Vice-Principal Luna went through the school’s mail, a cup of coffee in hand like she had every morning; her sister was more of a morning person. The ‘Vice’ part of her title was merely a formality considering she shared the workload with her sister equally hence today was her turn to sort through the usual letters. Oh, not to forget the fact that they didn’t have equal pay either. The only thing she was thankful for was that her sister didn’t tend to go on wild shopping sprees.

She brought the mug to her lips, taking in some of the hot ‘wake-up juice’, as she scanned the letters. They were mostly the same as before, except for one. The contents of her mouth nearly went spraying everywhere.

Swallowing grimly, she barged into Celestia’s office, slamming down the letter on her desk. “We have a problem.”

“No need to be so loud about it,” Celestia replied, eyeing her sister as she took the letter from her. “Did the coffee machine break again?”

“No. Worse,” Luna said with utter seriousness.

Celestia raised a brow at that, then opened up the letter and read through it. She blinked a few times, then frowned. “Superintendent Tirek.”

“What does he want this time?” Luna asked.

“Another inspection, but this time he’s taking a special interest in Sunset.” Celestia sighed, putting the letter down. “I doubt she’ll be happy with that, considering how she’s just getting settled after…” Celestia waved her hand. Luna didn’t need to be told twice.

“Shall I fetch her for you when she comes in?”

Celestia nodded. “If you could, thank you.”

“Very well.” Luna moved to the door, putting her hand on it. Her head turned back. “How long do we have?”

“You didn’t see it on the letter?” Celestia asked, skeptical.

“I saw the name Tirek and went straight to you,” Luna said, shrugging absently.

“Tomorrow,” Celestia replied simply.

Luna froze and dropped her mug. Coffee went everywhere, soaking into the carpet.

“And we’re off to a brilliant start already,” Celestia muttered, rubbing her face.

“So what am I in here for?” Sunset questioned, sitting down in the chair opposite Celestia. “I haven’t even done anything wrong.” She sniffed. “Also, I smell coffee.”

Luna kept her composure, fighting off a sheepish smile. She moved around the desk to stand behind Celestia. “You’re not in trouble, so you can calm down.”

“Oh. Good,” Sunset said. She folded her arms. “Then what’s going on?”

“Superintendent Tirek is coming for an inspection tomorrow,” Celestia answered.

Sunset gave her a skeptical look. “And this has everything to do with me because…?”

“Because of the ‘incident’,” Celestia said.

Sunset’s face fell and she suddenly became very quiet, putting her hands in her lap. “Oh.”

Celestia offered her an encouraging smile. “We just wanted to give you a warning ahead of time. You’ve been a very good student these past few months, so we have no doubts that Tirek will approve of you.”

“Just be wary. He can be…” Luna pursed her lips, thinking. “...unnecessarily harsh at times.”

“Got it. Can I go now?” Sunset asked, already leaning off the chair.

“Yes, you can,” Celestia answered with a wave of her hand.

Sunset stood up and began walking out, but stopped and turned. “Can I tell my friends about this?”

Celestia nodded with a smile. “Of course. We planned on telling all the classes, but we felt you needed to be informed first.”

Sunset returned the gesture, with a grateful touch to her expression. “Thank you, Principals.” Then she left the office, heading towards her class, where all her friends would be waiting for her.

Her next class was social studies. Naturally she was late, earning her a disapproving glower from Miss Hashwhinny until she produced her note from the principals. That done, she settled into her usual seat. Rainbow leaned across her desk and whispered, “the principals called you in? What’s up? Everything alright?”

“Miiiiiss Dash!” Sunset winced as the teacher’s fittingly harsh voice cut in. “I hope you have a valid reason for talking in class. Perhaps you would like to tell the class more about last night’s reading assignment?”

“Um, sure...” Rainbow chuckled and nervously rubbed the back of her head. “It was, um ... er...”

Sunset would’ve helped her friend out, but there was no way she could sneak Rainbow the answers without Harshwhinny watching. Naturally Sunset had done the reading herself; Social Studies was one of her favorite subjects, if only because a lot of the material was actually new to her. When it came to subjects like math or science, she’d pretty much learned everything there was to know while she was still Princess Celestia’s student. As it turns out, the laws of physics do apply to other worlds too, apparently. Once her secret got out she’d asked the principals about getting credit for all the subjects she’d already learned, but sadly she hadn’t packed her transcript from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns when she’d left Equestria. Even if she had, it would probably be hard to get a human school to recognize unicorn education credentials.

She felt a brief pang as her mind thought back on Princess Celestia. It always happened when she remembered her old life and what could’ve been. There were times when she almost wished she’d followed Twilight back through the portal, just long enough to see the Princess again. There were a lot things she wanted to say to her Celestia, if she ever got a chance.

Still, Harshwhinny was a perceptive teacher, if not as loving as Celestia. A pile of papers being placed on her desk alerted Sunset back to reality. She stared up at Harshwhinny, who was tapping the pile.

“The extra-curricular work you asked for,” she sharply informed her.

“Oh, right. Thank you,” Sunset replied, taking the pile and somehow managing to squeeze it into her bags.

Rainbow gave Sunset a look that was normally reserved for madmen. “You are such a weirdo sometimes.”

Sunset ignored the comment. For now. There was always time to get her back later, when it wouldn’t earn Harshwhinny’s ire.

A little while later, Miss Harshwhinny sat at her desk, staring at the clock on the back wall. She narrowed her eyes, waiting until the the little hand was exactly on the hour. The moment it did, all she had to say was, “Class dismissed.”

Pinkie and Rainbow were out of the door and towards the cafeteria faster than you could say, well, fast. In any classroom, they sat at the front—it was simply easier to keep track of them chatting that way. Rarity and Applejack weren’t far behind, squabbling about something or other. It was a common pastime of theirs; a battle of wits from opposite ends of the spectrum. Farmer versus Fashionista.

Fluttershy was out last, along with Sunset herself. She was staring at her, which usually wasn’t something the timid girl was prone to do. Sunset turned to face her, her brow raising ever so slightly.

“Something on your mind?” Fluttershy asked. Sunset was happy to see Fluttershy wasn’t even a little nervous about asking what was bothering her—it’d taken a while for her to get used to Sunset after her… reformation, but by now the two regarded each other as trustworthy friends.

“Yes,” Sunset replied, blinking. She should’ve figured that Fluttershy had been able to see right through her. The quiet ones always have a knack for noticing things.

“Want to talk about it?” Fluttershy asked. There was just the subtlest edge of an order to it. Not many would’ve picked it up, but Sunset knew her well enough these days.

Sunset grunted. “At lunch.”

The two entered the cafeteria, which was completely alive with activity. Groups of friends sat at tables, trying to balance the task of eating and gossiping with each other. Pinkie and Rainbow had already secured their usual spot, with Applejack and Rarity just joining them. Fluttershy left to sit at the table, getting out her lunchbox. Sunset was content to wait in line for some of the school’s food.

A couple of minutes later and she reunited with her friends. They greeted her warmly, which Sunset took note of; seems Fluttershy hadn’t spilled the beans yet. “We may have a problem.” Upon seeing her friend’s confused expressions, she hid a smirk. Being direct did get amusing results at times.

“Why is that?” Rarity questioned, delicately putting down her knife and fork. Her own, of course; Rarity certainly wouldn’t want to use something as classless as the disposable plasticware the rest of the students had to make do with. Only the finest of stainless steel would suffice.

“I was called into Celestia’s office,” Sunset held up a hand, silencing any concerns, “I’m fine. It’s just that Superintendent Tirek is visiting tomorrow.”

A round of gasps went around the table. Sunset quickly looked at her friends, her expression seeming to request more clarification.

“Superintendent Tirek ain’t your normal official,” Applejack said.

“Much more like a brute, if you ask me,” Rarity added, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest.

“I heard he’s grabbed students by the hair if they were naughty in front of him!” Pinkie exclaimed. “See that guy? With the limp?” She turned and pointed at a young man in a blue jacket. He had a wide, stocky build and seemed fairly fit, but he preferred one leg as he walked along. “Tirek broke his leg because he accidentally set off the fire alarm once.”

Dash glared at him. “Pinkie, that didn’t happen. He just had an injury at soccer practice.”

“Oh, right.” Pinkie giggled sheepishly, starting to shrink under the table from the unimpressed looks of her friends. “My bad.”

“Honestly I wouldn’t put that past him,” Rarity said, brushing her hair back behind her neck.

“It’s like he has a grudge against the whole school,” Fluttershy added and the others nodded in agreement.

“What has he done to you all, specifically?” Sunset asked.

Rarity spoke up almost immediately. “The uncultured barbarian called my outfits…” Her bottom lip trembled slightly. “Tacky!”

Everyone except Rarity gave each other a single look.

“He’s also dismantled a few of the clubs I’ve been in! ‘Cause they were too ‘fun’ and not enough ‘work’ for him,” Pinkie said, utter distaste in her words.

Sunset glanced at her. “Which ones?”

“The Chocolate Fountain club, the Water Fighting Club, the Zorbing Club…” Pinkie counted them off her fingers as she spoke. “Just to name a few.”

“He, um…” Fluttershy started, clutching her bag close to her chest. “H-He said if he ever saw my pets again, he’d… he’d…” She fell into silence, as Rarity put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t tell me he’d do something stupid like skin them, right?” Sunset suggested.

Fluttershy let out a high-pitched squeak, sinking into her chair, while Rarity glared at Sunset. “Of course not. He only said he’d send them to the pound for a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Sunset blinked. “Right. That actually makes sense, I suppose.”

“He only said for a couple of days,” Rainbow sassed.

Sunset took stock of her friends, summing up her thoughts in no time. “So, he’s basically a bully?” she concluded.

“Nah, he’s the superintendent. That gives him fancy powers or somethin’. Heck, the reason the school was, er, fixed so quickly was ‘cause of him, most likely,” Applejack said.

“Superintendent and bully mean different things?” Pinkie asked, feigning shock.

“Heh, nice one, Pinks,” Dash complimented, nudging her with her shoulder.

Sunset smirked. “Well he won’t break me, no matter how much he rages. I’ve been through too much to bend the knee to someone like him.”

“Sunset,” Dash said, pointing at her. “Your ego is showing.”

“And yours doesn’t?” Sunset countered.

Dash stood her ground. Although she remained in her chair. “It’s not ego if you’re right.”

While Sunset argued her case, everyone else rolled their eyes and stood up to find a new table, taking their lunches with them. It was no use trying to settle a legendary argument between the pair over who was better. At least no harm was ever done in the end.

Sunset, accompanied by Pinkie Pie, made her way through the hustle and bustle of the after-school rush. The rest of her friends were either burdened by school activities or homework, so there were no plans to hang out at Sugarcube Corner or somewhere else. That left home being the only option.

She wasn’t stupid. When she first came to this world, she had taken all her savings with her, just in case. Bits looked like the currency people used here, but obviously weren’t in use. So with a little research, she managed to pawn them off as currency used by an ancient people years ago. Effectively she got almost double the money she had come in with.

That was then used to rent out a small apartment downtown. It was awful, nothing like the quarters she had back in Canterlot, but she had to play smart back then.

Or… well, it wasn’t that smart, honestly. Her new accommodation was much better; Pinkie and the Cakes had a lovely warm home and things were always eventful over there. The food was great too, and Pinkie had managed to convince the Cakes couple to let Sunset stay, as long as she helped out now and then.

Surprisingly, Pinkie was the best choice for her. Rarity and Applejack had no room in their homes, although Sunset couldn’t have lived with such radically different people. Fluttershy’s parents didn’t exactly approve of her yet, and Dash lived in a small apartment rented out by her parents. Sugarcube Corner was the only place that could accommodate her.

“So! Are ya ready for Tirek tomorrow?” Pinkie wondered, tone full of optimism.

Sunset shrugged, adjusting the straps on her bag. They both turned and started walking down the street. “About as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Me too.” A frown became apparent on Pinkie’s features. “I just hope he doesn’t mess with my Mariachi group…”

“Mariach—” Sunset stopped herself. The first time she tried questioning Pinkie’s ways, she almost gave herself an aneurysm. “You have fun with that.”

“Out of the way!”

Sunset flinched, flipping around and narrowly stepping out of the way of a trio of younger students, who were charging by, with one on a scooter in the lead. Pinkie seemed far less surprised, effortlessly grabbing the rider by the hood of her jacket.

The kid was suddenly stopped with a ‘gulp!’ and her feet left the scooter, which kept going for a few feet more before falling onto its side.

Sunset clenched her fists, glaring at the trio. “What the heck are you thinking?! You could’ve gotten us hurt!”

The scooter’s owner, aptly named Scootaloo, gave Sunset a sheepish smile. “Sorry, but we got some important… stuff to do.”

“Sooooo important that the Canterlot Crusaders have to ignore everyone else on the street?” Pinkie demanded, dropping Scootaloo. The younger student landed on her feet, adjusting her hoodie.

Sweetie Belle rubbed her arm, swaying slightly. “Well, no…”

“Then you should be more careful next time.” Sunset flicked Scootaloo’s helmet. “At least you’re wearing the right safety gear.”

“Hey!” Scoots protested, but she fell on deaf ears.

“Okay, we learnt our lesson.” Apple Bloom pouted, folding her arms across her chest. “Can we go now?”

“Juuuust one more thing!” Pinkie waltzed around them, then slung her arms around all three of the crusaders. “You know that superintendent Tirek’s coming tomorrow, right?”

A chorus of blank, uninterested ‘yeah’s followed. Sunset gave Pinkie a confused glance.

“First years. Always the same,” Pinkie explained, with a wink, then returning her attention to the crusaders.

“He doesn’t seem so bad. Just some school inspector,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah. What’s the worst that can happen?” Apple Bloom titled her head in typical childlike curiosity.

Pinkie took a deep breath, raising her arms, but then was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Sunset shaking her head. “Oh, right.” Pinkie giggled. “He could expel ya if you’re naughty, basically.”

All of the crusaders gasped. “Expelled?” Sweetie squeaked.

“Yep! So I hope you didn’t plan anything outrageous for tomorrow,” Pinkie said.

“Er, nope. Nothing like that,” Scootaloo replied, hiding an awkward laugh under her breath. She traded nervous glances with her companions, then suddenly thrust her hand forward, pointing towards her scooter. “Can we go now?”

“Sure! Bye girls!” Pinkie waved off the crusaders as they retreated. Rather hastily at that.

Sunset watched them go. “They’ve got something up their sleeve.”

“Well, duh,” Pinkie said bluntly. “They always do. They’ll probably even forget about Tirek by tomorrow. But this was worth a shot.”

It was another sharp reminder to Sunset why she didn’t live with AJ or Rarity. “Well if Tirek’s going to be focusing on me, he might not even see what they’re doing.”

“Maybe. But I’d doubt it.” Pinkie set up the walking pace, occasionally skipping over the cracks in the pavement. “Tirek’s a big ol’ meanie, but he’s smart too. He’ll be checking into every building of this place and keeping an eye on you.”

Sunset let out a sigh. “Great. More chances for complications.”

“We get by, usually,” Pinkie said, still staying bubbly and cheerful. “If he does expel anyone, it’s usually the bad students. So in a weird way, he kinda helps a little.”

Sunset grunted. “It all falls upon where I fit into his definition of a bad student.”

“I think you’ll be fine,” Pinkie assured, giving her a bit too hard pat on the back. “After all, you’re one of the good guys now!”

Sunset held her balance, wobbling a little. “The world is all shades of grey, Pinkie.”

Pinkie scrunched up her nose in distaste. “Now that sounds way too depressing for my tastes. What do you say we head back home real quick and eat some cupcakes?”

Sunset considered the offer. For about a second. “Yeah, I could go for that.”

“Race ya!” Pinkie cried, then zoomed off into the distance, leaving a dust trail behind her.

Sunset rolled her eyes, grinning and she struggled to keep up. It was a futile effort but hey, they hadn’t done any sports in school today. She could’ve used the exercise. Especially when cupcakes were on the way.

Celestia sat and watched as Luna took a drag from her cigarette and rubbed it into the ashtray on the desk. “I wish you’d stop doing that.”

“Why?” Luna asked absently, staring out of the window.

“It’s not good for you and it sets a bad example for the students.” Celestia quickly dumped out the ashtray and sprayed some air freshener to hide the smell.

Luna shrugged, taking a nice long drag before replying. The way she blew out the smoke was almost elegant. “We know some of the students smoke already, and I never do it in front of them. Besides, I’ll need this if I’m going to survive today.”

Celestia frowned in disapproval, setting her gaze on the rising sun just barely peeking out from the tops of buildings. “He’ll be here soon. We should get ready to greet him.” She stood up out of her chair, sighing at exactly the same time Luna did. The latter rubbed her cigarette out and flicked it outside, walking alongside her sister to the front entrance.

A big black Hummer parked up at the side of the street. A monster of a vehicle, it looked like it could easily ram into a truck and come out of it unscatched. The driver’s door swung open and an even more intimidating man stepped forward.

His skin was a dark blood red, frown lines clearly evident on his face. From his broad chin was a long grey beard, its scruffiness only serving to up the fear factor as opposed to making him look messy. His scalp was bald, the sun reflecting off it, and his eyes were an unsettling shade of yellow. The black suit he wore bulged with every movement, as if his impressively wide and muscular frame threatened to burst out of it at any second. Not even Luna and Celestia combined could have hoped to equal his body mass.

He walked up to the two principals and stared down at them, hands clenched into fists. He grunted.

“An honor to see you, Superintendent Tirek,” Celestia spoke diplomatically, the words leaving an especially bad taste in her mouth.

“Hmph. We’ll see about that.” Tirek went past them, the sisters barely having time to avoid getting pushed down, and he marched into the school proper. Folding his arms, he scanned the hallway, nodding in approval. “At least things seem clean. I’m not seeing any rubble left over.”

Both the principals winced at that. “Well yes, clean up operations went by very efficiently,” Luna said.

Tirek turned, glaring at Luna. “Of course they wouldn’t have been necessary if you had kept a closer eye on your students.” His voice was calm. A deadly calm. Luna barely suppressed a shiver.

“How about we see the classrooms?” Celestia suggested.

Tirek held up a meaty hand. “No. I wish to see the students as they enter school.” He grunted, straightening his red tie. “And I want Sunset Shimmer to report to me.”

The teachers nodded, then an awkward silence endured. Celestia and Luna kept their faces forward, avoiding Tirek’s gaze. Tirek checked his phone for messages a few times, grunting in reaction to them.

When the sound of approaching students became apparent, they all got ready for the incoming horde. The doors burst open and crowds of students hustled and bustled in, friends chatting to one another. But all of them saw Tirek and fell under the intense pressure of his gaze, immediately quieting.

All except one.

Celestia quietly gasped as she saw Vinyl Scratch strut into school, listening to music like she always did every morning. Headphones were stuck on her ears and the way she walked along to a beat was especially distinct.

Tirek spotted her almost instantly. His fists tightened and his chest puffed out as he roared, “YOU!!” All of the students stopped, including Vinyl. They checked Tirek’s line of sight and upon seeing he wasn’t focused on them, they bid a hasty retreat.

Vinyl turned to see the hulk of a man stomp towards her. She froze, staring up at him in horror. The superintendent smirked and swiped the headphones from her, including the music player they were plugged into.

“School is a place to learn. Your ears should be listening to knowledge, not…” He put a headphone to his ear and blinked. “... this technological equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.”

Vinyl nodded, but Tirek didn’t seem satisfied yet. “Furthermore, you shouldn’t be wearing these ridiculous things.” He swiped Vinyl’s classes from her face, passing them to Celestia. He gave her a pointed look. “She’s had this issue before, hasn’t she? Make sure they stay out of her hands. For a few days, even.” He whirled back towards Vinyl. “Whatever it takes for her to register the message.”

Vinyl’s jaw dropped as she watched her possessions get taken into custody. She looked up at Tirek, her fists shaking slightly.

“Get to class.” Tirek jerked a thumb down the halls. “Now,” he growled.

Vinyl didn’t nod. She simply went on her way, hiding a deep frown from the Superintendent.

“That seemed a bit much,” came a voice beside the brute.

Tirek blinked and whirled around, immediately glaring at the intruder. Sunset, for her part, seemed unbothered. “She never actually wears them in class, you know. Only during break times. Apart from that, she works well enough.”

Tirek let out a short laugh. “Heh, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Superintendent Tirek,” she replied. Celestia’s eyes darted between them.

He nodded, although it wasn’t approval as much as acknowledgement. “At least you have the sense to use my title.”

“I am not a fool. Sir,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

“It seems not. That just makes you more dangerous.” He looked at the school’s entrance, grinning. “You should’ve been locked up indefinitely for what you did.”

Sunset shuffled, very slightly. “But I wasn’t.”

Tirek grunted, glowering at Celestia. She stood firm. Uncomfortably so. “A huge mistake, on her part,” he said. “But…” he turned back to Sunset. “She tells me you have improved considerably. It remains to be seen if this holds true.”

“I think you’ll be surprised, sir,” Sunset said, her tone full of formality.

“Heh, we’ll find out soon enough.” He pointed a large finger down towards the floor, directly next to him. “You will accompany me through the school today.”

“But what about my classes?” Sunset asked.

Tirek snorted. “Not important. At least for today. I need to keep an eye on you.”

Sunset rolled her shoulders and walked to the side of Tirek. “Can’t say I can complain.”

“Hm, good,” Tirek said, completing owning the halls he stalked in. Everything was quiet, eerily so, until the faint sound of a guitar could be playing down the halls. Sunset actually saw Tirek’s ears twitch.

The superintendent looked around searchingly. “What the…” He quickened his pace slightly, following the source of the noise. He stopped completely when he saw it.

Pinkie was standing there in a ridiculous mariachi costume, complete with a huge sombrero and a fake moustache. She was strumming on her guitar quite merrily and if Tirek wasn’t there, Sunset would have found it pleasant. Next to Pinkie was a posting, advertising her mariachi group. Sunset heard a quiet sigh from Celestia.

Tirek thrust a finger towards Pinkie, loudly asking, “Is this supposed to be humorous?!”

“Yep!” Pinkie happily replied, swaying to the beat of her tune.

“Well it’s actually quite funny,” Tirek said, laughing to himself. He wiggled around the fake facial hair on Pinkie. “Look at the little moustache she has.”

Pinkie grinned. “Thanks! I got it from—”

The guitar was yanked from her hands and thrown across the hall, smashing into the lockers with a loud ‘twang’! Tirek then whirled on Pinkie, his face furious. “School is a place to learn, not to practice your comedy routine!”

“But—”

“Get to your class!” Tirek ordered.

Pinkie fled without question, kicking up dust in her wake. Nobody questioned it, although Tirek dusted down his suit’s sleeves. “Hooligans like her must be kept in line.” In a swift motion, he ripped the poster from the wall. Scrunching it into a ball, he deftly threw it into a bin, landing a perfect shot.

“Pinkamena is far from a bad student,” Celestia defended.

“And far from a perfect one, I suspect.” Tirek turned, glancing at Celestia. “Can you remember her test scores?” he asked, almost offhandedly.

“They… could be better, I admit,” Celestia said. “But she tries her best and she gets along with just about anybody in the school. That’s a talent that doesn’t come easily to most.”

Tirek made a grunt of acknowledgement. “I see. I suspected she’d be a bit thick, with that eccentric personality she seems to have.”

“She’s not stupid,” Sunset cut in, trying to keep the rising ire out of her voice.

“Time and her own actions will determine that. But judging from what I’ve just seen, I don’t hold out much hope.” Tirek snorted, setting the pace for the group. “I’d like to see some of the classes in session, then I’ll go to the cafeteria for lunch.”

“And someone still needs to take care of paperwork and such things, so… I’ll go ahead and do that,” Luna announced, hastily excusing her from the group and the sisterly scorn in Celestia’s eyes, watching her every move.

Sunset followed behind him, hearing the quiet sigh of the principal behind her. “I hope Smith isn’t too stubborn today…” Celestia quietly muttered.

The cafeteria was silent, mostly empty and completely lacking in the life it usually had during lunch break. It was as if Death himself had put a stranglehold on the atmosphere. Sunset almost felt like she shouldn't be here. Alas, she had to wait while Tirek got his lunch.

“Lunch Lady Smith,” Tirek said, putting his tray down in front of the old woman. “Still serving that same slop you always do?”

Lunch Lady Smith, or Granny Smith as she was affectionately known as, gave Tirek a piercing gaze. “It ain’t slop if it’s good for ya!”

“Something that tastes this disgusting cannot be good for you!” Tirek cried. “Just give me something meaty, now.”

“Most of the kids say please,” Granny Smith stressed.

Tirek ground his teeth together. “I won’t commend you for simply doing your damn job. I would fire you, but I only have to wait a couple of years before time does that for me.”

Sunset blinked at that, then clenched her fists. Granny Smith could be on the… eccentric side, but she’d never wish anything bad on the lunch lady. Besides, the elderly deserved respect.

She was half-tempted to unleash her rage at the man. Not in a physical manner, of course; he was built like a truck. But she thought—no, she knew—that she could easily best him in a game of wit. It’d probably be laughable actually and it’d defend Smith’s honor. But…

She took a deep breath and held back. She couldn’t do that. Not yet, at least.

“You’ll get what you deserve and ya better well appreciate it,” Smith said, dumping shepherd's pie onto Tirek’s plate.

He stared at it in complete bafflement before asking, “What the hell is this?”

“Shepherd's pie. It’s good for ya. Lots of mince in it,” she explained, adding peas to the equation.

Tirek grimaced, then yanked the tray away before Smith could finish. Peas dropped to the floor. Tirek didn’t say thanks, walking away to a table and hunkering himself down on a chair. It squeaked under his immense weight. Sunset approached him, just as the man was experimentally tasting the food. He shrugged and took in another mouthful, but avoided the peas altogether.

“Superintendent, sir,” she diplomatically began. “I’d request your permission to go to the ladies’ room.”

Tirek grunted and dismissively waved her off. Sunset took the opportunity and hastily made her way out of the cafeteria. Pushing the doors open, she turned and was about to walk down the halls when a hand came out and grabbed her by the jacket. Normally she’d be surprised, but this sort of thing tended to happen around her friends.

And sure enough, Rainbow Dash was there leaning against the wall, right next to the cafeteria doors. “You got food, right?” Her stomach rumbled.

“No. No I didn’t,” Sunset answered. “I didn’t even know you were out here until you grabbed me.”

Rainbow folded her arms, pouting. “Great. As long as Tirek’s in there, I ain’t going in. S’not worth the hassle.”

“Honestly, I don’t blame you. You weren’t lying about how much of a… jerk he is,” Sunset said.

“I know, right? Someone’s gotta do something about it. Celestia or someone, I dunno.”

Sunset peered through the small windows on the doors. Thankfully, Tirek was still preoccupied with his meal. She turned back to Dash. “I’m working on something.”

Dash blinked, then stood upright, away from the wall. “You are?”

Sunset nodded. “Yes. But first I need to know: is Pinkie okay?”

It took a few seconds for Dash to catch on. “Oh, right. Yeah, she seemed a bit shaken up earlier, but she’s fine now. Guess she got an earful from Tirek, right?”

“She did. Although I get the impression she could’ve suffered a lot worse than a broken guitar,” Sunset said.

Dash winced. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” She peeked through the door, rubbing an arm. “Yeesh… what a ass.”

“Look, I gotta go,” Sunset replied. “He’ll start raging if I’m not back soon.”

Dash raised a brow, leaning against the wall again. “Where are you going anyways?”

“The Ladies’ room,” Sunset answered simply. She was about to go when she slipped in, “And meeting someone too.”

“Huh,” Dash replied, then she snickered to herself. “And the girls bathroom? Really? I thought you hated all that girly makeup and gossip.”

Sunset just stared at her.

“Oh. Right. Toilet.” Laughing sheepishly, Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “I knew that… er, go on ahead then.”

Sunset gave her friend a teasing smirk, then went off right away to fulfil her needs, leaving Dash to grumble to herself over her hunger and then her embarrassment. She arrived back a little while later, just in time to see Tirek finish his meal.

“It was… tolerable,” he commented, sitting up, moving the whole table forward as he did so. “My stomach is full, at least.” He nodded at Sunset in uninterested acknowledgement. “I’d like to see the school field next. The school’s sports activities have always been one of your strongest assets.”

“Thank you, superintendent,” Celestia said, holding open the door for Tirek. “Allow me to lead you there.”

“I don’t need directions,” Tirek replied, pushing himself past her. Celestia patted down her suit and followed behind, Sunset walking next to her.

The area surrounding the school was a hive of activity. Students sat on benches, or on the grass together, chatting to each other as if Tirek had never entered the building that morning. On the soccer field, some of the students were practicing four-a-side, some of their colleagues cheering them on from the stands.

Tirek grunted but this time it actually seemed to be one of approval. “Your students are active at least. While it would be preferable to have them studying during this time, they don’t seem like a rabble at least.”

“We make sure our students are instilled with a strong sense of community spirit,” Celestia explained.

Tirek stroked his beard, humming thoughtfully. “Don’t go too overboard with it. The grades come first.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. Ever since her ‘redemption’, she had seen the world in a different light. Whereas learning was something to achieve power with, now she saw it as a learning experience—not just in the academic sense. Celestia—her Celestia—saw the merit of that. And she suspected the Principal thought the same.

The point was that Tirek was completely off the mark, in more than one sense.

Over in the distance, Sunset could easily pinpoint her group of friends. It wasn’t hard, what with Rainbow’s hair, Applejack’s hat, Rarity’s glamour, Pinkie’s eccentricness and Fluttershy’s…

Okay, Fluttershy could manage to avoid being noticed just about everywhere.

“May I join my friends for the lunch break?” Sunset asked. Being polite would likely yield the best results she could hope for.

“Hmph. That’d be too good for you,” Tirek answered firmly, sporting a menacing grin at her.

The patient, polite act soon wore off. “I haven’t even eaten today. You expect me to starve under your watch?”

Tirek let out a laugh, although it sounded more like the bark of a wolf. “The ‘great’ Sunset Shimmer can’t handle one lunchtime without stuffing her face? Pathetic. This is why you should have a big breakfast.”

“I do have a big breakfast,” Sunset argued. “I live at Sugarcube Corner, for Celesti—” She stopped when she saw the Principal stare at her curiously. “Just let me eat one thing!”

“She really ought to. It’s not healthy for a person her age to skip out on any meal, in fact,” Celestia added. She thrust a finger towards the soccer teams. “How do you think our students perform any sports activity well without food in their stomachs? They’re children, not robots.”

A low, rumbling growl came from Tirek. “Fine. She may eat her fill, but then she is to come back here when she is done.”

Sunset exhaled in relief—this was really the best she had expected anyway—and made her way back inside. But not before Tirek let out a pointed cough.

“Say thank you.”

Sunset fought the urge to bite back. “Thank you.”

“Thank you what?” Tirek questioned, his voice slick with smugness.

“Thank you, Superintendent Tirek,” Sunset forced out, a hand on the doors. She took a few deep breaths, telling herself not to slam the doors in her wake, to maintain at least some dignity. She couldn’t afford to lose her temper just yet.

“Good. You can go now,” the big man said, waving off a dejected Sunset. Off she went, both her stomach and mouth grumbling.

“You took your time,” Tirek said, as Sunset reunited with him and Celestia on the school field.

“Just making sure I didn’t miss anything important in my classes,” Sunset replied, holding back her tongue before she could spurt out ‘thanks to you’.

Tirek didn’t say anything, just getting a big fat cigar and lighting it up. He drew out a long drag, puffing out smoke like a furnace. Celestia put a hand to her mouth and coughed harshly.

Sunset, thankfully, wasn’t tall enough to catch the worst of it. “Wait, wouldn’t you outright ban a student if you caught them smoking?”

“Yes,” Tirek sternly replied.

“Then what makes you such a special exception?” she asked.

“Because.” Tirek lowered his head and puffed out smoke into Sunset’s face. She spluttered and tried to wave it away, to not much avail. “People your age have no concept of consequences. I’m fully aware that smoking isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but I smoke responsibly. If a teenager were to pick up the habit, they’d run themselves ragged by the time they hit their thirties; an early grave.”

“I think you don’t give students enough credit,” Sunset replied. “They’re more capable at a lot of things than even some adults.”

“That’s why you tried to take over the school, yes?” Tirek grinned maliciously, twirling the cigar between his fat fingers. “Even though there weren’t any pictures, I got witness accounts. Are there scar marks left over from your wings?”

Sunset clenched her fists, shaking a little. Her back even seemed to start aching, right where her… demon extremities were.

“Superintendent,” Celestia interjected. “I can speak for Sunset herself. I know she has changed, quite dramatically and for the better. If you need any further proof, just ask any students of the school.”

Tirek stuck the cigar in his mouth and stared at Celestia for a moment. “I’ll defer to you on this matter, Principal. After all, it’s only your job you’re risking, not mine.”

Sunset’s attention was already focused elsewhere, to something much less insulting. She watched as the Canterlot Crusaders headed to an empty space on the field, Apple Bloom setting up a camera on a tripod. Scootaloo was carrying her iPod, which was plugged into a speaker set. She put the musical device on the ground, out of range of the camera and nodded at Apple Bloom, who nodded to Sweetie Belle, who nodded to Scootaloo.

That was when the music started.

Apple Bloom hit the record button, as Scootaloo hit the play button on her ipod. Then the three got into position. The camera was placed quite far back, so it’s field of view not only caught the trio, but many of the other students too. The music slowly ramped up, some sort of electronic piece, getting louder and gaining more oomph with every second. Everyone on the field turned their heads to the Crusaders…

“Do the Harlem Shake!!” the speakers blurted out, just as the beat dropped to music that Sunset could only describe as… well, she’d probably have to create a few new words for it. But she wasn’t sure what was worse: the music, or the spasms that could only jokingly be called dancing.

Sweetie Belle was waving her arms around erratically in all sorts of directions, none of her movements having any sense of rhythm, just chaos. Apple Bloom was wiggling around on the floor like an epileptic seal and Scootaloo was… doing the funky chicken.

The music barely echoed across the field but everyone could definitely hear it. Silence had clamped down on the school hard. Students and teachers both staring at the trio in a mix of horror, embarrassment and hilarity. Even some of the cars on the road had stopped. Nobody was joining in.

Except Pinkie, of course, zipping right next to the children and beginning to shuffle around. “Woo! Harlem Shake! Woo!” Pinkie shouted and her voice echoed all over. To her credit, she did actually have rhythm.

The Crusaders, however, came to a stop as reality came to hit them in the face. Hard. All eyes were focused on them, except Celestia’s, hidden under her palm. Pinkie was completely oblivious to it all, but apparently so was the world to her. Everyone’s attention was fixed on the Crusaders. In perfect tandem, they all gulped.

The music finally stopped and Pinkie went into an overly enthusiastic applause, clapping her hands rapidly. “Woo! Go team! Woohoo!” Then she skipped off, avoiding any future embarrassment or repercussions.

All was silent as Tirek slowly marched over, his footsteps actually leaving prints in the ground. The crusaders’ eyes widened, their pupils shrinking to pinpricks. They started shaking, Sweetie Belle most of all. All of them were drowned in Tirek’s looming shadow.

With a strangely calm push of a button, Tirek turned the camera off. “Care to explain what that was exactly?”

“Er…” Scootaloo began, only to make strangled noises in her throat.

“Just… a li’l fun, sir. Heh heh,” Apple Bloom said, forcing a smile on her face.

“Hm.” Tirek stroked his beard, then picked up the camera, tripod and the music player. “Consider yourselves lucky you did this during lunch break. I’ll confiscate these and you can return for them later.” He narrowed his eyes and bent down, getting as close to eye level with them as he could without looking ridiculous. “But if I ever catch you doing something this stupid again, you’ll all be expelled. Understood?”

All of the children nodded quickly, their bodies completely frozen.

A relishing grin appeared on Tirek’s face. “Run.”

The Crusaders vanished as quickly as they could, running around Tirek and going into the school. Tirek watched them go, chuckling to himself. Seriousness then took over and he went up to Celestia. “Best keep an eye on them, in the future. They seem like of a group of hoodlums.”

“Yes, Superintendent,” Celestia said.

“So having fun means you’re a hoodlum?” Sunset asked, staring up at Tirek.

“Time and a place,” he answered, frowning. “As in, there’s a time and place for smart talk, Shimmer.”

Sunset was about to protest but Celestia’s hand on shoulder convinced her otherwise. She ground her teeth, keeping her mouth shut.

Her thoughts were a different matter. You go ahead and keep charging around like a moronic ape, Tirek. I’ll get the last laugh, I’m certain of it.

“Now, come along,” Tirek beckoned. “Lunch break is almost over and there’s still some classes I wish to check upon.”

He flicked his index finger towards him, a simple gesture yet a powerful one. The only thing Celestia and Sunset could do was follow his lead, walking past those school doors.

Tirek and ‘company’ walked through the school halls, their destination another classroom to watch over. Sunset walked behind him but eventually got up to his pace, even if it took her some effort to do so. Tirek in comparison barely broke any sweat as his stride covered great lengths.

Sunset peered at him carefully. Even now, beneath the fine fabrics of his suit, she could see great rippling muscles. In what she supposed what was his normal state, his fists were clenched, ever ready for action.

It did make her wonder just what a great raging hulk like him was doing as a superintendent. The man looked more suitable in the army as a drill sergeant. Sunset would’ve given him credit if he was.

But he wasn’t and that unsettled her. He didn’t seem fit to be in the position. Even if he wasn’t exactly a teacher, he was meant to supervise the teaching of the students here, hence the title. In such a case, shouldn’t the role have gone to someone a little more tolerant of the students themselves?

Maybe she was wrong and he was perfect for the position but from what she had seen today, things had to change. This man had ruthlessly broken student’s priceless possessions and used fear as a method to get them in line. The irony wasn’t lost on her. Had she succeeded in her… misguidedness, she would’ve done the same.

But, at the very least, Tirek was a threat to her. And Sunset wasn’t one to tolerate such things lightly. He had to be removed.

It all started with a simple poke on his arm.

The man instantly stopped and turned, Sunset actually hearing the groans of the fibres as they were flexed and stretched. “Did you just…?”

Sunset nodded, finding it hard to hide her smirk.

“You really want to play childish games with me, girl?” he hissed, towering over her.

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all day? Being childish?” Sunset resorted.

Celestia put a hand to her mouth and staggered a little, gasping. “Sunset! What are you doing?!”

“Teaching a bully a lesson, Principal,” she replied, staring at Tirek right in the eye.

Tirek merely grinned, folding his arms across his chest and letting out a great booming laughter. “So that’s how it is!” He calmed down, his voice turning quieter. More sinister. “Any support you may have earned from me today just got snuffed out, like a candle in the dark.”

“I’m shaking in my boots,” Sunset said, faking a yawn.

“You will be when I’m through with you. Everyone will know the full extent of your crimes; what you did to the school and its students.” Tirek grinned, showing his scarily sharp teeth. “The night you became a monster.”

“Says the guy with shark teeth,” Sunset said, holding her ground. Every logical thought in her screamed for her to stop. Probably run, too. But she ignored them, this time.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Celestia cried.

“One more word out of you and I’ll…” Tirek clenched his fists tightly. “Go to the Principal’s office. You are to stay there until the end of the day. And then I shall deal with you personally.”

Sunset put a hand on her hip, giving Tirek a challenging and definitely most sassy smile. “Oh really? I don’t think you should fuck with me, big boy.”

Celestia let out a choking sound, while Tirek’s face seemed to get even redder than usual. “That’s it!!!” he bellowed, grabbing Sunset by the arm and dragging her along with him. “You had your chances, now pay the price!”

Celestia followed along urgently, silently cursing herself for being unable to act. If she did something now, she potentially risked her job, and thus any attempt of damage controlling the situation in the future—for Sunset’s sake—would be ruined. She followed along, expression grim. Glancing around, she had to wonder where the heck Luna had been all day.

They reached the Principal’s office and Tirek swung open the door, almost taking it entirely off its hinges. Then he chucked Sunset inside. She had to crouch low and put her hands on the floor to steady herself, lest she look completely without dignity.

Tirek glared at her from the doorway. He said nothing, grinning malevolently as he closed the door on her. Sunset stood up, shook and sorted out her damaged hair, then sat in Celestia’s seat.

After all, she may as well make herself comfortable before she got expelled forever.

The ringing of the school bell resounded in every classroom, signalling the end of another school day.

Tirek strode towards the Principal’s office, his face set in a victorious grin. Sunset’s friends were in hot pursuit; the superintendent almost gloated the news to them. Celestia walked to the side of them, her brow furrowed as she looked around, trying to find her sister.

Tirek threw the door open, almost ripping it off its handles. He looked down at a very bored Sunset Shimmer, who was sitting at the desk, playing with her phone. She looked up at the man with disinterest.

“I’m not sure you waited until the end of the school day to get rid of me,” she muttered.

“To make an example of you,” Tirek replied, jerking his head back. Sunset took the gesture and got up, walking out of the room.

Rarity surged forward the moment Sunset entered the hallway, grasping her arms. “Now I’m not one to overreact,” Sunset almost rolled her eyes, “this is the worst. Possible. Thing. Ever!”

Sunset batted an arm at Rarity, forcing the girl away from her. “I’ll be fine, really.”

“You’re getting expelled and you say it’s ‘fine’?” Applejack questioned, arms folded across her chest.

“I said I would be fine,” Sunset replied. “But as for everything else…” She sighed deeply. “Look, perhaps this is for the best. What I did was wrong and maybe I deserve some proper justice for it.”

“Maybe that’d be true if you were still the same old evil Sunset,” Dash started, spreading her arms as if to emphasise her point. “But you’re not. You’re different now.”

“It hasn’t gone without a few hiccups on the way thoooooough,” Pinkie sang.

“I still don’t think it was a good idea to trap that bully in his locker…” Fluttershy said.

“Well he had it coming,” Sunset objected. “If you don’t teach your enemies a lesson…”

Dash growled, speaking up, “Look, whatever. You’re not perfect but we’re getting off-track. The fact is… well, this whole thing sucks.”

Rarity looked to Dash, then at Sunset. “What she’s trying to say is that… we’ll miss you.” All her friends nodded in unison.

Sunset couldn’t help but smile, but it faded quickly. “Look girls, I—”

“That’s enough,” Tirek interrupted. “You’re coming with me. Now.”

“At least let me say goodbye,” Sunset argued, holding her ground.

Tirek just scoffed and grabbed Sunset’s arm, tugging her along effortlessly. “I said now.”

There was nothing Sunset could do, even if she wanted to—anything would’ve been pointless against the hulk of a man. She could only look back as her friends stood there, expressions devastated, some of them trying for a wave. Rarity already had a tissue out.

And then the shrillest voice anyone had ever heard broke the moment.

“Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiister Tirek!” the voice commanded. All the words were clearly pronounced, the tone speaking authority and wisdom without seeming angry.

Tirek stopped and turned to face the newcomer. She was a woman in her middle ages, with short blond hair that was well kept. She wore a purple suit with a neckwarmer. The ensemble gave off a sense of professionalism, without seeming too stuck in the past.

Celestia and Sunset’s friends gazed at her. She ignored them, her steely-eyed glare not flinching away from Tirek for even a second.

“Ms. Harshwhinny,” Tirek began, in between bursts of laughter. “What makes you think you have the authority to stop me?”

“You lack professionalism, Superintendent.” Harshwhinny replied. Her voice was perfectly cool and calculated. “With respect,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

“You’re crossing a very dangerous line, Harshwhinny.” Tirek rubbed his chin, eyeing the teacher up and down. “I will admit you have surprised me. I always thought you were one of the better teachers here.”

“I’m afraid I cannot say the same of you, Superintendent.” Harshwhinny took a few steps forward. It was a simple but calm, confident motion.

Tirek folded his arms, grumbling quietly to himself. He sounded like a truck’s engine gearing to go. “I’ll give you a few moments to explain yourself. You deserve that much.”

“Very well,” Harshwhinny said, before clearing her throat. “You have been accused of being far too brutish for your role. While your job demands that you keep check of our school, doing so in such an aggressive manner is highly… unprofessional.” The woman almost winced as she said that. “Scaring students into silence, using fear to force them to behave and even breaking their own property.” She shook her head in disgust. “I’m surprised some parents haven’t tried to sue you yet.”

Tirek sighed, relaxing his stance and adopting a much more casual tone. “I expected you to understand, Harshwhinny. But it seems Celestia has made you soft.” He shot a quick look towards the Principal. Then he took a few steps forward, addressing everyone present. “Times have changed. Children are being brought up in an age where they can have everything they could ever want. Parents are too afraid to discipline their children out of fear for ‘hurting’ them.”

He tightened his fists. “The saying ‘no pain, no gain’ comes to mind. Instilling fear is the only way children will ever learn respect.” Grinning, he turned towards Dash and crew. “Do you remember a certain Trixie Lulamoon?”

They all nodded, Fluttershy making the briefest and smallest of motions. It was Applejack who ended up speaking for them, “Er, yeah. A bit of a show off. Liked to mess with other people just to make herself feel better.”

“Exactly!” Tirek replied, so suddenly it made nearly everyone jump. “No respect at all. But then I gave her a firm talking to…”

“Or you raged at her like a rabid baboon,” Harshwhinny quipped.

Tirek whipped around, raising an index finger at her. “But you can’t deny my methods yielded good results.” Going back to Sunset’s friends, he asked, “What do you think of Trixie now?”

“Not too bad,” Applejack said.

“Er, kinda cool,” Dash answered.

“She’s fun!” Pinkie chipped in.

Tirek folded his arms, staring smugly at Harshwhinny.

She remained unperturbed. “That doesn’t make your methods right. Or professional.”

Tirek let out a low chuckle. “Regardless, there is nothing you can do. I’ll continue to do what I do because it’s what the school needs.” He pointed a finger at Sunset. “And getting rid of this troublemaker will be the best thing that’s ever happened to it for years.”

“Unfortunately for you, that won’t be happening.” Harshwhinny looked behind her and said, “You may all come out now.”

Three people walked around the corner. Celestia frowned at the first—her sister. Sunset smirked at the others.

“These two students have taken enough photo evidence to get your ass fired,” Luna said, patting the shoulders of Snips and Snails. They gave everyone a meek wave.

“Luna…” Celestia sighed, drawing a hand down her face. “First of all, don’t use that language in front of the students. Second, where have you been all day?”

“Contacting the school board, of course,” Luna explained. “Turns out Tirek was fear mongering them into submission, too. All they needed was evidence of Tirek being an assh—sorry, a brute, and they’d replace him faster than you could say ‘cappuccino’.”

Sunset started walking freely from Tirek, approaching her former minions. “Good job on the photographs. Nice to know I can still count on you,” she said, smirking.

“Anything for you, Sunset!” Snips blurted out.

“And pudding!” Snails said, a his mouth a dumb smile.

“Yes, I’ll get you some pudding later.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Who do you work for now, anyway?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie, of course!” Snips replied, a bit too enthusiastically.

Snails nodded slowly. “She treats us nice.”

“Of course,” Sunset said, with some repulsion. “I imagine she does…”

Harshwhinny cleared her throat, creating silence. “With all this evidence handed to the school board,” she inclined her head towards Luna, “they have ruled that you are to be replaced.”

Tirek’s eyes flashed wide open, as a grin settled into place on Harshwhinny. “And I am to be your replacement,” she said. “Effective immediately.”

Tirek gritted his teeth, his body tense. “You’re bluffing. You can’t fool me!”

“If only that were the case…” Luna said, getting out her mobile phone. “I can easily show you the email they gave me.” She held out her phone towards Tirek, it showing the message in question. Smirking, she watched Tirek narrowed his eyes to read it, then snerked as his jaw dropped.

“Face it, Tirek,” Sunset said, stepping forward. “You lost.” She grinned, taking great delight in saying her next sentence, “I won.”

Tirek growled, a purely primal sound, tensing up and bearing his teeth. He towered over the girl, bearing down on her like a force of nature. “You…”

Sunset held up her phone. “Yeah, if you’re going to try and attack me we’ll just call the police.”

He blinked, stepping back. “Oh.” Straightening his tie, he snorted, glaring at the group. “Well don’t relax just yet. This won’t be the last you’ve seen of me.”

“Do you really want me to add a restraining order as well?” Sunset asked.

A single drop of sweat went down Tirek’s face. He shook his head, so minorly it was barely a movement and hastily, yet orderly, made his way out of the school.

When the doors closed behind him, Sunset was suddenly swamped by all of her friends, cheering and hugging her.

“Woohoo! You did it!”

“That was awesome!”

“Sure was a brave thing you did there, sugarcube.”

“Finally, that brute is gone.”

“Um… yay?”

Sunset snickered, gently pushing her friends away so she had some space. “Really, girls, did you honestly think I’d lie down and go with that maniac?”

All of them stared at her blankly.

“Yes,” Pinkie said.

Sunset sighed, rolling her eyes, while her friends giggled quietly at her.

Behind them, Celestia and Luna looked upon the group fondly. The former nudged the latter with her elbow, muttering, “You totally owe me.”

“No I don’t,” Luna said under her breath, nudging back.

“Yes you do. I had to be with Tirek all day.”

“Try being in a room with Harshwhinny for more than five minutes.”

Celestia fought to keep the frown off her face. “That’s not even a fair comparison.”

“It is.” Luna smirked slyly. “You know what you need?”

“What?”

“A nice mug of…”

“Coffee,” Celestia finished for her.

“Coffee.”

Celestia shrugged. “That works. But you still owe me.”

“Oh shut up,” Luna teased, walking back to their office with her sister. “You still haven’t repaid me for the time you tore apart my Batty doll.”

Harshwhinny watched them go, shaking her head. She then walked past Sunset and company, heading outside to the front of the school. She stared at it, considering the building for a moment or two. She grinned.

“Oh, the things I have planned for this school…”

Author's Notes:

Big thanks to those who helped edit this fic and make it to a standard Superintedent Tirek would probably approve of. Those include Luminary, Chengar Qoordath, BronyWriter and 621Chopsuey. Y'all are great people, ya hear? (I really should stop saying y'all when I'm British.)