Please enjoy! Note that this story branches early on, so you might want to go through it multiple times to explore it- Can you find all 17 endings!?

Mentally, you run through the checklist you had made for yourself. You have your writing supplies, two textbooks, and your bare essentials in your saddlebags, thanks to meticulous packing and not a small amount of nagging from your highly-invested mother. You also ran through your greeting once more in your mind; you had practiced it almost continuously on the train to Ponyville, but it never hurt to be thorough.

Exhaling, you look up at the foreboding crystalline tree in front of you. Ponies called it a castle, but from your position bathed in its shadow, it looks more like a fortress. A threatening, nigh insurmountable object on your life’s path, to be even more precise.

Or, it would be insurmountable, were a nice little staircase not out front.

Steeling yourself, you trot up the stairs and halt just in front of the solid, cold, gold-plated double doors which led inside.

No time like the present.

Abruptly, even suddenly, you knock on the door.

You furrow your brow as some crashing noises echo from inside. “Ahh, nuts,” a defeated voice follows. “Hold on, hold on, I’m coming!”

Twenty or so seconds later, one of the doors flings itself open, revealing a tiny purple and green dragon. “Listen Dash, if you think you can just-”

The dragon pauses as he regards you curiously. “Oh, uh, sorry. I thought you were somepony else.”

“Ah, that’s alright,” you reply earnestly. “No harm done.”

An awkward little silence transpires for ten seconds or so, before the dragon clears his throat. “So, uh…”

Your ears perk up to attention. “Oh! I’m the winner of the Scholars’ award drawing! I’m here to perform research with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

The dragon’s eyes glimmer for just a moment with understanding. “Oh yeah, I think Twilight mentioned something about that.” A cocky grin slowly works its way onto his face. “Bet you were surprised to see me, huh?”

“Yeah, I was,” you chuckle. “Who might you be?”

The dragon seems to practically deflate under your question. “I’m Spike...The Dragon?”

You had seen pictures of dragon delegations, including one ‘Dragon Lord Ember’, in the newspaper before. To be honest, though, you’d never imagined they’d be so small and generally unintimidating in person. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Spike.” You extend a hoof in a friendly greeting.

Spike seems to ignore it. “You...You really don’t know me?”

Frowning, you let your hoof fall back down to the ground. “Uh...no. Should I?”

“Spike the Dragon? Official friendship ambassador to the Dragon Lands? TWICE hero of the Crystal Empire!? Forger of Twilight’s signature on official decrees!? You know, I’m the reason there’s trash pickup on Sundays now!” He huffs a small cloud of smoke through his nostrils.

“Spike!” a voice calls from deeper inside the foreboding fortress. “Where’s my tea?”

Spike cranes his neck around and shouts back angrily. “It’ll be up your butt if you don’t lay off, Starlight! I said I’d get it to you, I’ll get it to you!”

“SPIKE!” A chastising voice scolds from much closer. “Language! And what is all the racket?”

“Your research pony is here,” Spike informs her with a distinct lack of interest.

The clopping of hooves signals the newcomer’s approach. “Well, stop being rude and let him in,” the voice chides.

A violet glow surrounds the other half-door in front of you, and it swings open to reveal Twilight Sparkle disapprovingly glowering over her assistant. She continues speaking, her gaze not even flickering over to you. “And why on earth is there a bunch of broken tea china in the foyer!?”

Closing his eyes, Spike inhales sharply in frustration, before letting out a slow exhalation. He lifts a single claw in the air and shakes it threateningly as he opens his eyes again. “One of these days, Twilight,” he mutters, dropping his claw back to his side. “I swear…”

Twilight cranes her neck as she watches Spike angrily waddle deeper into the castle, before he disappears around a corner. When he does, she shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts and turns toward you.

For the first time, you get a clear view of her stunning violet eyes and friendly features. She smiles at you.

“I’m so sorry for Spike’s behavior. I told him you were coming a few days ago, but he has a lot on his plate.” She takes a few steps toward you, closing to a more comfortable speaking distance. “I would have come to meet you at the train station, but I wasn’t sure which train you would arrive on!”

You let out an inadvertent, strange noise. The Princess of Friendship was standing right in front of you, talking to you like an equal.

“Sorry, I’m a terrible host,” Twilight apologizes with mild chagrin. “I forgot my manners, too! It’s nice to finally meet you! My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

All of your practice has been flushed right down the mental toilet. You freeze, not knowing how to greet the Princess back.

To shake her hoof, proceed to Chapter 1.

To bow to her, proceed to Chapter 2.

To kiss her hoof, proceed to Chapter 3.