Chapter 1
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and lifted her head. She was sitting at one of several long tables in the central hall of Canterlot’s Royal Archives. She looked up at the night sky through the skylights above, the frames of the windows bathed in moonlight. Twilight rubbed her muzzle and climbed off her chair. She swiveled her head around the circular central hall of the library full of tables and chairs, and then at the balconies overlooking the chamber from the second floor, the bookshelves beyond them stretching into the rest of the building.
She was alone.
“Hello?” Twilight waited a moment before calling out louder, “Hellooooo!” Her voice echoed off the shelves and walls, but again there was no answer.
Twilight turned back to the table she had been sitting at. An open book had been her pillow before she woke up. She approached it and lifted the cover to see the title. “A Treatise on Cosmic Causality.” She frowned. “What in Equestria was I thinking?” She had read this book once before and once had been enough. The work was speculative fiction masquerading as scientific theorem and nowhere near as well-researched as what she usually read in either genre. “No wonder I fell asleep. Or maybe I passed out from lack of blood flow to my head.” She looked out at the library again.
Is this real? She lowered her eyes to her hooves and shifted her weight between them, raising one to inspect it. She felt different, somehow. Lighter. If this isn’t real… maybe it’s a dream? But if it is a dream, it’s the most boring dream I’ve ever had. Don’t things usually happen in dreams? She raised her head. “But, if nothing is happening, then why aren’t I waking up?”
There was nopony around to answer her questions, and the books were mum on the issue, even the offending one on the table beside her. Twilight began walking around the large circular chamber, searching for… something. “Who dreams about nothing?” she grumbled under her breath. “I mean, if I was actually reading a book or looking around the library, that would be something.”
She tilted her head as she considered that train of thought. “I am doing something. Right now, I’m doing something.” She blinked. “Am I in control of my dream? Is that possible?” She put a hoof to her chin. “If it is possible, and that is what is happening, then shouldn’t I be able to force the dream to end?” She closed her eyes and concentrated. Several seconds later she opened them – everything was exactly as it was before. “Well that’s just great, I’m stuck dreaming about an empty library.” Twilight snorted and turned around.
She paused.
At the table behind her, sitting where Twilight herself had been sitting a minute ago, was a pony.
“Hello?” Twilight squinted. That was certainly a pony sitting at the table. A unicorn, judging from what Twilight thought was a horn, but she couldn’t be sure – the image was blurred and transparent. But there was no dismissing it as a trick of the eye when the pony had a clearly defined profile that was distinct from the rest of the room. Twilight thought she saw the unicorn’s horn glow, and the book on the table – which was still fully visible – lit up in pale teal magic and flipped the page.
“What are you?” Twilight moved around the table and stood beside the pony. The pony ignored her and kept their eyes pointed at the book. Twilight frowned and waved a hoof in front of their face; the pony stopped their reading and raised their head. “Can you hear me?” Twilight asked. The pony scanned the room, eyes passing over Twilight, then they shuffled in their seat and lowered their head back to the book.
“You can see me, or at least you did briefly.” Twilight watched the book light up teal and turn its page again. “And you can move the book.” She thought for a moment, then cautiously reached out a hoof and poked at what she thought was the other pony’s side.
There was no sound or physical response, yet in an instant the visage of the other pony solidified, as though an obscuring barrier had been concealing Twilight’s view and was suddenly dispelled. Twilight snapped her hoof back and sharply gasped.
The other pony turned their head her way, screamed, and fell backwards off the chair.
Twilight looked at her hoof and reached to her mouth. “You heard me.”
“Yeah…” The other pony groaned and sat up, rubbing their head. “Way to scare me like that.”
Twilight stepped behind the chair to see the other pony better.
The other pony was a unicorn mare, around Twilight’s age, if she were to guess. She had a pale amber coat and a wavy red and yellow mane parted to the side of her head. She climbed onto her hooves and stood up, regarding Twilight with bright teal eyes. She huffed and scrunched her face. “Why did you sneak up on me like that?”
“I didn’t.” Questions raced through Twilight’s mind, as obvious as they were persistent – ‘who are you’, ‘why am I dreaming about you’, ‘why couldn’t you hear me’. Instead of asking them, she asked, “Were you reading that book?”
The unicorn looked at the text. Her face brightened with a smile. “Yeah. It’s a heck of a read.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. It’s inane drivel.”
The unicorn glared and turned her head Twilight’s way. “You probably just don’t understand it.”
“I understand it’s inane drivel.”
“Well, all ponies are entitled to their opinion, even if they’re wrong.” The unicorn sniffed. “Genius is often overlooked in its own time.”
“Genius? If you think this schlock is genius, I have some fillies’ science books at home that will blow your mind.” Twilight snorted and beat a hoof on the ground.
The unicorn returned the gesture. “Clearly you don’t understand it.”
“Don’t get me started!” Twilight thrust a hoof at the book. “Sure, the principle of quantum mechanics is well-studied and has been verified by multiple independent researchers in the last several decades. But we still don’t understand how it works or why. To even try to tie it into trans-spacial mechanics like this is like learning a gossamer-wing spell and thinking you’ll get recruited by the Wonderbolts.”
“You said it yourself, we don’t know how quantum mechanics works,” the other unicorn replied. “But the author quite clearly lays out a system in which the observer effect would make it impossible to verify if string theory can be reconciled with trans-spacial mechanics.”
Twilight slapped her hoof to her forehead. “Exactly! Just because we can’t prove he’s wrong doesn’t automatically make him right, and his explanation precludes the idea that it can be proven positive. You can’t disprove a negative, that’s a logical fallacy, it’s impossible! That’s like saying that you can’t disprove that if you think about it long and hard enough, you can make heads explode with your mind!”
The other unicorn closed her eyes and raised her head, but said nothing. After several seconds Twilight grunted. “What are you doing?”
“Testing your theory.” The unicorn cracked an eye open. “Well, your head is still intact, so I guess you’re right on that one. Or was it only exploded until I opened my eyes again?”
Twilight simply stared at the unicorn. The unicorn stared back at her. Neither said anything or moved a muscle. After staying that way for a few moments, Twilight cracked first – she snorted, her lips curling into a smile. The unicorn responded with a grin and a giggle. The two quickly fell into full laughter after that, the two voices filling the library.
“Oh…” Twilight shook her head and inhaled. “That was unfairly clever and I hate it.” She gave the book on the table a sideways look. “That’s the most joy that book has ever brought me.”
“I’ll admit it’s pretty blatant pseudo-science,” the other unicorn said, reaching out to close the book. “But if we didn’t let ourselves explore ideas on the grounds they seem impossible, where would we be?”
“With exploded heads.”
The unicorn giggled again. “I have to admit, you’re one of the few ponies I know who could actually hold a conversation with me on that book. And the other two I know that do, one isn’t interested anyway and the other is just as bad as you, except he doesn’t know when to stop.”
“Thank you. I think.” Twilight scrunched her nose. “I’m not used to discussions on that level either, except maybe with Moondancer. Mostly I just talk and ponies’ eyes glaze over.”
“And there’s a lot of nodding and ‘uh-huh’-ing?”
“Sounds right.” Twilight gave a small smile. “I finally meet a pony who can actually give me a challenging conversation, and she only exists in a dream.”
“Tell me about it,” the other unicorn rolled her eyes. “But, who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and when I wake up you’ll turn out to be real after all.”
“Maybe…” Twilight turned away, her eyes darting around.
The unicorn frowned and leaned her head to the side to look at her face. “Uh, I say something wrong?”
“No…” Twilight tilted her head back, blinking twice as she tried to clear her head. She glanced up at the sky as though it could explain her sudden apprehension, but it had no explanations to give, only a view of an endless field of stars and the moon sending streams of silver light down over her.
Something about the scene overhead was wrong, but Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on what.
“Who are you?”
Twilight lowered her head and saw the other unicorn watching her. She shook off her inexplicable tension and forced a polite smile.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
The other unicorn returned the smile and extended her hoof. “Sunset Shimmer.”
Twilight’s smile grew into a more genuine one as she reached out to shake Sunset’s hoof.
Twilight blinked her eyes open to a dull, pale blue ceiling. She inhaled and groaned, shuffling in her bed.
“About time you’re up. I was starting to wonder if I’d have to get a wet cloth to wring over you.”
Twilight sat up and turned her head. Seated at the small breakfast table with a bowl of cereal and a glass of apple juice, a pale cream unicorn mare with a bright pink mane lowered her spoon and waved a hoof. “Good morning.”
Twinkleshine? “Hey.” Twilight scanned the room, eyes tracking between the cabinets, the door, and then the dresser against the wall.
“I finished putting the kitchen stuff away, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Twinkleshine said. She looked sheepish and tilted her head. “I didn’t plan on it, but somewhere between pouring the cereal and pouring the milk, it just sort of happened. I didn’t disturb you, did I?”
“No…” Twilight murmured. “Where are we?”
Twinkleshine paused in lifting her spoon. “Um, our dorm room?”
“…Right.” Twilight closed her eyes and lay her head back on the pillow.
“Are you okay?” She heard the squeak of a chair and the patter of hooves growing closer. “You aren’t coming down with something, are you?”
Twilight opened her eyes to her friend standing by her bed. “No.”
“Did you not sleep well?”
“Actually, I feel very rested.” Twilight smiled to reassure her. “I’m fine. Just had a weird dream.”
Twinkleshine snorted and waved her hoof. “Was it the one where you’re called up to the front of the auditorium by the Princess to recite your thesis before the entire school? I had that one the other day.”
Twilight giggled. “Me too.” She threw the covers off and climbed out of bed, Twinkleshine stepping back to make room for her. Twilight glanced at the wall clock over their door and gasped. “It’s eight twenty-five!?”
“Yeah.” Twinkleshine shrugged. “I was actually gonna wake you up once I finished—” She stopped when she realized Twilight wasn’t listening to her.
Twilight pulled open the dresser drawers and grabbed a pair of saddle bags, slipped them on, then opened another drawer and began floating her books and pencils into the bags. “I can’t believe I overslept almost an hour! We’re gonna be late for the orientation!”
“Twilight, we could walk to the auditorium in about five minutes. And, it’s just a little speech; it’s optional.”
“But we won’t get good seats if we show up later, and I am not gonna be stuck in the back rows listening to all the jokers and lay-abouts talking over the Princess! As for optional – have you met me?” Twilight clipped the flaps of her bags closed and turned, only to be met with Twinkleshine standing behind her.
“I told Minuette to get us all seats in at least the fifth row,” she said softly. “And she said she was going to head over there with Lemon Hearts at eight-thirty to make sure the refreshment table didn’t need any help, so she’ll beat the crowds that only exist in your head anyway. For now, you are going to sit down and eat something before you get out that door and go until lunch time on an empty stomach.” She pointed a hoof to the table as she finished.
Twilight was silent as Twinkleshine finished her denouement, and then nodded. “Okay.” Twinkleshine nodded back and moved Twilight’s saddle bags to the bed. She then returned to the table, pulling out the other chair while she sat back in hers. Twilight watched her and followed. “Thank you.” She pulled open one of the kitchen cupboards and took down a cardboard box and a glass, setting them on the counter.
“You’d better not make a habit of this,” Twinkleshine warned, though Twilight caught the humor in her tone. “I’m not gonna make a full-time job out of being your mother.”
“And I won’t make you.” Twilight pulled the fridge open and floated a carton of milk over her glass, then popped the top open and tilting it forward. “Like I said, just had a weird dream.” When her glass was full she set the milk on the shelf, shut the fridge, and sat down at the table. Magenta magic flipped open the box on the counter and brought a carrot muffin out and over to her.
Twinkleshine swallowed her mouthful of cereal. “What kind of dream?”
Twilight rolled her tongue in her mouth and thought. “Does the name ‘Sunset Shimmer’ mean anything to you?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell. Who is she?”
“A unicorn. From my dream.” Twilight thought back, absent-mindedly peeling the liner off her muffin. “We were alone in the Royal Archives together.”
“Ooooo, alone in the library with a mysterious mare?” Twinkleshine grinned and propped her muzzle on her hooves. “Is this the kind of dream you should be sharing?”
“Yes! I mean, no!” Twilight’s face was bright red as she furiously shook her head. “It wasn’t like that! We just talked.”
“Aaaaaw.”
“Stop it!” Twilight balled up her muffin liner and tossed it at Twinkleshine, who batted it aside with a hoof. “I’m serious.” Twilight looked at her muffin and sighed. “It was so vivid. I remember her voice, her eyes, what she said. But I have no idea who she is.”
“Maybe you’re lonely.” When Twilight glared at her, Twinkleshine shrugged. “Not joking this time.”
“I don’t think that’s it. I certainly didn’t think up the name ‘Sunset Shimmer’ from nowhere.”
“You might have. Or, you said she was a unicorn. Maybe it’s just a name you’ve heard around here in passing and it popped into your dream.”
“That makes sense…”
Twilight bit into her muffin and Twinkleshine went back to her cereal. As she chewed, Twilight glanced down at her milk.
It was just a weird dream, no big deal. If there was a time for stress and distractions to try and get you, it’s today. But don’t let that happen. Today is an important day, and everything is going to be fine.
It was ten minutes before nine when Twilight – hopping in place and grunting angrily – got Twinkleshine out of their dorm room. The hallway was full of unicorns coming and going, some still moving in with boxes and suitcases by their doors. Even though the hall had room for four unicorns to walk side-by-side without trouble, it still wasn’t wide enough for the crowds moving through it now.
Having been through this several times before over the past three years, Twilight had no trouble ducking and weaving around distracted unicorns who were standing in place or moving large objects about without paying attention to passers-by. It was a skill one had to develop at SGU, if they wished to avoid being hit in the face or pushed into a wall on a regular basis. Twilight knew that from personal experience.
In the main hall, Twilight took the stairs two at a time and approached the doors to the entrance. She glanced back to make sure Twinkleshine wasn’t too far behind her, just coming down the stairs herself, and then turned forward and stepped outside.
The concourse was thankfully far easier to move through. While there were still dozens upon dozens of unicorns moving between the different buildings of the SGU campus, the crowd had at least sorted itself into two rings of movement depending on which direction one was going around the central fountain. Twilight entered the outer ring going counter-clockwise and stepped around several slower ponies, excusing herself as she bumped a few. Next stop, the food court and gymnasium, no thanks. She kept going around and emerged from the crowd at the largest, oldest building on the grounds – the actual School for Gifted Unicorns.
“Come on!” Twilight turned her head and tracked the cream coat and pink mane of her friend bobbing through the crowds. She looked up at the clock over the doors – five minutes. When Twinkleshine set a hoof on the steps up into the school, Twilight headed inside. Thankfully, the auditorium entrance was almost immediately inside the front doors, just up a few small flights of stairs. Twilight jumped up them rather than take the steps – she ignored the gasp and complaint of a stallion she was nowhere near when she leapt – and joined the mob of students filtering through one of the two sets of double doors into the auditorium.
“Told you we’d make it.” Twinkleshine stepped up beside her, smiling. “Five minutes from our room to the doors.”
“And if we had left five minutes ago like I wanted to, we wouldn’t have had to rush.”
“We didn’t anyway.”
Twilight let the matter drop. The two passed through the doors and down the aisle. Most of the seats were already filled, the stragglers coming in now searching for empty single seats between rows of friends they could squeeze past. Twilight scanned the crowd and saw a blue mare waving to her from the fifth row. She nudged Twinkleshine to get her attention and then pushed her way through the crowd to the row, more excuses and apologies automatically being voiced.
To her gratitude, there were indeed two empty seats left, and Minuette had had the sense to pick seats on the outside of the row, though she had sat by the aisle other than the one Twilight had come down. Twilight kept going down to the front of the room, and quickly rushed to the other aisle and headed back up.
“Just in time!” Minuette said, grinning from the outside seat. “Somepony offered me ten bits for one of these seats and I was considering taking the deal.”
“Is that how much our friendship is worth to you?” Twilight replied. She crossed in front of Minuette and Lemon Hearts to sit in the empty seat next to Moondancer. Twinkleshine followed her and sat between Twilight and Lemon Hearts.
“No, I’d say you’re worth at least twelve.” Minuette’s grin grew wider in defiance of Twilight’s knowledge of equine physiology.
“At least you made it,” Moondancer said. “Though it is highly unusual for you to cut it this close.”
Twilight waved a hoof at Twinkleshine. “Blame her, I couldn’t drag her out of the room.”
Twinkleshine rolled her eyes. “I took my time because I knew how long it would take to get here and there would be seats waiting. Are we gonna be on this all day?”
“No. Sorry.” Twilight clapped her hooves eagerly. “I just didn’t want to miss this!” She turned her attention to the front of the auditorium. Most of the stage was behind the large red curtains, but what was visible held a podium with a small table and a pitcher of water with a glass. Twilight leaned forward to see if she could catch sight of anypony in the wings of the stage.
Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. A side door near the stairs leading to the stage opened, and a unicorn mare slipped out and sat down in the front row. Twilight tried to get a view of her, but the students around the mare blocked her sight.
Lemon Hearts surveyed the auditorium. “We’re full up. Just in time.” Twilight looked behind them and saw a pair of instructors ushering a few final students in before closing the doors.
“You guys wanna grab a study table and swap schedules after this?” Minuette asked.
Lemon Hearts shook her head. “I still have to pick mine up at registration.”
“Ouch.” Twinkleshine winced. “That’s gonna be a bit of a wait, the line yesterday was down the hall.”
“I know.” Lemon Hearts shrugged. “I was busy helping a couple other students move in. Somepony on the third floor brought a whole couch from home. A whole couch! There was barely enough space in the room for it.”
Moondancer leaned forward to see Minuette better. “I have to opt out as well. I still need to unpack.”
“How many books did you bring this year?” Lemon Hearts asked.
“Why do you assume that my unpacking is primarily concerned with books?” Moondancer gave an annoyed sniff. The other four looked at her evenly. She reddened and mumbled into her hoof. “Fifty-four.”
“And how many of them are textbooks?”
“Only thirty-nine!”
“Only thirty-nine?” Twilight echoed. “Is that enough for third year?”
The other three giggled. Twinkleshine smirked and said, “You two do know the largest library in Equestria is just outside the dorms, right?”
“If they didn’t know, I’d be worried!” Minuette quipped.
Before the conversation could continue, the auditorium lights dimmed and the lights for the stage came on. At once, the students fell silent. Twilight waited, a hoof raised to begin her applause.
After a moment, Princess Celestia walked out from the wings of the stage.
The unicorns began pounding their seats in applause, polite but still enthusiastic. Twilight grinned as her hooves beat. Celestia approached the podium and waited with a small smile until the clapping died down.
“Thank you for that warm welcome, my students.” She bowed her head. “And allow me to welcome you all to your third and final year here at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Applause – a bit more rambunctious than before, with a few cheers mixed in – once again filled the auditorium. Celestia let it go for a few seconds and then lifted her hoof for silence.
“I’m know you’re all eager to begin your classes tomorrow.”
Someone in the back of the room yelled out, ‘Wrong!’ and was quickly shushed. Twilight looked over her shoulder and saw an instructor scanning a spot in the crowd with a frown.
“As this is your final year here, of course the subject matter you study and learn about will be considerably more advanced than in previous years. However, if you have made it this far and not yet dropped out or given up, then I have no doubt that you will continue to succeed and earn your diplomas. And as always, my faculty and I will be here every step to help you make that journey.
“This is also a very exciting time for those of you interested in astronomy. Some of you may have noticed the Advanced Astronomical Studies courses filled up very quickly this year.”
“No kidding,” Moondancer muttered.
“You got in, right?” Twilight whispered to her. Moondancer winked in response.
“The reason, of course, is that it has been forecast that this year will witness a very special event in our stellar cycle – a dual eclipse.”
Celestia’s horn glowed and fired a beam of yellow magic into the air. The glowing image of a planet with two moons appeared, and a flaming sun some distance away from it. “I know that all in Equestria are eager to know exactly when the two moons will begin to come into alignment, and for how long. I’m afraid there is not yet an answer I can give. But what I can answer is the question of how the dual eclipse will impact your astronomy courses.”
Her horn ceased its glow and the imagery in the air faded away. “In the interests of fairness to past and future students, formal instruction will remain unchanged. However, any of you wishing to do your thesis on the subject will be free to do so. Keep in mind, though, that if I find too many students asking to cover the same aspect of the eclipse, I will have to put my hoof down and demand some of you think of something else. On that matter, it will be a first come, first serve basis.
“Regardless, I advise all of you have at least two ideas in mind for your thesis, anyway, in case it is rejected. For the same reason, you should submit your proposals as soon as possible for them to be accepted. A reminder, your proposal is to be a page long and at least two full paragraphs, outlining your subject, your hypothesis regarding it, and how you plan to go about investigating it. If you need more detailed information on what is expected, you can find it in your student’s guidebook you received with your class schedule.”
Celestia swept her eyes across the auditorium and smiled proudly. “I know you’re all very nervous and excited about your final year here. But I have faith in all of you. There is not a student in this room right now that does not have what it takes to succeed and excel, and my faculty and I are committed to giving you the opportunities you need to do so.
“For the rest of the day, all lecture halls and classrooms will be open to students. Those of you who have not picked up your schedules yet, or wish to make changes to their schedule, the administration offices can help you. They are located just to the left down the hall outside the auditorium doors. Beyond that, the facility is wide open to you all. Look around, familiarize yourself with your rooms, meet your professors, if you’ve not had them in a previous year. The library will also be open to any students needing to procure textbooks for the year. There is also a trading post where you can drop off gently used textbooks for students in lower years, or purchase third-year books donated by last year’s graduates.”
She paused and looked at the small table next to the podium. “A final matter before we adjourn. I have a question for you all.”
Celestia’s horn glowed yellow. The prepared pitcher of water lifted and tipped to pour into the glass. When the glass was partway full, Celestia set the pitcher down and lifted the glass into the air.
“Is this glass half-empty, or half-full?”
Twilight saw several students around her lean to whisper to each other. She tilted her head and frowned. What?
“Is this a trick question?” Moondancer whispered.
Twilight began to nod, but stopped herself. Celestia wouldn’t trick us. Would she? The murmurs of the auditorium grew louder as more and more students tried to muddle out the meaning behind the question. That’s one of the most basic philosophical questions there is. Why would Celestia ask us something like that on our third year?
“Does anypony have an idea?” Celestia asked, looking back and forth.
It’s too easy, there has to be some sort of catch. She doesn’t want a traditional answer. Slowly, cautiously, Twilight raised her hoof into the air.
Celestia caught sight of it and nodded towards her. “Yes?”
As Twilight stood from her seat, the students around her turned their heads to watch her, like a wave in the crowd. She ignored them and cleared her throat. “The glass is half-full.”
“Why?”
Twilight looked at the pitcher on the table. “You began to fill the glass from the pitcher, then stopped. Because you were in the process of filling it, it is most accurate to say it is half-full.”
“Not bad.” Twilight smiled at Moondancer’s compliment behind her.
“I see.” Celestia turned her head and her horn lit. Twilight paled as a second glass, with the same amount of water as the first, floated from behind the podium. “And this one?”
“It… it would depend on if you had previously been emptying it or filling it.”
“Does it?” Celestia raised the two glasses together before her face and turned between them. “It seems to me that they both contain an identical amount.”
“Yes, but the context for how they became that way is relevant.”
“Why?”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “Well, you wanted me to define its state. I need enough information to do that. If I don’t have all the facts, I can’t answer correctly.”
“So, you are arguing that even if the water is a certain level, the means by which it got that way is just as important as the water level itself.”
A bead of sweat rolled down Twilight’s face. She was aware of hundreds of pairs of eyes watching her as she struggled to answer, but she kept her focus on the pair on the stage. She swallowed heavily and nodded. “Yes. That is what I am saying.”
Celestia set the glasses down. “What is your name?”
“Twilight Sparkle, Princess.”
Celestia’s face lit up. “I had thought I recognized that voice. Welcome to third year, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight awkwardly waved. “If you don’t mind, Twilight, I’d like you to remain behind, please.” Celestia raised her head to the rest of the crowd and smiled. “The rest of you, I thank you for coming this morning. We are adjourned.”
While the rest of the auditorium began to stand and move into the aisles, Twilight stayed in place, standing in front of her seat, staring at the stage in shock. What just happened? Did I answer right? Or wrong? What did I do?
“Maybe she wants to compliment you on figuring it out!” Minuette said cheerily.
“Or she wants to expel you for fumbling an easy question,” Twinkleshine added. Twilight’s eyes bulged.
“Twinkles!” Minuette scolded.
“What? It was a joke!”
“We should get going,” Moondancer said. “The Princess obviously wants to talk to Twilight alone, and we’re holding up other ponies trying to leave.”
“I’ll grab us a table in the food court around noon, meet up there if you’re free, everypony!” Minuette said.
Twilight heard hoofbeats from beside her, and then a bump from the other side. She turned and saw the other ponies in the row looking at her, lined up to leave. She mumbled an apology and sat down to make way. A few of them glanced at her as they passed but said nothing. Twilight lowered her head and gulped as she waited for the auditorium to empty.
When the voices and hooves of the students had ceased, Twilight looked up at the stage. There was nopony there, but she soon found the Princess on the ground below, speaking to another unicorn in the front row. After a moment, Celestia raised her head to her.
“Twilight Sparkle, would you come here, please?”
Twilight slowly stood up and stiffly walked into the aisle. As she descended, she kept her eyes straight, until she was on the ground. She took a deep breath and turned and stepped toward the Princess. “Yes, Princess Celestia?” She raised her eyes.
Celestia had a look on her face that Twilight might have identified as ‘sheepish’, if she had ever thought the Princess could look that way. “I do apologize for singling you out. I had meant to reach out to you later today, but when you happened to answer me, I thought it would be best to handle things now.”
Twilight blinked. “You mean, this isn’t about the water? I’m not in trouble?”
“What?” Celestia burst out laughing. “No, of course not.” She shook her head and smiled. “I confess, that’s just a tradition of mine during third-year orientation. I like to see what kinds of answers students can come up with, to make you think outside the box. Most assume it’s a trick question and try to figure out the game.” She raised a hoof to her mouth and chuckled. “I once had a student who tried to argue I was using an illusion spell and there was no water at all.”
“…How did they come up with that?”
“To be honest, I don’t recall, but I remember it was interesting hearing them defend such a claim.” Celestia shook her head. “But, to the matter at hoof. There’s somepony I’d like you to meet.” Celestia stepped back and gestured a wing to the occupied seat nearby.
Twilight looked at the unicorn sitting down. It was a mare with a pale orange mane with yellow streaks, a pink coat, and a rising sun as her cutie mark. The mare awkwardly waved a hoof. “Hi.”
“Hello.” Twilight waved back.
“Twilight Sparkle, I would like you to meet Luster Dawn. She’s a third-year student as well.”
“Nice to meet you.” Twilight stepped closer and held out a hoof.
Luster extended her own hoof and shook it. “You, too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Really?” Twilight looked at Celestia, but Luster answered instead.
“You won the Clover Award for Achievement twice, for Spellcasting both times.” Luster gave a small shrug. “Kinda hard to forget the unicorn who mastered teleportation during her first year.”
Twilight gave an awkward laugh. “It’s not as big a deal as it sounds, I just read the books and followed the steps.”
“Nonetheless, you have proven repeatedly that you are one of the most capable students in your year,” Celestia interjected softly. “And that is why I wanted to introduce you to Luster.” Celestia gave Luster a small smile before turning back to Twilight. “You see, Twilight, Luster has been having some… difficulties at SGU. I was hoping you could help her.”
Twilight smiled. “No problem, I’d be happy to help, Princess!” She looked at Luster. “What are you struggling with? Alchemy, astronomy, spellcharging, spellcasting?”
“She needs a friend.”
Twilight paused at Celestia’s interjection. “Pardon?”
Luster gave a small huff and looked away. “I don’t need a friend, Princess…”
Celestia ignored her and continued talking to Twilight. “Luster’s teachers have informed me she prefers to do class projects alone and does not socialize. While her grades thus far have been exemplary despite this difficulty, I am concerned that if she continues to take such burdens on herself now, her performance may falter.” She nodded at Twilight. “You’re one of the standout students in the school, Twilight, and it happens that your schedule and Luster’s are nearly identical. I had hoped you would be willing to lend her a hoof when she needs it – no matter what she might claim otherwise.” As Celestia said the final words with a bit more emphasis, Luster had begun to say something, but ceased and closed her mouth.
Twilight opened her mouth, but before she could answer either, Celestia raised a hoof. “But, please, do not think I am forcing this upon you, nor will I hold it against you if you refuse. Expecting somepony to make an effort to become friends with somepony they have never met before is a lot to ask, and if you are not ready or able to handle it, I understand completely.”
Twilight looked at Luster evenly. She stepped closer to her. “What’s your favorite subject?”
Luster’s eyes turned to her direction. “Weather studies. But I also like alchemy.” She perked up. “Spellcasting, too. And I wouldn’t say I like it, but I’m good at astronomy. And I’m not good at it, but the art classes—” She stopped when she noticed Twilight’s grin. “What?”
“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, Princess.”
“Wonderful.” Celestia bowed her head. “Thank you very much, Twilight. If either of you ever needs anything, my door is always open.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Luster mumbled.
“I’ll leave the two of you to get better acquainted and look about the school.” Celestia turned and ascended the stairs to the stage. “And, if you like later, Twilight, you can drop by my office and we can discuss your incorrect answer to the water glass problem.”
Twilight did a double take. “Wait, what? Wrong? What!?” Celestia didn’t respond as she walked backstage. Twilight swiveled her head to Luster. “She was joking, right?”
Luster’s laugh didn’t make her feel better.
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Silly Twilight, the glass is full, it's always full, half with liquid and half with air, in this case, but the glass is full.
Well now, this is intriguing. Good ol' Twily and her OCD. And what ever can be the cause of her and Sunny sharing the dreamscape?
Also, that last little bit of Trollestia at the end. Perfect.
Saw this being put into the Sunset and Twilight shipping group and then noticed there’s no romance tag............
10015237
It is not primarily a romance story
10015064
*pulls out glass in a vacuum-sealed tube*
And this one?
10015293
But there is expected to be Sunlight shipping in this story right?
It's not a requirement for a good story, but I can't deny I love my OTP.
10015394
Yes, they will be shipped.
10015294
Depends. Is the liquid still there, or did it boil off while the air was pumped out?
If the water did boil off then the glass is still full, as the water vaper fills the whole glass. If it didn't, or if enough time has passed for the water to form back into a liquid then the glass is probably still full, with both water as well as hydrogen and oxygen gases, though in low volume.
If all the water is still there as liquid water, then Twi's assertion, while pedantic, would be correct. The glass would be half empty, as the air that had been filling half the glass was removed.
10015526
I never said the glass contained water. You have failed, please pack up your dorm room by the evening.
Damn was not expecting Luster Dawn this early.... I'm hooked already. Now I'm wondering when Sunset will meet Twilight in the physical and real world.
Crazy Theory: Luster is from the Future and is Twilight and Sunset's Daughter....this is a Sunlight fic don't be mad at me
The technician in me wants to answer "Neither; the container is twice as large as it needs to be (taking into account proper ullage of course...)"
10015545
I did say it depends. However I will admit that while the glass that Twilight and her classmates were asked about contained water, the one in the vacuum tube you pulled out for the follow up was unspecified, in fact there was no indication of anything in said glass. I should have pressed for more information, but sadly I assumed based off the previous question. So, justly, deserve the fail. C'est la vie.
i'm going for the glass is full. Half with water and half with air. She didn't ask what was in it just what it contained.
Good start!
In any case, this is going in a number of interestin directions. Looking forward to seeing just what you plan on doing with all those bookhorses.
This sounds really good so far. I can't wait to read more. Sunset and Twilight forever.
This is so interesting! I'm definitely going to follow. I feel as if I'll really enjoy this! ♡
10015937
Yep, I've seen that answer before and that was what went through my head when I saw the question -- the glass is poorly designed -- it only need be half as large.
10211397
On the gripping hand you could argue that the glass has a built in factor of safety of 2...
My answer: It's both. I mean, it does — by definition — have two halves, right? One half can be empty, the other can be full. There is no conflict. The question is tricky because it uses the word "or" to imply a conflict where there is none.
She could have asked, "Is the glass half empty and half full?" Then the answer would be "Yes." Admittedly, that wouldn't be a very interesting question or a very interesting answer, but hey… When both the question and the answer are as mundane as a glass of water, then they're probably right.
This story is looking good and Twilight's dream was highly abnormal for a dream the thing that most stuck out was Sunset Shimmer's comment about waking up and Twilight being real. A story about Twilight and her classmates from the school for gifted unicorns is always interesting.
Localized liquid containment device is at 50% capacity?