The students of Crystal Prep Academy typically didn't pay much attention to Sunset Shimmer unless she was provoking them. She had their respect, and with their respect came their silence... usually. Now though, they were giving her attention. The uncomfortable kind of attention that she kept throwing around glares to stop, but which kept coming her way regardless. It was one thing for rumors to spread from student to student, and quite another for Sunset to literally broadcast one of 'her' plots against the so-called Shadowbolt Five for all to hear. But there was nothing to be done for it. So she took the stares in stride, at least until she heard a familiar voice barking from behind her.
"Sunset Shimmer." Dean Cadence's voice was stern, and her glare was intense as Sunset turned to look back at her with her books clutched against her chest. "Please see me in my office."
"If this is about-" Sunset was cut off before she could finish.
"Now." Cadence pointed into her office. Sunset cast a wayward glance at some of the other students surrounding them, who quickly looked away and rushed down the hallway when they noticed her gaze. With a resigned sigh and an attempt at a rebellious look, Sunset Shimmer marched into the dean's office and plopped down on the thick swiveling chair in front of the massive oak desk.
"I assume you know why I asked you in here." Cadence was more calm as she walked around the desk to sit in her own high-backed seat, though her eyes were no less intense. "Word has reached me that you took it upon yourself on Friday to publically humiliate one of your fellow students."
"Who said that?"
"That's not important." Cadence's face was a stone cold mask. "I don't know how you got past Principal Cinch in order to do this, but that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable." Cadence leaned forward. "Do you have any idea how hurtful that was?"
Sunset Shimmer put on a smirking mask. "No, are you gonna lecture me about it?"
Cadence's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any remorse at all for what you did?"
"Come on, why so serious?" Sunset Shimmer snickered. "It was a joke, nobody's hurt by it." She put on a shrill mocking voice. "Oh no, somebody's feeling bad, I'll spend my whole life living in regret."
"Feelings are nothing to scoff at."
"Are you planning to punish me somehow?" Sunset flicked a dismissive hand in her direction. "Oh wait, we both know you can't touch me without Principal Cinch's approval."
"As a point of fact, I do have her approval." Dean Cadence stood up.
"Wait... what?" Sunset watched in surprise as Cadence moved around the desk. "You're kidding me."
It was Cadence's turn to smirk as she put her hands on the arms of her chair and leaned down in front of her face. "You're going to spend two hours after school with me every day for the next two months, or until we can get to the bottom of your attitude."
Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth. That old bat had handed her over to Cadence, probably to avoid any suspicion of her own involvement with this. Of course Dean Cadence was going to find out about it at some point, just because she wasn't here at the time didn't mean she couldn't hear them talking in the hallways. Maybe Sugarcoat's friends had even gone to her.
Cadence cocked her head curiously as her eyes searched Sunset's. "Do you have anything to say to me?"
No matter how much of a snaky bitch Cinch was, Sunset still couldn't afford to let on that anything was strange between them. So she plastered a smirk across her lips as she met Cadence's eye. "Are you finished being smug for the day?"
Cadence lifted herself upright again and clasped her hands behind her back. "You'll come back to my office immediately after school. We can have a nice long talk about what is making you behave this way."
"What are you, some kinda therapist?"
"I do have a PHD in psychology." Cadence's smile was less severe as she led the way back to her office door and opened it for her. "I would like to help you, Sunset Shimmer... but if you won't allow me to do so, I really have no choice but to punish you."
"I don't need help." Sunset jammed her hands into her pockets as she retreated out into the school hallway. "I know exactly what I'm doing, and I have everything under control."
Cadence seemed disappointed at her response. "Then I'll see you exactly ten minutes after the final bell rings."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." Sunset shook her head and marched away from her down the hallways. Cinch had promised to protect her from this kind of punishment. She said she would use her authority to make Sunset's school life easy...
Sunset wasn't sure what was more pathetic. That Cinch had stabbed her in the back to avert suspicion from herself, or that she was surprised about it.