Volume I - Chapter 5: Meet-up at Sweet Shoppe
Twilight couldn't remember how long she was held prisoner in Robotnik’s lab. After she was captured by Robotnik’s robot, instead of torturing her for information on her friends (except maybe witnessing his dancing), he's pretty much treating her like a houseguest, despite being handcuffed to a wall. She didn’t know why Robotnik wasn't doing anything to her, however, she suspected that he planned to use her in some way to get to her friends. On top of that, he stole her geode necklace which has access to her magic, and plans to study it to gain its power.
Things were looking bleak when Robotnik placed Sonic’s quill in his machine, which he stole from her house, to measure the quill's power. It didn’t take long for the device to finish and the result of the quill's power to be 'unlimited'.
Robotnik smirked. "Ready the prototype!"
As he announced those words, the back of his lab lit up, revealing more of his drones and a large egg-shaped hovercraft in the center.
"With this kind of power, my machines can finally reach their full potential!" Robotnik rubbed his hands in glee, as he made his way over to the room. "Don't wait for me, Stone. I got a hedgehog to hunt!"
"Um, what about the girl?" Stone asked as he glanced at the captured girl in question.
"Keep an eye on her so that she doesn't try to escape. But then again, I highly doubt that she's going anywhere!"
With that, Robotnik entered his machine room before a large door shut behind him.
With his boss gone, Stone turned to face Twilight. Neither one said a word as they stared at each other in awkward silence. Clearing his throat, Stone stretched one of the cups to her.
"Latte?"
Twilight only grunted in response. She didn’t trust Robotnik despite his “hospitality,” why should she trust his right-hand man? He practically followed and did the doctor’s orders, despite how harshly the doctor treated him; something that Twilight never understood. Just as Twilight was about to reply to Stone’s offer, Robotnik suddenly returned, as if he had never left the room.
"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Robotnik stated before facing Agent Stone with a grunt. "Prepare my hovercraft while I have a talk with the girl!"
Stone nodded before he quickly walked through the door and disappeared to another room. Once Stone was gone, Robotnik turned his attention to Twilight.
"Now as for you…" Robotnik mumbled as he slowly made his way over to Twilight.
Twilight backed away as far as she could from him, but it was all for naught as the handcuffs held her in place. Once Robotnik was close enough, he slowly reached his hand out towards her, making Twilight shake in fear. Robotnik hovered over Twilight’s head and before she had time to think, Robotnik pinched a piece of Twilight’s hair and plucked it out.
"Ow!" Twilight yelped. "That hurts!"
"You'll live!" Robotnik remarked nonchalantly as he walked away from Twilight.
He then approached a different device with a monitor on its side. He then opened the latch and placed Twilight’s hair inside of a tube. As he gently closed, he suddenly spoke up without looking back at the young scientist.
"Miss Sparkle… you want to know why I didn't lay a hand on you? Why I didn't torture you for information?"
Twilight eyed Robotnik warily, wondering if Robotnik was actually asking her a question or playing games with her. Regardless of his reasons, Twilight answered.
"It's… it's because you wanted to keep me alive to get info on the girls and our magic! And… you also wanted to use me as ransom, so it wouldn't be any good for you if anything happened to me!"
Robotnik hummed, typing the keyboard of the machine. "While you are mostly correct with those answers… there was one other main reason that hadn't occurred to you."
Twilight opened her mouth the respond but paused. What other reason did he imprison her other than getting her friends? She then racked her brain multiple times, trying to figure out what Robotnik had meant. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with the answer.
Her long pause caused Robotnik to shake his head with a dissatisfying sigh before glancing at Twilight. "I must say, I'm actually disappointed that a genius like you couldn't come up with the answer!” He shrugged, facing the screen again. “But then again, since you were a sheltered kid most of your life thanks to your brother… I suppose I can't blame you."
His statement only Twilight confused further. "Just what are you talking about?"
"Right to the point, eh?" Robotnik chuckled, finishing typing his keyboard before facing Twilight. "Refresh my memory; both of your parents passed away, right? And that you are actually adopted?"
Twilight stared at Robotnik in a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Are you playing games with me right now? It was you who revealed it all to me! So why bring it up now?"
Robotnik then lets out a dark chuckle, which sends chills down Twilight’s spine. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle… has it ever occurred to you just how I know those things? And why do I feel the need to reveal the fact that you are adopted to you over the phone?"
Twilight’s anger quickly evaporated and blinked. As much as she hated to admit this, she never thought about why he told her that she was adopted in the first place other than to get to her and rattle her emotions. But now that she thought about it, she wondered why would he feel the need to tell her all of this and what was his gain.
"You could say that I've read about your background," Robotnik continued, interrupting Twilight’s thoughts. "But would you believe I have known you even before I researched you? I guess you could say… that we're both a lot closer than you think!"
"What are you saying?" Twilight demanded, having enough of Robotnik’s mind games.
Robotnik grinned as he turned back to his machine. "I think I'll let this invention of mine speak for itself!"
To demonstrate, Robotnik grabbed a piece of his mustache hair and pulled it off of his face, grimacing in pain a little as a result.
"What are you doing?" Twilight pressed, confused by Robotnik’s actions.
Robotnik ignored her as he paced his hair in a different tube. Once he was done, he typed on a keyboard again for a moment before he activated his machine. While the machine was running, Robotnik faced Twilight to respond to her question.
"Right now, my machine is scanning the DNA between a piece of hair from your head and a piece of hair from my stache." His eyes were then suddenly hidden in a shadow. "And within a minute, it will reveal just how… 'close' we are!"
The way Robotnik emphasized his words, Twilight finally put two and two together as her eyes widened in horror. "A-are you saying… that we may be–"
When Robotnik didn't answer, Twilight quickly shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes.
"N-no! No, that's impossible! There's no way that you and I… I refuse to believe it! You're lying!"
"Am I?" Robotnik laughed in his throat before turning towards his machine. "I knew that you preferred scientific facts as evidence… hence why I'm using this machine with both pieces of our hair. And the results should appear any second now!"
As much as Twilight didn't want to, she felt she needed to see the results for herself, silently begging the universe that he was wrong. With all her physical and mental strength, Twilight slowly looked up and stared at the huge screen of Robotnik’s machine, waiting and dreading the results. After waiting for what felt like hours, the device let out a loud beep, followed by a text result appearing on the screen.
Twilight’s pupils shrunk to the size of pin needles as the result appeared in front of her. There were multiple listings and info from within the screen, but only one word stood out to her, which was big, bold, and green. One word that will hunt her for the rest of her life:
-MATCHED-
Tears were now pouring down her eyes like waterfalls. "N…no!"
Robotnik let out a sinister laugh with a cruel smile on his face. “Hehehe… It is so nice to finally properly meet you… cousin!”
Twilight shut her eyes, trying to mentally block out his laughter. "N-no… no…"
"Noooooooooooooo!"
After Twilight let out her horrified scream, she took a second to process that one of her blueprints was stuck onto the side of her face due to her drool. She then realized that she must have fallen asleep while working in her lab and then had a nightmare again; or more accurately, re-experienced her worst memory was when she was captured by Robotnik and then learned that she was related to that horrible man.
This wasn’t the first time she had a nightmare involving that man. When Twilight was captured by Robotnik, she experienced the most traumatic experience of her life with him before getting rescued by one of G.U.N. agents, Tempest Shadow. While she and her friends later defeated him and then sent him a one-way ticket to the mushroom planet, that does not mean that her scar will disappear.
Twilight had been having nightmares nonstop since that day, and they all involved that evil man as if he never left. It was even worse than those nightmares she used to have of Midnight Sparkle, and that was saying a lot. She didn't want to worry her friends or her family about her constant nightmares, so she never told them.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang.
Twilight screamed and jumped up, startled by her cell phone. In the process, however, she accidentally fell backward along with her chair and then crashed on the floor.
Ignoring the pain from her back, Twilight looked up towards her desk the moment her cell phone rang again. She quickly crawled over to her desk and reached her phone. When she checked her phone, there was an unfamiliar number on her caller ID. Confused, but curious as to who was calling her, Twilight picked up the call.
“H-hello?” Twilight croaked.
“Hello, is this Twilight Sparkle?” A sophisticated female voice spoke from the phone.
“Uh, yes! This is Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight responded, bringing her chair back up in its upright position before sitting on it again.
“Ah, Splendid! I’m glad I remembered this number!” The voice said slightly perking up. “I wasn't able to get ahold of your Principals at your school, but in hindsight, reaching you is actually a better option.”
Twilight blinked, trying to figure out the identity of the caller. “Um, I’m sorry… but who are you?”
“Twilight, don’t you recognize my voice?” The voice teased, not offended in the slightest. “Though, then again, it has been a while since we’ve met at Canterlot’s Celestial Society Member Social event over your friend’s cake.”
After hearing the details of that specific event, Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “Rosette Nebula!? Is that you?”
Rosette chuckled. “It seems that you remembered me after all, Twilight.”
Twilight just sat on her chair slack-jawed, couldn't believe that not only she was talking to one of her idols, it was the fact that her idol was calling her of all people. Part of her believed that she was dreaming and not having a nightmare for once. Even so, her brain couldn't comprehend what was happening to her right now.
“I– I just– You are– With me, and–”
"You still there?" Rosette joked.
Twilight quickly shook her stupider before responding with the main question that had been plaguing her mind since the start of their conversation.
“W–why are you calling me? …not that I don’t want you to call me, and I enjoyed speaking to you last time, and, uh…”
She heard her idol chuckle again. “Don’t worry! I enjoyed speaking to you too, and I know exactly what you mean.” Her tone then became serious. “I'll cut right to the chase: I heard what happened at your school. I’m very sorry for the circumstances.”
“Oh! Y-yeah! That was… unfortunate," said Twilight. "The school is closed for the time being until the building is repaired.” She then frowned. “Although… we don’t know for how long since this will affect our graduation ceremony.”
“I figured that was the case,” Rosette stated. “Which is why I have a proposal to you and your Principal which I’m sure would help solve your and your classmates' problems.”
Twilight brows raised in interest. What can a well-known astronomer possibly offer to help out the situation they're in? And what does she want with them in return? Either way, an opportunity just fell onto her lap and Twilight couldn't just let this slip by.
Twilight brought her phone closer to her ear. “I’m listening…”
Sweet Shoppe is considered to be the top favorite coffee and treat store in Canterlot City for all ages, especially teenagers. The place was filled with both Canterlot High and Crystal Prep students, sitting at the seats to enjoy their coffee and snacks while having a pleasant conversation with their friends. From one of those tables was where the Equestria Girls sat, except for Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset Shimmer.
The girls sat silently, slowly sipping their drinks as they waited for their remaining friends. Rainbow Dash, despite already ordering her chocolate shake, didn't drink her shake as she sat in her seat with an impatient scowl. After minutes of silence, she let out an annoyed huff.
"Ugh! Where is AJ, Sunset, and Twilight?" Rainbow Dash complained. "We've been waiting for hours!"
Rarity rolled her eyes as she finished sipping her tea. "Oh, calm down, Rainbow Dash! It's only been five minutes. They'll be here soon!"
"Still feels like hours to me!" Rainbow Dash muttered, crossing her arms with a pout.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long as they heard the entrance bell ring. They looked up just in time to see their hatless farmer friend hurrying towards them with a wave.
"Howdy, y'all! Sorry Ah'm late!" said Applejack before taking her seat next to Rainbow Dash.
Rarity smiled. "No worries, Darling! We haven’t waited long."
"Speak for yourself!" Rainbow Dash remarked, earning an annoyed glare from Rarity.
"We're still waiting for Twilight and Sunset," Fluttershy added. "They haven’t arrived yet."
"Ah don't mind waiting," Applejack shrugged as Pinkie Pie handed her a tall glass of root beer float with a cheery and a straw on top.
"Thank ya kindly, Pinkie," Applejack said with a smile.
"You're welcome, Jackie!" Pinkie chirped before taking her seat.
Applejack took a long sip of her float and then finished with a satisfied sigh. "So how was the fishing trip? Did y'all manage to get that blue critter to talk?"
Fluttershy took a sip of her strawberry shake. "Well, it took a while and an argument between him and Sunset, but I think things are okay after they talked it out. He even promised to be more responsible."
"All thanks to me!" Rainbow Dash boasted, to which she received stares from her friends. "Well… mostly me."
Rarity rolled her eyes at that.
"Well, that's good to hear," said Applejack before taking another sip of her float. "At least you got him to listen."
"What about you and Apple Bloom?" Rarity asked.
"It was rough at first," Applejack shrugged. "We both had a screaming match this morning, but then we talked after we calmed down."
Rarity frowned in concern. "So, is everything okay between you two?"
"As good as any," Applejack sighed. "Whether Apple Bloom took mah words to heart will remain to be seen. Ah worry about her sometimes, especially the fact that we're almost graduating."
"I completely understand, Darling!" said Rarity. "I also worry about my sister, Sweetie Belle. It would be difficult once we left CHS, but the best thing we do is to let them grow and to be there for them when they need us."
"Well, after that disaster of their party from last night, Ah still doubt it," Applejack stated before taking another quick sip of her float. "Until she's ready to grow up, Ah'll have to keep on watchin' over her."
"And what about you, Applejack? Are you feeling okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, especially now that you're missing a hat?" Rainbow Dash added, to which she once again received stares from her friends. "What? I'm not the only one who's thinking about it."
"Ah'll be fine," Applejack sighed as she rubbed her head in a self-conscious manner. "At least Ah'm still in good health. It's just that mah hat was a part of me. But without it, I felt kinda…"
"Naked?" Pinkie offered helpfully.
"...Ah was gonna say lost, but that works too, Ah suppose," Applejack shrugged. "With mah hat gone, Ah'm having an identity crisis."
Rainbow Dash huffed. "AJ, it's just a hat! Just get another one!"
"It's not 'just a hat', Dash, it's a one-of-a-kind hat to me!" Applejack growled before sighing again. "Ah could never find another hat like Ah had."
Applejack looked down, feeling lost without her signature hat. She was lost in her own mind for a moment until she felt someone gently grasping her hand. She looked up to see Rarity with a look of understanding and sympathy.
"Applejack, I understand how you feel," Rarity spoke softly. "That hat wasn’t just an accessory for your head, that hat is also a huge part of you, just like any dress or jewelry which tells us about the person who wears them." She then smiled, placing her other hand over her heart. "Which is why, I, Rarity, will be the one who will restore your hat!"
Applejack stared at her fashionista friend with wide eyes, completely off guard. "You'll… you'll make a brand new hat… fer me?" She asked softly before shaking her head. "Rarity, you- you don't have to do that! You're already busy with the upcoming graduation. Ah don't want you to stress yourself out further with mah hat added to the pile!"
Rarity waved off Applejack’s concern while making some 'tisks' sounds like she was beatboxing. "Oh, I insist, Applejack! I always have time for my friends! And also…" Rarity shyly looked away with a blush. "You can consider this a thank-you gift for saving my life. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you! So… I would like to do the honor of restoring your hat."
Applejack blushed at her friend’s words before quickly looking away and clearing her throat. "W-well, if you put it like that… then alright." She then looked back at Rarity with narrowed eyes. "But you better not add any froufrous on mah hat, ya hear?"
"Well, that's a shame," Rarity teased playfully. "You would have looked a lot better with some froufrou, Darling."
Applejack pouted. "Rares…"
"I'm kidding, Applejack!" Rarity giggled with a wink. "No froufrous! I promise!"
Applejack nodded. "Good! You better!"
"Oh, get a room, you two!" Rainbow Dash remarked, causing Rarity and Applejack to blush heavily. "Anyway, why are we all gathered in Sweet Shoppe again?"
Rarity snapped out of her blush state and gave her friend an annoyed huff. "Honestly, Rainbow Dash! Do you ever read our texts?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with a huff. "Of course, I read the text! As soon as I read 'Emergency Meeting at Sweet Shoppe' I ran straight here!"
"The fact that's all you read proved otherwise!" Rarity remarked.
Before a fight broke out, Fluttershy quickly jumped in. "All we know is that Sunset Shimmer has something very important to tell us after meeting Vice Principal Luna."
"Well, whatever it is, this better be important!" Rainbow Dash stated before drinking her chocolate shake. "I hate to get dragged out of my daily routine for nothing!"
Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a knowing look. "Didn't you give us an emergency meeting because you need guitar strings instead of a real emergency?"
"That was one time!" Rainbow Dash huffed. "And having a broken guitar string is considered an emergency!"
Applejack rolled her eyes at that before addressing the rest of the group. "Anyway, you told Sunset and Twilight that we're waiting at Sweet Shoppe?"
"I did, darling! They both said that they’ll be here soon," Rarity assured before drinking her tea. "Speaking of which, apparently, we got a brand new coffee shop just a few blocks down from here!"
"Really? We have a new coffee shop?" Applejack asked with a surprised look. “How come I never heard of it?”
"What's the name of the place?" Fluttershy asked.
"I believe it was called The Mean Bean Coffee Café," Rarity answered.
"Oh yeah! I saw the place a few times during my runs," said Rainbow Dash. "Didn't it used to be Karen's Café?"
Rarity nodded. "It was… until a few months ago that Karen was arrested after getting caught with money laundering."
Everyone, save for Pinkie, was shocked by this revelation.
"Yer kidding!" Applejack remarked.
Rainbow Dash whistled. "Dang! I knew she had a bad rep for being mean to her customers and her employees. I didn't think she was capable of committing a crime!"
"I'm not surprised," Pinkie remarked with narrowed eyes. "How she made her baked goods taste so bland was a crime in itself!"
The girls were taken aback by her usually bubbly friend's blunt tone, yet strange statement. They then shrugged, figuring that 'Pinkie is being Pinkie' before moving on.
"In any case," Rarity continued. "After Karen was arrested, that place was taken over by a new owner and then completely changed the shop. And the craziest part of all, this all happened within a week!" Rarity shrugged. "But, I'm sure that part was nothing more than a rumor."
"Ah see. So who's the owner?" Applejack inquired.
"No one knows!" Rarity shook her head. "All I heard from the grapevines is that the new owner is a latte connoisseur from out of nowhere. He rarely shows up in his own shop. Though he sometimes appears during the night shift if you're lucky enough to see him." She grinned. "But he went out of his way to upgrade that shop. There are more drink selections, better-baked products, comfortable seats, and best of all… a high-quality Wi-Fi connection!"
"That guy sounds awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a wide smile before frowning. "So why didn't we go there, instead of here?" Realizing how bad her words sounded, she quickly turned to Pinkie. "No offense, Pinks!"
Luckily for Rainbow Dash, Pinkie smiled, not offended in the slightest. "None taken!"
Rarity frowned. "Well, I would have suggested going there… if not for the one main ingredient the new owner puts in his coffee and baked goods."
Applejack raised her eyebrow. "What's that?"
"...goat milk."
Most of the girls immediately grimace in disgust.
"...I take that back. That guy is nuts!" Rainbow Dash gagged. "Who thought putting goat milk in their product was a good idea? No one likes that stuff!"
"Goat milk wasn't so bad!" said Fluttershy, who was the only one not disgusted by the subject. "We had food that contains goat milk before, like–"
"Stop!" Rarity cried, placing her hands over her ears. "Please stop, darling! I don't want to know!"
Suddenly, they all heard the door chime again. They all turned just in time to see Sunset Shimmer walking towards them.
“Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you all waiting!” Sunset greeted before taking her seat.
“It’s no problem, Darling! We haven’t waited long!” Rarity assured.
“Speak for yourself!” Rainbow Dash muttered but the girls ignored her.
“Where’s Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
Before Sunset could answer, they all heard the door chime again. The one who entered the Shoppe this time was their spectacled friend in question who was hurrying over towards them.
“Hey everyone! So sorry for being late!” Twilight apologized.
“No worries, Twilight! I just got here myself!” Sunset smiled and patted an available seat next to her.
“I'm so sorry!" Twilight apologized again as she placed her bag on the seat. "Do you all mind waiting a little longer? I need to order–”
“Here you go!” Pinkie announced, suddenly appearing next to Twilight from out of nowhere, holding a tall coffee cup.
"Huh!?" Taken aback, Twilight turned towards an empty seat, where Pinkie was seconds ago, then back to Pinkie. “W-what–”
“Your double espresso with a hint of cinnamon and less milk!” Pinkie chirped with a smile before handing it over to Twilight.
Slow to respond, Twilight gently took a cup and slowly sat in her seat. She took a quick peek at her drink, surprised to see that her drink was exactly what she wanted.
“I… how did you know?” Twilight asked.
“You always order it, silly!” Pinkie replied with a giggle before giving a second cup to Sunset. “And for you Sunny, a large cup of green tea with a hint of lemon!”
“Thanks, Pinkie! You’re a saint!” Sunset smiled gracefully as she accepted her drink then took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh.
After Pinkie magically returned to her seat (somehow) and another moment of silence, Rainbow Dash finally asked Sunset what was on everyone's mind.
“Okay, Sunset, spill it! What was the emergency!” Rainbow Dash pressed.
Sunset coughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Well… this isn't an emergency per se…"
Rainbow Dash let out an annoyed groan. "Oh come on, Sunset! You're supposed to send us an emergency group text in case, you know… an emergency!"
Sunset crossed her arms with a deadpan expression. "Says the girl who once made an emergency group text for a broken guitar string."
Rainbow Dash huffed, throwing her arms up. "Why does everyone keep bringing that up!?"
"Pay her no mind, Sunset!" said Rarity, ignoring Rainbow Dash’s indignant look. "What is it that you wanted to tell us?"
"A lot of things actually," Sunset began.
For the next twenty minutes, Sunset explained to her friends about her visit to Vice Principal Luna. She told them about Principal Celestia still missing that even Luna doesn't know where she is and Luna convincing the school board to give the CMCs mercy from a harsher punishment, for which Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were thankful. Sunset even told them the news regarding Spoiled Rich and how she was "punished," or lack thereof, by the school board for the fire incident.
Needless to say… the girls weren't happy about this, especially Rainbow Dash who suddenly slammed on the table both in frustration and anger.
"Are you kidding me!?" She screamed, getting the attention of other patrons. "She literally saved herself and left everyone else, including us to burn! And she's still not fired? What the heck is wrong with that school board!?"
"Simmer down, Dash!" Applejack hissed to her friend before standing up and facing other customers. "Sorry everyone, everything is fine! Nothing to see here!"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave them a concerned look, but after AJ gave them a thumbs up, they, as well as the customers went back to what they were doing. Applejack sighed as she sat back down, while Rainbow Dash was still furious but kept her mouth shut.
"Rainbow Dash’s outburst aside, I agree that this was getting ridiculous!" Twilight scowled. "How does that woman keep getting away with it?"
Sunset frowned. "All I know from Vice Principal Luna was that apparently, the school board keeps looking the other way just to keep her around for some reason, which Luna doesn't know about yet."
"And I bet it was also the fact that she is the wife of the richest person in this town who funded the school helped too." Rarity added who was also miffed by that despicable woman.
"Either way, this isn't right!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed but kept her volume down. "Isn't there anything we can do about her?"
Sunset shook her head. "I'm afraid the only thing Luna wants us to do is for us to stay low and let her handle it."
"We've been laying low for months and nothing's changed!" Rainbow Dash complained. "We should fight back and put that Rich snob in her place." She then grinned wickedly. "Maybe I'll add some superglue in her chair as a payback prank!"
"Ooh ooh! I'm in!" Pinkie Pie said eagerly, on board with the idea.
"No! That's exactly what Apple Bloom said early this morning when she and her friends threw a surprise party." Applejack retorted, glaring at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. "And need Ah remind you what happened afterward?"
Pinkie winced at Applejack’s words while Rainbow Dash glared back at her friend. She was about to argue, but Sunset cut her off.
"Applejack’s right!" said Sunset. "Luna was able to do what she could to get the CMCs out of trouble, but we won't be so lucky the next time they do it, or us for that matter. Even if it's something minor like small pranks or a complaint, Spoiled will use that as an excuse to keep us from graduating this year… and I can't risk that."
The Equestria Girls' had mixed expressions of worry and disgust. They were worried because their futures would potentially be ruined if they were not careful, and they were also disgusted at Spoiled for having the ability to take their future away for any given reason against them, even if it was something minor.
"Does she really think she can keep us from graduating!? She can't do that!" Rainbow Dash growled, shaking in rage.
"Unfortunately, since she's the 'official principal', she'll do exactly that," Sunset sighed with a firm look. "All the more reason why we should stay out of her way."
The girls nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. They then turned to stare at Rainbow, waiting for her response. After a moment of tense silence, Rainbow Dash frowned, crossing her arms.
"I still want to get back at her!" Rainbow Dash huffed. "But fine… I'll back off. It's not worth it if any of you won't graduate because of that."
Relieved, Sunset gave Rainbow Dash her grateful smile. "That's all we ask, Rainbow Dash."
Whole everyone mulled quietly about Spoiled, Rarity couldn't help but observe Sunset’s uncertain expression. She had a feeling that there was something else that Sunset hadn't told them yet or kept hidden. Deciding to go with her instincts, Rarity pried to the former unicorn.
"While the news regarding Spoiled Rich was indeed important, something tells me that you have a lot more to say after your meeting with Vice Principal Luna."
As Sunset stared at Rarity with a surprised expression of being found out, Twilight faced Sunset in concern.
"Really? Is there more, Sunset?" Twilight asked.
Sunset hesitated. Part of her wanted to keep this last bit of information to herself because she still doubted herself despite Luna’s praises and was nervous about how her friends would react. But after remembering Vice Principal Luna’s words from earlier and her friends' patient, yet warm expressions, Sunset finally spoke.
"You're right," Sunset admitted. "There is something else."
"I hope it's good news for once!" Rainbow Dash muttered.
"It is… I think." Sunset assured somewhat.
"What is it, Sunset," Twilight asked gently, grasping Sunset’s hand. "You can tell us."
"Yeah, Sunset! If it is something serious, even if it involves you, we have your back!" Rainbow Dash assured with a smirk, while the others nodded assuringly.
Sunset smiled. She felt really lucky to have such wonderful friends like them. Their actions finally convinced her to say what was on her mind.
"Well, apparently…” Sunset paused for dramatic effect. “I have been chosen as valedictorian and an honorary speaker for this year's graduation."
There was a brief silence with the girls staring at Sunset with awe expressions followed by loud excited squeals from her friends.
"That was awesome, Sunset!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly.
“That’s amazing, Sunset!” Fluttershy said happily.
“Yee-haw! Way to go, Sunset!” Applejack cheered.
“That's stupendous, Darling!” Rarity praised.
“You rule, Sunny!” Pinkie shouted in joy.
Sunset’s smile grew from each of her friend’s praises. She was then suddenly hugged by Twilight.
"Congratulations, Sunset!" said Twilight with a proud smile. "I'm so happy for you!"
"You are?" Sunset asked with a surprised expression.
"Of course!" Twilight replied warmly. "You worked so hard both academically and as a person! How can I not be happy for you?"
"I agree!" Rarity added. "With everything you did up to this point, I can't think of a better person to get that spot!"
"I-I don't know about that," Sunset said uncertainly. "You girls did just as much, if not more than me. If anything, any one of you deserved that spot."
Rarity scoffed in beat-box-like noises. “Don’t be silly! You’ve more than earned it, Darling!”
"You're the one who worked so hard the most to get you where you are today, and Ah'm not just talkin' about making up for your past," Applejack added with a smile.
"Not to mention, you're also an awesome leader for our group, and that’s coming from me!" Rainbow Dash complimented.
"And you are so fun to be around and super friendly to everyone," Pinkie chirped happily.
"You've changed into a wonderful person that we're all proud to call you our friend," Fluttershy said softly with a kind smile.
"Trust us, Sunset!" said Twilight with a smile, grasping Sunset’s hand. "You deserved this!"
Sunset sniffed, touched by her friends' praises. "Thank you, everyone… that means a lot coming from you all." She rubbed her eyes, wiping her tears away. "The only thing I'm worried about is what to say at the speech."
"Ooh! Do you need help?" Twilight asked eagerly. "I know a lot of good techniques with cue cards!"
Sunset chuckled. "Thanks, Twi, I appreciate it, I really do." Her expression became serious. "But I think this is something that I need to do myself. I wanted to show to everyone how far I've become… and not who I was."
Twilight nodded. "I think everyone knows how far you've become, but we understand. But my offer still stands if you need any help."
"And us too Darling," Rarity added, receiving many nods from the others. "Regardless, we all can't wait to hear your speech at our graduation ceremony."
Sunset neatly winced. She nearly forgot this one last crucial news from Luna about their graduation due to the effects of the CMC’s party.
Sunset nervously cleared her throat. "Uh… about that."
"What? What is it Sunset?" Twilight asked, sensing Sunset’s dread.
Rainbow Dash groaned. "Oh great! We got another bad news coming our way!"
Sunset rubbed her shoulder. "Um, it isn't bad news… per se."
This only made the girls more nervous, wondering what Sunset was trying to say.
"Just tell us, Sunset!" Applejack pressed. "Get it out of yer system!"
Sunset sighed, no longer delaying the inevitable. "...we may not get a graduation ceremony!"
"What!?" The girls shouted, shocked at this bombshell.
"Sunset… are you saying that we do not get a ceremony at all!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in shock.
"How horrible!" Rarity screeched, holding her cheeks in terror. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is the! Worst! Possible! Thing!"
With an over-the-top shout, Rarity fainted back into her seat before Fluttershy caught her.
"It's not fair!" Pinkie sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "If there's no graduation ceremony, that means there's no graduation party! Why must fate be so cruel!"
"Hang on, everyone!" Sunset spoke up. "I didn't say we never get a graduation ceremony. Vice Principal Luna said that our ceremony is delayed until our school is repaired."
Rarity sat back out and sighed in relief. "Goodness, Sunset! Why didn't you say that from the start? You've nearly given me a heart attack!"
Applejack frowned. “So… how long do we have to wait for our ceremony?”
Sunset was quiet for a moment, before replaying, “Months... or possibly next year.”
“Next year!?” Rainbow Dash shouted, shaking her head rapidly. "Uh uh! No way I want to be stuck in High School for another year!”
"Technically, we're not repeating our school year," Twilight pointed out. "We'll still officially graduate, but we won't get an official ceremony until much later."
"Though it's possible," Sunset added with a somber look. "That if it takes much longer than that, we may never get one, and… we'll just get our diploma through the mail."
Sunset's words didn't make things better as the girls felt more upset and disappointed with a possible no ceremony for their final year as CHS students.
"This stinks!" Rainbow Dash retorted, banging the table with her fist. "I've been waiting all year to grab my diploma on stage and to show the world that I made it, and celebrate with you guys! Now that’s going to be taken away!"
Sunset sighed deeply, pretty much expecting this reaction. "I know you're upset. I am too… but with the current state of our school now, there's nothing we can do."
The girls just sat there in silence, disappointed and sad that they wouldn't get their graduation ceremony once they were done with high school. A small part of them wanted to blame the CMCs for ruining it due to their schemes, but the girls knew that they were being unfair since the CMCs only put together that party because they just wanted to help, not for malicious purposes. Even so, if it weren’t for their actions, they would've been looking forward to the celebration and enjoying their final moments as high schoolers.
Too bad that's not going to happen now.
“...Actually!"
The girls' eyes immediately set to Twilight as soon as she spoke up.
“I think I may have a solution to help our school!”
The girls stared at Twilight, both surprised and curious with her claim.
"Really? What is it, Twilight?" Sunset asked.
Twilight grinned. "Well, just earlier today, I received a phone call while I was in the lab today. Take a guess who it was!"
Pinkie raised and waved her hand wildly, acting like a young student in grade school. "Ooh ooh! Was it your Grandma Tara?"
Twilight shook her head. "No."
"A representative from one of the colleges you're applying to?"
"No."
"M. A. Larson?"
"Who?"
"Or how about–"
Applejack suddenly covered Pinkie’s mouth, preventing Pinkie from talking again.
"Why don't we just let her tell us who it was, Pinks!" Applejack suggested before removing her hand.
With a smile, Pinkie nodded.
"Well, as it turns out, it was Rosette Nebula!" Twilight revealed with an excited squeal.
"No way! The Rosette Nebula!?" Rarity exclaimed.
"The astrophysicist?" Applejack asked.
"Your idol?" Fluttershy guessed.
"That lady at that social event party once?" Sunset inquired.
"And loves my atomic chocolate cake?" Pinkie pressed with a huge grin.
"Yep! Yes. Correct. The very same one. And, yes!" Twilight answered each question before smiling. "I love her work in her study of astronomy and her theories of multi-universes. She was so pleasant to talk to during that social event, we exchanged our numbers."
"So… she's pretty much a space egghead." Rainbow Dash joked, earning an annoyed look from Twilight. "In all seriousness, it's cool that your idol called you, Twi. But why did she call you?"
"This is the best part!" Twilight rubbed her hands eagerly. "She heard what happened to our school through the news and reached out to me since she didn't have Vice Principal Luna’s number."
Twilight paused in effect, causing others to wait with anticipation.
"Long story short… Rosette offered she'll help us out by having her organization fund and put together our graduation ceremony!"
The girls were shocked for a moment by this news before the girls cheered in excitement.
“For real? She going to help us?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with her huge smile. “This is amazing! I could kiss you Twilight!”
“W-well, if you want to thank someone, it’s her!” Twilight blushed before quickly composing herself. “But I wouldn’t hold your hopes up just yet. I still need to talk to Luna if she agrees to this.”
“Oh, I’m sure Luna will definitely agree to this, Darling!” Rarity assured with a grin. “With everything that happened last night with less chance for a normal ceremony, this is an opportunity that we can’t refuse!”
Applejack titled her head. “As excitin’ as this sounds, this is awfully generous of her. But I couldn’t help but think that there is a catch!”
“Actually, there is, but it’s not anything bad,” Twilight assured before raising three fingers. “There were three conditions to her proposal. The first was that she’ll have all seniors relocated of her choosing for our graduation ceremony and pre-party.”
“Relocated? To where?” Fluttershy inquired.
“Oh, you’re all gonna love this!” Twilight grinned excitedly. “Our graduation ceremony and party will take place at Hoofolulu, Hoovaii!”
The girls all squealed again, screaming in excitement.
“Oh my goodness!” Rarity gasped happily in delight. “I always wanted to go to Hoofolulu, Hoovaii! I heard that place was simply divine and the number one vacation spot in the world!” She was then in a dream-like state, stars dancing in her eyes. “They’ve got fancy hotels, shops, beautiful sceneries–”
“And the beach!” Rainbow Dash interrupted with an excited smirk, much to Rarity’s annoyance. “A top ten spot to do all kinds of activities, including surfing!”
“And don’t forget about their food too!” Pinkie added with a chirp. “They have all kinds of delicious delicacies over there that you don’t even find anywhere else! Like saimin noodles!” Pinkie drooled, licking her lips at the thought of tasting that food.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to see all those beautiful creatures Hoovaii has to offer!” Fluttershy exclaimed with joy. “Like monk seals, hoary bats, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, pueos, and many more!” She lets out a squee. “I wanna find and hug them all!”
Sunset chuckled, amused at her friend’s excitement despite being usually shy. She then turned to Twilight.
“We’re all excited about this idea,” said Sunset before frowning slightly. “But are you sure that this won’t be a hassle for her?”
“Not at all, Sunset!” Twilight waved off her friend’s concern. “After hearing all of our good deeds, she wanted to help out by any means. But if you’re worried if this is too much, that’s where the second condition comes in.”
Everyone listened carefully as Twilight explained the details. “Rosette happened to be at Hoovaii for research purposes which took place at Hoovaii. And since she heard a lot about our accomplishments, she wanted us to help her with her research as one of our payments for the graduation ceremony.”
Rarity nodded. “Yeah, I suppose that’s fair. Since she’s going out of her way to set this up for us, it’s the least we can do!”
As everyone nodded in agreement, Sunset realized a crucial detail from Twilight’s explanation.
“Hang on! She heard a lot from us?” Sunset questioned. “What exactly did she hear about us?”
Twilight cleared her throat, looking down both sheepish and guiltily. “Actually… I told her about our magic and how we saved the world a few times.”
Sunset groaned. “Twilight…”
“It slipped!” Twilight said quickly. “I was rambling to her about me during the party when I accidentally told her what I did during the Friendship Games. And in turn… I told her everything.” She craned her neck in shame. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Sunset. I didn’t want to make you mad.”
Sunset sighed through her nose. “No, I’m... I’m not mad at you, Twilight. I’m just concerned about letting someone else outside of everyone from CHS and Tempest. Can she be trusted?”
“Of course, Sunset!” Twilight vouched assuringly. “Rosette is a trustworthy and a very kind woman when you get to know her. In fact, hearing how we saved the world many times is why she offered in the first place.”
Sunset stared at Twilight for a moment, making everyone tense as they waited for her reply. Finally, Sunset spoke.
“While I’m not happy that you spilled the beans since I don’t want to risk both Equestria and everyone’s safety,” Sunset said sternly.
Twilight looked away, feeling remorseful.
“...but!”
Twilight perked up from that as Sunset continued with a smile.
“If you say that she’s trustworthy and that she’ll help us… then I trust you.”
Relief washed over Twilight as she hugged Sunset tightly. “Thank you, Sunset! I promise that you won’t regret this!”
Sunset blushed at Twilight’s actions before hugging her back with a smile. “Y-you’re welcome, Twilight!”
They broke out of their hug just in time to see their friends, grinning like cats who ate the canary.
“What? What were you all smiling for?” Sunset demanded with a suspicious look.
“Oh, nothing Darling!” Rarity giggled, annoying the bacon-haired girl further before addressing Twilight. “So what was the last condition?”
Twilight immediately forgot about the exchange as her expression became more excited. “Now this one is the best for last! Rosette also heard about our band and she wanted to hear our music.” There was a twinkle in Twilight’s eyes. “And since we’re having an event about our graduation, Rosette wanted us, the Rainbooms to perform music for the event!”
Rainbow Dash has a huge toothy grin. “Sweet! If hearing us perform is all we want, then we’re more than happy to do it!” She gave everyone an excited expression. “And since our days as High Scholars are almost coming to an end, I say we should all go out with a bang and give everyone a night’s performance that no one will ever forget!” She raised her fist. “So who’s with me!”
“We get to perform while we’re at Hoovaii?” Rarity squealed. “How exciting! I’m in!”
“You can count on me!’ Applejack grinned.
“Me too!” Pinkie jumped in.
“Woo-hoo!” Fluttershy cheered quietly.
“We’re definitely with you, Rainbow Dash!” Sunset grinned, turning to Twilight. “Right, Twi?”
Twilight gave everyone her thumbs up, nodding with a grin.
With a smile, Rainbow Dash stretched her hand over the middle of the table. One by one, the rest of the Equestria Girls placed their hands over each other. Once everyone’s hands were in place, they all immediately threw their hands high with a battle cry.
“Rainbooms!”
“Hey, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie hollered. “Give us a round order of milkshakes on me! We’re celebrating!”
With a smile, Mrs. Cake winked before heading to the back of the kitchen.
As the Equestria Girls sat back down, waiting for their orders, Rainbow Dash sighed. "I don't know about you guys, but after an 'eventful' night the other day and a few dramas today, I would like for us all to chill out for the remainder of the day and hope there are no more surprises."
Suddenly, they heard Sweet Shoppe’s main entrance chimed again, followed by a very annoying, yet familiar voice.
"Hey, Rainbows! Fancy seeing you here!"
Rainbow Dash, along with the others, cringed at the voice and instantly knew who it was. Rainbow Dash let out a loud groan and buried her face in her hands. "Ah, dang it! Not him!"
They all turned (reluctantly in RD’s case) toward the source of the voice. Sure enough, the voice belonged to none other than Fluttershy’s younger brother, Zephyr Breeze.
Unlike, Fluttershy, Zephyr wasn’t shy by any means and craved the attention of the ladies, especially his one-sided crush, Rainbow Dash. Despite Rainbow Dash telling him that she was never interested in him, Zephyr never took the hint and made many attempts to woo Rainbow Dash by any means, only to fail every single time. He was also known to be very lazy, failed to keep a job, and often conned his way out of trouble, including his parents. Even Fluttershy couldn’t stand her brother and his antics.
And that was saying a lot!
As Zephyr made his way over to their table, what caught everyone’s guard off the most was the outfit he was wearing. Instead of his usual hippie-style opened vest, slacks, and sandals, he wore an all-blue uniform, including his hat. He also wore black shoes, a black belt along with a holster, and some other utility storages around his waist. But the most eye-catching of his uniform was a golden badge which was placed over his left chest.
As soon as Zephyr got close to where Rainbow Dash was sitting, he tipped his hat with his most charming smile. "Evening ma'am!"
Rainbow Dash blinked, eyeing Zephyr for a brief moment. "...what. The. Heck. Are. You. Wearing?"
Zephyr smirked, showing off his outfit. "You like? This is my new uniform for my job! The ladies love a man in uniform, am I right?"
"...not really!" Rainbow Dash muttered in disgust.
Fluttershy gasped. "Zephyr! Don't tell me your new job is…"
"You are correct, baby sister!" Zephyr chuckled before striking an officer pose. "Officer Breeze, at your service! As of today, I am officially the newest recruit of the Canterlot police!"
"...you gotta be kidding me!" Rainbow Dash muttered, stunned at the display.
Fluttershy suddenly stood up and slammed the table, surprising everyone including Zephyr.
"Zephyr Breeze! What in the name of Faust made you decide to get that job!?” she scolded loudly in an angry tone. “You never discussed this with our parents! Do you have any idea how dangerous this job entails!?"
"Whoa, Flutters! Calm down!" Zephyr said quickly, raising his palms towards his sister in defense. "While I am a new officer, I'm still technically a trainee. So I'm not assigned to any dangerous tasks. Just some typical stuff like traffic control, patrolling the city, and giving people tickets."
This calmed down Fluttershy somewhat, but she was still peeved at her brother. With narrowed eyes, Fluttershy slowly sat back down to her seat.
"That still doesn't explain why you chose to be a police officer!"
"Yeah, just what are you scheming this time?" Rainbow Dash demanded with a glare.
Zephyr huffed. "Aw, come on ladies! Is everything I've done ever a scheme to you?"
Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash opened their mouths to respond.
"You know what? Don't answer that!" Zephyr added quickly, making the two girls more annoyed.
Zephyr sighed, taking off his police hat and his face becoming serious. "Look… with you girls going away soon to your colleges or future jobs, I can't help but worry for the future of our town. What if something happens to this place and you're not there to protect it? And after I did some soul searching for myself and thinking about what I must do for my life, I've decided to selflessly take up the mantle to protect this town in case of any danger." He put his hat back on his head and then placed his right hand over his heart. "And what better way to protect this town than to be the police officer!"
The Equestria Girls stared at Zephyr both in awe and admittedly a little impressed by how thoughtful and mature his reasoning for becoming a cop was. However, the only ones who were not impressed were Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, not buy his so-called "insightful" answer for a second.
"...you took this job to try to impress some girls, didn't you?" Fluttershy deadpanned.
Zephyr growled, offended by Fluttershy’s blunt statement. "Hey! I resent that assumption!" He pointed at Rainbow Dash. "And for your information, I was only trying to impress Rainbows here!"
"And there it is!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, not surprised at all to hear Zephyr’s true intention.
The rest of the group frowned and shook their heads at Zephyr's in disappointment. It would seem that even for a so-called “noble reason”, Zephyr is still being Zephyr.
“Hang on!” Twilight spoke suddenly. “If you're only a ‘trainee,’ weren’t you supposed to be completing your training first?”
Zephyr paused for a second as if he was caught off-guard by Twilight’s question before he recovered with his not-so-convincing grin. "Well, not for the Breeze here! I'm so good at this job, I don't need any training! Even my boss thinks so!"
"Zephyr Breeze!"
Zephyr immediately froze in terror after hearing an authoritative voice. Everyone turned towards the source and the Equestria Girls were surprised to see a familiar second visitor coming their way who was also wearing an officer’s uniform.
"I thought I told you to wait in our patrol car while I get us coffee!" Zephyr’s superior scolded in annoyance.
"Shining Armor!" Twilight cried, happy and surprised to see her brother.
"Oh, hey Twilight!” Shining Armor greeted with a smile, his annoyance towards Zephyr forgotten. “I didn’t know you and your friends were here!”
“Shining Armor, what brings you here?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I was assigned to train this guy in how to do his job,” Shining explained as he side-glared at Zephyr. “We stopped here to take a coffee and donut break. But I’m supposed to order and get our food while he was supposed to wait in the car.”
Zephyr smiled sheepishly.
“I…see,” Twilight replied simply.
Shining pointed at Zephyr with his thumb. "Was this guy bothering you?"
"That depends," Rainbow Dash responded. "Can you arrest an officer for harassment?"
Zephyr nearly squeaked in fear at that.
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy scolded. Despite that Zephyr was being annoying and a handful at times, he was still her brother, and didn’t want him to get arrested.
"He didn't bother us,” Sunset said quickly.
Zephyr sighed in relief.
“...Too much,” Sunset added.
Zephyr frowned in indignant but Sunset continued.
“But he claims that he just became an official police officer and that he didn't need any supervisor."
"Oh, really?" Shining stated as he turned to Zephyr with a dark glint, making Zephyr squirm as a result. “Well, did he ever mention to you that he was supposed to be working under a supervisor for the first few weeks as a trainee?”
Zephyr gulped, feeling sweat dripping from both sides of his head. “O-oh! Uh… I-I must of f-forgotten about that part! Hehehe…”
“And!” Shining added, glaring daggers at him. “A trainee should never run off on their supervisor during trainee, otherwise they will get demerits on their job records.” He then brought his face very close to Zephyr with narrowed eyes. “And if an officer gets too many demerits on his records or worse, this will lead said officer… to termination.”
Rainbow Dash leaned close to Pinkie’s ear. “Hey Pinks, you got any popcorn for this entertainment?”
Pinkie grinned as she took out a tub of popcorn from her hair before handing it to Rainbow Dash. “Got ya covered, Dashie!”
Rainbow Dash grinned wickedly as she accepted the popcorn and then started eating it.
"L-l-listen, Officer Armor!” Zephyr stuttered with a panicked look. “I-I was only doing what any officer will do; which is to check on and help our fellow citizens!"
“Uh, huh,” Shining responded, clearly not believing him. He glanced at her sister and her friends before facing Zephyr again. "Well, judging by the looks of their faces, it looks like the work you're actually doing is trying to flirt with the ladies… again!” His eyes narrowed. “Now are you going to actually do your job, or would you rather have me report this to our superiors?”
Zephyr gulped nervously before checking his invisible watch. “Oh, look at the time! The traffic isn’t going to direct themselves!” He quickly turned to Fluttershy. “Before I go, sis, please do me a favor?”
Before Fluttershy could speak, Zephyr beat her to it.
“Tell Mom and Dad I have a new job now since I never told them yet,” he said before running towards the Sweet Shopee’s entrance. “AnywayGoodLuckI’mComingHomeLaterByeLoveYou!”
“Hey wait, Zephyr Breeze!” Fluttershy shouted, but unfortunately for her, her brother either didn’t hear her or ignored her as he ran out the door, and disappeared to who knows where.
Shining let out a huge sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Good grief! I’m sorry about all of this! It’s his first day under my training and he’s already giving me a headache!” He then addressed Twilight. “Sorry to cut our meeting short, I have to watch over him. Will you tell Cadance that I’ll be home later than usual tonight?”
Twilight nodded. “Of course, Shining Armor! Good luck training him.”
“Thanks,” said Shining as he was heading out towards the door. “Something tells me that I’m going to need it.”
As soon as Shining left the Shopee, Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to Fluttershy. “Man… your brother is something else! Just when I think he couldn’t be any more annoying!”
Fluttershy sighed heavily. “Yes, Zephyr is a pain… but he is my brother and I still care about him.” She frowned uneasily. “Now I’m worried about how am I going to explain all of this to my parents.”
“We’ll worry about your dumb brother later, Shy!” said Rainbow Dash as Mrs. Cake arrived with a tray of their milkshakes. “Right now, it’s celebrating time!”
“We still need to ask Luna first!” Twilight reminded, as she and the others received their shakes and then thanked Mrs. Cake. “I don’t want to give everyone's hopes up for nothing.”
“It’s no problem, Twi!” Sunset assured. “I have Luna’s personal number. We can call her later when we get home.”
Twilight nodded, taking a quick sip of her shake. “Speaking of which… I wonder what Sonic is up to now?”
Sunset had a thoughtful expression. “I don’t know, but he better not sneak out behind our backs again. We specifically told him that after our boat trip.”
“Sheesh, you two are acting like worried parents!” Rainbow Dash remarked, ignoring Sunset and Twilight’s blushing faces as she took a swing of her shake. “He’ll be fine! We all had a heart-to-heart at our boat trip earlier. I’m sure he won’t sneak out again!”
Sunset frowned. For some reason, she felt that her friend’s words were tempting fate involving their blue hedgehog.
And she prayed to Celestia that it wouldn't be the case.
Looks like our heroes is excited to go to Hoovaii! 
Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait between this chapter and the previous chapter. Life can be a real pain in the neck. But I hope this chapter is worth the wait! 
So, first off, if the beginning of this chapter during Twilight's "dream" sounds familiar, it was actually from Medical Attention and New Shoes chapter from my previous with almost word for word. However, what's different here is that Twilight's dream sequence was an extended scene from that chapter which shows how Twilight learned that she is related to Robotnik and how she was tramatised by it. Despite defeating him, the poor girl suffered from that haunted memory. 
Ah, Zephyr. Zephyr, Zephyr, Zephyr. 
I really, really dislike this character! Never liked him since day one! He takes advantage of others because he's either too lazy or doesn't even try, even after he "learned his lesson" about figuring things out on his own. Not to mention his creepy obsession with Rainbow Dash, despite her telling him that she's never interested in him. How Fluttershy puts up with him is beyond me! 
Now, you all may be wondering, "Sonicfan, if you really dislike this guy, then why did you include him?" Well, you see, as I was thinking about how this story will go as a whole, I've run into a snag for this "one major section" of a story which I had a hard time figuring out.
That is until I rewatched MLP:FiM 200th episode, "Sparkle's Seven," when we saw Zephyr himself get a new job as a Royal Gaurd.
As I saw him trying (and failing) to hit on Rainbow Dash, my thought process was that he was such a sleazeball, and yet, he is also perfect for my story. I figured that I could make the human version of him as a cop (since the pony version of him was a royal guard) and then I'll use him for a critical role later down the road.
As for what role he'll play in this story? I'm going to keep that info to myself... for now. 
Anyway, onto some notes/references for this chapter:
The ringtone Twilight uses for her phone is called "Moon Girl Magic", an opening theme song from the show Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Since this superhero was about a super genius girl with gadgets (and a dinosaur), I figured this fits Twilight pretty well. 
As mentioned, Twilight meeting Rosette Nebula at the Canterlot’s Celestial Society Member Social event while eating cake was a callback to Equestria Girls, short, Twilight Under the Stars.
Applejack's line that she'll "have to keep watching over her," was a play-on word to a title episode, Somepony to Watch Over Me from Season 4, Episode 6 of MLP:FiM.
Applejack fussing about "having an identity crisis" without her hat was a callback to an episode "How Applejack Got Her Hat Back" from... *sigh* ...Pony Life.
Applejack and Sunset's jab towards Rainbow Dash about using an emergency text for a new guitar string was a callback to the beginning of the third EqG movie, Friendship Games.
There are several callbacks/references for this one. The first was the new coffee shop, "The Mean Bean Coffee Café" which was a reference to a Sega Genesis video game, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, which is a Westernized version of a hit video game series in Japan, Puyo Puyo.
But we're not done with Mean Bean Coffee Shop! Rarity's story about the original coffee shop and its owner, Karen (ironically), was exactly what happened in Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill when Agent Stone (under Robotnik's audio instructions) slowly took over Karen's Coffee shop within a week, including "getting rid" of some employees and framed Karen for money laundering.
Don't ever mess with Stone! 
Rarity's "beat-box" noises are a callback to all those times she makes those noises whenever she disagrees or disregards what others are saying throughout the series, which I thought was very cute. 
Rarity's "Worst Possible Thing" line was a reference to this moment from "Lesson Zero" episode in Season 2, Episode 3 of MLP:FiM.
Only two references when Pinkie guessed who was calling Twilight. Twilight's Grandma, Tara was a reference to Twilight's voice actress, Tara Strong. And M. A. Larson was a reference to, well, M. A. Larson, a former screenwriter and writer of MLP:FiM series.
Hoofolulu, Hoovaii, is an obvious pony pun to Honolulu, Hawaii.
I did a lot of research about Hawaii and I've learned a few things:
1. From what I could find in many top ten lists, Oahu, Hawaii is often in the list of the top ten best spots to surf. Some of the lists have Oahu, Hawaii as the number one.
• 9 Best Surfing Spots in the World
• Top 10 Surfing Destinations in the World
• Best Places to Surf in the World
2. Saimin Noodles, which is a soft wheat egg noodles, are in fact a common cuisine in Hawaii.
3. There are lots of animals in Hawaii than I thought, including, as Fluttershy mentioned, monk seals, hoary bats, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and pueos (which is a short-eared owl).
As mentioned, Zephyr’s line, "The ladies love a man in uniform, am I right?" was a callback to MLP:FiM Season 9, Episode 4 (aka 200th episode), Sparkle's Seven, when the pony Zephyr said almost the exact same lines except it's "mares love a pony in a uniform."
Anyway, that's it for this chapter! It may be a while for the next chapter. But until then, hope you all stick around!
Stats
Page generated in 0.036 seconds
Total duration
628 users online
817,703 hits today, 2,167,270 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Totally super 100% impressive and wonderful chapter, i Totally can't wait to see what happens next😀👍🌟😄
I was hoping for Knuckles. No offense to you Sonicfan05. I was guessing Knuckles would make an appearance and scare the Rainbooms a bit
11709972
It will be a while before we see Knuckles again. But don't worry, once he shows up, the REAL fun begins!
You have got to be kidding me.
camo.fimfiction.net/9qRcQPamSIHMk9wbpoPi0dNWeDdS7ugDf012YkvpspM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fderpicdn.net%2Fimg%2F2014%2F4%2F17%2F602898%2Flarge.png
I don't know why, but Pinkie always looks cute in that outfit.
Hey there. Thanks very much for getting this great chapter up. VERY MUCH appreciate the work going into the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up. The detail in Twilight's flashback prior to the meeting at the Sweet Shoppe was brilliantly done. Also liked the bit where Rainbow was called out for her hypocrisy concerning the "misuse" of the emergency call as well as Rarity's offer to help Applejack concerning with the lost hat and mention of the Shoppe's competition. Also LOVED the discussion of the plans for the graduation celebration. And, indeed, I can see why Zephyr would be a good fit for some mystery karma later on. And the gang are heading for Hawaii soon? Wow.
REALLY looking forward to more of this.
Looks great so far. And i'm betting Zephyr is going...nope, nope, not gonna spoil it.
So I assume you are doing it in Volumes? Considering I saw how you changed the title chapters.
11710000
Yeah, after I put some thought into it, I decided to divide this story in volumes like last time. Since I started using them from my first Sonic/EqG story, why stop now?
11710010
Hmm, good call actually. Now I'm curious to see where this goes.
Zephyr Breeze is Wade in this history, right?
man. things are getting even more crazy for the girls. and sonic isn't even with them.
This is really so super perfect and i totally love the part of what shining armor said to zephyr breeze and he really had it coming
As someone who got their diploma through the mail, this really hits hard...
This is getting more interesting
I ship it.
I wasn't expecting an update today. But what a pleasant surprise!
Poor Twilight...she's still traumatized from Robotnik.
But good news for the Rainbooms. AJ's getting a new hat, and the girls are gonna get their Grad Ceremony...in Hoovaii! And they're gonna play at the venue!
...assuming Spoiled doesn't ruin things...again. I wouldn't be surprised if she "broke the bad news" to students that it won't be happening due to lack of funding while she secretly pockets the funds.
As for Spoiled...I think I have a theory for why she hasn't been fired and arrested yet...well, it's more of a gut feeling. But she might be having an affair with one of the top brass of the school board, who is keeping her from getting fired.
Great chapter as always SonicFan, keep it up.
Damn I do not envy Twilight’s position right now (I mean it’s not as bad as the famous “I am your Father” but definitely bad for the poor girl’s psyche)
,,,,,That B**** ass Free Loading Simp is this story’s Wade isn’t he?
I'm confused at Zephyr calling Fluttershy "baby sister". I thought Zephyr was supposed to be the younger sibling? Definitely makes it confusing how he was considered for a cop seeing how he's younger than Fluttershy (who is supposed to be graduating high school this story).
Pretty good new chapter. Sensing the Rarijack and SciSet ship tease train coming in with the others (especially Rainbow Dash) starting to see love is in the air.
Wonder if Rainbow Dash may end up getting ship tease moments with Fluttershy too, certainly interesting given she seems to be the most vocal in playfully teasing Rarity/Applejack and Sunset/Sci-Twi for their own moments.
Can't wait to see how you do Applejack's new hat plotline here (taken a bit more seriously compared to how comedically Pony Life did it), with it likely leading to potential official Rarijack at the end.
Poor Twilight, back on the trauma train with the fact she's related to Robotnik. Curious if that indicates her pony counterpart also has a cousin that is Robotnik's pony counterpart (then again, pony Twilight is biologically related to Shining Armor, Night Light, and Twilight Velvet so maybe it's one of those family relations that's different between the human and pony counterparts).
Man, Sci-Twi's trust in Rosette Nebula is sure gonna get shaken with the indication Rosette's the Randall Handel of this story. As if poor Sci-Twi hasn't gone through enough with being related to the villain....
The happiness the Rainbooms are feeling for the graduation ceremony and their assumption it gonna go normal sure is gonna get dashed once Sonic's encounter with Knuckles and Robotnik plus the GUN spy agents reveal themselves.
I hope Knuckles crushes Spoils hand. Or better yet her throat throat.
Good chapter btw
I'm guessing that Zephyr might help out Sonic and the CMC.
And when the gang ends up snow crashing the Graduation Ceremony, I think the CHS seniors will yell nasty things at the CMC for ruining their Ceremony and say that they ruin everything. They might even start throwing food at them.
I'm assuming they'll be held captive by the GUN agents too?
11710256
That's if the CHS seniors are willing to deal with the CMC's older sisters' (who are nearly half of the Rainbooms and have strength, speed, and diamond shield powers) wrath and protectiveness towards their siblings.
Great to see this update again!
It was a nice surprise to see Rosette Nebula help Twilight and the others with their graduation ceremony. Pretty cool that that is why they are going to Hawaii (or Hoovaii) in this version. Though if things go the way the film did then that probably isn't a good thing, since Twilight could have a broken pedestal moment for her.
I am a bit surprised that Karen joke is actually canon.
Do you think Luna will let the CMC go with the Main 7 (if they get the ok to go on the trip) if they agree to help repair the school or learn astrology with Rosetta as an assignment for the summer?
11710191
He is. It's just that he is such a narcissist, he often called Fluttershy as his "baby sister" to make himself more superior, despite that he is actually younger than her.
Sometimes teens can apply to police stations at a young age, but they can only do work at non-dangerous jobs like desk work, 911 operators, or police cadet (which is what Zephyr got) while training to be an officer and attend to a police academy. Again, despite that Zephyr is actually training to be an officer, he sees himself as an actual officer due to his narcissism.
11710256
I have something else in mind on what Zephyr will be doing in this story, but it'll be a while before that happens.
11710536
I'm afraid that won't happen anytime soon. The reason why that is will be revealed in due time.
Why do I have a feeling that Rosette Nebula is going to be in place of the GUN superior that captures Sonic and Tails in the movie...
And with the Mane 7 ready to go to a tropical paradise for a graduation party, this helps set up more stuff for the plot of Sonic 2. I'd love to see Fluttershy get to do what she wants and meet all those animals she wants to see. I also love having "Moon Girl Magic" for Twilight's ringtone.
Idea for the end of the story:
Let the Dazzlings (if they end up reforming at the end), the Rainbooms and Team Sonic sing this song to celebrate graduation and their victory against Robotnik:
What you think?
Nice to finally see this story return! :D :D :D
Well, poor Twilight is having worse PTSD because of Robotnik than Midnight Sparkle, and watching the meeting within the Shop is like watching something from the movie or specials, which means it was very well done. :D The excitement between the girls was contagious and dang Zephyr had to show up?!
Well, I look (and dread) on what's coming next! 
11710874
While this is a pretty good song, unfortunately, this is from MLP G5 while Equestria Girls is MLP G4. None of the songs from G5 won't show up in this story.
11711055
So am I!
Will the CMCs travel alongside Sonic, Tails, and Rainbow Blaze to find the Master Emerald?
11711429
Definitely yes judging from the plot description. Spike's going with them also too.
Great Chapter!
….I think I know who he is supposed to be in this part of the multiverse being a fan of the Sonic Movies….
Also, are Shining And Zephyr going to be the only recognizable police officers of the CCPD, or will some other officers from A New Generation make appearances?
Considering her name is KAREN, I'm not surprised.
11709976
And how the hell did he even get this job?
And doesn't being an officer also require a Law education or Criminal Justice degree?
I seriously doubt he learned any of those.
11709976
You are such an idiot
Just to be clear, Spike will be going with Twilight and the Rainbooms right? I also can't wait to see what convinces Tempest to take the CMC along with her and the rest of the gang. I wonder what the dynamic between Applejack and Knuckles would be like. I bet she'll offer him a place in her family.
11719768
Actually, Spike will be staying with the CMCs. The reason why will be revealed in due time.
Regardless, hope you'll stick around for this story!
11719905
So, what about the CMC's other family members like Granny Smith, Big Mac, Scootaloo's aunts, and Sweetie Belle's parents? Will they end up staying behind to watch the CMC or end up going to watch the graduation ceremony? Probably the latter since it's indicated the CMC and Spike will be home alone (with maybe Tempest Shadow watching them).
11721188
All I can say is that all the answers will be revealed in due time at later chapters about the CMCs.
I could just tell you the answer to your question about the CMCs before that chapter about them is out, but where's the fun in that?
I just thought of something. I know Sonic is friends with all of the CMCs, but I see him being more close to Scootaloo due to her daring attitude as well as being Rainbow Dash's surrogate sister.
I see Apple Bloom slowly warm up to Knuckles once he hears how he is the last of his kind and even offers him a chance to be a part of her family.
As for Sweetie Belle, I see her and Tails get along fine due to their lovable and naive personalities.
The three heroes and the CMCs teaming up together to save the day. I wonder if you'll be writing it like that.
It's your story in the end, but I'm just saying that would be cool.
Hi again! Just to let you know, me and a couple of guys have been repeatedly updating the tropes page of this story. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think of it. Is there anything extra you want to be added?
11728500
Wow! That was you guys? That's awesome!
Thank you all so much! I checked out the TVTropes page of this series earlier and it looks fantastic! If there's anything extra I can think of, I'll let you know!
Only Spoiled Rich can sink so low. Also, why the hell is Zephyr Breeze a police officer?!
11730643
Probably to serve as an expy to Wade.
11731375
I guess so. But, Zypher can't even keep a job mostly for a day.
11731381
Yeah, but between him and Shining Armor, I see Zephyr getting tied to a chair and held hostage by a chaos empowered Robotnik. Still can't wait for Sonic, Tails, and the CMC to go off on their adventure for the Master Emerald; as well as Applejack and Knuckles bonding over losing their families.
11731386
Shh, don't spoil it!