//------------------------------// // How Does That Make You Feel? // Story: Where's My Counselor? // by puffyball //------------------------------// "Is there anything else you need to get off you chest Gallus?" Trixie inquired. She had been chatting with the griffin a myriad of times since she took on the job as guidance counselor. He seemed to be Trixie's most frequent visitor. This has been since she had stood up for him to Grampa Gruff he seemed to have connected to the unicorn. "No, I think I had enough venting for one day. Thanks for listening to me ramble Counselor Lulamoon" Gallus replied with a small, but genuine smile. The griffin looked at the clock to see that the school day ended two and a half hours ago. "Oh sorry, I didn't realize how long I was ranting for." Gallus apologized while giving a sheepish smile. "I know you have been pretty busy lately with the whole..." "There is no need to apologize Gallus, Trixie has no problem staying after school. After all it is my job to make sure that all the students get the guidance they need." Trixie interrupted the griffin while giving him a reassuring grin. She got up from her desk and stood next to Gallus. "If you ever need help please don't hesitate to come, my door is always open Gallus, I'm always glad to help" Trixie informed the student. "Thanks Counselor Lulamoon, I apperciate that" Gallus told Trixie earnestly. "Now I should probably go find my friends" he said while grabbing his saddlebag. "See ya Counselor Lulamoon!" The griffin said while rushing out the door to meet his friends. Trixie's smile lingered on her face while closing up her office. She felt like she was actually making a difference in with her work with Gallus. The blue unicorn grabbed a notepad left on her desk. It was an attendance sheet. Every time a student came in to talk to her she would write the student's name and the date. She opened the pad to the current page and wrote down 'Gallus' as well as the date. Trixie took a peek at the previous pages seeing all of the pages filled with the name Gallus over and over again. The unicorn kept flipping the pages seeing Gallus's name all over it with a few other students sprinkled in at random points. Trixie's smile faltered. She never really noticed how few students actually come to talk to her. Sure Gallus was in her office a lot, but other than him she has spoken to a hooveful of students. Trixie's mind starting racing. "Have they not forgiven Trixie?" the unicorn began pacing around the dimly lit office "or maybe they think I'm a terrible counselor!" Trixie exclaims with a hint of shakiness to her voice. "Now we both know that's not true" a familiar voice called out. Trixie looked up to see Starlight Glimmer standing inside the doorframe. "Starlight what are you doing here?" Trixie asked while hastily shoving the notepad in her saddlebag. "Well now that I'm headmare, I have so many new responsibilities I need to attend to before I can leave for the night." Starlight answered as she sauntered over to her friend. "Now" Starlight now was standing right next to Trixie "Why in Equestria would you ever think your a bad counselor?" Starlight asked her friend, a look of great concern was all over her face. Trixie sighed and took out the notepad she tried to hide in her saddlebag. "There's no point in hiding it from you Starlight." The unicorn levitated the notepad to the headmare. The notes were soon levitated in a blue aura as Starlight took the records from Trixie's pink aura. Trixie took a few steps back wanting so badly to bolt out of the room, but the cerulean unicorn noticed a look of confusion that took over Starlight's face. "I don't get it what does this have to do with you being a 'terrible counselor'?" Starlight inquired doing hoof quotes while repeating Trixie's own words. Trixie quickly rushed right next to her friend pointing the paper. "Don't you see? Trixie has had barely any visitors other than Gallus!" The blue pony blurted out as quick as she could while pointing to her records. "The pages don't lie Starlight." Trixie lamented while as she dramatically fell onto the couch across from her desk. Starlight giggled and trotted over to her former desk, which instantly made Trixie sit up from the seat. "This is no laughing manner Starlight! Trixie needs to figure out a way to get the students to like me" Trixie snapped. The headmare took a seat across from Trixie. "I'm sorry Trixie, its just according to the attendance you seem like your on the right track to me." Starlight claimed while hovered her notepad back to Trixie. It was Trixie's turn to give a look of confusion. "How is that possible, I have had such little interaction with the students?" The cerulean pony questioned the headmare. "Trixie you do realize that this is 'The School of Friendship' right?" Starlight asked her friend. "What does that have to do with it" Trixie remarked while folding her hooves and making a pouty face. "Well... the students here have many resources besides the guidance counselor" Starlight began while getting up from the chair "I mean trust me when I was counselor I had so many slow days where I alphabetized all the books in this room hundreds of times and other days where the line to talk to me went all the way down the hall" Starlight chuckled as she recalled. "Honestly when I was first appointed as headmare I had tons of new doubts, like would I be able to be as good of a headmare as Twilight was? Plus the thought of being in charge permanently really worried me considering my past" Starlight admitted. "Luckily for me Princess Twilight did a great job preparing me for the position as well as letting me hire you and Sunburst. Knowing that I had my friends by my side really helped me let go of my worries" the purple unicorn told the new counselor as she strolled over to her. Trixie sat up to let Starlight sit next to her. Starlight hopped on the couch and was now right beside Trixie giving her a soft smile. "Trust me Trix, you are the right pony for the job. I've seen your work with Gallus, you're a natural." Starlight assured her friend by resting her hoof on the blue mare's shoulder. A light blush crept on Trixie's face as she felt Starlight's hoof on her shoulder. "Thank you Starlight" Trixie managed to spew out. Starlight removed her hoof and was about to reply to Trixie until she was interrupted by the mare in question suddenly leaping from the seat. "So are all days this slow?" Trixie questioned. Starlight rolled her eyes and wandered over to Trixie's desk to search for the calendar. She found it under her copy of some sort of magic magazine. "Come over here Trix" Starlight spoke looking for a marker. Trixie quickly joined her friend by the desk. "Okay the office is always busy during midterms and finals week." Starlight informed Trixie while circling which days those were. "Also, usually days before and after parent-teacher conferences are usually pretty hectic." Starlight said while circling those days as well. The cerulean mare listened intently to Starlight's whole spiel about which days were the busiest then after that she got another lecture on why she was such a great counselor from Starlight. Trixie had a goofy smirk on her face while watching her friend go on and on about every little detail. "So if you have any more questions let me know Trixie" Starlight finished while giving Trixie back her calendar. "Thanks for the encouragement, I really needed it" Trixie admitted. She was instantly greeted by a hug. "Of course Trix, I care about you. I want you to succeed and I know you have the abilities to do so" Starlight claimed while hugging her friend. While in the embrace, Starlight looked out the window to see that it was already dark out. "Now lets get out of here, I've had enough school for one day" Starlight finished while pulling away from the counselor. The two of them exited the office and closed up the school for the night together.