The Rise Of Twilight Sparkleby StevieBondChaptersCelestia's New StudentTraining To AccelerateThe Birth Of SpikeCelestia's New StudentNo pony ever saw it coming, it all happened out of the blue. There was Princess Luna who was raising the Moon one night on her own as normal, when an evil aura approached from behind and slithered towards the Princess of the night. When she turned around, it was too late, she had been captured by the possessed aura that made her behave in a ruthless manner and later confronted her sister in an abandoned castle where after a heated argument, she began to form into Nightmare Moon, leaving Celestia with no choice but to do what she knew was right. The banishment of her sister who was taken over by an evil aura to the moon, took it's toll on Princess Celestia and she was distraught with the moment it happened before realizing that she now had to take the role of raising and lowering both the sun and the moon. Every day when she sat on her throne, she would watch over the ponies across the world and every night, she walks to the highest tower of the castle and calls out to her sister on the moon, never able to have the proper night sleep that she needs. The nine centuries and nine decades have passed since then, Celestia had learnt that on the upcoming longest night on the thousandth year, the stars around the moon will aid in Nightmare Moon's return, the Princess knew she wouldn't be able to stop her a second time and preventing her from bringing forth eternal night. She needed a student, a unicorn she would be able take under her wing and teach him or her all the lessons of magic and to also find five other ponies to aid him or her in their quest to stop Nightmare Moon from succeeding. Unfortunately, a unicorn who went by the name of Sunset Shimmer failed in not only her trainings, but also in learning about friendship and peace. Celestia had her banished to another world through a mirror portal and was never heard from again. The Princess had to find another student to take her place, one who was at a filly age and could be raised to be a strong unicorn, ready to face all challenges but she didn't have long to do so, the training and the methods would need to be accelerated in time. The day before all the fillies would return to school, Celestia was in the office with the Principle and were looking over all the files of the fillies at the school. "Well Princess, it is an honour to have you here." The Principle said. "And I think you for that, but I am only here to find a new faithful student and train her to my expectations." Celestia replied. "Forgive me your highness, but did the previous student you had not succeed?" "Not only did Sunset Shimmer failed in her training, she also took her friendships for granted, that I cannot accept." "That's terrible, I hope one of these fillies in this album will be perfect for you to mentor and guide." They both went back to looking over the photos of the fillies, Celestia took notice of a lavender unicorn filly and smiled with hope in her expression. And this is where our story begins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One sunny morning over at Canterlot, a filly Twilight Sparkle was getting up and ready for her first day of her second year at the Canterlot Filly School. Her first year had a lot of diamond in the rough moments, but they were all smoothed out in the end and this year, Twilight was determined to do much better. "Twilight dear, your breakfast is ready." her mother called out to her from the kitchen. "Okay mom." she replied as she combed her mane and trotted downstairs. She joined her parents by the kitchen table where breakfast was waiting for her. "Morning Twilight." her father said as he was reading the newspaper, "Are you ready for your first day back at school?" "Yeah, I'm gonna be better than last year." she replied confidently. "No mistakes." The family began eating their breakfast at the table and when they were done, Twilight looked up at the clock and slightly gasped. "I better go to school right now." Twilight said as she packed up her bags. "Alright sweetie, have fun today." her mum replied. "I will, mom." Her mother hugged Twilight and she then left her family home and began trotting over to the main town of Canterlot and into the filly school. Things had been a little quiet for Twilight since last year though when her older brother Shining Armour went away to train and become a royal guard, so she didn't have much in the way of friends. This was her second year and this time, her goal was to find caring friends whilst she carried on with her studies. However, unbeknownst to her, she may be the next filly to be taken under Celestia's guidance and therefore, change all of her goals and plans. When Twilight arrived at the school, she walked over to her locker and placed her bags in it, whilst taking out her notebook before trotting off to start her morning lesson. She opened the door and to her it wasn't a surprise, but she was the first one in to arrive before the other fillies did. "Well, morning Miss Sparkle." her teacher greeted happily, "Right on time on the first day as always." "Morning, Mrs. Bright." she replied excitedly. "Yes, I can't wait to start my lessons again!" "Glad to hear it, I wish the other students had your studying ambitions." Soon, the other fillies in her class turned up and it was time to start the first lesson of the day. The morning seemed to flew by for Twilight, taking notes all the while which got her a few glances from other fillies who didn't see school quite the same way, but nothing more than that so there was never any trouble directed at her. When it was the lunch break hour, loudspeakers across the hallways went off with a ding noise ringing a few times. "This is the Principle, would Twilight Sparkle please come to my office, I have somepony who wants to meet you." the Principle's voice boomed quietly on the speakers. "And please, leave your notes behind." Twilight knew what he meant by that as during her first year on parent's evening, she was writing down notes on hearing about her progress and how a griffon teacher gave her a hard time, until the Principle saw her note and assured her that she didn't need to write it down and it would be taken care of in time. Twilight left her notes and bags in her locker and walked to the office and when she got there, she noticed silhouettes of the Principle and a bigger pony coming through the glass window, she tapped on the door. "Come on in." the Principle said. Twilight opened the door and closed it behind her. "Yes Mr. Strike?" she asked. "Ah miss Sparkle, I have important news for you." he then pointed to Celestia. "Do you know who this is?" Twilight gasped in shock as her jaw nearly dropped and her pupils shrunk. "P-P-P-Princess Celestia?" "Yes, Twilight Sparkle, I am." the Princess replied softly, "I am also here today to inform you and the Principle of something very important." "So if you may take a seat, we can begin." the Principle added. Twilight did so as she sat down on a chair by the desk and listened carefully. "Twilight Sparkle, I am in need of a faithful student who I can guide and train to become a strong magical unicorn, one that can overcome many dangers." Celestia explained, "If you were to accept this new role and responsibility, I will explain of all of the information you need." "And what's more," the Principle added. "it will not affect your studies at school here since you are still at a filly age, so you'll have your lessons as normal, but not as much as before which I have agreed to accept as a small sacrifice to your education." "Your parents will be notified of this news if you wish to accept via letter." Celestia finished, "so what is your decision?" Twilight began to have a moment of wondering if she would be ready for such a big change at her age, but then again, perhaps working under the guidance of a Princess may be the smartest move she could make as she would be learning all the best magic around. "I umm...I w-w-would love to, Princess." she replied nervously. "Oh, I am very pleased to hear that." Celestia said with her smile somewhat bigger this time. "I think you made a smart choice, Miss Sparkle." the Principle added. "I shall write you a letter of this information to your parents so that they know everything you'll go through." "Thank you, can I go now?" Twilight asked. "Of course, you may now go to enjoying the rest of your lunch break, don't tell anypony else." "I won't." Twilight then left the office and went on with her lunch break before having her afternoon lessons. When it was home time, Twilight was given a letter by the principle before she left the school and began galloping back home in sheer excitement about today and she couldn't wait to tell her parents about it. She opened the door and trotted to her parents who were by the sofa in the living room. "Mom! Dad! I had an awesome day!" she exclaimed. "Oooh Twilight, calm down dear. What happened today?" her father chuckled. "I got a letter from the principle, he said you should read it." Twilight replied happily as she took out the letter from her school bags. The parents opened the letter and read it together and when they were done, they smiled at Twilight. "Twilight dear, are you sure you know what you're letting yourself in for?" her mother asked worryingly. "Yes I am, I can tell." "Well in that case, we are very happy for you. Being taught by the Princess will be a huge honour for you and it will bring so much pride and joy to our family." her father said, smiling. They all then went in for a family hug before Twilight trotted upstairs with her bags and into her room and started jumping lightly around her bedroom in sheer delight. It was nightfall sometime later and Twilight was reading one of her newly borrowed books from the local library until she heard a knock on her bedroom door, she opened it to see a familiar face. "Cadance!" she greeted with a big smile. "Hi Twilight, happy to see my favourite filly to foal sit for the evening again." Cadance replied as they hugged. "Do you still remember our chant?" "Yes!" Twilight said as she clapped her hooves in excitement. They then got into position to do thier little chant and said it together. "Sunshine, sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They then giggled after their chant. "I hear that some filly is going to be mentored by the Princess?" Cadance asked Twilight with a cheeky wink. "Yeah, that's me! I'm so happy." she replied happily. "Well I'm excited for you, but won't it be too hard for you?" "Nope, I'm ready for it." "Okay, but for now, let's enjoy our fun-time. "Yay!" Soon, Twilight was told that her parents were out tonight as usual but only whenever Cadence came round to watch over her. Back at the castle, Celestia was watching over the moon and seeing the mark still present. She was worried for sure, but she hoped that by selecting Twilight, she would be able to train her in time with only ten years to go until the longest day of the thousandth year arrives. All she could do for the moment was to wait for the day Twilight would begin her first special day with the Princess, giving her a tour of what being her faithful student would provide before any of the training could commence. Training To AccelerateTwilight was very excited the next morning as she was going to be taught under the Princess's guidance and training over at the castle, but at that point, she was not even aware of the real reasons nor would she ever expect the lengths Celestia would go to in order to have a student ready to face the return of Nightmare Moon. After the family's breakfast, Twilight was packing up her bags with what she needed, with her cuddly toy Smarty Pants among the items before she was ready to go. When she left her room, her parents were there and waiting to see her off before she left the house. "Good luck with your training Twilight." her mother said as she hugged her. "Don't forget to write, either." her father added. "I won't, bye mom and dad!" she replied happily, "I'll write whenever I can." She trotted out of the house and went onwards to the castle. When Twilight approached the castle entrance, she was escorted to the Princess by two guards to the throne room. There was Celestia who stood by the window overlooking at the horizon when she heard the doors open. "Good morning Twilight, I welcome you on being my new faithful student." Celestia greeted the filly. "Morning Princess, I am ready to train my magic." Twilight replied confidently. "That's good, but first, I must give you a quick tour of the places you'll need to be at before we start." Celestia then moved her head slightly as if to follow her so Twilight followed her out of the throne room and first off, into a huge library. This got Twilight's full attention as she saw books the size of mountains from her point of view. "This is the Canterlot castle library, only the finest and rarest of books can be found here." the Princess explained. "Wow!" she whispered gleefully. "What about those books at the top?" "They are for alicorns only as they are far too high to be picked up by unicorns." Celestia pointed to the books around the floor they were on. "Now, I trust that you will study hard with reading these books as they will help you improve your magic." "I will Princess, whatever it takes." They then left the library and walked to the magic firing range on one of the training grounds. "This is where you will learn your magic training, from skill to endurance." The filly nodded who showed interest but not as much as the books. They walked back indoors and up the stairs to the bed chambers. "And finally this is where you'll be sleeping for the duration of your training." "I get to sleep with you, Princess?" Twilight asked. "Yes, you may leave your bags here, they will be safe in this room." Twilight dropped off her bags by the bed and soon, they walked out of the bed chamber, ready to begin her first training session. "If only you knew why you are really here, I really hope you're ready for the return of Nightmare Moon." Celestia thought to herself. She then sighed which caught Twilight's attention. "Is something wrong, Princess?" she asked. "No Twilight, it's all right." Celestia replied. The first day of her magic training finally began with the improved basics which continued throughout the day. The Princess however was not feeling convinced enough that the training was going to prepare her in time and as much as it would hurt both of them, she felt that something had to be done in a time of desperation. In the weeks that followed and with the return of Nightmare Moon fast approaching, Princess Celestia began to force herself to accelerate filly Twilight's magic training beyond the capability of any pony, let alone Twilight who is still just a filly. "Twilight Sparkle, you are forbidden from returning home until your performance improves." she said sternly after thier recent training which did not go well for Twilight. Upon Twilight's first failure, Celestia decided to prohibit her from any form of distraction, taking away her Smarty Pants and forbidding Twilight from visiting her parents. From that moment on, filly Twilight's blissful days with caring Celestia effectively ended. Celestia now became harsh and cold, criticizing Twilight for the slightest error and doesn't acknowledge any success. Twilight's enduring successes only prompt Celestia to accelerate her education further until Twilight's efforts fall short. It looked like the happy days Twilight was looking forward to was going to be turned on it's head. Things did not get any better for Twilight for the rest of that year, after a day of spending hours of magical endurance training with no contact from her family or Cadance, Twilight’s magic was completely drained. But alas, Celestia was displeased with her performance before calling it a day and they returned to the castle. When they arrived at the stairs leading to the upper floors of the castle, Celestia walked upwards to the top as she and Twilight remained silent before the princess turned to Twilight who had yet to start climbing up the stairs. “Perhaps I was wrong to make you my faithful student.” Celestia said coldly as she looked down on her exhausted student in the moonlight, a grim reminder of Nightmare Moon's approaching return. Filly Twilight was looking forward to sleeping with her mentor Celestia as per usual, seemingly her last comfort since Celestia accelerated her education. But without her magic, Twilight was unable to assist herself up the high stairs leading up to Celestia’s bed chamber. Twilight was still just a filly, she struggled up each step, but her small frail body ran out of strength just short of the top. Twilight began to cry as she knew she couldn't make it on her own. Her mentor just walked away, leaving a tearful filly Twilight stranded on the cold staircase. In that moment, her heart was broken. Longing for Celestia’s approval and affection, she finally began to accept that her time as a filly was over, even if Celestia wouldn't and couldn't tell her why. Twilight was Celestia's student, she would do her royal duty and as far as she was concerned, the fate of Equestria did not rest on her making friends or her own happiness. One of the unicorn maids who worked in the castle on her night shift, spotted the heartbroken filly and felt incredibly sorry for her, she walked up the stairs and gave Twilight a comforting hug which surprised her. "You will get through your training, little one." she assured, trying to help bring hope back into Twilight's soul. "Listen to your family for guidance and you will make it to the top." The maid then placed Twilight back on the staircase, she turned and walked back downstairs. She turned her head to Twilight and smiled before she left the stairway and through one of the other doors. Things were then instantly quiet, apart from the noise of the calm wind coming from outside through the castle windows. As Twilight was left alone in the cold and dark, she suddenly heard the voices of her loved ones that began to play in her mind... Twilight my dear, don't give up... We love you, you can do it... You are my L.S.B.F.F...I will always be with you Twily... You are my favourite filly to foal-sit, never stop believing in yourself... With the words of love and support, Twilight wiped her tears away. She then got back up and began climbing the rest of the way with her new found strength and courage, before she finally made it to the top of the stairs and breathing a sigh of relief, walked quietly into the bed chamber. What she saw then surprised her, Celestia was lying down on her bed, looking at the fireplace with tears running down her face. This was the moment Twilight learnt that the harsh training was hurting Celestia emotionally as much as it was hurting her psychically. Celestia then stopped crying as she fell asleep before Twilight walked towards her and snuggled up beside her, before sleeping away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the two years that followed, Twilight had overcame a lot through her accelerated training routine and according to the Princess, her magic was now up to par with Celestia's standards. It seemed by then that things were starting to calm down at last, but through all of it, she still didn't know why all of this was happening. Twilight was able to go back to school with the other fillies, but all was not well. After an almost complete terrible day at her school, Twilight was picked on by her classmates, jealous of her advanced magic, labelled as a show-off and a teachers pet for being the sole pony privileged to spend all her time with Celestia. One even having the gall to claim that she had it easier with the Princess. This would make Twilight very apprehensive about flaunting her magic in the future. Later that day, Twilight came to Celestia in a mess from all the things some of her classmates threw at her. This made her late for a training session with the Princess and she was given a harsh and rapid bath to make up for lost time. It was at that point Twilight decided that she couldn't take it anymore and began to show anger towards the Princess. "Princess Celestia, I have had enough, why are you doing this to me?!" she asked in an aggressive tone. Surprisingly, Celestia didn't get angry. She just smiled, Celestia still couldn't simply spell out what she was expected to do, but she would soon get an answer...or so the Princess thought as she began to walk away from the bathroom. "Is it to do with Nightmare Moon returning?" Twilight asked with a firm tone, "Is it about you wanting to see Princess Luna again as you have always loved her, but you can't do it yourself as it brings back painful memories of the banishment?" That question did it for her, Celestia stopped herself instantly and swapped her grin for sadness and began to sniff before lowering her head and letting the tears fall down her face. Celestia let out a quiet wail as she began to sit down before laying on the floor, covering her tearful eyes with her hooves. Twilight used her magic to dry herself clean before she went over to the Princess and looking worried. "Oh Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." she began sniffing, "...I never wanted to do any of this to you, I just want my sister back so we can rule Equestria as equals again." "Oh Princess..." "I had no choice...I was forced to go to extreme lengths so you can be ready for Nightmare Moon's return, but you're still a filly and I paid no attention to your feelings or your status." "Celestia...why didn't you tell me this beforehand?" "Because I was afraid that you would've been too fragile and unprepared if I had told you the real reasons then." "But don't you remember what I said years ago?" Twilight reminded her, "I said that I was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to improve my magic." Celestia stopped crying before she wept her tears away and sat back up. "You're right, my student." she replied as she got back up, "I need to be strong for my sister, and my faithful student which is you." Twilight began to show a smile. "I have no excuse for the way I had to train you during the desperate times. I wish to make it all up to you now that you've proven yourself today." "Really, you would do that, Princess?" "I do...I grant you having Smarty Pants back to you, he'll be on your bed when we call it a night." she paused for a moment, "And what's more, I will also allow you to see your parents again, you will need them for the upcoming exam." "Oh thank you, Princess! Thank you!" Twilight exclaimed as she hugged tight on Celestia's foreleg. Celestia responded by pulling Twilight gently into a comforting hug, at last, the harsh period of magic training was over, but the days before the upcoming exam were not finished yet. The Birth Of SpikeIt was the next day after the breakdown, the Princess was feeling much better but was still worried about nightmare's return. But then again, Twilight had assured her that she will succeed at any cost which had been proven correctly, due to her resilience against the accelerated training which slowed down gradually. Twilight was a little excited today because her foal-sitter was coming to visit her in the castle, both she and Celestia were in the throne room. "I'm so happy to be seeing Cadance today, I've missed her so much!" she said happily as she held her smarty pants doll. "I'm sure you have, my faithful student." Celestia replied, "I do hope this makes up for everything I had to put you through." "It more than does, Princess. By the way, what kind of exam is it I'm preparing for?" "I'm afraid I can't tell you, but I can tell you that it will take place at the filly school auditorium." "But why my school?" "There were no other places available and it was decided by the examiner team with the principle's approval." "Won't the other fillies pick on me and throw me off my concentration?" "Don't worry Twilight, that will not be happening." Celestia placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "It will only be just you, your parents, myself, the principle and the examination team." Twilight perked up a bit and smiled again. "Okay." Just then, the doors to the throne room were opened and in came Cadance and the two guards who escorted her. "Twilight!" Cadance called whilst she trotted towards her. "Cadance!" she replied as they hugged before doing thier chant. "Sunshine, sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Celestia smiled at the cuteness she was seeing. "I've missed you so much, Twilight." "Me too, Cadance...it was very hard, but it's been worth it." "And Princess Celestia, I am honoured to see you." Cadance bowed at the princess in respect. "Thank you Cadance." the princess replied, "I've heard so much about you and your foal-sitting, you have a wonderful gift." "Why thank you your highness." Soon, Cadance took Twilight out of the castle to spend quality time they've missed for a few years by travelling around Canterlot and even seeing her parents with open arms and happy tears, which the purple filly had missed so much. She knocked on her parents front door and her mother opened it. "Twilight my darling!" her mother exclaimed. "Mother!" Twilight replied as she jumped into her mum's hooves for a tight hug. "I've missed you for so many years, Twilight." "I've missed you too, mom..." "Twilight! I've missed you, my little girl!" her dad said as he hugged her. "I've missed you too dad." she replied. They shared a few tears together, having missed each other for over two years. Since then, the accelerated training period was over and her studying at the filly school began to improve once again, even though she didn't have much in the way of friends now ever since she was hoof picked by Celestia. Unfortunately, the bad memories from the bullying to possibly failing her exam were continuing to play in Twilight's mind, but only when she was sleeping, she would try to hide it whenever she dreamt about it. However one night, in her bed beside the Princess in the bed chambers, Twilight woke with a jolt. The only sounds in her room were the cold breeze and her own heavy breaths. The nightmare of those memories had returned once again, worse than ever. "I mustn't fail her," she whimpered to herself as tears began streaming down her face. "I mustn't fail her, I must-" Her sobs finally rendered her unable to talk as she held Smarty Pants close and wept openly. The very thought of failing the Princess and her exam now took any control from her and she buried herself beneath the blankets so that nopony else could hear her lonely suffering. She didn't even notice the noises or the hoof-prints behind her. Twilight jumped when she felt a nuzzle on the back of her head, and turned around. Standing before her at her bedside, was Princess Celestia herself, a look of concern on her face for the first time. "My dearest student, what's wrong? Is it the dream?" she asked gently. Twilight nodded with a hint of fear. "Twilight," she said warmly, "your nerves are getting the best of you! Everypony gets scared the night before their first and most important exam." She chuckled as she wiped her student's tears away. "Especially if they try to calm themselves by eating an entire cake." She poked Twilight on the nose and the little filly giggled. "Don't worry, I won't let any of it happen outside of the dream..." Celestia put her hooves around her, and held her tight. Twilight smiled and hugged her back until she fell asleep in her hooves. After tucking her in and kissing her goodnight, she looked out the window to the full moon with the mark shown clearly in the sky and whispered sadly, "...not again." The next morning arrived and Celestia woke up first with a smile on her face and walked over to Twilight who was sleeping peacefully away, she gently stroked her mane which caused her to wake up slightly. "Wake up Twilight." Celestia whispered. "It's your big day today." Twilight woke up and sat herself up in her bed, before rubbing her eyes and yawned. "Morning Princess." she replied, "Is it time already?" "Yes, my student. But there needs to be preparations made before your exam. I advise you to ask for your parents to come along to give you extra support." "Okay, I'll do that right now." The Princess then turned and left the bed chamber to make preparations for the day, whilst Twilight got herself alert and awake before she left the castle and trotted back to her parents home. When she arrived, she opened the parents door and walked in to be greeted with hugs. "Hi mom, I have so much to tell you and Dad about." Twilight said. "Then come on in, we would like to hear about how much you've done." her mum replied. Twilight walked inside and her mum closed the door. She found her Dad on the sofa who saw her and went in for a hug. Shortly, the family got together by the sofa and just in time for lunch. Twilight began telling them the training she had to go through but she assured them that despite the difficulties, it was all worth it for her upcoming exam today. "So your exam is today?" her dad asked. "Yes and it'll help me prove if I'm ready to be her permanent and faithful student." Twilight replied. "Do you want us to comes with you?" her mum asked. "The princess advised I should so that I have a bit of comfort." "In that case, we'll be right with you." "Thank you" They then had a group hug before they had thier lunch and then made thier way towards the filly school where Celestia was waiting for them. "Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle." the Princess greeted, "I am glad to finally meet the parents of your wonderful daughter." "And we are honoured to meet you, Princess." Twilight's mom replied. The parents then bowed in respect and Twilight did so as well. "Come on in, the examiners have arrived in the auditorium and are ready to start." Celestia said. They then walked into the school, past the hallways and into the auditorium at the far end. There were four unicorns with clipboards and pens at the ready by the seats. This made Twilight a little nervous since she was still shy and hesitant about showing off her magic, but she knew it had to be done or she would fail her exam. "Good luck Twilight, I know you can do it." Celestia encouraged. "We're with you all the way." Twilight's mum added. Twilight moved forward to the stage and there, one of the workers at the school brought in a small cart with an artistic designed looking egg on a small pile of hay. She slightly gasped as she knew what that was. "A dragon egg?" she asked the princess. "Yes Twilight, your exam to pass is to use your magic to help make this dragon be born from out of it's egg." Celestia explained. Twilight gulped as she looked at the examiners before turning her attention to the egg. She began to light up her horn and tried to do just about anything she could think of that would help the dragon to be born. After a few minutes of not succeeding, she began to worry and her parents didn't feel confident either. The Princess was beginning to feel disappointed and worried again when suddenly, a huge bright light and explosion was heard from outside the school, it showed off a ray of rainbow colours in a circle which legends said it was called a sonic rainboom. Twilight was so shocked that she let out huge bursts of magic at the egg, the egg then began to crack away until in it's place was now a baby dragon which began sucking it's tail. Everypony stood in surprise at what just happened, even Celestia couldn't speak. The examiners then got back to writing their feedback and they were very impressed. "Twilight Sparkle...I've never seen you use your magic with that amount of power and ability before." Celestia complimented. "I never thought I could do it." she replied, "But somehow, I did it and a baby dragon has been born." "Then from this day onwards, this baby dragon will be yours to look after." Twilight moved towards the baby dragon and smiled at it as her parents hugged her. "We're so proud of you Twilight." her dad said. "Does this mean I've passed?" she asked Celestia. The examiners nodded in agreement. "You have passed with extraordinary results." the princess replied confidently. "WOOHOO!" Twilight jumped in the air with excitement. "But you must learn to control your new found power and magic through further studying." Celestia added, "And I think this baby dragon may have some interesting potential as your assistant someday. Twilight, I would like you to be my permanent student." "I would be honoured, Princess." she replied happily. "We should go out and celebrate!" Twilight's dad suggested. "Yay!" "By the way Twilight, what are you gonna call that baby dragon since it's now yours to look after?" her mum asked. "I think I'll call it...Spike." Whilst the Sparkle family left the school with the baby dragon to celebrate, Celestia returned to her castle and as she took her throne, she looked over to the window frame art designs and saw one of her sister and herself ruling over the planet of Equestria. "Soon..." Celestia said, "...I will see you again, my sister." She then carried with her duties for the day and she felt confident that by the time the 1,000th year arrives, Twilight would be ready to face Nightmare Moon's return and perhaps bring back Princess Luna for a long awaited reunion. Of course, it would take a few obstacles to overcome this such as Twilight moving to Ponyville and making friends with the other ponies. After the celebration, Twilight was then given her own personal tower in Canterlot Castle for becoming Princess Celestia's personal and permanent student and she could not have been happier. Plenty of room, her own bedtime and complete solitude, perfect for an aspiring scholar such as herself. However, it had it's downsides, such as being in a room far away from other ponies and willing to be friends with others, for now though, she had Spike who will be her number one assistant someday. Her own tale is just beginning, but for this story, it ends here. THE END Author's Note And thus, the follow-up story is now complete, glad to have finally got this one done.
Celestia's New StudentNo pony ever saw it coming, it all happened out of the blue. There was Princess Luna who was raising the Moon one night on her own as normal, when an evil aura approached from behind and slithered towards the Princess of the night. When she turned around, it was too late, she had been captured by the possessed aura that made her behave in a ruthless manner and later confronted her sister in an abandoned castle where after a heated argument, she began to form into Nightmare Moon, leaving Celestia with no choice but to do what she knew was right. The banishment of her sister who was taken over by an evil aura to the moon, took it's toll on Princess Celestia and she was distraught with the moment it happened before realizing that she now had to take the role of raising and lowering both the sun and the moon. Every day when she sat on her throne, she would watch over the ponies across the world and every night, she walks to the highest tower of the castle and calls out to her sister on the moon, never able to have the proper night sleep that she needs. The nine centuries and nine decades have passed since then, Celestia had learnt that on the upcoming longest night on the thousandth year, the stars around the moon will aid in Nightmare Moon's return, the Princess knew she wouldn't be able to stop her a second time and preventing her from bringing forth eternal night. She needed a student, a unicorn she would be able take under her wing and teach him or her all the lessons of magic and to also find five other ponies to aid him or her in their quest to stop Nightmare Moon from succeeding. Unfortunately, a unicorn who went by the name of Sunset Shimmer failed in not only her trainings, but also in learning about friendship and peace. Celestia had her banished to another world through a mirror portal and was never heard from again. The Princess had to find another student to take her place, one who was at a filly age and could be raised to be a strong unicorn, ready to face all challenges but she didn't have long to do so, the training and the methods would need to be accelerated in time. The day before all the fillies would return to school, Celestia was in the office with the Principle and were looking over all the files of the fillies at the school. "Well Princess, it is an honour to have you here." The Principle said. "And I think you for that, but I am only here to find a new faithful student and train her to my expectations." Celestia replied. "Forgive me your highness, but did the previous student you had not succeed?" "Not only did Sunset Shimmer failed in her training, she also took her friendships for granted, that I cannot accept." "That's terrible, I hope one of these fillies in this album will be perfect for you to mentor and guide." They both went back to looking over the photos of the fillies, Celestia took notice of a lavender unicorn filly and smiled with hope in her expression. And this is where our story begins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One sunny morning over at Canterlot, a filly Twilight Sparkle was getting up and ready for her first day of her second year at the Canterlot Filly School. Her first year had a lot of diamond in the rough moments, but they were all smoothed out in the end and this year, Twilight was determined to do much better. "Twilight dear, your breakfast is ready." her mother called out to her from the kitchen. "Okay mom." she replied as she combed her mane and trotted downstairs. She joined her parents by the kitchen table where breakfast was waiting for her. "Morning Twilight." her father said as he was reading the newspaper, "Are you ready for your first day back at school?" "Yeah, I'm gonna be better than last year." she replied confidently. "No mistakes." The family began eating their breakfast at the table and when they were done, Twilight looked up at the clock and slightly gasped. "I better go to school right now." Twilight said as she packed up her bags. "Alright sweetie, have fun today." her mum replied. "I will, mom." Her mother hugged Twilight and she then left her family home and began trotting over to the main town of Canterlot and into the filly school. Things had been a little quiet for Twilight since last year though when her older brother Shining Armour went away to train and become a royal guard, so she didn't have much in the way of friends. This was her second year and this time, her goal was to find caring friends whilst she carried on with her studies. However, unbeknownst to her, she may be the next filly to be taken under Celestia's guidance and therefore, change all of her goals and plans. When Twilight arrived at the school, she walked over to her locker and placed her bags in it, whilst taking out her notebook before trotting off to start her morning lesson. She opened the door and to her it wasn't a surprise, but she was the first one in to arrive before the other fillies did. "Well, morning Miss Sparkle." her teacher greeted happily, "Right on time on the first day as always." "Morning, Mrs. Bright." she replied excitedly. "Yes, I can't wait to start my lessons again!" "Glad to hear it, I wish the other students had your studying ambitions." Soon, the other fillies in her class turned up and it was time to start the first lesson of the day. The morning seemed to flew by for Twilight, taking notes all the while which got her a few glances from other fillies who didn't see school quite the same way, but nothing more than that so there was never any trouble directed at her. When it was the lunch break hour, loudspeakers across the hallways went off with a ding noise ringing a few times. "This is the Principle, would Twilight Sparkle please come to my office, I have somepony who wants to meet you." the Principle's voice boomed quietly on the speakers. "And please, leave your notes behind." Twilight knew what he meant by that as during her first year on parent's evening, she was writing down notes on hearing about her progress and how a griffon teacher gave her a hard time, until the Principle saw her note and assured her that she didn't need to write it down and it would be taken care of in time. Twilight left her notes and bags in her locker and walked to the office and when she got there, she noticed silhouettes of the Principle and a bigger pony coming through the glass window, she tapped on the door. "Come on in." the Principle said. Twilight opened the door and closed it behind her. "Yes Mr. Strike?" she asked. "Ah miss Sparkle, I have important news for you." he then pointed to Celestia. "Do you know who this is?" Twilight gasped in shock as her jaw nearly dropped and her pupils shrunk. "P-P-P-Princess Celestia?" "Yes, Twilight Sparkle, I am." the Princess replied softly, "I am also here today to inform you and the Principle of something very important." "So if you may take a seat, we can begin." the Principle added. Twilight did so as she sat down on a chair by the desk and listened carefully. "Twilight Sparkle, I am in need of a faithful student who I can guide and train to become a strong magical unicorn, one that can overcome many dangers." Celestia explained, "If you were to accept this new role and responsibility, I will explain of all of the information you need." "And what's more," the Principle added. "it will not affect your studies at school here since you are still at a filly age, so you'll have your lessons as normal, but not as much as before which I have agreed to accept as a small sacrifice to your education." "Your parents will be notified of this news if you wish to accept via letter." Celestia finished, "so what is your decision?" Twilight began to have a moment of wondering if she would be ready for such a big change at her age, but then again, perhaps working under the guidance of a Princess may be the smartest move she could make as she would be learning all the best magic around. "I umm...I w-w-would love to, Princess." she replied nervously. "Oh, I am very pleased to hear that." Celestia said with her smile somewhat bigger this time. "I think you made a smart choice, Miss Sparkle." the Principle added. "I shall write you a letter of this information to your parents so that they know everything you'll go through." "Thank you, can I go now?" Twilight asked. "Of course, you may now go to enjoying the rest of your lunch break, don't tell anypony else." "I won't." Twilight then left the office and went on with her lunch break before having her afternoon lessons. When it was home time, Twilight was given a letter by the principle before she left the school and began galloping back home in sheer excitement about today and she couldn't wait to tell her parents about it. She opened the door and trotted to her parents who were by the sofa in the living room. "Mom! Dad! I had an awesome day!" she exclaimed. "Oooh Twilight, calm down dear. What happened today?" her father chuckled. "I got a letter from the principle, he said you should read it." Twilight replied happily as she took out the letter from her school bags. The parents opened the letter and read it together and when they were done, they smiled at Twilight. "Twilight dear, are you sure you know what you're letting yourself in for?" her mother asked worryingly. "Yes I am, I can tell." "Well in that case, we are very happy for you. Being taught by the Princess will be a huge honour for you and it will bring so much pride and joy to our family." her father said, smiling. They all then went in for a family hug before Twilight trotted upstairs with her bags and into her room and started jumping lightly around her bedroom in sheer delight. It was nightfall sometime later and Twilight was reading one of her newly borrowed books from the local library until she heard a knock on her bedroom door, she opened it to see a familiar face. "Cadance!" she greeted with a big smile. "Hi Twilight, happy to see my favourite filly to foal sit for the evening again." Cadance replied as they hugged. "Do you still remember our chant?" "Yes!" Twilight said as she clapped her hooves in excitement. They then got into position to do thier little chant and said it together. "Sunshine, sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They then giggled after their chant. "I hear that some filly is going to be mentored by the Princess?" Cadance asked Twilight with a cheeky wink. "Yeah, that's me! I'm so happy." she replied happily. "Well I'm excited for you, but won't it be too hard for you?" "Nope, I'm ready for it." "Okay, but for now, let's enjoy our fun-time. "Yay!" Soon, Twilight was told that her parents were out tonight as usual but only whenever Cadence came round to watch over her. Back at the castle, Celestia was watching over the moon and seeing the mark still present. She was worried for sure, but she hoped that by selecting Twilight, she would be able to train her in time with only ten years to go until the longest day of the thousandth year arrives. All she could do for the moment was to wait for the day Twilight would begin her first special day with the Princess, giving her a tour of what being her faithful student would provide before any of the training could commence.
Training To AccelerateTwilight was very excited the next morning as she was going to be taught under the Princess's guidance and training over at the castle, but at that point, she was not even aware of the real reasons nor would she ever expect the lengths Celestia would go to in order to have a student ready to face the return of Nightmare Moon. After the family's breakfast, Twilight was packing up her bags with what she needed, with her cuddly toy Smarty Pants among the items before she was ready to go. When she left her room, her parents were there and waiting to see her off before she left the house. "Good luck with your training Twilight." her mother said as she hugged her. "Don't forget to write, either." her father added. "I won't, bye mom and dad!" she replied happily, "I'll write whenever I can." She trotted out of the house and went onwards to the castle. When Twilight approached the castle entrance, she was escorted to the Princess by two guards to the throne room. There was Celestia who stood by the window overlooking at the horizon when she heard the doors open. "Good morning Twilight, I welcome you on being my new faithful student." Celestia greeted the filly. "Morning Princess, I am ready to train my magic." Twilight replied confidently. "That's good, but first, I must give you a quick tour of the places you'll need to be at before we start." Celestia then moved her head slightly as if to follow her so Twilight followed her out of the throne room and first off, into a huge library. This got Twilight's full attention as she saw books the size of mountains from her point of view. "This is the Canterlot castle library, only the finest and rarest of books can be found here." the Princess explained. "Wow!" she whispered gleefully. "What about those books at the top?" "They are for alicorns only as they are far too high to be picked up by unicorns." Celestia pointed to the books around the floor they were on. "Now, I trust that you will study hard with reading these books as they will help you improve your magic." "I will Princess, whatever it takes." They then left the library and walked to the magic firing range on one of the training grounds. "This is where you will learn your magic training, from skill to endurance." The filly nodded who showed interest but not as much as the books. They walked back indoors and up the stairs to the bed chambers. "And finally this is where you'll be sleeping for the duration of your training." "I get to sleep with you, Princess?" Twilight asked. "Yes, you may leave your bags here, they will be safe in this room." Twilight dropped off her bags by the bed and soon, they walked out of the bed chamber, ready to begin her first training session. "If only you knew why you are really here, I really hope you're ready for the return of Nightmare Moon." Celestia thought to herself. She then sighed which caught Twilight's attention. "Is something wrong, Princess?" she asked. "No Twilight, it's all right." Celestia replied. The first day of her magic training finally began with the improved basics which continued throughout the day. The Princess however was not feeling convinced enough that the training was going to prepare her in time and as much as it would hurt both of them, she felt that something had to be done in a time of desperation. In the weeks that followed and with the return of Nightmare Moon fast approaching, Princess Celestia began to force herself to accelerate filly Twilight's magic training beyond the capability of any pony, let alone Twilight who is still just a filly. "Twilight Sparkle, you are forbidden from returning home until your performance improves." she said sternly after thier recent training which did not go well for Twilight. Upon Twilight's first failure, Celestia decided to prohibit her from any form of distraction, taking away her Smarty Pants and forbidding Twilight from visiting her parents. From that moment on, filly Twilight's blissful days with caring Celestia effectively ended. Celestia now became harsh and cold, criticizing Twilight for the slightest error and doesn't acknowledge any success. Twilight's enduring successes only prompt Celestia to accelerate her education further until Twilight's efforts fall short. It looked like the happy days Twilight was looking forward to was going to be turned on it's head. Things did not get any better for Twilight for the rest of that year, after a day of spending hours of magical endurance training with no contact from her family or Cadance, Twilight’s magic was completely drained. But alas, Celestia was displeased with her performance before calling it a day and they returned to the castle. When they arrived at the stairs leading to the upper floors of the castle, Celestia walked upwards to the top as she and Twilight remained silent before the princess turned to Twilight who had yet to start climbing up the stairs. “Perhaps I was wrong to make you my faithful student.” Celestia said coldly as she looked down on her exhausted student in the moonlight, a grim reminder of Nightmare Moon's approaching return. Filly Twilight was looking forward to sleeping with her mentor Celestia as per usual, seemingly her last comfort since Celestia accelerated her education. But without her magic, Twilight was unable to assist herself up the high stairs leading up to Celestia’s bed chamber. Twilight was still just a filly, she struggled up each step, but her small frail body ran out of strength just short of the top. Twilight began to cry as she knew she couldn't make it on her own. Her mentor just walked away, leaving a tearful filly Twilight stranded on the cold staircase. In that moment, her heart was broken. Longing for Celestia’s approval and affection, she finally began to accept that her time as a filly was over, even if Celestia wouldn't and couldn't tell her why. Twilight was Celestia's student, she would do her royal duty and as far as she was concerned, the fate of Equestria did not rest on her making friends or her own happiness. One of the unicorn maids who worked in the castle on her night shift, spotted the heartbroken filly and felt incredibly sorry for her, she walked up the stairs and gave Twilight a comforting hug which surprised her. "You will get through your training, little one." she assured, trying to help bring hope back into Twilight's soul. "Listen to your family for guidance and you will make it to the top." The maid then placed Twilight back on the staircase, she turned and walked back downstairs. She turned her head to Twilight and smiled before she left the stairway and through one of the other doors. Things were then instantly quiet, apart from the noise of the calm wind coming from outside through the castle windows. As Twilight was left alone in the cold and dark, she suddenly heard the voices of her loved ones that began to play in her mind... Twilight my dear, don't give up... We love you, you can do it... You are my L.S.B.F.F...I will always be with you Twily... You are my favourite filly to foal-sit, never stop believing in yourself... With the words of love and support, Twilight wiped her tears away. She then got back up and began climbing the rest of the way with her new found strength and courage, before she finally made it to the top of the stairs and breathing a sigh of relief, walked quietly into the bed chamber. What she saw then surprised her, Celestia was lying down on her bed, looking at the fireplace with tears running down her face. This was the moment Twilight learnt that the harsh training was hurting Celestia emotionally as much as it was hurting her psychically. Celestia then stopped crying as she fell asleep before Twilight walked towards her and snuggled up beside her, before sleeping away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the two years that followed, Twilight had overcame a lot through her accelerated training routine and according to the Princess, her magic was now up to par with Celestia's standards. It seemed by then that things were starting to calm down at last, but through all of it, she still didn't know why all of this was happening. Twilight was able to go back to school with the other fillies, but all was not well. After an almost complete terrible day at her school, Twilight was picked on by her classmates, jealous of her advanced magic, labelled as a show-off and a teachers pet for being the sole pony privileged to spend all her time with Celestia. One even having the gall to claim that she had it easier with the Princess. This would make Twilight very apprehensive about flaunting her magic in the future. Later that day, Twilight came to Celestia in a mess from all the things some of her classmates threw at her. This made her late for a training session with the Princess and she was given a harsh and rapid bath to make up for lost time. It was at that point Twilight decided that she couldn't take it anymore and began to show anger towards the Princess. "Princess Celestia, I have had enough, why are you doing this to me?!" she asked in an aggressive tone. Surprisingly, Celestia didn't get angry. She just smiled, Celestia still couldn't simply spell out what she was expected to do, but she would soon get an answer...or so the Princess thought as she began to walk away from the bathroom. "Is it to do with Nightmare Moon returning?" Twilight asked with a firm tone, "Is it about you wanting to see Princess Luna again as you have always loved her, but you can't do it yourself as it brings back painful memories of the banishment?" That question did it for her, Celestia stopped herself instantly and swapped her grin for sadness and began to sniff before lowering her head and letting the tears fall down her face. Celestia let out a quiet wail as she began to sit down before laying on the floor, covering her tearful eyes with her hooves. Twilight used her magic to dry herself clean before she went over to the Princess and looking worried. "Oh Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." she began sniffing, "...I never wanted to do any of this to you, I just want my sister back so we can rule Equestria as equals again." "Oh Princess..." "I had no choice...I was forced to go to extreme lengths so you can be ready for Nightmare Moon's return, but you're still a filly and I paid no attention to your feelings or your status." "Celestia...why didn't you tell me this beforehand?" "Because I was afraid that you would've been too fragile and unprepared if I had told you the real reasons then." "But don't you remember what I said years ago?" Twilight reminded her, "I said that I was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to improve my magic." Celestia stopped crying before she wept her tears away and sat back up. "You're right, my student." she replied as she got back up, "I need to be strong for my sister, and my faithful student which is you." Twilight began to show a smile. "I have no excuse for the way I had to train you during the desperate times. I wish to make it all up to you now that you've proven yourself today." "Really, you would do that, Princess?" "I do...I grant you having Smarty Pants back to you, he'll be on your bed when we call it a night." she paused for a moment, "And what's more, I will also allow you to see your parents again, you will need them for the upcoming exam." "Oh thank you, Princess! Thank you!" Twilight exclaimed as she hugged tight on Celestia's foreleg. Celestia responded by pulling Twilight gently into a comforting hug, at last, the harsh period of magic training was over, but the days before the upcoming exam were not finished yet.
The Birth Of SpikeIt was the next day after the breakdown, the Princess was feeling much better but was still worried about nightmare's return. But then again, Twilight had assured her that she will succeed at any cost which had been proven correctly, due to her resilience against the accelerated training which slowed down gradually. Twilight was a little excited today because her foal-sitter was coming to visit her in the castle, both she and Celestia were in the throne room. "I'm so happy to be seeing Cadance today, I've missed her so much!" she said happily as she held her smarty pants doll. "I'm sure you have, my faithful student." Celestia replied, "I do hope this makes up for everything I had to put you through." "It more than does, Princess. By the way, what kind of exam is it I'm preparing for?" "I'm afraid I can't tell you, but I can tell you that it will take place at the filly school auditorium." "But why my school?" "There were no other places available and it was decided by the examiner team with the principle's approval." "Won't the other fillies pick on me and throw me off my concentration?" "Don't worry Twilight, that will not be happening." Celestia placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "It will only be just you, your parents, myself, the principle and the examination team." Twilight perked up a bit and smiled again. "Okay." Just then, the doors to the throne room were opened and in came Cadance and the two guards who escorted her. "Twilight!" Cadance called whilst she trotted towards her. "Cadance!" she replied as they hugged before doing thier chant. "Sunshine, sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Celestia smiled at the cuteness she was seeing. "I've missed you so much, Twilight." "Me too, Cadance...it was very hard, but it's been worth it." "And Princess Celestia, I am honoured to see you." Cadance bowed at the princess in respect. "Thank you Cadance." the princess replied, "I've heard so much about you and your foal-sitting, you have a wonderful gift." "Why thank you your highness." Soon, Cadance took Twilight out of the castle to spend quality time they've missed for a few years by travelling around Canterlot and even seeing her parents with open arms and happy tears, which the purple filly had missed so much. She knocked on her parents front door and her mother opened it. "Twilight my darling!" her mother exclaimed. "Mother!" Twilight replied as she jumped into her mum's hooves for a tight hug. "I've missed you for so many years, Twilight." "I've missed you too, mom..." "Twilight! I've missed you, my little girl!" her dad said as he hugged her. "I've missed you too dad." she replied. They shared a few tears together, having missed each other for over two years. Since then, the accelerated training period was over and her studying at the filly school began to improve once again, even though she didn't have much in the way of friends now ever since she was hoof picked by Celestia. Unfortunately, the bad memories from the bullying to possibly failing her exam were continuing to play in Twilight's mind, but only when she was sleeping, she would try to hide it whenever she dreamt about it. However one night, in her bed beside the Princess in the bed chambers, Twilight woke with a jolt. The only sounds in her room were the cold breeze and her own heavy breaths. The nightmare of those memories had returned once again, worse than ever. "I mustn't fail her," she whimpered to herself as tears began streaming down her face. "I mustn't fail her, I must-" Her sobs finally rendered her unable to talk as she held Smarty Pants close and wept openly. The very thought of failing the Princess and her exam now took any control from her and she buried herself beneath the blankets so that nopony else could hear her lonely suffering. She didn't even notice the noises or the hoof-prints behind her. Twilight jumped when she felt a nuzzle on the back of her head, and turned around. Standing before her at her bedside, was Princess Celestia herself, a look of concern on her face for the first time. "My dearest student, what's wrong? Is it the dream?" she asked gently. Twilight nodded with a hint of fear. "Twilight," she said warmly, "your nerves are getting the best of you! Everypony gets scared the night before their first and most important exam." She chuckled as she wiped her student's tears away. "Especially if they try to calm themselves by eating an entire cake." She poked Twilight on the nose and the little filly giggled. "Don't worry, I won't let any of it happen outside of the dream..." Celestia put her hooves around her, and held her tight. Twilight smiled and hugged her back until she fell asleep in her hooves. After tucking her in and kissing her goodnight, she looked out the window to the full moon with the mark shown clearly in the sky and whispered sadly, "...not again." The next morning arrived and Celestia woke up first with a smile on her face and walked over to Twilight who was sleeping peacefully away, she gently stroked her mane which caused her to wake up slightly. "Wake up Twilight." Celestia whispered. "It's your big day today." Twilight woke up and sat herself up in her bed, before rubbing her eyes and yawned. "Morning Princess." she replied, "Is it time already?" "Yes, my student. But there needs to be preparations made before your exam. I advise you to ask for your parents to come along to give you extra support." "Okay, I'll do that right now." The Princess then turned and left the bed chamber to make preparations for the day, whilst Twilight got herself alert and awake before she left the castle and trotted back to her parents home. When she arrived, she opened the parents door and walked in to be greeted with hugs. "Hi mom, I have so much to tell you and Dad about." Twilight said. "Then come on in, we would like to hear about how much you've done." her mum replied. Twilight walked inside and her mum closed the door. She found her Dad on the sofa who saw her and went in for a hug. Shortly, the family got together by the sofa and just in time for lunch. Twilight began telling them the training she had to go through but she assured them that despite the difficulties, it was all worth it for her upcoming exam today. "So your exam is today?" her dad asked. "Yes and it'll help me prove if I'm ready to be her permanent and faithful student." Twilight replied. "Do you want us to comes with you?" her mum asked. "The princess advised I should so that I have a bit of comfort." "In that case, we'll be right with you." "Thank you" They then had a group hug before they had thier lunch and then made thier way towards the filly school where Celestia was waiting for them. "Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle." the Princess greeted, "I am glad to finally meet the parents of your wonderful daughter." "And we are honoured to meet you, Princess." Twilight's mom replied. The parents then bowed in respect and Twilight did so as well. "Come on in, the examiners have arrived in the auditorium and are ready to start." Celestia said. They then walked into the school, past the hallways and into the auditorium at the far end. There were four unicorns with clipboards and pens at the ready by the seats. This made Twilight a little nervous since she was still shy and hesitant about showing off her magic, but she knew it had to be done or she would fail her exam. "Good luck Twilight, I know you can do it." Celestia encouraged. "We're with you all the way." Twilight's mum added. Twilight moved forward to the stage and there, one of the workers at the school brought in a small cart with an artistic designed looking egg on a small pile of hay. She slightly gasped as she knew what that was. "A dragon egg?" she asked the princess. "Yes Twilight, your exam to pass is to use your magic to help make this dragon be born from out of it's egg." Celestia explained. Twilight gulped as she looked at the examiners before turning her attention to the egg. She began to light up her horn and tried to do just about anything she could think of that would help the dragon to be born. After a few minutes of not succeeding, she began to worry and her parents didn't feel confident either. The Princess was beginning to feel disappointed and worried again when suddenly, a huge bright light and explosion was heard from outside the school, it showed off a ray of rainbow colours in a circle which legends said it was called a sonic rainboom. Twilight was so shocked that she let out huge bursts of magic at the egg, the egg then began to crack away until in it's place was now a baby dragon which began sucking it's tail. Everypony stood in surprise at what just happened, even Celestia couldn't speak. The examiners then got back to writing their feedback and they were very impressed. "Twilight Sparkle...I've never seen you use your magic with that amount of power and ability before." Celestia complimented. "I never thought I could do it." she replied, "But somehow, I did it and a baby dragon has been born." "Then from this day onwards, this baby dragon will be yours to look after." Twilight moved towards the baby dragon and smiled at it as her parents hugged her. "We're so proud of you Twilight." her dad said. "Does this mean I've passed?" she asked Celestia. The examiners nodded in agreement. "You have passed with extraordinary results." the princess replied confidently. "WOOHOO!" Twilight jumped in the air with excitement. "But you must learn to control your new found power and magic through further studying." Celestia added, "And I think this baby dragon may have some interesting potential as your assistant someday. Twilight, I would like you to be my permanent student." "I would be honoured, Princess." she replied happily. "We should go out and celebrate!" Twilight's dad suggested. "Yay!" "By the way Twilight, what are you gonna call that baby dragon since it's now yours to look after?" her mum asked. "I think I'll call it...Spike." Whilst the Sparkle family left the school with the baby dragon to celebrate, Celestia returned to her castle and as she took her throne, she looked over to the window frame art designs and saw one of her sister and herself ruling over the planet of Equestria. "Soon..." Celestia said, "...I will see you again, my sister." She then carried with her duties for the day and she felt confident that by the time the 1,000th year arrives, Twilight would be ready to face Nightmare Moon's return and perhaps bring back Princess Luna for a long awaited reunion. Of course, it would take a few obstacles to overcome this such as Twilight moving to Ponyville and making friends with the other ponies. After the celebration, Twilight was then given her own personal tower in Canterlot Castle for becoming Princess Celestia's personal and permanent student and she could not have been happier. Plenty of room, her own bedtime and complete solitude, perfect for an aspiring scholar such as herself. However, it had it's downsides, such as being in a room far away from other ponies and willing to be friends with others, for now though, she had Spike who will be her number one assistant someday. Her own tale is just beginning, but for this story, it ends here. THE END Author's Note And thus, the follow-up story is now complete, glad to have finally got this one done.
