“Step right up! Step right up! Fillies, gentlecolts, and every creature: behold the majesty of the School of Friendship! While you attend the school you will make friends with creatures from all across the farthest reaches of Equestria, go on amazing adventures as you set off on field trips, and experience the knowledge all your teachers have to share with you. Some of you may even make bonds and learn skills that will save the future of Equestria! Best of all, you will each and every one of you receive the best guidance you could possibly wish from the best guidance counselor you could possibly hope to have! And that guidance counselor is none other than yours truly: The Great and Powerful Trixie!!”
With a flick of her hooves, fireworks shot up from behind her, whizzing and exploding above her head in multicolour. She stood on her hindlegs, her forehooves outstretched to the sky in triumph, her coattails billowing behind her. She could have sworn she heard a flourish of music to help punctuate her declaration. Once the ringing in her ears stopped and the smoke started to clear, Trixie opened her eyes to see how her captive audience received her.
In front of her stood a crowd of young students. Mostly ponies but there were a spattering of griffons, hippogriffs and other creatures, even a Kirin or two. Since it was founded, Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship had admitted any creature with an interest in attending. The first school in Equestria to do so. Over the years the school was still mostly ponies but it had noticeably become more and more diverse. Undeniably, the one trait every creature in front of Trixie shared was their speechlessness.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Quite the contrast to Trixie’s firework display, however brief it was. Some of the new students looked on in confusion, some looked on with shocked, open-mouthed expressions, and others had no discernable expression whatsoever. This was clearly not what they had been expecting when they stepped into the famous school’s great hall on their first day.
Trixie finally dropped down to her forehooves and started catching her breath. She was not the energetic young performer she once was, and even an act like this was enough to tire her out a little, if only momentarily. She cleared her throat and smiled at her audience; that trademark cocky smile that she always wore when she knew she had captivated an audience.
Just to her left was Principal Starlight Glimmer and next to her was Vice Principal Sunburst. Trixie turned to face them, raising her eyebrows as if to say, “aren’t you impressed?” Sunburst struggled to find the right words to diffuse the awkward situation Trixie had put the staff in yet again, but Starlight just rolled her eyes and stepped forward.
“I think what Guidance Counselor Trixie is trying to say is that we hope you’re all looking forward to beginning your studies here at the school,” Starlight said. “If you would please follow Vice Principal Sunburst, he will give you a tour of the grounds and give a quick rundown of the different classes you will take. Right, Sunburst?”
“Oh, uh, yes that’s right,” Sunburst said, the ringing in his ears still lingering. “Follow me please students.”
He led the students down the corridor and one by one they followed toward the numerous classrooms that lined the halls. Trixie called after them. “Remember, if you ever need guidance, Trixie’s door is always open!”
“Do you really have to showboat every time, Trixie?” Starlight sighed to her long-time best friend. “All the students need is a friendly welcome to the school.”
“And what could be more welcoming than a display of showmareship, hmm?” Trixie countered.
“Well as much as I always enjoy your showmareship, I’m not sure it’s the first thing eager young minds expect when they walk inside an academic institution like this.”
“That’s what makes it so special, Starlight! It shows them that this isn’t going to be like other schools. This is a fun school!”
“Also, using your introduction to tell them they may need to save Equestria in the future,” Starlight continued, that’s a lot of pressure to put on them before their first term has even really started.”
“Trixie’s just saying that the school happens to carry a reputation of world saving graduates.”
“We want them to feel welcomed, not alienated,” Starlight countered. “Sure, the school is legendary and all that but it should also feel like a second home to every creature that walks through those front doors. These first impressions are important for us to make. And they need to know that they can feel comfortable going to your for guidance without being afraid of any fireworks or smoke bombs blowing up in their faces.”
Trixie gasped. “The smoke bombs are my trademark, Starlight. You know that. I’m just being me!”
“And I love you when you’re being you. Is it too much to ask that you, well, tone down the razzle dazzle?”
“I thought I was toning down the razzle dazzle,” Trixie pondered. “It was way less than what I did last year. Remember when I had those timberwolves jumping through hoops!”
“Flaming hoops, and yes how could I forget?” said Starlight.
“Or the year before when I rode a pyramid of cockatrices? I was so thankful Silverstream could help me train them…”
Starlight looked tired. Trixie had gotten carried away again and she knew it. She knew her friend had no interest in arguing, or reminiscing for that matter, as the first day of school left her with a lot to prepare for. Trixie had grown to really admire Starlight as the headmare and knew the right thing to do was respect her wishes.
Trixie sighed. “I guess I could try a … softer approach next time.”
“Thanks, Trixie,” Starlight smiled. “Make no mistake I appreciate the effort you make in trying to appeal to the students. That’s why I asked you to be the school’s guidance counselor in the first place. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to check the lesson plans for tomorrow one last time.”
“Tea later?” Trxie said with hope in her eyes.
“Tea later,” Starlight confirmed with a nod.
They hugged each other and headed to their respective offices. Trixie loved their one-on-one moments where they could leave the pressures of the school aside for a bit. Those moments were getting less and less frequent with each passing school year.
Before they were out of earshot of each other Trixie turned back to Starlight. “You still like my razzle dazzle though, don’t you?” Trixie asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
Starlight looked over her shoulder. “Oh yeah, just like old times.” Then with a smirk she added, “though I must say you’re getting a bit slow, old mare.”
Trixie shook her head and chuckled. “Oh, everypony’s a critic…”