I'm older than your average brony, but then I've always enjoyed cartoons. I'm an experienced reviewer, EqD pre-reader, and occasional author.
“It seems to me that you never properly graduated,” Celestia said. And so initiates one of the most unusual experiences Twilight Sparkle has ever had. She will take part in a war, navigate the social scene of high school, and stolidly work her way through middle management, all in order to prove her worth.
Cover art by phallen1
Thanks to Themaskedferret for pre-reading feedback.
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So... if you drop out you can cast whatever you want, but once you're put up as a candidate for graduation you can lose the right to use any magic past kindergarten level?
How do you get a feature on EQD before you publish?
Well considering the description and this chapter It's pretty clear HOW this Exam is done, magical induced virtual reality simulation.
6955304 No, if you're not an active student and aren't otherwise authorized, i.e., already graduated, then you can't. Why would they grant dropouts a license?
6955813 Why not? It's still visible through the link (it just doesn't show up on FiMFic's front page or searches yet), and EqD doesn't care, as long as readers can get to it.
6956347
Ah, I see. That's rather optimistic, but you would know best.
(My confusion was partly because it is explicitly against Fimfiction policy now to link to a non-approved story offsite, so be careful.)
Oh, well... The worst that could happen would be her becoming "Twilight Sparkle--Rogue Alicorn Mage! 'Carrying out unlicensed wizardry for fun and profit!'" And you know, that actually sounds kind of cool...
6956364 I never leave it that way more than a few hours, so I don't think the mods care, but I guess it's worth making sure knighty doesn't care. He's more concerned about people hosting stories here that would never pass moderation and getting around that by sharing the link.
6957209
Right, I agree. You aren't the demographic that rule is aimed at.
They might allow it specifically for EQD since EQD has a higher bar than FF. It's hard to post something EQD will take that violates FF's rules.
I see the premise and can only laugh
So, this test consists in sort of imaginary versions of Equestria, sort of magic Matrix, to test Twilight' loyalty and stuff like that?
I am interested, and eager to read the next part.
Trust in oneself vs trust in authority: Now we know that Twilight will believe what she herself sees and hears over what Celestia tells her. That's a very good start.
I hope the test is customized for the unicorn's/alicorn's level of power and life experience. Twilight has already been tested under stress time and time again and the mental strength she developed from her adventures is likely still there in her subconscious altered memories or no. A prospective graduate who has never left Canterlot and never before experienced a life or death high stress situation wouldn't have that inner strength and expecting to them have it in when they never had a chance to develop it in the first place would be massively unfair.
I just want to punch in the face the examination board.
This is a farce, and unnecessary cruelty besides: Twilight has already amply shown her mettle by saving all of Equestria multiple times, and this...
I really hope the things that designed this test die horribly. Or that after passing all the tests, Twilight turns around and says to Celestia that she wants nothing to do with her and Equestria.
Well, at least the rest of the contrivances that get thrown at Twilight should be less grimdark.
6981752 I imagine Twilight isn't going to remember any of the tests by the time it's finished. The ending of the first test did seem a bit unnecessarily cruel...
Well, at least that scenario ended on a positive note.
6981752 I agree, overall it's a terrible concept
7002853 Hate to say it, but I agree with this. After all Twilight has done, Celestia wouldn't subject her to a situation which could result in her losing her ability to practice the very magic she has used to protect Equestria on numerous occasions, especially after she has not only done that, but become an Alicorn and the Princess of Friendship, all for a little academic technically they and everybody else know she has earned many times.
It all just makes no sense.
6981752 I agree that it is completely unnecessary and harsh, especially given all that Twilight has done. She has proved herself more times than the members of that board have likely seen birthdays.
I can see what the tests are meant for, but Twilight has already proved her character many times, IMHO, and the very idea her friend and mentor would subject her to something of this outside of dire necessity just makes no sense.
7002883 the problem is by altering memories and abilities they seem to be testing character, which I really don't agree with
7002876
I don't think Celestia sees this as a risk at all, after all Twilight proved to the elements themselves she was worthy. Celestia knows Twilight will succeed, so to her it's not a risk at all. Heck if the board claims she did fail Celestia would just point out Twilight proved her worth already and she was just doing this as a formality and isn't about to LET them fail her student.
7003164 That is the only way in which I can see this making sense. The graduation is a paltry formality at this instance in Twilight's life and career, and she frankly doesn't need it.
None of the lessons presented thus far has not already been covered in Twilight's past exploits.
Even so, for springing this on her out of the blue, I feel Celestia deserves a piece of Twilight's mind.
This chapter was better.
You really captured the struggles and tensions of a high-school environment; it reminds me of the first couple of chapters from Worm, by Wildbow.
Trigonometry works better if one uses the 1 true CircleConstant Tau. Tau is circumference divided by radius.
7005280 So Tau is basically 6.28? a constant?
That was a neat little mystery. And a bit of a swerve at the end, but understandable. Twilight really seems to have a guilt complex.
7024700 derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/3/14/849236__safe_twilight+sparkle_pinkie+pie_princess+twilight_magic_spread+wings_grin_raised+leg_sign_math.png
Tau is just 2π, yes.
That was pretty devious, for Twilight, but it's the sort of devious I would expect from her...
7024725
Twilight tends to take a lot of stuff onto her shoulders she really shouldn't. It's one of her flaws, feeling she has a resonsablity to "fix" everything.
Ponies sure are trusting:
When seeing lots of 10-Bit-Errors, my 1st thought is embezzling.
7025031
7024700
Tau is the 1 True CircleConstant:
τ = c / r ≈ 6.28318530717959
7025081 Well, to be fair to Twilight, she did pick the course of action that lead to the maximally-positive outcome...
7026643
Her competent is a saving grace. it's why she has a complex. She takes more than her share of responsibility but because she literally IS better than the majority of most ponies she manages handle everything, which in a vicious cycle keeps her doing it. Twilight is "cursed with awesome"
7026662 Now I can't help wondering if the examiners will see it as a "flaw" too... at the very least, technically letting a criminal escape justice and committing perjury may not help.
I mean, she's obviously not going to end up banned from practicing magic, but it'll be anticlimactic if she just comes back to her senses and is told she passed. So somehow- which kind of ticks me off- I can't help but think that those high horses will find some excuse to fail her despite her having (as far as I can tell) done the most moral thing possible (2 out of 3 at least, I don't even know if that first scenario had a good choice).
After which there will either be mitigating factors which make them reconsider or overrule them, or it will turn out to be one last part of the test, but still. Well, one more week and it'll all be over with.
I'm surprised that all the unicorns take the same test. I mean, there could be different copies instead of being identical. That way, they couldn't discuss it as easily as they did unless they all got the same version.
Honestly, I'm feeling exactly the same at this point.
And whew!
Was any of that ending discussion tailored in response to past comments, or were some readers just that good? Heck, I felt the same way Twilight did about how screwy and stacked the scenarios could get, even though I never ended up saying so- precisely because I also came to the same answer that Celestia gave, that changing the examinees' memories, situations or abilities didn't change their core character, and the important thing was how that ultimately reacted in the crucible.
Also, it was sweet to see a bit of the Canter Six group dynamic.
Heh. I thought her last question would have been 'would I have passed it if you'd given it to me earlier?'
[aplauso]
7046089 There could be different versions... but there don't need to be, since they're forbidden from discussing it with anyone who hasn't taken it. Celestia trusts them to honor the rules. If they suspected someone of foreknowledge, they could improvise, but otherwise, there's no need.
Still not really a fan
"Princess Celestia, were there any test takers who really surprised you with their answers?"
"If we were never surprised Twilight, we would never need to use the test at all. But there was one mare who went far beyond that. She refused to explain herself. She kept trying to force herself up and when I explained to her the consequences she informed us that she would not even accept a diploma from us. You've met her, actually. Her name is Trixie."
So... how many students have come out of the test with permanent mental trauma?
Rather callous of you there, Sunbutt, to just so casually remove someone's memories.
I still believe that having Twilight undergo the test was completely unnecessary, and Twilight has a right to be upset. Her keeping calm shows what kind of pony she is. That, said, the story was decently put together, and well done.
This was...really bizarre. I honestly don't know how I feel about this story.
I really can't even say whether I liked it or disliked it...
What's shining armor going to think? What's Twilights parents going to think. XD that should be a bonus chapter! PLZ!!
Yeah, that's why his name showed up a a grand total of three times throughout the entire story.
7049304 I don't follow.
So this is like the Kobiyashi Maru test for alicorns or something?
Except it's the lame Star Trek movie ones where they KNOW it's a test versus the vastly better-conceived ST: TNG version in which the test was something the candidate had no way of preparing for and which looked like a natural accident.
Anyone care to speculate what Discord will do once he finds out a test like this exists?
Yeah... THAT would be a far more interesting story.
Friendship and harmony my ass... putting people through a test like this and threatening brainwashing... god-awful fascist mentality.
*Alondro sighs and uses his MAGIC to forge an exact copy using MAGIC...*
Sheesh, Twilight, stupid much? It's like asking how a civilization with functional copy machines can manage to print hundreds of exact copies of a document.
This story stretched suspension of disbelief far too often, and Twilight seemed not to grasp simple concepts like this far too often. If forgery was a problem, the signatures would have a MAGICALLY-BASED system which would be far more difficult to simply copy.
And Twilight's solution to this... to take the fall and HOPE the real bad guy didn't have an out for it. God, she wasn't even smart enough to set a trap for him! Confront him with what she knew and then pretend to blackmail him while recording everything with the authorities watching!
Sheesh, it's like no one has ever heard of a STING OPERATION!!! Dear lord!
The problem with these tests which underlies the problem with all simulations is that the same person may make different choices in almost identical circumstances each time it comes up. They are issues far too intricate and complicated for a single test to adequately cover, and anyone with proper wisdom should know this!
A person either possesses a strong ethical and moral character with a good sense of reason or they don't. This level of mental torture is unnecessary and likely detrimental in the long run. The subject of the test will find themselves uncertain of reality, or if what they remember is even real... if they do indeed have minds capable of questioning the Princess.
I, personally, would STRONGLY question this test's true objectivity, since these highly complicated scenarios with a bias already introduced: the friends put into these roles were usually acting in a way far out of character for themselves in the first place. A person's character always shines through to those who are observant. One would suspect a pony capable of making intelligent choices would never have such friends in the first place, as through day-to-day conversation, what those ponies were capable of would reveal itself. They are improper scenarios that a genuine mind would instantly doubt as 'real', thus contaminating the result.
As a scientist myself, we are taught to go to great lengths to eliminate all potential sources of bias in an experiment. Looking at this 'test' through such a lens, I find all manner of biases and improbabilities, with highly subjective results rather than any trace of objective outcome... the primary purpose behind any form of testing. Thus, I fail to see any plausible reason for these tests in the first place.
*smirks* I suspect I'd be the first to truly pass this test, as it would seem to me the REAL focus would be to find ponies wise enough to point out how flawed and meaningless the test really is.
7050631
You're presuming facts not in evidence, like the existence of such a technique. Besides, Twilight already spoke to verification that she could reproduce the signatures manually if they asked her to, which they will.
7050698
Which Celestia directly addressed. They all could have made different choices, and it wouldn't have mattered. In fact, their conversation over dinner revealed that her friends did make various choices, and they all still passed.