//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Investigations 
// Story: Equestria Girls 3: The Friendship Games 
// by EmeraldSkies 
//------------------------------//

Twilight slung her purple and blue bag over her shoulder and knocked on the door to Sunset Shimmer's apartment. She had been surprisingly invited there because she was now considered a friend to them. Twilight found this quite ironic.

The visit had been good for Twilight too, as she was dying to see any insight on what was really going on at Canterlot High. Maybe it was so that these girls were the key she needed to unlock the mysteries happening all around her. She had brought a few tools to investigate with, hence her purple bag.

Twilight had now been waiting at least half a minute, and the door hadn't moved at all. She knocked again, louder this time to get their attention. She heard a few giggles, silence, and then the door opened at last.

"Oh hello Twilight! We're so glad you were able to come." Fluttershy looked around the room, lost in time for a few moments. "Oh, sorry! Come in please." she gestured Twilight to come in.

Is this some magic cult or something? Twilight wondered when she first walked in the room. The girls were all gathered around in a circle, with something in the middle. "Um, what are you guys doing?" Twilight asked ignorantly.

Everyone looked up at her, and there was a loud laugh. "Nice one," said Rainbow Dash, moving over for her to have a seat with them.

She sat down, still looking at everyone confused. Twilight had never been to small parties or anything of the sort before, so she had no idea what was going on. "I'm not joking, I honestly have no idea what's going on here. Wait -- is this some sort of board game?"

Sunset supressed a giggle. "Yes, it's called Monopoly. Jeez, I've only been in the human world for about three years and even I know that." she started shutting the board. "Also known as the game that ruins friendships."

"C'mon! I was totally about to win that!" Pinkie crossed her arms, and gave a huge frown.

"And that is exactly my point here." Sunset packed the rest of the board into the box for later, and went to go put it away in the cupboard. 

"Human world? Do you mean that you're also from the pony place? That's so fascinating! You seem quite normal to me, not like a pony or any other creature." Twilight got out her notebook and pen from her bag.

Applejack looked suspiciously at her notebook, then shrugged it off. "Yes sugarcube, she's from the pony world alright. Her and the other Twilight are both. Actually, speaking of Twilight, do you know if she has replied to you yet?" Applejack asked, getting the journal out.

"Dear!" Rarity smacked the book from Applejack's hand. "You can't just invade her property without asking! How unladylike of you." She took the journal from her. "Sunset, may we check if she has replied yet?"

"Sure," Sunset sat back down where she was. "I didn't see it buzzing though," she said skeptically.

"Ooh! Yay, she replied! " Pinkie yelled excitedly, pointing at the spot in the book where the Princess had written. "Let me read this in her voice. Ahem-"



Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Hello again! Sorry I wasn't able to reply, I was kept very busy with a lot of Princess Paperwork. (Thank you very much Celestia). But I must say, that is so fascinating that you met the other me! I have so many questions for you, I just can't help it! Does she look like me? Does she love reading and learning like me? I really want to meet her - but I don't think I can actually.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to come over like you thought. Don't get me wrong, I want to and all, but I'm really busy with the map going off at random times, and I'm worried that if I might the other me, something bad might happen. The portal could rip, or one of us could fade from existence, or something absolutely crazy. I'm sorry but-




"-But I'm not going to be able to visit you guys right now." Pinkie said sadly. The letter was going downhill, and quickly. "I completely understand if you're mad at me, but I'm really sorry. Twilight Sparkle." The whole room went silent, except for Human Twilight still jotting down notes in her notepad.

"Well, that was surely unexpected." Rarity said, breaking the awkward silence, closing the book and placing it back down again. The girls looked down, disappointed. They had been looking forward to her visit for months.

Sunset seemed the most hard hit by this, as she was the one most in touch with Twilight. She looked up, and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Excuse me for a second," she said, getting up. She wasn't mad, just disappointed. Really, really disappointed. If she was still the old Sunset, she would of blamed it on Twilight, but she was better than that. She just needed a moment to calm down.

Human Twilight looked up from her notepad, ready to ask more questions, until she realized the whole mood of the room had changed. "Guys, I'm really sorry about this."

Fluttershy put her hand on Twilight's shoulder. "It's not entirely your fault," she said reassuringly.

Rainbow looked at her. "Actually, it kind of is her fault!" She was annoyed at her too, ruining her friend's visit just like that.

Fluttershy took her hand off of Twilight's shoulder. "Girls! You all need to take a breath and calm down. Twilight didn't mean to do anything, and I think that's unkind of you all to put the entire fault of this on her alone." She said sternly. "How would you feel if we all blamed you for it?" There was a silence in the room. "Exactly."

"Well, ah agree with Fluttershy. We should all just forget this for the moment, and try to have fun." She pulled a few cans out of her bag. "I even brought apple cider with me."

Pinkie looked up after hearing the word apple cider. The sugar was calling to her, she need to have a sip or ten. "Thanks Applejack," she said, grabbing the can as her hair started to revert to it's original shape.

Sunset took a can from Applejack right after Pinkie. "I'm sorry for out bursting at you Twilight."

"Me too," chorused the rest of the group as they each took a sip of the apple cider.

Twilight took a sip of the juice, and was immediately hit with it's pure goodness. "Wow, this is actually really good," she said, taking another sip, and getting out her notebook again. "Anyways, is it okay if I ask you some questions about Equestria?" Everyone nodded back to her. "Ok, number one. How does the magic work when in the human world?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Sunset said, looking puzzled. "I tried investigating it before, but to no avail. All I did was just cause disaster. But I'm sure it has someone to do with activating the friendship or something cheesy like that." 

Twilight scribbled this all down in her notes, fascinated. She wondered if she could also use the magic, to apply it on herself and others that might not be from Equestria. "Has the magic ever worked on non-Equestrians?" 

"Well," Rainbow Dash butted in. "The rest of us are 100% human, and we still get these wicked ponytails and wings! I think it's pretty coolif you ask me."

"So, do you have to be Equestrian for it to work?"

The athletic girl thought for a few seconds. "Well since it works on us too, I guess not. It's the magic of friendship, as Twilight describes it. It should work on anybody. It enhances our performance, whether it be music or sports, or whatever awesome thing we're doing. and did I mention, it's super awesome?"

"No Rainbow, you've only said that about five times," said Rarity combing through her hair with her fingers. "Speaking of transformations, I still must get those earrings. But the magic effect doesn't last long enough I suppose. It ends right after we're finished." Rarity added.

Very interesting indeed, Twilight noted down. Her mind wondered if there was some way to enhance the magic, to research it and use it to it's full advantage, to see how long the effects would last. She would surely do this when she got home, but she still needed one more thing from each of the girls.

"Err.. how can I put this normally?" Twilight fidgeted. "Can I have a strand of each of your hair please?"