Awry

I remember how excited I was on that day. The night before it was hard enough to get myself to sleep and in the morning my eyes shot up at the touch of my mother. My legs wanted to gallop so much that I almost knocked over the tray placed on my blanket with the hot cocoa and honey cookies that my mommy set there for me. My dear parents just wanted to help and prepare me for the trials awaiting, but my stomach was so cramped I couldn't get anything into my system. Even if I knew how much harder it was to concentrate with an empty tummy.

Luckily, my mother did have the foresight and didn't leave my side until she 'force fed' me at least half of my breakfast, fighting heroically with my stubborn resistance. She helped me dress up too, and I actually needed the assistance because even if I wasn't a little colt anymore, I simply couldn't manage buttons. Franky, it was an understatement: I had literally no idea how anypony can handle them with hooves. It must be something only a mother can do.

When I was in full gear and my mother gave up on combing my unruly mane, I was allowed to finally sprint down into the living room. My father was already waiting for me, sitting on the sofa and reading his favourite newspaper, but when he saw me he stood up on four hooves with a happy smile. As I got near, he lifted me up and spun me in the air, although meeting my mother's piercing gaze he put me back down and tried his best to fake seriousness. Today was not about games and goofiness.

With that in mind, we left our little home. Holding my head high, I proudly trod between my parents, resisting the urge to try to get up on their backs. Normally, I wouldn't care in any other situation, but it wouldn’t be the best introduction if I arrived riding on a pony in front of my future classmates and teachers. They would probably see me as a little foal and couldn't take me seriously after that... I was already nervous, the last thing I needed was them laughing at me.

Our house stood at the edge of Canterlot, at the base of the outer wall, so it took us almost half an hour to get to the place of the entrance exam. This was more than enough to help me calm down. Partially because my father asked me questions all the way, which made for a nice distraction and gave me some of my confidence back too. After all, I was able to answer everything and this was not something, anypony of my age could do - at least according to my dad. I was surely to finish among the best!

It was only when I saw the crowd in front of the onion-domed building between the observatory and the library that panic began to creep through me again. There were so many ponies gathered that I felt my chances suddenly vanish into thin air. All I knew in advance that there were always much more applicant to Princess Celestia's school, the world-famous Canterlot Academy, than they can take in... but I wouldn't even dream that there can even be so many! Just looking around was well over a hundred foals in front of the gates. And the school didn't give out any information about how many places they even have...

So I felt my fears had been completely justified, and neither my parents reassuring words nor the worries on the other candidates’ face helped alleviating it. And they just kept coming and coming... We only arrived an hour early but there were many, who didn't plan to spend that much time standing in one place. Well, it could be turned into an advantage, actually, if they pick us for the test by the order of arrival. Then I got myself a pretty good place, counting all those who came after us.

Five minutes before the beginning - they announced nine o'clock as the time of opening of the gates - everypony was watching intently the clock in the tower. There was still some, who arrived in the last minute, causing some commotion in the back rows but the others were waiting silently for something to happen. Even with the background voices of the city - which were admittedly less than usual - we could clearly hear the clinking of the cogs as they slowly pushed the hands towards the finish line. When the much waited moment arrived, one resounding 'Bong' rang through the square, and everypony fell silent.

A tall and lean stallion with dark red fur stood on one of the balconies of the building, looking down at the gathered ponies. I only noticed because my father pointed him out for me. But before he could say a word, the newcomer spoke. "I welcome those who came with all my heart," he said slowly with a deep voice. "My name is Poltergeist. As the Dean of the Canterlot Academy for Gifted Unicorns I hereby initiate the entrance exam! But before we begin with the test I shall highlight some crucial information for you. First of all, you must be aware of being enrolled in the Academy is not a right, but a privilege; something in which only the best of the best may take part in. No other viewpoints shall be considered in the process of approbation of your applications. Only those candidates who are worthy may enter our school that was founded by none other than Her Majesty Princess Celestia herself. I am compelled to point it out that appeal does not lie against our decision, but we do warrant an opportunity to repeat the exam next year in case of failure."

"I would also like to draw attention to the fact that even if somepony's application is accepted, it does not automatically mean that it shall stay that way. This is why I ask you, dear caretakers, take it into serious consideration before you expose your foals to this challenge! Participation in our curriculum is highly demanding and is usually extremely stressful for the young ones. The same applies to the entrance exam. Anypony who feels unprepared should leave of their own motion. I cannot guarantee access to anypony present, and I would prefer sparing as many foals of disappointment as possible."

The dark red stallion took a pause, looking all around the crowd. Long seconds passed but nopony said a word. But after that, to my great surprise, some of the ponies left the group and slowly walked away. I must admit, the Dean's speech was a little scary, but didn't we all came here to at least give it a try?

"Your new director has an interesting screening method," my father whispered in my ear. "When I started, they didn't try to play it rough in the beginning. But you don't need to worry, it definitely worked, because you have that much fewer rivals!"

I didn't doubt it, but the stallion also made the exam seem to be that much harder... Luckily, I didn't have time to ponder - it would only make me feel even less confident - because the dean continued. "I'd like to share some details with you regarding the test. First, we shall split you into groups of ten, which shall be examined separately. Please note, that during this period the candidates may not contact anypony except each other, obviously including their caretakers also."

This time the red stallion's words were followed by a displeased murmur. Even my parents were paving the ground with their hooves indignantly. "I can't believe this!" my mother got her dander up. "This is outrageous!"

"The option to leave freely still exists!" the dean exclaimed in a surprisingly calm voice, and everypony fell silent again. "The groups shall be assigned randomly. Given the outstandingly large amount of applicants, half of them shall receive their first task in the library. This year the exam has three parts, however, those not meeting the requirements shall be disqualified immediately. The preset groups shall stay together, continuing with less member if necessary. Admittedly, this does not hold great significance since there are only individual tasks."

"Within five minutes, Professor Tome shall arrive with your assignment, until then I would like to make use of our time and speak a little of the question most of you are probably interested in: choosing a course. The most important is that none of our freshly accepted student needs to think too hard about finding a fitting faculty. I know, many of you already has a solid conception regarding this, although in the first few years everypony shall participate in exactly the same basic education in every subject. Like in any ordinary school, with the addition of some our own, more specialized subjects. This is not meant to be a surprise, and you should not expect high level tuition from our part in the beginning. Consider it rather having a sample and a chance to try out your abilities to find your true way. That was all I wanted to say. We open the gates. Thank you for your patience."

A loud click and metallic squeak followed the stallion's words, who already turned tail on us and disappeared inside the building. "Okay, I need every applicant to gather in front of me!" spoke out a confident mare from the door though I couldn't see her from the crowd.

"Don't worry my son, they just want to scare you!" my mother hugged me. "Yeah, I believe in you, and we are very proud!" my father joined. "I know you'll pass! We will wait for you out here as long as it takes!" I couldn't hold myself back any longer, I jumped into their necks and hugged them as hard as I could.

I didn't dare to waste more time, so I rushed after the other foals, dodging between their parents and in the general direction of the frilly maned lady where my future classmates were gathering. I didn't pay too much attention towards anypony but our leader. The middle-aged mare's hoof moved rapidly, pointing at everypony one by one, creating the promised groups of ten and another pony gave a piece of paper to each group to write down their names on it.

I was placed with three other colt and six fillies and immediately after that we were sent inside the domed building. We had to climb some stairs and then another almost-adult unicorn joined us, leading the small gang to a long corridor. Two other groups were already waiting in front of separate doors, pacing nervously. The room with the highest number on it was ours in the end of the hallway. The unicorn asked each of our names, wrote it down to the paper, then opening the door just a crack he slid in quickly. I tried to peek inside but saw only darkness. It didn't take a whole minute for him to come back but despite our hopes he said nothing and even avoided our gazes. Many of us were exchanging excited glances but nothing happened just yet.

"Ya know anythin' about what's goin' on?" the colt standing next to me asked. As nopony answered he turned to face me and I was too late to glance away. "Maybe ya heard somethin' about what kind of exam are we havin'?"

"No," I replied, trying to get over with this conversation.

But the colt insisted. "I heard that every year is different, to make it harder to prepare. And Mr. Polter only took over this year, so there will be changes. He has a reputation of playin' by his own rules."

"If you know it this well, why are you asking me?" I snorted.

"'cause I'm already bored of waitin'. Hi, name's Jasper!" he extended a hoof towards me. "Jasper Volley".

"I saw that on the paper" I murmured, turning away.

"And I saw yers, but we could properly introduce ourselves. Otherwise it's pretty hard to get to know each other dontcha think?"

"Look, it doesn't make much sense to try to make friends before this thing is over," I pushed down his leg firmly. "I won't memorize your name for half a day to never use it again if you fail the test."

"Yer a grumpy one, ya hear?" the little shrimp grimaced.

"I'm just honest," I pointed around. "It would be exceptional if half of the team can get through the filter."

"'kay then," he shrugged, already turning to the filly on his other side. "Hi! Name 's Jasper, what's yers?"

I successfully blocked out the rest of the conversation, though I didn't have to strain myself for too long. The door opened with a quiet creek and a harsh voice of a stallion called out. "Death Wish!"

A few second passed but nothing happened just everypony fell silent. Soon, a short filly in a frilly skirt stepped out of the group. Shyly, as if she was asking for forgiveness for her mere existence, she pushed the doorknob and vanished in the beckoning darkness. Yeah... come to think of it, I did saw this name on the list. And it was kind of good news if we were following an alphabetic order because my place was in the middle. I can hear some referrals but I won't have to wait here forever. We tried to eavesdrop, though not a sound has come out of the room. Quickly checking around the corridor I noticed that the other teams were also missing a pony. It finally began!

* * *

In spite of the initial excitement the minutes went by slower and slower. I wasn't even sure that it would've been better if they provided us the means to measure time. Well, then I could have at least guessed if there's a time limit for the test. Having no other option, I tried counting seconds but I always lost count after a thousand. Also, there was once I only got to nine hundred until the door opened, but I may have been a little faster as I was getting impatient.

Of course, it would've been more useful to ask those who got through the first test, but we had no such luck. The deep darkness kept swallowing the ponies and nopony came out. At first, I was a little afraid, that it would mean that everypony passed who came before me - after that it would be an unbearable shame to fail -, but a few glances to the other groups convinced me that this was not the case. After all it was highly unlikely that absolutely everypony succeeded in the first part. Perhaps they just wanted to keep us in the dark or simply give us equal chances. It would've been funny if somepony told us what we were expected to do, wouldn't it?

My heart beat faster when they called for the colt that was trying to chat with me before. If I remembered correctly, my name came immediately after his, so my turn was approaching rapidly. I tried to contain my excitement and not trotting in place. My father always told me it was very important to stay calm in situations like this. So I took a few deep breaths and with closed eyes I ran through everything I learned. They said my abilities were above average, though right then I felt completely unprepared... and also acutely aware that I'm facing one of my big decisive moments of my life. And I regretted every missed opportunity to practice, but there was nothing to do about that now.

A thin beam of light crept into the room. I didn't even comprehend what was I seeing, though I realised afterhoof that it was the lack of the awaited creek that made me react so slowly. When I heard my name I almost jumped. I needed all of my willpower to keep my dignity and not crawl inside. I didn't even fully realise that I was inside until the door behind me closed with a quiet but firm 'click'. I tugged my tail between my hind legs and stared into the darkness, but it was so perfect that I saw nothing. That was until they turned on the sole lamp in the chamber.

The light coming from the ceiling illuminated a little round table with a cube lying on it, as well as the floor around it in a two feet circle. Otherwise it was still pitch black inside even after my eyes got accommodated to the new conditions. I didn't want to step inside the circle of light until I was instructed to do so. There was not much waiting: soon a mare's bored, drawn-out voice rang in my ears as clearly as if she was standing right next to me.

"You have exactly twenty minutes to complete your task. You have no other objective but to open the box on the table. It is allowed to use any spell, but no items, so you may only touch it directly with your bare hooves. I have to warn you furthermore that this exercise is extremely important in the surveying of your competence, however, you have the opportunity to give up at any moment. If you choose to do so, you may not make any further attempts, but the remaining time can be used in the other parts of the test. After starting the clock, you may not ask questions, so if you have any, please, state them now!"

She let me have a little time to process the information. I chewed on her words during this and I did find some details that needed clarification. "Does it count if I break it?" I asked with a slight tremble in my voice.

"Your job is to make the contents of the box accessible," the answer came. "Choosing the fitting method is a part of your task."

"And... I suppose I'm not allowed to use items that I brought with myself, so if I find something here...?" I found it unnecessary to finish my question but I did have to wait for a bit longer this time.

"The area outside the circle of light is to be considered as empty space."

"I understand. Thank you!"

"The twenty-minute counter starts now," the voice stated neutrally. "Good luck!"

A face of a clock lit up brightly in front of me where I thought to be the wall. When I moved my head, however, the clock followed the movement of my eyes and remained in focus. It was quite annoying but I could get used to it. This small detail won't hinder me in my quest!

First, I walked around the table, in case I find something interesting on it. It was made of beautiful mahogany, the polished tabletop forming a perfect circle. There was no signs of damage that would show that those who came before me would hit it with the cube trying to open it... or in their rage.

For the sake of order, to avoid missing such a trivial detail, I carefully picked up the cube and placed it on the ground. I lifted the table with my magic and turned it upside down. Partly, I wanted to show my examiners how nicely I can perform a levitation spell on a heavy object like this, but I was more interested if there was a key or something similar item fixed to the bottom or to the legs. After all, I could strain myself as much as I want if the test was about to determine our resourcefulness. But I didn't find anything, so I was forced to continue in a more 'classical' way.

After I set the table back, I took the box into my hooves and checked it from every direction. I still had much time, there was no need to rush. Its surface was as smooth as the table's, and there were no flaws in its metallic decorations. However hard I was looking though, I found no signs of trickery. I was kind of hoping to find a simple solution to basically skip this exercise... especially because I didn't know any lock-opening spells yet...

The floating clock in front of me relentlessly reminded me that I already used up three minutes of the given time and I didn't even begin with the experimentation. There was not much to do about it, so I turned the box upside down, sighing. I felt its weight distribution shifting though whatever was inside, it made no sound. In the same position I tried to carefully force open its lid, but there was no use: it was a perfect fit. Of course, I wasn't surprised as it would make no sense to test if we are able to do a job of a yearling. I was only curious if it would even worth it to go in this direction. Well, I didn't exactly get my answer.

It was time to use magic, then! Even though I didn't know the mechanism of lockpicking, I lit up my horn and focused my magic on the small keyhole. They obviously wouldn't expect us to have the abilities of a professional burglar, so I honestly believed in the chance of success. I strained myself as I tried to get a grip in that little hole, but I felt no change. I tried in vain to reach further, but I was stopped by the walls of the box and I couldn't even get any information about the contents.

I took a little pause to catch my breath. I used up only one third of my time. The next thing I thought of that I could really use a crowbar, but I discarded the idea immediately. Conjuring items were well beyond my abilities right then. It was only my magic I could rely on to open the cube. Grimacing, I tried to yank it forcefully again and again, until it became hard to even stay standing on four legs.

I sat down, panting, and took a look at the clock, that showed that I have ten minutes left. Ten minutes... but for what ends? I had literally no idea what to do next. What should I do? What were they expecting? Was there even a single pony who could get this stupid box to open? Or did they let go the others because they didn't succeed? I could not bear the shame and stand in front of my parents if I didn't try everything!

It took a great effort to stand, but I reared up on my hind legs and lifted the cube. I turned its backside to face me and I aimed at the hinges with my horn. Using up all my magical reserves, I hit it multiple times, but the only thing I got for my effort was a headache. I gritted my teeth and moaned, but I got nowhere further.

I didn't sink back to the ground as I closed my eyes and stopped throwing spells at the thing. I lifted the box over my head and froze motionless. It was all in vain. It seems, even if I tried everything, I was not prepared. One last thing remained although I knew all well that it's just a final, desperate attempt on my part.

"I will throw it," I said in a hoarse voice. It was hard enough to restrain myself: I really felt like crying. After waiting for a few seconds and not getting an answer I did what I was about to do. The box hit the floor hard, but there was no cracking sound. My heart sank, but I still reached down for it for safety's sake and inspected it carefully. There wasn't even a scratch on it. I put the cube back to the middle of the table. I took a deep breath to have the courage to say what I was about to say.

"I give up," I whispered into the darkness.

"You have five minutes left," the bored voice of the mare replied. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

A slim, red string descended in front of my face from somewhere above. "Please, hold the string and don't move for a few seconds!"

I followed the instructions without a word. The little ribbon slid down as I pulled it and wrapped itself around my right leg. After a few moments I felt a strange tingle running through my body, then light flashed and the floor below me vanished. I almost lost my balance, but before it could have happened, I felt solid ground under my hooves again.

I shook my head to come back to my senses after the unexpected spell. It took me some time to realize what was happening and that was only then when I saw the menacingly huge table before me with the three grown-up sitting behind. They were all looking down at me and making me feel small and insignificant. It gave me a jump when one of them pointed at a chair. I tugged in my tail and flatted my ears as I complied to the silent command and climbed up to it.

"Hold your hoof up!" the same stallion ordered me. I did so though he was seemingly not satisfied. "The other one." A little reluctantly, I lifted my leg hugged tightly by the red string. I saw all too well one of his eyes twitching. "So you failed," he stated condescendingly. "Can you tell us what the problem was?"

Opening my mouth, I couldn't get out a word first. Yeah, I failed, but did they have to rub it in? It didn't work and that's it. Couldn't we just jump to the next test if I'm not disqualified just yet?

"Because... because I didn't know the right spell," I murmured, avoiding eye contact.

"And after this, do you still think you can meet our school's high expectations?" the examiner asked, though he didn't wait for response this time. "Look, I'll be honest with you! Almost everypony gets to the second part of the exam, but after that, we dispatch at least half of the applicants. Regarding your performance, do you really feel ready to take it? It will only get harder from now on! If you are mistaken and you are not adequately prepared, the consequences can be grim!"

"I must try!" I replied a bit more confident this time, even though I could not control the shaking of my body. "I... want to try! This is what I came for!"

"You see that red string on your leg?" the mare sitting next to the stallion asked harshly. "This indicates that you were unable to complete your given task. We may let you pass now, but in that case everypony will know about your failure."

"I don't care! If I don't succeed, I'll... I'll come back next year! And I will become stronger and then I'll pass!"

"Are you sure you have the determination necessary?" the one sitting in the middle snorted. "It says in your results that you gave up before the time was up..."

"Yeah because... because I saw that it won't work for me!" I said and gulped audibly. "And... and I thought, I might have more chance if I don't waste my power and time for something I cannot solve!"

The ponies shared glances and nodded almost in sync.

"I'll share a secret with you," the stallion in the middle leaned towards me. "This task could not have been solved. It was not expected of any of you to have the arcane fortitude necessary to open the box. We were curious about your reactions. If somepony had the resolve to wait and fight through the twenty minutes, the box opened on its own. If you would be given a chance to try again, would you have the patience to wait it out?"

I gulped again. It didn't even come to me that they would give us an actually unsolvable puzzle! Of course... wasn't this school's very purpose to teach us problem solving spells like this? And... they would really give me another chance? For a few seconds it was the only thing in my mind, but after that I thought better of it.

"I'd have the patience..."

"That's all right...!" the examiner began but I interrupted.

"But if I was given another chance, I would give up immediately."

There was a shocked pause. It seems like they were more surprised than I expected, considering I said the only logical thing, obviously.

"I just said that the box would open in the end!" the stallion in the middle spread his front legs, confused.

"You also said that none of us would be able to open it," I replied with fake calm, even though my heart was beating furiously against my ribs. "You told me my job is to open it. If it opens on its own in my hooves, then I failed, right? So I could win a bit more time this way... right?"

The three of them shared glances again, then grabbed their quills and began to scribe. It was really hard to contain my nervousness and I caught myself rubbing my hooves together. Stupid instincts! I was simply not able to ignore that they were most likely deciding on my faith right now. Was I too bold? Did I say something stupid? Why don't they say anything? Can I get another chance or they changed their minds?

After what seemed like an eternity the one in the middle looked up at me again as if he has forgotten about me. "We are finished here," he said hazily. "You may proceed."

* * *

I felt dizzy from the new, unexpected teleport. For a moment I thought they simply threw me out, although I didn't know what to think of the deep darkness that surrounded me. In that case wouldn't it be more practical to push me out of the door, or to teleport me outside of the gates? There an arrogant apprentice would inform me how pathetic my performance was, and then send me my way to receive the next scrap of a unicorn. Instead, I was in an unknown place without any direction.

It took me almost a half-minute to notice the buzzing sound as it was getting louder. But when I did notice it, the darkness was also pierced by a few colorful dots of light around me in an undiscernible distance. Before I could find out any more details about my new location a strange tingle crept up my legs and a scary, sparkly feeling cut into my horn. It didn't hurt, it wasn't even really uncomfortable, but it caught me off guard, so I panicked. If I could see the space around me, I'd be surely running around in circles, but this way I could do nothing but awaiting my impending doom, shivering in place. I wasn't thinking realistically, but with a retroactive analysis I found that maybe my line of thought was something like this: they found me absolutely inadequate and they want to simply get rid of me with some deadly machine. Ponies like me should not be allowed to sully the air of Canterlot. I don't even know if it was my exceptional naivety or my hyperactive survival instinct that was talking right then, but I found my reactions quite laughable afterhoof.

My only luck was that this whole thing didn't take too long, because I had a hard time not to pee myself. And taking into consideration what happened next, I would've never been free of the shame if I did that. So it practically saved me when the buzzing stopped and the light came from a big opening on one of the walls. I immediately noticed that I was actually right being in a huge metal box instead of a room and it also looked like a machine. Whatever they did to me though, I was still alive...

I crept out carefully through the opening - which was most likely a portal - and immediately ran into two foals who were trying to sneak a peek inside the machine. At first, I had no idea what was going on, but soon enough I recognized the colt as the one trying to chat with everypony before the test. And the filly was maybe the one who went in first. Both of them had a red ribbon around one of their front legs. So... were we the wash-outs, or...?

"Ah, so yer here!" the colt smiled as our eyes met. "I was curious if I'd ever get yer name."

He poked his hoof my way again and I took it this time. Whatever comes next, the same destiny awaits us all now. "Life Thread," I smiled, bumping his hoof.

"Jasper Volley," he bowed slightly towards me. "Nice to meet ya! And she's Death Wish here!" he pointed at the filly who was even shorter than him.

"Just Wish if I may ask!" she poked shyly at the ground.

I took a step towards her, but as I reached out with my hoof, she pulled in her neck and just nodded with a small smile. She seemed quite a timid type and I didn't want to make it more difficult for her so I simply returned the gesture. All the while I took a better look at her and now I noticed that in addition to her height - and age of course - she did make quite a 'little girl' impression. Mostly it was her behaviour, although her pastel red and orange mane arranged into pigtail or the massive bow in her tail didn't help either. And there were the freckles that broke the monotonousness of her short, moss-green fur. Her body's colors had a bit too much contrast between them, but her clothes and light brown eyes did alleviate some of it.

On the other hoof, the colt had a much more harmonic appearance, even if he seemed to be uncomfortable in an elegant dress. I thought he was a countrypony, that's why he wasn't used to it. His fur had a greener shade than mine with just a touch, but his mane was a more characteristic azure blue, something I couldn't say about myself. Despite his social background, he seemed to have quite a confidence.

"So, ya failed too, huh?" Jasper asked, pointing at my leg, still hugged by the red string.

"Of course." I answered. "As far as I know, everypony did."

"Whaddya mean?" he raised an eyebrow.

"They said that it was not the purpose of this test that somepony should open the box."

"Huh? What was, then?"

"They didn't tell me. Only that they were watching us, what we are doing about an exercise like this. It would open in the end on its own, but I suppose you gave up before that like me and this is why we are here together."

"It... would... open...?" he repeated flabbergasted.

"Yes" Wish said quietly. "When the time was up, it clicked and when I put my hoof into it, the string wrapped itself around my leg."

"Ya never said anythin' about this!" Jasper exclaimed in a hurt voice and the mare quickly backed to the wall, ears folding back.

"I thought it was the same with you..." she murmured. "You said that the examiners had a conversation with you too."

"So my theory is blasted," I thought out loud. "What the heck is this all about? And why did they put us together if we had different results?"

"It's a better question, what the holy hay was that buzzin' whatchamacallit that we arrived in" Jasper pointed at the wall where I came in through the portal.

"No idea, but it did give me quite a jump!" I snickered.

"To me too!" he snorted. "Could've given us a warnin' or somethin'..."

"It can't be helped now. But I'm curious about how long we have to stay here."

"I think until everypony is finished. If ya remember, Wish was the first one, and they didn't let her go any further."

"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "It's one and a half hour, then! What shall we do until that?"

"We had a good ol' conversation until ya got here," Jasper shrugged. "For example, ya could tell us where are ya from and why did ya apply. I for one always wanted to be a great battlemage, and that's why I journeyed here with my parents 'cause I'm now old enough to join the Academy. We came from the mage-quarter of Trottingham and what should I say, the carriage shook our brains out 'til we got here. There was a school there, too, but my parents agreed on it that Canterlot is still the very best. So I'll give it a shot, and then we'll see!"

"And I live here, near the big clocktower," joined Wish meekly. "They made me do this preliminary survey, you know, and they said it to be a good idea to apply. I was interested... so now I'm here."

"I see," I nodded. "We live here too, only in the outskirts. I have a talent in magic, and I did much preparation, so I really hope, they'll give me a chance to prove myself worthy. I came here to learn from the best and to show the world, what I'm capable of!"

"Oh yeah!" Jasper grinned. "And which courses are ya interested in? I really want to enlist to the Military Department 'cause it's so cool!" He raised to his hind legs and flailed his hooves around, trying to imitate some sort of martial arts. "I'll beat up everypony! I'm hard as a saddle-bow! I shall show these canterlotians the Trottingham-virtue!" He seemed quite pent up, but without any transition he went back to standing on four hooves and sounded normal again. "But if they find that I'm better at something else, it'll work out for me. Just not some crappy bookwormy stuff! One can't actually learn the good stuff from books, righty?"

"I actually did read much to prepare properly," I said a little condescendingly even if I didn't mean to. "And I also listened to a few open lectures."

"Meh, it's not the same," Jasper shrugged. "Listenin' and doodlin' is not the same as sitting inside, collecting dust, and licking cobwebs from between the pages. Nothin' could beat it when I went out with Pa to the garden to practice! He needs tenth of the time to explain any spell compared to those crazy descriptions and definitions. I hope the lectures here'll be somethin' like that!"

"Surely it's no coincidence that the Academy has the best reputation. We'll have the chance to try ourselves out both in theory and practice. If you're not interested in books, I doubt they would make you choose a course full of them, am I right?"

"Mayhaps, but I sure do hope so," he said scratching his head. "And what 'bout ya? Wish already told me that she doesn't know yet."

The little mare nodded in agreement, but as I turned to her she lowered her head again, and continued rubbing the ground with her hoof - although she didn't break eye contact.

"I don't have any well-defined plan on this," I said, deep in thought. "But I was able to learn a wide range of spells and I'm also good with them, so I really want to reach a very high level in any branch of wizardry. My parents said that I have the potential, so if I work really hard, I can get far."

"That's so cool!" Jasper cheered. "It'd be so much fun to practice together! The three of us should form a club! We'd stick together and help each other in everythin'! Whatccha sayin'? Brohoof?"

I wasn't so sure that only because fate has chosen to take us to the same place, we could get along. Wish seemed to be extremely introverted and Jasper talked way too much, so we'd definitely form an interesting team together. And we couldn't even be sure that we'll get to study here. Maybe it was this uncertainty that caused me to agree this easily, and I bumped the colt's extended hoof. If this works out, we may as well give it a shot, and if not, well, it doesn't even matter then...

* * *

We had such a good time talking for the rest of our wait that we didn't even realise how long did it actually take. It's true, we still didn't have any means to measure time because we had no clock in the room and nopony came after me to at least guess by their name, how things are going out there. This way we got to know each other a little better, especially after Wish got used to my company and opened up to me too. We talked about our previous schools and about the spells we already know. Later on we just speculated about the second and third trial, in case we even get there.

Just as we were sharing a good laugh, our room's door opened and we saw an old, dark purple mare waiting for us outside. She cleared her throat impatiently, so the three of us jumped immediately onto our hooves. The mare just waved for us to follow and led us through a long corridor, much similar to the one we were waiting in before the first test.

There were other foals coming with a guidance of an adult. As I saw, none of their groups were larger than five ponies, so it seemed the number of applicants has already decreased drastically. The same excitement ran through my body that I felt radiating from my companions. We all marched in nice and organised lines towards a single destination. There was not much talking, so I didn't have too much affinity to continue our interrupted conversation. Instead I was paying attention to our surroundings, hoping that maybe I can get some preliminary information about what awaited us. In the end the only thing that I discovered became soon enough obvious to everypony: we were being led to a great auditorium.

Inside it started getting kinda crowded, partly by the little ponies sitting in bigger or smaller groups behind the small tables, and partly by the adults gathering in front of a huge projection screen. Our temporary leader made us sit in the edge of one of the lines and soon, I discovered our dean, Mr. Poltergeist, in the middle of the stage-thingy. The red stallion sat on a cushioned chair, his eyes were half-lidded, and he clasped his hooves together with geometric precision. He seemed to be deep in thought and I watched him intently waiting for him to do something. That is, until Jasper disturbed me by poking my side.

"I didn't bring a cheat-sheet, y'hear?" he whispered into my ear.

"What do you mean?" I turned to face him.

"Just look at them!" he nodded his head towards the adults, who would most likely were to become our future teachers. "They look like they are about to deal out the papers and quills! Sure, they'll ask some wild shit... Can I use yer essay as a 'direct reference'?"

"Why do you think we'd have a written test...?" I asked but when I finished I realized it was a pretty logical conclusion.

"Here, watch that yellow one!" he nodded not-so-subtly towards a stallion. "If ya'd know that everypony here will write a test, how would ya stand on yer four legs? Just like him! Amirite or amirite?"

"You reasoning is not to be trifled with, bro..." I sighed. Of course, there was nothing unusual about the yellow stallion's behaviour or body language, but I already had the privilege to experience the strange thought process of my new acquaintance from Trottingham. I couldn't decide if he was trying too hard to be funny or was simply weird, but there were definitely situations where it was a bit tiresome. Like this one.

He had a good point, though. The odds were in the favor of that they prepared with a written test too, but I thought it would have been be more practical to begin with something like that. It would've been more comfortable for both parties and they could use an easily adjustable filter to reduce the amount of attendants. Not to mention that I myself did most of my preparations in magic theory and in my humble opinion my knowledge was well beyond my age. And, of course, in that case I wouldn't have to face the next challenge with a failed test behind my back. Could've used a little boost in confidence... As I looked around, however, I noticed that I saw only foals that have red strings around their legs. For a few second I thought that they took the losers here after all, but I honestly doubted that they would make such a big deal of telling us how hopeless we are.

A sharp whistle ran through the hall, coming from its two sides. The quietly murmuring crowd suddenly went silent... except for those who had too good ears and welcomed the unpleasant voice with indignant chirping.

"...two, one... two..." came a crispy sound of a stallion from the same directions. "Here you go, sir!"

As I looked down to the projection screen, I just caught as a lanky pony hoofed over his microphone to Mr. Poltergeist. Soon enough, we could hear the slow, almost hypnotic speech of the dean from the speakers on the wall. "I welcome warmly everypony present: the leaders of the Academy, our fellow teachers, our dear guests and our newest students as well!" The red stallion took a conspicuously long pause, but before I could truly formulate the thought, he said it out loud: "That's right! I congratulate you, young apprentices, as everypony who got this far, has successfully passed the entrance exam! In fact, according to our statistics, you surpassed our expectations, as almost half of the applicants completed all three part of the test. Shall your steadiness persist and yours might prove to be the class with highest headcount so far! I myself wish that your enthusiasm may remain unshakeable."

"Now I would like to mention the matters of utmost importance to you: the forming of the classes, the requisition of school supplies, the timetables, and, what may excite your fantasies the most: the freshpony camp. Before I elaborate though, I shall clarify the process of the entrance exam for the reason that it might be non-evident for those participating. Few of you did realise that the purpose of this test was not the measuring of magical prowess, however, the staff kept hidden the nature of the attributes we were seeking for. The information we needed of our applicants was their reaction to a stressful situation. Our school is extremely demanding and that might prove highly straining for those with young minds. Each of you shall face intense exam situations, and there shall be none of you who can succeed every single occasion. Those that cannot handle failure with head held high, shall drop out!"

"Some panicked in the face of the unsolvable arrangement, some went on a tantrum and some overstrained themselves by using up every bit of their magical power, risking injury. We do not need students that follow orders blindly. This is not the military. We seek young intellectuals to help them rise into the elite of pony society. Thinkers, who can correctly estimate their capabilities and use them rationally. And those, whose will shall not break from failure. Advanced spells require a high degree of discipline, and even though we, unicorns, possess the gift of magic on an organic level, not every one of us can become true wizards."

"You have passed therefore a psychological aptitude test. The second part of the exam had the same purpose. We asked you thoroughly about your experiences of the failed task. Our best specialists analysed you and most of the applicants washed out in this phase. Those who were deemed eligible are here. I congratulations everypony again, you performed valiantly!"

Our dean paused for a breath and somepony used it immediately to shout in somewhere from the first lines. "Hey! And what about the third exercise?"

In spite of the dirty looks from the other teachers Mr. Poltergeist took the question with pleasure as if it was awaited. "Actually, I have never stated that the entrance exam would include three exercises," he said, squinting mirthfully. "The only thing I stated that it has three separate parts. What you think of is the experiment that I conducted with the cooperation of Mrs. Tome, senior lecturer of the Department of Complex Arcane Sciences. We developed a procedure through which we are able to measure one's certain magical abilities in a passive state. To prevent the outrage," he raised his voice, "the Princess gave us permission to perform this experiment and you shall receive the results as well, during the opening ceremony which shall take place in the sports hall, 3 pm Saturday, exactly one month from now. I would like to notify that the experiment did not have any influence on our decision about the admission to the Academy. It had a statistical significance."

"And now, it is time to get down to business! First of all, I would like to inform everypony that regarding the school supplies our students are only required to procure writing equipment and notebooks - everything else is provided by Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. The tuition is free of cost until the base exam, after that a nominal amount is to be paid by those without scholarship. This is no matter to you, yet, however, I would like to direct your attention towards the fact that scholarship may be received even after the second half-year if considered reasonable based on a student's performance. As you are quite numerous, you may expect high competition in the beginning."

"The next in line that is worth mentioning is the freshpony camp. I shall not share you every detail as the prospectus shall be placed on the bulletin board of this building so everypony can read it. It is to be aware of that the camp may not be obligatory, it is highly recommended. This is the easiest way to make acquaintances, which has a great importance as forming the classes before the base exam shall be your duty. One teacher may only supervise one class, with set minimum headcount and rearranging classes is only possible in the beginning of each year. So you should choose carefully. Timetables shall be also bound to the classes, although the organisation is within the scope of the head teacher's duties. That was everything from me today! We shall continue on the year opening ceremony and, of course, the freshpony camp, in two weeks. Those who can, should really participate!"