The Other Journal

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 41: The Fundraiser

Day: Tuesday
Weather: Mild
Time: 9:48am

I couldn't be happier right now! I've got my magic back! I can pony up! The entire student body has accepted me with open arms! And, I've become the Rainboom's newest member! My life appeared to be heading in the right direction, but still, surely something was bound to trip me up. So, perhaps I wasn't accurate about being happy. While things have gotten back to normal around CHS, there was a lingering issue which needed solving. The magic I brought into this world... How does it work? It was a question that had been plaguing me for some time. I had planned on working on this conundrum, but Rainbow Dash had her own problem which I found myself dealing with. We were going to have a fundraiser for sports uniforms with various events, and I had been volunteered to be in charge. I wanted to help my friends, of course, but I also needed to figure out this whole magic issue. Perhaps I could do both at once? That shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?

The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
January 13, 2016
Chapter 41: The Fundraiser

Upon learning that I was the one put in charge of the fundraiser, Twilight, who had taken a sip of cider at that precise moment, immediately spat out the beverage splattering it all over me. Luckily, my reaction was fast enough for me to cover up the journal. While the thought of having it get damaged from liquid would have meant not reading the rest of it, I knew that would have been unfair to Twilight. She had made it this far without running away in disgust over my actions, so I owed it to her to keep going. When she realized what she had done, Twilight quickly grabbed a bunch of tissues in a blind rush and wiped the cider off of my face, hair, and clothes.

" I am so, so sorry for doing that!" Twilight shouted in a panic. At first, I just sat there with a frown on my face while she cleaned me. I didn't appreciate being splatted with liquid, especially when it had been in someone's mouth. As she continued wiping me over, my expression changed to a smirk before I started to laugh at how funny it was. I should have expected Twilight to react like that, considering what I said had been on my mind prior to Rainbow Dash's announcement. " Good thing I managed to clean that off you before it became sticky. Again, I didn't mean to spit on you Sunset."

" It's fine Twilight. I was expecting you to react like that. Well, not with cider in your mouth, anyway." I said.

" Now I feel ashamed."

" Don't be. It was a harmless mistake that could have happened to anyone."

" And the journal?"

" Perfectly safe." I answered. Had I been the one drinking and Twilight telling me about her past, I would have done the exact same thing. I wasn't going to hold this little mishap against her. In fact, it just reiterated how adorable she was whenever she did something that frustrated her. " As I already mentioned, I was given the job of organizing the fundraiser. Principal Celestia needed someone who could multitask, since there would be several events going on." I'm not really sure why she agreed that I should be in charge. Did she want me to prove that I could handle it? Or, did she want me to prove that I could be trusted? Sometimes, I wish that she had given it to someone else instead. While I was grateful for the opportunity, at the same time, I really needed to figure out the magic problem. It needed to be solved before something went wrong, and given how volatile magic could be, it was only a matter of time.

" Did Principal Celestia believe in magic?" Twilight asked.

" After witnessing it with her own eyes on two separate occasions, she couldn't deny that there was something strange happening at CHS. I think she just wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong, and I couldn't blame her for it. Magic is a force most don't understand unless they've been surrounded by it for much of their lives. While the students as a whole were more accepting of it, at times, they didn't know what to make of it." I answered.

" By the way, what did you say to Princess Twilight?"

" About what?"

" The magic problem."

" Oh, that! I decided to keep it simple. After all, it had only been two days since she returned to Equestria, and I assumed she didn't want to have to deal with another problem in this world shortly after going back home. So, I made sure not to make it sound like we needed her help. She had her duties that required her presence." I said. Opening up my backpack and reaching into it with my injured hand before wincing in pain because of my blunder, I pulled out the magic journal once again. Unlike the other journal, this one had no bookmarks, so I had to search for what I wrote to her the hard way. It quickly dawned on me that the message I wrote was the second one I sent to her. Slapping my forehead in embarrassment, causing my injured hand more pain, I flipped through the pages until I came to what I was looking for. " Here we go! There's the message I wrote to Princess Celestia that Her Highness would receive, and the one after it was what I wrote to her to reiterate about sending Friendship Reports." I said.

" And this third one?" Twilight asked.

" It's what I sent to her after completing that exam." I answered.

Dear Princess Twilight,

I know you've only been gone for a couple of days, but I'm writing to tell you that I'm having some problems. Ever since you left, I've been struggling to come to terms with how magic works in this world. It doesn't make sense! How do the Elements of Harmony connect with our friends? Why do we pony up by playing music? I think I can figure things out if I put all of my knowledge to work. Speaking of our friends, they had a study session where I wasn't included. I feel like I'm missing out on important experiences with them. If I were to join them in their activities, it could improve my relationships with them. Hope to hear from you soon.

Your friend,

Sunset Shimmer.

" Did you get a response?" Twilight asked.

" Yes, and before speaking to Principal Celestia about the fundraiser. To be honest, I wish Her Highness could have sent her response after the fact. It would have given me a lot less stress to deal with." I answered.

---

What could I do to contribute to the fundraiser? While I had suggested it to raise money for sports uniforms for the various Wondercolts teams, I hadn't taken myself into consideration. My friends each had their own special talents, yet all I had was knowledge about magic that came from a different world. That wasn't going to be all that useful in raising money. My mind had been focused on understanding how magic worked in this world, so I was hasty about suggesting that we have a fundraiser. I could have politely declined by saying that something else needed my attention, but I just couldn't ignore Rainbow Dash's plight. Sports were a big deal for her, and she was the captain of each team that CHS had. Sometimes, my compassion was more of a hindrance than an asset. Knowing that I couldn't back out of this now, I decided to simply accept it and hoped that it wouldn't take too long to get enough money.

Once my friends had fallen asleep, I crept out of the room, making sure not to wake anyone up. I took my backpack with me, because it contained the magic journal which I used to communicate with Princess Twilight whenever I needed her advice. It felt weird, at first, to know that she had become my new mentor, but I had insisted on it. After all, if anyone could guide to the correct path, it would be Her Highness. Upon quietly walking down the stairs and into the living room, I sat down on the couch before taking out my journal and staring at it. I tried to think about my contribution to the fundraiser, but after a few minutes, nothing came into my mind.

" Guess I just don't have anything that makes me unique, apart from magic." I said to myself while scratching my head in frustration. I could put on a magic show, but then, what magicians did was nothing but cheap parlour tricks. Were I to showcase actual Equestrian magic, I'd have more than onlookers wondering what was happening. I'd most likely have the police, and I didn't want to deal with them again, so that idea was out. In truth, the joy of getting my magic back has just been extinguished, and all because I had no talent. " I can't let my friends down! They need my help, but what can I do to help when I can't contribute? Wait a minute! Help... help... That's it! I may not have any talent, but that doesn't mean I'm far from helpless. I could help the others with their contributions!" I said to myself, a large grin appearing on my face, before it quickly turned into surprise as my journal began glowing. Princess Twilight had just sent me a response to what I sent her, so I opened it up to see what she had to say.

Dear Sunset Shimmer.

I think it's a good idea for you to be more involved with what our friends do. Who knows? You may end up discovering more about yourselves. To answer your concern about the magic of that world, I have no doubt that you'll find an answer. You are very knowledgeable when it comes to magic, so you've got an advantage already. The magic of our friends is connected to the Elements of Harmony, each of them representing a different element. You're familiar with the Elements, as Princess Celestia surely taught you about that subject when you were her student. Perhaps you could be a magic investigator and figure out why magic works like it does. It's just a suggestion, mind you.

Your friend,

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

" Become a magic investigator?" I said to myself before closing the journal. That sounded like a novel idea. The magic of this world was one that needed to be understood in order to prevent others from misusing it or becoming affected by it. " I'll do it! I'll become a magic investigator and figure out how the magic my friends and I have works. Wait! Oh, shoot! I've got to deal with the fundraiser issue!" I said to myself. How could I deal with both problems at the same time? The answer quickly came to me moments later. I could help my friends with planning their events for the fundraiser while doing some tests on them to determine how magic worked here. Rather than focus on one problem and neglect the other, both would have equal billing. Surely, nothing could go wrong with such a plan.

The following morning, my friends and I paid a visit to Principal Celestia's office during our free period, where we explained our plan to hold the fundraiser. I wasn't sure if she would agree with our idea, because the school's previous fundraiser was hijacked by the Dazzlings. One thing I knew that had to be avoided was using our magic. The last thing we needed was another incident with magic, especially after going through two of them within a matter of weeks. By the time we finished, Principal Celestia took some time to mull over our idea. Rainbow Dash had insisted on the way here that it would be a done deal, but it looked like she was having some doubts.

" I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Principal Celestia said.

" Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" We all saw how our last fundraiser turned out. Consider that it's only been three days since the Battle of the Bands. The school may not be ready for such a commitment so soon." Principal Celestia answered. Despite agreeing to help my friends should our idea be given the green light, I had to agree with what she was saying. The competition had taken its toll on the student body, and trying to do something so soon could result in negative consequences. Perhaps we should have attempted this after coming back from the upcoming winter break.

" We really need those sports uniforms in time for the Friendship Games next year." Rainbow Dash said.

" The games aren't for another five months." Principal Celestia said.

" I figured we could get them now instead of later."

" Am I to assume that you didn't plan this out very well?"

" No." Rainbow Dash answered. Principal Celestia had seen right through us. While the fundraiser was my idea, Rainbow Dash had insisted we all took credit for coming up with it. I assumed she wanted to take all the glory for herself, but I knew her better than that. She didn't want me to take the fall should Principal Celestia decide against it. Judging from the sweat pouring down Rainbow's face, she looked like she was about to lose her cool.

" Considering what everyone has been through over the course of the last week, I'm not surprised that you didn't take the time to plan this. Or, you have, and you neglected to bring it to my attention. In any case, even if I were to give you permission to go through with this fundraiser, I would need to be assured that the right person is in charge. It must be someone who is capable of multitasking and is able to easily handle any kind of pressure." Principal Celestia said. We all then looked at one another to see which of us would be the perfect candidate to organize the fundraiser. My thought was to have Rarity handle it, as she knew a lot about organization, despite overdoing it sometimes. I had a feeling the others were thinking of asking Princess Twilight to help. The problem there was that she had her own problems in Equestria taking up her free time. Perhaps Flash Sentry might be a good choice instead? That's when everyone suddenly turned their gazes towards me, and it didn't take me long to figure out why.

" What!? You want me to be in charge?" I asked.

" You've got what it takes!" Rainbow Dash answered.

" This will be a great way for you to show us how much you've learned about friendship." Applejack added.

" Are you crazy!? I wouldn't be the best choice." I said.

" I happen to agree with you here, Sunset Shimmer." Principal Celestia said, getting up from her chair and staring at each of us. " Your friends may believe in you, but I have my doubts, given your track record. What guarantee would I have that you won't cause a problem and pass the blame onto someone else? I am aware of what happened when you were a bully, so perhaps your friends are misguided about their assumptions? If you can prove that you are dedicated to your current course, then you can go ahead with the fundraiser." It sounded like Principal Celestia was doubting my reformation. She had seen me help my friends defeat the Dazzlings, but perhaps that wasn't enough for her to be convinced. Then again, she could be trying to give me some confidence. I had been doubting myself all night with trying to figure out what I could contribute. No. I can't let myself be clouded with doubt. " Well? Can you prove your intentions, Sunset?" Principal Celestia asked.

" I know that up until the Fall Formal, I wasn't the best student at CHS. Far from it. All I ever did was cause pain by manipulating others because I wanted to prove that I was ready to become a princess where I'm from. I've done an awful lot since the Formal to change from the person I used to be, and I think I've reached a point where I'm capable of being in charge of a fundraiser. I still have much to learn, but I know I can reach that goal." I answered.

" That's all I needed to hear from you." Principal Celestia said, smiling at me before turning her attention to Rainbow Dash. " Now, why do you think we need new uniforms in the first place? Surely the current ones are still adequate enough to be used for the Friendship Games?"

" To be perfectly honest, they're old and faded. We're going to look so scrappy on the field compared to the other teams in the championship. They'll probably all be wearing fancy new uniforms and rub it in our faces that their schools can afford sweet stuff. We have to win to boost morale. You know, considering who usually comes out on top. Everyone is getting nervous about next year's games." Rainbow Dash answered. From what I had seen of the athletes, they did look like something had been worrying them. I knew that CHS was serious about its sports program, but I never would have guessed that they were desperate to win. I was of the mind that winning meant nothing and having fun was what really mattered. Perhaps there was more to this school than I originally thought. Also, my friends and Principal Celestia mentioned "Friendship Games"? I had been here for the last three years, and that name still made no sense to me.

" While that may be important to you and your fellow athletes, what guarantee do I have?" Principal Celestia asked.

" Principal Celestia, we've put on proms in a day and concerts in a night, and you know how responsible I am as a student. Right?" I asked. Granted, each of those proms I had manipulated, as I wanted to ensure that I remained on top of the school's hierarchy. So, I wasn't being accurate when I included myself in with what my friends had accomplished with Princess Twilight around. The Musical Showcase was something I didn't have much of an interest in. I wouldn't deny my responsibilities, however, as those were very important to me. I suppose my intention was to make Rainbow Dash's dream become a reality. It was just new uniforms, which probably wouldn't cost all that much, so really it was a win-win result. The problem was whether Principal Celestia would believe me or not.

" That's true. I've seen what you girls have done for the school, and that's especially true with you, Sunset." Principal Celestia said. She then sat back down and began jotting something down on a piece of paper she took out from a drawer on her desk. I had no idea what she was doing, but it didn't take her very long to come to a decision. " After pondering it over some more, I've decided to give you the go-ahead, but on one condition. Sunset Shimmer, do you promise me that you can pull this off?" That was her only condition? I wasn't sure if she was serious about it, or really wanted the fundraiser to happen. Either way, she had given us the green light to go ahead. All I needed to do was give my answer.

" I promise."

" Very well. Take this piece of paper with you before you go. It will enable you to have access to most of the school's resources to help you pull this off. You have given me your word, Sunset, so I shall place you directly responsible if anything goes wrong." Principal Celestia said.

" Nothing will go wrong." I said.

" Then there is nothing for me to say on the subject, aside from one small detail. It would be appreciated if this fundraiser would begin as soon as possible. The winter break is coming up, and I doubt students would want this to happen right before they leave for the holidays." Principal Celestia said. With that, she gave me the piece of paper, and we left her office. Once the door had closed, we all breathed a sigh of relief. We really didn't expect her to agree to the request, considering what had happened during the Battle of the Bands. I knew that a lot was riding on me to ensure that everything would run smoothly. I had given my word that nothing would go wrong, and I intended to keep my promise.

" This is so awesome! We're sure to get those new uniforms now!" Rainbow Dash shouted with glee.

" Now don't get too excited, Rainbow Dash. We've each got a lot o' work to do in order to contribute our fair share to the fundraiser, so I reckon that we all meet in the library tomorrow afternoon to see where each of us are." Applejack said.

" Sunset? Did you ever decide on what you're going to contribute?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Aren't I already doing that by being in charge?" I asked.

" Being in charge don't mean nothin' other than makin' sure everything is in proper working order. Y'all need to contribute something that means a lot to you. It doesn't have to be anythin' fancy-like, but something that comes from the heart." Applejack answered. The only thing that I could do that would be considered a contribution was magic, and I knew that idea wouldn't fly. Still, Applejack had given me some good encouragement. I knew what I was going to contribute to the fundraiser.

" I'm going to help each of you with your own contributions." I announced.

"Are ya sure you can handle so much at once?" Applejack asked.

" I think I've got a good grasp." I answered.

" A 'good grasp'? No offence, Sunset, but we're going to need way more than that if we want to get some money." Rainbow Dash said.

" You don't trust me?" I asked.

" We trust ya, but we don't want you to get in way over your head. Principal Celestia gave us permission because she believes in you, and well, the rest of us do, too, but remember that she was showin' signs of doubt about it. I recommend you do what you think is best." Applejack answered. The girls then all walked away, talking about how great the fundraiser was going to be. I felt annoyed over the fact that my friends didn't think that I could handle so much at once. They were the ones who practically suggested that I be in charge. I couldn't just stand around and wait for them to approach me in order to reveal what progress had been made with their contribution. I had to get involved to build a stronger relationship with them.

Then there was the other issue which was on my mind. I still had to investigate the magic that now existed in this world. I had already decided that I would help my friends and attempt to solve this problem at the same time, but I began to realize that perhaps I was getting a bit overwhelmed. The fundraiser was seen as the more important thing to focus my attention on, but the magic was also important, as it defined who we were as individuals. " Ugh! I really wish that I could make it easier to focus on both problems at once without having to switch between them. I really want to help my friends, even if they think I can't handle so much multitasking, but the magic problem is still there, and that needs my attention as well. It's not like I can have my friends assist me in figuring out the magic." I said to myself.

That's when an idea quickly began to form in my mind. My friends could help me with understanding how magic works in this world. They were the ones, along with myself, who tap into the magical energies, resulting in us ponying up. I knew they were focused on raising money for those new uniforms, but if I could get their assistance at the same time, both problems would be resolved. It sounded like a flawless plan in my head, yet deep down, I knew there would be flaws that would show themselves. I was just too fixated on the positives to even take notice of my own folly.

---

" I'm surprised Principal Celestia put you through that." Twilight said.

" She wanted to be assured that everything would go as planned. Anything that happens at a CHS is reflected on her. If a problem would happen, she would immediately get the blame for it by the School Board." I said. It must be difficult to be in Principal Celestia's shoes sometimes. She always had to ensure her students' well-being. If students and their parents were to complain, the Board would deem her unfit to run the school. Luckily, what happened with the fundraiser didn't cause any widespread panic, unlike the previous problems. Still, I did mess up by thinking I could handle so much all at once. " She had a lot of faith in me; she believed that I had changed from who I was. It's unfortunate I broke that faith within the span of a day."

" Were you serious about helping our friends and dealing with the magic problem at the same time?" Twilight asked.

" In hindsight, I should have ignored the magic." I answered.

" Kind of hard to do that. It does flow about unchained."

" Which was why I needed to understand how it worked."

" Did you really?"

" I had to! In Equestria, magic is predictable. You always know what it will do because you're in control at all times. Here? Magic does whatever it wants and is so difficult to comprehend, as it keeps changing. When Princess Twilight encouraged me to become a magic investigator, I had no idea what I was getting myself into." I answered. That remains true even now. My struggles with understanding the magic here have put a strain on my friendships. I would get so frustrated I'd lash out at them, and they didn't deserve that. While I've gotten some idea, thanks to the Friendship Games, I've got a long way to go. I just hope I don't lash out at Twilight because of how antsy I get. Magic is still a new concept to her. I would love to show her so much more than what exists here, but I don't think her logical mind is ready for it. To her, science is what makes the world work.

" Sunset?"

" Sorry. Just thinking to myself again."

" That doesn't surprise me. Are you going to explain the significance behind the sticker and ticket?"

" You mean I still haven't told you?"

" Nope."

" My bad!"

" It's fine."

" The ticket was one of several hundred that were sold to customers who were to attend the fashion show--Rarity's contribution to the fundraiser. It almost didn't happen as result of several factors: my school image, Trixie's manipulations behind the scenes, and my blunders. The sticker, on the other hand, was a little freebie we were giving out to let people know what the goal of the fundraiser was. I'll be getting to all of this later, but for now, I want to explain what happened before the show. Our friends were excited about their contributions, yet they were unprepared for what I threw into the mix." I answered.

" You stated that they would be assisting you." Twilight said.

" Yeah. Unwittingly."

" This won't end well."

" No, it didn't. I'll begin with Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

---

I had trouble sleeping that night. All I could think about was the fundraiser and the magic that flowed about this world. I knew my friends wouldn't be keen on helping me deal with the latter problem; they still had trouble coming to terms that magic existed at all. It wasn't their fault that humans didn't understand magic. All they had were cheap parlour tricks, illusions, sleight of hand, and so on--magic of the lowest denominator. The magic I used was natural, capable of doing many things, yet it was beyond their realm of thinking. They would eventually figure it out, but time was against me. I had to find a solution before the magic changes to something else. The quicker I solve this, the more time I'll have to help out with the fundraiser.

At first, I had been hesitant about being placed in charge, but my friends, along with Principal Celestia believed in me. I couldn't let any of them down. I did plenty of that during the Battle of the Bands. Besides, there was a benefit here that I just couldn't ignore: I was going to help my friends with their contributions. They were insistent I observe what they were doing and provide support to ensure everything was progressing smoothly. They also wanted me to contribute in my own way. I would prove them wrong when they said I couldn't help them all at once.

I was going to have them assist with the magic problem, although they didn't yet know that. Should I have been honest by telling them that I was trying to solve the magic problem while helping with the fundraiser? Perhaps, but it was too late to go back now.

The next morning, I managed to catch up with Rainbow Dash. She was busy practicing some soccer skills by herself. Her contribution to the fundraiser was to provide some sports entertainment by having the Wondercolt teams show off their skills. I should have known she would do something that showcased her talent. Upon seeing me walk up to her, Rainbow stopped before she smiled and waved. That's when she heard a clicking sound, caused when I attached a small device to her wrist. She had an irritated look on her face that told me she wasn't impressed with what I had done. Her mind would change soon enough once she made good use of my "gift".

" Um, what do you think you're doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Whatever are you talking about?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

" Don't play dumb with me!"

" Fine. I attached a monitoring device onto your wrist that will keep track of your heart rate and caloric burn." I said. Rainbow then began swinging her arm about in the hopes of figuring out what she was meant to do with it. Eventually, she just shrugged her shoulders before looking at me with that same irritated look. I thought she would have been thrilled about wearing something that checked her vital signs. Maybe my approach wasn't very good and so she was being hesitant. In any case, this would be important research that would help solve the magic problem.

" Why would I need to wear this?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Aren't you always worrying about staying in shape?"

" Nah! It doesn't even cross my mind!"

" Oh..."

" Seriously, why did you put this on my wrist?" Rainbow Dash asked. I had hoped not to explain my true intentions. Doing so meant my friends would accuse me of trying to sabotage the fundraiser and their efforts. I had to get such false notions out of their heads. I then told her what had been on my mind since Princess Twilight left. Upon finishing my explanation, Rainbow stared at me for a few moments before responding. " You want to figure out how the magic works!? I thought it was pretty obvious. We did use it to defeat both you and the Dazzlings. Uh, no offence. But if you really want to understand it, I'm not going to stop you. It's just that... Are you sure you can handle dealing with that and helping us at the same time like you said you would the other day?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" I can handle it." I answered.

" Don't you think you're in over your head?"

" Trust me!"

" That's what worries me."

" Anyway, you just keep on practicing like normal, and be sure to keep tabs on what the readout says on the monitor. I'll be looking forward to seeing the results. Hopefully, this will help me understand why we pony up when we play music." I said. Rainbow Dash then grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. Her expression was still irritated, but also confused. I had a hunch she would be hesitant about helping me with the magic problem. Luckily, I had anticipated her reaction, and knew how to appropriately respond to make her feel better. " You don't need to do this for very long. I'd say keep it on until school's done, then you can take it off and give me the results."

" Do you really think this will help?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" You won't even notice you're wearing it."

" Alright! I'll wear your stupid monitor!"

" Thanks, Rainbow Dash." I said, running back to the main entrance, leaving Rainbow to grumble while she fiddled about with the device in an effort to figure out how it was supposed to work. That was one of my friends taken care of. Only four left. Did I feel any guilt about forcing Rainbow into doing something she wasn't comfortable with? Yes, but it was for a good cause. I'm sure they wouldn't hold it against me.

It didn't take long for me to reach the kitchen. Initially, I suspected Pinkie Pie would be in there baking up a storm. Instead, Applejack was the one doing the baking. I was expecting her to be baking an assortment of apple-related dishes for the fundraiser, given she lived on an apple farm. In reality, she was preparing different things to accommodate the different tastes people had. Not everyone was a fan of apples. Even I was still developing a taste for it. By the time Applejack had noticed my presence, she had just finished putting something into the oven, setting the timer to thirty minutes. She then took off her oven mitts before making her way over to me.

" Come by to check up on mah progress?"

" Yes, and perhaps help you with some of the baking." I answered.

" While I appreciate the offer, I reckon that I've got everythin' under control. Besides, you don't know the first thing about bakin'. If I allowed you to get yer hands dirty with flour, you could end up causing an accident." Applejack said.

" That's why I've decided to observe you for a while. I want to see you working with my own eyes." I said.

" Observe me? No offence, Sunset, but shouldn't y'all be checkin' on the others to see how their doin'? Also, what in the hay is with all that fancy equipment you're holding in your hand?" Applejack asked. I was surprised she hadn't noticed that straight away. I was holding a machine that would help Applejack with her baking. It also doubled as a device which could monitor stress levels. Baking required a lot of concentration, and one wrong mistake could ruin the whole dish, resulting in a lot of frustration. I explained as much, and Applejack gave me a skeptical look in response. " Now why would you want me to use that there doohickey when I'm clearly capable of bakin' on mah own? Is there somethin' you ain't tellin' that I should know about?"

" If you must know." I answered. I spent the next few minutes explaining my intentions.

" Tryin' to understand our magic is fine and all, but don't y'all think yer puttin' too much on your plate at once?" Applejack asked.

" I can handle it."

" If you say so."

" So, will you keep my device around?"

" Reckon I ain't got much of a choice, but I am a mite curious as to why you feel the need to understand how our magic works." Applejack answered.

" I'm experimenting with magic the way you do with cooking."

" I always follow a recipe."

" But we don't really know the recipe yet. Every time you whip up a batch of donuts, people ask you what the secret ingredient is, right?" I asked. Applejack then looked at me with confusion across her face. Even I knew that what I just said didn't make any sense. Why did I have to go and say that? Ugh! That only made the conversation that much more awkward, but at least Applejack didn't pay any more mind to it. Instead, she walked towards the sink before rinsing her hands. " Donuts have secret ingredients; everyone makes them differently from one another. Some taste bland, while others are so amazing when you feel that taste on your tongue."

" When they ask that, I respond to 'em with the same answer. There isn't one." Applejack said.

" You're wrong about that!"

" I am?"

" There must be such an ingredient. Only it's magic flowing out of you, possibly the very same ingredient that sets off the reaction that results in everyone ponying up when we play our music. While we each have our own unique personalities, our magic is identical across the board. There are no differences that make some of us more magically in-tune than the others. That's my theory, anyway." I answered. I could tell Applejack didn't know what to make of what I said. Again, humans didn't understand the intricacies of magic. It was becoming apparent that my friends might not be that helpful in my mission as an investigator. However, I wasn't about to abandon their assistance just yet. They could still surprise me.

" Well, I got to get back to bakin' for the fundraiser." Applejack said.

" I need to see how the others are doing with their contributions."

" And that doohickey?"

" Don't worry. It won't get in the way, so long as it does what it's been programmed to do."

" Okay, if it'll help ya figure out that magic stuff." Applejack said. I then left the kitchen and began pondering on who to check up on next. Rarity was busy preparing the fashion show, Fluttershy was at the animal shelter looking at which ones to bring for the pet parade, and Pinkie was busy decorating the gym, the location for the fashion show. It made sense to speak with Rarity, as Pinkie was there with her. I could kill two birds with one stone and use the spare time after seeing Fluttershy to work on solving the magic problem. So far, everything was working out as planned. And my friends thought trying to handle so much all at once would be too much for me. I was proving them wrong! I knew I could handle it without any problems.

With my mind made up, I proceeded towards the gym in order to assist both Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I felt like I was on top of the world with how I was tackling both the fundraiser and the magic problem at the same time. I also felt like nothing could stop me from accomplishing any future goals. Surely, nothing could go wrong.

---

" It went wrong?" Twilight asked.

" Think of it as having crashed and burned." I answered.

" I'm so sorry."

" Don't be."

" But, everything just fell apart."

" That's because I overestimated my own abilities. It also didn't help that I was acting ignorant of the fact that our friends had to deal with two problems at once. I shouldn't have made them want to help me figure out the magic problem." I said. What were seen as honest intentions on my part transformed into the stuff of nightmares. I should have waited for a few weeks and asked Princess Twilight to come through the portal and help figure it out. The reason I never considered that idea was because of her schedule. Her Highness could have come back anytime she wanted, but her duties to Equestria took precedence over the problems of this world. It wouldn't have been fair to drag her away to solve a problem I could have figured out myself had I better knowledge of magic.

" Our friends didn't hold it against you, right?" Twilight asked.

" They were frustrated for several days."

" But they forgave you, right?"

" Yeah."

" I knew they would. It makes no sense to hold a grudge against someone who thought they were doing the right thing." Twilight said. I hugged her in response, which took her by surprise, but she reciprocated with a hug of her own. Twilight then turned the page. Several photos had been glued in place. These weren't taken by Photo Finish, as they lacked the logo on the bottom corner she uses. Rather, they were taken by me, although I'll admit that I could do with some improvement. The photos depicted several scenarios where disaster was prevalent. In each one, one of our friends was standing there in disbelief over what had happened. Why would I have these in my journal? To remind myself of how I screwed up something so simple. Twilight's reaction to the photos was to be expected. " Is this... Did you... Sunset... What happened?"

" I got in over my head." I answered.

" It looks like this was the work of magic."

" No, it wasn't. It was caused by my own blundering."

" Principal Celestia must have been angry."

" You have no idea."

Comments

[icecreammac]

Sorry about my lack of comment last chapter. Both this and the last were well done, overall. So you're making this up as you go along? I like that. I look forward to seeing what else you have planned.

[daybreak5465]

6839574 I have two or three of your stories to catch up on now I have a lot of reading to do

[Ganondorf8]

6840737

Just the chapters that focus on "Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine". I never read the book, so much of what I write will be from my own imagination. However, the general plot will still happen, as that's something I'm aware of. I had to do a slight tweak of Chapter 41 before publishing it based on discovering where Fluttershy was at the time Sunset was going around helping the others after the fact.

6841157

I'd start with this one as it's become my best work yet.

6839791

It will pick up for you once you get to where the Rainbooms lash out at each other.

[daybreak5465]

6842203 Alright will do I'm also planning on writting my first sunlight fanfic I just love this shipping but idk if I should make her fall in love with human Twilight or the princess or both ughh so hard to decide

[Ganondorf8]

6846225

Because I'm from the U.K., I spell certain words using the spelling from there as opposed to Canadian/American. Also, Icecreammac has never brought it up with me, so I'm assuming he's accepted it considering other authors on FimFiction are from the U.K.

Am I lacking something? I suppose that is something that should be considered, but I've never thought about it. If you think something is missing, then you can go right ahead and look for it. I'm sure you'll find it without much trouble.