“I really hope you enjoy it, Princess! It took me a whole week of tireless research, but I’m finally happy with the result!” Starlight beamed as she plopped the neatly-stapled and perfectly-organized stack of papers onto Celestia’s desk. Hers was the second report to be added to the shallow metal mesh basket labeled “Summer Research Project” that Sunday morning.
Nudging her mountain of to-be-completed paperwork aside, Celestia grumbled as she inched her reading glasses up her muzzle, grasped the report with her magic, and proceeded to read the title page aloud: “The Necessity of the Banishment of Princess Luna: A Thesis. By Starlight Glimmer.” A long and awkward pause ensued as the giddy filly looked eagerly into the ancient sun goddess’ eyes, fervently seeking her approval. “…Thank you, Miss Glimmer. Is that all for today?”
“Yes, Princess! I’ll see you tomorrow, 8:00 sharp!”
“Certainly, Miss Glimmer.”
Starlight’s grin quickly faded to a scowl upon her exiting through the enormous wooden door. She was painfully aware of the creator of the report that had been placed in the basket before hers—Twilight Sparkle. Having an insatiable thirst to be the greatest at everything, Starlight was more than a little irked at the perfect little teacher’s pet who could do no wrong. Last year—both fillies’ first at the prestigious institution—Twilight had been given a “check-plus” on every paper she had turned in. Every. Single. Paper. Starlight had yet to achieve the honor of the elusive addition symbol after her checks.
“I’ve got her this time. I know I do,” the filly reassured herself as she walked down the opulent streets of Canterlot back to her dorm. “This is most definitely the one. The perfect paper, better than anything that little do-gooder could ever hope to produce! I’ll get a plus out of that old bat if it’s the last thing I do!”
—The Next Morning—
Never able to get a good night’s sleep the day before school started, Starlight groggily walked through the halls to her class, trying to ignore the throbbing in her ears as a squeaky-voiced colt filled the hallways with the electronic sound of his pre-written and well-rehearsed speech: “Good morning, PCS students! This is Bright Future, your official student announcer!” The colt, obviously proud of this position, gave a short, dorky giggle into the microphone. Starlight sighed to herself as he continued: “I hope you’re all as excited as I am to be here for the start of a wonderful new semester! And now for today’s announcements. Lunch today will be a choice between either cold cucumber and cream cheese on rye, or peanut butter and daffodils on wheat. If you haven’t yet turned in your summer thesis in Princess Celestia’s office, you can still do so after classes today for a reduced grade. And finally, as you all undoubtedly know, last night marked the 988th anniversary of Princess Luna’s banishment to the moon. Please be sure to show Princess Celestia the utmost respect and consideration during this difficult time. Thank you!” The PA system loudly squealed as Bright Future replaced the microphone into its cradle.
Starlight’s ears—folded against her head in a vain attempt to shield her sensitive eardrums from the annoyingly-loud announcements—instantly perked up. Her heart began to thump wildly against her chest. She had written her entire report on just that subject and turned it in the day it happened! Her head was instantly filled with questions: “How could I have forgotten?” “What was I thinking?”
Feeling on the verge of throwing up, Starlight slipped into class and made her way to the very back of the lecture hall, sitting in the only remaining desk—the squeaky and wobbly one in the exact middle.
Upon Celestia’s entering the room, Starlight quickly opened her textbook to a random page in the center, placing it vertically on her desk and hiding her head behind it until Celestia finished her introductions. When the princess turned around to start the lesson, Starlight rested her head comfortably on her forelegs, watching scornfully through her sleepy, half-lidded eyes as Twilight—sitting in the very front—raised her hoof to and successfully answered every question. “We’ll just see how high and mighty you are when I get the check plus, teacher’s pet,” she mumbled to herself.
As the lecture dragged on, Starlight found herself worrying less and less about the topic of her thesis. “Celestia is a kind and understanding leader and teacher, is she not?” she thought to herself. “I don’t know what I’m worrying so much about. If any pony would be willing to look past a teeny lapse in judgement like that, she would be the one.” She began to tune her ears back into the lecture just in time to hear the princess’ next words.
“…all I have for you today, class. Don’t forget to turn in your papers in my office if you haven’t already, and…Starlight Glimmer, may I see you after class please?”
The next few minutes were a blur to Starlight. How she ended up in Celestia’s office, she could not remember for the life of her. But there she found herself, dwarfed by the imposing outline of the massive princess behind her ornate maple desk.
“You heard the announcements this morning, did you not, Miss Glimmer?” Celestia began. “Yes, indeed, yesterday was the anniversary of the loss of my sister. Upon seeing your title, I was more than a little shocked. I went into grading it just looking for a reason to hate it. But, I soon realized I was being just a bit facetious. Your paper is impeccable, Starlight. Your prose is masterful, your grammar flawless, and your thoughts are well-researched and well-articulated to a level I would expect of a 4th-year student, not a 2nd-year one.”
“Do…do you really mean that, Princess? I was so worried!” Starlight began to feel a fluttering in her stomach at Celestia’s approval. She couldn’t smother the smile spreading across her muzzle.
“I absolutely do, young mare. Your work is exemplary, and highly deserving of the coveted check-plus.”
Starlight couldn’t force a word out of her mouth, just giddy squeaks and giggles.
“Oh, but before I give you your paper back, just one more thing…you do know I am no less than an omniscient goddess, do you not, Miss Glimmer?”
“Why…yes, of course, Princess!” Starlight replied, taken aback by the odd question.
“Well then, maybe next time you will think a bit before you refer to me as an ‘old bat.’ Check minus, Starlight.” Celestia slid the report, now plainly marked with a bright red check and minus sign, across her desk to the devastated unicorn. This action caused the paper below Starlight’s to fall of the desk. “Oh, would you mind picking that up for me before you go, Miss Glimmer?”
Starlight, unable to decline a request from Princess Celestia, averted her eyes as she lifted the hefty, check-plus-graced report—“A Complete History of Magic in Less Than One-Hundred Pages” by Twilight Sparkle— back onto the princess’ desk.
“Oh, yes. Twilight’s paper. She really is a model student. You could learn a lot from her, you know. Thank you, Starlight. You are free to go.”
Starlight stared blankly into Celestia’s desk. She had no intention of living any longer.
“Miss Glimmer? Oh Miss Gliiiim-muuuur…”
The filly flailed her legs around as she fell sideways out of her desk, blushing a deep crimson as the entire class, already staring at her due to the princess’ calling on her, erupted in riotous laughter. The entire class minus one, that is—the reserved lavender unicorn sitting in the very front.
“Are you ready to rejoin the class, young mare? Or would you prefer to loaf around in dreamland a while longer?” Celestia asked lightheartedly.
“Oh! I’m…I’m so sorry Princess! I just…I didn’t s-sleep well, and—“
“That’s quite fine, Miss Glimmer. Please return to your desk, and do try to keep your eyes open, hmm?”
The filly’s blush had no intention of fading through the entirety of the lecture. Upon Celestia’s dismissal of class and closing remark that she wouldn’t have the student’s summer papers graded for at least another week, Starlight galloped out of the room at speeds more befitting a fully-grown racepony than a unicorn filly. She only did a double-take upon hearing a familiar voice calling her name—it wasn’t Celestia.
“Hey! Wait up!” Starlight’s perceived arch-nemesis called to her.
Starlight didn’t stop galloping towards the school’s main door. At least she thought she didn’t—she could hear her hooves clattering on the tiles below her, but upon opening her eyes was greeted with a world distinctly more purple than she remembered. “Nnngh! Let…go of me!”
“I will, but you have to listen to me, Starlight!” Twilight pleaded as she trotted casually up to her ensnared “victim.”
“Fine…just let me go!” Starlight breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the tingly aura around her fade. “And what do you want, huh?” she barked impatiently.
“I saw what happened in class, and…I just want to tell you I know what it’s like. I’ve stayed up all night reading so many times I’ve lost count!”
“O…kay… but you’re such a perfect student! You’d never fall asleep in class! My life is ruined! Nopony will want to associate with ‘Sleepy Starlight!’”
“That doesn’t even make sense! What does it matter if I’ve ever fallen asleep in class or not? I’ve fallen asleep in all sorts of embarrassing places: in bathrooms, on tree branches, inside pillowcases, you name it! I’m sure you just couldn’t sleep last night because you were thinking about school the whole time. Well, welcome to the club! Yesterday, I went back into Princess Celestia’s office to make sure my summer report was properly-organized—you can never be too sure—and I saw yours sitting in the basket right on top of mine! We were the only two students to turn in our papers before noon! That might not mean anything to you, but…you clearly care just as much about learning as I do and…and… Look…I’m usually not very interested in…friendship—gets in the way of school—but…I like you, Starlight! Do you want to…hang out or something…sometime? Imagine all the work we could accomplish together! Ooh, I’m so excited! Please say yes! Pleeease!”
“Oh, uh...okay… I mean, s-sure!” Starlight responded hesitantly, utterly shocked at the situation.
“Oh, yay!” Twilight exclaimed, wrapping her forelegs around Starlight’s neck, eliciting yet another blush from her. “Well let’s go grab something to eat downtown, new friend! We can talk about our papers! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the banishment of Princess Luna!”
“Y-Yeah! Let’s…let’s go then! Heh heh…”
Starlight felt beyond embarrassed at her dismissing of Twilight before they had even met, but as the two fillies walked out of the school eagerly discussing their thoughts on magic and banishment, her embarrassment soon faded away, the unexplainable euphoria of finding a lifelong friend eagerly taking its place.