The Idea Bin

It’s amazing how one tiny mistake can reshape the course of history, a mistake that would seem insignificant, even to the pony responsible, a simple secretary for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Even when the mistake was later realised, could they have begun to comprehend what had been set in motion. Unlikely, after all, what real difference could it make having one filly take her entrance exam a few minutes earlier than another one?

Trixie chewed her lower lip nervously as she waited outside the door to the lecture theatre where her entrance exam would take place. A cursory glance behind her showed several other fillies and colts waiting with their parents, all looking as bad as she felt. Directly behind her was a lavender filly who seemed particularly panicky, even while her parents tried fruitless to assure her it would all be okay.

Looking up at her own father, Trixie was unsurprised to see him looking incredibly bored. She stared down at her hooves, she hadn’t expected him to be excited for her, but still… this was a really big day for her.

The door opened and a pony stepped out with a clip board. Trixie gulped as her name was called before quickly being ushered into the lecture theatre, her father shuffling in behind her. The room was big, bigger than any room she had ever been in, and there, looming over her were the judging panel. They didn’t say a word to her, simply stared, as if they were trying to read her mind simply by piercing into it with their eyes.

The squeaking of a trolley drew her gaze to the same pony with the clip board who was now wheeling in a wooden cart with a purple egg of some kind. Trixie looked up at the judges again, expecting them to deliver some kind of instructions, but none came. Biting the bullet, Trixie walked over to the cart, her eyes navigating to a crudely drawn image of a dragon bursting forth from the egg.

Was Trixie expected to hatch a dragon egg?! She didn’t know a thing about dragons, she never studied this, she never knew she had to!

She cast another frightened glance at the judges, but they didn’t look any more likely to offer her advice than before, if anything they seemed to be getting impatient. Trixie had to do something or she would blow this chance. Turning back to the egg she began charging up her horn, no idea what exactly she was going to do, but she figured attempting something would be better than standing there petrified.

Spell after spell was cast to no avail, Trixie tried pouring magic into the egg, tried coaxing a response from it, but everything ended in failure. Her head was aching, her eyes clenched shut and she attempted to pump out the last of her energy, until her horn fizzled and she collapsed to the ground utterly drained. Raising her now incredibly heavy head, she saw the judges watching her half expectantly, half indifferent.

She turned to her father, hoping beyond hope that in her moment of need he would be there to offer her a friendly face, give her the strength to keep going, to know that if he believed in her, she could believe in herself… But he wasn’t even looking at her. His head was turned away, a faint look of disgust visible. Trixie bowed her head to the floor, closing her eyes so the judges wouldn’t see her cry before letting out a small whisper.

“I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

Her statement was quickly followed by the sound of scratching quills. She had failed, her one chance at being accepted into Celestia’s school, her one chance at showing her father she wasn’t a failure…

Trixie’s eyes snapped open as she, the lecture theatre and the entire tower were hit by the shockwave of some massive explosion. Her head snapped around to the window, searching for the source of the now deafening ringing in her ears. Eyes wide, she saw the blinding flash of light in the sky, saw the ring of multi-coloured light burst from it and stretch across the heavens. Trixie had no idea what it was, she had never heard of anything so beautiful and awe inspiring.

As her vision was filled with the radiant colours, she felt something primal awaken within her. Felt a fire ignite in her very soul. Felt a power she had never known before. Felt alive!