"Hello, class. We have a new student here today. Say hello to Twilight Sparkle." The teacher gestured to the lavender filly sitting at a desk in the corner.
Twilight's new classmates obeyed, giving her an obligatory "Hello, Twilight" before turning their horned heads back to the teacher.
Twilight had no desire whatsoever to be here. Princess Celestia, her personal magic mentor, had given Twilight bad news the day before. Something serious had come up in an ally country, and Princess Celestia had to help out with the problem. Since she had no one to take her place, she didn't want to leave Equestria, but unfortunately the princess would be so busy that she wouldn't have any time left over to give Twilight her lessons. But Celestia had informed her that the local Magic Kindergarten accepted students, even in mid-year, and she could quickly enroll Twilight and have her take lessons there instead until things cleared up.
Her teacher now, a black unicorn with a red mane whom Twilight remembered from Celestia was named Ruby Shimmer, continued. "Since Twilight is new, today's lessons will be all review. I would also like to have you partner up today. Again, this is for our new student's benefit, so her partner, whoever it is, will be able to help her with what we're learning."
Twilight was surprised at this. Didn't Ruby Shimmer know that she was Princess Celestia's personal student? Of course Twilight would know what they were learning right now.
Nevertheless, the unicorns jumped out of their seats to choose partners and sit down at desks together. Reluctantly, Twilight stood up and walked slowly over to a dark blue filly with amber eyes, which lit up when Twilight trotted over.
"I'm Dusk Twinkle," she told her. "Should we be partners?"
"I guess," Twilight answered, tentatively sitting down beside Dusk.
Ruby began to pass around glasses, giving two to each pair of students. One was filled with water and the other was empty. "Now, I want one pony in each group to levitate the water out of one glass and fill the other with it."
Are you serious?
Dusk smiled. "I'll go first, just so you can--"
Before Dusk finished her sentence, Twilight did as Ruby instructed. She levitated the water out and dropped it in the empty glass. There were no spills on either desk.
Dusk's eyes widened. "Wow. Who taught you that?"
"Books," Twilight muttered.
Before Dusk could react, Ruby said, "Now I want everypony's partner to put the water back."
Twilight knew this would be a long day.
"Hi, little Twily," Twilight's mother, Twilight Velvet, greeted her as she threw her saddlebag on the floor. "How was Magic Kindergarten?"
"I learned more from books then I ever will there!" Twilight answered. "It's so boring. I don't know how I can stand being there until Celestia returns."
Night Light trotted over. "What did you learn?"
"I didn't learn anything," Twilight told her father scornfully. "She obviously had no idea Celestia is my teacher. She told the class to do some review spells. Stuff like levitating water and breaking vases."
"I'm surprised myself," Night Light told Twilight Velvet. "The princess herself enrolled Twilight in Magic Kindergarten. She must have told the teacher of her potential. But there the teacher goes, treating her like an idiot with no magical knowledge whatsoever."
Twilight sighed. "At least I got no homework. I can't imagine how simple that would have been."
If only Twilight knew things would get much worse than just boring, simple, time-wasting lessons.
Twilight arrived at the school, her saddlebags light, ready for another boring day at Magic Kindergarten. What am I going to "learn" today? More levitation? Nothing new, for sure. If she was still learning with the princess, Twilight would be getting started on growing magic. But she didn't dare hope that was today's lesson.
She sighed and trotted inside, making her way to her desk. She levitated her saddlebags onto a nearby cubby--partially just to prove she was a master at levitation by now--and waited for all the students to fill in the desks around her, chattering until Ruby Shimmer appeared.
"Good morning, class," she greeted the students. "We're going to try something new today--self-levitation.
Twilight was surprised. She'd never even tried levitating herself before, and something new was the last thing she'd expect from boring Magic Kindergarten. I could probably handle it. I've levitated objects my size, so levitating myself shouldn't be too hard, right?
Ruby repeated Twilight's thoughts. "It shouldn't be too hard, since you've levitated objects your own size. So let's go for a little trial and see if you're a natural at it or not. Everypony will come up here to try it. Dusk Twinkle, you first."
The dark blue filly trotted cheerfully to the front of the class. She closed her eyes as her pale blue aura began to surround her body, and she slowly lifted into the air.
"Very good, Dusk," praised Ruby as she wrote something in her scroll and Dusk floated down. "Morning Sun, you're next."
The names went on. In general, Twilight's classmates were good at the self-levitation. A few fell right after their aura surrounded them. Finally, Ruby called, "Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight stood up from her seat and confidently trotted to the front. I won't just flawlessly self-levitate, she decided, I'll fly using my magic! That'll show them how good Celestia's personal student is! Now that she thought about it, it sounded a bit big-headed, but she was sure she could pull it off.
Twilight focused her magic on herself. She lifted herself into the air, then moved herself across the ceiling.
That was when it broke apart. Her magenta aura disappeared, and Twilight crashed on somepony's desk. She blushed furiously as her classmates giggled, and hurried back to her seat. The pony whose desk she had landed on was glaring at her now.
That was undoubtedly humiliating. Twilight kept her head down as she sat, hoping nopony would see the dark blush on her face.
Finally, hours later, the day ended. Relieved, Twilight threw on her saddlebags and headed for the door before two unicorn colts blocked her path.
"It's you," the dark gray one said, smirking. He was the one whose desk Twilight had fallen on.
The other colt, who was white with a dark brown curly mane, said, "Were you trying to be a pegasus up there? This is Magic Kindergarten."
"Tragic Kindergarten, for you," the gray colt joked. He and his friend laughed, and they hoof bumped.
Twilight glared at them. "Other ponies messed up too!"
"Not nearly as bad as you," the white colt smirked.
"Princess Celestia's personal student," the gray colt sighed, "can't even levitate herself." The two colts laughed aand hoof bumped again.
Twilight could feel tears coming on. "I'm going to tell my mother!"
"Aw, cute," the white colt said mockingly. "Wittle Twilight is going to cwy to her mwommy." The two colts laughed before disappearing, leaving the path open for Twilight.
Twilight left to home with her head down, so no one could see the silent tears sliding down her face.
