>"come on, Anonymous! We're gonna be late at this rate!"
>you struggle to keep up with Twilight as she glides in front of you
>you swear she's taunting you at this point
>you're well aware she's not skilled enough to carry the both of you, but come on man
>she even made you carry all the luggage
>most of which is hers
>you scowl
>"Oh, don't give me that look! we're almost there, don't worry"
>"in fact, there it is now!'
>you strain your neck to look up from behind the suitcases in your arms
>sure enough, you see a huge fancy stone gate
>looks like a few other would-be witches are late too, at least you aren't the only ones
>you then realize that the gate rests atop a hill
>a steep hill
>motherfucker
>Twilight doesn't even look as she starts the accent
>"Come on, Anon! Final stretch!"
you could help a little?
>she puffs her cheeks at you
>"You know I would if I could, it's not like I don't want to"
>admittedly the idea of twilight dunking all your stuff into the dirt isn't very appealing
>fuck it, up the hill we go
>you strain yourself to the top, where you promptly sit down and take a much needed breather
>"Anon! you'll get your nice clothes dirty!"
>"We still have to get IN the gate, too!"
>this woman
>you should really be charging by the hour for all this manual labor
>in fact you would, but your parents would never let you hear the end of it
>"Anonymous, she is your cousin! You can help her with this one thing, can't you?"
>"Anonymous, you've been given such a unique opportunity by twilight's mentor, surely you can help her with this one thing, can't you?"
>"Anonymous, you're such a huge faggot holy shit get an education"
>at least you don't have to hear that last one anymore
>honestly, you still can't believe this is happening
>you'd only brought it up as a joke, but Twilight was enamored with the idea
>lo and behold miss Celestia was totally fine with it
>even though this is a girls-only academy
>apparently she'd been wanting to convert the school for sometime, but hadn't had any guinea pigs to test the waters
>what a test bed you were, huh
>can't even carry shit up hills, what a pleb
>Twilight's snapping fingers bring you back from your daydreaming
>"Com'on Anon, we need to get going"
>with a groan, you lift yourself and the luggage and step into the gate with Twilight
>you're surprised to feel the heavy burdens in your arms suddenly lighten
>you're also surprised to feel an arm wrap around your waist
>"Don't you dare drop anything now. Just stay close and don't squirm"
>uh, alright
>you guess it makes sense Twilight has done this before
>she's been training under miss Celestia for quite a few years now
>you both start to move alarmingly fast
>through a kaleidoscope apparently
>you've seen Twilight do some pretty cool looking magical stuff before, but this
>this is some crazy shit
>a few other ladies on brooms zip past you
>some of them dip out, some pop in from nowhere
>must be some kind of magical highway
>needles to say, it's the coolest thing you've ever seen
>Twilight gives you a squeeze
>"OOoooooo I'm so excited! This is gonna be so much fun, Anon! They have an ENORMOUS library, did you know that?"
yes, actually. you've only been talking about this for months
>she sticks her tongue out at you, and dips the broom down sharply
>you both dive into a glowy rainbow tunnel thing and emerge back in real life
>and directly in front of the academy
>it's fucking hugemongus
>Twilight struggles to the ground, nearly dropping you and the stuff, but you land without any broken bones
>now that you're on land again, you gaze out at the academy
>you'd seen some pictures of it in books, but it's MUCH bigger in person
>it looks more like a castle than a school
>you're suddenly deafened by Twilight's excited squealing
>"LOOK! Anon look there it is! AAAAAAAAA!"
>"We're finally here!"
>she wraps you in a tight hug
>yup, there it is
>Equestria Witch Academy, in all it's glory
>Twilight gasps
>"Enough sight seeing though, we're late for the ceremony!"
>oh right, that
>more running with luggage, great
>you scoop up the the load and jog behind Twilight, who is clearly trying her best to not leave you in the dust
>a brisk trip leads you both around the side of the school, to an enormous field
>you can only assume it's for sports, although what kind of sports they even have here is a mystery to you
>Twilight had done her best to tell you every waking detail about the school for weeks, but you really hadn't been listening all to well
>there's a ton of people here, you guess well into a thousand students easy
>"Thank goodness, we didn't miss the whole thing!"
>you see miss Celestia up on a podium, mid-speech
>there's several other ladies you can't make out from here, must be teachers and the like
>miss Celestia steps away, and leads up a smaller woman to the stand
>she sounds older, must be the headmaster
>Twilight's eyes glimmer like she's in a toy store, she's really too excited
>it's adorable though, she can be cute when she's not being an egghead
>the old woman gives a spiel about pride in the school, and some history, and other jargon about magic and witch culture
>the works, really. about what you'd expect from an opening ceremony
>with a few words of wisdom, the headmaster wishes you all the best, and the crowd gives a big applause
>with that, the lot of now-official students flows out of the field and towards the school proper
>Twilight grabs the bottom of your shirt and pulls you along, floating near ground level to keep you on course
>nobody's seemed to notice you being the only guy around yet
>you can only hope it stays that way, at least until classes start
>you follow Twilight's lead into a cathedral-like room, the true entrance to EWA
>the inside of the school is pretty well furnished
>the ceiling extends exceptionally high, and there's plenty of space to move around freely
>you already see plenty of little witches sailing through the foyer
>it's actually pretty hectic, everyone seems inclined to get their shit and get settled into the rooms
>you have no idea where to even begin, you hadn't even asked Twilight about where you'd be staying
>you seriously doubted that you'd be tossed into a random dorm
>because, ya know, all girls school
hey, uh, Twilight?
>she's nowhere to be found
>welp
>you scan the ocean of colorful little ladies
>Twilight's notably straight plain hair catches your eyes
>she's across the way, speaking to none other than miss Celestia
>perfect, just the person you wanted to talk to
>you set down the junk and jog over to them
>"Ah, Mr. Anonymous! I'm glad to see you made it. I was beginning to worry"
>wait, did she really know when you guys showed up?
>there's no way she could've picked two people out of a thousand
Yep, we made it. Barely though, since SOMEBODY forgot about daylight savings
>you give Twilight an 'oh you!' look
>she's instantly flustered
>"Me!? You're the one who didn't change the clocks like I asked the night before!"
uh-huh, sure
>she crosses her arms and gives you a mean look of her own
>dork
>"Regardless, i'm thrilled you could join us. I have a good feeling you'll enjoy your time here"
ah, about my time here
where exactly am I going to be staying?
>"Well, in a dorm room of course. You'll be with Twilight and a third student, just like everyone else"
>really
>no nonsense about you being a guy?
not that I have any complaints, but wouldn't that pose several potential issues?
>"Hmm? Such as...?"
>is this lady serious?
well, this IS an all girls school. Won't just tossing me into the fray be a little, uh, questionable?
>"You don't mean to imply that you'll be misbehaving, do you Mr. Anonymous?"
>you feel like she's being sarcastic, but her gentle smile is unwavering
I don't mean that! I just, ya know, think that it might be a little weird for most of the students is all
>you notice Twilight also seems concerned
>"I assure you, I've already spoken to the other staff members and the headmaster herself about the mater, and we've all agreed that you should be fine. It'll be a learning experience, trying to mesh with such a foreign society!"
>foreign society, huh?
>that phrasing doesn't sit well with you for some reason
>Twilight speaks up
>"ah, miss Celestia, if I may, Anon has a good point here. What about bathing or other lavatory needs? What about laundry? What about general privacy?"
>"I trust Mr. Anonymous is more than capable enough to figure things out for himself. Besides, if we were to alienate Anonymous, it may drastically affect his ability to integrate with school-wide culture and negatively impact his learning experience"
>"that being said, I trust you'll remain a gentleman during your stay?"
>Celestia looks you in the eye directly
>again, that warm smile doesn't budge
>a chill goes down your back
oh, uh, yeah, of course
>you say, sheepishly smiling
>Twilight seems pensive, but doesn't press Celestia any further about it
>you decide to shift the subject
well, uh, in that case, where are the rooms at?
>Twilight perks up a bit
>"Oh, don't worry Anon, I already know where the living area is, and I have my room key right here"
>"well, OUR room key I guess, since you'll be joining me"
well then, lead the way
>you make a broad sweeping gesture to the suitcases
>"Right"
>Twilight turns back to her teacher
>"Thank you for your time, miss Celestia"
>"of course. You're both always welcome to ask me anything"
>with that, she bids you both adieu
>the walk through school takes quite some time
>if you could fly it'd be much easier, in fact this whole place seems specially built to accomidate broom travel
>but fly you cannot
>not yet anyway
>broom riding was at the top of your 'learn cool magical shit' list
>Twilight was walking with you this time too, so at least you had some help with the luggage
>"Here Anon, another left this way"
>that's the 6th left in as many minutes
>definately some magic size shenanagins going on
>this place was huge as it is, but being inside makes it feel endless
>these hallways seem to stretch on forever, and you swear with how many left turns you've taken that Twilight had gotten lost
Twilight, are you sure you know where you're going?
>"Of course I do Anon, it's just a bit of a hike the first time"
First time?
>"Well of course. Once we get attuned to our dorm, we'll be able to go back and forth from the living area with relative ease"
Meaning?
>she looks at you with some confusion
>does she really expect you to know how magic works? This is the whole reason you're even here, to LEARN about how magic works
>"you really just don't know, huh?"
Ya think?
>"Even though I specifically remember telling you about it?"
>oh right, you weren't paying attention
It's not like I wasn't paying attention! I just don't remember that part
>she's not buying that for a second
>"Right. Well, to jog your memory, the rooms can only be opened from the inside OR with one of these"
>she holds up the small key
>now that you get a better look at it, the 'key' is really more of a little slab of wood with runes carved into it
>guess it has to also be key shapped for reasons
Oh right, I remember now! Thanks for the refresher!
>you give Twilight a big cheeky grin
>she only rolls her eyes and continues onward
>luckily it's not long before you both end up in 'W-15' by the looks of various signs littering the walls
>all the doors here are extremely close together
>like, so close there couldn't be more than a broom closet behind them
>you really hope you won't be staying in a 5x5 box with two other people
>Twilight seems to read your expression
>"Don't worry, the rooms are bigger on the inside"
>oh right, magic
>this is going to take a lot of getting used to
So, who's our room mate going to be?
>Twilight slides the little wood key into a socket, and waves her hand over the seamless door
>"Honestly, I'm not sure. Unless there's special circumstances, you usually get put into rooms at random"
>the doorway glows a soft blue, and fades away revealing the dorm room itself
>along with a lit cannon
>"Whomever she is, I only hope she's resona-"
>she's cut short by an explosion of confetti and streamers
>you'd preemptively taken a step back, narrowly dodging the pastel fate that has befallen your dear old cousin
>"SURPRISE!!!!"
>a wall of pink fluff stands in the doorway
>on closer inspection, it's actually a person
>"Hiya, new roomies! Glad to meetcha, glad you made it, glad to be throwing a welcoming party!"
>Twilight peels a streamer from her face
>"uh, welcoming party? I'd assume you're our room mate then?"
>the pink afro shakes up and down vigorously
>"Yep yep yep! Pinkamena Diane Pie at your service! Call me Pinkie though, 'cus all my friend do!"
>she takes Twilight's hands into her own and shakes them in every direction
>Twilight's speechless, she looks stupefied
>meanwhile, you're trying your best not to laugh
>her hair's been blown straight backwards and she's covered from head to toe in glitter and confetti
>"Hey! And you must be Mr. Anonymous! Miss Celestia already told me all aboutcha!"
>oh shit, really?
Yeah, that's me. I hope she only mentioned the good things?
>she gets a good chuckle out of that one for some reason
>even though it wasn't particularly funny
>"Come in come in! this is you guys' rooms too after all!"
>Pinkie waves you both in with haste, even bothering to grab the now flamboyant pile of junk that was blown from Twilight's arms
>the room itself doesn't seem too bad, actually
>one bunk and a third separate bed, enough room to walk around in, a long desk with two chairs, decent lighting
>in fact, this is nicer than your own room back home
>there's even a window outside
>despite the fact that you're at least half a mile indoors by now
>something something magic, probably
>it seems Pinkie has already clammed the separate bed for her own, as that whole corner of the room is adorned with a thick girly flair
>she's already got a little nightstand and some decorations up, along with her own bedspread, which looks like a cinnamon roll
>you plop down your bit of luggage at the foot of the bunk next to Twilight's, being sure not to get any glitter on your leg
so, a cannon huh?
>you gesture to the rather well kept waist high cannon in the middle of the room
>"Yeah, it's my party cannon!"
>"You have a party cannon?"
>Twilight is in the process of de-celebrating herself
>"Uh-huh! it's for when I need to get a party started REEEEAALLY fast!"
well It certainly doesn't disappoint
>you do nothing to stifle a laugh at Twilight's expense
>she only glares at you in return
so, miss Celestia already filed you in on my whole situation?
>Pinkie nods
>"Yessirie, she stopped by and gave me the whole run-down. I'm surprised you guys didn't bump into her, she only left a minute ago"
must've just missed her
>given the layout of this labyrinth-esq building, you honestly don't find it a shock
>you'd be lucky to find your feet in here without a map
>"you're not too opposed to the idea, I hope? I can vouch for Anon if need be"
>Pinkie puts on a big grin
>"Of course not, silly! I think it's neat-o that the school might let dudes in too. Lemme know if I can do anything to assist you, Mr. Anon!"
>she gives you a military salute
>the next hour or so consists of unpacking and getting settled in
>Pinkie is quite the chatterbox, come to find out
>as if that was a surprise
>turns out her older sister graduated from this school, and told her all about how things work here
>special events, class schedules, which teachers are tolerable, where to find the best gravel on campus
>she mentioned the gravel like it was some kind of secret, her sister apparently has a thing for rocks
>guess she's not the only oddball in her family
>you can only imagine how wacky her parents must be
oh, that reminds me. Twilight, you know which classes are when, right?
>"Of course I do, Anon. It's not like you were going to remember yourself"
>she hands you a small pamphlet outlining your class schedule in detail
>you can always rely on good ol' Purple Stuff to keep you on the up-and-up
>"And here, before you lock yourself out"
>she also hands you another small 'key'
oh right, I hadn't even thought about this
>"I'm well aware"
>she smirks
>man, you really rely on her a little too much, huh?
>"On top of opening the door here, you can also use it to travel back to the living area from anywhere on campus, or go from the living area to the main hall"
>that's rad as fuck
and how would one such as myself go about doing this?
>Pinkie chimes in this time
>"It's reeeaal eazy squeezy! all you gotta do is hold it close and wish you were home~"
>"What she means by that, is that you can hold it near your chest and think hard about either this room or the foyer, and it'll do the rest"
i'm not very magically inclined though, I won't cut myself in half or anything right?
>"You won't, don't worry. The school grounds is magically charged for beginners and for things like this, so you have nothing to worry about. The runes etched into it will do the work of casting for you"
>you decide to try it, just to make sure
>and also because magic teleportation is cool
>you hold the little do-dad up to your chest and think of the room
>you're enveloped in a soft white glow, and feel a tug at your sides
>in a flash of light, you're right out front of the dorm room
>like, you really did just teleport to the other side of a door
>you're not sure what you expected
>you mimic Twilight's 'open says me' technique and find the two of them sitting right where you'd left them
>Twilight is more than a little amused
>she totally knows you're a magical dunce
>and that you did that because you were curious
>"Have fun?"
as a matter of fact, it was fantastic. Best thing I've ever done!
>you put on your best poker face
>of course she sees right through it
>whatever, magic is rad
>even if it's mundane shit to everybody else, it's cool to you
>it's also pretty handy, the walk here was fairly strenuous
>never again
>something dawns on you, suddenly
hey Pinkie?
>"Hmm?"
what's your own schedule look like?
>"Here, see your yourself"
>she rummages through her nightstand drawer and produces a familiar pamphlet
>you skim through it
>sure enough, your schedules line up to a T
>you suspect Celestia's meddling, but it's honestly a good thing
looks like we all have the same classes
>"Oh, really?"
>Twilight peeks at the list for herself
>"Huh, we really do. How convenient!"
>"You mean to say we're gonna be best friends and hang out ALL the time now!?"
sure looks that way
>for better or worse
>Pinkie pulls you both into a wide hug
>"YAAY! we're gonna have lots of fun this year, i'm sure of it!"
>her eyes bulge
>"Oooo, that means birthdays, too! and Valentine's day, and Christmas, and Halloween, and Leif Erikson day and everything!"
>she squeals in delight
>"You guys GOTTA tell me your birthdays now, so I can get ready. Don't tell me they already happened this year!?"
>Twilight chuckles
>"Don't worry, Pinkie, you've still got several months 'till then. Anon and I were both born in September"
>"Awwwww, but that's like half a year from now!"
>first she's worreid it was too late
>now she can't wait
>a real child at heart