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// Dissapointing Exams 
// Story: Celestia's Protege 
// by StormLuna 
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The following three afternoons were a challenge.  While I have very advanced magic, the same could not be said of my tutoring abilities.  It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, Sunburst and Trixie just couldn't get teleportation down.  Did I feel bad for them?  With Sunburst I did but with Trixie, the only reason I was frustrated was because if she failed it would make me look bad.  Come Friday afternoon though, I would see if my assistance truly was all for naught. 





Friday afternoon arrived and Celestia and I headed to the exam hall where the remedial magic students would show off their stuff.  On the way there Celestia and I began to talk about how Trixie and Sunburst were doing.  Celestia asked, "Starlight, how did they do this week?  Were you able to help them any?"

I replied, "Not good.  I tried helping them, I helped them learn to focus, I tried to calm them down because one of them felt pressured by me but I just can't help but wonder if some ponies just don't have it in them."  I then grabbed a hold of Celestia and became more frantic, "What if they fail?  Will I be in trouble?  Will I no longer be your protege?"

This drew a laugh from Celestia, "Starlight, I'm not going to do anything to you if they fail!"  She calmed down and continued, "I do think you might be right about some ponies, that they simply don't have it in them."

I asked, "What will happen to the students who fail their exams?"

Celestia replied, "Well that will be it then.  They will return home and go to the school there."

I just gave her a nervous look after hearing this.  Yes this won't affect my standing with Celestia and I will continue to do things as I always have but despite how he just up and left, I do hope that Sunburst will be able to pass.  Trixie on the other hoof, I don't think she has it in her and this might sound bad and I certainly wouldn't let anypony know this but I honestly don't care if she passes or not.  





Once we arrived we were greeted by the teacher.  She hugged Celestia and greeted her in her normal cheerful attitude and then she greeted me, "Hi Starlight!  How did things go with my students?"

I leaned up and whispered, "Not good.  I'm sorry but I they just couldn't seem to get it down."

She replied, "Well we'll see how they do.  Maybe they were just intimidated by having such a young filly tutoring them."

Young filly?  I'm the same age as them so I would think that they would feel less pressured by me!  Well maybe the fact that I am Celestia's protege had something to do it but it is too late to worry about that now.  The students are coming in to take their exams and all of them have very nervous looks on their faces as they know this is their last chance to stay in Celestia's school.

The normally cheerful teacher had a somewhat more stern look on her face once she began class.  I looked up and saw a slight look of disapproval coming from Celestia, one that mirrored mine.  Here I thought she was a nice, cheerful teacher yet here she is giving students the same kind of looks that Lyra said Flintheart gave her!  Perhaps she is one of those teachers who is happy outside of the classroom yet are not so pleasant once class starts. 

As she began to call on students to show that they have progressed enough in their teleportation skills that they can return to normal courses many of the ponies were doing it easily.  A few even teleported outside into the hall and one even teleported outside.  Wow, remedial magic students are doing this?  Perhaps they got sent here simply because their prior teachers simply stressed them out.  

Towards the end of the exam the teacher called on Sunburst to show his skills.  When he was standing there gritting his teeth and shooting magic out of his horn I couldn't help but feel bad for him.  One small part of me wanted to simply teleport him around the room but if Celestia saw my aura around him and he suddenly started doing that, she would know I was responsible.  If that was the case, I probably would get kicked out of school so I just watched in disappointment as he continued to struggle. 

After five minutes the teacher said, "Sunburst, just stop.  You're not going to get it."

He gave her a look of devastation and replied, "I'm sorry."

What happened next angered me greatly.  The rest of the class actually began to laugh at him and some even told him that he wasn't a real unicorn!  I was appalled but I certainly couldn't do anything to help him at this point.  I wanted to see if Celestia would give him a second chance with another course but then I remembered how she was when I suggested that she reassign Flintheart, it would be all for naught. 

The teacher next called up the final student, Trixie.  She said, "Trixie, let's see if you can do any better."

Trixie boasted, "Well Trixie knows The Great and Powerful Trixie will pass and get Trixie's dignity back!"

The teacher gave her a glare as Trixie began trying to teleport.  There she stood, doing exactly what Sunburst did but after a couple of minutes she yelled, "Ugh, why can't Trixie do this?  Trixie knows The Great and Powerful Trixie can do anything!"  She then pointed her hoof at me and continued, "It's because of HER!  The Great and Powerful Trixie can not concentrate with Celestia's little pet watching Trixie's every move!"

Now that was the absolute wrong thing for her to say.  Celestia actually grabbed her in her aura and snarled, "Trixie Lulamoon, my protege has nothing to do with your inability to teleport!"

The teacher added, "Trixie, this is just a matter of some ponies not having the skills to be in this school."

As she headed back to her desk the whole class began to laugh, "The Pathetic and Magicless Trixie" at her.  Did I feel sorry for her?  No I did not.  Did I find this appropriate behavior though?  Again, no I did not.  

If I didn't think I would have got in trouble, I would have stopped this myself but the teacher would intervene, "Class, now this is no way to treat these two."  She stood up and continued, "For those of you who passed, congratulations, you will return to your regular classes next semester."  She then turned to Trixie and Sunburst, "You two will have a discussion with Princess Celestia and myself regarding your futures."

Their teacher led them towards Celestia and myself and I felt truly bad for Sunburst.  I approached him and hugged him, "I'm sorry Sunburst, maybe someday you'll get another chance."

While I thought he would appreciate my support, the exact opposite happened.  He shoved me back and yelled, "Are you crazy?  I just failed my REMEDIAL MAGIC exam right in front of Princess Celestia!"  

I tried to calm him down, "Sunburst, I've seen your talent with my own eyes.  Maybe in a couple of years......"

He interrupted me with an angry cry, "I'm not talented!  All I did was do some fancy trick with books and here you are the protege of Princess Celestia."  He stomped his hoof on the floor and continued, "One day you'll probably be an Alicorn princess and I'll just be an average unicorn back home."  I approached him again but he shoved me back, "Just leave me alone Starlight, I have a long trip back home and disappointed parents to face."

I looked up at Celestia and asked, "Princess Celestia, don't you think you better try and calm him down?"

Celestia replied, "Yes, I'll go and try to console him."  She then looked at the teacher and continued, "Could you and Starlight keep Trixie here so that I can discuss her future with her?"

Before her teacher could say anything Trixie yelled, "Forget it Celestia, The Great and Powerful Trixie already knows she is getting kicked out so Trixie will just go home!"  She then began to fake a sniffle, "And The Great and Powerful Trixie will get punished by Trixie's mom severely for failing."

She then took off and all the three of us could do was sigh.  I could tell the teacher was frustrated that a couple of her students failed and naturally I was disappointed as well, well for Sunburst anyway.  Celestia, while I could tell she was frustrated, had a rather stoic look on her face as she knew that what I had said earlier was right, some ponies simply don't have what it takes. 

Whatever happened with Sunburst and Trixie I'm not sure of.  Later that day I tried talking to Celestia about how her last meeting with him went but she simply said that she couldn't share information about other students with me.  While I knew that was the case, I couldn't help but have a feeling that I would likely run across both Trixie and Sunburst again someday.  How and when I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it will likely happen.