Two years later
Canterlot
"Emerald! Wake up or you'll be late for your first day!"
The small colt, known as Emerald Crescent, eyes shot open, he had totally forgot that this was his first day of school! He quickly hopped off his bed and ran to the bathroom, he grabbed his toothbrush from the cabinet and quickly brushed his teeth and spat it out. He wiped his face with a nearby cloth and ran out the room. Only to run back in to get his golden collar on his dresser and slipping it around his neck, with it secured he ran back out of his room and ran down stairs to see his mom cooking breakfast.
"Hey mom! Sorry I almost forgot my collar." apologized Emerald as he sat at the table.
"That's fine honey, but please make sure you set your alarm next time." replied Lemon as she walked over to the table with two plates of eggs and toast enclosed in a green magical aura. She set one of the plates in front of Emerald as she placed the other across the table at her place, Lemon sat down and gave a light smile to her son already devouring his food.
"Slow down Emerald," giggled Lemon, "You don't want to choke on your food, do you?"
"No, I just don't want to be me late for my first day at magic school!"
Lemon just smiled at Emerald's joy for his first day at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, he had just earned his cutie mark, which was a golden eight-pointed star, a few weeks ago. She had to admit she was surprised to see his special talent in magic, she didn't have any special magic users in her family, not that she knew of. Maybe Zan is related to a famous zebra witch doctor or shaman? She let out a sad sigh as she thought about the zebra, she hoped he was here to see his son growing up.
Emerald did as his mother asked before and started to eat a little slower than he was before as he thought about what magic school would be like. What kind of spells would he learn? Is the princess going to be his teacher? Is he going to make an friends? All these thoughts swarmed through the little colt's head as he ate his food. Emerald decided to put it behind him for now and worry about that when he went to school, he scooped the last bit of eggs and and swallowed it. His small horn glowed a bright yellow encasing his dirty dishes and quickly putting them in the sink.
"Come on mom! We're going to be late!" he whined as he hopped of his chair and started to dance around the front door like a dog about to go for a walk.
"Alright, alright. Just let me get my uniform for work." said Lemon as she went upstairs leaving Emerald to look at the clock nervously. They still had plenty of time, but he wanted to go so bad, and all this waiting was soon going to make him explode like a balloon. He watched as his mother finally descended the stairs with her cleaning uniform on.
"Are you ready yet, mom?!" complained Emerald with a bead on sweat going down his forehead.
"Yes, I am Emerald. We still have plenty of time." replied Lemon.
"Yeah, I know! But I just want to get there early so I can see what other unicorns are there!"
"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting should we?"
Emerald shook his head as his mother opened the door leading him out the door, she closed the door and locked it before motioning Emerald to follow her down the road. The small zebra, unicorn colt stayed close to his mother as they walked through the crowded streets of Canterlot,even though it was to safest place in Equestria it still had crime here and there and for somepony of Emerald's...heritage he was an easy target. That's what his mother always told him, that's why he had an interest in magic because if he could be a master in magic he could be just like his dad.
Emerald watched as ponies walked by and when about their business, some now just opening shops and customers flooding inside. He observed the high-class ponies walking about and noticed that most of them were unicorns, he always wondered why that was but he never asked. He and his mother stopped in front a fancy looking building that had a sign in front saying 'Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns', Emerald shifted nervously.
"M-mom?" stuttered Emerald.
"Yes, Emerald?" replied Lemon with a comforting smile as Emerald gave her a pleading look, "You want me to go in with you?"
The small zebra nodded as he stayed close to Lemon as possible making her giggle at how excited he was for school only to look like a scared puppy when arriving. He stayed behind her as they walked inside the building where they were met with a red mare wearing glasses at a desk looking at what looked like registration papers. She noticed the two walk and gave them a polite wave, "Hello," she greeted as Lemon and Emerald stopped in front of the desk,"let me guess, a new student?"
Lemon nodded, "Yep, this is his first day."
"Okay, what's the name?" asked the red mare as she flipped through the papers on her desk.
"Emerald, Emerald Crescent."
"Emerald, Emerald...Ah, here he is. He'll be in classroom B," the red mare handed Lemon the map of the building as she took it with her magic, "I hope you have a good first day!"
"Thank you, what do you say Emerald."
"Th-thank you." quietly said Emerald.
Lemon and Emerald then started to follow the path marked on the map given to them by the red mare at the desk, they stopped at a door with the label saying 'Classroom B'. Emerald looked through the nearby window to see other fillies and colts having conversations with one another. Emerald hadn't met that many fillies or colts his age, he would always stay home and help his mom around the house and when he wasn't doing that he would read different kinds of books that has to due with magic.
The books he read though weren't only about unicorn magic, he would read about the theory on alicorn magic, the buffalo and their connection with spirits, and even the potions that zebras would make. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't met another zebra before, he couldn't even remember his dad, Zan, since the last time he was with him and his mother was when Emerald was a foal. Emerald was snapped from his thoughts when he he was suddenly pulled in to an embrace with his mother.
"You be good alright?" said Lemon with a tearful smile.
"Yes, mom I will," cheerfully said Emerald hugging her back, Lemon hesitantly broke the embrace and gave her son one last nuzzle.
"I'll be off early, to come pick you up okay?"
"Okay!" replied Emerald waving at his mother as she waved back and disappeared down the hallway. Emerald gulped as he watch her go, he turned back to the door with a nervous expression before using his magic to turn the handle and opening the door slowly. He poked his head through the crack of the door and sighed in relief that the other fillies and colts didn't notice his presence. He slowly slipped in and closed the door behind him, Emerald discreetly made his way to the empty table in the classroom and took his seat.
The young zebra colt congratulated himself for a job well done as he sat down and looked around the classroom. "HI!" cheered a voice next to him as Emerald almost jumped out of his seat by the sudden greeting. Emerald composed himself and looked to see an orange filly with turquoise eyes and and a mane and tail that kind of reminded him of ketchup and mustard. "Oh, sorry if I scared you." apologized the orange filly with an apologetic smile.
"N-no, it's okay!" replied Emerald, "my name is Emerald Crescent."
"Emerald, huh," Sunset Shimmer, but you can just call me Sunset. I've never seen a unicorn like you before?"
"Really, how so?"
"Well, you have stripes and your mane is different.Not that there is anything wrong with that!"
"It's fine," said Emerald rubbing the back of his head with a bright smile on his face, "It must be because that I'm part zebra."
The filly known as Sunset eyes widened at the response,"You're part zebra!?"
"Yeah, but I never met another zebra."
"But what about your parents?"
"Well, my dad was a zebra, but...he's away." Emerald said solemnly, he had learned the truth about his father for about a year when he found the letter that was given to his mother informing her of his passing. To say the least, Emerald was devastated, he cried himself to sleep for a while and wouldn't speak to anypony but his mother, he wouldn't even eat for a while and got sick because of it. He did get better eventually after a long talk with Lemon, he felt even better when his relatives back in Zebrafrica sent him and his mom gifts and money to help them out. Meanwhile Sunset caught on with his tone and knew what he meant.
"O-oh, I didn't mean-" she said quickly.
"It's fine, it still hurts but I'm getting used to it now."
"T-that's good, so why do you want to learn about magic?"
Before Emerald could answer a new voice came into the conversation with a light 'excuse me' he and Sunset turned their heads to see an orange colt with a trail of white going down his face, turquoise eyes like Sunset, and an orange mane. Emerald noticed that he looked a lot like Sunset. "Hi, I'm Sunburst but did I hear that you were part zebra?" asked the colt.
Emerald nodded, "I'm Emerald, and yes I'm part zebra..."
"That's so cool!" shouted Sunburst making Emerald jump back a bit, before the little zebra colt could be pelted with questions another orange hoof went up to his muzzle cutting him off.
"Sorry about that," apologized Sunset with an embarrassing expression, "Sunburst and I are cousins."
"Wow, no wonder you guys look so similar! I thought you two were twins!" excitedly said Emerald.
"Yeah, we get that a lot." replied Sunburst with a deadpan expression.
Over the next couple of minutes Emerald had learned a bunch about the two cousins, Sunset came here so that she would some day be protege to the princess himself, she almost jumped out of her seat when he told her that his mom worked in the castle. Sunburst explained how he wanted to be a great wizard and that he came from a small town and was even surprised that he was able to apply here. Emerald never knew that magic school would be so much fun, even though it didn't start yet he already made two friends!
The filly and two colts were cut off by the door opening and revealing an old looking unicorn with a brown coat and yellow mane. The unicorn told the class to take their seats so that class may begin for the first time this year. Of course Emerald was sitting by Sunset and Sunburst, the young zebra colt couldn't bare his excitement any longer. He was attending magic school and made two friends all in the same day, there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong that could ruin his day.
"This is going to be the best...day....ever." quietly said Emerald as he glued his yellow eyes on the old looking unicorn in front of him.