Dear Mr.Pound Cake
"Uhg." Pound sat up in his bed, and stretched. "Three days until the start of the semester." He started out of his room and toward the bathroom. He'd done everything he could, but sometimes, almost all the time hard work never pays off, at least not for the ones working hard. Mom and Dad worked hard to make Pound and Pumpkin cookies, but always let the two of them have the most cookies, even more than Aunt Pinkie Pie.
"Hey Pound," Pinkie Pie called as she came down the stairs. "Hey Pound wait." She hurried after the colt as he raced down the hall to the bathroom. "I want to talk."
"Not right now Aunt Pinkie." Pound rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He quickly locked the door, assuring absolute privacy. Sure technically Aunt Pinkie Pie could just use her strange bizarre powers to magically appear in the tub or some other such nonsense, but Pinkie Pie promised that she wouldn't do that after he and Pumpkin had turned five. Two and a half years ago.
He turned on the water to the tub and let the roaring water calm his mind it. It would take about four minutes before the water started to get steamy. A hot bath would calm him down. Surely if nothing else would. Pound just listened to the cold water roaring out of the pipes, into the tub, and down the drain. He sat down on the toilet. It wasn't fair. He had poured in hours, days, weeks, heck even months, nearly a whole year, of work and study with, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Zecora. Everyday all day spent in preparations for the exam. All so he and Pumpkin could still stay close together.
They were always together. Whatever Pound did Pumpkin did, whatever Pumpkin did Pound did. It was just that simple ever since they were foals. If Pound could fly then Pumpkin would fly. If Pumpkin could lift up a toy box, then Pound would lift up the toy box. Sure they did it in different way but the results were always the same. Except for now anyways.
Pumpkin had been discovered by one of Celestia's talent scouts as they were visiting Aunt Pinkie's friend, Twilight. They all at once insisted that she take the test for admission to Celestia's School for Talented and Gifted Unicorns. She passed the test with flying colors of course, but before she took it she demanded that they let him take it too. Because anything Pumpkin could do Pound could do just as well. And wherever one of them was the other would be there too. They Pinkie Pie promised that to each other as soon as they were old enough to know how to say the words.
Pound wiped the sweat, from his brow and came back to reality. He stuck his hoof in the stream of water and grit his teeth at the burning sensation. Just right. He put the stopper in the tub and waited. He knew if he got in now his body would be used to the heat by the time he needed to cut the water off.
The Exam had been the hardest thing Pound had ever done even harder than when he had to go to bed without a night light, or the time his parents made him eat a whole plate of broccoli. There really wasn't a single comparison in his life. Nothing not a single thing came close to matching how difficult the examination was. It was designed to be hard for unicorns, he was a pegasus. And as everypony cheerfully pointed out him even taking the test was supposed to be impossible. Then they'd all say that since he'd done the impossible already, surely doing it again by passing would be just as easy.
He winced and fought back a scream as he lowered himself completely and quickly, into the steaming hot bath water. For one brief, wonderful, and painful moment Pound's world was completely and solely focused on the burning sensation that was from the tips of his hooves to the top of his neck. He couldn't even recall the exam if he wanted to, even if his life depended on it.
And then the moment was over and he recalled just how badly the exam had gone. He had learned everything he could about runes from Twilight. The same about alchemy from Zecora, and sure Rainbow Dash didn't know a thing about the theories of Pegasus magic, but she was second to no pony in all Ponyville when it came to application. At least that's what everypony he knew said.
He was as ready as he could ever be, and then he took the test, and failed. Sure he hadn't officially got the letter yet, but really there was no way he passed. He needed to hatch a baby dragon, and after a four hours and the most complicated rune and potion he could think to make all he could do was get the dragon egg to shake. He had bombed it. He failed, wasted everypony's time, and worse. He started to shake worse he knew that he'd failed Pumpkin and either she'd have to choose him over the school she wanted to go to, or just as painful. She'd choose the school over him. He didn't know which one he hated worse, and all because he was too stupid to pass just one test. One test.
"Pound," Pumpkin knocked on the door. "Pound, You okay? It's been like ten minutes since you cut the water off." He sank into the tub letting the hot water come up to his mouth. "Pound Cake you know I'm not going until you talk to me."
"I-I'm fine." Pound couldn't believe it, was he freaking crying. What the hay. He wiped his eyes. As reality sunk in. Sure he'd failed Twilight, Zecora, and Rainbow Dash. He'd failed Mom, Dad, Aunt Pinkie Pie, even himself, but worse was he'd failed Pumpkin and because he was stupid she'd have to choose between being happy or keeping their promise. The door unlocked itself. He turned his back to it as it opened wide.
"Come on Feather Weight." Pumpkin said as she walked in. "I'm your freaking twin I know you're not fine so don't lie to me. I don't like it. There." She shut the door.
"I failed Pumpkin." Pound said.
"Wait, when did you get your letter?"
"I didn't. I just know I failed." He sniffed and wiped his eyes again. "I couldn't even get the dragon egg to do anything more than move once or twice."
"Oh you got the dragon test?" Pumpkin's ears went back as she walked up to her brother. "That's supposed to be the hardest one to pass. Maybe you just need to make the egg move. Surely they couldn't expect you to actually hatch a baby dragon. That would be ridiculous."
"That was the point of the test Pumpkin."
"So what if you failed." She put her hoof on his shoulder. "I'm not just about to leave my bird brained brother." She turned him around hoping to see a smile.
"That's the worse part," Pound sobbed. "You're throwing away the best out there because I failed it isn't fair."
"Pound Cake Enough!" She stomped hard on the ground causing him to sit up straight. "Now you listen here. We Pinkie Pie promised that we'd always be there for each other. And if they give you the hardest test in the school and you get the egg to move, and they still won't take you. Then you know what. They sure as heck aren't going to have me. We stick together you help me I help you and we always come out on top." She hugged her brother. "Besides there's no way I'm going to leave you behind not even if Celestia and Luna both told me to, and I know you'd stick with me. We're twins, we stay together right?"
"Right." Pound smiled and nodded before returning the hug. "Oh and Pumpkin."
"Yeah."
"Don't call me Feather Weight or Bird Brain!" He flipped his sister into the now mildly warm water and grabbed a towel. He bolted out of the door as fast as he could. It only took him a second that he wasn't getting any where. As he was held in place just inches from the ground. Trapped in his sisters light blue magic aura. The tub water soon glowed the same color as it rose form its porcelain confines. "Now Sis, let's be reasonable."
"Pound, your letter just arrived," Their Dad called from down stairs. At that the water fell back into the tub, and Pound landed on the floor. The two siblings just looked at each other.
"Well?" Pumpkin asked. Pound just stood perfectly still eyes locked on the floor. "Come on Bro. let's go." She put a hoof on his shoulder. "Together."
"Together." He nodded. The two of them arrived in the kitchen where their parents and Aunt Pinkie were waiting. The letter sealed with Celestia's seal lay on the table.
"Come on. Open it. Open it." Pinkie chanted on the edge of her seat. Pound hesitantly obliged reaching out for the letter and bracing himself for the blow. He popped the seal off and started scanning the letter. Tears started to stream from his eyes.
"Pound it's okay." Mrs. Cake got up and went to comfort her son.
"I passed."
"Wait, what."
"I passed. I Passed!" He jumped in to the air and flew around. "Dear Mr. Pound Cake," he read. "Although you are not a unicorn, you have shown the talent and resolve, which this school requires of all applicants. Further more we can find no reason to deny your application on any grounds. We therefore welcome you as the first Pegasus pony to be admitted to Celestia's school for gifted and talented unicorns. And hope that your resolve and resourcefulness, only improve during your time studying here."