A student of her own

Queen Mia Solaria Celestia Soleil, the ruler of the magical Kingdom of Equestria, smiled as she watched her former student, Crown Princess Twilight Soleil, the Princess of Friendship and Magic, walk with her daughter, a light purple mare with a purple and gold mane, along the mossy silver cobblestone paths that lived in the Canterlot palace garden, giving the gardens a bigger and magical look. The wise and old white mare watched as Twilight’s daughter, Princess Skylar Soleil, chased after small white rabbits, gifted to the gardens by Fluttershy once upon a time when she had one too many of the little rabbits to take care of.

Celestia, as much as she didn't want to, had to admit that she didn't think motherhood would have suited the bookish and 'career-oriented' Twilight, but here she was in full dinner dress playing with her daughter. Twilight had grown more motherly over the past couple of years, but she still did her many duties and studies and found the time for her weekly meeting with Celestia and Luna and court while tackling motherhood.

Celestia was awoken from her thought when she felt a little kiss on her nose, Celestia smiled and laughed as Skylar flew up to her. The white mare of the sun seized the light purple alicorn in her golden sun-like magic, earning a small giggle from her. Twilight was close behind, smiling as the light purple alicorn floated around the alicorn Queen of the sun. Twilight caught her daughter and floated back to the ground.

"I win!" Skylar announced as she looked at Twilight with her eyes wide and excited.

Twilight smiled sweetly as her daughter landed next to her. "You did Sky, you did” Twilight said as she nuzzled her gently.

"I must admit it, Twilight, you have always surprised me" Celestia smiled with her kind eyes at the lilac Princess of Friendship and Magic.

"Thank you," Twilight looked down and paused. "Celestia, could I ask you something?" Twilight's new, almost childish, tone caught the white mare's attention. "Can I tell you about something I was thinking about doing?" the young mother asked.

"What is it, Twilight? Is something wrong?" The Queen asked, her head slightly tilted.

The lilac mare shook her head and pressed her lips together. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me when you thought it was time for me to take on a student of my own?" The Princess smiled at her old mentor, clutching her daughter in her foreleg. "Or maybe if you know if I am ready?" Twilight added quietly.

Celestia smiled, she had been waiting for the day when her forever faithful student would decide to take on her own; in truth, she had expected it to be sooner, sometime around the time Twilight had opened her school, which was now some five or possibly six years ago.

"I didn't," Celestia answered smiling at Princess Skylar, who giggled back. "It was more like this," the Queen said. "If I had a student in my school who was already showing promise, I would come to their mid-term exams, and if they impressed me, I would take them on as my student. I followed the same 'routine' with Cadence, Sunset Shimmer and you, my dear student."

Twilight adopted a confused look. The Queen sighed slightly, seeing she hadn't really explained the purple Princess' question. "You don't exactly know when you're ready, just like in parenthood, you don't know if you’re ready or not," Celestia stated. "I just took on a student if one came along" she smiled.

"Well, I think I'm ready." Twilight smiled as she placed her daughter on to the ground, pride burning in her eyes.

"Very well, Twilight," Celestia smiled at her faithful student. "Who have you chosen to become your very first student?" the white mare asked the lilac Princess. "Is it somepony from your school?" Twilight shook her head, receiving a confused look from the Sun Queen, perhaps the mare had searched far and wide for a student? Maybe she had chosen Royal Blue, daughter of Rarity and Fancy Pants, whom she knew was Skylar’s closest friend?

"I have selected," Twilight bit her lip, unsure of Celestia's reaction, she hoped the Queen would be understanding "Ivory Wand Lulamoon, the daughter of Trixie Lulamoon."

Celestia's jaw dropped, it was one step away from falling to the floor and making a crashing sound, she could not believe her ears; she had to have misheard that, surely, she had to have. Skylar turned to face her mother, her face shaped like an o. The Queen shook her head violently, thinking she had misheard the young purple Princess. Skylar did the same, copying her mother's former teacher.

Clearing her throat, the Sun Queen sighed. "S-sorry, Twilight, I didn't hear you right. What did you say?" the white mare asked her student.

"I have chosen to be my very, very first student, Ivory Wand Lulamoon, the daughter of my 'friend' Trixie Lulamoon ...?" Twilight said again, uncertainty in her voice this time around.

The Queen sighed and asked her student to follow her. "Twilight, my dear student," Celestia sighed, bringing her hoof to her mouth, trying to think of what to say next. "I'm not sure she is the best choice," Celestia smiled awkwardly, placing her hoof back on the ground. "Why not another foal? They could be a filly or a colt, a mare or a stallion, they could be from my school," Celestia cocked her head "or yours." Celestia suggested, her smile cracking a bit. "Miss Lulamoon is just a bit too.... well, we both know what she's like" Celestia admitted.

Twilight shook her head lightly. "Celestia, if I may speak 'off the record', so to say, I believe anypony, no matter who they are related to or descended from can learn to embrace friendship and harmony and acceptance. I'm sure of it, Celestia!" The lavender Princess beamed, her smile almost blinding. "Just because Ivory is the daughter of Trixie doesn't mean she can't learn to accept my friendship," Twilight said. "in time, she may ascend to alicornhood as I did!" Twilight cheered.

Celestia shook her head and sighed. "I don't think that is the right path for her," she said, barely able to hide the look of hatred from her voice or face. She could not believe Twilight even thought of having one of her kind as her first ever student.

Twilight raised her eyebrow. "Maybe it could be her path? With time and patience!" Twilight shouted at the queen.

Celestia bit her inside of her cheek. "As much as I love and appreciate your enthusiasm, I think it is ... well, misplaced," The Queen of the sun answered. "Miss Trixie Lulamoon and her whole gypsy family have been banished from Equestria for crimes against the crown; if we were to let one in, who's to say more won't want to follow and only come for unfaithful reasons?" Celestia's voice suddenly took a serious tone, all memory of the awkwardly smiling Celestia was whipped from the purple Princess' mind. "And Trixie was once King Sombra's right-hoof mare, who knows what she is capable of or her daughter? Besides, Trixie's daughter is nearly ten years old, far too old to begin training." The Sun Queen shook her head and stopped walking, pausing where Discord's statue had once stood.

"Celestia, I take it upon myself to keep the young mare 'under supervision'. If something goes horribly wrong, I will take full responsibility." Twilight put her hoof on top of her heart, a serious look on her face.

Celestia looked down at the ground, watching as Skylar clumsily tried to walk and giggling all the way. Sighing deeply, the Queen locked eyes with her former student. "Twilight, I accept your request for a student." Twilight beamed and jumped around in an invisible circle, with Skylar following closely behind.

"Oh, thank you! thank you!" Twilight smiled widely, her eyes closed tightly in excitement.

"Thank you, Celestia!" Skylar shouted.

"Under one condition," Celestia's tone caught the happy alicorn almost in mid-air, as well as Skylar. "She will not be taught in a class with impressionable young ponies ... and, under no circumstances is her mother to visit for extended periods of time, since she is still serving her sentence for her crimes. Also, I will set up a sort of 'territory’, so we can keep track of her" the white mare stated.

Twilight nodded. "You have my word, Celestia. I won't let you down!" Twilight beamed once more as she placed Skylar on her back and took flight.

. . .

Crown Princess Twilight raced around her home, the Castle of Friendship, making last minute changes to her schedule. She huffed as she lifted a pile of books over to a desk that she had set up for her first student. She smiled as she examined the desk one last time. It was perfectly set up, bright pencils, red quills, and pens lined up perfectly and perfectly sharpened to perfection. Five notebooks perfectly set underneath each other and notepads set in the exact middle of the desk. Twilight beamed with pride as she threw open the light pink curtains, allowing her mentor’s glorious and bright sun to rain in. She took a moment to gaze at the dark, rich green grass down below, the students from her school playing around the grass.

The purple mare jumped high into the sky as she heard a knock at her door. Quickly gathering herself, she raced to answer the cream colored door. She smiled sweetly as she found her student standing at her door, next to the two guards Celestia had loaned Twilight. The young unicorn mare was smaller than Twilight had imagined her to be and skinnier, but, luckily, she seemed to be of average weight, although certainly not height; she looked like a mare who had shrunk into the height of a filly.

"Welcome to Ponyville, Ivory Wand Lulamoon!" Twilight cheered. The very light blue unicorn mare jumped high into the sky. Her pure white mane seeming to 'frizzle' like she had just gotten an electric shock. "Err, I'm sorry, Ivory. I didn't …"

"Didn't mean what?" Twilight gasped as she heard the familiar voice of Trixie roar at her. The light blue mother of the unicorn stepped forward, her eyes focusing dead on Twilight. Twilight was surprised she was wearing a very plain servant's uniform; perhaps Trixie had found a job? But that idea was shattered when she saw the gold magic inhibitor ring on Trixie's horn. "She was still serving out her sentence", Twilight reminded herself sadly. The unicorn also had a shortened mane and tail style, most likely for convenience, Twilight reasoned. The alicorn also noted that the younger unicorn wore a metal bracelet around her left leg, that must be how we will 'keep track of her ... she has no cutie mark, Twilight sombrely added to her mental notes. Twilight was shocked, to say the least that she had never seen a unicorn Ivory's age without a cutie mark.

The alicorn shook her head and took a small step forward. "I only meant to greet her, Trixie," Twilight responded quietly as the unicorn mare began to look around the room. "She must have just gotten a small fright, that's all" she added as an afterthought.

Trixie shot a glare at the alicorn, who froze in space. "Yeah, of course you did, Trixie knows you only meant that!" Trixie said dismissively as she walked over to her daughter and pushed her along protectively. "Come along, Ivory. Let's see what they have for you!" Trixie trotted around the entire room, with Ivory tagging along closely, staying close to her mother's silver tail.

Twilight shook her head and quickly caught up to the pair, preparing to give her 'introduction speech'. "As you can see, Trixie, Ivory," she smiled, "I have pre-prepared supplies for Ivory Wand, so that way, we can get started right away." Twilight smiled as she pointed out the desk and school supplies.

"Did you think Trixie was too poor to buy her own supplies?" Trixie snapped, looking back at the Princess with wild eyes.

Twilight instantly shook her head. "No, no! I just thought it would be easier if I got everything ready …"

"… Of course you did," Trixie said with spite. "Now, Trixie will allow her daughter to go to your so-called 'school' for only a term. If I am satisfied with what you are, quote, 'teaching' her, I will consider letting her stay a second term" Trixie stated.

"And, if you are not?" Twilight inquired as she cocked her head at the blue unicorn, who held her head high and huffed.

"Trixie will take her to a more 'established' place," Trixie said with spite once again. "Or I'll teach her myself."

"Oh, okay, I understand" Twilight sighed, not bothering to remind the mare that her magic was sealed away with the inhibitor ring around her horn.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Well, this is all Trixie can stand of you for today, until the end of the term, Princess Twilight!" Trixie left the room, slamming the door behind her using her hooves with the might of thunder.

Twilight turned to face the blue mare, who looked almost mortified, the Princess sighed and approached the unicorn. "Alright, um, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Princess Twilight, I will your teacher," Twilight explained to the unicorn, who came out of her shell a little more. "Do you know any magic at all?" the purple mare asked.

Ivory nodded a sweet and small nod. She mouthed a small and weak 'yes'.

"Alrighty then, let's get started" Twilight beamed.