Sweetie trotted down the road with a big smile. "Welcome to Ponyville! It's a great little town full of amazing ponies who are really friendly. There's also a dragon, but he's friendly too." She gestured at the surrounding town. "It's been home for most of my life. I've learned all sorts of things here, and made a lot of good friends."

Cindy nodded at her mistress' words. "Clearly a place that's important to you." She kept up easily at Sweetie's side, eyes on the ponies they were going past. "I think some of them are nervous about me. If I'm your familiar, why don't they look happy?"

"Don't worry about it, they're just being silly." Sweetie rubbed her head against Cindy's in a friendly manner. "Familiars are a sort of new thing for probably all of them, excluding me." She paused. "Considering, technically also me. But I like you." She pounced on Cindy in a hug without warning.

Cindy squeaked in surprise, but melted into it with a little smile, even returning the embrace. "You are a silly little kid. Now, my job is to push you ahead in your wizardry, so when do we get on that?"

"We'll see what Twilight has for us at the library. She's really smart and likes teaching people things." Sweetie paused. "Plus, she's a Princess. That's a kind of ruler."

"Where's the queen?" Cindy looked about as if some pompous pony queen would appear at any second. "That's her mother, right?"

"Oh, n-no, I didn't mean..." Sweetie stared off into space, formulating how to phrase it. "Ponies don't have queens, not anymore. Just princesses. Twilight is the princess of friendship."

Cindy was still a moment, then snickered. Even that wasn't enough, growing until a full laughing fit that was half a vulpine yipping howl. "A princess of friendship? Not of a particular place or something? Friendship? She makes sure taxes are paid on friendship, or follows friendship regulations maybe?"

Sweetie colored even as she swatted at Cindy. "Stop making fun of her! She worked really hard to be that, and she's really smart and nice too."

"Alright, alright." Cindy advanced past Sweetie, rubbing against her on the way. "Lead on, dear, oh." Her eyes fell on the distant crystal tower that jutted into the air. "I'm putting in my guess as to where a local royal may be living."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, girls," said Pinkie Pie as she came to a stop beside them, big grin plastered to her face. "I heard somepony welcoming to Ponyville! Oh, new creature!" She darted to Cindy, getting right up close and staring at her with wide eyes. "I don't know what you are, other than welcomed!" She threw her hooves wide. "Welcome to Ponyville! I'm Pinkie, local greeter and party pony. You're looking very cute and huggable."

"And I like hugs." Cindy fell into an embrace with the mare without hesitation. "I am Cindy, summoned familiar to Sweetie Belle." She pointed to her de facto owner. "I'm still getting used to that, but she's cute and I really want to see her become a super powerful wizard, so I'm here for it."

"I'm not really... uhm." Sweetie cleared her throat. "Actually, yes. That's kind of my thing now. I want to be a powerful wizard."

Pinkie nodded slowly. "I see." She stroked along her chin. "That means we have two reasons for a party. One to welcome a new member of our happy community, and the other to celebrate Sweetie finding a new purpose! Both a great reasons. Let's do both!"

Sweetie leaned back with eyes widening. "Wha—? We don't need to throw a party for every little thing, Pinkie. You know that."

"A party can never be too little!" Pinkie waved that objection away. "And parties are my thing. You don't have to worry. I'll tackle you when it's time, and I'll be sure not to do it during school, so don't even worry about it." She nodded several times. "You just do your studying with your new fluffy familiar and I'll throw you a big old party. Just as soon as I come up with a good theme. Both parties will be awesome, of course. But I need to bring them together."

She vanished in a cloud of pink smoke, away to get that done.

Cindy tilted her head and kept staring at the spot Pinkie Pie had been in. "Pinkie is special, right? Is she already a wizard? She got a familiar? It'd be nice to meet another." She flicked her tails with the thought. "We could be friends maybe?"

"Pinkie's not a wizard. She's just Pinkie." Sweetie smiled awkwardly. "I don't think we can keep her from throwing the party. Let's go meet Twilight before she comes rushing back."

The two trotted side by side up to the castle, arriving just as the door was opening. Spike emerged from within. "Oh, hey Sweetie." He waved at her before his expression shifted on seeing who was with her. "And you got a new strange pet?"

Sweetie huffed at that. "She's a familiar, not a pet. There's a difference."

"Yeah!" Cindy leaned in closer to Sweetie. "What exactly is that difference? Just so I know."

Sweetie shoved at her new familiar. "A pony and their familiar are bound together deep inside." She tapped at her chest. "With magic! You are a part of my magic now." She returned her attention to Spike. "Is Twilight in? I was hoping to read some magic books if that's alright."

"Books, sure." Spike turned back for the castle and poked his head inside. "Twilight? Sweetie wants to look at some magic books."

With a magical pop, Twilight was there, almost knocking Spike over as she threw open the door he had been leaning on. "Sweetie! I'm so happy to hear you—" She trailed off, eyes on Cindy. "You have a new friend?"

"Yeah, this is Cindy!" Sweetie bounced excitedly. "She's my familiar! Isn't that great?"

"Ah. I see." Twilight inclined her head a few inches. "Cindy, are you her familiar?"

Cindy sat up straight. "She just said that. Sweetie is my mistress, and I am her familiar. I am here to support her on the road to becoming a master wizard." She leaned in. "So, have anything that can help with that? I heard there were some good books about it."

Twilight turned back for the castle, not saying a word. She left the door open, and Sweetie happily trotted after her, Cindy at her side. Spike was in the process of closing the door, but backed up quickly to let them in.

Inside, Twilight walked towards one of her many libraries. "Sweetie, I say this as your friend and sometimes mentor, but how did you learn how to summon a familiar?" She paused by the door to the library. "It's a very complex spell, and has a considerable energy demand on top of that."

Sweetie waved at her familiar proudly. "And here she is. I just followed a different book and I did each and every step. I was careful, like you taught me." Her horn glowed with the promise of magic. "I think I performed quite well!"

"That's not the problem." Twilight approached her student. "We don't really know how familiars work, only that they do. They aren't your average magical entity, or even an animal with magical ability." She forced a smile for Cindy. "You seem nice enough. I don't mean to imply that you aren't. Hello, Cindy. As long as you come with friendship, you're welcome in this castle."

Cindy rested a paw on her chin. "Odd choice of words there, princess. But yes, I am very friendly."

Twilight entered the library, stopping at the center of it. "The fact that you succeeded does imply you've advanced past the foal I remember who could barely lift things with her magic." She paused, grabbing a book in her magic and laying it in front of Sweetie. "Pick that up, with your magic."

Sweetie blushed but complied. The thick book levitated from the ground, but it was trembling before she even got it up two inches. With a gasp, Sweetie's magic flickered out and the book plopped back down.

Cindy rushed ahead of Sweetie and up onto the book. She at on the tome with a glare at Twilight. "This book is heavy! You were setting her up to fail. So she needs to practice picking things up." She curled in a spin back to Sweetie. "Let's add that to your training. Master wizards can lift things right?" She reached out to tap at Sweetie's horn. "Using that built-in wand of yours."

Sweetie giggled at that. "Built-in wand? Don't call a unicorn's horn that." She stuck out her tongue at Cindy, eyes moving to Twilight. "But, like she said, I'll practice that. She'll help. She's like a coach."

"A familiar is more than a coach." Twilight hissed with breath. "When she's focused on the task, she will lend her magic to your efforts. She will whisper secrets of magic for you if you become good enough friends, or she decides to make use of you."

Cindy squeaked at that. "Hey, I'm not an evil familiar."

Twilight dared to place a hoof on Cindy's head. "Glad to hear it. You sound as if you aren't entirely sure how being a familiar works. Odd, being a familiar. You should just know these things."

"I don't think so." Cindy bit at Twilight's hoof, but without any real malice. "Can you tell me how you knew you were a princess? Did you know how to princess the moment you became one?"

Twilight colored at being called out. "N-no." She shrank back. "You have a mild point there. But a familiar is a magic construct."

"What's a princess?" Cindy had a smirk on her face, tails swaying behind her.

Twilight raised a hoof. "A princess is, um." She thought back to how she was made into one. "A, um, magical... construct." She flopped to the ground in defeat. "I guess we both need to learn more about being what we are."

Sweetie circled around the book, eyes running over the spines of the books on display. "There are so many of them. Which do you suggest I start with?"

Twilight lit up at the request for guidance. "You can pick whichever you want. This section is devoted to beginner's magic." She moved through the library, heading for one of the shelves in particular. "Over here is intermediate magic, and all the way over there is advanced magic. Not that I expect you to have a reason to go near those sections." She eyed Cindy in particular. "You got lucky, somehow, but I wouldn't rely on that happening reliably."

"Hey!" Sweetie lifted her snout. "If your doubt is another challenge, I'll take it! I'll become a great wizard just like you, so watch me!" She moved closer to the section Twilight was at, just to hit a wall of magical force.

Twilight pushed Sweetie with her horn glowing, nudging her back to the starting tomes. "Start here, kindly. With your familiar's help, you may just breeze past them, but do that before you move on."

Sweetie giggled. "You worry too much. It's not like I'm going to accidentally summon another entity from someplace far away."

Cindy scrambled onto Sweetie's back. "You better not. You already have all the summoned buddies you need, Little Wizard." She felt a wash of intense jealousy even as she battled it. "Let's focus on the start, like Twilight's suggesting. I'll do my best to help. I'm here to assist you in becoming a master wizard, and that starts with a strong foundation."

Twilight gaped at that. "Did she... did you really just say that?"

"Yes?" Cindy inclined her head at Twilight. "Was that an odd thing to say?"

Twilight grabbed the familiar in a hug. "I'm just so happy right now. Please, guide Sweetie responsibly, as you already seem to be doing." She released Cindy to the ground with a smile. "I don't know how she managed to call you, but you seem like a fine familiar."

Cindy folded her paws and averted her eyes. "Um, thank you? I'll try to do my best to that effect. So!" She twirled to Sweetie. "Grab a book! I want to see it. I want you to read it. Let's get this show on the road."

Sweetie floated a large tome out of the shelf and down to her front hooves. "There we go." She smiled at Twilight. "See? I can use magic. And my horn isn't even hurting." With pride, she flipped it open. "Magical Evocations for foals. How to create and mani, mano, manipulate! Manipulate energies." She nodded. "Sounds exciting. Let's start.

Twilight laughed nervously. "Try not to let any of that energy get to the other books. Cindy, please assist with that."

Cindy placed herself between the book and the others. "It should be safe now."

Sweetie started with a reading, tail flicking back and forth behind her as she took in each page carefully. A strange sensation ran from her horn to her mind, flowing in the opposite direction than when she used her magic. Her familiar was with her, supporting her even as she read. The words were coming more easily to her, which was an entirely new sensation. She didn't even know one could help somepony read, but it was happening to her.

"If you're tired, let me know." Cindy's voice intruded on her thoughts, despite not being heard by Twilight. "You're doing fine for your first day. Better than fine, but I want you to think you're doing well too. I'm with you." Cindy smiled with eagerly swaying tails. Her voice turned out loud, "I have a lovely wizard. She'll become a master wizard in no time."

Author's Note

A chapter was purchased by Tomredlion, so I went ahead! Though, reading back at their specific prompt, I did not go in the direction they were suggesting. I hope they enjoy the direction I did wander off in. Maybe Rarity times next? We'll see if somepony grabs a chapter.

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