Author's Note

Hey. So I'm not really in the fandom anymore, but people are anxious for me to catch up on Cutie Fixation. I've been listening to TheLostNarrator's reading of Rainbow Factory and I just randomly got this idea.

I'm breaking this up into chapters because I'm kinda someone who likes to provide detail, I guess? I dunno.

Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!

"A glittering gem holds a tragic tale

"For those whose magics are found to fail."

Sweetie Belle happily trotted along the path to the university where the exam was being held, her brown satchel around her neck and her magic school graduation just within reach. The written portion of the exam had taken place the day prior, and she was certain that she had done well. After all, she had Twilight Sparkle tutoring her and Rarity's occasional help. But she would know for sure once she reached Canterlot University's Celestial Building, where she had taken many an honors and AP magic courses.

"Hey! Sweetie Belle!" a trembling voice called behind her.

The purple and pink maned pony turned to see one of her university best friends; Wonderspark Hopeful, like Sweetie Belle, was often at the top of the class, with each of them taking turns alternating top spots. While for Sweetie Belle, it was studying consistently that brought her to her spot, Wonderspark's neurodivergence came in handy as she consistently hyperfixated on several subjects pertaining to magic. Many unicorn mage circles already had their eyes on recruiting her due to both her academics and magic skills.

Sweetie Belle slowed down as Wonderspark, also carrying a satchel, caught up to her, panting. The unicorn's multi-blue-shaded mane was a bit messy as she came to a stop, despite most of it having been done up in a ponytail.

"You nervous?" she asked the white-coated pony who was pushing her blue glasses up with one hoof.

Wonderspark pursed her lips nervously.

"M....maybe a little," she gulped. "What if the university has a bias against me because of my neurodivergence? What if it gets me placed in the bottom half? Besides it was pretty complex as it was."

Hearing this, Sweetie Belle gave the nervous unicorn a small set of pats on her shoulder. It was true that the exams were extremely complex, but it was mostly due to how cumulative it was. All information from each year of study was fair game for the exam, from rune translations to concentration techniques to magic history. It was the pride of unicorns everywhere that they worked and studied well in order to pass the tests and become bona fide magic users, able to join various magic circles, covens, or even start their own practices.

On top of that, the written portion was just the first half of the exam. Only students who made it into the top 30% of the written exam scores were allowed to move onto the second half, which was the more practical application portion, also known as the kinesthetics' exam; they would show off their magic knowledge to a panel of judges. Once they passed that, they would be eligible for various privileges and opportunities, such as joining magic circles or going to a school that specialized in their desired field of magical study.

"I know it's definitely a legitimate anxiety," she assured her. "But it's thanks to your neurodivergence that so many elite magic circles are stopping by to recruit soon-to-be graduates. The university would have to be insane to place you in the bottom half. In fact, if they do, then I'll eat my own horn."

"Please don't actually," Wonderspark panicked. "You'll need your horn for the kinesthetics' exam."

Sweetie Belle chuckled a bit.

"I was just saying it in the idiom form. It means that there's pretty much no way that it will happen. Besides we've always been at the top of the class and the exam was very similar to typical exams, just more cumulative. I mean, they even took your accommodations into account, so they must have some decency towards neurodivergence."

Hearing this reassurance, Wonderspark gave a small smile, the nerves still slightly lingering.

"Thanks, Sweetie Belle," she replied shyly.

"Hey! Sweets! Sparks! Wait up!"

The voice of an enthusiastic purple unicorn, also carrying a satchel, called out to the two white-coated mares as she cantered in their direction. Her wavy hybrid-blonde mane was done up with her signature third eye hair clip; Mysty Starlight was one of the top students when it came to magic involving psionics, such as mind reading and telekinesis with the occasional success in dreamwalking possession, which was an extremely complex subject in and of itself. Once again, she was another neurodivergent pony who magic circles had their eyes on. For Mysty, unicorn covens in particular were looking at her with intrigue, especially those who mainly accepted masters of witchcraft and psionics.

"You two excited to see the results?" she asked as she butted in between them.

"A-a little," Wonderspark stammered.

Mysty turned to Sweetie Belle.

"What'd your big sis and Twilie have to say about you?" she asked with a grin, knowing that both Twilight Sparkle and Rarity had tutored Sweetie Belle for several years. "Bet they were all in a tizzy, especially your big sis."

"Oh....actually, Rarity wasn't there when I woke up," Sweetie Belle answered, disappointment laced in her tone. "Twilight didn't see me off either. And neither of them were there to greet me yesterday either."

"Maybe Rarity's working on a new collection for the next season," Wonderspark suggested. "She seems to be the type who likes to get ahead in life."

Sweetie Belle considered this.

"I mean, that makes sense," she nodded, still feeling a bit upset that her big sister hadn't been able to wish her luck. "And I know Twilight's always so busy with her books. Oh! We're here."

The anxiety and excitement mixed in the air like a brewing potion as the three unicorns closed in on a crowd of students. Some were whispering quietly. Others were fidgeting with their hooves. And a few of them were on the brink of tears, likely under the impression that they wouldn't be in that esteemed 30%.

"Damn," Mysty chuckled. "And I thought the cast lists for the university's theatre department shows were the most nerve-wracking."

"I mean...this is a pretty big deal," Wonderspark gulped as she spotted a few fellow students pacing back and forth. "It's going to determine the course for the rest of our lives. Who wouldn't be anxious?"

Her anxiety began to infect Sweetie Belle as the realization set in. Wonderspark had a point; the exam as a whole could make or break a student. Those who didn't pass were taken somewhere far away and referred to as second-class citizens; rumor also had it that they were even barred from Equestria for the rest of their days. If you were to bring up the name of any student who didn't pass, a vast majority of unicorns would speak of them in absolute disgust, as if they were no better than criminals. And being the sister of a rather well-known unicorn, and an Element of Harmony at that, Sweetie Belle was under extra pressure to pass this exam.

"Eh, I don't think we have much to worry about." Mysty put a hoof around Sweetie Belle and Wonderspark, her optimism ever-present. "Us three have always been at the top of the class. I doubt this'll be any different."

"Look! There's the auditor!" A scarlet-red unicorn at the front exclaimed excitedly, an accent prominent in her tone, which Sweetie Belle figured was either Trotssian or Ukreinian. "She has the list!"

The crowd began to condense near the doorways, the chatter rising as the auditor tacked the results to the bulletin board before backing away. Soon a security unicorn approached the door and unlocked it.

"Alright everypony. I know you're excited, but please form an orderly line to enter the building. I repeat, please form an orderly--"

All of the students rushed passed him and straight to the list. Sweetie Belle, Wonderspark, and Mysty followed close behind. They went over to the middle where there were less students and scanned over the list. Their names weren't there. Sweetie Belle's heart was at a canter as she began to fear the worse, as did Wonderspark. Mysty, however, was treating this as if she was just looking at a menu at some sort of restaurant. Shaking her head, her horn lit up and she dragged the two anxiety-ridden ponies over to the top 30% before looking over the names.

"See?" she exclaimed after several moments. "I told you we had nothing to worry about."

This stirred them out of their stupor as they turned to look. Mysty had her hoof on the furthest right side in the top percentile. 3rd was Mysty Starlight, 2nd was Sweetie Belle, and to her own shock, 1st went to Wonderspark Hopeful.

"There has to be a mistake," she trembled. "That can't really be me, right?"

As if checking for any forgeries or cover-ups, Mysty rubbed her hoof violently over her name, but nothing new appeared.

"Nope." She smiled excitedly. "That's really you."

Hearing this, the blue-maned pony practically cried out in relief and shock, but it immediately dissipated when she noticed several ponies weeping with sorrow. Sweetie Belle's joy also disappeared when she saw them; they were most likely part of the 70%, the ones who didn't meet the benchmark, those who would be regarded with disgust for the rest of their lives.

"Damn....." Mysty sighed, her optimism toning down slightly. "I know they didn't make it, but that's no reason for them to be disregarded like this."

Sweetie Belle and Wonderspark nodded in agreement. Suddenly one of the unicorns approached the group; a pastel-pink pony with a flower-bouquet cutie mark and a wavy, light-fuchsia mane. She wore a sad smile, indicating that she would not be joining the three top students in the kinesthetics' exam.

"Poppy!" Mysty cried out rushing over to her and holding her close.

Sweetie Belle's heart practically shattered when she saw the two; Poppy was Mysty's older twin and had been given the responsibility of looking after her.

"Hey," she replied in a low and resolute tone. "Congratulations, sis. I knew you could do it."

"P....Poppy...." Mysty's voice wavered as the realization hit.

"It's okay...." Poppy assured her baby twin as she pulled away. "I should've been a bit more diligent in my work."

The purple pony squeaked in a mixture of despair and shock. "Wh....why are you so casual about this? I....I....I might never see you again...."

"Mom and dad told me to look out for you, right?" she asked. "It's better I fail than you."

Mysty's eyes crowded with tears.

"P...Poppy..."

"Alright, line up, 70s!" The security pony's whistle blew while another began to collect those in said category.

"Well...." Poppy sighed. "I guess this is goodbye."

"N...no....no please..." Mysty gasped out. "You can't.....you can't leave me....I love you...."

"Hopefully I can find a way to send you a letter." The pink unicorn's sense of resignation was alarming to Sweetie Belle. "I...I love you, baby sis. I'll be with you in spirit when you pass that next half."

With a final kiss on her sister's cheek, Poppy then turned away and walked towards her bleak future, but not before Sweetie Belle could make out a choked cry from her, shattering her heart.

Silence permeated the trio for several moments while the rest of the 70s were led away from the passing students, most of whom were grasping the relief of their situation. Even if they failed the kinesthetics' exam, they knew they couldn't say that they had failed entirely, and that was enough for some.

"This....this isn't fair," Wonderspark squeaked out in pain as she tensed up, tears in her eyes. "How could they just.....send them away like that? Don't they have any sort of remorse? Any sense of empathy or mercy?"

Neither of the other two responded. What could they even say? They thought that today would be a day of victory, a day of celebration. But after seeing what could've been them, it wasn't a catharsis like it was to some of those who passed, especially those who were very close to being within the group of 70s. No, it was a day of guilt.

Soon enough the auditor approached them.

"I would like to congratulate all of you for making it past the first half of your exam." To Sweetie Belle, her smile looked extremely forced with a tone to match, which wasn't surprising considering how many times she'd likely had to do this before. Nonetheless both of them still unnerved her.

"Before the kinesthetics' exam, you have half an hour to prepare," she continued. "We have a lounge prepared for you along with some refreshments. After all, how can you do your best on an empty stomach?"

With this the auditor gave a small chuckle before she gestured for them to follow her. They were led into a small room with a few practice areas along with a table of snacks and drinks as well as some couches for them to sit on. Each of them was ushered inside.

"Have fun!" she finished in a sing-song voice before shutting the door behind them. At that moment, they all dispersed; some decided to get in some last-minute practice, like Wonderspark, who was hoping to keep herself busy so that she wouldn't spiral into a depression. Others took to the refreshment table. Sweetie Belle and Mysty, however, sat on a couch, waiting for the time to finish counting down.

It was there that Sweetie Belle noticed that Mysty was acting a little differently. Instead of spacing out into nothingness, like she usually did when negative emotions hit her, Sweetie Belle could sense that her mind was at work. What was she planning? Was it her strategy for passing the exam? Who knew? She tried to push it aside and focus on calming herself. And after what felt like eternity, the door opened; they were all ushered out and led to the final exam room.

"But even though they fail as unicorns.

"There's still some use for their precious horns."

As they entered the waiting area for the arena, they could see that it seemed to be designed to look like it was taking place within a set of ancient ruins. On the far left, there was a circle of candles and a dummy of sorts while just up ahead was a table with various ingredients, a cauldron, a few tools, a potion bottle, and a book opened up on a stand. On the far-right end was a section of a rock wall with various symbols carved into it. Sweetie Belle couldn't make out the specifics, but she figured that they were runes. There didn't seem to be anything in between them except for a long length of cobblestone. What sort of kinesthetics' exam would this be?

Soon enough the door opened and in entered a burly unicorn levitating a clipboard. The chatter immediately fell silent as he turned to face the group.

"Welcome 30 percenters," he greeted in a booming and authoritative voice. "To your kinesthetics' examination. As soon as I finish giving you your instructions, you will form a line based on name from A to Z. Take deep breaths now and maintain your focus. This exam will consist of four sections; Potion Making, Enchantment, Spell Casting, and Rune Translation. You will first choose either dream walking possession or telekinesis to concoct the provided placebo potion within a set amount of time. Once it's finished and poured into the bottle, you will enchant it with both a strength spell and an intelligence spell before ingesting it all. Then you will run across the cobblestone length where you will be attacked by obstacles from all directions. You are allowed to use any spell below or within the final grade level. Use of any advanced level spells or hitting a judge with an obstacle for whatever reason will result in an automatic failure. Once you've made it across, you will translate the four sets of runes to open the door within the given time limit and press the button inside to signify that you've finished your exam. Then you will go to the East Waiting Area and wait for everyone else to finish. If you fail, you will go to the West Waiting Area to wait until everyone else is finished. Understood? Are there any questions?"

The instructor scanned through the room as all eyes were fixated on him. Not a single one seemed to show any sign of confusion. As he gave a nod, all of the students lined up from A to Z. It was at that moment Sweetie Belle realized just how large her class had been. There looked to be at least four dozen who had passed the written exam, herself included. This realization made her wonder; just how many students were in the 70% that hadn't passed?

"Ready?" the instructor barked before continuing on without waiting for a response. "Amber Candles! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

A timid amber-orange unicorn with a purple mane and a candle with a star for a flame as her cutie mark dropped her satchel bag before stepping forward and out into the arena. She reminded Sweetie Belle of her best friend Scootaloo, who she hadn't seen for ages. She figured that she was having fun in Cloudsdale, though, so she didn't want to bother her. Looking up above, where Sweetie Belle assumed the panel of judges were, Amber soon approached the potion stand, opting to use telekinesis to complete her task.

Trying to keep her nerves steady, Sweetie Belle took a look in front and behind her to see who she was between. In front of her was a dark unicorn with a braided tail and mane that seemed to be curved and pointed on the end. Matching glasses rest upon her face. It was one of the Starfall siblings; Scorpio. Meanwhile behind Sweetie Belle was a red unicorn with ears that looked to be curled upward like a bull's; this one was Taurus.

"You're Sweetie Belle, right?" Taurus spoke up in a gruff voice.

She nodded almost automatically.

"Yeah, and I know you're Taurus....so, how many of the family made it?"

"All of us," Scorpio sniffed venomously. "Even him, somehow."

"Amethyst Shimmer," the instructor called out as a dark-violet pony stepped forward. "Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

"Him?" Sweetie Belle was curious. The Starfall siblings had a reputation for barely leaving each others' sides and getting along amazingly, (as amazingly as ponies with a lot of personality could get along anyway) so the fact that one of them was speaking ill of another was puzzling.

"Oh, we don't talk about him," Scorpio replied, clearly just as bitter as Taurus. "He's a disgrace to the family."

"Ophiuchus is no disgrace!" the scarlet pony in front of Scorpio spoke up, a fiery temper in her voice. "He is just different!"

"Keep your stupid mouth shut, Strange!" Scorpio spat. "No one wants to hear from you!"

"You should be more considerate of others! Ophie is a wonderful and kind unicorn!"

"Like you really know him---!"

Wincing from the yelling between them, Sweetie Belle tried to tune out the argument by watching each student make their way through the exam. One by one, they passed through flawlessly. She noted that most of them opted for telekinesis over the dream walking possession. The only current exceptions were Chartreuse and Indigo Strange, which didn't really surprise anyone. While the Strange sisters weren't the best at the written exams, they were three of the best at complex witchcraft. This also placed the expectation on Scarlet Strange, the unicorn who was currently arguing with Scorpio about Ophiuchus, to partake in the dream walking possession.

"Mysty Starlight! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

The instructor's call startled Sweetie Belle who immediately kept a falcon's eye on her best friend. Mysty looked up at the judges and soon got inside of the dream circle, taking full control of the mannequin and creating the placebo potion. Sweetie Belle's heart beat against the glass as Mysty placed the two enchantments on her potion before ingesting it. Next was the obstacle run. However something seemed off to Sweetie Belle. Mysty's eyes were glazing over a sparkling crimson, and her hooves glowed an inky-black aura before she rushed to the middle of the run. Approaching a giant hill, Mysty bent her back legs and shot up high into the air. Sweetie Belle gasped as she realized what spell Mysty was trying to cast.

BOOM!

Mysty's hooves collided against the ground, shaking it and sending every single obstacle this way and that, including towards where the remaining testees were waiting. Shrieks and cries invaded the air as they all ducked down. Up above, they heard a gruff unicorn curse at Mysty. Once things had settled down, Sweetie Belle looked back out at her friend. She was standing her ground with her head up high at the auditors in the slight crater her impact had created, a prideful vengeance flickering in her eyes. And that was when the pink-and-purple-maned unicorn realized three things:

1. Mysty had used a Maximum Pushback Hex, which was a spell well above their level.

2. She had hit at least one of the judges with an obstacle.

and

1. This was what she was so deep in thought about during the break.

"Mysty!" Sweetie Belle cried out as her best friend proudly trotted over to the West Waiting Area. Tears filled her eyes, the temptation to go to her side yanking at her, but that could also mean an immediate failure. She was Rarity's sister and Twilight's student; she couldn't bring herself to let them down, even with having passed the written exam.

The instructor continued on as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to fix the shallow, yet wide, crater left behind from Mysty's display. "Obsidian Candles! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

So many questions ran through Sweetie Belle's mind, but there were a few in particular that stood out to her; why had Mysty purposefully failed? Why make such a big show about it? How could she be so proud of herself? There was only one reason that she could conjure up in her mind, but she couldn't confirm it, not unless she too failed.

"Ophiuchus Starfall! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

Many of the remaining Starfall testees, including Scorpio and Taurus, hissed and booed at a nervous-looking unicorn carrying a brown satchel that looked much like the one she brought. He had a white coat and an iridescent mane that seemed to grow around his neck before shifting upwards like a snake. Meanwhile Scarlet attempted to overshadow them with encouragement.

"You can do it, Ophie!" she loudly cried out through the glass. "Yo viryu vie tebe! Show these neigh-sayers what you can really do!"

Ophiuchus turned to the window, gratefully smiled at Scarlet and mouthing a quick "thank you" before trotting over to the dream circle, much to his siblings' shock as well as most everyone else's.

"He's insane if he thinks that he'll---" Taurus began.

Several seconds after the iridescent-maned pony had shut his eyes, the mannequin came to life and walked gracefully over to the potion table, concocting the placebo with ease before returning to its original position.

"He....he actually did it!" Sweetie Belle heard the stunned voice of Ophiuchus' sister Pisces pipe up from near the front of the line. "The son of a bitch actually did it!"

"How?!" another sister, Virgo, exclaimed loudly. The envy laced in her voice was overt. "That's impossible! He's always been the worst at it!"

"Maybe he just got lucky..." one of the brothers, Sagittarius, suggested as Ophiuchus finished casting both of the spells on the potion before downing the bottle and galloping to the obstacle run. "It's happened to unicorns before."

"At dream walking possession? I'll believe that when turtles fly."

"Maybe you've just been ignoring his potential." Scarlet had a smug smirk on her face.

"Maybe you should shut the fuck up!" Pisces snapped, prompting another argument.

Once again Sweetie Belle tried to tune out the dispute as she watched Ophiuchus go through the obstacle run, albeit rather slowly, which was confusing to her. The obstacles were coming at the testees at fast paces, meaning they didn't have time to slow down. She noticed that he tried to run a few times, but would soon stop and cough a decent amount. Fortunately he was using a variety of spells, but the most common one he was using was a Disintegration Hex, which happened to be one of the last spells they'd been taught before the exam; it was also one of the most difficult to perform, as it required absolute focus and concentration, even when the caster was under extreme pressure. Each obstacle disintegrated into ash and fell in neat and tidy piles on the sides of the course, which was way more difficult than simply disintegrating an object, even with a strengthening spell placed on the potion he drank. Needless to say, she was impressed.

Finally he made it to the runes and began to focus on each of the four that lined the door. Sweetie Belle watched intently as he tried to translate and write as quickly as he could, but she could tell that he was struggling. She figured that there was a chance that he may have some sort of learning disability and those who did usually had some sort of accommodation given to them, even for this final test. She noticed the day prior that when the rest of them got up to leave after time was up, he was still working on his exams and the auditor didn't scold him for it.

A few moments later, one of the judges blew a whistle, signaling that he had a minute left. Panic visibly lined his face as he frantically skimmed each rune over again, trying to search his memory. Another whistle signified thirty seconds, then fifteen, then ten. Ophiuchus had 3 out of the 4 sets translated. All he needed was one more and he could enjoy his life with the others.

9...

8...

7...

"Ophie, it's Sanctum!"

Ponies gasped as they heard a voice call out and for Sweetie Belle, that voice was nearby. She looked past Scorpio and was horrified to see that Scarlet had called out to her friend on, what she assumed was, impulse. Realizing what that meant, Sweetie Belle looked to the instructor for some sign of mercy, but his face showed no trace of emotion except for a somber glare at the impulsive unicorn.

"Scarlet Strange," he growled. "Giving answers out to another testee is an automatic fail for you both."

While Sweetie Belle felt her stomach flip, Scarlet stared right into the eyes of the instructor with a stubborn sense of justice.

"He has a learning disability!" she defended.

"That's no excuse for you to give him answers."

"You gave him the same time amount as others. He is accommodated to extra time!"

"There's nothing that says--!"

"Um...a-actually, it does."

Sweetie Belle was stunned as she heard Wonderspark pipe up in the back.

"The magic exam manual states that all students with a disability plan, which Ophiuchus has as he was given extra time yesterday and has always had extra time during exams, must be given the option to have their listed accommodations applied to the final magic exam on both sections, especially since this section involves problem-solving and use of intellect within a set amount of time. Denying them that option is a violation of their rights."

Everyone awaited with bated breath as the instructor glared down the typically-shy unicorn.

"I-If you don't believe me, you can check the manual yourself." Her voice was trembling now, afraid that she would also receive an automatic failure.

His horn lighting up, the instructor pulled the manual out from the satchel around him and skimmed through it. It felt as though he was looking through that book for ages, until they all saw his face drop.

"It seems that you're correct...." he admitted. "My apologies."

Turning his head upwards, he called out to the judges.

"Rearrange the runes and change the clock time. Ophiuchus Starfall is allowed time and a half--"

"I-it's fine...."

A trembling voice popped up from the course. Ophiuchus had his head bowed in defeat as he approached the window of the testee waiting room.

"I'll take the loss.....just please.....don't fail Scarlet like this. She deserves to run the course more than I do."

"No! Ophie!" Scarlet squeaked out in pain as she realized she would never see her friend again if this were to be approved.

"You're sure this is what you want, kid?" the instructor asked, clearly surprised at his choice just like the others were.

Without hesitation Ophiuchus lifted his head and gave a strong nod.

"She's got a bright future ahead of her, sir."

"So do you!" she cried.

"No." The white-coated stallion shook his head, the iridescent serpentine hair shaking in agreement. "I don't. Even if I'm given a second chance, even if I pass, I'm still going to be the scapegoat of my family. It's thirteen against one and I know they'd destroy any chance I'd get to become something great. So....I'll do it for them, but on my terms."

He placed a hoof on the window and Scarlet slowly lifted hers to meet it. The two met each other's eyes.

"Goodbye, Scarlet," he smiled. "I'll miss you."

After a few seconds, he removed his hoof, retrieved his satchel, and slowly walked over to the West Waiting Area.

For several moments, everypony was silent as mimes, not quite sure how to feel, Sweetie Belle included. It was both a brave and idiotic move, but he was likely right from the little she knew about him.

"....Ophie," Scarlet squeaked out.

"Peridot Chamomile!" the instructor's yell startled them all out of their stunned stupor. "Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

A green-pony with multiple shades of the same color in her mane trotted to the potion area and waited for the signal. Sweetie Belle looked away as her heartache grew, and yet this heartache was for somepony she barely knew, somepony who would now be shipped off with Mysty to Celestia-knows-where. It even made her consider purposefully failing like Mysty did just to be with them, but there was still that constant reminder.

"Don't let Twilight down, don't let Rarity down. You affect their reputation. You have to do well," she thought to herself.

She began to tune everything out, putting her body on autopilot. All of a sudden, she heard the instructor bark out.

"Scarlet Strange! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

She was jolted out of her thoughts as Scarlet walked out to the arena. All eyes were on her now. To nopony's surprise, she stepped right into the dream circle, got into position, and shut her eyes. Less than a few seconds later, the mannequin was up and ready, heading over to the potion table with ease. The hand movements were as graceful as a dancer's and finished in near-record time.

Hopping over the dream circle candles, which were nearly melting away, Scarlet took to the potion and cast the enchantments before using her horn to levitate the bottle and drink it all. She charged into the obstacle run, utilizing repelling spells which were well within their level, as well as a few disintegration spells. But when she got to the middle of the end of the run, Scarlet turned and looked up at the judges; a wispy magic colored in her namesake spiraled out of her horn and up above.

The next thing Sweetie Belle knew, she could hear shrieks of fear emerge from the three judges, making her wince along with the others. However the instructor seemed to be unaffected by the screams.

"Everypony, stay here."

He immediately cantered out the doorway, leaving the remaining testees wondering what exactly Scarlet had done to make the judges cry out like that. A few of the others were pushing her to finish the test, but the unicorn just held her head high and walked over to the West Waiting Area. Sweetie Belle then realized that her act of rebellion was exactly like Mysty, that her failure was intentional.

About fifteen minutes later, the instructor returned while a batch of new judges ascended to the stand above the waiting box. He was about to send Scarlet to the West, but realized that she had condemned herself. With her out of the way, he simply continued on.

"Scorpio Starfall!" he barked out. "Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!"

In almost no time at all, Scorpio was out the doorway and to the potion area. There were no ponies in front of Sweetie Belle anymore. As soon as Scorpio was finished, it would be her turn to run the course. Trying to remain at least somewhat aware, Sweetie Belle went over as much as she could remember from Twilight and Rarity's lessons; it was also an attempt to hide herself from the fact that she was never going to see Mysty again. But at least Twilight and Rarity wouldn't be looked down upon.

"Sweetie Belle! Concoct, Enchant, Cast, Translate, Complete!" The instructor's rough voice jolted her from her thoughts. It was time. Nervously she walked over to the potion stand.

"There are no bonus points for using the dream circle," Twilight had told her. "So it's okay if you're not used to it. Just be sure your telekinesis is up to par."

She looked up at the panel of judges who were shuffling through papers, holding her head high in an attempt to hide her anxieties. Once they found what they were looking for, and wrote a few things down, they gave Sweetie Belle the nod.

There was no turning back now. She had to give it everything she had.

Carefully scanning over the recipe, Sweetie Belle saw that it was a rather complex placebo potion. It required extreme precision and concentration.

"It's like cutting fabric, Sweetie Belle," Rarity had advised one day while working on some duplicates for the boutique. "Precision matters."

The unicorn took a deep breath and set to work. Within roughly five minutes, the potion in the cauldron had turned a wispy white, signifying its completion. Using her telekinesis, she lifted the potion bottle and scooped it up before capping it and casting the spells. Next she lifted the potion and brought it to her lips. However she could swear that she heard a buzzing sound, causing her to lose focus and sending the bottle to the ground. But with quick-thinking, she managed to stop it before it collided with the cobblestone and brought it back up, ingesting it in its entirety despite the nauseating taste. Once she put the bottle back, Sweetie Belle glanced up at the judges, worried that her slip-up would be grounds for failure. But luckily all three judges nodded at her, signifying that she could move on.

"Just two more parts and I'll be home free!" she told herself as she headed for the obstacle run.

At first glance, the course looked intimidating, but she and her fellow students had trained for this. All it took now was a practical application.

"Just like utilizing the dream circle, you're not gonna get extra points for using advanced spells. They won't look for that," Twilight told her. "They're simply looking for if you can think on your hooves in case you end up in some sort of combat. Just run the course with whatever spells you know and you'll be fine."

Even Rarity attested to this, despite never taking the exam for some odd reason.

"Almost any spell that you know is a good spell to use, darling, even if it's from your younger years," she told her. "In fact, oftentimes the beginner or first intermediate spells are quite the most effective."

She wracked her mind for every spell her years of schooling had taught her, and realized that there was a particular spell that no one had bothered to use, one they learned in year 3 of secondary magic schooling. With a glow of her horn, each and every flying obstacle shrunk and dropped to the ground stopping inches from her hooves. They were right.

"You can do it, Sweetie Belle!" Wonderspark called from the testee room.

Sweetie Belle beamed as she cantered to the final part. Now she had five minutes to translate the four sets of runes provided.

"Yeah, runes can be pretty tricky," Twilight had said to her. "Even I had a little trouble with them as a filly. But if you find the ones you remember, and hopefully that's most of them, you can usually decipher them easily enough."

"Ha! I memorized the rune chart last night," she thought. "This'll be easy peasy."

But when she took a look at them, it was as if every bit of knowledge on runes and their translations had left her mind entirely. Her heart was palpitating as she tried to gather her bearings, following Twilight's advice by trying to concentrate on finding similar symbols between all four sets. If she knew at least a few symbols, she could potentially piece the phrases together. She had to. So many ponies were depending on her success in the full exam and she couldn't afford to lose even a single second.

First set? Check.

Second one? Done.

Third part? Out of the way.

Finally the fourth.

Sweetie Belle wrote in Sanctum for the translation, only for it to come up as incorrect, shocking her. Had Scarlet read the runes incorrectly? The testee box was a decent distance away. On the other hand, Scarlet was usually correct in terms of runes, and she had a strange gift for seeing far distances close up. Sweetie Belle figured that after Ophiuchus was failed due to Scarlet revealing the final word, the judges or the instructor had changed the answers so as to avoid giving away a freebie, meaning that she had to still rely on her own knowledge of runes.

TWEET!

The one-minute warning rang through her ears, making her jump. This was her last chance. Fortunately she'd made several connections between each set, seeing as how there were repeating symbols and she felt as though she almost had it figured out entirely. In a last-ditch effort to finish on time Sweetie Belle hastily scribbled in her translation, doing her best to block out the other warning whistles, and had only just placed her final translation below the fourth rune when the final whistle blew.

The door opened and Sweetie Belle began to trot inside to press the button when out of nowhere, a set of three whistles blew to get her attention. She looked towards them in confusion, but it was soon joined by horror when she saw all three hooves down.

Failed.

Her heart shattered.

"But....but I---" she sputtered in disbelief. The judges wouldn't hear of it, however, and pointed her to the West Waiting Area.

This wasn't right.

She galloped over to the testee room and looked at the instructor.

"I-I don't understand," she squeaked. "I placed the final translation within the time limit.....why am I being failed?"

The instructor looked at her, his eyes seemingly lacking emotion and color now.

"The door didn't open until after the time limit was up," he said matter-of-factly before pointing to the West Waiting Area. "Now go."

One pony over on the East Waiting Area, overhearing this, spoke up rather loudly.

"Hang on, that's not fair! She did translate the runes in time. You didn't say that we had to press the button in that time as well! She should be allowed to pass."

Cancer Starfall had a look of just fury on her face.

"Cancer, honey, don't make a scene," Leo huffed. "It's not gonna change anything."

"Don't tell me what to do!" she snapped back. "First off, I'm older than you, and second I'm just trying to make things right."

"Sweetie, please, just calm down," Libra soothed. "I know this is unfair--"

"Exactly!"

"--But it's not up to us what the rules are."

"She just needs to quit being so emotional," Virgo scoffed. "We all know what happens to anypony who speaks out."

"Do you really think I care?" Cancer snapped. "I'd gladly suffer it if it means justice is served."

"Are you seriously willing to take the loss for her, Cancer?" both of the Gemini twins, Gem and Gemma, asked in disbelief.

"No.....I'll take the loss for her," Pisces piped up. "Better me than Sweetie Belle."

"No one needs your martyr complex," Capricorn groaned. "Rules are rules."

"It wasn't stated that that was a rule!" Cancer argued, stomping her hoof. "She should be allowed to pass!"

"Oh sweet Celestia on a bike, calm down," Leo groaned dramatically. "No one likes ponies who make a show of themselves."

"Yeah, you're one to talk!" Aries scoffed. "I'm surprised you don't carry around a trunk of costumes for your damn performances."

"There you go again with your temper." Leo fluffed up his mane as he rose his head. "Always so easily pissed off. You should really take some anger management classes."

"Anger management?! I'll show you anger management, you son of a--!"

"Can't we just talk this out peacefully, everypony?" Libra urged trembling. "Leo's kinda right, there's no need to be so aggressive."

"Peace isn't an option right now!" Cancer snapped as she galloped out of the waiting area and over to the confused unicorn. "It's completely unfair that she's being failed."

She then did a 180, both in her body and in her demeanor, facing the pink and purple-maned unicorn.

"Sweetie Belle, honey, do you need a hug?" she asked, her tone genuine as she ignored the groaning of her siblings in the background. "Some snacks? Tissues? A blanket? A stuffie? Have you had any water?"

"I--uh--" Sweetie Belle was unsure of what to say.

"Cancer, please just get back inside," Libra gulped.

"Starfall, if you don't get your flank back in the East Waiting Area right this instant, I'll send you to the West one!" The instructor was beyond losing his patience, but Cancer didn't waver, trotting up to the glass and glaring him down.

"Go ahead then. Fail me. Just don't fail Sweetie Belle. She deserves to pass more than I do."

"Whoop! Whoop! Martyr Complex Alert! Martyr Complex Alert!" Pisces yelled out.

"You're one to talk about a martyr complex," Aquarius scoffed. "Especially after you offered to take the loss for her literally a minute ago. So like you, multiple complexes and you don't think before you act."

"Says the impulsive crackhead pony of the family!"

"It's called risk-taking and I actually know how to do so without making myself look bad."

"You got head trauma from us trying to simulate the casting portion of the test for you," Sagittarius reminded.

".....I know how to take risks without making myself look bad most of the time."

"Oh for fuck's sake; Cancer, get back in here, now!" Capricorn hissed. "Or I'll drag you back myself."

"Just let her pass!" Cancer snipped at the instructor.

"I already made an exception for one unicorn, I will not be making another!" the instructor snapped. "This is your final warning, Starfall! Get back in there or you will be failed alongside her!"

"I don't care! Justice needs to be served!"

A loud groan emerged from the East. Capricorn galloped out to the testee box and clamped down on Cancer's tail.

"Sorry about her, sir," she spoke in a loud yet muffled voice before beginning to drag the unicorn, who was now screaming and cursing out the instructor and the judges, back. "Cancer's not usually this confrontational."

"N-No....P-please." The timid voice of Wonderspark finally piped up. "Sweetie doesn't deserve to--"

"Shut your mouth, you idiot savant," Capricorn growled. "Rules are rules."

"Please don't call her that, Cappie," Libra whimpered. "That's not nice."

"Nice isn't an option right now--quit your screaming, Cancer, or I'll give you something to scream about.--the rules are the rules."

And with that, she dragged her sister back inside.

"Now that that's out of the way," the instructor growled, clearly on the end of his rope. "To the West, Belle. Now."

Sweetie Belle's stomach churned as she slowly grabbed her satchel and walked over to Mysty, Ophiuchus, and Scarlet. Every noise was turning into a quiet echo, save for her own hoof steps which only seemed to get louder and louder, until it sounded like a prison guard coming to escort a pony to their execution. And based on the pressure she'd been under, it might as well have been her own execution as she sat on the bench inside next to Scarlet, waiting for all of this to be finished.

Only seven remained to be tested, including Wonderspark, and Sweetie Belle felt it both fruitless and selfish to believe that there was a chance that Wonderspark would fail. She knew that her best friend would go on to live a happy life, becoming one of the best sorcerers in all of Equestria. There was no doubt in her mind of Wonderspark's success.

That is, until she heard a pony crying out in fury and the sound of multiple collisions throughout the arena. Glass was shattered. The arena shook once again. Everything was being thrown in all directions, causing everypony to scream and duck down for cover. Once things had relatively settled, Sweetie Belle peeked up from her hiding spot to see an enraged Wonderspark within the mess. The color drained from Sweetie Belle's face once she realized what had happened. Three unicorns had purposefully failed the kinesthetics' exam for reasons she wasn't entirely sure of. And two of those unicorns were her best friends, with the second one now entering the West Waiting Area.

It was over now. Wonderspark had been the last to go, meaning that it was time for everypony to evacuate the waiting areas. Those in the East Waiting Area were likely going to the graduation ceremony and afterparty. However the five of them that occupied the West Waiting Area were going elsewhere.

"I....guess this is it...." Sweetie Belle gulped, shame overtaking her. "We're gone for good...."

"At least we'll be together," Mysty smiled.

Scarlet nodded behind her. "And it'll be a new adventure."

A few moments of silence passed as the five of them looked to one another before searching for where they were to go next. Soon they spotted a sign informing those who failed to exit through the door behind them and follow the hallway down on their right. Mysty and Scarlet were the first ones out with Wonderspark following behind and soon Ophiuchus. And after a few moments, with a sigh of resignation, Sweetie Belle followed the rest into the dark and long hallway.