Several months had already passed since I started studying at Princess Celestia's school. It was no longer summer—the cold breezes swept through the mountain where Canterlot had been built. Some houses were slowly filling up with scary decorations, while others were selling them, just like the rising chatter about the upcoming winter break.
I walked wrapped in one of my many sweaters, this one emerald green, with a scarf my mother had knitted for me. I was no longer the only colt wearing winter gear; everyone had theirs—woolen or lined coats, with pompoms and earmuffs—so I finally didn't stand out.
Even though everything seemed fine, my nerves were on edge. My mother's pregnancy symptoms were visible, along with little aches that signaled that the birth of my little sister was near… I thought anxiously, remembering that my mother had left early that morning for a check-up at the hospital. I had wanted to go with her, but she insisted I go to school as usual.
I didn't like the feeling of not being there to protect her.
Soon I arrived at the school and headed toward my classroom, but on the way, around a corner hidden from plain sight, a scene stopped me in my tracks.
Two older colts, their school capes embroidered with noble lineage insignias, were laughing among themselves as they pushed around a smaller colt with warm-colored fur and downcast eyes. It was clear this wasn't the first time. But what truly upset me was their reckless use of magic: one of them held the smaller colt's bag aloft with telekinesis, lifting him off the ground along with it, while the other conjured gusts of wind that struck his face as he tried in vain to shield himself. All of it was accompanied by cruel, mocking laughter.
What they were doing wasn't really harmful—some adults might even call it normal interaction between kids. Maybe as an adult, I'd only be able to disapprove from afar without intervening. But what those colts didn't know was.... that I wasn't an adult.
The little colt did nothing. He just kept his head down, trembling, swallowing his discomfort with that resigned expression that only appears when someone has gotten used to being mistreated. He was submissive. Hurt on the inside. And that, more than any spell, is what made me react.
"Hey!" I shouted in a tone so firm that the laughter stopped instantly. "You think that's funny?"
The two turned toward me, annoyed, but their faces changed the moment they recognized me. The colt with the starry cape. The one who used magic effortlessly. "Princess Celestia's apprentice," one of them murmured.
"This doesn't concern you, peasant," muttered one of them. He tried to sound haughty, but his voice trembled.
I smiled. But it wasn't a kind smile. It was a warning.
"No? Well, now it does."
Before they could react, their own spells were canceled with a blink. I used a containment spell I had learned—or rather, adapted—from the advanced grimoires in the library. In an instant, they were on their knees, forced into a posture as if bowing to the colt they had just been bullying.
"Now, apologize," I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument.
The two colts struggled, trying to break free while awkwardly summoning magic. But their efforts were useless. They couldn't even touch the barrier that held them. My magic, tempered through countless training sessions with that picky demon cube, didn't falter.
I watched as their faces twisted with rage and humiliation. They clenched their teeth, glaring at me with such intense fury it felt like they were trying to burn a hole in my head with their eyes.
The small colt was still trembling, barely managing to stay on his hooves.
"P-please… don't get yourself in trouble. They… they're noble's sons…" he whispered, fear in his eyes.
His words hit me like lightning. Had he endured all this just because he was from the countryside? Because he wasn't born in Canterlot?
I clenched my jaw. I felt my annoyance turning into a quiet anger. How long had this colt been suffering abuse just because of his origins? For a moment, I considered twisting those bullies' arms. Causing them a little pain. Because I saw no remorse in their eyes. Only indignation at being interrupted.
"I don't care where they come from. And if they keep this up, I'll tell their parents… or better yet, the Princess." I stepped forward and lowered myself until they could both see me clearly. I stared straight into their eyes. "Because I'm her apprentice."
With a blink of my aura, I released the spell, and they jumped to their hooves immediately. They said nothing. Just mumbled some unintelligible words and ran off down the hallway without daring to look back at me.
I turned toward the warm-colored colt, who was watching me with a mix of confusion, awe… and fear.
"Are you okay?" I asked gently.
He nodded timidly.
"Th-thank you…"
"You don't have to thank me. No one deserves to be treated like that." I gave him a sincere smile. "What's your name?"
"Sunburst…"
"Nice to meet you, Sunburst. I'm Wizbell. And if anyone bothers you again… come find me, okay?"
He nodded while clumsily gathering his things. We chatted for a bit and I found out he was in third year. He also told me he had always had trouble with his magic, which had made him an easy target for teasing since his first year.
I tried to cheer him up with a few words, but in my mind, I carefully memorized the symbols and cutie marks of those two bullies. I wasn't a saint… and maybe later I'd return them a bit of the karma they deserved. Not out of revenge, but for justice. For Sunburst. For everyone like him—quiet, humble… and overlooked.
The bell rang throughout the school, signaling the start of classes. If I didn't hurry, Miss Maple was going to scold me again for being late.
"See you at recess!" I called out as I ran down the hallway to my classroom.
Sunburst just waved, still dazed and worried about heading to his own class… where those two colts were probably waiting.
Class continued normally after the incident. Miss Maple didn't seem to notice I was late—or maybe she just decided to ignore it. I settled into my seat, and the lesson went on until Miss Maple gave us a short break after covering such a heavy topic: the history and meaning of Runes.
All the ponies started chatting, pulling out comics, and talking about their favorite heroes, fashion trends, and other stuff. Twilight stayed by my side, playing with the cube.
She had the magic cube in her hooves, spinning it with an almost hypnotic finesse. She could solve it in seconds, but now she seemed focused on beating her own record. Even though she had her own cube—engraved with her name in golden letters—she still preferred mine. She claimed it had "better balance," though I suspected she just liked winning with my cube.
Time limits were no longer a concern; my mom had removed the spell after noticing I was being responsible with how I used it.
"Five point three... ugh, again," she muttered, placing it on the desk with a mix of frustration and intense focus.
"You're close," I said without looking at her, trying not to smile at how into it she was.
Lyra, meanwhile, had clicked with a group of fillies who shared her love of music. Their laughter filled the corner of the classroom where they'd gathered, talking about melodies, sheet music, and even a bit of magical harmony. It made me happy to see her like that—so relaxed and comfortable.
When the recess bell rang, I stood up with purpose. There was something I needed to do.
I walked without a word, away from the busy main yard and down the quieter paths near the old greenhouse and the trees that marked the edge of the school gardens. It didn't take long to find him. Sunburst was walking with his head down, taking slow steps, as if he wanted to vanish into the fallen leaves.
"Sunburst," I called softly.
He flinched slightly, ears perking up in alarm, but relaxed when he saw it was me.
"You again...?" he muttered, uncertain.
I nodded and stepped a little closer, though not too much.
"Um... I was thinking—maybe you'd like to hang out with me and my friends. Earlier, I still wanted to talk more about magic..."
I didn't think I could feel shy, but I did. I wasn't good at making friends—I still didn't know how I'd managed to become friends with Flash and Lyra, being so different from them.
He didn't reply at first, but then he stood still and gave a small, slightly more excited nod. That was enough for us to start walking back in silence toward where I thought the girls would be. But as I turned around—there they were, both of them, curiously eyeing the colt walking beside me.
Twilight and Lyra approached. I figured my unusual detour had caught their attention, and since I hadn't gone to our usual spot, they must've followed me. What I didn't expect was several classmates watching us too—curious, but none of them dared to come closer once they saw who was with me. It had become a kind of norm for us to move around in a group, and the same thing happened in other classes too.
No one spoke at first. Sunburst's shyness made things a little awkward. Twilight seemed to be thinking deeply about something, while Lyra quietly observed Sunburst's behavior. Being naturally empathetic, it wouldn't take her long to pick up on the signs of low self-esteem and timidity.
When we reached our usual spot, Twilight was the first to speak after we all sat down in our usual places.
"So, who's your new friend?" she asked in a calm tone, then nodded to herself as if approving her own question.
"His name's Sunburst. He's in third year," I said, noticing he was still holding onto some of that shyness—understandably so, now that he was the center of attention.
Lyra smiled with her usual energy and sat down close to him.
"Hi! I'm Lyra Heartstrings. Nice to meet you."
"Twilight Sparkle…" she said after settling into her spot, then picked up the cube to entertain herself, spinning it absentmindedly between her hooves.
Sunburst didn't say anything for a moment. He seemed overwhelmed by the attention, lowering his gaze, nervous. But something in his expression changed when he noticed the cube. He leaned slightly toward Twilight, eyes fixed on it.
"Is that… a cube with engraved runic patterns?" he asked in a low voice, amazed.
Twilight stopped her spinning for a second, surprised.
"You can see that?"
"Yes. They're magical link runes… very complex. But the design is too optimized…" he leaned in closer, his eyes alight with a mix of curiosity and excitement. "I knew rune usage could be complex, but not to this level!"
Twilight offered him the cube without hesitation, and Sunburst held it with reverence, almost like it was a precious gem.
"This kind of configuration lets the cube spin faster… that's why it feels different," he whispered, more to himself than to us.
I watched, fascinated. It was as if he had transformed: the shy, withdrawn colt I'd met earlier was now completely captivated by something he loved, and his words flowed freely.
Twilight and Lyra exchanged a glance with me, smiling. I smiled too. Maybe Sunburst didn't need grand gestures. He just needed a safe space… and friends who could see what he was capable of.
Soon we found a rhythm to our conversation, mostly about magical theory—which slightly annoyed Lyra. "Another nerd? Two was already a lot, now I have to babysit three," she said dramatically. Though she didn't say it out loud, she actually understood everything we were talking about—she'd even pitch in now and then with a comment or two.
Several minutes passed with little being said. The atmosphere was calm, relaxed. Twilight and Sunburst were absorbed in the cube, exchanging observations and technical details, as if they'd forgotten the rest of the world. I leaned back against the tree trunk, enjoying the last warmth of the sun before the cold breeze swept it away.
Lyra, on the other hoof, looked pensive. Not distracted, but with that particular look of hers that often appeared right before she said something unusual. She was sitting cross-legged, playing with a twig while staring at the ground intently.
"Do you think…" she said suddenly, her voice low but clear, "that a living creature could exist with… zero magic?"
Twilight lifted her head immediately.
"Zero magic? Do you mean someone who can't use it, or…?" She trailed off when she saw the spark of mischief in Lyra's eyes, who clearly was waiting for Sunburst's reaction.
"No," Lyra interrupted, not looking away from the twig. "I mean zero. Nothing. No affinity, no channeling, no trace. Like they were invisible to every spell. Like they don't belong to Equestria's magical field."
The question left us in silence. Not because it was strange, but because we already knew where she was going with it. But poor, innocent Sunburst hadn't figured it out yet. He blinked, surprised, and fell into deep thought, trying to imagine something like that.
"That would be like… like a void," he said cautiously. "A blank space in the middle of an ocean of energy."
Lyra nodded slowly, a smile forming.
"I've been thinking about it for a while. What if there are beings like that? Living outside our magical network. Undetectable, unaffected… even incomprehensible. Because they simply aren't connected."
"That would break a lot of laws," Sunburst muttered, thoughtful. "Even magically inert creatures still exist within the general field. If something like that existed… it would be a total anomaly."
I sat up a bit, watching Lyra with interest. I knew exactly where that idea came from.
"Humans?" I asked, half joking, half serious, trying to steer the conversation.
She shot me a quick look, as if she didn't want to admit it. But her eyes drifted to Sunburst, who was already lost in deep thought.
"Maybe. It's just… if they were real, and came from another world, maybe there's no magic over there. Or none at all. Maybe that's why we've never been able to prove their existence here. They simply… leave no magical trace. We can't detect them because magic doesn't recognize them."
Twilight seemed annoyed for a moment but said nothing. She had learned, after many debates with Lyra, that it was best not to contradict her directly when she talked about humans.
"It's a strange idea… but not impossible. And if such a being ever came here, it would change everything. They could walk among us and we'd never know. They'd be like a blind spot to all spells and magical perception," Sunburst said, swallowing hard.
"Or like a walking void. Something that not even the strongest barriers could stop. A complete stranger to magical logic."
I said nothing. But a chill ran down my spine at the thought. It was plausible. If something didn't interact with magic—a fundamental law of our world—then it would be an anomaly, a glitch in the system.
"So… do you think a creature like that could exist?" Lyra brought the topic back, subtly pointing again toward the possibility of humans.
"No. They're just a story, a myth. Their very existence would be their downfall… having no magic," Sunburst replied with confidence.
Lyra's smile didn't fade. On the contrary, it grew wider, proud to see yet another innocent ignorant of the unknown. To her, it was just more proof of how little we truly knew about what lies beyond Equestria.
Sunburst seemed satisfied with his conclusion, but Lyra wasn't done yet. She played her final card.
"Then how do you explain what Discord said millennia ago, something recorded by multiple races?" she asked casually, though her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Sunburst frowned.
"Discord?"
"During his chaotic reign," Lyra said, drawing air quotes with her hooves, "when he played freely with reality itself. He once said it was an 'artistic tribute to the most forgotten species in the multiverse.' Then he clarified it out loud, in front of the world before being defeated: 'Humans. Always so underestimated. So invisible. So… inspiring for chaos.'"
Sunburst opened his mouth to reply, but no words came. He remembered the event. He had read about it in the archive of chaotic phenomena. Even Twilight seemed to have forgotten that detail, and she brought a hoof to her chin, hesitating for the first time.
"Sure, it was Discord…" Sunburst tried to say, unsure.
"Yes, Discord. The only being who can see through dimensions, alter reality with a snap, and remember things not even books record. But I'm sure he made it all up just for a joke, right?"
Sunburst fell into silence. Defeated.
Lyra grinned from ear to ear.
"Thanks for coming to my TED Talk," she said, turning back to play with her twig.
I couldn't help but laugh. Twilight covered her face with her hooves, and Sunburst just looked down, shaking his head.