The Magician's Motivator (May 7, 2012)
After what seemed like half a decade, the novice was overjoyed. Freshman year was finally over. Packing up a dorm room had never seemed so sweet.
In one of the last couple boxes, he finally had to find a spot for his snail. Sure, some of the other apprentices had ravens or phantasmal rats or other cool pets, but did any of them have the same sentimental value as the snail? Were any of them the constant motivation to do better that his snail was?
He still remembered the day he had made this pet, standing in front of his transmogrification class (still not sure it was an actual word), "They said it couldn't be done, nay, that it shouldn't be done. Yet, here I stand before you, having done it." With a flourish, he yanked the white sheet off the tiny fishbowl, "Coral and Snail, combined as easily as Jerry made himself a Centaur."
The stamping of hooves accompanied the brief applause before their teacher cut it off with a glare. "Mr. Robinson, you've just set a record. Do you have any idea how long it's been since a student needed to repeat Beginning Transmogrification thrice?"
Yet now, two first-years later, he was finally moving on. "We did it, buddy, you were right!" he said, running a finger along the sign on his snail's bowl proudly reminding him, "Don't let your mistakes own you."
The Pixies' Secret Weapon (May 27, 2012)
"Queen Buttercup, Grand Vizier Daffodil, admirals of the First Lillypad Fleet, General Hyacinth of the Second Squirrel Cavalry division, as you all know, reports have been coming in from all theaters, and they're worse than we'd feared.
"Not only do the Big People no longer fear Pixies, not only do they step on our homes and people with impunity, but my spies (highly decorated members of the Seventh Barn Owl Recon Division, every one of them) have given me truly frightening knowledge: The Big People no longer believe in Magic."
Dr. Misty Milkweed Mudpie of the Division of Advanced Sorcery, Glamours, and Tricks pauses to allow his audience to gasp in horror before continuing.
"I don't need to tell you that this is devastating news, but it's no reason to give up hope. A secret division of our agency has been working on this problem for years. Obviously, lips had to remain sealed, lest fear spread among the fae. And on the eve of such terrifying news, I am proud to reveal the first prototype of the new Magic that will keep us in the fight, keep us from having to retreat like the Elves did. Your Highness, generals and admirals, behold the first successful Pixie attempt at using the Magic that the Big People call 'Technology'!"
The doctor snaps his fingers, and a hummingbird swoops down to hover above the branch next to him, carrying a package wrapped in leaves. He pulls out a sharpened twig and slices the leaves apart, keeping one eye facing his patrons the whole time. He is pleased to see that they all lean close with great interest.
And then the Vizier speaks up, "It's just a normal snail. That's less magical than magic." He laughs at the poor invertebrate, lying on its shell.
With a heave, the doctor flips the snail back onto its pseudopod. "Just a snail?" He pulls on a pair of goggles and reaches behind the snail, flipping a switch on the rear of its shell, almost as long as the whole snail. "Prepare to eat those words, Vizier..."
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