Sunburst had watched Flurry Heart grow since she was practically born, and he couldn’t be prouder. Both Flurry and his own filly Luster Dawn were magically gifted and he was honored to get to nurture that talent in both of them. With their academic prowess and the strong friendship they shared, they were bound to go places.

Both girls were about to move up to another level of their studies so they were busy practicing all the spells they knew. Luster had passed her pre-test and was snuggled up under her father’s cloak as he called the young princess up to go next.

“Alright Flurry! Remember what we’ve learned?”

Protective spells were a bit above a filly’s pay grade, but this was an alicorn princess and the daughter of one of the greatest magicians of all time. Nothing could stop them!

Luster had gone with a shorter simpler piece but it was jampacked with magic effort, her flare shot forward with the force of a solarian archer’s bow.

Flurry, however, had other plans.

"Thinking of me, but just the same"

She sat and extended her hoof, one resting against her chest as passion-filled magic flowed from the bottom of her heart and slowly up the curbed ridges of her horn.

"-return this spell, from whence it came"

Luster’s eyes widened in awe as she watched her best friend at work, speaking in a hushed voice,

“Look Papa, she’s doing it! That’s a really hard spell!”

“Yes, but let her concentrate!”

Sunburst shushed his daughter, but he couldn’t deny he was just as proud as she was as he watched his student blossom.

"upon my safety, I do hold"

Luster’s eyes filled with stars as wavering yellow light began to hover around Flurrys horn, its aura pulsating in a glowing pattern.

Flurry herself spoke like a star actress, center stage, her voice bellowing from the pit of her stomach.

"-send the damage, return threefold!"

The spell seemed to underwhelmingly swirl into the air at a snail’s pace.

Little Luster scratched her chin and looked up to her father for answers.

Luckily, Sunburst had one for her.

“Spells manifest in different ways! Sometimes the most powerful magicians take extra time and energy to reach their fullest potential. It all builds up to something spectacular even if you can’t see it at first.”

At the climax of the test, the spell’s aura burst in the air, sending down a torrent of harmless sparks in the shape of diamonds. When it touched the ground there was another burst, a bubble of bright yellow enveloping Flurry before slowly dissipating.

The young princess kept her eyes closed, opening one and then the other.

"How….how did I do?"

“Excellent!”

Sunburst was all smiles as he applauded his student.

“Absolutely bursting with potential beyond what most fillies your age could do! You have a knack for rhyming spells with verbose language. Your studies are surely paying off, this is only the beginning!”

Sunburst shifted his gaze between Flurry and his daughter.

“For both of you girls.”