//------------------------------//
// The Friendship Princess 
// Story: Twilight's Pirate School 
// by Lets Do This 
//------------------------------//

Outside, on the path in front of the castle, Twilight gradually came to a halt, feeling her confidence and determination ebbing away. She cast a long, sad look back towards the Friendship, still encased in the EEA's seal-spell.

What am I going to do? she wondered. What am going to I ask for? And do I have any justification in asking for it?

Still feeling like she didn't have an answer, she was about to spread her wings and take off.

And then the doors to the castle gleamed with blue magic and were flung open.

"Hey, Twilight! Wait a moment! You forgot something!" It was Starlight Glimmer. Clipboard in hoof, she hurried over. 

"Tempest told me what happened with Neighsay. And don't worry, we've got things covered here. I assume you're on your way to Canterlot?"

"Yes. I'm going to go talk to the other Princesses, see if I can get their help. We need to make the EEA see reason on this!"

"Uh huh. And if they don't?"

"They've got to! This means too much! Circumventing the law is one thing, but we can't operate a school in open defiance of the law. We need to convince Neighsay to change his mind, get him to remove the seal and allow the Friendship School to reopen."

"Mm hmm... mm hmm... nope, still not seeing it."

"Starlight!"

"Look, we agreed that in your absence I'd be in charge of the Friendship Castle, right?"

"Um, yeah?" Twilight replied uncertainly.

"Soooo... that kinda makes me acting Friendship Princess right now, doesn't it?"

Twilight gave her a sceptical look. "Don't get any ideas, Starlight!"

"Relax! I'm not after your crown, Twilight. Which... I brought along, by the way, since you're gonna need it." Producing the crown from behind her clipboard, she used her magic to place it on Twilight's head. "And along with the crown, as acting Friendship Princess, I'm gonna give you a bit's worth of free Friendship advice."

"Ooo-kay."

"You don't need their approval."

"Huh?"

"What I said. Look, the EEA may be in charge of all the schools in Equestria, but you're in charge of all the Friendship in Equestria." She pointed a hoof at the crown. "You're the Princess of Friendship. I checked, it says so on the back of the crown. So why the hay would you let somepony else stop you from doing your job, huh?"

"But the EEA's guidelines..."

"Don't apply here! You need to write your own guidelines on this, because you're doing something new here... something really important."

"I don't know..."

"Twilight, you showed me that when you know in your heart something is right, you stand up for it. You stood up to me when I was out of control, showed me where I was wrong. Why is this any different?" Seeing Twilight was still not convinced, Starlight smiled. "Hey, who are you going to listen to? The desk-bound, hide-bound bureaucrat who's trying to take away everything you've dreamed of, trying to make you forget who you are? Or... the former power-mad, cutie-mark-stealing dictator... who totally has your best interests at heart?"

Starlight grinned, with just a hint of an intense stare thrown in for good measure.

Twilight smirked, and then laughed. And nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Starlight. Why we're doing this is way more important than how we're doing it." She stamped a hoof. "And we are doing it!"

"That's the Twilight I know! How can I help?"

Twilight hugged her. "You already have!"

Flapping her wings, Twilight launched into the sky. She circled briefly to wave at Starlight, and then set off towards Canterlot Mountain in the distance.

Starlight waved back, then turned and trotted back into the castle.

Acting Friendship Princess..., she thought to herself. I could get used to this!


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Twilight was hoping for a quick, private audience with the Princesses, to explain things. What she found, when she was respectfully bowed into the Royal Audience Hall in Canterlot, was the exact opposite.

The Princesses Celestia and Luna were both present -- which was unusual in itself. But they were far from alone. Leaders and representatives of all the other nations were gathered on the red carpet before the twin thrones: gray-feathered General Seaspray of the hippogriff navy, changeling King Thorax, Prince Rutherford of the yaks, Dragon Lord Ember herself, and even Grampa Gruff from Griffonstone.

And all of them looked hopping mad.

"Where Yona?" Prince Rutherford roared furiously. "This all ponies' fault!"

Dragon Lord Ember glared at him. "You're pretty quick to blame the ponies! What are you hiding, yak?"

Prince Rutherford snorted angrily in return. And Thorax... timidly interceded.

"C-can, we just focus on finding our students?"

"Nice try!" Grampa Gruff shouted. "You grubs are probably hiding the whole lot of 'em!"

General Seaspray rapped his foreclaws for attention. His expression was stern and loftily impassive. "The hippogriff nation does not seek open conflict, but if the niece of our queen is not found and returned soon, I promise you there will be severe retribution!"

Ember ground her teeth. "Yeah? My dragons will burn every dominion to the ground until we find which of you is hiding Smolder!"

"Tell it to the griffon army!" Grampa Gruff fired back.

Prince Rutherford jumped between them, but not to intercede. "Yaks fight griffons and dragons!"

Thorax drew back nervously. "The Changeling Empire can't afford an international incident. If any creature blames the changelings for this--"

"Yeah?" Ember eyed him narrowly. "Why are you so nervous? What are you up to, shapeshifter?"

"B-but, I thought we were friends!"

"Please, everycreature!" called out Princess Celestia from the throne. "Calm yourselves. I see that Princess Twilight Sparkle has just arrived. And I am certain she can provide a reasonable explanation for all of this." Celestia eyed Twilight intently, and Twilight tried to remain calm as she stepped forward to stand before the agitated representatives.

"Hello, everyone," she said. "It's wonderful to see you all again. And your students are not missing. The Friendship School has just docked in Ponyville. At this moment, they're all safely working on homework assignments at my Castle. I regret that you might have felt in any way concerned for their safety. And I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have."

"This so-called School of yours is a fraud!" Grampa Gruff pointed a claw at her. "It's not even legal in Equestria!"

Twilight chose her words with care. "The Friendship School does operate under an unusual exception to the guidelines for most educational institutions here. But strictly speaking, it's not illegal. And its purpose is exactly as I described it: to teach the principles of Friendship to all cultures and creatures, from Equestria and from your own lands. And we've done so... with great success so far, I might add!"

"Then, Your Highness," Seaspray said loftily, "how do you explain this?" He held up an open scroll. "Not long after your departure, Queen Novo received this missive, informing her that your School operates contrary to Equestria's own guidelines for its schools, and as such, would place any students who attended it at risk. Hence, we were advised to avoid having anything to do with it."

"Yaks get letter too!" Prince Rutherford held up his -- proudly, it seemed, at having been included. And Twilight saw that each of the representatives held one.

"May I?" Twilight asked Thorax, who willingly passed over his scroll. Twilight quickly scanned it, and her heart sank. If they'd all received a letter like this...

"If I can just explain..." she said, rapidly marshaling her arguments.

"I am afraid that there is nothing to explain!" called a cold, forbidding voice from the doorway.

"Er... Chancellor Neighsay," the Chief Steward belatedly announced, "of the Equestria Education Association!" 

Neighsay trotted briskly up the carpet, eyeing Twilight sternly. "Princess Twilight presented her plans for this 'Friendship School' to our governing body. The proposal was rightly denied accreditation. Whereupon she willfully chose to operate it as a so-called 'pirate school', contrary to Equestrian law. And then conned unsuspecting parents into sending their children as students."

Neighsay looked to Celestia and Luna. "Your Highnesses, I have just had the unfortunate duty of placing Princess Twilight's 'school' under EEA seal, as an unaccredited institution operating on Equestrian soil, in violation of numerous EEA educational decrees and statutes."

"I see." Celestia gave him an unreadable look. "Are you certain that was wise, Chancellor? Our understanding is that the school was able to bring together students from many different lands in peaceful cooperation."

Twilight was about to emphatically agree. But Neighsay spoke first. "Non-pony students, Your Highnesses! Which in our view represent a potentially disruptive influence!"

"What pony saying?" Prince Rutherford growled. "Ponies think yaks not good enough for pony school?"

Ember growled. "I'll show you a disruptive influence!"

"Get in line, missy!" Grampa Gruff snarled.

"Queen Novo will want to hear of this!" warned General Seaspray.

Thorax just looked downcast, unable to find words.

Neighsay spoke gently, soothingly, as if to children. "Please understand... this is for the greater good. The school was improperly organized. It employed inexperienced staff... and inappropriate 'teachers'. And its lax standards, particularly with respect to its student body, placed ponies' lives in jeopardy. The School has therefore been shut down. The EEA has spoken!"

Twilight struggled to stay calm. "Chancellor... it's true that my Friendship School is EEA-unaccedited..."

"Then it is not a school!" Neighsay interrupted.

"It's not an EEA school. It's a school of Friendship... with its own rules and procedures. Many of which are modeled after the EEA's own guidelines... which are an excellent start, but only a start, for a school such as mine. And my teaching staff are Equestria's own experts in Friendship, so they're far from inexperienced! And our school has always operated with concern for the welfare and safety of its students, first and foremost."

She turned to the representatives from the other nations, putting her case to them as much as to the Chancellor.

"The only difference of opinion I have with the EEA's guidelines is that my school, by its very nature, requires the presence of students from other lands. Far from being a 'disruptive influence' as the Chancellor puts it, these students have repeatedly demonstrated everything that's best in what we're trying to accomplish. There isn't time here to summarize all the progress they've made, but it's safe to say the School wouldn't be what it is without them."

"Nevertheless," Neighsay retorted, unmoved, "the EEA's decision stands! The school remains closed!"

Prince Rutherford was scratching his head. "Yaks confused! Pony school good, or pony school bad?"

"I don't think even they know." Ember sniffed. "We should take our students back home, and let the ponies argue it out amongst themselves first."

"That seems... wise," General Seaspray said, somberly. "Disappointing to hear, but it's probably best not to involve our students until the issues have been sorted out."

Thorax smiled uncertainly. "The Changeling Empire still supports the idea of the School, Twilight... I mean, whenever you're able to open it again."

"Bah! I thought this whole School thing sounded lame anyway!" Grampa Gruff said. "So just hand over Gallus and the others, and we can all go home!"

"Wait, please!" Twilight cried, looking frantically from one of them to the next.

And then another voice spoke up from the doorway. "We're not leaving!"

Grampa Gruff's fez nearly flew in the air. "Whaaaat?"

It was Gallus, together with the other members of the Odd Squad, advancing up the carpet.  Behind the Odd Squad were the other pony students from the class. And in the rear, Commander Tempest and her soldiers stood silent guard as usual, keeping watch on them all.

Yona stamped her forehooves on the carpet. "Yona want stay in School! Yona not leave!"

"Goes for me too!" Silverstream shouted. "Yay! Being rebellious is so exciting!"

"None of us are leaving!" Ocellus called out. Then she hunched nervously. "Um... sorry, Thorax..."

Prince Rutherford was staring at them in confusion. "Yaks not understand. This pony joke?"

"It's no joke," Smolder snarled. "We're going back to school."

"All of us," Sandbar agreed. "Ponies as well!" Behind him, the rest of the pony students were nodding in support.

Twilight stared at the students -- her students -- in astonishment and ever-increasing pride. And as she looked at them, she suddenly felt as if one final piece had fallen into place... and a door had opened, one that she hadn't even been truly aware of until now...

"How can you go back?" Ember demanded. "If this EEA has placed this Friendship School under seal..."

"Ahem!" Twilight said loudly. She took a deep breath, and then went on. "The situation has changed. The Friendship School will reopen. And all creatures will be welcome to attend!"

"Your Highness, please," Neighsay sighed tiredly, "you don't have the authority..."

"I have all the authority I need, Chancellor!" Twilight fired back. "I am the Princess of Friendship! Furthermore, I have a class of deserving students, who in coming here and standing together and declaring their support for their School -- for our school -- have demonstrated exactly what the Friendship School seeks to teach. So, as Princess of Friendship, I will determine when and how a School of Friendship will be operated!"

"Uh, guys..." whispered Gallus to the other students, "... our headmare is glowing... should we be worried about that?"

The shimmering magenta gleam radiating from Twilight gradually faded away, but not her determined attitude.

"These students," she said, "continually remind me that every friendship is different -- every friendship special! So the way we teach it has to be just as unique and individual. My school will operate in accord with the best advice the EEA has to offer... but it will do things differently, because it has to!"

Neighsay looked astonished. He glanced to the twin thrones for support. But both Celestia and Luna simply looked on, silent and impassive, expressing no opinion either way.

"Chancellor," Twilight persisted, "I promise you, by bringing together students from different cultures, we will help prevent future conflicts, by building bridges instead of walls. My school will help protect Equestria!"

But Neighsay was shaking his head, unconvinced. "Princess Twilight, allowing all these creatures to attend your school... changing the rules for them -- it simply won't work!"

And now Celestia did speak up from the throne, sounding mildly amused. "I seem to recall Earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi doing something similar... don't you?"

"Your Highness, that was long ago... and they were pony tribes, so they had that in common at least! Opening our educational institutions to non-ponies... it's simply irresponsible!"

"We feel that it might in fact succeed, given sufficient support and encouragement..."

"Impossible!" Neighsay interrupted. "There is one standard for education in Equestria, and it is the EEA's standard! I demand that your Highnesses disband this illegal organization, and take steps to ensure similar irresponsible acts are not perpetrated in future. In particular, I demand that you specifically bar Princess Twilight henceforth from operating any educational institution that is not in full compliance with EEA standards!"

Neighsay stared up at the Princesses, head held high, proud and serenely self-righteous.

And then he suddenly felt a twinge of nervousness. Their Highnesses were both looking down upon him sternly. No, worse than that -- observing him narrowly, like something they'd found on a slide in a microscope.

Celestia spoke, her tone coldly unmoved. "You didn't listen to me last time, Chancellor. I did warn you that Princess Twilight never gives up on what she believes in. She will not be dissuaded from a goal she knows is in the best interests of Equestria, its citizens, and its allies. And neither should she be... because she happens to be a Princess of Equestria. As are Luna and I..."

Celestia leaned forward. Her eyes blazed like the heart of her Sun. Her voice was cold steel.

"... and no one tells a Princess of Equestria her business! No one!"

She leaned back, her eyes returning to normal, her expression turning sardonic. "Perhaps you'd like to try closing down my school next, Chancellor?" She smiled thinly, but there was still a definite chill in her voice. "Then we would see how much support the EEA actually enjoys. In fact, I think along with review of the EEA's mandate, a complete review of the department and its procedures might be in order. In particular, methods for approval of diplomatic correspondence. And the vestment of enforcement power in the office of its Chancellor. That is... unless the EEA happens to be wisely considering changes of its own along those lines. Hmm?"

She glanced at Luna. "Do you concur, Sister?"

Luna nodded sternly. "Most whole-heartedly, Sister!"

Then the two of them fixed Neighsay with matched forbidding glares. Under pressure of which the Chancellor drew back, clearly unnerved. He blustered uselessly for a few moments, and then turned to depart with bad grace. He glared as he passed the students, in particular at the Odd Squad, standing at the head of the group.

Pausing just short of the doorway, he looked back. "Mark my words, Your Highnesses! Being so cavalier with our most important institutions... it will only destroy Equestria!"

"We shall see, Chancellor..." Celestia replied, unmoved, watching him depart.

Then she sighed, a little wearily. "... after all, we always do."

Then she turned back to the assembled representatives, her tone instantly warm and businesslike once again. "Given that the Friendship School is to be reopened," she said, "and that we have students apparently eager to return to their studies, could you all be persuaded to give the Friendship School the benefit of the doubt, and allow your students to attend once more?"

The representatives looked at each other, uncertainly. Then Ember glared across at Smolder. "I thought you didn't want to come here?"

Smoulder crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah, well... I changed my mind. I'm staying."

"I could order you to come back to the Dragonlands with me..." Ember grinned craftily.

Smolder eyed her levelly. "Go for it. Knock yourself out. I'm staying!"

Ember held her gaze a moment longer. And then shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Urgh! Fine! Smolder can stay."

Smolder punched the air. "Woohoo!"

Prince Rutherford was not going to be left out. "Err... if dragon stay, yak stay!"

Thorax nodded agreement. "I know you will make the changelings proud, Ocellus!" He smiled at her.

Seaspray likewise nodded to Silverstream. "I'm proud of you as well, my dear! You belong here!"

"Thanks!" Silverstream squealed, smiling excitedly.

Grampa Gruff was still exchanging hostile looks with Gallus. "What?" he grumbled. "I still say there's something fishy about this school! You belong back at home!"

"Please, Grampa Gruff?" Gallus gave him a miserably imploring look. "Everyone else is staying!"

"Urrr.... alright, alright! Stop looking at me like that. But don't forget, sonny! You're still a griffon, friendship or no!"

"Sure thing, Gramps!" Gallus replied, smirking at his new friends. The students all cheered happily.

And the Friendship Princess was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Then Twilight caught Celestia's eye... and the Sun Princess nodded understandingly in return.