My Little Mages: Seraphic Guidanceby FoxhelmChaptersTwilight's QuestionPlans For StarlightCelestia’s AnswerTwilight's QuestionAuthor's Note Much like with My Little Mages: Enchanted Enigma Elixir, this is a three chapter story. I hope you enjoy. Twilight's Question A bipedal reptile stood in front of a wooden door in a crystalline castle. The reptile had purple scales with green spines along his back and was about the size of a thirteen-year-old boy. He wore a pair of denim jeans and a red shirt, this was Spike the dragon. He took a breath and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a woman with purple hair was with streaks of light purple and pale grayish aquamarine, her eyes were persian blue, done with most going back over her left and a rightward part of it. She wore brown boots that went just short of the knee, a dress that went past the knee, near the bottom of her left side were two streams of two different tones of light blue that taper to a four-pointed star a lighter shade of purple than the dress with a long sleeved magenta shirt with a pink jacket that sleeves covered over most of the shirt with golden trim. On her left shoulder was a metal guard with a purple four-pointed star on an inverted white four-pointed star, with a sash that was made of two sashes of two different tones of light blue. On her forehead was a purple focus gem cut to look like a four-pointed star. This was Starlight Glimmer, Starlight for short, "Hey, Spike. What's up?" she greeted the dragon. Spike looked around, nervously for a second, "Just, uh, wanted to make sure you're ready for the ceremony today," he said as he found the words. Starlight gave a closed-eyed smile as she nodded, "I'm ready," said with a smile. Unbeknownst to her, another woman teleported into her room. The woman, like Starlight, was in her early twenties but had dark sapphire hair with two streaks, one was rose and the other was violet, with violet eyes, and metallic wings purple and gold in color which seemed to float behind her and yet also come from her back with two amethyst six-pointed stars functioning for the wings like her arm's shoulder balls. She wore a headband with a horn-like amethyst focusing gem on her forehead, with a dull blue robe with large golden cuffs, pink pants and brown boots that went up above her ankle. Around her neck was a triangle-like amulet that was colored like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Twilight for short. Starlight continued to speak, "I find it hard to believe that today we are being honored." All the while Twilight was measuring the space above one of Starlight's dressers. Spike then spoke up, in a way to keep Starlight focused on him while Twilight measure, "Are you kidding?" he asked rhetorically. "You, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax totally deserve the medals! After all, you four did save me, Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, everyone, heck all of Mystica from Chrysalis!" Spike said as he tried to keep Starlight focused on him. Starlight shock her head, "I know. I was there." Spike gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, of course." Spike was able to see Twilight wink and teleport away as she was done. Spike took a step back from the room, "Well see you at the party." and he left. Starlight shrugged her shoulders as the dragon ran off and shut her door. About five minutes later, Spike arrived at Twilight's room, "Sparkle and Spike, we make a good team!" Spike said as he leaned in the doorway. Twilight laughed a little at what Spike called her, "I guess even I forgot that's part of my name." Twilight looked at the mirror above her dresser, and then to a box that was big enough for another mirror, "Do you think she suspected?" Twilight asked. Spike shook his head with a confident grin on his face, "Nay, kept it short and to the point, although I am surprised you didn't ask her to do a shopping run." Spike pointed out. Twilight shook her head at first before she explained, "I need her here for the party." Spike just shrugged his shoulders in response, as he elected to not press the matter. Twilight then looked at the box again. "Think she'll like the mirror?" Spike shrugged in response at first, "I want her to know that I am proud of Starlight, as her mentor and her friend and that Mystica is now safer thanks to your actions." Spike looked at the box Twilight planned to give Starlight, "I am not sure the mirror will be enough to do that, heck I don't think that there's a card big enough for that.... even if you asked the CMC to help and tell them it's a Hearts and Charms Day card for Cheerilee." Twilight shook her head as she went over to her mirror, "This mirror is what she needs. Every morning she'll get up and see that she's not alone and that all her family and friends are with her." Along the sides of her mirror, there were many pictures, one of Twilight as a little girl with Shining Armor, one with her and Cadance, one of her and her parents, one of her and her five friends in Magiville, one of her with the five friends she managed to rekindle back in Chantalot, one of her and Owlowisiouc, her pet owl, among other pictures. She then picked up the box with her magic, "What a perfect way to complete the ceremony?" she asked with her eyes closed and a big grin on her face. Spike took a second to think and saw the clock, "Say, shouldn't we get the hall ready?" Twilight waved her right hand away, "Pinkie got's it." A woman about the same age as Starlight and Twilight, but shorter than the two entered an empty room large enough to house a party that that had at least three times the population of Magiville in attendance. The woman had bouncing cotton pink hair and blue eyes, this was the Pinkie, short for Pinkie Pie, that Twilight mentioned. She wore a bear legged leotard with blue shoes, a pink jester coat and a dark pink jester’s hat with three balloons, one was yellow and two were blue and on her jacket’s waist was a rubber chicken called ‘Boneless’, unlike other rubber chickens his right leg wasn’t the regular orange but a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Pinkie looked around with a 'Hmmm.' as she held her chin in thought. Next to her was rope which she pulled the rope which caused a score of tables fully stocked with party foods. She then whipped her forehead with a "Phew!" About two hours later on a small platform Twilight stood on the stage right and was the closest to both the center and edge. Along with her were three other women that were farther to the stage right and back. The woman closest to Twilight had hair that was tri-colored light yellow, dark pink and royal purple. Her eyes were light purple. From her back came a set of metallic wings from like Twilight, but while Twilight’s wings were a set large star and a few smaller ones, the woman's were half-heart with crystals. The main mark of her magical specialty was a large crystal heart that was mostly the front torso of her dress. This was Twilight’s sister-in-law, Cadance. The next woman was slightly taller than Cadance and also had metallic wings but they were black and dark blue with a crescent moon as in lue of the sun, heart, and stars. Unlike Twilight and Cadance, her hair seemed to float but was like a starry night devoid of any terrestrial based light pollution, she also had cyran eyes. She wore a dark blue gothic dress that went just below her knees, a black choker with a silver crescent moon, and black and silver boots. This was Princess Luna. The last woman was taller than Luna and seemed older than Cadance, but also like Luna also gave off an aura of agelessness. Her long hair seemed to be a rainbow of two shades of light blue, a shade of light green and pink and it seemed to float even with no wind present, like Luna. She had purple eyes and from her back, like Twilight, Cadance and Luna came two metallic wings, but hers were golden and white and had as the center of them a sun. She wore a long alabaster gown that even covered her feet. This was Princess Celestia. Across from Twilight was Starlight, with three others on the stage left. Across from Cadance was a woman about the same age as Starlight and Twilight. The woman light blue hair and purple eyes and wore blue gloves, a black dress with knee-high boots, she also had Around her waist was a buckle shaped like a wand topped with a star and a cape with a series of stars and at her neck was blue gem that was worn as a necklace, but looked like it could be made as the clasp for a cloak, which it was being used as for a cloak of moons and stars with a matching hat. This was was Trixie Lulamoon, better known as The Great and Powerful Trixie, Trixie for short. Across from Luna was a man about six feet tall, His left hand had longer nails than most men, giving a talon-like appearance, compounded by the fact that his shirt’s sleeve ended above the elbow. His right hand and arm were in a yellow gauntlet that went all the way to his shoulder. He had a blue bird-like wing like pauldron over his left shoulder, and a purple bat-like wing one for his right shoulder. His right leg was normal as his left leg matched but was armored like the gauntlet on his right arm but was green in color. He wore light brown pants, a waistcoat that’s exterior was a more reddish brown than his pants with a long tail which seemed to be redder to replace his dragon tail and a high collar with gold lining it and where the coat connected in the front. This was Discord. The final of the four and standing opposite of Celestia was another man, he too stood six feet tall. His skin was white-ish pink like most Mysticans. His eyes were moderate rose and his hair was a light rose. His shirt had long open sleeves that were moderate blue-violet in color with dark fuchsia shoulders that was under an upper chest piece that was lime green and faded int bright gamboge in color with three light blue crystals. He wore what only be seen as lime green pants under an emerald robe and shoes that looked like their inspired by leaves in their design, and on his head was crown that looked like it was made of plant-life and resembled the antlers of a deer that was bright orange in color with some green. This was the recently crowned elven king, Thorax. In the audience were many of Magivillie's residences, the residences of Starlight's old village and elves not unlike Thorax, dressed in clothes that were made of various colors some extremely bright and some earthy. Among the audience were ten key people in the front row. The first was Pinkie followed by another woman about her age with pink hair but taller, she also had teal colored eyes, but her hair was a lighter shade of pink then Pinkie. She was Fluttershy she was dressed in a green, yellow and light blue dress with a stylized pink butterfly as a brooch for her hood, and above her left ear was a blue flower but one of its pedals was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Next to her was a woman with rainbow colored hair that was done in a high ponytail with a hairpin that looked like a stylized cloud and a tri-colored rainbow of red, yellow and blue, with cerise eyes. She wore black sock-like boats that went above her knees, with a dull purple skirt and light a dull blue shirt with white and gold wing styled sleeves. On her waist was a quiver and a bow and from her ankles came ethereal wing. Also, on her shirt was a pin of a stylized lightning bolt with wings, the wings were gold in color while the lightning bolt had the coloration of a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was Rainbow Dash. Next to Rainbow Dash was a woman with long deep-magenta hair with a small tiara on her head with three sapphires cut as kites, this was Rarity, she had azure eyes, and she wore a long alabaster gown with some pinkish-purple with a long shawl that was composed of two rainbows in color, a traditional rainbow going the length of the shawl save for the width of one of the shorter edges which running perpendicular to the rest of the shawl was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple, going around her back and hanging from her elbows. Next to her was a blonde woman with green eyes, named Applejack. Her hair was done in a low ponytail and was dressed in brown pants, brown boots, a red leather jacket with some pieces of armor most notably pauldrons with stylized apples, brown gloves, a scabbard with a longsword in it. Around her neck was a black cord that had a coin with a rendering of apples on both sides but looked like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Next to the five women were five more people. The first was Double Diamond, a man who wore blue denim pants with purple boots that could easily be attached to skis or snowboards, a white sweater with blue diamonds going around the shoulder level of it with three blue snowflakes arranged like a triangle on the front. The second person was another man by the name of Party Favor, who, in addition to a set of gloves with pink gems as his focus gems in the palms, wore a white longsleeved shirt, bright cyan pants, a purple vest with a balloon animal and streamers rendered on the back, purple shoes and a cyan tie. Next to him was another Magicborn, this time a woman that had cerise eyes and magenta hair which had a similar bounce to it like Party Favor's, she wore a sort light blue dress like those in the roller skate themed dinners that went mid-thigh with a short white baker's apron with a cupcake with purple frosting topped with a cherry with four jellybeans red to yellow in color depicted on the front under a large bow that went around her waist that was pale cerise and yellow in color. She also wore a necklace that went done to her bosom and had a gem that seemed to be aligned with her heart. This was Sugar Belle. Next to Sugar Belle was another woman who had white and bluish-gray hair that was blown back like it was always against the wind with cerulean eyes and had a pair of night black ethereal wings. She wore black sandals, a moderate azure sleeve-less tight shirt, shorts that exposed her midriff and leggings that exposed part of her thighs. On her shirt over her right bosom was a depiction of a crescent moon surrounded by two curved feathers. This was Night Glider. In the same row, as the previous nine was another man, his name being Sunburst, he was slightly thinner than most, as to be expected of men that delve deep into text, be the text for the hidden knowledge of the fabric of the universe or the hallowed scriptures of the Divine’s teachings. He wore glasses which didn’t hide his eyes, which were a gradient of various shades of blue dark cornflower blue to moderate cyan. His hair was two shades of vermilion, both vivid and brilliant, with a matching goatee. He wore a bright gamboge shirt with his Aura Mark, an an orange sun bursting with four yellow rays of two different shades of yellow on the sun’s left side with six blue stars of two different shades of blues around the sun’s right side, a set of pants matching most of his shirt, on his hands were a set of white gloves on his hands. He wore over his shirt and pants a light blue cloak with a light green lining of the trim and a series of light green five-pointed stars, and clasping the cloak was his focus gem, which was a light green circle sun with white rays pointing to his right, with a small white four-pointed star in the sun’s double right corner. Twilight turned to those watching, "Starlight Glimmer, Trixie 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' Lulamoon, Discord and the new change-" Thorax cleared his throat which caused Twilight to pause, "Elven" Thorax corrected, "We're trying to remake our image." Twilight nodded and elected to continue with that change noted in the rest of her speech, "And the new elven king, Thorax, were brave," See said as she looked more towards Thorax, "resourceful," this time her focus was more on Starlight, "and proved how strong the bonds of friendship are." Twilight took a glance to Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax before she continued. "They stopped the former Queen Chrysalis, setting the elves free from her tyranny and saved Mystica!" Discord then teleported to be the crowd and dressed like a sports fan "Go, Discord! Yahoo!" There were various laughs and giggles at Discord's action. There were a few eye rolls but for the most part, everyone was amused by Discord. Celestia then stepped forward with a pillow, on the pillow were four pink gems cut to look like hearts on blue ribbons. "Thank you Discord," Celestia giggled. "As such we are here to honor these four for their actions with the highest award that can be given to civilians and non-citizens on Mystica, The Pink Hearts of Courage!" Celestia then began to levitate the three of the medals to the other three princesses. Twilight walked towards Starlight and placed the medal around Starlight's neck. Cadance then followed suit with Trixie. Luna then followed as she placed the medal on Discord, and finally, Celestia held out the medal with both hands to Thorax. "I cannot actually place the medal on you, it would imply that I am your superior." Thorax nodded and took the blue ribbon and placed it on himself. The four princesses stepped back as Twilight started to speak again, "Thank you all!" Everyone then cheered and applauded the four. Trixie and Starlight nodded with Trixie taking off of her hat. Discord bowed and Thorax raised his right hand as the cheers and applauds continued. Shortly after the four stepped down from the stage and began to mingle with the rest. Trixie began to talk with several people manly with residents from both Magiville and Starlight's village, and a few of the visiting elves, "It was the pleasure of the Grrrrreat and Powerrrrrful Trrrrixie to save you all." Discord the popped out from under Trixie's hat, "Of course, they should be thankful," Discord then tapped on her nose and walked out from under her hate. "You did it all." Starlight, Sunburst, and Thorax walked upon this scene and Starlight giggled at the serving of humble pie that Discord gave Trixie. Sunburst then took off his glass in shock of everything that "I can't believe you managed to do it without magic. One of the elves, a clearly male elf, "It was amazing!" he said clearly impressed with Starlight's accomplishment. The elf closest to him, a female then continued, "No one can remember a time that anyone stood up to Chrysalis!" also equally impressed. Starlight tried to brush the comment aside, "I just did what anyone in my situation would have done.", in a futile attempt to sway the praise she received. Twilight watched how everyone was treating Starlight with a smile on her face. She noted that Starlight has clearly come a long way since she accepted Twilight's offer to be Twilight's student. While she watched, she was joined by Celestia, "Isn't it a wonderful feeling?" Celestia asked as she too witnessed the scene, "To see a student of yours shine as you always knew." Twilight could not help but laugh at that response and then rubbed her cheeks, with the smile still on her face, "I don't recall ever smiling this much before! My cheeks are sore!" She cheered. Celestia had a small giggle, "I can not but imagine how that feels," Celestia replied with a wink and went on her way As Celestia left Discord walked upon the scene, "So with Starlight as the student of the year, what's next on your list for her?" Discord asked as he floated in front of Twilight. He then pointed at her nose, "As her mentor," he the teleported to stand on Twilight's shoulders, "her fate rests on your shoulders." Twilight then teleported in a stack of papers, as Discord stepped back onto the ground, "I've got three years worth of friendship lessons for her all planned out." Discord then started to laugh as Twilight teleported the papers away. Twilight was confused at Discord's action. "What's so funny?" Discord finished his laugh, "My dear, Starlight is now beyond your basic friendship lessons." Discord then pointed to and held it out for Twilight to see better, "She just won the highest medal that can be bestowed in Mystica." Twilight cleared her throat, "Actually that's the highest only civilians and non-residents of Mystica can, the Shield of Virtue is actually higher, granted only military personnel can qualify." Twilight pointed out. Discord rolled his eyes, "Regardless. You've got to be joking with the three years of friendship lessons." Discord then gave a much-subdued chuckle. Twilight gave a weak laugh, "Of course," she lied, "While Laughter is not my Element, I do have a sense of humor." Twilight then gave another nervous laugh. Discord either didn't catch the lie or acted like he didn't as he spoke, "Knowing how much you look up and strive to emulate KK, you must obviously have a grand master plan for Starlight. Not unlike the one Tia had set up for yourown ascension." "Pff, obviously," Twilight lied was he waved her left hand dismissively. Discord then started to float, "I bet Starlight will want to hear it all." Discord then teleported away as Twilight looked around nervously. Starlight and Thorax walked among the crowd of people there, noticing how open everyone was to each other. "So what's is like to be a king?" Starlight asked. Thorax gave a weak laugh as the two walked, "In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have interpreted what Chrysalis said a declaration of a comhrac. I am not all the skilled with politics." Thorax then looked around and sighed, "As you can guess none of the score that didn't change are here, which I can't blame them for." Just then a humanoid male walked by the two with a plate full of food. He had long pointed ears, grayish skin and green eyes with white circles separating the green ‘whites’ from the pupils. It wore a black long sleeve shirt, dark gray pant, with what looked like three green bands that gave his torso an insectoid appearance. Over his shoulders was a shawl-like green cloth, not unlike the elves were when they changelings under Chrysalis' rule. Thorax looked from the changeling to Starlight, "Who was that?" Thorax asked utterly confused. Starlight was taken aback at that, "You don't know?" Starlight asked in turn. Thorax shook his head. "Well, that's Kevin, he kind of just moved into town one day from what I heard, he usually keeps to himself. I think he's of the twenty that didn't change." Thorax shook his head, "As vast as the 'swarm' was, we all knew everyone in it. But there was no other hive." Thorax said as he was perplexed. Kevin then walked up the two, "It's okay that you don't know me, you're what a score and a half, I got lost from the swarm about a century ago, Chrysalis must have written me off as dead." "Why didn't you go back?" Thorax asked Kevin utterly taken aback. Kevin looked around the room, "And lose this harvest," he replied before he turned to Starlight, "No offense," Starlight raised her eyebrow in response with a deadpan expression. Kevin then turned back to Thorax, "Not even if Chrysalis made me her favorite drone. Congrats on becoming king. Catch you all later." And Kevin went back into the crowd. Starlight then turned back to Thorax and elected to change the topic back to what they were discussing, "Anyway, back to the score that didn't change?" Thorax dipped his head, " Yeah," he sighed as he still looked at the floor, "I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Drones challenges me soon. And that's not even addressing how much has changed so fast for us." He then raised his head with a soft smile as the two walked upon a couple of elves who were in conversation with Applejack and Rarity, "But we seem to be adjusting to everything." Both elves looked at each other and then back to Applejack and Rarity, one of them asked, "So, you can't have friendships without..." the one that spoke turned back to the other and the other raised her shoulders and hands in silence. The elf that spoke then turned back to Rarity and Applejack, "makeovers?" Rarity gave a big smile and nodded while Applejack took a second to think, "Not exactly." the paladin replied unsurely. Discord then teleported to be right next to Starlight and Thorax, "Hey Starlight. How's the party?" Discord asked. Before Starlight could answer, "Hopefully well because Twilight has an important for us." Discord then stopped, "Technically only you, but I just like to keep tabs." Discord admitted with a laugh. Starlight shook her head at the avatar of Chaos, "Okay," she said and turned to Thorax, "Would you—?" before she could finish Discord place his hand on her shoulder and teleported the two away. When the two arrived at the spot Discord took her, which was where Twilight was. Starlight gave a sight sigh, "Forget it." She then looked to Discord and then to Twilight, "Okay what's going on?" Discord then snaked to be around Twilight and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Your teacher is about to share the next step in her plan for you." Starlight looked to Discord, "Really?" she asked Discord not fully believing him and then turned to Twilight, "I am curious about what's next." Discord then stood beside Starlight with a pen and notepad."Yes, we are both very interested," he prepared to jot what Twilight said down. Twilight gave a nervous laugh at first, "Oh now's not the time for that." She then grabbed a drink that was being served and took a drink. "You two should enjoy your party." She then sipped her drink nervously. Before Starlight question Twilight, Trixie ran up to Starlight and took her arm, "Come on! The Magiville Chronicle wants our picture!" She said as she began to pull her along. Trixie then saw Discord was also there. She groaned and "and you, Discord." As the three started to head to get their picture for the article that the Magiville Chronicle was going to publish, Twilight, sipped more of her drink as Discord silently appeared behind her, and whispered in her ear, "I can see what you're doing." Twilight's eyes shot wide as her pupils constricted, "You do?" she asked in a near panic as she all but dropped her drink. Discord smirked as he leaned in, "You're waiting for the perfect moment in the party, as you planned for the grand announcement so that everyone will know the next step for Starlight." Discord then walked to be in front of Twilight and actually was running in place, "I must Fluttershy and the girls!" He then teleported before Twilight could respond. Twilight looked around nervously for about a second before she ran through the door to the library which was there. This was seen by Spike who gave a sigh and walked after her. Upon his arrival, he saw Twilight going through stacks of papers. Spike had long ago honed the ability to control how much he heard from Twilight when she went into various rants. "Don't tell me, there's something wrong," the dragon summarized as he looked around the floor. Twilight dropped all the papers she had in her hands and dropped to her knees, "I'm a terrible mentor!" She shouted and then looked around her and the mess of paper, "I don't have a path for Starlight?" Spike shook his head, as he went over to one of the bookshelves and picked up a dictionary, "Twilight, what you're talking about is what a master does, you know master and apprentice for a trade," as Spike spoke he dog-eared the page with the definitions of the word 'master', "A mentor helps someone along the path the mentee selected for themselves." Spike said as he dog-eared the page with the definitions of 'mentor' and handed the dictionary to Twilight. Twilight unfolded the dog-eared pages and put the book down on a table in the library, "Well, Princess Celestia had it all figured out for me!" Spike only replied with an eye-roll. Twilight then gasped at the realization she made. "That's it!" She then ran with an excited squeal to get Celestia. Spike shook his head and followed. About five minutes later, Celestia and Spike were seated in Twilight's and Spike's thrones respectively. Twilight walked in front of them, "I had about three years of friendship lessons ready but when Discord pointed out that Starlight took command after we were captured by Chrysalis. I guess my planned friendship lessons aren't enough now." Princess Celestia rested her chin on her right knuckles for a second as if in thought, or faining it, "So let me see if I understand you correctly, you have a student that has achieved more than what you expected sooner than you expected." She then turned to Spike, "Does that sound familiar, Spike?" She asked the dragon. Spike only chuckled in reply. "So why are we here?" Celestia asked. Twilight sighed as she sat at the table across from Celestia, "I need advice, you were in this spot before with me. So you would know what I ought to do." Twilight started and then took a minute to think as she looked at the table, "Wait when I reached this point in my apprenticeship..." Twilight's eyes then widen and raised her head to look at Celestia, "You sent me to Magiville!" Plans For StarlightAs Twilight paced back and forth, Celestia got up and walked up to Twilight and placed her hand on Twilight's shoulders. Celestia gave a soft sigh, "That decision is one that only you can make." Celestia than made Twilight look at her, "I know that it's not an easy one, but even as it hurts, your heart knows what's right." "So where are you gonna send her?" Spike asked as he was still seated on his throne. As he saw Twilight freeze and then start to look around in a panic. Celestia turned to Spike with a slight frown. "Too soon?" Spike asked with a weak laugh. Twilight gave a sigh as she walked to the table in the center of the throne room and looked down at it for a second. She then looked back up at Spike, "No, it's not." She took another breath as she sat down on her throne. "I have to do this." She then looked the map as Celestia took the throne the next closest throne to Twilight. "Oh, boy," Twilight said as she looked from one place on the map to another. Back in the party at the same time, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were at a table with Discord. "Oh, boy!" Fluttershy cheered. "This is so exciting!" Discord said as he drank some punch. "Twilight must have a great plan for Starlight. I can't wait to find out." Applejack gave Discord a slight scowl after she looked around the room, "You're the cause of her absence because you trolled her?" Discord fanned hurt with a gasp, “Applejack, after the oranges you still don’t trust me.” Rarity then spoke up, “You’ll have to forgive us, but you’re notoriously an incredible source for information.” Pinkie Pie hopped to be in between the rest, “Discord’s track record aside,” Pinkie pointed out as Discord was shown in a white robe, white avian wings and a halo over his head, “This is really surprising in…” Pinkie then trailed off slightly as she held her chin in confusion. “well it’s not a good way but not a bad way either, sorta a neutral way. I am the party planner, one would think Twilight would tell me all the plans for the party.” Everyone shook their heads and had a small laugh. Rainbow laughed a little longer as she flew up to Pinkie, "Pinkie, this is Twilight we're talking about. When does she not have a plan?” “Oh speaking of plans," Discord chimed in as he thought of something "Any ideas when Big Mac will tie the note and with whom?" he asked as he leaned towards Applejack. "He makes a few deliveries to Starlight's old village and Sugar Belle offers him a room for him to stay the night and everyone and their mother can only hear wedding bells." Applejack groaned at first, "Ah don't know. There's still the whole thing with Marble Pie." Fluttershy then tapped Applejack on her shoulder and pointed, "Um, not that I'm judging but I don't think that will be an issue." Every one of them turned to see Sugar Belle, and two other people otherwise successfully sneak away from the party. One was a young woman about Pinkie Pie's age, she was dressed in a long simple black dress, with a white long sleeve shirt. She had long hair that while most went back, some of it was styled to bangs that covered the right side of her face. She had a pin with three smooth stones, she was Marble Pie. The other was a man over seven feet tall and built like a tank, he had orange hair and wore a red shirt and blue pants, this was Big Mac in very casual attire. Everyone's mouths were agape as the process the site, sans Pinkie. The jester scratched her head, "Well, Gosh, I don't know..."Pinkie trailed off. Back in the throne room, Twilight muttered to herself, "Gosh, I don't know..." She got up from her throne and walked around the table with her focus on the map. "I don't want to send her to the wrong place..." She then sighed as she looked away from the table for a second. She then saw the edge of the map, specifically the mound of Caer Sith. Twilight then gasped, "I got it! With Chrysalis defeated, the Changelings-Elves are going through a paradigm shift in their society, if I send her there, she can help them through the shift sooner with less toll on them." Twilight then placed her hand on the map, her, eyes, focus gem and hand glowed as the map projected the mound itself, and made the whole throne room look like it was Caer Sith. Twilight, Celestia, and Spike began to walk as they saw a group of elves looked to see Thorax and Starlight on a stage. Starlight cleared her throat and then spoke to the crowd, "Okay everyone, today's lesson in Friendship 101 is called 'How to Compromise'." Starlight turned to Thorax and Thorax nodded before she turned back to the crowd, "Now before we cover the theoretical approach and such, King Thorax and I are going to show you a very simple practical example." Thorax then spoke to begin the lesson, "Hey Starlight, I am hungry, I think it's time for lunch," as he spoke it was clear in his stilted voice that he was unsure. Starlight then continued the lesson, "Alright, I am feeling hungry too,", her voice was just as stilted. "How does honeysuckle nectar sound?" Thorax asked as he gave the idea of what to eat. Starlight then gave her reply, "Personally I would go for a sandwich." Starlight then turned to the elves in the audience, "Oh, no." She said in a fake panic, "We have come to a disagreement. Does anyone know what Thorax and I can do?" She asked the elves in the audience. The elves began to chatter among each other. Then one spoke up, "FIGHT! To the victor goes the spoils!" and the elves all cheered. "My money is on the king, Honeysuckle nectar is so good.” one of the elves shouted. "Please, the human can kick his arse every day of the week and twice of the Sun's day, Sandwiches for all!" another elf shouted in reply and the elves started to break into shouting-fests. Starlight and Thorax then cast a spell that made a boom that got all the elves to look back at Starlight and Thorax, "That's an option, but," Starlight said as she took charge again, "Or... King Thorax and I can talk about it and come up with a solution that works for both of us." Starlight suggested which caused the elves to mutter and clatter among themselves. Thorax then continued the exercise he and Starlight were demonstrating, "Starlight, how do you feel about honeysuckle and peanut butter sandwiches?" Starlight smiled at that and completed the little play, "Why, that sounds delicious!" Starlight cheered. She and Thorax then turned to the others and with closed-eyed big open mouth smile, they said, "Compromise," together. The elves then started to clamor in response. Spike could not help but gag a little, "that's not something Starlight and Thorax would do." Spike commented as he was able to keep his lunch. Celestia covered her mouth and had a little giggle, "As you know this is Twilight's fantasy, Spike." Celestia elected to inform the dragon, not unlike a mother. Celestia then closed her eyes and nodded, "And there is no wrong way to fantasize." "Thank you," Twilight said as she too closed her eyes and nodded. A random elf then spoke up, "Starlight Glimmer is a perspicacious and most apt person!" Spike rolled his eyes and groaned before he gaged. While this earned a glare from Twilight, Celestia had a slight laugh, like a mother watching her children attempt to bicker but both lacked the want to actually get into a fight. This stopped Twilight and Spike, as they watched Celestia walk among the projected elves, "This seems to be a good path for Starlight. There is much she can teach and learn." Celestia then turned back to Twilight and Spike, "Starlight would be in Caer Sith for quite some time, but her work would be rewarding. Twilight's eyes then widen as she took a second to think and made a realization that she didn't before, "Or dangerous. It would only take one elf to deviate." The scene then changed to be inside of the mound. The three watched as an elf saw Starlight pass by and then transform into Starlight. The fake Starlight gave an evil laugh before she walked up to a group of three elves that were not in their more human-like form but a form that had their clothes replace their skin and from their backs were wings that were the shawls or open sleeves in their other form, this made them looked more like fairies, "Hi, I'm Starlight Glimmer! What's your name?" the fake asked one of the three. One whose's body was mostly a light blue in color, "Um don't you remember, Starlight, it's me, Cornicle?" he answered utterly baffled. The fake Starlight then gave a short laugh, "What kind of name is that?" She asked mockingly as Ah, your wings are so, um... see-through. I'm so glad I'm a human." Are you, like, fairies, or what?" the fake then conjured a large fly swatter and swatter the three elves three times and ran. As the three recovered they saw the real Starlight walk upon the scene. "Get her!" he yelled and the three chased after Starlight. The scene then ended as Spike, Twilight and Celestia were back in the throne room as it normally was. Spike walked to be in front of Twilight, "That probably won't happen." Spike pointed out "But it could!" Twilight shouted as she when back to the map and looked all over it before she looked at the ceiling. "I can't just send her off to Celestia-knows-where without thinking it through!" Celestia giggled, "I forget I ruled this nation for almost a thousand years by myself, I shouldn't be surprised that I've become an expression." Celestia then closed her eyes and walked to be right next to Twilight, "Although well sounding, not as appropriate as you might think, Twilight. For as I said to you before, Not even the very wise can see all ends." Celestia looked at the map for a second before she turned back to Twilight, "This is a momentous decision. You must consider all the possibilities." Twilight took a step back from the map and walked around it, as she said, "Rethink, rethink, rethink!" She then spotted the peninsula where Spike competed in the Dragon Lord's succession ritual of 'the Gauntlet of Fire', the dragons of this part of the world's homeland. "What about the dragons? I can send Starlight to the Dragon Lands!" Twilight then repeated the spell as she placed her hand on the part of the map where the Dragon Lands were. Celestia, Twilight, and Spike looked around and saw many reptiles, of various different structures, some walked on two hind-legs and had two wings to fly, some had forelegs and a more serpentine bodies, some had four legs and walked like dogs, some also walked on four legs and two massive wings for flight, just to list a few of the many forms that dragons took, "She and Dragon Lady Ember would totally hit it off!" The three turned to see a dragon that stood up and walked much like how Spike did, but her scales were blue with two horns that went parallel to her jawline. Unlike Spike, she stood at an Amazonian height of six and a half feet and had wings, this was the Dragon Lady Ember that Twilight just mentioned. Just then Starlight teleported in and turn to greet Ember, "Ember!" Starlight shouted not unlike how Double Diamond speaks. "Starlight!" Ember shouted in greetings to Starlight, very much like how Starlight did in this project. The two then body slammed and grunted as if part of a ritual to greet each other. "You ready to do some death-defying dragon stuff?" "Ah, totally!" Starlight agreed. Spike facepalmed himself and groaned, "That doesn't sound at all like either of them, Twilight." Twilight seemed to brush that aside, "They haven't interacted with each other before, Spike." Twilight pointed out. Spike could only groan in response, "Who knows what their dynamic would be?" Spike leaned towards Celestia and Celestia lowered her ear for Spike to whisper into it, "Someone that actually spent time with both and communicated with both," Celestia then whispered in Spike's ear, "I must agree, you would know, but let Twilight have this." Spike sighed but elected to go along. As Celestia and Spike whispered, Twilight continued, "And Starlight is going to love it there. Ember writes about many fun events," as Twilight spoke, the three floated in the sky as they saw Starlight and Ember intermingling with various dragons, "There's the Feast of Fire, the Dragon Bowl, Claw-chella." Twilight listed off before they landed again to see Starlight 'chatting' with Ember not far from a volcano's mouth. "Starlight could be there for a long time." Twilight then looked around the dragons and recalled that there were dragons older than Spike that didn't like humans or any non-dragons. This all came to mind when she spotted a dragon that stood on his hind legs, his scales were dark red and had a yellowish underbelly. "But not all dragons like humans... Like Garble..." Twilight stopped as she covered her mouth in fright and pointed to the red dragon that she spotted. Garble walked up to Starlight and Ember, "Hey, Twinkle Star!" he said greeting her. "It's, Starlight Glimmer." Starlight said as she turned to greet the dragon. Garble seemed to struggle to repeat the name he was given, "Star-kle Light-star?" he asked. Starlight's expression was a deadpan as she repeated her name for the seemingly dimwitted drake, "Starlight. Glimmer." Garble then shrugged his shoulders, "What've all you humans look alike." he said rather dismissively, "But hey, wanna hang?" He didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed her and ran towards the nearby edge and jumped as if he was diving in with her. Starlight was able to register what had just happened and saw the liquid they were diving into, "What are we diving into?" she asked. "Lava!" Garble answered as if it was nothing, and while lava is nothing to a dragon, the same cannot be said for humans. "What?!" Starlight asked in a panic just as they were about to make contact with the molten rock. Spike slapped Twilight in the face, and ended the spell, "That was crazy, Twilight!" Spike scolded Twilight, "Starlight's a powerful binder and knows a lot of spells, she know levitation that is so good it might as well be flying. You know she could just stop herself from falling into a pit of lava." "What if she didn't realize it was happening?! You just never know, Spike! I just need to think of someplace safe to send her!" Twilight then started to look at the map another time, "Someplace safe, someplace safe, someplace safe..." She then saw the castle of Krystalopolies, "I could send her to Krystalopolies and have her continue her magical studies with Sunburst!" Twilight once again cast the spell, this time they were in the Krystalopolies library looking from a gangway down at Starlight and Sunburst as they were in a section of the library set aside for magical experiments. "It'll be perfect! Sunburst's knowledge of magic and Starlight's abilities in magic are a perfect match." Twilight cheered as she clapped her hands with a closed-eyed smile. Sunburst had finished reading a spell book, "Okay, now place your hand on the log and visualize the clock." Sunburst said and Starlight followed the instructions and the log was transmuted into a fully functional cuckoo-cuckoo clock. Twilight turned to Celestia, "They could challenge each other and maybe become the most skilled magic-users in Mystican history since Star Swirl the Great!!!" Twilight turned back before she could see both Celestia and Spike facepalm themselves. Down below the projected Starlight went placed the clock aside, "What's next?" she asked as Sunburst started to look through the tomes again. Twilight then looked at the books in the library, "Of course, the study of magic is a lifelong pursuit, and Starlight could be there for a while, especially once they start attempting the really complicated stuff!" Spike raised his right hand so that Celestia could see it and held out three claws, "Three, two, one…" he counted down and point to Twilight just as she realized a problem. "What if they become too ambitious?!" She asked in fright just as the scene changed. Starlight and Sunburst were on the top floor of his house, and had finished reading a few of his personal spell books, "I never would've thought to combine Star Swirl's apparition spell with Spacium Flexibus!" Starlight said as she looked at the open pages from two tomes, she then pulled up a scroll of papyrus that was written in hieroglyphs, "But what would happen if we added Somnambula's Tempus Objectus?" Sunburst took all three sources and looked them over as he jotted down a few notes in another spell book, "If we do it just right, it should allow us to materialize an object that was lost in the past." Within a few seconds, they had cleared the floor of the room and had started to draw an elaborate chalk circle. "No! Don't do it!" Twilight shouted as Sunburst finished drawing the circle, with all the runes and hieroglyphs and other symbols to perform the spell. But it was to no avail as Starlight placed her right hand in the center and her focus gem started to glow. As the spell started it seemed to go well as a hole formed where Starlight's hand was, but then the hole started to grow and pull both Starlight and Sunburst, which caused them to scream. As they screamed the whole expanded and pulled Starlight in. Desperately Sunburst reached in and he along with Twilight shouted, "Starlight, noooooo!" only for Sunburst too to be sucked in and everything faded to black. Twilight was about to break down into tears as the spell she cast end. Spike pulled her into a hug, "Shshsh, it's okay, it was just a projection, it wasn't real." he whispered in his attempts to comfort her. Twilight broke out the hold, "But it could! " She turned to the map and the turned from it. "I just don't think I can send her anywhere." Twilight then started to pace back and forth, "What am I gonna do?" Celestia then started to give a hearty laugh as she fell on to the floor holding her sides with her arms and wings. Twilight and Spike were both shocked at this, was Celestia... laughing at Twilight? Celestia’s AnswerCelestia continued to laugh out loud and rolled on the floor as she held her sides with both her arms and wings, "I can't believe you're laughing at me." Twilight said as she started to tear up in her eyes. Celestia then took a couple of deep breaths and got off of the floor. She then took Twilight into her arms, like a mother comforting her child, "Oh, Twilight, that's not why I'm laughing." Celestia's tone was soft and calm. She then broke the hug to look Twilight in the face, "It's because these fears, well I too knew them." Twilight's eyes shot wide open in shock. She was about to question Celestia sat her and Spike down on their thrones and she took the next closest one. "Let me tell you a story, well maybe I should show you it." Celestia then placed her crown on the map and it then projected a classroom of about ten students, all of them children about eleven or twelve years old, most of them Magicborn and girls, among them was Twilight. "When you were accepted into my school, you were one of the brightest students I have ever taught," Celestia informed as the projected Celestia was conducting a lesson. The focus then changed to all the students conducting a potions experiment. All but one were paired off and were able to make the potion do what was intended. Twilight, however, was alone and had made a much more potent version of the potion and the plant that it was able to grow was much larger and healthier than what the other students were able to make. "A day didn't go by when I wasn't both surprised and impressed with your accomplishments." Celestia continued to narrate as the version of herself in memory walked up to younger Twilight and patted her on her head, which prompted Twilight to give a big smile. The projected Celestia then turned to see how the other students were doing and couldn't help but have a soft frown as she noted their joy with each other, while Twilight was alone. "However, in your pursuit solely into academia had an adverse effect on your development and thus prevented you from reaching your full potential." "You mean it was keeping her isolated and alone?" Spike asked getting elbowed by Twilight, not unlike a big sister-little brother relationship. Celestia had a small giggle, "Yes, Spike." She then continued as the project showed her at dusk guiding the sun and the moon. "I knew the decision to make, but it wasn't easy," Celestia said before the version of her in the memory spoke. "Maybe if closed the library and threw a party." She said hopefully, "Oh, she'd be bound to talk with at least one of the other students then!" The projected Celestia hoped, but as she looked up to the night sky, towards the moon, at the Maiden in the Moon, her plan died there and then. She sighed as she looked at the ground, as tears formed in her eyes. "I know what I must do." The scene then changed to right in front of Magiville's town hall. Celestia was with the mayor of the town and they seemed to be in a conversation when the project Celestia stopped and saw Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy give Rainbow Dash the tour of the town. "I knew there was a special group of friends in Magiville, friends that were different enough from you that you would have no choice but to grow but similar enough that you would bond with them. The scene then changed to be in Celestia's throne room. "However, I kept coming up with reason after reason as to why I shouldn't send you." The projected Celestia paced back and forth, also in the room were two members of the guard, each on one side of Celestia's throne. "What if she comes across a manticore?" the projected Celestia asked herself. "What if she's forced into Tartarus?" She continued in her near panic. "Oh no! What if she can't get along with them?!" She then dropped to the ground and took the fetal position and shook all over. The guard on the left side of the throne looked to the other guard, "Hey, should we say something?" he whispered. "I think not." the other guard responded. Celestia then started to narrate again as the projected version of her watched as Twilight took the Charun into the air, "I kept you in Chantalot longer than I should have," and with that scene, the project ended. Celestia picked up her crown and turned to face Twilight alone, "I would come to realize the cause of my anxiety." Celestia said as she got up and walked towards Twilight. She then hugged her pupil, "It was because I didn't want you to go." Twilight looked at Celestia and was amazed at how similar she really was to her mentor and vice-versa, "Really?" Celestia at first nodded and once again hugged her student, "I loved having you as a student. You challenged me as only you could, and just as much as I taught you. " Celestia then ended the hug and rested both her hands on each of Twilight's shoulders, "I hope that one day I will be taught by you, something I never knew or could imagine, and that one day you would know more than I, as all mentors and masters should." Celestia took a step back and took a breath as she looked at the floor for a second, "I am not proud to confess, but deep down, I was terrified that once you made friends with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and many more, that I wouldn't be needed anymore." "Celestia, that's not true. I will always need you." Twilight said as she hugged Celestia, like a child their mother as if the child wanted to assure their mother that all is well. As the two ended their embrace, Celestia looked at Twilight with a small smile on her face, "It wouldn't surprise me that Starlight feels the same way you do, you just need to give her the chance to express that. Assuming that you are afraid of that." Twilight looked down and blushed a little, "Yeah, I guess that I am." Twilight confused. Spike only chuckled in response. Celestia took a step back from Twilight and looked around the room, she then turned back to Twilight, "Here we are, Twilight. A decade of us as Master and Apprentice, and going on three years of you as a journeyman, we are living proof that letting someone spread their wings," Celestia then spread her wings to have her left wing going behind Twilight, "doesn't mean you no longer have a place in their lives." as she spoke she pulled her wings in and Twilight into another embrace. Twilight ended the hug, "Thank you.", she then looked at the ground unsure. Celestia chuckled before she lifted Twilight's chin, "However, you can always ask her to write." Celestia then winked and brought a smile back to Twilight. Twilight then started out of the throne room, leaving Celestia and Spike behind, "So when are you going to tell her the other part?" Spike asked. Celestia only closed her eyes, smiled and shook her head. Spike just shrugged his shoulders and the two then went back to the party. Twilight arrived back on the stage where she, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance presented the medals to Discord, Thorax, Trixie, and Starlight, only for her to be almost blinded by a light used for TV recordings. Twilight turned to see that Discord was dressed as a TV recording crew, "I seem to have let slip that you were going to unveil the next your big plan for Starlight tonight." Discord chuckled a little, "Do forgive me. But we're all very excited to hear what you've cooked up." There was a pause as Twilight scowled at the Erisadies. Twilight then started to say speak through her teeth in clearly sarcastic tone, "Gee, thanks, Discord." Discord smiled and took a step back, "Anytime." Twilight took a breath and collected herself as everyone looked at her, "As you all know, Starlight's been my pupil for a while now," "It's hasn't been a year!" someone in the audience called out. "That's still a while." another person commented back. Twilight cleared her throat, and everyone turned back to Twilight, "Anyway, and I had hoped she'd be my pupil for a long time yet to come." Twilight then took a breath as she spoke, "But it turns out that's just not meant to be." People gasped in response. Twilight continued as she turned to focus solely on Starlight, "Starlight, you have proved that you are a loyal, honest, generous, kind, cheerful, and truly magical friend." Twilight raised her hands and gestured to the whole of the room, "Just looking around this room at all the new friendships you've made, I know there's little more I need to teach you and little more you can learn from me." Twilight turned her focus back to the crowd, "So we have a second reason to celebrate today. Three cheers for Starlight Glimmer on her graduation day!" Everyone then cheered. Pinkie squealed and giggled at the news, "What a great surprise!" she shouted as tears formed in her eyes. Twilight then stepped down and walked up to Starlight, she took Starlight's hands in hers and closed them, "You're always welcomed to come and to stay here, but your future's in your own hands now, Starlight." Twilight released her hold and walked towards to Celestia, Luna, and Spike. Starlight lowered her hands and looked to the side as Twilight left, "I wasn't expecting that." This earned a few giggles from Trixie and Thorax, among a few other. Discord then walked up to Twilight, "I was hoping you would have her be roomies with me in my realm." Discord pouted with his arms crossed in front of his chest, "You really don't know how to pick up what others put down." He then walked back towards Starlight and the group formed around her. "Girls' trip to Las Magus to celebrate?" Trixie asked almost jumping for joy. Thorax then gave another suggestion, "How about we go back to Caer Sith and have a gourd fest!" Everyone looked at Thorax utterly confused and slightly disgusted. "It's actually much more fun than it actually sounds." Discord then tapped on Starlight's shoulder which prompt her to turn to face him, "Why not a little chaos?" He asked "I know a trick that'll turn the castle in the capital into cheese. It's that a "gouda" idea?" Discord then laughed at the bad pun. "That's just the first of many cheese jokes if we go down this path." Starlight looked among the three and their ideas, "Well, those are all wonderful ideas." Starlight then looked away toward Twilight and then back, "But, um, give me a minute, would ya?" she then left the three and went to Twilight who had just shared a joke with Spike. Twilight turned to see Starlight, "Congratulations." Twilight said weakly as she looked away from Starlight for a second. Starlight mimicked the gesture, "Thanks." she said just as unsure as Twilight. Twilight then held her upper right arm with her left hand, "So how do you feel?" she asked as she turned back to Starlight. Starlight gave a sigh, "I'm not totally sure. I know I feel some happiness over the honor I received and for moving on to my next step. But I'm also surprised and overwhelmed at how sudden it all is." Starlight then had a minor panic, "Not that I'm not grateful for everything you have done and gave me, but are you sure about this?" Twilight nodded, "Believe me. I've thought long and hard about this." Starlight took a breath, "You always do." she looked at the floor unsure about the future. Twilight reached out and lifted Starlight's chin with her right hand, "You're ready Starlight." Twilight then turned away. "Yeah!" Starlight said in defeat. There was a pause as she started to head back to the others. "No, I'm not," she whispered. "You're not what?" Twilight asked as she stepped back and turned to face Starlight. "I'm not ready to go!" Starlight announced. "There is so much I still have to learn…” Starlight didn’t finish as she was pulled into an embrace by Twilight, with both her wings and arms. “Deep down, I’m not ready either.” Twilight confused as they ended the hug. Twilight then levitated towards the two the box with the mirror that she planned to give Starlight. “I got you this present.” Starlight started to open it as Twilight spoke, “It was going to be a "congrats on getting a medal" present, but then I was afraid it would have to be a going-away present, but now it's an "I couldn't be happier you're staying" present!" Starlight then saw the mirror and smiled before she looked back up to Twilight, “It fits perfectly over your dresser! I know. I measured.” "Thank you," Starlight said as she looked at the mirror again before she placed it aside and then turned to Twilight with tears in her eyes. Twilight also had tears in her eyes, "I might not know what's next, but I'll be here for you," The two smiled and then hugged. All the while, everyone else there continued to discuss various topics. About three hours later, after everyone was gone and the party was over and Pinkie was all alone. She looked around, gave a shrug and then walked away only to came back with a big vacuum cleaner with a big child-like smile. She pressed a button on it and the vacuum cleaned up the whole mess with one sweep. Pinkie then whipped her forehead with a "Phee-yew!" Author's Note And there it is, the season 7 opener... and in one weekend... Alright what's next "You didn't know that you fell"... oh yeah the rest of the Siren's Song, I can man... "Beyond these rooms, beyond these walls"... okay the answer to the Friendship Games, that's d... "Now the magic is my salvation", and Legend of Everfree... Okay so may... "I wish you'd all just go away and leave me alone!" And the summer shor... "Open up your eyes!" Thank you Temp... "I'm sitting here alone"... You're Special just came... "Welcome to the Well of Shade!"... BBBBBBUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
Twilight's QuestionAuthor's Note Much like with My Little Mages: Enchanted Enigma Elixir, this is a three chapter story. I hope you enjoy. Twilight's Question A bipedal reptile stood in front of a wooden door in a crystalline castle. The reptile had purple scales with green spines along his back and was about the size of a thirteen-year-old boy. He wore a pair of denim jeans and a red shirt, this was Spike the dragon. He took a breath and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a woman with purple hair was with streaks of light purple and pale grayish aquamarine, her eyes were persian blue, done with most going back over her left and a rightward part of it. She wore brown boots that went just short of the knee, a dress that went past the knee, near the bottom of her left side were two streams of two different tones of light blue that taper to a four-pointed star a lighter shade of purple than the dress with a long sleeved magenta shirt with a pink jacket that sleeves covered over most of the shirt with golden trim. On her left shoulder was a metal guard with a purple four-pointed star on an inverted white four-pointed star, with a sash that was made of two sashes of two different tones of light blue. On her forehead was a purple focus gem cut to look like a four-pointed star. This was Starlight Glimmer, Starlight for short, "Hey, Spike. What's up?" she greeted the dragon. Spike looked around, nervously for a second, "Just, uh, wanted to make sure you're ready for the ceremony today," he said as he found the words. Starlight gave a closed-eyed smile as she nodded, "I'm ready," said with a smile. Unbeknownst to her, another woman teleported into her room. The woman, like Starlight, was in her early twenties but had dark sapphire hair with two streaks, one was rose and the other was violet, with violet eyes, and metallic wings purple and gold in color which seemed to float behind her and yet also come from her back with two amethyst six-pointed stars functioning for the wings like her arm's shoulder balls. She wore a headband with a horn-like amethyst focusing gem on her forehead, with a dull blue robe with large golden cuffs, pink pants and brown boots that went up above her ankle. Around her neck was a triangle-like amulet that was colored like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Twilight for short. Starlight continued to speak, "I find it hard to believe that today we are being honored." All the while Twilight was measuring the space above one of Starlight's dressers. Spike then spoke up, in a way to keep Starlight focused on him while Twilight measure, "Are you kidding?" he asked rhetorically. "You, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax totally deserve the medals! After all, you four did save me, Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, everyone, heck all of Mystica from Chrysalis!" Spike said as he tried to keep Starlight focused on him. Starlight shock her head, "I know. I was there." Spike gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, of course." Spike was able to see Twilight wink and teleport away as she was done. Spike took a step back from the room, "Well see you at the party." and he left. Starlight shrugged her shoulders as the dragon ran off and shut her door. About five minutes later, Spike arrived at Twilight's room, "Sparkle and Spike, we make a good team!" Spike said as he leaned in the doorway. Twilight laughed a little at what Spike called her, "I guess even I forgot that's part of my name." Twilight looked at the mirror above her dresser, and then to a box that was big enough for another mirror, "Do you think she suspected?" Twilight asked. Spike shook his head with a confident grin on his face, "Nay, kept it short and to the point, although I am surprised you didn't ask her to do a shopping run." Spike pointed out. Twilight shook her head at first before she explained, "I need her here for the party." Spike just shrugged his shoulders in response, as he elected to not press the matter. Twilight then looked at the box again. "Think she'll like the mirror?" Spike shrugged in response at first, "I want her to know that I am proud of Starlight, as her mentor and her friend and that Mystica is now safer thanks to your actions." Spike looked at the box Twilight planned to give Starlight, "I am not sure the mirror will be enough to do that, heck I don't think that there's a card big enough for that.... even if you asked the CMC to help and tell them it's a Hearts and Charms Day card for Cheerilee." Twilight shook her head as she went over to her mirror, "This mirror is what she needs. Every morning she'll get up and see that she's not alone and that all her family and friends are with her." Along the sides of her mirror, there were many pictures, one of Twilight as a little girl with Shining Armor, one with her and Cadance, one of her and her parents, one of her and her five friends in Magiville, one of her with the five friends she managed to rekindle back in Chantalot, one of her and Owlowisiouc, her pet owl, among other pictures. She then picked up the box with her magic, "What a perfect way to complete the ceremony?" she asked with her eyes closed and a big grin on her face. Spike took a second to think and saw the clock, "Say, shouldn't we get the hall ready?" Twilight waved her right hand away, "Pinkie got's it." A woman about the same age as Starlight and Twilight, but shorter than the two entered an empty room large enough to house a party that that had at least three times the population of Magiville in attendance. The woman had bouncing cotton pink hair and blue eyes, this was the Pinkie, short for Pinkie Pie, that Twilight mentioned. She wore a bear legged leotard with blue shoes, a pink jester coat and a dark pink jester’s hat with three balloons, one was yellow and two were blue and on her jacket’s waist was a rubber chicken called ‘Boneless’, unlike other rubber chickens his right leg wasn’t the regular orange but a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Pinkie looked around with a 'Hmmm.' as she held her chin in thought. Next to her was rope which she pulled the rope which caused a score of tables fully stocked with party foods. She then whipped her forehead with a "Phew!" About two hours later on a small platform Twilight stood on the stage right and was the closest to both the center and edge. Along with her were three other women that were farther to the stage right and back. The woman closest to Twilight had hair that was tri-colored light yellow, dark pink and royal purple. Her eyes were light purple. From her back came a set of metallic wings from like Twilight, but while Twilight’s wings were a set large star and a few smaller ones, the woman's were half-heart with crystals. The main mark of her magical specialty was a large crystal heart that was mostly the front torso of her dress. This was Twilight’s sister-in-law, Cadance. The next woman was slightly taller than Cadance and also had metallic wings but they were black and dark blue with a crescent moon as in lue of the sun, heart, and stars. Unlike Twilight and Cadance, her hair seemed to float but was like a starry night devoid of any terrestrial based light pollution, she also had cyran eyes. She wore a dark blue gothic dress that went just below her knees, a black choker with a silver crescent moon, and black and silver boots. This was Princess Luna. The last woman was taller than Luna and seemed older than Cadance, but also like Luna also gave off an aura of agelessness. Her long hair seemed to be a rainbow of two shades of light blue, a shade of light green and pink and it seemed to float even with no wind present, like Luna. She had purple eyes and from her back, like Twilight, Cadance and Luna came two metallic wings, but hers were golden and white and had as the center of them a sun. She wore a long alabaster gown that even covered her feet. This was Princess Celestia. Across from Twilight was Starlight, with three others on the stage left. Across from Cadance was a woman about the same age as Starlight and Twilight. The woman light blue hair and purple eyes and wore blue gloves, a black dress with knee-high boots, she also had Around her waist was a buckle shaped like a wand topped with a star and a cape with a series of stars and at her neck was blue gem that was worn as a necklace, but looked like it could be made as the clasp for a cloak, which it was being used as for a cloak of moons and stars with a matching hat. This was was Trixie Lulamoon, better known as The Great and Powerful Trixie, Trixie for short. Across from Luna was a man about six feet tall, His left hand had longer nails than most men, giving a talon-like appearance, compounded by the fact that his shirt’s sleeve ended above the elbow. His right hand and arm were in a yellow gauntlet that went all the way to his shoulder. He had a blue bird-like wing like pauldron over his left shoulder, and a purple bat-like wing one for his right shoulder. His right leg was normal as his left leg matched but was armored like the gauntlet on his right arm but was green in color. He wore light brown pants, a waistcoat that’s exterior was a more reddish brown than his pants with a long tail which seemed to be redder to replace his dragon tail and a high collar with gold lining it and where the coat connected in the front. This was Discord. The final of the four and standing opposite of Celestia was another man, he too stood six feet tall. His skin was white-ish pink like most Mysticans. His eyes were moderate rose and his hair was a light rose. His shirt had long open sleeves that were moderate blue-violet in color with dark fuchsia shoulders that was under an upper chest piece that was lime green and faded int bright gamboge in color with three light blue crystals. He wore what only be seen as lime green pants under an emerald robe and shoes that looked like their inspired by leaves in their design, and on his head was crown that looked like it was made of plant-life and resembled the antlers of a deer that was bright orange in color with some green. This was the recently crowned elven king, Thorax. In the audience were many of Magivillie's residences, the residences of Starlight's old village and elves not unlike Thorax, dressed in clothes that were made of various colors some extremely bright and some earthy. Among the audience were ten key people in the front row. The first was Pinkie followed by another woman about her age with pink hair but taller, she also had teal colored eyes, but her hair was a lighter shade of pink then Pinkie. She was Fluttershy she was dressed in a green, yellow and light blue dress with a stylized pink butterfly as a brooch for her hood, and above her left ear was a blue flower but one of its pedals was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Next to her was a woman with rainbow colored hair that was done in a high ponytail with a hairpin that looked like a stylized cloud and a tri-colored rainbow of red, yellow and blue, with cerise eyes. She wore black sock-like boats that went above her knees, with a dull purple skirt and light a dull blue shirt with white and gold wing styled sleeves. On her waist was a quiver and a bow and from her ankles came ethereal wing. Also, on her shirt was a pin of a stylized lightning bolt with wings, the wings were gold in color while the lightning bolt had the coloration of a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was Rainbow Dash. Next to Rainbow Dash was a woman with long deep-magenta hair with a small tiara on her head with three sapphires cut as kites, this was Rarity, she had azure eyes, and she wore a long alabaster gown with some pinkish-purple with a long shawl that was composed of two rainbows in color, a traditional rainbow going the length of the shawl save for the width of one of the shorter edges which running perpendicular to the rest of the shawl was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple, going around her back and hanging from her elbows. Next to her was a blonde woman with green eyes, named Applejack. Her hair was done in a low ponytail and was dressed in brown pants, brown boots, a red leather jacket with some pieces of armor most notably pauldrons with stylized apples, brown gloves, a scabbard with a longsword in it. Around her neck was a black cord that had a coin with a rendering of apples on both sides but looked like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Next to the five women were five more people. The first was Double Diamond, a man who wore blue denim pants with purple boots that could easily be attached to skis or snowboards, a white sweater with blue diamonds going around the shoulder level of it with three blue snowflakes arranged like a triangle on the front. The second person was another man by the name of Party Favor, who, in addition to a set of gloves with pink gems as his focus gems in the palms, wore a white longsleeved shirt, bright cyan pants, a purple vest with a balloon animal and streamers rendered on the back, purple shoes and a cyan tie. Next to him was another Magicborn, this time a woman that had cerise eyes and magenta hair which had a similar bounce to it like Party Favor's, she wore a sort light blue dress like those in the roller skate themed dinners that went mid-thigh with a short white baker's apron with a cupcake with purple frosting topped with a cherry with four jellybeans red to yellow in color depicted on the front under a large bow that went around her waist that was pale cerise and yellow in color. She also wore a necklace that went done to her bosom and had a gem that seemed to be aligned with her heart. This was Sugar Belle. Next to Sugar Belle was another woman who had white and bluish-gray hair that was blown back like it was always against the wind with cerulean eyes and had a pair of night black ethereal wings. She wore black sandals, a moderate azure sleeve-less tight shirt, shorts that exposed her midriff and leggings that exposed part of her thighs. On her shirt over her right bosom was a depiction of a crescent moon surrounded by two curved feathers. This was Night Glider. In the same row, as the previous nine was another man, his name being Sunburst, he was slightly thinner than most, as to be expected of men that delve deep into text, be the text for the hidden knowledge of the fabric of the universe or the hallowed scriptures of the Divine’s teachings. He wore glasses which didn’t hide his eyes, which were a gradient of various shades of blue dark cornflower blue to moderate cyan. His hair was two shades of vermilion, both vivid and brilliant, with a matching goatee. He wore a bright gamboge shirt with his Aura Mark, an an orange sun bursting with four yellow rays of two different shades of yellow on the sun’s left side with six blue stars of two different shades of blues around the sun’s right side, a set of pants matching most of his shirt, on his hands were a set of white gloves on his hands. He wore over his shirt and pants a light blue cloak with a light green lining of the trim and a series of light green five-pointed stars, and clasping the cloak was his focus gem, which was a light green circle sun with white rays pointing to his right, with a small white four-pointed star in the sun’s double right corner. Twilight turned to those watching, "Starlight Glimmer, Trixie 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' Lulamoon, Discord and the new change-" Thorax cleared his throat which caused Twilight to pause, "Elven" Thorax corrected, "We're trying to remake our image." Twilight nodded and elected to continue with that change noted in the rest of her speech, "And the new elven king, Thorax, were brave," See said as she looked more towards Thorax, "resourceful," this time her focus was more on Starlight, "and proved how strong the bonds of friendship are." Twilight took a glance to Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax before she continued. "They stopped the former Queen Chrysalis, setting the elves free from her tyranny and saved Mystica!" Discord then teleported to be the crowd and dressed like a sports fan "Go, Discord! Yahoo!" There were various laughs and giggles at Discord's action. There were a few eye rolls but for the most part, everyone was amused by Discord. Celestia then stepped forward with a pillow, on the pillow were four pink gems cut to look like hearts on blue ribbons. "Thank you Discord," Celestia giggled. "As such we are here to honor these four for their actions with the highest award that can be given to civilians and non-citizens on Mystica, The Pink Hearts of Courage!" Celestia then began to levitate the three of the medals to the other three princesses. Twilight walked towards Starlight and placed the medal around Starlight's neck. Cadance then followed suit with Trixie. Luna then followed as she placed the medal on Discord, and finally, Celestia held out the medal with both hands to Thorax. "I cannot actually place the medal on you, it would imply that I am your superior." Thorax nodded and took the blue ribbon and placed it on himself. The four princesses stepped back as Twilight started to speak again, "Thank you all!" Everyone then cheered and applauded the four. Trixie and Starlight nodded with Trixie taking off of her hat. Discord bowed and Thorax raised his right hand as the cheers and applauds continued. Shortly after the four stepped down from the stage and began to mingle with the rest. Trixie began to talk with several people manly with residents from both Magiville and Starlight's village, and a few of the visiting elves, "It was the pleasure of the Grrrrreat and Powerrrrrful Trrrrixie to save you all." Discord the popped out from under Trixie's hat, "Of course, they should be thankful," Discord then tapped on her nose and walked out from under her hate. "You did it all." Starlight, Sunburst, and Thorax walked upon this scene and Starlight giggled at the serving of humble pie that Discord gave Trixie. Sunburst then took off his glass in shock of everything that "I can't believe you managed to do it without magic. One of the elves, a clearly male elf, "It was amazing!" he said clearly impressed with Starlight's accomplishment. The elf closest to him, a female then continued, "No one can remember a time that anyone stood up to Chrysalis!" also equally impressed. Starlight tried to brush the comment aside, "I just did what anyone in my situation would have done.", in a futile attempt to sway the praise she received. Twilight watched how everyone was treating Starlight with a smile on her face. She noted that Starlight has clearly come a long way since she accepted Twilight's offer to be Twilight's student. While she watched, she was joined by Celestia, "Isn't it a wonderful feeling?" Celestia asked as she too witnessed the scene, "To see a student of yours shine as you always knew." Twilight could not help but laugh at that response and then rubbed her cheeks, with the smile still on her face, "I don't recall ever smiling this much before! My cheeks are sore!" She cheered. Celestia had a small giggle, "I can not but imagine how that feels," Celestia replied with a wink and went on her way As Celestia left Discord walked upon the scene, "So with Starlight as the student of the year, what's next on your list for her?" Discord asked as he floated in front of Twilight. He then pointed at her nose, "As her mentor," he the teleported to stand on Twilight's shoulders, "her fate rests on your shoulders." Twilight then teleported in a stack of papers, as Discord stepped back onto the ground, "I've got three years worth of friendship lessons for her all planned out." Discord then started to laugh as Twilight teleported the papers away. Twilight was confused at Discord's action. "What's so funny?" Discord finished his laugh, "My dear, Starlight is now beyond your basic friendship lessons." Discord then pointed to and held it out for Twilight to see better, "She just won the highest medal that can be bestowed in Mystica." Twilight cleared her throat, "Actually that's the highest only civilians and non-residents of Mystica can, the Shield of Virtue is actually higher, granted only military personnel can qualify." Twilight pointed out. Discord rolled his eyes, "Regardless. You've got to be joking with the three years of friendship lessons." Discord then gave a much-subdued chuckle. Twilight gave a weak laugh, "Of course," she lied, "While Laughter is not my Element, I do have a sense of humor." Twilight then gave another nervous laugh. Discord either didn't catch the lie or acted like he didn't as he spoke, "Knowing how much you look up and strive to emulate KK, you must obviously have a grand master plan for Starlight. Not unlike the one Tia had set up for yourown ascension." "Pff, obviously," Twilight lied was he waved her left hand dismissively. Discord then started to float, "I bet Starlight will want to hear it all." Discord then teleported away as Twilight looked around nervously. Starlight and Thorax walked among the crowd of people there, noticing how open everyone was to each other. "So what's is like to be a king?" Starlight asked. Thorax gave a weak laugh as the two walked, "In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have interpreted what Chrysalis said a declaration of a comhrac. I am not all the skilled with politics." Thorax then looked around and sighed, "As you can guess none of the score that didn't change are here, which I can't blame them for." Just then a humanoid male walked by the two with a plate full of food. He had long pointed ears, grayish skin and green eyes with white circles separating the green ‘whites’ from the pupils. It wore a black long sleeve shirt, dark gray pant, with what looked like three green bands that gave his torso an insectoid appearance. Over his shoulders was a shawl-like green cloth, not unlike the elves were when they changelings under Chrysalis' rule. Thorax looked from the changeling to Starlight, "Who was that?" Thorax asked utterly confused. Starlight was taken aback at that, "You don't know?" Starlight asked in turn. Thorax shook his head. "Well, that's Kevin, he kind of just moved into town one day from what I heard, he usually keeps to himself. I think he's of the twenty that didn't change." Thorax shook his head, "As vast as the 'swarm' was, we all knew everyone in it. But there was no other hive." Thorax said as he was perplexed. Kevin then walked up the two, "It's okay that you don't know me, you're what a score and a half, I got lost from the swarm about a century ago, Chrysalis must have written me off as dead." "Why didn't you go back?" Thorax asked Kevin utterly taken aback. Kevin looked around the room, "And lose this harvest," he replied before he turned to Starlight, "No offense," Starlight raised her eyebrow in response with a deadpan expression. Kevin then turned back to Thorax, "Not even if Chrysalis made me her favorite drone. Congrats on becoming king. Catch you all later." And Kevin went back into the crowd. Starlight then turned back to Thorax and elected to change the topic back to what they were discussing, "Anyway, back to the score that didn't change?" Thorax dipped his head, " Yeah," he sighed as he still looked at the floor, "I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Drones challenges me soon. And that's not even addressing how much has changed so fast for us." He then raised his head with a soft smile as the two walked upon a couple of elves who were in conversation with Applejack and Rarity, "But we seem to be adjusting to everything." Both elves looked at each other and then back to Applejack and Rarity, one of them asked, "So, you can't have friendships without..." the one that spoke turned back to the other and the other raised her shoulders and hands in silence. The elf that spoke then turned back to Rarity and Applejack, "makeovers?" Rarity gave a big smile and nodded while Applejack took a second to think, "Not exactly." the paladin replied unsurely. Discord then teleported to be right next to Starlight and Thorax, "Hey Starlight. How's the party?" Discord asked. Before Starlight could answer, "Hopefully well because Twilight has an important for us." Discord then stopped, "Technically only you, but I just like to keep tabs." Discord admitted with a laugh. Starlight shook her head at the avatar of Chaos, "Okay," she said and turned to Thorax, "Would you—?" before she could finish Discord place his hand on her shoulder and teleported the two away. When the two arrived at the spot Discord took her, which was where Twilight was. Starlight gave a sight sigh, "Forget it." She then looked to Discord and then to Twilight, "Okay what's going on?" Discord then snaked to be around Twilight and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Your teacher is about to share the next step in her plan for you." Starlight looked to Discord, "Really?" she asked Discord not fully believing him and then turned to Twilight, "I am curious about what's next." Discord then stood beside Starlight with a pen and notepad."Yes, we are both very interested," he prepared to jot what Twilight said down. Twilight gave a nervous laugh at first, "Oh now's not the time for that." She then grabbed a drink that was being served and took a drink. "You two should enjoy your party." She then sipped her drink nervously. Before Starlight question Twilight, Trixie ran up to Starlight and took her arm, "Come on! The Magiville Chronicle wants our picture!" She said as she began to pull her along. Trixie then saw Discord was also there. She groaned and "and you, Discord." As the three started to head to get their picture for the article that the Magiville Chronicle was going to publish, Twilight, sipped more of her drink as Discord silently appeared behind her, and whispered in her ear, "I can see what you're doing." Twilight's eyes shot wide as her pupils constricted, "You do?" she asked in a near panic as she all but dropped her drink. Discord smirked as he leaned in, "You're waiting for the perfect moment in the party, as you planned for the grand announcement so that everyone will know the next step for Starlight." Discord then walked to be in front of Twilight and actually was running in place, "I must Fluttershy and the girls!" He then teleported before Twilight could respond. Twilight looked around nervously for about a second before she ran through the door to the library which was there. This was seen by Spike who gave a sigh and walked after her. Upon his arrival, he saw Twilight going through stacks of papers. Spike had long ago honed the ability to control how much he heard from Twilight when she went into various rants. "Don't tell me, there's something wrong," the dragon summarized as he looked around the floor. Twilight dropped all the papers she had in her hands and dropped to her knees, "I'm a terrible mentor!" She shouted and then looked around her and the mess of paper, "I don't have a path for Starlight?" Spike shook his head, as he went over to one of the bookshelves and picked up a dictionary, "Twilight, what you're talking about is what a master does, you know master and apprentice for a trade," as Spike spoke he dog-eared the page with the definitions of the word 'master', "A mentor helps someone along the path the mentee selected for themselves." Spike said as he dog-eared the page with the definitions of 'mentor' and handed the dictionary to Twilight. Twilight unfolded the dog-eared pages and put the book down on a table in the library, "Well, Princess Celestia had it all figured out for me!" Spike only replied with an eye-roll. Twilight then gasped at the realization she made. "That's it!" She then ran with an excited squeal to get Celestia. Spike shook his head and followed. About five minutes later, Celestia and Spike were seated in Twilight's and Spike's thrones respectively. Twilight walked in front of them, "I had about three years of friendship lessons ready but when Discord pointed out that Starlight took command after we were captured by Chrysalis. I guess my planned friendship lessons aren't enough now." Princess Celestia rested her chin on her right knuckles for a second as if in thought, or faining it, "So let me see if I understand you correctly, you have a student that has achieved more than what you expected sooner than you expected." She then turned to Spike, "Does that sound familiar, Spike?" She asked the dragon. Spike only chuckled in reply. "So why are we here?" Celestia asked. Twilight sighed as she sat at the table across from Celestia, "I need advice, you were in this spot before with me. So you would know what I ought to do." Twilight started and then took a minute to think as she looked at the table, "Wait when I reached this point in my apprenticeship..." Twilight's eyes then widen and raised her head to look at Celestia, "You sent me to Magiville!"
Plans For StarlightAs Twilight paced back and forth, Celestia got up and walked up to Twilight and placed her hand on Twilight's shoulders. Celestia gave a soft sigh, "That decision is one that only you can make." Celestia than made Twilight look at her, "I know that it's not an easy one, but even as it hurts, your heart knows what's right." "So where are you gonna send her?" Spike asked as he was still seated on his throne. As he saw Twilight freeze and then start to look around in a panic. Celestia turned to Spike with a slight frown. "Too soon?" Spike asked with a weak laugh. Twilight gave a sigh as she walked to the table in the center of the throne room and looked down at it for a second. She then looked back up at Spike, "No, it's not." She took another breath as she sat down on her throne. "I have to do this." She then looked the map as Celestia took the throne the next closest throne to Twilight. "Oh, boy," Twilight said as she looked from one place on the map to another. Back in the party at the same time, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were at a table with Discord. "Oh, boy!" Fluttershy cheered. "This is so exciting!" Discord said as he drank some punch. "Twilight must have a great plan for Starlight. I can't wait to find out." Applejack gave Discord a slight scowl after she looked around the room, "You're the cause of her absence because you trolled her?" Discord fanned hurt with a gasp, “Applejack, after the oranges you still don’t trust me.” Rarity then spoke up, “You’ll have to forgive us, but you’re notoriously an incredible source for information.” Pinkie Pie hopped to be in between the rest, “Discord’s track record aside,” Pinkie pointed out as Discord was shown in a white robe, white avian wings and a halo over his head, “This is really surprising in…” Pinkie then trailed off slightly as she held her chin in confusion. “well it’s not a good way but not a bad way either, sorta a neutral way. I am the party planner, one would think Twilight would tell me all the plans for the party.” Everyone shook their heads and had a small laugh. Rainbow laughed a little longer as she flew up to Pinkie, "Pinkie, this is Twilight we're talking about. When does she not have a plan?” “Oh speaking of plans," Discord chimed in as he thought of something "Any ideas when Big Mac will tie the note and with whom?" he asked as he leaned towards Applejack. "He makes a few deliveries to Starlight's old village and Sugar Belle offers him a room for him to stay the night and everyone and their mother can only hear wedding bells." Applejack groaned at first, "Ah don't know. There's still the whole thing with Marble Pie." Fluttershy then tapped Applejack on her shoulder and pointed, "Um, not that I'm judging but I don't think that will be an issue." Every one of them turned to see Sugar Belle, and two other people otherwise successfully sneak away from the party. One was a young woman about Pinkie Pie's age, she was dressed in a long simple black dress, with a white long sleeve shirt. She had long hair that while most went back, some of it was styled to bangs that covered the right side of her face. She had a pin with three smooth stones, she was Marble Pie. The other was a man over seven feet tall and built like a tank, he had orange hair and wore a red shirt and blue pants, this was Big Mac in very casual attire. Everyone's mouths were agape as the process the site, sans Pinkie. The jester scratched her head, "Well, Gosh, I don't know..."Pinkie trailed off. Back in the throne room, Twilight muttered to herself, "Gosh, I don't know..." She got up from her throne and walked around the table with her focus on the map. "I don't want to send her to the wrong place..." She then sighed as she looked away from the table for a second. She then saw the edge of the map, specifically the mound of Caer Sith. Twilight then gasped, "I got it! With Chrysalis defeated, the Changelings-Elves are going through a paradigm shift in their society, if I send her there, she can help them through the shift sooner with less toll on them." Twilight then placed her hand on the map, her, eyes, focus gem and hand glowed as the map projected the mound itself, and made the whole throne room look like it was Caer Sith. Twilight, Celestia, and Spike began to walk as they saw a group of elves looked to see Thorax and Starlight on a stage. Starlight cleared her throat and then spoke to the crowd, "Okay everyone, today's lesson in Friendship 101 is called 'How to Compromise'." Starlight turned to Thorax and Thorax nodded before she turned back to the crowd, "Now before we cover the theoretical approach and such, King Thorax and I are going to show you a very simple practical example." Thorax then spoke to begin the lesson, "Hey Starlight, I am hungry, I think it's time for lunch," as he spoke it was clear in his stilted voice that he was unsure. Starlight then continued the lesson, "Alright, I am feeling hungry too,", her voice was just as stilted. "How does honeysuckle nectar sound?" Thorax asked as he gave the idea of what to eat. Starlight then gave her reply, "Personally I would go for a sandwich." Starlight then turned to the elves in the audience, "Oh, no." She said in a fake panic, "We have come to a disagreement. Does anyone know what Thorax and I can do?" She asked the elves in the audience. The elves began to chatter among each other. Then one spoke up, "FIGHT! To the victor goes the spoils!" and the elves all cheered. "My money is on the king, Honeysuckle nectar is so good.” one of the elves shouted. "Please, the human can kick his arse every day of the week and twice of the Sun's day, Sandwiches for all!" another elf shouted in reply and the elves started to break into shouting-fests. Starlight and Thorax then cast a spell that made a boom that got all the elves to look back at Starlight and Thorax, "That's an option, but," Starlight said as she took charge again, "Or... King Thorax and I can talk about it and come up with a solution that works for both of us." Starlight suggested which caused the elves to mutter and clatter among themselves. Thorax then continued the exercise he and Starlight were demonstrating, "Starlight, how do you feel about honeysuckle and peanut butter sandwiches?" Starlight smiled at that and completed the little play, "Why, that sounds delicious!" Starlight cheered. She and Thorax then turned to the others and with closed-eyed big open mouth smile, they said, "Compromise," together. The elves then started to clamor in response. Spike could not help but gag a little, "that's not something Starlight and Thorax would do." Spike commented as he was able to keep his lunch. Celestia covered her mouth and had a little giggle, "As you know this is Twilight's fantasy, Spike." Celestia elected to inform the dragon, not unlike a mother. Celestia then closed her eyes and nodded, "And there is no wrong way to fantasize." "Thank you," Twilight said as she too closed her eyes and nodded. A random elf then spoke up, "Starlight Glimmer is a perspicacious and most apt person!" Spike rolled his eyes and groaned before he gaged. While this earned a glare from Twilight, Celestia had a slight laugh, like a mother watching her children attempt to bicker but both lacked the want to actually get into a fight. This stopped Twilight and Spike, as they watched Celestia walk among the projected elves, "This seems to be a good path for Starlight. There is much she can teach and learn." Celestia then turned back to Twilight and Spike, "Starlight would be in Caer Sith for quite some time, but her work would be rewarding. Twilight's eyes then widen as she took a second to think and made a realization that she didn't before, "Or dangerous. It would only take one elf to deviate." The scene then changed to be inside of the mound. The three watched as an elf saw Starlight pass by and then transform into Starlight. The fake Starlight gave an evil laugh before she walked up to a group of three elves that were not in their more human-like form but a form that had their clothes replace their skin and from their backs were wings that were the shawls or open sleeves in their other form, this made them looked more like fairies, "Hi, I'm Starlight Glimmer! What's your name?" the fake asked one of the three. One whose's body was mostly a light blue in color, "Um don't you remember, Starlight, it's me, Cornicle?" he answered utterly baffled. The fake Starlight then gave a short laugh, "What kind of name is that?" She asked mockingly as Ah, your wings are so, um... see-through. I'm so glad I'm a human." Are you, like, fairies, or what?" the fake then conjured a large fly swatter and swatter the three elves three times and ran. As the three recovered they saw the real Starlight walk upon the scene. "Get her!" he yelled and the three chased after Starlight. The scene then ended as Spike, Twilight and Celestia were back in the throne room as it normally was. Spike walked to be in front of Twilight, "That probably won't happen." Spike pointed out "But it could!" Twilight shouted as she when back to the map and looked all over it before she looked at the ceiling. "I can't just send her off to Celestia-knows-where without thinking it through!" Celestia giggled, "I forget I ruled this nation for almost a thousand years by myself, I shouldn't be surprised that I've become an expression." Celestia then closed her eyes and walked to be right next to Twilight, "Although well sounding, not as appropriate as you might think, Twilight. For as I said to you before, Not even the very wise can see all ends." Celestia looked at the map for a second before she turned back to Twilight, "This is a momentous decision. You must consider all the possibilities." Twilight took a step back from the map and walked around it, as she said, "Rethink, rethink, rethink!" She then spotted the peninsula where Spike competed in the Dragon Lord's succession ritual of 'the Gauntlet of Fire', the dragons of this part of the world's homeland. "What about the dragons? I can send Starlight to the Dragon Lands!" Twilight then repeated the spell as she placed her hand on the part of the map where the Dragon Lands were. Celestia, Twilight, and Spike looked around and saw many reptiles, of various different structures, some walked on two hind-legs and had two wings to fly, some had forelegs and a more serpentine bodies, some had four legs and walked like dogs, some also walked on four legs and two massive wings for flight, just to list a few of the many forms that dragons took, "She and Dragon Lady Ember would totally hit it off!" The three turned to see a dragon that stood up and walked much like how Spike did, but her scales were blue with two horns that went parallel to her jawline. Unlike Spike, she stood at an Amazonian height of six and a half feet and had wings, this was the Dragon Lady Ember that Twilight just mentioned. Just then Starlight teleported in and turn to greet Ember, "Ember!" Starlight shouted not unlike how Double Diamond speaks. "Starlight!" Ember shouted in greetings to Starlight, very much like how Starlight did in this project. The two then body slammed and grunted as if part of a ritual to greet each other. "You ready to do some death-defying dragon stuff?" "Ah, totally!" Starlight agreed. Spike facepalmed himself and groaned, "That doesn't sound at all like either of them, Twilight." Twilight seemed to brush that aside, "They haven't interacted with each other before, Spike." Twilight pointed out. Spike could only groan in response, "Who knows what their dynamic would be?" Spike leaned towards Celestia and Celestia lowered her ear for Spike to whisper into it, "Someone that actually spent time with both and communicated with both," Celestia then whispered in Spike's ear, "I must agree, you would know, but let Twilight have this." Spike sighed but elected to go along. As Celestia and Spike whispered, Twilight continued, "And Starlight is going to love it there. Ember writes about many fun events," as Twilight spoke, the three floated in the sky as they saw Starlight and Ember intermingling with various dragons, "There's the Feast of Fire, the Dragon Bowl, Claw-chella." Twilight listed off before they landed again to see Starlight 'chatting' with Ember not far from a volcano's mouth. "Starlight could be there for a long time." Twilight then looked around the dragons and recalled that there were dragons older than Spike that didn't like humans or any non-dragons. This all came to mind when she spotted a dragon that stood on his hind legs, his scales were dark red and had a yellowish underbelly. "But not all dragons like humans... Like Garble..." Twilight stopped as she covered her mouth in fright and pointed to the red dragon that she spotted. Garble walked up to Starlight and Ember, "Hey, Twinkle Star!" he said greeting her. "It's, Starlight Glimmer." Starlight said as she turned to greet the dragon. Garble seemed to struggle to repeat the name he was given, "Star-kle Light-star?" he asked. Starlight's expression was a deadpan as she repeated her name for the seemingly dimwitted drake, "Starlight. Glimmer." Garble then shrugged his shoulders, "What've all you humans look alike." he said rather dismissively, "But hey, wanna hang?" He didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed her and ran towards the nearby edge and jumped as if he was diving in with her. Starlight was able to register what had just happened and saw the liquid they were diving into, "What are we diving into?" she asked. "Lava!" Garble answered as if it was nothing, and while lava is nothing to a dragon, the same cannot be said for humans. "What?!" Starlight asked in a panic just as they were about to make contact with the molten rock. Spike slapped Twilight in the face, and ended the spell, "That was crazy, Twilight!" Spike scolded Twilight, "Starlight's a powerful binder and knows a lot of spells, she know levitation that is so good it might as well be flying. You know she could just stop herself from falling into a pit of lava." "What if she didn't realize it was happening?! You just never know, Spike! I just need to think of someplace safe to send her!" Twilight then started to look at the map another time, "Someplace safe, someplace safe, someplace safe..." She then saw the castle of Krystalopolies, "I could send her to Krystalopolies and have her continue her magical studies with Sunburst!" Twilight once again cast the spell, this time they were in the Krystalopolies library looking from a gangway down at Starlight and Sunburst as they were in a section of the library set aside for magical experiments. "It'll be perfect! Sunburst's knowledge of magic and Starlight's abilities in magic are a perfect match." Twilight cheered as she clapped her hands with a closed-eyed smile. Sunburst had finished reading a spell book, "Okay, now place your hand on the log and visualize the clock." Sunburst said and Starlight followed the instructions and the log was transmuted into a fully functional cuckoo-cuckoo clock. Twilight turned to Celestia, "They could challenge each other and maybe become the most skilled magic-users in Mystican history since Star Swirl the Great!!!" Twilight turned back before she could see both Celestia and Spike facepalm themselves. Down below the projected Starlight went placed the clock aside, "What's next?" she asked as Sunburst started to look through the tomes again. Twilight then looked at the books in the library, "Of course, the study of magic is a lifelong pursuit, and Starlight could be there for a while, especially once they start attempting the really complicated stuff!" Spike raised his right hand so that Celestia could see it and held out three claws, "Three, two, one…" he counted down and point to Twilight just as she realized a problem. "What if they become too ambitious?!" She asked in fright just as the scene changed. Starlight and Sunburst were on the top floor of his house, and had finished reading a few of his personal spell books, "I never would've thought to combine Star Swirl's apparition spell with Spacium Flexibus!" Starlight said as she looked at the open pages from two tomes, she then pulled up a scroll of papyrus that was written in hieroglyphs, "But what would happen if we added Somnambula's Tempus Objectus?" Sunburst took all three sources and looked them over as he jotted down a few notes in another spell book, "If we do it just right, it should allow us to materialize an object that was lost in the past." Within a few seconds, they had cleared the floor of the room and had started to draw an elaborate chalk circle. "No! Don't do it!" Twilight shouted as Sunburst finished drawing the circle, with all the runes and hieroglyphs and other symbols to perform the spell. But it was to no avail as Starlight placed her right hand in the center and her focus gem started to glow. As the spell started it seemed to go well as a hole formed where Starlight's hand was, but then the hole started to grow and pull both Starlight and Sunburst, which caused them to scream. As they screamed the whole expanded and pulled Starlight in. Desperately Sunburst reached in and he along with Twilight shouted, "Starlight, noooooo!" only for Sunburst too to be sucked in and everything faded to black. Twilight was about to break down into tears as the spell she cast end. Spike pulled her into a hug, "Shshsh, it's okay, it was just a projection, it wasn't real." he whispered in his attempts to comfort her. Twilight broke out the hold, "But it could! " She turned to the map and the turned from it. "I just don't think I can send her anywhere." Twilight then started to pace back and forth, "What am I gonna do?" Celestia then started to give a hearty laugh as she fell on to the floor holding her sides with her arms and wings. Twilight and Spike were both shocked at this, was Celestia... laughing at Twilight?
Celestia’s AnswerCelestia continued to laugh out loud and rolled on the floor as she held her sides with both her arms and wings, "I can't believe you're laughing at me." Twilight said as she started to tear up in her eyes. Celestia then took a couple of deep breaths and got off of the floor. She then took Twilight into her arms, like a mother comforting her child, "Oh, Twilight, that's not why I'm laughing." Celestia's tone was soft and calm. She then broke the hug to look Twilight in the face, "It's because these fears, well I too knew them." Twilight's eyes shot wide open in shock. She was about to question Celestia sat her and Spike down on their thrones and she took the next closest one. "Let me tell you a story, well maybe I should show you it." Celestia then placed her crown on the map and it then projected a classroom of about ten students, all of them children about eleven or twelve years old, most of them Magicborn and girls, among them was Twilight. "When you were accepted into my school, you were one of the brightest students I have ever taught," Celestia informed as the projected Celestia was conducting a lesson. The focus then changed to all the students conducting a potions experiment. All but one were paired off and were able to make the potion do what was intended. Twilight, however, was alone and had made a much more potent version of the potion and the plant that it was able to grow was much larger and healthier than what the other students were able to make. "A day didn't go by when I wasn't both surprised and impressed with your accomplishments." Celestia continued to narrate as the version of herself in memory walked up to younger Twilight and patted her on her head, which prompted Twilight to give a big smile. The projected Celestia then turned to see how the other students were doing and couldn't help but have a soft frown as she noted their joy with each other, while Twilight was alone. "However, in your pursuit solely into academia had an adverse effect on your development and thus prevented you from reaching your full potential." "You mean it was keeping her isolated and alone?" Spike asked getting elbowed by Twilight, not unlike a big sister-little brother relationship. Celestia had a small giggle, "Yes, Spike." She then continued as the project showed her at dusk guiding the sun and the moon. "I knew the decision to make, but it wasn't easy," Celestia said before the version of her in the memory spoke. "Maybe if closed the library and threw a party." She said hopefully, "Oh, she'd be bound to talk with at least one of the other students then!" The projected Celestia hoped, but as she looked up to the night sky, towards the moon, at the Maiden in the Moon, her plan died there and then. She sighed as she looked at the ground, as tears formed in her eyes. "I know what I must do." The scene then changed to right in front of Magiville's town hall. Celestia was with the mayor of the town and they seemed to be in a conversation when the project Celestia stopped and saw Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy give Rainbow Dash the tour of the town. "I knew there was a special group of friends in Magiville, friends that were different enough from you that you would have no choice but to grow but similar enough that you would bond with them. The scene then changed to be in Celestia's throne room. "However, I kept coming up with reason after reason as to why I shouldn't send you." The projected Celestia paced back and forth, also in the room were two members of the guard, each on one side of Celestia's throne. "What if she comes across a manticore?" the projected Celestia asked herself. "What if she's forced into Tartarus?" She continued in her near panic. "Oh no! What if she can't get along with them?!" She then dropped to the ground and took the fetal position and shook all over. The guard on the left side of the throne looked to the other guard, "Hey, should we say something?" he whispered. "I think not." the other guard responded. Celestia then started to narrate again as the projected version of her watched as Twilight took the Charun into the air, "I kept you in Chantalot longer than I should have," and with that scene, the project ended. Celestia picked up her crown and turned to face Twilight alone, "I would come to realize the cause of my anxiety." Celestia said as she got up and walked towards Twilight. She then hugged her pupil, "It was because I didn't want you to go." Twilight looked at Celestia and was amazed at how similar she really was to her mentor and vice-versa, "Really?" Celestia at first nodded and once again hugged her student, "I loved having you as a student. You challenged me as only you could, and just as much as I taught you. " Celestia then ended the hug and rested both her hands on each of Twilight's shoulders, "I hope that one day I will be taught by you, something I never knew or could imagine, and that one day you would know more than I, as all mentors and masters should." Celestia took a step back and took a breath as she looked at the floor for a second, "I am not proud to confess, but deep down, I was terrified that once you made friends with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and many more, that I wouldn't be needed anymore." "Celestia, that's not true. I will always need you." Twilight said as she hugged Celestia, like a child their mother as if the child wanted to assure their mother that all is well. As the two ended their embrace, Celestia looked at Twilight with a small smile on her face, "It wouldn't surprise me that Starlight feels the same way you do, you just need to give her the chance to express that. Assuming that you are afraid of that." Twilight looked down and blushed a little, "Yeah, I guess that I am." Twilight confused. Spike only chuckled in response. Celestia took a step back from Twilight and looked around the room, she then turned back to Twilight, "Here we are, Twilight. A decade of us as Master and Apprentice, and going on three years of you as a journeyman, we are living proof that letting someone spread their wings," Celestia then spread her wings to have her left wing going behind Twilight, "doesn't mean you no longer have a place in their lives." as she spoke she pulled her wings in and Twilight into another embrace. Twilight ended the hug, "Thank you.", she then looked at the ground unsure. Celestia chuckled before she lifted Twilight's chin, "However, you can always ask her to write." Celestia then winked and brought a smile back to Twilight. Twilight then started out of the throne room, leaving Celestia and Spike behind, "So when are you going to tell her the other part?" Spike asked. Celestia only closed her eyes, smiled and shook her head. Spike just shrugged his shoulders and the two then went back to the party. Twilight arrived back on the stage where she, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance presented the medals to Discord, Thorax, Trixie, and Starlight, only for her to be almost blinded by a light used for TV recordings. Twilight turned to see that Discord was dressed as a TV recording crew, "I seem to have let slip that you were going to unveil the next your big plan for Starlight tonight." Discord chuckled a little, "Do forgive me. But we're all very excited to hear what you've cooked up." There was a pause as Twilight scowled at the Erisadies. Twilight then started to say speak through her teeth in clearly sarcastic tone, "Gee, thanks, Discord." Discord smiled and took a step back, "Anytime." Twilight took a breath and collected herself as everyone looked at her, "As you all know, Starlight's been my pupil for a while now," "It's hasn't been a year!" someone in the audience called out. "That's still a while." another person commented back. Twilight cleared her throat, and everyone turned back to Twilight, "Anyway, and I had hoped she'd be my pupil for a long time yet to come." Twilight then took a breath as she spoke, "But it turns out that's just not meant to be." People gasped in response. Twilight continued as she turned to focus solely on Starlight, "Starlight, you have proved that you are a loyal, honest, generous, kind, cheerful, and truly magical friend." Twilight raised her hands and gestured to the whole of the room, "Just looking around this room at all the new friendships you've made, I know there's little more I need to teach you and little more you can learn from me." Twilight turned her focus back to the crowd, "So we have a second reason to celebrate today. Three cheers for Starlight Glimmer on her graduation day!" Everyone then cheered. Pinkie squealed and giggled at the news, "What a great surprise!" she shouted as tears formed in her eyes. Twilight then stepped down and walked up to Starlight, she took Starlight's hands in hers and closed them, "You're always welcomed to come and to stay here, but your future's in your own hands now, Starlight." Twilight released her hold and walked towards to Celestia, Luna, and Spike. Starlight lowered her hands and looked to the side as Twilight left, "I wasn't expecting that." This earned a few giggles from Trixie and Thorax, among a few other. Discord then walked up to Twilight, "I was hoping you would have her be roomies with me in my realm." Discord pouted with his arms crossed in front of his chest, "You really don't know how to pick up what others put down." He then walked back towards Starlight and the group formed around her. "Girls' trip to Las Magus to celebrate?" Trixie asked almost jumping for joy. Thorax then gave another suggestion, "How about we go back to Caer Sith and have a gourd fest!" Everyone looked at Thorax utterly confused and slightly disgusted. "It's actually much more fun than it actually sounds." Discord then tapped on Starlight's shoulder which prompt her to turn to face him, "Why not a little chaos?" He asked "I know a trick that'll turn the castle in the capital into cheese. It's that a "gouda" idea?" Discord then laughed at the bad pun. "That's just the first of many cheese jokes if we go down this path." Starlight looked among the three and their ideas, "Well, those are all wonderful ideas." Starlight then looked away toward Twilight and then back, "But, um, give me a minute, would ya?" she then left the three and went to Twilight who had just shared a joke with Spike. Twilight turned to see Starlight, "Congratulations." Twilight said weakly as she looked away from Starlight for a second. Starlight mimicked the gesture, "Thanks." she said just as unsure as Twilight. Twilight then held her upper right arm with her left hand, "So how do you feel?" she asked as she turned back to Starlight. Starlight gave a sigh, "I'm not totally sure. I know I feel some happiness over the honor I received and for moving on to my next step. But I'm also surprised and overwhelmed at how sudden it all is." Starlight then had a minor panic, "Not that I'm not grateful for everything you have done and gave me, but are you sure about this?" Twilight nodded, "Believe me. I've thought long and hard about this." Starlight took a breath, "You always do." she looked at the floor unsure about the future. Twilight reached out and lifted Starlight's chin with her right hand, "You're ready Starlight." Twilight then turned away. "Yeah!" Starlight said in defeat. There was a pause as she started to head back to the others. "No, I'm not," she whispered. "You're not what?" Twilight asked as she stepped back and turned to face Starlight. "I'm not ready to go!" Starlight announced. "There is so much I still have to learn…” Starlight didn’t finish as she was pulled into an embrace by Twilight, with both her wings and arms. “Deep down, I’m not ready either.” Twilight confused as they ended the hug. Twilight then levitated towards the two the box with the mirror that she planned to give Starlight. “I got you this present.” Starlight started to open it as Twilight spoke, “It was going to be a "congrats on getting a medal" present, but then I was afraid it would have to be a going-away present, but now it's an "I couldn't be happier you're staying" present!" Starlight then saw the mirror and smiled before she looked back up to Twilight, “It fits perfectly over your dresser! I know. I measured.” "Thank you," Starlight said as she looked at the mirror again before she placed it aside and then turned to Twilight with tears in her eyes. Twilight also had tears in her eyes, "I might not know what's next, but I'll be here for you," The two smiled and then hugged. All the while, everyone else there continued to discuss various topics. About three hours later, after everyone was gone and the party was over and Pinkie was all alone. She looked around, gave a shrug and then walked away only to came back with a big vacuum cleaner with a big child-like smile. She pressed a button on it and the vacuum cleaned up the whole mess with one sweep. Pinkie then whipped her forehead with a "Phee-yew!" Author's Note And there it is, the season 7 opener... and in one weekend... Alright what's next "You didn't know that you fell"... oh yeah the rest of the Siren's Song, I can man... "Beyond these rooms, beyond these walls"... okay the answer to the Friendship Games, that's d... "Now the magic is my salvation", and Legend of Everfree... Okay so may... "I wish you'd all just go away and leave me alone!" And the summer shor... "Open up your eyes!" Thank you Temp... "I'm sitting here alone"... You're Special just came... "Welcome to the Well of Shade!"... BBBBBBUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
