The Secrets of Shadybrook Academy

01. Prologue
Headmistress Edwina sat alone in her office, shuffling through the immense piles of paperwork crowding her desk. The deer was tall, imposing, and matronly, with black hair swept into an elaborate beehive and piercing violet eyes. She regarded the form currently in front of her with irritation, and shoved it aside in a huff.

“Laurel,” she said, pressing the intercom switch with her hoof, “Get in here.”

“I’ll be right up, Ma’am,” came the reply.

Edwina swiveled her chair to look out the window onto the grounds. A sickle moon was rising over the elaborate hedge maze that surrounded most of the academy, casting a silver light over the darkened pines beyond. Edwina allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. Everything was silent in her little domain.

All in order, as it should be.

Except for one thing.

A tremulous knock sounded at the door. She quickly arranged her expression into one of stern disapproval. “Come in, please,” she said, settling her hooves in front of her on the desk.

The door opened, and her secretary waddled in. She lingered at the entrance, wringing her flippers behind her back. “Is there something wrong, Headmistress Edwina?”

“Close the door, Laurel,” Edwina stated.

The penguin quietly shut the door. She swallowed. “Ma’am, is- is this about your coffee this morning? I-I-I know that it was milk, not cream, but we were out, and deliveries don’t come until the third and I thought you wouldn’t mind-!”

Edwina held up a hoof, stopping the penguin’s nervous babble. “No, dear,” she said. “The coffee was fine.” The penguin visibly relaxed. “No,” she continued, “This is a much bigger problem.” She stood, sliding the papers she had been working through across the desk to Laurel.

“Is- is there an issue with the new admissions forms?”

“Take a look, Laurel. What do you see there?”

Laurel paged through a few of the papers, which detailed each of the animals being considered for the next term. “... Um… There’s an elephant, a crocodile, a couple of wolves, a seal… All the usual candidates, Madame Headmistress.”

Edwina massaged her temples. She was getting too old for this. “Yes,” she said, her voice dangerously even. “All the usual candidates. Tell me, do you think we’re going to achieve anything exceptional by taking in the same animals, over and over?”

“W-well, these are the ones that have the highest success rate-”

“Success rate? Do you hear yourself? We are here to make progress, Laurel! We need diversity! Tell me,” she hissed, looming over the rapidly-wilting penguin, “What do you think will happen if… certain people… were to notice how unbalanced our demographics were? Can you imagine the inquiries? The sheer scandal?” She was ranting now, pacing her tower office like a lawyer at the stand. “We have a reputation to uphold here!”

Edwina stopped at her desk, placing two hooves on it and leaning forwards. Laurel stared up at her, eyes wide and chest heaving. “Now,” spat the Headmistress, “Get out there and find me someone new. Someone different.” She pointed  to the stark motto under the Shadybrook Academy crest: ‘Rise Above’. “Make. Us. Proud. You are dismissed.”

Laurel darted out of the door, her footsteps disappearing down the corridor.

Headmistress Edwina exhaled, satisfied. This term was going to be better than any one before it. It had to be.

And nothing could stand in her way.

~