A horse and a Quirlicorn

"Have you been practicing since I last saw you?" Aria asked the flaxen mare as they finished their gingerbread cookies.

Rice shook her head slowly. "Yes, but I haven't improved much yet." She picked up the plates and cup of teas and made her way to the sink. Aria followed her. "The Gem Growth magic seems much easier to control, though."

"Hmmm," Aria thought while helping her student wash the dishes. "Maybe that's because it's one of Jagmeet's special magics. I've heard those are quite intuitive to the users and don't require chime energy to power them, unlike more typical magics." The mares finished putting the dishes away. "I'd like to see your progress, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Rice guided the group horse to her messy living room, where she carefully set aside the evergreen sapling she had been practicing her fertility magic on. Aria grabbed a piece of tinsel from the box of ornaments, foreseeing her student's success.

Rice blushed. Although she had been training, it would be the first time she performed a trick with her second magic in public. She took a deep breath. Aria was a group horse; she was assigned by the deities to help quirlicorns develop their gifts. "I guess that includes me," the had-been horse thought. Seeing her mentor pick up a piece off tinsel, the mare knew what she was expected to do.

In a woosh of magic, the mare summoned a mint-coloured crystal. It grew, and grew into a stylized cone until it was taller than both mares.

Rice opened her eyes. The surface was jagged like that of an unattended cliff side. Her next goal was to perfectly control the smoothness of the stones she grew.

Aria paid no mind. "Bravo! Excellent work, Fried Rice. I knew you had it in you." She smiled. She rolled the piece of tinsel around the makeshift Christmas tree, the rough edges maintaining the flimsy piece of film in place. "Here." Aria handed Rice a star. "This goes on the peak of the tree," she explained. "It's the most important ornament on a tree."

"Then you place it," Rice said quickly. "I owe you everything that I know. If it wasn't for you... I don't think I ever would truly feel at home in this dimension."

Aria smiled gently. "Honey, you've got only yourself to thank for that. Your open-minded and persistent nature is why you never gave up. It feels like only last month you didn't feel like you belonged here. Jagmeet seems to think otherwise." She winked.

Rice returned the smile and accepted the star. Carefully propping herself up on the tree, she balanced the ornament on top.

From where she stood, it looked like a real tree. Rice couldn't wait to celebrate the holiday with her new quirlicorn friends.