Lesson Three: The Princess and the Archmage
“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”
The Hall of the Heavens shone with golden opulence, its marble tiles sparkling with royal light. The evening sun cast its gentle warmth through the arched windows. Despite the wide beams of sunlight, the air remained cool and comfortable, the aroma of honey and vanilla wafting from the flowers gathered in front of the throne.
“So I believe all of this can be summed up as a misunderstanding,” a voice, clear, serene, and motherly said from atop the dais.
Sunset Shimmer smiled. Her princess’ voice, the voice of peace. No matter how stressed a pony was, no matter how upset, a layer of tension fell away when they stepped within the sacred hall.
Princess Celestia, Shepherd of the Sun and Moon, Mother of Lumen, and the Immortal Hero sat tall on her throne of velvet and gold, a large pillow placed against the back. Her mane, an ethereal aurora, fluttered and danced with a will of its own. She smiled, a warm blanket that drove away the bitterest chill and reminded one that Harmony was alive and well.
Two unicorns—one brown, the other beige—stood before her on the red carpet. The brown one (Chestnut, Sunset vaguely recalled) ran a hoof through his black mane and looked at his counterpart.
“I’m sorry I blew up at you like that. I just thought—”
“I know, it looked bad,” Ray said. “But you’re my friend; I would never do anything like that.” He rubbed a hoof against his scraggly beard. “Sorry I said all that, though.”
“It’s okay, I should have let you explain things in the first place.” Chestnut turned back to Princess Celestia. “Thank you, Your Highness, for helping us straighten this out.” They bowed, touching their muzzles to the floor.
“It was my pleasure. And you’ve both learned a valuable lesson from this.” She gave them a gentle wave of her hoof. “Go now. And remember to communicate in the future.”
Sunset watched the guards escort them out as they discussed plans for dinner. And to think they came in here yelling and screaming. She had seen hundreds of instances like theirs before, but it still amazed her how one conversation with the Princess could create such a change. You are a true miracle, Your Highness.
“And that concludes the Day Court, Your Highness,” Raven said from her place at the foot of the dais. She adjusted her glasses as she read from the agenda. “Scouts from the Crystal Empire border should arrive in a few minutes.”
“Very good. Thank you, Raven.” Princess Celestia tilted her head to the right, turning her smile upon Sunset. “Would you like to stretch? You’ve been standing still as a statue for three hours.”
Sunset smiled in return. After all these years, her heart still fluttered whenever Celestia gave her attention. “I’m fine, Your Highness. I’ve stood at attention for much longer than this.”
Princess Celestia chuckled. “As you wish, my diligent pony. I do appreciate your company today.”
Sunset bowed her head, both out of reverence and to hide her blush. “I am always more than happy to give it, Princess.” Her words did her heart a disservice. Any time with her princess left Sunset the happiest mare alive.
Three knocks from the large, ornate doors at the front of the throne signaled the arrival of Swift Shade and Onlooker, two ponies from the espionage division of the border patrol. They followed the carpet across the gilded halls, quiet as ghosts. Both of them wore their black uniforms, mufflers covering their mouths, leaving only their eyes and horns exposed. They reached the front of the dais and bowed.
“Your Most Serene Highness, we bring more news from the Crystal Empire,” Shade said. Despite the muffler, she spoke loud and clear. “Following up on the reports of a mining operation on the far side of Ghastly Gorge, it appears the earth ponies have brought in full digging equipment. Large scale drills and platforms have been erected near the north end of the gorge.”
Princess Celestia’s warm, welcoming smile fell to a contemplative frown. The warmth was still there, but it was veiled behind caution. “Have you verified what it is they’re mining for?”
Onlooker raised his head. “We have, Your Highness,” he said slowly. “We’ve seen crystals, black and rough. However, they don’t match any type of mineral we could verify. I’m afraid we can’t get close enough to gather more information. Security around the mining camp is tight. Whatever it is they’re digging up, it’s important enough for the military to send multiple platoons.”
Sunset sucked on her teeth. “A drill operation and military forces that close to the border? Earth ponies aren’t known for their subtly, but even they have to know this looks… dangerous.”
“Indeed,” Princess Celestia said, closing her eyes. “High Chancellor Clear Bell isn’t one to show military force. What about these crystals makes it valuable enough for them to guard with such zeal? Can you confirm a current amount?”
“When we left the day before last, they had dug up perhaps only a chariot full,” Shade said.
“But the operation goes on all day and well into the night,” Onlooker added. “Whatever this is, they want a lot of it.”
The frown deepened, and Sunset shuddered at the absence of warmth. “I will confer with the ministers,” Princess Celestia said. “Perhaps on her next trip, Starlight can inquire a little more knowledge. The Crystal Empire should know they have nothing to fear from us.”
“Yes, but do we have something to fear from them now?” Sunset asked quietly.
“Worry not, Sunset.” Princess Celestia’s smile return, and warmth flooded Sunset’s body. “The peace will be kept.”
She nodded at her two spies. “I thank you for your service and reports. Take the rest of today to recover in the castle suites, then return to your posts in the morning. If there are any breaking developments, report to Captain Aegis at the garrison, and he can contact me via crystal.”
They both bowed and said in unison, “Very well, Your Highness.” Like the previous pair, the guards led them out, closing the doors behind them.
Raven, in her diligent secretarial duty, wrote on her notepad and said, “I shall schedule a meeting with the ministers this Friday before your private tutoring with Miss Sparkle.”
“Thank you, Raven.” Princess Celestia showered her with a smile. “As always, your organizational skills are remarkable.”
She straightened her red tie and collar. “Anything to make your life easier, Your Highness.”
Sunset smiled as well. In that regard, she and Raven shared the same duty. Though it technically wasn’t required of Sunset as Archmage, it was her personal sworn duty to serve the princess with every fiber of her being.
Princess Celestia stood and stretched her long legs out one by one, her golden horseshoes glinting in the sunlight. “Thank you, everypony, for your services today. That will be all.” She gestured at Sunset. “Would you care to take a walk with me?”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Sunset stepped away from the side of Princess Celestia’s throne, ignoring the small pops her legs made at the first movement in hours. She hurried down the dais after her princess, nodding her head to the guards and Raven as they bowed at the Princess’ exit.
The velvet carpet felt great against Sunset’s sore hooves. While she would never complain to the Princess, standing at attention for so long did start to wear on her.
Stained glass windows adorned the hall leading up to the throne room. Mosaics depicting bright, rolling pastures or sunny beaches, and scenes of history, like the defeat of Discord at the hooves of six ponies. The light filtering through the glass cast a strobe of colors across the floor. It was like walking on the paintings themselves.
“I must think of the most tactful way Starlight could bring up these mining operations to the High Chancellor,” Princess Celestia said, pausing to tap a hoof against her chin. “The north end of the Ghastly Gorge is firmly within their territory. They would no doubt question how we gained such information.”
“Mere surveillance from one of our passing airships? You could even have Starlight’s fly over it on her path to Crystal City.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes, that sounds most reasonable.” She sighed. “Still, this is troubling. Using their military to guard an operation close to the border? It can’t be positive for us.”
Sunset looked at the carpet with a grim frown. “Perhaps they still haven’t fully forgiven us for Sombra,” she said.
“Five-hundred years is a long time, but… perhaps you’re right.” Princess Celestia sighed. “So much potential as an archmage, and he wasted it on a coup and conquest.” She continued her walk, Sunset trotting quickly to keep pace with her long legs. “But, this is a topic for Friday.” She smiled. “Let us discuss more merry things. I would love to hear more about your arcane thesis.”
Normally, Sunset would beam from ear-to-ear at the chance to brag about her scholarly leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, that particular subject only made her want to slam her head into the nearest column. Repeatedly.
“It’s… a work in progress,” she said, shuffling her hooves instead of taking her usual proud steps.
They reached a crossroads in the halls. The stairs to the left led to the royal suites, marked by golden tapestries embossed with the princess’ cutie mark: the eight rayed shining sun. The hall continued to the right, leading back to the entrance hall. A silver door laid before them, engraved with the sun and moon.
“Arcane theses are never easy, my diligent archmage.” Princess Celestia opened the door and stepped out onto a wide balcony overlooking the castle grounds.
Sunset could smell roasting carrots and asparagus bathing in melted butter wafting up from the kitchens. The delectable spices stirring together made her mouth water. Knowing her princess, a cake sat in one of the ovens. The setting sun painted the evening sky a relaxing orange that reminded Sunset of the pumpkins growing on the farms just outside the city.
They basked in the sun’s warmth and watched its dying light give birth to shadows across the city. Sunset rested her hooves on the railing. Below her sprawled the hedge maze and the sculpture garden. Silver unicorns held flags flapping in the breeze, pegasi flew in tight formation, and earth ponies reared on their hind legs.
“It isn’t that it’s hard,” Sunset said, keeping her tone neutral, lest she sounded like she was whining, “I like a challenge. It’s just that…” She scrunched her nose. “Teleportation already seems like a complete spell. I swear, I’ve looked at it from every angle and ended up wondering either how the heck we managed to pull this off or thinking ‘yep, this spell is already perfect.’”
She let out a pent up breath. “The only thing I haven’t tried is Chaos Magic, which A. I’m not dumb enough to try. And B. It feels like cheating if it did work.”
Princess Celestia slipped a hoof out of her golden horseshoes and rested it on Sunset’s shoulder. “What you’ve undertaken is no mere feat. Perfecting a spell is sometimes harder than creating a new one. Every unicorn who changed our understanding and increased our abilities with magic struggled with their hypotheses and practices. But they never gave up.” She raised her hoof and stroked it through Sunset’s ocean of crimson and gold hair. “You’re not one to give up either. I know you’ll master this ‘blinking’ spell”
Sunset closed her eyes and leaned her head back at the princess’ loving touch. Her heart melted like chocolate over a hearth. It was moments like this that Sunset lived for. Moments where the princess was happy, and Sunset was the only thing in her eye. Princess Celestia was considered the mother of the entire kingdom of Lumen. But in these fleeting moments when day turned to night and all was calm, Sunset felt like she was Princess Celestia’s only daughter.
“Perhaps discussing what you have so far with another peer will push you along."
Sunset snorted. "I doubt it. Barely a third of the students at the school know how to teleport. And Inkwell would just give me some cryptic advice before laughing and telling me I'm smart enough to figure it out on my own." Not that she's wrong.
“Still, it never hurts to get another perspective on things.”
“I suppose not.” Sunset opened her eyes, looking up at the now pink sky. Every archmage was required to invent or perfect one spell during their tenure. Technically, that could be their entire lifetime. But because Sunset Shimmer didn’t do anything on a small scale, this would only be her first arcane thesis. Mastery over teleportation; moving between two places with perfect speed and precision until it could be done within the same second, no delays.
She had unofficially dubbed it ‘blinking.’
Behind her, Princess Celestia raised her spiraled horn high, letting off a pulse of golden magic. The sun finished its arc over the world, paving the way for the moon as it crested over the mountain. With it came a curtain of deep blues and inky blacks. The stars awoke and punctured holes in the curtain, filling the night canvas with beads of light.
Sunset watched the transition of light, her eyes on the west horizon as it changed from orange, to pink, to blue, and then to black. “Maybe I’ll talk to Minuette,” she thought aloud.
“I’m sure she’d love to see you,” Princess Celestia said with an amused chuckle.
Sunset could already feel the upcoming tackle-hug. “Yeah, I’m sure she would.” A small smile pulled at her lips.
Twilight trotted down the corridor with a happy swish of her tail. She beamed at the A on her Advanced Spatial Theory paper. Hard work and meticulous studying had paid off once again! She carefully rolled it up and placed it in her saddlebag, making a mental note to mail it to her parents.
“Twilight!”
She turned around, finding Moondancer trying to weave her way through the crowd of students. She stumbled a few times, thrown off kilter from her brushes with the oncoming traffic. Twilight gave her a short, friendly wave.
Moondancer finally caught up and brushed her uniform off. “Hi,” she said with a bashful glance. “Um, how was class?”
“It was great! I got an A on my paper!”
Moondancer smiled. “That’s great! So, I was wondering, maybe we could have lunch together before history class? Only if you want to! I know how busy you are.”
Twilight lifted her hoof to politely decline, but remembered the promise she had made to herself. Moondancer was smart, and she seemed nice. And if they were going to be roommates, Twilight knew it would be best to keep their relationship cordial.
“Sure, lunch sounds nice,” she said.
Her face brighter than a Hearth’s Warming tree, Moondancer followed Twilight to the cafeteria in the dormitories. Six large bay windows placed against the east and west walls and a skylight ensured an abundance of natural light during all hours of the day. Rectangular tables were arranged in neat rows, broken up by six stone pillars.
Twilight sat down opposite of Moondancer. There was a long pause between the two mares. Twilight ate her sandwich, keeping her eyes down. From her occasional glances, she could see Moondancer was doing much of the same. This isn’t hard, Twilight. Just pretend you’re talking to Shining. Or a professor.
“Sooo, how are your classes going?” she asked.
“Oh, you know. They’re a little slow to start, like you said. But, we’ll be working on perpetual enchantments next week. I’ve started studying in advance for that.” Moondancer took a bite of her salad and chewed it thoughtfully. “How are your classes? Wait! I asked that already. Umm…”
Twilight forced a small laugh to hopefully ease some of the tension. “Uhh, what part of Canterlot are you from?”
“I live close to the pegasi neighborhoods near the airship docks.” She let out an irritable sigh. “It’s always noisy around there.”
Twilight had been to the airship docks and knew the construction could be pretty noisy. It didn’t help that pegasi were known to be boisterous and loud. “I live close to the front gate, near the welcome plaza.”
“Must be nice and quiet near the front.”
“It is. Plus, I live two blocks from the library!”
“Lucky.”
Just as their conversation started to slow again, Rarity and Fleur approached from the lunch line. “Twilight, good afternoon!” Rarity said brightly. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is my roommate,” Twilight said, trying not to emphasize the difference in front of Moondancer. She seemed nice, but they had only known each other for three days. That hardly qualified as a friend.
“My name is Moondancer,” she said, adjusting her glasses as she looked down at her food.
“I’m Rarity,” she said, setting her tray on the table. “And this is Fleur. Do you mind if we sit with you today?”
Twilight kept her resigned sigh to herself. This was supposed to be a simple lunch with friendly small talk before she went on her way. Now it was a social gathering. She put on her best smile and nodded though, vowing to make up for lost time later that night.
Rarity sat next to her and Fleur joined Moondancer. “What were you ladies discussing. If I may ask?”
“Just what part of Canterlot we’re from,” Twilight said.
“Lovely! Canterlot is such a marvelous city. I had dreamed of living here ever since I was a filly,” Rarity said with a dreamy sigh.
“Where are you from?” Moondancer asked.
Rarity speared a group of lettuce and carrots onto her fork. “My family lives in little Hollow Shades.”
Twilight looked at the geographical map in her head. “Isn’t that on the other side of the mountains?”
“Isn’t their economy dirt poor? How did you get here?” Moondancer asked.
Reading other ponies wasn’t Twilight’s forte. They tended to be a lot more complex than books. But, the weight of the silence, and the way Rarity shut her eyes and took a short breath told Twilight Moondancer might have said something wrong.
Rarity opened her eyes and put on a patient smile. “Yes, Hollow Shades is not known for its riches. But it’s still home, rustic charm and all. I raised the money to come here by selling the dresses I make.” She gazed out the windows toward the mountain. “Now I’m trying to save up so I can bring the rest of my family here. At the very least, make enough to afford tuition for my baby sister if she wants to attend school here.”
“That’s nice of you,” Moondancer said. “If a little overly ambitious. Selling dresses is really only lucrative if you have a big name behind you, especially in Canterlot. Being a student, most nobles won’t take you seriously.”
Rarity closed her eyes and breathed again. “While that might be true,” she said in clipped tones, “I have confidence in my abilities to make a difference.”
Moondancer opened her mouth, but Twilight decided now would be a good time to do something she normally never considered: socially intervene. “So, Fleur,” she said, her voice a pitch higher than normal, “where are you from?”
Fleur’s eyes widened, like she was startled that she had been brought into the conversation. “Oh… I am… from the high terrace… next to the castle,” she said, almost sounding like she was disappointed with herself.
Moondancer leaned toward her. “Wait… you’re Fleur Dis Lee! Your mother is Belles Étapes!”
Fleur made herself as small as possible in her seat. “Yes I am. And yes, she is. And I would very much like to not talk about it.”
Curiosity demanded Twilight to ask questions, but she didn’t need to be a social butterfly to see Fleur’s emotional shut down. Fleur kept her eyes on the table and slowly ate her food.
Twilight’s ear gave an agitated flick; she knew she would have to intervene again. “How are everyone’s classes going?”
“Well enough,” Rarity said. “Enough homework and reading to keep a girl busy, but I still have time to work on everyone’s outfits for the dance. Which reminds me, Twilight, you haven’t given me an official answer.” She looked at Twilight with a twinkle in her eye.
“Oh, right.” Twilight hadn’t given the Welcome Back Ball any more thought since Rarity had brought it up at their initial meeting. Did she really want to waste a Friday night standing next to a punch bowl watching other ponies socialize and dance? The short answer was no. And she would not be subjected to peer pressure, no matter how much Rarity fluttered her long eyelashes.
“I’m sorry, Rarity. Dances just don’t seem appealing to me. Besides, by next week, I’ll have too much studying to do to take a break like that.”
Rarity gave her a disappointed pout, but said, “Very well, I understand. I admire your studious drive, Twilight. Just don’t overwork yourself.”
The remainder of their lunch passed without incident and with the silence only slightly awkward. The bell came as sweet relief to Twilight, who hurriedly threw on her saddlebags. “Let’s go before the front seats are taken,” she said to Moondancer.
“Right.” Moondancer levitated her tray over to the discard table, then stood up to follow Twilight. “It was nice meeting you both.”
“Likewise,” Rarity said with a wave. Fleur remained quiet, still gazing at her empty plate.
As she and Moondancer walked out to the quad, Twilight gave into her curious nature. “Who’s Belles Étapes?”
Moondancer looked at her, eyes wide behind her glasses. “I’m surprised you don’t know. She was a big deal in theater.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I don’t keep up with pop culture news.”
Moondancer shrugged. “Well, Belles Étapes was one of the biggest names in theater twenty years ago. Beautiful, with a great voice and acting skills. Then, it got out that she was having an affair with an earth pony. It was a huge scandal.”
Twilight rolled her eyes again. This was why she didn’t bother with pop culture news. Ponies talked about the most pointless things.
But Moondancer lowered her voice and said, “Fleur was born not long after everypony found out about the affair. Her father is the earth pony Belles cheated with.”
“So she’s half earth pony. It might be rare, but it’s not that big of a deal.” Twilight paused and put a hoof to her chin. “Actually, the fact that she’s half earth pony and in Class Zero is really impressive.”
“Yeah. You’d think her magic would be diluted.” Moondancer shrugged and pressed on toward Luna Hall. Lowering her voice again, she said, “So… you really aren’t going to the dance?”
Twilight shook her head. “Why waste a perfectly good night of reading?” She looked inquisitively at Moondancer. “Why, are you?”
Moondancer’s cheeks turned pink. “I… My mom made me promise I’d go to a few of the social events on campus. She thinks I don’t have enough friends.”
Twilight smiled with nostalgia, remembering a similar conversation she had with her mother before being dropped off. Fortunately, she had made no such agreement, just the old promise made at the start of every school year that she would try a little harder to make some acquaintances. Moondancer and her Class Zero cohort counted as ‘some acquaintances.’
Moondancer opened her mouth like she wanted to say something else, but the words never came. She remained silent until they got to their history class. Once Professor Hoofnote began asking questions, she came out of her shell, joining Twilight in hogging the answers until he refused to call on them again.
Overall, Twilight couldn’t complain too much about her first week of school. Introductions and basic instructions were out of the way, meaning on Monday, she could finally sink her teeth into some new material! While a small hoof-full of students had gawked at her as she walked through the halls, nopony had really asked her about the entrance exam, and aside from Trixie, nopony seemed to hate her for being the second freshman to ever join Class Zero immediately.
With her Friday classes over, Twilight stopped by her dorm to switch out her textbooks, only to come across a slight hiccup.
“What do I even bring for my lesson with the princess?” She frantically paced in front of her bed, all of her textbooks lined out on the sheets. “Do I even need to bring anything? Should I bring everything? But that’s not going to all fit!”
Moondancer watched her pace from her desk. “Well, what exactly is the princess going to be teaching you?”
Twilight paused. “Uhh… private, advanced magic lessons. Yes, that’s it!” She put on a wide smile.
“Lucky,” Moondancer said with a longing sigh. “Well, if she didn’t specify bringing any book, maybe you’ll be reading from something in the Royal Archives. Or maybe it’s a practical lesson that doesn’t require a book.”
Twilight relaxed her smile. Perhaps Moondancer was right. Princess Celestia would have told Twilight if she needed to bring anything, right? And for the real lessons that would be taking place, Twilight had a feeling a book wouldn’t be the most helpful.
But going to a class without a book or a quill? It felt unnatural.
“You’re right.” Twilight took a relaxed breath. “These will probably be more practical lessons.” She trotted to the bathroom. “Now I just have to make sure I look presentable.”
She stopped in front of door and turned back toward her small closet. “Should I be wearing my school uniform? Maybe I should put on something more formal? Or maybe I can run and get it dry-cleaned really fast! No, there’s no time for that; I only have an hour!”
“I think the uniform should be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight headed for the bathroom. “I hope so. I really want to make a good impression. I mean, I guess I must have since she’s teaching me, but maybe that’s just out of necessity. I want her to like me too! I mean, she’s Princess Celestia, she likes everypony, but…”
Moondancer tapped the hourglass on her desk. “Wasting time, Twilight.”
“Right, thanks!” She scurried into the bathroom to give her mane and tail an extra thorough comb, and brushed and flossed her teeth until her mouth hurt.
After running a lint roller across her shirt and skirt, she examined herself one last time in the mirror. “Okay, I think I’m ready. I hope I don’t get sweaty walking over there.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Moondancer said with a warm smile.
Twilight breathed again. “Right. You’re right. Okay, I’m off.” She opened their room door.
“Hi, Twilight!”
“Gah!” Twilight jumped back, finding Minuette just outside her door and devoid of her school uniform. “W-what are you doing here?”
Minuette held a hoof to her mouth and giggled. “I knew you were going to the castle for your tutoring session with the princess, so I decided to meet with you. Sunset’s invited me to have tea with her.”
Twilight cocked her head. “You’re friends with Lady Shimmer?”
“Yep! I came into Class Zero in her last semester. We were the only two there, so we became really good friends.” Minuette made a soft wave with her hoof. “Well, that’s the short version. I was her friend. It took a little while for it to go both ways.”
“I see.” Twilight stepped out of her room, waving one last time to Moondancer. She gave Minuette another look over. “You’re going to meet Sunset Shimmer like that?”
Minuette nodded. “Sunset won’t mind. Neither would the princess, but she does love seeing us in our school colors. Plus, it looks great on you.”
Twilight felt a wave of relief as they proceeded downstairs. Outside, they stepped through the fallen maple leaves littering the campus. A group of freshmen had piled them together into a large heap and took turns jumping into it. Clouds gathered overhead, dimming the already weak autumn light and providing quick bursts of complete shade.
“Are you excited about your first lesson with the princess?” Minuette asked.
“A little nervous, actually.”
Minuette patted her shoulder, missing the sour frown Twilight gave her. “Don’t be. Princess Celestia is literally the perfect teacher. Kind, patient, understanding.”
“Wait, have you had private lessons with her?”
“Mmhmm. Everypony in Class Zero gets at least a few. Some get more than others. Sunset got lessons every week.” She smiled. “I’m still so happy she got to be the next archmage. I’m so proud of her.”
They exited the school grounds and turned left down the road, staying within the shadow of the castle until they reached the front gate. Without a wall to block the view, Canterlot Castle towered over Twilight, gleaming even in the gloomy autumn air.
Guards flanked either side of the front gate. They eyed Twilight and Minuette as the two passed under the portcullis but made no effort to bar them entry from the courtyard. Statues of rearing unicorns flanked the marble path rising up to the front doors of the castle. Verdant grass patches spread out before Twilight, still lush despite the changing weather.
The castle itself loomed like a royal colossus, silent and watchful over its city. A single building made up most of it, wide enough to house the entirety of Celestia’s School within it. Golden bridges connected towers and turrets that rose into the sky. Their shadows could creep across the castle walls when the sun hit them right. Many of them hung over the cliffside, no doubt offering a fantastic view, but a little too precarious for Twilight’s liking.
She focused on the half of the castle resting on stable ground. Walking up to the front steps and the jewel encrusted front door, Twilight felt like a flea. This was the home of Celestia: the immortal princess who had total control of the heavens. What business did she have in such a resplendent place? The guards manning the front doors crossed their spears, their narrowed eyes asking the same question.
“State your business,” one said gruffly.
Twilight’s legs trembled. “I, um, I’m here t-to see the princess?”
He rolled his eyes. “With what business?”
“Oh, right. You s-see, I’m from the school.” Twilight pointed to her badge. “I’m supposed to receive special training from Her Highness.”
The guard on the left leaned in, eyes narrowed. “And do you have confirmation for such a visit?”
“C-confirmation?” Twilight had never even considered that! Did she have anything to prove she was telling the truth? Had the princess given her something like that?
Minuette patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Okay, Rift Shield, that’s enough. You’re starting to scare her.”
The guard pulled out of Twilight’s face and broke into a childish smile. “You’re right. Might have laid it on a bit too thick. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle.”
One of Twilight’s ears involuntarily flicked. “Wha?”
Minuette gave Twilight another pat. “The guards like to haze the princess’ newest student. It isn’t the nicest thing in the world,” she said, giving a look that made both guards fidget, “but they all mean well. Consider it a little ‘welcome to the club.’”
This time, Twilight voluntarily flicked her ear. “Hilarious,” she said, scrunching her nose. “May we please go inside now?”
Rift Shield knocked the butt of his spear against the door, and it swung open without a sound. Twilight stepped onto soft carpet, keeping her eyes resolutely forward. She would have to have a talk with Shining about the unprofessionalism of the castle guards. Getting her worked up over a dumb joke. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. At least Minuette was the only pony around to see it. That said, Minuette seemed like the type to tell stories.
The height of the entrance hall nearly gave Twilight vertigo when she raised her head. The tall columns and wide arches gave the impression it had been built with dragons in mind rather than ponies.
They stopped in the middle of a crossroad, the path splitting off to the left and right. A large staircase rose before them, and the corridors parted again in front of a stain glass window depicting a blue unicorn with a mane full of stars.
Twilight sucked in her breath as a shadow appeared along the wall of the window. She sucked her breath again when it turned out not to be Celestia.
Her hoofsteps were precise and filled with confidence. Her crimson and gold mane flowed around her face, with her teal eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly to look like she was perpetually annoyed. The Archmage Sunset Shimmer walked down the steps to greet them. She wore a white sash and cape, held together by golden clasps with Princess Celestia’s cutie mark on them: the eight-rayed sun.
Her eyes met Twilight’s for a moment, and Twilight shrank into herself, hoping to vanish off the face of the planet. Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no! She’s going to vaporize me for beating all of her records at the entrance exam! I wasn’t even trying! Oh, do not say that! It’ll sound like you’re bragging! Tell her it was an accident! She can take the test again and shatter my record!
But Sunset’s eyes had moved onto Minuette, and a smile graced her lips.
“Sunny!” Minuette yelled when Sunset got to the bottom steps. She bounded over and tackled Sunset to the floor, fits of giggles coming from their tangled mass.
“Yep,” Sunset grunted from underneath Minuette, a smile on her face, “saw that coming.”
Minuette pulled her up and into a proper hug. “I missed you so much!”
“It hasn’t even been that long. And I’m literally right next door to you.”
“Pish posh, anytime away from friends is too long. So, how have you been? How’s being archmage? Still fun? Have you gotten your first thesis ready?”
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Sunset brushed out her cape and sash. “Hold that thought for a second.” She faced Twilight again, who instantly became rigid. “So, you’re Twilight Sparkle?”
“Please don’t be mad!” Twilight dropped to her back knees and put her forehooves together. “I didn’t mean to break your records! I swear I wasn’t showing off or anything! Please don’t turn me into a newt to use for experiments!”
Out of all things, Twilight didn’t expect Sunset to chuckle at her.
“I see my reputation still precedes me.” She gestured for Twilight to rise. “I’m not mad about some silly entrance scores.”
A wind of relief swept through Twilight. “Really?”
“Of course not. Now, if you asked me like, four years ago, yeah, I would have wanted your head on a pike.”
Twilight’s heart froze.
Sunset pressed a hoof to her lips. “Yeah, that didn’t come out right. The point is, I’m not mad. Honestly, I’m kinda impressed. Sure, it was more or less an accident, but to have a magic surge like that? You must have some raw talent in there somewhere.”
Twilight froze again. “Y-you know what happened?”
Sunset lifted her chin and smiled. “Of course. Her Highness tells me everything. It’s nothing to be ashamed of though. Ponies have gotten in on far worse circumstances.” She tapped a hoof to her mouth again. “That didn’t come out right either. Sorry, I’m still working on my social skills. Minuette’s the only pony I talk to casually.”
Minuette pressed her cheek against Sunset’s. “Which is why you need to come over more! The class has so many ponies you can talk to!”
“And Blueblood,” Sunset deadpanned.
“Oh, he’s mostly harmless.”
Twilight was never happier to hear the clop of horseshoes coming down the steps. The three mares turned and fell into a deep bow as Princess Celestia drew near, glowing like the first light of dawn. When her golden hoofguards stopped in front of them, they lifted their heads.
She beamed down at them. “Look at this vibrant gathering. Alumni, seniors, and freshmen. Getting along well, I hope?”
Minuette wrapped a hoof around Sunset and Twilight and pulled them in close. “Yep! Trying to teach both of them to lighten up a little.”
Celestia chuckled. “Your efforts are always appreciated, Minuette. But, I’m afraid Twilight Sparkle and I must adjourn for her lesson.”
“That’s okay.” Minuette let Twilight go and dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “This one needs a refresher course anyway.” She pointed to Sunset.
“Minnie, I can hear you.”
“I know.”
Celestia laughed again, soft as water rippling in a summer breeze. “You two have fun. Come along, Twilight.” She turned around and headed back up the stairs. “Do you prefer that or your full name?” she asked cordially.
“No! I mean, yes! I mean, Twilight is fine.” Twilight tripped over her words the same way she tripped over her hooves to hurry after the princess.
“Good luck, Twi!” Minuette called.
Luck? Why would she need luck? Was there another test she had to pass? Was the lesson going to be difficult? Her heart thundered in her chest. Here she was, cantering to keep up with Princess Celestia’s long gait. Aside from the occasional station of guards, she was all alone with the most powerful unicorn in the world.
“Relax your breathing, Twilight,” Celestia said, eyes forward.
Twilight stumbled over her hooves again. “What?”
Celestia looked down at her, still smiling. “You’re breathing far too erratically. You need to relax yourself. There’s nothing to fear here.”
“Oh… okay.” Twilight began taking deep breaths, but it was hard when she had to take eight steps for every four Celestia made.
“That’s better. Keep practicing until we get there.”
They walked along several corridors painted orange from the setting sun. They had passed the door to the library a while back, leaving Twilight to wonder where they were headed. Vases and painting of famous ponies were placed between the marble columns. Twilight recognized a portrait Sir Swifter, the first pegasi to make a full lap around the world. Next to him was Globe Trotter with his impressive, burly mustache. He had been the earth pony to prove the world was round to begin with.
Twilight followed Princess Celestia up a flight of stairs and down another hall to a round room at the end. The open windows let in the crisp scent of fallen leaves, and what Twilight identified as pumpkin spice from the kitchens somewhere below. The room was still warm, though—cozy and comforting like a blanket had been draped over Twilight. The room sported only a tea table with two pillows in the center, and a small bookshelf off to one side.
Celestia gestured for Twilight to have a seat. She closed the door behind them and sat opposite of Twilight.
“Our tea should be along shortly.” She put a hoof to her lips and chuckled. “Goodness, how rude of me. I didn’t even ask if you liked tea.”
“Tea is great!” Twilight said hastily. “I love tea!” She drew in a quick breath and tried to get control of her heart again. She found it a much easier feat with the seasonal aroma and the warm atmosphere.
On cue, the maid with the tea cart arrived, announcing her presence with a soft knock on the door. A silver teapot with matching cups, plates, and a sugar bowl sat on the top row, and on the bottom was a platter of cookies and a container of different tea flavors. The maid pushing the cart levitated everything onto the table, bowed, and saw herself out without a word.
Celestia poured herself a cup of hot water and selected a tea packet from the container. “Would you like to hear a secret, Twilight?”
Twilight nibbled on the inside of her lip. Was this a trick question? The princess seemed sincere. “Umm, yes?”
As Celestia dropped her tea bag into her cup, she said, “I was never good at the art of tea making. Everything I tried just tasted like hot water with some leaf juice and sugar.” She lifted the tea bag out of the water. “This has been one of my favorite inventions so far. So simple, yet so effective.”
Twilight couldn’t find a response that didn’t emphasize the fact that Celestia had been around for a very long time. Instead, she picked a cinnamon chai tea and placed it in her cup, watching the water turn a pleasant beige.
“Tell me, Twilight, how was your first week of school?”
“It’s been fine.” She took a pause to blow on her tea. “I’ve never been away from home this long, so it’s been a little bit of an adjustment. But, my roommate is pretty nice. And I got an A on my first paper!” She swished her tail.
“Congratulations. I have no doubt it was well earned.” Celestia raised her cup in a golden aura and took a small sip. “Do you like your classmates?”
“They’re… interesting. I’m sure they’re all nice ponies…” Twilight sipped on her tea, keeping her eyes down.
Celestia smiled again. Like Minuette’s, it was warm and motherly, but there was a much deeper wisdom buried within. “Making friends can be hard. But it’s well worth it to have a few companions to help you through school.”
Once again, Twilight didn’t know how to respond. She took another sip of her tea and nodded. She would never know if that had been the correct answer or not. Celestia said nothing, leaving them both to drink their tea.
Celestia finished first, setting her cup down to pour another helping. “You’re a very studious young mare, aren't you?”
Twilight’s cheeks reddened. “Well, I do like to read.”
“Do you have a favorite subject?”
“Honestly, I’m interested in everything. But the study of magic would have to be my favorite.”
Celestia selected a jasmine tea packet. “You remind me of Sunset. And myself to be honest.”
Twilight’s heart did a triple backflip and stuck the landing. She reminded the princess of herself? Twilight could barely get her mouthful of tea down, wanting to squee instead.
“Tell me, how do like to spend your free time?” Celestia dropped two helpings of sugar into her tea and stirred.
Twilight got her tea down, drowning the squee stuck in her throat. This was beginning to sound a lot like her conversation with Minuette a week ago. “I read. Or I practice magic… when… you know… when it wants to cooperate.” She folded her ears.
“Mmm. I see.” Celestia took a drink from her cup. “How do you feel now?”
“What do you mean?”
Celestia set her cup on the table and straightened up, giving Twilight her full attention. “How do you feel? Are you relaxed? Comfortable?”
Twilight shifted her weight on her pillow. Now that she thought about it, her shoulders were less tense than when she had first walked into the castle. And her breathing was under control now. “Yes, I feel really good actually.”
“Excellent. Now, I want you to hold onto that feeling and close your eyes.”
She did as told. Even in the darkness behind her eyelids, she could see Celestia’s smiling face.
“Now, deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus on feeling relaxed. That’s it, nice and easy. Even breaths.”
With Celestia’s soothing voice guiding her, Twilight fell into a rhythm. Quiet tranquility spread through her. But there was something else here. A familiar something, vast and deep somewhere inside her.
“You feel it now, don’t you?” Celestia asked. “Your magic.”
Twilight flinched, feeling an ocean of power rise up to the tiny opening at the base of her horn.
“No, no. Relax. Don’t run from it. It’s a part of you, Twilight. Like I told you before, magic like yours requires a firm but calm control. You have to be strong enough to use it, and focused enough to wield it.”
She could see it now, the vast mana sleeping within her. It was a beautiful violet, like the star of her cutie mark, only it shimmered, even in the surrounding darkness. As Twilight continued breathing, she felt her magic lap and roll like a calm wave, instead of writhing and churning like it usually did in its attempt to escape. How deep did it go, she wondered.
“Okay, come back now, Twilight. Open your eyes.”
Twilight did so, wincing at the weak evening light. She could still feel her magic, but it felt like it was growing more and more distant, settling down deep inside her somewhere. “That was… amazing,” Twilight said with a gasp of surprise. “I didn’t know you could see your own magic.”
Celestia nodded. “It’s especially easy for you when you have so much. These will be our lessons, Twilight; helping you gain proper control of your magic.” Her purple eyes read Twilight like an open book. “You struggle between letting off too much, and blocking off so much of it that you can’t use it at all. We will work on finding that balance, and from there, we’ll work on more advanced spellcasting.”
Twilight eagerly nodded her head. “Yes, Princess! Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! Which school of magic are we going to learn from first? Or are we going to start off with theoretical spells? I’ve been reading Paradigm Shift’s book on spell arrays and—”
“Easy, Twilight,” Celestia said. “I’m glad you’re eager, but let’s take one thing at a time. First, we work on your control. Then we can gush over magical theory.” She lifted the teapot again. “But before even that, tell me more about yourself.”
“There really isn’t much to tell,” Twilight said, lowering her eyes.
“Now, I find that hard to believe. Everypony has a story to tell.” Celestia dropped a new tea bag into her mug and followed it with a scoop of sugar. “And everypony’s story is a chapter in this narrative we call life. I have a feeling yours will be a very interesting one.”
Twilight blushed at the twinkle in Celestia’s eye. The Princess, Minuette, Moondancer; all these ponies seemed interested in her and not just her magic. Twilight admitted it was nice, but she still couldn’t afford to be bogged down by all this friendship business.
But the Princess thought she was worth something. She wanted to get to know Twilight. It wasn’t something Twilight could say no to. If she was going to open up to anypony, it might as well be Princess Celestia.
“Well, I was born the day before Hearth’s Warming…”
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Huh, Celestia and Luna are just unicorns in this story? That's really interesting. Suppose it really emphasizes the fact that there are really three separate kingdoms.
Yikes.
It doesn't look good.
This is QUITE an AU.
Yeah, no that's fair.
She's right, it's probable that a different perspective and mindset might offer insight you haven't thought of.
Hm, no Luna.
Exactly. You don't have to be best friends forever, but having a civil relationship is nice.
Yep.
Ah. That's fair.
Ah. That'd be why.
She's not actively going to try and fuck you over.
Times change though.
You two would be great together then.
Well, she IS like twice your size.
They can serve as an anchor through the insanity and stupidity.
Balance is important.
Huh. Neat.
Quality over quantity, I'd prefer to wait longer for something you're fully satisfied with than wait less time for something you're only OK with.
Great chapter. :)
It must be the skewed setting because I'm getting major distrust vibes from Celestia. Ponies love her a little too much. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but I get the feeling that there's way more going on with her that we're not seeing yet. I suppose we'll see.
Though nice interactions between Twilight and everypony else. The Minuette and Sunset relationship is also adorable. And Moondancer really needs to learn a little tact...
Pretty accurate view of Twilight's magic situation. I imagine that's exactly what Celestia helped her with in the show.
Till next time!
It was worth the wait.
*Tire screeching noises* Wait, what? What!? How!? Six ponies is mane 6... but mane six here... how work?... does... not... compute...
I'd say this takes place in the future, but I can't see Celestia letting Equestria get divided like that, nor can I see ponies who look and act exactly the same coming into existence. Unless... reincarnation!
That doesn't explain Luna's absence
Then I'm just as confused as Ink
Even... more... confused...
Forget it Ink; it's Albinocorn
Did Twilight just call her a unicorn!?
Shh, shh, it's okay Ink, just think calm thoughts about our next chapter, and everything will be fine
I want my mommy *sucks thumb*
I saw this, and knew I had seen it before. After a minute or so of mind searching, I remembered, you sneaky little thing. Spectacular Seven.
This was best chapter, partially because it had Best Pony. Also, Sunset working on teleportation, nice! Hmm, wait just one minute. I know you wrote this a long time ago, but, *flips tgrough my fic* ah, yes. I also gave Sunset something to do with teleportation. Coincidence? I think not! Merely great minds thinking alike. Keep up the amazing work!
My my, wasn't this excellent? I really am loving this AU. Can't wait to hear more of the past, and how Twilight's relationship with the others unfolds.
Fantastic and well written chapter. Nice to finally see Sunset and Minuette has really been good to her, seeing she's humble and trying to be comforting. The political stuff is also quite fascinating with how Celestia is trying to keep tabs on what is going on without accidentally causing a war on her part. And it's very nice to see everypony helping Twilight start to adjust socially and magically. Very intriguing to see she was born the day before Heath's Warming. Coincidence? I think not! Really looking forward to seeing the next chapter!
I am now permanently invested in this story, as with all your works. Your writing brings me exceeding joy, and I love it. Thank you for contributing so massively to the corpus of works on this site.
So in the last chapter we learned that Equestria was united until Discord showed up and in the process destroyed most of history before his reign. In this one we learn that Celestia and depictions of Luna (wherever she is) are unicorns, but at least Celestia is still long lived. What I'm thinking is that Discord used his chaos magic to turn Celestia and Luna into unicorns and THEY destroyed history to cover up that fact and without alicorns in power that is the reason why Equestria wasn't able to stay united.
Blasphemy!
8765938
I can relate. Small things itch in my mind until they make sense to me. It especially gets in the way of enjoying a story after a long break from it (often due to waiting for a new chapter) since I always don’t remember the previous chapters completely, and then my mind screams at me to read again. But then, I’m too lazy to re-read in detail, so I have to deal with the annoying itch most of the time with strength of will; still annoying, though.
Top tier writing. The flow is just so good! Writing this must take a while. I'm excited to see what everyone in Class Zero is capable of now. Also curious about that certain other powerful unicorn mare. And now I'm curious what you had to rewrite too!
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It's not much worth noting. Sunset was going to give a guest lecture for one of Twilight's classes, then talk to her and Minuette after, but it turned into this overly long explanation of how teleportation worked. I realized I could explain it much more naturally as the story progressed. I was already at 6k and Twilight hadn't even mentioned going to see Princess Celestia.
Hmm. Black crystals and Sombra's legacy looking over earth pony-unicorn relations. This could lead to a number of unpleasant outcomes...
Congratulations, Twilight. You have more social acumen than Moondancer.
Nice touch with the casual tribalism when discussing Fleur. Really droves home the societal differences between Equestria and Lumen.
I didn't register Celestia was wingless until I got to the stained-glass window of Luna. Not sure how Tia's immortal, but I'd say there's a nonzero chance she'll never see her sister again this side of death.
Funnily enough, Sunset's sparkled.
Lovely introduction to Celestia and Sunset, and of placing the storm on the horizon. Looking forward to more.
8765938
Alternate universe, my friend. Different history, different heroes, and a marked absence of post-Discord tribal unification. And alicorns, for that matter. Take a close look at the chapter's header image.
8779080
I got that. I was making a joke about how AU I found it.
8779092
Sorry. Comical exaggeration and text don't always blend well, especially not when I think I can explain something to someone.
8779106
s'all right.
I figured it was so over the top it would naturally come across as a joke.
Finally I can give this proper attention!
At least Twilight’s trying to reach out, bless her, even if she doesn’t see the big deal. And her social skills aren’t even the worst in her class!
(Poor lovesick Moonie though...
)
Always nice to see Celestia being Celestia, even in this darker world (and wingless). And actual intrigue too... also, am I reading right that Starlight Glimmer is the ambassador to the Crystal Empire? (Or maybe not, other ponies have a right to the name too.)
8642426
Glance at the author's profile. He gives ZERO fucks about Spike.
9003436
Making a hell of a lot of assumptions.
Color me interested.
Good day. Will You continue the story?
9193158
Yes. Later.
Pretty good so far. Hope you continue soon. BTW, why are ratings disabled?
Wait did you ask Monochromatic before borrowing this OC? glares at you
Huh, Sunset seems alot more amiable here, plus she respects and reveres Celestia (and sees her like a mother). I like it!
I guess having a highly regarded position already and there being no alicorns, plus the attention she gets from Celestia, there'd be no reason for her to want more.