//------------------------------// // Chapter 61: Pressure // Story: The Other Journal // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// Day: Wednesday Weather: Sunny Time: 11:15am Principal Celestia held an assembly later that morning to discuss the Friendship Games. As was expected, students weren't thrilled about losing to Crystal Prep yet again, and some were very vocal about their displeasure. Her efforts in maintaining order failed, so Rainbow Dash came onto the stage to give some motivation of her own. My friends and I knew she had a plan, but we weren't expecting a pep talk coupled with a song designed to inspire CHS to take the Games seriously. I didn't approve of her use of a caricature of my demonic form, as it reminded me of my past, yet that wasn't the worst of it. No, Rainbow suddenly ponied up without playing her guitar. How did that happen? Before I could begin any research, I was approached by Vice Principal Luna, who warned me that we had to keep magic away from the Games. I already had enough commitments on my shoulders, and now a new one had been applied. What else was going to go wrong? The Other Journal By Ganondorf8 March 5, 2016 Chapter 61: Pressure. " Well, I already told you that she used my application and forced me into competing for the Shadowbolts." Twilight said. " Yes, but why did Principal Cinch need your skills? No offence, Twilight, but you don't exactly look like much of an athlete." I said. Sporting events usually required athletes who trained for months in preparation of their competition. Twilight, from what I recall of her during the Tri-Cross Relay, wasn't exactly an ideal athlete. She made so many mistakes that I had to question why anyone would want her on their team. She possessed a strong intellect, stronger than anyone I knew aside from the princesses, yet physical prowess was her biggest drawback. " You're more at home with studying books and looking at test tubes than running in a marathon." " I know, and I completely agree with you." Twilight said. " You do?" " Yes. Athleticism isn't my strongest suit, and it never has been while I was growing up. My parents always wanted me to be more like my brother: a well-rounded man who had a combination of strength and smarts to lead him through life. I wanted the intelligence, as that was part of my family's history, but the strength was something I didn't need. When I first started attending Crystal Prep, I was something of a child prodigy, and my time there furthered my brilliant mind. However, I was envied by those around me. They despised me for coming into their domain and taking it over in such a short time." Twilight answered. " That wasn't your intention, was it?" " No. I just really enjoyed studying and strove to reach my full potential. It wasn't my fault that my grades were the best among everyone. It also wasn't my fault that I was labelled 'the best student Crystal Prep had ever seen', a title Principal Cinch personally gave me. To her, I was her secret weapon who could turn things around to give Crystal Prep the victory in any intellectual contest." Twilight answered. " Okay, then how did you get dragged into the Shadowbolts?" " You can thank my brother for that." " What did he do?" " Shining Armour graduated from Crystal Prep several years ago. Principal Cinch thought he could provide some unique perspective, but in truth, he was brought in to convince me to compete in the Friendship Games. He was my brother, so how could I refuse his advice?" Twilight asked. I noticed Twilight began to cry, yet I didn't know what I could do for her. When it came to family affairs, I had no experiences to share with her. Twilight had a very close bond with her brother, yet he was willing to cast that aside just to have her represent Crystal Prep and please Principal Cinch. He sounded like a heartless guy, but I couldn't fault him for conforming to the whims of Cinch. He most likely acted like that to try and save face. At least Twilight has a blood sibling that she could relate to. My siblings were nothing more than a memory in the back of my mind filled with hatred. I don't remember much of what they looked like, nor do I care if they were still alive. They took away what little joy I had as a child. Could I ever forgive them? Probably not, as the emotional scars still run deep. I could never forgive them for making my parents fawn over them and ignore my potential. My friends were my family now, and they treated me as an equal. Yet, when it came to problems associated with magic, they would thrust me into the position of leader. Just because I came from a world of magic didn't mean I was ready to become a leader. Assuming such a position meant having lots of power, and I didn't want to go through that again. Even during the Friendship Games, they wanted me to be team captain, yet I had no desire to do that. I simply wanted to be someone who followed the orders of others, not be the one giving them out. I did have to step up when the magic was unleashed, however, yet that was an emergency situation. " I... I don't know what to say." I said. " It's okay, Sunset." Twilight said, having since grabbed a tissue and blown her nose on it. The honking noise was adorable, but the distraction quickly disappeared when reality sank back in again. " Shining Armour was only trying to do what he thought was best for me. I never told him or my family that the other students constantly bullied me all because of how smart I really was compared to them." My eyes opened wide with shock. I remember her telling me that she was a victim just as much as I was, but there was more to it than she initially said. Her family never knew her problems, either. Why would she keep all of that bottled up? It did her no good! " I know what you're probably thinking. Why did my fellow students give me such a hard time?" Twilight asked. " Um, yeah!" " Jealousy." " That's it!?" " Yes. I mentioned it a few minutes ago. They all desired the coveted distinction of being the best student and never accepted me as being deserving of it. I was an introvert, spending time by myself in my lab working on various projects. I had no desire to interact with other people. They weren't worth my time and didn't understand that my work meant so much to me." Twilight answered. She sounded a lot like I did back when I was a bully, except she never intimidated anyone. We both viewed people as being beneath our notice, yet she had the option of interacting with them. I was forced to do that during my first years at CHS. " Anyway, my brother's efforts to convince me didn't work, so Principal Cinch relied on using my application as a bargaining chip." " And that's how you joined the Shadowbolts?" " I should also mention that Dean Cadance wanted me to join the team as well, but she had a much different approach. She wanted me to search my heart and come up with a decision based on my convictions. Principal Cinch silenced her into not saying anything during that meeting other than what Shining Armour's purpose was. She wanted my agile mind to crush the Wondercolts and remind them that their efforts were futile." Twilight answered. " Now it all makes sense." I said. " What do you mean?" " Whenever I saw you around CHS during the Games, I didn't know that something personal was eating away at you. When I learned that you weren't Princess Twilight, I suspected you were an imposter, claiming to be Her Highness in an effort to ruin her reputation." I answered. I quickly blushed and looked at Twilight in hopes that she didn't think of me badly for telling her my opinions of her upon my initial look. She shook her head and I breathed a sigh of relief. " Sorry if that sounded harsh, but I actually thought you were my mentor, even though you were wearing a different uniform." " I was trying to understand why the CHS students knew who I was." Twilight said. " It's because Her Highness saved the school twice, so she instantly became recognizable." " How could they not tell that I wasn't her!? I mean, I was wearing a school uniform, and she was wearing that dress." " They remember her for her determination and not her attire." " Is that how you felt when you first saw me?" Twilight asked. I did think that she was Her Highness, even when the obvious was right in front of me. Why did I think they were one and the same? Was it their familiar faces? Their voices? Or, perhaps something else? I know it had only been two weeks since I last saw Her Highness, but it doesn't happen that often. I always enjoy seeing her in hopes of catching up with events happening back home. " Well? Is that how you felt?" Twilight asked. With a slow nod of my head, Twilight gasped in surprise, but she quickly calmed down and smiled slightly. I thought she was going to throw a hissy fit at me, but she had proven to be unpredictable emotionally. At the very least, I didn't have that conviction for very long. The instant Twilight mentioned the word "uniform", I knew something wasn't right with that scenario, but I kept it to myself until after she left with Principal Cinch. I didn't want to make an incorrect assumption and make the entire problem worse. Also, it would've looked bad on Principal Celestia to see her students fawning over a student from a different school for reasons that were hard to explain. " At least you were honest with me, Sunset. If I ever met the human version of you, I'd have reacted in the same way. So, what happened after Vice Principal Luna told you to keep the magic under control? She sounded very stern when she approached you." Twilight said. " I'll be going into more detail later when we get to that fateful meeting between us. To answer your question, I was already under a lot of stress from dealing with the magic problem and dealing with someone--you--snooping around the statue. Having to keep the magic under control only made things worse. I learned that controlling it proved difficult, as it was unpredictable, unlike in Equestria." I said. Vice Principal Luna's timing couldn't have been worse. I was already dealing with the magic problem, the mystery person who snooped around the statue, and now the mystery behind Rainbow Dash ponying up without playing her guitar. She added another problem on top of that by telling my friends and me to keep the magic under control while Crystal Prep was here to compete in the Friendship Games. I would've argued that her plan had a serious flaw, but I knew she wouldn't want to hear any of it. In her mind, she had assigned the only magical expert at CHS to deal with the problem, and she could focus on running the school with her sister. While I said that I'd do my best to come up with an answer, I knew that doing so wouldn't be easy. The main issue was that the magic in this world couldn't be controlled. It roamed around formless like a free spirit. In Equestria, the magic was more predictable and that made it easy to control. Even when I pony up along with Rarity, neither of us gain any horns. It was especially bad for me, as I was a unicorn. If we did, then we'd have a chance at finding a way to get the magic to obey our whims and gather it together. If the magic were in one place, it'd be easy to analyze and come up with a solution. However, since it's unrestrained, we had to actively go out and find traces of magical residue before it faded away into nothing. What Vice Principal Luna was asking of me was essentially impossible. Not even the most powerful magic user in all of Equestria would've been able to find an answer among the questions that grew at an alarming rate. She didn't want to hear any excuses, however. All she wanted were results and nothing more. My friends didn't take her words seriously. They believed I'd already found a solution. And yet, I had no answers. How could I? My efforts were ineffective. I thought about sending another message to Princess Twilight in hopes that she knew something, but there was one problem that arose. The letter that I sent her the previous day had yet to be answered. Whenever I wrote something down in the magic journal, Her Highness would respond within a matter of minutes. It had been over twenty-four hours, and so far, there was no reply. It had me worried. She had never done that since we first started sending messages to one another. Did her presentation to all of those unicorns take that much out of her? I couldn't tell my friends that I hadn't heard back from Princess Twilight. They had a close connection with her and would be more concerned with her well-being as opposed to the Games. " You okay, Sunset?" Applejack asked. While I had smiled when I confirmed to Vice Principal Luna that I would keep the magic under control, my expression quickly soured when she walked away. My stress had skyrocketed thanks to Luna giving me my extra job in addition to competing as a Wondercolt. I also blamed Principal Celestia for wanting to rely on me to solve a problem that proved difficult. I knew she didn't want Crystal Prep to know about the new changes our school had, but she was asking the impossible, just like her sister. " You look like the entire world just up and turned on you." Applejack said. " I wish she hadn't put more pressure onto me." I answered. " Reckon you can't blame her and Principal Celestia for wantin' to be cautious about the whole magic thing." " But to come out and say it like that?" " Yeah. That wasn't her best approach, but then, she wanted to get straight to the point." " I'm still struggling with the magic problem, but I have made some progress in figuring out how it works." I said. My friends started clapping. They knew that I had worked my tail off trying to make sense of it all, yet they would be disappointed knowing that what I learned didn't really bring me that much closer to getting that elusive answer. " The magic in this world cannot be controlled, unlike in Equestria." " What's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow Dash asked. " It's unpredictable." I answered. " Say what?" Applejack asked. " The magic here keeps on changing and that makes it difficult to analyze." " Uh-huh, so what does that mean?" " It means that trying to understand how it works has gotten more complicated than before." I answered. I knew my friends would be disappointed. Granted, only Applejack appeared to be disappointed, yet I needed to know if the others felt the same way. What really made this problematic for me was that the Friendship Games started the next day. I had to focus on supporting the team, but it was difficult when other factors reared their ugly heads. " I take it you're disappointed, AJ?" " This whole magic thing don't make a lick o' sense to me, Sunset, but I know you're tryin' real hard to get a firm grasp on it. I'm not disappointed that you only moved a smidgen closer to figurin' it out. Heck, it's better than saying you didn't get anywhere and simply wasted your time." Applejack answered. " What about the rest of you?" " I'm disappointed, Sunset. You've worked really hard and deserve so much more." Fluttershy answered. " Nothing can be done about it now, darling. You simply must redouble your efforts." Rarity added. " Being unpredictable is my job!" Pinkie Pie added. " Why are we even bothering with the magic problem anyway? We need to focus on preparing to welcome the Shadowbolts tomorrow." Rainbow Dash added. I knew she was going to change the subject to Crystal Prep. We all turned our eyes toward Rainbow, and she stepped back a few steps to give herself some distance. " Why are you all looking at me like that? You know we've gotta concentrate for the Games." While she did have a valid point, her lack of manners was very self-evident. I knew what was at stake the next day, but couldn't she have been more supportive? After all, it was her sudden magical change that prompted Vice Principal Luna to approach me about the problem. " Can't you think of somethin' else besides the Games?" Applejack asked. " It's important to the school to focus our efforts on winning." Rainbow Dash answered. " What about Sunset? She's been getting stressed out with being given more commitments than she can handle." " Yeah, I know it's unfair!" " Then why not say somethin' more encouragin' instead of worrying about Crystal Prep?" " You're right, Applejack! Sorry for not thinking about your feelings, Sunset. I know my pony-up was the reason why Vice Principal Luna came down on you like that. I swear that I had no idea that was going to happen. I just had this strange urge going through me during that song, and I just had to unleash it. You were right about the magic around here changing." Rainbow Dash answered. She didn't realize it until much later, but Rainbow had given me a vital clue that would prove useful in my research. She mentioned a strange surge before her transformation came from within and had to be unleashed. I felt the exact same way when I gained those phoenix-like wings months ago. Was there a connection I wasn't seeing? Princess Twilight knew more about their magic than I did, as she enabled them to receive it originally. If only I could've made contact with her. She held the missing pieces of the puzzle but wasn't available due to an unfortunate mishap that occurred after concluding her presentation at the School for Gifted Unicorns. In any case, I had to question Rainbow Dash about what she said. Anything would do that could help in my cause. " What did you say?" I asked, grabbing Rainbow by the shoulders and shaking her repeatedly. " Hey! Let go! No need to shake me like that!" Rainbow Dash answered. I stopped and let go before blushing. " Wow! You really are desperate, aren't you? I like that kind of determination! We'll definitely need it for tomorrow. Anyway, I said that I felt a strange surge during my song. I don't know what it was, but seeing everyone singing and clapping to show their unity towards the CHS just made me want to unleash that magic." " Anything else?" " Nope." " Well, it's a start, at least." I said, sighing heavily before rubbing the bridge of my nose. I was now getting somewhere, but it still wasn't enough. I needed more information, and that meant combing through my research again. I would try to refrain from contacting Princess Twilight, but my frustration ended up clouding my judgment. " Alright! Why don't we focus on the Friendship Games and leave me to deal with the magic problem. I know you all want to talk about tomorrow, so we might as well do just that." While it sounded like I was giving up, I wasn't. I didn't want to burden my friends any more than I already had. Equestrian magic was still relatively unknown to them, and they were bound to eventually say that they were fed up talking about it. " You sure about that?" Applejack asked. " I am." I answered, pacing back and forth a few times before walking towards the door, stopping short of it. " Okay. Anybody have any guesses what the events are gonna be?" Rainbow Dash asked. " How are we supposed to do somethin' like that? They must have hundreds of different events that they could use." Applejack answered. " Like I said, we guess!" " I hope the events are fun and safe. I don't like the idea of an event that involve fighting and insults. I have a feeling that we're going to see those, though. Crystal Prep would feel right at home in that environment." Fluttershy said. " Yeah, I'm with you on that one, Fluttershy. I prefer somethin' down to Earth that lets anyone get down and dirty, all while havin' a rip roarin' good time. I was thinkin' that maybe one of the events will be an apple pickin' contest, or maybe we can steer some broncos. Without hurting them, of course." Applejack said. I could tell she suddenly changed her opinion when she spoke those last words. She knew Fluttershy was a huge animal lover, and hurting horses would've made her very upset. I'd have been upset about it too. After all, I was a unicorn, a magical pony, who was similar in nature to actual horses. " Really, Applejack!? Getting 'down and dirty' is a simply horrid thought. I wouldn't dream of such a thing, and I hope that the Games do not include anything like that. While I would prefer it if one of the events was a fashion show, perhaps something more refined is in order. Like say, tennis, or perhaps badminton. Now those are events I would like." Rarity said. " Figures you'd want somethin' dainty instead of physical, but I guess the thought of playin' tennis does sound nice." Applejack said. " What about you, Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy asked. " Pie eating?" Pinkie Pie asked while taking a pie out from her hair. I had no idea where she got that from, but I wasn't about to ask. " Cake eating?" She then took out a cake from behind her back and held it in her other hand. Perhaps she wanted an event that involved baking? Cooking was seen as competitive by many and home economics was one of CHS's more popular courses simply because Pinkie often went crazy with her skills in the kitchen. " Pie-cake eating!?" Pinkie Pie shouted, banging her goods together, turning both into piles of mush and covering all of us in a mixture of batter, frosting, and pastry. I knew she was excited about the prospect of there being food involved, but she went overboard with her little stunt. " What!? I just wanted to make a pie-cake, or would that be a cake-pie?" " I'd call it a huge mess." Rainbow Dash said. " Eh, that doesn't have the same ring." " In any case, all of our guessin' ain't gonna mean a thing." Applejack said. " What do you mean?" I asked. " They won't even let us see what they're doin' to the field. You think they'd at least tell competitors what they're competing in." " Only Principal Celestia and Principal Cinch know what the events will be." " Yep, and I doubt either one of them is gonna spill the beans." " Then, that means it could be anything." Fluttershy said. " Anything!? How will I ever pick the right outfit!?" Rarity asked. " I really wanna help, but I think I better go focus on figuring out why Rainbow Dash ponied up. I know it sounds sudden, but I think finding out could help us in case the rest of you suddenly pony up without warning." I answered. I turned to start walking forward when a hand landed on my shoulder. Looking behind me, I saw Applejack was gazing at me with strong eyes, the kind that you knew were dead serious about something. I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say, and I had to retain my composure. " Maybe you ought to get Princess Twilight to help you." " Yeah, I should consult with her." I answered, turning my head away slightly. " Is somethin' wrong?" " No. I'm just worried that Rainbow's condition could spread to the rest of you." I answered. Applejack wasn't buying my response. I could tell. She had the uncanny ability to sense when people were telling her the truth or not. I had told her a lie. I couldn't let my friends know that I hadn't heard from Princess Twilight in over twenty-fours hours. They'd have insisted on me going to Equestria in order to bring her here or something. While it hurt to lie directly to her face, it was a burden I wanted to face alone. " Applejack... I know you know that I wasn't being honest with you, but I've got a lot on my mind that's not making me think straight." " Then why not just come out and say it?" Applejack asked. " I don't know if I can right now, as I'm not entirely sure of it myself. Once I know for certain, I can say it without hesitation. I need something to take my mind off of my stress, and I think working on Rainbow Dash's sudden pony-up should work. Don't worry about me. I'm not going to get in over my head like in the past." I answered. As I turned to walk away, I wasn't sure if I was right. My stress had been getting worse and Vice Principal Luna's recent addition didn't make it any easier. Applejack wanted to continue the conversation, but she knew not to further intrude in case I did something I'd regret later. Sometimes, I wondered why I was the one who had to receive so much pressure. Why was everyone turning to me for help? Weren't they able to solve their own problems? I thought long on those two questions for quite some time, and it made me come to a realization: Princess Twilight went through the same experience. People were turning to her, yet she was willing to help them, even if it meant her own freedom was restricted. I could never last long in an environment like that. I was helpful, yes, but I wanted to go beyond that and do my own things while others solve problems on their own. It didn't occur to me until later that by wanting to ask Her Highness for help, I'd fallen to the very thing I preached against. If I had a better understanding of the world around me, I wouldn't need her help as much as I thought. Leaving my friends behind to think about the Friendship Games, I decided to go to the library. I had a lot to comb over in order to figure out why Rainbow Dash ponied up. I managed to hear Pinkie Pie mention that I had everything figured out and that there wasn't anything they should be concerned about. If only I had that same kind of optimism instead of questioning my decisions constantly, my life wouldn't be so complicated. Pinkie didn't know what I was going through. None of my friends did, a fact I regret even now. I didn't want them to experience the stress that coiled around my neck. They didn't deserve such a fate. " You know, if you had gone to Crystal Prep, your stress would've been even worse." Twilight said. " What makes you say that?" I asked. " The academy is known for bringing out the best in its students. That meant pushing them to their limits until they succeeded. Failure wasn't an option, otherwise you'd likely be kicked out for not having the tenacity that Principal Cinch looks for. You were always in a stressful environment because expectations were so high, and those who suffered from stress-related conditions just couldn't cope." Twilight answered. " But, the Crystal Prep students didn't look like they were stressed out." " We were trained to repress it." " Really?" " When we were on academy grounds, in front of Principal Cinch, or anywhere else where a higher-up was watching, we refrained from 'freaking out'. Such behaviour was deemed inadequate and made us appear weak. In our private moments, however, we suffered mental breakdowns, and no one ever comforted us. Everyone was out to be the best, and that meant sacrificing the weak in order to salvage the strong." Twilight answered. The more she talked about her experiences at Crystal Prep, the more I felt sorry for what she had been put through. It's no wonder that what happens inside those walls never makes it outside. Principal Cinch wants to maintain the presence of a school that dominates all others, so any outbursts were resolved without incident. All this time, I thought I had a large assortment of problems, but it turns out that there were people out there who had it even worse. I suppose I should be grateful that my life didn't spiral out of control. Still, how could anyone go to an institution only to be treated as an emotionless husk instead of as a human? There was a bright spot to all of it. So long as Cinch wasn't watching over them like a hawk, they were free to cut loose and express happy thoughts that didn't relate to their studies or future plans after graduation. The same couldn't be said about Dean Cadance, however. Unlike her superior, she strove to make students at Crystal Prep feel like they were important and that they were capable of succeeding even when odds were against them. She was a mother figure to them, and that gave her a heart, unlike Cinch, who had a chunk of ice where a heart should be. " Even though CHS isn't as intense as Crystal Prep, we do experience our share of problems." I said. " Most of it revolving around you." " Yeah. I guess you could say that I was a magnet that attracted all sorts of problems." " I didn't mean to imply that you were to blame." " No, I know that I caused so much trouble. CHS must have been a different place before I first entered its halls, and since then, I've made my mark that slowly changed it into something those who used to go there would probably no longer recognize. My stress often resulted from my past actions in addition to problems formed after the fact." I said. " Hopefully, Princess Twilight responded to your previous message to give you some encouragement." Twilight said. " She didn't." " What?" " I didn't get a reply from her." " Why not?" " At the time, I thought her duties as a princess prevented her from sending me anything. I know now that she was involved in something that could've changed Equestria's future forever, and when you think about it, that kind of stress dwarfed my own." I answered. Turning to the next page, I began thinking about what Her Highness told us after she came through the portal. I never dabbled in time magic, so I believed it to be nothing more than a legend. But, she witnessed it being used to alter Equestria's present all by changing one critical moment that proved far more valuable than most suspected. The stress she got from struggling to reverse so much damage multiple times must have been unbearable. " I tried my best to figure out why Rainbow Dash ponied up, but I got frustrated and resorted to sending another message to Princess Twilight." I said. " Did anyone question your sudden temper tantrum?" Twilight asked. " Mrs. Cheerilee did briefly, but only to remind me to remain civil." Once I entered the library, I sat down at a random table, before taking out books, charts, graphs, and more from my backpack. I wasn't what you would call neat, as everything just spread itself out, but I didn't have time to organize everything. I had to work fast in order to figure out what happened during the pep rally. Rainbow Dash had ponied up without the use of her guitar, but how did she do that? There was no magical residue in the gym, as that faded away months ago, but perhaps what she said was the key to solving this. Rainbow felt a strong surge coming from within when everyone joined in the song. Could she have reacted to their contribution? Did the other students possess magic? The latter question seemed highly unlikely, but the former was plausible. I began combing through my research to see if I had missed something. It proved to be a daunting task. I had written down so much information that I struggled to figure out what was more lucrative towards finding an answer. After about ten minutes, I finally stumbled onto something I hadn't noticed previously. I remembered something that Princess Twilight kept on mentioning with regards to the magic. She constantly referred to it as "friendship magic", a form of magic stronger than any other that existed. Originally, I scoffed at that notion and believed it to be nothing more than desperation on her part. That was because I didn't believe in friendship, so I was ignorant of that magic. It had since made sense to me, and I understood just how powerful it could become if harnessed properly. Why I never came to that conclusion bothered me, and it still does even now. I should've known that the magic we all used was related to the power of friendship, yet I didn't see it. With this new speck of information, I redoubled my efforts in finding a solution. In the midst of my research, I drew a few doodles in hopes that they would help me figure out exactly where Rainbow's magic came from. She said that it came from within, but where exactly was that? Her mind? Her heart? Perhaps a hidden depository of magic that she never knew she had until just recently? So many questions and no answers attached to them. Eventually, my inability to come up with a solution reached a boiling point, and I pushed everything aside, catching the attention of other students. They all looked at me with irritation in their eyes, and I blushed, turning away to avoid their gazes. Footsteps then started walking towards me, and a shadow soon hovered over the table, followed by a loud shush. Turning my attention towards who had come before me, I was staring into the eyes of Mrs. Cheerilee, and she wasn't happy with my conduct. " Please refrain from making so much racket! Students here are trying to study." " Sorry. I didn't meant to disrupt them." I said. " Just because you live here doesn't mean that you get to make the rules. Unlike the janitors, who thought it was crazy to have a student reside in the library, I thought it was a good idea. Too many students are wasting their lives pursuing other activities instead of coming here. Sometimes, I don't even know why I bother with this job. My mother always told me that I should've gone into a different profession, but no, I had to be a teacher and librarian!" Mrs. Cheerilee said. " Sounds like you're just as stressed as I am." I said. " Yes. I could tell something was bothering you, as you're usually much more quiet than that." " Why do we have all this pressure?" " Society demands that certain individuals be plagued with responsibilities that they'd rather have placed onto someone else. Not much we can do about it other than accept it or complain that life dealt us a bad hand. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to reorganizing these books. Some students just don't care that these are for everyone. Why, just this morning, I had to pick up one of the yearbooks some thoughtless student threw away as though it were a plaything. Ugh! I'm going to make a formal complaint to Principal Celestia before the day is done and ask her to give me the authority to administer detention to any who mistreat the resources we have here." Mrs. Cheerilee answered. " I'll refrain from making anymore noise." I said. " You'd better, otherwise I will have to ask you to leave." Mrs. Cheerilee said. As she walked away while pushing a cart filled with books, I could tell she was clearly upset with all the stress she had boiled up inside. And I thought I had stress-related problems. I guess some people had it way worse than I did. Rather than subject myself to further mental anguish, I took out my magic journal from my backpack, opened it up, and thought for a few seconds before writing. Hey, Twilight, Haven't heard back from you yet. I guess you must be pretty busy with your role as princess. That, or you're simply too exhausted to come to the journal right now from having to do that presentation. I still want to hear all of the details. I'm hoping that you can respond to me as soon as possible, as I could really use your advice. You see, I've been given the job of keeping magic under control here at CHS. Strange, isn't it? I already declared myself as a magical investigator because of wanting to understand how the magic works, but I guess that didn't reach the ears of Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. Anyway, they want me to do this in order to prevent magic from coming up during the Friendship Games that start tomorrow, but the problem is that I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it. I also discovered that I'm not the only one whose magic might be changing. During a pep rally we had earlier, Rainbow Dash ponied up without playing her guitar. She said that she experienced a surge when everyone joined in a song she performed. While everyone else thought it was amazing, I knew that things had gotten much worse, hence why I've been tasked with my new responsibility. I suspect the others will eventually go through their own magical change, yet I fear it will only cause me further distress. Everyone is looking to me to figure things out, and I really don't wanna let them down. But I'm not sure I have enough experience with friendship magic to solve this. That's why I really hope you can find some time and reply to me. Sunset Shimmer Ever since I changed my ways, I didn't want to be put into the spotlight. I knew that wanting to be popular would cause me to suffer a relapse that would, in turn, make me go back to being a bully and undo all of my efforts. All I desired was to become an ordinary girl who just so happened to be a unicorn. Yet, I found myself being thrust into a position that would make me stand out among others. Was this how Princess Twilight felt whenever she had to deal with a problem? She didn't ask to be popular, yet she was forced into becoming a princess because she had been chosen long ago to receive such a gift. Closing my journal, I stared longingly at a bookshelf, thoughts of what could happen during the Friendship Games flashing through my head. If the magic were to cause trouble, someone could get seriously hurt--or even worse, killed. If that came to pass, I wouldn't be able to face anyone ever again. I had earned the trust of my fellow students after a long and arduous process. Losing them would just destroy me. What was even worse was the notion that this school's greatest secret could become exposed to Crystal Prep, who, in turn, would accuse us of cheating and reveal our secret to the world. That would place Equestria in great danger, and my only connection to my home would be lost. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I found things reaching a new level. " That Mrs. Cheerilee isn't really as cheerful as her name suggests." Twilight said. " While she appears to be happy with her lot in life, it's just a mask that hides the truth from everyone. She is just miserable about everything she has to put up with and has no choice but to keep on going until she either finds a bright point or wallows away in self-pity. Principal Celestia is well aware that Mrs. Cheerilee isn't the most approachable among the school staff and has tried to get her to lighten up, but she doesn't take the time to see just how she affects everyone around her." I said. " Did you take her words to heart?" " About accepting my responsibilities? Yeah, I took her advice, although I wished that I could've told someone that I didn't want to be burdened with so much. People at my age shouldn't be saddled with so many obligations." I answered. " Why not ask our friends?" " No, I could never do that to them." " Sunset..." " They had enough on their minds and didn't need my burdens dragging them down." " How old are you?" Twilight asked. That was an unusual question. Well, not unusual in that she asked me for my current age, but rather because she deviated from the topic so abruptly. I thought I already told her that I was older than my appearance suggested. While I had the body of a teenager, my mind was more akin to a person who was roughly in their mid-to-late twenties. " Didn't I tell you already?" I asked. " No, I don't believe so." " I might as well answer it whether I did before or not. I'm between twenty-five and thirty." I answered. Twilight opened her eyes wide. I had anticipated her reaction to that, reaching into my backpack and taking out a small pendant. It wasn't anything fancy or anything. It was just an ordinary pendant that lacked any special abilities but held a lot of sentimental value. " This was given to me by Princess Celestia when I reached my eighteenth birthday. She had it crafted specifically to celebrate the occasion. I know it looks dull, but then, it was the thought that counted." Back then, I never appreciated this gift, as I was a much different pony. What I wanted from her was instant recognition of my hard work as her student, but instead, I received this pendant. Clutching it in my hand, a few tears trickled down my face before I put it away again. " Anyway, I'm a lot older than all the other students at CHS. Truth is, no one really knows that I'm that old. Not even our friends know that I'm older than I look." I said. " Why not tell them?" " It'd be really awkward. I mean, they still have trouble coming to terms with me being a pony." " Point taken." " I don't let it get to me. In fact, I find it funny that I'm an adult in a teenager's body. It gives me a chance to redo some parts of my life better than before, yet it does come at the cost of not being home in Equestria with the rest of my kind. Oh, well! I made that decision a long time ago, and I've stuck with it this entire time." I said. Turning the page, I immediately began laughing. Twilight leaned forward to see what had brought about my laughter, and she saw yet another photo glued onto the page. " Despite what you did before entering the music room, I can't help but laugh at what we were all wearing. Rarity certainly knows her way around fashion, but sometimes, she does go overboard. I still say that I looked the weirdest among our friends." I said. The photo consisted of our friends and me--except Rarity--wearing costumes, and we looked completely ridiculous. " Why were you wearing those?" Twilight asked. " Rarity wanted us to try them out." " That doesn't sound that bad." " Well, it kind of does when you consider how many she made." " How many?" " About six or seven racks' worth." " Seriously!? What for?" " For the Friendship Games, of course."