The morning commute was murder, as always.

Today seemed especially brutal. There was some kind of accident and, although only one lane was blocked, everyone had to slow down and stare. People just loved to gawk at others misery.

Dean Cadance cranked up the air conditioning in her tiny car but the extra power did little to dispel the blazing August heat, and even less to improve her foul mood.

Today was the first day of new classes, and she was already late. As Dean, it was her responsibility to greet the new students and to hold an assembly welcoming them and welcoming back the returning classes for another "exciting year at Crystal Prep". She just knew she was going to break down in tears before she even arrived.

It wasn't just the traffic that was frustrating her. The past winter and spring had been an endless parade of funerals for the victims of the CHS massacre. Principal Cinch had been adamant about Cadance attending each and every one as a representative of Crystal Prep to 'provide comfort' in the families time of need. Though really, when she had said each and every one, she had meant specifically the ones where the victims had younger siblings that were looking for new schools in which to enroll. At least those had been the ones highlighted on her itinerary.

Bearing that particular cross had been no walk in the park for Cadance, who would often find the grieving parents were quick to anger when they realized what she was there for. She didn't blame them, as she wouldn't want some stranger intruding during such a delicate time to try and sell her on an expensive private education. Even so, some of the parents had jumped at the opportunity, and Principal Cinch had practically salivated over the list of new enrollments. Well, all those new tuition checks, in any event.

The whole situation had made Cadance feel dirty.

Indeed, the entire town had felt darker and filthier since Canterlot High had burned down. It was as if the smoke and ash had never really gone away and still clung on, tainting what had previously been a typical suburban sprawl.

Dwelling on one of the causes of her agitation only caused Cadance to think about another: Shining Armor.

The funeral for Twilight Sparkle had been one of the few funerals she had actually been invited to. Twilight's family was wealthy enough that they could've made it an extravagant affair if they had wanted to, but instead opted for a quiet ceremony with only a few close family friends.

Cadance still didn't know all the details about how Crystal Prep's star student had met her tragic fate the same night as the CHS massacre, but she knew it had involved some kind of accident on the families private estate. There wasn't enough left of her body to bury, so an empty coffin had been lowered into the cold, hard ground. It had been one of the hardest days Cadance had ever lived through. Twilight had almost been like a little sister to her. In fact, she would have been if she hadn't....

The Dean of Crystal Prep shook her head furiously, trying not to think about it. But the memories still came, all the same.

That bleak day in November had been the last she had seen of Shining Armor.

They had been engaged. The plan had been for them to marry after Shining Armor had done a tour of duty in the army. Cadance had no idea if that was still the plan or if the whole thing had been called off. It was like Twilight dying had caused a door to slammed shut between the two lovers, and neither seemed capable of opening it again.

There were times she felt like she ought to be the one to call him. She should just get the obvious out of the way and tell him it was over. Then she could release him from any obligations he might still think he had to her. He'd be free to just deal with the burdens he and his family were having to face.

Just the thought of it made her heart ache.

While she desperately wanted to hear her fiance's voice, she didn't have the courage to call him. It would be one thing if she worked up the courage to release him of her own free will but if she had to listen to him say the same thing? Listen to Shining Armor tell Cadance their relationship was over? She thought that experience alone might well destroy her.

So instead Cadance had plunged herself into her work. She made sure all the transferred students from CHS were properly enrolled in their new classes and had offered help and guidance to each of them before the school year had even started. Now though, instead of getting on with that school year and tending to her duties, she was forced to sit here in stop and go traffic thinking about things she'd rather ignore.

Cadance said an unladylike curse beneath her breath for every rubbernecker past, present and future, then leaned in hard on her cars horn. She let it blare longer than was really reasonable, but then she doubted the motorist in front of her with their ear buds in tapping away on the cellphone they thought they had hidden in their lap was really sparing enough attention to notice.

It didn't make the traffic move any faster, but it made her feel a little better anyways.

Principal Cinch gave Cadance a particularly sour look as she rounded the corner of the school from the faculty parking lot. With a nervous smile in return, Cadance joined her as she was already standing on the front steps and greeting students as they walked by.

Without letting the plastic smile she had on her face for the approaching students waver in the slightest, the principal hissed "You're late," through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry Principal Cinch, I got caught in traffic," replied Cadance, equally adept at keeping up a fake smile even as she made the apology. "All these newly enrolled children have parents dropping them off. It's made for a lot of gridlock on the way here."

"Hello! Welcome to Crystal Prep! I just know we're going to have a wonderful school year!" exclaimed Principal Cinch brightly before she continued under her breath,"Don't let it happen again. I shouldn't be the one greeting these brats and their idiot parents. That's your job. Otherwise what am I paying you for?"

Cadance did not point out that, as Dean, one of her duties was actually handling payroll and thus she was responsible for paying herself along with everyone else at Crystal Prep. Since Principal Cinch was also the headmistress and owner of the school, she could still fire Cadance for pointing out something she should already know, and the quibble wouldn't have made for much of a glowing recommendation on her resume. Instead she said , "Of course Principal Cinch," as she always did, and got on with the smiling and the waving.

She could tell already that this was going to be a long year.

Just as Cadance had resigned herself to that fact, a long black limousine pulled up in front of the school, aggressively forcing its way past other drivers. Cadance had wondered many times if Headmistress Cinch could smell money. The older woman's eyes would dilate and her nostrils would flare in the presence of those whom, Cadance would find out some time later, were well positioned to make particularly large donations to the school. Such a look crossed the principal's face now as the fake smile on her face melted into a very real look of avarice.

Principal Cinch ignored several students as she made a bee line for the stretch limo, leaving Dean Cadance to offer a few rushed apologies as she hurried to keep up with her employer.

As they arrived at the side of the vehicle, the door opened and out stepped two young, very similar looking girls. The only real difference between the two was that one wore an almost disturbingly pleasant grin while the other appeared sullen and morose.

A flash of triumph crossed Miss Cinch's face as she almost gratuitously smiled at the children," Welcome! Welcome to Crystal Preparatory School! You must be miss Diamond Tiara. It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you. I was just telling Dean Cadance what a pleasure it is to greet each and every student at the start of the school year, but I must say it is a particular thrill to greet your esteemed self." Cinch gushed. Cadance had only ever seen her stern face melt into such a disgusting display when an extremely wealthy investor had graced the school with their presence. Which was why the next question from her was not much of a surprise, "Is your father with you perchance dear? I was wanting to thank him personally for his remarkable generosity!"

"You mean for all the money he sunk into your crumby school?" asked Diamond Tiara, "Yeah, I'm sure Daddy would be absolutely thrilled to have an old battle-axe like you fawning over him."

To Principal Cinch's credit, her submissive toady act slipped only for a moment, her right eye twitching and her smile fading only slightly before she recovered magnificently, "Oh, I'm certain he would be far too busy, being such an important man. How rude of me not to introduce myself first. I am Principal Cinch, Headmistress of this fine school, to which your father has made a rather sizable donation to ensure your enrollment. Do be so kind as to introduce me to your companion. Will she be attending classes here as well?"

A guarded look crossed the young teenagers face before she answered, "Oh, you don't know? This is my cousin. She's from... very far away." The other girl gave Diamond Tiara a sharp nudge, "Yakyakistan, actually. I'm afraid she hasn't really learned the language here yet, but she's very interested in learning. I would've thought you would know all about this already."

Cinch gave Dean Cadance an accusing look, thinking that the Dean had failed to inform her of an important detail, but she honestly didn't have a clue. Whoever had handled Diamond Tiara's enrollment hadn't mentioned anything about a cousin. All she could do was shrug and stare at the other girl. That smile on her face really was the most bizarre thing. It was so open, honest, and friendly, and yet... It didn't exactly seem all that friendly. It felt more like the girl was in on a hilarious joke that was unfortunately at everyone else's expense.

At first glance the girl looked very much like Diamond Tiara, though perhaps a little pudgier. Her pink complexion was paler and her hair didn't seem to have been as expertly coiffed. Her dress was similar to her cousins as well, but it looked somehow shabby, as if her cloths were shiny with grease or had been washed one too many times. The oddest thing though, perhaps, was the dark sunglasses she wore. The tint was so dark and the lenses so large Cadance couldn't even get a glimpse of the girls eyes.

"What exactly did you say your cousins name was?" the Dean asked, perplexed.

"I didn't," was Diamond Tiara's curt reply, "We're not exactly accustomed to talking to the help. If you'll excuse us, we'd like to get settled in before classes start."

The pair of teenagers forced their way past the two adults, and they almost got away before Miss Cinch said,"Of course! We have a busy first day scheduled. But there's just one thing," all traces of fawning faded from her voice in an instant, "We do not allow the wearing of sunglasses on school property. I'm afraid your cousin will have to relinquish her eye-wear until the end of th-"

As the Principal reached one thin hand towards the chubby teenagers face, it suddenly froze in mid-grab.

The teenager had growled at Principal Cinch. It wasn't a soft growl either, but a deep and resonate sound like one might hear from a bear. It was only for a brief moment, but Cadance was absolutely sure that the sound had come from the young woman. Even so, she was still all smiles, though the headmistress had gone pale.

For the first time ever, so far as Cadance could remember, Miss Cinch actually backed down from a student!

"There I go... Being rude again," the Principal murmured, the words barely leaving her lips. "Of course exceptions can be made for... Exceptional students. That's the Crystal Prep way, after all."

"Oh, she's exceptional alright," replied Diamond Tiara, before adding under her breath, "Pray you don't find out just how exceptional."