"I want to thank you all again for volunteering for this student-exchange program. I understand that some of you may feel a bit nervous about Crystal Prep's high standards, but I firmly believe that you all can succeed if you put your minds to it. You've proven that to me time and time again. Now, before we arrive, there are a few things I'd like to mention..."
Adagio drowned out the rest of Vice Principal Luna's lecture as she stared out the bus window, sulking all the while.
"Still being a grump about this?" Aria asked half-teasingly.
"This is a bad idea," Adagio grumbled. "We're putting our livelihoods in the hands of our mortal enemies!"
"Dagi! Sunset's right there!" Sonata scolded.
"No, it's fine," said Sunset with a wave of her hand. "I'm used to it."
Sonata blinked. "You're used to people calling you their mortal enemy?"
"Something like that," Sunset said with a shrug. "What? Doesn't it happen to you guys, too?"
"Kinda," Sonata admitted, slumping down in her seat. "I guess some people are still mad at us about the whole Battle of the Bands thing, even after we became friends with you and the Rainbooms."
Sunset gave Sonata a warm smile. "Trust me, being friends with the Rainbooms does not protect you from the past. Just don't let who you were define who you are right now."
"Easy for you to say," Adagio spat, her gaze still firmly fixed on the suburban neighborhoods passing by. "I liked who I was, and you took that away from me. Now I have nothing."
"Hey, you think Sonata and I didn't feel the same way when we first lost our powers?" said Aria.
Adagio scoffed. "You're one to talk. Discord gave you back your powers. Lousy two-timing snake."
There was suddenly a buzz from Sunset's phone. She opened it up and saw a text.
"'I heard that, Dagi,'" she read aloud. She sighed. "This better not become a thing again. It was annoying enough the first time."
"I still don't understand why you're allowing him to come along," Adagio groused. "Who knows what he's going to do? That precious friendship of yours could very well be shattered in an instant."
"I'll admit, I'm not exactly thrilled about him being here, either," said Sunset frankly. "But if he's right about Principal Cinch's anti-magic stance, we might end up needing his help."
"Yeah, but what's this Cinch gonna do to stop us from using magic?" asked Aria. "It's not like anyone outside of Canterlot High knows about this stuff like we do."
"I don't know, Aria," said Sunset. "But I intend to find out."
"Oh, and there's one last thing. Sunset Shimmer?"
Sunset perked up as Vice Principal Luna addressed her directly. "Y-yes, ma'am?"
"I understand that you and the Dazzlings have your own, special circumstances," said Vice Principal Luna, looking over the quartet of inter-dimensional ambassadors. "Now, do you have a better understanding of this magic phenomenon?"
"I feel like I do, ma'am," said Sunset with a nod.
"Think you can keep it under control?"
Sunset looked over at the Sirens. While Adagio didn't even look up, Sonata gave Sunset a big thumbs-up. Aria, meanwhile, simply shrugged.
"I'll do my best, Vice Principal Luna," said Sunset.
"Let's hope that's good enough," said Luna sternly. "Dean Cadence and I both agree that we shouldn't have a repeat of what happened at the Friendship Games. Or the Battle of the Bands, for that matter."
"Sheesh, try to take over the world one time, and all of a sudden, you're marked for life," said Aria, rolling her eyes.
The sarcastic barb was met with an intense glare from Luna. Sunset chuckled nervously.
"Sh-she didn't mean it, ma'am," she said. "Look, I'll look after them personally. It'll be fine."
Luna nodded. "Right. I'm holding you to that, Sunset Shimmer," she said. "While we're on the subject, perhaps it's best if you don't talk so openly about magic during your tenure here. I've heard that Principal Cinch has some, strong feelings about the subject."
"Understood," said Sunset. She took a glance out the window. The suburban lawns were replaced by city streets and bustling crowds. "Looks like we're almost there."
"Ooh, I'm so nervous," Sonata whimpered.
"Oh, suck it up, Sonata. You're the one that wanted this," Aria stated flatly. "Think of it like this. It's a new place, and I'm pretty sure these guys haven't heard about the Battle of the Bands. This is our chance to make a fresh start and discover that true self stuff Sunset was telling us about last week."
Sonata took a moment to process this before perking up. "Yeah, you're right. This is gonna be great!" She then gave Aria a big hug. "Thanks, Aria! You're the best!"
Aria grunted as she tried to shove Sonata off. "Okay, if there's one thing I don't like about this new direction for our lives, it's that you've become way too clingy."
Sunset couldn't help but chuckle. However, she stopped herself when she noticed that Adagio was still sulking. She reached into her backpack and took out her special diary which she used to maintain contact with Equestria. She sighed inwardly.
I don't think Pony Twilight would be able to reach us this far away from CHS, she mused. Man, I really hope that I'm not in over my head...
***
Outside Crystal Prep's parking lot, several students were lined up and standing at attention. Dean Cadence made her way down the line, listing off the names of all the volunteers who signed up for the school-exchange program the week before. Way in the back, however, Indigo Zap had others plans. She turned to the rest of the Shadowbolts intently, a passionate fire in her eyes.
"Alright, you guys. This is where we need to give it our all," she said. "We're gonna be taking classes with Canterlot High students, so we have to give them the best welcome Crystal Prep has to offer."
"Oh, I know how that goes," said Sugarcoat, folding her arms. "'Welcome to Crystal Prep Academy. Here are ten assignments due by the end of the week. You're expected to pass all of them.'"
Indigo blinked before awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "Okay, not exactly the tone we're going for here."
"What? It's true," said Sugarcoat with a shrug.
"Yeah but—" Indigo sighed. "Listen, we're trying to make these guys feel welcome, not scare them off."
"Oh, is that what we're doing? No problem~!" Sour Sweet trilled sweetly. "Welcome to Crystal Prep Academy, guys! Now you get to be just as miserable as the rest of us. Yay~!"
Indigo palmed her face. "Sour, you're not helping. Do you even know why we wanted this program in the first place?"
"Of course we know why. We're the ones who came up with the petition in the first place," Sugarcoat stated frankly. "We want to make Crystal Prep a better place, and the best idea we came up with is to invite Canterlot High students over here hoping they brought some of that magic stuff with them. Granted, there are a lot of ways this plan can go bust, but we're high school students. There's not much else we can do."
Indigo frowned. "See, that's the kind of thing we don't want to say. None of this Negative Nancy nonsense. If we want to change this school, we have to believe in ourselves and believe that this'll work!"
"Oh, I'm not saying it won't work," said Sugarcoat. "I'm just saying the probability of it working is not in our favor."
"Screw the probability! I'm not giving up, and neither should any of you!" Indigo barked.
"Who said anything about giving up?" asked Sour Sweet indignantly. "Don't put words in our mouths, Indigo."
"Well, you guys certainly aren't acting like it," said Indigo with a pout.
"I'm sure this is just stage fright talking," said Sunny Flare. "We're all a bit nervous. This is not something any of us have dealt with before." She turned away, staring into space and cupping her hands together. "For lo, we live in a world that is ever-changing. The change we seek will benefit us and everyone else for semesters to come. But change, much like the tests at our fine institution, is never easy."
Indigo scoffed. "So you're all scared. Is that what I'm hearing?"
"Nervous is not the same thing as scared, Indigo," Sunny Flare stated frankly.
"Well, sorry for not speaking dramatic prose," Indigo said with a snort. "Listen, we put this thing in motion, and we're gonna see it through. No stupid nerves are going to get in my way, and if we're gonna do this together, I expect the rest of you to—"
At that moment, she noticed that Lemon Zest had her headphones on and was playing some sort of handheld game. Indigo smacked her forehead.
"Oh, for crying out loud," she muttered. "Lemon Zest! Yo, Earth to Lemon! Hello?!"
She snapped her fingers right in front of Lemon Zest's eyes, causing her to flinch. Lemon Zest scowled.
"Dude. I was just about to beat my high score," she growled.
"Would it kill you to pay attention?! This is important!" Indigo scolded.
"No need to put me on blast, Indy. I know what you're sayin'," said Lemon Zest. "You were talking about our whole plan to loosen things up at Crystal Prep, yeah?"
"She's not wrong," said Sugarcoat.
Indigo growled, but before she could say anything else, Dean Cadence came up behind them.
"Is everything okay here, girls?" she asked.
Indigo cleared her throat. "Fine, Dean Cadence. Just fine." This was followed by a stern glare over at Sugarcoat, who simply cast her gaze upward.
Cadence sighed. "I'm glad you five have volunteered to help the exchange students. I just hope you're up for it."
"The Shadowbolts never give up, ma'am!" said Indigo proudly. "We won't let you down!"
Cadence raised an eyebrow. "You aren't nervous at all, are you?"
"What, us? Nah, of course not!" said Indigo.
"Speak for yourself," Sour Sweet muttered under her breath.
Indigo shot Sour Sweet a look. "What was that?"
"Nothing~. Nothing at all~!" Sour Sweet chirped.
Cadence sighed. "Girls, it's okay if you're nervous. This is new for all of us. Just keep in mind that if you need any help, I'm always approachable."
Just then, the familiar honking of a bus horn echoed across the parking lot.
"That must be them," said Cadence. "Okay, everyone! Let the Canterlot High students off the bus first!"
The volunteers formed an orderly line outside the bus door, which opened with a hiss. One by one, the students of Canterlot High disembarked. Awkward waves and friendly smiles were exchanged as the two groups passed each other. Last off the bus was Vice Principal Luna, who smiled at Cadence.
"I think they're ready," said she. "All Crystal Prep volunteers, please follow me onto the bus for your orientation."
The volunteers complied, marching in single file. While this was going on, Cadence looked over her clipboard. "Okay, let's make sure everyone's here. Diamond Tiara?"
"Present."
"Silver Spoon?"
"Here."
"Lyra Heartstrings?"
"Yo."
"Sweetie Drops?"
"Please, call me Bon-Bon. Everyone else does."
"Oh. Um, sure." Cadence cleared her throat. "Sunset Shimmer?"
"Here."
"Adagio Dazzle?"
Adagio said nothing, but simply continued to sulk. Aria nudged her elbow.
"Here," Adagio growled.
Cadence blinked. "Um, okay then. Sonata Dusk?"
"Hi!" Sonata cheered, waving her arms.
Cadence couldn't help but laugh. "Well. Someone's excited."
"Of course I'm excited! I'm gonna find out about my true self so I can use my Equestrian magic whenever I want!"
Aria smacked Sonata upside the head while Sunset gave her a stern look.
"Ow! Whaddisay, whaddisay?!" Sonata whined.
Sunset groaned and turned back to Cadence. "What she meant by that is she feels that coming to study at Crystal Prep will surely help her figure out her path in life," she clarified.
It took a moment for Sonata to connect the dots. "Oh, right. Yeah, what she said I meant to say. Th-that's what I meant. To say."
"Anyone else getting déjà vu over here?" asked Aria.
Sunset sighed. "I'm going to have to have a talk with you about them later, Dean Cadence. In private."
Cadence nodded. "I'll be sure to make a note of that. Alright, moving on. Aria Blaze?"
"Yo."
"And that appears to be everyone." Cadence smiled. "Welcome everyone, to Crystal Prep Academy. I'm Cadence. Most of you know me as the Dean of Students here at Crystal Prep, and it's my job to look out for all of your needs. Now, I know we don't do things quite the same as Canterlot High, but as long as you put in the effort, you're all going to do wonderfully. Today, several of our students have volunteered to give you a tour of our facilities. Tomorrow, you will receive your own school uniforms and class schedules. If you ever need any advice or assistance, my door will always be open. I now turn things over to Indigo Zap, who will show you around. I hope you enjoy your time here."
With a bow, she marched back to the school. Indigo Zap walked up to the Canterlot High students, rubbing her arm sheepishly.
"Um, hey," she said. "I'm Indigo Zap. And this here is my crew. We call ourselves the Shadowbolts."
"Isn't that the name of your sports team?" asked Diamond Tiara.
Indigo blushed. "Um, yeah. But, we want it to mean something more than just, that." She looked up and did a double take when she saw Sunset Shimmer. "Wait a sec! I remember you! You're that magic girl from the Friendship Games!"
Sunset smiled. "Most of my friends are magical girls. You'll have to be more specific."
Indigo blinked before bursting out laughing. "Oh, hah! Right, yeah. Um, cool!" She then cleared her throat. "I mean, you're the one that fixed everything."
Now it was Sunset's turn to blush. "Yeah, something like that. I'm starting to get a knack for it, honestly."
Indigo beamed. "Well, glad to have you aboard. It's Sunset, yeah?"
"Yes," said Sunset. She then looked over at the Sirens. "I don't know if you overheard Sonata's little outburst, but we have a few more guests from *ahem* out of town."
"Wait, we're not from another town. We're from another dimen— mmph!"
Sonata was about to run her mouth again, but Aria stopped her just in time.
"You'll have to excuse her. She's an idiot," said Adagio.
"Oh, well that's fine. We have plenty of idiots here~!" said Sour Sweet. Her cheerful facade soon vanished. "Oh, wait. No we don't. That would be silly."
"Not helping," Indigo growled. She sighed and turned back to Sunset. "Sorry 'bout that. I should probably introduce you to the rest of the crew."
"Allow me, dearie," said Sunny Flare, stepping forward and giving a curtsey. "I am Sunny Flare, one of the top actors in Crystal Prep Academy's drama club. It is an honor to meet you all."
"I'm Sour Sweet! It's nice to meet you all~!" said Sour Sweet. Once again, her good mood seemed to vanish with a sigh. "I just hope you guys can survive."
"Academically, to be precise," said Sugarcoat, adjusting her glasses. "We don't expect anyone to fall through an inter-dimensional chasm to their doom here."
Sonata let out an awkward chuckle, which was muffled by Aria's hand.
"Let's not go down that road," said Sunset. "We're all just students trying to find our way in the world, just like you."
A ghost of a smile formed on Sugarcoat's face. "I guess that's one thing we all have in common. I'm Sugarcoat, by the way."
After a brief pause, Indigo looked over at Lemon Zest, who was back to playing her video game. Indigo palmed her face.
"I guess this shows that Crystal Prep isn't exactly perfect," she said. "Yo, Lemon!"
Lemon Zest flinched. "What, dude?"
Indigo gestured to the Canterlot High students angrily.
"Oh, right. Sorry, kinda spaced there," said Lemon Zest, putting her game away. "Trust me, this isn't normal. If I was like this in class, I wouldn't be at Crystal Prep for long. The name's Lemon Zest, and consider that Rule Numero Uno around here. When the professors speak, you listen."
"Nice save," said Sugarcoat.
Indigo simply rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "So, yeah. I know Crystal Prep has a harsh reputation, but it's like Dean Cadence said. Just give it your all, and you'll be fine. So, are you guys gonna succeed?!"
"Not likely," Adagio muttered.
"I can't hear you~!" Indigo yelled.
Adagio gave Indigo a dark look. "I said it's not likely."
Indigo shook her head. "Wrong answer; try again! Are you guys gonna succeed, or what?!"
"Whoa. Now I'm getting déjà vu," said Lemon Zest.
Adagio made a face. "I'm still convinced that this is a waste of time, and you all are going to be sorry you let this happen."
Without any form of explanation, she marched towards the school. Indigo scratched her head.
"Yeesh. What flew up her butt?" she wondered.
"Long story," said Aria. "Let's just see this place already."
"O-oh yeah! Right!" said Indigo. "C'mon, we'll give you the grand tour."
The Shadowbolts headed towards the school, ushering the Canterlot High volunteers to follow. They complied, though Aria forced Sonata to lag behind.
"Just so we're clear, Vice Principal Luna said no magic talk," she scolded. "We're not exactly in control anymore, so we have to be careful. You got me?"
Sonata blinked. "But, I thought the whole reason we're here is to find out how to tap into our magic. How are we gonna do that if we don't talk about it?"
"I-I don't know! Just, don't get us in trouble!"
Sonata cast her gaze downward. "I don't mean to."
Aria sighed. "Oh, don't give me that look. Let's just follow Sunset's lead here. She's the expert on this friendship stuff."
Sonata nodded and swallowed. "O-okay."
Meanwhile, Sunset walked up next to Indigo. "Your friends seem nice," she said.
Indigo shrugged. "Yeah, they might be a bunch of characters, but we all want the same thing here. That's what brought us together."
"Oh, is that what happened?" asked Sour Sweet. "I thought it had more to do with the whole reality breaking thing."
"Both of you are wrong," said Sugarcoat bluntly. "We were friends long before this year's Friendship Games. We were just too focused on our studies to show it."
"By the by, your performance back there was, adequate," said Sunny Flare. "I will admit, I expected a bit more from a motivational speaker like you, but with every awkward fumble, you managed to pick things up."
Indigo gave Sunny Flare a pointed look. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Sunny."
Sunset's phone suddenly vibrated. When she looked down, she saw a text from Discord.
"Is someone giving you trouble?"
Indigo arched an eyebrow. "What's up?"
Sunset swallowed and deleted the text. "N-nothing. Must've been a wrong number."
"Rule Numero Dos: No outside distractions," quipped Lemon Zest. "I suggest shutting that thing off."
"Y-yeah. Of course," said Sunset, fumbling with her phone.
"It's cool," said Lemon Zest. "Hey, your friends are kinda neat, too. Except for that Adagio girl. She seemed grouchy."
"Again, it's a long story," said Sunset. "Let's just get on with the tour."
"Right, sure. No prob," said Indigo. As she led everyone up the steps to Crystal Prep, she let out a sharp sigh.
This is what we wanted. These Canterlot guys are gonna use their magic to make this place better, she thought. We can do this. We're going to do this. We have to do this. So, let's do this!