Twilight, Say Cheese! Read online

  For lovers of sparkles, rainbows, and magic

  1 Ruby-Red Barns

  Twilight was having an almost perfect day. The sun was shining, and the yellow buttercups of Sunshine Springs were in full bloom. Her mother had even surprised her with her very favorite breakfast, apple oat muffins with cinnamon sugar. It was a long trip from their farm to Unicorn University, but Twilight’s father made it a great adventure and told funny stories and ideas the whole way.

  The day was only almost perfect because Twilight could not stop thinking about how nervous she was to start school. She worried that she wouldn’t know the right things to say or do. Outside her family, she had never spent much time with other unicorns. Her sister Sunset was outgoing, and her sister Dusk was funny. But Twilight had always been shy. How was she going to make friends?

  “Look, Twilight! There’s Unicorn U!”

  Twilight looked up to where her mother’s golden horn was pointing. She could see a cluster of big ruby-red barns standing atop the grassy hill in the distance.

  Twilight felt her stomach drop. Her nervousness might have just been in the back of her mind on the way there, but now the situation felt very, very real. She felt positively sick. Twilight thought about telling her parents that she was actually too sick to go to school, but she had decided to make her family proud, swallow her fears, and go. Even if it did make her stomach flip and flop.

  “Sugarplum for your thoughts?” Twilight’s father asked. He nudged her cheek with his long, gray nose.

  “Same old thing, I guess. I’m worried about starting school,” Twilight told him.

  Twilight’s father neighed knowingly. “Of course you are, honey. Everyone is, on their first day, and your sisters were too. But Sunset and Dusk did wonderfully at Unicorn U. You are sure to follow in their hoofprints.”

  Twilight nodded, though his words didn’t actually make her feel any better. When Sunset had been at Unicorn U, she’d been the star of the school hoofball team. Her magical ability let her fly with just a run and a jump, and now she worked with dragons in Cloud Kingdom. Dusk had had the best grades in school and could make flowers grow just by breathing on them. Since graduating, she’d been developing a brand-new apple tree that could grow in any of the five kingdoms.

  It was a lot to live up to.

  Unlike her sisters, Twilight didn’t like to stand out from the crowd. She preferred quiet activities, like reading and painting. Painting was the perfect way to record all her wild daydreams, and books had all the company she could need.

  When Twilight had been little, she’d loved reading about magical creatures, especially lions and mice. Lions reminded her of her sisters—always stomping in after practice or conducting experiments. Mice reminded her of herself—quiet and observant. Twilight never minded being the quiet one. She liked watching the goings-on of her house from her favorite spot by the window. It just felt like her role in the family.

  That was, until her magical ability had appeared.

  She’d discovered it when Dusk had come home one afternoon and jumped from behind a haystack while Twilight had been out in the field, painting and lost in thought. Twilight didn’t even realize she had become invisible until Dusk started panicking and yelling for her. Twilight quickly appeared again, just in time to comfort her sister.

  Ever since that day, Twilight’s invisibility had come and gone unexpectedly. She usually became invisible when she was embarrassed or nervous, but she would always reappear again once her family noticed that she had disappeared, which usually meant she had to whinny or stomp to get their attention. Her parents called her invisibility a magical gift, but Twilight thought of it as a curse. Having to make a spectacle to get a unicorn’s attention? That was decidedly too lionlike.

  What if I fade out in front of everyone at school? Twilight worried, shuddering at the thought. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to make a scene in front of her classmates.

  Twilight’s mother trotted over, her well-worn leather satchel swinging gently from her neck. She carried a large pink tulip in her mouth. Carefully she tucked the flower behind Twilight’s ear. “You just be yourself, honey,” she said.

  Twilight let out a soft thank-you neigh, and this time she did feel a little better. She looked down at the ground, and smiled at how her bright purple hooves stood out against her jet-black coat. Dusk had given her a hooficure the night before, to celebrate her first day of school. At first Twilight had worried that it was too flashy, but Dusk convinced her that everyone would have hooficures and that this would help her fit in.

  Twilight looked back up at her mom and dad, whose loving smiles gave her a small boost of confidence. Twilight didn’t know if she was ready for Unicorn University, but she wanted to try. She stood up straight and smiled back at them.

  “Look out, world!” her father neighed merrily. “Twilight is going to school!”

  2 Disappearing Act

  I am not going to school,” Twilight told her parents. But they were too distracted by the school’s impressive grounds to notice.

  The three of them had just arrived at the Unicorn University Welcome Picnic on the school’s main lawn. This was called the Looping Lawn. It was a large grass-covered hill that connected the Silver Lining Stables, the Crystal Library, and the Wondering Woods.

  The Silver Lining Stables, which weren’t actually silver but were more like big red barns, were where students would live during the year. Large sliding doors with bright white borders stood open, as if welcoming students inside. Flower boxes bursting with plants of every color decorated the windows. And a weather vane perched on top of each building. The large metal structures all spun slowly with the wind’s changing directions.

  “Your stable has the sailboat weather vane on top,” Twilight’s mother said.

  “Same one as Dusk,” her fathered remembered. “Sunset was in the stable with the cloud weather vane, which was rather fitting.”

  Twilight smiled. It was comforting to think of her sisters in this strange new place.

  “And that’s the library!” her father cheered, motioning toward the building on the other side of the lawn. The castle-like structure sparkled in the distance.

  The school was so big and important-looking. It made Twilight feel as if pixies were dancing jigs her in stomach. But her parents were so proud of her, and she didn’t want to ruin it by telling them how worried she was. She tried to put on a happy face.

  “It looks as if it’s really made of crystal,” Twilight said.

  Her mother laughed softly. “That’s because it is!”

  Twilight could only stare in wonder. Her sisters had told her about the library, but they tended to exaggerate. Neither of them could resist a good story, and Twilight had learned to take most things they said with a dash of salt. This time it seemed that they hadn’t explained enough.

  “Come on, you two! There’s a party happening!” Twilight’s father called over his shoulder as he trotted toward the welcome picnic.

  “He’s right! Let’s go join the fun,” Twilight’s mother said. She galloped after Twilight’s father.

  Twilight shook her head. Her parents were outgoing and carefree, and very different from Twilight. At home that felt right. Twilight took care of the little things, and she felt like she was an important part of the family. But here at Unicorn University, with its bright colors and large buildings? It seemed as if she needed a much bigger personality in order to belong. Reluctant and timid, Twilight slowly followed her partying parents.

  The center of the Looping Lawn was filled with unicorn fillies and colts laughing, prancing, and calling out to each other. Sugarplums and candied apples were piled high on a snack table, and a rainbow spelled WELCOME TO UNICORN
UNIVERSITY! in big cursive letters over the party. There was a garden-gnome band playing joyful tunes on the stage, their large red pointed hats bouncing in time. Some of the unicorns were dancing to the music, while others were showing off their magical abilities—Twilight even saw one unicorn change her mane from purple to pink to teal. Clearly the other students had no trouble controlling their abilities!

  Twilight did not feel as happy as the other unicorns looked. She wasn’t sure where to stand or what to do. She shifted from one hoof to the other, wondering how all the other fillies and colts seemed to fit right in.

  Maybe the university had made a mistake in accepting her, Twilight worried. There were schools all over Sunshine Springs, but her family always said that Unicorn University was the very best, and it was where everyone in her family had gone. But what if Twilight wasn’t the best? What if she didn’t belong here? She didn’t have any control over her ability, not like the filly who could easily change the color of her mane. Twilight didn’t know the moves to the dances the students were doing, and she had no idea how they could get a rainbow to spell out words. But the very worst part was that everyone was already talking and playing. It seemed like they already knew what to do.

  Twilight felt a tingle begin to creep up from her hooves, as if she had stepped into a cool stream on a warm summer’s day. She looked down and saw that there was only grass where her hooves should have been. It looked as if she were floating in midair.

  Twilight hoped that no one noticed. She didn’t want the other unicorns to think she was trying to show off her ability too! She didn’t want them to think she was trying to brag, especially when she had no idea how to control her invisibility.

  Twilight searched for her parents, but they were across the field, by the baskets of sugarplums, where her dad was in the middle of telling a story and making a group of unicorns laugh. Twilight wanted to run over to them to get their attention or, better yet, run home to the family farm, but her legs were frozen in place. Hot tears of frustration welled up as she felt herself plunge into full invisibility.

  Twilight had just started worrying about how long she would have to be an invisible filly-shaped rock when—oof!—an adult unicorn with a multicolored mane ran right into her.

  The unicorn chuckled. “Now, I know I bumped into something! But what could it be?” she asked.

  Not wanting to be impolite, Twilight squeaked an embarrassed “Hello.” She wished and wished she could run all the way home.

  The unicorn just smiled and said, “Hello to you too!” She wore a large garland of yellow buttercups and orange poppies around her neck. Her voice was kind and her eyes were warm, and Twilight instantly felt herself relax.

  Twilight could feel the tingly invisibility start to fade, replaced by the warm, welcome sunshine feeling of turning visible again. She looked down with cheer to see her purple-painted hooves appear. But she froze again when she saw that the other unicorn was looking at her quizzically.

  “Welcome back!” the unicorn said. “What happened just now?” She seemed positive and kind, and it wasn’t too long before Twilight found her voice again.

  “I’ve only just discovered my magical ability,” Twilight whispered. “I turn invisible when I get nervous.”

  The unicorn nodded. “It’s hard getting used to your new power. I remember those days well. But that’s part of the reason why you’re here! To learn more about it and to learn to control it.”

  Twilight was smiling when she looked up to see her mother and father galloping over to them. She could see the concern on their faces as they got closer.

  “It’s not easy to find your invisible daughter,” Twilight’s father said, slightly out of breath.

  “Professor Sherbet!” Twilight’s mother said. “Thank goodness you found Twilight. How wonderful to see you again.”

  Twilight’s large gray eyes went wide in surprise. “Professor Sherbet?” she asked softly. “You wrote my letter of acceptance. You’re supposed to be my teacher!” This was not at all the stuffy, scary professor she had imagined.

  Professor Sherbet nodded, her wreath of flowers shaking gently. “That’s right, Twilight! I’m excited to finally meet you. Welcome to Unicorn University.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” Twilight said quietly.

  “I’m very excited to learn about your new ability,” Ms. Sherbet said. “What a wonderful thing you can do!”

  Twilight felt herself blush. She didn’t know what to say.

  “I always find the first day and last day to be the hardest,” Professor Sherbet told her. “The first because everyone is nervous about making a good impression. And the last because no one wants to say good-bye.”

  Twilight looked up at the smiling teacher. “You really think everyone is nervous?” she asked.

  “I do. Even now, after many years of school and many years of teaching, I’m nervous about meeting a new class. It’s always hard to start new things.”

  That made Twilight feel much more comfortable. Finally it seemed as if someone understood. “I have been pretty nervous about today,” she said.

  Ms. Sherbet smiled. “I’m sure most of the fillies and colts feel just like you do. Why don’t you and your parents go check out the stables? It might make the university feel more like home. You can meet us in the Friendly Fields for our first class afterward. Once we’re all gathered, I’ll lead you on a tour of the school. Then I’ll leave your class for the afternoon so you can create the class picture scene. I have a feeling this will be the best year yet!”

  Professor Sherbet trotted off in the direction of the party as Twilight looked up at her parents. “Do you know what picture she was talking about?” she asked them.

  Both parents stared back at her with their faces scrunched up. Twilight couldn’t tell if they were feeling guilty or concerned. Which made her stomach drop all the way to her hooves. What else haven’t they told me about?

  “Remember, honey?” her mother said gently. “The picture that each of your sisters took on her first day of school?”

  Twilight did remember. In their bedroom they each had a framed picture of their class in silly poses. Twilight had just assumed her class would do that later in the year, once they’d all gotten to know each other.

  “You see,” her father said, “every year the new class takes a group photo that they have to design and stage. It’s a way to get to know each other. Everyone shares their ideas, and you all work together. The school always says that each unicorn is supposed to ‘let their personality shine through.’ ”

  “Each class approaches it differently,” Twilight’s mother explained. “My class staged it like a play where we were all acting in a big scene. It was really fun!”

  “But on the first day?” Twilight squeaked, her voice much higher pitched than usual. She hadn’t been planning on talking at all for at least the first week. She’d been hoping to observe and make a plan. Now she would have to let her personality shine, whatever that meant. A wave of nerves rolled over her. She wished her parents had prepared her for this.

  “Don’t worry, honey! You’ll have fun, I promise,” her mother told her.

  Twilight looked up at her smiling parents. Once again she could see how excited they were for her to start school. They thought of it as an exciting new experience. How could she explain to them that it only felt like a nightmare?

  “Come on,” her father said. “Let’s go check out the stables like Professor Sherbet suggested.”

  Twilight tried again to put on her bravest face. She noticed the lawn was sprinkled with little daisies, just like her lawn was back home. The familiar sight made her feel a bit better as they walked over. Soon Twilight and her parents arrived at the entrance of the stable with the sailboat twirling lazily on top.

  Twilight entered her new stable with her mom and dad. It was large enough to hold forty stalls, but there was lots of light from the big windows, and the wooden floors were made of mismatched, crooked planks. It was
perfectly cozy and inviting. Twilight relaxed when she found that no one else was inside. Looking around, she saw that some students had decorated their stalls with flowers, sparkling rocks, or colorful blankets. One filly had hung up a crystal that cast little rainbows everywhere.

  In the acceptance letter, Professor Sherbet had included all the information Twilight would need for school. She would be staying in stall number twelve and would need to bring science goggles, a horn protector, a small cauldron, and a can of hoof ink, as well as a whole bunch of books, such as The Beginner’s Guide to Planting & Potions and The History of the Five Kingdoms.

  Now Twilight found the stall with a shiny golden number twelve nailed to the swinging red door. Inside were all the books and materials that her parents had sent ahead, and she saw that everything had already been carefully put away. Twilight wondered who had arranged everything so nicely. It made the stall feel a little more like her own.

  Twilight’s mother joined her in the stall and bobbed her head to hang her satchel on one of the stall’s hooks. Using her glittering horn, she pulled a book out by its shiny brass book ring. Twilight read the title, Little Unicorns.

  “This was my favorite book when I was your age,” Twilight’s mother told her, slipping the book onto the stall’s book hook. “It’s about three sisters, in case you ever get homesick.”

  Twilight felt a tear fall down her cheek. She was going to miss her parents so much.

  Twilight nuzzled her mother’s cheek. “Thank you,” she said.

  “We are very excited for you,” her father said.

  “And very proud,” her mother added.

  Twilight felt a familiar pang of worry. She didn’t want to disappoint her parents. She wanted to keep making them proud.

  The three unicorns huddled together in a Twilight sandwich. No one was ready, but it was time to say good-bye.

  3 The Friendly Fields