What dark forces did Twilight and her new friends and older sister manage to stop in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?
What happened to Twilight when she finally got accepted into that amazing private school?
Did she meet amazing friends? Check. Did she do amazingly in all her studies? Check. Did she have a very fiery outburst? Check. Did she laugh it off? Check. Did she get into some trouble? Check. Did she save the school from Celestia's evil uncle? Che...WAIT WHAT?
A/N - Yes, Moonglow is Twilight's sister! No, it is not alt. universe, it will be cannon by the end of the story arc. She plays a very important roll in the entire story.
Chapter 1
…her raw abilities and power are unmatched. I must take her as my new private student, but that would mean Moonglow’s departure.
Though you must understand, she is old enough to know the truth and she must sacrifice her spot for her younger sister. I will personally explain it to her, but it would be comforting to know, that you’re there for her when she needs you the most.
~Kind regards, Princess Celestia
The letter seemed crumpled as a raspberry colored aura laid it on the table. The room was drenched in darkness, save for a single flickering candle. Two forms loomed over the parchment as they let the written words settle in their minds.
A silvery white unicorn mare with a white and purple striped mane sighed, nearly blowing out the small candle. She solemnly closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.
The midnight blue stallion by her side placed his hoof on the letter, making sure it wasn’t just a pigment of his imagination. The clock on the wall silently struck midnight.
A chilly gust of wind flew through the open window fluttering the curtains and making the two ponies shiver. Cold starlight mixed with the pale glow of the moon decided to help out the little candle.
“You know this would’ve happened eventually…” The stallion quietly spoke, his amber eyes lighting up in the dim shine. The mare stayed silent.
“Poor Moonglow…” After a long pause she uttered a whisper. A single tear escaped her eye and dripped onto the letter with a quiet plop. “She’s too young, Ivy… She’s only two years older than Twi’ for Cosmos’s sakes…!”
The blue stallion gently placed his hoof around the mare’s neck and pulled her to his chest. She was now quietly sobbing.
“She will understand, Honey.” He whispered as if not wanting to disturb the shadows around them. “She’s tougher than you think…”
The mare looked up at him with her teary blue eyes. He picked up a napkin with his amber magic and whipped his wife’s eyes before continuing with a small, yet encouraging smile. “She will understand. You did, so did your mother and her mother… we didn’t choose this but our bloodrights come with a price and we all know it… it’s her turn now…”
“It’s unfair… the Prophecy is just so unfair!” The quiet scream died in her throat as she burred her muzzle in her husband’s chest.
“I know…”
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“Yes. Yes! YES! All of my yes!” A small lavender filly with a neat sapphire blue mane bounced all over the sidewalk. The golden sun was shining brightly across the cloudless blue sky as pegasi raced to clear away anything that could obscure the great beyond of this wonderful autumn day.
A small crowd of unicorn ponies stood next to a golden sky chariot and an excited chatter filled the air around them.
“Calm down sweetie.” A silvery white mare giggled as the little filly stopped next to her to catch her breath.
“Yeah! Chill lil’ sis!” Another filly, this one graceful midnight blue with a long white mane popped up next to the two. Her flank flashed three magenta six-point-stars as she wasted no time to tackle the small one to the ground began to fiercely tickle her.
As the two squeaked and laughed as the oldest one was yanked away by a bright raspberry aura. She got plopped back on her hooves next to a white stallion with a bright, multi-hued, blue mane.
“Let her breathe, Moon.” The stallion smirked as he turned back to the lime pegasus, clad in golden armor, mounted to the sky chariot. “Girls, amiright?” The two laughed.
Meanwhile the lavender filly was once again on her hooves as the silvery mare fiddled with her hair. The three girls had the same manestyles, a simple bowl cut, except the younger two sported pink streaks lining the entire lenght.
A violet and amber gaze met as the two sisters grinned at each other. But the younger, lavender, one turned to the midnight blue stallion who had been staying to the side the entire time. She smiled as she saw the same amber eyes as her sister and bounced over to hug her father.
The blue stallion ruffled the filly’s mane as she hugged his leg with a smile. After a few moments, he nudged the filly onto his back and carried her over to the sky chariot, to which she gleefully jumped over. Her violet eyes were beaming.
“Stay safe.” He smiled. “I’ll do my best, dad!” The lavender filly grinned as she took one last look at her family before heading out on her own. She looked at her mom who was still smiling that wonderful motherly smile, and then down at her older sister. The blue filly’s one ruby earring glimmered as it caught a glimpse of a single sunbeam casting a playful reflection on her cheek.
She’d be seeing her sister soon anyway.
“And you better take good care of her, ya hear?!” The filly looked at her brother playfully threatening the lime pegasus that would take her to her school. The two bucks were best friends from Stalliongrad’s Guard Academy, that much she knew.
“Well… I guess this is it.” Her dad spoke up with a smile. She took one final look at her family. “Guess it is.” She squeaked, barely containing her excitement.
“Make me proud, Twilight.”
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The lavender filly trudged through the stone hallways of her new home. Her jaw was hanging so low it could have just fallen off.
The worn stone below her hooves was covered in a soft red carpet that was now occupied by dozens upon hundreds of tiny hooves. The filly had counted somewhere around seventy, maybe eighty, give or take, foals just as old as her.
She occasionally managed to peak her head above the masses, using the fact that she was a bit taller than the rest, to her advantage. She saw the same leafy green mare with two orange tails who had greeted them earlier, as she lead the group deeper into the school.
So the filly returned to being awestruck.
The ceiling was the highest ceiling she had seen in her entire life! Granted the day she took her Entrance Exam she had been in the auditorium of the Royal Palace and she thought something that was two Celestia’s tall was the highest it could get… Nope!
The thin windows let in an amazing amount of light, it was as if she was standing outside not in two-hoof thick stone walls. And the view was magnificent! She had seen the equestrian plains many times from the astronomy towers back at Central Canterlot, but never a view quite like this…
The lush green, rolling plans lay like a carpet underneath. Small towns littered the landscape and she could’ve sworn she even saw the ocean from here! It felt like she was flying over Equestria like a pegasus, how cool would that be?!
Paying more attention to the outside world than the empty hallways of her school, the filly was suddenly hit by a wall of warmth. An abnormous room stretched before her, the ceiling almost invisible from where she stood, lay covered in a thick layer of fluffy clouds. If it hadn’t been for the walls she could mistake this for the outside.
She continued walking with the pack of foals along the side of the massive room. Three large redwood tables stretched the entire way from the massive doorway to the other side, and all were covered with mares and bucks of different ages, each table wearing different colored cloaks - purple, yellow and green.
Momentum carried her forward and before the filly even realized, she ran right into the side of colt that was standing in front of her. Both managed to trip into a cluster of limbs until the colt managed to get up on his hooves. He looked back and extended his snowy white hoof to help the filly up.
As she shook off the little failure on her part, she noticed how the colt looked. He had a dark crimson mane, a stubby white horn and a blank flank. And eyes… the filly had never seen eyes like that before, sparkling and pure turquoise eyes looked back at her.
“You alright?” He asked with a concerned smile. “I-I'm fine…” the filly mumbled. “Sorry…”
“It’s alright. Hi, I'm Starshine, nice to meet you, crazy-filly-that-runs-into-things.” The colt smiled and raised a hoof for a hoofshake. The lavender filly tilted her head a little bit before smiling and grabbing the colt’s hoof.
“Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.” She energetically shook his hoof that sent the colt into a few seconds of dizziness.
“No way!” Starshine grinned as he moved next to Twilight after a quick recovery. “My last name is Sparkle too!” “Really?” “Really! Starshine Sparkle!”
Twilight paused. “Are we cousins or something? I’ve never seen you before, but I have a big family so maybe-”
“Nah,” The colt shrugged it off. “I don’t have any cousins, both my parents were the only ones.” He cheerfully smiled, but after a few seconds that smile faded just a tad. “But we can still be friends, right?”
Twilight was taken aback by that question at first, so she froze up. She had never really needed friends, she was always studying and reading at school and she had an awesome sister at summer and an even better foalsitter the rest of the year! Her first friend… wow, whoever said making friends was hard was sure a dum-dum.
Twilight smiled.
“Sure!”
The young, snowy white colt smiled back at Twilight as they both turned to the far end of the large room. There stood a long table, with several seats in different heights resting on the top of a stone platform. Twilight figured that’s where the teachers sat.
Most of the seats were empty, the highest one, the one next to it and a few others. Twilight managed to catch glimpses of a faded red mare with a bleak black mane made into a bun on the back of her head and a pair of crest shaped glasses on the tip of her muzzle. She seemed to be arguing with a velvet black mare but she had her back to Twilight she the filly gave up looking for details. There was a large, white unicorn stallion with a cyan mane, sitting one tier lower than the two mares and blankly gazing forward with his cold-blue eyes. Twilight wondered if he’s personality was as cold as his appearance.
Next to him sat a timid, pink mare with a fiery orange mane and a small hat with a cross on it. Guess that was the school nurse. There was another, bright lime mare, on the other side of the tables along with a speck of light red but Twilight couldn’t see anything past that.
There were a few more but the lights of the massive room suddenly went dim as a gasp shot through the younger ponies.
From the clouds above, emerged a blinding white mare with enormous angelic wings. She gracefully fluttered down to highest seat at the teacher’s table as the last murmurs of the room died to a whisper.
It was as if she emitted light so bright it could cover all of Canterlot in a sheet of warmth and wonder. She gently smiled as her long, slick horn lit up in the most wondrous shade of gold and the lights returned to the atrium.
She closed her soft, feathery wings and spoke in the voice of every bird in the world joining into song, and every beautiful, most amazing sound happening at once, all together into her voice. And she spoke.
“My little ponies, I am most grateful for everypony that has joined us here today as we begin another exciting and wonderful year at this humble school. I ask all of you to take kindly to the younglings who will join your ranks and your lives this very day, and strive for the ones we have seen depart before summer took hold of us all.”
Twilight’s eyes glimmered as she looked up on this most amazing being in existence. The pure gracefulness and love and warmth radiating off the winged unicorn was overwhelming.
The pony she had admired for the better part of her young life… and she was going to be her private teacher… Squeeeeeee!
Twilight allowed herself a quick glance around. She wasn’t the only pony that gazed in amazement at this wonderful being. Even her newfound friend, Starshine, gazed at the alicorn who proudly stood there, emitting a calming warmth just by her presence. She continued.
“I welcome all of you back, just as much as I welcome our newest members to step forth and forever become a part of this school. Please, do not be afraid, this will be fun.” The alicorn smiled.
“But let me tell you this, my little ponies. The Stars have spoken, and the Void shuffles nervously. This year will be grand.” She spread open her massive wings. “And who knows what wonders it will hold…”
She took a step forward and stood on thin air like it was a floor. Her horn lit up once more with a golden light. Something somewhere sparked up with the touch of her magic, Twilight could feel it, the warm glow filling the magical leylines around her.
“I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, Shepherd of the Sun and Guardian of the Moon say - let the Ceremony… Begin!”
The princes flapped her wings once, sending a wave of air across the room. For a second her entire body lit up like the sun itself and when the foals were able to reopen their eyes a small stool and a ragged blue hat stood before the smiling princess.
As the princess took a few steps to the side, Twilight had a chance to scan the atrium for her sister. On the opposite side, there was a table that stood under a multitude of purple banners bearing a silver four point star.
It didn’t take long for the lavender filly to spot her sister’s midnight blue and white form. The older filly was sitting next to another, yellow filly with a frizzy orange mane, as the two whispered something to each other. Before Twilight turned away she saw an older, faded blue stallion with a white mane say something to her sister and the three laughed.
A strand of melody caught Twilight’s attention and she turned back to the alicorn princess and the weird blue hat. It looked horribly old and was covered in little bells and the pattern was a hoofful of stars and a pair of moons. It took about a second for Twilight to recognize the hat. It once belonged to none other than Starswirl the Bearded, one of the three founders. The filly squeaked in amazement. Such a relic!
And then… then, the unthinkable happened. The hat began pulsing with a brilliant glow of magenta and if Twilight could believe her ears, a melody began to play.
Her brother and sister had never mentioned something like this! And Shinning and already graduated from the school, too! Then again, most of the inner workings were kept secret, the school was even build like another, mini-Canterlot off to the side and isolated from the actual capital…
Twilight questioningly lifted her eyes, only to see the princess with a humored smirk across her muzzle, staring off into the masses of ponies before her. And then, out of nowhere, the hat began to sing…
I am the hat of Starswirl the Bearded, Some will and some have always feared me,
It is me, who will choose your fate, Just me alone, It’s like a first grade date!
From around and inside of the magical item a large black twine shot out and across the massive room, followed by four others. The older students paid no mind to the craziness happening around them and continued to stare into the empty silverware on the table in front.
Meanwhile, all the foals around Twilight were quietly trembling, unsure what to expect next. And that moment, small balls of colorful magic shot across the thick, black lines that divided into five each. The little flames found their places and began to pulse, sending a wonderful lightshow across the whole atrium.
Twilight could now count the notes. She was never really into music but she recognized the few Cadence had taught her. The blinking lights were some amazing, the filly barely noticed the worlds that went with them.
You will be divided into three different towers, Were you will spend most of your hours,
The stars of my tower will shine upon the brave, But if your slick, you will see the mighty Naga’s wraith.
But if you’re too meek to be between champions, The Puffle’s will make you into quite the darion! Booksmarts is what will be rewarded there, Nothing more, nothing less, just take care.
You will be picked out one by one, Giver to a tower that will make you a neat bun, There will be no re-picks, There will be no excuses, Because in the end there a~re no Resets in lii~iiiiii~fe!
The melody suddenly stopped and that same second every colorful note exploded into a shower of sparks. The rooms stayed quiet for a few moments before exploding with cheers.
Twilight looked back at her new friend Starshine and the rest of the foals who were standing still, unsure what to do. Violet and turquoise eyes met as the two foals grinned at each other before joining the cheering by stomping their hooves in applause.
After a few minutes of cheers, Celestia raised her hoof into the air and everything fell quiet in a second. Twilight was eager to listen to what the princess had to say, but she felt a poke in her side and turned to see Starshine.
“You seem to know what’s going on…” He began to whisper. “So can you explain what that hat-guy was talking about? The towers, I mean…”
Twilight struck gold. The only thing better than learning new and amazing things was teaching them! This was an opportunity she couldn’t miss!
The filly cleared her throat and switched to bookworm-mode.
“Well, a long time ago, just after the era of Discordant, Princess Celestia and a pony named Luna came to power and made everything right in the world! So there were three very powerful unicorns at that time and they were so happy, they made a school in Celestia’s name and called the three Towers after themselves. The Tower my older brother and sister are and were in, is called the Star tower named after Starswirl the Bearded and it’s a tower for super-strong and brave ponies! The next one is the yellow, or Puffle Tower, its where smart and enthusiastic ponies go, just like its founder Alexandra Puffle. And finally there’s the wicked Tower as I call it. Nagaraac, that’s what it is officially, founded by Naga Bezmos. My sister Moonglow says it’s where the wicked and mean ponies go, so you really don’t wanna end up there…”
Twilight smiled for a moment before her spirits dropped. She sighed as Starshine raised an eyebrow at her.
“I know which Tower I’m going to…” She looked at Starshine not exactly sure what to expect from the young colt. “My entire, humongous family has always been in the Star Tower… I doubt I’d even make a good Puffle…”
“Don’t worry then.” The snowy colt grinned back after a pause. “My dad’s a librarian so we’d probably be good additions to the Puffle flock.”
Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at that. She suddenly felt her spirits lift. She had a friend now, there wasn’t anything bad as long as they’d stay friends. Friends… weird word… it didn’t matter, because it mattered. Did siblings count as friends?
That thread of thought was interrupted as the leafy green mare marched through the flock of foals shoving fillies on one side and colts on the other, mumbling something along the lines of: “Now, now no pushing missy, you too yellow one, OH be careful, no-no-no you’re a filly, get on that side, HEY no magic allowed, your already breaking the rules and you’re not even sorted yet! OI! No hiding! I can see you over there! Get back in line!” and so on, and so on.
Twilight and Starshine could barely contain their laughter as they listened to the silliness the mare spouted. And then… then the two realized they were the first ones in both lines…
Oh horsefeathers…
“And now, we will begin.” Celestia spoke after all the foals were sorted. “Young filly,” Celestia looked straight at Twilight, “Step forth and be the first to be gifted to a Tower.”
And about a billion eyes began glaring at Twilight. And it was somewhat overwhelming… The lavender filly gulped as she took a few steps forward, hoofs trembling as she looked back at Celestia. And then she winked. The princess winked… the princess winked… at Twilight!
The filly felt a bit flustered and nearly tripped over her own tiny little hooves, but it looked like the Stars were looking out for her and she managed to regain her balance in the nick of time.
That gesture. That single gesture filled Twilight with so much confidence she was ready to burst. And with that, she stopped just before the stool and Starswirl’s hat.
Twilight paused, not quite sure what to do, until she felt a hood pushing her forward by her rump. The filly looked back to see the faded cherry red mare with her bleak black mane and crest glassed that hid unsettling, cold gray eyes, pushing her in the direction of the magical artifact.
Twilight wasn’t exactly sure where the weathered mare had come from, but at this point she didn’t really care. Only now the filly noticed the deadly silence that echoed throughout the entire atrium. With another gulp she stepped forward and somehow managed to scurry up the stool, Starswirl’s hat hovering above her.
After a few tries, Twilight managed to balance herself on top of the tiny stool, her face turned to the seemingly endless room before her, with hundreds of eyes staring down at her.
The red mare beside the filly coughed, sending an echo through the silence. “State your name, kid.” She spoke in an almost bored tone.
“T-Twilight Sparkle…” The filly shakily spoke as the hat gently positioned itself on her head, all on its own. And then black.
Twilight was thrown into a void of nothingness, her feeble scream never leaving her lips as she hurled downwards into the black surrounding her.
As she fell and fell, it was like all the air was getting sucked out of her lungs, but at the same time she breathed freely. It was like drowning, except there was nothing to drown in.
As she fell and fell, she suddenly slammed into the same black below her. Where pain should’ve exploded, it felt more like she was thrown into a tub of jelly.
Seconds later, Twilight rose up from a depression her small body had left in the blackness around her. Her head pulsed, but it wasn’t from the fall, it was from the absurd amount of magic around her. It was like she was swimming in pure mana, guess that explained the drowning feeling…
The filly got up on her hooves and stared across the endless abyss around her. It was almost moving… shifting, every single second. It never stayed the same.
And then Twilight felt… something from behind her. She didn’t know why or what or how she knew that, but she still tossed her whole body around to meet the shimmering form of grayish blue unicorn with a long and blinding white beard.
And the blue, bell ridden hat and cloak Twilight could recognize if she was blind.
“Oh! Didn’t expect to see you here so soon!” The wrinkly stallion spoke in a surprisingly young voice, his lips curing into a smile behind his white beard.
Twilight stood still, baffled by what was before her very own violet eyes that were twinkling in pure amazement. Her spectral jaw was hanging as low as ever.
“Oh, another fan I see, I get those a lot… read any of my books?” The old magician smirked as Twilight tried to get herself together.
“Y-y-you’re… y-y-y-” the filly stammered her moth spazing out as she tried to form words.
“Yes, yes, the all Great and Powerful Starswirl the Bearded, at your service young m’laidy.” He did a silly little bow, the shimmering, magical shadows of his bells jingling as he moved.
“But we should probably get down to business then,” He smiled at still baffled Twilight that had now fallen down to her haunches. “To be honest I wasn’t expecting you for another five or thirteen years at the least, how did that happen?”
No response.
“ … Well then, never mind, how about we put you into a Tower while were here and Tia hasn’t barged in yet? She’s one heck of a distraction, I tell ya’…”
“Y-y-y-” Twilight stammered, finally snapping out of her foallike wonder. “You live in your hat?!” She spat out with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, where else should I go then?” Starswirl smirked. “I like it here, I get to talk to all of you, I get to spend time in my school. Heck! I even get an entire universe to build if I want to!” His horn suddenly sparked with a bright lavender light and the never-ending void around the two shifted and turned to a sky full of stars.
And then Twilight found herself floating…
The filly squeaked, overtaken and frozen by a sudden vertigo as she began to float in the endless, starry sky. Starswirl however, began twirling as he launched himself across the abyss, already used to being weightless in a void of no gravity.
“What? Scared of heights?” The old stallion joked as he floated behind Twilight, warping his spectral hooves around the unmoving filly and dragging her down to a solid, crystal platform that had appeared below them.
As her hooves touched down in the glossy surface, Twilight finally exhaled.
“Now then. Back to business?” The old magician smiled. Twilight managed a small nod as she crept to the side of the pinkish platform and gaze into the starry-sky below.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” The stallion walked next to her and looked over the edge of the platform. His horn sparked once more as the stars below began to burn brighter and brighter until the two had to avert their eyes.
The little filly regained her sight she found herself standing on a cottony cloud. She looked forward only for her jaw to drop once more. The soft purples of twilight fell over the mountain as she saw light burst into existence all over the School and Canterlot itself.
The puffy cloud bolted forward as the school drew closer and closer. Twilight marveled at the golden spires and the gray towers crafted on the side of the mountain as she found herself staring through a tall window. As she gazed inside she saw the most bizarre thing she’d ever seen.
She saw herself… head completely obscured by the big blue hat. She saw the red mare glance at her frozen body as Celestia carefully stepped next to her, her horn lit with a small golden glow.
The school twitched like static, Twilight jumped and turned only to see Starswirl winching and pressing his hoof against his head.
“Alright, alright no need for that…” The old buck muttered just as the glow from Celestia’s horn faded. The magician suddenly turning to Twilight, his carefree tone gone. “Just give me a quick answer little Sparkle, which tower?”
The filly sighed, her body slumping forward.
“Just put me with the Puffle’s and be done with it…” “It doesn’t seem you’d like it very much.”
She stayed silent.
“I know my place, I know where I have to belong even if it means letting my family’s old tradition down.” “And what do you want?”
“… I wanna be with Moonglow.” The filly looked up and saw those familiar magenta eyes. The magician smiled. “But I'm not brave enough.” Twilight quickly added and the stallion’s smile faded.
“And what would you say if I’d ask you to explain bravery?” “… I… I don’t know… I-I just know that it’s not me… I have fears…lots of em’…”
Twilight turned away, Canterlot fading into that familiar, vivid blackness. She didn’t look when she heard those soft hoofsteps echo before her as Starswirl stood before her.
“I'm going to tell you a little bit about bravery, little Sparkle. So listen up and remember this, bravery isn’t a lack of fear. Bravery is when a pony knows that something is worth so much, that she must push past her fears.” He placed a hoof under Twilight’s chin and lifted her head up so their eyes met.
“Bravery is the small things. Looking over the edge of the city, petting a fire salamander… applauding to my song even if the other foals didn’t.” Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at that. “It’s the little things that matter.”
The spectral form of Starswirl flickered as he began to fade, the darkness retreating into a golden glow. “It’s the little things that matter and I see big things coming your way…”
“Welcome to the Star Tower little Sparkle…”
Twilight’s eyes snapped open as she gasped, the air rushing into her lungs with such force it made her dizzy. As the blur faded she saw the slightly worried face of Equestria’s princess.
As the filly breathed, her silent gasps echoing against the silent atrium. Her scared eyes turned to the faded-red mare beside her, then to the princess. Just before she opened her mouth to say something, anything, she felt a small tingle of magic run through her horn.
As the filly looked up, she saw but a small lip of Starswirl’s hat change color and turn from blue to purple.
Within a heartbeat the silence broke. Figures from the purple-bannered table rose to their hooves and began to cheer, their thunderous stomping rocking the walls of the old structure.
Twilight couldn’t help but grin, her smile going wider than ever before as she looked around. Starshine was bouncing in place and Celestia was softly smiling. The red mare beside Twilight was somewhere between bored and annoyed. What gives?
“Are you alright my little Twilight?” Celestia leaned closer and whispered, not wanting to interrupt the other ponies as they kept cheering. The filly energetically nodded, almost shaking the hat off her head.
“Well good, Starswirl has a little nick for playing around with younglings that he deems intriguing, but he has a good heart, remember that.” The princess giggled as she straightened up. “Now how about we let the other younglings get sorted, hmm?”
At first Twilight was a little lost, but she quickly realized she was still wearing the hat that had returned to that familiar blue tone. It took a second and an odd little impulse and within seconds the filly had popped the hat off her head and placed it atop the red mare. The filly quickly jumped off the stool and ran past Celestia to the table under the purple banners.
She was warmly greeted by almost every other student in the approximate area. She had her mane tousled, horn poked, cheek pinched, back and shoulder slapped, hoof shaken and squeezed and pulled into an extreme amount of hugs possible in one day.
She eventually managed to limp to an open area on the never-ending wooden bench and turned her violet gaze to the front of the room just in time to see Starswirl’s hat atop Starshine turn purple.
The colt gasped much like Twilight as he opened his bright turquoise eyes. The Star Tower began cheering once more as Celestia levitated him off the stood.
After the foal got pulled through the greeting process, he finally ended up next to Twilight. His crimson mane was an even bigger mess than it was before, his eyes were rolling in whichever direction as he lightly swayed around.
Twilight smiled as she reached over and shook her newest friend making him snap back to reality. As he took a few moments to adjust Twilight already began to question him.
“So? How was it? Did you see anything cool?” The filly grinned as she leaned a bit closer. At first, Starshine gave her an unsure glace before clearing his throat and continuing in his usual, cheery voice.
“It was like this… light-blue haze with stars in it and stuff, and I stood there for a little while and then suddenly I was back here. Weird, huh?” He smiled as Twilight tried not to cringe, keeping up a fake smile that had appeared all of a sudden.
“Yeah… cool… so, no ponies there?” She tried to casually inquire but failed.
“Nope, that’d be kinda’ weird though…” He seemed oblivious to Twilight’s tone as he began looking around, his gaze racing over an azure blue filly with a snowy white mane that was put into Nagaraac, Starswirl’s hat glowing green atop her head.
Twilight stayed silent after that as she watched more and more foals getting sorted into their towers, her own mind milling about her encounter with the magical shadow of Starswirl. Was that even possible? She’d never heard about anything like that… Then again, the archmage could rival Celestia herself, so who knew what else he could do.
Twilight’s gaze traveled across the front of the atrium once more as her eye got caught on a pony getting seated atop the stool. The unicorn filly was a soft aquamarine with a faded cyan mane that was intercepted with a streak of white. Her eyes burned almost as bright and beautiful as Moonglow’s amber eyes.
Twilight had to pause, something in her mind sparking up, yet, she had no idea what. As she sat there she didn’t notice the same aquamarine filly shove her into Starshine and sit in her place.
“Hey, watch it!” The colt protested. Turquoise met yellow in the life or death stare-off. Twilight finally snapped back to reality as she looked at the two glaring at each other.
The filly suddenly closed her yellow eyes and faced the table. “Sorry, everywhere else is filled.”
And after that she ignored everything as she sat in a horribly awkward pose - her tail under her flanks as her back hooves hung limply under the table, her forehooves supporting her leaned-back body. Her eyes were still closed and face bearing a solemn expression.
Twilight and Starshine exchanged a gaze and agreed to wait it out.
---------
Just as the food appeared, it had vanished from the tables. Twilight let out a satisfied sigh and rested her chin on the table. That had been the best feast she had ever eaten, and she didn’t even know what half of the stuff was, but it tasted amazing! Starshine was quietly laying next to her, little snores escaping the foal as he napped on his plate. The odd filly sitting next to Twilight was just numbly staring at the stone wall in front of her.
Twilight heard a few of the Puffle’s chit-chat just behind them and a roar of laughter on the other side of the room where the Naga’s sat. She sighed again trying to force back exhaustion from being way-too-well-fed. Starshine shot upwards with a snort just as Celestia began to speak from her place at the teacher’s table.
“I hope you all have had a wonderful feast tonight, but now you must return to your Towers and settle down in your new homes for the next seven years of study. That is, if you last that long.” Celestia winked as a wave a giggled shot through the three tables.
“Your Tower Guardians will meet you in the common room and your Tower’s Watchers will take the new students there. Tomorrow your studies will begin. Good luck, my little ponies.” And in a flash of light she was gone. Teleportation. Amaaaaazing!
Twilight just gazed at the spot where the Princess had vanished soaking in her overwhelming awesomeness.
---------
As the tables slowly began to clear all the younglings just sat there not exactly sure what to do. Twilight was lazily staring at the same spot as the aquamarine filly. A large purple banner hung between the massive windows that portrayed the twilight sky outside.
A big, silvery, four-point star and two smaller ones under it were masterfully sewn into the violet fabric. As the filly pondered what did that mean she felt her shoulders being grabbed and her body pulled backwards. She managed to scream as she noticed the pair of midnight-blue hooves and amber eyes behind her.
“Moonglow! Sweet Celestia you scared my dinner out of me!” Twilight shouted as she recognized her older sister standing behind her. “What the hay are you doing here anyway? Where are our Watcher thingies?”
“Grabbing your shoulders, kiddo.” Moonglow giggled as she pulled Twilight into a hug that nearly choked her.
“You’re a Watcher? B-b-but Shining said you can’t be one unless your year four or higher! He said he was one himself too!” Twilight protested as she pushed her older sister off of her, the other younglings gathering around them.
“I have my ways.” Moonglow smirked. “But that’s not important right now, Mrs. Mandagor’e’s gonna’ have my head if we’re late!” She looked over her shoulder to a pair of ponies, Twilight recognized both, they were the two Moonglow had been sitting with.
A slightly buff, sky-blue stallion with a long, white mane and muddy-brown eyes stood next to a younger, yellow mare with a frizzy orange mane and bright alabaster eyes. They both were wearing purple robes, just like Moonglow and the other students Twilight had seen.
The youngling’s sister and the older buck each wore a necklace portraying the same silver star as seen on the Tower’s banners. Twilight remembered finding one of those in her brother’s drawer when she was snooping around for something interesting that one time.
“Anyway, this is Sky. He and I are the Watcher’s for this Tower, he’s starting his fifth year so don’t mess with his, l’right?” Moonglow giggled as the young stallion puffed out his chest even more. The white-mane’d filly turned her outstretched hoof to the yellow filly standing between the younglings.
“And that’s Aurora, she’s my eyes and ears in the school and the best friend I’ve ever had so you keep your hooves off her.” Moonglow playfully threatened the group. “But anyway, line up kiddos’, let’s get a move on.”
She, much like the two-tailed mare at the beginning of the day, began to shove the foals into two mixed lines. Twilight grabbed Starshine and hopped to the front of the line. She warmly smiled at the two elders before her and watched them exchange a look. Moonglow had probably told them about her little sister.
After all the shoving and the hustle and bustle, the foals stood in pairs in one long line. Moonglow and Sky nodded at each other and the filly, with Aurora by her side, began leading the line into the corridors, Sky making sure nopony got left behind.
Twilight felt happy. Her tummy was full, she had an awesome new friend by her side and she wasn't scared anymore. Her sister was a Watcher and Celestia of Equestria was her mentor. This couldn’t get any better!
“Ahh, there you are Miss Sparkle, did you take them on a tour or what? You’re late!” A mildly-old, red mare with a few wrinkles on her face and her bleak, black mane made into a bun hissed as the younger mare and a flock of foals that entered the tower’s common room.
“I'm sorry Mrs. Mandagor’e, we got caught up in the Illusion hall.” “And why exactly did you go through the Illusion hall?”
“It’s a shortcut. But were only late a few minutes it’s no big deal right?” The young mare by the name of Moonglow Sparkle tried to reason.
The red mare glared from behind her crest shaped glasses. If looks could set ponies on fire the entire tower would be ablaze already.
Moonglow gulped and shrank in her shoulders. “I… I'm just gonna’ leave you to it…” And she slipped from the gaze and ran behind the couches next to the fireplace.
The red mare known as Mrs. Mandagor’e glared over the group of young foals. Her gaze stopped at Twilight for a few uncomfortable moments until she spotted Sky and Aurora who was hiding behind him. Both trembling with fear.
“Mr. Blazer please find Miss Sparkle so I can have a word with her. Don’t go running off now, that goes for you too.”
“Y-yes Headmistress Mandagor’e.” Sky pushed out. “Please, just Mrs. Mandagor’e. Now run along, you don’t want to spoil your tough-colt image now do you?” She smirked and evil smirk.
Sky gulped and dashed as fast as a unicorn could to the couches and dived behind them.
“As for you Miss Wisp…” “EEP!” Aurora shrank as small as she could, frantically looking for an escape.
“This is the third time I have caught you breaking the common rules and ‘hanging out’ with the Watchers. You. Are. Not. A. Watcher. Do I make myself clear?”
“EEP!” “I will take that as a yes. Run along. I won’t punish you this time since we just don’t have enough time. Shoo, shoo, go find your precious Moonglow so you can get into more trouble. Scurry along, shoo.” Mandagor’e ended her speech with the same expressionless face that she stared with.
As Aurora frantically skidded away Mrs. Mandagor’e gazed at the foals as if savoring their fear. After a few more moments had passed her horn lit up with a rusty red glow as the heavy wooden door behind them slammed shut scaring most of the younglings.
“Now that that’s sorted I would like to lay down some ground rules for all of you little mischievous little ponies.” She put up a cold stare as she looked at Twilight again. “Just because it seems that you can get away with anything just because our precious Watcher’s are lazy, doesn’t mean you actually can. They have privileges, but they are still under my rule which is just below Celestia’s herself.”
“Now, then. The rules are simple. You have to obey me because I am your tower’s Guardian AND the teacher that will teach you the VERY basics of magic. And without them… well, why bother coming to this school?” She smirked. Her dull-gray eyes were still digging into Twilight. She slowly slid behind Starshine.
“First of all you will address me as Mrs. Mandagor’e, Teacher, or Headmistress Mandagor’e, though I don't prefer that one. Now that we have the formalities out of the way I will explain the rules.”
“You will be given robes according to your Tower, in this case, purple. You will find them with your luggage in the rooms I will show you later. The robes must be worn in classes since they are enchanted to prevent most magical incidents that often happen in the early years. Also. If you have a friend or an enemy in a different tower there is no point in inviting anypony over. The towers are locked with a spell that recognizes each students magic and it is ultimately tied to a tower via Starswirl’s Sorting Hat.”
“Also, in case you are thinking of causing some trouble it won’t end badly just for you. This school has a point system. Each student can earn points for their tower by doing well in class and in some cases helping teachers. They can also lose points by getting into trouble. At the end of the year points are summed up and the tower with the most points is given the Mage’s Cup and something is gifted to the tower. Last time the Star tower won we got new sofas for the common room. Alas we haven’t won in the last two years because of a certain pair of mares.” She glared over at the fireplace where the Watcher’s and Aurora had vanished.
“There will be no experimenting with magic unless you have permission.” She resumed her monologue. “You will not, I repeat NOT, be outside during the dark hours without a teacher or explicit permission. As you know Canterlot is built on an old mountain therefore there are some *cough* undiscovered areas. If you do find any, you must tell an authority, like me. Do not go exploring those or you will taste the wrath of principal Celestia herself and you probably do not wish that now do you?” She cringed and stretched out her neck. There was a large scar going down to her shoulder.
“I ran into a stray Diamond Dog back when I was as young and reckless as you. Be warned.”
The students shuddered. The same aquamarine filly Twilight had met at the table clung onto her hoof for a second or two. They looked at each other and jumped in different directions exchanging a grin similar to a light disgust.
“I will hand you a schedule of your lessons after I take you to your bedrooms. Filly’s will be in one and colts in the other if you are wondering.” She glared one last time. Her crest glasses ominously gleamed.
“Follow me.” She turned around and lightly smacked the filly standing near her with her perfectly straight tail as she turned. The filly spat out a long black hair and cringed. The mass of students slowly began to follow the mare.
Twilight could only manage to grin at Starshine before a painting on the side of the staircase that they began to ascend leaned outward and screeched.
All of the foals including Mrs. Mandagor’e jumped. The painting began to crack up in vicious laughter. It was a painting of a young, butter-yellow unicorn mare with a blue mane and a cutie mark of a book.
“Mixla! I told you not to do that!” Mandagor’e hissed as the pony in the painting slowly wiped away a tear of laughter.
“Sorry Mandy, couldn’t help myself, I already freaked out the Puffle’s. This one colt was PRICELESS!!!” She broke into more hysterical laughter and rolled on the lush, green, painted grass.
Mandagor’e snarled and continued to ascend the steps. After they turned the corner she looked back and spoke.
“I forgot to mention, one of the founder’s, Alexandra Puffle, had a tendency to enchant items with a come to life spell. I suggest you watch out for portraits, they’re pretty nasty.”
“Who was she, miss?” A gray colt in the back of the group asked.
Mandagor’e glared at him for not being ‘formal’. “She is Mixla Ember Puffle, the direct descendant of our precious Alexandra. One of her grandkids somewhere in the past century or so has become the Guardian of The Puffle Tower. Amenix Alex Jr., he will be teaching you history. Ah, we’re here.”
There were two small doors on the opposite side of the spiral staircase. It was just below the roof.
“Fillies go to the left, colts-right. Pick out a bed, settle down and everypony that has an ‘unusual’ pet must be in the common room in 20 minutes. Do I make myself clear?”
There were a few nods. “Take this sheet when you enter your rooms. It’s all that you need.”
After almost all the fillies had entered the room and Starshine was nowhere in sight, Twilight finally reached the door. As she took the sheet with her mouth her eyes met with Mandagor’e. Her cold gaze dug deep in Twilight’s soul. What did that mare have against her?!
Right after Twilight the aquamarine filly entered.
The room was simple. It had four two-story bunk-beds. There were only seven fillies in total Twilight included and all the second stories were already taken except for a single empty bed. Twilight noticed the aquamarine filly standing right next to her. They looked at each other.
The filly spat out her sheet of paper and spoke. She had a great voice. Almost like a singer.
“Listen… I'm sorry about earlier, ok? I think we got off on the wrong hoof… I'm Lyra Heartstrings. You were Twilight something-something…?” She smiled a week smile and stretched out her hoof.
“Sparkle… and yea, how did you know?”
“I heard that one mare, uhh… Moonglow right, say it. You're her sister or something?”
“Yep!” Twilight shook her hoof. “I guess we’re bunk-buddies now huh?”
“I-I guess so.”
...
“TOP BUNK!” they cried out at the same time and rushed over to the bed on the right, near the door. They quietly snarled at each other from the opposite sides of the lower bunk.
“Ok, sorry.” Twilight spoke up and looked away for a second. “I have an idea. How about we share? One sleeps in the upper one for a week and then we switch again?”
Lyra lifted an eyebrow. Her yellow eyes glimmered for a second. “Ok. But who goes first?”
“We’ll flip a bit.” “I don’t have any…” “It’s ok I have some.” Twilight walked over to a large ragged suitcase next to the door, it used to be her brother’s. There were only three of them though, and Twilight could only assume one was Lyra’s. She nibbled on the lock whit her teeth and her giant suitcase popped open.
“Why don’t you use your magic? You have a cutie mark already and if that’s not a compass that means it’s a magic mark.” Lyra walked next to her.
“Oh, right…” Twilight sheepishly smiled. “I got it only a few weeks ago, I haven’t quite gotten used to my magic being so strong.” Just as she said that, the lid of the suitcase shot open and loudly slammed against the wall behind it.
All the fillies looked over at Twilight as her blush intensified. She mumbled a ‘sorry’ and buried her head in her few clothes.
She pulled out a small sack of bits that playfully jingled. She pulled out a single copper bit and tossed it. It flipped in the air Twilight shouted “Tails!” The coin hit the wooden floor and rolled under the bed.
Twilight stared at the bed in surprise. Lyra just shot her a glare and pushed her head under it. “Tails… You win…”
Twilight smiled. “It’s ok. You get top next week.” “Yea I guess so.”
“Hey, purple one.”
Twilight and Lyra turned her head to the door. There stood a slightly tall filly with two brown braids and buck-teeth. She had pale green eyes covered in thick glasses. She was straw-yellow.
“Yea?” Twilight looked at her in slight surprise.
“I know you. You have a dragon don’t you? Come on, we gotta’ go. I really don’t wanna’ get in trouble, especially with that miss… whatever her name was...”
“Oh…OH!” Twilight shot backwards. She tossed her bag of bits in her suitcase and ran to the yellow filly by the door.
“Sorry Lyra, we’ll get to know each other later, I don’t wanna’ be murdered like my sister, come on let’s go!” And she ran out the door whit the tall filly on her tail. Lyra stood by the bed confused.
---------
“Ugh! We made it!” The yellow filly puffed. “I didn’t get your name, I'm Twilight.” Twilight spoke as she gasped for her breath. The tower was at least 10 stories high if not more and Twilight’s room was at the very top.
“Blinky. My name is Blinky.” The filly puffed. Twilight smiled and turned to see the greatest sight of all. Celestia herself.
“Ah, there you are Twilight and… umm I didn’t catch your name little one, may you repeat it?” Celestia beamed as usual.
Blinky gulped. “B-Blinky, your majesty.” And she fell on her knees.
“Please, don’t.” Celestia walked over to her and stretched out her wing to lift up the little unicorn. “I am nothing more than your teacher and principal. This school is my haven. No formalities.” She weakly smiled.
Blinky looked up in sheer surprise and fright. “I'm sorry Princess.” she muttered.
Celestia’s smile grew a bit wider. She looked over to Twilight and took a step in her direction. She leaned down and nuzzled her. Twilight giggled and brushed against Celestia’s leg. She giggled as well.
The few ponies in the common room gasped. Mandagor’e’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as her jaw hung loosely. It looked like she was about to explode in rage. Celestia gave her the look and walked over beside her.
Twilight took the chance to look around. There weren’t many ponies here. Five to be exact. Herself, Blinky, the gray colt that asked about the painting, a white colt with a pink mane (wow, now that’s just too much girliness) and a brown colt with a silver mane and a cream colored spot on his eye and ear.
Celestia stood in front of them. She began to speak in her amazing voice. “As you may have noticed there are only a few of you here. This is a special course all of you will take in addition to everything you will study. It will be about the taming of magical animals.”
As if on cue a ball of flame shout of out the fireplace and twirled around near the ceiling. As it slowly fluttered down on Celestia’s outstretched hoof, it could be recognized a phoenix.
“This, my little ponies, is my dear Philomena. My precious phoenix.” Celestia brushed her forehead against the phoenix’s beak and it did the same in response.
“Phoenixes are very rare and graceful creatures. They are not easily tamed. Which one of you had a phoenix?”
Blinky lifted her shaking hoof. Twilight gasped in surprise.
“Blinky, mind telling us how you got a phoenix?” Celestia smiled. “Don’t be afraid, I'm all show but no bite.” She giggled.
Blinky looked up and met the four smiling faces of the other foals. “I… I… My parents are biologists so we usually stayed in the Everfree. I was home schooled and all that. Once there was a real bad storm about a year ago and after the wind had calmed down we found a female phoenix crushed under a tree… it was really badly injured so… so it didn’t last, but it pointed us to its nest and we found a bunch of smashed eggs except one. The male never came so we took the only remaining egg… It never hatched but it was alive! Then I got into the school and well… that’s it…”
“Hmmm… that’s interesting. I found Philomena as a chick about 1836 years ago so I don’t know how they hatch.” Celestia placed her hoof on her chin. “But we will discover it together wont we, Blinky?”
She dropped down on her knees next to the filly. Blinky turned away and cowered but eventually turned back to look in Celestia’s magenta eyes. She smiled. “Ok… Celestia…”
Celestia smiled and tousled her mane as she got back up on her hooves. “Splendid. Now, I know that Twilight here hatched a dragon when she had her entrance exam. And that Cluster here did the same.” She looked at the gray colt. He was a bit chubbier than the rest.
“Dragon’s are life-long companions. They can live up to thousands of years and if treated right, they can be great friends and assistants.”
She turned to the other two colts. She looked at the girly colt. “Damien. Your family breeds Timberwolves, am I correct?” “Yep.” he chirped. Even his voice was girly.
“Timberwolves are very dangerous, you know that right?” “Yes. But for as long as I can remember my family has been ‘part of the pack’. It’s like, it’s in our blood. I can easily take a walk in the Everfree in the middle of a full-moon night and be surrounded by alpha-males and I’ll be totally fine.”
“I wouldn’t advise that dear.” A hint of concern flashed in Celestia’s voice. “But alas, we will get to that. And if I remember correctly Summer Night’s has a Fire Salamander.”
“Yea, my dad bought it off some griffons, that bastard has burned an infinite amount of holes in my room already!” The brown colt spoke in a clear Trottingham accent.
“Cute.” Celestia lightly smirked. “Now that we have had an introduction I will show you where your pets and companions will be living. Mrs. Mandagor’e?”
“Of course Princess.” The red mare unnoticeably hissed and walked over to the door of the tower. Celestia followed and behind her trotted five excited foals.
---------
“You have a phoenix!?” Twilight whisper-shouted as she walked next to Blinky in the labyrinths of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
“Yep. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t wanna’ disappoint anypony. What if it never hatches? I don’t wanna’ let anypony down… especially the princess!” she whispered back.
“Celestia is the coolest pony in existence! She won’t be angry or anything, she’s just gonna be sad because she loves animals.” Twilight reassured her new friend.
“How do you know?” She gave Twilight an odd look. Twilight smirked and said the next sentence as arrogantly as she could. “Because I'm her personal protégé.”
Blinky’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates and her jaw hung loosely. She shook her head to try to get back to normal but the swift motion made her large-rimmed glasses fly off.
“GAH!” she cried out and blindly jumped forward. She loudly hit the floor and it made the princess and the other’s look back.
She blinked her tiny eyes trying to see anything. She couldn’t except for a dim light coming from what was probably a window.
Twilight stood, leaning on her forelegs with her eyes wide and horn aglow. In front of her levitated a pair of big glasses engulfed in a purple aura.
Twilight stared at her own magic in surprise. As she turned her head she saw Celestia smiling down on her picking Blinky off the floor with her own, golden magic. She stretched out her hoof and clung to Celestia’s back hoof for balance.
“I…” Twilight tried to say something. She somehow managed to levitate the glasses over to Blinky and place them on her nose.
Blinky blinked a few times trying to understand her surroundings. She looked at confused Twilight and tacked her into a hug.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! You have no idea how hard they are to fix!” she squealed.
Celestia’s smile grew even wider. The three colts exchanged a look and slowly began to clap their hoofs. Mrs. Mandagor’e gave an unexpected nod of approval.
“I… I…” Twilight tried to say something but she didn't know what.
Celestia did it for her. “That was a nice reaction Twilight. It sometimes takes years just to learn that. Then again I'm not that surprised. I knew you had it in you.” She smiled.
Mandagor’e stepped forward pushing the three colts aside. “You have talent Miss Sparkle. I hope you don’t waste it like your sister.” She coldly said in a matter-of-fact tone. Yet there was something that now stopped her from using the ‘soul-gaze’ as Twilight called it.
Twilight just put on a sheepish smile and slid behind Celestia’s leg for protection. Mandagor’e just looked at her with no emotion. She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly the group heard hoofsteps.
Mandagor’e turned around and saw an azure filly wwith a snowy-white mane.
“Who are you. It is dark hours. Or did Nexus not explain herself very well young student’.” Mandagor’e stressed the last part. Twilight knew that filly. She was from Nagaraac.
“Trixie was sent to see if there were any problems on why the princess was late. She was supposed to be waiting at the nursery for you to bring your tower, but suddenly she just vanished and seeing how you were missing Trixie’s great mind deducted the fact that she must be with you.” she ended her monologue.
Mandagor’e eye twitched. She didn’t see the fact that Celestia spread her wings and the five foals hid behind her. All of them, Celestia included, had a frightened expression.
The azure filly was ether blind or extremely arrogant and she didn’t even twitch. She just kept her cool as she looked into Tartarius itself.
Mandagor’e’s eyes lit up in a bloody, rusty light as she stepped forward. As she brought her hoof down to the floor the entire marble corridor shook. She breathed out steam as she paced at the filly.
“You, little pony, have earned yourself a whole bucket of trouble.” she hissed, as she stuck her nose in the filly’s face.
The filly didn’t react. She met a fiery gaze with a cold stare. “Trixie has done no such thing. Trixie obeys only one pony and she is Mistress Nexus.” she muttered with her purple eyes locked on Mandagor’e.
“No old coot tells me what to do.” she whispered.
Mandagor’e’s patience shattered like glass. “ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!” The shear force of her voice made the filly slide backwards.
Finally the azure pony reacted. Her purple eyes widened and she gulped as she pulled her head in her shoulders. But it was a bit too late.
“I will teach you some respect if it’s the last thing I do.” she hissed and breathed some more steam. Mandagor’e shot her head upwards and behind her formed four balls of fire that shot forward at the cowering filly.
The filly dropped to the ground and covered her eyes. Twilight felt Celestia’s muscles tense.
Just as the fireballs were about to hit the filly they smashed against an icky green, bubble shield. From behind the corner jumped out a seemingly young mare with her horn aglow.
As the shield evaporated the mare smashed her horn against Mandagor’e. She was pure velvet black which was the first time Twilight had seen a completely black pony. Her long mane and tail was messy, greasy and poisonous green with a few lighter stripes.
Her eyes were remarkable though. They were bright neon-green and she had thin, slit pupils… just like Twilight had seen on her little dragon.
The two mares continued their struggle with their horns crossed like swords. “Keep your hooves off my students, Mandy.” the black mare hissed. “Then teach them a hint of respect!” Mandagor’e shouted in response and jutted her head forward with immense force.
“ENOUGH!!!”
A wall of golden magic exploded in the corridor. Lighting it up and freezing the two mares.
Celestia stood before the two mares. Their frozen forms levitated by her golden magic. Her eyes were full of anger and disappointment.
“WHAT DOEST THOU THINK THEE ARE DOING?! TIS' NOT AN EXAMPLE THAT SHOULD BE SHOWN TO THE YOUNGLINGS! THY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THINESELVES! THINE CAN SETTLE THINE DIFFERENCES ON ONE'S OWN TERMS IN AN AREA WHERE NOPONY COULDST SEE IT!!! WE ARE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED IN THEE.” Celestia’s voice boomed in the corridor. A weak window in the other side of the hall exploded and rained glass on the carpet.
Suddenly Celestia’s angry grin disappeared and was replaced by a blush. “*cough* Sorry, I only use the Royal Canterlot Voice when I am very angry. You two should really learn to behave. Amanda Julia Mandagor’e and Nexus Nyx Nayma… you have disappointed me greatly and will be punished later. So will you little Trixie.” Celestia glared at her. The little pony shrank even smaller and hid behind her own hooves.
“Now, before Alex shows up we should really get going. This was not at all what I intended.” Celestia released the two mares and they fell to the ground. They got up and dropped back down on their knees in a bow.
“We will settle this later. Now. Go ahead with the students, I will be there shortly.” She said in a very cold and diplomatic tone.
As the foals and the mares excluding Twilight turned the corner and disappeared Celestia hung down her head and took a deep breath and a loud sigh.
She looked at Twilight. Her eyes seemed very… off… Twilight couldn’t recognize that emotion.
“Princess? Are those two enemies?” Twilight quietly asked.
“No Twilight. They are best friends.” Celestia whispered back.
---------------------------------- Edited by Midge Mannequin
“How is that even possible?” Twilight shouted and leaned forward. She was standing on Celestia’s back as they made their way to the nursery where she would be reunited with her little, nameless dragon.
“Friends are supposed to be together forever and never fight! They should always smile, and be happy, and always be together, and be happy!”
“You said that already.” Celestia weakly smiled. “It’s more complicated than that my little Twilight. You wouldn’t understand… it’s something you learn with age, and I wish you and that little colt would never be brought to the same point as Mandy and Nyx.”
“Mandy and Nyx?” Twilight tilted her head.
“Mrs. Mandagor’e and Nexus. Just whatever you do, don’t call Mandagor’e; Mandy. There are only a few ponies who dare, and look where that brought Nyx.” Celestia lightly chuckled.
“We’re here Twilight. Could you jump off? I don’t want to stress this relationship, seeing how only ponies from the Star Tower have been my protégé’s over the years.”
“Ok.” Twilight smiled and leaped off as Celestia used her golden magic to open a large wooden door.
As they entered the room the bright light blinded Twilight. It was a giant contrast from the moonlight lit hallways. The room was full of fillies and colts, all of them around the same age as Twilight, some, even older. They were running around from odd cribs to small terrariums, and vice versa.
Twilight questioningly looked up at Celestia. She smiled back and nudged her head in a direction of a small crib, a banner was hung with a magenta 6-pointed-star, and the letter T.S. embroidered in it.
Twilight rushed over to crib and saw it was full of hay, and in it laid a small purple-and-green creature. Her little companion.
Celestia walked over to Twilight. She leaned down and poked the little dragon with her nose. It opened its little green eyes and yawned. The two ponies smiled at its cuteness.
“What will you name him Twilight?” Celestia asked.
“Uhhh… I really don’t know… How about… Umm… Carl?” “Maybe something more subtle?” “Spike.” “Sounds wonderful.” Celestia smiled.
“Hi there Spikey Wikey I'm your new mommy!” Twilight leaned over the crib’s railings. The small dragon looked at her in surprise. It leaned forward and the two gazed at eachother.
The dragon suddenly burst out in loud cries, causing Twilight to jump backwards and fall over.
“OHMYGOSH did I do something wrong?! I'm really sorry please don’t cry plesedontcrypleasedontcry!” Twilight jumped back on her hooves and tried to calm the dragon by patting him on the head.
“Plesedontcrypleasedontcry!” Twilight muttered.
Celestia chucked and levitated over a small emerald. She teased the little dragon with it, and then gave it to him. Spike instantly fell quiet and stuffed the emerald in his tiny mouth and began to suck on it.
Twilight looked at Celestia in surprise. She smiled back and turned to the room. “Everypony who has a dragon, come over here!”
After a few moments there was a small group of foals around Spike’s crib. Actually, only four ponies: Twilight, Cluster, and two fillies from Nagaraac and Puffle. The little dragon leaned on the railing looking at all the colorful creatures. He still had the small emerald in his mouth.
“I think I will tell you just the very basics so you can go to bed. I still need to tend to about a dozen salamander’s, two phoenixes, and eight Timberwolves. Not to mention somepony even has a baby hydra, and I honestly have no idea how they still have limbs...” Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Now, I already mentioned this to Twilight and Cluster over here, but, Dragons are life-long companions. They are very loyal and true friends if treated properly. They can be excellent assistants in magic as well. They are just like ponies, except they live up to thousands of years!”
Twilight poked Celestia's leg. “Yes Twilight?” “Why did you give Spike an emerald? Aren’t they like dangerous, sharp and all that?”
“That’s a very good question Twilight. Take note kids, you are free to ask anything. But I digress, a dragon’s diet actually consists of gemstones. Domesticated dragons eat pony food as well, but for these little guys-” She rubbed Spike’s head with her forehoof. “-to grow up healthy, they need to eat gems.”
“Don’t worry about that though, Canterlot is built on a mountain full of gem deposits. As for caring for them... We will have a lesson twice a week, only the five of us and your little companions. They will be cared for when you are in class, but the more time you spend with them, the closer they will be to you. I suggest giving them at least an hour of your day, and try to feed them by yourselves as well. If you need, I can give you excuses a few times for that exact reason.”
“What are dragons for?” the green filly asked. She had a crimson red mane and Twilight could only assume she was from Nagaraac. “I mean they’re cool and all, but what more is there? *sigh* I should’ve settled for a salamander…” she muttered the last part.
“Like I said, they are wonderful assistants. They can write for you, research for you, and they are better than any other pony because they are like a sibling that will do anything to help you. They will always be there for you, and will do anything for you as long as you don’t treat them like a waste of space.” Celestia gave her a cold glare.
The filly shrank in her shoulders just a bit. Twilight loved the fact that Celestia was so kind and nice, but at the same time super-strict and cunning.
“Any more questions?” Celestia tilted her head. The foals stood still. “Ok then. You are free to come and go as you please.” She smiled and turned around to walk away.
As she yawned she said: “Don’t forget, they breathe fire, so stand clear when they burp.” And she was gone.
The four exchanged a glance. The two fillies walked away and Twilight was left alone with Cluster and Spike.
“So… umm… Hi I'm Twilight, Twilight Sparkle. This is Spike.” Twilight pointed at her little dragon.
“Cool name. I'm Chocolate Cluster.” “You don’t look much like chocolate.” “I know… but I like chocolate! Do you think dragons like chocolate?” He walked over to Spike and took a long look at him. He was plain gray with a dark-gray mane. He was just a bit shorter and chubbier that Twilight.
“Can you show me your dragon?” Twilight inquired. “Ok.” Cluster got back on all fours and walked away. All Twilight could do was follow.
As they maneuvered around a couple of scattered and empty cribs, Twilight saw another purple banner. It was blank, other than two letters: C.C.
“This is my little dragon. It’s a she, but I haven’t thought up a name for her.” Cluster explained as he poked a small white dragon with black scales with his nose.
The dragon opened its eyes. They were bright pink.
Twilight suddenly had idea. “Coco.” was all she said.
“Pardon?” Cluster lifted an eyebrow. “Name her Coco. It sounds cute!” she eagerly explained.
“Coco… You're right that does sound cute!” Cluster smiled. He turned to face his dragon. “Hi Coco. Now you have a name, dontchya’? Aww you’re such a cutie!” He gently rubbed the dragoness’s cheek. She smiled back with a yawn. Cluster and Twilight yawned in response.
They exchanged a quick look and began to laugh as the dragon fell over, instantly falling asleep.
“Umm… maybe we can head to the tower together? I have a tendency to get lost.” Twilight blushed. “Sure.” “Ok! Just let me say goodnight to Spike.” Twilight turned around and ran out from sight.
---------
“And she has a phoenix! A phoenix!” Twilight whisper-shouted as she was dangerously hanging upside-down from the top bunk.
The room was dark, and it seemed almost as if Lyra’s yellow eyes glowed as she looked up from the side of her covers.
“Wow, I honestly can’t get over the fact there are tamed dragons! That’s like, really super-cool!” Lyra replied.
Twilight had spent the last two hours talking to Lyra about the entire pet/assistant thing, seeing that the aquamarine filly only owned a songbird. She seemed somewhat interested, but not very eager. Lyra was a nice conversation-partner, but she was still pretty cold to Twilight.
She was nice pony but maybe just a bit too arrogant. Twilight thought to herself.
“Anyway, and we’re gonna have extra classes! I mean I'm not complaining, I really love to learn and all that, but I'm no caretaker. My first goldfish died the day after I got it! Then again Moonglow had her experimenting period and-”
“Twilight!” a voice echoed the dark bedroom.
Twilight and Lyra looked at the darkness in surprise. It spoke again.
“I get that you had a fun time with Cluster and Celestia, I had a nice time too, but PLEASE just shut up! I'm trying to sleep! You need sleep too!” It was Blinky. Her pale green eyes were easily recognized even in a dark room. Her glasses were like super-powered magnifiers.
“Oh…” Nopony could see Twilight blush. “We were loud?”
“YES!” the entire room boomed with the voices of five other fillies.
“Oh… sorry…” she whispered and disappeared under her covers.
---------
Morning came abruptly. Twilight: being used to sleeping on ground-level sleepily tried to get out of bed and fell at least 10 hoofs until she landed in Lyra’s opened suitcase with a loud thud.
As she climbed out of her bunk-buddy’s personal belongings, she saw that there weren’t all that many. There was a stuffed and severely patched plush bird, a few plain dresses, a random snow globe of Manehattan, a couple of ragged books, and some other miscellaneous items along with a small, locked, wooden box. All of it seemed to be already used once.
As Lyra shot her an evil glace Twilight dragged herself over to her own suitcase. She used her magic without even noticing it and picked out her purple robes. After the suitcase had been closed she realized she had used magic. She stared at the robes in surprise for a few moments before she put them on.
They were nice and soft, and matched her coat. She finally took a peak at the sheet of paper containing every single thing she supposedly needed.
Routine:
8:00 - Wake up 8:20 - Breakfast in Great Hall 9:00 - Class #1 (see schedule) 10:30 - Class #2 12:00 - Free time 13:00 - Lunch in Great Hall 14:00 - Class #3 15:30 - Class #4 17:00 - Break 17:30 - Class #5 (final) 19:00 - Diner in Great Hall 20:00 - Free Time 22:00 - Dark Hours
Note: Dark Hours means NOPONY is allowed outside without explicit permission.
Monday
Herbology Herbology Magic Theory Magic Practice Math
Tuesday
Combat History Magic Practice Runes Magic Theory
Wednesday
Magic Practice Runes Gym Gym Magic Theory
Thursday
Creatures Combat Combat Magic Theory Gym
Friday
Math History Herbology Creatures Combat
Note: No books/equipment needed for first lesson
“Herbology? Cool!” Twilight cheered.
“Uggh… that’s a lot of stuff to do…” Twilight’s mood dropped as she realized there was barely any free time. “All for a good cause I guess…” she muttered and exited the bedroom completely, ignoring Blinky.
---------
“I really don’t see why we need to learn about plants and stuff. I would’ve much preferred something like… umm…”
“Magic?” Twilight cut in. She and Starshine were chatting away in a large greenhouse placed right next to the side of the mountain. The Puffle’s were also there, which meant they would have class with them for the rest of the year.
It wasn’t that bad actually. A lot of the Puffle’s were smart, or goofy. They were nice to have around, especially for a pony like Twilight.
Twilight opened her mouth to say something just as she saw a leafy, green mare enter the large glass room.
“Hello my little ponies!” She cheerfully spoke. She had a nice orange mane and two tails that independently twirled in the air. She had crystal-clear, blue eyes and a giant smile.
Twilight recognized her. She was the one who shoved her to the front of the line at the Sorting Ceremony. Her blistering smile was just a bit disturbing. Her cutie mark was a plain, clay pot.
“Oh my! I didn’t know we had two towers here! Oh boy this year will be a very tight doozy.” She looked funny, talked funny, and acted funny. Twilight was beginning to like her more and more.
She pushed herself through a group of yellow-robed students at the opposite side of the greenhouse. They were all Puffle’s, and Twilight could see some of them go so far as to even admiring the overly happy teacher.
It took at least five minutes for the teacher to make her way to the far side of the greenhouse. She was a bit… larger than the average pony. She wasn’t fat she was just... big boned.
She turned and faced the students. Twilight couldn’t see her horn.
“Welcome, welcome to my little greenhouse. I am Golden Petal, and I'm going to be your Herbology teacher. As you may have noticed, I am an herbalist. Is there anything else you have noticed about me?” She smiled.
A hoof shot up at the far end of the greenhouse from the Puffle side. “Yes little one?” “You’re not a unicorn!” the filly shouted her answer.
“Correct! And why am I not a unicorn at an all-unicorn school?”
Twilight’s hoof shot up. “Yes little purple filly?” Golden Petal looked at Twilight.
“Because earth ponies are great farmers and herbalist’s. Earth pony magic is very complicated, and at the same time, very simple. Besides them being much more durable and stronger than the other two races, they have a strong magical aura. Unlike unicorns that can channel their magic through the horn, Earth ponies have a distinct in-born power that ‘connects’ them to the earth, just like pegasi can ‘connect’ to the air, which simply means that earth ponies can easily nourish and grow the wildest of plants without any problems. In short: No-pony can grow anything like an Earth-pony!” Twilight ended her small speech.
All of the students, including the teacher, gazed at her wide-eyed in pure amazement.
“D-did I misinterpret a fact? I'm sorry if I did…” Twilight shrank under the table.
Golden Petal shook her head and smiled even wider (how is that even possible?!) “That was wonderful… WONDERFUL!” She clapped her hooves. “I could not have possibly said it better myself! Oh, this earns the Star tower a big, fat, juicy 20 points!” She beamed.
The rest of the Star Tower students followed Starshine’s example, and clapped their hoofs as well. After the cheers died down, both of the classes went by uneventfully as Golden Petal explained the basics of Herbology. Twilight sat through it as red as a beet.
---------
After the sound of a distant bell, the students exited the steamy greenhouse. Blinky instantly clung to Twilight and Starshine as they made their way to the common room.
“Wow and I thought I was gonna be the good one at Herbology!” Blinky began a conversation. “Thanks…” Twilight wasn’t very responsive.
“I didn’t… never mind… Hey! Wanna’ go to the nursery with me?!” Blinky hopped with excitement.
“I'm not really in the mood.” Twilight simply stared at the ground as she walked forward. “Come on Twilight!” Starshine joined in. “I really wanna’ see your dragon! Damien told me it was awesome!”
“Damien?” Twilight lifted her eyes. “Yea. He’s my bunk-buddy!” “Really?” “Well, not exactly. We’re both in the top bunks next to each other. We tied a sheet in the middle and now we have a giant hammock! It’s really cool, and Damien’s really cool too because he says he used to sleep in trees! He’s an awesome pony, except he looks like filly.” Starshine snickered.
Twilight let a small smile slip on her lips. Her two companions stopped in front of her and just stared at her with big smiles. Finally Twilight couldn’t take it, and burst into laughter.
After that was over she was smiling once again as they changed their course, and headed to the nursery.
---------
It took about half an hour for the three little ponies to find their way. The school looked immensely different in the dark than during the day. But finally they were there.
The nursery was a bright, warm, and welcoming room. One corner had a very large terrarium with a small pool and an abundance of odd plants, probably for the salamanders. Twilight could’ve sworn she saw Golden Petal’s flank flash through the foliage.
There was also a small area with only a couple of cages, and a bunch of perches. That was where Blinky had vanished.
Twilight moved to the corner holding a few cribs as Starshine followed her eagerly looking around. As they approached a crib with the purple banner hanging atop, the small dragon leaned over the railing to greet the odd ponies. Twilight smiled as she came to a stop just in front of the little dragon. She smiled and he smiled back. Starshine barely dared to breathe.
“Hi Spikey. How ya’ doing?” Twilight leaned over and rubbed the dragon with her nose. He playfully let out a squee and fell over giggling.
Starshine finally dared to come a bit closer and leaned on the railing next to Twilight.
“He’s like a baby. That’s so cool.” He tilted his head. “Celestia said they’re like baby ponies… Do you have a brother or a sister?” “Me? No. I'm an only child and I live with my dad.” “What about your mom?” “I don’t have one. Whenever I ask dad about it he’s just says, “When you’re older".” He paused, “I hate that. You’re lucky, you have, like the best sister and family ever.”
“I can never imagine my life without my mom and dad, or Shinning, or especially Moonglow… I love them very much…” “Does Spaiee-t-this little guy have parents?” “Spike. And no. Celestia told me they got him off a real mean griffon that wanted to eat him for lunch… that’s horrible…”
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Spike slapped his little claw on Twilight’s nose and stared at her. A few moments passed and he opened his mouth.
“What do you think he’s doing?” Starshine asked. “I think he’s hungry.” Twilight replied. “How do you know?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s something called ‘A Mother’s instinct.’ I'm not exactly sure but I read about it somewhere.” “Oh… You want me to get something from the Great Hall? Lunch is gonna be soon anyway.”
“No. Dragons don’t eat food, he might get sick or something.” “Then what do they eat?” “Gems.” Twilight turned around and walked over to a small stack of cardboard boxes. She pushed one open with her nose and took out a sapphire.
She walked back to Spike and teased him with the gem before giving it to him, while wearing an unusual, motherly expression she had only seen on her own mom and Celestia. Starshine eagerly watched the process. It looked like he really adored dragons, or maybe it was caretaking?
“Maybe I can be his mommy?” Twilight said to nopony in particular. “Aren’t you already?” Starshine looked at her. “I'm not sure… but if I'm gonna be a mommy then he needs a daddy too…” Twilight barely paid attention to what she was saying.
“Maybe…” Starshine fell quiet. “Maybe I can…?”
The two little ponies looked at each other. Purple and turquoise met. They stared at each other and suddenly turned away, heavily blushing. They quietly pushed out awkward laughs as they didn’t dare to look at each other.
“Maybe we should go? Next lesson’s Magic and i don't want to miss lunch ether…” Starshine quickly changed the subject. “Ok, I’ll just tuck him in.” Twilight reached over and pulled a blanket over the little dragon with her teeth, as he slowly chewed on the sapphire. “Sleep tight Spikey-Wikey.” Twilight muttered and turned around to follow Starshine.
As they had exited the nursery Blinky appeared around the corner. “Hey guys I just checked on my phoenix and I thought we could go to…” She looked around and didn’t see anypony. Spike quietly snored hugging the sapphire. “Did they seriously forget about me again?” Blinky skeptically looked around.
“It feels like they don’t even want me around… Noooooo, that can’t be right, can it? They just forgot! I’ll just go meet them in the Great Hall!” And she cheerfully trotted out the door.
---------------------------------- Edited by Midge Mannequin
Twilight sat in the Great Hall and slowly nibbled on some hay-fries. Starshine sat next to her and energetically chatted to Damien that had joined them, along with Lyra that quietly sat at Twilight’s other side.
It had been barely the first third of the day, but it already seemed like it had lasted forever. Twilight already had had two really big fails, and the day wasn’t even half over!
The last one about her and Starshine being Spike’s parents together was the most awkward moment in her entire life! What was she thinking!? Twilight sighed and looked down at her plate. She wasn’t hungry anymore. She reached over and grabbed two apples and stuffed them under her purple robe in case she got hungry later.
She got up and muttered something about going to class early, and walked towards the exit. As she went outside with a small group of third-year students she saw Blinky pass by. She had completely forgotten about her.
Twilight didn’t want to get on Binky’s bad side, but she wasn’t exactly all that fond of the strange filly. At first she seemed to be cool, but now she just seemed… obnoxious…
Twilight shook her head. She couldn’t think that way about another pony! But then again… NO. She was determined to leave that topic alone. Right now she just needed to talk to somepony.
She still didn’t know when she would be able to meet Celestia, and Moonglow had just vanished. Twilight found herself standing in the corridor aimlessly looking forward as masses of students streamed around her like a river.
She finally decided to go and find her magic class. She never realized how much of a labyrinth the school was.
As Twilight joined the stream of ponies going in a random direction, she suddenly got tackled to the ground. She painfully hit the floor knocking the last bits of air out of her lungs.
As she looked to where the hit had come from she saw an azure blue filly dressed in a dark, green robe snarling, and staring daggers at her. She had a mildly short snowy-white mane made to one side of her head and bright purple eyes.
Twilight coughed and stood up. Her side hurt from the impact. “What’s your problem!?” she snapped. “What’s Trixie’s problem?! What’s your problem!? Thanks for getting Trixie into trouble! Trixie saw you and the princess huddling together after yesterday! Plotting to get her into even more trouble!” she yelled.
“Who the heck is Trixie and why the hay is this bothering you?!” “I am Trixie you imbecile!” “Then why the hay would you call yourself ‘she’?” Twilight was more confused than angry though her side still throbbed with pain.
Trixie’s eye twitched and she suddenly jumped at Twilight with a roar. The cat-fight had already drawn quite a bit of attention. As the two fillies rolled on the ground Trixie snarled at Twilight as they tried to punch each other as hard as their little body could allow.
“You already took so much from Trixie! She battled her way into this school! You stupid rich-y-mc-richington took away Trixie’s place as the princesses private student! You will pay and Trixie will make your life a living hell!” she hissed and lodged a shot at Twilight’s muzzle.
The hit made a small blood vessel on Twilight’s lower lip burst and leak a small stream of blood down from the corner of her mouth. Twilight however didn’t just take the hits, she punched back and managed to hit Trixie right in the eye. She shot backwards and that gave Twilight a small enough lee-way to get out of Trixie’s grip.
Twilight skidded away and got back up on all fours. Trixie’s eye had already begun to swell shut as she leaped again.
Suddenly she stopped midair. A rusty red aura shimmered around her. All the students that had gathered around froze in fear as Mrs. Mandagor’e emerged from the crowd.
Twilight’s eyes widened in fear and Trixie just snarled and kept tossing her hoofs around and squirming in the air.
“What is this about?” Her cold voice echoed in the corridor. Nopony dared to utter a single peep.
“Did you not cause enough trouble yesterday, little Trixie?” “Don’t you dare to call me little…!” she hissed back. “Silence! You have caused so much ruckus, I have no idea where to even begin! You’re lucky Celestia is busy, that means I can punish you myself.” She smirked. “Nyx will be happy to know I'm taking away 25 points from Nagaraac.”
All the green-robed students expressed their disappointment. “But don’t worry dears, I'm going to punish this little one over here as well.” She glared at Twilight. “Minus ten points from my own Tower, Miss Sparkle.”
There was a silence. “Now follow me you two and the rest, be gone! You have classes don’t you?” She continued to smirk and carried a squirming Trixie away with her magic as Twilight slowly followed the nasty teacher.
Worst. Day. Ever.
---------
“Terrible, terrible, terrible! The first day isn’t even over and you’re already picking fights! Especially you Trixie, if I were you I’d lay low for the next trimester.” Mandagor’e snarled as she paced in front of the two fillies that now sat on small stools in her empty clasroom.
Trixie was holding a bag of ice over her eye and Twilight held a tuft of toilet paper against her lip.
“And after that wonderful execution of your power yesterday I thought you were better Miss Sparkle, but it seems I was wrong. You are just like your no-good sister, picking fights getting into trouble, back when I was…”
“I'm not the one who picked a fight!” Twilight shouted and earned a hateful glance from her teacher.
“You will not talk ba…”
“I don’t care anymore! I'm not the one who fought I was just defending my flank! And my sister is the greatest pony in existence besides Celestia herself! You have no right to trash-talk her!” Twilight snapped and leaned forward on the stool. Her eyes glimmered with a weak purple aura as her coat lightened in color.
Mandagor’e just stood there like a stone. She had a numb expression and her dull gray eyes were half-closed behind her crest glasses. Twilight breathed heavily as her lip came open again and blood slowly dribbled down her chin.
“You are unfortunately incorrect Miss Sparkle. I have all the rights to criticize your precious sister as she is a bad influence not just to Mr. Sky, but to Aurora as well. Not to mention you.” She glared over the top of her glasses.
“She wields extreme power, she even reminds me of me and Nyx when we were young, yet we were more responsible back then. All your dear sister cares about is fun, and that will get her nowhere. If she wishes to become a truly powerful pony she must train hard for she naturally posses the power an ordinary unicorn can only dream about. So do you. And a great example was your brother.”
“Stop comparing us to our brother…” Twilight whispered as she looked down to ground.
Mandagor’e lowered her head to look in Twilight’s eyes. Her own eyes were unnaturally soft and maybe even full of life and love. Maybe. Probably not.
“I compare you to your brother only because he is one of the strongest ponies in this decade. And you wield the same power he does. I say this only because I don’t want you to waste your maximum potential like your sister did. And still does…”
Twilight took a few deep breathes and looked up in Mandagor’e’s eyes.
Once. Only once the roles were reversed. Twilight was the one who was burning with anger, and Mandagor’e was the one in sheer surprise.
Her eyes lit up and her coat changed from lavender to pure white. Her mane lit up in flames as her eyes burned bright red. Her angry grin could bring any pony to the brink of passing out in fear.
“STOP TRASH-TALKING MY SISTER!!!” she boomed. Trixie had vanished, and Mandagor’e was just staring at Twilight with and odd mix of fear and amazement.
Suddenly Twilight gasped. Her body was locked in spasms as she hovered a good couple of hoofs off the ground. Her magic was shooting out bolts of lightning as she gawked whilst her body moved and twisted on its own. It was the same thing that happened during her entrance exam… the only thing that could stop her was…
“Tia!” Mandagor’e gasped as Twilight felt the tips of soft feathers brush against her sides and slowly drag her to the ground. She felt the familiar calming sensation all around her as her magic let go.
Moments passed and she felt herself sobbing in Celestia’s chest as she wrapped her large hoofs around the small filly. “I'm sorry.” Twilight whispered. “It’s ok.” Celestia calmingly replied. “Mrs. Mandagor’e find Trixie and continue with the day’s routine. I need to have a small private lesson with Twilight.”
Just as she said that an azure filly appeared in the doorway. She had a cookie stuffed in her mouth.
“Dif Twixie miss sometfing?” She looked clueless. “Yes. Detention. Now come with me.” Mandagor’e quickly took handle of the situation again, and dragged Trixie out of her cabinet not even paying attention to the fact that the pony had raided her cookie stash.
---------
There was a bright flash and a pair of ponies appeared in Celestia’s private study.
Celestia used her wings and placed little Twilight on a pillow and kneeled on the carpet in front of her. It took some time for Twilight to move and look at Celestia. Her eyes were red from crying as she spoke in a whisper.
“I'm going to go pack now. I’ll be fast don’t worry, Lyra can have my bed and Starshine can take care of Spike for me. He likes him, I think Spike needs a male role-model. Before I go I'm going to apologize to Mrs. Mandagor’e and Blinky and even Trixie… I'm just gonna…” As Twilight stood up she felt a soft hoof on her own.
She looked at Celestia again. She was smiling. “Oh. Ok, you can keep my stuff. I left Smartypants back home, but you can have her too. I understand I need to be punished even more so maybe just throw me in a dungeon, or banish me, or banish me and throw me in a dungeon in the place where you banish me to. It’s ok, I understand.” Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes as she fell down on her knees.
Twilight slowly looked up and met Celestia’s magenta gaze. They stared at each other until Celestia broke out into a soft chuckle.
Twilight’s lip quivered seeing her former-mentor laugh about her banishment. She bit her lip to hold back tears. Her wound came open and more blood streamed down her chin.
Celestia softly smiled as she stopped chucking. She leaned down and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “I'm not going to banish you dear Twilight.” she softly whispered.
“Now hold still, let me fix your lip.” She lowered her horn and placed it against Twilight’s wound. It glowed with a bright, golden light for a few moments until all that was left was a small scar.
Celestia leaned back as Twilight cautiously poked her, now fixed, lip. “The scar will fade in a few days. That’s the only downside of this healing spell.”
“Wha-why-what-why-you-what-didn’t-whaaaa-aaa?” Twilight struggled for words as she looked up at Celestia with her mouth agape.
“I won’t banish you Twilight, where in Equestria did you get that idea?” Celestia chucked. “Your magical outburst is nothing new for me. All unicorn ponies could have one, it’s prone to happen more often to somepony with a magic mark.” She pointed at Twilight’s flank. “Just like that one.” Celestia added.
Twilight looked up at her. Sadness, guilt, embarrassment and admiration stuffed into one emotion. Celestia got the signal.
“I am not mad. I am actually impressed. Its true Mandagor’e can be quite the hassle, and I know she has a thing against your sister. I hate to admit it, but a lot of what she said is true. Moonglow is a bit too airheaded. She could achieve greatness as long as she tried…”
Twilight looked down. She loved her sister. But deep down inside she knew it all was true. Moonglow loved a good laugh and a nice prank. She never understood why Twilight studied instead of played. They were both lucky to have Shinning around to pull Twilight out of her shell every once in awhile. Moonglow tried her best, but they were just so different… then why did they love each other so much? Shouldn’t they have something in common to be Big Sister Best Friends Forever?
Twilight just sighed. Celestia placed her wing on the small filly. The beautiful moon shined brightly. Wait! Moon?!
Twilight shot up and ran past the confused Celestia to the open balcony. She leaned on the ornate railing and gazed into the night sky. It was wonderful.
“Princess, why is in night already? It was just barely past lunch.” Twilight asked as Celestia walked right next to her.
“Don’t worry Twilight. It’s just a spell. See?” Celestia’s horn glowed and the night faded away into a bright and sunny autumn day.
“I love autumn. My favorite of the seasons… so colorful and beautiful.” Celestia whispered. The sun was lazily gliding across the sky.
“I like Fall too. It means school starts so I can study again. You probably don’t know that I love to study…” Twilight said into the sky.
“Indeed.” was all that Celestia said. The day slowly faded around the two ponies and the stars lit up the endless abyss. Without a word Celestia turned around and went inside. Twilight followed.
---------
“Princess? Why did you make it night in your study? I don’t get it.” Twilight asked as she sat on a pile of pillows in Celestia’s Study.
“It’s actually very simple. This school is my haven. I don’t have to act like royalty and be perfect in every way to keep the pesky noble’s around to help me run the county. I can be myself. Simple. A joker, a teacher, a principal, a friend…”
“I see the sun every time I'm not here. Court, balls, galas, errands. I’d hate to say it but I'm a bit sick of it. The moon however… it brings back memories. I can never see it since I need to sleep… I wish I could though.” Celestia gazed at the balcony. The moon was almost full. It was astonishing.
“Oh.” was all that Twilight said as her mentor gazed at the sky.
“But that, is for another day.” Celestia turned back to her student. “We have the time. I may as well hold your lesson.” She smiled. “But I need to know, what caused the power outburst?”
“Emotions. Mandagor’e. I hate her Princess, and she hates me too! She hates me and Moonglow both and I just don’t know why!” Twilight shouted.
“I said it once, and I’ll say it again… Mandy is a hassle, but don’t take her the wrong way Twilight. She means well but there are things that change a pony. She herself is a very powerful unicorn. Do you know what her cutie mark is?”
“No. I never got a good chance to look at it. Mom said it’s not nice to stare at ponies flank’s because it’s rude.”
“It’s a meteor Twilight. Do you know what that means?” Twilight shook her head.
“It means fire, and fire stands for power. You saw her charade last night didn’t you? That was the weakest thing she could cast.” Twilight’s jaw began to hang.
“Somewhere deep inside you are very similar. You both don’t know it and you both don’t admit it. I may go so far as to say you and Mandagor’e are more similar than you and your dear brother Shinning Armor.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she closed her mouth.
“That’s why you shouldn’t be angry at her Twilight, it’s the same as being angry at yourself. You both have a nasty temper.” Celestia chuckled. “Learn from her Twilight. She will teach you things nopony could ever teach.”
“But what about…”
“Me? There are some things even a goddess can’t do.” Celestia smiled a sad smile.
Twilight looked down to the ground lost in thought. Her face expressed only confusion.
“But what about today?” Twilight looked up once more, “After what I may have almost done to her she probably hates me more than ever! And I'm probably going to hang out with Moonglow too, and that will just make her set me on fire! And now, I know that she can do that…”
“First of all she won’t, Twilight. Second, she has discipline. That is all you need to know. And lastly, I still need to have a word with her. She may not like you Twilight, but she will still help you become as powerful as your magic allows you, she’s just like that.” Celestia kept smiling.
Twilight didn’t know how to respond. She laid down her head and closed her eyes. She didn’t notice the fact that she fell asleep nor the fact that Celestia lended her wing as a blanket and resumed meaningless paperwork as her student slept the day away.
Maybe it wasn’t such a bad day after all?
----------------------------------- Edited by Midge Mannequin
“Fourty-two!” Twilight shot up from her slumber. She glanced around and deducted that this was not her room, nor at home, nor at the school. She looked behind her and saw a white wing on her back. She looked down and saw large, prestigious pillows, with golden tufts. She looked to her right and saw… Celestia…
“EEP! IMSOSORRYYOURMAJEST-MFHH-MHFH!” Celestia jammed her hoof in Twilight’s mouth to muffle her loud apology. She softly smiled and giggled as the little pony freed her mouth.
“Oh Twilight, you're just so adorable when you think you're in trouble.” Celestia laughed. She gently stroked Twilight’s mane as the filly looked up at her in fear, surprise, and admiration. The usual chunk of emotions she saw on all of her dear subjects.
“You fell asleep after we had a little conversation. Seems like I lost track of time and let you sleep like the adorable little filly you are.” Celestia chuckled.
“But… but… I… I MISSED CLASSES!!!!” Twilight screamed and broke down on the pillows and cried in desperation while Celestia struggled to not laugh out loud. She continued to softly stroke Twilight as the illusion spell of her study showed a beautiful sunrise.
“It’s ok Twilight, you only missed math and two lessons with Mandagor’e, and I think that’s a good thing.” Celestia chuckled again.
“I think you might be hungry, no?” Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but her stomach loudly grumbled in response as she turned deep red in embarrassment.
“At least you’re not late for dinner. Care to join me?” Twilight energetically nodded. Celestia fell in deep thought for a few moments before speaking in her amazing voice. “Maybe you want to invite some friends? I'm thinking about eating here.”
Twilight nodded again, more enthusiastically than before. “Then how about I go get them, and you set up the pillows?” Twilight just kept nodding. “Splendid. Try to use magic, that can be our lesson tonight.” Celestia smiled and paced out of the room.
Twilight slowly stood up just after her head had stopped violently nodding and began to try levitating the fluffy pillows. Just as she almost had grabbed one Celestia poked her head through the door. She was wearing an odd and quite silly expression.
“Oh, forgetful me… I forgot to ask which students I'm supposed to invite over.” Celestia looked silly with a blush, Twilight couldn’t help but snicker.
“Well I want to meet Starshine, definitely. This might soften Lyra up… OH! Moonglow! If you get Moonglow I’ll be real happy!” Twilight beamed. She wanted to invite Blinky, Damien, Cluster and Moonglow’s two friends too, but that would be quite the crowd… so Twilight settled for a sister, a friend and an acquaintance.
“Then I’ll be right back, Twilight.” Celestia vanished behind the large ornate door and Twilight got back to struggling with the pillows.
---------
The room was ready. Five piles of pillows were set in a circle around the carpet, just because there was no table in this room. Halfway through, Twilight had given up on using magic. Guess it didn’t want to be ordered and came when it pleased.
As the door creaked Twilight jumped into the pile of pillows meant for Celestia and hid in them. She saw Celestia enter the room with a straight and emotionless face. Behind her trotted a very scared looking Starshine and a cowering Lyra. Finally Moonglow entered looking like herself.
Twilight saw Celestia shoot a gaze in her direction as they both began to play a completely unintentional joke.
“Now, you’re probably wondering why I brought all of you here.” Celestia coldly looked at the three ponies. “That’s very simple. You're all in big…”
“SURPRISE!” Twilight jumped out of the pile of pillows and managed to trip mid-air and landed face first in front of the surprised ponies.
Moonglow was the first to react. She fell over and began to loudly laugh as Lyra and Starshine exchanged a confused gaze. Twilight picked herself off the floor. Her face was a bit red from impact. She looked at Celestia who was softly smiling. Then she turned to her classmates and smiled.
“What in the hay…?” Lyra muttered. “The princess asked me if I wanted to have any friend’s with me while we eat dinner here. I picked you two and my sister Moonglow.” Twilight beamed.
Lyra looked skeptical. Starshine looked around for a few seconds and joined Moonglow as they laughed.
As Starshine laughed Moonglow managed to get on her hooves and walk over to the princess. She spoke as she slapped her hoof on the Princess’s shoulder and leaned on it.
“Nice one Tia! I thought you had something under your skin, but I didn’t know ya’ got Twiley in on this!” She laughed. The three younglings gasped at her informal attitude. Celestia on the other hoof seemed almost appreciative of the fact that none of them bowed and even dared to use nicknames around her. She simply smiled as wide as ever.
“How about we sit down and have dinner? I need to run a few more errands before ten pm, and you can’t be outside past then.” Celestia snickered as the five ponies sat around the empty carpet. Moonglow sat next to Celestia, Twilight next to Moonglow, Starshine next to Twilight, and Lyra was left on the other side of Celestia. Her eyes were wide in slight fear as she skidded a bit closer to Starshine.
“Lyra! Get your own pillow!” Starshine protested.
Twilight almost instantly understood why the filly was acting up. She was sacred.
“Hey Lyra, how about you and Moonglow swap seats.” Twilight proposed. Lyra didn’t budge. “Ok than how about I swap with Moonglow and then you swap.” Lyra took a few moments but nodded. Twilight just didn’t understand, why was she so scared?
After the small switcharoo they were finally seated. Celestia’s horn glowed and the carpet-table was filled with food. Spaghetti, pie, cheese, grapes, orange juice, apples, bread, butter, and a few cakes and biscuits filled the silver platter.
“Dig in.” Celestia softly chimed.
---------
“So Twi’, what happened today anyways? I heard about the fight and I tried to find you, but these two here-” Moonglow pointed at Lyra and Starshine with her mouth full. “-Had no idea where you went.” She finished and went back to slurping her spaghetti. Moonglow held the bowl in her telekinetic grip and used two sticks instead of a fork like a normal pony. She called them chop-sticks. That was Moonglow for ya’.
“Well after the… incident…” Twilight was fairly wary. She had struggled with her food long enough, but didn’t want to look like a completely uncouth pony in front of Celestia when she gave up on the fork. “The princess took me here and we talked and I may have fallen asleep…” She blushed.
Moonglow snorted and laughed with her mouth full until a single spaghetti came through her nose cutting off the laugh.
Everypony except Moonglow grinned at the sight with a chorus of “ewww…!”
“Oh dear Celestia, that can’t be good…” Moonglow muttered while she looked cross-eyed at the pasta.
“It’s not that bad.” Celestia casually replied and sipped some juice. “No I mean… no, I… never mind…” Moonglow sighed and pulled the spaghetti out of her nose accompanied by the appropriate sound. Twilight lost her appetite.
Moonglow placed it on the edge of the bowl. “I'm not eating that…”
“I'm not hungry anymore.” Starshine stated and pushed the bowl away. “Me nether.” “I'm full.” “I guess I’ve had enough. Gotta’ keep the Royal Form.” Twilight, Lyra, and even Celestia pushed away their bowls and plates and sat an awkward silence.
“Sooo…” Celestia began. “I’ll escort you to your tower so you don’t get caught by the Whisps on your way.”
“By the what’s?” Twilight couldn’t resist the question.
“I’ll tell you on the way, come along now, don’t worry I’ll clean up.”
As the five ponies began their trot through the dark hallways Celestia began to speak.
“Whisps are mostly forest spirits that live in the Everfree. There are also artificial ones. The artificial whisps are bound to a pony and they are created from their aura. For an artificial whisp there can only be one pony.”
“Almost all of the teachers in the school have whisps and that’s how they communicate without walking long distances for a single sentence. And that makes them sound lazy…” Celestia and Moonglow chuckled. The three younglings just exchanged a gaze. “You will learn more about them in Creatures.”
“Oh hail’ yea! Nightshade is like the best teacher besides Nyx, and what makes him so cool is that he’s a-” “*COUGH*!” Celestia interrupted Moonglow. “Don’t spoil it for them, dear.” Celestia softly smirked. “Heh…I, uhh...” Moonglow fell quiet for once.
“But what about the ones at the school?” Twilight kept asking. “Oh, right. They are whisps whose essences and auras have been bound to the gems in the Canterlot Mountain. Thanks to Starswirl and Alexandra we managed to tame them and bound the whisps to the school.”
“Seeing how I'm a goddess I technically own them since I'm the only pony besides Nyx and Amenix who they listen to.”
“Why them?” Starshine spoke up. “Because their blood is tied whit the original unicorns that tamed them. Ah, we’re here.” Celestia cut her small lesson.
“Goodnight my little ponies, sleep tight.” Celestia nudged Twilight through the door in the Star tower common room before closing the door with her golden magic.
“Whelp’, that was fun… G’Night’!” Starshine yawned and began to walk up the stairs. Lyra followed and Moonglow right after. Twilight managed to catch her sister and hold her back for a word.
“How come you and the princess are so informal with each other? It’s like you’re her billion-year-old friend or something!” Twilight instantly cut to the chase.
Moonglow gently pushed her sister away and spoke in her clear and kind voice. “Relax Twi’! Did you forget I was Tia’s private student for 2 years before you came along?” Moonglow giggled. “We’re good friends Twi’ don’t worry bout’ it!” And she turned and headed up the stairs.
“And her name is Celestia!” Twilight shouted after her sister.
---------
“Umm Twi’?” A quiet voice came from the lower bunk. Twilight poked her head from the covers and spoke while yawning. “Yea?”
There was a silence. “Thanks.” “For what?” Twilight was a bit confused. She thought her bunk-buddy Lyra was already sleeping when she came into the dark bedroom. Apparently not…
“For… for taking me along… ” “It was no problem, really.” “I…” Lyra fell quiet. “I knew you wanted to take Blinky. Goodnight Twilight.”
Twilight herd her tuck herself in and go to sleep. She, however, just sat there looking into the darkness. There wasn’t much to it. Then why was this nagging at her mind? Something about this sudden and short conversation… her tone… her voice… her everything… There was something about it and it infuriated Twilight as she simply didn’t understand what was going on. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing.
As her mind buzzed Twilight slowly slipped away from consciousness as her brain simply shut off.
Only a single day of many had passed…
-------------------------------- Yea, I guess this was more of a filler than anything... Oh well... ----------------------------------- Edited by Midge Mannequin
“I hate this…” Starshine complained with a loud yawn. As always, he and Twilight were sleepily keeping a conversation just after breakfast. After a sleep-full summer it was torture to get up so early.
“Oh, shut up already.” Twilight muttered and yawned in response. They were just standing around for literally over an hour. Their first lesson was supposed to be Combat, and Twilight was dying to know what they were going to be doing.
The room was giant. Then again Twilight slept away half of yesterday so she didn’t necessarily know how the other classes were. Starshine didn’t give an all that useful explanation ether, but then again he was always very negative in the early morning. Right now he was leaning against Twilight struggling to not fall asleep.
Twilight rolled her eyes and examined the room for the billionth time.
The room was pretty rectangular, and one of the walls was covered in windows. There was a really small door in the middle of the other side of the room leading out to the corridor. The room was divided in half by some kind of catwalk. It was splashed with some kind of green paint and the surface was dented, scraped, and bent.
On the other side of the catwalk were the Naga’s. Twilight despised Nagaraac. Most of it was Trixie’s fault, but she was nowhere to be seen. Twilight saw Lyra though. And Damien too… they were both in the corner and seemed to be just standing there. The two of them weren’t really the most talkative of ponies.
Twilight glanced back at Nagaraac. Starshine snorted in his sleep and held his balance simply by leaning on Twilight.
If the Naga’s were here that meant they would have class together which meant Twilight had an ‘official’ way to pummel Trixie. Twilight didn’t even know where the negative emotions about her came from. All she knew was that Trixie needed that arrogance knocked out of her.
Twilight snarled and probably looked like an idiot being angry at the air. Suddenly her hear ears perked up.
“Star! I think hear somepony!” Twilight shook the colt off her shoulder and he smacked the ground. Twilight wasn’t the only one though. Both towers turned their gaze at the door as loud echoes of a voice slowly drew closer.
The door opened by some icky green magic and a black mare marched in, dragging along an azure filly.
It was none other than the greasy, unkempt, poisonous-green-maned, and velvet black, dragon eyed teacher: Nexus Nyx Nayma.
And she was dragging none other than Trixie… by her ear….
“And UGH, I just don’t even know what to do with you, you mischievous little…!” she cursed as she kept dragging a squirming Trixie by her ear over to the group of Naga’s. She nearly threw Trixie into the crowd and suddenly jumped incredibly high and softly fluttered on the catwalk in the middle of the classroom as if it was nothing.
She whipped her dirty mane and her eyes ominously gleamed. The entire room was full of petrified silence. Twilight was getting ready for another Mrs. Mandagor’e-esk teacher that would suspend her for breathing wrong.
Just as she was ready for a blow of punishments, Nexus broke out in laughter. The students just fearfully looked at her and she ended her short laughter session by wiping away a few tears.
As she spoke her voice wasn’t at all raspy, old, or ever cunning. It was honest, cheerful, kind, and she sounded almost like a slightly older version of Moonglow.
“OH! I got you good, didn’t I?!” she chuckled. “Welcome, everypony to the Combat class. I'm your teacher Nexus Nyx Nayma, and this is the class where you will be able to dump all your excess emotions and have some harmful fun!” the class looked at her oddly.
“Ok, ok, I was kidding about the harmful part.” The class stood still. “Damn… Tough crowd…”
Silence.
“Ok, anyway, I won’t tolerate any of your Miss and Mrs. and all that around here, you can save it for Mand-Mrs. Mandagor’e’s class.” She smiled widely. She sounded very young and energetic. If Moonglow would ever become a teacher this would be her, right there. Twilight thought and giggled.
After a few seconds of thinking Twilight caught the teacher’s small slip-up. She almost called Mandagor’e - Mandy. That could’ve been a costly mistake.
“Ok, so since somepony,” Nexus glanced at Trixie, “had me occupied I couldn’t make it in time, we only have about five minutes left, I might as well use them…”
“So. You can call me Nexus, you can call me Nyx… actually I prefer Nyx… call me Nyx from now on.” She got lost in thought for a second. “Anyway, you're probably dying to know why you would possibly need to know any kind of Combat. So let’s begin.”
“Fighting can go both ways. You can attack and you can defend. Technically I'm supposed to teach you defense, but there is basically no point because it’s the same. Let me explain. To defend you still need to attack for defense, therefore it’s the same, but when it comes to attacking you still use defense in the end. The simplest thing like a shield can protect you and it can be used to swat enemies, therefore attack is defense and defense is attack. Any questions?”
Twilight stood dumbfounded. She felt a light tap on her side and turned to Starshine. “You get anything?” he whispered. Before Twilight could reply a colt on the far side of the Star tower’s side of the room spoke up.
“Miss-I, I mean Nexus, I think I broke my brain…” he innocently said. The Naga’s broke out in roars of mean laughter and you could see Nyx or Nexus or whatever she wanted to be called snicker. The colt turned bright red and dipped back into the small crowd.
“All you need to know is that you might come out bruised, but this class will be a lot of fun… especially in the later years…” she smiled a devilish smile as the bell loudly rang.
The mass of around 50 students began to stream out a single small door. Twilight was already in the hallway where she heard Nyx/Nexus shout something.
“Oh yea! In case you’re wondering about why I look like this, remind me to tell you next time!!!” she screamed over the sound of young ponies.
Twilight sighed and continued the trek along with Starshine to the next lesson.
---------
History. This will be fun.
Twilight sat in a fairly large auditorium. The desks were a bit too big for most of the foals, herself included. The lighting was weird there. There was a single, thin window on the far right side of the room and there were no candles only small balls of light floating around the room illuminating it.
Twilight loved history in all honesty. She used to dig up books from centuries ago in her grandmother’s house in Fillydelphia and study them over and over and over and over and over again. And over again…
Twilight thirsted for knowledge. Back when she was still weak at magic all she did was read. That’s why history was her favorite of all.
She just loved, loved, loved the history of Equestria, and she always wanted to see the Heart’s Warming Eve play about the three tribes, but her mom always said; only when she was 10. And she was! This very summer she turned ten just before her entrance exam!
But the one thing she wanted to know more than anything in the world was Celestia’s history. The pony she had admired ever since the Summer Sun Celebration years ago was always a mystery.
Sure, her mom had read her several stories about her having a sister and some kind of elements and nightmares and chaos and all that, but it was just old pony-tales. She wanted the real stuff!!!
So Twilight sat up straight and tried her best to see past the desk. Thank Celestia they were placed like stairs so no other pony’s head was in her way.
…
As if it mattered…
“UGH!” Twilight couldn’t help but grunt. She looked next to her and saw Starshine nearly under the table, only his snowy-light-blue horn poked above the desk. He didn’t look amused.
Meanwhile Lyra, who sat on the other side of the walkway, seemed pretty comfortable. She sat in her weird pose again, Twilight really otta’ ask her why she sat so weird.
She thought about beginning a conversation but decided; what was the point? Lyra never wanted to talk. At least to her.
Oh hay!
Twilight cursed to herself as she and Blinky exchanged a quick gaze. Luckily the odd filly didn’t notice. Twilight still didn’t understand what made her dislike the filly so much. All the questions of the universe… She thought.
She rested her horn against the desk and reconsidered trying to talk to Lyra again.
The door creaked open.
A yellow pony walked in. Every foal that had paid any attention to the surroundings perked their heads above the tall desks, Twilight included.
“Oh my.” The pony spoke. He had a funny voice. “Did I forget to fix the desks? My bad!” and with that and a flash of light-orange magic all the desks shrank to a 10-year-old’s size. Everypony gasped in amazement.
The pony walked to the desk in the front of the auditorium-like room and used his orange magic to tug a strand of rope next to the tiny window. The curtain behind him opened and revealed a giant chalkboard.
While he looked around for some chalk Twilight had a chance to examine the teacher. From what she had gathered, he was a descendant of Alexandra: one of the three founders of the school.
He was a very short, chubby, and stubby stallion. He slightly reminded Twilight of Cluster. Except he had a mustache. It was pink… Twilight barely kept her laugh down. He was butter-yellow with a bald head and only a few strands of the same pink mane next to his pointy ears. He looked cheerful with his clear-blue eyes and smile-wrinkles as Twilight’s mom call them. He was wearing a checkered brown jacket, a white undershirt, and a small red bow.
Despite her manners Twilight looked at his flank and found that he had a book cutie mark. He spoke in his cheery voice, rivaling Golden Petal. Twilight smirked and straightened her spine.
“Hello there everypony! I am your history teacher Amenix Alex Jr. Puffle.” He scribbled it on the blackboard. “Don’t bother with my full name, because I don’t either.” He chuckled. “However, you should still call me somewhat formally. Mr. Teacher should do, don’t you think?” he smiled and winked. The class giggled.
“I see you didn’t bring anything with you, did you?” Twilight suddenly felt ashamed. How could she have not brought anything with her? “If you haven’t, don’t worry.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “In the first year we’ll just scratch the surface of the general history of our race. The second year will be more in-depth about our school, then in the third year about Equestria and finally, in the fourth year, about Celestia’s personal history.” Twilight felt a squee go up her spine as she smiled widely. She already couldn’t wait for the fourth year.
“I'm going to tell you in advance, you’ll need a lot of parchment or a very big head.” Everypony giggled.
“But in all honesty, this year will be the roughest, so much to stuff to cover in such small heads…” he sighed. Twilight couldn’t tell if that was a joke.
“But none the less, the first lesson is always like an introduction of sorts. I personally dislike it, we are generally wasteing and day with so much to learn it’s just… Mrs. Mandagor’e and I have talked about that with Celestia, but she keeps saying no. Oh well….” He turned and cleared the chalkboard with another sigh.
“So. We have the time, I'm a history teacher, do you have any questions? About anything really, I’ve been in this school since I turned 10 just like all of you.” He smiled behind his mustache.
The class stood (sat) silent. Twilight considered asking something, but she simply didn’t want to become a teacher’s pet, nopony liked those. Thankfully, and surprisingly, Lyra saved her from that dilemma. She raised her hoof as 18 pairs of eyes glared at her with mixed emotions.
“Yes, little one? May I have your name and question?” the teacher softly spoke. “L-Lyra Heartstrings and uhh… I… I-I-I heard that you were-I-I mean are a descendant of Alexandra, one of the founders.”
“Indeed I am. Somewhere around the 77th generation of Puffle.”
“Do you have any kids Mr. Teacher?” a colt in the front row blurted out. “Actually I do.” He smirked. “I have and daughter around your age and three-year-old son.” “Are they just as cool unicorns as you?” a filly shouted from the last row. “What are their names?” Twilight couldn’t resist the stream of questions coming from all around.
“Are they yellow?” “Are they nice?” “Where do they live?” “Can they use magic yet?” “Are they cool?” “I like pudding!”
“Now, now, settle down.” Alex hushed the crowd of energetic foals. “Yes, they look like me, yellow and pink, but they’re not unicorns.” The class gasped.
“I know I know, my bloodline has always been pure unicorn, but unfortunately my wife hailed from pegasii despite being a unicorn herself, so both of my darlings will grow up to be flyers one day.” He smiled. It almost looked sad, but why? Twilight didn’t understand.
“Do they have cool names?” Starshine asked. He startled Twilight because the usually energetic colt had been sitting quietly for all this time.
“Define ‘cool’ dear boy.” The teacher smirked. Starshine sat quietly with eyes wider than normal from the teacher’s witty remark.
He giggled and spoke. “My son is named after the tradition of the Puffle’s. Butterscotch Alexander Jr. Puffle. But my daughter has a simpler name, Fluttershy Sunleaf Puffle.”
“Cool name.” Starshine muttered and placed his head on the desk, still, barely awake.
“Yea… cool…” Twilight muttered back. She suddenly felt woozy… out of it… That name… Somehow, Somehow it seemed familiar… but Twilight knew it was just her mind making things up again, like that giant spider she thought she saw in her saddlebag last summer. She sat deep in thought for the rest of class.
----------------------------------- Edited by Midge Mannequin
A/N - This chapter may not be up to quality since my dearest and most fateful editor Midge Mannequin simply left. I do not know the reason but I think that we should all still thank him for the wondrous work I was incapable of doing. Thanks Midge, I'll miss ya' buddy...
Chapter 7
After a quick lunch and a panicky running around looking for Spike, when he had managed to chew through his crib and go visit Cluster’s dragon - Coco, Twilight could finally take a breather. And then that breather ended.
The bell’s chimes dug into Twilight’s ears as she dragged herself towards more unpleasantness in the form of Mrs. Mandagor’e. She’d let Starshine lead the way as she battled exhaustion. How could a ten-year-old possible have the strength to do SOOOOOOO much in a single day?! Not to mention tonight was her first lesson with Celestia regarding dragons. Twilight heavily sighed and dragged onwards.
“Come on Twi’, quite being a slowpoke!” Starshine playfully scolded his filly-friend and began walking backwards along the hallway.
“Why must I be enthusiastic about my demise, Star?” Twilight grunted. “Oh come on Twilight, sure Mandagor’e’s a bit mean and she hates you for no apparent reason, and has the strictest teacher in the world award, but she’s not that bad!” Starshine smiled while Twilight gave him the ‘are you kidding me?’ look.
Twilight sighed once more and her friend lost his smile. Starshine slowed down and began slowly pacing next to Twilight.
“It’s not going to be so bad… ok? Just don’t be… you know… you, and everything will be fine.” He pushed out a fake smile. Twilight gave him a look and kept sighing.
“Thanks for trying to cheer me up Star, but it just won’t work and I have to face it. Me and Mandagor'e just aren’t meant to mix, it’s one of those universal truths thingies.”
“Why think that?”
Twilight looked up into his clear turquoise eyes. “The princess sorta’ told me not to tell anypony, but you're a friend so I guess I can tell… She says me and Mandagor’e are really alike, and from what I’ve read about physics, plus and minus come together and plus and plus run away from eachother… Guess that explains that…”
“Yea I guess…” They walked in silence.
“Hey, we’re here.” Starshine got back to his old self in a matter of seconds. He ran up to the door and looked at Twilight. She hadn’t moved.
“Well?” Twilight shook her head. “Ok, I’ll go first and cover you ok?” A small smile returned to the filly’s face and she followed her friend through the door to Tartarius itself.
---------
Twilight was greeted by the sight thirteen more times terrifying that pony hell itself… pale gray eyes.
“Mandy…” Twilight hissed under her breath. She kept in Starshine’s shadow until they reached the third row of seats.
The room itself reminded Twilight of the History classroom. Only this one had decent sized desks and they were aligned in two columns three seats per row.
Just as Twilight was about to sit down in the middle seat she heard a loud cough. She looked forward and saw an icy gaze staring into her soul once more. Mrs. Mandagor’e tapped the front row seat and nudged her head. Twilight got the signal. She shakily walked down in-between the two columns to her new, and probably permanent, seat.
“Both Sparkle’s.” the teacher spoke. For a pony whit a meteor for a cutie mark, she was truly a cold one. Starshine gulped and joined Twilight in the silent walk of shame to the front and in front of the entire class.
After Twilight was seated in the middle of the front row, Starshine next to her and Lyra out of nowhere, Mandagor’e gave a happy grin of victory and went behind her desk.
She loudly slammed her hooves on the poor, worn oak table and took a stance as if she was about to give a speech. Only now Twilight noticed that a single peep hadn’t been uttered the entire time.
“Now.” She spoke. “Since somepony...” She gave an icy stare at Twilight. “Wasn’t present I will once more explain the basics of practical magic.”
Mandagor’e cleared her throat and began to circle her desk like a hungry manticore. “Magic is the only thing that separates ponies from the other races. Though it’s arguable that dragons and griffons posses magic, they have next to no reliable way of using it. By far, the only thing surpassing unicorn magic is alicorn magic, but there is only one of them in existence. I'm sure you’re not that dumb to not know who it is.”
“Celestia…” Twilight muttered under her breath, it seemed that the teacher was just a bit deaf so Twi’ could use that to her advantage if necessary.
Mandagor’e glanced at Twilight. For Celestia's sake leave me alone! Twilight screamed in her head. There was a long silence.
“Well then. It looks like you are pretty thick then, but nevertheless, magic is all about imagination. If it weren’t for that, magic as we know it would be as basic as it could get. A perfect example was the one and only Starswirl the Bearded, after all, he created at least a 1000 spells in his lifetime, most of which we use today that have branched off in their own unique ways.”
In a flash of rusty red magic, above all the stools a flock of hoofball balls appeared. They slowly lowered themselves in some kind of metal holders (that reminded candle holders) in front of every single foal in class.
“In the first semester I want you to absolutely master levitation because without it you will have a very hard time.” Mandagor’e stated as Twilight eyed the ball. It was a ball.
“Though, the fact that you got into this school without knowing levitation is well… astonishing to say the least. Though, I do know the students that come here. Rich nobles who think they are the best in the world only because daddy got them a pretty new diamond necklace!” Another cold glare at Twilight. Jeesh…
“But at the same time there are those go got in because of actual skill.” For once she didn’t look at Twilight. This time it was bad thing…
Twilight wasn’t rich! She got into the school only because she almost leveled the entire place! That’s skill right?! Right? But… she knew… Twilight knew it was true, she didn’t get a scholarship, she was a nopony, money was what gave her a crack at the exam, she would’ve never even made it to that point on her own!
Twilight grunted at the thought. She had skill, money only helped her out a tad… She sighed. Wrong time for questioning her presence in this place. She looked up at her teacher.
“Your first exercise will be to levitate this hoofball ball. Plain and simple. Remember, imagination.” Mandagor’e spoke in an almost bored voice. Guess she wasn’t very enthusiastic about teaching younglings, which by the way, what was a youngling? Twilight thought she’d otta’ ask Moonglow about that.
Twilight sighed again. Time for magic!
Twilight placed her hooves on ether sides of the small holder and leaned above the ball. With massive concentration her horn sparked and slowly enveloped in a purple aura.
Just as slowly she felt her magic grasp the ball. Once it was entirely glowing purple she realized that she could feel the weight of the ball as is he was holding it in her hoof. That realization was mindboggling. Almost… Magical…
Twilight snickered. The thought of a world without magic was hilarious. How can there be a place without it? She continued on her exercise. The ball was at her extended magical grasp, she felt it like it was another shapeless hoof that could reach and extend far beyond the horizon with ease.
Twilight slumped back down on her chair. The deed was done. The ball was hers now, glowing in her signature reddish-purple. Twilight smiled. She looked to her side. Lyra was still struggling with her yellow magic, it was almost as beautiful as of Moonglow’s amber magic. Almost.
Starshine seemed fine though. He held the ball in his pale blue, magical grasp. He smiled and turned his face to Twilight. Just as he was about to do something the thread connecting his aura to his horn broke and the ball dropped to the floor and rolled away. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at the colt that frantically skidded around the class chasing his ‘equipment’.
Twilight felt confident for a second. She began to slowly move the ball around. From left to right, slowly but surely. Twilight smiled, she never knew she was this good!
Her moves became more confided. Faster, sharper turns and stops. Twilight played with the ball within her magical grasp, she couldn’t feel the weight anymore, it felt like she could lift a mountain on the spot!
Sharper. Faster. The ball circled around her head, weaving between the desks and around her two classmates. Twilight never noticed that the others had stopped their exercises just to gaze at her skill, for a foal, she could be called a master.
Faster. Slicker. The ball twirled in circles around Twilight in speeds unmatched. She giggled at this amazing display of her own unknown power. Just as that, she heard a cough from in front of her. Pale. Gray. Eyes.
Twilight let out a squeak of fear and the ball rocketed skyward on its own. Both, she and her teacher looked up just in time to see the ball burst through the ceiling with an audible crash leaving a hoof-sized hole at its exit point.
Mandagor’e looked down on the filly with no expression. Twilight put up an awkward smile as her ears dropped and she shrank in fear. The teacher tilted her head but before she could do anything she was interrupted by a voice from above.
“Good day to you Julia.” Mandagor’e looked up. From the hole a yellow pony was looking down. Pink mane, mustache, none other than Twilight’s history teacher.
“Oh. Hello Amenix. A good day to you too.” Mandagor’e simpily replied. “Indeed a good day, yes… Not to impose or anything but may I ask why is there now a hole in my floor?”
“Magical accident involving hoofball balls.” “I see.” The History teacher fell quiet. “Well then… Let’s continue about our day shall we?” He smiled. “Agreed.” Mandagor’e smiled. It was the first time Twilight had seen a genuine and unfake smile on the face of her teacher.
“Oh, one more thing.” the yellow stallion turned just before he was out of field of view. “If you go looking for that ball I suggest the fifth floor not the third.”
“I will keep that in mind.” Mandagor’e giggled. The sound was alien to Twilight’s ears.
“Um, Amenix?” “Yes?” “Would you mind going out and getting Nightshade to fix the ceali-eee-floor?” “Not at all. But if you’d excuse me Julia, I must.” “Go ahead. See you at dinner.” Mandagor’e gave him an awkward smile.
The historian smiled and vanished just as the bell rung rather loudly. “Class dismissed.” Mandagor’e spoke somewhat warmer than usual and trotted over to the door, opening it with her magic.
The foals slowly streamed out of the door. Just as Twilight tasted freedom, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up and saw. You guessed it. Mandagor’e.
Can’t a pony have a break…? Like, seriously? Twilight grunted. She looked out the doorway, running away would do her no good. Starshine stopped next to her, as if waiting for something.
“Go ahead, I’ll catch up…” Twilight muttered and watched her friend exit before the door slammed shut.
She took a deep breath and looked up. “I'm sorry for the ceiling. I know I shouldn’t’ve messed around with magic like that, and I can-well my parent’s can- pay for the damage.” Twilight stated in a cold tone, like she was reading off a list.
At first the teacher didn’t react. But then a few chuckles escaped her lips. They sounded sarcastic, defiantly mean-spirited and maybe even somewhat evil.
“Oh, please, this is but a scratch compared what students muster up in their later years. Why do you think the Combat class in the West wing doesn’t have a second floor? Well it did when I was young, but some featherbrain accidentally burnt it down…”
Twilight looked puzzled.
“I see your confusion.” Mandagor’e smirked. “Actually I held you back for a word because… I needed to say I'm sorry for how I acted before.”
Twilight wasn’t buying it. She was pretty sure that was a fake frown and a forced apology. “She asked you to do it. Didn’t she?” Twilight skeptically stated.
“Yes.” The teacher grunted in annoyance. Twilight cracked her like peanut butter.
“For Celestia’s sake… apology accepted. Now if you would be kind enough to let me go get ready for my next class…”
“Yea whatever. Scram.” Mandagor’e opened the door for Twilight. “Oh and don’t think that I like you in any way. I'm just not going to punish you this time. Clear?”
“Crystal. Good day headmistress Mandagor’e.” Twilight tempted faith before running off and hiding around the corner. She didn’t understand what made her talk back so much but it felt good.
Twilight smiled. Maybe dealing with her most-hated teacher just became much, much more easy. Fear had turned to confidence and with that newfound confidence she strutted all the way to her next class.
“Where were you?! I thought Mandagor’e murdered you or something!” Starshine whispered as their teacher was giving and introduction to Runics. Twilight was constantly shuffling in her seat and on her face was plastered a giant smile for no good reason.
After a while Starshine grunted and gave up trying to talk to his friend. Looked like Twilight was brainwashed or something… The colt rested his chin on the double-table and sighed. He looked around and ran a hoof through his scruffy red mane. Old ladies at his dad’s library always called him cute and pinched his cheeks.
The colt shuddered.
He wasn’t cute. He was MANLY! He smiled. Besides, there wasn’t anything worse than how Damien looked, like seriously, couldn’t he have just cut his mane or something? Maybe like, dye it or something? Starshine’s dad had let him dye his mane green for two months before the colt had gotten bored…
He shrugged.
Finally after what seemed hours he looked up and gave a single percent of his attention to the teacher.
“…and they have to be draw precisely, or else the runes don’t work, or worse! They are somewhat similar and I don’t even want to know what happens of you make a curved line on Xibah in a Tree of Life summoning… May the Lunar Shadow hast mercy on your soul…” The icy white teacher shuddered.
Starshine didn’t necessarily like any of the teachers, well, except Nyx, she was awesome! But Mr. Snow seemed alright so far, except for the Trottingham accent. That was just plain weird. He was cold though, hence the name, but he wasn’t the fiery-depths-of-Tartarius-cold like Mrs. Mandagor’e. Starshine could respect that.
The colt sighed again and swayed a bit to the side. There was no benevolent force in the galaxy capable of making him study…
---------
“…as I stated yesterday, we will be working on spellcraft for as long as we need. Also, what I said yesterday is that the first thing we will learn is how to dispel a spell, Celestia help me, the horrors I’ve seen coming from younglings who never learn how use an eraser for magic…” Mrs. Mandagor’e grunted as she finished the sentence.
Despite having to sit through another Mrs. Mandagor’e episode, Twilight was beaming. For no reason. No reason at all. It was just one of those random moods she had never experienced before… and it was exhilarating!
Twilight was smiling. Like an idiot. And a particular somepony noticed.
“Miss Sparkle, what in the name of Celestia of Equestria are you smiling about?” Mandagor'e turned her grey eyes to still smiling Twilight.
The filly turned her massive grin towards the teacher and shrugged. Mrs. Mandagor’e raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She turned back to the class with her usual blank expression and kept talking about magic yada-yada-waste-half-a-bloody-hour-of-your-life-yada.
There was a small knock on the heavy wooden door. Everypony present diverted their attention just as the door was engulfed in a pure gold aura. Twilight could tell who that belonged to in seconds.
Celestia poked her head through the door wearing a very un-princess-y expression which was a peculiar mix of awkward, embarrassed and foalish. Twilight stifled a snicker as the princess’s gaze met with Mandagor’e. “May I interrupt, Julia?” She sang in her majestic voice.
“You already have.” The teacher replied with no change of expression. “Right, sorry, mind if I steal away Twilight and Cluster?” “And could I ask why, your Majesty?” The teacher said the last two words with venomous tone. She was even worse with royalty than Twilight herself.
Celestia gently smiled as she stepped through the door, leaning forward just a bit, not to hit her head against the doorway. She shot a glace backwards as if leaving a mental note to mind the low entrance on her way out. She continued as she looked over at super-smiling Twilight.
“I have to meet with Crystalline’s princess this evening before she heads over to Zebrica to study, and I can’t fit in a lesson of dragons as well. So I'm holding it now.” Celestia smiled as she spotted Cluster in the far corner of the classroom.
“You can’t.” Twilight’s ears dropped as she stared at her teacher. She continued. “Right now I'm teaching them the most important spell in their young lives and unless they master it they won’t be able to even pass the first year. So no. I can’t let them go anywhere until the lesson is over.”
Celestia paused for a second. “But what if-” “No. I will not give private lessons.” Mandagor’e glared at Twilight and then back to the Princess. The classroom was even more silent that a graveyard at a Silence Festival.
The princess sighed. “Alright, you win Julia, I will personally tutor them if they fall behind on the subject.”
Mrs. Mandagor’e smirked with a small ‘huph’.
Celestia extended a wing and waved. “Come now the two of you, let’s not keep the others waiting.” Twilight shot up from her seat and shoved her blank notes and two books in a pile and nearly spilled her ink as she pushed them onto her back and dashed over to Celestia’s side and waited for Cluster.
As the three ponies turned to exit the room there was a loud smack and Twilight tossed herself around to see Celestia tentatively stroking the base of her horn for a few seconds before lowering her head and swiftly closing the door behind her the second her hooves made contact with the red carpet of the stone corridor.
The princess sighed before giggling. “I will never hear the end of this little fail of mine…” She looked down at Twilight. “Well you seem in an awfully good mood, my little Twilight.”
Twilight offered a massive smile. Celestia giggled as she looked behind Twilight and spotted a pair of ponies. “Oh, Sunflower, that’s where you went, I see you found Octave.” She walked past Twilight to the two ponies. The was the one Twilight had seen the days before. She was yellow all over with her mane covering one of her bright green eyes. Behind her stood a stallion that looked to be as old as Moonglow’s stallion friend. He was gray with a white mane and pink eyes and a musical note as his cutie mark.
“Hey there Princess, thanks for bailing me out of Gym.” The young stallion smiled. Celestia chuckled.
“Then be a dear and take the little ones to the nursery, I need to grab Venus from the Medical wing.”
The stallion saluted as a joke and walked over to Twilight and the others and began leading them away. Twilight managed to shoot a desperate glace at the princess. She got lucky.
“Twilight dear, how about you come along with me?” Celestia softly asked. Twilight squeaked and shot forward stopping just before Celestia’s hooves.
Celestia smiled but said nothing as she watched the others disappear behind a corner. Then she finally looked down at Twilight. Her horn began to glow with her signature golden glow as the pile of school supplies levitated off Twilight’s back and popped into nothingness. “I teleported them to your room Twi’, so you don’t have to carry all that stuff around.” She gently smiled as she crouched down, inviting Twilight to hop on her back.
The filly wasted no time to just be together with her favorite pony in the world! Ok… maaaaybe Moonglow and Shinning came before… maybe…
Twilight, being the somewhat reckless and clumsy filly, slipped as she tried to wrap her hooves around the Princesses neck and managed to accidentally strike the alicorn at the base of her right wing. The princes winched as her wings spread open out of instinct.
Only now Twilight noticed something was off. Her mentor’s right wing was around half its original size with ruffled and misaligned feathers sporting a few droplets of dried blood.
“Princess, are you alright?!” The filly gasped as Celestia rose back up on her hooves. Her expression was still a little bit paned but she seemed fine.
“I… I'm fine, Twilight. Remember what I said about somepony having a baby hydra?” The filly slowly nodded with concern in her eyes. “Well that’s taking care of.” She offered a small smile. “Don’t worry, we took it far, far away. There’s a swamp called Froggy Bottom Bog near the Everfree forest and we let the little monster go free, though I still have to have a word with the colt’s parents.”
Celestia shot an angry grin at nothing in particular. She looked back at still concerned Twilight who seemed to have frozen in place to not hurt the Princess by accident again. “Serves me right,” She continued. “I have a thing for using my wings for various random tasks, guess that’s a lesson learned.” She gently giggled.
“Come now Twilight, let’s visit little Venus from Nagaraac.”
---------
Twilight sat on the soft carpet of the nursery as she listened to her Mentor talk about dragons and such. Spike had curled up in her hooves and now was snoring against her chest. She looked to the side.
There were eight ponies in total, the Princess excluded. Herself and Cluster, Sunflower, the filly from the Puffle’s, Venus the small and edgy, red and green filly from Nagaraac she had visited in the Medical wing. There was a small, gem-enchanted respirator around her muzzle. Apparently the filly had severe lung problems and couldn’t do half the stuff Twilight on a daily basis did and she also had to wear the respirator wherever she went. The hissing sound was kinda’ annoying though…
There was also the older colt, Octave, with his sky-blue dragon that tried to join the conversation with foalish mumbles. There were three more but Twilight couldn’t remember their names. One was a lavender colt that looked as old as Moonglow and then there were two young mares, one was orange and this was apparently her and her orange dragoness’s last year at the school. And the other mare was lime green with a completely shaved mane and this was her fourth year in the school. Her yellow, boy-dragon was silently sleeping behind her, occasionally flapping his hoof-sized wings.
All and all, this had been fun. Twilight learnt so many things about dragons, and in any case, she was happy to not be near Mrs. Mandagor’e and she was thankful for the chance to spend so much time with Spike, up until the dragon had fainted from playing too much.
Apparently hiding her eyes behind her hooves was super-exciting for the little buddy…
“…no actual time period when they grow wings, though that shouldn’t be a discouragement, since it can depend o-” The door slammed open and Celestia was cut off as everypony (and awake dragon) turned to see a few familiar ponies.
“Lookie here, I see nine ponies who were late for dinner!” Moonglow, the midnight blue, overgrown-filly with a white mane and a big ruby earring smirked as she walked into the nursery levitating half-a-dozen metal plates with those weird domes covering them. Behind her appeared her two best friends, Sky and Aurora, with drinks and more plates that seemed to be steaming. Out of nowhere came Starshine with a bunch of napkins and towels on his back and in his mouth. And of course, behind him was a very disgruntled Lyra, probably unsure why the heck was she even there, carrying a basket of spoons and forks.
At first the princess looked shocked but after a spark of her horn, checking on the sun’s position, and a glance at a clock that had actually died at half past six she smiled back at the group of intruders. “If we keep having take-outs the kitchen staff is really going to flip, Moon’.” For the first time in her life Twilight had heard the princess use any kind of slang in her speech. It was… stunning to say the least.
Moonglow stuck out her tongue at the princess before she spotted the purple-all-over colt. “‘Sup Lavender?”
“Nothing…” the colt mumbled back. “Only Checker’s been asking about you all day…”
“Aww, ain’t that cute?” Moonglow replied in her usual tone as she looked at the black-and-white dragon next to the colt. She tossed her head to one side and the plates she was carrying spun around and landed just before every other pony in the room. “Hayloaf and apple fritters on me!” She joked as her two friends placed down the rest of the plates and drinks.
Spike churned in his sleep as did most the other dragons. His emerald eyes popped open and he smiled at Twilight before noticing the shiny plate before him. The little dragon reached out for the object with an intention to eat it just before Twilight stuffed an opal in his mouth like a pacifier and placed him in a pile of pillows beside her.
Twilight didn’t even get a chance to breathe before her sister appeared beside her and shoved her aside as she sat down. The filly scowled at her sibling who was smiling back her usual arrogant tone.
Twilight felt a poke from behind her. She tossed her head around and expected to see her little dragon, instead she was met with a pair of turquoise eyes.
“GAH!” She backpedaled only a few hoofs before she tripped over her sister’s laying form.
“Heh, you alright Twi’?” he asked. “I hate you all…” the filly mumbled as she re-opened her eyes to see none other than Starshine. “How did Moonglow get you in on this? More importantly how in the wide world of Equestria did you get Lyra in on this thing?” Twilight asked as she felt her sister’s amber aura pick her off the ground and place her back on her hooves.
“Well…” The colt started with an odd smile. He paused. “Your sister’s very persuasive. Besides, Lyra really wanted to see the dragons, she said something about a sister telling her stories or whatever, I can barely make what she says anyway since she's uber quiet all the time…” The colt carelessly placed his hooves behind his head and leaned back.
“You’re the only one she actually talks to, ya’ know…” Moonglow turned to Twilight who looked back wide-eyed. “I knew from day one she wasn’t a squealer, ether.” The aged filly smirked.
Twilight took a few moments to look in her sister’s amber eyes. Then she looked away and saw that everypony (and dragon!) was already eating their dinner. She looked over to Celestia to see two phoenixes sitting on her head along with an apple fritter levitating before them. One of the fiery birds, the bright red and golden, was Philomena and the other-
Moonglow stuck a hoof in her mouth and whistled. “Pyrelight! Over here!”
The other phoenix lifted its head and hooted as she noticed the midnight blue pony. She spread her golden and bright green wings and took flight, while snatching the rest of the fritter on the way.
Pyrelight flew over the three foals before doing a summersault and weightlessly landing on the tip of Moonglow’s horn. The filly and her phoenix looked back to see Celestia and Philomena glaring them down and looking for their lost snack. Starshine stifled a snicker.
---------
After what seemed forever, Twilight was munching down of her hayloaf. Celestia had excused herself and left to meet with this princess or whatever she was, because Celestia was the Princess and there couldn’t be another princess, Twilight thought.
Lavender, the colt who was purple all over, turned out to be from Moonglow’s class and he and Aurora were sitting aside talking about whatever older ponies talked about. Sky, Cluster and three others had turned in early and the nursery was becoming quieter and quieter as time passed. Moonglow had stayed with Twilight and Starshine the entire evening, as if making up for something. Lyra was nowhere to be seen and Twilight assumed the filly just left. Spike was gone too but Twilight didn’t worry about the dragon much, since he had a tendency to wander off.
But finally she felt a big yawn coming her way. Twilight pressed her head against her sister’s chest and closed her eyes.
Sleep now, stuff later.
“Hey Twiley, how about you and Star go to bed?” Twilight heard her sister’s melodic voice draw her away from the grasp of sleep. “I’ll stay back and help Aurora and Lavender clean up.”
Twilight forced one eye open. “Make sure Spike is ok, ok?” She mumbled.
“Of course.”
Twilight felt her pillow get up. And by pillow she meant her sister. The filly wobbled, as she blinked open her eyes and pushed herself up on her hooves. “What if I get lost?” She wasn’t sure if she thought or muttered that sentence. She saw a golden-green light fly over her and something in her mind told her to follow the oddly colored phoenix to her bed. And so she did. And Starshine dragged himself behind her.
Today was a good day.
---------
Moonglow walked between the empty cribs of the nursery. The light was dim, the giant room powered by only half a dozen wisps, which was pretty horrible considering the ceiling was three alicorn’s high and the nursery was the size of the library.
Moonglow squinted her amber eyes to try and make out general shapes, but she too, felt sleep gripping the edged of her mind. After all, she was only twelve.
As Moonglow placed her hoof down she stepped into something squishy. “Oh for the love of !!! Nightshade, I am going to murder you if this is what I think it is…” the filly hissed as she raised her hoof to her nose. It didn’t smell like… it smelled like apples… apple fritters…
Moonglow shook off her hoof and stepped around a stack of boxes to see a small, aquamarine filly with a purple dragon curled in her embrace. A pale yellow light came from the filly’s horn.
Moonglow raised an eyebrow and looked up, trying to see her own midnight blue horn. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. As she opened them the remnants of manalight faded from her eyes and instead, her horn now glew with a pale amber light.
“Neat.” She smiled, but that smile quickly faded as she looked down at the little filly before her. “Oh Lyra.” Moonglow sighed as she picked up the two creatures in her magical field and gently placed them on her back. Having a baby sister left you with a few useful skills as an ex-part-time-foalsitter.
Moonglow tilted her head a bit so the light from her horn lit up a small circle around her. She thought back to the apple fritter she’d stepped in and mentally warped her magic around the plate and the mush atop it. The aged filly looked to where Lyra had been sleeping and saw a pair of chewed sapphires along with an untouched hayloaf. Moonglow easily picked the items up with her amber magic and turned the way she came from.
Lyra stirred in her sleep just a tad and that made Moonglow turn her head. She looked at the small aquamarine unicorn that resembled her own sister so very much for a few moments before looked past the filly to see her own mark. Three magenta six-point-stars that looked just like Twilight’s.
“The things you’ll do in your lifetime…” The aged filly whispered to nopony in particular. “Stars don’t mean magic… they mean future, and your future… it’s colorful…” Moonglow nuzzled the little filly’s cheek.
The darkness of the gentle autumn night washed through the stone and marble hallways. The clear windows reflected the starlight from the cloudless sky. A magic wisp the size of a young foal slowly glided through the carpet-strewn hallway, casting an eerie pale glow around it. The halls were silent, every single pony in their beds, sleeping the night away, looking forth to a new and exciting day.
Twilight churned under her covers with a pillow over her head. The filly was struggling to try and stay in the oblivious dreamland of sweet, sweet sleep.
With a soft grunt she sat up, launching the pillow all the way to the other side of the bed. The filly yawned and looked around to find the room still dark and quiet. The glow of the soft moonlight was gone, yet the sun was still somewhere on its way to a new dawn. She rubbed her violet eyes as her ears tried their best to pick up any and all sound around her.
All she heard were snores.
Geezus crumbs, Lyra, you need to get that checked out, that snoring could wake up Starshine of all ponies! Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at that. For a filly as quiet as Lyra, that was… loud… geez…
Twilight raised her hooves up at the stars as she heard soft pops and cracks when her spine realized it wasn’t wedged in a ninety degree angle anymore. Twilight ran a hoof through her mane to somehow tame the damage sleep had caused before getting up on her hooves.
She crept along her mattress as quietly as ponily possible, but it was impossible for the old springs not to squeak and groan under the youngling’s weight. After what seemed like torturous hours of I-will-wake-up-every-living-and-unliving-being-in-a-ten-mile-radius-noise Twilight slid down the stairs that connected her bunk with the wooden floor.
She tip-hooved over to her suitcase and nudged the heavy lid open with her nose, not risking using her magic to not accidentally slam the lid open like last time. The filly withdrew her purple robe and as she worked her hooves around the soft fabric she felt two lumps around her sleeve.
Twilight fumbled with the fabric for the better part of five minutes and her result were two apples that she had stuffed in her sleeve yesterday… no, wait… was it two days ago?
The filly shrugged before warping her light purple magic around the two apples without paying any mind to the action and getting on her hooves, ready to sneak out of the door. This technically wasn’t breaking the Dark Hours rule, was it? I mean, she had to get up in two hours anyway, so it didn’t count… right?
Twilight pondered about that for a moment before disregarding that thought and snuck out into the stairwell. She took a few moments to let her eyes adjust to the dimmer light leaking through the velvet curtains. She shot a glance at the colt’s bedroom but quickly destroyed the idea. Star would have her head if she’d wake him up so early.
With nothing better to do, nor go to, the filly began walking up to the roof. Moonglow had mentioned it held the bird housing and amazing autumn breeze.
Twilight was halfway up the stairs until she remembered the noisy, somewhat living paintings. She quietly snickered as she imagined herself as a master spy, trying to get past the guards and manalights to get into the Royal Archives, as she crouched down as low as she could get and began hoofing her way up the cold stone stairs.
After about a minute in crawling in the dark, the filly got bored and decided to take a risk. She hated risks, but she had always loved her sister and foalsitter for taking them. So for once in her life she acted on impulse.
Twilight poked her head upwards and squinted her violet eyes trying to see if the picture was alive or not. After a few frightening moments she managed to see a light pink unicorn mare with a black mane sleeping in a pile of books in what looked like the School’s library. For a few moments she looked dead, well, as dead as a painting could be, but then Twilight saw the picture’s chest rise and fall. Ok, not dead then.
Not taking any more chances, the filly skirted up the stairs with her mind still working around and about the living painting. Weeeeeeeeeeird.
With her brain still half-asleep Twilight rounded the corner and ran smack-first into the door. Geez, what was with this school and running into doors…? Cursed doors? Odd thought…
Twilight rubbed both her hooves against her muzzle as it throbbed with ever heartbeat, but thankfully was fine otherwise. She cursed herself and mumbled something about ‘slowly loosing brain cells…’ before pushing open the door.
She was greeted by the most beautiful dawn of her entire life.
Twilight was stunned by the sight so very much she dropped the two apples she’d forgotten she was carrying. The filly’s mouth hung agape as her eyes didn’t want to leave the burning orange sun and majestic lavender sky of the retreating night.
“Beautiful aint’ it?”
The sound of somepony’s voice snapped Twilight out of whatever trance she’d fallen in. She managed to take a deep breath for a scream before choking on air and stumbling backwards and falling with an amazingly loud thud.
As she entered a coughing fit she managed to catch glimpses of the pony that was already there before her. A sunny yellow coat… burning orange mane… bright and kind alabaster eyes…
Twilight managed to grasp a few shallow breaths as she slammed her hoof against her chest. Finally, she managed to gasp a lungful of air as she turned her watery eyes to the filly not much older than herself, staring back with slight worry.
The older filly sat with her body turned to a gap in the wall where the sun was starting to peek through, a cup of tea clutched between her hooves. Behind her stood so many perches that Twilight couldn’t even count. The birds came in all sizes and colors! There were blue-jays and canneries and a hefty bunch of owls ranging from massive eagle owls to polar ones to even a few adorable little pygmy owls. The few free-roaming birds that were awake, or awoken by Twilight's amazing entrance, gently chirped and hooted filling the world with a melody of wonder.
Twilight tore her eyes away from the birds, her mind still wondering which one was Lyra’s and come to think of it, what kind of pet did Starshine have anyway? The filly, still coughing for dear life, turned to the other pony in this ‘room’ with her.
“Aurora, what in the world are you doing up here?” Twilight managed to squeak, though her voice had gone a bit raspy after that short dance with death.
The older filly shrugged, her alabaster eyes still locked on Twilight. “Just sitting around, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds waking up… Looking how my best friend’s sister chokes on air.” She offered a small smile. “You alright?”
Twilight managed to nod. She let out a few coughs and walked over to the other filly and slumped down next to her.
“Did Moonglow show you this place?” The younger filly asked as Aurora passed her the cup of steaming tea she had been drinking before Twilight had so awkwardly stumbled in.
“Yep. I once told her I loved sunrises so she shoved me this spot. She said your brother always came up here.” She turned her head towards the horizon with a serene smile. Only now Twilight noticed two odd flying balls of fire circling around the yellow unicorn. They gave off an odd aura of sentience, gracefulness, warmth… ok, maybe that was just the tasty green tea doing its tasty-tea-magic…
Aurora caught Twilight’s gaze as the younger filly followed the little, bright red ball of flame as it lazily floated beside her and the sky-blue one’s light illuminating the small area around her.
“Their wisps, Twilight.” Aurora placed her hoof under the red flame, and like a bird, it perched on the tip of her slim extremity. “These two and another one always follow me around. Ponies have pets, owls, birds, dragons and lizards. I have these little guys.” She gently threw the red, flaming wisp into the air and watched as it gently fluttered back down and lingered next to her blank, yellow flank.
“Only a few ponies can see them. Mom, the Princess, Alex and Nyx… You, Moonglow…” The older filly shifted he gaze to the blue flame. “Sky can’t see them. Nor can Madagor’e and that aquamarine filly… umm, Lyra, right? Weird how these little, magical things work.” She smiled and turned away and suddenly changed the subject. “You wanna watch the sun rise, Twilight?”
The lavender filly was taken aback by these weird magical… beings, you could call them? She placed that thought on a shelf and recovered just in time to catch the most amazing sunrise since the Summer Sun Celebration Celestia knows how many years ago.
The golden sun peeked just above the horizon as the sky painted itself in crimson and violet. The burning diamonds of the night and the velvet sky faded into a clear blue. A few stray clouds lazily drifted across the equestrian plains and turned to shades of gold and pink. Twilight watched the far eastern horizon half-hidden behind the crumbling and snow covered peaks of the Griffon Kingdom.
She turned her head to face the last remnants of the night as she gazed across the lush green plains of her homeland. The golden rays of her mentor’s sun washed over the clear landscapes and tiny villages until it reached the border of the dreaded Everfree. But the golden sun kept going, further and further as it stretched across the waking world. Twilight could see Trottingham, Manehattan and the Emerald Shores that reached into the dark ocean.
Her eyes dared not to blink as everything she’d seen from the endless spires of nighttime Canterlot lit up with a brand new day. New lives, adventures and mysteries could begin this very moment… And then Twilight realized that a dawn like this will never come again. Because every new day was different…
“We should head back before anypony wakes up.” The soft voice of a pony besides her once more snapped Twilight out of this magical moment. She turned to once again see the sunny-yellow filly munching on one of the two apples she’d totally forgotten about, already up and standing next to the open doorway. Those kind alabaster eyes were like mini-suns on their own and Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she got up and walked over to her sister’s best friend.
Aurora led Twilight down the stairs. It was as if the yellow filly’s hooves made no sound when they met with the ground, all the while, Twilight stumbled downward like an inept foal she truly was. No way of getting into the Archives at this rate.
The two magical flames followed behind them.
Twilight shot glares at each and every painting the two passed on their way, granted, the trip downward was the shortest possible, but it never hurt to keep an eye on your surroundings.
As the two fillies came up to the small lobby-esk area that connected the two bedrooms with the stairwell Aurora turned to Twilight as her two wisps illuminated the area around them with an eerie lavender glow.
“Well… This is your stop.” Aurora looked down at Twilight. Geez, why was every single pony so tall compared to herself? Twilight mentally frowned at that thought.
“Yea, I guess… Hey, you never really told me why you were up so early?” Twilight tilted her head as she inched closer to the door to her bedroom.
“Oh, I-I'm a bit of an insomniac you could say, always been an early bird anyway, so that doesn’t help much…” Aurora pushed out a small smile. “But anyway, have a nice day Twilight.” Her alabaster eyes glimmered one more time before she turned to the next set of stairs leading down.
“Say hi to Moonglow for me!” Twilight whisper-shouted before the older filly was out of sight and probably earshot.
“Will do!” Came a muffled response and the blue glow of the off little wisp vanished. Twilight smiled and turned to the door only to see the red flame still lingering around.
“Shoo!” The filly quietly hissed at the small ball of magical fire. All the wisp did was shiver under the filly’s breath. “Go on, shoo, shoo, little buddy!” Twilight continued. “Go on, back to Aurora you go, shoo!” The filly waved her hooves before the little manabeing, but to no avail. Eventually she just gave up and left the red flame floating around in the stairwell and went back to bed.
---------
“Nonononono-NONONONONONO! Tardy! Tardy! Tardy! TARDY!” Twilight skidded around the room with a wave of papers on her tail as she ran back and forth and all around while constantly mumbling the same lines over and over again.
Pages and blank notes washed around her, and frankly, she’d turned the filly’s bedroom into her own personal one, as in, papers and books… papers and books everywhere…
Twilight rounded the corner of a bunk bed in a desperate attempt to find the book she was so desperately looking for. That maneuver didn’t go as planned and the filly stepped on a small stack of blank papers and slipped, tripping, and landing face first and skidding across the oakwood floor and ending up with her face under Lyra’s bunk. And there she saw her prize.
“HAH!”
Twilight shouted a grinned as she shuffled backwards out from under the bed with the book in her teeth. ‘Magical Theory for Beginners’. Speaking of which… SHE WAS LATE!
Twilight stuffed a quill behind her ear and bit down onto a pile of notes along with book she’d just found and stumbled her way out of the bedroom.
Class had started Celestia knew how long ago and Twilight had even slept thought breakfast! More importantly, it looked like nopony had even tried to wake her! Actually… no… she woke up with a wet mane and face so somepony had tried the ol’ dump-water-on-your-face trick. It didn’t work, only added another mess to the big pile of messy-mess-ness of Messington Twilight was already in. She wasn’t tardy! It was just… karma maybe? Or was that fate? Who cares!
Twilight had no time to ponder much, her tiny hooves carrying her across the red carpeted hallways in lightning speeds. She skidded around the last corner before the Gates of Tartarius -eeem- Mrs. Mandagor’e’s class, she meant to say there… and paused, taking a single second to make her heart stop pounding.
The filly used her forehead and horn to physically push open the door. To her absolute surprise it wasn’t slammed shut so tight that the wooden boards meshed together, like it always seemed to be. She quietly poked her head through the door an awaited a bashing and all her classmate’s most supportive expressions when Twilight would have her judgment passed. There was one of that.
Twilight traced the gaze of the filly in the first row on the door’s side and to her surprise she saw about a dozen pale wisps floating around and, basically, harassing her teacher.
Twilight had to bite down on the book, still firmly in her mouth, to not burst out laughing as she watched the teacher wave around a giant fly-swatter made from pure, rust-colored magic.
After a few moments of amusement Twilight took the opportunity and slipped into the classroom. She pressed her side against the wall and crouched backwards before jumping behind a desk and a slightly confused filly. Twilight snuck forward, keeping low to the ground, until she reached the nothingness that separated the two columns of desks.
The lavender filly peeked around the corner of the desk, ignoring the glances two of her classmates were showing, and looked for another opportunity. She once more saw her despised teacher trying to get rid of the ominous magical flames that constantly flew by her face and plucked at her tail. And then the youngling noticed something interesting.
A familiar, red wisp hovered above the rest, occasionally floating aide to avoid a stray swing with the magical-fly swatter. It seemed like half the class didn’t even see it, Mandagor’e included.
Twilight took a chance. Too many risks, not enough time between them, a thought zapped though Twilight’s mind as she flew through the air and landed just behind Starshine as the colt turned his confused face at her.
It took only a second to recover and jump into her seat and pretend nothing ever happened. Twilight spat her notes out on the table and ran a hoof over the small bite marks on the book to clear away any of her spit. She hated to do this to books, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Finally her heart decided she wasn’t in mortal danger anymore and stopped pumping a billion beats per second. Twilight slumped back in her seat and let out a very long and well-deserved sigh.
“What. The. Hay?” Starshine muttered as he finally regained his senses. His expression was next to priceless, the perfect combination of amazement and confusion. Or just Twilight looking at herself in a mirror whenever she saw Celestia use her amazing magic. Did she really look that bad? Wow, if that was her ‘Stunned and Amazed’ face and if it was so hilariously horrifying she’d better think up a new way to be Celestia’s fanfilly.
“Huh?” The lavender filly barely registered anything. Her brain had accidentally gone into overdrive. She shook her head and returned to the conversation.
“By Celestia’s mane, what is going on?” she whispered as she shot a glance at her teacher. Still swatting wisps. Good.
“I dunno, well, I do, but-” Starshine paused to compose himself. “Lyra and Blinky said they couldn’t wake you, Blinky's friend Rose even dumped a glass of water on you but you didn’t budge. So the rest decided to leave you…” He paused again, looking a bit guilty. “That class started but before anything could happen this weird little red wisp came out of nowhere and started doing stuff!” The colt energetically waved around his snowy white hooves and to avoid getting slapped, Twilight leaned backwards and met with Lyra’s aquamarine face.
The lavender filly raised an eyebrow. Lyra rolled her yellow eyes before whispering an explanation.
“I don’t know what red wisp he’s mumbling about, but something sure as hay went down the weirdo road.” The young unicorn took a moment to let a wisp the size of her head zip above before continuing. “First there was wind or something, it kept flinging all our papers around and then a dozen wisps just came through the door and from the small spark-gems in the ceiling and started doing…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence but Twilight got the idea. And just that second the rusty-magic fly swatter came down on Twilight’s desk and she was met with a frayed looking Mandagor’e.
“Hello Miss Sparkle. Didn’t see you there, it was as if you weren’t even around.” She held an odd, oblivious tone that didn’t sit well with Twilight. Not like her teacher the slightest.
“I dropped my quill.” Twilight glanced at the one stuck behind her ear. “Took a lotta’ effort to reach.” She pushed out a toothy grin as Mandagor’e’s expression shifted to her usual bored one.
“Must’ve missed you then. Keep up the good work.” She flashed smirk and went back to chasing the wisps that were picking at her papers.
“Do you really see the red wisp?” Twilight leaned close to Starshine once more and whispered in the colt’s ear.
“Yep. I don’t know what Ly’s getting at, it the most obvious thi-o-O-” His turquoise eyes widened as the small red flame appeared beside the two foals. The two flinched at its sudden appearance, but then again, magical floating objects didn’t make a sound when they moved.
The little red being gently bobbed above the desk and Twilight couldn’t help but bob her head along with it. She placed her hoof under it, like she’s seen Aurora do it. The red flame happily obliged and Twilight could’ve sworn she heard it purr. Fire can’t purr, can it?
She lifted her hoof upwards with the wisp still hanging on. Twilight turned, only to see the widely grinning face of Starshine but she ignored him and instead scowled at the wisp.
She turned her body to Lyra and extended her hoof with the wisp at the filly’s direction. “Can you really not see it?”
Lyra raised an eyebrow and glanced at Twilight’s empty hoof. “There’s nothing there.” She hissed and frowned as her yellow eyes look at Twilight.
“But it’s right there!” Starshine butted in as he leaned on top Twilight’s head and pointed at the red flame.
“There’s nothing there!” Lyra raised her voice but the overall background chaos of a disgruntled teacher shouting something about ‘where’s that useless sack of dragon blood when you need her?’ drowned out the aquamarine filly’s small shout.
“But-” Starshine tried again but was abruptly cut off.
“Is this some kind of cruel joke?!” She screamed at the two, her voice breaking as tiny tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Twilight’s own eyes widened, unsure how to react. Lyra took a few sharp breaths, still staring down the two frozen foals, before turning and shoving her stack of blank notes in a pile and stomping to the far end of the classroom with them clenched between her jaws.
Even if the room was in chaos, silence lingered around Twilight as she tried to come to terms with what just happened. Obviously, she’d done something wrong, not all ponies were over-the-top simple as Starshine. Something was clearly wrong. Something was bothering Lyra, that much Twilight understood. But what? Geez, when she thought making friends was easy she waaaaay off…
“What’s her problem?” Starshine mumbled as he blew a stray red lock out of his face. And then Twilight snapped.
The lavender filly lurched backwards and shook the snowy colt off her and turned to him with her violet eyes bearing the same hidden storm of Mandagor’e, that was still chasing the annoying wisps around the room.
“Stupid!” That was all Twilight hissed at him, and frankly it’d scare the pants of off him if he’s had any. The lavender filly snapped backwards and took a look back at Lyra who had stuffed herself in the far corner of the room, as far away from the two as possible. And then, the disgruntled youngling exhaled.
She sunk into her seat, and scooted as far away from the still shocked colt by her side. Twilight lifted her hoof and looked at the little red wisp that was still hovering in place. Without much thinking, Twilight gently threw the little flame into the air and followed it with her gaze until it was back at the ceiling. And a flash. And it was gone. Huh?
And that very second, every pale flame in the room disappeared with an audible pop, leaving behind one last gust of air and a floor littered with paper.
In the middle of it all, with a tattered purple cloak and a bleak, black mane going in every direction stood an amazingly surprised and confused Mrs. Mandagor’e.
Her pale gray eyes were wide as the magical, rusty red wisp-swatter popped into nothingness. She straightened her little, crest shaped glasses with the tip of her hoof, before looking around just to make sure whatever happened won’t be happening again.
“Okay then… I have no idea what just happened but don’t worry, I’ll simply drown Celestia in paperwork for this.”
Was that… laughter? Ok, what crazy mirror-world was this? Or maybe Twilight was still dreaming?
…
Nope… defiantly real. Oh brother, this can’t end well…
