Time seemed to stretch on in the back of the police wagon. The ride itself was only fifteen minutes, but inside Dee’s exhausted mind, it may as well have been hours. There was nothing to fear, here in the presence of a policemare who seemed unbothered by, if not accepting of who she was, but her mind was rife with worry about what was to come. Would the Principal and Vice Principal be attending the meeting? Would they be upset with her?

She leaned her head against the window, looking past the passing scenery with unseeing eyes. “Today was supposed to be a good day,” she whimpered as a fresh fusillade of tears began to wash over her cheeks. “Why do these things happen to me?”

Sweetie Belle placed a hand gently on Dee’s shoulder, eliciting a startled jump, and gave a reassuring squeeze before turning her friend to face her. With her free hand, Sweetie retrieved a plastic-wrapped pack of tissues from her purse and began to dab away the tears on Dee’s face. “It’s just bad luck, Dee; you know that,” she said softly. “It won’t last forever, but if you think like it will, you’re just setting yourself up for repeated failure.

“I know you’re probably still feeling kind of alone after what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon did, and what happened at the arcade has really shaken you, but you can’t let a few bad things let you convince you everything ahead will be bad.” The corners of her mouth pulled upward in a light smile. “You remember how Diamond and Silver used to tease me and my friends because of our blank flanks, right? Do you remember how depressed I became when Diamond told me I was going to be completely talentless for the rest of my life?”

Dee nodded, turning her eyes away from her friend. “You hid in your room for days and you wouldn’t even see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo,” she said. “After you didn’t come to that... er... play-date, I showed up at the boutique.”

“And what was I doing when you showed up outside my door?” she asked with a knowing tone in her voice.

“You were singing.” A smile worked its way across Dee’s face. “I remember bursting in telling you that it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard, that you couldn’t possibly have been talentless with such an amazing singing voice... You got your cutie mark that day.”

“That’s right,” Sweetie answered. “But more than that, you showed me that one could always find light in the darkness, if only they would look for it.” She giggled slightly as something occurred to her. “The next day, I was in such a good mood that I thanked Diamond for bullying me to the point of getting my cutie mark, and then noted that if she kept it up, she’d run out of blank flanks to pick on.”

An amused snort escaped Dee as she finally looked her friend in the eye. “It certainly worked; they seemed to grow up after that.” Her smile fell slightly as she noticed how close they were getting to the institute. “I know what you’re trying to do, but I just don’t get what the light in the darkness is supposed to be in this situation. When we get back to the school, I’ve got to go to a meeting with the men’s dorm RA, and presumably the women’s as well. There’s no way I’m going to get lucky enough to get another room to myself, and I know if someone has to get moved to another room just so I can be placed with somebody comfortable with a pony like me, there’s going to be some animosity there. I don’t want to ups—”

A lone finger pressed against her lips and silenced her. “It’s okay,” she said, stroking Dee’s chin with her thumb. “I’m your light in the darkness, just like you were mine when I needed it. When I said I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you, I meant it. I’ll be right there with you in that meeting, not that I think they’ll deny you some support after what happened to you today.”

Dee Pad sagged in her seat, trying to relax as Sweetie Belle’s words began to sink in. Silver Spoon hadn’t been wrong, it seemed; whether or not she even realized it, Sweetie seemed to have feelings she couldn’t deny. What was more, Sweetie was absolutely right; she couldn’t let herself be fooled into thinking that everything would be bad from here on out.

“Thanks,” she whispered, returning her gaze to the ponies and buildings passing by.

When the police car pulled onto the campus proper, Sweetie Belle was unsurprised to find a tall earth pony stallion waiting for them. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the man on campus; she often saw him discussing managing the dorm halls with her own dorm’s RA over coffee in the commissary, so it wasn’t a far stretch to assume that he was the advisor responsible for the men’s hall, nor was it hard to believe that he would be the one to greet them. After all, wasn’t it standard procedure for the institute to be notified whenever students were involved in a violent incident?

Rather, what surprised her was that Mrs. Primrose, the resident advisor for the women’s dormitory, was missing, and not just because a resident of her dorm had also been involved. Dee would very soon be one of her charges, so it made sense that she’d also be there. Then again, she might have been tied up in other matters, or she might not want her first meeting with Dee tainted by the image of her stepping out of a police car.

Sweetie watched Dee’s expression as her friend took notice of the stallion, and how her ears seemed to droop and her eyes began to glisten at the sight of him. It reminded her that Dee had always been a good kid when she was younger, and had probably never ridden in a police vehicle before. With how erratic her friend had been since last night, she could only imagine that her fear of reprisal was overriding the fact that she’d done nothing wrong, expecting to be chewed out.

Again, she squeezed Dee’s shoulder, smiling. Sweetie shook her head when Dee turned to face her, hoping the message was clear enough: “You aren’t in trouble.” Whether or not she actually got the message, she watched her friend’s ears perk up lightly, and she no longer looked like she was about bawl her eyes out.

Finally, the vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the stallion. The two friends could do nothing but watch as the policemare stepped out of the car and began to converse with the RA. Not a word from the two could be heard over the still-running engine, but Sweetie thought she could make out the words “Thank you,” on his lips as the officer turned to let them out.

Being on the side of the vehicle closest to the curb the officer had pulled alongside, Dee was the first to get out of the vehicle. Though she was still somewhat unsteady on her hooves from her head injury, and presumably discomforted by her abused bottom, she was quick to accept a hug and a few whispered words of encouragement from the policemare. Even more surprising was how quickly she seemed to put aside her anxiety regarding her meeting aside.

“Button—er, Dee Pad, it’s good to see you are alright,” the men’s dorm RA said as he reached to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, before his hand flinched back. It dropped to his side, and he frowned. “When we were notified of what happened at Arcade Heaven, we were incredibly worried for you.” He cast a glance over his shoulder at the school’s administrative building. His lips became tight, and he sighed heavily. “... and unfortunately, that means that the er... Principal and Vice Principal have taken a personal interest in your case.”

Sweetie’s ears flicked at these words as she climbed out the door behind Dee. If Celestia and Luna had taken notice, things could go any number of ways incredibly quickly. Turning to the law officer, she looked sheepishly at her hooves. “Thank you for the ride, Officer—” Her eyes flicked up at the name embroidered on the velcro tag on the officer’s uniform. “—Shield.”

Officer Shield nodded once before returning to the driver’s side of her cruiser. Her back turned to Sweetie, she raised one hand in farewell. “You take care of her, you hear?” she called over her shoulder over her shoulder as she climbed into the vehicle. “A girl in her situation needs all the support she can get.”

Watching the cop car pull away, Sweetie screwed up her face in confusion and shook her head. Why did everyone seem to keep putting Dee’s continued well-being on her? Sure, she’d promised her that nothing bad would ever happen, and told Diamond and Silver to stay away from them both, but she couldn’t help her alone. Were others seeing something that she wasn’t? Wasn’t she just watching out for a childhood friend?

The wait in the meeting room was making her uncomfortable, and having Sweetie Belle at her side did little to make her feel any better. They had been standing on one side of a table at rapt attention for almost fifteen minutes, and they couldn’t dare relax. On the other side of the table were not two, or even three, but four chairs, but on Dee’s, there wasn’t even one, giving the room the air of an impending trial.

What was taking them so long? It wasn’t like they didn’t know she was waiting for them there. In fact, they had a few hours warning in order to set all of this up. “What do you think is taking so long, Sweetie?” Dee asked, pursing her lips as she rubbed at a speck of blood on the shoulder of her dress. “Do you think that Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna have decided that I’m in some kind of trouble?”

If she expected some form of reassurance from her friend, none was forthcoming. All Sweetie Belle could offer was a shrug and upraised palms. “I honestly don’t know,” she replied, not making eye contact. “You haven’t exactly broken any laws, but not everything you’ve been into has been on the straight and narrow.” She clasped a hand on Dee’s shoulder and tilted her head at the door. “They probably just wanted to discuss what happened to you at the arcade and how to handle all of this in light of it.

“You’ve been through something traumatic,” she continued, pulling her into a tight hug. “They’re not about to come down on you like the second Changeling Inquisition with that in mind; it would be too cruel. Don’t forget who started this whole institution.”

Relaxing her expression, Dee nodded. “I’m sure you’re right.”

The clatter of approaching hooves in the hallway ended any further conversation as they exchanged anxious looks. They straightened their postures and kept their eyes low, so not to appear defiant. Although Sweetie had seen the princesses in person when she was younger, a fringe benefit of having an important sister, it would be her first time meeting them. Even if it was only as school administrators and not as Their Royal Highnesses in all their glory, Dee took comfort in this. It meant that they were both in unexplored territory.

It was agonizingly slow to watch the doorknob turn, but once the door opened, time seemed to speed up as an otherworldly pressure flowed into the room. They could only watch as the men’s RA stepped in, followed by a woman about Dee’s height—the stallion’s counterpart, she realized. Even as both took seats, her breath was taken away when Celestia and Luna entered.

She didn’t know what to expect upon seeing them, but it wasn’t this. As princesses, Celestia and Luna were tall, almost ethereal in appearance—goddesses of unbidden beauty and power. Yet here were these two, naught but little girls. Both were shorter than even Dee, and wore clothes what could only be custom tailored; nobody could have made three piece suits en mass for ponies so young. Even their manes weren’t as ethereal she would have expected: Celestia’s was a flowing pink while Luna’s was a baby blue. They were adorable, to say the least.

When the childlike leaders took their seats between the two RAs, they acknowledged the two standing pupils by conjuring two chairs on their side of the table. “Please, take a seat,” Principal Celestia instructed. “We realize you are both tired from today’s events, so this won’t take very long.”

Sweetie Belle did as instructed, but Dee hesitated, enraptured by the unreal duality of Celestia’s voice. Her voice was unmistakably childish, but there was a second, more adult layer to her voice, giving powerful, if haunting quality. There were two lingering thoughts in her mind when she finally complied with the instruction. How could someone so powerful be so small? Was this her true form, or was it a guise to make them seem more approachable?

“Do you know why we established Canterlot Higher Education Institute?” Luna asked, folding her hands before her on the table. When no answer was proffered right away, she smiled in a manner more frightening than adorable. “Humor us, please.”

Just as her friend was about to answer, Dee spoke up. “Canterlot Higher Education Institute was founded as a beta test for the modernization of the Equestrian education system, ma’am.” She paused to recall what she had read following a particularly rough session with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “With the technological boom following Equestria’s entrance into the Information Age, the educational systems in rural areas like Ponyville lagged behind. The schools couldn’t afford to keep up with the ever evolving hardware and curriculum, handicapping ponies when it came to post-secondary education.

“The Institute is an accelerated learning program intended to provide these ponies with the opportunity to gain equal footing by teaching them what they need to know for the college or university courses of their choice,” she concluded. “If it proves successful under your supervision, it will be the basis for a new type of school; a school that would educate from the elementary level straight through to university, right?”

Celestia smiled and clapped, beaming at the young mare before her.. “Very good, my little pony,” she said with a nod. “I’m proud that, in spite of how you have been keeping busy with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, you’ve been keeping up with your studies.”

A hard lump formed in Dee’s throat as her wide eyes locked on the miniature princess. She knew about it all? How much did she know? How could she have found out? She scooted her seat backward, wringing her hands atop her lap. Oh, they were totally going to expel her!

“Be at ease,” Luna instructed, the small horn from her forehead glowing gently. Even as the vice principal princess spoke, the tension building inside Dee’s chest began to soften and fade. “You are not to be punished for having a personal life. Self-discovery is every bit as important as the learning process itself, otherwise knowledge is wasted without purpose.”

Dee wasn’t completely sure of it, but she thought over the phrase. “If a pony doesn’t know what he or she is to do with knowledge, they cannot apply it to its fullest,” she finished the saying with a hushed whisper to herself, “but if a pony finds themselves, they can find purpose for that knowledge.” Nodding to Luna, she said aloud, “I think I understand, ma’am.”

Celestia steepled her hands before her on the table and pursed her lips. “Hopefully they will be words you might take to heart,” she said flatly before smiling. “Now, I understand you have begun the process of transitioning. For obvious legal reasons, Morning Oak can no longer host you in the men’s dorm.”

The mare to the left of Luna straightened up on cue and offered a hand. “I am Evening Primrose, the resident advisor for the women’s dorm here at Canterlot Higher Education Institute.” Dee Pad reached across the table to shake her hand. “I’ve worked with young women in situations similar to your own in the past, albeit never one who’d begun transition without the assistance of a doctor, so I understand what you’re facing.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Dee replied, easing back into her seat. A heaviness, one she hadn’t been aware was weighing her down, dissipated as she came to the realization that things weren’t going nearly as badly as she had feared. The relief flushed the last bit of adrenaline and tension from her system, leaving her absolutely knackered. “Not to sound rushed or anything, but... where am I staying tonight? The men’s dorm sounds like it’s out of the question beyond moving my stuff, and I doubt I’m lucky enough to get another room to myself.”

Celestia and Luna shared a look with Mrs. Primrose before smiling in unison. “There are presently no empty rooms available in my dorm hall, and while there is to be an opening rather soon, I actually have something else in mind.” Reaching beneath the table, she withdrew a small notebook from her purse. She pored over its contents before closing it and returning her attention to the ponies before her. “She’s a good pony, but because of her unique personality, her previous roommates never really got on well with her. Needless to say, it’s her uniqueness that makes me suspect that she will be more tolerant and accepting than some others might be. She’s already agreed to give you a shot, as well.”

Dee noted one of Sweetie’s ears twitch at this, but made no comment even as her friend screwed up her muzzle in some miserable attempt not to smile. Primrose, however, was not so quiet on the matter. “Yes, I’m quite aware you know who this mare is, Sweetie Belle,” she said with a lighthearted giggle. “I’m sure you know her too.”

Somepony she knew in the women’s dorm who would be accepting of her? Sure, there were plenty of ponies that she grew up with that were presently at Canterlot High. Ignoring the obvious ones that she’d seen just over the last 48 hours, she could think of Noi, Aura, Pina Colada, Dinky Hooves, and Zipporwhill, just off the top of her head. None of them fit the bill, however. Beyond Noi being a bit of a busybody what with her investigative reporting for the campus paper or Zipporwhill being excitable as all hell, none of the ponies had the sort of personalities that would make having a roommate difficult.

They must have taken her moment of silent thought as a sign of tiredness, because at some point, Celestia and Luna had both risen. “You don’t have to worry about moving all of your possessions tonight, Dee Pad,” Celestia said softly, using a bit of magic to brush the young mare’s mane from her eyes. “Just take what you need for classes tomorrow and anything you cannot be without, and we will have some discreet ponies move your belongings for you.”

“Thank you, Princess—er, Principal Celestia. That is very kind,” she replied, bowing in her seat. “Perhaps too kind.”

A soft, cool aura enveloped her chin, tilting her head and forcing her to look up at the regal administrators. “Think nothing of it, young one,” Luna said. “We do, however have a request for you in exchange for this.”

Humbled, the only thing she could manage was a simple, “Anything, Your Highness.”

“We want you to speak with a therapist,” she said in a voice no louder than a whisper. “Barring that, at least speak to your mother.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now, we have other things to attend to this afternoon, but we are certain that Sweetie Belle can show you to your new room. We hope your future to be a bright and happy one.”

Dee could hardly think as she exited the building, Sweetie Belle ever present at her side. Why had she thought that she was going to be in trouble? Such a thing was almost insulting to have ever been thought about the kind and understanding ponies that she had just spoken with. If anything, she imagined they would have given her the world, or a close simulacrum, if she had asked.

Indeed, she was so out of sorts that she was barely aware she’d walked straight into a pair of older stallions going in the opposite direction as she exited the building. None of their words registered in her mind as she apologized to them, but just when they had almost reached the men’s dorm, it occurred to her that she’d seen those men before.

“Sweetie Belle, weren’t those men Filthy Rich and Silversmith?” she finally asked, just outside her former dorm room. “Weren’t they Diamond’s and Silver’s fathers?”

The taller mare only nodded and said, “Yeah, they were,” as Dee pulled the door open.

“Do you think they... know?” she asked. “I mean, about what Diamond and Silver were up to.”

“At the very least, something is up,” Sweetie replied, glancing over the disheveled room. “They wouldn’t be here looking as angry as they were unless something had pulled them away from their business holdings.” She pointed at the duffel bag on the floor, not far from the door. “Well, let’s get what you need and then tidy up a bit, alright?”

Dee nodded, and then snatched up the indicated bag. She took it over to her laundry hamper and up-ended it, depositing the contents among the other worn articles of clothing. After that, she made her way to the dresser. She took only a few pairs of plain underwear, some training bras, and socks, recalling what the princess had said, and then moved on to school-suitable outfits.

“You sure have a lot of lacy stuff,” Sweetie noted with a bit of a teasing smile. “Not going to take any of that?”

Holding up a green blouse, she shook her head. “I’m only grabbing a few days worth of stuff,” she replied. “As nice and pretty as the lace feels, I can live without it for a bit.” Placing the blouse back in the drawer, she held up a pink camisole. “What do you think, too much for school? Too trashy?”

“Nah, that’s fine.” Sweetie Belle grabbed a ladies t-shirt that looked two sizes too small and did a doubletake as she read the print on it. “‘Butt Slut’?” she said incredulously. “They actually made you wear this?”

Dee shrugged and placed the cami in the bag. “I had to wear something when they took me shopping.” She held up a pair of black skinny jeans for a moment, before deciding herself that they would be fine and placing it in the bag. She repeated the process navy skirt and another white blouse before pushing the drawer closed. “They made me ride the bus back with a full size vibe in my ass and a pad in my panties in case I made a mess.”

If that surprised Sweetie, she made no outward reaction. “I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me,” she answered thoughtfully as the young transmare entered the room’s ensuite. “They once had me walk around wearing nothing but hotpants, a hoodie, and an erection. Thinking back, they were pretty deviant, weren’t they?”

“Could you grab that pair of trainers and those low heel pumps from beside my bed?” Dee asked, as she began collecting up her toiletries. Her eye caught on the bottles of magical hormones Silver Spoon had given her—especially the three full bottles that she’d taken out of the bag only this morning—before those too entered the bag.

When she came back out of the bathroom, she saw Sweetie Belle holding the fair-sized lockbox that had once resided under the bed and froze. “I remember this!” she declared, turning the key that had been foolishly left in the lock. “I gave you this on your tenth birthday!”

“Wait, don’t open—” she started to say, but it was too late. Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she saw the box’s contents.

Moving to her friend’s side, she stared down at the contents of the box. It was nearly two feet long and almost half as wide, divided neatly down the center by a folded sheet of cardboard. One side was full of mementos from her childhood: his Joy Boy, a few game cartridges, photos of her and what little friends she had, and even a friendship bracelet she very much doubted Sweetie even remembered giving her.

Unfortunately, Sweetie was focused on the other contents of the box. Buried beneath the strips of condoms, a bottle of personal lubricant, plugs of various sizes, and what looked like a urethral stopper was a monster of black silicone. It wasn’t nearly as long as Sweetie’s own cock, but it was every bit as girthsome, and sported a strange swelling near the base as large as a fist.

Pushing the lid closed in front of her friend’s furiously blinking eyes, Dee sighed and placed the lockbox in the bag with everything else. “Yes, I keep my toys in my memory box; it’s the only safe place and let’s leave it at that.”

“You... how does that even fit?” she asked, turning her astonished eyes to her friend. “Wouldn’t that hurt?”

A weak smile crossed Dee’s muzzle and she shrugged. “A lot of lube, training, and patience,” she said dryly as she began to tidy up. “I was still relatively new to it all when they first took me to get a toy, and I thought it was all some joke. So, out of jest, I picked that because ‘it looked funny’. Then they told me later that I’d have to train up to it. It fits, but I’ve never once knotted it.” Deciding the place to be acceptable enough without any clothes on the floor, she added, “Can we go now? I’m dying to meet this pony I already know.”

With everything as it should be, so far as Dee could say it could be, she threw the bag over her shoulder and eyed the door with a raised eyebrow. “Something I’m not so sure about,” she said, pushing the doorway open, “is why everyone seems to be so sure this pony will be so accepting of a surprise roommate who happens to be packing a... erm... little surprise?”

Sweetie Belle chuckled to herself and followed her friend out of the room. Pulling the door shut behind her, she said, “She’ll be fine with you because she’s asexual.” Dee tossed her the key, and she locked the door behind them. “Who better to place a transgendered mare with than another member of the institute’s LGBT society?”

Pausing to look over her shoulder, she caught Sweetie’s smirk. “You’re not going to tell me who she is, are you?” she asked, continuing her way down the hall. Dee’s query was met only with giggles.

Author's Notes:

So... Long time no see, am I right? Between writer's block, editor difficulties, and Seven playing video games *cough*GTA V*cough*, getting the chapter out hasn't been that smooth of a process. Adding to the fact that after the events of Chapter 5, the only appropriate chapter was, as Dash the Stampede put it, a 'fluff' chapter, it didn't exactly want to flow. That being said, this is the sort of chapter that makes for a bit of expansion upon the lore. The enigmatic princesses, for example, are what makes the difference between Equestria Girls Canterlot, and an anthropomorphic Equestria.

Needless to say, next chapter, we encounter another character who may or may not have been previously mentioned in the story, as well as meeting Dee's mysterious new asexual roommate.

I also wish to take this moment to thank the two whose help I accepted in editing the chapter: Dash the Stampede and Battleborn. If not for DtS, the ending probably would have looked a lot different and a bit more cliffhanger-y than it is. I also want to thank those whose help was offered but ultimately not taken. It's nothing personal to Midnight Legend or ElNeroDiablo; I decided to go with just two to streamline the process, rather than the reliance on the four that I had for the Alchemist's Heart, which ended up making things a bit difficult.