Principal Celestia sighed as subtly as she could, though intellectually she knew she needn’t have bothered hiding it. The young woman in the office with her had a history of being so…self-absorbed that the educator knew her student wouldn’t even notice. To the self-titled “Great and Powerful” Trixie’s credit, the student generally had the best interest of the rest of her peers at heart, if for no other reason than to keep her "audience" (captive for at least another year of the girl's school career owing to simply not being able to legally leave the school when Trixie got up to her shenanigans) happy. Resisting the urge to rub her temple with her fingertips, she addressed the girl again.
"Listen, Trixie, while you were not the main instigator behind trapping the Rainbooms during the Battle of the Bands, the fact remains that you did misuse school equipment, lead the other members of your band in an act against the Rainbooms and a visiting foreign dignitary, and that's not even talking of simply dropping them into the under-stage of the amphitheater. One or more of them could have been hurt, and don't tell me you made sure there was nothing for them to fall on," the Principal hastily added this last as Trixie was about to speak, "You also didn't make sure there was something to break their fall to ensure they weren't hurt. I consulted with Princess Sparkle..." she paused for a moment when Trixie started muttering, but the white haired girl stopped when she realized Celestia was listening closely. Something about 'interfering magical fraud...?' Whatever, not an issue unless she makes it one, the older woman thought to herself, "The Princess assured me that even though you were under the influence of the Sirens, their influence only pushed you to do something, not what to do."
She paused, hoping her student would say something in her own defense. Trixie simply crossed her arms and 'hmph'ed, not making eye contact with the educator.
Celestia sighed again and continued, "As your behavior, poor though it was, isn't nearly as egregious as certain other incidents in the past year," she allowed Trixie to interrupt briefly with an exclaimed, "HA!" and pushed forward with her prepared statement, "I'm inclined to be somewhat lenient, especially given the influence of the Dazzlings. In fact, I think making a new friend would be a suitable consequence..." she allowed herself a smile at this. Apparently her favorite "punishment" of pairing up poorly behaving students or those who simply needed help in certain areas with someone who might be compatible was something that her other-world counterpart did as well. Now that the portal was up and running full-time and not just during some arbitrarily defined time frame, she had many chances to simply talk with the girl who'd stepped in to her school and stopped not just one, but two magical events from hurting her students. This allowed Princess Sparkle to compare notes on the two different versions of her teacher and highlight the similarities. "We have a new student arriving. I've adjusted your class load to match hers, and you will accompany her from the start of school to the time the final bell rings. If she chooses to join any clubs or other school-sponsored extra-curricular activities, then you are joining up with those as well."
"WHAT!?" gasped Trixie. It was the first truly intelligible word the girl had said in several minutes, "But what about my band? What about Drama club?! I can't just..."
"Then perhaps," the principal interrupted, "You should work on building your friendship with the new girl so you can persuade her to join you for those activities." Turning her chair slightly, she eyed her bookshelf, searched briefly, and plucked a paperback off the shelf. "I've spoken to your parents and assured them that the school would pay for the difference between the activities you're in now and the ones you will be taking up with the new student, if any. They've given me their full support, by the way." She reached over the desk to hand the book to Trixie, who accepted hesitantly. Celestia continued, "I want you to read that book through by the end of the month. There's special reading instructions in the introduction, I expect you to follow them, and the rest of your class- and homework is not allowed to suffer while you work on that book. If a full 30 calendar days..." she glanced at her desk calendar to confirm the actual date of the expected end of the 30 days, "...shows significant improvement toward your fellow students and the new student gives me a good report about you, then your discipline will be considered complete and you can resume your normal schedule and activities if you so choose."
Trixie seemed to think on this, then asked, "What about my current classes? My current grades won't transfer..." She seemed to hope that this would make Celestia reconsider.
The principal didn't really need to fight her urge to smirk with the victory of a chessmaster besting an opponent, she'd been doing it for far longer than Trixie had even been old enough to attend her school, so her poker face was impeccable...the emotion was still there, however. She picked up a folder from her inbox on her desk and passed it over to the student, "You'll notice that only three of your classes have changed," Trixie opened the folder and looked at her new schedule on the top of a small packet of papers, "And of those three, only one will not simply transfer your current grades. You'll need to complete the attached assessment and return it to Vice Principal Luna by the end of the day, that will allow The Doctor...er, Doctor Turner to determine what additional homework to assign you so you can catch up in his class. Also in that packet is the dossier of the girl who you will be making friends with. Nothing ‘juicy,’ just the stuff that will help you to identify her when you meet her in the foyer and keep up with her classes.”
Trixie groaned in depressed defeat. "Very well," she didn't quite moan, "The Humble and Penitent Trixie shall complete her penance." With that, she stood and turned to the door.
She had her hand on the knob when Celestia said, "Trixie..." The girl paused, not turning, "When you first came to this school I told you I knew you were capable of great things. You haven't really disapointed me in that yet. I'm confident that you'll overcome this little setback."
Trixie straightened her posture, squared her shoulders, and practically threw the door open. "STAND READY, CANTERLOT HIGH!" proclaimed the magician, "FOR THE GR-R-R-R-REAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE SHALL OVERCOME TRIUMPHANT!" So saying, she charged out into the school, allowing the door to close behind her.
Celestia congratulated herself for waiting a full 20 seconds before giggling at Trixie. She couldn’t actively encourage such behavior from her students, but she certainly wouldn’t discourage it.
She reached out and pushed the Intercom button on her phone, then an extension. “Raven, is my next appointment here?”
To her surprise, it wasn’t her loyal and efficient secretary that replied, but her sister, Luna. “Oh, yes, they’re here!” She could hear the mirth in her younger sister’s voice.
She frowned, “Luna, where’s Raven?”
“I gave her an early lunch, I wouldn’t miss this for anything!” The line cut off, and Celestia could hear the click-clack of Luna’s boots outside her door. She did her best to wipe the scowl off her face as the door opened and the last portion of a conversation came through, “…right this way, gentlemen. Principal Celestia and I are most eager for your visit!”
I’ll bet that Princess Celestia doesn’t have to deal with this kind of thing, groused Principal Celestia mentally as she kept her features schooled and stood. She reached out her hand to offer a handshake to one of two men, both wearing dark suits that looked to have come from a very up-scale tailor, yet still managed to look like a uniform. “Welcome to Canterlot High, gentlemen. I trust you weren’t waiting long?”
The man nearest took her hand and shook it twice, “No ma’am, and thank you. I’m Trot Fuzz and this is my partner Wild Gunner from the State Department.”
Celestia nodded and gestured to the chairs normally for students and their families that faced her desk, “Of course, you’ve met my sister, Vice Principal Luna.”
The agents took their seats, Fuzz nodding for his curiously silent partner. “We know you’re busy, Principal, so we should probably get straight to business.” Luna took a seat near the door, closing it as she did, and leaned back to watch in amusement. Celestia fought to keep her eyes from rolling. Oblivious to the exchange, Agent Fuzz continued, “Basically, we at the state department are concerned that the only formal channels to a new and apparently friendly nation are going through…well, an educator.”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” interjected Agent Gunner.
Celestia had anticipated that this would be the purpose of their visit, actually. She, herself, had brought the issue up to Princess Twilight Sparkle on at least two occasions. “Actually, gentlemen, I understand your position. I do have a school to run, and I’d rather do that than run any sort of government office.”
“Not,” interrupted Luna with a smirk, “That there’s anything wrong with that.”
Celestia didn’t bother hiding the glare she aimed at her sibling. The Vice Principal responded with the overly-innocent look of the truly guilty. She noticed the extension light flashing on her desk phone, noting that it was from her secretary’s desk, and made a mental note to follow up on it later. “As it happens, however, the primary dignitary in this other nation happens to be most comfortable with me and a handful of students she befriended on this side of the portal.” She pulled out another folder from her inbox, this one overflowing at the top and bottom edges, showing the longer-than-standard parchment that Princess Twilight used to pass messages through the portal. She handed it to Agent Fuzz, who opened the folder as she spoke, “Princess Twilight Sparkle has apparently requested that, no matter who else the government appoints to be a representative to her nation or staffing the eventual government facility that will house our side of the portal, that I remain her primary contact and that Canterlot High remain at this location near the portal, and continue to function as it has as a high school. Most specifically, the friends she’s made here are to remain in close proximity for as long as their school career lasts.”
Luna was doing a poor job of hiding her mirth at the agent’s discomfiture. The document was pretty straight forward, and said exactly what her sister stated, it was not, however, the princess that had put together most of the language. The darker complexioned sister had been present when Twilight had been drafting the document, and Celestia had actually been the one to “suggest” nearly all of it, artfully using pleasant conversation and subtle suggestions until the princess had given the principal exactly what she wanted.
Celestia noted that the light was still blinking, wondering what Raven, who must have come back from her lunch, wanted from her that she felt it necessary to interrupt a meeting with officials from the federal government. The subtly nudged the phone so the blinking light wasn’t quite so obvious and returned her attention to her visitors.
The agents were, for the most part, ignoring Luna. Agent Gunner looked up at the white skinned woman with a mild scowl, “If it’s all the same to you, we’d prefer to approach the Princess or her people directly on this matter.”
The principal nodded, “Of course. Actually, we’re expecting their representative shortly. It just so happens that their visit corresponded with yours quite nicely.”
Luna was giggling again. She, of course, had been there when her older sister nearly panicked after the phone call from the school district explaining that the government was going to visit. She also was the driver when the pair of them tracked down Sunset Shimmer after school hours to relay an emergency message to Princess Twilight to explain the need for a representative, as well as requesting the specific day and time of the meeting.
They were interrupted by a squawk from the desk phone. The secretary had apparently decided to invoke the seldom used (and nearly unknown to most) feature that forced the phone to issue a tone, over-riding the volume settings. Celestia glared at it for half a second and hit the intercom button, “What is it, Raven?”
“I’m sorry,” came the reply, “I’m trying to explain to her…”
Before she could go any further, the door slammed open, followed by the pop of small fireworks, billows of stage smoke, and a small musical fanfare. As the smoke cleared, a voice rang out, “GAZE IN AWE, GOOD PEOPLE OF HUMAN WORLD!”
Celestia felt her pulse jump significantly as instant recognition of the voice hit her. As she had ducked behind her fairly sizable desk, she peeked out over it to confirm that, yes, the silhouette of the girl standing in the door matched that of the girl she had disciplined not 15 minutes prior. The principal couldn’t quite tell if Luna was coughing because of the smoke, or laughing her butt off. The agents had dived to the floor, hands instinctively reaching into their jackets to retrieve firearms that her staff would have required them to leave in their vehicle.
The girl in the doorway continued, “It is I, the Great and Diplomatic TR-R-R-R-R-RIXIE! Here to represent all of pony-kind, Equestria, and beyond!” So saying, she held a pose that might have looked a bit more impressive were an equine holding it, one arm thrust out with a palm down, the other curled upward, a lose fist jutting forward, her chin held high.
This time Celestia didn’t bother hiding the gesture as she rubbed her temple with her fingertips. “Gentlemen,” she gestured toward the doorway, “I believe that’s your representative. Shall I arrange an office for your meeting?”