Many clouds had dotted the skies of Canterlot. They all slowly moved along on the gentle breeze that passed through them. One cloud, however, suddenly burst into smoke as something fast arose from it. It was Princess Anima Memoriae, flying through the sky without a care in the world and making good use out of her wings. The world seemed to flow right past her as she sped through the open area, enjoying the feel of the wind pressing against her body. She even let herself drop from the skies a few times before rocketing back up. Eventually Anima stopped to rest at a nearby cloud, letting its rather puffy texture hold her afloat as she relaxed.

“Well, well, it would seem that I have brought my student up rather nicely. Wouldn’t you agree, Anima?” a familiar voice said, causing the mare to bring herself up.

“Indeed you have Caster, and I couldn’t be anymore thankful for your help,” Anima stated, looking at Caster Forge who was floating in front of her.

“Think nothing of it my dear, just doing what any good friend would do for another,” he said, with an unusually confident smile as he sat down on the cloud next to her.

“Um, yeah. That was, a-a really nice thing to do,” Anima said, blushing nervously as she noticed how close he was.

“Indeed. You were my best student, always following what I had to say to the letter. But more importantly you’ve been a great friend who’s always kept me company all this time. So now, I think it’s time I repaid you for all our time together,” Caster said, moving closer toward her.

“Wait, what are you-!?” Before she could finish her sentence, Anima was gently pushed onto her back on the cloud.

“What does it look like? I’m repaying the favor,” Caster said, winking as he moved on top of her.

“B-but I,” Anima stuttered out, her face going beet red before Caster placed a finger against her lips.

“Shhh, just let it happen. You deserve this much, my Princess,” he whispered, in a suave manner as he slowly moved his face closer to hers.

Anima didn’t know what to say or what to think. But his soft deep voice and the way his eyes gazed into her own seemed to relax her. In the heat of the moment, and without much rational thought, she too started moving her face to his. Their lips were so close to touching they could already feel the warmth of the other radiating onto them. But before they could seal the deal a loud, and somewhat obnoxious, beeping noise rang out through the world. At that moment, Anima saw the world around her freeze in place. Then it began to dissipate as her mind was brought back to reality.

She opened her eyes to see her alarm clock going off by her bedside table. Now more than ever it seemed like a nuisance rather than anything useful. Anima quickly reached out her hand and shut the device off. She then rolled over onto her back, feeling the plush mattress comfort her body as she looked up at the ceiling with a half-smile.

“It’s a shame, we were so close too,” Anima said, chuckling to herself as she thought back to the dream and previous days.

It had been a month since her 23rd birthday party and her lessons with Caster Forge had been going swimmingly. Now she was able to use her wings properly, though they could only get her a few feet off the ground, as they were still not strong enough to get her into the sky just yet. But with just a little more practice she’d be soaring the skies in no time, just like in her dream. Thinking of said dream caused Anima’s cheeks to brighten as she thought of what happened before she woke up.

While things had remained relatively the same between the two ponies, for Anima, her feelings had taken a far more different route than she expected. Ever since Caster gave that little speech at her birthday, she had begun to see him in a whole new light. Even going far as to say that she had an actual crush on him, especially after that kiss she gave him on the cheek after his speech. After all, Caster was always encouraging her to do her best and was never too aggressive in their training. He enjoyed hanging out with Anima and her friends, bringing along his own as well. But one of the things that made Caster stand out was that everything he had done for her was out of his own volition. Despite how hard he worked for her, he never asked for any favors in return for his services, merely stating that being able to spend time with friends was more than enough. It was that part of his personality that made him seem more than just a friend to her. Plus, Anima had to admit that Caster was rather handsome and considered him a knockout among most stallions with his boyish charm and gentle nature.

That thought alone made her blush deepen as the she shook her head, trying to get a few images of him from that pool party out of her head. Because although Anima had developed a small affection for him, there was always that nagging feeling in the back of her mind. That being the belief that Caster may have already had a special somepony of his own. With how high up she had put him, it didn’t seem completely far-fetched that he would have a mare in his life. Yet she was too afraid to ask him about it, partly because it would seem out of place. But mostly because she remembered how embarrassed Caster got when Cloud Heart asked him that question when they played truth or dare. It let Anima see that he was uncomfortable when it came to talking about his love life. So she chose to keep her feelings, minor as they were, a secret for now.

For this moment, however, she decided it was time to start getting ready. As she looked back at her clock, she noticed she had spent about five minutes thinking about her little dilemma. Anima gave a few stretches of her limbs and wings before clambering out of bed and heading off to the bathroom. Sometime later, she came back with her favorite pink towel wrapped around her and her fur and mane relatively soaked. As she walked over to her closet, she looked out the window and saw the cloudy sky outside, reminding her of the forecast for rain later tonight. Knowing it was going to be chilly out today, Anima chose to where some warmer clothing. With that in mind she grabbed a black turtleneck as well as a pair of flannel lined jeans.

After obtaining a pair of undergarments that matched the color of her shirt and getting fully dressed, she began her morning grooming ritual, which included brushing her mane and tail, curling her eyelashes, and applying some blush. That just left the piece de resistance: the silver, jewel encrusted amulet that Caster had made for her not too long ago. Even after all this time it still looked bedazzling to her as Anima hung it around her neck. Not only for its beauty, but also because it kept reminding her of the day their friendship began. Grabbing her glasses and standing up, she looked in the mirror and admired her reflection. Her outfit seemed to hug all of her gracious curves and the color of her turtleneck contrasted with her fur quite nicely.

Once she was satisfied with her look of the day, Anima made her way downstairs for some breakfast. Upon reaching her living room, her muzzle was greeted by the wafting, familiar scent of waffles. Entering the kitchen, she found Celly Script stacking the last batch of cinnamon waffles onto a large plate. Realizing the new presence in the room, she turned to greet her daughter.

“Morning sunshine, I take it you slept well last night, my little princess?” she said, teasing her daughter.

“I did, though I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me that mother,” Anima declared, a light blush forming as she looked away in embarrassment.

“Why not? You literally are a Princess so really I’m just calling you by your proper title,” Celly joked, a playful grin appearing on her face.

Her daughter simply grumbled while she giggled, seeing her act so flustered. Feeling that she had teased her enough, Celly grabbed the plate of freshly made waffles and took it over to dining table, which had a tasty assortment of fruits and veggies. Some strips of hay bacon lay on beige napkins with a few hay sausages. On the other side of the table sat Zen Wheeler who was currently sipping a mug of coffee and reading the morning newspaper as he waited for breakfast. Once the two mares took their respective seats they all started passing around the plates of food until everyone had enough on their own plates. For a while they all just ate their meals, content to enjoy Celly’s cooking. The silence was lifted when she spoke up.

“So Anima, are things going well with your teacher’s?” Celly asked, after taking a sip from a glass of OJ.

“They certainly are,” Anima replied, in earnest. “Princess Luna’s studies have gotten more into spells a Princess should know about. She even helped me develop my memory magic talents a bit further. As for Caster, he’s really been pushing my training, though he’s not being too strict with me of course. Already we’re starting to use my wings and getting a bit of air time.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Zen stated, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “It’s nice to know that you two are doing so well together.”

“Heh heh, yeah he really does know how to teach, that’s for sure,” she said, blushing from her dad’s comment.

“And you were right about him from the start. I may’ve been skeptical at first but I can see now that his intentions were pure. Next time I see him, I’ll be sure to give him my thanks,” he declared.

“I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear that. I’ll tell him when I get the chance,” Anima said, wiping her mouth with a napkin after finishing breakfast. “Speaking of which I should probably get going now. Don’t want to be late after all.”

“You get going then sweetie, I’ll handle the dishes,” Celly said, already gathering up a few empty plates.

“Thanks mom,” Anima said, giving the older mare an affectionate hug.

“Oh and Anima, just wanted to let you know that your mother and I will be home a little late tonight,” Zen Wheeler said, before further elaborating. “We promised to meet Caster’s parents at their place for a cup of tea and just get to know one another. Plus it’d be nice to see what kind of business they run. So if we’re not home before you, you’ll know where we are.”

“Okay, dad, thanks for the heads up. See you soon,” she said, giving him an equally affectionate embrace.

After grabbing a pair of slip on shoes and her white handbag, which held all her scholarly supplies and had her cutie mark sewn onto it, Anima headed out the front door and into the streets of Canterlot.

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

With the scheduled storm on its way, many ponies were getting their business done so they wouldn’t have to wander the streets in the rain later. So needless to say the streets of Canterlot were rushing with ponies trying to get from one destination to the next. Anima Memoriae was no exception as she made her way down the street at a brisk pace. And as per usual, her route consisted of several of the ponies bowing or giving a compliment as they passed her by. At first the sudden attention had made her feel uncomfortable, but as time went on she had started to grow used to it. She even did the same back at them, more out of thanks rather than courtesy.

After a few more minutes she came to the familiar intersection with its recognizable lamppost. Anima promptly leaned against it as she waited for her teacher to arrive. It was decided a while ago that this would be their meeting place for when they would walk together to the castle. Partly so they wouldn’t have to wonder where the other was. But mostly because it gave them enough time between here and the castle to just chat before performing their duties. Anima simply stood there, thinking of what lessons Caster had planned for her today as she rubbed her arms trying to warm herself up. Though her cheeks started to warm up as well when her thoughts drifted back to her earlier dream. For some reason she just couldn’t get those thoughts of what almost happened out of her mind. Now more than ever she felt conflicted on how to handle her feelings towards Caster.

“Maybe I’ll ask Princess Luna for some advice,” Anima said, to herself. “She’s been around for a while, I’m sure she’ll have something to say.”

As she continued to ponder on what to do about her feelings, she failed to notice the figure that had walked up next to her.

“Greetings, your highness,” the figure said, gaining her attention.

Anima was surprised for moment, still lost in her thoughts, before she turned to see who it was. Before her was a Unicorn stallion about half a foot taller than her and looked like he was at least two or three years older than her. He had grey fur, a brown mane and tail, which were properly groomed, and green eyes. He also wore a navy blue colored suit with a white buttoned undershirt, a pair of glasses which rested on his muzzle, and a pin on his collar that showed a rolled up scroll surrounded by magic.

“Um, hello,” Anima replied, confused by what was going on. “May I ask who you are?”

“Oh yes, of course. Where are my manners? My name is Smooth Silver, your grace,” he answered, bowing in respect. “I simply wanted a chance to meet our newest Princess in person. I’ve never gotten the chance to before, what with running my business in trades, stocks, and bonds.”

“I see, well then it’s nice to finally meet you Mr. Silver,” Anima said, putting on her best smile.

“Truly, the pleasure is all mine, Princess Anima,” Smooth stated, taking a hold of her hand and giving it a light peck which made her blush.

Before Anima could say something, Smooth lit up his horn in a dark blue aura. In an instant, a large bouquet of roses had appeared in his hands.

“You know there is a wonderful production of Hayida at the Maretropolitan Opera. I would be honored if you could attend it with me later tonight,” he said, as he offered the flowers to her.

“Oh, um, well, I’m flattered and all, but I have to be home after my lessons today,” Anima said, surprised by his sudden request.

“Come on, you’re a grown mare, not to mention a Princess. You have a right to stay out as late as you want. Besides, it’ll be my treat and afterwards I was hoping you and I could come to know each other a little more, personally. What do you say?” Smooth Silver asked, flashing a sly grin.

His request, along with his quickly developing forwardness, was making Anima feel more and more uncomfortable. Especially considering that he was getting a little too close for comfort. And the way Smooth’s gaze seemed to break past her self-conscious barriers wasn’t helping either. Anima wanted to let him down gently but he didn’t seem like the kind of stallion that would back down easily. As her mind searched for an idea to get her out of this jam, she noticed someone familiar out of the corner of her eye. It was Caster Forge, wearing some loose fitting black jeans, a green t-shirt, and a gray polyester jacket. As her friend walked over to her, Anima had a brilliant idea. Granted it would be a bit embarrassing, but it would be worth it to get away from this pushy pony. In a flash, she ran over to Caster, grabbed his right arm, and cuddled up to him affectionately.

“Hey sugarcube, I was wondering when you were going to show up!” Anima said, holding his arm like it was a stuffed animal.

“W-whoa, what’s all this a-about!?” Caster exclaimed, surprised by this sudden change in her everyday character.

“What, can’t a girl share her love with her favorite coltfriend ever?” she answered, nuzzling her head against his neck.

“C-c-coltfriend? B-but… I-” Before he could continue, Anima started whispering.

“Just play along for right now. That guy over there has been hitting on me before you got here and he’s starting to creep me out a bit. I know this is sudden, but please just go with it,” Anima said, smiling as she silently talked to him.

When the initial shock started to wear off, Caster looked past her and saw the Unicorn behind her, looking surprised by this display. While it all may have come out of the blue, he would never leave one of his friends hanging. With that in mind he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her just as affectionately.

“But… of course honeypie! Sorry if I was a little thrown off there, you just surprised me with that display of yours,” Caster answered.

“I just love to keep reminding you of how much I love you,” Anima said, looking into his eyes.

“Well not only that, you reminded me of how much I love you as well,” he added, kissing her on the cheek.

She giggled and blushed as the two of them went off to the castle, embracing each other with a few ponies watching in shock at the sudden display. Though no one was more surprised than Smooth as he just stared off wide eyed from what just occurred. It all happened so fast that he didn’t even have a chance to speak up. Regaining his composure, he simply plucked one of the roses from the bouquet and stared at it intently.

“Fine, I’ll let you enjoy your coltfriend… for now,” Smooth said, lighting up his horn and destroying the flower in a small burst of flame.

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

“Thanks again, Caster. Sorry if all that made you feel uncomfortable,” Anima said, cutting the act when they were out of sight and earshot.

“It’s all right, I was glad to help out. Plus it was kind of fun to pretend like that. Though to be fair I should be the one apologizing for kissing you like that. Even if it was just on the cheek,” he said, feeling a bit guilty.

“Nah, it was all good. Besides I did the same thing to you before, so I guess that makes us even,” Anima replied, easing his mind.

“Fair enough. But I have to ask; where did the name sugarcube come from?” Caster asked, curious on how she thought of it so quickly.

“Oh that, it’s something that Strawberry Rose likes to say from time to time. It sounded cute so after a while I started saying it to. Mostly for just my close friends and my ex coltfriends,” she said, answering with ease.

“I see, well it certainly was convincing,” Caster said, wondering if she would stick to calling him that from now on.

“It sure was and while we’re on the subject, perhaps you can tell me where you came up with honeypie,” Anima asked, just as curious.

“Actually, I just made that up now. Just spoke whatever came to mind,” Caster replied, rather quickly.

“Well I liked it, it was pretty cute,” Anima said, giggling as she kept thinking about it.

“I’m glad to hear it. I’m amazed I could even come up with something like that on the fly,” he exclaimed.

“I thought you did a great a job back there, very convincing. Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of Smooth Silver,” Anima said, looking back to make sure he wasn’t there.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s given up,” Caster said, looking at the mare before blushing. “Um, Anima?”

“What is it, Caster?” she asked, not noticing the problem.

“You know you can let go of me now right?” Caster said, blushing as he looked away in embarrassment.

Looking down, Anima soon found that she had been cuddling his arm during the entire walk and neither of them had realized until now. With quick reflexes, she pulled away and blushed up a storm. Part of her, however, wanted to embrace him once again. Caster’s presence just seemed to sooth her and ease her tensions, ironic how this situation made her tenser than ever. Not to mention his body heat was extremely enjoyable.

“S-sorry about that. I guess I kind of got lost in the moment there,” Anima stated, still feeling his warmth on her.

“I-it’s all right, I understand. It’s pretty cold out today after all,” Caster said, trying to assure her that it wasn’t her fault, when a thought crossed his mind. “But, you can continue, if you want. You know just to stay warm and all.”

Anima turned her gaze to him for a moment, thinking it over. If she didn’t bother to think it over she would’ve held onto him again without hesitation. But right now it just seemed awkward with what had just happened. And she didn’t want to show how much she felt about him… at least not yet.

“I’m good, I’m warm enough as is,” she hesitantly spoke, even though she was starting to feel a little chilly again.

“Okay then,” Caster said, facing forward as he spoke.

Seeing that her friend didn’t want to press the issue, Anima simply walked on, not bothering to look at him as her cheeks remained crimson red. The silence between them continued before she felt something soft pull her against the Caster. Looking up, she saw him giving her a silly grin.

“But don’t think that I didn’t want to continue,” he said, his smile growing wider when he saw her surprised expression.

While it may have felt different from how they were together earlier, Anima couldn’t deny that it felt just as good. Maybe even better as his wing was more comfy than she thought.

“You really are sweet, you know that?” Anima said, leaning against him slightly.

“So I’ve been told recently,” Caster said, blushing as he let out a light chuckle.

And with that they continued to walk towards the castle, staying close the entire time. They soon found themselves at the front gate where the two guards let them in after a brief exchange of words. The teacher and student moved on until they reached the familiar intersection within the castle where they had to depart.

“I suppose I’ll see you later then,” Anima said, moving out from the cover of his wing.

“Indeed, I look forward to teaching my favorite student very soon,” Caster replied, his smile never fading.

“Good to know I still have my teacher’s praise,” she giggled, holding her hand to her mouth.

“That and a friend’s as well,” Caster said with a wink, more for teasing rather than actual affection.

“See you soon, Caster,” Anima said, as she walked to Luna’s classroom.

“You too, Anima,” he said, heading off to his forge.

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

The leaves of the trees in the Canterlot Gardens created a beautiful melody as the winds kept blowing through them, constantly changing in rhythm and power. Caster and Anima took notice of this as the latter was working on her wing-ups. At first her friend had insisted that they find somewhere else to practice for today, as the weather would probably make things difficult. But Anima didn’t mind, in fact she rather liked the idea of training in such conditions. It only served as another means of pushing her further. It also gave Caster another reason to admire her strength.

“You certainly are working hard today, Anima,” he stated, watching her wings continuously push her up and down.

“Well when you’re so close to achieving your goals, you tend to rush your progression!” Anima exclaimed, a noticeable strain in her voice.

“That’s true,” Caster said, remembering how hard he worked on his final projects back in school.

“Besides, seeing how hard you’ve been working at the forge and training me nearly every day has been sort of an inspiration to me,” Anima said, finishing her set and taking a quick breather.

“Just doing the best I can for a friend,” Caster said, smiling sheepishly.

“You’ve certainly done more than your best. That’s what makes you so awesome,” she countered.

“Oh, princess, you flatter me so!” Caster proclaimed, in a fake Canterlot accent with his nose held up high to boot.

Eventually they couldn’t take it anymore as the both of them started laughing out loud. During this time they made various impressions of nobles and how stuck up they acted most of the time. Even Anima made fun of the way she would’ve had to act at formal ceremonies, which consisted of curtsies, talking in a ladylike fashion, and even pretending to eat and drink foods in a dainty manner. When they finally managed to settle down, they decided now would be a good time to take a break, seeing as the wind had begun to die down.

Sitting down at the ever so familiar white bench, Caster pulled out the lunches that the kitchen staff had prepared for them. A noticeably special treat was the thermos of hot cocoa, tiny marshmallows included, to help them bear through the cold weather. As they ate their meals and took turns sipping the chocolatey beverage, Caster chose to speak up.

“But seriously, Anima, you’ve really come a long way since we first met. I couldn’t be any prouder of you than I am right now,” he said, putting on his sincerest smile.

“Thanks, Cast, but really it’s only because you’ve believed in me all this time,” she said, as she took a sip from the thermos. “If you hadn’t always been encouraging me to do my best I don’t think I would’ve gotten nearly as far as I have now.”

“I just did what any teacher would’ve done, really. But truth be told, after a while, most of that motivation came from watching you give it your all. I wanted to see how well you would do in the end and to see if my teaching would actually pay off. So really, you’ve only come this far from your own will and guts,” Caster stated, giving another one of his over the top speeches.

“Anypony ever tell you how overdramatic you can be sometimes?” Anima replied, trying to stifle a laugh that was building up.

“… On occasion,” he said, blushing from his sudden realization.

Anima simply burst out laughing harder than ever. Seeing the embarrassed look on his face was priceless. But she didn’t let it drag on for too long as she eventually calmed down enough to talk again.

“It’s all right, Caster, it was still very kind of you to say that to me. I’m glad to have been able to find a teacher like you,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder, just like the day of their first lesson together.

“Heh, heh, yeah,” Caster said, nervously as his mind was going overboard. ‘Come on, Caster, get ahold of yourself! You can’t let this take over your thoughts. It’s happened so many times before and look where that’s gotten you!’

Caster was going crazy as his thoughts started going back to the last four weeks. Ever since that incident where Anima had kissed him at her birthday party, his feelings towards her had gotten even more conflicted than before. At first he believed it was just out of gratitude for the admiring speech he gave. But soon after, Caster’s thoughts delved more into the issue, as he recounted nearly similar events in the past. When he had crushes on mares before, it was either because he was attracted to their looks or they did a small gesture of kindness towards him. Being young and not very sociable at the time had lead him to bad experiences when it came to dealing with his feelings.

When Caster tried doing something nice for them, they would of course act nice towards him, but it was never in the way that Anima did. Perhaps it was just how she felt at the time, but Caster didn’t want to let those thoughts go too far. For when he did, it usually led to rejection, heartache, and sometimes losing a friend that he had worked so hard to get along with. And as he looked upon the mare that nestled against him, the memories of all their time spent together flowed through his mind. Every moment was special to him and he wouldn’t trade them away for anything. Which is why Caster decided to hide how he felt. Not because he was afraid of the rejection, he had grown used to it over the years. It was because he didn’t want to lose one of the greatest friends he ever had. So he settled for waiting just a little longer, wanting to see what would happen to them in the future. Besides, the present was what mattered right now, as he remembered they had their lessons to get back to.

“All right Anima, I think we’ve rested enough. Time to get back to it,” Caster said, realizing they had spent a good ten minutes relaxing.

“Huh, oh yeah, of course,” Anima yawned out, seeming to have awoken from an apparent nap.

“I think now would be a good time to work on navigating with your wings,” Caster claimed, standing up. “We’ll just fly around through the trees for a bit and try to get used to making sudden turns and stops.”

“Awesome, sounds like fun!” she replied, already spreading out her wings.

“Then get ready, cause we’re starting right now,” Caster said, spreading his own wings as well.

In a flash they were already flying, about a foot or two off the ground, through the trees of the gardens at a considerably fast pace. While it wasn’t too tight for them to navigate through, the speed they were going at made it a bit of a challenge. Caster flew at the front, making sure to help guide his protégé through the path he made up as he went along. The course consisted of sharp turns, swirling paths, and several stops when changing direction. Anima performed considerably well throughout most of the test. Only bumping into a couple of trees during the first few minutes of the test, but gradually improving over time.

“Already getting used to this, I see,” Caster said, flying backwards once they got to a long, straight path.

“It’s not so hard after a while,” she stated, giving him a sly wink.

“Oh yeah? Well just try and keep up!” Caster exclaimed, as he sped up.

“Oh you are so on!” Anima said, trying to catch up with him.

From that point on, their little training exercise had transformed into a full on race. Both ponies kept trying to fly past one another, ignoring the dangerous speeds they were going at through the gardens. Though truthfully this was part of Caster’s plan, as a way of improving Anima’s speed and concentration when flying. Because when you’re trying to get out of a sticky situation, those skills will always come in handy. Their little race went on for quite a while, with neither one wanting to stop. Nature, on the other hand, decided to take matters into its own hands.

As they zipped past the foliage of the gardens, a strong burst of wind had arrived out of nowhere and caught them off guard. For Caster, it was easy to keep his balance along the current. Anima, however, did not have Caster's training so the sudden gust of wind made her lose control. She ended up getting blown back and crashing into a tree trunk. Anima let out a grunt of pain as she slipped down to the ground. Once the gale like wind had settled, Caster was by her side in a heartbeat.

“Oh my goodness, Anima, are you okay!?” he asked, frantically panicking.

“Uuggh, yes, I believe I’m fine, Cast,” Anima said, trying to regain her composure.

“Are you sure, nothing’s broken, fractured, or dislocated?” Caster pestered on, wanting to make sure she was all right.

Anima checked her shapely white arms and legs for damage. No twinges or aches there. ‘So far so good,’ she thought. When she got to her left wing, a sharp pain made her scream. "AAAGGHH!!”

“What is it, what’s wrong!!?” Caster asked, wondering what happened.

“My, m-my wing, it hurts,” Anima said, looking back to inspect the damage.

Sure enough, her left wing was indeed damaged. It seemed to bend at an angle that would normally be impossible. Some of the feathers had fallen off or gotten tangled up. There was also a cut that was starting to drip a bit of blood. It truly was not a pretty sight.

“Oh geez, that doesn’t look good. We’d better clean that up quickly and get it patched up,” Caster stated, helping her up onto her feet and leading her back to the bench.

He gently sat her down as he rummaged through his supply bag. Fearing that this would most likely happen one day or another, Caster always remembered to bring along a first aid kit for situations like these. Looks like his intuition was right as he pulled out a relatively large white box with a red plus sign adorning it. Opening it up, he grabbed some bandages, some gauze, a cloth towel, a large bottle of water, and one of disinfectant.

“All right, it’s going to be a little painful for the next couple of minutes. Just try to bear with it and it will be over before you not it. Kay?” Caster said, putting on a caring smile.

“Okay, go ahead,” Anima said, turning away so couldn’t see the messy process.

Once he had her assurance, Caster started to work on cleaning up her injury. He soaked the small towel in the water and pressed it against the wound to stop and clean away the bleeding. After he made sure that most of the bleeding had stopped, Caster grabbed the disinfectant and cleaned away any dirt or grime that remained. The whole time, Anima was biting her lip or clenching her fists to try and distract her mind from the stinging sensations she was forced to endure. It only got worse, however, when she felt her wing being bent, causing her to let out a small yelp in pained shock.

“Ah, I’m sorry! I should’ve warned you I was about to do that,” Caster said, relaxing the pressure he had on her broken wing.

“It’s fine, just keep going! The sooner this is over the better,” Anima yelled out, bracing herself for the pain that was about to return.

Continuing where he left off, Caster kept bending her wing back into its proper shape, ignoring her groans of pain. Soon he bent it straight again and took his time to pluck out any ruined feathers and realign any that were still presentable. With that done, Caster grabbed the bandages and gauze, and began wrapping them around the damaged wing. After wrapping the appendage in a few layers of the medic fabric, he tied the ends together before giving it a tight tug, insuring that it fit perfectly. Caster folded it against Anima’s back before speaking.

“There, all done. How does it feel?” he asked, making sure he had done a good job.

“It still hurts a little but it feels much better,” Anima stated, turning around to face him. “Though to be honest you could’ve been a bit gentler.”

“Hate to break it to you, Anima, but recovering is never easy. Especially not with a broken wing. But I’m sorry for the pain, I only know the basic of treatments for dealing with wing injuries,” Caster said, feeling embarrassed that he didn’t know much about his own species’ anatomy.

“It’s okay, you did a pretty good job on your first try,” Anima said, checking the wing before her face grew disheartened. “But, I take it this means our lessons will be put on hold for a while, huh?”

“I’m afraid so, I can’t risk you getting anymore hurt than you are now,” Caster said, hating to be the bearer of bad news. “However, the wound doesn’t look that bad. As long as you don’t use it, you should be ready for more training in about two weeks or so.”

“Sweet, I was hoping you’d say that. Though it’s going to suck not being able to meet like this until then,” she said, quickly going from happy to sad in a matter of seconds.

“Who said anything about not seeing each other?” Caster questioned, flashing a cocky grin.

“Wait, I thought you meant that-”

“I was saying that we couldn’t have our lessons for a while. I never said anything about not hanging out together. We’ll still see each other like this, just have to find something else to pass the time until then,” he stated, his smile never faltering.

“Huzzah!” Anima shouted, wrapping him in a tight hug.

“My thoughts exactly,” Caster said, returning the embrace, being careful not to hurt her wing.

“So do you think we should call it a day?” Anima asked, remembering that she had to get back to Princess Luna’s class soon.

“I think so. Time to stop training the body and start training the mind,” he claimed, sticking out his tongue playfully.

Anima simply giggled as the two of them started packing their things per the usual routine. They spent a few minutes talking on what they should do during the next break time meeting. But eventually the two ponies had to depart for their respective environments within the castle. As Anima headed back to Princess Luna, her attention kept drifting back to her wing as she occasionally rubbed it. Not to sooth it, but rather admire the work of the stallion who put so much effort into it. Such thoughts caused her to blush remembering how Caster held her feathery appendage so caringly almost the entire time. Anima shook those thoughts from her brain as she continued down the maze of hallways.

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

Dark, that would be the best way to describe how Canterlot seemed right now. With the billowing clouds surrounding the skies up above, the light from both the moon and the stars could not peter through the dense moisture in the air. The only sources of light that emerged came from the many buildings, the lampposts doting the city, and the large castle that towered above them all. One room from the castle, in particular, shined brightly for the occupants that inhabited it.

Yet despite the radiant glow that emerged from it, the two ponies didn’t seem to pay heed to it as both of them were not focusing on the world around them at all. Princess Anima Memoriae sat at her desk in her classroom, sitting upright in concentration with her horn glowing in a vibrant pink aura. Across from her, sitting at her own larger desk next to the chalkboard, was Princess Luna. She was in the same position as her student, expect her horn gave off a translucent blue color. To anyone who may’ve walked in on this event, it would’ve seemed odd that two regal ponies would just be sitting around doing nothing.

To those trained in advanced magic, however, would know that this was a lesson in progress. For on the chalkboard were several diagrams, runes, and calculations written upon it. At the very top, written in bold lettering, was the title which read: “TODAY’S LESSON: THE ART OF TELEPATHY”. As one would guess, Anima and Luna were currently engaging in a conversation of the minds. And so it continued on with the younger of the two starting to have difficulties, as evidenced by the small beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Are you sure that this kind of spell is really necessary, Luna?” Anima asked in her mind, feeling exhausted from the continuous flow of magic.

”I assure you it comes in very handy in the future. Makes it easy to contact somepony for an emergency, or when you need to have a private conversation, like my sister and I do sometimes,” she replied, doing her best to educate her student.

“I see, though I don’t think it will be much use with non-magical ponies,” Anima pointed out.

“Actually, that’s not how most ponies think it goes. Those who can truly master this spell can actually contact Pegasi, Earth Pony’s, and even other creatures like buffalos and Griffon’s,” Luna stated, explaining the spell in better detail.

“Wow, cool! Does that mean I could even communicate with my cat!?” Anima, excited to learn all the possibilities.

"Not so sure on that one. I’ve seen Celestia talking with Philomena but I doubt they’re having an actual conversation they can both understand. Though that would be quite a sight to behold,” Luna answered, already curious on the subject.

“Well for now can we go back to talking with our actual mouths? I’m starting to get dizzy,” Anima said, her physical body swaying side to side in her seat.

“Sure thing, Anima,” Luna said, cutting off her magic as she returned to the physical plane.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Anima opened her eyes to see Princess Luna doing the same. Even as an Alicorn she still needed to develop her magical stamina if she wanted to keep up with all of these spells. Her teacher went up to the board and started erasing their current lesson and moving on to a new one. While she did that, Anima let her thoughts drift off to other matters. Though no matter how hard she tried, she could not seem to keep her thoughts away from Caster. After everything that’s happened between them lately, especially today, Anima was trying to make sense of her emotions. He was nicer to her and understood her more than any other pony she knew. While he was her closest friend, she was beginning to see Caster in a completely different light. Anima held her hands to her head as all the thinking was starting to hurt. And of course her frustrations didn’t go unnoticed as someone spoke up.

“I sense that something is troubling you, Anima,” Luna said, finishing the lesson on the board.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Luna, I’m fine,” she lied, easing her grip as she tried to calm down.

“Come now, I can see you’re clearly bothered about something. Even your own mother could see it if she were here,” Luna claimed, going over and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You can trust me with anything you have to say.”

With some apprehension in her heart, Anima took a moment to look around the room from her seat, as if searching for intruders, before speaking her mind.

“You… promise you won’t tell anypony?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Whatever happens in this room, stays in this room,” Luna confirmed, giving her student an assuring wink.

“Well, you see, I kind of have a… crush on a stallion,” Anima admitted, as her face lit up with a blush.

“I see, so that’s what’s going on,” Luna said, her face growing into a smug smile. “It wouldn’t happen to be Caster Forge, now would it?”

“WHAT!!? H-how did y-you know!?” Anima demanded, staring at her teacher with a ludicrous expression.

“I’ve been around much longer than you have and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if two ponies spend enough time together feelings will emerge,” Luna explained, giggling at her student’s surprise. “Besides, you always talk of him whenever you get back from your breaks. It’d be difficult not to see something between you two.”

Anima merely groaned, realizing she had made it so obvious. If her face wasn’t red enough before it certainly was now. Despite her embarrassment she managed to push past it and continue on with her confession.

“It’s just, he’s always been so kind to me. From the day we first met he’s done so much for me, never because he felt he had to either. First, he gave me a beautiful necklace to celebrate my coronation. No sooner after that did he offer to teach me how to fly, all because he wanted to. And of course, after all the time we’ve spent together, we’ve become such good friends and he’s never once stopped appraising my efforts with learning how to fly and being a Princess. Even with my own friends and his, Caster’s so generous to spend his time to just hang out and is always wanting us to be happy. I know at times he can be a little impatient with me, but he tries to make up for it when he can. I said it earlier today and I meant it: Caster truly is an inspiration to me. He’s such a hard worker, but he never forgets about those he cares about,” Anima finished, feeling better now that she had told someone about her feelings.

“My, my, I knew you were beginning to like him but I didn’t think it went that far. And if I must say, you picked a very nice catch,” Luna stated, imagining the two of them together before a question popped up. “But I must ask, if you like him so much why haven’t you told him how you feel?”

“Well first off, it kind of feels like I have one of those schoolgirl crushes. The kind that only last a little while before they fade, so I don’t know if these feelings are real or just a reaction for all the kindness and generosity he’s shown towards me. Second, Caster’s always seemed to be a bit off put when it comes to talking about relationships, from what I’ve seen anyway. But most of all, I can’t help but feel that he may already have a special somepony. I know I’m probably just being silly but considering everything that I’ve said about him, you’d think that some mare would’ve gotten to him. And like I said before, he’s uncomfortable talking about relations, which may explain why he’s never mentioned her or brought her to our meetings. I don’t know, maybe I’m overreacting but I just can’t help it,” Anima said, feeling her mind getting jumbled again.

Meanwhile, Princess Luna was processing all of the new information, particularly that last statement. Luna had known Caster for some time, after the incident during the Canterlot Wedding as most folks referred it to. And of course she knew that he was still single even to this day. Luna was about to tell her student the truth when something occurred to her. Anima definitely had feelings for Caster, that much was clear to Princess Luna. But as Anima said, even she didn’t know if they were real or just part of a passing fancy and her feelings seemed to be in a delicate state as is. If Luna told her there might be some hope for her, she might’ve gone overboard with confessing her feelings to him, not to mention those feelings may not have been real to Anima. Processing all of this, Luna decided it would be best not to tell her. For the sake of letting her sort out her feelings fully before confessing them. With that in mind she realized it would be best to respond to her to student by now.

“I don’t know if Caster has somepony or not either,” Luna lied, before retorting. “But that shouldn’t stop you from exploring these feelings you have.”

“But what if he does have somepony? What if my feelings are real and he doesn’t return them?” Anima said, her brain going into overdrive.

“It’s better than just letting those feelings dwell in your heart. Many ponies have denied how they feel about another in the past and the result was never good. Besides you never know, he may be harboring the same feelings for you as well,” Luna said, dropping a subtle hint.

“B-but-”

“But nothing!” Princess Luna exclaimed, slamming her palm on the desk before calming down. “Listen, you can’t just ignore these feelings you have. Nor can you let your fears get the best of you. Because there will always be a chance of something that could’ve been if you deny what’s in your heart. If Caster truly does have a marefriend of his own, better to know and accept rather than mope and wonder. But if he doesn’t, you should take that opportunity and see where it leads. After all, he does care about you, does he not?”

“…Yes, yes he does,” Anima said, answering with a sigh.

“Then that should be all the motivation you need. Because even if it doesn’t work out between you two, you’ll still be good friends. And I can tell you want that just as much,” Luna stated, pulling away to hear her student’s response.

Anima said nothing for a few minutes, taking in all that her teacher had to say. After a while, she finally came up with her answer.

“You’re right!” she replied, standing up out of her seat. “It shouldn’t matter if whether we end up as a couple. Caster is still my friend and I know he always will be, just as I will for him. He’ll always be there for me, and I for him whenever we need a friend to talk to. Because no matter what happens we still care for each other and that is the most important part of our friendship.”

Princess Luna didn’t need to hear another word as she went over and gave her favorite student a hug with as much tender care as she could muster.

“I truly have brought up a fine young Princess it seems,” she said, keeping the mare close.

“It was to be expected, Luna. You’re just as great a teacher as Caster is,” Anima said, returning the hug full force.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Luna replied, laughing along with her student.

“So, do you think we should get back to your other lessons you had planned?” Anima asked, ready to learn some more spells.

“As much as I’d love to, I’m afraid we’ve used up too much time with our little talk,” Luna said, as she pointed toward an ornate gold and silver clock that said six forty-five in the evening.

“Shoot, I guess we got a little caught up in our time together, huh?” Anima exclaimed, acting a bit sheepish.

“It would appear so. Though I can’t let you get home by yourself. It’s pretty dark out and we can’t let something happen to you. But don’t worry, I’ve got something for you,” Princess Luna said, lighting up her horn for a moment.

“What are you doing?” Anima asked, curious about what her teacher was up to.

“You’ll see soon enough,” she said, as the magic dissipated.

The two Alicorns waited for a few minutes before they heard the door open. From outside the room walked in a Unicorn guard with orange eyes, gray fur, and a silver mane and tail. The pony beside him was a Pegasus stallion with light brown fur, brown eyes, and a brown and white mane and tail, who wore his own set of armor. Both ponies were familiar to Anima.

“Yoshi, Spell it’s so good to see you again!” she exclaimed, recognizing them immediately and rushing over to give them a tight hug.

“It’s good to see you too, your highness!” Spell said, surprised to see her here.

“What are you two doing here anyway?” Anima asked.

“Don’t know, I received a message from the Princess in my mind saying to bring another guard with me to here,” Yoshi claimed.

“And you followed your orders to the letter, Specialist Yoshi Ringo,” Luna stated, receiving a salute from both stallions. “I’ve called you and Lieutenant Spell Weaver here to help escort Princess Anima Memoriae back home.”

“Don’t worry, your grace, we’ll make sure she’s safe and sound,” Spell said, standing tall and proud.

“We won’t let anything happen to her, I promise,” Yoshi stated, staring straight forward.

“Aww, you guys are so sweet,” Anima said, feeling safe already.

“Very well, I leave her in your hands then. Do not fail me, or her,” Princess Luna said, throwing up a salute.

“Yes, your grace!” Both stallions shouted, simultaneously as they saluted in return.

With that, the two guard ponies led Anima out of the small classroom and through the hallways of the castle. Assured that they would protect her, Princess Luna went to clean up the board and put away supplies for their next class. As she was just about finished and prepared to leave the room, one last thought came to mind as she spoke out loud.

“I wonder where things will go from here,” she said to herself, turning out the lights in the room as she teleported to her personal chambers.

Author's Notes:

You've waited patiently, you've bared through my whining at school, and now you get your treat... Chapter 6! I'm sorry again for taking so long, my classes this semester took up a lot of study time that I couldn't risk wasting a study session to spend time writing. However, I managed to make up for lost time by increasing my daily quota to 1,500 words a day. And now, thanks to my perseverance, I'll be able to finish Chapter 7 today and have it posted in two to three days depending on my beta reader.

Now as for this chapter itself, I can't really say it's some of my finest work. But I'll let you guys decide on that. So please enjoy and get ready for the next chapter. Because in there, I've tried something I've never written before and I hope that it will have turned out well.

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

Edit 2: The calm before the storm.