Chapter 1: Next Stop: Canterlot Station
Act 1 Ch.1: Next Stop: Canterlot Station
Chapter One: Next stop: Canterlot Station.
Ruby Moon stepped off the train, taking in the impressive, if small, Canterlot train station. From first impression, Canterlot was far less crowded than her hometown of Fillydelphia. She levitated her extra bags after her as she walked toward the arrival exit. She admired the architecture of the station, with its gentle arcs and sloping curves. It was a great deal more elegant than she was used to, and she enjoyed the change. Near the exit, she saw a poster for the Wonderbolts- No, that wasn't quite right. The colors were all dark. She read the poster and discovered that it was for a new group called the Shadowbolts.
Moving on, she exited the station itself and found a bench nearby. Her cousin had told her that they would meet at the station, but her cousin might not have known that her train had come in a little early. Ruby would have a few minutes to herself, at least.
She decided to use the time to assure that her appearance was in order. She gave her body a look over, ensuring that her deep purple pelt was free of dirt or dust. Once satisfied, Ruby checked her raspberry pink hair, ensuring that nothing had came loose during her trip. She knew Midnight worked in the royal palace, and if she had any friends with her Ruby wanted to make an excellent first impression.
Watching the city around her was rather calming. Fillydelfia was so busy and crowded that she hardly had a moment of peace, even inside her home. Here, outside a public train station, Ruby could hear the birds chirping, the casual chatter of a few ponies and, most notably, her own thoughts. She liked it.
====<<<
"Ruby?” A familiar voice roused Ruby from the dream she was having about... She wasn't sure. “Ruby. Oh, she's asleep. Should we leave her be?"
Ruby sat up, stretching and yawning while she blinked her eyes until they were clear. She looked up at a green unicorn mare with a black mane looking at her. Realizing just what she had done, Ruby jumped to her feet and threw on her saddlebags.
"Hi Midnight, how are you? I fell asleep- I mean, you probably noticed that. It was just so quiet here, I couldn't help-"
"Ruby, it's quite alright." Her older cousin, Emerald Midnight, couldn't help but smile at the embarrassed unicorn. "I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Storm Cloud." She looked to her friend, adding, "This is my cousin, Ruby Moon."
Ruby, now coherent enough to hide her embarrassment, finally looked at her company. Storm Cloud was a dark gray pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane. On his head was a purple cap with a blue lightning bolt, and the word 'Shadowbolts' stitched on across.
The Stallion noticed her staring at his cap. Quite happy with himself, he said, "I'm the captain of the Shadowbolts. We're pretty new, so you might not have heard of them in Fillydelfia. Right now we've only recruited from Canterlot, but once we've got some basic routines down we're going to have an exhibition in Cloudsdale. We should get some excellent members there to fill the team."
Ruby smiled back, noting how much pride was in his voice. Looking back at Midnight, she also noted that Midnight was still smiling at Storm.
"So, Midnight, can we head home? I'd love to catch up, but first I want to get off my hooves."
The green pony coughed, realizing she had been caught staring, then nodded. Her horn started to glow, but ceased when all of Ruby's bags were enveloped by a bright red glow.
"Don't worry about me. I've plenty energy to carry my own bags."
Storm Cloud frowned. "Are you certain? It would be no problem."
She smiled at him, but shook her head. He shrugged in return, and with that Midnight led them home.
====<<<
"Ruby, you didn't sleep on the train at all, did you?"
Ruby blinked her eyes awake, and lifted her head from her desk.
"What? No, I decided to study."
Midnight chuckled at her young relative.
"And that is why you're applying to Celestia's school. Well, get ready to go. I want to give you a tour of Canterlot before we turn in your application." Midnight left her to get ready, humming a cheery tune.
Since it had been morning when she had arrived and Midnight worked at night, Ruby was left to unpack and settle herself in while Midnight slept through the day. Storm had left just before they reached home, and was on the same schedule as Midnight. The city never slept, as they said, when both Princesses were present. After she had pulled out the basics (her books, quills, ink, and paper), Ruby had set out to write to her sisters, Ruby Sunset and Ruby Sunrise, who were in Ponyville and Fillydelfia respectively. However, as Ruby realized while cleaning her face, she had fallen asleep while writing Sunset's letter. Maybe studying for sixteen hours hadn't been such a smart idea.
"What am I thinking, of course it was," she said to nopony but herself.
Once clean, Ruby Moon hurried out to Midnight, who waited with her cloak on.
"Should I wear something?" Ruby asked.
Midnight shook her head, confused. "Oh, this? This is what I wear to work. Let us be off, then."
The pair left the home they now shared together, and began trotting the magical streets of the capital of Equestria. Ruby had been here before, but she never had enough time to explore the city. She still didn't, tonight at least, but this was still more than she had seen before.
The first stop was a restaurant. They were both in need of some 'breakfast' and enjoyed some salad sandwiches. Once they were done they began walking toward the school, Midnight pointing out what the various buildings were along the way. When they came across the Canterlot Theatre, Ruby smiled with a squee.
"I remember coming here. Didn't we see that performance on Hearth's Warming Eve?"
"Yes, Moon, we did. Sunset was so happy."
Ruby Moon nodded, then frowned. "Why didn't Sunset come work here, then?"
Midnight shook her head. "I guess you didn't hear from her? They didn't have any open spots. That's why she went to Ponyville. She learned that they only had a small stage, and wanted to change that."
"Oh. So she's building a bigger stage?"
"Yes, and it is going along well. We'll go visit when she's done."
As they passed the theatre, Ruby noticed another Shadowbolts poster.
"So, Storm Cloud is captain of the Shadowbolts?"
Midnight smiled as she looked at the poster. "Yes, and as a member of Luna's staff, I work with the Shadowbolts from time to time."
"How long have you known him?"
"Since Luna formed the Shadowbolts, actually. He was actually the one civilian candidate that was recommended by Shining Armor."
"Shining Armor? The Captain of the Royal Guard? But why did he have any say? Isn't he a Unicorn?"
"Moon, since he's the captain, he knows all his men, even the Pegasi. And both the Wonderbolts and the Shadowbolts are partially made up of Guardsponies. Naturally, he gets to recommend his best ponies. In Storm's case, Shining Armor happened to recommend a weather pony along with a few of his knights."
The pair continued on, Midnight telling Ruby what this building or that building was. It was barely another ten minutes before they reached the school. Midnight led Ruby to the staff office, where they saw several ponies working over various bits of paper. One raised her head and looked at the new faces.
“Yes? How may I help you?” Her tone was very rich. Possibly spoiled.
Midnight smiled as she levitated a letter up to the unicorn. “Here is the acceptance letter for my cousin, Ruby Moon. We were wondering if we could schedule a entry exam.”
As the unicorn opened the letter, Midnight spotted a clock on the wall. With a gasp, she started for the door, stopping for just a moment.
“Moon, I running a little late. Feel free to stop by the palace at any time. Just mention my name and they will let you in. Bye!”
Ruby watched her go, idly thinking about the path back to her new home. Her idleness was interrupted by another gasp, this time behind her. She turned to see the unicorn at the desk staring at the opened letter. She recovered somewhat before addressing Ruby.
“Ah, yes, we can set up an appointment right away. Let's see... I think tomorrow about an hour after sunset will do. Is there anything else I can help you with, miss Moon?”
“No, but thank you very much.” Ruby smiled and nodded. As Ruby left, she noticed that the office was more frantic than previous. She didn't think a entry exam would be this much of a hassle. She cringed slightly as she walked out the door. Maybe it was a massive test? Deep down inside her stomach, Ruby began to feel nervous.
By the time she reached home, she was sick with anticipation. She had been confident about passing the entry exam when she knew she would be moving to Canterlot. After the extensive study session on the train, she had thought nothing would be a challenge. Now, however, Ruby could not suppress the fraying of her nerves. In an effort to calm herself, she dived into her books, studying everything she had one more time. Then twice. After the third time, Ruby had calmed enough to have the presence of mind to glance at the clock.
“Four in the morning. I haven't studied this late since...” She smiled at the silliness of her own comment. She studied like this for every test she ever had. Before she could open one of her books again, thought crossed her mind.
Ruby cleaned up her books and notes, throwing everything into order in, on, and around the desk in her room. Satisfied, she left the house and started trotting to the palace. Of course, that did mean she trotted to the nearest shop and asked for directions, but in due time Ruby was reaching the gates of the palace with plenty of time to spare before sunrise.
Just like Midnight had said, all Ruby had to do was mention her cousin's name and she was granted entry, directions, and offer of an escort which she declined. She walked through the palace, absorbing all she could of the fantastic display of architecture. She admired the beautiful park from a overlooking balcony. She studied, if for a moment, grand tapestries that were taller than her house, in a chamber that would fit her house. She was barely able to contain her curiosity as she followed the directions to the staff entrance to the Hall of the Night Court. As she approached a intersection within the confines of the inner palace, built with a slight interest in function, she saw two brightly armored guards cross along another corridor. As she reached the intersection, she glanced after them, realizing they were heading where she was. Before she could continue to follow them, a pleasant but strong voice greeted her.
“Oh, what do we have here? Who are you, my little pony?”
Ruby Moon turned around to find herself face to face with her royal majesty, Princess Celestia.
Between the surprise of meeting a princess (which the intellectual Ruby pointed out should have been expected, being that they are in the Palace), her natural instinct to bow, and the realization that the Princess asked her for her name, all Ruby could really do was keep her mouth closed as she stared.
The Princess, ever kind to her subjects, giggled to fill the awkward silence. The sound at least reminded Ruby that she had been asked a question, and she quickly stuttered out her name.
“R-Ruby Moon. I'm Ruby Moon.” Having successfully answered the question, Ruby now remembered her need to bow, and did so.
Princess Celestia smiled sweetly at the young unicorn before her. With a gentle hoof, the alicorn raised her from her bow.
“What brings you to the palace, Ruby Moon? Can I help you with anything?”
Still arguing with her inner self over the likelihood of encountering a Princess within the palace, Ruby answered the question plainly and honestly. “My cousin, Emerald Midnight, is among Princess Luna's staff. She suggested I visit her this night.”
“Oh, isn't that sweet. Why don't you follow me, I'm heading to the Night Court at this very moment.”
Before Ruby could say anything, the majestic princess walked past her down the corridor. She followed behind, unsure of exactly what she should do in this situation. There wasn't a chance for any silence, however, as the Princess asked another question.
“Is there something special about this night, Ruby Moon?”
Ruby didn't quite understand at first. “No, not that I know of- Oh. Ah, yes, she invited me because this is my first day in Canterlot. Well, now it's actually my second day. But I've been here before, now I actually live here, so this is my first day living here.” Realizing that she was rambling, Ruby stopped talking suddenly enough for the Princess to giggle.
“Well, I hope you enjoy Canterlot. Here we are.” The pair reached a set of double doors, small for the palace (which meant Princess Celestia could walk through them with her wings wide open). The two guards Ruby had seen earlier were posted on either side of the doors, next to a similar but overall dark pair of guard ponies. Both pairs glanced at Ruby, then returned their eyes to staring off into the distance. Ruby resisted her urge to turn and run from this embarrassing situation, and merely pawed her hoof on the ground. The Princesses horn glowed yellow with her magic, and the doors shared the glow as they opened. The Princess began to walk inside and, not knowing what else to do, Ruby followed.
The room was exactly what Ruby would have expected from the Lady of the Moon. A veritable throne room with dark tapestries of every constellation along the high walls, a pedestal for speakers to address her, and a dark throne of ebony where the Night Princess herself sat. The door through which the pair had entered was directly to the ebony throne's left, and the Princess was not watching them enter. Rather, she was conversing with a pony at the pedestal. Around the throne were several ponies, most wearing cloaks like the one Midnight was wearing. Actually, Ruby realized, one of those ponies was Midnight herself, and Ruby started toward her for just a moment. She hesitated when she almost passed the Sun Princess, and instead remained by her side, unsure of how to escape without doing anything wrong.
Princess Celestia, with Ruby in tow, casually walked forward until she reached the edge of the ponies around Princess Luna. She remained there, quietly watching, with a smirk on her face. Ruby was confused at first, but then, as she looked at the other princess and saw a similar smirk forming, suspected a mild prank was forming.
After a few more seconds the nearest pony to Celestia glanced at the newly arrived pair, reverted to watching the discussion, then did a double take. She turned and bowed. All around her, the cloaked ponies turned and bowed, raising up after a moment. The first one said something to the Princess, but Ruby did not quite catch it as she was focused on the rather audible gasp coming from her cousin. Midnight approached her, nodding her head to Princess Celestia at every step.
“Moon-” Midnight started, but she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say. After glancing between Ruby and the Princess several times, she finally asked, “Did you get a appointment for the school?”
Ruby nodded yes, but before she could announce the time that same pleasant but strong voice was talking again, and she knew that she was addressing her.
“Are you applying to My School?”
Ruby timidly turned her head to the Princess and nodded, a little slower this time.
“Then I hope to see you during class. I suspect you are quite the studious unicorn.”
Another voice, quite strong at first, but settling down as she continued speaking, added a question.
“Ah, sister, tis that time already. Well, we have a guest. Might I guess that this is the cousin you mentioned, Emerald Midnight?”
“Yes, Luna, this is Ruby Moon.” Midnight nodded to Ruby. “Moon, this is Princess Luna.”
“Nice to meet you, Princess.” Ruby gave her something of a half bow, half curtsey.
“I would ask that you call me Luna, Ruby Moon.” Luna had a confident smile on her face, as though she asked this many times.
“Nice to meet you... Luna.” Ruby decided it would take while to get used to calling her that.
“We- that is, myself and Emerald Midnight, look forward to your entry exam as well, Ruby Moon. What time did they set for thy appointment?”
Ruby smiled meekly, “They said one hour after sunset tomorrow- I mean tonight.”
Luna nodded to Midnight. “Very well. After sunset tomorrow, I shall meet you at my sister's school.”
Ruby frowned. “I'm sorry, did you say you are going to meet Midnight at the school? Um, Princess?”
“Please, Luna. Yes, I will be sitting in on your exam. I am looking forward to seeing your capabilities, Ruby Moon. My pardons, but I must be going, we are almost late for the rising of the sun and setting of the moon.”
The Princesses walked away, Midnight tried to apologize with a smile, and Ruby remained frozen, unable to hold her mouth close this time.
“You mean to say... Princess Luna is going to watch my exam?”
Midnight had trouble making eye contact with her younger cousin.
“Not exactly. More like... She's going to be a guest judge.”
It was all Ruby could do not to faint.
Chapter 2: Tests for Gifted Unicorns
Chapter Two: Tests for Gifted Unicorns
Chapter 2.
Ruby Moon was breathing hard while she furiously looked through every applicable book in Midnight's house, which amounted to her own books plus four. Midnight had tried to console her younger cousin, but Ruby was far too distracted by her test preparations. Doing what she could, Midnight prepared a meal for the pair. She prepared banana bread and a fruit yogurt mix, with extra bananas on the side. She had heard that eating the fruit was good for the mind and wanted to help her intellectual cousin in every way.
When Ruby felt the tap on her shoulder, she looked up from her book, Varieties of Magic, and saw her cousin looking on with concern. “Isn't it good to stop studying every now and then?
Ruby nodded, “I suppose now is a good time for a break.”
Midnight led Ruby to the dining room, which was on the first floor, with the kitchen. The pair sat and began to eat the rather delicious meal.
“This is really good. Can you teach me how to make the bread sometime? It would be a great snack while I'm reading.” She took another bite of the bread, which was very nearly gone.
“I suppose, but I can't just show you all my secrets. A good chef has to keep a few things to herself.” Midnight nibbled on a slice of her own, content to watch her young relative. “How is your studying going?”
Ruby shrugged and her head drooped slightly. “I wish I had my collection. I could only bring so many books along, so I picked the most advanced ones I had, the kind I thought this school would use... but I don't know. I mean, Princess Luna herself is going to judge me? How can I prepare for that?”
Midnight pushed some yogurt over to the young mare. “Don't worry so much. Just go in there and be your normal self. You know, the one that earned her cutie mark in magic class.”
Ruby pouted and glared at the same time, getting a laugh out of Midnight in the process. “Why is the Princess going to be there, anyway? I don't mean to question her, but this isn't normal; I've read about the entry process. Not even Princess Celestia judges applicants. She gives a final interview after they've been approved.”
Midnight shrugged slowly and looked away before she responded. “Maybe she wants to see what kind of talents ponies have nowadays. I know she's about to start teaching classes; maybe she wants to get a feel for the new students.”
Ruby sat her chin on the table while she thought about what Midnight said. She stood up, sighed, and said, “That makes sense, I guess. Thanks for the meal, Midnight. I'm going to study for a little longer.”
Midnight stood up and started to clean up. “Don't stay up too late. Remember, we need to be at the school by sunset.”
====<<<
A short hour later, Ruby set down the finished book. She had read it several times, just like the others, but studying helped her clear her head and think. Tonight might just be the most important day of her life thus far, but she knew Midnight was right. If she stayed calm and acted normal, she would be fine. After all, she had studied with many expert magic users at her sister's theatre in Fillydelphia, often giving them pointers. Not to mention a certain show mare.
Thinking of her sister, she looked back at her letters. Well, she would after moving the books that were hiding them. Her horn flared as she moved all of her books to the floor or shelf, in alphanumeric order, allowing her to look at her letters. She had started writing to her sisters, but she hadn't finished and there were others she needed to write. Her brother, Ruby Sparks wanted to keep in touch until he could move to Ponyville after the school year ended. Her parents had told her not to worry about them, but encouraged her to write at least once to her other relatives in the area, which mainly included several cousins in Ponyville. Sapphire Sky, Diamond Mint, Amethyst Star, Diamond Tiara... Maybe not Diamond Tiara. She could be such a brat.
There were also her friends. She treasured the few she had, and wanted to keep in touch. Meadowsweet had been so worried about Ruby going off on her own to some big school with mean bullies. Not that Meadowsweet could protect Ruby from bullies; that was Honey Fields. She had always stood up for Meadow and Ruby when they were in trouble. Trixie had been the most encouraging, but had said that mail was going to be a difficult task. She wasn't even sure where to have Ruby send the letters.
Ruby pushed the papers back to their spot on the desk. She would write them all tomorrow night after she received the results of her exam. Ruby felt it would be silly to write them all explaining that she didn't even know whether she would make it or not. She left the desk and climbed into bed. While she did, her horn glowed, setting the alarm clock and closing the thick sage curtains, blocking out the bright sun. Sleeping during the day would have normally been difficult at first, but her train lag happened to be perfect in this case. With several hours to sleep, she closed her eyes and hoped for quiet dreams.
====<<<
“Ruby, hurry up. We have to go,” Midnight said, her voice echoing from the hallway.
Ruby's horn was shining bright, as she was brushing her mane, braiding her tail, reading a floating book, eating some buttered toast, and all around panicking. She had woken up early to study, but had fallen back to sleep at her desk. When Midnight had come up with breakfast, Ruby realized she had just a few minutes before she needed to leave, and had proceeded to start levitating half of her room.
“Just one,” Ruby took a bite, “More page.”
A short minute later and the pair trot out the door, Ruby still braiding her mane.
They took a much more direct route to the school this night, and Ruby realized they were quite close. As the majestic statue of Celestia came into sight, the moon started to rise. Ruby wondered how long it would take the Princess to arrive. She could fly, after all.
Making there way once again to the staff office, Midnight inquired as to where the interview would take place. The same mare from the day before stood up and lead them down a hall. She was a yellow pony with a light purple mane, and three diamonds for a cutie mark. The trio soon reached a hall with many doors on either side. The yellow mare opened the first one on the left and led the pair in.
“Please wait here. The applicant may wait near the podium, your guardian may wait wherever she likes, as long as she gives the applicant plenty of space. We will be begin shortly.”
Ruby Moon looked around at the room, wondering if she would leave it with a smile... or not. It was a small classroom, with seats for twenty students arrayed in a half circle around a wide chalk board and a desk. Nothing she wasn't used to. She went to the first row and sat down, staring at the chalk board.
“How are you doing, Ruby?” Midnight wandered up to the desk, looking at the quills and papers that sat neatly on top. When Ruby didn't answer, she walked over and sat beside her.
Ruby finally said, “It will be fine. I know it will. You know, just like the time I fixed your telescope.”
Midnight's eyes went wide for just a moment, but Ruby wasn't looking and didn't notice. Midnight remembered a filly Ruby tinkering with her telescope. While the little magician had improved the magnification slightly, Midnight had had to replace the telescope because the lens' had eventually burned out from the magic. Midnight had never told Ruby, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She didn't dare correct her now.
The two waited in silence for several minutes. Ruby began to mumble equations and rules of magic, and Midnight was about to check on the staff when the door opened. Four unicorns walked in, followed by Princess Luna. Before the doors closed, Midnight spotted her dark guards ponies outside. She nodded to the Princess and smiled at Ruby before sitting off to the side.
Three of the professors moved to the back row and sat, waiting to be her audience. The professor who had led her here nodded to the impromptu stage before moving to sit next to his colleagues.
Luna smiled at Ruby, then nodded to the young pony. Ruby smiled back, encouraged. The Princess moved back with the professors, but sat further down the row. Ruby walked toward the front of the classroom with her head held high. At least until she stumbled on the lip as the floor depressed. Her confident appearance shattered, she quickly rushed to the spotlight position, nervously glancing between her judges and the much friendlier looking floor.
"Ruby Moon," Ruby jumped, startled at the professors voice. "Assuming you are ready, we would now begin your official entry exam.”
Ruby nodded, then said, “I am ready.” Her voice was soft, but was more calm than before, if only just.
“Very well. First, I would like to thank our Princess Luna for joining us in this particular session.” The stallion stood and bowed to the princess. The rest of the ponies in the room joined him.
The Princess stood as well, bowing her head. "Please, as you were. Let us begin the exam. We are curious to see how this young pony performs." Princess Luna's regal voice was gentle and soothing but Midnight saw that it did nothing to calm Ruby Moon's nerves.
"Thank you very much, Princess. Now, we have reviewed your previous classes at Chestnut Hill, but we must of course test your personal expertise. We shall begin with general magic theory...”
Emerald Midnight quickly lost any semblance of understanding the nature of this exam. She had not went to a magical college, nor was she personally a proficient user of the art. The questions they asked her cousin were far beyond her basic understanding of unicorn magic. However, Midnight was quite jubilant because Ruby's confidence had skyrocketed the moment that professor had said theory. She was rattling off answers nearly as fast as the professors could ask them.
After what Midnight believed was at least a hundred questions, the professors began the practical portion. Midnight recognized a few of the spells; one she had seen the Princess do herself. Ruby wasn't quite as stellar here as in theory, but the only spell she seemed to struggle at was teleportation. Of the couple dozen spells they asked her to cast, she succeeded at every single one.
“Thank you very much Ruby Moon. We are finished with our exam.” He looked over to the Princess and waited.
“Please, professors, would you be so kind as to excuse us? I would like to quiz the young mare in private.”
The blue stallion nodded and stood, as did the other professors. “As you wish, Princess. We will review the results. They will be ready by Tomorrow.”
Princess Luna's eyes narrowed for a mere moment, but she quickly covered it with a smile and a bow of her head. The quartet of professors left the room, and the guards closed the doors behind them.
Midnight had started following them, but stopped when the doors were closed on her.
“You may stay, Emerald Midnight.”
Midnight was confused. “Yes, Luna,” was all she said while she went back to her seat.
The Princess stared at Ruby and the young mare meekly looked back at her. Standing tall, Luna walked down to be beside Ruby, and circled her.
“You are very knowledgeable, Ruby Moon. I am impressed with how you showed those four up.” Luna continued inspecting Ruby.
“Thank you, princess.” Ruby followed Luna with her eyes, only turning her head enough to do so.
“Oh, no need to stand on ceremony any more. When there are no uptight officials around I want you to call me Luna. Give that a try.” The winged unicorn paused her inspection to be face to face with the mare.
Ruby stared into Luna's eyes. “Luna.” Luna smiled, and Ruby felt like a filly looking at her mother.
“I believe you read often in your spare time?” Luna took a step back to see all of the dark purple mare before her.
“I suppose my cutie mark gives that away?” Ruby froze after saying that. Could she really say that to a princess?
Luna laughed, and it was so casual that Ruby couldn't help but laugh with her. Ruby guessed that she could.
“There is that, but your impressive display indicates that you must have spent a considerable time in a library. Yet you are a little more fit than most librarians I know.”
“Oh, me? I'm nothing special. I have a pair of friends that always want to be outside. We decided long ago that I can read and walk while they guide me.”
“Do you have many friends?”
Ruby shook her head. “No, but the few I have are very close.”
“That is good. I look forward to meeting them someday. Do any of your friends share your talent for magic?”
Ruby smiled, “Yes, one. Though are specific talents are different.”
“What exactly is your talent, if I may ask?”
From the way Luna leaned in and turned her head slightly to the side, Ruby suspected that this question meant a lot to the princess.
“My talent is, basically, understanding magic. I can see everything within a spell, from it's physical effects to the unique concentration of energy necessary to conjure it.”
Luna's eyes narrowed slightly. “That sounds like quite the talent. Your powers must be far beyond what you showed today.”
Ruby shook her head, embarrassed. “Oh, no. Knowing the magic and using it are not quite the same. You see, the same ability to see the magic sort of limits my ability to control my own – at least as powerfully as other unicorns. A friend has been teaching me, and I have improved a lot, but I'm nowhere near as strong as she is.”
Luna turned her head, quizzically. “Teaching you? Who is your friend, if I might ask?”
“Trixie Lulamoon. My sister met her at work and introduced us.”
The princess nodded, “I see. Perhaps she and I should have a discussion about your abilities?”
“I suppose. She might be a better pupil than me. I mean her talent is magic, too,” Ruby shifted, wondering if she was shifting her chances toward Trixie.
Luna smiled at the unlikelihood of such a coincidence. “Magic? I shall have to meet her the next time you see her. As for you, I would like you to demonstrate your talent for me, if possible.”
“You want me to read a spell?”
Stepping back and giving the young unicorn some space, Luna nodded.
“To demonstrate properly, you'll have to cast something I haven't seen before.”
The princess raised an eyebrow. “Any spell, so long as you haven't seen it?” A nod in response led her to look up thoughtfully. “I have just the spell.” Her horn glowed for a moment, and a similar glow appeared in the empty space between the pair. Midnight noticed Ruby switching to her study face, and she stifled a giggle when she realized that Luna held a similar face. Then an incredibly ornate lamp, made of silver, encrusted with precious gems and emanating a strong purple light appeared between the pair.
The object now summoned, Luna switched to levitation magic, catching the lamp by the handle and letting it swing somewhat as she set it on the ground. Then she waited.
Ruby realized that her cue was now, and began her work. The spell was both simple and complicated. Lucky for her, the complexity was mostly on the detail the caster desired to place within the object. On the other hoof, the basic spell required a bit of power, as she was essentially summoning a non-existent object.
The bright red glow of Ruby's magic surrounded her horn and occupied the same space Luna's had a moment before. The magic swirled for several moments longer than Luna's had, but just as suddenly another lamp appeared, albeit smaller, made of wood, utterly plain, and a faint red glow. Lacking in a handle, Ruby carried the whole lamp to the ground beside Luna's. With a minor frown, she looked up at her princess. She had planned on saying something, but the bright smile on Luna's face had left her rather speechless.
Excited, the princess quickly said, “I must see this once more. However, this next spell has a caster target bias. You will need to perform that part in reverse order to correctly cast the spell. Do you understand?”
Ruby nodded, and Luna's horn began to light up. However, the spell was very simple and had been cast with little effort. A trail of magic fled from Luna's horn and floated to Ruby, spiraling in front of her before taking the shape of and materializing into a letter.
Ruby was mildly taken aback, but took a breath as she summoned the magic. The letter reversed it's action, flowing to Luna before forming the letter once again.
“To be fair, I've seen a version of that spell before.”
“I would hope so, but this time, I want you to keep it, then send it back to me in the morning. I do, of course, expect you to read it and give me a reply.”
Ruby watched the spell once again, but this time she took hold of the letter and placed it with care into her saddlebags. Looking back at the princess, she watched as she dismissed her lantern. Ruby followed the example and waited for further instruction. Luna did nothing but watch Ruby fidget under her gaze. After a few minutes, the other pony present did not want any more tension.
“If I may ask, did you come to a decision, Luna?”
“Why yes, I did. Ruby Moon, you have demonstrated a level of magical knowledge well above your piers, and a curious potential. I hereby adopt you as my student, should you accept in return.”
Ruby did her best impression of a painting of a ghost. Luna, much like her sister had previous, giggled quietly at the silly sight. This once again caused Ruby to regain her composure, and she bowed before her princess.
“I-I would be honored. To be your student, I-.” She cleared her throat and stood up. “I accept your invitation to become your student.”
====<<<
“I'll be back in the morning. Good night, Ruby.”
Ruby waved as her cousin left, and walked to her room in a daze. Her wildest dreams had indeed occurred, Luna being impressed enough with her magic to accept her as a student. It was like a living fantasy.
She found herself at her desk, staring at the unfinished letters to her friends and family. She could hardly believe the news she would give them and thought they wouldn't at all. Before she could lift the quill, she remembered that Luna had given her a letter. She pulled it from the bag and sliced it with her feather letter opener. The contents were a single page, adorned by what must have been Luna's personal seal. She broke the seal and unfolded the page.
My student, Ruby Moon,
I have been looking forward to this moment since I learned more of Celestia's own pupil, Twilight Sparkle. I hope that I can teach you as much as I expect to learn. You see, many changes have occurred in my absence and I want to learn them from you as much as I want you to learn from me.
For now, I would like to ask you if you had any goals in mind when applying to my sisters academy. I look forward to seeing your reply.
Your Mentor, Luna
Ruby found the letter quite friendly, wondering if her mentor expressed herself better in written form.
“My mentor.” Ruby had to say it aloud to really believe it.
She looked back at the letter. A goal? Ruby believed that whatever it was, she had surpassed it by circumstance. She struggled to remember what she had written in her application. Teaching, perhaps? She had found her time with Trixie, both teaching and learning, to be incredibly fun. Yes, Ruby would tell her that.
Once finished with all of her post, Ruby snuffed her candle and laid in her bed, attempting to sleep. A great relief had left her rather exhausted, but there was a nagging tension from her pondering thoughts of what being a student of Luna would be like. These thoughts carried her into her dreams.
