Princess Celestia, princess of Equestria, sat still and watched the fillies waiting for their magic tests. In particular, she was watching one little filly out of all the rest; one that had caught her attention simply by being different from the others.
“Winter,” she said to the speckled, very light green unicorn mare beside her. “What’s that filly’s name?”
“That one? Trixie Lulamoon, Your Highness. Apparently, she’s an orphan,” replied Winter Mint, the school’s head of testing. “I’m certain she’s already been through quite a bit a the orphanage--you know how… uncouth the staff and colts of those establishments tend to act when they have a filly available to them, no matter the age.”
“Well, you’re quite right about that,” Celestia agreed with a hardly noticeable shrug of her shoulders, “but I was talking about the mulberry one without the cutie mark.”
She gestured at the filly sitting quietly with her parents and nervously reading over a list of notes, rather than chattering to her neighbors or vibrating in place with boredom.
“Ah. That’s Twilight Sparkle. Did well on the written exam, but as far as we can tell, she’s dry when it comes to magic.”
“I see...”
Winter Mint cocked her head and looked at Celestia, who was looking at Twilight Sparkle in a way very similar to how somepony might look at a piece of cake they were about to devour. It was, however, a far more predatory gleam that had filled the Princess’s eyes.
“Craving, Your Majesty?” inquired Winter knowingly.
“Oh, yes. Very much.”