[Wizbell's POV]
It wasn't until everypony had arrived in the classroom and taken their seats that I began the lesson.
First, I had to get their attention back. Most of them couldn't stop staring at Twilight, who stood beside the chalkboard on the opposite side of the room from me. The presence of another adult in the classroom besides their usual teacher had naturally sparked their curiosity.
"Good morning, everypony! Today we'll be joined by a friend..."
"My best friend."
"...My best friend, Twilight Sparkle. She'll be helping me teach today's lesson, since much of it will be hands-on."
Twilight stepped forward with a warm smile.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope we'll learn a lot together today."
"Good morning, Professor Bell! Good morning, Miss Twilight!"
"Me! Me!"
Snips shot his hoof into the air with all his might the moment the class finished greeting us. He nearly stood up on his chair, leaning over his desk to gain a few extra inches, determined not to let his small size keep him from being noticed.
"Yes, Snips. What's your question?"
"What kind of magic are we learning today? Are we gonna learn how to breathe fire? Or can I move super fast with magic like Flash does, but with spells?"
"Those are good ideas. Some of them could even be achieved with the right spell or by developing the proper magical formula."
I gently shook my head.
"But not today. Today, we'll learn how to construct a magic circle, the first fundamental step of spellcraft."
I raised a hoof and traced a small circle in the air.
"Within the arcane, there are two major paths. The first is magic, abilities that arise instinctively and depend largely on the mage's talent, as well as their affinity for a particular element or concept. The second is spells: structured magic governed by rules, formulas, and principles. As long as you have time, dedication, and understanding, sooner or later you'll be able to learn them, or even create your own."
A flash of light enveloped my body.
I vanished before the entire class, only to reappear a moment later behind their desks.
More than one foal gave a startled jump.
I calmly walked between them before returning to the front of the classroom.
"Magic can take many forms. What I just used was Flash, a magic created by a unicorn from the past."
I looked up toward the ceiling.
"And this..."
My horn glowed once more.
"...is one of my own magics. I call it Starry Sky. I developed it when I was a colt."
The windows closed one after another, shutting out the light from outside.
For a few seconds, the classroom was bathed in a peaceful twilight.
Then my magic blossomed.
The ceiling disappeared beneath an endless sea of stars. Softly colored nebulae spread across the room as countless points of light shimmered above the foals' heads. Some stars drifted lazily across the sky, leaving glowing trails behind them. Others remained perfectly still, shining with quiet beauty, as though the vastness of space itself had descended into the classroom.
Many of them lifted their heads, unable to look away.
"Magic is often born from necessity... or from curiosity."
I gazed at the artificial sky for a moment.
"And many times, not even its creator can fully explain why it works."
"It simply does."
My magic shifted.
The stars slowly faded away as an identical magic circle gradually appeared before every foal.
"Spells are different."
Each line was drawn slowly so everypony could follow the process.
"They have structure. They have rules. And that's why they can be taught."
I smiled faintly.
"So let's begin at the beginning."
"A magic circle."
"Being able to construct a magic circle is as fundamental to a unicorn as learning how to use telekinesis. Not everypony needs to become a magic circle researcher or discover new principles. Maybe you just want to learn a few spells to make everyday life easier. Or perhaps you'd rather follow the path of magic itself and try to understand the magics left behind by great mages like Star Swirl the Bearded."
I paused briefly as the circles continued floating before each student.
"But personally, I'd rather you graduate understanding what a magic circle actually does and why it works. I don't want you going around casting spells just because you think they'll produce a certain effect, only to discover too late that one symbol was drawn incorrectly, one line connected where it shouldn't have, or a tiny alteration completely changed the outcome."
I pointed at one of the circles floating before a young foal.
"In spellcraft, a small mistake rarely causes a spell to fail."
I smiled with quiet resignation.
"Usually, it makes the spell do something entirely different from what you intended."
"Now for the practical exercise."
I gestured around the classroom with a nod.
"In just a moment, this room will be filled with little friends. They'll hide, run, and do everything they can to escape from you."
Small figures made entirely of light began appearing throughout the classroom.
Rabbits, fawns, dogs, cats, dragons, Diamond Dogs, ponies, and even tiny minotaurs gradually took shape one after another. Some looked curiously at the foals, while others were already hopping around, eager to make their escape.
"Your goal will be to catch them by trapping them inside a magic circle."
A gentle pulse spread through the room from the tip of my horn.
My magic flowed into every corner of the classroom as the magic circles before each student responded to my will. At the same time, the desks and tables began to reshape themselves into large wooden cubes that floated into the air before neatly stacking themselves atop my desk, clearing the room entirely for the exercise.
The little creatures of light wasted no time. They darted between the foals' legs, searched for makeshift hiding places, and some even began chasing one another around the room.
"The more precise and well-crafted your magic circle is, the more points you'll earn for catching one of these little fellows."
I smiled faintly.
"At the end of class, the ten students with the highest scores will receive a small scroll containing either a transformation spell or a magical enhancement, just like the ones you got to enjoy yesterday."
Sweetie Belle, who was standing in front of me, timidly raised a hoof.
"Professor... how are we supposed to make the magic circle? I've tried several times at home, but it takes me so long to finish that my magic always falls apart."
Several heads nodded at once. She wasn't the only one. Many of them had tried drawing a circle on their own, only to lose control before they could complete it.
"Oh! Good observation, Sweetie."
I smiled with satisfaction.
"Yes, what you experienced is a magical phenomenon known as the Restoration of Natural Magical Balance."
I took a couple of steps as I spoke.
"The world around us is always trying to return to a state of balance. Free magic never stays still. The moment you project your own magic outward to construct a spell, the ambient magic begins interacting with it."
A small spark emerged from my horn.
Countless glowing motes appeared before the entire class, drifting lazily through the air like tiny specks of dust illuminated by sunlight.
"Imagine these are the magical particles that fill the air around us. Normally you can't see them, but they're always there."
The tiny lights slowly drifted toward a thread of magic I was holding suspended in front of me.
"The moment you release your magic, these particles begin clinging to it. Little by little, they alter its structure, making it harder to maintain its shape. And if you take too long..."
The glowing thread lost its stability before dispersing completely.
"...you eventually lose control."
Without interrupting my explanation, I projected another thin strand of magic.
This time, I slowly traced a perfect circle.
The instant the final line connected with the first, the circle emitted a gentle glow.
"But when you complete a magic circle whose circumference is stable enough..."
The glowing particles approached once more.
As they reached the edge of the circle, they bounced off gently, as though an invisible barrier prevented them from passing through.
"...magical stabilization occurs."
The motes continued colliding with the surface without being able to alter the spell's structure.
"The circle itself begins maintaining its own shape. You no longer have to keep every part under constant, precise control because the structure now supports itself. The better it's built, the more stable it becomes, and the less energy you'll need to keep it active."
"That's what normally happens outside this classroom."
I lightly tapped the floor with my hoof.
"But in here, you won't have that problem. I've stabilized the environment so the Restoration of Natural Magical Balance won't interfere with your spells."
I smiled as I stepped aside.
"So don't be afraid to try. Go ahead."
I watched the little creatures scampering between the students.
"The faster you construct your circle, and the better its shape, the higher your score will be."
For a few moments, no one moved.
The older foals carefully watched the little creatures of light, analyzing how to catch them. Some even tracked their movements with their eyes, trying to predict where they would run next.
The younger ones, on the other hoof, didn't overthink it.
The moment they heard the signal, they burst into laughter and gave chase.
The first to succeed was a little filly who, after several failed attempts, managed to close her third magic circle just as a tiny rabbit of light hopped inside it.
The instant the circle sealed completely, the little rabbit vanished in a flash, as though it had been teleported somewhere else.
A glowing +2 appeared above the circle, floating in the air for barely a second before fading away.
At the same time, her name was written across the chalkboard in glowing letters, followed by her score.
"Hey! I can make one just as ugly!"
one of the colts shouted while chasing a little sheep of light, slowly cornering it against one of the classroom walls with a crooked, unfinished magic circle.
I remained where I was, observing each foal's work.
With every attempt, I evaluated the quality of their magic circles, and whenever one of them managed to catch a creature of light, I updated the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, Twilight walked calmly among them. She watched as some failed over and over again, corrected small mistakes, and tried again without giving up.
Curiously, throughout the entire exercise, not a single student asked her for help.
They were all too focused on overcoming their own challenge to think about looking for an easy answer.
Realizing this, Twilight smiled to herself before eventually walking over to stand beside me while the classroom remained filled with cheerful chases and excited shouts.
"Nice magic trick."
Twilight watched as another score appeared on the chalkboard.
"Isn't it difficult to control all of this? Or are you hiding the spells somewhere out of sight? Because I never saw you create a single magic circle."
"Actually, no."
I kept my eyes on the students.
"Ever since I was a colt, I've had a knack for sensing magic almost like a sixth sense. I could close my eyes and still follow the movement of every circle, keep track of every capture, and know which ones are better constructed."
Another creature disappeared in a flash.
A +3 appeared briefly before the chalkboard updated with another score.
"It also helps that all the magic saturating the classroom is mine. That makes it much easier to maintain control, while allowing everyone else to introduce their own magic without destabilizing the environment."
Twilight looked around the room.
"That's seriously impressive. You managed to stabilize your magic evenly throughout the entire classroom while still leaving room for every student to use their own."
"Hey, I didn't master that damned demonic cube for nothing."
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Well... we mastered it."
Twilight couldn't help smiling.
"Now I'm suddenly tempted to see if I'm faster than the last time I used it."
Her gaze lingered on the students for a few more seconds before she smiled.
"I remember seeing the cube in your office. Maybe I'll ask to borrow it someday. Mine's still back in my tower at the castle."
After quite a while of practice, the last of the creatures of light was finally captured.
The classroom immediately erupted into conversation.
Some foals proudly compared their scores, while others complained to their friends that someone had stolen their prey just as they were about to close their magic circle.
"That dragon was mine!"
"No, it wasn't!"
"Yes, it was!"
The accused colt simply stuck out his tongue.
"Too slow."
That single reply was enough to spark another wave of laughing protests.
When everypony turned to look at the chalkboard, one detail immediately stood out.
The top ten spots were occupied entirely by fillies.
They wasted no time taking advantage of it.
"We told you mares are better!"
"You're way too slow!"
"We always win!"
The colts fired back almost immediately.
"That doesn't count!"
"You just got lucky!"
"We'll beat you next time!"
"Yeah, next century!" one of the fillies replied with a laugh. "We'll still be winning! And by the time you blink, we'll already be alicorns, just like the princesses! Mares are better!"
"Uh, no!" one of the colts protested, puffing out his chest. "We're better too! Just look at Professor Bell! He's obviously better than Miss Twilight. That's why he's the magic teacher!"
Several colts nodded with complete confidence, while more than one filly frowned at what they considered such an outrageous argument.
Somehow, the discussion evolved.
It was no longer about who had earned the most points.
Now they were debating who was the better mage, who knew more spells, who could cast magic faster, or who was stronger.
The voices gradually grew louder until several pairs of eyes settled on Twilight and me.
"Make them fight!"
"Yeah! Professor Bell versus Miss Twilight!"
"I wanna see who wins!"
I let out a quiet sigh.
"Well... everypony."
The conversations gradually died down.
"Since all of you seem so curious, we'll give you a magic demonstration."
Several tails immediately began wagging with excitement.
"But it won't be a duel."
I gave Twilight a quick glance before continuing.
"We'll simply demonstrate different ways of using magic."
I stepped forward.
"I understand why you want to know who's better, but that's actually a very difficult question to answer. Not every mage excels at the same things. Some have better control, others know more spells, others create their own magic, and others simply have more experience. Comparing them directly rarely makes much sense."
I gestured toward the open space in the classroom.
"When Twilight and I were foals, we were curious about that too. So we'd come up with little games and exercises to compare ourselves in specific areas. Not to prove one of us was superior, but because it was fun and helped us improve."
I smiled faintly.
"When you have a little more experience, you'll be able to do these kinds of activities too. They're a great way to satisfy that competitive spirit without turning everything into a fight."
With a gentle pulse of magic, the classroom lighting returned to normal.
The foals quickly went back to their seats.
Within seconds, the room had split into two attentive groups, all of them watching us in complete silence, eagerly waiting for the demonstration to begin.
"We'll start with the simplest one."
I picked up a piece of chalk with my magic and held it suspended above one of my hooves.
"All you have to do is choose an object, surround it with your magic, and anchor it in place. Your goal is to prevent it from moving, no matter how hard someone else tries to take it away."
The chalk remained suspended in midair, perfectly still.
"Now Twilight will try to take it from me."
Twilight smiled confidently.
Her magic wrapped around the chalk, immediately pressing against mine.
Tiny sparks flickered around the object as our magical auras collided. The chalk trembled slightly, tilting only a few millimeters before returning to its original position.
The pressure increased.
Both magics silently struggled to claim control over the same object.
After a few seconds, the chalk finally gave way.
With a small tug, it slipped free of my aura and floated over to Twilight.
"She wins the moment she's able to take the chalk away from me."
Twilight let it float for a moment before returning it.
"Then we switch roles. I become the attacker, and she becomes the defender."
I took the chalk back with a smile.
"It's a very simple exercise, but it teaches you a great deal about magical control."
My horn lit up once more.
Three magic circles appeared around me, slowly orbiting through the air.
"Next is one that's a little more fun."
Twilight smiled the moment she recognized the exercise.
She took a couple of steps back.
Her horn glowed, and almost simultaneously, three magic circles appeared around her, rotating in perfect synchronization with her movements.
"This one requires much finer magical control."
[Third's POV]
Wizbell stepped back as well, putting as much distance between them as possible.
"The idea is very simple: destroy your opponent's magic circles. You're only allowed to use magic bolts. They don't hurt. If one hits your body, it only causes a slight tickling sensation. The goal isn't to injure your opponent, only to destabilize their circles."
For the demonstration, Twilight didn't even wait for him to finish.
A bolt shot from her horn and struck one of Wizbell's circles head-on, causing it to dissolve into a shower of tiny particles of light.
"One!"
Twilight let out a satisfied laugh as Wizbell stared at her in silence for a brief moment.
"You can stand still if you want, or move around freely. Once you have better control, you'll be able to make your circles orbit to dodge incoming attacks."
Another bolt shot forward.
"And once you learn how to create barriers..."
A small translucent panel appeared in front of Wizbell at precisely the right angle.
"...you'll be able to do this."
The bolt struck the barrier and ricocheted harmlessly away.
Wizbell continued speaking as though nothing had happened.
"Ideally, you should use the smallest barrier possible. The less magic you spend and the smaller the area you protect..."
Another attack.
"...the greater the difficulty..."
Another one.
"...and the better the training."
As he explained, Wizbell's left eye twitched, while Twilight simply stuck out her tongue and fired another bolt every time he tried to focus on his explanation. Her pace steadily increased.
One bolt became two.
Two became four.
Before long, the attacks were no longer traveling in straight lines. They began tracing gentle curves through the air, forcing Wizbell to constantly adjust the positions of his circles.
Eventually, he stopped talking altogether.
His full attention shifted to the duel.
Twilight unleashed another volley.
Wizbell's circles rotated only a few centimeters to slip out of the bolts' paths, while his tiny barrier appeared exactly where it was needed, deflecting every projectile with flawless precision.
But Twilight had anticipated that.
The instant one of the bolts ricocheted away, she summoned her own barrier, redirecting it toward Wizbell from an entirely different angle.
Wizbell let out a quiet snort.
A pulse of magic burst directly in front of the incoming bolt, destabilizing it before it could reach its target.
"What's wrong? Embarrassed to lose, Wiz?"
Twilight grinned shamelessly.
"Don't be shy. Just let me win."
"As if."
His reply came together with Wizbell's first counterattack.
At first, his bolts seemed completely erratic, but every time Twilight managed to deflect one, a tiny barrier appeared for only a fraction of a second, altering its trajectory yet again.
The bolts refused to disappear.
They ricocheted, corrected their course, and came back again and again from impossible angles.
Whenever Twilight tried to cancel them with a pulse of magic, another bolt immediately took its place.
Within seconds, the classroom had become a storm of magical bolts.
Twilight dominated the battlefield with an unrelenting offensive, constantly increasing both the number and speed of her attacks.
Wizbell answered with almost absurd control over every trajectory, using tiny barriers and the smallest possible movements to keep his projectiles alive for as long as he could.
The foals tried to follow the exchange with their eyes.
Very quickly, it became impossible.
Their heads swung from side to side as flashes of light streaked across the classroom at speeds none of them could fully process.
Even so, far from losing interest, every one of them watched with eyes wide open, completely captivated by the magical spectacle unfolding before them.
By the time both of them were down to a single magic circle, the school bell announced the end of class.
Its ringing echoed throughout the classroom.
For a brief moment, both Wizbell and Twilight remained perfectly still, watching to see if the other would continue. The intensity of their magical auras gradually faded until they both regained their composure, each wearing a faintly embarrassed expression.
They looked at each other for a few seconds.
"...I think we got a little carried away."
Twilight let out a sheepish laugh.
"A little."
It took the foals another few seconds to react.
"That was awesome!"
"Yeah!"
"Sometimes the whole classroom turned gold, then purple, and then both colors mixed together!"
"I'm sure Professor Bell would've won if we'd had just a little more time!"
"Nah! Miss Twilight was gonna win!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
Still arguing and laughing, the foals began filing out of the classroom toward the schoolyard, enthusiastically debating who would have won if the bell hadn't interrupted the demonstration.
Only Wizbell and Twilight remained behind.
They looked at each other once more before letting out a small laugh, both amused that they'd gotten so carried away in front of the entire class.