Chapter 6: The Scorpion's Trap
Sunset walked through the halls of CHS that Tuesday afternoon, intent on reaching her last class of the day. She winced at a throb of pain from her left forearm.
Yesterday morning Flash Sentry had collided with her as they'd entered school, guitar case in hand, apparently late for an early meeting. She'd been knocked to the ground, her left arm having protected the rest of her. Nothing had been broken, but it was definitely sore, and she'd have bruises soon.
Princess Twilight still hadn't answered any of her messages, which was disheartening. She was probably busy, but that didn't mean Sunset didn't want to hear from her alicorn friend any less, especially now.
She took a cleansing breath. She had to stay calm. Her friends were sure they'd be able to drive off Mrs. Circinus. Twilight's parents had called last night to tell their daughter they were definitely arriving back in Canterlot tomorrow morning, and Granny Smith had confirmed the same with Applejack.
They were facts that had already been presumed, but hearing them confirmed was comforting, even if their arrivals were going to be close. But if Mrs. Circinus did happen to arrive in the morning, she'd be forced to wait.
As she passed by the library, she heard a grunt. Turning her head toward the open doors, she spotted the school librarian, Ms. Cheerilee Blossom. The magenta woman's arms were piled high with books and papers.
"Hey, Ms. Cheerilee," greeted Sunset. "Do you need help?"
"Yes, please," groaned Cheerilee, her legs beginning to buckle. "These need to go on the table over there."
Taking the top portion of the stack, Sunset put it down on a nearby table, ignoring the ache in her arm. Ms. Cheerilee followed after her, legs still wobbling.
Her arms free, the librarian wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead. "Sometimes I really wish I had Cherry's muscles," she muttered under her breath. Turning to Sunset, she gave the teenager a smile. "Thank you so much."
"No problem," Sunset replied, waving a hand. "Why were you holding that much, anyway?"
"A bunch of students dumped it in my arms," Cheerilee grumbled. "Honestly, they were in such a rush they didn't even bother cleaning up."
Letting out a sigh, she looked over the assorted items. "And I still need to sort these out." Her green eyes looked up at the clock on the wall. "And there's still... actually, Sunset, could you do me a favor?"
The woman went to the nearby library desk and picked up her bag, marked as it was by a patch shaped like a daisy with a smiling face. Pulling out a folder, she handed it to Sunset. "Could you go to Principal Celestia's office and give these to her?"
Sunset eyed the plain manilla folder. "What is it?"
"Permission slips for a field trip to the Canterlot City Museum of Science. Do you remember Mr. Berzelius Beaker?"
Sunset nodded her head. She remembered him well. He taught eighth grade science, though Sunset hadn't seen him in a while. Many of the eighth grade and under classes were grouped together on one side of the school, including his, with very few high school-level classes, so Sunset rarely went that way.
She remembered him as a tall and thin man with peach skin, large eyes, a tuft of orange hair, and a large, bulbous nose, wearing a lab coat and tie, with a voice that was rather high-pitched for a full-grown man.
He'd also been accident-prone, more than once tripping his way through the classroom door. Somehow, thankfully, this never translated into any major disasters with the lab equipment, like all his good luck was diverted solely to his teaching time. Though Sunset remembered one time an experiment had caused a big, if harmless mess that forced them to temporarily switch rooms.
But despite that, and his somewhat silly appearance, he'd been a solid teacher who was rather liked by all his students.
"Mr. Beaker had to leave for some sort of family emergency, so he asked me to give these to Principal Celestia," continued Cheerilee. "But I'm so busy cleaning this up. Would you be able to drop them off for me?"
Sunset looked up at the clock. The last period would be starting soon, and if she detoured to Principal Celestia's office, she'd definitely be late. But then again, if she did go to Principal Celestia, her lateness could be excused. "Sure, Ms. Cheerilee."
"Thank you so much."
The walk to the principal's office wasn't very long from the library, and soon enough, Sunset found herself in front of that same crescent moon-marked door. Knocking first, she turned the handle. Principal Celestia was seated behind her desk as usual. And once again, she'd been joined by Vice Principal Luna.
"Principal Celestia, I ran into Ms. Cheerilee and she wanted me to give this to you," said Sunset, holding out the item.
"Ah, Miss Shimmer, how fortunate of you to arrive. I was just about to have Principal Celestia call for you."
Sunset froze. It couldn't be. It was too early. Her eyes darted to the seat in front of the principal's desk, praying she was just hearing things.
But it was not to be. Sitting in the chair was none other than Mrs. Circinus.
The woman locked her deep purple eyes on the stunned teenager. "Come in, Miss Shimmer, and do close the door." Her mouth twisted into a smirk. "We have things to discuss."
Sunset stood there like a deer in the headlights. When she didn't move for several seconds, Mrs. Circinus got up, closed the office door, then took Sunset’s left arm in her hands, directing her to the same seat as last time. The contact made Sunset wince, the pain shaking her from her daze.
A whirlwind of thoughts passed through her head. What was she even doing here? The deadline wasn't until tomorrow. Sunset looked over at the two administrators. Neither of them looked happy about this visit. Vice Principal Luna in particular looked like she'd swallowed an entire lemon. No, two lemons would have been more accurate.
"You're early," Sunset said finally, sitting down in the chair.
"I am aware of that, Miss Shimmer," said Mrs. Circinus. "I still remember our arrangement. I am merely here to see how you're doing. I was concerned that you were a, shall we say, flight risk."
In other words, the woman had wanted to catch her off guard. Sunset narrowed her eyes at Circinus. "Well as you can see, I'm still here, and I'm doing just fine," she answered, defiance creeping into her voice. "So you can go now."
"Now, now, Miss Shimmer, there's no need to be hostile," said Circinus. "As it happens, I don't have any pressing appointments at the moment, and I thought that since I was here, we could talk about your progress."
"You gave me a whole week, not six days," retorted Sunset.
Mrs. Circinus nodded her head. "That is true, but I see no reason not to expedite matters since we have the opportunity. Doing so would be of benefit to both of us, don't you think?"
Though she had a pleasant smile on her face, the CPS agent's eyes were brimming with something more malign. Those eyes seemed like they were looking through Sunset, trying to spot some weakness.
Again she was struck with the sense that there was something distinctly dangerous about this woman beyond her occupation. Sunset's encounter with Pearl had made her realize all the more that this woman was definitely someone to be wary of.
Right now, this entire situation screamed of a trap. It screamed so loudly that Sunset was almost positive it could be heard all the way in Equestria.
Well, she knew one thing. She wasn't going to fall for it. "I... I have class I need to get to. I'm going to be late."
Mrs. Circinus waved a hand. "Oh I'm sure the principal and vice principal will help with that." She turned to the two other women in the room. "I would think missing a class would be well worth the sacrifice, Principal Celestia. After all, we are talking about the welfare and future of one of your students, and such a thing takes priority above all else. Or do you not agree?"
Celestia hesitated, and something inside Sunset tensed in anger. It was a loaded question. If she answered yes, Sunset would be drawn into another verbal sparring match. If she answered no, it would be admitting that the welfare of her students wasn't her top concern.
"Fine," interrupted Sunset, sparing the principal the anguish. "Let's talk." So much for avoiding the trap...
Mrs. Circinus smiled. "I thought you'd agree, Miss Shimmer."
Behind her sister, Luna scowled. "If you're going to have this discussion, then I insist my sister and I stay here to observe." Suspicion ran wild in her eyes. Mrs. Circinus had shown her claws once, and Luna was bracing herself for another attack.
Circinus just nodded her head. "Of course, Vice Principal Luna, I would expect nothing less." She turned her attention back to the teenager across from her. "Now, Miss Shimmer, how has the search for a guardian been going for you?"
"Fine," she half-lied. Her options had been decreasing from the start. But Sunset didn't need to tell Mrs. Circinus that. "There are two families willing and able to adopt me."
"Two?" repeated Circinus. "My, what an impressive number. Considering your conviction last time, I rather expected more."
Sunset scowled at her. Oh, shut up.
"In any case, I suppose we should discuss them one at a time," continued Circinus. "Who would you like to talk about first?"
"The Apples," replied Sunset.
Mrs. Circinus reached into her satchel, pulling out her tablet. She powered up the machine, setting it down on her lap. Her fingers glided across the screen. "Apples?" she said, not losing any speed. "I see in my notes that one of your friends at CHS is named Applejack Apple. I presume this would be her family?"
The former unicorn gave a nod.
The CPS agent's finger paused, lost in a memory. "Are they related to the large farm in the southwestern part of the city?"
"That's Sweet Apple Acres, and they own it," answered Sunset.
"Ah. And I suppose this farm is financially stable? Agriculture can be a rather uncertain business. One drought or blight can be quite disastrous, and I certainly remember reading about those in the Canterlot City Times."
Sunset snorted, pointing her nose in the air like a Canterlot snob. "The farm's been in their family for generations and it hasn't gone belly-up yet," she said, quoting AJ from when they were discussing strategy. Sweet Apple Acres's finances were a clear weak point. "In fact, the only loan they have is one for a new tractor, and it's almost paid off."
Mrs. Circinus hummed in thought, the corners of her mouth falling a fraction. "And Miss Apple's parents agreed to take full responsibility for you?"
"Granny Smith, actually. AJ's parents passed away."
The woman's face fell further in a look of disapproval. "So your only form of adult supervision is an elderly grandmother who already has multiple grandchildren to look after?"
"AJ's brother Big Macintosh turns eighteen in August," shot back Sunset. "And the Apple family's large. They work their own farms, but AJ says they like to visit, too."
"That's certainly true," added Principal Celestia. "I recall Miss Apple telling me about the size of her family. How many members did she name again, Luna?"
The vice principal did the math in her head. "Twenty-one as I recall, though I believe she said that wasn't her entire family."
Mrs. Circinus seemed taken aback for a second by the statistic before managing to school her features. Turning back to her tablet, her eyes sailed across the screen.
"Speaking of family, I am made to understand one of Miss Apple's relatives works in the school cafeteria. Out of curiosity, who is that?"
"That's Granny Smith," answered Sunset.
Circinus raised an eyebrow. "She works in a high school cafeteria?" She paused in thought. "Is she perhaps the woman I saw when I came in last week? She looked like cafeteria staff. Elderly, green skin, heavy-set, and in need of hip replacement surgery, judging from her walk?"
"Yes, that would be her," answered Luna.
The CPS agent's eyes continued to skim through her notes, not bothering to look up at the vice principal. "Isn't Miss Apple one of the girls whose sisters created the Anon-a-Miss profile?"
Sunset winced. "Yes, she is. But Apple Bloom apologized for that. They all did. And they're serving their punishment."
"What was their punishment? Vice Principal Luna, would you mind, if purely for my own curiosity?"
Luna's scowl deepened. "They had to delete the profile and serve six months of detention."
Circinus gave Luna a quick glance. "Really? Only six months? Personally, I would have thought expulsion would have been more appropriate considering the chaos they caused. But I suppose it is your school, and your choice to show leniency to budding delinquents."
Luna's face darkened, and even Celestia's eyes grew angry at the offhand remark.
"Ah, there we are," announced Circinus, hands pausing on her tablet screen. "I thought I'd forgotten something." She looked up, giving Sunset a piercing stare. "Miss Shimmer, are you certain you want the Apples to take you in?"
"Positive. Why?" Sunset's whole body tensed. Mrs. Circinus had something up her sleeve. What was it now? Hadn't she exhausted all her weaponry the last time?
Circinus's eyes didn't waver from Sunset, the corners of her mouth twitching for only a moment. "I'm simply surprised you would be willing to stay with a family whose youngest not only participated in Anon-a-Miss, but started it as well."
Ponyfeathers. The fact that Apple Bloom had started it off was something none of them thought Mrs. Circinus was aware of. As far as they knew, Apple Bloom hadn't told anyone the exact sequence of events behind the profile's creation. Clearly, it had gotten out somehow.
Sunset ground her teeth in frustration. "How do you figure she's the one that started it?"
"Simple deduction," replied the woman plainly. "My understanding of the events is that those three girls created the profile to smear you, before it grew to attack the entire student body. The concerned party made it clear that the profile began by attacking your friends, starting with Miss Applejack.
"Targeting your friends meant they wanted to drive them from you, and with the original target in mind, it's not hard to imagine it might have been Miss Apple Bloom's idea to begin with." She smirked, leaning back in the chair. "And I do believe I'm correct. So I ask again, why would you want to move in with them?"
"W-Well," Sunset stammered. She cleared her throat, trying to steady her words. "I know Apple Bloom messed up, but she's sorry for what she did, and I forgave her for it."
The CPS agent's nose wrinkled. "Well, that may be true for you, Miss Shimmer. However, there is the old saying, 'once bitten, twice shy'. And while you might be willing to trust that someone like Miss Apple Bloom won't do that again, I am the one that must decide, since your case is in my hands. And I, for one, will not trust your wellbeing in the hands of a family whose members caused you so much emotional trauma."
"But Apple Bloom won't! You can even talk to her and the others. Principal Celestia can call them here and—"
"That is enough, Miss Shimmer," was Circinus's harsh reply, cutting through the air like a falling icicle. "I will not have them pulled from class, because I am certain they will be unable to change my mind. I will not approve of your adoption by the Apples, period."
Actually, if Mrs. Circinus had shown up tomorrow instead of today, Apple Bloom would have already been in the room. When she and her friends found out about the trouble Sunset was in and how their mistake helped to cause it, they'd volunteered, no, practically demanded, to plead in front of Mrs. Circinus and express just how sorry they were, and promise they'd never do it again.
Whether or not their words would've had an effect, Sunset didn't know. But now they were rendered meaningless. Mrs. Circinus had shown up a day early, and the three of them were still in class, unaware of what was going on in here. They'd been shut down before they even had a chance.
In fact, if things had gone the way they were supposed to, all her friends were going to be here, by her side and supporting her, willing to argue and prove their worth. They, too, didn't even know what was happening, and Sunset highly doubted they could get Circinus to talk to them now.
"Now then," said Mrs. Circinus, her tone shifting back to something far more conversational, "Who was the other family you had in mind, Miss Shimmer?"
Looking the woman right in those same piercing purple eyes, Sunset spared a glance down to the necklace around the woman's throat. It was in that moment that Sunset realized that Circinus's demeanor reminded her of a scorpion.
An aggressive predator that hid underground, waiting for prey to brush by its pincers before leaping up and delivering the killing blow. Yes, that described this woman, alright. Sunset would need to be even more careful, or she'd end up stung.
She took a deep breath before speaking again. "The Sparkles."
"Sparkles?" questioned Circinus, before her memory seemed to kick in. "Ah yes, I believe I heard something about Twilight Sparkle being at this school. She's among your group of friends now, is she?"
"You know Twilight Sparkle?" asked Principal Celestia.
Circinus turned, giving the magenta-eyed woman a pleasant smile. "I know of her. Her name has appeared in the paper for the competitions she's won. And I do speak with parents at Crystal Prep in my work, though I cannot say who for confidentiality, you understand. Some have mentioned in passing how she transferred here."
"Well, Twilight Velvet and Night Light offered to take me in as well," said Sunset with a bright smile.
Twilight was their ace in the hole in this situation. Unlike the others, she hadn't been part of the Anon-a-Miss mess, so that eliminated Mrs. Circinus's main source of firepower. And as far as they could find, there wasn't a thing she could strike at to disqualify her family.
"Twilight's dad works at an observatory, and her mother is a best-selling mystery author," continued Sunset confidently.
"Ah yes," replied Circinus. "Twilight Velvet. She won a Nagatha Award two years ago, if I'm not mistaken."
Oh yes she had. Sunset had seen the black teapot-shaped award at Twilight's house, proclaiming Velvet the winner of Best Novel 2015. Twilight Velvet kept it on full display, clearly ecstatic to have won it at all.
Sunset had never gotten around to reading Nagatha Christie's work in either universe. By the time she was old enough, her attention had been more consumed with magic textbooks and experiments. Sweet Celestia, she really had missed out on a lot because of her obsessions, hadn't she?
When she'd said as much to Twilight's family during one visit, it had been, surprisingly not Twilight Sparkle, but Twilight Velvet who had reacted. She'd immediately loaned the teen a few novels from her personal collection, and wouldn't take no for an answer.
Said collection was a complete set of everything the author had ever written. Twilight's love of literature had suddenly made quite a bit more sense to her.
"They have more than enough space and money to take care of me," stated Sunset, trying not to grin too widely at the CPS agent. "Plus, Twilight's brother is an adult, and he's training to be a cop, and his girlfriend is the dean at Crystal Prep."
"Is that who Cadance is dating?" asked Principal Celestia in surprise, right before her mouth twisted into a sly grin. "I was wondering."
Oops. It looked like Cadance hadn't mentioned that detail to her two pseudo-aunts. Sunset hadn't interacted with the pink woman too much. Another, lesser point of awkwardness. Hopefully she'd forgive the little slip.
The former unicorn directed her attention back to Mrs. Circinus. She sat there, still reading something on her tablet.
Why hadn't she reacted? Sunset had presented a family that had space, was financially secure, and had multiple sources of adult supervision and discipline. It seemed solid to her. That should have warranted some kind of reaction, shouldn't it?
"I will admit your case is quite solid, Miss Shimmer," said Mrs. Circinus, eyes still fixed on her screen. "And normally I'd approve of your choice. But unfortunately, you seem woefully unaware of recent events."
Sunset's confidence started to wither, her suppressed grin slowly morphing into a frown. "What are you talking about?"
"A piece of news that got published this morning." She tabbed a few buttons on her tablet before looking up at Sunset. She held out the machine. "Take a look at the headline."
Sunset's eyes shot to the top of the article on the screen. It was a web-based news article, and a reputable source. There in large letters, was the line Mystery Writer Twilight Velvet Accused of Plagiarism at Writer's Conference!
Sunset's stomach dropped out from under her. "P-Plagiarism?"
"Yes," said Circinus slowly. "The Sparkles are at a convention right now. Today was the last day. Early this morning, during the closing ceremonies, a group of people approached Mrs. Sparkle and declared that she'd stolen their stories. They were loud enough to draw a great deal of attention, including the press, and this article found its way online within hours."
Sunset eyed the accompanying photo. It showed a shocked and horrified Velvet, next to an equally shocked and angry Night Light.
The person to the right was probably one of the accusers. The woman in question had on a faded trench coat that was frayed at the seams, and definitely wet from the rain. The rest of her clothing seemed somewhat disheveled.
The camera caught her face in mid-scream as she waved a stack of papers in her right hand. There were others behind her, and from what little Sunset could see, they seemed a bit better dressed than their leader.
Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle had only called last night. Twilight usually kept her phone off during school, so she probably had no idea this had happened.
"They could just be a bunch of nut jobs trying to squeeze money out of her!" argued Sunset.
"Hmm, that is possible," agreed Circinus with a nod, taking her tablet back. "But then there is also a remote chance that the allegations are true. Either way, it will be up to Mrs. Sparkle on whether she wishes to let a court decide, or if she wants to settle, as most do in civil matters."
"Twilight Velvet didn't steal from anyone," Sunset shot back. "And there's no way she'd settle out of court. That would be admitting they're right." She hadn't known the woman all that long, but she knew Twilight Velvet had too much dignity and self-respect to plagiarize another, or allow herself to be extorted.
"Well, be that as it may, I cannot in good conscience allow you to be adopted by a family that is facing this sort of scandal and possibly a long court battle. So, Miss Shimmer, I must unfortunately deny your adoption by the Sparkles."
Sunset let out a string of mental Equestrian curses that would have put a sailor to shame. Once again it was like the universe was conspiring against her. Why, just why couldn't she just have some good luck?
"Since that eliminates both of your options, Miss Shimmer, I do believe it's time we head to your new foster family."
"You gave her the whole week, Mrs. Circinus," interjected Principal Celestia. "It hardly seems fair to go back on that now."
The indigo-haired woman glanced at the principal. "I didn't forget. However, she has less than twenty-four hours to find another legal guardian, and it is highly improbable that she'll find one in that time frame. Tell me, Miss Shimmer, did you have anyone else in mind?"
"N-No," she replied, barely above a whisper. They'd been so focused on their own families. Seeking out any random family among the student body had serious problems, since for one, students had to volunteer, and just because most of the students liked her didn't necessarily mean their parents would be willing to take her in.
And for two, they would be open to attack from Circinus, and whatever she'd be able to dig up or twist. They'd decided it was better to focus on what they had more control over. And of course, that was back when Sunset had had four options instead of two.
Mrs. Circinus got up from her seat. "Well then, I see no point in delaying the inevitable."
The woman's deep purple eyes looked down at Sunset, still lost in her own thoughts. "Come, Miss Shimmer... it's time to go to your new family."
Sunset stared up at those eyes. Those eyes that seemed so self-assured of her victory. Eyes that practically demanded that she get up and obey.
No. Sunset's hands tightened into fists. Her face contorted in response to the strong, aching complaint from her injured arm. But her hands stayed clenched, anger overriding the pain.
It wasn't going to be that easy. She wasn't going to be caught by this overgrown scorpion. If going on the defensive didn't work, then it was time to try the offensive. Let's see how she likes being under attack.
Sunset glared at the woman. "I'm not leaving with you just yet."
"Oh?" Mrs. Circinus was already busy slipping her tablet back into her satchel. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you promised that if you couldn't find a suitable guardian, you would go with me without argument."
"You're already bending the rules here," countered Sunset. "And besides, things changed after you left."
The tablet had almost fallen back into its compartment when the woman's hand froze. She looked down at Sunset with curiosity before slowly resuming her seat. "How so?"
"I met Pearl," was Sunset's flat reply.
Mrs. Circinus's right eye twitched. "Ah, yes," she said, her voice strained. "I... heard about your meeting."
Now that was an interesting reaction. This was the first time they'd really gotten under her skin to any degree. Had Pearl's introduction not been planned?
"Who is this Pearl?" asked Luna, also not missing the woman's response.
"And how did you even know I met her?" added Sunset. "I didn't see you around."
"Pearl is Gleaming Pearl Luxury," answered Circinus, managing to get herself back under control. "Her family will be adopting Miss Shimmer."
Sunset scowled. Not if I can help it.
Celestia's eyes widened. "As in Luxury Imports and Exports?"
"Yes," replied Circinus. "I happen to be an acquaintance of Excessive Opulence. That's how I know she's interested in adopting a second daughter."
She cleared her throat. "And as for how I know you met Pearl, Miss Shimmer, they told me. I had to speak to them after our conversation last week to inform them of our agreement. They naturally thought they'd be meeting you that day, so they deserved the courtesy."
"Okay, fine," conceded Sunset. "But that doesn't change that I met Pearl. And she had some interesting things to tell me. Like the fact that her family is going to Paris tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" questioned Principal Celestia, looking right at the now clearly irritated Mrs. Circinus. "They're leaving the country at the same time as they would be adopting Sunset?" Her normally passive face darkened, just a bit. "That doesn't seem entirely legal."
"Is that why you gave her a week?" asked Vice Principal Luna, leaning forward on her sister's desk, giving the woman an accusatory glare. "Did you know about this?"
Sunset's face broke into a smile. Ha! Talk your way out of that one. Sorry Pearl, but the Sunset Shimmer Dress-up Doll just got discontinued.
Circinus didn't bother to return the glare. Instead, she simply chuckled, and Sunset felt her confidence waver.
“I don’t see what you could possibly find funny about this,” said Principal Celestia angrily.
"Forgive me," replied Circinus, "but it appears that there has been some sort of mistake." Clearing her throat again, her eyes scanned the faces of everyone in the room. "I assure you, the week I gave Miss Shimmer was purely because I thought it a reasonable time frame."
"What about the Luxuries going to Paris?" asked Sunset pointedly. "I'm not moving from Canterlot and I'm sure not moving to a different country."
Circinus turned her sharp eyes to Sunset. "Pearl mixed up the dates."
The fire-haired girl did a double take. "...What?"
"She mixed up the dates," repeated the woman. "She was already back home by the time I got there, and she told me about your discussion. It is true that Excessive was planning a trip to Paris, a four day or week-long trip by the way, not a move, but that is set for three weeks from yesterday."
"How do you make that kind of mistake?!" asked Sunset, completely flabbergasted.
"With this." Circinus once again showed Sunset her tablet. On the screen was a picture of a book. It looked like a day planner. On the 22nd of February, there was written the word Paris. "This is Excessive's day planner. Pearl got a glance at this page."
"I don't see how this is a mistake," said Sunset.
"That's because it refers to this." The woman pressed a button and the image changed to show a painting of a man in ancient clothing standing before three very different women in robes. "This painting is of Paris of Troy. Excessive just bought it, and it was scheduled for delivery tomorrow afternoon.
"And if you'll look here..." Again she changed the image. It showed the day planner again, but this time, it was for March. Under the heading for March 13th was written Paris trip departure.
"As you can see, Pearl made a simple mistake. Surely you can't say you haven't made a mistake like that before?"
The teenager scowled deeply, her brow furrowing in thought. To be honest, she could believe Pearl could do that, and the pictures certainly lined up.
"And if you don't believe that, Pearl recorded a message, in case you were angry about the mistake."
She pressed another button, and a video of Pearl came up on the screen. The girl was sitting on a rather large ornate bed, while the room itself was bathed in light pink. Obviously her bedroom.
She was still dressed in the same outfit as last time, save for the beret which now sat in her lap. "Like, uh, hi, baby sis," she began nervously, her cheeks flushed. "So I, like, messed up. We're, like, not going to Paris just yet."
Pearl let out a weak round of laughter, tinged with nervousness. "Looks like the sister bonding time plans I told you aren't going to work the way I thought. Oopsie."
Her blush intensified, as she twiddled with a lock of her hair. "I'm like, so totally sorry and embarrassed, baby sis. I mean I, like, gave you all these totally awesome plans and ideas and now they're a whole lot later than I thought! I don't know if, like, you're looking forward to it by the time you see this, but if you were, I'll totally make it up to you, I promise."
Her face brightened a little. "Ooh, maybe we can totally decorate your room? Wouldn't that be fun? You can tell me all your favorite colors, and you can have a bed like mine and we'll put your initials in it too."
She moved, allowing the camera to see the large cursive GPL carved into the polished white wood, before giving the camera another shot of her still blushing face. "Hope you'll, like, forgive me. Bye bye."
With the end of the video, Circinus took back her tablet. The message sounded sincere enough, even if Pearl seemed quite nervous. Then again, that could have just been from being around Mrs. Circinus.
Circinus chuckled again. "Did you honestly think I was planning on sending you abroad? As I said before, they live in another part of the state normally, though they have houses in multiple countries. Their main residence is about a few hours upstate from here by car."
Whether it was across an ocean or just hundreds of miles, Sunset didn't care. It was still too far away. And she wasn't quite done by a long shot. "Speaking of her sister bonding time, Pearl said she wanted to change my name to Dazzling Ruby."
"Hmm... a new name for a brand new life," remarked Circinus with some level of genuine surprise. "A rather poetic suggestion for Pearl, I must admit."
Poetic my cutie mark. "I don't think it was a suggestion," Sunset retaliated. "Neither was her plans for making me over. I'm not going to be a rich girl's toy."
"Of course you won't," said Circinus with yet another chuckle. "You'll be her sister." She turned to Principal Celestia. "Honestly, teenage girls and their melodrama. How do you manage to run an entire high school?"
"I'm not being melodramatic!" cried Sunset angrily. "She threw my journal and jacket in the garbage!"
Circinus's eyes darted back to Sunset. "Well, I must admit, I'm not all that fond of that jacket of yours either, Miss Shimmer. It makes you look like a delinquent."
Sunset's scowl returned. I didn't ask for your wardrobe advice, lady. "Well I don't like the impression I got from Pearl. She said she'd make me like a second her, that her mother said I had to act like one of them. I don't know about you, but I don't want to go into a home where I'll have no free will."
Mrs. Circinus broke out laughing. "My, my, Pearl really didn't leave a good first impression on you, did she?"
It took a few moments, but the woman managed to get her laughter under control. "Pearl is not some monster, Miss Shimmer, and neither is her mother. Pearl is simply an exuberant young woman who wishes nothing more than to shower her new sister with love and attention and share with her the many blessings life has granted her."
Another chuckle escaped her throat. "Honestly, next you'll probably tell me Pearl wants to use your blood in some arcane ritual to raise a mad moon goddess from the dead or some such nonsense." She punctuated the sentence with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Furthermore, as far as 'acting like one of them', I happen to know that Excessive was merely concerned about teaching you some form of higher etiquette. The Luxuries are in a much higher social class, and there are different standards of behavior at social events. They merely don't want you making a fool of yourself."
She let out a small snort of laughter. "And while I know the thought of learning upper class etiquette might seem like torture to a teenager, it's really not that bad."
Sunset's face turned red with indignation. Maybe that would have worked on others, but she already knew all about upper class gatherings, thank you very much. She'd grown up in a royal palace surrounded by nobles and dignitaries.
She'd suffered through the Grand Galloping Gala three times, which was just as soul-crushingly boring for a filly as it was for a mare.
Sunset needed a new angle. Her talk with Flash came to mind. "Pearl is also on the cover of a lot of tabloids," she argued. "You really want her to be my sister?"
"She's a very wealthy young woman and a minor celebrity," countered Circinus. "Of course she's in the tabloids. Many such people are. Just because someone is made into a tabloid target doesn't mean there is something decidedly wrong with them."
She gave a contemptuous sniff. "I hope you aren't in the habit of reading that trash, Miss Shimmer. The only thing they could ever report on that's true would be that the sky is blue. Though personally it wouldn't surprise me if one day they reported the sky was plaid."
Sunset ground her teeth. She wasn't making any real headway. This woman was just so infuriating, shrugging off every one of her attacks like they were nothing.
But she still had one other angle of attack. "Pearl told me about her tutors, too. From what she said, they seemed to have skipped several things."
The irritated twitch in the corner of Circinus's eye returned. "Did they now?"
Sunset allowed a smirk to form on her lips. "Yes, they did. Things like algebra and geometry and who knows what else. She offered me those same tutors. Do you really want me to go with a family where I probably won't even qualify for a high school diploma?"
Circinus paused, closing her eyes in thought. A few seconds later, those deep purple eyes snapped open, staring down at Sunset from across the room. "If what you say is true, that is indeed a problem, for Pearl at least. I will have to discuss that with Excessive. It's certainly unfortunate if that occurred, though since Pearl is twenty-one, she's beyond my purview."
She chuckled once again, leaning back in her seat, fingers folded in front of her face. "But that certainly doesn't mean you would be given the same tutors as Pearl. Or perhaps you could do something different. You would need to speak to Excessive. Perhaps a boarding school? Personally I recommend private education."
She cast a glance at the two administrators, giving them a condescending smile. "My apologies, but I've always favored private to public, and the public system hasn't been kind to Miss Shimmer thus far."
Sunset let out a mental curse. The woman had a point. She needed to find a way to disqualify the Luxuries, and now.
Maybe she could scrounge for more information. "Why do you even want to put me with them? How are they supposed to be a good influence on me?"
"Actually, in some regards it's the other way around."
At Sunset's confused expression, Circinus continued. "You are a very bright child, Miss Shimmer, exceedingly so. Pearl, by contrast, is not exactly the most... intellectually inclined young woman."
Sunset suppressed the desire to snort. That's putting it lightly.
"When I spoke to Excessive, she expressed to me the possibility that by being her sister, your genius might rub off on Pearl. She is, after all, the sole heir to a large company."
"So that's it, then? You're just putting me with the Luxuries for their sake instead of mine, so I'll be a glorified tutor?"
"Hardly," was Circinus's flat reply. "It's for your sake as well." She leaned back further in the chair, hands once again folded in front of her face as her expression turned even more serious. "I'll say it again, you are a bright child. You have such potential in you."
Her gaze moved momentarily to the window outside. "There are many in this world with potential to be something great, but lack the resources and opportunities. Like a dwarfed tree, they're stunted because they live in nutrient-poor soil.
"Such a thing is a travesty. These individuals are wasted. They are lost, and my job, my purpose, is to find cases like these and guide them to new homes, to places where they belong, and where they can grow to be the people they should be."
She stared directly into Sunset's eyes, her own deep purple ones practically burning a hole through the girl. "The Luxuries can offer you those opportunities. The world would be your oyster, Miss Shimmer. You could travel the globe, do whatever you want. And you could do a great deal of good with the resources at your fingertips.
"Most of all," she continued. "You'd have a sister who wants nothing more than to dote on you. She wants to give you every gift she can, that much is clear. The same is true of Excessive. They want you because you're a bright girl without a home."
The last part was definitely twisting the truth into a pretzel knot. But at the same time, Sunset could feel the sincerity of Circinus's words as she spoke about wasted potential.
And for some teenagers, the offer might have been tempting. But Sunset had friends here, and she'd seen how Pearl acted, how she'd really acted.
There had to be some new avenue of attack here. But what was it?
As Sunset pondered her question, Circinus just continued to stare, before directing her attention to her wristwatch, then to the wall clock. She frowned. "Pardon me, Miss Shimmer, but could you tell me what time it is? I'm afraid my own watch has been losing time recently."
Sunset froze for a moment, the random question jarring her from her thoughts. "Uh... sure." She raised her right arm, beginning to roll back her jacket sleeve. "It's—"
"How very odd," said Circinus, cutting her off. "Why did you raise your arm, Miss Shimmer?"
Something inside Sunset tensed. "Um... to look at my watch like you asked me to."
"Yes," said Circinus, her stare more piercing than ever, like she was homing in on something. "But why did you raise your right arm? I noticed you're right-handed. Most times a person will wear a wristwatch on their non-dominant arm. And yet, yours is on your right."
She got up from her seat, grabbing Sunset's left arm. Sunset began to protest, but the woman just pulled down her jacket sleeve, revealing a long series of bruises.
"I thought as much," said Circinus. "I saw you wince before and I started to wonder if you were hurt." She inspected Sunset's arm carefully. "This is quite a lot of bruising, Miss Shimmer. How did you get this?"
Vice Principal Luna spoke up. "It was nothing serious. She just got knocked down on the front steps."
The indigo-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "So a student assaulted her? Pearl told me she was worried that some student might hurt Miss Shimmer out of jealousy. Perhaps she was right to think that."
"Flash would never—" Sunset blurted out, right before clamping her mouth shut with her free hand. Curse it all to Tartarus!
Circinus turned back to Sunset, her face equal parts eager and curious. The scorpion had sensed passing prey. "Flash? As in Flash Sentry? The boy who incited the crowd at the music festival and your ex-boyfriend?"
Sunset shot up in her seat, pulling her arm free. "How do you even know he's my ex? What, are you prying into my love life?!"
"I am not in the habit of prying into teenage girls' love lives," was her offended reply. "But the concerned party provided context regarding Mister Sentry's actions. Very important context, it seems. I take it he's the one who knocked you down?"
"It was an accident. He ran into me because he was late."
"Are you so sure?" asked Circinus. "Willful acts have been claimed as accidents before."
"Mrs. Circinus, I don't like you slandering one of my students," interrupted Celestia, rising from her seat to glare at the woman. "Especially when he's not present."
Mrs. Circinus ignored her. She bent down, her eyes meeting Sunset's. "Miss Shimmer," she said, her tone softening so much that if Sunset actually trusted her, she might have believed it. "I think I finally understand what's going on here, and I have to say, you have my sympathies."
"What do you mean?" The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The scorpion edged closer, pincers raised and opened wide, ready to crush her.
The woman straightened her posture, smoothing out her dark skirt. "It's quite obvious what's going on here. As I understand, Miss Shimmer, you were Fall Formal Princess three years in a row, as well as last year's Spring Fling Princess. That's quite an achievement." She nodded her head in approval. "You must have been quite popular to do all that."
She walked over to the wall where Sunset's old Fall Formal pictures once hung, replaced by photos from last year's, eyes moving over each one. Sunset thanked her lucky stars that there were none of Princess Twilight among them.
"And yet," she continued, "you didn't win this past year, even though you ran. In fact, all of your social problems here seemed to stem from around that time."
She turned back to the other women in the room. "And as I understand, you and Mister Sentry were together quite some time. But then he broke up with you not long before the Fall Formal. The concerned party said he left you on bad terms. This is particularly interesting since it was he who incited the crowd against you at the music festival, he who called you a 'bad girl'."
The CPS agent stepped closer to Principal Celestia's desk. "Do you know what I find odd about the Anon-a-Miss mess, Principal Celestia?"
Celestia met the woman's eyes, still glaring. "I'm sure you'll tell me."
"It wasn't just how easily Miss Shimmer's friends believed her to be responsible, but how easily the rest of the student body believed it. After all, you assured me that the reports of Sunset's behavioral issues were exaggerated. And on top of that, she seems to have been the most popular girl in this school.
"So why," Circinus pondered, "would the entire student body seem to so easily turn against a single student who had once been so very popular? It's an interesting question, isn't it? And I think I know why. I'm fairly certain that Miss Shimmer has been the victim of a much larger slander campaign, separate from Anon-a-Miss, one that may have been started by Mister Sentry."
Luna mirrored her sister's glare. "That's a rather bold thing to say, Mrs. Circinus. I know Mister Sentry and he wouldn't do such a thing."
Circinus returned the glare full force. "Then tell me why they turned on her so easily. It speaks to the possibility they'd already hated her." The woman's mouth twitched in an attempted smile before it was forced back down. "Were you lying to me about her conduct records before? If you were, that would be very bad for you."
The sisters both hesitated, and this time Circinus allowed herself to smirk. "I thought so. Although even if you had, I can hardly imagine something a single teenage girl could do that would earn her the scorn of the whole school."
No. It was happening again. This was just like last time, but worse. None of them could admit what Sunset had done at the Fall Formal without having her committed, and now their efforts to fight the bullying charges had been used against them.
Sunset was caught in the scorpion's claws, the deadly stinger hovering and ready to strike. She had to get herself out. "Flash wouldn't have done that. He's a good guy!" she screamed.
Circinus ignored her, keeping her gaze on the two administrators. "Ladies, what I'm seeing is a victim of slander, someone who has only suffered more from those so-called friends of hers."
"They are my friends," protested Sunset. "They're more my friends than Pearl will ever be in a hundred years."
Again, Circinus ignored her. "Now you can clearly see why I want her gone from this place. It's toxic. She's desperate to stay here, and all I can see is a teenager unable to tell the difference between what's healthy and what's not."
The woman turned back to Sunset now, going back to her and bending down again so they met eye to eye, her expression somber. "Miss Shimmer, I know this is hard to accept, but these friends of yours, they're not your friends. From what I've gathered, they probably only want to use you for your mind and your musical talents."
She placed a hand on her shoulder, the grip less than comforting. "I don't think you can see it, but they're the ones that don't care for you. The Luxuries will. Pearl will give you all the love and attention you deserve, and so will Excessive. And I'll also see to it they find you a good therapist, one that can undo the damage this awful place has done to you."
Sunset's heart beat so wildly, it threatened to break free of her chest. Circinus was attacking her sanity. This... this was all backwards, distorted like a funhouse mirror. "I'm not crazy!" she protested.
Circinus just shook her head. "I'm not saying you're crazy. But I think you have problems that require professional help."
"I'm telling you I don't need therapy," she insisted.
"That's what many people say, and yet, they still need it. But as they say, acceptance is the first step."
There was compassion on the woman's face, but it never truly met her eyes. Just a mask. She knew what she was doing. She had Sunset firmly clutched in her pincers now, caught in an ambush.
And here... here was the sting. By asserting Sunset wasn't thinking straight, her protests against the Luxuries were called into question, as well as her counterarguments to defend her friends.
Mrs. Circinus straightened up, looking once again to the two administrators. "Since it's clear to me that Miss Shimmer has been injured and abused by this place, and since she has no legal guardian, I am going to go ahead and take her to her foster family."
Her hand grabbed Sunset's right arm. "Come along, Miss Shimmer."
"Wait!" cried Principal Celestia. "My sister and I will take her in."
Hope sprang on Sunset's face. "Yes!" she cried. "I'll stay with them. I want to stay with them!"
Circinus just smirked. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Principal Celestia."
"Why not?" said Luna, taking an angry step forward. "We're both adults and financially stable enough to provide for her."
"Because," countered Circinus, "I don't think you'd be good for her. I've already seen what kind of environment this school is. Do you really think I'd let you put her back in it?"
"We could send her somewhere else," said Celestia, giving Sunset a quick apologetic expression. "CHS is the largest public school in Canterlot, but it's not the only one."
"Fair enough," conceded Circinus. "But I also can't trust you." Her smirk bloomed into a smile. "Going back to the last Fall Formal, I heard there was an accident. A massive hole was made in the front of the school, and an equally large crater in front of that."
She looked slyly at the two. "What caused it?"
"A gas line," said Luna firmly, clearly a practiced lie.
Circinus nodded. "Quite the disaster. You're lucky no one got hurt. And then there's your Wondercolt statue. I couldn't help but notice it's gone. I heard that it was destroyed during the last Friendship Games."
Her smile grew even more, turning into a grin as her sharp eyes fixed themselves on the two women. "And speaking of those, there's also the rumors about Twilight Sparkle. Parents at CPA can't help but comment on how odd it is that she transferred here out of the blue. She was Crystal Prep's top academic asset, and now she's yours. Some of them even think there was cheating and blackmail involved."
"You can't seriously be suggesting that we cheated," said Celestia, "or that we coerced Twilight into transferring?"
"I am only repeating what many are thinking, but I cannot help but wonder, especially in light of Miss Shimmer's problems. And I am understandably loathe to place her with the two women responsible for the school that hurt her."
She let go of Sunset, taking a single step forward. "My report will already be scathing for CHS. If you wish to pursue custody of Miss Shimmer, then I'll be forced to investigate these incidents more thoroughly to satisfy myself that everything was above board."
She reached down, picking up her almost forgotten satchel, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. "Naturally," she said in an offhand manner, "the school board would need to be contacted, and I'd also have to speak to them about Miss Shimmer's problems, as it would be quite relevant."
"You're blackmailing us," hissed Luna.
"I am stating facts," corrected Circinus. "You would need to be vetted. Things like these cannot be overlooked, especially in the case of an already abused child like Sunset Shimmer, which happened under both your noses."
The CPS agent's attention moved to the degrees that dotted the office walls. "Tell me, Celestia; you've been a principal here for, what, twelve years? And this was your first job as principal, as well. That's quite a distinguished career you have. Your sister as well. And you're both so well liked, from what I hear."
Circinus turned back to look at the two angry women. "If I were to bring up these incidents with the board, your careers could go down in flames. You'd be lucky if either of you could get jobs in education again. And if parents find out, enrollment here could sink like a stone."
The menace in her eyes was almost tangible, lashing out at everyone in her line of sight. "It might even drop enough to close down the whole school. As you said, CHS isn't the only public school in Canterlot. A string of scandals like this could very well make that happen."
She narrowed the gap between herself and the two women, getting dangerously close to Celestia. "Right now I am willing to let the both of you move on with your lives and pick up the pieces. Perhaps you just want Miss Shimmer for her test scores. I don't really care. But you can't have her anymore."
A sapphire blue finger pointed itself at Celestia. "I'm giving you one chance. Either back down, let her go to the Luxuries and end this ridiculous game, or take the very real risk that your careers and this toxic waste dump of a school will come crashing down around your heads."
She leaned in, her nose touching the principal's. "So what will it be, Principal Celestia? This one student who has been abused in your institution under your watch, or your career, your sister's career, and maybe your entire school?"
The agony on Celestia's face was clear as day. So too, was Luna's. Sunset felt like her heart was going to burst. Circinus had stung them too. She'd trapped and stung both of them, stunning them with her poison.
When they didn't answer, Circinus stepped back, her face one of smug satisfaction. "This conversation is over." She took hold of Sunset's right arm again. "Come along, Miss Shimmer. Your new life is waiting for you. We should be at the Luxuries' mansion by early evening."
Sunset pulled back. "No!" she screamed. "I don't want to leave Canterlot, or Canterlot High!" The heels of her boots dug into the floor, trying their best to find purchase against the forces acting against her.
Circinus looked back at her with annoyance. "Young lady, please cooperate and stop acting like a child."
Sunset's cyan eyes shot back at the two sisters, pleading for them to say anything, to do anything. "Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, you can't let her do this! I don't want to go!"
The principal lowered her gaze, sinking back into her chair. Her head was buried in her hands. Luna too, failed to meet Sunset's eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Sunset," whispered Celestia. "I... I can't risk the school."
Sunset's head whipped around, and she let out a growl. "There's no way I'm going with you. Let go of me!"
Mrs. Circinus sighed. "So much for no argument," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But then you're not well, so I suppose I can't blame you. Please try not to make a scene."
The inside of Sunset's skull was a lightning storm, every neuron bursting with manic energy. She only had one option left, escape through the portal.
It was a last resort, possibly trading the gilded prison of the Luxuries for one in Equestria. But she'd rather be imprisoned as Sunset Shimmer than Dazzling Ruby Luxury.
Would Twilight respond in time and open the portal? Sunset prayed that whatever business had kept the alicorn away from the book was over now.
Right, all she needed now was an excuse to write in her journal. She could claim a need to go to the bathroom and take her bag and... No.
No no no! Sunset's mind broke into a panicked string of curses. Her journal wasn't in her bag. She had to leave it in her locker earlier today to make room for a book for literature class. Without the journal she couldn't message Twilight to open the portal. She needed to get to her locker, now!
"Mrs. Circinus," she cried, still pulling against the woman as the two headed for the door. "I need to get my stuff from my locker."
"You can have your things shipped to you later," said the woman as she gave another tug. "It's a long drive to your new home and we need to start right away. Now please stop struggling."
She'd dragged Sunset to the door despite all of her best efforts. The woman reached out a hand to turn the knob, Sunset still resisting the entire time, when the door swung open on its own.
Standing in their path was a woman. She was on the tall side, around Principal Celestia's height and with skin that was the same white pinkish tone.
She was thin, but not skinny. Her soft purple eyes looked at the scene in front of her with surprise. Her face was a rounded shape, topped by soft, light pink hair that felt to around her shoulder blades. Judging only by the face, she was young, perhaps early thirties at a stretch.
She wore a light blue blouse and a festive red winter coat lined with fur at the edges along with a pair of jeans and flat, practical shoes. A gold necklace hung around her neck ending in a polished amethyst.
"Pardon me, I was hoping the principal could help with..." she started, only to stop when her eyes clapped onto Sunset. "... Sunset?"
They widened in curiosity and recognition. "Sunset, there you are!"
In an instant, the woman was inside the office, wrapping the teenager in a tight hug. She felt especially warm, like an electric blanket in winter, and the scent of lilies hit Sunset's nose.
Sunset managed to find her voice. "Who—"
The woman laughed. "Now Sunset, that's not very nice. I know you haven't seen me in a while but I'd like to think you would still recognize your own mother."
Sunset practically choked on her tongue. "M-Mother?!"