Sunburst to the Rescue

by David Silver

46 - Hitting the Books

"Bleaching is just out." Sunburst stuck out his tongue. "I know I'm reading the pro side, but we know enough about horn biology to know that's a terrible idea."

"It'd clear the spurs along with most of the natural channels..." Twilight shook her head softly. "And it's almost permanent in its damage. I've read papers about it. It's very much against the law to subject a unicorn to such a treatment." Her magic grabbed at the edge of the paper and flipped to the next page, abandoning that thought.

"Back when she was writing this, it wasn't as well understood. I can see why she thought it was at least a possibility, you know? But yeah." He brought down a hoof on the next page. "Onwards."

Sunburst's magic made a page buried deep glow softly. "I still want to try this one."

"Hm?" She flipped back hundreds of pages at once with a weighty thump. "Yes, hmm, then... oh. This is risky."

"It would require trust on the part of the patient and skill on the part of the operator, but I have two mares I trust completely with this sort of precision magic. Besides, it's, um..." He began to color softly. "It's a little romantic."

Twilight smiled a little awkwardly. "How is my throwing magic through your horn at all 'romantic'?"

"Intimacy and trust." He raised a hoof with each word. "Being exposed and knowing the other pony could do so much wrong, but that you can trust them?"

Twilight rubbed at her warming cheek. "I... suppose I can see that. Do you trust me to work magic through your horn as if it was my own?"

"It's not exactly that." He shook his head quickly. "You'll work with me to work magic through my horn, far more than would be healthy, normally. We'll force the issue, while you constantly test and work free the spurs, without letting them end up where they shouldn't be." He tapped at the book. "Adults very rarely grow new spurs, meaning one procedure is likely to have lasting effects."

Twilight lifted an uncertain ear. "If we don't mess up and render you magically crippled... I... would hate to be the pony that did that to you, Sunburst..."

Sunburst leaned to the side, touching against Twilight. "I trust you. Even if... a mistake were to happen... I won't hold it against you. This is my idea."

Twilight smiled wistfully as she let out a slow breath. "Even if I take that at face value, with you accepting your new, even more harshly restricted, magic level, I would be guilty, and I'd have to look in the mirror and know that I did that to you. I'm not sure I can... handle that." She sucked in air through her teeth. "I'm really sorry."

"I did mention two mares." He raised a hoof. "I would have preferred you, and don't tell her that, but Starlight is a second choice. She knows how to use magic very well."

"She does," allowed Twilight slowly. "And she's less prone to... guilt, per se. If you even mention the idea to her, she'll probably start doing it before you finish explaining it."

Sunburst laughed at that. "That sounds like her. That's how it was when we were foals. I'd find a spell and start telling her about it, and fwoosh! She was doing it to see what it looked like and how it worked."

"That does sound like her," she agreed with a little smirk. "Are you certain about this?"

"I feel certain she could do it, if I trust her to do it. We understand the condition enough to allow for the try."

Twilight's magic wrapped around the stack of internal horn pictures. "Let me approach her first. I'll explain the situation without you being there for her to jump ahead with. I want to make sure she's at least fully informed from the bottom to the top."

He looked ready to argue that, but the words never finished rising. "That... may be a good idea, yeah. You give her the full rundown before she starts." He stood up and stretched languidly. "Mmm, I think I want to take a break anyway, we've been going since morning."

Both of their eyes turned to the window to see the sky was red with the hints of evening fast approaching. Twilight laughed nervously. "Nothing like a good book to really draw you in. I'll go find Starlight." She promptly vanished.

Sunburst carefully closed the book to be ready for their next studying session. With things reasonably put away, he trotted off to find something to eat.

---

Starlight looked over, the kite that flew above flittering in the breeze gently, its string held in her magic. "Hey Twilight. Enjoying the day off?"

School was closed that day, or they couldn't have studied through the entire thing. "Very much so. I wanted to talk to you about a magical procedure that requires strength and precision in equal quantities."

Starlight's ears went up. "You have my attention." She began drawing her kite down from the sky. "I figured after that enchantment, I'd be done with heavy magic for a while. What do you have for me?"

Twilight floated over the drawings of the insides of unicorn horns. "Remember these?"

"Mmhmm. That one's mine." She tapped a page with a hoof. "What about them?"

"We have a theoretical procedure that would have you working closely with a pony to help clear their magic pathways." She switched to Sunburst's sketch. "The idea is to work with them to channel a great deal of magic through their horn, loosening the spurs and then to get the spurs out safely as they do it without causing internal injuries."

Starlight whistled softly. "This... sounds more like a 'me' plan than a 'you' plan, if we're being honest. I mean, hay, I'm up for it, especially if it'll help Sunburst, but I can't imagine this is super safe."

"It would help Sunburst, in theory... And you're right, this is more... your thing, which is why I'm here. He did name you specifically, to note."

Starlight smiled at that, a bright expression. "Did he? Aw, good to be remembered. Does he trust me with... this?" She wobbled a hoof at the whole of the sketch of Sunburst's horn. She reached out, taking the kite that was close enough under an arm. "I mean, I'll do my best, of course, but..."

"He knows that, and he trusts you." She glanced away and back. "He... asked me first."

"That sounds like a terrible idea," spat out Starlight forcefully enough for Twilight to jump. "What? Really. You two are special someponies. You don't do surgery on family. That's just a bad idea. Silly Sunburst." She rolled her eyes. "That's why you declined, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" she lied poorly. "So here we are. You two are friends, but not... that."

"Right, exactly. There's a difference." Starlight nodded confidently. "So do you have the spell already worked out?"

"We do!" She brought out a smaller notebook and floated it towards Starlight. "Read this thoroughly before you start, please."

"Twilight." She rolled her eyes. "This is a pony's life here. I'll be careful, promise."

"This from the same mare that casually swapped the cutie marks of our princesses?"

Starlight hiked a brow. "Worst case in that situation, they banish me and jail me where I am banished. In this case, I hurt a really good pony forever. I'd say this has higher stakes, if we're being honest." She huffed out a laugh, smiling. "I bet I could get out of any jail they put me in anyway."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You likely could, but you won't be doing anything that would make them want to put you in jail, right?"

"Well... I guess I'll cancel those plans." She sighed dramatically. "I'd best tell Trixie."

"I knew it!"

Starlight booped Twilight on the nose. "That was a joke. Now shoo. I have a book to read, a sensation I am certain you are very familiar with."

With warm cheeks, Twilight turned back towards the castle. "Yes, right. Thank you for taking the time to review the material first. I... will have faith in you, just as Sunburst already has shown. There is no way this can be considered a, uh, universal solution. It requires--"

"--too much magical skill," finished Starlight. "I gathered that. Any solution for a disease that crops up more than like a few times per generation is too widespread to say 'go find a super great wizard to fix this.'"

"Exactly." Twilight smiled a little, looking over her shoulder at Starlight. "On the other hoof, we do have that promising procedure to use on young cases. If it's effective enough, we may have already succeeded."

"But..." Starlight rolled a hoof. "It's trickier on adults, and Sunburst is one of those. So we either get him under the best surgeon we have, or..."

"He submits to the skilled touch of a foalhood friend." She turned to face Starlight. "The more I think about this, the less of a good idea it seems. I mean, you two may not be in a... relationship in the same way, but he's still a friend! A dear friend... You can't do this objectively."

"Magic isn't objective," retorted Starlight with a snort. "My emotions are a part of the spells, you know this. My desire for him to be safe and whole will help, not hurt. Twilight, you're worrying too much. Now shoo. Reading time." She promptly vanished in a puff of sparkles.

Twilight sighed at the empty space. "I hope you're right..."

---

Stellar smiled brightly. "You have no idea how lovely it is to have a real peer in the class. I mean, the other students are precious, and I do listen to them, but they're... well... foals."

Platinum tittered softly. "She had failed to mention there would not only be another adult, but a unicorn as well. This is a treat for both of us, dear. I simply must know so many things that I hope you are willing to divulge. Little things." She put up two hooves close together. "Little things you probably don't even think about."

Stellar hiked a brow. "Try me."

"Very well..." How bold this peasant was. It seemed to be a common thing of the time. She tried to push it aside. She wanted a friend! Stellar seemed sharp... "What manner of ornamentation do modern unicorns accept for what occasion?" She pointed up to her horn, poking free of her crown. "What is suitable at a luncheon, or a ball, or a wedding?"

"I could have a full spreadsheet on your desk by tomorrow." Stellar tossed her mane, eyeing Platinum with a cool confidence. "Give me a week and we'll have a focus group complete for analysis. Now, personally, I prefer my 'ornamentation' a little lower." She raised a hoof to the string of pearls that adorned her neck. "And that crown of yours is simply georgeous."

Platinum's smile only grew wider. Her opinion of Stellar was rising rapidly. "What exactly is a 'focus group'?"

Stellar laughed, but it seemed with Platinum rather than at her. "Oh, I love it. Dear, come with me. I'll tell you all about it while I give my assistants a call. We'll get them on the case."

Platinum began to walk with Stellar, expression turning curious. "Assistant? You are not a noble, I believe?"

"I'm not," easily agreed Stellar. "That doesn't stop me from having influence. I'm what you would have called... mmm... a merchant? A community leader and a merchant. I have bits and respect, and there's a lot you can do with both of those. To start, horn ornaments, what's in and what's not. Let's find out."

Stellar put an arm around Platinum and she tensed a moment before going with it. Stellar seemed like a pony worth knowing. "If you are a community leader... how do you not already know how to socialize?"

"That is a longer story... I'll share if you return the favor. I want to know how I ended up with a lovely princess for a schoolmate."

Author's Note:

Stellar and Platinum become fast friends. It's adorable, I say.

Sunburst is willing to try extreme methods. Is this wise?

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

I bet I could get out of any jail they put me in anyway.

Careful, Starlight. Luna might see that as a challenge.

In any case, lovely bit of bonding and some heartwarming... if concerning plans for Sunburst. This will be very delicate. Keeping Trixie out of it would be highly advisable, joking or not. Bombast, fireworks, and surgery don't mix.

Also, I can't help but wonder what Platinum thinks of the nonequine students. If pegasi and earth ponies were hard for her to accept, griffons and dragons are going to be a very real struggle indeed.

Also, a few typos to extract:

is too wide spread to say

One word.

manner of ornamentation to modern unicorns

Do.

[David Silver]

9443757
I found a third at no extra cost. How budget-friendly!

[zimmerwald1915]

Sunburst is willing to try extreme methods. Is this wise?

Of course it is. Starlight has never miscast a spell before.

[Booster Spice]

Better be careful there, Platinum doesnt realise she is becoming the Sultan to Stellers Jafar.

Of course, if Pinkie happened to offer a certain chocolate covered spongecake with orange filling biscuit as a snack, I couldnt be too suprised.

[Emtu]

9443782
"yes its 100% safe my magic never fail-"

"aaaaaaaaa"

[zimmerwald1915]

9444184
That is very pointedly not an instance of Starlight miscasting a spell.

[Dan]

9444024
I'm probably the only one on this side of the Atlantic that got that reference.

[lordelliott]

I would think they'd want to finish reading the book first, in case they get a better idea. Bleach could work if it's targeted, like some cancer treatments. Also, if they're doing the operation and it's critical that Sunburst work with Starlight without question, some mind control might be useful.

[David Silver]

9445900
Starlight tried to impress on them that mind control can be good sometimes! Why does no one listen to the redeemed mare?

[howard035]

As a living artifact of the past, Platinum would probably also be interesting to Starlight's Dad.