The Other Journal

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 69: Accusation

Day: Saturday
Weather: Mild, possible clouds later
Time: 1:30pm

I had heard that the rivalry between CHS and Crystal Prep was fierce, but I wasn't prepared for what happened when my friends and I looked upon the second event. We weren't the only ones who were out there. Our opponents, the Shadowbolts, had also taken the liberty of getting a sneak preview that lead into a heated argument between Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap. Those two definitely had it out for one another. It was Sugarcoat who managed to calm things down, but it was merely the calm before the storm. Bad blood was going to spill between our teams. The next day, we began the Tri-Cross Relay, yet I had to deal with Indigo and Sugarcoat saying horrible things about Twilight. How could they treat her so coldly? Wasn't she one of their own? I had no time to try and convince them that friendship was the best solution. My worst fears were realized when I sensed a magical presence, which was followed by something that could only come from Equestria.

The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
April 19, 2016
Chapter 69: Accusation.

" I've seen many plants in my day--mostly for research purposes--but I've never seen that kind of plant before." Twilight said.

" You wouldn't around here. They were native to Equestria, although many ponies have little knowledge of them aside from Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Zecora, the latter of whom I only know through letters from Princess Twilight." I said.

" Now you've piqued my interest."

" About?"

" This Zecora you just mentioned. It sounds like she is a powerful unicorn who knows a thing or two about forest spirits and the like."

" Except she is a zebra."

" What?"

" I had that same expression when Her Highness told me about her, and I was completely surprised when she mentioned the rhyming thing." I said. That caused Twilight to look at me confusedly, but I knew she was going to do that. Zecora had never been brought up throughout the evening until now, so now, an explanation was needed to explain the kind of person she is. I didn't know much about her other than what has been said to me, but what I did know was enough to give me an idea.

No one has ever lived in the Everfree Forest since the old castle was abandoned according to history books, yet Zecora and other creatures began to take up residence there for their own reasons. Zecora lives there because she wishes to concoct her magical potions without being interrupted by ponies who had no idea what she was capable of. She also had some problems interacting with the citizens of Ponyville but has slowly overcome those barriers.

The creatures of Everfree varied from savage monsters that staked out their own turf to a majestic tribe of deer that Princess Twilight once met. I never knew such a tribe existed in such a twisted place, but I suppose that's what I get for abandoning my studies.

I knew Twilight would want to learn all about Zecora. I also knew that she would want to hear about everything else once I mention it. There was no way to avoid going off on a tangent by talking about things that weren't connected to my past. The pursuit of knowledge was Twilight's strongest quality but was also her weakness. Gaining knowledge is fine, but it can end up destroying you if you pry too much into it. She almost experienced that first hand when she acquired Equestrian magic.

" Did you say 'rhyming'?" Twilight asked.

" Princess Twilight tells me that Zecora rhymes all of her words whether spoken or written down. Many ponies get confused when she does this, but you quickly get used to it after a while. It's one of her more unique quirks in addition to living in the Everfree Forest." I answered.

" Is she a wizard?"

" More like a shaman; she delves into magical lore that isn't known to ponykind. Much about Zecora's past is a mystery, yet she does have her own cutie mark--the only non-pony to have one--and has been accepted as a citizen of Ponyville despite living where she does. It can be difficult to reach her residence, but if you do manage to get there, you can learn all sorts of things that even Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns doesn't teach." I answered.

" Why are you making this Everfree Forest sound so dangerous?"

" Because it is." I answered. Many across Equestria have long feared going into the depths of the Everfree Forest. Not only do you have to contend with the monsters who have taken up residence there, you also have to deal with twisting pathways that can cause you to become lost with no chances of finding an exit. There is also a strange dark aura that continues to hover over the trees like a blanket. Some say the forest is alive, but no one has ever proven this. " The forest is a place most ponies would rather avoid, yet some go there to find treasures. If you go there, be sure to always have your wits about you, otherwise you'll be nothing more than a tasty snack for a predator. Such creatures include cockatrices, Timberwolves, cragadiles, and those plants." I said.

" It sounds both dangerous and tempting."

" I know that look of yours, Twilight." I said, pointing a finger at her eyes. She had a sparkle in them that screamed wanting to see the wonders of Everfree for herself. I had to tell her straight that going there is just asking for trouble. The more she learns about Equestria, the more she has a desire to actually go there and see it all in person. " The forest never used to be so dangerous. Things changed when their castle was destroyed."

" Whose castle?"

" The one Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ruled from until the latter became Nightmare Moon. I believe I told you that story earlier, so I won't repeat it. However, I can tell you what happened after it was destroyed. History books say that Celestia could no longer live in the old castle, as it reminded her of the pain and anguish of having to banish her own sister to the moon. A new castle was built in Canterlot, and the old one continued falling apart until it became nothing but ruins from a forgotten era." I answered.

" Is it still there?"

" Princess Twilight once thought about fixing it up but abandoned that idea when she got her own castle." I answered. I've never seen the old castle with my own eyes. All my time was spent studying, so I never had a chance to visit the Everfree Forest during free moments. Of course, it didn't help that my mind was fixated on studying, so those free moments went to waste. I'm sure there is more to the story that Princess Celestia refuses to divulge, but that's her right to keep such knowledge close to her heart. I know she no longer experiences sadness over what happened, but I think she still feels guilty of doing it in the first place. " There is something near the location of the old castle, but only the royal family knows about it, as it was entrusted to them. Anyway, you wanted to know about those plants, right?" I asked.

" Do you know what kind of plant they are?"

" They are carnivorous in nature and lack any intelligence other than wanting to lunge out at potential prey. Their exact names are unknown, but they grow in a dark area of the forest and feed on small creatures that wander into their territory. Despite how dangerous they are, they are part of the ecosystem that keeps the Everfree Forest from becoming even more dangerous than it already is." I answered.

" How do you suppose they came through the portals?"

" They might have been attracted to something on this side."

" Magic?"

" No, I don't think they have the taste for that."

" I'm glad that no one was hurt."

" We should be thankful only those plants and the jackalope came through the portals. If the more dangerous creatures of Everfree had come through instead, things would've gotten extremely dire. Giant plants proved easy to handle--for Rainbow Dash--but they are nothing compared to what truly lies in the deep recesses of the forest. That's why you should've gotten rid of your pendant, Twilight. Absorbing all that magic was enough to create portals that allowed larger things to come through." I said.

" But I couldn't. I wanted to understand it."

" And that was why I went off on you."

" Oh, yes. What happened after I absorbed Rainbow Dash's magic."

" I have a feeling Principal Cinch overheard our conversation." I said. She must have, as she started mentioning "magic" sometime after that. Before then, she never mentioned that word in any form. During the aftermath of what happened to Twilight, we had to listen to Cinch talk about reporting to the school board about CHS using magic. The word was used almost constantly while being exposed for who she truly was. Of course, having a large portal hanging above our heads was a dead giveaway. At least nothing but rain came from that one. I shudder to think what might have happened had something else fallen down on us instead.

" That does explain why she started talking about magic. Principal Cinch is a firm believer in logic and views the supernatural as nothing but a fantasy designed to be used as an excuse when her students fail to live up to expectations." Twilight said.

" Before I get to what was going on in my mind when she said all of that, I want to focus on the motocross race." I said. I turned to the next page of the journal and I smiled. The photo depicted this time consisted of me wearing Rarity's motocross outfit and standing next to the bike Rainbow Dash was riding; my bike got crushed by one of those plants from the Everfree Forest. " Like Rainbow, I did have the need for speed, yet I was much more mature about it. She wanted to go crazy and show off her skills, but I was more concerned with winning. After all, the final part of the relay was a do-or-die situation for CHS."

---

I was still furious over how Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat treated Twilight just because she wasn't as athletic as the rest of her teammates. She was doing her best to prove her value to her team despite her obvious flaws, yet they criticized her in a horrible manner. No wonder Crystal Prep lacked compassion. The students there only cared about winning at all costs and achieving success through their own merits. Twilight was different from the rest of her classmates. She didn't have that killer instinct that blinded the rest of them. If they were more like her, things would be better at Crystal Prep.

My mind had since calmed down after Twilight succeeded in hitting the bulls-eye during the archery section of the Tri-Cross Relay. Applejack showed her kindness by coming to her aid ,an act that left Crystal Prep in complete shock. It was like they didn't even know what it meant to help others. Were they so far detached that a concept like helping others out meant nothing? It told me that they were ignorant. Cinch had taken away a key component of humanity from them, something all humans needed to convey despite their backgrounds. I still felt that Twilight was in the wrong place, but my words meant nothing. It was something she had to answer on her own.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, hadn't calmed down after hearing what was said about Twilight. She had, in fact, increased her already tense conversation with Indigo, and the pair of them were acting like children who were blinded by their own bravado. It reached a point where they could've gotten off their motorbikes and started punching one another, but luckily, it didn't come to that. Sugarcoat remained quiet while switching her focus between the argument and what was happening on the track. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were still leading over Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest, yet the latter two were only a single lap behind compared to having been three back a few minutes ago. My friends needed to finish either ahead or at the same time as the Shadowbolts. I felt confident about my riding skills but my heart and head were conflicted over it.

What had occupied my mind at that moment was the magical surge that came from near one of the bleachers. I couldn't tell what was happening, as Rainbow and Indigo's arguing got worse, forcing me to cover my ears just to drown out their noise. At least the audience wasn't paying attention to the sudden presence of magic. CHS would be perfectly fine, of course, as we had gotten used to magic, but the same couldn't be said regarding Crystal Prep. They had no idea that magic existed here. They could accuse us of cheating, and we'd have no real explanation to counter such a claim.

In my efforts to overcome my personal problems related to the Friendship Games, I had completely forgotten about the magic problem still being an issue. The magic from the two previous situations had long since dispersed, but newer magic could rear its ugly head and cause new problems to arise.

" Is something wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, having finally stopped arguing with Indigo. She chose to speak quietly, as she had a feeling that my concern related to what was happening around us on a magical level.

" You can sense it too, right?" I asked.

" If you mean magic, then yeah, I can sense it."

" This just made a tense situation between our schools become even worse. If Crystal Prep catches wind that there's magic around here, they'll immediately accuse us of cheating and likely force us to forfeit." I said.

" We can't let that happen!"

" Exactly. If CHS were to be disqualified because of magic, the six of us would be shunned. I'd have the worst of it because I brought magic into this world and would again be labelled a liar who wanted everyone's pity. I'm hoping that it's just a random surge I overlooked, but it feels like Applejack's magic just came out without warning." I said. How did I know that it was Applejack? The rest of my friends had been drained of their magic, and Rainbow Dash was next to me on her motorbike, so the only logical choice was Applejack. I honestly thought Twilight would've thrown that accursed pendant away after what she had done to the rest of my friends, but I suspected her curiosity was too strong.

I had to get over to Applejack and make sure she was alright. The moment I attempted to get off my bike, I was suddenly stopped by Indigo, who decided to take advantage of my stress by accusing me of something else.

" Where do you think you're going?" Indigo Zap asked.

" None of your business!" Rainbow Dash answered.

" Oh, I think it's definitely my business since Sunset here is thinking of abandoning her friend."

" What!? That's not--" I began.

" Okay, then why are you scrambling to get off your bike? Having second thoughts about racing against the best that Crystal Prep has to offer? Ha! Rainbow Dash should've asked for a better teammate. Guess this race and the Friendship Games are in the bag." Indigo Zap said. I wanted to tell her otherwise, but I knew that would've caused problems that went beyond the Games. Magic was restricted only to CHS. Were it to become known elsewhere, scientists and other experts would descend upon the school, and we'd all be subjected to various tests and interviews. I had no doubt that Principal Celestia wouldn't tolerate that, so I needed to come up with another excuse. Only one idea appeared in my head, one that I found humiliating. " Well? Are you gonna run away and leave your friend hanging? I wouldn't blame you for wanting to run with your tail between your legs." Indigo Zap said.

" I'm not running away!"

" Sunset would never abandon me." Rainbow Dash added.

" Alright, then where are you going?" Indigo Zap asked.

" Um... well, you see... I... I need to go to the bathroom." I answered. That right there was the most embarrassing moment I ever experienced in my entire life. It was the only excuse I could think of that was believable. Turning my attention towards Rainbow Dash, she looked at me with a shocked expression. I'd have done the same thing had she been in my shoes instead. I then looked at Indigo and Sugarcoat, hoping they believed my excuse.

" Too much information!"

" I'm not sure why you didn't do that earlier, considering that we are in the middle of a race, but I suppose it can't be dealt with now. If you were to leave, it would be a sign that you forfeited, and Rainbow Dash would have to face off against Indigo and myself on her own. You'd never abandon your friend, Sunset Shimmer. CHS relies far too much on friendship to the point where it just drags you down. Unlike you, we of Crystal Prep would gladly leave our teammates behind if it meant securing the victory." Sugarcoat said.

" You can't be serious."

" I am always serious about everything." Sugarcoat said. Her words made it sound like the students of Crystal Prep were being indoctrinated into believing that friends slowed you down and prevent you from achieving greatness. Did Principal Cinch believe that to be the best philosophy? If so, then it was no wonder that friendship meant so little to the Shadowbolts. They were clearly capable of making friends but only did so to an extent. Going too far into it meant shunning their own goals of wanting to be the best. To Crystal Prep, friendship wasn't a magical presence but rather a means to an end to be tolerated as long as it didn't interfere in what they deemed important. " You should stop thinking about leaving and just focus on being ready to lose against a far superior school. I am certain we shall make the motocross interesting enough before Crystal Prep wins it all." Sugarcoat said. She and Indigo then looked over at the skating track and began cheering for their teammates.

" Every time I hear one of them talk, it feels like I'm talking to myself."

" Just ignore them, Sunset." Rainbow Dash suggested.

" It's hard not to when you consider how much success they've had."

" We don't need to stoop down to their level to truly be the best. We've got the Magic of Friendship on our side, and I know it's going to help us win this event and force the third and deciding event later." Rainbow Dash said.

" Yeah, I guess you're right." I said. That's when I sensed--or rather, no longer sensed--Applejack's magic. I assumed she had resolved the issue on her own and gave Twilight a stern talking-to regarding magic, but that thought quickly disappeared upon sensing a stronger surge coming from the skating track. " Rainbow? Tell me I'm not the only one sensing magic in the direction of the skating track."

" Well, your sense is better than mine, but yeah, I can feel something."

" Maybe we should stop the race."

" No way!"

" Figured you'd say that."

" I know magic is around, but we can't afford to do anything other than continue on with the Games. Our school is rallying behind the six of us to win this event and give them the hope that we can finally end Crystal Prep's winning streak. I know things are getting out of hand, and you’re worried that someone is going to get hurt, but all we can do is hope that the magic goes away and doesn't cause any kind of disaster." Rainbow Dash said.

Her words, while morally questionable, made a lot of sense. Stopping the Games would have broken CHS's spirit and crushed the hearts of its students in the process. Despite my own judgment, I decided that continuing with the relay was the right thing to do. We had to win to force the deciding event. Unfortunately, my judgment came back to haunt me almost immediately and lead to a confrontation that even now continued tormenting my mind whenever I thought about it.

Looking down at the skating track, Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest had finally overtaken Pinkie Pie and Rarity, yet the latter decided to go with an unusual technique in hopes of finishing alongside our opponents. I knew Rarity had strong legs, given how she had to rely on them to push those clothes racks around, but I never knew she could fling a person forward with so much speed. Pinkie blazed forward, momentum clearly on her side, around the final corner, and in-between the Shadowbolts to cross the finish line first. I wondered why they didn't use that sooner in order to maintain their lead, but it meant Rarity losing her own momentum.

The good news was that Rainbow and I were going to start the motocross at the same time as Indigo and Sugarcoat. The bad news was that my mind was conflicted between competing, what happened to Applejack earlier when her magic appeared, and what was going on near the skating track.

" What a finish!" Dean Cadance announced.

" Time for you two to lose!" Indigo Zap said.

" Sunset and I are gonna run circles around you." Rainbow Dash said.

The signal lights turned green, and the bar that blocked us from riding down the start ramp dropped down to the ground. All eyes were now on the four of us, as we were set to compete against one another to determine which school would claim victory. Without warning, Indigo and Sugarcoat revved up their motorbikes obnoxiously, rode down the ramp, and moved onto the dirt track, leaving a trail of dust behind. Rainbow and I weren't about to let them get a head start, so we went down the ramp after them. Right off the bat, it was obvious to everyone present that my riding experience was far weaker than the others’. I had gotten used to being a human, yet there were still some things that proved difficult. For the most part, it was going to be Rainbow leading the charge for CHS. All I could do was try and keep up without falling too far behind.

Racing on dirt was no problem for any of us, but the sloped ramps, small hills, a pond, and other obstacles made it challenging. I secretly hoped to have a pleasant race that came down to skill, yet these obstacles made that difficult.

From what I read about motocross, it was a difficult sport that demanded intense concentration, balance, and understanding of the ins and outs of your motorbike. Normally, it was reserved for adults, but in the last couple of years, teenagers were given the chance to earn their licenses. It was all to sate a need for speed, something Rainbow Dash strove for whenever the subject came up.

" So far, Rainbow and Indigo have managed to keep their attitudes under control." I said to myself, looking ahead at the two as they interchanged with one another to determine which school was in the lead. Before the race started, they had argued to the point where they could've started a fight, but their consciences prevailed by making them focus on the race and not their inflated egos. Yet, I felt they were going to do something stupid that could cause either Sugarcoat or myself serious injury. It actually felt like the two of us were just there racing for fun with the others racing like fierce competitors. " Why does Rainbow rely on her ego to get herself out of problems? All she does is get herself into more trouble; she doesn't understand that picking fights over stupid things solves nothing. Hopefully, she can show some self-control. Not sure if Indigo will react in the same manner." I said to myself.

I still think she was exactly like Rainbow Dash, right down to the egotistical attitude. If the two of them had been sisters in another life, they would have spent much of their time arguing instead of working together.

" Awesome!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she jumped off a ramp.

" Don't think you've won!" Indigo Zap shouted.

" I'm just having a good time, unlike you."

" What!? You think I'm incapable of fun?"

" From all you’ve said, yes."

" That's it! You're going down!" Indigo Zap shouted, revving up her motorbike again to keep up with Rainbow.

" And here I was hoping they wouldn't resort to childish arguing." I said to myself, sighing before something in the air caused me to start looking around.

The magical surge that came from the skating track reappeared, but now, it was even stronger than before. What was happening over there? At that moment, a snarling sound echoed throughout the field, yet none of us took notice of it. I thought someone's dog had walked by the fence, but no dog could make a noise that loud, especially when two bleachers full of screaming students drowned out most noise.

Choosing to focus instead on the race, I rode around to the next corner, and my eyes suddenly stared upwards to what looked like a portal opening up in the sky. Had Twilight somehow lost control of her pendant? Or, had all that magic she absorbed finally proved too much for her to handle? Another, more wild, theory was that someone from Equestria had opened a portal on that side in an effort to gain control over this world; another "magical so-and-so", as Applejack stated a couple of days ago.

My worst fears were realized when a creature from my homeland reared its ugly head into this world, followed by additional ones of its kind coming through additional portals scattered across the dirt track. They appeared to be giant plants. The first thing they did was lunge towards Rainbow Dash, who performed a slick maneuver to avoid losing more than the race. What was truly baffling was the audience not running away in terror over witnessing monster plants. Did they think this was some kind of stunt employed by Principal Celestia and Principal Cinch to make this stage more challenging?

Unfortunately, I wasn't as maneuverable as Rainbow, and one of the plants lunged out and knocked me off my bike. My bike slid across the dirt before coming to a stop, while I also slid along, but at a shorter distance. Indigo managed to get past by using her own maneuvers, yet Sugarcoat wasn't as lucky. The plant that knocked me down latched onto her bike using its large mouth, sending her flying to the right a short distance before lifting her up several dozen meters.

Once I regained consciousness--the plant had knocked the wind out of me when it collided with my bike--I saw Sugarcoat was dangling below her bike, her hands holding onto a pipe on the side. Indigo, in the meantime, just kept on going and didn't even bother trying to save her teammate.

That wasn't true of Rainbow Dash. She looked back and noticed I was in trouble, and decided to turn around and help me out. Some would've criticized her for going back when she could've continued on with the race, but that meant betraying her values of loyalty. Sugarcoat, meanwhile, was still hanging on for dear life. When the plant swallowed her bike with one gulp, she fell but used its stem like a slide, preventing any serious injury from occurring. However, that meant the plant was now interested in me, since I was all alone. Closing my eyes, I didn't want to see what was about to happen, but the sound of a roaring engine meant things were about to look up.

" What happened?" I asked.”

“ You almost got smashed by that jerk of a plant." Rainbow Dash answered.

" Equestria... those plants are coming from my home."

" So that's what an Equestrian plant looks like? No wonder you and Princess Twilight are always so tense. Of course, that plant isn't gonna catch me on this bad boy." Rainbow Dash said.

" Thanks for saving me."

" I wasn't about to let my friend become plant food."

" What about the race?"

" We can still win this! I know it sounds weird saying that when we've got a major emergency, but like I said, we need to give CHS the hope that we can force the third and deciding even by beating Crystal Prep here and now." Rainbow Dash answered. She seemed pretty confident about our chances of winning, but my mind was fixated on what I was sensing coming from her body. The joy of having been saved disappeared and was replaced with dread, as Rainbow's magic was starting to make itself known.

Upon stopping her motorbike, Rainbow climbed off and removed her helmet. In an instant, her pony ears, tail, and wings appeared, giving her a burst of energy. While I thought it was amazing that she ponied up for the second time without her guitar, it quickly dawned on me that she had transformed in front of Crystal Prep. I imagined hearing Principal Cinch complaining about how one of Principal Celestia's students suddenly developed wings in addition to the plants coming through portals strewn across the field. The magic had gotten out of control, and after my friends and I had done so much to keep it under control, too.

In my mind, I knew that Twilight must have done something to cause all of this, but I wasn't able to get to her in time. I didn't blame her entirely for this mess. The blame was mostly mine because of my past actions over wanting power more than anything else. I felt bad knowing that I failed Vice Principal Luna when she asked me to keep the magic hidden until the end of the Friendship Games. I knew that I had a lot of explaining to do once this event was finished.

---

" You were only partly right about me causing the problem." Twilight said.

" How do you figure that?" I asked.

" It's true that I absorbed Applejack's magic, but my pendant acted of its own accord. I had no control over what it wanted to do, and I struggled to keep it from absorbing anymore than it needed to." Twilight answered.

I doubted her claim was true. I know she wanted to understand why CHS suddenly had "energy" flowing about, but she made the decision to take the magic away from us. If she had asked about it instead of going with her own instincts, a lot of the problems wouldn't have happened. Her pendant was an impressive piece of work, but claiming that it was sentient? I found that hard to believe.

Before I could say anything in response, Twilight started whimpering, tears flowing down her cheeks. She had been overly emotional since the start of the evening, yet there was a genuine sense of guilt I sensed coming from her. Maybe I was being too hard on her after all. Magic wasn't something Twilight was an expert in, and she was only doing what she believed in. When it came to magic, you needed to have a firm grasp over it. If you weren't strong enough, it could do whatever it wanted. You'd be powerless to stop it from really causing a lot of damage. Possessing a strong will allowed complete control and ability to produce things, limited only to what was within one's own mind.

I should have been more firm with Twilight, back then and now. She was tampering with things that were beyond her mind, and I should've explained it to her without losing my temper in the process. Perhaps now is a good time to help her come to grips with how magic functioned.

Nudging closer to her, I wrapped my arm around the back of Twilight's neck and pressed my chin against her hair. Something in my head was telling me to go a little further, but I shook those thoughts away, as she needed a friend more than anything else.

" I'm not blaming you for what happened during the Games, Twilight, and that will never change. I should have never brought magic into this world and alerted the likes of the Sirens who could've lived out an existence without their powers being brought back. I also should've been more understanding of what you were going through. You were trying to deal with personal problems resulting from how you were being treated, and wanting to figure out what was happening at CHS was the solution to your ailment." I said.

" Learning was my passion, and helped me cope with my struggles."

" If you had told me that sooner, I could've helped you."

" I know, Sunset, but I was afraid that you and the rest of CHS would treat me in the same manner." Twilight said. I couldn't respond to a statement like that. She didn't know what kind of students attended CHS, so the idea of her being cautious was understandable. Still, I was right about how she should've come to me for help and not tried to figure things out on her own. " You know, Fluttershy and Applejack both helped me without even asking, and it took me by surprise. I thought they would act in an entirely different manner, and it was their selfless acts that made me think that Crystal Prep wasn't the right school for me."

" And yet, you stole their magic."

" Something that continues haunting me. I knew it was wrong but I kept on going for the sake of knowledge. You know, it was an accident that caused those plants to first manifest into our world." Twilight said. This was the first time hearing those words. In my mind, I always thought Twilight had brought them here, but now, it seemed that something else was at play the entire time. " After my pendant absorbed Applejack's magic, I tripped over Spike, who was standing behind me. My pendant bounced along the ground until it stopped by the skating track, where it opened up without any restraint." Twilight said. The plants came through those portals all because of a mishap involving her dog!? I suppose anything could have caused that mess, but instead it was mere coincidence and a lot of bad luck.

" That's why I sensed a magical surge. It came from your pendant."

" I tried to get to it in an effort to close it again, but those plants started attacking me before I could."

" Like I said, those plants from the Everfree Forest lunge at anything they deem as food or find entering their territory. They're basically stupid, so they rely on instinct in order to consume whatever takes their fancy." I said.

" Good thing no one was hurt."

" Rainbow Dash proved to be a good aerial spotter."

" In the end, I did manage to close my pendant."

" Which leads me to perhaps the one thing since my reformation that weighs on me more than anything else." I said. I looked at Twilight for a few seconds, then at my journal, and then down at my hands. It felt like they were sweating; what I was about to say next had the potential to leave my friend in tears over how I thought about everything that had happened during the span of several minutes. I looked at Twilight again before breathing a heavy sigh. " After the Tri-Cross Relay was over, Rainbow and the others celebrated their victory, which lead into me acting like a complete moron."

---

Why did Rainbow Dash have to pony up in the middle of the race? Everyone from Crystal Prep--especially Principal Cinch--had just witnessed her transformation, and the latter saw it as the perfect excuse to have the Wondercolts disqualified over allegations of cheating. The giant Equestrian plants didn't make things any easier, yet I could easily come up with an excuse to explain their presence.

My heart told me that the race needed to be stopped. People's lives were in danger from the plants, and they needed to be evacuated. My guts, however, were telling me to keep going with the race and win it for CHS. I was allowing my judgment to be dictated by the desire to keep our school in the competition, thinking that a pointless contest between two schools was more important than people's lives. My priorities were being tested in a bad way, but I chose to go with finishing the race. Crystal Prep only had Indigo Zap remaining, as Sugarcoat's bike got eaten by a plant, yet CHS were as limited. Rainbow and I only had one bike, as mine was flattened, yet she didn't need it because of her wings.

Knowing that I had to win, despite my conflict of interest, I got onto Rainbow's bike and sped off after Indigo, who had gained a commanding lead. Unfortunately for her, the plants proved to be more problematic than she could handle. One of them slammed its head into the dirt track--probably thought it could scrounge up some food--and left a large pothole that she fell into. That gave me the opportunity I needed to catch up and overtake her, so revving up my bike and putting the pedal to the metal, I jumped over one of the jumps on the track, making sure to sit slightly upright to give myself some extra speed.

" I'm hoping Rainbow Dash is okay dealing with those plants. I know it's not the same as dealing with the likes of me or the Sirens, but she shouldn't allow her cockiness to get the better of her." I said to myself, looking up at the sky. Rainbow was flying about in an effort to draw the plants attention away from everyone else. It wasn't easy, as there were more than she could handle, yet she showed absolute resolve in her determination to protect everyone. " So far, she's distracting them, which should give the others a chance to run for it, but maybe it's best that I finish this race as fast as possible." I said to myself. The students hadn't bothered to run away. Did they honestly think that this was all part of the event? They were either blind, ignorant, or both.

" Humans can be so stupid at times, but as long as Rainbow keeps those plants busy, everything should work out fine... I hope." I said to myself.

Indigo was starting to come up behind me, having realized that I had gotten ahead of her. We both rode around the next few corners and over some small jumps made from dirt and old tires. One of the plants then suddenly reared its ugly head in an effort to lunge at us but was denied when Rainbow slammed into it using her elbow combined with her flying skills. It crashed a short distance away and remained unconscious. With that threat out of the way, Indigo and I raced neck-and-neck around the final corner and towards the finish line. I knew she wanted to win, but I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of winning it all for Crystal Prep.

In a last burst of speed that came from within, I pulled ahead mere metres away from the finish line and crossed it first. The students of CHS exploded into cheers of happiness knowing I had won the relay. The students of Crystal Prep looked dejected, but at least they didn't glare at Twilight like they did after she won the first event. I didn't see her expression, but I knew Principal Cinch wasn't happy about the results, either. She wanted her team to end the Games there and then, but I had pulled off an upset no one expected.

"Canterlot wins!" Dean Cadance announced, her words bringing about silence from everyone. " With their win, the two teams have now won one event apiece. That means the third and final event will take place, but we need some time to actually prepare it. To be honest, we weren't really expecting CHS to win, but surprises do appear to be quite common today. I don't know what's going on, but we need to leave the field immediately. Would students and staff please proceed to the gym. We shall reveal some hints about the final event and maybe answer some concerns." Dean Cadance said, putting away her microphone. Everyone quietly began leaving in order to head back inside, yet they were going about it in a casual manner, like the plants didn't really exist. I had to give them credit for remaining calm in the face of danger; the plants were still a problem and needed to be dealt with.

Before my very eyes, they suddenly began disappearing back into the portals from where they came from, with some disintegrating into nothing before the portal closed. Just like that, the field was back to normal, as though the plants had never been there. My thought process at that point was to make sure my friends were okay. I also had to find and speak to Twilight. She had crossed the line when it came to stealing our magic. If we still had our magic, we could have prevented the plants from even appearing in the first place.

It didn't take long to find my friends, and I managed to overhear Applejack asking if everyone was okay. I wasn't surprised when Rainbow Dash commented on how well the race went in our favour and completely ignored the fact that innocent people could have been hurt.

" Are you kidding!? We're better than alright! We won!" Rainbow Dash said.

" Why am I not surprised with you saying that." I said, riding up to my friends before stopping and taking off my helmet. One thing I didn't like about wearing it was how it messed up my hair. My friends noticed how worried I looked and Rainbow stopped smiling, knowing that she had been out there. " Yeah! We won! Now we're tied with Crystal Prep, and we forced the deciding event, but that's not really important here. Someone could have been seriously hurt what with those plants running amok! I hate to say it, but the magic is going haywire. I'm not sure how I managed to lose control, but I have no idea how to fix it!" I said.

" Alrighty now! No need to start freakin' out." Applejack said.

" How can I not, considering what just happened?"

" Sunset has a point, darling. Despite her best efforts in keeping the magic under control, Crystal Prep has seen it with their own eyes. I have no doubt that they are going to be asking us questions, and it will be difficult for us to give them an honest answer." Rarity added.

" Yeah, I suppose y'all are right." Applejack said.

" Now do you believe me that Twilight stole the portal?" I asked.

" I reckon this was all just an unfortunate coincidence that still don't prove that she did anything." Applejack answered. My eye started twitching in response. I couldn't believe she still didn't think Twilight had caused so much trouble. I was on the verge of completely losing it when someone familiar spoke up.

" Um, excuse me, but did I hear someone mention my name?” Twilight asked, walking up behind us and looking sheepish, as though she were trying to hide something. My friends smiled at her, while I glared at her with hatred in my eyes. She had some nerve acting like she had no idea what was going on, and I wasn't about to be fooled by her. " I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm so sorry. I just wanted to learn about the strange energy coming from your school. Ever since it first showed up on my radar, it practically begged me to try and understand why it exists here. Since then, I've been working hard to come up with solutions, yet none of them worked until I built this device so I could detect and analyze the energy. I didn't know that it was magic or... how it works." Twilight said.

" You've never heard of magic before?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Of course I have, but I always considered it the stuff of fairy tales."

" Then you've got a lot to learn."

" Yes, but again, I feel as though I have done you a great wrong with my actions. My curiosity has often been the cause of my creating disasters, but at least everything has calmed down now. Still, it's so fascinating to know exactly what the energy is. By the way, you six seem to have a firm grasp regarding this phenomenon." Twilight said.

" Only Sunset here does--" Rainbow Dash began before quickly closing her mouth upon seeing my glare. I didn't want Twilight to know that I came from the very world that those plants came from. If she were to know about the existence of Equestria, she would want to know as much about it as possible, including wanting to go there. If there was anyone here who shouldn't go through the portal, it was Twilight. She had exposed a secret my friends and I had kept from those beyond CHS for the last six months. Now, Crystal Prep could label our school as cheaters by using something that couldn't be explained.

I didn't know why I was treating her with so much animosity. My temper had reached a boiling point, and I was trying to calm down, but something about Twilight was rubbing me the wrong way. So long as she didn't do anything to further cause me stress, I could slowly calm my nerves. Unfortunately, what happened next pushed me over the edge.

" I don't understand." Twilight said.

" That's okay; neither do we."

" Regarding magic?"

" Yep. We're still trying to figure out the basic stuff despite using it several times in the past." Rainbow Dash answered. She then made her biggest mistake by walking over until she was within range of Twilight's pendant. I had noticed it was glowing in an unusual manner, but it was too late for me to have prevented what happened next. The moment Rainbow Dash stood inches away from Twilight, her pendant suddenly shot out in front of her and opened up.

" Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no! Not again!" Twilight shouted, pulling the string that hung around her neck that the pendant was attached to. She struggled to prevent her device from stealing Rainbow's magic, but it was to no avail; the latter began growing weaker, and her pony extensions faded away. Fluttershy told us what happened when she had her magic taken, and now, I was seeing it with my own eyes.

" What's going on?"

" My pendant is taking your magic."

" No way!"

" I'm sorry! It just started absorbing energy on its own! But I'm not sure how!"

" What do you mean you don't know how!?" I said, my voice displaying signs of anger. I had just witnessed my friend having her magic stolen from her, and I wasn't about to let Twilight get away with it. I know that I should've remained calm and perhaps tried to reason my way towards a solution, but all I could see in front of me was hatred towards Twilight. She had crossed the line and was going to pay for it. She was ignorant of magic, and I should've known that, yet I didn't care one bit. " You did not just say that to me! You've been stealing our magic ever since you first came here, and now you're telling me that you don't get it?" I asked.

" My pendant has been acting weird ever since I investigated the statue outside your school." Twilight answered.

" You built that thing, and you don't know how it works?"

" I know what it does, but this 'magic' isn't compatible." Twilight answered. She managed to grab hold of her pendant, but I wasn't about to let her use it again. I walked over to her and grabbed it in an attempt to take it away from her, yet it suddenly opened up and released a powerful surge that opened up a large portal in the sky. How could her pendant have opened a portal that big? I didn't recognize the area in Equestria the portal connected to, but I sensed the raw magic of my homeland swirling about. It was enough to calm me down for about several seconds before all of us were drenched in a torrential downpour. " What was that all about?" Twilight asked.

" I'm not sure, but at least it wasn't anything dangerous."

" That hole is much bigger than the previous ones."

" Yeah, and I'm worried about it causing further problems."

" It's a rift. That hole has ripped open the fabric of the space-time continuum, yet I'm not sure how that's even remotely possible. I'm a student of science, and nothing in my books has mentioned anything about a hole that connects between multiple dimensions." Twilight answered.

" Is there anything you do know!?" I asked, the anger within me slowly pouring out.

" I'm not sure I get what you're suggesting, Sunset Shimmer. I happen to be extremely gifted, and I find your comment to be very offensive. Or, perhaps you're referring to the fact that the subject of magic is something that I'm lacking?" Twilight asked. Her attempt at making me look bad with reverse psychology only furthered my anger towards her. I knew my temper was problematic, yet it had never reached levels like I was feeling at that moment in time. I wanted to stop myself before saying something I'd regret, but it was too late for me to hold back what I wanted to say to her. " Hello? Why aren't you addressing my concern?" Twilight asked.

" That's not what I meant. Do you know how to get our magic back!? Or how to fix the portal to Equestria!?"

" Equestria?"

" Why am I even explaining that to you?"

" What is Equestria?"

" You're supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think that you shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand!?" I asked. I then grabbed the pendant and held it in my hands for a brief moment before closing it. It made a loud clicking sound and the portal above our heads disappeared. " Magic is something most humans can never understand, and your attempts at trying to do so have caused nothing but problems. I don't know what compelled you to believe that you could figure it out, but clearly, it's beyond you. I suggest giving up on it right now and never looking back on it."

" But, I wanna understand."

" That's just it! You don't!"

" I can learn."

" Listen, Twilight. I'm only going to say this once. Magic isn't one of those science projects where you attempt to analyze things. It's a force that takes years to learn and even more to master, and only the best can be declared experts in the field. In an immature effort to appease your ego towards the pursuit of knowledge, you've caused problems that have plagued both worlds. I don't know if the damage can be repaired, but worst of all, you put the lives of my friends in danger! They mean everything to me and the thought of losing them to your endeavour is something that I won’t tolerate." I said.

In the back of my mind, I knew that my words were harsh. However, it was something that needed to be said. If she had continued down her current path, Twilight herself would've become a victim of her own desires. It was best to sever the connection by the root before it could blossom into something truly awful. I didn't hold my words back, despite knowing how hard Twilight's life had been. I didn't care so long as she got it through her head that messing around with magic was dangerous and could kill her. Unfortunately, she took my words the wrong way, and it didn't take a genius to know that I made a terrible mistake.

" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Twilight said. She then burst into tears and ran off in the opposite direction with Spike chasing after her. I was still so angry that I didn't even know she had run away until Rainbow Dash placed her hand on my shoulder. That gesture snapped me out of my delusion and I quickly realized what had happened. How had it come to this? Why did I explode with rage over Twilight's actions? Why didn't I act with a more compassionate attitude? Had I ruined a potential friendship all because my temper got out of control? I knew that Princess Twilight would be ashamed of me had she witnessed my atrocious actions. I took what she taught me and threw it back in her face.

All I could do in response to Rainbow's gesture was slap my forehead. I had become everything that I spent so much time and effort overcoming since the Fall Formal. The monster within my heart had been reawakened.

---

" I never felt more horrible for what I said to you, Twilight." I said.

" While you were pretty harsh, you were only telling me the truth. It was something my brain didn't want to hear, but my heart had to in order for me to finally get the message that my actions almost caused our friends to suffer the consequences." Twilight said.

" How did you take it?"

" At first, I was shocked at how you treated me. I needed some time by myself to reflect upon what you said. An answer that came to me at first was to ignore your words and continue with my research as though nothing had happened. That reasoning quickly proved invalid, so I needed another solution. I found my answer when it dawned on me that my efforts had the potential to convince Principal Cinch and everyone else at Crystal Prep that using magic would guarantee our victory in the Friendship Games." Twilight answered.

" That's what actually happened."

" I know, but it was a thought that brought shivers down my spine. When it came to winning competitions, Principal Cinch would use every legal method at her disposal in order to assure her students that they would win. Since Rainbow Dash used magic during the motocross race, the Shadowbolts believed they had every right to use magic as well. While that doesn't make much sense, Principal Cinch knew that I could release what I had absorbed to win." Twilight said.

Rainbow never actually crossed the finish line during the race, so in theory, she never used magic to help CHS win the event. She only used her ability to fly to protect Indigo and myself from becoming a snack for those Everfree plants. I never used my magic during the race, as it had been stolen, and I wanted to play by the rules anyway, since cheating was something the old me would've done without taking the time to think it over. While Rainbow meant well when she ponied up, she exposed the secret we had tried so hard to maintain before a school that had never seen it before.

If Cinch had been more assertive in her accusations, the Friendship Games could've been cancelled before the deciding event. In turn, that would've prevented Twilight from unleashing all the magic she had absorbed from all of us. Instead, she wanted things to continue because she refused to accept CHS as being equal to Crystal Prep. Her own arrogance took everyone down a path that almost destroyed two worlds. No wonder I never liked the idea of a rivalry between our respective schools. The aim of the Friendship Games was to promote friendship, not to encourage trying to outdo one another in the name of victory.

" How did she know about the pendant?"

" She overheard our conversation." Twilight answered. I knew it! Cinch had overheard us talking about magic, and that meant she knew I had berated Twilight. No wonder she was able to convince Twilight into releasing the stolen magic without using the Everton application as leverage. She learned what had been going on regarding the pendant and viewed it as a means of winning the Games. She had no idea what was truly going on--listening to only part of a conversation will do that to you--and allowed her desires of winning to ultimately bring about a sudden change no one expected. " She even noticed the portal that had opened above us."

" What did she say to you?"

" About what?"

" The pendant... What did she say about it?"

" She knew that it contained the magic I stole from all of you."