Chapter 1

“Come on, Twilight. At least try to eat something. Tomorrow is an important day for all of us, and you can’t pass out from hunger on such a big day!” Pinkie Pie, outrageously pink with the puffiest mane and tail imaginable, jabbed a hoof at Twilight Sparkle’s thus far untouched plate. Twilight tried to return her smile, but found that her lips just couldn’t form the simple movement. Twilight glanced down at the food set before her, picking at pieces of it with her magenta tinged magic. The plate was pile high with her favorite foods: Stacks of hayfries, a daisy sunflower sandwich, and several greens and fruits besides. Tonight, however, Twilight couldn’t simply fall upon her food like she had in the past.

Pinkie Pie’s words rang true. Tomorrow would decide the future for Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Canterlot Orphans. Tomorrow was Career Day, and would determine exactly what—if any—future Equestria had in store for her. Deep, deep down inside, the purple unicorn just knew she was being silly. From levitation to teleportation to complex spell casting, Twilight had studied them all and only wanted more. There was no way that Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns would turn her down. She would become a mage, one of the powerful defenders of Equestria, ready to serve the Crown in times of need. She was yanked from her daydreams by another voice.

“Ah think she’s just nervous,” Applejack tossed down her fork and tipped her faithful Stetson forward, shading her emerald eyes a bit. Nothing made Applejack happier than to be outside in the heat of the Sun, tending apple trees and farming equipment. Twilight knew that Applejack was going to head directly into the Equestrian Rangers; an elite group of soldiers who farmed for a living, but acted as a defensive buffer to the Crown. With muscles like Applejack’s, the mare would be suited for little else. “Nerves are a dreadful thing, Twi. Don’t let em distract ya.”

“I’m not nervous,” Twilight protested, twirling a fork in her magic. She realized as she did so that this was a mistake.

Rainbow Dash glanced up from her own loaded plate, a comment already formed. “Of course Twilight is nervous! After all, who is going to want a unicorn mare that spends all of her time studying?” Sleek and smooth, Rainbow Dash was Wonderbolt material.

“I’m sure we're all nervous,” Fluttershy peeked her head out from behind her soft pink mane and offered a rare smile to Twilight, which the unicorn managed to return this time. Fluttershy lived up to her name, almost scared of her own shadow and too shy to make friends outside of her fellow Orphans. Her trusty first aid kit rested at the end of their table, within easy reach. As far as Twilight knew, Fluttershy never went anywhere without it.

“Well, I’m not!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed exuberantly. Twilight arched an eyebrow at her, which caused the bouncy mare to giggle. Pinkie Pie would almost certainly gravitate towards Equestria Intelligence. With a knack for baking or cooking, Pinkie already had the perfect alias to her name. Pinkie reached out an impossibly long hoof, almost as long as she was tall, and scooped up a doughnut from the platter of a passing waiter. She then proceeded to shove the entire thing into her mouth and swallow it whole.

Twilight sighed slightly, struggling to take her mind off tomorrow, and tried to become more active with her fellow Canterlot Orphans.  The Canterlot Orphans were just that: orphan fillies and colts whose parents had died in service to the Crown. Her Royal Highness Princess Luna raised these foals as Children of Canterlot, offering them a place to stay and giving them a small stipend from the Treasury. A vast majority of the Orphans were taken in by other Canterlot nobles—with the recent exception being Twilight Sparkle. As young as she was, the aspiring mage knew exactly why, too: Friherrinna Twilena Star Sparkle av Twinkle was one of the last living descendants of one of the most important and influential Houses. As such, other nobility only saw her as a marriage contract that would allow them to gain more peerage. After turning her third foster family into a trio of toads, Princess Luna herself deigned to give Twilena living space within Canterlot. Twilight mentally shuddered. She hated her real name, much preferring the informal Twilight Sparkle.

Despite her attempt to ward off thoughts of her slight predicament, Twilight’s mind stubbornly refused to let it go. It was hard, being one of the last lines of one of the only Houses devoted purely to the Crown. It was even harder because she was a mare. Among other nobility in Canterlot, it was expected that Twilight Sparkle marry into some other House and raise foals. That should be her sole purpose, and nothing more. Twilight, however, had other plans. Being officially recognized by the Crown as a Canterlot Orphan, Twilight could participate in Career Day if she so chose. Once she turned seventeen, Twilight had a decision to make: She could both fold to the wishes of other nobility and find some stuffy old snob to marry, or she could find her own place in the world.  It was Twilight’s every intention to do the latter. Career Day would provide that opportunity. When tomorrow comes, so too will the Masters of various branches of Equestria services. Should a Master Mage decide to accept Twilight Sparkle as an apprentice, she’ll be able to fully leave the plotting of other nobles behind. It would be tough going for a while, but doable. She’ll have at least two years of learning at Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns, then another two years of study under her Master. After that, if her Master deems her competent enough, she’ll be out on her own, patrolling Equestria’s borders and keeping an eye on their enemies.

Twilight stood up from her still untouched plate suddenly. Ignoring the questions of the other Orphans, Twilight exited the palace kitchens and meandered down a random hallway. She knew her friends were only trying to help comfort her (maybe with the exception of Rainbow), but at the moment Twilight did not want their condolences. Maybe Rainbow was right after all, as loath as Twilight wanted to admit it. The reclusive unicorn spent so much of her time locked away studying, it was a wonder any Master would even look twice at her. She could barely even classify her fellow Orphans as actual friends. The general defense against the schemes attempted to be woven around her was to usually lock herself away with her books. Doing so also helped hide the fact that she was still a Blank Flank.

The thought of still not having her cutie mark caused Twilight to glance longingly back at her bare flanks. Canterlot Orphans almost never received their cutie marks until after Career Day, meaning they were usually the oldest ponies to never have one. As such, this lead to a lot of ridicule from much younger colts and fillies who already knew what they were going to do with their life. So yes, locking herself away in her own personal tower with her books was often a good idea. At least the books would not laugh at her. Twilight scowled slightly, kicking at the marble floor with a forehoof. She did not want to go back and attempt to eat, or to be surrounded by her Orphan-mates. Even her books did not beckon to her like they normally did. Unable to decide what to do now or even what she wanted to do, Twilight headed for the one place she could always find peace and quiet.

The Royal Gardens were like a second home to Twilight, coming only after her books and the library. The gardens were so vast, Twilight had several places she could go for total solitude, away from other ponies. Twilight’s hooves rang out on cobblestone as she stepped through the archway leading into the main lobby of the palace. The two pegasus guards stationed at either side nodded respectfully at the Orphan as she walked sedately past, heading directly to the Gardens off to one side. As Twilight passed the boundary into the Gardens proper, she let out a heartfelt sigh of relief. Her tense form relaxed, and her breathing came easier. It was always like this in the Gardens. The smell of various plants. The soothing shade of towering trees, blotting out the moonlight. The soft symphony of insects providing a pleasant background noise. Even the occasional wild rabbit or bird helped create a potent mix that struck a calming chord deep within Twilight. She often came here when plagued by thoughts of the past and future, and every time this magical place put her at ease.

Twilight immediately took a right, headed off to an obscure corner of the garden. Right now, she only sought peace and quiet. She did not want to think, or to make small talk, or anything. She just wanted to sit and do absolutely nothing but breathe in the crisp atmosphere around her. Twilight trotted right up to a small stone bench overshadowed by towering oaks. A slight outline that was whiter than the rest of the stone, matching her body when curled up, was a testament to how often the young unicorn came to this very bench. She clambered up onto the coolness and curled up, matching the indentation perfectly. She closed her eyes and just lay there, still as the rock she rested on. She barely even moved as she breathed. Even if somepony walked right by her, they would only see her if they move or tried to sit on her.

As Twilight lay there, in a state halfway between sleep and awareness, the lights in Canterlot Palace started to extinguish. One by one the many windows in the palace went out. Twilight’s ear flicked as she heard Pinkie Pie calling her name in the distance, but Twilight ignored the call. Eventually, there was only one light left shining in the palace, high above her. She could See it with her magical sight, and knew that it belonged to Princess Luna, ruler of Equestria. Undoubtedly the Monarch was still awake, pouring over papers and other important documents. The Princess often stayed up late, taking care of business so that she could continue to run Equestria as smoothly as possible.

Soon, however, even the light in Princess Luna’s chamber went out as the Royal prepared for some sleep before reawakening to lower the Moon and raise the Sun. Still, Twilight Sparkle remained on her bench, uncaring and unthinking. Slowly but surely, the gifted unicorn began to expand her consciousness outward. When she had first began training herself in turning her mind into a corporeal form, Twilight had barely managed to expand a few feet from her body. Practicing again and again allowed the purple mare to expand a little farther each time. Now, she could extend her consciousness well past the garden boundaries, and drape it across all of Canterlot Palace. She could feel almost everything like this. The bright pinpricks of her fellow Orphans were the easiest to pick out, as she spent a good deal of her time with them, whenever she was not studying. Each were currently in their rooms, wrapped in easy slumber. Twilight’s lips curved into a smile as she gently caressed each of them in turn. Despite what she told herself, Twilight had really come to care for the other Orphans.. Even Rainbow Dash, as brash and cocky as she was.

Next, Twilight sought out the familiar spark that was her brother. Captain Shining Armor was an orphan too, but not recognized as such by the Crown. He had already been a lieutenant when their parents passed away, and has since risen up through the ranks of the Canterlot Guard with unmatched determination and devotion. Thanks to Shining’s own ceaseless duties and Twilight’s studying, the siblings have not had much time to visit each other often. Twilight missed her brother dearly. He was the only family she had left, and fully supported his younger sister in her quest to be an independent mare. On several occasions Shining had personally offered to step in and take care of a particularly nasty noble. However, thanks to Twilight’s reclusiveness to ponies who were not fellow Orphans, Shining never really had to do much more than flex his military muscles.

With a small sigh of exertion, Twilight finally returned to her body. She clambered to her hooves, wincing at the slight cramps from remaining still for so long. In roughly seven hours she would be standing before the Masters, who would determine her future. Quickly and quietly, Twilight fled back to her tower, still struggling to keep her mind off the future and what it would hold. The young mare collapsed upon her bed with a grunt, where sleep finally took a hold of her tired mind.