The Studying Obsession

by Lhmac

A Heartwarming Bonding Moment (or two)

Twilight Sparkle made her way up the garden path to the small cottage her family called home, precious notebook clutched in her magical grasp as she approached the door and opened it with her hooves. The unicorn filly was tired, but content with how her day went. Another week of schooling was over, and preparations for the next period of learning loomed, the family study calling out for her to take refuge in its comforting embrace once more. There really was no place like home for independent learning.

Her hooves stopped on the bottom step of the staircase, however, Twilight having heard and felt her stomach burble uncomfortably as a call for food. If it was that loud, then she had probably not eaten as much as she should have during the day. The young pony's family had already lectured her on the importance of proper eating to maintain her health, so the only logical thing to do was to oblige her complaining stomach. She changed direction and trotted to the kitchen, stopping short when she saw the older unicorn at the dining table, a sheet of paper in his magical grip.

"Shiny!" Twilight exclaimed, launching herself at the older colt for a hug.

"Twily!" he replied with just as much enthusiasm mixed with surprise. He dropped what he was holding as he was suddenly tackled into an embrace by the purple ball of energy that was his sister.

"What are you doing, home, B.B.B.F.F? You're not normally back at this time. Did something happen at the academy?" She pulled backwards so that Shining could see her her eyes, sparkling with worried innocence. He was so disarmed by the look he had to laugh.

"Nothing's wrong," he assured her. "I just have the afternoon free before the weekend." He gave her a reassuring smile and let it stay for a moment before getting to his own worry. "Listen, Twilight: I found the schedule you left on the kitchen table …”

“Oh! That’s where I left it!” Twilight's purple aura snatched the paper from where it had settled on the floor and slid it into her notebook. “Thanks Shiny!”

“Twily …” Shining hesitated for a moment. “Remember when Father and Mother had Princess Cadance foalsit you? And we all agreed you needed to play more and not study too much?”

“Yes.” Twilight lengthened her affirmation and accompanied it with a frown.

Shining reached his magical aura into Twilight’s notebook and pulled the page back out, levitating it in front of Twilight’s eyes. “All there is here is studying, Twilight.”

Twilight dropped her head at the disappointment in his voice. She didn’t want her B.B.B.F.F to think less of her. “That’s not true! I have private lessons with the princess, and …” she trailed off at the stern look she was receiving from her brother. “… You don’t count that as playing, do you?”

Shining sighed. “I know you like to study, Twily, but … but I just want you to be like other fillies your age. I want you to be happy and normal and have friends.” Shining reached forward to brush a hoof through her mane.

Twilight recoiled from his touch, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Shining wasn't deterred. He immediately reached out and pulled her into another hug. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Twily. I don’t think you’re an abnormal pony who isn’t happy.”

“It’s not that,” Twilight sniffed. She closed her eyes. She’d cried about this once, and there was no gain in crying a second time for the same reason. “It’s just …” She pulled herself out of Shining Armor’s strong embrace, willing herself to be strong and tell him without any tears or sniffles. “... The other ponies, they’re scared of me, Shining. They’re scared of what I can do – what I did do – with my magic.” Her voice hitched at the end of her speech. Unblinkingly holding the gaze of her brother was only making the air sting as tears welled in her eyes.

“Oh Twily.” Shining pulled her near. He nuzzled the side of her face and brushed away one of the tears that refused to stay contained in her eye. “I’m sorry. I didn’t – I didn’t know.”

Twilight wiped her eyes. “The princess told me that I just have to learn to control my magic better. Once I know everything about all the kinds of magic in Equestria, ponies won’t think that I’m dangerous anymore. So I have to learn everything I can. I have to know everything about magic, and then I can have friends again.”

The two siblings stood together, neither one sure of what to say next. Twilight's stomach broke the tense atmosphere by giving a loud gurgle. The silence stretched for another moment before Shining burst into laughter. Twilight joined him, and the two were soon hugging again.

"As soon as they know you like I do, Twily, nopony will be able to resist being your friend. You'll have the best friends in all of Equestria!"

---

Twilight had been surprised when she found that her skill in magic hadn't impressed the other gifted unicorns she shared classes with. She'd been at it for a month, and had so impressed the teacher, Greystone, that he was giving her special notes of her own, outside of the course material. And on top of that, they all knew her position as Celestia's personal student. She still heard them whispering about it in the hallways sometimes. But whenever she approached them, they shied away. Whenever she tried to discuss classes and magic with them, they gave slightly alarmed looks and simply agreed with everything she said.

Twilight didn't let this bother her too much. She had her books, she had her family, and she had Princess Celestia. What else was there to life, anyway?

The bell rang, announcing the end of another of Greystone's classes. The other ponies eagerly left the room as Twilight straightened out her notes. She and her teacher had an arrangement where Twilight asked all of her complicated questions at the end of the lesson, so as not to disrupt the more general learning of the other ponies in class. (Greystone had said something about 'too many questions', which Twilight didn't exactly understand.)

Greystone approached her desk, and Twilight gave him one of her 'thank you for teaching me' smiles.

"So Twilight..." Greystone leaned on her desk. "How did you find Easy Step's A Step-by-Step Guide to Easy Spellcasting?"

"It was very useful, sir." She paused for a moment in contemplation. "Does this mean that soon you will teach me to cast some spells?"

Greystone laughed and ruffled the filly's mane. "Well, we can't linger on theory for all of our lives, can we? The time for complicated spells is soon." He walked back over to his desk as Twilight gathered her things in her magical aura. Greystone came back with a book wrapped in brown paper. "Don't look at it until you get home. I don't want you getting too far ahead in your studies." He winked at her.

Twilight cocked her head at the paper-covered book, taking a moment before she added it to the pile of things she would be taking home. She kept a straight, serious face even though inside she was bursting with excitement.

Greystone waved a hoof to indicate she was dismissed and Twilight Sparkle shot out of the room, eager to be back home to tear the paper off this new text. She didn't even look into the library as she passed, but as she neared the noisy meeting place that was the cafeteria, she slowed down to glance at the smiling and chatting ponies. Perhaps a whole room of people was too much, but Twilight's ears flattened slightly as she was struck by the memory of being around her peers. Back before ... before the Summer Sun Celebration ... She sighed. No regrets. There was no room for regrets.

Twilight trotted out the door into the afternoon sun, blinking in the sudden radiance of the full sunlight after being inside for hours. The door was at the top of a small flight of stairs, and Twilight was about to start down them when she heard a light sniffling. She stopped, taking a second to figure out where the sound was coming from and whether it was actually a pony crying. Small sobs accompanied the sniffles, answering that question. The next one was: should she go to them?

Twilight looked around for the source and noticed a white filly on the small patch of grass to the side of the stairs. She was lying next to the wall, head in her forelegs, shaking slightly in time with the sniffs and sobs. The pony wasn't in her class, so Twilight didn't recognise her. Maybe she could help.

Twilight hesitated with a hoof in the air, knowing other ponies at the school weren't fond of her and may not appreciate her intrusion into her feelings. The quietly sobbing pony was breaking her heart, though, and she approached carefully.

“Uh …” Twilight held out a hoof and placed it on top of the white one covering the other filly's face. “Can I … do anything to help?”

The other pony looked up and pulled herself to a sitting position. Her eyes widened in a bad sort of recognition, then she looked down at the grass. She didn’t pull her hoof away from Twilight’s.

“It’s … it’s nothing really,” she sniffed. “You wouldn’t want to hear about it.”

“Try me,” Twilight said, removing her hoof long enough to sit next to the other pony. “Mother says I’m a good listener …” she paused and tilted her head to the side “… When I’m not studying.”

The other unicorn’s eyes widened in surprise. “But … aren’t you Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight nodded.

“Princess Celestia’s personal protégé?”

Twilight continued, but slowed her nod.

“The filly who wrecked the examination hall?”

Twilight stopped nodding and frowned. “Do you have a point?”

“Why would somepony like you be interested in why a pony like me is sad?”

“I don’t like it when anypony is sad. Why should you be any different? My big brother, Shining Armor he says that if there’s ever a pony in trouble, we should always do everything we can to help.” Talking about her brother reminded Twilight of the conversation they'd had just the other day and she couldn't help but smile. She wiped it quickly from her face when she remembered why she was talking about him, though.

The other pony didn't seem to mind, and gave a small smile in return. "I wish I had a big brother," she said wistfully. "Tell me about yours?"

Author's Note:

What? I actually got featured last chapter? I never, ever thought something that awesome would happen with my lil' 'ole story. Kinda presses you on to trying your best to live up to it, doesn't it?
I wrote a blog post about some of my feelings, if you wanted to check out my profile. You'd have to be interested in my ramblings to want to do that, though ;P
Also, I just finished reading The Best Night Ever. Now I have 'Equestria Girls' in my head.

Apologies for the abrupt end to the chapter here. I've been trying to think of a good enough reason for this pony to be crying, but I've just had this chapter opened for editing for the past four days without adding anything. Feel free to voice displeasure and tell me how I can make this better. I enjoy doing the best I can for you, my readers.

Comments

[Obalie]

Yay, finally Twily makes a friend!

[Softy8088]

Keeps getting better...

[Cynewulf]

It is a crime that I haven't read this yet.

*fixing that*

[Lhmac]

2060987>>2062584>>2082199
Thanks for the comments. It's always a pleasure.

2062584 It's only as good as the comments I have encouraging me. You've made me strive to make this better

2082199 It's amazing to get a comment from someone whose stories I adore. You flatter me.

[Softy8088]

Does this have a snowball's chance in hell of being continued? I'm actually disappointed at how few good Slice Of Life stories there seem to be....

[sakuralovelight]

i really like this story is there going to be more???

[Honeytongue]

Damn!
I was hoping she would run into Sunset Shimmer. But that would make this an A/U fic (like the one I'm doing), eh?
Please get back to this story soon.
Also, when does she meet Spike again?

[sakuralovelight]

i know i commented on this chapter before and i am sorry to bug you i was just wondering if by any chance you know when you might post next chapter i understand that life can get in the way and i don't want to rash you or anything i just asking if you don't know that is okay and take your time on making a grate chapter

[Vik]

I really liked this story. I would love to see more chapters. :)

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

This story is beautifully written and while I know and understand that Real life takes precedence over fan fiction, I have to ask (and out of sheer curiosity mind you) if and when you were thinking of updating this literary gem?
Best wishes, BirdsBooksBrownies

[Star-Corrsin]

XD this was a good read, I feel like even though this story was old in comparison to what you probably do now I think you should go back and redo the story the best you can and maybe continue it. I have ideas of how to continue it if you feel interested in knowing more.