Revelation

Scarlet continued to stare up at the night sky. The full moon was mesmerizing, and the glistening stars only complimented its beauty.

As she sat there, she thought about the discussion she'd just had with Fluttershy. What was this “red flash”? Did it have anything to do with her nightmares? These kinds of questions flooded her mind, practically begging to be answered. She didn't even know where to start.

“Even if everything my friends said is true, who in Equestria would believe me if I told them? Nopony would even consider a farfetched story like that. It's common knowledge that only unicorns can use magic. Then again, was I actually using magic? Could it have been something else? Pegasi don't know much about unicorns, besides the obvious fact that they can use magic at will. If only there was somepony who knew a decent amount about all the races.”

Scarlet looked down from the sky, and her gaze was averted to something shimmering in the distance. It somewhat resembled a star, but it shined much brighter than any star she'd seen before.

Scarlet focused her eyes, and realized what it was.

“Canterlot,” she thought, awe-struck by the shining spectacle. “What do I know about Canterlot?”

She thought of her days in school, hoping that would somehow jog her memory on any useful facts.

[][][][][][][][]

The classroom was full of rambunctious young pegasi. Some of them talked amongst themselves, while others, such as Rainbow Dash, tried to catch some shut-eye. Scarlet, on the other hand, had her eyes on the large map of Equestria, which hung at the front of the room. However, it became increasingly difficult to concentrate, thanks to Rainbow's increasingly loud snoring in the desk right behind her.

“Good morning, class.” announced the teacher, who had just entered the room. The noise began to tone down as the teacher approached her desk.

“Today, I'd like to tell you all a bit about one of the most important ponies in history: Princess Celestia; our beloved ruler.” she said, as the pages of her textbook rustled.

The students' disgruntled voices could be heard throughout the room, and they all began to settle into their seats.

“Now, can anyone tell me how Princess Celestia came to be our ruler?” asked the teacher.

The children were silent.

The teacher sighed. “I suppose I'll have to start from the beginning.” she cleared her throat in preparation.

“Shortly after the founding of Equestria by the three pony races, a great evil descended upon the land, and threw Equestria into a state of chaos for quite some time.”

“One day, Celestia appeared, as if from nowhere, and stood up to this evil force. A battle ensued, but she was victorious in the end. She sealed away the evil, and the ponies bowed down to her. She assumed leadership of Equestria, and has maintained balance and harmony ever since.”

There was a brief pause after that statement, and then she continued.

“Celestia accomplished many phenomenal things in her life. Probably the most extraordinary is the huge drop in crime, hunger, and disease. Also, she has completely prevented Equestria from falling into a state of war with neighboring countries.”

A young colt raised his hoof.

“Yes, Airy?”

“Well,” started Airy, “I just wanted to know how Princess Celestia could do so much to change the world. She's just one pony.”

The teacher smiled. “Nopony knows how Celestia acquired her legendary leadership abilities, or her immortality. Some say that the universe presented her as a gift to us. Others say she is from a different world entirely. The only thing we are sure of, is the fact that she is the only known pony in Equestria with the wings of a pegasus, and the horn of a unicorn.”

Scarlet's eyes widened, as if she had come to a sudden realization. She stood up, and all the other children stared at her. She was aware that her reaction must have looked strange to the others, but she didn't care. She spoke up.

“So, I suppose it's safe to say that Princess Celestia is the wisest pony in the land, considering all her years as our ruler?”

The teacher nodded warily.

“To think,” Scarlet muttered to herself, “her store of knowledge must be inconceivable... perhaps she has the answer. I'm willing to bet she knows more about all of the pony races than anyone in the world!”

“Scarlet... are you alright?” asked the teacher.

Scarlet looked up. She realized her hooves were raised in the air, and she had been shouting in excitement. The children in the room gave her weird glances.

“I guess this has become more of a dream than a flashback,” Scarlet thought, as she returned to herself.

[][][][][][][][]

She looked in the direction of Canterlot, but noticed that it wasn't shining as much as it did a few minutes ago, most likely due to the position of the moon.

“Canterlot,” she repeated to herself several times. “Princess Celestia might be able to tell me more about myself, but how am I supposed to get an audience with her? I doubt I could just barge into the castle and speak to her. There's probably some long process involved.”

The thought bounced around in her mind. “Perhaps I should get to Canterlot first, then I can figure out the next step. If Van Stalwart Jubilee took an entire day to get from Canterlot to this place on hoof, then the train ride there should only be a few hours at most. Tomorrow, I'll see how much the ticket costs, and I can make my decision based on that. Hopefully I've saved up enough in these last five months.”

Another predicament presented itself. “What about Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy? What should I tell them? I can't honestly expect them to throw away all their savings to come with me. Hmm.”

Scarlet paced back and forth, trying to come up with a solution.

“I guess I can tell them the whole story right before I leave. It's not like I'm abandoning them, I'll just be gone for a few days. Then again, I'll have to talk to Mr. Jubilee, as well. Ugh, I'm too tired to think at the moment. I'll just wake up early tomorrow, and go into town to see how much a train ticket to Canterlot costs. No need to make split decisions right now. The best thing I can do right now is get some much-needed rest.”

Scarlet headed back towards the house. She approached the orchard, and her head turned around one last time to gaze at the capitol city, which was barely visible now.

“Is this where my real journey begins?”