With the last Summer Sun Celebration having come and gone, it was only a matter of "when" and not "if" Twilight Sparkle would take the throne. There were still a few things she had to learn before the coronation could officially take place, and for however long that was she would remain in her position as headmare of the School of Friendship.
So it was that Starlight Glimmer was decorating her guidance counselor's office, even though she was quite certain it wouldn't be her office for much longer. She had brought in a potted plant with multiple branches, and placed it on her desk as she began watering it. "I think you really spruce up the office, Ms. Philodendron," She said to herself, before gasping as an idea struck her. "Oh! I'm gonna call you Phyllis! You'll like that, I'm sure!" And the unicorn started to coo, treating the potted plant like it was her own child. "Don't you look good, Phyllis!" She cooed.
Just then, Starlight's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her office door. "Come in!" She called in that babyish tone of voice, before realizing how embarrassing that must sound. She hastily cleared her throat and tried to recover. "I mean, uh, come in!"
In strolled Twilight and Spike, and Spike appeared to have some kind of scroll tucked under one of his arms for some reason. What could the reason be for their visit on such short notice?
"Hey, were you just talking to someone?" Spike questioned Starlight. "It sure sounded like it."
Hastily, Starlight used her magic to shove the potted plant to one side of her desk as she tried to look innocent. "No!" She said, maybe a bit louder than she had wanted it to sound. "Why?"
"There's nothing wrong with talking to yourself, Starlight," Twilight told her former student and then changed the subject. "But there's a reason why I wanted to talk to you today," In a serious tone of voice she explained. "I have something very important that I need to discuss with you."
The unicorn mare gulped. "Look, if this is about leaving early yesterday, I'm sorry. But you should know that I didn't have any students to tend to, and Trixie was having a 'magical emergency' that actually turned out to be nothing," And she then apologized. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
But the young alicorn only laughed. "Oh no, it's nothing like that. You're not in any trouble," She turned to Spike. "Do the honors."
Spike nodded and removed the scroll from under his arm, unfolding it as he read it aloud. "Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, in light of her impending ascension to the throne of Equestria and in anticipation of her many duties and responsibilities forthwith, does hereby intend to make good on her previous offer to you, Starlight Glimmer, of replacing her as headmare of the School of Friendship!"
"Knew I should've shortened that," Twilight briefly blushed before telling Starlight. "But you heard right, I want you to take over the school when I move to Canterlot. I'll still come back to Ponyville as often as I can, but it's not like I can just move Equestria's capital overnight. Somepony will need to ensure the school continues to thrive and succeed, and you're just the pony for the job, Starlight."
Starlight smiled even as she had to take a moment to process the information. "I know! It's just so... amazing!" She started to talk rather suddenly and abruptly, struggling to think of how to put her feelings to words. "I'm a little bit... Do you think I'm really up for it? What am I saying? Of course you do. I've covered for you every time you've had to run off and save Equestria or do something else important, but... I mean..." She pulled her hooves to her cheeks as a big smile broke out across her face and she excitedly squealed! "Yes. Of course! Thank you!" Without warning, she then tackled Twilight into a hug (and pulled Spike into it for good measure).
Twilight did her best to maintain a happy face despite the tightness of the abrupt hug that made her strain to get her words out. "You're welcome. And I can't think of anypony who'd be better for the job, really."
Starlight Glimmer broke off the hug a moment later. "I'm flattered, really. Still, I'm a little nervous. And excited. But I'm mostly just nervous. I always felt like I wasn't part of your plan, like you didn't know what to do with me," Then she commented. "I've got some big horseshoes to fill."
The young alicorn princess nodded her head in confirmation. "I understand. I'd have to be a fool not to expect that from you. Of course I'll have a lot of important responsibilities as ruler of Equestria, but I'll always be available to help whenever you need it," Though she then hesitantly added. "I hope."
Just then, Spike belched up another scroll and unfolded it. He didn't read this one aloud, but after he'd finished reading it he said to Twilight. "Uh, aren't you supposed to be at a royal etiquette lesson with Celestia and Luna right now?"
"Right! Knew I was forgetting something," Twilight lamented and sighed. "Can't underestimate the important responsibility of royal napkin placement," Then she told Starlight. "Best of luck, not that you'll need it." And after lighting up her horn, she teleported away in a flash of violet red magic.
Spike left the office a moment later, leaving Starlight all alone once more. She slowly processed everything that had just transpired. "Wow. I mean, no biggie," She casually remarked to the potted plant on her desk. "Right, Phyllis? I've totally got this." But as she leaned her hooves back to rest them behind her head, she accidentally knocked the potted plant off her desk and onto the floor, causing its container to shatter and its owner to give a nervous laugh.
As Starlight thus went about re-patching and repairing Phyllis, she had no idea that Twilight's announcement was going to lead to some very unexpected developments for two of her closest friends.
It didn't take long for Starlight to inform Trixie of her more or less "promotion". Trixie seemed to take the news surprisingly well. "If there was anypony who deserved to take over from Twilight, it would be you, Starlight," She sincerely spoke as the two trotted along through the school's hallways. "But..."
Starlight gulped as she looked to her fellow unicorn. "What is it this time, Trixie?"
"Is it going to cut into our social time?" The magician questioned with legitimate concern. "The last time you were left in charge of the school, you were so busy with the students you barely had any time for anything else. And you were only acting headmare then. Now it's going to be official."
The reformed unicorn mare could only reply. "I can't help if it I'm busy, Trixie. Being headmare is a very big responsibility and a very big undertaking."
"So why is it that we're currently striding with determination toward what I can only assume is Twilight's office?" Trixie inquired. "It's going to be your school, isn't it?"
Starlight Glimmer could only nod back. "Eventually, yes. But until Twilight's ascension is official, it's still her school. She's the only one who's served as official headmare up to this point. Merely filling in for her on occasion isn't the same as taking over from her full time. I'm worried about doing it all alone, so I want to get as much advice from Twilight as I can while she's still here."
Trixie frowned and shook her head. "She may have been headmare, but Princess Twilight never ran the school on her own. She always has her friends. Maybe you oughta consider doing the same when you become headmare?"
At that a light bulb went off inside Starlight's head as she exclaimed! "You just gave me an excellent idea, Trixie! You know, even you can give good advice sometimes. Maybe I oughta consider you for my old position as guidance counselor."
"Thanks for the offer, I think," Trixie slowly blinked. "Though, there is something Trixie needs to take care of before she can consider any job offers."
"I thought you were all done with your apology tour?" Starlight questioned the magician. "And didn't you say you were making Ponyville more or less your adopted hometown?"
Trixie just narrowed her eyes. "It has nothing to do with performances or stage magic. This is something that's been a long time coming. It can't be put off any longer."
The reformed unicorn mare nervously inquired. "Please tell me you're not going to do something stupid."
The magician only frowned. "It shouldn't concern you, Starlight. Let's just say that you have your business with Princess Twilight, and Trixie has hers."
In her headmare's office, Twilight was deep in concentration. She used her magic to try to fold a napkin according to how she'd been taught just a short while ago. For a brief moment it looked like she had gotten it just right, but the moment passed and the napkin undid itself from its setting and fell to the desk top without making a sound. "Who would've thought royal place settings would be so hard?" She thought aloud.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and without even waiting for a reply the one who'd knocked entered. Nervously, Starlight strolled in and tried her best not to look guilty. "I know how busy you are right now, Twilight. And I'm sorry to bother you."
"Oh, don't be silly. I have always time for a friend," Twilight smiled. "Honestly, I could use the distraction," And she then asked her former student. "What is it?"
Starlight cleared her throat. "I wanted to talk to you about running the school because, honestly, I was a bit worried about taking it over all on my own. But I just realized that you never did it alone."
The young alicorn nodded even while lighting up her horn to again attempt to perfect royal place settings. "Having a friend or two help out is pretty great. What did you have in mind?"
Starlight pressed on. "What do you think of me hiring somepony to be an official vice headmare or maybe even a vice headstallion? I know I was always a designated acting headmare, but it was never official."
Twilight nodded back at the unicorn. "I trust you to run the school any way you want. Any way that'll help you help it run more efficiently. And if that means hiring a vice headmare, I think it's a great idea. After all, I never really got around to hiring as many staff as I wanted. Sure, I got a few solid substitutes here and there, but the student to teacher ratio was still not as good as it could've been."
The unicorn with a grayish-purple coat smiled, satisfied with the fact that she had more or less gotten her former teacher's blessings. "Oh, good. I wasn't sure if you'd say yes."
"It's going to be your school, you should run it however makes you feel comfortable," Twilight pointed out. "Like you said, I've always had ponies around to help me. You shouldn't be any different. And don't worry. If worse comes to worse, you can always call on me to—"
Just then, however, Spike interrupted as he came running out nearly out of breath. And he told Twilight immediately. "There you are. Rarity says you were supposed to be at the boutique five minutes ago for your second fitting for the coronation gown."
Twilight's eyes widened in disbelief! "What?! How many fittings are there gonna be? She should have my measurements already!"
"Sorry, but Rarity says there's gonna be a lot more of them between now and the coronation," Spike pointed out. "It's got to be just right. I'd get over to the boutique right now if I were you, you know Rarity doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Sighing and groaning, the young alicorn reluctantly responded. "Oh, alright. I suppose if it's her business supplying the coronation dress, I do owe her my time," Then she turned to Starlight Glimmer. "Good luck on finding your vice headmare or headstallion, whoever they may be. I'm sure you'll pick the perfect pony for the job. Or who knows? Maybe you'll even find a non-pony for the job? I mean, it's your call, not mine." And with a nervous laugh she rushed out of the office as she prepared to teleport away!
But before the alicorn could officially teleport as planned, she came snout to snout with a rather unhappy looking Trixie. And the magician almost growled as she insisted. "Just where do you think you're going, Twilight?"
"Trixie?" Twilight blinked in surprise as she took a step back. "Whatever this is, it's gonna have to wait. I've got a friend I can't keep waiting, and it's tied to my upcoming coronation. You'll just have to take a rain check."
Trixie refused to budge! "No! This can't wait any longer, princess! You've been putting it off for long enough and now, finally, it's time we settled things!"
It took Twilight but a moment to realize what Trixie was referring to. "Are you serious? You want another magic duel? Now? Trixie, you can't possibly hope to win! I'm an alicorn and you're a unicorn, do the math."
The unicorn magician only grit her teeth. "So you say, but maybe that's just because you're afraid! Trixie promised you we'd have another magic duel someday, and that was a promise Trixie intends to keep! Perhaps the real reason you don't wanna fight Trixie is because you think Trixie would somehow be a match for you."
"Trixie, is this what you were referring to earlier?" Starlight questioned in sheer disbelief. "There's no reason to fight, no reason to do battle. You're both very talented at your given crafts, why do you need a magic duel to prove who's better?"
But Twilight protested. "No, Starlight. I don't need you fighting my battles for me. As the soon to be supreme ruler of Equestria, I have to be ready to meet any challenge head on, no matter what it may be," She locked eyes with Trixie. "You really wanna do this, huh?"
"Yes indeed, princess!" Trixie seriously declared. "It's time we settled the score once and for all, proved who's really the best."
"Trixie," Twilight unhappily sighed, before reluctantly declaring. "... Alright. If it's a magic duel you want, it's a magic duel you're gonna get," She turned to Spike. "Spike, clear my schedule and tell Rarity the dress fitting is going to have to wait for another day. This duel is going to take priority."
At that, Trixie began to smile. "Excellent!" Then she stepped back. "I'll give you time, Twilight. It only seems fair that we both have a chance to duel at our best. But you'd better not chicken out! I'll be waiting for you on the outskirts of Ponyville. May the best mare win!" And with a flick of her horn, she teleported away in a flash of light pink magic.
Starlight and Spike could only exchange glances of shock, disbelief and most of all worry. They didn't doubt Twilight could probably be more than a match for Trixie, but knowing Trixie the magician would take a very long time to clue into the obvious fact: She was hopelessly outmatched. And it was anyone's guess what would happen from there.
A short time later, as word of the impending showdown between Twilight and Trixie began to spread throughout the school (though it was widely believed by the students to be little more than a rumor), a rather frantic earth pony filly easily identifiable through the headgear on her head (for which she was named) came rushing into the headmare's office! "Princess Twilight!" She, panted, gasped and then had to pause to catch her breath. "It's not true, is it? Tell me it's not true!"
"If you're referring to the fact that I will soon ascend to the throne in Canterlot, you're pretty late to the party, Diamond Tiara," Twilight told the frantic filly. "And that means our time as teacher and student will come to an end."
Diamond Tiara shook her head from side to side. "No, that's not it. I've known about that for a long time and I've reluctantly come to terms with it," She then explained. "You're not actually going to fight a magic duel against Trixie, are you? It's all just a bunch of rumors and nonsense, right? Right?"
Twilight Sparkle simply replied. "It's true, Diamond. You've heard right."
The filly with a lovely magenta coat stumbled back in disbelief. "But... but..." She struggled to find the words to express her shock. "Why? You have nothing to prove. There's no reason to have a duel."
The alicorn sought to reassure her young charge. "There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition from time to time. And this is what Trixie wants. Like it or not, I owe her one before I take the throne."
"But you can't! Not now!" Diamond Tiara pleaded in protest. "You need to stay here! This is your school!"
"Not for much longer," Twilight pointed out. "I've more or less all but hoofed the reigns to Starlight. She's currently planning to hold tryouts for an official vice headmare position, or it might even be a vice headstallion depending on who gets the role."
Diamond gulped. "That's the problem! One of the ponies trying out for the job is my mother. Miss. Starlight doesn't know my mom like I do. She only got to her position on the Ponyville school board because of money. Mother's practically never set hoof in an actual classroom, and if not for Father's insistence she would've just had me tutored at home. She isn't qualified in the slightest, she shouldn't even be considered!"
Twilight simply stroked Tiara's mane with a hoof to calm her down. "You needn't worry, Diamond. Starlight is well aware of what your mother is like. Spoiled Rich's reputation does precede her more or less. I have every confidence in her ability to judge all the candidates that try out accordingly. If nothing else, this could be your mom's chance to redeem herself and prove that her position on the Ponyville school board was justified."
"Does this mean that after you take the throne, Miss. Starlight will be taking over our lessons?" The headgear wearing earth pony filly asked.
"No, Diamond," Twilight explained in as calm a tone of voice as possible. "Much like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, there really isn't anything left that you don't already know. There's not much more about friendship that can be taught. It's up to you to apply the lessons you've learned in the time spent under my wing, and apply them well. I have faith that you will do just fine," Then, after gently letting go of the filly, she turned to Starlight and informed her. "You can handle things from here. Now I'd better go, I've kept Trixie waiting long enough." She lit up her horn and disappeared in a flash of violet red magic.
For a moment, silence filled the air in the headmare's office as none of its remaining occupants could speak. Finally, however, the silence was broken up as Starlight took a deep breath. "Well, nothing left to do but meet the candidates and start the auditions." And she left the office, making her way out to the front hallway where all aspiring applicants had been instructed to wait.
Diamond Tiara followed from afar, as did as Spike. Neither was certain of what to say, though silently they hoped that things would resolve themselves properly and without any further troubles.
A small hill overlooking the town of Ponyville was the chosen meeting point for the magic duel's participants, and that was where Twilight found Trixie waiting for her.
Trixie was once again clad in that light blue hat and cape that she usually reserved for on stage appearances, much to the surprise of her opponent. "So you actually showed up," She declared in a tone of voice that was hard to tell if it was meant to be mocking, intimidating or just impatient. "Trixie had her doubts."
"I never fail to keep a promise to a friend, no matter who that may be," Twilight replied. "I take no pride or pleasure in any of this, Trixie," And she offered. "It's not too late to change your mind. We can both still walk away from this without needing to do battle."
The unicorn magician shook her head and stomped a hoof down, lightly stirring up some dust in the process. "You're not gonna change my mind, Twilight. We will duel and there will be a winner and a loser."
Twilight reluctantly sighed even as she agreed. "Well, I offered you a chance. If this is really what you want, then so be it. And whatever happens, Trixie, just remember who chose to start this."
Trixie only grit her teeth as she shifted her stance slightly. "Trixie will definitely remember, princess. And be assured, she is quite prepared to give it her all!"
The young alicorn hesitantly responded. "Guess I should've expected that," She adjusted her stance as well. "Still, there's no reason why I should need to do my best. I want this to be at least somewhat fair, like we were both unicorns."
Trixie just retorted. "Either bring your best, or don't waste Trixie's time! Trixie wanted an honorable duel, not an easy one. So don't hold back!"
"If I don't, this duel will be over very quickly." Twilight replied.
"Enough talk!" Trixie roared as she made her horn spark to life! "Our skills will do the talking for us. Let us begin!"
Twilight smiled and agreed. "Very well then, Trixie. You make the first move. What should we start off with?"
Trixie flashed a toothy grin. "How about a few rounds of teleportation? Think you can keep up with The Great and Powerful Trixie?" And then she disappeared in a flash.
The young alicorn lit up her own horn in kind, concentrating on possible locations and trying to figure out which ones Trixie might be able to reach with her own magic. There was only one way to find out. A flick of her horn and the princess teleported too.
A few quick "hops" of teleportation later, Twilight easily caught up with Trixie deep within the Everfree Forest and not far from the Castle of the Two Sisters. "Not bad, Trixie. Not bad," She commented in sincere praise. "Obviously, those magic lessons Starlight gave you have been paying off."
The magician basked in the praise for but a moment. "Of course. After all, Starlight hasn't been your student for a long time," Then she took on a more serious tone. "But can you find Trixie again? There are lots of places she can teleport to." And then she teleported away again.
Twilight chuckled. "Same old Trixie." And then she teleported away as well.
Meanwhile, back at the School of Friendship, Starlight Glimmer was greeting all the ponies who had shown up to try out for the role of vice headmare. She recognized them all: In addition to Spoiled Rich (who seemed rather impatient, even by her standards) there was also Big Macintosh, Octavia Melody and Time Turner (better known to many as Doctor Whooves). And there was also a very recognizable unicorn stallion with glasses, a goatee and a cape that covered his body.
"Sunburst?!" Starlight exclaimed in surprise! "What are you doing in Ponyville? Shouldn't you be in the Crystal Empire?"
Sunburst adjusted his cape and pushed his glasses into place. "What? Can't a friend just visit a friend?"
Starlight wasn't convinced. "Not on such short notice. Does Princess Cadence know you're here?"
The glasses wearing unicorn stallion sincerely nodded. "Of course she does. I had to have her blessings to take time off and come to see you," He then smiled. "When I heard you were holding auditions to find an official vice headmare, I figured I might as well try out for the part."
"But what about Flurry Heart?" Starlight questioned Sunburst. "Don't you already have a job as her crystaller?"
"For the time being, yes," Sunburst readily explained as he didn't change his expression or tone of voice. "But she's getting older, now. Soon, she's gonna be old enough to learn how to control her magic without the need of spells. Mistmane's already set up to be her magic tutor. And of course, her parents are gonna be there when she has to get out of diapers. There really won't be much left for me to do aside from maybe foalsit her on occasion. So I'm starting to look for work elsewhere."
The reformed unicorn reluctantly accepted the explanation. "Well, I obviously can't just give you the job even if we're friends."
Sunburst nodded again. "Of course, of course. I'd have to be a fool to expect special treatment from you just because of that. You have to treat me no differently than you would any of the other applicants. If somepony happens to be a better fit for the role than me, so be it."
Spoiled Rich then grumbled. "Can we please get on with this already? It's bad enough I have to hear my daughter sing this school's praises every time she comes over here. I don't want to spend a minute longer here than I have to. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who has places they need to be."
"I think you'll find your time here to be well worth it, assuming you still want the job," Starlight told the mare before she cleared her throat and spoke to the five gathered ponies. "Anyway, I want to thank you all for coming. I'm glad you all decided to be a part of the search for the School of Friendship's official vice headmare. All of you have been chosen because of your prior proven experience in working with others, or because of your unique talents."
Spoiled simply remarked. "Honestly, if you're looking for somepony to fund-raise, I can bring in enough bits to have several buildings named after me. I don't know what kind of shoestring budget this place is run on, but I could see to it that money would never be an issue. And trust me when I say that when it comes to quality education: Money. Is. Everything."
Starlight immediately shot down the effort. "Money is not the problem, we have a very healthy budget and plenty of bits to the school's name," She then explained as she used her magic to bring forth a triangle like chart that was divided into three sections. "You'll all have to prove that you have what it takes to be vice headmare under me, so I've designed the interview in three stages," She briefly pointed to the chart with a hoof. "Each stage will test a different skill that I believe any vice headmare needs to be successful. I'll reassess your performances after every stage, so you'd all better do your best."
Dr. Whooves declared. "I assure you, that won't be a problem. I never give less than one hundred percent in any of my many pursuits."
"Same here," Octavia Melody spoke up. "Being a world class musician means you must always stay in tip top shape and keep your skills sharp. You can't afford to get rusty."
All Big Macintosh could say was. "Eeyup." But the smile on his face conveyed more than words how certain he was that he too would do well.
"Whatever you want me to do, I will do it," Spoiled Rich remarked. "You won't be disappointed, I can promise you that."
Sunburst just commented. "You don't have to worry about me, Starlight. I'm confident my skills will speak for themselves."
Starlight Glimmer smiled in satisfaction as she then told the five candidates. "Okay then. Without further ado, it's time for stage one: Substituting for the teachers! Any vice headmare needs to get to know the students under their care, and what better way to do that than by teaching a class? It can be any class you'd like."
The candidates set off to decide on which class they would substitute in for the day. Yet as Spoiled trotted away she could be heard whispering to herself. "Once the students have a taste of my one of a kind lectures, they'll never want to go back to the regular faculty."
Diamond Tiara (who alongside Spike had been observing the interview process from afar) nervously whispered to Spike. "It's just as I feared, Mother's worse than ever."
Surprisingly, Big Macintosh chose to substitute in Rarity's class. He soon revealed why that was as he demonstrated an incredibly detailed way of working with a sewing needle and thread.
The students under his care were impressed, Ocellus especially. "Wow, that seam is so straight!" She commented as she observed a just repaired gala dress that Rarity had once worn. "I didn't think anypony besides Professor Rarity or maybe Professor Fluttershy could be that good," Then she questioned the stallion. "You really learned how to sew from mending apple sacks on the farm?"
"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh proudly declared. "Plus, I've had the occasional fashion emergency with my sisters and with Granny Smith. Hard not to pick up on things from time to time. Always happy to pass on my knowledge and my talents. That's what generosity is all about."
Starlight smiled as she observed the lesson from afar, writing down a few silent remarks on a clipboard before heading off to check on the other classes.
Spoiled Rich had chosen to be a substitute for the loyalty class, which was held in the gym. As she made her way into the gym, she stopped to look briefly at what could be mistaken for just an ordinary skull. The rich mare knew better, the skull was enchanted. And she could well remember when she had stumbled across it just the other day.
The skull had been left in the dirt in the front garden of the Rich family mansion. It was pure coincidence that Spoiled had spotted it when she did. But something drew her to the skull and she picked it up, lightly brushing off the dirt on its top.
Doing so caused the skull to admit a sickly green glow, suddenly projecting the image of something! It was a ram a moderate cornflower blue in color with very dark blue horns, a light bluish-gray mane and tail in short, razor stubs and pale, apple green eyes that contained red pupils. Just above his hooves rested a red collar with several yellow orbs on it. "You are the one called Spoiled Rich, are you not?" The ram immediately inquired, appearing to be in some kind of swamp like location.
After looking around to make sure she wasn't being overseen or overheard, Spoiled looked at the projection and hesitantly said to the ram. "Y-yes. And who might you be? More importantly, what do you want with me?"
The ram identified itself as it spoke up. "You can call me Grogar. And yes, that is the same 'Grogar' you've heard of in legends. The same 'Grogar' the self-righteous Gusty the Great defeated by draining me of my powers," Then he quickly explained the reason behind his appearance before the rich mare. "I wish to offer you a proposal, one that I think you'll very much be interested in."
"What could some old ram like you possibly offer me?" Spoiled rolled her eyes, not really believing what she was seeing. "Me who has everything she could possibly want in life?" Then she gritted her teeth and seethed with rage. "Well, except for a daughter who now refuses to listen to me because some pesky 'Crusaders'," She spat at the ground and hissed. "Poisoned her mind, making her believe that her social status in life means nothing."
Grogar flashed a fiendish smile as he explained. "What if I told you I could give you a chance to get even? To take revenge on all who have wronged you? After all, it isn't just those 'Crusaders' you mentioned that you now despise. You have a grudge to bear against all sorts of other creatures, don't you?"
The mare with strong opal eyes coldly replied. "Indeed I do, though unlike a certain chancellor I know better than to say such things aloud. Besides, all that talk about friendship is a bunch of hogwash. It never did me any good, Princess Twilight only made friends because she was the student of a princess herself. It's just my luck my daughter wasn't one of them until after she sullied my teachings."
Grogar's smile grew deeper. "Then, how would you like to join my army? My 'Legion of Doom'? We are planning to conduct an attack on Equestria in the near future, one that will succeed in ensuring Princess Twilight never assumes the throne. As one of our allies, you would reap the benefits from the new order."
Spoiled Rich reluctantly replied. "Let's say I was interested in your offer and believe what you were saying. What would you have me do?"
The old ram just instructed. "For now, simply hold onto that object you have in your possession so that we may speak again. And look for any way to get close to the princess and her friends. Our plans of success will be much greater if we have someone on the inside to feed us vital information about what Princess Twilight plans." And then the projection of him had disappeared as the skull ceased its sickly green glow.
Spoiled was now looking at said skull again just before she stepped into the classroom. "If I can get that vice headmare position, that'll be just the thing to help Grogar. And it'll ensure I can finally start correcting my daughter's behavior and way of thinking." She thought to herself, then put the skull away and entered the gym.
"Hey, where's Professor Egghead?" Gallus grumbled as several other students started mumbling. "Today was supposed to be gym day! We were gonna play buckball!"
"Well there's been a change of plans," Spoiled Rich sternly declared to the students. "I am your substitute teacher. This school is looking to officially hire a vice headmare. And fortunately for all of you lowlifes," She had to suppress the urge to frown. "Yours truly has decided to try out for the role. They asked me to substitute for one of your professors, and so I chose this class."
The blue feathered griffon rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just make your lecture brief so we can have some real fun!"
Spoiled only scolded. "Young griffon..."
"The name's Gallus, not that it's any of your concern." Gallus snarled.
"Mr. Gallus," Spoiled continued. "It is rude to talk back to your elders like that. Wait until I'm finished talking before you speak to me, especially in such a rude tone of voice."
Yona stomped a hoof. "Yona not like this substitute. Substitute too mean."
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that, Miss. Yona," The rich mare remarked with a faintly audibly hmph. "Now, if there are no more 'interruptions'," She paused for a moment and was satisfied when she heard no more remarks. "Please allow me to provide you with my loyalty lecture," She cleared her throat. "Obviously, loyalty is the foundation of friendship and trust. It is imperative that you know who you can trust and you can't. And nothing says loyalty like a big sack of bits. You'll find that it's much easier to win over others when you have something to yourself besides a name and reputation," Then she threw down an old, dusty and well worn book as she explained. "This book on business will teach you all how to earn your own. It's never too early to start learning how to fend for yourself."
The students all groaned in reply.
Spoiled pretended not to hear the groans of displeasure as she just smiled. "Trust me, you'll find business to be very educational and important. Now, let us begin with chapter one: Equity." But before she could say anything else, she was suddenly pelted in the face with several red colored rubber balls.
Starlight had seen everything, and she could only frown and tsk as she wrote down her observations and remarks.
Octavia and Doctor Whooves had no trouble with their substitutions, they stood in for the regular teachers in the subjects that they were right at home in: Music for Octavia and science for Doctor Whooves.
Octavia had brought her trusty cello along and played alongside the students. "Music can be a surefire way to cheer somepony up and make them smile," She explained to them. "And much like no two musical instruments are alike, no two friendships are exactly alike. There will always be something different with each friendship you undertake. Be sure to keep that in mind."
The students easily warmed up to the earth pony mare, and the only time she seemed to struggle even briefly was when Yona brought in an instrument she called a yovidaphone. Still, with a little bit of quick thinking, Octavia was able to work the one of a kind instrument into a musical composition that was very pleasing to the ears.
And Doctor Whooves proudly demonstrated one of his many contraptions, this one a rather complex set of valves, pipes, tubes and various other small things. It culminated in dropping a single drop into a beaker.
"Sometimes, science is the real magic!" The stallion proudly proclaimed, having captured the students' attention.
Sunburst took over the history course for kindness. But rather than teach from the assigned book, he opted to provide his own little lecture. "Kindness is all about second chances," He told the students. "And also about forgiveness. It means letting go of the past, to be willing to accept the apologies of others when they do wrong to us," Then he questioned. "How many of you know about Starswirl the Bearded?"
Sandbar was the first to raise his hoof, doing so in a very eager fashion! "He was one of the pillars of legend, the ones Headmare Twilight and her friends brought back from limbo."
Sunburst smiled. "Very good. Mr. Sandbar, was it?" Upon receiving a confirming nod he then continued. "Well, Starswirl and the pillars got sent to limbo trying to protect the realm from an evil called The Pony of Shadows. Except it turned out that it was a friend of theirs: A scholar named Stygian. And after Stygian was freed, the pillars realized their mistake in turning their back on a friend over a misunderstanding. Because they were willing to forgive and to atone, they were able to ensure that their friend was liberated from the darkness that once consumed him."
All the students were reduced to a respectful hush, none had ever heard such a story before.
As the glasses wearing unicorn stallion continued his lecture, he wasn't aware of his friend watching from afar and taking notes. But even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have minded. Sunburst truly felt like he was in his element here.
When the first stage of trials was completed, Starlight Glimmer retreated to her office to go over her written notes and make some decisions about who would stay and who would go. She had a small photo of each of the candidates, all resting at the bottom of the chart. Using her magic, she readily moved three of the photos up past the first section: The photos of Octavia, Doctor Whooves and Big Macintosh.
Starlight then consulted with her potted plant over her decisions, perhaps imagining that it was standing in for a qualified second opinion from a trusted source. "Okay, Phyllis. Obviously those three are moving on, it's no contest. But what about the rest?" She briefly looked over Spoiled Rich's photo before taking it off the chart and tossing it into a nearby wastebasket. "Mm-hmm. I think we're in agreement on this one. It was a long shot to begin with but I figured I should at least give her a chance."
That left only Sunburst's picture to decide upon. The unicorn mare gave it a lot of hesitation while looking across to her potted plant. "Yes, Phyillis," She sighed. "He did do a good job, I suppose. And it would be so nice to have a friend as vice headmare, or I guess headstallion in Sunburst's case," Then she hesitated as her lips started to quiver. "But... can I really justify elevating him? He just showed up and said he'd try out. We're friends, and I don't want anypony to think I'm keeping him on just because of that. I don't wanna be accused of playing favorites. I know there's still two more trials he has to go through and he could still drop out. But what if he doesn't? What if he makes it all the way through? What then? Can I really say he deserves the job over all the remaining applicants?"
Just then, the door to Starlight's counselor office opened and in trotted Spoiled Rich. Her face bore the brunt of impacts from several buckballs and she seemed to just barely be holding back her anger as she declared. "I can already see that my talents obviously won't be appreciated here," She remarked and snorted while swishing her tail. "I can read a room. I know when I'm not wanted. So you can forget about keeping me onboard for the rest of these silly trials. I want no part of this school! I'm going to stick to where my talents can do some actual good!"
"I was just about to inform you that you weren't going to be moving on," Starlight told the rich mare. "Still, I guess it saves me the trouble. Sorry it didn't work out for you, Mrs. Rich."
"No you're not. You're happy to see me go," Spoiled grumbled and rolled her strong opal eyes as she headed for the door. "I just know my daughter will hear of this humiliation, and she is sure to mock and taunt me to no end over this." She departed after slamming the door quite audibly.
Diamond Tiara opened the door a moment later. In contrast to her earlier state, she was now much more cheerful and full of life. "Sorry about Mother," She apologized in what sounded like a sincere tone of voice. "But at least she's gone now. I don't care who you pick to be vice headmare or headstallion. Any of the remaining candidates are good."
"Really? All of them? Even Sunburst?" Starlight Glimmer hesitantly questioned.
The headgear wearing filly nodded her head in firm approval. "Oh yes, definitely. I don't see why you're having any kind of second thoughts. So he's your friend? So what? If one of my friends was the best pony for something, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. Besides, the students seem to like him. Isn't that a quality any good vice headmare or headstallion should have?"
Starlight remained silent for a moment, before she used her magic to move Sunburst's picture up with the other three candidates on the second section of the chart. "I guess there's no harm in keeping him onboard for now. Experience is what matters most."
Keeping up with Trixie's quick bursts of teleportation was a little more challenging than Twilight had anticipated, but still she managed. Imagine her surprise when the final teleportation brought her back into Ponyville proper.
"Had enough yet, princess?" Trixie taunted. She didn't show outward signs of exhaustion.
"Hardly!" Twilight grit her teeth. "I could do this all day if I had to! But I know you can't."
Trixie only laughed. "So you say, but perhaps you don't know Trixie as well as you think you do. The Great and Powerful Trixie never gives less than her best in anything! This duel is no exception!" Then without warning, she shot off a blast of magic from her horn!
Twilight quickly conjured up a shield spell to deflect the blast and waited to see what Trixie would do next.
The magician took notice of her opponent's defensive approach to the entire duel up to this point and frowned anew. "Why are you so afraid to go on the offense? Afraid you might hurt Trixie?"
"Aren't you afraid of that?" The young alicorn questioned as she maintained her shield spell, refusing to drop her guard.
The unicorn mare laughed. "Ha! Trixie isn't afraid! Trixie is prepared for any situation. She thought Princess Twilight would understand it takes more than a good defense to win a magic duel. This time, Trixie doesn't even need a magical amulet to be a match for you!"
"If you're trying to bait into an attack, it won't work!" The princess declared as she stood her ground. "I know all your tricks, Trixie. You can't fool me!"
"We'll just see about that, won't we?" Trixie replied as she lit up her horn and fired off another magic blast from her horn.
Twilight's response took the magician by surprise. The alicorn dropped her shield spell and countered with a blast of her horn, the two beams briefly clashing with each other as their casters seemed to be equally matched.
"Finally stepping up and going on the attack, are we?" Trixie seemed to taunt. "Well it's about time! But if you think this is going to be easy, you've got another thing coming!"
Meanwhile, Starlight Glimmer was greeting the four remaining candidates in the main hallway of the school, informing them all. "All right, remaining vice headmare candidates. Welcome to stage two! All of you are here because you performed well, and as such you've proven you are ready for your next challenge: Parent/teacher conferences!"
Some of the candidates whispered to each other for a bit, mostly wondering why such a thing was being assigned to them.
Sensing the concern, Starlight explained to the candidates. "The vice headmare or headstallion will need to be a master communicator: Not only for the students but for anyone that comes to the school. And I can't think of a better test of that than meeting with our students and their parents or guardians. Just like the previous test, you'll be standing in for our faculty, this time for a student of your choice." And she then sent them off to do just that.
Doctor Whooves smiled, confident of success as he said to himself. "I eagerly look forward to sharing my love of science with both progeny and progenitors! They shan't forget me any time soon!"
Octavia nodded as she too sounded confident of success. "Indeed. An orchestra is made up of different parts, and good communication is the key to harmony."
Big Macintosh simply said. "Eeyup." He was a little bit nervous about having to speak for the students after just getting to know them, but he didn't show it outwardly. With any luck, he'd get a student with parents or guardians he clicked with.
"Well, if that's what a good vice headmare or headstallion does, I shall try to do it," Sunburst declared. "I just hope I don't get stuck with Silverstream, just trying to explain things the last time she got into trouble was hard enough."
Not long afterward, the parent/teacher conferences got underway. And all who'd gathered were told about the substitutes that were "filling in" for the normal staff. None seemed to mind.
Octavia seemed to be almost at home with Ocellus, talking to both of her parents about the young changeling's progress. Though she did struggle with figuring out how best to explain things. "The way I see it," She said at last while tapping a hoof to her chin. "Life at the School of Friendship is like a song. Everyone here has a part to play. And although she may have started out singing her part pianissimo, Ocellus is now soloing fortissimo! Her voice can be heard loud and clear, and her progress speaks for itself."
"And that's good, right?" Ocellus' father inquired.
Octavia gave a bit of a nervous laugh. "Indeed. What matters most is that Ocellus continues to blossom and continues to excel in almost everything she applies herself to."
Doctor Whooves took a surprising shine to Yona even though at first glance one would've expected them not to click at all. The earth pony scientist was now proudly explaining to Yona's mother and father. "The science curriculum at this school is somewhat lacking, it's true. But Yona has taken to the subject like a yak to smashing! If fostered, I believe she could easily blaze a trail and expand our understanding of science itself!"
Yona just beamed with pride while her mother and father both shouted and stomped the ground in delight. "Yaks best! Yaks best! Yaks best!"
Big Macintosh wasn't having the same degree of success. He'd unfortunately found himself paired up with Silverstream, and only her father Skybeak had shown up. The problem was, Silverstream couldn't stop talking about anything and everything that had happened to her while at the school. And that left Big Macintosh in a position he dreaded, having to explain the young hippogriff's active nature (and imagination) as simply as possible.
"Go on, tell him!" Silverstream eagerly encouraged. "Tell Dad what a great student I've been and how much I've been learning about... well... everything!"
Sky Beak could only comment while looking at Big Macintosh. "I'm so confused. You're saying Silverstream is exuberant?"
"Um... eeyup?" Big Mac said as the stallion struggled to think of what to say. He didn't want to make it sound like Silverstream's chatty ways were a bad thing, even if they weren't necessarily a good thing. What could he say? What should he say?
"But didn't you also say she was enthusiastic?" Sky Beak questioned.
Again, Big Mac just answered. "Uh, eeyup."
The older hippogriff scratched his head with a claw. "Aren't those the same thing? I mean, I know I didn't write a dictionary and my own knowledge of this land is limited. I just wish I knew what you were trying to tell me. My daughter shouldn't be the one speaking up, especially if she's gonna go on talking about things to the point where I have no idea what she's saying."
"W-well..." The stallion began only to trail off in uncertainty.
"I mean, you could be trying to tell me she's unfocused, but then you might just be explaining that you appreciate her high energy," Sky Beak commented with concern. "Please, I just want to make sure I understand exactly what you're saying. So what are you saying?"
Despite his red coat, it was possible to see Big Macintosh's face turn a really bright shade of red. How could he explain things in a way Silverstream's father would understand?
Meanwhile, Sunburst was having his own problems with the one student whose guardian no one wanted to deal with: Grandpa Gruff. Just looking at the one eyed griffon was enough to tell that he didn't seem to be in a good mood. Still, the glasses wearing unicorn did his best to look presentable and keep a neutral expression upon his face. "Gallus really is a fine student. A bit of a prankster, maybe, but... well, I think his grades speak for themselves. They're not as great as they could be, but they're certainly far from the worst."
Grandpa Gruff just bitterly remarked. "Whatever. I don't really see why I have to come to these things. They're a waste of my time."
"Excuse me?" Sunburst blinked, hoping he'd misheard.
Grandpa Gruff folded his claws across his chest. "At least back in Griffonstone there's things to do while we rebuild."
"But don't you care about Gallus' well being?" Sunburst questioned. "Don't you want him to know you're proud of his accomplishments?"
The old griffon shook his head from side to side and coldly replied. "Gallus doesn't need to know I'm proud of him! And he certainly doesn't need me trekking all the way to Ponyville just to check on him! He ain't a hatchling anymore, he's old enough to take care of himself! When I left him here he became your responsibility, not mine!"
Sunburst could hardly believe his ears! "How can you say such things?! You're pretty much the only family he has left. Like it or not, your his guardian and that means you have to at least try to look after him!"
"Ain't my fault what happened to his parents. I was under no obligation to take him in," Grandpa Gruff coldly declared. "Sounds to me like he's happier here than he ever was in Griffonstone, which is fine by me. I did my part making sure he survived, the rest is up to him and anyone who wants to waste their time caring about him! Maybe some other griffon'll become his guardian. Unless he's planning to move back to Griffonstone and drop out of school, don't bother tellin' me anything about him."
The glasses wearing stallion felt something snap inside of him as he declared. "Well fine, Gallus deserves better than you anyway!"
The old griffon just wheezed. "Glad we finally agree on something. I'm out of here for good!" And he then unfolded his wings and flew away.
Sunburst gulped as he looked towards a rather downtrodden looking Gallus, who had tears in his eyes. "Well... that could've gone better," He declared, now racked with guilt over his behavior. "Sorry you had to hear that, Gallus."
Gallus wiped the tears from his eyes. "Whatever. It's not like I didn't learn from a young age what that old geezer really thought of me. Gilda and Gabby were more of a family to me than he'll ever be. And he's right, I don't need him anymore!"
"Maybe, but maybe you two should talk it out the next time you go back to Griffonstone," Sunburst suggested. "Or at least find a less cranky griffon to be your new legal guardian."
When the conferences were over a short time later, Starlight Glimmer again went back to her counselor's office to decide who would advance to the third and final stage. She was already certain of two candidates: Octavia and Doctor Whooves.
And it wasn't long before a third candidate took himself out of the running. Big Macintosh trotted into Starlight's office and quickly explained his reasons for dropping out.
Starlight nodded in understanding. "I really appreciate your honesty, Big Mac, and you're right. Parents expect a lot of detailed communication when it comes to their kids. And if you aren't comfortable with that, then vice headmare or headstallion probably isn't the job for you."
Big Macintosh sighed. "Eeyup," Then he added. "Always felt like I'm a better listener these days. So if there's ever a position where I don't have to talk much, I might consider applyin'."
"Well, somepony will have to fill my old role of guidance counselor," Starlight replied. "Sounds like you might be a good fit for that. I'll let you know when I decide if you're a good fit for the role." And she watched the stallion turn and leave.
Just like that, there was only one candidate left to consider: Sunburst. And now Starlight felt she had reason to be concerned about his qualifications. "It's not good for anypony to get into a shouting match with parents or guardians, even if Grandpa Gruff probably deserved to be told off for his lack of concern." She thought to herself, and began silently contemplating whether Sunburst too should be disqualified from further consideration.
Yet before the unicorn mare could really think about Sunburst and if she should keep him, the door to her office opened once again. This time, it was Spike who came in to talk to her. "Still haven't heard anything from Twilight or Trixie about the outcome of their duel," He reported. "I guess Trixie really was serious about having one final magic duel."
"Yeah." Was all Starlight Glimmer could say in reply.
Spike quickly noticed what was occupying the unicorn's thoughts as he looked over at the picture she held in her magic. "Sunburst, huh?" He questioned.
The reformed unicorn just commented with concern. "There wasn't any harm letting him stick around the first time, he behaved well and the students seemed to like him. But after what went down with Grandpa Gruff, can I really justify letting him stay for stage three? Even if Grandpa Gruff wasn't very nice, that doesn't mean Sunburst should've yelled back at him. If he's going to lose his temper like that, how he's going to react if he has to explain to another parent or guardian when a student does something wrong? I know quite a few who wouldn't react well to that news."
"I know you're worried about him, how you don't wanna seem like you're favoring him over the others," Spike remarked. "But I think he at least deserves a second chance. He made a mistake, but it looked to me like he regretted it instantly. I'm sure he knows better now. Besides, he's still got two other candidates he has to compete against and both of them seem to be doing just as well. Just because you let him stay doesn't mean you're obligated to pick him. What matters most is whoever is the most qualified after the final stage, right?" And he added with a smile. "Sunburst seems to me like he's just as qualified as the others."
Reluctantly and hesitantly, Starlight used her magic to move Sunburst's picture up to the third section of the chart, joining the pictures of Octavia and Doctor Whooves. "Well, I guess the only thing left to do is to initiate stage three: Put together a field trip. The vice headmare or headstallion-to-be will have to prove they can juggle educational concerns while also ensuring the students enjoy themselves," Then she said to Spike. "I just hope I'm not making a terrible mistake," She sighed and put her down to her desk. "Oh, I wish Twilight was here right now. I'm sure she'd know what to do."
The clash of beams ended abruptly as Twilight and Trixie both sized each other up, as if daring the other to make the next move.
"Trixie, please! This has gone on for long enough!" Twilight desperately demanded of the magician. "You've proved your point, haven't you?"
But Trixie only furiously replied. "This duel only ends when Trixie says it does and not a moment sooner! So unless you wanna throw in the towel, Princess Twilight, stop wasting your breath! Trixie knows you're still holding back!"
"Because if I don't you won't last five seconds," Twilight insisted. "Please. End this now and we can both walk away with no regrets."
Trixie only responded by charging up her horn again. "Never! The Great and Powerful Trixie will never give up!"
Twilight Sparkle effortlessly deflected the beam of magic with her own horn. But after doing so she noticed Trixie appearing to run away. The alicorn wasn't about to let that happen! She knew that if she could catch Trixie and pin her down, the magician would have no choice but to surrender. And that would be a sure fire way to end the duel, especially with how long it was taking.
So Twilight chased after Trixie, all the while preparing for a teleportation spell to get ahead of the unicorn and cut her off by catching her by surprise.
But then suddenly, with a smirk, Trixie diverted from her usual path and instead rushed towards what appeared to be her wagon.
Twilight, suspecting nothing, followed the magician inside. "Perfect! She'll have nowhere to run!" She thought to herself as she anticipated the end of the magic duel.
However, upon entering the wagon, Twilight was surprised by a smoke bomb that obscured her vision! When at last the smoke settled, the young alicorn could hardly believe her eyes! Dozens of Trixies surrounded her on every side!
"That's right, Princess Twilight," The Trixies all laughed in unison. "You face your worst nightmare! Can you figure out which of us is the real Trixie?! Or will you be zapped into next Tuesday?!"
The princess immediately charged up her horn and shot off a blast of magic at the Trixie right in front of her. But it only succeeded in shattering glass, revealing the Trixie she'd seen to be nothing more than a reflection in a mirror.
The other Trixies just laughed. "Close, but not quite. You'll have to do better than that."
And while Twilight was now desperately searching for any way to tell the real Trixie apart from the fakes, the third and final stage of Starlight's try out process for an official vice headmare was getting underway.
Octavia was the first one up for consideration. Her field trip involved taking the students to a local concert hall, even arranging for them to have VIP seats. "You're all in for quite a treat," She said with a wink. "I happen to frequent this venue during my performances. And I've arranged for a private concert just for all of you. It'll be like nothing you've ever seen before." She then retreated behind a current as the lights dimmed.
Gallus yawned, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Starlight as she asked with a knowing smile. "Not looking forward to the performance, huh?"
The blue feathered griffon yawned again as he replied. "Look, I know Miss. Octavia loves music, but a field trip to a classical music performance isn't my idea of an exciting time."
Just then, however, the currents parted. Octavia strolled out onto the stage with her cello, and accompanied by a a white coated unicorn mare the same size as her. This unicorn had a cobalt blue mane and tail with cyan stripes, both of which were cut short in a buzz cut. It was impossible to see her eyes though, because the unicorn had them hidden behind a pair of shades with dark purple lenses.
Suddenly, the sound of cello playing became mixed with loud dubstep, impressing all who heard it! Even Gallus proclaimed in near speechlessness. "Okay! I take it back!"
Doctor Whooves' field trip was nowhere near as grand as Octavia's, he took the students on a tour of his basement lab. It was cluttered with beakers, test tubes, strangely colored liquids in vials or containers, and a lot of different clocks. But he still proudly lead the way through it while telling the students. "When I heard we'd be arranging field trips, I knew right away I wanted to take you all to my lab. Just don't touch anything, spill anything or drink anything unless I tell you, and you'll all be just fine."
Smolder plugged her nose. "Ugh! This place is so dusty and smelly!"
Doctor Whooves blushed a bit. "Sorry, haven't had time to clean up. Besides, sometimes science gets a little messy, just like life," Then he grabbed Smolder by the claw. "You'll make an excellent volunteer. I can think of no better trip than one through the quantum field! I am referring to time travel of course!" He proudly led the orange scaled dragon to a small wooden chair that looked like she'd just barely fit into. "This is what my scientific pursuits have been leading me to: A temporal transportation device!"
Smolder sat down as a strange helmet with flashing and blinking lights was lowered onto her head. "A chair? Really? I don't see what the point of this is."
Doctor Whooves only replied by pulling out a pocket watch. "Just relax and take a few deep breaths. It'll be over soon," He began counting the seconds. "And three... four... five... Congratulations! You are now five seconds into the future! You see, we are all already time travelers! Isn't that lovely?"
Smolder got up from the chair as the dragon rolled her eyes. "Well, that's five seconds of my life I'm not getting back. What next?"
The stallion nervously replied. "Oh. I actually hadn't thought that much beyond this. Sorry."
Smolder just rolled her eyes.
Sunburst was now the only candidate left who had yet to take the students on a field trip. To the surprise of them all, he showed up in one of their classrooms and told them. "I hope you all enjoyed your previous field trips. Now, I want you all to get ready for a field trip the likes of which you've never seen before!"
Yona was the first to ask. "So, where Yona and friends going now?"
Sunburst smiled. "Glad you asked, Yona. This isn't going to be like a normal field trip where you go somewhere."
"So... not field trip?" The young yak questioned.
The glasses wearing stallion simply stroked his goatee as he declared. "Au contraire. I thought about taking you all somewhere, but I'm not exactly familiar with any locations here in Ponyville. Then it dawned on me: Instead of taking you on a field trip, I can bring the field trip here to you!"
"Ooh!" The students all exclaimed in amazement as they watched Sunburst light up his horn.
Suddenly, there was a poof of magic, and an entire section of what could only be described as swamp land appeared: Complete with trees, a pond and lots of grass and weeds.
But just as the unicorn with a cape was prepared to bask in the praise of the students, the air was suddenly filled with an ominous, angry buzzing sound.
"Uh, is that a part of the field trip too?" Silverstream nervously asked as the buzzing grew louder.
Sunburst's eyes widened in horror as a terrible realization struck him! He immediately leapt to his hooves and shouted at the students! "All of you, get out of here, now! Get to safety!" And he hurriedly lit up his horn again as his eyes drifted towards the ceiling.
"But Mr. Sunburst-" Sandbar tried to protest.
The stallion simply gestured a hoof to the door! "-Go! NOW!" And the urgent tone of his voice, combined with the sound of not only buzzing but also electricity crackling was enough to make the students heed his command. They all ran out of the classroom as fast as they could, some screaming at the top of their lungs!
Now alone in the classroom, Sunburst raced to shut the door so that the source of the buzzing couldn't escape. "Sorry for disturbing you, but I won't let you hurt the students because of my mistake!" He frantically insisted as he stood at the door, horn at the ready!
There came a series of sharp crackles of electricity, followed by several zaps of magic! Then a loud boom shook the ground within the sealed off classroom!
Having heard the disturbance, Starlight Glimmer quickly teleported to the scene of disaster! And she saw a sight she almost couldn't believe!
A now empty hive rested on the floor, having fallen off a tree branch and broken open as a result. A huge impact crater could be seen not too far away, along with several scorch marks on the ceiling and walls. All of the windows had shattered from the impact of the explosion, leaving glass shards scattered along the room's east side.
And standing in the center of all this chaos was a battered looking Sunburst. His glasses had been knocked off his face and hung crookedly on his snout. His cape had been torn in several places, now exposing his cutie mark and several sting marks. His face and upper body were covered with soot and black scorch marks just likes the ones on the ceiling and walls. In short, he was a mess.
"Sunburst!" Starlight exclaimed as she rushed over to him! "What happened?! What did you do?!"
Sunburst could only look at the ground in shame. "I teleported a patch of swamp land from Hayseed Swamp in even though I meant to teleport in a piece of land from Froggy Bottom Bog. I didn't realize my mistake until I saw the hive. That's when I knew."
"Flash bees!" Starlight realized in horror! "Sunburst, what were you thinking?! Someone could've gotten hurt!"
"That's why I knew I had to get the students out of here. I didn't want them to be put in danger because of me," The stallion reluctantly admitted. "It took everything I had to drive them off," He looked around as he slowly lifted his head. "Seems I made quite a mess of things in the process," And he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Starlight. You trusted me, and I let you down," He let out an unhappy sigh. "Can't imagine I'd make a good vice headmare or headstallion after a performance like that. Guess it was silly of me to think I could compete against Ponyville's best." And without saying another word, he trotted off in shame.
Diamond Tiara and Spike came upon the scene a moment later. And Diamond was the first to ask. "What was all that just now, Miss. Starlight? And where's Mr. Sunburst? Is he okay?"
Spike then noticed the flash bee hive that lay upon the ground. "He didn't."
But the reformed unicorn mare could only nod. "He did. The good news is, he got the students to safety."
"So what's the bad news?" Diamond questioned. "How come Mr. Sunburst isn't here?"
"Because he put the students in danger," Starlight reluctantly replied. "I can't overlook that," She hung her head in shame. "It's just as I feared, keeping him onboard was a mistake. If I'd just let him go after the second stage, none of this would've happened."
Spike was quick to put his claws on his chest as he angrily locked eyes with the unicorn. "So, you're just giving up on him because of that?! You're not even going to make sure he's okay?! He's still your friend, isn't he? Shouldn't you at least check up on him before you formally dismiss him?"
Realizing her mistake, Starlight quickly spoke up! "I have to go! I just hope I'm not too late!" And she rushed to catch up to Sunburst, much to the surprise of the students.
Twilight was having no luck at all in finding the real Trixie. Every time she tried to look for a clue, she either couldn't find anything or just blasted away another projection.
All the while, the remaining Trixies just continued to fire off spells in every direction. And when they weren't doing that they were laughing and taunting their opponent. "What's wrong, princess? Have you finally given up and accepted that The Great and Powerful Trixie is better than you?"
"Never!" The young alicorn replied, only to end up having to dodge another bombardment of spells. It was clear to her that unless she could find the real Trixie soon, she probably wouldn't be able to keep her defenses up much longer. And then one good blast would be all it would take to bring her to her knees.
It was then that the alicorn with a light purple coat finally remembered something, something she'd been taught a long time ago. "I just need to stay calm to make the right decisions." She thought to herself and took some deep breaths, shutting her eyes and tuning out everything else.
The Trixies watched this display and taunted. "Giving up, princess?"
Twilight didn't reply. She had shut out the taunts, the jeers and the remarks. She was instead focusing her efforts on something that had caught her attention, and the alicorn started to light up her horn.
Suddenly, light filled the entire interior of the wagon, revealing an impressive display that had been set up specifically to trap unsuspecting ponies in a hall of duplicates.
"Uh-oh." Was all that the Trixies had time to say before the real one started to make a desperate run for it, now having been exposed.
But Twilight wouldn't let the magician run away. She quickly teleported in front of the unicorn and tackled her to the ground. "Do you yield?" She questioned as she locked eyes with her opponent.
Reluctantly, Trixie agreed. "...Yes. I yield."
The young alicorn princess sighed in relief. "Finally!"
As Trixie slowly got to her hooves again, the magician bitterly and furiously complained. "It's just not fair! Why can't I ever be better than you, Twilight?! Why do you always have to be so far ahead of me?! You are the only one who's ever bested Trixie at something."
"If you're referring to that Ursa Minor incident, it was never my intention to make you look bad," Twilight replied with a shake of her head. "I never considered us rivals, Trixie. I never felt like I had to prove anything."
The magician grumbled. "And yet you did. Stage magic was the only thing I could ever top you in, and it wasn't even a contest. And now," Her frown looked like it was just barely staying on her face. "Now you're going to be Equestria's supreme ruler. How am I supposed to compete against that? Whether you admit it or not, you thought you were better than me. You got sloppy."
Twilight nodded. "Maybe a little, Trixie. Our duel was a wake up call that I need to keep my magical skills sharp, and not just for spells or for levitation," She then smiled. "I'm impressed you could hold your own against me, even if I wasn't using my full power. You've come a long way, Trixie," She somberly stated. "You have friends now, real friends. Ponyville is practically your hometown. And regardless of what's going to happen to me or to Starlight, you still have your talents as a magician."
Trixie was silent for a moment, before she tipped her hat and bowed her head. "I see that now," And then she declared. "I guess there's really nothing left to do but to go back and see how Starlight's fairing. Even if she's taking over your school, she's still my great and powerful friend."
Twilight nodded again. "Indeed. We've had an unofficial rivalry for a long time. And I think it's time we put this to bed once and for all." And she teleported away mere seconds after seeing Trixie do the same.
The final magic duel had been settled.
Sunburst had only just now found time to re-adjust his glasses and clean himself up. He was relieved that his glasses hadn't broken, and he was sure that he could find a tailor to repair his tattered cape. But shame was still with him. Here he had been hoping to maybe find a new calling in life, maybe become closer to his childhood friend. Yet all he'd managed to do was make a fool of himself in the worst way possible.
"Why did I think I can teleport land into a building?" The stallion thought to himself as he stood on the platform at the train station, waiting for a train that would take him away from here. He didn't even care if he came back to the Crystal Empire a little early, he'd just tell Princess Cadence and anypony else who wanted to know that it hadn't worked out.
The glasses wearing stallion with a goatee was just wondering how he might manage as a new apprentice to Starswirl the Bearded or even assisting Stygian, when suddenly his ears picked up a faint sound in the distance. It wasn't the sharp whistle of steam from an arriving train, even as the sound grew louder by the second. "-Burst? Sunburst?!"
Reluctantly, Sunburst swung round and his eyes looked up in time to see Starlight Glimmer frantically rushing up to him! "I'm sorry about earlier!" She quickly apologized while panting. "I didn't even check to see if you were okay. I mean, obviously you weren't completely okay, but you know what I mean."
Sunburst could only reply. "I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. Obviously, I'm not as gifted as you are when it comes to magic."
"What you did back there was wrong, but it's not like you never cared!" Starlight protested. "You got the students to safety before you worried about yourself. Just like with the other stages, you were trying to put the students first."
"I fail to see where you're going with this," Sunburst frowned. "Please, just let me go back to the Crystal Empire while I try to figure out what I'm going to be doing with my life."
Starlight refused to let the stallion leave. "Look, you must understand. I wasn't even sure I could justify letting you stay past the first stage. I was afraid that if I did I'd be accused of showing favoritism to you because we're friends," And she desperately tried to explain. "But I compensated too much in the other direction. By trying my hardest not to give you special treatment because of our friendship, I started looking for any reason not to hire you. And that's not what I should've been doing. I should've been looking at your positive traits, not just your negative ones."
The glasses wearing stallion could only reply. "You were doing what you thought was best for the school, especially since it was going to be your school. You shouldn't doubt yourself over making the right call."
"Except it isn't the right call!" The reformed unicorn mare desperately pleaded in protest. "In each stage you displayed outside the box thinking. Maybe it didn't always work out, but no one ever got hurt. Any good teacher, vice headmare or other kind of school faculty should have that kind of quality: An ability to consider options others might not. And most importantly, they should always want to put the students ahead of their own interests. That's what you're doing now."
"But what about the other applicants? I'm pretty sure Octavia did a better job than me, I heard the students singing her praises after that field trip," Sunburst glumly commented. "And there's no way I could match Doctor Whooves when it came to explaining Yona's progress to her parents."
Starlight Glimmer explained. "Even they made mistakes. Didn't you hear Octavia when she talked to Ocellus' parents? It took her a moment to realize her long winded, musical explanation wasn't what Ocellus' parents needed to hear. And Doctor Whooves' idea of a field trip certainly didn't impress the students. They made mistakes too, Sunburst. And I think it's clear that, as good as they may be as a vice headmare or headstallion, they'd be better off as teachers. I'm not saying this because we're friends, I realize that you really are the best pony for the job."
"You... really want me to be vice headmare, or I guess headstallion in this case?" Sunburst inquired as he slowly found himself letting go of his guilt.
"If you want to," Starlight insisted with a smile. "I think the students would really benefit from having you around. But it's not my decision to make, it's yours. If you really think your talents would be better suited elsewhere, I'm sure I can find somepony else to work under me at the school."
Putting a hoof to his chin, the goatee'd stallion pondered the proposal for a moment. Then at last he said to his friends. "Well... I guess I could at least give it a shot, for the students' sake."
Starlight happily smiled and hugged Sunburst as she told him. "That's all I can ask for, Sunburst. That's all I can ask for."
"But what about your old post as guidance counselor?" Sunburst questioned as the thought struck him.
The reformed unicorn mare said with a wink. "I already have a candidate in mind that I'm positive is qualified. And I think I know another friend who I could find a job for at the school."
"You're talking about Trixie, aren't you?" Sunburst inquired.
Starlight nodded. "Uh-huh, and maybe Maud Pie too. After all, the school is going to need more teachers. Twilight's friends can't do everything by themselves, even if they're not ascending to the throne with her."
Sunburst blushed. "Well, I'm honored to work with you, Starlight. And for however long it lasts, I think we'll get along just fine."
The unicorn with a grayish-purple coat nodded. "You'll make a fine vice headstallion, Sunburst. I'm sure of it. I guess it's not always a bad thing to work with friends if your friends are qualified." And she then led her newly chosen vice headstallion away.