Glimmering Twilight, Sparkling Starlight
Multiple books float in mid air, surrounded by cyan aura, before neatly rearranging themselves into the bookshelf. When Starlight arranged them alphabetically in reverse order out of boredom, she haven't put them back into the proper place. Now that the event with Cozy Glow had trespired, she better put it back before Twilight chews her for it.
Squinting her eyes to double check the books from their titles, the unicorn is now completely sure her task is done, and smiled. Class had just been dismissed a few minutes ago, and that means she's mostly free for the day. Starlight looked at the door, thinking of going home to the castle right away, but something put her thought into a halt as another thought crosses her mind. Before Cozy visited her to admit her wrongdoings, no student ever came to her and made her to do her job. Now that she had the experience of giving advice and counseling, she really felt like a real student counselor. Maybe she should spend more time in her office.
With her little plan, she teleported back onto her chair, and rummages at the drawers on her desk. With her magic, she pulled out one book and a cup of her "Empathy Coco", which she got plenty, but rarely served to other ponies considering the amount of ponies that visit her. Better not let them to waste. Laying her back on the chair, she opens the book and took a sip from her drink.
"Oh my, there's a Twilight themed kite? It looks pretty cool too!" It's obvious to her friends that Starlight Glimmer is a fan of kites, one of the things that helped her get out from her... ahem, rebellious phase. Starlight got a shiver down her spine every time she remembers those times. By chance, she found a book titled "Kites of All Ages: Design", filled with the designs of famous kites and not so famous ones from the ages. She can spend hours studying the measurements, how she can improve it, and perhaps one day she can craft a replicate of those kites and fly them herself.
"Darn, those wings are tricky... the feathers fluttering does look good, but does it affect the performance?" In her own world, Starlight lifts her hind legs and rests them on the desk, while taking another sip of her own hot coco. She wonders if her friends can lend her a hoof to craft a kite, perhaps Maud or Sunburst if he visits Ponyville again. Unfortunately, Trixie is not an option. The only thing she might accomplish is creating either a flying teacup, or a fireball of a kite plummeting towards the ground.
Her thoughts are rudely interrupted when a rather loud 'Click!' signals her that the door to her office had been opened. In one reflexive motion, Starlight flails her hooves, causing her hind legs to kick her desk. Neighton's third law kicks along with her as the force tilts her chair backwards, and with most of Starlight's weight is at the back of the chair, gravity took care of the rest. With a loud 'CRASH!', the chair tumbled backwards along with the mare sitting on it. The thrown book retaliates by landing itself on Starlight's forehead, inflicting serious pain. Through some miracle, however, Starlight's magical grip on the cup of 'Empathy Coco' remained firm, preserving it's contents and the cup itself from a nasty fate.
"Ouch... uh, w-welcome!" Starlight struggles with her words, even as she recovers from the fall. "So sorry... I-I mean, what can I help you... with?"
"Starlight? What happened?"
Starlight made eye contact with the purple alicorn princess that she knows so well. Twilight is staring at her school's counselor with one eyebrow raised as Starlight raises her office chair and stores her book with her magic at her desk. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Oh, Twilight! What a surprise to see you here!" The light purple unicorn smiled, slightly awkwardly after she knows that Twilight saw her fall. "I, uh... was just about to leave, actually. What brings you here?"
Twilight looked around the room before answering. "Juuuust.... visiting my student counselor. After what happened today, I just have to see you again, Starlight."
Both mares smiled in understanding. Ever since Starlight took the Cutie Mark Crusaders into the school as new tutors, Twilight had been showering her former student's decision with praise. The unicorn can't help but blush a bit at every nice words the princess gave to her. She had come a long way from being a vengeful mare that would destroy history just to watch her enemy suffer.
"I think you're giving me too much credit, Twilight." Starlight waved her hoof, staying humble. "I should thank you for trusting me to become the student counselor."
"Why wouldn't I? You already proved yourself before the school opened. If you're not here, the school would not be open in the first place!" Twilight reminded. "And I'm also proud that you thought of accepting the Cutie Mark Crusaders as tutors, that never crossed my mind for some reason!"
Well, it's natural if Starlight had to guess. They're still little fillies, and one would associate them as students instead of teachers. The thought only crossed the unicorn's mind when Cozy told her about being taught by them. It is such a shame that Cozy ended up hurting them, despite the fact that she got a good intention.
Wait, speaking of the crusaders, if what Cozy said were true...
"Hey, Twilight?" Starlight rubbed one hoof with the other, slightly nervous about the topic she's about to bring up. "When Cozy came to meet me, she seems to be really sad..."
Twilight's smile turned into a curious stare upon hearing this, before Starlight continued." She said that she got her friends in trouble, that means the crusaders, right?" At this, Twilight nodded. "What... exactly happened that made her confess to fail the test on purpose?"
Starlight is not an expert in reading somepony else, but when Twilight briefly zips her eyes back and forth across the room, she knows the princess is feeling a bit uncomfortable. The princess exhales noisily through her nose before answering.
"I sent them away." Twilight kept her eyes closed as she speak.
"...What?"
"I sent them away from school, Starlight." Twilight admitted. "I thought they taught Cozy the wrong things so she'll fail the test."
Starlight didn't know the Crusaders that well, or at least not better then Twilight, who had been friends with them much longer. But from her judgement, the Crusaders is not the type of ponies to do so, at least under normal circumstances.
"What do you mean exactly by sending them away? Like, not allowing them to come to school? Pfft..." Starlight laughed nervously at the thought, and stopped when she sees Twilight's sad face. The realization soon kicks in, and Starlight never thought her friend would be capable to do it. "Wait... Y-you did?"
"It... It was an honest mistake... I never thought anypony would fail their test on purpose." The alicorn princess sighs and hung her head low.
"But banishing those fillies!? Twilight, I would never--"
"No, it's not banishing, Starlight." Twilight returned to her straightened posture. "Just a few days off from the school, not forever. I guess other ponies can see it as a ban, but I swear to Celestia that's not my intention."
Starlight looks at her former teacher with mixed emotions. Mostly with disbelief, but there's also a hint of disappointment. Twilight is a wise pony that made right decisions before, surely she must have a strong reason to punish the Cutie Mark Crusaders that severe, but she can't imagine what would it be.
"O-Okay, let's say I completely disagree with your decision, and you actually intend to ban the fillies from school..." Starlight argues, perhaps coming out a bit too aggressive then she wanted to. "What made you do that?"
Twilight is about to speak, until she suddenly stopped moving for a brief second. She looked at Starlight with a sad face with a hint of guilt, and Starlight is not sure how to respond to that. Did Twilight really acted before thinking back then? Such thought is unheard of for the female unicorn. This is a mare that would write down her schedule even on trivial matters such as switching the locations of two books.
"I... don't expect you, or any other pony, to agree with me, but here goes..." The princess took a shaky breath. "Some time before the test was announced, the other teachers... errr... the girls, reported to me about the Crusader's activities. That was after they came to me, trying to enroll into the school."
"The girls? All of them?" Starlight put a hoof to her chin. She haven't heard of this before. "What did they say?"
"Applejack said Apple Bloom, her sister, refuses to do any of the farm chores. Rarity said Sweetie Belle pleaded to her to put her into the school non stop. Rainbow even told me Scootaloo sneaked into one of her classes in a disguise." Twilight testified as Starlight listened.
"And, you trusted them immediately?" Starlight remarked, and suddenly seemed to be struck by a sudden realization. "Oh wait, Applejack is..."
"No, there is no way Applejack lied. Besides, she's a terrible liar." A very brief chuckle along with a smirk came from Twilight, before she returned to her original state. "And, if that's not enough, Pinkie and Fluttershy told me the Crusaders 'fake arguing' in front of them. I don't think either of them can lie, can you?"
Pinkie might make things up that's difficult for other ponies to understand, but lying about another pony? Even Starlight doubts that. It seems to be even more impossible for Fluttershy's case. It's not so kind to lie after all.
"Doubt it." Starlight said, not confirming or denying the answer of the question. "I kinda see your point, though, the Crusaders wanted to go into the School of Friendship really bad."
"Well, I'm glad you got that point, because I need it to explain my second point." Twilight explained. "Did you know, that not long before you, um... befriended me, the Crusaders just got their cutie marks?"
"Really?" If Starlight considers the estimated age of the Crusaders, it seems a bit late for them to get their cutie marks. After all, Sunburst got his a couple of years earlier, and herself got it not too long after that.
"I know them before they got them, and... let's say they are very determined to get their cutie marks back then." Twilight smiled slightly at the memory. "They would try every kind of activity, even fire breathing with Spike."
"That's amusing..." Starlight pondered. "How determined are we talking about?"
"To the point of begging me of finding a spell to give them a cutie mark." Okay, that is something. Even when she was building her cutie mark free village, she knows the magic of the marks are something that is hard to grasp for ponies. Well, she can take off somepony's cutie mark... but not making them appear out of nowhere or make them disappear permanently.
"Not to mention the trouble they've caused the town a few times. Well, not exactly troubles, just widespread mischief." Twilight added, turning her hoof around a few times in the air. "...That's why, I'm afraid that it would happen again with the getting into the School of Friendship thing."
"That they'll do anything to get in the school?" Starlight deduced. She seems to get the point of Twilight's argument. The alicorn nodded in confirmation.
"And that brings me to my biggest fear... whether if they really did taught Cozy the wrong things for the test." Twilight sighed again.
"Do you really think those fillies would do that... Twilight?" Starlight raised an eyebrow as she looked at her friend. "That's a pretty extreme assumption."
"I don't want to believe it, but..."
"...You have something that said otherwise?" Starlight finishes the alicorn's sentence, much to Twilight's surprise. Before she continues, Twilight smiles briefly at the guidance counselor, a genuine happy smile. It seems that knowing how well Starlight knows her cheered Twilight a bit from her guilt trip. But unfortunately said trip isn't done yet.
"Okay, when I see Cozy Glow's test paper, her answers are really ridiculous, to say the least..." With a glow of her horn, said test paper appears hovering just above Twilight's raised hoof. How did the princess managed to teleport it without any preparation beforehand is unknown to Starlight. "Here, have a look."
The first thing that Starlight noticed on the paper is the big red F on the top corner, along with all the criss cross of red ink all over the paper. It slightly obstructs what Cozy Glow had written as her answers, but from what she can make out, it is indeed, ridiculous.
"As soon as I see those answers, I called Cozy immediately to have a face to face with her." Twilight continues as Starlight is still looking at the paper. "When I asked why does she think she failed, she immediately said that the Crusaders helped her prepare her test, then she ran out from the room, tears flowing. Doesn't that naturally made the Crusaders suspect at first glance?"
"It is what she wanted to happen, that devious filly..." Starlight noted. It just bothers her to no end that somepony as young as Cozy is able to develop such a plan. "But Twilight, you immediately accuse the Crusaders instead of trying to clarify with them first. That's a bit too hasty."
Starlight waited for an explanation, but it didn't come immediately. Instead, Twilight leisurely walked to the side, looking at the bookshelf Starlight just rearranged a minute ago.
"I know this might not justify what I did, but..." Twilight turns her head to look at the light purple unicorn. "Do you remember when you are my pupil, Starlight?"
"Huh? Of course." Starlight answered, confused by the seemingly random question. Her path of friendship is a very rocky start, filled with mistakes, insecurities, and even dangers. But she would not forget it for the rest of her life. That is the start of a new, beautiful beginning for her. That was the time she felt her true purpose in life. Twilight's friendship assignments are demanding and hard, but it's worth finishing them.
"Way before I became a princess... no, even before I came to live in Ponyville, I was Princess Celestia's student." Twilight grabbed a random book with her magic and flipped the pages. "She gave me an assignment to make new friends. Crazy, right?" The alicorn chuckled at the memory.
"But that didn't stop me to try my best to make Princess Celestia proud. She gave me tests, and I completed them in the most perfect way I can." Twilight continued, while she showed the open book to Starlight. "I would spend hours and hours to memorize multiple books like these, down until the last word of the last sentence in the last paragraph of the last page."
No wonder she spends most of her time in the library, Starlight thought.
"And all that, just so I can make my teacher, the princess, proud of me." Twilight closed the book, and rubs the cover gently. "And Princess Celestia, is more then a teacher to me. She took care of me since I was a little filly. She checks on me every night to make sure I was okay. She taught me everything. She was... a mother to me. Making her see that I would meet her expectations everytime is the least I can do to repay her."
It took Starlight a while to find out why Twilight ceased all movements, before a single tear escapes the corner of her eye onto the book. Her smile is unwavering as she shared the memories of being Princess Celestia's apprentice. Amazingly, Starlight thought, she can relate to her former mentor. Only now she realized that Twilight would try her best to take care of her the same way as Princess Celestia had treated her. In turn, she always tried to make the pony that saved her life proud of her. Sure, she went to extreme measures to assure that, but that's because she was still stupid back then.
"That's why... When I see Cozy ran off crying, I thought she was devastated. I bet she wanted to make me proud too. She tried so hard everyday to be better at friendship, but what happened then?" Twilight wiped her eyes with a hoof and looked Starlight in the eye again. "I don't know how it feels to fail a test. I dread that feeling until now. Then I saw a little filly, who failed the test after preparing so hard for it, and her reaction... "
"You relate yourself to her..." Starlight said. So it's about how Twilight see what a test is to somepony. Although the alicorn claimed she never failed a test herself, she should know it's a big matter.
"So, after knowing that the Crusaders are the ones who prepared her for the test, I may have gotten carried away." Twilight looked away in guilt. "I know they kept denying it, and I wanted to believe them, but Cozy's test result caused me to doubt them. Who would've thought she failed on purpose?"
After taking in all of Twilight's arguments, Starlight slowly nodded as she put the pieces together. Twilight's reasoning is mostly sound and natural, and she knows the Crusaders well enough to know what they can do, including the part of making them tutors in the school. It's just unfortunate that Cozy's supposedly good intentioned plan created a solid proof against the Crusaders, and it's another unfortunate fact that Twilight got too upset after watching Cozy's 'sadness' after she failed that she blamed it on the fillies.
So, can she say for certain that Twilight's decision was a mistake?
"...Funny, it feels like I'm giving another counseling session." Starlight let out a nervous laugh, knowing she's not doing it with a student this time.
"Well, you're still the guidance counselor, and not just for students." Twilight smiled. "This isn't the first time this happened between us. And last time... you told me the mistakes I have done. Now I want you to do that again."
It was kind of a shock for Starlight when Twilight appointed her as the School of Friendship's first guidance counselor, but now she understands why. Perhaps being blunt can be considered as somepony's strength.
"What you did wrong, Twilight, is punishing the fillies right away, although, they got nothing on their side either." Starlight admitted. "You should know them well enough to merit some doubt the evidence. Heck, you said they are good enough at friendship that they don't need to come to the school, and that turns out to be true."
Twilight listened and smiled a bit, yet still keeping her head low. She knows she did something wrong, but she's just happy to have Starlight tell her what exactly her mistake is, and she did a pretty good job at it.
"I just... want to have a personal connection with my students, you know?" The princess said nervously, still unable to get rid of the guilt completely. "I thought I felt how sad Cozy is after I confronted her, but..."
"Hmph, even an ex bad mare like me didn't see that coming. That kid is pretty cunning, I must say." Starlight shows a rather mischievous smirk, before returning her attention to Twilight. She put her hoof onto the side of the princess's neck gently. "So, uh, did I do good?"
"Yeah, thanks." Both mares pulled each other into a short hug. "At least the Crusaders are happy when I made them honorary graduates. Hopefully they can forgive me after this."
"Maybe, but I think you still should apologize to them just to be safe." Starlight suggested, and Twilight nodded in agreement.
"I will soon." Gently separating from the hug, Twilight give the door a look, then back to Starlight. "Thanks again, guidance counselor Starlight."
Just as Twilight took a few steps to turn herself around, she stopped. She just realized that she got nothing to do in particular after school. She thought of finding the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but they're probably busy reconciling with Cozy Glow or their sisters. There is an activity that she wanted to do for a while with Starlight, though.
"Hey, Starlight, do you play chess?" The princess asked.
"Huh? Oh, umm... Not too good at it yet." Starlight admitted. "You want to have a go?"
"It'll be good to have somepony else to play with other then Spike, and he's not too good at chess." Twilight giggle into her hooves. "Besides, it's been a while since I had a game of chess with anypony."
"Well, I got nothing better to do, so count me in." The light purple unicorn positioned herself next to Twilight as they walk towards the door to exit the room, looking forward to spend their time together.
"So, you know a lot about chess?"
"Sure do! There's lots of books about it! Why do you ask?"
"...Do you think you know why Cozy's cutie mark is a rook?"
Author's Note
To be honest, the only mistake the episode has is having Twilight accuse the Crusaders of having a 'spite', cmon hasbruh 
Counselor Starlight is best counselor
