//------------------------------//
// Friendship 101 
// Story: The Flames of Friendship 
// by FlameStar05 
//------------------------------//

Last time, FlameStar, the protagonist with an odd Cutie Mark has arrived in Ponyville and has had great fun with his new friends. He had met the Princess of Friendship, had sweet pastries with Pinkie Pie, dank tea and cookies with Discord and Fluttershy, aided farmwork with Applejack, got a new vest and other accessories from Rarity and shared a blissful moment with Rainbow Dash. Last night, FlameStar had a nightmare involving his Cutie Mark. After some counseling with Luna, FlameStar was able to sleep peacefully. The next day, FlameStar got up bright and early. A bit too early cause Pinkie Pie went to see him.

"Good morning, FlameStar!" Pinkie yelled. "You ready for break--!" FlameStar was nowhere to be seen in his cart. "HEY!" Pinkie whined. FlameStar was in Canterlot. He had scheduled an appointment with Twilight.

FlameStar waited with Gallus, the Griffin who saved the magic in Equestria. He was now working full time as a royal guard. 

"Now you wait here, man." Gallus said. He walked into the throne room. "Your majesty. He's here."

"Send him in, Gallus." FlameStar walked up to Twilight. Her royal adviser and friendship ambassador Spike was by her side.

"Your highness." FlameStar said respectfully.

"FlameStar, I'm your friend. No need to be so formal." Twilight said. "What brings you here?"

"Twilight, Luna saved me from a dream which grew into a nightmare." FlameStar explained.

"Really? What was it about?" She asked. 

FlameStar sighed. "Its regarding my Cutie Mark..." he said. I haven't have the best experience with it.

"So you need to figure out who you are?" Spike asked.

"Nothing like that." FlameStar replied. "Luna said she had the same fear I did when she attended Nightmare Night for the first time."

"I remember that." Twilight said, " I helped her fit in. What did she tell you?"

"She said to make some friends." FlameStar said. "I thought it wouldn't help but it doesn't hurt to try."

"If friendship's your problem, you came to the right place." Spike assured. 

"I hope so." FlameStar said nervously. "I've got under a week before the Festival. "How can I learn a good chunk of friendship?"

"Easy." Both Twilight and Spike said.

"You need to go back to Ponyville and find Starlight Glimmer." Twilight said. "She was my old pupil."

"Starlight Glimmer?" FlameStar asked. 

"Starlight Glimmer." Spike said. "She lives at what Twilight used to call home. Before she became the ruler of Equestria."

"Which is?"

"The Castle of Friendship." Twilight answered. "She can help you take the next steps to friendship. Once you spoken with her, come back here."

"Sounds like a lot of back and forth." FlameStar groaned. 

"It is so before you go, I'm gonna teach you teleportation." Twilight said. "Because you don't have Alicorn magic, this might be difficult." 

FlameStar scoffed. "I'm down."

Twilight's horn glowed and she teleported off her throne and appeared at the front door.

"Now you try!" Twilight said. "Just focus on where you wanna go!"

"Ok..." FlameStar said. His horn glowed and he teleported away. He came back badly beaten up.

"Ouch." Spike said. "Where did you go?"

"Shhhh..." FlameStar said. "You don't wanna know."

"Keep trying, FlameStar! You can do it!" Twilight encouraged. FlameStar's horn glowed again and he teleported next to Twilight! 

"I did it!" FlameStar exclaimed. "I can teleport!"

"You sure can!" Twilight said. "Now you should go find Starlight.

"Right!" FlameStar said. "Um... which way was Ponyville?" Spike pointed to where Ponyville was. "Thanks." FlameStar said before teleporting away.

FlameStar reappeared near the castle Twilight said.

"Ok. This is the place." FlameStar remarked. "Let's hope someone doesn't jump me like last time." He goes up and knocks on the door. A yellow unicorn with an orange mane answered. 

"Hello?" He said.

"Hi." FlameStar said. "I'm looking for somepony named Starlight Glimmer. I was told to find her here."

"She's inside." The unicorn said. "I'll take you to her." He took FlameStar to the "Throne room" of the castle where a purple unicorn was studying the map of Equestria.

"Sunburst?" She asked. "Who is that unicorn?"

"He was told to see you." Sunburst said.

"Oh... you must be FlameStar." The unicorn remarked. "Starlight Glimmer. I'm the manager of this castle and headmare of The School of Friendship."

"Nice to meet you Starlight and Sunburst." FlameStar said. "I take it Twilight told you I was coming?"

"Yep." Starlight answered. "So, you want to learn friendship huh?"

"Yeah. Ever since my meeting with Luna, ive been thinking about doing it." FlameStar recapped.

"Well, have we got something for you." Sunburst assured. "You can attend the School of Friendship!" FlameStar's pupils shrunk at the word "school"

"Did I hear you right?" FlameStar asked sounding very upset. "School?!"

"That won't be a problem will it?" Starlight asked.

FlameStar spoke through clenched teeth. "Oh... not a problem at all..."

"Don't lie." Starlight said. "Its plain on your face. You don't like the idea."

Sunburst chimed in. "The princess said you wanted to learn all there is about friendship before the Festival at the end of the week. Well we cant say that the school idea would help."

"Yeah." FlameStar said. "Didn't Twilight said it'll take more than one semester to learn everything about friendship?"

"She did." Starlight answered. "So when she wrote to me, she said you only wanted to learn a good chunk of friendship."

"Well... I'm not sure how that's gonna work..." FlameStar groaned. 

Just when FlameStar was about to give up, his cutie mark started to glow.

"Woah... I know what this means!" Sunburst said excitedly.

"What what?" FlameStar asked confused. "What does it mean?"

A depiction of FlameStar's cutie mark descended onto the map. His cutie mark began to circle the Crystal Mountains.

"Wait..." FlameStar said. "If we're in Ponyville, then why is my cutie mark circling the Crystal Mountains?"

"Because you're going to the Crystal Empire to solve a friendship problem!" Starlight said gleefully. "This is a perfect opportunity to help you learn about friendship!"

"Rainbow Dash told me about friendship quests!" FlameStar exclaimed. "I never thought I'd go on one!"

"Well here's your chance, FlameStar" Sunburst said.

"The Crystal Mountains." FlameStar thought. "Maybe this quest can address my fear..."