//------------------------------// // Lunch and to the Spa // Story: Remedial Studies // by Rose Quill //------------------------------// I sat down at the table and put my face on the cool surface. “Long day?” Juniper asked. “I feel like my horn is going to fall off,” I said. “Magical burnout is not something your want to feel. Be glad you’re a Pegasus. And speak softly, please.” “Lessons going ok?” Starlight as she joined us at the table at the bistro. “She’s got what I guess is like a magic hangover,” Juniper said. “Your voice is loud,” I grumped. “Sit down and hush up. Please.” Starlight giggled softly. “Burnout?” “And how,” I said. “I must have done five hundred transmogrifications and object point-to-point teleportations. I doubt I could lift anything bigger than a teacup right now.” And sure enough, that’s when the waiter showed up and deposited several tankards on the table. “I apologize, ladies,” he said. “But we had an incident with our washer, so at the moment we will be serving you in these until the issue can sort itself out. Please excuse the inconvenience.” I lifted my head and looked at the window of the bistro and saw a light blue and wall-eyed Pegasus covered in suds trying to wrangle the out of control soap. “Oh, Thestrals take my horn,” I groaned into the table as I set my head back down. Lunch had been a little frustrating, but after the food and drink had settled, I felt the burnout start to fade and my mood to lift. “So, what do you two want to do tonight?” Starlight asked as we trotted down the road. “I’m the new gir…mare in town,” Juniper said. “So I’m not sure what all there is to do.” “Anything besides books, scrolls, reading, or magic exercises,” I said. “Something nice and relaxing.” “They are running a special at the spa,” Starlight mused. “And Trixie is setting up for a charity magic show at the schoolhouse later this evening.” “A magic show?” Juniper said. “Isn’t that a little ironic?” “Show magic is a little different than what Unicorns use all the time,” Starlight said. “Sunset, Twilight and I tend to focus on multi-use magic, where Rarity focused on fine control telekinesis and detection spells. Trixie got her cutie mark in stage magic and her spells run that route. Though she has been asked me to teach her more that she could work into the show.” “So Twilight’s student has a student?” I joked. “Interesting.” “She’s a friend and I offered to show her a couple of small bits of prestidigitation,” the pink mare protested. “What’s the worst that could happen?” “Cutie marks show talents?” Juniper asked as we approached the spa. “Special talents or areas of particular expertise,” I said. “I got mine when I was able to shift magic from one type to another. In particular, I used fire magic to do an imitation of Celestia raising the sun for a school play. I got my cutie mark on stage the first night when I got the spell right.” “That sounds cool,” Juniper said. “What about you, Starlight?” “I…would rather not talk about it,” Starlight said, blushing a little. “It brings up some bad memories.” “Say no more,” I said. “We all know what its like to have past events we want to move past.” We checked into the spa and shuffled into the steam room. I eased back onto the bench and sighed in relief as some taut muscles started to relax. “What else are we going to do?” I asked into the steam. “I still want to figure out how to use these,” Juniper said, extending her wings. “Might as well since I’ve got them.” “We have been pretty lucky not having Dash around,” Starlight said. “But the current Wonderbolts tour is over and she’ll be back soon. Won’t take long for her to spot a new Pegasus in Ponyville, especially one hanging out with us.” I nodded. “I heard what happened when she heard you could do a flight spell,” I agreed. “How many laps was it?” “Thirty,” the Unicorn sighed. “My horn ached for an hour after that.” “Wait,” Juniper said. “She’ll really make me race her?” We both gave her a significant look. “Remember how the other Dash chased you around the movie set?” I asked. After her nod, I continued. “Dash bases everything on how determined a pony is. From what I understand, she gave Princess Twilight a chance based on her losing a soccer match against her.” Starlight frowned. “She helped her because Twilight lost?” I shook my head. “Because she never gave up. She’s the Element of Loyalty remember? Steadfastness is a way to earn her respect. Especially if you are just as stubborn as she is about winning.” Juniper leaned her head back against the bench and groaned. “Is there any way to change me to an Earth Pony instead?” Starlight laughed. “Doubt that’ll help,” she said. “She challenges Applejack more than anypony else.” Her repeated groan made us all chuckled, tension washing out of all three of us.