“It’s such a shame you have to leave for Ponyville so soon,” Princess Celestia sighed as she drank her morning tea. Starlight sighed herself and looked outside the window as the morning sun started to shine through the window.
She and Princess Celestia were finishing off a proper breakfast, courtesy of Princess Celestia’s surprisingly good pancake skills. After prying a questioning Twilight from her long list concerning Starlight’s friendship mission for the Royal Sisters, Starlight managed to get breakfast. No breakfast and being pounded by Twilight’s obsession for answers in the early morning was never a good idea and was the reason why Starlight opted for coffee instead of her usual cup of tea like Celestia.
Princess Celestia got right away with her signature pancake recipe, mentally telling herself to give her sister a cooking lesson whenever her duties weren’t so strenuous. Luna agreed that her pancake skills weren’t up for scratch, but was happy for her sister to be honest about it. After learning to wear a smiling mask all through her duties and keep a mutual face made Luna realise that being adored all the time can have its flipside. However, like everyday siblings in Equestria, it’s nice to be honest with your own sibling.
“I know,” Starlight stretched in her seat and turned to her pancakes, “Honestly, I’m going to miss your pancakes. Don’t get me wrong, Spike is a great cook himself, but these pancakes a really good.”
“Years of experience,” Celestia winked, “Many ponies believe it’s all paperwork at the ready, but I like to surprise them by showing them that there’s more to me than Princess Celestia.” Celestia gave a smile across the table, causing Starlight to chuckle.
“How was Twilight’s questioning?” Celestia suddenly asked, “I’m sorry Luna and I couldn’t save you from being magically dragged from the balcony, but I have learnt after many years with my former pupil that once Twilight has her moments, there's no pony who could stop her.”
“Twilight was a hassle, but I’ve gotten used to it by now,” Starlight chuckled.
There was a long silence as both drank their morning beverages.
“I believe we haven’t gotten time to sit down and talk about you being Twilight’s pupil of friendship,” Celestia pondered, “What is it like to be Twilight’s pupil?”
Starlight put her cup of coffee down and thought of her experience so far as Twilight’s pupil of friendship.
“It has been an experience, to say the least,” Starlight said slowly, trying to find the right words, “She has been of great help, offering her hoof of friendship to me when I was at my lowest.”
“Twilight filled me in a few details with a letter she sent me,” Celestia nodded, “That would explain why a few of Star Swirl the Bearded’s spellbooks were reported missing in the Star Swirl the Bearded wing of the castle.” Celestia gave a stern look. Starlight shrank down a little further in her seat at the mention of a certain spell she performed.
“But seeing how you have turned a new page,” Celestia continued with a smile creeping on her royal face, “I think I won’t press any charges of theft.” Starlight took a deep breath of relief which was building up inside of her.
“I think it was Flurry Heart’s chaotic Crystalling that we first met,” Celestia recalled, “Your first assignment, as Twilight professionally puts it, was to get you reacquainted with an old foalhood friend. Seriously, the damage she did is enough to make King Sombra roll in his shadowy prison.” Starlight gave a sad sigh but chuckled at Celestia's remark.
“Me and Sunburst did a lot of things together,” Starlight gave a sad smile, “He was there to correct me when my magic fails, always knew what spells to use and was just a great pony to be with.” Starlight turned and looked out of the window. Over the horizon, she could just make out the building that made up Princess Celestia's prestigious School for Gifted Unicorns.
“When Sunburst managed to get a place at your school, I should’ve been so happy for him. But instead, I felt left out. I was so afraid that he would just disappear from my life, that it made me that mare I became.” Starlight felt a lump in her throat.
“Sunburst was a promising student at my school, if that's any comfort,” Celestia smiled warmly, like the celestial body she controlled, “He was a prodigy in magical theory and reading, but lacked the applications and mechanics. I’m afraid he left shortly afterwards, wondering what he wanted to do in his life. I gave him some guidance, suggested that he should settle somewhere else.”
“The Crystal Empire?” Starlight asked.
“Someplace else so he can settle, and destiny helped pull you and him back together,” Celestia chuckled, “He had his doubts that he was truly the wizard that he wanted to be. It took an old friend to push him to believe that he was capable with what he’s got, ultimately saving the Crystal Empire.”
Starlight blushed at Celestia’s compliment.
“You should see the list Twilight gave me for helping me get reacquainted with Sunburst,” Starlight groaned, almost on the edge of facehoofing.
“That’s Twilight,” Celestia giggled, “Being my protégé for a long time, she always wanted to impress me, not thinking for herself. I’m afraid that even I get caught in her long questions to sate her curiosity. Though she sometimes tends to miss the point of a certain lesson.”
“Like teacher, like student, huh?” Starlight mumbled, which unfortunately didn’t go amiss by the Princess.
“What do you mean?” Celestia raised her brow slightly. Starlight gulped. Celestia was giving her a questioning by now, so it was best to swallow the parasprite now and move on.
“One of my friendship assignments was to get to know Twilight’s friends some more,” Starlight explained through a strained smile and sweating forehead, “Create something with Rarity, let Applejack show me her family photos, Help Fluttershy with her critters, Pinkie with baking a cake and finding someplace in Twilight’s castle to chillax with Rainbow Dash.”
“Chillax?” Celestia chuckled, “I’m familiar with many new words, but that is a new one.”
“Only Rainbow Dash would know,” Starlight giggled nervously, “Anyway, I may have missed the point of the whole lesson and ended up using a spell to do what I tell them to do. It didn’t go so well as I ended up flooding the castle and ruining Pinkie’s dessert that she made whilst under my control.”
Starlight feared for what or how Celestia would react to this. Celestia held her signature mutual mask as she took in Starlight’s story. Starlight felt as if time slowed down, waiting to see what celestial wrath the Solar Princess would do to her.
To her surprise, Celestia just sighed and looked away from the table.
“I guess students and teachers are alike,” Celestia smiled, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
“Princess?” Starlight tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“Twilight still has that habit of wanting to be that perfect student for me,” Celestia closed her eyes again and sighed, “This lead to time she was close to missing the deadline for a friendship letter before she became the Princess of Friendship. With no friendship lesson to be found, it resolved to her causing a friendship lesson instead.”
“Let me guess,” Starlight acted by rubbing a hoof under her chin in mock guessing, “It backfired pretty badly.” Celestia chuckled and nodded with understanding eyes.
“She cast this enchantment on her favourite foalhood doll, the ‘want it, need it’ spell, if my memory is correct,” Celestia tapped her hoof to her chin.
“Oh dear,” Starlight shuddered, “The spell that makes something highly attractive? That is a really potent spell.”
“Yes, that one,” Celestia nodded with a sad smile, “It got the whole town under its influence. Luckily I got a letter from Spike during all this to say how Twilight was letting her worries get the best of her.”
“Seems like me and Twilight are both alike in more ways than one,” Starlight giggled, which Celestia soon followed.
“But enough of the downsides,” Princess Celestia smiled radiantly, “You’re the one, along with a band of unlikely heroes, who saved Equestria from Queen Chrysalis, all without any magic due to Chrysalis’ throne. I can see Twilight in you with that. You persevered, lead and triumphed against all the odds.” Starlight’s face blushed at Celestia’s compliment.
“It was the reason Twilight seemed quite nervous on the next chapter in your life,” Celestia continued, “Twilight now had an over-achieving student, much like myself, and so wanted my aid to determine what to do next.”
“Really?” Starlight perked up.
“Since I was in her shoes, so to speak, she realised that she had to send you away somewhere,” Celestia added.
“Away?!” Starlight almost jumped out of her seat.
“She either wanted to you to help with the changelings on teaching them about friendship, go with the dragons in their lands or maybe further magical studies with Sunburst in the Crystal Empire,” Celestia continued as if it was just a casual conversation.
“Then what stopped her?” Starlight managed to settle down.
“She kept imagining the worst-case scenario that might happen to you,” Celestia smiled, “The same worries that I had sending Twilight away from me. When under my tutelage, she was more book-centred than friend-centred. I kept on coming up with silly reasons and held myself, and worst of all, Twilight back. I loved Twilight being my student, but I was afraid to admit at the time that she may not need me anymore.”
“But I needed Twilight more than ever,” Starlight countered lightly, “I still don’t know where I’m going yet, but with Twilight and her friends with me, I feel like I’m on a good path.” Starlight rubbed her chin with a hoof, “And that would explain why she was so nervous with her speech when she came up onto the stage.”
“And now here you are on your first successful map mission,” Celestia rounded up, “Helping me and Luna realise that each other works just as hard to keep Equestria in harmony.” Starlight smiled. Despite a rocky start to the mission, at least it turned out good for all parties involved.
Appropriately, it was when Twilight burst into the dining room, a scroll of questions in her lavender, magical aura.
“Starlight, there you are!” Twilight had her manic face on, something that Starlight learnt to dread, “We have to catch the train as soon as possible and you still have to answer my questions on your first successful map mission!” She then took a deep breath and looked at the table, her mouth drooling, “I was in such a rush when the map told me that you completed your mission that I skipped breakfast! Twilight, you stupid pony!” Celestia and Starlight laughed as Twilight berated herself.
“Like always, Twilight,” Celestia mused, causing the younger alicorn to blush. She levitated the pancakes over to her and Twilight ate with gusto.
“Starlight, the train leaves in half an hour, so you better brush up and be ready!” Twilight said with pancakes in her mouth before dashing down the hallway again. Starlight stared at the direction Twilight exited before sighing.
“Well, it seems that my breakfast ended,” Starlight sighed. She got up and was about to leave, but turned and faced the Princess.
“Thank you for the pancakes again,” Starlight bowed, but Celestia waved a dismissive hoof at her.
“Please, any friend of Twilight is a friend of mine. So no bowing please,” Celestia smiled warmly, “Besides, it should be me thanking you for all you did for me and Luna. As I said before, this experience has brought us closer together.” Starlight blushed for the umpteenth time this morning before turning and closing the dining-room door behind her with a soft click.
Celestia emptied her cup, cleared the table herself and turned towards the direction of the throne room.
“I wonder what destiny has in store for you, Starlight Glimmer,” she said to herself as she walked gracefully down the corridor.
It was time to begin her job as Princess of Equestria, and no pony ever said that it was easy.
