Flurry Heart sat in front of the tall, arched window of her bedroom. The sun was at just the right angle; the crystalline houses and polished streets reflected a kaleidoscope of colors. If she closed her eyes she could feel the hum of the Crystal Heart that kept the city alive, pushing back the Frozen North. She loved seeing tourists and even her aunt Twilight Sparkle visit; to them, this view was amazing. To Flurry Heart, the slight shimmer of the dome above it was far more fascinating. What lay beyond? She had travelled before, but only to other castles. She had so many magic lessons to study, she was either too exhausted or too busy to travel. Sunburst was a great teacher, but the work was neverending and often repetitive. "Breathe like this to keep emotions in check." "Use this concentration exercise to stop your magic from going haywire." She knew how to levitate, teleport, shield, conjure, transfigure, even heal minor injuries, but every time her eyes strayed towards the Advanced Magic section of the castle library, she was told "No."

A knock on the door startled her. She blinked, turning back to the relative gloom of her bedroom. There were faint rainbows on the walls, adding color to the baby-powder-pink that filled her room. She opened the door to see her mother, Princess Cadence, smiling at her.
"Dinnertime," she said in a singsong voice. As she said that, Flurry Heart smelled a whiff of hayburger. Shining Armor, her father, loved to grill even now that he was a prince with personal chefs.

"Hayburger tonight?"

"With fruit smoothies! I thought it would make up for... this afternoon."

Flurry Heart winced. How could her mother be so quick to forgive? Was it because she was a special case? Was it because she was afraid to punish an out-of-control misfit? Her mind went back to the conversation as she followed her mother to the dining room. They had been talking in the library when the topic had turned to alicorns and royalty.
"Mom, what kind of princess am I?"
"I don't think I know what you mean."
"You're the Princess of Love and the protector of the Crystal Empire, Celestia and Luna are Princesses of the Sun and Moon and they rule Equestria, and Twilight is the Princess of Friendship. But what am I, other than the royal baby?"
"I'm not sure. Equestria has never seen a natural-born alicorn."
"Wow, really? Never heard that before!"
"What I mean is, Twilight and I achieved our status by doing great feats of magic. That action is what decided our domain. I was a Pegasus, but I used my love to protect ponies from a great evil. Twilight was a Unicorn who completed an unfinished spell using the magic of friendship. Celestia and Luna never talk about their past, but I assume their story is similar. You, on the other hand..."
"I was just born like this. There's nothing special about that. Nothing special about me. I don't deserve this. That's what you were gonna say, wasn't it? You think I don't know that already?"

She had stormed out before letting her mother finish.

Throughout dinner, her parents noticed her silence but left her alone. She heard her father mutter something about moody teens, and when she headed back to her room she heard him ask Cadence if she was ever that snippy.

"No, but I wasn't born an alicorn. Maybe it's a thing, maybe it's just her. This is new to me, too. I wish I knew how to help her but I don't."
Flurry Heart felt a pang of regret. Could she really leave them behind? It's not like they understood how painful it was to not have freedom. They were adults; they had settled down here. It was their choice to stay. She was different. Cadence said so herself. They would understand. She would return a new mare, and they would finally see that what she really needed was freedom. She strode down the hallway and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

She set her saddlebags on the floor and started packing. She threw in a survival handbook, a family photo, a scrap of her baby blanket, a map, a Guide To Equestria book, and left room for food that she would sneak from the kitchen. She sat in front of the bags, thinking, then dashed to the library and came back with an Advanced Magic 101 book. It was a huge library, surely nopony would notice. Anyway, she was only borrowing it.

She pulled a light blue hooded cloak out of her wardrobe and draped it over herself so that it hid her wings, then she placed the saddlebags on her back. Before she left, she put a few pieces of parchment, quills, and ink into her bags. The sun had set, but she waited till the sky was completely dark before sliding her window open and jumping. She dived for a short while before flaring her wings out. She turned around and closed the window, then continued her journey, watching the landscape scroll past her. It was surreal, being surrounded by stars with the town so far below her. She was completely invisible. It was strangely empowering.

She conjured a weatherproof shield to shelter herself from the bitter cold of the Frozen North, and followed the river to Neighagara Falls, which was the nearest train station. Her abnormally large wings allowed her to travel farther and faster than average, but she was still exhausted when she reached her destination. She landed at the station, once again concealing her wings under her cloak, and checked the train schedule. She hadn't missed the midnight train. Good. She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof, staring down the length of the track. Finally, the headlight of the train pierced through the darkness. Flurry Heart stepped back as it pulled into the station, depositing a few tired crystal ponies. Flurry Heart waved politely to them and stepped onto the now-empty train. Nopony gave her a second glance. With the hood of her cloak pulled over her face, she just looked like a tall unicorn.

She sat next to a window and watched the flat expanse of snow turn into a slightly less flat expanse of grassland. The flatness lulled her to sleep, the rocking of the train turning into the gentle swaying of a ship at sea as a dream materialized.

Flurry Heart woke up when the conductor tapped her shoulder. She jumped, prepared to defend herself, then remembered where she was.

"Where am I?" she asked.

The conductor, a gray stallion with white hair that stuck out beneath a blue cap, tilted his head and looked at her with cautious curiosity. Flurry Heart realized how strange she must look, covered in a cloak even while on a train.

"Um... Canterlot."

"Good. Thanks. Sorry I fell asleep." She got up and left the train, stretching her stiff legs. The conductor shook his head slightly.

"Do you have any idea where you're going, kid?"

Flurry Heart turned and smiled at him. "Nope! I'll know when it comes to me!"

"Ah, one of those gap year students. Alrighty then. Good luck!"