Just a normal day...

[ϞSymreeϞ]

I practically ran out of Draldoth's office, his words cutting like knives at my body. "He wants to see you," I muttered, practically galloping from his office. I hadn't been aware as to where I was running, only that I had to get as far away from Arix as possible. It wasn't safe here. Draldoth didn't understand, he thought that I was lying, or on drugs or something. I remembered the look on his face when I had mentioned her summoning fire. Not even he knew who she really was. I felt like I was running for my life,even though no one was chasing me.
I didn't care how hard of a time she had gone through in her life. I had seen hard times as well, and I wasn't like her. Malglo had been to hell and back again and he wasn't like Arix. What did he see in her? Or was he too blinded by her beauty to even look? For once I managed to hold the tears in. I had to warn him. But would he even listen after all that had transpired? After I had nearly killed him? I shook off the thought, pressing faster across the grassy turf. Maybe I had awoken something in Draldoth that would make him keep an eye on her. Do you know the best way to turn your enemy either into your friend or the battle into a stalemate?Understand them. Know what's going on in their head. Then you can out think and outmaneuver them.

How did one go about out maneuvering the devil?

I slowed, realizing that she stood just outside of Enjori's room. I stood, limbs shaking and eyes watering. Why was I here? Enjori wouldn't believe me either, but who else could I go to? Everyone else thought that I had tried to kill Malglo. I took a deep breath and hovered just inside her doorway, trying to make sense of the tangled darkness this place was shrouded in. "Enjori?" I called, voice cracking. She had to be here. I needed her. She had to be here.

[Shanza]

I was headed out to the forest to draw references for Herbs when I saw Kathri running across the field. Knowing that something was off, and that she had just spent the day with the one unicorn that she most hated and feared, I took after her. It looked like I was going to get results for Malgo and I soon than we had thought. It looked like she was running towards my quarters, and I knew then that it couldn't be good. At least she's still alive, I thought, then wondered where in the world the thought came from. Was Kathri influencing me into seeing demons in others? Maybe not, but I was just realizing what my friend always knew: Arix was dangerous. Thinking back to the way she moved, the way she talked, the way she watched others when she thought no one was looking made me pause in my line of thought. What did those looks remind me of? I knew, but I didn't want to put it to words. I was just getting caught up in my friend's fear, I told myself. There was nothing to worry about.

Except for the fact that Arix reminded me of a raptor. A bird of prey, ready and waiting to strike. Of a wolf in sheep's clothing, of a cat playing with her food before she eats it. Arix had played with Malgo to get at Kathri, and then she also got Malgo. I didn't know why, and maybe that was the fact that was most bothering me.

No, everything would be fine, I told myself again. It would all work out. I would not let Kathri's fear get to me excepting for a good reason. That reason would have to be darn good. Like the part that if Kathri was right Arix could kill. That would definitely be a good enough reason. I thought about it as I ran, and I knew that just about everyone here was capable of violence, even violence that might lead to someone's death. But very few were capable of cold-blooded murder....

I sped after Kathri, skidding to a stop to keep from running into her. "Enjori!"

"Come on," I motioned, "Let's go inside." I didn't want anyone to hear what we were going to say next. I turned to face her, noting the panicked and wild look on her face. "Kathri," I said softly. "Before you tell me anything, I want to tell you something. Everything might not work out how we want it to, but we can sure as hell try. Can you tell me everything that happened?" I thought I was ready for what she was going to say- I thought I could accept it without looking incredulous or surprised. I was wrong.

"She what?!"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

I told Enjori everything. Having her hear it was one thing, but I still didn't know if she would believe me about Arix. No one else had so far...why should I expect anything different from Enjori? A death threat? Telling me to stay away from Malglo? Controlling fire she wasn't supposed to be able to control right under my nose? It sounded like a well rehearsed story. A story that I never expected Enjori to believe. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction.

"Kathri," "Before you tell me anything, I want to tell you something. Everything might not work out how we want it to, but we can sure as hell try. Can you tell me everything that happened?"

I nearly cringed as I watched the mares expression. She knew everything, just as she'd asked. I'd told her every kernel of the truth that I could muster, still it sounded like a lie, even to my own ears. She would never believe me.

"She what?!"

My ears pinned against my skull, and I half turned from her, glowering in angry disappointment. "I knew you wouldn't believe me." I said quietly, "Draldoth didn't either. But I'm telling the truth! If I wasn't, why the h*** would I be so scared?" My voice broke, but thank goodness I didn't cry. Enjori would loose whatever respect she had managed to gain for me.

"She's going to kill me , Enjori, and she'll do something to Malglo too, I'm certain of it. He's smart, but he's blind when he's around her. I have to warn him." I had to, but I didn't move. He wouldn't listen to me. I had tried to drown him, remember? Pshaw! Like I could ever forget.
"Can we just pretend that for a minute you believe me? What should I do? I told Arix that I was going to fight her. Her magic outclasses mine and she can do waterand fire. how in the world am I supposed to fight that?"

I groaned inwardly, hardly noticing my friend's expression, "She's not who everyone thinks she is," I muttered again, this time with a slight idea why. "I'm I the only one she doesn't have fooled?"

[/color]

[Shanza]

I stared at my friend as she related the strange tale. The threats I could see, especially from a jealous romancer. The fact that Kathri believed that Arix wanted to kill her and hurt Malgo was what got her into spending a day alone with the mare, and based on her reaction right now, it was a plausible threat. What I couldn't quite grasp was the part about her controlling fire. Could my friend be mistaken? "So there is no plausible explanation for her being able to control fire, is there?" I asked, rather sadly. At least there were no explanations that I could think of. "Before you explode on me, is there anyway in the realm of possibilities that you could have created that fire, and just not realized it? We need to think of everything to be able to come up with a plan. If she can't control fire, it would look a lot better for us."

"And yes, Kathri, I do believe you. I think." I was still reeling from the possibilities. "I'm still a little overwhelmed, but think about it. What will this mean for us? What will this mean for the school? But most importantly, if she's powerful enough that she can control fire, why the hell is she here?! I've seen enough to believe you, and to go on the faith of our friendship. If you don't think that she's who she says she is, then who is she? I think we need to answer that. We need to find out the who and the why, and then we can start to figure out the where, what, and when. And if you want, I can warn Malgo for you. Ok?"

I took a deep breath, thinking things over. I was confident enough in my friend to mostly take her word for it, and there was enough unanswered questions about Arix's behavior to convince me that she was telling me the truth. What we both needed was good, solid, evidence to convince the rest of the Academy. "I also want to find out if there are any known occurrences of lower level water magic being able to control fire. What do you think about doing some library research?"

"Oh, one more thing," I added, just remembering, "I got your homework for your classes, and you can copy my notes for today." I smiled at her slightly, but I could still feel the wonder and doubt in my eyes. "We'll get through this, I promise." How could I say that when we were facing some evil twist of magic that the world had never even heard about? There was one thing that I knew without a doubt in my mind. I had to talk to Malgo soon, and I had to convince him to believe me. If he didn't, well, I think he would out the truth about Arix the hard way.

[Shanza]

Arix was annoyed as she combed through the library shelves. She had been searching all afternoon, ever since she got out of classes, and had gotten nowhere. Apparently either pegasi who used runes weren't all that common or using runes was such a basic step that no one bothered to write about it.

Frustrated, she looked away from the scroll she was pouring over, and wondered weather or not to ask the scroll-keeper for help. It was certainly needed. Arix flicked her tail back and forth in annoyance as she debated. She needed the help, yes; did she need the attention, no. Glancing around again, she tried to spot out if there was anyone else still in the scroll room. Two unicorn ponies were pouring over the crumbly old limited reference text for advanced magicks, and by the looks of it they were twins and younger than she was. She snorted, rather fed up with the whole situation. Carefully rolling the scrolls back up, she placed them on the shelves before starting to walk to the keeper's desk. She hesitated, glancing around again, before walking the last few lengths.

"Um, sir?" She asked the old gray pegasi quietly.

"Yes?" He looked up from his reading with a piercing stare that caught her off balance.

"I've been having trouble with my rune work, and I was wondering if you could tell me if you have any reference scrolls that could help me," Arix fumbled over the words, hating that she had to ask for help. Her tail started twitching as she continued, "I've been looking for a while and can't seem to find anything."

He looked at her for a moment before replying. "Yes, there are some scrolls that can help you. What can you do?"

"Nothing," she let her breath out loudly in frustration, and her eyes narrowed angrily. "Nothing I try seems to work, even slightly."

"You want the Introductory Rune Drawing for Pegasi scroll. It's in the third ally to the left, halfway back, bottom shelf. Look for the Aylus rune. The scroll will be to the left. If you want to check it out, bring it back to me, and then you can study and practice at the same time."

Arix sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, I'll do that." Turning, she slid easily away from him and between the shelves looking for the scroll. In her trill of finally getting a location, she forgot the stylized, proper carriage she learned in Sunthara and took on the more primitive, wolf-like way of travel she had used before coming to the Academy. The scroll-keeper didn't notice, as he had gone back to his reading, but there was another unicorn watching from the back corner of the library: a blood red unicorn who had been nearly drowned by someone trying to save his life.

The gray pegasi quickly checked out the scroll and trotted out of the room, only remembering to adopt the more traditional way of moving after she had passed though the welcoming arch.

*ooc: 'bout Malgo, thought it might be a good idea. Maybe him and Enjori run into eachother in the library, and she spills on what she's learned.

[Shanza]

Pinning her ears, Arix trotted away from the stump. The scroll wasn't making any stupid sense! 'Just imagine the rune. Picture it perfectly in your mind's eye.' Oh, she could imagine alright. She could imagine that stupid scroll going up in a nice big bonfire! The problem was she couldn't summon anything. Not even a spark. Nothing! It made her blood boil just thinking about it. She wanted to unleash all kinds of magic on that insolent mare which she had never dreamed of! She wanted to fight fire with fire; she wanted to see her burn. Only she couldn't, because she couldn't even summon it to begin with. Grinding her teeth in frustration, Arix began to pace. What if she could never turn back? What if she was stuck like this, with little to no magic, forever? The thought scared her, and made her all the more angry. Only once had she been trapped where she didn't want to be and with not enough magic to escape. Not again. Not again, she thought to herself. She wasn't going to let it happen again!

Stretching her wings, she twisted her head back and forth, cracking her neck repeatedly. The gray pegasi took a deep breath as she pulled her anger back under control. She wondered if her eyes were yellow, and realized she didn't care. She should, but she didn't. Someone standing in the forest might see a strange glint, but that was probably all. Still, better to be cautious and not need to be. Resignedly, she stood still and closed her eyes. With every breath more of the rage left and she was left with a cold, calculating anger. She would learn; yes, she would learn. And when she did, her eyes snapped open and a rather hungry look filled her face, they would learn who they weren't suppose to mess with. She would take care of the past, but first she would destroy the mare who challenged her.

Arix walked forward with a gliding motion, a hunter's motion. She was determined to learn, and would stop and nothing to master all the knowledge the school had to offer. The gray pegasi stared at the scroll for hours, trying different things and then trying new things. When that failed to work, she went back to the beginning to try it all over again. The warning chime for curfew sounded, but she ignored it. The failing light forced her to give up, but not before she made some progress. She had been able to lift up some water out of a puddle, but only for a few inches. It was so little and the light so poor she wondered if she had imagined the whole thing.

Disgruntled but in a better mood than when she first started, she traveled back to her room at a easy lope. She lay the scroll on the stone outcropping and wondered mildly how many classes she'd miss before she was satisfied. It might be a while.

*If you want Malgo to follow her, that's fine by me. Not much might happen, though he would gain a valuable insight into what she's aiming to do. Maybe he sees her practicing one day and offers to help? Throwing ideas. my brain is completely dead. Blah.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Things are often a lot easier in theory. In my mind, it would be so simple, perfectly easy really to follow Arix around and never worry even for a moment about being spotted. In my mind I would have no problem controlling myself as I had promised Enjori. That would be me in a perfect world where there really were good guys and bad guys, where magic could do nothing worse than kill you. In a perfect world, I would mess up more than upon occasion and I would fall for every mare with a pretty face.

Reality was much worse. In reality, I rarely messed up, it was not a luxury that I could afford. Mess up badly enough in my line of work and your dead. End of story. In reality there was no solid line between good and evil. There were only shades of gray that were impossible to read. in reality you could only trust yourself. Sometimes even that luxury was limited. The Academy certainly wasn't a perfect place, but it was one thing that very few other places were. Safe. No one had died here ever since the academy opened, but space was limited. That was what bothered me most. It was as if there was an Apocalypse coming, and we were only saving the gifted creatures, the ones we deemed worthy of life.

There was nothing I hated more than playing god.

Reality was much harsher than most nightmares, but you'd never guess it by living here. The academy was a place built from the ground up on deceptions. No one here was exactly who you thought they were. Nothing was exactly how it seemed. I had a feeling that if an apocalypse was coming, the Academy would have something to do with it's creation.

That was why I hated being here. I felt like a caged mouse with a cat lurking just outside of the door. Out there I stood as good of a chance as anyone to survive. Here I was at the mercy of the Academy... an Academy that I doubted more and more to be run entirely by Draldoth. More and more I was having trouble trusting in his every word and motive. God how sad was that!? The stallion had saved my life, had taught me how to wield my magic, had even given me a job. Now he claimed to keep me here to keep me away from danger, and I doubted that most of all.
He had never kept me here for the fall and winter semester. He had never seen the need. What could possibly be out there now that I couldn't handle? I was perfectly capable of defending myself...Draldoth knew that. It was further proof that something was happening out there. I just kept growing more restless, and despite the headmaster's constant reassurance, I wanted out. Now. Hell I wanted to be out yesterday! Last week! What could possibly be happening out there that would keep me locked in here like a colt in detention?

Sometimes I wondered if it was for my protection at all. Sometimes it felt like I was just being kept out of the way, so that something much larger could be accomplished in my absence.

Reality was scary. Reality sucked.

In reality I couldn't just fall for any mare with a pretty face. No, that would be playing it safe. That would be much too normal for me. No, I had to fall for the mares that were dangerous, the mares that were violent and strong and slightly insane. I went for the ones that could potentially (or definitely) kill me. It only seemed fitting that I should go for Arix.

In a perfect world, she would be ugly as sin, and hold no power over me, her coat would be heavy and dull with no luster. In a perfect world I would be able to see right through her and she would never even have that chance to toy with me. I should know better than anyone that a perfect world didn't exist.
In reality she was like an addiction for me. I couldn't stop thinking about her, and no matter what light I tried to see her in, one that was demonic or evil, nothing changed. No matter what I tried to tell myself that she was, she was still beautiful, still dangerous, still alluring in ways that scared me.

The most frightening truth of all was that I would break every rule in the book for her.

I walked through the wood, hooves sliding soundlessly over sodden grass and bracken. My shadow tiptoed somewhere off to my right. I stopped as the trees thinned out into a shallow clearing. Arix's dappled form stood at the heart of it, bent over a scroll, delicate from age and misuse. I followed the long gray strands of her mane, the flow of her curved figure and the swell of her gorgeous wings, set a bit away from her slender bodice. So deceiving those angels wings, I thought. The mare was a hunter, although I could never be sure of exactly what she was after. Sometimes I wondered if she even knew herself.

The mare stretched her wings, an action alone that took my breath away. it should be illegal for her to do these things to me without even realizing it. She cracked her neck several times, and a strange glint caught her eye that I mostly ignored. My eyes were distracted by every other part of her anatomy. I shook myself, glad that she hadn't spotted my shape in the trees. This really was pathetic, I had to pull myself together.

I lost track of how long I stood there, watching her struggle through the motions of the rune work. Darkness started to fall upon the forest with little success from the mare's rune casting endeavor. The curfew bell rang, and I wasn't surprised that the mare ignored it. She tried for a few more minutes before loping back towards the Academy, leaving me alone in the darkness, staring at the empty stump.

Legs too stiff to walk forward, I turned slightly, vanishing and reappearing where the mare had stood a few minutes before. My body twisted and curved, soon dancing with an invisible energy that I alone could feel. It ruffled my mane like an invisible wind and soon I stopped, sweating slightly from the effort of holding the magic with me. My ragged breathing was the only sound to join the chorus of hundreds of late summer crickets.

I kicked in frustration at the stump, hating that I was trapped here, hating that I couldn't follow the simple rules placed before me. I knew that I would come here tomorrow to watch her again, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep quiet. I would have to help her. I shifted my shoulders, letting my back arch like a cats. I couldn't stand this much longer. I felt as though I was suffocating, trapped within walls too small and constricting to contain me. I could forget about Arix if I went away, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to. Any other mare I would have left behind in a heartbeat. I barely knew her, and already I knew that she was different. If I allowed myself to be sucked in, then I would be at her mercy. The fact should have scared me. It would have scared any normal stallion.

Why wasn't I quaking with fear?

Midnight found me racing the devil around grounds. I had never run so hard or so long in my life. I jumped fallen logs and large boulders at breakneck speed, never once checking my pace. Sweat dripped from my soaking body, but I ran until my legs shook with fatigue, until I was so tired that I would have a dreamless sleep tonight. My exhaustion kept every thought, every action at bay, except Arix. I fell asleep against a tree with the image of her dappled body tucked safely behind closed lids.

At dawn I went to the river and washed the salt and grime off of my blood red coat. Despite my late night run, I felt more awake and finely tuned than I had in a very long time. One shoulder was sore from the bark of the tree that I had slept against, but other than that, it had been one of the best night's sleeps I had ever experienced.

My secret? I was done fighting with myself. If I wanted to break the rules for her, then that was exactly what I would do.

It was no surprise when I saw her in that same clearing, several minutes after first period had started. I knew without asking that she had no intention of attending that class. This time I didn't bother sneaking up or keeping quiet. The moment I caught sight of her in the clearing, I transported myself a few feet away from her, well within her line of sight.

The mare jumped, body swinging into a defensive position. I raised my horn, exposing my throat in a way of surrender. "Sooth," I told her softly, a smirk on my lips, "It's just me. I apologize, I didn't mean to frighten you."
My eyes traveled to the scroll lying open on the stump. "Need some help?" I asked, a light smirk still heavy on my lips. "I've learned a thing or two about runes...they can be tricky."

[Shanza]

Arix hadn't met anyone on the way back the previous night, and no one stopped her this morning. It was amazing what a purposeful walk could do. She arrived at the clearing as the sun just started to guild the treetops, but she had no use for beautiful sights. If she was going to last here, she needed to be able to control her magic. She needed to know how to use the runes.

Arix had just settled down to start when a quick swish of color and Malgo was next to her. She jumped, her wings opening naturally and her neck arching slightly. She quickly relaxed, hoping that she didn't just give herself away with the fencing defensive move.

He raised in horn in a peace sign, "Sooth," he said quietly, "It's just me. I apologize, I didn't mean to frighten you."

She snorted angrily; she had been startled but she wasn't about to confirm it by telling him.

"Need some help? I've learned a thing or two about runes...they can be tricky." He smirked, almost darning her to accept. Her eyes narrowed, knowing he should be one of the first to report her the teachers, but for some reason she didn't think he would.

"In fact, I do," she replied, still eyeing him, but with more of a curious glint in her eyes. "I can't seem to be able to do anything with them." It might have something to do with the fact that I'm not in my usual state, she thought to herself. Maybe how one learned magic affected how someone could use it. She hoped not; that would ruin all her plans and she wasn't even sure she could change back. Arix gritted her teeth and tried to ignore that possibility.

"So do we start with the movements or the magic? Or do we start with the imagining?" Arix looked over at the stallion, a slight smile on her lips. Chasing was always fun, but this time she wasn't doing it just to annoy Kathridge. A personal tutor might be more profitable than she had previously thought.

As they worked, and Malgo started to tell her little tricks, she started to get the hang of it. Grinning broadly, she yelled in satisfaction as one of her runes produced the desired effect with the water. It was coming back; she could feel it, but it was still frustratingly far away. The next rune, however, produced little to no effect. The puddle remained annoying still. Snorting in annoyance, she tried again, and again, and again. Nothing. Absolute zero. "What in the world am I doing wrong?" She burst out in frustration. Arix shook her head, snarling under her breath. She had known this wouldn't be easy before she completed the change, but she hadn't exepected how hard it would be. Was she progressing faster than the other students? As that thought crossed her mind it cooled her fiery temper. She had to remain invisible; she didn't know how far she could go with Malgo. How much would he keep to himself?

Shaken but more determined than ever, she pressed herself and pressed Malgo for any more information. When the sound of the mid-day chimes sung through the air, Malgo proposed a break. She glared at him, then nodded. "On one condition. I'm continuing after the break is up."

Arix lifted her head and looked at the bay stallion excitiedly. "Alright, let's take a break. But I want you to take us somewhere."

"Ok, where?"

"Off this island. South. Somewhere, anywhere that I can't fly to from here." She grinned, challenging him. She wanted to see how far he'd go, she wanted to know how much of a rule breaker he was. For that's exactly what she was looking for: a rule-breaker. "Haven't you ever disobeyed your elders?" She asked with the dare in her eyes. "I have, and trust me, you'll want to. Don't you want to know what their keeping from you?"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

The mare snorted angrily at my first comment, it was as good as proof that I had indeed surprised her. Not many ever became used to my random poofing. I had been forbidden from doing it in the healers presence. The thought of her vibrant scolding had become something close to music to my ears. Just as Arix seemed like a work of art to my eyes. It really was a good thing she couldn't read my mind.

After I gave the offer to help her out, her gaze softened slightly, into something curious. She hadn't expected this from me, but how could she have? I hadn't even known for sure that I would offer to help her. I should have escorted her to class, and given her directions to see the headmaster. I would even have been well within the Academy's code to report her absence to Draldoth, but for some unfathomable reason, I hadn't, and I wasn't going to. Technically she was still learning, why did it matter where she was when she did it? God Draldoth was going to kill me for this.

"In fact, I do," She replied softly, eyes never leaving mine. "I can't seem to be able to do anything with them."

I nodded, moving closer to where she stood to peer over her shoulder at the scroll. I had, believe it or not, taught a peagasus to use runes before, you have to be ready for anything beyond the walls of the Academy. Arix was probably the only equine here that knew that as well as I did.

"So do we start with the movements or the magic? Or do we start with the imagining?" She asked, smiling slightly at me.

I shouldn't have been such a sucker to that smile, but I couldn't help it. That smile felt like acceptance, it felt like a smile that I would give to my partner in crime. I hadn't really committed very many crimes, but still. Being with Arix felt like freedom. "Movements first," I told her, positioning my body in the correct stance for her first rune. "There is a certain rhythm that you acquire from practicing the positions like a religion. Stand by me, yes, just like that."

I instructed her through all of the movements in her first rune, helping her get the wing positioning just right for each one before moving on. Sometimes it was almost like the wings were a new thing for her to deal with as well. I didn't have to fix much with the rest of her body. At times it was like she had learned it all before, and was simply remembering, but then she would ask such a basic question that could only come from a beginner. Perhaps she was just a fast learner. Even in my own mind it sounded like a lie. She knew a lot more than she was letting on.

It only took a few additional hints and tips for Arix to successfully complete her first casting. She yelled in triumph, a broad grin plastering her face. I smiled with her, an action that seemed to come so easily around her. "Excellent!" I said, nipping playfully at her shoulder. Normally I would have chided myself for the small breach of protocol, but at the moment, I didn't care what Draldoth did to me when I got back to the Academy. Whatever my punishment would be, this would be worth it.

Being around Arix made me reckless, I admit it now, but you probably knew it from the beginning. A crush can befuddle your mind a bit, cause you to do and say stupid things, but this didn't feel like that. I didn't feel like she was the cause of my rule breaking. I felt as though it had been growing inside of me for quite some time, like a foal in a mares belly. Arix helped me give birth to it. It wasn't anything that she said, but it was in her manner, slowly disarming my defenses in a way that would have scared me had I ever noticed it was happening. But the truth, much more frightening than a lie, was that I wasn't afraid of her, not at all.

She wasn't so lucky with the next rune, and annoyance spread onto her features. She reminded me of the time I had spent in the healer's wing with a broken leg, undergoing physical therapy to regain use of the limb. In her I saw my own reflected impatience of re learning how to walk. She was like an adult, trapped in a teenagers body that couldn't do all of the things she had once been capable of. "It will come back," I told her without thinking, "You'll get it."

"What in the world am I doing wrong?" She snarled.

I wasn't a teacher. In fact, I would get into tons of trouble for helping her as much as I had. I wasn't qualified to teach runes, but I knew shortcuts, ways to cheat that the runes teachers didn't want their students to know. I chuckled softly, wondering how much I could trust her with. "You're not doing anything wrong, Arix. Runes, and way you summon them, the whole process is designed to test you, to push you to the limits of your magic. Doing it this way makes you stronger, but only the masters can summon it this way all the time. You're just not strong enough for the second rune yet."

She pressed me for more hints and tips, which I gave freely, but still the runes wouldn't work for her. Most of her problems seemed to come from muscle memory...the way that a unicorn would cast the same rune. I felt certain that she had not meant for me to notice this, and I stuffed it to the back of my mind for further examination. Frankly it was impossible. She was a Pegasus. She never could have been anything else. Even as the thought crossed my mind, I doubted it.

The mid day chimes signaled the scheduled lunch break. "Why don't we take a short break, Arix, you wont get it if you're frustrated."

She glared at me, and my smirk returned. She nodded. "On one condition. I'm continuing after the break is up."

I grinned and dipped my head to her slightly. "Fair enough."

She lifted her head, eying me excitedly. "Alright, let's take a break. But I want you to take us somewhere."

An answering smile settled on my own lips. "Ok where?"

"Off this island. South. Somewhere, anywhere that I can't fly to from here."

Draldoth would kill me for this. He would strangle me, cut off my head and serve it to a cannibal on a silver platter with a nice salad on the side. No scratch that. Jormax would eat me. I grinned, waiting for the 'just kidding!' that wasn't going to come.

"Haven't you ever disobeyed your elders?" She asked, daring me, "I have, and trust me, you'll want to. Don't you want to know what their keeping from you?"

Something inside of me seemed to unlock. What they're keeping from me. What they're keeping me away from was more like it, and yes, I did want to know. An easy smile flowed back to my lips, and I straitened out of my customary slouch, "You think I'm such a goody two shoes, is that it?" I shook my head, laughing, "I'm not sure what it is about you that makes me have such disregard for the rules, but here I am. I've disobeyed the Headmaster before, and it wasn't pretty."

"What", she taunted, "You're not afraid, are you?"

I snorted, "No. Not afraid. I just didn't have any reason to break the rules," I was entering dangerous territory, the point of no return. No Malglo, don't say it!! He'll have your head for this! Bad Malglo! "Now I do," I finished with a smirk. yes, the headmaster would kill me, but right here, with Arix alone in the woods, what did I care?

Mischief sparked in my eyes, "You want to go south? Further than you can fly? You got it." I tucked my head to one shoulder, offering her the grip of my mane, "Grab hold," I instructed. I felt her teeth champ around my crest, and the next moment we were flying through darkness at an impossible speed, then the world seemed to tip and we were falling. had I been alone, I would have slowed before the landing, but Arix's weight dragged us down, and we landed with a heavy thump in golden sand.

I stood, shaking the earth from my coat, and glanced down at Arix's stunned and awestruck expression. A deep chuckle resounded from my throat and I said, "You didn't think I'd actually do it, did you?" I bent down and brushed the sand from her ear with my muzzle just before she stood, taking in the vast expanse of desert. "Welcome to the Mortigi," I said with a flourish.

Now so far away from the academy, I could barely take my eyes off of Arix, but forced myself to do so out of decency. I sighed, a rogue smile forming under the heat of the sun above our heads. "You make it very difficult to follow the rules, Arix." I told her gently. God, she must not have had the slightest idea how much I wanted to kiss her right then.

[Shanza]

It was like the first time, Arix thought. Awestruck and amazed, she found that this one one power she didn't covet. Admired, most definitely. Marveled, certainly. But coveted? Wanted? No, for now she was content to watch and wait. She was happy to respect the difficulties that teleportation would present, and would leave those difficulties for another to deal with. In fact during her time at the Academy, she had been tempted very little by others' power. She still wanted them, still wondered what it would be like to have them, but was content to watch and wait.

Taking a few steps forward, she surveyed the land with a queen's eye as Malgo introduced her to the Mortigi. A vast sweep of golden sand spread out in all directions, and vanished into a sheet of polished glass. "Thank you," she said, smiling.

"You make it very difficult to follow the rules, Arix," he said softly.

"It is an amazing gift you posses. Have you ever tested it's boundaries?" She looked over at him, realizing as she said it that just perhaps he would be the one she didn't know she had been looking for. In all her travels, only one unicorn really knew her, and that was her Teacher. After his mind broke, moments of the friendship they used to share were few and far between. For the last year she had longed to be able to share with him all her accomplishments and discoveries, knowing he would marvel in them as much as she did. She sighed softly, wondering if she would ever dare to tell Malgo the truth. He was a danger, but he was also an unknown. He could be reporting back to the school or he could be doing this out of recklessness. Grinding her teeth, she wished she could read minds. It would make everything a whole lot easier.

"Rules were meant to be broken, you know. For how else can you expand the boundaries of knowledge? How else can you discover what's possible?" Arix looked over at him, smiling sadly. "Rules contain and keep you safe. If there is no danger there will be no progress."

She shook, extending her wings slightly to help with her balance. "So what are the sights of the world, Malgo? Have you seen them all? Have you gone as far as you can? Or do you want to run?" Her eyes flashed in excitement, and she took off across the sands. Her wings opened, and with a powerful beat of her wings she was airborne. Looping back, she looked down at the bay unicorn in the sands, noting how well he stood out in the desert environment. Kathri would have a heart attack when she came back with him. Grinning devilishly, she called down, "Have you ever gone mid-air? Underwater? Underground? How far can you push yourself, and how far are you willing to go? What's the rules for transporters? What's off-limits? Have you ever tried it? Have you tried moving someone else?"

She laughed, one of the first that really expressed her enjoyment in the game she now played. "Come on, the only way you'll catch me is by moving ME! So what are you waiting for?" She spiraled and looped, completely enjoying the moment. Arix was sure that what she had challenged him to do was not allowed in the slightest sense even for experienced magic users, but she was confident in herself and in him. Even if she didn't have full control of her magick, she was always lucky when it came to trying new things. She always was good at guiding her way through the magic, and even if things didn't always turn out how she wanted, they never went horribly wrong either.

"Am I going to be flying up here all day, or are you going to get on with it?"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"It is an amazing gift you posses. Have you ever tested it's boundaries?"

Boundaries. My mind wandered for a moment, and I couldn't quite find an answer. Had I tested my power to it's limits? Did I know what it's limits were? The question felt heavier than it should have. It felt like asking what my own limits were. How far could I push myself before I broke? It was situations like this one with Arix that made me remember why I had a crush on her in the first place. She was all about finding out where the limit was, she was always testing how strong the unicorns, magics and relationships were around her. It took this question for me to realize that it had been the reason for my interest in her all along. "No," I said at last, "Not in the way that you mean."

"Rules were meant to be broken, you know. For how else can you expand the boundaries of knowledge? How else can you discover what's possible?" Arix looked over at me, smiling sadly. "Rules contain and keep you safe. If there is no danger there will be no progress."

I looked at her, curiosity open on my expression. She was right in a way. Wasn't this why I had taken the job that Draldoth had offered? There were very few rules when I was alone, seeking out potential students. Even if there were rules, I could break them to save my life or someone else s. The rules in my profession were blurred. That allowed me to do almost anything with my magic. She was right. Drathdoth's rules were set to protect me. They were set to contain me...to keep me away from whatever it was that he didn't want me to know about.
I found myself wanting to do something reckless. I wanted to break the rules. All of them.

"So what are the sights of the world, Malgo? Have you seen them all? Have you gone as far as you can? Or do you want to run?"

The mare took off at a gallop, and with a smirk I chased after her. The chase was all but over when her wings spread and she took to the air. The action took my breath away, and I slid to a stop, watching as she winged above me.

"Have you ever gone mid-air? Underwater? Underground? How far can you push yourself, and how far are you willing to go? What's the rules for transporters? What's off-limits? Have you ever tried it? Have you tried moving someone else?"

The questions seemed rhetorical. She knew that I hadn't done any of those things, but the realization that I hadn't even tried was like a kick to the ribs. This was my power, no one would, or could push the boundaries for me. This was mine to push, mine to prod, and with Arix, I had the courage to try it all. Now I felt fearless. I wanted to know what my rules were. I was tired of following the rules that Draldoth had given me. I wasn't a colt anymore. I didn't have to follow his rules. It was time to create my own.

Arix laughed, a joyous sound that crashed like water balloons about my ears. I bit back a smirk. She certainly was enjoying herself.

"Come on, the only way you'll catch me is by moving ME! So what are you waiting for?" My breath caught in my throat as she twisted and spiraled in the air with the grace of one who knew all of the rules of her element. I wanted that freedom, that grace. I didn't want to question what the limits were. I wanted to know.

"Am I going to be flying up here all day, or are you going to get on with it?"

I smirked and concentrated, focusing on every curve and flat of Arix's body, I couldn't help but think that she was so far away, a small form high above my head. I wished that she was closer. The thought was a passing fancy. It was what I always found myself wishing, but there was something more to it this time. I imagined her form, exactly as it had been in the sky, and my eyes placed her about fifteen feet above my head. I wished that she was closer.

I glanced back up at the mare, several tree trunks above my head, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished, showing up in the spot that I had imagined. My body froze in shock. Had that really just happened? An uncertain shout of triumph echoed from my lips. "I moved you!" I shouted unnecessarily. The surprise in my own voice made her laugh.

"Not far enough!' She sang, twisting in a taunting way through the sky.

The second time, it was much harder to concentrate. I wanted her on the ground with me, but I wanted it so much that it was a distraction. It was as though a shadow of her stood by my side, whist the real thing soared freely over my head. For several minutes, nothing happened. I had to start the whole process over again, scanning her body, memorizing the curves and shifts of color that I had forgotten. I stared at the empty sand beside me, and slowly her shape started to fill in in my mind, until I could no longer be certain if the real thing stood before me, or a perfect copy. I willed her to move.

In a swirl of color, she twisted into focus beside me, and I nipped at her shoulder before dancing away, a smirk on my face. I twisted, and faded from sight, appearing again at her shoulder, my muzzle hovering near her ear. "Caught you." I whispered. This time I didn't poof away from her again. It would be like running. It would be listening to Draldoth's rules. The rules that I was done with, remember?

"You're right." I told her quietly. "The rules were containing me. They were suffocating me. I'm done playing it safe. Starting now," I said, "I live by my own rules."

She grinned, "Yeah? What rules are those?"

A smirk danced on my lips, and a shrug ran through the width of my shoulders, "I'm not sure yet, but I would really like to kiss you." The words surprised me, but I showed no remorse, no sign of embarrassment. It was true, and that was part of my new policy. I was going to tell the truth when I felt like it, and Draldoth couldn't decide who I was allowed to like. Not anymore.

This was another boundary, another set of rules that were meant to be broken. How far can you push yourself, and how far are you willing to go? I thought, echoing her words.

[Shanza]

When she felt the pull of the magic, she closed her eyes and went along with it. Arix didn't think she could stop him from moving her, but she was sure that she could make it harder for him. The dark vortex of swirling reality sucked her in, and she reveled in it's power. This was what she dreamed about, this was the power she craved to control. It was over all too soon, and she was flying a wing-span above the Transporter's head.

"I moved you!" He shouted in his shock.

She grinned down at him, singing to hide her annoyance at being ripped from the magical place. "Not far enough!"

It took longer for him the second time, but she figured that's how learning worked. It always took longer the second time, unless you were lucky. Once again she was sucked into the vortex, the disarming, unnerving twist of dark colors and mired shapes. This time she didn't fight the exit, the swift change of colors back to reality. Like all good things, it had to come to an end.

Malgo nipped at her shoulder and danced away, grinning like a foal. Arix smiled back at him, watching as he vanished into thin air and reappeared at her shoulder. "Caught you," he wispered. She had jumped slightly when he appeared, but shook it off and grinned at him.

"You're right. The rules were containing me. They were suffocating me. I'm done playing it safe. Starting now, I live by my own rules."

"Yeah? What rules are those?" Maybe he was one she could talk to. Maybe he would learn her darkest secrets and deepest desires. But not yet; no, not yet.

"I'm not sure yet, but I would really like to kiss you."

She smiled at him, pleased but not altogether surprised at the request. "Really now?" She narrowed her eyes, but grinned at him. "So," she said slowly, drawing out the word. "You do?" She walked around him, completely disregarding her usual walk for the one similar to a predator. Her wings ruffled slightly, and then folded close to her body. "How badly? How much are you willing to do?" Her voice had taken on a dangerous tone, but if he ignored it he might be the one. He would have to ignore the tone to be able to confront the monster inside her. She just had one question for him. "Do you really think you're ready?"

Arix stopped in front of the bay, facing him head on. Her black eyes shimmered as she forced him to look directly into them. Then they started to shine. The pupil remained black, but her irises took on a strong golden cast, which was amplified by the desert sun. She was watching his reaction closely, hoping it was favorable. She was really starting to like him. "You still think you're ready for the consequences?"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Arix smiled at me, and my heart raced, a fact that I was trying my best to hide. I felt my mind opening up to the possibilities.Not only about what Arix and I could become. My mind also walked along paths to unanswered questions about my magic. I had always been caged to what Draldoth said was safe to try with my abilities. She had opened the gate to my cage, she had set me free. I had moved her without touching her, a power that the Headmaster would be angry about. I was beginning to appreciate something I had never been told before, but had come out of Arix's lips so easily. I had an amazing gift. I was powerful.

Draldoth had always been careful not to make such comments around me. It was almost like he thought that power was a bad thing. I would have staked my life on the fact, had he not wielded so much magic himself. He was in the most powerful position in the forest. He ran an academy training some of the most powerful magic users in the world. For the first time in my life, I found myself questioning the intentions of the Academy. For the first time in my life, I doubted the stallion that had saved my life.

But all of this played like background music in my mind. There was no place for it at the front. That had become dedicated to Arix. I couldn't have looked away from her now, even if I had wanted to. I tried with limited success to read the lines in her smile. Did she look pleased? Annoyed? I couldn't be sure which.

"Really now?" Her eyes narrowed, but the smile lingered on. "So," she drew out the 'O' for affect. Again, which affect she was aiming for, I couldn't have told you. Her expression was one that should have scared me, but instead I was intrigued, and had to consciously force myself to not move closer to her.

"You do?" She asked, walking around me in a slinking, predatory walk. I couldn't help but think of a lioness playing with her food. Again, I should have been afraid, but it wasn't happening. My face relaxed into a smile. I heard the soft rustle of her wings behind me.

"How badly? How much are you willing to do?" I noticed that her tone had turned dangerous, but I had caught on to her game now. She was testing me. She was trying to scare me. I must admit that I'm a competitive unicorn. If she wanted to play a game, then I wasn't the type to lay down and let her win. I also never was embarrassed to loose to a mare, not any more than I was embarrassed to loose to a stallion. I was secure in my masculinity. I didn't need to pretend that I was superman to be OK with who I was. I smiled in way of answer as she came back around to face me.

"Do you really think you're ready?" She asked, coming to a halt directly in front of me. I met her eyes without hesitation, and watched the glow from deep inside of them. Her pupils remained inky black, but her irises lightened to a beautiful golden cast that caught the light from the desert sand. My face remained unchanged, and I didn't blink. It was still a part of the test, I was sure about that much. The truth was that she had never looked more beautiful. I felt as thought I had just received a sneak peak inside her, all the way down to the light of her soul. A soul that -according to Kathri- didn't exist.

"You still think you're ready for the consequences?" I knew that I was ready, but I didn't tell her this, and I didn't laugh. A smirk danced on my lips, "Everything has consequences," I told her. "I meant what I said. I'm done playing it safe." My neck arched gracefully and I walked a circle around her, eyes burning holes into her sides and shoulders until I found her golden orbs again.

"You can try and scare me away all you like, but I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not turning you in." I held her gaze for a few moments, wondering why I was doing all of this even as I gave my word. She was playing these games with me, she knew what I was risking, she knew that I was worth her time. If she wasn't interested, then she never would have asked me to take her further away from the Academy than her wings could fly.

My neck extended slightly, and my lips brushed gently across her cheek. I pulled back, uncertain about what her reaction would be. My eyes scanned her face appraisingly and I smiled slightly, " Your worth any consequence the universe can throw my way, Arix."

[Shanza]

Arix was more than astounded. She was downright stunned. How could he just accept that? Was he thinking straight? Was he injured in some weird way? She shook her head, the golden cast completely gone from her eyes, and looked at him slightly worried. "Are you alright? You're not suffering from some sort of brain disease, are you?" No one would have, should have, just accepted her like that. It wasn't that she didn't want to be accepted, it was that she didn't think that Malgo knew what he was getting into. Arix wanted him to know, or at least understand. She wanted it desperately.

She eyed him with a wary and suspicious expression. She couldn't get over it. The fact of the matter was that his acceptance was just too strange. Even her old teacher had been wary of her; it had taken him nearly a week just to begin to warm up to the odd little black unicorn mare who was strangely inclined to the dark arts.

"How can you just accept that? Do you have any idea of what I can do?" She raised her voice in surprise and bewilderment. "Do you have any idea of what I've done?" Quickly Arix suppressed a slight feeling of guilt, knowing that for her the magic was worth it. She snorted, walking away from him. Her mind still reeling, she couldn't focus on anything around her. The sun beat the desert mercilessly, and a faint wind stirred up the sand. She stopped suddenly, glancing at the sun's position and orienting herself. Turning to her left she started a purposeful walk north. Even if it took her a week, she would get back to the Academy and get help for that bay stallion.

"Malgo, you can go back alone. I am not traveling through time and space guided by someone who's more than slightly insane." She snorted again, shaking out her mane. "I can't believe that I'm saying you're the one who's crazy." She laughed, rather to herself.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

I had never allowed myself to fall too deep because in a way, I was a coward. I was afraid of getting hurt, afraid of rejection, afraid of betrayal. I was scared by things that most equines were, but I never let anyone in far enough to see it. No matter how deeply I dug, I couldnt find even a shread of fear for Arix. I suppose that in the end, that was what condemned me.

"Are you alright? You're not suffering from some sort of brain disease, are you?"

My face faltered at her sudden concern. What had I done to make her think that I had a brain disease? "Uuum, I don't think so." I didn't know whether to laugh or be offended.

The look on her face dissuaded any laughter. I still had no idea what I had done wrong.

"How can you just accept that? Do you have any idea of what I can do?" She asked, her voice raising in pitch, heavy with bewilderment.

I watched her for a moment, unable to keep the confusion out of my own features, just as confused as she was. "Um I'm sorry?" I tried, plucking at straws for something that I had done to cause this.

"Do you have any idea of what I've done?"

I felt annoyance growing in my belly, and I fought the urge to shout back, how the hell can I know what you've done! You never let me in! Instead I took a deep breath, and calmed my racing heart with a simple shake of my head. No. I had absolutely no idea of what she was capable of, or what she had done.

She snorted and walked away from me, hovering for a moment, a few feet away. Damn it all, I thought, If she didn't want me to kiss her, why couldn't she have just said so? My shoulders flexed and I wished that I had wings. I wished that I could fly far away from her and watch her dappled form shrink into a dot on the sand. I was really starting to get tired of this.

Arix turned north, heading at a sturdy walk north...to the academy.

"Malgo, you can go back alone. I am not traveling through time and space guided by someone who's more than slightly insane."

I couldn't contain my own sarcastic snort. She was walking back to the Academy after asking me to take her all of the way out here, and suddenly I'm the one that's insane? No. No way. She muttered something to herself that I didn't catch.

I took a deep breath, forcing whatever politeness into the words as I could. "Arix please, let me take you back. You'll spend two more seconds with me, and then, if you don't want to, you'll never have to talk to me again, sound fair?" The truth was that I wasn't sure I wanted to talk with her. I didn't even really want to take her home, but the gentleman that had been bred into my every move wouldn't allow me to leave her behind, even though I wanted nothing more than to turn away from her and find myself alone in my room, where I could secretly hate her all that I pleased.

I felt myself bursting with things that I wanted to say to her, and at last I took off the duct tape, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. "What's wrong with you!? Do you want me to be afraid of you? Do you want me to cower in fear while you tell me that your some sort of murderer that takes what she wants, hunts it down like a wild dog? I've seen that, Arix! I'm no innocent. I've seen murder, I've seen death, I've seen and experienced torture. Tell me that you've done something worse than that, and then I'll fear you."

I held her gaze, my own hard and filed sharp like knives. "You have to understand," I said softly, "Its my job not to fear what I should."