Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare were wondering around the entrance hall of the school. Crystal Prep is a prestigious school that will never miss an opportunity to showcase its accomplishments, so the entrance hall is filled with old photos of significant moments and old tableaus. Sunny was going back and forth between the pictures, while Sugarcoat paced impatiently.
“Why are we here again?” Sugarcoat asked.
“I knew those photos that Twilight had in her folder were familiar. Those pictures of Cinch all come from here.”
“We’ve seen these pictures a million times already. If there was something weird about them, we would have noticed it already.”
“I did notice it. Look how pretty she is when she smiles.”
Sugarcoat dropped her shoulders, as if she was regretting ever telling Sunny about anything.
Sunny Flare continued. “She also went through a lot of different make-up routines. Look, she’s got different colour eye shadow in these two pictures.”
“These are black and white photos.”
“I can tell shades of gray apart.”
“Okay, well, what does this have to do with anything?”
“Look,” Sunny Flare moved to the more recent photos, “around this time, her make-up got consistent and she also stopped smiling. At least not sincerely. It’s like her personality changed.”
“You got all that from low quality still images?”
“You can gather a lot from how somebody does their make-up and how they carry themselves. And I see that Cinch wasn’t nearly as authoritarian back then, as she is today.”
Sugarcoat turned to her, with an odd mocking air around her, even though her expression remained unchanged. “What, you think she’s been replaced?”
“No...” Sunny Flare denied it with some uncertainty in her tone. “Something did happen to her though. Maybe it’s got something to do with the other stuff Twilight had in that folder.”
“Alright, I’m gonna meet up with Twilight, you look at the pictures some more.”
Sugarcoat headed straight towards the entrance door. Sunny Flare however didn’t stick around for long. She went deeper into the school to look for Moondancer. Sugarcoat was just about to leave, but her path was unexpectedly intercepted by Principal Cinch.
“I understand you’re bringing something to Twilight.”
“Yes.” Sugarcoat wasn’t nearly as surprised as Cinch hoped she would be. It was almost as if she was expecting her.
“May I take a look at it, please?” Cinch spoke with a scolding tone.
“Sure.” Sugarcoat took the folder out of her bag, completely unperturbed by the shadow that the pushy principal was casting over her.
Cinch took the folder and looked over its contents. What she found were simple notes from English class from a few months ago. One of the final exam items as well, so there really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. She silently put the notes back into the folder and gave it back to Sugarcoat. She then left, her usual hard confident steps now seeming intentional. Sugarcoat couldn’t help but smirk under her nose, as she left the school building.
Meanwhile, Sunny Flare managed to catch up to Moondancer. She was preparing for her extra class, along with Minuette.
“Hey, Moondancer.” Both of the studious girls were slightly shaken when Sunny approached them. “Do you know anything about Twilight’s last research?”
“Y-you mean the strange phenomena at Canterlot High? I think she finished that one.”
“No, the one after that; something about bomb shelters.”
“There was another one?”
“How would she know?” Minuette said. “Twi never told anyone about that one.”
Moondancer turned to her with furrowed eyebrows. “How do you know about it, if she never told anyone?”
“I uh...”
“Yeah...” Sunny Flare crossed her arms with feigned suspicion. “How do you know about it?”
“I mean... Uh... You know...” Minuette tried desperately to look for the right excuse. “She was researching stuff all the time, so I just assumed...”
“Oh, so you assumed...” Sunny Flare glared deep into Minuette’s eyes, now with sincere suspicion.
Moondancer glanced back and forth between Sunny and her friend, looking for an answer.
Minuette tried to hide behind her hair, then she forced an awkward smile onto her lips. “Alright, good talk, we gotta go to our class.”
“Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily.” Sunny stepped up to Minuette. “You are going to tell me about Twilight’s research first.”
“I told you, I don’t know anything.”
“Sunny, what is this all about?” Moondancer pleaded from the side.
“What it is about,” Sunny Flare raised her voice, “that Twilight clearly knew something and knowing that something got her in trouble, so she transferred.”
“Sunny, that is ridiculous!” Moondancer argued.
“Is it? Why don’t you tell us about just how ridiculous it is, Minuette?”
Minuette was slowly stepping backwards as Sunny kept prying for information. “Sunny, please be quiet!”
“I bet you were somehow involved. Are you perhaps the reason she transferred?”
“No, I’m not!”
“Oh, so what is? Tell me!”
“She’s in incredible danger Sunny! And you’ll be too if you keep going!”
Sunny Flare stopped in her march of intimidation. For the first time ever, Minuette scared her. She backed away slightly, as tears began streaming down Minuette’s face.
“That’s enough Sunny!” Moondancer jumped in to comfort her friend. “What the heck is your problem?”
Sunny Flare stayed quiet. She was actually hoping that Minuette was going to answer that question, but had no plan on what she was going to do once she got any answer.
Minuette gathered herself enough to form words without her erratic breathing getting in the way. “I will tell you everything I know after class. Just please promise me that you’ll not go after what Twilight was looking for.”
Principal Cinch called me into her office... This was a week or so after the Friendship Games. Twilight was already thinking of transferring to Canterlot High. Cinch seemed anxious, as she kept pacing back and forth the office, constantly looking out the window through the curtains. She was clearly straining to keep a calm face.
“I understand Twilight is working on another research of hers...” She began what felt like an interrogation.
“I-I guess so. She does all kinds of research all the time.”
“You don’t happen to know what this research is about.”
“N-no, she hasn’t told me.”
“Interesting...” She muttered and walked to the other side of the office.
I tensed up in the chair, waiting for something bad to happen. I didn’t understand what she wanted, but I felt like I was in danger. “She doesn’t really talk about her researches to us. Maybe you should ask her instead.”
She whipped her head around, her eyes piercing right into my soul. “That won’t be necessary.” She stepped away from the window and towered above me. “You could find it out for me.”
“I don’t understand. Why can’t you just ask her?”
“The explanation would be too much for someone with your intellect, Minuette. Now, here’s what I want you to do.” She stepped around the table and sat down into her chair. She put her fingertips together and leaned towards me, staring deep into my eyes. “Twilight Sparkle has the key to the third science lab. Because she’s the only one using it, she gets to keep it. You are going to get the key off her, then go in and document whatever she’s researching, then report back to me. Understand?”
“You want me to steal from her?”
“I do not care how you get the key. The point is that you get it.”
I squirmed in the chair. I was intensely uncomfortable with what Cinch wanted me to do. “Honestly I...” The words could barely escape my mouth, with Cinch’s bitter gaze fixed on me. “I don’t want to invade her privacy like that... If she doesn’t want to talk about her research then-”
“Minuette, I’m not interested in you moralistic excuses.”
“I... I don’t want to do this.” I said with the least amount of assertiveness possible.
Her eyes turned cold. She straightened her back and her lips gave way to some kind of malicious amusement. “Very well then...” She slid a document in front of her. “I understand you want to be a doctor in the future.”
“Y-yes...”
“You know, I could always give them a few good words about you as a recommendation. You are one of our priced students, after all.” She seemed to suppress a laugh. “I could always do the opposite. I could tell them that you’re not worth their time. Disobedient, disrespectful, unreliable, talks back to teachers...” She stood up and leaned on the table, getting really close to my face. “How are you going to feel about all the people you cannot help, just because this one time you decided to contend with my authority? Are you really going to turn your back on all the people who’ll need your help?”
Needless to say, I relented. There was nothing I could do against such an assault on my emotions. In a moment when Twilight was distracted, I took the key and put it away and I entered the science lab.
In there, I saw all these newspaper articles she gathered, radio signal analysis, old blueprints of the school and most of all, the bulletin board filled with data linking the criminal activity of the changeling gang, to the work and holiday schedule of Cinch. I grabbed my phone to take pictures, but hesitated. I knew that if I forward any of this to Cinch, something horrible was going to happen.
Thankfully, Twilight must have noticed the missing key and hurried to the science lab. I was terrified when she barged in through the door. I immediately began apologizing.
Her eyes shot wide open once I managed to explain that Cinch made me do it. “Oh no, she’s onto me!” She immediately began tearing down everything she put up, stuffing everything into her bag, then into the bin once her bag was full.
“What do I do? I can’t go to her empty handed!” I panicked. “But I don’t want you to get in trouble either.”
“She is going to kill both of us, if she finds out what I know!” She panicked as well. “I wouldn’t forgive myself for getting you involved.”
“Maybe if we put up a fake research, I could tell her you’ve been doing nothing wrong.”
She stopped ripping the lab apart and looked at me. “You’re right!” She then dug through the tore up research. “I could just leave up the war related stuff and say I was researching about the bomb shelters they built in schools!”
So we did that. We even printed out a few extra articles, just to make it look more legit. Then that’s what I took pictures of. I told Cinch that Twilight was only investigating about different schools’ bomb shelters and what happened to them. Cinch didn’t seem convinced, but it was enough to get her off my back at least.
Sunny Flare sat there, her eyes and mouth agape, as Minuette finished her confession. Minuette’s eyes were red from tears and her fingers were clutching a cup of coffee that went cold by then. A few seconds passed in silence, before Sunny got back into the present.
“What was Twilight researching though?”
“No, Sunny!” Minuette protested. “Twilight has gotten into a very dangerous situation as is and I’m not going to let you follow her there.” She drank the last drops in her mug and sighed. “This is all I’m willing to tell you. I’m sorry.” She then stood up and left.
Sunny stared in Minuette’s direction for a bit, then turned back to stare at the table in front of her to process what she has just heard. What is it that Principal Cinch does not want to come to light?
Sugarcoat was waiting for Twilight in front of Sugarcube Corner, where they agreed to meet. Twilight was a bit late. Social appointments were never her forte, but she always made a point to arrive on time. When she finally arrived, she seemed vary of something, constantly looking around as if she was expecting someone to be watching her. She was also carrying a fat folder of what looked like empty paper.
“Hey, Sugarcoat, have you brought my notes?”
“Yes, I have.” Sugarcoat took out the folder.
Twilight peeked inside, just to make sure it was the right one and then closed it once she was satisfied. “Thank you, Sugarcoat, this means a lot to me.” Sugarcoat nodded and was just about to say something, but Twilight held her mouth shut with a finger. “Hey, it’s been a while. Would you like to catch up with a milkshake?” Her tone was casual, but her expression and the way she cocked her head towards the confectionery’s entrance gave way for a sense of urgency.
Sugarcoat paused for a moment. “Y-yeah, sure...”
They went inside, sat down in front of each-other and ordered their milkshakes.
“I know it’s been only a day, but I’m missing you guys already.” Twilight said, while she took out an empty sheet of paper from her folder. She wrote something on it, then passed it to Sugarcoat.
“Yeah, it’s...” Sugarcoat stopped in the middle of the sentence once she read what Twilight has written.
“Cinch has bugged my phone.”
Sugarcoat then continued her sentence and wrote something back to Twilight. “The girls are missing you a lot as well.” She then passed the paper back to Twilight. “Especially Sour Sweet.”
“Yeah, I figured. She tried to take the documents away, but I had a decoy.”
Twilight mustered a giggle. “She no longer has anybody who lets being yelled at.” She then passed the paper back.
“I intentionally hid that file in the lab. I knew you’d find it, because you are very intelligent.”
A tiny smile and a hint of a blush appeared on Sugarcoat’s face. “Yeah, she can be a work.” She then passed the paper. She waited a few seconds to let Twilight write out her reply. “So how’s Canterlot High?”
“So what is this all about?”
“It’s quite lax; so good to have the Crystal stress off my shoulder.” She then passed the paper back. “I can’t believe how friendly everyone is. Though it’s weird how many recognize you. Apparently there was another Twilight Sparkle at some point.”
“I can’t tell you everything right now, but I can point you towards the information you need.”
Sugarcoat wrote something very short then passed the paper back. “How are your new friends?”
“Ok.”
“They’re very accepting... I’m now part of the Rainbooms... How is everything in Crystal Prep?” She needed time to write out the next message, so she passed the verbal part of the conversation back to Sugarcoat.
“Everything’s basically the same...” Sugarcoat genuinely didn’t have much to say in that regard, so she quickly came up with something. “Lemon Zest is actually a big fan of the Rainbooms. I can’t wait to tell her you’re a part of them now... Maybe we should form a band too.”
“That sounds great!” Twilight finally passed the paper back to Sugarcoat. “I’d love to hear you guys if that ever happens.”
Sugarcoat looked over the long message; it was a long list of books, documentaries and archives that still hold old documents. She gave Twilight the thumbs up.
“Well, it was nice talking with you.” Twilight hastily stood up. “I’m already studying for the finals; can’t waste much time with it.”
“Alright, I’ve got a lot of studying to do as well.” Sugarcoat hinted at the list she’s been given.
Twilight gave the thumbs up back, along with a huge pleased grin. She then left, taking her milkshake with her.
Sugarcoat folded the list and put it in her pencil case for safekeeping. Mentally, she was already splitting the research between her and Sunny Flare. In the meantime, she drank her milkshake at a comfortable pace.
“So you’re telling me, Minuette is in on it as well?” Sugarcoat talked into her laptop, from the warmth of her blanket.
“Yes and she’s not telling everything she knows.” Sunny Flare replied from the other side of the screen.
“That might not be a problem. Twilight gave me a list on where to look for information.” Sugarcoat sent the photo she made of the list.
“Ooh, finally some kind of lead!”
“I’ll do the stuff about the war and bomb shelters.”
“The changeling gang does sound more exciting and not just because it’s mostly documentaries. ‘Take it with a grain of salt, because there’s a lot of speculation and conspiracy theories around them.’ Sounds right up my alley.”
“Here’s another thing...” Sugarcoat’s voice got quiet.
“What’s that?” Sunny Flare got quiet along with her.
“Cinch has apparently bugged Twilight’s phone.”
“What? No way! That’s super sketchy.” Sunny blurted out suddenly.
“Yeah, we might have to hold onto our phones very carefully from now.”
“Hmm... I think I have a better idea. What if, we deliberately lost our phones?”
“How are we going to do that? Cinch will immediately be suspicious if we suddenly didn’t bring our phones.”
“We could stage a mass phone robbery. We could tell the girls to go along with it, to make sure nobody around us gets to be Cinch’s second ears. If we get Minuette on the act as well, it’ll look more legit.”
“But we agreed to not tell anyone.”
“Hmm, good point...” Sunny Flare stroke her chin. “We could just not tell them. Say that Twilight’s phone was bugged by someone and we’re looking for who did it, while also trying not to get bugged ourselves.”
“Something like that could work. Just don’t say that to Cinch directly.”
“Alright, tomorrow we set the plan in motion. Then we can do our research in peace.”