Disclaimer: All MLP:FiM characters belong to Hasbro and DHX Media. I do not own any of them except my OC.
I was walking down the hall of the School of Friendship again because me and Twilight had to announce a very big change to Starlight because of upcoming events. If you've watched the episode already, you know what happens. For those that haven't yet, just continue reading. Anyway, as we were nearing the counselor's office, I heard Starlight's voice. I knew no one was in there, so she was probably talking to her pet plant that she named Phyllis for some reason. I really don't understand why Hasbro even decided to do that. I knocked on the door and Starlight said in a weird voice "Come in." I had a look that said "What the heck? What are you doing in there Starlight?" Anyway, I opened the door with my magic and Starlight corrected herself and said normally "Uh, I mean, come in." Weird. Spike asked "Uh, were you just talking to someone?" Yeah, her pet plant which does seem quite awkward, but I used to be that kid.
Yes, yes. Make fun of me all you want. I had Autism so it gave me an introverted personality which led to being socially isolated. I didn't mind at the time, but every time I saw other people hanging out in a big group, it made me feel left out. I could have done something, but I was too scared back then and generally, kids don't make the smartest decisions. Believe me. It's true. I know that from experience. Also, they literally have an entire subreddit that's called "Kids are F***ing Stupid." So, it basically justifies my argument here. Anyway, Starlight denied it and said "No. Why?" It just sounded like it. That's all. No big deal. Twilight said in a serious tone "Starlight, I have something very important to discuss with you." It's not that serious. She didn't do anything wrong, so chillax people. Starlight got nervous and said "If this is about leaving early yesterday, I didn't have any students on my schedule and Trixie was having a "magical emergency" which actually turned out to be nothing, so-" before Twilight laughed a bit and said "It's not anything like that." She is correct. I can tell you that right now. Spike walked forward and opened up the scroll. Yeah, this might take a while. So get your popcorn ready because we're not going anywhere anytime soon. Ooh. I might need my Snickers bar. You know what they say: Not going anywhere for awhile? Have a Snickers. It's something like that. I can't remember exactly.
He read "Ahem. Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and Zachary, the Prince of Equestrian Defense, in light of their impending ascension to the throne of Equestria, along with their many duties and responsibilities, hereby declare that you, Starlight Glimmer, shall replace both of them as the new Headmare of the School of Friendship!" To say that Starlight was shocked at the news would be an understatement. Twilight said "I want you to take over the school when me and Zach move to Canterlot." That is true. I think Starlight will be a good fit. But, there's a slight problem. Twilight's job is being replaced, but mine wasn't. We haven't asked for anyone yet. Although, I might make the suggestion to Twilight. Starlight said "I know. It's just so amazing!" No it's not. Well, technically it is, but I can tell she's not thinking that. She's in full on panic mode now. "I'm a little- Do you think I'm really up for it?" Absolutely. I have put my faith and trust in you that will run this school properly like it was supposed to be when Twilight first opened it. "Of course you do." Why wouldn't we?
You've done an amazing job every time we've had to run off to save Equestria. Well, except for the Cozy Glow incident. But that wasn't your fault. You fell for the bait. "I've covered for you every time you've had to run off and save Equestria, but I mean, yes. Of course. Thank you!" Uh, you're welcome? She tackled Twilight into a hug and both me and Spike just shrugged before she dragged the two of us in as well. Oww. OUCH! You're squeezing my liver and it doesn't feel very nice! Twilight said in a desperation for oxygen "You're welcome. And I can't think of anypony better for the job." Me neither. Now can SOMEPONY PLEASE GET OFF OF ME BEFORE MY LIVER GETS CRUSHED LIKE A SODA CAN AND KILLS ME?! Oh wait. I have an idea. I went into my shadow form and escaped from the hug before I died. I returned to my lion form and Starlight broke the hug thankfully. Speaking of which, she said "I'm a little nervous. And excited. I'm mostly just nervous." I understand, but both me and Twilight will be here if you need us despite our very busy schedules. Twilight said "I understand. Of course, I'll have a lot of important responsibilities as ruler of Equestria, but I'll always be available to whatever you need." That's right. I said "And don't hesitate to ask me as well. I'll be glad to help you out at any time." Starlight was about to say something, but then, Spike burped out a letter which seemed suspicious. He picked up the letter and read it.
He asked Twilight "Are you supposed to be at a royal etiquette lesson with Celestia and Luna right now?" Judging by the look on her face, yes she is. Twilight quickly realized that and said "Right. Uh, can't underestimate the important responsibility of royal napkin placement." Yeah, whatever that means. She quickly teleported away in a flash and Spike went out the door. I said "I have no idea what that is, but I'm guessing it's important." Starlight asked me "Aren't you supposed to be going through that as well?" I shook my head and said "I'm already done with my preparations. I don't take very long since I'm already kind of in a leadership role with Equestria's military. Twilight on the other hand, takes a lot longer. So that's why they are doing her right now. They got through me pretty quickly so they could spend more time focusing on Twilight. That's all." Starlight nodded and said "Ah, that makes more sense." I said "Well, I'm gonna go back to my office to do some military paperwork. If you need me, I'm right down the hall." I walked out and closed the door with my magic.
Of course, as soon as I headed out, I heard her talking to her plant again and she unfortunately smashed it which didn't really help her case. Anyway, after I was done with military paperwork, I headed to Twilight's office just because there were a couple things I needed to talk to her about. Of course, she was doing royal napkin placement and she was struggling quite heavily. I simply smirked and said "Watch this." I took one of the napkins and quickly did it with my magic like how it's supposed to look like. Twilight's jaw dropped for a second and then she grumbled in jealousy. She said "How come you can do that, but I can't?" I said "I really have no idea Twilight. But it's quite simple once you get the hang of it." Before Twilight could respond, the door opened and it revealed Starlight. She said "I know how busy you are, but 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. I'm quite unsure how to handle that." I have an idea. I said "Why not hire a Vice Headmare or something?" Starlight looked at me and said "What do you mean?" I said "Well obviously, Twilight's job is being replaced by you, but no one is replacing mine whatsoever. If you're worried about running this place on your own, then hiring a Vice Headmare or Headstallion would solve that problem." Starlight thought about it for a second then smiled.
She said "Zachary you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that before?" I'm not sure. She gave me another death crushing hug and I was desperately trying to breathe oxygen here. I said "Starlight… I… need… AIR!" Starlight quickly stopped hugging me and backed away in shame. She said "Oh, sorry about that Zachary. I guess I didn't realize how strong my hugs were." I said "Eh, it happens." Before Twilight could commentate on that, Spike said "Uh Twilight? Rarity said you were supposed to be at the Boutique five minutes ago for your second fitting for the coronation gown." Twilight simply groaned and said "How many fittings are there going to be?" I honestly have no idea. It didn't take that long for me mainly because I'm a male and those things at least here in Equestria don't take as long as females do. So that's a plus. Anyway, Spike simply shrugged and said "A lot?" He didn't even know either. He's just the messenger. So, he can't exactly tell you how many fittings there will be.
Twilight said "Anyway, good luck finding your Vice Headmare. I know you'll pick the right pony for the job." I sure hope so. She walked out and I said "I hope you do find the right pony because someone's gotta keep that office clean and I'll be too busy commanding the military to worry about that." Before Starlight could say something, I went into my shadow form and headed out. Of course, Trixie thought the position was hers, but I knew that Starlight would be a lot smarter than that and not replace me with some incompetent and arrogant pony. Anyway, time to check the school's security systems just to make sure they're not outdated and can be hacked. There isn't exactly a lot of techies here in Equestria, but I don't want to take my chances. A villain might try to hack the system simply by using spells. Okay. Let's see here. Hmm. Yeah, all systems are good. Let me run a few tests here. Okay. Uh huh. Yep. We're all good. No issues whatsoever. After I was done with that, I was walking down the halls and saw Starlight doing interviews, so I backed away a bit and went into my shadow form so I wouldn't disturb them. I hid inside one of the walls and listened to the conversation. She said "I'm glad you've all decided to be part of the search for the School of Friendship's vice headmare." Yeah, why is Spoiled Rich here? I do not want a spoiled brat like her running this school. No thank you. I highly doubt that Starlight will allow her to rise to the top, but you never know these days. A couple years before I left for Tampa, the United States was in a hot mess.
I'm sure that if you remember the early 2020's and Biden's presidency, you knew how bad it was. Thankfully, things got fixed by the next president and the country was a lot safer than how it was before. (AN: This story takes place in the early 2030's, so I don't know who the next president will be after Biden. That's still up in the air. Just to be clear, this is NOT trying to predict the future, but simply just empathizing a point. That's all. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!) But enough of that now. Spoiled Rich said "Honestly, if you're looking for somepony to fundraise, I can bring in enough bits to have several buildings named after me." Nobody cares about that though. Only you do. Fundraising is pretty important, but the way you're going about it is completely selfish and being prideful. Also, I thought this pony would be a lot more humble after Diamond Tiara, her own daughter by the way, set her straight, but I guess not. Some ponies never change regardless of how much you bury into them and give them a dose of reality. Times never seem to change unless they force it to. How sad.
Starlight said "Well, that's not the primary responsibility of the vice headmare, but any-anypony is welcome to apply." I would apply, but I already have that job and I'll be leaving from it soon to rule alongside Twilight on the throne and probably do certain… things at night if you're picking up what I'm putting down. I can't exactly say it or else the author's account will get terminated and we don't want that. But I think you get the idea. Now let's change the subject before Fanfiction starts to catch on. "I think the selection process I've come up with is pretty special." I guess so. Let's see what it is. Trixie whispered "Albeit unnecessary. Wink." Really? I hate it when she does that. Starlight cleared her throat with annoyance and continued. "Since you all have to prove what it takes to be Vice Headmare, I've designed the interview in three stages." Okay. Let's hear them. "Each stage will test a different skill the Vice Headmare needs." Okay. I'm listening. "Only those who do well will move through the stages until finally, the best candidate rises to the top!" Okay. Sounds simple enough. "So, without further ado, it's time to start stage 1: Substituting for the teachers!" That's quite important. Since this is not a college, you have to do substituting since you are shaping a lot of very young minds and you can't just cancel the class. That's a college thing.
Most of them are minors and are supposed to be in school during the weekdays during the school year. In college, they are all adults. So they wouldn't have to worry about facing legal consequences for committing a highly illegal crime. Yeah, truancy is highly illegal and should never be done at any time. Don't do it kids. It's not worth it. It might seem tempting, but you don't want to spend your life in jail, so just don't do it. Anyway, they were all chattering amongst themselves and Trixie said "Once the students get a sample of my Great and Powerful instruction, they might not want to go back to the regular faculty." That seems quite insulting if you ask me. Big Mac rolled his eyes and Starlight groaned in annoyance. I simply shook my head because clearly, Trixie does not understand the context behind this whatsoever. Anyway, I followed Starlight closely and she made the first stop at Rarity's classroom. I guess Big Mac knows how to sow. That does look pretty nice. Ocellus seemed to think so as well. She said "Wow! That seam is so straight!" That's how straight I am as a person. I'm just saying.
"You really learned how to sow from mending apple sacks on the farm?" Is that really how he did it? Huh. Applejack never told me that. Big Mac nodded and replied "Eyup!" Starlight wrote down notes on her checklist and moved on to the next pony. Oh brother. I definitely know Spoiled Rich will mess up on this one. She said "Obviously, loyalty is the foundation of friendship and trust, but nothing gets more loyalty than a big stack of bits!" *facepalms* Really? REALLY?! ARE YOU MOTHER*Bleep*ING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! This pony needs to go. Somepony get this incompetant and stupid Earth Pony out of here before I have to come in and yeet her out myself. "This book on business will teach you all how to earn your own. Chapter 1: Equity." Oh dear. Yeah, as important as personal finance is in the modern world, there's no place for that in a friendship school. They can learn about business techniques somewhere else. Not here. Starlight backed away and wrote some not so nice things on Spoiled Rich's tab. Both Octavia and Dr. Whooves seemed to go pretty well, so I think they'll be able to move on to the next stage. Starlight looked at what Trixie was doing and honestly, I doubt she'll be that competent. She was reading something, but because of how boring it sounded, she skipped through a lot of it and basically put the class to sleep. When she saw that, she got an idea and the whole class did a nap session.
Starlight came in and Trixie said "Wink." before falling asleep on the desk and pretending to snore. Starlight simply groaned in annoyance and wrote notes for Trixie's tab. I closely followed Starlight back to her office and listened in on the conversation. She said to her "pet" plant "Okay Phyllis. Obviously, those three are moving on. But what about the rest?" Well, I think Spoiled Rich can be thrown out of the picture here. Not that business isn't important for the economy and financially supporting yourself, but it has no place in a friendship school. That's regular school in where it belongs. "Mhmm. I think we're in agreement on this one." She put the picture of Spoiled Rich into the elimination folder and looked at Trixie's picture. She sighed and stared at the plant. "I know what you're gonna say, but it would be so much fun to have my Vice Headmare be a friend. She just needs a little more hoofholding in some of the others." Clearly, you are living under a rock. I understand working with friends can be nice, but this is a business at the end of the day. Yeah, kinda weird to say that a school is a business, but it technically is since people work there and it draws in revenue.
When it comes down to business decisions, sometimes you have to do what's best for the business instead of your own feelings about it. "It could still work out, right?" I don't think so. Right from the get go, I knew it wouldn't work out whatsoever. Suddenly, the door opened and it revealed Trixie. Oh brother. What will she say this time? She said "Starlight, I have given this a lot of thought." What do you mean by that? I need more context. "And even though I still believe naps are a valid use of class time, you'll be the one running this school." Okaayyy. I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but whatever. "So if you say no naps, then no naps." I love to have naps throughout the school day, but they pretty much kick that to the curb after preschool. In middle or high school, if you fall asleep for literally like one second, the teacher will literally scream like a megaphone "DERRICK! WAKE UP THIS INSTANT! NO SLEEPING IN MY CLASS! DO YOU HEAR ME, YOUNG MAN?!" Sad really, but whatever. "And I know I can be a little stubborn and not the best listener, but I just can't wait for us to tackle this job as a team!" Yeah, that's not going to happen. "Two Great and Powerful friends taking on the world!" Excuse me?! "That's not going to happen." What are you talking about, Nightmare? Give me more context here.
"You heard what she said. About taking on the world and stuff. That's my job. Not hers." You won't take over the world, Nightmare. That's not going to happen. "On the contrary, I think otherwise. I will take over the world at some point whether you like it or not. You can't stop it from happening. So, try all you want, but no matter how hard you try, you will fail in the end." If you say so. "And I know you still have to go through this "interview" stuff, wink, but I just had to tell you how excited I am!" Prepare to be disappointed. She walked out and closed the door. Starlight still had doubts and said "See? I'd… told you it could work." A leaf dropped from the plant and Starlight groaned in sadness. She walked out and went back to the lobby of the school to discuss with the remaining candidates about the next stage of the interview process. "Alright remaining Vice Headmare candidates. Welcome to Stage 2. All of you are here because you performed well. Or well enough." I highly doubt Trixie actually performed that well. Speaking of which, she seemed offended by that statement and I had an evil grin on my face.
Just because we saved Equestria together doesn't mean that I can't throw jabs at her every now and then to set her straight and make her humble herself. "To face your next challenge: Parent/Teacher Conferences!" Lovely. I was never a big fan of those and thankfully, I didn't have to do them too often. My younger sister on the other hand, that was a different story. She constantly needed to have Parent/Teacher conferences mainly because she really didn't care about school that much. I mean, she wouldn't skip class or whatnot, but she would basically be distracting, and when a teacher helps her out so she could finish it, she would never put in the effort to do it. It was really bad in the 8th grade when we were still in the midst of a global pandemic that was a mutation of N1H1. My mother had to be on her case constantly and it got very annoying after a while. Obviously, she was going through the rebellious phase of puberty at the time which is usually 12 and 13. So basically, middle school age. By the time they get to the end of high school, that phase has been completely thrown out the window. But yeah, my sister in the eighth grade during the 2020-2021 school year was not a pretty sight. Fortunately, I was able to get straight A's for the entire year since it seemed like online school was actually built for me. I was one of the rare few that did not struggle with online school.
I'm so very glad that we're way past that stage and it's over, but I feel kinda bad for the author because he still has to live through it right now while I'm ahead in the future not having to worry about it at all. Believe me. It will get better in the future. Just give it time. Once certain people start making moves, it should go back to normal for at least the next century before probably another pandemic comes around to do the same thing like COVID did. Anyway, enough of that. "The Vice Headmare will need to be a master communicator." Right since conferences involve a lot of talking, so yeah. I've haven't had to deal with parent teacher conferences here at the school really since I don't teach any classes, but sometimes, parents and guardians do come to me if they have concerns. "And I can't think of a better test of that than meeting with our students and their parents or guardians." There ya go. They all started walking down the hallway and Dr. Whooves aka Time Turner said "I eagerly look forward to sharing my love of science with prodigy and progentials."
I see. Octavia said "Indeed. An orchestra is made up of different parts and good communication is the key to harmony." She's not wrong. Even though I have left the music world, I still know that most major bands require lots of good communication when writing a new song. I'm not entirely outdated here. Big Mac agreed and said "Eyup." That's literally almost everything he says most of the time. However, he can speak a full sentence from time to time. He's capable of doing that, he just doesn't do it too often. If you've watched Season 6 Episode 23 "Where The Apple Lies," you know why that's the case. Trixie said monologuing "A lifetime on stage has taught me that good communication is essential to holding your audiences' attention which is why Trixie is also known as the Great and Powerful communicator." Good for you. No one cares. After she said that, everyone was gone and Trixie rolled her eyes when she saw that. What do you expect? If you go on bragging about something others could care less about, you shouldn't be all surprised Pikachu when they've walked away. It's common sense. But for an incompetent and arrogant pony, that never seems to wrap around her mind. Her brain didn't register that because of how stupid and foolish her personality is. I can't understand how anyone can be friends with this pony. Anyway, let's move on here. I followed the group to the library and it seemed pretty busy with parent teacher conferences.
Starlight started with Octavia and she observed to see how she would do. Octavia said to Ocellus's parents "Life at the School of Friendship is like a song and although she started singing out her part pianissimo, Ocellus is now soloing fortissimo." I'm not super familiar with fancy music terms, but I know some of the basics like crescendo and decrescendo. That's kinda about it when it comes to musical terms that I can think of off the top of my head. Anyway, Ocellus's parents asked "That's good right?" I think so. Octavia laughed nervously and said "Indeed." Starlight wrote down her notes and moved on to Dr. Whooves. He said "The science curriculum at the school is somewhat lacking. But, Yona has taken to the subject like a Yak to smashing! If fostered, I believe she could blaze a trail and expand our understanding of science itself." Well then. Time Turner seems quite passionate about that and I can tell Yona's parents are extremely excited since they have huge grins on their faces, so yeah. Anyway, both of them stood up and chanted "Yaks Best!" Heh.
They even went as far as to lifting up Yona in the air like she just discovered the cure to cancer which was a nice moment. Starlight wrote down her notes for Dr. Whooves and looked over at Trixie. Trixie said "Gallus is a fantastic student. He's even taught me a thing or two about napping." I doubt Grandpa Gruff actually cares. I feel really bad for Gallus and I can tell by the expression on his face. The hurt in his eyes. The shame of having to be exposed to this. It's just saddening. Speaking of which, Grandpa Gruff simply just yawned in boredom and retorted arrogantly "Is that why you're putting me to sleep?" How dare you say something like that. Trixie was obviously offended and said "Um, excuse me?" Yeah, normally I would find it funny for Trixie to get insulted, but when you get bad behavior from a really arrogant griffon, I find that insulting. He said "I don't know why I have to come to these things." Uh, because you're the only adult griffon that would be able to represent him properly. Gabby is too busy all the time delivering mail, and Gilda is doing her own thing as well. So, you're kinda the only one left. Trixie wasn't having any of it and said "Well, most parents or guardians want to be involved in their students' lives!" Well, Grandpa Gruff doesn't really care about anyone but himself. That's his griffon nature. Ever since they lost their golden idol, Griffonstone has never been the same. It's stupid, but it fuifills their ancient mythological backstory.
"Maybe we should find a different representative from Griffonstone to be Gallus' guardian!" Grandpa Gruff didn't seem to care and said "Oh, that would be great. If you find one, *shouts very loudly* LET ME KNOW!" Excuse me! You do NOT talk to ANYONE that way. If this is how you want to behave, I'll send your little behind back to Griffonstone and prevent you from ever returning to Equestria again! I'll just make sure to get battleships and military aircraft around Equestria's borders particularly in Manehattan so you can't come in. If you try to, they'll stop you right there and make you turn back around. I don't play games when it comes to national security. I'm dead serious. Anyway, Starlight was about to head over, but heard the voice of Sky Beak which stopped her in her tracks. Sky Beak said "I'm so confused!" Oh dear. We might have a problem over here. Houston, we have a problem. "You're saying Silverstream is exuberant?" That sounds about right. Big Mac nodded and said "Eyup." Sky Beak also asked "And enthusiastic?" I believe so.
Once again, Big Mac nodded and said "Uh, Eyup." Sky Beak seemed confused and asked "But aren't those the same?" Technically, yes they are. If you pay attention in your high school english class, you would know that the word enthusiastic is basically a synonym to the word exuberant. And if you remember from elementary school, synonyms are words that basically have a similar or the same meaning. So, Sky Beak would be correct. Big Mac's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he began thinking nervously. Sky Beak further asked "And are they good?" I would think so. "I mean, you could be trying to tell me she's unfocused, but then you might just be explaining you appreciate her high energy." Oh dear. Now that's very confusing. Big Mac got really nervous and said "Uh, nope, um Eyup, umm… maybe?" Oh dear. He really does need help over there. Sky Beak said "There seems to be a lot of nuance here and I just want to make sure I understand exactly what you're saying." Well, you're confusing him with all these questions and it's throwing him completely off balance. "So what are you saying?" Big Mac tried to say something, but motioned over to Starlight that there are issues. She was about to attend to him, but then she heard Grandpa Gruff say "Gallus doesn't need to know I'm proud of him!" How cruel of him. "And he certainly doesn't need me trekking all the way to Ponyville!" Well, if that's much of a problem to you, you can head right out the door and never come back.
If you really don't care about Gallus, then just get out and stay in Griffonstone for good. Trixie was furious at this point and said "Good. Because you are NO LONGER WELCOME!" Grandpa Gruff didn't even care and said "OH, well FINE WITH ME!" I know Trixie can be annoying, but Grandpa Gruff is far worse than she is. Trixie is simply misguided while Grandpa Gruff is hateful towards others. I can tell you right now that God does not stand for that behavior whatsoever and anyone who does that will be punished one day when they stand before the throne of God for judgement. It will happen whether you like it or not. There's no stopping it from happening. When it will happen, I don't know. It could be right now or it could be 200 years from now. We'll never know. But it will happen. Anyway, let's move on here before I turn this chapter into a sermon. Grandpa Gruff flew away and Starlight yelled to Trixie "Trixie! What happened?!" What do you think happened? I was paying attention the entire time.
Trixie said with ignorance "I'm not sure. But we'll have one less conference to worry about next semester." That's not the point, Trixie! You can't be arguing with parents or guardians. It just makes the kid feel embarrassed and it's' just unprofessional. Sometimes, that will incite parents to go to corporate and try to get you fired because they don't like the behavior that you are showing them. It does happen. Believe me. I've seen it before. Anyway, Starlight facehoofed and had a glare on her face because how stupid that sounded coming from Trixie. Starlight went back to her office and Big Mac explained his situation. Starlight said "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, Vice Headmare probably isn't the job for you." I can agree. It's completely understandable for Big Mac to let the pressure get to him, but it is part of it, so it's something you have to deal with a lot. I never really had that issue, but I know that the replacement probably will have to deal with parent teacher conferences. Big Mac agreed and said "Yeah, nope." They shook hooves and he headed out the door. Starlight removed him from the list and Trixie came in. She said "Starlight, I know why you wanted to see me. And you don't have to worry." Why not? I feel like I have every reason to. You don't seem that trustworthy these days.
Starlight didn't think much of it and said "Uh, good." You'll regret it in about 30 seconds. Just watch. Trixie said "It's thoughtful that you'd want to check in on me after my shocking confrontation with Grandpa Gruff." I don't think that's it, Trixie. "But never fear! I shall recover." We'll see about that. Starlight wasn't having any of it and said "Trixie, that's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." See? What I'd tell you? "You can't get into a shouting match with parents or guardians." She's right. Even if you are dealing with the most annoying parent or guardian on Earth, that does not give you the excuse to yell at them. But, in Trixie's defense, she was trying to defend Gallus, but she could have gone about it a little differently. "For the final stage of the interview process, you'll each have to put together a field trip." So that's what stage 3 is. I kinda figured that was the case. "And if you really do want the job, I need yours to be exceptional." She is correct. If Trixie wants to be Vice Headmare, which I doubt she'll be anyways, she'll have to stand out from the rest and put together a successful field trip.
"Because if I had to pick a Vice Headmare right now, it wouldn't be you." I can agree. But, Trixie didn't get the memo on that and said "Oohh, I see what you're doing." No you don't. And don't act like you do. "Obviously, you're not going to give the job to somepony else, but you want to see my best." You're srota on the right track, but that's the very twisted version of it. "Well, message received. Wink." Oh my gosh. WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?! THAT IS SO ANNOYING! NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR CRINGEY BODY LANGUAGE! YOU'RE NOT IMPRESSING ANYONE, SO CUT IT OUT! Good grief. Ponies sometimes. They can be just as bad as my own kind back home. Starlight was annoyed and said "Agh. Trixie, I-" before Trixie stood on top of the desk which almost knocked off the plant and said "The Great and Powerful Trixie is about to pull out all the stops!" Oh dear. What will happen this time? "I hope you're ready for the most exceptional field trip to ever grace this school!" I highly doubt that. I could come up with a way better field trip than you ever could. Trixie used a smoke orb and then walked away quickly before Starlight could say anything else. Starlight looked at her plant and said "Is it wrong for me to think she might actually pull it off?" The plant just stared at her and she put her head on the desk. "Don't answer that." I won't say a word. I can guarantee that right now. No joke, no scam.
While you're at it, don't forget to subscribe to Scrubby, Scrubs, and Scrubae. They're all run by the same guy, so go check him out and sub to him. Shameless self-plug. Moving on. The first stop was a classical music performance. Now, I know that sounds boring when you first hear it, but it's Octavia. She can come up with a few tricks up her sleeve to make it that much more exciting. Anyway, Gallus yawned in boredom and Starlight asked "Not looking forward to the performance?" I can't exactly blame him for it, but he'll change his mind real quick. Gallus said "I know Octavia loves music, but a field trip to a classical music performance isn't my idea of an exciting time." I see. Well, just wait a few seconds. Wait a second. This theater seems familiar. *gasps* This is the exact same one where Discord betrayed Equestria and teamed up with Tirek! Oh dear. I hope Tirek isn't lurking around somewhere. Nah, he's probably with the rest of the legion to try and figure out how Grogar's bell works with the book he retrieved from the Canterlot Archives.
The lights turned off and the curtains opened which actually revealed DJ-Pon3 or Vinyl Scratch, whichever one you prefer. Anyway, she had the same music system as she did from Season 5 Episode 9 "Slice of Life" aka the 100th episode of the series. The only difference was it was just a little bit bigger. Octavia smirked at Vinyl and the music began playing. It sent out a shockwave of colors out to the audience and it's as if their expressions completely changed. Yeah, I think you'll change your mind, Gallus. "Okay, I take it back!" That's what I thought. Starlight wrote down her notes and she moved onto the next field trip. Ah, yes. The science lab. This looks like something Twilight would have. Time Turner said "When I heard we would be arranging field trips, I knew right away that I wanted to take you all to my lab!" Why here though? This would be perfect for chemistry class, but I don't see how this has to do with friendship. I'm just not seeing it here. There are not enough variables to try and figure this out. "I can think of no better trip than one through the quantum field." Come again? I'm a little confused by that. "I am referring to time travel." Oh dear. Please don't say that. That is a very very VERY sore subject here in the series. None of us want to be reminded of that. Particularly Starlight here in the room. She was the one that created that mess and I think she would like to forget it because it was not a nice feeling whatsoever. I wasn't around for it, but I knew the devastating effects of it.
"I've been working on a temporal transportation device!" And what would that might be? He pulled off the cover and it revealed a chair with a bunch of equipment on it. Smolder was annoyed and said "A chair?!" I think she's a lot like Rainbow. Both of their personalities are very similar. I'm sure people could see why that was the case if you've paid attention to the details throughout the series. Time Turner simply pointed at the chair and Smolder sat down in it. "And three, four, five. Congratulations! You are now five seconds into the future! You see, we are all already time travelers! Hmm, who's next?" I guess that's technically true, but time travel most of the time focuses more on the past rather than the future. The definition of time traveling is when you can go back to any time period and see what happens. To say we're already time travelers isn't exactly a valid statement. We are able to travel into the future as time continues, but you can't say the same about the past. Sure, you can remember it, but you can't hit the rewind button and actually travel back to that point to relive it.
You can see the argument I'm trying to make here. I see the idea behind what Time Turner is saying, but he needs to fix some of his thinking because that's not really time travel whatsoever. The room went completely silent and Smolder asked "Uhh, now what?" Yeah, I'm wondering that myself. Time Turner's eyes went wide and he said "Oh, I hadn't actually thought of that much beyond this." Smolder groaned in boredom and I facepalmed in annoyance. You really should have thought of that before you decided to execute your plan. Because it's not looking so hot right now. Starlight was clearly annoyed and wrote her notes down. Finally, she made the stop to the history classroom and waited for Trixie to make her move. She finally showed up and appeared in a smoke orb and she had to cough out the dust from it. She said "Ponies and other students, welcome to the greatest and most powerful field trip of your lives!" I rolled my eyes and gave her a glare. Yona asked "Where Yona and friends going?" Probably somewhere stupid. Trixie said "I'm thrilled you asked." Uh, why is that? I have a feeling something bad is going to happen here within the next minute or so. "Because today, we're not doing a normal old boring field trip where we go somewhere." HEY! How dare you insult field trips like that! That's what makes a field trip fun! Clearly, you haven't been on enough of them to figure that out.
Also, if you're not going anywhere, then it's not really a field trip. I'm just saying. Yona said "So, not field trip?" Pretty much. Trixie seemed to disagree and said "Oh contraire. I could've easily taken you all to Froggy Bottom Bogg, but we don't need to leave the comfort of the classroom for our field trip." Isn't Froggy Bottom Bogg in the Everfree Forest? I hope you didn't come across any Hydras, because those creatures are scary. "I can bring the field trip to us!" How would you do that? She lit up her horn and teleported a patch of Froggy Bottom Bogg into the classroom. I do admit, that is pretty impressive, but I feel something will go wrong here. Wait a second. Oh no. I see a beehive. And you don't have normal bees here in Equestria like you do back home on Earth. Which means… Trixie bowed a bit before knocking off the hive. It cracked and it revealed the aggressors. FLASH BEES! HOW DID THEY GET THERE?! I didn't know they lived in the Everfree Forest. I thought they only lived in Hayseed Swamp. Okay then. Remind me never to go Froggy Bottom Bogg ever again. As if Hydras weren't enough, Flash Bees also nest there too. Oh dear me.
Trixie was confused for a second at the bright light but quickly got scared to see what it revealed to be. She ducked behind the tree and Starlight yelled "Trixie! What did you do?!" Yeah, you're in trouble now Trixie. Trixie said "Well, I found the perfect little patch of bog to teleport into the school. *Flash Bees fly by* I guess I just didn't consider the possibility that a hive of Flash Bees nested there." You should have checked before teleporting that patch into the school. The bees came back to the center and started attacking the students. That's what they do. Now that their home is destroyed, they become super aggressive and will attack anyone in it's path. The students started screaming and the bees continued to follow them. Trixie tried to stop them, but they came by and stung the crap out of her. "Who told you bees to nest in my patch of field trip bog?!" Uh, it's not their fault. It was your ignorance that caused this mess. You should have checked first before teleporting that. But instead, you thought it was fine and instead accused the Flash Bees of living in THEIR natural environment. You can't tell them where they can and cannot live just so you can have a field trip. Technically, you trespassed onto their property. Not the other way around. Now, because of your ignorance, you have caused a huge mess and put a lot of creatures in danger of a very aggressive insect.
Trixie threw a smoke orb at the bees, but it instead caused a huge cloud of purple dust and made lightning appear. Yeah, since Flash Bees have been designed to have electricity flow through their bodies, that smoke orb actually is a great conductor for that electricity and can cause lightning to appear which can lead to someone getting electrocuted or cause an electrical fire; neither of which is good whatsoever. The students ran out of the room and Starlight said to Trixie "Trixie, go with the students. I'll handle this." I don't think so. That's my job. I have a lot more power than you do and I can exterminate these pests within 2 seconds. Trixie said "I was only trying to give them an exceptional field trip experience." Is that really what you call exceptional?! I don't know what drug you're on, but you're crazy if you think this is acceptable. "Which you have to admit I did." Nope. I disagree. The Flash Bees zipped past the two and Starlight said "We'll talk about it later!" Yeah, now's not the time to talk about it. Trixie quickly ran out and I charged up my horn to take out these insects.
They were closing in on me, but I gave them my death stare and I blasted them to oblivion pretty quickly. Starlight was confused about what happened, but I disappeared before she could even notice. I was in my shadow form the entire time, so she couldn't exactly see me. Anyway, it left the room in a pretty big mess, so yeah. Trixie came back in and said "Um, Starlight?" Yes Trixie? What do you want? Oh dear. Starlight looks like she is about to explode like a volcano. Brace yourself Trixie because Starlight might rain hellfire upon you. I'm not joking. She can probably do that. "Hey there. So um, they're gone?" Yeah, they are. I made sure of it. Starlight said, about ready to snap "Yes." Trixie seemed to misinterpret her voice and said "Nice teamwork! Am I right?" Have you bumped your head on a crate of beer bottles or something? I have never heard so much stupidity and delusion in my life. It is so awful that it makes Discord look modest. Starlight had rage in her eyes and said "Are you kidding?!" Here comes the poopstorm. "I don't know what team you're on, but it isn't mine. This was a disaster. It was DANGEROUS!" I can't agree more. Trixie still didn't understand and said "I think the words you're looking for are Great and Powerful." Wow. Just wow. Honestly, you are just as stupid as most Gen Zers these days. Their behavior was so awful that it was disgusting to look at. That's why I despise my own generation.
Simply because of the stupidity and selfishness that radiates off of them. Trixie would fit in quite well with those people. Starlight raged even more and yelled "IT WASN'T EVEN ACCEPTABLE!" I can agree on that. "You went from not taking it seriously to blowing things SO OUT OF PROPORTION that you put EVERYCREATURE IN DANGER!" It is true. Flash Bees are quite the aggressive insect and do not play around whatsoever. "And I wanted to work with a friend so much, I ignored the fact that you WOULD NEVER BE RIGHT FOR THE JOB!" Never was, never will. It's a good thing Starlight knows how to stand her ground, because I can't stand the fact of a prideful and arrogant pony running alongside one of the last few remaining creatures in this entire universe that hasn't gone NOSE BLIND! Trixie said "I'm confused. What are you saying?" Oh my gosh. HOW ARE YOU CONFUSED?! IT'S QUITE CLEAR YOU ARE BEING YELLED AT AND YOU STILL ARE IGNORANT! My gosh this pony's ego is so stinking high. I need to badly damage it.
Starlight said "I'm saying that YOU'LL NEVER BE VICE HEADMARE!" And rightfully so. An incompetent and foolish pony like Trixie should never have that kind of power. I don't trust her enough. Trixie said "But-but I thought you created the position for me." Oh my Lord. WHY WOULD YOU EVER ASSUME THAT?! YOU ARE THE MOST STUPID PONY I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THIS PLANET AND YOU WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE! EVER! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A FAILURE! Starlight said "WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT?! I CREATED THE POSITION BECAUSE I NEED HELP! But I can't think of any way THAT YOU WOULD EVER HELP ME!" I can agree with that. Trixie said "Twilight's friends always helped her." Face it Trixie. It's a lost cause. Starlight said "Oh, THAT'S BECAUSE TWILIGHT'S FRIENDS ARE COMPETENT!" HA! I think you would be surprised at how incompetent Twilight and the rest of the gang are most of the time with the simplest of things. "THEY CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY KNOW HOW TO DO IT!" For the most part, yes. But they do have their flaws as well. Trixie was obviously hurt and said "Well, I guess I won't take up any more of your time, Headmare Starlight." I appeared in my lion form outside the door and I saw her run out. I gave her my death glare knowing I was ticked off as well. Yeah, get out of here, you stupid and foolish pony! Twilight seemed confused on why I did that, but I pointed to Starlight in the classroom for context.
She said "Starlight? I just thought I'd check in to see how the search for a Vice Headmare was going." I lit up my scepter and changed the room back to the way it was before the patch of bog appeared. Starlight said "A lot better now." Probably so. Twilight seemed confused and said "Okay." Starlight said "I really wanted it to be a friend, so I ended up pushing aside some pretty big signs that it wasn't gonna work out." Yeah, that does happen. Twilight sat down next to Starlight and said "Not everypony is right for every job, but everypony has something to contribute." She is right. When this school first opened, Twilight put me as the em… I'm going to say Vice Principal because I was already in a position of power and I knew how to lead pretty well. Also, I don't take crap from anybody, so that orchestrated me to demonstrate proper discipline to the students and staff so law and order could be maintained and there would be no obstruction of justice. "That trick is figuring out what." Twilight figured that out pretty well, but not everyone has success right away. Starlight asked "What if you and your friend can't figure it out?"
Then, you'll have to be upfront and honest about it. Twilight said "If you have a job to do, you have to decide what's best and be upfront and honest. Even if that means you can't work with a friend on it." She is correct. At the end of the day, you have to decide what's best for the business, not what your personal feelings are. Starlight said "Sooo, I guess that means talking to them at the beginning, instead of stringing them along until you get so frustrated, you totally lose it and say a bunch of really awful things?" Pretty much. You would be correct. However, I think in that circumstance, it was justifiable. Almost all of that was true about Trixie and I couldn't have said it better myself. Of course, she could have toned it down just a teensy bit, but sometimes, you need to yell at someone like that to set them straight and give them the cold hard reality of things. Of course, there will be people out there that will say "That's being too harsh" and blah blah blah. In this circumstance, it wasn't. Trixie needed to be told the truth about her awful personality and make her realize the reality and consequences of her actions. Also, I don't give a prick on how she feels. I can't stand her personality, so she basically deserves it. In most situations, I would be against it. But in this one, I'm all for it. That's what she gets for her being delusional and extremely stupid about all of this. Complain all you want, but you're not changing my mind.
Twilight simply smirked and said "Pretty much." Starlight groaned in defeat and went to Trixie's wagon next to the castle. She knocked on the door and said "Trixie? I know you're in there." She probably doesn't care which is fine by me. Trixie yelled "Well, you're wrong!" She closed the curtain and some more smoke orbs went off in there which caused Trixie to cough quite heavily. Starlight moved to the window and said "I'm sorry for all those things I said." I'm not. I regret nothing. I ain't apologizing to someone who clearly has behavior that needs to be punished. Because of that, I will forever hold a grudge against her for causing a huge mess inside the school. I know I'm not supposed to hold grudges, but I have every reason to in this case. "I just really wanted it to work out even though I probably knew it wouldn't. I should've said something sooner." Yeah, you should have. But these things happen, so I'll let you go for it. Trixie said "Obviously, we can't have what we want because I'm terrible at everything and could never help you with anything." Well, that is true and I will never apologize for that. You need to fix your personality, not the other way around.
I will always stand by that and NO ONE can ever make me change my mind. Starlight said "You aren't terrible." Have you bumped your head on crates of beer bottles or something?! You are delusional if you think she isn't terrible at everything. That's it. You're officially a wimp now. "And you have a lot of great qualities." Oh really? Name me a few right now. Yeah, that's what I thought. NOTHING! Proves my point. Trixie always has been terrible at everything and always will be terrible at everything. That's just a cold hard fact. "Maybe not Vice Headmare qualities, but Great and Powerful friend qualities." Yeah, I don't think so. That doesn't convince me whatsoever. Trixie opened the door and turned on the light. Starlight walked in and continued. "Well, you really stand by the ponies you care about." Like what? "Gallus even said no creature's ever stuck up for him like you did with Grandpa Gruff." Okay, I'll give her that, but that still doesn't excuse her behavior. Trixie turned around to pay attention and Starlight moved along. "It would have been nice to run the school together, but not everypony is right for every job." Yeah, and Trixie will NEVER be a good candidate for Vice Headmare. Trixie said "I know how you take your responsibilities seriously, and maybe I should have known I wasn't exactly a perfect fit." You never were and you never will.
Also, you let your pride and arrogance get the "better" of you, if you even have one and made some VERY bad decisions because of it. Starlight said "If it makes you feel any better, nopony was." Wow. That's… not surprising whatsoever. You'll see in a second. Trixie asked, "What do you mean?" Starlight turned and said "Well, Dr. Whooves has decided to go back to his experiments, and Octavia is worried the responsibilities of Vice Headmare will take too much away from her music." Yeah, that seems to make sense. "Maybe getting a Vice Headmare was a bad idea." No, it wasn't. But you just weren't looking in the right places. Trixie said "Starlight, obviously you'd like some help, and hiring a Vice Headmare is a great idea." For once, I actually agree with her. Starlight wondered about it and asked "But who could it be?" Hmmm. I got it! I know exactly who the perfect fit would be. Trixie said "Well, you need somepony who's responsible like you, and detail oriented like Twilight, and... smart. Obviously, it is a school after all." Yeah, you are right. Don't even think about it! I'm not doing what you think I am. I'm serious!
Starlight said "It would be nice if I got along with them, since having it be a friend can't work out." I think otherwise. Trixie juggled the smoke orbs in the air and said "Maybe it can!" She dropped them and it caused smoke to go everywhere. Trixie wrote a scroll and sent it off to the Crystal Empire. Within a couple of hours, Sunburst arrived and went inside Starlight's office. Yeah, he's the perfect fit. He said "And I knew as soon as I read Trixie's scroll that it was the exact right thing for me to do." I kinda imagined these two running the school together. Starlight asked "But what about being Flurry Heart's crystaller?" Well, these days, there's not much he can do, so it's kinda pointless. Sunburst said "Well honestly, now that Flurry Heart's a little older, there really isn't much I can do outside of the occasional tradition or festival. And working at a school is always what I always thought I'd do!" Really? That was never mentioned until now. "I mean, if you'll have me." How could she not? Starlight said with excitement "Are you kidding? You're hired!" There we go bois! We've finally done it. Trixie said "I had a feeling this would work out." Uh huh. Sure whatever you say. Starlight said "Oh Trixie, thank you so much!" Really? I never really would have thanked her. If she hadn't done it, I would have written a scroll to Sunburst. Yeah, I wouldn't mind at all whatsoever.
Trixie said "Between being insightful when I want to be and giving advice when I don't mean to, I suppose I can be a pretty good friend." Yeah, according to your standards. But to actual standards, that would be a lie. The cake is a lie. Umm, cut! Anyway, I would never listen to your advice. I simply don't trust you enough to listen to your kind of advice. I rather hear Rainbow rant all day than listen to any sort of "advice" you may have. Starlight said "More than that actually." What do you mean? "You really did give good advice." HA! Ain't that far from the truth? That's a good one, Starlight. Saying that Trixie gives good advice. Ha ha ha. HA HA HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! "And you helped me talk through the problem of finding the right pony for the job and we know you care about the students." If she actually cared about the students, then maybe she should change as a pony and act a lot less arrogant and foolish. I'm just saying. Trixie said "Trixie, the Great and Powerful advice giver, problem talk througher, and student care abouter. Eh, I think I'll go with friend." Yeah, seems fair enough since that title is way too long.
Starlight said "Friend is perfect. But… there's a position here at the school you might be right for too." And what is that? "What would you say to being the School of Friendship's new student counselor?" I don't agree with that offer, but I'll be too busy to even worry about it. Trixie smirked and said "I'd say this office needs a bit of redecorating." How so? "Potted plants scream desperation." I guess so. Starlight was heartbroken and yelled "PHYLLIS, NO!" I smirked and laughed a bit. Buh bye plant. After that was done, they all headed towards the front and I appeared in my lion form in the lobby. I said to Starlight "It seems you have finally found the perfect replacement for my job here at the school." Starlight smiled and said "Yep. I sure did." I looked at Sunburst and said "I hope the life of in this case, Vice Headstallion treats you well." Sunburst smiled and said "Thanks." I said "You know, you were actually the first pony I thought of when me and Twilight announced Starlight as the new Headmare of the school." Sunburst seemed surprised and asked "Really? I had no idea." I smiled and said "Yeah. I kinda figured that you and Starlight would run this school. I have confidence in both of you that you guys will run this school well." Both of them smiled and said "Thanks." I said "Well, if you excuse me now, I have to go back to the castle to finish up some military paperwork since my rank will change soon."
I waved goodbye to both of them and closed the door. Yeah, in case you haven't heard already, I will become Commander in Chief of Equestria's military when I ascend to the throne. Currently, I'm Chief of Staff right now which is right below Commander in Chief. But, when I become King, that will change because then, all final say goes to me. Obviously, Twilight will have authority as well, but she won't be directly involved like I am. She'll be focusing more on running the country and teaching friendship while I keep up Equestria's defenses and make sure they are the most secure. Of course, both of us will still run the country together, but we'll be in our own separate divisions. Despite that though, we'll make plenty of time for each other. I mean a LOT of time. Particularity at night if you're picking up what I'm putting down. Anyway, things might be a whole lot different in the future, but we'll always be together no matter what. We'll be together forever, Twilight.
AN: In case you were wondering, Zachary will eventually remove his grudge against Trixie. It will take time though. It won't be for at least 20 years before he completely drops it. Grudges are not healthy and should never be practiced. Take this as a lesson on why you should never hold a grudge against someone. It not only hurts them, but it also hurts yourself as well. Believe me. I know. I did that when I was younger, and honestly, I still regret it. But because I moved on from it, I feel better now than I did then. If someone has wronged you, take the time to understand what they did wrong and let yourself grow room in your heart to forgive them. It might seem dumb, but it's the responsible thing to do. The next three chapters should be coming out sometime very soon. I'm trying to keep up with the grind here. We're almost at the finish line and I can't give up now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Next Chapter: The Truth Talisman! When Dr. Caballeron disguises himself as an author to tell his side of the story of his interactions with Daring Do, Rainbow sets off to expose him. However, Caballeron is able to convince Fluttershy to join his side and join his quest for the Truth Talisman which can only be accessed by a pegasus. Rainbow panics and has Daring Do go with her to find Fluttershy. Zachary joins in the saga and is determined to end this once and for all. Will Rainbow be able to find Fluttershy, or will Dr. Caballeron be sneaky enough in successfully hiding Fluttershy?
Until then, my fellow readers