Day: Saturday
Weather: Mild, Possible clouds later
Time: 12:30pmDespite what many have said about him, I owe a lot to Flash Sentry. While he was still curious as to where Princess Twilight goes whenever she has to leave--I could never tell him the real truth, as he'd never believe it for an instant--he helped me deal with the aftermath of the Academic Decathlon. I told my friends that everything was okay, but I had, in fact, lied to them and still felt bad because of making one small mistake. Flash got through to me with a pep talk, and now, I was ready to focus on the next event of the Friendship Games. That's when Fluttershy revealed how our magic was disappearing. Twilight's pendant had the ability to absorb magic. How did she manage that? Why was she doing this? I suspected Twilight was involved with stealing the portal, yet I never imagined how serious it was. To make matters worse, my friends and I discovered what had been done to the field for the second event. We were in for a difficult time, from what we observed.
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
April 13, 2016
Chapter 68: The Relay.
" You mentioned that Principal Cinch asked you to spy on us. I know you didn't want to talk about it, but I think now would be as good a time as any. I've offered my sleeve to you more times than I can count tonight, Twilight, so at the very least, you can tell me what happened." I said. Throughout much of the night, I've told Twilight much about my past. There were still some things that continued to remain a secret, but she hadn't inquired about those. It was only a matter of time before she would ask me about my feelings towards Equestria after having lived in this world for years.
I don't know why I should be afraid to answer that question or any relating to the subject of my homeland.
I think I've been honest with Twilight--unlike how I kept things from my friends, who have yet to learn about the secrets written down in my journal--but I've been defensive on a few things because of the difficulty behind talking about them. No doubt Equestria has changed since I was last there--it had been just over a year since my previous, and infamous, visit--but had my feelings changed? Did I yearn for the Equestria of old before I left, or did I prefer that it had changed since then? Did I even want to go back at all?
Here I am, worrying about my remaining secrets, and Twilight is struggling to tell me about her own. I'm actually glad that she mustered the courage to share this information with me. I've only known her for a few weeks now, yet there is so much that remains a mystery. The more she tells me about herself, the more I become intrigued by what she has been through all these years. Our friends--Princess Twilight included--have said how much Twilight and I are so much alike from our tragic backstories, both of us becoming demonic monsters out of a sense of guilt. Our similarities bring us far closer to each other than to any of our other friends.
" Yes. She wanted to know about the secrets behind CHS's new success." Twilight said.
" Our success? We were just doing what we always did."
" Not according to Principal Cinch. When she asked me to see her in her office, she revealed to me that your school had been improving in test scores, grades, athletics, and more within the last several months. Most would see that as a good thing, because it meant morale at CHS was getting better, but she saw it as a threat to Crystal Prep's dominion. You may not believe me, Sunset, but reputation means everything to Principal Cinch." Twilight said.
" In what way?"
" To have reputation is to have influence over others."
" Okay, but that doesn't answer my question."
" Principal Cinch always makes sure that she has the advantage in every situation. While she is forced to play by the rules, she will do everything in her power to bend those rules in her favour as much as possible. No one ever notices this, as she can be very subtle. Not many people outside of Crystal Prep is aware of the documents Principal Cinch has about the other schools.”
The more I learned about Principal Cinch's actions behind the scenes, the more I felt compelled to not be so forgiving for all she had done. I can understand wanting to get ahead in life and making critical decisions to further your own goals, but she clearly crossed more than one line in her life. Was reputation really that important to Cinch? I know some students at CHS who strive to have popularity--usually by trying to imitate me--yet all it does is make them look bad.
" What kind of documents?"
" They're more like statistics."
" About how well each school has been doing?"
" Yes. In an effort to make sure that Crystal Prep always remains on top, Principal Cinch keeps tabs on the activities of the other schools in the district. While there are no laws prohibiting such actions, it saddens me to think she doesn't want any other institute to succeed." Twilight answered.
" Where did CHS place in her eyes?"
" Of all the schools in the district, CHS was viewed as Crystal Prep's biggest threat to its dominion. It sounds farfetched when you think about it, as CHS doesn't compare when it comes to academic scores, yet she saw it as a threat all the same. The other schools never came close." Twilight answered. She suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth and looked at me, thinking she had offended me with what she said. I simply stared at her for a few moments, blinking infrequently until it sank in. I may be a Wondercolt, but I don't have as strong of a connection to CHS as appearances suggest. I'll always be loyal to the cause, but my heart belongs to Equestria, and that will never change. " Sunset? Why aren’t you yelling at me? Aren’t you mad that I talked down about my new school?" Twilight asked.
" I'm not bothered by it."
" Really?"
" I do have loyalty to CHS, its students, and my friends, but Equestria will always have priority."
" I'm guessing our friends don't know this?"
" No, and that's something I've been regretting for a long time." I answered. That was yet another secret of mine that could prove consequential were our friends to learn that my loyalty towards CHS wasn't as absolute as they've believed. I never told them about such feelings for fear that they’d react poorly and stop associating with me. Rainbow Dash would take such a revelation the worst because of how loyal she has been to everyone around her. I suppose this was another issue I had to overcome by telling my friends about how I truly felt about this world and Equestria. Then again, they do have an idea, given how I thought about leaving everything behind because of the magic problem proving too much for me to handle. " I'll have to tell them about this one as well." I said.
" They won't hold it against you."
" Rainbow Dash might say a few words, but hopefully, you're right."
" Hopefully. Now then, Principal Cinch had records from each school and looked at them constantly to determine which one posed a threat to Crystal Prep. Aside from CHS, no other school had ever defeated the academy at anything. That's why she was determined to make sure CHS didn't succeed. She didn't like the idea of another school getting a good reputation, as that meant her own was in jeopardy." Twilight said.
" Reputation really does say a lot about her."
" It was the driving force behind her actions."
" I feel sorry for her."
" Even a part of me feels the same way that you do, Sunset. I know she was only trying to ensure that Crystal Prep remained on top, but Principal Cinch often got carried away with her ambitions to the point where it became unhealthy. At its core, it was all for her students' benefits, and any controversies would be felt by her and her alone. No one else would have to face any consequences resulting from her actions." Twilight said.
" Maybe now she will see that her methods were wrong."
" One can only hope."
" Twilight, do you think you could ever show your face around Crystal Prep again?"
" Dean Cadance, the other teachers, and the students would welcome me, but I think many of the latter would shun me because of what happened. I know it will take some time before they forgive me for almost destroying everything, but hopefully, it won't take too long. Principal Cinch is going to be the sole exception. I don't think she will ever forgive me for changing schools and costing Crystal Prep the Friendship Games." Twilight answered.
" That's because she wasn't given a chance to change her ways, unlike everyone else at Crystal Prep." I said. To someone like Cinch, having the chance to redeem herself would prove beneficial and make others see her as an actual person rather than a heartless dictator who cares about reputation over the well-being of her students.
Could Cinch change? Maybe, if she put in some effort. For now, it was best to let her come to grips with her reality. Her old way of thinking had been shattered when she was exposed for what she had done in the name of victory. There are people out there who never change, but perhaps she won't be among them.
Turning to the next page of the journal, I slapped my forehead upon seeing what was depicted on yet another photo. Twilight wanted to take a closer look, so I handed the journal over, and she didn't share in my reaction. She merely stared at the photo for a couple of minutes before handing the journal back to me.
" It's a photo of the Tri-Cross Relay course."
" I always thought something was off about it."
" It was professionally built, you know."
" Yeah, but I just didn't trust in what I was looking at. My eyes saw nothing wrong, but my mind was saying otherwise. Our friends were pretty stoked about competing on such a large field with different components, but I felt dread looming all about." I said.
" What happened after Rarity revealed those outfits?"
" We wanted to get a closer look at the field, but we ran into a little bit of trouble... five bits of trouble, to be exact."
I was still in complete awe over witnessing what the construction workers had done to the field in preparation for the second event of the Friendship Games. They had produced a three-stage obstacle course that appeared to cover archery, skating, and motocross. I knew they had to be secretive during the construction process so as not to let anyone know ahead of time what was coming in the Games, yet I felt slightly overwhelmed at the whole thing. I mean, they worked really hard to give us such an impressive sight, but why go to such extremes?
That was the reason why I felt overwhelmed. This course was designed purely for athletes who were considering something like the Olympics, but we’re just high school students. A more logical solution would have been giving us something like tennis, but using official rules and regulations rather than what CHS relied on.
When you look at how much detail was thrown into this setup, you wondered why they would spend so much money on a competition between two schools that wasn't as serious as both sides let on. I'm not an expert when it came to money, but even I knew that this cost a pretty penny. Unfortunately, I didn't have a strong enough position to complain about it. My words would fall on deaf ears.
Now that this had become known, I had no doubt that my friends and the Shadowbolts were looking forward to competing. Was Twilight okay with going through with this? She didn't seem like she was an actual athlete compared to the rest of her team, so did that make her a liability? Or, was she actually just as athletic and wanted to keep it a secret until we reached this exact moment? Either way, I knew that I was definitely capable of going through this event despite my opinions of it.
My friends began talking amongst themselves about this revelation, while I walked towards the motocross track to get a closer look, my curiosity getting the better of me. Much of the field could already be seen from our vantage point, yet sometimes, there were smaller details that required an up-close perspective in order to see them.
The dirt had been carefully packed to ensure sturdiness, especially for when heavy motorbikes come careening around the corners with so much intense speed backing them up. I also noticed a series of jumps located in several places that I didn't see on my first glance. Not only was riding going to be a necessity, but knowing how to perform tricks was required, something stunt riders would know about. We aren’t stunt riders.
" I can't deny the fact that they really went all out with this." I said to myself, scratching the side of the dirt with my fingers. " While I personally wouldn't have spent so much money building this just for a high school competition, I think this is really nice knowing they were thinking about us students."
It was fortunate that Rainbow Dash had convinced me--begged me, actually--to go with her when she went to earn her license to ride motorbikes. Rainbow was insistent about not getting her license on her own, so I was forced to get mine as well. I haven't had as much time to practice as Rainbow, so were I asked to compete in the motocross section of this event, I feared that my lack of experience would cost the school a chance to force the third and deciding event.
I walked to the right until the dirt mound tapered off, and before my eyes stood the skating track. The wood had been recently polished to allow for fast speeds, so anyone who desired intense speeds would feel right at home.
" Huh? Are those targets on that board on a conveyor belt? That's something you'd find in an official archery competition, where moving targets are a standard requirement. Archery isn't in our curriculum, so this is something Crystal Prep must practice. Still, this seems a little too much for high school students, unless Principal Cinch really thinks of us as being capable of doing it. What about Principal Celestia? Could she be in agreement? Has the obsession of winning really blinded them to the truth of pushing us too far?" I asked myself. My questions weren't going to be answered. I knew that much was true.
" What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked, having walked up behind me without me noticing, startling me.
" Don't scare me like that!" I answered.
" We were all wonderin' why you wandered off over here rather than talkin' to us about possible strategies." Applejack said.
" I was curious to see things up close. I know we've seen much of what the field has to offer, but I thought there might be something we overlooked, and I was right to follow up on my instincts." I said.
" Yeah right! What could we have possibly missed?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" The fact that several of the archery targets are mobile." I answered, pointing my finger towards the board at the end of the central section of the changed field. My friends looked to see what I was getting at, and their eyes opened wide at the realization that some targets were on a conveyor belt.
Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Come on, we can handle a few moving targets.”
I slapped my forehead in response to her obvious arrogance. " You do realize that none of us have any skill in archery, right? It's something CHS doesn't teach, but Crystal Prep most likely does."
" What!? Is that even fair?"
" I'm with Rainbow Dash. Surely, they would have thought to include elements that are common practice among both schools?" Rarity asked.
" Maybe they were told that we knew how to shoot arrows." I answered.
" It don't matter anyhow." Applejack announced.
" What are you saying, darling? This has become a serious matter! We are already behind due to not winning the Academic Decathlon, and if we were to lose this next event, then Crystal Prep wins everything. We'll be booed by our fellow students for weeks to come because they've put so much faith in us." Rarity said.
" If y'all had let me finish, I'd have told you that when I was younger, I used to practice archery by shootin' down apples from the trees at Sweet Apple Acres. Some of them apples are mighty stubborn, so Granny Smith thought of firin' arrows to make 'em drop. Big Mac lacked proper eye coordination, Applebloom was too young, and Granny was too old, so it fell onto me to do the job of gettin' them apples down." Applejack said.
That proved to be incredibly useful. Applejack was an expert in archery, Rainbow Dash was an expert riding motorbikes, and I had less experience but still enough to make me a competent rider. If we had someone who knew how to skate, then we had all three stages of this event under control.
I looked at Fluttershy. Her nervousness made it obvious that riding motorbikes wasn't her thing. I also thought she wouldn't enjoy fast speeds, so that left archery. Was Fluttershy skilled with a bow? Maybe, but I wasn't entirely sure, as I rarely saw her doing anything during gym class.
Looking at Pinkie Pie and Rarity, I suspected the former was an expert skater, but again, I wasn't sure.
While all of these revelations were helpful, it didn't help to answer one important question: Were we to compete in the three stages this field had to offer, or were we only going to do one section each in the form of a relay race? Before I could ask any of my friends, a familiar voice suddenly made itself known, and I feared things would get ugly pretty quickly, especially if Rainbow Dash allowed her ego to take full control of her common sense.
" Fancy meeting you six here!"
The voice belonged to Indigo Zap of the Shadowbolts. She and her teammates Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest were standing behind her, and they looked as smug as they did when Twilight won the decathlon. Twilight herself wasn't with them, furthering my suspicions that these five didn't think too highly of her despite all being on the same team.
" You guys have got a lot of nerve coming out here and seeing the field." Indigo continued.
" We ain't doin' anything wrong." Applejack said.
" Ha! Could've fooled me! I bet you girls were trying to sneak out here to plan ahead for tomorrow's event!" Indigo Zap said.
" What!? You must have your goggles on too tight." Rainbow Dash said.
" Take that back!"
" Make me!"
" You want a piece of me?"
" I'm not gonna stoop down to your level." Rainbow Dash answered.
However, she was doing exactly that by walking towards Indigo Zap, but Applejack stopped Rainbow by grabbing her arms and holding her in place. Indigo did the same thing until Sugarcoat stopped her by placing her hand on her teammate’s shoulder. Both girls then stared at each other, their eyes filled with hatred, while all I did was back away slightly. This was exactly what I didn't want to see happen, and Rainbow Dash once again allowed her attitude to get the better of her.
" What's wrong? Need your friend to hold you back? Why not come over here and we can settle this." Rainbow said. Why did she have to provoke them even further? Didn't she know that words along those lines never solved anything?
" I'd love nothing more than to put you in your place." Indigo Zap answered. I noticed Sugarcoat's grip on her shoulder getting tighter, and Indigo turned towards her and noticed she was shaking her head several times. " But, my friend here is right; this isn't the time or place to be fighting like common thugs. I'll be able to beat you come tomorrow when Crystal Prep wins both the event and the Friendship Games."
" We'll see about that!"
" Why are you five out here?" Fluttershy asked.
" What's it to you?" Indigo Zap asked.
" Um, I was just wondering why you're out here along with us."
" We wanted to take a closer look at the field ourselves since the construction stopped early this morning." Sugarcoat answered, her expression remaining stoic throughout her exchange of words. " No authority figures said that we weren't allowed to be out here, so none of us are breaking any rules of the Friendship Games. Besides, not everything has been set up, and the rules have not yet been explained. Despite seeing the field, we are still in the dark about what this event will be about."
" Did you have to go and say that?" Sunny Flare asked.
" We didn't want them to know why we were out here, but now you just went ahead and blurted it out!" Sour Sweet added.
" I fail to see the problem of telling them the truth." Sugarcoat answered.
" Never mind!" Indigo Zap shouted.
" Neither team has gained any advantage over the other, so there is no reason to be displaying any hostility until the Games resume tomorrow. While I have no doubt in my mind that Crystal Prep is going to walk away victorious as usual, picking a fight with Canterlot High does no one any good. Remember what Principal Cinch told us about keeping our focus on winning at all costs, Indigo Zap. We don't want to mar our school's reputation." Sugarcoat said. While it appeared that Indigo Zap was their leader, it looked like Sugarcoat was the one who kept them in line, despite being so blunt about it. Deep down, she wanted to see CHS get humiliated but wasn't quite as serious about it, at least on the outside.
" You're right. If we keep this up, we're gonna get into a nasty fight, and Principal Cinch will chew us out."
" Then what do we do?" Sunny Flare asked.
" Simple... We leave and go back to our quarters." Sugarcoat answered.
The Shadowbolts then turned and walked towards the front of the school, making sure not to taunt us as they left. Rainbow Dash, in the meantime, had a strong urge to get up in their faces, but Applejack continued to hold her back. Why was Rainbow so obsessed with the idea of causing strife between herself and Indigo Zap? I knew they were practically the same as far as personalities went, but while Indigo knew when to pull back to save face, Rainbow struggled with that concept. If the two of them were to face each other tomorrow, there was no telling whether they would play by the rules or focus on beating the other without fear of the consequences.
Our encounter with our opponents did prove some other theories I had about them. Applejack and Sugarcoat were the voices of reason for our respective teams, yet the latter didn't allow her emotions to get in the way of thinking about how to deal with troubling situations. That was the one thing I'm glad didn't happen. The Friendship Games were supposed to exemplify the spirit of competition through friendship and understanding, yet what happened between our teams felt like we were more fixated on destroying each other. This was something Principal Cinch wasn't directly responsible for. She wanted her students to beat us, but not by resorting to extreme methods.
We had to prove we could beat them without cruel words. However, the Shadowbolts were right about one thing: If they win tomorrow's event, then they will win the Games, and CHS will endure another four years of utter humiliation.
" Sugarcoat knows how to keep her cool during tense moments." Twilight said.
" I just can't get over how stoic she acts." I said.
" She's blunt with her choice of words. While she doesn't intend on being mean, she just says what's on her mind without caring about what others might say. Sugarcoat was the only student at Crystal Prep who spoke up against some of Principal Cinch's more controversial actions." Twilight said.
" Really?"
" Yes, but do know that she never intended on belittling the teachers and other members of staff. Her only aim was to give them criticism without pulling any punches. Many students at Crystal Prep were envious over how Sugarcoat could speak her mind without getting into trouble because of it." Twilight answered.
" At least someone questioned Cinch's motives."
" Within good reason, of course. Anyway, I find it fascinating that Applejack was skilled in the use of a bow."
" It took me by surprise, as I never knew her to be a sharpshooter." I said. That's what I get for not visiting Sweet Apple Acres as much as I should. I really want to go there more often, but my other commitments keep on getting in the way. When you have a lot to do, you unintentionally neglect some of the most important things in life. Applejack has accepted that I can't visit her family's farm that often, but if I had, then I'd have known about her marksmanship instead of having been surprised. " What's even more surprising is that she taught Fluttershy how to use a bow. She didn't want anyone at school to know about it straight away, so Applejack gave her some private lessons at Sweet Apple Acres for a couple of months." I said.
" She must be an accomplished archer."
" I'd say Fluttershy needs some practice, but she does have the potential." I said. Twilight's statement wasn't entirely accurate, but I didn't have the heart to tell that the private lessons were much more difficult than Applejack had bargained for. Fluttershy was a keen learner, but had trouble holding the bow, firing arrows, keeping her poise, and so on. In fact, I remember AJ mentioning one particular lesson that involved hitting tin cans she had placed on a fence.
The aim was for Fluttershy to shoot down all of the cans, but she never hit a single target. She ended up hitting different targets--some were so inconspicuous that you had to wonder how she managed to pull it off--until she used up her arrows. Applejack's famous Stetson hat was one of the targets, but she wasn't upset about having a small hole in it. It was better than having a hole in her head. It was amazing that nothing at Sweet Apple Acres was damaged during Fluttershy's lesson, yet I believe Granny Smith said something about her needing luck instead of lessons to be able to shoot with a bow properly.
" What about Pinkie Pie and Rarity?"
" Pinkie is a natural born skater, having done so since she was, in her own words, an 'itty-bitty-bitty-twinkie-Pinkie', but Rarity was the surprising one. I didn't think she was willing to ride on skates out of fear of getting dirty or something worse, but she does it in order to look fabulous along with having fun. She even has some outfits dedicated to skating that she uses whenever the need to ride compels her." I answered.
" Sounds like all of you knew what you would be doing for the relay."
" What about Crystal Prep? None of us knew how you were given your respective positions."
" It's not something I like to think about."
" You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."
" No, I'll share it with you, Sunset. Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare requested the skating portion of the race, yet I didn't learn until after it was over that they were both skating prodigies who wanted to showcase their talents by beating CHS. Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat were told by Principal Cinch that they were handling the motocross. Indigo was definitely happy about it, but Sugarcoat seemed to be indifferent." Twilight said.
" And you?"
" Sour Sweet and I were left to deal with archery. Unfortunately, my physical education skills are lacklustre at best, so I was deemed the weakest among the Shadowbolts. I had to perform with perfection because Principal Cinch reminded me in her own fashion about what was at stake for me. Sour Sweet wasn't thrilled about being partnered up with me, and you found out for yourself what that was like." Twilight answered.
" Not really."
" Why not?"
" I was distracted by Indigo Zap and, to a lesser extent, Sugarcoat mocking both Rainbow Dash and me while we were waiting to start the motocross."
That night, I couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen come tomorrow when the Friendship Games resume. I knew things had already gotten intense, but I wasn't expecting what happened earlier when my friends and I encountered the Shadowbolts. Hopefully, Rainbow Dash has learned to keep her attitude under control. If a fight had broken out between her and Indigo Zap, I don’t doubt Principal Celestia would have given her detention for about three weeks. Those two were really passionate about competing, but there is a difference between passion and insanity.
Perhaps it was the fear of another loss that was behind Rainbow's urge to want to pick a fight? It wouldn't surprise me if that had been the case. The students of CHS were really hungry to finally beat Crystal Prep, thanks to the pep rally.
In the past, they wouldn't have been as enthusiastic about beating them. School pride surrounding the Friendship Games had reached levels not seen since the Games first started and became a tradition, and it was all thanks to Rainbow believing that this was CHS's time to shine. She wanted our school to take home the crown, but she needed to be reminded of self-control. Beating Crystal Prep meant not acting like a complete jerk. To truly make our victory all the more significant, we had to be better than them not only through physical means but through humility, as well.
The next day, just after lunch time, everyone from both schools had gathered to get ready for the second event. My friends and I were told earlier in the morning about what we were supposed to do for this event. I assumed all of us were going to be performing archery, skating, and motocross, but it turned out that we had been divided into three pairs of two students per stage. Applejack and Fluttershy were given the archery section, which was the first stage of the event. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were in stage two, which involved skating, and finally, Rainbow Dash and I had to finish the race by racing on motorbikes.
" Welcome, everyone, to the Friendship Games Tri-Cross Relay!" Dean Cadance announced to the roar of applause coming from the students. Both schools had their own bleachers located by the skating track's starting line. Dean Cadance, Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, and Principal Cinch had their own VIP section located nearby, complete with a view of the entire field so as to not miss anything. " Again, I apologize that this event was delayed until today, but as you can see, it was definitely worth it. In this event, both teams have been divided into three teams of two. They will face off in archery, speed-skating, and finally, motocross, in that order."
" I am so stoked for this." Rainbow Dash said.
" Just about everyone has been waiting for this event." I said.
" Isn't it awesome?"
" Maybe, but something feels off."
" Did you say something, Sunset?"
" No, it was nothing."
" Allow me to explain how each stage is going to work. In the first stage, archery, each team must traverse over the bales of hay, across the sand pit, and shoot one of the two bulls-eye targets on their side of the board. You may choose to hit either the easy target or the hard target. You each must hit a bulls-eye, otherwise it won't count. Doing so will allow your teammates to start the next leg of the relay." Dean Cadance said.
" I know you said something, Sunset." Rainbow Dash said.
" Don't worry about it, and just focus on when we have to ride." I said.
" In stage two, speed-skating, our competitors must complete eight laps around the track. No tricks are required, but please do not resort to any roughhousing. You may use as many of the lanes as you wish so long as you finish. Once you have crossed the finish line after completing the final lap, your remaining teammates will be given the signal to start the final section, motocross.
“ In this final stage, you must complete two laps by weaving around various obstacles placed on the dirt track. You must also jump off of ramps placed strategically around the course. Tricks are optional, so not doing them will not punish you. Whichever team completes two laps wins this event.
“ So, if the competitors are ready, let the Tri-Cross Relay begin!" Dean Cadance said. She picked up an air horn that was located next to her and pressed the button, causing it to blare out a loud noise that Principal Cinch didn't seem to enjoy.
With that, the second event was underway, but my vantage point wasn't a particularly good one. I could see what was going on, but I couldn't hear anyone talking over the sounds of students screaming their heads off. I was surprised to see that Twilight was one of the two Shadowbolts chosen to take part in archery. She appeared really nervous in comparison to her teammate Sour Sweet, who seemed pretty confident about herself. I had hoped to have spoken with Twilight about what happened by the statue, but I wasn't able to find her after the first event concluded. She wasn't with the other Shadowbolts the other day during that hostile conflict they had with us, so where was she when that happened?
" Look at Twilight down there--" I began.
" What about her?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" She looks like she doesn't want to be there."
" Yeah, I can actually see that, but it's not like she has a choice in the matter."
" Of course she doesn't!" Indigo Zap shouted. That was the one drawback with being the last to take part in the relay. Rainbow Dash and I had to put up with the likes of Indigo and Sugarcoat, the two Shadowbolts who were competing with us. I had hoped anyone other than Indigo would be here because of the intense rivalry between her and Rainbow, yet there she was--complete with arrogance--and Rainbow had no one holding her back. " Twilight's our weakest member in the physical department, but Principal Cinch chose her to be on the team despite our protests."
" She is better at solving math problems than competing in such a strenuous activity like archery." Sugarcoat added.
" How can you say that about your own teammate?" I asked.
" We of Crystal Prep came here to win! Someone like Twilight is only going to slow us down; she lacks the ferocity necessary to be a winner." Indigo Zap answered.
" That is why Principal Cinch wanted her in the first stage of the relay. She knew that Twilight was weak, so by having her in the early going, it will give the rest of us a chance to dominate without her messing it up like she would had she been involved later on. Just look at her struggles with jumping over bales of hay. You have to agree with me that she is in way over her head, based on her lack of physical prowess." Sugarcoat added. Rainbow Dash and I looked down at the archery section. Sure enough, Twilight was having trouble making it past the hay bales, and even tripped on the last one, slamming her face into the ground.
Fluttershy had managed to hit her target along with Sour Sweet, and Applejack easily made it across to the shooting range. Things only got worse for Twilight when she swung across the sand pit only to wind up missing it, yet she used her foot as leverage to prevent herself from swinging back. I had hoped for Sour Sweet to maybe give her a hand, but the only thing she did was get more and more annoyed. No wonder Twilight felt so miserable. No one on her team, or even in her school, cared about her. They were only concerned with winning and viewed her as a liability.
" What is she doing over there!?" Indigo Zap asked.
" She now appears to be struggling to hit her target successfully. I am not surprised to see that she is having trouble with such a simple task. If you or I were over there right now, we would have been successful in our first shot, yet she has already fired several to no avail." Sugarcoat answered.
" Why doesn't her teammate help her?" Rainbow Dash asked. I agreed. Sour Sweet, from what I could see from my position, had done nothing but show anger towards Twilight for struggling instead of providing encouragement or helping her. Was that how Crystal Prep viewed the concept of teamwork? Rather than work together and support one another, it was everyone doing things on their own to win.
" If she can't cut it, she doesn't deserve to be in Crystal Prep." Indigo Zap answered.
" That's a terrible thing to say!" I shouted.
" At our academy, we strive for perfection at all costs. If you cannot achieve this, then you aren't worthy of attending. Twilight may be the best student our academy has ever known, but her lack of physical stamina is obvious. That means she is imperfect." Sugarcoat said.
" Is that all you care about?"
" Principal Cinch does not tolerate losers."
" Why am I not surprised."
" Hey! At least our school has won way more often than yours has. I wouldn't be surprised if Principal Celestia would one day come begging to Principal Cinch in the hopes of being taught how to win at least one major competition." Indigo Zap said.
" That was uncalled for!"
" You want to make something of it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I'd love nothing more than to make you eat those words, but we have to show restraint otherwise we would tarnish Crystal Prep's reputation. Don't you worry, though. We'll settle things once the motocross begins." Indigo Zap answered, revving up her bike. If she wanted to get under Rainbow's skin, that little taunt of hers had done the trick. I couldn't believe what I had heard coming from the mouths of our opponents. I knew Crystal Prep cared about winning, as it was established based on what others told me, yet to think that they would go so far as to cast aside one of their own just because she didn't have what it took.
If Twilight wasn't miserable about her predicament before, she was about to feel that way, especially with what happened next. Applejack had succeeded in hitting her target and that allowed Pinkie and Rarity to get started with their stage of the relay. It didn't look good for Twilight, as she continued to struggle hitting her target. She had a few good chances, but her nervousness was affecting her aim. I looked at Sour Sweet, who appeared to be on the verge of just walking away and leaving Twilight. It didn't help that Dean Cadance had to announce that CHS had gotten off to an early start.
Sour Sweet said something, but I couldn't quite hear her words over the obnoxious sounds of Indigo Zap's motorbike. What I did know was that the former was beside herself with rage over what was happening in front of her. Even the audience of Crystal Prep students were giving Twilight such horrible looks. It made my heart cry out in pain over how they were all treating her. It reminded me of how everyone at CHS once treated me after I was exposed for being the monster that I was. While they eventually forgave me for my actions, Twilight wasn't getting the same treatment.
That's why I felt something was off about this event. I didn't understand it at the time, but Twilight was having an emotional breakdown and was on the verge of unleashing her anger on everyone who had been mistreating her. If I had detected this anxiety, I could have asked Dean Cadance to stop the event and have Twilight excused so that she could calm down before something went wrong. Fortunately, my friends were wise to have gotten involved, so my fear was alleviated... for now.
" If CPA can't hit another bulls-eye soon, they'll be out of this race." Dean Cadance announced.
" I wish she hadn't said that." I said, sighing.
" Because of Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Her team has been unfairly treating her badly and I feel so sorry for her."
" Yeah, I know what you mean. I love winning just as much as they do, but not at the expense of a fellow teammate. Crystal Prep shows no loyalty towards their own and only care about their own goals." Rainbow Dash said.
" That's why I said that something felt off."
" You think it has to do with Twilight?"
" Maybe, but I can't be certain."
" You're really bad at this!" Sugarcoat announced. At first, I thought she was referring to myself or Rainbow Dash, but I quickly figured out that she was talking about Twilight, who appeared to have burst into tears upon hearing Dean Cadance's announcement.
" Do me a favour and shut up." I said.
" I'm not going to dignify your brutish comment with a response. I am merely stating the obvious, and you cannot deny it as anything but the truth. Twilight has no idea how to compete in an event of this magnitude, so she will have to accept the consequences for not living up to Crystal Prep's reputation. I am certain Principal Cinch will have some choice words for her once this relay has reached its conclusion." Sugarcoat said.
Applejack responded to Sugarcoat's bluntness by going over to Twilight and helping her out. It was fortunate that the rules of the event didn't say that opposing team members couldn’t provide a few pointers, yet Sour Sweet had nothing but ridicule for Applejack’s actions. She had a lot of nerve mocking someone who was trying to help out of the goodness of her heart. If I had been over there instead of up on a raised platform, I'd have given her a piece of my mind. I didn't even care about her two-faced persona. No one in her position would ever deny helping someone else.
Luckily, Twilight took Applejack's advice to heart and was able to hit a bulls-eye on her next shot, allowing Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare to finally begin skating. Pinkie and Rarity were already several laps ahead, but the lead wouldn't last for very long. Crystal Prep had more experience when it came to competing, so it was only a matter of time before the Shadowbolts caught up and turned the relay into a close race once again.
That's when I sensed magic coming from somewhere, but I couldn't focus on it due to Indigo Zap and Rainbow Dash arguing again. I knew my friends and I had kept magic away from the Games, but why had it suddenly made itself known at that moment? I thought it nothing more than a sudden blip before dissipating, yet I was proven wrong when a magical surge appeared that brought along some unexpected guests.
" I appreciate the fact that you were concerned for me." Twilight said.
" Your teammates had no right to treat you the way they did just because you weren't as athletic as they were. I know that words alone mean nothing, but I really wanted to help, and I'm glad that Applejack gave you the proper advice that allowed you to hit the target." I said.
" That's just how students at Crystal Prep acted. If you weren't up to maintaining the school's reputation, you were declared weak, and that resulted in ridicule. The only reason I was kept around for so long was because I was the best student there. If I had been an ordinary student, I'd have been kicked out a long time ago." Twilight said. It sounded like students at the academy believed in the old saying about sacrificing those deemed weak in order to salvage those deemed strong. No doubt Principal Cinch made sure they never forgot that by indoctrinating it into their daily routine. No wonder she was so obsessed over reputation. It was the driving force behind a lot of her decisions. Having a reputation is fine, but not when it comes at the cost of human decency, which is what Twilight endured.
" Did you carry that pendant with you?"
" It was around my neck when I was competing in the archery segment."
" Hadn't it occurred to you that you should've taken it off and thrown it away?"
" The thought was there, but my curiosity knew no bounds. I was determined to continue absorbing all of the magic at CHS until I finally understood what it did. You should know, Sunset, that I didn't walk up to Applejack and Rainbow Dash before stealing their magic. They came up to me in order to make me feel better, and my pendant just acted out on its own without warning. Still, you're right in that I should've stopped using it. If I had, my transformation wouldn't have occurred." Twilight answered.
I'm actually glad she mentioned that. I remember what happened when Rainbow Dash had her magic absorbed. She walked right up to Twilight without a care in the world, and suddenly that pendant shot forward before opening up and taking her magic. Twilight was trying to pull the pendant back but to no avail. Rainbow should've just stepped backwards when she had the chance. I suspect that the pendant wanted to absorb magic of its own volition after she acquired enough from Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, myself, and the portal. Magic can be extremely dangerous when combined together from different parts unless you knew what you were doing.
To someone like Twilight, who believed in the logic of science instead of the wonder of magic, absorbing so much magic didn't make much sense, because she assumed that it was an unknown energy source that caused strange phenomena around CHS. If she had been an expert like I was, she would have known that, but she wasn’t, so I don't fault her for not knowing.
All those portals opening up to random places across Equestria was unexpected. All I knew was the one that connected from the front lawn to the inside of Princess Twilight's castle, yet locations seen on the other side of the portals included Canterlot, the Everfree Forest, a place I assumed was Ponyville, Cloudsdale, icy mountains, and the desolate wastes, just to name a few places.
" Curiosity can be fatal."
" What were you thinking about?"
" The portals you unintentionally created."
" Those went to different parts of Equestria, right?"
" Some I immediately recognized, yet others I've never seen before until I saw the image glistening through the portal."
" I'm curious about where those plants came from."
" I knew you would be."