> Adventures at Canterlot High
>  by MLP Fangirl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Two Mes?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence reigned supreme as the girls wondered who would talk first. About fifteen seconds or so ago, Princess Twilight had come racing through the portal, rambling about some sort of time travel loop.

Now, both Twilights, both Princess and not, were staring at each other, speechless.

The girls looked at each other, silently trying to decide who would break the ice first.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Someone had to do it. She cleared her throat.

Both Twilights snapped out of their shock, turning towards Sunset.

Sunset rubbed her neck sheepishly, "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but, you probably have some questions, Twilight." She said, pointing towards Princess Twilight.

Princess Twilight looked back at her human counterpart for a second then back at Sunset, "Some isn't even close to describing it. Mind filling me in on what I missed?"

Sunset put a hand on Princess Twilight's shoulder, "Sure thing. But, this might take awhile."

They sat down on the picnic blanket, making themselves comfortable.

Applejack handed Princess Twilight a sandwich, at which she gave a grateful nod.

Princess Twilight took a bite, savoring the taste, before speaking. "So, uh, I'm guessing that she's the me from this world?" She pointed to the other Twilight, who had been surprisingly quiet since she arrived.

"Yup," Rainbow Dash leaned back against the checkered blanket. "Surprised us, too."

"Well, now I understand why everyone knew me." The other Twilight finally spoke up, rubbing her arm.

"You two do look an awful lot alike, "Applejack smirked, sipping her apple juice.

Princess Twilight chuckled, "We do, don't we? Though, I must say, I look rather good in a bun. But, the glasses?"

Human Twilight adjusted her glasses at that, "What? What's wrong with them?"

Princess Twilight held her hands up in defense, "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. They're fine. I guess I should've expected my human counterpart to wear them. How bad's your eyesight?"

The other Twilight shrugged, "Eh, not too bad, I guess. I'm nearsighted. Even when someone's standing in front of me, they're just a blurred mess. Can't see a thing without these things," she chuckled, taking her glasses off to clean them, "I guess that's the price I pay for spending hours hunched over research papers in a dark lab."

Princess Twilight laughed, "I can totally relate, sister. I used to spend half the day conducting experiments and studying magic. I, still do, but it's not as...heavy as before."

The Main Seven watched with amusement as both Twilights carried on a conversation.

"Didn't she have some questions for us?" Applejack nudged Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset shrugged, crossing her arms, "Hey, it's not everyday you can actually talk to yourself. I kind of expected this."

"How long do you think they'll go on?" Rarity questioned while reapplying her eyeliner.

"I'd say about half an hour." Pinkie predicted, hanging upside down from the shattered Wondercolt Statue. "We're going to be here awhile. Anyone want cupcakes?" She asked excitedly, pulling a tray of cupcakes from nowhere.

Sunset stared at her, pointing at the tray, "Where did you - ?

Applejack placed a hand on her back, "I wouldn't go there, sugarcube. You're not gonna understand Pinkie. So, don't even try." Pinkie waved, smiling innocently.

Sunset lifted a hand to say something but shook her head in amusement, taking a vanilla cupcake.

"Wait, wait, wait. Your Cadence and Shining Armor get married?" The other Twilight asked, bearing a huge smile.

Princess Twilight scoffed, "They've been married. In fact, it's nearing their third anniversary."

Human Twilight giggled, "That's crazy. Well, not too crazy, I guess. I've seen the way my brother looks at my Cadence. I don't doubt he'll try to go after her, which wouldn't be all that bad. I love Cadence. She is the best - "

"Foal - I mean, babysitter in the all the history of babysitters?" Princess Twilight grinned.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Both Twilights high-fived, laughing afterwards.

"Well, you two seem to be getting along," Fluttershy pointed out, rubbing Spike's head.

"I know, right? You'd think I'd be weirded out by this. In reality, another me should not exist. But, I guess, seeing everything that happened during the...Friendship Games," the other Twilight's face noticeably drooped at that but quickly brightened back up, "Reality can be anything."

Princess Twilight nodded, "So true. So very true." She smiled at her human counterpart once more before turning back to Sunset Shimmer. "Now then, fill me on what happened during these Friendship Games. I need to know what I missed."

By the time the girls had gotten Princess Twilight up to speed, the sun had already set over the horizon.

"So," Princess Twilight turned to her counterpart curiously, "You turned into a monster, too? What is with everyone turning into monsters? Who's next? Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie blinked, "Me? I'm not a monster." She looked from side to side before smiling in a sinister manner, fangs protruding from her teeth. "Or am I?"

Fluttershy shrieked, running behind Rainbow Dash, "Oh no! Pinkie's a monster."

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Fluttershy, darling, don't be ridiculous. Those are nothing but tacky attachments. Do take them off, Pinkie. They are most unsettling."

Pinkie groaned, "Aw, come on, Rares. You spoiled my trick."

Rainbow tied her shoelace, rolling her eyes, "Uh, no offense, Pink, but that wasn't one of your best."

Human Twilight cleared her throat awkwardly, "Uh, anyway, yes. I became a horrible monster. I was just...overwhelmed by the power I felt. I almost destroyed this world, all for my own selfish gain." She hung her head in shame, tears brimming at her eyes as she recalled the traumatizing event.

Princess Twilight smiled sympathetically, "I understand. Magic, or more specifically, power has been obtained by many. But, few have chosen to use it wisely." She placed a hand on her counterpart's shoulder. "But, if you allow friendship into your heart, you possess the most powerful magic of all. And, I'm sure these girls can help you do that."

Both Twilights hugged, the others watching in silent joy.

As they parted, Princess Twilight looked to the sky. "Oh, wow. It's late. I should be heading back. You seem to have everything under control here." She stood up and turned towards the portal. 

"Do you have to leave now?" Rainbow asked.

Princess Twilight nodded, "I'd like to stay longer, but I'm really not needed here right now. Again, I apologize for not coming sooner. I'll try to respond to your messages quicker next time, Sunset."

Sunset waved a hand, "It's okay. If I learned anything from this, it's that we can't always rely on you to be there for us. I mean, you're a Princess in Equestria. You're probably swamped with problems, and you certainly can't be in two places at once."

Princess Twilight chuckled, "Well, I can now." She pointed to the other Twilight, who just smiled sheepishly. "Take care, girls. I'll be back. Oh, and tell Flash I said hi." She winked at them before stepping through the portal.

"Well, that was definitely...strange." Human Twilight rubbed her neck.

Sunset chuckled, "I'll say. You okay with it?"

Twilight shrugged, "I don't know if I'm okay with it. I'm still trying to process the fact that there's a world full of colorful magic ponies, and that I'm a princess in that world. But, I'll get used to it. Eventually."

"You said it, darling. Now," Rarity yawned, "Oh, forgive me, but it is rather late. I should be getting home. It's been quite a day." She hugged Twilight. "It's so great to know that you'll be attending Canterlot High, Twilight."

"Thanks, Rarity."

The others bid their goodbyes until it was just Twilight and Sunset.

They looked at each other before Twilight walked up to hug her fiery-haired friend. "Thank you so much, Sunset. If it weren't for you, I - don't want to even imagine what I might have done."

Sunset hugged her back, "I know. Trust me. I was in your shoes once. But, like you, I found the one thing I had missed out on for so long. Friendship. Everyone deserves it, no matter what they've done. What you've done. It's all in the past, and your past does not define you. It's what you choose to do now and in the future that does."

Twilight smiled teary-eyed at her, "And, you say you're not an expert on friendship."

Sunset chuckled, "I'm just as inexperienced as you. But, I have friends that helped me get to where I am today, and I know they'll do the same for you." 

Twilight smiled as she knelt down and placed her sleeping dog in her backpack. "Thanks. Well, I'll see you around. My transfer should be completed in a couple of days."

"I'm looking forward to it."






> New School, New Surprises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle waited patiently outside her house for her ride. Today was her first day attending Canterlot High. Her last day at Crystal Prep hadn't been as...sad as she thought it would've been.

A few of the girls had said goodbye, but other than that, no one seemed to care that she was leaving. And, that was the exact reason why she couldn't wait to go to CHS.

She wouldn't have trouble weaving her way through the hallways at school anymore. She didn't have to worry about being a loner with no friends, because now, she had friends.

Twilight sighed happily at the thought. She had never really had an interest in making friends. Whenever she tried to talk to someone at Crystal Prep, they'd either ignore her or tell her to be quiet. Well, not anymore.

Twilight turned her head at the sound of her front door opening to see her brother racing out. 

"Twily." He ran over to her, giving her a big brother hug. "Glad I was able to catch up with you before you left."

"Why?" Twilight asked, readjusting her glasses. "Do you need something?"

Shining Armor rubbed his hair nervously, sighing, "Look, Twily. Don't take this the wrong way, but do you really want to attend Canterlot High?"

Twilight frowned, "Yes, I do. Why? Do you not want me to? Shiny, this is obviously a better school for me. I've done a lot at Crystal Prep, but making friends wasn't one of them. You've always told me how much you wanted me to make friends, and now I have friends."

Shining Armor bit his lip, "When did you get so interested in friends?"

Twilight sighed, hanging her head. "Shining. You know what happened. You know what I became. I almost destroyed this world. I could've killed someone, if it weren't for Sunset Shimmer and her friends. After I was defeated, I was so sure no one would forgive me. But, these girls did. They forgave me, even when I stole their magic. And, they're willing to be my friend. And, I'm willing to be theirs."

"You tell him, Twi." Twilight jumped at the voice from inside her backpack but calmed down as she realized it was Spike.

She unzipped her backpack, patting Spike on the head. She sighed, "I'm still not used to the idea of a talking dog. Try not to do that too much, okay?"

Spike whined, "But, why? It's so fun. Now, people can understand me. Do you know how frustrating it is? I don't want kibble; I want steak."

Twilight giggled, "Okay. Okay." She turned back to her brother. "So, still think I shouldn't go?"

Shining Armor rolled his eyes, ruffling Twilight's bangs, "Okay, you've proven your point. If this is what you want, who am I to stop you?"

Twilight smiled, hugging her brother tightly, "Thanks, BBBFF."

A van pulled up to the curb in front of their house. Twilight and Shining separated as the side door of the vehicle slid open, revealing Twilight's friends.

"Looks like my ride's here. Bye, Shining!" She ran toward the van, hopping into a seat next to Rarity. Once she was seated, the van sped off towards Canterlot High.

"Oh. Your first day at Canterlot High. Are you excited?" Rarity asked happily.

Twilight nodded, "Very. It's so nice to know that I'll actually be able to enjoy school again."

"You didn't enjoy school? I thought you loved learning." Fluttershy petted Spike from behind Twilight.

"I do. But, I don't really think CPA could offer me anything else I don't know. It's been...rough this past year." Twilight hung her head at the many unpleasant memories she had of her old school.

Sunset Shimmer placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, Twilight. You're not going to be alone anymore."

"That's right. We're sticking with ya, Twi." Rainbow winked at her.

"Hey, Mac, mind speedin' up? There ain't no traffic at this time of day." Applejack nudged her brother from her seat.

"Nope." At that, the van sped up.

"So, do you have a schedule yet, Twilight?" Sunset asked.

"Ooh! I hope you're in our classes. Dibs on sitting next to you!" Pinkie raised her hand exuberantly, hugging Twilight tightly.

"No fair. You didn't even give me a chance." Rainbow crossed her arms defiantly.

Pinkie giggled, ruffling Rainbow's hair, "That's kind of the point, Dashie."

Twilight laughed, "All right, you two. No need to fight. Anyway, yeah, I do. Principal Celestia emailed it to me Saturday."

"No doubt you're in Trig. That's like college stuff right there." Rainbow leaned back in her seat, reclining her feet on the seat in front of her.

Twilight shrugged, "It's really not that bad. Are any of you in Trig?"

Sunset and Fluttershy raised their hands.

Twilight's eyes widened, "Fluttershy? Really?"

Fluttershy hid her face under her hair, "I honestly am surprised myself. I didn't think I was that smart."

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Oh, don't be so modest, darling. " She adjusted Fluttershy's butterfly pin. "You're very smart."

Twilight patted Fluttershy on the back, "Don't worry. It's not always a bad thing."

"Well, it's about time we got here." Applejack sighed as the van parked in front of the school.

The girls exited the vehicle. They watched as Big Macintosh drove off in the other direction.

"I'm guessing your brother's a graduate?" Twilight turned to Applejack.

Applejack nodded, "You guessed right. Been out of school for about two years now. It gives him time to manage the farm."

Twilight nodded, turning around to face the front of the building. She looked to the side to see the destroyed Wondercolt Statue. She hung her head. "I'm sorry for ruining the statue. I was just - "

"We know, Twilight. You don't need to keep apologizing. We've already forgiven you." Sunset smiled at her.

Twilight nodded sadly, "I know. But, it's going to take awhile for me to get over this."

"Well, until then, allow us to give you a tour of CHS." Rainbow ran toward the front door, holding it for the others.

"That'd be nice. I didn't get to see much since we were all running around during the Games. Lead the way."


-----


Twilight was given her locker number, which happened to be right next to Rarity's. She entered her combination into her locker and opened it, retrieving all of her books she'd need for first period.

"What's your first class, darling?" Rarity asked as she closed her locker.

Twilight took out her schedule, squinting her eyes at the tiny print. "Let's see. Today's Monday, right? So, for first period, I have...English. Well, that's an easy class to start with."

"Oh, shame. I have French. Well, don't worry. Pinkie Pie and Applejack have English first as well. They'll keep you company." Rarity looked at the clock above them. "Oh, heavens, if I don't get going, I'll be late. See you later, dear." She gave Twilight a quick hug before rushing off down the hall.

Twilight laughed, shaking her head. She grabbed her books, closing her locker. She quickly took her backpack off of her back and set it down on the ground. She unzipped it and was met with a slobbery dog kiss.

She giggled, "Spike." She wiped her face with her sleeve and looked back down.

"Sorry, I'm just glad to get some air. This bag's stuffy." Spike waved a paw in front of his face.

Twilight rubbed his head, "Sorry, Spike, but pets aren't allowed on school grounds. You have to stay hidden. Unless, you'd like to spend the entire day in my locker."

Spike shook his head, "No thanks. I'll stay hidden. "

Twilight smirked, "That's what I thought. Now, I need to get going. Remember, only talk when you're around me and the girls. Got it?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. No talking. It's gonna be hard, though." He gave Twilight one final lick before ducking back into her bag.

Twilight smiled, zipping the bag and placing it on her back. She stood up, fixing her bun. She nodded to herself and started to walk. 

Only to be knocked down.

"Ow." Twilight found herself on the floor, her glasses knocked askew on her face.

"Oh, T-twilight. Uh, sorry. Again." Twilight looked up to see the same boy who had bumped into her before, who she now knew as Flash Sentry.

He helped her up, picking up her fallen books as well.

Twilight fixed her glasses and looked at him in amusement, placing her hands on her hips. "So, do you bump into everyone, or just girls named Twilight?"

Flash rubbed his head, "Oh, so, they told you, huh?"

Twilight nodded, a twinkle in her eye. "They told me all right. It definitely explains why you seemed so happy to see me."

"Well, you sound like her and look like her, minus the glasses. I just assumed you were her." Flash leaned back against a locker.

Twilight chuckled, adjusting her glasses, "In a way I am, in a way I'm not. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, too. We're in the same boat."

Flash looked at her and smiled, "I guess you're right. Walk you to class?"

Twilight's eyes widened, "Well, if you want to." 

Flash nodded and walked along with her to class.


-----


It was the end of the day. Twilight's last class was Trigonometry. What a way to end the day.

Twilight was finishing up the last problem on her paper when she heard a frustrated groan from next to her. She turned her head to see Sunset Shimmer sitting at her desk, her head in her hands as if she were depressed.

Twilight bit her lip, wondering if she should say something. She took a deep breath. "Hey, you okay?"

Sunset lifted her head, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "No. I'm not. I can't figure this out. I've redone it like a dozen times. Ugh." She furiously erased her work, wrinkling her paper.

Twilight looked at her sympathetically. She looked down at her paper then back at Sunset. She nodded to herself, raising her hand.

"Mr. Cartesian?"

The teacher looked in her direction, "Yes, Miss Sparkle?"

"May I help Sunset with her work?"

The teacher nodded.

Twilight smiled, "Thank you." She turned to Sunset. "So, what are you stuck on?"

Sunset looked surprised but showed Twilight her paper anyway.

Twilight took a look at her problem, trying to discern where she made her error. When she found it, she laughed.

Sunset bit her lip, "Well?"

Twilight chuckled, "You're going to kick yourself. " She pointed out where she made her mistake. "That should be 5,297. You should've carried the four, then multiplied that answer by 14xy squared plus 28.7x. Do that, and you'll get your answer." She sat back in her chair, arms crossed in triumph.

Sunset looked at the problem, then slapped her hand against her face, "Duh. Wow. I can't believe I didn't realize that. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."


-----


Twilight sighed as she sat in the passenger seat of her brother's car, a smile stretching across her face as she thought about her day.

Shining Armor looked over to her briefly before turning his attention to the road. "So, how was school?"

Twilight hugged her backpack. "It was great." She unzipped her bag, allowing Spike to have some fresh air. He jumped and licked her face, causing her to giggle.

"Just great?" He chuckled. "That's all you have to say?"

Twilight leaned back in her seat, "There's a lot I want to say. But, it'd take too long to say it all. I haven't had fun in school since...I can't remember when." She hugged Spike tightly. "I don't know why I didn't give friendship a chance sooner. It's such an amazing feeling. The girls are all so nice. I'm so glad I transferred here."

Shining smiled, "Well, I'm glad you enjoy it. An intelligent girl like you shouldn't be alone. I'm happy that you've made friends." He said, as they pulled into the driveway.

Twilight hugged him tightly, "So am I, big brother. So am I."






> One Mess of a Dress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Picture Day. For some, it is the highlight of the entire year. For others, it's a nightmare.

Especially for Rarity. It's not that she's unattractive, far from it. Her appearance was never a problem; the apparel, however, was a different story.

Twilight ran through the doors of the Boutique, panting from her sprint here. She caught her breath and adjusted her glasses. She walked over to the girls who were all currently lounging on some benches, looking bored.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, taking out her phone, "I got your text, Rar - uh, where's Rarity? What's the emergency?"

Sunset sat with her arms crossed, "There is none."

Applejack yawned, "Ol' Rarity's complainin' about her dress again."

"Well, excuse me," Rarity's voice came from behind a curtain. "Picture Day only happens once a year. And, I want to look my best."

Rainbow groaned, "Ugh, we go through this every single year. Literally. Just wear what you always wear. It's not that big of deal."

Rarity poked her head out of the curtain, annoyed, "I beg your pardon. It most certainly is a big deal. This picture is going to be what they place next to my name in the yearbook. I refuse to rubbish my name with an awful picture."

Twilight rubbed her forehead, "Rarity, you're being a tad bit melodramatic."

Fluttershy patted Rarity's back, "Come on, Rarity. Your picture's going to be fine. It always turns out nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah! Except for the time when you had that nasty zit on your nose. You had bandages wrapped around it. Your nose looked like a mummy." Pinkie giggled.

Rarity covered her face with her hand, "Thank you for bringing that up, Pinkie."

"Anytime, sister."

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Rarity. There's no reason to make such a big deal about this."

Rarity folded her arms, "I have reasons. I don't like wearing the same outfit every year. I appreciate variety. Unlike some."

Fluttershy rubbed her arm, "We didn't mean to offend you."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "You don't have to apologize, Shy. It's not your fault Rarity can't decide what to wear."

Rarity furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't text you all just so we could argue about my views on fashion. I wanted to know if you wanted to change your looks as well."

Rainbow waved a hand in dismissal, "Not a chance, Rares. I happen to like my look. Anything else lowers my coolness by twenty percent."

Applejack rolled her eyes, "And, we can't have that happen."

Rarity sighed, "All right, what about you girls?"

Sunset shook her head, "No thanks, Rarity. I like what I'm wearing."

Pinkie Pie raised her hand, jumping in her seat, "I'll do it. I like trying on new clothes. As long as it's pink. No wait, blue. Or maybe, yellow. Orange? Aqua? Or, maybe - "

Rarity held up a hand, "Thank you, Pinkie. I shall do my best to accommodate those colors. If I can. Fluttershy? Twilight?"

Fluttershy nodded, "I wouldn't mind a new look."

Rarity smiled, "Excellent. Anything in particular you had in mind?"

Fluttershy put a finger to her chin, "Well, maybe a cream-colored cardigan over a pink polo and matching skirt, woven with a traditional - "

Rarity rubbed her head, "I...think I got it. What about you, Twilight?"

Twilight twirled a finger in her locks, "Well, I would like to change my outfit, but I don't really have any ideas on how to. I'm not very familiar with fashion terms and such."

"That's no trouble at all, darling. Oh, why don't you girls follow me upstairs? I've been working on several new designs during my free time, and I want you to be the first to see them." Rarity began walking towards the stairs.

Twilight smiled, "That'd be grea - " Twilight was interrupted by the sound of her phone buzzing. "Uh, hold up a sec." She pulled out her phone from her pocket and read the text that had appeared.

Twilight sighed, "Sorry, Rarity. My mom's worried about me. I told her I'd be back in a few minutes, but you know how some mothers are. I have to go."

Rarity nodded understandingly, "That's all right, darling. Why don't you three come over tomorrow?"

"I can do that." Fluttershy and Pinkie said at the same time.

"Jinx! You owe me a soda." Pinkie giggled.

Fluttershy frowned, hiding under her hair, "But, I don't have any soda."

"Fine. But, you're buying tomorrow. Make it a Sprite. Or, you know, Pepsi's good, too. Get me a Mountain Dew. Or, or - "

Rainbow covered Pinkie's mouth with her hand, "For goodness sake, Pinkie, you're listing about every brand of soda there is. Make up your mind."

Pinkie whined, "But, I like them all. It's so hard to choose between them."

Fluttershy raised a hand meekly, "Do I still need to buy you a - ?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Aw, come on, Sunny. Why do you have be a party pooper?" Pinkie folded her arms.

"I'm not. You can buy yourself a soda if you want, Pinkie. No one's stopping you, " Sunset said, adjusting her sleeves.

"But, that ruins the point of jinxing." Pinkie fell back in her seat dramatically.

Twilight cleared her throat, "Well, I've wasted more time than I should have. I gotta go. See you girls tomorrow." She waved goodbye before running out the door.

Rarity sighed, "You all should leave as well. There's nothing else for you to do here. Pinkie, Fluttershy, you can come over after school. I'll let Twilight know as well. As for you girls, it's not too late to change your mind. A new look might be the best thing that ever happened to you."

Applejack chuckled, "I doubt that. But, thanks fer offerin', Rares."

Rainbow stood up and stretched, "Like I said before, I like how I look. Anything else - "

"Lowers your coolness by twenty percent. I get it." Rarity rolled her eyes.

Sunset patted Rarity's shoulder, "Sorry, Rarity. I just don't need a new look right now. Maybe next year. But, I'm good this year."

Rarity sighed, nodding, "I understand, darling. Not everyone appreciates fashion like I do. But, at least I can help some of you change your appearances."

Pinkie jumped and hugged Rarity and Fluttershy super tight, "This is gonna be so much fun!"

Fluttershy tried to wiggle out of Pinkie's grip but failed, "Um, Pinkie, I can't breathe."

"Whoops, sorry, Flutters. Don't know my own strength," Pinkie giggled.

Rarity pushed Pinkie off her and cleared her throat, "Right. Anyway, you all may leave. I shall see you girls at school tomorrow." With that, the girls bid Rarity goodbye and left the Boutique.


-----


Rarity sat in her desk in Homeroom, polishing her nails, waiting for the bell to ring. She smiled as the azure tint of the polish that beautifully accented her slender fingers.

"Rarity?" She turned her head to see Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon sitting next to her.

Rarity closed the bottle of nail polish and turned to face the two girls, "Good morning, Lyra, Bon Bon. May I help you with anything?"

Bon Bon pulled on her dress, "Well, we heard from Pinkie Pie that you were offering a change of look for Picture Day."

Lyra nodded, grinning, "And, knowing how good you are with clothes and stuff, we were wondering if you could - "

"Help us change our look," Bon Bon interrupted, throwing her arms around Lyra and Rarity.

Rarity blinked, "A new look? But, I..." She looked over at Pinkie Pie who was sitting across the room, waving happily at her. She furrowed her eyebrows, looked back at Lyra and Bon Bon, and sighed.

"Well, while I wasn't planning on it, I see no reason why I shouldn't help others express their personalities through their outfits. Meet me at the Boutique after school, and I will see what I can do." Rarity winked at the two.

Both girls' faces broke out into a huge grin. 

"You are awesome, Rarity." Lyra hugged Rarity tightly.

"We are going to look fabulous on Picture Day. Thanks a bunch, Rarity." Bon Bon joined Lyra in hugging Rarity.

Rarity was caught off guard by the sudden hugs. But, she found herself hugging them back. "Think nothing of it, you two."

Lyra and Bon Bon walked back to their seats, just as the bell rang.

Rarity sat in her seat, not paying attention to the announcements. Instead, an idea was formulating in her head. One that could benefit a whole lot of people.


-----


"You're kidding, right?"

"I most certainly am not kidding, Rainbow Dash." Rarity folded arms proudly. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sunset asked worriedly. "There's a lot of students here at CHS."

"And, ya want to give each of 'em a new look?" Applejack rolled her eyes

"Yes! I've already gotten several requests from several students, and I am not one to let my fellow Wondercolts down." Rarity nodded firmly.

"But, are you sure you can handle it? It was originally supposed to be us three." Twilight pointed to herself, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

"And, we don't want you to bite off more than you can chew." Fluttershy said, twirling a finger in her hair.

"Yeah! I mean, who would want to bite dresses? I don't think they taste all that good." Pinkie sipped her soda, sticking her tongue out.

Rarity shook her head, "Look, I appreciate your concern, girls. But, this is my decision. And, I believe I can pull it off."

Twilight sighed, "Well, if you're sure. Just, try not to overexert yourself."

Rarity chuckled, placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, "Darling, you don't have to worry about that."

"No, you probably should." Rainbow smirked, tossing a potato chip into her mouth.

Rarity gave Rainbow a hard glare. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, Rainbow. It is most appreciated."

Rainbow gave a two-fingered salute, "Anytime, Rare."

Rarity turned away from Rainbow, crossing arms, "Fine. I'll show you girls that I can do this. You won't be laughing when you see everyone on Picture Day with a new outfit." She stood up and stormed off towards some of the fashionistas. 

Sunset slapped a hand against her forehead, "Rarity sure is stubborn."

Applejack nodded, "Known that since day one. She's gonna realize too late that ya shouldn't get involved in somethin' this big."

Twilight bit her lip, "Do you think we should help her?"

Rainbow shook her head, "No. This'll teach her a lesson."

Fluttershy hung her head, "I just hope Rarity won't be too disappointed." She turned towards the direction Rarity ran and saw her talking with the fashionistas.

Pinkie folded her arms, "Knowing Rarity, if she doesn't pull this off, she's gonna lock herself in her bedroom and refuse to come out in fear of public humiliation, and we're gonna have to talk her out of her pity party. Again."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "This has happened before?"

Applejack nodded, "More than once."

Sunset sighed, "Well, maybe this time, she'll be able to do it."

Rainbow saw Rarity running over to the Eco-kids, "I kinda doubt that."


-----


Rarity opened the door to the Boutique. She walked in, taking a deep breath.

"Oh, don't you just love the smell of dresses?" She said to no one in particular. She grabbed a nearby dress in her hands and began twirling it around.

She walked over to a mirror and held the dress up in front of her, "Oh, yes, that does look nice."

Rarity heard the bell of the door ring, indicating someone was coming in.

"That must be the girls." She turned around towards the door, ready to greet her friends. Only to be met with over a dozen girls.

Rarity stumbled over a chair at the sight of the group.  "Oh my, I didn't expect you all to be here so soon."

Lyra, who was in the front, laughed, "Well, we figured it'd be easier to all come together. Save you some time, ya know."

Rarity stood with her mouth wide open, "Buh-but - "

Thankfully, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie rushed up to Rarity's side.

Twilight grabbed her wrist and whispered, "We need to talk." Twilight ran towards the stairs, pulling Rarity with her.

Fluttershy ran after them.

"Don't worry, folks. We'll be back right after these messages." Pinkie gave a thumbs-up before running off in a cloud of smoke, causing many of the students to shrug.

Meanwhile upstairs, Fluttershy and Twilight were doing their best to console Rarity.

Twilight patted Rarity's back, "You know, it's not too late to change your mind."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "Twilight's right. I'm sure they'll understand once you tell them."

Rarity huffed, "But, I made all of those promises. I can't go back on my word now."

Pinkie gave Rarity a noogie, "Don't worry, Rarity. If they all end up hating you, we'll still love you."

Twilight hid her face in her hands, "Not the best wording there, Pinkie."

Rarity shoved Pinkie gently, "I am not going to let all of those people down. They're all looking forward to a new look for Picture Day, and I guaranteed them one. What are they going to think of me when I tell them I can't do it?"

"Uh..."

"No. I shan't let that happen. I am going to keep my promises. Starting with you three." She grabbed each of them and dragged them to a section of the store.

"Rarity, you really don't have to - "

"Up bup bup, " she put a finger on Twilight's lips, "I won't hear of any of it. I promised you girls a new look, and that's just what I'm going to give you." 

Fluttershy rubbed her hands together, "Are you sure?"

Rarity nodded, "Of course, I'm sure. Now, while you girls browse up here, I shall assist the others down stairs." She headed down the stairs to the main floor.


-----


"Well, it's about time. The Great and Powerful Trixie does not like to be kept waiting." Trixie stood with her arms crossed, bearing an impatient expression.

Rarity sighed, "I am well aware of that fact, Trixie."

"So, how do we get our new looks?" Rose asked.

Rarity clasped her hands together, "Well, as you can see, there are many ensembles here to choose from. Feel free to browse around, and if you have any specific requests, don't hesitate to let me know." She winked.

At that, the girls all scattered, running around the Boutique like a herd of gazelles.

Rarity grimaced, "Please handle these outfits well. I've spent hours on some of them." She looked around the Boutique, watching each of the girls look over the different dresses.

"Well, I guess I'll go check on the girls and see how they are doing." She ran back up the stairs, leaving behind the browsing girls.

Once she reached the top, she walked over to where she had left her friends. "Girls, are you here?"

"Yup, we're here. And, lovin' our new looks." Pinkie jumped in front of Rarity, wearing a frilly hot pink tank top and a light denim skirt. She wore pink leggings and light blue high heels, which complimented her well.

Rarity clapped, smiling, "My goodness, Pinkie, you look simply marvelous."

Pinkie flipped her poofy hair, "I know."

Rarity turned around to locate the other girls, "How about you, Twilight? Fluttershy?"

Twilight came out from behind the corner, wearing a simple, but cute purple dress. The top of the dress was a shade lighter than the bottom, and stitched on the corner of the dress was a pink six-pointed star. Her boots were a dark magenta, which went perfectly with her light purple complexion. 

"Well?"

Rarity squealed, "Oh, darling, you look simply adorable. You have excellent taste."

Twilight twirled a finger in her hair, "Well, I wouldn't say that."

Rarity scoffed, "Oh, don't be so modest. Now, Fluttershy, what about you?"

Fluttershy poked her head from behind a curtain, "Um, well, it's nothing special, but..." She walked out of the fitting room.

Her pink hair was braided down. She wore a light pink sleeveless shirt, similar to the one she usually wore. Draped over her shoulder was a light green shawl with yellow frills at the end of it. Her skirt was peach colored, a white belt went around her waist. Her boots remained the same.

Rarity squealed once again, running over to the three of them and throwing her arms around each of them. "Oh, you girls look remarkable! I'm so glad you were able to find the right outfit. "

"We are, too."

*CRASH*

The three jumped at the sound.

"What was that?!" Fluttershy shrieked, hiding under a chair.

Rarity turned towards the direction of the stairs. "It came from downstairs." She began walking over to the stairs when Pinkie grabbed a hold of her arm.

"No! Don't do it, Rarity. We love you." Pinkie tightened her hold on Rarity,

Rarity jerked her arm out of Pinkie's grasp, "Something probably just fell over. I'm just going to see what it was." She descended the stairs. 

And, she immediately regretted doing so.


-----


The scene was utter madness. Dresses and clothes alike were being strewn and ripped apart everywhere. 

In one corner, Octavia and Carrot Top were in the middle of a tug-of-war game with a gold silk dress.

In another, Derpy and Lyra Hearts were arguing about who touched the pair of moccasins first.

All in all, the room was in a state of total anarchy.

"ENOUGH!"

Each girl froze in their tracks. They turned to see Rarity fuming.

Rarity's eyes were filled with rage, but being the lady she was, she managed to calm herself down. She took a deep breath.

"What in the name of common chamomile is going?" Rarity walked into the middle of the room. "I'm gone for a mere five minutes, and suddenly this boutique turns into a madhouse."

Lyra held her hands up in defense, "Hey, don't pin this on me. I saw these babies first." She held up the pair of shoes in her hands.

"Nuh uh," Derpy exclaimed, taking the shoes from Lyra. "I did."

"Real funny, Derpy. But, I clearly saw them first." Lyra reached out to grab them, but Derpy held them away from her.

"Get your own shoes."

"But, I want those." Lyra tackled Derpy to the ground.

Rarity ran over to them, "Girls! Girls! Please, don't act so uncivil."

"Trixie demands you step away from that dress. She clearly saw it first." Rarity turned to see Trixie yelling and pointing at Cloudchaser.

"Yeah? Well, I touched it first. So, hah." Cloudchaser stuck out her tongue at Trixie, which only made her mad.

"How dare you show the Great and Powerful Trixie such disrespect?!" She seethed, lunging at Cloudchaser in a fit of fury.

"Trixie! Cloudchaser! Enough." Rarity ran over to them, trying to break them apart as well.

Meanwhile, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were watching from the stairs.

Fluttershy covered her eyes, "Oh, I can't look."

Twilight frowned, "We have to do something." She began walking down when Pinkie grabbed her arm.

"Are you crazy?! It's a mine field down there." Pinkie clung tightly to Twilight's arm.

Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ladies. Please. If you can't handle my dresses with care, then you don't get to wear them."

The girls all stopped beating each other up at that.

Rarity walked into the center of the room, "I made a promise to each and everyone of you that I would give you a new look for Picture Day. I didn't have to do that. You would've been stuck wearing the same outfits if I hadn't stepped in. I am willing to help all of you change your look. But, if you all are going to argue over it, you aren't going to get a new look like these girls did." Rarity gestured to her three friends, who had come down to the ground level.

The other girls were very impressed with their new looks.

Rarity smiled, "Now, you all can either continue arguing, or you can browse again in a much more civil manner. And, I do have duplicates of some of these items. So, don't hesitate to ask."

Lyra rubbed the back of her neck, "Wow, Rarity, I'm sorry for making a mess."

Trixie looked at her nails, "Trixie gives her apology as well.  But, don't expect it often."

Derpy rubbed her arm, "I'm sorry, Rarity."

Rarity chuckled, "You are all forgiven. Now, get on with it. This boutique isn't open all day."


-----


Rarity waved goodbye to Octavia, who was the last to leave, minus Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.

She sighed, happy that she was able to help so many people.

Twilight walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You did good today, Rarity."

Pinkie Pie jumped, grabbing both Twilight and Rarity into a bear hug, "You sure did! I didn't think you'd be able to do it."

"Pinkie!"

"What?"

Rarity chuckled, "Don't worry, Twilight. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, either."

Fluttershy walked up and joined the hug, "But, you did. And, you made a lot of people happy."

Rarity smiled, "And, it feels wonderful."

"Yeah! Now, everyone's gonna have a new look for tomorrow," Pinkie grinned widely.

Rarity nodded, but soon realized that she had overlooked something.

She stood up suddenly, "Good heavens! I was so wrapped up in giving everyone else a new look that I didn't give myself one!" She quickly ran upstairs, looking for something to wear.

The girls shook their heads in amusement.

"Do you think we should leave?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the staircase.

"Yup. She's gonna be up there for a long time." Pinkie smirked. "Probably an hour at the least."

Twilight smiled. "Only Rarity."












> A Rainbow of Confidence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the final quarter of the first soccer game of the season. Canterlot High and Cloudsdale Academy were tied: four to four.

But, Rainbow Dash was determined to change that. She stole the ball from an opposing team member, dribbling it towards the goal. She narrowed her eyes as her target grew nearer.

"Wha - hey!"

"Keep your eye on the ball, Dash!" Lightning Dust taunted, stealing the ball from Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt and turned around, "You're gonna eat those words, Lightning Dust!" She sped towards the other side of the field with remarkable speed.

Lightning Dust was fast approaching the net. Rainbow Dash willed her legs to speed up even more. 

"Go, Rainbow Dash! Go!" Pinkie shouted from the sidelines, waving two pink pompoms in the air.

Rainbow gritted her teeth as she ran towards Lightning Dust. The other Wondercolts did their best to stop her, but she was good.

Lightning Dust weaved effortlessly past each Wondercolt in her way. Rainbow Dash was only a couple feet away.

"You're not gonna score, Dust!" Rainbow shouted as she tried to pull the ball away from Lightning Dust.

Lightning turned around, "Oh, yeah? Watch me." Without much effort, she kicked the ball past the goalie and into the net, just as the whistle blew, ending the game.

"CLOUDSDALE IS THE WINNER!!!!!" The announcer proclaimed over the loudspeaker.

Rainbow Dash gawked, staring at nothing in particular, "W-we lost?"

Lightning Dust marched past Rainbow Dash proudly, "That's right. Don't feel bad, though. You almost caught up to me." She laughed as she strode off the field.

Rainbow's friends came running over to her.

"It was a close game, Rainbow. You did your best." Twilight patted Rainbow on the back.

"Yeah! Besides, it's only the first game of the season. I bet you'll pummel 'em good next time." Pinkie exclaimed, jumping onto Rainbow.

Rainbow quickly shook her off, "We should've pummeled them this time! I can't believe we lost!" She kicked the grass in frustration.

"Easy there, sugarcube. Don't let yer anger get the better of ya. Ya'll know what happens when ya do." Applejack put her hands on Rainbow's shoulders, restraining her.

"You tried your best. That's what matters the most." Sunset said.

Rainbow groaned, breaking free from Applejack's grasp. "No. What matters most is that we win. Or should've won."

She walked a few feet away from them and hung her head, "And, I didn't try my best. If I had, we would've won."

"Now, darling, you most certainly did try your hardest. We could see you pushing yourself all the way down the field." Rarity walked over to Rainbow, placing a hand on her arm.

"And, you did score all those goals." Fluttershy pointed out, walking over as well.

"And, CA's a hard school to beat when it come to athletics," Sunset folded her arms.

Twilight nodded, "We played them a few times back when I was at Crystal Prep. We would always beat them, but the scores were usually extremely close. So, don't let it get you down."

Rainbow sighed, "I appreciate you guys trying to cheer me up, but that fact of the matter is, we should have won. I should've stopped her. I should've easily been able to take the ball. And, at the least, we would go into overtime. But...I didn't." She walked off the field and into the gymnasium.

Fluttershy shook her head, "Poor Rainbow Dash. Should we follow her?"

Sunset held her hand up, "No. She just needs some time."

Applejack nodded, "You know how important winnin' is to Dash. She'll get over it."


-----


"This isn't good."

Applejack looked over at Twilight, arms crossed, "You can say that again."

"How long has she been at this?" Sunset came over and sat down next to Twilight on the bleachers.

"About half an hour. And, she's only gotten the ball in twice. TWICE!" Pinkie waved her hands in the air. 

"UGH!!!" Rainbow's cry could be heard all over the campus.

"Well, I hate to state the completely obvious, but I think Monday's loss has severely sapped Rainbow Dash dry," Rarity looked at her nails, then back at the girls.

"Oh, I hope she breaks out of this soon," Fluttershy looked over at the soccer field to see Rainbow Dash stomping in fury.

"Does she really take winning that seriously?" Twilight turned to Applejack.

"That'd be Rainbow Dash for ya. She may be a great athlete, but she ain't the best when it comes to good sportsmanship," Applejack shrugged. "That's just who she is."

"Forty-two balls." Rainbow Dash came storming over. "Forty-two balls! How many did I get in? THREE!" She collapsed onto the bleachers, running her hands down her face.

"Three? I counted two." Pinkie put a finger to her chin.

"Pinkie!" Twilight yelled, elbowing Pinkie in the ribs.

"Or, it could've been three." Pinkie smiled sheepishly, placing her hands behind her back.

"Three's not much better than two, is it?" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, punching the bleacher with her fist. "Ugh! What is wrong with me?"

"I think that game brought down more than just your morale," Rarity pointed out. 

Rainbow Dash suddenly stood up, "This is crazy. I'm the best athlete Canterlot High has ever seen!"

Sunset walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "And, you still are. You're just a little out of it after that loss. I'm sure you'll come out of it soon."

Rainbow Dash shook her off, "You better be right, Sunset." She walked off the field, leaving the others behind.

"I hope she gets better soon. Isn't there another game on Friday?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, away against Griffin High." Sunset folded her arms. "If there was ever a game where Rainbow was needed, it'd definitely be this one."

"Griffin High? Isn't that the school with the meanie pants Gilda?" Pinkie bounced over next to Sunset.

"Oh, indeed. I still cannot believe that Rainbow Dash used to be friends with that brute, " Rarity examined her nails and rubbed them against her shirt.

"What are we talking about?" Twilight asked, adjusting her glasses.

"We were hostin' a get-ta-together for all of the school's in the area. Griffin High bein' one of 'em, " Applejack explained, looking over at Pinkie Pie who nodded in agreement.

"Uh huh! And, Dashie introduced us to her friend Gilda. Even from the start, I could tell she was a big mean meanie pants." Pinkie frowned, remembering the experience with the mean girl.

Twilight turned to Sunset, "Then what happened?"

Sunset shrugged, "Don't look at me. I was still in Equestria when this happened."

"Basically, Gilda didn't like the fact that RD was friends with people who were quote un-quote 'the opposite of cool.'" Applejack explained flatly.

"Yeah, " Pinkie crossed her arms, "she was the biggest party pooper I've ever met."

"She wasn't very nice at all, " Fluttershy ran her hands through her pink hair.

Sunset sighed, "Let's hope Rainbow Dash is in better spirits by Friday. I hadn't realized how much losing would affect her."

Applejack nodded, "You'd be surprised, Sunset. You'd be surprised."


-----


Sunset came over to Rainbow Dash at gym class, panting. The rainbow-haired girl was currently sitting on the bleachers, arms crossed and looking miserable.

Sunset wiped her forehead, "Dash, what are you doing? P.E.'s your favorite class."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Yeah, back when I was actually good at it."

Sunset sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "Rainbow, you have to stop thinking like that. You're still good. You've just been slacking a little."

Rainbow stood up, "If by a little, you mean a lot, then yeah, I have been." She walked a few feet away. "If I can't help win the first game of the season, then what's the point of playing?" She walked out of the gymnasium.

Twilight came over to Sunset, breathing heavily. "Whew. P.E. was never my forte. What's going on?"

Sunset continued looking towards the doors of the gym. "I think I know why Rainbow Dash has suddenly lost her sporting abilities."

"Let me guess. It's not her athleticism she's lost. It's her confidence." Twilight surmised, adjusting her hair which she had in a ponytail.

Sunset nodded, "Hit the nail on the head."

Twilight bit her lip, "How are we supposed to restore it by tomorrow?"

"Well, I think it's high time we gave that girl a little pep talk."


-----


"What do you mean you're not playing tomorrow?!" Spitfire, the co-captain of the soccer team, yelled in outrage.

"You heard me, Spitfire. I'm not playing." Rainbow stared coldly at Spitfire.

Spitfire groaned, "Ugh, look, Dash. I know Monday's loss bummed you out a little, but, girl, we need you. We're up against the Griffins tomorrow. We need your A-game. Snap out of it."

"Forty-two balls. Forty-two balls. How many did I get in the net? Two! You guys can handle it on your own." Rainbow turned around to leave the locker room.

Spitfire narrowed her eyes. "So, you're not even gonna come to the game tomorrow?"

"No, I'll be there. I just won't be playing."

Spitfire groaned once again, marching up to Rainbow and looking her in the eye, "Rainbow Dash, what happened to you? All of a sudden CHS's top athlete doesn't want to play? What's the deal?"

Rainbow Dash pushed past her, "You can't stay the best forever." She walked out of locker room.

She walked outside and was surprised to see her friends waiting for her.

"What do you want?"

Fluttershy stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We're worried about you, Rainbow Dash."

"Darling, this is not like you at all."

Rainbow Dash brushed off Fluttershy's hand, "I'm fine, Rarity. Really."

Sunset walked up to her, "No, you're not. You may say you are, but we know you."

"And, the Rainbow Dash we know would never let one tiny loss get to her." Pinkie jumped onto Rainbow and gave her a noogie.

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow pushed Pinkie off.

Twilight approached and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Rainbow, I haven't known you very long. But, from the time I've spent with you, I know that you are the type of person who would never let her friends down. You're always there when we need you."

Rainbow started to smile, but it was quickly replace with a frown, "Thanks, Twi, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Applejack came over as well, "Dash, if you don't play tomorrow, you're gonna let a whole bunch of people down."

Rainbow Dash turned to her surprised, "How'd you know I'm not playing?"

"I was in the bathroom while you were talking with Spitfire!" Pinkie grinned, "So, I may have overheard what you were saying."

"Rainbow Dash, you're a great athlete, the best Canterlot High has ever seen, but you need to learn to accept defeat. You're not always going to win. Everyone loses. You're no exception." Sunset patted Rainbow on the back.

"But, that game should've been an easy win. We should have won." She kicked the grass angrily.

"Everyone wants to win, Rainbow Dash. But, it's impossible to win at everything. You're going to face defeat sometimes." Fluttershy said softly.

Rainbow sighed, "I hate losing."

"You aren't the only one who does, Rainbow, " Twilight said, patting Rainbow's shoulder. "No one wants to admit they've lost, but in order to have good sportsmanship, you have to."

Rainbow sighed, walking a few steps forward. "Yeah, I get that. But, that doesn't explain why I can't kick a single ball into the net."

Applejack walked up to her, "Well, that's easy enough. You've lost yer confidence."

"It was only one game, darling. There's at least ten more to come. So, what if you lost one? You have plenty of chances to redeem yourself." Rarity smiled.

Rainbow sighed again.

"You're still a great athlete, Dash. Everyone is confident of that fact. The only one that's not is you. You need to believe in yourself. Everybody else does." Twilight walked over in front of her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Especially us." All the girls came over to her and engulfed her in a group hug.

After a few seconds, they let her go.

"So, Dashie, you up for a game tomorrow?" Pinkie grinned.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the ground then back up at her friends. She smiled confidently and walked back towards the gym.

"Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked.

"I need to talk to Spitfire."


-----


Rainbow was running down the field, dribbling the ball and feeling an odd sense of deja vu. But, this time she was determined to score. Like the first game, the score was tied: three to three, and the final quarter was nearing its last few minutes.

And, just like the first game, the ball was taking away.

"Gilda."

"Later, Rainbow Crash!" Gilda taunted as she dribbled it down the opposite end of the field.

Believe in yourself. 

Rainbow narrowed her eyes and took off after Gilda. With a new vote of confidence, Rainbow began to pick up speed.

From the stands, her friends were watching her anxiously.

Sunset began to notice a faint streak of rainbow trailing behind Rainbow Dash as she ran. She leaned back against the hard bleachers and smiled, crossing her arms.

Rainbow dashed across the field, zipping by every opponent in sight. She was fast approaching Gilda.

We believe in you. Her friends' words echoed in her mind.

A familiar sensation began to spread through her body. She could feel the tingling of the magic course through her veins.

Gilda was quickly approaching the Wondercolts' end of the field. With only a minute remaining in the game, she was sure she would score the winning point.

"What the huh?" The ball had disappeared from in front her in a blur of rainbow. She turned around and saw Rainbow Dash speeding down the other side of the field towards the Griffin's net.

Rainbow Dash had ponied up, a streak of bright rainbow followed her as she ran. 

Five seconds remained.

Four.

Three.

Two. 

One.

"GOAL!!!! The Wondercolts are victorious!"

The crowd went wild.

Rainbow Dash slowed down, her wings, ears, and pony tail disappearing.

She looked around the stands, listening to all the thunderous applause. She saw her friends cheering wildly as well.

She smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "They don't call me Rainbow and Dash for nothing."











> The Principal Matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a sunny Saturday morning in the city of Canterlot, people both young and old scurrying around the town for different reasons.

Including two certain principals and vice-principal, who were having breakfast at the Queen's Way Diner.

Now, upon seeing this scene, if you knew anything about these three individuals, you'd know that one was Principal Cinch from Crystal Prep Academy, and the other two were Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna from Canterlot High School.

Why bring this up?

Well, these two schools have been, what you would call, rivals for quite some time.

But, after the Friendship Games, Principal Celestia felt that in order to end, or at least, dumb down the feelings of rivalry between her and Principal Cinch, they would need to have a decent principal-to-principal discussion.


-----


Principal Celestia took a bite of her omelet, then wiped her face with a napkin. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Abacus. We were unsure if you would accept our invitation."

Principal Cinch looked at Celestia with a quirked eyebrow. She took her glasses off and cleaned them with her shirt, "Principal Cinch, if you will, as this is not meant to be a casual get-together." She placed her glasses back on her face, "But, I must admit, this was a...touching gesture. But, do not take that as saying I am willing to go along with your ulterior motive of this little rendezvous."

Vice-Principal Luna placed her hands on the table, "Well, that is our reason for being here. Our schools have been rivals for far too long."

"Indeed, sister. You see, Principal Cinch, these past Friendship Games taught us something. It doesn't matter who wins the shiny trophy. If you tried your hardest, everyone's a winner."

Principal Cinch crossed her arms, "That is an interesting philosophy you propose, Principal Celestia. However, you will find, I'm not so easy to convert. You see, there is the quite obvious factor that your students used magic to win those games."

Luna shook her head, "They did not use it to win the games. They simply used it for their benefit."

The stern principal leaned back in her seat, "Now, that leaves me curious, just how did your school get infested with magic? This was obviously not the first time, seeing as how they did not seem all that concerned."

The two sisters looked at each other, unsure if they should disclose the information.

Principal Celestia sighed, "Very well. But, whatever is said between us stays between us."

Principal Cinch placed a hand over her heart, "You have my word."

"All right. Well, you remember Sunset Shimmer right?"

The principal of Crystal Prep nodded, "I find it hard not to remember a girl like her."

"Well, there was a time where she used to be - what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Intimidating?"

Celestia smiled, patting Luna on the back, "Yes, thank you, Luna. Yes, Sunset used to be a rather intimidating figure at CHS. For three straight years, she had won Princess of the Fall Formal."

Luna crossed her arms, "Yes, and I'm sure she would've tried for four if it hadn't been for our visitor."

"Visitor, you say?"

Celestia nodded, "Indeed. Now, you remember the statue in front of the school?"

Principal Cinch adjusted her glasses, "The one that got demolished by that monster?"

Luna furrowed her eyebrows, "Yes, but it was destroyed by Twilight. Not a monster. Twilight was no monster. The amount of magic that had consumed her would've corrupted anyone. She may have done some unpleasant things, but it is not our place to call her a monster. Only an unfortunate soul who caught a glimpse of what power could accomplish without the proper care."

Principal Cinch blinked at Luna's lecture. She cleared her throat, "Yes, well, forgive me for my ignorance, Vice-Principal Luna. But, I believe we are drifting off topic. Please continue, Principal Celestia."

Celestia took a sip of her water and placed her hands on the table. "Right. Where was I? Oh, yes. Well, that statue is more than what it appears to be. It is actually a portal that connects our world with an alternate one."

The stern principal raised an eyebrow, "And alternate world?" She looked to the side, narrowing her eyes in thought. 

She sighed, "Well, considering what we witnessed during the Friendship Games, there really is no reason for me to question if that is fact or not."

Celestia chuckled tiredly, "Yes, I find myself believing in almost anything that sounds fantastical now. Anyway, a few days before the Fall Formal, the portal brought a stranger to Canterlot High."

Luna smiled, leaning against the table ever so slightly, "Her name was Twilight Sparkle."

Principal Cinch's eyes widened slightly. She placed a finger to her chin, "Well, I guess that would explain why the students at your school recognized Twilight and yet she did not. So, an alternate Twilight?"

Celestia nodded, glancing at Luna. "Yes. Now, this next part I am not completely certain of, but from what I gathered, this Twilight came over from a world of magic."

"This Twilight Sparkle is a princess in this alternate world. In fact, Sunset Shimmer is originally from the same dimension as this Twilight. Sunset Shimmer had stolen Princess Twilight's crown, which turned out to be a magical artifact that was used to protect her world from evil."

Principal Cinch took a sip of her coffee. She pushed the cup to the side, propping her elbows on the table and placing her head atop her hands.

"If I were anyone else, I'd declare you both insane. You sound as if you were relaying a childhood fairy tale."

Celestia crossed her arms, "It may sound made-up. But, every word of it is true."

"If the events of the Friendship Games had not taken place, I would most assuredly believe you were telling me a fairy tale, So, this crown? I am going to take a guess that this is the source of the magic your school possesses." 

Luna nodded, taking a sip of her tea. She wiped her lips with a napkin.

"You would be correct, Principal Cinch. However, when Princess Twilight returned to her world, the magic that she had brought here remained. But, the only ones that seem to possess magic are the friends of Twilight Sparkle. You know, the girls who went on to the athletic competition?"

Celestia chuckled, "And, the ones that helped bring back Twilight."

Principal Cinch rested her head atop her hand, "I see. Well, would you consider this the reason of Canterlot High's recent renaissance?"

The two sisters looked at each other.

Luna narrowed her eyes, "Magic had nothing to do with that."

Celestia laid a hand atop the table, "I am especially proud of the students for working the way they have been. But, as Luna said, magic was not a factor for their success. Hard work and dedication were, though. "

Principal Cinch crossed her arms, "Very well. I'll give you that one. But while magic may not have been used to help improve your students' abilities, it certainly did help them win the Friendship Games."

Principal Celestia sighed, "Principal Cinch, we have already discussed this. We all saw what happened, and as far as I can remember, none of the girls cheated."

The stern principal shook her head, "That's not what I remember. That rainbow-haired girl sprouted wings."

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Rainbow Dash sprouted wings, yes. But, she wasn't the one that crossed the finish line. Sunset Shimmer did."

Celestia folded her hands on the table, "Rainbow Dash was keeping the monstrous vine at bay to ensure that the race would end fairly and without injury."

Principal Cinch brought a finger to her chin, "Well, I...suppose you have a point there."

Celestia looked at Principal Cinch for a few seconds and sighed. She leaned slightly over the table. "Abacus, we don't want any more hard feelings between our schools. We've been enemies for far too long, and why? The Friendship Games were not meant to be about competition. They were originally meant to bring our schools together."

Principal Cinch's eyes softened as Celestia spoke, but she remained silent.

Luna nodded, "And, these past Games have taught us that, if we look past the competition and the rivalry, our two schools could get along splendidly. But, if your main focus is about winning, then theirs will be as well."

"If you only care about being the best, then that's what the students will care about. You are their principal. They have to look up to you for guidance." Celestia placed her hand atop of Principal Cinch's.

Principal Cinch looked down. She looked back up at Celestia and Luna.

Luna placed her hand atop Celestia's, "Please, Principal Cinch. We are tired of the rivalry. Let us just be friends."

She stared at them for a few minutes. 

Finally, Principal Cinch stood up, taking her hand away from the pile. She smoothed out her skirt and turned to the two sisters.

"Thank you both for the breakfast. I appreciate it. And, I will...consider your proposition." She turned around and walked out of the diner.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Do you think we got through to her?" 

Celestia sighed, "I don't know, Luna. We can only hope.."

Meanwhile, a little ways away , four people were seated at a booth, their menus blocking their faces.

They watched as the principal and vice-principal left the diner.

They all set their menus down, sighing.

"Do you think they were able to lighten her up?" Lemon Zest lowered her headphones.

Sunset Shimmer chuckled, lowering her eyelids, "Oh, I'm sure they managed to convict her of something."

Indigo Zap scoffed, "Yeah, right. Principal Cinch is hard-core. It'd take a lot of sweet talking and begging to get to even consider it."

Twilight looked over to where they were sitting, "I don't know. I mean, didn't you see the look on her face? She seemed to be taking it all in."

"And, she did say she'd consider it." Sunset held out a hand.

Lemon Zest raised an eyebrow, "She did? I didn't hear it."

Indigo Zap looked to the side, mumbling, "I wonder why."

Twilight looked at Sunset and then back at the two Shadowbolts. "Well, no one is incapable of changing. We're going to have to give her the benefit of the doubt."

Indigo let out a puff of air, sending a strand of her hair flying, "I seriously doubt I'm gonna be able to do that, but hey - I'll do anything for less homework."

Lemon Zest elbowed her, "You got that right."

The four girls laughed.










 





> Magical Difficulties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear Princess Twilight,
It's been a little while since we've seen you. The girls really miss you, even Twilight. So, I know you're a princess, and I'm sure you have a lot of important things on your plate. But, when you get a chance, do you think you could come on over and hang out? There's nothing going on, so we won't have to spend all our time trying to defeat some monster. If you could, that'd be great. Hope to see you soon.
- Your Friend, Sunset Shimmer.


Princess Twilight walked begrudgingly into her room. She flopped down onto her bed, burying her head in her pillow.

Spike came in soon after, a half-eaten emerald in his claw. He jumped onto the bed next to her, munching on the gem.

"What's the matter, Twi?"

Twilight looked up at him and sighed, "Spike, I am bored. There is literally nothing to do. Our friends are all busy today. I've completed all of my Princess of Friendship duties for the next week at least. I don't know what to do."

She sat up and rubbed her head with her hoof. Suddenly, her ears perked up to a low buzzing sound. She turned her head to her bedside table and saw a slight glow coming from inside the drawer.

A wide smile spread across her face as she opened the drawer with her magic, "Oh, it's from Sunset!" She quickly levitated the book over to her and opened to a page.

"Sunset Shimmer?" Spike peaked over her shoulder, trying to read the message.

She quickly skimmed the message and laughed. She hugged the book.

"Oh, thank you, Sunset!" She summoned a quill and quickly scribbled in a message.

"Sounds like a plan. Meet you at the portal. Twilight." She dotted the sentence and jumped off the bed.

"Come on, Spike. Let's go."

The two ran towards the library and stopped just before they entered the portal.

Twilight activated the portal, and it opened. 

She started to run, but Spike pulled on her tail, stopping her mid-stride.

She turned back to him, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"Uh, Twilight? Is the portal suppose to be doing that?" He pointed to the portal.

Twilight looked up.

The portal was rippling more than usual; its color was changing from magenta to a light red.

The Princess of Friendship blinked a few times. "Uh, I'm...sure it's nothing."

She redid the activation spell, just to make sure.

And, it was fine.

Twilight chuckled, "See? Nothing to worry about."

Spike scratched his neck, "If you're sure."

"Of course I am. Now, let's go."

With that, they both ran through the portal.


-----


The seven girls were all waiting eagerly at the statue. 

Pinkie Pie hadn't stopped bouncing since they arrived, "Oh! I can't wait for Twilight to get here."

"Don'tcha mean Princess Twilight?" Applejack smirked, looking over at Twilight, who merely shrugged sheepishly.

"Yeah, That's not gonna get confusing." Rainbow Dash placed a hand on her hip.

Sunset giggled, "How about we call you Twilight, and - "

At that moment, the portal rippled and Princess Twilight and Spike came barreling through.

" - her Princess Twilight?" 

The girls all started greeting the princess at the same time.

They didn't seem to notice her dizziness.

Princess Twilight held her head, "Whoa. Girls, one at a time, please. " She shook her head. "Okay. That was a lot more disorienting than I remember."

Spike wobbled on his hind legs, before flopping down on all fours.  "You...said it."

Sunset and Rainbow Dash helped Princess Twilight stand up.

"You all right?"

The princess held out her hands to the side, trying to regain her balance. She blinked and gave a sigh of relief, straightening up.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Sunset. Your timing was literally perfect. I had absolutely nothing to do. You really helped out."

Sunset laughed, "Well, I'm glad I could help. Slow week?"

Princess Twilight chuckled, stretching her arms into the air, "Knowing what I've been through, yes. It's been very slow."

Spike scratched behind his ear, "Yeah, even her books aren't cheering her up."

Rainbow Dash laughed loudly, slapping the princess on the back, "Oh, yeah. You are totally bored. The Book Princess doesn't want to read?! Alert the media."

Pinkie Pie saluted, "Aye aye, Rainbow Dash." She took out a megaphone, taking a deep breath. 

"HEY, EVERYONE! PRINCESS TWILIGHT DOESN'T WANT TO - "

Applejack quickly snatched the megaphone from Pinkie's hand, "That's enough, Pink."

Twilight, who had been standing right next to Pinkie, stuck a finger in her ear, "I think I'm deaf in my left ear now."

Princess Twilight rolled her eyes, "So, what's been going on?"

Rarity grabbed ahold of the princess's arm, "Well, we can't talk here. People listen. Let's head to the cafe."

Rainbow looked at Rarity oddly, "Aren't there people there, too?"

Fluttershy rubbed her arms together, "I would like a strawberry and banana smoothie."

Pinkie jumped, wrapping her arms around Rarity and Fluttershy, "Me, too! Last one to Sugarcube Cafe is a rotten pineapple!" Pinkie zoomed off in a cloud of pink smoke.

Rainbow blinked twice. She gawked, "Hey, wait! You got a head start." She quickly ran after her pink friend with the others following at a leisurely pace.


-----


The eight girls ordered their refreshments and sat down. 

Princess Twilight sipped her iced tea, "So, anything exciting been going on? How's school, Twilight?"

Twilight smiled, adjusting her glasses, "Oh, it's been great. Everyone at CHS is so nice. That transfer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I can enjoy school again."

Sunset put a her hand on Twilight's shoulder, "And, the best thing that happened to us. Now, we have a Twilight of our own. But, don't worry, Princess, we cherish both of you equally."

"Here here!" All of the girls cheered in unison.

Princess Twilight smiled, "Thanks, girls. I cherish your friendships, too. So, any magic issues?"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head, "We've had a few pony ups here and there. But, nothing worth worrying about."

Rainbow pumped a fist, "Yeah, that last pony up totally won us that game! No doubt I'm nominated VIP this year."

Pinkie giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "Yup, you were certainly dashing." 

Fluttershy blinked, "I don't get it."

Pinkie patted Fluttershy's head, "Poor naive Fluttershy. Can't understand the joy that is puns."

Applejack cleared her throat, "Anywho, the school's havin' a little shindig on Monday. The Rainbooms are gonna be performin'."

Rarity gasped, grabbing Princess Twilight suddenly, "Oh, you should sing with us, Twilight! I'm sure everyone would be thrilled to see you again."

Sunset nodded, "And, we'd love to have you sing for us."

The princess pulled away from her and rubbed her arm, "Well, I'd normally say yes, but what about you, Twilight?"

The other Twilight adjusted her glasses, "Well, I'm not very comfortable in front of crowds. I enjoy singing, but only when I'm alone."

Rainbow nudged Princess Twilight, "There's your answer. So, what do ya say?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. There's now two of us. Won't people find that a bit odd?"

Sunset chuckled, "Believe me. After what we've been through, they'll find that there being two Twilights is normal."

Princess Twilight brought a finger to her chin, "Hmm...all right, I'll do it."

Cheers were heard all around.

"Say, since we're all done here, why don't we practice?" Rainbow suggested, jumping up from her seat.

"Sounds like a plan ta me," Applejack tipped her hat down, standing up.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie grinned. She pointed out the door. "Let's go!"


-----


The Rainbooms entered the music room to begin practice.

Rainbow Dash walked over to her guitar case and opened it up. She took it out and placed it around her back. She rubbed off a white spot with her elbow.

She struck a chord, "Oh, yeah. Who's ready to rock and roll?"

Applejack held her bass, "Ready, partner."

Rarity flipped her hair, "I am ready."

Fluttershy held her tambourine low, "I'm ready."

Pinkie waved her hand, "Yeah, yeah. We're all ready. Let's make some music, girls."

Twilight and the two Spikes sat in the corner. The human Twilight's Spike had been in her backpack and was only now being introduced.

And, now, Twilight sat between the two dogs who looked at each other weirdly.

Equestria Spike pawed at the ground, unsure of what to say, "So...what's up?"

His counterpart shrugged, "Eh...nothing much."

The dragon-turned-dog coughed, "Right. Uh, you like gemstones?"

Spike gained a look of confusion, "Gemstones? You mean like rubies and diamonds."

Equestria Spike nodded.

"I don't think I'd be able to. I'd probably chip a tooth. These teeth aren't made of metal, ya know."

Equestria Spike looked to the side, "Oh, right. You're actually a dog."

Meanwhile the Rainbooms sang. Their voices along with their instruments intertwined melodiously.

Around half-way through the song, they began to pony up.

Each girl gained their pony ears and hair extensions. But, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight didn't get their wings.

Upon realizing this, Rainbow Dash immediately stopped the song. "Whoa! Whoa! Hold up. Where are my wings?"

Fluttershy looked at her back, "And mine?"

Princess Twilight looked at her own, "That's odd."

Sunset Shimmer looked around, "We still have the ears and tail."

"Yeah, but - " Rainbow was interrupted as the magic faded and their pony additions disappeared.

Twilight stood up, adjusting her glasses. "Is that normal?"

Princess Twilight scratched her head, "No. Not that I know of. Huh."

Rainbow Dash slumped to the ground, crossing her arms, "Well, that's not fair. The wings are the best part. Why couldn't it have been the ears? I can live without the ears."

Sunset Shimmer rubbed her chin, "The question is why didn't you get your wings?"

Princess Twilight nodded, "Yes. Fluttershy, you, and I should have gotten wings."

Pinkie leaned against the piano, "Huh. Guess we're experiencing magical difficulties. Where's a magic repairman when you need one?"

Rarity set her keytar down, "Well, I say we just let it go. Perhaps this was a one time mishap. I'm sure you will have your wings the next time you pony up."

Rainbow huffed, "You'd better be right."

Princess Twilight clasped her hands together, "Well, I guess there's no reason to worry. As long as this problem doesn't continue, we should be fine." She bent down and picked up Spike, who was asleep.

The other Twilight did the same.

"Do I have the right Spike?"

They both looked at each other then giggled.

Twilight chuckled, "Look on the back of his dog tag. My initials should be there."

Princess Twilight flipped the dog tag over, and sure enough, the initials T.S. were written in Sharpie marker.

She giggled, "Here's your Spike."

They exchanged dogs, smiling at each other.

"So, what now?"

Pinkie jumped, placing both of her hands on the princess's shoulder, "Oh! You should totally stay at my place, Princess."

Rainbow furrowed her eyebrows, "No way. She stayed at your place last time. Twi, you should hang with me. " She nudged the princess with her elbow.

Rarity placed her hands on her hips, "Now, darling, I'm sure she'd prefer staying somewhere clean. She is a princess after all."

Fluttershy held up a finger, "You could stay with me."

Applejack shook her head, "I'm sure the princess would much enjoy the simple country life. We could sleep in the loft."

Rarity scoffed, "Who'd want to sleep in some smelly old barn? I'd be happy to let you stay in our townhouse, Princess."

The five girls continued to bicker.

Sunset and Princess Twilight exchanged glances.

Sunset cleared her throat, causing the arguing girls to stop and look at her.

"Why don't we let the princess decide?"

Princess Twilight smiled, patting Sunset on the back, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sunset. Since you girls are going to argue about it, I'm going to stay in the library, the first place I stayed."

Rarity gasped, "Oh, dear, no. You can't stay in the library."

She raised an eyebrow, "Will you all promise to stop arguing and to not get upset about whose house I stay at?"

The girls all murmured their consent.

The princess nodded. She turned her head towards her counterpart, "Say, Twilight? Do you have an extra room?"

Twilight blinked then smiled, "We do. There's a guest room right next to mine. But, don't you think my family will be kind of - "

Princess Twilight walked over to her, placing her hand on her shoulder, "Hey, your family's my family, too. In a way. They may find it odd, but they should get over it fairly quickly."

The two Twilights walked out of the music room, leaving the other girls.

"Dibs on getting her next!"

"Shut up, Pinkie."















> Seeing Double
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Twilights stood in front of the three-story house located in the more suburban part of Canterlot. 

Twilight looked at her princess counterpart with uncertainty, "Uh, are you sure it's a good idea to stay with me? We're not going to rip a hole in space, are we?"

The Princess of Friendship laughed, "I'm pretty sure one would have formed already. Relax, Twilight. If your family is anything like my family, then we should have no reason to worry."

"Or should we?" Equestrian Spike chirped from beside Princess Twilight's feet.

Princess Twilight glared at her companion, using her foot to gently push him away. "No. We don't."

Twilight sighed, "Well, I suppose. Come on. My dad works late, but my mom should be home. Unless, she's running some errands."

They both walked up to the front of the house. Twilight reached into her pocket for the key and slid it into place, opening it.

They both walked inside. Princess Twilight looked around the living space, marveling at how similar it looked to her own home, except for the television in the middle of the room.

"I'm home!" Twilight yelled, setting her backpack down on the couch.

"Be down in a sec, Twily." A male voice sounded from the second floor.

Princess Twilight recognized the voice immediately, "Shining Armor?"

Twilight nodded, taking her Spike from out of her bag. 

The pony-turned-human sat down on the sofa, bouncing slightly, "I can't help but feel at home here. Not surprising."

Footsteps coming down the stairs alerted the two girls that Shining Armor was coming down.

"Hey, Twily. How was - " He was unable to finish his sentence due to the fact that two Twilights were occupying the living room, as well as two Spikes.

"I-I-I-I - "

Both Twilights looked at each other then giggled.

"Are you okay, Shining?" Twilight asked her brother, muffling her giggles with her mouth.

Shining Armor blinked rapidly, mouth hanging open, "I knew I should've drank my coffee this morning."

Princess Twilight chuckled, walking up to her stunned brother's counterpart, "Relax, Shining Armor, this isn't an illusion. What you are seeing is absolutely real."

Her human counterpart walked up next to her, "It's true, BBBFF."

He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, "How?"

Once again, the two Twilight Sparkles exchanged glances.

"Perhaps it'd be best if you explained to him, Princess. Even I'm not entirely sure of all the facts."

Princess Twilight smiled, wrapping an arm around Shining Armor, "Sure. But, this might take awhile."


-----


"You're a pony."

Princess Twilight nodded, "Yes."

"And you're a princess?"

She nodded once again, "Yes."

"So, there's an alternate world full of colorful ponies, and my sister happens to be a princess in that world?"

The young princess laughed, "Yes, Shining Armor. I know it's a lot to take in, but it is true."

Shining Armor sighed half-heartedly, "I'm having a hard time believing that."

His younger sister shrugged, "So did I, at first. But, can you really question it when you're sitting in front of two Twilights?"

He leaned back against the recliner, taking a deep breath. "No...I guess I can't."

Equestrian Spike, who was sleeping next to Princess Twilight , peeked an eye open, "Not to mention the two talking dogs."

"Yup, don't want to forget that, " added Canine Spike, scratching his ear with his hindpaw.

Shining Armor sat up, rubbing his head, "Well, I guess I accept it. Kind of. So, every human in this world has a pony counterpart in yours?"

Princess Twilight nodded again, "Correct."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "So, what am I like back there?"

Both Twilights looked at each other, wondering if that particular information should be given.

Twilight looked at her counterpart then back at her brother, "Go ahead. Might finally make him do it."

"Do what?"

Princess Twilight giggled, "All right. Well, Shining Armor, you are the best big brother a pony - er, girl could have. When you finished school, you became a Royal Guard."

Shining's eyes widened, "A guard for royalty?"

Princess Twilight grinned, "Yup, for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

"Aren't they - "

"Yes, Principal Celestia's and Vice-Principal Luna's counterparts. They are the rulers of Equestria."

Shining Armor huffed, "Figures."

"Anyway, after a few years of being in the Royal Guard, you eventually became the Captain of the Royal Guard." She looked pointedly at her counterpart sibling, a slight smile on her face.

His mouth dropped, "Captain?! I became captain of the guard for royalty?!"

Princess Twilight's smile widened, "Yes. There's more."

"More? How much more can there be?" 

The Princess of Friendship smiled at him, "It gets better."

Twilight giggled, "Much better, Big Brother."

He raised a curious eyebrow but allowed the princess to continue.

"So, fast forward to a couple years later. I receive an invitation to a royal wedding."

His eye twitched, "You can't be serious."

Princess Twilight winked at him, "I can and I am. My friends and I were invited to the wedding of..." She paused for dramatic effect.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor."

Shining looked down for a second, "Mi Amore Cadenza...wait. CADENCE?"

The two Twilights looked at each other and giggled.

"Yes, Shining. Do you know her?" Princess Twilight crossed her arms with an amused smirk on her face.

Shining was silent for a long time, staring at nothing in particular. "I...married Cadence?"

He received a nod from the young princess, "Yes, and became Prince Shining Armor, co-ruler of the Crystal Empire."

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, "The Crystal what?"

Princess Twilight sighed tiredly, "Now, that's an entirely different story."

Twilight smiled, "So, what do you say to that, BBBFF?"

He sat back against his chair, "So, does this mean I can - "

"Go for it." Both Twilights said in unison.

A smile spread across Shining's face. He quickly stood up and ran upstairs.

Once again, the two Twilights broke out in laughter.

Princess Twilight wiped a tear from her eye, "Well, that went well."

Twilight took off her glasses, wiping her face with her sleeve, "You can say that again. Something tells me I'm going to be gaining a sister-in-law in the near future."

Just then, the front door opened, revealing Twilight Velvet, clad in a light blue overcoat, 

Without looking into the living room, she took off her coat and hung it on the rack near the door. 

"Hi, honey. How are you? I'm going to start dinner." She walked towards the kitchen without noticing a second daughter. "Green bean casserole sound good?"

Twilight snorted, covering her mouth with her hand, "Sounds good, Mom."

Twilight Velvet grabbed an apron from a hook in the kitchen. She tied it around herself and began opening different cupboards to select the ingredients.

"Okay. That happened." Velvet heard her daughter's voice as she began to open a can of green beans.

"Don't worry. She's bound to notice soon." Twilight's voice replied.

She stopped short but decided it was nothing.

"Well, if she's anything like my mother, she'll figure it out in no time." That made her stop again.

She put the can down and walked back into the living room. "Twilight, what are you do - " Her eyes widened as she caught sight of another Twilight in the room. Her eyes bounced back and forth between the two girls.

The bespectacled Twilight tapped her fingers together nervously, "H-hi, Mom."

Twilight Velvet quickly ran back into the kitchen, trying to catch her breath. "I must be seeing things."

Cautiously, Mrs. Sparkle turned back, peering slightly into the living room. Once again, two Twilights sat on the sofa together, and...was that another Spike?

Being the logical and reasonable woman she was, Velvet took a deep breath and went back into the living room.

She walked up in front of the couch, bearing a pleasant smile, "Twilight, honey, could you please explain why there is a second you in this house?"

Twilight turned to her Equestrian counterpart with pleading eyes.

The princess shrugged and sighed, "Well, I would, but then you won't get dinner on the table."

Velvet raised a wary eyebrow, "What do you me - "

At that moment, Night Light came through the front door. He took off his hat, shaking his head.

He began to walk past the living room, "Evening, honey, Twilight, and Twilight. Velvet, it's past five, why don't I smell - "

He stopped walking as he registered his last comment. His head swiveled around, his eyes fell upon two daughters.

He rubbed his eyes then looked back at them, "Did I miss something?"


-----


During dinner, Princess Twilight relayed all of the information that the Sparkle family needed to know. It took longer than expected, but eventually, they were all up to speed.

Night Light took a sip of his soda, "So, my daughter's a pony princess in another world? I always knew she was special, and this proves it."

Twilight blushed, "Dad."

Velvet placed the last bit of casserole in her mouth. "And, our son is a prince married to a princess?"

Princess Twilight nodded, resting her arm on the table, "Princess Cadence, no less."

"So, Cadence is a princess in another world? Well, son, I think that makes her worthy enough." Night Light nudged Shining Armor with his elbow.

"Yes, Shiny, I want grandchildren someday." Twilight Velvet began collecting the dirty dishes and headed into the kitchen.

Shining Armor blushed, "One step at a time, Mom. I gotta ask her out first."

Princess Twilight laughed, "Well, if you do get married, send me an invitation. I'd love to be there. Hopefully, this time Cadence won't be replaced by a Changeling."

"A what?"

She waved a hand, "Never mind."

"So, Dad? Is it okay for her to stay over? She won't be here long." Twilight smiled hopefully at her father.

He looked at his daughter then to the princess. He shrugged, walking over to Princess Twilight, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, what's one more Twilight going to do? Of course, she can stay."

Both Twilights' faces broke out into huge grins.

"Twilight, won't don't you show the princess to her room?" Velvet suggested from the kitchen as she closed up the dishwasher.

"Sure thing, Mom. Come on, Princess."

The two Twilights quickly ran upstairs, followed by their respective dogs.

"So, Shining Armor, when do you plan on asking her?"

Shining simply sighed.


-----


After several hours of staying up, the girls finally went to sleep.

Morning came around quickly. But, this happened in Equestria, too, so Princess Twilight was used to it.

Clad in purple pajamas, she got out of the bed and stretched. She smelled something coming from the kitchen.

She went downstairs, dressed in her usual clothes, and took a seat at the dining table.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, honey, " Velvet, who had been flipping pancakes, turned around to greet her daughter. "Oh! Princess Twilight. Sorry, I thought you were the other Twilight."

The princess laughed, holding up a hand, "Don't be. I know it can be pretty confusing."

Just then, Shining Armor came trudging down the stairs, "Morning, Mom. Twily."

Princess Twilight giggled, "Good morning, Shining Armor."

He blinked then chuckled, "Whoops. Different Twilight."

The Princess of Friendship merely rolled her eyes.

Just then, more footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

Twilight came rushing in, holding her phone in her hand.

"Princess, I got a voicemail from Sunset Shimmer. I think you should hear it." She handed the phone to her counterpart.

Princess Twilight raised an eyebrow, taking the phone in her hand.

Hey, Twilight. It's Sunset. Princess Twilight's staying with you, right? Well, when you get this, tell her that something's going on with the portal. I don't know what, and it's hard to explain. Tell her to meet me at the portal. You can come, too. Okay? Bye.

Princess Twilight blinked, staring at the phone.

"What was that about?" Velvet walked over to her.

Princess Twilight handed the phone back to her counterpart then turned towards Twilight Velvet. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I have to skip breakfast. Something's going on with the portal."

"The portal to Equestria?" Shining questioned.

The princess nodded, quickly running upstairs to grab Spike.

A few minutes later, she returned. "I have to go. Twilight, are you coming?"

Twilight looked at the princess then back at her mother, "Can I?"

Velvet placed her hands on her hips and sighed, "Well, all right. But, at least take a granola bar with you or something."

Twilight nodded, running into the kitchen to grab a few.

When she came back, Princess Twilight was already holding the door open. 

"Come on. If something's wrong with the portal, we need to fix it. I just hope that it's nothing serious."










> A Portal Problem
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset Shimmer paced in front of the portal, visibly concerned. 

"Come on, Twilight, where are you?"

"Sunset Shimmer!"

Sunset turned her head, and to her relief, Princess Twilight and her counterpart were running towards her.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, good. You're here."

She ran up and met them halfway.

Princess Twilight huffed, out of breath from the running. "What - *huff* - seems to be - *huff* - the problem?"

"You said something was going on with the portal?" Twilight asked, panting slightly.

Sunset nodded, biting her lip, "Yes, and frankly, it's not good."

Having regained her breath, Princess Twilight straightened up, taking another deep breath, "What happened?"

"Well, " Sunset started as they began walking towards the portal. "I was sitting in front of the portal last night. And, suddenly, I felt weak and dizzy, like something had been pulled out of me. I noticed the portal glowing behind me. At first, I didn't know what had happened. But, while I was practicing on my guitar at home, I realized that I wasn't ponying up."

Both Twilights gasped.

Princess Twilight waved her hands rapidly, "Hold on a second. Are you telling me that the portal drained your magic?"

Sunset sighed, "That's the only solution I've come up with."

The Princess of Friendship bit her lip, "Okay, that's definitely not good."

"I told you, Twilight. Something's up with the portal." Equestrian Spike popped his head out from the princess's backpack.

A small gasp escaped Sunset Shimmer's mouth, "What happened?"

Princess Twilight shrugged, "I didn't really think it was a problem. The portal was rippling a lot more than usual. And, the color changed."

"Not to mention the dizzying journey here." Equestrian Spike held his head at the thought.

Twilight put a finger to her chin, "I don't know a lot about magic yet, but I definitely know when something's malfunctioning."

"Yes, but, why?" Princess Twilight bit her finger in thought.

Sunset Shimmer huffed, "Well, until further notice, I think we should stay away from the portal, just to be safe."

Princess Twilight crossed her arms, "That'd probably be best. When I get back to Equestria, I'm going to see if I can dig up any information about the mirror."

Sunset sighed, "Well, hopefully, you'll have a better chance of finding something than I did. Princess Celestia had forbidden me to do any research on it, but...well, you know what happened."

The Princess of Friendship placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder, "Sunset, that's all in the past. There's nothing you can do to change it. But, take solace in the fact that you're a much better person than you were back then. No offense."

Sunset chuckled, "None taken. Thanks, Princess."

The princess nodded.

Twilight clasped her hands together, "So, now what?"

Sunset shrugged, looking at her watch, "Well, it's quarter to nine now. The girls want to practice around noon for the party tomorrow."

Princess Twilight smiled, "That's fine. But, maybe we should try to avoid ponying up. Just until we get this whole situation sorted out."

Sunset smirked, "Try telling Rainbow Dash that."

The princess rolled her eyes, "Oh, right. Well, we'll explain to them what's going on."

Twilight stood off to the side, keeping quiet while the two magic experts talked.

Sunset noticed her absence and looked around for her.

She smiled, "Twilight, you're acting like you're the fifth wheel here. But, you're not. Come on, why don't we grab some breakfast at the cafe."

Twilight returned a smile, "That'd be nice. I'll just let my mom know, and then we can leave." She took out her phone and dialed her mother.

Princess Twilight, while waiting for her counterpart to finish, began to feel a sudden pull towards the portal. Something was trying to draw her over there.

Without warning, the princess grabbed her counterpart and Sunset Shimmer and dragged them far away from the portal.

Twilight nearly dropped her phone, "Whoa, hey. Princess Twilight, what did you - Mom? Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, see you later on. Love you." She hung up, stuck her phone in her pocket, then turned towards the princess.

"What was that?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, Princess, what was that?"

Princess Twilight picked up her Spike, "Sorry, girls. But, something was trying to pull me towards the portal. I think it would be best for all of us to stay away from it for now."

Spike blinked, "But, Twilight, does that mean we can't go back home?"

Princess Twilight gasped, "Oh, Spike. You're right! With the portal acting up, there's no telling what will happen if we try to go through it."

Sunset put her hand to her mouth, "Oh no. What about your royal duties?"

The princess sighed, "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. The portal's acting up, and  I don't want to risk anything happening to me and Spike."

Twilight lifted a finger, "I'm not saying it could happen, but if the portal's not working properly, is there a chance that it might close?"

Princess Twilight and Spike both gasped loudly.

"You might be right, Twilight. Anything could happen. I'm going to have to look into this. But, first...Sunset, do you have your book?"

"It's at my house."

"Then, let's go. I have to let the ponies in Equestria know what's going on."

Sunset nodded, "My house is just around the block. I'll meet you two at the Cafe."

With that, she ran off towards the direction of her house, leaving the two Twilights and their respective dogs.


-----


"Twilight, darling? Are you in here?" Rarity looked around the castle, trying to locate the Princess of Friendship.

She trotted into the throne room but found it to be empty.

The white unicorn huffed, "Now, where in Equestria could she be?"

With a hunch, Rarity headed towards Twilight's room.

She peaked her head through the door but found the room to be empty as well.

She sighed, about to leave, when she heard a faint buzzing.

She opened the door fully, trying to locate the source.

It didn't take long to find it.

On Twilight's bed, a book with a sun emblazoned on the cover glowed and vibrated. 

"Oh my." Rarity took the book in her magic and opened it up to a page.


To whomever reads this, Spike and I are in the human world. Don't worry, nothing world-shattering is going on. Well, not yet anyway. Something is going on with the portal. We're not exactly sure what, but it would be best if nothing passed through it for the time being. So, for now, we're stuck here. I need you to try to dig up any information you can regarding the Mirror. If need be, ask Princess Celestia to give you access to the Royal Archives. You may explain what is going on if you feel it will help. I know you can do it. Twilight.



Rarity gasped, "Good heavens! I must alert the girls at once." Without a second thought, she ran out of the bedroom, dragging the book along with her.


-----


"What do you mean we can't pony up?!" Rainbow Dash gawked, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Princess Twilight shrugged, "I'm sorry, Rainbow. But, with the portal somehow draining magic, it'd be best to avoid using it. Sunset wasn't even ponied up when it happened."

Rainbow slouched against her seat, crossing her arms, "No fair. I'm going to be deprived of my awesome wings for who knows how long."

Sunset patted her shoulder, "It's not going to be forever. Just until we figure out what's going on."

Rarity huffed, "And, just when I thought this was going to be a relaxing visit."

Applejack nudged the princess, who was seated next to her on the couch, "It seems that trouble always follows ya, Princess."

The princess chuckled flatly, "That does seem like the case, doesn't it?"

Twilight adjusted her glasses, "If you want, you can continue staying with me until this all blows over."

Her Equestrian counterpart smiled, nodding, "Thanks, Twilight. I don't know how long we're going to stay here. But, I appreciate you opening up your house for us."

Fluttershy raised her hand, "So, do you have any idea what the problem could be?"

Princess Twilight shrugged, "Not yet, no. I've asked my pony friends to get some information for me. And, hopefully, I'll be able to do some research in this world. Those computer things are really useful; I might be able to get some things from there."

Pinkie grinned, "You can borrow my laptop anytime you want! Oh, I can teach you to play some of my favorite online games!"

Sunset chuckled, "You can do your research on the school computers. While we're in class, you can get busy digging up some information."

Princess Twilight nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Rainbow crossed her arms, "So, how exactly are we supposed to play our music without ponying up?"

The princess shrugged, "We're going to have to hold back a little. We can make it sound good, just not so good that it activates our magic."

Rainbow Dash gawked, "Hold back my awesomeness? I'm not sure I know how to do that."

Everyone simultaneously rolled their eyes.

The bell on the front door rung, indicating someone else had entered the sweet shoppe.

Rarity saw who had just entered and smiled, "Oh, look who's heading this way."

Princess Twilight turned her head to see who Rarity was referring to, and immediately, she averted her gaze, while a blush slowly formed on her face.

Applejack snickered, waving a hand in the air, "Hiya, Flash."

The blue-haired guitar player turned his head towards the voice that called his name. His gaze soon rested upon eight familiar girls, one standing out amongst the rest.

"Twilight?"

Twilight turned her head, but soon realized that he wasn't talking about her.

The Twilight he was talking about, however, was trying her best to keep the blood from flowing to her cheeks. But, once her eyes met Flash's blue ones, her attempt to do so was quickly useless.

"Oh, hi, Flash, " She gave a shy wave.

A wide smile spread across Flash's face, "I didn't know you were visiting." He walked over to where the girls were congregated.

"Well, I - " She was cut off by Rarity not-so-subtly shoving her off of the couch, forcing her to stand.

Before she could protest, Rarity pushed Princess Twilight towards the blue-haired boy, causing them to collide with each other.

Flash wound up catching her before either of them could fall.

The girls behind her giggled as Princess Twilight's ears burned. She and Flash awkwardly met each other's eyes and hastily pulled apart from each other, to avoid any further humiliation.

Flash rubbed the back of his neck, "So, uh, what are you doing back here? Not that I don't want you here, but usually you show up when there's a big event going on. Oh, are you here for the party tomorrow?"

Princess Twilight cleared her throat, "Well, yeah, sort of. Turns out there's more to this casual visit than I thought. I can't really go into any details, seeing as how I know next to nothing myself." She chuckled sheepishly. "But, the least I can tell you is that I'll be around for a little while. Most likely longer than usual."

Flash grinned, "Really? That's great!"

He felt the disapproving glares from the girls behind Princess Twilight.

Flash cleared his throat, "Uh...I mean, wow. Sorry. I hope you'll be able to get home."

She crossed her arms, "Me, too."

Flash coughed, "Well, it's nice seeing you again, Twilight. I'm gonna go."

Princess Twilight nodded, smiling, "Nice to see you, too, Flash. Bye." 

Flash gave a thumbs up then walked to the counter, but not before shooting another glance at Princess Twilight. 

Princess Twilight sighed contently before she heard snickering behind her.

Rainbow grinned, "Sing it with me. 'Flash and Twilight sitting in a tree,'"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Pinkie finished, giggling slightly.

Princess Twilight's face burned, "Girls! Not so loud!"

"So, what? You know you want to."

Princess Twilight groaned, "Shouldn't we be practicing for tomorrow?"

Rarity stood up, "But, of course, dear. Although, you have to admit, you adore the idea of you and Flash."

The princess rolled her eyes, "I'm ready to leave when you are."

Slowly but surely, the girls finished the beverages and headed towards the school to practice.


----


The Rainboom's music echoed throughout the empty halls of Canterlot High.

The band had requested weekend practice to prepare for the party, so Principal Celestia opened up the school and allowed them to rehearse.

As they practiced, Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer kept a close eye on Rainbow Dash, looking for any signs of a pony up.

As they neared the end of the song, Rainbow Dash held a guitar solo. 

As Dash played solo, Princess Twilight could make out the pony ears trying to form on her. Wasting no time, she nodded to Sunset who gave a nod in return.

Sunset unplugged Rainbow's guitar amp, causing the guitar's sound to get increasingly lower.

Rainbow Dash stopped playing, gawking at Sunset who was still holding the chord.

"What's the deal, Shimmer?"

Sunset dropped the chord and crossed her arms, "You were about to pony up."

Princess Twilight raised an eyebrow, "You were supposed to hold back."

Rainbow groaned, "I don't know if I can. My awesomeness can't be hidden."

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Very humble, R.D."

Princess Twilight sighed, "Rainbow, do you want the portal to drain your magic?"

Twilight, who had been sitting against the wall, spoke up, "I know you've had your magic drained before. No thanks to me, but..."

Her Spike laid his head on her lap. She smiled and rubbed his head.

Rainbow huffed, crossing her arms, "Ugh, fine. But, if I pony up tomorrow, don't blame me."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "And, just who do you want us to blame?"

Rainbow mumbled something incoherently.

Princess Twilight let out another sigh, "I'm going to do some research. Do you think one of you girls could accompany me? I'm not a hundred percent sure on how to operate the computers."

"I'll help you, Princess." Her human counterpart stood up, picking up both Spikes.

She walked over to Princess Twilight and handed her her Spike, who was asleep.

Princess Twilight smiled, "Thanks, Twilight. You girls can continue practicing. Just try not to go overboard."

With that being said, the two Twilights exited the music room and headed to the library.







> The Party Before the Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Element Bearers excluding Twilight were all assembled at Canterlot Castle in the throne room of Princess Celestia.

Rarity showed the Sun Princess the book and the message that Twilight had left.

Princess Celestia scanned the message quickly. She sighed, levitating the book back to Rarity.

Rarity took the book and put it back in her saddlebags, "So, Your Highness, will you be able to help us?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, cause Twi's gonna be stuck in that other world forever unless we can help her."

Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy and started hugging her tightly, "And forever's a reaaaaally long time! I don't want to have to wait forever to see Twilight again. I'll miss her too much. I miss her already too much."

Fluttershy started turning purple, "Ugh...Pinkie...could you..?"

Pinkie let her go upon realizing her friend was suffocating, "Oops.  Sorry, Flutters."

Princess Celestia looked toward a window, lost in thought. "Information about the Crystal Mirror has been hidden away ever since Sunset Shimmer tried to use it for her own personal gain. I locked it deep within the Archives in case somepony else tried to do the same."

Applejack tilted her hat up, "We would never do anythang like that, Princess."

Celestia smiled, "I know you won't. Which is why I will personally take you down there myself."

Fluttershy gulped, "Is it dangerous?"

Celestia chuckled, "Not at all. But, I am the only who knows the spell to unlock the chamber that they are contained in." She turned to one of her advisors.

"Quick Wit," she called out to the light-blue stallion standing next to the throne.

He quickly met her gaze, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Cancel court for the rest of the day. I will be down in the Archives for awhile."

Quick Wit nodded, "Consider it done, m'Lady."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, "Say, why do they call you Quick Wit?"

Quick Wit looked at  the cyan pegasus with a deadpan expression. "Why do they call you Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash blinked before bearing a smug smirk, "Uh, because I'm awesome and need a name befitting my awesomeness?"

Quick Wit shook his head, "No. Because that's what your parents decided to name you."

Pinkie burst out laughing, "Oh! That is soooo funny!"

Rainbow looked over at her laughing friend, "What?"

Celestia chuckled, "You can ponder that while we head down to the Archives. Follow me, my little ponies."

With that being said, Princess Celestia led the Element Bearers out of the throne room.


-----


Monday morning had arrived. But, this was no ordinary Monday. Twenty-five years ago today, Canterlot High School opened its doors for students to learn.

So, in honor of this momentous occasion, a party was put together to celebrate Canterlot High's twenty-fifth anniversary.

The Rainbooms would be putting on a special concert near the end of it. 

Despite the circumstances involving the portal, this party would be a good way for the Rainbooms to unwind.

Princess Twilight entered the music room alongside her human counterpart.

The rest of the Rainbooms were already there.

Rainbow Dash groaned, "What took you two so long? We've only got, like, an hour to practice before the party starts."

Princess Twilight rubbed her eyes, "Sorry, girls. I was up late last night doing some research."

"Is that really much of a surprise?" Equestrian Spike chirped from his place in her backpack.

The princess shot him a glare before taking her backpack off and setting it on the floor.

"Did you find out anything?" Sunset asked while tuning up her guitar.

Princess Twilight sighed, "No. Not yet. Hopefully, my friends in Equestria will have better luck than I do."

Sunset's eyes brightened, "Oh! That reminds me. They sent you a message. The book's in my bag next to the piano."

The princess walked over to the piano, instantly spotting Sunset's bag. She unzipped it and opened it up. She reached inside and grabbed the book.

She flipped through several pages then spotted the most recent message.


Dear Twilight, 
Princess Celestia has graciously allowed us access to the Royal Archives. She says that the books about the Mirror are hidden deep within them. We will let you know if we find out anything. We miss you.
Your Friends


Princess Twilight let out a sigh of relief as she closed the book and handed it back to Sunset. "Well, Princess Celestia has allowed them access to the Archives and the books about the Mirror."

Sunset placed the book on the piano, "Oh, really? That's great. I'm sure they'll be able to find something." She looked off into the distance with a forlorn expression. "I know I didn't."

Princess Twilight chuckled, "You really need to let that go, Sunset."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Enough with the sap. Let's get rockin'!" She struck a chord.

Princess Twilight walked over to a microphone, "Remember, girls. No ponying up. We don't want to lose any more magic."

Pinkie raised an eyebrow, "Try telling that to Dashie."

Rainbow quickly turned to her, "What?"

Pinkie put a hand to her mouth, "Whoops! Spoiler alert. Reading too far ahead. Never mind. Forget I said anything. Let's play!" She tapped her drumsticks together.

Everyone looked around at each other, unsure of how to respond. They all decided not to respond at all and take Pinkie's advice.

Princess Twilight turned to her counterpart, "Twilight, if you see any one of us start to pony up, feel free to interrupt us."

Twilight looked to the side, "Uh, okay?"

Rainbow readied her fingers. "Enough talk. Let's rock."

Without further ado, the Rainbooms began to play.


We used to fight with each other.
(Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh)
That was before we discovered.
(Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh)
That when your friendship is real.
(Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh Whoa-Oh)
Yeah, you just say what you feel.

And the music, yeah the music
Gets us to the top.
As we learn how to rainbow...
RAINBOW ROCKS!


Twilight tapped her foot along with the beat, keeping a close eye on each member of the Rainbooms.

As they entered the second verse, Twilight began to notice faint wisps of sparkles appearing on Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack.

Twilight gasped. She looked around, trying to find something that would get their attention. She spotted the light switch near the door.

Quickly, she ran over to the switch and flipped it downward, causing the lights to turn off.

The girls immediately stopped playing upon being shrouded in darkness.

Rainbow turned to glare at Twilight, "What the hay was that for? We were almost done."

Twilight shrugged, "You, Rarity, and Applejack were on the verge of ponying up. The Princess told me to interrupt."

Princess Twilight narrowed her eyes at the three girls, "Exactly. She has done nothing wrong. Girls, how many times must I tell you to hold back? Do you want to lose more magic?"

Rarity huffed, setting her keytar down, "Forgive me, Princess, but it is rather hard to control whether or not we pony up. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that the magic normally activates on its own."

A murmur of agreement sprouted from every other girl in the room, sans Sunset and Princess Twilight.

Sunset set her guitar down, "You've played before without ponying up. Don't you remember when you were competing in the Battle of the Bands? You had to hold back, otherwise the Sirens would have sensed your magic and used it. This isn't really any different."

Applejack crossed her arms, "Hate to break it to ya, sugarcube. But, I can point out a few differences."

Rainbow leaned against the piano, "Yeah, we weren't exactly at our best during the Battle of the Bands. Right now, the Rainbooms are at their peak. We are going to be performing in front of the entire school. We need to be at our best."

Princess Twilight rubbed her forehead, "Girls, if we're going to figure this out, we need to keep as much magic around as we can. We can't afford to lose anymore. Sunset's already lost hers. You've all lost your magic before, right? How exactly did you feel afterwards?"

Fluttershy raised her hand, "I couldn't even stand up."

Pinkie stuck her tongue out at the memory, "Me too. And, that wasn't fun at all. Normally, I think everything is fun. But, I can tell you right now that that was not fun."

Princess Twilight crossed her arms, "Exactly. Imagine if that were to happen on stage. Do you really want to risk that happening?"

The Rainbooms looked at each other, trying to read the others' expressions.

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Fine. We'll try to hold back. It's gonna be hard, though."

Princess Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Well, if one of you starts to pony up, I'll have Twilight over there stop you. Even if we're on stage."

Rarity put her hand to her chest, "But, darling, that is not going to look good on our part. No one else in school knows about the magic-draining portal. How will they react?"

Princess Twilight shrugged nonchalantly, "Don't worry about it. Unless you want this world to become magicless again, then by all means, don't hold back. Play as hard as you can."

Rainbow looked appalled at that, "Uh? Lose my awesome wings? No way."

Sunset looked over at her, "Well, you've already lost them. Remember, pony ups have been off the fritz lately. If the magic isn't working properly, then we need to figure out why."

Princess Twilight looked up at the clock, "Look, the party's about to start. Let's just head into the gym. But, please, try to hold back. Just until we get this whole thing sorted out."

The girls gave their consent.

"Well, what are we waiting for? It's time to PAR-TAY!" Pinkie jumped.

With that being said, the girls gathered their things and headed into the gym.


-----


Back in Equestria, the Bearers of Harmony and Princess Celestia were hard at work, searching for information on the Mirror.

Applejack sighed, closing another book, "Anypony have any idea on what we're looking for, exactly?"

Princess Celestia levitated a book off of the shelf and started to read it, "Any information about the Magic Mirror would be a good start, Applejack. I am going to assume that there is no information about it in the world that Twilight is in, so we are her only hope of coming home safely."

Pinkie opened a book next to her, "Looks like the fate of Equestria is in our hooves once again."

Rainbow looked over at the pink mare with a questioning look, "What do you mean? Equestria's not in danger. Twilight's the one we need to help."

Princess Celestia walked over to them, "Pinkie does make a valid point. You six have made your fair share of enemies during your many escapades. If they find out that Twilight is not among you, they may use her absence to their advantage. I have no doubt in all of your abilities, but as leader of the Elements of Harmony, Twilight poses as the biggest threat. With her out of the way, I see no reason why they should hold back."

The mares looked at each other anxiously.

Fluttershy gulped, "Oh, dear. I didn't even realize."

Rarity nodded, "Yes, we must work quickly if we want to get Twilight and Spike back. I can't even imagine what could happen if we can't."

Princess Celestia placed a hoof on Rarity's shoulder, "We will get her back, girls. That I can assure you."

She turned to look at the others, "Keep looking. There must be something down here that can help us."

So, the mares went back to searching. 

For several minutes, the room was silent, save for the sound of pages being flipped.

Pinkie Pie flipped through a book casually, not really expecting to find anything. She turned a page, and her eyes widened.

"Oooh! Girls! I think I found something."

Immediately, the rest of the mares gathered around Pinkie.

Princess Celestia examined the book closely. She let out a small gasp, "These are Starswirl's notes. I'd recognize them anywhere."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "Starswirl the Bearded created the Mirror to the Human World?"

Princess Celestia smiled, "Yes, I remember now. For quite some time, Starswirl had become interested in the study of alternate worlds. The Gateway to the Human World was the only portal he was successful in opening. These must be his notes on the matter."

Pinkie grinned, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to reading!"


-----


The party had been going wonderfully. All of the students of CHS were assembled in the gym, just enjoying the company of their friends and peers.

But, before long, it was time for the Rainbooms to perform.

Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna walked up to the stage. The students stopped talking and turned to face the principals.

Celestia clasped her hands together as she stood in front of the microphone, "I hope you all are having a great time. Before the Rainbooms perform, I would just like to say how proud I am of all of you. Canterlot High School has been around for twenty-five years. We have had our ups and downs. And, I am not just talking about our incidents involving magic. But, despite everything that has happened, you all have stood with us. We've overcome our obstacles. And not because of just one person or a group of people. We've overcome our obstacles together. And, that is what makes Canterlot High a great place. Friendship abounds throughout every hallway. I think I speak for both Luna and myself when I say that we are privileged to be your principals."

A cheer rang out over the entire gym, causing both Celestia and Luna to smile.

Luna grabbed the microphone, "Now, without further ado, please give a round of applause for the Rainbooms."

An even louder cheer erupted, with the additions of claps and whistles.

Celestia and Luna exited the stage as the Rainbooms entered.

The girls were all in position.

Twilight was down near the front of the stage, watching for any signs of magic.

Princess Twilight gave a look to all the girls. 

They all nodded then began to play.


Sunset Shimmer
I feel it stirrin' deep down inside my soul
The rhythm's takin' hold
And it's about to roll.


Princess Twilight
A million sparkles falling across the floor. 
So DJ give it more
It's what we're looking for.

All 
Dance the night away
All our friends right by our side
It doesn't matter what style you bring
We're about to go on that ride (Hey!)

It's dance magic
Once you have it
Let your body move
Step into the music

It's dance magic
And it's electric
Let your body move
To the music


All the while, Twilight was keeping a close eye on each girl. So far, it looked as if they would make it through the song without ponying up.

But, that would be too good to be true.

As they entered the last chorus, Rainbow Dash began to play harder.

Before anyone could react, Rainbow's magic started to activate. She gained her wings, ears, and tail again.

Princess Twilight gasped quietly. "Rainbow Dash!"

But, Rainbow Dash ponying up wasn't the only problem.

Unbeknownst to anyone inside, the portal was glowing brightly.

At that moment, Rainbow began to feel tired.

The girls all stopped playing upon seeing Rainbow Dash starting to sway.

"Ugh, okay. What's happening?" 

Princess Twilight and Applejack ran over to Rainbow Dash as her pony extensions disappeared.

Princess Twilight looked at Rainbow, "It's the portal. It drained you of your magic."

Celestia and Luna came up to the stage.

"What is going on here?"

The princess looked over at the two principals, "The magic in this world has been malfunctioning lately. The portal to Equestria seems to be draining it. We're not sure why yet."

Sunset walked over to them, "Principal Celestia, I'm not so sure it's a good idea for us to be performing right now. If any of us starts to pony up, we run the risk of losing more magic."

Luna nodded, "We understand. Sister, we should skip right to the slide show."

Celestia nodded in agreement, "Agreed." She turned to the crowd of confused students. "Due to some magic mishaps, the Rainbooms will not be able to perform right now. We will instead present a little something to remind you how our school started out. Give us a few minutes to prepare."

She turned back to the Rainbooms, "You girls don't have to stay."

Princess Twilight nodded, "Thank you. Come on, girls."

With that, the Rainbooms left the stage and exited the gym.


-----


"WHAT were you thinking, Rainbow?" Princess Twilight turned to Dash angrily.

Rainbow's eyebrows furrowed, "Look, Twi, I know what you said. But, I could see the expressions on some people's faces. They prefer us at our best. So, I gave them what they wanted."

"And, you lost your magic because of it." Sunset raised an eyebrow.

Pinkie nodded, "Yup. I totally saw that coming. Mostly because I read ahead."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

"I don't get it at all. We weren't even near the portal. How could it have drained my magic?"

Princess Twilight sighed, "I don't know. Ugh, this whole thing doesn't make any sense."

Twilight walked alongside her, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Rainbow. It just happened so fast."

Her princess counterpart placed her hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it, Twilight. You didn't do anything wrong."

Applejack huffed, "Well, now what do we do?"

"I'm going to check if my pony friends found out anything."

The girls entered the music room.

Princess Twilight walked over to the book on the piano. To her relief, it was glowing and vibrating.

She took the book in her hands and flipped to the most recent message. She read over it quickly.

Upon finishing, she let out a gasp.

Sunset gave a look of concern, "What? What does it say?"

Princess Twilight looked up at the girls, her eyes sorrowful. 

"I know why the portal's acting up."

                                                                             















> Goodbye for Now
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


It has been done. It has taken quite a toll on me, but alas, the deed has been accomplished. For many moons, I have become interested in the study of alternate worlds. It has not been easy, but I have finally managed to open up a portal to an alternate world. I have used one of the mirrors from Canterlot Palace as a gateway. Who knows what lay on the other side. But, I intend to find out.



This world is unlike any I have ever seen. I have been transformed into a strange two-legged creature. Magic does not seem to exist. During my studies in this new world,I learned that this was a world of humans. Though, it is not completely different from Equestria. There are very noticeable differences. But, similarities abound as well. I stumbled upon several familiar faces that I have seen in Canterlot Palace. I wish to stay as long as possible, but I sense an imbalance in the portal. One that could lead to trouble.



I have returned to Equestria, and the portal seems to be acting up. I have been doing deep research into it. It was working fine for several days, but now, it seems to be weakening. Upon further study, I realized that the time the portal was working properly aligned with the moon's phase shift. For reasons unknown to me, the moon seems to have a connection with the portal. I would have consulted with Princess Luna for advice, but she has been quite distant as of late. So, I am on my own. For about three days it seems, the portal operated normally. But, after those three days, it appears to weaken.  I fear that if the portal remains open, something catastrophic could occur. I am working on a spell that should close the portal. That way it can open and close naturally. I am disheartened about the loss of information, but this is something that must be done.



The deed is done. The portal is closed. Based on my calculations, it should open again within thirty moons. How I wish I could keep it open permanently, but alas, it is not to be. Perhaps somepony in the future will be able to accomplish such a task. The portal runs on a very special magic. Should it ever be tampered with, I fear the consequences could be disastrous.



-----


"I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner."

Sunset raised an eyebrow, "Didn't realize what sooner?"

Princess Twilight closed the book and placed it on the piano. "The portal used to only open for a period of three days and would then close. It wouldn't reopen until thirty moons after."

Pinkie skipped over to the princess, "Well, duh. We knew that already."

Rarity placed a finger on her chin, "But, you figured out a way to keep it open permanently, did you not?"

Princess Twilight nodded, "Yes. I did. But, outside of that three-day period, the portal weakens. "

Sunset crossed her arms, "But, when you were here to help us defeat the Sirens, the portal wasn't draining any of our magic."

Princess Twilight looked at her counterpart, "True. But, the portal's magic didn't get drained the last time."

Twilight gasped quietly, "So, this is my fault."

Princess Twilight walked over to her counterpart and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I don't blame you, Twilight. Not entirely."

Twilight turned away, hugging herself, "But, how can I not be blamed? I drained the portal's magic."

Her Equestrian counterpart nodded,  "Yes, but you didn't know you were doing it at the time. Which is why I'm not placing the blame on you."

Twilight smiled, "Thank you, Princess."

Applejack tilted her hat up, "But, ah still don't get why the portal's drainin' our magic."

Princess Twilight placed her hands on her hips, "Well, as I said before, the portal was already weakened when its magic was drained. Having its magic drained, I believe, weakened it even further. Even after you restored the magic, it was still extremely weak from its magic depletion."

"Twilight, is that why the trip here was so crazy?" Equestrian Spike looked at the princess from his spot on the piano.

She pointed at him, "That would be my guess. Yes." She turned to the others, "And, as for your magic being drained, I think the portal is draining your magic in order to maintain itself."

Rainbow furrowed her eyebrows, "Well, then how do we get our magic back?"

Princess Twilight crossed her arms, "Once Spike and I leave, we'll close the portal and let it regain some of its strength. Your magic should be restored then."

Fluttershy rubbed her hands together, "Are you sure?"

The princess nodded, "I'm sure. Although, there is a slight chance I could be wrong."

Sunset chuckled, "We'll trust you, Princess. You know this stuff better than any of us."

Twilight rubbed her arm, "Princess, would you still be able to come back?"

The girls all looked at Princess Twilight.

She sighed, "I would. But, I think it'd be best if I only come if there's an emergency."

"There's always an emergency. An emergency of us missing you." Pinkie wrapped her arms around the princess.

Princess Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling, "A real emergency. If you absolutely need me. And, I would appreciate it if you turned to me as a last resort. You girls have been through a lot. You can handle things without me. But, if there's a problem you absolutely can't solve, you can call me."

Sunset smirked slightly, "So, no more just hanging out?"

Princess Twilight shook her head, "I'd say not. Maybe a very rare occasion. The portal's technically not supposed to be open. We've figured out a way to open it whenever we want to, but it was not meant to be traversed through so many times."

Sunset sighed but nodded, "Understood. Only in an emergency. But, I can still talk with you through the book, right?"

Princess Twilight nodded, "Of course. In fact, why don't you pass the book around to each other? That way I'll know how you're all doing, and we can stay in touch."

The girls all gave excited cheers at the idea.

Applejack took her hat off and smiled sadly, "We sure will miss ya, though."

Princess Twilight chuckled, "Well, whenever you start to miss me too much, feel free to hug me all you want." She put an arm around her counterpart and winked at her.

"Will do!" Pinkie's arms were immediately around Twilight. Though surprised, she accepted the hug.

Fluttershy looked over at the princess as she held Canine Spike, who was fast asleep. "When do you have to go back, Princess Twilight?"

"We should be heading home soon. The weaker the portal gets, the more unstable the journey home might be."

Rarity ran over to the princess and grabbed her arm, "But, you can stay for a little while longer, right? After all, this will probably be the last time we'll see you for awhile."

Equestrian Spike looked up at his Twilight, "Can we, Twi?"

Princess Twilight looked around at the girls, who were all giving her pleading eyes, except for Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.

She sighed and smiled, "I guess we can stay a little longer."

"YAAAAY!" was the collective response.

Princess Twilight picked up her Spike, "I guess we can head into the gym."

Pinkie gasped, "Great idea! There still might be some cupcakes left."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Is that all you ever think about?"

Pinkie scoffed, "Of course not. I think about gumdrops and doughnuts and cherry pie and pudding and whipped cream and pretzels and brownies and -

Rainbow's hand muffled the rest of her list, "Forget I asked."

Laughing amongst themselves, the Rainbooms headed back into the gym.


-----


Chatter filled the gym from every directions. Friends were talking with friends and simply enjoying each others' company.

Princess Twilight smiled, "It's nice to know that the students of CHS were only arguing because of the Sirens' spell."

Applejack chuckled, "Yeah, everybody's gotten along a lot better since the Battle of the Bands."

"Which is ironic because everybody was screaming and fighting with each other during the Battle of the Bands, " Pinkie stated, grabbing some cookies in her hands.

Fluttershy smiled, petting the now-awake Canine Spike, "It's been nice seeing everyone get along. I don't like fighting."

Twilight hugged herself, "Back at Crystal Prep, everything seemed to be a competition. That's partly why I wasn't liked. I was the best academically, but I didn't care to share that with others. They looked down on me because I was different."

Princess Twilight smiled and walked to her counterpart, "You know, that's not all that different from how I was back when I was first starting out as Princess Celestia's pupil."

Sunset raised an eyebrow, "Really? You had trouble starting out?"

Princess Twilight nodded, "I did. Because I was the Princess's protege, everypony expected me to show off. But, when I didn't, they began to use that against me, claiming that 'Princess Celestia's student wasn't that special.' Nopony really talked to me, save for a few. But, eventually, I started focusing on my studies to the point where I didn't talk to anyone, even if they tried talking to me. It wasn't until I moved to Ponyville that I realized what I had been missing."

Twilight's eyes widened slightly, "So, you went through what I went through?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Sunset chuckled flatly, "When I started out, I was pretty much the total opposite of you. I thought I was better than everypony else. If I had just learned a little humility, my life wouldn't have been so messed up."

Princess Twilight smiled, "Perhaps. It's fine to acknowledge your talents, but not to the point where you're boasting. I learned that the hard way."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, "We aren't here to talk, y'know."

Pinkie grinned, "Dashie's right! We need to party." She looked up to see a disco ball dropping from the ceiling. It began to spin, and dance music began to play the background.

Applejack chuckled, "Now, ain't that a sight?"

Princess Twilight tapped her foot to the beat, "It is pretty neat."

The students in the gym started to dance to the music.

Pinkie rubbed her hands together excitedly, "Aww, yeah. It's party time." She threw confetti into the air and began dancing.

Sunset laughed, "Don't leave us out." With that being said, the girls began to dance to the beat, each having a great time.

Princess Twilight laughed at the sight then felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

She turned around to see Flash Sentry standing behind her.

The princess blushed slightly, "Hey, Flash."

He smiled, "Hey, Twilight. You want to dance?" He held out his hand.

Princess Twilight giggled, placing her hand in his, "I guess one dance wouldn't hurt."

He led her over to an open area, "Why always one dance with you?" He teased.

Princess Twilight smirked, "I'm a Princess. You have to be pretty special to dance with me."

"So, does that make me special?" He smirked as well, dancing to the music next to her.

She lowered her eyelids and smiled, "I guess it does." She danced to the beat as well.

"So, did you find out what's wrong with the magic?" Flash asked as they danced.

Princess Twilight stopped dancing at that. She turned to face him, her expression turning serious. "We did, actually."

He stopped dancing, too. His eyebrows furrowed, "The look on your face is telling me that I might not like the answer."

Princess Twilight rubbed her arm, "And, you'd probably be right. When I get back to Equestria I have to close the portal."

"Permanently?"

"No, not permanently. But, at this point, it'd be best if I just stayed Equestria. If I'm needed, I'll cross over. But, other than that, you're probably not going to see much of me for a long time." She hesitatingly looked into his eyes, trying to read his reaction.

Flash ran his hand through his hair, "Wow. That's a lot to process right there."

Princess Twilight hugged herself, "Are you upset? I won't blame you if you are."

He gave a long sigh, "No, I'm not upset. Just a little disappointed."

She raised an eyebrow, "Disappointed?"

Flash gave a sad smile, "Disappointed that we couldn't hang out."

Princess Twilight blushed, "Like on a date?"

Flash shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "Yeah. But, that's probably not gonna happen."

She sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Flash. I do like you. Really. But, I think it'd be best if we just parted as friends. It'd make saying goodbye a lot easier."

He huffed, "Yeah, you're right."

Princess Twilight looked at him sadly, trying to think of a way to lighten the mood.

She then perked up, "Flash, if you want, you can ask Sunset Shimmer to lend you her book for a little while."

Flash raised an eyebrow, "What book?"

"She has a book that can send a message to me in one of my books. It's kind of like - uh...texting! Yeah, that's it."

Flash kept his eyebrow raised, "Sunset texts you?"

Princess Twilight chuckled, "In a way, yes. Only instead of using phones, we use books. She can pass it to you, and we can stay in touch." She rubbed her neck, "That is, if you want to. If you don't, that's fine."

Flash smiled, "Are you kidding? Why would I pass up something like this? So, I just have to ask for the book, and Sunset will know what I'm talking about?"

Princess Twilight placed a hand on her hip, "Or just ask to talk to Princess Twilight. She'll probably understand either way."

Flash nodded, "Got it. I'm gonna be texting-buddies with a princess. Could I get any luckier?"

Princess Twilight laughed, "I'd say at this point probably not."

They continued dancing, hoping that time for the princess to leave would never come.


-----


Eventually, the party began to wind down. Students began leaving, and the cleanup began.

Princess Twilight looked around, "Looks like the party's over."

Flash sighed, "Yeah." He looked at her, "Say, uh, would it be okay if I saw you off with the others?"

The princess smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder, "That'd be great."

He gave her a smile in return. He looked over to see the rest of the Rainbooms heading towards them.

Sunset crossed her arms, a sad smile on her face, "Princess, you and Spike should head home now."

Fluttershy held two Spikes in her arms. She handed one of them to the princess, "Here you go."

Princess Twilight held the Spike out in front of her, "Are you my Spike?"

The canine rolled his eyes, "Of course, Twi. I can tell who's who."

Twilight came over and took her Spike, "Well, at least there won't be anymore confusion."

Rainbow elbowed Flash, a smirk on her face, "You gonna see your girlfriend off?"

Flash and Princess Twilight blushed. Flash cleared his throat, "She's not my girlfriend. We've established this already."

Princess Twilight nodded, her hands behind her back, "We are parting as friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

Rarity pouted, "Oh, but you two would have been perfect for each other. I could've designed a dress for your first date."

Princess Twilight rolled her eyes, "Rarity, it wasn't going to work out. We realized that."

Pinkie giggled, "Yeah, you'd have to come back like every single day."

Flash's blush didn't leave his face, "We wouldn't have had a date every day."

Equestrian Spike groaned, "Ugh, can we go home now, please? Enough with the mushy romance stuff. I want to be a dragon again."

Canine Spike raised an eyebrow, "And, what's wrong with being a dog?"

Equestrian Spike shrugged a paw, "Nothing really. But, I prefer being my ferocious fire-breathing self."

Princess Twilight chuckled slightly, "I guess we'd better get going."

With that being said, the group began walking towards the portal.


-----


Eventually, they reached the portal.

Princess Twilight looked at it and gave a long sigh, "Well, it's time." She turned back to her friends.

She smiled, "I'm really going to miss you. All of you."

Sunset smiled back, "And, we're going to miss you, too."

Twilight approached her Equestrian counterpart. Without saying a word, she embraced her in a hug.

"Thank you, Princess. For everything."  

Princess Twilight wrapped her arms around her doppelganger, "You're welcome, Twilight." As they parted, the princess kept her hands on Twilight's shoulders. "Remember, don't try to be me. You are your own person, and I am mine. We are different people. Just be yourself."

Twilight smiled, "I will." 

Pinkie grinned, "This calls for a group hug!" All the girls began gathering around. Flash started to go, but Pinkie stopped him.

"You can get a solo hug, Flash." With that, she bounced over to her friends, joining the group hug.

After several minutes, they separated.

Pinkie grabbed Princess Twilight and pushed her over to Flash, "Okay, your turn."

She wound up bumping into Flash again, who caught her in his arms. He smiled, "We gotta stop bumping into each other like this."

Princess Twilight giggled, "Well, after today we will." She looked up at him, "Bye, Flash."

"Goodbye, Princess Twilight."

The princess threw her arms around him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

The other girls watched this scene happily. The two Spikes put their paws to their mouth.

Soon enough, they parted. Princess Twilight looked at the portal then back at Flash. "Well, I'm off."

"Yeah..." Flash looked down.

Without a word, Princess Twilight planted a kiss on his cheek.

His face turned red once again.

Princess Twilight smiled, "Something to remember me by." She walked back over to her friends and picked up her Spike.

She looked around at them, "Remember, this isn't goodbye forever. If you have a problem you can't solve, feel free to give me a holler."

Sunset nodded, "Will do, Princess. Thanks for everything."

Princess Twilight gave a nod then looked down at Spike, "Ready to head home?"

Equestrian Spike gave a firm nod, "Am I ever."

With that, Princess Twilight and Spike headed back into Equestria.


-----


The next day, the Rainbooms were practicing in the music room. They all had ponied up, and the magic seemed to be working again.

Rainbow pumped a fist, "Aw, yeah. We're back."

Sunset put her guitar down, "I guess Princess Twilight was right." She looked over at their Twilight. "Say, Twilight, how would you like to be part of the Rainbooms?"

Twilight looked surprised, "You want me to join your band?"

Sunset nodded, "Sure. I mean, what do you girls think?" She turned to her fellow Rainbooms.

Rainbow gave a thumbs-up, "Sure. We could use an extra singer."

Rarity put her keytar down, "Unless, you have an instrument you want to play, darling."

Twilight shrugged, "I can play piano, but you already play the keytar. I guess I can sing."

Pinkie jumped happily, "Yeah, we have a new member!"

With that, Twilight took her place with her new bandmates, and they began to sing.