Friendship is Grim

by 6th Claw

Rating: mature
Tags: Equestria at War, Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance, Princess Luna, King Sombra, Suicide / Self Harm, Profanity, Adventure, Violence, Princess Celestia, Sex, Death, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5551

Mystery, Truth, Lies, Mythology. What separates these words is a set of thin lines, but in infinite worlds, lines are always crossed.

In infinite worlds, some are bound to be deeper

This world is ingrained in mystery, from Alicorns to Griffons, ancient society and great magics. What happened in the past, and what tragedies befell then that still effects the present even over a thousand years later? As creatures pull curtains, you will see a clearer and clearer picture.

This story is an AU beginning just before Season 1, following show characters and ones that both I and others helped me to sculpt.
This is not a Grimdark story despite the name, instead that is based on "The Brothers Grim".

Published 2024-12-06 05:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-25 17:01:20 UTC

Table of Contents

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Narration is typical text, sometimes serving as a meta look into a character's mind.

"Quotes are of course, speech."

italics are emphasized speech or narration.

Bolding means words imbued with magic, such as the Royal Canterlot voice, and will never be used for Narration.

Colored wording is unique to each character, and is only used through magic such as Telepathy. In this case, it would be Celestia's. This will rarely be used.

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Act I, Season 0

Chapter 1: Manehattan Raised

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Act II, Seasons 1&2

Nightmare Moon - Discord

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Act III, Season 3

The Dark King

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Act IV, Season 4

Eighth of a Kind

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Act V, Season 5: First Half

The Crystal Map

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Act VI, Season 5: Second Half

Mountain City

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Act VII, Season 6: First Half

Storm of The Century

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Act VIII, Season 6: Second Half

Lun ut Egomet

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Act IX, The Movie

The Invasion of Canterlot

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Act X, Season 7

Celestial Advice

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Act XI, Season 8

Twilight's Dream

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Act XII, Alt Season 9

Countdown

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Chapter 1: Manehattan Raised

Movement, a shift against the blanket above as her fur brushed into the soft wool; only preceeded by a displeased, gutteral groan.

She stretched her right hindleg, only to feel a tension, at which she snaps it back under her stomach. "Ouuuh." She groans, rolling up onto all fours, blearily opening her eyes with a soft whimper. "Morning already...?"

A loud buzz of her alarm proved her statement true, making her smack her desk twice with her left hoof before finally smushing the button on top of the Celestia-forsaken device. She then slid forward, catching her front half with her hooves and folding her back legs up to drop them after her thighs left the edge, tumbling each step forward towards her sunlit dresser.

Her horn flitters alight, illuminating her image in the glass, a black snout with purple fur running over her head. She flicks her neck seeing the image of herself, swinging aside her thick red and blue striped mane aside as her telekinesis bumbles down into the top drawer, slinking out a silver necklace and clipping it on.

She smiles then as she sees it dangle from her neck, brushing her short mane before pulling away and looking to the calendar hung beneath her magic clock, synced to the sun's orbit.

"Mmmhm," she hums, blinking and paying it no mind. "April twelfth, okay.." she says dearily, only a day or two until— "Twelffth." She slips through her teeth, slurring it out as she blinks again In realization, her brows raising. "The Twelfth!"

The following stumble towards the door did not hinder her proper, instead it only proves to hasten her escape from the room, magic snapping a badge and a scroll from her nightstand, nearly knocking it over as it rocked from the sudden slamming of its cabinets, she trotted down the hall and took a third item into her magic; a steaming hot cup of coffee. "Thank you dad, love you! I'm off to Canterlot!" She squeals.

"Don't get yourself hurt, alright?" He sternly throws back, letting a smile bite out from his lips, throwing open the door for her with his powder blue magic from across the apartment as he cooked.

She shoves herself out, "i'm a guard now! I'll be fine!" She nearly yells back, gently kicking the door shut with her right hind leg before trotting along the carpeted floor.

Raising her head up high, she smiled softly as she stepped into the elevator with soft metallic taps. Focusing on the button, her magic pushes it inwards with little energy, allowing her to weave the badge onto the necklace's thin chain.

A soft ding rings from the sliding doors as the elevator stops at the fifth floor. She shimmies to the side, her long tail curling around her own hindleg as three pegasi trot in and tap for the third level.

It's a silent trip down, not a word spoken between the group and herself, but quiet mumbles between the ponies she doesn't quite hear enough to make out. That's okay, not her business anyway.

She managed to get through that and the elevator hisses open at the ground floor, sweet air rushing in as she gallops out, floating a set of keys from her bag to the stallion at the counter. "Bye!" She gleefully said as she stepped backwards.

"Careful Pergrin, you know the rules." He replies, busy as ever back there, a line of three all flicking their heads over to see what, or rather
who, has distracted him.

She snorts, flicking her tail as she spins around. "Won't matter anymore!" She says, pushing the glass doors open to the busy streets, a yellow painted cart breezing past.

He simply shook his head as she bolted through the street to the other side, not caring for the marked path only three yards to her right. Not many did, really; just the fillies and colts at the corners going to school. She waves at them as she turns away, drawing a few friendly smiles back from the small groups.

"Where would it be..." She mutters, unwinding the top third of the scroll and mumbling the lines, "...Dogdays Avenue? Psh, alright. Gotta get through the hoof traffic." She says with a glance up, seeing the dozens on her side of the street alone, she decides to slip through the center park, trotting on the paved cobblestone and packed dirt..feels right.

She stopped just before the walkway, wrenching her head up to see what was ahead, seeing very little ponies, she smirked and hopped onto the smoother stone, hopping through the street to the other side and slipping between buildings to a smaller side street. "Jiffy still hates alleys, she'd chew me out for that one if she were here." She snickers to herself, sitting down with a thwump.

Incredulously, she looks around after a minute or so of waiting. "Do....I just wait? It doesn't say when they'll get here, exactly..."

Her eyes wander along the clean streets. At the pony wearing a top hat walk past, at the shiny silver lamp pole to her left, and finally moments later; a white furred pony in gilded armor.

Though a show of wealth, everypony with an inkling of knowledge at craftsponship knows that the gold is merely a sheet over finely crafted steel. She smiles, not just at their advance, but at the random thought. Seems she studied a bit too much recently.

He coughs into the cannon of his left leg as he stops, raising his eyes to her. "You are Pergrin Fable, correct?"

"One and only, Sir." She stands straight as her tail brushes against the walkway into the grass.

He nods, keeping a leveled gaze at her before turning. "We have a chariot ready, do you have the scroll for your admittance signed and rolled?"

"Of course!" She quickly replies to the stallion, unnerved by his unmoving features, eyes flicking over the armor as they step. "Ah, I do have one question, Sir."

"Captain will do, Ms. Fable." He responds.

She tilts her head to the left for just a second before snapping from the second of confusion. "M, Captain. Will I be getting armor?"

"Not quite. You will be receiving a harness, which does have plating mostly for the back and chest." His hoof steps fall evenly as he walks, each one exactly set after the last, akin to the rhythm of a drum.

She almost does the same unconciously. "Oh. Okay, good." She hums against her tongue, feeling her flat teeth. Tail twitching idly as her mind races on about Canterlot, approaching the edge of the city.

"The chariot will be slow," the guard informs as he shakes his wings. "But you will be on time, no later. As requested by the Princess."

"Oh th-the Princess?" She stares at him as they round to a short chariot she catches two pegasi guards, mysteriously also with white fur, pulling the harnesses up onto their backs and clicking each-other's straps together around their wings.

He tips his nose down in response, "she expects the best out of us, and we provide. Guard's honor, recruit."

"Guard's honor." She repeats with a small smile creeping onto her face, stepping up onto the carriage with shaky legs. She breathes out, "it's stable ground, stable ground..." She continues to repeat as she sits, as far forward as she can physically get against the curved plate.

The pegasi tug forward, shaking the vehicle just before it slides along the pavement, pulling up as they flap their wings, magic seeping through the treated leather and under her. She takes one last deep breath, one she might hold until she's atop the mountain...

Author's Note

Hello everyone! I'm sort-of new to this style of writing, and i've been lurking for a good long while. While you won't get an 'english isn't my first language' out of me, I hope you enjoy my style and vision!
I appreciate serious criticism, if you'll provide it. I'll likely update month by month, but occasionally it might take far less or a little more. I do have a concrete storyline up until Season 6, the task is simply writing it out.

Chapter 2: School of Magic

Author's Note

Hi! My last chapter was short.
To be honest, it was partially a test on multiple fronts... dipping my toes in, right? Future chapters, like this one, will be longer. I just didn't have a clean cut off point for the early story, that shouldn't be a problem anymore...regardless, about updating once every month will only apply eventually, I plan to get a few chapters up before the end of the year, going into Season 1 of the timeline.
A lot of the story is about figuring things out organically, so i'm trying not to push information into your faces. What's mystery without a good portion of confusion before the reveal, hm?

To answer a few questions you might have pre-emptively;
The Main 6 will be important, just not the direct focus, this story runs alongside them, and merges at points, especially down the road.
Any relationships including the main cast start canon first, which isn't many of the main cast at all.
Magic will be a massive staple of this story. I have a system that you've already seen hints of which builds off of canon for most of it, and am hoping you can see it get built up properly as time goes on.

Chapter 2: School of Magic

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It did not last. Her breath, that was. She takes a deep one only to fall to short rasps as she looked over the edge, clinging onto the board Infront of her with all her strength.

The guards were unbothered by her, but that kindness was not seen by the quaking unicorn, instead it only kept her attention on the miles long drop below them as they approached the lone mountain.

In the distance were miles upon miles of plains. Forests dotted the horizon, and far to the east, mostly behind them now, she vaguely sees a mountain range close to the coast.

Only as they approached the city did she look up, seeing the mountain side carved out masterfully, half of the old marble city is held on massive, curved columns, magic wards from centuries ago deeply embedded within the stone, still holding strong even after being strained more and more as time turned by.

One of the first words that came to her mind was pristine. Shining and bright, it truly looks as if the city was built yesterday. It finally draws her to sit up, tail wagging behind her as her eyes widen.

Canterlot, the Magic Capital of the world and seat of power of Equestria...the place she will study and train in for the next few years.

They fly over the newly built station, a large machine pushing out from the station with a hiss. The sound disappears as the painted carriages get pulled through a tunnel drilled into the mountain.

She finally takes a breath now as the chariot lowers towards the street, smoothly slowing with the two guards flap their wings forward until they come to a stop.

The third lands just next to the left wheel, giving her a lowered brow. "It's time for them to rest, recruit. Get off and follow me." He says with a turn forward, going past the straps.

She's halfway down by then, nearly stumbling off the cart as it wiggles under hoof. "Yes sir." She says, trotting alongside him with a raised head, tail sweeping along the ground. "...where to next Captain?"

He saves a glance to her from the side, looking forward then after with a graveled tone. "The Princess' school, she will be addressing the students in the afternoon."

Her eyes flick to the library on their right, three stories tall, white stone pillars with ponies, griffons, and zebras carved into them. Some depicted flying, others as speaking. Then the doors, with knockers depicting snakes biting the handles. The stained black wood holding the test of time with not a scratch..

She whistles softly and pulls her eyes away to stare forward, trailing her sight upwards to the castle. It stands at the end, past another two levels of Canterlot's foundations, over looking the city in its entirety.

An Earthpony steps by, nearly bumping into her with a quiet apology, quickly heading across the street to large square buildings along the edges.

"Ah, what is that?" She can't help but ask aloud as her head follows her eyes.

He turns his head to them, pausing in step. "That is the dockyard. Canterlot relies on blimps."

"Oh!" She nods, brushing her hair back as she turns to him, wondering why he didn't reprimand her for the question.

Instead of getting an answer, she sees him walking again. She mumbles, "aw horseshit." And she gallops back up to him, keeping pace again.

Under the first archway edges lined with gold and topped by a glowing gem, she feels the faintest buzz from her horn, gently running along the back of her neck, making her shiver after.

'A filter ward? ...for what?' She thinks to herself, pondering why. It's not like Canterlot has ever been invaded. Is the Princess worried? Maybe years upon years ago. Afterall...the wards holding the structure itself up are ancient.

The two round a corner, and she's greeted by a lit three story building almost seemingly carved from a massive block of marble, each cuve blending seemlessly into pillars, the decorations flowing downwards drawing her eyes to the open gates and the gardens within, which they step through.

She pulls in the sweet scent of roses and pine through her nose, exhaling with closed eyes as she savores the scent. This is it, the school any mage dreams of. Celestia's School for Talented Unicorns.

She opens her eyes again to see the guard turn to her. "Alright recruit, the School is private ground, even to the Royal Guard. Your room is two-ten. On your left entering you will see a staircase, take that and it should be in the second hall ahead."

"Understood!" She bleats out with a smile, stepping past him with a kick in her step.

She didn't bring much, infact, she didn't even remember grabbing her saddlebags in the morning. Luckily for her, it's how she had her scroll ready in the first place.

She stopped, right at the door. Looking to the symbols on the doors. "'Sun and moon, in harmony there I balance'." She quoted off the top of her head, "by the stars, i'm going to stand here forever if I keep distracting myself." She muttered with a sigh, reaching out with her magic to gently press against the doors.

Stepping forward as the heavy objects swung soundlessly, she glances each way. Wide, open halls atleast five ponies tall, her mouth opens slight as she realizes that every single wall she can see; forward, left, and right halls has paintings over them. Of ponies long past, from ancient history to past teachers.

Her hoof lifts up to admire a painting of a brown earthpony sporting golden hair. "She's..really pretty, who is she...?" She asks, before her right side crumples and she falls to the left with an undignified thump, the offender rolling over her and slamming his back into the solid tiles with a groan.

"Ughhhhh, Celestiadamnitall..." His wings bend in response to his pain and he rolls onto his stomach.

Pergrin snorts roughly, lifting her left hoof to steady herself she drags her entire body straight with a quick use of telekinesis. She shakes off any potential nausea from the swift movement and looks to the greyish pegasus.

"How're you doing down tere, slick?" She asks as she watches him, a smirk threatening to creep along her muzzle.

He wraps a leg over his nose and shakes his head. "I can't tell if you're faking that accent or not...sorry about that." He flaps as he kicks himself off the ground, flittering twice as he avoids falling over, stepping around on the spot to face her.

"Fake? Pure blooded Manehadanite. Just-" her eyes cross, "Manehattanite." She clears her throat. "Suppress it most of the time. I would hazard a guess that you... didn't see me?"

His mouth opens to counter, but he ends up laughing softly. She notices something about his teeth is wrong, but she can't quite place it with that little glimpse.. "Ahah...no, totally my fault. Name's Knight Shade, are you a new student too?"

She blinks thrice, studying him over. No horn, obvious scarring along his forelimbs, and tucked wings. Not exactly screaming...unicorn, though she has scars of her own, dealing with magical beasts will do that. "Pergrin...Fable. You're- a student here?"

She did not mask her tone well, she notices as his left brow raises. "Ah...yeah, Celestia's School for Gifted Ponies. Just so happens, i've got a certain skillset." He winks at her, flashing his teeth. Nice, clean and straight...with sharpened canines.

"O-oh? Your-" she stares right at his mouth, her own lips pressed together attempting to process a reply.

"My...?" He raises his head with a right tilt.

She takes a breath and looks him eye to eye again. "Your...teeth, are you-?

He snorts. "Vamponies aren't real, I sharpened them."

There's a terse silence following that as she brushes the fur on her side into place with a flick of her magic. ".....why." She asks the question with a tone ponies would sooner hear a guardspony use to a criminal.

"Cutiemark reasons. It's why i'm here. Thought it was rude to pry." He smiles playfully, flicking his tail.

"Manehattan, all we can do is pry." She snorts. "I think I can tolerate you enough, though i'm still confused, I thought this was a Unicorn school?"

His eyes gleam as something clicks. "Ah. Canterlot's mostly Unicorns, some of the folks throw that around as an insult."

Her ears lie flat back against her head as her eyelids lower. "Well, that's..mean."

"Such is life." He shrugs before curling his wings back, flippantly turning away from her. "Welp, gotta get to my room, seeya."

"Wait-" she steps forward as he's already hapfway down the hall, kicking back off the ground before flying up the stairs. "...nevermind. i'll probably see him again."

She walked calmly down the hall, lifting herself up the stairs as her bags floated from her back, hanging in the air aside her.

Opening the door, she finds herself in a very small apartment. Another door to her right and to her left is a bed up against the back wall, and a dresser turned facing it. She flops the bags onto that and steps to the bed.

"This is where i'll be for awhile, huh?" She asks as she steps back, looking along the mirror stop the dresser, turning to her side. Dark patches of fur droop over her hooves, her tail is long like a lizard's - it's said that Kirin have similar tails but they're mostly myth to most, her cutiemark has always confused her, though her talent seems to be magical beasts; it's a glowing candle atop a golden plate surrounded by four-pointed stars.

"Four points, one of the two symbols of magic. Candle, meaning to....read into? Reveal?" She mutters and shakes her head. No matter what she never fully understood, most ponies understand by the time they get it...no help for her.

She lifts her head and straightens out, flicking her tail as she locks eyes to the mirror. "I can do this." She says, "i've been wanting this for ages, I will do this. So my family can relax. So my sister can go to school too..." She takes a steadying breath, relaxing her shoulders.

"I am Pergrin Fable. Daughter of the Fable family. My mother is sick, and needs treatment. I've always wanted to be a guard, and i've proven myself for scholarship, my horn is lit and my mind steady." She nods and turns from it towards the door. "I'm enough."

With having reassured herself, she steps from the room and closes the door behind her with barely a thought. Telekinesis is anypony's game, and with enough practice, a powerful unicorn can cast it as easily as one breathes. She barely feels a pull anymore with common tasks, really.

She turned around the steel railing, pressing a hoof along its cool surface with a shiver before stepping down, trotting back to the double doors and turning down the center hall.

Her lips twitch as her ears flick just once, she ignores them as she opens the doors to the auditorium....which is found empty beyond a large podium across from the door.

"Oh. Am I early?" She looks around, a short pause then she takes a set of four steps forward, she doesn't see anypony in the bleachers behind her, nor any of the other doors across the room open.

She looks to the large podium, "I wonder who will address us." She whispers with wonder. Maybe it would be Commander Shield, she thinks, "or even Lady Cadance."

"Unfortunately, she is quite disconnected from the school." A powerful voice responds, metallic steps echoing from the left.

"Oh-did I say that aloud?" The horned pony asks as she turns towards the new voice, stopping half-step in her turn as she comes eye to...well, chest with Celestia, slowly looking up.

She gives a thin but warm smile, both eyes on her. "I'm afraid you did. How was your trip, Ms. Fable?"

"You-" she swallows harshly, unable to look away, "you know m-my name, Princess?"

She nods slowly, almost precise. "I know the names of all of my students. Though I only tutor one directly, this still is my school afterall." She chuckles, stepping up to the podium, pressing a strong hoof atop it.

"Of course!" She squeaks out, eyes still following the Alicorn, shimmying to the side she glances just towards the podium. "...you mean, Twilight Sparkle, right?"

"Yes, I do. She's quite a smart young mare. When I first tested her, she broke the previous scale." The tall pony says with a quiet reminiscence, eyes flicking up as she remembers the past before she turned back to the Unicorn.

"Right." Pergrin's tone shifts lower at that, still slighted by the purple pony. She used to be a nine-point-three...and hadn't been retested yet. "Thank you for the transport here, your Highness, i'm sorry to make you go out of your way."

"Nonsense, any promising pony deserves their chance." She tuts, "I was happy to send for you, and for the other seven that have joined from other schools this year."

Pergrin can only watch with wider eyes, she's so nice. She was expecting..well, something harsher. Not that she thought Celestia was a tryant but... they say meeting idols leads to disappointment.

A spark appears in the taller one's eyes. "You should sit, before your choice of seating gets taken."

"Right, of course Princess." She bows her head and steps backwards, twisting around to step up onto the bleachers, turning and sitting on the third row near the middle.

She watches as the Alicorn sits upon the podium, massive feathered wings tucked to her sides. Ponies begin to step in from the center hall and the doors on either side of the room. Mostly Unicorns, but notably atleast a dozen Pegasi, and maybe...seven Earthponies? They blend in a tad better than their flying counterparts.

The bleachers fill quick, leaving ample room between each student, there's..really not that many here, a hundred-fifty at most, from a glance? She gets a few who watch her mark as they pass, her tail curling against her hip.

Being a magic talent is hard to conceal, the stars always point you out. Twilight is one of the few she's heard of that has a six-pointed star, the symbol of true magic.

She presses her teeth together, taking a breath through her nose as she refocuses below.

"Sup, mage, what's cooking in that fryer of yours?" A rude pegasus steps over, a quick look reveals the same one from before, pointing a primary at her horn.

"Fryer?" She asks, raising a terse brow at him, what she felt was a heavy weight into her half-glare.

He shrugs and sits a few feet away from her as his wing slips back against his body, unconcerned by it. "Yeah, fryer. Felt like a kabob rolling over it."

Her face scrunches as her head hangs, swinging her snout away as she draws in a breath. "Shut up you're not funny."

"Looked like I was." He comments smugly, either he caught her or he's that sure if himself...probably both as she considers her earlier interaction with him.

She rolls her eyes and looks to Celestia. Not the worst pony to sit next to her, she guessed as he leaned back and left her be, looking at the Princess himself.

The Alicorn stood, clearing her throat as she raised a hoof to the lectern on the podium. "Ponies! Unicorns, Pegasi and Earthponies hear me please!" Her voice drifted through the crowd, silencing the ambience in the room.

"What a lovely summer it has been, and look at you all, how the older of you have grown. Look at the new students, bright and ready. Every year, I wonder about you ponies, how you feel and how you will adapt to the ever changing Equestria we live in, and every year I am astonished by you all.

Each and every one of you are brilliant." She praises with a smile, "I am proud of every pony that has passed and will pass through these doors. I am ready and preparing for the future this generation of students will bring about."

She shiffles herself from the podium, raising her wings. "This year is very special, as it is the nine-hundred ninety-ninth year of the Solar calendar."

The crowd cheers, drawing Pergrin to follow even if she wasn't going to, though why would she not? She gives it her all, whistling loudly through her teeth.

"After the winter," she begins, the ponies immediately settling down, their eyes intently on the tall mare. "Will be the thousandth year. In celebration, there will be a competition within the school, both this year and the next! To enter the Legend Twenty."

The pegasus besides her laughs softly, "now that's what I want to hear." He whispered.

Pergrin blinks in confusion on contrast to him, not knowing at all who the Twenty were. To her knowledge, there only existed the Solar, Royal, and Citizen's Guard.

Celestia does not explain, to the detriment of the Unicorn's curiousity. "Anypony who wishes to sign up, will either be approached by an existing Captain of the Twenty, or will find a board in this very room by tomorrow, against the wall behind me." She alerts, gesturing to the massive blank black wall across from the bleachers, one of the few undecorated outside the dorms.

"To all our other students, before we begin the annual magical testing, classes will begin in two days! To our new students; do not worry about expenses, you will be compensated for three meals a day within the city, and the dorms are free.

Pergrin exhales as they explain this, her spine relaxing into place, that means she can save up more money.

"With that all being said! Mr. Ambrosia, would you please step with me to the training hall to begin your test? Thank you." The princess lowers her wings, stepping down from the platform as she leaves the room entirely.

She watches a tall orange coated unicorn step out after them before settling as others are called, one by one for half an hour, watching the Pegasus besides her as he pulls out a solid metal tube bottle from his obscured pack to drink from.

She sighs and looks up at the ceiling as she waits. Figuring it will take longer, exept, as she does, she hears it.

"Pergrin Fable, it is your turn to be tested." The white Alicorn spoke echoingly through the room. A little haunting, the Unicorn thought, but that was immediately clouded by others.

She raced up, stepping past the others in her row and trots down, taking long strides towards the Princess and out the doors with them. They're silent as she's lead just a few steps away into a smaller room.

One with a mechanical target surrounded by gemstone embedded into the farthest wall and a single lone camera in the corner pointed right at them both, nothing else but blank white walls.

Familiar, but..Celestia stepped past her and stood next to the wall. Being watched by the Alicorn was tense, a goddess overseeing her test is a tad overwhelming.

"You know the standard test, correct? Nothing has changed, but it will be slightly more thorough." Celestia says, pulling up a perfectly round 2 inch steel sphere in her blazing golden magic. "This is your power test, please do not hold back."

The instant she let go, it was taken by the Unicorn. Magic can't catch magic, that was one of the most basic of rules. "Of course your highness," Pergrin swiftly replied, hovering the steel ball dorently infront of her horn.

No holding back, she drew power from deep in herself, a buzz washing through her chest as it pools to her horn; the magic drawing from the space beyond and into her body, up through the focus of magic. She released at its apex, flinging the sphere with a crack.

The wall glowed a bright white, the gemstones buzzing loudly as the sphere's energy was rebounded across hundreds of wards, recorded into the device. The wall glows with glistening silver lettering.

"Eight-point-seven bass, Powercaster." Celestia remarked with a hum, nodding soft. "Firmly a World-class caster."

The lowering of her score is unfortunate, but it's hard to be angry with the praise, the Unicorn giving a smile in return. "Th..thank you, Princess."

She studies the unicorn, then taps the wall as she takes the steel ball from the ground with a hoof.

The ceiling clicks, and a small platform is lifted down by golden magic. Atop is a set of thirty near-identical stones. "These are each fifty pounds lift as many as you can at once."

Pergrin took a breath, a test of strength and focus. This is something she can definitely do. One at a time, she lifts until she can no longer.

Celestia counts them out individually, and returns to looking at them with a hum. "Eighteen, very good, " she praised again, "you may release them now."

And so she did, only for them and the platform to be lifted back into the ceiling with a click. No effort at all shown on the Alicorn's features, only the eternal soft smile and calm reflective eyes.

"Stars," she breathed, lifting herself up. Thereit is, something in the Alicorn's face. A twitch of her left eyelid. So..strange.

She doesn't miss a beat though. "The elemental test you will not need to retake, as your results have been measured already..a proficiency in earth and water, but a weakness in air and fire, correct?"

"Yes," Pergrin affirmed, "that's correct."

"Good." She taps her hooves together, standing again. "That will be all, Ms. Pergrin. I do hope to speak to you again."

The Unicorn nodded before slowly making her way out and down the hall, taking a breath. Her heart was beating through her chest. Why? Was she scared? Exited? It wasn't very clear even to her...she guessed both as she walked in silence.

"I should go to sleep." She said under her breath as she finally made it to the stairs, trudging up and to her door. With a soft heave using her right hoof, she swung it open, closing it behind her with a flick of her horn by instinct.

She flopped onto the bed, digging into the luscious embrace of cottony warmth. Dragging her the blanket over herself with kicks and drags of her magic, slowly drifting into dull sleep. Like she's always done.

Chapter 3: Time Flies By

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