Remedial Studies

by Rose Quill

Revelation

I smiled as Juniper flopped to the ground, panting. “I…didn’t know…how hard it would be!”

Twilight alighted near her, her lavender wings furling behind her as she smiled. “I thought so at first too,” she said, one wing sliding forward so she could pluck a frayed feather. “But then I found that I was relying too much on the strength of my wings and not enough on the Pegasi magic that came with my wings.”

Juniper managed to climb up to her hooves, not quite as awkward as she had been when we first came over. She gave her wings a fluff, and I had to turn away slightly to hide my grin. Some of her feathers were heavily misaligned, which would affect her ability to catch updrafts.

“Magic?” the pigtailed Pegasus asked.

“Pegasus magic lets them sense wind currents and lets them be lighter against the wind,” I said. “I don’t know more than the bare basics of it since I’m just a Unicorn.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s an interesting sensation,” the Alicorn said. “I still don’t fully understand it myself, because I didn’t just get Pegasus magic, but I also wound up with Earth Pony magic as well, so I had asked another Pegasus to be here today.” Her face screwed up with a little confusion. “She’s late.”

I was about to ask when I heard a set of hooves on the cobbles behind us. Turning, I saw Starlight trotting up with Fluttershy. The Pegasus looked a little abashed as they reached our little grouping.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Fluttershy said. “Angel gave me a little trouble during the lunchtime feed.”

“That little furball still trying to run things?” I asked.

The shy mare nodded. “I’ve started disciplining him,” she whispered. “But it doesn’t seem to work.”

“You’re a bit gentle on it, Shy,” Starlight said as she leaned over and bumped her shoulder into her friend. “If you hadn’t agreed to make him a new parfait we’d have been here on time.”

Twilight looked at Starlight. “I’m surprised you hadn’t stepped in before then,” she said, tilting her head forward.

Starlight shrank down a little, cheeks coloring slightly. “I’ve been trying to do better about that,” she squeaked.

Juniper turned, her brow furrowing. “What am I missing?”

“Starlight had a bad habit of using magic to fix her problems,” Twilight said. “Not always with favorable results.”

“Something that we all understand,” I said with a smile at my friend, winking as the pink Unicorn lifted her head a bit. “Even you, Twilight.”

“What?” Twilight sputtered. “I never…”

“I heard about the ‘Want-It-Need-It’ spell from Mom,” I said, freezing as I suddenly realized what had slipped out of my mouth.

“Mom?” Twilight asked, brow furrowing. “But the only other Canterlot resident that knew about that that you would know is…” Her face flushed full red, her mouth gaping open and her face paled.

“Princess Celestia,” Starlight finished for her.

Twilight met my eyes, and realization slowly draining color from her face.

“I have…” she squeaked. “On Celestia’s…ohnoohno!” She teleported out suddenly, leaving me blinking in confusion.

“Does she do that often?” Juniper asked, gazing at the spot the Alicorn had stood just moments ago.

Fluttershy nodded. “She’s getting better about it, though,” she asserted, walking up and nudging Juniper’s left wing out a bit, tsking. “When was the last time you preened your wings?”

Juniper ducked her head. “Never?” she said bashfully. “I’ve only had them a week.”

Fluttershy slid her wing across the other mare. “Such a shame,” she sighed. “We’ll start there before we even attempt to fly. Come on, I’ve got a pincomb back at my place.”

“Um, Shy,” I asked. “Don’t you hesitate to fly in the first place?”

“I have to have a good reasons,” she told me as they walked by. “And seeing Dashie happy to have someone else to fly with is a good reason.”

I blinked. “Uh,”

Starlight slid up to me. “She and Dash started dating a few weeks before you came back.”

I nodded, mind catching up to the information rather swiftly. But my minds eye flashed back to Twilight’s face a few moments ago and to the way she had acted two days ago at my house.

“You think she has a crush on me?” I asked almost to myself.

“Duh,” Starlight said, throwing a forelimb over my withers. “You should have seen her before you came back when you would write her.”

I stared at her in surprise. “Are you serious?”

She nodded, then gave me a tug. “C’mon,” she said, turning to trot away. “Let’s go fly a kite while we wait for her panic attack to die down. I can introduce you to Maud.”

But even as we moved, my mind kept roving over to the glittering spire of her castle.

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height, let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring...

[titanhades70]

Considering how much better at magic Starlight is than Twilight or Sunset right now , can you imagine how good she could have been if she was formally taught at Celestia's school like them instead of self taught?

[MorningRose]

awesome looking forward to more

[Kaze_of_Griffonstone]

8672688
While she would certainly be "better" at magic, that doesn't mean she would be good. The discussion has been had that Twilight, because she absorbed Celestia's philosophies during her studies, is constantly holding back her full power. Starlight believed that if ponies would not embrace equality then they should be made to. Imagine THAT mindset with the tools gained from Sunbutt...

[titanhades70]

8673463
Problem here is that the Pony of Shadows confirms there are unicorns with more power than Twilight. So there is no excuse why Starlight couldn't be more powerful than her as well.

Plus if she had been trained in Celestia's school, she would have never gotten that mindset to begin with. Sunburst. A lot of friendly unicorns like Minuette and Lyra.

There lies the mystery. A unicorn cleary as powerful and good with magic as Starlight should have been sent to Celestia's school. She's loves magic enough that she would have been all for it, especially with the added bonus of seeing Sunburst again. Why wasn't she? Is it a cost thing? Celestia is too friendly and motherly to let bits deny a pony from enrolling. She cleary takes great joy from teaching these young fillies.

This all goes back to her parents and her home life. So many questions..

[Rose Quill]

8673615
It isn’t that either are more powerful, it’s the application of their power that differentiates Star and Twi. Star may be stronger, but she is more likely to Choose based off emotion than Twi, who (usually) uses logic. There are always exceptions (Want it need it, bottled up) but they follow two different methodologies. Self-taught vs formal schooling. Off the cuff, well planned.

And as far as the duel in season fives finale, all Starlight had to do was stymie Twilight. Twilight needed to stop or correct the changes she made to the timeline.

[titanhades70]

8673633
That duel actually supported my idea that she either matches Twilight or surpasses her. After that one duel, Twilight was unable to cast any spells for a bit. But then you got to take into account Starlight had to continuously keep her flying spell going during the entire duel meaning she wasn't bringing her full power against Twilight either....

[Shalifi]

Interesting story and I agree. Celestia is more than likely Sunset's mother. Doesn't matter how to me. It's just what I personally believe makes the most sense.

[Eroraf86]

8672602
Up through the atmosphere! Up where the air is clear! Oooh leeet's goooooo FLY A KITE!

[Dan]

Wait, there's a pink unicorn in the room? Who?

[Rose Quill]

8861045
Starlight has a pinkish coat. Or at least that’s how I perceive it. The actual name is escaping me at the moment.

[MLP_RedRum]

i.imgur.com/iy3GODi.jpg

[brisa_mlp]

8750472
8672602
same!!! that’s exactly what I thought of!!!