In the Empire of Equestria, the Kingdom of Eternal Sun, a fertile green hill-scape was the backdrop against which the Capitol City of Canterlot was painted. Canterlot, a city of glass and crystal spires that rise in sparkling eminence toward the radiant sun, was the Jewel of the Kingdom, an impossible confection, tribute to the Ruler of Equestria, where each member of Nobility tried to outdo all others in their construction, using translucent and transparent walls and ceilings to paint glittering mosaics of light across the floors of each crawling manse. Each new building stretched taller than the last, each wall polished to a higher sheen than the wall before, each one a desperate cry for favor, each a monument to the Glory of Light.
In the warm summer, at the eighteenth hour, a cool breeze blew through the upper tower in the Student’s wing of the Royal Palace in Canterlot. These high altitude breezes, mused Twilight, were one of the comforts that made living in the high tower WORTH all of the stairs it took to get to bed. The downside, of course, was that she had to keep all of her notes and essays weighted down else they blew away and she would lose an afternoon chasing them, or an afternoon rewriting them. Twilight wondered what it would be like to have a research assistant for that sort of thing.
She moved her paperweights into position at the corners of a fresh, blank page, and readied her quill, unable to resist the urge to speak aloud as she wrote. It felt good to speak, good to hear a voice, even if she was alone with her studies at this time of day.
“One thousand years ago, when Equestria was young, two sisters lived in a happy dance. They were born as Alicorns, one white as Truth and the other was as black as pitch. As they grew, and played together, one learned that she had been born to raise our glorious sun high into the sky to illuminate all of Equestria! The other summoned things called the Moon and Stars, pale reflections of the sun’s light, beautiful and mysterious, but not at all warming, and too weak to light the way. These sisters were Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.” She sipped some tea, sharpened her quill, and continued.
“In the Day, as Princess Celestia watched over Equestria, ponies worked and played together, they laughed and smiled and lived happy lives, and She saw that it was good, and she was pleased, and she was content with her role. “ The tone of Twilight’s voice then changed.
“In the night, Princess Celestia slept, and in the darkness ponies gathered together in their homes to sleep if they were good, loyal ponies. Some ponies, though, did other things in the dark of the night. They held secrets; they did things that they didn’t want Princess Celestia to see because they knew that what they did was wrong. In the morning, Princess Celestia could tell from their faces that they were hiding the truth. She went to her sister, Princess Luna, to find out why.”
“But Princess Luna only smiled. She would not say what secrets the ponies had shared in the night. She knew their wrongness, but in her heart she was jealous of the day, and guarded the secrets of her ponies so that she might console herself with being the weaker sister, without Princess Celestia’s Glorious Light.” Outside of her room in the tower, the bells chimed the nineteenth hour. Twilight stifled a yawn, and set down her quill.
“It never seems like I have as much time to do homework as I want.” She looked out of her window at the brightly lit castle proper, and the city of Canterlot below. There was much of Canterlot’s usual bustle; however the ponies that needed an early start were already heading home to prepare for sleep. “At least it’s not due until Monday. I can work on it once I inspect the preparations for the Summer Sun celebration in Ponyville.” The purple pony sighed to herself, not really looking forward to stepping away from her studies, but still proud that Queen Daystar had begun trusting her with duties outside of her studies. Finally, she would be able to start contributing for the glory of Equestria! Still, it was just the preparations for the Summer Sun celebration. This year Celestia was going to be visiting a small town; after all, she changed her destination every year.
“Maybe while I’m out, I can pick up another Loyal Citizen doll.” She eyed her own cherished toy, laying on Twilight’s pillow in permanent, cuddly salute, “Loyal Citizen Good Student, I really like your mane, but I think you need some company.” So saying, Twilight stepped away from the sun’s warm glow through the window, and prepared for sleep.
Sometimes our dreams are playful fancy, and sometimes our dreams are prophesy. Today, Twilight dreams of the past. In her mind’s eye, it was years ago. She was in her father’s workshop. Sleep recalls to her those cherished days with her family, days when she was learning so much about the world, and when her magic was finally starting to behave the way she wanted it to. That was when she began to show real TALENT for magic.
Scenes flash by; she saw her parents smiling and clapping as she fixed her favorite toy all by herself. They were hugging her and tossing her up into the air, she feels again the giddy rush of falling before her father catches her, and smells again his ridiculous cologne that had always made her nose tickle. The warmth of her family makes her smile, her memories upturning the corners of her mouth even in dreams, at first.
The memories continue. Her powers are strong, her control is fine and precise, but when she gets nervous, she loses all focus, as if she had no magic at all. She sees the worried looks that her mother and father share as the realization dawns, she must be trained, and there was no magic school that they can afford. The only option, the Equestrian Empire School for the Loyal and Talented, was the most sought-after school among the upper crust. Competition was stiff, entrance exams are punishing, and the rumors are that the lower you fall within society, the harder your exam was. Failing your application was a mark of shame, and reapplying rarely lead to acceptance. If she didn’t pass, she wouldn’t be trained. She might never meet her full potential.
In her memories, she cries into her pillow, her brow furrows with the remembered anxiety. Suddenly the flashes resolve into a single image, and her dreams dive head-first into the past. She remembers everything with crystal clarity, every last detail. “Now, Twilight, darling, you’re going to do fine.” Her mother’s voice, always so soothing, light and rich, like whipped cherries, “You’re the most talented child anyone has ever seen, and that’s not just your Father and I that think so.” Twilight was grateful for the words, but for the warm hug her mother bestowed she was ever more so. “When we get home, your father will be off of work, and you can tell him all about how the judges were just as impressed as Mister Salt Hoof and Misses Salt Hoof were.”
Twilight tried to ease her expression, forcing her anxiety down below the surface so that her mother wouldn’t worry. It was only a few moments later her name was called, and she was ushered into the room to be tested. Her first impression was the sour looks of the three officials testing.
“Approach the table, Miss Sparkle. Your test begins.” One of the three unicorns removed a cloth covering the object on the table, “Now.” On the table sat a purple dragon egg, with flecks of green. She felt her stomach sink as she stared into the face of certain failure.
There are many ways to test magical talent; the most traditional is through the manipulation of an object in some way relevant to its structure. Water can be boiled or frozen, wood can be shaped or grown, but eggs are different. Eggs must be hatched. Chicken or duck eggs are often used for the talented among the elite to show off their prowess, or sprung to surprise the unprepared lower class trying to make their way in without friends to support their efforts. Twilight had been given a dragon egg that day; no test more difficult had ever been administered. No test so difficult had EVER been passed.
Anxiety fills the filly as she struggles to summon up her magical strength. The egg remained unmoved, gained no cracks, and showed no reaction to her efforts at all. In fact it seemed not only did the shell readily absorb all of the force she applied, she was then so flustered that she was losing control. She straines, but feels as if she were grasping at fog. She can almost SEE the magic she reaches for but she can not grasp it; she can not bring it to bear. In her desperation, she begins to cry.
The snide smirks of the test administrators do nothing to help her confidence. They had chosen this test to see her fail; they had other plans for the slot on the student roster that she would otherwise take up. Through her tears, still Twilight strains and struggles. She was willing the egg to hatch, BEGGING the egg to hatch. Every fiber of her being NEEDED that egg to hatch. Her mother would see she was a failure; her father might never praise her again.
Finally, her mouth full of ash and her heart full of defeat, Twilight’s strength flags and she gives up. She schools her expression back into a polite, obedient mask. She bows to the assessors, an apology forming on her lips. They all look on expectantly, not even trying to hide their satisfaction.
Twilight speaks, but the words are never heard. Instead there was a sound, a deafening roar; a growling, rumbling boom like nothing she had ever imagined rang through the room. It was as if a the fat grandfather of a thousand thunders had set all of his offspring loose at once. This sound shook the sky, shook Twilight, shook the very stones she stood upon, and as she rose up on her hooves in fear, all of her anxiety snapped away from her in a flood of complete shock. In that instant, that one brief, clear, instant, she felt a clear path straight from her heart, leading to all of the magic she needed, and she seized it.
More magic flows through Twilight than she had ever felt before as a rainbow streaked across the sky outside the window. The startled assessors look on as the straining filly brought the flow of power to her target, the egg. Instantly, it seems, cracks form and an infant dragon appears from the shattered shell. She lets go of the power in relief, but to her dismay it does not cease. Power surged wildly through her body, leaping from her horn like arcs of lightning, seeking targets, changing them. The assessors are transmogrified, the Dragon swells up as the most absorbent target in the room, growing ten, twenty, bursting through the ceiling at one hundred feet tall. Twilight cries out in fear at what she had done, but she could not stop until a flash of fire burst up through the center of the classrooms. There in her glorious majesty stood Empress Daystar, her burning mane glowing like the sun. With the stamp of a single hoof, Daystar wrested the magics from Twilight, brought them to heel. As the filly looked on, Daystar returned order to the chaos she had created; the dragon to an infant, the assessors back into their true forms. Twilight gave a weak sigh of relief and fell, her strength draining away as the room spun.
Outside the cheerfully sunlit window, the bell tower rang out the seventh hour. This was the first hour of the day that did not dampen their sound, signaling time to rise and work to all, for a glorious Equestrian Empire. From her position in bed, snuggled up to her Loyal Citizen doll, Twilight opened her eyes with a yawn. She had awakened a few minutes before, but it always seemed that compulsion to deny the presence of a new day won out until the morning bells grew loud.
Twilight’s reluctance to awaken lost out to her sense of duty, and soon the mare put forth the effort to drag herself from bed and make ready. Fortunately, her audience with the Empress wasn’t until nine, meaning that a rush was not required. Nevertheless, punctuality was encouraged, and one ALWAYS found themselves wise when choice of action fell within what Daystar encouraged. Grooming, Breakfast, and cleaning out of the way rapidly saw Twilight leaving her room with half an hour to spare, an acceptable range by Royal standards.
The approach to the Throne room, where Empress Daystar held most of her audiences, was always unnerving. The walkways were lined with particularly grievous offenders against public order. Each a perfect stone representation of their last moments, their defiance cut short by the Empress’ swift justice and sure hoof. For the good of all Equestria, that was the Empress’s burden. Truly, these difficult actions were necessary to maintain honesty and the public good. Still, Twilight could not stop the shiver that ran up her spine each time she traversed the walkway, and could not bring herself to look out over the uncovered section of the walkway leading into the Royal Gardens, where the lesser known offenders were stored, thousands of perfectly kept statues, two of which she could not bear to look upon.
Twilight made her way finally, mercifully inside the doors to the main hall that lead to the throne room. Immediately, her way was barred by an unpleasant, but not unexpected, impediment. Purple-scaled wings outstretched to increase the imposition of his appearance, Daystar’s assistant, Spike, stood blocking Twilight’s path through the hallway. His polished silver breastplate shone in the sunlight that filtered throughout the entire palace, his scales glittered, and his visage was cold, even after all the time she had known him,
“Halt! State your purpose for entering the palace of Empress Daystar of the Equestrian Empire!” He growled the words out of habit, he knew that she was there at the Empress’s request, but he knows, too, that punishment for failing to execute his own orders is swift, and unpleasant. Twilight couldn’t talk with Spike; he didn’t really seem to want anything but solitude when he wasn’t working. His unfriendliness aside, though, she definitely didn’t envy his position. The Empress’s favor came with a heavy price, and Twilight paid enough of it already.
“I come in answer to Empress Daystar’s summons. She has commanded an audience. You already know this, Spike.” There was no reason for her to give him a hard time about doing his duty, but she hadn’t slept well, and snappishness seemed to follow.
“Enter, Twilight Sparkle. The Empress awaits your presence within.” He looked bored, or annoyed, or SOMETHING unhappy. It was hard for her to tell with dragons. Still, keeping the empress waiting was never a good idea, and she hurried on her way once he stepped out of her path.
The throne room itself couldn’t be said to be lavish. Marble and mirror-polished silver tiled the floor, and the great domed roof was composed of spotless, sparkling glass to let the glory of the sun shine down upon its master, Her Majesty Empress Daystar. Daystar herself rested on the throne, mane shining fiery yellow and red like the sun, too bright to look upon directly. Her shining platinum armor reflected her glow in all directions, leaving sparkling motes of light dancing all over the throne room; it was a sight truly majestic. Twilight sometimes wondered what it might be like to look upon the empress through smoked glass, however such was forbidden. She knelt before the throne, bowing until her brow touched the floor, and waited to be addressed.
“Twilight Sparkle, our loyal student, you will rise and address the throne.” Five minutes had passed since Twilight’s arrival. The Empress must have been in a hurry.
“Your Majesty, I have come to receive your instruction for the Summer Sun preparations in Ponyville,” Twilight kept her gaze on the floor in front of the Empress, as was proper and respectful. She secretly wondered what work would be required of her, and if she would have time to sneak in more homework before her return.
“Yes, the time for the Summer Sun Celebration draws near again. Ponyville will receive us for the unveiling of a new statue in our honor; a banquet and a parade are to be held. The highlight will be a royal speech before the nineteenth hour of the day strikes. Your task will be to see to vital preparations including, but not limited to, inspection of the food gathering for the Royal Banquet, Inspection of the Weather Patrol’s preparations, verify the preparedness of the new statue to be dedicated, oversee the readiness of the decorations, and the chorus for the Equestrian Anthem’s readiness. Are you prepared?”
“Yes, your Majesty. All will be as you wish, and your coming shall be heralded as you require.” Twilight nodded, waiting to be dismissed so that she could get started. The sooner her work was finished, the sooner her studies could resume.
“Additionally, you will make time to befriend the ponies of Ponyville. I expect a full report of their loyalty to Equestria upon your return. An empire is only as healthy as the loyalty of its subjects, and as our representative, your friendship will be our friendship, engendering the loyalty we require.”
“Yes, your Majesty.” It took a great effort of will to avoid any sort of outburst at the Empress’s strange instructions. This wasn’t like anything Twilight had been ordered to do before. She secretly wondered if she COULD befriend ponies she had never met before. Surely if she had been ordered, it must be within her power, else the Empress would have chosen someone more worthy. The shift in lights indicated the Empress’s dismissive nod. Twilight was free to go. She bowed low, and backed out of the chamber. She was bound for Ponyville, and she had a great deal of work to do.
