//------------------------------// // Chapter 73: Everyone Wins // Story: The Other Journal // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// Day: Saturday Weather: Sunset Time: 5:45pm When Twilight transformed into a demon--Midnight Sparkle, as she called herself--it brought back memories of when I became a demon. She gained tremendous power and used it to bring about the destruction of this world in addition to Equestria. However, while I was bent on taking over my home, Twilight wanted to understand the magic of Equestria. She sought knowledge, and I sought domination. What befell her was a reversal of what happened to me. I was now the one who struggled against someone who was just like me but had become twisted by magic. I had to do whatever I could to save Twilight from herself. Without even thinking about the ramifications, I absorbed the magic of my friends and transformed into a new form. My new power enabled me to close the portals and was enough to bring Twilight down. She then accepted my offer of showing her another path, indicating that everything had been resolved, yet one person still remained who could ruin my efforts. The Other Journal By Ganondorf8 May 7, 2016 Chapter 73: Everyone Wins. Twilight's words took me several minutes to understand the significance behind them. I had told her that her transformation into a demon had proven beneficial despite how she almost destroyed two worlds in the name of knowledge. She had exposed Principal Cinch for the kind of person she truly was, and in front of the entire student body of Crystal Prep, at that. They had always followed her example without ever questioning her methods, but that was because they feared a retaliation from Cinch. She held their futures in her hand and could easily crush those futures should they prove disloyal. If not for the fact that the Shadowbolts stood by our side when Cinch thought about informing the school board of what happened, she could have gotten away with it, and the status quo of Crystal Prep would've remained the same. Luckily, they realized that Cinch went too far in her effort to win a competition in the name of reputation. The lives of people are far more important than winning a stupid trophy. To think that Twilight, her best student, had been the one who unravelled her intentions despite being blackmailed into competing in exchange for her academic future. The outcast of Crystal Prep saved them all. If Cinch took anything away from the whole experience, it was her dignity, and even that had been damaged. She could have said something when we all stared at her, but she knew that would've only made her look worse. Like I mentioned to Twilight before, Cinch may try to change her perspective on things, or she may never change. Only she can determine the direction her life goes from here. Then Twilight mentioned about why I wasn't out of the woods. This is what stumped me for those several minutes, but I did manage to come up with an answer. I may have reformed, but my temper of my old self continued to linger. So long as I lose my patience whenever something frustrates me, I can never truly be free from the monster I once was. I've learned to live with that revelation, although it's something I don't have to enjoy. Would I ever reach a point where my temper no longer causes me problems? I don't know the answer, but all I can do is try my best to resolve problems without my rage blinding me from a peaceful solution. " Sunset? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. " I'm fine, Twilight. In fact, I was thinking about what you said about me not being out of the woods." I answered. " I wasn't implying that you were still having problems." " No, I'm actually glad to have gotten the chance to think about it. Despite everything that I've been through since Princess Twilight gave me a second chance, I know that I've still got a ways to go before I can safely say that I've changed. My temper will continue to cause me problems, but I have to accept that as part of my personality. My fiery attitude has proven itself useful sometimes, yet I won't deny it has almost cost me everything." I said. " Sunset..." " Don't worry about me, Twilight. I'll figure out how to keep my temper in check. It's something only I can find an answer to. In the meantime, you still need to deal with the aftermath of becoming a demon. How has that transition been going for you?" I asked. " I still get some dirty looks." " It will eventually stop." " Are you sure?" " Unlike Crystal Prep, the students of CHS are very forgiving when someone does something. How long it takes does depend on the crime, however. It took several months for them to forgive me for my actions, but I think it will take you a couple of weeks. What you did was there and then, while what I did lasted three years." I answered. In some ways, I actually felt jealous that Twilight got off lightly compared to me. All she had to do was apologize to her new peers for destroying the Wondercolt statue. I was forced to repair the main entrance on my own, apologize to the entire student body, and live without use of my magic by order of Princess Twilight--that last one ended quickly due to the Sirens. " Guess it's time we wrapped things up, huh?" " Yes. I only have what Principal Cinch said in addition to what I said to our friends about the magic this world has." " Actually, I was hoping you'd answer one more question for me." " What is it?" " I want to know about the villains." " You already know plenty about the stuff I did, the same with the Sirens and what I briefly said about Nightmare Moon." " I'm talking about the other villains." Twilight said. I slapped my forehead. Somehow, I should have known she was going to say that. It was probably the one thing she didn't know regarding Equestria. My own experiences are limited to what Her Highness has told me in her responses. Twilight then looked at me--I thought she gave me a weird look--and I waved my hands as my way of telling her everything was fine. Why did I open my big mouth initially to indulge her curiosity? There was no point in complaining about it now. I know that to not answer Twilight's question would mean dealing with her pouting until she got her way. Unfortunately, my current journal lacked information on the other villains. Reaching for my backpack, grumbling to myself, I took out my magic journal and began combing through the pages. I knew to begin near the middle, but my mind was so fixated on answering her question, I began at the start. Why couldn't she have asked something less difficult? Why did her curiosity know no bounds? After a few minutes of looking, I finally found the responses Her Highness made about the other villains of Equestria. She was pretty thorough with her descriptions, but I knew I had no time to go into full details. It was starting to get late, and I wasn't about to spend all night talking about characters I've never seen before. All the times I've complained about dealing with magical threats from Equestria really paled in comparison with what Her Highness has seen. If anyone deserved to complain, it was her. " I'm not going to go into full details, Twilight; it's getting late, and I don't know much about them myself." " That's okay, Sunset. Whatever information you can give to me is fair enough. Again, let me just say that I appreciate you answering my question even though you'd prefer talking about your past." Twilight said. She just had to say that, didn't she? Sometimes, I'm just too nice for my own good. I'm not too upset about it, though. Twilight's been through an awful lot these last couple of weeks thanks to the Friendship Games. I shouldn't chastise her for pursuing knowledge. " After Nightmare Moon was defeated and turned back to Princess Luna, Equestria remained threat-free until Discord was released from his stone imprisonment." " Wasn't he the chaos-being you mentioned once earlier?" " He wanted to turn Ponyville into 'the Chaos Capital of the World', according to Princess Twilight, in addition to all of Equestria into an eternal nuthouse. Fluttershy--the pony version, not our version--befriended him on the pretense that he could be reformed much like how I was. While I changed my ways in a matter of weeks, it took Discord about seven months to finally realize what it meant to have friends." I answered. " Glad he's on their side." " Princess Twilight still has some doubts. Anyway, Queen Chrysalis came along several months later by impersonating the pony version of Dean Cadance during her wedding in an effort to steal love for her subjects. She is one of the few villains in Equestria who is incapable of being reformed; her black heart is too twisted to accept the notions of goodness. " Then, there is King Sombra, who ruled the Crystal Empire until he was banished a thousand years ago along with the empire. Princess Twilight didn't mention much about him because all he ever did was mention a few words and act scary. She did mention a lot about Lord Tirek." I said. " Who was he?" " A centaur who stole the magic from everypony in a bid to become all-powerful. Her Highness holds a personal grudge against him because he destroyed her library--her home for many years--and she unleashed her hatred in a battle that can only be described as epic. I'm glad she wasn't like that when she and our friends confronted me during the Fall Formal. " Finally, there was Starlight Glimmer, the leader of a village where all ponies had an equal sign for a cutie mark. Her philosophy revolved around equality, where no pony was better than anyone else. You could say that she introduced Marxism into Equestria." I answered. " I wouldn't mind meeting her someday." " Last anyone saw of her, she disappeared into the mountains." " That's too bad." " Well, I've answered your question, even if with short descriptions." " I'm satisfied with the information." " Good. Now it's time to focus on the final part of the Friendship Games. Everyone was relieved that the nightmare was finally over, yet Principal Cinch didn't care. She still believed CHS should have forfeited in favour of Crystal Prep, but her students wouldn't have any of it. They were appalled that she brought up something so trivial considering what had just happened, but she didn't care. Her school's reputation was sinking, and she wanted to salvage what remained." I said. I had been through many difficult challenges in my life, but my struggle against Twilight was, without a doubt, the most difficult of all. When she transformed into a monster after unintentionally absorbing the magic from my friends and me, there was a moment where I honestly believed that I couldn't save her. She had become so twisted from the magic that she desired the knowledge of Equestria at the cost of this world's very existence. She threatened to bring about unprecedented destruction, and I was the only one who was able to stop her. What was ironic was that my battle against Twilight was a role reversal. When I became a monster, it was Princess Twilight who stood up against me with our friends by her side. Now, our friends stood with me as I used their magic to transform into a being of pure goodness, a stark contrast from my demonic form. Despite having more power than ever before, I knew that I couldn't be tempted by dark powers. Instead, I used my magic to fix the damage Twilight had caused and protect those who were more than my friends; they were my family, and their future was hanging in the balance. To be honest, I would have been defeated if it hadn't been for Twilight's dog Spike. If he hadn't called out to her in the middle of our struggle, her power would have easily eclipsed my own. It was a miracle that Twilight managed to regain her senses, if only for a brief moment. It was the moment I needed to defeat her before someone got hurt or even worse. I'm never going to question the loyalty of an animal ever again. Spike's love for Twilight was more powerful than any magic and served as a reminder that friendship could overcome anything if given a chance. Crystal Prep could learn a lot from what happened, as their best student lashed out in a way none of them are soon to forget. Speaking of which, the Shadowbolts finally realized that that Principal Cinch had gone too far. By joining her in forcing Twilight to open up her pendant, they indirectly caused the problem that almost destroyed this world. I wasn't sure if they could forgive themselves for acting like monsters, but now, they could finally start on the road to recovery. It's going to take them a while before they can be declared cured. However, the same wasn't true about Cinch. She had crossed the line, and she knew it. She didn't deserve forgiveness, and I doubt her school would see her the same way ever again. In an effort to have Crystal Prep retain its dominion, its reputation, Cinch risked the lives of everyone for a trophy that no longer held any meaning. Was it possible for Cinch to reform? That was a difficult question to answer. She was the kind of person who had spent years grooming herself into an emotionless person who held back her feelings so as not to be seen as weak in front of others. I pity her for being like that. Cinch never got the chance to shed her stoic façade in favour of something more practical, yet that was a decision she made long ago. The bright light--caused when I gave Twilight every last bit of magic I had to defeat her--finally disappeared, and Twilight and I gently floated down to the ground. Everyone else looked on, wondering if the nightmare was finally over. For once, there was only a minimal amount of damage--namely, the Wondercolt statue. That could easily be repaired, although it's going to take an awful lot of money to repair or replace it. The portals didn't cause any interdimensional damage, but I wasn't sure if Equestria had sustained any damage when our worlds connected through the portals. I'll consult with Princess Twilight whenever I saw her next. " Are you alright?" I asked Twilight, who looked confused at what just happened. " Is it over? Am I back to normal?" Twilight asked. " Yes. I used my magic and removed the magic that corrupted you." " How did you manage to do that?" " Compared to my friends, I have more experience with magic." " You must have been pretty lucky to learn more than them." " Luck has nothing to do with it. I've been able to use magic since the day I was born." " What exactly are you?" " I'm a unicorn from a world of sapient ponies. I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. There's no point in trying to hide the truth since your actions have exposed the magic that my friends and I have tried to keep hidden from Crystal Prep." I answered. I was expecting Twilight to not believe me. She believed in logical solutions, and what I described was fantasy, a concept someone of her nature would deny. Despite having become a demon, used magic to open up portals, and been defeated by magic, she might still think it had been a dream or that I had tricked her into believing that she had gained untold power. " How fascinating." " You don't think it was a dream?" " How could I after everything I did just to acquire more knowledge. I didn't care about what happened to this world. All I cared about was reaching Equestria and filling myself with knowledge to my heart's content. I am so sorry, Sunset... I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Twilight answered. " I know. And going by my own experiences, they'll forgive you." " Are you sure about that? I mean, my peers already look down on me. After seeing me become a monster, I'm not sure if they can ever forgive me." " It will take time, but it will happen." " What about your peers?" " I had to work really hard to finally earn their trust. There were times where I wanted to give up, but I kept on going, even if it killed me. Despite the differences between our two schools, everyone understands that it wasn't your fault things went out of control. You were in a difficult situation and had no choice. If anyone is to blame, it's Principal Cinch for putting a trophy ahead of her students." I answered. " Will she forgive me?" " My advice is to ignore her opinion and instead focus on those of your peers. They are far more important." I answered. Twilight then smiled at me, the first honest smile that I had seen from her. I truly believed things were going to get better for her. My point quickly got proven when her dog Spike tackled her to the ground and started licking her face. He had proven his loyalty by helping me save her. Principal Cinch, on the other hand, was anything but loyal. The moment Twilight became distracted by Spike, I immediately turned my attention towards the gathering of students and staff near the destroyed Wondercolt statue. Everyone else were still coming to grips with what happened, yet Cinch had something else in mind. I could see it in her eyes. She was more concerned with who won the Friendship Games. I thought about saying something in the hopes that she would finally get it through her thick head, but Principal Celestia looked to be the one to do that. If Cinch had been smarter, she would've focused more on the well-being of her students instead of a competition that no longer held any meaning. Unfortunately, someone like her wasn't about to change her ways on a whim. What was perhaps truly pathetic was where Cinch chose to hide while Twilight was busy opening up portals everywhere. She had taken the liberty of hiding behind the bleachers. Why not corral her students into fleeing? Why not convince her best student to not bring about so much destruction? Why allow Twilight to keep hold of that pendant instead of taking it away? Cinch's lack of ethics was truly beginning to show. " Principal Celestia... I must speak with you immediately!" Principal Cinch announced. " Where in the world have you been?" Principal Celestia asked. " That is not important. What is important is telling your students that Crystal Prep has won." " I'm sorry, but could you repeat that?" " I said that Crystal Prep has won." " Quite the bold statement you made there, Principal Cinch, and one that I am confused over. Care to give me a valid reason as to why you think your school has won when clearly, the final event was never even played. I believe everyone in attendance would like to hear your reason as well." Principal Celestia said. It felt strange seeing her taking such a firm stand against Cinch after what she had done to ridicule CHS. Twilight's actions had also affected the staff as well as the students. Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance approached Celestia, with the latter standing by Celestia's side instead of Cinch's. " Principal Celestia, on behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games!" " May I ask why I should do this?" " You honestly expect me to explain something so obvious?" " Yes, I do." " Fine! Clearly, CHS has had an unfair advantage for quite some time! And it's certainly obvious that your students have been using magic for their own benefit!" " I'm afraid that I must disagree with you there. Only six of my students have been using magic ever since it first became apparent around here. They don't abuse the power they have been given but instead have used it to light our darkest hour on several occasions now. The rest of my students don't know how it works." Principal Celestia said. " Regardless, they used magic during the Games." " Not to win any of the events, mind you. Besides, I don't see that as being all that important. In fact, I'd like to think that using their magic to save the world benefits us all. What they have done today goes far beyond their previous exploits against those who abused magic. Now that I think about it, I believe one of your students used magic, and under pressure from you yourself." Principal Celestia said. She had seen Twilight open up her pendant and releasing all of the magic she stole. Whether or not she had seen Cinch and her students singing while backing Twilight into a corner earlier was irrelevant. Cinch had now been backed into a corner herself and was running out of options. Someone like her most likely had an out for just about everything. How else could she have gone through life without ever paying for her actions. " Nonsense! What Twilight did was the good of my school." Principal Cinch said. That was her excuse. Truly, she had hit rock bottom. Justifying Twilight's actions as being beneficial completely missed the point. Everyone saw that she had been forced into releasing the magic due to peer pressure. What was Cinch hoping to accomplish? Did she honestly think we were all too stupid to not see what the truth was? I was about to say something in response, but the most unlikely person decided to step in on my behalf. " That is an incorrect statement." Sugarcoat announced. " What are you talking about?" Principal Cinch asked. " Twilight did not release the magic of her own free will." " Really? Would you happen to have an explanation?" Vice Principal Luna asked. " When we saw magic being used, Principal Cinch believed we deserved to use it as well. We would be on equal footing with you guys and quite possibly superior, what with our school having the best athletes. However, CHS protected others from getting hurt with their magic, the right course of action to take. At least they didn't manipulate Twilight into releasing all the stolen magic and turning into a power-crazed magical creature that tried to rip the world apart just to win a game." Sugarcoat answered. Her response left all of us speechless. Rainbow Dash and I were aware that Sugarcoat didn't mince her words whenever she spoke, but I never imagined anyone from Crystal Prep contradicting something Cinch had said. Turning towards her, she was shocked that one of her own would act of their own accord. Was it possible that Twilight's transformation had made them see the truth about their principal? " That's ridiculous!" Principal Cinch said. The demeanour in her voice made it obvious that she was on the defensive. " Why are you trying to hide the truth?" " I'm actually curious about that as well." Vice Principal Luna added. " Sugarcoat's answer has no truth to it by any means." Principal Cinch said. Again, she was acting defensively and showing signs of losing control of her emotions. Sweat was trickling down her brow as more students and staff began to wonder if Sugarcoat's words were the truth. " Nope! That's pretty much what happened." Spike announced to the shock of everyone else aside from me, Twilight, and my friends. I was hoping no one was going to question why a dog was suddenly capable of talking. That same question got asked after the Fall Formal when the Equestria version of Spike had something to say about what happened. Cinch then slowly backed away from Twilight, who had finally joined in on the conversation after practically being licked to death by her dog. Why was Cinch afraid of Spike? He didn't seem to be the ferocious type, so her reaction made no sense. Everyone else seemed surprised he uttered something, whether it was the truth or not, but considering all the strange stuff that had happened within the last ten minutes, a talking dog was probably the least strange thing. " Um, I want to say something too." Sour Sweet announced. " And what is that?" Vice Principal Luna asked. " Listen up, all of you!" Sour Sweet answered, her attitude changing from sweet to sour and then repeating the process. " We're all to blame for what happened to Twilight. We pressured her into doing something she was uncomfortable with. She didn't deserve such horrible treatment just because she doesn't have the same athletic skills we have. I know the rest of my team is in complete agreement when I say that we're sorry for what we did." " That took a lot of courage to admit." " I wasn't finished!" " Oh, then please, do continue." " The only one who isn't sorry is Principal Cinch. It was mostly her fault this all happened." " Do you have anything to say in response?" " Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!" Principal Cinch answered. Just when I thought she couldn't get anymore pathetic, she had to go and say something completely stupid. Her students realized that winning didn't mean everything, and that she had been exposed for being a true monster who would cast anyone aside were they worthless to her. Relying on the school board just showed how desperate she was to maintain her school's credibility. I would be embarrassed to have a principal like Cinch. " Is there no way to change your mind?" Principal Celestia asked. " None!" " Good. I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings. I'm not sure if they will actually believe you even if you were to show them proof that students were flying about. They might think it nothing more than a stunt." Principal Celestia said. " Oh, and the portals to different dimensions." Vice Principal Luna added. Actually, she was incorrect here, but I wasn't about to ruin the moment for her. The portals only opened up to Equestria, yet to random locations; many of them I remember seeing long ago, with others were a complete mystery. " And don't forget to tell them about the talking dog." Dean Cadance added. I'm surprised she decided to mention that. " Because that would never ruin your reputation." Spike added. If there were words that could be described as being the final nail in the coffin, what Spike said definitely fits that description rather nicely. Principal Cinch viewed reputation as being more important than anything else under her watch. She was willing to get the school board in something that was caused by her own selfish desires and pin the blame on CHS for her own shortcomings. Everyone then looked down on Cinch to let her know that she was completely alone. Even her own students looked down on her, knowing that she had gone too far. To be cast aside by her own students was, without a doubt, the worst experience Cinch ever felt. Her empire had since crumbled away, leaving nothing but ruins. As she looked at the disapproving glares, Cinch started to suffer from a case of twitchy eye. She was actually losing her composure all because her own students had finally stood up against her, and she didn't know how to approach it. For a moment, it looked like was about to snap, but she quickly calmed down. She then turned around and walked away without uttering another word. Rather than lose control and be humiliated in front of dozens, Cinch decided that it was best for her to leave while keeping what little dignity she had left. It actually felt nice knowing that the true enemy had been defeated without a final confrontation taking place. With her departure, the Friendship Games were over, yet the question of which team had won remained unanswered. The final event never took place because of Twilight releasing the stolen magic, and I doubted anyone was willing to go through with it now, especially after Cinch's little rant. Principal Celestia then came up with a decision. None of us had expected things to turn out the way they did, and because of what we all went through, Celestia declared that both teams were the winners. For the first time since the Games first began, a tie had been reached. Was Celestia allowed to make such a decision? As one of the two overseers, she had the authority to do so. Everyone began cheering when she announced both teams had won. After what felt like forever, everything had finally been resolved. Well... not everything. There was still the question as to what would happen with Twilight, and there was the one regarding Her Highness. " I can't believe that I never heard any of that conversation." Twilight said. " What were you doing that whole time?" I asked. " Like you said, Spike had been licking me, and I guess I got too distracted by his affection to have paid attention until he responded to Principal Cinch." Twilight answered. My eyes suddenly widened when she mentioned her dog. There had been a nagging question about him on my mind since the Games ended. I had completely forgotten all about it, but now I finally had the chance to see it get answered. Twilight noticed that I was acting strange and gently rubbed my shoulder to snap me out of my daydream. " Are you alright? You zoned out." " That's because you reminded me of something." I said. I then hugged Twilight as hard as I could, prompting her to blush for a brief moment. When she nudged me in the stomach to tell me I was hugging her too hard, I let go and scooted a few feet away before blushing myself. " Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me. Anyway, when Cinch backed away after Spike confirmed Sugarcoat's story--Why did she do that? I was under the impression that Spike wasn't a threatening dog." " You hugged me out of curiosity?" " Um, yes?" " There's hope for you yet." Twilight answered. I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I wasn't about to start asking questions. " I should've told you sooner, Sunset. It just never really came up until that precise moment when Spike spoke up. Do you remember me telling you about there being rules against having pets? Well, there's another reason why that rule is strictly enforced. Principal Cinch is highly allergic to dogs--she sneezes up a real storm when she gets close enough to one. If anyone at the academy comes into contact with a dog, they are immediately sent home to change." " Is that why you kept Spike hidden?" " I hid him because of the rules. Her allergies never played a factor." " Who would've thought that someone like her would have such a mundane Achilles' Heel." " No one ever took advantage of Principal Cinch's allergies." " Despite all that she did, making her suffer like that would be a low blow, I guess." I said. Even though my question turned out not to be important in the grand scheme of things, it was important enough to me because it had been on my mind. Wow... I was actually starting to behave like Twilight. I was curious about something and refused to let it go until I finally got an answer. It seems the reversal was true about Twilight being the only one to adopt my mannerisms; I was adapting some of her quirks. It was a sign that our friendship had the potential to blossom into something truly spectacular. Turning to the next page of the journal, a note had been stapled there as opposed to being glued. I tried to think about what was significant about the note, but I just couldn't find the answer. Twilight then asked if she could read what it says. I hesitated at first since the journal contained my deepest thoughts, but she reminded me that I been telling her just about everything I had written down. I've gotten this far with sharing my secrets about those I've interacted with to Twilight, so what was the point in denying her now? It might not even be all that important since I can't remember the significance. Handing the journal over to Twilight, she opened up the note and began to read it. " It only says four words: 'I am Sunset Shimmer'. I don't quite understand the meaning here. Also, I do believe this is your handwriting." " Now I remember. I wrote it down after I finished writing a message to Princess Twilight." " When did you do that?" " Just before Principal Celestia announced that you transferred to CHS." The Friendship Games were over, at least for another four years. The magical insanity that plagued things during the latter half would forever be remembered, and that scared me more than anything else. I saved Twilight from herself, yet it came at a terrible price. I had done everything in my power to prevent magic from becoming known beyond CHS, such as secretly erasing the footage my peers had recorded on their cellphones. Now that Crystal Prep had seen the magic with their own eyes, I feared they would expose this to the rest of the world, which, in turn, would bring unwanted attention in the form of scientists, reporters, and others wanting to see things for themselves. Despite having come together to save this world and expose Principal Cinch's true intentions, I didn't know if her students could be trusted. Their sudden change in perspective could merely be a short-lived experience, and upon returning to Crystal Prep, they would upload their footage and photos to the Internet. Would I have to sneak over to their school and erase the data on their phones? Was protecting Equestria so important that I had to resort to such drastic actions? Ponies didn't have a clue as to what humans were, and the thought of seeing them scampering about my home with their curious fantasies was too much for me. Princess Twilight would have the same feelings I did. She didn't want our world to suddenly become infested with humans. There was no telling what they might change into during the transition process. For now, I would have to keep the option of sneaking into Crystal Prep in mind, just in case there's no other choice. Speaking of Cinch, she walked away and kept her dignity, yet she didn't really get very far. All she did was make her way to where her school's buses were parked and got into the one in front of the rest. The Crystal Prep buses had been parked in front of the school since they arrived a couple of days ago. Why not drive them to a depot and leave them until everything had been taken care of? In any case, Cinch wanted to leave as soon as possible. No doubt her experiences at CHS had affected her mind in ways she never though possible. Did it mean she was going to start changing her ways and become a better person? The jury was still out on that one. Someone like Cinch doesn't simply change like that. In the hour since both schools were declared winners, students from CHS and Crystal Prep had interacted with each other. If not for Twilight's transformation bringing everyone together, everyone would still be at each other's throats. They finally understood the meaning behind the Friendship Games. It had nothing to do with winning a trophy. It involved being good friends and helping when you know it's the right thing to do. I was the only one who wasn't interacting with anyone. Most of the problems had been resolved, yet some things continued to linger. I was worried about Twilight. She would have a hard time upon returning to Crystal Prep, and Cinch would do everything in her power to make her miserable. I was also worried about Her Highness. Despite the portal being restored to the base of the Wondercolt statue, I still hadn't received any messages. What could be going on in Equestria that kept Princess Twilight from sending word to me? All I could do was send another message in the hopes that she would get it. Dear Princess Twilight, It's been several days now, and you still haven't responded to any of my messages. I was wondering if everything is okay on your end. I know you have a lot of your plate, what with you being a princess, but I just wish for some confirmation that you are okay. I wanted to let you know that I finally understand what you had to go through when you stood up to me while I was a monster. I'd go into more details, but I'm not sure if I can without knowing if my message will actually reach you. I also want to tell you that my experience also revealed something that had been causing me problems for a very long time. There are still some questions that elude me, but I think things will only get better from here. Hopefully, I will either hear from you or see you again in person. Your Friend, Sunset Shimmer. Once I finished writing my message, I turned towards something I had been doodling in one of my binders. Twilight's transformation reminded me that I wasn't completely safe from regressing back to who I once was. Something could easily convince me to become a demon once again. I had to make sure to not fall for such temptations. Princess Twilight would never forgive me if I suddenly became evil again; the same with the rest of my friends. To ensure I never succumb, I had to write down something to remind me of who I was. It was a simple message: "I am Sunset Shimmer". Removing the piece of paper from my binder, I folded it in half and put it into my pocket just as Fluttershy approached. " What are you doing, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked. " Oh, I was writing something down to remind me to always stay true and never stray from my chosen path." I answered. " Um, okay, but actually, I was wondering why you were writing in your journal." " I thought you were curious about... Never mind. I was writing a message to Her Highness wondering why she hasn't responded to my previous messages. It's been several days now, and it's really starting to worry me. I know the portal to Equestria has only recently been restored, yet I feel something has gone wrong back home." I said. " You still haven't received word from Princess Twilight?" " Not yet, and it's really getting to me." " Maybe she's too busy to get back to you?" " That's what I thought, but you've got to admit that it's a lousy excuse. I don't know what's happening in Equestria, and part of me really wants to go back and find out, but I shouldn't let my doubts get the better of me. Her Highness has saved Equestria plenty of times, so perhaps she's currently saving it right now." I answered. Her saving Equestria actually was a legitimate reason. It had been threatened countless times by evil characters who wanted to cause pain and suffering. In fact, Equestria faces a national crisis at least once every other week, according to Her Highness. " Well, is there anything you can do to take your mind off of it?" " As a matter of fact, yes. I think I may have figured out how magic works in this world." " Really? That sounds wonderful, but how exactly did you figure it out?" " We pony up when we're showing the truest part of ourselves. It's so obvious now that I'm kicking myself for not having come to the conclusion sooner. The pony versions of you five possessed the Elements of Harmony, and that was reflected in each of you when you defeated me. The essence from the Elements must still resonate within you, which is how you pony up." I answered. My conclusion did suffer from one flaw, and that involved me. I had no Element to call my own, so how was I showing the truest part of myself? Was I a combination of the other five Elements? Maybe I have the Element of Magic like Her Highness, but a weaker version? Or maybe Empathy truly is my Element and possesses unique qualities different from what my friends have? Fluttershy displayed kindness to Twilight by treating her like a person. Applejack was being honest by telling the truth about helping her shoot that arrow during the relay. Why didn't I notice such obvious signs? For someone who gave herself the title of magical expert, I lacked in that department when I should be on top of my game. At least I now know instead of continuing to come up with an answer. " Sounds to me that y'all finally can move on from the magic problem." Applejack said. " No, there are still some things I need to figure out." " 'Least you're on the right track." " That's for sure. You know, I spent so much time worrying about my problems, all it ever did was stress me out. I should've taken the initiative and figured them out on my own instead of waiting for someone else to give me the answers." I said. " Guess you won't be needin' Princess Twilight as much as you may think." " Exactly. She'll always be someone I turn to whenever I need help, but I have to learn to do things on my own. If I let her continue to hold my hand, how am I supposed to grow as a person? The same applies with all of you. We can do anything if we give it our best." I said. " Maybe these Games were what you needed." Fluttershy said. Considering that I had been against them from the beginning, her statement was like a blow to my gut. I should have just accepted that CHS had to compete instead of complain about them serving no purpose. Did it mean I was looking forward to the next Games? Not really. After all, none of us were going to be around when that happens. We'll be swimming our way through college and university by that point. " Sunset? Do you think we're finally finished dealing with the magic that's been flowing about?" Fluttershy asked. " I've made some progress, but we're still in the thick of it." " We are? I thought it was over when you saved Twilight from our magic." " I'm sure there will be more magical problems that pop up in this world. As long as the portal between this world and Equestria remains open, magic will continue being something we'll have to contend with. Things will never be the same again. But like Applejack said, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. She is needed there to resolve problems in a manner only she is capable of doing. We can't expect her to always be around to help us." I said. " It would still be nice." " 'Suppose so, Fluttershy, but we can take care of ourselves now." Applejack said. " But maybe I can be of some help?" We were all surprised when Twilight walked up to us with Principal Celestia by her side, the latter holding a clipboard. Why did Twilight say that she wanted to help us? If it was to make up for what she did, she had no obligation and didn't need to be pressured into doing so. If she planned on relaying messages to us from Crystal Prep or even choosing to meet us halfway, I supposed we could make an arrangement. What Celestia was about to say surprised everyone except for me. I had hoped this would happen in the end. Twilight deserved a chance to be happy, and transferring to CHS was the right course of action. " Twilight!? What are you doin' here?" " Am I not supposed to be?" " What I mean is, I thought you would've gone back home on the bus with the rest of Crystal Prep." " Normally, that's true, but Principal Celestia has an announcement for you." " Indeed, I do. It seems we have a new Wondercolt here at Canterlot High! Twilight spoke with Dean Cadance a short while ago to determine what she was going to do now. After mulling it over, she has decided to transfer over to our school. I have already begun the paperwork to make it official, but it will take a few weeks for the process to be complete. I'll need to talk with her parents among other things, which will keep me busy for a while." Principal Celestia said. " Are you serious?" I asked. " Twilight is now your new peer." " I'm not sure how much help I could be, but I'd like to try. If you would all give me a chance." Twilight said. " After what we've all been through, it's the least we could do." I said. " I'm sure I can count on you girls to help her feel at home. Starting Monday, and for the next few days, she will be undergoing an orientation so that she may get adjusted to the layout of the school and find herself a locker she will use for the duration of the school year. I hope one of you will give her a guided tour. Oh, and you can keep your current uniform as your attire for as long as you want, Twilight." Principal Celestia said. " I don't know what to say." Twilight said. " Let me say it for you... Welcome to our school." I said. My friends and I then embraced Twilight with a group hug while Principal Celestia looked on in amazement. For Twilight, these past few days had been a rollercoaster that changed her life in ways she never would have considered before. Her world was now one where magic existed, and her scientific mind would be tested constantly. I knew she would find a way to get used to a force most believe is nothing more than a figment of the imagination. Whether or not she would return to Crystal Prep to patch things up between herself and her former peers remained unknown. They would still welcome her with open arms despite no longer interacting with her. Cinch, on the other hand, would likely forever remain distant and cold towards her best student. Now, the only thing that remained uncertain was Princess Twilight. I know that I shouldn't give myself any stress worrying about her safety--her magic was more than enough to deal with whatever threat stood in her path--but another problem began rearing its ugly head. If Her Highness were to suddenly come through the portal in the near future, how would she react to the knowledge that my friends and I had befriended her human self? Would the two Twilights get along or force us to choose between them? That was a question I hope to never answer, yet something told me it was going to become an issue. " That hug is one I'm never going to forget for the rest of my life." Twilight said. " While the others were against the idea of you becoming a student at CHS, I strongly believed that you would come around. After seeing you being picked on throughout your visit by all of Crystal Prep, save for Dean Cadance, I felt sad at the possibility of seeing you in tears. If they hadn't assisted us when you had that little episode, I don't think I'd have been able to forgive them." I said. " Once you get past the bravado and really speak to them, they are actually very nice people." " I'd say the experience has brought both schools closer together." " Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap now have more friendly competitions against each other. I'd have thought they had gotten enough of being competitive, but those two just can't seem to stop until they've pushed themselves to the limit." Twilight said. Those two weren't the only ones who forged a powerful friendship despite going to different schools. Applejack and Sugarcoat are quite an odd pair. They both express themselves without worrying about any consequences, yet Applejack is teaching her that using your emotions is okay so long as you do it in moderation. Fluttershy and Sour Sweet have spent the last couple of weeks getting to know each other through their shared love of animals. I'm surprised Sour Sweet even understood the concept of kindness, given how her personality changes whenever she has one of her negative moments. Yet, Fluttershy sees something in her no one else has been able to, and she has been slowly accepting the idea that she doesn't need to put on a false act. Rarity and Sunny Flare at first didn't appear to have any common ground, but that quickly changed when the latter revealed she was an aspiring diva. Rarity immediately clicked with her because of her diva-like ways, and now, they go everywhere together. And then, we have Pinkie Pie and Lemon Zest, the true odd pair, more so than Applejack and Sugarcoat. I honestly couldn't see the two of them hanging out since they have nothing in common. One was a party planner extraordinaire who broke reality, and the other loved music so much that she planned on becoming a professional DJ. Who would've guessed that they both loved playing instruments? I didn't think Crystal Prep had its own music program, but I guess Principal Cinch doesn't favour the more modern age music that you hear on the radio these days--I don't particularly enjoy it myself and prefer music from Equestria. Lemon Zest knows how to play an electric keyboard, so now, she and Pinkie get together and have jam sessions to see who can make the loudest noise. Other students from both schools have started to become friends with each other. By doing this, they have all broken a wall between our schools that Cinch created out of the desire to maintain reputation. No doubt she didn't like the idea of her students sacrificing their studies in the name of friendship. Then again, her opinions didn't hold much value. She had blackmailed Twilight--she revealed this to Dean Cadance who, in turn, revealed it to Principal Celestia--put her students lives in danger, threatened CHS, promoted negativity, and did other things too numerous to remember. " You know, it'd be interesting to see what Her Highness makes of Principal Cinch." " Why do you say that?" " She is the Princess of Friendship after all, and she has been able to get ponies to understand that friendship is very powerful. She fixed the mess I made by bringing friendship back to those I took it from, so I can see her teaching something to Cinch. Cinch is likely to be defiant, and might get freaked out over seeing a different version of her former best student. Still, it might be worth Her Highness' time to help Cinch out." I answered. " By the way, you said in your journal that you were worried about Princess Twilight's reaction to seeing me." " It was on my mind at the time." " Did she even know I existed?" " No, she didn't."