Power Trip: Destiny is Magic

by Cinnamon Swirl

Chapter 1 | A Farewell of Sorts

"Snacks... check. Sleeping bag... check. Toothbrush... check. Books... check. Backup capes... two, four, six, check!" Having double-checked her pack list, Power Trip clicked the trunk shut and began wheeling it out of her room, pulling it behind her with her magic. Heading down the hall and into the living room, her mother was already waiting to see her off.

Amber Sage, Trip's mother, pulled her in for a tight hug. Maybe too tight. "Oh, I can't believe you're gonna just leave. Are you suuuure you have to go?" She squeezed Trip tighter, to the point of no escape.

Trip wanted to return the hug, but she could barely move. Her body began making an uncomfortable cracking sound the tighter the hug got. She strained to speak, "hey, uh... could you please... loosen up? My spine... my spine, mother!"

Amber relented, giving her daughter time to breath. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just going to miss you so much. Feels like just yesterday you were levitating blocks into a stack, and now you're going to study at a proper magic school."

Trip composed herself, straightening out her white cape and ensuring it flowed properly to just above the floor behind her. "I know! Well, maybe. I haven't actually been accepted yet. Are you sure you can't tell me anything about the exam?"

Amber raised an eyebrow. "Now, Power Trip, you're not really going to ask me to help you cheat, are you?"

Trip kicked one of her forehooves over the other. "Eh, can't blame a mare for wanting to be prepared." She clearly knew her mother wasn't going to give anything away. This was her way of expressing she was nervous about the unknowns surrounding the school's entrance exam.

Amber knew her daughter's quirks better than almost anypony, and knew that what she really needed was encouragement. "Hey, I know this is a little scary, but you've done so well with your personal studies over the years, I know you'll figure it all out. Have some faith in yourself. Like I do." She leaned in for another hug, a gentle one this time.

Power Trip returned the hug. Even though they couldn't properly see, they each knew the other was softly crying. Trip whimpered, "I'm gonna miss you too, mom. I really, really will." Now Trip was the one squeezing too tight. "Maybe if I leave my capes here, you'll fit in the trunk." They both laughed through their tears at the idea. They stood there hugging for some time before Trip finally let go, rubbing her tears away. "I should probably get going. Don't want to miss the train." She started pulling her trunk towards the door. "I love you, mom."

Amber used her magic to pull a box of tissues to herself. She was going to be needing them for a while. "I love you too, Honey-Pie." Blowing her nose in the least graceful way a pony can.

As Trip approached the door, she glanced into the next room over, the kitchen. There stood her father, Sunstone. The looks on their faces said everything that needed to be said in that moment. A silent exchange of words, and those words were not kind.

Leaving her emotions behind, she trotted out through the front door, down the stairs, and into the library. Passing through, several other ponies, acquaintances of hers, said their goodbyes to her. Wishing her luck, reminding her to write, telling her to visit soon, all the stuff she expected to hear. She didn't really pay them much mind, politely smiling and letting her mental auto-pilot come up with a response for each of them. 'I probably said the right things' she would think to herself afterwards. Not that she didn't care about them. She just had other things on her mind, like getting to the train station on time, actually riding the train, getting to the school before dark, attending classes, learning new spells, following her dream of becoming a great and powerful sorceress. Matters both big and small, the future weighed heavily on her.

She left the library and made her way up the road towards the station, when a voice called out to her from the opposite direction. "Hey, doofus. Aren't you gonna say goodbye?" It was her sister, Cinder Charm. Her timing was... something.

Power Trip stopped and smiled before turning to face her sister. She chuckled, "You know I don't like being called that." keeping her tone positive, though it did bother her.

"Yeah, I know." Cinder used her magic to lift an object from her saddlebag; a small giftwrapped box. "Sorry I missed your birthday yesterday. Work was a nightmare."

Trip used her own magic to pull the box to herself, setting it atop her trunk. "Oh, I heard. How in Equestria did an ursa major get into the castle, anyways?"

Cinder let out a groan, putting a hoof to her forehead. "I'll give you a hint. Her name rhymes with Mixie."

Trip rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who Cinder was referring to. "Of course it does." The two of them giggled as they both started walking towards the station. "So, I guess being a guard in the princess's castle isn't as glamourous as it sounds?"

"Oh, the work is fine, albeit unpredictable. Some nights I'm splitting myself into three to keep everything under control, others I fall asleep standing at my post." She was clearly exasperated by the lack of consistency, though she did truly love her work. "Enough about me. Are you excited about school?"

Trip practically jumped into her next step forward. "Oh, you have no idea! Mom told me they have all kinds of books we couldn't get in the library!" She squealed with delight at the thought. "I've been doing basic magic for years, now I can finally learn the good stuff!"

Cinder looked back down the road at the library. Their father had removed the magic section entirely a couple years ago, so Trip really didn't have much to work with aside from what she had already memorized from before then. Going to a magic school, she'd have access to any spell she wanted. Any spell. The thought of her younger sister living up to her name crossed her mind. Images of a wicked mare conjuring lightning to strike all whom oppose her swirled in her mind. Then she looked at her sister, who was practically dancing as she walked. Cinder shook the thoughts from her head. "Well, try not to become too powerful, m'kay?"

"What? You worried I'm gonna take your job?" Trip teased, nudging her sister's shoulder with her own. "Trust me. Knowing what kinds of shenanigans happen in that castle, I am not envious in the least."

Cinder nudged back with a smirk. "Good. Last thing I want to to fly out to the middle of nowhere to take you down."

Trip pushed Cinder away with a hoof. "I'd like to see you try!"

Continuing to push each other back and forth, carrying on with this pointless argument, they eventually reached the front of the train station.

"Well, then I'd cast occular hexus, and blind you!"

"Oh, yeah?! Well I can do magic with my eyes closed just fine!"

"Oh, yeah?!"

"YEAH!"

The two sisters had their foreheads pressed against each other's at this point, sparks shooting from their horns as they crossed. They glared at each other in silence for a few moments before bursting in to tearful laughter. Trip pounding the pavement with a hoof while Cinder did her best to return to a more professional demeanor. Maybe walking through town loudly fighting with her sister in the middle of the day wasn't the most appropriate thing for a member of the royal guard to be doing. Even so, her smile never faded.

Trip adjusted her cape, pushing it back to its proper length. "Well, it was really nice getting to talk to you again before leaving. Too bad it wasn't for long. Sorry." Her ears drooped. The two of them barely got to talk these days.

Cinder wiped away her laugh-induced tears, having now calmed down. "I'm just glad I could get away from my post before you reached the station. Almost missed the chance to say goodbye to my favorite little sister." Trip was, of course, her only sister.

The two embraced as the conductor announced, "All aboard! Next stop, Ponyville!"

"Well, don't you worry. I'll be back in a couple months." Trip took a few steps up the stairs and onto the platform, levitating her trunk and giftbox along with her. "And when I do, I'll be a real sorceress!" She made the last few steps towards the train, ready to board. As she did, she continued her thought, though spoke quietly enough so that only she herself could hear...

"... and I'll finally have my Cutie Mark."