>"Princess Celestia I know you wanted Anon and me to go out into the world more often but,"
>You take a breather as you glanced down the exceeeeedingly long trail you just hiked feeling your lungs planning a revolt on your brain for this utter barbarity.
"I think this is a little much for a field trip isn't it?!"
>"Don't be a wimp Twilight, we've barely left Canterlot proper itself." Anon called back a light froth on his flanks and nope get those eyes back on his face right now!
"I am not a wimp and Canterlot was two hours ago! We've climbed to the tallest part of the mountain!"
>"Not quite my precious students, now dear you know Twilight's not as rugged as yourself so cut her a break yes?"
>"...I guess Mom, but why are you being so secretive about this place we are going to anyway? You usually give us both some warning when we are coming across something special."
"I barely had enough time to bring my notes along for mountainclimbing Princess!"
>"Twilight I swear, you don't need notes for that, you just do it!"
"Well if somepony had decided to actually read his notes then maybe he wouldn't have bombed the theoritical paper from last week hm?"
>"Teachers pet."
"Spoiled Prince."

"Children."
>At the chiding tone from the Princess you both snapped towards her seeing not anger only disappointment from the r- diarch of Equestra.
"Sorry."
>"Sorry Mom."
>"You know I only-"
>"Tia? Tia my baby girl is that ye, I hear on my doorstep? Get yer fanny in here already ya silly filly afore ye catch a cold now! I swear on ye old mam's heart that if I find ye've been trying to melt the snowcaps off again I'll thump ya for yer silliness!"
>Princess Celesita's face bloomed into a rush of emberassment?
>You've seen the princess handle diplomats from the warlords of Saddle Arabia to the Dread Dragon Queen of Drakeland with the cool poise of stone.
>Princesses don't just blush!
>"Father, it has been years since I've done that! Must you bring it up everytime I come to visit you?"
>Father!?
>Trotting out of the cave ahead was an alicorn, a MALE alicorn at that who had a coat of pale gold speckled with small specks of fiery red and warming orange with a mane of silver and eyes of coal.
>Of your sample size of four you've not ever seen an alicorn that ever looked old before, yet this stranger had the faintest lines around his eye, skin that had laugh lines around his mouth and if you had to take a guess a stallion just leaving the prime of his youth.
>At spying the three of you the stallion squinted and let out a great laugh that brought memories of your own father at seeing Shining and Cadence had finally admited they were seeing each other, "Tia you little scamp!"
>A weakly fluttering aura formed around the alicorn's horn and grabbed the princess by her ear!
>Surprisingly instead of breaking free the Princess allowed herself to be dragged by the ear as her father ranted about not raising a shameless rake.


>You and Anon watched as the Princess was dragged into the cave before the elderly stallion poked his head out to you two.
>"That said, I'll not have my hospitality be insulted, come in come in youngin's I have a fresh batch of cookies on the table."
>A loud pop startled you both, like a log snapping from water superheated in a fireplace, without looking away from you both the alicorn shouted, "Naughty fillies trying to sneak treats don't get treats, Tia!~"
>With a kind smile you're ushered in and soon sitting around a rather simplistic home, yet for all the basic amenities the well cared for plates, cups, and the furniture itself spoke of quiet dignity in its preservation all of which was centered around a large hearth crackling away giving the cave home a rather cozy glow.
>Princess Celestia meanwhile was sucking on her hoof as if she'd been burnt before pulling out her hoof at the sight of your approach.
>"Mom I really like this guy, but who is he?"
"Yes, I've never seen anypony treat you, well treat you like-"
>"Like a school filly that ought to know better?" Your host interrupted before rounding on the princess, "And for shame Tia, yer son's near grown and he doesn't even know where he came from!"
>"Father that is why we are here in the first place! Anonymous was hardly fit for the trip prior-"
>"Fit for the trip!? Well, no wonder! Look at the boy he's just skin and bones the poor lad. Here son, have a cookie, actually make that three. Ol' Papa Hearth will get some meat on ya right quick don't worry none."
>Anon's cheeks are stuffed with cookies and he's left holding another with wide eyes at the experience before suddenly cookie is already in your mouth as well!
>"Can't be forgetting a strapping young mare like yerself either now can I, so tell me about yerselves it's rather lonely on this rock of mine, oh if only my daughters came to their Papi in his time of need."
>This stallion, this Hearth, is Dangerously Whimisical

Sir, I-"
>"Ohohoho, come now lassie ye don't need to sir me, such a polite young mare ye found for your lad Tia, but ye can call me Grandpa, Granda, or anything else like that too. After all, you're pretty much apart of the family."
>Anon choked on the cookie in his mouth while Princess Celestia rolled her eyes, "Father please, at least let them finish their food before you try to surprise them."
>"Ack! Betrayed by me own student in surprises!" King? Grandpa? Heart, let's go with Hearth decried clasping a hoof to his chest.
"Oh, Oh! Oh no no no, I mean, Anonymous is a nice colt and will make a mare very happy sir-"
>"Up! Up! Up! None of that sir business now, and now yer saying yer too good for me grandson now?" The alicorn said slowly drawing closer towards you, the nearby hearth slowly dimming down as you could hear faint whispers around you.
"I-I..."
>"Out with it Lassie!"
"I don't feel that way about Anonymous! He's like a little brother to me!"
>Instantly the room brightened and the whispers faded before your cheek is pinched by a pitiful amount of magical grip, "There's sommadat spine I'd hoped for, that'll do mare, that'll do."
>"Father, once you're done traumatizing my student would you care for me to serve you a cup or-"
>"Bah! I'll not have you touching me teapot Tia!"
>Just like that the imposing sight of this ancient alicorn is gone and instead is a puttering about old stallion pouring tea out for his guests.
>You rub the back of your neck trying to relieve the emotional whiplash from this stallion.

>Anon nearby leaned over to you whispering, "You okay?'
"Y-yes, I wasn't expecting, I mean where you?"
>"Nope." Anon said popping the p, "I'm in the dark as much as you."
>"Which is why I had wanted to bring you both to meet with Father, Father this is-"
>"Bah! Tia, not everything needs to be so formal! Come now, I've known about your little miracle the moment he was born, could feel it in my bones I could! Gave me quite a fright it did that much magical power coming into being."
>Magical power?
>You've studied alongside Anon for many years and you've seen him struggle with a simple gripping cantrip, how would he have that much magic at his disposal?
>"Matter o' fact why don't I teacha few spells in the old book laddie? Ain't no way Tia's taught ye all me tricks!"
>Anon frowned at the question slowly grabbing a cookie to nibble on in response.
>"Aw come now lad, what's wrong?"
>"Father, my little sunshine is not quite adept at magic, we're still trying to understand why but-"
>"I'm not cut out for magic Grandpa, I've made my peace with it, sides I've focused on keeping up with Mom's exercise regime and helping her out with that. You should see me back in Canterlot, I've been able to stop a carriage from crashing into a diner once!"
>"That's the strangest thing, not even a peep of magic ya say?"
"There are a few miscasts, Anonymous has been trying as hard as he can, but the magic slips away from his grasp like water and oil."

>"Quite odd, quite odd indeed," Hearth murmured drawing closer to Anonymous and looking over him with a keen eye, "Ye said ye stopped a, what was it again child?"
"A carriage?"
>"Ah yes, Car-age, these cabbages are heavy then?"
>"Carriage Grandpa, and yeah most ponies would struggle to stop it hurtling down the street when the brakes stopped working."
>"Curious and curiouser! Tia me girl, have you tried the Depths?"
>You heard the capital in that name, but what in Celestia's name are the depths?
>Tartarus you've read about as being one of the deepest pits for the worst of Equestria's foes to be banished too, could be something else?
>"I'd thought to ease my sunshine into magic and all its wonders first before going that far Father, why would I throw him into the Depths so quickly?"
>"Bah! Ye turned out fine when I'd taught ya, look at you now, all grown up and moving yer little sunshine all willy nilly like me silly filly."
>"Father, please..."
>Grandpa stop teasing Mom so much, please?" Anonymous asked and you quickly looked away for the earnest stare from the crown prince was a potent weapon indeed.
>More than one night had been spent on trying to help tutor Anonymous after bed time because of that gaze.
>"Ohohoh, Tia this one's going to be quite a heart breaker for sure! Good show lad, alright alright, now then to explain better let me tell ya a story."
"What kind of story? Fiction? Non-fiction? Do I need to take notes?"
>"Easy lassie, just stay a while by the fire and listen for a spell," Hearth smiled then refilled the cup of tea that you had just finished, "Now a long time ago, in the void of space and time did we roam, we knew many foes from great green brutes to sly cunning pointed ear tricksters and just as many allies, like the great apes wise for their youth with their clever hooves to the loyal and stoic bufonem emittunt yet we held no home to call our own."
>You had started to reach for your notepad and quil only for a majestic yellow glow to hold your stationary down, a glance to the princess had her subtly shake her head, her eyes still on her father.
>"Until between one moment and the next did we come across a small rock, a tiny flicker of a flame upon it that clung to it's frozen surface, we took that small rock a pebble really, and dragged it closer to the nearby star to warm it's stone cold heart and let green shoots florish once more."
>"Great works did we fashion in that time, our herd grew more fruitful and others came to our home. We welcomed them to our Hearth and Home, for a time things were grand. Oh ye should have seen it then lassies, the gardens and homes for our little ponies were quite the feat if ye pardon an old stallion's bragging."
>"What happened next Grandpa?"

>"Ah," Caught in his reminiscing the stallion coughed into his hoof, "Through the use of the Depths had we crafted this Hearth, and it is by that magic does this world still stand. For an age long before yer time did a great calamity occur."
>You can see the memories are hard on Hearth as he looked all his years at this moment as dark shadows covered his eyes cast by the fire, "It happened so quickly that we'd not expected it, but it was as if all the lights in the sky had gone out, like candles blown out by a great and terrible wind. The malicious laughter of beings beyond the void echoed out as even our home was rocked by our realm tearing apart at the seams."
>Princess Celestia gently laid her wing about Hearth in a hug, "Father-"
>"Nai Tia, I'll finish it, just old scars yanno..."
"If it's too painful to-"
>"Come on Grandpa you don't have to-"
>"I said nai!" The cave rattled with the spoken word before Hearth began to cough harshly, "Oops, drew a bit too much there" A forced smile on his face had none of you convinced of the sincerity behind it.
>At seeing the mood of the room Hearth sighed, "It is rough, I won't lie, but it's something ye need to know, ye especially little sunshine."
>Anonymous began to speak only to pause and you swear, for just a moment your friend wasn't the one who nodded, "You were saying that the calamity had happened?"
>"Aye, yer grandam, Sol bless her fool heartfelt what had happened to our flame, it had raged out of all control and she, she consumed it all to contain it from our Hearth. The world was not much better off with the sudden loss of our flame for what is a home without a hearth? I tried to keep everything together as best I could, but most of the Depths were knocked awry most of the weaving that I'd done torn, mangled, snapped, and cut wholesale."
>"Is Grandma Sol...?"
>"Nai, nai lad she's not gone, merely...different than she used to be. I don't regret it, neighther does she for that matter," Hearth brought his own wing around the Princess, "If not for that I'd have not gotten two wonderful daughters out of it all! Speaking of which when is that scamp Lu-lu coming by Tia? It's been a season or two since I've seen her!"

>"She was hosting a diplomatic party for our little ponies Father, she's recently returned after our...disagreement."
>At the mention of the banishment you could see Hearth frown quite mightily at that, "Bad business that was, I know I should have come down from the mountain to see to ya both!"
>"Father you and I both know what that would have entailed..."
>There is a begrudging silence between the two elder alicorns before Anonymous coughed, "It's in the past now right? Aunt Luna's back with us, Mom and Auntie are back together as friends and we're a family again...right?"
>"Aye, aye that we are, that is if some naughty filly decided to visit more often!" A rough tousling of the Princess's mane breaks the tense mood.
>"Father please..." Despite the protest, you can see a faint smile on the princess's face.
"Are the Depths the leylines running through the planet? Eh, Mister Hearth, sir."
>Fater than you can blink you've another cookie in your mouth.
>"Now lassie I've told ye already, call me Hearth!"

"Surry."
>"And finish yer food now least ya choke on it!"
>Grumbling internally at too whimsical stallions you force down the delectably delicious dinner ruiner.
"What I was trying to ask was how does this help Anonymous with his magic problem?"
>"Oh that's easy enough, I teach him a spot of how to use the Depths and know how to help him bridge the gap between the two."
>Anonymous has his cheek pinched softly again, "You've got a bit too much of me blood in ya it seem like laddie, don'tcha worry none now come back to the kitchen and we'll see what we can fix, eh?"
"Eh?"
>"That-wait the kitchen?"
>"Course laddie! Where else are you supposed to establish a hearth and home if not in the kitchen! Come on now!" With a sprightly leap Hearth ushered Anonymous into the kitchen with his wings, "As for ye two entertain yerselves for a bit, maybe go and visit Ol' Sol while yer at eh? She's lonely yanno."


>Suddenly, you’re interrupted when a deep pulse of magic from within the kitchen washed over your form!
>The sores from your hike up here are gone, the subtle tension of dealing with your mentor’s slight cake addiction is gone, and overall you just feel like you’ve come from a rough day at the library stressed as can be only to be greeted with a warm and loving home. 
>There is also a faint scent of brownies in the air and Princess Celestia smirked at you, “Now you begin to see, my dear pupil. Just a moment more and the precious, ahem, I mean the baked goods will be here.” 
“What,” You swallow down the saliva building up in your mouth, “What power is this, I’ve heard of some small cantrips in the cooking section in the Canterlot archives, but those are just, just cantrips! Like a small fire starter, or a temperature check, oven mitts for hooves!”
>”That my dear pupil, is a type of magic that I’ve never been able to perform.” Princess Celestia began, “Not for lack of trying mind you, but from my own observations this magic is a type of magic that allows one to grant great comfort to those in desperate need. Why was there even a time that a small snack and visit with Father had led to a moment of innovation when I most required it.”
“Really?”
>”Indeed, why do you recall your knack for translocation?”
“It was one of the first spells you showed us in magic kindergarten when you did your visit, I studied so hard on that spell to master it.”

>”I imagined you came across the same wrinkle as I did then?”
“Yes, the safety guards for ensuring proper translocation are so difficult, how’d you- No.”
>”It was from having a wonderful snack and visit with father that I had found the work around that we use here, simply inverse the outline of the spell to bounce off the surroundings to land safely.”
“Wouldn’t that mean before that you’d have to manually account for every translocation before hoof?”
>”Quite so, it used to be a mark of great prestige for a unicorn to be able to do so prior to my little work around.”
“That would mean-” Your stomach turned at the mental image that train of thought ran aground, even more so at Princess Celestia’s reserved nod, “Oh.”
>”On the matter of spellcraft how are your studies going with my son?”
“Oh! Well, I don’t mean to brag, but once, er should I refer to your father as King Hearth or Hearth or-”
>A dull clang on the back of your head rocked you forward as you exclaimed in pain, “I told ya once lassie, it’s Hearth and don’tcha forget it now!”
>Finding the source of the clatter while rubbing your head you find-
“A horse shoe?”

>”Father does have quite the arm, and understanding of physics as I am told.” Princess Celestia sipped her tea, “However, referring to him as Hearth would be easiest I think.”
“Of course Princess, hum, where was I again?”
>”Your studies I believe, how is your head? Father is used to throwing horseshoes at family, but I worry that he might not have held his strength back.”
“I’m fine, actually that's quite odd, shouldn’t I have a large lump on my head from that?”
>The door to the kitchen slammed open just as you asked the question, “That little lassie is a secret I’ll have to keep to myself, can’t have ya learning all my secrets out the gate now can I?”
>Trotting back in you saw Hearth and Anonymous each carrying a tray of baked goods, they smell quite divine, although you think you recognize the goods as brownies. 
“O-of course not s-” The horseshoe in your hooves vibrated alarmingly, “Hearth, um, just a little curious, but are those brownies?”
>”Not only brownies,” Anonymous chipped in, “Grandpa did...well I don’t really know what we did, but it felt right?”
>”Haha, not to worry son, ye’ll get the hang of it when ye don’t have this old codger coddling ye. Still the old family recipe for Cosmic Brownies is a standby going back eons I’ll have ye know!” Hearth exclaimed laying out each tray onto the stone table, “Go on, go on have a taste now.”

>Already Princess Celestia had levitated three of the brownies over onto her saucer and you carefully extract one of the slightly gooey cubes to your own plate. 
>The brownie has the appearance of basalt, maybe obsidian, so dark that it seems to draw in the ambient light within the cave home, yet on the edges of the desert you could peek at the inside to see the iridescent bake mix turned treat that swirled under your gaze. 
>Could you even eat this?
>It looked tasty, smelled amazing, only it looked like it was a step away from having a dozen skulls and crossbones applied to it from the nearest food committee. 
>Hearing the contended hum coming from Princess Celestia and from Anonymous nearby you can see their collective bliss as they ate. 
>Hearth meanwhile had simply plopped on brownie to enjoy while watching you, “Come now lass, it’s not going to bite ye.”
>Screwing up your tuft you stabbed down into the brownie collecting a large bite then shoved the whole mass into your mouth!

“Oh no, is Twilight alright?”
>”Tia dear, I thought ye said the wee lass is able to handle her treats?”
>”She can Father, I’ve only been introducing her to the wonders of it with small choice pieces.”
“Mom? Grandpa? What are you talking about?”
>”Ah, well, you see Sunshine-”
“Mom, come on, I know when you use that word something is up.”
>”The food we can bake, child, is of a realm that most folk aren’t able to handle quite yet, yer mum matter of fact had much the same reaction come to think of it.”
>”Father, please, I did the same thing she had, admittedly I was much younger than her when I did so…”
>Waving a wing in front of the stock still Twilight you looked towards your elders.
“Wait, I thought that bag you had labeled as stardust was like star anise! It even looked like them!”
>”That’s because I told ye to listen through yer hooves ya daft child! How else ya supposed to bake right proper?”
“We were baking! It was as easy as-” 

>”As easy as breathing innit?”
>”Son? Are you-”
>You hold up a hoof as you mused on this, you hadn’t really noticed it, but you did feel a little tired just like when you’d first attempted to cast a spell. 
>Granted those attempts usually resulted in creating smoke as a by-product of too much magical power put into the spell.
>You have the feeling you could make truly odd effects if you followed along with the previous gut feeling you had felt while following the recipe Grandpa Hearth had taught you, maybe he had a book, a cookbook?
“Mom I think,-” You hold back some tears at the thought, “I think I can cast magic now…”

 >Just as you had said that Twilight had lowered her fork from her mouth eyes closed in contentment.
>Then those same eyes opened revealing empty white voids that colored her magic as she suddenly grasped you bodily in her aura.
>You have a moment to resist only to feel things go sideways as your fellow student brought you to her side. 
>”Twilight!”
>”Easy lass, let her be.”
“I have the strangest feeling that you rather enjoyed the fudge?”
>”Enjoyed it?” The heavy reverberations make your eyes go a little crossed.
>Tightness around your barrel has you fighting for air as the odd glow and heavy taste of magic on the air disappeared like a switch.
>”I loved it! Oh I had no idea that there was such magic like this! Really I should have noticed it during our lessons on the Roamare era of conquest during the re-civilization era! Can you teach me a few lessons on the side if I help you translate thaumic equations into recipes? Oh this is so exciting!”
“Glad you’re excited at least, that earlier light show was a bit concerning.”
>”Oh that was just a manifestation of my cutie mark, it’s actually really fascinating if you think about it, during times of great emotional distress or even a emotional peak your magic can be revealed.”
“So you’re saying that somepony with a mechanical wrench would have, what, a giant wrench would appear?”
>”Depends if they have a job as a plumber, but I’d imagined they have something show up to match it, pipes maybe?”
“Pipes, as in the sewer?”
>”If it fits, though the cross referencing betwe-”
>”Ya said she innit part of the family? She’s reminding me of Lil Loo when she was a filly.”

>Flushed at the comment you and Twilight both turn to see the old codger gently nudging Mom.
>”I’m not-”
“Grandpa please.”
>At your reactions Grandpa Hearth and Mom start to laugh to themselves while you stewed at the teasing. 
>Feeling a nudge at your side you can see Twilight motion towards Grandpa, “Do you think I need to learn some of those recipes?”
“I think he was taking a joke Twilight, but uh-”
>Wings of pale gold suddenly come around your withers and Twilight bringing you both close, “Why if she just wanted ta learn she need only ask! I’m always happy to teach some eager students, come along now!”
“Grandpa are you sure? Twilight’s not-”
>”This is magic Anonymous, I can do this.”