Testing the boundaries

A grey unicorn with a saddlebag walked over to Twilight's castle. It was big and shiny from the sunlight, making him say, "Well, it's clean and safe from the outside, but a good safety inspector doesn't stop there."

He knocked on the door and Starlight opened it for him, "Good day, it's me, Caution Level."

"Oh yeah, I remember you from the snowball fight. What brings you here?"

"Mayor Mare decided that solving friendship problems around the world counts as a business, so she send me over here to do an inspection."

"But we don't even charge."

"It wasn't my decision. If you guys cooperate with me, we'll be done quickly."

"Actually, I'm the only one here. Spike and Twilight aren't home."

"That's strange. Aren't most ponies done with their work by now? This is my last stop for today."

"Well, being a princess of friendship and her assistant gives you a messy schedule. Come in."

Caution walked in and saw the main room. There was only a table, seven chairs and doors to other rooms, "So, this is the business area? I don't want to intrude on your privacy or anything."

"Yes, we do our meetings and planning here."

Caution observed the table and the map activated, "Huh, it's like it knew I had to inspect it. Not sure how to inspect a magical holograph, though... I got it! Get me an atlas, please."

Starlight walked into Twilight's library and got him one. He leafed through the pages and compared it to the map.

"Canterlot's in the right place, Appleoosa is the proper size, Crystal Kingdom is climate accurate..."

After half an hour, Caution decided, "It's all good, except Cloudsdale is too far north and Southern Baltimare too small."

The map promptly corrected itself. Caution moved his head backwards and asked, "Okay, how does this thing... I mean, this possibly sentient map work?"

"I don't know, I wasn't there when it appeared."

Caution inspected the chairs and figured they were all clean and stable. He looked up and saw a chandelier made of a tree root.

"Wait, is that the bottom of the Golden Oak Library?"

"Yes, it is. Again, I wasn't there when they put it up. I feel left out..."

"Cute, but unhygienic. I'm gonna have to check for dirt and bugs."

"Oh, I can levi..."

Caution formed a lower half of a barrier and lifted it up. He floated around the root, inspecting it. Starlight levitated herself and sparked a conversation, "Why don't you just use levitation?"

"I'm not that good at it. Besides, barriers are safer."

"Do you really use barriers for everything?"

"Again, not everything. Besides, barriers are more versatile than you think."

She got a backup notepad from Caution's bag, mad sure it was empty, put it on one of the root and turned it into a figurine of him, "Can your barriers do this?"

"Kind of."

He formed a small barrier shaped like her, "Did I get your mane right? It's kinda hard to recreate."

Starlight scratched her chin and asked, "Can you increase your speed with magic? I've never seen a defense-based pony do it."

"I can form a hamster ball."

Caution got the the floor, formed a full, gravity-obeying barrier and ran around the room. He jumped backwards to brake. Starlight floated down and said, "That reminds me... you've fought Instant, right?"

"Several times. Hopefully the Canterlot dungeon will hold him this time. I did hear they increase security each time, so that's reassuring."

"When I fought him, he also used barriers in weird ways..."

Caution immediately started to defend himself, "I didn't know my magic would inspire him! If I did, I wouldn't have tried to fight him!"

"Calm down, I'm not accusing you of anything."

"And he did things with them that I would never dream of..."

"Caution! I said you're not guilty."

"You did? Sorry... okay, maybe that last one was not true. Instant did make a giant pony-shaped barrier that could move like one."

"Yes, I heard about that."

"Me and my friends were fighting him, so I tried to make one to even the odds. Unfortunately, it couldn't move and it immediately gave me a headache, making such a big and complex-shaped barrier."

"That sounds embarrassing."

"Can't be embarrassed if you have no pride," Caution said and forced a laugh.

"Maybe I can help you with that. You're done with the tree root, right."

"Yes."

"Then let's go outside. We don't wanna break anything."

They got in front of the castle. Starlight asked, "So, how did that barrier look like?"

Caution made a small figurine again, but added a few houses for height comparison.

Starlight frowned, "I think you misunderstood my question."

"I've never made a barrier that big without getting a headache."

Starlight thought for a moment and said, "Maybe there's a way to amplify your magic..."

Caution panicked, "I've see what happened to Trixie and Rarity, I'm not doing that! It's gonna end up with me forcing everypony to wear helmet and knee pads all the time or something stupid like that."

"You came up with that surprisingly quickly..."

"Just because I considered it, that doesn't mean I would do it."

They both stood in awkward silence for a moment, but Caution decided to break it by trying to perform Instant's spell. His horn glowed harder than usual. He slowly levitated upwards and a giant barrier pony formed around him. Starlight looked up and asked, "Geez, you guys had to fight that?"

"Yeah... huh, it's even doing the whole "ominous shadow" thing. It does look less scary when it's yellow, though."

"Try moving it. Make a step or something."

Caution concentrated harder, grunted for half a minute, but it didn't move an inch, "Hnnng... how did Instant do that!? Ow, I'm getting a headache again!"

"Pretend a Ursa Major is chasing you!"

Cracks started to form on the would-be joints. Eventually, the barrier came crashing down. The pieces disappeared and Caution rubbed his head, "Ugh, that was worse than the last time... I can't do it."

Starlight claimed, "Well, if Instant did it, then it must be possible. No way he's better than me!"

She tried to make a giant pony, but she could only do a big round barrier, "It's okay, I'll morph it."

The barrier floated and got a few dents and bulges. Caution yelled, "Be careful!"

"Don't worry, I can handle a headache!"

As she tried harder, the barrier rose up higher and morphed faster and faster, but still not close to a pony shape. It moved wildly through the air, "Ugh, I never made one in such a complicated shape! Why is it so hard?"

The malformed barrier eventually slammed again the castle and broke. Starlight started to fall, making Caution scream and instinctively reach out and form a giant barrier leg under her. She fell on the hoof, "Oof! I'm okay... I feel like death, but okay..."

He slowly lowered her to the ground. She let out a "We did it...", before falling asleep out of exhaustion.

She woke up in her bed and saw Caution refilling an ice pack, "Good, you're awake."

"Wait, you brought me here?"

"I'm sorry to invade your room, but I figured you'd get the best rest in your own bed," Caution said as he put the icepack on her head, "Can I get you anything? Drink, food, a spell book to see where you went wrong?"

"I'm good... And I know where we went wrong. We shouldn't have tried the barrier pony straight away."

"Well, I managed to make a barrier hoof."

Caution formed a barrier leg over his real one and moved it alongside his, "I've never been able to give my barriers joints before, just shrink and enlarge them. That's progress, right?"

"Right. You'll make that barrier pony someday. Just take it one step at the time. By the way, how long was I out?"

"It's nighttime. I should probably go home now. I just wonder what to tell Tease Talk, she'd never believe this!"

"You two have seen weirder. Now go, I'll be fine."

"Okay, goodbye!"

He walked through the main room before exiting the castle. As he was leaving, he saw an image of a heart floating above the cutie map.

"Sorry, I'm married. I can set you up with a tour pamphlet tomorrow."

He walked out, thinking, "I really gotta get some sleep..."