Lunchtime!

Just like that little bitch no, no, no, I shouldn't think like that just like Daisy said, Ditzy did bring three muffins for lunch. Shade takes her attention away from the pegasus' lunch and focuses on her shiny, varying shades of gray, metallic lunch box. She stares at the lunch box and runs her hoof across the cold enamel surface. Pinkie and Applejack watch Shade.

Before her friend's frown can deepen, Pinkie quickly snatches the lunchbox away from Shade and holds it above her head. Shade raises a curious brow at the filly across from her.

"If you can guess three of the five colors, I will give you your lunch back," Pinkie challenges.

Applejack butts in, "Hey, that's not fair to Shade!"

"Pfft," Shade snorts confidently, "hardly a challenge."

"Fine!" Pinkie smiles impishly, "All five colors."

"Pink, Periwinkle, Celeste, Heliotrope, and glittery Turquoise." Shade states. She grabs her lunchbox from the disbelieving pink filly with her crimson magic.

"How?" Applejack asks with a questioning expression.

"Mum told me," Shade shrugs. She munches on a celery stalk nonchalantly while Applejack and Pinkie share a look. "What?"

"Your 'mum?'" Applejack repeats.

"My ma, Applejack," Shade replies with a mock drawl. She smiles and continues, "I know we haven't known each other for long, but you have met my mother, Deathly Belladonna, almost every day."

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Applejack shakes her head.

Pinkie adds, "You just have never called her your 'mum' or 'mother' before."

"I haven't?" Shade bites and chews the celery for a moment while she processes what her friends are saying. "How silly of me!" she giggles and returns to eating her lunch.

Before Applejack or Pinkie can say anything, the flower trio shoves Shade as they walk past to get to Ditzy Doo.

"I thought Pegasi' are supposed to be slim and aerodynamic," Daisy jeers.

Ditzy Doo lowers the half bitten second muffin in her hoof down to the brown paper bag from which it emerged. Ditzy Doo smiles lamely, "I guess."

"If you eat anymore you probably won't be able to get off the ground!" Roseluck adds.

Ditzy Doo lowers her head and sniffles as tears begin to condense.

"Leave her alone."

The three sisters turn away from their prey and spot their next victim.

"What do you want, blank flank?" Lily gibes.

Shade stands up from her seat and faces the three sisters. The outside dining area goes silent, and all eyes are on the four fillies.

Shade inspects her left hoof and lifts up her goggles to her forehead with her magic. "Did you know that some species of nightshade are toxic enough to poison and kill anything that touches it?"

"That is not possible!" Daisy says.

Shade smirks and quickly touches Daisy's nose. Daisy goes rigid and falls to the ground, spasming like a fish out of the water.

"What did you do to her?!" Lily roars and stands before her sisters defensively while Roseluck goes to Daisy's side.

"All I did was touch her," Shade replies.

"Mom was right; you are a demon!" Lily hisses.

The temperature outside drops dramatically and a bitter wind blows in.

Shade's eyes light up, and she grins devilishly, "You have no idea." Shade readjusts her goggles and says, "This is my only warning."

Lily and Roseluck shiver and pick up their sister who has stopped convulsing. They take her to the nurse.

Shade stops watching the sisters and looks at Ditzy Doo. Ditzy Doo shrinks in her seat and teeters on falling off. Shade takes the bag and muffins with her magic and switches lunch with Ditzy Doo.

She returns to her seat and takes a bite out of the half eaten muffin. "Mmm! Banana! My favorite!" she gushes.

"What the hay was that!" Applejack demands.

"I dunno," Shade shrugs. "All I did was touch her nose."

"Do me next!" Pinkie exclaims.

Shade reaches over and prods Pinkie's nose lightly, "Boop!"

Pinkie giggle-snorts, "Shocking!"

"That's all I did; nothing more, nothing less," Shade explains.

"You're still goin' to be in a heap of trouble," Applejack warns.

"I am not going to sit back while somepony gets bullied. Especially, somepony as sweet and adorable as Ditzy Doo. I don't stand for bullying." Shade speaks passionately.

"Nightshade Toxin!" a voice calls out and silences the children.

Shade turns around in her seat to face the school building, and she sees an apricot Earth mare in a purple suit walking towards her. "Relative of yours, Applejack?" Shade asks over her shoulder.

Applejack gulps. "Th-that's Miss Harshwhinny. She is the school's taskmaster!"

"So. . . that is a 'no?'"

The mare stops in front of Shade, her piercing blue eyes glowering at the filly.

Shade smiles up to the blond mare. "How are you Miss and don't break my heart and tell me it's 'Misses' Harshwhinny?"

"Come with me to my office," Miss Harshwhinny orders and does an about face.

"Gee, I wonder what this is all about," Shade cracks and winks to Pinkie before leaving.

Miss Harshwhinny sits in a purple, velvet, office swivel chair behind a robust, wooden desk. She taps her forehooves together before her muzzle and her blue eyes peek above her hooves to glare at the snow white filly sitting before her. The filly is smiling sweetly up at her with pale yellow eyes.

"Miss Toxin," Miss Harshwhinny begins.

"Nothing," Shade interrupts the mare, "I did absolutely nothing to Dasiy. Well, okay, that's a lie I did touch her nose and that is all I did."

"Are you certain?"

"Do you want me to touch your nose?" Shade asks while leaning forward in the chair.

"That will not be necessary. I believe you." Miss Harshwhinny states.

"Thank you!" Shade smiles.

"Regardless, you still have detention. You touched Daisy which resulted in injury to her; she hit her head on the ground."

"What about Daisy and Lily?"

"What about Daisy and Lily?" Miss Harshwhinny restates.

"Do they get detention? They were bullying Ditzy Doo."

"Their punishment is none of your concern."

Shade's face grows dark, "You are right. You are the adult." She returns a beaming smile to Miss Harshwhinny, "You know best. May I be excused to go back to class?"

"Yes. You may be excused." Miss Harshwhinny clears her voice, "Take the paper on the desk and have your parent or guardian sign it to be returned tomorrow."

"Roger, roger!" Shade hops out of the chair, levitates the sheet of paper in her magic, and opens the door to leave.