The Girls of Canterlot High
It was a windy, drizzly morning as Gem crossed the quad of Trottingham Prep, decked out in her men’s uniform and holding an umbrella in one hand, and her schedule in the other. "Let's see... European History I, Harrison Building, Room 35..."
Carrie, Gem's cousin, ran up alongside Gem, also holding an umbrella, wearing a pleated skirt in the school colors with a plain white blouse and blazer matching the skirt. "Hey, looks like I'm in the building next to yours. I have Mr. McCartney in the Epstein building for my Introduction to Chemistry class."
"McCartney? I've heard of him, he looks like the brother of that famous bass player." She smiles at Carrie, "Lucky we've got time before class. Did you sleep well? Is your roommate nice?"
Carrie sighs. "It's like sleeping next to a fog horn. Good thing I was able to concoct something to stop the noise or I'd be a wreck right now."
Gem chuckles, "Mine's not much better... and he talks. He kept waking me up having an extended discussion with someone about his great aunt's fruitcake."
She groans. "How are we gonna survive here?" she asks. "You know how I am around people in general, but to have to room with a stranger? For an entire year?"
Gem takes Carrie's hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Car. You've got me here, remember?"
“I know, and thank you," Carrie says , smiling.'
The warning bell tolls and Gem gasps. "I gotta go! See you later, and don't blow anything up! Again! At least wait a couple months!" She runs off into the distance.
Carrie chuckles, and dashes off to the opposite building. As she runs off, a girl appears on the quad, a strange device around her neck. She tries to talk to passing students, but no sound can be heard. She tries shouting, to no avail as silence remains. She looks sad as she trudges to her first class, wondering how she can explain this to her instructor.
Later that day, Gem is walking across the quad again from the dining hall, having just finished dinner. Carrie hadn't blown anything up, it seemed.
Carrie is sitting on one of the benches in the common area. She sees Gem and waves to her. Gem smiles and sits down beside her cousin, "So you made it! How was your first day?"
“Classes were fine, my instructors were nice," Carrie says. "I apologized to my ex-roommate earlier. They're assigning someone else to my room, so I'm out here while they move in. It was a simple noise dampener, I was in a hurry so I forgot to tell her how to shut it off. No placating some people, I guess."
"...Was that the girl I saw on the quad earlier today? She was wearing it around her neck." Gem blinks several times, "Oh, it was... it was, wasn't it?"
Carrie nods sadly. "That was little Foghorn." She looks up at the sky. "I'm hoping my new roommate isn't as bad. Or that they'll give up and let me go back home."
“And leave me here all alone? Without you?" Gem hugs Carrie tight, "I'll go back with you. You're the only person I trust to know my secret and not blab about it later."
"Oh, I don't wanna leave you alone," Carrie says, hugging Gem back. "But you know how I am. You get me. Other people think I'm weird, and I don't want to have to go through that again. And this whole sharing a room thing ... not a fan. I like my space."
A thought hits Gem. "Wait... I've got it! What if we were able to share a room together? Just the two of us?"
“That would be an optimal solution ... but impossible, the school would never allow it." She smiles at Gem. "Nice thought though, and thank you for considering it."
Gem smiles back, "What are cousins for?" She checks her watch, "I'd better get going... homework to do. Text me later though, okay?"
“I will. See you tomorrow." Carrie waves, then gets up and returns to the women's dormitory.
It was the week before finals, and Gem and Carrie decided to relax a bit before studying up. After checking to make sure that the dorm room was free of roommates, which it was, Gem goes to her closet and pulls out a blouse, a white bra with navy blue stripes, some napkins, a tube of dark green lipstick, and matching nail polish. She begins putting on each of these things, starting with the bra, followed by the blouse, and the makeup to finish. That done, she grabs her phone and texts Carrie: "Ready. Let's go out."
Carrie texts back: "Okay, be right there." She adjusts her clothes and grabs her handbag, and heads over toward the men's dorms.
That done, Gem slips her phone into the pocket of her jeans and smiles, giving herself a good look in a small hand mirror. Then she sits down, legs crossed, and waits for Carrie's signal.
Carrie arrives at the men's dorm, and scans around as best as she can. Seeing no one lurking around the lobby or main pathways, she texts Gem: "All clear, let's move." She continues to look around after she sends the text, in case someone shows up suddenly.
Another text comes: "Coming." And a few minutes later there follows the sound of footsteps, careful, as if their owner was afraid to walk too loudly. Gemini comes into view, and from this distance she looks... well, almost exactly like Carrie, but with shorter hair and larger hands. Gem smiles. "What do you think?"
Carrie looks Gem over carefully, walking around her to get the full picture. "Mostly okay, but I don't really think green's your color. Maybe something closer to natural, perhaps a shade darker than your normal color. You can keep the green nails, though."
She nods, "I think it brings out my eyes!" she remarks. Then, she takes a deep breath. "Okay, let's go... and hope no one looks too closely at me."
"You got it, Gem," Carrie says with a wink. Linking arms with Gem, the two stroll along the campus.
Unfortunately for both of them however, one of Carrie's teachers comes toward them, papers in hand. It's Mr. McCartney, the Intro to Chemistry teacher. "Miss Shadow, I would like a word with you, please!"
"Um ... okay. Will you be okay here, Gem?" she asks, looking concerned. She's not sure what's got Mr. McCartney so agitated that he'd seek her out after school hours, but she figured she'd have to listen to what the man said.
"I don't know," Gem says, looking worried. "I-" She's cut off as the teacher finally catches up with them, and thrusts the papers in Carrie's face for her to see. "I've just been sent the police report from last Tuesday. Security camera footage shows a young girl fitting your description was seen exiting the 'Merchant Loup' nightclub at 10:30pm. As you know, any Trottingham Prep student seen at that establishment -will- be expelled immediately. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" Then, and only then, does he notice Gem. He frowns more. "...Mister Shadow? Is that... is that you?"
Gem is too scared to say anything at all.
"I don't believe you've met my second cousin, Gemini Dream," Carrie says, stepping in between the two. "Forgive her silence, she's a bit moody. She had stopped in to visit me since she was in town. She lives down near Fillydelphia and was in this area on vacation all week long. Now then, what's all this about a police report?" She never took her eyes off Professor McCartney, and was hoping with a little luck Gem/Gemini would continue to be here another day.
Luck seems to have run out for both of them. The professor grabs both of them and says, "Enough. Both of you, to the Headmaster's office at once. I will escort you."
Several months later at Coltsworth Manor, a letter for Gem slipped through the mail slot. A passing servant spied the letter and went up to Gem’s room to deliver it. He knocked on the door and called, “A message for you has just arrived, m'lady.”
Gem looked up from her laptop, then rose, opening the door to take it. “Ah, thank you Cassius! This is a surprise, I hadn’t been expecting any mail…” She took a letter opener and ran it through the top of the envelope after a quick peek at the address. “Trottingham Preparatory? But the next semester doesn't start for a few weeks!” She stopped as she began to read what the letter had to say.
Dear Mr. Shadow,
We regret to inform you that due to your unseemly actions at the Merchant Loup nightclub prior to the end of the Spring term, we have decided to expel you from Trottingham Preparatory School, effective immediately. Enclosed you shall find a list of schools in the area who would be willing to assist in the credit transfer process. Kindly select a school from the list and inform us of your choice so that you may be placed in the appropriate equivalent classes.
Signed,
Ms. L. F. Harshwhinny
Deputy Headmistress
Gem’s face fell as she crumpled up the letter in her hand, looking dismayed.
Cassius frowned, his brow furrowing out of concern. After checking to make sure they were properly alone, he asked “Bad news, m’lady?”
Gem nodded sadly. “Yes… they’ve decided to expel me. The staff found out what I am and they… they took things from there.”
Cassius patted Gem on the back. “Worry not, m’lady, there are plenty of good schools around the land.” He picked up the second piece of paper, which contained a list of schools who did credit transfers with Trottingham Prep. Among these were Baltimare High School, Canterlot High School, Crystal Prep Academy, Manehattan Institute of Thaumaturgy, Glimmer Academy, and Sainted Physician Preparatory School.
Gem ran her finger up and down the list, humming thoughtfully. “I’ll have to investigate these on my own, I think… thank you Cassius, I’ll call if I need you.”
Cassius smiled. “As you wish, your ladyship.” And he went away to do some other work.
The week passed by in a blur. Gem sent her answer to Trottingham Prep, and within days she received a note from Canterlot High’s administration to report to the school as soon as possible to receive her new schedule, locker combination, lunch PIN, and other necessary items. CHS was technically and literally a step down from Trottingham Prep, but Gem was happy for the change. It did mean however that she would have to move towns, since Trottingham was several hours away by train and boat.
Luckily however, that wouldn’t be a problem. The Shadow family just happened to own a summer manor in Canterlot, which was called Shadowfall. It was agreed that Gem would move and live there during the duration of her time at CHS, while her parents would remain in Trottingham. Gem’s mother, Indigo, was completely against the whole idea but Azul, thankfully, saw an opportunity for growth. And so, Gem moved into her new address in Canterlot. Cassius was transferred to Shadowfall to continue his current role as part of the house staff.
The day before the start of the semester, Gem finally went to get her school things settled. She tried to remain calm as she sat in the back of the black Mercedes, taking deep breaths.
Cassius, who was acting as chauffeur, noticed this. “I am sure everything will be fine, m’lady. You have nothing to fear, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna seem like very intelligent, welcoming people.”
Gem smiled again. "Yes, I suppose you’re right, Cassius… I’m just a little anxious is all.”
Cassius nodded, “That is understandable. This is a new school in a new town, anyone would be scared.”
“Do you think I’ll make a good first impression?” Gem asked.
Cassius chuckled as he pulled the car up to the front lawn. “I think you’ll be radiant.” He got out of the car and walked around to the back, opening Gem’s door.
Gem got out, dusted herself off, and nodded. “Thank you, Cassius… I’ll see you soon.” The butler nodded and got back into the car, driving off toward Shadowfall again.
Gem stepped past the large statue of a rearing horse and walked in through the front entrance. The main atrium was, to her non-surprise, completely deserted save for two figures: though both were female, the taller of the two had light magenta skin and pink, purple, blue, and green hair that went all the way down to her knees. She was dressed in a yellow jacket with a sun pinned to her lapel, matching shoes, and a purple shirt and pants. Beside her was a shorter woman, with blue skin and hair that was a darker blue and a light Persian blue, almost purple. She wore a pink shirt with a white collar and a crescent moon stitched into one side, a purple belt and pants, and white pumps.
The elder of the two smiled and extended a hand to Gem. “Welcome to Canterlot High School,” she said warmly. “I am Principal Celestia, and this is my sister, Vice Principal Luna. It’s a pleasure to have you with us today.”
Gem smiled back and shook both their hands. “It’s a pleasure to be here,” she said, looking around. “This looks like a wonderful place!”
Luna chuckled. “Imagine how it will look after tomorrow, when the first day of school is over. My sister and I will be kept quite busy, I imagine.”
“Shall we continue this discussion in my office?” offered Celestia, as everyone else nodded.
Minutes later, Gem was sitting in front of Principal Celestia’s desk, The two sisters sat behind in two chairs, one yellow and one blue. Principal Celestia held a folder with Gem’s name on it. Vice Principal Luna busied herself with making tea for everyone.
“Let’s see… your transcript says you are taking English I, Geometry I, World History, Physical Science, and Music,” read Celestia.
Gem nodded. “That’s correct,” she said as Luna handed her a cup of tea.
Celestia continued, “Luckily, we offer all of those classes here, so fitting you into them shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” The two of them discussed academic matters for several minutes, among them the reason why she had been transferred, (she had, in fact, been covering for her identical cousin Carrie) her plans for the future, and the main differences between CHS and Trottingham Prep.
After a while, Celestia rose from her chair and slid Gem’s folder into a filing cabinet. “I believe that takes care of everything,” she said, handing her a piece of paper, upon which was printed her schedule, locker number and combination, and her lunch PIN. “Sister, would you like to handle “the more…” she paused, “personal side of things?”
Luna smiled. “I would love to, Tia. Come with me please, Gem.” And she led her out of Celestia’s office and down the hall a short way to her own, which was dark even though it was the middle of the afternoon. The room's only real light source was a window on the far wall, for which the blinds were almost perpetually drawn, allowing only slatted lines of light into the room.
On the wall to the right there was a filing cabinet, marked by a crescent moon motif, and there was a serene picture of a wooded area at night, a full moon hanging low over the countryside hanging on the wall. To the left of that stood a wooden chalkboard, on which were notes, both chalked in and taped up by Vice Principal Luna. To the left of that was a bookshelf, filled with a number of books. The center of the room was marked by an oval-shaped desk--dark blue, and again marked with the crescent moon motif--on top of which was a brass nameplaque, a PA system, and an office phone.
Luna took a seat behind her desk and invited Gem to sit in front, which she did. Turning, she withdrew a folder from her filing cabinet, also marked with Gem’s name, though this did not include academic transcripts. “The letter we received from Trottingham mentioned a teacher spotting you in a black floral blouse with green lipstick and nail polish… you were described as wearing clothes that were, according to this, atypical of your normal presentation. Would you be comfortable with explaining why?” Her voice and gaze were soft.
Gem gulped. It wasn’t often she told people. In fact, Carrie was the one other person apart from herself and Cassius who knew the truth. Steeling herself, she came out with it. “I wore those clothes…” A pause. “I wore those clothes because I am transgender, and it’s the only way I can truly express myself,” she said finally, trying to keep calm. She didn’t meet Luna’s eyes.
Luna placed a hand on Gem’s shoulder and smiled at her. “I understand,” she said with a smile. “You aren’t the first trans student to pass through these doors, nor will you be the last. Understand that at this school, you will always be treated as you wish to be.”
Gem looked up, and smiled genuinely back as Luna asked, “What name would you prefer to be called?”
“Gemini,” she said at once. “My name is Gemini. Or Gem, for short."
Luna nodded. “As you wish. With your consent, I shall inform my sister of this.”
Gem “nodded, “Oh, yes please! That would be wonderful!”
Luna smiled a little more. “Excellent. Now, I have a few other questions to ask you, if that’s alright?”
Gem smiled, “Of course. Ask away!”
“Do you plan on taking cross-sex hormones, and if so, when?” Luna began.
Gem looked thoughtful. “I hadn’t thought about it until I came here… I’m living on my own you see, so I suppose, without any parents breathing down my neck… I think I’d like to start them as soon as possible.”
Luna nodded once more, “Nurse Redheart should be able to help with that, whenever you feel you are ready.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Gem said, smiling. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“All CHS students are traditionally required to take PE in their freshman year. However, given the amount of paperwork involved in changing student records and other legal documents, we lift this policy for our transgender students, so that they may take the class at their leisure, as their preferred identity," Luna said.
Gem breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness… I was worried about that.”
Luna chuckled. “As I said, you are not the first.” Rising, she walked around from behind the desk and gave Gemini a hug. “Your safety here is very important to us. If you ever feel threatened or unsafe, please let us know at once.”
“I will,” Gem said, holding her head up high as she hugged back.
***
That evening, Gemini was talking to Carrie on the phone, telling her all about the day.
“…So you say they just accepted you then and there? No complaints or anything?” Carrie was saying from her Trottingham dorm room.
“Indeed they did,” Gem replied happily, as she stretched out on the bed. “Coming here was one of the best decisions I ever made… I can’t wait to start school tomorrow!”
Carrie laughed. “That’s my girl. I gotta get homework done, but I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Love you, cuz.”
Gem smiled, “Love you too, Car. Talk to you soon.” She hung up, put her phone on her new desk, and quickly got ready for bed. Laying in the darkness some minutes later, Gemini smiled to herself. For the first time in her life, everything was going according to plan.
