//------------------------------//
// 13. Failed Friendships 
// Story: My Little Pony: The School Musical 
// by Harrison Sparrow 
//------------------------------//

The next day, at the school's cafeteria, Rainbow and the rest of the Mane Six see Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight! Over here!" Rainbow called out.

Harrison approaches Twilight and tries to say something, but Twilight leaves before Harrison can get anything out.

"Hey! Harrison!" Lightning called out.

"Over here, Captain!" Eddie called out.

Harrison storms off, crying.

"What?" Eddie said.

Lightning and Rainbow have seen this, and they both get up, realizing what they've done wrong.

"Were they...?" Rainbow asked.

"What have we done?" Lightning said, saddened with guilt.

Pinkie gasps in heartbreak. The rest of the Great Six and Mane Six look at each other and hold hooves together.





At the science club roof, Harrison is still in tears as the rest of the Great Six arrive.

"Hey, buddy." Lightning said. "Um... we just had another team meeting."

"Meeting!?" Harrison said angrily. "How could you guys trick me!?"

"We're so sorry..." Lightning said.

"We didn't know you and Twilight were in love with each other." Wheelburn said.

"We had a team meeting about how we haven't been acting like a team yesterday." Duramy said.

"He means us, not you." Lightning said. "Look, about the singing thing..."

"No..." Harrison said, and he sniffles. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore..."

"We just want you to know that we're gonna be there, man, okay? Cheering for you." Metalscar said.

"What...?" Harrison said, whimpering gently.

"Harrison, the truth is, if singin' is somethin' you really wanna do, we should be supportin' you, not lettin' you down." Wheelburn said.

"Yeah, win or lose, we're teammates." Lightning said. "Best friends forever, okay? That's what we're about, even if you turn out to be the worst singer in the world."

"We don't know that because we haven't actually heard you sing yet." Duramy said.

"And you're not gonna hear me sing, guys… because you ruined everything." Harrison said. "And now… Twilight won't talk to me…"

Lightning sighs, and Eddie brings out two chocolate cookies from his lunch bag.

"Here, I baked these fresh today." Eddie said. "You should probably try one before we tell you how we did it."





At the science classroom, the rest of the Mane Six, filled with guilt, walk up to Twilight.

"Hi, guys." Twilight said.

"Twilight, we were jerks yesterday." Rainbow said. "No, actually, we were worse than that because... we were horrible."

"We thought Harrison and the whole singing thing was killing our chances of winning the decathlon competition." Fluttershy said.

"I heard what he said." Twilight said. "I'm back on your team now. Done."

"No, not done." Pinkie said. "We knew that Lightning and the others could get Harrison to say those things to make you want to forget about the callbacks."

"We planned it, and we're embarrassed and sorry." Applejack said.

"No one forced Harrison to say those words, and it's okay." Twilight said, and her friends felt surprised. "We need to be getting ready for the decathlon now, so we should move on."

"No, you're wrong!" Applejack said, frustrated. "It's not okay." She sighs.

"Twilight, darling... the decathlon is whatever." Rarity said. "But how you feel about us, and, maybe even more, Harrison... that's what really matters."

"We used you, Twilight." Pinkie said.

"Yeah, we set you up." Rainbow said.

Twilight was having none of it. "I don't believe you." She said, and she leaves the room.

"What? But..." Rainbow said.

"We tried..." Pinkie said in a low voice.





Many minutes later, in a hallway, Harrison walks up to Twilight's friends.

"Girls!" Harrison said.

"Harrison?" Pinkie said, and she sighs. "Look, we're really sorry about yesterday..."

"Never mind that now, Pinkie." Harrison said. "Where's Twilight?"

"She went back home, Harrison." Rainbow said.

"What?" Harrison said.

"She walked out of the school and flew away." Rainbow said.

"We tried to tell her about setting you up, but she didn't believe us." Pinkie said.

"And we even tried to call her, but she wouldn't answer her phone." Applejack said.

"Well, you should all be ashamed of yourselves." Harrison said.

"We're very sorry. It's all our fault..." Fluttershy said.

"You and Twilight deserve to be together, dear." Rarity said. "We just didn't see that till now."

"Okay, I accept your apologies." Harrison said. "Now I have to do something..." He walks away.