Sun. A refreshing breeze. Sound of tiny colts and fillies playing outside. It was a perfect day to stay in the library, with some old books. It was just a regular day on Heather’s life. Thankfully nopony was around to meddle on such a wonderfull plan, everypony was busy with their own bussiness. Calm. It’s been a long time since the last time Heather had the opportunity to spend time with herself, and her books.

The big old clock ringed, the sound resound on her head. It was five o’clock already. Almost forgot. Tutoring. She promised she’d tutor a filly today. Heather panted and sighed, but she made a promise. Five minutes later everything was ready to beging the lesson. They were late. She was used to waitings, but it was such a waste of her valuable time to just stay there until their arrival.

Somepony knocked. The door openned.

“Hello?” a white unicorn sticked out. Sweetie Belle, the filly’s mother she was supposed to tutor. She was indeed beautiful.

“You are late Miss Belle” Heather never was the best at being likable, she was direct and sharp with strangers.

“Oh my, we’re so sorry”, she said “We had a small row on our way here” it was Button Mash, Sweetie Belle’s husband. He had a three days beard, it seemed he didn’t sleep in three days. Heather didn’t like him.

“It’s okay, shall we begin?” Heather standed up, waiting for the parents to present their child.

“Oh, this is our little Joystick, Jowey, this is Heather, say hi” beetween Button’s legs, a tiny unicorn, brown coat, pale mane, green big eyes… She looked like the popular one on her classroom. “Before you two begin your tutoring…” Sweetie Belle did a pause “May we have a short talk?” she seemed worrie, but there were no time.

“No” the orange pegasus said “There’s no time, we should begin already” none of the parents had time to response when they were already in the hall. The big door shouted behind them. They could trust her. “Now, you were Joystick, am I right?” the tiny unicorn noded, she was impressive, Joystick was kinda scared “Don’t be shy, it’ll be easier if we talk” her tone suddenly turned a lot softer, she even smiled.

“Umm…” Joystick said, she was not scared anymore but a bit confused “Y-you are Heather, and you’re going to be my teacher?” Heather smiled again.

“Indeed, it’s nice to know you can talk, it’ll make thing easier” her smile was nice but her giggles were nicer. Joystick giggled too “So, let’s begin with something easy, please sit down on that table right there” she pointed to the small table, it sure had lived better times, but it was shiny though. Pretty comfy “Have you ever read…? Ummm… oh yeah, “The ugly duckling”. It was one of my favourites when I was a kid”.

“I haven’t” her ears falled, it was such a rude name for a children’s tale, poor duckling. The book openned in front of her eyes before she could even react.

“Then it’s the perfect book to begin with, please read the third paragraph from the seventeenth page” Joystick was surprised, why not begining with the first paragraph from the first page? She tried to search the page, it took her some seconds that became hours on her head. The numbers just moved all over the page, making it almost imposible to read. Joystick face turned red. “Are you alright? It’s okay don’t be afraid, no need to rush” there was again, that soft smile. Joystick calmed down and finally found the page. It was easier to find the third paragraph, she knew perfectly all the numbers after all. And so she began.

“T-the… wi-win-window g-gr-grew… cool! The… duck-ling… had to s-swim ar-ar-around a gr-grea-t heal… to k-keep… the w-water form free-freezer on the… r-river. But~~”

“Okay stop” Joystick was all red now, it was like at school “What’s wrong? And I’m not talking about how slowly you read, half of the words you said were wrong” her eyes were now like crystals.

“I-I don’t know!! I-I just can’t do it” some tears began to grew on her face “The letters just fly around and and I~~” and suddenly, it all made sense for Heather, she read a while ago about those flying letters. The poor child was dyslexic and she didn’t even know. And there she was, crying, trying to explain herself, trying to find the right words, and failing at it. It was enough for her nerves.

“Stop, stop crying, it won’t make it any better” it was a new situation for the unicorn, usually when she cries everypony goes next to her and try to calm her, but the pegasus just ordered her to stop crying. She stopped. “Now breath, slowly and look at me, we will finish here today, I’ll take you home and you’ll rest. Tomorrow, at the same hour, at the one we agreed if it’s possible, and you will come the next day, and the next and the next. You will just keep coming until you can read that children’s book from the first paragraph page one, to the last paragraph from the last page” Heather was now holding Joystick’s red and wet face. She smiled, and the little filly smiled too.

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Little Joystick needed some tutoring. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash contacted Heather and she accepted. It’s always exciting to teach a little one the beauty of an old and dusty book. She found something unexpected: a challenge.

Doctors told her parents Joystick was retarded, they decided to pretend everything was perfectly fine with their little angel, but it wasn’t. Joystick wasn’t retarded at all, the diagnosis was absolutely incorrect. Joystick still has issues at learning and following her classmates’ level, even as an 8 years old filly, she can barely write and read, she can’t focus at anything for too long and, most important of all, she is dyslexic. Heather found this as a huge challenge, anybody can teach a regular kid how to read and write correctly, but it’s not the same with somepony as Joystick.