(Takes place within the "Stallion Six" universe and set before Chapter 217.) As he prepares to take the throne, Shining Arrmor reflects back on a mission to another world many years ago. A world where everyone is a human.
Prince Shining Armor's coronation is drawing near. But recent events have him thinking back to a time shortly after he first gained his wings and became an alicorn.
Taking part in a royal summit held at the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor struggles to adapt to his new alicorn status. But that night a new problem presents itself when an unexpected intruder manages to steal his crown and get away.
Forced to pursue the thief through a magical mirror, Shining finds himself in a world unlike any he has seen before. A world populated by creatures called humans. And if he wants to gets his crown back, he'll have to deal with a particularly nasty human called Sunset Shimmer, the very thief he's sworn to apprehend.
As the last Summer Sun Celebration officially drew to a close in Canterlot, Shining Armor took to the stage to make an important announcement. Despite how long he'd been an alicorn prince though, he knew that what he was about to say would send shock waves throughout the entire land of Equestria. "As we look forward to the coming dawn of a new era and the fact that two ponies who have guided us for as long as we can remember will be stepping down, I am sad to say that the Summer Sun Celebration is officially a thing of the past. No longer shall it be celebrated."
The entire crowd let out a gasp as the young alicorn cautioned. "That is because an even greater and more important celebration shall take its place. As a way to ensure that the legacy of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna is not forgotten, we shall no longer commemorate their great battle from so long ago," He paused briefly, before turning to the two alicorns that stood behind him and announced. "Celestia, Luna, it is my great pleasure to announce that by the power bestowed to me, I hereby declare the establishment of a new holiday: The Festival of The Two Sisters! A holiday built to honor both of you and all you have done."
For a moment there was great silence, before the crowd burst into thunderous and deafening applause! Even Celestia and Luna were speechless and reduced to tears as they brought Shining in for a hug. More than any words, their body language conveyed how happy they were for the prince to have done so.
As Shining took up this wing hug, he couldn't help but find himself thinking about a lot of things. In particular, how far he had come in so few a number of years. He could still remember gaining his wings by completing an unfinished spell from Starswirl the Bearded, and a time when he had still resided in Canterlot as a member of the royal guard but not yet its captain (a position he'd felt he wouldn't obtain until he was much older than he was now).
Another memory that stood out to Shining though, was one that only a small hoofful of his closest friends and allies knew about. It was a memory from shortly after he'd gained his wings and become Equestria's first ever alicorn prince. And one that he found himself flashing back to even now, years after the fact.
The event in question unfolded during the first royal summit to be held at the Crystal Empire. By coincidence, it was also going to be the first major event Shining Armor would be a part of since he'd become an alicorn prince only a few weeks prior. Even now his new wings still felt weird to him.
Princess Cadence, his lovely wife, could sense how anxious Shining was becoming as the young couple prepared to host the summit (Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had yet to arrive, and Shining Armor's friends weren't due to arrive for much longer). "Shining, you need to relax," She told her husband as she got a good look at his anxious state, watching him pace back and forth in the hallways of the crystal palace. "Remember that deep breathing exercise I taught Twilight? The same could work wonders for you. Remember: Breathe in and breathe out. Be sure to do it slowly."
Shining did his best to follow the instructions, but when one was as nervous as he was deep breaths could only do so much to calm him down. "I'm sorry, Cadence," He sincerely apologized. "It's just that, now that I'm an alicorn, all the things I say and do carry far greater weight than they did before. I'm still not even sure what exactly it is I'm supposed to do or if I can even keep doing the things I've already been doing. I wish I had more time to learn before something like this. It feels as if I've just been thrown into the deep end before I truly learned how to swim."
"You're not the only pony who used to be somepony else before they became an alicorn," Cadence advised Shining. "I've been down this road, and I didn't have the resources or the support you have. Whatever challenges you may face going forward, I'll be here to help you and the same is true for others. You have friends, and your sister and Spike who is basically family to you."
The prince nodded very slowly. "Fair point. But there's really only so much help they can give. And for right now I'd just like to get through this royal summit without somehow messing up."
Just then, a door at the end of the long hallways swung open. In stepped not the much older (and wiser) Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but a group of five very familiar stallions that Shining had known since moving to Ponyville a few years back, to say nothing of a very familiar unicorn mare accompanied by a certain little dragon. "Oh, thank the stars you all came!" He exclaimed as he rushed over to hug all of them!
"You kidding? We wouldn't have missed this for the wide world of Equestria!" Soarin declared with a bright smile.
While adjusting his glass monocle, Fancy Pants was quick to add. "This is the first royal summit you're hosting as Equestria's first and only alicorn prince, after all. We simply had to be here to support our friend."
Braeburn then inquired. "You ain't nervous, are ya? It's totally okay if ya are. I remember I was nervous when Appleloosa was bein' built and the buffalo kept attackin'."
"I probably was and still am a little nervous," The alicorn confessed. "But now that all of you are here, I think I'll get by. You've all supported me through so much already, I can't imagine where I'd be if not for you."
"A very wise way of thinking, Shining Armor," A familiar warm and maternal sounding voice declared, its owner soon revealing itself to be the familiar form of Princess Celestia (accompanied by her sister, Princess Luna). "Even though you were never officially a student of mine, you've embodied the kind of humility I have rarely seen in other pupils, including my own." If one listened carefully they might have heard a faint tone of regret seep in.
Shining tried his best to look modest as he bowed in respect to the alicorn very much his superior still. "Thank you, Princess Celestia. I look forward to finally being by your side as something other than an escort for a royal summit. And Princess Luna, I know that there is much you and Cadence can teach me too about how to conduct myself as an alicorn."
Princess Luna nodded. "Indeed there is. It's still quite surprising to me to accept that there are alicorns beside myself and my sister," She sighed and briefly lamented. "After what happened with Mom and Dad, I thought Celestia and I would be the last of our kind."
"Well good thing that's not the case!" Twilight declared with a smile! "And this royal summit is gonna be one for the history books! Four alicorns, all together under one roof! And in the most recent addition to Equestria to boot, the Crystal Empire! Somepony pinch me, this is all too good to be true!"
Celestia simply replied by raising a hoof. "I'm sure we're all very much enthusiastic yet anxious for the royal summit to get underway. But it officially doesn't begin until tomorrow. It's already quite late, and I suggest we all get a good night's sleep even if only four of us will truly need to be present tomorrow."
Everypony (along with Spike who chose to stay with Twilight) retreated to their own private bed chambers a short time later and prepared to settle in for the night.
Shining tried to do the same in the bed chambers that he and Cadence shared, but it was quite a struggle for him. "Urgh, why am I still having so much trouble tucking my wings in?!" He complained aloud as the aforementioned appendages kept unfolding and poofing outward.
"You'll get the hang of it eventually, dear," Cadence reassured her husband as she lit up her horn and used her magic to help get her husband's wings into the proper position for sleep. "It took me months to get used to using my horn after I became an alicorn."
Aside from that small problem, sleep came pretty easily to the young prince. And he slept soundly for most of the night, his crown resting on a nearby nightstand. Within the dazzling head piece resided a familiar gemstone that housed the Element of Magic, a pink star that closely resembled the cutie mark of Shining's sister. Shining had been told never to let the crown out of his sight.
This piece of advice was about to be given a very good reason for its existence, for unknown to any of the castle's occupants an intruder had managed to sneak in. Said intruder had not come in through any of the conventional ways, and neither had they teleported in by using magic. The intruder had found a different way in, and was now currently searching through the lightly guarded hallways in search of their target.
Pushing open the door to Shining and Cadence's bedroom, the intruder spotted the object they were looking for: Shining's crown. More specifically what was housed inside of it. "At very long last, I will have my revenge! I'll make Princess Celestia regret ever shunning me and replacing me!" The intruder thought to itself as it used a reddish colored magical aura to pick up the crown and replace it with a surprisingly detailed replica. It almost could've been mistaken for the real thing if one didn't look closely enough.
Unfortunately, as the intruder prepared to leave they misjudged a step in the darkness and stumbled to the ground as they impacted a shelf. The noise was sufficient enough to awaken Shining, who immediately spotted his crown in possession of an unknown figure! "Hey!" He intentionally shouted at the thief, hoping to awaken the others! "What are you doing with my crown, you thief?!"
The thief didn't give a reply, they just rose and picked up the crown before making a break for it!
Shining stumbled out of bed and leapt to his hooves! "Guards, we have an intruder! Somepony's trying to steal my crown!" He shouted as he gave chase! "Stop them at all costs!"
But the thief had gotten enough of a head start to elude the guards since they had been patrolling a ways down the hall. Shining wasn't deterred though, he lit up his horn and got out in front of the thief to tackle them! In the darkness it was impossible to truly determine who or what the prince was up against even as the sound of a scuffle broke the earlier calm.
The fighting spilled over into an abandoned and empty room within the castle, one that housed a strange looking mirror that looked like it hadn't been touched for a very long time yet still seemed to be in remarkable shape. As the fight between Shining and the thief continued, the crown slipped out of the thief's grasp! Shining tried to light up his horn to snatch it, but was too late as he watched it somehow go right through the mirror, something that shouldn't have been possible!
The thief stood up, and it was only now that anyone had even a chance to see who it was. The thief appeared to be a unicorn mare about the same height as Twilight, but with a brilliant amber coat that looked like the rays of the sun. Her mane and tail were styled into fiery looking locks of vivid crimson and brilliant yellow, her eyes were a moderate cyan that looked like they were full of rage and resentment and her cutie mark was a sun surrounded by yellow and red flames on either side.
Princess Celestia let out a gasp! She knew who this intruder was! "Sunset Shimmer?!" She exclaimed in a tone that seemed to be a mix between surprise and dismay.
Without replying to her name, the unicorn mare simply retreated back through the mirror through which the crown had fallen through. "Sorry it had to be this way," She coldly answered. "But you haven't seen the last of me. I will be back!" And she slipped away before anyone could stop her, as mysteriously as she had arrived.
Celestia provided answers on the identity of the thief the very next morning. A long, drawn out sigh escaped her lips as she seemed to be struggling not to cry. Her tone of voice became sad and mournful. "Twilight, Shining, it's high time you knew the truth. You are not the first ponies I have taken under my wing in one way or another, though the two of you did what was impossible: You managed to get past the defenses I had set up and worked your way into my heart. You've become like family to me."
"You really mean that, Princess Celestia?" Twilight hopefully asked.
Celestia nodded, pausing and turning away to shed a tear before coming back after composing herself a bit. "Of course," She then cleared her throat to try and dispel the lingering sadness in her voice. "But when you've lived for as long as I have you unfortunately get used to seeing the ones you love fade away, either of old age or other means. I've seen many a promising ponies taken before their time, and those I can only assume are lost to the ages since I haven't seen or heard from them. Until recently, I had assumed it was the case with Sunset Shimmer. And it pained me that such might be the case."
"Why is that? Seems to me like she's just some two bit thief hoping to steal the crown for a get rich quick scheme," Shining snorted. "I'll bet my crown is worth a lot of money wherever it is she's taking it. And from the looks of this replica she left behind, she clearly wanted nopony to notice the theft until it was too late."
But the alicorn with a majestic coat of white shook her head. "No, Sunset's actions clearly have an ulterior motive beyond mere theft," And she confessed. "I taught her about the Elements of Harmony, because she was once my student. In fact, she was the last student I personally mentored one on one before Twilight came along. Because of how things ended with Sunset Shimmer, I feared I might never be able to truly mentor a pony ever again."
"Sister, is it possible you had intended for Sunset Shimmer to be the one to harness the Elements of Harmony and free me from my darker self?" Luna questioned.
Celestia nodded in confirmation. "I was growing desperate, Luna. Your return was drawing near and I hadn't found anypony with the kind of power and knowledge necessary to wield the elements. And I couldn't bring myself to fight you again, because without the elements the only way the battle could've ended was at the cost of a life: Either your life or mine."
The entire room fell into a gasp! They'd never imagined things had once been that dire, and all shuddered to imagine what such an outcome might have been like if it had come to pass.
Celestia continued. "My encounter with Sunset was initially a fluke. I stumbled across her hurt and alone one night. I assumed she had no family, though I later turned out to be mistaken. Her mom was Sunbeam, one of many in a long line of maids and butlers who worked at the castle," And she added with great hesitation. "Sunbeam was understandably reluctant to let her only child become my student, especially because her husband had abandoned her shortly after Sunset was born. She feared I was raising her daughter's hopes to unbelievable levels and going against everything she had been trying to teach Sunset. Perhaps if I had listened, things might not have ended the way they did."
"You couldn't have known at the time that Sunset wasn't the one. I'm sure it wasn't your fault she turned out bad," Twilight firmly insisted. "You've always been a great teacher to me, and look at how far your advice has gotten my brother."
But the sun princess again shook her head and hung it in shame. "No, it's entirely my fault. I not only taught her about the Elements of Harmony but also showed her the mirror. At the time I knew not of the magical properties it now possesses, all I knew was that it could show images to whoever I wanted." And in her mind she began to flash back to that fateful day when everything was to change between her and the promising young student she'd taken on.
Compared to how she would become afterward, Sunset Shimmer was considerably shyer and more withdrawn as she ushered along by Princess Celestia. "I don't get it, princess. Did I do something wrong? Are you going to tell my mom that I kind of underperformed on my last magic test?" The filly soon to become a mare asked.
Princess Celestia flashed a warm smile, something she had rarely done at this point (she'd been fearful to show too much emotion and get too connected to her student, and Sunbeam's disapproval of Sunset's studies had only further complicated matters). "No, Sunset. You haven't done anything wrong that I could punish you for," She was quick to point out. "You really shouldn't be keeping secrets from your mom. If not for her reluctance to question me, you wouldn't be allowed to study under me at all."
Sunset only snorted. "Who cares what my mom thinks? She's just a lowly toilet scrubber who keeps trying to bring me down. It's not my fault I'm so talented, I should be allowed to use that talent as I see fit. I've seen how everypony looks at me, they're jealous. Can you blame them though? If I weren't your personal student I'd probably be jealous of me too."
Celestia was a bit concerned about this unusually defiant tone of voice from Sunset. She'd known the unicorn for several years now and had mostly known her as a pony who rarely spoke up for fear of consequence. Just getting her to come out of her shell had been a very real challenge. To say nothing of how the relationship between mother and daughter was continuously strained.
But the sun princess decided to brush off those worries. She hoped that what she was about to do would make things clearer and set her student on the right path. "Sunset, what I'm about to show you is something top secret. Not even my guards truly know of its existence aside from a select few," She explained with a wink. "Remember what I told you about my old mentor, Starswirl the Bearded?"
"That old wizard? Wasn't he the one who invented an experimental time travel spell?" Sunset Shimmer asked.
"Among other accomplishments." Celestia answered. "One of them was an attempt to discover new worlds. He didn't quite have a chance to finish his experiment before he disappeared," She then gestured to a gleaming mirror that came up to about her length. "This mirror is as far as he got. Unfortunately, he left behind no notes as to how to continue what he'd been researching. But I've come to discover that this mirror houses another kind of magic, one that even Starswirl never knew about. This mirror has the ability to project a pony's path, showing visions of a future that may come to pass."
The young unicorn's eyes lit up as she examined the large mirror. "Wow! Sounds amazing!" And without hesitation she inquired of her mentor. "Do you think it could show me my future? Maybe if it's really good I could show my mom, and that would finally get her to stop repeatedly saying I need to lower my expectations."
Celestia only replied by shaking her head and instructing. "I want you to look deep into the mirror, Sunset. Tell me what it is that you see."
Sunset obeyed, and before her eyes she saw herself standing tall and proud! Not as a unicorn but as an alicorn princess, one that was worshipped and adored much the same way as Princess Celestia was herself. "I see a powerful princess! A pony on a pedestal that can't be toppled!"
At that, Princess Celestia frowned and stepped in front of the mirror. "That's not what I see, Sunset Shimmer. To be a princess is not to have power, and neither is having power exclusively a thing for alicorns."
"But if the mirror says..." Sunset began.
Celestia cut her student off. "-I told you that it's visions of a future that may come to pass. It shows how great you could be if only you would open yourself up to others. Until you come to understand the magic of friendship, you can never truly become what you are meant to be."
Sunset Shimmer growled and glared at her mentor. "Why do I need to learn about friendship? You think I haven't tried to make friends already? I have plenty of friends in class."'
"I'm talking real friends, Sunset Shimmer. Friends who like you for who you are, not for the benefits that come from knowing you." Celestia sternly declared as she ushered her student away.
From that day onward the bond between teacher and student was strained as Sunset underwent a transformation, but not the kind Celestia wanted. Sunset Shimmer began to focus more and more on her latent magical power, repeatedly winning the praise and admiration of everypony she showed off to. But she never truly cared or bothered to befriend others on a personal level. "I have more important things to do than waste my time trying to make friends." She would often say to herself.
Princess Celestia watched this unfold with great concern, but against her better judgement declined to act. "If I try to intervene, Sunset will come to resent me and think I'm holding her back in the same vein as her mother," She thought to herself time and time again. "I need to find a way to nudge her onto the right path, but get her to make that decision on her own."
But Celestia's best efforts always seemed to come up short. Things only grew worse once Sunbeam got sick and died. Sunset Shimmer didn't blame her mentor for the death (it was of natural causes after all), but it seemed like she began to view the pony who had once taken her under her wing not unlike the pony who had constantly been ignoring and downplaying her achievements.
Then one night, it all came to a head and Sunset's tenure as Princess Celestia's student would come to an end.
It unfolded deep within the walls of the Canterlot library. Sunset Shimmer had found an entire section under "Forbidden Spells and Magic", including a book that contained details about the mirror. It even seemed like there was a way to utilize it for its original intended purpose. Something that even Princess Celestia couldn't (or wouldn't) do.
However, it was at that very moment that a rather unhappy Princess Celestia found her student. She unceremoniously lit up her horn, using her magic to yank the book right out of Sunset's hooves. "Sunset Shimmer!" She scolded with narrowed eyes. "I don't believe it! You've deliberately gone behind my back to acquire illegal knowledge!"
Years of frustration boiled over into an outburst of rage as Sunset Shimmer shouted back! "You've been lying to me! You've been holding me back! You, the pony I thought I could trust! The pony I thought was more of a mother to me than my actual mother! Now I see you were just two sides of the same coin!"
Celestia felt hurt by such an allegation, though tried her best not to show it outright. "That's quite enough, Sunset Shimmer! I have done nothing of the sort that you accuse me of! My only regret is that I showed you the image in that mirror when clearly you were not ready for it. I had hoped it would inspire you to have greater confidence in yourself, to realize that you could do great things."
"How would you know?! You never truly believed in me! You already had a destiny picked out for me! You never even asked me if it was one I wanted!" Sunset roared! "I know the truth about you and Luna, how you neglected and ignored her, driving her to the dark side. You intended to use me to undo your mistakes!"
"I had hoped you would be the one to help me reunite with my sister, it was never my intention to make you think you had no choice," Celestia pleaded. "Maybe I have failed you in the same way I failed Luna, but unlike Luna I won't abandon you."
Sunset Shimmer just snapped back. "You're a fool! That's no longer your decision to make!"
Princess Celestia sighed in reluctance. "Then you leave me no choice. Now that you know what you know, I can't allow you to continue to study under me. You're free to pursue your own destiny somewhere else," And gesturing a hoof she instructed to two accompanying royal guards. "Take Sunset to her royal suite so she can pack her things. She is my student no longer."
It would only be when the sun princess returned to the castle, ready to call it a night, that she would learn about what had happened. How Sunset was able to overpower the guards escorting her, and slipped away and through the mirror before anypony could stop her.
The mirror itself sat idle for years and years, even after Princess Luna had returned. Eventually, Princess Celestia gave up hope of ever seeing her former student again and had the mirror moved to the Crystal Empire.
"So now you know the truth," Princess Celestia finished her story in the present. "I'm sorry you all had to be dragged into this."
But Shining Armor firmly insisted. "You made mistakes, Princess Celestia. But it was Sunset Shimmer who chose to ignore your guidance and seek out knowledge she knew to be forbidden."
The sun princess somberly sighed and put a hoof to her forehead. "I would like to believe that. Believe me, I would. But part of me will always wonder what might have been had I not kept myself sealed off from her, had I made more of an effort to get her to know that I cared for her on a personal level and not just as a student. I'd always hoped we would meet again someday, but not under these circumstances. It seems that time has done nothing to lessen her attitude, if anything it has only hardened it and made it worse."
"Well there's no point in worrying about the past. Right now, we gotta figure out how we're gonna get back Shining's crown from... wherever it is that Sunset took it." Soarin pointed out.
"It won't be easy, I'm afraid," Princess Luna spoke up. "From what little my sister and I know about the mirror, we know that it leads to an unknown world. It is a two way portal, but it does not stay open for very long. One hundred lunar cycles from new moon to full moon and back must pass. And even then it is only open for a maximum of three days and nights before it is sealed off for the rest of the cycle."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Fancy Pants suggested. "Shining Armor can't possibly do this all alone. The six of us have faced down many threats before and been on so many adventures already. This shouldn't be any different."
Shining Armor protested. "No, there's no point in all of us going. We don't know what lies beyond the mirror, let alone if Sunset is expecting us to pursue her. It's probably a trap."
"Besides," Twilight added. "Without the Element of Magic, the other Elements of Harmony won't be of any use. Even assuming you could find my brother's crown, it's sure to be heavily guarded or even booby trapped."
"And there's no telling what kind of allies Sunset's made for herself in that other world," Shining pointed out. "The best option is for me to go alone. I'll find a way to sneak in to wherever my crown's being held captive, retrieve it and then get out before I can be captured. Then if there's time, we can retrieve the Elements of Harmony and apprehend Sunset Shimmer for her crimes."
Princess Celestia even chimed in. "That's not to mention the possibility of an attack while Shining is away. Without the elements we would not have them to fall back on should something unexpectedly powerful slip through our defenses. Shining Armor must embark on this journey, alone."
The prince made his way to the very room where the night before he had lost his crown to Sunset Shimmer. "You may have gotten the best of me once, Sunset Shimmer. But you won't be lucky a second time!" He thought to himself. "Whatever your evil plan is, I'll stop it! You'll regret coming back and thinking you could steal my crown and get away with it!"
"Best of luck, Shining Armor," Princess Celestia called as she watched him approach the mirror with great caution. "You'll soon know more about the world beyond the mirror than any of us. And hopefully, Sunset won't give you too much trouble."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I won't let you down, that's a promise!" Shining gave a firm salute to his mentor, and then he hesitantly stuck a hoof out towards the mirror. Much to his surprise, the young alicorn found that the mirror's surface was no longer solid. It felt fluid, surrounded by bright and glowing lights. Steadying himself he continued to trot forward, soon plunging his whole body into the mirror in a bright shimmer of white light!
Spike wasn't sure what came over him, but he suddenly began to feel very worried for Shining Armor. As he saw the pony who was very much like an uncle to him disappear into the mirror, the little dragon broke free of Twilight's grasp and ran towards the mirror himself!
"Spike, what are you doing?! Come back!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs! But before she had a chance to light up her horn and grab him with her magic, he was gone! Everypony in the room could only watch in horror as the last thing they saw was Spike disappearing into the mirror right after Shining Armor!
"What's that little guy thinking?! He's gonna get himself killed!" Soarin protested once the bright light had faded. "And for the record, I still don't like the idea of sending our friend in all by himself. If anything happens to him in that other world he's gonna be all alone."
Twilight quickly theorized. "That must be why Spike ran after him. He must want to help Shining the only way he knows how," And she let out an unhappy sigh. "I just hope he and Shining find each other, for both their sakes. I don't know what I'll do if they don't come back."
Princess Cadence, meanwhile, could only say. "Well, it's out of our hooves now. We'll just have to stay vigilant in case they or Sunset Shimmer come back, or something else happens." And with that an uncomfortable silence fell over the room.
Once Shining had stepped through the portal fully he began to experience a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before! His whole body felt like it was being pulled and stretched while he spun helplessly around in a vortex of blinding light and flashing colors. He could feel his body changing, into what he didn't know and he wouldn't be able to find out. The prince closed his eyes, and at some point he must've passed out without knowing it since he came to later on an unfamiliar patch of grass.
Shining eventually opened his eyes. His body felt... different somehow. The prince still felt dazed and disoriented as his vision slowly returned to him. Stretching, he reached out his hooves. That was when he first realized something was wrong. What he saw in front of him were clearly not hooves! They looked like some kind of appendage but what exactly they were he had no idea. It kind of looked like a paw, but it didn't look like any sort of paw Shining had ever known.
Before the prince could reflect more clearly on this, he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Oh, am I glad to see you!"
Shining blinked as he looked down. The voice belonged to Spike, he knew it for sure. But all he could see was a dog with the same colored fur as Spike's scales, and with hair the same color as Spike's spines. "Spike?" He asked, hoping beyond hope he wasn't seeing or hearing things.
"Yeah, it's me. Apparently, going through the mirror came with changes." The dog spoke in the same voice as Spike. Any doubts Shining had had were erased. This was clearly Spike, now in dog form for some strange reason.
Shining Armor nearly jumped back in surprise! "Spike?! What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be with Twilight?! I didn't tell you to follow me through the portal, did I?!"
"No, but I don't recall needing your permission to do things!" Spike protested with a humph. "I couldn't let you do this all by yourself! Just like Twilight, you have a tendency to get in over your head without realizing it. I know what I did was stupid and reckless, but I couldn't live with myself letting you go off alone on something like this. I have a feeling you're gonna need my help."
The prince wasn't so convinced. "Out of the question, Spike! I'm not dragging you into this! Twilight's already probably worried sick about you! Go back through the portal and let me handle this on my own."
However, Spike protested. "How are you gonna do that when you don't even seem to realize that you've changed? Just look at yourself if you don't believe me."
"What are you talking abou-" Shining began only to have his sentence cut off as he turned around and let out a gasp at what he saw staring back at him! A bipedal creature with those unusual paws greeted him. The creature had the same hairstyle and color, the same eye color and the entire body was the same white color as Shining's fur.
"Told you." Spike declared as the dragon turned dog tried not to grin.
Shining opened his mouth, preparing to scream. But nothing would come out. Even so he was freaked out! "That's me?! I don't believe it! It feels like I'm having an out of body experience. This... this can't be real! This has to be some kind of crazy dream or something."
Spike only sighed as he shook his head while walking over to Shining. "It's real alright. And from the looks of things it seems like everyone around here looks like you. I overheard one of them say something about 'humans', so I'm guessing that's what they call the dominant creatures around here."
"That explains the weird getup," Shining remarked as he looked down at himself, discovering that he now wore a dark purple shirt that had his cutie mark stitched onto the left side as a symbol, navy blue pants held up by a black, metallic belt, white shoes with purple colored heels and a white suit jacket with a matching black tie. "I haven't been this dressed up since my wedding." He moved a "paw" to his shirt, preparing to take it off.
Spike quickly intervened to stop it. "I don't think that's a very good idea. Just look around, no one else is uh... unclothed as it were. And you did once tell me the importance of blending in when going undercover."
The prince turned human reluctantly nodded and sighed. "I suppose you're right, Spike. For now at least, the clothes stay on. Far better if we don't attract attention to ourselves before I can get my crown back. Speaking of which," He turned his head, taking notice of a rather large brick building in front of him. "What exactly is that place? Is that Sunset Shimmer's base?"
"If it is it's the weirdest base I've ever seen. It doesn't look guarded at all, anyone can just come and go as they please." Spike explained.
Shining Armor nervously replied. "It can't be that simple, Spike," He ran a "paw" through his hair. "And what happened to my horn? And where are my wings?"
"Same thing happened to my fire breath and ability to send messages," Spike explained. "It looks like we're on our own for this one. Your hunch about a trap may have been more right than you thought, Sunset probably knew about all of this and was banking on that fact."
Shining just clenched a "paw" as he narrowed his eyes. "Well if she thinks a lack of magic is going to stop me she's sorely mistaken. Now that we have 'disguises' we just need to sneak into the base and find out where they're keeping my crown. Then we can come back with my friends and apprehend Sunset."
With Spike close by, Shining began his approach to the "base". But he hadn't gotten far when Spike stopped the prince turned human, taking notice of how Shining was moving. "It seems like you're supposed to be on two legs, not four. It's not a problem if I do it, but if you do it it'll definitely attract attention."
"So it's the inverse of how it is back in Equestria," Shining concluded as he reluctantly stood up. "This is gonna take some getting used to." Sure enough, he felt his legs wobble and wiggle. It took him a couple of minutes before he had regained his balance enough to feel comfortable taking a step forward.
"Okay, we got that down without trouble," Spike commented to Shining. "But uh, I noticed that this place apparently has a thing against dogs, or other animals for that matter." He gestured to a sign near the front doors that said "No Pets Allowed: Exceptions Granted For Service Animals Only"
Shining stopped, perplexed by this sudden development. But as quickly as the problem presented itself to him he was able to develop an effective solution. "I've got some kind of heavy sack on my back, almost like a saddle bag," He told Spike. "Just hide in there. I promise, I'll let you out as soon as the coast is clear."
Spike reluctantly obeyed even though the sack felt very cramped and was very dark. "What kind of strange world did we stumble into?" He wondered aloud.
Shining used his "paw" to shush Spike. "Don't talk, you'll give us both away! Just make normal dog noises. If I ask a question, woof once for yes and twice for no. Got it?"
"Yes!" Spike replied before realizing his mistake. "I mean 'Woof'!"
Aside from that little "complication" Shining Armor found it very easy to enter the building. His "paw" grasped the handle on one of the many doors and pulled on it. The door swung open quite easily, and the human walked it through with little trouble.
The inside of the building was incredible! A tiled floor, solid brick walls, colors that looked bright and welcoming despite their faded tone. It was strangely familiar to the prince. "This reminds me of my old high school in Canterlot," He said to Spike, while making it look like he was talking to himself in case anyone were to ask. "Never thought I'd return to such a place. Finding my crown in a place like this is going to be a little tougher than I thought, this place is massive. Where do I even begin to look?"
As if in answer to Shining's question, a familiar voice could be heard just around a corner. "What do you mean you don't have it?! Don't you know what happens to people who lie to me?!"
Shining had to resist the urge to gasp as he quickly rushed to the voice's location! Peeking around a corner, he noticed a strangely familiar looking girl about his size. She had light amber colored skin and hair in locks of red and yellowish-green. She had a dark black jacket and matching boots with pink on the heels, an orange colored skirt with yellow and pink stripes and a pink shirt that had a sun surrounded by red and yellow rays stitched onto it. Most telling of all though and the thing that gave away this girl's presence, was a familiar pair of moderate cyan eyes that were locking onto a target with coldness and rage.
Sunset Shimmer was threatening a very familiar looking guy with dark gray (bordering on charcoal black) skin, light gold eyes that were shrinking from Sunset's gaze, a light cyanish gray hair in the style of a mohawk and a black shirt that had a symbol of a lightning bolt emerging from a cloud. "Your last chance, tell me where it is! I know you know." She threatened the boy.
The boy shuddered and answered in the same voice that Thunderlane always had. "I'm telling you, I don't have it. I gave it to the principal. I-I'm sorry, Sunset. I didn't know it was yours."
Sunset just glared further at Thunderlane as she approached him and grabbed him by the neck, raising a fist. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to take things that don't belong to you?!" She scolded. "Maybe I haven't made myself clear, Thunderlane. The principal doesn't run things around here, I do. You report lost items to me, I decide when or if they get returned."
Unwilling to stand idly by and let Sunset continue her shake down of Thunderlane, Shining Armor stepped forward as he cleared his throat. "Back off, Sunset! He doesn't have what you're looking for. If you touch him again you'll answer to me."
Sunset spun around, ready to give whoever had dared to talk back to her more than just a piece of her mind. But when she got a good look at the one who had spoken to her she froze. The eyes, the shirt, the hair. She knew at once who this person was, and a malicious grin formed on her face. "So he chose to follow me here after all. Or maybe Princess Celestia sent him here. Doesn't matter either way. It's time he learned who he's messing with." "Oh, I'm sorry," She sarcastically replied to Shining. "Obviously you're not from here. So allow me to clue you in on how things work, newbie."
"I'm not interested in anything you have to say, Sunset Shimmer," Shining retorted with a shake of his head. "I was going to ask you what you've done with my crown, but it looks like you don't have it anymore. But I'm gonna be nice and give you one chance to do the right thing. Talk to this 'principal' of yours and let them know I need my crown back, and we can both end this without anyone having to get hurt."
Sunset just laughed and dismissed Shining without a care in the world. "Sorry, pal," Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and malicious intent. "If the principal has it then it's out of my hands. You want that crown so badly? Go ask the old windbag yourself! Or better yet, take this free piece of advice: Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. This is my domain, not yours! No one gets in my way unless they want to enter a world of pain." Then she walked away after lessening her grip on Thunderlane.
Thunderlane was at Shining's side in an instant. "I... I can't believe it! You just stood up to Sunset Shimmer like it was no big deal. No one's ever been able to do that, not even Principal Celestia!"
"This 'Principal Celestia' of yours," Shining immediately inquired. "Is she the intended leader of this place?"
Thunderlane blinked in confusion. "Uh... I don't know if 'leader' is the word you're looking for. This is Canterlot High, Principal Celestia is simply the one students report to if they have any problems. I'm guessing you're not used to a school like this, especially not with clothes like that."
"Huh? What's wrong with my clothes?" Shining asked as he looked at them in greater detail. "They're all I have at the moment."
Thunderlane just sighed. "Well I'm afraid those clothes are a dead giveaway about where you come from: That's the kind of attire that only students of Crystal Prep wear. Crystal Prep is a prestigious high school from upstate that's always been a thorn in Canterlot High's side. It's also got a pretty shady reputation because of who runs the place, they say all kinds of suspicious activities go on there, all under Cinch's watchful eye," And he added. "I'm guessing you had enough of that and decided to switch schools. After all, there aren't any upcoming contests that Crystal Prep would need to send spies over to here for."
The undercover prince decided to play into this Thunderlane's assumptions. If nothing else it would provide a good cover story for as long as he was here. "Yes..." He quickly replied. "That's why I need to talk to your Principal Celestia as soon as possible. There are some things I could really use her help with."
Thunderlane's directions proved very helpful, and Shining Armor soon found himself knocking on the door of the "Principal's Office".
"Come in." Called the familiar voice of Celestia from the other side, though Shining had to steady himself and remember that it would not be Princess Celestia he'd be speaking to. Like seemingly everyone else here, the person he was about to speak to would be both similar to and different from the pony he knew in Equestria.
Entering into the office, Shining soon found himself looking at a woman who seemed to have abnormally large legs. But her face was the same lovely white color as the princess with whom she unknowingly shared a name. She had the same eye color, hair color and hair style (though her hair did not flow). "May I help you?" Principal Celestia asked without looking up from her desk.
Shining happened to glance around the room, and it was at that moment that his eyes fell upon a gleaming, glass case! Inside of said case rested his crown which had remained untarnished. "Thunderlane must've found it before Sunset Shimmer did! Or at least, this world's Thunderlane did!" He thought to himself, and then he cleared his throat. "My name is Shining Armor. I am... not from these parts."
Principal Celestia replied in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Yes, I know. You're a transfer student. Judging from the outfit I can safely assume it's Crystal Prep that you are transferring from. Quite odd considering I received no advanced notice of this intent."
"I don't plan to stay for long, ma'am," Shining declared. "You know that crown in that display case over there? Well, it's very important to where I come from. And I think there's been a bit of a mix-up. It's a long story, I really don't have time to tell you all the details. But I need that crown."
Principal Celestia finally looked up as she set the papers she had been working on aside. "I'm sorry, I can't just give you the crown. If you really want it, you're going to have to win it," And she explained. "We give away that crown to whoever wins the Fall Formal, an annual tradition of ours. Though in the past couple of years we've had only one winner: Sunset Shimmer. In fact, she's won every dance and every contest she's entered, almost always unopposed." It was possible to look behind her, and see several framed pictures of Sunset Shimmer wearing similar crowns.
Strangely enough, as the pictures progressed from left to right, Sunset herself seemed to slowly go from shocked and perhaps even genuinely surprised at having won to adopting the kind of attitude and presence with which she now carried herself.
"Look, if the crown is really that important to you, I can easily bring back the actual thing. It was left behind in... the place where I came from, and I was sent here to retrieve the swapped replica you're now displaying," Shining Armor pleaded. "It'll be like it never even happened."
But Principal Celestia refused to budge. "You're not going to change my mind. If the crown is as important to you as you say it is, then you'll have to win it back in the Fall Formal. We're actually hosting it in approximately three days' time, but there's still time for you to sign up if you wish to take part in it."
Reluctantly realizing that there was no other option available, Shining gave his consent. "If that's what'll take, ma'am, I shall run. Where do I go to sign up?"
"The gymnasium," Principal Celestia instructed. "I'll send word to the student body letting them know there'll be another contender for Fall Formal Princess, or in your case I suppose it'll be Fall Formal Prince. Best of luck to you. Now, unless you have something else you need my help with, please leave. I'll get to work on the paperwork for your transfer as soon as possible, but it'll take a long time to process."
Spike poked his head out from the bag when Shining Armor left the principal's office, he had heard everything. "So, what? You're actually planning to run for Fall Formal Princess/Prince? And against Sunset Shimmer?"
"It seems that's the only way. They won't let me have the crown, and I doubt I can just steal it back." Shining told Spike.
"And how exactly do you plan on winning this Fall Formal?" Spike questioned Shining.
Shining immediately confessed. "I have no idea!"
"You mean you're just making this all up as you go along?!" Spike exclaimed with worry!
"Hey, if you've got a better idea, I'd sure like to hear it. Time isn't on our side," Shining Armor immediately replied. "We don't even know when or if the portal will open back up again if we miss the current timetable."
The dragon turned dog couldn't argue with that, but he still nervously commented. "I sure hope this all works out. I feel like we're in way over our heads, I mean it this time!"
It took Shining Armor some time to figure out where the "gymnasium" Principal Celestia (boy did that title feel weird) had mentioned was. Just finding his way around the halls of Canterlot High was a challenge in and of itself, though he was lucky that he didn't seem to ever run into Sunset Shimmer while he was walking aimlessly about.
At last, the disguised prince found his destination and strolled inside as casually as he could. He saw lots of students busy with various things, mostly preparing the gym itself for the Fall Formal by hanging streamers and balloons. But he was most surprised to spot two very familiar looking girls near one of the tables: One of them had curly and poofy pink hair, and seemed to be able to pull balloons out from the symbol on her skirt. And another sported a very familiar brown stetson hat and a series of freckles. They looked like Pinkie Pie and Applejack, two of his sister's friends (and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't come to know them as friends too).
Unsure of what else to do or how to go about signing up, Shining decided it would be best to ask the closest thing he could find to a familiar face. Recalling his own experiences from meeting Pinkie Pie in Equestria, he decided it best to avoid talking to her human counterpart until he knew if she was as bubbly and as much of a chatterbox. He carefully and quietly approached the human Applejack, tapping her on the shoulder as he cleared his throat. "Excuse me."
The human Applejack let out a yelp, dropping a series of crates she'd been carrying! They fell to the floor as their contents rattled about with a loud crash. "Gah!" The girl screamed as she spun around. "Don't you know it ain't polite to sneak up on people like that?"
"'People'?" Shining questioned. He'd heard Sunset mention that phrase once but had thought little of it. But now it was being directed to him.
Applejack blinked in confusion as she stared at the mysterious looking teenager before her. "Was I speakin' a foreign language or somethin'?" She remarked while bending down to inspect the crates she'd dropped. "I asked a simple question. Reckon it ain't too much to ask for ya to speak up. Otherwise, I gotta get back to deliverin' these fizzy apple drinks before they get to room temperature."
"Look, I'm sorry," Shining sincerely apologized to Applejack. "I'm just looking to figure out where I'm supposed to sign up to run for Fall Formal Princess. Although in my case it's Fall Formal Prince."
"Oh, that'd be Pinkie Pie's department," Applejack gestured a "paw" to the pink haired girl nearby. "But there's no need for her to get involved. There's no way you're actually thinkin' of runnin' for Fall Formal Princess/Prince/Whatever!"
Shining blinked and questioned with a glare. "Why the heck not? You give me one good reason."
Applejack just replied with gritted teeth. "Sunset Shimmer, that's why! Doesn't matter what you try to compete in around here. Sooner or later you end up runnin' against Sunset Shimmer. And it always ends the same way, you're broken and humiliated, and Sunset ensures that you never again try to oppose her," She then used two balloons to further demonstrate her point. "It ain't like she plays fair either. She's always manipulative and underhanded. She'll start out sayin' she 'welcomes the challenge' and 'looks forward to a well fought race'. And then as soon as you let your guard down, think you have her all figured out, boom!" Applejack deflated a balloon in dramatic fashion. "The backstabbin' occurs!"
"Whatever tricks she may try won't work on me! I didn't come all this way to lose! I can take her!" Shining firmly insisted.
Applejack only shook her head. "I've heard so many people say the same exact thing, and it always ends the same way for 'em. Even saw it happen to an old friend of mine who has since kept her head down. Sunset never plays fair! Nothin's above or beneath her! Reckon there ain't a person at this school, maybe the whole world, who's worse than her," Then she questioned. "Still think you stand a chance?"
"Definitely!" Shining nodded his head, much to Applejack's shock and surprise. "Now please, inform your friend over there that I'm ready to sign up. And please do it now, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be in class."
The human Pinkie Pie promptly leaped over, her legs carrying her to heights that should've seemed impossible for any creature. It was apparent that even in this strange world of "humans" there were some consistencies. "Oh, someone's actually gonna take on Sunset Shimmer this year?! Whoever you are, you're either really brave or really stupid, maybe a lot of both!" She pulled out a pen and produced a clipboard, preparing to sign Shining up. But then she hesitated as she looked at him, appearing to be deep in thought. "Hey, have we met? Because I get the strangest feeling I should know you somehow."
"Oh no! If she finds out my true identity, this whole mission is gonna be compromised!" Shining thought to himself as he began to break out into a cold sweat!
Pinkie Pie examined every inch of Shining Armor. And the whole time she did she had a finger to her chin. At last, however, she spoke up. "You wouldn't by any chance happen to have an identical twin who's actually a top secret undercover prince from another world here on a secret mission, would you?"
"I don't think so, although I do have a younger sister who knows someone like you." Shining answered. At least that statement was partially true.
Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her brows. "Ah, okay, good. For a moment there I thought I was finally going crazy! Well, crazier but you know what I mean!" She then brought forth the pen and the clipboard. "Just sign your name here and you're all set. Good luck, you're absolutely gonna need it! I'm rooting for you, but if Sunset asks I didn't say that." She delivered the last part with a wink that seemed more anxious than it was probably supposed to be.
Shining Armor quickly signed his name, a task that was made difficult by how hard it was for him to hold the pen in his "paw". Still, he managed to produce a somewhat legible signature. "Sorry, my writing's kind of sloppy. Been trying to work on that." He hoped he wasn't blushing too hard right now.
Pinkie shrugged it off without concern. "Eh, don't worry about it. I've seen way worse! You should've seen Sunset Shimmer's handwriting the first time she signed up for something. Not even a translator could decipher it!" And she gave off a faint giggle, though she took care to cover her mouth when she did so in order to muffle the sound.
Shining then departed without saying another word to anyone. He now knew that those "paws" of his were probably actually known as "hands". He could only hope that the remaining aspects of being a "human" weren't too confusing or difficult to understand.
Shortly after the undercover prince had left, however, Sunset Shimmer arrived at the gymnasium. She wasn't yet aware of anyone running against her. She had come simply to check on the decorations for the Fall Formal, thinking it would be yet another easy win for her. The girl even audibly gagged at the choice of beverage provided. "Fizzy apple drinks?! Seriously?! This is supposed to be my big night, not some country hoedown!" And she glared at Applejack! "Look, Applejack, just because your grandmother's the head lunch lady here doesn't mean your family gets to do the catering for all the big social events. Didn't your brother ever tell you it's not a good idea to anger me?"
Applejack felt something inside her snap when Sunset threatened her, and she not only pushed the girl back but hissed at her and told Sunset. "Hate to break to ya, but you ain't runnin' unopposed this year. This ain't gonna be another one of your 'coronations' as you put it! You've got some competition."
"Nice try, Applejack, I'm not falling for that one again. It wasn't funny the first time." Sunset scowled.
Applejack protested. "It's no joke, I assure you. Just take a look at the clipboard if ya don't believe me. I'm surprised you ain't already found out, seein' as you always claim you know everythin' that goes on here."
Barely containing her anger, Sunset walked over to Pinkie Pie's location and snatched up the clipboard. When her eyes scanned down a ways, Sunset found a name that she could make out despite how sloppily it had been written. "Oh that rotten, low down..." She began to mutter, before realizing how loud she was sounding and quickly composing herself. "... I mean, where is this 'Shining Armor'? You know that as the reigning champion I simply have to meet any challenger personally, just so they can understand how we do things."
Pinkie Pie just shrugged her hands. "He said he was going to class. He's obviously new here. But he reminds me of somebody even though I can't put my finger on it. Is he a friend of yours, Sunset?"
Sunset just stormed out while muttering under her breath. "I don't have any friends, only enemies. And it's time I updated my list."
Applejack and Pinkie Pie watched the mean girl walk out, and without saying a word they both exchanged glances. Although they didn't know Shining Armor personally, they knew that he was going to be in for a very nasty campaign of sabotage at the hands of Sunset Shimmer. Something about this scuffle seemed different from the other opponents Sunset had defeated.
Shining Armor found his way to "class" much easier than he had found everything else so far. Aside from the fact that he had arrived very late into the class period there were no issues. And the teacher for the first period was willing to let him off with a warning since he was a new student.
The next class period turned out to be a study hall, which was normally meant for students to work on any homework they might have. But as Shining had none at the moment, he took advantage of the opportunity for free time and headed for the one place he knew he could go to for research: The library.
The library was overseen by a woman who looked a lot like Mayor Mare, even down to the long, flowing gray hair and yellow glasses over her moderate dark blue eyes. But her name was Ivory Script. "I used to be the mayor a long time ago," She complained as she handed over a pass for one of the computers to Shining (he had unintentionally called her "Mayor" before realizing she probably wasn't one in this world). "To think, one small bookkeeping error was all it took to get me kicked out of office. Doesn't even matter that I said I was sorry."
"Wow, that lady's a real bag of sunshine," Spike sarcastically remarked as he poked his head up from the bag that he'd learned was called a backpack. "So, why are we here, exactly?"
Shining quickly explained as he sat down at a desk with one of these "computers" in a clumsy fashion (he was still getting used to his human body). "We need more intel on this world, and especially on Sunset Shimmer. If what Applejack says is true and those pictures in the principal's office are to be believed, Sunset's been here for quite a long time and has built quite a reputation," And he warned. "And what did I tell you about staying hidden?"
"Sorry, I just needed some fresh air. It really stinks in that backpack!" Spike exclaimed! "I promise, I'll be quiet."
"Just don't let anyone else know you can talk." Shining cautioned. And then he set to work on trying to activate the computer. It proved to be a difficult task since he wasn't used to using his hands.
Unknown to Shining or Spike, two girls only slightly younger than Sunset Shimmer were watching the whole thing from afar and were recording it. They were chuckling and grinning to themselves as one whispered. "Wait 'til Sunset Shimmer gets a load of this. This guy won't stand a chance."
The research session lasted for a considerable period of time, though the absence of a bell ringing signified that the second period had yet to end.
Shining was carefully whispering some of the information he'd discovered to Spike. "It's really strange, Spike. Everyone we know and love back in Equestria seems to have an exact look alike here, even me. Apparently, I've actually already graduated from Crystal Prep, but word hasn't gotten out yet."
"So, where's the other Sunset Shimmer?" Spike inquired. "You know, the one native to this world?"
At that Shining frowned. "That's the thing, there doesn't seem to be any record at all of a Sunset Shimmer existing here until the one from our world fled here years ago. Assuming there is another Sunset, our Sunset made that one disappear somehow."
"You don't think she killed her counterpart, do you?" Spike gulped, shuddering at the mere image of it.
"No, there doesn't appear to be anything that would suggest that," Shining pointed out. "It could very well be that a native Sunset Shimmer doesn't exist in this world at all. At least, not within any means that I can currently access. And time works in mysterious ways here. It's been years since Sunset Shimmer was in Equestria, but she's only aged about a full year or two since coming here. She can't be much older than sixteen or seventeen."
The dog had to resist the urge to let out a gasp. "No wonder she's so scary! She's stuck in a world where she's not supposed to exist, and she's taking full advantage of it," He was quick to suggest. "It's not too late to change your mind about going up against her, you know. I'm pretty sure I can be a distraction if you need to sneak in and steal back the crown. It is rightfully yours after all."
"If I do that I'm no better than Sunset," The disguised prince protested. "I know I'll be cutting things close with the Fall Formal. But I'm confident I can handle whatever Sunset tries to pull. Thunderlane and Applejack are living proof that her grip on this school isn't as tight as she may want it to seem. We just need to convince enough pon.... er people to support me because they're sick of letting Sunset Shimmer control their lives, and the crown should be mine. Once I have it safely back in Equestria, I'm sure Twilight can find a way to stabilize the portal so I can bring my friends back to help capture Sunset."
Just then, a familiar male voice could be heard crying out! "Let me go, and give me back my phone! I need it!"
Shining got up from the desk and quickly rushed to the source of the cry. He soon spotted a very familiar looking boy with grayish-purple eyes, a dark grayish blue hair style cut short and light bluish gray skin. And he was being held at bay by a glasses-wearing, light gray skinned girl while a pink skinned girl with a pale, light grayish violet and white colored hair was holding up a strange, brick like object. The glasses wearing girl had a pink shirt with a silver spoon stitched onto it, while the other girl had a plain yellow shirt. The boy had a plain blue jacket that looked like it had a familiar lightning bolt symbol on it.
"What should we do with this old hunk of junk, Silver?" The pink skinned girl asked in a mocking tone. "It doesn't look an outdated model like this will be of any use to anyone."
The glasses-wearing girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. You're the boss, Di. I'm more worried about what this snitch caught us doing. Only we are allowed to spy on people here."
The boy whined and groaned as he continued to be held at bay by the two girls. "Come on! That phone is the only way my brother can stay in touch with me! I swear, I didn't see anything!"
The pink skinned girl wasn't convinced. "You can think I'm stupid, Rumble. Just don't talk to me like I'm stupid. You were spying on Silver Spoon and I, and for that you must be punished," An unusual grin formed on her face as she added in an ominous tone. "You wouldn't want Sunset Shimmer to find out that your brother still sleeps with a nightlight on, do you?"
Rumble protested. "The nightlight is for me. And it's because our house gets really dark at night, and Thunderlane doesn't want me getting hurt. Mom and Dad always get home really late from work, so he's the boss."
The glasses-wearing girl just laughed and taunted. "Wow! No wonder you like to hang out with those immature crusader crybabies!"
"That's not their real name!" Rumble hissed even though he was still not making any headway against the girls.
Having heard and seen enough (and recognizing the two girls from the many accounts in his world of similar ponies with similar appearances giving that world's Rumble and his friends a hard time), Shining Armor stepped forward to confront the two bullies. "Hey you two," He sternly remarked with narrowed eyes. "Don't you have better things to do than pick on your fellow classmates?"
Diamond Tiara did her best to feign innocence. "Who, us? No no no, you've got it all wrong, mister. Rumble just dropped his phone, and Silver Spoon was checking it to make sure it didn't break."
Silver Spoon promptly handed the phone back to Rumble. "See, it works just fine. There's nothing on there that interests us anyway. We got what we came for."
Diamond growled and pulled Silver by the braids in her hair. "Silvy, you gave it away! Now he knows we're onto him!"
"Actually I didn't, until you pointed it out that is," Shining commented with a frown. "But I did hear you mention Sunset Shimmer. So I'm guessing you two 'bad girls' work for her."
"If it keeps her off our backs," Diamond replied in an unconcerned tone. "But we haven't done anything yet, so you can't do anything to us. In fact, this whole conversation never happened. Let's go, Silver Spoon. It's almost time for our next class anyway."
Silver couldn't help but taunt while sticking out her tongue. "See you around, loser! Just wait, you'll get what's coming to you! Sunset Shimmer will make sure of that." And the two girls quickly left, laughing and giggling to themselves.
Shining didn't know what Diamond and Silver were up to as he watched them depart, and even if he had known he wouldn't have cared. He was more concerned with tending to the human Rumble. "Do those two always pick on you like that, Rumble?" He asked.
Rumble nodded in shame. "All the time, unfortunately. Ever since I started hanging out with a group of girls who call themselves The Crusaders. They're trying to be these internet celebrities, whenever they're not ending in detention anyways. It's mostly Scootaloo's doing."
"Well, if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon ever give you any trouble again while I'm here, you can tell me," Shining told Rumble. "I happen to be a friend of your brother's. And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's seeing po... people getting picked on because of who they choose to befriend," And then he chuckled. "As for your Crusader friends, you should tell them to stop trying so hard to get into trouble and be famous. An education is a terrible thing to waste, and where I come from it's all too easy to end up becoming famous for all the wrong reasons."
"I'll... keep that in mind," Rumble slowly replied. "And I'll be sure to tell them and my brother how nice you were to me. You're the new guy running for Fall Formal Princess, aren't you? If so, you've definitely got my vote!"
After the study hall period, a few more classes came and went without fanfare. Eventually it came time for lunch, meaning all students were to be in the cafeteria.
Shining was on his way to the cafeteria after asking for directions, and on the way he happened to bump into someone who looked very familiar. Those vivid cornflower blue eyes, that two toned moderate sapphire hair that looked strangely bushy and of course that skin tone that looked so close yet so different to a shade of orange. He even had a black jacket on with a very familiar lightning bolt symbol on the sleeves. "Can it be?!" He thought as he felt his heart start to flutter.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir," The boy apologized as he helped Shining to his feet. "Are you alright? Do you need me to take you to the school nurse?"
Shining shook his head and rubbed his eyes. No, he wasn't seeing things. This human did indeed look familiar, very familiar! "Flash Sentry?!" He exclaimed in amazement! "No way! What are you doing here?!"
Flash stepped back, blinking in confusion at the statement. "What do you mean? I've been here for a while now, about a year in fact," And then he looked at Shining Armor. "Have we somehow met before and I don't remember?"
Shining now realized his mistake as he sheepishly answered. "No. I'm sorry, it's just that you reminded me of... someone I know. But you're obviously not him."
"It's okay, I get that a lot," Flash sincerely apologized. "Really, I do. They say I look a lot like my great grandfather, so maybe that's it," Then he asked. "By the way, is it true what they say? Is someone actually running against Sunset Shimmer? It's been ages since anybody's done that."
The disguised prince nodded his head. "Yes, it's all true. And you're looking at the very guy who's gonna put Sunset in her place no matter what tricks she tries to pull!"
But Flash scowled as his tone of voice became bitter and resentful. "I've heard that all before. So many people make the same mistake. Sunset Shimmer isn't just some grade school bully, she's the real deal! A bully to end all bullies! If you go up against her, you always end up burned. You start out full of hope, and by the time she's done with you you're broken, humiliated, unwilling to fight back. If you're going up against Sunset Shimmer you can forget about winning."
"You don't believe I'll find a way?" Shining remarked as he found himself glaring at Flash. "The guy you remind me of wouldn't be caught dead saying such things!"
Flash only shook his head and turned and walked sadly away. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You've no clue what horrors await you." Soon, he was out of sight.
Shortly after Flash had disappeared, Thunderlane came on the scene. He had overheard the conversation from afar and put a hand on his new friend's shoulder. "I see you've met Flash Sentry. Don't let his rock star looks fool you, he hopes to become a police officer just like his dad, who just so happens to be the chief of police for all of Canterlot City."
"How can a guy with a future in law enforcement turn a blind eye to injustice and abuse of power like Sunset's?" Shining inquired. "How can he just turn his back on others and just give up without fighting?"
Thunderlane was quick to explain. "He and Sunset Shimmer were close, like really close. They were a real power couple. But they broke up a few months ago, Flash finally decided he'd had enough: Said he wasn't gonna be a pawn in Sunset's games anymore."
"Let me guess, Sunset got revenge on him for the break up." Shining inquired.
Thunderlane nodded in confirmation. "He still won't elaborate on what it is that Sunset said or did to him, but ever since then he's never been the same. And when he fell, so did the school. Anyone with the will to resist had already been broken, and seeing Flash of all people get brought down was the final nail in the coffin," The next part of his sentence took on a noticeably downtrodden tone. "Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. With no one left to oppose her, Sunset was able to bring about some 'changes'."
These 'changes' were made clear once the two reached the cafeteria. There were a lot of tables throughout the entire room, but what was most noticeable was how it seemed like each table had a specific group of people seated at it.
"Sunset wanted to make sure we couldn't unite and try to best her in numbers, so she brought back an old stipulation to ensure 'order'," Thunderlane explained. "It's really quite simple: You just sit at the table that fits your social groups. There's a table for everybody: The rich kids, the tech wizards, the math geniuses, the sports stars, you name it. There's even a table for the 'misfits', the unpopular kids who don't fit in anywhere else. Sunset made it clear this is for the rejects," And he let out a sigh. "Which is sadly where I am. It's not all bad, though. I get to see Rumble and his friends all the time."
"You mean The Crusaders, right?" Shining commented as he and Thunderlane waited in line to get up to the lunch counter. "He told me about them after I saved him from getting bullied by Sunset's 'helpers'."
Thunderlane frowned. "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were already trouble before Sunset got a hold of them. It's really a shame too because their talents could be put to so many great uses here at the school if they'd simply stop picking on others. But Sunset's got them taking orders only from her. She uses them as her eyes and ears, not a thing happens in this school that they don't know about."
"If you all hate it so much, why don't some of you transfer to other schools?" Shining Armor questioned as he and Thunderlane neared the lunch counter.
With a shake of his head Thunderlane answered. "This is really the only school that'll take in anyone. All the other schools in the district are either insanely restrictive or insanely expensive: Crystal Prep being the worst offender. Better be ready for Sunset to use that against you."
"Was Sunset always like this?" Shining asked Thunderlane as he recalled the pictures in the principal's office.
"Those who were here long enough say no," Thunderlane explained. "You've probably wondered why Rumble and his friends attend this school even though they're not high school age. This school actually does have a few elementary and middle school classes, and it's cheaper for most parents to send students here for as many grades as possible. As for Sunset Shimmer, supposedly she was originally not unlike you were: Sweet, innocent, curious about the world around her. But eventually, something changed inside of her. Something snapped. And ever since she's been an absolute nightmare."
Shining didn't get an opportunity to ask anymore questions to Thunderlane, because at that moment something more pressing demanded his attention: The lunch lady herself. She had a very familiar apple green skin color and white hair, but it looked like she had really buffed herself up with how huge her arms and upper body were. As the woman was placing the day's lunch onto Shining's tray, she looked him deep in the eyes and told him. "Hey, you're the new kid, aren't ya? The transfer boy from that fancy shmancy Crystal Prep."
Against his better judgement, Shining Armor sincerely answered. "Yeah, so?"
The woman answered back. "Well, my granddaughters were just gushin' about ya! They seem pretty convinced you're the one who's gonna finally take down Sunset Shimmer and break the hold she's got on all of us. I ain't sure I believe them, I've seen too many youngins' like you all meet the same fate."
"If I wasn't sincere, do you think I would've stood up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon on Rumble's behalf?" Shining pointed out.
The woman only humphed. "You're brave now, but you ain't got a taste of what Sunset can do just yet. It'll be a miracle if ya don't turn tail and run away after the first day of competition," Then, using a ladle she gestured to a tall, teenage boy with light red skin, light orange hair and sap green eyes. "If you're determined to go through with it though, you oughta at least talk to my grandson. He's been itchin' to meet ya ever since Applejack started talkin' you up."
"I'll do that, Granny Smith." Shining promised and left the lunch counter to make his way over to the table where the human he knew was Big Macintosh was currently sitting (alongside the human Applejack and a human he assumed was Apple Bloom given the familiar bow in her hair).
Granny Smith watched the wavy haired boy walk away, blinking in surprise and wondering to herself. "Now how in the heck did he know my name? I didn't get a chance to tell him. There's more to that fella than meets the eye."
Shining (with Thunderlane accompanying him) sat down at the table next to the human Big Macintosh and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Big Macintosh? Your granny said you wanted to talk to me?"
Big Macintosh removed a buck wheat from his mouth to speak. "Eeyup, ya heard right. Any friend of my sisters is somebody I just have to meet for myself. And from what I hear, you've already got quite a reputation. You're really playin' up this whole 'Savior Newcomer' persona, makin' folks start to believe they have hope again."
"It's no act, I assure you!" Shining firmly insisted as he locked eyes with Big Macintosh. "I may not have known what Sunset was up to originally, but now that I do I'll be darned if I just idly by and let her keep doing what she's doing. She must be stopped, and I guess it's up to me."
Big Macintosh was anything but convinced. "I used to think the same way as you did, mister. But after all the times Sunset was supposed to go down, only for the ones who vowed to defeat her and put an end to her ways end up becomin' the ones who went down, I don't so easily believe this time will be any different."
"Please, you can't talk like that! That's exactly what Sunset Shimmer wants you to think!" Shining Armor protested as he slammed his hands down on the desk. "What would your family think? What would your cousin Braeburn think?"
At that Big Macintosh nearly leaped off the table in surprise! "How do you know about cousin Braeburn? He's not from these parts, he lives out of town. I only occasionally keep in contact with him through letters, 'cause he doesn't get good cell phone service where he lives."
"Oh, I see," Shining realized as he blushed. "But my point still stands. Heck, if you really want this time to be different, support me. Then you can see for yourself that I'm not the type to back down."
"He did show a lot of bravery standing up to Sunset Shimmer earlier today," Thunderlane pointed out. "Hardly anyone's ever had the courage to do that. I think he just might stand a chance after all."
Big Macintosh was silent for a bit, as he thought over the dilemma on his hands. But at last he gave a reluctant answer. "...I really want to say no. Ever since Sunset took over I learned to keep quiet and say nothin' if I didn't have to. But for some strange reason, I feel as if I have to help you. It's as if I know you somehow, even though I've never seen you before in my life."
"That's funny, I had the same strange feeling," Thunderlane commented. "There's definitely something different about you, Shining. And it's not just your outfit. You have an almost... 'otherworldly' appearance to you somehow."
"So does that mean the two of you are onboard?!" Shining hopefully asked. "You'll support me in my effort to become Fall Formal Princess... er Prince?"
Big Macintosh and Thunderlane both nodded their heads in agreement.
"Great! I've got two of the five, hopefully soon to be three!" Shining thought to himself. "I already know where to find this world's Soarin, I just need to figure out how to find this world's Fancy Pants. Once I get them onboard along with this world's Braeburn, Sunset Shimmer and the crown are as good as mine!"
Yet the undercover prince didn't know that he was being observed from afar by Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and of course Sunset Shimmer.
"That's him alright!" Diamond Tiara declared as she gestured a finger. "He certainly has an interesting way of not drawing attention to himself."
Silver Spoon giggled. "If by interesting you mean he doesn't even bother to lay low and keep his nose out of things that don't concern him. Taking this guy down is gonna be so easy!"
Sunset Shimmer seemed to agree as she asked. "I take it the video you two recorded is ready to be uploaded?"
Diamond and Silver both nodded as Diamond declared. "Just say the word and I'll post it. We'll make him famous, or even better: Infamous!"
Sunset smiled. "Excellent. But let's hold off on hitting the publish button for a little while. We don't want to give ourselves away just yet. Far better to let him think he has a chance, rather than crush his hope before it's had a chance to grow." And in her mind she was thinking. "I'm changing up my usual rules for you, prince! You think you can just walk in here and meddle in my business? If so, you've got another thing coming. You'll regret ever tangling with the likes of me."
After lunch, the rest of the school day came and went without fanfare for Shining Armor. And he had just enough between each class period once he learned where he was going to let Spike out of his backpack (even if it was only for quick little "emergencies"). He also noticed that neither Sunset Shimmer or either of her two "underlings" had tried to make any move on him. Assuming they were still planning something they had decided for the time being not to act.
When the first day came to an end, Shining immediately rushed outside and went around back. After making sure the coast was clear and no one else was around, he opened his backpack again and Spike was now once more free to run around.
"About time, I was bursting in there!" Spike exclaimed as he was visibly panting. "Seriously, we need to find a better place for me to hide for the next two days."
"Sorry about that, Spike," Shining sincerely apologized. "I'll see if I can put a few air holes in there to freshen things up."
The dragon turned dog was relieved to hear that, but he still wouldn't give up on his plan. "I still say this is crazy! We've already wasted a day! Let's just grab the crown and get out of here, we don't owe these people anything. They may look like and sound like our friends but they're not our friends. You know that and I know that."
Shining shook his head, he was not going to change his mind. "I've already come this far, Spike. I might as well see it through to the end. I simply can't allow Sunset Shimmer to do what she wants to anymore. If I don't stop her while I'm here now, I may not get another chance, to say nothing of my chances of apprehending her. And I'll be darned if I let another threat to Equestria get away. Having Chrysalis still at large is bad enough, and I can't shake the feeling that Sombra isn't quite as dead as everypony thinks."
Spike only replied. "Well just don't forget that your plan is gonna be cutting it mighty close. I really don't wanna have to be stuck as a dog for Celestia knows how long!"
"Don't worry, Spike, that won't happen!" Shining vowed. "If worse does come to worse I'll just take the crown at the Fall Formal and then make a tactical retreat. In that case I'll come back for Sunset Shimmer next time the portal opens. But I'm hoping I don't have to make a return trip. I'm hoping I can accomplish everything I set out to do when I got here."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully for the two following that discussion. They spent their time observing the many sights and sounds that Canterlot City had to offer, taking notice of how similar yet different it was from the Canterlot they knew back in Equestria. Some things hadn't changed: There was still a Sugarcube Corner sweet shop run by a Mr. and Mrs. Cake. And there was a Sweet Apple Acres just outside of town where the Apple family lived. But instead of a royal guard there was a local police force. And there were noticeably more technologically advanced locations that included a massive arcade encased within a building (Ponyville had the closest equivalent with a few video game cabinets scattered around an outdoor park).
But as day began to turn to night, a new problem presented itself to Shining and Spike. They would need to find a place to at least spend the night, and no such location seemed like it would accept them (especially when Shining didn't have an acceptable amount of the local currency on him).
Salvation came in an unlikely source, through a chance meeting with Big Macintosh not far from the school. Big Mac was more than a little surprised to see Shining so close to dark. "Hey, what are ya doin' here?" He questioned. "There's nothin' to see or do here after dark at this time of year. Plus it's a school night. You should be at home."
Shining fought back a gulp. "Well that's the thing, I don't really... have a home here."
"What? Don't you have any money? I ain't buyin' for a sec your folks would let you transfer to Canterlot High without settin' somethin' up," Big Mac frowned. "You better not be tryin' to rope me into anythin' illegal!"
"There's nothing illegal going on, I just don't have enough money to find a place to stay," Shining confessed while tugging at the collar of his shirt. "I guess I didn't really think things through. And unfortunately my folks aren't gonna be in town for a few more days. I really hate to ask, but do you suppose it would be okay if I stayed with you and your family until then?"
Big Macintosh was understandably skeptical of this suggestion. He'd learned long ago to be suspicious of strangers when they made offers like that, especially at times like this when there wasn't anybody around to witness whatever might happen.
But taking one look at Shining's eyes stirred something inside of Big Mac. The boy couldn't really explain it, but he felt like he was obligated to help out. As if this guy wasn't as much of a stranger as he claimed to be. "...I suppose there's no harm, we always have a few extra guest bedrooms in case relatives or cousins decide to stop by for a visit," He explained. "But I don't wanna hear any complaints about your venue. You go to bed when you're told, get up when you're told and eat whatever you're served. And if you're asked to help out around the farm, you gotta agree. Hope that's not gonna be a problem for you."
Shining shook his head. "Oh no, not at all," And he smiled as he gave the human Big Mac a hug. "Thank you! You have no idea how big of a help you're being with this."
"Thank me later, I still gotta clear it up with Granny Smith. Ever since my folks died she's been my legal guardian, and the same goes for my sisters," Big Macintosh explained. "Granny ain't quite as quick to give hospitality to strangers, even if I make 'em promise to work on the farm if needed."
"Don't worry, I've already met your grandmother. She was the one who told me to talk to you," Shining Armor replied with a smile. And then he thought of something else. "By the way, not that I mean to change the subject but would you by any chance know if..."
Big Mac interrupted as he guessed. "If Cousin Braeburn's comin'? Well it's your lucky day, or rather night. He was supposed to start school here today, but the only bus to Canterlot from where he's from broke down. He should be here tomorrow though if you wanna talk to him."
"Great!" Shining smiled. "And is there any chance you know where I can find Fancy Pants? It's kind of urgent that I talk to him too, and the same goes for Soarin."
But Big Macintosh sighed as he led Shining Armor to a waiting pick-up truck loaded up with crates of apples. "Soarin and I used to be friends, but ever since Sunset Shimmer came along we ain't really spoken to each other. Not sure if it's cause he thinks I'm a coward for goin' silent, or somethin' else. Doesn't really matter though, he's gonna be graduatin' in about a semester or two. As for Fancy Pants, he's been a student here since late last quarter, but he's hard to get a hold of. Still, I'll see what I can do when we get back to my place."
"If you can put a word for me and let them know I need their support that would be great," Shining Armor told Big Macintosh as he climbed into the passenger seat of the pick-up truck. He was surprised to see Big Mac get into the driver's seat. "Wait, this contraption is yours?!"
Closing the driver side door behind him, Big Mac firmly nodded. "Eeyup. Got my license just last year. Granny insisted I do so so she wouldn't always have to drive to market to drop off our crops," After making sure his passenger had securely buckled himself in (though he had to demonstrate how to do this), he instructed. "Now don't you worry, I ain't one of those drivers who likes to show off. If I did I wouldn't still be drivin' this old hand me down that's been in my family since my dad was about my age. But it's really the only thing I've got left to remember him by, and for drives to and from town she gets the job done good enough. So just relax." He then pressed down on a pedal, and the two drove off into the night.
It wasn't long before a big red barn came into view, and next to it rested a farmhouse that looked to be in surprisingly good shape.
Big Macintosh brought the pick up truck to a halt as it crawled up what appeared to be a longer and wider sidewalk, and then stopped. With a little bit of jingling from the keys he was able to turn the whole thing off. "Well, here we are: Home, sweet home," He told his guest as he got out. "I know it ain't much, but I assure you it's more than big enough for my whole family. Can't really imagine bein' anywhere else."
Shining nodded his head. "I know that feeling. You get so used to things being a certain way and then you can't imagine doing them any other way," Then he remembered something he had meant to ask sooner (and probably should've asked). "By the way, nop... er nobody in your house is allergic to dogs, are they?"
Big Macintosh shook his head. "Eenope. In fact, we've got our own farm dog: Winona. Makes for a good herder if the sheep ever get loose. And she's mighty friendly with other people and other dogs too."
"Well that's good, Spike will really appreciate having a place where he can run free." Shining declared as he opened his backpack and let Spike out once again.
"Just make sure you keep an eye on him and clean up after him," Big Mac warned, and then led Shining into the farmhouse proper. A short time later, he was bringing his new friend upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms that resided at the end of a long hallway. The room wasn't anything too fancy: Just a plain old bed near a window, and a small desktop. "Since it's a school night, you're gonna wanna get to bed pretty soon. Gotta be up bright and early for school. Bus even sometimes comes before the sun is up, though my sisters and I are usually one of the last stops."
Shining Armor smiled, sincerely grateful for this human's hospitality. "I hope I'm not sounding like a broken record when I say thank you so much for doing this. You really didn't have to."
"Just a bit of that Apple family hospitality," Big Macintosh explained, before adding. "Cousin Braeburn's on his way, and I was able to get Fancy Pants to swing by so you can talk to him. He said he'll be here tomorrow."
The new delighted Shining so much that he nearly leaped up and hugged Big Mac right then and there! "Fantastic! I don't believe it, everything's going according to plan!"
"Plan? What plan?" Big Mac questioned upon overhearing. "There something you ain't tellin' me, mister?"
Stammering, the undercover prince quickly corrected himself. "The plan to defeat Sunset Shimmer in the Fall Formal of course. Every bit helps."
After staring Shining in the face for a moment, Big Mac relented as he appeared content with the answer. "Well alrighty then. But don't get your hopes up, you ain't won yet. Still got a whole two days, more than enough time for Sunset to deploy her dirty tricks."
"Whatever she has planned won't work!" Shining firmly vowed.
"I sure hope you're right, mister," Big Macintosh warned as he left the room. "Goodnight."
Shining Armor woke up the next morning, and made sure to let Spike out back. "Feel free to keep yourself busy until it's time to go to school," He told the dog. "I'm about to hopefully get this world's Braeburn and Fancy Pants on our side."
"And what about Soarin?" Spike questioned. "If you're really trying to gather up the gang, Soarin feels like an odd omission."
"I'll get to him once I take care of the others. I already know he's part of the soccer team," Shining replied as he rested his hands on his shoulders. "I know what I'm doing. Everything will work out just fine." Then he left Spike and re-entered the farm house.
A familiar looking human with a noticeable brown colored ten gallon hat was waiting for Shining at the kitchen table when Shining Armor re-entered. He appeared to be the same age as Big Macintosh, perhaps a bit younger, and had skin light gold in color, brilliant light green eyes and long, flowing locks of orange and amber. On his brown shirt was a big red apple. "Howdy there!" The teenager greeted Shining with a bright smile! "I'm Braeburn! I'm from Appleloosa! Or at least, that's what I call my home town. It doesn't really have a name if I'm bein' honest."
"Pleasure to meet you, Braeburn. I'm Shining Armor, the transfer student from Crystal Prep who's looking to take down Sunset Shimmer and become Fall Formal Prince," Shining introduced himself. "I trust I can count on your support?"
"Not sure why you'd need my help when I just got into town," Braeburn pondered as he put a hand to his chin. "I kind of promised my folks I wouldn't get tangled up with the wrong crowd, and I heard it ain't wise to get the wrong side of Sunset Shimmer and her posse."
"Trust me, Braeburn, your help is going to be needed! The more people I have onboard, the easier it's going to be," Shining pleaded with Braeburn. "Surely, you've heard from your cousins here in the city about how bad Sunset Shimmer is. Don't you wanna put an end to it so you won't have to deal with it too?"
Braeburn was quick to consider the suggestion. "I guess when you put it like that, sidin' with you ain't such a bad thing. Count me in!" And upon agreeing he asked his new friend. "So, what's your strategy? You gotta have one if you're gonna run against Sunset Shimmer."
"My strategy is simple. I'm going to define myself before Sunset has the chance to do so. Get out ahead of her and make sure she can't turn the school against me." Shining declared.
But at that moment, a human appearing to be older than either Braeburn or Big Macintosh (probably even older than Thunderlane if Shining had to guess) appeared. He sported a glass monocle over his left eye (with both of his eyes being a very light blue in color), had the most beautiful looking light blue hair and skin almost as white as snow. He wore a rather lavish black dress with buttons even on the sleeves, though a symbol of three golden crowns with purple jewels inside of them still stood out. "A brilliant if simplistic plan, but I'm afraid it simply won't work."
The voice left no doubt in Shining Armor's mind about who this person was. "And why not, Fancy Pants?"
Fancy Pants blinked in surprise very briefly. "You have a very peculiar way of getting my attention, especially for a student who just transferred from Crystal Prep. If not for the fact that my parents don't trust Cinch, rest assured that I would be attending it and not Canterlot High," He then regained his composure as he showed off something on a strange, brick like object that had a screen. "Regardless, it may be time to change up your tactics. Sunset Shimmer has already made the first move. And I can assure this is only the beginning of the many dirty tricks she undoubtedly has up her sleeve."
On the screen, a projection of some sort began to play. It was made up entirely of footage of Shining Armor when he was in the school library the day prior, most noticeably him trying to figure out how to work a computer. A mocking narration could be heard saying: "Shining Armor only just transferred from Crystal Prep, and it's clear he has a lot to learn. Yet somehow he thinks he can run for Fall Formal, even if he'd be a prince and a princess if he won. Regardless of what he thinks though, do we really need some hotshot transfer student from out of town making us look bad? His whole 'sweet and caring' persona is probably just an act to make us all forget where he came from."
The projection ended as Fancy Pants shook his head. "This video's already circulated and been shared so many times I've lost count! It wouldn't surprise me if the whole school has seen this by now," And he then asked. "Do you still intend to press on after this? It only gets harder from here on out. And once bad publicity like this gets out it can be very hard to correct."
Big Macintosh came into the room as well, and he was quick to make his opinion known. "I'd say you should quit now before the goin' really gets tough. Take it from the last guy who tried to stand up to Sunset Shimmer, you ain't gettin' far with a reputation like this. And your reputation may soon be the least of your worries."
Braeburn argued back. "He hasn't gotten a chance to defend himself. He seems to believe that we can help him fight back and win. I'll be darned if we just give up on our first real hope in months!"
Fancy Pants wasn't so convinced. "Why does he care so much about us when we know so little about him? The video does make a fair point about him being from Crystal Prep. Don't forget that Crystal Prep has humiliated us time and time again even more than Sunset Shimmer has. Are we to believe that a naive transfer student from our rival school is supposed to be the one who puts Sunset in her place?"
"He may have stood up for Thunderlane against Sunset Shimmer, but that was before he knew who she was," Big Mac commented. "And why is runnin' for Fall Formal so important to him anyways? I feel like we're puttin' an awful lot of trust expectations into someone we just met."
Even Braeburn began to admit. "You know, those are valid questions and concerns. We know even less about him than we do Sunset Shimmer. For all we know he could be worse, even if I don't think that's the case."
But just when it looked like Shining might have to reveal his secret identity, Apple Bloom came bursting into the kitchen! She had heard everything! "Y'all are lettin' Sunset get to you! I once heard you all gather here in secret with others to discuss how much Sunset Shimmer made ya sick."
"But even you must admit Shining Armor's interest in us and the Fall Formal is quite concerning," Fancy Pants argued. "This is not unlike a chess game. And don't forget that I was once president of the school chess club. It's never a good idea to send out a pawn to capture a king."
Apple Bloom only shook her head and groaned. "Nobody at the school's ever had the guts to stand up to Sunset Shimmer and her enforcers ever since they took over! I for one am sick of it, and I thought you all were too! Shinin' didn't need to care about what's goin' on here, he could easily use his Crystal Prep connections if he wanted to."
"Actually, I couldn't-" Shining began, only to be cut off.
"If y'all are lookin' for someone to counter that video Sunset made of you, look no further than the Crusaders and I!" Apple Bloom vowed, not willing to let Shining Armor finish his sentence. "Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and I still owe ya for what you did for Rumble. It's high time we put our talents to use for somethin' that won't have everyone laughin' at us! And if we all band together, we can beat Sunset Shimmer and give Canterlot High hope again. We won't need to be divided."
"Trust me, I would never allow that to stand," Shining Armor firmly commented as he said to the other boys. "Think about it: Do you really think Sunset Shimmer would go to all the trouble of keeping you apart just to break your spirits and rub salt in your wounds? She keeps you all divided because that way she knows she can control you. If you all come together and help the school to do the same, Sunset won't be able to stop you. And you can be sure she knows this," He paused before adding. "And rest assured, I do still have a plan, though it will need some adjusting."
Big Macintosh let out a sigh. "It involves talkin' to Soarin, doesn't it? You seem convinced that he can help you, and that havin' him work with Thunderlane, Fancy Pants, Braeburn and myself is gonna work."
The disguised prince firmly nodded. "It's important that I have people from all different kinds of groups and social status involved with this. It'll make my message much stronger," Then he told Apple Bloom. "You and your friends are gonna be a big help too."
Apple Bloom gave a salute. "Say no more, we're on it! We'll make sure the school knows the true you!"
And Big Mac reluctantly agreed to Shining's terms. "Fine, we can try to recruit Soarin. But I'm lettin' you do the talkin' since this is your plan. Good luck tryin' to convince Soarin to care, I doubt he'll be interested."
"If he's anything like the rest of you, I think I stand a chance." Shining replied with a smile, though deep down he wasn't so sure. "Soarin isn't absolutely vital to the plan, but he'll be of great help. Without him my whole plan is going to be a lot harder to pull off," He thought to himself. "And it's clear that I can't underestimate Sunset Shimmer. She's definitely not like the other threats I've faced. She's a threat on an entirely different level."
When the "group" arrived they had some time before classes were to begin for the day. That was more than enough time to track Soarin to the school's soccer field. His skin color was a very pale blue, just like his pony counterpart. And he had the same moderate emerald green eyes and very dark grayish blue eyes. He was currently wearing an alternating blue and yellow colored soccer uniform and matching shorts.
Yet before Shining Armor could try to talk to Soarin, he was most surprised when Sunset Shimmer of all people was standing outside the field as though she were waiting for him. And indeed she was as she smiled in a not so friendly way. "Hello, Shining Armor. That is your name, isn't it?" Feigning ignorance she was quick to add. "I hear you're the one who's trying to challenge me for the Fall Formal. I'm glad we finally get to meet face to face."
Shining was not fooled even for a second. "You're not here for pleasantries, Sunset. What is it you want from me?"
Sunset continued to feign ignorance. "Want? Who says I want anything? Well, aside from a little chat between you and I, just so we understand each other. But would you deny me that? I would hope not for your sake."
Big Macintosh understandably protested the idea. "Don't listen to her, Shinin'! You owe her nothin'! This is how she's always acted just before she back stabs ya."
However, Shining was quick to reply. "I have to at least hear her out. She's obviously up to something if she wants to meet with me," And he approached Sunset Shimmer despite the others exchanging looks of worry. "Alright, Sunset. You've gotten my attention. Now drop the act and tell me what it is you want. As you said to Thunderlane the other day 'I know you know'."
Sunset Shimmer's smile seemed to fade as she remarked with a sigh. "Always so forward, but if that's really how you wanna play I suppose I'll go along. But not here, there's too many witnesses. We need to go somewhere where the two of us can talk, alone. After all, we both know that there's something that makes us special. And it's not just that we're both running for the same thing."
"What's she talking about?!" Fancy Pants inquired. "Are you keeping secrets from us, Shining?"
Shining struggled to keep his composure. "There's a time and place to have the discussion we need to have, but for now I need you to trust me and let me have this private talk with Sunset. I know it seems strange, but trust me when I say I know what I'm doing."
"Let's hope so, for all our sakes," Braeburn commented. "And don't take too long, classes will begin shortly. Once they do it's gonna be impossible to talk to Soarin again until lunch at the earliest."
Sunset led Shining away from the soccer field and into the school. They passed several classrooms and made their way around several hallways, until finally coming to a stop in one that was a dead end. Half of it was lit up like normal, but the other half was completely in the dark. Sunset explained. "They tried for years to get the light working in this hallway, but eventually they gave up and let it burn out. Every so often though it flicks back on, just like magic. You know, like the kind of magic that powers the portal between worlds. Or the kind of magic residing in an Element of Harmony."
Shining stood his ground. "Then you know how important my crown is, and why I need to get it back!"
"Well, if it means that much to you I suppose I'd be willing to cut a rare deal," Sunset offered. "I must admit I'm impressed you so easily countered that nasty video I set up. But do you really think your luck will hold until tomorrow night? Don't forget that the portal will close up for a very long time if you fail to retrieve your crown in time."
"What are you proposing, Sunset?" Shining asked with a quirked brow.
Sunset Shimmer smiled even as she stood in the darkened hallway. "I can get you your crown back, and you can return the original to its rightful place. But only on the condition that you never set foot into this world ever again! It's my domain now," She then grinned. "And your plan was to get your crown back, right? That's the only reason you entered the contest to begin with."
However, Shining Armor quickly replied. "That was my plan originally, but now I think I'm much more interested in putting a stop to your reign of terror at this school. Besides, I made a promise to Princess Celestia to bring you back to Equestria with me."
The teenaged girl laughed and threw back her head. "Let me give you some advice, prince," She ceased her laughing as the final line was delivered with cold, calculated malice. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You seriously think I'm gonna let you take this away from me? You and your sister already took away everything else that was important to me, everything I thought I'd always have in Equestria. So why would I want to go back to a world where I'm nothing but a wanted criminal and a disgraced former student?"
"Oh, so that's what is this about!" Shining realized as he narrowed his eyes at Sunset. "You're mad that Princess Celestia moved on and found a new student. You're mad that she found more worthy ponies to unlock the Elements of Harmony."
"And who wouldn't be?! Princess Celestia made me believe I was like no other pony when she took me in!" Sunset hissed as she clenched her fists. "I should've known that too was a lie, just like everything else she said and did. But she'll pay, and so will you and your sister. All of Equestria will pay," Then she adopted a knowing smile as she commented. "There's a reason I stole your crown, you know. I bet you'd never imagine what can happen when you introduce an Element of Harmony to a world such as this. A world where magic doesn't yet exist except in the world of children's fairy tales and make believe."
Shining staggered back in shock as his eyes widened! "Sunset, do you have any idea what kind of horror you'd unleash on this world?! I don't but I'm certain it can't be good."
Sunset only laughed anew. "Like I care what you think. I just felt it was fair to warn you."
"It doesn't have to be like this!" Shining insisted as he approached Sunset and looked her firmly in the eyes. "End this madness and give up! We can both return to Equestria unharmed, and I might just be able to spare you from a terrible fate."
"Fat chance! I've come too far to turn back now because of you. Far as I'm concerned, you're just an extension of old sunbutt, and I hate her!" Sunset coldly remarked. "By all means, keep doing what you're doing. Oppose me if you're so determined to win back your crown. You won't succeed, but I'll enjoy watching you fail. Those who get in my way always end up crushed one way or another. So don't say I didn't warn you when the time comes," She then effortlessly switched back to her innocent persona as she declared. "I think I've held you up long enough. See you soon, prince."
Sunset left the hallway as quickly as she had brought Shining to it, and Shining returned to the soccer field where the others were waiting.
"I can't believe you agreed to that!" Thunderlane remarked with dismay! "Now I know there's something different about you. I can't imagine any normal person doing even half of the things you're doing."
Fancy Pants, meanwhile, asked with concern. "You were gone for a couple of minutes. What did you and Sunset Shimmer discuss?"
"Nothing that would concern the likes of you for the time being. I don't think it was an idle threat but at the same time I'm not sure she actually intends to go through with whatever it is she has planned," Shining commented before shaking his head. "But that's not important right now. What is important is that I get Soarin onboard so we can put my plan into action. Is he still here? Please tell me he is!"
Gesturing a hand across the soccer field, Big Macintosh pointed directly to Soarin. "He's still here. Classes haven't started yet, but they will soon. If you're gonna talk to him you'd better do it now, and you'd better do it fast."
So Shining did. He strolled across the field in a somewhat clumsy fashion and approached the young soccer star. Clearing his throat, he began to introduce himself. "Excuse me, I'm-"
But Soarin spun around, locking eyes with Shining Armor and cutting him off. "-Shining Armor. Yeah, I've heard of you. You're the new kid, right? The one who's looking to take down Sunset Shimmer and finally knock her off that high horse she rides on?"
"High horse?" Shining blinked in confusion.
"Figure of speech," Soarin quickly replied. "Anyway, I was told you wanted to meet with me. And I'm guessing it's got something to do with Sunset Shimmer."
The disguised prince nodded in confirmation. "You catch on fast, that's exactly why I'm talking to you. I have a plan, and you're absolutely vital to its success. So will you help me?"
Soarin answered in a noticeably serious tone of voice. "I'm not sure. You sound pretty confident, but I've seen for myself way too many times where that confidence just goes right out the window. I don't want to be involved with just another half-hearted attempt."
Shining quickly began to plead. "I'm serious! How can I possibly convince you, Soarin?"
The young soccer star soon gave an answer. "How's about a little contest? If you can beat me at a challenge of my choosing, then I'll join your merry little band of misfits or whatever it is you call it."
"Bring it on! Name your game!" Shining firmly vowed. He was prepared for anything.
Soarin's "contest" involved the use of a goal and several soccer balls. He set the balls down on the field a ways back from the goal and explained to Shining. "This is one of the most effective drills the team practices every season and off-season. In soccer, few positions are as vital to a team's success as a goalkeeper. But not just anyone can be a good goalkeeper. So what I'm gonna do is simple: I'm going to kick these balls down the field and at the goal, and it's up to you to stop the balls from going in the net."
"And how do I 'beat you' at this? Are we going to take turns?" Shining questioned.
Soarin shook his head. "Nah, there'd be no point in comparing scores. Besides, I've already got a record from the last time I did this. I believe it was five balls that I managed to block," And he told Shining Armor. "If you can block at least five out of the ten balls I kick, it'll count as a win for you. Of course, if I score more than five goals... well, it's obvious isn't it? So best of luck. Show me whatcha you got! Are you ready?!"
Shining took up his position at the goal. Although unsure of himself he knew he couldn't allow Soarin to see or know about this so he instead replied. "I'm ready whenever you are, Soarin!"
"Then let's get this show on the road! Don't expect any mercy from me either!" Soarin vowed and then kicked the first ball towards the goal!
Shining immediately dove in the direction he thought the ball was going to go in. By some stroke of luck he was able to block it, which immediately filled him with a sense of optimism. "One down already! I can do this!" He thought to himself.
Unfortunately, however, the disguised prince's "luck" would not hold. The next two balls shot right past him despite his best efforts to block them. He did manage to block ball number four, and ball number five bounced off the side of the goal and thus counted as a miss. But the three balls after that all slipped past him and into the goal. When ball number nine was kicked down the field, Shining dove in front to block it! But he could only watch as it slipped by him as he fell to the grass.
"And that's game!" Soarin declared as he rushed over to Shining's side. "Come on, stand up."
But Shining could only hang his head. "I lost."
Soarin just grinned. "Hey, cheer up, buddy. I'm still going to join your group. You passed the test."
Shining gasped, spinning around and blinking in confusion! "What do you mean I passed! I thought the deal was that if I could block five balls in ten shots you'd join, and if not you'd obviously decline."
Soarin quickly pointed out. "I didn't say I wouldn't join if you didn't win, you just assumed. I knew I'd probably win the penalty kicks, I'm not co-captain of Canterlot High's soccer team for nothing you know. Didn't think there was any way a newcomer like you could hope to beat me. The whole point of that 'exercise' was to see how you'd manage against impossible odds. A chump would've given up as soon as they failed to block the first ball, realizing that there was no way their luck would hold. But you kept going, you didn't give up. That's what I was looking for all along."
Shining felt his heart begin to flutter! "Oh, Soarin! You don't know how happy you've made!"
"Hey now, don't go getting all mushy on me," Soarin laughed and played it off. "I'm onboard, but Sunset Shimmer hasn't been defeated yet. Let's save the celebrations until then," Then he asked. "So, now that you've got me roped into this even if by my own free will, what exactly is this 'plan' of yours?"
The other teenagers came over to join Shining as Braeburn asked as well. "Yeah, what is your plan?"
Shining motioned for the boys to huddle together with him. "Well, since you asked, here's what we're gonna do." And he began to whisper his plan to them on how they were going to rally the school to support him.
Shining Armor's plan was actually quite simple. A sort of impromptu pep rally in the cafeteria with the intent being to show how the students were all alike despite Sunset's attempts to keep them apart.
Fancy Pants even revealed something to give the pep rally a bit of extra flair. A series of costume pieces involving ears and a tail, including a blue shirt and matching pants with the C for Canterlot emblazoned in a light yellow on the center of the shirt. "We used to have a mascot to go along with the school's team name, but Sunset Shimmer immediately insisted we get rid of it," He explained. "Don't know what's so wrong about The Canterlot Wondercolts. Maybe it's a little bit goofy, but if the crowds eat it up that's all that really matters."
Even Shining himself had to admit the outfits and the name were charming in their own way. "I hadn't planned on including something like this, but it should be an excellent touch," He told Fancy Pants. "Well done."
But Soarin wasn't quite so convinced. "I don't know. You really think a musical number is gonna win over the school? I'm going to look ridiculous."
"Trust me, it will work!" Shining vowed. "When you all hear the signal at lunch, start the music. Make sure they all can hear you so they understand what the message is."
"We'll do our best, Shining," Big Macintosh nodded his head in agreement. "But we've only got until the end of today to get the school on your side."
At that Shining blinked in surprise. "Why? The Fall Formal isn't until tomorrow night."
"Yeah, but the votin' takes place at the end of the school day today," Braeburn explained. "They have to have a whole day to get everythin' together. Dances like the Fall Formal don't just happen, there's a whole lotta plannin' and preparation that has to go into it."
"Just like the Grand Galloping Gala and the Summer Sun Celebration in Equestria." Shining thought to himself but didn't say it out loud.
Just then, the bell rang to signal the start of classes for the day. That meant it was time for everyone to go their separate ways and report to their respective first period classes. All would meet up again at lunch to carry out the rally.
The hours passed agonizingly slow for the group. None had to say it to know that this planned pep rally would have to go off without much of a hitch if it was to stand any chance of success. If it didn't, or even worse failed outright, it might not be possible for Shining to convince enough students in time for the voting and Sunset Shimmer would win yet again.
At last, however, lunch time came. Shining gave each of the boys last minute instructions, and then waited outside while they went to their assigned tables as normal.
Spike poked his head out from the backpack. "I guess this is it. Let's hope your hunch about these human counterparts of our friends turns out to be right, for your sake."
The rally was an incredible success! By the time Shining entered into the cafeteria, every student from every table was clapping and singing along as they danced! Many were now wearing replicas of the outfits the five friends had worn, and even Granny Smith was joining in even though she technically wasn't supposed to.
But there was one person who was anything but pleased with the success of the pep rally in the cafeteria. Sunset Shimmer had already been planning for some time on how to best ensure Shining Armor wouldn't be a threat to her, knowing that she had to act soon if she didn't want to be defeated.
As the teenage girl approached the cafeteria, she could see and hear the whole school as they were singing and dancing, with Shining Armor right in the center of it all! "Oh, so that's his little game, is it?" She thought to herself as she clenched her fists in anger. "Well he better celebrate while he can, because I'm about to put an end to his little party for good!"
However, before Sunset could even begin to think of how she might best counter Shining's move, she had a more urgent issue that had to be resolved. She was shocked and dismayed to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon emerge from the cafeteria wearing the Canterlot Wondercolts outfits. And they were dancing about with joy.
"Wow, I can't remember the last time we had that kind of fun together, Silvy!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed with amazement!
Silver Spoon nodded her head. "I'd almost forgotten what it was like to not be the mean girls in the school all the time, Di. At this rate, Shining Armor's gonna win for sure."
Stomping a foot down, Sunset grabbed her underlings by the ears and yanked off their Wondercolts hats and tails! "What's the matter with you two?! Whose side are you on?!"
Cornered, the girls tried to defend themselves as best they could. "W...we were just... just... scoping out the competition," Diamond nervously answered. "Yeah, that's it!"
"I thought you said 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em', Di," Silver Spoon commented, before realizing her mistake as she gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth! "Oops!"
Sunset struggled not to lose her composure as she narrowed her eyes at the two. "I'm trying to take down my most challenging opponent to date, and yet I find you two imbeciles trying to join his team!" She was quick to add in a more ominous tone of voice. "Don't forget, we have a deal. You two agree to help me, and in return I keep quiet about the 'uncouth' things you two get into. Something tells me your parents wouldn't be too thrilled to find out you were wasting your education picking on other students."
"That's only because they made fun of us, or rather Silver Spoon!" Diamond protested. "They always deserved it."
"Somehow, I don't think your parents would agree. Especially not your mother, Diamond Tiara." Sunset declared while making sure the 'mother' part of the speech was well emphasized.
The two girls gulped. They knew from experience that Diamond Tiara's mother was not exactly a pleasant person, although she went to great lengths to hide this from everyone.
Sunset grinned. "That's what I thought," Then she cleared her throat. "Now, I need you two to do me a favor. You know that last ditch resort we talked about yesterday?"
Silver nervously began to ask. "You don't mean..."
"-Oh, but I do!" Sunset smiled. "I hate that it's come to this. But as they say 'Desperate times call for desperate measures', and when my hand has been forced what other options do I really have?"
Against her better judgement, Diamond proposed to Sunset. "You could always just swipe the crown and run away. Or better yet, just admit defeat. It gets tiring being a bully after a while."
But the girl with fiery locks would hear nothing of it. "Look, are you gonna do what I asked you to, or do I have to start telling?"
Reluctantly, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon found themselves unable and unwilling to go against Sunset Shimmer. They would go along with her plan. They were going to engage in an act of sabotage.
Sometime later, Shining Armor was surprised to bump into Sunset Shimmer in one of the hallways. And was it his imagination or did the girl he knew to be Celestia's former student have a smile on her face despite the circumstances? "Oh, Sunset. What a surprise. Don't tell me you're here to throw in the towel."
"Ha, you wish!" Sunset Shimmer laughed. "I'm not here for you. I was just on my way to see Vice Principal Luna. There's something quite awful that she needs to know about."
Shining blinked in surprise. "Vice Principal Luna?"
Sunset nodded. "Yup, Principal Celestia's younger sister. Apparently, she used to work at Crystal Prep for a couple of years. But Principal Celestia made up the vice principal position specifically so she could lure Luna back here." And then she slipped away.
Suspecting that the girl was up to something, Shining Armor followed his opponent until she stopped outside a room just a door down from the principal's office. Strangely enough, this room was devoid of all natural light and did not have any electrical lights turned on.
Sunset raised a hand and knocked against the door, soon bringing out a light bluish gray skinned woman who seemed only slightly shorter than Principal Celestia. She had very familiar moderate opal eyes and moderate sapphire and pale, light blue colored hair, to say nothing of her pinkish-purple shirt that had crescent moons on the collar. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this woman was probably the Vice Principal Luna Sunset had been talking about.
The woman glanced at Sunset and appeared to eye her skeptically as she asked the girl. "What is it, Sunset Shimmer? I'm very busy at the moment."
Adopting the most innocent tone she could possibly muster up, Sunset dramatically exclaimed! "Oh please, Vice Principal Luna! You must come to the gymnasium! Something truly horrible has happened! I couldn't believe it when I saw it for myself."
Vice Principal Luna sighed as she stepped out of her office all the way. "Oh, very well. Let's get this nonsense over with." Her tone of voice sounded rather bored.
That all changed when the woman was brought to the gymnasium (Shining following from a distance. Something told him he didn't want to be seen by the vice principal, and not just because he had a dog in his backpack that was actually a baby dragon). Upon entering into the massive room, the vice principal's eyes widened with shock and dismay!
It looked as though a small bomb had been set off within the gym, all without anyone noticing! Stands had been knocked over or straight up demolished, decorations lay scattered across the floor in tattered remains, balloons had been rudely popped, banners were defaced, in short it looked as if the entire preparations toward converting the gymnasium into the hosting ground for the Fall Formal had all been undone so swiftly and so violently. To make matters worse, it seemed as if the security cameras that would've caught the perpetrator in the act had been disabled (probably to cover the culprit's tracks).
"What happened here?!" Vice Principal Luna exclaimed as her voice began to rise! "Who or what caused all of this?!"
Now devolving into full blown hysterics, Sunset dramatically proclaimed with tears in her eyes. "It was Shining Armor! He did it! I saw him messing with the security cameras just before lunch. He must've used the start of his pep rally as a cover to tear up the place."
But Shining came forward to denounce the accusations! "Lies! You've no proof!"
However, Vice Principal Luna took one look at the boy and seemed to suspect something. "Well, I don't know who caused this. And I'm reluctant to take Sunset's word. But I still need to bring you in for questioning. You've got some explaining to do." She told him as she narrowed her eyes and began to frown.
The vice principal's office was just as dark on the inside as it was on the outside, though that was soon rectified when the shades were opened just a little to allow for some sunlight to seep in.
Shining was seated in a chair in front of Luna's desk, and the woman was gazing down at him with an expression that was difficult to read. "I'm telling you, Vice Principal Luna, I didn't do it! I most certainly didn't destroy the gym or touch the security cameras. I barely even know how to work a computer."
Luna appeared to nod in agreement. "I saw that video Sunset uploaded of you, and I have word from our librarian confirming that indeed your computer skills are lacking," But then she spoke up. "That's not why I brought you to my office, though. There's something far more concerning that needs to be addressed."
"What do you mean? I haven't done anything... yet." Shining confessed.
"Then do you mind telling just why in the world a Crystal Prep graduate like yourself has decided to transfer here?" The vice principal questioned. "I don't know why my sister didn't know about this before she let you participate in the Fall Formal, effectively approving your transfer?"
Shining Armor gulped. He hadn't been anticipating being put on the spot like this. Should he tell the vice principal the truth? Would she even believe him if he did? What could he say that wouldn't make him look even more suspicious?
"I'm waiting for a response, young man," Luna demanded. "Or do I need to call your parents? Perhaps they can shed light on your true intentions."
Immediately, the disguised prince protested. "Please, Vice Principal Luna, there's no need to involve them! No one can know why I'm here! I didn't come here voluntarily."
Luna frowned further. "So you've come here to spy on us, then? Cinch must've put you up to this. In my time at Crystal Prep, I knew Cinch to be guilty of many things even though she would always publicly deny them. But even I never imagined her to stoop so low as to engage in industrial espionage."
"I'm not a spy either, though technically I am here undercover," Shining reluctantly explained, knowing that that part at least was true (or at least half true). "If I told you why I'm here though, you wouldn't believe me. Look, just let me go and I promise I'll stay out of trouble. After tomorrow night I won't be a problem for you or the school to worry about."
"That may be, and you do have an alibi for the time the destruction of the gym was allegedly carried out. However, without knowing when the gym was destroyed or by whom I'm afraid I can't let you go," Luna told the prince. "So, did you see anything or anyone suspicious at all today?"
"No. If I had I'm sure I would've noticed," Shining Armor truthfully confessed. "I'll help you question the students if it'll convince you that I can be trusted. I don't want any troubles between us, I mean you and Canterlot High no harm."
Just then, however, the door to the vice principal's office was flung open as Flash Sentry surprisingly strolled on in! "Shining Armor's not at fault, Vice Principal Luna. And I know who the real culprits are!" He explained as he produced a strange looking object that seemed to be no bigger than the size of his pants pocket.
Vice Principal Luna took the object and examined it. "What is this, Flash Sentry?"
"I was able to convince Microchips to take a closer look at the security cameras," Flash explained. "He managed to find one that wasn't disabled completely. It captured the entire act of sabotage, and Microchips was able to get the footage transferred to this flash drive. I rushed it over here as soon as it finished downloading."
Luna took the "flash drive" and after inspecting it closely she placed it into a slot on her personal computer. A few clicks soon elicited a noticeable gasp from her, and she clicked again! Then she turned the computer around so that the two boys in her office could see what it was showing.
Although the footage was in black and white and marked by numbers in red marking the date and time, the image that was displayed was still visible to all plain as day. It clearly showed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as they went about destroying everything in the gymnasium, and doing so quite thoroughly.
The footage seemed to be enough to convince Vice Principal Luna as she told Shining Armor. "Well, it looks like you're off the hook. Since I know now you didn't destroy the gym, my suspicions behind your sudden transfer aren't enough to justify detaining you here. You're free to go," Though she ominously concluded her sentence by saying. "But be warned, I'm watching you very carefully. Give me any reason to think you're up to no good, and I'll bring up everything I found with my sister. Then you can explain to her why you weren't honest with her up front."
"Don't worry, Vice Principal Luna, I'll make sure you don't have any reason to be suspicious of me," Shining saluted before turning to Flash Sentry. "And thank you so much for uncovering the truth behind this act of sabotage. You didn't have to stick up for me, we don't know each other yet."
Flash only smiled. "If I'm gonna be a police officer someday, I gotta be willing to stand up for what's right. And that means not letting an innocent young man take the heat over something he didn't do. Besides, Microchips did all the work. If not for his discovery of the un-tampered security camera I wouldn't have been able to produce that flash drive to clear your name."
Vice Principal Luna then spoke up. "Well, even though I know the culprits I'm afraid there is still some bad news," She cleared her throat. "Given the extent of the damage caused by Diamond and Silver's display of vandalism, I'm afraid the Fall Formal will need to be postponed for at least a day."
At that a look of horror befell Shining's face! He knew at once what that would mean and he didn't like it in the slightest. "No, it can't be!" He cried and ran out of the vice principal's office in dismay! In his mind he was thinking. "If the Fall Formal is delayed I'll miss my only chance to go back to Equestria!" And then he realized something. "This must've been Sunset's plan. She probably was hoping I'd either get expelled, or that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would cause the Fall Formal to be pushed back."
Yet he knew he couldn't return to Equestria without his crown. Without the Elements of Harmony, the prospects of defending Equestria were bleak if another threat like Chrysalis or Sombra showed up.
Shining Armor ran! To where he didn't know but he knew he needed to be alone. He eventually found himself in front of the statue beneath which lay the portal back to Equestria. "How can it be so? To come so far, only to fail," He moped to himself. "Where did I go wrong?"
"I suppose going back to my plan is out of the question?" Spike proposed as he poked his head up from the backpack.
"If Vice Principal Luna is suspicious of me now, trying to steal back my crown would only make them worse," Shining lamented. "Sunset's won. We'll have to go back to Equestria and tell everypony the bad news: I couldn't capture Sunset Shimmer and I couldn't retrieve the Element of Magic."
Spike wasn't sure what came over him, but he knew that he was angry seeing Shining Armor just mope around and feel sorry for himself. So it was that he suddenly brought a paw to Shining's face, smacking him rather hard on the cheek. "Come on, man! You're not seriously telling me you're going to throw in the towel now, are you?! Things have looked bleak before and you've always found a way to prevail."
Shining wasn't persuaded. "In Equestria, perhaps. But this isn't Equestria. Nothing is really the same even if it may look the same. You were right all along, Spike."
Spike only growled and groaned. "That's just crazy talk! Against all the odds, you brought the whole school together to stand up to Sunset Shimmer. No one in this world's had the courage to do this in who knows who long? Are you going to just throw all that away now?"
"I have to face the facts, Spike," The disguised prince glumly replied as he hung his head. "Time's not on our side. There's no way to keep the portal open, even just for another day or two. So we either stay in this world until the portal opens again with no way for our friends and loved ones on the other side to keep in touch with us, or we go back to Equestria empty handed... er empty hoofed. There is no other option."
"Yes there is!" Spike pointed out! "We've made friends in this world, friends who've been willing to risk everything to help us. And they can do it again," He firmly declared. "It's time we told them the truth about who we are and why we're here. With their help I'm sure we can think of something."
Shining could only shake his head. "Even assuming they believe me, they'll just turn on me for keeping a secret from them. They'd have every right to be mad with me because I wasn't honest with them upfront."
"You don't know that," Spike protested as he growled some more. "They've already helped us so much, so why not ask for their help again? Even if they're not the friends we know back in Equestria, they're still our friends in this world and we still owe a lot to them. I can't let you give up on yourself!"
Reluctantly, the disguised prince slowly lifted his head as he sighed. "I guess you have a point, Spike."
Spike smiled. "I haven't been hanging around you and Twilight all my life for nothing, you know."
"Well then, I guess we need to quickly round up the gang and confess," Shining realized as he stood up. His new mission giving him renewed vigor. "I just hope they don't think I'm crazy, or worse."
Shining Armor returned to the grounds of Canterlot High just in time for the lunch recess to end and for classes to resume. He didn't get a chance to see his new friends again for several hours, by which point news of the Fall Formal's postponement had already spread to every classroom courtesy of a special speaker system linked directly to the principal's office.
It was Soarin who was the first to bump into Shining once classes were done for the day (or rather the weekend, which for many students now looked to be quite dreary without the Fall Formal to look forward to). "Oh, there you are! Thank the stars!" He exclaimed with relief. "The last anyone heard was that you got called to the vice principal's office. And when Vice Principal Luna wants to speak to you it's usually not for a good reason."
"Well as you can see, I'm still here and still in one piece," Shining declared as he then explained. "Sunset Shimmer tried to make me take the fall for her lackeys sabotaging the gymnasium. Lucky for me, Flash Sentry came through and produced evidence of my innocence."
Soarin smiled. "Am I glad to hear that!" Then his smile faded. "Of course you know what the bad news is: The Fall Formal's gonna have to be pushed back while the gym gets cleaned up. Saw it briefly on my way to class, it didn't look pretty at all."
"I'm already well aware of that, I was the first to be told by Vice Principal Luna after all," Shining pointed out. "In fact, that's kind of why I need to talk to you, and the rest of our friends."
At that Soarin stepped back and blinked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there, buddy! Saying that we're friends is a bit of a stretch considering many of us have just met, isn't it?"
Shining just insisted. "Well it's clear to me that you and the other members of our group all had a connection one way or another. Some of you knew each other personally, others through family or associates."
"But we still don't really know you. There's still some things you're keeping to yourself, it's not hard to notice." Soarin pointed out.
Shining Armor merely instructed to Soarin. "Well, just bring the others to some place where we can talk without being overheard."
At that Soarin grinned. "Well you're in luck. One of the fashion club members actually has a small boutique that she works at from time to time: Carousel Boutique. But they're currently closed for renovations. However, Fancy Pants happens to know the girl who works there: Rarity. I'm sure he can use his connections to let us use the empty boutique for the meeting."
So it was that the vacant Carousel Boutique came to be used as the grounds for Shining Armor to disclose the truth about his identity to the human versions of his friends. To say he was nervous about the whole thing was an understatement, even now he was starting to have second thoughts about what he was about to do and what he was about to go through.
"You've come this far, you might as well see it through to the end," Spike encouraged Shining as he climbed out of the backpack and stood beside him for support. "No matter what, the two of us are in this together! You can count on it."
Shining sighed and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Spike. This time I really needed the encouragement. I can see why you're Twilight's number one assistant. Without you, I imagine she'd have driven herself crazy long ago."
"I guess some things just run in the family. You have your own bouts of craziness," Spike pointed out. "Now come on, there's no need to drag this out any longer. Let's just rip the bandage off and go from there!"
And so it was that, steadying himself and summoning as much willpower as he could muster up, the disguised prince stepped forward to talk to the five assembled humans. He cleared his throat. "It's time you all knew the truth about me, about why I've sought you all out and recruited you. What I'm about to tell you may sound crazy and unbelievable, but I promise you that I am telling the truth."
"You ain't really a transfer student from Crystal Prep, are ya?" Braeburn guessed. "Even Sunset Shimmer couldn't have gotten away with comin' from a place like that."
Shining shook his head. "No. Although my name is Shining Armor, in truth I am not a transfer student. In fact, I'm not really a student at all," Without hesitation he dropped the bombshell. "I am Prince Shining Armor: Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard and co-ruler of the Crystal Empire alongside my wife, Princess Cadence. I traveled to this world of yours in pursuit of a dangerous criminal who has made herself at home here: Sunset Shimmer. She has stolen my crown, which contains an Element of Harmony vital to the defense of Equestria. And the only way back to Equestria is through a magic portal that only stays open for three days and nights, before becoming inactive for an extremely long period of time."
"And guess what?" Spike pointed out with a grin as he freely spoke up. "Back in Equestria, not only is Shining Armor a full blown alicorn, but I'm a fire breathing dragon!" He decided to leave out the part about him being a "baby" dragon.
A series of collective gasps befell the five humans as they heard all of this! Fancy Pants was the first to find his voice. "The dog talks?! It actually talks?! Please tell me I'm just hearing things!"
"Eenope, we're all hearin' it loud and clear," Big Macintosh commented in disbelief. "We've got a talkin' dog who's apparently a dragon, and someone who's apparently a 'pony'."
"Technically, I'm an alicorn. An alicorn prince to boot," Shining tried to explain. "It means I have both the horn of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus. I'm actually the first ever alicorn prince, long story really."
"And I suppose Sunset Shimmer is a 'pony' as well?" Thunderlane questioned.
Shining nodded his head. "She used to be the student of Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria. But she ran away several years ago, and has no doubt been hiding out in this world ever since," Then he apologized to the humans. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all this sooner. I didn't anticipate being in this world of yours long enough to forge lasting connections. Running for Fall Formal wasn't even part of the plan, it was a spur of the moment decision when I found out what my crown was being used for. The real crown from your world was left in my world when Sunset stole my crown."
"So, what, if you don't get your crown back and return to Equestria by midnight tomorrow night you'll be stuck here for months, or even years?" Soarin concluded. "And you expect us to believe all of this? If this is your idea of a joke then let me tell you, it's not funny!"
"You don't have to believe me. Quite frankly, if I were in your... er... 'shoes' as I believe the saying goes in your world, I probably wouldn't believe me either," Shining Armor pointed out. "For the record, my 'dragon' is actually my sister's and his name is Spike. It was Spike's idea to have me talk to you all and confess. I would've rather not have it come to this, but the changing circumstances have made me realize I had no other choice."
After that there was a long, tense and awkward silence throughout the whole boutique. No one spoke a word or did anything other than just stand there. Everyone blinked, unsure of what to say or what to do.
At long last it was Big Macintosh who broke the silence as he approached Shining Armor. He eyed him firmly in the eyes, but remained silent for a little bit until finally he declared. "I don't know how it is that I know, but I know you ain't lyin'. Somehow, someway, what you're sayin' is sincere even if I wish it weren't."
"It's probably because the five of you happen to be the counterparts to the five friends I know back in Equestria," Shining pointed out. "Like you, they all come from different walks of life and yet we were all able to befriend each other. In fact, it's because of your counterparts that I've been able to successfully defend Equestria so many times. I even owe my wings to them. In Equestria, friendship is truly magical. Perhaps the greatest magic of all."
"Then I guess it's that 'Magic of Friendship' that's at work here," Soarin concluded. "Sure wish you'd have told us this from the start, buddy. I mean, I don't have too much of a problem with it so long as Sunset Shimmer goes down. But I know I can't speak for everyone here. I imagine some of them would've rather known the truth up front."
Fancy Pants then commented. "Not that this isn't important, but what exactly are we supposed to do now that we know about your extremely tight deadline? The Fall Formal can't be held until the gymnasium is restored or a suitable alternative venue is located. And good look finding a place to hold a big school dance at the last minute, let alone getting the school to approve of it and parents to say they're okay moving the event off school grounds."
Suddenly, Shining Armor seemed to know what to do! "If we can't move the Fall Formal elsewhere, we'll have to convince the school to hold it tomorrow night. And that means there's only one thing to do! We're going to fix everything that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon destroyed. Then when Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna learn the gym's back to normal, they'll have to let the Fall Formal proceed as planned."
Spike smiled. "Now there's the kind of bold thinking I've come to expect from you, Shining!"
"But what about the rest of you?" Shining proposed as he looked at the five boys. "Now that you all know what you know, it isn't right that I force you to keep working with me. Your help would be appreciated but it is not requested."
However, one by one the five boys reaffirmed their support for Shining Armor. "Even if you're from another world, you're still determined to defeat Sunset Shimmer. You've given us the first opportunity we've had in a long time to experience hope," Soarin declared. "So for however much longer this lasts, we're with you!"
"Great!" Shining ecstatically smiled! "What are we waiting for, then? The gym's not gonna clean itself up, you know."
So the group went back to Canterlot High and began to work on getting the gymnasium back to where it had been at the start of the day. Work was slow at first, but they didn't give up. And as luck would have it there were still some students left on campus who, feeling inspired by what Shining and his friends were doing, quickly rushed to join in!
Word soon got out, and even students who had gone home came back to the school to help out however they could. As more and more people joined in it soon became possible to witness real progress. Eventually, all the traces of Diamond and Silver's sabotage from earlier in the day disappeared, almost as if the entire event had never occurred at all.
When Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna learned of the effort and saw it for themselves, they could hardly believe their eyes! In all their years at Canterlot High nothing like this had ever occurred. Nothing had ever brought the entire student body together like this. It was almost too good to be true.
At last the work was done. Bright new stands replaced the old ones that had been vandalized, colorful banners and balloons once again decorated every corner of the gymnasium and there were streamers and confetti as far as the eye could see.
Principal Celestia's face broke out into a rather massive smile as she declared in front of all the students. "Well, everybody, it looks like the Fall Formal will go on as planned after all."
Vice Principal Luna seemed to be smiling too, even though she didn't outwardly express this. She instead left briefly, and returned with a large, wooden box as she instructed. "Which means it's now time to vote for who will win the Fall Formal Crown," She declared. "Remember, you may only cast one vote."
Several students could be heard saying. "I know who I'm voting for, and it's definitely not gonna be Sunset Shimmer!" It seemed as if Shining had yet again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat!
Sunset Shimmer was watching the whole thing from the shelter of a janitor's supply closet along with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She was most definitely not pleased at how things were unfolding, and she took her anger out on her underlings. "Can't you imbeciles do anything right?!" She yelled at them, taking care not to shout too loudly and give herself away. "You promised me you'd get the job done and ensure Shining Armor would take the fall for it."
Diamond and Silver both gulped as Diamond profusely apologized. "W-we're sorry, Sunset. Honest."
"Yeah," Silver added. "Di was the one who was supposed to ensure all the security cameras were off-line while we trashed the gym."
Diamond argued back. "You were the one who said we covered our tracks so well no one would ever know, Silvy."
Sunset just groaned in frustration. "This is twice now in one day you two have let me down. Seriously, how hard is it for you two to do what I say and carry out as intended?" Then she sighed as her face began to contort itself in a rather sinister smile. She wasn't beaten yet, not by a long shot. She had just gotten a rather nasty idea. "Oh well, I guess that's what I get for sending you two to do my work. I'll be calling the shots from now on, so there'll be no way for you bumbling blockheads to screw things up."
"But the Fall Formal's tomorrow, and tampering with the votes is an automatic disqualification!" Silver protested.
The teenaged girl with fiery locks only replied as her smile grew wider. "I know that, and I'm not going to do anything to the votes. Shining Armor needs to learn that this is a contact sport, and I'd say it's time we went on offense for a change. So, here's what we're gonna do," And she whispered the plan. "We'll do it tomorrow night during the Fall Formal when everybody is distracted. And that big hearted fool will play right into my hands!" Turning her attention to the one that had caused her so much trouble over the past two days, she thought to herself. "I refuse to let you drag me back to Equestria, prince! This is my world, and it's time you paid the price for interfering with my work."
Since next day was a weekend day that meant there was no school. The Fall Formal would be hosted as planned inside the gymnasium of Canterlot High that night, and it seemed as if everything was going to work out just fine for Shining Armor after all. He would reclaim his crown, locate Sunset Shimmer and return to Equestria with both crown and Sunset safely in tow.
There was only one thing that still had to be sorted out, which Fancy Pants brought up while the group spent the day hanging out around the city limits. "If you're going to attend the Fall Formal, you absolutely must dress up for the occasion. Nothing too fancy but you do need to look sharp."
"You mean the clothes I already have on aren't good enough?" Shining questioned Fancy Pants. "It seems like it would be a waste to have new clothes for just a few hours, especially since clothes aren't normally worn back in Equestria. They're really more of a fashion statement than anything else."
Braeburn giggled. "You mean to tell me that in Equestria everyone is... naked?"
Shining blushed. "I suppose you could say that. I actually almost took off my clothes when I first got here, but Spike talked me out of it."
"More of an observation than anything," Spike pointed out. "But you really should change into something better for the Fall Formal. It's like your coronation. And something like that deserves adding a bit of flair to your wardrobe. It's your big night, after all."
The disguised prince sighed in agreement. "Oh, very well. But let's keep it simple, no sense splurging on something that's only gonna be used for one night."
The five boys then took Shining to various stores to try on different outfits, but none really interested him. At last, however, the disguised prince found something that stood out to him! It reminded him of the lovely red button dress he had worn for his royal wedding to Cadence, an outfit that had previously belonged to his favorite uncle. And best of all, the dress was not very expensive.
The rest of the group purchased various outfits of their own to wear for the dance, mostly just button suits and matching pants and ties. And Fancy Pants even managed to allow the group to ride to the Fall Formal in a limousine, a vehicle far fancier than any carriage or chariot Shining had seen back in Equestria.
Finally, all was ready and night dawned. It was time for the Fall Formal! The big night had arrived!
As the group of six rode back to Canterlot High (Spike this time resting comfortably on Shining's lap instead of being forced into the stuffy backpack yet again), none of them gave much thought to Sunset Shimmer or her noticeable absence all day. Even Shining believed she would be little trouble now that she had basically been defeated.
But they were going to learn before long that Sunset wasn't down and out just yet. With her time as Fall Formal Princess about to come to an end, Sunset Shimmer was preparing to put her plan of last resort into action to ensure she would come out on top.
After departing from the limo, Shining let his friends get ahead of him while he tended to Spike. The school still had a policy prohibiting pets, and without the backpack there was no way to smuggle him without someone noticing. So the dog that was actually a dragon would have to stay outside and wait for Shining Armor to return. "Stay out of trouble, Spike," Shining told him as he let him loose around the outside. "And don't think of sneaking through the portal without me. I shouldn't be long."
"I'll be good and wait right here, like a faithful companion should!" Spike saluted. "Just try not to have too much fun. We don't have all night you know."
"I haven't forgotten, Spike," Shining nodded. "And remember to stay quiet. Aside from our friends no one else knows you can talk." Then he headed inside, ready to receive his crown.
However, upon entering the school and making his way to the gym with the others, Shining quickly noticed a distinct lack of a certain someone. "There's no sign of Sunset Shimmer." He said aloud to his friends as he started to worry. He'd been hoping to quickly capture her before she could inevitably try to do something to delay his return to Equestria.
The others didn't have the same concerns. Soarin in particular just remarked. "Ah, she probably turned tail and ran away. It's just like her to be a sore loser and not show up when she knows she's not gonna win. Don't worry, you can leave her to us. Once she's no longer Fall Formal Princess, no one will ever listen to a word she says. And if she causes anymore trouble we'll stop her for you!"
"But she'll still be at large from Equestria, meaning her crimes will go unpunished and she and Princess Celestia will never get a chance to make amends." Shining thought to himself. But he knew there was little he could do about it if indeed Sunset had already fled.
Big Macintosh was quick to ask Shining. "So what's your plan, exactly? You gonna ask for your crown now and leave?"
"Nah, I figure I can enjoy myself for a while," Shining pointed out as he shook his head. "As long as I have my crown in hand before midnight and have enough time to slip back through the portal, everything will be a-okay," Then he whispered to Big Mac. "And I'm gonna have to ask that you and the others stay quiet about our little 'secret'. It's best for both worlds if they don't know about any of this."
Big Mac nodded in agreement. "Eeyup. You needn't worry, though. Your secret's safe with us. Even if it was just for a little while, I'm glad we got to know you. You've been more of a help here than you might think, and we won't soon forget what you've achieved."
"That's enough talk, let's just enjoy this night!" Thunderlane declared. "We've earned it."
Time seemed to pass slowly for everyone at the Fall Formal. It was as if there was something magical in the air that made time last longer than it normally would've.
But eventually the music stopped and the lights dimmed. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna took the stage with a wooden box behind them. The box was opened as a crown instantly recognizable to all was pulled out and displayed prominently! "Ladies and gentlemen," Principal Celestia announced over a microphone placed on a stand on a stage. "It's the moment you've all been waiting for. Your votes have been tallied. Without further ado, I am pleased to announce that your Fall Formal Princess... or I should say 'Prince' is..." There was a tense silence for a moment even though all knew the likely outcome. "Shining Armor!"
The entire gym burst into thunderous applause and a deafening chorus of cheers and whistles! When the noise had died down a little, Vice Principal Luna then declared. "Shining Armor, please come to the stage to accept your reward," Shining did so without hesitation, smiling as the crown he knew to be his was placed on his head. Vice Principal Luna then continued to say. "It is with great pleasure that we bestow upon you the Crown of Fall Formal. You've more than earned it after everything you've done to make this school a better place."
Shining rose, bowed and spoke a few brief words. "Thank you very much. I'm honored to have lifted the spirits of Canterlot High to new heights. And I hope you'll work to continue to carry out that sense of community and togetherness that made this moment possible."
"Once more, give it up for your Fall Formal Prince: Shining Armor!" Principal Celestia instructed as the crowd cheered anew and then the music started to play again.
Shining Armor made his way down from the stage, still wearing his crown as he looked at his friends. Against all odds he had done what everyone at the school believed was impossible. Sunset Shimmer had been defeated and along with it everyone's perception of her being invincible.
Yet just as there seemed to be nothing but good news for all, Shining happened to spot two familiar faces at the rear of the gym: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They seemed to be trying to get his attention for some reason and he soon knew why. Nestled firmly in the grip of Diamond's arms was none other than Spike, squirming and struggling to no avail to escape!
"If you want your dog back you'll have to come to the front of the school." Diamond Tiara explained.
"Yeah, by the statue. Sunset Shimmer's expecting you," Silver Spoon taunted. "You'd better not keep her waiting. She says you don't have much time." Then she and Diamond left with Spike in tow!
Without bothering to say anything to any of his friends, Shining Armor immediately rushed for the exit! He promptly dashed out of the gym, down the hallways and out of the school. Unknown to him the five boys followed, all concerned about what would happen to Spike.
Just as Diamond and Silver had said, Sunset Shimmer was indeed waiting for the disguised prince by the statue. Diamond still held onto Spike quite firmly, as Sunset was brandishing a sledgehammer just off to the side of the statue's base where the portal was located.
By now, Spike had abandoned all pretenses of staying quiet! He was loudly shouting out! "Put me down this instant or I'll bite your fingers off! I'm warning you!"
"Oh shut up you overgrown fleabag!" Diamond roared back. "Sink your teeth into me and I'll tell my daddy on you. He'll see to it that you're put down right on the spot! Nothing personal, but I've got orders."
Spike growled. "I'll tell you where you can stick your orders!"
Sunset, however, just smiled as she praised Diamond. "Excellent job, Diamond Tiara. Doesn't take much for you to do what I want around here, now does it? Makes you wonder why my simple instructions over the past day were so hard for you and Silver to follow."
Shining wanted nothing more than to charge at Sunset right that very moment to rescue Spike, but he knew from royal guard training that that was not a good move. In hostage situations it was never a smart idea to provoke the hostage taker if you couldn't guarantee the hostage's safety. So instead he forced himself to grit his teeth and stay where he was. "Sunset, I'm only gonna say this once. You tell Diamond Tiara to let Spike go, unharmed. It's me you want, so don't drag him into this."
Sunset Shimmer nodded. "Your intellect is quite sharp, prince," The last part of her statement was delivered with noticeable malice. "Not as sharp as mine but certainly close. You're right that it's you I want. You're the one who's ruined everything for me. I just needed to make sure I got your attention," Turning to Diamond Tiara she instructed. "I got what I wanted, Spike is of no further use to me. And I know he's harmless, so there's no reason to provoke this young man. Release Spike."
Diamond reluctantly did so as she loosened her grip. Spike dropped down and immediately dashed to Shining's side! "Just give it up, Sunset! Shining's already got the crown!"
Sunset grinned as she tightened her hold on the sledgehammer. "Won't do him any good. I'm going to smash the portal, making sure neither of us can go back to Equestria! If I can't rule this school I'll at least take some satisfaction in forcing the prince to stay here with me."
Shining scoffed at the threat. "I'm calling your bluff, Sunset. The portal's still functional for now."
"But it won't be for much longer. As soon as the full moon starts to dip from directly overhead, the portal will close," Sunset explained. "And the moment it does I will shatter this statue's base!" She then threatened. "Don't even think about trying to make a run for it. I have more control over my own body than you do with yours, I'm smarter than you. Come near me, and one blow from this sledgehammer will knock you out cold and that's if you're lucky."
Shining glared at Sunset. "So you're resorting to violence? You would attack me here, in front of all these witnesses?"
A sadistic smirk crept on Sunset's face as she declared. "Since you keep getting in my way I see no other choice. Of course, there is one way we can end this without a fuss. Just give me the crown, give up your title here and go back to Equestria. After all, don't you want to see your real friends again? And what about your sister and your wife? I may not have learned everything there is to know about you, but I've been stalking your counterpart in this world long enough to know what I need to know. So, what's it gonna be? Better hurry, because once the portal closes I won't have any need to make the offer I'm making now."
Whatever anyone might have been expecting, Shining Armor's response after just a moment of contemplation shocked them all. "You're not getting my crown back, Sunset Shimmer! Destroy the portal and trap us both here if you want. Equestria will find a way to survive without me if it must. But I won't let you continue to terrorize this world in your mad obsession with power."
Sunset Shimmer growled and roared as she dropped the sledgehammer! "Oh, you're ruining everything again! You just can't ever let me win, can you?!" She complained, briefly sobbing. "You're even worse than the princess," Then her eyes narrowed as she declared. "That's it! You've pushed me far enough! It's time I took matters into my own hands! Get over here!" She promptly lunged at Shining Armor!
Frantic and in a fit of desperation, Shining tossed his crown towards Spike! Spike snatched it, only to immediately be scooped up by a frightened Diamond Tiara (Silver Spoon was in a state of shock and didn't know what to think). Spike in turn tossed the crown to the first person he saw "open", Big Macintosh.
This caused a scuffle as Diamond and Silver reluctantly entered the fray, thinking that Sunset would surely berate them and betray them if they didn't try to help her out. The crown changed hands multiple times, never truly remaining in anyone's possession for very long. All the way the news of a disturbance out front had drawn the entire school, and even some people who had been walking nearby. Yet even the gathered crowd only stand there and watch. Things were unfolding too fast for anyone to keep track of who was who and what was what.
Eventually, however, the crown found itself resting with a new owner. And unfortunately it wasn't the one who rightfully belonged to. Sunset Shimmer had managed to emerge from the chaos with the crown firmly in her hands, and she held it up high as she dramatically declared. "It's mine again! No one's gonna take it away from me! NO ONE!"
All the others stopped fighting as they gazed upon a triumphant Sunset Shimmer. Shining Armor felt a knot form in his stomach as he now recalled Sunset's conversation with him the day before. Her words about an Element of Harmony in the human world, though vague, began playing in his mind as realization dawned on him. This was Sunset's final, desperate gambit! "Sunset, I'm warning you!" He called to her. "If you don't give me back my crown right now, whatever happens next is on you. Please, don't do this! There's no reason to drag this out, give up and come back to Equestria with me."
"Never! I'll never go back!" Sunset protested as she placed the crown over her head. "I didn't wanna have to do this. I really didn't wanna have to do this. But you've forced my hand, and now you and your pathetic rag-tag group of friends will pay!" Forcing back tears she then declared to everyone. "I know what you all think of me now. You think I'm just a monster. Well then, let me show you how much of a monster I can be!" She lowered the crown, placing it on her forehead quite firmly.
Sunset's eyes glowed white as a sickly green aura with hints of some kind of black energy seeping out enveloped her completely! There was a blinding flash that lit up the night sky brighter than the full moon! No one knew who or what would emerge from this pillar of light. But a sickening feeling formed in the hearts of all as they seemed to realize that whatever it would be would not be good.
The flash faded after only a minute or so although it felt much longer to everyone who had witnessed it. And the first thing they all became aware of was the faint sound of sobbing, sobbing that strangely enough sounded like it was coming from Sunset Shimmer.
"You did this to me, Shining Armor!" Sunset's voice roared, now seeming to take on an echo. "I hope you're pleased with yourself," And then, when she noticed the object of her scorn had yet to open his eyes she commanded. "Look at me!" Upon not immediately receiving a reply she shouted! "LOOK! AT! ME!"
Reluctantly, Shining lowered his arms and allowed his eyes to take in the sight before him. What he saw made his heart sink and his stomach churn.
Sunset's body had been warped and twisted all over. Her skin was a brilliant shade of crimson and her moderate cyan eyes were now reduced to small pupils surrounded by large circles of black. Her hair now looked like it was actually fire. And she even had a pair of bat-like wings as her hands had turned to claws. Yet the crown housing the Element of Magic remained atop her forehead.
"Sunset!" Shining Armor let out a gasp of horror! "What have you done to yourself?!"
"What you made me do!" Sunset hissed as her hair seemed to stand on end. "I'm hideous now! And it's all! Your! Fault!" Her body trembled as she spoke, though no tears were shed.
Shining just shook his head. "No, Sunset. You have done this to yourself. You've destroyed your own body for the sake of power. And now your true colors are visible to all," He promptly scolded. "This is exactly why Princess Celestia knew you weren't ready. The only thing you understand is power."
At that the she-demon declared. "You're right, Shining. Power is the only thing I understand, because power is all that matters. Without power you have nothing, without power you are nothing. And now I'm going to use the power I've been given to get my revenge! I will become stronger than even Princess Celestia, no one will ever ignore me or look down on me again! All will kneel before me and know my name!"
"Not while I'm still standing! I will never bow to the likes of you!" Shining dramatically declared to the she-demon. "Nothing you can do will change my mind."
But Sunset Shimmer replied as she began to grin. "You won't be standing for much longer, prince. You've messed with my plans for long enough, now I'm going to make you pay! Pay with your life for what you've forced me to do!"
Then Sunset took notice of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as the two rich girls were trying to make a run for it. "And just where do you two think you're going?" She hissed as her hands began to glow, and the fleeing duo were stopped right in their tracks. "You're going to abandon me? Me? After everything I've done for you?"
Despite the situation they were in, Diamond was able to pluck up courage as she forced back a gulp. "We don't like you anymore, Sunset. You're scary now."
"Oh, you're scared?" Sunset asked in a tone of mock sympathy. "Good! If you two dunderheads had simply done what I asked you to do in the first place, this would've never happened."
Silver defiantly hissed. "We're done serving you. we don't work for you any longer. We'll face the consequences for our many misdeeds on our own."
But Sunset just laughed as her hands started to glow again. "You assume I'm giving you a choice in the matter. You two can't get away from me that easily. I think it's time I made an example out of the both of you, and neither of you has any right to complain about it!" She promptly shot balls of sickly green energy from her hands down at the two girls.
Both Diamond and Silver screamed at the top of their lungs as the dark magic surged through them, transforming and mutilating them into miniature demons not unlike Sunset Shimmer herself. Everyone who had been watching from the school let out an audible gasp at seeing this, some even screamed!
"And as for the rest of you," Sunset began as she turned her attention to the entire school body. "You're going to serve me in a different way. You will be my mind slaves." It wasn't long before she was able to cast a huge beam over all the students and even the principal and vice principal. Their eyes rolled back into their heads, replaced by white glows to indicate that they no longer had any free will of their own.
Sunset Shimmer cackled with fiendish glee as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon flew on either side of her, and she then turned her attention back to the one she resented so much. "Now it's just down to you and I, prince. By the way, spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I threatened to destroy the portal earlier. The portal between the worlds is the key to my entire plan," And she explained with a malicious grin. "Why be content with one measly high school when I can rule over both worlds? With this army at my disposal and your Element of Harmony aiding me, I will conquer Equestria! Then I'll stabilize the portal and take over this world!"
Shining stumbled back in disbelief. "This was your master plan all along? All because Princess Celestia wouldn't make you an alicorn?"
Sunset nodded. "You make it sound so complicated. I always knew I would have to make Princess Celestia realize her mistake and take the destiny that should've been mine for myself. But when your sister became Princess Celestia's prized protege and you became an alicorn prince, I realized that you'd both taken away what was rightfully mine. A mistake I'm about to correct!"
The disguised prince clenched his hands as he grit his teeth. "How sad. To think you've put all this effort into your plan, and yet you'll be defeated as soon as you step through the portal. Princess Celestia will be more than a match for you, and she'll have the support of Princess Luna and Princess Cadence! You can't possibly tell me you expect to best three alicorn princesses and my friends and sister!"
"Duh. Why do you think I've gathered this army?" Sunset pointed out with a malicious smirk. "I know old sunbutt well enough to know that she's too soft. She could never bring herself to let an innocent creature be harmed. And with this army of humans at my disposal, I have an endless supply of shields and bargaining chips."
Shining realized Sunset was probably right, and he couldn't think of a good retort to that argument. "But... but..." He stuttered as his words failed him.
The fiery she-demon just cackled anew. "You should've stolen back your crown when you had the chance. Oh well. I'll be sure to tell all your friends about your valiant attempt to stop me. How you came so close, only to fail in the end. So, are you gonna admit defeat? Or will you continue to resist? The choice is yours."
Shining Armor knew what his decision was going to be even before Sunset Shimmer offered it to him. But he was surprised to see the five humans he'd befriended approach and stand beside him. "All of you stay back!" He ordered. "I appreciate your concern but I can't ask you to risk yourselves for me any longer."
"No can do!" Soarin vowed. "We're all in this together, buddy!"
Big Macintosh nodded. "Eeyup. No way we're lettin' you face the battle of your life without back-up."
"Ah, how sweet, and pathetic," Sunset taunted and jeered. "But I don't care about any of you, just Shining Armor. He's been a thorn in my side for too long and it's time I removed it, permanently."
"I don't regret standing up to you, Sunset Shimmer," Shining Armor called. "It's not too late to save yourself. Give up now and we can both walk away from this!"
Sunset Shimmer only laughed. "Oh you'd love that, wouldn't you? Well I don't think so! I'm in control here!" She began to rub her hands together. "Oh what I'm gonna do to you, I'm just burning up thinking about it! There's nothing you can do to put this fire out!"
Shining simply replied as he looked up at Sunset. "We'll see about that."
"Famous last words," Sunset declared as her hands started to glow with that sickly green energy again. "Now burn! Burn to ashes!" She proceeded to hurl down a massive ball of the dark energy, intending to incinerate the only one she still perceived as a threat against her!
But not only was Shining Armor not burned, but a vibrant glow began to surround him and the five human boys that had stood beside him. They all began to rise into the night sky.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tried to get close to stop the boys, but as soon as they reached out a hand the glow inflicted a searing, burning pain that caused them to howl!
Sunset Shimmer hovered where she was, all but speechless at the display unfolding before her. "W-what? This isn't possible! What's going on?!"
"True power comes from within, Sunset Shimmer," Shining Armor declared as the glow began to envelope him, causing him to gain wings and a horn. "And it's not just magic but also honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity and loyalty. Those are the elements that constitute the greatest magic of all: Friendship!"
As Shining spoke the five human counterparts to his friends were enveloped by the glow as well. Fancy Pants got a horn and Thunderlane and Soarin grew wings. And all six began to grow pony-like ears and tails. And then they all joined hands as the glow passed between them, illuminating the night sky.
Sunset defiantly growled as she shouted at the top of her lungs! "No! I will not be denied! I won't be cheated out of what's mine!"
"The power you're using is a power you're not meant to wield, a power you don't understand," Shining explained. "But the power contained with my Element of Harmony and the elements that are embodied within these five friends here, that's the power that will allow me to defeat you once and for all. Your reign of terror is coming to an end, forever!"
Just like that, a rainbow colored beam shot up from the group of six and then descended onto Sunset Shimmer! It also enveloped Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, making the ground shake and the wind blow fiercely! Once again, a blinding flash illuminated the area. A flash that lasted for but a moment or two before fading.
When the light faded again, the ground below where Sunset Shimmer had been hovering was now a smoldering crater that was charred black all around. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had reverted back to normal (though still shaken with fright from the whole experience), but there was no indication as to what Sunset's fate was.
Spike momentarily forgot that the entire student and faculty body of Canterlot High was now freed from Sunset's mind control as he clapped his paws, stood up on two legs and cheered loudly! "Alright! Way to go, Shining! That's what I'm talking about!" By the time he realized his mistake it was too late.
"Hey, did you guys hear that?" A student spoke up. "The dog just talked. Does anyone else find that weird or is it just me?"
Another student whispered back. "Dude, after everything that's happened here tonight, I'd say a talking dog is the least weird thing of all. That light show was super freaky."
The five teenage boys touched back as their pony like forms faded, and Shining Armor descended and reverted to his human appearance shortly thereafter. "So, did we... you know... win?" Braeburn hopefully asked, unsure of what to say or how to feel.
"It looks like we did," Thunderlane commented. "Sunset Shimmer won't be giving us anymore trouble. But what do you suppose happened to her? I hope she's still alive."
Sunset was, Shining Armor and all the others watched as the defeated teenage girl managed to pull herself up out of the crater. Her body was bruised all over and her hair was frazzled, but otherwise she showed no signs of being any worse for wear.
If the teenager had been at all changed by what had been done to her, she didn't show it outwardly. She instead crawled forward, extending her arms even though it was clear she lacked the energy to do much of anything. "It... can't end... like this..." She weakly protested before she collapsed. "I... must... have my... revenge."
Shining just scolded her as he shook his head back and forth. "It's over, Sunset Shimmer. You've lost! You will never threaten anyone or anything in either world ever again."
Flash Sentry then stepped forward, soon gazing upon the weakened state of the girl he'd broken up with not too long ago. "Just look at you now, Sunset Shimmer. You're pathetic," He jeered at her. "When we broke up, you said I'd regret it. You said I'd come crawling back to you someday. But it looks like you're the one who's been reduced to crawling. You're lucky my dad's not here, or he'd have you arrested on the spot for your crimes."
However, Shining raised a hand and cut Flash off. "That's quite enough of that, Flash. There's no need to resort to such petty conduct. And that goes for everyone gathered here. This is not the time to get even, it won't solve anything or erase the pain she's caused."
"But she still needs to pay!" Fancy Pants protested.
"And pay she will," Shining declared as he retrieved his crown and placed it back atop his head. "As prince of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, as well as Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard, I'm officially taking Sunset Shimmer back to stand trial in Equestria for crimes against the crown."
But of course, Sunset Shimmer weakly protested as she raised an arm. "No! Please, don't take me back! I already told you I'm never going back!" By this point tears began to well up inside her, and she lost any will to hold them back. The girl wept openly since it was the only thing she could do. "This world gave me a new lease on life. Back in Equestria, I'm just a former student and a traitor. I'd have no future there."
Shining Armor wasn't so convinced. "It's not like you'd be locked away in a dungeon or turned to stone," Then he realized something. "This isn't about going back, it's about having to face Princess Celestia."
Sunset weakly nodded. "I know what she must think of. She hates me. I don't blame her, I'd hate myself too if I were in her horseshoes."
"Why do you think the portal wasn't destroyed the moment you slipped through it," Shining pointed out. "Princess Celestia never gave up on you, Sunset. She always held out hope that you'd come back one day. She never meant for either my sister or myself to be your replacement. But life goes on, the Elements of Harmony had to be wielded by somepony worthy and my sister's magical abilities basically required the kind of tutoring only a princess could provide. If you come back to Equestria with me, look Princess Celestia deep in the eyes, and tell her sincerely how sorry you are I'm sure she could find it in her heart to forgive you."
Sunset Shimmer only retorted back. "You don't know that. As soon as I step back through the portal it's out of your hooves."
Shining then pointed out. "Think about it like this, Sunset Shimmer. You never got a chance to say goodbye to your mother, did you?"
"No," Sunset answered as bitter memories she'd long suppressed came bubbling back up to the surface. "We weren't on speaking terms and it all happened so fast. The day after I'd heard she was sick she'd already died."
"Well, at the very least don't you think you owe it to Princess Celestia to give a proper goodbye?" Shining proposed. "You could come back to Equestria to apologize and make amends, and then you could return to this world to live the rest of your days in solitude."
Nothing would convince Sunset Shimmer, however. "Forget about me. Forget about this world. Destroy the portal after you return so that no one else may repeat the mistakes I've made," She pleaded. "Please, I beg of you."
It was then that Principal Celestia stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Assuming that what you've publicly announced is true, which surprisingly I don't find hard to believe anymore, Sunset Shimmer still has a long list of crimes she has committed in our world. Not just at Canterlot High either. As my sister will attest, Sunset has had more than her fair share of run ins with the law."
Vice Principal Luna scowled as she nodded. "Indeed. More than once I've been called to basically bail her out of juvenile detention since she lacks any permanent legal guardians."
Shining was understandably hesitant at the idea of letting Sunset go when she was so close, especially since it would mean breaking the promise he'd made to Princess Celestia to bring Sunset back with him. "I don't know about this. Once I go back to Equestria, how do I know she won't slip through the cracks and go back to her old ways?"
"She won't, we'll see to it that she stays out of further trouble," Principal Celestia promised as she gestured to the five teenage boys surrounding Shining. "Seeing as these five played a big role in your defeat of Sunset Shimmer, it only seems fair to entrust them with being unofficial parole officers of sorts."
Flash Sentry volunteered. "I'll help too. It's probably the least I can do. I might even be able to talk my dad into letting her stay with us until she can get back on her feet. My dad isn't the chief of police around here for nothing, if Sunset steps out of line at all he'll be sure she regrets it in an instant. I can vouch for that." He seemed to briefly shudder as he said that.
Spike spoke up and pointed out. "We really don't have much time, you know. It's almost midnight. If we don't leave soon we'll never get back to Equestria. I know you made a promise, but I don't think Sunset Shimmer has any intention of coming back with us, either willingly or otherwise."
So it was that Shining sighed and reluctantly made a statement. "Well, I suppose this could be considered part of Sunset's punishment for her crimes against Equestria: Exile to this world she previously fled to," And he told the five friends. "I'm counting on you to continue my work. It's up to all of you to ensure that none of this ever happens again. But if it does, if Sunset should go wrong again, find a way to contact me and I will come back."
"You heard the man!" Soarin firmly declared to Sunset Shimmer. "Don't expect any mercy from any of us. You'd best watch your step, for your sake."
Sunset Shimmer weakly nodded. "Trust me, I've lost any desire to continue doing what I've done."
"Excellent," Principal Celestia smiled. "Then you won't object to helping clean up this mess. Your brief rampage blew the front of the school off. It's going to take some time to build a new one. And you can start first thing tomorrow, once I've had time to call the insurance company."
Shining Armor, meanwhile, went over to Spike. And then the two made their way to the base of the statue, preparing to depart back to Equestria. But Shining still found the time to give a brief farewell speech. "I trust all of you will keep what has unfolded here tonight to yourselves. Be assured that Spike and I will do the best we can on our part to conceal knowledge of your world. It's best for both worlds if neither knows the other exists."
Principal Celestia seemed to smirk. "You think anyone is going to believe that magical she-demons and flying teenagers caused any of this? Even the local tabloids wouldn't be able to dream up such a crazy story."
"Excellent," Shining smiled. "But don't be alarmed if one day I should happen to come back, or someone who looks strangely like your principal does. I have a feeling Princess Celestia may want to come and see Sunset Shimmer for herself someday if she should find the time." Then both he and Spike stepped through the portal and disappeared from sight.
"Best. Fall Formal. Ever!" The human Braeburn cheered at the top of his lungs afterward. And everyone had to agree that the night was going to be one that they would never forget even if they might want to.
Just like when Shining and Spike had traveled through the mirror to the human world (albeit separately) they felt their bodies being twisted and pulled in all sorts of directions while surrounded by bright, swirling lights. At last, however, they emerged from the portal back in the safety of Equestria and back in their old bodies. Shining had to readjust himself to standing on four legs instead of two.
Twilight immediately rushed forward to pull Spike in for a hug as an enormous sense of relief washed over her. "Oh, thank the stars you're okay!" She hugged the little dragon tightly. "You have NO idea how worried you made me, Spike! Please, don't ever run off like that again! If you do I'm gonna ground you for a month, I mean it."
"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. But I was right, Shining did need my help," Spike pointed out. "You wouldn't believe the kind of crazy stuff we encountered on the other side of that mirror. I think it was partially because of me that Shining's mission was a success."
Princess Celestia then spoke up. "It's good to see you both back in one piece. And from the looks of things you were successful in retrieving the Element of Magic. But where's Sunset Shimmer? Did you encounter her at all?"
Shining paused, looking back to the mirror. "Well, let's just say I left her in capable hands. She won't be causing anymore trouble, I can guarantee you that."
But several ponies in the room shot their friend a puzzled look, and Big Macintosh even asked. "Beg pardon, sugarcube. But just what the hay is a hand?"
"Oh, it's nothing... really. Just a slip of the tongue," The young prince blushed as he realized his mistake. "I meant to say hooves."
Princess Celestia, however, spoke up with a smirk that seemed to indicate she knew the truth. "It's alright, Shining Armor. You don't have to lie to me. I may not know exactly what unfolded over the past three days, but I do know that this mirror leads to a world that is both similar and yet different to ours."
"Sorry we couldn't go with you, but it looks like you had things under control without us." Soarin commented.
"How were things on your end?" The alicorn asked as all departed from the room that housed the mirror. "And what did you do with the fake crown Sunset left behind?"
Princess Luna spoke up. "There were no big threats that surfaced during these past three days. We had everything under control. And as for that duplicate crown we secretly tossed it through the portal not long after Spike went through it. It probably got picked up by some passerby and returned to its rightful owner, just like with your crown."
"Perhaps that's why they didn't make such a big deal out of me taking this crown back to Equestria, even if it was mine in the first place," Shining realized. "Either that, or they already were preparing a replacement for the next Fall Formal." But he knew that if he said any of that out loud nopony would understand a word of it, not even Princess Celestia.
There was one other thing that caught the prince's attention as he entered the main hallways of the crystal castle. "By the way, I haven't seen Flash Sentry around since I became co-ruler of the Crystal Empire alongside Cadence," He pointed out. "I assume that since I didn't vacate my position as Captain of the Royal Guard, he returned to his old post?"
But Cadence grinned. "Actually, he just put in to transfer here. He would've been here for the now called off royal summit if it hadn't been for his train from Canterlot being delayed. In the two days he's been here though, he seems to have taken quite an interest in your sister."
"What?!" Shining gasped as Twilight blushed hard!
"It doesn't mean anything! He's a nice stallion, but we hardly know each other. No sense rushing into things so soon." Twilight insisted.
Shining could only shake his head. "I'm gonna have to have a talk with Flash about some personal boundaries. I won't have him getting distracted making goo goo eyes at my sister." He thought to himself, but aloud he only asked. "So, I assume the royal summit here has been scratched?"
Princess Luna reluctantly nodded. "My sister and I will be expected back in Canterlot first thing tomorrow. We can't delay for a small affair that none outside the room we were in know about. I'm sorry."
Princess Celestia then pointed out. "But you're free to come to Canterlot to seek our advice on being an alicorn anytime you want. And Luna and I look forward to having you in Canterlot to assist with the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration. It'll be Luna's first since her return."
"In the meantime," Cadence commented. "You're welcome to travel to Ponyville if you have the time, though we'll both be expected to oversee the Crystal Empire's preparations for the Equestria Games, including that new stadium we just built."
Soarin declared. "Just because you're a prince now doesn't mean we're not gonna stay in touch. Those three days of separation were agonizing. Even if life takes us in different directions, we'll always have our friendship. You can count on it!"
The flashback ended as Shining Armor's mind returned to the present, soaking up the applause from the crowd now that he had announced his desire to replace the Sunset Sun Celebration with the Festival of the Two Sisters. It was remarkable how far he'd come from being the unsure of himself alicorn from all those years ago, even though it had to have been less than a decade (maybe half a decade at best?).
As the applause was winding down, however, and the festivities were drawing to a close, Shining had his attention drawn to his friends. Soarin in particular wouldn't stop ribbing him. "Hey, Shining. You okay, buddy? For a while you kind of looked like you were zoning out."
"Oh, sorry," Shining realized as he fought back a blush. "I was just thinking about some old memories."
"Anything in particular?" Soarin questioned.
"Not really," Shining shook his head. "It's fine to look back on the past, but dwelling on it for too long is pointless. Better to look forward to the future and prepare for it. A new dawn is about to rise in Equestria."
Soarin nodded his head. "Yeah. But whatever troubles may be lurking around the corner, whatever changes may come, we can get through them together as long as we have our friendship."
The prince couldn't help but snicker, which made the Wonderbolt co-captain blink in surprise. "Something funny?"
"It's just, what you said," Shining Armor pointed out. "It's not unlike something you said to me long ago. You were right back then and I know you're right now. The friendships we have will overcome any hardships we might have to endure." He meant it sincerely, but there was a nagging part of him deep down that was still worried about what had unfolded just hours prior.
For the time being though it would do him no good to mention it, especially not when Soarin suggested. "Come on, buddy! Our friends are all waiting! Let's enjoy what's left of the last Summer Sun Celebration together!" And the two stallions made their way down a side of the podium to greet their friends.
