Sunset sat in her room, relaxing after quite a day at school. Things had began to turn around for her now that everyone's seen her change into a better person, helping Twilight, Sora, and their friends stop the Dazzlings during the concert. Not only that, but she was also part of the Sonic Rainbooms band, really hanging out with the girls this time, and to her surprise, everyone at school helped her when she dropped any of her things or assisted her in helping someone else with their problems. And her relationship with Flash Sentry returned as well; not in full swing just yet, but it'll get there after a few more dates.
She wore a completely different outfit than what she usually wore, before and after she became queen of Canterlot High. She wore a blue blouse and a pair of blue jeans, a new jacket with yellow stripes near the shoulders, and a pair of black heeled boots with a similar yellow stripe from her jacket on the tongues of the boots; a new look for the new Sunset Shimmer. While sitting on her bed, she looked over some notes on their Equestrian magic appearing as they played music, lessons for school they needed to read over, and beside her was the book that allowed her to communicate with Twilight back in Equestria. She still had no idea how this magic shows up while they play their instruments, and it still baffled her trying to figure out how it's supposed to work in a world where magic doesn't exist.
Before she got too engrossed with studying, her phone buzzed as she received a text. Reaching out to her cell phone, Sunset gasped when she read the message from Rainbow Dash's group text to her and the other girls. Grabbing her backpack and placing her enchanted book inside, she ran out of her home and headed off to Canterlot High. Rainbow's message was vague, but if it was anywhere near the school, it couldn't be a good thing. When she arrived, she found the rest of her friends waiting by the steps.
"I got your text, Rainbow!" Sunset said, panting slightly as she caught her breath. "Did something come through the portal? Equestrian magic on the loose? Did Twilight come back with a problem only we could solve? Heartless!?"
"Has a giant cake monster covered all the cakes in the world in cake!?" Pinkie randomly guessed, stuffing her face with cupcakes.
Ignoring the wild imagination Pinkie had, Rainbow took her guitar out of its case and turned to Sunset with a nervous giggle. "Uhh, not exactly."
"Huh? I don't understand," Sunset said in confusion.
"Well, Sunset, Ah was just tellin' Rainbow Dash here that a broken guitar string doesn't really qualify as an emergency," Applejack said, making the others groan in irritation.
"It totally does!" Rainbow argued.
"Really, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity chided, wearing her red glasses with a measuring tape wrapped around her shoulders. "I was in the middle of sewing a very complex appliqué on my latest frock."
"And I was about to tuck everyone in for the night at the shelter," Fluttershy added, holding Angel in her arms. "Now we'll have to start stories all over again."
Sunset resisted the urge to facepalm over Rainbow's misuse of sending everyone an emergency text without any context as to what the emergency was about. "Why would you send all of us an emergency text for a guitar string?"
"Well, I was going to pony up and show our fans some awesome guitar licks," Rainbow said, pointing to the CMC sitting on the stairs, the trio of pre-teens waving to Sunset. "But I kinda need all six strings to do it, and I didn't have anymore...Got any extra?"
Sunset rolled her eyes, always coming prepared for anything as she pulled out a spare string she kept in her bag for her own guitar. "Here, Dash," she said. Rainbow took it and applied the string to her instrument, tuning it up to her liking. "But you know everyone's finished practicing for the day. I'm pretty sure the music rooms are locked up."
"No problem! The acoustics in the hallway are perfect for power chords!" Rainbow played a few chords to emphasize her point, her guitar back to its rock and rolling form. "Come on!"
Sunset let out a sigh, shaking her head in bewilderment. The others followed the excited Crusaders and Rainbow in the school, Applejack waiting for Sunset to follow them.
"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up," she said.
Applejack shrugged her shoulders and followed the others. Sunset sat down on the steps and pulled out her book. Opening the pages to an empty one, she pulled out a pen and began writing to the alicorn princess and Keyblade wielder.
Dear Princess Twilight and Sora,
How are things in Equestria? Learning new spells and saving the day from the threat of darkness? It's been pretty quiet since the Battle of the Bands. We still pony up when we play music, which Rainbow Dash just loves to show off. But I still can't grasp what it's all about. I would love to hear what you think about all this when you get a chance.
Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer
As she wrote in the book, a bus pulled up across the street, then pulled off as it dropped someone off at the bus stop. The person wore a pale blue hoodie, blue jeans, and a pair of purple and white sneakers, their hood down to conceal themselves, though unable to hide the glasses they wore. Pulling out a strange device to detect specific energy signatures, they approached the statue outside the school, the energy signal growing more frequent as they got closer. Making their way around the statue, the device's wavelengths reaching a critical point, the mysterious person found the entrance to the portal, reaching out to touch what they expected to be solid stone, only to feel something as the wall rippled.
Hearing the person gasp, Sunset looked up from her book, a little surprised to see someone she didn't know examining the very specific portion of the statue that was Equestria's portal. "Hey!" she called out, startling the hooded figure. "What are you doing!?" Panicking, the examiner fled, Sunset giving chase. "Wait, stop!" The person ran across the street, right as the next bus was scheduled to pull up. Sunset stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, almost getting hit by a car that passed by after not paying attention. Before she could chase them, the bus pulled off to the next stop, the mysterious figure having gotten away. "Who was that?"
On the bus, the figure looked out the window and watched the school fade off in the distance. Sitting back in their seat, the person pulled down their hood, revealing her identity along with her purple hair with a pink streak in the middle tied in a bun. She let out a sigh of relief, almost getting caught by Sunset. Looking down at her scanner, she may have left too soon, but she seemed to have gathered enough data on her suspicions with her research about the strange phenomenons that have occurred.
"There's no doubt that this strange energy is definitely coming from that school," she said to herself. "I need to investigate this further. I'd also better build something to try to contain this energy if something like the last two times happens again."
After riding the bus for a few minutes, it stopped right outside of a school in the middle of the city, the structure almost making it look like it was made out of real crystals. Disembarking, the high schooler made her way to the school, opening the doors and navigating her way through the halls to a private classroom she made as her home away from home. Hanging up on a bulletin board were her highly complex connections to the strange energy readings, Canterlot High, theories and hypotheses about the strange energy coming from this school, now adding another piece to the confusing puzzle as she placed a drawn image of the front of the statue where she actually touched the strange portal that was hiding there.
There was even a little sticky note, connected with everything else from her scientific web of intrigue, where the words "Friendship Games" was written, placed on a specific date on the calendar. It was ignored as she got to work on the device she planned to build. Taking apart her scanner, she carefully took out the hardware she needed and placed them in a portable, compact device colored the same shade of purple as her hair. After a bit of tweaking and connecting the scanning hardware into the machine, she finally got it to work as a light spun around the top briefly as it was powered on, a purple star lighting up in the center.
She then yawned after making sure it worked properly, but she didn't have any time to give it a test run. Placing her newly created energy scanner/absorber in a drawer in her private classroom, she left the room and made her way back home to get some rest after nearly pulling an all-nighter creating her new device.
Early the next morning, Sunset asked the girls to gather around the library, seeing as classes were canceled for the preparations of the Friendship Games tomorrow. Other students were there as well, catching up on some studying or reading a fictional novel the school allowed. Sunset recalled what she witnessed yesterday evening to the rest of the girls as she paced back and forth, wondering what she was doing.
"She was definitely doing something to the statue," Sunset said. "Or was going to before I called out to her."
"Do you think she came through the portal?" Fluttershy asked, petting Angel as he hid in her backback.
"No, I'm sure I would have noticed," Sunset said. "Besides, their portal is in Twilight's castle, so it couldn't have been a random pony. I think she was from this world."
"Well, that's a relief," Applejack said. "Last thing we need is another magical so-and-so bent on world domination comin' over from Equestria."
Sunset raised a brow at the farm girl, unable to let those memories go no matter how many times she doesn't take any offense to her prior actions. "Thanks, Applejack. That's reassuring."
"Well, I for one am not interested in another fight against evil magic," Rarity said. "The wear and tear of my wardrobe is just too much for me to keep up with."
"Didn't Sora take a lot of abuse with fightin' Sunset, his friends possessed by the Dazzling's and them girls with tattered clothes?" Applejack asked. "Ah don't think the pony Rarity had any trouble fixin' his duds up for him."
"That's because the me there is a unicorn and can use magic to instantly fix it," the fashionista countered. "I have two hands and no magic, which takes me much longer to make something simple."
"Come on, guys," Sunset said, bringing everyone's attention back to the topic at hand. "Don't you all want to know who this mysterious girl is and why she was snooping around the portal?"
Fluttershy shuddered in fear. "I don't even want to try to guess."
"Well, you guys don't have to," Rainbow said. "Because I figured out who it was!"
"Ooh, ooh! Is it a nighttime statue cleaner?" Pinkie guessed, holding up a couple random books with very descriptive covers over who she believes is the culprit. "A magical portal maintenance maintainer? A gardener!?"
Rainbow pushed Pinkie back with a deadpanned stare, ignoring her incorrect and highly improbable guesses. "Seeing how they got off the bus 'from' the city and got back on a bus headed 'to' the city, I'll bet they go to..."
"Crystal Prep," the other girls sans Sunset said in disdain.
"Yep," Rainbow said with a nod. "And with the Friendship Games starting tomorrow, they'd totally try to prank us by defacing the Wondercolts statue."
"Why would anyone want to take a bus all the way from the city to do something like that?" Sunset questioned.
"Because the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts are out biggest rivals?" Applejack responded to Sunset's obliviousness.
"Because that's just what the students at Crystal Prep would do?" Rarity added.
"Because they beat us at everything!" Rainbow pulled out an old yearbook, showing Sunset pictures of older Canterlot High students getting beaten by Crystal Prep students in a few of the sports she showed. "Soccer, tennis, golf, and yet they still have to gloat!"
She flipped the pages to show Sunset a picture of the statue, the Crystal Prep students pranking the school by dressing it up like a clown. "Ok, this all seems kinda silly to me."
"Silly!?" the girls exclaimed in shock, surprising the ex-bully.
"So the Friendship games are silly as well, huh?" Rainbow questioned.
"Well, it's not like we'll be fighting the powers of evil magic," Sunset reasoned. "Or darkness."
"No, we'll be fighting a school full of meanies," Fluttershy said with a pout. "Not everything has to be magical to be important."
"Right. I'm sorry," Sunset apologized. "I know it's a big deal. But what I don't get is this rivalry. Aren't the "Friendship Games" supposed to be about the two schools getting along?"
"It's kinda hard to get along with someone who beats ya at everything," Applejack said, which sounded like an obvious reason if Crystal Prep was a school of sore winners.
"Not anymore!" Rainbow exclaimed. "This time, things are gonna be different!"
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked curiously.
"Oh, you'll find out," Rainbow answered vaguely.
Later that day, the students of Canterlot High gathered to the gym for today's pep rally before the games tomorrow. Once everyone was seated, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna walked up on stage, the former with a microphone to address the upcoming event tomorrow.
"As I am sure you all know, tomorrow, Canterlot High School will be hosting our fellow students from Crystal Prep Academy as we join together in the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship, and fidelity to compete in the Friendship Games." The students cheered unenthusiastically, unable to see the point in getting pepped up when they know they're going to lose the Friendship Games again. Having expected such a response, Celestia continued her speech. "Since the games only happen every four years, I'm sure you're all curious what goes on."
"You mean other than us losing!?" Flash Sentry exclaimed as he stood from his seat, only to be pulled back down by Sunset as she gave him a glare.
"Flash, really?" Sunset questioned.
"Well, we do," he reasoned poorly, earning himself a punch in the arm by his soon-to-be girlfriend.
"And THAT is exactly why I've asked Rainbow Dash to come up and give you all a little...context," Celestia continued, handing Rainbow the mic as the teen walked up on the stage.
"Thank you, Principal Celestia," Rainbow said, clearing her throat as she addressed her fellow students. "I know a lot of you might think there's no way we can beat a fancy school like Crystal Prep at anything."
"Unless it's a 'losing to Crystal Prep' competition!" Pinkie responded. "'Cause we're really good at that!"
"Thank you, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow muttered under her breath, away from the microphone so no one else heard her. "And I know that CHS has never won the Friendship Games even once."
"Oh dear," Rarity uttered. "I hope this speech isn't meant to be motivational."
"Crystal Prep students are super athletic, super smart, and super motivated," Rainbow continued, having planned to motivate her peers. Behind the curtains as they opened up was the CHS band, the students starting up a song to help pump up the rest of their fellow Wondercolts to win this year. "But there's one thing they aren't: they aren't Wondercolts!"
[Rainbow Dash]
We've fought magic more than once
And come out on top
[Chorus]
Oh, oh
[Rainbow Dash]
There's other schools, but none can make those claims
[Chorus]
Na, na-na-na-na, oh
[Rainbow Dash]
Together we are Canterlot
Come and cheer our name
[Chorus]
Oh, oh
[Rainbow Dash]
This will be our year to win these games
Rainbow lead the band as they marched around the gym, already getting everyone's morale pumped up for tomorrow as they believed they could finally win this year.
[Rainbow Dash and Chorus]
We'll always be Wondercolts forever
And now our time has finally arrived
'Cause we believe in the magic of friendship
And you know, at the end of the day, it is we who survive
Vinyl decided to turn up the volume and help get everyone's motivation grow as well, plugging her mobile mixboard into the speakers and adding more bass to the song. On the other end of the gym where the bleachers had some students holding square panels, made of nine smaller ones each in a 3x3 pattern bearing their school's logo, Rainbow standing between them as she now wore one of the band uniform hats on her head.
[Students]
Hey!
[Rainbow Dash]
We're not the school we were before
[Students]
Before!
[Rainbow Dash]
Yeah, we're different now
[Chorus (Students)]
Oh, oh (Hey, Hey!)
The panels flipped around, showing the evil Sunset Shimmer on the left and the Dazzlings as the Equestrian sirens on the right. Sunset groaned as she saw the old her fueled by the power of darkness, but that was in the past, and it did prove a point that their school has survived much worse than losing to a rival school over and over again.
[Rainbow Dash]
We overcame the obstacles we faced
[Chorus]
Overcame the obstacles we faced
[Students]
Hey!
[Rainbow Dash]
We're Canterlot united
[Students]
Unite!
[Rainbow Dash]
And we'll never bow
[Chorus (Students)]
Oh, oh (Hey, hey!)
[Rainbow Dash]
So get ready to see us in first place
[All]
We'll always be Wondercolts forever
(Three! Two! One! Go!)
And now our time has finally arrived
(Our time is now!)
'Cause we believe in the magic of friendship
And you know, at the end of the day, it is we who survive
At the end of the day, it is we who survive
Na, na, na-na-na-na
Wondercolts united together
Na, na, na-na-na-na
Wondercolts united forever
[All (Rainbow Dash)]
Na, na, na-na-na-na (We'll always be Wondercolts forever)
Wondercolts united together
Na, na, na-na-na-na (And now our time has finally arrived
Wondercolts united forever
Na, na, na-na-na-na ('Cause we believe in the magic of friendship)
Wondercolts united together (And you know...)
[All]
At the end of the day, it is we who survive
At the end of the day, it is we who survive
Near the end of the song, Rainbow Dash suddenly sprouted her equine ears, pegasus wings, and longer hair-like tail, surprising everyone before being more inspired as she flew up and hovered in the air. Sunset was more shocked at this discovery as the only time they ever transformed like that was when they played their instruments, not out of the blue like this. Regardless, the students cheered, wearing their fake pony ears and tails the band threw out to everyone, their school spirit lifted and thought nothing of Rainbow's pony form as part of the finale. While the rest of the students discussed how the Friendship Games will turn out, the girls and Flash headed backstage to meet with Rainbow, who was still basking in the effect her peppy speech and song had on the entire student body.
"Rainbow Dash, that was amazing!" Fluttershy said. "Even I can feel like we can win!"
"I feel like my school pride is at an all-time high!" Rarity added.
"But how was Rainbow Dash able to pony up without playing her guitar?" Flash Sentry questioned.
"Maybe it's because I'm that awesome?" Rainbow guessed.
"Sure, Rainbow Dash," Applejack said with a roll of her eyes.
"There has to be more to it than that," Sunset theorized, now finding it more frustrating to figure out how their magic works. "It's just...so random for it to just come out like that."
"Well, it would be nice if you all got a handle on it," Luna said as she and Celestia approached them. "We'd like to keep magic as far away from the Friendship Games as possible. We don't want to be accused of cheating."
Rarity scoffed. "Please. We don't need magic to defeat those hoity-toity Crystal Preppers."
The rest of the girls voiced their agreements except Sunset, who was unsure if she could find a way to contain their magic if it got loose like what happened to Rainbow Dash. "Be that as it may, the Friendship Games are serious business," Luna continued. "We don't want any surprises, especially the kind that could cause us to forfeit. Sunset Shimmer, since you came from a world of magic, perhaps you can get to the bottom of this magical development."
"I'll do my best," Sunset promised, though she had to start over from square one now that all her prior research was only a fraction of what she needed to know to understand their magic.
Celestia and Luna left to oversee the rest of the Friendship Games' preparations, leaving the seven teens to themselves as Rainbow voiced a question the entire student body was wondering. "So, anyone have a guess to what the events for the games are?"
"Pie eating?" Pinkie asked, holding out a pie she got out of nowhere. "Cake eating?" she asked again, this time holding a cake in her other hand. She then gasped as a crazy idea came to mind, slamming both pastries together, splattering icing and pie crust around her. "Pie-cake eating!?"
"They won't even let us see what they're doin' to the field," Applejack said, wiping off the frosting on her clothes Pinkie managed to splatter over everyone. "Ya think they'd at least tell competitors what they'll be competing in."
"It could be anything," Fluttershy said nervously.
"Anything!?" Rarity exclaimed. "How will I ever pick the right outfit!?"
Applejack let out an irritated groan, going back to the issue with Rarity and picking outfits to wear for different events. "Well, I'd really love to help you decide, Rarity, but I think I better get to figuring out how Rainbow Dash ponied up as soon as possible," Sunset said. "I'll see you guys later."
She began making her way out of the gym and to the library to see if she can figure out anything, though she doubted she'll be able to get any information from the school's library of books. "Seems like she's got everything under control," Pinkie said. "Nothing to worry about."
"I'm gonna see if I can help her in some way," Flash said as he hurried after her. "Don't want her working too hard by herself!"
As soon as Flash disappeared around the corner, the girls looked at each other. "How long will it take until they finally become a couple again?"
"Ya can't exactly rush a relationship like that, Rainbow," Applejack said. "They still got some catchin' up to do with all Sunset did in the past. Love doesn't happen immediately, or rekindlin' it after a bad fallin' out."
"At least Sunset's not a princess from those Disney movies, because boy, some of them princesses were vain to fall for a guy they didn't know anything about, prince or not," Pinkie said.
"Umm, what's...'Disney'?" Fluttershy asked, voicing her confusion for the other three teens.
"...Uhhhhhh..." Pinkie held out the mess of pie and cake she squashed together, hoping to change the subject. "Pie-cake, anyone?"
Sunset read through what physics books on energy she could get her hands on, barely able to scrounge up any notes on this new discovery with Rainbow's Equestrian magic. Sadly, her research was fruitless unless she managed to snag a few books from Twilight's castle, needing something on actual magic in order to understand what had just happened with Rainbow's transformation without playing music. Grunting in frustration, she turned to her magical book, hoping Twilight might have some answers, or maybe visit and help figure this out with her.
Hey, Twilight,
Haven't heard back from you yet. I guess you must be pretty busy with your role as princess. Or maybe you're fighting darkness in some other world. But I could really use your advice right now. You see, I've been given the job of keeping magic under control here at CHS, even though I still haven't wrapped my head around it. And now after seeing Rainbow Dash pony up the way she did, it makes me think her magic might be...changing. Everyone is looking to me to figure things out and I really don't want to let them down. But I'm not sure I have enough experience with friendship magic to solve this.
As she paused her writing to think about what else she wanted to say, Flash set down a stack of books beside Sunset, snapping her out of her thoughts. "This enough for your research?"
Sunset grinned slightly, thankful for a little bit of help from Flash, even though it wouldn't do much. "Thanks, Flash, but I doubt any science books in this world will help." She closed the enchanted book, hoping Twilight will answer soon, even though she's been writing in it a lot more than the alicorn was. "I kinda hope Twilight can get back to me soon. Tomorrow's the Friendship Games, and I don't have enough time to figure out how to keep our magic concealed."
"You'll figure it out," Flash reassured. "You're smart. You got used to being a human after a while, right?"
"That was more about physical movement and understanding how to live in a new body," Sunset corrected. "Magic is far different than that. It may have been just a power made up in fantasy to this world, but it's far more complex and difficult to understand compared to everything else." She sighed heavily, slamming her head down on the table with a groan. "And I still can't figure out how our magic comes out just when we play music."
Flash sat down beside Sunset in another chair, looking down at the confusing notes that far exceeded the education he's had in high school so far. He couldn't make a word out of anything Sunset wrote down, but doing this all on her own was really going to stress her out. Even if their time frame was short, if they couldn't find anything, she could at least use a break from all the studying she's been doing, both for school and Equestrian magical problems. As he began thinking of a way to get her to take a little break from all this magic studying, Sunset's stomach began growling, nearly grumbling loud enough to disturb the silence of the library.
"Uhh, you wanna take a break and get some lunch?" Flash offered, stifling his snickering at the girl's embarrassed blush.
"...Well, I did miss breakfast this morning while I worried about who was trying to find the portal to Equestria," Sunset uttered. Looking over the unhelpful books, she decided a break was definitely needed. "...Is this considered a date?"
"I was just asking if you'd want to get away from all the studying, but if you want it to be..." Flash held his hand out to her as he stood up, Sunset rolling her eyes and taking his hand.
"What the hay," Sunset said. Grabbing her gear and stuffing her book back in her backpack, the couple made their way out of the library and out of the school to get a snack at Sugarcube Corner for lunch. "But you're buying."
"What? I paid for the last date," Flash argued.
"You're supposed to be the gentleman and buy me what I want to eat," Sunset countered, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Well, then I guess I'm getting you the cheapest snack at Sugarcube Corner if that's how you want it," Flash teased, earning a playful shove from Sunset.
"Hey, you are not doing that, you jerk!" The couple continued their bantering, laughing every so often as they made their way to the sweet shop.
Down in the prestigious school of Crystal Prep in the middle of the city, the students roamed about the halls as they moved on to their next class. The purple-haired girl with glasses held her schoolbook tightly to her chest, letting out a nervous breath as she passed by her peers, accidentally bumping into them while trying to apologize for not paying attention to where she was going. None of them bothered excusing themselves as well, only giving her a dirty look as they tried to get to their class. She hated those stares as everyone knows her as the prodigal genius of Crystal Prep, where her knowledge in academics far exceeded theirs, and instead of being admired, they were either jealous or they disliked her for being so special.
Since she had a free period, she made her way to the private classroom she used last night to look over her new device. Inside the room, having smuggled it in early in the morning was her pet, a purple puppy with green ears and a tuft of hair on his head, wearing a spiked collar. He slept on the computer chair, his ear perking up as he heard the familiar footsteps of his owner. Waking up and panting excitedly, the puppy ran up to the door and barked, only to yelp as the teen opened the door and smacked him aside as she walked inside.
"Spike?" she called out. "Spike!?" Spike shook his head, brushing off the sideswipe from the door and ran up to his owner, jumping up on her desk. "There you are!" She was suddenly "attacked", the happy little canine jumping on her and licked her face repeatedly, making her laugh and take her mind off of the glares from her fellow students earlier. "Ok, ok, settle down, boy!" Spike stopped his affectionate licking and sat comfortable on the girl's lap, watching her pull out her newly created containment device. "Last night's field test confirmed it. With this device, I can track down and contain the bizarre energy coming from Canterlot High." The puppy growled in disapproval, but she calmed him with a pat to the head. "I know you didn't like me going there, but I couldn't wait.
"But I'll have all the time I'll need. All of Crystal Prep will be there for the Friendship Games, and I hope this 'rivalry' nonsense doesn't get in the way of my research." Looking over her device, she powered it on, making sure it was functioning after being left in the desk all night. She then wheeled her way to another desk, where an application to a student program was already filled out in advance, ignorant of Spike no longer paying attention as he was distracted by a bug that got in the classroom. "If I can collect enough data on these EM frequencies, I should be able to extrapolate the waveforms to determine their origin. That would practically guarantee my entrance into the Everton Independent Study Program!"
In her excitement of getting into this prestigious program she worked hard to get into, the teen yelped and fell backward out of her seat. The door to the room opened, a woman with purple, yellow, and pink streaked hair poked her head in to find the girl on the floor, and her dog she snuck in licking her face. She wore a blue blouse and a light blue skirt, one of the faculty members of Crystal Prep.
"Twilight, you know the rules against pets," she chided.
Twilight sat up, holding Spike in her arms. "Well, Spike isn't a pet, Dean Cadence. He's the focus of my research project. Human-canine cohabitation: effects and implications."
"If you say so," Cadence said, letting it slide despite her reasoning being invalid for the school rules. "But Principal Cinch is highly allergic, so I suggest you put on a clean shirt."
"Why?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Because she wants to see you," Cadence answered, making the teen's eyes light up in joy.
"Oh! Maybe she has news about my application to Everton!" Twilight pondered gleefully.
"I have been meaning to talk to you about that," the dean said worriedly. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" the teen asked. "A program that allows me to focus all my attention on my own advanced math and science projects? What a dream come true!"
"But there aren't any classrooms with other students," Cadence tried to reason. "You'll be doing everything on your own."
"That IS why it's called an 'independent study program'," Twilight stated, making the older woman sigh in defeat.
"I just don't want you to miss out on anything, that's all," Cadence said. "Being around other people isn't a bad thing." The look on Twilight's face told her otherwise with how well she interacts with the other students here at Crystal Prep. "Sometimes it's how you learn the most about yourself." Twilight slowly nodded, understanding where Cadence was going with her little lecture. "I'll see you in Principal Cinch's office in a few minutes."
Cadence soon took her leave, closing the door and leaving Twilight alone with her dog. "I don't know why she's worried about all this. Everton is exactly what I need right now." Putting Spike down, she headed over to a desk drawer and pulled out a spare school uniform: a white blouse, a red vest, and a purple plaid skirt with knee-high purple socks. Changing into her cleaner uniform to avoid giving her school principal an allergic reaction to Spike's dog hair, she left her puppy in the room, letting out a sad sigh. "Besides, it's not like I have anything left to learn at Crystal Prep."
As Twilight slowly made her way through the halls to the principal's office, she felt the compelling urge to sing out her feelings as she could hear sad music only she was able to hear. She didn't know why, but she didn't care, almost as if she wanted to be heard out by someone, even if they aren't anyone from this school.
[Sci-Twi]
I've walked through these halls before
I've been in and out of every door, oh-whoa-oh
There's nothing in this school that I don't know
In every class, my grade's the best
The highest score on every test
I think that means it's time for me to go
I know there's more that's out there
And I just haven't found it yet
I know there's more that's out there
Another me I haven't met
The other students didn't bat her an eye as she walked past them. All this school was for her was all about the educational values, unable to believe Cadence's words when getting along with these kinds of peers is like a popularity contest, and despite being a straight "A" student, no one appreciates her academic success. Even as she passed by some of the classrooms to look inside, some closed the blinds on the windows on her so she didn't disturb them with her presence.
This school is full of people
But still I don't belong
They only dream of winning
Look at me like something's wrong
Maybe I'm better off alone
Will I find what I'm looking for
If I just do it on my own?
I know there's more that's out there
Something to fill this hole inside
I know there's more that's out there
And I'm not afraid to try
There's only so much this school can offer
And I'm not saying that it's wrong
But I know there's more that's out there
'Cause I've been searching all along
Twilight began to head up a flight of stairs where Principal Cinch's room was held on one of the upper floors of the building. She was glad to see none of the other students around as their gaze upon her would only make her feel more anxious. She was already nervous about her acceptance into the Everton Independent Study Program, and having all those spiteful stares on her was not helping as none of them seemed to care about being academically successful and focused on being better than everyone else.
Beyond these rooms, beyond these walls
So much to learn, I can't see it all
There's something out there calling me
And it's a mystery that I can't wait to see
'Cause I know there's more that's out there
Another place, another way
And I know there's more that's out there
And I'll find out someday!
I'll find out someday...
She finally reached the principal's office, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat as she approached the door. Never in her life has Twilight ever misbehaved in school, her conduct perfect like her grades, and being called by the principal always meant some sort of praise, though part of her did feel terrified that one specific visit would turn out negative instead of positive. Deciding to get it over with, Twilight grabbed the doorknob and opened it, revealing the neat and organized interior of Principal Cinch's room. Shelves filled with academic books, yearbooks of years the principal has been in charge of, and even trophies from scholastic events that defined Crystal Prep as one of the top schools in the district. On the other end was Cinch's desk, the chair facing away from her as she knew the principal was sitting there waiting for her, along with Dean Cadence as she offered her to take a seat in front of the wide desk.
As she sat down, Twilight turned to the sound of the door closing, surprised to see a man with two-toned blue hair who she recognized as he wore a pale purple long-sleeved shirt and a pair of grayish-blue pants. "Shining Armor?" Twilight asked in confusion. "Why is my brother here?"
"As an alumnus, Principal Cinch thought he could provide some unique perspective," Cadence said.
"Perspective on what?" Twilight asked.
"Why, the Friendship Games, of course." Turning around in her chair was the school principal of Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch. She was dressed professionally in a dark blue blouse and matching skirt reaching down to her knees, wearing a pair of thin-rimmed red glasses, her hair a mix of several shades of fuschia and magenta. She had the gaze of an incredibly strict and terrifying authority figure, even she barely showed any expression other than serious. She then looked to Shining Armor, knowing a little of him in his years in Crystal Prep and knew his relationship with Twilight. "You competed in the games, did you not, Shining Armor?"
"I did," Shining answered with pride.
"And you happen to recall who won?" Principal Cinch asked.
"Crystal Prep did," Shining said with a chuckle. "We always win."
"We 'always' win," the principal repeated, emphasizing her point to Twilight as she stood up from her desk and approached the trophy cabinet.
"Why did you ask to see me?" Twilight wondered aloud.
"Twilight, I'll be honest," Cinch said. "It doesn't matter whether or not Crystal Prep wins or loses. The important thing is we are EXPECTED to win because Crystal Prep has a reputation." She shined one of the trophies, cleaning off what dust was on it before placing it back on the shelf and approached the confused teen. "And it is that reputation...my reputation that is responsible for everything we have here. For everything you've done here." Cinch made her way back to her seat and sat down, straightening a pencil on her desk to make it just as straight as the width of the surface. "And you've done quite a lot, haven't you?"
"...I don't know," Twilight mumbled. "I guess."
"Don't be so modest," Cinch said. "You're the best student this school has ever seen. What I can't understand is why my best student wouldn't want to compete?"
"In the Friendship Games?" the teen asked, confused as to why the principal had expected her to compete in the games for Crystal Prep.
"Look, Twily," Shining said, diverting his sister's attention to him. "I know it's not really your thing, but representing the school is kind of a big deal. Plus, they could really use your help."
Cinch pulled out a sheet of paper that contained the latest results for the school districts' educational progress, straightening her glasses as she looked over the percentages. "It seems Canterlot High is undergoing something of a renaissance: test scores are up, grades, even athletics are on the rise. You see, they are developing somewhat of a reputation. This can NOT happen!"
"Principal Cinch, I can't possibly compete in the games," Twilight argued, not even concerned with how well another school does if it becomes just as popular as Crystal Prep. "My work here is very-"
"Ah, yes," Principal Cinch interrupted. "Your work...Cadence, could you and Shining Armor find my contact sheet for the Everton Independent Study Program?"
"Of course," Cadence said, both her and Twilight's older brother taking their leave to find what the principal requested.
Left alone, Cinch pulled out another sheet, which held Twilight's application to Everton. "I understand you had applied...Several times in fact, and I know you're eager to be a part of this program. You see, Twilight, one of the advantages of having a reputation is a certain amount of influence in such things. So, let me offer you a deal. In return for contributing your agile mind to these games, I will use my influence to guarantee your application is approved." Placing Twilight's application on her desk, she toyed with it a little, catching the teen's complete attention as Cinch slowly moved it toward her, threatening it to fall over into her small waste bin. "Though, I suppose I could also have it...denied." Twilight gasped in shock, her own principal practically blackmailing her into competing or else she'll lose her chances of getting more knowledge than ever. "What do you think I should do?"
Twilight didn't seem to have any choice in the matter. She was hoping to figure out what the strange energy was at Canterlot High, but now she was forced to compete, otherwise her own principal will deny her application into Everton if she didn't compete in the Friendship Games. Sighing in defeat, Twilight made her decision, even if it meant her experiment in discovering and containing the mysterious energy from the opposing school would either have to be put on hold or she'd try to sneak off and figure it out when there was a break.
"...Ok. I'll compete in the Friendship Games," Twilight said.
"Good. With you, we'll win against Canterlot High in a landslide," Cinch said, placing Twilight's application back in her desk drawer. "That is all, Twilight. You can head back to class."
Twilight stood up and left the office, sighing again as she felt even more alone. Her own brother wanted her to compete in the Friendship Games, so going to him for any comfort was out of the question, or even telling him or Cadence that Principal Cinch blackmailed her into competing. She didn't acknowledge them as she passed by them, heading back to her private classroom to hide away and await the inevitable competition tomorrow. Spike noticed her distress when she returned, but his attention didn't help deter her thoughts as she looked at her energy scanner/containment device.
"Aqua!? Where are you!?" Ventus called out, wandering around the castle in search of his friend. After he and Pinkie entered the throne room, ignoring the cake she brought for someone new and ate it all for herself, he was worried about Sora's throne present in the room, but yet he or his Keyblade weren't there for it to appear. "Where is she? This castle's so big, it's like we need a phone or-" He then smacked himself in the forehead as he remembered their communicators. "Oh, right. I sometimes forget it's even in my ear half the time." Pressing a hoof against the enchanted crystal earpiece, he focused on Aqua's, letting the magic powering it contact the Keyblade Master. "Aqua? Can you hear me?"
He waited a moment before finally hearing her voice in his ear, though from her panting, it sounded like she was doing something. "Y-Yeah, Ven?"
"Where are you?" he asked. "There's something strange going on in the castle, and I was hoping-"
"Ah!" Aqua suddenly yelped, making him worry for her if she was in the middle of fighting and his calling was going to get her hurt. "H-Hold on a second, Ven. Just let me-N-No! Terra, stop!" Ventus could hear Aqua giggling, his shock turning deadpanned as he apparently interrupted her and Terra. "Nooo! I'm ticklish there!"
Letting out a grumble, Ventus switched his contacts to talk with both Terra and Aqua. "Am I interrupting something between you two?"
"Hey, Ven," Terra responded. "We're kinda in the middle of something."
Ventus shuddered, feeling his skin crawl as he dared to imagine what his best friends were doing alone. "Please don't let it be what I think it is, because I can approve you two going out together, but calling in on...THAT, I am going to have nightmares." He was met with silence for a while, which only proved his theory as his face turned bright red. "...Never mind. I'll ask Kairi instead." Disconnecting his communication with Aqua and Terra, Ventus let out a groan. "Of all the worst timing...There isn't enough brain bleach to clean my head out from imagining what those two are doing." Knowing he wouldn't end up listening in on Kairi and Sora doing anything since there didn't seem to be any sign of the older pegasus, he began to contact the pink unicorn mare. "Kairi, come in..."
"Yeah, Ven?" Kairi responded. "You alright? You sound like you're irritated."
"Don't ask," Ventus uttered. "Are you with Sora?"
"No. He was down at Sweet Apple Acres doing his chores," she said. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I thought he was here in the castle," Ventus said, continuing making his way through the castle. "His throne was there in the throne room, but there's no sign of him or his Keyblade inside."
"...Huh. That's...odd," Kairi muttered, sounding just as confused as he was. Ventus waited for Kairi to continue, and after a while, she called back. "I tried to get in contact with him, but I'm not getting a response. I even tried listening in on him with a little tweaking on my communicator, and I'm still not getting anything."
"You think something happened to him?" Ventus gasped as he froze, shocked by a thought he hoped wasn't a reality. "You don't think Xehanort had one of his followers ambush him and kidnap him, did he?"
"I hope not," Kairi said. "But Sora's tough. He can deal with Xehanort's lackeys. Besides, would he or any of his 'seeds of darkness' want to come to a world like Equestria?"
"Maleficent did," the pegasus stated. He sighed, shaking his head and continued on his way down the halls in search of Sora. "It's just weird seeing one of our thrones there, but it only appears when we enter and our Keyblades are called out against our will. It doesn't stay unless we do, and it should have disappeared if Sora wasn't around." As he walked past Twilight's room, his ears perked up as he heard a strange buzzing sound coming from inside. He knew Twilight was up in Canterlot for her speech to future unicorn students for Celestia's prestigious school, along with Riku and Spike, and her bedroom door was slightly ajar. Peeking his head inside, he saw the book used to contact Sunset Shimmer in the human world of Equestria glowing and vibrating. Curious, he walked inside and opened it up, looking through the latest entry the former villain wrote. "Well, it looks like Sunset's got some mysterious magic problems of her own."
"Is she and the girls at Canterlot High doing ok?" Kairi asked with concern.
"Apparently, the Rainbow Dash there managed to transform into her pony form without playing her guitar," Ventus summarized, then let out an irritated grunt. "And they seriously need to quit calling it 'ponying up'. Why can't they just say 'transformation'?"
"Ok, that's really interesting," Kairi muttered. After a moment of silence, she responded again. "I'm not sure if I might be able to help figure out why this new change in their magic is affected. Maybe Aqua can find an explanation."
"No no no!" Ventus quickly exclaimed. "Please, no! If you want to be spared feeling disturbed, don't! Aqua's in the middle of a...'date' with Terra, and I called her while they were in the middle of it."
"...Ok, I won't disturb her, then," Kairi said. "Well, I can't really do anything at the moment. I'm down in Twilight Town checking in on Hayner, Pence, and Olette. It's been forever since Sora and I saw them, and there was a little Heartless problem I had to take care of here. I think there's still some more around, so I'll probably be back later tonight once I find them."
"Alright. I guess I'll see if I can help Sunset out if their magic goes out of control, even though I won't be much help with Equestrian magic in a human world," Ventus said.
"If you need to call us, make sure you come back through the portal," Kairi reminded the teen. "As powerful as these communicators can be with distance, I doubt they'll work across different dimensions."
"I'll keep that in mind." Cutting off his connection to Kairi, Ventus let out a sigh. "Hopefully Sora will show up. If he doesn't, then something's seriously gone wrong." Closing the book, Ventus left Twilight's room and made his way down to the library where the mirror portal to Canterlot High was placed. Once he arrived, the portal still active for Sunset if she ever wanted to visit, he stood before the magical mirror. "Ok, here I go. I can't feel dizzy going through this on my own after witnessing it while in Sora's heart when he went through...right?"
Steeling his nerves, Ventus walked through the portal, suddenly feeling weightless as he flailed about in the dimensional void. His body began changing, unable to tell which is up or down anymore as he did not have an immunity to getting flipped around in traveling through a dimensional portal. After what felt like hours had passed, Ventus fell out the other side, landing hard on his stomach as he groaned in pain. Clenching his fingers, now back in his human form after crossing, he got up on his knees and coughed. Looking up, he saw Canterlot High School, some of the students outside not noticing him exit the portal hidden in the school statue; however, a specific couple did notice after making their way back from the town.
"Ventus?" Sunset asked in surprise.
Ventus looked over at her and Flash Sentry, standing up on his feet as he brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Hey, Sunset," he greeted. "So...How's everything going?"