Birds sang merrily as the sun began to rise over the horizon, its rays warming the land from the cold of night. Their melody adding a natural atmosphere to the city of Canterlot they were currently flying over. The buildings and houses they flew over were neat and pristine, looking like they had only been recently built. Though this was a city of glamor and prestige, some of the buildings, even within the city limits, were of a more moderate design. One such building, was a home that was closer to the side of the mountain and near one of the waterfalls that cascaded down it.

It was two stories tall and painted a peach color. The front yard had a beautiful garden filled with several flowers and a few trees. A few windows dotted the walls of the home, letting the rays of the sunrise filter through. One window, on the upper right floor, seemed to have most of the sun shine into its room. The rays of light brightened the purple walls inside and outlined the queen sized bed that lay inside. Slumbering peacefully on this bed, beneath a blue comforter, was the newly decreed Princess of Equestria, Anima Memoriae. She let out adorable little snores as the light of the sun filled her room. It was then that the alarm clock on the drawer next to her bed started ringing as it hit 6 AM.

Anima slowly woke up and stretched her arms a bit before turning off her alarm clock through squinted eyes. She then reached over for her glasses next to the clock and her vision became clearer as they adorned her face. Even for a Princess she still had her fair share of morning dilemmas. Her mane and tail were a mess, as evidenced by the extra curls and a few knots. Her new wings had some unkempt feathers and her fur was ruffled. Anima looked at herself in the mirror atop her dresser drawer and chuckled, seeing what a mess she was. She got out of bed and gave her body and wings a stretch as she felt the white carpet beneath her feet.

Her room was fairly decent by her standards, suiting only her basic needs. Such as a desk where she wrote important letters and documents, usually assignments from her former teacher, Princess Luna. Her dresser drawer with various makeup supplies and a box filled with jewelry. A large walk in closet that held several articles of clothing along with a collection of stuffed animals. And lastly the several photos adorning the walls around her room, each one of Anima and her friends and family.

She looked at them all, enjoying all the time and effort she spent making all of these memories. Some of them involved only her and one other pony from her friends and family. Others were large group photos, yet all of them had smiling faces. She gave them all one last look before heading to the bathroom to get a quick shower. After a few minutes, Anima came back into the room, her body slightly soaked and wrapped in a towel. Her pink and magenta mane smelled of strawberries, thanks to her favorite shampoo. She closed the bedroom door behind her and went over to her closet to grab her attire for the day, pulling out a small pair of blue jeans and a pink t-shirt with a multi-colored floral pattern.

She placed them on her bed, along with a set of white panties and a bra, and sat down on the stool in front of the dresser. She grabbed a nearby brush and started brushing her mane, enjoying the feeling of it running through her hair. Anima felt happier than she usually was as she thought of what was in store for her today. Now that she was a new Princess of Equestria, she was to start learning all the etiquette, responsibilities, and duties it took to be one and today was her first lesson. But that wasn’t what she was so giddy about. Today was also the first day she would learn to use her new wings. Anima thought that it would take a long time to be able to fly, since it was difficult to find a tutor. But thanks to an unlikely encounter at her coronation she found a pony who was more than willing to help her out.

Those thoughts caused her to look at the small stand on top of her dresser, which held her best pieces of jewelry. The one Anima had her eye on was the silver amulet with a large ruby in the center and small sapphires circling it. As she took hold of it, she thought of the pony that offered her his help. The pony in question was Caster Forge, blacksmith to the Royal Guard in Canterlot and her newest friend. After a failed attempt at trying out her new wings, Anima had bumped into the stallion by pure chance and they soon struck up a conversation. The best part of it was that he listened to her story word for word, always with a look of interest. Caster even seemed to treat her like any other and not just like royalty, even if he was a bit formal at first.

After she had told Caster everything about her, she mentioned her problem about using her new wings. Amazingly enough, he offered his help to her right then and there. Anima could not have been more grateful to him and was even more ecstatic when he gave her the amulet he made himself. It was all so much and that was when she caught herself blushing as she shook away those thoughts. Caster was indeed a nice pony but now was too early and too soon to be thinking about him in that way. Especially since she had just gotten out of a relationship a while ago.

It was only about a month before her coronation that Anima had broken up with her coltfriend, Davey Joe. He was certainly a kind and caring pony and the two of them were together for a while. Though he seemed to care a bit more about his job than their relationship. So Anima decided to just end it soon after. But they still managed to remain friends, which she was eternally grateful for. The point, however, was that now wasn’t the time to be looking into new relationships as she did not want to rush into things. For now, she just wanted to focus on her lessons, both as a Princess and a friend. But the thoughts of Caster still lingered in her mind and left her feeling conflicted. Part of her however thought that a pony as kind and generous as him might’ve already had a special somepony of his own. She didn’t know much about his personal life though, only hearing the small things about him. Though it was best not to address the issue as it would come off as weird to him.

“I don’t know, what do you think I should do Oliver?” Anima said, turning to the cat asleep on her bed.

Oliver just gave his owner an unamused look as he yawned, awaking from his slumber.

“Well you don’t have to be so stingy about it,” she huffed, letting a small smile greet her lips.

Oliver may have been a bit rude at times but was a very affectionate cat. He had brown fur with noticeably darker stripes, light green eyes, and a purple collar with a yellow bell in the front. He was a bit tubby but not completely fat. Anima had rescued Oliver from the pet shelter when he was just a little kitten. She thought he was just so adorable and couldn’t let him stay in a place like that. Over the years the two had bonded quite well and grew more attached to each other.

“Well either way, wish me luck today Oliver,” she said, petting him as she finished brushing her mane. “Today I start learning how to fly.”

With a skip in her step, Anima started getting dressed. After that she went back to her dresser and starting curling her eyelashes and applying a little blush to her cheeks. She was about to declare herself finished when her eyes once again rested on her newly obtained amulet. She thought it would be an insult if she didn’t wear it at least once after all the hard work Caster put into making it. So Anima slipped the amulet around her neck and looked at its reflection in the mirror. All in all it looked very beautiful and its gems complimented her outfit quite well.

“I must say Mr. Forge, you’ve really outdone yourself this time,” she said, giggling as she got up from her seat.

Anima then made her way out of her bedroom into the light green hallway. She then made her way downstairs and to the kitchen to fix up some breakfast. The kitchen was a bit large and had pink and white striped wallpaper, black cabinets, and brown mahogany countertops. Digging through one of the pantries she grabbed a box of oat and raisin cereal and went over to the fridge and got some milk and a freshly prepared fruit salad bowl. She quickly assembled her morning meal and took it to the dining table. As she sat down, she heard a voice call out from the living room.

“Good morning sleepy head, sleep well?” a stallion said, reading the newspaper and sipping on a cup of coffee in a green magical aura.

“Oh, yes I did actually,” Anima said, slightly surprised she didn’t see the pony there earlier.

The pony in question was her father, Zen Wheeler. He was a Unicorn, like his daughter was originally, and had dark brown fur along with a neatly combed black mane and tail. His eyes were the same green as his daughter’s and his cutie mark depicted a wheel from a cart. The stallion was sporting a set of black pants and jacket and a gray button up shirt with a dark blue striped tie as well as a pair of black shoes. Zen was a friendly pony, though at times his work and life in general tended to frustrate him a bit. Though he still loved his family dearly. He ran a large cart rental service that was quite successful across Equestria.

The living room that Zen was currently occupying was somewhat bigger than the kitchen. It had walls that were pale orange and had a couple family photos hanging from them. The room consisted of a large couch, a chair, where Zen was sitting, a TV and a long coffee table.

“So I take it you’ll be heading down to the castle soon?” he asked, moving over to the dining table.

“Uh huh, it’s going to be exciting to learning how to be a Princess,” Anima said, starting on her breakfast. “Plus I’m also going to learn how to fly as well.”

“Oh right, with that Caster fellow I believe he was,” Zen said, feeling a bit hesitant about what he wanted to say. “Anima, are you sure you can trust that stallion? I mean he just offered to teach you how to fly out of the blue after all.”

“Dad, don’t be such a worry wart,” she said, tired of hearing the same thing over and over. “I talked with him face to face and I can tell he has good intentions.”

Zen was always very cautious at times, particularly when it came to his daughter and when she dated stallions. He just wanted to make sure she was safe when she was with the ones she chose. Though that usually resulted in giving her former coltfriends a hard time and always wondering what the two of them were up to. Even though Anima had only been in two relationships where these situations occurred, she was already finding it annoying.

“I’m just looking after your safety is all. And it’s even harder now that you’re a Princess. I'm pretty sure many other stallions may be trying to win you over now,” he said, being paranoid as ever.

“Oh dear, quit your worrying,” a mare stated, giving her husband a slight bonk on the head. “Anima is more than capable at handling herself in a relationship and I’m positive Caster means her no harm.”

Zen Wheeler said nothing as he looked down, a bit embarrassed. Their daughter let out a small laugh seeing her mother, who had come down from the stairs a moment ago, stand up for her like that. The mare that took a seat next to her was Celly Script, a Unicorn like most of her family. Most would boldly claim that Anima got her looks from her mother, as they both looked almost the same. The only differences were that Celly wore no glasses and her mane was shorter with brighter colors than her daughter’s and had more curls. She also had a thin figure and her cutie mark showed a simple contract.

Her mother was a loving mare, who always cared for her husband, children, and her coworkers as well. Sometimes she could get a little moody, as was demonstrated earlier, but her affection and kind-hearted nature always remained the same. At the moment she was wearing a dark green button up shirt with a matching skirt. She also wore a set of black high heel shoes. Celly owned her own real estate agency in Canterlot, helping ponies find places to settle down or start up businesses. In fact, it was that business that allowed Anima’s parents to meet each other. Zen’s business started off with him acting as a self-employed cart repairing pony but he soon expanded his business when he got some help from Celly’s company. Sometime after, the two of them began seeing each other more often, becoming better acquainted and a few years after that eventually got married. It was then that the stallion started his new cart rental service.

“So Anima, what can you tell us about Caster Forge? I hear he’s a very famous pony,” Celly asked, wanting to hear more about the blacksmith.

“Well you would be right. For one thing I got to see his lucky mark, though even he doesn’t know how he got it.” Anima said, remembering that particular moment with a blush. “But anyway, Caster is a very nice pony. He didn’t get angry at me when I bumped into him and he even helped me find my glasses. He listened as I talked about all my experiences in the past and was always interested in what I had to say. Not only did he offer to teach me how to fly because he wanted to but he even gave me this amulet that he made all by himself. I’m just glad to have made friends with somepony who was so nice to me from beginning to end.”

“Well I’m happy for you darling,” Celly said, smiling. “As long as he can make you smile he’s okay in my books.”

“I guess he sounds all right,” Zen said, trusting their judgement for now. “But if he ever tries anything I swear, he won’t be able to go outside without having to deal with me.”

“Oh Dad,” Anima said, face palming.

“Oh right, I almost forgot,” he added, reaching for an envelope in his coat. “Anima, this came in the mail for you this morning. It’s from your brother.”

“Really? Let me see,” she said, quickly grabbing the letter and opening it up.

‘Dear Anima Memoriae, how’ve you been lately? Ha ha, just kidding I know what’s been going on. I’m very sorry that I couldn’t make it to your coronation, my performances have been keeping me booked and I just couldn’t find the time. All I can say is congratulations big sis! You really deserve such a great honor, both as an excellent student and an amazing big sister. Now while I may have missed your coronation I promise that I will be there for your birthday in a couple of months. I’ll even provide the entertainment myself. You’re the best Anima and I can’t wait to see you again.

With wackiness all around,

Topsy Turbo’

Anima could only smile and shed a small tear after reading that letter. Her little brother was always so cheerful and kind whenever he wanted to be. Topsy was an entertainer that was on the road most of the year, but always stopped by when he could. He always felt the need to bring a sense of thrill to the world around him. One of the oddest qualities about him however was that unlike the rest of his family, he was born as a Pegasus. They could never figure out why he was born like that but just assumed it had to do with a distant ancestor from one of their sides of the family. He was also very hyper and was always flying all over the place like crazy. That usually led to confrontations between him and his sister at times. But the two of them still loved each other as brother and sister and never let anything come between them for too long.

“So I can guess Topsy’s still as silly as ever?” Celly asked, knowing her son was doing well from how her daughter reacted.

“Yeah, he never changes,” Anima said, wiping away the small tear and continuing her breakfast.

“Well I can tell he’s got something special planned for when he returns,” Zen said, taking a sip of his coffee as he read the newspaper.

The three ponies sat at the dining table, finishing their meals and chatting on what they had planned for the day. Anima took her dishes into the kitchen and washed them off as she thought of everything that might happen today. Those thoughts made her wonder what time it was, as she turned to a nearby clock in the kitchen and saw that it was nearly 8 o’clock.

“Oh my gosh! Sorry Mom and Dad but I’ve got to get going,” she exclaimed, rushing toward the front door and putting on a pair of black and white striped slip on shoes. “Can’t be late for my first lesson after all.”

“All righty then, have fun honey,” Celly said, placing some business papers on the table with her magic.

“You take care of yourself out there,” Zen said, hoping his daughter would be safe.

“See you both tonight,” she said, heading out the door and into the city.

===============================================================

Anima went through the city quickly, stopping every now and then to catch her breath. After a while she stopped to take a breather at a nearby lamppost at the corner of a three-way street intersection. As she rested, Anima thought back to her trip up to this point and how it had been different from how she took it years ago. Before, when she was only Princess Luna’s student, Anima would always go through these same streets and no one would really pay attention. She felt like she was just another pony in the crowd.

Now however, nearly everyone around her was giving words of praise for her new position and being more polite than they normally would have. It was so weird, they didn’t even bat an eye at her in the past yet now she felt like she actually had meaning in society. Though that seemed rather mean considering they only cared about her now that she was a Princess. Another thing Anima found a bit discomforting were the stares she received from a few of the stallions along the way.

While she never liked to admit that her father was right at times, Anima was slightly worried about the sudden attention from these ponies. Even back when she was just a Unicorn she was still quite the looker and got the occasional glance here and there. Now that she was an Alicorn she felt like all of the stallions eyes were on her. But Anima was confident and smart enough not to go for any of their attempts at wooing her. If they ever did try she would just let them down gently, saying she just wasn’t interested at the moment. Besides for her she wanted a stallion who would love her for more than just her title.

Speaking of stallions, as Anima was about to turn right to head off to the castle, she looked to her left as she heard something coming from the other street. To her surprise it was Caster Forge, wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans, running at a very fast speed toward her direction. Not knowing why, Anima hid herself behind a nearby newsstand, waiting for him to pass by. It only took a few seconds for Caster to run past her and stop just a few feet away. He didn’t seem to notice her as he breathed in and out heavily from the most likely long distance he had ran. Anima poked her head from behind her hiding place and looked at the exhausted pony.

She giggled slightly seeing that Caster was probably in the same situation that she was. Both were late for their duties and both were running like crazy. Anima was glad that she could get a chance to meet up with her new friend early. It would make connecting with him easier before their actual lessons began. Feeling like being a little silly, she quietly made her way out from behind the lamppost and crept up behind Caster. He had yet to notice her and failed to see the mischievous grin she had on. With ease and grace she jumped up on him from behind.

“Surprise!” Anima said, wrapping her arms around his neck, but not enough to choke him.

“Whoa! Who’s back there!?” Caster said, unsurprisingly astonished.

“That would be me, Caster,” she said, letting go of him so he could turn around.

“Anima?” he asked, surprised that it was her of all ponies. “I didn’t expect to see you this soon.”

“Well I guess sometimes things can happen earlier than expected,” Anima said, laughing slightly.

“I guess so,” Caster said, joining in the laugh.

They both kept laughing for a minute or so. Some bystanders watched as the two laughed like good friends. They all thought it was rather odd to see a commoner socializing so casually with a Princess, even if he was on the council. Others didn’t seem to mind as they saw no harm in a Princess being so casual about talking with others. Either way, both of the ponies realized they were being watched and toned it down a bit.

“So, shouldn’t we probably be heading to the castle right now?” Anima asked, trying to get things moving again.

“Right, I almost forgot,” Caster said, regaining his senses. “After you, Anima.”

With that the both of them set off for the castle at a moderately fast pace. They both were eager to start their daily tasks, mostly so they could get to their lessons later on. But also because they wanted to get to know each other a little better. Anima felt like drawing up a little conversation already.

“So exactly why were you running like crazy back there?” she asked, wanting to satisfy her curiosity.

“Oh that. I just forgot to set my alarm clock and slept in a bit,” Caster replied, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I didn’t even have time to go for my early morning flight.”

“Early morning flight?” Anima asked.

“It’s just something I like to do every morning. It helps me keep my wings and flying skills in peak condition and I can add a bit of excitement to my somewhat boring days,” Caster said, answering her question with ease.

“I see, well it certainly sounds like fun,” Anima said, already imagining how it must’ve felt.

“Yes it is. By the way, I see that you’re wearing the amulet I made for you,” he said, pointing at the piece of jewelry.

“Of course, I couldn’t just leave this hanging around in my room. It deserves to be worn at least once,” she said, smiling warmly.

“I’m just glad that you like it, that’s what matters most to me,” Csater said, smiling back.

“You’re really sweet, you know that?” Anima said, giving him a quick hug.

“So I’ve been told a couple of times,” he said, blushing slightly. “Plus it goes well with that shirt of yours.”

“Thank you. This is actually one of my newer ones,” she stated, pressing away some wrinkles on it. “I had to restock most of wardrobe with clothing that could accommodate my new wings. I never knew having these things could have so many drawbacks to them.”

“Yeah, they can be a little inconvenient every now and then. But considering what they can do for you, I say it’s worth it,” Caster said, thinking of all his time spent in the sky with a goofy smile.

“Indeed,” Anima said, giggling at how silly he looked reminiscing.

The two of them continued chatting until they realized how much time had passed and how slow their progress toward the castle had become. At that point, they quickened their pace so they could arrive at the Castle on time. Anima and Caster soon made it to the Castle gates, where Spell Weaver and Swift Wind were once again posted.

“Morning, Cast,” Spell said, giving a small salute to his friend.

“Morning, Spell, morning, Swift. How’s work going for you guys so far?” Caster asked, doing the same, not wanting to leave them hanging.

“Pretty boring, we just started our shift so not much has happened so far,” Swift said, adjusting his armor slightly. “And I’m pretty sure it will be that way for quite a-”

He stopped talking when he saw who was behind Caster. Both he and Spell were surprised to see the newest Equestrian Princess standing behind him. They thought any mare in general would come off as a shock to them, as they knew of his personal relationship status. But a Princess was something else entirely. Regardless they both stood at attention.

“Your majesty, please forgive us for not welcoming you properly!” the two guard ponies said, bowing respectfully for their Princess.

Anima didn’t know how to respond to their sudden gesture. She tried to say something but the reply came from someone else.

“Hey you guys, relax. She isn’t going to bite you,” Caster said, easing them up.

“He’s right, there’s no need for such formalities. Besides I’m still trying to get used to this whole Princess thing,” Anima said, hoping they would relax a little.

“Um, if you say so, your highness,” Swift Wind said, he and his fellow guard standing upright again.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are the two of you here together?” Spell Weaver asked, hoping he wouldn’t offend them somehow.

“Eh, we just happened to run into each other along the way. We were both running late so we decided to just walk here together,” Caster said, answering the question with ease.

“Speaking of which, we really need to get going. We’re almost late for our duties,” Anima said, wanting to get a move on.

“Yes, of course. Sorry about that, Princess Anima,” Swift said, opening the gates behind them.

“Thank you very much. Come on, Caster, we have to go,” she said, enthusiastically as she ran through the courtyard.

“Right behind you, Anima,” Caster said, following after her and leaving the guards behind.

“How does he do it anyway?” Swift asked, perplexed by the whole ordeal.

“I have no idea,” Spell said, just as confused.

===============================================================

Anima and Caster went into the castle and proceeded to venture through its many hallways. They went through them as quickly as possible to reach both of their destinations. Eventually they came across a cross section leading in four directions. Though both of them knew that this was the point where they had to split up.

“I guess this is farewell for now. I’ll see you later, just drop by my forge once you get your break and we’ll get started on the basics,” Caster said, making sure the Princess knew what to do when the time came.

“All right then. I hope your work goes well,” Anima said, wishing him luck on the job.

“And I hope your studies turn out good as well,” he said, turning to the hallway on the right. “See you soon.”

“You too,” she replied, turning to the left as they both walked away from each other.

As Anima made her way down the hallway, remembering the directions Princess Luna gave her, she thought of how exciting both of her classes would be. One to become a proper and knowledgeable Princess of Equestria. The other to help her soar the skies with her newly received wings. She was a bit more excited about the latter as it would give her a chance to know her new friend better. The thought gave Anima a spring in her step as she quickly approached her first class of the day. She ended up in front of a single wooden door with intricate designs carved onto it. She waited with anticipation as she was about to open the door. Anima didn’t even know who her teacher was. All Princess Luna told her was that it would be a big surprise.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Anima quickly opened the door. The room was decently large, certainly meant to hold at least a few ponies. It had a u-shaped layout with several small columns lining both walls and a black and white tiled floor. The walls were a dark yellow which complimented the few vases of sunflowers that adorned the room. At the end of the room was a large window, crafted into a depiction of colorful fields and flowers, whose colors radiated from the sunlight. Towards the middle of the room was a medium sized maple wood desk with a matching chair and in front of it was a large chalkboard where a mare was currently writing some lessons with chalk.

Anima immediately stopped in her tracks when she saw the mare in front of her. Her dark blue fur, translucently flowing blue mane and tail, not to mention her wings and horn, made no doubt in her mind who this was. When said mare turned around to reveal her face, Anima’s suspicions were confirmed. It was none other than Princess Luna, giving her favorite student a big smile. She was currently wearing a midnight blue blouse with a white undershirt beneath it and a matching skirt that went down to her knees. All of this shaped her curvy body and chest very well and matched neatly with her black stockings and pumps. Despite all that though, Anima was still surprised to see her former teacher here.

“Princess Luna, what are you doing her!?” she said, running up to her.

“What, I can’t be here to show my favorite student the ropes about being a Princess?” Princess Luna said, giggling at Anima’s astonishment.

“But, but you said my lessons with you were over,” Anima said, confused by what was happening.

“Yes, those lessons are over. Now we can move on to our new ones,” Luna said, stating matter of factly. “Until you’re fully ready to become a Princess, I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

Anima was surprised beyond words. She felt a rising sense of gratitude for her teacher. Princess Luna had done so much for her in the past and even now she was continuing to do so. There was nothing else Anima could think to do, so she just went up to Luna and gave her a big hug.

“Thank you so much Princess Luna! You’re the best teacher I ever had,” Anima said, speaking sincerely with a smile.

“And you’re the best student I’ve ever taught,” she remarked, returning the hug. “Now why don’t we get started, we have a lot to cover today.”

“Yes ma’am,” Anima said, enthusiastically as she took her seat.

===============================================================

For the first couple of hours, Princess Luna taught Princess Anima all the etiquette and mannerisms when around others. Their lessons started off a bit rough when the younger of the two realized she had neglected to bring any supplies for taking notes and such. Luckily, Luna thought something like this may occur and went ahead and brought some scrolls, quills, and notebooks for her to use. At the moment they were currently going over how to act when eating at a royal banquet or any kind of formal meal. Anima was taking down notes in her scrolls and notebook and paid attention to her teacher’s words. Though sometimes her mind would wander elsewhere, as she remembered events from earlier.

“I think we should take one of our breaks now, don’t you think?” Princess Luna said, putting down a piece of chalk.

“Um, actually would it be all right if we hold off on that for a while?” Anima asked, writing in one of her scrolls.

“Why’s that?” she asked, wondering what her student had planned.

“Well you see, yesterday I made friends with the Royal blacksmith, Caster Forge. After a bit of talking I told him how I haven’t learned to properly use my wings yet. So he decided to teach me himself and we planned on meeting up later today. I was hoping that I could take all my break times and just put them all into one, two hour break so Caster and I can have enough time together. If that’s all right with you of course,” Anima said, wondering if her teacher would understand.

“Hmm, interesting, I never thought he would make friends with somepony so quickly. But to the point, yes that would be just fine. As a Princess you’ll need to learn to use your wings as soon as possible. And I’ve heard that Caster is a very exceptional flier, he’ll give you some great lessons and advice,” Luna said, reassuring the younger Princess.

“Thanks for understanding, Luna” Anima said, focusing on the chalkboard again.

“No problem, Anima,” she said, resuming where they left off.

Now Anima was partly focused on being able to take her break soon, as the nearby clock on the wall showed it was nearly noon. A few minutes passed by before the clock reached its target and Princess Luna spoke up.

“All right, I believe now is the time we took our break,” she said, erasing what was on the chalkboard.

“Awesome, so I’ll see you in about two hour’s right?” Anima asked, finishing up the last of her notes.

“Indeed. I hope you have fun learning from Caster. Also if you can, tell him I said hi,” Luna said, already preparing the next lesson for when her student got back.

“I’ll be sure to let him know. See you later, Luna,” she said, as she headed out the door.

“I wonder how things will go for those two,” Luna said, to herself with a light chuckle knowing how both ponies acted socially.

Anima quickly went down the halls, following the directions Caster had given her the other day. At first she was a bit tired from her lessons with Princess Luna, but now she was more awake than before as she made her way to the Royal Forge of Canterlot Castle. Anima was so excited about being able to use her wings that they started lightly flapping in anticipation. Eventually she found herself in front of the large double wooden doors and was about to knock. Anima stopped however when she saw that that the doors were open slightly. Feeling a little sneaky, she silently walked up to the door and peeked inside.

Anima looked on in amazement, having never seen the forge before in person. It was so big and full of different pieces of armor and weaponry. What really drew her attention though was the pony she was looking for. Caster Forge was currently at the grinding wheel, wearing his work attire and sharpening what seemed to be a short sword with a copper handle and some embedded jewels. He seemed intensely focused on sharpening the blade and did not notice Anima by the door. So she kept quiet as she watched him work, intrigued by the process.

Caster stopped sharpening the sword after a few minutes and examined the blade with a keen eye, giving it a few swings here and there. He then began practicing his fencing with it, as far as Anima could tell. Slowly but surely, Anima stepped into the room, completely unnoticed by Caster as his back was faced toward her. Suddenly, without warning, he turned around and pointed the blade at her. She yelped in surprise as she fell back onto the floor, while her friend regained his senses.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Anima!” Caster said, putting down the sword and helping her up. “I was so busy with practice that I didn’t see you come in.”

“It’s quite all right, Caster,” Anima said, getting back onto her feet. “I should’ve knocked in the first place.”

“That begs the question of why you didn’t,” he asked.

“I was just interested in your work. I didn’t want to disturb you so I just kept quiet and watched from the door. You seemed to have left it open by the way,” she replied, slightly embarrassed.

“I see. Well that’s all right I guess. It’s nice to know someponies like seeing my work,” Caster said, picking up the blade. “Plus, it’s partially my fault for leaving the door open, that happens sometimes.”

“So, are you ready to get started?” Anima asked, hoping he would say yes.

“Of course, just let me put this little beauty away and we’ll get going,” he said, moving toward the black wardrobe that held his personal gear.

Anima watched as Caster opened the wardrobe to reveal his personal armor set. It amazed her as it looked so different from all the other pieces of armor in the room. She noticed that the suit of armor was about the same size as him. She could only deduce that this was most likely made just for him, as she had heard blacksmiths liked to create pieces for themselves. As the Caster put the short sword back in its sheath and locked the wardrobe, he turned his attention back to his new student.

“Now then, before we get started I suggest we grab some lunch from the guards’ food court for later. Don’t worry, they allow me in all the time,” he said, hanging up his gear and dusting himself off.

“Cool, let’s get going then,” Anima said, walking out the door. “Oh by the way, Princess Luna says hi.”

“Well wasn’t that sweet of her. Tell her I said hi back,” Caster said, closing the door behind them.

After locking the doors, the two of them headed for the food court. Upon arrival, they found themselves with many of the guards standing at attention for their new Princess. Caster told them that this wasn’t necessary as this was only a casual visit for the both of them. They all eased up and the two ponies asked the chefs for two meals to go. The chefs were quick to whip up some boxed lunches in a bag for them and happily wished them a good day. Caster and Anima did the same and went on their way. As they left though, many of the guards were left wondering why those two of all ponies were hanging out together.

The two of them walked down the hallways as they tried to figure out where to go for their lessons. It was difficult trying to think of a place where others wouldn’t bother them and they needed plenty of open space. After a bit of debating, they decided to head for the Royal Canterlot Gardens where they had met the other day. So with an extra boost in their pace they made their way to the gardens. Once they arrived they noticed the bench they had sat at before and chose to use it again. They set the lunches to the side of it before Caster spoke up.

“All righty then, today we will begin with a few of the basics of flying,” he said, in a confident voice.

“Sweet, so what did you have in mind?” Anima asked, eager to get started.

“First off, I will need to see your current technique at flying. I’ll point out any mistakes and we’ll go on from there,” Caster said, starting off easy.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” she replied, standing up and closing her eyes in concentration.

Caster waited patiently as she prepared herself. Ever so slowly, Anima began to spread out her wings until they were at their full length. She then started to flap them up down to try and lift herself up. Though that was when the problems occurred. Caster noticed that Anima wings were off balance, one flapping more than the other. Even more so it looked like it was having a huge strain on her as evidenced by the few beads of sweat on her forehead. Despite all that, she still managed to lift herself off the ground by a few inches. However, due to her irregular flight pattern, she ended up flying side to side in multiple directions. That coupled with the strain on her wings made Anima fall to the ground on her butt. Caster gave a light chuckle as he went to help her up.

“Okay, I think I see what one of your problems is,” he said, bringing the Princess back to her feet.

“What would that be?” Anima asked, wondering what she did wrong.

“Well you seemed to be flapping your wings at their own individual pace,” Caster said, using his wings to lift him up to demonstrate. “One of the key components of flying is balance. If your wings aren’t synchronized, you won’t be getting anywhere in the sky.”

“I did notice that too, but I didn’t think that would be such a big deal,” she said, sheepishly.

“Hey it’s all right,” he said, comforting her as he floated to the ground. “I made the same mistake when I was starting to use my wings. It’s a common thing to miss with beginners. For now though, we’re going to focus on keeping your wings synchronized when you use them. So just try your best to make your wings flap together at the same pace. Think you can do it?”

“I-I’ll try,” Anima said, with a nervous stutter.

For a few minutes Anima kept trying to keep her wings steady and in synch. Yet as time went on she couldn’t seem to do it. Every time she moved one wing the other would just move on its own, unable to link with its partner. After a while she decided to give it a break.

“I’m sorry Caster, I just can’t do it,” she said, somewhat ashamed. “My wings just seem to move on their own terms no matter what I do.”

“I was expecting this, many Pegasi often have this problem and it usually takes time to master it. But I found a trick that helped get me in the air a bit faster than the rest,” Caster said, smiling.

“What’s that?” Anima asked, hoping this would work.

“The problem a Pegasus faces is that they have to move two separate muscles at once, making it difficult to concentrate on either one. So instead I thought of using both muscles as one. Get a feel for the part of your back in between your wings. Then visualize the muscle in it extending as a whole to both of your wings. Once you got that just flex that single part of your back and you’ll find your wings moving with it,” he explained, slightly confident by his knowledge.

“I don’t know, it may work for you but I’m not sure it works for everypony else,” Anima said, self-doubt clouding her judgment.

“Don’t worry,” Caster said, taking her hands into his own. “I have faith that you can pull this off. You have the potential to become a great flyer, you just need to realize that potential inside of you. So go on, have at it.”

Anima merely blushed as her hands were held by his. Though they felt firm they also had a gentle and caring feel to them. That coupled with the words he had spoken to her, made her blush intensify a bit. She could see that he truly cared for her and could tell that he was right. After all, she wasn’t given her wings just for looks and was going to make use of them to their fullest.

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot,” Anima said, ready for another go.

She kept holding onto Caster’s hands and had her eyes closed as she focused her mind on where he had mentioned. The wind whistled through the gardens as Anima concentrated in silence. Her wings soon started to move, albeit with the same effort and strain as before, but this time they appeared to be moving in time with the other. They kept flapping faster and faster until Anima felt herself grow lighter all of a sudden. She opened her eyes to find herself floating above the ground, steady and completely balanced.

“I, I did it? I really did it!” Anima exclaimed, feeling ecstatic as she looked back at her wings flying in synch.

“Congrats Anima, I told you could do it!” Caster stated, laughing a little seeing how giddy she was.

“Yes you did, thanks for not giving up on me,” she said, smiling warmly at her friend and tutor.

“It’s what I promised to do,” Caster said, blushing as he looked down at something important. “Um, you know you can let go now right?”

“Huh? Oh right,” Anima said, blushing along with him as she landed. “Sorry, just got in the moment there I guess.”

“No worries. A-anyway, we should move on to our next lesson,” he said, returning to the matter at hand. “There’s still one other problem we need to go over.”

“What else is there?” Anima asked.

“Well, when you were trying to fly, even now, I noticed that you were under a bit of strain trying to make your wings move. I realize that may have been due to the synchronization of your wings but it’s still a factor that cannot be overlooked. The next thing we have to work on now is the strength of your wings. Because even if your wings are fully functional, it won’t mean much if you can’t stay afloat for more than five minutes,” Caster said, matter of factly.

“So what should I do then?” she asked, curious on how to strengthen her wings.

“Wing-ups!” he said, with enthusiasm.

“Wing-ups?” Anima pondered.

“They’re basically the same as regular push-ups. Though for Pegasi, we use our wings instead to lift ourselves up,” Caster said, falling forward to the ground with his arms at his sides and allowing his wings to push him up and down. “It’s a bit difficult, even for ponies who’ve spent years doing it. But once you get the hang of it, you can probably fly for hours on end.”

“That actually looks kind of fun,” Anima said, eager to give it a try.

“Glad to hear you’re into it,” Caster said, pushing himself back up. “If that’s the case then why don’t you go for it? Just start off in a normal push-up position and I’ll guide you from there.”

“Okey dokey!” she said, cheerfully as she did as instructed.

“All right, now place the tips of your wings on the ground. Then apply some force onto them to steady yourself,” Caster said, sitting next to her on the ground.

Anima gave a light nod and flexed her wings out. Focusing on certain muscles, she pointed them toward the ground and placed the tips against it. She made sure to put enough force into them, already knowing what was probably about to happen.

“Perfect, but it’s not over yet. You’ll have to move your arms to your sides, and at the same time focus all of your strength into your wings,” he said, hoping this wouldn’t be too much for her.

With another hesitant nod, Anima did as she was told. Slowly she moved her arms away from the ground, making sure she was pushing with as much strength as her wings could muster. When her arms laid directly at her sides, Anima found herself just barely keeping herself up with her wings. That alone was enough to make her smile with joy.

“Wow, this is awesome,” she stated, seeing the progress she had made.

“Indeed, you’re really starting to get the hang of these lessons,” Caster said, admiring her efforts. “But you still need to actually do a wing-up. So for right now, just try and do one so you can get a feel for how the exercise works.”

“Okay,” Anima Memoriae said, concentrating once more.

She stared at the ground as she focused on her wings. At a very slow pace she began to descend, her wings doing their best to keep her up. Anima soon found herself only an inch from touching the ground with her body. She thought that went by easier than she expected. But now came the truly hard part: going back up. Anima thought it was already aggravating enough just to go down, but getting back up was another challenge entirely. Yet she wasn’t going to give up. If she could make her wings cooperate she could surely pull this off. So with a boost in motivation, Anima slowly started to push herself back up. It was painful, that was for certain, but that was to be expected. So she pushed past it and continued with her exercise. It felt like minutes had gone by before she felt herself reach a stopping point as she opened her eyes. Anima saw that she was back where she started, her wings extended as far as they would go.

“Yes! I did it again, whoa!” she proclaimed, falling back down when her wings lost their strength.

“Heh heh, you certainly are a fast learner I’ll give you that,” Caster Forge said, helping her up once more.

“Well when I have a great teacher like you I’m bound to learn something,” Anima said, dusting herself off.

“I just do the best I can,” Caster said, flashing a sheepish grin.

A sudden gurgling sound was made as both ponies looked at each other. It happened again once they realized it was their stomachs. Needless to say, Caster and Anima blushed a bit in embarrassment.

“Um, do you mind if we take a quick break now? I’m feeling a bit peckish and could go for one of those lunches,” Anima said, rubbing her belly a little.

“Sure, I’m getting a little hungry too,” Caster said, walking toward the bench with Anima in tow.

They both sat down and grabbed the bag with the two lunch boxes. Opening them up, they found various arrangements of fruits and vegetables, some crackers and cheese, as well as some sandwiches and bottles of water. Not wanting to waste these well prepared meals, Caster and Anima immediately dove right in, savoring every morsel. They spent a good ten minutes eating their meals before Anima spoke up.

“Thanks again, Caster, for doing all this for me,” she said, feeling grateful for everything he’s done.

“It’s no big deal, really. I’m just doing what anypony would’ve done. Besides I feel it’s my duty to help you start flying as soon as possible. You’re a Princess now and you should have as many skills under your belt as possible. But even more so, you’re my friend and friends should always be there for one another,” Caster said, sincerity plastered all over the smile on his face.

Touched by his words, Anima gave him a hug, which the he returned in kind. When they separated she let out a cute little yawn as she rested her head against her friend’s shoulder.

“You don’t mind do you?” Anima asked, hoping she wasn’t making the situation awkward.

“Nah, you’re good. After all that effort you put back there you deserve to relax,” Caster said, dispelling her doubt.

With that reassurance, she settled back and simply listened to the calming serene of the garden around them. Caster joined her as he relaxed and watched the area around them. The occasional small chitters and chirps of the creatures that dwelled in the garden echoed around them. The light breeze from the wind sent a chill to the two ponies as the warm embrace from the sun counteracted this. All in all it was a perfect setting of peace and tranquility. This gave them a chance to reflect on their time spent together today.

Anima felt in debt to her new friend. In the small amount of time they had spent together he had done so much for her. All by his own desire rather than just being asked to do so. Plus since their lessons started he had continually kept her going with his words of encouragement. He showed her that he wanted her to keep going because he believed in her. Yet despite all that though she didn’t know how to repay him back for his kindness and felt a little guilty. Anima thought she should at least spend some time with him as thanks. From what she had heard about him she could tell he wasn’t much of an outgoing pony. But she hoped she wouldn’t send off too strong a message, thinking that he may’ve had a special somepony in his life that he cared for. Even though in reality, he didn’t.

Caster, on the other hand, was thinking about his favorite Princess at the moment. Anima seemed so relaxed and it really seemed to affect him. He felt like he could be himself around her and not feel too awkward about it, as she went through the same experiences he did. She also truly appreciated all that he had been doing for her, rather than other mares in the past who would only take Caster’s advice and gifts with a simple thank you and not caring too much for his efforts. But the best part, he thought, was that she enjoyed being around him. Anima made him feel like his presence was actually welcome and did not want to waste a single moment. It warmed his heart knowing that someone wanted to spend time with him, particularly because of how alone he was most of the time. Caster didn’t need to think of any way to repay her. As long as he just kept teaching her how to use her wings, he felt that would be more than enough. And hopefully it might lead to something more one day. Caster was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized they still had some time left before their lessons were over.

“I think we should get back to our lessons now. Wouldn’t want you to miss out,” he said, bringing Anima back to reality.

“You’re right, I want to learn as much as I can!” she said, her eager smile returning.

“My thoughts exactly,” Caster said, as the two ponies got back to work.

For the rest of their break, Caster and Anima continued going over the earlier lessons, trying to get in a few more wing-ups. As well as one or two other things that were essential to flight. After a while they soon realized how late it was getting and decided to call it a day and return to their other duties.

“And that’ll be all for today. Just keep doing a few wing-ups at home when you can and your wings will get stronger in no time,” Caster said, packing up the lunch boxes to be thrown away later.

“I’ll see if I can put a few sets into my schedule. And thanks again, Caster, you’re a really good friend,” Anima said, brushing away some sweat from her forehead.

“So I’ve been told,” he said, feeling a sense of pride overcome him while they walked from the garden through the hallways. “Well I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then. Same time, same place?”

“You know it,” Anima said, with a sly wink.

“All right, see ya later then,” Caster said, lightly blushing as he walked the other direction of the familiar intersection.

“Bye, Cast, can’t wait for tomorrow,” she replied, making her way back to Luna’s classroom.

As both ponies returned to their respective places within the castle, they thought of what tomorrow would bring. And even more so, what the days of the coming future held in store for them.

Author's Notes:

Let's see what's behind door #3! *drumroll* It's the newest chapter of Love at Second Sight! Sorry for the small delay, having to take care of the stray cat we picked was a bit of a distraction. But I got past it and brought everyone what they kind of asked for. Hope you all enjoy it.

Anima Memoriae, Topsy Turbo, Zen Wheeler, Celly Script, and Oliver belong to my girlfriend.

Edit: A few grammatical changes.

Edit 2: Cured it's LUS and fixed some grammatical errors.

Edit 3: Let the lessons begin anew.