//------------------------------//
// Meeting Katyla Sparkle 
// Story: Twilight's Sister 
// by SabrinaRoth 
//------------------------------//

	Hi.  My name’s Katyla.  Katyla Sparkle.  You might have heard of my younger sisters, but not me.  Twilight Sparkle and Solar Shadow.  Twilight’s a princess now, and Solar Shadow is training for her third Equestria Games in a row.  I’ve gone unnoticed for half of my life.  You know, I was that nerdy girl sitting in the corner of the lunch room reading two books as big as myself at the same time.  Twilight and I had regular studying competitions to see who would study the most, then who got a better score on the test.  I always had to win.  Even if it meant I had to cheat.

“Class.  Here are your tests.  Please set up your dividers and start right... now.”  And with that, there was a rustling of paper, and every-pony began their tests.  I turned over my exam, and started the test.  I was nearly done when I came across a question that I didn’t know the answer to.

“Who was the designer for the Wonderbolts when they were first formed?”  

I never read anything in the books about a designer.  Or if I did, I skipped over it because it seemed useless.  So I used the X-Ray spell I designed for this occasion and spied through the cardboard dividers.  I peered at Rarity’s packet of paper, sure she would know the answer.  I was right.  She knew the exact answer.  Flair D’Mare.  I neatly wrote the answer down and continued on.  

Five minutes later, I stood up swiftly, and walked over to Princess Celestia’s desk to hand it in.  She used a grading spell to check the answers quickly, dipped her quill in green ink, and wrote the number 100 in the corner of the paper.  I trotted away happily, grinning.  I won the contest.  Again. 

“Another 100!”  I shout, closing the door behind me with my hoof.  “That’s A number 630!”

“Good for you honey!” my father, Night Light shouts.  “Come down for dinner in an hour!”  He says as I pound upstairs.  I hear the door open, and peer down the stairwell.  Twilight appears in the doorway, her face lit up with a smile.

“I got my 629th A!” She announces.  

“That’s amazing Twi!  Another one hundred?” I inquire.

“As alway!”

“Ooohh, it’s another tie.  I got them all right too!”

“May the best pony win!”  she shouts up the stairwell.

“Oh, I will.” I muttered to myself, smiling, and turned on my heel and headed to my room.

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After dinner, I trotted upstairs to my room and poured myself into studying.  Our next test was Defense Against Dark Magic, and I had to master the shielding spell.  Once I had read the whole book about spell, I used my horn to amplify the noise it made as I closed it, and announced, “Finished another book!  394 pages!  Beat that Twily!”

“Gladly!” she countered.

“Shut up, both of you!  Some of us are trying to sleep!” Shining Armor called to us grumpily from his room down the hall.  Of course by then, Solar Shadow was already deep asleep, not hearing any of this.

I rolled my eyes and took my glasses off, setting them on the book I had just finished.  “Well, goodnight Shining Armor.” I muttered under my breath.  “And good luck beating me this time, Twilight.  I crawled into bed, staring at the stars on my ceiling, memorizing the constellations I had put up, and fell asleep.

**********
“Morning sis!” Solar shouted at me as she pranced past me, eager to finish breakfast and run around the city before school.

“Calm down Solar Shadow!” I heard after the sound of shattering glass.  Solar had knocked into mom again and caused another mess of plates and french toast.

“Let me get that.” I offered, levitating the pieces of toast off of the floor and into the trash can, along with the plate.  “That’s the 5th plate you’ve broken this month, Sol.”  I reprimanded my little sister, shaking my head mockingly.  “Be careful.”

“You know I won’t.” She replied.  She never learns.

I trot around the table and sit down, grabbing a piece of toast and dunk it in the syrup.  “So, I got another A yesterday.” I say, trying to make conversation.

“I heard.  That’s your 629th A isn’t it?” My mother questions from the stove.

“630th,” I remind her, “Twilight got her 629 yesterday.  I’m still ahead.”

Mom just shakes her head in wonder at our strange competitive spirit.  Most ponies settle their differences with hoof wrestles, or races.  Twilight and I settle them with tests.

“Oh, I gotta go now if I want to be early.”  I jump out of my chair, rush to the sink, deposit my dishes, and hug mom goodbye.  “Tell Twilight she’s gonna have to wake up soon, or she’ll miss class.” I say, smirking.

“Oh, Twily’s already there.  She left before you woke up.” My mother says, causing me to falter in my hoof-steps.

“Ooooh, well-played little sister.  Well played.” I say deviously.

“Just go.” Mom prompted, shoving me and Solar to the door.

Another day of learning, and another day of beating Twilight at her own game.

**********

As always, I walked home with a book held directly in front of my face, relying on my hearing to keep me from crashing into strangers.  I knew the way so well I could tell you every single pebble on the way.  Twilight, Solar Shadow, and Shining Armor were leading ahead of me.  I slowed down to turn a page and study the anatomy of  pony.  The others trotted ahead, leaving me to myself and my book.  That’s when I bumped into him.  I dropped my book at our feet, and he used his magic aura to lift the book into my hooves.  His dark aura.  It was pitch black with dark purple bubbles floating from his horn.  That’s when I noticed that his horn wasn’t normal.  It was a dark red ombré, and it was curved towards the back of his head.  I lowered my eyes; and accidentally leveled them with his.  His dark red eyes, brimming with evil.  

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