The Studying Obsession

by Lhmac

The Application

Night Light and Velvet Twilight stared at the application form on the table in front of them. Cadance had handed it to them on her way out the door, and the two ponies couldn't quite believe it. Enrol Twilight Sparkle in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns? Was their filly really that impressive?

If the recommendation came from Princess Celestia's niece herself, they'd be crazy not to follow it, so the two ponies looked over the form carefully.

Night and Velvet were surprised that their two foals would have such destinies. The Royal Canterlot Guard? The School for Gifted Unicorns? It was every parent's dream to have foals that would aim so high.

But there was still the problem of Twilight's relations with other ponies. She had Cadance and Shining, but the filly didn't play with ponies her own age.

The idea came to both of them at once.

It took about a week for the completed form to come back from the school. Twilight Sparkle was approved for enrolment pending an entrance exam.

Night Light kicked his hooves in the air. "That's our filly! They know she's the best."

Velvet Twilight gave her husband a patient smile. "But she doesn't even know that herself yet. Time to start the bargaining again."

The two ponies walked into the study, Night clearing his throat, and Twilight Sparkle got up from her desk to see them.

"Twilight," Velvet began. "We know you study hard to be better at magic, but we're still concerned about your lack of friends."

"I have friends!" Twilight argued. "Shining Armor and Princess Cadance ..."

"We mean other filly friends," Night said.

"And Moondancer and Amethyst Star from school."

"Well, you haven't been out to play with them for a long while, so we want you to spend more time with those ponies," Velvet spoke as gently as she could.

"But ... but ... my studies are important. I need to keep studying magic or–"

Her father interrupted her by clearing his throat. "And you will keep studying. We've enrolled you in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns!" The grin on his face when he presented the accepted application form made the filly beam with happiness. She moved closer to inspect the document, then kicked her hooves in front and behind her in a celebratory dance.

"Woo hoo! I get to go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

"Wait a moment, little foal. You're not in yet. You need to pass an entrance exam," Velvet told her excitable filly.

"Oh! Then I have to study more! It could be anything."

Velvet put up a hoof to stop Twilight. "We want you to promise that you'll only study a little at night until you start school. We want you to play with your friends, and you can't go to the school without having fillies to keep coming back home when you're a scholar."

Twilight Sparkle looked behind her at the desk piled with books, then back at her parents. "Okay, if you think that's the right thing to do, then that's what I'll do."

Moondancer and Amethyst Star welcomed their pony friend back with open hooves. After the way she had ignored them over the past months, Twilight Sparkle was surprised they were so happy to see her again, but she was overjoyed, too. They had stared in surprise for less than a minute before grinning and beginning a group hug. Twilight realised quickly that she could have her studies and her friends, and realised that playing with fillies her own age was really no different than having fun with Shining or Cadance. But she had things to teach them.

Cadance had taught her many games, and they'd been through many story books together. Twilight was a fount of knowledge for her good friends, and they loved to hear her stories and learn her games. Twilight lamented the time she'd spent away from them when they were as eager to hear about magic as Shining Armor had been.

There was a week until Twilight had to take her entrance exam for the special school, and she was itching to study, but she had promised her parents that she would play with her friends, and nothing was going to make her break that promise. Her friends were far too precious, and she had all of her life to study.

Cadance watched her little filly friend from afar as she played with two other ponies. Spending time with Twilight Sparkle was definitely time well-spent. The pony seemed in her element amongst her friends, leading them in games as they giggled and shouted and stomped around together.

The pony used a bit of magic to wow her friends, and Cadance smiled. She understood why she had been assigned to such a little pony now. Twilight's abilities with magic went so far past her obsession with studying. She was a little prodigy, and so Cadance had left Night Light and Velvet Twilight with an application form for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

It seemed that Cadance's whole purpose was as a bridge between the family and her aunt, Princess Celestia. She didn't quite understand why Celestia had chosen the most roundabout way possible, when a visit from their beloved reigning princess herself would have made any recommendation irresistible to the family. In fact, they would have welcomed it with joy.

Upon further introspection regarding the case, Cadance realised why it may not have been such a good thing: what pony could refuse a suggestion from the princess who raised the sun and moon every day? Nopony could.

Still, Cadance wondered exactly what her aunt had in store for the little filly in her training. There were no shortage of talented fillies out in the world, and they didn't need Princess Cadance to be their personal foalsitter.

Whatever Twilight Sparkle had in store for her future and destiny, though, Cadance was sure that the pony deserved the honour of the magnificent destiny that would be sent her way.

Comments

[Screwball]

The thought of someone not liking a liking a favorite story is strangely funny to me. Like someone is a masochistic reader and only reads for the shear agony that can be found in poorly written prose.
Rest assured though, I like your story and rarely read for any reason other than enjoyment.

Sadly during the writing of this comment I can't help but think that Twilight reads Daring Doo because of the plot holes that may come up in those stories.

[Lhmac]

1468027
Haha. There's a livejournal community I'm part of (yeah, I know. Who uses livejournal anymore?) called Badfic_Quotes where people do read bad fanfiction on purpose. Just to share its incredible badness with the rest of the world. If you want a laugh (or a cry) you should check it out. You'll get all these feelings
And thanks for commenting! Favourites are nice, upvotes are helpful, comments are love!

[Softy8088]

I can see you made a change, but there's something weird going on because I'm still not getting it. Am I the only one?

"We want you to play with your friends, and you can't go to the school without having fillies to keep coming back home when you're a scholar."

It's just not clicking. The best meaning I can draw out of it is "and you can't go to the school if you don't have friends to come home to."
Is that it?