ACT ONE
It a very special time at Canterlot High, the day of the exchange program, where nine students from a High School in Canterlot’s neighboring town, Jump City, would be coming to spend a few months at Canterlot High, as sort of a practice for cultural exchange programs. This would determine if students had what it took to make it overseas in other countries.
The Equestria Girls were especially excited, because they had volunteered to put up with some of the students coming in their homes, almost like having a new brother or sister around.
The girls all stood at the bulletin board outside the Principal’s Office to see who they would be entertaining for the next few months.
“This is so exciting!” cried Rainbow Dash “I hope whoever I get is into sports and music!” It was obviously hinted as she held her guitar in one hand, and her soccer ball clutched under her other arm.
Pinkie Pie was quivering with excitement, “I can’t wait! I can’t wait! I CAN’T WAIT!!” she squealed, and then she went over her checklist for a Welcoming Party she intended to throw.
“Music… Okie…
Snacks and refreshments… Dokie…
Party Games for everyone… Lokie!”
Vice Principal Luna came out with the sheet of students names and their corresponding caregivers, when suddenly she realized, “Oops, I forgot a tack.” And she went back inside taking the list with her, much to the students’ anxieties.
Rarity took out her compact and began to beautify herself. “What are you doin’?” asked Applejack. “Well, first impressions are very important.” replied Rarity “I can’t very greet my soon-to-be houseguest with bad complexion.”
She looked to bedazzling, the way she shimmered in the lights above, and the way she fluttered her long eyelashes… Spike, poking his head out of Twilight’s backpack, had hearts in his eyes and he drooled softly, and let out a little howl.
Twilight then grabbed him and stuffed him into her backpack. “Spike!” she scolded.
“What, I think she looks pretty!”
Rarity grinned lovingly at Spike, “Darling, as much as I appreciate your flattery, keep in mind that pets are not welcome on the school ground during hours, but still… thank you.” And she pecked his little head, making the little dog swoon and fall over silent into the backpack and out of sight.
Fluttershy felt very nervous, “What if whoever I get won’t like me? What if I do something really embarrassing?”
“Ah, buck up, girl…” said Applejack “That’s pretty much what this whole thing’s for; to get to know other people, and who’s better at makin’ friends than us?”
Sunset agreed, “Still, I think that for obvious reasons, no matter who we get, we don’t tell them about… You-Know-What.” Naturally she referred to all the magic and stuff they knew and possessed. Even though all of Canterlot High knew of it, they all agreed it best not to let anyone else find out, for fear of what trouble could occur.
Twilight felt especially nervous, remembering her Midnight Sparkle episode. “It’ll be okay. Just try not to think about It.” said Sunset, “Believe me, I know how it feels to go through that.”
Twilight smiled softly, and then VP Luna came back out again and pinned the list to the board, which the students gazed at it eagerly.
The nine exchange-students and there were names and next to them were their assigned caregivers; the other students.
Dick Grayson… Sunset Shimmer
Kori Anders… Rarity
Victor Stone… Rainbow Dash
Raven Roth… Pinkie Pie
Kato Kalikis… Fluttershy
Terra Markov… Applejack
Jackie Amber & Jillian Dionne… Flash Sentry.
“Hey, how come Flash gets two?” Rainbow asked. Flash, who happened to be passing by stated, “No other students volunteered, so I figured I could take two, and besides, my folks are out of town, and it gets kind of lonesome at home. It’ll be like having two sisters around.”
“Really…? That’s so sweet.” remarked Twilight. Suddenly, she realized how she had just acted and felt her cheeks turning a warm shade of red, while Flash blushed, “Yeah… I guess it is. Ahem… well… gotta bounce.”
Then he was gone.
“Oooooh…!” the girls all cooed while playfully fanning themselves, making Twilight feel embarrassed. “Um… anyway… Who did I get?”
Sunset checked the list, “Some guy named Garfield Logan.”
Rainbow chuckled, “Garfield?” His name is “Garfield?”
The others didn’t look approved with her attitude, “Really, Rainbow Dash. It’s merely a name.” said Rarity, but actually, she herself couldn’t help but leak out a tiny chuckle, only because the name sounded funny to say “Garfield…”
Principal Celestia heard the commotion and peeked out through the door to the office, “Shouldn’t you all be heading to class?” she asked with a straight look!
The girls all smiled embarrassed, and then went on their way. Twilight grabbed her bag so quickly that she knocked Spike around inside and he hit his head on the big books. “Ouch!” he groaned.
“What was that?” asked Celestia.
Twilight turned, and didn’t want her to know she had Spike with her. Even though Prinicpal Celestia knew of Spike and the whole “He could talk” thing, school rules were school rules: No Pets Allowed!
“Um… it was, um…!”
“Ouch.” Fluttershy groaned, rather pitifully, “I stubbed my toe.” And she began to pitifully hop on one foot, holding the other foot while pitifully going “Ooh… Ow… ouch…!”
Much as Celestia was not convinced, she disappeared back into the office.
Twilight sighed in relief, “Thanks for covering.” she said to Fluttershy. The others smiled, even though Fluttershy’s act was nothing short of terrible, but they saw no need to point it out.
After school, the girls all met together as they exited the building. “Whose up for a swim?” asked Rainbow, “Ooh-Ooh-Ooh…I am! I am!” cried Pinkie.
“Eh, why not… I could use a dip.” agreed Applejack “All I could think about today was the new students.”
“When do we get to meet them?” asked Fluttershy.
“First thing tomorrow morning.” replied Sunset “They’ll be announced during a first-period assembly, and we all get to meet with them to show them around the school before we take them home.”
The girls were all excited and still a bit nervous, but little did they realize that someone was watching them from the street. A skinny teenage boy with short brown hair, and slightly paled skin, wearing a school-like uniform-- white short-sleeved shirt, blue pants, black shoes and a tie-- but also wearing thick dark shades round his eyes, and he also wore a ragged black cape with grey lining, and around his neck he wore a dog whistle on a chain.
“Humph!” he scoffed grouchily, “If the world is full of people like them… it’s no wonder things aren’t looking up.”
He then let out a huge yawn, and felt very weary, as if he were about to pass out, but he caught hold of himself and walked off.
Soon the girls they were at the public pool and were splashing and swimming about.
“Geronimo!” Sunset shouted as she jumped off the low diving-board and splashed hard in the water.
Fluttershy, dipped her toe in the water, and yelped and she jumped into Pinkie Pie’s arms in fright, causing Pinkie to lose her balance and they both fell into the pool.
Rarity merely sat on the big chair, while in her swimsuit, a robe, and wearing sunglasses and a large sunhat. She complained as specks of water from the splash hit her. “Please, be careful!”
“Ah, buck up, and come for a dip.” Applejack called.
Rarity scoffed, insisting she not, “All the salt and chlorine in the water will wrinkle my skin.”
Applejack sighed, but then dipped back to swim some more.
Twilight also didn’t go in the pool as she buried in her textbook. Spike sat with her, and it was a good thing small pets weren’t forbidden to be around the pool, as long as they didn’t go in the water.
“What are you doing?” he asked. He was careful not to speak so loud so as not to break his secret to other swimmers.
“Just studying.” replied Twilight. Spike sighed, “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“What, it’s not like…”
“…Not like studying is a bad thing, I know.” Spike cut in. “Seriously, Twilight, can’t you do other things besides just study?”
“Yeah…” Rainbow called as she stepped onto the really high platform, “I mean cut loose a bit and have fun like we are.” then she gave huge leap off the board “CANNONBALL…!!”
And she splashed so hard she made a huge wave of water that sent the other swimming up the pool, and splashed the others in the chairs.
Rarity screamed in fright, “My makeup! My hair!” and she picked up her drenched sunhat, “My hat!! This is a real authentic straw-thatched original!”
Twilight rubbed her wet glasses, while Spike gave a shake to dry up.
Soon, the girls were all in the change room, already having had showered and dressed. Rarity frantically used her blow-dryer and her comb to try and fix herself up. “Oh, it’s hopeless!” she whined “It’ll take me all night to get my hair back to what it was, not to mention a week’s allowance to buy me a new hat!”
Applejack couldn’t take it anymore, “Ah, quit your whinin’ already. That’s all ya ever do these days. Whine about your makeup, whine about your clothes, whine-whine-whine.”
Rarity felt most insulted. “And what about you…? All you ever do with your life is keep busy, with your rope tricks and your apple-picking!”
“Oh-ho-ho… that’s hittin’ below the line, girl…!”
Fluttershy couldn’t take this, “Please! Don’t argue!” she cried “Um, what I mean to say is, we’re all different, but it’s our own ways of who we are and how we live our lives.”
Though she said it kind of corny, the girls were inclined to agree. They all had their likes, dislikes and ways of living their own lives, even if to some it was annoying.
“I think it’s amazing we all have our differences.” said Sunset “It’s what makes us closer friends, and we can learn from and help each other just we can for the new students when they come.”
She wasn’t pretending to understand, in all the time she had basked in the light of friendship, she had learned a lot and done so much more than she ever could have when she was… the way she was before. She enjoyed learning about friendship, which helped her see life in a whole new way, like her own special thing.
“I guess I can agree to that.” said Twilight “I’m sure I could find other things to do that just study all the time.”
“I’m kind of Sporty and Rockin’.” said Rainbow.
“And I just loo-oo-oove parties…!” Pinkie shouted as she threw a bunch of confetti and blew a noise-maker.
“I suppose I can’t get enough of helping the animals.” said Fluttershy “They’re just as important to me as life itself.”
Before they knew it, they broke out into a pop-like song as they started walking down the street.
In a world of mystery where people come and go,
And the many differences that they all have and they show
Exciting, dull, pep or smart, or even high and tall
The friendship holds together, you, me, and us all.
Boom-chick-a-wa, give me all the style,
Give me all the hey.
Slice it up, knock it down, send it all around
But you’re special in your own way.
[Sunset]
Studying friendship changed me, one two three,
Now I’m better than what I was before.
[Twilight]
Well I prefer to keep my books and my smarts all free,
But I know life can be so much more.
[Rarity]
I like to sew clothes so chic, and their so divine
[AppleJack]
I got chores, but I don’t let ‘em get to me
[Rainbow]
Whether rockin’ it out, or make my sport skills shine
[Fluttershy]
Just my animals and me…
[Pinkie]
…Everybody… PARTY!!
[Everyone]
Boom-chick-a-wa, give me all the style,
Give me all the hey.
Slice it up, knock it down, send it all around
But you’re special in your own way.
Boom-chick-a-wa, give me all the style,
Give me all the hey.
Slice it up, knock it down, send it all around
But you’re special in your own way.
As the song began to fade up, Spike began to smell the unmistakable scent of fresh hotdogs being grilled nearby, and like the dog he was, he drooled heavily, and slipped off his leash running in the direction of the scent.
“Spike…!” Twilight called, and she and the girls raced after him.
Meanwhile, that same teenage boy was about to take a desperate bite of a tofu-dog he had bought, when suddenly, Spike came dashing round the bend and running towards the vendor’s cart, and everybody knew dogs and hotdog carts were a bad thing to be around at the same time!
“Spike! Don’t!” Twilight shouted as she came round the bend, but Spike had already dashed up to the cart and was about to push into it which would have sent it rolling down the way, but the boy left his tofu dog, leapt over and caught the little dog, grabbing him by the tail and held him upside down.
Even while hanging upside down, Spike didn’t like the stern and fierce look this guy was giving him, and he couldn’t help but growl.
“Hey, don’t hold him like that! You’ll hurt him!” shouted Twilight.
The boy then lowered Spike closer to the ground, letting him go rather forcefully, but Spike landed safely on his feet and hustled over to Twilight, but the boy glared meanly at Twilight and sneered, “Maybe you should learn to keep to keep that mutt of yours on that leash better!”
Twilight felt struck by that insult, but it was Rarity who spoke up first, “How dare you call him a mutt.”
“Yeah, who do you think you are?” added Rainbow.
Suddenly, the cawing of a crow distracted everyone, and they all looked to where the guy had left his tofu dog on a table. The crow swopped down and carried the tofu dog off with it. Now the guy looked really ticked, “I’m the guy who just lost his dinner, and I haven’t any money left thanks to you girls and your mangy dog!”
“We’re really sorry…” said Fluttershy “We didn’t mean any harm.”
The rest of the girls didn’t seem so sympathetic, and were really starting to lose their cool. “I don’t know what’s got your haystacks all burned, but don’t you be takin’ it out on us now.” said Applejack.
“Why not, it’s your fault anyway.” replied the boy “I’m not surprised anyway. A bunch of simple school-girls like you…”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” snapped Sunset.
“I saw you all come from Canterlot High, and I’ve got to say, judging from all of you, it mustn’t have a good enough learning system. Then again, my school didn’t have much either.”
Now Twilight’s feature’s hardened, “I don’t know what your school is like, but I think Canterlot High is a great school.”
“Yeah, you tell him, Twilight.” Pinkie cheered.
“Twilight…?” asked the boy “You mean you’re Twilight Sparkle? Talk about pathetic. I’m outta here.”
The girls were all livid, and Spike barked angrily at the guy, but Rainbow, completely furious, dashed over in front of him. “Hold it right there, bucko! You’re not going anywhere until you take all that back!”
She really looked edgy for a fight. “Rainbow, don’t!” snapped Sunset.
“She’s right, you better not.” agreed the guy “I can best you at anything from Athletics to Academics!”
“Oh, yeah… well maybe you’d like to prove it in a match against me!” snarled Rainbow, “I’m always psyched for a challenge.”
The others knew there was no turning back now. When Rainbow wanted a challenge, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“How about we settle this in the soccer-field at Canterlot High, Tomorrow afternoon at 3:15?”
The boy simply snuffed, “Fine, whatever…” and then he went off. Spike continued to growl and bark at him, but Twilight stroked him to calm him.
Pinkie blinked once, “What just happened?” she asked rhetorically.
“I think we just made a new friend.” Applejack said with sarcasm.
Rarity simply grunted and held her head up high. “Whoever he is, he is obviously in need of improvement on his manners.”
Rainbow was huffing and puffing furiously. “Rainbow, take it easy.” Twilight said.
“How can you say that?” snapped Rainbow “You heard what he called you.”
“Well, yeah, and I don’t like it, but it’s nothing to get worked up for.”
Spike growled, “If I see him again, I’d like to bite his leg!” but this earned him scorn from Twilight, “You’ll do no such thing. Besides, if you hadn’t slipped out of your leash, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Don’t be mad at him, Twilight.” said Fluttershy “…I mean, he couldn’t help himself.”
Spike smiled; at least she was on his side.
“…But then, it was kind of wrong to just run off like that.”
Spike’s smile faded.
“Ah, never mind.” said Pinkie “Forget about right now, and lets focus on tomorrow; you know when we get to meet the new students!”
Much as Rainbow still felt peeved by the insult of her friends, she caught hold of herself. “Okay, I’ll try.”
Her friends felt grateful, and they all began to walk off, but Sunset stopped a minute a looked back. “What’s wrong, Sunset?” asked Twilight.
Sunset had a bad feeling about that boy, not just his attitude, but the way he was dressed. Wearing thick dark shades, a raggedy cape and a dog-whistle with a school uniform…! Not to mention his skin looked a little pale, and he seemed rather skinny, almost underweight for a boy his age and height even.
It seemed almost too weird to try to make sense out of. “It’s nothing.” She simply said, and she and the others all continued on their way home, passing by the school as they went.
Meanwhile, high above the city, a private zeppelin was soaring through the pre-dusk skies. It looked to be owned by rich people, which it was.
Inside, four people, two married couples sat in a luxurious lounge, he wives each had a drink in their hands while their husbands smoked expensive cigars as they viewed TV monitors of Canterlot High.
“So, that’s Canterlot High?” one of the men asked.
“It really doesn’t look like much.” said his wife.
The other married couple, their dear and closest friends and colleagues agreed. “Nevertheless…” the man said “We’ve heard the stories. There’s something very mysterious about this school. Something even… magical...”
His wife sipped her drink, “Well, whatever secrets that school holds, our agents will uncover them. They could very well be exactly what we’ve been looking for.”
Their friends agreed, and the other husband said, “Exactly what we’re looking for… to finally getting what we deserve. Then this world… this world… will be all ours.”
His wife shuddered in delight, “I love it when you talk like that, dear.”