The second day of Elemental Magic class is the one usually talked about the most, for it is testing day, but not just any testing day... it's elemental affiliation testing day. The dull roar of students chatting excitedly to each other as they await the arrival of the teacher fills the classroom. She doesn't make them wait long.
The door opens and the pony they had met on Monday morning walks in, the class quieting down almost instantly. Her coat is a severely pale blue rarely seen, and her mane and tail look almost like actual flames of blue fire. As she faces them from behind the long table at the front of the classroom, one can easily see her, contrastly, icy blue eyes that can seem to pierce you from the farthest parts of the room. Today though, her eyes seem to radiate just as much excitement as her students.
She clears her throat and begins to speak, her voice carrying easily through the room despite her sounding like she is having a conversation. "Looks like everypony got here early today. Good. We've got to test every single one of you today, and as you know, what happens here today will determine your personal course route for the entire time you are in this class." A few gulps are heard, but most students still seem excited. "Today, you will be judged to see which of the six elements you are most in tune with. Whether it be... fire."
A sphere the size of a bowling ball rises in her hand from below the table, inside is what appears to be a roaring campfire... if it weren't for the fact that tinges of various colors can be seen inside the ball and the fire has no visible source of fuel. The sphere is set down as she takes a few steps to the left.
"Water."
Another sphere is revealed, this one containing the next element. Inside roils water as if caught in a churning whirlpool, and the next second it goes as still as a pond. Yet again it changes as small waves start appearing, rolling gently along.
"Air."
Yet another sphere comes up. This one has a slight green tinge to it as a small tornado spins back and forth within.
"Earth."
A brown sphere appears, this one containing a stone that is worn away to sand, only to be compressed back into stone and start the process over.
"Light."
A twinkling sphere is brought up. Each pinpoint of light blinks, dim, and brightens on a whim, as if the most active stars were captured within.
"Shadow."
Finally, a dark sphere is pulled from under the table. It's contents seem to not let any light pass through as black and purple forms swirl within, forming various shapes that drift away the instant they start to become clear.
Angel, who had almost been falling asleep, perchance to dream of her study buddy, perks up at this, curious. She picks up her notebook, starting to sketch the spheres before her.
The teacher passes as she continues speaking. "Now, each of you will come up here and attempt to lift each sphere, one at a time. Whenever you reach the one you're most affiliated with... you'll know." A knowing laugh comes from the mare as she looks around. "So... do I have a volunteer to be the first to try?"
Next to Angel, a pink unicorn mare with dark blue mane raises her hoof, stating with absolute confidence, "I would like to go first, Miss Ember."
The professor nods. "Ah, Miss Rapids. Yes, go ahead and come down." As the student does so, the blue mare levitates over a clipboard and six small stamps of different colors. "Whenever you are ready, simply start picking up a sphere, if it doesn't do anything, move to the next one."
With a nod and nary a glance to the other students, the student starts walking down the rows of spheres. As she passes the shadow sphere, her horn lights up and a light pink aura surrounds both it and the orb. A look of surprise flits across the mare's face as the orb refuses to even budge. A few more tests reveal the same result with the light, earth, and air orbs. Finally, she reaches the water orb and her horn lights up. As soon as her aura completely envelopes the ball, a sudden spout of water the circumference of the orb shoots upward towards the ceiling, stopping about halfway there as the spout spreads outward into a whirlpool suspended in mid air that drains away to nothing after a few seconds, leaving nothing but air and shocked student faces behind.
Professor Bright Ember stamps a small blue mark next to the students name, breaking the silence. "A water pony, as expected Miss Rapids."
The pink unicorn straightens up, a smug smile coming to her face. "Yes... of course that's what it was." She makes her way back to her seat, a proud skip in her steps.
The blue mare up front looks around. "Alright, who's next?"
Angel is too busy sketching and writing what had happened to volunteer. She notices the student in the back of the class raise a hand, though, turning to watch the pony rush down the aisle without waiting for the teacher's acknowledgement.
The pony, who's cutie mark is of a panflute, consults with the professor a moment before excitedly walking to the orbs and starting to try each one. She makes it all the way to the air sphere before she gets a reaction. A gentle breeze wafts through the room, papers fluttering as smells known for carrying on the wind grace the senses of those present. As the mare giggles, the professor puts a green stamp next to her name and sends her on her way.
The next to volunteer is a grey stallion. Calmly, he walks down to the front and gives a nod to Ember, who nods back as he starts trying the spheres, everypony present barely getting a glance at his cutie mark, something one would expect on a pegasus if it weren't for the color. This pony too, gets a reaction from the air sphere, though different from the mare before him. As his white aura touches the ball, a sudden wall of wind just seems to originate from the sphere and radiating outward, knocking quite a few unprepared ponies from their seats and sending almost everything that was on a desk tumbling to the floor. As everypony else recovers, the pony with the purple tornado cutie mark calmly walks back to his seat.
The professor, straightening her mane from the last test but otherwise unfrazzled, looks up at the rest of them. "Alright, since nopony else seems to be eager to come up after that, we'll start in alphabetical order. Next up: Miss Angelic Grace."
The white mare looks up from her notebook, having just picked it back up. "You called me, Miss Ember?"
The blue unicorn nods. "Yes. Please come down to determine your elemental affinity, Miss Grace."
"Um... okay, then." She stands and hurries to the front, making a beeline for the fire sphere. She stops a yard from it and takes a couple steps back before trying to pick it up.
As soon as her blue magic completely covers the sphere, a piercing cry punctures the air as a swirling vortex of blue fire erupts from the ball. The flames mushroom upward high towards the ceiling, arcing out into an image that soon becomes clear. It is a spitting image of a phoenix in full flame... made entirely out of blue fire and five times the size of an actual phoenix. After a moment, the flames slowly dissipate, leaving the room no worse for wear, though some students will have spots in their eyes for the next hour.
Professor Ember simply stares at the mare and the sphere, blinking slowly before she finally speaks, a small note of wonder in her voice. "Very impressive Miss Grace... please... take your seat."
Angel giggles, playfully saluting the teacher. "Okay!" She happily skips up the steps and back into her seat, picking up her book and doodling in it once more.
The mare next to her however, is not so ready to move on. As another student goes forward, she hisses to Angel. "How did you do that?! How much fire magic could you possibly know in order to produce... that?!"
She blinks, turning to look at the other unicorn in confusion. "...I'm sorry, what?" She rubs her ear, tilting her head to one side. "I had to know fire magic to do that?"
"For that big of a reaction? Yes!" The pink mare frowns at Angel. "Are you saying you don't?"
"I know a bit." She holds up a finger, a pale blue flame appearing just above the tip. "Nothing big, though."
"But... you... how... ugh!" Rapids turns away just in time to see a light show much like a rave come from a pony who the light sphere responded to.
"Woo! Party!" Angel giggles, oblivious to the stares she receives from nearby students.
***
Angel stands in a line with about eleven other candidates. Each of them is a unicorn mare of approximately the same build, and each are here for one purpose: to join the group of six mares standing in front of them all in purple and white cheerleader uniforms.
The squad captain takes a step forward from the rest of the girls, smiling at the group before her before she suddenly turns 90 degrees on her heel and begins walking down the line, her hands folded behind her back. "Alright ladies, listen up! You are here today because each of you was spotted by our talent scouts as having the potential to become one of us. However, that does not mean you are in! We only need half your number of new recruits, and if any of you seem like you don't have what it takes, you're out!" She reaches the end of the line and does a quick about face, resuming her stride. "We cheerleaders must inspire our fellow students with our cheers, we must dazzle them with our magic, and we distract the other team with our moves. This is our purpose, and if you want to be one of us, this is what you will do. No exceptions!"
She stops in front of the center of the line. "Now, you four!" She points to four mares at one end of the line, including Angel. "Go with Glow and Dazzle and show them what you've got!" Two mares detach from the group behind her and go to the four to a spot a short distance away. "Next four with Spirit and Sapphire." More ponies break off, leaving the captain, one cheerleader, and the last group of four. "You lot are the lucky ones, you get to test with Sprinkle and I." The few gulps accompanying this statement reveal that her smile doesn't exactly make them feel lucky.
The mares designated as Glow and Dazzle spare a glance backwards at their captain and giggle once sufficiently out of earshot. "Really into her role this year, isn't she?" The other nods as they stop and turn around to face the recruits. The one to initially speak does so again. "Just to let you know, we're not going to run you into the army like our captain, but it doesn't expect any less out of all of you." She narrows her eyes slightly at them. "She was right, we only accept the best. So, let's see if any of you have what it takes to be seen on our uniform."
Her cohort steps up to the speaking role now. "First up, you have to be enthusiastic. Nothing is worse than an emotionless cheerleader. So, you have to have passion. So, when I point to each of you, I want to to show me just how enthusiastic you can be."
She points to the first mare who squeaks before gathering herself and pumping her hands into the air. "Go team!" Her volume is at about conversational level, which raises the eyebrows of the testers. "Umm, let me try again." She takes a breath before suddenly seeming to explode outward with energy as she jumps up, shouting. "Go team!" This performance is met with approving nods from the testers as they move to the next pony.
This one, when asked, almost bounces in place as she just repeats 'go' over and over. The reactions are mixed, but hopeful as they next step over to Angel and point to her.
Angel takes a second but brightens up as realization hits her. She giggles and puts her hands together. "Let's go, Knights!" She claps her hands and extends her left one up and out, the other moving to her hip. She repeats the action, but in the opposite direction, all in time with her words. "Win the fight! Woo!" She kicks out her leg, her hoof going up to the same height as her shoulder.
Smiles adorn both Dazzle and Glow's faces, one of them even offering a few claps. However, like the rest, they don't offer vocal comments as to the candidate's performances. The last mare offers puts her lugs into a long, loud shout as her turn comes up, causing many to covers their ears until she's done.
The test mares switch places again as the one that was sitting comes forward now. "Alright, next up we're gonna have you do a little magic for us. It's nothing too specific, we just want you to show us a sample of something you can do, that you think would go well in our performances. Again, just do it when I point to you." She waits a moment then points randomly to the mare at the end of the line.
The potential cheerleader concentrates a moment before flowers petals made of light start fountaining out from her horn, gently floating down to the ground around her and dissipating when they touch it. A far off sound of awe can be heard from another group before the mare that uttered it is told to focus by one of the mares testing her.
Glow and Dazzle nod, the one not speaking puts a hand to her chin in thought as her cohort next points to Angel.
She beams and holds out her hands, palms up. Her horn lights up and a small burst of magic shoots out of the tip, lazily heading up into the sky. She snaps her fingers and sparks of fire appear from her pale palms, brightly illuminating the area around them before each dies down, only to be replaced with another immediately.
She glances up and smiles, closing her hands and putting them out before pointing upwards. Right as she does, the ball above her bursts into a magnificent blue flower of fire, staying there for a moment before fading away.
Again, sounds of awe can be heard coming from another group, just before the sounds of chastising follow it. Such is the same when the next mare in the group summons magical ribbons to whirl around her in a vortex and the next creates a visual double of herself to mimic her as she does a cheer.
Glow and Dazzle looks to each other before they speak again. "Very impressive performances from all of you. Now, it's time to see if you can follow a routine. Try to mimic this..."