Twilight, Sunset, and Spike began making their way over to the School of Friendship, now that they were given the full extent regarding the Stagma Beetle infestation. It was around this time, Twilight understood that graduation at CHS was approaching even sooner than expected, urging the princess to remind her friend of the upcoming big event. After all, it would’ve seemed extremely unfair to force Sunset to miss her graduation at the one school she had spent nearly her entire human life at. Twilight then remembered the magical clock she had put into Sunset’s journal, and decided to tap her friend on the shoulder.

“So, Sunset?” Twilight addressed her friend and pupil from behind. “While we certainly appreciate everything you’ve done to help us acquire the Dragonstone, I’m getting a little more worried about your time in Equestria. Your graduation at CHS should be coming up pretty soon, so I was admittedly wondering if you wanted to return to your world now?”

“Oh, the graduation, that’s right…” Sunset replied, understanding that time would be particularly tight. “Well, if you really think it’s best, maybe I should go back now. Though I should probably check the time in the human world through my journal, since you gave me that magical clock. But my journal’s in… wait… where’s my saddlebag? It just occurred to me that I never took it with me on that expedition. Uh oh, did it possibly get stolen!?”

“No need to worry about that, Sunset.” Twilight assured. “Remember how you left the meeting room to confront Chestnut on your own? Well, that’s where you left it at, and I made sure to keep it in a safe place.”

The princess then used her magic to poof up the saddlebag, which was hidden away in a discreet location in the castle.

“Well, I’m glad I can always count on my friends, I would have been really upset if it went missing.” Sunset opened up her saddlebag and began searching for her journal, before taking out her Señor G. Echo plush.

“Ooh, is that…?” Twilight gasped, realizing what the plush was based on. “Señor G. Echo!? I remember Celestia showing me that puppet show in Canterlot, when I was just a filly!”

“I guess that makes two of us.” Sunset giggled, whilst holding her plush, affectionately. “Princess Celestia gave this back to me when I was visiting her in Silver Shoals. The story surrounding how I found it in the first place? It’s a pretty wild one, but it definitely embodied the heroes thwarting the villains in the end, much like one of his episodes. Are you rather surprised there’s merchandise of Señor G. Echo?”

“Well, sort of.” Twilight replied. “I mean, it’s been around for a long time, and I’ve heard that many older ponies used to watch it when they were younger. It’s just that I didn’t expect to see a plushie of him, I always believed they were nothing more than a rumor. So if this is actually real, I’d have to imagine that toy would be pretty valuable?”

“Oh, you could say that again.” Sunset grinned with confidence, knowing how she and her adoptive mother had foiled the nefarious schemes of Flim and Flam, much like the superhero leopard gecko himself would’ve done. “The fact that I even have this because of Princess Celestia, well, that certainly makes it a whole lot more special and priceless.”

“That’s very interesting to hear, Sunset.” Twilight smiled. “I’m glad you were able to find that toy, and I’m sure it holds a lot of special memories for you. But for now… we should probably get back on track. You wanted to check the time in the human world through your journal, right?”

“Yeah, good call.” Sunset continued digging through her saddlebag, until she found the clock within her journal. “Hmm, so it’s only a little past 3 PM in the human world, that means I only have about one and a half days left before graduation. But… it seems I also have a message here from the other… you. Remember, the version of you who wears glasses? Pretty sure you’ve met her before in both worlds.”

“I have, not every day you get to see another version of yourself from another world.” Twilight recalled. “So with that much time left, if you really need to get back to the human world now, I’d completely understand. The council and I will sort out what to do about Chestnut, so that you won’t have to miss out on graduation. How does that sound?”

“Actually, hold that thought, Twilight.” Sunset began reading Human Twilight’s message. “According to the other you, graduation at CHS has for some reason… been pushed back a day. She even included a picture of a notice signed by the principal herself. That means I have a little more time to help save Equestria, like I originally intended. Besides, I made a promise to Flash before he sacrificed himself, that I would stop Chestnut, no matter the cost.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I’m sure Flash wouldn’t have held that promise over your head, if it entailed missing out on your big day.” Twilight elaborated. “He might’ve simply meant that we should all use the Dragonstone to our fullest potential, and foil Chestnut’s plans when the time’s right.”

“You make a good point there.” Sunset thought back to Flash’s final moments before the sacrifice on Everfree Island. “But I still feel like I owe it to Flash, I can’t just abandon this endeavor to save Equestria now. Besides, if we wait until after my graduation, Chestnut might do something even more horrible to Equestria, very soon. I wouldn’t want to risk that, and come back through the portal, only to suddenly see that ruined future we saw with Starlight.”

“Hmm, alright… I understand.” Twilight nodded, appreciating Sunset’s willingness to stick around even longer than she had originally planned. “Sometimes, such things must be done, especially when it comes to having the responsibility to protect Equestria, now that Celestia and Luna are retired. In that case, we should probably head on over to the School of Friendship, meet up with the rest of the council, and decide where to go from there.”

But just as Twilight, Sunset, and Spike were about to do just that, a familiar security stallion stepped out of the castle, requesting the princess in regards to an urgent matter.

“Uhhh, Princess Twilight?” Max Steele addressed from atop the staircase. “We… have a bit of a problem.”

“What’s going on, Mr. Steele?” Twilight turned around, curious at what had happened. “You escorted Captain Spruce to the Canterlot dungeon, correct?”

“Well, yes.” Max replied, before he was about to address the more alarming news. “However, after locking him up to await his trial, I was patrolling the other cell blocks, and realized something quite alarming! Indigo Zap’s cell had been melted open, and the pegasus herself had escaped!”

“Escaped?!” Twilight shrieked. “But how could that be? We thought she was being held in the most secure cell of the entire Canterlot dungeon!”

“We may still have hope at figuring out what had happened.” Max began explaining. “Sour Sweet was in the cell directly across from hers, and she claimed to have witnessed what had happened. However, as best as I’ve tried to interrogate her, she’s refusing to spill the beans.”

“In that case, we should try to get some more information out of Sour Sweet.” Twilight said, rather determined to get answers from the one royal guard who had been proven to abuse her authority. “We’ll head into the dungeon and see if she’ll listen to us, instead. Be sure to keep an eye out for anything else suspicious here in Canterlot, Mr. Steele. Especially any red beetles.”

“Yes, Princess.” Max nodded, before Sunset, Twilight, and Spike went on their way.

The trio had rushed into the dungeon faster than Pinkie Pie chasing an ice cream cart. When they had approached the dungeon’s main corridor, they passed by the cell containing Captain Spruce, who was still atoning for his crimes from earlier. Eventually, the two mares and dragon saw that the cell with Indigo Zap’s inmate number had seen better days. The bars were melted away, and as expected, the pegasus herself was nowhere to be seen. As such, the only pony who could’ve seen anything at all, was sitting directly across from Indigo’s cell, the former royal guard who had attempted to abuse her authority by wrongfully convicting Sunset during the day of Twilight’s coronation.

“Sour Sweet.” Twilight turned to her former royal guard. “I do believe that since you were the only pony down here who could’ve witnessed what had happened, you owe us an explanation. What happened to that pegasus directly across from you?”

“Well, good to see you too, Princess… but I didn’t see anything…” Sour Sweet began innocently, before turning into a more grouchy demeanor. “I was just sleeping, so why don’t you get off my back!? Especially since you’re with that pony who got me locked up in here in the first place!”

“You fully know well that you selfishly tried to imprison Sunset over some bonus, and that you’ve been abusing your authority for far too long!” Twilight raised her wings in hostility. “Now, I suggest you tell us exactly what happened in here, or I may add additional consequences when it comes time for your trial!”

“Like I care about that anymore!” Sour Sweet huffed. “I already know how you work, Princess! You can’t fool me with your bluff.”

“Alright, is that how you want to play things?” Sunset began, ready to add her own bargain. “How about… if you give us the answers we want, we’ll let you out of your cell?”

“Err, Sunset?” Spike began, unsure of Sunset’s plans. “Are you sure that’s a good-”

“Trust me, Spike.” Sunset replied, pretty confident with where she was going with her bargain.

“Ooh, for real?” Sour Sweet began with her usual sweet demeanor, before shifting back into her sour mood. “Alright, fine. Listen up, cause I’m only gonna say this once.”

Sour Sweet then began sharing a flashback from her perspective, as it had already been a few days since she had lost her position as a royal guard, and was doing some hard time. Indigo Zap had just been brought into the prison by Max Steele, whom Sour Sweet didn’t really care much about, since she was still bitter about everything earlier on that week. The two had merely engaged in small talk, though their conversations didn’t really go much beyond recognizing that Sunset Shimmer was the main reason they were both behind bars.

“Ugh, I can’t believe we both got thrown in prison because of that unicorn!” Indigo groaned, rather frustrated.

“Well, what’d you expect, huh?” Sour Sweet huffed. “She’s the princess’s best friend now, so there was nothing we could do about it.”

“And a smart one, too.” Indigo added. “So that checks out, for sure. I still can’t believe she saw through me, I would’ve expected my performance as Dash to have been convincing, but she just had to be such a killjoy. I don’t even know who I should be getting my revenge on, that unicorn, or Dash herself…”

As Indigo was thinking of nothing more than a way to potentially get her revenge, something else in the corner began to get her attention. A strange noise coming from within her cell, almost sounding as if something was scratching at her walls.

“Oh great…” Indigo growled. “Are there seriously mice down here too?”

Suddenly, the noises had stopped, before something began to crawl out of a small crevice within the floor. It was a lone Stagma Beetle, who had gotten separated from the rest of the swarm. The beetle had made its presence more apparent by burping, as a result of eating Postcrush’s wedding cake. This not only caught Indigo’s attention, but even startled her, when she saw that the burp had caused it to breathe a small wave of fire.

“What the heck is this thing, a cockroach dragon hybrid?” Indigo questioned, never having seen one of these before. “Hey, wait a minute, if it can breathe fire…”

“What are you doing?” Sour Sweet said from her cell, unsure of what was happening in the cell across from hers.

“Hey, little guy.” Indigo said to the beetle, whilst offering it her hoof. “You want to be my friend and help bust us out of here-”

But before the pegasus could even finish, the beetle had immediately attempted to bite her, wanting another meal after having dessert. Indigo narrowed her eyes at this, realizing this strange bug was going to put up a fight, but decided it was her only hope at melting away her prison bars. Suddenly, Indigo had come up with an ingenious plan to help her escape.

“Alright, little guy.” Indigo said to the beetle, before whacking it against the wall. “You really want to cook me up and have me for dinner? Try and get me, then!”

The beetle stood up from the sudden attack, now enraged. As Indigo tempted it to breathe fire by teasingly standing still and acting like a large target, the Stagma Beetle began breathing wave after wave of its fire breath, whilst the pegasus strategically dodged every volley of it. After a while of this, the prison bars behind Indigo had become hot enough to become liquid metal. Indigo saw her opportunity, before picking up a nearby stone, and using it to carve out a whole big enough in the bars for her escape. She had done this just in time, as the bars quickly cooled down and returned to their solid state, rather quickly.

The Stagma Beetle meanwhile, had become exhausted and frustrated with Indigo’s little game, before hissing at the pegasus and escaping back through the crevice, hoping to reunite with the whole swarm. Not even questioning her luck, Indigo slipped out of her cell’s melted bars and trotted over to Sour Sweet, rather surprised to see such a escape.

“Well, what do you know?” Indigo smirked at how well her plan had worked. “Now I can go and get my revenge on a certain somepony. Too bad for you, huh? You’ll have to serve your sentence, it seems.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sour Sweet frowned. “You’re just going to leave me here?”

“It’s not like I owe you anything.” Indigo shrugged, before making her way out of the dungeon. “But if it makes you feel any better though, I’ll get revenge for both of us!”

Indigo then made her way out of the dungeon with her incredible speed, completely throwing the guards off balance, and unsure of what they had just witnessed. The guards simply assumed it was most likely another royal guard in a hurry, as they didn’t get a clear view of who the pegasus truly was. The flashback then ended, leaving Sunset, Twilight, and Spike rather worried.

“So, Indigo really did manage to escape because of one of those pests.” Twilight sighed. “I really hope there’s a way for us to truly deal with the infestation here in Canterlot.”

“Hey, now that I’ve spilled the beans, a deal’s a deal.” Sour Sweet huffed. “Please, could you be nice for once, and open my little cell?”

“Forget it!” Spike spat. “There’s no way we’re really going to let you out, you still have plenty of time to serve! I’m sure Sunset was only saying that just to get you to talk, isn’t that right?”

“No, I was being serious.” Sunset kept her promise to Sour Sweet. “Twilight, could you please open her cell? She’s still in hoofcuffs, so I’m sure she can’t make it far, anyways.”

“Even after all the trouble she caused you on my coronation day?” Twilight hesitated for a moment, but felt as though she could trust Sunset on matters as serious as this. “Alright… I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Twilight used her horn to input the magical code needed to open the dungeon cell in front of her. Shortly after, the bars had begun to rise, leaving an open space for Sour Sweet to leave her cell.

“Well then, thanks a bunch for releasing me.” Sour Sweet said, as she exited her confinement space. “I guess in that case, I’ll be free to head on home-”

“Not so fast.” Sunset grabbed Sour Sweet by the hoof, a grip strong enough to where she couldn’t wander off on her own. “While I may’ve asked Twilight to release you, I didn’t say that you were off the hook, now did I? In fact, there’s something you could do to help us.”

“Let go of me, you brat!” Sour Sweet spat, trying to wriggle out of Sunset’s grip. “You’re actually going to hold my freedom for ransom!? How dare you! I refuse to help you in any way, you understand!?”

“Alright, if that’s really how you feel, then you can go on ahead back into your cell.” Sunset replied, before turning to Twilight. “By the way, Twilight? How long is the sentence for somepony convicted of the same crimes as her?”

“Abusing authority and committing fraud are both very serious offences.” Twilight recalled the rulebook regarding Equestrian law. “If found guilty in trial, she may serve a sentence of up to 20 years, with no chance of probation.”

“WHAT!?” Sour Sweet screeched in outrage. “That’s ridiculous! I didn’t even do anything that bad!”

“But it’s definitely where you’re headed, if you choose this path you’re currently on.” Sunset continued explaining. “If you help us with some more important matters, which may even include tracking down Indigo Zap’s whereabouts, we may consider some leniency on your sentence. What do you think, Twilight?”

“That sounds fair enough, but I think we should first discuss this with Celestia and Luna before-” Twilight began, but remembered her former mentors were now retired. “Oh… that’s right, we can’t really do that anymore, so it really is up to me now. But what are you suggesting specifically, Sunset? Would this be like a bit of a probation period for Sour Sweet, to see if she can appeal for her crimes, and prove she’d be unlikely to reoffend?”

“Exactly, Twilight.” Sunset nodded. “We’d like to give her a chance to redeem herself by working with us. Even if she ended up abusing her authority, Flash mentioned that she’s still had many years of experience as a royal guard, so I’m sure she’d be able to help us wherever we need her. Now, Sour Sweet, are you with us?”

“Alright, I suppose if you’ll give me a little chance.” Sour Sweet began sweetly, but changed her tone rather quickly. “But if I end up getting stuck with that ridiculous sentence anyways, I’m holding you both responsible for not keeping your promises.”

“Since I’m now in charge of the courtroom procedures here in Canterlot, I can assure you, Sour Sweet.” Twilight explained. “I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you, depending on how well your performance is. So, I think Sunset’s made a pretty fair proposal, especially after all the trouble you’ve caused for her. In other words, you’ll be released temporarily, and will follow any orders given to you by either Sunset, myself, or the council. And rest assured, if I get any report of you misbehaving, acting unreasonable, or ditching your duties, I’ll not only maximize your sentence, but also make certain that you’ll never find another job in Equestria ever again.”

“Fine… I’ll do it.” Sour Sweet groaned. “Just don’t expect me to be all sweet and happy about this.”

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before making all those terrible decisions over the years.” Spike folded his arms.

“I know it sounds difficult now, but I know from experience that if you want everypony to give you another chance, you have to work hard to prove it.” Sunset reflected her time at CHS doing just that. “Alright, Twilight. Now that we’ve understood what’s happened here, and made a deal with Sour Sweet, we should all head on over to this… School of Friendship place?”

“Sounds good to me.” Twilight replied, as the entire group was making their way out of the dungeon, with the Dragonstone being carried by Spike.

Once everyone had exited the main castle, Twilight had instructed two nearby royal guards to bring them all over to the School of Friendship by using the royal chariot. The guards did as they were instructed, carrying the three ponies and dragon from Canterlot to Ponyville. After reaching their destination, the group got off of the chariot, ready to make their way inside. However, the guards specifically escorted Sour Sweet inside, and made certain to not let her out of their sight, as instructed by the princess herself. Sunset, Twilight, and Spike began making their way to the school, but as they were doing so, the princess voiced what was on her mind.

“Out of curiosity, Sunset?” Twilight began to inquire. “What gave you the idea to give Sour Sweet a chance to turn her life around?”

“Well, we did the same with that pirate captain.” Sunset reflected. “I also befriended somepony else on Everfree Island, whom I didn’t really think I’d get along with, so I figured we could still give Sour Sweet a fair chance. I know she was horrible to me, but she seemed really lonely and unhappy in there. I just figured that maybe if we gave her a chance to prove herself, she might change for the better. Plus, with the circumstances we’re all currently dealing with, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“It’s a pretty interesting approach to be open-minded.” Twilight nodded. “I know I can be rather harsh and judgmental at times, which isn’t always the best way to handle things. Even though you’re not officially a member of the council, I’d imagine you’d still be a great mentor and advisor for us.”

“Well, I’m flattered you think that.” Sunset smiled. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time in the human world, it’s that sometimes, the worst of us can surprise you in great ways. In fact, it was my human friends who taught me that you can always give someone a chance to prove themselves, no matter how bad they’ve been in the past. And they’ve shaped me into the leader I am now, determined to help her friends, and especially to save Equestria from Chestnut Magnifico.”

“Your leadership skills with your human friends are really shining, especially after everything we had just been through on Everfree Island.” Twilight said with confidence. “Though if we’re going to further investigate as a means of tracking down Chestnut, we unfortunately might have to split up for a while. There’s still research that needs to be done, on top of figuring out what specifically we need, in taking down a foe with the Bewitching Bell at their disposal.”

“I’m sure we can still figure something out, as long as we put our mind to it.” Sunset insisted. “After all, the most important thing is to not give up. Though I’m curious, how do we move forward when it comes to splitting up?”

“I can arrange search party groups with the rest of the council.” Twilight began planning everything out. “We’d also need to check in every once in a while, to discuss our progress and share any new information we’ve gathered.”

“And to keep in touch, we could use magical journals, like the one you use to communicate with Twilight.” Spike suggested. “I’d volunteer to be the messenger through scrolls, but… well, you know why I’m out of commission now. But on a lighter note, the School of Friendship should be… just around the corner.”

“Alright, I guess this means I’ll finally get to see this school, that you and Starlight have vaguely mentioned.” Sunset turned to Twilight. “Pretty impressive how you technically now own two different schools, including the one I used to study at.”

“Impressive, but definitely a lot of work.” Twilight giggled. “You should’ve seen how many papers I’ve had to grade last term. It was still worth it though, especially since we’ve formed one of the most diverse communities to pursue an education in friendship.”

“Been noticing that ever since I’ve taken an extended return in Equestria, especially when I saw dragons, changelings, and yaks all over Ponyville.” Sunset recalled, before the trio finally stood at the front of the School of Friendship.

“Here we are!” Twilight said, almost as if she was giving Sunset an exclusive tour. “What do you think, Sunset?”

“Wow, this is a school?” Sunset reacted with astonishment. “It looks like a pristine palace! Look at the waterfalls, the architecture, the… the…”

“Yeah, I guess you could say a little budget and hard work can really go a long way.” Twilight looked proudly at her institution. “But in this case, the hardest part was actually convincing Chancellor Neighsay to approve of everything.”

“Well, you definitely know how to set up an incredible learning environment!” Sunset admired the school’s design. “This place looks even more luxurious than what I was accustomed to back in Canterlot. You might even be capable of running a Friendship University!”

“Err, let’s just say there’s a personal reason why I specifically chose not to endorse in something like that.” Twilight alluded to the Film Flam brothers doing just this a while back. “But regardless, I appreciate your feedback on the very establishment that I built from the ground up. It’s always a good feeling to be acknowledged for something you’ve dedicated your time and heart into.”

“Second that.” Sunset agreed, before returning to what they were focusing toward. “Alright, so I guess we should now be searching for Starlight and the rest of the council? Where would they most likely be?”

“Given how Starlight’s the new headmare of the school, we’ll most likely find her in her office.” Twilight believed.

“Headmare?” Sunset said, rather confused. “I remember her telling me she was the guidance counselor.”

“She was, but this change was very recent, so I suppose she hadn’t really gotten used to the new position just yet.” Twilight shrugged. “I remember hearing the story of how it all happened, it was pretty crazy. In the end, Trixie’s the new student counselor, but… I wasn’t too wild about the idea.”

“Knowing Trixie, I can see where you’re coming from.” Sunset leaned toward Twilight’s belief, as they entered the school and trotted down the hallways. “I mean, she can get a little rambunctious and full of herself from time to time, but we can still get along pretty well. Though I’m mostly speaking from experience with the… other Trixie. Not sure I could see her as a responsible student counselor at CHS if she’s too busy taking selfies of herself eating peanut butter crackers.”

“You and me both, though I’m still happy for the fact that she made a huge contribution in helping Starlight turn her life around.” Twilight agreed, before noticing they were finally approaching the headmare’s office. “Oh, looks like we’re here now!”

“Hello, may we come in?” Spike knocked on the door, awaiting a response.

“Come on in!” Sunburst announced, before the trio entered the office, and saw that there seemed to be trouble.

Starlight and Sunburst were in the middle of consulting a matter that was rather crucial to the school, but they were unsure of a potential solution to their dilemma.

“Hey, Sis!” Sunburst said to Sunset, before realizing it was a bit informal. “Errr… you don’t mind me calling you that, do you? Now that we know we share the same dad?”

“It’s fine, especially since we’re proven to be half siblings.” Sunset shrugged. “Anyways, judging from the looks on you and Starlight’s faces… I’m guessing there’s something wrong?”

“That would be an understatement.” Starlight sighed, before explaining. “You know that urgent matter that Sunburst had to call me back to the school to resolve? Well, it turns out that Chancellor Neighsay is overseeing an inspection of how the school’s being run, now that test scores are up. The problem is, he’ll also be bringing the rest of the EEA board, and they all have pretty high expectations for us.”

“Well that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” Twilight analyzed the situation. “I can’t imagine Chancellor Neighsay will be as much of an issue now, considering we personally showed him how wrong he was, after we put an end to Cozy Glow’s plans.”

“That’d be my first thought too, Twilight.” Sunburst chimed in. “Except, this is Chancellor Neighsay we’re talking about here. I don’t really know that guy that well, but I know how ruthless he truly is. We really shouldn’t take any chances, especially since everypony on the EEA will be checking in on our performance, not just him.”

“We really need to go above and beyond for the EEA.” Starlight nodded. “We may have convinced Neighsay, but this is the first time that the entire board will be here. Who knows if they’ll even judge us for breathing incorrectly?”

“Well, if it helps, I’m sure you all know how to run a school by now.” Twilight assured. “You’ve both been doing well as headmare and vice headmare of the school, so you just need to keep on doing what you normally do. It’s obvious to me at least, that you’ve all been working hard.”

“Even so, the board also mentioned that they were really looking forward to meeting with the student counselor, to potentially get some insight on how the students have been performing so well.” Starlight elaborated. “And as you all know… that’s Trixie. Need I say more?”

“I understand the concern, but I don’t think we should let that affect our performance.” Twilight replied. “I’m sure we can find a way to showcase the school’s strengths without putting Trixie in the spotlight. Besides, even if she does say something out of line, we’ll be there to back her up.”

“And that’s another thing.” Sunburst spoke up. “We don’t even know where Trixie’s gone off to. We’ve tried to get in contact with her the past few hours, but… nothing. She may’ve only just started as the new student counselor, but I can’t say I’m impressed with her performance so far. Besides, not having the student counselor here? That won’t be a good look for the school, how are we going to explain that to the board?”

“We’ll just have to make sure that we’re extra prepared for anything that comes our way, then.” Twilight said with confidence. “I’m sure Trixie will turn up eventually. In the meantime, let’s focus on making the school look its best.”

Just then, a dragon student made her way into the office. She was accompanied by Pinkie and a changeling student, after hearing that the princess had just arrived at the institution.

“Hey, Twilight!” Pinkie announced, as she brought the two students over to the princess. “So… the rest of us talked to Smolder here, and she mentioned that she was maybe interested in giving up her dragon fire.”

“Good work, Pinkie.” Twilight nodded, as the energetic pony left the room to let them discuss details. “Alright, Smolder? So you’re willing to give up your dragon fire for a greater cause?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Smolder nodded. “Since I’ve been going to this school and learning all about friendship, I figured I could demonstrate what I’ve learned. But… before I give it to you, I was also wondering if I could get something in exchange for it? It’s usually not the dragon’s tradition to simply give up something for free.”

“I understand, Smolder.” Twilight was willing to level with her student. “Of course, I’d be more than happy to discuss what you’d like in return. Just know that anything you ask for must also be for the greater good, and in line with the school’s values.”

“Oh, so I can’t ask for automatic A’s in all my classes?” Smolder teased. “Or better yet, a kiss from Spike?”

“W-What!?” Spike choked. “You… aren’t serious, are you?”

“I’m just playing with you.” Smolder snickered, though it left Spike a bit disappointed on the inside. “No, instead… I was wondering if I could ask for a little field trip with the rest of my closest friends here? Ocellus, could you give them the rundown?”

“Sure, Smolder.” The young changeling turned to the others. “Since we’ve all gotten our grades up, we were thinking of potentially exploring newer places around Equestria. Not only would it be educational, but also a lot of fun! In fact, we were specifically wondering if you could take us… here?”

Ocellus handed Twilight a brochure of Hope Hollow, which also directly advertised Slice-N-Shake, a pizzeria with an arcade in it. Seeing this, the princess became skeptical, and began to deduce the real reason Smolder and her friends wanted to take a field trip there.

“Listen, since you’ve all been doing exceptionally well in your classes, there’s no need to sugarcoat anything.” Twilight assured, as she set the brochure aside. “You actually want to take a field trip to this pizzeria arcade place, don’t you?”

“Well, uh…” Ocellus began nervously, but realized that she already messed up. “Alright, you got us! I guess I made things pretty obvious then, huh?”

“Okay, fine, we kinda wanted to go there, specifically.” Smolder crossed her arms. “So what? It’s not like we’re going to cause trouble or anything. We just want to have a little fun and enjoy ourselves, especially after getting our grades up.”

“Don’t worry, I never said that you couldn’t go to this pizzeria arcade place for your field trip.” Twilight assured. “But I’m thinking you didn’t pay too much attention during Applejack’s lectures about honesty. Regardless, I’m happy to hear that you’ll make this bargain to share with all your friends, and not just yourself. A nice demonstration of generosity and kindness, so it’d be an honor to say… yes, you and your friends may go here for a field trip.”

“Really?” Smolder became a little skeptical. “You’re not just saying that because you know I’m about to give up my dragon fire?”

“Come now, Smolder.” Twilight said with assurance. “I don’t think I’d be teaching every creature the values of honesty without embracing it all myself. Besides, it’d be very foolish to make promises I can’t keep, I know from experience.”

“Well, the field trip itself sounds perfectly reasonable.” Starlight voiced her own opinion on the matter. “However, with the upcoming school inspection by the EEA, we’ll need all the staff we can to make sure things go smoothly. Where are we going to get some teachers who can chaperone Smolder and her friends while they go in this trip?”

“Sounds like it’s a good thing I decided to stick around a bit longer in Equestria, then?” Sunset volunteered herself. “I may not exactly be a teacher, but I’ve led my own friends on many adventures before. What do you say, Twilight?”

“That’s a very kind offer, Sunset.” Twilight replied. “But are you sure you can handle it all on your own? I mean, these students are much younger than you, and you’d be responsible for their safety. It isn’t the same as simply hanging out with friends.”

“Don’t worry, I can handle it.” Sunset assured. “In fact hanging with my friends also often entailed working with them to ensure their safety, so I know I have that kind of experience. So, how about it?”

“Very well then, I trust that you’ll do a great job, Sunset.” Twilight nodded, before turning to Smolder and Ocellus. “As for the rest of you, remember to be on your best behavior and listen to Sunset. No shenanigans, alright?”

“Come on, now.” Smolder rolled her eyes. “When was the last time we tried anything cheeky?”

“Did you all forget when you were expecting to automatically graduate, simply because you helped save Equestria from Cozy Glow?” Spike reminded.

“Oh, right.” Ocellus blushed in embarrassment. “Good point, Spike.”

“If I may interject, I think there should be a minimum of at least two chaperones, just to be safe.” Sunburst advised. “Problem is, I don’t really know anypony else who’s available, if we’re all needed here at the school for the EEA.”

“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing we now have Sour Sweet.” Sunset reminded.