It was just another fine spring day in Ponyville, a day that seemed to not be at all out of the ordinary. And that meant it was the perfect kind of day for Trixie to treat her best friend Starlight Glimmer to a little surprise. The surprise turned out to be a small picnic, with a blanket with red and white alternating squares on it, said blanket having been set up on a hill overlooking the town. There was a picnic basket, napkins, paper plates, and of course food and beverages.
Trixie took the liberty of explaining her motivations for having asked Starlight to step out of her office and join her fellow unicorn in the outdoors. "I know how hard you've been working lately, so I figured you could use a little break. Enjoy."
When Starlight's eyes beheld the picnic in all its glory, she couldn't help but gasp! This was such a welcome display of friendship from her fellow unicorn. "Trixie, this looks amazing! You've outdone yourself, really!" She insisted even as she waved a hoof. "But honestly, my job doesn't really seem like work," Just then, a light bluish-green bracelet on one of her hooves began to glow. And when it glowed it began to admit a faint chime. The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat quickly realized what this meant. "Oh! Speaking of... I'll be right back!" And she lit up her horn, disappearing in a flash.
Trixie sighed as she sat down on the picnic blanket, waiting for Starlight to return. This sort of thing had been happening a lot lately, hence the magician's concern for her friend.
Starlight soon returned in another flash of light, and then sat down on the picnic blanket, acting as if nothing had happened. She even continued talking like she hadn't just been interrupted. "Sure, being counselor for the students at Twilight's school is demanding, but—" Then her bracelet chimed again and she stood up. "Oh. One sec." She said, and teleported away again.
Trixie sighed anew as she watched Starlight disappear. All the magician's efforts into preparing the picnic were going to waste. "All I wanted to do was do something nice for my friend. Celestia knows she could use a break," She thought to herself. "It's like she has no time for anyone or anything else these days. Her job can't be that demanding, can it?"
Starlight Glimmer returned but a moment later, sitting back down on the picnic blanket once again. She seemed oblivious to the worried looks Trixie was giving her. "Where was I?" She questioned, before suddenly remembering. "Oh, right," And she explained to Trixie. "Being able to use the experiences of my checkered past to help young students feels pretty great. And to think I didn't actually want the job originally. It's funny how life works sometimes," Then she started helping herself to some of the food, enjoying a delicious sandwich. "Mmm! Excellet sandwich, Trixie! Thanks!"
The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat nodded. "You're welcome," But then she cleared her throat. There was a reason why she'd wanted to have this picnic, and it wasn't just to give her fellow unicorn a break. "Although, I must admit I'm a little bit concerned for you, Starlight."
"Why is that?" Starlight questioned as she swallowed her food.
Trixie tried to explain as best she could, hoping her tone of voice would convey her intentions. "Well, much as I feel nothing but admiration for the work you do at the school, it is a little all-consuming. And I miss spending time with you like we used to."
Starlight blinked her eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about? We're spending time right now, aren't we? Besides, spring break is coming up soon. And that means no classes. No classes means no students, which means there'll be nothing to get in our way, right?"
"Yeah, but there's the little issue of Twilight taking the throne soon. And she's made it clear she intends to hoof the reigns over to you in terms of running the school," Trixie pointed out. "That feels like it's gonna really cut into our time."
"It's not set in stone, Trixie!" Starlight firmly protested. "I'm quite content with my job as a guidance counselor. I don't intend to be a replacement for Twilight, especially not as headmare of an entire school," She then declared with a confident smile. "I feel like my life is finally starting to come together after everything I've been through these past few years," Then she bit into her sandwich again, only to have her bracelet start glowing and chiming once again. "Sorry, brb!" She said with her mouth still full of food, and lit up her horn before teleporting away once more.
Trixie was fast losing what little patience she'd had. Not only was Starlight constantly being called away, but she seemed ignorant of how this was starting to become a problem.
The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat returned but a moment later, apologizing to her friend and fellow unicorn. "Sorry," She said with a sigh. "I cast a spell on the door to my office so this bracelet goes off whenever there's a knock, that way I'll know if there's a student who needs my help. With spring break coming up, it's almost the end of a quarter. And that's always a busy time for me. And of course, poor Yona is having the worst time with her braids lately," Taking a few sips of a smoothie from a plastic cup and a straw, she then asked. "Anyway, you were saying?"
Trixie frowned. "Forget it, Starlight. You've proved Trixie's point. If you're too busy to hang out with her anymore, you can just say it. You don't have to pretend just to spare Trixie's feelings."
"Trixie, I'm sorry, okay!" Starlight Glimmer remarked. "This is exactly why I don't want the job of being headmare after Twilight leaves. I can barely keep up with my responsibilities as it is," She sighed while running a hoof through her mane. "Sometimes, it feels like I'm just going through a routine. But I can't let the students down, they depend on me to help them with their problems. How can I possibly turn them down when they need me most?"
"I don't know, Starlight," Trixie slowly replied. "But you can't keep going on like this. You've got too much on your plate. You're no good to anypony if you keep letting yourself get distracted," Then she firmly insisted. "Sooner or later, you need to start setting some boundaries. You have needs too, you know."
Little did the magician anticipate how important her "advice" was going to become in the span of a day or two. A series of unforeseen circumstances was going to force not only Starlight, but also a lot of other ponies and non-ponies to think about some life choices.
Starlight enjoyed the picnic lunch with Trixie, but she still opted to cut it short in order to get back to her office before too much time had passed.
When the unicorn mare returned to her counselor's office, however, she was both surprised and concerned to find none other than Twilight Sparkle waiting for her. That wasn't a good sign. And the look on the alicorn's face did nothing to help the situation. She seemed... troubled, for lack of a better word.
Gulping and swallowing hard, Starlight Glimmer reluctantly asked. "Why have you come to my office, Twilight? Did I do something wrong?"
Twilight shook her head from side to side. "You're not in any trouble, Starlight. But could I see you in my office for a bit? There's something I wanna discuss with you."
"Look, I'm sorry if I haven't exactly been doing a good job of keeping my office open all the time," Starlight nervously protested. "I've been very busy, and today Trixie was quite insistent on dragging me away for lunch. I promise, I'll work extra hard from now until the end of the quarter!"
The young alicorn just looked Starlight deep in the eyes. "It's got nothing to do with how you've been doing your job, you're doing great," And she grabbed the unicorn by the hooves. "Come on, let's discuss this somewhere where the students won't be able to overhear us. I don't want there to be any cause for concern." She then teleported herself and Starlight to her office on the other side of the school, before then making sure that the doors were locked tight behind them.
Starlight hesitantly questioned. "So, what's the big deal, Twilight? Why'd you wanna see me if this isn't about me?"
Twilight then explained. "Well... I know this is sudden and everything, but I need you to take over for me and run the school for a while. In fact, my friends and I are all going to be up in Canterlot for a few days, and Spike's going too."
At that, Starlight's eyes went wide! "What?! You... you can't be serious, Twilight!"
The young alicorn firmly nodded. "I most certainly am," And she let out a sigh as she explained. "Lately, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been 'overeager' to help. I think that their retirement from ruling, along with them helping us against Lord Tirek a few months back has gotten to them."
"And what's wrong with that?" The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat questioned.
"Nothing, really," Twilight admitted. "Except for the fact that they're constantly trying to help even when they really don't need to," She then explained further. "So I had a little talk with them, and convinced them to let my friends and I be rulers for a few days while they go on vacation. That way it'll give them a chance to do all the things they've always wanted to do but never found time for. Plus, this way I can be better prepared for when I have to take the throne for real," And she added. "Obviously, if I'm gonna do that, I'll need somepony to keep an eye on the school."
Starlight blinked slowly as the realization settled in. Yet she couldn't hide her hesitation as she protested. "Are you sure you want me, Twilight? Have you forgotten what's happened the last couple of times I've been in charge? There was my 'competition' with Discord, and then there was the time when our foreign exchange students went missing and I didn't know where they were. How do you know I won't mess up again?"
"You did a pretty good job managing things during my Sibling Supreme contest," Twilight said with a smile. "And you've come a very long way in the time since you graduated from being my student. Besides, it's almost spring break. All you'll really have to do is make sure all the students go home for the break. I know you already had plans with Trixie for that time."
The unicorn mare blinked anew, this time in confusion. "Huh... what do you mean?" Then it slowly dawned on her, a memory she'd almost forgotten. "Oh, right, the spring equinox celebration. We're going over to Maud and Mudbriar's for a party, and even Sunburst is gonna be there!" That caused her to bite into one of her hooves. "I still haven't gotten everything ready yet, I've been so distracted dealing with the students. How will I ever find time if I'm also taking over from you?"
Twilight's smile grew brighter. "I'm sure you'll manage, Starlight. Just don't tell the students about my absence. There's no need for any of them to worry. By the time spring break is over, I'll be back from Canterlot and you can go back to your old job. I don't think I'll be taking over from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna until at least the Summer Sun Celebration. School will be out for summer by then, which means you'll have plenty of time to prepare for the transition."
Starlight sighed, then looked down at the bracelet on her hooves. She knew what it meant when it started to glow and chime. "Well, it looks like my help as a guidance counselor is needed once again," She said to Twilight. "If you really have that much faith in me, I guess I'll trust you. I just hope you're not mistaken." And she teleported away in the blink of an eye.
As it turned out, the student who was in need of help from Starlight was none other than Silverstream. The usually bubbly and cheerful hippogriff seemed just a tiny bit anxious if the look on her face was anything to go by. "Sorry to bother you so close to spring break, Counselor Starlight, but I have a little bit of a problem involving my family."
"What do you mean?" Starlight questioned. "I thought you and your family worked out the whole hippogriff/seapony debate already."
"Oh no no no, it's not like that! Mom and Dad are getting along just fine now, they have their jobs but they still find time to be with each other," Silverstream quickly insisted. "And Terramar's doing good too. He says he can't wait until he's old enough to come to the school himself," Then she explained. "My problem's with my cousins, namely my younger cousins," She proceeded to prattle on at length, unaware that a long line of students was forming behind her. "I totally respect their decision to stay as seaponies, it's the only world they've ever know and they don't wanna give it up if they don't have to. But there's just so many things on land that they've never seen before, so many things I wanna tell them."
Starlight did her best to look interested in what Silverstream had to say. "Well... I... don't see how I can help with that."
The pink feathered hippogriff nervously chuckled. "Well, I was hoping to ask you for some help with this research assignment from Professor Fluttershy's class. It's about dangerous fauna in the Everfree Forest. But then I started thinking about the visit from my younger cousins that's going to happen during the break. So I thought I could ask you for help with that first, and then maybe I could concentrate on my research assignment," She pulled out a notepad and a quill, asking the unicorn. "I mean, how would you describe a shower to creatures who live in water? So far all I've got is 'warm' and 'steamy'. And steam has water in it. In fact, water gets warm too."
The unicorn mare hesitantly replied. "Silverstream, I really don't think I'm the pony to ask about this kind of stuff. And I've got a lot of other students who want to see me today."
"Oh, I know, I know!" Silverstream impatiently replied. "But I just need a few shower adjectives... as long as they don't involve water or getting wet. Although, maybe I should just take a picture or something?"
Starlight Glimmer let out a sigh. "Well, what about that book on plumbing you checked out a while back? Maybe that could help?" When she saw the disappointed look on the hippogriff's face, however, she added. "But you did come to me, and I never turn away a student in need," She put a hoof to her chin, contemplating. "Let's see: There's 'clean', 'relaxing', um..." She struggled to think of any other adjectives, her mind so full of other things.
The young hippogriff wrote down the words, frowning a bit. "Well, a nap's pretty relaxing too. Don't think that helps," She sighed. "Clean's okay, but the plumbing book mentions clean on all your plumbing stuff," She blushed. "Sorry, I think I'm gonna have to think about this a little more on my own time. Thanks for the suggestions, though." And she turned and walked away.
The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat sighed anew as she looked at the long line of students. Much as she loved helping the students solve their problems, she was starting to wonder if she was truly up to the task. And if she was struggling with this, how was she ever going to handle managing their lives more in-depth as the school's headmare?
Somehow, someway, Starlight managed to make it through the long line of students who wanted to see her and ask her for help. Whether it be Ocellus dealing with some "identity issues" related to a sudden inability to control her transformations, Smolder's indiscriminate fire breathing causing problems, or even Silverstream asking for more help describing things like towels or the sensation of being dry, Starlight forced herself to smile until she could get the problems resolved.
By the time was all said and done, poor Starlight Glimmer was left in a very frazzled state. Her mane and tail were starting to become disorganized. To make matters worse, she then realized she was late for a planned meeting with Trixie! The two had yet to go over their plans for the upcoming equinox celebration. Maud's first ever party promised to be a special occasion, and with Sunburst coming to Ponyville everything needed to be as perfect as possible.
After taking a moment to compose herself and loosely style her mane and tail to look presentable, Starlight lit up her horn and teleported away again. In her haste, she'd forgotten about leaving a sign on her office door that read "This office is currently closed, sorry for the inconvenience". That was going to be a major source of trouble for her.
Trixie was already waiting for her fellow unicorn out in the middle of Ponyville, currently holding aloft a scroll with her magic. When she saw Starlight teleport right next to her, Trixie did her best to hide her impatience. "What is it with you and those students?" She questioned. "Do they think you're supposed to solve all their problems for them? What would they ever do if you got sick or something and couldn't come to work?"
Starlight Glimmer protested. "They need me, Trixie! I can't abandon them! Especially not that I'm now going to be filling in for Twilight as headmare for the next few days. Looks like we're not the only ones who've made plans for the upcoming equinox."
Trixie then pointed out. "Nopony is saying your job isn't important, Starlight. But plans you make with your friends are important, too."
Starlight sighed once again. Much as she hated to admit it, her fellow unicorn had a point. "I know. And I'm sorry. As busy as I've been and as busy as I'm gonna be, that's no excuse for forgetting about the plans we already made, Trixie. I have to set a good example for the students when it comes to friendship," Then she asked. "So, remind me again, what are the things we need to do before Maud's big party?"
The currently not practicing magician unfurled the scroll she was holding, listing off the tasks that had been written on one by one. Her tone of voice almost sounded like a whine of frustration. "Maud needs streamers for the decorations. Sunburst wants us to pick up a genuine pre-Equestrian spring equinox chafing dish from the antique shop."
"Of course he does. He loves his antiques," Starlight commented in a tone of voice that sounded more annoyed than amused. "What else?"
Trixie read further. "Mudbriar wants a bouquet of flowering sticks – whatever those are. And I thought we were both looking forward to Mrs. Cake teaching us the secret recipe to her famous spring equinox cake. It's something she hasn't taught to either Pinkie Pie or Sugar Belle yet. She agreed to teach it to us after serving as a substitute teacher at the school one time."
Starlight Glimmer nervously chuckled. "Oh, I'm totally looking forward to that! That sounds like a lot of fun," Yet she then proposed. "Although, maybe we should skip the hassle and just buy a cake from her?"
In response to the suggestion, Trixie's eyes narrowed as she pressed her snout up against Starlight's, telling her friend in no uncertain terms. "We could... but then we'd miss out on baking together. Plus, the time I spent flattering and convincing and begging her to share the recipe with us for nothing! And we promised to make a cake, not buy a cake! And the Great and Powerful Trixie keeps her promises!"
Starlight couldn't argue with that. "Okay! Why don't we just split up these jobs, then? Make it easier for both of us," And she began to suggest. "I'll get the streamers and the chafing dish. And you-" Yet just then she heard the bracelet on her left front hoof start to chime.
Trixie frowned, not amused in the slightest. "Starlight!" She remarked in an impatient, demanding tone of voice.
Ignoring the harsh glare from her friend, Starlight simply replied. "-Get started on those sticks, and I'll be right back! I'm sure this won't take long. Probably just Silverstream asking for more 'help' describing things to her cousins," She then gave a nervous laugh as she took hold of the scroll, proposing. "In fact, why don't I just hang on to this? Wouldn't want to forget the things I just said I'd take care of. Because I am totally gonna take care of them... once I take care of... whatever this is!" And she teleported away again.
Now alone, Trixie sighed and shook her head from side to side. "Why won't you just take a break, Starlight? It's not going to be the end of the world if you do! Those students have to learn they can't always rely on you to solve everything for them." She thought to herself, then reluctantly set off to find out what "flowering sticks" were and how she might order them for Mudbriar.
Ordering the flowering sticks proved to be very difficult for Trixie. The first pony she sought to ask was Rose, convinced that maybe a flower salespony would know a thing or two about flowering sticks.
Rose did seem to have some idea of what the aforementioned objects were, and so she asked Trixie as the magician stood by the flower stand. "Could it be plum blossom? Or how about cherry rose?"
"I have no idea," Trixie admitted. "I've got half a mind to find Mudbriar and drag him here so he can explain it," She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, what does Maud see in him?"
Just then, Starlight almost literally popped right in, giving both Trixie and Rose quite a scare! "Whoops! Sorry about that, Rose," She apologized with a laugh, appearing to be a bit distracted. "But I need a bouquet of flowering sticks, stat!"
Trixie blinked in confusion. "Wait, I thought I was getting the flowering sticks, Starlight."
"Oh, were you? I must've forgotten." Starlight said with a nervous giggle.
Rose could only shrug her hooves in response. "I'm still not exactly sure what they are or if we even have them."
"Apparently, nopony does." Trixie pointed out.
The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat then replied. "That's okay. You just focus on the sticks, Trixie. I'll go get the streamers-" But as she spoke, her bracelet chimed anew, prompting her to add. "-Riiiight after I take care of what I'm sure is an even smaller student problem than the last one! A counselor's work is never done!"
Unfortunately for Starlight Glimmer, whether it was picking up the streamers or collecting Sunburst's antique chafing dish, she found that she kept being called away due to problems the students were having. It seemed like every student at the school had some sort of problem they couldn't solve by themselves, though strangely enough many of them had very little to do with the school or with classes. None of the students seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary even as some of their professors were quickly packing up their things after the last bell had rung.
But Starlight just didn't have the heart to turn away any of the students, no matter how small their problem might be. "I have to prove to Twilight that her faith in me isn't misplaced. If she reallly intends to have me take her place as headmare of the school, I've got to get used to things like this." She mentally told herself, constantly forcing herself to smile as she tried to quickly sort out whatever problem was presented to her. All the while, she kept thinking back to Trixie, who had to more or less do all the things Starlight had promised to do.
Eventually, a frazzled, frustrated Starlight teleported away from her office and towards Sugarcube Corner. But by then it was too late. The sun was going down, and Mrs. Cake was already locking up the bakery for the night. Even so, the unicorn mare desperately pleaded. "Wait, Mrs. Cake! You can't close yet! Trixie and I still need to learn the recipe for your equinox cake!"
The plump baker just replied with a smile. "Oh, it's fine, dear. Trixie was already here. I told her everything she needs to know. If you just follow her instructions, I'm sure you two will be okay." Then she turned and trotted away.
That only prompted Starlight to groan and hang her head in shame and lament. "Ugh! The Great and Powerful Trixie might keep her promises, but the Busy and Distracted Starlight sure doesn't. I promised to help her today, and I haven't done a single thing. Some friend I've turned out to be. I'm starting to think I should've just turned down Twilight's offer. I'm not ready to be a headmare, and I never will be. I can't even manage my responsibilities as it is. Not if today's anything to go by."
Mrs. Cake turned back around, trotting up to Starlight and patting her gently on the forehead. "Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, dearie. I felt just the same way you do when I first brought the twins home. It took me a while to learn how to juggle my new responsibilities with my old ones. I'm sure you'll get better at it eventually."
"Eventually might not be soon enough," The unicorn mare groaned further. "All this is doing is giving me a headache! And I still haven't even locked up the school yet. How do Twilight and her friends do it? They make it look so easy to run a school and still have time for their friends, and they all have their own responsibilities to manage on top of that."
The plump baker somewhat nervously replied. "I don't know if I can help you there. This is something you'll just have to figure out for yourself. Though if you want my advice, maybe you should start prioritizing your responsibilities and committments," Then she noticed something, whispering it to the unicorn. "Uh, your hoof is glowing. Did you know that?"
Starlight stood up. "Of course it is," She bitterly grumbled. "What else could possibly go wrong today?" And she furiously teleported away once again.
Much to the surprise of Starlight Glimmer, she soon found that she was not alone in her counselor's office within the school. The lights suddenly flickered on, revealing not only a very disgruntled looking Trixie but also the familiar face of Diamond Tiara, both of whom appeared to have been waiting for Starlight for quite some time. "What are you doing here?" She asked them both.
Trixie frowned. "It's the one place I knew I could find you," Pointing a hoof to Diamond Tiara she added. "I figured if you won't listen to me, you'll listen to her. After all, you're apparently supposed to be helping with her friendship lessons while Twilight is away."
"Ugh! I knew I was forgetting something!" Starlight groaned anew as she brought her head down onto her desk. "I need to start writing myself notes, or get a calendar. At this rate, I'm going to forget everything I've ever promised to anypony!"
"If you're busy, that's fine," Diamond Tiara nervously suggested. "I-I... wouldn't wanna be a burden to you, Miss. Starlight. You've always been a good teacher when you've had to fill in for Princess Twilight in the past, but if you don't have time to tutor me then that's fine. Princess Twilight says there's not much more she'll be able to teach me before she has to take the throne. I'm... pretty sure I'm starting to get the hang of this friendship stuff," Then she sheepishly added. "...Although, a refresher course never hurt anypony. Right?"
Trixie pointed out. "You really should listen to her, Starlight. She's worried about you, and so am I. I get it, you're busy now. But just look at yourself," She held up a mirror with her magic. "You're a mess! How are you helping anyone in this state?"
Starlight slowly lifted her head up from her desk. "Look, Trixie, I know you're upset about today. And you have every right to be. I haven't been a good friend," She hastily tried to apologize. "But..."
The magician mare shook her head from side to side in disapproval. "-You're missing the point, Starlight. You weren't like this when the school first opened its doors. Up until recently, you always found time to be with your friends. But ever since you mentioned having to take over from Princess Twilight, you've been taking on more and more responsibilities and allowed yourself to get distracted in the process," She proceeded to comment. "Your students are important. But surely, they're not important than your friends, or your own self worth."
"Even my mother takes breaks from the things she has to do every once in a while," Diamond stated in a somewhat nervous tone of voice. "Although, she kind of had to after my dad found out what she'd been doing while on the school board. Since then she's just kind of done whatever she feels like doing," She shuddered. "Which is why I'm grateful for any excuse... I mean opportunity to get away from it all," And she proposed. "Maybe that's what you need, Miss. Starlight. You need to take some time off from some of the things you're doing. If it's your counselor job that's making it hard for you to do anything else, maybe you need to stop being a counselor for a while."
Starlight Glimmer was silent for a moment as she let the words slowly sink in. It sounded so tempting, so simple. But could she really bring herself to do it?
Before the unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat could make up her mind one way or the other, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on her office door.
The door swung open very slowly, and Silverstream poked her head in as she somewhat hesitantly asked. "Counselor Starlight? Sorry if this is last minute, but can I ask you something really quick? It's something really important."
"Silverstream..." Starlight began, before pausing to collect her thoughts. As she did so, she looked at the faces of both Trixie and Diamond Tiara. Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. So she cleared her throat and said to the hippogriff. "-I'm sorry, but my office is now closed. And so's the school, for that matter. Just because I haven't locked it up yet doesn't mean you can come barging in whenever you feel like it. Besides, isn't it time you caught the train home?"
The young hippogriff's ears folded flat against her face as the realization dawned on her. "Oh yeah, I guess it," She turned to leave. "Thanks anyway, Counselor Starlight. You've been a big help today."
"Yes, but I'm sure that whatever your problem is, it's one that a smart and capable student like you can figure out the solution to over the break," Starlight firmly declared as she took off her bracelet and ushered the pink feathered hippogriff to the door. "Go on, now. Go pack up your things and get down to the train station. I'll see you and the other students after the break." And once Silverstream was on the other side of the door, the unicorn used her magic to close it firmly.
"See? Now was that so hard?" Trixie questioned her friend.
Starlight breathed a sigh of relief, her tone of voice becoming much more confident. "I guess not. All I really had to do was put my hoof down. Silverstream means well, but she can't keep taking up time just to ask me to help her describe things to her cousins. I'm a guidance counselor, not a dictionary," She then said to Trixie. "Now come on! Let's go bake that cake!"
Diamond then questioned. "But what about my studies, Miss. Starlight?"
Starlight flashed a warm smile. "Oh, don't be silly, Diamond. You can spend time with me. I'm sure you'll love Maud's spring equinox celebration. Besides, I'm sure your parents won't mind me giving you a baking lesson or two on the side. You could probably use a refresher course." And with that, she turned her thoughts entirely towards the celebration that was to take place the next day.
As Starlight Glimmer prepared to leave her office, a thought came into the back of her mind. "I hope Twilight and her friends are doing okay running Canterlot by themselves," Then she chuckled to herself. "Oh, what am I worried about? Of course they can handle it. And I have everything totally under control here in Ponyville." But she was soon to learn that in fact she did not.
Trixie was overjoyed to be working and baking with Starlight. The two unicorns happily worked together to bake the cake in accordance with what Mrs. Cake had taught Trixie. Then they put the finishing touches on the cake and brought it over to the underground home of Maud and Mudbriar. Sunburst was already there, and it wasn't long before all the decorations were set up and the party began.
The spring equinox cake was a three layered culinary creation: The bottom two layers were decorated in lush shades of spring green and decorated with objects made to look like flowers. The top most layer was a bluish-green in color, and had white ice like frosting made to look like clouds and ice shards.
Sunburst nervously inspected the cake, which looked surprisingly solid. When his hoof touched the cake, he felt a sharp burst of pain and hollered! "Yeow! Is this cake supposed to be so sharp?" As soon as he'd spoken those lines, he received a harsh glare and growl from Trixie. He quickly swallowed his intended complaint, saying somewhat nervously. "I mean, it looks really..." He paused, eventually settling on the word. "Uh... interesting, I guess?"
Mudbriar then insisted. "Technically, it's not symmetrical or aesthetically pleasing. Are we sure this cake is edible?" And he too got a harsh glare and a growl from Trixie.
Trixie proceeded to complain. "Let's see you try to bake a cake with your best friend on short notice! Starlight kept getting called away to help the students, we didn't have time to try again!"
Maud seemed to smile ever so faintly. "I'm sure it'll be okay. My family eats rock soup all the time, rocks and everything. They help strengthen your jaw muscles."
Diamond Tiara nervously commented in response. "I... think I'll pass. But it's the thought that counts, right?"
Starlight Glimmer happily nodded. "Sure. So maybe it's not the best cake ever. We made it together, and that's what counts."
Maud Pie then stated. "I'm glad you brought it. And everything else. I'm very excited. This is going to be the most perfect party ever. I just wish Pinkie was here to see it."
"I'm sure she and her friends are doing just fine in Canterlot," Starlight commented with a smile. "Besides," She looked around the cave interior. "All of you are my friends too. As long as you're with your friends, anything can be a fun time."
Trixie happily chimed in. "And with all of your students home for spring break, I won't have to worry about you being summoned to your office in the middle of the party. We'll have no interruptions."
"Exactly!" Starlight cheerfully proclaimed. "Nothing is gonna take me away from this party. Now, what should we do first?"
But just then, an apple greenish white coated male hippogriff came fluttering into the cave with the most frightened and alarmed look on his face! He had gentle, innocent moderate cyan eyes, and a moderate cyan and pale turquoise mane and tail. He seemed to be looking for someone, judging by how wide eyed he seemed to be. "Hello?! Miss. Starlight?! Are you here?!" He desperately called out in a loud tone of voice.
Starlight Glimmer spat out her drink (she had just started consuming it too) in surprise! She swore she recognized that hippogriff from somewhere. Or at the very least, had heard of him before. He had to be looking for her for a reason.
Maud turned to face the unexpected guest that had shown up. "Sorry," She told him while her tone of voice and expression didn't change in the slightest. "This is a private cavern. I don't believe you were invited to this party."
The hippogriff just flapped his wings and apologize. "Sorry, but it's urgent! Is Miss. Starlight here by any chance?! I was told she'd be here!"
"She's here, but..." Diamond Tiara began, only to be cut off as Starlight lit up her horn and gently pushed the magenta coated filly aside.
Starlight cleared her throat. "-I'm Miss. Starlight," She said to the hippogriff as she approached him. "Who are you? I feel like you're familiar to me somehow, even though I don't think we've met."
The hippogriff cleared his throat. "I'm Terramar, Silverstream's younger brother. And you're Miss. Starlight, the guidance counselor for the school, right?"
The unicorn mare nodded. "Yes I am," Then she questioned. "Why are you here, Terramar? Is something wrong?"
Terramar quickly confirmed. "You bet there is. It's Silverstream, my big sis. She's missing!"
The news came as a shock to everypony in the cave! Even the usual stotic Maud and Mudbriar could be heard letting out audible gasps!
Starlight Glimmer was alarmed, and confused. "I... I don't understand! What do you mean she's missing? Did someone kidnap her?"
The hippogriff frantically shook his head from side to side. "No, I don't think it's that. I think she disappeared all on her own, probably without meaning to. She was supposed to be on the train to Mount Aris. Mom and Dad sent me to the station to wait for her," He swallowed hard. "But she never showed up! And no one on the train said they'd seen any sign of her. They even checked the baggage just in case she might be hiding in a suitcase or something. They couldn't find her anywhere!"
Sunburst nervously spoke up. "It's a long way between Ponyville and Mount Aris. She could be anywhere."
Terramar then pleaded! "Please, you've got to help me find her! Mom and Dad are frantic! And Aunt Novo's already vowed to send out search parties of hippogriffs and seaponies! Both kingdoms are on high alert! I've been sent here to check the school."
"The school's closed for spring break," Diamond Tiara pointed out. "All the schools in Ponyville are."
That did nothing to settle Terramar's already clearly frayed nerves. "That's not good!" He grabbed Starlight with his paws and started shaking her back and forth! "Are you sure she left the school? Maybe she stayed behind? I heard she had a big project due in Professor Fluttershy's class right after the break. Do you know if she said anything about that?"
"She did once," Starlight admitted once she was able to use her magic to pull herself free from Terramar's grasp. "But she was mostly just talking to me about helping her explain things to her little cousins."
Terramar sighed and groaned, putting a paw to his face. "That's my big sis for you. I swear, it's like she's obsessed with everything on the land. Even my dad's less crazy than that," But then he asked. "So, did she ever say what she was going do for her project? Do you know when you saw her last?"
With a gulp, the unicorn mare admitted. "I saw her just before I was going to lock up the school. She came to my office asking me for help. She said it was something really important," She hung her head in shame. "And I turned her away. I thought she just wanted to ask about things like showers and towels. I should've known she was asking me to help her with her research project."
At that the male hippogriff gasped, verebly berating Starlight Glimmer! "How could you turn her away like that?! What kind of counselor turns away a student with a problem?!"
"The kind with too much on her plate!" Trixie protested! "You don't understand, Terramar. Starlight has always gone out of her way for her students. And I mean always."
"Yeah," Diamond Tiara somewhat reluctantly chimed in. "And besides, she was also filling in for Princess Twilight while she and her friends are away in Canterlot. Something to do with giving the other princesses a vacation. Miss. Starlight's had enough to worry about already. It's not her fault for finally putting her own self worth first and foremost, is it? She didn't tell Silverstream not to go home."
"Technically," Mudbriar pointed out. "By turning away her request for help, Starlight might have unintentionally convinced Silverstream to try to solve the problem on her own. But the only way we would know for sure is if we could travel back in time, and see if things would play out differently if Starlight did offer to help."
Starlight slowly lifted her head back up, saying to the others. "Thanks, but I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I chose to listen to my friends instead of helping a student when she needed it most. Just because I didn't know what Silverstream was planning doesn't mean I had the right to ignore her."
"Starlight," Sunburst said with a sigh. "It's not your fault. You didn't know this would happen."
"Maybe not," Starlight Glimmer replied. "But Twilight did put me in charge of the school and its students while she's away. That means that if one of the students is missing for any reason," She vowed with a look of firey determination in her eyes. "It's my job to do everything I can to find them!" She then turned to her friends, saying to them. "You all get back to the party. Don't worry about me," Then to Terramar she said. "Come with me, Terramar. We're going to search the whole school from top to bottom. We'll find your sister if it's the last thing we do!"
Terramar nodded. "Thanks, Miss. Starlight. Now we'd better hurry!" And then he and Starlight disappeared in a flash of light turquoise magic.
Once pony and hippogriff were out of sight, Maud Pie blinked slowly as she said to the others. "I should've known it couldn't last. Party perfection is more of a Pinkie thing. I think I'll leave the party planning to her from now on."
Mudbriar, meanwhile, was turning his attention to the "flower-sticks" Trixie had brought. "I wasn't going to say anything, but these flowers are just glued on, so technically, it wasn't perfect already," Upon seeing all eyes fall upon him, he then nervously added. "But that's... probably not important. We should all hope Starlight finds Silverstream unharmed."
"We can do more than that!" Diamond Tiara declared as an idea suddenly came into her mind. "Miss. Starlight's counting on us. We have to help her however we can!"
Starlight and Terramar wasted no time in beginning their search! As soon as they were back at the school, they immediately settled on a plan of action. "You check the grounds, I'll look inside." Starlight told Terramar, and with a nod they set off to do just that.
The unicorn mare proceeded to teleport all over the school, searching everywhere possible for Silverstream or any clues to as her whereabouts. "Hello? Silverstream?" She called again and again, but received no reply. It was as if the hippogriff had suddenly vanished into thin air.
Eventually, Starlight Glimmer teleported back out to the school grounds, right as Terramar swam past in the pond surrounding the school. He quickly transformed back into a hippogriff, panting and struggling to catch his breath. "She's not down here."
"I didn't see her anywhere in the school," Starlight nervously confessed. "Where could she be?"
Then Terramar suggested. "Well, what about her room? Maybe she left something behind that'll tell us where she went?"
"Good idea! Let's check!" The unicorn mare insisted, and grabbed Terramar, before teleporting away to do just that. Upon arriving in Silverstream's room but a second or two later, they searched every nook and cranny from top to bottom. Still, their search results turned up nothing.
Suddenly, Terramar noticed something illuminated by the pale moonlight shining through a window. It looked like a small desk, and it appeared to have several pieces of paper strewn all over it. Something appeared to be drawn on one of the pieces of paper, something that filled him with dread even though he didn't know what it was. "Miss. Starlight, over here! I think I found something!"
Starlight rushed over to the desk, her eyes quickly falling upon the piece of paper Terramar was holding up. Pulling it close with the soft glow of her horn, she gasped in horror when she saw what it was! "A cockatrice?! Those things are dangerous!"
The male hippogriff hesitantly asked. "Could that be what her project was on? You think she might have gone off to look for one?"
"That's insane! They only live in the Everfree Forest!" Starlight protested. "She wouldn't just wander off into there for a cockatrice, not even for a project!"
"Well, I think that's what she might have done," Terramar gulped. "She could be anywhere in that forest. How will we ever find her?"
"There's only one thing we can do in that situation!" Starlight firmly vowed. "We'll have to comb through the Everfree Forest until we find her!" She teleported away, only to come back when she realized she'd forgotten about Terramar. She grabbed him with a nervous laugh, and then teleported back outside the school again.
Much to the surprise of both Starlight and Terramar, everypony from the party at Maud's happened to show up on the school grounds. The unexpected encounter made everyone present yelp!
"What are you all doing here?" Starlight Glimmer questioned.
Diamond Tiara happily beamed. "Isn't it obvious? We're here to help. The more ponies that join the search, the better, right? Isn't that what Princess Twilight would say?"
"Technically, Starlight wasn't alone, she had Terramar with her," Mudbriar pointed out, before adding. "But Diamond wouldn't stop talking about how we had to help you. And we all agreed it was the right thing to do."
Though delighted at the prospect of having more hooves to help with the search, Starlight humbily replied. "Thanks. All of you. But the students are my responsibility. Twilight trusted me to keep them safe in her absence. I can't let her down! Besides," In a guilty tone of voice she added. "I'm the one who didn't her job like she was supposed to."
Trixie reluctantly confessed. "I... might share a bit of the blame for pressuring you into leaving work early, Starlight."
"No, Trixie, I chose to listen to you. You didn't force me into doing anything I didn't want to do myself," Starlight insisted with a shake of her head. "I chose to prioritize spending time with you and going to Maud's party instead of helping Silverstream one last time."
Maud Pie seemed to smile ever so faintly as she proposed. "We can still have a party. A search party."
"Well, first of all, Diamond Tiara can't go with us!" Starlight Glimmer protested. "She's only a child. I can't risk anything happening to her."
"Hey, I can take care of myself! I don't need everypony to play foalsitter for me!" The headgear wearing filly said while folding her hooves into a pouting motion. "I've been in the Everfree Forest once before. I'll be just fine, I won't wander off by myself or anything like that."
Sunburst pointed out to Starlight. "As long as she's with us, Starlight, we should be okay. It'll take much longer to take her home, and that's time we could spend trying to find Silverstream before anything happens to her."
The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat reluctantly relented on that point. "Okay, fair enough. The Everfree Forest apparently isn't quite as dangerous as it used to be," Yet she then gulped. "Still, it's a big place. And it's nighttime. We could easily get separated if we go in without a plan. I don't care what anyone says. This time I will come up with a plan before I lead everyone into danger."
A familiar voice then called out. "I don't suppose I could be of any assistance, could I?" In a dazzling display of light, who should then appear before the ragtag group of searchers but Princess Luna herself in all her glory?
"Princess Luna?" Starlight blinked in surprise. "I thought you and Princess Celestia were on vacation. Why are you here?"
The night princess somewhat hesitantly replied. "My sister and I had a bit of a... disagreement, to put it lightly, when it came to discussing what we should do for our vacation. We ultimately decided it was best if we split up, each doing the activities we wanted to do most. I prefered much quieter and relaxing activities, whereas my sister is undoubtly enjoying herself doing things like river rapid cruising or bunge jumping," She cleared her throat. "As for why I'm here, I can't really explain it. But something in the air told me that trouble was brewing back in Ponyville. It seems that is the case."
"Yeah, we're trying to find Silverstream," Starlight explained. "We believe she went into the Everfree Forest to study cockatrices for a school project."
Sunburst let out a gasp of horror! "What?! The gaze of the cockatrice is known to petrify any who dare to cross its path! And the reptilian birds are elusive and solitary!"
Terramar pointed out. "Well, our family's part bird."
Sunburst bit into a hoof. "You don't understand, cockatrices are nothing like hippogriffs! If your sister seriously thinks being part bird is enough to help her understand those creatures, she's wrong!" He proceeded to question. "Where would we even begin to look for them?"
Princess Luna immediately vowed. "Let me handle this. I'm very well accquinted with the night and the Everfree Forest. I'll search for Silverstream and bring her back before the night is over. This isn't the first time I've had to help a child in need." She then unfolded her wings and took to the sky. Soon, she was out of sight.
Yet it wasn't long after the alicorn had disappeared the ragtag group of searchers began to grow impatient. And that did nothing to calm their nerves, especially for Starlight.
"Oh, I should've gone with Princess Luna!" Starlight protested while pacing back and forth. "What if she gets attacked by cockatrices or something else while looking for Silverstream?" She quickly made up her mind. "Forget what I said about having a plan! I have to go in there and do my own search!"
"If you're going, Miss. Starlight, then so are we," Diamond firmly insisted. "Safety in numbers, right?" She said the last part with an audible gulp.
The unicorn mare sighed, reluctantly agreeing. "I guess so. I still feel like it's a bad idea letting you go with us, Diamond Tiara," She decided to lay down a condition. "Make sure you stay close to me at all times. And if you see or hear a cockatrice, don't look it in the eyes whatever you do!"
Tiara nodded. "Understood, Miss. Starlight."
Trixie then stepped forward and proudly boasted. "I have a lot of experience telling ponies that I have experience with the dangerous creatures of Everfree Forest! Follow me!"
Against their better judgement, the other searchers did so, and allowed themselves to wander deep into the Everfree Forest in search of Silverstream.
The search for Silverstream went on for several minutes as the ragtag group of rescuers followed the only lead they had. Trixie lead them one way and then another. But it felt like they were walking in one giant circle. In fact, Maud Pie pointed it out. "Weren't we just here?" She asked as her tone of voice didn't change in the slightest.
"We definitely were," Diamond Tiara said quite firmly, then turned to Starlight. "Was it really a good idea to trust her, Miss. Starlight? I don't think she's ever been in this forest before."
Trixie growled. "Well, in my defense, when there's a dangerous creature in the forest I don't want to meet, this is how I meet them," Then with a pout she added. "But by all means, let's see any of you do better! Or should we just wait for Princess Luna to rescue us too?"
Sunburst frowned and put a hoof to his chin, deep in thought. "I think I remember reading about cockatrices once. If my memory's correct, they prefer rocky terrain and ample shade."
"Well that's all fine and dandy, except for the fact that it's night time and we're in a forest!" Trixie bitterly complained. "Where would we ever find rocks and shade?"
Maud spoke up. "Actually, rocks aren't the most hospitable environment for shade trees of any sort."
Mudbriar quickly added his own two bits to his special somepony's comment. "Technically, pine trees like Pinus cembra or Pinus sylvestris can grow from narrow crevasses or cracks in a rocky rhizosphere. Perhaps we could search for those."
A rare smile formed on Maud's face as she said to the stick loving stallion. "You complete me."
Starlight coughed into a hoof, desperate to keep the two lovers from getting lost in each others' eyes. "There's some pine trees over there!" She pointed out. And everyone followed her lead as she rushed to a small clearing just up ahead!
Sure enough, a ways down from where the search party was, there was an entire grotto worth of pine trees. They stretched all the way to the base of the cliff. And underneath the cliff were a bunch of cockatrices, all of them clucking and hissing as their red eyes glowed ominously in the dark.
In a frantic whisper, Starlight glanced nervously across to Sunburst. "I thought you said they were solitary!"
Sunburst whispered back. "They are! This must be some kind of migration. This is the time of year when most animals start coming out of hibernation to forge anew."
Terramar gulped and whispered. "At least there's no sign of Silverstream. I can't imagine getting caught in the middle of that flock," He shuddered. "Just looking in their general direction gives me the creeps. Why would my big sis want to conduct a research project on them? Why couldn't she have picked something safer?"
Starlight Glimmer sighed, a hint of regret creeping into her tone of voice. "I probably could've talked her out of it if I hadn't turned her away."
Then Trixie saw fit to tempt fate by stating. "It's just lucky that we're all over here and that they're all over there." Yet she had no sooner spoken those words than there came an ominous hissing sound from directly behind her! She didn't dare turn around to see what was making that sound, she was pretty sure she knew what it was.
"Whatever you do, don't look them in the eyes!" Starlight warned! "Their gaze can turn you to stone. It happened to Twilight once."
Diamond Tiara gulped, her knees starting to shake. "T-then, what are we supposed to do?! Oh, why did I think going into this forest again was a good idea?! Never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather be getting another lecture from Mother right about now."
Then the unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat declared. "There's only one thing we can do!" At the top of her lungs she screamed! "RUN!" She only just thought to get close enough to Diamond Tiara before she had said that, hastily grabbing the magenta coated filly by the hoof. "Don't let go, Diamond Tiara!" She desperately pleaded! "I don't wanna lose anyone else tonight!"
"And I don't wanna get turned to stone!" Diamond whimpered in reply as she shut her eyes, clutching Starlight's hoof as tightly as possible! The two then disappeared with a flick of the horn, leaving the rest of the search party to shut their own eyes and run off with no thought as to where they'd go!
Sunburst soon found himself all alone in the middle of the Everfree Forest, his eyes shut tight as he ran as fast as his hooves could carry him! He might as well have been blindfolded considering he had no idea where he was or where he was going. As a result, he didn't even notice when he ran smack into a rock. The resulting impact halted his attempt to flee, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Suddenly, the cloak wearing stallion heard a telltale zapping sound. But in his haste and panic, he didn't recognize what that meant! Instead, he shot off a blast from his horn!
Starlight yelped and dove to the ground as the beam from Sunburst's horn whizzed past overhead, just missing her! "Sunburst! It's me!" She hollered at him! "You can open your eyes now."
Sunburst did so, and blushed upon realizing he'd just tried to attack his childhood friend. "Starlight!" He happily exclaimed, and then apologized. "I'm so sorry. We have to get out of here," Then he asked. "Hey, where's Diamond Tiara? isn't she with you?"
Starlight Glimmer nodded. "She was, but I left her somewhere safe. Hurry, take my hoof!" When Sunburst obeyed, Starlight then lit up her horn again, and teleported him away with her.
Diamond Tiara was momentarily startled when she saw Starlight and Sunburst appear before her in front of a very large rock! Fortunately, she quickly regained her composure. "This was a bad idea, Miss. Starlight," And she pleaded with the best pair of puppy dog eyes. "Can I go home, please?"
"I have to find the others first," Starlight instructed. "Stay with Sunburst, and don't move. I'll be right back!" She then disappeared in another flash of magic.
Diamond gulped as she watched Starlight disappear. "Please be careful." She whispered.
Meanwhile, Trixie and Terramar, their own eyes shut tight, found themselves surrounded by cockatrices as their hissing and clucking seemed to come from all directions at once.
"What do we do now?! The clucking is coming from everywhere!" The hippogriff whimpered.
Trixie defiantly boasted! "The Great and Powerful Trixie fears no cluck!" She proceeded to use her horn to hastily throw down a smoke bomb, then grabbed Terramar (after momentarily feeling around for one of his paws) as pony and hippogriff made a desperate run to safety!
Starlight appeared before the fleeing duo but a moment later. "Good, I found you," She sighed in relief. "Come on, we have to get back to the others." And she teleported them away with her. Soon afterward, Trixie and Terramar were brought to the same rock that Sunburst and Diamond Tiara were waiting by. Now only Maud and Mudbriar remained unaccounted for.
Starlight teleported away again, eventually locking onto what she thought was the location of the earth pony couple. When she arrived, she saw Maud with her back turned to the cockatrices, kicking rocks to try to make them fly away.
The unicorn mare would've normally been impressed by such a show of strength, but not tonight. Instead, she shouted to Maud. "Maud! We've got to get out of here, now! I've found the others, now I just need you and Mudbriar!"
"I can't leave him, Starlight." Maud insisted and pointed a hoof, revealing a rather frightened Mudbriar who had been turned to solid stone!
Starlight Glimmer gasped in horror! She was too late! The cockatrices had already claimed their first victim!
"He scarificed himself to protect me," Maud explained. "I never knew he was so brave."
"Well, grab him and let's get back to the others." The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat insisted.
Maud did so, though not without whispering to her petrified boyfriend. "We'll find a way to turn you back to normal, honey." Then, she and the stoned form of Mudbriar were teleported to safety.
Everyone else gasped when they saw Mudbriar in his petrified state!
Trixie then protested as she stomped a hoof down! "They've already got Mudbriar?! They'll get all of us at this rate! I'm not risking my life anymore tonight! We have to get out of here, now!"
Terramar quickly protested. "No! We haven't found Silverstream yet!"
"Princess Luna was already searching for her when we decided to go into this spooky forest," Diamond remarked. "We should've just left her to handle it and stayed behind where we were safe."
Starlight just sighed. "Well, whatever we do, we can't stay here! We need to find somewhere safe while we think about what to do next. Come on!" And she led the others away (Maud having to quite literally drag Mudbriar along).
Ultimately, Starlight Glimmer decided it best to bring all her friends (including the still petrified Mudbriar) back to the entrance of the Everfree Forest. And then she began laying down some very strict terms. "Now listen, all of you!" She told them. "Diamond Tiara, Sunburst and Trixie can take you home. Terramar, you stay with Maud and Mudbriar. I'm going back in alone to look for Silverstream."
Everyone gasped, and Diamond Tiara practically hollered at the top of her lungs! "Are you crazy?! I don't care how magically gifted you are, you'll never survive on your own in the forest! Let us help you, Miss. Starlight. Or at least, let your other friends help you. I..." She reluctantly relented. "Understand if you don't want to put me in danger. But there's no reason for you to shut the others out."
Starlight only shook her head from side to side. "This is my mess. I can't drag you all into it any further. Because of me, Mudbriar's been turned to stone, Maud's party is on hold, and Silverstream is missing. None of this would've happened if I'd just listened to Silverstream one last time instead of thinking about myself. It was my responsibility as acting headmare to put others before myself, and I failed that test," She glumy added. "The least I can do now is try to make things right. I'll find Silverstream, and then I'll worry about getting Mudbriar freed from his stoned state."
"But we already explored pretty deep into that forest," Sunburst objected. "And if what we saw back there was indeed a migration of cockatrices, it'll take a full lunar cycle to complete. That's almost a month from now. Where else could you possibly think to look?"
Starlight reluctanty replied. "I don't know, but one way or another I have to try! For Silverstream's sake! I won't rest until I know she's safe and sound!"
Yet just then, from up above descending the form of Princess Luna. She had a somewhat puzzled expression on her face, and almost jumped back in surprise upon discovering Mudbriar turned to stone. "I thought I made it perfectly clear to you all to stay out of the forest," She said to them. "I know you're all worried about Silverstream, but throwing yourselves into danger to find her is a terrible idea."
"I'm sorry, Princess Luna," Starlight sincerely apologized. "But I couldn't stand around and do nothing while a student was in danger. Not when it's my fault she went into the Everfree Forest in the first place."
The night princess' puzzled expression slowly faded, replaced by a warm and gentle smile. "You have no need to worry, Starlight. I've already found Silverstream, and I can assure you she's safe and sound," She then unfolded her wings and stated. "I can take you to her now. And rest assured, I've already told her how worried you and her brother are."
Starlight Glimmer perked up, eagerly saying to the alicorn! "Well, what are you waiting for?! Take me to her right away!"
And Terramar insisted. "I'm coming with you, Miss. Starlight. Silverstream has to know about the panic she's caused back home. She should know better than this."
Princess Luna nodded. "Very well, I'll take you both to her location and then you can bring her back." Once Starlight and Terramar had approached her and stood next to her, she lit up her horn and whisked them all away.
A few seconds later, Starlight and Terramar were brought to the outskirts of what had once been the remnants of the Castle of the Two Sisters. But now it had been turned into a splendid treehouse, almost like an entirely new castle.
The realization struck the unicorn mare square in the face! "Of course! This should've been the first place we looked!" She said to herself. "I can't believe I forgot this place exisited."
"Let's not waste anymore time," Terramar declared, and rushed towards the treehouse proper while shouting. "I'm coming, big sis! Hang on!"
Starlight trotted off after Terramar, and the two soon opened the door and ventured into the treehouse proper. In the main foyer, they were shocked to discover Silverstream with a cockatrice that had a blue scaled body rather than the usual green scaled one.
"Oh, hi, Counselor Starlight. Hi, Terrmar." Silverstream greeted, seemingly unaware of the cockatrice lurking behind her.
A horrified Starlight Glimmer immediately sprang into action, horn at the ready! "Silverstream, look out! Get away from that cockatrice before it turns you to stone!" She shouted!
But Silverstream protested. "No, wait!" She then gave a whistle, and the cockatrice immediately strolled over to her. It showed no signs of hostility. She quickly explained. "This is Edith. She's helping me with my project." She proceeded to stroke it on the chin with one of her paws.
Starlight was confused. "I... don't understand. You've bonded with it?" She asked the pink feathered hippogriff.
The bubbly hippogriff happily nodded. "Yup. After you encouraged me to solve my own problem, I decided to get my project done before I left. That way, I could really focus on my family during my visit back home. Since the school was closed, I came here," Then she sheepishly blushed. "I guess I just lost track of the time. Although, maybe it was just me, but it felt like it got dark out a lot sooner than it was supposed to. It's a good thing I decided to stay here."
Terramar then accusingly shouted at his sister! "How could you just leave like that?! Do you have any idea how worried you made everyone back home?! Mom and Dad are horrified, and Aunt Novo's about ready to send armies out to look for you!"
Silverstream's blushed deepened. "Oh, shoot! I had a feeling I was forgetting something. I meant to write a letter and leave a note so no one would worry. I would've brought Edith out of the forest with me, but that's when I discovered the flock of migrating cockatrices. I decided it was better to stay here where I knew it was safe until someone came to get me."
Starlight breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, I'm glad you were smart in that regard, Silverstream. But you really shouldn't have wandered into the Everfree Forest by yourself, not even for your project. You could've gotten hurt, or been turned to stone by one of those cockatrices. How would I ever explain that to your family?"
The young hippogriff guiltily looked at the ground. "Sorry, Counselor Starlight. Sorry, Terramar," She sincerely apologized. "Guess I let my excitement and enthusiasm get the best of me," And she added. "And Counselor Starlight, I'm sorry I kept bugging you. I sort of took for granted that you'd always be there to help any student no matter what. I realize now that you don't always have all the time to help every student with every problem, no matter what."
The unicorn mare firmly nodded, then said to Silverstream. "Well, Silverstream, from now on if I promise to have designated office hours, do you promise me you'll only come to me for help with problems that you truly can't solve on your own? And that you won't try to monopolize the time I have?"
"Yes, Counselor Starlight, I promise," Silverstream agreed, and then said. "I'm ready to go home now," Though she saw fit to ask. "Uh, is it okay if I take Edith back with me? I've never had a pet before."
Terramar nervously gulped. "You'll have to ask Mom and Dad. For now, I think it's best if you leave Edith somewhere safe."
Starlight then spoke up. "Speaking of which..." An idea came into her mind. "Silverstream, do you know how to make a cockatrice turn a pony that's been trapped in stone back to normal? There's a certain somepony who could really use that right about now."
When Silverstream was brought back to the edge of the Everfree Forest, she soon saw Mudbriar's stoned state. And sure enough, she knew how to get Edith to undo the magic and turn the stick loving stallion back to normal.
Maud immediately rushed up and hugged her boyfriend! "I'm so glad you're back to normal," She said to him, even as her tone of voice didn't change. "I'll never forget how you bravely scarificed yourself to protect me from the cockatrices. Even so, I think I like you more as a pony than as stone."
Mudbriar nodded and pointed out with a smile of his own. "Technically, I will always be a stick pony. But the experience has given me an even deeper appreciation for the density and permanence of rock."
Sunburst could only comment in amazement of how well Edith obeyed her master. "I can't believe you figured out how to trigger her nesting response, Silverstream. That's incredible!"
Silverstream chuckled. "It was actually pretty easy, seeing as my family's part bird," She sighed in a somewhat unhappy tone. "I wish I could take her back with me to Mount Aris."
"For now, it's best if she stays in Equestria," Terramar insisted, and turned to Princess Luna. "Do you think you can keep an eye on her for us until Silverstream can take Edith back?"
The night princess firmly saluted and vowed. "You have my word. I'll ensure Edith remains safe and sound, and that she causes no trouble for anypony or anycreature."
Silverstream then trotted over to Terramar as Terramar then said to the gathered crowd of ponies. "Silverstream and I should get going. But I wanted to thank you for everything you did to help find her."
"I just wish I hadn't abandoned her in the first place." Starlight glumly confessed, the guilt still gnawing at her.
Trixie stepped forward to defend her friend. "You didn't abandon her, Starlight."
"Yeah, you dropped everything as soon as you learned she was missing," Diamond Tiara pointed out. "And besides, you weren't wrong to think about yourself. You can't always be there for everyone all the time."
Trixie proceeded to add. "Of course being a school counselor is a big responsibility. But always being at work isn't fair to anyone. Every now and then, it's okay if you take a little time off. Your students will understand."
Starlight Glimmer was slow to respond. But when she did, she spoke with confidence. "You know... I think you're right. Regardless of what I end up being and regardless of what my position with the school will be, I can't neglect my own needs or the promises I make to my friends. The key is finding the right balance."
Princess Luna blinked slowly as Starlight's words seemed to touch at something deep inside her. "I... should probably get back to my sister now," She said in what sounded like a guilt ridden tone of voice. "We may have our differences, but I've forgotten what it was like to be separated from her, even if this time it was voluntary." She unfolded her wings and flew away.
Silverstream and Terramar departed not long afterward. And as for everypony else, they went back to Maud's to resume their equinox celebration.
Little did anyone at the time know that all was not well in Canterlot. Twilight and her friends had been experiencing their own difficulties. But that's another story.