Comforting's face lit up with a scheming expression as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation and said "Okay! Let's go over the basics. Starlight is trying to be a good counselor. Props for her."
"Yeah, props." Trixie was not at all convinced by that thought and her expression showed her disagreement. "And it's running her into the ground, and keeping her away from me."
"Right right. She's trying her best, and she's made it clear to everycreature in there--" Comforting gave a wave in the direction of the school, which appeared to be tranquil and organized from a distance. "--that they can come bother her with anything, from the smallest thing, to the most world-endingest thing they got. And they listened!"
"So she just has to... tell them to go away?" Trixie made a shooing motion with her hooves. "That sounds simple enough."
"She won't do that," sang out Comforting. "She wants to do right by this job, so just sending everything away? She won't."
"So... You're saying we should just sit back and watch her be miserable then?" Trixie cocked a brow. "For a sorta-Discord, that's a boring answer that doesn't help." She rose to her hooves. "Or! I can just march in there and give her a piece of my mind. Just a little piece should be enough. Trixie's mind is also great and powerful, you know."
Comforting could easily imagine Trixie dropping on the scene like an angry, and magical, weight. "Let's work backwards."
"Backwards?" Trixie rolled her eyes. "Trixie would prefer to march forwards right into that little office of hers."
Comforting bounced towards the school, facing Trixie and going backwards. "Let me do a little spying first. We'll save crashing into her office as a last resort."
Trixie shook herself out with a distressed whicker. "She promised to come tomorrow and learn how to make this cake with Trixie. Do you think she'll be there? And if she is there, what are the odds she'll stay there? This is for Maud's party! We both like Maud..." She looked off at that. "Even if she is very confusing to Trixie."
Maud?! Comforting knew her, from a distance. She never met Maud, in person, and the urge was strong to want to fix that since she was brought up, but... "I'll go look. Let's fix this, together." She offered a hand.
Trixie did not meet it with a hoof. "Go on then. I'll hope for the best, but Trixie expects the worst."
With permission secured, Comforting darted into the school. It was mid-class, so there shouldn't have been anyone in the halls, and yet... There was a handful of creatures waiting for their turn with Starlight. Comforting landed at the back of the line and tapped the pony in front of her.
"Yeah?" The stallion peeked over his shoulder. "Oh, Comforting. What's up?"
She didn't know him, not personally. Still, she was famous enough that random people knowing her name wasn't that surprising. "Hello! What are you in line for?"
"To see the counselor, duh." He inclined his head towards Starlight's door. "It's taking forever."
"Yeah..." Comforting leaned far to the left to see all the ponies and other creatures waiting. "They only have one counselor. She must be super busy, seeing so many every day."
"Every day?" The pony blinked, clearly surprised at the idea. "I only came today."
"It was like this yesterday, and the day before, and..." Comforting rolled her hands with each repetition. "There's no stop!"
"Wow... That sounds hard." The pony rubbed at his cheek. "Why don't they get another counselor?"
"That's a great question." Comforting could think of no good counter to it. "Only Twilight could know that. Maybe Twilight can't afford it? Or there aren't other counsel-ponies around?"
"Poor Starlight." He stepped off the line. "I guess it isn't that important."
Comforting grabbed for him, getting a leg before he got too far away. "Wait, one question really quick. If she started setting regular hours, would that upset you?"
"Hm?" He turned to face her properly. "No, why would that bother me?" He pointed at her door. "I was kinda surprised she's even here when the school's closed, to be honest."
Comforting clapped her hands. "Alright!" The stallion looked confused at her excitement and went on their day. "Now I wait..."
Waiting wasn't fun. Fortunately, so long as she kept it to herself, summoning a handheld game or two to pass the time was permitted by the universe. She couldn't share it with the other waiters, but it helped her, at least. Alas, there were limits to her chaotic magic. She slipped inside the office, taking note of the lack of an hours sign.
She fell back against the door, closing it. "Starlight!"
"Comforting." Starlight was smiling behind her desk. "I thought I'd have to wait a lot longer before I saw you again. Is something wrong? I'm here for you."
"I know you are." She reached up and casually locked the door. The door didn't have a lock a moment before, but Comforting wasn't rushing to remind anyone of that. "You are a good pony. Too good. I think it's time for an intervention."
"A what now?" Starlight inclined her head at the approaching Comforting. "Hold on there. Are you mad I had to cut our last session short?" She began to sweat with worry. "I didn't mean to! We can have a session right now!" Her anklet began to pulse in time with a knock at the door.
"That? That's not good." She pointed back at the door. "Not for me, you, or anycreature--one else." She shook her head with a frown at her slip. She was getting in bad pony habits! "Noone that comes in here can expect you to give them time, because you're out of time. You gave all you have, then kept giving!"
"Somepony has to be here!" squeaked out Starlight, cringing back into her chair. "Who else is going to do it?"
"Nobody, if we keep this up." Comforting hopped up onto Starlight's desk. "I happen to like you, a lot. You know that, I hope, right?"
"I'm glad to hear that." Starlight let herself relax and looked up towards her upright client. "I would be pleased to understand what I can do to aid you today."
"By helping me help you." She reached out, booping Starlight on the nose. "You don't deserve this."
"W-what? I work very hard to be the best counselor I can be!" With a surge of energy, Starlight stood from the chair she was seated in. "I may--"
"--Not like that," cut in Comforting, waving wildly. "You're great! You don't deserve this unfair treatment. The ponies don't deserve to see you suffering. You're not giving, or getting, your best. Nobody is winning."
Starlight side-eyed Comforting suspiciously. "You have a different point of view from most ponies I know. I attract ponies like that... So, tell me." She folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me what you see. What do you think I should be doing?"
Comforting weighed her words carefully. "You want every pony, dragon, or other creature to be able to come in, talk to you, and walk out with their problem fixed, right? That's the idea."
"Of course." Starlight sank back into her chair. "Sit. You're making me nervous having to look up at a patient."
Comforting clapped her hands, causing Starlight's chair to shoot up until she was a little above Comforting. "You're the patient right now. Alright. You can't do that. As soon as..." As if timed, Starlight's bracelet pulsed in time with a fresh knocking at the door. "Busy," called out Comforting. "As soon as one comes in, the next is already pounding on the door. This is not sustainable, for anycreature involved."
"Alright..." Starlight didn't sound at all convinced. "What's your proposal, Comforting?" She reached with her magic, grabbing the lever to allow her chair down with a hiss. "How do we fix it all?"
Comforting reached across the divide to cup at either of Starlight's round cheeks. Ponies had such grabbable cheeks. It was a horse thing. "You set boundaries. You're here for x to y. No exceptions. You set a schedule. Somecreature needs your help, they reach out, and you set a time to talk to them, a time nocreature else is allowed to bother you. It's all about them and nothing else in the whole world." She worked a hand in an arc with the mention of the world, vast and round.
"But... But... What if there's an emergency?" Starlight rubbed behind her head nervously. "If a student is having a meltdown, who else can help?"
"You're not the only faculty in the whole building!" shouted Comforting louder than she had planned. She colored in shame, realizing her error. "Um, sorry... But really... If it's that bad, and you're busy, than they should talk to one of the other teachers. They all love us!" She hugged herself so hard, a little heart popped free and floated over her head. "They all want to help. Let them help a little, until you get a moment."
"But..."
"You saw what I just did?" Comforting hiked a thumb at herself. "You're going to do that to a student when they need help the most. Do you want that?"
"N-no! Of course not! That would be... terrible." Starlight sank miserably in place. "But I can't just... do that. The students will be so mad at me, and disappointed, for a good reason!" She pressed both hooves to her chest. "They rely on me!"
"It's time to respect your best student, the one that relies on you the most."
Starlight looked around, as if some pony would just leap into view. "Which... pony is that?" But it clicked. "You mean me, don't you? Look, it's not that bad." She gently shooed Comforting off her desk. "You don't need me today, you've made very clear. Let's allow the next student in, hm?"
"But..." Starlight's stern look left no room for argument. "Alright..." Comforting slipped out the door, allowing a new pony to rush into the void she left behind. An audible growl escaped her lips as she clenched her teeth together. "Why don't we visit another close friend of ours?"
She casually slipped free of a stage hat Trixie was mid-reaching for. Trixie squeaked in surprise, dropping the hat and Comforting to the ground. "Where did you come from?!"
"Sorry." Comforting rapidly grew to her usual size, dusting herself off along the way. "I talked to Starlight, and did a little investigating."
"Did you now?" Trixie reclaimed her hat with her magic. "Then you've seen how much of a mess she's making?"
"It's a big mess," sighed out Comforting. "I tried to just tell her, but I'm not sure she's listening. She's all in on being the bestest counselor ever, even as she fails at that."
"That does sound like a Starlight thing to do." Trixie tapped at her chin with a hoof with considering noises. "She won't back down until something explodes. Trixie admires her attitude, really. But it's bothering me, so I hate it." The conflict in that statement was entirely missed by Trixie. "Trixie's been there! Really, I have... I was once ready to end Trixie's great and powerful career when I was feeling really down and just wouldn't take 'let's wait a moment' as an answer... I get it... I hate it... but I do get it..."
"I have an idea!" Comforting clapped her hands together firmly. "What if we have so much fun, she gets jealous of us and wanders away from work for a change?"
Trixie waggled her brows. "Devious! Trixie likes the way you're thinking, Comforting. She has to remind herself sometimes that while you are a nicer Discord, you're still a Discord. Very well! Let us begin a new show! Now, how, exactly, do you propose we convince her of how much fun we are having?"