//------------------------------// // Volume I - Chapter 9: Can You Feel the Sunshine? // Story: Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 // by sonicfan05 //------------------------------// It was almost nighttime at Canterlot City. There were only a few people out in town right now, walking through the streets for their last-minute shopping or just to explore for the fun of it. One person in particular was driving in a police car, heading towards the mom-and-pop shops along the road. Zephyr Breeze was having a rough week starting as a trainee deputy for the police department. He was scolded constantly by Officer Shining Armor for being “lazy” and not doing the job as assigned. He was even in trouble for hitting on ladies during the job, including at Sweet Shoppe yesterday, for which he was banned as a result. Since Shining wasn't around today due to a trip, Zephyr decided to treat himself to some donuts and coffee at the newest establishment, the Mean Bean Coffee. Of course, he was supposed to be doing paperwork for Officer Shining Armor while he was away and Zephyr should only be using a police car with another officer present, but Shining and the higher-ups didn't need to know that. Zephyr parked his car in front of the coffee shop. “Ah, this is great! With Shining Armor gone and the higher-ups all busy, I can do whatever I want!” Zephyr then stepped out of his car. “First, some coffee and donuts, and then I'll chillax in this car for the rest of my shift. Ah, life is good!” With a carefree smile, Zephyr made his way over to the Mean Bean and stepped inside. It was around the same time when a certain yellow fox and a human with a battle uniform, were hovering over one of the bushes near the coffee shop. The fox slowed down his tails as he landed gently into the bush while his human companion slowly deactivated his hovercraft and landed alongside him. The human glanced around town with a thoughtful expression. “Hmm… this town looks a little different from how I remembered.” He frowned. “At least… what I can remember.” The fox turned to him with sympathy. “Don't worry. I'm sure your memories will come back to you in time.” He tilted his head. “You sure you don't want to look for your family?” “I'm positive!” The human smiled assuredly. “You saved my life despite not knowing who I am and that I'm a different creature from another world. The least I can do is to return the favor. I'll find my family once we're done with our mission, promise!” “...if you say so,” said the Fox before looking at his tech again. “Hmm… he's close.” “How close are we talking?” The human inquired. “About a few miles from here,” the Fox replied. The human nodded. “That's not too bad. Since it's nighttime, we can walk the rest of the way on foot.” “I disagree,” the Fox shook his head. “While there are fewer people now, it's still too risky. We just need a way to reach him without being spotted.” The man hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. While blending in is no problem to him since he's a human himself, the same could not be said for his foxy companion. It'll be hard to hide him from anyone, even if the fox pretends that he is a plush toy. He needs to find a way to hide his fox companion while finding this other creature as quickly as possible. The man looked around the area until he spotted a lone police car, parking in front of the Mean Bean Coffee Shop with hardly anyone around. The man then had an idea and turned to his partner with a smirk. “Hey kid… how would you like to ride in a human vehicle?” Sometime later, Zephyr walked out of the coffee shop with a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of donuts in another. “Alrighty!” Zephyr grinned as he made his way to his vehicle. “I got myself some free donuts and coffee! Now I can get in my car and–” Zephyr suddenly froze in shock, dropping his coffee and donuts in the process.  His car, which he left parked in front of the store some time ago, has disappeared. Zephyr frantically looked all over the area in hopes that he misremembered his parking location, but his car was nowhere in sight. “My car's gone!” Zephyr shouted in a panic, getting some bystanders' attention. “Somebody call the police!” When he received the bystanders’ odd looks, Zephyr glanced at his uniform. “...Oh, wait,” he uttered sheepishly before he ran off towards the police station. As he was running towards the station, only one thought entered his mind. ‘The higher-ups are gonna kill me for this!’ Back at the Sparkle's household, three girls and a blue hedgehog were still enjoying their “Home-Alone Party” in a room full of bubbles and listening to some funky dance music. The four of them were currently lounging within the inflatable pool, lying against a large inflatable pink flamingo while wearing sunglasses. Apple Bloom took a sip of her pink lemonade through a straw and then smacked her lips. “Ahhh… this is the life!” Apple Bloom sighed constantly.  “Totally!” Scootaloo agreed before taking a sip from her own lemonade. “No parents, no siblings, no rules!” “Yeah! And we can do whatever we want!” Sweetie Belle added with a cheer. “See ladies, I told you this is a good idea!” Sonic winked as he took a sip from his lemonade. “We deserved some fun too and our families over at Hoovaii were none the wiser!” Suddenly, they heard a loud vibration sound coming from the bottom of their pool. Sonic took his sunglasses off and took a peek through all the bubbles before realizing that it came from his phone. Curious about who was calling him, Sonic stuck his arm through the bubbles and fished out his phone to see the caller ID. His expression became nervous when he saw an image of an Equestrian Girl, who was the one calling to check up on them. And worst of all, it was a video call. “Uh oh!” Sonic muttered nervously. “Oooh boy!” “What?” Apple Bloom inquired as she took off her sunglasses. “What's wrong, Sonic!” “It's Equestrian Girl! She's calling me!” Sonic responded. Hearing one of their sisters’ friends calling them makes the CMCs nervous. “Is it voice or video call?” Scootaloo asked, hoping it was the latter. “...video,” Sonic replied. “Oh, crud! We're dead!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed who was now starting to panic. “Don't worry, ladies!” Sonic quickly assured. “I got this!” Before the girls could ask what he meant, Sonic quickly got out of the pool and rushed towards the wall switch, turning the room lights on and shutting off the music. Then with his super speed, Sonic quickly got to work in cleaning everything up within the media room.  Sonic first cleared up all the bubbles out of the room until the room became bubble-free. Before the CMCs realized what was happening, Sonic quickly took them out of the pool, replacing their costumes with their normal clothes before removing the pool from the room. He then removed all the snack bags on the floor, cleaned the floor and walls, fixed the picture frames on the walls, and placed the furniture back in its original spot almost simultaneously. All within a second. By the time Sonic finished, the girls were amazed at a now clean room, as if everything they'd done here never happened. “Wow… wish we met Sonic earlier!” Scootaloo remarked, looking around the room in awe. “He could've saved us some of the trouble we faced in the past.” Sonic, who was now lying on the couch, hushed at them with his finger. “All right girls, act natural!” With nods from the CMCs, Sonic cleared his throat before putting on a smile and answering Sunset’s call. Sonic’s phone screen then revealed Sunset, who was smiling at him and was now at the beach with some palm trees behind her. “Aloha, kids!” Sunset waved. “How are you guys!” “Oh, ya know…” Sonic drawled while trying to come up with a good lie. “Just a quiet night at home, settling in with a good book.” “And board games!” Apple Bloom added helpfully. “And video games!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “And roller skating around the house!” said Scootaloo with her most convincing grin. Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “What was the last one?” “...video games?” Scootaloo offered. “SO! What's up with you?” Sonic quickly changed the subject. “Well, I'm calling you to say we're here,” Sunset narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously. “But now, every word coming out of the four of you is making me suspicious.” “What?!” Sonic smirked, while still trying to play it cool. “Girl, you just gotta relax! You're in Hoovaii. Have some lemonade! Enjoy some time with your friends! Get sunburned somewhere embarrassing! This weekend is about you and your friends!” Sunset paused for a moment, still staring at him intensely which nearly made Sonic and the girls sweat nervously. Then almost immediately, Sunset smiled. “You know what? You're right!” Sunset nodded. “We power bumped on it. So whatever it is you're doing, I'm sure you can undo it by the time we get home, yeah?" “Exactly!” Sonic exclaimed, silently glad that he and his sisters were off the hook. “I mean, I am deeply offended by such accusations!” Sunset simply chuckled at him. “So how is your graduation trip so far?” Apple Bloom cuts in. “Are you and my sister enjoying it so far?” “So far we're settling in,” Sunset answered as she surveyed the area around her. “Hoovaii is more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. They have beaches, shops, and restaurants! They're all so incredible! And we even have a tour of the area right now by our tour guide.” “Wow! I'm so jealous!” Sweetie Belle said before sighing. “I wish we were there.” “If you kids behave, I'll see if I can convince your sisters to bring home some  souvenirs.” Sunset offered. “Still wish we were there though,” Scootaloo muttered with a pout.  “Anyway, I gotta go! I think our tour guide is leading us to our final destination,” said Sunset before pointing at them. “Just stay out of trouble!” “Trouble? Us?” Sonic joked with a grin. “Don't worry. Everything here is completely normal.” The CMCs nodded in unison. Unbeknownst to them, Spike was happily walking across the room with a sock in his mouth and his entire back and head was covered in bubbles. Sunset, however, noticed Spike and wondered how he ended up looking like that but she decided to let that go… for now. “...riiiiight,” Sunset grinned coyly before hanging up, and the phone on Sonic’s screen turned off. Sonic and the CMCs let out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh man… that was close!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Yeah, I thought we were caught for sure!” Sweetie Belle added. “At least we managed to fool her!” Apple Bloom smiled. Sonic nodded as he put away his phone into his quills. “Well, since our party was cut short, how about we end our day for a movie night!” The CMCs eyes lit up in excitement. “Oh boy, Ah'm in!” Apple Bloom grinned. “We haven't had a movie night since forever!” Scootaloo fist pumped. “I'll get Spike then we'll set up the TV!” Sweetie Belle volunteered before looking for their purple pup. “You do that! And I'll get us some snacks!” Sonic winked before running towards the kitchen. “Those kids!” Sunset shook her head in amusement. “They're supposed to be grounded, but I guess with everything that's happened, I don't blame them.” Sunset put her phone away in her pocket before she walked over to her friends to rejoin the tour. She joined in just in time as Autumn Blaze was explaining facts about the beach as they were exploring it. “Did you know that our beaches have several different colors of sand in Hoovaii?” Autumn grinned excitedly as she gestured to the area with her arm. “A lot of beaches like this one for example have white sand, but some shores around here have green, red, pink, and even black sand! Doesn't that sound amazing or what?” “I'm amazed that this tour hasn't put me to sleep yet!” Rainbow Dash muttered, only to receive a jab on a rib by Applejack. Luckily, Autumn Blaze didn’t hear Rainbow Dash’s remark as she continued with the tour. “Also, Hoovaii is also known for having the biggest and strongest waves depending on the area. Our biggest record for waves was as high as twenty to seventy feet or more! Luckily, this only happened during the winter, so the height for these waves should be as normal as two to four feet high during the summer, which is safe for anyone to ride.” “Well, that’s lame!” Rainbow Dash scoffed with a cocky smirk. “I would have loved to ride on those monster waves! I bet I could take that on!” “I wouldn’t ride on them if I were you!” Autumn Blaze advised, glancing at Rainbow Dash. “Unless you want to have major body injuries if you are not careful, including permanent spinal cord damage… or worse.” Rainbow Dash cringed and shuddered at the thought of having those injuries. “On second thought… I’ll go for the four feet waves.” Applejack smirked and whispered into Rarity’s ear. “Wow, she shut Rainbow Dash up, color me impressed!” “Yes… impressive,” Rarity hummed, staring intensely at Autumn Blaze. “Anyway, we’re almost at the end of our tour!” Autumn Blaze announced with a smile. “I hope you enjoyed your time with me!” “We have!” Princess Twilight nodded with a grin. “Thank you for showing us around and sharing facts about this island. I never knew just how fascinating Hoovaii could be!” “Yeah! You made this whole tour so much fun!” Pinkie Pie added with a cheer. “I’m glad you all enjoyed it!” Autumn Blaze responded, pleased with the feedback. “This is the first time in a long while that I’ve given anybody a tour! I was so nervous, I spent the whole night prepping for today!” “Oh, you didn’t have to do that!” said Fluttershy with a look of concern. “But how are you not tired?” “Oh, nothing but twelve cups of espressos couldn’t fix!” Autumn Blaze responded cheerfully, taking everyone by surprise. “Well, that explains a lot!” Rainbow Dash muttered. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what brings you all here in Hoovaii?” Autumn Blaze asked. “Well, for one thing, we were originally going to graduate back at our school in Canterlot City but… circumstances prevented us from happening,” Sunset answered. “Yeah, but it was thanks to our Egghead that we managed to convince the school to have our graduation here in Hoovaii!” Rainbow Dash boasted, giving Twilight a playful fist bump on her shoulder. Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “She did? How?” Autumn Blaze inquired with a curious expression.  “Oh, well, I have connections to Rosette Nebula and I asked for our school to come here as a favor,” Twilight responded modestly. “You know the Rosette Nebula!?” Autumn Blaze exclaimed in a surprised tone. “The famous astrophysicist with her work on astronomy and her Multi-universes theories?”  Twilight grinned excitedly. “The very same one!” “Oh my gosh! I love her books!” Autumn Blaze gushed, clapping her hands. “I even read a biography about her!”  “Oh, really?” Twilight challenged with a smirk. “Pop quiz: does Rosette have any known allergies?” “Macadamia nuts!” Autumn Blaze answered in confidence. “She was taken to a hospital after eating a macadamia nut cookie when she was six!” Twilight’s eyes widened brightly. “Impressive! Not many people know about that fact! She has been sensitive to what foods to eat since then. Hence why I requested Pinkie Pie to not include any nuts of some kind for the social event party one time!” Pinkie Pie nodded in confirmation. “Yepperuni! I may love to bake sweets for everyone, but I take food allergies very seriously and I wouldn’t put anyone to harm!” Her expression became serious. “And that’s a Pinkie Promise!” “Good to know!” Autumn Blaze smiled. “Still, you are so lucky! I would have loved to meet her myself!” “Well, you could come along and join us at the event if you want,” Twilight offered. “I’ll even introduce her!” “Oooh! I would like that!” Autumn Blaze squealed. “Thank you very much!” “Nerds!” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Just what we need!” “Now, Rainbow Dash! There's no need fer that.” Applejack scolded. “Besides, she seems cool and a nice gal! Ah say the more the merrier!” “Of course you would say that!” Rarity muttered quietly. “Sorry, did ya say somethin’, Rares?” Applejack asked, catching Rarity off guard. “Oh! Um, I mean…”  “Hey, look at that!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing at something ahead of them. The girls turned toward the direction where Pinkie was pointing and then they were immediately surprised at what they saw. At the center of the beach was a stage which was all made into a tropical theme with several seats in front of the stage. The stage itself was made of bamboo wood and some yellow palm leaves for the roof. There were two tiki head statues made as posts for the stage. There were also some palm trees, a few surfboards, some flowers, and a long string of globe lights, which were hung on the ceiling of the stage. The girls marveled at the sight for a full minute until Rainbow Dash let out a cheer. “Oh, sweet! A stage on the beach!” Rainbow Dash grinned excitedly. “That is so awesome!” “You bet it's awesome!” Autumn Blaze swelled in pride. “Lots of great musical events have taken place on that stage for many generations and it's the center of this beach!” “I can see why,” said Princess Twilight with a smile. “I could tell there was some history on that stage. And the way it was built was impressive.” “I concur! They truly outdone themselves!” Rarity gushed while eyeing the stage. “The setup and the lightning of the stage are simply dashing!” “They even have our equipment ready!” Applejack pointed at the equipment in question which was on stage. “This stage makes me itchin’ to play my ol’ Bass Guitar.” “You girls are in a band?” Autumn Blaze inquired in interest. “We sure are!” Pinkie Pie sing-songed with a wink.  “Back where we came from, we formed a band known as the Rainbooms. Which was part of why we're in Hoovaii in the first place,” Sunset explained. “Oh, I love music!” Autumn Blaze squealed excitedly. “Well, my favorite type of music is musicals from musical theaters, but any kind of music is amazing! Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, Classical, Animal noises. There's so many to list that it's hard to choose from!” Applejack chuckled. “Well, if you like music, then you're in for a special treat!” “Yeah! The music from our band is awesome!” Rainbow Dash added. “Well, I don't know about that, but we're pretty good,” Twilight said modestly. “Would you like to hear one of our songs?” “Would I!?” Autumn Blaze said with a huge smile before taking one of the seats in front of the stage. “I love to hear it!” “Awesome!” Rainbow Dash smiled. “And I know the perfect song to play!” “Let me guess. ‘Awesome As I Want to Be’?” Applejack deadpanned. “Good guess, but no!” Rainbow Dash answered before making her way next to Fluttershy. “I'm talking about a new song that Fluttershy wrote last night which I think fits the setting.” “Oh, um… I don't think the song I wrote was that good,” Fluttershy said shyly. “You kidding, Flutters!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she put her arm around her. “You're very talented in writing songs before and that one was amazing! Why wouldn't we play it!” Fluttershy blushed. “Oh, um…” “I'm with Rainbow Dash on this one!” said Princess Twilight. “That one song you wrote one time during the Battle of the Bands was amazing!” “Yeah! You are a genius when it comes to songwriting!” Sunset praised. “And you have a beautiful voice to boot, Darling!” Rarity complimented. “With a combination of your songwriting and your voice, you could be a famous musician.” The others hummed and nodded in agreement. Fluttershy, now red-faced, ducked her head. “I-I wouldn't go that far!” she squeaked, twirling her hair bashfully. “I-I'm not into performing in front of big crowds unless I'm with my friends.” “Well, even so, you're still awesome in my book, Shy!” said Rainbow Dash with a warm smile. “That's why we would be honored to give your new song a try!” Fluttershy smiled. “W-well, if you say so, Dashie!” Fluttershy dug into her bag and took out her notebook to give to Rainbow Dash. The Rainbooms then went on stage and read Fluttershy’s notes to study the song,  while Princess Twilight took her seat next to Autumn. A few minutes passed and the Rainbooms were already like the song they were reading and became excited to play it. They all made their positions where their instruments were located and were ready to perform their song. “All right, is everyone ready to give this song a try?” said Rainbow Dash as she placed her guitar over her head. Most of the girls nodded and hummed in confirmation, but Pinkie Pie had a look of concern. “I don’t know. Are you sure we should sing this?” Pinkie Pie inquired nervously, fiddling with her drumsticks. “We're not going to get attacked by a scary little fox doll with a red antenna orb on top of its head and hunt our nightmares after we sing this, right?” While everyone was looking at Pinkie strangely, Rainbow Dash was taken aback. “What!? No, of course not! Where the heck did you hear this ridiculous idea?” “Internet,” Pinkie responded simply. The Rainbooms looked at each other oddly before they shrugged and moved on to start the song. Autumn Blaze turned to Princess Twilight with a confused expression. “What is she–” “It's best you don't question it!” Princess Twilight responded. “Pinkie… is just being Pinkie.” Autumn Blaze blinked, feeling even more confused. “Everyone ready?” Pinkie announced, getting Autumn and Princess Twilight's attention towards them. Pinkie then began to tap her drumsticks. “One, two, three, four!” The girls began to play the music, which sounded like a tropical vibe. It started slow at first, but it then quickly began to build up as they increased the tunes a bit. Then, as soon as they added some beats to the song, Fluttershy was the first to sing the first lyric of the song. She sang about how the sun was so bright on her and made her feel so alive and to survive. Then, Rainbow Dash joined in and sang about the sky and how it made her feel like she could go high even without her wings. She added her bad times would just pass by on a bright day like this, especially with her friends by her side. The rest of the Rainbooms then joined in on the song, asking anyone if they could “feel the sunshine” and if it “brightened up” their day. They then asked if they sometimes felt like they could “run away”, which they all thought of their beloved blue hedgehog friend. Then they urged us to reach for the sunshine so we could forget about the rain and remind ourselves of the good times so they could come back to you. For the next lyric of their song, it was just Twilight who was singing this time. She sang about without her friends, she had nothing to do, which briefly reminded her of her lonely times at Crystal Prep. But with the sunshine like this and her friends by her side, it made her feel happy and brand new. Sunset, who was next to Twilight, can silently relate to Twilight about being lonely, even during her time as a bully. Sunset then sang about when she was with Twilight and her friends, she wished they would always be here with her. To her, everything is clear with her friends by her side, and her days are brighter just like today. As the rest of the Rainbooms joined in to sing the second verse of the song, Princess Twilight, and Autumn Blaze were clapping along, feeling energized from the song. Autumn Blaze was hooked the moment the song began, but now she loved it and felt the urge to dance along. Princess Twilight meanwhile, felt just as light and happy as they were, especially as she was thinking about her other friends back at “home”. “Can you feel it?” Pinkie Pie sang with a smile as she was drumming away. “Can you feel it?” The Rainbooms repeated after Pinkie with smiles of their own. “Can you feel it?” Pinkie Pie sang again, feeling more energy coursing through her. “Can you feel it?” The girls repeated with more enthusiasm as they felt energy coursing through them. It was then that the Equestrian Magic was glowing around the Rainbooms because of their music, followed by their ears changing into pony ears and their wings appearing. This sudden act of display caught Autumn Blaze off guard, which made the Princess nervous, especially since her friends were so into their song to notice. Before the Princess could say anything, the Rainbooms began to ascend themselves off of the stage and into the air. The Rainbooms continued into their song until they played their final note, which caused them to descend back on the stage and their pony “accessories” to disappear. As soon as they finished their song, the Rainbooms placed their instruments down and got off the stage to meet their two audiences. As soon as the Rainbooms got off the stage, they noticed their friend, Princess Twilight staring at them in awe while Autumn Blaze suddenly stood up in a standing ovation. “That was amazing!” Autumn cheered. “I can both see and hear why all of you are the best for the job!” Sunset smiled. “Thanks, Autumn. We appreciate it!” “Yeah, we are awesome!” Rainbow Dash smirked, much to everyone’s amusement. “And also, you even got some cool special effects with the pony ears and wings!” Autumn added with stars dancing in her eyes. “How did you all do that?” The Rainbooms froze. They had completely forgotten that they can “Pony up” whenever they’re into their music. They then glanced at Princess Twilight, who nodded with a nervous expression on her face, confirming that they had indeed used their Equestrian Magic during the song. The awkward silence from the group only caused Autumn to tilt her head in confusion. The Rainbooms glanced at each other nervously, not sure what to say to get themselves out of the situation. Realizing that there was no way around it, Sunset was the one to answer for the group.  “W-well, about that…" “Well, well, well. If it isn't the Lame-booms!” Everyone jumped at the sudden mocking and familiar voice from behind them. They all turned toward the source of the voice and then felt shocked the moment their eyes landed on a certain group of three girls, or rather, the former sirens that neither of the Rainbooms expected to meet again. The trio, who were wearing the outfits for the first time since the Battle of the Bands, were making their way toward the group with smug expressions as if they were superior. As soon as the former sirens reached them, the leader of the group gave the Rainbooms her huge taunting smirk. “Long time no see… Rainbooms!” “Adagio, Aria, and Sonata!?” Sunset exclaimed with wide eyes.  Adagio clicked her tongue. “Well, it’s so nice to see you all again after last time at the Battle of the Bands! We had the most magical performance of our lives while we were on stage!” She then frowned. “Until you all took everything away from us!” Aria scowled. “Yeah! It’s no thanks to you losers that we’re scraping by performing some small shows, couldn’t get back to Equestria, and we are now living in a van down by the river!” “And that Taco Chronicles didn’t get renewed for another season!” Sonata shouted angrily, earning odd looks from the other Dazzlings. “Sonata, what the heck are you talking about? Your stupid show has nothing to do with them!” Adagio asked. “I know, but it’s my turn! I couldn’t think of anything to be mad at them about!” Sonata responded. Aria facepalmed. “Agh! Go back to sleep, Sonata!” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. “Oh yeah? And whose fault was that?” She glared intensely at the trio. “From what I could remember, you three barged into our school and caused a lot of damage!” Adagio narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “Well, if you girls didn’t stand in our way, we could’ve got what we wanted. But instead, you ruined our lives.” “Yeah, talk about cruel!” Aria added. “Oh, that's so rich coming from you!” Rainbow Dash retorted. Curious about the newcomers, Autumn Blaze turned to Applejack. “You all know those three?” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Yeah… those three are known as the Dazzlings.” “They’re the singing group who came to our school once to participate in the ‘Battle of the Bands’,” Rarity added with a glare. “But they are not very nice and were actually causing trouble that nearly drove everyone apart, including us!” Fluttershy whimpered. “And they’re not fun… at all!” Pinkie Pie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “So these three are your rivals?” Autumn inquired. “...something like that,” Rainbow Dash answered vaguely while glaring at the trio. Sonata blinked as she glanced at Twilight and then at Princess Twilight. Her eyes were back and forth between the two Twilights until something clicked in her brain. “Waaaaait a minute!” Sonata brought herself closer to the two Twilights. “Wasn’t there only one of you the last time we met? Are you two twin sisters or something?” The two Twilights looked at each other for a brief moment and then the human Twilight answered. “Er, yes! We are sisters! You meant me while my twin was at Prance at the time.” Sonata narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Then how come you weren’t wearing glasses last time?” Twilight blinked. “Uh… contact lenses?” “...oh, okay!” Sonata said cheerfully, causing the two Twilights to sigh in relief. Aria narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the two Twilights but didn’t say a word. “What are you three doing here?” Sunset pressed. “What? Aren't we allowed to go out for some sightseeing?” Adagio asked innocently. “...in Hoovaii?” Fluttershy whispered unsurely in Pinkie’s ear, who shrugged in response. Sunset furrowed her brow. “But I thought you were touring while editing your voices with the loop effect.” Suddenly, all three Dazzlings’ expressions were quickly replaced with a look of shock as if she was caught off guard. Adagio then scowled as she nearly went up against Sunset’s face. “How'd you know that!?” Adagio demanded with a growl. “We kept that part secret!” Sunset opened her mouth to respond but then stopped herself when she remembered a crucial fact. ‘Oh right! I've forgotten that we only met once during one of the time loops at the Starswirled Music Festival, which makes our meeting never happen!’ Sunset thought. ‘And it was because PostCrush used a lost artifact from Equestria, the Time Twirler multiple times just to make their show perfect until Pinkie and I interfered.’  “Well?” Adagio snapped impatiently. “Are you going to answer or not?” Sunset frowned. ‘I don't know what those three were up to now and our meeting then was a separate matter anyway, so it was probably for the best that I don’t mention that.’ “I… heard rumors,” Sunset lied before quickly changing the topic with a stern expression. “Now don't try to distract me! Why are you here?” Adagio huffed, her aggravation subsiding somewhat. “Whatever! Who cares how you know!” She then smirked. “If you all must know, we were hired to come all the way here so we can perform for your stupid graduation ceremony and party.” The Rainbooms were taken aback by the Dazzlings’ claim. “Excuse me, what!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Now wait just a minute!” Rarity spoke up. “That job was for us!” “Yeah!” Twilight added. “Rosette Nebula herself told me that she wanted us to perform for our graduation!” “Oh, you don’t know?” Adagio laughed in her throat. “There’s been a slight chance of plans effective immediately by the person who is in charge of this development.” “No way! This is an outrage!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Who with an IQ of a coconut would ever decide to hire you three to perform for our graduation reception!?” “That would be me!” The Rainbooms turned towards the voice and were shocked to see a woman and her daughter making their way over to them. The woman had a smug expression as if she was superior to them while her daughter didn’t make any eye contact with them as if she didn’t want to be here. “Spoiled Rich!?” Sunset exclaimed. “That's Principal Rich to you, young lady!” Spoiled sneered, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, these commenters, especially children should know their place and respect their superiors! Am I right, Diamond?” Diamond didn’t answer, still refusing to make eye contact. Spoiled narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “I said, do you agree?” Diamond winced at her mother’s tone. “Y-yes… mother,” she responded quietly. The Rainbooms stared at Spoiled in disgust, not only for wrecking their plans again but for how she treated her daughter. They were aware that Diamond was only around her mother because she was dragged around against her free will. They didn’t blame her for the things her mother had done; quite frankly, they felt sorry for her. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to help without getting themselves in trouble with that very woman in question. Princess Twilight whispered into the human Twilight’s ear. “Is she always like this?” The human Twilight nodded. “Yes, but ever since eight months ago, she's ten times worse if you could believe it!” Princess Twilight frowned. She knew another Spoiled Rich from her world who was just as bad after hearing stories from the pony Apple Bloom. But to see this version of Spoiled treating her own daughter this badly right in front of her makes her stomach sick. “You… I should've known that you were behind all of this!” Rainbow Dash growled, tightening her fists in anger. “Why are you doing this? Trying to ruin our fun yet again!?” “Oh, you got it all wrong, Miss Dash,” Spoiled said with fake politeness. “With the upcoming graduation, I figured you’d be too stressful to perform, so I hired these girls in your place! Besides, these girls are more professionals than your so-called third-rate band.” As the Rainbooms frowned at the insult, Adagio snickered. “What's wrong? Couldn't you handle that there are people who are more talented than you?” she taunted. The Dazzlings laughed, making the Rainbooms more angry. “The only thing that you three are talented for is the fact that you wouldn't shut up about how great you all are… even though we all kicked your butts last time!” Rainbow Dash retorted. While the Dazzlings took offense to the insult, Rainbow Dash pointed accusingly at their Spoiled.  “As for you, “Principal”, you’re replacing us on purpose! You only did that because you are still too petty and sore for what happened eight months prior at your summer home and took it out on us… even though it was your fault for not heeding our warning and letting that crazy doctor kidnap our sisters and your daughter! And if it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t be here right now and you know it!” The area around them was so uncomfortably silent, that you could hear a pin drop. As much as the girls wanted to scold Rainbow Dash for running her mouth, she was right about Spoiled. They all knew Spoiled made their lives sufferable in school because of her petty grudge and they were sick of it as her antics as well. “I don’t know how a crooked-nosed witch like you got the position of being a Principal for so long,” Rainbow Dash continued. “But if ya ask me, you should have been out of a job of any educational position a long time ago! You are nothing more than an entitled brat in an adult’s body who thinks she’s better than everybody and without your husband’s money and his name… you are nothing!” Everyone’s jaws drop at Rainbow’s bold words. As good as it felt to finally tell Spoiled off, they were now in great fear that they would receive Spoiled’s wrath and not permit them to graduate as retaliation. But to their confusion, instead of her being angry, she instead just stared at Rainbow Dash with a calm expression. They wondered why she was behaving in such an unusual way until Spoiled let out a chuckle. “I must say… those are such bold words to say to your Principal, Miss Dash!” Spoiled shrugged. “But then again, I’ve always known you were such a troubled child… especially since after the disappearance of your uncle.” The Rainbooms let out a loud gasp, while Rainbow Dash froze in shock. ‘She wouldn't!’ Sunset thought. Spoiled shrugged. “I can’t imagine what he thinks of you now once he sees just how rowdy, unstable, and egotistical you can be just for cheap thrills and to have ten seconds of fame that no one cares about! I bet he would be disgusted and disappointed in you!” She then gave Rainbow Dash her haughty smirk. “Or maybe… that’s why he left you in the first place!” Rainbow Dash snapped.  With a scream of rage, she ran up to Spoiled in an attempt to punch her, only to be held back by Applejack and Sunset. “Let go of me!” Rainbow Dash screamed, struggling to shake her friends off of her. “Rainbow Dash, don't!” Sunset pleaded. “She's tryin’ to rile you up!” Applejack reasoned. “I don't care! Just let me at her!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Adagio chuckled and whispered to her group. “Now this is entertainment… and we don't even have to use our magic!” The other two Dazzlings smirked. “Sure, go ahead and hit me!” said Spoiled. “Unless you and your friends want to get kicked out of graduation, do you?” Rainbow Dash stopped struggling but glared at Spoiled in fury. “...I thought so,” Spoiled laughed in her throat. “You can complain, insult, or cry as much as you want. But at the end of the day… I’m still in charge! And I can run this party as much as I please.” “You can’t do that!” Applejack yelled. “Yeah! That’s not fair!” Pinkie Pie shouted. Spoiled scoffed. “Fair? Life's not fair, girls! It’s just how the world works!” “You mean your world!” Rarity countered in disgust. “You’re just trying to make us miserable!” “Yeah, that was mean!” Fluttershy agreed. “You've gone too far, Spoiled!” Sunset retorted. “We'll report everything to Vice Principal Luna!” “Well, if you all have a problem with me, go ahead and report to her,” Spoiled challenged before smirking cruelly. “Oh wait, you can’t! She's not here right now, isn't she? As long as she’s not around, I’m in control!” Sunset growled in response. “Then we’ll tell Rosette!” Twilight spoke up. “She was the one who arranged this in the first place!” “She's right!” They all turned just as Autumn Blaze spoke, who was watching silently in the background until now. “While your school has the final say in this matter, one of the conditions for you to come here by Rosette Nebula is that she gets to pick who will be performing. So technology, she’s the one who’s in control of the reception party and only she decides who gets to perform!” The Rainbooms smiled at the news. “Ha! Take that, Dazzlings!” Rainbow Dash goaded, causing the trio to scowl in annoyance. “Is that so!” Spoiled humphed with a frown. “Then why don't we all go see Ms. Nebula herself and ask her? I'm sure she'll change her mind once she hears talent from real singers!” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “Fine! Then let's all go see her right now!” Just then, Sunset grabbed Rainbow Dash and pulled her closer to her. “Hang on, Rainbow Dash, are you sure we should do this?” she whispered. “What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash whispered back. “You want them to get away with this?” Sunset shook her head. “No, of course not! But I can't help but feel like they were up to something!”  Sunset took a glance at the Dazzlings and Spoiled. For some reason, despite getting denied by Autumn Blaze, they were acting usually calm and not making a huge stink about it. And for some reason, Sunset could have sworn that she saw Diamond Tiara trying to look away from her as if she didn’t want Sunset to get a read on her. Those strange acts alone were a huge red flag for Sunset. Her thoughts were interrupted when Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Don't worry, Sunset. Nebula knows more about us than them and she'll clear this all up once we present our case to her.” “Yeah, Sunset! Chillax!” Rainbow Dash assured. “Besides, those three lost their singing voices after we battled them the last time! So they'll be gone in no time!” “If everyone's settled, then follow me! Spoiled ordered before making her way back to the hotel. As everyone was following Spoiled, Sunset felt a pit in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about all of this and thought that they were playing right into their hands. She could only hope that she was just wrong about this and it was just her active imagination. Unbeknownst to the group, the same woman with a sunhat was hiding behind the palm tree, watching Sunset and her group the whole time. Back at the Sparkle's household, it was now nighttime and rainy. Somewhere in the kitchen was Sonic, standing patiently with his arms crossed and tapping his foot while the popcorn was cooking inside the microwave in front of him. After his phone call with Sunset and cleaning up the house, Sonic suggested to everyone to watch a movie together. The CMCs were excited by this idea of having another movie fest with Sonic, but because they couldn't go to the city's theater due to their punishment, they would have to make do with the TV. While the girls and Spike were discussing what to watch, Sonic volunteered to get snacks in the kitchen and assured them that he'd be back with them in a jiffy. Too bad that the popcorn took forever to make. While he was waiting for the popcorn to cook, Sonic glanced at his wrist and smiled at the CMCs wristband that he received from them months ago. To think, all that started after he broke into Brainic's lab to escape to the mushroom world after believing he didn't belong in this world. He always dreamed of being accepted by everyone, especially the Rainbooms. And now, he has not only gained some friends, he also gained a family. Each of the Rainbooms is like an older sibling to him and the CMCs are like the youngest sisters he never had. Sure, they had some hardships, including being chased by some mustache manic halfway across the country. But he wouldn't trade it for anything. “Hurry up, Sonic!” Scootaloo yelled from the media room. “Yeah, we can't start without ya!” Apple Bloom added. “And where’s our popcorn?” Sweetie inquired loudly. Sonic chuckled. “It’s coming girls! The popcorn should be ready right about–” Ding~ “Done!” Sonic cheered as soon as the microwave chimed. With his super speed, Sonic quickly took out the bag of popcorn and poured it into a huge bowl. Then he grabbed a bunch of snacks and drinks from cabinets and fridge before he rushed with them out of the kitchen and into the media room, where the girls and Spike were waiting for him on a couch in front of the TV. “All right, everyone!” Sonic announced. “I got us some popcorn, snacks, and sodas for our entertainment!” “Sweet! Thanks, Sonic!” “About time!” Spike muttered as he was about to bury his face into a bowl, but Scootaloo took the bowl away. Before he could whine, however, Scootaloo simply flinked a single popcorn to Spike’s mouth and then he chewed happily. “Alright!” Apple Bloom smiled, as Sonic took his seat on the couch. “We are now commencing the official Canterlot’s Movie Club Movie Night!” “Yeah!” Everyone cheered. “This is so exciting!” Sonic said eagerly. “So which movie do you all want to watch this time?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes brightened. “Ooh! There's this new Speedy the Possum live-action movie I always wanted to see!” Scootaloo frowned. “I don't know. I'm not a big fan of “video game based” movies.” She then let out an annoyed huff. “Seriously, when does Applewood learn that those kinds of movies never work?” “Well, I disagree!” Sweetie Bell responded. “Some video game-based movies did well like Speedy for example. Even the Super Mare-io movie did well!” Scootaloo tilted her head. “The first one or the second one?” “The second one,” Sweetie Belle answered. “The one with the animation.” Scootaloo frowned. “How come that one is animated and not the Speedy movie?” “Technically, Speedy himself is an animation.” “They're not the same!” “It is!” “Did not!” “Did too!” Unbeknownst to everyone in the house, a portal ring suddenly appeared outside right by their window. Had they paid attention, they would've seen two shadowy figures emerging from the portal before the portal itself disappeared from existence. “Girls, girls! Let's not fight!” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Why don't we binge a show instead? Like the Mystery Shack. That show is amazing!” “Oh, I agree!” Scootaloo said in a bright tone before frowning. “Except for the fact that we have already binged it ten times already!” “That's just how good that show is!” said Apple Bloom, trying to convince her friend further. Scootaloo stared blankly at her friend for a moment. “Yeah… we still vote ‘no’ on that.” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, causing Apple Bloom to pout in disappointment. “What about Speedy Prime?” Sonic suggested. “The premise of that show sounds–” “No!” The girls chorused. Sonic was taken aback by the CMCs’ strong statement. “What? Why not? It looks promising.” “We've seen the show, Sonic,” Apple Bloom said bluntly. “While the animation was decent, and the story was just okay.” “But the main character is annoying with his stupidity,” Sweetie Belle added. “And most of the side characters are annoying too, especially that pirate guy.” “Not to mention, the show got boring after a while and dragged on for too long, especially the final battle which dragged on for four episodes!” Scootaloo scoffed in annoyance. “Seriously, how do they screw that up!?” Spike cleared his throat. “I don't mean to be that dog, but you four have already picked shows and movies in the past! When is my turn to pick?” Sonic nodded. “You're right, Spike. It's your turn to pick!” Spike smiled in appreciation. “But you better not pick Snow Dogs again!” Sonic added with a smirk. He then placed his hand over his mouth and added in his singsong voice. “That movie is the woooooorst!~” “Yeah!” Scootaloo smirked before she copied Sonic with her own singsong voice. “The woooooorst!~” “The woooooorst!~” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sang with that line as well before they broke into laughter. Spike frowned and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Agh! Everyone's a critic!” All of a sudden, the power suddenly went out, turning all the devices off and leaving everyone in darkness. The girls were startled by this sudden event and Spike began to shake in fright. As for Sonic, rather than feeling concerned by this, he was excited and let out a loud cheer. “Ho ho, blackout!” Before anyone could blink, Sonic disappeared for a second with his speed and then he returned with a blanket over his head and a flashlight. Sonic turned on the flashlight under his chin and then waved his fingers at Spike in a spooky manner. “Oooohhh… Spiiiiiiikey!” Sonic spoke playfully in his creepy voice. The CMCs giggled at Sonic’s silly performance. Spike, however, whimpered frightfully before he buried himself under the pillows. “Aw, Spike! There's no need to be scared!” Apple Bloom coaxed gently. “Yeah, buddy,” Sonic added, feeling bad for scaring him. “I'm sorry. Everything's okay.” Before they could coax Spike further, the TV suddenly came to life, causing everyone to jump. On the TV screen was nothing but a black and white snowy static with loud hissing noises. It would usually be the case if they had lost cable connection due to no power. Except for the fact that they still have no power and the TV turned itself on. The four of them stared at the screen for a solid minute with weary expressions. “Okay… that is creepy!” Scootaloo remarked. Sweetie Belle gulped. “Are we being hunted by g-g-ghosts?” “D-don’t be ridiculous Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom stammered somewhat. “They ain't real… right Sonic?” “...you'll be surprised,” Sonic muttered with a gulp. “Especially with the ones with yellow eyes and sharp teeth.” As Apple Bloom was disturbed by this information, Sonic slowly stood up and walked toward the TV. “Um, excuse me? We did not order a poltergeist,” Sonic called out nervously. Then there was a sudden loud knock on the door, startling everyone in the process. There was a tense silence in the room, fear choking in their hearts.  Sonic slowly turned his head at the CMCs and Spike. “Uh, girls? …are we expecting anyone?” The girls looked at each other nervously for a moment before Apple Bloom was the one who answered. “N-no…” she replied quietly. “At least… Ah don't think so.” Before she could say further, they heard another set of knocks on the door, much more aggressively this time. Everyone, including Spike, felt even more scared, wondering who the heck was at the door. With a slight ounce of courage, Sonic took it upon himself to investigate this mysterious visitor. “Stay here!” Sonic ordered as he made his way toward the living room. “No way! Ah'm coming too!” said Apple Bloom as she followed Sonic. “Me too!” Scootaloo added before following them. “Ditto!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, running after her friends. “W-wait for me!” Spike yelped, jumping off the couch and running after them. Had any of them stayed longer, they would have seen a huge shadow of a man projected the room after a storm lightning flashed from the window. Shortly after Sonic, the CMCs, and Spike arrived in the living room, they nervously stood in front of the front door. They jumped as they heard some more knocks coming from the door as if someone was trying to break through.  Apple Bloom let out a loud gulp. “Girls… Ah got a bad feeling about this!” “M-me too!” Sweetie Belle whispered. “Who could that be?” “M-maybe it was Snips and Snails!” Scootaloo suggested, trying to make her friend and herself feel less scared. “I-I bet they’re trying to prank us!” “Well, whoever it was, it’s not funny! Prank or not!” Spike retorted quietly with a nervous expression. They nearly jumped when lights flickered a few times before they went dark again. The series of knocks continued throughout the event and didn’t help in the slightest as the girls and dog huddled one another. Seeing his family huddled and shaken in fear, Sonic took a deep breath before he slowly approached the front door. “Um, if this is the pizza guy, this is really unprofessional,” Sonic remarked. Just as Sonic finally reached the door, the knocks stopped, confusing everyone in the process. Was this all a prank after all? Did whoever was knocking finally give up and run away? A little curious, yet apprehensive, Sonic leaned his ear against the door, trying to hear from the other side. He heard nothing. Against his better judgment, Sonic then slowly reached out to the doorknob so that he could take a peak outside. Before he could do that, however, sparks suddenly shot through the doorknob, causing Sonic to jump back and the others to scream. As Sonic joined the others, they watched as the sparks slowly went around the doorknob, as if it was slowly trying to cut through it. “What's going on?” Apple Bloom shouted. “What's happening!?” “I don’t know! I don’t know!” Scootaloo shot back. “Girls, I'm scared!” Sweetie Belle yelled, hugging Scootaloo to keep herself from crying. Suddenly, they all heard Spike let out a ferocious growl, who was glaring daggerly at the door. “Spike… what is it?” Sonic inquired in concern. “It’s that smell!” Spike growled, keeping his eyes on the door. “I don’t know what it is, but it smelled foul… but familiar!” Before Sonic could ask to clarify, the sparks suddenly stopped, causing the doorknob to fall off and no longer hold the door in place. They all stood with nervous anticipation as they heard the door gently pushed away, slowly revealing the intruder in front of them. Once the door was open completely, they couldn’t make out who that person was at first because they were covered in shadow. But when the lightning flashed, followed by a loud boom of thunder, they all stood in horror once they recognized the person who was probably the last person they all thought they would ever see again. “Robotnik!?” The CMCs and Spike screamed in fear. “Eggman!?” Sonic shouted in shock. Unfazed, Robotnik turned his head to his gloved finger, which he used to cut through the door, and blew the spark out of his pointer finger. He then slowly faced the girls with his evil grin. “Hello, girls!” His eyes then landed on Sonic and let out an unfriendly growl. “And hello, hedgehog! …did ya miss me?”