Chapters PROLOGUE
SHE PULLED THE WINDOW HANDLE TOWARDS HER AND the curtains shifted out of their place. She shoved them into their original corners and forced them to behave. Crystalria's night sky still had a skeptical feeling to it. Nothing really made sense, she still had this fear that he was going to come back. To destroy the orb once and for all.
It wasn't the orb's fault. Surely , it wasn't. It never lied. But nor did he . As close as he was to her, she had to agree with the orb.
Now she questioned it. Was it the right decision? Or was it complete and utter trash she made that choice? But, in all honesty, it was too late in her eyes. It was either him destroyed or the fate of Equestria and Crystalria. Obvious as it was, she had to defend her countries.
Yet the guilt that she betrayed her dearest friend messed up her mind. Something she never wanted to experience and hoped it would come to an end. It had been going on for eighteen years and many incidents of him coming back quivered her sanity.
He ruled over the Crystal Empire, forced the citizens all into slavery. If that wasn't bad enough, then she didn't know how mortifying his current plan was.
Sun. Moon. Day. Night. Crystal. Shadow. Harmony and... Disharmony.
They all weaved into one.
She gazed back at the box that lay neatly on her bed. Eyeing it, she ambled towards the brown, carved golden flourished, case. With a click, her eyes glowed with all colors; red, orange, yellow, white, blue, purple, heliotrope and pink.
The Elements of Harmony.
But all eight of them remained powerless. What could activate their magic?
Eight wielders. How old would they be? Would they be experienced? If not, who could train them?
Two Generals. That's it .
◇
Author's Note
hey guys! um, so, the Wattpad version of this book is the first drafted version, this one is edited and whatnot XD but this version won't be formatted like BNC (because Tumblr is being a bitch right now XD) I advise you to take it easy on me as I personally don't think I'm an excellent writer and I actually haven't done this in a while. the first twelve (or so) chapters were written all the way at the beginning of 2018 and I have improved a lot since then so yeah!
i'll put some warnings at the beginning of this story just in case.
this story includes the following:
if you are sensitive to any of these topics or have a bad history with them for whatever reason, read with caution.
but i hope you enjoy the prologue and i'll try to update this book once a month! (maybe idk?)
{1} 1. Streets of Canterlot
PART 1 – SCHOOL
Amethysts.
Sapphires.
Rubies.
Emeralds.
Canterlot Magic Academy has its rules. And they will follow them.
Come hell or high water.
◇
1. Streets of Canterlot
TWILIGHT SPARKLE DIDN’T KNOW IF SHE LIKED PANCAKES or waffles the most. They both equally gave her a good taste in her mouth and they both had their flaws. Many people said she had to choose one side or the other, which led to her shutting up and keeping her opinions to herself, regardless if she was asked.
"Twilight, seriously, do you want to get hiccups?" Twilight Velvet warned, rolling her eyes at Twilight's giggly response. The woman cupped all the extra flour on the counter and threw it into the bin.
"Sorry, ami !" She rolled her eyes and returned to her breakfast. Her mother dusted her hands off and finally sat down with her husband and daughter. "So, the plan is that I have to leave for CMA in about..." She raised her right wrist and squinted at her watch. "...an hour or so."
Velvet nodded, but when she turned to her husband, she was surprised to see him focusing on his iPad. She sighed and punched his arm playfully. He wobbled and glared at his wife.
"What the hell was that for?" He complained and switched off the iPad. His hand ran through his dark phthalo blue hair sheepishly. "I'm not addicted to the iPad, okay, I'm just checking on the café floor plan. Again ." He faced his daughter and gave her a warm smile.
"Alright, sweetie, you got everything packed?" Twilight's answer was a nod and she pointed to her pastel purple suitcase. "So, Spike's going with you, right?"
"Of course he is!" She immediately lowered her body and called her dog using her fingers. The purple dog barked and sprinted to his owner. He jumped onto her lap and snuggled up. "I'm not surviving this school year without him!"
"That's just the answer we were looking for." Night tucked his device into his bag before taking a long sip from his glass.
Her mom massaged his right shoulder and spoke again. "Are you sure you're ready, Twilight?"
"Mom, I'm totally sure! Besides, this is CMA we're talking about! Canterlot Magic Academy; it's one of the best schools in all of Equestria." She clapped her hands together and squealed. Spike shook his head and hid his amused face. Knowing Twilight Sparkle, she was excited about these sorts of things.
"And the most expensive ." Night remarked, only to earn another light slap from Velvet on the shoulder. "Honey! What do you have against my shoulder, for crying out loud!" Twilight couldn't hold her laughter in and a few giggles slipped out of her mouth. "Missy, you stop giggling now."
She abruptly stopped after the scold and her eyes gazed at the floor as a small smirk crept up her lips.
"Seriously, you are just like your mother sometimes."
"Hey !"
Twilight stopped her fit of laughter once more when she spotted her brother peering over their mother's shoulder. He kissed her on the cheek and signaled his sister.
"So, Sparkle, you ready for your first freshman day?" He walked over to the kitchen counter and poured some water. She hummed a happy tune and grinned. "Well, that's a relief. Now, here's some advice. Stay away from the Sapphires."
Their mom made a face and turned to the man. She pointed an accusing finger at him but was cut off.
"Mom, don't even start. You know what I'm going to say," said Shining Armor, "Twilight, Amethysts, and Sapphires are known not to get along with each other." He paused before shaking his head. "Actually no, that's a lie. None of the houses get along but these two are definitely the worst. I know that for a fact. So, just a warning, don't, and I mean don't , fall in love with a Sapphire."
"Shining!" Velvet scolded. He jumped and then rolled his eyes. "I know you've had your issues with them, but it doesn't mean your little sister will too. She may find someone who she'll like. It's none of your business!"
"Sure , mom." His voice dribbled with sarcasm. "Anyway, think about it. This is Twilight Sahri Sparkle we're talking about! She's not interested in romance or friendship whatsoever!"
Her mother faced her and raised a brow. "Really?" Her gaze was somewhat bewildered yet not so.
"I mean, he's not wrong. But not correct , either. For example, mom didn't want to get married or have children at my age. Well, look at dad and us two. So, it can change. I might want a boyfriend in the future and possibly , when older, have—"
"Twily, don't you dare ..." Shining's warning voice was low and sometimes caught Twi off guard. Sometimes.
"Alright, alright ! But seriously, all I want to do is focus on my education. You two," she gestured at her parents, "have spent so much money for CMA. For both of us on top of that! I want to make these four years count!"
"Well, I'm sure you'll do just that, sweetie." Night Light kissed her forehead and walked out of the dining room.
◇
Shining Armor left thirty minutes before Twilight did and he promised to send an Uber by their street. The sun's elegant rays peeped out from behind the gray-white clouds and the autumn leaves decorated the sidewalk. Spike fought the urge not to play in them – or specifically follow them which would lead him up a tree to a squirrel's nest. His temptation died down pretty quickly, in comparison to the last few times this happened. Her dog hurried after Twilight, who was already on the phone.
"Where did you say the car was? I can't find it." She held a finger in her free ear and closed one eye, hoping to be able to hear her brother's voice amongst all the morning traffic the roads contained.
Spike barked after her.
"I know, I know, I should've asked mom to come with me but she's already tired with the case she's working on! You know this case is important and if she loses, it'll cost her and the law dearly! Dad is stressed with the new café building so I have to do this by myself! With you, of course. Now, where did you say the cab was? Down this street?"
She snatched her suitcase handle and dragged it along, whistling Spike over to her. She wandered further down her part of the town, gradually walking further and further away from her house. Yet, the rarities of the path she went down didn't give her a feeling that she was lost.
The view was a beautiful sight to see – this was not a shocker, Canterlot was always beautiful, even in September. The orange-yellow-leaved trees created shadows on the sidewalk.
The lampposts had this look to it every season; they were a dark brown in autumn, a dark blue in winter, dark pink in spring and dark yellow in the summer. From the trees to the grass to the glittering nature, everything fell into place with every new coming month; it gave Canterlot it's glow.
Twilight expected some other students from nearby schools to be strolling around the area she was in but it was – unfortunately – sparse. Nonetheless, there were people but most of them seemed like young adult.
"There isn't a car. Are you sure you sent it here?" She got her response, which was a definite yes. Where was it then? "Shining, are you sure you can't come and pick me up?"
"Yes, Twily, I would if I could. But Cadence desperately needs my assistance at CPA ."
"I-It's alright. Still, I don't think the Uber is coming."
"I'm so sorry. I think he must've heard the wrong direction from me ."
"What do I do now? Can't you call the driver again?"
"I tried several times but it always went straight to voicemail. I'll call mom and dad and see what they can do. I'm sorry, sis ."
The line went dead.
Twilight smacked her phone against her palms repeatedly, sweat poured constantly down her temple. She couldn't afford to be late on her first day there, the last time that happened had trapped her head in Confusion Land and possibly Regret Land. Spike's whimpers flooded into her ears but her head chose to ignore them. The pressure circled around her head and her phone screen damped with her palm steam.
No, no, no, not again. Come on, Uber, where are you?!
A tap on her shoulder caused all her mind to run in circles but her body only to remain calm. Her violet eyes met with bright azure ones.
Twilight politely coughed and finally said, "Yes?"
"I'm dreadfully sorry, darling, but I spotted you from a couple of meters away. You seemed to be stressed about something."
"Uh... yes, actually. I'm, unfortunately, lost. I'm pretty far from my house and my brother had a cab parked somewhere. But I can't seem to find it. The driver must've heard the location wrong."
"Oh!" Her mulberry neat eyebrows raised up. "If I may ask, where are you headed?"
"Um..." she hesitated but in the end decided to state it, "I'm going to Canterlot Magic Academy."
The teenager's eyes lit up. "Canterlot Magic?" She checked to see if that's what Twilight said. "Well, darling, you are in luck! I'm going there too!" She tugged on her pristine white shirt where a mint green badge was pinned on the left. It had the Academy's logo on it as well.
Twilight beamed. She gazed down at her own. It was the exact one except hers was pastel purple.
"So, you know where it is?"
"Yes! I've studied at the Middle School. I have an Uber with me right now! We can take it together!" The girl received a nod from Twilight.
After some luggage shoving in and calling after Spike, she and the girl got in their ride and were on their way.
"So!" The girl slapped her hands together on her lap. "I finally find someone new! You are new to the Academy, aren't you? I've never seen you around before, so..."
"Yes, I'm new. You are from Canterlot Magic Middle School, aren't you?"
She nodded.
"Anyway, that was so generous of you to let me come with you!"
Spike hopped onto Twi's lap, he pawed lightly at her skirt for a comfortable area and soon sat snuggly in the middle. Her hand smoothed through his back coat, her fingers then slid up to his ears.
"Oh, darling, it was nothing ! So, was that your... brother you were speaking to on the phone?"
"It was!"
The girl put a hand to her chest and let a sigh out of relief. "I thought I was assuming there for a second! You can call him up and let him know that you're safe with a schoolmate. Worry not, I am completely trustworthy." Her heartwarming smile didn't give off any strange vibe, not even to Spike when he looked up. He had this way of poking her in her backhand when someone had a strange aura to him. Most of the time, he was right and Twi trusted him more than anything.
"Oh, sure! Excuse me."
It took several minutes but he was ultimately satisfied that his little sister was in good hands. Well, hopefully . He had a right to be possessive though, even if it bothered her to no end.
"Ah! Sorry about that, my brother is a little overprotective. We had this big conversation back home over boyfriends and romance and it escalated to sex and oh Lord!" Her hand gestures made the conversation funnier in a way.
She giggled, "it's quite alright. It's bad enough I'm like that with my little sister. It makes sense, no?"
Twilight shrugged and leaned back in her seat.
"I'm Rarity, by the way." The girl held her hand out.
She took it. "I'm Twilight Sparkle.
Word Count: 1972
Author's Note
okay, sooo, um, hi! I'll just say that this was written a very long time ago, so this might not be as great as how I write now but I tried to edit it as best as I can! and I've known the fandom for a long time and when it comes to Rarity, many might backlash with the way she talks about boys later on, let me just specify that this is my story and I'll do whatever I want, okay? XD that includes ships and sexual/romantic orientation.
anyway, we met Twi's family and we bumped into Rarity! how was this chapter? let me know! ❤ see you in a month (maybe!)
2. Many Introductions
SOON, SHE AND RARITY GOT INTO MANY CONVERSATIONS . Boys, middle school, CMA policy, family, etc. They bonded pretty quickly, despite them both being in different houses.
One of the topics they talked about was the school uniform. Girls and boys' uniforms were similar yet different in many ways. Girls were allowed to choose between skirts and trousers.
The girls were both in dark navy skirts. Twilight's was longer than Rarity's as she was seven inches taller. Their shirts were white and the collar was hooked together by a bow in the color of their houses. Rubies got pastel red, Emeralds, mint green, Sapphires, the same shade except blue and Amethysts, purple. Their badges were a shield shape, matching their bows. Specific school shoes weren't given so anything that fit their dress code was allowed. Heels and trainers were included on that list.
The boys' uniform was simple. Light blue jean-like trousers, white shirt, and a dark navy cardigan-like blazer. Most boys would go for trainers, but it wasn't unusual for them to go for something else. Instead of a house-color bow, they would wear a tie. Alternatively, their badge was placed on their cardigan.
Half of the school uniform conversation was Rarity fawning over how hot the guys looked in the CMA uniform. Twilight made a face every time she squealed but it wasn't that bad.
Rarity, herself, was a sight to see. Her British accent was fairly audible. Her skin was pale and her hair was in curls. A three blue stone barrette clipped to the left side of her hair, keeping it all clean. Her vibe gave off a posh and rich feeling to Twi but her friendliness was a new ray of sunlight. She kind of sliced the upper-class stereotype into two.
Twilight wasn't looking to make friends but somehow, they just clicked.
◇
The Academy had this glisten to it when they arrived. The large black gates sparkled under the sunbeam. The lamps on each rectangle-thick pillar were switched off but on top of them, there was a small statue of some sort. One lamp had a sun and the other had a moon.
In the middle of the hinged barrier, a lock kept it together. The Academy's logo was imprinted on the smooth circular surface of the clasp. Two thinner gates were on either side of the pillars – supposedly for the teachers. Rumor had it that the entire school was even prettier at night, beneath the illumination of the moon.
Despite all of this, there was still a stain of dullness that was left untouched. It didn't look like how Twilight's parents described it to be – she thought it would've been brighter and more vibrant . Maybe it was the modern generation that caused the school to change. Maybe it was the oldness of the area – it had been around for as long as her grandparents could remember. The buildings didn't look like the way they did now, that's for sure .
As expected, there was a crowd of freshmen students outside. Rarity and Twilight joined them; they held hands to make sure they didn't get lost. When the reached the front of the mob, two adults stood at the front.
One was taller than the other; she was in a pastel yellow blazer. In her right hand held a twelve-inch magic wand, similar to her blazer color. She seemed the most important, as she was the more formal-looking one. A sun badge was hooked onto her collar, so she must be Principal Celestia.
Rarity had her focus on the other adult – in which Twilight soon turned to. She was shorter by about five-inches from what she could see. This one had a dark indigo blazer on; the color slightly differed from their school uniform. Instead of a sun badge, her one was a moon, and it was pinned on the opposite side of the blazer collar.
By how completely opposite both adults looked, it would've made sense to believe they were somewhat related. Like Shining and herself, they looked different by skin tone, yet facial features were helpful in depicting the theory of the adults possibly being sisters.
One was Celestia, and the other was Luna. From what the names meant, Twi was able who was who.
"Students, we're all glad you were able to make it for your first day at Canterlot Magic Academy!" Luna announced. She had a tinge of informality in her voice, despite her loud appearance.
"Once we let you in, you are to line up in your houses so we can give you a copy of your room keys." Celestia turned her back on the students, waved her wand and the lock clicked open.
Just before she swung them fully, she warned all of the students to cover their ears. After that alert, everyone prepared themselves, yet confused buzz fluttered around. Celestia sent a heavy gust of wind at the entrance with her magic. As it opened, the gate creaking sound squeezed passed all the groans coming from the students.
Many conversations rose up from the students. Rarity knew most of them – they went to the Middle School with her. Tugging on Twilight's short-shirt sleeve, she pointed to that specific building.
Spike kept next to Twilight's ankles. With one tap on his shoulder, he climbed into her bag. Were pets allowed on the school grounds? She wasn’t going to risk it for the biscuit, though. She had enough experience with that before.
Rarity gave Twilight a small and quick tour to the outside of the entire Academy. To the right was the middle school, to the left was the university and the middle was, well, the high school.
The size towered over her, the shadows piercing through the sunlight. Twilight’s eyes relaxed.
◇
"I guess we have to go to our houses then," Rarity's eyes caught the four lines. There were some students behind them, searching for their house lines.
"Already?" she sighed, "Well, I'll be sure to look out for you during school!"
"Good luck, Twilight!" She chirped and ambled to her line.
Oh. Well, I guess I have to do this on my own then. Twilight, come on! You can do this!
It took some long, tedious waiting but she eventually got her copy of her room keys. The teacher that stood by the Amethyst line was sweet and cheerful – yet she seemed tired. Her ID Card stated Miss Cheerilee .
That explained the jolly essence.
The minute she got her keys, Twilight fiddled with the keychain that said what building her room was in.
Block A.
Why didn't she expect that sooner?
She darted off to that section. Her eyes caught a sign. It was neatly glued above the glass-sliding double door. Block A was in a large calligraphy font. Under it was Girls . This sign was in white and the calligraphy was in dark beige.
She raised a brow and peered over to her right which was the Block C: Girls section. Opposite the girls, was the boys. Block B and D.
D, huh? And for the Boys’ dorms too?
The thought almost expanded in her head and she giggled to brush it off before it could get complicated. When she entered, the entire building had a spark, no pun intended, of modernness. Everything was so clean and precise.
Checking her chain again, it stated all her room details.
Block A: Girls. Check .
Floor 3. Dorm 005.
Alright then . She was glad that they didn't put her room too high because stairs were always a pain in the ass.
So, it's two big rooms on each floor. Makes sense.
Dragging herself up the stairs wasn't much of a hassle, but dragging her suitcase up was the actual problem. Especially when the teenager is a bookworm and carried seven books in her bag.
Turning to the right, she noticed a teenager.
She waved to someone in her room and collected an empty box from outside the door. Her hair was short, red and white stripes. That was what grasped her attention. She had the same pastel purple bow and badge, except hers was messily done. The way she looked spilled out a vibe of a confident, outgoing type teen.
She noticed Twilight staring at her and smiled. Relaxing the box, she hurried over to her.
"Hi!" She piped, waving her hand high. Twilight snapped out of it and raised her hand for a low wave. In Twi's mind, the gesture she gave seemed awkward compared to the one the red-white-striped-haired offered her. But however, the adolescent didn't seem to mind. "Oof. That suitcase looks kinda big. You need any help?"
"Oh! Nah, I'm good. Well, I think ." Twilight let out a laugh and grasped the handle.
"You think , huh?" She giggled and took the bag for her. "Come on. I'll take it up for you. Don't worry, I'm not gonna throw it out the window or something ,"
Damn, she's spunky alright .
Twilight shook her head and reached her hand out. The girl held her wrist and pushed it down to her side.
"Nope! I'm gonna help you, no matter how many times you try to protest!"
It took Twilight nearly two minutes to agree but the girl didn't seem to have an issue with it. To be honest, she was completely fine with meeting new people. She checked the floor and helped her carry it up. As for Spike, he decided to rest in his owner's arms. The school bag was too stuffy for him. The teenager complimented and slightly squealed when she set her eyes on Twi's dog.
They – after some time – got to Twilight's floor. The girl rested her suitcase down and let a deep breath out.
"Holy potatoes, that was heavy ! It looks like you're prepared for this freshman year – it's good!" She laughed. Twilight grinned; she was pleased that she had met two new students that helped her out completely without asking for anything in return. "I'm Ana. Ana Escriptora." She held her hand out for her to shake it.
"Twilight Sparkle."
"Yay, another Amethyst!" She cheered but covered her mouth a millisecond later. "Sorry, I got a little too excited there. I'm glad there is another Amethyst in the Block. Anyway, hope to find you around the building then!" She beckoned a see you later and ambled down the stairs.
She seems nice , Twilight smiled back. It only took a millisecond for her to shake her head, No. Twilight, focus. Friendship will only divert you from achieving high grades. Just act friendly and she'll soon forget you .
She let out a breath.
Why is this so hard?
She glanced around the little hall, just staring at the simplicity yet home-like corridors.
Windows filled one wall of the hall and the staircase filled the other. On either end of the floor were two rooms. Dorm 005 and 006 .
A neat flourish pattern decorated over both door. A white plate stood in the middle of the door, stating the dorm number in the same calligraphy font. They must've taken some time getting it just right with the dark beige paint.
She slipped her key inside but when she turned it, it didn't move. Twilight pushed the handle down and it clinked open. Her roommate. She made it quicker than Twi did – and punctuality mattered to her. When she gathered up the courage to go in, she swung it open and her eyes sparkled.
Across from the main door stood two doors labeled with different names in purple cursive. The door on the left was labeled Bathroom and was closed, and the other was labeled Bedroom , which was wide open. There was a kitchenette to her left, with granite countertops, oak finish, fridge, and stove hood. To the right, was the entertainment area.
She closed the front door and pushed her suitcase to the living room. She set Spike down to explore the place on his own. Shaking her head at his immediate reaction to everything – which was scurrying off to jump on every non-dangerous thing – she walked into their bedroom.
The size didn't bother her as much, it was around the same as her old one. The bunk bed took up the left corner of the bedroom. The room seemed half full with one of the desks covered in books, for classes or reading purposes. The other was empty, that one was probably hers. She pulled one of the drawers open which revealed glow-in-the-dark star stickers and many other things relating to her preferences.
"So that's why they asked for my opinion of what I liked." Twilight cocked her head.
There was a single couch in the corner with a cushion in it. The walls were a dull white which somewhat matched the bunk bed.
Speaking of that, she gazed towards it. The top bunk was taken already – thank goodness for Twilight. She preferred to stay on the bottom subsequent to personal experiences.
Both beds were purple except in different shades. The top was pastel-purple-pink whilst the bottom was purple – Twi's favorite color. A small two-shelf cabinet was attached into the wall of the bunk-bed. Twilight's contained a modern music speaker on the lower shelf. For the top-bunk cabinet, there were a bunch of Harry Potter books.
She's a fan too! Glad they didn't die down after many years , Twilight smiled.
Admiring the carpet design, her eyes ran to a pair of navy-blue leather boots near the white ladder.
Her roommate was up there; her feet dangled off the edge.
Hot-pink eyeshadow colored her eyelids and contrasted with her Persian blue irises. She was fair-peach skinned. Her eyebrows were thin and they were arched in a slightly mockingly way.
The teenager was purple-haired with pale light aquamarine undertones in her hair, and her uniform was exactly like Twilight's, but a few tweaks were visible. A hot-pink beanie rested on her head. It had a variety of big and small white stars that were six-pointed. Her pastel-purple bow was loosely tied around her collar and the badge was slightly wonky.
Finally, she noticed Twilight, "Hey, you must be Twilight Sparkle, if I'm not mistaken."
"Yeah, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and you are...?"
"Oh, how rude of me. Starlight Glimmer." She relaxed her right foot on the bed below and leaped down. Her eyes widened and she turned back to Twilight. "Whoops. Sorry, I kinda stole the top bunk." She laughed sheepishly. Twi waved it off.
"No worries, Starlight. I actually prefer the bottom bunk." She rested her school bag on the bed.
Wait. How did she know her name?
But, she let it slide. She would ask again some other time. Exhaustion had tainted her movements ever since she got off the Uber with Rarity. "So you're an Amethyst too?"
"Yeah. They don't let people from other houses stay in one room."
"Wow, there must be a load of rooms in this Academy."
"You have no idea. This Academy is beyond gigantic and enormous combined together. There are Blocks from A to P – freshman to senior! And on top of that, there is a middle school and a university for this Academy. Can you believe that?" Glimmer zipped her turquoise suitcase up and shoved it out of the room, with recklessness tied to her actions.
It took Twilight almost half an hour to completely finish unpacking and in the meantime, the two teenagers chatted about any random thing that came into their heads. It was her roommate anyway, they would eventually become friends. Twilight just hoped the drama that came along with friendship would waltz right past her. As any teenager would, she wanted none of it.
◇
Twilight finally sat on her bed. She relaxed her elbows on her knees and sighed.
Boredom .
What an annoying thing.
Her phone was on the side table, placed onto its charger. Twilight switched it on and checked the time. She looked up at Starlight, who lay on her stomach.
"It's nearly fifteen to one and we need to go down to lunch.”
"I'm not going." Glimmer's voice was muffled in her pillow.
"Why?"
Starlight raised her head and sat, crossed legged. "I'm not really the kind of girl who would socialize or make friends ."
"Heh. Same here, actually."
Starlight gave her a petite smile.
Well, I finally found someone who is similar to me , Twilight sighed. "Is there a reason why you, specifically, don't? If you don't mind."
"To keep it vague, I did some things in the past that I'm not exactly proud of."
"Oh... a-alright."
Thank you for being so damn awkward Twi , she remarked.
She shook her head and changed the topic. Well, kind of. "Do you want me to bring some food for you?"
"Just some grapes and some pasta, if that's okay." She shuffled over and slipped Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince out of her cabinet before burying her head in it.
"Alright. See you later." And with that, she left.
Author's Note
I might have my author's notes at the top when part 2 comes along, just because i think it kills the mood in that section of this story XD but yeah! i edited this on Wattpad while i was getting it ready for here so yeah, but the writing is still old, just so you know and don't come at me haha.
Ana Escriptora is one of my friend's OCs and she might be appearing later in the story, but she's not as important as the others 😅
next chapter we're meeting five other characters and will talk to two of them. ch3's title gives it away if you think hard about it XD and just for aesthetic purposes, down there is how i picture GlimGlam and Twinkle Sprinkle's dorm to be like.
3. Lead Singer & Athlete
SEPTEMBER 3RD WAS THE BEGINNING OF AUTUMN THIS year. Despite Canterlot being the tourists' pleasure, it was the season when nature prepared itself for winter. Ironically, that season was the least desired over here. It was a brief walk from their Dorm Blocks to the main building, past the reception, and across the colossal foyer. Twilight took her time to get to the cafeteria, although she managed to not notice the orange leaves scattered randomly around her path.
She didn't want to bump into any other students after Rarity, Ana and Starlight; well, not that she minded it. Her aim was to go through these four years of high school without any drama. There was definitely going to be some, no matter what she wanted, and that's why she hoped fate would grace her with as little as possible.
The cafeteria wasn't what she expected it to be like when she lifted her head from her shoes. The damn hall was massive . She entered and her sight was bombarded with the separated sections of each House.
The Emeralds had circular tables with five mint-green chairs around each of them. Sapphires had theirs against the windows with four pastel blue chairs around each table. Rubies and Amethysts had the most amount of space from her perspective; their tables were rectangle landscape and the chairs matched their house colors.
In the far end, there was a crowd consisting of different students from each house, most of them were either Emeralds or Sapphires.
She could hear the song faintly but not loud enough so it would grasp her attention. When she reached the end of the lunch line with her two containers of food, she squinted at the mobbed area of the canteen. The music was more audible... and there was a rap line?
It was a female voice; she had a pretty strong one, but it didn't amaze Twilight. The lyrics were obviously in a different language, Korean if she was correct?
Twilight was never interested in rap, from the Western part of the Earth specifically, but Eastern wasn't so bad. She couldn't remember which group she liked the rapping most from, though.
Twilight raised her brow and strolled to the Amethyst tables. She peered forward to get a closer look at the students on stage, yet, nothing. There were too many people that covered them.
One tap on her forearm led to a startled jump and she almost fell backward. The girl was taken aback by the sudden shock action, though her face changed as she chuckled it off.
"Are you curious as to what's going on over there?" She gave a cheeky smile. Twilight glanced back over there and then shrugged.
She sighed and, with a slight bit of mischievous attitude, held her hand out. "Here, I'll keep your lunch for you. You go and check it out." She smiled and grabbed the boxes. She kept them next to her and urged Twi to go. And just before she sprinted off, the girl held her arm out in her way. "Make sure you don't come back covered in drool." She winked and turned back to her Amethyst friends.
On instinct, Twilight wiped her mouth. She shook her head at the girl's teasing and carried on her way. She had a good look around the cafeteria as she ambled. Many of the seats were empty with food trays still out now. Guess the Rubies participated in the crowd as well.
What's so jaw-dropping amazing that everyone forgot food? Food of all things! This thing must be worth it then, otherwise, something's wrong with these teenagers.
She got to the entrance of the hell. If she was going to see whatever it was on the platform, she had to push past everyone. And so, she did. Maneuvering through, it didn't take her long to reach the front. When her seventh excuse me slipped out of her mouth, someone blurted out:
"Twilight?" She flipped her hair to her right shoulder and Twilight beamed. "Twilight!" Rarity wrapped her arms around her neck and tugged her into a hug. "It's so good to see you! – Again." She giggled and Twilight returned her grin.
"You too!" She faced the band, yet she didn't get a good look at them before she turned her attention to Rare. "So, what's so special about this band?"
"Oh yes, I forgot, you are new here. It's the Sapphire Band. Despite every house hating each other, everyone loves this group of four. I mean, talent is attractive," Rarity started. "If you look closely, see the raspberry-haired back there playing the drums? That's Pinkie Pie."
Twilight eyed the bubbly girl. She had this smile on that brought one to Sparkle's face already, and it was only the first person she was introduced to. Her hair was, like the vibe her name gave off, bubbly and poofy. Her cerulean eyes were focused on the blue, yellow and pink drum kit in front of her. She nodded away to another person to her right.
"To your left is Cheese Sandwich. The one that is playing the keyboard." Rarity pointed to the brown-haired boy. His chartreuse green eyes looked back at Pinkie. "It's kind of obvious that they both have a crush on each other. I mean, look at them!" She squealed.
It was true, they did give each other shy glances that symbolized their like -like for each other. Sparkle's lips twitched up into a smirk when the light-olive skinned teen blushed a red-pink.
There was this smile on her face as Pinkie Pie sang, Twi couldn't think of why.
"Oh, wait, is this Dul, Set ?" Twilight looked at Rarity who nodded and grinned. "That's where I remembered the rap from! It's a BTS song!" She clapped her hands.
Her sight soon rose from Pinkie's sugar sweet smile to the other girl with red wavy hair and yellow undertones. She stood on the same level as Cheese, who tapped her feet to the beat. Was she the rapper Twi heard from the serving area?
"Who's she?"
"She's Sunset Shimmer. Pretty much one of the most popular girls in the entire Academy. I've talked to her before – being included in the popular people – and she's a decent person. She can be a bit of a... um... witch sometimes but that is only towards the lead singer/guitarist and many other popular girls who hurt her friends."
"What do you mean she acts like a bitch towards the lead singer?"
Rarity cringed at the curse. "The lead singer and she don't really get along. The only reason why he allowed her into the band is that of Miss Pie – those two are close friends, ever since sixth grade. Sunset and he are not-friendly rivals basically."
"Oh."
Wait .
The lead singer is a he ?
"He? Who's the lead singer?"
"Oh my gosh, so, the LS is one of the best singers in the entire Academy, which includes Middle and University! His vocal range is exceptionally strong and wide. Specifically, in this song, you'll hear the higher side of it, but you need to hear his raspy voice after." Her shriek with delight set something in Twilight's mind. Whoever this guy was, he should be quite the must-see Or his voice should be a must-hear .
"Oh my Celestia, his part is coming! Just listen carefully." She tugged on Twilight's arm and held her hand behind her own ear. Sparkle made a face but did the same thing.
Sunset sang a line which in English meant If you believe me, one, two, three.
Cheese followed, his voice soothing yet energetic.
Pinkie mixed in, and in the background, Twi could hear a soft harmonizing voice preparing itself. "Mitneundamyeon, dul, set, say! "
Rarity gripped her arm harder for the part where the surprise singer came in and a gorgeous high note played in exactly when Twi expected it to.
Her eyes widened. He joined in with the chorus like it was no problem after that high note, the euphony in his voice worked incredibly well with the others'. Twilight's lips curved up into a smile and she hummed quietly along to the chorus, as the rest of the crowd did.
Twilight felt her sight drifting to the boy. She normally wouldn't be hypnotized by attractive looks but she had to make an exception here. This boy was stunning , just like his voice. No wonder Rarity was squealing. Strong jawline, the typical boy haircut suddenly only fit him and no one else, the smile, strong but soft blue eyes.
A few scars caught her attention, the main one was on the right side of his collarbone. His collar managed to hide it as he moved, especially with his height compared to hers; she was a stubby little thing. The other marks were around his right wrist and forearm area. They were more visible as his blazer sleeves were rolled up to the very brim of his elbow.
Chills crawled all over her; fuck, his harmonizing brings Park Jimin to justice . Of course, no one could be better than the perfect Korean vocalist but realistically, this singer came pretty close.
His hand gripped the microphone when he brought another high note out, probably his strongest one yet. The part of his right arm that grasped her was the small bracelet around that wrist. Would she even call it a bracelet? It was a dark blue gem threaded through a brown thin rope. It was simple yet added flavor to the boy.
His vivid cornflower eyes met with Twilight's for only a second before he faced the audience. It didn't take him even a half an instant for his eyes to dart back to hers, as if she had snatched his attentiveness.
All it took was a small smile from him that brightened up her day even more. No one knew how a boy's smile meant to her; all it was in her old school was boys sneering deviously, in the mind of creating a hurtful scheme. Here, it felt... genuine.
The other three brought out their mics and walked out to the front where the lead singer was. He still sang along to the chorus with the crowd, who also sounded beautifully sincere. When Twi's own lips started singing, she repeated the English meaning in her head and smiled while staring at him.
Gwaenchanha, ja hana, dul, set hamyeon ijeo. Seulpeun gieok modu jiwo, nae soneul japgo useo.
It's all right, now count one, two three and forget. Erase all sad memories, hold my hand and smile.
◇
Her foot was the first to come out of the drama-filled cafeteria. Her hands contained the two plastic containers she had for herself and Starlight Glimmer. But she was halfway out of the exit when a voice called out to her.
"H-hey!"
She rotated quarter a circle, only to get a glimpse of who it was. She completed the other quarter when she recognized him.
"Hm?—Oh ."
Outside, she seemed like a normal fourteen-year-old greeting a student at her school.
But mentally, she was freaking the hell out .
There was a boy – and on top of that, the one she just watched and listened to – running towards her.
Sure, he was hot as blue flames , but he, obviously, was a boy and she had goosebumps when anyone from the opposite gender walked up to her.
Was he going to try something? If he did, what would she do ? She didn't want to go through that ever again – that was the main reason as to why she agreed to transfer. He didn't give off a harmful vibe, actually, he gave completely the opposite of that. Even so, it could be a disguise, a camouflage of some sort.
"H-hi!" She faltered shyly – it was not meant to come out that way, but oh well. She gripped her containers, hoping they wouldn't clatter when she was shivering with fright.
"I saw you by the stage and didn't recognize you. You must be new if I'm not mistaken. So, I kinda wanted to introduce myself. Rarity might have dragged you along to something you had no freaking idea about so... yeah!" He rubbed the back of his neck and a wave of sweet adorableness safely splashed over him.
Aw, he's actually adorable!
"I'm Flash Sentry! If you haven't noticed already – which I'm kinda sure you have, I mean, why wouldn't you, it's the color of my tie and badge – I'm a Sapphire." The way he rambled matched the way she did. Except his awkwardness was delightful and hers was a hot mess.
He flashed another smile. Although she had practically checked him out when he was on stage, she didn't notice one small thing. He had a dimple in his right cheek when he smiled.
Gosh darn it . If he wasn't captivating enough, this skyrocketed it for her.
Hey, hey, hey. You are just meeting him for the first time! No insta-love; you hate that kind of stuff, remember?
She inwardly groaned.
"Yours?"
"Oh, Twilight Sparkle. Sorry."
"No worries. So, Twilight Sparkle ," repeated Flash before approving, "that's a pretty name. Suits you well, Amethyst."
Oh, right . Her bow and badge.
If she didn't have those there, would she had been able to act like a Sapphire? Considering how low she felt of herself, she was definitely not Sapphire standard. Even if Flash felt so contrasting in his personality, cunning yet gullible, she somehow knew he was less the latter. Just look at him.
Hang on... Sentry. Oh my gosh. It had been so obvious. The hair, the eyes, the alluring aura that seemed to be embedded in his blood. He was a Sentry . One of the sons of the damn architect businessman Twi's mother was a lawyer to. Holy shit.
Twi blinked out of her trance when Flash cocked his head in the cutest way possible. She giggled, mentally cursing that she forgot to respond. "So, as far as I'm aware, you can sing. Really well , in fact. I'm impressed."
A tantalizing red blush formed upon his cheeks and he laughed lightly. "it's really nothing, just a bunch of high notes in favor of the one and only Park Jimin."
"Even then, I'm sure you can sing just as well. I've heard rumors." Twilight crossed her arms.
"Hmm." That blush refused to leave as he slightly hung his head. His face lit up a bit and he spun around and pointed to the red electric instrument attached to his back, "I also play guitar if that's interesting."
Twilight's eyes tried to catch a longer glimpse at the guitar before he turned back and gave her a smile "I haven't played guitar in a while. And it's not even an electric guitar. I'm actually trying to get back into music; it's one of my chosen subjects!"
Finally, you said something normal to a boy without stuttering.
"Awesome, I'll probably see you around! Um... say, which homeroom are you in?"
She hesitated and pulled the corner of her mouth into her cheek. "...9M, if I can remember correctly."
"Sweet, I'm in your homeroom!" He pressed his lips together as his blush finally, and unfortunately , died down. "So, I'll see you later?"
"Later? Yeah, sure!"
He clapped his hands together and set forth another smile. With a two-finger salute to her, he returned back into the dining room.
Twilight's goosebumps she had all over her body had vanished. Did talking to Flash boost her confidence around the opposite sex a bit?
She sighed. He was going to meet her in homeroom later. Hopefully, nothing happened during that meeting.
While constantly thinking about the people she had been introduced to, mainly about the one she just met, she collapsed into someone. She toppled to the ground with her containers still in her hand.
"Geez! Watch where you're going, Amethyst!" The raspy voice didn't surprise Twilight and the fact that she called her Amethyst wasn't much of a shocker either.
I knew it. There was going to be some people like that here. CMA may be different but there are some things that relate back to Crystal Prep.
"Well, you're a rude one." She didn't need to comment, yet she wanted the girl to realize what she did, even if it wasn't going to work. It was petty, she knew. It just felt somewhat better if the person knew what kind of a bitchy move that was.
Twilight pulled her tights up her legs from her ankles and tugged her skirt down. She collected her first box and didn't dare look up. As she reached for the other, someone else grabbed and passed it to her.
The hand was feminine but slightly rough. Tan as well. Twilight's eyes crept up the body to the same girl kneeling in front of her.
"You're right. That was kinda rude of me. I'm sorry," her voice was softer, the raspiness didn't disappear.
A sorry? And on top of that, a full on I'm sorry? Well now.
She handed Twilight the food and she took it, her grudge disobeying her will to leave. "Thank you."
By the way she came off at first, she did look like the stereotypical tomboy. Her hair was in a messy state and so was her uniform. Her sleeves were rolled higher her upper arm, revealing a bandage and some plasters. Her dark gray trousers seemed the most put together and then her trainers ruined the hopeful image. And the pastel red bow and badge explained it all when her eyes cascaded there.
The athletic figure, the aura of belligerent; she matched the cliché Ruby standard. Unlike Flash Sentry, who was actually a sweet guy and didn't fit the image for his House, she did for hers. Without the accessories that bluntly declared so, Twi could tell right from the get-go.
"So, I'm guessing you don't think highly of me anymore, do ya?" She muttered, a bit of sheepishness flooded through her words.
"Not really, no." Twi grumbled.
"I don't think I can excuse myself with any dark past , can I?"
"Nope. I've read many incidents in fiction where that happens and I'm particularly not a fan of it."
"Really, now? Egghead ."
Twilight rolled her eyes and dragged herself up. "Not a very nice thing to call someone – especially to an Amethyst."
"I'm not a very nice person in general to people I've just met, ya know? Trust and loyalty means a lot to me," she laughed. "Rainbow Dash, that me."
"Wow, I've met like what, five people today. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over again." Twilight remarked with a sharp tone and bit her tongue. Did that sound too annoyed? "I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Huh. So, you've read The Twilight Saga ?"
Should've seen this coming . She shook her head disapprovingly and replied with, "Yep, read the first and instantly disliked it. I don't hate it, just felt like it was a bundle of overused tropes, and the fact I'm called Twilight makes it worse," in an irritated voice.
"Which team?"
"Someone spoiled me. If I'm honest, I preferred Jacob and thought he deserved better. Mainly neither but if I had to choose, Team Edward, because why bother, Edward and Bella are together and the series is over. I really don't care." She shrugged. "Wait, how did we get into this conversation?"
Rainbow Dash laughed. "You name, that's how!" Sparkle pulled a face. "S-sorry. So, September 9th – there is a party. You going?"
"Had no idea about it."
"New, I guess." Just before she walked away, she stated, "Flash Sentry, the guy you just talked to and probably heard his voice? It's that dork's birthday. Everyone is invited to a Sapphire's party, hosted by the party planners themselves: Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich. Hope to see you then. If not, well, see you in Magic Biology ."
Twilight was about to ask if Rainbow took that class, but she had already gone.
Well, it has been a long day. Time to get this box up to Starlight Glimmer.
She sighed and threw her head back.
Author's Note
the song those four cinnamon rolls sang/played was 2! 3! by BTS. I edited out the lyrics (other than a few because I couldn't find a way around those and they were sentimental lyrics ffs XD) because I didn't want people coming at me because of this 😅 I'm new here, leave me alone!
sooo we met Flashy and Dashie! how were their introductions? i mean, i feel like i did Flash's intro spot on because he's adorable AF and well, idk it just fit!
4. Equestrian Biology & Magic
Author's Note
okay, so i'm gonna say here that there are a lot of hints in this chapter that will be obvious to a lot of readers and that's the point, don't come at me XD we're slowly inserting magic into this story and it starts with this chapter. though you guys might have to suffer through four more chapters of Houses shit before we get into the story. trust me, the Houses are a big part of this story XD
i'll post chapters 6-19 all in one go so y'all don't have to wait to catch up. keep in mind, up 'till chapter 14 is Jan-Jul 2018 writing so please be easy on me 😅 idk if i have improved over the last few months of 2018 (and 2019) but we'll see i guess! hope you enjoy this!
4. Equestrian Biology & Magic
4. Equestrian Biology & Magic
SEPTEMBER 6TH – A TWO DAYS CLOSER TO THE party practically everyone was talking about. 9M met their homeroom teacher on the 3rd: Mr. Sky Beak. During their homeroom time today, they got to know their assistant HR teacher; Mr. Draconequus, or as he specifically liked to be called: Discord .
Flash said he was going to see her in homeroom. Which they did and Twilight was actually surprised with what happened. Perhaps it was the fear that their classmates in one of their Houses might've caught them being friendly and then do something. She didn't know what, but that was what she assumed. And nothing of the sort happened.
Talking to a boy after what seemed like forever was refreshing for Twilight; it gave her a new taste in her mouth. They both rambled on and both listened to each other. She could only think of certain others who she had this type of relationship with. And then again, there weren't many. With him, for example, she could speak about anything without having this dreaded sense of judgment following her. For one, she could relax.
"All right class, seit leise !"
Twilight blinked out of her trance and gazed up at the rich German accent. It was German, right? Discord slid into his seat and leaned his head on his hand. The rest of the students had sat themselves down before their Magic Biology teacher arrived and from all the expressions she found, they were either confused or glad.
"Wait, he's our Magic Biology teacher?" She blurted out in a whisper.
"Why yes, I am, Miss Sparkle!" She jolted in her seat when he answered, now in a regular Equestrian accent.
When she looked at him, he was standing, arms crossed. Discord wandered around his desk and then leaned against the front of it.
"So, you all thought you could sit wherever you want, hm?" He raised a brow and as if on cue, most of the students groaned.
Twilight was just shoved into her seat by Rainbow Dash, she didn't even know it was her before the girl's colorful ponytail hit her cheek lightly. She wasn't bothered about the seating plan as others were. Wasn't a seating plan a normal thing over here?
She shrugged as Discord told her to move a space up and only had to shift her stuff to the right. Once settled down and tidy again, she watched some of the other students argue, trying not to glance down at their ties/bows. Her eyes bounced to Discord who now sat on his desk with a packet of popcorn and she scrunched a brow. How long was he simply sitting there for?
Along with his, sort of, childish behavior, she took a look at his attire. Instead of a blazer, he wore a leather jacket in a dark-reddish-brown color with a white buttoned shirt underneath. That was the only item of clothing she found was strange, everything else seemed suitable.
Just as he threw the packet in the bin, he leapt from his seat towards the small crowd of quarreling teenagers and pulled them apart, finally. That was when she noticed Discord's gloves. White gloves. They weren't leather ones, the fabric from afar seemed too pristine. She curled her lip as she watched him take care of the issue in a minute and amble back to the front of the class.
"So, welcome to Magic Biology !" He threw his arms out and his warming smile immediately altered to a mischievous one. "Before you new kiddies ask..." he raised a hand and waved it at one of the students in the back. "Yes, Celestia and I are aware that Magic Biology is an oxymoron. But I'm sure the students from Middle School know how much I like stuff that. Besides, what fun is there in making sense?"
Twilight crossed her arms on the table and narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Anyway, I apologize in advance if I get any names wrong while taking this damn thing," – he gestured to his laptop – "I'll try my best but please excuse me. I definitely don't recognize a lot of faces in here so we'll see how this goes."
As she waited for her name, which was pretty far down the register, she took a quick glance over everyone on her desk. Coincidentally, she caught Flash, Ana, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Cheese opposite her on their large circular desk. Other than them, there were five other people that were new to her.
Two were Emerald and Ruby, one was Amethyst. The one who caught her attention was a navy-haired boy. She couldn't see him properly because he seemed to be staring at Rainbow. Cheese Sandwich shook his shoulder and the arm the guy rested his head on collapsed. When she got a better look at him, her eyes widened.
Wait. The heir to the Wonderbolts goes to this Academy? Since when?
Thinking about it again, it made sense. Rich, heir to a famous group of people. Besides, if. Flash Sentry was here, then, of course, Soarin Skies would be too.
As she let the register drone on behind her, eavesdropping allowed itself to enter her mind.
Cheese wiggled his eyebrows and signaled to the girl. Twilight stifled her laughs at the oblivious Ruby and then bit her lip to keep it in when she saw Soarin's expression.
He flushed red and stuttered, "dude, shut up."
I'm not saying anything though , Cheese mouthed.
"You idiot. I wasn't staring at her."
"Soarin?" Discord said. Soarin bit his tongue and jumped. Their teacher held his smirk and eyed the boy who innocently stared back, covering his mouth.
"Morning."
"Hm." His eyes returned to the screen and then looked up. Twilight Sparkle?"
"Good morning." The word was automatic for her. She felt his eyes bore into her head for a quick second before looking down.
Her eyes were on the, three now, boys misbehaving quietly. Flash flicked his finger at Soarin's knuckle and the latter gulped down a yelp. Flash gave him a knowing look and his eyes averted to Rainbow on his right.
"You fuckhead." He cursed loudly and Flash snorted when everyone stared at their table.
"What was that you said to Little Sentry here?" Discord shut his laptop and stepped behind Flash, his hand soon ruffling his hair. Flash scrunched his face, shook Discord's hand off and fixed his hair by himself. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you didn't like that."
"Nothing, Discord," Soarin grumbled but as soon as Discord walked away, he passed Flash the dirtiest look Twilight's ever seen, and it soon converted to a playful eye roll.
Many things popped up in Twilight's head. One of the main ones were: those three were the literal definition of bro-goals and it made her wonder why the boys in Crystal Prep weren't all nice to each other like these guys were. And the second was that these guys were in different houses.
How was the relationship between all the Houses easy to understand? Why did everyone see it as something simple when Twilight didn't? Sure, she wasn't an old CMA student but everyone said that she'll understand it like a snap of a finger.
Sure .
◇
Fifteen minutes into the lesson, excluding the late start, and though it seemed strange, everyone paid attention to Discord's lesson.
He was a pleasant teacher, he was interesting enough to have everyone intrigued by the way he taught. He found a way to lift the students' spirits – with a little help from the class clown, Pinkie Pie – when they were feeling bored. He was obnoxious, in a good way. He had a chaotic atmosphere around him that suited him well.
He later explained that Magic Biology related to how the magic worked in Equestrian and Crystalrian citizens' bodies, hence how it tied into biology. Despite being an oxymoron, it somewhat made sense. Discord also said most of the grading system of MB focused on waving a wand and less so on Biology . That explained why there were two Biology classes, not that Twilight minded.
In those fifteen minutes, there were times where Discord had to use magic to carry stuff around or hand sheets out. Plenty of students were mesmerized by how easy Discord made it look. His light yellow aura passed through his gloves flawlessly and looked like a slight glittery shield around his fingers.
One part of the lesson was group work. Since her table had an uneven amount of students on it, Discord asked Twilight to work with the two girls on either side of her. The first was blonde with vibrant green eyes and a cowgirl hat, while the other was light-rose-haired with shy cyan eyes. The former was a Ruby, the other an Emerald.
"All right, Discord. I can work with them." She assured him and returned his grin. When he passed one to the girl on Twi's left – Fluttershy, was it? – the paper slid off the table. She yelped and apologized to him.
Twilight leaned behind to get a better view. In her perspective, Fluttershy bent down to pick the sheet up.
However, Discord scooped it quicker than she did and stated, "It's all right, I've got it."
"N-no! I-I can get it!"
He stood up and gave her a warming and friendly smile. "It's hardly anything, Fluttershy." The minute he held it out for her to take, he took it back and gazed at the dirt and crumples. "Gosh darn it! Seriously, they need to clean the floors properly next time. Here, I'll give you a new one." He said.
The shy girl wanted to protest by the looks of it but couldn't when Discord already handed her a brand new sheet. She took it and glanced up; he was still smiling.
He told her if she needed any help, he's there to help. She nodded and focused on the sheet. As he ambled away back to his desk, she raised her head up again, slightly staring.
"Ooh!" A raspy voice – male – intervened.
Oh my gosh, Soarin . Twilight rolled her eyes.
He leaned in to whisper, "Flutters, do you have a crush on Discord?" Soarin chuckled and earned a blush from Shy. "You do , don't you?" The eagerness in his voice didn't make things better. Shy fiddled with her fingers and stared down at her lap. "So, what would their ship name be? FlutterCor—"
Flash slapped his shoulder. "Soarin, you're an idiot. Gosh." He said that is a somewhat amused but serious expression, one that Twilight couldn't even decipher. "Look, you're making her uncomfortable! Some best friend you are." Most students turned to the girl – who sank in her seat.
Flash got up from his seat and knelt down to bring her up. He managed to calm down Fluttershy's immense flustering. "Flutters, don't mind Dash's future boyfriend, he's being a dick because he can't bother to ask the girl he likes out ." The last few words slipped out from his clenched teeth.
Dash furrowed her brows at Flash.
"Sentry, I swear to Celestia; if you bother me one more time, so help me—"
"I'm keeping my kidneys to myself, thank you." Flash held his hands in front of him defensively, slightly backing away in his chair. He and the rest of the table, including Twilight, sprung into laughter. Twilight's eyes dodged to where she spotted Discord enjoying the amusement from his desk. He snickered, coughed and told them to focus on their sheet.
Twilight clapped her hands together and faced her partners. They finished clipping the worksheet into their books and had their pen ready for the first question.
Three minutes passed and they had almost all the questions done. Just one more.
Applejack wasn't quite like Rainbow. She was more relaxed and less rough than Dash was. A lot more mature, yet she did somewhat fit the Ruby stereotype. Fluttershy, on the other hand, was what Twilight expected her to be; yet, most of that was because of her name and attitude. Without that, she would've predicted nothing close to that. The Shy part fit her personality exactly. She was timid, non-spoken and quiet as can be. She would either nod or shrug when they asked for her opinion.
Hm.
"All right. Question Five. What are three tasks that Good Magic generally cannot do but Black and/or Dark Magic can? And is there any evidence to prove this ?" Twilight read out.
"Bring people back to life?" Applejack suggested; her western accent flooding into her words.
They scribbled it down and an idea slithered into Twi's head. As far as she knew, this action was dangerous . "Turning humans, like us, into angels?" Applejack and Fluttershy nodded and jotted it down, only to turn back to her, exchanging faces of surprise.
"Wait, it's actually possible to do that?" Applejack had her mouth hung open.
"As far as I am aware, yes. It's actually really savage and minacious. If I could recall back to the news, ten years ago, someone had that spell cast on them. Don't know if they are still alive or not because we were only four years at the time. Good Magic cannot cast it. I'm unsure about Black but definitely certain about Dark."
Flash lifted his head just a fraction.
She noticed he was looking and tapped on his writing wrist when he avoided eye contact. The area where the poked him was hard. Like something was under his blazer. She assumed it was a watch and jabbed his backhand.
"Hey, okay, I felt you, no need to do it so hard." Flash chucked and jerked his hand away from her.
"Did you hear our idea?"
"Uh, yeah? You were pretty loud."
"Did you write it down?"
Flash made a face and showed her his sheet. Twilight read it and lightly bit her tongue in embarrassment. He smirked and took back his paper. She kept her tongue back to keep her from acting like a child, though she felt like she had some leeway; fifteen-year-olds were children in some shape or form.
"Ooh! Good Magic cannot erase mental health issues! Good one, Sentry!" Applejack gave him a thumbs up stole the idea. Derpy gave a warning hey! and Flash frowned.
"Applejack! That's not fair, Twi said—"
He just had to call her Twi.
"—we can't steal her idea yet you do the same thing to us!" He whined and crossed his arms. Somehow, that action let hope soothe into her. She stuck her tongue out and held her sheet away from him.
He pulled the corner of his lip into his cheek and sulked. That face eventually broke her – which took five seconds to do so because sad babyfaces were Twilight's weakness and Flash Sentry was no less – and she glided her paper in his direction. "Go on, write it down."
His face lit up and he leaned in, eyes scanning then writing and repeat.
"So, where did you get that idea from, Flash? Can Black and/or Dark Magic do that?" Flutters asked finally. She actually spoke, and in a confident way, towards Flash.
"Dark Magic can't but Black Magic absolutely can. I haven't had personal experience of it but my uncle has."
"Your uncle... Blaze Sentry's younger brother, right?"
"Y-yeah. Basically!" He chuckled it off but there was a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "Anyway, let me just write the angels one down." He lightly seized Twilight's wrist and pulled it forward so he could see the top answer.
His blazer sleeve raised up his forearm and the "watch" that Twilight assumed was that dark blue gem bracelet she saw the other day.
While he was writing, Twilight noticed something and said, "Oh my gosh, your handwriting is neat! All the boys in my old school had such unreadable writing."
"Heh, thanks." He finished with the last word and handed his sheet to Derpy so she could copy it down.
Thirty seconds later, Discord brought the class’ attention again and right on time, Derpy slammed her pen down on the paper to dot her sentence.
Discord finished his roaming around the classroom and held his hands behind his back. "So, what do guys have for question one?" Gazing over all the students, he smirked when one was sniggering to his friend. "Feather Bangs! What do you have?"
The Sapphire jumped and laughed sheepishly when Discord picked on him. He scrambled for his paper and cleared his throat.
Flash scoffed quietly and muttered something under his breath.
What's up with those two? Aren't they in the same House?
A tap on her shoulder startled Twilight's insides but she shrugged the tickle off. She saw this coming and she wasn't getting distracted this time. Twilight just didn't know who it was.
"Pst! Psst! Pssst !"
"What is it?!—oh." Her question was a harsh whisper but, without delay, it turned back into a normal one. "Sorry. Pinkie Pie, that's your name?"
"Yeah! So, I was wondering. The birthday party on September 9th ; did you hear about it?"
"The excitement for the party is literally all over CMA, so yes."
"Do you want to come? I can tell Flash that I invited you – not that he'd mind that you're coming."
Twilight glanced over at the teenager playing with his pen while listening to Discord. If it was his birthday, then definitely . He was an interesting person that brought Twilight out of her comfort no-friendship zone, she was sucked into his sweet and friendly aura.
But... the Houses. Over the course of the three days that went by, Starlight and Rainbow explained the mutual hatred between each of them, something Shining Armor refused to speak about other than vague responses. Like she thought before, those girls made the system seem too simple and easy to understand when it really wasn't
In those three days, she had seen many things that proved her point – even today . Soarin, Flash, and Cheese; Rainbow and Pinkie plus many more. And then, just now, there was Feather Bangs and Flash, suggesting rivalry. A rivalry in their House.
On top of that, the number of Amethyst-Sapphire arguments there had been, she didn't want her possible future friendship with Flash to be damaged because of that.
So denial it was.
"S-so sorry, Pinkie Pie. I c-can't. I have a lot of homework. Plus, I'm not really interested. Sorry..."
"O-oh. A-all right." Her bubbly appearance drooped down a bit.
A pang of regret stung Twilight's chest and she bit her lip. "I'm really sorry, Pinkie. Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine, Twilight!" The struggle Pinkie went through to bring back her happy high-pitched voice wasn't very subtle. "It's okay, there are some people who aren't interested in parties."
"Uh..." There was no need for guilt tripping because it already seared Twilight. "Did someone ask you to invite me?"
"No, not really. It's Flash's birthday and you guys already hit off as friends," – eh, not really, but okay – "even though you are in rival Houses. I kinda wanted to change up the unnecessary friendship-ban between Houses. I thought you two would become close but guess we don't need a party for that," said Pinkie, slipping back into her seat.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"Y-yeah!"
"As long as you aren't upset, that's fine with me."
"I'm telling you, Twilight, I'm not upset! I'm fine, really." Pinkie grinned at her. Twilight returned the gesture, ignoring the rainstorm of guilt. And she hated the rain. Twilight turned her head to Discord just as he clicked his fingers and the whiteboard switched on.
The slide that was projected was incredibly eye-catching – there were different auras floating around the corners of the screen, intertwining with the others. The brighter auras seemed to represent the lighter magic, while the almost black auras were the darker magic. Though, assumptions were assumptions.
"We're moving on to different Magic types. We have the simple Good, Black and Dark Magic. But there are other powerful types of magic that may or may not fit into these categories." He snatched the remote from his desk and pressed a button. Different symbols appeared when he stated them, "those are Harmonic, Chaotic, Crystal, Shadow, Sirenic and Wolf Magic. There are many more, but these are the main powerful ones."
He pressed the button again to a different slide. "Crystal Magic; what category would this one fit in?" Discord leaned against his desk. "Sparkle?"
"Good Magic. At least, I think? It's done nothing but good so far so..."
"I mean, yeah! We've all lived with Crystal Magic all our lives, whether we refuse to believe it or not, so yes."
The next slide had another vibe to it, this one a little unsettling.
"Which of those seven types fit into the Dark and/or Black Magic category?" He picked a random student who had their hand up.
"Shadow, Sirenic..." Their mind wandered off with the last two and when they said it, it came out more like a question. "Chaotic, Harmonic and Wolf... Magic?"
"You are on the right track." Discord dropped the remote back on the table and crossed his arms. "Three of them are wrong. Chaotic, Harmonic and Wolf Magic are not the harmful Magic."
"They ain't Good Magic. So what are they if they ain't Evil Magic?" Applejack asked.
"Well, I was just about to ask that to you guys. Why doesn't Chaotic fit into a specific category?"
Some hands went up and Discord scanned the class. Twilight averted her eyes to a hand next to her, Fluttershy's hand. Her hand was in the middle like she wanted to answer but the feeling of saying something stupid flooded through her mind.
Well, isn't that relatable?
"Fluttershy?" Discord chose.
"O-oh! Uh..." She flushed red. He waited for her response, though nothing about his facial expressions spoke impatience. "Well... Chaotic Magic is both in a way...? You can use it for either good or bad." Fluttershy’s courage was building. "And what I mean by you is the people who were born with Chaotic Magic. You can't learn it, you have the knowledge of the spells and the magic in you. And like I said, you can either be good or bad and still use the magic. It's bang in the middle gray, like all the types of magic are."
Twilight fought to urge to face Fluttershy with a congratulatory smile. Emeralds could be smart.
She never liked stereotypes. But in a place and a society where generic categories are separated and were overlooked differently, it's hard not to collapse and go with the flow. It made things easier, that wasn't a lie, but it also complicated things, like society always did.
CMA’s policy followed society, hell, it was like society. What Twilight could see were complicated twists of friendships, secret relationships, and a clash in similar personalities. Was there something deeper to the rivalries and rules that Twilight didn't know about?
Discord gave a pleasing look. "I'm impressed, Fluttershy." Twilight, at long last, faced Shy with the same warm and encouraging face. "Ten points to Emerald."
How Harry Potter, Twilight's smile was small.
During an unpleasant sounding outburst of cheers and groans, more so the latter, she left less coming from her table. From what she could see, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, Sunset Shimmer and Starlight didn't go with the crowd. Same with the three boys. Rarity barely clapped, her nail file in her fingers as she rolled her eyes.
Twilight couldn't get the thought out of her head. Other students were hostile towards each other, some didn't care, but these students were... different . Was that the best way to describe them?
"So, Harmonic Magic. After what happened with the General of Sun and Moon with that strong type of magic, it's safe for everyone to say that it's pure Evil, right?" Discord asked.
He slid his eyes along all the students, checking for any objections and he let out a light laugh.
"Wrong. Harmonic Magic, like Chaotic Magic, can be used for either good or bad. It can be controlled and get into the wrong hands. If used correctly, it can help save practically anybody. But used incorrectly... well, that's an entirely different disaster. Like Equestrian History explains oh so clearly."
He tapped a key and a few points appeared on the screen. "Jot down these few points about Dark Magic and I'll get onto Wolf Magic. I won't go too in-depth about it as myself and other teachers fairly know little to nothing about it." It didn't take long for everyone to finish. He went on a lecture about it – well, not really a lecture, more like explaining how it worked, its power and how it affected their biology.
When he immediately brought up the topic of Wolf Magic, Flash shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't sweating, he wasn't stressing. He was more tensed than anything. His facial expression was normal, listening intently to Discord.
And for that section of the lesson, while managing to listen to her teacher, she had her eyes glued onto that accessory on his wrist. The one Flash pulled his blazer over to supposedly hide.
