Disclaimer: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" or its characters. They are property of Hasbro Studios and DHX Media.
"I Think Your Niece Might Be Gifted, Twilight"
By TwilightSparkle3562
Chapter 1
"Flurry Heart, A Baby Prodigy?"
It had only been a few days since Flurry Heart had been left with Twilight Sparkle and after a series of events that made the unexpected visit very much an up and down roller coaster, Twilight was now looking forward to resuming her normal life as the Princess of Friendship. However, one morning, Twilight heard a knock at the door. Opening the door, a magenta colored pony with three smiling flowers on her flank was on the other side.
"Hi Twilight," said the pony. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I thought I could just come over for a little bit with most of my students still in the hospital."
"Sure, Cheerliee, come on in," said Twilight, allowing Ponyville's schoolteacher inside and shutting the door. "I know it hasn't been easy for you, not seeing your students and all."
"Yes, well it certainly has been too quiet to say the least," sighed Cheerliee as they walked towards Twilight's dining room. "I will admit that I certainly do miss the laughter come out of them. But, horsey hives are nothing to joke about."
"Yeah, I know how you feel," remarked Twilight. "Horsey Hives do take time to heal, but perhaps a lot of time. But, at least, I tried to brighten their spirits a little bit, even though I got called a bad aunt by the Equestrian press for scolding my niece."
"Speaking of your niece, Twilight," said Cheerliee. "The reason I dropped by was because I was thinking about something that you might be interested in. I think, being a schoolteacher, that your niece might be gifted."
This caused Twilight to stop drinking her morning cup of tea and stare at her friend.
"What makes you say that?"
"I just think that when your niece drew on my chalkboard," explained Cheerliee. "Her drawings were somewhat advanced for a foal her age. She is only a baby after all, but she certainly has potential."
"Well, she is an alicorn," replied Twilight, shrugging her shoulders. "The first alicorn born in Equestria for that matter. But, you and I are friends, Cheerliee, and I certainly am not going to give you any argument for that matter. What do you think I should do?"
"Perhaps you can have her evaluated by a team of gifted unicorn teachers," suggested Cheerliee. "I have a few friends at the School for Gifted Unicorns that would be more than happy to evaluate your niece."
Twilight considered the matter, but remembered all too well that the ponies who observed her entrance exam were very stingy and difficult. She didn't want Flurry Heart in a similar situation.
"I'm glad you have a suggestion for Flurry Heart," said Twilight in hesitant voice. "But, she is a baby after all, Cheerliee, and those proctors at the School for Gifted Unicorns are…"
"…Perhaps more than willing to see a baby prodigy," interrupted Cheerliee, sensing the anxiety in her friend. "But, you will probably never know unless your niece is tested. Remember, your niece is only a baby, but you never know until you at least try."
…
A Baby Prodigy?
…
Those were the words that rang through Twilight's mind as she absorbed what Ponyville's resident schoolteacher had told her.
"I'm willing to do whatever you suggest, Cheerliee," said Twilight. "Perhaps Shining Armor and Cadence would be interested, but the decision on whether or not Flurry Heart gets tested will rest with them since they are her parents."
"Then talk to them the same way I am talking to you," replied Cheerliee, getting up from the seat she was sitting in. "It doesn't hurt to at least try and test to see if she is gifted. What do you say?"
"I guess you are right on that, Cheerliee," sighed Twilight as she walked Cheerliee to the front door. "Let me talk to my brother and sister-in-law about your suggestions and then I will get back to you."
Hugging each other goodbye, Twilight watched as Cheerliee left her castle and then shut her door, looking down at the crystal floor with a worried look on her face.
"I just don't think Flurry Heart should face those proctors at the school," Twilight whispered to herself as she walked towards her throne room. "They are just nothing more than big scary bears and I think Flurry Heart has had enough encounters with big scary bears to last her a lifetime."
Entering her throne room, Twilight sat at the friendship map and stared right at the part of the map where Canterlot was located. Twilight knew that her friend was right about one thing: that Flurry Heart was possibly gifted, but she couldn't know until Flurry Heart was gifted.
"Hey Twilight," said Spike as he walked into the throne room, clutching his Rarity doll. "I heard Cheerliee was here. What's going on?"
"Spike, do you think that Flurry Heart might be gifted?" Twilight asked, much to the baby dragon's confusion. "Only because Cheerliee says she might be gifted and she thinks that Flurry Heart may need to be tested. But, I just don't think Flurry Heart should even be tested only because of those proctors."
"Well, she is an alicorn," remarked Spike, sheepishly. "Doesn't that automatically make her gifted?"
Twilight said nothing and could only think of what Cheerliee had told her. But, if Flurry Heart was going to be tested, it was going to be overseen by ponies who would be patient and understanding with Flurry Heart.
"Spike, see if you can take a note to Celestia and Luna," ordered Twilight. "Tell them that Flurry Heart needs to be tested for being gifted and I think them, Cadence and I will be the ones who oversee it."
"Are you sure that they would want to do that?" remarked Spike, shrugging his shoulders in confusion. "I mean, you are princesses and I think that you all have much better things to do than to simply test a baby for being gifted."
"Don't forget," said Twilight. "That Celestia did take me under her wing, so if Flurry Heart is to be gifted and taken under somepony's wing, it would have to be us four."
Although he thought it was somewhat against better judgment, Spike did as he was told and sent the letters out. Soon, Flurry Heart would be put under the microscope…