44 - Student Teacher
"Really?!" Twilight peered at her young student in shock. "Sweetie never seemed interested in my offers."
"I think getting it from another foal closer to her age helps." Even if Comforting wasn't, technically, very close to Sweetie's age. "She's practicing now. I'm so proud of her."
Twilight grinned a little too widely. "And I'm proud of you. I didn't think that circle would close on itself so quickly. What does it feel like, to be a teacher?"
"I..." Comforting frowned a little. "This will sound so odd."
"Comforting." Twilight put a hoof atop her small student's head. "If I have learned anything from our time together, it's that you have a... different background. Go ahead and tell me. I can't promise I'll understand, but I won't doubt you."
"If you're... sure." Comforting peered at Twilight with doubt. "I... have been a teacher before."
"You have?" Twilight sat up, regarding the filly of a pony. "Where? When?"
"Far away and a long time ago." Comforting waved at that distant place, a world away. "A life away. It almost doesn't matter... But I like it when a young... When her eyes lit up, and she got so happy... I'm glad I could--"
Twilight grabbed her up into a fierce hug. "I feel the same way. I hope that doesn't make you feel odd."
Comforting squeaked in the hug, but she was smiling too. "I'm glad to hear that. You've taught me so much, and I have more to learn!"
"Speaking of that." Twilight released Comforting carefully back to the ground. "I hear you overworked yourself to exhaustion. Some ponies can't feel when they're tapping themselves out. There are ways to work on that sensitivity."
Comforting blinked slowly. "That's a thing?!" It was clearly a thing and she was proof of that. That it was a known thing enough that there were already workarounds for it was the more surprising part.
"It is 'a thing'. Alicorn Hypoesthesia." Twilight tapped just next to her own horn. "Partial, thankfully. If you had it entirely, working magic would be difficult, as you wouldn't be able to feel the muscles involved and operate them to perform magic in the first place. Imagine if you will, some ponies develop this syndrome, often through an accident."
Comforting cringed at the mental image. "And no more magic..."
"Not without considerable rehabilitation, at least. Now, you're not there. You just don't feel the ache that comes with fatigue. A lesser syndrome, but still in need of addressing." She willed a book over from the shelf towards her hoof. "As you've seen, the lack of feeling doesn't mean you aren't getting tired. Eventually, your body forces the issue. A pony with this problem is in constant danger of overexerting themselves, possibly to the point that damage is done in time. Let's avoid that."
"Let's!" Comforting cried with wide eyes. "What's first?"
Twilight folded open the book she had drawn, putting it in sight. "Thankfully, a simple one. And you can start right now, even during class."
Comforting blinked with confusion. "You usually don't want me to practice magic during class."
"Usually, but this is different." A small metal sphere flew at her, glowing with her magic. "Pick this up. Is it heavy?"
Comforting took control of the ball and it fell a few inches. It had weight! It wasn't nearly as bad as the first ball offered to her so long ago. "Yes but not too bad?"
"Perfect. All you have to do is hold it steady and pay attention to when it starts to get tiring. No other magic. Even if it doesn't get tiring, put it down after half an hour and relax for half an hour as soon as you put it down, because you were tired or the time ran out. Repeat. You'll be working on your strength and building sensitivity to that sensation. No magic is being used, besides lifting it, so you aren't breaking any rules."
Unicorns were allowed to pick things up, even during class. Forbidding that would be cruel, considering many wrote with their horn magic. "I'll be careful with it."
"I know you will be. Tell me how it feels tomorrow. Expect this to take a week at least to make major strides, but at least feeling that ache could come quickly, even if you're still not sure about it. For now, head on home." She shooed Comforting away, the magic lesson over, even if little direct magic came of it. "And please do keep me updated on how Sweetie's doing."
"You got it!" Comforting rushed out, just to suddenly stop, crashing to her back. The ball she'd been holding hit the side of the door, stopped, and the rest of her had stopped with it, her grip tight and inflexible. "Oops..."
Twilight winced at the thud of the ball crashing into the wall. "You'll want to be a little more--"
"--careful, yes. Sorry!" Comforting gathered up the ball and tucked it into her pocket, heavy as it was. "See you tomorrow!" With a last wave, she dashed off.
Diamond Tiara inclined her head slowly. "Not that I mind exactly... We are friends and all... but why is she here?" She looked to Sweetie Belle with obvious doubt on her face.
Sweetie laughed nervously, leaving it up to Comforting to explain. "I'm her teacher. Twilight taught me, and I'm teaching her."
Diamond perked. "She's going to be a wizard too?"
"Maybe." Comforting had no proof of that. "For now, how to unicorn. Picking things up, moving them around, that kind of thing. After that, glowing! The basics."
Sweetie looked between the two fillies. "You mentioned you two hung out... What do you do?"
Diamond smirked viciously. "One thing we do is surprise Comforting when she least expects it, when she's doing magic. Want us to surprise you too?!"
Sweetie squeaked in dismay. "No, please! I haven't even learned enough to not surprise myself... I don't need help with that."
"It's alright." Comforting made little placating motions, her ball hovering there. "I'm not practicing magic right now."
Diamond peered at that floating ball. "You're not? What's that then?" She pointed at the metal ball.
"Practice, but not a spell." Comforting brought it closer to Diamond. "I have to get used to knowing when I'm tired, so I don't go overboard... again."
Diamond tapped at the ball, making it quiver with each rap. "Again? Did you do something silly, again?!"
Sweetie looked between the two. "Again? What happened the first time?"
Diamond was all too happy to explain, "She turned me into a statue." She rolled her eyes. "I got better, thankfully, but it was still a silly mistake."
"I'm sorry!" wailed out Comforting, coloring in memory of that accident. "Starlight took care of it for us and fixed Diamond."
"And turned you into a statue," laughed Diamond. "Learned your lesson from that?"
"Yes..." She fixed her eyes on the floating ball. "I have to hold this up and pay attention to when it starts getting tiring... Speaking of that..." She slowly lowered the ball to the ground, letting out a happy sigh when it touched the ground. "Alright... Yeah... I can feel that..."
Sweetie inclined her head. "How do you not feel when you're tired?"
Comforting shrank at the quesiton. "I didn't... but now I do... And when I put it down, I get half an hour without it, so yay!" She hugged the ball close, no longer held in her arcane grip. "Be glad you don't need to do that."
Sweetie burst into new giggles. "It's kind of funny, that I'm ahead of my teachers, at least this way. I still have a lot to learn."
"Speaking of that!" Comforting beamed at her new student. "How are you doing?"
Sweetie fixed the metal ball that began to glow green with her magic. "Nnng." But it was heavy for her. "You were holding that?!"
"It's heavy!" Comforting hugged it protectively. "Which is the point, so I can feel what tired is."
Sweetie wiped her brow. "Well, I'm tired and I didn't even pick it up." She looked to Diamond. "I don't mean to monopolize Comforting though. What did you want to do?"
"Hm..." Diamond considered a moment. "I was going to take Comforting to get a snack. Something light and sweet. Maybe a shake?"
Comforting licked her lips. Hanging out with Diamond was bad for any diet. Good thing she wasn't on one! "That sounds fun. Um... but I'll cover Sweetie."
Sweetie batted at Comforting. "I can pay for myself, but thank you for offering." She hopped to her hooves. "That sounds fun! One of the best snack places this side of Sugarcube Corner."
The three set off down the road. Comforting veered closer to Diamond. "Where's Silver Spoon? She's with us more often than not."
"Ugh!" Diamond peered off to the left. "Her mom insists she learn how to play an instrument. So now she's practicing piano. It's like magic, but way less fun, but still just as solitary most of the time."
"Don't be like that." Comforting pawed at her wealthy friend. "Piano playing is really nice. I want to hear her play when she's ready to share with us."
Sweetie giggled softly. "I would also like to hear her play, if she'd like to share. I'm not good at any instrument."
This tickled a spot in Comforting's memory. "Have you ever tried to accompany a song?"
"Accompany it with what?" Sweetie inclined her head. "Is that a spell? Are you teaching me my first spell?" She looked excited, bouncing in her steps. "I didn't think we were up to that!"
"We aren't... Sorry." That had failed. "I meant on your own. Like... singing. I bet you have a wonderful voice."
Sweetie began to color. "I do not!" she squeaked out. "What would give you that idea? You never heard me sing before."
Diamond nudged against Sweetie. "But she isn't wrong. You have a nice voice, that you refuse to use!" Her smirk grew as they got close to the shake place. "For somepony who makes it a job to think about cutie marks, you don't even consider yours."
"What are you talking about?" Sweetie displayed her mark as they entered the shop. "I'm a cutie mark crusader! I have a matching mark with the other girls, which is almost unheard of. I'm very proud of it." She nodded with certainty. "We helped you learn about your mark."
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Sure sure, you did that... But your mark has more to it then 'belongs in the crusaders.'" She pointed to the center of Sweetie's mark. "Look at that music note. You think that's for nothing?"
"Uh..." Sweetie looked at her mark as if it were some strange new thing on her rump. "Huh..." A musical note... "I have a lot of hobbies... Singing was one I only did by myself..."
Comforting smiled so brightly her cheeks squeaked. "I'd like to hear you sing, later. Not now, we're enjoying some snacks."
"Well said." Diamond advanced on the counter. "Three shakes!" She collected desired flavors and went with the others to a table to claim. "If you sing for her, I want to hear too. You saw when I... dealt with my mark, it's only fair!"
Sweetie shrank with a growing blush. "Alright... It won't be that good... Really, that's not..."
Diamond punched her shoulder. "Stop telling us what you're not good at and let us be the judge of that. You just sing."
Sweetie perked as three drinks arrived. She grabbed at hers and took a powerful slurp. "Mmm... Look... I'll try... No promises it'll be good..."
Comforting swayed in her seat, nursing from her straw. "I'll take that risk. I want to hear Sweetie's sweet voice. I bet you could get better with a little practice, just like your horn."
Diamond smirked. "We all have to do that." She was enjoying being able to tell Sweetie some advice, perhaps too much. "Let us know when and where."
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So other unicorns can have the problem of not realizing how tired they are from magic use also. But there is a solution. Which involves... more practice.
I like nice Diamond.
Not exactly an effective way to cement a friendship, but she did get better.
11276159
It sounds like a perfect way to cement a friendship.
Yeah. Starlight really did them a solid, there.
I just have to make this reference.
I learned to get really good at faking it.
11276159
Yeah and it was an accident. She accidentally hit diamond instead what she intended to hit. I am starting think strong unicorns should put up a quiet spell casting in progress sign to keep ponies from interrupting.
Although there's nothing to comment I can say without a doubt this is a great fic, Love Ya author.
11635727
Glad to hear it. Thanks for walking with us.