//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Art of Magic: Infamy of the Facility // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// True-unicorn, half-unicorn Or perhaps, the third kind There is no other way   After about two weeks it was time. Finally had the time come for Sweetie to prove to not just herself, but to everyone that she was a true-unicorn. She had practiced and practiced to no end for it. In some cases had she almost drained herself completely from the magic she could store. But the young mare was determined to pass with flying colors. Every time she tried it to fire the blast, she managed to do it. Then the day had come for her, the day on which she had to prove it once and for all. Rarity had brought her to a place where she never has been before. It wasn't Ponyville or Canterlot, it was a place that gave her the shivers down her spine. A place of which she never dared to dream it was true. They stood before an old coliseum surrounded by statues that depicted unicorns of all kinds. Sweetie seemed to be scared or intimidated by them, as all the statues looked like ponies ready for a charge, ready to unleash their magic. “S-Sis, d-do we have to go t-there?” Sweetie asked with the fear sensible in her voice. Rarity took a deep inhale of air, before a slow exhale came while she nodded and replied with words of her own. “We have to, Sweetie.” The older mare walked towards the coliseum and Sweetie trotted beside her, looking at the statues of horror. The young mare took her attention off of them though. Instead she looked at her sister who smiled back at her. It wouldn’t take long before they entered the circular building. ---   It didn't took them long before they had reached a room filled with all kinds of unicorns. The two sisters took place on a couple of chairs. Sweetie began to shiver a little in fear due to her nerves. The young mare didn't want to let her sister know. Yet Rarity could read it right off her forehead. “No need to panic, Sweetie. For you will succeed in the tests. You did it so many times already. I have faith in you,” her older sister said to her in a comforting tone. The young mare released a deep sigh before her eyes looked to Rarity “I know sis, but this place, so cold, so heartless... I just don’t like it here,” she replied. Rarity gave her a reassuring smile. “Soon, you will be out of here, Sweetie. Now, I have to leave you alone for now. Family isn't allowed in this area when they begin.” Just after her older sister said that, a gong sounded and an announced spoke up with an amplified voice. It said that every family member had to leave for the tests to continue. Sweetie looked up and saw how all the parents, brothers and sisters left every one present. There they were, all the young adult mares and stallions who had to do the test. Sweetie leaned deeper into the chair and sighed. She was hoping for the best. Sweetie knew that if she didn't perform the blast, she would have disappointed Rarity so much. She was determined to follow the path of her sister, to become a true-unicorn herself. One by one were the young unicorns called by their names. But Sweetie was among one of the last in the room when a blueberry coated mare of around her age walked up to her. “Hey, my name is Twinkle Sparkle, and what is your name?” she asked in a kind, caring tone. The young mare had to admit that she was pleasantly surprised by that turn of events. “The name is Sweetie Belle, but just call me Sweetie.” “Sweetie Belle, wait, aren't you the sister of Rarity? The tailor?” Twinkle asked out of sheer curiosity. Everybody in Equestria knew who Rarity was because of her profession. “That is right, yes. Rarity is my older sister.” “Wow, coincidence, don’t you agree? I’m the little sister of Twilight Sparkle. She may not have mentioned me since, well, she is always too busy with her studies. The fool tends to forget family members sadly... Something I never understood of her. Oh well, what can you do,” the other mare said before she shrugged her shoulders. Sweetie giggled a little bit as she indeed knew how Twilight was. “It is nice to meet you, Twinkle,” she added to her words. “Same here, Sweetie,” replied Twinkle. “Most here are too nervous to even speak.” The longer time passed by, the emptier the hall became. Everypony who got called went into another hallway. One from which they never got back again. Yet the two young mares were too busy talking about a lot of different things. They didn't really pay any attention to it. That was until the speaker spoke his words once more. “Twinkle Sparkle, your turn. If you would follow the stallion next to me, please.” Twinkle looked up in shock. She hadn’t expected that her turn would come that quickly. But stood up and went with the masked stallion. Never to be seen again as Sweetie felt the loneliness coming up again. All while she waited for her turn. After some time did the stallions return and one of them spoke in his amplified. “Sweetie Belle, your turn. If you want to follow the stallion, please.” Sweetie stood up and went with the stallion, a friendly looking old one who was wearing a robe around his body. She went down the hallway only to enter the arena of the coliseum. ---                      In the middle of it all, were three unicorns with notepads writing things down with their magic. One of them –a mare–  looked Sweetie in the eyes before she spoke. “Sweetie Belle, born in Ponyville, no cutie mark yet, but still searching for it. Is this information correct?” Sweetie looked the mare in her eyes and spoke her words. “That is correct, madame.” “Oh, and well-mannered as well I see. This test will judge your future, Sweetie. It has come to my ears you have been practicing over and over for this. These are your tests, same as everypony else. Lift up some objects, start with the smallest and slowly work your way up to the biggest object you can lift. Then you need to put up some defensive spells, like a shield or a barrier. Once you have done that, you need to do the blast of pure magic. Begin when you feel you are ready,” the mare said to her. She had a quick glance her colleagues who nodded. All three of the judges turned their attention to the young mare who looked at the audience. Though there was nopony to be seen. All that were present were just her and the three judges. That fact got Sweetie even more on her nerves. She couldn't hold herself anymore and began to tremble a little, yet she performed the tests. Though it was thanks to her nerves that her mind wasn't the sharpest anymore. The young mare charged up her horn and tried to lift the first weight. With some trouble she got it to lift to the minimum height, after which she just dropped it. Sweetie moved on to the second weight and with even more trouble did she got that one off the ground. She couldn't reach the minimum limit as it dropped before that. She looked a little sad at her performance and let go a small sigh. She could have done it better, she would have done it so much better if it wasn't for her nerves. She quickly turned her attention to the judges. The judges all shook their heads and wrote things down. Then there was the defensive test. Sweetie charged up her horn again and a small green shield appeared before her. For her it was quite the something, but in reality it was a weak and fragile barrier. A thing that wasn't capable of protecting her from anything. The judges shook again with their heads and wrote again things down. Then, came the last part of the test. Sweetie sighed deep, she knew it all too well what it was. The young mare raised on her hind legs as her sister did and charged up her horn. The aura around her horn was weaker than ever but still managed to create the sphere for the blast. Sweetie bit her lips as she closed her eyes, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. But something went wrong with the cast of the spell as the sphere started to crack and imploded violently on itself, creating an even powerful explosion which flung Sweetie against the wall of the arena. She still clinged to her consciousness with all her strength though. The mare judge stood up and spoke her words in a disappointed tone. “You have disappointed us, Sweetie Belle. We heard you trained so hard for this. Yet, you failed on everything, I’m sorry to say this, but you are, unworthy to be a unicorn.” This cold conclusion broke the young mare’s heart. She failed all the tests just like that. No retries, no nothing. She just failed, failed at life, failed to make her sister proud. “Take her away. And deliver this report to her,” the mare said after two masked, unicorn stallions had come forward and took Sweetie with their magic. She was brought over to another door. A third stallion came in and took the documents the mare had before charging up his horn. It didn’t took long before he had vanished in a sphere of blood red light, teleporting away to somewhere.