The Councilor Is In! [Open: School of Friendship]

[Dubstep]

 

Ahh! This was it! A wonderful start to a wonderful school year. Students seemed to be in high spirits already, and seemed to be rather accepting of their new Headmare. Starlight Glimmer herself was feeling pretty good herself as she made her way off to the councilor's office. Apparently there had been a rumour around that she herself was going to be the Headmare...truth be told she wouldn't have said no if asked...but she was sure Twilight had her reasons. Whatever the case may be, the unicorn was all too happy to continue helping as the academy's councilor.
 

To that effect she had made sure to decorate her office accordingly! Changed out the curtains to make the place feel fresh so to speak. Around the room she had various gifts and knickknacks that her friends or students had given her, as well as a couple of her favourite kits hanging from the ceiling to give it a little extra personal flair. With a mug full of apple tea — thanks Applejack — Starlight would open up her door and take a seat. She was fairly confident there wouldn't be any issues that she'd be needed for, it was the first day of school after all, but a good councilor always has their door open for a student in need, no matter how small the worry.

[Hippo]

 

It had been a long break. It was very refreshing to get some free time to do things a creature wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Although the full swing of classes at Friendship Academy created a work ethic that few could really understand unless they were directly involved in the lessons learned inside the campus, it was still nice to see that hard work pay off in an individual's home where their family and communities could see the influence the academy had on them. Only a week into the first semester and Silverstream had already started to stress about the homework and school projects she was tasked with. Of course, it got a little more bearable once the EEA regulations were no longer enforced. And so even though the school had not been in session, Silverstream was constantly assigning herself projects that aroused her curiosity, and it filled the hole of not having to attend class every day.

 

But now it was time for another semester of friendship classes and Silverstream had to prepare for another year of planned discovery and learning, and with it new challenges she may not have expected. But there were a few things she had been wondering about while school was out. She had spent so much time with her best friends she met last year, and now she was thinking about where these friendships would go. In fact, some of her new relationships built at the school were so important to her, that she couldn't fathom what would occur if the friendship was lost. But there was still a large amount of unknowns Silverstream was faced with, and so she decided to pay a visit to Councilor Starlight Glimmer to seek guidance in these matters.

 

Starlight's door was already open when she glided to it, so she walked in. The pink hippogriff was not sporting her usual pencil and notepad she often had when asking questions to Starlight. "Councilor Starlight. Are you available? I had some questions about friendships."

[Dubstep]

 

Oooookay. Scratch that apparently. First day within the first hour and somepony was already here. Well that was no trouble, it was what she was here for after all! Starlight smiled as Silverstream made her way in, it was a little strange seeing her without her notebook in tow, but really that was neither here nor there. "Good morning Silverstream, of course! Come right on in." the unicorn's horn would light up and gently slide out one of the seats in front of her desk for the hippogriff to take a seat. The mare herself would set up a little straighter and scoot closer to her desk. Silverstream was certainly what one could call inquisitive, so it was difficult to guess just exactly what sort of friendship question she could have. "Okay, ask away! And if you'd like a cup of tea, just let me know, Applejack sent me several packs." she would reply with a soft laugh as she settled in to hear what Silverstream had to ask.

[Hippo]

 

Silverstream jumped up and hovered to the chair in front of Starlight's desk, and landed onto it gracefully. She started to explain herself slowly, but as she went into detail of her thoughts, her tone and rate of talking began to escalate involuntarily. "So, I'm so glad that I have friends here at the school. They are the best friends I've ever had and I am so thankful to have them. But, I started realizing that there are some students at the school that are no longer here because they either graduated or they found another purpose in their life that took them somewhere else. And that's when I realized, what if after we graduate we all go our separate ways and never see each other again? What if I have to continue friendship studies in Seaquestria without my friends? Is that a bad thing? Is it bad that I would be learning about things without my friends?"

 

Silverstream thought out loud as she continued her rant. Her concern was that of the future, one she was very well aware of having been involved in several life-altering changes in her life. She was born a seapony, taught about how her kind escaped the tyranny of the Storm King but then accepted transformation into hippogriff culture to help reshape Mount Aris society until she was encouraged by her royal family to attend the academy to learn about friendship. Knowing that things can sometimes rapidly change, she was anticipating the next shift, but this was the first time she had regrets about the possibility of change and it was all because of the time she had spent with her friends she met at the academy. "I know that some things change sometimes, but it doesn't feel right that someone would have to lose friendships." She held out her claws and began counting her talons. "Gallus, Smolder, Yona, Sandbar, Ocellus, even the professors, headmare Twilight...     ...you." Silverstream put her claws to her face. "I don't want to lose touch with any of them."

[Dubstep]

 

The mare's listening ears were on high as she sat quietly, letting the hippogriff expound upon her feelings. As she went on, Starlight couldn't help but to feel a kinship with Silverstream's worries. After all, everything that lead her to where she is in life was catalyzed by the 'loss' of a friend. It was never an easy concept to think about, losing touch with somepony that you care about, that you see every single day and spend so much time with. To think that in one single moment that could all change and be snatched away from you in the blink of an eye. It's like a part of your world crumbling down...But what she had taken years to learn, the students had so much more time to see.

 

Despite her misty eyes, Starlight spoke up at last a moment after SIlverstream finished. "Oh...I know that feeling all too well. The idea of losing a friend can be terrifying." the mare would rise up to her hooves and move to Silverstream's side, gently laying a hoof on her shoulder. "When I was a filly younger than you, I lost touch with a good friend. The only one I had at the time at that." she'd chuckle softly and continue. "The hurt and loneliness made me a really bitter pony...I did a lot of things I regret. But then I met Twilight and the girls and...even if I didn't realize it at the time, things started changing for the better." she shook her head and laughed. "I'll spare you the boring details on that and get to the point...I finally ran into that friend again after all those years. Things were...a little rocky for a bit, but I found out that even after all those years apart, in the end? We were still friends."

 

Starlight smiled softly, pausing for a moment before continuing again. "Sometimes friends part ways, and they may not see one another for months or years. But no matter the distance, no matter the time, they'll always be right with you." the mare would gently poke the hippogriff's chest, just by her heart. "Growing and learning on your own is nothing to feel bad about. Because your friends will always be there. And if you ever do part ways, think of all the wonderful things you'll be able to share once you reunite. Change is nothing to be afraid of, because near or far, your friends will always be with you. Me included!" she'd finish, offering Silverstream a little hug for comfort.

[Hippo]

 

Silverstream accepted the embrace from Starlight. And for the most part, she was reassured that it was likely her friends would always stay connected in heart. Considering it's likely that her friends would feel the same way about her that she would about them once they went their separate ways, she could understand the emotions anyone would go through when they have those short bouts of loneliness. But what she didn't understand was how she could function as a hippogriff perusing her interests when her friendships are not socially guaranteed. And so while she took the hug she was given, her expression showed one of incomplete satisfaction, and she would do her best to convey her ongoing issue.

 

Being only a learned hippogriff for a short time, there were still a lot of things and emotions Silverstream had to observe and deal with. And sometimes she could even understand the concept, but she had a hard time putting them into words. Something as complex as friendship has such a simple and attractive concept that anyone can appreciate, but it often felt that only a few scholars could ever do so much as to write a book about it or travel the country lecturing on the small intricacies of relationship-building and the science of social acceptance and tolerance. And for the most part, that was why she visited Starlight. There were times when Silverstream just needed to be taught a small lesson about any obscure subject matter, but most of the time she visited the councilor's office in hopes that Starlight would be able to translate her thoughts and feelings into words she can express for the first time.

 

"I trust that I can learn things without my friends, even though I may not want to. But as I learn things about myself and the world around me, it comes with the trust that I will be able to share these moments with my friends. I'm afraid that if I lose connection with them, I will lose my passion to pursue things that interest me because who I am now is shaped by my friends here at the academy." Silverstream illustrated with her claws holding an invisible object. "Like imagine I had a can of sardines. If I opened it and tasted the sardines, I might be able to tell if they are extra salty or if they are from a certain part of the ocean they are from but I wont know for sure unless I can share my results with someone else. What if Gallus is able to taste these sardines and convey to me that they are not as salty as I thought they were. And what if you tasted one and knew for sure that they weren't even sardines! I'm inspired by my friends to discover new things. Where do I get my inspiration from without them?" Though Starlight assured Silverstream that her friends would always be with her in some capacity, it did not satisfy Silverstream's issue with how to visualize how she could get excited about it.

[Dubstep]

 

Again the mare would nod, listening as Silverstream spoke. It wasn't easy dealing with the idea that you and friends could go their separate ways someday, or that after finding friendship that you'd have to experience things alone again someday. It's understandable for the hippogriff to feel that concern, goodness knows Starlight often had. "One of the biggest joys of friendship isn't just maintaining the ones you have, but also cultivating new ones." Starlight said with a gentle smile as she took her seat once again. "If you focus too much on the sardines, you miss out on the anchovies and the prawns." Fish analogies were harder than they seemed..."You're worried about losing who you are now because you feel your friends have led you to be who you are, right?" Starlight knew how that felt too, lessons learned the hard way helped her showed her the loss or gain of true friendship can be changing. However. The mare shook her head. "The you that you are now was always inside of you. Just as your friends helped bring that out, you've helped to bring out the them they are."
 

The mare took a little sip of her tea before continuing. "Your friends are your inspiration, and I'm sure you're an inspiration to them too. If you were somehow far away from your friends, I can't imagine for a second you'd not see something, think of one of them, and be inspired still. And think of it this way, every time you got the chance to see them again, think of how much you'd be able to share with one another. All the lessons and experiences. It'd be like opening a Hearth's Warming gift every time you gathered round!" Starlight would smile and set her now empty cup aside. "That spark of inspiration that your friends helped to ignite is inside of you no matter the distance."

[Hippo]

 

Starlight could only say so much to make Silverstream's worries feel powerless. Everything she was hearing from the councilor was true. She had it in herself to carry on without her old friends and learning about life and relationships without them would be clear in time, even if it wasn't crystal at this current moment. And as the thoughts of her current friends already in the mindset of being apart from them filled her head, she began softly weeping at the idea. But the troubling thought experiment brought attention to another dilemma she had about this situation, and she would be remiss if she were to leave the office having not expressed herself fully.

 

Silverstream cleared up a few tears and inhaled a snotty sniffle with a warm smile. "I think I would like a cup of that tea, please."

 

With the company of Starlight to listen to her feelings, Silverstream took a small minute to meditate. She knew a lot of her problems just needed expressing and if she could be heard, maybe that was all she needed to continue. But a sticking problem showed itself in this session and it became scary enough for the hippogriff to address. "I would have never met the cool creatures at this school without everyone who was apart of it playing their part. I owe Headmare Twilight Sparkle a great deal, but I also am thankful for the initiative everyone had that brought me to this point. Queen Novo was so gracious of the Storm King's demise that it brought the Mount Aris councilgriffs to a conclusion that they should send a constituent to explore what the friendship academy was all about. And my parents also trusted that it would be a good experience for me. All of my friends' parents too had a role in bringing me closer to them. If Grandpa Gruff was a little more stubborn, I may have never met Gallus." Silverstream put her claws up as a way of illustrating her lack of control she felt she had over her own life. "It all felt so orchestrated for me, for us, I mean. Once I got here, I was curious enough to meet my new friends and build trust with them, but it would have never have happened if everyone didn't cultivate for me the opportunity to do so. And I just don't think that environment exists outside of these walls."

 

Silverstream had a wild imagination that could ponder many existences she has and hasn't seen. But since it occurred to her that the friends she made were mostly the result of her environment, she lacked the confidence that she could create a scenario from scratch that would lead her to making new friends in the future, a future she was not aware of how soon it was or where it would take place. "I don't think I know how to make friends outside of school, councilor Starlight." Her confession hurt herself harder than she realized, for after she said it more tears started to well up. It was flabbergasting to even herself that a hippogriff who was known for her zany hyperactive curiosity would have difficulty exploring new friendship opportunities. That was how difficult friendship sometimes seemed. If it was so easy, they wouldn't have had to build an academy for it.

[Dubstep]

 

 

Starlight nodded quietly and smiled at Silverstream, setting about fixing her a cup of tea as the young hippogriff poured her heart out. Passing her the cup, she would take a seat again and listen intently to what she had to say. That feeling of powerlessness, of being strung along by the invisible thread of fate or destiny or karma. Whatever one wanted to call it. Feeling like you had no control over anything, let alone yourself. It was a fear that Starlight herself understood quite well, even more so when Silverstream got to the crux of the issue. A fear that she didn't know how to make friends. Now that is a fear I know all too well." Starlight would say with a sympathetic smile. "When I first started learning about friendship, all I had learned, all I knew about it, I had learned from Twilight. The girls...tolerated me, because Twilight believed in me. And to say things were rocky at the start would be an understatement. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but things turned out wonderfully in the end." she would say, glancing at a group photo atop a filing cabinet with a warm smile before turning her gaze back towards her young ward.
 

"But I felt a lot like you. If it wasn't for Twilight, I never would have had the chance that I did to make friends with any of them. I felt...fake. Like I only had friends because someone else carried me along that path. I was so terrified inside that I could never make friends on my own. But...I tried." she would say, taking a little sip of her tea before sitting the cup aside. "And you know what?...It didn't turn out perfectly. I met Trixie and we got along great. Twilight didn't trust her yet, but I did...only for that to bite me in the flank...I thought I was so stupid for trying to make a friend on my own." Starlight shook her head and laughed, thinking about that day with a little smile. "You know what I learned? That I wasn't alone in feeling like that. Trixie felt that way too. She never had someone to be her friend, never had someone to teach her how to be a friend." Starlight leaned on her desk a little bit. "No one ever stops learning. But that doesn't mean you can't start teaching. The way to make friends out here is the same is how you made friends in here. By being yourself, taking the risk. Even if you feel like everything was orchestrated for you, you always had the chance to say 'No'. You could have went home, left all this behind. But you took the risk, and it paid off." the mare would motion happily around the room, indicating the academy itself.
 

"Be yourself, Silverstream. The friendly, wonderful, entertaining hippogriff you are. Not everyone in the world can be friends, and sometimes the gamble of making friends may not work out like you expect. But the only failure rests in not taking the risk." smiling softly Starlight would reach out and gently pat Silver's claw. "There's no doubt in my mind that someday you'll be teaching others the magic of friendship better than we ever could. You have more control over your destiny than you realize. All you have to do is reach out and grab the reins."

[Hippo]

 

Silverstream sipped on the tea she was gifted as the unicorn councilor encouraged her. She made no false pretenses about the challenges friendships have and how hard they can be to acquire. But something about Starlight that she had never seen before showed itself to her. Silverstream had never realized how Starlight came to be in her current position. All of the professors that her classmates and her look up to all have their own flaws, but they had always known them for their accomplishments. It became obvious after hearing Starlight lecture on how friendship-making is kind of a gamble that all of them got to where they were because of the chances they took in social situations. One or all of them had to have dealt with the same thing Silverstream was struggling with.

 

Silverstream's eyes welled efficiently with her emotions, but only provided an obstacle for how she felt. She wasn't really all that sad, but she had to think clearly about how she was going to treat this next semester at the school. She knows that she has limited time with her friends, but she also has limited time to figure out what her next step is after they graduate. She always hoped that she would be with her new friends forever, but it was clear that was not likely the case.

 

Silverstream pondered a moment, sitting in peaceful silence in Starlight's office. The silence could have easily been broken by either of them, but she soon was able to collect a thought worth sharing. "Counselor Starlight, I love it here. I love the school. I love my friends, the professors, sure. But I also love everything else about the school, how it brings others together, and how it constantly breaks barriers between individuals. I know that there is a chance that I will find myself following a path that leads me back to Seaquestria with the rest of my family, or Canterlot, or who knows where! But while I'm here, I want to be as involved in the school's purpose as I possibly can be. And not just as a student, but as an aide or assistant or something. Is that a thing? I know I can be a tutor, but is there like some kind of student position I can apply to that would allow me help make the school as successful as it can be?" Silverstream's urgency was met with a few possible hurdles. "I can get my parents to sign permissions slips if needed."

[Dubstep]

 

The mare blinked in surprise at the hippogriff's suggestion. It was...absolutely brilliant! Starlight couldn't help but to laugh and give her own forehead a gentle slap as she shook her head and sighed. "That's an absolutely brilliant idea!" the unicorn smiled over at Silverstream, sitting their now finished tea aside before speaking up again. "Sometimes adults can't always see the obvious answer sitting right in front of them. I don't know for certain if we have a tutor program right now, but I think it's an absolutely wonderful idea. Not only for you but for students in the future who will feel the same." Starlight pulled a drawer open and withdrew a pen and a notepad, scribbling down on it while levitating over the teapot to pour herself another cup.

 

"As soon as I can, I'll talk with the Headmare about setting up something along those lines. If it's not something that's feasible in the immediate future, I can put you down to be a junior counselor if you'd like? I always try to be open and understanding to all the students here, but I'm sure some of them would feel more comfortable discussing things with someone closer to their own age." Starlight would take a sip of her tea and nod, sitting the notepad aside when she finished jotting things down. "Don't feel pressured to jump on that idea if it's not quite your...heheh...cup of tea." she'd add with a wink.

[Hippo]

 

Silverstream's feathered ears seemed forever pitched backward to the idea that she was hung on, which was that inevitability would come and she would lose touch with everything she has come to know and love about being a student at the School of Friendship. But her ears perked up immediately at the sound and emotion of the counselor's positive tone. She could be a tutor! In ways in kind of of made sense. It's hard to find a tutor for a school that has only had one year or curriculum roll-out. But now that a cycle of upperclass creatures has become apparent, a role of tutor might actually be a void that needed filling.

 

Silverstream smiled. Tutor was only a beginning suggestion, and she would want more than just helping new students with their teachings. Starlight mentioning the title of junior counselor put a twinge of stress on the hippogriff's mind, but she was excited of such an opportunity nonetheless. And the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. "Yes! That sounds amazing!" She took flight and hovered in place. "I would love to show all of the new students around and help them with their friendships and their issues and their homework. Oh, and I can be friends with them, too! And I get a special outfit that shows I'm willing to help in case anycreature thinks I'm not the outgoing type. And I stay late after class to help as a teacher's assistant, and maybe even help students with issues that have nothing to do with school. Maybe I should have an office. Hoo! I should live under the school so I never have to leave." By this moment, Silverstream had rose to the ceiling of Starlight's office and when she realized her altitude, slowly descended back to the couch where her previous tears were still drying. She smirked nervously. "Maybe, I'll just start with a little tutoring."

[Dubstep]

 

Starlight chuckled and smiled at Silverstream's sudden upswing of excitement. This is what made being a councilor worthwhile. She wasn't always able to bring a smile to a student's face right away, but so long as she was able to help guide them on a good path towards that happiness, well she was doing pretty well in her book. It was obvious that the hippogriff had a love for both the school and the prospect of her being able to help students both new and old. "One step at a time." she'd say with a smile and a wink. "You don't want to put too much pressure on yourself right out of the gate, after all. But if you're serious about looking for a special outfit, Rarity would be absolutely elated to design something for you I'm sure!"
 

The unicorn jotted a few more notes down on her notepad, just to keep herself reminded to speak to Headmare Bluebelle about the tutoring program as an official thing. "I think though as long as you're not pushing yourself to be everything for everyone, this could be a perfect path for you. Just remember that you're one creature, and not to bite off more than you can chew, alright? Even tutors, or councilors, can ask for help."

[Hippo]

 

"But I'm not one creature." Silverstream engaged her pearl shard with a soft touch of her claw and she transformed into a seapony. "I'm two." Silverstream giggle-snorted. She wished Gallus and the others were here to see her joke. She quickly changed back into a hippogriff and beamed with excitement. "Thank you so much, Counselor Starlight! I can't wait to try and help others in these ways. I'm gonna go start getting ready for the plunge. I'm gonna help make this place better than it already is!" Silverstream fluttered her way towards the door and gave Starlight a wave goodbye.

 

After she slipped through the door, she could be heard engaging with a student just outside the counselor's office, possibly in a way that would startle them. "Hey! Do you need help with anything? Can I carry your books? Are you new here?" The presence of the pink hippogriff faded into the distance as she drifted away from the office, but she would leave behind the remains of her bubbly personality and a positive inflection on those who were lucky enough to cross her energetic path. For the next few days and weeks, she would increase her capacity to connect with everycreature around her in an attempt to help give others the best example of what she loved so much about the School of Friendship.