Remedial Studies

by Rose Quill

The Art of Diplomacy, Part One

Fifteen years later, I slowly dragged myself out of the throne room and into the office of my mother. She walked solemnly alongside, head still held high and seemingly unaffected by the decades long court session.

She glanced at me before pulling a pair of large cushions over. As we settled on them, she closed her eyes and the mask of the ruler slipped away, leaving only her own tired expression. A tray with a pair of cups and saucers floated in, buoyed by a red aura.

“Thank you, Raven,” my mother said as she took the tray and settled it between us. “You may retire for the evening if you wish. I think I’ll spend the night with my daughter.”

As the mare bowed her head and left, I felt myself begin to nod off in my seat.

How long had it been since I had slept? Court had only lasted thirty years, but…

“Sunset, I know you dislike court,” Celestia’s voice cut through the haze in my mind. “But it’s important that you understand the principles. They may come to play a more important role than just regulating land borders between two families.” She pushed one of the two cups towards me. “This will help. I know that I need it after a day like this.”

I took the cup and sipped from it, expecting one of her soothing teas within. The sudden, bitter bite of coffee was what assaulted my taste buds instead.

“It’s a touch strong, yes,” Mother sighed as my face screwed up in surprise. “But it’s effective for snapping me out of the doldrums to handle things like afternoon teachings.”

I swallowed the bracing draught and cleared my throat.

“I think it works,” I croaked. I had never really liked coffee. Not without a lot of sugar or cream, though. My friends liked to joke that I took my sugar and cream with a touch of coffee.

“Now, I think we can skip ahead and just call this lesson over,” Celestia said, setting her cup aside. “Because though you fought to stay attentive, you survived.” She put a hoof under my chin and tilted it to face her. “And just maybe, I’ll waive the test. I’m sure you’ll find a use for what you observed today.”

I put my head on my hooves. “I’m not so sure, Mom,” I sighed. “I’m not sure how this could possibly be applied to life outside your court.”

“So you’re not going to be present when Twilight eventually begins to hold court?”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said. “I’m willing to help her if I have to, but everyday life won’t need nearly as much diplomacy as I had just seen. I won’t be the one in the big chair dictating rules and responsibilities.”

“And what about your friend Juniper?”

I fell silent. “I still haven’t decided what to do about her,” I admitted. “I thought between training to work as a weather pony and Dash working on her speed she’d be glad to go home, even just for the respite.”

I buried my head under my hooves, groaning.

“Not going how you imagined?”

I could hear the smile in her voice.

“She’s actually going to be paid for next weeks weather work!” I groaned again, sitting up. “And Dash says she’s not that bad a flier. I’m not sure what else I can do to make her understand that this isn’t her home.”

“Have you tried telling her that?”

“No,” I sighed. “I know to tell her to go will only make her angry. We already have a tenuous enough friendship as it is.”

Celestia smiled at me.

“Sometimes,” she whispered. “You have to force a broken feather free to allow a new one to grow.”

I tilted my head to the side.

“You know I don’t always get your wing analogies, right?”

Her wing slipped over me and pulled me into a hug.

As I returned the gesture, she whispered in my ear.

“I think you’ll get some mileage out of that one if you take some time and learn how to preen.”

My face turned red as the connotation hit home.

“Mom!”

---

We were sitting at the table that night, just having small talk as dishes were stacked off to one side. Twilight passed the pitcher of cider around the table, topping off our mugs. Sweet Apple Acres had started holding a few barrels back just for the seven of us, mostly because of Dash’s constant whining when they started running short. But for me, it was something to nurse, not guzzle. I had slowly gained a deeper appreciation of pony life since being back. I’m not sure why, but I savored meals, drinks, even the increase in debates with Twilight over differing ideas in who was a better magical theorist.

Haycarte, honestly! Mistmeadow had conceived of several good theories about the Law of Artifice Decay, the rate at which creating an artifice drew on magic relative to the strength of the spell being laid upon the device...

“Sunset,” a voice drew me from my navel-gazing.

“Sorry, thinking.” I looked up to see Juniper looking at me expectantly.

She had filled out rather well in the month and a half she had been here, the muscles along her sides that moved her wings were taught and toned, and she had lost a bit of the early fatigue from all the flying she'd been doing. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was a native just looking at her.

“I asked if you wanted to come to the race tomorrow,” she repeated. “I know I probably won't beat Rainbow Dash, but it’ll be fun to see how far I’ve come.”

I sighed and put my mug back on the table. “Honestly, Juniper? I probably won't.”

She looked like I had just broken her uncle’s favorite camera. “Why?”

I stood and glanced away for a moment. “Because I think that I’ve been giving you too much support for staying. I know what it feels like to want to hide from horrible things you’ve done. You heard what I did when possessed by magic. You heard what Starlight did, and the other Twilight. I think I’ve excused away this trip as far as I can.”

“Sunset,” Twilight eased in. “Maybe —“

“No, Twilight,” I interrupted. “She needs to hear this. I’m not saying it to be cruel. We all knew she couldn’t stay permanently.” I looked at the Pegasus across from me. “Even you, Juniper. I wish you all the luck in the world for tomorrow, but don’t look for me.”

I turned and left the dining room. Twilight teleported into my path a few moments later.

“What were you thinking?” she hissed. “She’s looking forward to this and wants her friends to be there!”

“That’s just it, Twilight,” I said as I hung my head. “Even we’re starting to think of her as just another pony. But she isn’t. She came here to let things die down a bit and now just doesn’t want to go home. I can understand where she’s coming from, but even with my friends at CHS I still longed for home, for Equestria. And I know that she feels it too, she just doesn’t want to face the possibility that someone might remember her for what she did.”

I turned slightly as I heard her wings rustle. “I don’t think we can encourage her anymore. Not if we want her to heal properly.”

A wing slid over my shoulder and I felt her head rest against my withers.

“I understand,” she breathed. “And I suppose you’re right.”

I turned into the hug, running my cheek up the back of her neck.

“You’re going to watch the race anyway, aren’t you?” It wasn't a question.

“Of course,” I said.

“Just from a distance?”

“I did tell her not to look for me,” I chuckled. “I spent two weeks relearning scrying spells. Might as well use them.”

Comments

[everydaygamer]

Honestly they should stop trying to convince her that she doesn't belong in Equestria and work towards the much easier goal of getting her to confront her problems instead of running away.

She should be allowed to stay in Equestria if she wants but only after she has properly dealt with her issues.

[Vaguely Demented]

It might be a mistake to stay but it is hers to make. You could probably drive her away by forcing her to register for citizenship, though Equestria is probably far less paperwork than any place with computerized printing available.

[Ghosted Note]

It seems a bit unethical and presumptuous for Sunset and Twilight to decide what's best for Juniper, usurping her own right to self-determination and telling her what her own thoughts are to boot. Sometimes removing yourself from an environment that's toxic to you IS the best solution. If she truly longs for home she'll go there eventually, but if she doesn't then the longing must not have been as strong as Sunset and Twilight assume in the first place. Either way it's not their place to make the decision unless Juniper becomes problematic.

[Mystic Sunrise]

And this is why I feel this whole clusterfuck mess with Juniper doesn't belong in the story. It adds nothing frankly to it at all for me.

I get it. It's set after Mirror Magic. But that doesn't mean a damn thing in the long run.