Day: Thursday
Weather: Sunny, strong gusts of wind prominent
Time: 4:00pmPrincipal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were the only ones who could have stopped those new girls from changing the Musical Showcase into a Battle of the Bands. But they had become seduced by their singing and had agreed to make it a competition instead of a charity event. Those girls even had a name for their band: The Dazzlings. The situation had gotten much worse. My friends and I now felt truly isolated, as we were the only ones who hadn't been affected by the Dazzlings. Luckily, a breakthrough came when my friends figured out that they were protected somehow with the magic they had acquired from Princess Twilight. We also concluded that she was needed in order for the magic to work, so that meant bringing her back to this world. That would not be easy since the portal was closed and would remain that way for a long time. Perhaps a secret from my past would be the key to solving that particular problem. It may also solve another: Why am I unaffected by the Dazzlings' singing? I had no magic, so what was my reason?
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
December 18, 2015
Chapter 29: Return of the Princess.
" Bring back Princess Twilight?" Twilight asked.
" If anyone could help us figure out how to defeat the Sirens and save everyone, she was the one." I answered.
" Guess it must have been easy for her to return, considering she already did it once before." Twilight said.
" Actually, it wasn't. Remember that the portal between this world and Equestria only opened every thirty moons, so we would have had to have waited at least another twenty-seven moons before she could have come through. Whatever happened that enabled me to use it much sooner than expected didn't happen again, so our options were limited. Waiting that long wasn't an option. Princess Twilight was needed right then." I said.
" I'm surprised that you would put yourself down like that. I know that your knowledge about magic wasn't as good as it used to be, but why put so much pressure on Princess Twilight before she even returned? Surely, you had done your share of reading about Equestrian magic, so if anything, you could have recalled such experiences." Twilight said. I blushed, embarrassed at what she said, and she immediately noticed. While it was true that my knowledge wasn't as strong, my preferred method of learning was completely different. " Sunset, why are you blushing? Is there something you're not telling me?" Twilight asked.
" The truth is, I never was a fan of reading dusty, old books, and Princess Celestia discovered that fact during my time with her. I mean, I'd read some books she assigned to me because of how important they were to my studies, but much of the time I just couldn't grasp the concepts simply by reading them off of a page. I was a pony who wanted to go out into the field and experience things first-hoof--hand--rather than read about it. Granted, there were some things that could only be discovered in books, but I never once regretted my decision to want to learn in that manner." I answered.
" I take it your method didn't involve learning about the Sirens?" Twilight asked.
" Not much was known about them because they were few in number, according to some books. They disappeared into the annals of Equestrian history and were largely forgotten as a result. As such, Princess Celestia never felt the need for me to study about them, so I never did." I answered. Star Swirl the Bearded was to blame for that, as he banished them in the first place. He chose not to tell her what he did, but why he kept it a secret until his death had never been made known. I then remembered one of the Friendship Reports I wrote to Princess Twilight. She told me that she had access to books, scrolls, and the like which Star Swirl had written during his lifetime. One of those books happened to be his journal, where he wrote down all of his secrets. Unfortunately, the one relating to the Sirens' fate was absent. I guess he was just too ashamed to ever write it down. Or maybe he did, but it became lost over time.
" What are you thinking about?" Twilight asked.
" Just some memories of Equestria's past." I answered.
" Nothing I would understand, right?" Twilight asked. It felt unfair that I couldn't tell her such things. Much about Equestrian lore would just sail right over her head. Then again, I've been living here for the past three years, so my knowledge of what's been going on lately in Equestria isn't all that great either. If anyone could teach her more about Equestria's history, it would be Princess Twilight herself. That would probably be the awkward moment of the year, right there! I could just imagine seeing those two in the same room together, one trying to teach the other about a world much different than her own, both struggling to come to grips that they both look almost identical to each other. Twilight then snapped her fingers when she saw that I was thinking again, and I quickly came out of my trance and addressed her.
" Sorry about that, Twilight, and yes, you wouldn't understand. But, you could always learn about it if you wanted." I said.
" That is a possibility, but for now I'll stick with the facts that I do know and leave the magical ones to you." Twilight said. I smiled, nodding, and reached out to turn to the next page of the journal. I winced a little because my hand was still throbbing from when I punched the ground earlier in frustration, so I handed the book to Twilight, who placed it on her lap before turning the page. Her eyes widened when she saw another photo had been glued there. " Sunset? Why do you have a photo of your journal here?"
" That's my other journal." I answered.
" Oh? You mean the magical one?" Twilight asked.
" I would finally use it again for the first time since I left Equestria." I answered.
My friends and I were shocked over discovering that Princess Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had been hypnotised by those new girls The Dazzlings. Their glowing eyes confirmed my worst fears. It meant that we were the only ones who now remained unaffected by the dark magic that gripped CHS. We knew that sticking around any longer would amount to nothing, so we left Principal Celestia's office without saying another word. Their stoic eyes, coupled with their false smiles, watched us as we closed the door on the way out. We needed somewhere to go in order to think about our next course of action, and I suggested the Wondercolt statue. After all, we had to maintain school pride during such dark times, and the statue represented that pride in spades.
Walking down the hallway, I began thinking about the dark magic the Dazzlings used to hypnotize everyone. There was no doubt in my mind that it was Equestrian in origin, but it didn't make sense to me at all. How could they have gained access to that? They weren't present when I became a she-demon, so they wouldn't have been inspired to seek out similar magic. Were they truly from Equestria? That thought made me bite my thumb a little bit. This world could have been destroyed because of Equestrian magic, courtesy of yours truly, and now it was experiencing the same problem again. The amount of guilt piercing my heart grew stronger with each passing minute. If I had never come here, this world would have remained free from magical problems. However, if the Dazzlings came here before me, what made them decide to make their move now? Upon exiting the front entrance to CHS, my friends and I walked over to the statue, sat down around it, and began to think. I chose to keep my thoughts on this situation to myself, just in case I get blamed for it. After all, part of this situation was my own doing.
" I can't believe what we witnessed!" Rarity shouted.
" They got to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, too! They were our best chance of convincing everyone not to go through with this whole idea of having a competition, and now look at them. I can only imagine what it must have been like when they heard that singing." Fluttershy said.
" Probably horrible." Rarity said.
" Um, I was thinking it was more pleasant." Fluttershy said.
" Duly noted, Fluttershy darling, but you know what I meant." Rarity said.
" It don't really matter what they felt! The point is, they've been mesmerized by those Dazzlings!" Applejack said.
" They've gotten to everybody!" Rainbow Dash said.
" Not everybody!" Pinkie Pie said, looking at each of us in turn to signify that we were the only ones left.
" We're all that remains who haven't been affected by their singing." Applejack said.
" Sunset Shimmer, what do you suppose prevented us from being affected?" Rarity asked.
" I've been thinking about that for a while now, and while I don't have a definitive answer, I do have a theory. Each of you have become affected by Equestrian magic, due to the magic Princess Twilight used when you all faced off against me. It's possible that you've gotten some kind of immunity to this dark magic those girls have been using, but I don't know if that's correct or not. Of course, it doesn't even begin to explain why I wasn't affected. I don't have any magic now, so why was I spared? If anything, I should have become hypnotized faster than anyone else. After all, it's not like I mean all that much to anyone aside from all of you." I answered.
" Sunset..." Rarity said.
" Okay, so we have some kind of protection that relates to our ability to pony up?" Applejack asked.
" Something like that." I answered. I felt really uncomfortable because these questions were ones that I didn't really have any answers to. I wasn't even sure if the answers I gave were correct either, aside from what I said about myself. I really wanted to help figure this out, as I was the resident expert on magic, but this was completely beyond my scope of understanding. Had I more knowledge about Equestrian magic, my confidence would be brimming. Instead, it had completely fizzled; I had no idea what I was doing. " Girls... I can't pretend to know things that I don't. I'm... not really sure what the answers are. I've lived here for just over three years now, and despite having used dark magic from a stolen crown, my knowledge isn't what it used to be. Sorry... I'm so sorry for giving you all false hope." I then looked up at my friends who, in turn, were looking at me as though there were something wrong with my face. " Uh, why are you staring?" I asked.
" Dark magic!" Rarity answered.
" We already established that." I said.
" You used it before when you had your 'moment', so you should be able to determine if what the Dazzlings used is identical." Rarity said. While I didn't like to be reminded of what I did by my friends--I got that enough from everyone else--she made a valid point. I used dark magic to hypnotize everyone, yet the Dazzlings allowed them to retain a semblance of free will. I took their free will away from them. There were some similarities, yet what they used was different. Their magic seemed more natural, yet it lacked finesse. Mine was borrowed from an artefact, and augmented slightly. Perhaps they haven't been using their full power? If that was true, then why? I then recalled that I taught myself some dark magic spells before Princess Celestia discovered what I had done behind her back. It took me a moment to wrack through my brain to see if any of them were similar to what the Dazzlings used, but I couldn't remember. It had been far too long since those days.
" No, I don't think it's the same." I announced.
" Are you certain, darling?" Rarity asked.
" Quite certain." I answered.
" That's alright, though. Sorry for putting any pressure on you, but at the very least we have some kind of idea as to what is going on." Rarity said. Deep down, I knew she and the others were disappointed that I wasn't able to provide them with an answer. Guess I wasn't the most reliable of people when it came to threats against the school. This should have been right up my alley, but it wasn't. All because I had grown distant from my Equestrian heritage.
" So let's take them down!" Rainbow Dash announced.
" How do we do that?" Fluttershy asked.
" It's not like we haven't tangled with dark magic before and totally whooped its sorry butt! Uh, no offense." Rainbow Dash answered, turning her head towards me.
" None taken. Again!" I said, sighing.
" We were able to beat it once and we can easily do it again! All we need to do is use that magical rainbow from the Fall Formal and bam! Problem solved, everyone gets free from their hypnosis, and we can bask in the sweet glory at the end." Rainbow Dash said. While I admired her determination for wanting to take action, it was clear to me that she had no idea of how magic really worked. In Equestria, we always were able to make it do whatever we wanted. In this world, it felt more restricted.
" Um, there is one problem..." Fluttershy began.
" What's that?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" When we used our magic, it was because Princess Twilight was here. It was her magical connection to her crown along with our connection to those Elements that allowed us to use it in the first place. Without her presence, I don't think we can use it. Also, our magic only seems to come out whenever we play music. We may have magic inside of us, but we have no control over when it can be unleashed. So, um, the idea to... 'whoop anybody's butt' is, uh, probably not going to work. I'm sure the same can be said with everyone else here, and I do mean everyone." Fluttershy answered. Her response caused everyone, including me, to sigh. She was right. My friends had magic, but again, the nature of this world makes it more restrictive than in Equestria. If I had magic, I might have been able to substitute for Princess Twilight. But I don't, so that idea held no meaning.
" Then we have only one option." Rarity announced.
" What's that?" Everyone else asked.
" We need to bring Princess Twilight back." Rarity answered.
" How?" Fluttershy asked.
" If we can send her a message, she should be able to tell us what we need to do in order to defeat the Dazzlings and break their dark magical hold on everyone. So, does anyone have a good idea of how we can make contact with her?" Rarity asked. All eyes immediately turned to me, which made me withdraw slightly. Considering that I had disappointed them by not knowing if the dark magic I used was the same as what the Dazzlings used, I'm not sure why they assumed I would have that answer, as well. To be honest, I felt as though they were pinning too many of their hopes on me. I was failing them each and every time.
" That's not going to happen! The portal's closed!" Rainbow Dash said. Everyone else, except me, sighed before they began doing various things to pass the time. Rarity was applying nail polish to her fingers, Rainbow Dash was kicking around a soccer ball that she had brought along with her, and Pinkie was blowing bubbles using a bubble blower she pulled out from her pocket. Applejack and Fluttershy merely sat there, the former in deep thought over what could be done, the latter staring up at the afternoon sky. Me? I just stared at the side of the statue which housed the portal to Equestria. Honestly, if it were open right now, I'd have gone through to escape from all of this. I knew that such a thought was deplorable, as I couldn't just abandon my friends, but a part of me felt compelled to go back and leave this behind. After staring at it for a while in silence, Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, addressing me in particular. " How long does the portal remain closed for?"
" According to the one who originally created it, the portal would only open every thirty moons. It would stay open for three nights before it closed for the next long duration. However, if something were to happen on either side that would create an magical imbalance, the portal would open much sooner than expected. That's what I did when I first returned to Equestria." I answered.
" How many, uh, moons do we have left?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" About twenty-five more." I answered.
" That's too long! Ugh! Our world will be in the hands of those Dazzlings by the time the portal opens again on its own. I'm starting to think that Rarity's idea sounds pretty solid, but I don't think they actually have cellphones where Princess Twilight is from." Rainbow Dash said.
" I wonder." I said to myself, getting up from the ground and pacing back and forth, deep in thought. The portal being closed was a major hindrance. We needed Princess Twilight now, yet Rainbow Dash was right. We had no means of communication, as the technology in this world doesn't exist in Equestria. There had to be another way to make contact. After pondering it over for a while longer, something hit me in the back of my mind. There was something we could do. I couldn't believe that I didn't think about it until right now, but would it still work? After all, I hadn't used it since I left Equestria, so it may be a false hope. Yet, it's all we've got left. " I may have an idea how we can get in touch with Princess Twilight!" I announced.
" Why didn't you say so?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I never thought about it until just now." I answered.
" Well, we might as well try your idea, Sunset Shimmer. Not like we got any better ideas." Applejack said.
" I just hope that this works. Otherwise, we'll have no chance of stopping those girls." I said. I then began to run towards the entrance, with everyone else following behind me, confused looks on their faces. I couldn't blame them. This was a longshot idea, at best. The chances of success depended on whether it still possessed the same magic that it had when I was given it a long time ago.
Upon entering the building, I immediately made a beeline towards my locker, my friends still following, still confused. It didn't take long to reach my locker, and when I opened it, I began to fumble around in the hopes that it was where I had left it. I had to dig deep into my locker, as what I was looking for had been buried underneath an assortment of books, bags, clothes, and whatever else I put in my locker. Eventually, I discovered it and struggled a little to pull it out, but when I succeeded, I presented it to my friends. Their confused looks grew stronger when I showed them what appeared to be an ordinary book.
" You kept the magic journal buried under a large pile of stuff?" Twilight asked.
" It's not like I did it on purpose. I had actually forgotten all about it." I answered.
" I don't suppose..." Twilight began.
" That I have the magic journal with me?" I asked.
" Guess I wasn't being very subtle about it." Twilight answered.
" I've always got it with me, because I do write to Princess Twilight often. I may understand friendship a lot more now than I used to, but I'm still learning." I said. Reaching out and grabbing my backpack, I opened it up before reaching inside. I fumbled about for a few moments before grabbing the magic journal and pulling it out. Compared to my other journal, this one looked clean, like it had been taken care of rigorously. On the front cover was an image of a sun shimmering, and I explained that this was my cutie mark, the symbol that represented my special talent in Equestria. " Compared to this one, my other journal has been well kept."
" Does it really work?" Twilight asked.
" Why don't you take a look for yourself?" I suggested, handing it over to Twilight. She then began to look at it from different angles while writing something down on her notepad. I just had to chuckle at what she was doing. It was cute. Despite having been exposed to magic, Twilight still has trouble believing that it exists, assuming there is a scientific reason behind how it works. After writing down a few more notes, Twilight opened to a random page, and was instantly amazed at what she was seeing. There were words written in black ink and words written in purple ink, the latter having a much fancier style to it.
" I'm guessing Princess Twilight writes in purple." Twilight said, jokingly.
" Was it that obvious?" I asked.
" According to what's written on these pages, you two talk about all kinds of things. Nothing is hidden or held back. You both express your deepest feelings on all kinds of subjects, and it gives off a student-teacher vibe. But, I'll be honest by saying that I still do doubt that this journal possesses magic. I know I've been exposed to magic, but something keeps preventing me from fully accepting it." Twilight answered.
" That's why I think you should write something down." I suggested.
" You want me to write in your private journal?" Twilight asked.
" It's not exactly private; I've shown our friends some of the things I've written down. Why don't you write something to Princess Twilight? If she's not too busy, I'm sure she will send you a reply within a few minutes." I answered. Twilight looked hesitant about doing this, and I could tell she felt that way. All throughout her life, she had believed in calculations and facts. Magic was supernatural, beyond normal parameters. I nudged her, trying to convince her to go through with it. Eventually, after the eighth nudge, she agreed. At first she spent a few moments thinking about what to say, chewing on the edge of her pen, but she eventually came up with something and wrote it down.
" Now what?" Twilight asked.
" Just wait and see what happens." I answered. A few minutes later, the magic journal began glowing, and words appeared, as though a ghost were writing them. Twilight looked on in complete shock, while I just smiled and stared at what was being said. " See? Princess Twilight responded to what you said. Good thing you mentioned that it was you who wrote that message just now. Otherwise, she would probably think I were crazy or something."
" Very impressive." Twilight said.
" That's what I used to do back when I was in Equestria. I would write something down in my journal, and Princess Celestia would receive my message in the journal that she kept by her side. Then she would respond back to me with her own words, and from there, we would communicate back and forth. While it would have made more sense just to talk to each other in person, given that we were living under the same castle, we just found this more convenient. Besides, she often was busy dealing with matters of state, so writing to me in her free time proved satisfying, somewhat." I said.
" Somewhat?" Twilight asked.
" There was still the urge to want to speak to me in person. This back-and-forth correspondence through journals occurred during the first year or two of my studies, but when I required a more direct approach, we both decided to abandon using our respective journals. I insisted on keeping it, though, in case I ever felt a need or want to use it. When I initially left Equestria after my 'falling out', I still held onto it, even though I could have just thrown it away. I realized that I still held a strong attachment to Princess Celestia, despite my heart claiming otherwise. So, my belief was that one day I might want to reach out to her again." I answered.
" Sunset..." Twilight said.
" One important thing I learned about using this journal was that I couldn't abuse its power. While it may look like an ordinary book, it contains a lot of powerful magic, and misusing it would be a grave violation of trust." I said. After staring at the response Princess Twilight had given her, Twilight closed the magic journal before handing it over back to me. I placed it back into my backpack. Upon zipping it back up and putting it back where it was, I looked back down at my regular journal. " You wouldn't believe the amount of nostalgia going through my mind when I pulled out my magic journal.
" It must have been amazing." Twilight said.
" Our friends didn't think so." I said.
" They didn't believe it was magical? Twilight asked.
" No, and they thought I had lost it." I answered.
The expressions on my friends' faces explained it all to me. They were confused when I presented them a book that I said would enable us to contact Princess Twilight and inform her of what was going on. Deep down, I knew this would be difficult for me to explain, given their lack of magical knowledge. To be honest, even I had doubts that my plan would work. It had been a few years since the last time I used this magic journal, so I had no idea if it was even going to work. Considering we were now the only ones who remained unaffected by the dark magic of the Dazzlings, we had to believe that anything could prove itself a miracle. If my plan didn't bear any fruit, this world would become the plaything of those girls. No, my plan had to work! There was too much at stake!
" What do you think?" I asked.
" Are you serious?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" This is what will allow us to make contact with Princess Twilight." I answered.
" You're going to use a book? Are you crazy!? How can a book send a message to someone who lives in a different world?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" It can if it's magical." I answered.
" I'm not sure how the others feel about this, Sunset Shimmer, but you're going to have to really try to convince me to believe that a mere book is magical. I mean, I can believe that we've got magic inside of us. We used it, after all. But, magic in a book? I doubt it." Rainbow Dash said. I looked at the face of the others, their expressions telling me that they had trouble believing this, as well. I knew this would happen; magic was still a foreign concept to this world. Humans tend not to want to understand what is beyond their capacity. My friends are different from typical humans, though. They have some basic concepts of magic, so I'll have to explain this carefully.
" A long time ago, when I was living in Equestria as Princess Celestia's prized protégé, she gave me this journal during the early days of my studies. At first, I wasn't very happy, because I thought she didn't think too highly of me, since she was giving me a mere book. Once I learned the secrets behind it, I came to understand that it was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received in my entire life. After I had my falling out with her, I abandoned my studies and came here, yet I held onto this journal, rather than simply throwing it away. Deep down, I guess I knew I was making a big mistake, and I wanted to still have a way to reach out to her. Not a day goes by, now, that I wish that I had stayed and simply accepted that I wasn't ready to become a princess. Anyway, if this still works, I should be able to make contact with Princess Twilight." I said.
" Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I must admit that I am in full agreement with Rainbow Dash here. That is a book you're holding in your hands, darling. What do you mean 'if this still works'? We know that you want to make up for not being able to answer our earlier concerns with the dark magic. But to bring us all the way here to your locker, where you present us with a book that can solve all our problems? Are you certain about what you're saying? You seem, well, a little desperate." Rarity answered.
" I can see you're skeptical, so let me finish." I said.
" Go on." Rarity said.
" The way this journal is supposed to work is that if I wrote something down in it, those words would then appear in the pages of another journal that Princess Celestia has in her possession. We used to do this all the time; she would become bogged down with important matters of state, so I couldn't see her as often as I liked. Once she had gained more free time, I gained her full attention, and we abandoned the idea of using magical journals. The last time I checked, she kept her journal in her library. If we can't get a hold of Princess Twilight directly, we can do the next best thing. If I can get a message to Princess Celestia, then she can get a message to Princess Twilight." I said.
" This changes everything!" Rarity exclaimed.
" I'll say it does." Rainbow Dash added.
" So you all believe me?" I asked.
" Sorry for doubting you." Rainbow Dash answered. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen, which struck me as odd. Why would she, of all people, have a pen in her pocket? I didn't have time to think about it, as she thrust the pen into my hand before giving me a rather questionable grin on her face. " So what are you waiting for? Get to writing!" Everyone else then began smiling at me with the same expression. While I did feel uncomfortable, it was a pleasure to know that they believed what I had to say. Well, almost a pleasure. Knowing how this journal works meant nothing if it didn't do what it was supposed to do.
" I never would have guessed that I would be writing these words again." I said. Gripping the pen in my hand, I turned to the page in the magical journal where I had last written a message. Breathing deeply for a few moments, I started writing:
Dear, Princess Celestia,
It's been a very long time since I left Equestria, so I am guessing you'll be surprised to see a letter from your former student. I know now that I was wrong when I decided to learn about the mirror behind your back. Yet I thought I deserved to be a princess out of self-entitlement. I was ignorant to the truth that I wasn't ready. If not for your faithful student Princess Twilight Sparkle, I would never have learned about friendship. I'd still be alone right now, with nothing but twisted thoughts in my mind. Speaking of Princess Twilight, I need you to deliver this message to her. It's of the utmost importance. In this world, there are these girls who have appeared. They are in possession of dark magic which I believe is Equestrian in origin. They used this magic to hypnotize everyone into acting aggressively, which resulted in the victims giving off this strange mist, which those girls absorbed. My friends and I need Princess Twilight's help, as she is the only one whose presence can bring out the magical energies of my friends. I hope you can deliver this message to her.
~Sunset Shimmer~
P.S. I'm so very sorry for being such a failure.
Once I had finished writing the message, I closed the journal and told the others that we needed to wait to see if Princess Twilight would receive it. While this wasn't the best course of action, as there was no way of knowing when the Dazzlings would make their next move, there was little else we could do. We decided to make our way back to the statue and wait for her to come through the portal. I also decided to bring along the magic journal with me, just in case. As we were walking along, I began thinking about Equestria. I really hoped that my message made it, as we needed all the help we could get.
" ...And the interval between the two points is defined as the square root of the sum of the squares of the separation between the points along three spatial dimensions. Did you all understand that?" Princess Twilight asked. After spending some time explaining the Sirens' story to the pony versions of my friends, she knew that she had to get back to Canterlot High. The problem was the portal. It would remain closed for another twenty-five moons. As such, she was unable to go through the portal through the usual means, so she needed an unconventional method. Thanks to the pony version of Pinkie Pie, Princess Twilight learned that a different portal could be created, one that was different from what she and I had used. She then began to assemble a strange contraption using a wide assortment of items she happened to have had around her castle and explained what it was supposed to do upon completion.
" Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I get it! I get it!" Pinkie Pie answered.
" Wait! You actually understood what Twilight just said?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Duh! Of course I know. It was so easy to figure out! She's gonna take the magic in here and put it in there. That'll make the portal open up so that whenever she wants to she can go from here to there. There to here. Here to there. Here there! There here! Here--" Pinkie Pie answered before Applejack cut her off. During her energetic explanation, Pinkie pointed towards the makeshift portal entrance before pointing towards the magic journal Princess Celestia owned. Apparently, Princess Celestia had a feeling Princess Twilight had need of her journal, so she had it delivered to her new castle, along with a large assortment of other books. If there was one thing Her Highness loved, it was books.
" We get the idea Pinkie." Applejack said.
" Only way to find out if it works is to try it out." Princess Twilight said.
" Y'all sound like you're doubtin' this weird ol' contraption of yours." Applejack said.
" Considering that I just put it together using things I found hanging around the castle, can you blame me for doubting it?" Princess Twilight asked.
" I see your point." Applejack answered. Princess Twilight then turned on the contraption, which made noises one could only describe as "magical". It also made noises one would hear inside of a factory as each component began chugging to life. At first it looked as though nothing was happening. It seemed that Princess Twilight was pretty creative, but ultimately unable to create another portal. However, that quickly changed, as the contraption began to work. The magic from the journal was pulled from it in a weird, taffy-like fashion. From there, the portal's structure absorbed the magic, until it created a portal which appeared to be stable.
" What do you think?" Princess Twilight asked.
" Very impressive, Twilight!" Applejack said.
" Hold on a second!" Twilight began.
" What is it?" I asked.
" How in the world could you have known what was going on at that exact moment in Equestria? You weren't there when it happened. In fact, I recall at least two other incidents where you told me something written in your journal, but you weren't there in person." Twilight answered.
" I can explain." I said.
" I'm not asking because I'm angry, Sunset. I'm just curious about how you know things that you didn't see." Twilight said.
" When Princess Twilight returned to this world, she went into great detail on how she was able to create her own makeshift portal. Also, we talked about what she did in some of the Friendship Reports I write back and forth with her. In case you're wondering what those reports are, I'll tell you about them later. Remember when I was rebuilding the front entrance, our friends went off to the side and talked about me? They confided that information to me at a later date because they wanted to be honest." I said.
" I wish you told me that sooner." Twilight said.
" Guess I should have made a mentioning of that, huh?" I asked, scratching my head. Thinking about the contraption Princess Twilight built reminded me of the contraption that I would put together in order to do some testing on our friends. Those science classes at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns really did end up paying off.
" So, what happened next?" Twilight asked.
" We had to wait for her to arrive. But, I had no idea if my message had gotten through." I answered.
It had been about an hour since I wrote my message to Princess Celestia. I had been checking the magic journal every ten minutes to see if she had responded, but she hadn't, and my heart grew heavier as the hour progressed. I truly believed that my idea would work and that Princess Twilight would learn of our plight. Maybe I was just providing more false hope like before. As I stared up at the Wondecolt statue, I also came to another realization. Even if she were to receive the message, Princess Twilight would still need to figure out how to go through the portal. I doubt she would be willing to wait twenty-five moons, though. From what I gathered from my previous encounters, she possessed a lot of ingenuity. Perhaps she could find another way to come here? If not, then I was at a loss as to what we could do. Looking into the journal again, I placed my hand firmly on the page I had written my message on and closed my eyes for just a few seconds. Hope... It was all we had left now.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie were playing a game of cards while sitting on top of the statue's base, Rarity was giving Fluttershy a manicure, getting ready to paint her nails, and Rainbow Dash was bouncing her soccer ball up and down on both knees. At least my friends had something to do to keep them preoccupied while we were waiting for something to happen. While we were waiting, many students came out of the front entrance, where they continued arguing with one another. At least no one was aggressive to the point where they resorted to fighting. Still, just witnessing their attitudes broke my heart.
" Gin." Pinkie Pie said.
" Huh? I thought we were playing Go Fish?" Applejack asked.
" Any response in that journal of yours?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Nothing so far." I answered.
" Are you sure that thing really works?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I'm not so sure anymore." I answered, dejected. My response prompted Rainbow Dash to turn her attention back towards her soccer ball bouncing in a huff. I, on the other hand, resumed looking up at the statue, as there was little else I could do. Maybe this journal really didn't work anymore. I mean, I do have a strong grasp of magic. Yet it seemed magic did eventually expire if it were to corrode out of not being used after a long while. Looking back down at the journal, I thought that perhaps that is what happened. It no longer had magic. I lowered my head out of acceptance that there was nothing more that could be done.
" I'm starting to think she's not coming." Rainbow Dash said.
" It does appear that way." I said.
" It was a nice try, darling." Rarity said.
" Sorry for once again giving you false hope." I sighed. I had now reached another low point. All of my efforts failed to produce results. We needed a miracle now more than ever, yet the chances of that happening were extremely slim. " Looks like we truly are on our own." I sighed. Suddenly, the base of the statue began to glow, and something shot out of it. At first, we had no idea what it could have been, but when we focused on where it had landed, the familiar purple colours, purple dog by their side, and awkward choice of attire were a dead giveaway.
" Twilight!" We all exclaimed.
" Oof! I'm back!" Princess Twilight announced. I immediately ran over to where she had landed and extended my hand to help pick her up. At first she showed signs of hesitation, and I couldn't blame her for acting like that. After all, I made her life miserable when she was here last time. Not to mention, I stole her crown and used it to try and conquer Equestria. Maybe someone else should have helped her up, instead? Eventually, Princess Twilight smiled before reaching out with her hand. I grabbed it and pulled her up, and my friends began to surround her, their faces filled with excitement over her return. " And I've got some bad news about those girls." Princess Twilight said.
" So your magic journal worked after all?" Twilight asked.
" I would attribute it to being a miracle." I answered.
" Strange that Princess Twilight didn't accept your offer of helping her up straight away. I guess she still thought you were out to get her because of what happened before, yet wasn't she the one who suggested that our friends help you understand friendship? Why would she say one thing and do another thing?" Twilight asked.
" It had been some time since we last saw one another." I answered.
" Hopefully, things are going to work out from here, since she came back and all." Twilight said.
" That would have been nice, if not for the fact that things slowly got worse from that point on. Princess Twilight's return meant that we would learn about the true nature behind the Sirens, and coming up with a way to defeat them in order to save everyone wasn't going to be easy. However, what we didn't know was that the Sirens had finally figured out why we weren't affected by their dark magic. We also didn't know that insecurities would begin to tear us apart." I said.