The first step of NEETdom
Be Moon Dancer, the studious scholar in the Arcane College of Canterlot. The very same college in which halls you stood in. Its stained glass windows crafted to resemble the likeness of the greatest mages in Equestrian history.
Hay Cart, Star Swirl, Comet Tail, all of the greatest magical minds gazing at you as you make your way towards your destination. With each step your heart beats pick up in tempo, and your breaths become more shallow.
You decide to quicken your trot, which leads you towards the centerpiece of the University, and the birthplace of the very origin of the Arcanic study; the Sanctum. Its giant rune doors towered over you, as the rune marking that were ever-glowing and ever-changing lightened your path.
Before you make your way in you are stopped by one of the stained glass windows catching your eye.
And as you gazed upon it, you remembered what mad desire brought you here in the first place.
Twilight Sparkle, the repeating savior or Equestria, the leader of the Elements of Harmony, the very self-made Alicorn Princess of Friendship stood above you in the glistening shine of Celesta's sun.
You stood there gazing upon your old friend's likeness and remembered what you realized long ago.
You and Twilight started in the same place together in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and yet she had accomplished so much more than anypony could have ever imagined doing their lifetime.
So much more than what you have ever imagined doing in your lifetime.
Questions of "How?" turned into questions of "Why can't I?". It was the beginning of an obsession that drove your life into one endeavor. Your entire time here...nay...your entire life has led to this single moment; to leave your mark in the world, and make your name one to remember throughout history.
All you needed was a discovery to carry that name, and Celestia be damned if you couldn't find it. It couldn't be that hard. At least, that is what you thought at first.
You searched high and low for any endeavor worth following, from reading texts from the Library of Magic to sneaking a peek in the guarded tomes of the Canterlot Archives, but nothing came up that was either already known or discovered.
That is until you managed to come across a tome within Twilight's tower of all places. It bore the title "The First Ponies," and within it's content you found exactly what you were looking for.
You blink out of your flashback and you find yourself within the Sanctum standing in front of the Board of Magic, the leading Ministers of the Arcane Arts. It took a few seconds standing in silence to realize your time had already started.
"F-forgive me for the pause," you stumble. "I just needed to get my bearings." The Board responds with a couple of yawns and a few of the Ministers checking their watches. You clear your throat while you try to calm your heart and wipe your brow. You straighten your stance as to hide the fact your legs are trembling.
"This is it," you realize. "It all comes down to this." You take a hollow breath and gaze at your presentation. A pedestal with a drape covering what seemed to be a small box. Such a small thing holding all your life's effort.
You gaze back at the board and you proceed. "Fillies and Gentlecolts of the Board. I would like to start of my thanking you for taking the time to-"
In a split second everything turns to white, and a deafening blast emitted from the pedestal.You feel your body fly across the Sanctum and into what felt like glass.You couldn't hear the glass break due to the ringing in your ears, but you felt the shards tear into your skin as you landed on what felt like solid earth.You couldn't see, hear, nor stand. You couldn't even scream because of the scorching pain you felt on your body. Soon the winging in your ear starts to fade, and you are able to make out the muffled sounds of riff raff from passing ponies.
Your sight still blinded, you try to stand but two of your hooves can't seem to find the ground. You stumble like a baby bird on hot coals until all you can't do is crawl. Pretty soon even that become too miserable to bear.
All you could do was keep breathing, until the void of white faded into black.
*****************
Be Anon, lost in what seemed like between "Butt Buck Nowhere" and "Wrong Bucking Turn Land." "Well buck me sideways," you cursed at yourself while straining to make heads or tails of the map in your hands, all while now cursing yourself because you said buck instead of Fu-
"Screeeee." An eagle cries as it travels across the bruising clouds above, shading over the miles of grassy hills around you.
Well, it was less of a map and more of a shoddy craft of lines and poorly drawn landmarks all written on a paper napkin you got from a Tavern Bartender about twenty five miles away back East. "Or was it South," you asked yourself with a scratch on the noggin. "Better use my trusty compass. In all this time I have traveled these lands it has never let me down." You fish compass out of your back pocket and take a gander to get some sort of bearings on your position, but before you could even open it, the censorship eagle swoops down and swipes it from your hands. Still at a daze of what just occurred. Your eyes follow the eagle as it flies towards the rumbling clouds up ahead.
"I'm sure it's fine," you tell yourself. "It probably thought it was a something edible. It will probably drop it sooner or later." Not a second before that thought crossed your head, a lighting bolt strikes the eagle, instantaneously turning the once proud bird of prey into a smoldering pebble of a comet. And as it whistles towards the earth, it struck the ground with an explosion about the size of a small carriage. You gaze at the flames in resentment of whatever god had it out for you in this fairy tale land.
"Welp, I'm boned." You drop your load into the grass and yourself down with your legs and arms crossed to think of a game plan. You know for a fact you had at least came from south east since your last stop was Ponyville, and you started off headed west towards the Smoky Mountains. It was supposed to be your next stop before you traveled to the Undiscovered West. A spot on the map that nobody has yet to record. And by Celestia's titty sprinkles you were going to be the first. All you needed were a good pair of legs, your pack, and a good map to lead the way.
Sadly you were lacking with the latter, and the clouds above your head were looking pretty grim. And in a split second, as if Cloudsdale in its entirety conspired against you, an entire blanket of rain body-slammed you along with anything that stood for what seemed like a mile away.
"Fuuuuu-!!!"
CRACKABOOOOOOM!!! A stab of lighting smites the earth close enough for you to nearly shit yourself.
Swinging you pack on, you start hauling towards anything that might resemble close enough to cover. Squinting to keep the storm from blinding your sight, you find what seemed like a rocky hill with a cave. "Hell if it's good enough for Yogi it's good enough for me." You break off into a sprint until you managed to tumble into the cave entrance. Soaked the bone and finally protected from the rain, you unload your pack and start shaking loose all the moisture on your person.
Once you finish drying off, you look into the cave, and realize that it wasn't a cave. The interior was crafted and tiled, with arches spanning the hall before you. And banners were hanging from the stone walls. This was no cave. This was a ruin. Before you know it that old itch starts acting up again. An ancient ruin that looks like it has been abandoned for nearly centuries. Probably laden with old relics and possibly a few traps as well. You just couldn't resist scratching. You drop your pack and fish out your torch to lighten your path. And as you take your first steps into the unknown, you start to think that "lost" was starting to become your natural state of being.
Author's Note
Hope you guys enjoy this first installment. More to come hopefully.
