Fate have their ways of affecting the world, sometimes directly and other times through such small things that make gigantic changes, and this time it was a moment that would mark a before and after in the destinies of many ponies.
In a distant place above the clouds, a city formed by the clouds themselves existed, defying logic. A flight training camp for fillies was held there, where they were taught to fly and control their inherent magic as pegasi.
At that camp, a small rainbow-maned filly faced the injustice of being marginalized by other foals, and those same foals also teased her only friend for being shy. Filly, dissatisfied, she challenged them to a race to prove she was the best and protect her friend. She decided to perform a risky maneuver, betting everything or nothing in the race between pegasi. But for the little filly, this was her everything, her world. As she gained more and more speed, everything became more difficult to control. Her friend watched in amazement at the speed which she descended.
Then it happened, a magical and spectacular event, a sonic and magical explosion filled with a special magic that rippled the threads of destiny for all the foals and ponies in the world.
A pony far away ended up with her horn broken, something considered impossible, another found her true purpose in a world she didn't belong to. This phenomenon spread throughout Equestria, affecting every pony on their magical path.
But there were two ponies with special destinies. One of them cemented her future with that event, as it would affect many others. But very close to that pony was a colt without a destiny, an anomaly.
The little one had followed his own path, but all this time he had been outside the loom of destiny, and in that moment, fate fixed its gaze upon him.
He was put under a test of destiny by granting him the right tools. The scenario had been orchestrated, and it was time for him to demonstrate which path he would take. The little colt had many options, and according to them, his destiny would be spun on the loom of fate.
But the little colt refused to be pushed around. In a moment of crisis in his short life, a golden thread began to form from his heart. A thread that had once been broken had now grown more alive with each passing second, just as his inner desire to overcome the adversity he now found himself in grew.
Before, his destiny could be affected by the fate of others, but in that moment, another central pillar began to emerge from that single thread.
The little colt remained controlled and silent in a moment of pain and chaos. The magic had become rampant around him. It longed to be unleashed, freed, uncontained, filled with chaos—the very opposite of the magic that created this magical phenomenon.
The adults surrounding the colt wanted to help him. Alegria, the colt's mother, was the first to try to take a step to help him, but a magic kept her anchored in her place. Obviously, she tried to remove the restriction by using her magic to cancel the spell, but it was a magic full of majesty and power, one that her meager magical power could not affect. A drop in the vast sea cannot create ripples. Resigned, she stood still, watching, worried like the others. They could only watch as the magic gathered like a siphon with the small colt at the center. The condensation of the magic was so high that it made visible to the naked eye.
An entity close to a god watched intrigued and understood that it could not be intervened or bad things would happen. Her sixth sense, forged with centuries of experience, dictated that she be an observer. She was also amazed by the golden thread that had been barely perceptible before, now a sturdy rope taut, ready to face any adversity.
Another entity similar to a primordial concept was found enchanted watching everything, he rejoiced at the chaos caused, it almost made him go out to play.
'It's not my time yet' he thought and avoided being noticed by the others by walking away while the chaos still reigned.
Meanwhile, Wizbell, the little colt in the eye of the storm, opened his eyes, his gaze focused on something, something beyond this realm. The stars within his eyes began to fill with life and spin slowly, visible to those who were very attentive.
At that moment, something changed.
The chaos that had previously reigned in the place seemed to be silenced. More than by causality, it seemed to be an order, magic was ordered to be under control, the magic vibrated in the air in denial, but its refusal was suppressed and ignored.
At that moment, Wizbell, for him, only himself and magic existed. Everything else was black, nonexistent, just background noise that faded into silence over time.
Small particles of oneiric magic began to manifest in Wizbell's hair and horn as he gathered the magic into a single point on his right palm, determined not to leave any magic untouched.
Everyone in the room felt a small pull toward Wizbell as the magic was sucked into him, and the more time passed, the more dream magic manifested around him.
The oneiric magic remained unaffected, as the rest of the magic did, and it lovingly embraced Wizbell while he was in that state of enlightenment.
Shortly after gathering all the magic, Wizbell closed her eyes, bringing peace to the room, but the oneiric magic continued to dance around him as it was in celebration.
Celestia, who at the time was disguised as Sunny, watched with great intrigue and joy as she recognized that energy, but there was also another feeling, concern.
'So much oneiric energy is like a lit torch in the dark, lightless night that would attract
She felt it for a moment, "they" reacted, her gaze sharpened as she looked up and observed something beyond her current surroundings, she snorted and returned her focus to the small colt when he released a small wave of magical aura.
*Badump*
The sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout the room, and with it, a powerful magical presence that suppressed all others emerged from Wizbell.
Celestia wasn't affected, but she raised an eyebrow when she felt the difference in Wizbell's magical power.
The colt's magic had changed. Before, its reserves were superior to many magically gifted colts, but now it easily had more than an adult's. The surprising thing was that it wasn't the end.
A maniacal grin appeared on Wizbell's father's face, one filled with pride. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but he knew he was witnessing something unprecedented. But that didn't stop him from using his magic.
Small, lighter pulses were released from Wizbell as the center, along with a condensation of pure magical power on his flanks.
Fate seemed to take its time drawing the cutie mark, as the outlines of his CM were barely manifesting after several seconds.
Cutie marks normally manifest in an instant, sometimes lasting longer than a few seconds, but in that moment, Wizbell's cutie mark did so very slowly, as if showing the world the powerful significance of his destiny or ability.
The same thing had happened with Twilight, but now it was happening again.
"Two geniuses in one generation" Celestia whispered to herself as she continued to watch in intrigue as to what Wizbell was about to finish.
*Badump*
A final heartbeat was heard, but this time there was no other magical surge. Only the previously dense oneiric magic began to diminish rapidly, and Wizbell opened his eyes full of confidence. The particles had almost disappeared as he stood there silently, observing everything. Finally, he looked at his hands, analyzing everything that had happened.
*Crack!* "Meow!" A small, round, black creature remained in place in silence, until it moved and showed that it had legs under its fur to move, the surprising thing was that it flew up to Wizbell's head and settled on his head, taking him out of his trance.
He took her off his head and brought her into a sweet hug as he looked at her better.
"Your name will be Stella" Wizbell said, gently petting Stella, who purred at the touch.
*Applause* Pulling Wizbell out of his world, all the adults began to applaud as Wizbell's parents rushed over to hug him.
"Not approving you would be an insult to intelligence. Congratulations, Wizbell, on your cutie mark and for passing the test." Sunny approached with a smile as she clapped softly.
"Hugh! That's great," Wizbell could barely manage as he was hugged by his mother, who quickly inspected him for any harmful abnormalities.
"Honey! Quick, the camera!" Alegria turned around and stared, her eyes wide open, ears perked, worried that she wouldn't be able to capture the moment after her concern subsided.
"Always ready" With a proud smile, Will showed some photos taken throughout the event, photos from different angles. Although amazed by everything that happened, his confidence in his son never wavered.
"You did great, champion, now it's your turn to be amazed." Will summoned a mirror to show Wizbell his cutie mark.
A large star accompanied by three smaller stars, with three stars orbiting the cluster of stars, all in yellow tones.
"7 stars, the symbol of magic and luck, along with a rotation just like my magic circle." Wizbell posed in front of the mirror while trying to get a better look at his cutie mark.
*BANG!* The door slammed open forcefully, and everyone turned alertly.
A disheveled and worried Twilight peeked out until she saw Wizbell surrounded by adults, everyone happy.
"YOU PASSED, WE PASSED, WE WILL STUDY TOGETHER, WE WILL DO HOMEWORK AND TEAM PROJECTS…!" Twilight ran up to hug Wizbell in joy, gushing about how exciting it would be to study magic together.
Twilight's parents came from the entrance, pushing a stroller with a baby dragon inside, chewing on a green gem.
"Sorry for intruding. We tried to get in earlier, but the door was blocked by magic. We wanted to help, but now we see everything is resolved," said Twilight's father, briefly scanning the classroom.
All the teachers gathered behind Sunny, who took a step forward. *TAP!*
*Cough* "Now that I have your attention, it's time to tell you the good news for both families." Sunny stood in front of the teachers as a spokesperson while everyone remained silent after helping to tidy the classroom.
"The two foals present, Twilight Sparkle and Wizbell Star, have passed the test imposed by Princess Celestia to become her stud-!!!" Sunny couldn't finish speaking when Twilight fainted.
"!!!!"
Wizbell easily caught her as she fell beside him, but her fainting didn't last long when he took a chocolate bar out of his bag and offered it to Twilight, unwrapped.
*Womp!* Even without opening her eyes, she had already bitten into the chocolate bar. she soon resumed chewing, enjoying the taste.
"Hmm... Give me another one!" the little princess exclaimed as she watched Wizbell silently wait for another chocolate bar.
If he had already given her one before the test and now gave her another, the probability of there being a third chocolate is very high, and she risked claiming it, forgetting the news of being her role model's apprentice.
Wizbell kept his gaze directly on Twilight, but that didn't stop her, instead, it reaffirmed her thought of the third chocolate.
"Tch!" Wizbell took Twilight's hand and handed her two chocolates. These lasted only a blink of an eye before they were unwrapped and Twilight chewed them with satisfaction.
"How lovely. Well, that was the news, the two of them will learn some classes with the Princess when she has free time. Sometimes they will be called to the palace for their classes, they will take regular classes with other colts as normal while taking the common course until the magic specialization begins, which will be classes under the full tutelage of the Princess."
Shortly after, the adults continued talking, sharing their experiences with the different colts.
"What do you think about our cutie marks mean?" Now calmed by the excitement, Twilight entered scholar mode as she drew her cutie mark on a sheet of paper and then researched its possible meanings, while Wizbell accompanied her by reading a book on sound magic.
"Obviously, its meaning is magical. The star has always represented magic, unless it's the compass star. As for the number of stars, that leaves a lot of interpretation. We can consider there to be 6 obviously, or 7 with the shading of the largest star counting as another star, but I don't think so. It's there to highlight the importance of the main star."
"But it's obviously got a deeper meaning. There aren't 3, not 8, but 6 specifically. Maybe you have 7 stars, but they're not similar. They're 3 groups: the largest, the middle ones, and the ones orbiting." Twilight pointed to Wizbell's flank and then began to draw it as well.
"Maybe it has something to do with the colors of the magical rainbow that filled the entire room while we were doing our test, but it's weird. Not counting the purple, it's 6 in your case, and in mine too, but I have 7 stars... this is very confusing."
"Right! What was that magical phenomenon, and why did it happen? Suddenly, I was filled with magical power that made me lose control. The good thing is that I managed to complete Princess Celestia's test."
"Okay, guys, we should go get your school supplies and some extras for each case," Will said, looking at Stella and Spike, one a baby and the other a kitten, each with their own needs.
Will helped his wife up who now was sit, in her current state, she wasn't as agile as before. Wizbell joined in, offering her another support point.
"Carefully, love," Will supported Alegria as she held her pastel pink belly, the same color as her entire coat.
"See you Monday!" Twilight shouted from the exit as she followed her parents, who nodded silently.
-=========-
After receiving the scroll with information about Stella's race, the family gathered what was considered essential for the creature: a play area, a bed, her bowl, and food, which was provided directly by Princess Celestia, as she required an omnivorous diet, something that couldn't be easily purchased.
Along with the scroll came the Princess's request to record information about the creature now named Stella.
Throughout the shopping spree, Stella never left Wizbell's side and barely let her parents touch her.
"Well, now we'll go get your school supplies: scrolls, dyes, quills, and some basic alchemical compounds, as well as a magic bag," Will said, recalling the school supplies list that hadn't changed in 100 years.
"I'll take care of the magic bag," Alegria said with a smile.
"But I'll need to buy some extra things, and you can select what type of bag you want to use." She turned to look at Wizbell, who remained silent, thinking.
"A messenger bag, the kind that fits on the side and only has one strap, and is preferably black or brown."
"Well, that's easy. Many ponies like that design; it reminds them of saddlebags," Will commented as he led the family to the shopping area.
The closer they got, the more ponies there were.
-=========-
Wizbell's POV
I followed my parents silently while holding Mom's hand. The jealous glances were still very common, all directed at her, a few months ago, I wouldn't have understood, even now, it was a little difficult, but with a few comments and information from books help me to understand the low probability of a male being born and how rare they are.
They are the legendary shiny among ponies.
Even more atypically, I was born a man, with a husband and a son. the envious to my mother is high, but the ponies' friendly nature easily tempers it, and it's just passing jealousy.
I followed my dad to the bag shop, leaving my mom behind, who seemed to be cornered by several mares as soon as she left us.
From the mares' constant, yearning and interested glances at my father, and from my knowledgeable mind about reproduction, I understood their approach; it was an interview with my mother, who was the contractor.
My monogamous family was already an atypical and rare case, even more so with a stallion in it. From the shop, I could still hear some words and understand the meaning of their conversation.
'Herd, requirements, appointment, and family' were the words I managed to hear, and only one of the mares seemed to achieve her goal of skipping happily, compared to the others who retreated silently with their ears drooping and tails still.
I could only raise an eyebrow out of curiosity about the cultural difference while my mother nodded contentedly, chatting with the mare.
"Okay, son... I see you've noticed, but don't worry. Your mother knows what she's doing, that's why I married her. Besides, let's focus on what style of bag you want." My dad looked a little uncomfortable explaining the mares' approach. I would be uncomfortable explaining a topic always related to reproduction to a child.
I decided to leave it alone, they're adults, they already know what they're doing, even if they improvise along the way.
I'd noticed the herds before, most being entirely mare-based, but some always had a stallion as their nucleus. My family was just an atypical case, and I attribute that to my former self. It would be difficult for me to accept another individual who might not treat me with the love they expect.
But now things are different, and gossip travels fast. There were already several adults whispering about Princess Celestia's new students, and some didn't hide their gaze when they saw me. It's easy to spot a pony when you know what kind of cutie mark it has; it's like a gamer's nickname, unique and visible to everyone.
"I like this one," I snapped out of my monologue, choosing a dark brown purse with lighter touches of brown in the embroidery and a printed hexagram, in addition to having several extra pockets.
I took it down from the shelf with my magic and tested it. It was a little too big for my current age, but when I was older it would be ideal. I liked the simple design of the hexagram related to magic, a white circuit, one without a spell printed on it, ready to be filled with any magic a unicorn could imagine, just like my future.
"Let's pay for it... I don't think I can delay the inevitable any longer" my father said, but I couldn't understand the last part.
When we left, only the mare with a sky-blue mane and cyan coat remained, very nervous as she played with her fingers and watched our reactions. My mother stood confidently at her side, a little proud as she watched silently.
'I'd expect some jealousy in a situation like this, but I see pride... what a culture shock!'
If I were a normal child, I'd show reluctance to a stranger who disrupted the family harmony I'd be used to, but I'm not, so I turned to look at my father, who also turned to look at me.
'Is it okay that I know her? That she became part of the family?'
'Why not?'
'Uh?!... Okay!'
I won't say I don't feel uncomfortable, but it's so slight that I can ignore it. If you're in Rome, you do as the Romans do, and in this case, I'm not even human anymore.
My father took a breath and, with more confidence, introduced himself to the mare after our brief interaction.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Will Stone. You can call me Will." The moment my father shook her hand, her face turned a shade of pink and she stood up straight.
"Serene, honor graduate of the Canterlot Military Academy and current captain of the security platoon at Princess Celestia's palace, ready to be a good mother and partner." Serene's confident eyes filled with panic as she nervously overspoke.
She turned to my mother in anguish. 'Help me!' 'Nope~'
A small smile appeared in my mother's face at Serene's panic. She turned mechanically to face us. My father, still a little nervous, remained silent, pondering what to do.
I took a step forward and extended my hand for a handshake, just like my father. Serene responded reflexively, but I got her and the others' attention.
"Nice to meet you, Wizbell Star, newly accepted into Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns and also her future apprentice, ready to learn magic at any moment." I broke the tension with a similar introduction. The poor girl was being eaten away by her nerves. My father looked equally nervous. Only my mother was calm, enjoying herself as a spectator. My greeting opened the door to a more relaxed and casual conversation.
Her integration into the family circle wasn't instantaneous, but there was no rejection from any side. She accompanied us on the rest of our shopping trips, but throughout the trip, it was difficult for her to manage her great interest in my father.
She wasn't rude, but her interest in him was easily/obvious, her treatment of me was friendly, like a friend, more than just another mother, but it's understandable.
She can't just show up one day and demand that I treat her the way I treat my real mother, it's neither fair nor logical.
The shopping continued peacefully with an interesting integration of Serene into the now-packed family.