Creating a backstory for AJ and Fluttershy is pretty hard, so I've decided to skip them for now and jump straight into the true introduction to the story. Please leave a review so that I may improve my writing skills. Thank you.

Prologue

Jessica desperately tried to cover her tears from her parents as she bid them goodbye. This was already hard enough on them, and she didn't want an image of their daughter crying as their last memory of her before she left.

"Now Jess, make sure you write to us every once and a while," said Jess's father. He gave a somber laugh. "Don't forget that we're still here, alright?"

"Don't worry, dad, I will," Jessica replied. She looked into her father's eyes, eyes which she had never seen a single tear form in her life, and saw a faint, glistening drop form, yet it did not fall. She smiled at him and hugged him, giving him a loving kiss on the cheek. They let go of each other and Jessica faced her mother, unrestrained tears flowing down her face.

"Come visit every now and then, won't you dear?" Jessica's mother said in a choked voice. "At least during the holidays."

"I'll try as much as I can. And you can be certain that I'll be here for Hearths Warming," Jessica said. Her mother grabbed her and gave her a great, tight hug. She returned the affection equally. When the two left each other's arms, Jessica could see a sorrowful smile on her mother's face through the tears.

"Well, I guess this is it," Jessica said as she backed away and grabbed her suitcase from the floor. She was about to say goodbye when she heard a commotion coming from the house behind her parents. The front door burst open, revealing a short figure in the doorway, carrying a tremendous bag.

"Don't forget about me!" the boy said as he rushed over to stand near Jessica.

"Of course we won't, Donny," Jessica's father said as he laughed at Donny's oversized bag.

"We'll never forget what you've done for us here," Jessica's mother said, smiling. "Take care of Jess for us."

"You can count on me, Mrs. Aurora!" said Donny. He gave a military salute, dropping his bag in the process. The group laughed as Donny struggled to lift his bag once more.

"I sure hope you take better care of her than you do that bag!" Jessica's father joked as he went over to help Donny with his luggage. Once the young Dragon-half had reclaimed his bag, Jessica gave one last goodbye to her parents before starting down the street towards the castle. She looked back once, seeing her parents still looking in her direction, and they continued to look towards her until she disappeared entirely from view. Together, Donny and Jessica walked in silence down the lamp lit streets. The only sounds were those of the occasional passing young couple, whispering sweet nothings to each other in the warm summer night. Each of the pair was deep in thought, wondering how their new life would be outside of the walls of Canterlot. It was Donny who finally broke the silence as they approached the grand stairway to the castle.

"I can't believe it. I'm finally going to see the world outside of Canterlot!" Donny said excitedly.

"Yeah. I hope it's as pretty as the pictures in my books," Jessica said, adjusting the glasses on her face.

"Maybe even prettier!" Donny replied.

Silence fell between the two once more as they ascended the hundred steps to the castle. At the top, they were greeted by two guards, adorned in glimmering armor, who stood resolutely in front of the grand gates. Jessica approached the gates, only to bump nose first into what felt like a wall. She rubbed her nose as she saw a glowing wall of light before her.

"Hey! Let us through!" she exclaimed to the guards.

"Sorry ma'am. No visitors at night," said the guard to her right. The guard on the left turned to his partner and gave him an odd look.

"But the queen is expecting us!" said Jessica.

"Sorry, but I have my orders," said the guard. "You'll just have to return in the morning, Twi."

"This is absurd! I need to see the-!" she stopped suddenly. Nobody except for one person called her Twi. She approached the guard slowly, stopping when she saw a smirk on the guards face.

"Gotcha!" said the guard, his smirk growing into a smile.

"Erik!" Jessica exclaimed as she attempted to hug her brother despite his armor. "I thought you were off defending the Crystal Kingdom!"

"I was, but Her Majesty sent in someone else to relieve me from my duties," said Erik. "I just got back this morning. Mom and dad told me the news, and I would have stayed to meet you, but Her Majesty wanted me back at the castle immediately."

"I don't know what to say. I haven't seen you in months and now that you're back, I have to leave," Jessica said sadly. She was also slightly angry at herself for leaving for the optional Saturday classes at the academy that morning.

"Hey, look, how about I come visit you sometime? Next time I'm relieved of my duties, I'll stop by," Erik said, trying to comfort his sister.

"Sure. That sounds great," Jessica responded, smiling.

"Jess, we don't want to keep Celestia waiting!" Donny urged.

"Spike's tagging along with you too, huh?" Erik said, looking at Donny. "Well, I guess he's right. Better let you guys through now." He nodded to his partner on the other side of the gate. The wall of light disappeared and the gates slowly opened inwards.

"Bye, Erik. Stay safe," Jessica said softly as she went through.

"You too," Erik replied. He stopped Donny before he went through the gates and extended his hand in a fist. "Stay cool, man."

Donny, juggling his bag, bumped fists with Erik. "You know it," Spike replied before running to catch up with Jessica.

The pair walked through the great doors of the castle. The greeting chamber was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight peering in through the stained glass windows. Then, suddenly, the entire chamber began to fill with light as the doors at the other end of the chamber opened. From these doors emerged a radiant figure adorned in a shimmering white dress who appeared to cast light all throughout the chamber. The being slowly approached the Jessica and Donny, who kneeled when she came near.

"There's no need for that, you two," Celestia said softly. "You are my friends, afterall."

"That doesn't mean I can't show respect," Jessica said as she stood back up. "Are we leaving right now?"

"Yes. My airship is ready and waiting outside," Celestia responded. "Are you fully prepared?"

Jessica and Donny both nodded.

"Very well. Follow me."

The trio made their way through the grand hallways illuminated by Celestia until they finally arrived at the gardens. The gardens were always peaceful and beautiful at night, but they did not see the usual moonlit landscape. Instead, they were greeted by the queen's private airship, The Alicorn, silently sitting in the middle of the lush green.

"Man, what a beauty!" Donny said as he stared in awe of the vessel.

"Like it? Then I it's yours," said the queen with a smile. They young Dragon-half turned to the queen, mouth agape in disbelief.

"Seriously? No way!"

"Go ahead. See how it feels."

Donny approached the airship and entered it through the stairs it had extended onto the ground. He waved excitedly to Jessica from the cockpit. She waved back, smiling.

"Don't worry, Jessica, I have given you a gift as well," Celestia assured Jessica. "I know how much you love your books, so I have given you the Archives for you to live and stay at."

"Really?" Jessica said, amazed. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

"Goodbye, my protégé. I will expect your first report by the end of the week," said the queen. "I wish you luck in your new life. Farewell!"

Jessica gave one last goodbye to Celestia before she proceeded to board the aircraft. She seated herself next to the excited pilot of the airship and placed her bags behind the seat.

"Ready, Jess?" Donny said as he gripped the controls tightly.

"Ready!" Jessica said as she strapped herself in.

The engines roared as the aircraft slowly raised itself above the gardens, the castle, Canterlot. Once the ship had gained enough altitude, Donny slowly maneuvered the ship forward, gradually gaining speed until it was speeding through the night sky.

Jessica drifted off to sleep to the soft hum of the engines, dreaming of her new life in Equitem.