Students
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T
I woke up in a furnished castle on the morning of a celebration. Even as I struggled to open my eyes, I could still smell the baked goods. Especially the cake. As I sat up, I took the time to remember the last 20 years. How my life changed when Celestia and Luna, my adopted family, showed up during my daily rounds. I remembered making peace with their bounty hunter. I remembered the refugees who had the same conditions my sisters did. Putting up more houses in the forest until we became too much of a presence. I remembered Celestia’s bravery and quick thinking, setting up our city and keeping it protected. Luna making sure that everyone was having a good time and advancing in science and math. I sat and remembered all of that and more until the cheering outside began to peak.
I walked over to the window and hung the curtains to look outside. And what a sight it was. Streamers of every hue adorned the walls of the buildings. Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies all gathered near the makeshift castle grown out of the original tree I made my home in. They entered the castle and cheered. I hoped Celestia and Luna were already awake, because otherwise they would have had a colossal headache.
I exited my room, halting as I came to my sisters’ rooms. Their doors were ajar and there was a wake of destruction leading from them. As I followed it, I already knew where it would lead. It lead to the kitchens, where Luna was feasting on a three layer cake (the whole thing, mind you) and Celestia a five layer cake (same thing). I sighed, making a cool face as I wholley walked into the room. A few things happened simultaneously. First, Celestia and Luna stopped gouging themselves on cake. Then, they looked to each other. Then they took their cakes, Luna in her telekinesis and Celestia on her back, and bolted out of the room. I sighed in relief, then broke out into a fit of giggles.
I took a ten layered cake and walked slowly (not because it was heavy, but because I wanted to savor this moment) to the throne room.
As I walked, ponies around me asked if I wanted help. I politely declined.
As if I would allow others to steal from my crowning achievement.
I finally made it into the throne room, where Celestia and Luna were just about to finish their cakes (one floating, the other fitting almost wholly in Celestia’s mouth), They looked at me, then my cake, then at each other, then back at me. They had mortified expressions as they furiously shook their heads, beckoning me to stop this madness.
Of course I didn’t.
I took a look at the cake. It was nine layers, and each was about one and a half larger than the last. As the top layer was the size of four hoofs, It was pretty big. I shrugged.
I took my first three bites. Chocolate coating, red velvet cake, and vanilla icing graced my senses. I took another three. I could see Celestia and Luna begin to rush behind their thrones. I took the last three in one giant gulp, perfectly fitting all of it into my mouth.
Then I burped.
Later on, we got reports of earthquakes in uncharted regions and dragons cowering in fear of this belch, but for now, the three of us need not know of that.
The first thing I noticed was that Celestia and Luna were in an off-blue shield. I started laughing so hard, I thought that was it for me. I laughed for a good thirty minutes before the chancellor rushed into the room, glaring.
It seemed he did not appreciate my antics.
“For the love of all that is respectable! You are going to cause another war! Stop this needless--” He started.
Keyword: started.
Meaning: he did not get to finish.
I grew the tree around me. When my sisters saw what I was doing, they looked at me wide-eyed and jumped to me. We all fell to the floor below without the chancellor knowing. We ran. We may not have blended in with the crowd, but they were at least used to our antics. Luna went to a drinking contest, Celestia to a sparring match between two guards, and I sat there. In that same spot.
That wasn’t all I was doing, but it was close enough.
I grew moss around me and hardened it. I left holes to breath and see, but they were one way. I stood there and listened to guards shuffling around trying to find Celestia and Luna.
I just watched in contempt.
Until they caught them and had them help look for me.
Celestia knew where I was, but couldn’t get me to budge. Luna caught on next. It was her I was scared of. She used telekinesis to tickle me. In the stone, there was no way to break out of it.
I released the moss and sighed in defeat.
“Fun while it lasted, I guess.” I mumbled. From there, we each headed to our usual stations.
Celestia went to the Court sessions, where she made laws and judged those criminals whose cases had escalated. As there were not many extreme cases, she did paperwork instead.
Luna went to the other court, where ponies came with issues that they wanted an outside opinion on.
I went to shops, commenting on their decor and products. They would write down my suggestions and decide later if they wanted to implement them.
This was the normal procedure for us. The festival was still going on, but we wouldn’t make a public appearance like that until the evening, where we would give long, boring speeches most just slept through.
The chancellor wrote them after all.
I sighed as another year went by, life as stagnant as ever. I was currently at a bakers shop, where they sold cakes, cupcakes, bread, muffins, and other confections. In the back I heard someone new. I came by around this time every year, so who might that be?
“I know this has nothing to do with my rounds, but who is the pony working the ovens?” I asked Pumpkin Bread.
“Oh! I’m surprised you don’t know him. He’s been here since around the time you were here last. He's our… Protege I guess you could call him.”
An idea sparked in my head. Something to hold onto later.
“Thank-you-for-the-idea-gotta-go-bye!!” I said as I rushed out of the door and to the castle.
Galloping, I made it into the castle as Luna was starting to head outside to the carnival.
“Terra? I thought you were supposed to be working, going to shops?” She said confused.
“I have an idea, but need to get Celestia for it. Can you meet me in my room?” I asked Luna. She nodded and started trotting for my room.
I then galloped to Celestia’s office, passing by the Chancellor and a lot of other important ponies. I turned a lot of heads, and the Chancellor straight up chased me, but I made my way to Celestia’s office.
As I entered, I locked the room. Celestia peeked from the stack of paperwork with an irritated expression.
“Would you be patient? I swear, it’s like… Oh! Terra! My bad. I thought you were--” She started.
“I thought of something. Get to my room and don’t let him catch you. Split up.” I told her.
She nodded, then moved to the door, which was silent. I bent the tree around me to fall a story. Celestia followed suit just as the door unlocked from the outside. We fell and ran to the nearest stairs. Celestia flew up the stairs and I galloped. Bending the tree as I went as fast as possible. I could hear the Chancellor running, screaming about ‘two times this day!’ or something like that.
I got to my room with Luna and Celestia both on my bed, waiting for me. I locked the door and Luna set up an anti-spell barrier around our room. I flicked one of the bedposts on my bed, and we descended into darkness. It was a cave, far beneath the earth, where the three of us could have peace.
“So what was this idea of yours?” Luna asked excitedly.
I explained what I had seen at the bakery.
“So… we each take on a protege, or is it the cake…” Celestia trailed off.
Luna giggled at this, and I bit back a couple of laughs as well.
“If we take on students, it might be a bit of work, but we can finally relax a little bit. Between the work all of us do, we hardly ever see each other anymore.” I said.
“But we shouldn’t take just anyone on, right? If we chose random ponies just because it meant we got a break, wouldn’t that be unfair to our students?” Luna asked.
I nodded. “We should choose ponies who have a lot of potential, but also compliment our abilities. Ponies who we think could take our mantles after we pass.” I thought aloud.
“We could make a school where those with magical potential from every race can go to, then choose three from this school.” Luna suggested.
We all muttered in agreement and vowed to help make this a reality.
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The next couple of days days went by in a blur for me. I was visiting schools (for the project), and stayed working from just after sunrise until sunset. Celestia, Luna, and I all talked about the policies, the requirements, and the types of students each of us would take. Celestia wanted to base her student on potential of magic. She devised a plan to test the mana reserves on a pony. It wouldn’t kill them or harm them, but would push them as far as they could go. Luna would play chess with them. She wanted them to beat her at chess or cards, showing their mental prowess. I wanted someone brash. Someone who had flaws, who knew their flaws and wanted to work to be a better person. I wanted to gently nudge them onto a better path.
After that, we started talking about the requirements for the teachers.
Laying down on my bed, I asked Celestia and Luna “How will we weed out the teachers who would start the same tribalism that got you two kicked out?”
“If you were there, you would be able to do that.” Luna said nonchalantly.
I stared wide eyes at her. “What?”
“Celestia and I thought you should be the headmaster, as you not only have an eye for troublemakers but also for tribalists.” Luna told me. Celestia nodded in agreement.
“Just because you don’t have the confidence now doesn’t mean that you won’t be good at it.” Celestia told me.
“In that case, I have a plan to weed those types of ponies out.” I told them.
We discussed this for the rest of the evening, joking with each other.
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L
I woke up as soon as the sun came across the sky and dragged my hooves to the kitchen. After the stunt my sisters and I pulled just days ago, The Chancellor grounded us from cake for a week before and after the celebration every year. My sisters and I could have vetoed this, but we found out a little too late. I glanced at the calendar in the kitchen.
“Just one more day my cake. One more day and you shall be mine once again.” I muttered to myself, licking my lips. The chef saw me come in and gave me my eggs and pancakes. I took the plate to the throne room, and opened up the doors for court.
The first in, just like every day, was the infamous Blue Parade. The name sounded festive, but the entire castle knew otherwise. She was a tribalist socialite who thought herself superior to all others, even the three royals. She claimed she was the daughter of an alicorn, but I pointed out that I knew her from the kingdom of tribalists who could never agree on a name for their country.
How she made it as far as she had, I had no idea.
Today, it seemed, she came in to flaunt her ability to wreak havoc on my patience. I started eating while listening Blue ramble on about how she wanted me to step off of the throne and give her my throne.
As if I would allow what happened with the old land happen to this one as well. I thought to myself.
I continued plowing through my food, hoping that Blue would stop before I finished. I finished with the pancakes and the eggs, but was surprised to see a piece of cake appear on the plate. The guards saw this, but said nothing. One even zipped up his lips and winked. I smiled. Blue saw this.
“You haven’t been listening all this time have you you--” She trailed off once more while I at my cake, pretending to listen to her.
The timer for the meeting finally ran out.
“Ma'am, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” One of the guards told her.
“I will not leave when this mare has not listened to a word I have said my entire turn!” She shouted at the guards and I.
Bored and tired of this charade, I pulled a lever hidden in my throne. Blue had yet to learn of this, but there was a platform that would force anyone out that took too long or were rude to my sisters and I. As Blue did both, I sent her down the slide, where she landed in a pile of trash. I threw my plate with syrup filling it down after her, making sure the syrup would not spill.
My guards snorted. I shook my head ever so slightly. “What will it take to get her to shut her mouth?” I wondered aloud.
My guards chuckled at this before resuming their posts.
Then Terra ran into my room, panting.
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T
I ran as fast as I could to Luna, as she was my only defense against her.
I also silently cursed her for doing this again.
I took several turns, Blue still right behind me with syrup in her mane, yelling about how I was unfit to rule if I was this much of a coward.
If it had been anyone else, they would already have been bucked straight through a wall. But even that would come back to bite me. I ran into the room where Luna was holding her court, and locked the door behind me. Luna laughed. I glared at her.
“Can’t you deal with her? Just once?” I demanded.
She shook her head and laughed some more.
Blue seemed to have been Tartarus bent on getting to us, as she used her horn to pull the tree apart.
“Get out of this room. Your turn ended already.” Luna said stone faced
I would have been surprised at her sudden change of mood if she hadn't beaten me at cards many times over.
“You weren’t listening to me, therefore the time spent must be redone. I also propose that Terra be removed for hindering your ability to rule. I’d even think she did it to undermine you, if not kick you out and kill you outright.” Blue argued.
I turned from Luna very, very slowly. Luna looked at me and shuddered, excusing herself. The guards just hightailed and ran away.
I turned to Blue Parade and she realized she had bucked up. Big time. She couldn’t move, but she wanted to get as far away from me as possible. I knew what was happening, but I couldn’t control the excess of magic flowing through me.
I looked at a mirror-door and my eyes glowed white, my fur turned black, and my hooves grew into talons.
I internally cast. Again. Out of anger.
I chuckled at Blue Parade’s remark of me and returned to my normal state. Brown hair, amber eyes, and hooves. Perfect.
Blue seemed to be a lot more impressionable.
“Get out before I publicly execute you for treason, fraud, and anything else I can think of. Return to try and get power for yourself, and you WILL regret it. Are we clear?” I asked in a cutthroat voice, adding a pleasant tone to the end.
Blue nodded and ran out of the castle.
I sighed. Another ordinary day, right?
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Six months later
I woke up early and went downstairs. Luna and Celestia greeted me with the papers I would need for the school and a list of teachers. I nodded, ate a quick breakfast, and ran over to the school that the three of us named School for the Gifted. It was built on the outskirts of the city to ensure the safety of the city, and the students and teachers were all waiting on the field. I stepped onto a stage, where all of the ponies could see me.
“Greetings my little ponies. Oh and all the students!” I got chuckles out of this. “Welcome to the founding of the school. I hope all of you are ready to learn, and I know that you will all succeed. Let’s get classes set up for you all after we have your names, cutie marks, and affinity!” I shouted.
The teachers took this as their time. I was greeted by many of the students who wanted to show their tricks, from aerial to casting. One earth pony even tried to copy my ability to warp the plants and earth around me, though it was to no avail.
Once the cluster of ponies had sat down again, I addressed each year. “First year, I want all of you to focus on getting in touch with your magic.” As soon as I finished, a hoof went into the air. “Yes, mister…” I trailed off.
“Spike. I’m in the third year.”
“You have a question I presume.” I said in a calm, almost encouraging tone.
“Isn’t it only unicorns who have magic?” He asked
At this, the teachers and some of the older students answered with a loud “No.” The echoes of this went very far.
I smiled, though not out of jest or superiority, but from teaching. “That is a good question, Spike. Although Many unicorns and young ponies think otherwise, all beings have magic. Unicorns cast spells. Since their magic is flashy, it is regarded as the only kind. But pegasi use theirs to fly and move clouds. Earth ponies use theirs to… well… it’s kind of complicated to explain without prior knowledge. But still a very good question! Any others yet?” I asked excitedly.
Another hoof raised in the same group as Spike. “What would your name be?” I asked in the same excited tone from earlier.
“Sweet Dreams, though most call me Sweetie. Why did you decide to found this school?” She asked curiously.
I thought about an answer that wouldn’t get me in trouble. My sisters and I wanted to educate.” I replied.
“But we have other schools, right?”
“We wanted a place for those with raw power to learn, and help others control their special skills.” I said.
One more hoof came up. “Shining Star. I know this is rude, but why don’t you or your sisters have Cutie marks yet?” He asked.
I froze stiff, though caught myself. Teachers started to chastise Shining, but I held up a hoof.
“I want to be honest with you, but I don’t want certain ‘nobles’ catching wind of it. If you can come by my office after class sometime this week, I’ll explain it to you.” I said, putting on a fake smile. “No more questions?” I asked. No hooves came up. “Okay. Now then…”
I explained certain rules and regulations to the fillies and colts, making sure nobody entered my office. After all, I stored certain paperwork in the middle of the school that nobody should see.
I told Celestia and Luna about those strange foals at dinner.