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Matters of Vice

by Bookish Delight

Chapter 1: 1: Luna's Modern Life

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Vice Principal Luna opened her front door and flipped on the lights. The sight of a messy kitchen promptly greeted her.

The good news was that at least the kitchen wasn't messy with food. The bad news was that it was still messy with work. Unfinished curriculum plans. Discarded administrative proposals. Even her knitting project of a full-moon scarf lay on a table, stuck in quarter-moon state.

Luna sighed and shook her head. It was that last one that hurt the most. Rarely did she get the time to indulge in personal projects these days. She'd meant for that scarf to warm her through winter. Yet here she was, on the brink of April showers and still nothing to show for—

Luna shook her head again, hard, in an effort to force out the self-pity. For both her and Celestia’s sakes, she couldn't afford any. Not that she didn't deserve it, she told herself.

Honestly.

First, an angry student turned demoness. Then, three girls who hadn't even been students at all, attempting to conquer the world through hate. Both had used her school—her and Celestia’s school—as a springboard to greater things. And being mind-controlled twice in one year was not Luna's idea of fun.

She could only thank her lucky stars nobody had, as far as she knew, alerted the media of either supernatural event. But there was always the future—if there was even one in store for her, at this rate.

Her phone dinged, then buzzed, snapping her out of her reverie. She looked at the screen. Celestia's face looked back at her.

After unlocking the phone, she read the text she'd received:

---
Out with Sunset. Emotional emergency. A principal's work is never done, it seems.

The weekend, however, is ours. Just the two of us. Pretty sure we need it. Saturday we'll recover, Sunday we'll discuss the school.

(At least the walls survived this time.)

Can't believe this happened again. I'm so sorry. You deserve better.
---

Unable to think of a suitable reply, Luna placed the phone on the nearby table.

Her clothes felt heavy, partly from the from the rain she'd been caught in between her SUV and the house, but also partly just from her mood. Only when she shed them and changed into a nightgown did she feel light enough to move about again. After making a calming tea, she shut herself in her bedroom.

She tried again to remember the events of the last few days. With concentration, it didn't take long before scattered images bubbled to the surface.

Curse those three evil girls. And curse their honeyed voices all the more. Somehow, every single word out of them had made perfect sense. Every single one of their requests had been impossible to deny.

Luna remembered herself and Celestia trying their hardest to fight back, to counter the spell being cast on them, to lay down the law and tell them, "no," just once! No, they could not take over administrative duties; no, they could not hold a disharmonic competition which went against the very principles Canterlot High School was founded on; and no, they most certainly could not take over the world.

But in the end, it was not to be. The girls, and their voices, worked their magic—it had to have been magic, Luna had felt its poison kiss on her mind before—and both principals were forced to watch helplessly as their entire school descended into madness. Student against student, mind against mind, heart versus heart, the whole body at each other's throats.

More so than any brainwashing, Luna considered being forced to condone the whole terrible spectacle to be the lowest of indignities.

Yet the Dazzlings—oh, right, that had been their name—would have succeeded if a few key students hadn't intervened: the same girls who had saved them the last time dark magic had come to town, the DJ girl whom she had confiscated countless headphones from over the years... and one more.

Sunset Shimmer.

Luna was still trying to figure that one out. That girl had been a hellion for years. Still, those eight had succeeded where Luna and her sister had miserably failed. The word "frustration" didn't begin to cover Luna's feelings on the fact.

Sister, you know I'm here for you, she thought. But I truly wonder if we're fighting a losing battle.

Luna picked up the remote, and turned on the television.

It didn’t help.

"-and the buyout of Rich Industries is still showing sweeping repercussions, as Northstar Technologies encroaches on The Sterling Group's recently-acquired title of largest economic power in the country. At the moment, both are technically still business partners, but rumor has it that Northstar may have found itself a new supplier of raw materials. If this is true, what happens then is anyone's guess. For Harmony News Network, this is Prancy Drew, signing-"

Luna clicked the television off, and brushed her teeth.

We tried money. We tried guidance, she thought. But maybe it's time we finally faced facts. The world simply revolves around a different set of ideals than ours.

Luna settled into bed, the softness of the mattress calling her to slumber. She mused briefly on the possibilities. A good night's sleep, with her mind once more her own, would surely prove to be the most relaxing activity she'd engaged in all week.

Tired of musing on wayward girls and dark magic, she welcomed it.

Next Chapter: 2: My Sister and Me Estimated time remaining: 35 Minutes
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