Sweet Home took a deep breath, focusing her chi. She stood on one hoof, balanced, seemingly precariously, upon a single, slender wooden pole. She exhaled, repeating the mantra: "I shall bend where others break."

The exercise was fierce, tense, and still strangely poetic. Master Long Wok move with grace across the other poles, his rear hooves dancing upon ground that was anything but solid. As he approached the student, his forehooves moved in a fury of confusion, causing his body itself to sway into seemingly impossible angles that would surely cause a fall. Yet his balance always recovered.

To her credit, Sweet Home didn't flinch, prepared as she was for the feints and the flurry. When he attacked, her own hooves fought off every attempted chop, strike, and sweep. The master paused, gathered himself, and stood at full height on his rear hooves, bowing.

"You do well," he said, his Cantonese accent thick. "You master everything you see before you. Rise and receive reward!"

Sweet Home tried to fight it, but couldn't help but smile. She knew she'd trained hard and deserved recognition for her work. She stood upright as well, meeting her master in hoof-tip balance and bow.

He kicked the pole she stood on, and she tumbled to the loose gravel a dozen feet beneath.

The other students laughed as she dusted herself off and stood up. The master himself leapt from the pole and onto the ground to face her.

"But Master," she said. "I don't understand. I have learned everything I've seen!"

"Yes, my little pony, you have, but you still not enlightened."

"Then teach me, Master! Teach me the secrets to enlightenment!"

"I would gladly teach if I could, but everypony must find enlightenment for herself."

"Then tell me where to look, Master! I shall go anywhere, accomplish any task required! Direct me and I will go!"

"Very well," the Master responded. "I see great drive within you. You ready to go upon the quest. However," he said, looking at the other students. "Like enlightenment, quest open to all seekers of truth."

Sweet Home nodded serenely, accepting the implied challenge. The other students nodded as well.

"Secret to enlightenment can be found," the Master said. "Just over horizon."

Sweet Home was about to ask more, but stopped herself. It was a riddle, and she'd solve it. Then she smirked. She was a pegasus, and she could beat all of her fellow students in a race, especially just a few dozen miles to the horizon. She just had to figure out where to go. The nearby cities of Neighjing and Canton seemed obvious... too obvious. No, the secret had to be remote, in the isolated shrines of the Himaneigha mountains. There were a dozen shrines up there, but she could hit all of them within a day, long before the others could even think of where to head. She galloped outside and took off for the north.

The other students spent a few minutes contemplating the riddle, before going on about their day. Training continued, lunch was held, and no other pony departed, despite the challenge. At dinner, another student approached the Master, asking him why none of those remaining understood the quest Sweet Home had so suddenly undertaken.

"Rest assured," the Master responded. "Secret to enlightenment not in Himaneighas."

"Then you let her go there for no reason?"

"No, she learn much, for the wise ponies of mountains have much to teach."

"Then what of enlightenment?"

"As it has been for many years," the Master replied. "Enlightenment is just over horizon."

The student thought on this, and smiled. The other gathered students, overhearing the conversation smiled as well, realizing their Master truly was wise. Enlightenment was a journey, not a destination. No matter how far a pony went, the horizon was always just a bit further yet. They all went to bed that night basking in the glow of true wisdom. Well, all but one.

"Hey, Horizon," his bunkmate said, stepping into the shared room.

"Gah! Notachangling!" Horizon sputtered, being startled at the edge of sleep.

"Woah, clam down! I just wanted to know what that paper is you're always staring at. Why do you keep that thing pinned above your bunk anyway?"

"Oh," Horizon replied, relieved to see his cover was intact. "The Master told me if I understood this, I'd achieve enlightenment."

"But it's just a blank piece of paper."

"I know, I've been staring at it for years!"