Silver was still fuming as she stepped back onto the animal sanctuary grounds. She was going to gather Sisstet and march her way over to Starlight Glimmer to report what she saw and demand to know who had been responsible for checking in on the naga.
"I don't wanna!"
That wasn't Fluttershy or Sisstet. Silver quickened her pace, and when she reached the main part of the sanctuary she found a standoff in progress.
Sisstet was hiding behind Fluttershy, who was calmly facing an equally yellow pegasus teen filly- only with a navy blue mane done up in exceedingly elaborate curls. The filly was one of those rare ponies that were blessed with exceptional height. Although thin and wirely, and not yet full grown, she already stood taller than Silver or Fluttershy. Ponies like that tended to do well for themselves. Nobility often viewed them as closer to alicorns simply because of their stature. Some of them even going so far as to seek out a marriage with ponies that were of alicorn stature. They had a misguided notion that marrying exceedingly tall ponies would somehow increase the chances an alicorn would be born from the marriage. Therefore you could be as dumb as a brick, and half as talented, and you could still land an extremely wealthy spouse if you were that tall. It didn't even matter what background you came from, it was an instant ticket to social mobility.
It also tended to turn such ponies into royal brats.
Fluttershy showed astonishing calm in the face of the temper tantrum she was currently facing, and gave the filly her trademark kind smile. "Citrine, I know you aren’t used to working with animals, but I think you'll find it's really enjoyable to help care for them."
Corrine stomped a hoof and pointed a wing at a group of bunnies. "They're dirty, smelly, and they eat their own poo!"
The bunnies collectively gave the teenaged pegasus an indignant glare, although it looked like one immediately ate something that may or may not have been a rabbit pellet.
Silver slowly walked up to Fluttershy and Sisstet. "Is everything okay? I didn't think I was gone that long."
Fluttershy turned to her with a soft smile. "Oh! You weren't gone long. My brother just showed up early with Citrine. Actually, almost immediately after you left. You just missed him."
"Help me!" The younger pegasus cried out. "My parents are forcing me to do work for my mean old aunt!"
Fluttershy's ears and smile drooped, and she turned back to her niece. "Your parents think it will be good for you, and I do too. You can't go through life just being pampered. You need to help others as well."
The filly sat on her haunches and wailed up at the sky. "But it's dirty! I'm going to get all hot and sweaty. I don't need to work. I'm going to be a model! Make your snake-thingie pet do it!"
Fluttershy stomped a hoof. "Citrine Breeze! Sisstet is not a pet! He is a guest here, just like you."
"So why aren't you making him feed the animals instead?" Citrine whined. She then wiped a glob of snot off her nose with her hoof, noticed that she had snot on her hoof, and briskly started wiping it on the grass. She then pointed a wing at Sisstet. "If he wants to do menial labor I don't want to stand in his way. Forcing me to do it is really just discriminating against him."
"I'd like to feed the animalss," Sisstet said meekly.
Silver shook her head. "Maybe you can help Fluttershy out some other time, but we have things we need to do."
"You're in league with her!" Citrine yelled out. "I should have known. Any pony with such a dreadful mane must be an agent of oppression!"
There was a flash of light and Discord appeared right in front of the obnoxious filly, locking eyes with her. "Citrine Breeze! It's been too long… or perhaps not long enough. Once again you prove that absence truly makes the heart grow fonder."
The filly stepped back. "That's what Mommikins says to Daddikins whenever she's going on a business trip."
"I can't imagine why she takes so many," Discord sardonically replied.
"Discord, be nice!" Fluttershy called out. "Zephyr has gotten much better. Yes, he can be a little much sometimes, but he is much more considerate to other creatures than he used to be. He wants us to help Citrine learn to appreciate the hard work others do, and we should be supportive."
Discord lounged back in the air. "Oh, alright. I suppose he has dropped from a ten on the annoying scale down to maybe a seven- I'm being generous with that rating, since I'm a generous guy- but this little filly better not continue to run at an eleven or she may regret it."
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. "Discord-"
"Don't worry, you won't even notice I'm here," Discord cut in. He then snapped a claw and vanished.
The Element of Kindness inhaled deeply and then let out a long soothing breath. "Citrine, this won't be as bad as you think. We'll start off light." She pointed to a stone shed with a wooden door. "There's a large bag of yummy fresh greens right in there. The key for the shed is hanging on the tree next to it, out of reach of the bunnies. I want you to get those greens and fill the bowls for the bunnies. That doesn't sound hard, does it?"
The filly stuck her nose up in the air. "I don't wanna, and you can't make me."
There was a blur of action and Fluttershy was suddenly hovering right by the filly with their noses touching. "Excuse me? My brother dropped you off here with the purpose that you would help out with the animals. What I'm asking you to do is not hard. You will do it or I will explain to both of your parents that you refused to do it, and you'll have to go home knowing they are both very disappointed in your behavior. Do you want to disappoint your parents? Do you? What will you have to say for yourself?"
Citrine cringed back. "Okay, I'll do it. Just stop being scary...please." Fluttershy pointed a leg towards the key and the filly took off at a frenzied gallop towards it.
Fluttershy gave a satisfied nod then flew back over to Silver. "I'm very sorry you had to see that. I don't like having to get that firm, but sometimes it's the only way."
Silver watched as the bunnies huddled behind the filly opening the door to the shed. "I teach for a living, so I'm forced to put my hoof down from time to time. Were you able to find a cart for me to carry that book home in?"
In the distance she saw Citrine had gotten the shed open, but was now fighting to keep the bunnies out of it.
Fluttershy gasped. "Oh no! I didn't get a chance. Zephyr showed up so early that I didn't get to do anything after you left. I'm sorry. He just had so much to say."
Some of the bunnies had made it past the filly and were now trying to haul out a small wooden crate with a carrot symbol painted on it. The filly jumped out of the shed and started shoving the crate back inside.
Silver watched as the situation with the bunnies continued to escalate. They were now throwing small pebbles at the filly. "I'll just get the book tomorrow; no need to worry yourself about it. I think your niece needs some help."
Fluttershy failed to take the hint to turn around, even as the filly started charging the bunnies while beating her wings like some angry goose. "I'm really sorry about her behavior, but teaching her how to care for others will be a rewarding experience for her."
A portal opened in the air and Discord's paw came out of it and snapped. All the bunnies sprouted bat wings and fangs. Citrine skidded to a halt, and who was the pursuer and the pursued reversed.
Sisstet was watching the chaos as well. "Misss Fluttershy, I think feeding the bunnies might be too hard for her."
And once again Fluttershy misinterpreted what was being said. "Oh, she might act a bit dramatic about it, but I'm sure if she just applies herself she'll laugh at how silly she was being for thinking it was hard."
Citrine tried to scream out in terror, but a large lemon materialized out of thin air and lodged itself in her mouth. All the other animals in the sanctuary circled in to watch- except for some raccoons who were raiding the now open shed.
Brat or not, the filly didn't deserve that. Silver decided she couldn't let this continue. "Fluttershy, I really think you should turn around and look at what's happening."
"Huh?" The Element of Kindness turned around and did a wide-mouthed game at what she was seeing. That didn't last long before her eyes narrowed. "Discord! Stop that right now! How am I supposed to convince her that feeding the animals isn't hard when you're doing that!"
The bunnies' fangs and wings vanished, sending them skidding through the grass. The lemon vanished from Citrine's mouth and she let off a nearly out of breath scream before finally colliding with the backside of a bear.
"I think we'll be going now," Silver said in a rush, giving Sisstet a nudge to start him moving. "I'll come by for the book tomorrow. Good luck with...all of this."
Fluttershy didn't even notice them leaving. The older mare had her attention divided three ways already between berating Discord, scolding the bunnies, and trying to comfort her hysterical niece. Silver remembered then that Fluttershy was going to treat her leg, but now didn't seem the best time, and she was running behind as it was.
"I don't think I want to ever get a pet. They're kind of sscary," Sisstet said with surprising stoicism as he hurried along beside her at a fast slither.
It hadn't been something she'd been considering getting him, but at the moment she thoroughly agreed with the sentiment, at least in reference to bunnies.
They made their way through town and eventually reached the School of Friendship. There were a few members of the faculty working on graduation preparations outside, but there was no sign of Starlight Glimmer or the Crusaders. Silver was sure Starlight would normally be directing things personally.
She looked around and spotted a staff member she was acquainted with, Petunia Paleo. She didn't know Petunia exceptionally well, but she and Petunia had both gone to school together- with Petunia graduating about two years after she did, and she'd had the mare over at the school a few times over the years as a guest speaker about history and prehistoric creatures. Petunia always seemed to be an odd choice of staff for the school, not because the mare was unfriendly, but her focuses were far more on scholarly pursuits and field research than getting everycreature to be friends. Petunia seemed a better fit at some other university where those things came first instead of being supplementary to the school's primary goal.
Petunia had been diligently working at putting up a tent when Silver approached her, and the mare gave Silver a big smile when she spotted her. "Hello! I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time. If you were going to try to talk about having your student transferred into one of our younger classes for next year we won't be taking those applications for another week. Although I'd love to have a real live naga attending here so I can pick their brain."
Sisstet immediately slithered behind Silver and she turned and gave him a confused frown. "What's wrong?"
"Sshe's wants to pull out my brain!" He replied while trembling.
She had to resist the urge to laugh. It would hurt his feelings if she laughed at his misunderstanding. "It's just an expression that means she wants to question you because she thinks you know a lot of really interesting things. Don't worry, she's not going to hurt you." She turned back to Petunia. "I wasn't looking to enroll him here. We came to speak with Starlight Glimmer."
Petunia frowned. "This is an even worse time to try to speak with the headmare. She's caught up trying to figure out how to solve a magical problem involving Candy Apple. I actually wish I was being asked to help with that. There was talk about a previously unknown species of sprite that might exist somewhere in the Everfree, and I'm just dying to find out more. We're short on staff at the moment as well. They just rushed Applebloom off to the doctor because she's about ready to give birth, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle took off not long after to go be with her. Perhaps you should come back in a few days after everything has all settled down."
Applebloom was giving birth today? That was unexpected. She didn't think that her friend was due for another week. She'd need to find time to go visit and congratulate her. That wouldn't be today though. "It really can't wait. I need to talk to somecreature about the naga. There's been a problem that I need to alert authorities about."
Petunia sat down. "Well, if it is a criminal problem the creature you should be going to is the mayor. If it is any other type of problem with them, other than maybe magical, then you should probably be seeing Cozy Glow instead of Starlight."
Silver blinked. "Cozy Glow? Why her?"
"Because Cozy Glow is the Minister of Trade and Immigration," Petunia explained in a professor's lecturing tone. "Anything that goes in or out of Equestria she gets reports on and monitors on behalf of the princess. All the naga living in Equestria technically fall under her supervision, through her agents. If there was a problem with the local naga her local agent would report it to her, and she would make a decision on how to deal with it or decide if the princess needed to be involved."
"Well, whoever her local agent is hasn't been doing their job very well then, because there is a problem that has been going on for some time," Silver replied forcibly. "Where can I find Cozy Glow?"
Petunia pointed a leg at the Castle of Friendship. "She has offices there. The castle serves many purposes. I know you know about it housing the town library, and being where Starlight makes her home, but it is also where Cozy Glow's home and offices are- as well as some temporary housing for student families. You can just ask one of the guards in the main lobby to direct you to her and they should take you right to her."
Silver gave the castle a brief glance. "She doesn't require that I make an appointment or anything, does she?"
The other mare shook her head. "Oh no, she always says that if anycreature is coming to see her they must have a good reason, and she wants to address that right away. She's really uptight about making sure everything she is in charge of is running smoothly. Any problem that occurs she believes reflects back on her, and she's very concerned about maintaining a good reputation with the princess. She'd rather have it reported to her quickly and directly so she can deal with it before it has a chance to embarrass her. Whatever your problem is, she'll deal with it swiftly."
Well, at least she could expect something to be done. "I guess I'll go see her then. Thanks for the information."
Petunia smiled in response, but it slipped into a worried frown a second later. "No problem, but a quick warning; if somecreature under her wasn't doing their job she's going to come down on them hard- like really hard. Cozy is downright vindictive to any agent that makes her look like a fool for trusting them. You're going to be inviting her wrath down on whoever that is."
Silver narrowed her eyes and gave a small smile. "Good." She then turned to Sisstet. "Let’s go Sisstet. I want to have time to set up your bedroom still, and we've been out much longer than I planned."