Red Chief had wanted this for as long as he could remember. Many of his family members, the Apple clan, were heroes, one of which even went to the Crystal Empire! He wasn't sure about the Crystal Empire, but if he could just graduate, then everything would be alright! His brother and those other colts wouldn't make fun of his size then! Just need to survive two years. He gulped. Two years isn't long, right?
He sat in the caravan that came to Manehatten to pick him up. His mother, Red Delicious, an earth pony, like him, was sitting next to him wearing a nervous smile. She came along to cheer him on, in her own words. The entire journey was awkward and Red partly wanted a monster to jump the caravan so then he wouldn't have to sit still in these uncomfortable seats. He shifted. His mother whacked him lightly.
It took a considerable amount of time to finally arrive in Canterlot, the home of the Queen and where he will be learning to become a hero. He could barely keep the grin off his face. He turned around and threw his hooves around his mother and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you for getting me here." He whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly.
"Hey now, none of that. Yer a big colt now, a stallion, ya make the family proud, ya hear?" His mother pushed him away and looked into his eyes. She smiled with such warmth, he could feel it on his face. No wait, that's him blushing. He spluttered and pushed his mother away and tried to stare defiantly at her. From her amused expression, it wasn't working. "Now git."
Red Chief turned around and didn't look back. And then, he took his first step.
Right behind him, another caravan rode up. By the time it arrived, the first one was gone, along with Red Delicious. Inside this particular one carried a pegasus from a rival family clan. Deft Stance looked himself in the mirror and made sure everything was neat and orderly. He didn't want to make the wrong impression in front of the teachers.
On the outside, he looked calm, collected. He desperately wished that's what he felt on the inside. Everything felt like everything was crumbling around him. Panic was an understatement so he distracted himself with his mane. Yes, that's right. His mane. He focused back on his mane. His inner feelings can wait.
"Deft." The pony in question turned around and faced the clan's matriarch, Ready Stance. She was an earth pony who looked well into her 80's, gray mane and wrinkled face, but her pale gray body still looked fit. She had many stories of her time as a Knight, stories like the Battle of the Wyrm or the Massacre of Coltchia. Her stories always fascinated Deft resulting in him enrolling in the academy.
"Yes, Matriarch?" He made sure he was respectful. Those who weren't, would immediately get whacked. They wouldn't even see the blow.
"Do good." She opened the door and allowed Deft to squeeze past her. He resisted the urge to turn back and took his first step.
A few minutes after the Matriarch's caravan left, a pony came trotting out of the darkness wearing a big grin. An earth pony mare wearing a beautiful moonlace flower in her mane. It bloomed underneath the full moon, the only time it could, and made her face radiant.
Moonlit Petals, a society outcast, who lived in the dangerous forest between settlements, with her family. Their community isn't large but sustainable and knows all the tricks to staying alive. Her parents weren't all that happy with her decision to enroll, never mind how she did, but accepted her choice. They kissed her and made her promise that she knew that no matter what happened, she always had a home with them.
She giggled at the memory of the other ponies when she said she was leaving to go train to be a hero. Many were confused, but most were all for it. New blood they said, whatever that means. Moonlit knew she was going to have a great time at the academy and took her first step.
In the bushes a few meters away, a dark unicorn wrapped in shadows was watching. He too was going to the academy and he too had dreams of becoming a hero. He wore a cloak that seemed to be a part of him and made him even more mysterious than he already was.
Ominal spat out some herbs and took his first step.
Far away from the heavily guarded entrance, and the only one, to Canterlot, there lies another unicorn. Deep within the castle walls, Twilight Sparkle was waiting. Young but experienced, the secret agent was about to undertake her most serious mission yet, if only her Queen could tell her what it was.
"Please, Your Majesty, tell me why I'm going to your academy! It makes no sense!"
"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful agent, have I not made myself clear?" Queen Nightmare Moon, Supreme Ruler to Equestria and Eternal Night, she oozed power. Her gaze immediately set Twilight in a deep bow. Over the millenia, she had tempered her cold flame to garner respect and even admiration from her subjects. She allowed for the Celestial Light cult to form, allowed for infernal clocks to measure the time of night, and even opened her own Academy to forge heroes to brave the monsters her Eternal Night had wrought. Brave or foolhardy, Nightmare Moon still did not know, yet ponies adored the heroes. "You are to infiltrate my Academy, become a student of Class 749, and report anything suspicious directly to me. Suspicious as in something...different. Do I need to repeat that again?"
"No, my Queen! As you say, my Queen!" Twilight continued her bow as she maneuvered her way out of the throne room. Once outside, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her mentor still terrified her even after all these years. Composing herself quickly, Twilight immediately set her destination for the Academy and took her first step.