//------------------------------// // Orientation // Story: Portal : Princess Practicum // by Undyne Devotion //------------------------------// "When all is silent and the world is still.   This shall be the ultimate will.   Nothing will be left but fear and spite.   The lie, that there is no light."   Unknown. - ??? "My little pony?" A mother's caring tone called from the endless void. Heterochromatic eyes snapped open to blinding white light. This area, cold and empty. Everything a horrid white color that assaulted the senses, yet dead silence remained unbroken. With weakened white hooves the mysterious mare lifted to a standing position. "Ah, you're able to stand!" A soothing voice spoke from nowhere in particular. "..." The odd pony scrunched her muzzle confused. "It's rude not to say hello." The voice scorned in a gentle manner. "..." With a shake of her multicolored mane of orange and blue, the pony let a sneeze escape her nostrils. "Bless you." The voice replied quite swiftly. "..." The mare would only yawn. "Do you know where you are?" The voice suddenly jumped upward, echoing from a black door high on a second level to this odd room. "..." The mare parted her muzzle to speak, hoof lifted at her side proudly. Yet she decided to just shrug instead. She had no idea what this place was? Or who she was? Or why she was listening to a voice? "You're at Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns!" The voice reappeared closer to her right. The mare pointed to herself truly befuddled. What was school? It sounded quite dangerous. "You dear are a unicorn." This voice spoke slowly as if to drag a point across. The mare let her eyes widen shocked. "You're also gifted, imagine that!" The voice swung back to the level above. The mare felt herself in a panic. Her chest heaved as fear began to set in, these traits sounded full of mischief and malicious intentions. With her mind ablaze of an intimate demise, she felt a surge of power explode out of an odd protrusion from her forehead. A swirl of neon blue magic splashed against the blank canvas of the wall ahead. "Yes, go on." The voice spoke with far more interest. The mare swallowed a massive lump caught in her throat. Walking towards the swirl she caressed a delicate hoof over the surface, it was cold and unwelcoming. Mind adrift with thoughts of pleasant warmth, she lifted her head towards the second level. An orange glow of magic firing off with a static crackle. To her amazement, the shot landed right beside the door. "Good girl!" The voice oddly enough sounded near. The mare turned to face the blue swirl once more, yet instead of vast nothingness, she could see the upper level. This was indeed curious, if not a plausible thing to witness. So as any curious creature would do, she plunged her head through the portal. With a stunned gaze of amazement, the mare found herself up quite high. A headless pony down below pressed creepily up against a glowing oval. In fact, that corpse seemed familiar, if she were honest it was herself! The mare jumped forward astonished. Her body soon toppled onto the cold floor with a thud, her head lifted with muzzle lowered in awe.  "It's called a Portal Spell." The voice spoke as the door swooshed open. "It's the only spell you know, it's what makes you gifted." The voice giggled before going silent. The little pony lifted up to her feet. She was unsure how gifted one could be, yet decided to follow the mysterious voice deeper. This odd blank room had become boring, perhaps the next area would have some other unicorns. Maybe even a friend. The light of the next area was just as sickeningly white, in fact possibly even brighter. The mare had to squint her colorful eyes to prevent a headache. This new room was claustrophobically cramped, just tiny enough for herself and maybe another. But they wouldn't dare to add a third. The door a few steps ahead. She figured it was already time to leave, with a joyous canter she dashed muzzle first into the solid surface hard. The mare collapsed on her flank, her muzzle sore and a bright red. "You can only leave after testing." The voice spoke politely. "..." The mare rubbed her nose with a huff. "You see dear, at this school we test for Princesses!" The voice sounded far more excited. She had no idea what a princess could be, but it sounded delicious. "This school was created to find certain attributes in ponies, qualities that would allow for ascension to a higher purpose." The voice danced around every corner of the room at a frightening pace. The mare pointed to herself. "Perhaps." The voice cooed. With an odd sense of hollow accomplishment, the mare waited for the next test to begin. "Hello." A polite soft-spoken voice appeared. The mare turned around just as the floor opened up, a sleek white mare lifted into view from the abyss. She had no mane or a tail, she seemed shiny just like the room with no coat over her frame. Two oversized red eyes glowed lifelessly staring at nothing in particular. The mare gave a wave of her hoof. "Hello." The odd thing spoke once more. "..." The mare snorted aloud. "Hello." It continued to rattle on aimlessly. "This will be Princess Test .01." The voice became serious, a bright red apple suddenly fell from the ceiling and into living hooves. The mare was in awe of such a lovely red fruit. In fact, she wanted a nibble, dare even a large juicy bite? "In this test, you've eaten several apples yet your friend has had none. ~ What will you do with this last apple?" The voice asked a question curiously. "Please be advised that these are replica apples crafted from diamonds. ~ Genuine apples went extinct during the Fruit Wars of bzzzt…" The voice seemed to malfunction before going silent. The mare left to sit alone with her thoughts, an apple diamond wedge between her jaws. The taste was pretty bland anyway, far too tough to eat if she were honest. Spitting out the slobber covered jewel, she offered the faux fruit to her companion. "Thank you." It snatched the apple ravenously away, quick to power down afterward. "Very good! ~ We share what we have, with our friends!" The voice screamed out of the deafening silence, the mare nearly shocked out of her coat. "As an added bonus, I came across what could possibly be the last apple in existence outside." She teased playfully from above. The mare lifted a hoof to her open mouth, stomach churned with painful hunger pangs. "Yes, if you can say Apple. ~ I'll gladly give it to you." The voice sounded more reassuring. The mare could feel her ears perk up high. Tail lifted upward as she could taste the bitter fruit now, with a sense of pride she performed a backflip. "Say Apple." The voice asked once more. The mare pinned ears back in deep thought, suddenly everything became clear. With even more pride, she performed a fantastic front flip. "Next area please." The voice quickly vanished annoyed. The door ahead suddenly opened with a loud swoosh. Testing had begun.