About a hour or so, the school buses finally return to Canterlot High. Students got of the buses with depression and weariness as their recent loss was still fresh in their minds. They were so close to beating C.P and they really wanted that last winning point. The only thing they have left to look forward to is waiting for their parents to pick them up or walking home themselves.
Twilight and her close friends also look particularly tired as they were getting off their bus. "UGH! I'm so glad that we're finally back" Twilight groaned as she was walking towards the school. "That was just a nightmare."
Here friends behind her sympathise with Twilight. They didn't find the games particularly pleasant to compete in and they feel responsible for Canterlot losing. However, the person who felt the most guilty and sad was Sunset who tells everyone: "Yeah, sorry again you guys for failing the final event."
"Don't be" Rarity replied. "You weren't the only one who failed their event."
"But if I had won mine, Canterlot would have been in the lead!" Sunset cried out.
As Sunset was feeling upset, all of her friends came over and try to comfort her. "It's ok Sunset" Fluttershy tells her. "Yeah! You tried your best and we still love you."
Pinkie Pie then chimes in and adds: "Yeah, and since Crystal Prep had their turn, Now It's Our Turn To Decide The Event!" She says that while she was punching her own hand and trying to imitate Rainbow Dash. Her friends was quick to catch the similarity.
Sunset chuckled and felt a little bit better. "Hehe... Thanks you guys."
But once that issue was sorted out, Twilight let out a massive sigh and thinks out loud: "Well at least they didn't find out about our magic."
At that moment, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack froze. They knew that wasn't the case as they were look at each other with great shame and embarrassment. As they were wondering who would be the one to break it to Twilight, Rainbow Dash was the one to nervously say: "Actually Twilight... we got something to tell you."
Twilight herself soon froze. Just the way how her friends spoke up as soon as she mention their magic just sends a bad signal to her. When she look at them with fear, Fluttershy regretfully tells her:
"We... may have... show them our magic by accident."
"WHAT!!!" Vice Principal Luna yelled out.
"We're sorry" Applejack apologize. "It just... sort of happened."
The girls were explaining what happened to the principals inside the school and they weren't exactly happy. Even Twilight was panicking at the scene. "HOW!? HOW DID IT HAPPEN!? How did you transform!?" she yell you.
"We don't exactly know" Fluttershy replied. "Maybe helping Sour Sweet might was caused me to transform."
"If that's the case, mine might have happen when I was trying to defend the Dazzlings."
"And I guess... me talking with Sugarcoat about honestly might have triggered mine."
As Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack was feeling ashamed about themselves, Luna and Twilight was stressing about the situation. I can't imagine what Crystal Prep would think about it. They were hoping that they would think much from it or the people that saw them won't mention it to anybody, but they that would be too good to believe. As Luna and Twilight about to panic even harder, Principal Celestia rest her hands on their shoulders and tells them:
"Calm down. What's done is done. All that we can do now is to figure out what we gunna say to them when they ask."
Even though knowing that doesn't help resolve the issue right away, the calming way that Celestia said did calm them down a bit. However, Twilight soon became as ashamed as her friends and quickly apologized.
"I am so sorry Principal Celestia. We were responsible to keep it under raps and..."
But Celestia softly responds to her: "It's ok Twilight, we're aren't gunna punish you. We know that you all aren't use to this magical friendship stuff yet."
"But that isn't just it!" Twilight moaned. "You wanted the schools to stop being rivals and want everybody to get along. But we just made things more awkward and complicated."
Celestia had a sad expression on her face when she's seeing Twilight putting so much pressure onto herself. It was like she had failed Celestia and her new school. But as Twilight was looking so saddened and distraught, Principal Celestia still has hopeful smile on her face.
"Twilight, do you remember why I picked you to be Canterlot's team leader?"
After pushing back the tears that were about to fall from her face, Twilight softly replies: "... No?"
"I picked you because I feel you to be the person who can bridge both school together" Celestia explained. "You spent time both in Canterlot High and Crystal Prep and learned how both schools work well within themselves. You witness how hard Crystal Prep personally strive towards achievement and recognition while you learn how cooperative CHS students are to each other in order to reach their own goals. I thought if there's anybody who could fill in the link between both methods, I thought that would be you Twilight. You, who is a hard worker and love her friends, would be perfect for task."
Twilight fell silent upon Celestia's motivating words. It was like she was showing her an different aspect about her that she never really thought about before. Celestia also looks and sounds so sure about Twilight that it was unbelievably heartwarming. "Thanks Principal Celestia" said Twilight as she smiles.
"No problem Twilight" Celestia happily responded.
But as they were having lovely moment, Vice Principal Luna reluctantly had to ruin the moment and bring them back to the moment. She state: "Well all of that is nice and all, but Crystal Prep are finding out about our magical imbued students and they are currently in the lead."
With topic coming back more towards the games, they soon remember that they have to come up with a way to turn things into their favour. Twilight tries to come up with an explanation for their magic but having trouble coming up with a good excuse. She then recall Moondancer eagerly trying to research the strange phenomenon going on at CHS. If Twilight come up a lie for her, it might staring the relationship not only between her and Moondancer, but also for the school's as well.
But as she was coming with a good solution, a melancholy Rainbow Dash thinks out loud: "Well... I guess we better get things ready for the sport event."
"What!?" Twilight responded.
Seeing Twilight's confusion, Rainbow explains: "Well usually C.P are the one who picks the academic stuff or whatever while we're the ones who set up the sporting events. You know; archery, Roller-derby, motocross."
"I still can't believe that motocross can be one of the events" AJ remarks.
"The sporting events is what we're best at, but Crystal Prep still beat us even in that."
When Rainbow said that, Twilight instantly began thinking of something. Knowing first hand Crystal Prep's athletic program, she can understand why they would win the sports round. As she was thinking some other school event that they could do, Twilight remembers one particular subject. One subject that Twilight recall C.P particularly lacking while it's something CHS excels at. And with that, Twilight quickly began imagining a bunch of different ways on how the students could bond over it. Her friends and the principals soon notice a smirk on Twilight's face that got them to be curious on what they are thinking.
Twilight then says out loud to them: "Actually you guys, I have another idea in mind."
One week has pass and the people from Crystal Prep was making their Canterlot. Like their rivals the week before, they all were traveling in coaches that were filled with both students and teachers. Most of the Crystal Prep students found the trip to Canterlot High a bit boring and tiresome. They would rather do something else and not go to a rival school, but Principal Cinch "insist" them to go because of the games.
However, while most of the students sat around feeling disinterested, a couple students was actually feeling a bit antsy and restless. Sour Sweet was fidgeting and constantly looking out for signs for Canterlot High as she want to get there as soon as possible. Indigo Zap was also looking troubled as people could tell that she was deep in thought. Sugarcoat, despite being the one who was the most subdued, also constantly look at her watch and wondering when they will arrive.
The others didn't really notice them. Moondancer was busy tinkering with something that was around her neck while Lemon Zest was being immersed with her music. Sunny Flare also didn't notice anything as she was enjoying reading a book. But for Sunset Shimmer, she couldn't notice that Sour Sweet was being restless and it began to annoy her.
"Hey, why are you fidgeting!?" Sunset asked her angrily.
"None Of Your Business" Sour Sweet angrily responded.
"Well it is my business since your fidgeting is beginning to annoy me."
With voices finally being heard, it wasn't long before other people on the bus would take notice of them. Their friends near them took part and try to calm things down.
"Don't get too upset Sunset" Sugarcoat says to her. "She just anxious about getting to Canterlot."
"I didn't said..."
"Why? We get there, we whoop their buts in the sporting competitions and Crystal Prep will get their win in these Friendship Games."
"Actually, I don't think there is gunna be a sport competition" said Indigo Zap. "I heard rumour that they sent us a letter that says that they are picking another subject besides physical education."
Sunset nonchalantly but boldly states: "Whatever! Whatever they throw at us, we'll still beat them."
"Sounds to me that you don't care about what's going on" Sunny remarked.
"And you are?" Sunset remarked. "I only enrolled because they asked me to help their silly games."
Everyone was slightly annoyed by how carefree and smug Sunset's statement was, although they can fault her for her reason. They aren't usually so invested with the Friendship Games. However, after meeting certain people from Canterlot, Sour, Indigo and Sugarcoat constantly have those people stuck on their minds and are anxious to see them again.
But while this was happening, Moondancer had just finished tweaking her large pendent around her neck. "Well I'm finding these games really distracting" she said out loud. "I just want to finish my research project and get myself enrolled at Everton." But as she was being bitter and lonely, Moondancer suddenly remember to check something.
"By the way, do all of you still have..."
But before she could finish, Principal Cinch interrupt her. "Ah-Ah-Ah! Save that question for later Moondancer." She then turn her head towards the driver and ask him: "Bus Driver! How long are you gunna make use wait for use to get to Canterlot?"
"I Have A Name You Know!" Discord snarked back. "And by my estimate, I have give them just enough time for them to finish the decorations."
"What!?" Cinch responded.
Before Cinch could have a chance to question him, Discord turn the bus around the corner and they all arrive at Canterlot High. But when everyone look outside the window to the front of the school, they all were blown away to what they see.
A massive crowd stood in front of the school to greet them. But unlike Crystal Prep's welcoming party from last week, CHS went above and beyond to make them feel welcome. Large banners hang up in front filled with colourful symbols and painted icons. Streamers were hanging from the windows and curve around the building (or at least the front). They even decorated their horse statue into a proud stallion. And when the doors of the buses open, everyone from Canterlot excitedly shout:
"WELCOME CRYSTAL PREP!!!
Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Not much I can say other than excellent job on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I particularly liked Principal Celestia comforting Twi during her freak-out. And, yeah, I'm definitely curious as to what Twi has in mind next. Yeah, it will probably take a while for it to work, but I DO hope she will end up making at least A LITTLE headway.
And, yeah, I've definitely got a bad feeling about Moonie's gadget, but "a bad feeling" in a way that's good for the narrative. At any rate, I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
Surprisingly, even though CHS lost, I suddenly feel sadder for the CP students.