Author's Notes:

Hey New chapter! Sorry I left this hanging for so long. I moved out and my job situation has been pretty rough. I decided to stretch out the Babs Seed miniplot to multiple chapters. .

The Crusaders had made a lot of mistakes but none of them ever imagined that they could make one they couldn’t fix, until now. They apologized and they reminded everyone that they only posted the student body’s submissions. But it seemed that only made them more hated than ever. Junior and senior high students threw nasty looks at them and occasionally stuck their legs out in their path and walked away snickering when they fell.

Many just ignored them, even when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were bullying them people turned away and went about things, . They would just deal with it alone, and do the best to deal with it. Alone. They didn’t dare tell their sisters. They would just be reminded about how Susnet felt, probably. So they just kept it to themselves. After all the people giving them a hard time usually had the decency to not do it in front of their sisters.

Diamond and Silver were soon joined by a new friend , Babs Seed who was much more physical and ruthless than the other two. The three girls tried their best to avoid the three bullies but it seemed like they were everywhere.

Sunset found herself settling into the new school and becoming fast friends with Lasko, Niko and Vasya. She soon got a chance to meet Kagami, who reminded her strongly of Rarity at times. Though with a more genuine British accent than the affected classy one Rarity often tried to put on.

Sunset found her very interesting though, this was a girl who was popular not because she made people fear her but because she managed to genuinely connect with many different groups of people. She carried herself with confidence that Sunset recognize, even with her gothic spooky sense of style that TV shows and movies often portrayed as something that made one an outcast. There were aspects of Kagami that reminded Sunset of herself, perhaps herself if she hadn’t become such a bully.

It made her wonder. Could she have become popular and maintained that popularity by her own merits, without turning to pushing people around and controlling with fear?

“Wow this house is huge” Sunset looked around at the Toyaka manor, with floors of marble and dark wood and stone walls. A chandelier hung high on the ceiling and behind the imposing spiral staircase walls were lit with lamps along them.

“A bit but it feels smaller when there’s family everywhere” Kagami said with a chuckle.

“Who all do you live with?” Sunset noticed a few kids hanging around.

“Well mostly my father and his brother . Uncle Dmitri and his wife and their boys. Junior, Tosh and Donovan.” Kagami said counting on her fingers. “Uncle Logan isn’t around often but he has Daigo, Sammy and Leo. They go to schools on the other side of town and Diago goes to well… uh.. A very different school.” She coughed a bit uncomfortably. “He’s… well always been a little troubled. He goes to a military academy run by Tolliver and Foster-”

“Wait … Foster? As in…” Sunset recognized that name for sure.

“Yes” Kagami sighed. “One in the same. Templeton’s father is a Sergeant Major”

“Dang….” Sunset said remembering what she knew of him.

“Of course he’s retired now. “Kagami said, “one of his specialties is slipping out of situations that would get most people in deep trouble, which his son seems to have inherited”

“Wow..” Sunset shook her head. “So..he’s bad news too huh?”

“Not someone I liked to spend much time with.” Kagami said. “The Sargent and his friends are rather unpleasant about women.”

“Ohhhh.” Sunset winced. She imagined that must be uncomfortable.

“Anyhow. “Kagami continued. I believe Leo and Sammy go to Crystal Prep down in that part of town. You said you knew that area?”

“Yeah.. for a time” Sunset said “Never did see Crystal Prep but I heard it was very fancy.”

“Oh indeed. They have quite a reputation.” Kagami nodded. “Much like Royale Academy Prep over here. That’s where Shiro goes, while his sister Izumi attends our school. They’re Uncle Benjamin's’. Then there’s Aunt Risa and her children are all grown except for Kazue who in Junior High, she leads the Anime club.”

“Wow ...they all live here?” This house was pretty big but it was hard to imagine the whole family living here.

“Oh no just my father and Uncle Dmitri” Kagami said, “and Logan occasionally comes by for a time to get out of some trouble he’s in, or while he’s looking for a new job. I suppose every family has a responsible sibling and one who’s not so much.”

Yikes, that brought back some memories Sunset would rather forget. She pushed them to the back of her minds. “Yeah seems like. Uh do you have any brothers and sisters?”

“Just brothers” Kagami said with a forlorn sigh. “My older brother Varrik is out at work, he’s graduated already.. For some meaning of graduated. Then my little brothers, Akira is out God knows where, and Dexter keeps to himself. They’re in ninth grade”

“Okay..” Sunset nodded. “Well I guess it must be nice to have family surrounding you.”

“It can be but , it also requires you to take on a lot of roles, babysitter for one” she said.

“You babysit a lot then?” Well that would probably explain some about Kagami, Sunset imagined it must take lots of patience. She didn’t think her old self could manage a child well.

“Oh yes. Kagami said. “It’s easy once you get used to it. And when Vassy and I got to know each other it got easier. I do love all my friends but… Vasya knows what it's like, to be the only girl surrounded by brothers.”

“Oh.. yeah” Vasya never mentioned having any sisters.

“Mhm, and the nice thing about babysitting.” Kagami said. “Is you eventually learn how to handle everyone.” There was a mischievous glint in the girl’s eyes. She walked by two larger boys harassing a thin younger boy, who looked almost freakishly like the junior high girl who Kagami had taken under her wing, Izzy or something..

“Leave him alone, you two. Go do some homework or something.” The boys looked up and one of them made a rude gesture.

“Back off we’re just playing around” the older of the two, who looked like he had a football physique, spat.

“Donny, I know you don’t want to mess with me. Remember what I found in your closet last week.” The boy looked frightened for a moment then glared at her.

“You fucking bitch”

“Right.. Now run along.” the other boy followed.

“See what I mean? I’m the queen of this household” Kagami smirked. She knelt down to the younger child. “Are you hurt, sweetie?”

“N-no” He shook his head pushing up his glasses.”I’ll be fine… sorry to get in your way.”

“Oh it’s never any trouble, Shiro” she helped him up “You can come to me any time those two bother you.” He nodded and took off holding some books close.

“That’s Shiro, he’s Izumi’s twin brother” Kagami said.

“..no kidding. Those two kinda look like clones of each other.” Sunset said.

“You haven’t seen their parents” Kagami chuckled shaking her head. “It would explain a lot.” She led the way to her room, which like her clothes style was very elegantly gothic. Kagami gestured to a chair near the desk and set a candle going as Sunset sat down. She went over to the counter, and started up something. “How do you like your coffee?”

“....you have a coffee machine in here?” Sunset said looking surprised.

“Oh they’re fairly cheap” Kagami said waving a hand.

“Uh….. oh well.. A couple things of creamer… I guess. I like mine pretty dark.”

Kagami nodded and reached into a small fridge and poured some for both of them..

“Thanks again ..” Sunset said sheepishly as she took the coffee. “And.. thanks again for inviting me, this place is a amazing.”

“Oh it’s no trouble. I’ve been quite curious since I heard you transferred here. I hoped to make a good impression after your first sight of me… was.. Well” Kagami looked a bit embarrassed. “That business with the lists.” She sighed.”I’m not usually that.. well shallow.”

“Oh.. I don’t think that’s shallow at all” Sunset said. “Most people want to be liked and,having rumors spread about you around the school is never fun. I know that”

“Oh.. is that why you transferred?. Pardon me asking.”

“Yeah. no problem just… it’s a long story and I’d have to start at the beginning….”

They must have spent hours talking and exchanging stories. When Lasko had said Kagami knew a lot about everyone and everything going on at the school he wasn’t kidding, she even knew some about the teachers. Not rumors but from actually talking to them.

“He’s really that bad huh?” Sunset sipped her drink as Kagami told her all about Dr. Levine.

“Dear let’s just say that his wife goes by her maiden name at school because she doesn’t want to be hated for his...behavior.” Kagami said.

“His kid seemed to be the same way, feeling like he was hated because of his dad. Who’s his wife?” Sunset asked. “I felt really bad for him I mean, at least I got a bad reputation from my own behavior”

“Ms. Beadley, the creative writing teacher. She’s very sweet”

“She’s Ralph’s mom?” Sunset asked in disbelief. She looked way too young for that to be even possible unless...ew she didn’t want to think about that.

“..oh no his stepmother. Levin’s second wife. ” Kagami sipped her tea. “My apologies. I don’t know much about his first wife but I know he remarried.”

“...oh… “ Sunset said. “She looks like she’s just out of college.”

“Oh she is… it’s my understanding they married the moment she graduated from high school..” Sunset’s eyes widened and she shuddered, remembering the way Levine looked her over when they met.

“Oh God that’s so creepy” She said. “I don’t blame her for not wanting people to know. Does he just… flirt like that? Right in front of her?”

“Occasionally yes” Kagami said. “Like I said, nasty piece of work.”

“Oh man.” Sunset shook her head. “And she has two daughters…. I feel bad for those poor girls growing up with that as a father. “ She remembered the pictures Ms. Beadley had of her daughters Chase and Cammy. “So what’s the story about him hating Lasko so much?”

“Oh well.. I think it has to do with the trouble Lasko caused when he was Temp’s.. Well student I suppose. Levine of course, looked right past Temp and only saw Lasko making trouble.” Sunset sighed.

“Let me guess.. Because Temp’s rich, upstanding, son of a military guy-”

“And white” Kagami pointed out. “Hate to be that way, but that’s a factor.”

“Yeah.. and Lasko’s poor… and well not”

“Exactly”

Sunset shook her head and sipped. “Man.. this guy gets worse the more I hear about him. Why is he even employed?”

“He’s friends with the schoolboard. None of the staff like him either really.”

“Of course.” Sunset said with a sigh. “I’ll be sure to watch out for him. And not be alone in the same room. Cause ew.” She looked around thinking. “...what exactly was Lasko a student of?”

“Magic” Kagami said. Sunset felt as if the world had stopped for a moment.

“Magic?”She was certain there was no magic here.

“Mmhm . You want me to show you?” Kagami asked. “It runs in families. Though sometimes it can skip several generations.”

“I.. never realized there...was such a thing” Sunset caught herself quickly

“Oh Sarah, magic is everywhere you just need to look for it.” Kagami set aside her drink and got up to pull some things out of her nightstand. A thick spellbook, and a folded fan made of some kind of special wood. “The fan here functions as a sort of wand. “ she picked it up and turned through the book until she found a spell. With a flick of her fan she had her cup levitate over to her. “That’s beginner magic really.”

Sunset couldn’t speak for a moment. There was magic here. She could continue her studies.

Sam flipped through her book furiously looking for an answer to the question Temp had posed. She had only a day or so to figure it out before the spell wore off. She both hated and loved it. She hated Temp for pressing her nose to the grindstone but loved the thrill, the pressure.
“Tick tock, Samantha” He taunted.
“I’m LOOKING you jerk” She snapped. It was hard not to hate him just a little bit though.
“Ah-ah, I wouldn’t talk back if I were you” he said still sounding amused. “You know what I can do, if not to you , to your little friend.”
“Tolliver isn’t my friend, just my stupid lab partner. “ Sam said, looking feverently through the book.
“Then why do you care what happens to him?”
“Because I’m not an asshole?” Sam found something and held up the book. “Look here it is. The counterformula.”
“Well then show me” He gestured to the cauldron set up still enchanted.. “Before time runs out.