What's Left to Learn

by DashieBear

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Sad
Length: 1412

Twilight Sparkle has just become princess of Equestria, and alicorn, with nothing left to learn. But where does that leave her?

This story will take place immediately after the last episode of season 3, ignoring everything the happens past that point.

Princess Twilight Sparkle is bored after realizing that she has nothing left to learn or do with herself, and she is completely lost. Strutting around the Canterlot castle and library, trying to learn something new or find anything to do, she realizes just how boring becoming a princess really is. But is not having anything left to learn, really such a bad thing? After talking to Celestia and her friends and fellow princesses she realizes that there are other things that can be done, and different forms of learning.

So, after taking flying lessons from RainbowDash she takes the advice of Cadence and AppleJack and goes to explore the unexplored regions of the Everfree forest. But what she finds there may not be so entertaining after all…But then again…It may also be a little too much.

~

Salem is a baby griffon, born of two griffons, who was left for dead on the highest branch of the tallest tree of the Everfree forest. Scared out of her feathers, she one day bravely jumps from the branch, hoping either to be saved, or to die. More of the latter.

But she is saved. And cared for. And raised. And loved. And soon starts calling Princess Twilight Sparkle her mother.

~

Maybe there is something left for Twilight to do, and learn, after all, eh??

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-01 18:42:17 UTC

Twilight Learns to Fly

Dear RainbowDash,

I need your help. I'm bored out of my wits, and I still don't know how to fly. You're the best flyer I know, and I could really use the help. Would you be willing to come help me? Thanks.

Your friend,

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight sent her letter to RainbowDash only a week after becoming a princess, after realizing that she still had yet to learn how to fly.

~~~~

"Uuh...Princess Twilight sent me a letter..." RainbowDash told the guards at the gates of Canterlot Castle.

"When?" The guard asked.

"Late last night. Look, I'm Loyalty. Just let me through." Rainbow answered, clearly becoming agitated by the guard's questioning.

"I'm sorry. But there is no pony registered in Equestria under that name." The second guard told her. RainbowDash face-hoofed upon hearing that last statement.

"The Element of Harmony, Loyalty. RainbowDash. Perhaps you've heard of me by, oh, the Princess!" Rainbow told the guards. They looked at each other for a second and then finally opened the gates and let her through.

Rainbow wandered around the castle for a while, having no idea which room was Twilight's, before finally deciding that the best thing to do would be to ask one of the other princesses where Twilight Sparkle happened to reside.

She found both Luna and Celestia in the throne room, playing a game of chess.

"Uuh, Princess?" Rainbow asked shyly.

"Yes, RainbowDash?" Princess Celestia replied, not looking up from the chess board.

"I was looking for Twi- Princess Twilight. And I thought maybe you could help me..." Rainbow told her.

"Of course. Why don't you follow me?" Celestia retorted as more of a statement than a question.

"Of course, Princess." RainbowDash answered. She followed Celestia out of the throne room and through a maze of hallways for a few minutes before Celestia stopped.

"Here we are." The Princess said, before leaving without another word.

Rainbow looked at the large oak doors the Princess had left her standing in front of. She took a breath, raised a hoof, and knocked. Some shuffling could be heard on the other side as well as the sound of some books falling. Then the door opened and Twilight could be seen.

"Twilight! It's so good to see you! What happened to your mane?" Rainbow questioned upon seeing Twi's mane style, which was in the large bee's nest that city ponies loved so much, and her tail was curlier than Rarity's.

"Oh, this? I was just trying different things, trying to get an idea of, well, nothing really. Boredom is my worst enemy. RainbowDash! Help me!" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow was taken aback for a moment before regaining her cool composure.

"Calm down, Twi. Isn't that what I'm here for?" Rainbow assured jokingly.

"Well, yeah..." Twilight murmured sheepishly.

Rainbow let out a quick laugh before saying, "Come on. Why don't we go outside. It should be pretty easy to teach you to fly."

"Alright, we could use the castle gym." Twilight suggested, to which Rainbow nodded in response.

"So how is every-pony?" Twilight inquired while guiding Rainbow through the maze of a castle.

"Pretty good. Rarity got herself a coltfriend. Some city pony named Diamond Shade. He is so annoying, but he makes Rarity happy so the rest of us try not to complain too much." Rainbow answered.

"Really?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, AJ was the first to find out. She went over to ask for a dress for her Aunt Orange's birthday and found them cuddling and nuzzling each other on top of a pile of fabric." Rainbow added.

"So how does he take to Rarity's love of fashion?" Twilight questioned curiously.

"A lot better than we ever did. He even goes as far as to help her design new outfits." Rainbow stated.

"Wow. He must have some major devotion to her." Twilight suggested.

"Yeah, I think he's good for her. I mean, he's a little too city-pony for my liking, but he makes her happy." Rainbow explained, seeming genuinely happy for Rarity.

"That's good. How did they meet?" Twilight asked.

"Not entirely sure." Rainbow answered simply. She wasn't looking in front of her when Twilight stopped in front of the biggest pair of doors Rainbow had ever seen, and she banged right into them.

"Ow!" Rainbow grumbled, picking herself up off the floor. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her.

"What happened?" Twilight asked confusedly.

"First rule of flying; always look where you're going." Was Rainbows only response. Twilight laughed and used her magic to open the door to the gym.

Rainbow gawked at the mere size of the thing.

"Twi...This thing is big enough to fit like, twenty-thousand ponies..." Rainbow muttered.

"It is pretty big." Twilight agreed, "So where do we start?"

"Try flapping your wings." Rainbow suggested.

Twilight proceeded to flap her wings erratically.

"Steadier. Just try to make them do what you want them to do." Rainbow instructed. Twilight nodded and proceeded more carefully and found that flapping was in fact a lot like walking. It was just more muscles that controlled the motion. She sensed that if she did it enough it would be just as easy as walking.

"Good, that's better. Now trying jumping." Rainbow encouraged.

Twilight proceeded to stop flapping and hop off the ground - not unlike a foal, or Pinkie Pie, for that matter - before promptly falling on her face.

"Try flapping your wings at the same time..." Rainbow said in a half "duh", half bored voice.

Twilight nodded and did as she was told, and managed to hover... Without falling. "That's it. Now try moving around in the air, while flapping your wings." Rainbow called. Twilight proceeded to do so and found it surprisingly easy.

"Rainbow! I'm flying!" She squealed, sounding like an excited foal.

"Yeah, you are. I knew you'd be a natural. How's it feel?" Rainbow asked, sounding impressed.

"AMAZING!" Twilight exclaimed, flying higher and higher until she was close to the ceiling. Then her wings gave out and she dropped three feet towards the ground before regaining control of her wings. She steadied herself, and then it happened again. Rainbow recognized what was going on and promptly flew up to Twilight and guided her to the ground again.

"Don't fly so high or for too long or too hard, at least not yet. It's common with foals. When you're just learning how to use your wings they give out on you for a while until you get good at using them. It doesn't happen to everypony, though." Rainbow told Twilight.

"You couldn't have mentioned this earlier?" Twilight inquired with a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Hey, there is no substitute for experience." Rainbow quoted, using Twilight's own past words against her.

"Well, that's true..." Twilight replied, having been at a loss for words.

"Twi, you'll get the hang of it. Just keep flying wherever you go until it becomes second nature." Rainbow shrugged.

"Is that really all there is to flying?" Twilight asked.

"Yes." Rainbow answered simply. She had expected Twilight to be a lot harder to teach, as coming to Canterlot for a few hours and then leaving again was a little tiresome.

"Huh. Well...Thanks for your help then. I guess in that case I could've learned from any old pony." Twilight stated, looking bashful.

"It's fine Twi. It was nice to see you again. Seeing how you're a princess now and all." Rainbow told her.

"You too, Rainbow." Twilight commented with a smiled. "Will you stay the night? It would be wonderful to catch up on the rest of our friends!" Twilight asked hopefully.

Rainbow instantly  smiled at the thought. "I'd love to!" She answered. "Where would I stay though?"

"In my room, Celestia knows - actually, she gave it to me, but you know what I mean - it's big enough to fit a hundred of us!" Twilight answered easily.

"Alrighty then." Rainbow resounded with an impressed tone.

"Come on. Let's not waste any time, tell me about Fluttershy. How's she been?" Twilight asked whilst walking towards the door. She then remembered to take Rainbow's advice and fly.

"She's fine. Angel found himself a fillyfriend. Or, bunnyfriend, I guess." Rainbow answered. The two laughed and talked about Fluttershy - well, Angel at least - the whole walk to Twilight's room, where they turned the conversation to Pinkie Pie, who had been working on a new typed of party canon that shot more than just confetti out of it.