//------------------------------// // Test Day! Part 1 // Story: Gazing at the Sky // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------//         Okay. Quill? Check. Inkwell? Check. Scratch parchment? Check. Ugh, why does it feel like I’m forgetting something? Star kept shifting his focus from where he was walking to what was in his saddle bags. Probably not the best idea given that he was in a crowded Canterlot building. Not just any Canterlot building though, it was the Bureau of Inter-Equestrain affairs. It was quite the impressive building with marble pillars and walls adorned with neat little curios from around the world. Star had been quite tempted to oggle over the Neighponese armory collection the building sported, but be had more important matters to deal with today.         Just remember your breathing exercises Star. You’ll be fine, you know this stuff. You’ve been studying for this test for months... I didn’t forget any forms did I?!  Star quickly looked through his bag again and saw that everything appeared to be in order. Appears to be... oh, I know I’m forgetting something! Darn! I don’t have enough time to check my hotel room again. If Star did have time, it would have been his third sweep of the room. However, his ambassador exam was in fifteen minutes, and in terms of worry priority being late topped missing trinkets.         Oh crap! I didn’t forget Zecora’s anti-sneezing medication did I!? Now in a pure panic, Star shifted through his bag, searching for the herbs Zecora had been kind enough to give him for only a few bits. He would not be sneezing during the test. Discord and Nightmare Moon could burst into the exam on the back of a raging Ursa Major and it still wouldn’t be as bad as Star sneezing in the middle of it. Despite having made great friends through his little allergies, he still had a great fear of those in high standing finding out about his condition. Even in the best case scenario, if Star sneezed in the middle of the test they’d probably have to restart it at a later date. Nothing messes up a test like a stallion turning into a ma- Star’s thoughts were cut off by him bumping into to something... or rather somepony.         “The nerve!” The white stallion complained. “Watch where you are walking, peasant!”         “Sorry!” Star said as his face went from its normal brown color to pure white. He’d just bumped into the most egotistical stuck-up jerk in all of Canterlot, probably all of Equestria, maybe even the world.         “Ugh, you do realize I’m royalty, right?” Prince Blueblood snorted at Star. “Why Aunt Celestia even asks me to go to these places is beyond me!”         “I... I’m very sorry, your highness,” Star said as he timidly backed away from the Prince.         “What’s your name commoner? Be quick with your answer!” “S-s-star G-gazer, your highness.” “Well,” Blueblood pushed back his mane as he spoke, “Star, you'd best watch yourself. Canterlot does not tolerate your kind of unsophistication. I suggest you make haste with whatever business you have here and leave before you offend somepony else.” “Yes,” Star said as he gritted his teeth and bowed to the Prince. “Thank you for the advice, your highness.” “You’d best remember it!” Blueblood trotted away in a huff. How in the name of Celestia does a jerk like that get born into royalty!? Star now stomped down the halls of the bureau to the room where the test was being held. I thought the stories about him were bad, but pain in the neck does not even begin to describe him! Signs were now popping up leading to the exam room. Forget it Star, get your mind back in order. Star stopped stomping and went back to trotting normally. Who cares if Blueblood is the jerk everypony says he is? You just had the bad luck of running into him. Star spotted the room and galloped over to it. He had three minutes left until the exam started. You’ll probably never see the jerk agai- “Do you mind?” Blueblood said as Star bumped into him again. “Oh, it’s you. To think Aunt Celestia would let an uncouth urchin like you take this exam. I fear for the integrity of this establishment.” “I, um...” Damn it! Did I fall into a nightmare or something? “Prince Blueblood, step aside please,” said a gruff tall stallion. His coat was grey and his mane was black. A third eye was on his flank and was partially covered by his wings. “Name?” he asked Star. “Gazer, Star, sir.” Holy crap! It’s Iron Wing! I’ve only seen pictures of him in texts when he mitigated the first dragon migration! He.. he’s the personal ambassador to the Princesses! “Forms?” Iron said in a grizzled tone. “Y-yes,” Star replied as he pulled out the paperwork from his bag, “rif hrf srr.” Iron did a quick look over the forms and then nodded at Star. “Very orderly, a good start kid.”         “T-thank you Sir Wing!” Star excitedly said. Did... did Iron Wing just compliment me? “Don’t live up to your name though.” Iron interrupted Star’s reverie. “You still gotta take a test. Now take a seat.”         “Why even compliment him, Sir Wing?” Blueblood said as he slouched back into a chair at the front of the room. “Anypony with eyes can see he’s clearly a peasant trying to act like he’s entitled.”         Star trotted to any empty desk as Iron responded to Blueblood. Star couldn’t hear the whole conversation, but he did pick up Iron scowling at Blueblood. That cheered Star up a little. As he took his seat, got all his supplies out, and looked around the room. There were around twenty other applicants, a good majority of which were unicorns. There were also unicorns lining the walls, proctors most likely. As the clock on the wall dinged nine o’clock, Iron stepped to the front of the room.         “Welcome!” His volume was at near-royal canterlot voice levels. “Today you are all gathered here so that we may determine which of you is the best of the herd. This is no simple task you are undertaking today! Should you pass this exam, you, like myself, will be given the responsibility of sharing and delegating Equestria’s interests with the world. Every word you say and every action you take will be a reflection not only of yourself, but of Equestria as a whole. Keep that in mind as you take this exam. One small mistake can have huge repercussions!” Iron smiled a little. “I’ve burnt my flank enough times to know that for a fact.”         Star tried as hard as he could to stifle his laugh (everypony in the room was trying to). Iron then gestured a hoof over to Blueblood. “As is tradition, to ensure these exams are royally sanctioned, today his royal highness...” Star could have sworn he say Iron’s face scrunch up a little, “Prince Blueblood will be monitoring our exams today!” As Iron spoke, sheets of paper covered in various aura flew down to each of the applicants’ desks. “You will have two hours to complete the exam. Check to make sure all information on your packet is correct before you begin. You may use the restroom, but you must be accompanied by a proctor. You have two hours starting now!” ~~~ The sound of quills on parchment was practically the only sound in the room. There was a light cough here and there as well. There’d also been a slight freakout by one of the unicorn applicants. Blueblood had carelessly been walking down one of the room’s aisles and his tail had knocked over the poor unicorn’s inkwell. She’d broken down into tears and Blueblood hadn’t even apologized. Luckily, a proctor was able to perform a “spilt milk” spell and fixed the exam. It had been fortunate that the ink had spilled onto a blank page of the exam, otherwise all the unicorn’s answers would have been swept away as well. It just made Star want to finish the exam faster and get away from Blueblood. Star didn’t finish the exam first (he always waited for somepony else to turn in their exam first), but he was at least one of first ten to do so. With a shaking hoof, he’d turned in his exam. But just before he made it to the door, Blueblood stopped him. “I’ll have you know that all applicants must pass my admission as well,” he whispered to Star. “Between you and the unicorn foal, I have good mind to fail all you applicants!” Star was about to snap. “You...” Before Star could finish his insult, Blueblood spun around and hit Star in the face with his tail. Unfortunately,  Blueblood’s tail flick perfectly tickled Star’s nose. He felt the sneeze coming on immediately. He blotted out of the room. "Ah..." Crap! Crap! Crap! The no good son of hydra! He had to be lying, right? Er! It doesn’t matter, I need to find a place to hi- Star instantly spotted a darkened room, lept into it, and bucked the door to close it. Just as the door shut behind him, he produced a sneeze. A stallion had jumped into the room, but a mare had landed on the floor. “Oww!” she complained. “Great, just great! At least I didn’t sneeze where anypony saw me.” Star got up and examined her now-female body for any scrapes or bruises. “Everything seems fine...” Star then felt something wet on her side. “Except for my bag.” Star chucked off her bag and saw a large black stain developing on it. “Crap!” She quickly pulled out her books and other material as she searched for the broken inkwell. “It’s all that jerk’s fault!” Star found the broken inkwell and slowly pulled out the jagged pieces with her hooves. A case of good planning had put the inkwell next to scratch parchment, which had been the only thing damaged by the ink. Well, the only thing damaged aside from the bag itself. “Damn it!” Star cussed as her longer mane fell over her glasses. “I’m gonna need to get a new bag now!” Star sighed as she used the rest of the scratch parchment to clean up as much of the ink that was left in the bag. As she cleaned the bag, her thoughts went back to the exam. Blueblood was just being the idiot. There’s no way anypony would let him actually decide who passes the exam. Star finished cleaning the bag as best as she could and collected her stuff back into it. She sighed as she got began to trot back into the halls of the bureau. I just have to wait and see. For now I need to get a new bag and find a place where it’s safe to sneeze. Star rounded a corner and bumped into somepony. Oh Celestia bucking damnit! “Why do ponies keep-” Blueblood angrily turned around, but his voice lost its anger as he saw Star, “bumping into me.” “I, uh...” What did I do wrong? What? I don’t deserve this! Star started to back away. “Ah,” Blueblood said as he slicked back his mane, “I see you recognize me. I can’t really blame you though, I’m the prince everypony knows. Never-the-less,” Blueblood did a small bow, “I am Prince Blueblood. May I ask what your name is?” “You already know my n-” Star stopped. Crap! I’m a mare right now! Great, I have to introduce myself again to to this creatin! “I... I...” “Oh, no need to be intimidated. I know all the ponies say it’s hard to be around a living legend like myself, but I only ask for your name.” “It’s Cloudy... Cloudy Sky,” Star mumbled. Why the buck does he care what my name is? Probably gonna try and have me exiled too. “I see, and what brings you to this...” Blueblood scrunched his face as he looked around the crowded bureau, “tacky place?” Screw it! He can’t recognize me right now! I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind! “Well I was here to support my brother, but he seemed really mad about something.” “If I may ask, what is your brother’s name?” “Star Gazer.” Star shot daggers at Blueblood, but the pompous pony didn’t seem to notice. “Ah yes, the uncouth pegasus,” Blueblood mused as he tapped a hoof to his muzzle. “No offense, but your brother is quite the brat.” I am going to beat the everloving crap out of him! I don’t care if I get sent to the moon for it! “Well, my brother was working really hard for that position. It’d be a shame if he didn’t get the job for such a...” Star nearly let one fly on Blueblood, “simple mistake.” “I suppose you’re right. Actually,” Blueblood trotted a little closer, “I think he’d make a great ambassador.” “Yes, I’m sure you’re a great a- wait what?” Star’s glasses nearly fell off from the doubletake she did. “Well, I’m assuming that if you came with him today that if he became an ambassador you’d have to be in Canterlot a lot more too.” “I... I suppose.” Did I miss something? Did Celestia finally zap the annoying out of him? “Well, I think your brother and the rest of the applicants are in good standing then.” “R-really?” Star was so excited, she didn’t notice Blueblood getting closer to her. “Yes, on one condition.” Blueblood was looming over Star now. “What’s that?” Star eyed him suspiciously. Great, he’s probably gonna ask me to degrade myself. “I would like to cordially invite you to dinner.” Blueblood flashed Star a smile that just made her want to punch him more... if he wasn’t trying to hold back throwing up. “Wh... what did you just say?!” “I suppose it is a bit unnatural for a prince to ask a commoner out, but you deserve a better life than whatever it is you live with your brother. So I’ll cut you a deal, go to dinner with me and your brother passes his exam. Know that I wouldn’t be saying this unless it was to a mare I found incredibly ravishing.” Star tasted the pumpkin muffin she’d had for breakfast in the back of her mouth. Her mind was split between beating Blueblood until he made Discord look handsome and puking on the marbled floor. Dear Luna! It’s worse than with Big Mac! At least Big Mac was a friend! Blueblood... he... he... BUCK! Why?! Why did he have to be the one to proctor the exam?! “I, uh, I’m busy tonight.” “That’s really a shame,” Blueblood sighed as he pushed his mane back in a flamboyant manner, “without a good meal with a pretty mare by my side I may have to disapprove of all the applicants.” “You can’t do that!” Star screamed. Everypony walking the halls looked at her and Blueblood. “Ah, you’ve got some fire in you, I like that in a mare. Well, my offer still stands. If you’re up for it and you want you brother to pass, I’ll be waiting for you at Le Hoof at seven tonight. I can’t wait to see what you wear.” Blueblood gave her a kiss on the cheek then trotted off and left Star standing there. She barely made to the restroom. She had really liked that pumpkin muffin too. “Ugh!” Star wiped her mouth as she stood over the toilet. “I’m gonna kill him! That self-entitled, spoiled...” Star quickly rubbed her hoof back and forth along her cheek, trying to eradicate Blueblood’s taint. “That pervert! I... I...” “Um,” a stallion’s voice broke Star’s ranting, “mam, do you need some help?” “I’m fine!” “Well, it’s just that... you’re kind of in the stallion’s room.” “Oh for the love of Celelstia!” Star brought a wing to her nose and tickled her nostrils. There was a sneeze and then an angry male pegasus stormed out of the stall. “You see any mares here?!” “N-no!” The small stallion inched back and left the bathroom, leaving Star alone in the bathroom. “Crap, I must have freaked him out.” Star slumped down on the tiled floor. “What am I gonna do now?”