Princess Celestia walked through the halls of her castle, keeping off the rugs to let her hooves tap against the stones of the floor. She walked at a casual pace, her ears shifting and eyes searching as she made her way. If she was correct, then the effort she was putting forth was unnecessary. Still, she could be wrong. Having an opportunity to walk through the castle in peace and quiet for a few moments was always a plus.
The princess stopped as she smelled something. Raising her head, her nostrils flared as she took a deep whiff. It smelled like magic, heat, and... wood smoke? That was not what she was expecting.
Turning the corner, a small smile formed at the edge of her mouth. She moved to walk quietly, approaching her target. A small chuckle built up in her throat as she was spotted by the dragon accomplice.
"Uh...Rainbow..."
"Not now Spike," a rough feminine voice said, "I'm almost done."
"But Rainbow-" Spike tried again.
"Quiet," Rainbow said. "You don't want us to get caught, do you?"
"No, bu-"
"Then keep it down and watch out for anypony coming."
"I believe that the purpose of having a look out," Princess Celestia stated, "is rendered obsolete if you are unwilling to let them warn you that you have been caught."
She watched the caught pony tense, letting out a small squeak. Spike, a purple dragon with a green stomach and spines, moved toward the side of the wall as he tried to put as much space as he could between him and the ponies.
The unicorn in question -- a pale blue coated mare with a rainbow colored mane and tail -- turned around. Her magenta eyes went wide as she saw the princess standing there. A grin spread across her face as she let out a nervous chuckle.
"Princess Celestia," she said, "what are you doing here?" Her ears flattened as she shifted her hooves, looking toward the one of the walls.
"I could ask you the same thing," Celestia responded. "Rainbow Burst, I do believe that you are supposed to be studying at this time."
"But it's soooo boring," Rainbow whined. "How can you expect me to learn anything by sitting around and staring at some boring book for hours? We both know that I learn better by doing. So why do you try to punish me by having me sit still and read for... you know how long?"
Princess Celestia had to keep herself from laughing. She had been aware that her name had become a term that was used at times, but none had dared to try and use it as such in front of her. Rainbow Burst had just come the closest to it that Celestia had ever heard.
Reaching out with a wing, Celestia wrapped it around Rainbow Burst and pulled the unicorn against her leg.
"My dear student," she said in a gentle voice, "I am not trying to get you to study in order to punish you. I am trying to help you fulfill your potential." She nuzzled her student gently.
Rainbow Burst let out a sigh but said nothing.
"You are a very powerful and talented unicorn," Celestia continued, "but your natural abilities are only going to take you so far. Sooner or later, you are going to come across something you can't do just from talent alone. When that time comes, you'll have to do research and study to find the answers."
Rainbow perked up and smiled at the princess.
"You're right. I really should learn to study." She got up. "Thank you Princess." She began to walk past the princess and toward the hall. "I'll get started on that right away. Come on Spike."
"Right behind you," Spike called out as he ran after Rainbow Burst. The two of them moved as quickly as they could down the hallway.
The duo stopped as they were encompassed in a golden aura of magic and lifted off the ground, Princess Celestia bringing them back to her.
"A nice attempt," Princess Celestia said with a smile, "but I have not forgotten that you were up to something -- something that required a look-out no less -- prior to my arrival."
Rainbow Burst grinned, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"Can't blame me for trying."
"No," Celestia agreed slowly, "but I can blame you for whatever it is you were up to. Now..." she took several steps, "I believe you were right about..." she stopped, "here."
Princess Celestia looked up and found herself staring at a door. She knew exactly whose door it was as well. It led to living quarters. More specifically, to the living quarters of the pony that -- for some reason -- had become Rainbow Burst's favorite target to antagonize.
The door led to the rooms of one Prince Blueblood.
Or normally it did, anyways.
Somepony -- and Princess Celestia could guess who -- had burned the words Prince Blubber Butt on it. She could still smell the faint hint of smoke emanating from it. With a sigh, she turned to the captured pair of delinquents.
"You know," Rainbow Burst said with a grin, "I think that shows how good I've gotten with the fire beam spell, don't you?"
"It is impressive that you were able to write with it so well," Princess Celestia admitted. "Although, it would be more impressive if you were not using it to vandalize other ponies' doors as a joke." She gently set the pair down, releasing them from her magic
"Oh come on," Rainbow Burst nearly shouted. "You know how he acts. Walks around with his nose in the air, looking down at everypony else. He ignores the guards, is rude to the staff, and doesn't think I deserve to be here."
She raised her nose up in the air and closed her eyes.
"'I mean really,'" she said in a deeper voice that went more through her nostrils as she impersonated the prince, "'what could Celestia possibly see in that uncouth ragamuffin of a commoner she jokingly calls a student? The only talents she seems to have are getting filthy and causing trouble.'"
Princess Celestia stared down at the unicorn, letting the statement sink in. She knew that despite the tough routine, Rainbow Burst could be a little sensitive about certain things. One of them was actually the very fact that she was the personal student of the princess. Even with the raw talent she showed and the hard work she has put in -- even despite the aversion to sitting down with a book to simply read and study -- Rainbow never seemed to feel like she had properly earned the right to be at the castle. True, the rainbow maned unicorn would sometimes goof off and pull pranks, but she also seemed determined to prove something.
Closing her eyes, Celestia took a deep breath.
"Even if he said such a thing-"
"He did!" Rainbow snapped, glaring at her.
"I'm not arguing that," Celestia continued, placing her wing around her student. "What I am asking is why do you care what he thinks?"
"I don't," Rainbow Burst shouted, crossing her hooves. "Why should I care what that stuck up stallion thinks of me? It's not like he's my friend or anything."
"That's right," Princess Celestia said with a gentle nuzzle. "Now, I'm not going to ask you to stop trying to pull your pranks, nor will I ask you to stop pulling them on Blue Blood."
He could use more of a sense of humor anyways, she thought, but did not say.
"However, I must insist that you do not allow it to interfere with your studies, and especially that you no longer vandalize the castle. After all, the very staff you were talking about earlier are the same ones that will have to repair or replace that door -- which is coming out of your allowance. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am," Rainbow said, giving a salute.
"That goes for you too, Spike."
"Yes ma'am," he said as well, though without the salute.
"Wonderful," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "Now, let's go and have lunch. I believe that there will be a strawberry shortcake for dessert."
"Hey, Spike," Rainbow said with a grin before running off. "Race ya!"
"No fair!" Spike shouted as he chased after her. "I wasn't ready."
Princess Celestia watched them go with a smile, shaking her head. Instead of chasing after them, her horned lit up once again. With a poof of magic, she teleported to the dining room. If she had been racing the others, it might have been considered cheating. All the same, she got there first.