Chapter 8

The Sorting

As the train came to a stop, Twilight opened one of the windows to find a familiar stallion standing on the platform. "Hey there, Twilight!" Big Mac waved to the unicorn. "Hi, Big Mac!" Twilight waved back happy to see a familiar face. Everypony walked out of the train when it came to a complete stop. "Alright, first year students follow me!" Big Mac called out. He gathered the students and led them to a dock with several boats.

"Right this way everypony!" Big Mac said leading them into the boats. Once everypony got seated, the boats started to sail across the dark-black lake. The only light shining in the lake was the reflection of the moon. After a few moments of silence, everypony took notice of a giant white castle in the distance. The castle was decorated with pink flags along with purple and gold striped roofs on the towers.

Everypony watched in awe as the boats got closer to the castle. When the boats came to a stop, Big Mac picked up his lantern and got out of his boat. "Alright everypony, stay close to me! We don't want anypony getting lost!" Big Mac told the first years. The stallion led the ponies through a series of pitch-black caves. The first years gathered around Big Mac's lantern as closely as possible, afraid that the stallion might leave them behind. They eventually reached the stairs at the end of the cave, which led them inside the castle.

Unlike the caves, the castle was fully lit by candelabras. Everypony found themselves walking on a scarlet-red carpet on the floor, which led them to another set of stairs. At the top of the stairs stood a pink alicorn with a multicolored mane. "Thank you, Big Macintosh! I'll handle the rest from here!" the alicorn said dismissing the stallion. "Welcome to Canterlot, everypony! I am Professor Cadance, your transfiguration teacher." the alicorn introduced herself. "Before we begin the school year, all of you will be sorted into your houses. The houses here at Canterlot are known as Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff." she stated

"Here in Canterlot, your houses will be like your family. Your triumphs here will earn you house points, but if there's any rule-breaking, you will lose points." she warned. "The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the house cup!" While Cadance was talking, a small white bunny hopped in the center of the room. The only pony to notice was a yellow pegasus with a long, pink mane. "Angel!" the pegasus squealed. She ran towards the bunny and pick it up in her hooves. Everypony can tell that the pegasus is Fluttershy by her love for her pet bunny and her cutie mark of three butterflies. "Angel, please don't run of like that! I was worried sick!" Fluttershy told her pet.

The pegasus looked up and saw Cadance giving her a disapproving glare. "I'm really sorry!" Fluttershy apologized and walked back to the group of first years. "Anyway." Cadance continued. "I would like everypony to wait here until we are finished preparing for the sorting." The alicorn turned around and stepped through the double doors leaving everypony to wait in silence. As everypony waited, Twilight started to feel nervous about the sorting. What if she failed the sorting and got sent back home? She didn't even know what to expect.

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts as one first year said, "So it's true! Twilight Sparkle has come to Canterlot!" The pony who spoke up was a dark-blue unicorn. She wore a purple cape along with a matching hat, both of which were decorated with stars. The blue unicorn was accompanied by a short-chubby pony with a pair of scissors for a cutie mark and a tall-skinny pony with a snail cutie mark.

"I knew I would meet you here, Twilight." said the unicorn. "These two ponies right next to me are Snips and Snails. My name is Trixie Lulamoon." Applejack couldn't help but giggle as the unicorn introduced herself. Trixie turned and glared at Applejack. "You think my name is funny?" Trixie shouted. "Well, let's see what kind of family you come from!" She stepped closer to the farm pony. "Judging by your apple cutie mark, you belong to one of those peasant families."

Trixie scoffed and faced Twilight. "I can't believe that peasant was even enrolled here." the blue unicorn smirked. "Hey! Applejack is my friend!" Twilight snapped angry at Trixie for insulting her friend. "Oh, Twilight! You wouldn't want to make friends with the wrong ponies. I can help you choose the house you belong in so you can make real friends. What do you say?" Trixie offered holding out her hoof. Twilight knew that she didn't want to be in the same group as somepony stuck-up like Trixie. "I think I can handle the sorting on my own! Thank you very much!" Twilight said sarcastically. The double doors soon opened and Cadance stepped through. "It's time for the sorting, everypony. Please follow me." the alicorn directed the ponies.

Cadance led the ponies into a grand hallway. There were long tables set up through out the room. Each table was so long that dozens of ponies could sit there. The top of the hallway had a ceiling that was enchanted to make it look like the night sky. At the end of the hall was a light-brown podium with a white alicorn. standing behind it. She had a flowing mane and a sun for a cutie mark.

"Welcome to Canterlot everypony! I am the headmistress of Canterlot, Professor Celestia!" the white alicorn greeted. "Before we begin the sorting, our caretaker, Cranky Doodle Donkey asked me to remind everypony that the Everfree Forest at the edge of the school grounds is off limits to fillies without adult supervision. I also like to inform everypony that the dark corridor on the third floor is forbidden to those who don't wish to suffer a painful death!" she warned sounding serious. The entire hall became quiet as everypony fearfully wondered what was on the third floor that was so dangerous.

Once the headmistress finished her announcements, Professor Cadance placed an old black wizard hat on a stool. "Now it's time to sort all of you into your houses. When I call your name, please step forward." the pink alicorn instructed. She took out a scroll and called Rarity's name first. Rarity's eyes widened from shock. She never thought she would be the first pony to be sorted. "Ok, just relax!" Rarity muttered to herself as she made her way towards the stool and sat down. Once Cadance placed the hat on Rarity's head, the hat started to speak. "Ah, such generosity and intelligence. This is a tough choice, but I say you belong in Gryffindor!" the sorting hat announced.

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Professor Cadance looked at her scroll again. "Trixie Lulamoon." she called out. Unlike Rarity, Trixie approached the stool with confidence. The moment the alicorn put the hat on Trixie's head, the hat already called out, "Slytherin!" The unicorn smirked and headed to the Slytherin table. "Twilight." Applejack whispered to the unicorn. "I think I should warn you that everypony in Slytherin ended up being dark witches and wizards." Twilight gulped. Now she really doesn't want to be in the same house as Trixie. Professor Cadance called out Applejack's name next. Applejack took a seat feeling nervous about the house she will be sorted in.

The farm pony could feel Cadance placing the hat on her and it spoke once again. "Ah! Another apple! I know exactly what to do with you!" Applejack then shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the worst. "Gryffindor!" the hat called out. Applejack smiled satisfied with her house and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. Professor Cadance read from the scroll once again to see who was next. "Twilight Sparkle!" The second her name was called Twilight felt her heart racing. Mutters and whispers filled the Great Hall as Twilight made her way to the stool and gathered the courage to sit down.

The next thing Twilight knew, the hat was already on her. "My my!" the hat spoke in astonishment. "You have lots of potential and bravery, but where should I put you?" the hat wondered. "Not Slytherin." the unicorn muttered. "Not Slytherin? Are you sure about that? You can be great and Slytherin can be your path to greatness! No? If you don't want Slytherin then I guess it will have to be Gryffindor!" announced the sorting hat. Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table as Twilight happily got up from the stool and sat down next to Applejack and her cousin, Braeburn.

Once the rest of the first years were sorted, Professor Celestia, tapped on her glass cup to gain the students' attention. "Now that the sorting has concluded, let the feast begin!" The next thing everypony knew, every table in the hall got magically filled with food like turkey, grapes, corn, and bread. Everypony stared in amazement at the meals fit for kings and started to eat.

Twilight never ate anything so delicious when she was with the Riches. The mare was enjoying her food, but quickly stopped eating as she felt a burning sensation from her cutie mark. She felt as though it was on fire. Twilight looked around the Great Hall to see if there was some kind of magic causing it. She quickly noticed that she was being watched by a gray unicorn at the professors' table. He had a black mane with long bangs and wore a dark-black coat.

Just being stared by him made Twilight feel nervous so she decided to find out who he is. "Hey, Braeburn! Who is that unicorn sitting next to Professor Discord?" she asked. "That's our potion master, Professor Flintheart." Applejack's cousin answered. "He's the type of unicorn who dabbles in the dark arts. He's been after Discord's job for years." There was something about this unicorn that didn't seem right to Twilight.

Out of nowhere a blood-curdling scream came from the Gryffindor table startling Twilight. Ghost ponies appeared all over the Great Hall and started floating around the tables. The ghost that came to the Gryffindor table wore a fancy suit and had a monocle. "Hello everypony! Welcome to Gryffindor!" he spoke in a fancy accent. "Hey, I know you! Your Nearly Headless Fancy Pants." Applejack exclaimed. "I would prefer Sir Fancy Pants if you don't mind." the ghost replied. "How can you be Nearly Headless?" Rarity asked confused. "Like this!" Fancy Pants answered as he grabbed his head and partially removed it from his neck, frightening most of the first years.

After everypony finished eating, the school prefects started to lead the first years to their dormitories. The Gryffindors followed Braeburn to the grand staircase of the castle. "Watch the stairs everypony! They tend to have a mind of their own!" Braeburn warned motioning towards the moving stairways above. The stairs weren't the only objects that were moving. As everypony carefully climbed, the stairs they passed by moving portraits of ponies on the wall. At the very top of the stairway they came to a portrait of a fat pony.

"Password?" the fat pony spoke. "Klutzy draconequus." Braeburn answered without a second thought. The first years giggled and wondered if this was some kind of prank somepony pulled on Discord. "Password accepted." said the portrait as it swung open revealing a common room with lavender chairs, a fireplace, and two sets of stairs, each on both sides of the room. "This is the Gryffindor common room, everypony. The mares' bedroom is on the left stairway and the colt's bedroom is on the right." Braeburn explained. "You will find that all of your personal belongings are upstairs. All of you must go to bed soon since we have a busy day tomorrow." Braeburn wished everypony goodnight and left the common room.

Later that night, everypony went to sleep to get ready for their first school day. The only pony that was awake was Twilight. She started to pet Owlowiscious as she stared out the window. This whole time, Twilight had a magical part to her life that she never knew about. Now that she was in Canterlot, she was with ponies who are not so different from her. Canterlot was her new home.