At the school of friendship in the guidance counselor’s office, a blue griffon was talking with Starlight Glimmer about a problem he has been having for some time.
“But counselor Starlight, I am no longer a cub, I shouldn’t like playing with toys, can’t you do something with your pony magic to make me not like this stuff?” Gallus asked trying to hide his blush with one of his claws.
“Ok, I can tell you by firsthoof experience that using magic to solve a problem is a bad idea, besides, is it really bad that you still have your childhood toys? I think that shows that you are a griffon who appreciates his own past,”
“I hadn’t really thought about it that way, but I’m an adult-” he tried to say but was interrupted by Starlight.
“Almost an adult, you are only fifteen after all,” Starlight corrected him.
“Ok, almost an adult but shouldn’t I start behaving like an adult? You don’t play with your childhood stuff do you?”
“Um, oh, well, not quite but you know, everycreature has a different upbringing, sometimes it can be good and others not so good, in your particular case I don’t see why you would-” the school’s bell interrupted Starlight signaling that the next class will start “oops, I think times up, unless you think you still need to vent, I’m sure Twilight won’t mind if I give you a hall pass.”
“Really? I mean, nah I’m good, I think I’ll start acting like an adult, maybe that way I’ll forget about my childish stuff,” Gallus left the office and went directly to his next class, leaving a pensive Starlight.
‘Maybe he is right and I'm in the wrong here after all, who am I to say to keep enjoying memories from your childhood when I practically severed any connection with mine’ Starlight remembered when she was Gallus’ age, she spent all day listening to heavy metal in her room, dressed in black clothes and leather, she even had several spiked chokers and bracelets, Starlight loved those days and she loved dressing in black and put on makeup to combine. But that was before… before she left them, before her mother left her, her dad and this world, that was the last straw, the last push she needed to make a total change, she abandoned everything she was before and begun a journey, one that would make sure that nopony ever abandon her again even if she had to force them to stay.
Starlight woke up from her daydream panting, she shook her head and looked around, she was on her office filled with pictures of her new friends, her old friend, family and even her favorite kites, she smiled knowing that the days of tyranny were long gone and now she enjoyed her life.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
“Come on, tell me!”
“No Trix, I won’t tell you the students’ issues, it would break their thrust, I have a duty to protect the secrecy of our sessions” Starlight responded to her best friend.
“That’s boring, at least tell me what’s in those boxes or are you protecting the boxes’ secrecy as well?”
Starlight sighed and put the boxes down once they reached her room “This is just some of my old stuff, I asked my dad to send them to me since he will need my room meanwhile Stellar Flare’s house is being rebuilt due to that water heater accident.”
“The Great and Suspicious Trixie doesn’t buy it, I have been among explosions all my life and a water heater can’t blow an entire house, I bet that’s just an excuse to start living with your dad.” Trixie said while hitting Starlight with her elbow and making kissing noises.
“TRIXIE! Please don’t put that image on my head! Ugh now I’ll have nightmares of them marrying and wanting me to be the best mare, I don’t think my stomach would stand it.”
“Mmhmm,” Trixie said while opening one of the boxes, pulling some posters, clothes and vinyls “Oh my, Black Solstice, Maretallica, The Tartarus Candidates, Slingshot, Orbsah Priest! I didn’t know you liked this kind of music.”
“I DON’T… fine I do or I did, when I was young, it was a different time for me I was a teen and it was just a phase,” she said while looking at her stuff in a nostalgic way “I should just throw it away.”
“Hey this is really good quality leather, can I have some of these clothes if you are throwing it anyway?” Trixie smirked waiting for Starlight’s answer.
“WHAT? NO! I mean… ”
Trixie laughed covering her face with her hat “I knew it, you still like all this stuff and I don’t blame you, black goes really good with your coat and mane colors.”
“Yeah it does, well maybe I could… No this is just childish things, I’m a grown mare and I don’t need this, take it if you want,”
“I wasn’t serious Glimmy, it doesn’t even fit in my caravan, speaking of which I need to go wash it before my next tour and you need to go to that ‘secret project’ you have with Twilight and the elements that you don’t want to tell me about,” Trixie pouted faking anger.
“Come on Trix, you know I would love to tell you about it, but Twilight made me promise to keep it secret, I’ll tell you eventually what it is about just be patient,”
“Fine, but it better be good for The Patient and Calm Trixie will wait until you finally tell me what is all that about,”
With that Trixie left, leaving Starlight with her thoughts, “Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad” she said grabbing one of the chokers, “*pfft* yeah right, I’m way too old for this, or am I?” Starlight kept going back and forward for about 15 minutes when she remembered her friends were waiting for her on Twilight’s studio.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
“SORRY! Sorry, I’m here now” Starlight apologized for arriving late.
“What took you so long, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked sipping from her apple juice.
“I was just storing away some of the stuff my dad sent me and lost track of time,” she quickly replied.
“That’s ok, now that you are here, finally it’s your turn to press the button,” Twilight directed Starlight to the music box.
“Ok, so I guess here goes nothing,” She pressed the button and a piano started playing.
“Wow this sounds really good, oh that guitar sounds so tight!” Starlight stated.
“Yeah sounds awesome, but where are the lyrics?” Rainbow asked and as a spell a female voice started singing.
“Another story? Darling, these aliens seem to enjoy singing stories, most of the songs we heard are written in a poetic fashion,” Rarity added directed to Twilight.
“Yeah you are right, but remember ‘there's always a bit of truth in legends’ I’m more intrigued in what is this ‘Gaia’ is it a place? A character? Is it even something that can be seen?” Twilight responded scratching her jaw and taking notes.
“Ah reckon Ah don’t get what them are sayin’ Twi, it’s like they are startin’ the story and then starting the story again, but this time with a painter on the shore,”
“The best part of the story is the start, so I bet they are starting the story and then starting it again and it will never ever end WEEEEEEE” Pinkie said while bouncing on her tail, “Never, never land? That sounds silly, if there is never land then they are going nowhere, but if they are going nowhere, then they are already there but upside down,”
“What are you talking about Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked her friend.
“You know, it’s like when you go nowhere, technically you are already there,” Pinkie replied making Fluttershy even more confused.
“But if you go nowhere, how are you going to actually go there?” Rainbow asked
“Some go this way,” Pinkie answered pointing to her left and making fake walking movements, “some go that way” then said pointing at the opposite side still walking in the same spot “but as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the short cut.” she then finally sat and ate another cookie, sporting a smile from ear to ear, this left all her friends even more confused than how they began.
“Wait! I think I get what Pinkie says,” Starlight said hitting her hoof with the other hoof like a hammer “maybe they are not telling a story, maybe they are just expressing the feel of telling a story but going nowhere,”
“Oh that makes more sense, darling, as a story the lyrics make no sense, but it’s like they made an amalgam of several stories,” Rarity said while enjoying the song and a cup of tea.
“Now that y’all mention that, some of dem lyrics sound like stories my granny used to tell me when Ah was a little filly,”
“Oh yes I love all those stories, sometimes I read some of them like the Magic Spear, White Frost and the seven Breezies or Beau and the Beast” Twilight quickly went through the list of breezy tales she remembered.
“But Twilight, aren’t those just for kids?” Starlight asked, giving a confused look.
“They are timeless classics Starlight, besides, you never grow too old to enjoy the things you love,” Her former mentor replied.
“That’s true, sugarcube, meanwhile Ah believe that hard and honest work is the best way to spend the day, Ah enjoy having fun like a little filly as well, just a few moons ago Ah spent the day with my sis trying to hunt the Great Seedling, Ah hadn’t had so much fun in years, now we try to do it from time to time.”
“Yeah I heard from Pinkie who heard from Sugar Belle who heard from Big Mac that you were practically beaming of innocence,” Rarity giggled covering her mouth with a hoof, “I wish I had seen it,” Applejack blushed and covered her face with her hat.
“Yeah we all keep stuff we love from our past, Fluttershy here keeps her mane-ga from Neighpon, without counting all the drawings she makes and between you and me, more than one body-pillow” Rainbow Dash said making Fluttershy blush.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy said in a way that it was supposed to sound like a scream but only sounded a bit louder than usual.
“What? Is not like it was a secret, most of us already know about your mane-ga collection, what they don't know is that you also like yao-bbfbfbfbfbb-” Rainbow was interrupted by Fluttershy's hoof covering her muzzle.
“What Rainbow means is that we all have stuff we enjoy, including a certain pegasus that still has her comfort blanket since flight school,” Fluttershy said still holding Rainbow on an unbreakable lock, meanwhile everypony else looked at them confused for the entire thing.
“I still like comics, and have most of my toys from childhood... well the ones that survived my growing fangs and sudden fire outbursts,” Spike said putting an innocent smile.
“But what if I don't want to remember the things from my past? what if I'm actually ashamed of it?" Starlight asked with.
“Darling, you know we forgave you for what you did, even the town ponies forgave you,” Rarity said hugging Starlight
“It's not that Rarity, I mean from before that, I used to be a bit um... well savage, I dressed all in black and even used black makeup and black dye on my mane and tail, and spent all day listening to metal bands, it's kinda embarrassing.”
“But, did you enjoy all that?” Twilight asked at which Starlight nodded, “do you think you can still enjoy it?” Starlight stared for a while but then nodded again, “then why would you feel embarrassed about it, like I said you never grow too old to enjoy the things you love,”
“I for one, would love to see you wearing black, the black and lilac go so well together, darling”
“Do you really think so?” Starlight asked her eyes all teary and big mmhmm was heard from all her friends, "Ok, I'll be right back, please wait here, and by the way Fluttershy, you should let go of Rainbow, she is turning blue... um bluer,” Starlight teleported and Fluttershy let go of Rainbow who gasped for air.
“Oh Rainbow I am ever so sorry, I forgot I was holding you,”
“Flutter *gasp* shy *gasp* you got *gasp* a strong *gasp* grip” Rainbow kept gasping when Starlight teleported back.
“So... what do you think?” Starlight wore a spiked choker, spiked bracelets, a leather vest with a skull on her back, a band on her head tied on the back, earrings with the shape of the mare in the moon and a metal chain instead of belt, “is not too much, is it? I was thinking on wearing makeup but decided not to,” Starlight put on a nervous smile since nopony said anything.
“I knew it, black goes divine with your coat color, and the accessories are... well I would lose the band and the chain belt but everything else is just right,” Rarity said nodding her head in approval, everypony else agreed.
“Hey, those look awesome, can I have a choker and bracelets like those as well?” Spike asked with his eyes like saucers.
“Sure Spike,” Starlight teleported a choker and two pairs of bracelets to Spike’s claws, he put them on and was making poses “how does it feel Spike?”
“I feel great, I feel bigger and for some reason I want to punch a plumber on the face” he responded, everypony laughed and Starlight felt even better, she had forgotten the beautiful smell of leather and the cold feel of metal against her coat, she felt complete and thanks to her friends she remembered the very advice she had given Gallus, she was now ready to accept her past and not be ashamed of it.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
“counselor Starlight, you called for me? I'm not in trouble again, am I?” Gallus asked while going in Starlight's office.
Starlight's chair was looking at the wall, “You know Gallus, I've been thinking, maybe I was being a bit hypocritical when I asked you to embrace your past,” she turned the chair to look at Gallus, she was reading a book.
“Wow, you look hardcore counselor Starlight, I like it, but I already made my decision, as much as I like my stuff I have to let it go so I can grow as an adult”
“Thanks, Gallus, but as I was saying, I was being a bit hypocritical since I wasn’t even embracing my own past, some friends helped realizing it and now I would like to help you. Here this is a really old book, I want you to read this paragraph,” Starlight levitated the book to Gallus' talons and he started reading.
“Ok... 'When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put away childish things,' You see? even history agrees with me,”
“Please read the rest,”
“Fine... 'When I became an adult, I put away childish things... including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.' oh…”
Starlight stud up and walked to Gallus, put a hoof on his shoulder and said.
“This book has Chancellor Puddinghead’s chronicles, she used to worry a lot when she was appointed representative of the earth pony race, the first thing she did was act all serious and not even joke about anything at all, this filled her with sadness and couldn’t help her fellow earth ponies, but once she discovered that it didn’t really matter if she was serious or not, she became one of the best leaders in pony history, so there you go Gallus, do you still think that denying your heart of the things you love would make you more adult?”
Gallus was amazed and teary eyed just from hearing about Chancellor Puddinghead lesson, he couldn’t help but hug Starlight.
“Thanks Counselor Starlight, I think I understand now… oh boy, please excuse me, I need to collect something from the trash before the truck arrives” with that he flew away as fast as he could.
“He’ll be ok,” She said while caressing her vest “ and I’ll be ok as well.”
To be continued