//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Growth 
// Story: Celestia: The Fall of the Alicorns 
// by Deuterium 
//------------------------------//

Fast forward a few years. The new princesses Celestia and Luna had begun to learn the ropes, but as of yet they weren't entirely sure how life as a princess works. But that soon began to change, as both had been enrolled in Queen Galaxia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, where, as their mother always told them, “great wizards are born”. As such, Luna had initially expected it to be some sort of maternity ward, being rather surprised to find out it was actually an educational facility for extremely talented unicorns (and as the name did not suggest, alicorns).

All sorts of ponies were there - the sons and daughters of rich and famous alicorns, run-down little fillies whose parents had saved for ages and ages to get their children in, even personal acceptees of Queen Galaxia herself. Certainly, the population of the School was diverse. And the first time they stepped through the doors was the first time they realised just how important they were. Within seconds, Celestia and Luna were immensely popular, and for the first few days, it always seemed as if everypony wanted to be their friend.

“Are you really princesses?”
“Pleeeease let me shine your hooves!”
“Can I have lunch with you, Luna…?”

Day in, day out, it was constant compliments, love confessions and offers to help with every single aspect of the Princesses’ lives. Celestia never took up any of them on their offers, seeing no reason why they should be somehow more important (though she did once come up with a rather funny prank to get rid of one particularly persistent colt, involving a glass of juice and a particular noise she made with her mouth). Eventually though, before it started getting to their heads, everypony else just got used to their presence. The crowds died down, and eventually, things levelled out. Everything felt... normal, and she’d begun to make some friends - quite possibly one of the best decisions she’d ever made, and with good reason.

Soon, the first of Celestia’s practical magic tests was coming up, and everypony was buzzing.
“I bet Celestia will get top of the class!”
“Yeah - she’s so cool, I bet she’ll do really good!”
That was the typical classroom chatter for the few days before the exam, and eventually it got to Celestia’s head. She’d lock herself in her room for hours on end, practising to try and perfect the spell… But every time she tried, she just seemed to underperform. The topic had come up in conversation with her mother several times.

“I HAVE to pass this test! Otherwise I’ll disappoint EVERYONE!”
“Sweetie, don’t worry about it… Just do what you can and you’ll be alright.”
“But if I don’t ace this test, what will everypony think of me? They expect me to ace this test!”
“That’s because they believe in you. Friendship is magic, you know… It can do amazing things to ponies.”
“You say that EVERY TIME, Mom!”
“That’s because it’s true, sweetie. If your friends believe in you, there’s no reason not to believe in yourself!”

Soon, the day of the test came, and Celestia was sweating bullets. She waited in line, waiting for the head teacher’s call, her legs juddering as if there were an earthquake. 
Unbeknownst to her, one of her friends had noticed, and began to whisper to the other ponies in the room… They had a plan.

“...Celestia?”
Celestia jumped nearly a foot in the air as her name was called.
“Y-Yes! Yes?”
“It’s time for your test. Are you ready?”
She most certainly was not, but nevertheless she nodded slowly.
“Good. Now come in… don’t be shy.”
Celestia slowly stepped into the examination room, and the door closed with a creak behind her.
There was the head teacher, looking down at the little filly through her half-moon spectacles, expectantly.
“Princess Celestia… I can’t wait to see what you have in store!”
Celestia gulped. She was very much unprepared for this… She closed her eyes, and tried to summon the spell… but she just couldn't do it. Her horn sparked and fizzed furiously, trying her hardest to muster even the slightest effect… but to no avail.
At that moment, she heard a strange noise emanating from the other side of the door… it was… rhythmic, repeating itself, over and over… it sounded like voices…
“Ti-a! Ti-a! Ti-a! Ti-a!”
It sounded like her friends’ voices! That would have explained then all huddling together - they had banded together to cheer her on in her hour of need! 
Suddenly, something hit Celestia like a shockwave. A powerful feeling, like a new ability unlocking itself within her… And as suddenly as it hit her, she felt her horn began to positively pulsate with energy! Almost without thinking, she focused all of her energy to it… and her horn began to glow a bright white. She’d succeeded! She could hear her classmates cheering as the magical light blazed from her forehead, before finally she managed to dim her horn.
“Well, colour me impressed! I suppose it should be expected from our new Princess!” the head teacher said, beaming at Celestia.
Celestia smiled back. Her mother was right - friendship could do amazing things.

The days went by, more magic was learned, and slowly the Princesses began learning about life in general and as a member of the Royal Family. The two attended a few royal events, but were never allowed to stay up for any of Galaxia’s famed parties.

“Mommy said that all the rich and famous alicorns from across Equestria go to those parties!” exclaimed Luna one evening when their mother had gone out for a meal with several other powerful politicians. “It isn't fair - why can’t we come too?”
“Be patient, Luna - I want to know what it’s like too… To be queen of the kingdom… Meeting all those foreign diplomats… It sounds amazing!”
“Hmph… You’re only making me want it more!”
Celestia couldn’t help but giggle at Luna’s reaction a little.
“Well, if I can be patient, you can too!”
This sentiment ticked Luna off a little.
“Oh yeah, I bet you’re REALLY patient! I bet you’re Miss Patient Pony Princess of the Year!”
“...Maaaaaybe not that patient.”

As the days went by, the princesses lived and learned. But while they lived their lives, something else was developing, beneath the gaze of the Alicorns and their government…

“Blast it, this is NOT WORKING!”
In a dimly-lit cave somewhere in the Canterlot mountain face, a dark brown-coated unicorn worked away at a makeshift stone table. His bloodshot, baggy eyes were a deep brown, his black mane unwashed and straggly. 
The unicorn slammed his hoof down on his table as he yelled to the room in general.
“WHY can I NEVER get it right?!” He took his hooves off the table and started pacing up and down, musing to himself. “For all this time I’ve been ridiculed, loathed and despised. I am a scientist, a pioneer! But they rejected everything… My work, my ideas, my life! They said I was ‘immoral’... That nopony should be ‘tampering in the taboo’... Well, someday they’ll learn… If I can bring a frog back to life I’ll do it to a pony too… If I could only make it WORK!!!!” His last sentence gradually rose in volume, until at the last word he was screaming. For a few seconds, he just stood there, breathing quickly and deeply, trying his very best to at least stay on all four legs. “Damn you, you pathetic, scared, worthless ‘Council’!...” He said, strained as he began flashing back...

This miserable excuse for a pony went by the name of Grogar. His sweat-drenched body and matted mane could be attributed to days on end without sleep of slaving away before his table, trying his best to fulfil his lifetime goal - to use his magic to bring a pony back from the dark clutches of death. He had devoted most of his life to his work, and he had succeeded in reanimating a frog before presenting his ideas to the Queen’s Council of Science… who shot him down harder than an arrow plunging into a bird’s heart. But he wasn’t finished - His devotion to his work was almost inequine, and the Council’s rejection had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. With that, he snapped. He severed all his connections with society and went into exile, taking all his research with him, continuing in secret away from everypony else. And he only left to do one thing…

Grogar stood up again and looked around the dank, grimy cave, taking in its contents. Lining the cave, there were huge piles... of bodies. Bodies that he had tried and failed to bring back to life. Failed test subjects. Garbage, leaving steady trickles of blood, pooling on the floor, filling the room with a sticky scent of copper. A scent that Grogar had grown highly accustomed to...

He returned to his table, on which the carcass of a cream-coated Earth pony with dark brown hair lay, blood seeping out of her skull from where he’d smashed it in not 2 hours earlier. This had been his latest subject… He thumped the body, remorseless and infuriated.
“Why won’t they just come back to life like I want them to?! If they would, then maybe those pesky alicorns would…”
Upon mentioning the name, Grogar stopped mid-sentence. “Alicorns…” He had had a idea. A idea that had set him on an even darker path than the one he had already followed. A path that would set in motion the events leading to the fall of an empire.
“Soon… They’ll pay for shutting me out!” With that, the unicorn donned a riding cloak from the wall and headed out. It was time… to kill again.