Chapter 8: Magic class
Sunset, Princess Twilight, and Sugarcoat were soon in search of the path less traveled following lunch. Though to be more accurate, Sugarcoat was just tagging along.
“So, were you going to show us the way?” Sunset asked as they made their way past the dormitories.
“No.”
“No?” Twilight asked.
“Rule is you have to find the path on your own. If you can’t see it, you can’t attend the class. It’s how they weed out entitled snobs who think they have the right to do whatever they want just because mommy and daddy paid their way into the school.”
“Even if they can do magic?” Sunset asked.
“Especially if they can use magic. There are spells hiding the path designed to weed out people who can’t do magic and those who are lacking in maturity or overly aggressive. No one wants to teach magic to someone who will turn around and use it as a weapon.”
“Probably a good thing I didn’t have to worry about anything like that,” Sunset mused sarcastically.
“Sunset, it’s entirely possible you were intended to be a weapon against the Night Mare, only our mentor had emphasized academics over what we really needed to accomplish that task. I know that now,” Twilight offered. “When I think about it I was just so incredibly lucky that everything worked out.”
“Sugarcoat, what if someone who can’t do magic finds the conservatory and wants to learn?” Sunset asked as she thought about what Twilight had just said. Twilight had indeed been incredibly lucky. Lucky she’d found true friends.
“People who can’t do magic aren’t going to find it short of their willpower is greater than the enchantments keeping mundanes away,” Sugarcoat offered even as Sunset stopped walking.
“Sunset? Ah, it’s a crossroad. I must confess I nearly missed it,” Twilight admitted.
“Perhaps some acclimatization is required,” Sunset mused. “Though to be honest it’s a hard path to spot even without magic concealing it.”
“It’s the road less traveled,” Sugarcoat offered. The path wasn’t exactly cleared and it was marked primarily by a string of footprints in the snow that lead back into what looked like a thicket. “And yes, it is kind of hard to spot.”
“Well then, shall we?” Sunset offered while gesturing towards the path.
“Let's do,” Twilight replied and stepped onto the path. She was followed by Sunset and then Sugarcoat.
The path meandered through some heavy undergrowth below large trees and then opened onto a clearing in which was a large greenhouse with an old community center on the back.
“So is there a secret to getting in?” Twilight asked.
“Nah, we just go around to the back. We can enter via the greenhouse when the weather is warm, but it’s too cold right now,” Sugarcoat offered.
“Alright,” Twilight replied and let Sugarcoat lead the way now that she was willing to take the lead.
“This place is really nice,” Sunset offered a short time later as they entered the building. While the place had all the ornate decor of the Victorian era. The floor was carpeted in red and gold Persian rugs over a wood inlay floor with geometric patterns, the walls were a mix of brick red and gold painted on with sponges to include geometric borders around the doors, ceiling, and floor. All, presumably hand painted. The doors and door frames were done up in rich mahogany, there were inlaid sunburst patterns in the ceiling from which hung gilded candelabras that looked to be gas lights, but the light that burned was not gas, nor was it electric.
“Is that a spell? I mean the lights,” Twilight asked. “How is that done?”
“If you look closely you’ll see a small crystal,” Sugarcoat offered. “The actual enchantment is in the pipe directly below. I’m to understand that not only do they provide light, they also incorporate a spell that negates discordant magic. Quite useful in a school full of students just learning. Should anyone get a spell horribly wrong it will immediately be negated.”
“That is so awesome,” Twilight said in a hushed tone.
“Maybe we’d better get going before she tries to climb up there and dismantle it to see how it works,” Sunset teased.
“Oh, hi…” Zachary offered as he and his three friends enter the front door. “Ah, Princess Twilight, sorry about earlier.”
“I’m surprised no one else even noticed. Names Beau, Tom Beau. That is, you are nothing like our school’s Twilight Sparkle.”
“But she looks exactly the same,” Sunset offered. “Well, sort of.”
“Close enough that no one who doesn’t really know our Twilight would see the difference. But there are some big differences. Like how this Twilight presents herself, she’s confidant and outgoing while our Twilight is all closed up and shy around others.” he shifted his attention to Twilight, “Name’s James Knight. Are you really a princess?”
“Yes, I kind of am, only I’m actually from a place called Equestria.”
“It exists?” Zachary asked. “I mean, I thought it was like the legendary Akkadia where can be found unicorns and pegasi.”
“It does exist,” Sunset offered with a smile. “Perhaps we’ll take you there someday, just…”
“Don’t say anything about it to anyone,” Twilight admonished. “Seems the government here already knows far more than I’m comfortable with. Part of why I’m here. I needed to let Sunset know that the way in will be closed.”
“Closed?” Sunset asked.
“You’ll need to let us know when you will be ready to come over for a visit. No visitors without prior approval, and there will be guards. Take a page out of your book with you, and take the whole book if for whatever reason you should decide it is no longer safe here. We’ve also moved our end of the gateway to a secure location and erected an iris.”
“You know, that sounds suspiciously like a Star Gate,” James mused.
“I suppose in a way, that would be one way to describe it,” Sunset admitted. “Now, class?”
“We are in the Blue Room,” Sugarcoat offered. “Which you don’t know the location of. Come on.”
The blue room was so named because of the blue and gold vintage geometric drop pattern wallpaper and blue panels in the ceiling. Dividing the blue panels in the ceiling were gilded frames with ornate Celtic knotwork done in crimson red. Within were rows of tables and chairs all facing the front where a large whiteboard was located. When a computer, and projector on the ceiling were included the place looked very much like a fairly normal classroom setting. Several students were already there as well. Each gave Twilight and Sunset a rather curious look.
“Both the electronics and the building are shielded,” Zachary informed them. “Thaumaturgic energy scrambles electronics. Not to mention we wouldn't want to get too much attention.”
“Entirely understandable,” Twilight offered. “Where should I sit?”
“Princess, Sunset, it’s so good of you two to come,” Ms Swan offered as she entered the classroom. “My full name is Fenella Swan Silverwood if you need to ask for me in the future. Most just know me as Ms Swan though. This afternoon we’ll be starting with the written test and then we will begin the Practical Exam following a break.”
“May I challenge the test?” Sunset asked hopefully.
“Ah, I was rather hoping you’d ask,” Ms Swan replied cheerfully. “Everyone take your seats.”
“Why’s Twilight here?” whispered a girl who looked a bit like a punk version of Starlight Glimmer as she entered the class.
“Seats please,” Ms Swan prompted. “Sunset, Princess, there are empty seats in the back, but if I can have you come forward, I’d like to introduce you to the class if I may?”
“Alright,” Twilight offered tentatively.
“Not like I was going to avoid this forever,” Sunset added as the two went forward.
It wasn’t a large class, and the familiar faces in the group probably only helped fuel Sunset’s apprehension. If Twilight was nervous, she didn’t show it. If anything the whole notion that magic did indeed exist in this world had her overloaded. The two waited while everyone was seated.
“Before we get started we’ve got a new student and a surprise guest who’s going to sit in on the class and observe,” Ms Swan offered. “First off, we have Sunset Shimmer, and Sunset, I’ve something for you…” Ms Swan went over to a cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a small long thin box that was perhaps a foot long. She offered it to Sunset who took hold of the box, though she wasn’t entirely sure why Ms Swan was giving it to her. “Go on, open it, and let's see if it fits.”
“Fits?” Sunset asked curiously, redirected her focus to the box, and gingerly removed the top. Inside was a stick with an ornately carved handle portion at one end. No, make that a wand. It had a rich yellow gold-tone with dark highlights around the carved areas.
“Sunset?” Twilight asked as Philomena popped into the room, glided around in a spiral, and alighted on Sunset’s shoulder.
“Coastal Live Oak and I’m to understand that Philomena donated a feather for the core,” Ms Swan informed Sunset and the class. “Ten and a half inches.”
Sunset gingerly extracted the wand from the box, gripped the handle portion, gave it an experimental wave, and channeled a little manna into it. It immediately began to glow a rich golden color.
“Sunset?” Twilight said as she looked on in astonishment. The look of childlike delight and wonderment on Sunset’s face spoke volumes.
“Looks like we guessed right,” Ms Swan announced.
“I can do magic again,” Sunset said breathlessly as the sunlight glow began to envelop various objects. “Twilight, can’t you see? The only reason I couldn't do magic is that I had no way to focus my manna flow. If I’d only known… all this time. Why was I allowed to, why did no one come and tell me about all this?”
“One, Grandmother ordered us not to interfere unless absolutely necessary, and two, you were an unknown in regards to your academics with no records when you first showed up in Canterlot City. Principle Cinch would never have approved your enrollment even with my family’s influence.”
“So, how do I get one of those?” Twilight asked as she fixated on the wand. Her interest had definitely been piqued.
“Ah, grandmother had said you might come calling,” Ms Swan mused as Sunset set down the items she’d been levitating. “And for those of you who haven't figured it out, this young woman is not the same Twilight Sparkle we all know.”
“Hi,” Twilight said with a smile to the class. “I will have to say I never expected this.”
“We are accustomed to a form of wandless magic,” Sunset offered, bending the truth just a wee bit. “The place I grew up was saturated with magic and pretty much everyone could use some form of magic. Just, the thing is I kind of told people I didn’t remember where I’d been because, well, they’d have thought it all a delirium anyway. I honestly don’t remember anything beyond vague recollections of my father prior to being pulled out of a river. And, well, to be honest, I didn’t even know or let's say, remember anything about Eques Island until recently when the Interpol profile came up at the police station a few days ago. When I first arrived here I just assumed there was no magic. I had no way to access magic, and just reasoned I would have to live without it.”
“Did you never experience accidental magic?” One of the girls in the class asked.
“I’d say we both did, but it was Equestria,” Twilight offered.
“By the time I’d found myself here in this community, I already knew how to control my magic,” Sunset explained. “Living in a community where magic is celebrated means not having to hide it.”
“A hidden community similar to the Silverwood community in England not unlike Stormhold. Equestria is part of Akkadia and not part of Akkadia just as Stormhold is part of England and not part of England. A place set aside,” Ms Swan provided. “Allow me to introduce you to Princess Twilight Sparkle. Yes, I know, she is a near-identical double for the Twilight Sparkle who goes to this school, but rest assured that she is a completely different person.”
“I’d have to say my biggest incident was the time I turned my parents into potted plants,” Twilight offered.
“I’ve had so many,” Sunset said softly.
“Well, for what it’s worth, the time you tried to use my crown and lost control is looking a lot like you’d been subtly manipulated,” Twilight offered while hoping to console Sunset.
“I’m not so sure that helps. It kind of suggests that deep down I wanted to do the things I did.”
“Perhaps, but when you think about it, it’s kind of like you made those decisions after one loco weed too many,” Twilight offered, hoping to reassure Sunset.
“We’ve all heard rumors about what happened at the dance, care to share?” Sugarcoat prompted.
“For whatever reason, I got it into my head to help myself to a magical artifact that belongs to Princess Twilight,” Sunset explained. “A crown that amplifies magical energy, a very special form of magical energy generated by friendship. Her crown is also soul-bound. Which, is, something I should have taken into consideration, but didn’t for some reason. Long story short, I went full Karen, got it into my head that I could overthrow the government of Equestria with zombified high school kids, and Twilight orchestrated a well-deserved attitude adjustment. Officially, it was a gas explosion.”
“And the fact the government seems to know what happened concerns me considerably,” Twilight stated. “They also seem to have gained an Equestrian artifact that was being used to manipulate people in the process.”
“I don’t think you need to worry too much,” Ms Swan offered. “The thing is, the government, or I should say, certain elements within the government, worry about how the general population might react if they knew magic was real. Far too many kooks among the non-magical. And I probably don’t need to tell you that the whole Anon-a-Miss incident got a lot of feathers ruffled. Especially in that a good deal of those posts were technically violating the Secrecy Act. Magic doesn’t ‘officially’ exist.”
“Hello?” Asked a man as he poked his head in the door. “Twilight? I’d heard she was here, but I didn’t think she had any magic?”
“Mr Specter, This is Princess Sparkle, she’s from Eques and popped in to see how Sunset was doing,” Ms Swan informed him. “Our Miss Twilight is either doing a test or has retreated to her lab.”
“I – I see. Princess … wow, they are nearly identical, except, oh yes, I can see that there is indeed a noticeable difference.”
“Is he looking at my udders?” Twilight asked Sunset. Several of the students gave Twilight a wide-eyed look of shock while Sunset facepalmed.
“Of course he is, he’s a man,” Sunset returned in a dry tone.
“What? No, it’s not like that!? She’s taller,” he objected. “Princess it’s how you carry yourself that sets you apart from our Miss Twilight. Right, I’d best get back to my class,” and with that, he backed out and closed the door.
“Oh, he totally was,” Sugarcoat accused.
“Oh, and Twilight, the correct Terran term is breasts, or you can say boobs if you like,” Sunset corrected.
“I see,” Twilight mused.
“Saying utters is a bit crass,” Sunset admonished.
“Oh, I see. Curious how they switch locations and are so much bigger here.”
“Moving right along,” Ms Swan stated while ignoring the now quizzical looks her students were sending towards Twilight. “Princess, we might have a wand that may be suited to you if you’d like to give it a go?”
“May I?”
“I don’t see why not, Sunset, perhaps if you can pass out the exam papers, we still have a test to take,” Ms Swan offered. “They are in my desk. Top drawer.”
“Alright,” Sunset replied and walked over to the instructor's desk while Ms Swan started pulling out various wands and having Twilight give each a try.
“Oh, hang on, Sunset, I nearly forgot, the desk is probably locked,” Ms Swan announced as she turned back around to face Sunset.
“I’m good,” Sunset replied with a stack of catalog envelopes each well-filled. “I’m assuming these are the tests?”
“Yes, of course. Everyone gets an individualized test. Not everyone is studying the same things so the tests are adjusted accordingly,” Miss Swan explain. She was also just a bit concerned in regards in that the desk apparently hadn’t been locked. The envelopes were still sealed; nothing to worry about.
Each envelope had a name on it so Sunset, began calling out names, “Apple, Zachary. Beau, Tom.” With each name, the individual would raise their hand and Sunset handed the packet with their name on it. “Glaze, Sugarcoat… Oh right, here you go. Glimmer, Star… Starlight?”
“Starlight?” Twilight asked turning to see a girl dressed in goth punk wearing a leather jacket with an equal patch on her right pocket sitting in the back of the class.
“My exam?” Starlight prompted.
“Right, right, sorry,” Sunset offered and handed over the packet, and Twilight went back to looking at the wands. “Itsumi, Mario. Knight, James. Moon, Serena. Moonbow, Isabella…”
“Hi new friend,” Offered a cheerful girl up in the front row.
“Rusco, Nadya. Shinobi, Midori… Midori?”
“Behind the potted fern,” Ms Swan offered. “It’s her thing.”
“Right… moving right along,” Sunset drolled. She had a big smile on her face though. “Star, Amethyst… And that leaves me with one that has my name on it.”
“Ah…” Twilight said in soft astonishment as she held a wand aloft. Ms Swan had had Twilight try a variety of Ash, Oak, Birch, and even Amarecan Aspen. All were light-colored woods. The one Twilight now had was stained a deep rich red that complemented the color of the large star on her cutie mark. The wand was alight with Twilight’s magical aura which nearly made it look as though the wand was a hot poker.
“Princess, it does look like you’ve found a match. Which is that?”
“There’s a note that says ‘Wild Amarecan Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)’ with a core of ... Alicorn hair. Oh my. I wonder if it’s anyone I know?”
Ms Swan leaned in and whispered, “Might be my Grandmother.” She backed away before Twilight could ask any questions and retrieved a book which she offered to Twilight. “It’s a study on wand design and alternative foci used for harnessing and focusing magic. I think you might enjoy reading that while everyone is busy. It’s often said that the wand chooses the owner but the truth is that the wand core needs to be tuned to the individual’s core magic.” She redirected her attention to the class, noted that Sunset was now seated. “Put everything away with the exception of your test packet and pencils.”
Twilight found her way to an open desk in the back and sat down to read while everyone else got ready for their test.
“You may get out your test now and set it in front of you, do not begin. … Are we all ready? Write your name on the top of the test booklet. You won’t get credit if I have to guess at who’s test it is?”
“But, didn’t you say we all got personalized tests?” Sugarcoat asked.
“I wasn’t the one who prepared them. Your tests were prepared at Ilvermorny based on the course of study each of you has been perusing. As I’m sure you are all aware, our classes are part of a pilot program that allows students to stay in their own communities, and it’s to make sure you are up to their standards. The only exception is Ms Shimmer who has received a general aptitude battery. Some of you will probably go on to Ilvermorny, and some of you will, if you are really good, get the opportunity to attend the Akkadian School of Arcane Technology, and no, Mr Apple, you do not get a free pass just because you call Eques home.”
“Yes mam,” Zachary replied with a smirk. “May we start?”
“Yes, you may start.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.022 seconds
Total duration
993 users online
46,773 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan, though I admit I have enjoyed a few stories here on the site that incorporated it into the story. I am really loving what you have done with it and this story and I really looking forward to seeing more of this and finding out how well Sunset does on her test.
I liked how you added Izzy aka Isabelle in the chapter.
11113961
It had occurred to me that since EQG doesn't follow the same timeline there's no reason I can't throw in any of the new generation characters.
11113968
True, there is no reason you couldn't do that.