My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight Sparkle

All Work and No Play

Over the next few days Twilight spent a good portion of her time doing exactly what Princess Celestia had asked of her - teaching magic to Astra. This proved to be far easier than she had anticipated, as Astra was a phenomenal student. She already had a firm grasp of the basics, was studious and hard working, intelligent and talented. Twilight had only to set her a task and it would be done quickly and efficiently. When she told Astra to read a particular textbook or codex, she would either do so diligently, or inform Twilight that she had already read it and was familiar with the subject. And not once did she grumble or complain or slack off.

In short, Astra made Twilight's job easy. It was almost too good to be true. Just to try and test Astra to her limits, Twilight asked her to write up an extremely complex and difficult essay on elemental transmutation. A very advanced subject that Twilight herself was in the process of studying, and had only just begun to wrap her horn around. Really, it should have been too much for her. Nevertheless the following day Astra bounded up to Twilight, proudly presenting the finished essay for Twilight's perusal.

"I ... don't know what to say, Astra," Twilight said, somewhat amazed, "This is incredible. Honestly!"

"Oh, umm, thank you Twilight." Bashful, Astra was unable to meet her gaze. Twilight reread several of the passages she had written and was practically floored by how brilliant they were.

"I can't fault your work here," Twilight continued, "You're a real genius."

Astra stared fixedly at the floor and pawed at it with her hoof, saying nothing. Sighing, Twilight rolled up the essay scroll and floated it back to Astra. "Well done. In fact you can take the rest of the day off. You've been working so hard these past few days that you must be exhausted."

Now Astra did meet Twilight's gaze, her eyes growing wide. "Oh, but I'm really not! Set me a test, an exam, assign me some more studying, I really don't mind."

Twilight stared at her. She sounded genuinely enthusiastic. Really, the more time she spent with Astra, the more the unicorn reminded her of herself. It was like looking into a mirror. Twilight let out a short laugh.

"It's great that you take studying so seriously Astra, but you've been here three days now. Don't you want to get out of the library? Get some fresh air? Meet some new ponies?"

She could tell by her expression that she did not. Astra seemed to try and find the appropriate words to express herself, but then settled on just shaking her head. Twilight then had to mentally correct herself - almost like looking into a mirror. Astra was more like Twilight used to be, before she had come to Ponyville. Now though, as much as Twilight still liked to study and learn, she also enjoyed going out and spending time with her friends. Astra ... not so much.

"Look, I'm having lunch today with my friends. You should come along and meet them, they've all been asking about you. At the very least you can say hello, right?"

Again, she could tell that even this was asking too much of her. Astra's horn glowed with an aura of magic, and Twilight watched as the unicorn deliberately spilled ink all over her newly written essay.

"Oh dear!" Astra cried out in very fake tones of distress, "How clumsy of me, I've completely ruined the essay you asked me to write. There's nothing for it, I'll just have to stay here and write the entire thing out again."

Twilight stared at the scroll, now covered in thick dark splotches and quite unreadable. She considered pointing out that Astra really didn't need to write the whole thing out again, but since the accident was so obviously an intentional excuse for her to avoid going out, Twilight didn't bother. She sagged instead.

"O-kay then, you do that ..."

She groaned as Astra bounded off. She might be the perfect student, but Princess Astra was far from being the perfect pony. Twilight got the impression that Astra would rather spend a week cracking a complex cypher code than take five minutes to go out and make some new friends.

She really was just like Twilight herself had been a few years ago.

"You see?" Twilight explained the situation to her friends over lunch. "Astra excels at magic, but the notion that friendship is magic is completely alien to her. I don't think she even has any friends back at Canterlot."

A thoughtful expression clouded Rarity's features as she considered the matter. "Now that you mention it, I haven't heard a single thing about her from any of the ponies in Canterlot. It's almost as if she-"

"Spends all her time locked away in a library somewhere?" Twilight suggested. She sighed and sipped at her drink through a straw. "I'm starting to think Princess Celestia had an ulterior motive in sending her niece here ..."

"Maybe she's just really shy?" Fluttershy offered, soft spoken as always, "It could be that she's too scared to go out and meet new ponies."

"Oh! Oh! I know!" Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in her seat and waved a hoof in the air to get Twilight's attention, "Why don't we throw a party for her? We can invite lots of ponies and introduce them all to her, that way she's bound to make some new friends!"

Fluttershy gave Pinkie Pie a deeply worried look. It was the kind of look she was good at. "But if she really is shy then that would be just awful for her."

Pinkie frowned, as if puzzled by Fluttershy's words. "Why? Parties are fun. Everypony loves a party. If we throw a super duper fun party for Astra, how can she not like it?"

"Look Twilight, the solution is simple!" Rainbow Dash announced, her voice brimming with self-assured confidence as always. Twilight shot her a sceptical glance.

"It is?"

"Of course. You're her teacher, which means you can tell her what to do."

"It's not quite that-" Twilight started to say before Rainbow interrupted.

"So just give her an assignment that involves working outdoors with somepony. That way she has to get out of that stuffy old library and she gets to spend time with someone."

Twilight considered the suggestion, and so did Applejack, who clopped a hoof down on the table. "Hey! That's a mighty fine idea. Twilight, why don't you send her to Sweet Apple Acres to help me pick some apples? I'm a right friendly sort, I bet we'd get along like a barn on fire!"

Her friends all murmured their assent, and Twilight had to admit that it sounded like a perfect idea. Applejack was one of the friendliest and most easygoing ponies in Ponyville, Astra would be bound to get along with her.

"Sounds like a plan!"

Astra was less than thrilled with the prospect of leaving the library and going outside, but Twilight made it clear that this was a work assignment to help out Applejack. Astra nevertheless stuck close to Twilight as they strolled through Ponyville, and practically wilted under the stares she drew from the various residents.

"Well hi there y'all!" AJ greeted them when they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. She hurried forwards and shook Astra's hoof exuberantly as she introduced herself. "You must be that Princess Astra I bin hearin so much 'bout. Nice to finally meet you!"

"Err ..." Astra stared at her hoof, which was being shaken to such an extent that it was little more than a blur.

"I'm Applejack, and this here is mah apple farm." AJ finally relented and let go of Astra, turning to address Twilight now. "Got a prime crop of fresh apples that needs a pickin. Y'all set to work up a sweat?"

"We sure are," Twilight assured her. They followed Applejack to the farms' apple orchards, and Twilight was relieved to see that Astra had perked up a bit. She even seemed vaguely curious.

"Hokay now, pay attention y'hear," Applejack stopped before one of the trees, which was bristling with plump juicy looking red apples. "What y'do first is place these here baskets underneath the apple tree like so-" AJ pointed to indicate the empty baskets she had put in position before they had arrived. "Then you engage in one of mah favourite pastimes; applebucking!"

They watched as AJ kicked the tree with her hind legs, knocking the apples from the high branches and into the waiting baskets. Applejack regarded the baskets, now brimming with apples, and turned and beamed at them.

"An that is how we do it right here on the farm."

Astra contemplated the matter carefully for several long moments, her gaze shifting from the tree to the baskets full of apples. She glanced around at the apple orchard, apparently conducting some manner of mental calculation. Finally she turned back to Applejack.

"So if I understand correctly, the object of the exercise is to remove the apples from the branches and gather them in a suitable container?" she queried. AJ smiled and nodded.

"That's right, easy as apple pie. Think yer up for it?"

Astra looked from AJ to Twilight, who were both watching her carefully. She frowned at them.

"Could you show me one more time how you do it?"

"Sure thing sugarcube."

Applejack positioned some empty baskets beneath a second tree and repeated the procedure, once again flawlessly filling the containers up with a single stout kick. Together she and Twilight turned and beamed encouragingly at Astra.

Except Astra was gone.

"What the hay?" AJ exclaimed, searching about for her. There was no sign of the pony princess whatsoever. More than that, Twilight soon noticed something even more astonishing.

"Oh you have got to be kidding ..."

Somehow - and never had the word been more appropriate, because neither of them could see how - while Applejack had been applebucking the second tree, Astra had conjured up several dozen empty baskets and filled them with apples from the waiting apple trees. And then vanished. There was a note pinned to one of the baskets with a message in Astra's writing.

Glad to be of help
- Astra

Twilight stared at the note and then rolled her eyes. She had no doubt that Astra would be on her way back to the library, if she wasn't already there. Meanwhile AJ gaped at the baskets full of apples, her jaw slack.

"Well wallop my withers, that girl can fair move some when y'aint watchin her."

Twilight strolled passed Applejack whilst exuding an air of mild annoyance. "Thanks for trying Applejack, but I guess it's back to the drawing board ..."