//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Friendship? Again?! 
// Story: Here Comes a New Challenger! 
// by Chrome Masquerade 
//------------------------------//

Well, things have more or less gone back to normal. Or at least as normal as Canterlot High ever gets. 

I'd been given a clean bill of health a few days ago, and I was going back to classes Only to find that during the time I was gone, some queen wanna-bee had prety much appointed herself as vice vice principal. Sunshat Simmer, or something like that(1). If there's anything I hate, it's high-and-mighty self-righteous jerks(2). I pretty much ignored her and went back to my studies and sports career. 

In my.quote unquote 'off hours', I mostly hung out with my friends, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie.(3)
We hung out together on the weekends, or got togeter at Sugarcube Corner on Wednesdays.

All was mostly hunky-dory until what's-her-name (Sunhat Summer? Yeah, I never bothered to memorize the names of people like her. Waste of mind space.) screwed it up and the five of us began to drift apart. Seemingly before you could say, "I just don't know what went wrong", we were going our separate ways. It all happened so fast!

At least Scootaloo, Rainbow Rose and my folks were there for me. They provided me a conduit for my emotions. Scootaloo lifted my spirits with her cheering, my parents cheered me on at every opportunity, Rose was being a total bro about the whole thing.

Then, this new girl came to town. Twilight, I believe. She was the one who was bringing us back together. Naturally, I challenged her to a friendly match. I won, of course, but she wasn't bad for a first timer, so i gave her the benefit of the doubt.

So she brought us ll to a private booth in Sugarcube Corner and we chatted. Turns out she's some magical horse-girl fro a different dimension through a portal in the school's statue, which is of a horse! Wrap your mind around that!

So sTurns out that Sunshot Sommers was also a thief and had stolen an artifact from the world thhat she and Twilight came from. Right then, I was on board with whatever Twiggles had planned.

So, some quick planning later, we had what would attract everyone's attention and get them on board. A catchy crunk-pop song. The next day, after morning classes, we brought a boom-boc into the caf and I don't care who you are, this somg will get you movin' and groovin' before you can say, "play that funky music"!

So with that one song, we got everyone in there on board with Twilight getting the win. Buuuuut then things went sour.

After the first afternoon class, there was an announcement that someone had messed the caf up. 

For the record, my reaction was "Gee. I wonder who it could have been."

Well, either way, Twilight decided that it was up to her to clean up. Let it be noted that that girl has a serious guilt complex. Naturally, the girls and I helped her out, and the Fall Formal was back on schedule. Yay us!

Twilight was declared the winner, but Shimmy-Sham's a bit of a sore loser. She threatened to destroy the statue tat contained Twilight's way home. She demanded the artifact, but Twilight gave the flattest refusal I've ever heard. She said that her home would survive without her, and that if this was the way that things were to be, she'd rather be stuck here.

SS revealed that she didn't really want to deatroy that anyway. That was just an empty threat. But then it hit me just as she tackled Twilight. She's just mad. This is a rebellion. A full-on -down to the leather jacket- rebellion! And with that thought... I kind of felt a shred of pity fir her, as much as it hurts to say..

So SS took the crown and when she put it on, it sort of... I duno... corrupted her magic, in turn turning her into a demon of sorts. But just as she hypnotized the students and was gloating, a rock hit her stolen headgear and it clattered to the ground, with Twilight swiftly picking it up and putting it on.

She gave this big speech about the Elements of Harmony and Friendship and such. It was kind of twee, not gonna lie, but then -speaking for myself, at least,- felt a haze of energy form and we rose into the air.

Again, speaking for myself, it felt like any impurity was cleansed from me. Dirt scattered. even the largest of my remaining scars vanished, just like that. And then... it happened. (4)

Horse-y features started appeaing on us, like tails and ears. Then a coat of fuzz began appearing all over. it felt really weird, let me tell ya! Then our feet kinda fused into hooves, out faces pushing out somewhat. Fluttershy and I grew wings, while Rarity grew a horn and Twilight got both. By the end, we were kinda half horse -or, pony, I guess- and half human. (4.1)

I felt incredibly powerful. Like the skies were calling out to me, saying that they were at my beck and call. However, i put that thught on the back burner, as we had more important things to deal with.

One buiildup and release of energy and before you could say "Taste the rainbow, motherbucker!" more than once, there was Sunny, on her hands and knees and in tears. She profusely apologized for what she'd done, how she treated everyone.

Being as forgiving as she was, Twilight forgave her. But upon Twilight's touching her, she suddenly gained her pony appendages, though not to the same extent as us. Surprisingly, though, she got back to her knees, put her right hand over her heart, and -I kid you not!- pledged fealty to Twilight and what she stood for!

Well, needless to say, we were all stunned. Nobody had expected that to happen! But Twilight recovered and accepted SS's pledge, saying that she could stay here and learn the way of Harmony. On one condition. She had o go see their version of Principal Celestia in the near future.

You could see reluctance on Shimmy's face, but that passed quickly and she accepted.

And then, prom went on about as usual. Twilight found that when she was in this form, she passed on Harmonic magic to whoever she touched. Needless to say, there were several who were eager/curious. Some received the 'blessing', but otherwise, things went on as they usually would. There was fun, dancing, food and a good time was had by all.

It was hard to say goodbye to the friend who had brought the five of us together again, but she had to go home. She left her newest subject in our capable hands and left, with us telling her to come back soon. Getting a determined look on her face, SS went through just after Twilight, only to come back about five minutes later, a big smile on her face.

What occurred on that side isn't for me to say. She didn't tell. We didn't ask. Some things are best kept  a secret.