Princess Celestia sighed at the scene before her. Two of her guards were currently escorted a pink unicorn to a holding cell were she would await her judgement. After the incident in “our town”, Twilight sent a letter with details of Starlight and her escape. It didn't take long for the royal guard to track Starlight down and take her into custody. However, the efficiency of her law system didn't lighten the load on Celestia's heart. How many unicorns has she seen corrupted by the power of magic? She opened her school for gifted unicorns in hopes of teaching would be power mongers moderation and a respect for magic, and while it certainly slowed the rate of new criminals popping up, it did not stop the most talented unicorns from seeking their own more sinister paths.
The Princess would always be thankful for discovering Twilight, her one in a million student who sought knowledge for the sake of helping Equestria. She even succeeded in becoming a Princess herself, when there had been so many dismal failures. “Is something wrong, sister?” Luna asked, approaching the older Alicorn.
“Oh? Sorry Luna, I didn't hear you coming. I was just thinking about all the unicorns that have had to be imprisoned over the years, a lot of which were my own students.”
“Yes, I have seen the records. It is a shame. It seems that every unicorn either has no interest in pursuing magic, loses interest before becoming great or attempts conquest.”
“All of the most talented ones, the ones that could change Equestria for the better all end up fleeing the land or getting stuck in our prisons,” Celestria sighed once again. “Why does it always end up the same, save Twilight of course.”
Luna, wanting to cheer her sister up, wracked her brain for until she remembered something.
“What about your other student? The one previous to Twilight?”
“Sunset?” Celestia asked, “She lives on the other side of the portal now after her attempts at stealing Twilight's crown.”
“Yes, but hasn't she learned the magic of friendship and even assisted Twilight in defeating the Sirens?” Luna countered.
Celestia thought to herself. It was true. Sunset is the only other magically talented unicorn that lives a peaceful and satisfied life, despite her past wrong doings. Maybe there was hope. If Sunset could be reformed, then why not the others? But how could Celestia do it? Her ideas over centuries failed, but all it took for Sunset was for her to... meet... Twilight.
Celestia beamed at her new idea as a grin formed on her face. “Um, sister? Are you feeling better?” Luna asked cautiously.
“Much, thank you Luna,” Celestia responded without even looking her sister's way. “I have some things to do now, so please excuse me.”
“Um... Sure?” Luna shrugged, watching her sister's retreating form.
Celestia walked towards her chambers, already working out the details of her plan. “I'll only experiment with it first. Maybe only two or three ponies at first to see of she can handle it. And I already have three in mind. I can have two transported from the dungeon to Ponyville, but Twilight will need to contact Sunset. Yes, if the others can see how Sunset's life has been turned around, it'll set a great example for the others. Maybe, just maybe, this will work! But first, I need to send a letter to Twilight.”
The next day, over in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash sped through the doors of the castle and quickly took her seat only to be met with the disapproving stares of her friends. “What?”
“Yer twenty minutes late, Dash,” Applejack said blankly.
“So I took a nap and lost track of time. No big, right? Right? ... Anyways, you've got some big news Twi?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.
“Yes. Last night I received a letter from the Princess who has a new task for me and I-”
“Hey, is that the portal?” Rainbow interrupted.
“I was getting to that,” Twilight grumbled.
“ Oh, hehe, sorry.”
“As I was saying, the Princess tasked me with taking charge of a new program to rehabilitate criminal unicorns and requested that I even bring in Sunset Shimmer to be an example of what these other unicorns could be. So I invited all of you here today to formally introduce her to you.”
“Wow Twilight, you got a new responsibility and you're still so calm?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “You've come a long way.”
“Thank you,” Twilight smiled at the compliment.
“You should of seen her last night. She was practically crashing through the walls in her panic,” Spike chuckled.
Twilight's cheeks reddened as her friends all laughed. After the mirth subsided, Fluttershy spoke up. “If you're that worried, why not ask for help?”
“Oh, I probably be fine with Sunset around. And besides, I'm also supposed to be helping them with advanced magic. There's not much you guys can help in that department.”
“You know, I'm a unicorn, Twilight” Rarity said with a slight frown.
Twilight smiled nervously at her friend. “Uh, yes, but you see, I didn't think you'd care about teaching magic...”
“I care enough to help a friend. I could be your assistant. Ooh! I even have the perfect outfit!”
“Well, um, you know we'll be dealing with criminals. Do you think you can keep them under control?”
“Might I remind you of who my younger sister is?”
“Right,” Twilight sighed in defeat. “Okay, you can be my assistant. How about the rest of you?”
“To much work t'do on the farm.”
“Sorry, but I gotta go back to the Wonderbolt's academy in a few days.”
“The cakes are going out of town and I have to babysit.”
“Eep! I mean, they are criminals and, I, uh, need, um, watch... my... table?”
“Alright,” Twilight turned to Rarity, “The pris, er, um, 'students' will be arriving tomorrow morning at nine. Is that good with you?”
“Of course, darling. I'll be ready and willing,” Rarity smiled back.
“Good,” Twilight sighed again.
She thought Rarity might be a little... delicate when it came to dealing with common criminals, but there was no backing out now.
At that moment, the portal next to the table flashed and spat out a bacon-maned pony. Sunset picked herself up and looked at the others. “Um... Hi?”
Not one second passed before she was tackled by a pink blur and bombarded with questions.
After the greeting passed and the others left, Twilight turned to her former enemy. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“After all that you've helped me with, this is nothing. Besides, summer break just started, so I have plenty of spare time,” Sunset responded cheerily.
“Well thanks, it really means a lot to me. Tonight you can stay in the guest room, but when the others arrive, you'll have to bunk with them.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. I'm supposed to be another student that will help influence the others into changing their ways. I got it all in your letter.”
“Good. Just one more thing,” Twilight looked nervous as she levitated a ring over to Sunset, “put this on your horn.”
“Why?” Sunset looked at the ring suspiciously.
“It restrains your magic. The others have to wear them too. Don't worry, the attuned to my magic so that I can release you at a moments notice.”
“Restrains, huh? Didn't think you were into that, Sparkle,” Sunset replied with a smirk.
It took a moment for Twilight to catch on to what Sunset was implying, but when she did, her face decided to resemble a tomato. “That's not, I mean, it's standard-”
“Relax, I'm just messing with ya,” Sunset chuckled. “So where's the guest room?”
Twilight sighed as she started leading her friend. “I hope I'm not in over my head,” the princess mumbles to herself.
Author's Note
So this is the set up. This is my first time posting on this site, so any reviews or criticisms will be welcomed. I'm not sure how often I'll update, but if people like it, I'll try to get chapters out as soon as I can. As I said in the description, I am a Twixie fan and so this will be a Twixie story and not a harem.
Anyways, that's it and I hope you enjoyed reading.
“Okay, I think we go over it one more time,” Twilight suggested as she paced back and forth in front of Sunset and Spike.
Sunset let out a sigh. “Do we have to? We've already gone over the checklist like a dozen times!”
“Welcome to my life,” Spike whispered to the unicorn.
“Anyways,” Twilight started with a glare, “we are going to pass you off as another unicorn in need of reformation so that you can gain the others trust and help them along in our lessons.”
“I know, Twilight,” Sunset sighed again.
“Sorry, I'm just worried,” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Are you sure that you're OK without your magic?”
“I already lived without it for a few years in the human world. I think I can survive for a few weeks here,” Sunset replied.
“And do you think you can pretend to be a ne'er do well?”
“I was one,” Sunset looked bitter at the memory.
“But now your here to help teach the lessons in friendship!” Twilight was quick to point out.
“True,” Sunset's frown turned into a smile.
Twilight smiled back before continuing her inquisition. “And do you think you can get the others to trust you?”
“Twi, I got a whole high school to listen to my every word. These guys should be no problem.”
“Well I'm glad you're confident. The others should be arriving soon, so we should-”
At that moment the doors burst open to reveal Rarity, clad in purple jacket, patched at the knees, half-rim spectacles and her mane tied up in a bun. “I'm here and ready to dazzle!”
“Rarity!? Why are you dressed like that?” Twilight asked.
“I think she looks great...” Spike said dreamily.
“Well darling, the teacher look is so in right now and I have been dying to find an excuse to wear this little outfit,” Rarity replied, doing a little spin to show herself off.
“Okay, but you do know that these aren't going to be school foals, right? They're going to be criminals.” Twilight responded, shaking her head lightly.
Rarity stopped mid spin and started to tear up. “A-are you saying that I can't wear it?”
Twilight sighed. “No, you can wear it. You look great.”
Rarity began bouncing in place. “Oh, thank you, darling! I'll make sure to do my best and help where ever I can. And what about you, Sunset? What do you think?”
Sunset, who had been staring blankly at Rarity, slowly began to blink. “Sorry, you just sort of brought up a lot of bad memories I had with the teachers at Canterlot High and I'm sort of inclined to hate you.”
“Er, I don't follow,” Rarity tilted her head, confused.
“It's fine, you don't have too,” Sunset replied. “I'll go wait in the classroom.”
“You mean the library?” Twilight asked.
“Right, that,” Sunset answered before trotting off.
“Well, the new arrivals should be here any moment now. Shall we go wait for them?” Twilight turned to her ivory friend.
“Of course,” Rarity responded happily.
“H-hey! Wait for me,” Spike shouted, running after the duo.
Not even ten minutes passed before an enclosed carriage pulled by a pair of royal guards landed in front of Twilight's castle. One of the guards unhooked himself and stepped forward, bowing to the princess. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, we are here to deliver the first members of the reformation project. Are you ready to take them into your custody?”
Twilight blushed lightly at the guard's formalities, but nodded. “I am.”
The guard rose and walked back to the carriage. “Very well. First presenting one Starlight Glimmer.”
The carriage door opened and the familiar pink unicorn stepped out, her eyes hatefully glued to Twilight. “Sparkle.”
“Starlight!?” Twilight stepped back in surprise. She wasn't expecting somepony that she so recently ran into.
“First you destroy my utopia, and now I'm supposed to be some lab rat in your experiment?” Starlight spat.
“I-” Twilight tried to reply.
“Enough!” the guard shouted, startling Starlight and Twilight. “The other pony joining you today is one Beatrix Lulamoon.
Tentatively stepping out of the carriage, the blue magician kept her gaze to the ground and pout on her lips. “Oh, my,” Rarity whispered.
If Twilight was shocked before, she was now stunned. She thought that Trixie had changed for the better. “Trixie? Why are you here?”
Without lifting her head, Trixie responded “I enslaved an entire town, Sparkle. All it took is for one pony to press charges against Trixie for the guards to start hunting her down.”
“Ms Lulamoon is actually a very well behaved prisoner,” the guard added. “Princess Celestia would have pardoned her long ago if it would not set a bad example for the Equestrian law system. We believe she was chosen for this program so that her sentence could be ended as quickly as possible.”
“Well that should be easy. Don't worry Trixie, I believe you'll pass this course easily. All you have to do is trust me,” Twilight said, trotting to the performer and giving her a big smile.
Trixie looked up slightly before her eyes dilated and her cheeks turned crimson. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no use for this course, Sparkle,” Trixie began to rant, “Trixie will pass easily for there is nothing that she needs to learn. It will be foal's play.”
“Huh, it's been a while since she's done that,” the guard muttered.
Twilight blinked a few times before speaking. “Um... OK. Rarity, would you mind showing these two to the library while I finish up with the guards?”
“Of course, darling,” Rarity hesitated for a moment, just as confused as the others.
Trixie stuck up her nose as she walked into the castle while Starlight followed, snickering at the display. She was glad that somepony knocked the special little princess down a peg, closer to everypony else, where she belonged. “Right this way, ladies. And I won't tolerate any outbursts, understood?” Rarity explained as she closed the door behind them.
As soon as the door closed, Trixie's eyes fell back to the floor. “Right, sorry.”
Rarity looked back at the blue unicorn. How odd. Why is she so polite now? What could have triggered her back there? The seamstress could only shrug as she continued towards the library. She led the others through the doorway and to the table that Sunset was sitting. “And this is our other guest who will be joining us in these lessons. Starlight, Trixie, meet Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon.” Rarity introduced the other unicorns to each other.
Sunset lazily looked over to the new comers. “Sup?”
Starlight rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Sunset while Trixie sat a couple seats down. Twilight soon walked in and faced the the group. “Alright! Are you girls ready? Sunset?”
“I guess anything's better than going back to prison,” Sunset winked to the Alicorn.
Twilight nodded. “Good. Starlight?”
“Sure! Let's all of us inferior criminals learn from the superior Princess. Maybe one day, we'll be a fraction of how special and important she is!” Starlight replied sarcastically.
“That's not true, Starlight. One of the benefits of friendship is building off each others strengths and learning from each other. I hope that you'll teach me something too.”
“Bah!” Starlight spat as she turned her head away.
Twilight sighed, but continued. “And what about you, Trixie?”
Trixie immediately shrank in her seat. “Come on, we'll be studying advance magic. Doesn't that sound fun?” Twilight pressed.
Trixie leaped out her seat, a cocky grin plastered on her face. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no need for your teachings, Sparkle. She is the greatest unicorn to ever live. In fact, Trixie is confident that she could best you if we were to have another duel, if it weren't for this accursed ring upon her horn.”
Twilight sighed. “This isn't going to be as easy as I hoped.”
Meanwhile, Rarity studied the interactions intently. Trixie seems to become boastful whenever Twilight approaches her. Is it because Twilight's the one who wounded her ego, or could be something else? Either way, Rarity was going to figure this out.
