It's been over two years since Matthias Cartwright arrived in Equestria. He is now eight years old. He adjusted well to the complexity of pony culture. He certainly got used to the lavish lifestyle of living in the castle with Princess Celestia. Of course, the biggest challenge he had to face was learning to use magic. There was a lot of frustration for both Celestia and Matthias. However, they made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. The teaching involved both classroom instruction and hooves-on...or hands-on instruction. First, Celestia had Matthias tested to see if he was even capable of using aura. Very few non-ponies are capable of even doing so. Those who can use their aura will train to become mages. As Celestia soon found out, Matthias was capable.

One of the very first things that Matthias learned about elemental magic is that there are five distinct natures—fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning. Certain species are more adept at using one style more than others. For example, penguins and hippogryphs are more adept at using water magic than griffins, who are more adept at using wind magic. Some can learn to use other types to broaden their abilities. However, some mages are capable of using all five types. They were almost always soldiers because of their powerful abilities. Many were capable of killing even the most powerful unicorns.

Celestia trained Matthias to manipulate his aura by imagining the aura collecting in his hands and then imagining the change in nature. It took a lot of concentration, which was difficult with a hyperactive child. She used concentration exercises, which helped him a lot. After a few months, Princess Celestia found out he could use water and wind magic. It was scarce for a child that young to use two types, but the hardest for Matthias to control was the wind. When he expressed frustration, the magic was more powerful. He destroyed a wall with a blast of wind magic, and it nearly killed a Solar Guard. Princess Celestia was terrified and decided to spend more time helping Matthias control his emotions. Outside of class hours, specifically on the weekends, he trained for hours on end to improve his magic.

Aside from his magic studies, Matthias learned the basic education subjects that all children had to learn, like reading, writing, and math. Of course, he had to learn about Equestrian history, which was his least favorite subject. The numerous dates and events were boring to him. His favorite subject was learning about magic and practicing his own.

Over the next two years, Matthias became proficient in using magic. He could water plants by just outstretching his hands or cool some of the guards off by sending a gentle breeze in their direction. Matthias even learned to dry himself off after a shower using his wind magic. Celestia was glad that he was learning on his own and getting better by the day. However, this is all she could do. He had to send him to school because he had learned enough to make it through. She applied for him to go to the Canterlot Royal Elementary Academy, the most prestigious boarding school in Equestria.

Potential students had to take an entry exam even to be considered by the admissions committee to enter. Princess Celestia hid her identity by having a young noble in Canterlot named Fancy Pants sponsor Matthias so he could have a fair chance at entering. Of course, he passed the entrance exam with flying colors. His scores in math, Ponish, magic, and reading were high, whereas his history portion was about average. Within a week, the admissions committee accepted Matthais, and his first day of school was in five months. As a reward, Celestia gave Matthias a few months off from his studies, but he was to practice his magic daily. He mostly kept to himself during this time and his head down. He mostly spent that time either in one of the many courtyards or the library studying his magic.

At one point, the castle was abuzz about something, but Matthias didn't think it was his business, so he just went about his day. He did hear about whispers of another princess coming to the castle. The news piqued his curiosity. He hadn't heard of another princess before. In fact, the only other princess mentioned in the history books was Princess Luna, Princess Celestia's sister, who disappeared many centuries ago.

A couple of days after these whispers began, Matthias did some investigating of his own. There were certain places he couldn't go in the castle without explicit permission from Princess Celestia herself. The West Wing of the Castle was one such place. That didn't stop him from snooping around. Due to his small size, slipping into small spaces, hiding from Solar or Royal Guards, and slipping behind closing doors became a skill he got good at.

One day, he got curious. He had heard that Princess Celestia was in one of her private gardens in the West Wing. So, he decided to see what she was up to. When he arrived, he found Princess Celestia talking with another pony, more specifically, a filly. Her body color was light pink, with pale yellow, pink, and purple mane. Was this the princess that the castle staff were talking about? What really confused Matthias is that she had wings and a horn. This little filly was an alicorn. His eyes widened. This sight was shocking to him.

Princess Celestia was teaching her how to use magic. The little pony showed frustration as she struggled to lift a small ball in the air. Matthias felt sorry for her because he knew what it felt like to struggle with magic. He watched this little pony and Celestia for a straight hour before deciding to leave. He snuck out the way he came. However, this time, there was a snag in his plan.

"HEY!! What are you doing back here?!" a pony shouted.

Matthias stopped in his tracks and gritted his teeth. He turned around. A pegasus stallion Royal Guard approached him.

"I'm looking for Princess Celestia," Matthias replied.

"Interesting. Then, why are you walking away from where the Princess is?"

Matthias sighed. There wasn't a way to talk himself out of this problem. The Royal Guard led him back to the garden.

"Princess Celestia!" the guard shouted.

Celestia turned around. She spotted Matthias standing behind the guard as they walked up to her.

"Is there a problem, Private?" Celestia asked.

"I caught Matthias snooping around again," he replied.

Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Matthias. He didn't look ashamed at all; instead, he seemed more annoyed that the guard captured him. Then, she turned her attention to the pony behind her, who looked intrigued by Matthias.

He was bound to find out at some point, she thinks to herself, "Matthias, what have I told you about being where you aren't supposed to be?"

Matthias didn't answer, and he didn't need to. He knew what he did was wrong.

"We've talked about this. I can't let this go without consequences. I will talk to you later about that. For now, I believe introductions are in order. Matthias, please meet Mi Amore Cadenza."

"Mi Amora-what now?" Matthias said, confused.

"You...you can call me Cadance."

"Oh, that's easier. I'm Matthias, Princess Celestia's student. Nice to meet you."

He walks over to Cadance and sticks out his hand. She looks at his hand, confused, then at Princess Celestia, who smiles warmly.

"Put your hoof in his hand. It's okay," Celestia said.

Cadance put her hoof in Matthias's hand. Her heart skipped a beat when his fingers closed around her hoof. His hand was warm, and his grip was firm. He gently shakes it before letting go. He slips his hands back into his pockets.

"I didn't think there was another princess still around," Matthias said, looking Cadance up and down.

"I'm new," she replied.

"Makes sense. There's only one of me around here."

"What are you exactly? I've never seen one of you before."

"I'm a human. I came from another world."

Cadance's eyes widened. A species from another dimension was mindboggling to her.

"Is he serious, Princess Celestia?" she asked.

"He is. How he arrived here is still unknown to me. I've researched countless hours over the past two years, and nothing can explain it."

"I thought you knew everything," Cadance asked.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I, unfortunately, do not. Now, if you will excuse me, I'll let you get better acquainted. Run along, you two," Princess Celestia said warmly.

Cadance and Matthias walked to the doors leading away from the West Wing. The Royal Guard opens the door for them before allowing them through. The two walked in awkward silence. Matthias was nervous because he'd never met a princess his age. He didn't know whether to call her Cadance, Princess Cadance, or Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. He didn't even know how to start a conversation with her, much less how to talk to her. Cadance was having the same issue. This human was very different from the creatures she had read about in her books. The only creatures that could stand on two hooves or, in this case, feet are minotaurs and dragons. Not only that, this boy was a student of Princess Celestia's. Very few ponies have that honor. Could he use magic like her? Maybe he could teach her when Princess Celestia wasn't available.

"So, w-what does she t-teach you?" Cadance asked quietly.

"Princess Celestia? She teaches me how to use my magic," Matthias responded.

"You can use magic?"

"Yep. Watch."

Matthias took his left hand out of his pocket. A small ball of wind began to form. The young princess was amazed at the sight. The sound of gushing winds filled her ears. After a few seconds, Matthias closed his fist, causing the ball of wind to dissipate. Cadance felt a slight breeze brush against her face. The sound stopped, as well.

"Woah! That is so cool. What kind of magic is that?" Cadance asked.

"It's wind magic. I can use water magic, too," Mattias responded.

He outstretched his hand and created a ball of water. Now, it sounded like a stream in the middle of the woods. Matthias quickly closed his fist again. This time, a few droplets of water landed on Cadance's face.

"That is the coolest thing I've seen," Cadance said with the biggest smile.

"Thanks," Matthias replied as he slid his hand back into his pocket.

"How do you study spells?"

"I read grimoires."

"What's that?"

"It's a book of spells. C'mon, I'll show you."

Matthias led Cadance to the library where he was studying. He had been in the back, next to a window that looked out over one of the gardens. There was a small table with books strewn all over it. Next to one of the open books was a small pile of notebook paper. Matthias sat down in front of the book. He motioned for Cadance to sit next to him. He scooted his chair closer to her so she could see.

"Take a look," he said.

Cadance felt like she was reading Minotauran. None of what she was reading was making sense to her. Then again, she only had alicorn magic for about a month.

"How do you learn magic from this?" she asked, pushing the back to Matthias.

"It kinda tells you how to control your aura, how to turn into an element of nature, and then what to do with it. Watch," Matthias replied.

He performed the same ball of water spell again, but slower this time, so Cadance could really see how the process worked. She was very amazed at how this process worked. It was very different from what she was learning from Princess Celestia. This manifestation of magic was different. Cadance tries it herself, but the only thing that happens is that her horn spurts out a few sparks of magic.

"I don't think that's going to work," he laughed.

"Why?"

"You can only use pony magic. Not even Princess Celestia can use element magic."

"Who can use elemental magic?"

"Pretty much everypony else except ponies."

"That stinks."

"Hey, you are an alicorn. You are a lot stronger than me already. There a bunch of spells you can learn that I can't."

Cadance thought about what her new friend had said. That was true. Just her being an alicorn, her magic potential was much higher than most unicorns her age.

"So, where are you going to school?" Matthias asked as he turned the ball of water into thin air.

"I think Canterlot Royal Elementry Academy," Cadance replied.

"No way. I'm going there, too. Maybe we'll have classes together!"

"That would be fun. You seem cool."

"Thanks. So do you."

And that's how the princess and the boy became fast friends. Over the next few months, they grew closer and closer. They read together and practiced their magic together. Matthias read up more on how to use unicorn magic in order to help Cadance. Her skills improved as time for the first day of school drew near. One of the things that Cadance had to learn was princess etiquette. She had to learn how to walk, talk, and hold herself differently than everypony else. She hated this part because it was annoying and boring, and she'd instead learn magic and spend time with Mattias.

Of course, the two had a lot of fun, too. They roamed the castle's many gardens, seeing the countless animals that resided there. Cadance was more fond of all of the squirrels, while Matthias enjoyed the rabbits. Princess Celestia even let them play at a playground near the castle under the supervision of some of the Royal Guards. Many would walk by to get a look at the small alicorn and human playing together as if there was no difference between them. Many nobles disapproved of this, thinking that Cadance should act like a princess and not spend time at a playground. Of course, Princess Celestia had to remind them that she was still, in fact, a foal and had every right to act like it. As the two grew close, they chose nicknames for each other. Matthias called Cadance "Candy," and she called him "Matty."

Eventually, the first day of school rolled around. Matthias was unhappy that he had to wear a uniform. It was a blue polo shirt with a maroon vest, along with blue slacks. The vest bore the school's emblem. Cadance only had to wear a shirt and vest. The tardy rang at 8:00 a.m., so Princess Celestia made sure that both Matthias and Cadance were on their way to school by 7:30 a.m.

Matthias carried a backpack that Fancy Pants had somepony make for him on his back, while Cadance had typical saddlebags. As usual, Mattias walked with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Matty, are you nervous?" Cadance asked.

"Kinda. What about you?" Matthias replied.

"I'm so nervous. I've never been to a school like this before."

"Don't worry about it. I think you'll be fine since you are a pony."

"Uhhh...ahem."

Matthias looked down as Cadance pointed to her horn.

"So? Ponies will have to respect you since you are a princess. Besides, you are nice enough to wear all of the foals will like you," he said as he shrugged.

"I hope you are right," Cadance sighed.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the school. Many of the children were already heading inside. The giant clock on the front of the building read 7:50 a.m. Matthias walked forward, and Cadance froze. He turned around with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

Cadance seemed terrified.

"Do I need to carry you inside?" Matthias said teasingly.

"N-no. I need a sec," Cadance replied as a blush appeared on her face.

"We have ten minutes before we are late. Princess Celestia will be mad if that happens. You'll be perfectly fine. We are in the same class, so I'll be right there with you."

Cadance closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her beating heart. The thought of Matthias being there with her is comforting. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Let's go," Cadance said.

The two walked into the school. Almost immediately, they began receiving stares from the other students. The once noisy hallway went silent aside for some hushed whispers. Matthias didn't falter from his "gung-ho" attitude. He marched down the hallway like he belonged there, like he owned the place. Cadance had a different reaction. She hung her head with her ears flattened against her head. She looked like a scared stray dog rather than a princess.

The two walked to their class, specifically Prickly Pear's class. Cadance took a seat in the middle of the class, and of course, Matthias sat next to her. He pulled out a notebook and a pencil. Then, Matthias pulled out one of his grimoires. He started reading. The class starts to fill up with students. A few minutes later, the bell rang, and the teacher walked in.

"Settle down, students, and let's get started," she said.

The students quiet down.

Prickly Pear appeared to be much younger than most teachers at a prestigious academy. She had a pink body and a green mane. A set of glasses rests on her muzzle, and she wears the typical educator's uniform for Canterlot Royal Academy: a maroon polo shirt and a blue vest. Her mane is a long braid that rests on the left side of her body.

"Good morning, students. My name is Ms. Prickly Pear. Instead of taking attendance tediously, we'll take attendance when I call your name, and you'll tell me something interesting about yourself. Up first is...Astral Haze," she announced.

A pegasus stallion with a blue body and white mane stands up.

It isn't long before Prickly Pear gets to Cadance. She shakily stood up and opened her mouth to speak. Everyone staring at her caused her to freeze. She tried speaking, but nothing came out of her mouth. It didn't help that some foals started whispering, and some giggles arose. Cadance looked over at Mattias. He gave her a gentle smile and a nod. He mouthed, "You got this." Cadance took a deep breath, letting her nerves settle before speaking.

"I go by C-cadance instead of Mi A-amore Cadenza. I guess an interesting fact about m-me is that...that I'm a...princess, and my aunt is Princess Celestia," she announced.

Cadance extends her wings a little and uses her magic to pick up her saddlebags to prove she is an alicorn.

There are a lot of whispers now. Prickly Pear looks down at her clipboard to see if Cadance is lying or not. She, in fact, wasn't. Her cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink as embarrassment floods her body.

"My apologies, Your Highness. I should have let you go first," Prickly Pear said nervously.

"It's okay, Ms. Pear. I'm just a princess-in-training. Princess Celestia is helping me," Candace replied.

"P-p-p-p-Princess Celestia?!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh. Well. Let's continue with introductions."

She continued through the list until she got Matthias. She looked at him more closely as she called his name. He looked like a more upright ape with a lot less hair. After many years of study, she had never seen anything like him before, even during the mythical creatures that she studied in her spare time.

"Hi, everyone. I guess an interesting thing about me is that I'm an elemental magic mage-in-training under Princess Celestia," Matthias said.

"Y-y-y-you, as well?" Prickly Pear asked as her eyes widened.

Matthias nodded.

Prickly Pear was astonished. Two children, one of whom is an actual princess, were students of Princess Celestia's. She couldn't tell if this was a practical joke or a test by the administration since this was her first year teaching. One of them isn't even a pony. Eventually, she continued going through attendance. Everypony was present. Then, she goes through a summary of her life before starting the first subject: math. There were a few groans, which ended with a sharp look from Prickly Pear.

At around 11:30 a.m., the class dismissed for lunch and recess. Behind the school, there was a large playground. A few trees stood around the area. Cadance sat on a bench under an oak tree and ate a peanut butter sandwich. Matthias sat with her, eating the same thing.

"What do you think of our teacher?" Matthias asked.

"She seems nice. She makes learning really easy. I thought everything would be harder since we are going to a rich pony school," Cadance replied.

"Me, too. Only four and a half hours to go, and we can go back to the castle."

"I can't wait."

Cadance finished the rest of her sandwich and got up to throw her trash away. On her way back to the bench, five ponies walked up to her. The "leader" of the group is a unicorn stallion with a golden body and a white mane. He looked to be the same age as her, but she hadn't seen him in Prickly Pear's class.

"So, you must be the new pony I've been hearing about," the stallion said with a sly smile.

"Yep, that's me. I'm Cadance," Cadance replied nervously.

"I'm Dapper Hooves. Nice to meet you. So, where are you from?"

"I moved to Canterlot a few months ago from a small town called Yoketown."

Dapper Hooves and his "entourage" nearly sputter in laughter.

"Yoketown? Where's that at?" Dapper asked, trying to contain his laughter.

"Close t-to Vanhoover," Cadance replied.

"So, a backwater, country hick. I was born and raised in Canterlot. My father is a noblepony. You know this school is only for the elite and smartest, right?"

"I guess so, but I took the entrance exam and passed like everypony else. I made a 97."

Dapper's smile fades. He made a 95. How could a lowly unicorn from a no-name town like this mare make a higher grade than him?

"Are you from a noble family?"

"N-no. I was an orphan and got adopted."

"You aren't even a noble? Hahaha, this is too funny. Listen here, filly. You don't belong here just because you passed the entrance exam. You should leave while you still can so you don't make our school look bad in front of everypony else."

Cadance's ears flatten against her head, and she sinks a little. She never faced a bully like this before. Even in Yoketown, the foals liked her since she was one of the sweetest ponies around. Cadance thought that ponies in Canterlot would be nicer, but she was horribly wrong. Dapper Hooves and his friends continue poking fun and laughing at her. No one of the teachers was around even to hear what was going on. However, Matthias heard everything, and he was furious. He set his sandwich aside and marched over to them.

"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!" he yelled.

Dapper Hooves, his friends, and Cadance looked over at him. Even a few nearby foals turned to see who was shouting. Matthias walked to stand between the group of foals and Cadance.

"And who are you? Or what are you? Some kinda freak?" Dapper laughed.

"I'm Matthias Cartwright, and I am a human. By the way, I made the same grade as Cadance. You gotta problem with it?" he growled.

"Well, I always heard that monkeys travel in troops. Maybe Cadance is a monkey, too. Look, guys, a couple of monkeys."

"HEY! You can make fun of me all you want. I know I'm a freak, but leave Cadance alone. You should be bowing to her."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that, monkey?"

"She's a princess! If you don't believe me, ask Princess Celestia."

Matthias stepped out of the way so Dapper and his friends could see for themselves. Cadance weakly smiled as she flared her wings a little.

"What are you, then? Her monkey bodyguard?" he laughed.

"So what if I am? Gotta problem with it?"

Dapper didn't expect Matthias to ignore his insults completely. It was like he was wearing mental armor, which made him angrier.

"As Princess Cadance's bodyguard, I'm telling you to back off," Matthias growled.

"Or what?" Dapper replied.

Matthias smirked. He made a finger gun with his left hand and created a tiny ball of water at the tip of his fingers. He pointed it at the nearby oak tree.

"Water Magic: Finger Water Gun," Matthias said.

He lowered his thumb down like the hammer on a pistol. The small ball of water hit the tree with a loud crack and created a softball-sized hole through the center. Everypony around, watching the incident, looked on in horror. Cadance was shocked at the pure strength of the move. Dapper and his friends slowly started walking backward.

"C'mon, guys. Let's get away from the princess and her freak bodyguard," he said.

Matthias sighed as he lowered his hand and turned around.

"Sorry about that, Candy. I won't actually kill him. I just needed to scare him off," he apologized.

"It's okay. Thank you for saving me. Maybe I could use a bodyguard," Cadance replied.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Matthias gave a silly bow, which got Cadance to laugh.

About fifteen minutes later, recess ended, and everypony returned to their classes.

Eventually, the bell rang for classes to end for the day. Cadance and Matthias picked up their bags and began making their way back to the castle. When they walked out of the building, they saw Dapper Hooves and his friends standing at the bottom of the steps. Matthias moved in front of Cadance as a guard would. He made a finger gun to scare the bullies. They promptly bow to Cadance, who blushes slightly. Some of the parents noticed this and were confused until they saw Cadance's physiology. Some of them bow, as well. To play along, she tries walking like Princess Celestia would but rather clumsily. When the two get far enough away from the school, they burst into laughter. The whole acting bit was hilarious to them. They had no business doing any of that, but it was fun nonetheless.

When they reached the castle gates, they saw Princess Celestia standing there. Her face was covered in her usual warm, motherly smile.

"Good afternoon, you two. How was your first day of school?" she asked.

The two looked at each other.

"You know, Princess Celestia. It wasn't bad at all," Matthias responded with a smile.

"Well, good, you'll have to tell me all about it at dinner. For now, change out of your school clothes, go to the West Wing courtyard, and practice your magic."

"Yes, Princess Celestia," Cadance and Matthias replied.

The two children walk past Princess Celestia and into the castle.

Author's Note

I had a difficult time coming up with a title name. However, I figured a twist on "The Princess and the Frog" would make sense. It's a corny title, but hey, it fits.

This took longer to write than expected because I was working on another chapter for I Am Anonymous and was lacking motivation. Now, I'm back in the game! Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts! Until next time, Anonymous out!