells; quite similar yet obviously quite different compared to the ethereal chill of Special Collections. The chamber itself was not that large; about the size of a standard classroom, it contained four pedestals off to each corner and an adjoining room superficially similar to the Preservation Room over at Special Collections. Three of the podiums were empty, but a blue polka-dotted elliptical object stood on one stand over to the far right… a dragon’s egg.

Ingrid Marie actually didn’t know how the arrangement came to be, but Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns had the distinguished honor of safeguarding all dragon eggs that came into royal possession. As nearly all potential students never underwent the legendary trial of hatching a dragon egg, the counselor had always figured that the dragon eggs ought to have been kept in the Royal Palace instead. [colour=#008080]“Well here we are at last, fillies!”[/colour] Ms Marie beamed; [colour=#008080]“This is the Incubation Room, where all dragon eggs either [/colour][colour=#008080]gifted by adult dragons or[/colour][colour=#008080] found abandoned on Equestrian soil are deposited until they hatch. As you can see, this room rarely has more than one egg housed in it at any given time. I suppose the two of you have questions?”[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#FF0000]"Spirit, I don't think these are ordinary flames."[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit nodded at her friends words. these were certainly no normal flames. Fire was supposed to burn, not shock you and the fact that she couldn't effect it in any way just cemented it. No, this was something else entirely. There were all sorts of magics in the world; she had learned as much from Mr. Gray. This looked like fire magic, but it was likely an enchantment of an entirely different nature. It was kind of fascinating really. She continued to stare at it even as the guard from earlier approached to hep Miss Marie sort the situation out.

In time, the fire-like magic imprisoning them was dissipated and they were free to move ahead. They passed an elderly mare who Miss Marie offered some words to before they finally entered the incubation room. Spirit's eyes went wide with what she saw.[/colour]

​

[colour=#008080]“Well here we are at last, fillies! [/colour][colour=#008080]This is the Incubation Room, where all dragon eggs either [/colour][colour=#008080]gifted by adult dragons or[/colour][colour=#008080] found abandoned on Equestrian soil are deposited until they hatch. As you can see, this room rarely has more than one egg housed in it at any given time. I suppose the two of you have questions?”[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]A dragon egg, a real dragon egg... It was sitting there on one of four pedestals. Spirit couldn't take her eyes off of it for a while. Dragons were kinda scary when they were fully grown, but there was something magical about seeing one's egg. To think that such a large and powerful creature would be born from such a comparatively small egg. It was a pleasant thought.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"How long will it be before it hatches...?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit asked, stepping cautiously toward the egg, unable to look away.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

Fire stood by, willing to do whatever was necessary to help her friend and the counselor. Thankfully the doors were opened and the fire disipated.

[colour=#FF0000]"That was a close one," [/colour]she said to no pony in particular.

The older filly made her way into the room, happily feeling the warmth embrace her, and stared in wonder at what she saw. There was no magical artifact or mystical text. There were simply dragon eggs. Fire had only learned about dragions in theory and certainly never seen one up close. Here she was looking at an egg that soon would be a new dragon.

[colour=#FF0000]"What are these eggs for? Is it for some kind of advanced test? It's kind of strange that these are in the basement of a library."[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Ingrid Marie half-expected with her luck today that one of the fillies would ask about why dragon eggs were kept at the school. [colour=#008080]“I actually don’t know the answer to that question, to be honest,”[/colour] Ingrid explained; [colour=#008080]“If you choose to Miss Heart, you may forward your inquiries in writing to either the School’s headmistress or Princess Celestia. Thank you for mentioning that bit about the tests, though. You see, hatching a dragon egg is in fact a trial that dates back to Equestria’s oldest days. Back then… and even today, it’s the most useful way to identify foals that have the most magic potential of all unicorns. However, the faculty here doesn’t have a policy of administrating hatching tests to potential students unless ordered to by the Princess herself.”[/colour]

When Spirit questioned when the egg would hatch, the old unicorn matron in charge of the Incubation Room eagerly chimed in. “Well dear,” the old lady answered; “This egg is scheduled to hatch any day now. After it hatches, the newborn dragon will be kept here for a few days to make sure it’s healthy. When it’s ready, we’ll then send it back to its mother, who gave us this egg for safekeeping.

“You folks can take a closer look at the egg if you want,” added the matron, just before adopting a stern look; “But no touching it! We don’t wanna dirty it up now, do we?”

[RarityDash]

“Well dear, This egg is scheduled to hatch any day now. After it hatches, the newborn dragon will be kept here for a few days to make sure it’s healthy. When it’s ready, we’ll then send it back to its mother, who gave us this egg for safekeeping. You folks can take a closer look at the egg if you want, But no touching it! We don’t wanna dirty it up now, do we?”

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit's answer came from the old mare nearby. Spirit nodded at her as she listened? So they were only looking after the egg for its mother in the meantime? This was kind of... just a little disappointing to her. It was great for the little dragon. It didn't deserve undue sadness. Upon first site of the egg, Spirit had just wondered if maybe they were similar. All the same, the egg was beautiful, and upon being told she could, she got closer. She was eager to go back and tell Mr. Gray all about this. She wondered if he had ever seen a dragon's egg before.[/colour]

[colour=#fff0f5]"I always thought dragons were one of the most terrifying creatures out there though... wouldn't one be able to protect her egg just fine on her own?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit asked, curious. She smiled a little as she stared down at the egg closely.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

The question as to why the eggs were kept in the library was left unanswered by the counselor. Then again the unicorn didn't expect Miss Marie to know everything. Perhaps she should write a letter to the Princess in the future asking that since she knew that the question would be on her mind until it was answered.

the older filly was amazed that these eggs were once used as a test for unicorns to gain entry into the school. Fire never had a test klike that when she joined, and she wouldered if presented with the task before or even now if she'd be able to hatch a dragon.

[colour=#FF0000]"Are there many students who get this test or only a hoof-full?"[/colour]

Fire was instructed to take a closer look at the egg. She noticed that the one in question wobbled slightly as if something inside it was moving. A thought then crossed her mind.

[colour=#FF0000]"Um... Miss Marie? You said these eggs are going to hatch any time now? You don't think they're going to do so when we're here, right?" [/colour]

[Bellosh]

As Ingrid Marie expected, Fire Heart’s inquisitiveness failed to cessate… a good quality for a student to have. [colour=#008080]“In my time here,”[/colour] the counselor explained; [colour=#008080]“Princess Celestia has told us to use the egg test on a unicorn only once. That unicorn happened to be Twilight Sparkle, who you might know to be the princess’s personal student if you keep up with current events.”[/colour] Ingrid did not disclose the rather... curious way that infamous test played out.

Just as curious as her friend, Spirit asked about why a mother dragon would leave her egg to be safeguarded by ponies. The old lady fielded this question; “Yes, dragons can be quite terrifying my dear. However, sometimes a mother dragon may feel that her strength alone can’t defend her egg for any number of reasons. Those Badlands aren’t safe places for anyone; not even for dragons. While not many dragonesses come to us ponies for assistance, we always accommodate those few who value the safety of their young more so than their pride.”

Once the fillies moved in closer towards the egg, Miss Heart questioned if the egg would hatch right now. Being the resident dragon-hatching expert, the elderly unicorn piped in again; “Hmmm..... possibly, little one. You just have to see if the egg’s wob…” Inspecting the egg herself, the old mare got caught off guard with excitement as the egg wobbled again. “Oh my! Well, you girls sure have perfect timing! I’d hoped it’d hatch before I left on my air-cruise later today. You can stay and watch if your uhhh… professor allows it.”

[colour=#008080]“They can definitely stay,”[/colour] Ingrid quickly answered, who also moved in to get a closer look at the now-wobbling egg. The counselor never gave herself an opportunity to witness a live dragon hatching before, so she was not inclined to let this chance slip through her hooves when she was right here, right now. Besides, it would have been pointlessly cruel to lead the fillies away from an event that they’d probably never witness again in their lives.

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]“Yes, dragons can be quite terrifying my dear. However, sometimes a mother dragon may feel that her strength alone can’t defend her egg for any number of reasons. Those Badlands aren’t safe places for anyone; not even for dragons. While not many dragonesses come to us ponies for assistance, we always accommodate those few who value the safety of their young more so than their pride.”[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit looked downward, contemplative. She didn't feel a lot of sadness over the circumstances of her own birth. For all the darkness and fear surrounding her time in the forest, she had at the very least ended up with the most wonderful mother a pony could hope for during the formative years of her young foalhood. The circumstances of it weren't something she really lingered on... but hearing about the situation surrounding this dragon and her egg, Spirit couldn't help but consider it all. A mother separated from child out of love, not a lack thereof; the child left somewhere unfamiliar, but a place where it will be safest, not where it will be in the most danger... Her story and the egg's were similar as they were different.[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]The egg--the young dragon--it would be happier though... and safe. That thought made Spirit happy.[/colour]

​

“Hmmm..... possibly, little one. You just have to see if the egg’s wob… Oh my! Well, you girls sure have perfect timing! I’d hoped it’d hatch before I left on my air-cruise later today. You can stay and watch if your uhhh… professor allows it.”

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit's attention was alerted when the old mare responded to Fire's enquiry about the egg. Immediately, Spirit focused in on it, watching intently. Sure enough, it was wobbling rather aggressively. It was going to hatch? The baby dragon was going to be born? Spirit was excited at the prospect of being able to watch such an event! She was pretty sure that Mr. Gray hadn't even seen that before in his long life. She would really have so much to tell him about when he came back for her.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"It's really going to hatch?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit asked, her innocent anxiety on clear display. She couldn't take her eyes of the egg as it continued to wobble.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

Fire divided her attention between the moving egg and the caretaker of the room. It made sense that some creatures, no matter how fierce they are, would prefer giving up their young to others. Still, Fire couldn't imagine her parents giving her up like a dragon would give up an egg.

Then she heard that the egg would be hatching, a thought that made her squeal with delight.

[colour=#FF0000]"ooo... this is going to be exciting. I've never seen a dragon hatch before. Then again I hardly seen a dragon before."[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Ingrid Marie simply nodded as Spirit animatedly wondered about the egg. Witnessing the miracle of life unfold was well worth the price of admission, namely the annoyances caused by faulty doors and uncooperative crystal balls throughout the last half-hour or so. For a brief moment, the counselor remembered that she ought to have made it back to her office long ago to do paperwork and hold meetings with walk-in students. Fortunately no appointments were on Ingrid’s plate for the afternoon; if anypony in administration complained about her tardiness, then too bad so sad. Such was the luxury of tenure for life.

A few minutes passed as the dragon egg, under the watchful eye of the old caretaker, wobbled and thrashed with increase intensity. If it wasn’t for a small ridge protruding from the top of the pedestal, the egg could have accidentally fallen off from its perch. After some time, small cracks started forming around one end of the egg. [colour=#008080]"Come on, little one,"[/colour] Ms. Marie encouragingly cooed to the egg; [colour=#008080]"Come on"[/colour]. Even Ingrid had to admit she wasn't immune to the joys of egg-hatching. In some respects, it reminded her of her foalhood days on the family orchard in the Solstice Heights, back when she got to see baby chicks hatch.

Suddenly, the top of the egg slowly started to rise up. It wouldn’t be long now until the newborn dragon emerged from its shell.....

[RarityDash]

[colour=#cccccc]As the top of the egg pushed out, Spirit was somehow taken aback and backed up a step, before returning her gaze to the egg. As egg was displaced, a tiny crest orange spine crest on a small bright red head slowly emerged. Pieces of egg continued to chip off as the infant creature began to move about more earnestly. The baby dragon's tender mewling made Spirit smile. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was the start of a life, the beginning. Just watching it happen had her so gripped and spellbound. It was inspiring somehow. It was an image that would likely stay with the young pony for a long time.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"How... wonderful..."[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she mouthed as she continued to stare at the still emerging hatchling.[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]Her eyes then momentarily went over to the caretaker. In a tentative voice, she spoke,[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"What's his name going to be?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]She was very curious about this. Names were something she considered to hold a certain singular magic to them. She hadn't gotten her own name until she met Mr. Gray. It was something she had a lot of pride in.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

Fire watched at the egg as pieces of the egg began to crack and be pushed up. The unicorn wondered what the dragon would look like. She was not by any means an expert on dragons, but the creatures nevertheless fascinated her, especially the fact that she shared something in common with most dragons: creating fire.

[colour=#FF0000]"Yeah, it it wonderful," [/colour]Fire siad to Spirit, her eyes still locked on the egg. She could hear some mewing sounds, almost like a cat. It perplexed her hearing such a sound as she expected perhaps a little growl. After all, in her limited knowledge of dragons she knew they definitely did not mew when they were older.

Then something came to mind, something she remembered, something from her lessons in school.

[colour=#FF0000]"Um... do dragons become bonded with the first things they see when hatched, like birds do?" [/colour]

[Bellosh]

Just like the younger fillies, Ingrid Marie cast all of her attention on the egg as a red dragon with orange spikes emerged. As the tiny infant mewed, the counselor for a few brief seconds imagined herself with a crying newborn foal of her own. Now in her middle-age, such idle fantasies popped into Ingrid’s head more frequently despite having zero plans and no drive to act on them. As it was, Ingrid’s musings on possible motherhood were quickly dismissed as the caretaker fielded more questions.

“This dragon hasn’t been named yet; it will be once its mother comes to claim the hatchling. As for imprinting; yes, baby dragons can imprint on their caretakers… but don’t worry! It’ll get along with its mum just fine. However thanks to the imprinting, you’ll find this young one will likely be very friendly around ponies; more so than your average dragon would.”

Using her levitation powers to tenderly break apart what remained of the egg, the old caretaker gave the tiny dragon a quick over as it began to suck on its tail; “This infant looks totally healthy, thank goodness. I’ll have to take her into the nursery back there soon, so you girls better get your last look at her while you still can.”

[RarityDash]

“This dragon hasn’t been named yet; it will be once its mother comes to claim the hatchling. As for imprinting; yes, baby dragons can imprint on their caretakers… but don’t worry! It’ll get along with its mum just fine. However thanks to the imprinting, you’ll find this young one will likely be very friendly around ponies; more so than your average dragon would. This infant looks totally healthy, thank goodness. I’ll have to take her into the nursery back there soon, so you girls better get your last look at her while you still can.”

[colour=#cccccc]The young unicorn nodded at the words, continuing to smile more than was usual. It was a shame they didn't know the name yet. She supposed the dragoness hadn't given them one in advance. That made sense though, as she likely wanted to see her child first before she thought up the name. It was probably impossible to know anything about the hatchling while it was still in its egg. Speaking of which, apparently this was a girl dragon. That made Spirit feel even more of a closeness to the tiny creature. If it was really imprinting her, that must mean the dragon felt some bond too. Unfortunately her and the dragon would not get a chance to spend any more time together, it seemed. She sighed.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"Someday we'll meet again, little one,"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she said in a low voice, nodding to the infant. [/colour][colour=#ffffff]"I'm sure of it," [/colour][colour=#cccccc]she quietly added before stepping away.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

Fire Heart waited in anticipation as the dragon appeared from its egg. Surprisingly it looked much like Fire Heart in colouring as she had a red pelt and an orange mane and tail and the dragon had a red body with orange spikes.

[colour=#FF0000]"Oh it's so cute! I has the same colour as me."[/colour]

The pony was about to give it a name when the caretaker mentioned that the mother would name it upon her return. With a sigh he unicorn could only accept that fact. The fact that this dragon was a girl seemed to give her a closer bond with the creature.

Sadly, Fire Heart knew she couldn't be with the dragon forever much as she wanted to study it. She was reminded this by the caretaker.

[colour=#FF0000]"Bye little one. Hope you remember me. Maybe one day I'll find you and I'll get to spend more time with you." [/colour]

[Bellosh]

All good things come to an end, and thus Ingrid Marie reluctantly realized that the newborn dragon needed to be tended to now. [colour=#008080]“Thank you for letting us witness the egg hatching today ma’am,”[/colour] Ingrid thanked the caretaker; [colour=#008080]“I’m positive these fillies won’t forget this day for a long time to come. Hmmm..... maybe if the dragon’s mother allows it, we could arrange meetings between the baby and the two girls?”[/colour]

“Actually,” corrected the old matron; “I wouldn’t be the one who could make that sort of thing happen... but I could let you know who to talk to though. It was a pleasure having the three of you drop by today.”

[colour=#008080]“Oh, that would be most appreciated ma’am,”[/colour] replied the counselor; [colour=#008080]“We’ll keep in touch.”[/colour] Giving the smiling caretaker a final nod of courtesy, Ms. Marie made her way out of the Incubation Room and cleared her throat to get the fillies’ attention;[colour=#008080] “Come along now my little ponies; I’ll do my best to see if you two could see that little one again. Right now though, there’s still much more of the school that still needs to be seen.”[/colour] The counselor sincerely wished that Fire Heart and Spirit got another chance to meet that dragon; she jokingly guessed that it was the two fillies who imprinted on the baby instead of the other way around.

Spotting the security guard return to the with a pair of maintenance ponies, the beige unicorn passed them down and waited for the fillies back at the basement intersection. Ingrid Marie wondered what location Miss Heart would want to take her friend to next.....

[RarityDash]

[colour=#008080]“Come along now my little ponies; I’ll do my best to see if you two could see that little one again. Right now though, there’s still much more of the school that still needs to be seen.”[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit didn't look back at the baby dragon, even as Miss Marie talked to the older mare. She didn't have to. She had the memories in mind, and she knew they would meet again. She was nothing but sure of it. When Miss Marie did finally speak to her and Fire, she gave a nod, ready to move along. She had seen something incredible. She was curious to see if there was anything else incredible to see in this place. She doubted they'd see anything quite as amazing as the birth of a dragon, but maybe, just maybe they'd stumble upon something else worth seeing. Spirit was excited to see what they might find.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"Okay,"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she said to Miss Marie as she followed after her quickly. [/colour][colour=#ffffff]"What else is there to see in this place?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she asked, a hint of excitement in her usually subdued voice.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

Fire heart was sad to have to leave, but sshe was glad to have seen such an amazing event of a dragon being hatched. She was also happy that her friend Spirit was enjoying herself as well.

[colour=#FF0000]"Thanks alot," [/colour]Fire said to the Caretaker before leaving with the others.

[colour=#FF0000]"And thank you Miss Marie for seeing if we can see the dragon again in the future."[/colour]

The question then came up about what to go see next. Not much was going to top the experience in the library, but there were still a few things that Spirit might be interested in seeing.

[colour=#FF0000]"Well, I guess I can show you a class room next, Spirit. Do you want to see a lecture hall or a magic practice room first?"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Leading the fillies back up the stairs towards the Library Tower’s main floor, Ingrid Marie helped provide some tips as to where Spirit could visit next; [colour=#008080]“Hmm... let’s see now... the practice rooms and the lecture halls are mostly all in the same spire. I’m not quite sure which classroom I’d show to you Miss Spirit, but I know the practice halls ought to be occupied by now. You might be in for a real magic show, given the sort of talent our students possess!”[/colour]

Counselor Marie’s claim was only a half-truth; not many things could compare to a live dragon hatching. But then again, Miss Spirit did deserve a demonstration of how the School’s student body home their craft. Why visit a magic school if you don't see actual magic in action? In the meantime, the beige unicorn awaited Spirit's decision.....

[RarityDash]

[colour=#FF0000]"Well, I guess I can show you a class room next, Spirit. Do you want to see a lecture hall or a magic practice room first?"[/colour]

“Hmm... let’s see now... the practice rooms and the lecture halls are mostly all in the same spire. I’m not quite sure which classroom I’d show to you Miss Spirit, but I know the practice halls ought to be occupied by now. You might be in for a real magic show, given the sort of talent our students possess!”

[colour=#cccccc]Spirit listened to her two new friends and nodded as they explained their options. She gave a short nod and then spoke in her typically subdued fashion.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"i'd love to see both..."[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she said.[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]Seeing a lecture hall sounded fun; she had never seen one before and it definitely interested her; Mr. Gray might have used one like it when he was a professor at Canterlot University. From what Miss Marie was saying, the practice room sounded really exciting though. Magic was really exciting to her. Seeing some in action couldn't be missed.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"Let's start with the practice room though," [/colour][colour=#cccccc]she added quietly. [/colour][colour=#ffffff]"It sounds exciting."[/colour]

​

[Lux]

[colour=#FF0000]"Alright, a practice room it is then," [/colour]Fire Heart said as she made her way out of the library with Miss Marie and Spirit. Sure a practice room may not top seeing a dragon being hatched, but the red unicorn wanted to show her friend as much as she could about where she went to school, especially since it sounded like Spirit was mainly taught by Mr. Grey.

[colour=#FF0000]"This will be great that some ponies are practicing. You'll get to see different magic being cast then Spirit.It's a really neat place, but it can get a little.... interesting when there's many ponies in the same pplace at once." [/colour]

[Bellosh]

Taking a moment to adjust her eyes to natural sunlight, Ingrid Marie led the group out of the library towards the direction of one of the higher towers. Considering that giving out tours isn’t in the job description for magic counselors, the beige unicorn thought she was doing a pretty good job for a first-timer. Aside from a couple of hiccups that were out of anypony’s control, the two fillies were having a very fun time on their guided excursion. In fact, the day’s events inspired Ingrid to ponder the possibility of handling guide duties for VIPs and other visitors.

As she neared the entrance to the next spire, Counselor Marie felt compelled to bring the group out of silence. [colour=#008080]“Miss Spirit,”[/colour] she asked; [colour=#008080]“You don’t happen to have any questions or other comments before we reach the practice hall, do you?”[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#FF0000]"Alright, a practice room it is then. [/colour][colour=#FF0000]This will be great that some ponies are practicing. You'll get to see different magic being cast then Spirit.It's a really neat place, but it can get a little.... interesting when there's many ponies in the same pplace at once." [/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]"Ah, I see,"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit replied to Fire's excited words. She wasn't sure what her friend meant by saying it got "interesting". Usually that was a good thing, Spirit found. It was good to be interested. She was usually quite interested in things around her. Much of the world still really captivated her as it was still full of mostly new experiences. Still, seeing the ponies practice magic definitely sounded like it would be particularly engaging.[/colour]

​

[colour=#008080]“Miss Spirit, y[/colour][colour=#008080]ou don’t happen to have any questions or other comments before we reach the practice hall, do you?”[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]The filly looked upward in though. She typically had lots of questions on her mind, but at that moment they weren't really coming to her. She didn't know enough about how it all worked to have very good questions to articulate.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"I can't really think of much to say..."[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she said, tilting her head to the side.[/colour]

[colour=#cccccc]She glanced at Miss Marie, still unsure for a moment, before something hit her.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"What about you, Miss Marie? What kind of magic can you do?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]she asked, suddenly very curious.[/colour]

​

[Lux]

(Sorry about the short post, but I figure I'll wait for Ingrid to answer Spirit's question)

Fire Heart was pleased that Spirit was liking her tour of the school so far. The older filly could only imagine how she felt. The only thing that may come close was Fire's first day of school where everything was new. She felt excited and wondering and scared all at once as she entered intio the new part of her life. And so, she waited as Ingrid answered Spirit's question before proceeding to the next area.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#008080]“Well, ummm...”[/colour] Ingrid Marie stumbled, not expecting a question about her own magic abilities; [colour=#008080]“Because I’m a magic educator, I actually have to quite a lot about how to cast all sorts of spells so that I can then provide students with assistance. That doesn’t mean I’ve mastered all those spells, no, no... you didn’t forget my heh heh... “performance” back in the cafeteria, did you?”[/colour]

[colour=#008080]“Anyway to get back on topic, the spell I find most useful in my job is the failsafe spell. Its primary function is to put a lock on the aether around an object or living being to safeguard the laws of physics around that particular thing. In laymare’s terms... it stops a unicorn from being able to use magic. Failsafe spells come in handy when a youngster looses controls over their powers, which happen more often than you’d think around here. RIght, that’s just about what I do the best...”[/colour]

Uncomfortably chuckling, Ingrid neglected to tell the fillies about her other gift; the ability to “read” plants to ascertain their state of well-being. However she considered anything relating to her private life a private matter; one that pupils didn’t really need to know about for the time being. At the moment however, Ingrid and the group were in the tower. To their “good luck” though, the first practice hall they stumbled upon was marked “Out of Service”.

[colour=#008080]“Goodness gracious...”[/colour] the counselor grumbled;[colour=#008080] “Somepony must have casted a huge mess of a spell in there.”[/colour] Situations like these were why the School had multiple magic practice halls. Heading towards the next room (which hopefully remained open), Ingrid asked Spirit; [colour=#008080]“That reminds me Miss Spirit; didn’t I see you use a pryokinetic spell back in the library basement? Is that your main magical skill?”[/colour]