"What a dream..." I thought, still sitting on the couch after completing my morning routine. Still, it wasn't enough to fully wake me up.
If I got distracted enough, sleep would claim me again, causing me to close my eyes and start nodding off.
Shortly after, my mom came out of her room and offered me my bag, waking me up a bit.
She took out a list of school supplies and began filling the bag. Each time she added something, she checked it off the list to make sure nothing was missing. Once she finished, we headed out. Morning rays streamed in through the transom window above the door.
"All set? Pencils? Parchment? Pens? Inks? Ruler?" my mom asked as she inspected my bag for the third time.
"All set," I replied, letting her check it without protest.
My dad had already left for work a while ago, after finishing his supercharged coffee.
*Yawn* I'm not a morning pony. I rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my right arm as my mom smoothed down my coat and sweater.
Today I'm wearing a light blue sweater, also with the enchanted expanding pocket.
"Say hello to the camera!" my mom said, snapping me out of my reverie.
I opened my eyes and flashed a serene smile as I held the bag strap with my hoof.
The flash hit me directly in the eyes, blinding me for a long moment.
"Let's go or we'll be late," she said while leading me somewhat hastily. After a few steps, we settled into a more leisurely pace; all the while, my mom set the pace.
*Yawn*
We left the house without locking the door, without a deadbolt, without any kind of anti-burglar security lock.
I'm not surprised, having witnessed this level of trust in neighbors and strangers... If I ever have my own house, I'll definitely put a lock and bolt on it. There are always strange people, and I don't think ponies are the exception.
I follow my mom's rhythm as she hums a peaceful song that demonstrates her current happiness.
Even a little sleepy, I walk with my eyes closed, anyway I don't need to open them to see at all.
*Clop, clop* The street is filled only with the sound of my mom's footsteps. Mine are there too, but much more muffled. I don't wear horseshoes, so my footsteps don't make as much noise. Besides, being a colt means I'm still growing, and it's not appropriate to wear horseshoes at my age. I'm also light.
Soon, the street is filled with several fillies of various colors and sizes, all walking in the same direction with large backpacks or carts loaded with school supplies. That means we're almost there.
"!!!" For some reason, I attract a lot of attention. Several older fillies keep staring at me or staring directly at me.
"Fufufu~," my mom giggles, hiding it with the back of her hoof, while giving me a look full of amusement... and a little pride, I think. I'm still struggling to distinguish any emotions on their equine faces.
She looked back at me with that same smile, now clearly amused.
"You have a very busy future ahead of you, mijo."
"???" I just tilted my head. I don't want to think too much right now.
*Giggles* As soon as I did that, the fillies started laughing and murmuring among themselves.
Ignoring all that, I wonder what my first class will be about. What kind of magic will the teacher introduce us to? Will we see something specialized?
I imagine a mare using magic to surprise us, teaching something advanced to capture everyone's attention. It must be something beautiful or amazing to watch… and controlled enough to use in front of foals.
"!!!" I'm starting to get a bad feeling.
After several minutes, we arrived at the school. Several parents were saying goodbye to their daughters, some unwilling to leave their side.
We continued walking inside the school in search of my classroom.
It was easy to find. There were small signs on the walls attached to colored lines guiding the way.
Sleep had already cleared from my mind. So far, I've only counted eight colts... Now I understand a little why I'm drawing attention. Perhaps in a regular school, there would be more colts present.
I'd already read several books that made it clear how dominant the female presence is in magical, athletic, and academic fields.
Being male is almost considered a symbol of fragility. It's not that we really are, but our talents are often overshadowed by females, as if it were something dictated by genetics, just like certain physical aspects.
Luckily, my parents don't impose rigid ideas on my lifestyle... for now.
We arrived without problems at the Blue Comet classroom, which is near the back exit of the school, heading towards the playground.
My mom took a deep breath, and her gaze filled with determination. She took me by the shoulders and made me look at her.
"Pay close attention to what your teacher says. Don't fight with anyone. Don't let them intimidate you for being a colt. Show them that you too can be just as good as them, or better." Tears pooled in her eyes as she refused to let me go.
"I understand... I love you, Mom. See you in the afternoon." I walked over to hug her goodbye, and my mom started to cry.
"Oh, my sweet baby! Mommy's just so happy for you. Go have fun and make some new friends, okay?" She squeezed me tightly, lifting me off the floor in a big hug and then pushing me toward the classroom. Otherwise, she wouldn't let me go. It seemed like she'd take me back home if I stood with her in the entryway.
Obviously, we made a scene in the middle of the hallway, but we weren't the only ones. In some cases, it was the filly who was crying, refusing to be away from her parents.
With a warm feeling filling my chest, I smiled.
"Hai! I'm going." With confidence in her love driving me, I walked toward the classroom, where a few fillies were already sitting nervously, while others were chatting with a friend.
Lyra stood out like a beacon on a stormy night among all the fillies.
"Here! Sit here! I already saved you a spot!" Lyra bounced around a little, pointing to her table and raising her hoof to get my attention.
I could only smile at her enthusiasm and head over to her.
Although I approached Lyra, she didn't look at me or engage in conversation; she remained focused, staring at the two entrances, waiting. I've rarely seen her so focused.
Taking the seat next to her, I placed my bag under the table, which had a space for personal items. I took my time preparing my things.
"Twilight! Here! Come sit with us!" Lyra shouted as soon as she saw Twilight peek into the classroom. Just like when I first arrived, she tried her hardest to get her attention.
"Wait! I have to take a picture!" Twilight shouted with a smile upon seeing us, then spoke to whoever had accompanied her to school.
It wasn't long before she came over and took a seat on the other side of Lyra, who had now finally sat down, happily.
"Now we're all here!" Lyra exclaimed, happy to have us both next to her.
We sat down, filled with excitement for our first class. I was even more excited about the magic I would be learning, or the mysteries I might still be unaware of or have overlooked in my excitement.
I think my concern about being taught preschool stuff lessened when I noticed how excitedly many of the fillies were talking or gossiping about basic magical theories or their favorite types of magic. Not for nothing is this the school for gifted Foals.
Swish! The door opened, and finally, an adult pony entered the room. A mare whose presence dictated order and discipline with her well-measured and controlled strides.
*clop, clop… clop*
Her serious posture, along with her firm gaze, gave her a touch of authority as she observed all the fillies, who quickly took their seats.
"Well... class, let me introduce myself. I will be your teacher, who will guide you through all your academic doubts and difficulties this year. My name is Miss Maple. If you have any curiosity or questions, don't hesitate to come forward." Standing in front of the podium, Miss Maple introduced herself. If she wore glasses, she would win points as a strict teacher.
"I'll call the class to order, and the first activity will be to introduce yourself. We'll start with the first filly in the left row. That's you, sweetheart. Stand up confidently and say your name and what you want to be when you grow up." Miss Maple stepped down from the podium and approached a poor filly, who began to shake like a rattlesnake's tail, growing more agitated with each step the teacher took. But just when it seemed she would be overcome by nerves, the teacher's voice abruptly changed, she became very gentle, and she displayed a serene, patient smile.
The same scene was repeated with each filly. Only a few had the overwhelming confidence to speak with conviction about their dreams. As I listened to them... I started to think: what profession do I want to have when I grow up? Something I obviously hadn't thought about. My desire and life goal isn't related to work; it's simply curiosity about magic.
To make some great discovery or revolutionize magic as we know it today.
"Your turn, sweetheart." The teacher's voice brought me out of my thoughts when I saw her standing in front of my table. I think I was too focused on myself.
I took a breath and released my doubts. I'll say what my heart desires.
"Hello everyone, I'm Wizbell Star, and my dream... no, my goal is to discover the secrets that magic still holds and revolutionize our understanding of it. And that begins by studying here, learning from the best, so I can go further than I could on my own."
Without realizing it, the magic circle around my heart, for a moment, released a small magical pulse resonating with my conviction.
...
..
.
.
I felt my entire face heat up after what I said. I have conviction, but showing it so sincerely in front of other children... how embarrassing. The good thing is I'm a child; I should be shameless just like one.
I snorted. I sat back down with my arms crossed while trying to ignore everyone's stares.
*Applause* The teacher began to clap happily.
"It will be a challenge, but I'm excited to wait for what great surprises you can bring, Wizbell. I hope you can follow through with your dream. Now it's your turn, my little one."
The presentation activity continued normally. Because I was distracted by self-analysis and understanding myself, I didn't hear Lyra and Twilight's dreams.
"Okay, we're done with the activity. Now a question: Can you use telekinesis to write? Raise your hooves if you can." As soon as the teacher finished the question, we all raised our hooves... which took me by surprise.
I expected less, but I see the class is quite high-level. I wonder if they divided us by our skill level or potential.
I remember when I filled out the registration form, my parents filled out some of the information, and they were very proud of me for including all my abilities: Reading, Writing, Basic Magical Control, Advanced Telekinesis. I guess maybe they did classify us with that information.
"Hou! Seriously, everyone knows how to use telekinesis? Then let's play a little game. I'll take this ball, and you'll have to pass it around until it comes back to me. But every time it touches you, you have to write a word with the letter of the alphabet you got, using the ball. Watch, that's how you do it."
The teacher took a ball from a shelf. It began to release a small trail of magical power, easy to observe. With practiced movements, the teacher wrote Apple in the air and passed the ball to the same skittish filly from the beginning.
"Here, lump. The more magical power you put into the ball, the clearer the trail it leaves. And the less you use, the less visible. Now you can begin: write a word with the letter A."
The activity wasn't very difficult, but the difference in the fillies' magical control quickly became noticeable. Some couldn't control the intensity, and the letters were all jumbled together. Unnecessary movements made the words difficult to read. Only a few fillies wrote with neat, even spelling. Twilight and Lyra were among the few.
When it was my turn, it was my turn to write K. I quickly wrote Knowledge and passed the ball to the next table. Controlling the ball wasn't difficult at all... not compared to the Demon Cube. That thing is out of this world, and its finicky nature only makes it even more hard.
I'm surprised—and not surprised—by Lyra's high magical control. When I think about her noble background, perhaps her parents instilled private lessons with professionals. They're very elitist about how they should present themselves to others. As my father says: true nobles, among the few who take their position seriously.
The class passed with joy and fun, with various similar activities to keep the hyperactive fillies' attention, who had now become competitive.
Like any good individual in the competitive world of MOBA video games, I demonstrated my superiority in their games, with only Lyra keeping the pace with equal mastery and Twilight having ups and downs in some multitasking games.
It was all telekinesis, no advanced magic, but it served as a warm-up for what was to come.
"Well, I see everyone has mastered telekinesis. Next up will be the study of magic circles, and for that, we'll begin with the manifestation of a circle. An empty one, but it must be pure magical power, not light, fire, or any kind of element. Raw magical power, and it must be a perfect and stable circle. This will be the homework for the week." With a flash of her horn, the teacher summoned a khaki magic circle above her head. The stability of the circle was remarkable.
"To achieve this, you must be able to visualize the circle in your mind, capture the magical power in that image, and then release it. But that's not all, because if you don't do it right, the magic circle will vanish. You must anchor it to reality, retain it, use the concept that helps you most, and prevent the magic from dissipating. You must be able to hold that magic circle upon you while simultaneously performing any other activity. You are unicorns, and not just any unicorn: you are those blessed with magic-gift. This is not a challenge; it is a discovery of what your gifts have granted you." To prove her point, the teacher cast three complete magic circles, with a three-point magic formula within the circles, which made the design of the circles complex.
"Achieving this is reaching Rank Zero, the path every unicorn must take to master what they have had since birth: magic. Achieving this is a great leap in their magical control and much more."
"Since you are learning, we will use this to help you get used to it." The teacher offered out scrolls to everyone.
I quickly opened the scroll. From the texture, I could easily tell that they used magical ingredients in these scrolls. It's not just paper, it's a magical artifact, and within it is a simple circle.