Luna becomes disillusioned with the state of Equestria and its level of advanced magical education being reserved for the rich and prodigies. Luna endeavors to find a student of her own while dealing with the politics of opening her own school.
Princess Luna has grown disillusioned with the elite of Canterlot. With the politics of the Night Court, dealing with keeping an eye on the hidden underworld of the aristocrats, and the lack of magical accomplishments in the last few years that weren't associated with Princess Twiilight, Luna wonders if it would be possible to have a student of her own to train in the lunar and darker aspects of the arcane. She's well familiar with the stories of Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle's training.
Unlike her sister, however, Luna has no interest in training a prodigy. What's the point in teaching somepony who learns everything so easily? She's set her sights a bit higher and opens her applications to anypony in all of Equestria, no matter their race. With her trusty aid, Night Shade and her "nephew" Blueblood helping her, it'll be a prospect to find the one that will be her first student in the years to come.
"Night court is adjourned." The Princess of the Night announced as the current pony finished his appeal and stepped away, her magic handing the large scroll to her aide.
The ponies present bowed and the attendant at Princess Luna's right side jotted down a few lines of hoofwritten notes at a speed that came from years of experience. Her yellow eyes lifted to watch the quiet clamoring of the line dissolve into a small crowd as various attendees began conversing in the usual soft chaos of court being dismissed. Princess Luna took a moment to gather herself and her thoughts before clambering to her feet, immediately suppressing the tingling in her legs as the feeling began to seep back into her limbs.
After a brief moment to compose herself for the walk out, Luna began to descend the stairs, her aide following dutifully beside her with her clipboard tucked neatly under her leathery wing. As expected, various ponies attempted to engage the Princess in small talk, affairs of no interest to the diarch, both big and small, but the threstal at her side prevented most from saying more than a handful of words with a simple glance. Even after several years of the Night Guard being reformed and the threstals returning from their self-imposed exile, the majority of the nobles were unnerved by the denizens of the night.
"I should thank you, Night Shade." The princess spoke as they entered the hallway, the two guards giving curt nods as they passed. Her neutral expression had given way to a slight smile as she glanced at the pony at her side. "You're still the best at keeping things running smoothly even when the nobles are acting like a bunch of bratty foals. I'm not sure how I would manage without you."
"You would manage, your Highness." Night Shade replied automatically, the mare pulling her notes to read what was else on the agenda for the night. "You and your sister would still be able to handle the paperwork without Quill and my help."
"No, we wouldn't. Without you the paperwork-" As they rounded the corner, Luna's expression hardened as they came near the study, a familiar sight greeting the two of them and Night Shade suppressed a sigh of annoyance at the pair. In front of the study was the Princesses' adopted nephew, Prince Blueblood and philanthropist Fancy Pants. Judging from the way their voices were growing elevated and the way the pair of guards were eyeing the two, they had been at it for some time and would likely come to blows if things weren't averted.
"So just because you had a bad experience one time, you're not going to even consider coming to my gathering?" Fancy Pants asked, his monocle slightly askew as he glared at Blueblood. "Are you truly that afraid of that mare for what she did to you a few years back? Considering your rudeness to her, it's no wonder Miss Rarity snapped at you."
"I have no interest in associating with the commonfolk like yourself, Fancy." Blueblood responded coolly, his volume matching the stallion across from the Prince. "Besides, she never apologized for ruining such a handsome suit and why should I give her the honor of my patronage when she's so callous to not accept her part in the death of my favorite clothes? I apologize, Fancy Pants but I must decline for the final time to attend your little... soiree."
"Suit yourself, Blueblood." With a huff, Fancy Pants adjusted his monocle and turned away, heading down the hall. His gaze fell upon the Princess and her aide, his eyes widening before he dropped into a low bow, his muzzle inches from the ground. "Your Highness! My sincerest apologies for that, I never intended-"
"It's quite alright, Fancy." Princess Luna responded with a voice that carried a faint edge to it. "My nephew has always been rather difficult and could do with some humility..."
Blueblood fidgeted where he stood, one hoof pulling idly at his collar and muttering under his breath. Night Shade felt a smile cross her lips before it was quelled, plucking her quill from behind her ear and jotting down a note to herself. Fancy Pants had regained his hooves and was engaging Princess Luna in useless pleasantries, the diarch indulging him with questions on his social gathering, going through the usual parrying of invitations and declining to attend. It was a dance everypony present was familiar with, a game of chess that could end poorly with one wrong move and cause a collapse larger than intended if done carelessly.
"Well, I am unfortunately on a bit of a schedule so I must take my leave. It has been pleasant, Fancy. Have a good night." The Princess stepped around him as he smiled and moved aside, continuing along his way. Her nephew was still fidgeting nervously and her eyes narrowed at him, her head motioning towards her study. Night Shade placed the clipboard back under her wing, moving in tandem with Luna as they entered the study, the threstals on each side nodding in acknowledgement before returning to their reverie.
As the doors shut fully, a indigo light flashed and covered the doors, moving to encase the room in a brief but brilliant show of lunar magic. Luna turned to face Blueblood who was already undoing his tie and pulling it loose. His earlier nervousness was entirely gone as well as his smug smile, the noble offering his Princess a tired smile. Her own mask came down and Luna smirked at him, situating herself in her chair and levitating the already steaming teapot to fill two cups sitting on her desk.
"I take it Fancy Pants is making moves again?" Luna asked, pouring a generous amount of tea in each cup and levitating one to the unicorn who graciously took it after removing his tie and opening his collar.
"He is, yes." Blueblood slumped into a chair with a tired sigh, draining his cup with a single gulp. His Canterlot accent was gone, replaced with more subdued inflections and a slight Manehatten touch. “His plan to get Lady Rarity into his circle was ultimately successful when he’s guaranteed himself as a sponsor. Its been difficult to subtly break his influence on her and with her on his side, it's possible he could be fostering relations with those sympathetic to his ideals.
“And Rarity has no idea herself?” Luna questioned, sipping her tea after refilling Blueblood’s. “I thought she was such a good judge of character.”
“Fancy Pants and I are both very good are what we do, your Highness. I play the villain for the crowns and he plays the hero for himself. Even Rarity, practiced as she is at reading ponies would have no chance seeing through that perfect mask…” Blueblood sighed and rubbed his face with his hoof, trying to stave off his sleepiness. “But I’ve taken steps to try and get her less dependant on him by putting in a good word through to various ponies who are connected as well anonymous funding with lavish orders.”
“I’ve also forwarded another site for her here in Canterlot so she can expand her brand to three locations and hopefully she’ll look at it as another chance to further herself.”
“Good, good.” Luna nodded her approval as Night Shade wordlessly moved the tea tray to a nearby table, the princess levitating a large scroll onto the desk after nodding her thanks. “That isn’t why I called you here tonight.”
“Shame. I was under the impression that Night Shade was pining for my company again.” He flashed a lascivious wink at the threstal who merely chuckled at his advances.
“I’m married, Blueblood.” She replied, lightly pushing his shoulder with her free hoof. “So keep dreaming.”
“A stallion can dream…” He muttered in mock indignation as he approached the desk, examining the Old Equine writings upon the aged paper. Night Shade stood beside him, looking just as confused as their princess began to speak. Luna cleared her throat, her hoof raising as she began indicating various sections of text.
“As to why I’ve called you here, I’m sure you’re aware that Princess Celestia has taken numerous students under her wing over the centuries since my banishment in an attempt to reawaken the Elements. The ponies she trained in mind and magic have become rather large portions of history, their accomplishments standing the test of time with their discoveries and elevating various houses of unicorn to prestige over the years.
“Medical magic, weather manipulation that was originally limited to the domain of the pegasi, teleportation, ethereal manifestation, and the list goes on.” Luna paused as she continued down the rather small list of Celestia’s students. “Every student she’s ever trained was taught only the magic of the harmony side, teaching friendship and such in an attempt to keep any other from following the path of Sombra or myself into Dark.
“That changed twelve years ago with Sunset Shimmer as she was and remains the only unicorn to openly challenge her teacher. She researched into the dark arts and learned, only for Celestia to banish her almost instantly. We all know how the rest of that story goes.
“Then she found Twilight, Element of Magic and eventual Princess of Friendship. Since that time, my sister has made no move to take another student under her wing or even to address her past, be it problems that we faced or mistakes we made. She simply pawns her problems off on her best student and expects her to solve the issue.”
“And what does this have to do with us, your Highness?” Blueblood asked carefully, recognizing a bit of an old wound that still wasn’t fully healed. Night Shade’s brow was furrowed as she looked from the scroll to Princess Luna. “We’re well aware of the facts but I don’t know what you want from us.”
“Its simple. The lunar arts are a dying branch and as of this very moment, there is only one true practitioner. I want to find a student to teach as well as found a school of my own that allows all ponies.” Luna replied, whisking the scroll off the desk and rolling it back up. “You have the influence to help gather support and funding for the school, Blueblood. Night Shade you have the knowhow and experience to find the proper teachers.”
Night Shade smiled and glanced at Blueblood, his lips slowly curling in a broad grin. “When do we start?”
“The building has already been selected and renovated. “Luna replied, sliding a thick envelope towards Blueblood and a large scroll to Night Shade. “Before we do anything else, the first thing we need to accomplish is find some potential students…”
* * * Dawn and Celestia found Luna bent over the large dining room table, the usually immaculate surface covered in papers as Night Shade darted to and fro, jabbering all the while in Moonspeak. It took a few minutes of the solar princess staring at the two chirping and hissing at each other as they worked before she cleared her throat, approaching the table.
“Backed up paperwork, sister?” Celestia asked as she seated herself at the head of table and picked up one of the scrolls to examine it. Her eyes widened as she digested the words, peering over the edge to look over at her sister who was busy throwing back a large mug of what Celestia presumed was coffee. Luna pulled away with a large gasp and chucked the glass behind her, the cup being deftly caught by a servant and refilled.
“Not at all, sister.” Luna replied, noticing her sister at last and flashing her a smile. “Night Shade is helping me finish put the final touches on these invitations of tutelage.”
“And for what reason?” Celestia accepted her own cup of tea with a smile, taking a careful sip. “Finally taken an interest in having in a student?”
“Exactly, Tia.” Luna looked over the proffered scroll from Night Shade and nodded, offering a sharp chirp as she signed it. “It's high time that I had a student of my own.”
“Wonderful!” Celestia smiled and materialized a scroll in a burst of golden light, unfurling it in front of her. “There are quite a few promising individuals from my school that you could teach-”
“No.”
Celestia looked up in surprise, her magic faltering briefly before she regained her voice. “E-excuse me?”
“I don’t want any of your students, sister. Thank you, Night Shade. Get these sent out before tonight to every city possible.” Luna replied, setting down her scroll and gathering the mess of papers into a neat stack. With a brief flash of blue, they were neatly folded and handed off to Night Shade, who bowed to the sisters before vacating the room.
“Why don’t you want any of the ponies at my school?” Celestia asked, her voice tinged with confusion and hurt. “They’re all exceptionally well trained and we’ve quite a few talented individuals that could keep up with any teaching schedule.”
“Tia, with all due respect, your school is for those who have the bits and the talent to pass the entrance exam. They have things that not everypony has, money and skill.” Luna took another long drink of her black elixir, her eyes closed in enjoyment before she set the empty mug down on the table. “They’ve all futures in the magical field and can do anything they want if they so chose. I’m not interested in those that have a future already; I want something else from my student.”
“I see…” Celestia slowly rolled up her scroll and teleported it away, her tea being refilled by a passing servant. “So my students aren’t good enough for you?”
“Au contraire, sister.” Luna placed her hooves together under her chin, deep in thought as she weighed her next words carefully. “Your students are too good. I don’t want to train a prodigy, Tia. How do I explain myself? Let me put it this way…”
Luna’s horn flashed and two objects materialized on the table, the princess of the sun casting a glance at them. An uncut diamond and a bit of ordinary coal were resting in front of her sister, the dark alicorn picking up the diamond in her magic and showing it to Celestia.
“Consider this to be your student. Rough but the true potential is obvious from a glance.” A thin laser of magic began to weave around the gemstone as she spoke, flashes of bright light obscuring the sisters vision at times but Luna’s voice continued calmly through the brief hazes.
“You carefully apply your lessons and magic teachings until eventually they reach their full potential.” Her magic faded and Luna set the gemstone in front of Celestia, the clear diamond cut in the likeness of her cutie mark. “This is your method of teaching and there’s no denying the results but sometimes the easiest path isn’t the best one.”
Luna lifted the block of coal now, surrounding it with magic and encasing it with glowing heat. “The student I want is a bit like this coal: nothing more than a common occurrence that you can find nearly anywhere. No inherent potential, nothing special about it, and utterly devoid of anything making it valuable. But if you apply a bit of effort, a lot of hard work, perseverance, and a dash of luck…
Celestia shielded her eyes as Luna’s magic became near blinding before it began to fade away, leaving the alicorn blinking to regain her sight as her sister set the coal in front of her. The coal had changed to a light blue gem shaped in a crescent moon. It wasn’t as large or cut as cleanly as the diamond sitting before her but there was a radiance and brightness to it that the colorless gem lacked.
“Even so… the kind of work you’re talking about could mean years of training. Maybe even over a decade, sister.” Celestia replied, lightly pushing the gemstones away and fixing her sister with an even look. “You can’t do that for years and shirk your duties, Luna.”
“I don’t plan on it. You did it with Twilight, Sunset and all your other students, sister. If you can manage, then so can I.” Luna smiled at her sister and stood from the table, scooping up the gems. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Celestia, I have letters to send out.”
“At least consider the idea of teaching one of my students at my school.” Celestia called after the disappearing alicorn, Luna pausing and turning to look at her sister before offering a simple nod. The white alicorn sighed and began eat her breakfast, shaking her head at her sister.
“So prideful in doing things her way…”
* * *
Night Shade nodded to the unicorns in front of her who were gaping at the stack of letters that was set before them. The mare on the left shook her head and chuckled before she got to work to teleporting her stack of letters to their destinations; the other two caught the hint and began to work as well, brows furrowed in concentration. They were going to be here for quite a while…
* * *
A letter appeared on the bedside table of a traveling magician, the unicorn starting in surprise and scooping up the letter…
A young filly halfway through levitating her blocks jumped at the letter appearing on her tower, the mare scowling and pulling it down in a white aura...
The turntable disc was interrupted by an envelope materializing on the switches, a startled yelp escaping the DJ as she fell back… Her diary buzzed and Sunset raised her head off her pillow to look blearily at the offending book…
The quiet town of Appleloosa was suddenly filled with shrieks as earth ponies were assaulted with conjured letters, a few fleeing from the town with the cries of ghosts and mad spirits…
Letters filled the mailboxes of homes across the breadth of Equestria as the letters were teleported to their directed ponies. Some were simply confused and threw the scrolls aside, dismissing it as a scam while others considered it a prank. A few took the letter seriously and began making arrangements to visit Canterlot while their families rejoiced.
A lavender alicorn picked up a letter on the ground that the mailmare had dropped on her mad dash across the sky, dodging the weather team with ease as she departed the scene. Twilight lifted the letter and opened it with curiosity, reading the contents out loud.
“To the pony who received this letter,
You have been chosen as one of several thousand participants for the chance to be taught by the Princess of the Night. In one month’s time, participants are asked to come to Canterlot for a written and practical exam to judge your skill level and eligibility to be selected as Princess Luna’s personal student.
For those not interested, Luna’s School for Gifted Ponies will also be opening next month and an application for teaching and enrollment has been enclosed as well. Please bear in mind that this also comes with a practical exam and written exam but all are welcome to apply for a teaching position.
Seeing you hopefully in a month,
On behalf of Princess Luna, Dreamstrider and Princess of the Moon
~Night Shade”
“I’ve been one of the few chosen to study under Princess Luna?” Twilight asked excitedly, taking off in a rush and careening towards her castle. “I didn’t even know that Luna was looking for students! The chance to study under both of the Royal sister! Oh, I have to study right now! There’s only 29 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes and twenty seven seconds before I have to be in Canterlot for my evaluation!”
As she landed on her balcony, Twilight wove an instant teleportation spell and reappeared in her library. She hurriedly began pulling books down to began rereading magical theory when the sound of the portal activating behind her drew her attention, the alicorn spinning in fright and dropping her books. An amber unicorn stumbled out of the glowing white vortex and nearly faceplanted before recovering her balance. Twilight stared at Sunset who was smiling rather sheepishly and pawing at the ground while the princess looked at the open portal and back to Sunset.
“H-how? Why?”
“Oh. Was I not supposed to open it for her…?” Starlight asked hesitantly, levitating the journal from the top of the portal and sealing off the magical gateway. The alicorn gaped at her before returning to her frantic book gathering, Sunset and Starlight exchanging a confused glance, the former shrugging before lighting her horn and began her own pile of books to refresh her memory.
* * *
Unbeknownst to them, the mailmare was frantically looking for the letter she had dropped with little success. Chewing nervously on her hoof, Ditzy looked around in worry at the thought of a missing letter being found out by her boss. Then again, it hadn’t been addressed… maybe it was for the best?
Celestia slammed her hoof down on the desk of her sister, her aide Quick Quill standing at the princess’ side with her clipboard floating in her magic’s aura. A faint smile was playing across Quill’s lips as the taller princess stared at her sister who was impassively drinking from her teacup, her expression evidently amused as the threstal idly adjusted the stack of scrolls behind the desk before looking back up.
“What is the meaning of this? I have reports of dozens of these letters spreading across the country! A vast majority of the populace is under the impression that this is an elaborate prank.” Celestia took the letter that Quill handed her, putting it on the desk with a bit more force than necessary. She jabbed a hoof at it, indicating the last passage. “And what is this about a school? You said nothing about a school being opened in your name!”
“How in the name of Equestria did you miss that, sister?” Luna questioned, her eyebrow raised in confusion. Night Shade wordlessly slid a folder across the desk to rest between the two, the contents facing Celestia. “These are papers you signed three months ago and approved the zoning, permits, alongside everything else needed for this project.”
Celestia raised the paper to read it, scanning it quickly and her eyes widening slightly as she realized it had been something she had indeed approved. Her eye twitched as she set the paper down, taking a slow breath and looking at her sister with a bit of annoyance. “So instead of searching Canterlot for your hidden diamond, you have invited the whole of Equestria? Do you have any idea of how many ponies are going to migrate here?!”
“As for the moment, there is… one hundred and fifty seven.” Luna replied after consulting an offered sheet of paper. “We’ve already made arrangements for housing a thousand ponies and using the Wonderbolt stadium for the our examinations. When we’ve eliminated a large portion of the attendees, we’ll be moving to the school and give out the written exam the next day. Trust me, sister. Planning is my area of expertise.”
“What about housing? For the ponies that end up staying here in Canterlot during the time?” Celestia questioned, annoyed as Quill perused the documents before her, eyes flickering behind her glasses. “It's going to make a mess of the economy and you know it.”
“Blueblood has graciously reserved several hotels for our guests, even promising to handle the costs of feeding them.” Luna offered her sister a sincere smile and slid another document across the desk. “As I’ve said: everything is under control, sister.”
“Blueblood?” Celestia bit back a scoff, her lips curling.slightly at the name. “Arrogant and self-involved who has offended the Element of Generosity Blueblood? That same Blueblood?”
“By graciously, I meant that he’s doing it whether he wants to or not. Power of true royalty means I can convince our nephew to do things that could show his support for his loving aunts.” Luna’s eyes narrowed at the veiled contempt, her ears flicking slightly. “He’s volunteered of his own whim in an attempt to turn over a new leaf, sister. The boy deserves a chance to prove himself a better pony. Give him that chance to help me find my student.”
The princess of the sun opened her mouth to voice some other concern but after a few moments, she closed her mouth and glanced at Quill who seemed impressed with the documents, handing them off to Night Shade. The tan unicorn nodded to the threstal, the batpony nodding in return before arranging her papers once again. Quill and Celestia’s eyes met, the aide offering a reassuring smile.
“It seems my concerns were for nothing then…” Celestia conceded, raising her chin and looking at her sister. The day had concluded for her but she had made time to approach her sister to address the issue of her school. She hadn’t been ready for Luna to be so prepared for this undertaking if she was being honest with herself, Celestia frowned internally. “I shall leave you to it then. My apologies for not trusting your judgement.”
“Thank you for your concern, sister but I have this well under control.”
As the white alicorn moved to the door, Celestia paused and looked over her shoulder with a knowing grin. Turning slightly to face her sister, the diarch cleared her throat and drew the pair’s attention. She raised the small scroll from Ponyville and gave it a toss onto the desk. Luna glanced at it with a raised eyebrow before looking at her sibling, the question unasked.
“Twilight sends her thanks for the chance to study under you or at least that's what I could surmise from her frantic scrawling.” She hid a smile as Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, lifting the scroll in her magic and tearing the ribbon off. Celestia turned and exited the room, a chuckle escaping her as she heard Luna hiss loudly with Night Shade jumping and responding in a sharp chirp.
“I told you not to send her one, Night Shade!” Luna growled, her ears flicked back as she scanned over the scroll. It was habit for the two to speak in the language of the threstals when alone in her study to prevent any eavesdroppers from hearing anything particularly private. “What part of that didn’t you understand?”
“I didn’t, Princess Luna, I swear! I double checked and the only former student of Celestia’s on the list was Sunset Shimmer, as you instructed.” Night Shade chirped back, frantically digging out her notes and setting down the list, spreading her notes with across the desk. The pair dug down the list with experienced speed, eyes flying across the neatly written words before the threstal slammed down her sheet, indicating Twilight’s name that had been crossed off the list.
“See?! I even had her list crossed off as I was instructing the messengers on where to send them.” Night Shade’s chirping had become a bit warbled as her panic began to become evident, her wings fluttering slightly with her restlessness. “I’ve never made this kind of mistake before… How could I do this…?”
“Breath, Night Shade.” Luna instructed calmly, placing a hoof on Night Shade’s shoulder as the threstal was on the verge of hyperventilating. Her blue eyes locked onto Night Shade’s golden ones, holding her companion’s gaze steady. ”You’ve never failed me before and I doubt that you suddenly forgotten a simple instruction. For now,look at me, focus on my voice and slow your breathing. That’s it… In and out…”
Their eyes remained locked for the next few minutes as the threstal’s breath slowed and steadied, her wings ceasing their nervous twitching and resting firmly against her sides. When Night Shade finally nodded, Luna withdrew her hoof and offered a gentle smile before returning her attention to the scroll, her expression inscrutable as she looked from Twilight’s letter and the list of names.
“So what would you like me to do?” Night Shade asked, her voice still a tad shaky as she lifted her clipboard and her quill at the ready. “Would you like me to contact her and tell her that there was some sort of mistake in her receiving letter?”
“Do not worry about it overmuch.” Luna replied, simply folding the letter shut and gathering the list of recipients in her magic. Aligning them with a sharp rap on her desk, the Night Princess set them aside and gave Night Shade an amused smile. “It’d be rude to rescind the offer even if it was an accident. I’m sure some political storm would arise from inviting every other pony in Equestria save for the Princess of Friendship afterall.”
“I see. You are my princess after all and your word is the one we shall follow.” Night Shade returned the stack to her folder, pausing as a revelation hit her. “But she’s the Element of Magic. Won’t she completely ace the practical and written exams?”
Luna chuckled, her horn glowing as an object shimmered into existence and settling gently on the wooden surface of her desk. “Even young Twilight as accomplished and as learned as she is won’t be able to pass the real test…”
Night Shade gazed at the marble sized orb, her sharp canines appearing as she chuckled herself. “Perhaps it's not fair to use something like that. She is an alicorn as well herself and fully capable of handling that.”
“Oh, I agree completely, Night Shade. The last time I saw her however, she was still using her unicorn magic. Otherwise, the tale of her confrontation with Starlight Glimmer would have been over in an instant if she exercised her full might.” Luna whisked the orb away with another flash of light, resting her chin on her hoof as she pored over the deeds of the land for her school. “She still thinks like a unicorn even if her body is adapting to the change but Twilight has to mentally overcome that barrier to reach for the might that is the domain of alicorns.”
“And if she succeeds?” Night Shade questioned simply, her expression emotionless. “What then?”
“She won’t. But on the off chance that she does, she’ll be accepted for selection. Otherwise, we should not be concerned…” Luna replied softly, closing her eyes as she slipped into the sleeping world. “And against Sunset Shimmer, I’d say she’s outmatched in creativity…”
A few days later, the pair were accompanied to the site of the school by Blueblood, who had a small gaggle of nobles with him who had taken an interest in the notion of Luna’s school. The Princess felt a smile touched her lips at the sight of the building, the academy painted in swathes of deep blue and rich violet that grew steadily darker as it reached the large spires, emulating the night sky. Her keen eyes picked out the observatory that she had requested for the night studies, the princess taking to the skies with a quick flap of her wings to assess it for herself. The sound of wingbeats behind her informed her that Night Shade had followed her without hesitation, the threstal showing no discomfort in the bright noon sun.
Landing lightly on the open space on the roof, the alicorn trotted in a careful circle around the roof, noting the railing height and the space for the nearly three dozen ponies to comfortably sit and observe the stars. Luna nodded appreciatively at the work before indicating for Night Shade to follow her inside, unlocking the door and holding it open for the two of them.
The interior was simple and smelled of fresh paint, the floors immaculate as the duo trotted, looking around as they explored the building. From ceiling to floor, it was painted cyan that progressed into indigo at the baseboards, giving off the impression of a looming night coming over the horizon. Night Shade chirped appreciatively as Luna opened a door to one of the classrooms, taking a moment to get a feel for the room.
“I hope we have enough applicants…” Luna chuckled out loud, her voice echoing slightly in the empty room. “Otherwise, we’re going to have a beautiful academy, plenty of students but no teachers.”
“Speaking of applicants…” Night Shade pulled a list from her bags, flicking it open and offering it to her princess. “There are a few threstal applicants from the Strider family, offering to teach the history of the threstal race and our culture. I’ve arranged a meeting for later today so you could get a feel for their expertise on the matter.”
“Sounds reasonable. It’d be good however to put the new students at ease with a few races they’re familiar with. Do we have any unicorns interested in teaching the arts of the night?” Luna took the note and pulled the door shut as they continued down the hall, reaching the stairs and taking them at a leisurely pace while the alicorn browsed the scroll.
“Actually, yes. There was a letter from a unicorn who goes by the name of… oh. Nevermind, that’s a prank letter from Discord.” Night Shade crumbled up the dancing paper and stuffed it back in her bag before withdrawing a neatly folded letter, the threstal opening it and perusing it. “Let's see here… ah, yes. A unicorn by the name of Moondancer and she comes with a few letters of recommendation from her teachers at Celestia’s school alongside a very, very generous letter from Twilight Sparkle…” Night Shade offered, sparing a glance at her princess as they reached the first floor. Luna’s gaze flicked to her aide, a slight nod indicating that she should continue.
“Evidently she’s learned in the theory of three branches of shadow manipulation…interesting, considering how little the public is concerned with that side. She wrote a thesis on the benefits of umbra magic recently and is evidently working on expanding her knowledge. Best of all, she lives here in Canterlot if you so wish to interview her in the future.”
“Well, I am interested in any pony that made the effort to look into obscure magic branches.” Luna folded up the scroll and returned it to Night Shade as they reached the entrance hall where Blueblood was listening to the dean that Luna had appointed to run her school, the rest of his group idly exploring the first floor and speaking in hushed voices. Assuming the unicorn was the one to let Blueblood’s group in, Luna stepped into the light with Night Shade trailing beside her.
“Ah, your Highness!” The mare cantered forward, bowing deeply before straightening up and fixing her glasses. Indigo Velvet looked nervous, even in her new vest and brushed mane, her hooves bouncing lightly. “I was wondering if Prince Blueblood had come with his group in your stead but I’m glad you’re here!”
“As am I, Indigo. I’m glad you accepted the position and have already gotten to work.” Luna smiled warmly at the unicorn who blushed slightly and adjusted her glasses again, the princess assuming it was a nervous habit of hers. She had been in charge of a respectable independent academy for fifteen years and had passed along her application the day the letters had been sent.
Between her and the others that had applied, Luna had settled on Indigo for two facts she had learned about the unicorn. She was a ‘by the book’ sort but was known to bend when needed while her general handling was a tough but fair stance, treating ponies the same regardless of their background. These two traits combined with Indigo’s experience resulted in a stern but honest pony that was the kind of authority Luna was looking for. Time would tell whether she made the right choice.
The bluish grey unicorn was currently wearing a vest that spoke of her professionalism while exuding an area of casualness about her that Luna found pleasing. Her mane was combed to the side with the back of her hair wrapped in a simple ponytail, tucked away from her magenta eyes. Her glasses were adorned with a thick black frame but other than that, Indigo seemed to be every bit the professional Luna hoped she would be.
“Now then, is there anything about the school I should know?” Luna asked politely as the others gathered around, politely keeping quiet as the diarch spoke. “I’ve seen the observatory and gotten a feel for the classrooms which is lacking at the moment for furniture. I presume that’s on its way?”
“Of course, your Highness.” The dean nodded a bit too vigorously, her glasses slipping a bit down her muzzle. “They should be delivered this weekend alongside the books you forwarded to my home. Then it’s a simple matter of finding staff for the students that apply and we can open the school next month. I’ve received a copy of your applicants from… Night Fade, was it?”
“Night Shade, ma’am.” The threstal corrected with a smile, taking care to keep her teeth covered.
“My apologies.”
“If possible, we’d like to help conduct these interviews.” Luna added, indicating herself, her aide and Blueblood, who looked startled for a brief moment before hiding his surprise with a lazy smirk of self assured confidence. “I don’t want the teachers to get the impression that I’m simply opening a school and leaving them to handle the work without a proper consultant.”
“Oh! O-of course, your Highness! Whatever you think is best. It is your school after all.” Indigo chuckled nervously, her eyes flicking between Night Shade and Blueblood. “I would recommend waiting for the interviews until next week when the school has been furnished, give the impression that this is a serious venture and not a waste of their time.”
“A sound suggestion, don’t you think, Auntie?” Blueblood piped up, his group murmuring their agreements. “At this point, it looks little more than a pretty building, if you don’t mind me saying.”
Luna fixed her “nephew” with a stern look, sending a faint shiver through his group at his courage for saying such a thing. Indigo looked at the two, biting her lower lip and fidgeting slightly before clearing her throat in an attempt to diffuse the situation. The group turned their attention back to the dean, the unicorn’s cheeks tinted with a faint blush.
“W-well, back on subject, your Highness and gentlecolts… If you’d follow me, I show you around.” The unicorn began trotting down the hall, Luna stepping behind her after another short glance at Blueblood. Night Shade passed by him as well, deliberately flicking his nose with her tail before the other half dozen ponies fell in step behind them.
The dean paused halfway down the hall, pulling out a keyring and unlocking a set of double doors to lead the group inside. Holding the doors open, Indigo trotted into the large lecture hall and adjusted her glasses by hoof before speaking.
“This floor is dedicated to lectures and standard classes with the largest being converted into the library. Some of the construction went into going into the library have a second floor and making it accessible from upstairs as well.” Indigo stated proudly, waving a hoof over the hall. “We can head there next if you like. The shelves arrived sooner than we expected but I’ve arranged for the books you donated to be delivered next week. We’ll need a librarian as well to handle the books and everything there as well.”
One of the other nobles stepped forward, brushing her mane aside before speaking with a haughty but warm voice. “I have a niece who works in the Canterlot Public Archives and would be delighted in helping an academy library up and running. If you like Lady Indigo and Princess Luna, I can ask her on your behalf..."
* * *
“And what of Princess Celestia’s school, your Majesty? Surely this new school will detract from your applicants if the entrance exams aren’t up to snuff!” One of the nobles, Celestia failed to attach a name to his face, the advisors around her all wearing varying expressions of annoyance at the revelation of her sister opening up a school. She knew their pride was stung from the announcement of it allowing anypony to apply as well as being open to all races to study, something Celestia had never considered at the time of founding her own school…
“I understand your concern but my sister has always had an interest in ponies that are different or often overlooked. If she uncovers some hidden talent amongst the common ponies, then the school won’t be a waste.” Celestia answered with an even tone, Quill at her side and carefully recording the meeting wordlessly, her eyes impassive as she looked from one speaker to the next.
“And how long will we be waiting until such time to see the results, Princess?” Fancy Pants asked politely, breaking his silence for the first time in half an hour. “I’ve ever bit of faith in you and your sister but you can’t just expect somepony of note to simply spring up because Fate or Faust demands it. Life simply doesn’t work that way.”
“While you have a valid point, Fancy, I must disagree.” Gazes moved to the right side of the room where the currently presiding Captain of Canterlot’s Guards sat. Silver Shield betrayed nothing as he straightened his glass of water. He wasn’t as large as the previous stallion had been but his experience and exploits during the invasion had made him an easy choice to succeed Shining Armor.
In a matter of months, Celestia had him welcomed into her circle of advisors and his words were rare on state matters but when he spoke, others often listened despite their opinions on him. So for him to speak up meant what he had to say was likely something of worth for the ponies assembled.
“In my time serving in the Guard and her Majesty in the past few years, I’ve come to the conclusion of one simple thing: nothing in this land ever goes right. The 1000 year Summer Festival, the Gala, Discord’s imprisonment, Princess Cadance’s wedding, the reappearance of the Crystal Empire, the Equestrian games, Tirek’s escape, and last but not least, the situation in the Crystal Empire earlier this year.
“Given those circumstances, it's not out of the realm of possibility that a pony will simply materialize from the Aether to be chosen to be as Princess Luna’s student.” The unicorn looked up from his cup and realized how much was attention was being directed his way, turning to look at Princess Celestia to avoid making eye contact with the rest.
“You’re right.” Celestia replied, pretending to ponder over what to do on the matter so that her advisors would get the impression that their input mattered in the long run, a somewhat cruel but necessary charade to let them think she needed anypony’s advice. Pulling her hoof away from her chin, she rested her forelegs against the table edge and sighed.
“The most we can do is wish my sister luck and offer up a prayer that things don’t go awry. And when they do, that will be Princess Luna’s responsibility.” The alicorn held up a hoof to stave off the protests, a few having rose to their hooves. “She asked me to trust her and to let her conduct this as she sees fit. If the rest of Equestria is to continue to accept my rule, then they must defer to my judgement. In this case, Princess Luna has complete oversight of this project and if you have an issue with her methods, bring it up with her during the next Night Court.”
Celestia waited a pause as the group looked at each before the majority of them sighed visibly, sounds of affirmation escaping them. Silver Shield’s gaze hadn’t dropped from the princess, the stallion looking a tad… concerned? What did he have to be concerned about? His job was to follow orders and offer advice that she may or may not take into consideration.
Every being has their own way of dealing with stress. Some ponies drown their anxiety in hard cider, others with food and still others tend to rely on more… untraditional methods. Even Twilight Sparkle had her own failings when it came to stress, something all of her friends and neighbors could attest to on numerous occasions. It showed from various experiments the alicorn had conducted over the past few years from hopping fruits to magically conjured facial hair.
Sunset and Starlight were watching with mixes of amusement and worry as Twilight darted about the library. The lavender alicorn was muttering under her breath as she read her notes on arcane matrices before running to the other side, weaving the threads of magic into the proper patterns and casting them before returning to her notes, frantically shuffling through them.
“Is she… normally like this?” Starlight asked, casting a worried glance at Sunset who was chewing thoughtfully on a cookie. The amber unicorn looked at Starlight with a confused expression, giving a half-hearted shrug and a muffled response that sprayed crumbs across the floor.
“S-sorry bout that,” Sunset apologized, brushing a few crumbs off her muzzle with a sheepish grin. Digging into her bag, she held up a pair of cookies with a frown before offering one to the unicorn beside her. “I said I was going to ask you that. You are the one living with her after all as a student.”
“I’ve never seen her like this… I mean, I’ve heard the stories from the others but to see it in person is… another thing entirely....” Starlight accepted the proffered cookie, breaking it in half and idly chewing on it thoughtfully. “I understand her stress, I suppose. The exams are in three days and it is a very important one, isn’t it?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“So why aren’t you nervous? You’re not going into study frenzy like Twilight is. You just read a few books when you got here, cast a few spells, but otherwise you’ve spent more time wandering the town and visiting with ponies...” Starlight swallowed her mouthful of cookie and looked at Sunset with a concerned look, her brow furrowing in worry.
The amber unicorn was taking a deep drink of milk as Starlight spoke, holding up a hoof to forestall any reply as she swallowed. Setting the empty glass down and wiping her muzzle, Sunset offered an embarrassed smile at Starlight. “To be honest, I’m a little nervous but… I learned that when it’s something you’ll eventually have to face, the most you can do is prepare and hope for the best. Compared to saving another dimension twice, stealing an Element of Harmony, and the other things I’ve done, I’m sure a test for the chance to become Princess’ Luna’s student will be a welcome reprieve.”
“But weren’t you Princess Celestia’s student?” Starlight questioned as Twilight tripped on a scroll, stumbling a bit and her books dropping to the floor with several loud thuds. “Won’t Princess Luna’s different teaching methods be difficult to adapt to? If you do succeed, I mean…”
Sunset shrugged. “I’ve got six teachers a day in the other world. You adapt to different teaching methods rather quickly if you want to stay afloat. The same thing applies here if I do somehow manage to make it through the stringent tests they’ll no doubt have us do.”
“And how do you think the other ponies participating will fare?” Starlight asked, nibbling on her cookie as Twilight finally stopped her pacing and breathed deeply, raising her hoof and pushing it away from herself before attending to the mess before her. The pair watched in silence as the alicorn quietly began reshelving her books, her body settling down as she attended to her tomes.
“Honestly? I expect that most of them won’t know what a royal tutelage is like…”
* * *
There was the slam of a plate on the table that had been set outside of Sugarcube Corner and the excited chattering came to a stop as Pinkie’s eyes narrowed at her opponent, the two toned unicorn grinning wildly at her. The DJ pushed her headphones down to her neck, shaking her mane out of her eyes and looking at the plate laden with cupcakes.
“Thirty cupcakes. First one to down fifteen wins. Do you dare to tangle with the cupcake champion, Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie declared, setting her hooves on the table as Vinyl set down her saddlebags next to the table, digging in the pockets with her magic. After a few moments of rummaging, the unicorn set down a twin set of bottles capped with a bright red cork and glass a jet black.
“We’ll do this with these. I hope you’re up for some hot sauce and cupcakes, kid.” Vinyl smirked and levitated a bottle over to Pinkie, the ponies around them craning their necks to see what the bottle contained. With rapt attention, the crowd turned their attention to Pinkie who had paled somewhat as she stared at the bottle’s label.
“H-how did you get Tartarus Hellfire sauce?!” She exclaimed, her eyes wide and excited as she looked at her old friend. Vinyl offered her a smile and shrugged, brushing her hoof on her chest. “I thought it was illegal to buy in Equestria! How did you get it?”
“A good performer never reveals her trade secrets, Pinkie. You know that as well as me.” Vinyl levitated her bottle up and popped the seal, the heady scent of hot sauce filling the air and setting both mares mouth to watering in anticipation. With eager smiles, the duo took to spreading the dark red on top of the frosted cupcakes, several of the onlookers murmuring bets to one another.
The sound of stomping hoofsteps drew Vinyl’s attention and she felt a warm smile touch her lips as a familiar pony approached the table, a scowl upon her face. Octavia simply leveled a blank stare at Vinyl in return as the DJ shrugged before returning her gaze to her cupcakes to avoid the stare, a low smile touching her lips.
“Vinyl, don’t you have an exam in three days?! I thought you were out studying for that.” Octavia gestured towards the table where Pinkie was taking a cautious sip from one of the bottles. The pink pony’s face brightened near instantly and she stifled a cough into her hoof, rubbing her muzzle against her fetlock. “Instead, I find you out here doing… Celestia knows what to your body and for what reason?”
“Octavia. Breathe.” Vinyl raised a hoof, cutting off her next line of thought and setting down her now empty bottle. The earth pony glared at her roommate and the unicorn sighed, lifting her glasses and rubbing her face. At least Octavia was giving her a chance to explain herself even if she really didn’t deserve it.
“I have no idea what the test is going to entail and honestly, I don’t know what being taught by a princess entails. So for now, I’m focusing on the present and I’m just going to do my best when the time comes this Friday.”
“So… you decide to have a cupcakes with hot sauce eating competition?” Octavia asked dubiously, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the acidic sweet smell. Covering her snout with her hoof and taking a step back, the cellist shot an incredulous look at Pinkie who was now a brighter pink in her face, panting slightly as she fanned herself.
“Mental fortitude to emulate the stress of testing.” Vinyl answered, setting her glasses aside and lifting her first cupcake. “If you can push through physical discomfort mentally, I can do anything.”
“That… that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Probably.” Vinyl shrugged at her roommate, locking eyes with Pinkie and setting her teeth in a cocky grin. “But you know how I am.”
“...fair enough.”
“Are you ready, Vinyl?” Pinkie asked in a strained voice, her eyes slightly watering and lifting her cupcakes. “On your mark… get set... “
“Go!”
* * *
Canterlot was quiet as it was near the end of the day, ponies heading back to their homes and finishing up their shopping for the weekend. At this time, ponies were getting dinner or club lights were beginning to light up. Neon lights danced across the livelier districts as new age music began to seep from the buildings, younger stallions and mares already flocking to the noise with eager cantering and smiles.
Two guards were headed off shift, trotting past the crowd with tired expressions. One of the unicorns offered a smile to a passing civilian, throwing a wink in their direction. Raising an eyebrow as the duo disappeared around the corner, the threstal cast a look around at the glances being tossed his way and curious looks. He shook his head, adjusting his saddlebags and shuffling his wings as he turned down an avenue into a modest neighborhood, leaving behind the nightlife.
Passing the quiet yards as fillies and colts were called in, his golden yellow eyes flicking over the houses as the scents of various dinner touched his nose. Crescent huffed and adjusted his wings again, tucking them to his side as he approached a large two story house. A faint smile flicked across his lips as Luna’s moon rose into the sky, the night’s dark lighting up as bright as day to him. Taking a moment to compose himself, the threstal knocked twice upon the oak door and stepped back into the moonlight.
“Dusk! Can you see who is at the door, darling?” A mare’s voice came from the far side of the house and he heard the faint galloping of small hooves at the door, a genuine smile playing across his lips. The door flew open and he beheld the unicorn filly standing there, looking at him with a shocked expression. He had barely enough time to set his bags aside before she tackled him with an excited scream, knocking him over and wrapping her hooves around his barrel.
“Big bro!” She squealed, hugging her sibling with all of her young might. He laughed and embraced her with his forelegs and wings, squeezing her back. The sound of hooves and chuckling drew the siblings attention, their mother leaning against the door with a soft smile on her face.
“Did you know he was coming back, Mama?” Dusk asked in Lunaria, hopping off her brother and focusing her magic on her brother’s bags. He let her lift them off the ground and into the house, following the pair inside. “I thought you were still at the academy and training?”
The inside of the house was modest enough despite being two stories. It was decorated with a sense of pride in family rather than exercising their wealth on frivolous trinkets, family portraits adorning every wall. He breathed in the scent of warm food filling the building, fond memories coming unbidden as he followed his family.
It was home.
“Your father pulled a few strings so that your brother could be here.” Their mother, Night Shade, plucked the bags out of the air and set them beside the door, nodding to her son to close the door behind them. “Elusive sent a letter and wished you luck, saying he wishes he could be here but he can’t very well abandon his company in Zebrica.”
“No, I guess not.” Dusk replied absentmindedly before turning to her brother, flashing a wide smile up at him. “Oh, guess what I learned the other day?”
“Oh? What did you learn, firefly?” He followed his sister into the kitchen where Dusk had piled a stack of books, one open halfway through and marked with an indigo bookmark. Hopping into her seat, his sister levitated the book up so he could see it. Crescent’s eyes ran over the script taking in the words before he frowned. To him, it was just a long math equation that he couldn’t make head or tails of. “What is this, Dusk?”
“It's the base fo-formula for magical disguises! If I take a bit of light and move it with my own magic, I can make myself look like anything I like!” Dusk bounced in her chair, her magic faltering and dropping the tome to the ground. “I’ll be able to be a tree or a rock or a chair or-”
“That excited huh?” He reached out with a hoof and ruffled her mane, the unicorn giggling and squirming away. “I was the same way when my name was announced for the Night Guard.”
“Yup!” Dusk scooped up her books and began stacking them neatly, moving them to the shelf as their mother continued to cook, humming a faint tune to herself. Crescent was tempted to ask if she wanted help cooking but he had long since learned that the prideful threstal enjoyed doing it herself. He took a moment to lament the fact he was so culinary handicapped before realizing that his sister had been tugging on his wing with her magic.
“I’m sorry, what did you say, Dusk?” The threstal offered an apologetic smile, looking down at her as she pouted at him. He was never able to resist her when she did her infamous begging face.
“I said: can we go flying before breakfast?” Dusk had been perfecting her technique and he felt his meager resistance crumble with a chuckle, nodding and settling down for her to clamber onto his back. Night Shade cast a nervous look at her son as he climbed to his feet, adjusting his sister so she could hold onto him comfortably.
“Crescent, please be careful…” Her words were gentle and kind but he had long since grown used to that nervousness of his parents had shown with his flight. It wasn’t like he was young anymore but parents will worry nonetheless, Crescent mused. He smiled at his mother and ascended the stairs to the roof, his parents having installed the small lookout on their home for their children.
Taking a deep breath of the crisp night air, Crescent felt his muscles relax as the moonlight washed over the pair of them. On his back, he felt his sister relaxing as well as the moon greeted them, their heads bowing in reverence before looking out at the city skyline. He flapped his wings once and began stretching them, mentally preparing himself for the flight.
“It's so pretty up here.” Dusk muttered, holding onto her brother’s neck tightly. “How could anypony shun Princess Luna’s night?”
He paused his stretching and sighed before backing up a few steps from the edge, his wings spread out as Crescent gathered himself. The threstal responded simply :“Not everypony is of threstal blood, little firefly. Now hold on.”
With a burst of speed and a hard flap of his wings, the duo launched off the roof and into the night sky. Crescent felt the immediate shift in weight and flapped hard to steady himself, his sister whooping in joy on his back. Spreading his wings out wide, he felt the familiar strain with trying to keep himself airborne on his body.
The threstal kept his wings extended and glided in a wide circle over their neighborhood, flapping when absolutely necessary to keep them above the houses and kicking off others when they got too low. His muscles screamed with pain but with the sound of his sister’s joyous laughter in his ears, Crescent kept his discomfort to himself as they circled the night sky. He did enjoy the flights but he wished sometimes that it didn’t come with such a high price.
After two more circuits of the neighborhood, he touched down gently and shook out his wings before tucking his trembling limbs against his body. Dusk slid down onto the roof and gave Crescent, squeezing his barrel as hard as she could and earning a low chuckle as he returned the gesture.
“Big bro… If Princess Luna accepts me as a student, I want her to give me wings.” She murmured against his coat, refusing to budge an inch. He looked down at his sibling in surprise before lightly pulling away. He knelt down and looked his sister in the eyes, doing his best to keep his voice lighthearted.
“Why is that Dusk?”
“Because then I can carry you when we go flying and you won’t have to hurt anymore.” The little unicorn filly murmured, burying her face into his chest again and squeezing him tight. He chuckled breathily and rested his chin on top of her head, taking the moment to enjoy the naivety of youth.
"I'm glad to see that some things don't ever change..." Crescent said to himself, a small smile gracing his muzzle.
Saturday was a busy time in Canterlot as the exams for Princess Luna had come at last, ponies moving to and fro through the sea of bodies. Some wore expressions of worry while others simply seemed at ease despite the potential stakes at hoof within the next few hours. If the crowds weren’t any indication, the train station and the Wonderbolt stadium clearly showed that something was indeed happening today.
Twilight exited the train, accompanied by Sunset, Starlight, Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Rarity had agreed that the two fillies could come with her to support Twilight so long as they behaved themselves. The duo was excited to support their former tutor and her friends in the exams, hoping to see if there were any fillies their age taking the tests as well.
Looking around as they exited the train station, Twilight cast another dubious look at Sunset who was wearing a faux leather jacket, courtesy of Rarity as a good luck gift for the exams, and a pair of thick black sunglasses resting on her horn When the group had questioned her about her look, the unicorn had simply responded with a statement about how even though Celestia had forgiven her, Sunset wasn’t sure she had removed her from being on the guard’s watch list.
Now that the day had finally arrived, Twilight found her nerves a lot less wound than she had anticipated. They still had a few hours until the group would be required to check into the stadium thanks to Twilight’s insistence on catching an early train. The lavender unicorn took a deep breath to steady herself, turning to face her companions.
“Why don’t we get something to eat before we go check in? I know we left a bit early and didn’t have breakfast. My treat.” Twilight offered, looking over at Sunset who was yawning widely, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Maybe some coffee or tea…?”
The amber unicorn’s head snapped to the side with a predatory look, her teal eyes widening at the mention of the beverage. Chuckling at Sunset’s expression, the small group headed towards a nearby restaurant that seemed to be relatively empty, exchanging small talk and excitement towards the exams. Scootaloo cast a look over her shoulder at the stadium on the horizon, her wings fluttering slightly at the sight.
“Do you think you’ll pass?” Sweetie Belle asked as they were seated, looking towards Twilight and Sunset, the latter currently engaged with drinking directly from the pot of coffee as their waiter and Rarity looked on in horror. “I mean, you are the princess of friendship and magic and Sunset is a former prodigy of Celestia’s.”
“Well, it might be a bit presumptuous to assume we’ll pass so easily even if Sunset and I are some the more magically inclined ponies of the century.” Twilight pulled the coffee pot away from Sunset, fixing her friend with a pointed look. Sunet wiped the line of coffee off her muzzle and offered an embarrassed grin, apologizing to the others. “I mean, Princess Luna has used magic that I’ve never seen before or even managed to find books on. The only passing references I’ve found has been in the old library of the ruined castle, something about the phases of the moon affecting the strength of the various spells. Its interesting though… I’ve never heard of a magical branch being affected by a celestial body...”
“Twilight, darling. You’re going off on one of your tangents again.” Rarity smiled at Twilight, the lavender alicorn smiling in embarrassment. “While we appreciate your love for the arcane, perhaps you shouldn’t stress yourself overmuch about the exam. You’ve already spent a few weeks burying your head in books in preparation, you’re likely more than prepared for whatever Princess Luna has in store.”
“Yeah, what Rarity said.You need to relax, nerd.” Sunset added, looping a foreleg around Twilight’s neck and pulling her over to ruffle her mane. Protesting as the unicorn gave her a brief but energetic mane ruffling, Twilight managed to pull away with a giggle and fixing her mane as the fillies and Starlight giggled.
“I’ve the utmost faith in you, Twilight.” Starlight offered a nervous smile as the waiter returned to take their orders. “If anypony could pass any kind of test, it’s you.”
Beside Twilight, Sunset raised an eyebrow at the phrasing of that statement.
“Is everypony aware of their tasks?” Night Shade fixed her eyes on the small crowd of ponies in front of her. Blueblood stood by her side, his jacket missing for the day and instead a simple black vest over a white long sleeved shirt was worn in its place. Most of the ponies gathered were wearing something similar alongside a lanyard that indicated they were overseeing the event. Night Shade herself was wearing just the vest to accommodate her wings as she and Blueblood would likely have to move around the stadium with relative ease.
Princess Luna was wrapping up morning court so that she could be there to keep an eye on the event but for the time being, Blueblood and Night Shade were on their own with dealing with nearly 600 applicants. It had proven to be a near logistical nightmare even with Blueblood and herself handling the majority of arrangements as dozens had arrived earlier than anticipated, forcing a lot of last minute adjustments.
When nopony raised their hoof, Night Shade dismissed them to begin setting up in the field as Blueblood sagged slightly with relief. She cast a look at the unicorn, the side of her mouth lifting up in a smirk as he tugged at the collar of his vest. “What seems to be the issue, your Highness?”
“Ha. I’m just feeling a bit anxious as this is finally happening and isn’t a fevered dream. It's a little surreal that Princess Luna herself is going to be overseeing everything.” He ran a hoof over his mane, dislodging it slightly from its pristine state. “I just hope we have everything under control before we open the gates. “
“We’ve two hours, twenty five judges, plenty of guards, a beautiful day and a lot of applicants.” Night Shade tucked her quill behind her ear and adjusting her wings to comfortably carry her schedule. “We’ll manage, don’t worry. Don’t forget either: Princess Luna wants the best, worst and mediocre for the written exam tomorrow. So we’ll have to be very careful in our observations.”
“I’m well aware, Shade. It's just going to be an issue with so many ponies. Brilliant and terrible will be easy but mediocre? That’s going to be a difficult task.” Blueblood sighed again, descending from the stage and towards his designated spot. Night Shade followed him with an easy canter, her eyes flicking around as various teachers set up the tests. The threstal stretched her wings and cleared her throat when they reached the stack of equipment, Blueblood’s horn alighting and working on setting things properly.
“It’ll be rather easy actually. We’re looking for basic telekinetic abilities with at least three simultaneous fields active and the ability to generate a light aura. The fundamentals of magic can be expanded from that point but without at least those, magical education will be difficult. While Lady Luna has no problem with teaching the uneducated, those two are things a filly or colt learns as a child, much like a language. It’s still possible to teach them but it’ll take much longer.”
“I suppose you’re right. Still there is one thing that bothers me: do you think Princess Twilight will do well?” Blueblood looked at Night Shade, the threstal biting her lower lip as she mulled over his words.
“I suppose we’ll find out in a few hours, won’t we?”
Dusk yawned and finished tucking her sheets neatly, her eyes narrowed at the sunlight trickling through the curtains. It was also different for her being in a threstal home as they almost universally were nocturnal. Even though she was used to her family’s schedule, her unicorn blood often wanted to be up during the day and for the most part she was able to do just that, attending school and spending time with her classmates. Her brother on the other hand…
She tiptoed into her brother’s room, stifling a giggle at Crescent’s soft snoring. His long blueish grey mane was unkempt and clung to one side of his face, the threstal snoozing away entirely oblivious. Dusk crept up to her brother and raised herself to her back legs, bracing herself against the bed and shaking Crescent gently.
“Crescent~” She sang softly, poking him in the ribs lightly. The stallion opened his eyes and gazed at his sister, his eyes unfocused and it took a few long moments before he recognized her. Shaking his head, Crescent pulled himself up and began rubbing his eyes vigorously, trying to rub away his weariness as Dusk pulled the blackout curtains open to let the late morning light filter in.
Her brother groaned in protest, wincing at the sudden light touching his eyes, but otherwise took it without complaint as he climbed out of his bed. Fixing his sister with a look, he offered a sleepy smile before yawning widely again. Dusk giggled and covered her mouth before prancing out of his room, the telltale sound of her brother following her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Their mother had left early this morning but had been kind enough to fix Dusk breakfast and Crescent dinner respectively. Granted, they were nearly identical as the pair of siblings settled at the table, both stifling yawns as the clock began chirping.
Crescent was still nodding in his chair before Dusk carefully levitated a hot mug of coffee to him, the unicorn filly biting her tongue in concentration as she levitated two bowls alongside the cup, carefully setting the dishes upon the table before releasing her hold on magic. Dusk let out her breath and flashed a smile to Crescent, her brother returning the gesture before turning his attention to his food.
“Thank you, firefly.” He picked up his fork and began stabbing slices of the fruit, his attention shifting to the clock. Taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully, Crescent looked to Dusk who was levitating three separate slices of fruit and alternating bites from each. He swallowed his mouthful of food before raising a hoof and pointing at the clock, which had just finished chirping.
“What time do we have to be at the stadium for you to be checked in?” Crescent asked cautiously, looking at the clock carefully.
“Mama said we should be there no later than twelve thirty because I think that’s when they close entries.” Dusk answered cheerfully, wiping her muzzle after taking a long drink of her juice. “Why?”
“It’s noon.” Crescent pointed at the clock, his stomach sinking as the duo beheld the clock, both of its hands pointing to the twelve at the apex. For several moments, the siblings were motionless as their minds processed the time before their thoughts caught up, prompting them into action. The filly seized a hoofful of fruit and shoved it into her mouth, leaping off her chair and bolting down the hall to seize her saddlebags while her brother abandoned his bowl, all tiredness gone as he drained his mug as quickly as possible, his tongue protesting loudly from the hasty drinking.
“Dusk!” No sooner than the words had left his mouth when his sister slid to a stop beside him, her saddlebags affixed firmly on her back and looking only slightly terrified of the prospect of being late. Scooping her up with his hooves, Crescent tossed her on his back and sprinted for the front door, Dusk’s hooves wrapped tightly around his neck.
It took but a scant few seconds to be into the city proper, the threstal navigating the crowds with an ease born of years of experience. His eyes flicked left and right as he moved, taking alleyways and side streets when applicable, taking care to make sure to not dislodge Dusk in his headlong sprint. He prayed to the stars that they would make it on time as he vaulted over a parked carriage, earning a few yells of annoyance.
Sunset glanced up at the Wonderbolt stadium, giving a long appreciative whistle. It was one of the new things she had missed during her tenure in the other world, the unicorn impressed with the building that now dominated a sizeable portion of downtown Canterlot. Sparing a glance around the stadium to size up the competition, she found herself unconsciously measuring the ponies milling about.
Twilight had said that a large amount of ponies had applied but she hadn’t expected this many. Unicorns of all ages and genders were talking in groups, some old enough to look like old warlocks with others young enough to look like they were still in elementary school. A vast majority of them looked extremely nervous and glancing at notes levitating by their sides while the overseers of the exam waited patiently behind a roped off area with their clipboards.
As the girls continued to chat amongst themselves, Sunset let her gaze wander and she noticed a dark grey blur moving towards the stadium, weaving through traffic and pedestrians before sliding to a stop in front of the crowd of ponies, a majority staring at the newcomer who was nearly doubled over and panting, his muzzle nearly touching the ground.
“Is he okay?” Rarity asked, curious as the crowd began to return to its conversations although there were a few that kept an interested eye on the gray pony, who had let a tan unicorn filly slide down his back, her face a bit pink from the attention. “He certainly seemed in a hurry to get here…”
Twilight’s face lit up as she beheld the pony and unicorn, her wings flaring briefly and smacking Sunset in the face. Snorting and rubbing her muzzle, the amber pony lightly pushed the offending limb out of the way and looked to the pair as well. Her expression mirrored her peer’s as she noticed the wings clinging to the pony’s sides.
“Is that a… batpony?” Sunset asked to nobody in particular as the two began approaching the table. “I thought they were still living in the south?”
“I think after Princess Luna’s return, they returned to serve her once more. I wasn’t paying too much attention unfortunately because I was dealing with the lifestyle change to living in Ponyville.” Twilight’s eyes were alight with that researching spark that anypony who had known her long enough recognized. “Ooooh, I wonder if I can get him to answer a few questions about batpony culture.”
“You could just check the Archives of Canterlot if you wanted to.” Sunset replied, frowning a bit at Twilight’s words. “It's not like their race is a great national secret. They’re just a nocturnal species is all.”
“But collecting information from somepony is more fun than just reading it from a book.” Twilight pouted as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo rejoined the group, waving to a group of other unicorns who returned their attention to the books that they had at their sides. “Not everything can be learned from a book.”
The group stared at her for a moment before Sunset reached out a hoof and placed it upon Twilight’s forehead, earning a confused frown from the alicorn. Rarity removed her hat and began fanning Twilight when Sunset removed her hoof, nodding as if she had learned something. Starlight looked just as confused as Twilight, the duo exchanging a glance as the two fillies giggled.
“Who are you and what have you done with Twilight?” Sunset asked seriously, earning a huff and a half-hearted push from her friend that set the group into laughter. “Aren’t you the princess of books or something?”
“Oh, ha ha.” Twilight was about to retort when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the unicorn filly that had arrived with the threstal standing beside her with an awed look. She turned to face the filly, a warm smile on her face appearing on her face. “Hello there! Can I help you?”
“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to stare at your wings but um…” The filly fidgeted nervously, pulling at a loose strap on her saddlebags. “I wanted to ask if you knew the time because they’re not letting us check in…”
“That’s quite all right. Let me see… “ Rarity took a moment to look around, searching for an available clock while Sunset simply rolled her eyes and plucked her watch out of her jacket’s sleeve and glanced at it.
“It’s eleven o’ seven. The registration opens up at noon and closes at twelve thirty.” Sunset replied, noting how the filly’s face fell before an embarrassed tinge touched her cheeks. The threstal from earlier cantered over and the filly looked at him with a small smile, the grey batpony giving her a quizzical look. As the two began conversing with hushed chirps and hisses, Sunset could feel the excitement radiating off of Twilight at a new language to be learned and she simply cleared her throat to gain everypony’s attention.
“Sorry to interrupt but why did you need to know the time?”
“Well… I guess the clock in our home was never turned back to match the season change so we may have panicked and thought we were late…” The stallion chuckled and looked to the side where the filly was staring at the ground, mumbling under her breath. “We live on the other side of Canterlot, just shy of the suburbs and with how crowded the city is, there was no chance of catching a taxi.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve forgotten my manners. My name is Crescent and this is my little sister, Dusk Everglow.” Crescent offered them a smile as Dusk offered a tentative wave before fishing a book out of her bag, burying her muzzle in it. “We’re very appreciative for your help in clearing up the matter of the time.” “Of course, we’re happy to help..” Twilight smiled at him before gesturing to her companions. “These are my friends: Rarity and sister Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” Rarity smiled at Crescent and nudged Sweetie Belle who merely offered a simple hello in response.
“H-hi.” Starlight offered, hiding a bit behind her mane.”
“Yo.” Sunset raised a hoof before levitating her paper cup of coffee to her lips and taking a drink.
"If you live on the other side of Canterlot, why didn’t you just fly here?” Scootaloo piped up, looking at Crescent’s wings with longing. “You guys would have made it here even faster.”
Dusk immediately looked up, biting her bottom lip and looking up at Crescent. The rest of the group noticed his expression and he seemed to be chewing on his words before he finally formed an answer. “I can’t fly. Well, I can fly but not any length of distance without serious discomfort or pain. It’s unlikely I’ll be ever to fly normally due to my father’s unicorn side.“
“O-oh.” Scootaloo looked down, her own wings fluttering slightly. “I’m sorry…”
Crescent looked at her diminutive wings and glanced at the others around him, most sharing expressions of sympathy and concern. Kneeling down so that he was more or less at eye level, he offered her a comforting smile. “You didn’t know and that’s alright. Now, if you’re worried about your own wings, chances are you’re just a late bloomer. And even if you end up not being able to fly, you can still find something worthwhile to do in the world.”
“Like what?” Scootaloo looked up at the threstal, her embarrassment still evident on her cheeks. “What can a flightless pegasus do?”
“Well, I’m sure you can use your imagination. I’m training to be a Lunar Guard so I’m sure you can find something even better.” He smiled again before straightening up and bowing his head to Twilight, Dusk hastily copying him and returning her book to her bag. “We’ve taken up enough of your time as it is. Thank you again for your help and best of luck on your exams.”
As the two walked away, Sunset spared a glance towards Rarity who was watching Crescent and his sister with a dreamy smile on her face. She’d seen that smile once before and she knew it meant one of two things. Either she was imagining designing clothes for the threstal or… she was smitten. The amber unicorn prayed it was the former as she took another drink of her coffee.
“Well, he’s a charming sort, isn’t he?” Rarity mused out loud, the group looking to her in concern. Sunset rolled her eyes, raising her sunglasses to cover her eyes so the group wouldn’t notice.
“You know, Twilight…” Starlight spoke up. “You might want to run after him if you want your questions on batpony culture.”
“You’re right, Starlight! Come on!” Twilight immediately came out of her reverie and galloped after the duo, dragging a startled Starlight behind her in a magical field. Rarity looked to Sunset who merely shrugged, taking intermittent sips of her coffee and watched Twilight speaking excitedly to the threstal.
