Walking through the Everfree Forest at night was somehow both relaxing and unnerving.

On the one hoof, I felt a bit safer because it was a bright, moonlit night, so I could see my surroundings well enough. It was also very quiet, but not the eerie, silent kind of quiet. I could hear small animals scurrying around in the brush, the chirping of crickets, and the rustling of trees in the wind. Everything simply seemed at peace.

On the other hoof, I was still quite nervous, and not just because of what might be lurking in the forest. What would I do once I got to Ponyville? Would anyone there help me, or would they chase me away too? Should I go back and help my family? There were so many questions, but the closest thing I had to an answer was my mother’s instructions, so I continued down the trail.

After a few more minutes of bumping into branches and bushes, I stumbled into a large clearing. I brushed myself off as best I could and found the small hill where my parents and I would come to stargaze. As good a spot to rest as any.

I took off my saddlebags and set them down, leaving only my new jacket. I took a moment to look it over. The jacket was made from a strong, dark blue fabric with silver accents. Beautiful, but still practical. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Ori had really gotten it right.

Finally taking a moment to look up, the night sky was breathtaking, a welcome reprieve from the troubles down here. A sea of stars and a brilliant purple nebula seemed to perfectly align above the clearing. It was spectacular, and admittedly quite hard to look away from. For a few minutes, I was content to simply sit there and contemplate things, and I soon found myself lost in thought…

Earlier that day…

I felt like a failure, a disappointment in every sense of the word.

Honestly, I had thought it a minor setback at first, but as I left the school, the gravity of the situation hit me.

I was probably the only unicorn in the history of Hoofington to fail the magical aptitude test. It wasn’t even a hard test; it was just a couple of simple spells to make sure that you had learned the basics of controlling your magic. One could compare it to a basic flight test for pegasi. Since it was so easy, those who didn’t do very well were generally looked down upon, but I had never heard of anypony failing.

The funny thing was, both of my parents were unicorns, and had jobs that pretty much revolved around magic. My dad was the doctor at the local medical clinic, which required a lot of precise magic. Mom worked as a cook at the cafe, where she would often have to multi-task.

And then there was me, who couldn’t seem to do any magic at all. This wasn’t about botching spells or unstable power levels. I just seemed to lack the ability entirely, producing only a spark or two even when trying my hardest.

I also didn’t have my cutie mark yet, but that had never really bothered me. I had always assumed I would get it when my magic started to work. After failing the test so spectacularly, though, it didn’t seem likely that I would get either of them anytime soon.

It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort. I had read the books on magic my dad could get from the village library, but it was useless because they all relied on the assumption that you could do the basic spells. It was disheartening to study and know the theory, but only produce a whopping amount of nothing.

“Hey. Something wrong?”

I turned to face the familiar voice, and instantly cheered up a little. It was my friend Orange Spear, going about her mail route. The pegasus and I had met shortly after she moved to Hoofington about two years ago. Strangely enough, we had the same mane and coat colour, an odd conversation starter that turned into a wonderful friendship.

I gave a weak smirk. “Was it that obvious?”

“Yeah, what with you standing there for the last five minutes looking like someone tore your jacket.”

I shuddered at the thought. That worn old red jacket had been through a lot with me. I never left home without it.

She prodded me, a light jab to the side. “What’s up? Oh, didn’t you have that test today?”

I wasn’t sure how to tell her. Orange was a great friend, but she would try to fix this, even if nothing could be done.

Just tell her the truth. You owe her that much.

I hung my head and sighed. “I might not have done so well on it…”

“I’m sure it can’t have been that bad. What did you get?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

“Zero. Nothing. I-I couldn’t do any of the spells. I failed.”

Before I could get another word out, a pair of hooves wrapped around my neck in a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry, Mystic,” she said softly, “I know how much it meant to you.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t stand much chance anyways.”

She pulled back and looked at me curiously. “Why would you think so?”

“I’m nearly a young adult, and years of studying haven’t gotten me any closer to so much as a basic levitation spell, but fillies and colts can cast them left and right. Do you know how useless that mak-”

Orange was glaring daggers at me, and I realized that it would be in my best interests to promptly zip it.

“Don’t you ever call yourself useless, Mystic,” she said in a quiet, menacing voice. “You’re a great pony, and my best friend. There is nothing wrong with you.”

“I… I wish that were true, but I’m missing the thing that makes unicorns special.”

“Magic isn’t what makes you special. You’ll find it eventually, but every unicorn has magic. It’s who you are, not what you can do, that makes you special, Mystic.”

Perhaps this wasn’t such a big deal after all, since Orange liked me regardless. I still couldn’t shake those nagging thoughts of failure, though they were a bit easier to deal with now.

“Thanks, Ori,” I said, “Not sure what I’d do without you.”

She punched me halfheartedly. “Aww, you know you’d fall apart without me. Us colour buddies gotta stick together, after all! So, what are you gonna do now?”

“Well, I have to go home at some point and tell my parents,” I said, already dreading the inevitable discussion.

“I mean in general. Maybe you should try your hoof at something other than magic. You’ve been focused on it for Celestia knows how long.”

Maybe she was right. I couldn’t recall the last time I had done something that had nothing to do with magic.

“Let me ask you this,” she continued, “Have you ever thought about leaving Hoofington? I hate myself for suggesting it, because I love hanging out with you, but maybe a change of scenery could help you find what you’re meant to do.”

“I’m staying right here. I’ll find my special talent eventually, but I won’t just wander off and leave you here.”

“That’s sweet of you to say, but I don’t want to be the only reason that you stay here. I’m a grown mare, Mystic; I can handle myself. At least consider it.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but it was starting to sound like a tempting idea. The thought of meeting new ponies and seeing new places excited me the more I thought about it. Still, that would mean leaving Hoofington, my parents, and really, everything I knew.

And of course, Orange, even though she insisted she’d be fine. I knew she wasn’t the most sociable of ponies, and Hoofington wasn’t the most welcoming town. Even if you had been there your whole life, like I had.

A gentle prod in the side took me out of my thoughts.

Orange frowned. “Don’t go getting all down again. I know that look.”

“Fine, you win. I’ll consider leaving. It’s just a lot to think about.”

“You don’t have to decide right now, silly. Cheer up! You’ve got plenty of time. Why don’t we hang out tonight and take your mind off it?”

That always brightened my day a little. “Sure. How about I meet you at the park at sunset?”

“Sounds like a plan. Good luck with your parents, Mystic!” Orange trotted off to finish her mail route, and I started up the path home.

And what a path it was. No matter how many times I walked it, I never tired of it. The bushes and grass that lined the path gave it a sense of privacy and peacefulness that I had always appreciated.

I stopped at the lookout point halfway up the path and sat for a minute to take in the view. The fading afternoon had cast a dazzling array of oranges and yellows that mixed in with the light-blue sky and painted the otherwise plain clouds. It was the sort of sky you could stare at for hours.

I started thinking of what I might tell my parents. I didn’t have it in me to lie to them, despite the temporary relief it might bring. There was really nothing to say other than, “I failed.”

Maybe I had to let that go for a minute. Sure, I failed, but what was I going to do about it?

What else could I do, though? I liked the idea of trying something new, but where would I begin? Would I just start trying random things? Baking, gardening, eyeglass repair?

A sudden, familiar itch derailed my train of thought. Fortunately, my home wasn’t too much further. I hurried my pace and, after a couple more minutes of walking, finally made it.

It was a small two-level wooden home, like many in Hoofington, and I had lived here with my parents for as long as I could remember. Staying outside for a moment, I took a breath to collect myself and calm down, and then I opened the door and walked in.

By now, the itch was almost overwhelming, and I all but tore off my jacket to fix it. It was the usual culprit. or culprits, I should say: a pair of feathery appendages I’d had since I was born. I had once thought they might be wings, but a few examinations from my dad and a few failed attempts at getting off the ground had long since put an end to that theory.

They’d get itchy and sore every few days, but a bit of stretching usually did the trick. It was like having to get up and stretch your haunches after a long while of sitting.

They were also the reason I had to wear my jacket everywhere. I didn’t understand when I was younger, but I came to realize that the ponies in this village did not like different. They already talked about my magic (or lack thereof), so I could only imagine how they’d react to my deformities.

Once the itch had been settled, I was immediately blasted with the delicious scent of baked goods. My mom, Radiant Dawn, had a bit of a sweet tooth and always seemed to be making one dessert or another. I would happily be the taste-tester, of course.

“Mystic? Is that you, dear?” I heard her voice call from the kitchen.

“Yeah, it’s me!” I called. “What are you making? It smells awesome!”

“Come and see!”

I was intrigued. I trotted into the kitchen to see the orange unicorn standing in front of the oven with a knowing grin, and her golden yellow mane and tail just barely blocking the view of the treats inside.

She stepped aside. “Surprise! I made some of your favourite chocolate-banana muffins!”

“Right on! Thanks Mom, but what’s the occasion? You never make these.”

“Well, I thought you deserved something in honour of your big test today, especially given how hard you’ve been working lately in your studies.”

My stomach filled with ice, and my smile faltered for a second. Mom had always seemed to believe that some day before the test, my magic would simply start working. It hurt to have to tell her the truth, but I was prepared to trade a few painful minutes now for long-term comfort later.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense! How’d you do?” she asked, her smile growing.

“Not so well.”

“Oh, that’s alright dear, a pass is still a pass after all. Seventy? Seventy-five?”

I sighed and braced myself. “Actually, I got zero. I failed completely.”

We stood there for a moment in silence, and I could almost hear my mom’s smile slowly deflating like a balloon.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I tried my best, honest. I guess today just wasn’t the day.”

She sighed, scratching the back of her head. “It’s alright, dear. We’ll figure it out.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief. With one hurdle cleared, only one remained. My dad, Healing Touch. Honestly, I was more worried about his reaction than anypony else. He had always believed in me and done everything he could to help me study and practice. Since he was the only doctor at the local clinic, he usually worked long hours, but always found time to help me. So, he had a lot riding on my results too.

Of course, it also depended on what kind of day he had had at the clinic. I had volunteered to help him out a couple times, and quickly learned why he came home stressed sometimes. No two patients were the same. Some could be so unpleasant, though they knew enough to be civil when somepony was helping them, even if it was me.

After thinking about what I would say to him, I spent the next hour rather productively. I would normally study once I got home, but that seemed unhelpful now. Instead, I opted to help my mother make supper and do some other odd chores, during which I may have demolished the entire tray of muffins.

What?

They’re good.

We had finished setting the table for supper when we heard the front door slam rather hard. I trotted into the living room to see my dad standing at the door with somewhat of a cold glare on his face.

“H-hey, Dad,” I said nervously.

“Son,” he said curtly, patting some dust and dirt from his grey coat.

If his expression wasn’t a clue, then his quiet, cold tone was. Perhaps telling him could wait a bit.

“How was your day?”

“Good, until about an hour ago.”

Our awkward little conversation was interrupted by Mom calling us for supper. As it turned out, Mom had thoughtfully made Dad’s favourite meal, spaghetti and wheatballs, so he cheered up a little.

However, it made things no less awkward at the dinner table. We all sat quietly, with nothing but the sounds of eating to disturb the silence. Mom decided to break the ice first.

“So, honey, what happened at work today?”

Dad immediately stopped eating and glanced around the table. After a moment of silence, he began. “Before I continue, you should know that I’m not mad at either of you in the slightest, so please don’t be nervous.”

Mom and I traded a quick look, and she nodded at me. Now was as good a time as ever.

“We know, Dad,” I said, “It’s just that I… I failed the magical aptitude test today.”

He didn’t even miss a beat. “I know.”

“I’m really sorry, and I-,” My train of thought was quickly derailed. “Wait, you know?”

“I think you may have underestimated how fast gossip travels around town, my boy,” he said with a chuckle. “Of course, it also might have helped that your teacher dropped by the clinic to tell me.”

I took a moment to think. So, Dad knew, and he hadn’t taken it as badly as I’d thought.

“If it helps, I tried my best,” I said.

Dad’s frown turned to a gentle smile for a moment. “I know, Mystic, and that’s all anypony can ask of you.” His smile faltered again. “But it would seem that Mrs. Quill isn’t as understanding, if our conversation was any indication.”

I didn’t like where this was going.

Mom adopted a similar frown. “What did she say, dear?”

He ran his hooves through his short brown mane and took a deep breath. “Well, it started out pleasant enough, but then she said I should help you practice more and that you should start studying at home, which—”

“What, really?” I interrupted. “I’ve studied so much over the last couple years, and you’ve helped me whenever you had a free moment. Doesn’t she know us at all?”

“Which is exactly what I said to her,” Dad continued, “But, instead of admitting she was wrong and trying to help figure out another solution, she decided to take the cheap route and insult you.”

Mom furrowed her brows in anger for a moment before calming down.

“What did she say?” I asked. I figured I knew what was coming, but I was still curious anyways.

“I really would rather not say, though we ended up using some rather choice language.”

“Dad, please just tell me. I’m a big pony. I can take it.”

“It’s not that, it’s just”—he sighed and rested his head in his hooves— “we never wanted this kind of thing to happen.”

At the mention of ‘we’, I glanced over at Mom to find her giving me a sympathetic look. Something felt odd about that moment, though I couldn’t quite place my hoof on it.

“Well,” I sighed, “I can’t say I like the current situation, but it is what it is, so why mope about it?”

The table fell quiet for a few moments as we finished our supper. After Dad and I washed the dishes and cleaned up, we all sat back down at the table, with one topic clearly at the forefront of everypony’s mind.

Again, Mom was the first to break the silence. “So, what should we do now?”

Dad gave her a quizzical look. “You mean right now, or in general?”

“Both.”

“Well, I figured Mystic and I could go study for a few hours, then we could all hit the sack early tonight.”

“Actually, Dad,” I said, “If it’s alright, Orange and I were going to hang out.”

Dad turned to me with a warm grin. “It’s not like the books are going anywhere. Go ahead, son. We can just study tomorrow instead.”

I took a deep breath. “If you don’t mind, can we maybe… lay off the magic for a while?”

His eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, and the grin fell off his face. “What do you mean?”

I had imagined this conversation many times over the past few hours, going through all the possible outcomes in my head, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking now.

There was no turning back, though. “I mean for the foreseeable future. Maybe I’m just not meant to use magic.”

His small frown changed into a sudden look of confusion. “Don’t give up so easily, son. I’m sure that you’ll get it after just a few more days of practice.”

“How long have we been saying that? A couple of years now? Besides, I never said I was giving up. Even if I was, I think I’d have good reason to. Several years of studying and trying to use magic seems like a decent try at the very least, don’t you think? I just want to try something different for a while.”

He sat quietly for a minute before speaking again. “I guess I can understand that, but you’re being awfully vague about this. Was there something you wanted to try?”

I wavered over whether to tell him about Orange’s suggestion, then decided to press my luck. “Well, when Orange and I were talking this afternoon, she said that I might want to consider going to another town for a while.”

Mom and Dad both looked a little shocked, but I quickly continued to try and lessen the blow. “I was surprised when she first said it. But after thinking it over, I like the idea. I could meet new ponies, try new things, and see new places. It might help me with my magic, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to get my cutie mark.”

The awkward silence came back with a vengeance. Dad’s expression was unreadable, and Mom just looked nervous.

“W-Well,” Mom stammered. “I, uh…w-we don’t really think… see, the thing is that we, uh-”

Dad cut her off with a wave of his hoof. “How about we talk about this in the morning, son?”

Okay, something was up. Mom always had something to say, and Dad never liked putting things off. So, why would they pick now of all times to be speechless and evasive?

Whatever the reason, I didn’t want to wait to talk about this. Ever since I had talked with Orange, the idea of trying something new had stuck itself in my brain and wouldn’t let go.

“Why can’t we talk about this now?” I protested. “We’re already talking about it, and it’s nowhere near bedtime.”

After another moment of silence, Dad spoke up again.

“First of all,” he said with a stern glare, “since Orange gave you the idea just this afternoon, I’m willing to bet you haven’t thought this through much. Where would you go? Where would you stay? What would you eat? It’s a big world out there, son. You can’t just grab saddlebags and start walking.”

“I get that, Dad, but that doesn’t explain why you two are acting so strange all of a sudden.”

“I-I just don’t think you’re ready for this sort of thing.”

Dad seemed to be as nervous as Mom now.

“Maybe not,” I said, “but what else am I supposed to do? Go back to reading books and trying to practice for hours on end?”

“Yes, because hard work and perseverance are what get you places son, not gallivanting off”—he waved his hoof around for emphasis— “on some silly adventure.”

I groaned and used a hoof to rub my temple. “Let me put it another way. If a patient had a severe illness, and your treatment wasn’t working, would you keep trying the same thing?”

That earned me a glare from both for some reason.

Mom cut in, her voice slightly shaky. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Mystic. Please don’t ever think that.”

I had to do a double take at that. “Whoa, what? That wasn’t even the point I was trying to make. I’m just saying you would try something else, a different method. I want to try something new, because what we’re doing now is very clearly not working.”

Dad seemed to be lost for words, so we simply stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t seem willing to back down, but neither was I, and our wordless conversation continued until we heard a quiet sniffle.

We both glanced over to see Mom looking down at the table, seemingly on the verge of tears. “P-Please, don’t fight over this. It’s not worth it…” she choked out.

“Radiant, it’s alright,” my father sighed, rubbing her back. “We’re not mad at each other. We’re both just a little stubborn. I guess you certainly got that from me, son,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, it seems that way,” I said, trying not to grin. “Look, I’m not happy about it, but if this really bothers you that much, I can drop it.”

Mom seemed to brighten up a bit. “Thank you. Look, sweetie, I know this is important to you, but can you do us a big favour and just wait until tomorrow? Your father and I need some time to talk about this. Why don’t you try and forget all this heavy stuff for a bit and just go have fun with Orange?”

“I’d be glad to,” I said while standing up. “See you later!”

As I made my way out the door, I heard them call for me one last time.

“Be back before midnight!” The usual curfew, of course.

With a welcome distraction waiting for me, I started down the path to the rest of the village.

A gentle breeze drifted by, helping me focus. I tried to simply enjoy the sunset as I walked. The small remaining strip of yellow and orange light highlighted the horizon, even as the deep blues of the night filled the rest of the sky.

I took that as a sign to hurry up and set off at a brisk trot. I quickly made my way through the main section of Hoofington, only stopping in front of the school to contemplate things. I wondered how I would manage to face the others again when I went back tomorrow. Though they were usually content to leave me alone, failing the magical aptitude test wasn’t something anypony could ignore.

Come on, Mystic. Here and now. There’s somepony waiting for you.

I shook my head and focused, but for whatever reason, everything felt different now. Like something had shifted.

Maybe it was just me.

Author's Note

Hey there! Welcome to the story, and thank you for reading this far!

This is the beginning of a long journey, one that I do hope you stick around for. The prospect of bringing this story to others has kept me going on dark days, and made all of the hard work worth it. I even commissioned a custom plush of the main character to remind me of what I'm working towards.

My perfectionism has kept me from publishing this until now, despite having started on it all the way back in 2012. Luckily, with the help and encouragement of friends in the community, the day has finally come. Major credit to my friend and editor Boogie Hooves for his role in helping this story see the light of day.

If you didn't know already, I like to do digital illustration in addition to writing, so I plan on adding a few illustrations to each chapter. I had set a goal to publish this first chapter in time for BronyCon 2018, which I did accomplish. However, due to time crunch and work, I was not able to complete the chapter illustrations in time for publishing, so I'll be adding those soon. Keep an eye out for them!

Some of you may already see a few major cliches coming. I do apologise if they are not to your taste, and I will just say that the last few years have given me a good amount of insight into handling them in a tasteful way.

But in the end, this is a story I have wanted to tell since I joined the community, and I will see it through. For those wish to come along for the ride, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.