Book I: Twilight Sparkle: Chapter Three
Careful not to use her magic again, Twilight asked, “Would you mind opening it up and reading it?”
Spike complied, breaking the wax seal and unfurling the scroll. He gave a small preparatory cough before beginning:
“My dearest Twilight Sparkle,
I hope that you have had plenty of rest after that eventful night earlier this week.
I am writing this letter, as I am sure you very well know, to inform you that I wish to
begin your advanced magic lessons. I apologize for the short notice, but I would like
to start these lessons as soon as possible. I will be sending a chariot along to bring
you to Canterlot. I expect to see you here shortly.
Your teacher,
Princess Celestia
P.S. Do not try to teleport to Canterlot again. The chariot may be slower, but it is much
safer this way.”
“Why doesn't the Princess want me to teleport to Canterlot?” the unicorn wondered aloud. “I'm more than capable of doing that.”
“Uh, maybe because of... like what just happened?” commented the baby dragon, with a small hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Oh, right.” She jumps up suddenly, exclaiming “Oh goodness I still need to pack! Spike! What scrolls, quills and ink bottles do we have left?”
As the purple dragon opened his mouth to reply, a burst of green flame expelled itself from his mouth, which swirled into a scroll with a small poof. He leaned over to grab it and read it aloud: “P.P.S. You will not need to bring any studying materials with you. Anything and everything that you will need is already here.”
The purple pony looks relieved. “Well, that settles that! I guess we won't have to worry about being short on writing materials around here!” She looked out the window, noticing that it is late morning. “I wonder when the chariot will get here,” the pony murmured to herself.
Suddenly, as if on call, there was a loud knocking on the door. Twilight jumped, startled, as Spike ran up to answer it.
Two pegasi guards stood in the doorway, their shining gold armor reflecting the bright sun. They looked almost exactly the same, with pearly blue eyes and mane, and soft white coats.
“Twilight Sparkle,” began one guard in a gruff voice, “We are here to take you to Canterlot for your audience with Princess Celestia. Are you ready to depart?”
The purple mare looked around her house once more, remembering she didn't need to bring anything. “Yes, I'm ready to go,” she replied.
The two guards parted, creating a way for her to the chariot outside. Twilight glanced at Spike, who waddled over and gave her a hug. “Good luck Twilight!” he said, “And have fun! But I'm sure you'll do just fine.”
She smiled at her number-one assistant, whispered a quick “Thanks,” and then trotted out the door. The guards followed her to the golden aerial chariot just outside her library.
The gilded chariot glittered in the bright morning sunlight, the wheels and sides catching the rays of light at an angle, bouncing them into the unicorn's eyes. She blinked, and walked around to the back, hopping on. The pegasi flew over and positioned themselves together behind the harness. The two guards looked at each other, gave a terse nod in unison, and then galloped forth, their wings spreading, as they pulled the chariot and Twilight into the sky, heading for Canterlot Castle.
* * *
Preoccupied with thoughts and worries over her new-found magical prowess, Twilight didn't notice that the chariot had arrived in Canterlot until it touched down in the castle courtyard with a light bump. She looked up, shaking the thoughts from her head, a bit surprised that they had gotten here so quickly.
The unicorn jumped out of the chariot, thanked the guards who had flown here there, and set off for the castle at a brisk trot. Worrying thoughts and fears began to slowly seep into her mind, and she paid little attention to the majestic greenery and fountains that dotted the grounds of the castle. She stopped at the imposing wooden doors, where two pegasi guards similar in appearance to her chariot drivers stood at attention.
“Who goes there?” demanded one guard, gazing at the newcomer.
“Twilight Sparkle, here to see Princess Celestia,” she replied.
The second guard signaled his hoof upwards, and the castle door opened into a dark beyond. Reminiscing about this daily action in years prior, Twilight stepped forth into the castle, as the door behind her shut with a resounding thud.
The little pony found herself standing in the main hall of the castle, draped with banners depicting emblems of both the sun and moon. Sunlight glimmered through the giant windows, illuminating the dust in the air. Hallways led to different parts of the castle to the left and right, and a large staircase ascended from the center of the room, and split off in two directions. At the split of the staircase stood a white, awe-inspiring alicorn.
“Twilight Sparkle,” spoke Princess Celestia, her warm smile washing away Twilight's anxieties. “Welcome.”
“Princess!” the unicorn exclaimed, racing to the princess. She bounded up the stairs two at a time, nuzzling the Princess as she reached her.
Still smiling, the winged unicorn bent down and embraced Twilight, letting her warmth flow into the purple pony.
“So, my faithful student,” began Celestia as she let go of Twilight. “are you prepared to embark on your advanced magical studies?”
The student looked up at her teacher, and nodded confidently. “Yes, Princess.”
The Princess looked at her, and asked, “Tell me, my student. Have you used magic extensively between the incident and now?”
Twilight froze. She sharply recalled the events that had occurred earlier that day, ending with Rainbow Dash injuring her leg. She folded her ears back and looked away, knowing the Princess would be furious.
“Uhm, well, what happened was...” The purple pony haltingly explained the events that had taken place prior to her arrival, ending with an almost inaudible “...I'm sorry.”
The Princess gazed sternly upon Twilight. “This is exactly the sort of thing I didn't want happening, why I wanted to wait until much later to remove the seal. Alas, once it has been removed, it cannot be reapplied.”
Her expression softened, and she leaned forward to lightly nudge the distraught unicorn with her snout. “But that is why you are here, isn't it? Come Twilight, let's begin our studies, so that you may learn to better control your special gift.”
Twilight looked up at the Princess with a relieved smile, and followed her as she started into the depths of the castle.
“Now my student, can you recite to me the ABC's of spell casting?” asked the Princess, as she slowed to walk alongside Twilight.
“Aim, Breathe, and Concentrate,” replied Twilight.
“Good. Now, describe each,” continued Celestia.
Twilight cleared her throat, and began, “Though they're called the ABC's, a magic user must actually complete them in reverse-alphabetical order. First, Concentrate. Based on the magic user's skill level, pool of magic, and mastery over the spells she is casting, she must draw upon an appropriate level of magic for the spell at hand. If the spell has a target, then the caster must focus on both the amount of magic she draws, and the target. Next is to Breathe. The caster should relax her muscles, breathe in, and then breathe out, Aiming her magic at her target.”
The Princess smiled, “Well done my pupil. Now, tell me, what is the difference between this process here, and what happened to you when you lost control?”
Twilight paused for a moment, furrowing her brow in thought. “I think the problem started with the first step. I was concentrating on the scroll I was going to send, but then lost my concentration, and didn't breathe, or aim, and then... the magic sort of exploded out of me.”
Celestia nodded. “So, do you know where we are going to start today with our lessons?”
Twilight pipes up, “With concentration practices?”
“Yes Twilight,” the Princess turned and stopped at a door. “We will be practicing concentration, meditation, and focusing of the mind. But not magic kindergarten level concentration exercises. We will be doing work that's reserved for the most advanced unicorns.” Her horn lit itself, bathing the door in a golden yellow, sliding it open.
Twilight's eyes widened, sparkling with excitement. Peering past Celestia, she craned her neck to see what lay beyond. Ahead of her was a dark room, with but a dim light in the center. The Princess strode in, followed closely by her zealous student. The door slid shut behind them, encasing both of them in almost total darkness.
As Twilight's eyes adjusted, she focused on the dim source of light in the center of the room. Floating at about her eye's level was a small golden orb, bobbing lazily in the center of the room. Princess Celestia walked forward, and sat down in front of the orb. She motioned for Twilight to do the same opposite of her.
The purple unicorn trotted forward, and positioned herself across from Celestia, watching the small ball of light between them. The two of them watched the ball intently for several minutes, the only sounds coming from their low breathing.
“What is this?” inquired Twilight, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. “And how will it help me train in concentration?”
The white pony didn't immediately reply. She continued to stare at the floating orb, deep in thought. After a few more minutes, Celestia replied.
“As you know, Equestria is a land of magic. Each creature here has innate magic, and expresses their magic in different ways. For ponies, it comes down to unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies.”
“With the obvious exception of great Princesses like you, Luna, and Cadance,” Twilight added cheerily.
The alicorn smiled. “Yes. With the exception of alicorns like us. Each race of pony is able to use their magic in ways that are unique to them. Earth ponies are connected to the magic of the land, and thus are able to grow food and plants better than anypony else. Pegasi are connected to the magic of the sky, and thus are able to control the weather.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And unicorns?”
“Unicorns are connected to magic itself. They have more direct access to magic. Though some ponies, such as Starswirl the Bearded, have said that unicorns are connected to something else too.” The Princess pointed her hoof at Twilight’s cutie mark.
Twilight twisted her neck around to eye her cutie mark. She pondered the statement for a moment, until realization dawned on her. “The stars?” she asked, looking back up at Celestia.
Her mentor nodded. “Nopony knows for certain. But, what we do know is that every pony is magical in their own way, and has a hidden connection to magic. With proper training and perseverance, a pony can learn to access and use this inert magic.”
Princess Celestia closed her eyes, and seemed to freeze. The purple pony across from her opened her mouth to say something, but then thinking better of it, shut it.
Suddenly, the orb gyrated, pulsing, seemingly come to life. Twilight’s eyes were hypnotically glued to the orb, as it slowly started to move. The orb, still spinning on its axis, revolved around the unicorn’s head clockwise. Twilight held her breath, not moving. After making a full revolution, the orb stopped where it started, its light dimming. The orb halted its spin, once more becoming inert.
Celestia opened her eyes, and looking upon her protégé. “Answer me this Twilight. Did I use my magic to move that orb?”
The young unicorn shook her head in bewilderment. “How did you do that?”
“This orb here is very much attuned to the magic of ponies,” answered the Princess, glancing at the ball of light. “If a pony is able to access their inner magic, and use it, they can move this orb around, among other things in this room.”
“Other things..?” wondered Twilight.
“Yes. There are secrets this room holds, some of which even I haven’t fully discovered. The tricky bit about this room is that you cannot use magic like you normally do. Go ahead; try to illuminate this room with your magic.”
Remembering what they had talked about in the hallway minutes prior, Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating on her task. Illumination. She accessed the familiar part of her brain, where she knew she would find her store of magic. Though, as she tried to access her magic, she found it to be blocked off. Twilight panicked, trying to dig through the barrier in her mind to her magic. Try as she might, she could not get to the magic she needed to cast her spell. She opened her eyes, looking helplessly at the Princess.
“As you can see, no magic is allowed in this room. So there's no easy way of getting the orb to do what you want it to,” she said with a small wink. “The path to your inner magic is somewhere in your mind; to find it, you need to not only clear your mind completely, but also still your body. You must not move a single muscle in order to achieve the balance needed to access this special magic.”
The young unicorn lowered her head in thought, contemplating Celestia's words. “But wait,” she raised her head, looking at the Princess quizzically, “What does any of this have to do with my control of magic, if this doesn’t even involve magic?”
“The self-control and focus you will develop during this training will directly influence how you access your normal magic. So, the more you’re able to focus in this room, the easier it will be for you to focus, and to use, your normal magic. Not only that, but you will be able to use more and more magic easily as your training progresses, meaning you’ll be able to cast more advanced spells later on.”
Twilight smiled at the prospect of learning advanced spells. “Okay Princess,” she nodded. “I’m ready to start.”
Celestia smiled once again. “Very well. Try to move this orb up and down, if you can. As I had mentioned previously, to do so, you will need to both clear your mind, and to be completely still.”
Twilight looked down to the orb in front of her, analyzing it. She closed her eyes, imprinting its image into her mind’s eye. Clearing her mind of unnecessary thoughts, she tensed her muscles, freezing into place. Rise. The word scurried across her mind, followed by the image of the orb. Not feeling any different, she cracked open an eye to steal a glance at the orb.
The orb continued to float in the same place it had been, unresponsive.
Unfazed, Twilight shut her eyes tightly once more, emptying her mind of thoughts of worry and failure. Lift. The word appeared in her mind alongside the spitting image of the orb, and hung there for several moments. Twilight focused on the word, repeating it in her mind, and on what she wanted the orb to do.
A few moments later, the unicorn opened her eyes to check on her progress. Unsurprisingly, the orb hadn’t budged. Slightly annoyed, she once more shut her eyes, determined to keep trying.
Several hours later, Twilight slammed her hoof on the ground, infuriated. “I can’t do this!” she shouted, frowning in anger. Her shout rang through the room, echoing off the walls, amplifying it. She angrily looked up at Celestia, who watched her intently with a calm expression on her face. Realizing her ire was doing no good, her shoulders sagged, defeated. “…I can’t do this. How am I supposed to make this orb move without using magic?”
“You can do this my young student. But I did not expect you to be able to do so on your first day. We will try again soon. For now, perhaps you ought to return to Ponyville for some rest.”
The small unicorn nodded, her forelegs buckling, exhaustion sweeping over her. “That was a lot more tiring than I expected,” she sighed.
Celestia nodded understandingly, walking forward to open the door with her hoof. “It often takes more energy to focus your mind on a task, than it does your muscles. Come my dear, the day is nearly done.”
The purple pony obliged, standing up, and slowly trotting towards the door, into the hallway. The Princess stepped out, closing the door behind her. Raising her horn, she let a golden magical aura flow through it, popping a small scroll into existence in front of her, levitating it to Twilight.
“This scroll here is a one-way teleportation spell to Canterlot Castle. Good for one use. It's your ticket back here for the next lesson, the day after tomorrow,” the white alicorn paused. “I still would ask that you refrain from casting any major spells for the time being. Try to stick only to basic spells and enchantments. You're still unsure of your new power, and I would rather not see harm come to you, nor your friends.”
Twilight nods, retrieving the scroll with her own magic. “You have my word Princess.”
* * *
Continuing to hone her focus with Celestia during the following two weeks, Twilight noticed her ability to concentrate had been dramatically increased, despite seeing little visible progress otherwise.
“Spike!” called out the purple unicorn, running around frantically, searching her bookshelves. “Where is the scroll that the Princess gave me? I need that to get to Canterlot for the lesson!”
A small baby dragon came waddling down the stairs, holding a tightly furled scroll in his claw. “Here it is!” he exclaimed, jumping down the last step.
“Thanks Spike!” Twilight breathed, relieved. “So, I should be back in a few hours after the lesson, as usual. Would you kindly get dinner started by then?”
Her scaled assistant saluted. “No problem Twilight! I can def-” his words halted, as suddenly he clasped a claw over his mouth, as if trying to hold something back. Unable to contain it any longer, Spike let go of his mouth, expelling a small cloud of magical smoke. The two of them watched as the smoke swirled into a small fireball, and then poofed into a scroll. Falling to the ground, the scroll rolled over to reveal it was bound by a small blue ribbon, with a dark blue wax seal keeping it closed.
The purple-and-green dragon grabbed the scroll, eying the emblem on the seal. “This is from Princess Luna!” he cried out, breaking the seal off with a swipe of his claw.
“What's it say?” the inquisitive pony asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Her assistant recited, “Dear Twilight Sparkle. Tonight, I will be teaching your lesson. Rest until your arrival, and please arrive after sunset. Regards, Princess Luna.”
Gasping with excitement, “Princess Luna will be my teacher tonight!?”burst out the young pony, her eyes gleaming. “Oh I can't wait!”
* * *
Twilight found herself standing face to face with the towering doors of Canterlot Castle, the courtyard around her enshrouded in darkness. Lights of the guard ponies bobbed up and down on the ramparts of the castle, as they walked to and fro on duty. Looking back down in front of her, she noticed that the normal day guards had been replaced by gray-coated, bat-winged pegasi. As she stepped forward, their yellow eyes snapped towards her, gazing fiercely.
“Who goes there?” barked one the guards.
“T-twilight Sparkle, here to see Princess Luna,” replied the unicorn, stammering awkwardly.
The pegasus raised a hoof, signaling the opening of the door. As it creaked open, the purple pony dashed inside, unwilling to spend any more time under the piercing stares of the guards.
The door clanging shut behind her, Twilight's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit hall. At the foot of the stairs, stood a dark-coated alicorn, her blue mane flowing calmly.
“Welcome Twilight Sparkle. I am pleased to see you here,” came Luna's voice, echoing slightly through the darkened hall.
Smiling slightly, the small unicorn trotted forward, replying “It's great to be here. The castle sure does look different at night.”
The Princess nodded slightly, turning to the stairs. “Come child, though the night is young we have much to do.” She slowly ascended the stairs, turning to the left.
Twilight paused.. “Princess, isn't the room to the right?” she asked, unsure.
“We are not going to be training there tonight. I have something else in mind for you,” she answered, continuing on.
Puzzled, Twilight scurried after the dark pony, her hoofsteps ringing against the cold stone of the stairs.
Winding their way through the castle, Luna escorted the purple unicorn to the inner castle gardens. As they trotted through the foliage, Twilight could hear various animals and their calling sounds, the gardens teeming with life even at night. She followed the Princess to a small clearing, where she stopped, and turned to look at Twilight.
“Now, Twilight Sparkle, we are going to be training in a different manner tonight,” she said, eying the unicorn with her large teal eyes. “Instead of your usual focus practices, I will be testing you on your magical prowess. Are you ready to begin?”
The small pony blinked, slightly taken aback that was about to be tested. Smiling confidently, she replied, “Yes Princess. I'm ready to pass my test.”
The dark alicorn smirked wryly. “Very well. Without moving from your spot, please begin by casting a ring of flame around yourself.”
“But Princess, I've never-” began the protesting pony.
“The test has begun!” interrupted Luna. “Do you intend to pass? If so, then complete the challenge at hand!” eying Twilight challengingly.
The purple pony gulped. I've never cast elemental fire magic before! she lamented to herself. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, opening her reservoir of magic. I hope this works.
A small fountain of flame spouted from the tip of her horn, winding its way around Twilight's head. Her eyes opening, she watched as she guided the fire around her, cutting the flow once the flame formed a full circle. The flaming halo surrounding her, she looked at Luna. “That was easier than I expected, considering I've never cast fire magic before!”
The Princess settled down, crossing her hooves. “Next, I want you to take the ring, and weave it into a helix.”
The hours of the night falling away, Twilight continued to demonstrate her magical abilities for Princess Luna, each task more challenging than the last.
“Excellent!” cried out the night Princess. “You've successfully managed to manipulate the orbs of water into water sculptures!”
Her breath ragged, Twilight weakly smiled at her mentor. Floating around her were three small statues of ponies in different poses, each made of clear, flowing water. “Thank you...Princess,” whispered Twilight, her head hanging slightly.
“Now, I want you to preserve these sculptures by petrifying them,” stated Luna.
The unicorn's head shot up, her ears flicking. “Wait what? You want me to turn water... into stone?!” she screeched. “That's impossible!”
The alicorn fixed her stare on the smaller pony. “It is not impossible if you put your mind to it! You have proven tonight to be capable of magic most can only dream of! Now petrify these!”
Twilight's eye twitched. Knowing arguing with the Princess would be futile, she sighed, resigning herself to her task. Calling upon the last dregs of magic in her mind, her horn sparkled a bright pink. She squeezed her eyes shut, furrowing her brow in total concentration.
Around her, the statues halted, the water unmoving. Before Luna's eyes, the statues seemed to be slowly filling with a dark material. The material rose through the statues, inch by inch. As the bases of the statues were turned to stone, Twilight gasped, her horn's aura flickering. She pushed with her magic, though the flowing stone would not rise. Forcing her magic out, the unicorn sagged to her front knees, desperately trying to complete the spell.
As the last of her magic dried up, Twilight fell forward, her face hitting the soft dirt with a small thump. The statues around her suddenly reverted fully into water and exploded, drenching the pony in cold liquid. Lying there, gasping for breath, Twilight avoided Luna's gaze, knowing she had failed.
“Twilight Sparkle, that was the most impressive display of magic that I have seen in over a millennium. Well done, well done indeed. Everything from conjuration, to illusion and transmutation, among other schools. I am very impressed.”
Pushing herself up shakily into a sitting position, the little pony still looked elsewhere. “But...I failed the last part of the test...” she muttered.
“Pray tell, are you really going to feel bad that you were unable to complete a spell that even I have trouble with?” inquired the Princess.
Twilight's eyes fixed on Luna. “You have trouble with this spell? But, but you're Princess Luna! You can control the moon!”
Luna's gaze met her student's. “Celestia and I may be powerful, yes, but we are not omnipotent. There are spells that even we cannot cast. Nonetheless, what you have done tonight would surely make even some of the most advanced unicorns envious. To be able to do so much, at such a young age... truly, you are a very special pony, Twilight Sparkle. The Element of Magic indeed.”
She stood up, spreading her wings, approaching Twilight. “You have most assuredly earned your rest. Come, let me take you home.”
Previous: Chapter Two