The Princess and the Teacher
It was the middle of the night in the Golden Land. Inside Princess Celesita’s bedroom within the Golden Palace, the princess of the sun slept on her bed with Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer and Wanda Young. But in an instant, Wanda’s eyes opened unexpectedly. She slowly turned her head before getting up and yawning.
“I can’t sleep,” Wanda whispered. “I don’t know why, but something has been bothering me.”
Wanda lifted her body away from the rest of the group before sliding herself off the bed. She quietly placed her feet on the ground before slowly walking away from Princess Celestia. As Wanda made her way to the exit, Starlight Glimmer slowly opened her eye, taking notice of Wanda leaving the room.
“I think she’s scared,” Starlight said to herself.
Outside of the royal bedroom, Wanda Young slowly made her way down the hallway, keeping her feet quiet as she walked down the carpet path. She turned to her right and went out through a doorway, where it led to a balcony located outside. But from a nearby room, Argyle Starshine popped his head out and noticed Princess Wanda walking towards the balcony.
“She’s worried, isn’t she?” Argyle pulled his head back in before turning his attention towards Sunlight Starscout and Bright-Eyes Starshine.
“She is, mother,” Argyle said. “I have not seen worry in the eyes of any little one in my entire lifetime. Even when I once had Golden Lace as my pupil at Daisy Joy Tech.”
“She’s been through so much since coming to Equestria,” Sunlight Starscout said. “Since becoming apart of this pony family.”
“I’ll have to be honest,” Argyle Starshine said. “Seeing her off to La Maresa tomorrow just isn’t right. She’s been through a whole lot. But she’s also putting herself in danger.”
“Brother,” Bright-Eyes said. “What are you going to do?”
“The poor kid needs some cheering up,” Argyle Starshine said. “I’m going to go talk to her.”
“You do that,” Sunlight Starscout said. “We’ll be behind you, one hundred percent.”
“Thanks mother,” Argyle said before he and Sunlight rubbed each other on the face. “I’ll remember that.”
As Argyle Starshine made his way out of his bedroom, Bright-Eyes turned to her mother with a worried expression on her face.
“Do you think we should help cheer Wanda up?” Bright-Eyes asked.
“We will,” Sunlight Starhine said. “But for now, leave it to Argyle to have a word with her.”
On the balcony outside of the castle, Wanda Young made her way out of the doorway, waking her feet on the pavement. As soon as she approached the railing, Wanda looked up at the night sky with a sigh as she held onto her amulet.
“Tomorrow’s the big day,” Wanda said to herself. “I’m going down to La Maresa once more. But at the same time, I’m nervous.”
As Wanda looked down at her chest, she loosened her grip on the amulet before bringing it up to her eyes.
“My Evevanyian mommy gave me this trinket to help me fight bad guys,” Wanda said. “But…this power feels so overwhelming. Like it wants to dominate my mind. What am I going to do?”
“The one thing I can say is you’re not alone with this anxiety, little Wanda.” Wanda turned around to see Argyle Starshine walk out from the doorway before approaching the railing. Wanda looked up at the young, yet wise, stallion with a depressed sigh.
“Mr Starshine,” Wanda said. “I didn’t expect you to be out here.”
“Neither did I expect you, little Wanda,” Argyle Starshine said. “You’re worried about tomorrow, are you?
“I am,” Wanda nodded. “But it’s not just my fear of losing the battle at La Maresa, but also I fear that I could lose control of my mind if I let this new power control me.”
“Oh I know that kind of feeling,” Argyle laughed before pointing to Wanda’s chest. “There is a lot of anxiety within you, like there is within all of us.”
“All of us?” Wanda asked.
“Yes,” Argyle said. “My mother Sunlight Starscout and my sister Bright-Eyes Starshine are all worried about tomorrow as well. And to be honest, I am afraid about what you have to do tomorrow.”
“So am I, Mr Starshine,” Wanda said. “In fact, there is a part of me that wants to stay behind in the Golden Land, even if it does make both of my mommies disappointed..”
“I don’t blame you,” Argyle Starshine said. “I know what you have to do requires that you put your life in danger. If I had a say in this, I would rather you and your friends remain in the Golden Land, safe from Gold Banks and her rule.”
“But at the same time, I also worry for my friends who are stranded in La Maresa,” Wanda said.
“Along with Twilight Sparkle, who is still up in Vanhoover,” Argyle Starshine said. “As much as I don’t want you to go out there, I am also aware of why you need to be out there.”
“What do you mean, Mr Starshine?” Wanda asked.
“It’s not just to the fact that you worry for the safety of your own friends,” Argyle explained, “It’s also to the fact that you fear Gold Banks invading the Golden Land and taking all of us captive.”
“That….that’s right,” Wanda said, stunned by Argyle’s statement. “I am…afraid.”
“You’re not the only one who’s afraid, and neither am I,” Argyle Starshine said, his eye focused on the doorway behind him.
“What do you mean by that?” Wanda asked.
With that, Argyle Starshine turned around and signaled to the doorway. Immediately, Bright-Eyes Starshine and Sunlight Starscout emerged from the doorway and walked up to Argyle and Wanda.
“We’re all afraid of tomorrow, not just because you and your friends are putting yourselves in danger,” Sunlight Starscout said. “But also because we’re all still in danger, young lady.”
“Yeah,” Bright-Eyes said. “I still remember a week ago when you and your friends were supposed to leave Equestria for Evevanya, along with Princess Celestia. But then that mean ol Gold Banks ruined everything and left us stranded here.”
“I know,” Wanda said. “But why does Gold Banks hate me? What did I ever do to her?”
“I believe there was a reason why you were primarily targeted,” Argyle said. “It’s because of how different you are compared to the rest of us. She believed that a human living amongst ponies goes against everything that Equestria stands for.”
“And yet when I was going to go back to Evevanya, she stopped me and my mommies from doing so,” Wanda said. “Why is that?”
“I believe she wanted retribution towards you and everyone that cared for you,” Sunlight Starscout said. “Even if it meant stepping hoof onto the place of your origin and enslaving everyone there.”
Wanda turned her head back up to the night sky with a loud sigh, directing her gaze at the stars above.
“I just wish she would stop all of this,” Wanda sighed. “I don’t want any more of my friends and family getting hurt.”
“And neither do any of us,” Argyle Starshine said, placing his arm around Wanda’s back. “But while I do wish you didn’t have to go to La Maresa, I do understand why. We have to take back our kingdom from Gold Banks, and many of us are willing to step up to the plate Sure Gold Banks may look powerful. But the alicorn amulet she wears is nothing more than a crutch.”
Wanda looked down at her amulet that was attached to the chair around her neck. She clutched it closely with a worried look on her face.
“My only concern is that my own amulet would end up doing to me what this alicorn amulet did to Gold Banks,” Wanda said.
“But it won’t,” Argyle said. “What you possess is a magic of pure light, and pure hope. The golden magic of light. Unlike what Gold Banks possess, the magic you possess is not for a destructive purpose. And I’m not talking about the amulet you now possess.”
With that, Argyle pointed to Wanda’s chest near her amulet. The man’s cub looked down at her chest, confused, as she loosened the grip from her amulet.
“What do you mean, Argyle?” Wanda asked.
“It’s your heart,” Argyle explained. “Your heart is the most important magic of all. More than the magic you were born with, and the magic you have in that amulet. Your heart is more powerful and pure than Gold Banks’ heart. Your friends have the same pure heart as you do, and that is their most powerful magic than anything else they have.”
“My heart,” Wanda said. “I do recall mommy telling me about the power of the heart, or even the cosmic core.”
“And I recall my great grandmother telling me about my heart before she passed on,” Sunlight Starscout said. “She told me that it’s the heart that is the most powerful magic.”
“She must have been a wise pony,” Wanda asked, curious. “Who was she?”
“She was one of Princess Celestia’s finest students,” Sunlight said. “She was good friends with Misty Brightdawn and had close friends who stood by her side to the very end. And she was the last to pass on from this world. I’ll never forget her name: Sunny Starscout, Princess of the Heart.”
“Wow,” Wanda said. “She must have been a great pony.”
“She was,” Sunlight Starscout said. “She was an alicorn back then. But even alicorns don’t live forever. Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were saddened by her passing long ago.”
Suddenly, Wanda’s ears twitched as she heard the sound of a filly calling her name. Wanda, Argyle, Sunlight and Bright-Eyes turned around to see Starlight Glimmer standing in the doorway.
“Glimglam,” Wanda said. “I didn’t know you were behind me.”
“I was worried for you when you got out of bed,” Starlight said. “Like you were worried for tomorrow.”
“I am,” Wanda said. “Well, I was in a way.”
“Well,” Starlight said before she walked up to Wanda. “What matters is that you’re not stressed out. After all, we may not be true sisters. But I still care for your well-being, like you cared for Sunset’s.”
“You’re right on that,” Wanda giggled.
As Wanda and Starlight laughed, the duo held onto each other with a warm and gentle hug. Argyle, Sunlight and Bright-Eyes looked at the two younglings and giggled as well.
“Well, I think it’s time you slept on this,” Argyle said. “If you’re still worried, we’ll be here to guide you.”
“Thanks, Mr Starshine,” Wanda said. “Thanks for coming out to check on me.”
“Anytime, little Wanda,” Argyle said.
“Come,” Sunlight Starscout said. “We can lead you both back to Princess Celestia’s bedroom.”
“Thanks,” Wanda said. “But I think we can go back on our own.”
As Starlight released her hold on Wanda, the two younglings made their way to the back of the balcony and the doorway before walking through, leaving Argyle Starshine, Bright-Eyes Starshine and Sunlight Starscout behind.”
“I’m glad they have each other, brother,” Bright-Eyes said.
“And that is something that they deserve,” Argyle Starshine said. “More so than any of the doom and gloom that is now widespread across Equestria.”
“I’ve taught you well, my son,” Sunlight Starscout said. “After all, without the magic of the heart, the rest of the magic within, be it our body or cosmic cores, will mean nothing.”
“Father would be proud of us,” Argyle Starshine said.
“He would, my son,” Sunlight said. “He would.”
Back inside, Wanda Young and Starlight Glimmer walked down the hallway towards Princess Celestia’s room. Wanda held her hand to her mouth as she yawned.
“So Wanda,” Starlight asked. “Do you think we’ll make it tomorrow?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Wanda said. “But right now, all I care about is the well-being of our friends. They haven’t seen us since we disappeared into this land.”
Suddenly, one of the doors opened and Misty Brightdawn emerged from it, wiping her eyes as she slowly opened them.
“Wanda, Starlight,” Misty said. “Are you both alright?”
“Yeah,” Wanda said. “I just got worried a while ago and couldn’t sleep. Mr Starshine and his family came out to remind me that I’m not the only one who was worried.”
“Sounds like my own worry as well,” Misty Brightdawn said. “I could barely get to sleep, knowing that I have to be with my brother at Vanhoover.”
“At least you’ll be seeing Twilight Sparkle once more,” Starlight Glimmer said. “It’s a shame that we won’t be seeing her in La Maresa tomorrow.”
“I’ll be sure to let Twilight know that you both miss her,” Misty said.
But Wanda walked up to Misty and asked “Misty. By any chance, have you ever heard of this alicorn named Sunny Starscout?”
Misty paused for a moment after Wanda spoke, then she choked up a bit before a tear fell from her eye.
“Yes,” Misty said. “Sunny Starscout was more than just one of the greatest students of Princess Celestia. She was a close friend of mine.”
“Wow,” Starlight Glimmer said. “You knew of Princess Celestia’s student Sunny Starscout?”
“And not just her,” Misty Brightdawn said. “She had a number of friends that I knew back during my early days of living with Princess Celestia. Izzy Moonbow, Hitch Trailblazer, Pipp Petals, Zipp Storm, Sprout Cloverleaf, and even their little dragon friend Sparky Sparkaroni. I even got to meet her great granddaughter Sunlight Starscout back when she was a foal.”
“You must have been great friends with them, Misty,” Wanda said.
“I was,” Misty said. “But I was the only friend of hers that never aged. Izzy, Pipp, Zipp, Hitch, Sprout and Sparky all aged with her, though she was the one who aged gracefully into an alicorn. But I have remained as a youngling since I first met you many centuries ago. And when she passed away, a part of me died.”
“It must have been awful to live longer than your friends,” Wanda said.
“It was,” Misty said. “Though I am glad to have new friends, they won’t replace the ones I knew from back when I was young, back before I reunited with my brother King Sombra. Sometimes, we grow so close to the friends and family we once knew. And when they’re gone…”
“A piece of us becomes empty,” Starlight said. “Like how I lost my uncle Meteor Flare, even though a part of him lives within me.”
“Well,” Misty said as she yawned. “I am feeling a bit tired. But I’m glad to have had this talk with you.”
“You have a good night, Misty,” Wanda said. “And thanks for the talk.”
“Anytime, Wanda,” Misty said.
As Wanda and Starlight turned towards the door to Princess Celestia’s chambers and slowly opened it, they walked through before slowly shutting it tight, leaving Misty behind. The eternal filly turned towards her doorway and went inside, but not before turning towards the big door.
“Wanda,” Misty said. “I can’t wait for you to go back in time and meet my friends of the past. They would be surprised to see you.”
Back inside Princess Celestia’s bedroom, Wanda Young and Starlight Glimmer slowly walked towards the bed before climbing on board. They laid down next to Princess Celestia, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright, who were still sound asleep.
“So Wanda,” Starlight whispered. “Do you think we’ll be able to best Gold Banks?”
“We will,” Wanda yawned. “I don’t know if what Argyle said is true. But I’ll try to put my trust into his words.”
“I hope so as well,” Starlight yawned. “For all of us.”
With that, Wanda Young and Starlight Glimmer fell asleep once more, as the moon shined down on the duo. But immediately, Princess Celestia’s eyes opened up as she looked down at the younglings sleeping next to her.
“Your day will be hard, my little younglings,” Princess Celestia whispered. “But be assured. I believe in you. Luna believes in you as well. In fact, I think it’s time we helped you in the dream realm.”
To Be Continued in…
I Dream of Evevanya