A young Twilight Sparkle stood trembling before the four stern unicorn judges who held the power to decide her fate at Equestria's most prestigious magic school. No, "nervous" didn't quite capture it; she was downright petrified. Their disinterested gazes, coupled with the relentless scratching of pens against parchment, only intensified her anxiety.
She had no inkling of what kind of test awaited her, but a cart rolled forward, revealing a dragon egg nestled within. It was a startling twist she couldn't have anticipated. Her mind raced through her extensive repertoire of spells, searching for a solution to hatch the dragon. Beads of sweat formed on her lavender coat as she desperately sought to conjure a spell, any spell, to aid her in this perplexing ordeal.
"Well, Miss Sparkle?" The impatience in one of the judges' voices sliced through the tension. Another cleared their throat, their irritation evident as they awaited Twilight's response.
Twilight's desperation surged, intensifying her nervousness. She resorted to various poses in a futile attempt to harness her magic more effectively, despite knowing it wouldn't make a difference. Another judge couldn't hide a yawn, clearly unimpressed by her struggling efforts.
"We don't have all day.” The same impatient judge reiterated.
After several fruitless attempts, Twilight channeled every ounce of magic from her horn into the dragon egg, but all she managed to produce were feeble sparks that flickered into existence before promptly fading away. Exhausted and defeated, she collapsed onto her stomach, only to rise again with a profound sense of disappointment when she realized her efforts had yielded no results.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time.” Twilight muttered, her voice heavy with defeat as she cast her gaze downward.
The judges collectively levitated their clipboards, their expressions remaining uninterested as they scribbled down their notes.
A sudden explosion of vibrant rainbow hues rocked the castle, jolting Twilight from her thoughts. In her startled reaction, she unintentionally unleashed a spell toward the dragon egg. As the spell connected with the egg, it brought forth a purple dragon adorned with green spikes from head to tail, complemented by matching emerald eyes. The dragon yawned and stretched, wearing a contented smile.
Twilight let out another surprised yelp as her eyes abruptly turned a blinding white, causing her to levitate above the ground, surrounded by a powerful lavender aura radiating pure magical energy. Lightning surged from her body in multiple discharges, forcing the judges to shield their eyes from the unexpected brightness and menacing lightning. Meanwhile, Twilight's parents clung to each other in terror at the unfolding spectacle.
One of the lightning bolts struck the judges, lifting them into the air as if they were weightless. A second lightning strike transformed her parents, her mother morphing into a potted aloe plant while her father became a potted cactus with a blossoming flower at the top. A third bolt zapped the baby dragon, accelerating its growth into a fully-grown form, causing its head to burst through the roof of one of Canterlot's towers.
Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, couldn't ignore this extraordinary occurrence as she gazed upward at the dragon's head now visible for all to see. However, this was just the beginning of Twilight's uncontrollable surge of magic, as her panic grew with the strange events unfolding around her.
A sudden surge burst into existence, violently blowing the entire roof off and sending a powerful lavender aura shooting straight into the heavens. As the magical beam extended beyond the limits of sight, it transformed the once-blue sky into a shimmering shade of lavender.
Twilight began her ascent into the sky, lightning crackling around her. At this moment, ponies all over the world gazed up in astonishment and trepidation. The radiant aura piercing the heavens with Twilight at its core grew increasingly brilliant.
Celestia marveled at the spectacle but understood the need to take action against this uncontrollable magical surge. It was the most formidable magic she had witnessed in over a thousand years, and such immense power shouldn't even be attainable for a pony. She realized that this much energy could endanger the life of the young filly generating it or inadvertently involve others. With breathtaking speed, she soared toward the epicenter, preparing a spell that would temporarily seal Twilight's magic.
Upon drawing near, she unleashed it in a blinding golden burst, only to be met with shock as a lavender lightning strike countered it, overwhelming her own magic and connecting with her horn. The lightning appeared to leave her unharmed, but her attempts to use her magic through her horn thereafter were met with nothing but miniature lavender sparks dancing across its surface.
This development left the Princess utterly astonished. "A complete spell reversal? But such magic has only ever been wielded by the most formidable unicorns in history!" With her unicorn magic temporarily sealed, she found herself powerless to halt the filly's torrent of magic. All she could do was observe as some of her subjects, once they had recovered from their initial shock, fled in fear.
Celestia squinted, her eyes fixed on the epicenter through the blinding light. There, the filly began to radiate an ever-intensifying brilliance, until she became a mere silhouette of white. In a sudden transformation, the filly seemed to condense into a radiant sphere of pure light, losing her pony form. A moment of calm preceded a gust of wind that sent Celestia reeling backward, instinctively closing her eyes.
Upon reopening them, Celestia understood the cause of the sudden gust: a vortex of pure magic descended from the sky into the suspended ball of light that was once the filly, creating a colossal cyclone-like storm. After what felt like an eternity to Celestia, though it was only a few minutes, the torrent of magic began to wane, and the sky gradually returned to its natural state as the last traces of magic funneled into the luminous sphere.
Once all had quieted and the lightning strikes had ceased, the lavender aura enveloping the former filly dissipated, leaving the ball of light suspended in the sky. The judges were no longer levitating, the baby dragon had returned to its infancy, and Twilight's parents had reverted to their normal pony forms.
Celestia observed with fascination as the ball of light descended toward the tower's floor, its roof completely obliterated. Gracefully landing inside the tower from the now-vanished roof, she kept a vigilant eye on the slowly descending sphere of light.
"Princess Celestia!" a mare's voice cried out, capturing her attention, though she was cautious not to divert her gaze from the descending ball of light.
"What's happening?! Where's my daughter?!" The mare's voice quivered with panic, an understandable reaction.
"She's right there, Twilight Velvet." Celestia extended a hoof, pointing toward the still-descending sphere of light.
"What do you mean? Wait... you mean that's my daughter!? Don't worry, Twilight, Momma's coming!" Velvet's determination surged, and she dashed toward what Celestia had identified as her daughter.
"Wait!" Her husband's voice rang out, but Velvet paid it no heed. Her entire focus was fixed on the radiant light that was her daughter, until a large white wing unfurled before her, causing her to come to an abrupt halt.
"What are you doing!? Let me reach my daughter!" Velvet's voice trembled as she confronted the Princess, despite her knowledge that it wasn't prudent to raise her voice to the ruler of Equestria.
Celestia offered a gentle shake of her head, speaking soothingly, "I apologize, Mrs. Velvet, but I am uncertain whether it's safe to approach her right now. I also lack the ability to protect you with my magic in case of any complications. Please wait until this magical phenomenon subsides."
Velvet was on the verge of a retort when she was abruptly silenced. The luminous sphere touched the ground and began to convulse violently, as if something were attempting to break free. It underwent a startling transformation, with shapes emerging on either side, resembling griffin talons. Soon after, two leonine legs sprouted from below, along with a serpentine tail trailing behind. The body took on a sinuous, snake-like form, and eventually, a pony-like head emerged from the top, sporting two protrusions.
The radiant glow finally dimmed, and the newly formed figure descended abruptly to the ground. Every eye in the room widened in astonishment, but none more so than Celestia's. Initially, she feared that Discord had somehow escaped and orchestrated a grand re-entrance. However, as she observed the small baby Draconequus, taking note of its coloration and size, she quickly dismissed that notion.
Celestia scrutinized the young Draconequus from head to toe, noting the myriad differences and similarities to Discord. The creature possessed a pony's head, its normal mane still intact but flowing much longer. While its snout was slightly more pronounced, its ears resembled those of a rabbit and were unusually elongated. Two dark lavender straight horns protruded from its head, and its neck extended far beyond the proportions of a typical pony. The creature's body bore a serpentine resemblance but retained soft lavender fur. Two pegasus wings sprouted from its back, unusually large for its age if it were a pegasus. It also featured two dark lavender eagle talons for arms and a long, dragon-like tail with a mane-like tuft at the end. Additionally, it had two dark lavender lion-like legs.
Celestia felt relief that this being wasn't as chaotically combined as the spirit of chaos, yet she remained puzzled about the circumstances leading to this transformation. She had closely observed the little lavender filly's appearance prior to this event, not only as a promising student for her school but also for another undisclosed reason she had kept to herself for future plans.
Still, the presence of another Draconequus in this world raised concerns. She had no intention of banishing a filly to Tartarus; that wasn't a solution she would consider. Besides, even if she wanted to, the only force capable of restraining Discord had been the Elements of Harmony, which she couldn't wield herself. However, perhaps this turn of events could be an opportunity. She could nurture Twilight to embrace goodness and order, the antithesis of Discord.
Indeed, having a Draconequus on Equestria's side sounded promising. Twilight might even stand a chance against Discord if the Elements didn't work on him a second time. That was, of course, assuming Twilight possessed similar powers to Discord, which seemed increasingly likely from what Celestia had observed.
Celestia's contemplations were interrupted by a faint whimper. Looking down, she noticed the new Draconequus stirring. As the creature's eyes opened, Celestia couldn't help but notice the bright lavender eyes with darker lavender circles around each, featuring slits as pupils.
Twilight's head throbbed inexplicably, her body feeling strangely different. Yet, she also felt an incredible surge of energy, as if her reservoir of power were bottomless. Confusion clouded her mind as she struggled to comprehend her surroundings, realizing she wasn't in her own bed; the surface beneath her was cold and unyielding. Slowly, she blinked, her eyes meeting those of a towering white alicorn who regarded her with curiosity.
Twilight's mental gears began to turn, and she instantly recognized the figure before her, prompting her to instinctively rise on all fours. "Princess Celestia!?" She would have noticed that she had briefly levitated into the air before descending had she been more attentive.
Celestia offered a warm smile. "Twilight Sparkle. Your earlier display was quite remarkable; I must admit I am thoroughly impressed."
Blushing at her idol's praise, Twilight's recollection of recent events suddenly flooded back. "Wait, what happened!? I remember a loud noise, and then everything went blank!"
"You experienced the most substantial magical surge in pony history, Twilight Sparkle. Due to the immense amount of magic you absorbed, it triggered a transformation. A normal pony's body would be incapable of containing such power, especially a young filly like yourself." Celestia chose to be straightforward with the young Draconequus, allowing her to address any fears or concerns promptly rather than prolonging her uncertainty.
"Transformation?" Twilight questioned, glancing down at her body and realizing she was no longer standing on hooves, her form entirely different from before.
A sense of panic washed over Twilight, her breaths growing heavy. She cautiously lifted one of her talons and flexed it, confirming that this was not some nightmarish illusion but her new reality. Tears welled up in her new eyes, ready to spill at any moment. Then, a large white wing enveloped her, offering a measure of comfort.
"It's alright, Twilight Sparkle. I understand you're frightened and bewildered, but rest assured, you're still the same on the inside despite the external changes.” Celestia reassured her soothingly.
"I'm a monster... no pony will want to be around me anymore... I should be banished.” Twilight said sorrowfully, as if it were an unalterable truth. However, she hadn't anticipated the Princess's response.
"You are not a monster, Twilight Sparkle, and you never will be." Celestia nuzzled Twilight gently to provide solace.
"You won't be banished, and you're not in any trouble. In fact, it's quite the opposite.” Celestia assured her.
Twilight sniffled, her gaze lifting to Celestia, her expression a mix of confusion and hope.
She offered a gentle smile to the bewildered filly. "Twilight Sparkle, would you consider becoming my personal student and protégé? I will provide guidance in magic lessons and help you understand everything about your new body and abilities."
Twilight stared in astonishment for a few seconds, her tears vanishing instantly, replaced by sheer excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Oof!" Her bouncing enthusiasm was abruptly halted as she struggled to control her unfamiliar body, resulting in a comical faceplant onto the ground.
Celestia chuckled, finding amusement in the filly's exuberance. "It will be a long journey for you, Twilight Sparkle, but I promise you a bright future awaits."
Twilight heard approaching hoofsteps, and she looked up to find her parents standing before her. She immediately lowered her ears and cast her gaze downward, fearing that her transformation meant her parents would no longer accept her.
"I suppose you wouldn’t want some creature like me, would you…?" Twilight asked, her expression downcast, unable to meet her parents' eyes.
"Never say such a thing, Twilight! We're your parents, and we will love you no matter what." Velvet spoke firmly.
"Twilight... Your appearance doesn't change who you are or how much we care for you. You will always be our daughter.” Night Light added, and both her parents embraced her in a warm hug, causing Twilight's eyes to well up with tears once more. This time, they were tears of joy, and she couldn't hold them back any longer.
Celestia watched the heartwarming family moment unfold with a smile from the sidelines. She knew that from this point on, everything would be different, and with a pony – or now Draconequus like Twilight – as the catalyst for change, she was confident that the future was in good talons.
End of Prologue.