Piecemeal Pupil

by Ice Star

Chapter 2: All The World's Problems Told Through Notes

Twilight Velvet liked to keep things as tidy as could be. This included the small notes that she had always swapped with Nightlight; the ones left on the kitchen table between managing Twilight Sparkle's lessons or the ones tacked to doors in an effort to carry on threads of conversation between errands. Shining Armor was the token extrovert of the family, and two parents employed in jobs requiring space and patience meant that everypony was as familiar with notes left between work times as they were with each other's voices. Their family was strict about some things, and scheduling was one of them. When somepony like Twilight Velvet married a spyglass-maker, it was a match made in Paradise. She felt like the goddess Elysium herself had blessed their wedding — even though they had been married in a temple to Celestia — in finding a husband who understood what she meant when she said that everything that can be measured should. The walls were marked like a ruler to account for the growing height of Shining Armor — before he left for school — and their little Sparkle. Her desk was a mess of planners that nearly had the last second accounted for, and she kept a box filled with folders holding all the most important events and documents of the year.

She didn’t like to admit it, but she was afflicted by what all mothers went through, at least in her experience. Twilight Velvet had the same stirrings in her that compelled her to hoard mementos like a dragon did gold for nothing more than the sake of sentimentality. Some of her keepsakes were not as apparent in the way albums were, where she had the commissioned pictures of her foals and the ever-rarer family photo-portrait reside. She had funneled most of the bits they had into making a brighter future for their foals. What could have been wasted on a silly fad like photographs where more popular means of capturing the sights of the world was put to real use — making sure that her family could continue to live in Canterlot.

One such trinket was a horseshoe box stuffed with brown bags, each carefully labeled with dates. The fancy box with the blacksmith’s name emblazoned in shining foil cradled something just as precious to Twilight Velvet in the colorful tissue paper. She had even learned preservation spell basics just to keep water damage and the barest effects of time from causing her treasures to crumble. In one such weathered envelope were the notes that chronicled when Nightlight had begun to call her Velvet instead of Twilight like everypony in her life always had, starting through small insertions. Each was posted in a flurry during the spring of 992 in the Solar Millenium, shortly after their little star’s diagnosis and when they knew that she and Nightlight had so much to prepare if they were going to be able to finalize enrollment by fall...

…

TV—

Here is a list of private places that are still accepting enrollments for foals starting in the fall:

Her Majesty the Sun’s Magical Prep Academy for Young Minds
Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns
Hallowed Light Magic Kindergarten
Dapple Daub’s Arcane and Arts Academy for Fine Unicorn Foals
Starswirl Starting School for Magical Talents

Is there one that you think we should look at first? I still pray we might get our little star into Her Majesty the Sun's. It was disappointing to have to tell my father about breaking the tradition of every eldest foal from my side of the family going through her doors. The school is wonderful, and they might have a program for Junior. She was saying how much other foals bullied her for us bothering to give her a junior part of her name at all, since that's just not done. But Her Majesty the Sun's has standards, and I don't think that would ever be allowed to happen there. Even if it did, my brother and I have alumni status and kept in contact with some of the teachers there. Nopony will get to even look at her wrong there. She'll love it, and everypony in the family will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, eh?

Love,

Nighty

...

Nighty darling,

I looked over your list. I agree, Majesty's is certainly a school we ought to look into, especially since their religious education programs are as good as a public school. Their lessons on the Pantheon really emphasize devotion to the Princess, which is what our foals ought to carry on. The temple they have on their campus is beautiful. And I know your father was disappointed at first, but look how much better things turned out to be with where Shiny is now. Nopony in my family nor your family ever went to get a more prestigious education since Starcatcher was accepted for postsecondary guard education. He was clearly a good influence on Shiny, getting him started on such a good path so early. There is no mystery behind why he's little Shiny's favorite uncle.

What I don't agree with is having Princess Celestia's personal school on that list. It's the most expensive school in the whole country, even for the junior campus tuition rates. The prices hike even more once foals turn ten, since that's when the Princess will potentially pick a Faithful Student — but she already has one, that Shimmer filly nopony ever sees. Plus, applying before ten doesn't make sense. I don't know if they have any support programs for Sparkle. The kind of foals that get scholarships to that school are once-in-a-generation mages, and those types of scholarships aren't given out when anypony is Sparkle's age. The current Faithful Student being the youngest on record is unheard of, and they don't graduate for decades. That little filly (I keep forgetting her name, just that it was something snappy) will be well around the age I was when I was working on my MFA at Canterlot U by the time she graduates; we simply can't act like Sparkle will stop aging until then.

Love,

Twilight Velvet

...

Vel—

We don't have many options for schools that might have supportive programs. All the public schools consider this autism thing a magical disorder and a unicorn condition. No school with the Equality For All curriculum is going to make an exception in what they provide for Twilight when all the letters we got back made it clear that it would constitute discrimination against the earth ponies and pegasus foals. They told us we have to look for a private place, and I checked the books at the library to try and find similar cases. We weren't being cheated; unicorns make up 83% of all autism diagnoses according to all the whitecoat publishing. Maybe it is a magical disorder. Either way, Vel, we'd be asking for hoof-outs and illegal overthrowing of the very laws that Princess Celestia put in place after the defeat of Discord to ensure all foals got a proper education. We're apparently 'the special stuff' and that means giving bits.

Remember the neighbor's daughter from our old house? Twinkleshine, I think it was. She goes to PCSFGU. I heard she loved it the last time I wrote to her parents.

Love,

Nighty

...

Nighty,

Darling, I don't want to hear any more about Princess Celestia's school. It's too much. We're not deciding to be choosing beggars to rule out the most expensive school in the whole country. Twinkleshine's parents had to sell their house specifically so they could afford to send their daughter to that school. That filly won't be graduating until 998 and her parents already sold their house for her! She's their only foal, we still have Shiny, and well, that's the kind of place Sparkle might get spoiled. It's a hard school, dear. Not getting in is more common than acceptance, and guessing who will get accepted is honestly probably about as hard as the work there. Almost every foal, even the local ones, lives on campus. The students don't usually get traditional break schedules. There are unicorns from all over the nation in that school, so we won't be able to control whether Sparkle meets the wrong types of colts and fillies for friends. I think it's just going to be too hard on her.

When I'm able to take a break from my next article, I'll start with letter exchanges and applications to Her Majesty's. No matter what, I refuse to send Sparkle to a school without an autism support program. All the library books I've checked out make it sound so doom and gloom: social isolation, inability to connect to a herd, face blindness, odd habits — it's enough to make a grown mare cry at the thought of what might happen to her if we aren't careful.

We can't let her become an exile, loner, or too weird. Some of the descriptions of the ponies I read about just don't sit right with me. A school that piles work on her and is as competitive as Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns is going to break our little star.

Love,

Twilight Velvet

...

Vel—

How is the article coming? And thank you for making lunch, I almost missed it behind the leftover hayfries. We've been ordering out too much since we started homeschooling Sparkle, and all the leftovers are making the icebox too small at this point. We're at risk of rubbing the cooling enchantments on it to an illegible smudge and all the food spoiling.

Ponyfeathers, Twilight, I'm not taking Princess Celestia's school off of the list. We have to try with what little we're given, and she might have enough to transfer in a few years. Shiny has been helping her with all the magic stuff I can't help her with on the weekends and then some. Her only hobby is studying, I'm sure she'll make it. I don't want Sparkle to be too weird for anypony to like her or hire her, and I'm sure she'll have normal herd social development once we can get her out of the house.

I just ask that we compromise and put Princess Celestia's school last on the list, instead of nowhere at all. I know Twinkleshine's parents had to sell their house, but only her father brings bits into the house. He was writing to me over the winter months about how much little Twinkle loves the school, and we had been talking about costs. With my lens-crafting and your articles and short stories being bought up by magazines faster than cider during fall festivals, we'll be better off. She might even get some scholarships when she gets onto the older campuses!

Can we at least talk when you're home from the library? Gods, Vel, I'm worried about these darn-near-apocalyptic prophecies about autism from all these books you're requesting. She's just a filly.

Love,

Nighty

...

Nighty darling,

I'm sorry it was so late last night, and I know you said everything was going to be okay, but thank you again. The talk helped. Maybe I'm too worried, and maybe I'm not worried enough. I just want the best for Twilight Sparkle. Maybe we already ruined things for her by giving her a junior part to her name, and yet, I can't bear to have her as anything else. Nopony in my family that I know of has ever had a condition like this, and everything I find is so confusing. Apparently, this whole autism deal is more common in colts, and it can make foals and grown ponies alike into picky eaters. Everything I keep finding tells me about how other parents find it so hard to have foals like Sparkle. Sweet Celestia, why isn't there anything about how hard it is to understand what my daughter is actually going through?

The article is coming along slowly. I won't be missing my deadline, despite how distracted I've been lately. The letters with Her Majesty's were going well. They told me they do have a supportive program for autistic foals, but that it's only on the colt's side of the campus because they've never had an autistic filly before, but that they'd still do the best to ensure she has lesson help and a mentor. I'm being told that she would have to be walked over to the other half of the campus to get some of her lessons and assistance, and that just sounds so inappropriate to me. Not to mention, the program isn't included with the base tuition. We'd be paying extra for it.

This is the first school we're looking at, and I don't even feel right about a campus visit if this is what our little star would be getting. Just what are we to do? Could you talk later today?

Love,

Twilight Velvet

...

Her Majesty the Sun’s Magical Prep Academy for Young Minds
Hallowed Light Magic Kindergarten
Dapple Daub’s Arcane and Arts Academy for Fine Unicorn Foals
Starswirl Starting School for Magical Talents
Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns

...

Velvet—

I ran into a secretary for the principal of Starswirl Starting School at Market Square today. We were both on our way to bind book-binding tools after I stopped at the coffeehouse with Starcatcher. We'd been talking about bookshops, but eventually, things turned to our little star. She was very sorry to inform me that they don't have any support programs for autism specifically, only a general support faculty employed with the aim of helping foals with physical and intellectual disabilities. Our little star wouldn't qualify for anything, though the mare said that it was possible to write to the school or bring Sparkle by to see if she qualifies for intellectual disability support. It'd result in her having a faculty mentor assigned just to her, which might prove to be the support she needs, even if they're not accustomed to a foal like her.

What do you say? Do you want to talk about this later?

Love,

Nighty

...

Her Majesty the Sun’s Magical Prep Academy for Young Minds
Hallowed Light Magic Kindergarten
Dapple Daub’s Arcane and Arts Academy for Fine Unicorn Foals
Starswirl Starting School for Magical Talents
Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns

...

Nighty darling,

The open house event for Hallowed Night is this Friday. What do you say to us attending? We should be able to meet somepony there who can answer us. Parents of prospective students are encouraged to take as many notes as possible. I'm positively delighted with how positively my latest article was received. Cosmare said that they've never had anypony submit anything about somepony wondering what the world was like for somepony with autism, and that they got many letters from readers declaring it to be a bold new direction that they'd like to see more of. Going to an event like this might help stave off my nerves about content somewhat. I had honestly expected this to be a slump in readership from ponies that know me. Not only is the Equestrian lifestyle genre free of anything but background mentions of autism or autistic ponies, I've never written anything like this before. It's such a wild departure from creative writing tips, mare's fiction, tourism, housekeeping advice, and the whole kit and kaboodle of homemaking.

Is it just me, or has everypony started to feel more like somepony we don't know since Twilight Sparkle got diagnosed? I feel so strangely alone, and I think I've been talking to ponies more than ever. My own mother, who I've always gone to as a source of wisdom, thinks that her granddaughter is just shy and that we aren't raising her right. I've explained everything I can about autism to her in letters and face-to-face at least ten times. It's like I'm not being heard at all, and this is coming from somepony who always did everything to listen to me. How could this have changed?

Love,

Twilight Velvet

...

Velvet—

Do you remember how the doctor said we ought to look into a therapist for us, as well as one for our little star? What I'm hearing sounds a lot like it's high time we took her advice and started seeing somepony about these thoughts before they cast a shadow over us. I'll start looking in the paper for foalsitter ads and talking to folks. There is to be a delivery of telescope lenses to one of the royal astronomers tomorrow. I was put on delivery duty on top of making some of the lenses, and I'll see if there is anypony in the castle who knows a foalsitter or a good place for daycare. There is always something being said, be it a juicy tidbit or advice, and we're in sore need of some good luck after the open house event. That doctor was a strange mare, but she was right about that applied behavior analysis therapy sounding cruel. 'Quiet hooves and horn' didn't sum up how bad it sounded. I don't care what the Manehattan institutes say, they're magic deniers and frauds and I won't let their ways cruelly dictate our daughter. It's a right shame that a place as esteemed as Hallowed Light bases its 'support' programs on that flimflam.

Love,

Nighty

...

Her Majesty the Sun’s Magical Prep Academy for Young Minds
Hallowed Light Magic Kindergarten
Dapple Daub’s Arcane and Arts Academy for Fine Unicorn Foals
Starswirl Starting School for Magical Talents
Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns

...

Nighty darling,

I've looked into the brochures for Dapple Daub's and I have to say I'm quite pleased to see they listed an autism support program as something they explicitly offer. I also have the application to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns — I can't believe it finally arrived! I want us to do it together as soon as possible so we can at least secure a spot for testing. I've heard that they only accept so many foals for testing each season, and that testing is multi-phase and cumulates in those dreadful, nerve-wracking final examinations. If we want to be able to see if she has a shot at all, we have to submit it soon. Hopefully, they'll understand that we're looking to do the actual testing and entrance exam when she's ten. At six years old, I think that we'd be testing her far too early. Her magic isn't even through all the normal developmental stages yet, no matter how good her brother thinks she is.

I always wanted to go to Dapple Daub's as a little filly. They would have helped foster my writing talent much earlier than in public school. As wonderful as my teachers and friends were, I think I'm starting to understand what our daughter needing extra help means. They're just so expensive, with all the art programs they have as a default. If their program is as good and robust (and ABA-free) as the brochure makes it sound, we're taking her to their open house. I want her there with us this time. No other school has listed anything about special education or autism in their brochures, and I have a strong feeling that they're on the right hoof. But Nighty, dear, if their program is extra, we'll at least get back to Princess Celestia's school sooner. Dapple Daub's has an unusually late open house compared to anypony else, or maybe we're just that ahead of the game. At least then we'd have something to cheer up our little star with if she doesn't get into Princess Celestia's school because we weren't able to negotiate the testing deadline for when I know she'll be ready.

Love always,

Twilight Velvet

...

Her Majesty the Sun’s Magical Prep Academy for Young Minds
Hallowed Light Magic Kindergarten
Dapple Daub’s Arcane and Arts Academy for Fine Unicorn Foals
Starswirl Starting School for Magical Talents
Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns

Comments

[Kyuubi325]

Wonder what they saw at the open house that made them cross it off their list?… perhaps it wasn’t as well thought out as they made it look in the brochure? The part about Twilight Sparkles grandparents not understanding her condition is spot on too sadly…

[Ice Star]

11561815

Wonder what they saw at the open house that made them cross it off their list?

As implied from the last exchange of letters, the special education support program was something that cost extra.

[StarzGecko]

TV—

Some reason I got confused if this was a real “TV” or just Twilight Velvet for short lol

[StarzGecko]

It’s kind of rare seeing stories about autism which I have and completely relate to the parents worries and experiences since my parents faced this back in the 90’s and throughout 00’s. Trust me, there wasn’t that many helpful options for me back then and I’m glad that homeschooling helped. Sadly not everyone is able to do homeschool which I understand that both or one parent has to work a job to have a roof, food, and pay for school and IRS.

I believe dancing like ballet, jazz, tap and Piano helped a lot with my autism. Sure, I still have social issues when talking to others face to face even as a 29 year old I still have those issues. But not in text messaging which I would tell you how I’m talking on here is very different when speaking face to face.

Not sure how far you’ll make this story go. I hope it keeps going for as long you can make it to be since I really like it so far of what you created.

[Ice Star]

11562157
It's Twilight Velvet's initials.
11562174
This story is pretty short; it's going to be four chapters. So, this is halfway done. I grew up in the early 2000s, so I drew some inspiration there, other parts were filled in with research because my family was not so kind. The rest is just me doing my best to make Equestria alien in how their society and educational systems work.

[ponygrad]

I think this story works very well because in the show Twilight is not autistic, just an awkward nerdy loner who has many of the same struggles that autistic people do. And when dealing with Equestria, it's weird when tragic stories try to make out their healthcare system to be as cruel and arcane as like the USAs, but the struggle of parents to pick out the right school for their challenging foal is going to remain in any fantasy setting.

[Ice Star]

11562753

Twilight is not autistic

None of the characters are explicitly autistic, but the show portrays her as heavily showcasing behaviors that could be considered autistic-coded throughout the series.

[NicLove]

before I forget, when you are done writing this story
can you look at my Friend's ?
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/427265/3/the-misadventures-of-light-heart/when-my-dad-met-a-bad-teacher

[Ice Star]

11563256
I don't usually take random recommendations, sorry.

[NicLove]

11563413
I understand

Both your story and his are about the same thing