“I just have to make it hatch?”
“That’s right. As the brightest in the ‘C’ class, we expect nothing but outstanding results.”
As always.
***
Canterlot University, a school of the most gifted Unicorns, headed by Her Majesty; Princess Celestia herself. In the walls of this prestigious academy, all students are held to the strictest of standards.
***
“After all, the studies, we’ve done...I just have to hatch that egg?”
“Hatch that dragon egg, and you can join the intermediate wing of our campus. Fail this test, and you will repeat elementary magical understanding once more, Miss Lulamoon.”
***
The Unicorns are put through grueling tasks. Levitation, Teleportation, Magical Arithmetic as well as Logics In Magical Theorem. Night and Day with little to no downtime and those that fall behind; are encouraged to be openly mocked by their own classmates.
***
“Alright, stand back as I, The Great and Powerful Trixie...Hatch a measly egg!”
***
To fail was not tolerated and failing a single test carried a harsh consequence; redoing everything. Failing just once, would force the unfortunate to redo every single class and homework assignment once more; before being allowed to advance. Truly a weight that wore heavily; like a twenty ton harness. To be the best, that was every foal's goal upon entering.
From the age of just two, Unicorns were required by tradition to enroll their loved ones into the hallowed institution. Society demanded it. The Unicorns were the Elite of Ponykind. Or so they believed. And why wouldn’t they? A school overseen by not just any head but the Alicorn Ruler of Equestria, herself?
***
Trixie channeled her knowledge of all the materials she had studied. To hatch a dragon’s egg just requires… Dragons are natural fire users. They create a gas inside their abdomen and exhale it with a magical spark. Perhaps a flame?
***
Knowledge was everything to the Unicorns. Everything from social standing, to your hourly wages were based solely on how well you did growing up in the academy. To thrive in their own cutthroat society, having knowledge was literally power.
***
Trixie felt the beads of sweat form upon her brow as her horn glowed a bright blue. In the corner of her eye, she saw Princess Celestia staring at her with a fierce intensity. She could not fail this test; especially this one. Celestia was watching.
Closing her eyes, she cast her spell. Hatching an egg was a simple task, wasn’t it? Wasn’t she too advanced for such parlor tricks? If that was the case, then why was she so scared? She could do this. A trivial matter for one such as her.
After a few seconds of silence, she slowly opened one eye. The egg sat there on the table, completely unfazed. It still glowed a crimson red from the intensity of the fire that had struck it, but it neither moved nor cracked. She had failed.
No.
“Miss Lulamoon, as you can see-”
No.
“The egg you were tasked with hatching-”
No. No. No.
“Has not in fact, hatched. Therefore-”
Turning in panic away from the speaker before her, Trixie found herself staring into the pitiless eyes of Celestia. The Alicorn coldly grinned as she opened her mouth. The princess’s next words echoed through Trixie’s heart, soul and mind.
“You’ve failed.”
No! No! This can’t be I...You’ve failed. You’ve failed. No I just need to try again I- You’ve failed. I- I failed!
The color drained from Trixie’s face as the Alicorn stared down at her. Falling to her haunches she began to sob, all the light gone from her eyes.
“I failed. I failed. I failed.”
Shaking her head in disappointment at the reaction, the Princess turned to the testers to give her judgement.
“Move this failure back to class ‘D’ where she belongs.”
***
Class D. Remedial Magic. Better known as Kindergarten. Baby Magic as the students in the above class ranks mockingly referred to it. Trixie wasn’t going to be repeating Elementary. No. No, she was going to have to start from scratch. Her former academics...Erased.
***
Celestia watched as the blue Unicorn that had shown such potential was dragged away, brokenly muttering to herself. The Alicorn smiled a steely grin and her horn glowed with a bright golden. What a waste. Trixie stopped muttering and her eyes went completely blank. All the knowledge of magic, Trixie had acquired over the course of eight grueling, dog-eat-dog years of life, was completely erased from her mind. She showed such promise too. What a shame.
Flicking her head in the direction of the testers, the Celestia Princess’s eyes took on a merciless gaze.
“Send in the next candidate from class C. I’m still hungry.”
***
Later that day
***
The teachers of class C sat in a meeting, discussing the results of the earlier graduation tests.
“How many?”
“4...Out of the 36 that tested. Only 4 were given her stamp of approval.”
“Who made the cut, under that demon’s scrutiny?”
“Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Lyra Heartstrings and Vinyl Scratch-”
“Wait, you mean that white furred unicorn obsessed with loud music? Wears goggles right? Goes by what she calls her stage name: DJPON3?”
“Yeah that’s her.”
“Are you telling me those four succeeded in hatching that egg?”
“No.”
"Then why would she pass-.”
The speaker paused as realization struck her. The answer had come from behind her. The speaker continued once more in a slow, calculated way. The words blistered with an unnatural chill; instantly freezing the group in fear.
“They did not hatch that egg. And they were never meant to. The reason this...Demon as you loathingly refer to me, it seems...Passed them because they had the fire to go further. The others did not. Failure is a natural part of life-”
Celestia draped her hoof across the shoulder of the terrified teacher as she continued; her tone entrenched with a venomous sweetness.
“For instance, your failure to hold your tongue just now. Sometimes failure can empower one to strive for a goal even more...As is the case with the egg. It is nothing more than a fabrication of my magic. Empty, indestructible. The purpose is to humble those cocky of their power-”
Leaning closer, Celestia’s hot breath sent a chill down the teacher’s spine while she whispered.
“After all, the Unicorn’s are the Elite and we wouldn’t want the students to overstep their places...Like a young mare who would dare to assume her value is so great...That she would dare refer to me as a demon-”
The teacher’s eyes went wide as Celestia’s horn began to glow. Her eyes went blank, and her cutie mark of a historical textbook, vanished.
Standing up, Celestia stared at the helpless group around the table as she smiled and finished her thoughts.
“Would we? Take this one to class D... She needs a refresher in Magic, I believe. And remember, understand the limits of your power."
Glaring angrily at the shivering group trying frantically to grab the teacher, Celestia’s eyes flashed in anger.
“Such a spineless lot! Get out of my sight!”
The small group fled the Teacher’s Lounge, as Celestia licked her lips.
“Now that-”
She muttered to herself.
“Was delicious. Such a shame that such immense knowledge was wasted on her to begin with. Though I suppose at least now it won’t go to waste. I'll be sure to put it to good use, though perhaps her replacement won’t be so reckless with their knowledge."
Exiting the room, Celestia chuckled softly to herself.
"Demon...That's funny. Demon...I like that."