The day of the entry exam was upon me. Everything I learned for the last few months has led me to this point, I was feeling ready for anything the examiners might throw at me, be it magic or anything else. That being said... Why am I feeling so scared?
That was the first time in my life I had been so anxious, and I even spilled some milk during breakfast on Shine. I don't think I had been like this in the past, or at least I can guess I wasn't, my mind is somehow finding it difficult to cope with so many new ideas and morals all of a sudden. This might be because those things I do now, will impact me heavily later on in life, most foals probably don't think about that stuff now, but I'm not a normal foal.
Still, I had learned so much during those last few months...
My magic went from novice to more apprentice level one, with few simple spells and better magic handling at my disposal. I could use levitation with ease and hold many heavy objects in my magic grasp at the same time. With that in mind, I learned how to properly cast spells, and choose the most basic ones to work with for now, having only my mother's books as a guide, it proved to be more challenging than I originally hoped. I don't know why, but while the books mention spellcasting and spells in general, you can't really get much information on how you need to do it, once again they refer to 'unicorn ability to-' which makes me think that you can basically make a spell for anything you want, you just need to make it happen yourself. So... That's what I did.
The first spell I learned was the simple 'fire' spell, which at my current level only creates a small flame. I can fire it from my horn and aim at something to set it on fire as well. It was easy to learn because it only required me to intentionally put too much pressure on one point of my horn, to start the fire, and then just supply it with more mana. I did that before on several occasions while learning how to control levitation on a higher scale, so I got the hang of it after only a few tries.
The second spell I learned was a simple 'light' spell, which made my horn glow. It was also pretty easy to learn, due to the fact that you only had to supply the mana to your horn, nothing else. The light coming from it became as bright as my supplied mana could make it. Side note, you can very quickly run out of mana if you don't control how much you are putting out, so I had to be careful not to overdo it and blind myself while doing so.
The third, but not the final one was 'Untangle' a spell which objects untangle from all the knots and whatnot. I also learned it makes your mane incredibly flowy for a brief moment so it untangles from all the tangles and double ends. It was actually the hardest to learn because of the fact I had to use it on myself, but once I learned how to do that, it was easy to get it to work on a small amount of my mane. After a bit of practice, I could use it on my entire mane and tail. It's pretty useful, days of brushing my mane manually are over. And a spell that could untangle knots is nice to have too.
The last spell I learned before the exam was 'Water manipulation' which as you might have already guessed, is guiding water with your horn, great for practice, because water is much heavier than air, and moving even small quantities is difficult. I could of course use a simple levitation spell to move water, but this spell uses your body momentum to make the water flow better, making you use less mana. Not that useful generally, but over time it could prove essential if I want to learn to create ice or mist later. Also, I felt like an avatar while learning those spells.
I also remembered to practice my shield spell, or rather my 'put a bunch of magic in front of myself to block whatever comes in my direction' spell. Yeah, I guess I can't call that a proper shield yet. But it worked in the past, so I'm not complaining.
With magic out of the way, I focused on studies and physical training. I learned quite a few interesting things about pony anatomy and biology, and it proved to be very useful to me during my training sessions. My muscle tone increased, but I got more into shape rather than into bulk.
I did wonder how it compared to earth ponies at a few points. They are famous for their strength and vitality, but I didn't have anyone to compare to, so I settled on my father who is a unicorn, but he also works in the royal guard. After asking him to lift some dumbells with his hooves, and do some of the usual training he does in the royal guard. I didn't stand a chance, of course, him being an adult, and me being only a seven-year-old foal, but I managed to at least do one-fourth of what he showed me.
He did visit us three times during those two months and complained about being stationed somewhere at the border of the Griffonian Empire, which made me interested. As it turns out, the Griffonian Empire is the biggest and closest neighboring country to Equestria. Over the years, especially after the war two hundred years ago, the Empire became rather poor, which resulted in most villages and towns simply ceasing to exist. As a result, the griffon population declined. Now after so many years of peace and a few good years of prosperity, something new is happening with the usually calm atmosphere in the region of that country, and it made Princess Celestia worry about the security of the borders. At least that's what Dad has heard from officials and the General.
I really hope there won't be anything serious involved between us and griffons, but living here for seven years now, I think it's just going to pass, like always. The Canterlot News will print some garbage about being on the verge of conflict, Princess will meet with some delegation, and then everything will be as it has always been.
Back to the present.
Today my mind was somewhere else. As me and my mom walked to the higher district of Canterlot I felt different, a bit scared about the exam, and a bit lost about my place in all this. I actually never been this close to the castle and more 'elite' sections of the city. I would say that the word 'Rich' would describe the overall quality of life here pretty well. Everything is made of pure white marble, with even some gold and silver scattered here and there. Architecture is similar to the Romans with high roofs, columns, and pristine use of white. The brick roads themselves were quite wide and complemented by a wide variety of trimmed bushes, lamp posts, and stone benches.
I must say, that it impressed me how much detail and care was put into the place, but having so much gold and time, I wouldn't expect anything less from Princess Celestia. Canterlot is definitely something else when it comes to beauty and high standards. But what do I know? I have never been anywhere else than Canterlot, maybe it's like that everywhere and I'm just overreacting to all this.
Feeling a bit anxious about the upcoming event, I felt the need to slow down and appreciate the landscape I was put in those seven years ago. As far as my eyes could reach, there were trees, massive forests stretched across the countryside, and a large lake sprouted in several directions as the waterfall of Canterlot Mountain fell down to its depths, creating a stunning rainbow above the water. The small settlement below, Ponyville I believe it was called, was cast into a shadow of the mountain. I wondered how massive and grand the city itself looked from there, and how ponies lived in smaller towns like that. Maybe one day I would find out.
As we walked I also noticed ponies staring at me and my mom, but mostly at me. Those higher-class ponies, with a more fashionable sense of living, were most likely not accustomed to seeing someone like me. Some stared, but others gasped at my sight, to which my mother promptly responded with glares of doom and actual growls. I want to remind myself not to seriously anger my mom...
She made me pick up the pace, due to the fact that the examination starts early, and there would be a lot of applicants for a spot we had to hurry to sign in. Only twenty-four ponies could get in and if the concept of learning from Princess Celestia herself wasn't inviting, there was also the grand status of becoming one of the elite students of CSFGU. I felt like this was something I could actually achieve, something that even someone like me, a human from another world, could do, and then celebrate with my family.
My memories might be gone, but my spirit isn't. And deep down I know why I choose to stay here and do my best. Because I was always destined to do so, or so I hope...
...
Suddenly a high 'boom' made me jump, and my mother hovered over me. With it, a magnificent rainbow formed in the sky, not a second later, however, I felt the ground shake, and something on the horizon blocked the sun for a good ten seconds, forming a shadow. Then as it appeared, it vanished. I wasn't sure what the fuck just happened, and the whole street fell silent as we listened for anything else, but as the rainbow in the sky diluted, so did the noise.
"What happened?" I asked my mom, which made her blink.
"I...Don't know..." She replied as we stood there, with everyone else either hovering over something or hidden inside buildings. Either way, I think something just created a sonic boom, but what's with the rainbow?
Having no much time, we decided to move, and forget this strange event. My mom still felt anxious about it, making me stick close to her as we moved to the 'Culture and Science' district of upper Canterlot. After half an hour, we made it to the school itself.
It was big. Really big... With a multitude of white bricks and colorful windows, it had three levels with a magnificent round stone plate roof and a large equestrian flag on top. The school perimeter was full of beautiful gardens and fountains, with a large assembly in front, two large unicorn statues on the sides, and a high metal fence that consisted of different spiral shapes. The pristine and grandeur of this place could most likely only rival the Canterlot Castle itself with its design and finesse.
Moving past the open gates of the CSFGU I felt ready to face anything. Even with everyone staring at me along the way, I still felt good, I felt like I should be here.
"We are late. Look at that crowd." Pearl mentioned to the large group of ponies in the middle of the school entrance, many with colts and fillies with them. They stayed in line to speak with a pony in a black suit and a clipboard.
After coming closer and joining the queue, we continued to chat about the strange event and listened to others who talked about it. Turns out, something strange happened here too, but no one could see because it blocked the sun. As soon as it appeared, however, it vanished. Some said that the roof of the school was gone, but as we saw coming in, it was perfectly intact.
After a good fifteen minutes, we were finally in front of the stallion scribe.
"Good morning, name, age, and Identification please." The stallion said to my mom, glancing at me and raising an eyebrow.
I blinked at him, but he didn't respond, my mom gave him her ID, and then he casually eyed me with his tired glare.
"My name is Pearl Moonlight, and this is my daughter Aurora Moonlight, she is seven." The stallion scanned the ID card with his eyes before coming back to me, his expression still tired and lifeless.
"Everything is good, number one hundred twenty-seven, go in and wait for the examiner to call you in. Second floor, last door on the left." He said to my mom in a gentle, yet a bit resigned tone.
"Thank you." My mom replied as she gave me a nudge to go inside. As we entered, I found myself in a rather medieval-looking setting, with lots of mahogany wood furniture and showcases with vibrant scientific prizes inside them. With a large chandelier on the ceiling, and gold trimming on the walls, I held my breath as my mom started to smile. Most likely remembering her own years in here.
Two large staircases on each side made of the same type of wood spiraled to the second floor, and several doors on the first floor were open, letting me peek into entire classrooms filled with the same kind of detail and grandeur in mind. The large window frames made the whole place shine with vibrant colors. With how many ponies were currently inside the building, I assumed there would be a tight squeeze between us. But no, the entire first floor was almost empty, and as we walked into the second, very similar-looking floor, we saw a multitude of ponies, still able to wait in a more cultural way, with spaces between them on the benches.
I don't know how many ponies actually attend the school here, but it looks like it was designed with at least three hundred or more in mind.
Me and Pearl sat down, and the eyes of the group fell on me as per usual. I didn't have the energy to deal with this today, so I didn't even bother looking back at their faces. But I assume they were either scared or surprised. Nothing new.
What I haven't considered, however, was the fact that sometimes, life wants you to look.
"U-Umbra?!" The same voice I heard not so long ago called... I frowned and turned to see the individual it belonged to.
"Not this clown again..." I said under my breath as my eyes fell on the small purple colt named Tender Seed. He cut his purple mane and grew a bit, but he was the same colt that fought with me all those times. I really didn't want to do this again...
"W-What are you doing here!?" He asked as he and his mother squared me with their eyes, drawing a glance from the crowd.
"Trying to apply to the school." I replied with a smile.
"YOU?! Why?! You want to bully my colt again?" His mother, which I found really ugly for some reason, fired on me. I simply frowned.
"Aurora didn't bully anyone! As if your colt is an angel himself." My mother struck back, which surprised me. And drew more glances from the crowd.
"Oh, please! Your ignorance is making me vomit." Tender Seed's mom spouted at my mother, which made her grow a shade red before she stood up and walked to her.
"Great. Just what I needed right before the exam... A fight..." I said to myself as I stood too. With everyone's attention on Pearl and Tender Seed's mother, 'he' came to me.
"You are a bunch of muscle anyway! You don't have the brains for a school like CSFGU, go somewhere else!" He stated to me, which I found silly considering that he had one of the worst grades in the class, while also being the one who started fights.
"You are one to talk, with a grade only comparable to a coconut, and no real magic ability." I replied with a smirk. Knowing fully well, that he never moved past levitation. It made him turn a shade of red too, just like his mother at this point.
"That's it!" He shouted as his body started to move to strike me.
I was prepared to fight him of course, but as everyone yelled and tensed, time stopped moving, and I was rooted in place, same for everyone else. I felt numb and confused.
"I think that would be enough." A voice as soft as silk made my heart jump. Into my field of view, behind until now closed doors, an alabaster pony moved with the grace of a true ruler. It was... her... Princess Celestia.
The time started to move again, but everyone was silent and tense. As soon as my mom and Tender Seed's mom saw who was talking to them, they immediately bowed deeply, as the rest of the parents and foals did. Even Tender Seed to my amazement.
I, however, stayed in place. Even though she is royalty and she obviously knows what she is doing, I won't bow before I know I truly feel like she deserves it. It's something my brain came up with on the spot, so please don't judge me. If my mom could see me from this point of view, I would most likely be already dead. Princess Celestia started to move through the crowd of ponies, stopping inches from my and Tender Seed's mom.
"We are so sorry Your Majesty!" Both mares apologized in an instant, their faces full of regret and shame. The princess simply nodded.
"I assume something bad happened between you two before, but considering we are in a school, I ask you to stay civil, especially when foals are around. You can come to my court if you need help with anything in that regard anyway." She said, in a tone, I couldn't really describe, she was teaching and scolding at the same time, but it didn't even feel like that. It was so weird. They both nodded and bowed even more.
"And who might you two be?" She asked, turning her head to Tender Seed on the ground, and me, still standing, looking at her directly.
She didn't flinch. She didn't even raise her eyebrow when she looked directly into my eyes. But I did...
"My name is Tender Seed! I'm sorry!" Tender Seed said in a squeaky voice. Leaving me to answer.
"My name is Aurora." I replied. Which then made her raise her eyebrow.
"You aren't sorry my little pony?" She asked, making my mother jump in place and me cringe inside at the words 'my little pony'.
"You asked about my name. Not if I was sorry." I did not care if my mom would ground or even yell at me, I needed to know... I locked my eyes into hers, searching deep inside them. I could drown in them, there was nothing I could grab onto, not even a spark of light.
Something. Anything...
"That's true." She replied. Forming a small smile, still no emotion in her eyes. "I must leave you now, I have some foals I need to speak with, please behave, or I will have to ask you to leave." She said as she averted her eyes and stepped back into the room, closing the door behind her.
Immediately everyone relaxed, but not a word was said as everyone took a seat. Even my mom didn't comment on my behavior. How one pony can change the room completely with her sole presence? It was amazing. For the first time, someone other than my mom looked at me for the first time and didn't react. And her eyes... Deep pink eyes... It was something else...
We stayed like this for a good three hours before my mom finally said something, more than three groups of ponies had already written the test and taken the magic exam. I still hadn't seen Twilight anywhere, which made me worry about her, but I didn't have time to think about anything other than myself now. I felt a bit bad about it though...
"You will be going inside soon, Aurora, remember, if you don't pass, it's perfectly fine." My mom said to me, not even mentioning our encounter with Tender Seed and his Mom. They left already with the last group. Tender Seed with a sad expression on his face, mumbling something about 'everyone failing' under his breath. Which made me smile.
"I know." I replied, with no expression. I was doing the last revisions in my head before going inside. With only one group left, I knew it would be tough, but I had to try.
"Good." My mom smiled softly as she cocked my head with her hoof. "I love you?"
"I love you." I replied, giving her a small smile.