Before the Starshade incident, Halien was familiarizing himself with the school grounds during his free time, a detailed map in claw.
 
“So Potions with Apple Bloom are in the Meadowbrook Wing…”
 
“H-Hello? Is someone out there?” A small voice echoed from the hallway. Halien looked up from his map, ears pricked. The hallway was totally empty.
 
“Y-Yeah? Who’s there?” Suddenly he detected movement to his right. There was a stately mailbox placed in the hallways for students writing to their parents, with the hindquarters of a grey pony dangling outside of it. He stared for a moment to make sure he was seeing things correctly. It looked like a student was stuck inside the mailbox. “Oh! Here, let me help you!” Careful with his claw placement, he pulled the little pony out of the box.
 
Suddenly, Niko found himself in the arms of a handsome stranger. “O-Oh…um, thank you!” The hippogriff was majestic in Niko’s eyes, sporting shining pale head feathers, a heart-melting smirk and striking blue eyes. Niko flushed, feeling Halien’s massive chest muscles pressed against him.
 
Oh sweet heavenly space balls…
 
Halien smirked down at him, “How in the world did that happen?” He asked as he set the small stallion down gently. “Did someone stuff you in there?”
 
Niko sighed with an embarrassed smile, “I was trying to mail a letter to my family, but I forgot a stamp…so I tried to get my letter back, and well…the rest is history. But I was able to put the stamp on while I was in there!”
 
“That’s pretty ridiculous, dude, but I get it. Earth pony, problems, right?” Halien winked. He held out a claw, “I’m Halien. To whom do I owe the pleasure?”
 
Niko went to hoof bump the hippogriff, as he would another pony, but instead ended up just awkwardly tapping on Halien’s claw. It took a terrifying second of fixing the gesture to shake his claw instead. “M-My name’s Niko.”
 
“Well Niko, since I saved you from peril, maybe you can help me?” He tilted his eagle-like head with a pleading smile.
 
“Ah, ha well I’ll do what I can!” Niko adjusted his glasses.
 
“I’m looking for Potions Class, and - “
 
“YES I KNOW WHERE IT IS PLEASE FOLLOW ME.” Niko kind of shrieked, voiced cracking. With a broad smile, he trotted off with Halien following. “If you couldn’t tell by my flank, potions, especially the explosive kind, are my specialty. N-Not that you were looking at my flank, I’m just saying my cutie mark, well, you know…”
 
“Then I guess I’m lucky I found you!” Halien chuckled.
 
Oh jeez. Niko blushed. “Y-Yeah, I guess so!”
 
They made it to Meadowbrook Wing, where the long, ivy-covered hallway led to a circular laboratory. The skylight on the ceiling acted as the only light source for the lab. Flowering shrubs, roots, mushrooms, and medicinal plants grew in plant boxes along the walls. Cabinets held vintage-looking bottles of ground compounds like ruby-dust and butterfly wings. Empty bottles and ceramic pots of all different colors and sizes seemed to fill every other space. Six stations ran through the middle of the room, with each having a microscope, measuring tools, more empty bottles and whatever specimen they would be isolating the properties of that day.
 
Applebloom was there, prepping one last station before the other students arrived. She looked up through her glasses and beamed. “Well hiya Niko! I see you have a new friend there! Care to introduce us?” She asked, setting down the yucca root she had been cutting up. She wiped her hooves off with a clean white towel and moseyed over.
 
Niko spoke quickly, “This is Halien!”
 
Halien chuckled, bumping Niko’s flank with his own playfully, “Hello! I’m a new student here.”
 
Applebloom shook his claw, “Well howdy Halien! As you might have guessed, this is Potions, where we break down plants into medicine, magic, and life-altering hallucinogens!” She paused, “That last one’s a joke…although I certainly could derive some wicked stuff if I really wanted to.” She laughed, and turned to Niko. “I assume you’ll be staying too, my number one student?”
 
Niko nodded quickly.
 
“Well come on then, help me cut up this yucca.” She tossed one of the ugly brown roots to Niko. Halien watched him for the rest of the class, curious.
 
Larkspur started a fire. Again.
 

 
“Exploding Phoenix Flower is super cool! When you mix it with water, the water starts boiling almost immediately even though the plant itself isn’t especially warm to the touch!” After class was dismissed, the two of them walked out together while Larkspur was dismissed to Twilight’s Office for his playful arsony. “That’s why it’s a real bad idea to take it with you on picnics! Oh, and I’ll have to show you some reactions between different metals. Pretty cool stuff!”
 
“Sounds pretty cool!” Halien said with a supportive smile.
 
Niko suddenly felt aware of his nerdiness, and asked Halien, “Have you ever made a potion before today?”
 
“Can’t say I have! Hopefully you can teach me! But it might not really be my thing. I’m thinking of joining the Buckball team.”
 
“Ooh you should! It would be great to watch you out there-er, I mean, it would be fun for you probably! You seem like the athletic type!” Once again with the shrieking.
 
“Haha, yeah…I’ve been with the Junior Speedsters in Cloudsdale til now, and my parents fully expect me to continue the tradition. Speaking of which, looks like the tryouts are right after lunch. I better go to my room to prep.” He brushed Niko with a soft wing, “It was great meeting you.” His blushed a little “Can I see you again, sometime?”
 
Niko thought his heart would stop, “Uhh, yeah! At least in Potions!”
 
“Great. See you around, Glasses.” Halien winked once more at the little earth pony before padding away toward the dorms. Niko waved, and once the hippogriff was out of sight, he let out a long sigh.
 
“Wow…” He practically floated to the mess hall.