Chapter 70 – Given the Chance
Pilit and Lady Kiane both sat together, the little Treeopon going over her data as she showed it to the Hylop, and when something called for a magic demonstration, Twilight was there to show or explain. Breeze and R.D. both had to sit out, the three guards watching them closely while the others kept cleaning up. Rainbow sighed in boredom, "I wish we could help!" she said in exasperation.
"We're not allowed to because we're still technically criminals." her unicorn friend said.
"It's a rule of the race, all criminals are to be detained until further notice." the left-most guard said.
"But, even for cleaning up?" Spike asked as he passed by.
"Have ya seen her room?" Applejack asked as she carried some debris on her back towards a large dumping bin, "That should be a crime all on its own. Y'all just hold her there and keep her safe, ya hear?"
"It's not that bad!" the blue pegasus countered.
"I wonder." they all heard Lady Kiane ask suddenly, "Would it be possible for a Hylop or a Treeopon to learn to use magic in this way?" Everyone turned to the group of three, Twilight using her levitation spell to lift one of Writch's wrenches and flip it around in the air.
"It's hard to tell." Twilight said, "As we said before; Treeopons, Hylops, Dryskians, and Suniks. They all have very faint traces of magic, it's hard to tell what you could do even if you learned how. You all might develop Cutie Marks like ponies do, or you might just be able to use magic to charge your data screens, it's hard to tell what you could do with it."
"Would the spear be able to help us develop our magic?" the lady asked.
"Maybe, but it'll take some time to get used to the flow of it." Twilight said in thought, she already seemed much calmer now. Pilit thought about it turned to the large spear of light and thought. The thinking wasn't given much time, as they heard the sound of a large vehicle approaching from a short distance away.
"They are here." Lady Kiane said calmly, "We must all take our places, your team must be off to the left while you, the young Treeopon, and I will stand to the right. Remember that it is tradition to do things this way."
"Yes Lady Kiane," Twilight said confidently, "We are to let you do the majority of the speaking and only present our findings when told to."
"And only what is necessary to answer the question, any more and it will be considered rude." the Hylop warned.
"Yes Lady Kiane." the two of them answered and moved to be by the side of the Hylop authority.
When the official went back to her work, Pilit turned to Twilight, "She's actually got a point Twilight." she said, "If a Treeopon or a Hylop could perform magic like you, maybe it would help." Image turned his head, nearing the two as they talked, "Maybe if you taught us what it took, we could at least give it a try."
"Levitation is probably the easiest to start with." the purple alicorn said, "You just have to reach out with your magic like it's a hand or something, wrap your magic around the object and imagine it moving around, keep the object firmly in your mind and just imagine it changing positions."
"I see." he heard the smaller Treeopon say, and watched her reach out with her hand towards a wrench. He then saw the object faintly glow, but then, nothing. "Ugh, I don't get it." she said, "Why didn't it move, I did just what you said."
"You need to feel the magic flow through you like a river." Twilight said as he began to walk away, "It's your energy, if you command it like it's a part of you then it'll do what you say."
"I'll keep practicing." Pilit said, and Image found himself alone with his thoughts.
He turned, saw what looked like a small part that had been left behind, a cylinder that had a small set of cables coming from the back and a single short pipe out the front, just a little off-center. He moved to pick it up, and once it was in his hand, a thought struck him, so he placed it back down, and pointed his hand. He imagined it, the energy from his body slowly seeping out like mist, and covering the object. He knew it could move, he had just done it with his hand, so he imagined the object floating up, to be level with his face. It shifted, slid on the ground only a fraction of an inch, but he noticed and increased his concentration. Seconds later, it lifted, slowly as if he had grabbed it with his own hands. He grew more confident as he watched it rise to his eyes, and the more confident he got the faster and better his control was. "Incredible." he heard from behind him. He was startled and dropped the item. There she stood; Rarity. The mentor who had been teaching him fashion and poise, the pony who had been so patient with him, "That was marvelous dahling. I didn't know your race could even do that."
"I hadn't known of this either." he informed her, "Perhaps another side effect of finding my passion?"
"Perhaps, or it could be that magic flows through you as well." she said, and used her magic to lift the object to him, "I hope that the rest of this race will allow you to practice a bit more with your new ability." she finished as she set the part in his open hand.
"I do hope so as well." the Meltackian said as he watched the white unicorn walk away, the look in his eyes curious, but intrigued as well. He glanced at the part, once again trying to lift it. It seemed easier the second time, the object floating at a simple thought. He felt a tap on his side and turned to see Spike.
"Don't get any ideas." he said darkly.
"I'm not." was the Meltackian's simple answer as the baby dragon stormed off.
"THEY'RE HERE!" they all heard Twilight shout, "Everypony take your places!"
Outside, a large ship touched down. Dozens of those dressed just like Lady Kiane emerged as the team took their spots. Each member to a far side of the shop, standing together in a single file as they waited for the others to approach. The red-haired Treeopon from the race through the Labyrinth was also among them, a smug grin on his face, and his gunner, a slim and shy looking Treeopon, next to him, "Oh, this I can't wait to {snort} see." he said.
"Be nice." she said, to him as she shot a stern glare.
"What?" he asked, "I'm just upholding {snort} the law." and shrugged his shoulders.
What's so important that you couldn't wait until after the trial?" one of the Sunik officials asked.
"And what are the prisoners doing here?" one of the Dryskian officials asked as well.
"They are here to give a statement, nothing more." Lady Kaine said sternly, "And I am here to offer an idea, a change of the rules." The group fell silent, the officials looking at each other in intrigue while the Red-haired Treeopon looked frightened by the surprise. "Lady Kessle?" she said as she looked to the Sunik that had spoken, "Sir Drin? May present to you a surprising theory that has proven today to be fact; our four planets, shaped and given life by the Egas, is a home for magic." A murmur started amongst the crowd, the pilot swallowing in worry as the words escaped the mouth of the Hylop official.
"Proven how?" another of the Sunik officials asked.
"Well, Sir Sskail, by this young Treeopon here." she said and moved her hand to Pilit. She instinctively stiffened, swallowed in her own fear, and took two very stiff steps forward, "She has become an instrument of knowledge, her own invention has detected a magical energy emitting from the world itself."
"But how?" a Treeopon official asked, "When did she have the time to {snort} experience such a way of life? Was {snort} she on the Genesis Ark like her coach?"
"Does that matter?" the lady asked.
"It does to us Treeopons." the same official asked.
"Sir Trigger, if this is about your personal belief then I suggest you step down from this decision." Lady Kiane quickly and angrily interrupted him, "We are not here to discuss what misconceptions you Treeopon believe, we are here to discuss something a bit more delicate than whether or not she has accidentally built such a machine before."
The Treeopon looked at her in both surprise and shock, his nerves stiffened in the emotions, right up until he looked down in embarrassment, "Yes." he said and cleared his throat into his hooved hand, "My apologies Lady Kiane, I may have followed an old schematic."
She nodded, recognizing the Treeopon saying for 'thinking old thoughts' quickly.
"Young one?" Lady Kessle asked suddenly, "What does that machine do exactly?"
Pilit swallowed again, her throat felt dry from her fear, she was really about to speak, or was she? She felt like she was about to pass out from the stress. She let her fear fall when she felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder, the large hand of her Coach, "You'll have to forgive her council." Tusks suddenly said, "She is quite nervous, so if I may remain here with her?"
"Me too." Writch said as she placed her hand on Pilit's other shoulder. The Council whispered for a second, and then turned, nodding their approval, so Writch leaned down, "You got this Pilit." she whispered into the young one's ear.
"We're here with you!" Tusks whispered as well.
She took in a sigh, the two she looked up to at her side, and spoke, confidence radiating from her words, "It scans, senses, and logs magical signatures." she said bluntly.
She hadn't spoken too much, saying only what the Council member had asked to know, and this brought a smile to Lady Kiane's face.
