Queen Nightmare Moon's Academy of Heroesby VisharoChaptersThe First StepFirst DayOrientationPrologueThe First StepRed Chief had wanted this for as long as he could remember. Many of his family members, the Apple clan, were heroes, one of which even went to the Crystal Empire! He wasn't sure about the Crystal Empire, but if he could just graduate, then everything would be alright! His brother and those other colts wouldn't make fun of his size then! Just need to survive two years. He gulped. Two years isn't long, right? He sat in the caravan that came to Manehatten to pick him up. His mother, Red Delicious, an earth pony, like him, was sitting next to him wearing a nervous smile. She came along to cheer him on, in her own words. The entire journey was awkward and Red partly wanted a monster to jump the caravan so then he wouldn't have to sit still in these uncomfortable seats. He shifted. His mother whacked him lightly. It took a considerable amount of time to finally arrive in Canterlot, the home of the Queen and where he will be learning to become a hero. He could barely keep the grin off his face. He turned around and threw his hooves around his mother and hugged her tightly. "Thank you for getting me here." He whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly. "Hey now, none of that. Yer a big colt now, a stallion, ya make the family proud, ya hear?" His mother pushed him away and looked into his eyes. She smiled with such warmth, he could feel it on his face. No wait, that's him blushing. He spluttered and pushed his mother away and tried to stare defiantly at her. From her amused expression, it wasn't working. "Now git." Red Chief turned around and didn't look back. And then, he took his first step. Right behind him, another caravan rode up. By the time it arrived, the first one was gone, along with Red Delicious. Inside this particular one carried a pegasus from a rival family clan. Deft Stance looked himself in the mirror and made sure everything was neat and orderly. He didn't want to make the wrong impression in front of the teachers. On the outside, he looked calm, collected. He desperately wished that's what he felt on the inside. Everything felt like everything was crumbling around him. Panic was an understatement so he distracted himself with his mane. Yes, that's right. His mane. He focused back on his mane. His inner feelings can wait. "Deft." The pony in question turned around and faced the clan's matriarch, Ready Stance. She was an earth pony who looked well into her 80's, gray mane and wrinkled face, but her pale gray body still looked fit. She had many stories of her time as a Knight, stories like the Battle of the Wyrm or the Massacre of Coltchia. Her stories always fascinated Deft resulting in him enrolling in the academy. "Yes, Matriarch?" He made sure he was respectful. Those who weren't, would immediately get whacked. They wouldn't even see the blow. "Do good." She opened the door and allowed Deft to squeeze past her. He resisted the urge to turn back and took his first step. A few minutes after the Matriarch's caravan left, a pony came trotting out of the darkness wearing a big grin. An earth pony mare wearing a beautiful moonlace flower in her mane. It bloomed underneath the full moon, the only time it could, and made her face radiant. Moonlit Petals, a society outcast, who lived in the dangerous forest between settlements, with her family. Their community isn't large but sustainable and knows all the tricks to staying alive. Her parents weren't all that happy with her decision to enroll, never mind how she did, but accepted her choice. They kissed her and made her promise that she knew that no matter what happened, she always had a home with them. She giggled at the memory of the other ponies when she said she was leaving to go train to be a hero. Many were confused, but most were all for it. New blood they said, whatever that means. Moonlit knew she was going to have a great time at the academy and took her first step. In the bushes a few meters away, a dark unicorn wrapped in shadows was watching. He too was going to the academy and he too had dreams of becoming a hero. He wore a cloak that seemed to be a part of him and made him even more mysterious than he already was. Ominal spat out some herbs and took his first step. Far away from the heavily guarded entrance, and the only one, to Canterlot, there lies another unicorn. Deep within the castle walls, Twilight Sparkle was waiting. Young but experienced, the secret agent was about to undertake her most serious mission yet, if only her Queen could tell her what it was. "Please, Your Majesty, tell me why I'm going to your academy! It makes no sense!" "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful agent, have I not made myself clear?" Queen Nightmare Moon, Supreme Ruler to Equestria and Eternal Night, she oozed power. Her gaze immediately set Twilight in a deep bow. Over the millenia, she had tempered her cold flame to garner respect and even admiration from her subjects. She allowed for the Celestial Light cult to form, allowed for infernal clocks to measure the time of night, and even opened her own Academy to forge heroes to brave the monsters her Eternal Night had wrought. Brave or foolhardy, Nightmare Moon still did not know, yet ponies adored the heroes. "You are to infiltrate my Academy, become a student of Class 749, and report anything suspicious directly to me. Suspicious as in something...different. Do I need to repeat that again?" "No, my Queen! As you say, my Queen!" Twilight continued her bow as she maneuvered her way out of the throne room. Once outside, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her mentor still terrified her even after all these years. Composing herself quickly, Twilight immediately set her destination for the Academy and took her first step. Author's Note AND THUS BEGINS ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!! Phooey, can't believe I'm starting this. I made the Dark Road universe because I had an idea and soon enough, I fell in love with it. Since then I wanted to make a major story in the universe and what better way than creating a school where the new generation learn to become heroes! I hope you enjoyed it and prepare urself for quite a ride! I know I'm not! First Day"Great, another year. More brats running through these halls, as if we needed more." A lonely ghost floated through the halls, unnoticed by all. He used to have a name, a shape, an identity, now everypony knows him as Spook. The Ghost of Canterlot. Not even Queen Nightmare Moon could tell you how he was still alive...well, alive enough. Far below him, at the entrance to the Academy, a huge group of young stallions and mares were waiting. In this group, to the far left, Red Chief, an earth pony, sits on a bench, waiting patiently, or what he thinks is patiently. He was a curious sort, a coat so rust colored he was dragged away by a teacher claiming he needed to wash. His eyes were the same color as emeralds and it annoyed him how many ponies commented on that. Red's mane and tail were surprisingly, red. A normal shade of red, contrasted well with his coat. The cutie mark on his flank bore a silver shield with a red apple in the middle, he got it when he defended a classmate against bullies, and then immediately got assaulted by said bullies. He was also shorter than average. Behind him an earth pony mare was closing in on him. None other than Moonlit Petals. She was bouncing along with a giddy expression, she couldn't believe she was here, here meaning the Academy. It has been her dream to be a hero for forever! Her gran used to tell stories of their ancestor who slew monsters three times the size of a pony. She had a coat of the night sky, dark blue and sparkled. Her mane and tail were a beautiful sheen of purple and her eyes glimmered with a dark shade of pink. Moonlit's cutie mark was a bright flower basked in moonlight. Since she exited the forest, her moonlace disappeared, now replaced with a laurel wreath. Heads turned at the sight of her and she ignored them all, her sight was on somepony else. "Hello! I'm Moonlit Petals, though you can call me Moony!" She giggled as she extended her hoof to the young stallion in front of her. Red stuttered, completely in shock that a mare this pretty would ever come talk to him. "Umm...hi! I'm Red! Red Chief that is. I'm from the Apple Clan...yep." He held his mouth shut and prayed that she didn't take him as a fool. Then again, he conceded, he was a bit of a fool. After calming down, he tentatively he bumped hooves, consciously aware of all the other ponies staring at them. "Nice to meet you, Red!" Moony smiled brightly. "I have a feeling we're going to have so much fun. See you later!" With that, she waved and skipped away. There were a couple of sighs in the crowd after she disappeared into the mass of ponies. In the middle of the pony congregation, a pegasus stallion stood straight with pride. Deft Stance finally made it. He was on Academy grounds and he couldn't feel happier. He was fulfilling his purpose, the Stance Clan's purpose, of being a hero. His head was fixated on the huge doors that was still stubbornly closed and kept him from his destiny, he shouldn't care any less for the ponies around him. That's how he was trained. Deft was tall for his age, allowing him to see above most of the ponies' heads. His coat was a cloudy gray, streaked with other shades of gray, giving him a layered rock kind of look. His wings were fluffy and wide, great for long distances and maneuverability, he was extremely proud of them. His coat and tail were a blueish gray, and if used correctly, he could melt into the darkness, just like his mentor taught him. His eyes were a dark chocolatey brown, lots of mares fell for it, much to his annoyance. Deft's cutie mark depicted a round rock with wings on either side. Then a mare bumped into him and things spilled over the ground. He snapped out of his trancelike state and started helping her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking around!" "Oh, it's nothing. Really, I should be apologizing." She replied, her voice soft and smooth. After the two of them finally picked up everything, did Deft finally realize that she was not a mare. At least, not your typical mare. She was a kirin and a beautiful one at that. Her coat was black and her scales were a tad lighter, her mane and tail fluff were a stunning royal purple. Her eyes were dark blue and seemed to hold much wisdom. "Apologies, again, it seems my race startled you. Yes, I am a Kirin. My name is Midnight Flame and now I must thank you for helping me clean up." 'Oh...oh, it was really nothing! It was my pleasure." Deft chuckled awkwardly while rubbing a forehoof at the back of his neck. Midnight then continued talking about the laws of magic and how Kirins don't abide by such rules. At the very back, two ponies stood out. One of which was checking out the other. Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself as she stared at the cloaked figure a few gallops away. Twilight had her disguise on, her purple coat was now a much lighter shade, more of a lilac. Her mane and tail were changed to pink with a few streaks of purple and light blue. Her eyes also changed, the purple was changed into blue. She even changed her cutie mark and now her flank sported a white four pointed star with a purple star behind that so it looked like it had eight points. Around the star were a bunch of sparkles that formed a circle. Inside of the star, there was a blue heart, almost crystalline. She had never gone through so much effort for a disguise before, but it seemed appropriate. She even changed her name to 'Twilight Twinkle', she decided to keep her first name because it was simply easier. She also kept her race, being anything but a unicorn was simply wrong, in her humble opinion. 'Report anything suspicious directly to me. Suspicious as in something...different.' That's what Queen Nightmare Moon said and from the more Twilight looked, that pony was very different. It, because she couldn't tell what gender, was garbed in a very dark and heavy cloak, rendering it nearly invisible if it were not for the hanging lanterns that lined the street. The only thing visible were its hooves which were a dark blue. Despite its different look, nothing seemed else out of the ordinary unless you count anti-socialism which Twilight didn't because she too wasn't socializing. After a solid ten minutes, she decided to drag her attention elsewhere and wait for the doors to finally open. The pony whom Twilight was spying on knew exactly that he was being watched. Optimal was a unicorn stallion with an aversion to other ponies, specifically those who are dumber than he. He wears his cloak to distance himself from others and also as an added bonus, to keep away the cold. He's more sensitive than others, or at least, that's what he gathered. Optimal's coat was indeed dark blue which complemented well with a lighter blue mane and tail. His eyes were a peculiar shade of purple which entranced his mother when he was born, or so he was told. His cutie mark illustrated his favoritism for dark cloaks as it had an open book with no lettering covered in a dark cloak of a similar design to the one he was wearing right now. Right now he was watching this buff stallion who was flexing for impressed mares. His blatant manner towards mares annoyed Optimal and he decided to keep away from him else he doesn't know if he could hold himself back before anything bad happens. Then the huge doors leading to the Academy opened slowly, making no sound. The huge crowd immediately stopped with their chattering and looked upwards at their principal who was none other than Queen Nightmare Moon herself. The pony in question stared at all of them with disdain, letting no emotion show on her face. Internally she was grinning. Today was going to mark a new batch of students to terrorize and traumatize, it was delicious. "STUDENTS!" She bellowed after a while. She found out that a thundering boom after a strained silence is very effective. Just as predicted, many of them jumped. She made careful note of those who didn't. "TODAY BEGINS YOUR JOURNEY, ONE OF HEROISM AND GLORY! I WILL MAKE YOU YOUR BEST, AND IF YOUR BEST ISN'T ENOUGH, THAN I DEMAND MORE! THE MOMENT YOU STEP INSIDE, YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT AND BELONGS TO ME! THIS CAMPUS WILL BE YOUR HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND UNTIL THEN, SAY FAREWELL TO THE OUTSIDE!" She paused, letting everything get soaked in. From her vantage point, she saw a couple of ponies already crying. Good. "I WILL NOT SPARE ANYTHING NOR SHOULD YOU EXPECT ANY CENSORSHIP. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" "YES!" "THAT IS MA'AM TO YOU!" "YES, MA'AM!" "YOU ARE ALREADY FAILURES, TANTABUS GET YOUR TONGUE?" "YES, MA'AM!" The courtyard was silent. The monarch and her subjects, the crowd and their leader. It was beautiful in a most terrifying manner. Queen Nightmare Moon, Mare in the Moon, The Sandpony, The Pone of Dreams, The Lone Ruler of Equestria, Champion of the Night. This was their principal. Red gulped as he shuffled along with the crowd. After the dark alicorn turned tail and stalked out of there, did the students began trotting. Red had to canter to keep up and to not stumble on the uneven cobblestone roads. He was terrified, he knew that and accepted that, but he was also proud and hopeful. He got into the most coveted school in Equestria and he was going to learn how to be a hero. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Far ahead, Moony was bouncing at the head of the group. Her wavy mane and tail went along with her bounces making it look like waves along the dark sand beaches. Beside her a unicorn in silk clothing trotted along, he was talking and Moony was listening. At least, she was pretending to listen, she wasn't really great at listening, especially with things she didn't really care for. She was grinning too, more of a crazed one than a happy one, at least that's what other ponies tell her, all she knew was that she was happy! A few paces away from her, Deft was trotting with his head held up high. He made sure every step he took was proper and within measure. This was how he was taught and he was not going to stray anytime soon. His face was cool and collected, but inside he was having a party. Despite the Matriarch saying such celebrations were a waste for the young spirit, Deft couldn't help but think of his own personal party. He was thinking this even when the passed through many doors, a teacher up front giving the tour. In the back, Twilight was having trouble keeping track of the mysterious pony. They had disappeared during the speech and being a sucker for great speeches, Twilight had no choice but to listen in awe at her mentor. Despite being a principal for many years, 700 plus to be exact, Twilight still found it weird for the bloodthirsty, warm and open-minded, carefree Monarch to be part of the school program. After another look around, Twilight unfortunately lost the mysterious pony and it made Twilight even more angrier than usual, nearly even bucking a chair, but that would have caused a scene. Halfway through the crown, Optimal slipped away from the weird unicorn who kept staring at him, and snuck through the many ponies during the speech. He felt eyes upon him, yet he kept on going, just like he was doing now. The thought of taking the hero program had him smiling a small smile and thinking lighter thoughts. His dark cloak floated above the floor of the dorm areas. The guide had brought them through the entire campus in just an hour, give or take, showing them everything they would ever need, but none of the wants. The cafeteria's location was never revealed, nor was the pool. Queen Nightmare Moon has the guides take out certain rooms in the tour to give a challenge to the newcomers while she watches from afar. Red knew of this because he has an aunt who works at the campus, her stories of training were never descriptive but still made fascinating stories and only grew Red's desire to become a hero. "Now, everypony. This are Class 749 dorms. After I'm dong talking, a number will materialize before you, stating your room. That will be your room for the rest of your time here, there will be no 'take backs' or 'trading'. In every room, there will be two ponies, your dorm mate. The Queen does not tolerate dating, so getting intimate is not advised." The guide then continued with the various rules. Moony wasn't particularly interested in them, she was more fascinated with his peculiar vest. It was a light gray and looked really thin, at the very front of the vest was an orange butterfly and what had Moony's attention was whether or not the butterfly was real. Its wings would sometimes flutter but Moony wasn't sure if it was the butterfly or because the guide was shifting in place. He had a terrible habit of shifting while talking. "…and that is all. Now, do not be afraid. I will leave you now, do not follow me." The guide stopped talking and trotted away, leaving the students in a confused manner. Then the gasps started. Deft curiously looked at his number, it glowed bright red with a faint orange halo. He had no idea why he paid attention to such colors but it was like the Matriarch liked to say 'be aware, colt. It might save your life one day.' He picked his way through the crowd and made his way to his dorm, Room 041. He glanced to the left and right and was left confused. To the right, it was Room 801, and the left it was Room 001. He shrugged and stepped forward, as if sensing him, the door opened up, allowing him inside. Twilight was given the number 005. She made one last glance to see if she could find that cloaked pony but was ultimately disappointed. Suddenly self-conscious about how weird she must have looked when she was glancing around with her neck craned weirdly, Twilight ducked down and made her way to her dorm. She didn't step inside just yet and looked behind her, from what she could see, the guide was right. Everypony was getting a partner, yet Twilight didn't get one. She shrugged, deciding that it wasn't all that important. She took a step and the door opened, allowing her access to her home for the next two years. Optimal was given 321. He peered curiously at the illusion and even batted at it. His hoof just passed through it, leaving the numbers unmarred. He heaved a sigh, prepared himself mentally and found his dorm. On the way there, he nearly bumped into this huge mare and it made him pause. What kind of parents gave birth to his giant? He shook his head, don't dwell on such thoughts, it's nothing but trouble. It wasn't before long till he found his dorm and was surprised to see a rust colored earth pony waiting. "Hi, I'm Red Chief! Looks like we're dorm mates." He chuckled awkwardly. "That's a cool cloak, like, really cool. What's it made of?" "Wool. My family has a farm." Optimal answered tersely, on guard about this whole situation. "Huh, mine too! I'm an Apple, we have apples. Apple farm. We sell them. Yeeaaaah, I'm gonna stop talking now." Red shut up and turned red slightly. The two of them stared at each other before Red finally moved close enough for the door to open allowing him access. Optimal followed closely behind. Deft barely took a step inside before he was bowled over by a heavy weight. He was so surprised that his instincts failed him and he floundered on the floor, wondering why he wasn't dead. "Oh, hi! Didn't see you there, I'm Moonlit Petals, though you can call me Moony!" The earth pony extended a hoof and Deft accepted it with hurt pride. He will NEVER tell the Matriarch about this, he would not be able to survive the eternal shame. "What's your name?" "Deft Stance." He wasn't sure what else to say. "Oooh, I've heard of your clan. Your ancestors almost destroyed my village once, my gran hates you guys." She smiled sweetly before bounding into the room. Deft stared after her with absolute horror. Author's Note The common saying is 'Show, don't Tell' but what happens when I Show through Telling, what then? Just another writing style I'm experimenting with, who knows how it'll go. Kudos to Forcalor and John Doe, I hope this chapter was up to your expectations! OrientationThe ponies of Class 794 awoke to an unholy noise in the form of bells. Loud brass bells being banged at a constant rate. Red Chief groaned and rolled out of bed. Literally. There was a muffled thud and then a yelp. Optimal got up without making a single noise, his cloak still on, and it didn't even look wrinkled. Moonlit Petals jumped out of bed with a large grin, the blankets floated down back on her bed. Def Stance snapped upwards, his eyes bloodshot and a hoof already in a salute. Twilight 'Twinkle' was up way before the bells started ringing, reading a book. "GET UP YA MAGGOTS!" Every door shook as a loud gruff voice stalked the halls. "IT'S TIME FOR ORIENTATION! QUEEN NIGHTMARE MOON DOES NOT CARE FOR SLACKERS!" It didn't take long before everypony was out of their beds, dressed, combed, showered, and preened. The dormmates stood shoulder to shoulder in front of their respective doors. Each student wore the school uniform, showing their status as a first year. They wore green jackets with several pockets, it was sturdy and weathered. Second years wore blue ones, brighter and more well kept. "Right. Now that you hauled your puny butts out here, it's time to get acquainted. My name is Major Guard, do well to remember that. My face will the first thing you see every morning and it will be the last thing you see every night. YOU GOT THAT?" "YESSIR." Came the resounding response. High above, hiding within the ceiling, the Spook glided amongst the rocks and pipes, giggling to himself. He enjoyed first days as much as he hated them. The first day was where the first years squirmed in place, but it was also where the first years started to get lost and cry. It has its pros and cons. "GOOD! Now, let's git. Queen Nightmare Moon is waiting for us." And with that, Major Guard trotted off, prompting the rest of the class to scramble after him. Red was stuck in the middle of the group and it was unpleasant to say the least. But from his position, he could still see the Major. He was a giant, a towering gray-blue stallion of pure muscle. Even his silver mane and tail seemed intimidating. He also seemed to walk with a bit of a swagger, like he was enjoying himself. Red wouldn't put it past him, but he wasn't his attention at the moment. His focus was on the hallway and where they were headed. Since Red was new and since he wanted to succeed, knowing how to get around was crucial. Sooner or later he would need to explore and chart the pathways. As he looked on, the group passed several tunnels that went to libraries, ballrooms, sparring rooms, swimming pools, recreational rooms which was empty, many classrooms, and even a snake pit. That last one made Red shiver a little. He's never liked snakes. His observations were interrupted by a somewhat loud voice. A beautiful mare, but certainly not his type, was talking with another mare. "So what did you think of you dormmate? Mine's terrible, he drools in his sleep." The comments made him think of his own dormmate, Optimal. What a curious name for a pony and his whole mysterious vibe, it would drive him mad if he was a curious pony, thank goodness he wasn't. Despite that, he still was curious. Why did he sleep with his cloak on, why does he barely talk, what was he doing in the middle of the night? That last one was valid because when Red got up to go to the bathroom, Optimal was sitting up and staring into nothing. Red didn't dare to do anything to him. In fact, the only reason he knew his name was because of roll call earlier from Major Guard. "We've made it." The Major announced and Red looked up from his musings. He cursed once he realized he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Now he has no idea how to get back! While Red Chief was muttering to himself and cursing his inability, Moonlit Petals was hopping around near the front of the group, making remarks on every little detail. The ponies around her weren't all that amused. Her attention flicked from an empty bowling alley much to her disappointment to a grand and packed training hall to a transdimensional portal that went who knows where. Each sight filled her with such excitedness, it was a miracle she wasn't bouncing. Oh wait...she was. "Yo, crazy mare! Could you keep it down? I'm trying to hear what the Major is trying to say." Moony paused with her antics and turned around to look at the speaker. The stallion was of huge shoulders and stocky build, he had a cocky grin and self-assured stance. But behind his eyes, Moony knew, he had no idea what he was doing and was a little frightened. "Oop, sorry. Just excited." She giggled, but this time toned it down a bit. "Oh...yeah." The stallion dropped some of his facade and rubbed a hoof behind his head. "Me too." He confessed with a little smile. "I'm Heartshot from the Shot clan." "Nice to meet you, I'm Moonlight Petals, but everypony calls me Moony!" The two bumped hooves with varying degrees of enthusiasm. "So, what do you think of the school so far? I'll admit..." Heartshot looked around a little before leaning in a bit. "I'm a bit scared. I've never done something like this." "Aw, don't worry. None of us has either, it will be a new experience for all of us!" Moony smiled encouragingly. "Heh, thanks. That's nice to hear." "We've made it." Came the Major's announcement, sending the students into slight shock. Their destination turned out to be a pair of heavy doors which opened without a sound. Behind the doors was a large room shaped like an amphitheater. Major Guard then told the students to file in and take a seat. Moony took off and bounced around looking for the most optimal seating. It didn't take long before she found one that just felt...right. She plopped down, satisfied with her choice. She was then pleasantly surprised to see Heartshot sit down next to her. "Hey, I hope you don't mind me sitting here." He asked with a sheepish grin. Guess all that bravado disappeared. Moony merely smiled and nodded. "Thanks." On the other side of the room, sitting near the wall, was a frustrated Deft Stance. His night was absolutely terrible due to sleeping in an unknown bed and not to mention, his dormmate was an absolute nuisance! That Moonlit or whatever she calls herself bounced around the room checking everything for a near 30 minutes. Then she kept on asking pointless questions for another half an hour. Deft was worn and tired. He followed the Major diligently, ignoring his fatigue. He paid attention to where he was and who he was with, keeping his eyes open. He sat down and waited patiently, pinching himself occasionally. He was better than this, Nightmare dammit. His Matriarch did this one night too and he passed the test with flying colors, why he even went a full three days without sleep, why was he having a hard time with this! Through his grumblings, he nearly missed the first half of the speech. He also definitely did not notice the random stallion who sat next to him. "Welcome to Queen Nightmare Moon's Academy of Heroes or QNMAH for short." The speaker was a new pony, a mare. She was very pretty, a nice cerise coat that clashed well with her maroon mane and tail. Her violet eyes held a lot of emotion and seemed to bore deep within Deft's soul. After staring at her for a while, he quickly shook himself out to hear her say, "...ime to go meet your teachers and class leaders. Knights will go with Sir Lance. Loremasters with Professor Sunburst. Alchemists goes with Wick Flame. Bards will be directed to Señor Queso. Skirmishers will be going with me, Madame Scarlet Flame. Wizards will be headed by Queen Nightmare Moon herself. Priests will be at an entirely different campus, run by Head Priest Radiance. And finally, the hardest job out there, the Merchant. This program is run by Watcher. If you have any question, you can ask Major Guard. Dismissed." Deft Stance came from a family of Knights, so the only logical step was to go to where Sir Lance was standing. The stallion was large and regal in every sense of the word. He had a blinding white coat, a rarity in a world like this, and a smoky gray mane and tail. His face was covered in a Knight helmet, but his cutie mark was visible, depicting a lance. It took a while before everypony could make it to the Knight section. From the 70+ students who enrolled into Class 749, about 14 of them decided to become Knights. Deft Stance glanced around, taking note of each and every one, determined to become the best Knight this school will ever know. Near the front of the room, Twilight 'Twinkle' was making her way to Queen Nightmare Moon, wanting to become a full fledged Wizard despite already completing the course three times now. But before she could officially join the group, the Queen gave her a single look and then another one behind her. Although disappointed, Twilight knew what her Queen wanted. She couldn't disobey her regent so she turned around and marched to the Skirmisher group. She's never tried this course nor did she ever feel the need to understand who or what a Skirmisher was. She supposed that this year was her chance. Twilight's strength lied in her ability to cast spells and think quickly on the spot, not maneuverability, but if the Queen wanted her to learn than with Nightmare as her witness, she would excel at this. Madame Scarlet Flame was a mare to look at, even Twilight had to admit that, and she was straight as the night was long. The entire time she had this blasé attitude complete with a lazy grin, but what the secret agent noticed was her eyes. Madame's eyes were constantly flicking from right to left, taking in everything. That made Twilight trust her that much more, perhaps her Queen was onto something here. When everypony was finally done with their choosings, the Skirmisher group ended up with 14, the same amount as the Knights, Twilight noticed. However, whereas the Knights were stocky, the Skirmishers more had the athletic, agile body type. Herself included. Optimal had been in the back the entire time, looking on from his perch as it were. He knew from the very beginning which class he was going to choose and thus wasn't paying much attention to what the Madame was saying. When all was said and done, the cloaked stallion made his way to Queen Nightmare Moon without sparing another pony a glance. From the corner of his eye and cloak, he noticed the Queen stiffen slightly. That made him smile a little that lasted barely a second. "So, Heartshot, whatchya thinking?" Moony hovered behind the indecisive stallion, a small smirk playing on her lips. "I don't knooooow." The poor colt was glancing at every group, filling up by the second, and groaning every time a pony took their spot. It was amusing and pitying at the same time. "Well, what do you like?" Guess it was time for Moony to play 'friend.' "Well, I really like reading, I'm good at shooting, I'm decent with an instrument, and I'm great at memorizing stuff, and..." "Ohhhh...I see now." Moony interrupted with a thoughtful hmmm. "You said your clan is the Shot clan, right? Why not become a Skirmisher." "That's what my momma wants me to do, but I don't think I'll be good at it." He fretted, still glancing fearfully between all the options. "You never know until you try!" Moony said cheerfully before adding, "well, I wish you all the luck the moon can give, I have to choose too, you know. Byeeeeee." Heartshot glanced at her fearfully before looking like he had come to a decision. He took a step towards the Skirmishers, then one in her direction, then two that way, a small hesitation, then fully committing himself to becoming a Skirmisher. Moony grinned, good for him. Now for her. She decided long ago that she would become a Merchant. Merchants seem like fun and they get to meet all different kinds of ponies, her kind of job. So with a wide smile and a bounce in her step, she made her way to Watcher, a gray and weathered stallion, but he had that certain look to him. Moony liked him already. Red Chief stood in the middle, unsure where to go. He saw many ponies make their decisions without much thought, then he saw ponies who looked like him, confused and hesitant. Red knew of the many classes and their downsides and upsides, but none of them were definitive enough to allow him to eliminate any of them. It was frustrating! He decided on a tried and true method, one carried on throughout the many years by the Apple clan. Spin around with your eyes closed and stop. He did that exactly, making sure to spin around three times, as that was his lucky number, before finally coming to a stop. His eyes open to see himself staring at the Alchemists. He shrugged, deciding there was no reason not to, he stood beside them. Wick Flame, leader, looked very professional with his nicely cleaned suit and tie and groomed mane and tail. He even smelled of moon lotuses. But his face told an entirely different story. The way his eyes glimmered showed his amusement in all of this and the way his lips kept twitching made Red think that he was so close to losing it, but barely keeping it together. Perhaps he'll like this after all. Author's Note Apologies this took so long, lack of inspiration as well as too much inspiration. Quite curious. Hope you liked this chapter and may your day/night be a good one. Vis out. PrologueThere lies a book, one of prophecies and histories. The inlay, silver, and the cover adorned with a crest of a beautiful alicorn. The book created with leather of a species long forgotten. The writing, written with the blood of an author long dead. It’s whereabouts, unknown and hidden. In the middle of the book, the very last entry, this is what is written; Once upon a time, in a magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the youngest brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned the slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one’s heart had transformed her into a warrior mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: The elements of Harmony. However, instead of banishing her, she would strike down her younger sister and Nightmare Moon won. The younger sister assumed control over Equestria and maintained eternal night, bathing Equestria in the darkness it deserved. The eldest sister was banished and never seen again.
The First StepRed Chief had wanted this for as long as he could remember. Many of his family members, the Apple clan, were heroes, one of which even went to the Crystal Empire! He wasn't sure about the Crystal Empire, but if he could just graduate, then everything would be alright! His brother and those other colts wouldn't make fun of his size then! Just need to survive two years. He gulped. Two years isn't long, right? He sat in the caravan that came to Manehatten to pick him up. His mother, Red Delicious, an earth pony, like him, was sitting next to him wearing a nervous smile. She came along to cheer him on, in her own words. The entire journey was awkward and Red partly wanted a monster to jump the caravan so then he wouldn't have to sit still in these uncomfortable seats. He shifted. His mother whacked him lightly. It took a considerable amount of time to finally arrive in Canterlot, the home of the Queen and where he will be learning to become a hero. He could barely keep the grin off his face. He turned around and threw his hooves around his mother and hugged her tightly. "Thank you for getting me here." He whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly. "Hey now, none of that. Yer a big colt now, a stallion, ya make the family proud, ya hear?" His mother pushed him away and looked into his eyes. She smiled with such warmth, he could feel it on his face. No wait, that's him blushing. He spluttered and pushed his mother away and tried to stare defiantly at her. From her amused expression, it wasn't working. "Now git." Red Chief turned around and didn't look back. And then, he took his first step. Right behind him, another caravan rode up. By the time it arrived, the first one was gone, along with Red Delicious. Inside this particular one carried a pegasus from a rival family clan. Deft Stance looked himself in the mirror and made sure everything was neat and orderly. He didn't want to make the wrong impression in front of the teachers. On the outside, he looked calm, collected. He desperately wished that's what he felt on the inside. Everything felt like everything was crumbling around him. Panic was an understatement so he distracted himself with his mane. Yes, that's right. His mane. He focused back on his mane. His inner feelings can wait. "Deft." The pony in question turned around and faced the clan's matriarch, Ready Stance. She was an earth pony who looked well into her 80's, gray mane and wrinkled face, but her pale gray body still looked fit. She had many stories of her time as a Knight, stories like the Battle of the Wyrm or the Massacre of Coltchia. Her stories always fascinated Deft resulting in him enrolling in the academy. "Yes, Matriarch?" He made sure he was respectful. Those who weren't, would immediately get whacked. They wouldn't even see the blow. "Do good." She opened the door and allowed Deft to squeeze past her. He resisted the urge to turn back and took his first step. A few minutes after the Matriarch's caravan left, a pony came trotting out of the darkness wearing a big grin. An earth pony mare wearing a beautiful moonlace flower in her mane. It bloomed underneath the full moon, the only time it could, and made her face radiant. Moonlit Petals, a society outcast, who lived in the dangerous forest between settlements, with her family. Their community isn't large but sustainable and knows all the tricks to staying alive. Her parents weren't all that happy with her decision to enroll, never mind how she did, but accepted her choice. They kissed her and made her promise that she knew that no matter what happened, she always had a home with them. She giggled at the memory of the other ponies when she said she was leaving to go train to be a hero. Many were confused, but most were all for it. New blood they said, whatever that means. Moonlit knew she was going to have a great time at the academy and took her first step. In the bushes a few meters away, a dark unicorn wrapped in shadows was watching. He too was going to the academy and he too had dreams of becoming a hero. He wore a cloak that seemed to be a part of him and made him even more mysterious than he already was. Ominal spat out some herbs and took his first step. Far away from the heavily guarded entrance, and the only one, to Canterlot, there lies another unicorn. Deep within the castle walls, Twilight Sparkle was waiting. Young but experienced, the secret agent was about to undertake her most serious mission yet, if only her Queen could tell her what it was. "Please, Your Majesty, tell me why I'm going to your academy! It makes no sense!" "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful agent, have I not made myself clear?" Queen Nightmare Moon, Supreme Ruler to Equestria and Eternal Night, she oozed power. Her gaze immediately set Twilight in a deep bow. Over the millenia, she had tempered her cold flame to garner respect and even admiration from her subjects. She allowed for the Celestial Light cult to form, allowed for infernal clocks to measure the time of night, and even opened her own Academy to forge heroes to brave the monsters her Eternal Night had wrought. Brave or foolhardy, Nightmare Moon still did not know, yet ponies adored the heroes. "You are to infiltrate my Academy, become a student of Class 749, and report anything suspicious directly to me. Suspicious as in something...different. Do I need to repeat that again?" "No, my Queen! As you say, my Queen!" Twilight continued her bow as she maneuvered her way out of the throne room. Once outside, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her mentor still terrified her even after all these years. Composing herself quickly, Twilight immediately set her destination for the Academy and took her first step. Author's Note AND THUS BEGINS ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!! Phooey, can't believe I'm starting this. I made the Dark Road universe because I had an idea and soon enough, I fell in love with it. Since then I wanted to make a major story in the universe and what better way than creating a school where the new generation learn to become heroes! I hope you enjoyed it and prepare urself for quite a ride! I know I'm not!
First Day"Great, another year. More brats running through these halls, as if we needed more." A lonely ghost floated through the halls, unnoticed by all. He used to have a name, a shape, an identity, now everypony knows him as Spook. The Ghost of Canterlot. Not even Queen Nightmare Moon could tell you how he was still alive...well, alive enough. Far below him, at the entrance to the Academy, a huge group of young stallions and mares were waiting. In this group, to the far left, Red Chief, an earth pony, sits on a bench, waiting patiently, or what he thinks is patiently. He was a curious sort, a coat so rust colored he was dragged away by a teacher claiming he needed to wash. His eyes were the same color as emeralds and it annoyed him how many ponies commented on that. Red's mane and tail were surprisingly, red. A normal shade of red, contrasted well with his coat. The cutie mark on his flank bore a silver shield with a red apple in the middle, he got it when he defended a classmate against bullies, and then immediately got assaulted by said bullies. He was also shorter than average. Behind him an earth pony mare was closing in on him. None other than Moonlit Petals. She was bouncing along with a giddy expression, she couldn't believe she was here, here meaning the Academy. It has been her dream to be a hero for forever! Her gran used to tell stories of their ancestor who slew monsters three times the size of a pony. She had a coat of the night sky, dark blue and sparkled. Her mane and tail were a beautiful sheen of purple and her eyes glimmered with a dark shade of pink. Moonlit's cutie mark was a bright flower basked in moonlight. Since she exited the forest, her moonlace disappeared, now replaced with a laurel wreath. Heads turned at the sight of her and she ignored them all, her sight was on somepony else. "Hello! I'm Moonlit Petals, though you can call me Moony!" She giggled as she extended her hoof to the young stallion in front of her. Red stuttered, completely in shock that a mare this pretty would ever come talk to him. "Umm...hi! I'm Red! Red Chief that is. I'm from the Apple Clan...yep." He held his mouth shut and prayed that she didn't take him as a fool. Then again, he conceded, he was a bit of a fool. After calming down, he tentatively he bumped hooves, consciously aware of all the other ponies staring at them. "Nice to meet you, Red!" Moony smiled brightly. "I have a feeling we're going to have so much fun. See you later!" With that, she waved and skipped away. There were a couple of sighs in the crowd after she disappeared into the mass of ponies. In the middle of the pony congregation, a pegasus stallion stood straight with pride. Deft Stance finally made it. He was on Academy grounds and he couldn't feel happier. He was fulfilling his purpose, the Stance Clan's purpose, of being a hero. His head was fixated on the huge doors that was still stubbornly closed and kept him from his destiny, he shouldn't care any less for the ponies around him. That's how he was trained. Deft was tall for his age, allowing him to see above most of the ponies' heads. His coat was a cloudy gray, streaked with other shades of gray, giving him a layered rock kind of look. His wings were fluffy and wide, great for long distances and maneuverability, he was extremely proud of them. His coat and tail were a blueish gray, and if used correctly, he could melt into the darkness, just like his mentor taught him. His eyes were a dark chocolatey brown, lots of mares fell for it, much to his annoyance. Deft's cutie mark depicted a round rock with wings on either side. Then a mare bumped into him and things spilled over the ground. He snapped out of his trancelike state and started helping her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking around!" "Oh, it's nothing. Really, I should be apologizing." She replied, her voice soft and smooth. After the two of them finally picked up everything, did Deft finally realize that she was not a mare. At least, not your typical mare. She was a kirin and a beautiful one at that. Her coat was black and her scales were a tad lighter, her mane and tail fluff were a stunning royal purple. Her eyes were dark blue and seemed to hold much wisdom. "Apologies, again, it seems my race startled you. Yes, I am a Kirin. My name is Midnight Flame and now I must thank you for helping me clean up." 'Oh...oh, it was really nothing! It was my pleasure." Deft chuckled awkwardly while rubbing a forehoof at the back of his neck. Midnight then continued talking about the laws of magic and how Kirins don't abide by such rules. At the very back, two ponies stood out. One of which was checking out the other. Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself as she stared at the cloaked figure a few gallops away. Twilight had her disguise on, her purple coat was now a much lighter shade, more of a lilac. Her mane and tail were changed to pink with a few streaks of purple and light blue. Her eyes also changed, the purple was changed into blue. She even changed her cutie mark and now her flank sported a white four pointed star with a purple star behind that so it looked like it had eight points. Around the star were a bunch of sparkles that formed a circle. Inside of the star, there was a blue heart, almost crystalline. She had never gone through so much effort for a disguise before, but it seemed appropriate. She even changed her name to 'Twilight Twinkle', she decided to keep her first name because it was simply easier. She also kept her race, being anything but a unicorn was simply wrong, in her humble opinion. 'Report anything suspicious directly to me. Suspicious as in something...different.' That's what Queen Nightmare Moon said and from the more Twilight looked, that pony was very different. It, because she couldn't tell what gender, was garbed in a very dark and heavy cloak, rendering it nearly invisible if it were not for the hanging lanterns that lined the street. The only thing visible were its hooves which were a dark blue. Despite its different look, nothing seemed else out of the ordinary unless you count anti-socialism which Twilight didn't because she too wasn't socializing. After a solid ten minutes, she decided to drag her attention elsewhere and wait for the doors to finally open. The pony whom Twilight was spying on knew exactly that he was being watched. Optimal was a unicorn stallion with an aversion to other ponies, specifically those who are dumber than he. He wears his cloak to distance himself from others and also as an added bonus, to keep away the cold. He's more sensitive than others, or at least, that's what he gathered. Optimal's coat was indeed dark blue which complemented well with a lighter blue mane and tail. His eyes were a peculiar shade of purple which entranced his mother when he was born, or so he was told. His cutie mark illustrated his favoritism for dark cloaks as it had an open book with no lettering covered in a dark cloak of a similar design to the one he was wearing right now. Right now he was watching this buff stallion who was flexing for impressed mares. His blatant manner towards mares annoyed Optimal and he decided to keep away from him else he doesn't know if he could hold himself back before anything bad happens. Then the huge doors leading to the Academy opened slowly, making no sound. The huge crowd immediately stopped with their chattering and looked upwards at their principal who was none other than Queen Nightmare Moon herself. The pony in question stared at all of them with disdain, letting no emotion show on her face. Internally she was grinning. Today was going to mark a new batch of students to terrorize and traumatize, it was delicious. "STUDENTS!" She bellowed after a while. She found out that a thundering boom after a strained silence is very effective. Just as predicted, many of them jumped. She made careful note of those who didn't. "TODAY BEGINS YOUR JOURNEY, ONE OF HEROISM AND GLORY! I WILL MAKE YOU YOUR BEST, AND IF YOUR BEST ISN'T ENOUGH, THAN I DEMAND MORE! THE MOMENT YOU STEP INSIDE, YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT AND BELONGS TO ME! THIS CAMPUS WILL BE YOUR HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND UNTIL THEN, SAY FAREWELL TO THE OUTSIDE!" She paused, letting everything get soaked in. From her vantage point, she saw a couple of ponies already crying. Good. "I WILL NOT SPARE ANYTHING NOR SHOULD YOU EXPECT ANY CENSORSHIP. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" "YES!" "THAT IS MA'AM TO YOU!" "YES, MA'AM!" "YOU ARE ALREADY FAILURES, TANTABUS GET YOUR TONGUE?" "YES, MA'AM!" The courtyard was silent. The monarch and her subjects, the crowd and their leader. It was beautiful in a most terrifying manner. Queen Nightmare Moon, Mare in the Moon, The Sandpony, The Pone of Dreams, The Lone Ruler of Equestria, Champion of the Night. This was their principal. Red gulped as he shuffled along with the crowd. After the dark alicorn turned tail and stalked out of there, did the students began trotting. Red had to canter to keep up and to not stumble on the uneven cobblestone roads. He was terrified, he knew that and accepted that, but he was also proud and hopeful. He got into the most coveted school in Equestria and he was going to learn how to be a hero. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Far ahead, Moony was bouncing at the head of the group. Her wavy mane and tail went along with her bounces making it look like waves along the dark sand beaches. Beside her a unicorn in silk clothing trotted along, he was talking and Moony was listening. At least, she was pretending to listen, she wasn't really great at listening, especially with things she didn't really care for. She was grinning too, more of a crazed one than a happy one, at least that's what other ponies tell her, all she knew was that she was happy! A few paces away from her, Deft was trotting with his head held up high. He made sure every step he took was proper and within measure. This was how he was taught and he was not going to stray anytime soon. His face was cool and collected, but inside he was having a party. Despite the Matriarch saying such celebrations were a waste for the young spirit, Deft couldn't help but think of his own personal party. He was thinking this even when the passed through many doors, a teacher up front giving the tour. In the back, Twilight was having trouble keeping track of the mysterious pony. They had disappeared during the speech and being a sucker for great speeches, Twilight had no choice but to listen in awe at her mentor. Despite being a principal for many years, 700 plus to be exact, Twilight still found it weird for the bloodthirsty, warm and open-minded, carefree Monarch to be part of the school program. After another look around, Twilight unfortunately lost the mysterious pony and it made Twilight even more angrier than usual, nearly even bucking a chair, but that would have caused a scene. Halfway through the crown, Optimal slipped away from the weird unicorn who kept staring at him, and snuck through the many ponies during the speech. He felt eyes upon him, yet he kept on going, just like he was doing now. The thought of taking the hero program had him smiling a small smile and thinking lighter thoughts. His dark cloak floated above the floor of the dorm areas. The guide had brought them through the entire campus in just an hour, give or take, showing them everything they would ever need, but none of the wants. The cafeteria's location was never revealed, nor was the pool. Queen Nightmare Moon has the guides take out certain rooms in the tour to give a challenge to the newcomers while she watches from afar. Red knew of this because he has an aunt who works at the campus, her stories of training were never descriptive but still made fascinating stories and only grew Red's desire to become a hero. "Now, everypony. This are Class 749 dorms. After I'm dong talking, a number will materialize before you, stating your room. That will be your room for the rest of your time here, there will be no 'take backs' or 'trading'. In every room, there will be two ponies, your dorm mate. The Queen does not tolerate dating, so getting intimate is not advised." The guide then continued with the various rules. Moony wasn't particularly interested in them, she was more fascinated with his peculiar vest. It was a light gray and looked really thin, at the very front of the vest was an orange butterfly and what had Moony's attention was whether or not the butterfly was real. Its wings would sometimes flutter but Moony wasn't sure if it was the butterfly or because the guide was shifting in place. He had a terrible habit of shifting while talking. "…and that is all. Now, do not be afraid. I will leave you now, do not follow me." The guide stopped talking and trotted away, leaving the students in a confused manner. Then the gasps started. Deft curiously looked at his number, it glowed bright red with a faint orange halo. He had no idea why he paid attention to such colors but it was like the Matriarch liked to say 'be aware, colt. It might save your life one day.' He picked his way through the crowd and made his way to his dorm, Room 041. He glanced to the left and right and was left confused. To the right, it was Room 801, and the left it was Room 001. He shrugged and stepped forward, as if sensing him, the door opened up, allowing him inside. Twilight was given the number 005. She made one last glance to see if she could find that cloaked pony but was ultimately disappointed. Suddenly self-conscious about how weird she must have looked when she was glancing around with her neck craned weirdly, Twilight ducked down and made her way to her dorm. She didn't step inside just yet and looked behind her, from what she could see, the guide was right. Everypony was getting a partner, yet Twilight didn't get one. She shrugged, deciding that it wasn't all that important. She took a step and the door opened, allowing her access to her home for the next two years. Optimal was given 321. He peered curiously at the illusion and even batted at it. His hoof just passed through it, leaving the numbers unmarred. He heaved a sigh, prepared himself mentally and found his dorm. On the way there, he nearly bumped into this huge mare and it made him pause. What kind of parents gave birth to his giant? He shook his head, don't dwell on such thoughts, it's nothing but trouble. It wasn't before long till he found his dorm and was surprised to see a rust colored earth pony waiting. "Hi, I'm Red Chief! Looks like we're dorm mates." He chuckled awkwardly. "That's a cool cloak, like, really cool. What's it made of?" "Wool. My family has a farm." Optimal answered tersely, on guard about this whole situation. "Huh, mine too! I'm an Apple, we have apples. Apple farm. We sell them. Yeeaaaah, I'm gonna stop talking now." Red shut up and turned red slightly. The two of them stared at each other before Red finally moved close enough for the door to open allowing him access. Optimal followed closely behind. Deft barely took a step inside before he was bowled over by a heavy weight. He was so surprised that his instincts failed him and he floundered on the floor, wondering why he wasn't dead. "Oh, hi! Didn't see you there, I'm Moonlit Petals, though you can call me Moony!" The earth pony extended a hoof and Deft accepted it with hurt pride. He will NEVER tell the Matriarch about this, he would not be able to survive the eternal shame. "What's your name?" "Deft Stance." He wasn't sure what else to say. "Oooh, I've heard of your clan. Your ancestors almost destroyed my village once, my gran hates you guys." She smiled sweetly before bounding into the room. Deft stared after her with absolute horror. Author's Note The common saying is 'Show, don't Tell' but what happens when I Show through Telling, what then? Just another writing style I'm experimenting with, who knows how it'll go. Kudos to Forcalor and John Doe, I hope this chapter was up to your expectations!
OrientationThe ponies of Class 794 awoke to an unholy noise in the form of bells. Loud brass bells being banged at a constant rate. Red Chief groaned and rolled out of bed. Literally. There was a muffled thud and then a yelp. Optimal got up without making a single noise, his cloak still on, and it didn't even look wrinkled. Moonlit Petals jumped out of bed with a large grin, the blankets floated down back on her bed. Def Stance snapped upwards, his eyes bloodshot and a hoof already in a salute. Twilight 'Twinkle' was up way before the bells started ringing, reading a book. "GET UP YA MAGGOTS!" Every door shook as a loud gruff voice stalked the halls. "IT'S TIME FOR ORIENTATION! QUEEN NIGHTMARE MOON DOES NOT CARE FOR SLACKERS!" It didn't take long before everypony was out of their beds, dressed, combed, showered, and preened. The dormmates stood shoulder to shoulder in front of their respective doors. Each student wore the school uniform, showing their status as a first year. They wore green jackets with several pockets, it was sturdy and weathered. Second years wore blue ones, brighter and more well kept. "Right. Now that you hauled your puny butts out here, it's time to get acquainted. My name is Major Guard, do well to remember that. My face will the first thing you see every morning and it will be the last thing you see every night. YOU GOT THAT?" "YESSIR." Came the resounding response. High above, hiding within the ceiling, the Spook glided amongst the rocks and pipes, giggling to himself. He enjoyed first days as much as he hated them. The first day was where the first years squirmed in place, but it was also where the first years started to get lost and cry. It has its pros and cons. "GOOD! Now, let's git. Queen Nightmare Moon is waiting for us." And with that, Major Guard trotted off, prompting the rest of the class to scramble after him. Red was stuck in the middle of the group and it was unpleasant to say the least. But from his position, he could still see the Major. He was a giant, a towering gray-blue stallion of pure muscle. Even his silver mane and tail seemed intimidating. He also seemed to walk with a bit of a swagger, like he was enjoying himself. Red wouldn't put it past him, but he wasn't his attention at the moment. His focus was on the hallway and where they were headed. Since Red was new and since he wanted to succeed, knowing how to get around was crucial. Sooner or later he would need to explore and chart the pathways. As he looked on, the group passed several tunnels that went to libraries, ballrooms, sparring rooms, swimming pools, recreational rooms which was empty, many classrooms, and even a snake pit. That last one made Red shiver a little. He's never liked snakes. His observations were interrupted by a somewhat loud voice. A beautiful mare, but certainly not his type, was talking with another mare. "So what did you think of you dormmate? Mine's terrible, he drools in his sleep." The comments made him think of his own dormmate, Optimal. What a curious name for a pony and his whole mysterious vibe, it would drive him mad if he was a curious pony, thank goodness he wasn't. Despite that, he still was curious. Why did he sleep with his cloak on, why does he barely talk, what was he doing in the middle of the night? That last one was valid because when Red got up to go to the bathroom, Optimal was sitting up and staring into nothing. Red didn't dare to do anything to him. In fact, the only reason he knew his name was because of roll call earlier from Major Guard. "We've made it." The Major announced and Red looked up from his musings. He cursed once he realized he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Now he has no idea how to get back! While Red Chief was muttering to himself and cursing his inability, Moonlit Petals was hopping around near the front of the group, making remarks on every little detail. The ponies around her weren't all that amused. Her attention flicked from an empty bowling alley much to her disappointment to a grand and packed training hall to a transdimensional portal that went who knows where. Each sight filled her with such excitedness, it was a miracle she wasn't bouncing. Oh wait...she was. "Yo, crazy mare! Could you keep it down? I'm trying to hear what the Major is trying to say." Moony paused with her antics and turned around to look at the speaker. The stallion was of huge shoulders and stocky build, he had a cocky grin and self-assured stance. But behind his eyes, Moony knew, he had no idea what he was doing and was a little frightened. "Oop, sorry. Just excited." She giggled, but this time toned it down a bit. "Oh...yeah." The stallion dropped some of his facade and rubbed a hoof behind his head. "Me too." He confessed with a little smile. "I'm Heartshot from the Shot clan." "Nice to meet you, I'm Moonlight Petals, but everypony calls me Moony!" The two bumped hooves with varying degrees of enthusiasm. "So, what do you think of the school so far? I'll admit..." Heartshot looked around a little before leaning in a bit. "I'm a bit scared. I've never done something like this." "Aw, don't worry. None of us has either, it will be a new experience for all of us!" Moony smiled encouragingly. "Heh, thanks. That's nice to hear." "We've made it." Came the Major's announcement, sending the students into slight shock. Their destination turned out to be a pair of heavy doors which opened without a sound. Behind the doors was a large room shaped like an amphitheater. Major Guard then told the students to file in and take a seat. Moony took off and bounced around looking for the most optimal seating. It didn't take long before she found one that just felt...right. She plopped down, satisfied with her choice. She was then pleasantly surprised to see Heartshot sit down next to her. "Hey, I hope you don't mind me sitting here." He asked with a sheepish grin. Guess all that bravado disappeared. Moony merely smiled and nodded. "Thanks." On the other side of the room, sitting near the wall, was a frustrated Deft Stance. His night was absolutely terrible due to sleeping in an unknown bed and not to mention, his dormmate was an absolute nuisance! That Moonlit or whatever she calls herself bounced around the room checking everything for a near 30 minutes. Then she kept on asking pointless questions for another half an hour. Deft was worn and tired. He followed the Major diligently, ignoring his fatigue. He paid attention to where he was and who he was with, keeping his eyes open. He sat down and waited patiently, pinching himself occasionally. He was better than this, Nightmare dammit. His Matriarch did this one night too and he passed the test with flying colors, why he even went a full three days without sleep, why was he having a hard time with this! Through his grumblings, he nearly missed the first half of the speech. He also definitely did not notice the random stallion who sat next to him. "Welcome to Queen Nightmare Moon's Academy of Heroes or QNMAH for short." The speaker was a new pony, a mare. She was very pretty, a nice cerise coat that clashed well with her maroon mane and tail. Her violet eyes held a lot of emotion and seemed to bore deep within Deft's soul. After staring at her for a while, he quickly shook himself out to hear her say, "...ime to go meet your teachers and class leaders. Knights will go with Sir Lance. Loremasters with Professor Sunburst. Alchemists goes with Wick Flame. Bards will be directed to Señor Queso. Skirmishers will be going with me, Madame Scarlet Flame. Wizards will be headed by Queen Nightmare Moon herself. Priests will be at an entirely different campus, run by Head Priest Radiance. And finally, the hardest job out there, the Merchant. This program is run by Watcher. If you have any question, you can ask Major Guard. Dismissed." Deft Stance came from a family of Knights, so the only logical step was to go to where Sir Lance was standing. The stallion was large and regal in every sense of the word. He had a blinding white coat, a rarity in a world like this, and a smoky gray mane and tail. His face was covered in a Knight helmet, but his cutie mark was visible, depicting a lance. It took a while before everypony could make it to the Knight section. From the 70+ students who enrolled into Class 749, about 14 of them decided to become Knights. Deft Stance glanced around, taking note of each and every one, determined to become the best Knight this school will ever know. Near the front of the room, Twilight 'Twinkle' was making her way to Queen Nightmare Moon, wanting to become a full fledged Wizard despite already completing the course three times now. But before she could officially join the group, the Queen gave her a single look and then another one behind her. Although disappointed, Twilight knew what her Queen wanted. She couldn't disobey her regent so she turned around and marched to the Skirmisher group. She's never tried this course nor did she ever feel the need to understand who or what a Skirmisher was. She supposed that this year was her chance. Twilight's strength lied in her ability to cast spells and think quickly on the spot, not maneuverability, but if the Queen wanted her to learn than with Nightmare as her witness, she would excel at this. Madame Scarlet Flame was a mare to look at, even Twilight had to admit that, and she was straight as the night was long. The entire time she had this blasé attitude complete with a lazy grin, but what the secret agent noticed was her eyes. Madame's eyes were constantly flicking from right to left, taking in everything. That made Twilight trust her that much more, perhaps her Queen was onto something here. When everypony was finally done with their choosings, the Skirmisher group ended up with 14, the same amount as the Knights, Twilight noticed. However, whereas the Knights were stocky, the Skirmishers more had the athletic, agile body type. Herself included. Optimal had been in the back the entire time, looking on from his perch as it were. He knew from the very beginning which class he was going to choose and thus wasn't paying much attention to what the Madame was saying. When all was said and done, the cloaked stallion made his way to Queen Nightmare Moon without sparing another pony a glance. From the corner of his eye and cloak, he noticed the Queen stiffen slightly. That made him smile a little that lasted barely a second. "So, Heartshot, whatchya thinking?" Moony hovered behind the indecisive stallion, a small smirk playing on her lips. "I don't knooooow." The poor colt was glancing at every group, filling up by the second, and groaning every time a pony took their spot. It was amusing and pitying at the same time. "Well, what do you like?" Guess it was time for Moony to play 'friend.' "Well, I really like reading, I'm good at shooting, I'm decent with an instrument, and I'm great at memorizing stuff, and..." "Ohhhh...I see now." Moony interrupted with a thoughtful hmmm. "You said your clan is the Shot clan, right? Why not become a Skirmisher." "That's what my momma wants me to do, but I don't think I'll be good at it." He fretted, still glancing fearfully between all the options. "You never know until you try!" Moony said cheerfully before adding, "well, I wish you all the luck the moon can give, I have to choose too, you know. Byeeeeee." Heartshot glanced at her fearfully before looking like he had come to a decision. He took a step towards the Skirmishers, then one in her direction, then two that way, a small hesitation, then fully committing himself to becoming a Skirmisher. Moony grinned, good for him. Now for her. She decided long ago that she would become a Merchant. Merchants seem like fun and they get to meet all different kinds of ponies, her kind of job. So with a wide smile and a bounce in her step, she made her way to Watcher, a gray and weathered stallion, but he had that certain look to him. Moony liked him already. Red Chief stood in the middle, unsure where to go. He saw many ponies make their decisions without much thought, then he saw ponies who looked like him, confused and hesitant. Red knew of the many classes and their downsides and upsides, but none of them were definitive enough to allow him to eliminate any of them. It was frustrating! He decided on a tried and true method, one carried on throughout the many years by the Apple clan. Spin around with your eyes closed and stop. He did that exactly, making sure to spin around three times, as that was his lucky number, before finally coming to a stop. His eyes open to see himself staring at the Alchemists. He shrugged, deciding there was no reason not to, he stood beside them. Wick Flame, leader, looked very professional with his nicely cleaned suit and tie and groomed mane and tail. He even smelled of moon lotuses. But his face told an entirely different story. The way his eyes glimmered showed his amusement in all of this and the way his lips kept twitching made Red think that he was so close to losing it, but barely keeping it together. Perhaps he'll like this after all. Author's Note Apologies this took so long, lack of inspiration as well as too much inspiration. Quite curious. Hope you liked this chapter and may your day/night be a good one. Vis out.
PrologueThere lies a book, one of prophecies and histories. The inlay, silver, and the cover adorned with a crest of a beautiful alicorn. The book created with leather of a species long forgotten. The writing, written with the blood of an author long dead. It’s whereabouts, unknown and hidden. In the middle of the book, the very last entry, this is what is written; Once upon a time, in a magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the youngest brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned the slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one’s heart had transformed her into a warrior mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: The elements of Harmony. However, instead of banishing her, she would strike down her younger sister and Nightmare Moon won. The younger sister assumed control over Equestria and maintained eternal night, bathing Equestria in the darkness it deserved. The eldest sister was banished and never seen again.
