//------------------------------// // Further Discussions // Story: Honestly, It Really Seemed Like A Good Idea... // by SundropStriker //------------------------------// "Please have a seat, Sunset. I need to finish a few things and then I am going to personally see you back to your apartment." There was something in the way she said it that made Sunset suddenly very nervous. The bacon-haired girl swallowed down some of her panic and gazed at her principal worriedly. "W-why?" Celestia gave her a look, one that Sunset hadn't seen in a long time. It was the look of maternal disapproval, such as a mother would give her erring child, and Sunset felt the panic rise again, along with minor confusion. Celestia did not look like a principal at this moment. She looked all the world like...a mom. "I need to have a further discussion with you, Sunset Shimmer. So please, have a seat, and wait for me until I have finished." Sunset didn't dare argue. She took a seat on the sofa and stared down at her lap, with a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach and the notion that it was likely not a discussion she would like. The principal returned to her desk to finish sorting through some paperwork, and Sunset didn't make a sound or movement on the sofa. As she waited in anxious worry, she started thinking about her friends, and wondering what fate had awaited them on their return home... Pie Residence Cloudy Quartz raised the switch high and brought it down on Pinkie's still tender bottom with a swift THWIP. Another shrill cry came from her daughter as a visible line appeared on her bare behind. "And you shall not be conducting any further parties or sleepovers until you have improved your behavior, Pinkamena. Is that understood?" She lectured sternly. "Y-y-y-ye-s-s-s, mom!" was the desperately sobbed answer as Pinkie squirmed helplessly in place, only unable to squirm away due to her mother's restraining arm across her back. "I-I'm s-s-sorryyy!" "That is all well and good, but I intend to see this does not get repeated." Cloudy Quartz replied evenly, before continuing to make her disapproval known to her crying child's backside. Sweet Apple Acres Ahh! Granny, please!" Applejack was held securely under the arm of one very upset Granny Smith, pinned firmly over her knee and hollering loudly as she felt the sting of her elder's favourite wooden spoon on her bare hide. "You ain't gonna be able to sit fir a week, Applejack! Ah haven't been this upset with you youngin's since that whole "Anon-A-Miss" incident with Apple Bloom!" Granny Smith huffed in disapproval, still swatting away at her granddaughter's rose colored backside with a vengeance. "Ahhh! I'm sorry, Granny, please..." Applejack wasn't even trying to hide the tears. "An' you kin just be sure yet gonna be sorrier when I finish with you, young'un!" And with that, she tightened her hold slightly and let the spoon do all the talking for her. Rarity's House Cookie Crumbles kept her right arm wrapped around Rarity's slim waist as her daughter continued to struggle over her knees. Her left arm brought the flat hairbrush up and then down in the middle of the right cheek of her bright pink bare bottom, a loud 'WHAP!' echoing in the room. Another wail escaped Rarity, followed by "Mother, please! I am begging you to stop!" "You may beg all you want to, young lady, but I am far from done with you." returned her disapproving mother, the brush connecting with the left cheek with the same amount of force, prompting another cry. "I have never been more disappointed in your behaviour in my life. What were you thinking?!" Another heavy handed stroke of the brush, this time placed across both cheeks equally. "Ahhh!" Rarity wailed, completely reduced to tears. "M-Mother, please, I'm sorry!" "Not sorry enough. Your behaviour has gotten very much out of hand and you are going to learn an important lesson right here and now!" Cookie Crumbles forced herself to ignore her daughter's dramatic wailing as she proceeded to sear an unforgettable lesson into her desperately wriggling backside. Rainbow Dash's Home Rainbow Dash threw her head back and let out a squeal as she felt the wooden paddle land on her tender naked rump with a sound "WHAP!" Her hand gripped her bed sheets and she squeezed her eyes tightly, more tears falling unchecked down her face. Windy Whistles stood behind her daughter with one hand pressing down on her back to hold her in place, and the other holding onto the instrument of Rainbow's misfortune. She loved Rainbow dearly and was immensely proud of her, as noted by the shrine she and her husband kept of photos and reports of all her daughter's accomplishments and awards. But were times when she had to step back and be incredibly stern when it came to Rainbow causing trouble. "I'm very disappointed you, Rainbow Dash." She scolded as she let another firm swat land on her squirming backside. "You know better!" "Ahhhoww!" Rainbow wailed, wiggling desperately under her mother's restraining hand. "I'm sorry!" "I'm glad. But I intend to make this lesson stick, and let me make it clear young lady, if you do not improve your study habits and your behaviour, we will have this discussion again and I'm going to borrow your father's belt. Do you understand?" Another heavy swat. "Owww! Y-yes mom!" Windy nodded in satisfaction and let the paddle in her hand continue to make its very convincing argument against bad behaviour to her dismally sobbing daughter's poor behind. Shy Household Fluttershy whimpered as she anticipated the next swat from her mother's hand. She lay over her knees with her pale yellow bottom now a light pink color matching her hair. SMACK! Her body flinched as the sharp pain jolted throughout her system. Unlike Principal Celestia, Mrs. Shy would not get through the punishment quickly: she would make certain each and every smack was felt and remembered. "I expected better from you, Fluttershy. You know very well what's right and wrong, and I am a little irked that you would even get involved in today's little escapade." She never yelled. Her tone was calm and firm. Fluttershy gasped at the word "irked". It wasn't a word that was normally used in the household. But her focus was brought back to her current position quickly by another firm smack of her mother's hand. "I-I'm sorry, mom..." She whimpered amid penitent tears. "Just please don't be mad at me?" "I'm not mad. I forgive you, but I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen again." Fluttershy could only squeak, squeal, and cry softly as Mrs. Shy made her displeasure well known to her poor bottom. Sparkle Residence Twilight just cried out miserably as her mother brought the wooden ruler down on her fully unprotected bottom. She was laying over her knees and flailing her limbs with each painful stroke, but Velvet kept her in place easily as she carried out the well deserved discipline. "I am very much disappointed in you for such attempted dishonesty and deception, Twilight." She scolded with another firm smack of the ruler. "School is important, but you have a habit of making big messes out of small issues." "But I-I didn't want to fail!" Twilight choked out amid soft sobs. "Twilight, even if you failed the test, I know you are incredibly intelligent, and you could still improve your overall grade. What you did today was wrong." "I'm sorry." Twilight managed. "I know, but I'm not done with you just yet, dear." And with that final statement, Velvet proceeded to deliver a swift and painful lesson to the bare backside on her lap that she knew would not soon be forgotten. Principal Celestia's Car Sunset leaned against the passenger door, forehead resting on the window, absently watching the passing scenery as Principal Celestia drove away from the school and headed towards the apartment complex where the girl lived. Silence reigned in the car, and Sunset was growing increasingly worried as a multitude of scenarios played out in her head of what might happen once they reached their destination. Her stomach was doing a series of acrobatics and her heart was racing, and she hadn't noticed her breathing quicken. "Sunset?" The principal's voice yanked her from her thoughts with a startled and frightened gasp, her breathing growing even more rapid. The gasp startled Celestia as well, and she quickly pulled over off the road, parking before turning in her seat to find Sunset with her eyes shut taking deep breaths to calm herself. Her expression melted into one of visible concern as she put a hand on her shoulder. "Sunset, are you alright?" Sunset inhaled deeply a final time before opening her eyes. She blinked at the concern on the principal's face and then nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm alright. I just..have alot on my mind at the moment. Uh, sorry I startled you." Celestia could tell she was only partially telling the truth, but decided to not press the issue for the time being. "Understandable, given what you've been through today." She stated calmly, returning to the road now that the girl had calmed down. "Yeah." Sunset stared at the floor of the car and didn't volunteer anything else. "If it's alright with you," Celestia said casually, "I would very much like to join you for dinner. We can pick up some groceries and take them back to your apartment. I would be happy to help cook it as well." Sunset blinked in startled confusion at the offer, but nodded. "Ok, sure. Yeah, I guess...that's ok." After a brief stop at the grocery store, they finally arrived at Sunset's apartment, where they stashed the groceries in their appropriate places for later. With that out of the way, Celestia placed a hand on Sunset's shoulders and guided her to the couch. Sunset panicked for a moment, but made herself relax when Celestia took a seat and gently pulled her to sit next to her. About today..." the principal began calmly. "...I would like to hear, directly from you, your explanation of your involvement." Sunset squirmed under the unnervingly mother-like gaze. "Uh...well...we really studied, but we felt so unprepared anyway, and we really dreaded the test. I really didn't want to take it. So uh, when Rainbow suggested the whole fake a blizzard idea, well, I was kinda the first to jump at it. It...seemed like a good idea at the time." "I see. And it never once occured to you how much chaos and trouble it might cause?" Celestia's tone was stern but calm. "N-no." Sunset hung her head. "I don't believe I need to tell you that your behaviour was very disappointing, Sunset. You are so much better than that kind of manipulative nonsense." Sunset flinched slightly, hating the fact that the very first person she had run into in this world, and the one she had come to trust completely since her reformation from being a bully, was so utterly disappointed in her behaviour. "You know better. I know you do." Celestia continued firmly. "And you could have showed better sense by at least trying to talk your friends out of this scheme." Sunset sighed. "I know." She said softly, a hint of misery in her tone. "I feel guilty that they got in trouble with you...well, that we all did. But I feel even more guilty that they were in even bigger trouble with their parents. Especially because it just reminds me that I'm all alone..." Her eyes filled with tears, and Celestia felt her heart clench at her obvious pain. She wordlessly reached out and pulled Sunset into her arms for a warm hug, noting that she didn't resist. In fact, she pressed close to her, as if desperate for the contact. "Sunset, you aren't alone." She said softly. "I am here for you whenever you need me. Whatever you need. I genuinely care about you." This drew a small smile of gratitude as Sunset looked up into her eyes. "Thank you. I mean, for caring so much about me. It's been...a long time since I felt that." Celestia offered a slight smile of her own, those hers was something of a regretful one. "I'm glad you feel that way, but, perhaps you should hold off thanking me until after our discussion is finished." These words brought a look of complete confusion to Sunset's face as she blinked in bewilderment. "I...don't understand."