It was a beautiful day in Canterlot as Twilight Sparkle ran to meet her teacher in the main palace. It could have been any day in Canterlot, but it wasn’t. Today was special.
Twilight Sparkle was apprentice to a keyblade master and today was her Mark of Mastery exam.
Passing this exam would mean she would no longer be Grand Master Celestia’s star pupil, it would mean…
Twilight stopped running. What would it mean?
“Twilight?” a small purple dragon said as he scrambled over Twilight’s shoulder, his tail draping over her neck. He was somewhat slender in build, sized and proportioned similarly to a bobcat, yet still distinctly reptilian. His angular face was adored with two strips of green scales protruding from his cheeks, almost resembling gills. a trail of matching spines ran down his back. “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing… well actually, it’s everything,” she answered quietly, putting her chin between a thumb and forefinger.
“Are you debating the origin of life again?”
“No… it’s just…” Twilight started as she began walking slowly. “What exactly does a keyblade master do? I mean, I’ve read stories about older ones stopping great wars and vanquishing time traveling villains, but what about me?”
“Eh, just worry about it when it comes. I mean, you might not even pass!” Twilight shot the baby drake a glare. “Okay yeah, that was kind of mean. Sorry. Look, don’t worry; I’m sure you’ve got some big important destiny. But if it’s destiny, then it’ll come when it’s ready, right?”
“You’ve been reading my philosophy books again, haven’t you?” she asked with a smile, scratching her old friend’s chin.
“I peruse.”
“Well, regardless, you’re right. Let’s go!” she said excitedly, holding a fist in front of her chest, and started sprinting again. As she ran, a number of people in the city called out, greeting her enthusiastically. Of course, she returned these greetings just as happily.
As she rounded a corner, she nearly ran into two women each carrying a present in their arms. Skidding to a halt, the young keyblade apprentice was able to stop just a foot away from toppling one of them.
“Um… hi, Minuette!” she said with a smile.
“Hey, Twilight! I was hoping we’d run into you!” the blue-haired woman replied. “Moondancer’s having a party in an hour. You wanna come?”
“Um, Minuette…” the woman next to her started, before she leaned in and whispered briefly in Minuette's ear. Her face went red.
“Right. The exam,” Minuette said, chuckling nervously. “I uh… forgot.”
Twilight smiled at her, before giving a slight bow. “Thanks anyway.”
“Twilight! We’re gonna be late!” Spike shouted in her ear, causing her to stumble sideways. For a baby dragon, he was extremely loud.
“Right!” Twilight affirmed, and ran around the two girls, exchanging a wave in good nature.
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, are you sure those clothes are appropriate for such a big event?” Spike asked, pointing over his adoptive sister’s shoulder at her attire. It consisted of a two-tone, light and dark purple, hooded coat with an offset zipper on the front, two cobalt hip pouches, a pair of dark purple pants, knee-high light purple sneakers, dark purple, fingerless gloves and a small cobalt backpack with stomach and chest straps. The coat itself extended down past her knees. It was mostly dark purple, except for the hood, which was a lighter lavender. The coat's zipper extended down no further than her belt, ensuring she could reach her pants pockets if need be. Her hip pouches were each attached to a separate belt, which criss-crossed her waist. The entire ensemble was meant to be as practical as possible, and it always had been, in Twilight’s opinion. “I mean, it seams a little, I dunno, casual?”
“Spike, these are my combat clothes! Princess Celestia told me I’d be dueling with other keyblade wielders, and that I needed to have this ready. Besides, it’s not like there’s going to be some fancy ceremony, right?”
“…I guess you’re right. It is just a test.”
~H*H~
Celestia sat lazily on her throne, resting her cheek on her right fist, with her long legs stretched out in front of her, feeling rather uncomfortable in her fancy dress. Her keyblade was leaned haphazardly against her throne, threatening to fall any second. The weapon was rather simple. The hilt, consisting of two white, half-folded wings swooping down at an angle toward the pommel, and featuring a violet gem in the middle above the golden grip, was the most intricate part. The ‘key shaft,’ as it was known, resembled that of a normal sword, while the teeth were the same blazing sun that resided on her throne. The keychain, of course, was a blazing sun.
Today was going slowly. Naturally, this was her fault. She’d forgone the day’s court in favor of preparing for the exam, but preparations really only included setting up wards to prevent outside interference, and to bring in the extra thrones.
A faint smile crossed her lips as she looked to the throne on her right, with its crescent moon insignia on the high back. It would be good to see her again.
“Trixie cannot believe this!” Celestia’s smile vanished. Her other pupil, Trixie Lulamoon, paced back and forth in front of the thrones. “Twilight Sparkle is late, yet again!”
“Trixie.” Celestia’s smirk returned.
“Busy reading, Trixie’d bet!”
“Trixie.”
“The nerve of that girl!”
“Trixie, I’m right behind you,” Twilight said, causing Trixie to jump and stumble away from her. “And yes, I was reading. But you should know that I was reading up on our guests’ cultures. I’d like to be a good host.”
“Ahem, well, perhaps Trixie can forgive you this time.” She paused for a moment to look over Twilight’s attire. “Glad to see Trixie is not the only one who wore her combat clothes.”
“Do you like them? I thought maybe I was being a bit too flashy, but…” Twilight paused and glanced over Trixie. “I can see you went a bit further…” Trixie was clad in a silvery-blue tailcoat over a white tuxedo shirt, matching shorts that seemed far too short to be comfortable, white leather gloves, and thigh-high silver boots with two-and-a-half inch heels. This all tied together nicely with her signature star-spangled hat and matching cape, the latter of which hung freely from her shoulders, cascading out behind her.
Celestia did not approve. But, she was glad to see the girls discussing something other than magic for once. Honestly, hearing Trixie brag about how illusion magic was better in combat than arcane magic was something Celestia had grown tired of quickly.
“Yes, Twilight, Trixie did. But rest assured, it is no less practical than your outfit,” Trixie explained, putting her hands on her hips, drawing Twilight’s eyes to them. “Eyes up here, Sparkle. Trixie knows she’s hot, but try to focus.”
“Shut up… it’s not like that,” she responded meekly, blushing. “You’re just showing too much skin.”
“Not much more than y–” Trixie was cut off as Celestia stood and picked up her keyblade, and strode towards them.
As she drew near, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around both of her students’ necks, hugging them tightly. She pulled away, and looked the each in the eyes. “You two…” she started, her smile growing considerably. “…make me so proud to see how far you’ve come.”
“Hey! What about me?!” Spike intoned, popping out of Twilight’s backpack. He had a red gem in his claw, which he promptly bit into.
“Oh, of course you too, Spike! Only a dragon as mighty as you could master size alteration!” she said cheerfully, rubbing the top of his head. “Hm?” Celestia’s head snapped towards the throne room entrance. In an instant, she was no longer beside her apprentices, but back in her throne, her keyblade leaning neatly against the arm. She now sat straight up, her legs crossed and her arms resting on the throne's arms like they were supposed to.
The door suddenly flew open, having been kicked by a small foot. “I HAVE ARRIVED!” the small, young-ish woman in the doorway shouted, and strode in, followed by a meek looking girl with pink hair. The woman leading had short blue hair, and was clad in a tight, dark blue, open-front duster and a lighter blue leotard underneath, bearing a crescent moon emblem on the chest. She carried her keyblade slung onto her shoulder and walked with a confident gait. “SISTER! ‘TIS GOOD TO SEE THEE AGAIN!” she called across the throne room, prompting Twilight and Trixie to stare at her in shock.
They’d heard stories about Master Luna, but they had never met her. They didn’t know just how… confrontational she was. Celestia stood and strode forward, holding her keyblade out to the side. Luna's keyblade was essentially an altered version of Celestia’s, exchanging the sun for a crescent moon, lengthening both the grip and blade, and darkening the colors. Her brow was furrowed, her jaw set, and her lips tight.
Luna smirked, dropping her own keyblade to her side, slamming the tip to the floor with a brutal clang. “Fluttershy,” she said kindly, “take note of how thy master fights.” The girl behind her nodded. As Luna strode forward, she wrapped both hands around the elongated grip of her keyblade and pointed the blade behind her. “SISTER, THOU SHALT FALL TO MY WRATH!”
“As hard as last time?” Celestia said with a smirk, placing her left hand behind her back. “Oh, my mistake, I didn’t fall last time.”
“WHY YOU…” Luna’s pale cheeks flushed red as she drew near to her elder sister. It was quite adorable. “I SHALL NOT LOSE THIS TIME!”
“Watch the ice,” Celestia cautioned with a smirk.
“WHAT ICE?!” Suddenly, Luna’s bare foot impacted a patch of frosted marble, and she went sailing into the air. The resulting squeak was the most adorable thing anyone in the room would ever hear in their lifetimes. “Oh… that ice,” she groaned from her new position on the floor.
“Oh, Luna, still so impulsive!” Celestia teased, leaning down and offering the shorter woman a hand. “It is good to see you as well, dear Sister.”
Luna took the hand offered, and was promptly hoisted up into a crushing hug. “Ach! I cannot breathe!” she shouted, flailing her arms in an attempt to get loose.
With a hearty laugh, Celestia released her sister, letting the young woman drop to the floor with a thump. “Come, Sister, let us await our other guests. I know you are excited to see them as well.”
The smaller master beamed. “Of course!” she shouted, and was suddenly in the throne beside Celestia’s, sitting cross-legged with her keyblade resting over her lap.
Slowly, Celestia walked back to join her, taking her place in her own seat of power, while Luna’s apprentice came to stand beside hers.
~H*H~
Twilight and Trixie stared at the meek girl in silence. She was so unlike her master, they were baffled as to how the robust woman could have possibly trained her. This doubt was doubled upon examining her wardrobe. She was clad simply and wholesomely, wearing a Yellow turtleneck sweater that was long enough to be a short dress. The sleeves hung over her shoulder and reached all the way down to her hands, where her thumb hooked through them. A pair of black spandex shorts peeked out a few inches from under her dress. the rest of her legs were covered in a pair of white knee socks and brown Mary Janes.
Twilight was very eager to learn about her.
“Hi there!” Twilight said cheerfully, stepping out in front of the girl, who shrank back in response. “I’m Twilight Sparkle! What’s your name?”
“I’m… Fluttershy…” she whimpered, causing Twilight to take a step forward and repeat herself.
“I’m sorry, didn’t quite catch that…. What’s your name?”
“I’m…” What followed was a string of barely audible squeaks that prompted Trixie’s brow to furrow.
“One m–”
“Twilight, you’re scaring the poor girl!” Trixie shouted, causing her friend to jump back in surprise. “She’s shy, can’t you see that!”
Twilight’s face turned scarlet as she finally took note of the girl’s expression. Her eyes were shut tight, and her pink hair had fallen down over half of her face, while her arms were crossed over her stomach. It was also worth noting that she was leaning against the wall, having backed away from Twilight in fear.
“Oh, gosh… I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you…” Twilight said quietly, reaching out a hand, only for the girl to flinch away. Spike suddenly jumped over Twilight’s shoulder, landing squarely on the floor in front of her, and held up a claw to tell her to wait.
“Hi there!” Spike cheerfully, waving up at the girl, even though her eyes were still closed. “My name’s Spike!”
The girl cautiously opened one eye to look down at the tiny dragon in front of her. as a result, her eyes grew wide and a smile spread across her face. “H-hi Spike… I’m Fluttershy,” the girl said quietly. “I’ve never met a baby dragon before…”
“Well…” Spike said with a smile. “You probably won’t see another anytime soon.”
“W-why not?” Suddenly, Fluttershy was down on her hands and knees, looking the little reptile in the eyes.
"Baby dragons are rare. Nobody's really even sure where I came from."
“No!” Fluttershy yelled, grabbing the little dragon and lifting him up into a tight hug. “Don’t think like that!” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “There’s always hope! There are other dragons in my world!"
“Hey! I never said I was alone... I’m never alone,” he said, squirming in the girl’s ridiculously strong grip. Once free, he scampered over to Trixie and pushed on her leg, telling her to step towards Twilight, to which she happily complied. He promptly jumped up onto their now-touching shoulders, and put a claw on each of their necks. “See? I have my big sisters! Although, they’re more like my mothers, really…”
Fluttershy’s face turned bright red as she stood back up and hastily straightened out her dress. “Oh… oh my… I’d heard of fellow apprentices getting… involved… but not two girls…”
“Trixie is going to stop you right there,” the illusionist said, holding up a hand. “Trixie Lulamoon is in no way romantically involved with Twilight Sparkle. Spike is merely implying that we raised him together. Trixie and Twilight are sisters, if anything.”
“Oh… okay…”
The group of students stood in silence for a while, scratching heads and awkwardly clearing throats, while their masters watched with amused smirks.
“But Twilight is gay.”
“Trixie!”
“It had to be said!”
“Oh… my goodness…”
Celestia and Luna suddenly burst out laughing at the trio, making the three of them blush. “Oh, Tia, that is priceless!” Luna exclaimed, slapping her throne's arm instead of her knee. “I like yours!”
“Yours is quite admirable, as well!”
“So you viewed the footage?”
“And I was thusly impressed with her skill. I am proud of you, sister.”
Twilight covered her face with her hands to hide her blush. “I think we should just wait quietly for the next arrival.”
“Trixie agrees.”
“Um… me too.”
~H*H~
Chrysalis strode towards the door, her long, flowing dress trailing behind her, as she went. Her keyblade was clutched tightly in her left hand, nearly touching the floor as she went. Her weapon consisted of a twisted black spire for the shaft, branching off into another spire to form the teeth, a sickly green crystalline guard, and a black grip. The keychain was a green heart with several holes in it. A distinct lack of footsteps behind her caused her to turn towards her students. They had stopped a few yards away, looking nervous and shifting on their feet.
“Come, girls, it does not do to keep the Grand Master waiting,” she said sharply, causing the girls to flinch, before nodding and continuing towards her. I must fix those faces, she thought to herself, feeling her cold heart twitch. “Stop,” she commanded, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “What plagues your minds?”
“It’s nothing, Master Chrysalis,” they said in unison. The master grimaced.
“I can tell you’re lying,” she said, causing them to flinch again. “But you need not tell me that you are nervous. These other students, they have been training for a little longer than either of you. But do not fear; you will not fail.” To most, it would sound a command, but to them, it was encouragement. They knew she was telling them that she had faith in them. This was evident from the smiles that spread across their faces as they nodded in unison.
“Yes, Master Chrysalis!” they said together, stiffening and given a bow.
“Now, come! I long to see my friends again.”
~H*H~
Fluttershy watched as the tall woman strode through the throne room entrance, her hips swaying confidently as she went. She was thin, almost looking emaciated, but it was apparent to Fluttershy that it was merely how she was built. Her sickly green hair hung loosely in tangles around her face, even though she was clad in a rather nice dark green dress. It was long and mostly transparent, but was darker closer to her slender hips, well covering anything that actually needed to be covered, but leaving quite a bit of her gorgeous legs exposed. And that was to say nothing of the neckline and the sleeves! The sleeves were made similarly to the tail, while the neckline plunged down past her bosom, stopping just shy of her navel. There were no shoulder straps, so it was presumably held up by double-stick tape, or magic.
Regardless, it made Fluttershy blush to behold her. So instead, she turned to the woman’s students. One of them had brightly colored rainbow hair and was clad in a light blue athletic suit consisting of three-quarter-length sweat pants and a jersey, with the jersey tied around her waist, which left her black halter top exposed. She wore a pair of classic sneakers and a pair of black fingerless gloves. The other student was completely different, having starch white hair, save for the purple tips. She was even built different, being taller and more muscular than her counterpart. Her clothes were the opposite of her fellow’s, consisting of a brown leather biker vest over a white t-shirt and jean pants tucked into brown biker boots. Her thick arms were covered by golden-brown gauntlet style gloves, while around her neck resided a white scarf that faded to purple towards the scalloped ends. Her eyes were framed by purple make-up resembling two crudely-drawn fireballs.
“Go wait with the others,” the woman commanded, receiving an unseen bow from the students. “And relax. You should mingle.”
“Yes, Master,” they said in unison, before turning to run over to the trio.
~H*H~
Gilda didn’t like the look of the other apprentices. Well, two of them. The one with too many straps around her body looked formidable and the sexy wizard-looking one might be a challenge, but the one in the sweater-dress-thing was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. She was cute, but probably not too tough.
Rainbow Dash, however, was excited to make new friends. “Hi!” she shouted, causing the one with pink hair to flinch and duck behind the other two. “Uh… okay, what’s her deal?”
“She’s shy. We literally just did this a few minutes ago. I’m Twilight Sparkle,” the one with purple hair said casually, and offered a hand for Rainbow to shake, who in turn stared at the hand cautiously.
“We were taught to bow in respect when we introduce ourselves,” Gilda said sourly, stiffening and bowing. “My name is Gilda Griffon. It’s good to meet you.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry! The books I read about Cloudsdale didn’t say anything about bowing…”
“It’s not really a Cloudsdale thing,” Rainbow said casually, scratching the back of her neck. “It’s something Master Chrysalis taught us. By the way,” Rainbow Dash stiffened and bowed, “My name is Rainbow Dash. It’s great to meet you.”
“Well, let me try that again,” Twilight said, and copied their greeting. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m honored to meet you.”
The wizard stepped forward, and gave a showman’s bow, crossing one arm over her stomach and extended the other out. “My name is Trixie Lulamoon. It’s grand to meet you.”
The adorable schoolgirl stepped forward and bowed, placing her hands in front of her and letting her elegant locks flow down around her face. “Hello, my name is Fluttershy. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, her voice soft but still clear.
“So,” Gilda said, turning to Twilight, “with a name like yours and the way you’re dressed, I have to assume you’re Master Luna’s apprentice?”
“Um… no… that would be Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, arching her eyebrows when the Rainbow and Gilda looked at each other in confusion.
“Uh, you sure about that, Twilight?” Rainbow asked, pulling a small rectangular device out of her pocket. “Because that would mean that this…” She paused, holding up the phone to Twilight and Trixie, “…is Fluttershy.” A video on the screen showed a light-colored blur dashing across the screen, decimating a number of wooden humanoid targets arranged around a small white rabbit, screaming savagely in rage. After a few seconds, the video stopped.
Fluttershy squeaked, hiding her face with her hands. “Master Luna put my pet bunny in danger… I had to save him.”
“That seems extreme,” Trixie said quietly, crossing her arms.
“It wasn’t really him. When I reached him, it was just an illusion…” Fluttershy explained, uncovering her face. “Master Luna would never harm an innocent creature. That’s why she and I work so well!”
“That makes sense. I couldn’t figure out why someone so timid could study under such a confrontational master…” Twilight said gently, carefully putting a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder.
“I didn’t like her at first, but when she showed me the world she lives in, The Lunar Republic, I fell in love with the place. We bonded over a love for nature, and we’ve been good friends since!”
“Girls, Trixie thinks the next master is coming in!”
~H*H~
Chrysalis strode casually up to the thrones, even as her fellow master stood and walked towards her. “Chrysalis,” Celestia said formally, raising a fist to and open palm, and bowed to her equal. “It is good to see you again, old friend.”
“And you as well, Celestia,” Chrysalis replied, copying the motion, and moved to take her seat on Celestia’s right. “Tell me, does our master’s statue still stand?”
“Thankfully, yes. Are you concerned?”
“I’ve been getting, as the kids call it, bad vibes lately.”
“As have I, Tia,” Luna said softly, even as a fourth master entered the room. “We should discuss this later. ‘Tis best not to dampen our charges’ moods.”
The others nodded in agreement as a fourth master entered.
~H*H~
Trixie stared in awe of the newest addition to the masters’ ranks. He was humungous. He stood taller than her master, and was much bulkier, giving him the appearance of a giant. On his head rested a crown with four prongs, two long ones flanked on either side by shorter ones, sticking up in front of his flowing black hair. He was clad in full, gunmetal grey armor that sported a red cape trimmed with white fur flowing behind him. His keyblade resided in his right hand, swinging with every step. The shaft looked to be made of a shard of red steel, while the teeth were formed from a twisting spire of black crystal that started as the guard, the spiral widening at the end and ending in a vicious spire pointing the same direction as the shaft. The keychain was a blue crystal heart. Behind him strolled a girl Trixie’s age with dark skin and curled violet hair, clad in a slightly more elegant version of her ominous master’s gear.
The primary layer consisted of a light grey duster that billowed around her when she walked, a pair of grey pants, black knee-high boots and some simple black gloves. The girl’s duster was, in several ways, similar to Twilight’s, save for the color and length. Her armor consisted of a pair of bracers and a breastplate covering her somewhat substantial bosom. Resting on her forehead was a simple silver circlet with a teal gem as its centerpiece. She was more armored that Twilight, but equally pragmatic and stylish, albeit in a different way. Trixie doubted, however, that Sparkle had been in any way thinking about style.
“Go make friends,” the massive man said simply, receiving a nod from his student, who then strolled casually over to the other students.
The girl waved as she went, smiling broadly at the quintet of students that were already gathered. “Hello there!” she said brightly, but stopped when she laid eyes on Twilight. Twilight, for her part, stared at the girl in avid curiosity. Their eyes darted about each other’s wardrobe for a moment, before they smiled kindly at each other. The girl pinched the sides of her coat and pulled it out, curtsying to the group, but mostly Twilight. “My name is Rarity. It’s an honor to make your acquaintances.”
Twilight bowed first, as she had to Rainbow and Gilda. “Twilight Sparkle. I’m honored to meet you, Rarity.”
The others followed suit, bowing and introducing their selves as before.
“So tell me, Miss Sparkle, are you also trained as an arcane combat mage?” Rarity asked, sidling up next to Twilight and smiling warmly at her new friend.
“Yes, I am! Please, call me Twilight. Oh, and this is my brother, Spike,” Twilight said, gesturing at her shoulder, where a wide-eyed baby dragon stared hungrily at Rarity. “Oi! Lover boy!” Twilight shouted, snapping her fingers in front of Spikes muzzle.
“Huh?! Oh! Sorry! Your uh… your armor is just so shiny! It caught my eyes… and I… couldn’t look… away…” Spike hung his head and smacked a claw over his eyes. “None of you are buying that, are you?”
The group collectively shook their heads, but they all smiled, regardless. Even Gilda had a half smile on her lips instead of her earlier scowl.
“I don’t mind. I get my fair share of stares in the Crystal Empire. By the way, Twilight: your brother asked me to tell you he says 'good luck.'”
“You know Shining Armor?” Trixie asked, perhaps a bit too quickly, causing a blush to spread across her face when everyone looked at her. “That is to say…Never mind.”
“Trixie had a crush on my brother.”
Trixie's face burned even redder. “Twilight!”
“Payback for telling Fluttershy I’m gay!” she said triumphantly, crossing her arms, before realization set in. “Shoot!”
“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Rarity said kindly, putting a hand on her fellow combat mage’s shoulder. “You aren’t alone there!”
“You too?” Twilight said dumbly, eyes wide.
“Certainly! I wave the gay banner with pride! Though, not as proudly as someone else…” Rarity’s eyes flashed over to Rainbow Dash, smirking and giving her a wink.
“Hey! I am not gay! These happen to be my natural hair colors!” Rainbow shouted and pulled out her phone. “Besides, I’m taken! His name is Thunderlane!” She then held up a picture of a man in a dark grey flight suit with a storm cloud on the shoulder. His two tone gray hair was done up in a tall Mohawk. He was standing in front of a large craft that looked to be a fighter ship. There was some illegible text on the side of the craft that only one of them was able to make out.
“Oh, he’s a Storm Chaser?” Fluttershy said quietly, eyeing the phone avidly. “They’re good…” when everyone stared at her in shock, she smiled and pulled out her phone, pulling up a picture of herself, a man sharing her hair and a woman with red hair all standing in front of a starch white house. “I’m from Cloudsdale, originally,” she explained with a smile, receiving a collective ‘oh’ from the group
“He wants to be a Wonderbolt, but… he did some things a while back that keep him from joining. He won’t tell me much about it…”
“He’s pretty cool though,” Gilda said, slapping Rainbow on the back. “He takes Dash flying all the time when he’s not deployed. Took me up once too… Never again…” She said, looking at the floor. “That fighter of his is too fast. I’ll stick to my cruiser.”
“Wimp,” Rainbow teased, poking her friend in the side, causing her to jump and squeak, making everyone laugh at her.
~H*H~
“They seem to get on well, Sombra,” Celestia said as the massive man bowed to her, before taking his seat beside Chrysalis.
“Quite, old friend,” he replied with a smile. “Rarity has never had much difficulty making new friends.”
“Ah, it appears our next guest is arriving!” Luna shouted, pointing at the entrance, where a rather curvaceous figure was entering, with a slightly smaller figure skipping around her excitedly.
~H*H~
As Zecora entered the room, all eyes turned towards her. That was okay; she was used to it. It was of no surprise, either, considering her garb. She wore nothing but a broad-backed loincloth with a moderate front (with underwear, at her student’s insistence), a crossed chest wrap and three gold rings adorning her throat with a matching set on her upper arm. That, accompanied by her dark skin, black and white Mohawk and her rather voluptuous figure, insured that she was sure to get many stares. Her keyblade, residing in her right hand, was a little more complex than the others’. The guard was made of a wreath of blue flowers, with a tribal mask residing at the intersection of the hilt and blade. The grip was simple bamboo, while the shaft was made of a light brown tree with colorful bottles hanging off of it and light green leaves. The teeth consisted of the same mask on the guard. The keychain was a blue flower.
“Pinkie Pie, my apprentice most dear, why don’t you go and mingle, right over here?” she said, pointing at a group of girls gathered on the side of the throne room.
“Okie-dokie-lokie, Master Zecora!” she said jovially, and cart-wheeled in their direction as she continued toward her fellow masters.
Her eyes flicked over to Luna, but only for a moment. The smaller woman blushed, but her face remained otherwise impassive.
When she reached the throne, she placed her palms together in front of her chest and bowed to Celestia. “Grand Master Celestia, my old friend; it is good to see you after how long it has been!”
“And you as well, Master Zecora. How I have missed those rhymes of yours…” Celestia replied as Zecora moved to take her seat on the throne beside Luna’s.
“Now, aside from us five, Granny is the last to arrive…” Zecora said, watching as her protégé bowed to the other students.
“‘Tis only natural that she be late… She is rather old, after all,” Luna said quietly, her eyes darting between the door and Zecora. “I missed thee,” she whispered, causing the shaman to smile.
~H*H~
As Pinkie Pie finished introducing herself, the others simply stared at her.
Twilight and Rarity’s eyebrows were raised in shocked interest, as the girl in front of them smiled warmly. She was pretty cute. She wore a layered pink tank top, and some baby blue Capri pants, with some ankle socks and low-top tennis shoes, along with a pair of fingerless blue gloves… and that was it. Out of the gathered apprentices, she was the simplest clad. Her hair was unlike any of the others’, though, as it cascaded around her a tangled mess. It was as if she didn’t even try to brush it.
"So, tell us about yourself," Trixie urged, smiling at the girl. Trixie would be honest, she seemed like she wasn't all there, the way she constantly smiled and had wide eyes that seemed to follow you. She seemed... too happy to be normal. But then, Normal was relative when discussing keyblade wielders.
"Well, I live in the world of Everfree," Pinkie Pie started, clasping her hands behind her back. "I trained under Master Zecora as a synthesis specialist, and I still have a long way to go before I'm on her level... I like parties, and cupcakes, any cake really, except fruitcake but I mean who does, right? Right. So, my keyblade skills... definitely on par with Master Zecora's, if not juuuust below her level. I have a pet alligator named Gummy–he's got no teeth, but I can see that you have one too. But it looks like he breathes fire. I guess that makes him a dragon, right? Oh my gosh am I rambling? I totally am! Sorry, I tend to do that after Master Zecora took me off of my medicine. She says it makes me too dimmmff..."
"Please, just... stop. It's too much..." Rainbow Dash said quietly as she and Gilda each clamped a hand over Pinkie Pie's mouth.
"Wait," Rarity said suddenly, "What was that about her keyblade skills?"
Their discussion was cut short as another master entered through the door. They were clad in a brown hooded robe, leaning against their keyblade as if it were a crutch. The grip of her keyblade consisted of a frying pan, with the pan residing at the base of the key shaft. The guard consisted of two wooden wolves circling around the grip. The shaft was a reddish-brown apple tree with dark leaves, bearing a rainbow striped apple with blue lightning erupting around it. The keychain was a jar of rainbow preserves, presumably made from the same apple on the blade. Behind her strode two figures, one being a large man and the other a girl the same age as the other apprentices. The man was blonde, and dressed in a red, short sleeved button down shirt and a pair of jeans, as well as a pair of cowboy boots.
The girl, also blonde, wore a Stetson, an orange short-sleeved, button down work shirt, with a pair of brown gloves. Her muscularly thick legs were garbed in a pair of jean shorts overlaid with brown leather chaps, which ended over a pair of cowgirl boots. She looked over and smiled at the other apprentices, tipping her hat.
“Go on, Applejack, make some new friends. Y'all got a bit before the exams start,” the elderly master said, making her way to the thrones. “Mac, you stay with me."
Despite the woman’s age, she moved no slower than her comrades.
Over in the corner, the apprentices were chattering amongst themselves, discussing the ancient master.
“How is she a keyblade master?” Rainbow asked, receiving a smack on the head from Gilda.
“You dweeb, that’s Master Granny Smith! She’s been a master for way longer than any of the others!” she scolded, smiling and waving to the newest apprentice. “Master Chrysalis talked about her several times in lectures!”
“Yeah, because I totally pay attention to those…”
“You should,” Twilight said, before stepping forward to meet the newcomer. “Lectures are important. Hi there!” Twilight stiffened and bowed, prompting the cowgirl to arch her eyebrow. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you.”
“Well, shucks, y'all aint gotta bow!” she said, prompting Twilight to stand back up quickly enough to make her head spin. “I’m Applejack, A.J. for short!” the girl said, holding out a hand for Twilight, who promptly shook it. The same greeting was given to the others.
“Is uh… is the other apprentice coming?” Rainbow asked pointing at the man beside Master Granny Smith.
“He ain’t an apprentice, that’s my brother. Granny’s eyesight ain’t what it used to be,” Applejack explained, prompting all of the apprentices to gasp. “So he piloted the ship.”
“Y-you refer to your master by name?” Rarity asked, stepping up behind Twilight. “I mean, Master Sombra and I do too… but only in private…”
“No, I refer to my grandmother by the title ‘Granny,’” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “Her real name’s Annie. But everyone calls her Granny, on account of her age.”
“Your master is… your grandmother?” Gilda said, gawking at A.J.. “Well, congratulations, my mind’s blown.” A series of affirmations cascaded over the group, causing the Applejack to smile.
~H*H~
As Granny Smith came to her fellow masters, a smile crossed her lips. These five had come so far… Giving as good of a bow as she could, using her keyblade as a cane, she received a different bow completely from the Grand Master. Celestia kneeled down on one knee, holding her keyblade point down in front of her with both hands on the grip, closing her eyes and setting her lips in a stern line. All of the other masters promptly stood and copied the motion, including Luna, who rarely bowed to anyone.
“Ancient Master Smith, it’s an honor to see you again,” Celestia said somberly, receiving a wrinkled hand on her shoulder.
“Enough of that, Grand Master. I ain’t no better than you,” the elderly woman said, smiling when her friend stood back up.
“Well, then,” Sombra said loudly, as Granny quickly made her way to the throne beside Chrysalis’s. “Why don’t we go ahead and get started?”
“It would certainly do to get this matter settled soon,” Chrysalis said calmly, sitting back down.
~H*H~
The apprentices, including Applejack, gawked in shock as all of the Masters bowed to Master Granny Smith.
Twilight and Trixie the most shocked. Their mentor was the Grand Master, the Master that outranked other Masters! Who could garner such respect from the Grand Master? What was this elderly master capable of? What great accomplishments had she performed in her long life that caused such reverie from the other Masters?
Applejack stared because someone had bowed to her grandmother, plain and simple.
Rainbow Dash and Gilda stared because, while they had known that Granny Smith was a well respected master, they hadn’t realized just how much the others truly respected her.
The same was true for Rarity and Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie wasn’t so surprised. She’d heard lot’s of stories about Master Granny Smith. She knew how her own master would react when they met.
“Apprentices!” Grand Master Celestia called, startling the group out of their stare. “It is time we began! Line up before the Council of Masters, so we may start the trials!”
The students all looked to one another, nodding to each other in reassurance. After wishing each other good luck, they all took a unanimous step forward; a step towards their collective, uncertain fate.
Elsewhere, a black-clad figure took that same step over the threshold of the palace’s main gate.