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// Helping Lyra 
// Story: Celestia's Protege 
// by StormLuna 
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Three months had passed since I started my studies with Celestia and two months since I had begun my regular studies and things seemed to be going quite well.  The spells I were casting were not easy and some were things that even I had never heard of in my prior adult life and despite the math getting more difficult, I was grasping it easily.  I think a large part of that is because I was learning it while I was young and you know how they say that it is easier to pick things up when you're young.  Another thing that has made life easier is that those who were my acquaintances are now my friends and having friends makes life much easier. 





Another day had passed and class was dismissed but one of my friends seemed a bit down, Lyra.  I saw her with her head hung down and asked, "Lyra, what's wrong?  You seem so sad?"

Lyra replied, "Well I'm not doing so well in my magic studies."  Her voice began to break a little as she continued, "I thought I was really good but I'm not!  My magic teacher told me that if I don't improve I will have to go to remedial magic."

I put my hoof around her and replied, "I'm sorry Lyra, is there anything I can do to help?"

Lyra replied, "Yeah, could you help me with my magic?  I don't want to get sent back, I want to stay with you and the rest of my friends."

Despite me being so young, I had access to the royal library so I figured that I would take her there to help her.  Now this would be something more difficult for me, actually teaching a pony.  As I was leading her towards the library we bumped into Celestia.  Celestia asked, "Hi Starlight, how was school today?"  She then cast her gaze at Lyra and continued, "Who is this?"

I replied, "This is one of my friends, Lyra Heartstrings."

Apparently Celestia had sent a letter to her parents when she was accepted because she knew who she was.  She said, "Hi Lyra.  I remember you, you are the one whose parents said you could play the lyre with just your magic."

Lyra replied, "Yep, that's me."

Apparently Celestia doesn't let regular students just come to the royal library because she asked, "Starlight, Lyra, why are you two headed towards the royal library?"

I replied, "Well Lyra is having trouble with levitation so I thought I would help her out with it."

Apparently Celestia was impressed with me as she said, "Wow Starlight, I never expected this!  I never thought you'd be teaching another pony, especially at this age."

I replied, "Well I'm pretty good at this and it really bothers me to see one of my friends struggling."

Celestia asked, "Well if you can help Lyra out with this, what would you think of helping students in the remedial magic class as well?"

I replied, "Sure." 

Eventually I was able to lead Lyra to the library and she was amazed by it's size.  She looked around and asked, "Wow, you get to study in here?"

I replied, "Yep, now let's get started."

I felt nervous yet happy at the same time as we headed to the levitation books.  There was a rather large section of books on levitation and like she was when we first arrived, she was amazed by the number of books.  Once I had grabbed the books I thought would help her I sat them in front of her.  I began, "Alright, before we get started, how much can you levitate right now?"

Lyra replied, "Well I can levitate quills just fine but when it comes to things heavier than that, I have problems."

I'll admit, while she is a friend of mine, I couldn't help but wonder how she got into Celestia's school.  I grabbed the basic levitation book and turned it to the lesson for levitating somewhat light objects.  I said, "Alright, I want you to read through this and then we'll see how well you do."

She gave me a weak smile before beginning to read.  I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps her magic teacher put too much pressure on her because unless a teacher is really overbearing, a unicorn should have the power to at least levitate books by our age.  Once she spent around fifteen minutes reading I continued, "Alright Lyra, I want you to put as much energy as you can into levitating this book."

She lit up her horn and grabbed a hold of the book with her aura.  I said, "Alright, whenever you ready, give it your best shot."

She gave me a smile and was easily able to pick up the book.  She gave me a smile and said, "Wow Starlight, that was easy!"  She dropped the book, hugged me and continued, "I guess when I have a teacher who isn't so overbearing this is so much easier!"

I knew it.  I figured that she had a bad teacher and I honestly think that perhaps this needs to be addressed but first, I want to get Lyra to be able to levitating more than a single book.  I pointed at the stack of books I sat down and ordered, "Alright, I want you to try to pick up that whole stack of books."

Lyra's eyes shrank and she replied, "Really Starlight, you want me to pick up that whole stack of books?  I don't know if I can."  She became more frantic as she asked, "But what if I can't?  I don't want to disappoint you like I do my teacher."

I replied, "Lyra, you are my friend and you're not going to disappoint me!  Just have confidence in yourself and you'll be surprised with what you can do."

Lyra lit up her horn and was easily able to levitate the books.  What made me even happier was that she began swinging them in a circle.  She stood there with a huge smile watching what she was doing in elation.  She wasn't the only one smiling, I was as well seeing one of my friends having the confidence to do what she needs to pass her courses.

She finally sat the books down and gasped, "Wow Starlight, I never imagined I would be able to levitate that much."

I replied, "Like I said, when you have confidence in yourself, you'll surprise your...."

Before I could even finish my sentence I saw Lyra grab the table in her aura and easily levitate it.  I was shocked, I will be honest, I didn't think she would progress along so easily or so quickly.  I decided at that moment that I was going to talk to Celestia about getting her put in a different course.  I would not have to wait long as Celestia walked in on our lesson.  When she saw Lyra holding that table up in the air she gasped, "Lyra, Starlight told me you were having problems levitating.  How are you doing that?"

Lyra seemed a little flustered as she replied, "Well uhm....."

I interrupted, "Princess Celestia, I know why she was having problems."

Celestia asked, "Oh and why is that?"

I replied, "She told me that her professor is very overbearing and some ponies just don't do well with a teacher who puts too much stress on them."

Celestia looked and Lyra asked, "Lyra, who is your teacher?"

Lyra replied, "*Professor Flintheart your Majesty."

My jaw dropped open when I heard this.  Now I knew exactly why she was so stressed and doing so poorly.  I looked at the princess and asked, "Princess Celestia, did you hire this pony?"

Celestia replied, "Yeah, when I saw his resume I was impressed and figured that he would help ponies excel."  She gave me a look of concern and continued, "Starlight, do you know something about him that I don't?"

I replied, "Yes." 

Celestia asked, "Would you care to tell me?"

I started, "Well, he used to teach at the school in my hometown and was a not a very nice pony."  Remembering my parents talking about him caused me to become a bit agitated, "He was both my mom and dad's teacher and they told me once about how overbearing he was."

Celestia asked, "Did they tell you exactly how overbearing he was?"

I replied, "Yes.  They told me how he would always yell at them along with anypony else that did not meet his expectations.  They told me that some students simply broke under him and that some parents would send their fillies and colts fifty miles away to Fillydelphia just so they wouldn't have to have him as their teacher!"

Celestia asked, "Seriously?  When did he leave there?"

I replied, "Well it was not too long before I discovered all my talents that my parents said that they were happy I wasn't born five years earlier or I would have had to have him as a teacher."

Celestia asked, "I can understand that but what caused him to leave?"

I replied, "He was fired by the school board when they finally realized that he simply wasn't fit to educate young fillies and colts."

Celestia said, "I wonder what he was ever doing teaching in an elementary school?  When I contacted the University of Manehattan they gave me a very positive review of him and that is why I hired him."

I replied, "That's the thing!  He may be good at educating full grown mares and stallions but he isn't good with foals."  I leaned forward and continued, "I don't mean to try to tell you how to handle things around here your Majesty, but I think you need to reassign him and get him away from educating young ponies."

Celestia looked at me in shock.  I have a feeling that she didn't even know how to react to a filly so young making a suggestion so big.  She gave me an odd look and replied, "Well I don't know.  I'll have to find somewhere to reassign him to and finding a replacement for him will take time so for now he will remain where he is."

Lyra's face dropped when she said this.  I looked back and said, "I'm sorry Lyra.  If it makes you feel better I will continue to tutor you when it comes to magic."

This must have given Lyra and idea because she interrupted, "Your Majesty, you could always have Starlight teach me and my classmates!"

This shocked both of us, especially me.  Both Celestia and I stood there in a state of shock.  Given that I had learned so much in just a few months I was hoping, despite my age, that Celestia would take her seriously.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  She replied, "Lyra, Starlight is the same age as you and she does have her advanced studies with me, along with her academic courses.  I'm sorry but you'll have to deal with Professor Flintheart for now."

I was not thrilled over this, not one bit.  I asked, "Your Majesty, isn't there a different magic class that she could transfer to?  It just kills me seeing one of my friends having so much pressure put on her, especially by the same teacher who drove students away back home!"

Celestia looked at Lyra and could see the tears forming in her eyes and it must have made her think.  She gave Lyra a warm smile and replied, "Lyra, I know I shouldn't do this but there is one other option but Starlight will have to agree to it."

I asked, "What is that your Majesty?"

She gave me that same half smile that she always does when I address her that way and replied, "I know you are extremely advanced with your magic and you seem to be learning quite a bit without me being by your side all the time.  If you would be up for doing more studying on your own, I could have Lyra do an independent study with me until Professor Flintheart is reassigned."

Lyra ran over and hugged Celestia's leg, "Really?  You'd let me do that?"

Celestia replied, "If Starlight is up for it, yes."

I said, "You bet I'm up for it.  I would do pretty much anything to get Lyra in an environment where she can actually learn instead of being afraid of angering a pony who shouldn't be teaching at all."

I could sense a bit of disapproval from Celestia when I said that about Flintheart but I honestly didn't care.  Lyra and I are close and unlike our slightly older friends, she was still kind of scared of overly stern teachers.  Celestia sighed, "Alright Starlight, but if you start to stagnate in your studies, Lyra will have to go back to her current class and I'll keep you much closer under my wing."

I replied, "Don't worry princess, I won't let you down and I know Lyra won't either."

Lyra gave both of us a smile and Celestia replied, "I know she won't."

While I am happy that Lyra will have a good teacher now, I do still have my concerns over the other students, wondering if they are having the same problems with Flintheart that Lyra did.  This is one moment when I wish I was old enough to be a professor.  Hey, I have so much magic mastered that I could probably teach the magic courses he does right now and still be able to handle my academic courses.