Mare Of The Moon

by tom117z

5 - Entrance Exam

Twilight slowly opened her eyes, she was met by the large bedroom she now called her own. The curtains were closed with only the smallest amount of the dawns light seeping through. The past two years had been quite peaceful, Twilight had remained within the confines of her disguise and everypony was none-the-wiser to her true nature. Her 'family' had been good to her and Twilight enjoyed regular visits from Princess Cadance, maybe she could convince them to join her when the time came? Despite Twilight's hopes she knew that would be unlikely and she would just have to settle with convincing her mother to go easy on these particular Pony's.

Anyway it was time to put thoughts like that out of her head, today was a special day. Twilight had been frustrated at how over the last two years she had been unable to help her mother in any way and had to simply sit and wait, but that was now at an end. Twilight had spent considerable time considering the best way to get in close with Celestia without raising suspicion and hopefully using this position to spy on Celestia the best she could. She had finally figured out how she could potentially do this. The School of Gifted Unicorns would be holding entrance exams that day, a school run by Celestia herself, a school where she might just be able to secretly snoop around for anything that could help them when the time came. Honestly, who would ever suspect such an innocent little filly?

Grinning to herself Twilight slowly lifted her bed sheets off of herself and groggily got herself up.

Making her way downstairs she was met by the wondrous smell of sweet blueberry pancakes, her favourite type of pancake. Twilight excitedly trotted towards the table and sat down awaiting her delicious breakfast. Twilight had noticed sometimes she would actually become the filly she was pretending to be, a sign she may be playing the part a little too well.

"Morning Twily, I made your favourite pancakes! You will need all your energy for today!" Twilight Velvet warmly greeted her 'daughter' with a smile.

Twilight gave a genuine smile back nodding quickly as she eagerly awaited the pancakes.

Velvet placed four empty plates around the table where each pony would be sitting and then a larger plate filled to the brim with mouth-watering pancakes at the centre of the table.

When Shining Armor and Night Light walked down the stairs and into the dining room they found Twilight with her face shoved right into a pile of pancakes on her plate while Velvet stood with an amused smile on her face.

"Whoa Twily save some for us!" Shining Armor laughed.

Twilight looked up from her meal, her face covered with stray bits of pancakes smiling sheepishly, she was definitely playing the part a little too well.

The group finished their pancakes in peace with the occasional idle banter between them. In the end Shining left to go meet a 'friend' he wanted to meet with before he had to return to the academy in a few days, promising to meet up with Twilight at the school. Likewise the
remaining three ponies all got ready to go to the School of Gifted Unicorns for Twilight's entrance exam.

"She's oddly calm don't you think?" Night Light whispered to his wife.

"She's confident in her abilities, that's a good thing Nighty."

"But I mean shouldn't she be the least bit apprehensive, I mean those exams can be brutal!"

"She's fine Nighty, now stop worrying!"

Soon after they were out the door heading towards the school.

---

The walk to the school was quiet enough and thirty minutes later they were standing at the gates. The schools spires glistened wonderfully in the sunlight.

"Look at those spires," Night Light remarked with a whistle. "Celestia's sun really brings out their full glory!"

Twilight winced. "I think they would look better sparkling in the moonlight..." she muttered.

"Why do you say that honey?"

"Just personal preference I suppose," Twilight sighed

Night Light shrugged and they continued up the pathway into the school building itself.

The entrance hall was a massive structure with polished wood floors and magnificent marble pillars holding up the giant roof over their heads. Directly ahead of the two massive oak doors sat a wooden reception desk with to large staircases either side leading up to the classrooms.

Behind the reception desk sat an elderly mare with a light blue coat, a grey mane and with green glasses sitting on the end of her muzzle.

Looking up from a log book the receptionist saw them approaching, "Ah you must be here for the entrance exam"

"We are, my names Twilight Velvet and my husband here is Night Light"

The receptionist looked at her log book muttering to herself "Twilight velvet, Twilight Velvet", she then nodded and addressed the group again., "Yes you are on the list, this little one must be Twilight Twinkle then" she said leaning over the desk to better view Twilight.

"Yes ma'am," Twilight responded.

"So polite!" The receptionist remarked. "You will do well in this school, you are participant number seven so if you would head up to the exam tower up the stairs to your left and wait until you number is called, good luck!"

They said goodbye to the receptionist and headed up to the exam tower, on arriving they were greeted with a plain white room with a single window and a few rows of seats, a closed door at the other end that led into the exam hall itself, a guard directed them to a couple of seats to wait their turn.

Around them sat three other ponies, participants four, five and six. They sat there for about five minutes before the next door opened and a family exited the exam hall, the filly that was participant three was crying while being comforted by her mother, obviously having failed her exam.

A mare with a scroll and quill cutie mark followed them out. "Participant number four please!"

A brown colt got to his hooves and along with his family followed the mare through the door and up another set of stairs.

A little while later of dull waiting as participants four and five entered and left the exam hall, the former having passed and the latter having failed. With participant six now in the hall another family strolled into the waiting room and were directed to sit next to Twilight's 'family'.
Participant eight sat next to Twilight, she was a blue mare with silver hair and a cutie mark with a wand in the foreground and a sparkling cape in the background. The mare looked Twilight up and down judgingly.

"Huh, a blank flank? You will certainly need all the luck you can get to pass this exam," she snidely remarked.

Twilight snorted. "And you are?"

"We are the Great and Powerful Trixie! We are well above your level in magic we are afraid, you may have to consider other options."

Twilight facehoofed. "Well aren't you pleasant."

"We already know how great we are, there is no need for such flattery."

Twilight facehoofed again.

"Trixie Lulamoon, be nice to the poor filly. There is no need for that attitude!" Trixie's mother scolded her daughter.

"Yes mother," Trixie shrunk back into her mane.

Twilight rolled her eyes, clearly bemused by the other filly.

"Participant seven please!"

Twilight looked towards the door to see participant six leaving with a smile, having passed the test.

The three ponies got to their hooves and followed the brown mare through the door and up the spiral staircase.

The brown mare spoke to Twilight on the way up. "My name is Quill, what's yours?"

"Twilight Spa..." Twilight stopped herself realising her sudden blunder, she had would have thought herself above such mistakes, but apparently no. "Twinkle, Twilight Twinkle"

"Nice to meet you Twilight Twinkle, now I know you may be nervous but I'm sure you'll do fine. Just do your best and you will get through, I promise!"

Twilight simply nodded as they came to a final door and entered the hall.

The exam hall was a round room with one area elevated with seats where three pony's sat, the exam instructors.

Quill, Velvet and Night Light gave Twilight encouraging smiles as she walked forwards and stood before the instructors.

"Twilight Twinkle?" one of the instructors asked

"Yes," Twilight responded

The instructor nodded. "Bring forth the egg."

From a side room a pony brought on a trolley, on this trolley sat a purple egg with green spots.

"Your task today is to hatch this dragon egg, take your time."

"No it isn't," Twilight deadpanned.

"I beg your pardon Miss Twinkle?" The instructor said sternly.

"No filly can hatch a dragon egg. You just want to see if firstly I can get any reaction what-so-ever from it, and secondly to see my determination to hatch the egg despite its futility."

"Huh, very clever of you Miss Twinkle," one of the instructors said, clearly impressed at her intelligence. "Go on then, see if you can get any reaction from it."

The instructors wrote something down on their note pads as Twilight walked up to the egg.

Smiling slightly, Twilight lit up her horn with a lavender aura and the egg began to wobble. You could hear everypony's jaws hit the floor as the egg began to crack and a small purple and green dragon emerged from it.

Twilight had used the opportunity well, for while casting the spell to hatch the egg she had been able to cast another in secret, and a new fake cutie mark now sat on her flank, a white wand with a sun in the background. Not a design she particularly liked but it would help her cover.

One of the instructors got up and walked down to Twilight. "I erm... um... well... Quill, could you please take young Twilight aside. I believe I have a letter to send."

Now Twilight was confused. "A letter?"

"All in good time, Quill if you would please?"

Quill shook off her own shock and led a confused Twilight and a near catatonic Twilight Velvet and Night Light off into the side room.

---

Dear Princess Celestia

I know you haven't been actively looking for a new student after that recent incident with Sunset Shimmer, but I have found a filly with some potential.
Which is an understatement because she hatched A DRAGON EGG. Got her cutie mark in the process too.
We await your arrival.

Yours Truly
Instructor Elder Scroll

---

Celestia flew swiftly into the School of Gifted Unicorns and quickly made her way up to the exam tower. When she entered the now empty waiting room she was met by instructor Elder Scroll and a couple of guards.

"Where is she? Celestia asked

"In the side room, getting a little impatient due to being kept there for the last hour, you know how fillies can get!"

Celestia chuckled, "Then we shouldn't keep her waiting, come."

Leaving the guards behind, Elder Scroll and Celestia made their way to where Twilight was currently located. On arrival they found Velvet, Night Light and Quill all discussing something in the corner while Twilight herself was playing with the baby dragon.

The three grown pony's were surprised by Celestia presence and all rushed into a bow, however Twilight's reaction was different. She froze.

She completely locked up, not even blinking. She was stuck with a blank stare on her face, a stare directed at Celestia.

Celestia approached the filly. "There is nothing to be afraid of, I just wanted to meet you, you certainly made quite the impression today"

Celestia examined the filly, and her heart sank. She looked like her niece. The coat and the mane were all the same colour, as were her eyes, her first name was even Twilight! However the differences were obvious, for one she was a unicorn and her cutie mark was different along with her last name. But still... Celestia couldn't help but feel something was off. Unfortunately, she didn't pry into it and put it down to one of the universes many cruel coincidences, of which she had seen many in her long life.

Finally the filly seemed to unfreeze. "Hi..." she said almost as a mere whisper.

Celestia gave the filly a warm smile. "Is it true you hatched this little guy all by yourself?"

Twilight nodded slowly.

"Well then, you are quite the little magic box aren't you! With your parents permission, how would you like to be my student?"

...

Twilight's mind was racing at a billion miles an hour, Celestia's student!? Her own aunt's student!? How had Celestia not found out about her yet? Did she already know and this was some sort of trick? However, Twilight had come here to spy on Celestia had she not? As her personal protégé' that would become so much easier, but it would also mean she would have to be much more careful.

Making up her mind Twilight gave a (very insincere) smile. "I would love to!" she exclaimed, and playing the role the excited filly she began to bounce around saying 'Yes' in quick succession, in another life she should have been a great actress.

---

In a place very far away Nightmare Moon looked up at the planet, and then to the stars. She could see a few in particular that would soon align, giving her a chance to use their energy to boost her own magical abilities, giving her the strength to break the already weakening 'chains' that the elements had placed on her so long ago.

"I'll be there soon Twilight... soon..."

Author's Note:

Here we are! The next chapter is out! Just in time too as I'm feeling a little ill as of late, the problem with being around as many people as you do in collage during the dawn of winter...

Anyway I hope you enjoy this! I'm now off to watch Friendship games and Made in Manehatten!

Comments

[dream1990]

i like it

[Lord Of Dorkness]

I'm a bit annoyed such ease with such advanced magic and the name and the colors didn't raise any warning bells for Celestia...

But to be fair, Celestia is just as dim about possible threats in canon as soon as they show even the slightest bit of subtlety, so I can't really complain about it.

I do feel a bit annoyed and feel I can complain about RD's sonic rainboom apparently doing jack-squat in this universe, or perhaps never even happening at all. Was that an intentional plot point, or...?

I mean, its not exactly a small moment in canon. The red thread that gave all the other girls their magical puberty cutie marks.

[Valhuir]

I'm also disappointed... this is taking so long, it's looking like a "Root for the bad guys" story, which is NOT cool.

[dream1990]

6464406 ok and did you read the Author's Note

[tom117z]

6464324 She's taken the exam on a different day, the rainboom still happened, I made it on a different day since the rainboom wouldn't have much to do with the story since Twilight already had her cutie mark. And believe me Twilight is just as surprised she wasn't discovered :p

[tom117z]

6464406 I have collage and I'm a bit ill right now, as for the 'root for the bad guys' comment, not quite... just wait and see...

[Valhuir]

6464423 Not as in so much time between updates, I meant "The amount of text we're focused on an evil Twilight".

[tom117z]

6464746 Well the story was always going to be from her POV for the most part. She is the protagonist, not the antagonist. And no neither is Celestia or any of the 'good' ponys, as I said in my last reply, just wait and see.

[dream1990]

6464746 ok

[tom117z]

6464212 I'm glad! :D

[dream1990]

6464798 okay

[tom117z]

1000 views and 100 likes! Thank you all so much! :D

[dream1990]

6466794 your welcome

[Fourpony]

"Twilight Spa..." Twilight stopped herself realising her sudden blunder, "Twinkle, Twilight Twinkle"

Why would this slip-up happen after 2 years of living with the name "Twilight Twinkle"?

[molerat]

and nopony was none-the-wiser to her true nature.

Pretty sure you want to say "everypony" in stead of "nopony" here.
None-the-wiser = not any wiser, not figured it out. So if nopony is this, then everyone suspects something is up.

[marawlyk]

School of Gifted Unicorns and Instructor Elder Scroll
Skyrim college of winterhold reference much

[M4Tiger4014]

6642839 Na.

[catoparadox]

6642839 I'd rather go to Unseen University....

[ObsPerson]

go easy on these particular Pony's.

Ponies. ('s) is usually used to indicate what belongs to who. Example: This pony's saddlebags, Celestia's throne, Luna's moon, etc.

Directly ahead of the two massive oak doors sat a wooden reception desk with to large staircases either side leading up to the classrooms.

Two

seats where three pony's sat, the exam instructors.

Ponies