//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Missing // Story: Equestria Girls 3: The Friendship Games // by EmeraldSkies //------------------------------// Today was finally the day. The first day out of five that could mean a victorious win for Canterlot High. Or, a continued winning streak for Crystal Prep, much to the dismay of the students at Canterlot High. This year, the Friendship Games were happening at Crystal Prep, because they were the school that had the budget for hosting it instead of Canterlot High, and had just gotten a motocross and archery addition. It seems to cost your school a lot of money out of the budget when you turn into a she-demon and they need to repair the front wall. Though it wasn't that bad that the games were happening at the other school, as it was considerably fancier. The school was made partially out of blue Crystals, and had an almost old fashioned feel to it. "Woah," Rainbow Dash said, stepping out of the bus and taking a look at the school for the first time, the rest of the girls following soon behind her. "Woah is right." Sunset stopped to admire the Crystal walls on the school. "This looks just like the Crystal Empire. Oh, that's a crystal city where I'm from," she said, before continuing to walk. They turned the corner, and in the distance, could see a gathering of people they assumed were Crystal Prep's students. Partially by their fancy prep school uniforms, and some who they could remember from past years. "Um, there are a lot of people here. I'm not sure if I can do something with this many people." Fluttershy said shyly. "Maybe I should just not participate." "Oh, don't worry dear, you'll be fine!" Rarity said, trying to cheer up her scared friend. "But, if these punks try anything, I swear they'll get it." She said, breaking out of her normal formality. "Don't be such a drama queen Rarity, ah'm sure that nobody would try to sabota-" Applejack was bumped into by someone. "Oh sorry" The girl said sarcastically, feeling no guilt from bumping in to Applejack. She pretended to smile at her, then disappeared back to the crowds. "My point stands clear." "Wait, guys. Have any of you seen Pinkie Pie recently?" Sunset asked, just realizing that her friend may have disappeared a few minutes ago. Everyone stopped, and looked at her, as they too realized she was missing. "Oh crap. She could be anywhere by now!" Rainbow face palmed, looking into the crowd to see if she could find her, but to no luck. "Girls, get ready to pan out." "But Rainbow Dash, what if we have to stay here?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the Principals, getting ready to start the opening ceremony celebration in a few minutes. Sunset raised her hand. "I could just stay here if you guys go and find her. That way I can tell you if they said anything important." "Ah reckon that could work," Applejack nodded in approval. "Okay then. You-" Rainbow pointed to Sunset. "Stay here and listen to anything important that they say," Sunset nodded. "And then the rest of us will try to find Pinkie Pie, because I have no idea where she could be right now." "Yes but darling, I suppose I'm not really dressed for this sort of thing right now?" Rarity said, gesturing to her 'unsuitable' outfit. "Oh c'mon, lets go," Rainbow Dash said, as she pulled Rarity out of there and they started their search for Pinkie Pie. - - - - - - - - - - "Pinkie Pie?" Rarity called out, now running through the many hallways of the school. She had been doing this for minutes now, and still had no trace of the pink party pony. "Pinkie Pie? Where are you dear?" she yelled out, before looking at her now scuffed boots. "Oh how I hate running in these boots, it always ruins them." - - - - - - - - - - Applejack looked inside the classroom, but it was empty, just like all of the other ones she had seen. She was starting to doubt that there was any chance of her ever finding Pinkie. Or, if someone else had already found Pinkie and they were all waiting for her to come back. "Darnit Pinkie Pie, you always seem to disappear when ah least expect it." she said, frusturated from looking for her for so long. "Then again, ah wonder why we always need to find ya." - - - - - - - - - - Fluttershy was assigned to searching the crowds of people outside of the school. This was by far the hardest place to search, as Fluttershy was very shy around people, and that it would be nearly impossible to spot her friend. "Um, excuse me," Fluttershy said, barely auditable, as she was once again pushing through a huge crowd. "I said excuse me, please," she tried once again, still not able to get through the crowd. "Oh, curse my quiet voice." - - - - - - - - - - "Pinkie Pie? You in here?" Rainbow Dash searched the washroom, checking under stalls to see if she was hiding somewhere inside. She suddenly felt a poke on her shoulder, and turned around to see of course, Pinkie Pie, standing right behind her. "Pinkie, I thought we had lost you!" Rainbow said, half irritated that she had just spent twenty minutes searching for her. "Sorry! I just saw that they were selling cotton candy, and I couldn't resist! It's cotton candy!" Pinkie drooled. "Okay, let's just find the others and get back," Rainbow said, leading Pinkie Pie out of the washroom, into the back foyer of the school, where she surprisingly saw the rest of her group. "What are you guys doing here? I though we were all supposed to be searching?" she asked. "Well, to be honest, my boots were becoming quite a mess. I just needed a, well, short break?" Rarity half asked, seeing if Rainbow would buy her excuse. "And the rest of you?" "Well, ah was walking around, and saw Rarity here so I talked with her for a bit." Applejack said. "And ah'm pretty sure that Fluttershy here was done with trying to search the crowds." Rainbow Dash face palmed. "Okay you slackers, let's just head back to where Sunset is waiting, because I'm sure she's wondering where we are by now." The girls got off of the bench and started walking back to where the crowds were. Rarity stopped for a second to gawk at her ruined boots, but Applejack just pulled her along. They must of been distracted talking to each other, because right before they got to the back door of the school, Fluttershy accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy said, embarrassed that she had bumped into her. "No problem. Now just excuse me," the girl said, moving through. Recognizing the voice from somewhere, everyone turned to take a look at the girl that Fluttershy had bumped into. She had purple skin, and blue and purple hair which they all remembered. "TWILIGHT?!" - - - - - - - - - Sunset Shimmer looked at her watch, 8:50 am. There were only ten minutes left until the games had officially started, yet there was still no sign of the girls or Pinkie Pie. She had been walking around the area a bit, to make sure that Pinkie hadn't returned. There were a lot of booths set up around the field, selling all sorts of treats that she found hard to resist buying. Cookies, cupcakes, cotton candy and popcorn were just to name a few. She rifled through her pockets to see if there was any change she could use. Sunset managed to pull out one dollar and ninety cents, barely short of the two dollars that she needed. "Jeez, the one day that I don't have enough money." she said to herself. "I happened to over hear," a girl said in front of her, turning around. Sunset recognized her as Sunny Flare, from previous competitions. "You see, Sunset Shimmer, that I do happen to have ten extra cents here with me," she said, as she dropped it into the mud beside her. "Oh, oops!" Sunset rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here anyway?" "Actually, as far as I'm concerned, this seems to be my school. Is it not?" Flare laughed, giving her order to the student running the stand. "But, I do see that you aren't bullying kids out of their lunch money anymore it seems?" Sunset ignored her, not wanting to bring it up. "Name your price." Sunny Flare though for a moment, before deciding. "I'll give you the ten cents if you help me carry back all this stuff - and- if you let me have a bit of whatever you're getting." "Fine," Sunset agreed, getting the ten cents from Sunny and ordering a cotton candy. "Why are you buying so much stuff anyway?" "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I have five friends who basically forced me to get their stuff for them," Flare said, annoyed at her friends. "At least you're doing something nice for them," Sunset said, starting to help carry some of the stuff. Sunny looked up at her, as if she had just met another person, before shaking out of it. "I guess so," she said, walking faster ahead. They finally got to the bench where the rest of Sunny Flare's friends were sitting, hungry and some trying to shade themselves from the beaming sun. "I'm back," she said, starting to hand the stuff to them. "And you are welcome for getting your stuff." Sour Sweet looked up from her freezie. "Who is she?" Sour said, pointing up at Sunset Shimmer who was just awkwardly standing there. "Are we supposed to know her?" "She looks like she's from Canterlot High." Indigo Zap said, "and we don't associate with the enemy team. So goodbye!" she waved, trying to get Sunset out of there as quick as she could manage. Sunset looked down at the remaining purple cupcake in her hand. "Who's is this?" "That's just Twilight's, but you know, I'll gladly eat it if she doesn't show up soon," Lemon Zest said, already having eaten her food in only half a minute. Sunset almost spat out her cookie. "Twilight Sparkle?"