//------------------------------//
// Lukewarm Reception 
// Story: Reformation Brigade 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//

"Why must I be surrounded by these idiots and lunatics?  Why did I agree to this nonsense?  I should be the one calling the shots, not them."

Adagio continued to grumble and growl to herself as she marched far ahead of Indigo's tour group.  She pushed her way past other students and faculty without even a glance or acknowledgement.  Only when her forward momentum was halted by a metal beam sticking against her stomach did she snap out of her trance and take stock of her surroundings.  The shimmering halls of Crystal Prep Academy were blocked off by a string of turnstiles and a security desk.  Before she could find a way around, a tall, burly security guard with a blue goatee and a shaved head stepped forward.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked in a low, rumbling voice.

Adagio's heart managed to skip a beat, although she cleared her throat and stood her ground. "Well, unless you can somehow reset time and have me defeat the Rainbooms, I highly doubt there's anything you could possibly do for me."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am, I don't have time for this.  Are you a student here, or not?"

"Well, technically.  But it wasn't my idea."

"Then why aren't you in uniform?  Crystal Prep has a very strict dress code."

"And what are you going to do about it?  Kick me out?  It's not like I want to be here."

The guard folded his arms. "Listen, lady.  I really don't appreciate your tone."

"Well, I don't appreciate having my powers stripped from me and having to listen to a bunch of idiots.  How do you think I feel?"

The guard let out an angry snort, glaring down at Adagio. "Okay, you're gonna need to start making sense, and start making sense now," he warned. "This kind of behavior is not acceptable."

"Does it look like I care?" Adagio asked flippantly.  Her defiant facade started to shatter when the security guard cracked his neck.

"No, but I'm gonna show you why you should care," he stated coldly.

"Whoa, hey!  Easy there, Mr. Lockdown!"

Before the guard could do anything, Indigo Zap arrived on the scene with the rest of the Canterlot High students and the Shadowbolts.  The guard gave Indigo a look.

"Just move along, Zap.  This doesn't concern you," he said.

"It does, actually," said Indigo. "That girl's with me.  She's part of our new student-exchange program with Canterlot High."

Lockdown looked at Adagio, and then over at Indigo. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Well, of course.  Dean Cadence herself asked us to give these CHS students the grand tour," said Sugarcoat. "You can ask her yourself."

Lockdown nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if you can vouch for this hooligan, there must be some truth to it.  Alright, go on through."  He then gave Adagio a look. "But let this be a lesson to you, missy.  People like me don't take kindly to rotten attitudes."

He then went back to his desk and took out several stickers, handing them to Adagio. "Here, you Canterlot students better wear these.  This'll let everyone know you're visiting."

Adagio merely huffed and swiped the stickers from Lockdown.  When she made it back to the group, she thrust the stickers into Sunset's hands.

"You deal with this," she growled. "It's not my business."

Sunset sighed and handed the stickers out to the rest of her peers. "I'm terribly sorry about this, sir."

Lockdown sighed and waved his hand, shifting his attention over to his work.

"Well, that's one way to learn about how we do things around here," said Lemon Zest with a shrug. "I'll be the first to admit that Crystal Prep ain't as cozy as you guys might be used to.  Case in point, the security."

"Isn't this a bit extreme for a high school, though?" asked Lyra.

"Oh, it's not that bad," said Sour Sweet, swiping her ID card at one of the turnstiles. "You just have to watch everything you say and do."

Sonata gulped, squeezing Aria's hand tightly. "Aria..."

"She's exaggerating," Indigo assured everyone. "Really, this isn't too much different to what you'll experience once you guys get to college."

"If you guys get to college," Sugarcoat corrected.

Indigo gave Sugarcoat a look. "I thought we were done with the whole rivalry thing."

"Oh, we are.  I'm just stating that the pursuit of higher education is a complicated subject that you should discuss with your guidance counselor or parents.  It's not guaranteed," Sugarcoat stated plainly. "Especially if you write 'I have magical powers' on your application.  That might raise some eyebrows."

Sunset and the Sirens looked at each other awkwardly, while Adagio simply huffed and folded her arms.

"Maybe now's not the best time to bring that up," said Sunset.

Sugarcoat shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just stating the facts.  But I agree, we should move on with the tour."

"Right, yeah!" said Indigo, clearing her throat. "Guys, welcome to Crystal Prep Academy!"

As she gestured to the decorative halls of the school, Sunset couldn't help but feel strange.  Just as Lemon Zest said, this was nothing like the warm, inviting nature of Canterlot High.  Everything from the crystal blue walls to the bustling students absorbed in their studies gave off a cold aura that made her shiver.  But as she followed Indigo around the school, she noticed a few subtleties that somewhat offset the rigid atmosphere.  Every so often, she would notice students exchanging brief, stiff pleasantries as they passed by each other in the hallway.  A few students even waved to her, wearing shy, awkward smiles.  All of this sparked quite a few questions in Sunset's mind, but she decided to hold onto those questions for later.

"And this here is Principal Cinch's office," said Indigo, gesturing to a rather imposing green door. "Don't worry, you guys won't find yourselves here unless you really make someone mad."

"Kinda like Adagio did earlier?" inquired Aria.

Adagio growled. "I had everything under control," she said, glaring at Sunset. "Or I would have, if someone didn't take away my magic!"

Sunset made a slashing motion across her throat. "Adagio!  Ix-nay on the agic-may," she hissed.

"Ake-may ee-may," Adagio snapped back. "I have no reason to listen to you."

Sour Sweet made a face and fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh, you're just gonna be a delight~," she cooed. "We're gonna be best friends~!  Assuming, y'know, you don't get thrown out on your butt like you almost did with Mr. Lockdown!"

"Is there a problem, ladies?"

A sharp, raspy voice made itself known.  All eyes turned to see a tall, stern-looking gentleman with piercing green eyes and a sharp crewcut.  He was wearing a navy blue blazer along with a plaid tie and a pair of reading glasses.  His face was old and wrinkled, but he maintained a great air of importance as he towered over the students.  Indigo Zap cleared her throat.

"N-nothing, Professor Flypaper," she said. "We were just giving these Canterlot High students a tour of the school."

The professor arched an eyebrow. "Canterlot High students?"

"Yeah.  They'll be attending classes with us for a week," said Sugarcoat. "I'm sure Dean Cadence already told you."

"Oh.  Yes.  That," said Flypaper, clearing his throat. "Well, I suppose you lot will finally get a taste of what true education is like.  Especially if you end up taking my classes."

Sunset tried to look Flypaper in the eye, but she was distracted by a bizarre shadow in the wall.  The shadow held up a sign that said "Warning Bell in Sunny's head."  Sunset flinched as a loud ringing came from the shadow, though no one else seemed to hear it.  Flypaper was quick to notice this and stared at Sunset intently.

"Is something the matter, miss?" he inquired.

Sunset shook herself. "N-nothing, professor.  I-I was just under the impression that Crystal Prep was going to be more, welcoming after what happened at the Friendship Games."

Flypaper scoffed and polished his glasses. "Well, these are not the Friendship Games, now are they?  Make no mistake, there will be no hand-holding in this establishment.  If you plan on taking classes among the best of the best, you're expected to put in just as much work as everyone else."

"We understand that perfectly, professor," said Sunset with a nod.

Flypaper's lips curled into a sly smile. "Let's hope for your sake that what you say is true," he said coldly. "Now, I have a meeting with Principal Cinch to discuss the new lesson plan, so if you'll excuse me..."

With that, he brushed past Sunset and made his way into Cinch's office.  Indigo breathed a deep sigh.

"Sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "Professor Flypaper is notorious for being really tough on students."

"Which could also describe most of the faculty," Sugarcoat added.

Indigo shot Sugarcoat a look. "I thought we agreed not to talk about that," she growled.

Sugarcoat huffed. "I'm not going to lie to them, Indigo.  They deserve to know exactly what they're getting into."

Sonata gulped. "Um, you said that Dean Cadence lady would help us if we ever had trouble, right?"

"She'll do what she can, but it's not a guarantee," said Sunny Flare somberly. "'Tis true that our dean is a singular ray of sunshine in these dark, bleak corridors.  And ye, she does have significant standing within the ranks of the faculty.  Nevertheless, there is only so much she can do for us mewling peasants.  And once her resources are dried up, well, you will have to face your problems alone."  She sighed and placed a hand to her chest. "Such is the fate of many of us here.  Isolated in our own little worlds, focusing on the destination, rather than the journey.  For as long as I can remember, that is how it has always been."

Sonata teared up, dabbing her eyes with Aria's pigtail. "Th-that's so sad~."

"H-hey!  I'm not your handkerchief!" Aria exclaimed, pulling away from Sonata.

Adagio, however, remained unmoved. "I fail to see how this is my problem."

Indigo smirked. "Y'know, if you came to us before the Friendship Games, we'd be asking the same thing," she said. "But now, well, we've got you guys.  And I feel like we can learn a lot from how you guys do things over at CHS."

Sunset scratched her head. "But, I thought the exchange students from Crystal Prep would be learning how we do things at CHS.  We're here to learn how you do things here at Crystal Prep, aren't we?"

"Things ain't so black-and-white, dude," said Lemon Zest. "We could use guys like you to liven up this place."  She then winked at Sunset. "Especially since you've got, well, you know."

Sonata blinked. "Know what?"

"You know.  What you've got."  Lemon Zest continued to make several exaggerated gestures. "That stuff from the Games?  The special stuff that convinced us to do this?  Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more?"

"If you're trying to be subtle, you're failing miserably," Sugarcoat pointed out.

Sunset frowned. "Wait, are you interested in Equestrian magic?"

Adagio gasped. "Oh dear, Sunset.  I thought we were supposed to ix-nay on the agic-may," she teased.

Sunset gave Adagio a bemused look.  Before she could respond, she noticed a shadow moving unnaturally out of the corner of her eye.  She then felt a tickling in her ear as the shadow's forked tongue brushed against her own shadow.

"You know, maybe Vice Principal Luna is wrong about how to approach this," Discord's voice echoed in her head. "These people already know about magic, so what's the point of keeping all hush-hush about it?"

"To prevent people from getting suspicious," Sunset hissed through gritted teeth.  She desperately dipped her voice, trying to make it sound like she was grumbling incoherently. "You said it yourself.  Principal Cinch has something against magic.  If we talk about it openly, we're going to get in trouble."

"Then don't talk about it openly," said Discord simply. "But that's not the same thing as ignoring the elephant in the room altogether."

Sunset felt the forked tongue tickling her ear thicken and breathe hot air at her.  Frantically, she turned around, seeing that Discord's shadow had transformed to that of an elephant.

"Um, you okay?" asked Indigo.

Sunset blinked and shook herself. "F-fine, fine.  Just, thought I saw something."

"So much for preventing people from getting suspicious," Discord joked.

Sunset sighed and palmed her face.

"Hey, you don't look so good," said Lemon Zest, tilting her head. "Need to stop by the nurse or something?  We can show you where the infirmary is."

"That won't be necessary.  I'm okay," Sunset insisted. "I'm sorry.  I guess I was just caught off-guard by you guys asking about Equestrian magic of all things."

"Well, why wouldn't we be interested?" asked Sour Sweet. "It seems to have done wonders for Canterlot High, and we're looking to make our school better, as strange as that sounds."  Her expression soon deflated. "I just hope the rumors aren't true."

Sunset blinked. "Wait, what rumors?  This is the first time we're hearing about any rumors."

Sour Sweet gasped and immediately donned her biggest smile. "Oh, nothing~!  Probably just thinking about something else~!  Ha ha..."

Indigo growled. "Shut up, Sour.  We're trying not to scare them," she snarled.

"No, Sour Sweet's right, Indigo," said Sugarcoat firmly. "We can't hide this from them."

"It's probably just nothing."

"What happened at the Friendship Games was not 'nothing,' Indigo."

"Dude, just 'cause Cinch may be paranoid doesn't mean we have to be, too."

"Then why were you trying to be subtle back there?"

"What?  I thought it'd be funny."

"Can you guys try to take this seriously?"

"We are taking this seriously.  Which is why I propose we tell them everything."

"But then they might not want to help!"

"Do my ears deceive me?  Is Indigo Zap, afraid?"

"Don't you start, Sour Sweet!  Don't you dare start!"

As the Shadowbolts continued to bicker, Sunset felt a forked tongue tickle her ear once again.

"Methinks we're not the only ones with stuff to hide," Discord mused. "Listen, you already plan on telling Dean Cadence everything.  Why not these poor souls?  Trust is a key ingredient to friendship, you know."

Sunset pondered on Discord's words for a moment before giving a firm nod. "Indigo?"

Indigo perked up and cleared her throat. "Um, yeah?"

"There's obviously a lot we have to talk about," said Sunset. "But if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, we can't discuss it here."

Indigo arched an eyebrow. "Um, okay?  So, what?"

"Is there a place we can meet after school?"

"Oh, sure dude!" Lemon Zest chirped. "There's a diner just on the corner.  They've got, like, the best fries."

"And salad," Sunny Flare interjected. "A performer like myself needs to watch her figure, after all."

Sugarcoat nodded. "So, it's settled then?  We meet at the diner after school?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Sunset, extending her hand.

Indigo accepted the handshake. "Looking forward to it.  Now, let's continue on with the tour, shall we?  There's still a lot to see."

"Sure, whatever," said Aria absently.  She seemed to be preoccupied by Sonata, who was looking around nervously.  Adagio ignored them both and continued to sulk.  Sunset breathed out a deep sigh, noticing that a slithering shadow was following her.

"Okay, I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate it.  But could you please be a little more discreet?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

The shadow placed its hands on its hips. "Do you think it's easy for me to maintain this level of restraint, Sunny?  I'm doing the best I can over here."

"A likely story," Adagio muttered.

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "Discord, could you please apologize to Adagio?  This is starting to give me a headache."

Discord sighed. "Adagio Dazzle, I am sorry for what happened during our first encounter.  I have a habit of being rather, shall we say, vindictive when it comes to people interfering with my friends.  But I'm willing to put all that behind us if you'll forgive me."

Adagio scoffed. "As if I'd put my trust in you or Shimmer."

Discord shrugged. "Well, I tried."

Before any protest could be made, Discord's shadow vanished into the wall.  Sunset shook her head.

"Adagio, I know it's hard to trust Discord," she whispered. "But you don't have a reason to distrust me.  I've been where you are.  I can help."

Adagio simply ignored Sunset and marched onward.  Sonata placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"She's just being a grump.  You'll get through to her if you keep trying," she said.

"I don't want to get your hopes up, Sunset, but I don't think you have it in you to give up," Aria chimed in. "Not after you've come this far.  Still, I've got a feeling this won't be easy."

Sunset closed her eyes and nodded. "You girls are going to join me and the Shadowbolts at the diner after class.  And that includes Adagio."

"Um, sure.  Not like we've got anything better to do," said Aria. "But, isn't this going against what Vice Principal Luna said?"

"Not entirely," said Sunset. "She said she didn't want this to be a repeat of the Friendship Games, and I agree with that.  But part of what went wrong at the Friendship Games is that none of us really knew what was going on.  If we're going to get to the bottom of this, we all have to be on the same page..."