The Siren's Remorse

by TheronSniper

Ch. 33 Friendship Games: The Standoff

Author's Note:

The Siren's Remorse is drawing to a close folks, but I already have a short arc to give Book 2 an entrance or so I hope. My after so many chapters, and so much more I have planned. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story, I'm always open to questions or critique no matter the topic! Enjoy the next few chapters everyone, its a blast to make this universe where our favorite sirens are the stars.

Ch. 33 Friendship Games: The Standoff

In the empty halls near the gymnasium where the opening ceremony would soon take place, the Rainbooms stood around going over what they just experienced thanks to Pinkie's revelation. Having been so wrapped up with the games they'd forgotten what Rarity came across awhile ago, and what should have been at the top of their list of concerns. Gathered into a congress they kept their voices low to avoid being noticed by any wondering student.

"I cannot believe our world's Twilight is not only cavorting with those Dazzlings, but she also has the nerve to be a Crystal Prep student of all things!" Rarity decried as if she found gum in her luscious indigo purple locks.

"Not only that but she's going to be playing against us?! That's totally not cool." Dash responded in kind, "She'd never do that, even if she's not the pony version of herself it's just not right! Our Twilight..."

Sunset suddenly spoke up over Rainbow being unable to bear with the talk about how the two would be the same thing, and carry the same virtues or better judgement for that matter. Just by comparison anyone with a clear head would know that just because you are you in another universe, it's minuscule to meet one with the same outlook and experience as the next in theory of course. In her mind, she could even see another version of herself who probably embraced demonhood from the stolen crown and ravaged the human world into her personal dark domain.

"It's because she's not OUR Twilight! Our Twilight is a Princess from Equis whose battled monster and evil gods even before becoming an alicorn of Friendship! Here, she's just like you guys with a normal life completely different from her counterpart. She's probably barely even been in danger, just another bookworm..." she sagged in her posture and rubbed her forehead as the energy that spiked dove down into depression.

The others stood stock quiet not sure if they should reply, the gusto in Sunset's declaration which was true down to the letter.

"Our Twilight is a master of Friendship and magic. And if she were here... I wouldn't have had to suffer that curse for so long... you guys wouldn't have to be worrying about this shadow group... and we'd have this whole magic manifestation popping up figured out." her voice sounded so defeated that even the self inflicted verbal burn could be felt by the others.

Looking up to the girls, she sensed their discomfort in her own acknowledgement to the self worth she valued so little of herself. Everyone especially Pinkie Pie knew what she was referring to and it bore into their hearts to see their friend beat herself up over it, they needed to help the sunny haired lass for her own good. The problem was that just like them when they first saw the meek girl it was as if their whole situation would be turned around for the best, but that hope had been shattered when that one person turned out to be nothing of any help. Even to the fact that the other Twilight was indeed around the wrong crowd and their former enemies, just salt in the wound with lemon juice in Sunset's case. Pinkie had been the first to lay a gentle hand on the Equestrian complete with a smile only she could create that cheered anyone up, other hands came to aid as well to bring unity of which brought Shimmer out of the miasma.

"Sorry about that girls, I'm just... totally bummed that I finally thought she'd gotten my messages and came here to solve our crisis before anything got out of hand? That perhaps she was stalking about figuring out this whole... stuff you know?! And then I forgot there was another here, there had to be a chance too and I knew it deep down." she admitted as Applejack rubbed her back.

"She's a Princess of a nation Shimmer and ah'm bett'n they're fighting bigger fish than us daily. Heck it is a world of magic, so who knows what city called her out ta stop some villain or mastermind that would make everyone's day like a manure pile?" the farm girl noted and earned a chuckle at the metaphor she suggested.

"We know how much this has been hard on you Shimmer dear, all those times you spent looking through your... um... head for clues while that dreadful thing terrorized you. But you can't expect her to drop everything just to come here at our beck and call. I mean yes it was indeed a warranted summons when those dreadful sirens tried to take over and we are all grateful that she came over when she did. However, was it not you who did the impossible? You were the tipping point that saved the performance in front of everybody and made Twilight's counterspell work when we couldn't ourselves! You have to see that you are just as good as Twilight my dear, and you have our full support to crack this conundrum that confounds us all. I mean you were a student of your world's Celestia correct? Just like our Twilight was." Rarity pleaded to bolster morale.

Shimmer shook her head, "You don't understand, yes I did absorb much of what I studied but that was everything and magic. While I did look into some forbidden stuff too, I was studying to become a princess to rule over Equestria so if anything I was a historian at best! But the spell I use to look over what I studied back then... it has limitations and some things have either been lost naturally or are too fuzzy to make out. Just like I'm sure none of you can remember your days as foals, I mean kids, all the notes I managed to compile I still have to find clues and then basically do detective work for any puzzle pieces that stand out. Princess Twilight has the resources to better handle it back home and the hooves to see what I could miss myself! After the gemstone was stolen I thought she'd at least keep the book by her side just in case something else happened here... like the smarter mare of the two of us that she is." she took another dip for the worse.

Her friends never left her side even as she gave excuses to make herself inadequate, yet instead they parted for Fluttershy who gave her a sympathetic look standing before her face to face.

The soft lulling voice she possessed was enough to again lift up the spirits, "Sunset, you should stop blaming yourself for not being the one who could solve everything and using Princess Twilight as the reason to degrade yourself. Rarity's right, no one can ever shoulder the burden of being the skeleton key that unlocks every kennel door. But you remember how she handled the Battle of the Bands, how we too handled it under the Dazzling's spell? I truly believe you're becoming the next Twilight to protect this world in her place because we cannot put the fate of two worlds on Princess Twilight. It's just not right." the shy teenager smiled in a way which even Shimmer couldn't help but do as well, "If you need help with your research then I say we all can spare some time starting today right girls?"

The others nodded their heads in an all around agreement for their stressed out compatriot. They had long known that Sunset had been hard at work despite being nearly sleepless most of the time since the trouble began, stressed beyond belief that they themselves couldn't hope to fathom. They being busy with their own lives had let the problems Sunset felt surmount with only Pinkie going over to provide treats and company, how they thought that was enough help. Now that they had met a different Twilight did Sunset open up about her insecurities, it was time to make things right.

Rarity and Applejack looked to the red head and noticed how she took the words to heart, Sunset seemed to mull over the details as someone like her would do. Leading them to a hesitant approval as the girl bit her right index finger in an anxious tick.

"Sunset, you saved everyone when you joined in and stopped the Dazzlings. You stood on the side lines and tried to help us when those sirens coerced Trixie and her band into trapping us, even when we were at each others throats. I believe that as the saying goes, when the dice are thrown, you'll come out on top even if you don't think you can do it. And this is coming from personal experience being a fashionista myself in an ever changing market of tastes and pricing!" Rarity chimed in before she gave a friendly hug to drive the point home.

The others soon joined in and trapped the former unicorn in a group hug. It had an effect on her as the love of their friendship melted the last wall of doubt which prevented her from outright taking the help.

"I'm such a fool... thanks girls." Shimmer sighed.

As one they all responded, "Sure thing Sunset!"

Once the embrace ended they all turned their eyes to the door nearby.

"Well if you really do feel better, ah do believe we have a rival school past them doors to confront and hopefully defeat later on." Applejack thumbed to the doors.

"Ya, let's go see who their star players are and figure out if they have any weaknesses we can use." Dash spouted as she walked off.

"OHHH I feel a party coming on! My Pinkie Sense is tingling with a shaky big toe and snakey right arm!" too which her limbs acted in accordance.

As the gang started to filter through the white double doors and into the steadily populating ceremony gathering, Sunset remained where she had been. Her thoughts had gone to how to utilize their assistance with the mountain of knowledge she created, who might be best suited to finding clues and others categorizing the mound. So quick to begin planning that she missed the queue to follow only for someone to stir her out of the organizational catastrophe that lay awaiting them.

"Umm... Sunset, are you coming too?" Fluttershy looked over to the only one of the group lagging behind.

Sunset peered up and gave the best smile she could, "I've gotta check on something first, I'll be right back. Don't wait up!" as she left waving herself off.

Outside in front of Canterlot High

The former Equestrian stood by the statue that stole her magic away and stood as the anchor for the portal, her eyes gazed upon the latest evolution of the damage upon it. What were a few cracks that had spider webbed across the base had worsened even more. Surely the monument could weather some more erosion, however the fact that the statue looked as it did worried her even more. She wondered if those agents of evil had an aim to simply destroy the only portal back to Equis if it meant keeping Twilight away. Or did they plan on sealing the way after they went through it, with some kind of army of powerful fell casters that would send Celestia a monumental disaster to put down.

Sunset stood just a foot away, mourning the state of which the portal's housing had become. Hope for a way back safely was beginning to be far fetched if her knowledge on portal artifacts were correct. Beacons needed to be clean and pristine to be used properly, lest they cause damage after the exit point by jumbling the configuration of the traveler. Horrible accidents of yor had those who tested damaged gateways meet grotesque and dreadful ends she would never wish upon anypony else even if they were banished to Tartarus long ago.

"I have to know..." she sighed lifting a hand to touch the marble surface as a few pieces fell off the vertical face to the ground below.

She never could have prepared herself for the worst case scenario, nor could she have. Once her fingertips felt the warm stone heated by the midday sun, it became clear something important was missing as she did. Magic failed to show itself to her touch, there was no light and no foreign yet familiar feel that always existed as her hand passed into the ethereal magic. It simply was just a marble statue as it had been created to be, no special spell that allowed someone to phase through it and travel to a whole other realm.

Her heart began to beat faster by the seconds, "W...Where's the portal?"

Her breath stilled as her other hand came to rest and glide across the marble, failing to draw any sensation she should have felt.

"Where's the Portal!?!?!?" she panicked as the dead zone yielded nothing for her.

Sunset soon hit her forehead against the sculpture as she slid down against it in futility, her renewed hope snuffed out completely. It became clear the girls and her were really alone, with no way for Twilight to come through unless she had turned off the portal herself for whatever reason it was. Perhaps it was on purpose she wondered, maybe it was an exercise by the Princess to have her handle more than she normally could? A lesson of some kind she was not prepared for nor capable of doing even if they still had some magic themselves. The problem was their pony up powers were being taken somehow which meant they'd be left with no way to defend themselves much less act.

"Why would you do this..." she felt a need to cry as helplessness grew like a parasitic vine, a fist gently hit the statue with no energy to put into any strength behind it.

The statue gave no quarter and remained as lifeless and magicless. The stone equine left the girl with the only other notion to turn to, with what magic remained with them perhaps there was a way to distribute it to everyone so that they had enough to perform some kind of miracle cleansing spell upon the dark forces that hid from them. They'd act broken so they would be able to surprise the enemy who likely thought they were in disarray and unable to actually stop their plans.

Sitting upright she pushed the building tears from her eyes and recomposed herself, they still had a chance and that was more then enough to push her out of the corner. If they could beat some triad of enchanted singers under their influence then they could surely come back from the stakes against their favor.

The Gymnasium

Twilight stood off the the side of the decorated sports room, balloons and streamers of every color painted the area as music played in the background by the local DJ. A few tables were stretched out to serve as the food and drink zones though most students kept to their fellows and essentially segregated the schools apart from mingling willingly.

Sparkle herself stood beside Zest who rocked out to another album she stored on her device hidden away on her person. Indigo Zap chatted with another C.P. student about the games soon to be had. Putting her within hearing distance if anything happened which was anticipated to occur at some point while she remained on the school grounds. Of course like Murphy's Law, she attained that attention sooner than she hoped when the Rainbooms appeared and swimming their way through the crowds right for her as soon as they noticed her. Even as Twilight stood away from the action and tried to study her device with the newest readings pouring off the six girls, she gave no real indication she was intimidated by their arrival. Even though sweat had begun to bead on her skin, whether it was the temperature of the room or the coming problem she left it to chance.

'Those students are definitely the source of magic around here there's no doubting it. I had to have successfully extracted magic from some of their number but that only puts me in more danger of being discovered and the scanner taken from me! I need to keep my head low and among the others for protection. If I'm caught alone... things could get hairy.' she thought.

She watched from the corner of her eye as the one known as Sunset Shimmer had surged through the doors the rest had entered from. Her hair allowed for quick detection and thus she kept vigilance over the target who reunited with the guardians, seemingly stopping them for a moment to exchange information. That little odd behavior set off alarms in her head, perhaps they had come to realize what she was up to and were working out a way to get her isolated?

Speaking in undetectable whispers afar from her, Sparkle hid her precious instrument from prying eyes under her dress shirt just before the guardians began to move again. With Lemon next to her she decided to get into her good grace and dive into that horrible music she listened to earlier on the way over.

Tapping the girls arm she managed to free an ear as the neon green haired girl lifted one side of her headset while still bobbing to the beat, "Hey Zest, I really liked that music you showed me earlier! Mind if I hear some more? If that's okay?"

"SURE THING!!" she responded and proceeded to remove the magenta device from her person, then slap them onto Twilight without concern of the air displacement harming the eardrums.

The immediate effect played on as she hoped with the Sunset Shimmer spearheading the guardians through other C.P. students, then stopping abruptly before her with a not so pleased look that bordered resentful. The attempt failed to get through the noise barrier as anticipated and only escalated the moment in Sparkle's favor. The others behind her fanned out wearing mixed looks that spoke of probable disunity among them, Sunset tried several times to get her to talk only to be drowned by the heavy metal to buy enough time for the inevitable to occur. Even as their faces drew closer and the ire in the vibrations from Sunset were physically felt upon Twilight's face, Indigo and Lemon were quick to begin a standoff in her defense as they stood by her flanks.

"Twilight!? We need to talk to you about something right now!" Shimmer demanded with a much commanding tone that everyone else around them turned to see the commotion brewing.

Zap took to the disturbance and jumped in front of the bookworm and the Canterlot High student with a perturbed expression that had no patience in it, "Whatever you have to say can be said to the rest of us. Unless you were trying to intimidate her? In which case we can easily see how lacking you are to stoop so low."

Sunset took a step back as more Crystal Prep students had begun to swarm around them, "What?! No, I just wanted to ask her a few questions?" Shimmer answered toning down her righteousness with the confrontation turning around.

"Oh sure, corner one of our players and say a few threats!! Nice try Canterlot Dweebs! You can't slip something past our team and get way with it!" Indigo shoved her face into Sunset's with a fury only an adamant competitor could muster.

A fellow stubborn soul joined in, "Hey now! She just had a question to ask her, who are you to butt in?! Huh?" Dash prodded Zap in the collar bone.

When the two started to snarl at one another the element of honesty put herself between the two "Save it for the games darlin's, we got enough to handle as it is." Applejack warned.

Hesitantly, they relinquished the brooding confrontation but not without some form of boundaries established. Indigo put herself right next to Twilight seeing as the competition tried to get to her, while Zest stayed by her side to continue introducing her to the world of rock once the threat had left. Bringing out a few album covers and stories behind the bands that produced a blaring cacophony into the sensitive eardrums, she served as a good distraction which had Twilight's pulse come back down to earth. Their presence attracted a few more of the Shadowbolts like bison protecting a calf from wolves while the majority dispersed, this lasted most of the intermission before Principle Celestia would show up on the stage.

As a protective chaperon, Indigo held her stance firm keeping an eye on the Canterlot students whenever they so much as moved while mocking and bad mouthing the girls to Sunny. They were winning the games even before they started and the opposition just tried some kind of psychological trick on their intellectual asset, that set the hornets nest on alert. With the barrier of bodies to keep the guardians at bay, Sparkle slowly trudged away from the standoff once she had heard everything Lemon had to show her. She excused herself in order to check on the readings of the scanner being so close to the targets as she had been. Seeking refuge into the deeper portion of the Crystal Prep side of the room she found pulled out collapsible benches by the wall and figured she was well hidden. Looking everywhere and finding no sign of danger she pulled off the ear bursting audio pads and set them aside. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, the excitement had her biological processes ready for flight and she did not like the sensations that came with it. A quivering hand reached for her blouse and nearly had the fingers down the collar to grab the circular machine when someone seemed to appear before her without making a sound.

"HI!! I'm Pinkie Pie! Nice to meet you." the new girl loudly introduced herself while startling Sparkle from settling down, grabbing the hand she was using to extract the scanner.

Thrown for a wide loop, Twilight trembled in place from the vigorous handshake at the speed of which should have dislocated her shoulder socket. Yet the one known as Pinkie Pie seemed to either know the limits of her power or how far to push them at any point. She soon stopped her rather energetic welcome and let go, to which left her new friend in a bit of a mess concerning her hair and glasses. The bun had let loose and her glasses hung on just barely to reveal how much alike she was to the pony princess that she'd known. As the party girl watched the other Twilight fix herself up and recreate what was disturbed, she popped a question she needed to know the answer to.

"Hey, mind if I ask you a question? Just a teensy little one?" Sparkle finished with cleaning her frames before placing them on her face neat and proper.

"Uhhh... okay?"

"If you knew someone was helping a big bad group of meanies who did a lot of bad things, would you stop them?" she asked innocently enough that did not set off any alarms in her mind.

"Well I guess it depends on what they plan on doing? I could argue that someone talking to bullies would fit that description, but time and again that happens." she replied as the scanner hidden under her blouse began to warm the skin of her chest.

"Hmm... okay how about this? What if a group of a magically talented baddies who wanted to take over worlds lost a huge battle against the good guys and now are somewhere out there and another person thinks they're good now. Which I guess if they've turned over a new leaf that would be okay, but then they seem to be plotting something else and a third party can do something to stop them. What would you do in the case of the other people seeing this happen?" her mouth finally stopped, which sent the listener into a mild panic attack as she inched away cowering at the fact that this guardian seemed to know what was going on.

"I mean it's just a hypothetical situation just as it is that the writer thinks I don't know what's going to happen and Discord is up in the rafters watching the games as they go horribly wrong very soon!" she smiled and held her hands behind her like some cartoon kid in a commercial.

"What?"

"Yo! What's happen'n Sparks?" Lemon Zest called out bobbing her head to the tunes playing through the earbuds she had as backup playing on a small square MP3.

"Oh nothing, just talking about something that has no absolute relevance to a huge plot to overthrow the world or another which is like super duper wrong and not cool." Pinkie answered innocently with no harm meant.

Zest tilted her head, "Okay... hey Sunny Flare wants to see ya Sparks let's head over before she blows a gasket." to which Twilight was all to eager to oblige and sat up to head off.

"But I didn't get my answer yet? She needs to answer for all the sweet frosty muffins in the entire world which will be at stake somewhere at sometime!?" the pink fluffy haired girl grabbed a hold of Twilight's left arm gently to try and coax her to stay.

"Hey! What's going on over here!?" Indigo appeared and stepped in between the students slapping away Pinkie's arm.

Pinkie stepped back without losing her charm, "Just ask'n a question is all!" she grinned.

"Step off Wonder Dump, your just trying to get into her head and play some kind of mind game on her so we'd lose the event. Fat chance! We play fair, we play on even ground!" Zap took a zealous pose with folded arms over her chest to make a response tough to form.

Jumping from atop lines of chairs seated into one another Rainbow engaged with the likeness of a pack hound saving a fellow member, "Like heck she will, if she wants to talk to one of you guys and isn't being a jerk about it like you are. She deserves the right to do so!"

"Persistent little bunch aren't you?" The two hot heads once again were at the other ready to butt heads only for Applejack to intervene again.

"What in tarnation has you two at each others throats like bickering roosters during the spring season? Save it for the games or you'll get yerselves into a might bit of trouble once the Principles show up! Unless you wanna get disqualified from the games?" she pushed the two apart as the dreadful fact she spoke of sank in.

The conflict dissolved like a sugar cube in hot water but it left the three Rainbooms with no further success than they started with. The Shadowbolts silently vacated back to their schoolmates with Twilight in tow, which to Dash's surprise Pinkie's hair deflated slightly. Once Applejack took heed she could only shake her head, it would seem they'd be in for a bit of a struggle reeling in a certain someone. After what Sunset had come to find out they were in dire need to get anything out of the girl as soon as possible.

"Don't fret Pinkie, we'll have a chance at gett'n that fox before she escapes the coop." she winked.

Dash huffed, "Unless those guard dogs keep getting in our way."

"Well no use in riling them up anyways, come on let's git over to the cider and chill for a spell. It seems like a direct approach ain't gonna work with these lot." the farm girl smirked as she guided her friends back to safe ground.

Meanwhile among the Shadowbolts, the core group had welcomed their little brainiac with false praise and joy that she returned to them. The fierce competitor among them strode into the center proud of herself for staving off the rival team and whatever nefarious deeds they were about to commit. Sunny, Sour, and Sugarcoat watched and listened half interested and half caring little for the self bolstering display, their eyes were focused mainly on the meek girl standing next to Zest.

"So let the try again, they'll wish they regretted it." Indigo chuckled with a mocking gesture of polishing her fingernails on her dress.

Sour Sweet piped up as she propped her hands on her hips, "Question is why do they want to talk to YOU all of the sudden?" she glared at the one in question.

"It's like they got it out for her, which I mean makes sense since she is the school doormat and all." Flare groaned realizing the downside to having such a student on the team, an easy bulls eye for the opposition to harass.

The jab stung a bit but it wasn't beyond what she normally experienced in the Academy outside her lab. Indigo seemed to see it though and being the team captain as she usually was, she jumped at the teasing quicker than a cat trying to catch a laser dot on the floor.

"Yo, turn down the burn there Sunny we already have the low brow crowd going after one of us. We ain't gonna win the games if we're doing the job for them." she narrowed her gaze specifically upon the fair powder blue girl, "And you know how much I hate the thought of losing... don't you?"

Having brought a foot down on the instigator she let another have the floor and it was Sugarcoat, "Soccer Regionals, the score tied after Sunny berated the Midfielder for not passing the ball over to her. Due to the grudge she had after that we nearly lost the game until Indigo saved the school's reputation with a headbutt and scored before the time ended."

The cocky girl receded into herself following the admission from the most deathly honest one of their company, Zap even tapped her shoe on the epoxy flooring irked by the memory. Her words were given justice and it deterred others like Sour from making any further comments that might involve Twilight.

"Let's be clear about this, we are a team! We are the Shadowbolts! We don't lose! And... I don't lose." she warned once more just to be safe.

Flare flipped her hair out of the way and exited seeing no further use of sticking around, Sour scowled at her back which disappeared behind other students. Twilight noted on the mob behavior and felt glad they were easily guided to someone else and not chew her out any further. She snuck away when Sugarcoat went on a further explaination concerning the reasoning behind the Wondercolts actions to which the Captain of the team attempted to make sense of it through her experiences. Sour and Zest simply stood and listened since there was little else for them to do until the principles appeared.

Pinkie had been lying in wait for a third try figuring the human Twilight wanted to be alone for a reason or another, so she hid under the retractable bleachers until her prey came into the killzone. In an instant, the Crystal Prep student found herself whisked away behind two giant boxes wrapped up with bow ties decorated with pokadotted wrapping of blues and reds. Far from anyone to bother them, the party girl had her most friendliest smiles that went cheek to cheek before putting a finger to her lips to calm the captured audience.

On edge from being taken by such surprise Twilight did not take the abrupt abduction too well, "If I shout they'll come over!?" she cautioned trying to scoot away.

"Don't worry silly, I'm sorry for putting you in the spotlight, I can tell your nice and not capable of hexing someone for some kind of master overlord. So to make it up to you for nearly starting a fight again, wanna help me get the party started!?" she asked jubilantly.

Twilight tried to make sense of the girl and the apparent attempt to make amends, how she went from an inquisitor to this kind person so quickly. She was indeed one in the deck of cards Yellow gave her, though they knew little on them beyond what the Dazzlings experienced and his fellows could gather. Going too far as to be apologetic for even one of them like Pinkie had was likely a ploy to ease her guard down and steal the scanner. However, if she herself didn't go along with the act, they would have ammunition to suspect her and get a free ticket to do even more questioning as the entire group seemed to want to do.

'What do I do Adagio?' she wondered looking around for a way out.

"We're just setting up a party is all, you don't have to help if you don't want to? I'm sure Adagio would help out too!" Pinkie looked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to hopefully stop the girl from thinking about how she knew what she was thinking.

'Okay... that was weird.' Twilight froze perplexed and stunned all at the same time, not letting anymore of her thoughts to be somehow detected.

"Sure, I mean if its just to keep the schools from fighting each other, I mean I don't want anyone to get taken off the game roster otherwise it wouldn't be a fair match right?" Sparkle suggested with a awkward grin.

"Rooty Tooty Ballooty! Now watch this!" Pinkie vanished and started to set everything into place just as Principle Celestia appeared on stage.

Twilight watched as she listened to the official introduction of the games and both teams, congratulating them on their dedication to the tradition set years ago by practicing day in and day out. During the little speech, Pinkie had replaced the food table with enticing colorful goods on large party trays that seemed to have been stored under the table cover. The lights dimmed in the center of the gym where a disco ball fell down after Pinkie hit a lever on the south side of the room.

Not shortly after Principle Celestia and Vice Principle Luna conclude their take on the event did the music kicked up into a catchy beat which gradually caught the teens grove. Sparkle notice how the once two segregated groups began to mingle with each other around the freshly provided cupcakes and the dance floor under the speckled lighting, how quickly their young minds actually starting to get along with each other after the changes the guardian implemented. The feat alone was an amazing task to accomplish with the stuck up attitude the Academy always had, then again Twilight summed it all up to youthful minds that were swayed with things that entertained those of her age group. Whatever Pinkie Pie was doing, it was infectious that she was sure of, perhaps some kind of mental magic she had come across in the manuscripts though it was subject matter with little meat to analyze. A mood altering charm of some kind but was it as powerful as the siren song the Dazzlings used and to what end did this Rainboom truly aim for?

In the span of thirty seconds, the enthusiastic female appeared before her after setting everything into place and awaiting the climax of the new music. Her hands grasped the bows of the boxes she had been dragged to and with a quick yank the sides fell like cardboard, revealing comical artillery cannons. Actual weapons with wheels which both pointed to the ceiling. That was when Twilight felt she was in danger considering the decibels the weaponry could achieve, in the confines of a large gym they were in the chances of many going deaf were frightening to the young girl. She was at the epicenter should they be fired, thus proving how dangerous the guardians were to her well being as much as the banished.

"Umm... are those legal?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"What? They're confetti poppers, extra large!!" she shrugged and pulled their cords.

When they went off, there was no massive boom or concussive force that would have been expected of the props if they were actual cannons. Instead the sound of compressed air being released from small canisters hissed loudly as colorful bits of paper and foil were streamed upwards above the gym floor only to gently rain down like flurries in the middle of winter. The extravagant display coaxed the students into fully loosening up, digging into the food and grooving on as if they were not arch nemesis's to the other. Twilight observed even her personal protective guards were swayed into a relaxed state as Zap and Rainbow Dash seemed to dance near each other without hesitation or glares. Lemon hot on her feet as if she'd been dancing since she exited her mother's womb, though it was not a surprise to see an avid music lover be so alive in action.

The source of the festivities herself had soon become enveloped in a laughing fit as the very mystical energy began to pour from her entire form that even Twilight could sense. The bystander stepped back cautiously as she witnessed the actual magic that had been instrumental in stopping the Dazzlings in their first successful run with how it came and the form it took. It levitated the host vessel off the floor, with a visible aura of the same shade as her skin glowing like a night stick freshly cracked to see in the dark. Shining in the dimly light gymnasium that speckled with the disco ball's reflecting surface, Pinkie's ears were morphed and moved to the top of her skull much like that of a four legged animal which seemed odd. Her long curly hair almost similar to Adagio's extended as well, gaining a few feet with some kind of magical item making lower most portion into a pony tail.

'I bet when they transform, those additions must act as some kind of conduit to maintain the surge of mana. They possess latent magic unnatural for humans, so it needs a way to be held in check like a tap from a faucet that they can use at will instead of losing all of the magic upon release! Strange it's spawned along with the magic release, perhaps an innate ability or unique to humans?' Twilight thought as she backed herself under the extended bleachers nearby, hiding her from the enchanted party girl hovering in the air.

She knew what she had to do, with another Rainboom before her she had a true way to verify if the scanner indeed take their magic. The one called Rarity was an assumption, but clearer results during the process were more conducive to the overall mission. Yellow Tail wouldn't like that she took such steps solely for the pod now, but she was sure he'd forgive her now that the only enemy to the mission no longer had enough assets to stand up and prevent everything.

With the initiative on her side and a steeled resolve, Sparkle brought out the device from her blouse and held it up. It seemed to need a line of sight to function from the first two tests. Her clothing apparently blocked it's ability, a note she stowed away for later as the aura around Pinkie Pie lazily streamed toward the brightly lit disk she cupped in her hands. Just like before and the first time, the color appeared on the lines of light where the circle held blue, red, purple, and now pink. The entire surface had switched to the gauge setting, where at first it showed a full reservoir at the start. Each color holding a third of the 27 lights, then once Pinkie's mana had started to be stored within the machine all three of the first colors lost a few sections to the newest addition to her collection. The draining took only twenty seconds before any signs of symptoms took effect upon Pinkie, each wobble and disoriented movement that occurred went straight into Twilight's waiting memory for later notes.

The party girl descended to the floor slowly, her new changes reverting and disappearing like they never existed. Upon landing it seemed that her legs gave out as she softly sat down and wavered to even stay up and not fall on her back. Though she couldn't see the afflicted ones face, the signs were all too obvious as to what had just been accomplished.

'So it is true, the others will be so happy!' she held the scanner close to her bosom once it drained what was left out of the guardian.

The joyous victory however was short lived as the scanner reactivated, it gave an electrical shock similar to a strong static discharge from rubbing socks on a carpet. She gasped at the painful zap and let dangle on the chain around her neck, leaning forward to avoid further contact especially to her body. No sooner did she do so did a more powerful electrical arc surge off the front of it and towards the wall behind her. Thankfully, she turned away to the vertical surface of painted brick which saved her from being noticed if it had gone into the crowd of the party. Once the lighting ended then came a small but concentrated blast of light the bleachers overhead hid, it was enough to make her yelp and shield her eyes.

Squinting her eyes to see through the dots of white light fizzling into something of a picture, a puddle of reflective liquid on the concrete barrier appeared to still be growing from when it formed. She studied what she could while her hands rubbed her contracted eyes until they slowly until she could fully comprehend what just happened. Marveled by the shimmering fluid akin to gallium in a warm hand, she edged closer on her knees towards the phenomenon careful not to get too close.

Inch by inch she gained ground and saw the growth finally end as the edges simply undulated like an ameoba's cell wall, the entire thing was the length of her legs. It rippled to the very subtle changes in the air and even her own breath, giving way to each exhalation as she came face to face with the anomaly. Nothing in the books told of such a thing, although it matched a couple spells she remembered in dealing with portals and future vision used by the most powerful mages. Though they were of little practical use since such a way to forecast life had been given only what had been done at the present time thus subject to alterations by future actions. The tomes described in much the same way as A Sound of Thunder the book she once read, but to believe that she herself accomplished a tier two magical spell was ludicrous.

She continued the train of thought over spells and their history as the mirror ooze acted as if it were struck upon its surface and froze from contact, while gaining a stony gritty surface. Sparkle jerked away from the spontaneous change still observing everything that happened even though there was a possible danger to the material that might have be a maturing violent nature soon to be released.

It thankfully dismissed the shallow roots of paranoia when an image formed instead from the swirling solid appearence, one that did not seem to make any sense with a closer eye. The unknown magic felt more alive than ever from the warmth radiating from it almost like a CPU reaching its maximum operating temperature in which made use uncomfortable in a confined space like her lab. Then again, it felt like heat was actually moving air coming from the strange phenomenon as if the scene she peered at was real and tangible.

In fact, she started hearing voices speaking in unison, something that spoke in a very feminine tone leading her to bring an ear as close as she felt was necessary.

The unseen entity boomed loudly with such authority it even put Principle Cinch underneath the bar, "Captain Scarab, you have your orders. Seek out the leaders of Equestria, their weapons that are the Element Bearers, and the royalty of the Crystal Empire. Do not fail me, this will be our only chance at getting all the love we could ever need! Contact me once you've secured the assets, and no witnesses... I don't care how long it takes to get into position!"

Someone else spoke up in a raspy hiss as the scenery became clearer by the passing time, "Yes, Queen Chrysalis! For the Hive!"

"Soon everypony will know what it means to taste true defeat at the hooves of the Changelings!!" the woman cackled loudly just before the spell wavered and started to lose its material form.

Twilight managed to catch a glimpse of what she just eves dropped in on, the innards of some kind of cave system lit by luminescent moss scattered about like splattered paint. The center of the cavern towards the left had been claimed by a massive throne room of some twisted design, she coined it as sinister and gnarled by the jagged points that were reminiscent of a fantasy story crown of an evil monarch. A giant creature sat upon the seat whom the maniacal laughter came from, she only had a second to see the lanky black form with long teal hair and a rough equine body. She barely made out wounds of some sort from the holes before the sight popped into a storm of sparks leaving a scorched mark in the wall as if a firework had gone off there. The glittering eruption sucked into the wall before it reached the gym floor in a reverse of time.

Twilight had covered herself when the spell ended and yet she was still fascinated by the whole ordeal, "Just like the portal I fell through when I was being chased!? But this is bad, I didn't make that happen nor should my subconsciousness be able to even do that. This can't be like some healing spell in comparison, maybe... maybe I can only take so much magic and anymore will short circuit the crystal?!" she gasped believing she might have gone over the experiment perimeters she held so dear out of protection, "I just need to find out how to modify the scanner and see if I can discharge excess mana but when can I do that? There are too many students here and I don't even know the capacity it holds? It might even repeat the same spell again, and the last thing I need is to do that in front of them! Oh I wish Yellow gave me those capacitor crystals, I could charge them and replenish their stores so I can keep my cover."

Twilight soon realized she was still among the many and spun around to see the crazy girl no longer around. Figuring she had wandered off in her daze, the gym lights returned to full brightness just as Principle Cinch had made her announcement. She even noticed how the music had stopped and the lights were flipped on, throwing off the festive atmosphere and once more separating the schools like a hot knife through a stick of butter. She noticed how the Crystal Prep students appeared to regret giving into the moment since they were the only ones she could see at the moment, their scowls and disparaging stares to the other side of the gym meant things were back to normal. Normal enough for her to slink back into the crowd of her fellow students and avoid attention easily.

The microphone screeched from feedback as she crouched low to the floor and quietly escaped the bleachers, "Thankfully we're too far into the day now. After the key note they'll send the competitors to the game areas to review each segment for the scoring system. Once that is all done, we go home for the day and tomorrow the games begin. Maybe... no I can use what time I have left to run more tests in the lab before dinner with the others. Great, sounds like a plan." she reluctantly smiled to herself to reassure the doubts of the dangerous energy she held at her fingertips.

Twilight ended up next to Lemon Zest and the others luckily without being seen nor heard. She arrived no second later as Cinch presented the audience of kids for the ending portion of the ceremony and like all other times she asserted the school's record in all competitions. To which drove the two factions apart even more than they already were, a rather desired effect for Twilight so she did not have to worry about the Rainbooms for the rest of the day.

Once the ceremony concluded, students took to their leave seeing as they did not want to be around the other team and effectively ended the little social. While the Shadowbolts were lead off and the Captain escorted to the game areas, Pinkie rejoined the others with the same look as Rarity had which disturbed the girls to the point they were looking for the one Crystal Prep lacky.

"Did someone catch the license plate to the ice cream truck?" she stumbled wearily to Applejack.

"Pinkie, don't worry about Cinch ruining the festivities, I think your party additions were mighty fine in at least bringing both schools into a temporary truce." the farm girl congratulated her while catching the flimsy body as it leaned into her, "Uhhhh... you okay there sugarcube?"

"I can't believe even the C.P. students could be so nice with us? It's like Principle Cinch turned on a switch or something... makes me wonder if we didn't have the games that we could be friends?" Fluttershy said as she joined in.

"I hate that woman, she ruined a perfectly good time where that Indigo Zap and I actually had a friendly dance competition! We were so close to finishing too!" Rainbow fumed and ran a hand through her hair as miffed as possible.

Pinkie nodded in a dazed agreement when Sunset came up to her seeing the strange drained Pinkie Pie that was throwing so many red flags for her, "Hey are you okay there? You look... tired?"

"Everyone was having a greatsy time, my party skills got everyone to stop being so hard on each other, and I even ponied up!" she answered.

"Ya, you sure did!" Shimmer grinned at the remarkable accomplishment of the ceasefire.

"But then after that, I lost it, the fuzzy good feeling of being a magical super hero that floats and swishes and does magic lasers. It just felt like someone poked a hole in the rootbeer barrel... I'm just as fizzled out too." she moped at the lost magic and euphoric joy of making so many happy and good friends if even for a moment.

"What?! Wait you lost YOUR magic too!" Sunset started to look around at the emptying gym only to find half the students were already gone, if there was anyone strange they would have left with the initial crowd.

"Oh no, that makes three of us! Dear oh dear, we really do have someone out there and if they take all our magic does that mean they intend to do something with it?" Rarity questioned fearfully.

"I don't know, that's the problem! I'm not even sure if its the same ones who cursed me either!" Then something tugged at her mind as if it were an invisible hand, "Where's Twilight? Has anyone seen her near Pinkie?" she asked slowly as if expecting the very girl to appear behind her.

Pinkie shrugged, "She was with me the whole time I set everything up, and she was over there by the other doors too!" pointing to the party cannons that had expended their ammunition, "She WAS there!"

"I... I don't want to... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think she's the one taking our magic away?" Shimmer's face wore the look of horror realized in its entirety.

"Darl'in, ya'll are gonna have to fly that by me one more time." Applejack crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ya, what's she got to do with it, she seems so innocent and afraid... kind of like me?" Shy interjected.

"Hear me out, the buses for C.P. were there by the time Flash found me, she was outside the door the time Rarity lost hers, and now she was within proximity of Pinkie as she ponied up! Unless something is using her as a decoy or by happen chance committing the thefts when she's nearby, I'm going off with the first. If I'm wrong then I'm wrong, but the evidence lies in her being nearby and no one else! She's friends with the Dazzlings for crying out loud! Maybe she's trying to help them reforged new gems or this might be some kind of ploy to get back at us!??!!" a restrained rage simmered beneath her will to keep it from erupting.

"She's got a point? I mean its like someone sabotaging a soccer game by being the ball boy and having control over how much air is in it. Guys get paid to do that in the big leagues just so one team wins." Dash nodded as she sided with the new idea.

"Let's not be hasty now everyone, it's like you said whoever is doing this may be trying to spark a fight with Crystal Prep if we try to confront her. It'll affect the games and we may not get another chance to see her outside them, perhaps that is their aim to throw us off the trail?" Rarity looked questioningly at Shimmer and the others.

"Ah know a good lie when I hear one, if ya give me a moment with her I'm sure something will come up and expose her? Last thing ah want ta see is another siren takeover." she said adjusting her stetson as Pinkie shook her head to clear her thoughts while clinging to the other.

"I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt and just talk to her first. It's not fair unless she's proven guilty before you label her the cause?" the others had to agree with Rarity who had Fluttershy nodding to her caution.

Sunset breathed out a heavy exhale into a long drawn out sigh, rubbing her forehead as she came up with a plan. It would be hard to time it all, but the idea would be to catch her when she was alone by tracking her. The girls room would be the best chance since the rival school would be leaving after they went over the courses. Assuming she would be alone and not trying to strategically keep herself with the other Shadowbolts for a reason as such as relieving herself. They just needed one moment with her and Applejack's lie detector skills would open up the truth, revealing her earlier worries when they first learned she socialized with the beaten sirens.

Canterlot High hallway 4pm

"Sorry for not giving these back sooner. I really liked the music..." Sparkle handed the pink headphones over to Zest who had the same earbuds from earlier pumping more tunes into her head.

"NO WORRIES GIRL!! GLAD YOU LIKED THEM TOO!!" she popped out the audio device and switched with the newly returned gear.

Twilight gave her the thumbs up as the group began to head back to the buses, they'd seen everything they needed to for the game day. Now she was at the home stretch but the device had acted up again, it felt strangely enough bordering as hot onto her chest. If that was anything to go by then she needed to handle it soon before either she was affected physically or some magical incident occurred.

She stuck by Indigo and Sunny Flare, one of whom glared at her without so much of a word though she expected such a reaction from the spoiled girl. It was a reflex towards her person and one which made her question if but a moment that she'd contribute to the team properly. Twilight figured she still doubted that she wasn't going to ruin the Shadowbolts reputation in the relay, Principle Cinch had nominated her for the archery segment and yet she had not been to a range after focusing on magic studies. Seeing as she did not attend the training sessions with the others, the lack of faith in her was strong like the pungent odor of Durian fruit. A mental note was made to fix the issue with a couple spells if she could manage some control over the device, even if it took all of her sleeping hours to do so she wouldn't disappoint her fellows.

"We're going to wreck them so hard, I bet they haven't even practiced as much as us since the games were announced!" Indigo cheered with a fist in the air.

"If my calculations are correct, their current team roster has potential to give a small challenge but nothing else. Given that, even performing with only half our focus we will come out victorious." Sugar Coat's monotone voice sounded behind Sparkle followed by a short hum.

"They looked so determined and hopeful, but I bet they were so DESPERATE to even try to scare our brainy gal here." Sour Sweet draped an arm over Twilight with a firm strong grip.

"Uhhh!! Can you believe that frazzle haired girl, she kept trying to get her nose in like a hungry dog." Sunny scoffed.

"And I was there to put a stop to it, even the Dash person tried to stand up against me. If it wasn't for that western chick, we would have settled it then and there." Zap chuckled as did the other girls in agreement.

"But I wouldn't have wanted to see you get disqualified Indigo, you're the head athlete for the troop. You can always beat her in the games to prove anything?" everyone ceased giggling and looked to Sparkle with raised eyebrows after her statement.

The awkwardness of her comment left only the clacking of their loafers and shoes on the waxed floor of Canterlot High as the group made their way through the campus halls. They were taking the air conditioned route to the buses with Principle Cinch far ahead guiding them, the blast of cool air on their faces as they passed the first double doors was a welcomed relief from the stuffiness of the gym.

"Ya... probably right, if I got ahead of myself like that then we'd be short a key player. Same goes for the rest of you, its gotta be another mind trick of theirs to strike us out so we use subs instead." Indigo turned around and walked backwards, receiving grumbles of agreement as others saw the truth in the possibility.

"Figures they'd do something underhanded like that. Losers!" Flare spat.

While Zest had pretty much avoided the toxic air by remaining occupied with her music, Sour removed herself off the bookworm and returned to her spot in the group by being second up front behind Zap. In five minutes they'd be on their way out and she could handle the issue at stake, solve the strange behavior of the scanner, and see the Dazzlings again with the good news of disarming the guardians the banished so rightfully feared.

'That's right, they'll be leaving after the convention show which is tomorrow. Unless they need me... I may not see them again, I may not even be able to if they force the portal and break it. That also means Yellow might need me to fully drain these protectors instead of minimize their full powers.' she thought to herself as she started to go over the countless scenarios with portal magic that connected universes, from the little information she researched it was a complex system of runic diagrams that needed careful handling.

As she enjoyed the calm shoal of other Crystal Prep students who did not bump into her nor scowl at her perceived nerdiness with her new status as a Shadowbolt, she recalled her promise to Adagio she made. Of how she would go with them if only to see her revenge complete, which at the time she felt compelled in the utmost empathetic sense of the vow. Made in the most harrowing situation life ever threw at her aside from that incident with portal magic after being chased by one of the guardians. Only for the night after did she realize that in committing to Adagio's pack that she would have access to the magical world and test her hopes and dreams without limitation.

An itch inside her ate through the waking hours since then as she could not keep thinking about the pros and cons of her promise, it was a legitimate reason that she'd help the enchanted singers. Not only would she gain an unlimited supply of magic to incorporate into human technology, but she could even be able to rub out the initial mistakes and setbacks. Of the many designs she had spent before bed or playing with Spike, there were several dozen based around energy generation alone she wished to create. With a long list of other machines to help her world for the better she figured the research and creation time would be halved if she started them in Equestria.

As for the girls, her friends, if she guessed what the Dazzling's would first do upon arrival it would be to regain their gems with Yellow, then eventually take on the Equestrian empire. She'd have no rival force that would seek her out like the alien she'd be to them assuming she still had a human body, she still had not quite understood the transformation magic that turned the sirens human. Adagio would likely only need of her if that other version of her came seeking them, then again she still had little experience in singing so what good would she really do?

There was no telling how powerful the Equestrian was since they led the fight that destroyed their pendants in the first place, and she knew only so much attack and offensive spell herself. Of course that was still untested magic and with what had happened thus far seemed to be reactionary or subconscious activation which was not ideal. She'd have to talk to Adagio and hope they might work out some way she'd be able to assist with the novice practical knowledge she had of magic itself. All of that banking on the portal even working and if the schedule was not pushed back for whatever reason.

Then there was the issue about a defense the Empire might enact, if they were as quick as humans were in military matters they might bring to bare a new and refined portal to yet another world not her own. Part of the plan to begin her work would be the promise that Yellow made, how the exiles and the Dazzlings would distract and occupy any attacks or search parties that could track her. Just like Relative Theory when he found himself in safer hands with the United Continents just when Fuhrer Blitzkrieg came to violent power over fifty years ago, she might have their protection but as far as equipment went she'd be on her own. Of course she knew how to craft most of the gear she'd need, with magic supplementing what she couldn't forge herself. There she had contingency plans ranging from hidden cave setups to perhaps derelict buildings forgotten by the ponies.

Before anymore could be considered for the future, the scanner resting against her sternum had lost its heat at the snap of a finger. Replaced with death's chilly touch which prickled her skin as a limb after regaining blood circulation, just needles poking her chest from the contracting blood vessels. Considering she had been sweating a little prior, the temperature drop was not something she was anticipating much less before the bus. She suppressed a yelp and looked around for some place to hide in and see what else was wrong with the device fearing another strange casting beyond her control. Luckily, a girl's restroom to the left came into view which she quickly darted to without drawing attention to herself. Of course, behind the procession of Crystal Prep's student body, the Rainbooms noticed like minks on the prowl and the little rabbit which that wondered away from its family.

No sooner had a space opened between the last of the rival school students and the entrance to the toilet facilities did the group of girls dash in quietly. Applejack leading the way, she forcefully yet subtly pushed in the door without alerting anyone in the hall. Sunset and Dash were the next in fanning out to seal the exit as Fluttershy and Rarity closed the door behind them. Alone with their target of interest, the human Twilight Sparkle they had been trying to talk to stood by the sinks utterly terrorized by their sudden barging in. She held onto her chest as if to hide something which no one caught onto as the girls were more focused on getting her alone, glaring at her for some while others seemed indifferent or sympathetic. Her meek little stance had set off the unicorn of the group, driven on by the similarities that the two Twilight's shared only for disdain to set in with the history the very girl before them already racked up. She trembled like a mouse cornered by cats backing all the way to the restroom tile wall, it made Shimmer feel powerful for once and vindicated to be the curse and not the cursed.

"Umm... hi?" Twilight greeted them nervously as no one even responded at first, their beady little eyes boring through her soul as if dremel drills had been placed about her body.

If it were not for her pendant as ice cold as it were, she'd have beads of sweat dripping down her neck. This was the worst case scenario for her and the device, all that mattered was what they would say next. Had they finally realized what she was doing and were they going to take the scanner away?

"I know your friends or at least an acquaintance of the ones called the Dazzlings. You know the one with curly orange hair tied in the back tends to be full of herself? Or perhaps the angry one with twin ponytails? Not ringing a bell? Maybe the one with the skirt and a blue all around... Twilight Sparkle." Sunset gazed upon her with judging eyes and a growing scowl.

Her physical response betrayed her desire to keep such things hidden when Shimmer seemed to be looking for hints, "I... I don't know what your talking about? Hahahaha..."

"I was there when you had breakfast with them, you were so friendly going so far as to talk about your life and chat the wind darling. I have it all on my phone actually, you realize you've been associating with a rather deplorable lot?" Rarity spoke up as she waved the flat little phone in the air with the very video playing further petrifying Twilight.

"Haven't they told you what those varmints did ta us? To the school and what they would have to the whole wide world!?!" the cow girl gave her a stern look though nothing as serious as Shimmer's venomous glare.

Seeing she had no backup to rely on, what use was it to hid anymore if to only make them angrier. The two sides of the coin had no respite or solace, but of what power did they have with three of them down to human status? What would Adagio do or have her do?

"Those big meanies made us fight each other! Our whole school was their big bowl of awful negative emotions they didn't care how they got it! I don't like fighting friends... I love making new ones and we could have been friends with them if they asked?" Sparkle looked to the party girl who seemed to be less assertive with nearly Adagio frazzled level pink curls.

"They're sirens from another world Twilight, beings who need to sow disharmony and anger to feed and grow stronger. That way they could dominate the world with everyone under the influence of their magic, which they did back in their own world only to be beaten by being sent here as a last resort. They tried to repeat their conquest and we stopped them... what's happened to them that you are finding their presence easy enough to dine with them?" Shimmer felt herself feeling rather high from the adrenaline, "Answer me Twilight!"

"Darl'n, surely you can't be side'n with them? Haven't they told you what they did? What they plan to do?" Applejack asked hoping to get the girl to admit to something that they could use as a warning.

"I can understand if they were hurt and alone, with no one else to turn to. Just as Sunset here felt ashamed after her little... um... incident, Twilight and the rest of us came to her aid and offered friendship just as I'm sure you did for them? Right?" Fluttershy held her hands close to her chest clasped together in anticipation of the answer which would make her right from the beginning.

"Surely they tricked you into believing they were the innocent, shedding crocodile tears and all that!" Dash huffed which finally broke Sparkles stilled tongue from the many insinuations they threw out, they dared to see them in such a narrow view.

"You're WRONG!!" Twilight yelled feeling the bitterness of the speeches they gave.

"NO! You're wrong Twilight! I don't know what they've been planning to do or what they've done themselves, but I've been living a nightmare up until only recently. One I'm sure they had a handle in... And what have they done? Huh? Are they planning on using our magic YOU stole to make new gems?! That's right... you've taken something that is ours but to what end? How did you steal our magic!?" Sunset demanded with a smug sneer, which jostled Applejack and Dash who flanked her who watched how she started acting with conviction.

"Be a dear and just help us stop them from making another big mistake? Surely you can't side with beings who were going to take over our home?" the fashionista pleaded as she lightened up when Shimmer took the reigns of being the bad cop of the group.

"You know NOTHING about them! And yes I am aware of what they did try to do... but I know the reason behind it. I was there for them when all the pain came out..." Sparkle shivered as she shrunk into herself when she envisioned Adagio's magical outburst.

By that admission, the Rainboom's were jarred out of their stance for a moment to where even their look of disdain fell into questioning. Sunset glanced over to her right, Applejack had been ready for her though and gave her a pained look that meant she heard nothing but the truth. They had to know more, there was no mistaking that this had become more complicated than what they were expecting.

Fluttershy edged a few steps closer, seeing something for her initial ideas to be close to the compassion she wished they sought for the sirens. The hurt from the Crystal Prep girl was genuine, like someone who lost their pet or family member.

"So what? They lost their first chance at taking over a world? They lost their voices or something long ago and failed to some totally more awesome band or whatever when they first tried to make others fight so they could feast!?!" Rainbow glared back at her with the resilience she'd been known for.

Twilight sniffled and stood straight up in defiance of the Rainbooms, a fire ignited in her spirit as her very words were tinged with intensity and honesty, "They've suffered since they were kids, they've lost their entire family and were caste out to fend for themselves! They came together and made something out of nothing, with a purpose behind their actions... they're not mindless power hungry beings or creatures who don't have the capability to care about others! Unlike you and the Equestrians..." she spat like a hissing cobra.

Whatever gusto Shimmer possessed cracked and gave to the very words of the one she sought answers from, but they were not the answers she desired. The troubling doubt set in as the meek girl held her own against them, to which she feared the others would soon lose their justification she established. Could she really be wrong about the sirens, perhaps they were truly being used by the shadow group unwittingly? Why did they seem to be the more moral ones than her and the kingdom?

"I know enough about Equestria to see its very similar to our society in their lack of care of the environment and non-equine species. Did you know that sirens exist everywhere in Equis? They are a minority and live in actual harmony with others, they only take what they need to survive and even defend those they use from monsters that could destroy their livelihood! Not only that, but they've held their own against pirates that seek their gems and get no sort of protection from anyone but their own. So as far as I can see, they are in the right and I will be there to help them... because that is what friends do!" her body started to glow as she gradually lifted from the floor from a multicolored aura of energy surrounding her, the rising fog was all too familiar to the Rainbooms and especially from the ones who lost their magic.

The girls backed away seeing some kind of transformation take place. Rarity awed at the spectacle, the huge bulky eye wear lit and burned into stylized frames of raw energy like a high speed video of an incense stick burning away. Large black avian wings with a searing blue vein in the middle spread out like a blossoming flower further scaring the Rainbooms back. The limbs could easily knock the teenagers around if Twilight so wished to do so, but instead she kept them around her like a shield against any advances they might have made. Each feather shone like a carefully groomed raven's wing, under the one light above the transforming human they gained a sinister gleam and a sharpness to their edge.

"I had no friends before them... they accepted me even if they didn't have to. I could feel what they endured... the loss and loneliness. Which is why I AM going to be there to see it all go through and there's nothing you can do about it! Try as you might you're powerless without all of your magic to act as one, and the Shadowbolts will ensure you can't do anything to me either... Ha hahahahaha ha!!!" Twilight laughed like any villain would, tailing it her hair which changed hues to match the darkening tones throughout her physical form.

If the girls had not thought of her as another bad guy yet, this took the cake and ran with it. A rather heartbreaking sight to behold as they pictured their own Twilight upon the fanatical deviant, how far the human version fell from grace even with a very perplexing reason behind it.

Her blouse had started alter itself into the beginnings of a dress that complimented her colors, flashing into existence with a burning flame of magenta from the waist up and to her forearms. Along with a long horn-like protrusion seemingly made from pure energy the same as her eye glasses, it jetted out of her forehead and crackled with mystic powers the likes the Rainbooms were unfamiliar with. Most of them cowered away close to the door as if they wanted to leave, but something slowed their movements like the floor had become tacky.

"Don't do this!? Please, you have no idea what your getting yourself into! I know you want to help them, but what they are about to do won't fix anything... only more lives will suffer like they did! They have to see that! You need to show them because that is how the humans continue their conflicts! You're a smart person... can't you see it?!" Sunset pleaded as she and the others tried to shield their faces from the winds the avatar willed around herself that begun to spread outwards.

"Oh I will, and when I do and they are happily satisfied! I will have all the magic I need to give this world a new era of technological evolution! A new age where war, poverty, and hunger will be a thing of the past. An epoch where there will be no reason for hatred to manifest, and everyone will have all they need to become better. A home where family's remain together and lives are saved by a simple spell." Midnight Sparkle smiled as she reached to her bosom and placed a hand over her heart, the device still obscured by her new wardrobe only halfway manifested.

"Sunset! We've lost her! We can't fight her now, we need ta leave!" she heard the apple farmer call out as her stetson had been smashed into the pull door by the force of the air that sent loose hair in every direction, the screaming wind trying to push them to the ground.

"I'll do you a favor, I'll leave instead. A change is coming, for both our worlds... and for the record..." she paused and stopped affecting the air with her chaotic magic to bring solitude to the room, "I'm on the good side."

A teleportation spell sent the powerful being away and the Rainbooms were alone shaken to the core from what they just witnessed. Their plan to gain more intel over the situation went from impending success to an outright catastrophe that destroyed their chances of resolving the danger before the fire engulfed the forest.

"Anyone going to say that she's batty in the brains or brainwashed by the sirens?" Dash asked as the quiet was broken.

"She... she felt so... so..." Shy began to wipe away the tears in her eyes.

"She was tell'n the truth, spell or no spell. That girl really believes all that and that we're the bad guys. There's no way to get through to her anymore I'm afraid." the words echoed with defeat as Applejack picked up her hat off the floor.

"As marvelous as that dress was starting to look, it appears we have another She-Demon on our hands once more. Without the magic of our group as a whole, we won't be able to save her from the curse she's in. Rather sad I'll admit." Rarity solemnly announced.

Sunset collapsed to her knees, grasping her head as she grimaced at the reality that came to pass and was still coming forth. Discord's reason for being here, the chaos and disharmony born through the Dazzling's, and Twilight's latest part in the unraveling scheme were justifying his statement. This was nothing a simple fix could repair nor impede and another 'her' had formed in the most unlikely of people. The goals she had were the most disturbing part, she was misguided and being toyed with by a mastermind in the dark. With Applejack's seal of truth, then it was likely that the sirens and her were tools being used in the most cruel way possible. What could they do about it?

"We're alone, the portals gone, half our magic is lost, and... we're the evil ones?" she mumbled as the others joined her and did what they could to help.

"I've failed..."

Thai Cottage 6pm

Adagio and company had secured a table at the quaint little modern eatery, wood floors of the suspended building creaked with each step and added a rustic charm to the delicious smelling atmosphere. Although tight and compact, there was enough to still make it bearable to enjoy. The tables were either in the center or by the windows with pull out chairs, or some with booth seats. The foreign owners working at the front tended to customers paying their checks while the humans who also spoke english as a second language engaged seated patrons to take orders or bring food and drink. Adagio seemed to relate them to those who lived south of Cinia, tropical regions with plentiful fruit and the diverse culture consisting of big catfolk, deerfolk, antelopes, and cultured bears. They were delicious to feed on that much she remembered during their travels.

They were awaiting their beverages when Sonata received a message on her phone, "Oh! Hey Twilight says she'll be here in a moment... oh there she is?! Hey!" Sonata waved at the instantaneous manifestation of Twilight in the empty chair of the table.

Though her spawning was not so well received by Aria who fell backwards out of her chair and into the opposite seat of a man about to sip his soup. He soon kissed the broth full heartedly into the small bowl of steaming Wonton Soup. Of course, the water she had been sipping at the same time splashed over herself in the fall and that made the purple Dazzling a tornado of fury and rage. Thankfully Dazzle handled issue by throwing bits at the man and asserting her dominance over the nearly bursting Blaze as she was about to let loose on Twilight. Letting the shock subside her senses detected Equestrian magic flowing off the girl beside her as if she'd been near the Rainbooms merely inches away.

"Sorry for being a little late, oh and apologies for that Aria. Here... let me help you with that." she smiled softly like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Why I outta... wait what?" she gasped as a blink of the eye she sat properly in her chair and her clothing was free of moisture, with the ice still floating in her full cup of water with condensation dripping onto her hand that clutched it. Even the man she banged into had been left speechless with a clean face and full bowl of food unspoiled by his face splashing into it.

Sonata seemingly took it as some kind of a show and clapped her hands to applaud, Adagio picked up the myriad of emotions going through her fellow human Dazzling as if every single one of them were being acted upon and yet housed within the mind. There was a strong sense of negativity coming off her, but so was joy, happiness, love, and something else entirely. Kind of how they could smell all the food at those buffet restaurants that served literally everything.

"Hmm... magic I see, so I take it you did pay our little... friends a visit?" Adagio's magenta eyes looked over her newly inducted member.

A high of some sort existed in Sparkle which made her more jovial and free than she'd normally be, "You bet! They tried to corner me too can you believe it? Worst of all they thought you guys were the enemy and have no clue about what's going to happen. I have magic from three of the guardians and in the correct order of absorption there's Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. I left the scanner at the lab because I didn't want to hurt you guys since its a bit unpredicatble, but as you can see I can teleport with what still resides within me for now!"

"Ohhh you're just the over achiever of us three aren't you? Well I'm very proud of you Twilight, you've rendered our hated foes helpless and if we didn't have the convention tomorrow I'd have come over there myself and rubbed their little faces in it." she grinned soaking in the new developments, "To that I say we celebrate! This place has it all and I intend to taste it all, I'm sure you're very hungry too?"

Sparkle nodded, "I have a form too! When I countered their inquiries with the truth, I gained my wings and my horn too along with a bit of an astral form at least down to my skirt."

Dazzle dropped her elated face, "What truth did you say by chance..."

Realizing how she worded it, Twilight waved her hands to placate the golden matriarch, "I meant I only told them why you're my friends, that we share certain qualities and that your reason for revenge was without question. I didn't tell them what we were doing, and they didn't see the device either. You can rest assured they are frogs in a well Adagio."

Looking relieved to hear the clearer version of that statement, "See to it you watch what you say, you gave me quite the scare there. Now, let us order our food and party! We only have one more day on this forsaken rock before we're back home girls! And one last day till those Rainbooms wished they never stood up to us..." an evil smile spread upon Adagio's pristine features as their waitress appeared.

Twilight and Sonata gave a gleeful squeal of delight, though Aria seemed to feel a bit off put by the human's new behavior. It reminded her of how Adagio had begun to sink from the gemstone, the giddiness and hyperactive state that came with the magic she had put the vocalist on her guard. Unlike her matriarch, a human with magic was a bit more dangerous to them since she barely even knew about it. It reminded her of those videos she use to watch of human battles, accidents with weapon and explosives which brought discomfort around Twilight in her mere presence.

'Great! Well I guess since we did have much of the day to relax, guess we're back on the ball again.' Blaze grumbled under her breathe as the others started to give their meal choices to the awaiting girl.

Comments

[enderchangling]

I just burst out into a dance with how giddy this made me!

[TheronSniper]

8271701
I'am glad this story pleases you, I hope to continue satisfying your reading experience.