The Tournament Of Friendship

by FourShadow


Chapter 20: Wild Thing

Crystal Prep arrived on time, on schedule as they were supposed to be. And the events for the day had all been set up, and were outside of the school. Of course some people who walked inside the school could see it (and questioned whether or not having a motocross course would be overkill).

While the CPA team was given their own area to chill out and hang til the events, the competitors were all together. Before anyone was allowed into the fields, the teams needed to have discussion on who would be participating in which. Which was exactly what Principal Cinch was addressing to her six finalists currently.

"After a quick study of all of your skills and attributes, I have calculated the events each of you will participate in. Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat, your focus, strength, and decision making will be harnessed on the motocross rally," Principal Cinch instructed.

"Yes!" Indigo pumped her fist, excited for the race.

"Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare. You two are quick on your feet, and perhaps some of the best dancers I've seen. You two will take the skate-track."

The two smiled, giving each other high-fives.

"And last of all; archery. It's a sport that requires careful eye contact, coordination, and above all; a strong understanding of rudimentary physics. Twilight and Sour Sweet, you two will start us off."

"Not to be rude, but that is the worst idea you've given us," Twilight deadpanned. "I'm good with science, but if you put me out in the field, I'm only going to make Crystal Prep lose."

"Twilight, relax. Look, it's just for fun," Sour said, patting her shoulder. "Just do your best and try to keep up. And don't hurt yourself or us again."

"Again?" Twilight blanked.

"The adjustments you were trying to make on the soccer ball launcher? You knocked the wind out of poor Lemon Zest," Sour said. But she realized how she was sounding. "Not to, make you feel guilty or anything, it's just... just don't muck up."

"Sour, you're stressing her out." Sugarcoat stated.

"What do you mean I--Ohh..." Sour drooped.

Now Twilight's body was shaking, looking like she was on the verge of super-freakout mode.

"Okay, Twilight, stay calm, it's going to be okay--"

"--It's not going to be okay!" Twilight exclaimed, making everyone flinch. "All of you are depending on me, and if I fail? Then Crystal Prep's reputation is going to look bad, and then everyone's going to be mad at me, and then you're all going to hate me and--"

"Twilight!" Lemon shouted. "Pull yourself together, man!"

"Girls. May I?" Principal Cinch asked.

The five Shadowbolts nodded, going off on their own to let Cinch speak with Twilight.

"Twilight, don't worry. If you don't do well, that's fine. It's just for fun," Cinch smiled. "And the only reputation that Crystal Prep will have is that not everyone who attends is perfect at everything, and that's a good thing. Perfection does not exist. Just remember, you're here to have fun. Alright?"

Twilight took a deep breath, trying to calm down from the anxiety. "Alright."

Cinch smiled. "Good. Now since we won't head out to the fields for a little bit, maybe you can take this time to talk to your fellow team, maybe start a new bond between them. I need to go discuss with Principal Luna and Vice-Principal Celestia."

Twilight watched as Cinch walked away. And then she looked at Indigo Zap and her friends all gathered together. They were heading over to the locker area to slip on their uniforms. While they had plenty of freetime before the games were gonna begin, they at least wanted to be ready. And that was the first thing that Twilight herself could agree upon, and started to follow them to the locker room.


The CHS team was all gathered in a small room, patiently waiting for Principal Luna to come. But all of them were still worried about Rarity.

"I dunno about ya'll but... I don't think Rarity's gonna be comin' back."

"Can't really blame her after what Cherry did," Flash said, feeling a little salty.

And moments later, Principal Luna came into the room. "Thank you all for coming here. Sorry to keep you all waiting, but I was in the middle of a meeting with Principal Cinch. Now, here are your teams. Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry. You two got your biking licenses, and your coordination skills are on par. You two will handle the motocross--"

"--Am I the only concerned that the course may not be entirely safe?" Flash interrupted.

"--Pinkie Pie... you and Rarity were both intended to take on the skate track. Well, you were, until we found out about the... ahem, incident, yesterday."

"But we can't do this without Rarity!" Pinkie yelped.

"Who says you won't?"

The CHS team looked through the door, looking at Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest standing with smirks.

"Look, we heard about that Cherry Crash girl, but just from what we were told, it sounds like she's not going to be an issue anymore. And I am very happy to say that we somehow got Rarity out of her room, and she's ready to come back to the games!" Sunny grinned.

"Okay, how?' Rainbow questioned.

"She needed time to herself, and well... she just needed to let it all out. But I think it's safe to say she's good as new. Rarity?"

Hesitantly, Rarity finally stepped out from the empty hallway. And she walked into the room, looking confident as ever, just like her old self again. The girls and Flash gasped seeing the new her, but out of amazement and not disturbed shock.

"Whoa, Rarity..."

"You're back!" Pinkie Pie squeed. "Yes yes yes yes yes!"

"And I'll admit... I'm like your new look," Fluttershy winked.

"How'd you even get all your hair to shape like that?" Applejack asked.

Rarity stood before them, in a new punk out-look. A black studded vest over a tank top, black skinny jeans, boots, fingerless gloves and studded bracelets to finish the look. And her hair? The remains of her shredded hair were all woven to create a punk mohawk, with streaks of grass green, sunny yellow, and her preexisting indigo hair all together to create a new style.

"Thanks," Rarity said, blushing a little bit. "But I owe these two girls the appreciation. Without them, I wouldn't be back on my feet. And Sunny Flare is the one who returned my hair to me."

Sunny was now blushing. "Well, um... it's, it's just something I'm good at. That's all."

"I am happy to see you back on your feet, Rarity. Rest assured that the student who assaulted you will not be showing up to this school ever again. And I have a feeling her parents have quite a few options as to how they'll be dealing with her. But regardless, Rarity. You and Pinkie Pie will be handling the skate track portion of the events."

Rarity nodded, understanding. "You can count on me, Principal Luna!"

Principal Luna smiled. "I know I can. And lastly, for the archery. Fluttershy, Applejack, I believe your coordination and strength can get you two some bullseyes."

The two nodded.

"Okay then, I think that's it. Does anyone have any further questions before we move on?"

"I have one--" Flash interrupted.

"--If you're asking about the safety of the motocross track, do not worry, we made sure the equipment is 100% safe, and uniforms you all will be wearing will be fitted with padding to keep you all safe. Understood?"

Flash immediately lowered his hand, having gotten his question answered.

"Okay great. In the meantime, you all can relax, but get dressed in about 25 minutes, okay?"

Everyone nodded, and so the principals left the room.

"So... Rarity," Fluttershy asked. "You're back. I thought after what Cherry had done, you wouldn't want to come back here."

"Not that any of us would blame you," Flash added.

"Well, truthfully I was thinking of not coming back... but I thought long and hard, and, well... I'm not giving up so easily. Cherry crossed the line, but I refuse to stop now. I made a vow to be a better person, and as the gods are my witness, I will never stand down!" Rarity yelled triumphantly.

Flash smiled. "Glad to hear it, Rarity." He got up on his feet, walking out of the door. "I'll leave you girls alone."

"Oh wait Flash you don't need to--"

"--I was gonna leave you girls to catch up," Flash called back, already out of the room.

And Rarity's hand went back down. "Oh. Well then, girls, I--"

Rarity didn't finish her sentence. Out of nowhere she was embraced in a big hug. And it was from the last person she expected to be delivering one.

"F-Fluttershy? Darling?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy was quiet for a second, until she responded with a whisper. "I'm so sorry about Cherry... I can't imagine what that must have been like."

Rarity blanked. Fluttershy was showing... compassion? Compassion wasn't a foreign concept, but it coming from Fluttershy of all people?

"Darling, I'm fine. Really, I am," Rarity said, giving a soft pat on her back.

Fluttershy pulled out of the embrace and to add on another surprise, Fluttershy looked genuinely fearful, but there was a hint of some joy in there, somewhere.

"I... I know I don't show it. But... when I found out about Cherry, I... I just... I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Rarity's eyes were now starting to water up. "You... you care about me?"

Fluttershy didn't respond with words. But a simple nod was all she needed.

"Oh, darling..." Rarity pulled Fluttershy in for another hug, this time more bigger than before.

"Agh, Rarity, you're squeezing my lungs..."

"Oh I want in on that."

"Group hug!"

And soon Applejack and Pinkie Pie joined in, forming a massive group hug. There was only one other person who didn't join in, and she was trying her hardest not to get emotional, but failing miserably.

"Darn it! Now you got me all sappy," Rainbow said, failing to hide the tear that stained her face.

"Come on..." Applejack gestured, finally getting Rainbow Dash to join.

For a while, they were all together in one massive group hug. And just like Fluttershy's interaction with Tennis Match, they were all feeling the same thing. Everyone couldn't help but feel a bit... happy. An emotional wave of joy was spreading, and there was no denying it felt really good.


Everyone had a few minutes just before the competitors would need to go out into the fields for the games. Competitors were getting dressed, students were rushing out over to the bleachers. And concession stands were setting up as well! Every dollar spent on snacks to watch the games would be sent to a local charity.

But Twilight Sparkle didn't immediately run towards the fields to get a head start. Instead, she wandered around the school to get whatever bit of time of her research she could. With a tracking device in hand, dressed in her uniform for the games, and a focused look, she was ready to get some new developments made. She wanted to find the girl who performed at the Welcome CPA party on Monday, but she had terrible luck finding her. Problem one was she didn't know her name. Problem two was she had a few minutes before she needed to be out at the field. That wasn't enough time to track down one person.

The tracker picked up something different however. Something that wasn't a human or creature. She followed the signature, leading her right back to the source she studied before; The Wondercolt statue. Of course, the last time she was here she was chased out by the girls who she now knew were competing in the games. But since there was no else out here... maybe it wouldn't hurt to give another peak?

Curiosity enticing her to come closer, she walked towards the statue again. Like before, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a plain ole statue of a galloping stallion on top. But she remembered one vital thing; the tracker went wild the last time she was near it. And the moment she stepped closer, everything suddenly stopped.

The pendent around her neck opened up on it's own, like somehow it knew what was near it. And in complete shock, Twilight stepped back. The statue was glowing! A bright purple glow emanated from the statue, and was all coming together in a stream of light! The stream drew close to her, locked onto a single path, right into her pendent. More and more came out until eventually, the statue stopped glowing and the pendent snapped shut. She looked down upon the pendent, watching it continue to glow, still signifying that it was functional. Her hand reached out to touch the statue, but she felt nothing. It didn't feel as if anything out of the ordinary had been done to it, and it felt normal.

"Attention all students, it is at this time we would like all of our competitors to come down to the fields, the second event of the games will be starting in two minutes. I repeat, the second event will be starting in two minutes. Thank you."

The amateur scientist looked around, hoping that no saw her actions. And in a split-second, she began to dash out of the courtyard, running to the field. Completely unaware she was of the security cams that were rigged on the sides of the walls...


When the time had come, the entire set of bleachers had been taken up by students from CPA and CHS alike. Some had a few popcorn buckets and soda drinks, some had some minor snacks like chips or nachos, and some just had big foam fingers or small flags for their teams.

Both CHS and CPA teams were completely dressed in their uniforms, heading out into the fields. The first ones who were out were Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Rainbow Dash, and Flash Sentry who all climbed up and took to the motocross bikes. They sat still, and gave a few waves to the crowds as they cheered.

Sour Sweet and Fluttershy had already walked out to the fields, going to their positions. But before Applejack went out to the arena...

"AJ?"

Applejack turned around, seeing her childhood friend standing close.

"Rara?"

"I wanted to wish you good luck. You're going to need it," Rara said, smiling at her.

Applejack smiled. "Thanks."

And just before she could walk out to the arena, she was nearly tackled by a surprise hug from Rara. But she graciously accepted, embracing her back.

"Now go out there and hit a bullseye!" Rara encouraged.

Applejack chuckled. "I got this." The farmer walked into the field, and joined with the goth girl in position. But Sour Sweet was left confused.

"Wait, where's Twilight?"

The scientist wasn't seen until she brushed right past Rarity trying to run as fast as she could to the field. She rushed to her standing post, panting heavily from the run. Sour just raised an eyebrow seeing how hard she was panting.

"You really need to work out some more," Sour commented.

Twilight's eyes furled as she looked up at her competing partner. The sounds of the crowds cheering as the competitors hit the field echoed like crowds in a baseballs stadium. Sure there was very few people in the crowds, but it still felt a little nerve-wracking.

"Well... it's time," Rarity gulped. "What if they all still hate me out there?"

"You won't know unless you try," Sunny said, giving a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Come on. You're with us. Just go out there, don't think about the negatives. Just have some fun."

Rarity took a deep breath, calming herself down. "You're right. It's just for fun... just for fun."

Slowly and surely, the girls walked out into the field. Lemon Zest and Pinkie Pie walked out first, and then soon, Rarity joined up with them. At first, the entire crowd went dead silent. They couldn't believe their eyes. Rarity, after what had happened yesterday, was back. She was back here. She was coming back to participate in the games.

It was silent for a few more moments. But then, someone started to clap their hands. And then another person joined in. And two more. Then it was five more. And in seconds, the entire bleachers of the CHS team were all applauding.

And to her surprise, to the surprise of everyone around them... the entire crowd cheered, seeing Rarity's face again. They didn't yell boo, they didn't look mad. Everyone in that crowd was happy to see her again. And Rarity, seeing all the applause, smiled with a proud look as she stepped out into the field. She spun herself around, feeling a little bit giddy.

"Like I said, you wouldn't know if they would cheer or not unless you came back out here," Sunny Flare smiled. "Though now I feel sad..."

"Why?"

"Because we're in a skating track, and now all the work I put into making that mohawk is going to be ruined..." Sunny pouted.

"Oh, don't worry, I got that covered!" Rarity grinned. She strapped a helmet to her head, but this helmet seemed to have a little feature added. A small opening was made on the top of the head which was just big enough for her mohawk to stick on through, but still secure enough to protect her hair. "I had inspiration from some anti-villain character called... hmm. I don't remember his name, but he had a helmet that kept his hair out but provided enough protection to keep his skull from cracking."

"Huh. Handy," Lemon Zest blanked.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome everyone to the Friendship Games Tricross Relay!"

Everyone cheered.

"In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in archery, speed skating, and motocross! And so if our competitors are ready... on your mark! Get set! GO!!!"

A loud blare of a horn was pressed, signalling the start. Fluttershy and Sour Sweet were first to begin. The two charged down their paths, skipping over a few bales of hay. And with quick grips, they grappled the quivers from off to the sides, taking them with them as they ran up the stairs to the first platform.

The two swung across moats of mud, leaping over to the next platform. As Sour Sweet made that leap, she performed a single roll, and with the bow and arrows already equipped, she fired the first three arrows straight at the target. And one of the arrows hit the bullseye, just what they needed to hit.

The crowd cheered on Sour when she hit that mark, and she couldn't help but smirk. She looked back at Twilight, raising her arm up in the air for her to begin. Fluttershy however was futzing a bit, trying to get her bow and arrow set straight. Closing her eyes, she pictured the bullseye she hit during the audition for the games. Remembering that solid shot from before put a determined grin on her face, and so when she was lined up...

THWACK!

Her eyes clamped shut, afraid to see the result of her shot. But when she opened up, she gasped in surprise. She had a direct bullseye.

"Whoo-hoo! Alright Fluttershy!" Sour cheered.

And at once, Applejack began to run. She leapt, swung, rolled her way to reach the second platform (years of working out on the farm paying off) and held up her bow and arrow. She slowed down, focusing her eyes on the target. And with 100% focus, she let go of the band, sending the arrow flying through the air and striking the bullseye, right at the center.

When she hit her mark, a number flipped for Canterlot High on the big scoreboard. And when it changed, a green light flipped on next to Rarity and Pinkie Pie on the skate track.

"Wait, is that us?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, yes, that's you, go!" Sunny cheered on.

Throwing themselves out there, Pinkie and Rarity began to skate. The two needed to take whatever advantage they could, and this was that moment.

"And Canterlot is off to an early lead!"

Now seeing it was her turn, Twilight began to run. She leapt over a single bale of hale, thankfully not tripping. But as she tried to jump over the next one... she ended up tripping on the bale, sending her entire body face first into hard asphalt.

"Ow!"

"Oooh," Sour and Fluttershy hissed.

"That's gotta hurt," Fluttershy shivered.

That was until she lifted herself back up, trying to run up the stairs, only to trip and smack her head against the wooden staircase.

"Not as much as that," Sour commented, cupping her mouth, imagining how it would have felt on the jaw.

Up in the principal's booth, Principal Cinch watched below, cringing at the sight of poor Twilight tripping. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen her for this after all. I did not realize just out of shape she was...

Twilight lifted her head, and stumbled, getting back up on her feet again. She leapt over some bales of hay, and ran up the stairs. She grabbed ahold of the rope and swung across to the other platform. Her feet almost touched it, but they slipped and Twilight went swinging back again. And when she came back again, her feet reached the platform, almost slipping. That is until Sour grabbed one of Twilight's arms, keeping her from falling backwards.

"I gotcha! It's okay," Sour reassured.

Twilight got pulled right up, and she reached for her bow and quiver. Raising it up, she tried to point it towards the target. But her hands weren't keeping a steel grip on the arrow, making her hands shake and jitter a bit.

"Twilight, relax your hands, it's okay," Sour comforted.

Her hands kept shaking, and on the first shot--

TWHUNK!

--She missed. She pulled out another one, loaded it up again, and--

TWHUNK!

--Missed again.

She cursed herself, failing to miss the target. And worse, when she saw Rarity and Pinkie skating, they had already gone through another lap.

"If CPA can't hit another bullseye soon, they'll be out of this race!"

Her legs began to shake even more, and she felt tears forming in her eyes. She felt as if humiliation was just around the corner.

"Twilight?"

She didn't hear.

"Twilight?"

Sour Sweet walked up to her with a soft smile.

"Look at where you're aiming. You cannot aim at the target. You have to aim at where it's going to be," Sour said. "Trust me. You think I was a pro the first time I tried archery?"

She shook her head.

"Then give it a try. Trust me," Sour smiled, patting her shoulder.

As much as she didn't want to be stuck out here any longer, it looked like she had no choice. She looked at the target as it kept on swiveling around in it's ring. She pointed the arrow at the right side, knowing that the target would keep on circling around.

"Good. Okay, release the arrow in... 3... 2..." Sour counted down. "I..."

Twilight's head was becoming sweaty, the anticipation for the call was coming. Please, please, just say it already...

"Now!"

She released the arrow. Time slowed down as all eyes watched the arrow go through the air. Principal Cinch leaned over to get a closer look, equally surprised at what was happening. And then...

THWUNK!

The arrow... had hit the bullseye. And the crowds went wild.

"Whoo-whee! Nice shot!" Applejack complimented.

Twilight sighed heavily, relieved that her part was done. She threw the quiver off her back and dropped the bow down. And out of nowhere, she was given a brief hug from Sour Sweet.

"See? You can do it," Sour said, patting her. And she pulled out, leaving a confused Twilight.

Once the CPA team was given the go, they began to skate away. Twilight, knowing that she wasn't needed for the rest of the event, leapt off the platform. If there was any chance she was gonna take to try and escape the course, it'd have to be now while she had some space.

She waited as Pinkie Pie and Rarity skated right by. She dashed out onto the track, but seeing Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare made her jump onto her belly like a penguin onto the other side.

The two skated on past her, completely oblivious to the pair of legs that were sticking out onto the side of the track. Raising her head up (and spitting out a chunk of grass in the process) she pulled herself back up again. But something felt... off. Something wasn't right. And when she turned around, her eyes sunk in her head.

The pendent had fallen around her neck. And now it was in the middle of the skate track. And the skaters were still racing. She watched as Pinkie Pie and Rarity zipped on past her, missing the device. Seeing that she had her chance, she tried to run out to get it, but Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest were coming down their way.

She jumped out of the way, just in time, but their skates kicked the pendent all around like a hockey puck. And without any grip, the pendent was tossed, bounced, until it hit against a beam, bouncing again. But this time, something happened. The pendent had enough force hit to the point where it had opened itself up.

A small spark zipped out of the pendent's glowing orb, and radiating purple light began to open up in a circle like formation. And another one opened up next to it. And another one coming from the support beam of the motocross track. Twilight gasped, seeing these random gateways spawn from out of existence.

The skating teams were making their way around the track, passing by for a third ring. Now that they had passed, the motocross teams were given the go. And so, leaping down the course was Indigo Zap in the lead, followed close by Rainbow Dash, Flash, and Sugarcoat.

"Yeahaw!" Indigo shouted as she raced down the hill.

"WHOO!!!" Flash cheered.

They raced by so fast that they didn't even notice the portals that had started to open up behind them.

Twilight quickly snatched the pendent, but her skin turned cold. The portal grew bigger, but all she could see within it was darkness. She quickly got up on her feet, now scared. She couldn't see, but she felt as if something was on the other side of that portal and staring down on her.

It wasn't until the loud growling sound she heard on the other side that she finally got the message. A gust of green steam pushed through the portal, making Twilight gag and cough, covering her nose. Whatever was breathing out of that portal smelled awful. But the smell was the least of her worries, as the loud sound of pounding stomps echoed in her ears.

But worst was yet to come. More portals began to open up outside, growing bigger and bigger than before. And worse, a head of a scaled red dragon poked through. Long dorsal spikes prodding out it's head and back, teeth sharp enough to cut through steel swords, massive claws that dug into the ground creating a footprint the size of Nessie.

The crowds were first to notice. A few heads had glanced, and shrugged like it was nothing. But upon realizing what they had seen, more and more people were gestured and pointed to look, realizing what had entered. Most of them either screamed or gasped, but there was no denying they were shocked.

The competitors were the last ones to notice, and it was right at the moment that the skaters were making their turn when they saw.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?" Lemon Zest shrieked.

Her heels screeched along the path, halting Sunny Flare and eventually Pinkie Pie and Rarity.

"That's, uh... well. I think that's a dragon," Pinkie said, trying to find an answer. "Looks like one at least."

The creature let out a loud hurling cry into the skies, roaring in fury. It's tail raised up and smashed against the track support beams, thankfully the racers were already off of it by that point. But Pinkie Pie and the skating competitors all felt like running away and screaming when the dragon turn it's gaze upon the four of them. All of them were now shaking in their skates.

"Don't. Move. Maybe it won't see us!" Lemon suggested, clearly terrified.

"No offense, but standing still is worse! We're not in front of a T-Rex!" Pinkie panicked.

The dragon snorted smoke, steam puffing at the girls and blowing their hair back. And with a snarling jaw, he made a step towards them, crawling like a lizard. His long neck raised, showing off his incredible height. He flashed his teeth, chuckling slightly, seeing his prey down below. But as he was about to slam his face down to try and take a bite--

BOOOM!

A powerful wave of sound slammed the back of the dragon's head, almost knocking him out. His body was hurling towards them like a falling tree, and acting with instinct, the girls dashed out of the way while the dragon fell, slamming into the ground and creating tremors all around.

That blast came from the keytar, gripped in a familiar retro-loving girl's hands. And a sharp grin was on her face, admiring the shot.

"I think I hit something!" Amethyst cheered.

"Now hit it again, only harder," Vinyl suggested.

"Are we seriously about to do this?" Bon Bon asked, honestly scared.

"Yes, yes we are," Lyra smirked, reaching behind her back and extending a katana. "Very glad I brought these to school. ... Also please, do not do I what I just did," she said realizing how bad she sounded right now.

"Am I the only one concerned we didn't get enough practice with our powers?" Bon Bon said, realizing the risk they were about to take.

"I'm concerned too, but right now, they need our help and we're the only ones with magic who can help. Now... girls. CHARGE!!!" Trixie cheered, raising a wand up in the air.

"These powers are going to be the end of me, I know it..." Bon Bon gulped.

The six girls yelled at the top of their lungs, charging out into the field ready to face the giant monsters that were in sight. With a spring to the air, they all leaped up with intent of attack. The time was now, and the fate of their friends depended on them. There was nothing that could go wrong!

At least, they hoped...