"Why didn't you tell us he was gonna be the teacher?" Apple Bloom demanded of Scootaloo at lunch as the three sat together.

Scootaloo immediately winced, glancing around quickly to make sure no one overheard. "Because it's a secret operation?" She hissed back. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to balance having to be Scootaloo and Sunrise at the same time? It's bad enough even having Sebastian here, let alone treating him as the teacher! Can you please not make it harder?"

Apple Bloom immediately wilted. "Sorry, Scoot...just...got caught off guard..."

Scootaloo bit her lip. "Sorry for snapping. Just...this is really stressful, you know? You girls...you're the most important things in my life right now, the only part of my life that's still...me. I don't want that to change..."

Sweetie Belle gave Scootaloo a hug from behind. "It's okay," she offered warmly. "We...we've all got a lot to get used to here. We'll figure it out together."

Scootaloo managed a smile. "Alright...just don't expect me to bring you into the business side of things. I don't want you seeing what's in that side of my life." Seeing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's pouts, she put her hoof down. "I mean it, girls. I know we always do everything together, but the kinds of things my 'family business' exposes me to are...well, they're the kinds of things that led to me having to 'take over' the 'family business' so young. I won't let that happen to the two of you, or to your families. That's final."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both sighed. "Well, if you need us we're here," Sweetie Belle insisted.

"I know girls," Scootaloo confirmed. "I know."

After a time of simply eating their lunches together, Sweetie Belle spoke up. "But can you believe the field trip is to the Ponyville Day Spa? Rarity's going to be fit to burst when I tell her!" She then giggled wickedly. "Especially since it's on her spa day!"

"T-that's certainly going to be interesting," Scootaloo allowed, rubbing one hoof against another somewhat nervously.

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed. "Yer gonna slip away durin' the field trip ta take care of yer 'business', ain't ya?" she demanded insistently.

Scootaloo's ears went flat against her skull. "...that obvious?" she whimpered softly.

"Pretty obvious," Apple Bloom confirmed. "Ya say yer here on business, and then Sebastian announces a field trip somewhere we don't normally go that's normally closed ta youngsters?"

Scootaloo sighed softly, rubbing her eyepatch. "Look, when I slip off to investigate what I need to, I don't want you two to come after me. I don't want you both in danger-"

"We can make a distraction though, right?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. "Something to grab everyone's attention so no one notices you sneaking off?"

Scootaloo blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Yeah, that'll work well," she agreed. "What did you have in mind?"

"I could crash Rarity's spa treatment!" Sweetie Belle offered. "She'll make enough noise all on her own, and I won't even get in trouble since I'm just saying hi to my sister!" She frowned. "Well, except maybe in trouble with Rarity..."

"Ah could cannonball into one o' the jacuzzis," Apple Bloom offered. "That oughta draw a lot of attention, too."

"Especially if it's the one Rarity's in!" Sweetie Belle confirmed.

All three of them began giggling wickedly as Scootaloo grinned widely. She'd almost forgotten just how much fun it was to plan mischief with her friends.

Sebastian sat calmly going over class papers that afternoon, grading and marking as appropriate even as he kept a magical eye on his charge. Multi-tasking like this was much easier here in Equestria than it had been in London. Not only was Sunrise far more relaxed as far as how much of his own power Sebastian used in his day-to-day activities as butler (or whatever else his role became), but the amount of magical options to do just that were relatively easy to acquire and utilize. In fact, he had a small charm sewn into the interior lining of his jacket that would increase in temperature based on how much danger Sunrise was in, through which Sebastian was able to use his own power to actually see both the danger and its location. Very useful, and still discreet...unlike the pink mare that just slammed the door open.

"I would speak with you, Mr. Sebastian!" the mare declared in a rather snooty voice as she stomped into the room.

Sebastian frowned as he turned to take in the mare's appearance. Pink coat, purple mane, green eyes, diamond ring Cutie Mark, blue blouse, gold jewelry...his mind wanted to guess her name as 'Gold Digger', but he already knew who she actually was. "It's 'Sebastian', Spoiled Rich," he stated flatly. "No Mister desired nor required. Now, what is so important that you feel you must barge into my office while I was grading papers?" He glanced at Cheerilee's notes regarding her interactions with this mare. "Topiary around the edge of the grounds an inch too high again, making it 'all but impossible to see the children are safe as you pass by'? Or do you actually have a valid complaint worth a teacher's time for once in your life?"

Spoiled Rich snorted angrily at Sebastian's snide commentary. "Well! You certainly have no respect! I'll certainly be reporting your behavior towards the head of the school board to your superiors!"

"I'm sure they'll find your report absolutely fascinating," Sebastian observed drolly. Internally, he believed they actually would. Given the role he'd taken - and the papers to back it up - the only 'superiors' who would see that letter would be Sunrise and Princess Luna, and they'd probably find such a letter highly entertaining.

"How dare you deny my daughter's attendance on a field trip to the Spa?" Spoiled Rich snapped fiercely. "You announced it only today, and she just came home and told me-"

"I said that the students had to complete all their assignments on time to be allowed to attend the field trip," Sebastian interrupted. "I fail to see the issue."

"Her homework is always complete on time!" Spoiled Rich growled. "On what grounds-"

"I repeat, the students had to complete all their assignments on time," Sebastian stated bluntly. He held up the sheets that had Diamond Tiara's name on them, marked with an 'F - Do Your Own Work'. "This is her butler's writing. I already compared it both to her own writing in class - which is rather sloppy by comparison - and to writing known to be his."

Spoiled Rich spluttered. "H-he just writes down the answers for her so she doesn't strain herself at home!" she insisted. "You aren't seriously accusing my daughter of-"

"I tested her on the same material as last night's assignment today," Sebastian interrupted. "She couldn't even solve the easiest one. I went back through her records. The pattern is obvious. Her homework has all the right answers, but in class assignments don't. When they get bad grades, you apply pressure to Cheerilee, and they get good grades. Cheerilee kept a record of every bit of pressure you applied to her as the head of the school board to make her give Diamond Tiara a free ride, just so you could strut about bragging about your 'perfect little girl' and compare her positively against the 'lesser' students she was forced to 'associate' with. I believe she was trying to get enough evidence to take to the Royal Board of Education to get you thrown off the school board."

Sebastian slowly stood up, marching around the desk to glare straight into Spoiled's eyes, taking every advantage of how nervous a civilized prey like her got under a predator's gaze. "You don't frighten me, Spoiled. I don't report to your school board. You have no authority over me. You can rant and complain all you want, and nothing will change. However, as long as I am teaching this class, Diamond Tiara's homework is to be turned in with her own hoof-writing, and showing her work, or it will be immediately flunked and require her to do it again. And if you try to make too much fuss over this, or try to 'boycott' my attitude to outlast me..." He lifted up the file Cheerilee marked 'Spoiled Rich' that he'd read from while laying out what he'd gone over. "I've already made dozens of copies of this file, citing every time you've abused your office as head of the school board to give Diamond this free ride. If Diamond doesn't meet the same requirements I have for all of my students for the entire time I teach the class, I will send a copy of the file to every parent of every student in the school."

He smirked as he saw Spoiled pale at that threat. "I'm so glad we understand each other. By the way, Diamond still needs to attend school on the day of the field trip. I've already arranged to have someone here to ensure she uses the time to catch up on the homework she hasn't done. Now unless you have further business beyond opening and closing your mouth like a landed fish, get out of my office."

Spoiled Rich managed to gather her wits enough to put her nose in the air as she stormed out. "You haven't heard the last of this!" she declared at the door.

"You actually want to cross swords with me again?" Sebastian proclaimed in surprise. "Well, if you're that much of a masochist, I won't hold back next time!"

He did his best to hold back a demonic cackle as he watched the mare flee before turning back to his papers. He admitted to himself that it was quite difficult...especially when he thought of how Scootaloo would react when she saw the magical recording his glasses had made. He did so adore her sadistic streak.