Chapter 1: Dear Old Aeterna
Ponies. God, there were ponies everywhere. Honestly, out on the streets it was no better than the hive.
I had tidied myself for the first day in Canterlot, wearing a bow tie in a hideous shade of green that matched my eyes. It was satin and a bit expensive, since us changelings normally go nude. My hair was tugged back in a tight ponytail, and I actually felt like the skin on my face was being stretched over my bones. One lonely lock twirled down my cheek, individual strands getting caught in the hinge on my glasses.
Overall, I looked like a great big dork. But I didn't care. I was going to be studying at the greatest school ever: Aeterna's University for Gifted Unicorns. I had some pretty strong (if rather unpredictable) magic, and this was the best place to learn to control it. Or so my father had been told.
I passed a donut shop on my way to the campus, the heavenly smell wafting from the open door. I almost stopped, but the stallion behind the counter gave me an odd look.
The rest of the store fronts screamed 'we'll take all your money before you know what hit you,' so I didn't really bother looking.
The streets here were old, very old, and their cobblestones were uneven. But in a nice way, you know? Like the city wasn't just made of buildings and streets and walls... like it was alive! It could age just like us... both ponies and changelings.
As I was musing happily to myself, gazing at the sky and across the street, my shoulder hit a passer-by, knocking him off-kilter.
"Hey!" He yelled. He was a grey unicorn with a depressingly black mane, complaining loudly at my barely tapping him.
"Uh-oh..."
"Why don't you watch you you're going, you freak?"
"Uh..." I swallowed hard.
He scoffed, then continued to stalk off in the opposite direction.
"Oh, boy..." I sighed deeply. This was gonna be a long four years.
Somewhere along the way, I got swept up in the flow of the crowd, just barely thinking about my destination, mostly following the several small gaggles of student-age ponies that seemed to have surrounded me. After finally being tossed about among them, I was finally dumped out on the sidewalk god-knows-where.
I gave myself a quick once-over, then glanced about my surroundings.
"Holy..." was all I could get out.
There it was. Aeterna University. It was probably as old as the castle itself, constructed in a much more classical style. It had soaring towers made of beautifully carved stone. Even from the street, a scent floated to my nose: dank, in the best possible way. Great swaths of moss hung from the tiniest imperfections, creating a marbled surface that was absolutely gorgeous.
Just like that, I was back to being excited about coming here.
I tugged my bulky luggage up the gently inclined staircase, galloping for the huge wood doors.
I was quickly stopped by an odd little sign. It hung on the end of the words carved into the wood. They used to read the school motto, 'a word to the wise is sufficient.'
What it read now, revised in sloppy penmanship on a sheet of notebook paper, was this: 'a word to the wise: shut the buck up.'
I grabbed the paper, easily tearing it away. I crumpled it up, tossing it over my shoulder, and grabbed the handle.
"What the hell? Nopony even saw that yet!" called a male voice from the bushes.
I chuckled forcefully. "It wasn't even funny. It was dumb. I think I did you a favor."
He grumbled. "Who are you, swiss cheese?" He laughed at his own joke.
I mocked his laughter, then cleared my throat. "Almeria. You wanna come out of the bushes?"
He laughed again. "And you think I'm stupid?"
"Of course you are. You're some frat boy. They're all dumb."
He made a small sound of annoyance, but didn't make any move to show his face. "Yeah, well, I'll catchya later Almeri-asshole."
I rolled my eyes. Why is it that everypony attending this school seemed to be an idiot? Granted, I'd only had a small taste so far...
Never mind. I was going up to my dorm, where I would most likely meet my future best friend! That could be cool... right? I mean, at least she'd be a girl, so... you know, that's one thing in common.
What's the worst that could happen? I remember thinking as I ascended the spiraling stairs. What is the worst that could happen?
Good question. Frustrating answer.
Well, there was just nopony there. There were some bags and suitcases on the bed, but they weren't even open.
"Hello?" I called nervously, worried I had somehow overlooked her.
No reply.
I sighed, tossing my bag onto the second mattress and carefully unloading its contents. First was a picture of my family. My dead mother, Alteratia, was on the left. My grumpy father, Metamorphosis, was on the right, with a stiff hoof around my mother. In the middle stood Obsidian, my foalsitter. He had practically raised me, and he was the hardest to say goodbye to. I set the image on my bedside table.
Second was a bunch of lens-cleaner wipes.
Then my favorite books and school supplies, which I tucked under the bed.
A toothbrush.
A comb.
Pocket-lint looking stuff.
A cute, but embarrassing doll. I put that one back in.
That was literally all I owned.
I glanced at the clock, pulling my day planner out form under the bed. I was due at my first lecture in ten minutes. Sounded like just enough time to find my way there.
I closed and locked the door with my key, then wandered back down the twisted stairs.
My first class was magic 101. A bit dull, a required class for all students, but I knew that any professor would be a better teacher than my grumpy father or magic-less foalsitter.
I was confident. Collected. Ready to learn like nopony had ever learned before.
I had also forgotten my notebook and quills.
I ran back up the stairs, trying hurriedly to unlock the door and retrieve my school supplies. My shaky magic caused the whole ordeal to take a good three times longer than necessary.
I rushed back down the stairs, a loose leaf trail spinning into the air behind me.
"Oh, my god... oh, my god... can't be late! It's the first day, goddammit! I can't be late!" I found myself muttering to myself. "First day. First class. First day. First class. Can't be late!"
I slid around a corner, spotting the room marked 'Magic 101.'
"Oh, thank god!" I told myself, opening the door and galloping into the classroom.
Everypony shut up immediately, staring at me. Somepony dropped a pencil.
I smiled, closing the door quietly behind me.
The conversation resumed slowly.
Alright. Anypony who's ever been to school, no matter how young or early it was, faces the same inner emotional conflict: where should I sit?
I mean, unless you're really lucky, you've never seen any of those ponies before. You kind of scan the room, all while moving forward as slowly as possible, giving yourself time to pick the seat while attempting to not look like a dork.
Again, the lucky ones are called around now by a kind pony towards the back, waving their hoof high in the air and maybe even patting the bench beside them.
Not me, though.
I sat right in the front. Nopony likes that front row of seats, so it was just me.
I began to organize my area, textbooks and quills all perfectly parallel and at perfectly right angles.
And then I sat quietly. Waiting.
The quiet didn't last long. The door was thrown open, and a snooty-looking pony breezed in, practically floating inside and gliding down to a seat.
Right next to me.
The first thing she did was whip out a tube of lipstick and a mirror compact.
She seemed to notice me for the first time. "Hey."
I wrinkled my nose at her.
She set about refurbishing her lips.
I re-aligned my quills, which had been jostled out of position by this new pony.
She had perfectly white fur and powder pink hair that flowed in gorgeous curls around her face. Now, her lips matched her mane.
She stopped suddenly, as though remembering something. She turned to me, smiling sweetly and fluttering her eyelashes. "Hey, pal! Can I borrow a quill?" she asked, her voice dripping in sugary sweetness.
"A... quill?" I asked, perplexed.
"Yeah. You know, to write with?" Her tone turned sarcastic in a second.
"It's... it's the first day," I said.
"I know it. And I need a quill."
"Who doesn't bring something to write with on the first day?" I glanced at her desk. "Or on!"
"Look, can I have a quill or not, cheese legs?" She grimaced at me.
"No. You're an idiot, you have to deal with it." I slid all of my supplies away from her.
"Hey!" hissed a voice from the back of the room. "Hey! Pink girl!"
The pony whirled around.
A stallion sent a quill sailing through the air, which the pony next to me caught. She mouthed a thank you to him, then blew a kiss.
I rolled my eyes, sinking down in the seat. It frustrated me that looks were so important here. In the hive, everypony was the same.
The door was thrown open once more, and I changed my position to one of attention.
A rather large unicorn stallion bustled in, his greasy mustache garbling his words. "Welcome to magic 101. I am Professor Charmer. Prepare for the entrance exam."
The students emitted a collective groan.
"What?" The mare dropped her lipstick. "What entrance exam? None of us were told!"
"Calm down, please!" grumbled the professor. "This is simply a benchmark. It will not count towards your final grade, it is for your benefit."
I smiled, ready to wow my fellow students.
The mare crossed her hooves over her chest. "Ugh. How lazy is that? Can't even bother to teach on the first day of school. It's the first day of school!"
I looked over at her. "You realize I just--"
"Shut up, Bug Eyes. I don't care what you think."
I felt my cheeks growing hot, and I started to grind my teeth.
"First..." The Professor referred to a clipboard in front of him. "Hess... Almeria Quincy."
I stood shakily. The mare laughed into her hoof, giving me a look that made my ears catch fire. I trotted to the front desk, waiting for instructions.
The Professor sighed deeply, opening a drawer beside him.
He laid three items out in front of me: a quill, a box, and an egg.
"Please write your name here," he ordered, pushing a paper at me.
I did so, printing it as neatly as possible.
"Open the box."
It was wood with a very simple latch. Easy. I could do this, I'd done harder things before.
The metal latch glowed green, and a tried to unhook it from its base.
The box caught fire.
"Oh my gosh!" I shrieked, jumping backwards.
The Professor's fuzzy eyebrows nearly leapt off his head. He calmly grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and shot a stream of white foam at the box.
"I'm sorry!" I whispered.
"No trouble. I was going to ask you to put the egg in the box, but..." he swept some of the foam away, revealing a charred hunk of wood. "Quite frankly, I'm frightened for the safety of my students, you, me, and my desk."
I grinned sheepishly.
"Have a seat."
"Okay..." I squeaked.
The pink mare was laughing so hard she wasn't making a sound. She wiped some tears away carefully, so as not to smear her mascara.
I flopped down in my seat, scooping up my things and sliding away from the mare. I did not want to be near her for the rest of my life. I had never met anypony so shallow, and I'd only known her for a few minutes!
I suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that these were going to be the worst four years of my life.
