Arriving at their reserved seats with the principals and Dean Cadence, Charming Thunder sat next to Danny and Cinch as the competitors get themselves ready for the next round. Charming Thunder leaned over to Danny and whispered, "Anything to report?"
"Fluttershy's magic has been drained," Danny reported quietly. "She believes that Twilight was responsible by using some sort of device around her neck."
"Guessing that maybe the same thing that happened to the portal." The crowd began to cheer as the round is about to start. Cadence stood holding a microphone as she announced the details for the event.
"Welcome, everyone to the Friendship Games Tricross Relay!" Cadence announced. "In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in archery, speed skating, and finally, motocross. So if the competitors are ready..." Cadence raised the air horn and blows it as Principle Cinch covered her ears. Fluttershy and Sour Sweet made their way to their bow and arrows. "Each competitor must hit a bullseye before their teammates can start the next leg of the relay." Sour Sweet was the first to grab the bow and arrow and fired three at one of the moving targets. The audience cheered as Charming Thunder became amazed with what he saw.
"Three arrows on the same target, eh?" Charming Thunder said. "Well, well."
"That's why she's the best at archery," Principle Cinch replied.
"I could've done it better myself," Danny said to himself. Twilight was the next of the Crystal Prep to run to the stand. When she attempted to jump, she tripped on the haystack and landed face first to the ground. Fluttershy successfully hits a bullseye on a target and Applejack was the next to run towards her location and jumped over obstacles. "Well at least Fluttershy can shoot an arrow with her eyes closed. Bless her soul a miracle." Applejack arrived to get her bow and arrows and readied it. Twilight's arrows kept missing the target and some of them were weak shots. Applejack breathed in and released the arrow at the right time to hit a bullseye. Rarity and Pinkie dashed off on their roller skates as they took the lead.
"And Canterlot is off to an early lead!" Cadence announced. Charming Thunder eyed Twilight who was still missing the target. "If CPA can't hit another bullseye soon, they'll be out of this race." He then saw Applejack helping Twilight with her archery. She then fired her arrow at the right moment and hits a bullseye on the target. He then noticed Applejack ponied up and her magic being drained to Twilight's device. "Canterlot only has two laps to go! But it looks like Crystal Prep is making up for lost time!" He then turned to Danny and pointed to Applejack. He saw a portal open up that came from the device. "What a finish!" Sunset and Rainbow Dash revved up their bikes and drove off. Suddenly, a creature appeared out of the portal and started to attack as the race continued. Charming Thunder and Danny stood up to see what's happening and sees that Rainbow and Sunset crossed the finish line without becoming plant food. "Canterlot wins!" Students of Canterlot High cheered for the winners of the race as Charming Thunder and Danny left the area to go down to their friends to see if they were alright. Arriving to them, they see Sunset getting off her bike and removing her helmet.
"The magic is going haywire and I have no idea how to fix it!" Sunset said.
"Um, excuse me, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Twilight explained. "I just wanted to learn about the strange energy coming from your school. I didn't know that it was magic or...how it works."
"That's okay," Rainbow replied. "Neither do we." The device around Twilight's neck went out of control and began to suck the magic out of Rainbow.
"RAINBOW!!" Danny shouted as he tried to rush over to save her. He was stopped by Charming Thunder. "LET GO OF ME!! SHE NEEDS HELP!!"
"Your magic will be drained too," Charming Thunder explained as he keeps his brother under control. Danny calmed down as the device began to open a portal over their heads. He then releases his brother and lets him run to Rainbow as Charming Thunder slowly walked over to the group.
"I'm sorry!" Twilight said. "It just started absorbing energy on its own! But I'm not sure how!"
"What do you mean you don't know how?!"
"It also causes these corresponding rifts to appear! I don't know how that works either."
" Is there anything you do know?! Like how to get our magic back?! Or how to fix the portal to Equestria?!"
"Equestria?"
"You're supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think you shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand?!" Sunset closed the device which caused the portal to close as well. Charming Thunder arrived to the group as Sunset got angry at Twilight.
"But I wanna understand!"
"That's enough, Sunset."
"No. You stay quiet and she will hear me out." Charming Thunder was shocked so he drooped his head down. "And worst of all, you put the lives of my friends in danger!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Twilight began to cry as she ran away from the group. Sunset's anger faded away as everyone except Charming Thunder see Principal Celestia approach them.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop all this from happening."
"It's not your fault, Sunset," Celestia said.
"Isn't it? I should know how to control the magic I brought here. But I don't. I let everyone down. And now Principal Cinch thinks we're cheating."
"It doesn't matter what Principal Cinch thinks."
"But it does. The students here at CHS don't just wanna win. They wanna beat Crystal Prep. It isn't gonna count if the other side doesn't really think they lost. Crystal Prep is never gonna believe we won fair and square if there's magic around. And that magic is only around...because of me." Danny placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder as he tried to calm her down.
"It's not the only thing," Danny said as he gestured his head to Charming Thunder's direction who is starting to walk away with shame.
"Oh no! Charming, I didn't mean to--"
"No!!" Charming Thunder shouted. "It's too late now. Its probably my fault too. I just....I just need to think this over." Charming Thunder continued to walk away from the group. Sunset turned to the others who looked sad as well except for Principal Celestia and Danny. Sunset was about to go after Charming Thunder, but was stopped by Celestia's hand placed over her shoulder.
"Let him go, Sunset. He'll probably come around before the final event." Danny decided to go find Twilight and maybe the masked man if he's lucky.
---------------------
Charming Thunder sat in the second floor of the library feeling disappointed about what happened earlier. Not that Sunset yelled at him, but he believes that all this madness was his fault. "She doesn't understand," Charming Thunder said softly. "There's so little left of me." He sniffled as he wiped a tear off of his eye. "So little left."
(Note: Sung to the tune of Beauty and the Beast's If I Can't Love Her)
Sung by Charming Thunder
And in this twisted fate
There's not a slightest trace
Of anything that even hints of kindness
And behind this mask
No comfort, no escape
I see, but deep in her is utter blindness
Hopeless
As my vision fades
As the time flies
Loved a long lost friend
Helpless
Unforgiven
Cold and driven
To this sad stories end
Her beauty has moved me
Her goodness improved me
Her magic on earth
If she really loves me
Her passion has reached me
As her lessons have taught me
How I could have loved her so she could love me too
If she really loves me, what then?
Charming Thunder gets up from his chair and walks through the library as he puts on his helmet.
Long ago, I should have sensed
All the things she could have been
Careless and unthinking, I moved onward
Charming Thunder opened the door which leads him to the roof of the school and he stood to see the sun beginning to set.
No pain could be deeper
No life could be cheaper
No point anymore
If she really loves me
No spirit could win me
No hope left within her
Hope I could have loved her
Before she came to this world
But it's not to be
If she really loves me
Charming Thunder's cape transformed into bats and his bat wings spread out on his back as he floated in the air.
Let this be the end of me