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// Prologue 
// Story: My Little Mages: After Effects 
// by dracone 
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	It was a few weeks after the events of Nightmare Moon returning, Twilight and her Magiville friends were settling in at a table at Sweet Apple Temple. She had something she felt was important to discuss, but she felt it best to lead up to that conversation with other matters her friends liked to concern themselves with, even if she herself didn't think those issues were very important her friends did. She felt it best to ease into what she wanted to discuss, especially with how she planned to go about it.
After everyone was seated at the table just outside the Temple that was ringed by a just about every kind of apple tree there was, with Spike gazing with infatuated eyes at the white clad enchantress known as Rarity and Pinkie Pie choosing to sit on an overly large circus ball next the table, Twilight said, “How are things, girls? What have you been up to the past few days? Spike and I have been making sure everything we had moved down here is in place at the library.”
“We noticed, darling,” said Rarity, “I've been working on some new outfits that were inspired by the events as of late.”
“Apple Bloom tol' tha family tha' this year the school will be applying the Class Specialization Identifier Test,” said Applejack.
“Is it really that time of the schooling session already? I remember when I took the test back in primary school,” said Twilight, “they practically threw me at the doors for applying to Celestia's School of Arcane Arts.”
“Your instructors,” said Rainbow with a snicker.
“My parents,” said Twilight flatly, “while saying they already had submitted my application, I hatched Spike at the entrance exam,” she gave a sheepish grin.
“Did ya ruin tha room or somethin' doin' et?” Said Applejack.
“Uh, no, I did a bit more than just hatch Spike,” said Twilight, “I'll tell you girls the whole story later, to be honest with you it's a little embarrassing, but it did lead Archmage Celestia to decide that I should be her personal student.”
“That reminds me,” said Rarity, “my parents will be heading out of town for business reasons for most of this coming school year, so my little sister will be staying with me,” she turned to Applejack, “I hope that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom can be good friends, my parents insisted she be home schooled up 'til now, I have no idea why.”
“Maybe thae jus' wanted ta 'ave more time wid 'er,” said Applejack, “seeing as thay don't seem ta understand ya mos' o' tha time.”
“Perhaps,” said Rarity, “but just in time for class certification, that seems a little too well timed.”
“That may be,” said Twilight, “but she'll probably do fine, especially if there's someone there to stick up for her. I know they call it a test, but it's more like standing in a magic ring for a few minutes to tell you what your best suited for specializing at.”
“Yeah, I remember that, it was fun,” giggled Pinkie, “mine was all tingly feeling and wouldn't stop flipping between two different class icons.”
Twilight arched an eyebrow before saying, “Pinkie it doesn't do icons, it writes out the class name for everybody to see, if you were getting icons then that means you were being exposed to a different magic identification spell than is used for saying what your specialization is usually to say what is intended to be.”
“It's just Pinkie being Pinkie,” said Rainbow, “I was so stoked when the test said I was intended to be an elementalist.”
“Um, my test took a while to identify me,” said Fluttershy, “it usually has someone pegged in around two minutes, mine had me standing there for almost a half hour before it said I was best suited to be a druid.”
“Yeah, well Cumula is kinda like that,” said Rainbow lazily, “every now and then the circle takes a bit longer to identify what you're best suited for.”
“Don't you have mages maintaining it on a regular basis?” Inquired Twilight.
“Mages stopped maintaining it when my grandma and Shy's were little,” said Rainbow, “haven't returned to doing it since, no explanation whatsoever.”
“That sounds like somebody's not doing their job right,” said Twilight, “I'll get a note to Chantalot later to have somebody look into it thoroughly, a matter like this is serious.”
“Thanks, Twi,” said Applejack, “but we don't have one o' those rings 'ere, every time et's tha' time o' tha year the whole school makes a trek ta Chantalot, thare's a ring we use righ' et tha edge o' tha city.”
“I know the ring you're talking about,” said Twilight, “it's one of many, we use it for overflow in the city, if you want I could arrange for the class to have their specializations identified at the main ring, I've actually been mulling over something and getting more than one thing out of the way at the same time is very efficient.”
“You would do that for the children here? That's very generous of you,” said Rarity.
“There are no guarantees,” said Twilight, “but Archmage Celestia always does like putting names to faces of those she likes to refer to as the next hope for Mystika,” she readjusted the horn shaped focusing crystal on her head, mostly because it felt a little off.
“Will we be joining in the trip?” Asked Fluttershy.
“Yes,” said Twilight, “that other thing I was thinking about was going shopping for some new equipment with you girls, I'll show all the best places to get some things and you decide what is you want to buy there.”
“That sounds simply marvelous, Twilight,” said Rarity, “I've been meaning upgrade my look, but every design I've thought of so far just doesn't seem to work.”
“When's the school year start here?” Inquired Twilight.
“Nex' Monday,” said Applejack, “Bloom's not lookin' forward ta et, worryin' all 'bout 'ow she might not end up like the rest o' tha family in terms o' profession. Little known fact, mah cousin Apple Chiller, ya didn't meet 'im on account 'e lives way out near tha boarder in tha desert, ain't uh holy type like tha res' o' tha family, 'e kinda freaked out abou' et fer uh few days when 'e found out 'e wasn't suited fer uh holy life.”
“What the test say about him? That he was fated to be an awesome geomancer or elementalist,” said Rainbow Dash with giggle, which was mirrored by Pinkie Pie.
“Nope, Battle Alchemist,” said Applejack, “runs a nice little tavern 'e calls the Desert Apple, almost nobody goes out to Wild Point anymore, used ta be tha premier adventurin' startin' point fer some o' tha greats way back when Ah hear.”
“You're right about that,” said Twilight, “Starswirl the Great spent some time down there, wanted to know why the place seemed to only be a monster magnet when new people rolled into town, and always seemed to be just the right challenge level the newcomers too, never found out, but he did learn that people there were just as confused as he was on the matter.”
“When does her school administer the test? In Chantalot it's the third month of the school year,” said Twilight.
“Fourth month here, darling,” said Rarity.
“Alright, I'll get the letters ready to send, and when it's the week before the event.”
“Okie, Dokie, Loki,” said Pinkie, “I'll make sure to do that.”
“Thanks,” said Twilight, “also, in Chantalot ceremonies they give everybody a starter package when they have their roles identified, I'll see about everyone in classes here getting the same treatment, then they can begin preparations right for when their classes end in primary school.”
“Oh, that's lovely,” said Rarity.
“So, uh, what do these 'starter packages' consist of?” Said Rainbow.
“The usual,” said Twilight, “a basic beginners outfit, a standard starter weapon, and a list of academic facilities that teach the basics of their class. If any of the kids are really lucky one of those academies could offer them a scholarship.”
“That's cool,” said Rainbow, “so, where's the best places to learn awesome elemental magic?”
“That would be the Storm Academy in Cumula," said Twilight.
Rainbow gave a fist pump while saying, “Aw Yeah, that's where I took my lessons!”
“You do realize locals have lower fees to pay than visiting students, Right?” Said Twilight.
“So, where's tha best place fer learnin' holy magic stuff?” Inquired Applejack.
“The Church of Our Divine Lady in Chantalot is the official place for clerics and paladins to learn, although it's more of fusion of a monastery and cathedral...”
“Twi, yer over explaining things,” cut in Rainbow Dash.
“Um,” said Fluttershy, “where is the best place to learn druidic magic?”
“The Forest Academy in the town of Woodland Guard, they also train Rangers there.”
“Where did ya learn all yer magic stuff?” Came Apple Bloom's voice.
“Well first I started learning at Celestia's School for Gifted Mages,” said Twilight completely oblivious to who asked her, “but I soon was pulled from the basic classes because Archmage Celestia was there for my entrance exam and... When did you get here Apple Bloom? I thought you were out helping your brother with the produce.”
“Somethin' came up, Filthy Rich came by to talk business and Mac sent me home."
Twilight raised a brow, and said, “Sorry if I sound ignorant, but who's Filthy Rich?”
“A big shot Merchant that settled down in these parts,” said Rainbow nonchalantly, “he's got a lot of money, and likes to show it, word has it he owns a piece of every business all over the country.”
“We keep tellin' 'im that tha Orchards are part o' tha church grounds, and as such aren't up ta tha kind o' trade rules 'e mite be used ta,” said Applejack, “he also enrolled his daughter, Diamond Tiara, in tha public school uh while back.”
“She can be pretty mean,” said Apple Bloom, “she treats the other kids like thay're o' lower imp'rtance ta 'er jus' 'cause 'er daddy buys her anythang she wants. Ah'm lucky she ain't turned 'er attention ta me yet. Won't bay long though, 'er only friend, a girl named Silver Spoon, is just like 'er an' they've made a point ta lower tha self-esteem o' tha entire class. Well, if ya nee' me Ah'll bay en tha barn.” With that she ran towards a barn on the outskirts of the fields that looked like it was getting close to needing to be replaced.”
“Bloom likes ta tinker wid stuff,” said Applejack with a chuckle, “make some contraptions too, she ain't made anythang fancy, but she 'as made some stuff that makes work around 'ere a little easier.”
“Really,” said Twilight as she tapped her chin in thought, “I think I could venture a guess what Apple Bloom could be identified as, but I guess we can make it a surprise for her in case she has some method of listening in on us, anyone heard news on potential new arrivals.”
“Nah,” said Rainbow Dash, “all the kids that'll be here for classes are.”
“Okay then, catch you girls later,” said Twilight, “I have some notes to compose and send off,” with that she got up and gave the others a wave, the rest dispersed shortly after that.