Reformation Brigade

by Metool Bard

Cards on the Table

"Listen, Dean Cadence. There's no need to get annoyed at me for this. It was Principal Cinch's decision, after all."

"I would've preferred it if Cinch told me about this directly instead of sending you to tell me after the fact."

"Principal Cinch is a very busy woman, Dean Cadence."

"What, and I'm not? I'll have you know that I'm expecting to meet with someone any minute now."

"Oh? Who's in trouble this time?"

"There you go again. Why must you always assume that someone's in trouble?"

Indigo flinched as she approached Dean Cadence's office. Although the crystal blue door and friendly font in the window made the room seem inviting, it was offset by the sound of a heated debate going on inside. She turned to Sunset and shrugged.

"Um, maybe we should come back later," she said. "W-we can swing around here at the end of the tour."

"Indigo? We are at the end of the tour," Sugarcoat pointed out. "There's nothing else to see."

Indigo blushed. "Oh, really? Sheesh, where did the time go?"

"Um, Ms. Indigo?" asked Sonata, raising her hand.

Indigo laughed. "Right attitude, wrong person. Please, just call me Indigo."

"Right, sorry," said Sonata. "Um, didn't Dean Cadence say her door would always be open?"

"Oh here we go," Aria groaned.

Indigo blinked. "Uh, yeah. She's always working hard to help out all the students here."

"So, why's her door closed?"

"And there it is," sighed Aria, rolling her eyes.

Lemon Zest stifled a giggle. "Nice one."

"It's so cute that you think she's joking," Adagio scoffed.

Lemon Zest gave Adagio a blank stare. "Wait, she was serious? Hoo boy..."

Sunset cleared her throat. "Let's not focus on that right now. I still need to meet with Dean Cadence."

"Are you sure you want to wait around here?" asked Sour Sweet. "It sounds like she might be a while."

"I'll need to speak to her before the end of the day," Sunset insisted, looking over at the Sirens. "It's important."

Sour Sweet shrugged. "Suit yourself. We should really be getting to our classes anyway." She beamed at the Canterlot High students. "You guys get to sit in and see just what you're going to be dealing with for the next week. Won't that be fun~? Of course it'll be fun! This school is nothing but gumdrops and ice cream~!"

"Where?!" Sonata exclaimed, looking every which way.

Sour Sweet's smile vanished instantly. "You are not lasting a day here if you keep that up."

Sonata's eyes went wide. "Keep what up? Am I doing something wrong? Are they going to take away my magic?!" She darted behind Aria. "Aria, hide me!"

"She means stop being a moron, you moron," Aria scolded.

Before Sunset could defuse the situation, the door to Cadence's office opened. Dean Cadence poked her head out.

"Oh. Hello, girls," she said pleasantly. "How's the tour going, Indigo?"

"Uh, great! Just swell," said Indigo. "I think our Canterlot High ambassadors know what they're getting into now. We're just about to have them sit in on our classes."

Sunset cleared her throat. "Um, Dean Cadence? Are you busy right now?"

"Oh, not at all," said Cadence, turning her head. "In fact, Ms. Slitherquick was just leaving."

From behind Cadence, a frumpy old woman emerged. She wore a smart black business suit, and she supported herself with a cane. Her grey hair was done up in a bun, and she looked over the students with steely silver eyes.

"Hmm. Is this the person you said you'd be meeting?" she asked Cadence.

"It is," said Cadence firmly. "Sunset Shimmer, this is Fanny Slitherquick. You won't be seeing much of her; she's Principal Cinch's personal secretary. She was just bringing me some news."

Slitherquick looked over Sunset and scowled. "It boggles my mind that you continue to waste your time on such things, Dean Cadence."

"Well, it's kind of my job," Cadence retorted, folding her arms. "Not that you or Cinch would know anything about that."

Slitherquick raised an eyebrow. "Apropos of nothing, did you tell Principal Cinch you would be having this meeting?"

"No, it just came up this morning," said Cadence. "Why? It's none of Cinch's business."

"If it's about the school, it is Cinch's business," Slitherquick huffed, looking over at Sunset. "So, why did you decide to meet with the Dean?"

Sunset was more baffled than intimidated as she stood her ground. "I asked to meet with Dean Cadence in private to discuss our visit."

Slitherquick's brow furrowed. "Young lady, I don't know how you do things at Canterlot High, but I expect a much better answer than that. Principal Cinch needs to be on top of everything that goes on around here."

"Ms. Slitherquick, as Dean of Students, I must advise you against putting undue pressure on Ms. Shimmer," Cadence admonished. "She asked to meet with me in private, and that means Principal Cinch doesn't need to know the details."

"Anything she can say to you, she can say to me," Slitherquick squawked, rapping her cane against the tile floor. "You cannot keep this secret, Dean Cadence. Principal Cinch will not allow—"

She was interrupted by the loud feedback of a microphone. A distorted voice echoed through the halls.

"Will Ms. Slitherquick please report to Room 10? Ms. Slitherquick to Room 10, please."

Lemon Zest scratched her head. "Um, isn't that the supply closet?"

Slitherquick scoffed. "Must be some kind of practical joke. Already, you Canterlot High hooligans are—"

"Room 10 isn't going to attend itself, Ms. Slitherquick. There's cake and bunnies flying everywhere. You'll love it."

"Okay, now I know this is a joke," Slitherquick growled, leering at Sunset. "Which one of your clique decided to—"

"Ms. Slitherquick, I'd listen to that page."

All eyes turned to a most bewildered janitor. Pieces of birthday cake decorated his uniform, and several rabbits were crawling out of his sleeves. Slitherquick's jaw dropped.

"I, um... I-I should probably... Excuse me, Dean Cadence. W-we'll pick this up later."

Slitherquick followed the janitor away, muttering to herself all the while. Cadence gave Sunset a look.

"Let me guess. Equestrian magic?" she asked knowingly.

Sunset blushed and rubbed her arm. "You could say that." She looked over at a shadow on the wall, which was a silhouette of Discord giving her the thumbs-up. "Look, we have a lot to talk about."

"Clearly," said Cadence. "Please, come right in."

Sunset waved to Indigo sheepishly as she entered the Dean's office. Already, she took note of the sharp contrast between the office and the rest of the school. Cool colors decorated the walls and carpet, and a sweet citrus smell wafted throughout the room. On Cadence's desk was a modest collection of nicknacks and a small candy bowl.

"Have a seat, Sunset," said Cadence, moving behind her desk and motioning to the candy bowl. "Crystal berry?"

"Um, I'm okay, thanks," said Sunset, taking a seat. She then let out a deep sigh. "Listen, I want to apologize for, well, what just happened."

"Yes, well. Maybe next time, try to find a more subtle way to cause a distraction," Cadence said with a wink.

Sunset let out an insincere chuckle. "Subtle. Right. Noted." She cleared her throat. "I think you know by now that some of us from Canterlot High are not like other students."

"That should go without saying, considering what happened at the Friendship Games," said Cadence. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands together. "And from what Vice Principal Luna has told me, you aren't really from around here."

"That's true," said Sunset with a nod. "In fact, I think you deserve to know everything I know. But here's the thing. I don't want Principal Cinch knowing about all this."

"You have my word," Cadence promised. "Nothing will leave this room."

"Thank you," said Sunset. "Now, it's a bit of a long story, so I'll try to summarize the best I can."

She then launched right into explaining everything. Equestria, the Fall Formal, the Battle of the Bands, Discord's friendship quest; everything was out in the open. At any moment, she expected Cadence to be shocked or befuddled by this new and strange information that shook the very foundations of reality. Nevertheless, the dean remained calm and attentive, hanging on to Sunset's every word. Not even the explanation behind Discord caused Cadence to so much as bat an eyelash. When Sunset was done, Cadence took a moment to process all this.

"So, let me see if I have this straight," she said. "Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze are also from your pony dimension?"

"That's correct."

"And you're trying to help them discover this magic of friendship so that they'll get their powers back."

"Yes, Dean Cadence."

Cadence nodded and knitted her brow. "I don't suppose you have a plan to do this."

"I'm, working on it," Sunset muttered sheepishly.

"Need help brainstorming?" Cadence inquired. "I don't know much about magic, but I do know about helping students succeed and realize their potential."

"I just want to know one thing," said Sunset. "If the Sirens do discover their true selves here, and they do tap into their magic, will they get in trouble?"

Cadence frowned. "Now that is a difficult question," she mused. She got up from her desk and looked out the window. "It's true that Principal Cinch has some pretty strong views regarding magic due to what happened at the Friendship Games. She was actually quite reluctant about letting Canterlot High students here for that very reason."

"So, she actually believes that our magic caused her students to turn against her?" Sunset asked. "That's insane."

Cadence sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that for as long as I can remember, Principal Cinch has been in control here at Crystal Prep. That moment at the Games was the first time I ever saw her lose control of the situation. I can only guess, but I think that's why she's been demanding more student oversight and tighter security measures as of late."

Sunset was about to respond when a scribbling sound echoed directly in her ear. When she cast her gaze over to the right, she was surprised to see one of the crimson streaks in her hair had turned into Discord, who was wearing a porkpie hat and scribbling in a notebook. She made quick silent gestures to tell him to leave, but Discord paid her little mind.

"Sounds like a clue to me," Discord mused. "Perhaps you should press her on the subject, Sunny."

"Discord, if I need your help, I'll ask for it, okay?" Sunset hissed. "I promise."

"Well, what happens when you need my help and you don't ask for it?" Discord asked cheekily. "I did manage to get that Slitherquick hag out of your hair, after all."

"Yes, and I appreciate that. But please, try to be more discreet."

"That's two."

"Two what?"

"I'm keeping track of how many times you tell me to be discreet. That's probably going to be a thing in our little venture."

Sunset suppressed the urge to scream. "Discord, I wouldn't tell you to be discreet if I didn't mean it. Now please, make yourself scarce before Dean Cadence sees you."

"Why are you so concerned about that?" asked Discord indignantly. "You already told her about me."

"I didn't tell her you'd be here, though," Sunset argued. "And if she knew that an all-powerful Master of Chaos was roaming the school, I don't think that would look good for any of us."

Discord massaged his temples. "Okay, I'm getting a lot of mixed signals here, Sunny. Do you want my help or not?"

"I do, but be more discreet, please."

"That's three."

"And cut that out!"

"Is something wrong, Sunset?"

Cadence turned her head from the window, giving Sunset a look. Sunset blinked and shook herself.

"N-nothing! Just, you sound very, concerned," she said. She took a quick peek at her own hair and sighed with relief when she found that Discord had disappeared.

Cadence smiled. "There's no need to worry about me, Sunset. It's my job to worry about you," she said frankly. She then sat down and gave Sunset a serious look. "Listen, I promised Principal Cinch that I would keep any form of magic under control here. However, she didn't say anything about abolishing it outright. So as long as we don't open any more dimensional portals or things like that, you and your friends should be fine."

Sunset nodded. "Thank you, Dean Cadence. I'll do what I can."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Cadence. "And if you ever feel like the burden is too much, my door is always open. This is as much my responsibility as it is yours."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dean Cadence," said Sunset, getting up from her seat. "So, um, what class should I sit in on?"

Cadence took a moment to check the schedule on her computer. "Well, if you hurry, you should be just in time for Zesty Gourmand's home economics class. It's in Room 609."

"Right, thank you," said Sunset with a bow. With that, she marched out the door. As she made her way down the hall, her phone vibrated. With a groan, she took it out and read a text from Discord.

"You aren't planning on hiding me from the Shadowbolts, are you?"

Sunset felt a small twinge of guilt form in the pit of her stomach. With a sigh, she texted Discord back.

"Try to be discreet for the rest of the day. Then I'll consider it."

The response was instantaneous.

"No promises, but not for a lack of trying. That's four, by the way."

Sunset sighed in defeat. "Good enough, I suppose," she muttered, putting her phone away.

***

"I hope you have a good explanation for this, Slitherquick."

Slitherquick swallowed as she cowered before Principal Cinch. Her pristine suit was all but ruined, with cake frosting and scratches everywhere.

"A-a thousand pardons, ma'am. I-I honestly have no explanation for this, atrocity," she said. "Suffice to say, I have nothing to report regarding Dean Cadence's meeting with the Canterlot High student."

Cinch furrowed her brow. "Do you think it's possible that she used her magic as a distraction?"

Slitherquick shrugged. "I can think of no other explanation, ma'am."

"Nor can I," said Cinch thoughtfully. "And, how did Cadence react to my new security protocol?"

"Not positively."

Cinch nodded. "To be expected. Anyway, be certain that Professor Flypaper's lesson plan is ready by tomorrow, will you? That will be all."

"Of course, Principal Cinch," said Slitherquick with a bow. She then hobbled out of the office, leaving Cinch alone with her thoughts.

I'm sorry it has come down to this, Mi Amore, she mused. We both want what's best for this school. I can respect that. But as long as you allow these dangerous elements to enter my school, don't be surprised when I take the necessary precautions...

Comments

[The Commandant]

Don't forget the Protestants!
Get it? Protestant Reformation? Anyone? Well, shit. I'm sulking in history jokes and no one gets it. :(

[MythrilMoth]

Sunset Shimmer, this is Fanny Slitherquick.

*DIES LAUGHING*

That NAME...

"Well, if you hurry, you should be just in time for Zesty Gourmand's home economics class. It's in Room 609."

Bring a barf bag!

[EchoWing]

...okay, this is gonna be fun. We've got a control freak who's obsessed with power and superiority, right about to run straight into the master of chaos.

Cinch is gonna be a screaming mess before this is said and done.

[BenRG]

Principal Cinch, I strongly advise you to go to the library and look up all information you can find in the library about a literary character named 'Puck'. I strongly suspect that you have the real one running around your school with about ten orders of magnitude more power and a sociopathic personality disorder to boot.

What Cadance should have said: "Miss Slitherquick. As you doubtless know, school policy is that discussion between the Dean or any counsellor and a student is confidential unless the student's safety or wider school policy is impacted in any way. You can tell Abacus from me that she will be notified immediately if anything Miss Shimmer says meets these critera and she thus has a need to know. Otherwise, I would thank you to remember the very narrow limits of your role so that this does not turn into a formal complaint to the Principal of you interfering with the staff performing their duties. Good day."

[Boltstrike58]

"Will Ms. Slitherquick please report to Room 10? Ms. Slitherquick to Room 10, please."

Lemon Zest scratched her head. "Um, isn't that the supply closet?"

Slitherquick scoffed. "Must be some kind of practical joke. Already, you Canterlot High hooligans are—"

"Room 10 isn't going to attend itself, Ms. Slitherquick. There's cake and bunnies flying everywhere. You'll love it."

"Okay, now I know this is a joke," Slitherquick growled, leering at Sunset. "Which one of your clique decided to—"

"Ms. Slitherquick, I'd listen to that page."

All eyes turned to a most bewildered janitor. Pieces of birthday cake decorated his uniform, and several rabbits were crawling out of his sleeves. Slitherquick's jaw dropped.

"I, um... I-I should probably... Excuse me, Dean Cadence. W-we'll pick this up later."

Thank you, Discord. Though, please try to avoid turning the whole school into ice cream, or something.

[Nyperold]

7883754 Or an entire spice rack.

[TheGreatEater]

8050711
I don't think there's enough spice to make his food taste like anything ... sadly it makes me think of Yukiko's rice dish in Persona 4. So many ingredients and it doesn't taste like anything.

7883754
I don't think a barf bag is needed. After all you need actual food to eat before you need to barf. A miniature amuse bouche passed off as an actual meal, isn't enough to make you barf ... enough to make you malnourished though (I mean look at that face. So malnourished you can't tell if it's a guy, girl, or some creature bred underneath an oven.)

[Pr1deM0rn1ngstar]

I'm sorry it has come down to this, Mi Amore, she mused. We both want what's best for this school. I can respect that. But as long as you allow these dangerous elements to enter my school, don't be surprised when I take the necessary precautions...

Cinch? Sorry? HA! I highly doubt that woman is felt sorry for anything in our life even though her way of running things that literally ran the whole entire school down the toilet and nearly had her whole entire student body flushed into a different dimension for crying out loud