The Apprentice

by TheNewYorkBrony


Twilight Sparkle's First Day

Whoo wee! Third chapter already! Let's see what happens next! :)


Celestia's sun trickled light into the cramped dorm room as the three witches that inhabited it breathed softly in slumber. Morning had finally come, and this was going to be Twilight's first day at the Academia. As the soft glimmer finally reached her bed, her eyes fluttered open to realize that Fluttershy had fallen asleep in her arms.

Soft wisps of pale pink hair covered her face as her chest rose and fell. Twilight smiled. She looked so peaceful. She didn't want to wake her so as to not to disturb the other girl Twilight quietly slipped out from Fluttershy's grasp. Fluttershy turned on her side, completely unaware that Twilight had left. The darker girl sighed in relief before stretching. "Mornin' Twi."

Twilight jumped only to look up at the occupied top bunk to see a still half asleep grinning Rainbow Dash. "Dash. Hi." She greeted, surprised at how raspy her voice sounded.

"What happened to Flutters last night?" The rainbow haired girl inquired. She had never thought that Fluttershy would ever fall asleep in someone's arms like that. She figured something must have really been bothering her.

Twilight, who had sworn to secrecy, (at least she thought she had) waved the question off. "We were talking and I guess we both kind of nodded off." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'm gonna get dressed. You hurry up and wake her up so that we can get to the mess hall before all the food's gone." And with that, Rainbow leaped down before shuffling towards the bathroom.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy, questioning on how she should wake her. The girl startled easily, so that was going to be a bit of a challenge. She went into the bathroom to ask for help. "Hey, Dash?" She called into the shower.

She heard a shampoo bottle open and close before she got an answer. "Yeah, Twi?"

"How do you wake Fluttershy without scaring her?"

Twilight heard a short laugh. "It depends. When I wake her I sorta just shake her a little. But she's in one of her 'after a long night' sleeps, so I suggest a different method or you'll be shaking her all morning." There was a brief. pause as Rainbow washed the soap from her hair. "I think you might want to tickle her."

"Tickle her?" Twilight repeated. Dash didn’t respond so the young warlock sighed and decided to take her advice.

She came upon the other girl’s still sleeping body and shook her gently. “Fluttershy.” She cooed. “Fluttershy...” She called again. Dash was right. Fluttershy was a heavy sleeper. She then decided to do what Dash had told her.

Twilight climbed on top of the bed and straddled Fluttershy. She hadn’t tickled anyone since she and Spike were children, so this was incredibly awkward for her.

Twilight leaned down and began tickling her. At first, no response, and then a faint smile spread across Fluttershy's lips. "Stop it, Dash I'm trying to sleep." She mumbled but still didn't fully wake. Twilight gave up and began shaking her again, this time more violently.

Fluttershy startled awake jumping up in the process and banging heads with Twilight. There was a simultaneous "Ow!" And then a laugh. Twilight opened her eyes to see
Rainbow Dash standing in her towel.

"Rule one of witch school: Always take anything a fellow witch says seriously." She grinned.

Twilight groaned and laid back down. She was beginning to think this was going to be a very long day.


An hour later the girls found themselves seated at a cramped lunch table with Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. "What happened to your forehead?" Pinkie asked poking at the welt that had developed right between Twilight's eyebrows.

"I really don't want to talk about it." She grumbled, pushing the last of her pancakes around.

Applejack took a sip of her apple juice. Then said, "First years curfews been changed."

"What?! Again?!" Pinkie whined.

"What's it this time?!" Dash added, groaning.

"Yip. Dean says it's in by nine, lights out at nine thirty." Applejack responded, answering both their questions. "Ah think it has to do with all them girls disappearin'."

"Shhh!" Rarity silenced. "We cannot let the other girls hear about that! Who knows what Celestia awful thing they might attempt!"

"Rarity's right," Fluttershy agreed. "They might think this is some third year prank and try to get back at them."

"But why first years only? Shouldn't the other years be protected too?" Twilight thought out loud, adding to the conversation.

Applejack shrugs. "Who knows? It could be that the first years started this in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"The pattern of girls missing." Applejack explains. "It's weird. The only girls that are missing are either second years or third years."

"And no one else has noticed this?" Twilight was a little annoyed at the fact that all of this is being pushed under the rug. It wasn't some stupid scandal. Real lives were at stake.

"It's not like anyone would tell us anything." Rainbow Dash responded, folding her arms. "Like I told you yesterday, the admins want to keep this schools record squeaky clean. Even if they do lose a few student lives in the process."

"I think it's ludicrous." Rarity mumbled. "To think my parents sent me here to learn and I’ll just end up being a forgotten statistic." She pouted. “And there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Actually, yes there is. I can write a letter to the princesses. I’m sure they’ll know what to do once the know what’s going on.” Twilight told her.

“That’s a great idea Twi! Nice thinking on your feet!” Rainbow high fived the girl who awkwardly returned the gesture. She’d never high fived anyone before.

“In the meantime,” Applejack said, as the bell for first period rung, “We don’t say anything about this to anyone. Ya hear?”

All the girls nodded before getting up. “C’mon Twilight, You've got Basic Spell casting with me and Pinkie.” Dash said as she pulled the purple haired girl with her after Pinkie.

“O-okay!” She responded, having no idea what was going to happen next.

When they reached the class, they sat down. Twilight and Rainbow in the front, Pinkie three rows back. “Why does she sit so far away?” Twilight asked out of curiosity.

Rainbow waved her question off. “She always does that.”

“But, why?” It wasn't logical to Twilight unless it had a logical answer. Light snoring could be heard above them, and Twilight looked up to see Pinkie with her head back, asleep.

“It’s the first class of the day, and she’s already tired?” Twilight mumbled.

“It’s Pinkie Pie. This is just what she does. You’ll get used to it once you get to know her better.” Rainbow explained. The bell rung again and the teacher walked in in the room.

After setting her books down, “I heard there was a new student?” She asked.

“Over here!” Dash called, pointing to Twilight. “She’s Twilight Sparkle! One of the best magical apprentices I know!”

“The only magical apprentice you know.” Twilight corrected her, rolling her eyes.

“Well, it’s nice to have a student like you, Twilight. Hopefully you’ll rub off on some of the slackers in here.” The teacher responded before summoning an air horn. She levitated it right next to Pinkie’s ear and set it off. Poor Pinkie jumped awake so quickly she slammed her head on the desk.

A few students snickered as the teacher continued with, “Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie I would appreciate if you would stop sleeping in my class.”

Pinkie rubbed the back of her neck. “Heheh, sorry teach.”

Rainbow sighed turning to Twilight. “See? Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.”

“I will never in my life understand that girl.” Twilight breathed completely facing the front of the class.

“No one will, Twilight. No one will.” Rainbow Dash responded before pulling out her textbook.

As the lesson continued on, Twilight thought she could feel someone staring at her. She turned around to see that everyone was paying attention to what was on the board. She shrugged, then turned back around.

The feeling returned, and this time it was so strong she shuddered. “Somethin’ wrong?” Rainbow asked. Twilight shook her head. Maybe someone was just trying to spook her just because she was the new kid. Shining had told her all about the rough times he’d had at his first year at boarding school. Maybe this was her initiation.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” She finally responded. But she still couldn’t shake the feeling.


It continued on into the next class she had with Rainbow and the others, Flying and Broom Riding. She relaxed a bit, rationalizing that if anyone tried to start something she’d just hop on a broom and take off. Then she had an epiphany. “I can’t fly.” she whispered.

“What?” Applejack asked.

“I- They- The princesses never taught me how to ride a broom!” She yelled, shaking.

“Aw come on Twilight!” Pinkie bubbled, trying to cheer the darker girl up, “It’s just like riding a bike! Execpt there’s no pedals. And no handel bars. Also you’re 500 feet in the- Ow!” She rubbed at the spot on her arm Dash had just punched.

“Did I just hear what I think I did?” Trixie asked, smirking.

“It’s like she just shows up at the worst of times.” Rainbow muttered.

“Twilight Sparkle, the apprentice of the Sun and Moon goddesses themselves, doesn’t know the basics of broom riding?” Trixie added smugly.

“She can’t do that but she sure drenched you yesterday!” Pinkie defended, sticking her tongue out at the other girl.

Trixie growled before using her magic to force Pinkie’s tongue back into her mouth. “Ow,” she grumbled. “I bit it.”

“Anyway, Twilight Sparkle. You are nothing compared to me. The Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie beamed.

“Because I can’t fly or because I’m not as unbearably obnoxious as you?” Twilight sneered.

The comeback made the rest of the class snicker. Trixie was taken aback again, but this time seemed to recover quicker than she had before. “Very well then. You think you’re so amazing. Let’s see what you can do with a broom.”

“Twilight Sparkle!” Their teacher called.

Twilight gulped before stepping up to the the take off platform. “Y-yes ma’am?”

The teacher shoved a broom in Twilight’s hands. “Time to fly!”

“But ma’am I don’t know how to FLYEEEEE!” By the time Twilight was about to finish her sentence she was already in the air- and falling fast. “How do I do this! How do I do this!” She kept repeating. She tilted the broom up and luckily she shot back into the air. “Great. I’m not falling but how do I control this thing?!” She yelled to herself.

Apparently the other girls had heard her. Rainbow shouted “Whatever you do don’t let go!”

Who was quickly reprimanded with a smack in the head by Applejack who then added, “Just, sorta act like yer runnin’!”

Rarity gave her an incredulous look before shouting “Please don’t listen to them they have no idea what they’re talking about!”

Pinkie didn’t say anything. She was too busy shaking Fluttershy, who was frozen in place.

Twilight figured she was on her own, since none of them were any help. “Let’s see...” She mumbled she lifted the broom up higher to raise herself more in the the air.

Unfortunately she did it too quickly and did exactly what Rainbow told her not to do: She let go. “Help!” She screeched. She was falling, and very very fast and at this rate she didn’t think she would live to see the end of this. She closed her eyes, but opened them again once she saw something shoot past her. The thing that flew past her rounded back and before she knew it she as floating. “What the?” She asked. Twilight looked up to see that someone had grabbed her hand. And that that someone had been Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow?” She asked.

“Now how many witches do you know with hair like mine and a name like that?” Rainbow chuckled as she pulled Twilight up and onto her broom before flying back to the takeoff platform.

Trixie was so smug Twilight wanted to pour more than water on her. “Looks like the apprentice has been put in her stupid little place.”

Rainbow rolled up her sleeves. “I’m gonna punch you in your stupid little face!” she growled taking a step towards Trixie.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight called but Applejack beat her to it.

She put a hand on Dash’s shoulder. “Whoa there, partner. Slow yerself down before you do somethin’ you’ll regret.” Dash glared at Trixie but rolled her sleeves back down. Twilight sighed in relief. She didn’t need another visit to the dean.


After lunch the girls decided to meet up again and figure out how to write a letter to the princesses.

“There is no way we can leave!” Rainbow stated. “They don’t care about us disappearing but they do care about us leaving campus!”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Not by this school’s standards.” Applejack agreed.

“Well we can’t just leave this. What if one of us goes missing?” Rarity pondered.

The other girls thought for a moment. Then, Twilight had an idea. “Hey, Rainbow, you can do transportation spells, right?”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“I’m going to need you to transport me back to Canterlot.” Twilight decided.

“I would love to, but my magic isn’t strong enough for that yet.” Rainbow responded, shaking her head.

Twilight sighed. “Okay, well, any other ideas?”

“I could probably transport the letter if you want me to.” the taller girl suggested.

“Rainbow that’s a great idea!” Twilight said, throwing her arms around her. She then straightened up. “We need to do this tonight. It’d be too much of a risk to do it during school hours.”

“Right.” Everyone agreed, and then made arrangements to meet up in Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow’s dorm room after curfew.


Later on that night, the six witches gathered in the dark in the dimly lit room. Twilight had written the letter before hand, so she could be prepared to send it once Dash was ready. Since the distance for the letter to travel was a bit different than the distance for her usual stuff, Dash needed to form a bond with the other girls in order to use their powers. The bond would be broken once they were done, and then everything would be back to normal.

“Everybody ready?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow nodded, Rarity looked around nervously, Pinkie giggled, Fluttershy whimpered, and Twilight grunted. The girls connected hands, and a great surge of power flowed through Rainbow. She gasped. “I didn’t think you guys had this much in ya!” She joked. The letter started to levitate, and a portal was beginning to form. “Just a bit longer you guys!” She called, their intertwining powers causing the wind in the room to pick up at an incredible force.

The portal became bigger and bigger until a bright flash of light overcame the group, blinding them momentarily, which cause them to shield their eyes, thus breaking the bond.

Pinkie was the first to open hers. “Did, did it send?” she asked unsure if their combined efforts had completely worked.

“Yeah i think-” Dash tried to respond but coughed up blood.

“Oh my Celestia, Rainbow are you okay?!” Rarity and Fluttershy who were the closest to her, rushed to her side.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. It was just a lot of power for me to take.” She replied, wiping her mouth.

“Oh darling don’t do that, that’s gross and uncouth! Here, have a tissue!” Rarity scolded then pulled a few tissues off of Fluttershy’s desk.

Twilight nearly burst into tears. “I-I’m sorry, Dash! This is all my fault!” she choked.

Rainbow Dash patted her shoulder. “You shouldn’t be. I just wanted to help you help others.” The shear look of sincerity on her face was overwhelming for Twilight.

“Okay.” She answered, sniffing. “I just hope it all wasn’t for nothing. I really hope they got it.”


Luna watched idly as her sister raised the bright stars over Canterlot with contempt clear on her dark features. “Sister, we would like to let you know that we can do this on our own.” She grumbled as Celestia sighed with pride as the last twinkling star was raised.

“I know Lu.” The sun goddess responded, ruffling her sisters cosmic blue hair to her dismay. “But every time you do it after a long night of gaming it looks lazy and uncared for.”

“It’s not our fault we kick so much butt on Team Fortress!” Luna pouted, rolling her eyes.

“It’s also not your fault that you’re stuck like that.” Celestia mumbled teasingly.

“Stuck like what?!” Luna demanded.

Celestia didn't responded.

“Tia! We demand an answer!” Luna tried again. but Celestia just pretended to ignore her before turning to go back into the castle.As she did, she stopped to pick something up, and read it.

Luna came bounding in after her, still demanding some sort of clarification about what she has said but realized Celestia was reading something. “What’s the matter Tia?” she asked.

Celestia’s face went from playfully joking to grim. She turned to a guard who had been standing at attention against the wall by the balcony. “Guard! Please summon Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. There has been a threat made against the kingdom.”

“Tia?” Luna asked confused.

Celestia turned to her sister. “Please dear sister, get me Spike. There’s something I need to get across to my faithful student."