Prompt #372: "Failure"

As Twilight walked up to the desk where Celestia was working with some papers, she cleared her throat, both to prepare herself and to let her teacher know she was there.

Without even looking up, Celestia spoke. “Do you need something?”

“Well, I... there was a... slight problem with the ceremony earlier,” Twilight said cautiously.

“Oh? And what happened?” Celestia asked, sounding very distant.

“The chairpony, she was late, and all in attendance were getting restless. So I-”

“You gave the speech yourself. Of course you did,” Celestia said, cutting off her student.

“Yes, I’m sorry. Was that wrong?”

“No, not at all. In fact, it is I who should be the one apologizing,” she said, looking up from her desk for the first time since Twilight walked in. “I shouldn’t have sent you to that event in the first place.” Her eyes glared directly at Twilight for a moment, then returned to the documents in front of her.

“But... I don’t understand,” Said Twilight, quizzically.

“You’re not ready for this sort of assignment, not after what happened last month. I don’t know what I was thinking, letting you organize that committee meeting by yourself. And to think I was foalish enough to make that mistake again,” she said, writing on a form.

“Not ready? Princess, how many times have I shown that I am more capable than I look? Even on that first day we met, when you became my tutor and friend, I-”

“Friend?” Celestia said, slamming the pen down. “We were never friends.” With a scowl, she continued writing. The pen was pressed down so hard, she was practically tearing through the paper.

Twilight just stood there, in disbelief at what she just heard. With a flash of her horn, she teleported back to the library.