> Flash Sentry's EQG Chronicles
>  by Banshee531
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Friendships and Romance PT1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a week since the events that had occurred at Camp Everfree.

Since then, word had gotten around about the insanity that had happened there, including the newly developed powers of seven students, which turned them into even bigger school celebrities. That is, along with mixed feelings that were felt by the people that learned about these powers without seeing them in action.

The younger students were instantly in awe as certain ones began to show off their abilities for amusement, *cough* Rainbow Dash *cough*, while most of the others were a little more shy about it. This increased after they learned about the older people of the school, mainly the teachers, were worried these new magical abilities would only increase the number of magic incidents.

Luckily, Celestia and Luna were able to calm them down, making them believe the seven teens could be trusted to wield them responsibly, refusing the notion of either taking the power giving gems or outright expelling them. However, they did have some stipulations for letting them keep their magic granting geodes. The first is that they couldn't use them for athletic or educational gains, and the other being that any magic that causes damage to the school would have to be paid by them if they couldn't find a way to fix it. They all agreed, promising their magic won't become a problem, letting them return to their everyday life without worry of being expelled or even carted off to some government facility for testing.

And now another day of school was about to begin, the students arriving at CHS just before the bell. This included a pair that calmly walked together in a comfortable silence, Flash and Twilight. Both were showing calm smiles, clearly happy to be in one another's company.

It had been an interesting time for the duo, having begun a trial process for taking their relationship to the next level. This had certainly caused some strange reactions from their family, Shining Armor being completely gobsmacked in the face and almost fainting, but Cadance looked like she was resisting the urge to jump for joy. She later proclaimed she had been pushing this to happen for some time, but unable to get any spark between the two, the rest of the family then telling her she wasn't allowed to anything like that anymore.

But it had been Twilight's parents that had had the most unexpected reactions. Velvet was amazed by the fact that Twilight was actually interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone, believing she wouldn't develop those thoughts until after she had graduated college while Night Light just raised an eyebrow and asked Flash to come with him.

Despite the fact that Flash had fought man-eating plants, leapt into a portal to another world and faced off against a woman with insane control over a forest, the thought of being alone with Twilight's father was the most terrifying thing that he had ever felt. The memory of his hard gaze on him was probably going to play a role in his nightmares for many years.

Night Light spent an hour grilling Flash, asking what his intentions for his daughter were, and stating what he expected from Flash while dating her. Flash had sworn to uphold all these rules, squeaking out every response as sweat poured down his face. And seeing these responses, Night Light gave Flash permission to date his daughter.

After this and almost fainting, Flash had now been racking his brain around for his first date with Twilight. 'We could go to a movie, but that's something we've done loads of times together.' He thought, 'This needs to be something new and amazing, to show Twilight how serious I am about all this.'

And as they walked up to the school, only to find Fluttershy and Rarity sitting on the front steps. Fluttershy had some birds and a squirrel that lived in a nearby tree on her, the girl laughing at something one of the birds said. Meanwhile, Rarity was busy sketching what they assumed to be a new dress design.

"Morning," Twilight said as they walked up.

"Morning," they replied, only for Fluttershy to hear something from a bird that made her eyes go wide. "Oh? That sounds nice."

"What sounds nice?" Twilight asked as they all turned to the girl.

"Mary-Ann was just telling me about a poster she saw in the park this morning. Apparently, there's a new fun fair opening at the waterfront this weekend. There's gonna be games, a ferris-wheel, and even a fireworks display later in the night."

"Wow. That sounds fun." Twilight responded, her words going into Flash's head before his brain went over the image of him and Twilight on the pier, watching the fireworks. A bulb went off in his head, only for someone else to speak up.

"Indeed it does," Rarity added, "I so wish I could go, but I'm starting my first day working at Ms. Hemline's Boutique this weekend."

"That's too bad," Twilight told her, "It sounded like something we could all do together. But if you can't make it-"

"Oh, no darling," Rarity stood up. "I refuse to be the reason you can't enjoy yourself. Go and have fun. I promise I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, Rarity nodding. "Okay then. Although I'm not sure if everyone else will be able to make it at such short notice."

"I'll check." Twilight chimed in as she quickly sent a group text out, only to see in the next few minutes to get alternative plans replies. As she got these, they walked through the school, Fluttershy and Rarity having to go to a different room as she commented, "Seems no one is available."

"So it's only you, me and Fluttershy?" Flash added while putting his hands behind his head.

"Looks like it," Twilight replied as they turned a corner, "But we can still have a good time with just the three of us."

"I guess," Flash mumbled, making Twilight turn to him with a raised eyebrow.

She now saw a frown appearing on his face as she asked, "Why do you sound so disappointed? I thought you liked stuff like this."

"I'm not," Flash instantly responded, only to see Twilight glare at him, "Its uh...well um..." She leaned up at this, making him flinch as he continued, "Promise you won't be mad about what I'm about to say?"

"Depends on what you're about to say," Twilight replied as they came to a stop, the girl now crossing her arms, "You don't happen to have something planned and not tell me, are you?"

"No! Nothing like that." Flash glanced away at this, only to slowly say, "I just...well...I've been trying to think of someway to..." His face started to turn red as he said these next words, "Do a first date for us."

Twilight's eyes went wide at this, "Flash..."

He looked back at her as scratched the back of his head, "You know, the fun fair sounds great for something like that, but..."

"You want us both to be alone together?" Twilight added, Flash nodding as her face also became slightly red. "Yeah, I get it."

Flash did a small shrug, "I mean, I wanted to so something fun and good for first times...but you know how planning works out with us."

"I know. We could find time alone at the fair though, Flash."

The two began to walk again, now reaching their lockers as Flash commented, "Do you really think we could find time together?"

"I don't see why not. The others are busy, and only Fluttershy is joining us...though she's not the best person to leave alone in a busy place." Twilight replied as she took out a book, "And we can't un-invite her."

"Yeah." Flash nodded while leaning back on the locker, the two frowning at each other, "I uh...guess that's that. Sorry if I'm been awkward lately."

"Its fine." Twilight responded as she shut the locker, her mind going over the idea of wishing Fluttershy would discover a reason not to come, only to shake her head in response. "Oh well. I guess we'll have to think of another way to have a date."

Flash nodded again as they then made their way to class. Deciding to put the matter away and just focus on the fun they were going to have at the funfair, Fluttershy even telling them she was more then happy to drive them to the pier, the two began to make their plans for the event. A few days passed at this, the weekend coming up as Friday arrived, only for something new to happen.

As Flash and Twilight got off the bus, they found Rarity sitting alone on the school's steps, "Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as they walked up to Rarity.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "She's usually the first one here. I sent her a message, but she hasn't responded yet."

This made them all frown, only for another car to drive up to the school's front, the girl in question getting out of it along with her younger brother, Zephyr. "Thanks dad," Fluttershy told the driver before he drove off and the siblings turned to them.

"Fluttershy?" Rarity asked as the pair reached them, "Is something wrong?"

Fluttershy sighed at this, "My car started acting funny on the way home yesterday. I took it to a mechanic and he said...something I can't remember, but is really important is broken, so I had to leave it there until it gets fixed. But it's gonna take a few days to get the right part."

"That's too bad," Flash replied, only to go wide-eyed, "Wait...how are we gonna get to the funfair now?"

Saying this made Fluttershy blush, "Oh...yeah, that's a good point. Sorry."

"Don't worry, its fine." Twilight told her. "We'll find a way there. We can...take the bus."

"From here to the waterfront?" Rarity asked, "That'll cost a lot. Plus it'll take three times as long." The three exchanged glances, all sighing as Rarity stared at Flash, "You two really need to look into getting your own car."

Flash shook his head at this, "I already have. But Twilight's parents say that if we want one, we have to buy it ourselves." He then pointed a thumb at Twilight, "Plus, this one doesn't have a license yet." Twilight started to glare at him, the teen rolling his eyes at her, "Don't give me that. You chose to take advanced physics and calculus in place of driver's ed."

"I know." Twilight grumbled, "There's gotta be something we can do to fix this."

But before anything could be suggested, the bell rang, the group now heading inside. For the rest of the day, the three tried to come up with an idea, only to find every idea to get thrown out the window. The only option they could think was a taxi and even then, the cost was just too much for the teens.

Fast forward to lunch time, Flash went to the bathroom to do his business. Once done, he stepped over to the sink, only to glance up and frown at the sight. "Great," he sighed before flicking his hands dry and pulling his hair back to reveal a large spot on his forehead. "Not only do we not have a ride to the fair, but I've also got a zit the size of Kansas."

"Yup!" Flash jumped as Iron Core suddenly appeared behind him, "That's one big zit alright." Flash spun around to glare at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you," Iron replied before heading for the closest cubical. "But what's this about a ride to a fair?"

"You know," Flash leaned against the sink. "The fair I was gonna go to with Twilight and Fluttershy." Iron turned back and raised an eyebrow, "The one Twilight told you about."

"This is the first I'm hearing about it."

"Didn't Twilight text you?"

"I don't think she has my number," he responded, "Or maybe she was expecting you to tell me." Flash's eyes went wide at this before groaning and facepalming.

"Sorry man."

"Whatever," Iron replied. "So you need a ride there or something?"

"We were gonna use Fluttershy's car," Flash sighed, "But it's broken down and now we're struck with no way to get...there." He then stared at the bulky teen, who raised an eyebrow back.

"What?"

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing. Why are you-" His eyes narrowed at this, "No."

"Oh, come on!" Flash told him, "why not?"

"I don't do funfairs," Iron replied, "Besides, why should I lend you a hand when you forgot to even invite me?"

"I'm sorry I forgot to ask," Flash responded, "I'm an idiot." He put his hands together, "Please do this. If not for me, then for Twilight and Fluttershy. They were really looking forward to this." Iron glared back at him, only for Flash to give him the best puppy dog eyes he could.

"Grr...fine!" He yelled, pushing Flash back. "I'll go and give you a ride. But you're paying for my ticket in."

"Yes!" Flash pumped his arm, "You're the best!"

"Whatever. Just get out of here and leave me to my business." Flash saluted and walked out of the bathroom, only for his mind to remind him what had really happened. Now he and Twilight could spend some time alone while Fluttershy and Iron hung out.

"YES!" He cheered, jumping up for a moment and dancing for a few seconds. He then came to a stop before glancing around, sighing in relief when he saw that nobody had seen him before walking down the hallway. The teen took out his phone next, texting Twilight about the change of plans.

This was gonna be a fun night. He was sure of it.





The next day...

It had been an interesting morning Twilight. Flash had headed out early to take a bus to Iron's place, as he and the Royal Knights had set up a band practice with Flash planning to drive back with Iron later to pick them up. Not twenty minutes after he left, Cadance arrived and forced the girl out of bed.

However, Twilight resisted the love crazed woman, curling herself into the fetal position on her bed. That is, till Cadance literally dragged her out of bed. "Why?" She whined as Cadance forced her into some clean clothes and marched her out of the building.

"You're going on your first date tonight," Cadance grumbled, "You need to look amazing. That's why I booked you an appointment at the spa."

Twilight's eyes went wide at this as Cadance pushed her into her car, "But...it's not really a date! Flash and I won't be alone!"

"I'm sure your friends will leave the pair of you alone once you get there," Cadance replied as she took the driver's seat, "And I'm double sure Flash will enjoy seeing you look all prettied up."

"I doubt that. Its gonna be night time when we get there and its not a date. We'll just be hanging out."

"Twilight..." Cadance grumbled as she started the car, "Do you remember what I told you after you and Flash admitted you were now dating?"

"You lectured me for one hour, twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds about how I take things too logically and have no idea about romance or love." Twilight deadpanned.

"Yes. And I am a love guru. That's why we're having a beautification day." Cadance replied as she hit the gas, "That's one thing that you can't logic yourself out of." She then patted Twilight's shoulder, "Time to teach you romance 101."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she was driven into town, now spending the next few hours getting poked and tweezed before being thrown into a pool of mud. By the end of it, they had washed off an entire layer of skin. Once that was done, Cadance pulled Twilight into a nearby clothing store. Twilight didn't see the point of this, saying again that it was going to be night time, meaning it would be too dark for Flash to see what she wore. But Cadance wouldn't let her off, now finding something she thought Flash might like the look of, though it was something Twilight knew she would never wear regularly.

"Flash better appreciate this..."





Meanwhile...

The Royal Knights were in Iron's garage, all rocking out. They were doing pretty well, though it was clear to Flash's band mates that his brain was on other things. Even though he was playing and singing perfectly, the music had no heart. And as their song came to an end, the three turned to him.

"Alright Flash," Heather sighed from her keyboard. "What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing wrong," Flash replied.

"Then why do you appear...distracted," First asked as he tuned his bass, Iron huffing as he spun his drum-stick between his fingers.

"This is about tonight, isn't it?"

"No," Flash responded, only to see them all glare at him, "Err...well, maybe it is."

"This is that funfair thing, right?" Heather asked, Flash nodding. "Too bad I can't go to that."

"Same for me," First added, "But we promised to help out at the children hospital tomorrow, so we can not spend all night out late."

"So what's the problem?" Heather continued.

"Well..." Flash strummed his guitar, "This is kinda...gonna be mine and Twilight's first date."

This caused their eyes to all go wide, Iron growling, "How? Me and shy girl will be...there...oh, you are not lumping me with your add-ons!"

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "It won't kill you to hang out with Fluttershy for a few hours. Besides, Fluttershy's fun. Just...probably a good idea to stay away from the more extreme rides."

Iron's eyes narrowed at this, about to yell before seeing Heather and First glare at him now. The teen slumped back and sighed, "Fine...but this is the last favor I'm doing for you."

"Thanks." Flash replied. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Yeah yeah..."

"So, this is gonna be your first date with Twilight." Heather chimed in, "Sounds like it's gonna be fun."

"It should," Flash nodded. "I'm just...a little concerned that things might not go as well as I hoped."

"How do you mean?" First asked.

"Well...what if I mess up? I mean, you three know me." The three exchanged a glance at this as he continued, "What if...what if this is my only chance to make sure Twilight and I become something more?"

Heather shook her head at this, "Flash, you're not gonna mess this up. No matter what happens tonight, as long as Twilight has a good time, then I don't see why she wouldn't want to go to the next level."

"Just remember not to rush her," First added, "You might be absolutely sure how you feel, but if you feel like this, she probably does not. Attempting to make her fall for you now may end up leading to her not wanting to be with you at all. It is like when deal with some animals. You have to let them come to you."

"So basically don't try and steal a smooch tonight," Iron chuckled, making Heather glare at him before looking back at Flash.

"He's right though. The best you should go for is...holding hands."

Flash nodded back, "Got it. Any other advice?"

The others hummed at this, most knowing that they had never been in a real relationship before. But as they thought about it, First spoke up, "Try to not think of this as a date." Flash raised an eyebrow. "If you let that thought fill your head, you may end up ruining the night trying to make it seem romantic. Just treat this like any other outing you and Twilight have had together."

"That's a good one." Heather nodded as she played a few notes on her keyboard. "You've got an advantage over anyone else when it comes to showing Twilight a good time, because you've been doing it as friends for years."

Flash nodded. "Alright....thanks guys." He let all that info sink in as he took a deep breath, "Just...gotta make sure to not panic. Now," he strummed his guitar, "What do you guys wanna practice now?"





Twilight was exhausted.

The teen girl wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in the car. If this was the amount of preparation required, Twilight swore that this would be her very last first date, even telling Cadance this. She seemed half-horrified at this, but told the teen she knew they would work out. However, Twilight then told her that if she and Flash didn't work out, she was gonna swear to a life of celibacy. More time for her science that way.

When they arrived at Twilight's house, they found Fluttershy sitting on the front step. The glasses wearing girl was about to leap out and apologize for leaving her waiting, but then she noticed Fluttershy was having a nice chat with a squirrel that she recognized as Spike's mortal enemy.

"I'm sure you and he just got off on the wrong foot...paw," she told him as the two got out of the car. "Oh, hello Twilight." She turned to the other woman, "Oh my, Dean Cadance!"

"It's actually Principal Cadance now," she replied while grinning, "I'm sorry if we kept you waiting."

"That's alright," Fluttershy smiled as she stood up and the squirrel moved from her lap to her shoulder. "Nutsly here was telling me all about his younger days and why he moved here." She then noticed Twilight's bags. "Oh, did you to go shopping?"

"Yes," Twilight sighed, "And hopefully that's the last time I have to go for a good while." She looked at her watch, "At least I still have some time to work on my new project before we head to the fair."

"Oh, no you don't missy," Cadance told her taking out a large metal box from the car's trunk, "We've still got a lot of work to do before tonight."

"Cadance…" Twilight groaned, "What else could there possibly be?!"

"Well, first there's your makeup, hair and nails. Then you'll need to break in your new shoes and practice walking in them." Twilight let out another moan, now resisting the urge to kill.

"Cadance...I love you, but I really don't see why I have to go through all this and all Flash has to do is show up in clean clothes!" Cadance laughed at this, saying she said the same thing before her first date. The three went inside at this, only for Twilight to run upstairs before Cadance could grab her and shove her into a chair for the makeup.

Fluttershy went up with her, the pair entering her room as they found Spike was still asleep in his bed. "At least someone got to sleep." Twilight grumbled as she fell onto her bed.

"I'm sorry Twilight," Fluttershy told her. "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned going to the fair."

"No," Twilight shook her head, "This was gonna happen anyway. At least this way I can get it over and done with." She let out a sigh, "I just hope I don't end up falling asleep when Flash and I are on the pier." She then sat up, "Are you sure you don't mind spending time with Iron?"

Fluttershy nodded back, "He may be a little rough around the edges, but he's nice in his own way. I'm sure we'll have a nice time."

"If you're sure," Twilight got off her bed and started messing with her hair, Fluttershy now sitting on the bed and staring at her with a frown.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look a little...stressed."

Twilight turned to her, "I...yeah, I am. With everything I've been through today, it just made me realize how big this really is...and what happens if things go well." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wardrobe. "Flash and I promised that no matter what happened, whether we decide to become more than friends or not, we wouldn't let what happened ruin our relationship...and I gotta admit, today has not helped." A big frown began to appear on her face, "But what if we break up and can't be around one another anymore? What if it's too awkward?"

Fluttershy just stared back at her, her mind trying to think of what to say. She knew Twilight probably wanted to tell Fluttershy these fears were silly, but she knew she would probably fell the same way if she went on her first date with a friend. But as she thought about this, a memory rang out in her mind.

"Twilight...did you know that the other Twilight used the journal that Sunset has to talk to us a little bit before we met you?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, "Back then, she told us about all the adventures the other versions of us went on. On one occasion, they even went up against a massive dragon, and the pony me was terrified."

"Really?" Twilight asked, Fluttershy nodding. "What happened?"

"Their version of Flash helped her through it. He told her that whenever he's scared, he asks himself something. What's more terrifying: What might happen if you try and face what you're scared of, or what will happen if you let your fear overcome you? Most of the time, what will happen terrifies you more than what might happen."

"Huh. Okay..." Twilight nodded before applying that logic to her situation. "So if I face my fear, Flash and I might ruin our friendship and never be able to be around one another again. But if let my fear overtake me..." She thought back, now thinking about the moment Flash admitted he liked her in a special way, knowing he didn't tell her because of how awkward things would be unless they faced those feelings. This line of logic went through her brain, now making her realize that she would likely spend the rest of her life wondering how things would have ended up if she had just had the courage to at least try. "You're right. That is a lot scarier."

Fluttershy nodded again, "Don't worry. Flash won't do anything stupid to ruin your date. He's probably been waiting for this a long time and he'll wanna make it memorable." She then reached into her backpack, "Oh, and I have something special for your big night. Just in case you need it."

"Fluttershy, you didn't-" She stopped when Fluttershy held up a jar of bugs, making a shiver go down her spine, "Have to." Fluttershy happily smiled back, Twilight deciding to not refuse the...nice gift and taking the jar before placing it into her bag. And as she did this, Cadance called up to them and stated that she had everything ready, making Twilight let out a long groan, "Let's get this over with..."





A few hours later...

Flash was sitting in Iron's car as they drove to the teen's house. Flash had changed into some much nicer clothes, thoug still keeping the punk rocker aesthetic, mainly the jacket to keep warm in the night.

"Okay," Flash told himself, "I can do this. I can...I can do this. I-"

"You say that one more time and I'm throwing you out and you can walk to the waterfront." Iron hissed, Flash glaring at him as they reached Flash's house. The car pulled up front, Flash getting out while Iron kept the engine running.

He ran up to the door, only for it to open as Cadance walked out. "Flash. Good, you're on time. And you cleaned up nicely." She then scanned him over before raising an eyebrow, "Where are the flowers?"

"Flowers?"

"You're supposed to give a girl flowers on the first date," Cadance barked back, "Hasn't Shining or Night Light ever told you how to treat a girl on their first date?" Flash shook his head, "Figures. Well, hopefully Twilight won't notice. Alright, go back to the car. Twilight has to make her big entrance." Flash let out a sigh before returning to the car, Iron asking him what was wrong now, only to just get the reply of Cadance and nothing more.

A few moments later, two girls walked out of the building. The first was Fluttershy, who was wearing her normal clothes plus some leggings and a cardigan to keep away the cold. She ran up with a bright smile, stepping aside to allow Twilight to appear. And as she did, Flash's eyes went fully wide.

Time seemed to slow down as she made her appearance, looking like something out of a fashion show catwalk. She was wearing a light blue shirt with her star pattern on the front under an open black leather jacket with frills at the bottom that ran down her purple skirt. She was wearing black thermal leggings and purple high-heeled shoes, eye-shadow and makeup that went with her skin tone while also carrying her backpack, though hidden behind it to not detract from her overall appearance.

Flash knew looks had never played a factor in his feelings for Twilight, but he couldn't stop blushing at the sight before him. And as Twilight started walking up to him, a smile and blush on her face as the slow motion continued...only to trip and fall face first.

"OW!" She cried, time returning to normal as Flash leaped out of the car.

"You okay?" He asked, grabbing her arm and helping her up.

"Stupid heels," she moaned, her legs wobbling as she leaned against him.

"Heel? Why are you wearing those?" Flash asked, Twilight glaring up at him. "I mean...you look great in them. But if you can't walk..."

"That doesn't matter," Cadance chimed in, "So what do you think of the rest of her?"

Flash didn't need to take a second look at Twilight, whose current image was burned into her brain forever, "She looks great. Not that you don't always looks great. You-err...look great in a different way." Twilight went red again, Cadance giggling at this before clapping and taking out a camera.

"Come on. I wanna snap a photo of you two before you leave." The pair exchanged a glance, both slowly standing next to each other. Both were frowning, their faces red as tomatoes as Cadance sighed at the sight. "You two don't have to act like the other's gonna explode, you know?"

The two looked at each other again, fully blushing before glancing away. Cadance rolled her eyes at the sight, only for Flash to slowly reach his arm around to Twilight's outer waist and pulled her closer. Twilight went pure red at this, the pair now making small smiles. "Perfect." Cadance chuckled as she snapped a photo.

"Great," Twilight told her, "Can we go now?"

Cadance nodded as the pair turned to go for Iron's car, Fluttershy having remained out since it was a four-door and figured the pair would wanna sit together. Once they were in the back seat and Fluttershy got in, Iron drove away, Cadance waving them off until they turned a corner. As they drove, the group wondered how the night was gonna turn out, Flash and Twilight barely able to look at each other as their minds were now racing.

This was it. Time to figure out if they could take their relationship further...or have it crash and burn. Only time would tell
> Friendships and Romance PT2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence filled the car as the four teens drove through the town, all barely even glancing at each other as they continued. That is, till the silence was broken by the sound of Twilight's backpack unzipping, making them turn to her to see her pull out a pair of trainers. She then took off her high-heels, letting out a sigh of relief, "So much better. I don't know how Cadance expected me to wear those all night..."

"Why did you let her put them on then?" Iron asked as Flash laughed.

"You don't know Cadance like we do. If it's something romantic, she'll go overboard and do whatever she thinks will help make the situation better."

Twilight let out a moan, "She's like Rarity when it comes to these things....except worse." She put her trainers on, "Now, what's the plan tonight?"

She got an answer when her stomach let out a gargling sound. "How about we hit the snack car when we get there?" Flash chimed in, Twilight blushing and looking away as he continued, "We can look around while eating and decide what to do next."

The others seemed to agree with this idea, Iron turning onto the main road before switching on the radio to hear the traffic report. To their luck, there was very little traffic, then listening to several songs on the radio, everyone singing along, Iron just whispering one or two.

And as they arrived at the waterfront several minutes after the sun set, they snagged one of the last remaining parking spots. Getting out at this, the sounds of joy rang out as they walked in, getting into a long line. About ten minutes later, they got to the front, Flash paying for Iron's ticket like he promised, and the four were inside.

"So what do you guys wanna get?" Flash asked as they walked up to a nearby line of food trucks.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm getting a burger and fries." Iron replied as Flutershy followed him.

"I'll have a burger too," she added, both almost instantly leaving Flash and Twilight on their own. Flash's eyes shrunk at this, now noticing what this meant. But as he glanced over to Twilight, Heather's words rang out in his head, the thoughts now making him realize what he needed to do. He knew Twilight, and he knew what she was likely craving.

"Hey," he pointed at a guy who just moved away from one of the stands, "That guy's got beer-battered hush puppies." Twilight's eyes went wide before running over to the stand, Flash joining her as they got in line. When they got to the front, Twilight ordered the hush puppies and Flash went with two turkey legs and a soft pretzel. The pair began to happily move through the fairground, eating their food as they saw several roller-coasters, multiple games and other rides that looked like they were gonna be fun.

"So what should we do first?" Twilight asked as she finished the last hush puppy while Flash shoved the last of his pretzel into his mouth.

He tried to reply, only to hold up a finger before swallowing. Wiping his mouth, he muttered out, "Its uh...its up to you. What do you wanna do first?"

Twilight smiled and pointed at one of the nearby roller-coasters. "Alright, let's start the night off with some excitement." She grabbed Flash's hand, making him blush before she pulled him over to the line.





Meanwhile...

Iron and Fluttershy had finished their burgers, the two slowly walking around as Iron saw an exciting ride called a Double Shot. The sight made him shine a big grin, only for his brain to catch up, remembering who he was with. He then glanced to the side, now seeing a teacups ride, the sight making him sigh as he was about to point to it before-

"Let's go on that one," Fluttershy pointed to the very ride he had been interested in.

Iron slowly turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "Uh...you sure? No offense, but I didn't think you'd want to go on that thing."

"Normally..." she muttered out, her face slightly red now, "I wouldn't want to go on it...but I promised myself that by the end of the night I'd go on at least one ride I'd usually be scared of."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Fluttershy nodded before walking over to the ride, Iron following her. He stared at the girl, blinking as he thought back to what he knew about her. He knew she could be pretty awesome when she was with the others, only to assume she wasn't on her own.

"I might have misjudged you." He whispered.

"What?" Fluttershy turned to him, Iron quickly glancing away.

"Nothing."

Fluttershy blinked at him before turning back to the large ride, hiding a small gulp going down her throat.





Twilight and Flash had now reached the front of the line, managing to get the cart at the very front. And as they waited for the others to get seated, Flash turned to Twilight, "You sure your glasses will stay on during this? This ride's gonna go pretty fast."

Twilight grimaced at this as she reached to take off her glasses, but the blurriness that came made her put them back on. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I can't see a thing without these."

"Would you like some goggles?" they turned to see a man holding up a pair of clear goggles. Twilight took them and put it over her glasses.

"How do I look?" Flash smirked at the sight.

"Like you usually do whenever you're working on something in your lab." Twilight raised an eyebrow, about to smack his shoulder before Flash added, "You look great."

"Good." She replied as the bar for the coaster came down, the one running it now doing the whole safety speech. And as he finished, the train began to move. They slowly moved along the track until they reached the first climb, Twilight gulping as the train began to push itself upward. And as they got higher, the pair glanced around to see the rest of the fair.

"Hey," Flash chimed in, "I think I see Fluttershy and Iron."

"Where?" Twilight asked, Flash gesturing to one of the larger rides, Twilight squinting her eyes, "Uh-oh. I hope Iron hasn't pulled her into doing something she doesn't want to do."

"I'm sure they're fine. Iron wouldn't do that unless Fluttershy asked him." As he said that, he saw they had got to the edge, "Here we go!"

Twilight turned back to the ride, the bespectacled girl gulping as her hand shot over to Flash's and clutched it tightly. Flash noticed this with just enough time to squeeze it back, only for the cart to reach the end. And as it went flying down, the pair smiled before they started to scream, wind blasting into them as excitement began to overwhelm them.

And as the ride truly began, two giant grins were on their faces as they were shot through the ride at breakneck speed.





At the same time...

Fluttershy and Iron were now at the front of the line for the Double Shot. As they drew closer, Fluttershy's entire body began to shake, Iron asking, "You okay?" Fluttershy turned to him and nodded, Iron adding, "If you're scared, we don't have to do this."

"No," Fluttershy shook her head, "I wanna try. No matter what, I'm going on one big ride before this night is over."

"Atta girl," Iron patted her on the shoulder. "Just remember, this thing is completely safe. The chances of something going wrong are a million to one."

Fluttershy gulped at this, watching the ride. It was a tower with a ring of seats on it, the seats going up and down at random rates. The sight made her almost freeze up as the ride finished, people getting off it now. And as the ones ahead of them got onto the ride, Iron walked up with her, the two being the last to sit down in the ride's seats.

As this happened, a worker walked up to check the harnesses. "Quick question," she asked as he checked hers. "How many times have you done this ride without a problem?"

"Loads," they replied, "Probably a million." That number made Fluttershy's eyes go wide, Iron letting out a sigh. "Never had a problem once."

"But this might be that once," Fluttershy gulped, her whole body shivering like a leaf. Iron groaned as he held out a hand, Fluttershy seeing this and slowly taking it. "Thank you."

"No problem." He replied as the controller gave the usual announcement before activating the machine.

And thus, the Double Shot began to lift up and Fluttershy's eyes closed. Iron saw this and couldn't help chuckling, only to hear Fluttershy speak up, "Is it over yet?"

"It just started," he chuckled, "Open your eyes. If you don't, you won't have really rode the ride." Fluttershy let out a whine before slowly cracking her eyes open, only to see the fair now below. And as they moved higher and higher, her eyes began to grow as Iron added, "See? Looks good, doesn't it?"

Fluttershy nodded, only for the ride to the reach the top...and then it dropped. "AAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, as the ride falling several feet before coming to a stop and started climbing up again. And when it reached the top again, it dropped down as Fluttershy screamed again.

"Are we done?" She asked as it stopped again, opening her eyes as she found the ride picking itself up again. It reached the top, making her flinch...only for nothing to happen. "Oh no..." she whimpered after ten seconds passed. "It's gotten STUUUUCK!" The ride dropped again, going down to the half way point before picking itself up again. But when it was a three quarters of the way up, it dropped again.

This kept happening over and over, the ride going up and dropping at random moments while those riding it screamed. And as it kept happening, Fluttershy found she could keep her eyes open, her screams soon being replaced with laughs and cheers. The sight made Iron laugh, now seeing how fun she was having along with him.

'Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all...' he thought as the ride went back up one last time.





By the time the roller-coaster came to a stop, having taken three laps of the circuit, Flash and Twilight laughing their heads off as it finished. They then got off, Twilight returning the goggles as they began to walk around the fair.

"So...is this what we're supposed to do on a date?" Twilight asked Flash, the girl now holding onto his hand. "Just go on ride after ride?"

"I think they're supposed to be more to it than that," Flash chuckled, "Remember those romantic comedies Cadance used to make us watch?"

They both stuck their tongues out at this, Twilight commenting, "Seriously?! You wanna do something like that?!"

"Well..." Flash glanced away for a second, "I mean, those movies show the first date is when they get to know one another better...and I guess we could do that with the rides or find someplace quiet to talk."

"That sounds boring...and we've known each other for like...years." Twilight deadpanned, "Heck, I bet we already know each other better than most married couples." She blushed at her words, "Wait-I don't mean it like-"

"I know." Flash interrupted, "I get what you meant." Flash then shined a big grin, "Besides, I bet I know more about you than you know about me."

This made Twilight's blush go a bit redder as she glared at him, "Oh really?" She put her hands on her hips, "You wanna claim you know more than me about something?! Me, an A star history student, and you, a C and rarely B grade history student?!"

Flash chuckled as he leaned down to eye level with Twilight. "You might know about a bunch of facts and stuff you read in a book, but when it comes to learning others, you're a C grade student."

The pair glared at one another, lightning sparking between their eyes before Twilight spoke, "Alright, let's test that, shall we? Let's ask questions about ourselves and if the other can't answer, they lose?"

"Deal," Flash smirked, "And the winner gets to pick the next ride we go on." Twilight nodded back as he asked the first question, "What is...my favorite color?"

Twilight instantly responded, "Blue..." Flash opened his mouth, only for her continue, "Is what you would have said a few years ago. But recently you seem to alternate between red and orange. Am I right?"

Flash's mouth closed as he growled, "You're right..."

Twilight smiled as they continued walking again, "My turn. What's my favorite color?"

"Ha," Flash laughed, "Easy. Purple." He turned to her, "Either you got brainwashed by your skin tone, or the universe knew you'd like it and blessed you with it." Twilight couldn't help but laugh at this as Flash added, "Say, what's my favorite food?"

Twilight put a hand to her chin, "Hmm...I know you really like potato based products, especially fries and chips. But I think if someone put a gun to your head and asked that...you'd say mash."

"You're right again." Flash replied.

"Alright. Something different this time. What's my...least favorite-"

"Quesadilla," Flash said before she could finish, making her glare at him as he shrugged, "Come on Twilight, anyone who knows you knows that." She glanced away at this, slowly looking back as she saw a evil smirk appear on his face.

"What?"

He leaned down at this, "Here's one I know you'll never get. What was the first song I learned to play the whole way through on the guitar?"

"Oh, I know this one." Twilight chuckled, "You couldn't help showing it off after spending weeks practicing. Brown Eyed Girl."

"Wah waaaaah," Flash stuck his thumb down. "Totally wrong."

"What?!" Twilight yelped, "It has to be that one." Flash shook his head, "But...but that can't be! What song was it?!" Flash tapped his nose, indicating that he wasn't saying. "Flash...if you don't tell me, I won't admit defeat."

"Nope. You lost, which means I get to pick the next ride." He then turned and smiled at a sight just a bit away, "And I know exactly what I wanna go on." With that, he grabbed her arm and pulled her along, Twilight yelling at him about the song.





Fluttershy was gasping as she got off the ride, Iron helping her as she clutched her chest. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as her legs wobbled, Iron chuckling at the sight as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "You should be proud. It took a lot of guts to do something that absolutely terrified you." Fluttershy did a small nod back as he added, "Why don't we do something a little calmer and maybe tackle another scary ride later?"

"I'd...like that." She gasped as they began to walk into fairground again. Silence took them over as they did this, both unable to think of anything to say.

That is, till Iron glanced at her, "So...any idea what you wanna do after high school?"

"Oh," Fluttershy blushed as she twiddled her fingers, "I...wanna become a vet. Or do some kind of work helping animals."

"Huh," Iron stared at her for a moment before scratching the back of his head, "Guess that was a dumb question. Of course you'd wanna do something like that." Fluttershy frowned at this, only for Iron to say, "That is good though. Kind people like you are in short supply."

She went wide-eyed at this, thinking he was going to mock her before he said that. Her mouth mumbled for a second before she asked, "Well...what about you?" Iron turned to her, "I mean...I know you want to join the police force after school. Everyone knows that. But...why?" Iron stared at her for a second, a frown half showing on his face.

"I'm sorry. If you don't want to tell me-"

"I don't," Iron interrupted as he glanced away, "Let's just leave it at that."

"Oh...sorry."

"Its fine." he sighed, Fluttershy trying to walk with him as they both continued through the fair. But as they did this, Iron slowly spoke up, "Let's just say...I wanna follow in my father's footsteps."

"You mean Skybreaker?" Fluttershy asked, getting a nod from Iron. "I remember hearing about him. He was one of the original Royal Knights, right?"

"Yeah. He's still on the force, but'll probably be retiring soon. Although I doubt he'll enjoy retirement a lot. He likes his work too much." Fluttershy nodded as another question came into mind, only to stop herself before Iron added, "Come on. Let's go find something to do. Maybe we can find a game..."

"Okay." Fluttershy added as they took a turn, now going down a street filled with booths.





It turned out that the ride Flash decided a haunted house ride. Both he and Twilight were currently sitting in a cart that was moving through a dimly lit tunnel, full of smoke and arriving at a plastic door designed to look wooden and old. As the cart approached, the doors opened, now seeing the inside was designed like a mine-shaft.

It had plastic support beams painted green and orange, and when the door closed behind them, they were dropped into total darkness. "Not exactly terrifying," Twilight sighed, Flash nodding in agreement. After a few moments, they left the mine-shaft and arrived at a tunnel that was spinning. The walls, floor and ceiling were rotating counter-clockwise, the sides painted in a series of different colors that were spinning.

As they drew through the tunnel, they heard the sound of laughter and looked ahead to see someone sitting beside the track further down out of the rotating tunnel. When they exited, they saw the man was actually a dummy. It wore a hoodie and pants, its face was painted like a clown while the laughter sound was being played by something near it.

The pair shared a glance as Flash commented, "Still not as scary as what Spike usually leaves us to pick up." Twilight laughed at this, then turned back to the ride, which was now going to a cemetery...with cardboard gravestones. Both raised an eyebrow as they looked up and saw a skeleton hanging from a noose above one of the gravestones.

Flash was on the verge of yawning, but then the cart stopped in place and suddenly rotated ninety degrees. A moment later, a light filled the room and illuminated a lab-like scene. Before either could react, a scream filled the air, making them jump. But as they reacted, they then saw a scene where a dummy was getting 'cut' in half by a saw.

They both sighed as the cart turned back, now going down the tunnel before taking a corner, another scream suddenly ringing out as several plastics heads suspended by their hair and rope fell down in front of him. The pair jumped again, but no screams came from their mouths.

The heads then retracted and the cart rolled up to a section with the walls painted to look like they were in a forest. Multiple animals noises could be heard, such as wolves and snakes as glowing eyes could be seen in bushes. A bunch of snakes came out of a hole next, both almost getting to the cart, making both flinch in the cart.

And when the snakes went back, the cart kept moving as Flash added, "Darn. I was hoping this would be a bit more scary."

"I agree." Twilight replied before they came to a set of doors, a sign on top of it.


Abandoned Lab
Warning, Zombies Within


"Really?" Twilight groaned, "They're doing the whole abandoned lab and zombie apocalypse thing?" Flash just shrugged as the doors opened, now seeing a science-fiction laboratory with a bunch of wires lining the wall, a large locker in the corner, and tables full of beakers.

"Huh," Flash commented, "At least it looks right."

"Its tacky," Twilight chimed in, "If any scientist really worked here, they'd be shut down for multiple health code violations." She looked around and raised an eyebrow, "But wasn't there supposed to be a zombie-"

"RRRRRAAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Twilight screamed as something exploded out of the locker and launched at her, making her jump and grab onto Flash. The teen was about to activate his magic, only to see that the attacker was a guy dressed up like a scientist and given makeup to appear as a zombie.

Twilight panted as she continued to hug Flash, the zombie moaning as it got closer, only for a chain to yank it back. The cart then started moving again, leaving the lab area...only to show a bright light ahead of them. What followed was the exit, the cart coming back to the entrance.

"Hope you enjoyed the ride," the controller said as he pressed a button, making the bar move off of them. The two got up and Flash turned to Twilight, who was still clutching his arm.

"You okay?"

"Do you think one of these games give out clean underwear?" Flash laughed and placed his arm around her.

"Come on. Let's go see what else this fair has to offer."

"Okay..." Twilight replied as they walked away. And as they did this, Twilight reflexively placed her head on his shoulder, holding him tightly. Both were blushing as they slowly walked through the fairground, trying to get their heart rates back under control. But as they kept going, the two found they couldn't look at each as they continued.





At the same time...

Iron and Fluttershy were now at the game booths, Iron glaring at the game before them. Fluttershy watched him clutch a ball, seeing a long glare on his face, knowing he was like that because of her earlier question. He then shot the ball flying, hitting the cans off the table in an instant.

"Winner!" The carny exclaimed before taking a pink bunny rabbit toy down and handing it to Iron.

He took it, his face scrunching up before giving it to Fluttershy. "Here." Fluttershy blinked at this before taking it, thanking him. But as she said this, he let out a long huff and walked off.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond to him, only to find no words. Instead, she just followed him as he walked through the place, only to soon get to the edge of a nearby pier. He stared out at the ocean, Fluttershy tiptoeing up to her, "Its...very pretty."

"I guess so," Iron huffed, Fluttershy then placing most of her face into the head of her rabbit. All that was visible was her eyes, now staring out at the sea, swearing she could see some dolphins in the distance.

Her eyes drifted back to Iron as she muttered out, "Um...Iron?" He slowly turned to her, "I'm...I'm sorry. I don't know what I said before that upset you, but I'm sorry."

Iron blinked at her, only to sigh, "Right...sorry." He glanced back at the ocean, "Sorry, that question just made me...yeah. Sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you." His eyes went down at this, "I haven't been very good company, huh?" Fluttershy remained quiet, seeing Iron let out another sigh, "You asked before why I wanna be a cop. Well...it's because I don't want people to go through what I went through."

"What you went through?"

He closed his eyes at this, "When I was ten, my parents were killed. They went into a convenience store to pick up a few things and...some lunatic ran in and started shooting up the place for the stuff in the register." Fluttershy's eyes went wide at this, only for Iron to add, "Skybreaker was near the place when he got the call. He ran in and took down the shooter, but he wasn't fast enough to save them."

"Iron..." Fluttershy muttered out, "I'm...I'm so sorry."

Iron nodded back, "Skybreaker took me in after that. I think he felt guilty for not being able to save them. But despite that, the pain I felt was horrible. Every night I couldn't help but cry into my pillow. It wasn't until a year later that I was able to start putting it behind me. But even now, sometimes the pain shows up again."

"Oh..."

"That's why I wanna be a cop. So that no kid can ever feel the pain I felt." Iron looked back down at the water, staring at his own reflection. And as he did this, Fluttershy's reflection appeared beside him as she wrapped her arm around his arm and placed her head on his.

"That must have been really hard on you," she told him. "But you've been able to turn that pain into strength." Iron raised an eyebrow at this as she continued, "I'm not saying you might have never chosen to become a policeman, but it's given you the desire to stride towards that future. And because of that, you'll be stronger when that time comes."

"Um...thanks," Iron replied, a smile trying to form on his face, "You know, I've...never told anyone about any of this."

"Well, I'm happy you trusted me to tell me this. And I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me too." Iron nodded back, his smile now fully appearing, "Say, there's still about an hour or so before the fireworks display. Do you...wanna go on another ride? Or play a game?"

Iron pushed away from the fence, "What do you wanna do?" Fluttershy smiled before looking back at the fair, soon pointing to a ride before the two walked away.





Fifty minutes later...

Flash and Twilight had the biggest grins on their faces. They had gone on two more coasters, cheering before going to the game booths...and Flash losing three games in a row while Twilight won the rest. And when the fireworks display was only minutes away, the pair had chosen to get some ice cream. Flash had gotten bubblegum with strawberry, a flack and sprinkles, but Twilight was having trouble deciding.

"Um..." Her eyes glanced around at the menu before growling, "Augh! I can't decide!"

Flash chuckled at the sight, only to see a certain flavor on the menu. "Give her a moose track," he told the vendor. Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, the vendor making the cone as Flash turned to her. "Trust me."

Twilight's eyes narrowed at this, only to accept a cone a second later. She stared at the food, only to give it a lick...and go wide-eyed. "Wow!" She began to eat it now, Flash smirking as they began to make their way to the pier. And as they kept going, she turned to Flash, "How'd you know I would like this?"

"Because you enjoyed it the last time you had it," Flash instantly replied.

"What? I've never had this."

"Yeah you have." Flash took another lick of his ice cream before saying, "About a year after I started living with you guys, we went on vacation to a beach and on the last day, we got ice cream and you decided to try that flavor. When you did, you absolutely loved it and for about a month afterwards, you'd always try to find it...but we never could."

Twilight blinked at this, only for the memory to flash back into her head. "Oh...oh yeah. I can't believe you remember that."

Flash shrugged as they reached a bench at the end of the pier, the teen sitting down. "I remember constantly being on the look out for it, so I guess it just kinda stuck."

"Huh." Twilight sat down beside him, more memories going through her head. And as she began to eat more ice cream, she thought about the earlier game...and realized a certain fact: She couldn't think of a thing she really knew about Flash. He had always been there, watching her and taking into account certain things about her and remembering them.

As for her, her mind told her one thing: She had only ever treated Flash like a piece of furniture. Always assuming he was there, never taking the time to really ask why he did what he did, and what he felt about anything. Despite saying that she knew him, she knew she didn't. She could feel a tear appear in her eyes, only to blink it away.

"I'm sorry," Twilight whispered out.

Flash raised an eyebrow at this, glancing back to her, "What?"

"I'm...sorry. I've been treating you so badly."

"What are you-why are you saying that?" Flash asked, "You haven't been-"

"I have," she interrupted, Flash opening his mouth before seeing the giant frown on her face. He found himself unable to respond as she continued, "I...I've been going around saying your my best friend, but..." She glanced down at this, "Now that I really think about it...I barely know anything about you. I know that you like red and orange, but I never asked why you like those colors...but you asked that about me. And when I think about it...I realized I don't really know anything about you."

"Twilight..."

She could feel another tear form as she continued, "You like me because you know so much about me, but I hardly know anything about you beyond what anyone else knows about you...and I just realized that." She looked back up at him, "Do...do I even have the right to call you my best friend? I mean, I'm so horrible that I-"

"Twilight," he interrupted now, "Stop it." He put his hand on her shoulder, "You are my best friend. That'll never change. And I don't care if you don't know a lot about me. That just means...there's much more to learn about me. And I hope I get to learn more about you as well."

"You...you're too forgiving, you know that?"

Flash chuckled as he felt his face heat up, "Yeah...I am kind of awesome like that."

He took his hand off her, Twilight giggling as she shook her head before placing her head on his shoulder. "Thank you Flash."

"No problem."

She began licking her ice cream again at this before saying, "Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"I do wanna learn more about you. So can you answer my next question truthfully please?"

"I'd never lie to you Twilight." She glared at him, making him glance away, "Okay, I did about the Spike sugar incident...but nothing else."

"What was the first song you ever learned to play on the guitar?"

Flash turned back to her, the girl now seeing hesitation on his face. He let out a sigh before answering, "It was...a song I wrote."

"You wrote a song?"

"Yeah..." He replied, his face fully red as he added, "I wrote it...for you." Her eyes went wide at this as he continued, "It was meant to be a birthday present, but when the time came...I couldn't work up the nerve to play it for you."

"You...you wrote...a song for me?"

Flash slowly nodded, "Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I hadn't been such a wimp and played it. Maybe...maybe you might have started liking me back then." He looked away again, "I think...I think that was when I knew I liked you but...I was a coward."

"Flash...."

He let out a huff before glancing back at her, "But I don't wanna think like that. I love the life I have, and I wouldn't trade it for any chance to redo anything." Twilight smiled back before placing her head on his shoulder.

The pair began to stare out at the ocean, waiting for the fireworks to begin. As they did this, Twilight felt something in her heart starting to flicker. It was a simply ember of affection that would slowly grow into a raging flame of love. And it was born at that very moment.





Fluttershy and Iron were now high above the fairground. Wanting to completely conquer her fear of heights, especially since she had the power to grow wings now, Fluttershy had asked to go on the ferris wheel. And as they rotated up to highest part of the wheel, she felt a twinge of fear flow through her...only for Iron to place his hand on hers, showing he was there.

The teen took a deep breath at this, the pair looking out at the horizon. "Thank you," she told him. "I don't know why, but I feel...safe with you here with me. Like...nothing could ever hurt me as long as you're around."

"Happy to help." He replied, feeling a heat on his face as a thought appeared in his mind. "You know...if you wanna keep feeling safe...then maybe we could hang out more often."

He turned to her, expecting to see a blushing Fluttershy, only to see her just turn to him with a clear face and nod. "I'd love that." she replied just as the wheel came to a stop, both turning back to the view above the fair, now knowing the fireworks were about to begin.





Flash and Twilight continued to sit together, basking in one another's presence as they waited for the fireworks. However, an overhead speaker system rang out, projecting a voice over the fairground, "We apologize for the delay of the fireworks. We are suffering from technical difficulties that may cause the display to be cancelled. We are trying to correct these difficulties, but we apologize for the upset."

A large wave of moans filled the fair, Flash sighing as he turned to Twilight. "Great...sorry about this."

"It's alright," Twilight replied, "I still had fun, even without the fireworks." She adjusted herself on the bench at this, only for her foot to knock over her bag. In doing so, the jar of bugs Fluttershy had given her earlier opened up, the insects now flying out.

Twilight and Flash both heard the buzzing, looking down to see the bugs fly out from under the bench and surround them. The two were about to start freaking out...only for the insects to light up.

"Fireflies?" Flash asked, Twilight gasping as she now realized why Fluttershy gave them to her. The spectacle began to make them forget that they were surrounded before the insects dispersed and began to fly around the fairground.

The beautiful lights made everyone gasp, including Iron and Fluttershy on the ferris wheel. The sight was so amazing that when the fireworks display began, it was drowned out, but still a sight to behold. And as Twilight glanced back at Flash, her heart told her one thing: This date was the right decision. She saw the future in her eyes, staring at the teen as he kept looking up at the fireworks.

Then, Flash felt a pair of lips touch his cheek. He turned to her in shock, wide eyes before seeing a giant grin on Twilight's face. He felt the blush on his face, only to sling his arm around her and pulled her close, Twilight letting out an eep before they began to hold one another. They now knew this night would be a night neither of them would ever forget.
> Siblings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A long gulp was going down Flash's throat, a slight wave of nervous sweat going down his face. He had just scarfed down three grilled cheeses, and he could feel a tidal wave of stress and stomachache from the choice. The reason for this was simple: He was about to meet his sister for the first time.

Actually, that was a lie. He had met his sister many times before, but this was his first time meeting her as his sister. He could still hardly believe it when he had learned the truth. Sunset had been telling him and Twilight about all the adventures their counterparts had had in Equestria, both before and after they had met the unicorn turned human. One such adventure caused her to reveal that his counterpart had a younger sister, one that also existed in this one.

The fact that she lived in the city and even went to CHS was amazing to Flash, only for awkwardness to settle in as he realised what this meant when he now saw her. Not only that, she didn't know she had a brother either. As such, he had to find a way to talk to her without freaking her out, but thankfully he had a certain friend that the girl idolised.

She had explained everything to his sister, who apparently took it the way one would expect to take learning you had an older brother. When she came back, she told Flash that his sister wanted to think it over...only to get a text from her later that night, saying she wanted to talk to him.

And that was now, Flash having arrived an hour early and drowning his nerves in more grilled cheese. Twilight had offered to come with him, but Flash chose to do this alone.

"Can I get you anything else?" Flash turned to a pink skinned girl with blue hair in a waitress uniform, wearing roller-skates and carrying a note-pad.

"No thanks," Flash replied.

The waitress nodded and rolled off right as the diner door opened. It was his sister, dressed in her usual leather jacket, cargo pants and boots. Scootaloo turned to Flash, a tense look appearing on her face as she moved over to him.

"Hey," she said as she got up to the table.

"Hey," he responded, gesturing to the seat opposite him. She sat down, placing the helmet she had been carrying down next to her, "Do you...want anything?"

"Not really," she slowly replied, shaking her head, "Maybe later."

Flash nodded back...only for silence to take over. Both stared at each other, Flash tapping his fingers on the table, while Scootaloo just stared down at the table.

"So..." Flash tried to break the silence, "What do you-"

"Are you really my brother?" She interrupted, making Flash flinch.

He blinked at her, taking a deep breath before replying, "I...think so? The versions of us in Equestria are siblings." Scootaloo just stared at him at this, making Flash scratch the back of his head, "Look...I know you don't have any reason to believe me. Heck, I hardly believe it. But if the possibility exists..."

"When Rainbow told me, I was shocked. I thought to myself, if I have a brother, then why haven't I lived with him? So I went to my mom and dad." Flash went wide-eyed at this, about to ask who they were, only for her to say, "I asked them if I had a brother. They were...shocked that I asked that. They wanted to know why I asked."

"What...did you tell them?" Flash slowly asked.

"I said it was complicated and told 'em I needed to know the truth before I explained. And...they don't know if I have a brother or not." Flash raised an eyebrow at this as Scootaloo reached into her jacket and took something out. It was a folded up piece of paper, which she handed to Flash.

He took it and unfolded it, revealing a photograph of four people. One of them was a man that looked exactly like Flash, with his arm around a woman with silver skin and purple hair. The other was a brown skinned man with dark purple hair, holding a pink skinned woman with blonde hair.

Flash's gaze zeroed in on the man that looked just like him, "Who's this?"

"That's Trail Blazer," Scootaloo replied, "He's my real dad."

"Real dad?" Flash responded, Scootaloo nodding before she pointed at the other couple in the photo.

"Until I asked them if I had a brother, I thought these two were my parents. But it turns out...I'm adopted." Flash frowned at this as she continued, "When I asked them, they told me the truth...that they can't be sure I'm an only child." She pointed to Trail Blazer and the woman he was holding. "Apparently, Trail Blazer and Misty Veil were my parent's best friends and roommates in college. After they graduated, they got a job across the country and left for about three years." She looked up at Flash, "That time is around the same time you should have been born."

"Really?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow. He stared at the photo again, seeing how much he resembled the man in the picture before thinking about the years of not knowing who his parents were. That is, till his mind went back to Scootaloo, who had been raised by someone else. "Wait...what happened to them?"

Scootaloo glanced away at this, "When I was about a year old, they were in a traffic accident one day. They were on a business trip in another town, so they left me with my mom and dad. They died and...apparently they made my parents my legal guardians. They adopted me and thought it would be better to make me think I was theirs's until I was old enough to understand."

"I...see." Flash replied as he leaned back in the seat. "Huh. I guess that means we won't know."

"Yeah...I guess it was stupid to ask if you really were my brother and you would just know." Scootaloo told him. "I mean...you look just like my dad. My real one, I mean...but that doesn't mean anything." Flash nodded as he glanced back at the picture, only for Scootaloo to take something else out of her jacket. "There is something else though." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, now seeing an envelope. "My parents said this was made part of their will. It was supposed to be delivered to me when I learned I turned eighteen. My mom and dad gave it to me when they told me because they have a feeling they know what's in it."

"What does it say?"

"I don't know," Scootaloo shrugged before putting it on the table. "I've been a little...worried about what it might say." Flash nodded, only for the girl to ask him, "Do you...think you might be able to read it for me?"

"Um...sure." Flash took the envelope, carefully opening it and finding two things within. The first was a bunch of folded papers and an envelope, this one having someone else's name on it: Flash.

He stared at the envelope for a moment before putting it down and staring at the paper. He took a deep breath and began to read it, "To my dearest Scootaloo..." the teen did a small pause, "Seriously?! Who starts a letter like that anymore?!"

"Flash..."

"Sorry." Flash replied before continuing, "Ahem. As I write this letter, every fibre of my being is praying that you'll never have to read these words. But I know the world can be an unpredictable place, and if something should happen to us, I'd never forgive myself for not making sure you someday learned the truth."

Scootaloo sighed, rolling her eyes, "Seriously?! Imagine if I was given this letter on my actual eighteenth birthday."

The two laughed at this, only for Flash to say, "Scootaloo, you're not our firstborn." Flash's eyes drifted to the envelope. "When we were younger, your father and I left our home to pursue a career in archaeology. However, many complications occurred and we eventually ended up losing our jobs. With little hiring prospects and a lot of debt to pay off, we found ourselves barely managing to get by. Then we discovered we were going to have a child, which would have likely bankrupted us."

Flash came to a stop at this, both him and Scootaloo now wide-eyed as she asked, "Wait...did they just say they abandoned you to save some money?"

"Uhh…" Flash barely responded, grimacing at he tried to form words to answer her question, "Well...raising a kid is expensive. If they really had no money, maybe they thought I would be taken away."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I think they're about to go over it." Flash glanced back down at the letter as he continued to read aloud, "We knew that it would be a matter of time before the baby was taken away by child services, so we chose not to make him suffer through bonding with us. Only two weeks after your brother was born, we returned to our home city and placed him in an orphanage. It hurt us greatly, to give away our beloved child, but we knew it was for the greater good. We gave him the name Flash Relic, but I'm sure he'll likely have another second name by now."

"I thought your name was Flash Sentry. How did you get your name get changed?" Scootaloo asked next.

"The kids at the orphanage gave it to me. I was always just Flash, and I can't remember the specific details, but I think it was a nickname I got because I was always looking after the younger ones and keeping them from getting bullied. Thus, my name is Flash Sentry."

Scootaloo nodded. "That makes sense."

Flash glanced back down at the letter, "Over the next few years, your father and I were able to gain some semblance of control over our lives. We probably would have gone back for your brother, but then we got another unexpected financial surprise. You." Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at this. "This time, we knew we could look after our child properly. So we made a decision. We're gonna keep you and raise you and after a few years, we'll seek out your brother. If he's already been adopted, we'll simply make ourselves known and explain what happened. Hopefully, he won't hate us and will be willing to accept us being a part of his life. And if he isn't adopted, we'll do that ourselves."

"So much for that idea," Scootaloo sighed, Flash shrugging. His mind went back to his first meeting with Twilight and her family, making him do a hidden smile before getting back to reading.

"But if you're reading this, it means something went wrong and we never reunited with Flash. If that's the case, then all I can say is that what happens next is up to you. You can forget you ever read this letter, or go out and find your brother. I hope you'll chose to find him and that the two of you can form some type of brother sister bond. If you choose not to meet him, my only wish is that you at least deliver the letter I've written to him. He deserves to know the truth as much as you do. Love, your mother, Misty Veil." Flash then put the letter down, him and Scootaloo sitting back. "Wow."

"Talk about...intense," Scootaloo replied before looking down at the other envelope. "Are you gonna read it?"

"Maybe later," Flash responded, "Right now...I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around all this."

"At least now you know mom and dad didn't abandon you," Scootaloo reminded him. "They gave you up because they loved you."

"Yeah..." Flash shrugged again before putting the envelope into his pocket. He glanced back up at Scootaloo, "Well...this certainly went very different from how I expected it to go."

"How'd you expect it to go?"

"Honestly, I was kind of expecting it to go horribly wrong and you'd never want to talk to me again." Scootaloo laughed at this, just as the waitress from before came back and asked them if they wanted anything. Flash turned to her and smiled, "Can I treat my sister to a milkshake?" Scootaloo smiled and nodded before giving her order, Flash asking for the same thing.

"So what do we do now?" Scootaloo asked as the waitress left. "I've never had a brother before."

"Well...my only point of reference is a pair of sibling prodigies that spend half their time being the best of friends, and the other half as heated rivals trying to compete for a paper mache crown." Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at this, "Its a long story. Anyways, I guess we could try to uh...you know, get to know each other." His eyes darted away slightly at this, "Unless you don't wanna do that. I totally understand if you don't."

"Do you?"

"I...I guess so? I did kinda start this when I found out about the other version of us."

"Yeah..." Scootaloo replied as she glanced away, only to look back at him with a solid stare, "I think we should try it."

Flash blinked at her, only to nod, "Same."

"So...how do start? I mean, we barely know each other."

"I guess we start at the beginning. I'll go first." Flash responded as the waitress returned with their drinks, both drinking up as they talked to one another. They both told each other about their lives up to meeting at CHS, what they enjoyed doing and found that they both had a lot in common. Both enjoyed similar movies, video games and had almost the same taste in music. They had a few different hobbies, but they were the main differences.

Flash told her he enjoyed baking occasionally while Scootaloo just stated she only enjoyed eating baked treats. Flash then promised to one day introduce her to his favourite thing to bake, witcher's firelighter, something Scootaloo had never heard of. He also suggested teaching how to play guitar when she told him she was interested in learning, something she had been planning to ask Rainbow.

By this point, the pair had finished their milkshakes. "Wanna order another?" Flash asked, "Or...do you wanna go do something else?"

"Like what?" Scootaloo asked.

"Well...I'm no expert, but the only siblings I really know like to compete against one another every now and then. Wanna get your butt whooped at a nearby mini-golf course?"

Scootaloo gave him a smirk, "Oh, its on."

"Let's go." The pair paid for their drinks and headed out of the dinner, Scootaloo putting on her helmet and grabbing her scooter while Flash grabbed his bike and helmet. As soon as he was on board, the pair turned and nodded to one another, the same idea in their heads. And without a word, the pair shot off the starting line, racing down the street. All along the way, they laughed as they continued. They might not know what the future held for them, but they knew this was a good start. Only time would tell if it would remain good or not, but the pair both had faith it would.
> Special: Dance Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the whole Camp Everfree situation, many people at CHS had hoped that they wouldn't hear about the place being in trouble again. However, they soon learned it wasn't in as great a condition as they had hoped. Despite having raised enough for Gloriosa and Timber to keep the place, more issues such as the breaking old equipment, along with everything that was broken thanks to Gaia Everfree's rampage. Gloriosa had not told them about this, but a storm hit the town and did a lot of damage. Now the camp was no longer suitable to be opened to the campers, meaning no more money.

Luckily, those at CHS were used to dealing with serious issues.

"To the right! To the right! To the left! To the left! Now up! Now up! Bring it down! Spin it around! Wash that car like you mean it! Come on!"

This marvellous musical performance was brought to you by Pinkie Pie, who was with the rest of her magically charged friends in the school's parking lot. The group were busy cleaning up Big Mac's filthy truck, with Sunset, Applejack and Flash scrubbing the mud and dirt off the metal work. Once they had done this, Fluttershy pointed a hose at the truck and blasted the soap off before Rarity took out a hairdryer and began blow-drying. After that, Pinkie jumped up holding a pair of polishing gloves and with an almost Rainbow level of speed, she managed to polish every surface of the truck until it sparkled.

"Nice," Flash commented as Rainbow took Mac's money.

"Thanks, Big Mac." The teen saluted before starting up the vehicle and driving off. "Sweet! More cash to add to the stash!"

"Woo-hoo!" Pinkie cheered, swinging her wash gloves around like pompoms.

And as she did this, Rarity let out a sigh, "How about a little break? All of this sunshine and suds are doing a number on my hair." The others nodded, all heading to a nearby cooler and each taking out a bottle of fizzy liquid, Flash using it to cool his head before opening it.

"Hey," Rainbow spoke up, "Anybody seen Twilight lately?"

"I'm here," they turned to see Twilight Sparkle walking up with a metal box, "I was just going over the numbers again."

"Have we raised enough to make all the repairs to Camp Everfree?" Sunset asked, smiling before she saw Twilight shake her head.

"We've only raised half. I counted the money four times just to be sure." The others all groaned, Flash remembering all those dirty cars that had shown up earlier, only to drive off after learning that the girls would be washing the cars in their normal clothing.

"That's all right," he commented, "We can just wash more cars. There's gotta be some we missed."

But then they turned to the parking lot, now seeing it was completely empty, "I uh...think we're gonna have to come up with a new plan." Sunset countered.

"But we're running out of time!" Rainbow chimed in, "The camp fundraising deadline is next week, and Pinkie Pie's already hosted a bake sale, Twilight and Fluttershy had that doggie day care, and Sunset Shimmer and I planned this car wash!"

"Maybe we should have asked some of the others to help," Flash added, remembering back to Iron, First, and Heather saying they couldn't help due to other obligations.

"Not to worry, darlings." They turned to Rarity, "It's my turn to devise a plan, and I already have something amazing in mind. It will be the most profitable of all of our fundraising events! The pièce de résistance!"

"Hee-yoo!" Applejack cheered with a swing of her hat, "Now we're talkin'! What's your idea?"

"Meet me in the music room later this afternoon and I will explain everything." The others nodded as Rarity ran off, the group all splitting up until all that was left was Flash and Twilight.

"So what do you wanna do until then?" Twilight asked, Flash shrugging as Spike walked up to them.

"I don't know about you, but it's been ages since I got to run around a park." He looked up at them at this, both chuckling at the dog before walking him over to the nearby park. And as the dog got to run around, Flash went to a nearby vending machine and got a drink for him and Twilight, taking it over to the girl as she sat down on a bench while looking at her phone.

"Thanks," she replied as she took the drink. Flash sat down and nodded, only for Twilight to add, "So any idea when you and Scootaloo are gonna hang out again?"

Flash shrugged back while thinking about the last few weeks. The pair had been hanging out more and more since the pair had confirmed their sibling status. They had gone to the movies, played laser tag and had been introduced to the other's foster family. The only event together they hadn't really enjoyed was going to their parent's burial site, though it did grant them a state of closure.

"She's been a bit busy with her friends, and I've been working with you girls to fund-raise the money we need. Hopefully, once the deadline passes, we can make some time to hang out...and us as well." Twilight nodded with a slight blush before the pair turned to see Spike run around, laughing his head off as he enjoyed himself.

The fun then ended when Spike caught sight of a squirrel and began to chase it, forcing the pair to run after him until he got to a tree. "Twilight!" He exclaimed, "Use your magic to lift me up into the branches so I can get him!"

"I don't think so," Twilight replied as she used her magic to pull him into her arms, "You really need to get over this squirrel grudge you have."

"Never!" he growled, Flash staring at the rodent on the branch, swearing he saw the squirrel blow a raspberry at Spike before they left.

The three made their way to the exit of the park, only for something new to catch their attention. The revving of a supercharged engine, making them turn to see a muscle car in the park's parking lot. "Awesome..." Flash whispered with stars in his eyes. While he wasn't as mechanically dept as Twilight, he had taken an introduction class of auto repair back at Crystal Prep, being one of his favorite courses and one he sadly had to say goodbye to after transferring to CHS. The one type of car Flash loved more than anything were fast cool looking sports cars, one that he hoped to one day own...once he had won the lottery and donated a kidney.

The pair watched as the driver drove around the parking lot, doing a few stunts in his vehicle before racing off so as to not get arrested. After that, the three enjoyed a little more time together until they got a text from Rarity asking them to head to the music room. Despite the distance between the school and the park, they actually arrived there before Rarity. Though she showed up a minute or so later, completing their team of fundraisers.

"Alright dearies, are you ready to hear my idea for getting the last of the money needed to fix up Camp Everfree?" They all nodded as she went into long-winded explanation, which Flash easily summed up once she was done.

"You wanna enter a dance music video contest?" Rarity nodded.

"And you've already come up with an idea for the video?" Sunset asked, Rarity nodding again.

"It's simple. Each of us will dance in a different style, like flamenco, hip-hop, or street ballet. And we'll wear costumes to match each genre." The others blinked at this, making her giggle, "See? It's a wonderful plan. We'll write some lyrics for our new song, and we'll choreograph some dance moves. Then our video will win a cash prize, and voilà!"

"You make it sound simple as pie," Applejack slowly replied.

"That's because it is!" Rarity exclaimed, "The girls at Crystal Prep even agree." This statement made them all go wide-eyed, "They're making a video too."

"They are?!"

"What for?" Flash added, "Crystal Prep has hardly ever been short of funds."

"I think they're trying to get enough money to have their spring dance on a yacht." She replied, only to turn to Twilight, "Is that a problem, darling?"

"Oh no," Twilight replied while shaking her head, "It's not." She began to rub her arm, "I just...haven't heard much about my old school since I left, I guess."

"Speak for yourself," Flash chimed in, "I've been talking to Lightning online every now and then. Plus, Cadance can't help but talk about how much things are changing over there."

Spike chuckled at this, "Well if you ask me, Crystal Prep has got nothin' on CHS! I love it here!" Fluttershy smiled as she reached down and started scratching him under the chin, making the puppy shudder in joy. "See what I mean?"

Flash laughed at this before showing everyone a thumbs up, "Alright, I say we go for it. It's about time CHS got a win over Crystal Prep, even if it's just a dance contest."

The others nodded, only for Rarity to flinch as she replied, "That's great darlings...but before we get started with the choreographing of our dance moves and-" She mumbled a few extra words with a spiral of her wrist. "-there's just one tiny, teeny-weensey, little thing I forgot to mention."

"What's that?" Sunset asked, the others raising an eyebrow.

"Uhhhh..." She groaned before saying the next part rather quickly, "I would need to use our fundraiser money to buy costume materials for the video!"

This made everyone react, Rarity seeing the surprise on their faces followed by doubt and fear before Sunset added, "Um...Rarity? How much is the grand prize worth?"

"More than double what we need to fix up Camp Everfree!" Rarity responded, only to get an excited laugh from Rainbow as she stood up.

"Then of course you can use the money for costumes!"

Applejack let out a sigh before standing up as well. "Oh, what the hay, why not?"

"Sweet!" Rainbow cheered as Pinkie ran over to Rarity.

"Whee-hee!" She hugged her as Sunset gave Rarity a gentle punch of the shoulder.

"Well...according to my calculations, if we lend Rarity the funds we've already raised, we stand to gain four times as much money as we have now." Twilight chimed in, the others cheering as Twilight remained stoic as she continued, "But if we lose the video contest, we'll be completely back to square one and zero dollars." Everyone's joy suddenly dropped, making everyone grimace. "Anyone else think this is an awfully risky endeavour?"

"No way," Flash replied, "Don't forget that old saying: Nothing ventured, nothing gained." He turned to the girls, "This is our only chance to make enough money. If we can't raise the money any other way, then who cares if we're one dollar short or a million dollars short."

The girl's expressions went back to happy, nodding before Rarity clapped her hands, "All right girls!" She turned to Flash and Spike, "And...boys. Who's ready to shoot our winning dance music video?" The others all cheered as Applejack handed over the box of money they had already earned, causing Rarity to squee, "Looks like I have some fabric shopping to do!"

She then ran off, the rest now beginning to workon a new song while Flash agreed to help behind the scenes of the music video. Twilight went online and started researching different dance moves of the multiple genres they would be using, each Rainbooms finding one they liked. So once the song and music were completed, though it lacked the keyboard that Rarity would need to record once she finished her work, they spent the next few days watching the videos and trying to learn to mimic them.

But they soon discovered that dancing wasn't as easy as those on the videos made it look. It took those people years to acquire that level of skill...while the Rainbooms had less then a week. Luckily, their magic allowed them to do everything else super quickly along with Principal Celestia allowing them to use the gym and the stage they would be using was completed in a few lunch breaks, along with all the decorations and special effects.

Vinyl Scratch had agreed to play the music for them along with Photo Finish to record the video, which meant they had everything they needed. Rarity had also managed to complete the outfits and the day before the video deadline, making them ready to shoot.

"Let's take it from the top one more time," Rarity declared as she sat in her director's chair. The rest of the Rainbooms were on the main stage, all dressed in different clothing while Flash was backstage with Iron, Heather and First also helping the girls with their clothes and makeup. "Rainbow Dash, don't forget your cue. It's when Fluttershy does her triple pirouette, okay?"

"Her what?" Iron asked as he and Flash hoisted a fake sun out of view.

"I have no idea," Flash groaned, "Just go with it." In that moment, Photo Finish activated the camera and Rarity turned back to the stage.

"And...action!" With that, Vinyl hit play on the music and Sunset strutted out onto the stage. The dress she was wearing didn't allow for a lot of leg movement, coupled with the high heels on her feet meant she was very unbalanced. Once she was in position, she started dancing around while Fluttershy did a ballet leap onto the stage next to her.

Fluttershy's costume allowed for more movement, but when she spun around to do her pirouette, but accidently kicked Sunset. "Whoa!" Sunset yelped, barely managing to stay on her feet, only for Rainbow to slide onto the stage.

"Cut!" They then heard Rarity cry, making the music cut out with a record scratch.

"Hey!" Rainbow yelled, "What happened to the music?" They turned to Rarity and saw her gripping the chair, her eye twitching before she took a deep breath before getting out of her chair.

"Fluttershy..." she sighed as she walked over to the stage, "It's supposed to be a triple pirouette."

"I know," Fluttershy replied while glancing away, "It's just that um...uh, I-I-I don't think I can do one of those."

Rarity grabbed her shoulders. "Darling, of course you can." She pulled her close, "I believe in you."

"How about you try jazz paws instead?" The puppy sitting on the floor in front of them suggested, showing the dance move, making Sunset chuckle before reaching up to correct a flower piece in her done up hair.

"Thanks Spike, but all these moves are pretty hard."

"Maybe you should have picked something a little easier," Flash groaned as he and Iron continued to struggle holding up the sun.

"Oh," Rarity waved her hand as Twilight used her magic to hold the sun up, "We can't do that. If we want to win, we have to bring our A-game!"

"But you guys don't have an A-game," Iron responded as he tied the sun up. "At least not when it comes to dancing. You guys have never done anything like this before."

"We have to try," Rarity replied, "This is our only hope of winning the contest."

"I just hope Crystal Prep are having as much trouble as us," Twilight sighed, "They're excellent dancers, and you know how they love to compete."

"True," Flash added, "But none of them have a creative bone in their body. I bet they don't even have a concept yet."

Applejack then walked up to Rarity. "How about we forget about the other teams and get back to dancin'?"

"Great idea, Applejack!" They turned to Pinkie, who was dancing in such a manner that you could just hear the synth drums as she did. "It's really fun! I haven't stopped this whole time!" She let out a few pants as she danced on the spot, making Rarity glare at her.

"Let's take it from Rainbow's entrance," she moved back to her director's chair while letting out a sigh. "And...action!" The music started again as Sunset and Fluttershy danced, Rainbow once again sliding in. But before the blue skinned girl could get started, Sunset kicked her leg back and caught the back of her jacket.

"Whoa!" She yelped as she lost balance and pulled her leg down, the sound of ripping filling the air.

That was followed by Rarity's gasp, the girl running onto stage and grabbing the jacket. "This is a disaster!"

"Whoops," Sunset blushed. "Sorry, Rarity."

"Oh..." Rarity replied, her eyes about to tear up, "Well, I can fix it, but I'll have to run to the fabric store before it closes." She removed it from Rainbow and began to run for the exit. "Keep practicing while I'm gone!"

And as she left, they did as instructed and kept dancing, though only after they changed out of their outfits to make sure there weren't any more damage. But even in more movement allowing clothing, they could barely get any of the moves right.

The practicing soon came to a stop though when they received a text from Rarity, telling them to meet at her house to discuss an emergency. The fact she didn't even have time to put a 'dear' at the beginning and a 'sincerely yours' at the end told them she was being serious.

And as they ran over and knocked the door at the house, they found Sweetie Belle answering. Gesturing them to go to Rarity's room, Rainbow ran ahead and slammed the door open. The group glanced in, Pinkie jumping up and clinging to the ceiling as they saw Rarity at her sowing machine. "We're here!" The party girl exclaimed as the rest walked in.

"We got your text," Twilight added, "You said it was an emergency?"

They then saw the giant frown on Rarity's face, her eyes twitching as Applejack asked, "Everythin' all right, sugarcube?"

Rarity took a deep breath before standing up. "Well..." she moved over to her drama couch and sat down, "Since you asked..." She brushed her skirt...only to burst out sobbing. "The answer is nooooo!" She started crying into her couch, Flash raising an eyebrow and resisting the urge to call her a drama queen.

"Oh no!" Fluttershy gasped before sitting down on her couch, "What happened?"

"Sour Sweet," Rarity sobbed, "And the...Crystal Prep girls...stole our video concept!"

"Of course they did," Flash sighed. "I should have seen this coming."

Twilight shook her head as Rarity sniffed, "I saw them filming at the mall. They copied my design ideas and everything!" For a moment, she seemed to shine at this, "So of course they looked absolutely fabulous." Only for the shine to vanish, "But the worst part is that they're all incredible dancers!"

This was met by a gasp on Pinkie's part, "Major bummer in the summer!" She held up a hanky, "Tissue for your issue?"

Rarity sniffed before accepting it, "Ta." She used it to wipe up the running makeup on her face before blowing her nose, "Everyone is counting on me, on the video to win us the prize money for the camp." She laid back on the couch and sighed. "Oh, how could I have been such a fool?! Of course those Crystal Preppers stole my concept!" She sat back up, her eyes now narrowing as they burned with anger. "I practically served it to them on a platter!"

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Twilight replied, "It's gonna take more than one Friendship Games for those Crystal Prep girls to learn that winning isn't everything."

"And I doubt their video will be as good as yours," Flash added, "Like I said, no imagination. Unless they steal someone else's original song, I doubt they'll be winning that contest any time soon."

"Eh," Applejack shrugged, "Maybe this was all for the best."

"Hmm?" Rarity asked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Uh..." Applejack hummed while glancing away, "Yer concept and costumes are nice and all, but uh...the dancin..."

"Nnnnot so much," Sunset finished for her, making Applejack laugh.

"We could barely get in a two-step without trippin' over each other's boots." She laughed again, the others laughing with her.

"You can say that again!" Pinkie nodded, only for Rarity to speak up

"Nonsense!" She cried, standing up. "You all looked great!" She then got a bunch of stares, making her flinch, "Okay, maybe not great, but...but it was getting there!" She began to march back and forth through the room. "And the point is, we don't have to let them win! That is our video concept! And I am going straight to Crystal Prep to let them know that they have messed with the wrong girls!" She turned to them, "Who's with me?!" Flash and the Rainbooms all remained silent, making Rarity take a deep breath and clear her throat. "No, seriously. Who is with me? I have no idea how to get to Crystal Prep."

"I'll go," Twilight sighed, "Maybe I can try to reason with them. We were classmates once."

"And I'll go to show you the way," Flash added before nodding at Twilight. "I doubt this one would be able to find her way around."

Twilight glared back at him, "What are you talking about?! I went to that school just as long as you did!"

Flash turned to her with a smirk, "How do you get from the front door to the dance studio?"

"There's a dance studio?"

"My point exactly," Flash replied before turning to leave. "Let's go."

"That's the spirit!" Rarity cheered before grabbing Twilight's arm, "Come on!" With that, the three left the room and headed out the front door. The rest of the Rainbooms just stood there, blinking a few times until Fluttershy spoke up.

"So...do we just stay or...what?"





One long bus ride later...

The trio had arrived at Crystal Prep, Rarity now dawning a disguise despite almost nobody at the school knowing her while Flash and Twilight wore their usual clothing. The three chose to sneak into the school by travelling to the side of the building, skimming along the wall to reach the front door while managing to get inside without anyone noticing.

"Alright," Flash lead the girls through the hallway, "The dance studio's not to far off. Hopefully, they'll be in there." But as they turned a corner, Flash found himself almost bumping into someone. "Whoa!"

"Whoa!" a feminine voice called out before the two staggered back. As this happened, Flash and the girls' eyes went wide when they looked up to see Ruby Scarlet. "Flash?" She asked before turning to the girls. "What are you three doing here?"

"Uhhh..." Flash gulped, his eyes darting back and forth, "Twilight and I...forgot something. Yeah, we left something here's that's really important."

"Really?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow, "if it's important then why did it take you this long to come and get it."

Flash flinched as he saw Ruby squint her eyes at him, only for Rarity to look away from the others, "Wait..." She whispered as she heard something, "That's their music." She turned to an open door, "Bingo!" She ran past Ruby, only for Flash and Twilight to quickly follow her before Ruby could react.

And as they reached the door and looked inside, they saw the four girls in their costumes. They were spinning and dancing, Rarity's jaw dropping as they did this...only to also notice Lightning Blitz standing on the side.

"Not bad," he told the Shadowbolts once they finished. "Yeah, I think I can write something for you."

"Perfect," Sour cheered before turning to the trio. "Hey, girls!" She yelled, only to hear Flash cough, "And guy." She acted like she was looking at her nails, "What did you think of our routine?" She glared at them, "Scared yet?"

Rarity glared back before pointing at them, "Don't change the subject, Sour Sweet!" Everyone else raised an eyebrow at this.

"But you didn't bring up a subject," Sugarcoat stated.

"You, either!" Rarity barked, Lightning turning to Flash.

"Is she okay?"

"It's a long story," Flash replied, "Like...a week's worth of nonsense."

"You know why we're here!" Rarity screeched, "You stole my-" She looked over at Twilight, "Our...music video idea!"

"Huh," Flash shrugged, "Guess it wasn't a long story."

Lightning went wide-eyed at this, "Really?"

"Oh yeah." Flash responded.

"Now...change your concept, or else!" Rarity crossed her arms and glared at them, only to see Sour Sweet smirking.

"Sorry, heh, but we can't." The all laughed, Flash and Lightning frowning while Twilight stepped up.

"And why is that?"

"Because we care about winning," Sunny Flare replied, "Duh!"

"And we will," Sour continued, "Because we're just about to submit our video once Lightning's written the music we can add to it." They laughed again while Flash turned to Lightning. The teen was now showing a small frown, Flash about to talk to him until another voice spoke up.

"You're what?" Rarity stammered before shaking her head viciously. "It doesn't matter! Because we are still doing our video the way we planned!"

"Go ahead," Sour told her. "But there's just one flaw in your little plan."

Sunny nodded. "By the time you submit yours, it'll just look like you copied us."

"Except the worse version," Sugarcoat finished before Lemon Zest turned the music back on and the girls started dancing around.

Rarity hissed at them at this, only to march out of the room in a huff. Twilight followed after her while Flash just stood there, glaring at the girls. "You know," he told them as they stopped dancing. "I never liked how you always belittled others and flaunted your achievements over them, but I at least respected that you actually earned those achievements." The girls all turned to him at this, "Crystal Prep's always stating it's the best. But now I'm starting to wonder just how much of that is true." He turned to leave, "I'm glad I left this place." With that, he strode out of the studio and slammed the door shut, only to find Ruby leaning against the wall outside it, "Did ya hear that?"

"I did."

"Can you do anything about it?"

Ruby sighed and shook her head, "I'm afraid not. It's not like there's a rule against using the same idea, even if they admit to stealing it. I'll see if Cadance can do anything to make them change their minds, but I wouldn't hold my breath."

Flash nodded, but sighed as well before leaving the school, soon managing to catch up with the girls.





When they got back to school, they met up with the rest of their friends and explained everything they had learned. "Lightning's writing them a song?" Sunset yelped, getting a nod from Flash. "Well...I guess they really will have their video ready before us."

"Oh, this is all my fault!" Rarity cried, "All the money we raised is gone, and now we have no music video! I should never have convinced you all that we could pull this off in so little time..."

"Are you crazy?" Rainbow chimed in, "We're great at doing stuff super-fast. I mean, look at Pinkie Pie." They turned to the girl, seeing her standing on the music room's piano. "She just built that castle made entirely out of chocolate bars while we were talking." She then put a chocolate star atop a nine foot construct, then took one of the tower walls off before taking a bite.

"Want some?" She asked, holding it out for Rarity as she sighed.

"What I want is a new video concept!" The girl crossed her arms as Pinkie shrugged, then finished off the chocolate bar.

"So let's create one!" Rainbow exclaimed, making Rarity turn to her.

"Really?" She replied, only for the others to all let out chants of agreement.

Sunset then stepped up, "I'm sure if we all put our heads together, we'll come up with something even better than before."

"Okay..." Rarity nodded, only to show a small smile, "I suppose it's worth a try." But as she said that, Pinkie leapt off the piano and grabbed Rarity's arm before grabbing everyone else's, pulling them together until their heads were touching.

They stared at each at this, Pinkie giggling, "I think it's working!"

"Yeah!" Applejack nodded, "Ah...ah got somethin! Okay, so we're in home-ec class-" They all closed their eyes and imagined themselves in the class, the strange thought of them wearing cowboy themed clothing somehow getting into each of their minds, with Rarity looking down and screaming at what she was wearing. "...bakin' some apple fritters!" Trays of the sweet treat suddenly appeared in everyone's hands. "And then, a fresh batch comes outta the oven." The batch appeared in her hands, the girl taking a sniff before sighing in joy. "And everybody's havin' a great time!"

They all did just this, Rainbow and Flash pretending to have a western duel with their sweet treats while they laughed and conversed. But as Rarity was about to take a bite of her imaginary fritter, "Wait..." She turned to Applejack, "So basically, we're eating pastries at school in our music video?"

"Uh..." Applejack let out a chuckle, "Ah guess ah'm just kinda hungry."

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Anyone have another idea?"

"Oh, oh!" Rainbow held up an arm, "I do! So...we're in the middle of the jungle." Their imaginations kicked in and they envisioned this, all now in explorers outfits while Rainbow began to run on the spot. "And we're being chased by henchmen who are shooting poison arrows at us!" Everyone screamed as they imagined this, only for Rainbow to add, "When suddenly, out of nowhere, the shadow of a giant beast appears!" She pointed to a nearby wall as an animal shadow reflected on it and it let out a roar.

But before Rainbow could continue, Twilight spoke up, "Wait a second! Isn't this a scene from the latest Daring Do book?"

They all turned to Rainbow, the girl letting out a laugh, "Oh yeah. That's why it seemed so cool."

"Er..." Flash grumbled, "Honestly, I didn't much enjoy that book. Felt like the author just copied and pasted a bunch of action scenes from her older books into this one." He could see both Rainbow and Twilight glaring at him, the teen now gulping, "Anyone got any other ideas?"

"Okay!" They turned to Pinkie, "I've got it!" As she said that, a spear hit the tree that Rarity was hiding behind.

"Please!" she called out, "Do tell..."

Pinkie smiled before reaching out of frame, then pulled a new backdrop down. "We'll start out on...the moon!" Everyone opened their eyes and found themselves staring at a large board with a moon image on it. "And we'll be wearing really sparkly costumes." Pinkie placed a bunch of stick figure cutouts of them onto it. "No, wait!" She pulled a bunch of astronaut helmet cutouts out of her hair and slapped them on the stick figures. "We'll be in spacesuits!"

"Nice," Flash nodded as Pinkie took a bunch more cutouts from her hair.

"We're surrounded by gorgonzola cheese! But then, a space doggie walks over and start to eat the cheese!" She held up a cutout of Spike, which she placed on the board next to a cheese cutout. "Mmm!" she then said, somehow mimicking Spike's voice. "Rich with buttery undertones." The others were all giggling at the image as Pinkie made the cutouts dance around in zero gravity.

"STOP!" Rarity suddenly screamed, making Pinkie jump and accidently throw the board away. "This will never work!"

"Aww...why not?

Rarity's teeth chattered at this, making everyone flinch as she added, "Because the contest is for dance music videos, and not one of your ideas included dancing at all!"

"Huh," Flash turned to the others, "I guess she has a point."

They all shrugged, Pinkie now giggling, "But they were pretty funny, huh?" She then turned to the blue skinned girl next to her, "I liked yours, Rainbow Dash."

"Thanks, Pinkie!" Rainbow chuckled, only for the sound of Rarity growling as her blood pressure filled the air.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Okay?!" Rarity exclaimed, "No, I am not okay!" She pointed at them. "The contest deadline is tomorrow, and we've just been wasting time!"

With that, she ran out of the music room, the teens all glancing at each other before Sunset sighed, "She's right. If we don't think of something, we'll never win that contest and help Everfree."

"Come on..." Flash added as he stood up, "We've written a bunch of different songs before. How much harder can it be to come up with a concept?" They all shared uneasy expressions before they began to talk, all giving different ideas. But each and every idea that came to their minds was soon shot down, either for the lack of time, lack of skill or lack of sanity they required. "AHHH!" Flash slammed his head into the wall, "How is this so hard?"

"It's a miracle Rarity came up with the first concept," Rainbow added as she laid out on the ground.

"So does this mean we're giving up?" Fluttershy asked, the others grimacing at the idea.

"It's gonna take a miracle to get this done by now," Rainbow moaned.

As she said that, Flash's phone vibrated, the teen pulling it out to see he had gotten a text. "Huh?" He read the sender's name, "What does he want?" He opened up the message, his eyes slowly going wide, "Girls...I think we just got a miracle." They turned to him as he added, "Lightning's decided not to help the Shadowbolts."

"So?" Applejack asked.

"Lightning was the one writing the original song for them," Twilight chimed in, "If he's pulled out, then the Shadowbolts won't have a song to use in their video."

"Exactly," Flash smirked. "And like I said, those girls have zero imagination. There's no way they're gonna be able to make their own song."

Now the Rainboom's eyes were beginning to go wide as Rainbow cheered, "That means we can still use it!"

"We need to call Rarity," Sunset added, only to turn to Flash, "I wonder why Lightning decided not to help them. And why did he text you?"

Flash smirked at this, "Lightning was there when we told them off. That probably made him not help them."

Fluttershy frowned at this, "I'm happy he did the right thing, but I hope the students at Crystal Prep don't take losing out on him."

"Eh, Lightning's tough," Sunset replied, "He can handle it. And even if they give him a hard time, Lightning will know he did the right thing. Now come on, we've got a dance video to finish."

"Small problem with that." Twilight spoke up, "Even though we can still use the concept, our dancing's still not exactly award winning. How are we supposed to deal with that?"

The others grimaced at this, only for Applejack to speak up into her phone, "Hey Rarity, ya'll never guess what-" She stopped and raised an eyebrow, "What? Alright." She pulled the phone away and put it on speaker phone, "Yer live."

"Girls," Rarity's voice called back before Flash let out a cough, "And Flash. I have an idea for a new concept. One that's even better then the last one."

"Really?" Flash asked, "What is it?"

"Meet me outside the Gym tomorrow at noon. And please, no showing up early. I want this to be a surprise."

With that, she hung up, the seven sharing glances with raised eyebrows. Deciding to do what Rarity asked, the group headed home, spending the rest of the day trying to figure out what Rarity's new plan was.

The next day, that being Saturday, they ran to the school as soon as it neared noon. And when they got to the gym, they found Rarity excitedly waiting outside. "There you all are!" she waved, "Come on. You're gonna wanna see this."

They all headed inside, as Applejack asked the question on everyone's mind, "So what's the big plan you were excited about?" They got their answer when they looked into the room and everyone gasped. The gym was decorated even better than before, with lights, crystal borders and a multicolored disco floor. It was just like Rarity had described to them when she pitched her original concept.

"Wait..." Sunset turned to Rarity, "I thought you said you came up with a new idea. Isn't this the same one?"

"It is," Rarity replied, "But with a few extra tweaks." She then turned to the stage. "Girls, you can come out now!" With that, the four Crystal Prep girls stepped out from behind the stage. They looked a little nervous to be there, while Flash and the girls were wide-eyed at the sight. "I know it's hard to believe, but the Crystal Preppers here helped me to realize that competing against one another was getting us nowhere.

Lemon Zest nodded at this, "And Rarity helped show us that winning was the only thing driving us." She then glanced away, "We didn't even care if we had to steal to accomplish it."

"But that's not who we are," Sour Sweet added, "Anymore."

Rarity stepped up onto the stage at this, "The Crystal Prep Academy girls have offered to help with dance moves if we'll help them with an original song."

"Combining our talents is the most logical thing to do," Sugarcoat pointed out.

"We'll make one epic music video together," Sunny Flare finished while Rarity turned to her friends.

"So, what do you all think?" She then gave them puppy dog eyes, "Are you in?" Flash and the girls all glanced at each other, Flash and Twilight both grimacing as the others showed small frowns. The sight on Flash's face made him want to tell Rarity 'no', only for Pinkie to suddenly speak up.

"Best! Music! Video! IDEA EVER!"

The Rainbooms all went wide-eyed, Flash seeing Twilight's frown slightly go away. The sight made him chuckle before he patted her shoulder, making her turn to him, "Oh, what the heck." He glanced up at the Crystal Prep girls, "Let's do this thing!" The Rainbooms all nodded in agreement, Flash turning and nodding to Twilight. They knew it was time to bury the hatchet.

And so, the eleven girls all changed into their outfits, Flash now heading up to make sure the spotlights were all working. Once they were dressed up, Fluttershy showed Sunny Flare their song. "We can start by teaching you the words to our song."

Sunny took the sheet and looked it over, "But this is just about the Rainbooms. There's nothing about us in the lyrics."

"Yet," Fluttershy giggled before holding out a pen and winking, "Wanna help me make some changes?" Sunny smiled and nodded as Rarity skipped out on stage.

"Anybody else care to work on some music?" As she said that, Sour Sweet slid up to her.

"We'll get to it after I teach you some dance moves,"

"Music first," Rarity replied.

"Dance first," Sour countered as they glared at one another.

"Music first!"

"Dance first!"

"MUSIC FIRST!"

"DANCE FIRST!"

"The order is irrelevant," Sugarcoat chimed in, the pair turning to her as she gave them a deadpan stare.

"Oh...yeah," Rarity giggled before the two started to laugh. And so, the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts got to work, managing to rewrite the song to include the Shadowbolts while they taught the Rainbooms how to properly dance. It was a lot of hard work, but it slowly came together.

And once there, Rarity exclaimed to Flash, "Lights!" He turned on the spotlights.

"Camera!" Sour ordered as Photo turned the recorder to the stage.

"Action!" With that, the music and video recording began.





One week later...

Lightning Blitz was now making his way through the Canterlot Mall, thinking about the past week. He had expected to be an almost social pariah, given he was the reason Crystal Prep couldn't have their dance on a yacht. But instead, nobody seemed to know this, and his reputation was completely unharmed.

As he made his way through the food court, he noticed a nearby TV. "Alright everyone," the announcer on the screen announced, "It's time to reveal the winning entry of the Canterlot Mall Chance to Prance Competition!" Lightning came to a stop and stared at the screen. And as he did this, his eyes went wide as he saw who appeared on the screen as the music began to play.



"Well I'll be damned," Lightning chuckled halfway through the video. And when it came to the an end, he heard a familiar voice fill the air.

"Yee-hoo!" He turned to see Applejack along with the rest of the Rainbooms. "We've got enough to make Camp Everfree look just like new!"

"We're having the spring dance on a yacht!" Another voice called out, making him see the Shadowbolts there too. Lemon and Applejack high fived while Pinkie wrapped an arm around their necks.

"Who's up for a celebratory Aunt Orange smoothie?!"

"I am!" Flash called out, "Just watching all that dancing made me thirsty. I don't know how you girls did it." They laughed and cheered before walking off, Rarity and Sour being the only ones to stay behind.

In that moment, Rarity let out a gasp and patted Sour Sweet. "Ohhh-ho-ho-ho-ho! I have just had the most brilliant idea! Maybe Crystal Prep could use an award-winning band to play at their spring dance? It'll be the perfect way to show off your new dance moves!"

Sour Sweet went starry-eyed, "That would be amazing!" She then flinched, "Of course, then we'd have a new dilemma to deal with."

"Oh no." Rarity replied, "What?"

Sour then smirked, "Figuring out what we're all gonna wear."

"Oh," Rarity chuckled back, "I already have some ideas that I'd be willing to share."

"Me too." The pair laughed and were about to follow their friends, only for Rarity to glance back.

"Lightning?" The teen, who had only been paying half attention at this point, turned to them. "I didn't know you were here."

"Well..." he responded while moving over to them, "I didn't have anything else to do." Rarity smiled at this, making him raise an eyebrow, "What?"

"I guess we should be thanking you." Lightning blinked at this, "If you hadn't refused to help the Shadowbolts, we wouldn't have ended up teaming up and winning the contest."

"Yeah..." Sour added, "And we're sorry about what we said when you backed out. You were right to do that."

Lightning glanced away at this, "Eh, no harm done. Everything turned out alright, so let's just forget about it." Rarity and Sour both nodded before the fashionista grabbed his arm.

"Come on. You can join us for our celebration." Lightning was about to retort, but Rarity gave him a yank before he could argue. It had been an interesting time in Canterlot, but one everyone would look back on fondly. They had raised the money they needed, and a new page had been turned over for CHS and CPA. Now only time would tell what wacky events were waiting to unfold next.
> Let's Rev It Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a cheery Saturday in the city of Canterlot as Flash found himself being driven through the city inside his pseudo-brother's car. He and Shining Armor were on their way out of town to find a new part for his car. Flash had been roped into helping him because he had nothing better to do while Twilight and the rest of his female friends were spending the day practising some new songs. His own band had decided to spend the day doing some off-roading in their personal vehicles, and Flash didn't have his own set of wheels, instead being stuck as a passenger and out of the action.

"Where are we going again?" Flash asked as they left the town's border, now seeing they were on the same route he had taken to get to Camp Everfree. "What's so great about this parts shop that we have to go there instead of the hundreds of stores in town?"

"We're not going to a parts shop," Shining replied as Flash raised an eyebrow, only to see them turn off the main road, heading down a dirt path with a sign on the side.

Rusty's Junk

"A junkyard?" Flash asked as they reached the front gate, "Why are you getting your new part here?"

"Do you know how expensive some car parts are?" Shining responded as they pulled to a stop next to a portable office, "It'll be cheaper here. Besides, you never know what treasures you might find in a place like this."

"Right..." Flash muttered as he stared at the towers of old and busted up vehicles. Getting out of the car, the office door opened and someone walked out, a middle-aged man with a white beard and wearing a white shirt and brown pants with suspenders. The man was walking very slowly, holding his back as he did.

"Rusty!" Shining smirked as the man moved over, "You okay man?"

"Shining..." he replied, "Long time, no see. And to answer your question-" He let out a moan of pain, "No, I'm not. I threw out my back trying to disassemble some new drop offs." He then turned to Flash, "Who's the kid?"

"This is Flash." He gestured to the teen, "And this is Rusty Wreckage, owner of this junkyard."

Flash nodded, "Nice place you got here."

"It's a pile of junk," Rusty laughed, "And that's how I like it." He began to cackle, only to then wince when he twinged his back. He then turned to Shining, "So what can I do for yah?" He gestured to the car, "Planning to get rid of this beauty? Doesn't look like it's the girl's time."

"Definitely not," Shining replied. "But I've had to recharge the battery three times in the last six months."

"Sounds like you need a new alternator," Rusty responded as they walked up and opened the hood. The trio looked inside, Rusty shaking his head, "Yup. This thing's busted."

"Do you have any for this model?" Shining asked as Rusty let out a small moan.

"I think I've got one," he started giving Shining the directions and the man nodded. "Sure you don't need any help?"

"No," Shining shook his head before nudging Flash in the shoulder, "That's why I brought this punk." Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Besides, you clearly need some rest. Don't push yourself too much."

"If you're sure," Rusty nodded before heading back into the office.

Once he was gone, Flash turned to Shining. "Well he's a character." Shining laughed back before spinning around, Flash now following him, "How'd you meet that guy anyway?"

"I helped him deal with some punks that were causing problems on his land. Anyways, let's get to work. The part's not gonna find itself."

The pair then made their way through the canyon of vehicles, chatting with each other as they climbed over a few cars. And as they did this, between a gap of two cars, a pair of bright red eyes stared at them before vanishing.





Flash and Shining continued through the junkyard, soon getting to a small pile of rubbish. "See anything?" Shining asked Flash, who shook his head. But as they glanced around, Flash then saw a car that looked like an older version or Shining's, the teen pointing it out. They looked over the car and quickly opened the hood, Shining smirking at the sight. After a few minutes, they got the alternator out of the vehicle. "Nice," Flash chimed in as they looked it over, "It's in pretty good condition."

"And it'll fit in my car," Shining confirmed. "Perfect." He held it up, letting the light of the sun shine off it. "Hopefully Rusty won't charge too much for this beauty." But as he said that, a blue blur suddenly shot between the pair and the car part vanished. "Huh?"

"What the-where'd it go?" Flash asked before glancing around, only to spot the cause of the alternator's disappearance. It was a dog, a small one with a black and blue coat, with the black parts being its back legs after its knees, chest, its floppy ears and around the eyes while the rest was blue. Its eyes were bright red and in its mouth was the alternator. "There it is!"

The pup let out a bark around the part before running off, the two chasing it. But as they did this, the dog leapt up onto a car's bonnet before bouncing onto a higher car.

"Whoa!" Shining gasped as they watched it climb to the top of a junk tower, only to disappear over the top, making him sigh. "Dang it! We can't chase it up there."

"Not giving up just yet," Flash replied before reaching into his shirt and pulling his geode necklace out. The orange gem glowed as the blue lightning sparked around Flash, the teen running up before leaping. He got a good ten feet and grabbed part of a car, pulling himself upward before flying over the pile.

Shining just stared at the sight, shaking his head, "Magic. Never gonna get used to it." He then around the pile, hoping Flash could catch the pup.

As for the teen, he now leapt from one scrap pile to another, seeing the dog right ahead of him. And as he the dog leapt off one pile, Flash used his strength to clear three piles in a single leap and reached the dog in midair. "GOTCHA!" He yelled as he wrapped his arms around the pup, only to see that they were about to crash into a tower of junk. "Uh-oh." He flinched and gathered as much energy around him as possible, which shielded the pair as they crashed through a car pile before pushing right through it. They began to spin in the air, only for Flash to land with his feet down, skidding just as the tower began to collapse behind them.

"Phew," Flash gasped before looking down at the dog, "That was close." The dog nodded and the two stared at one another for a moment...only for Flash to remember what he was supposed to be doing. "Give me that!" He grabbed the alternator and managed to free it from the dog's mouth, the dog letting out a yip before leaping out of his arms. He stared at the dog as it panted with its tongue out, Flash having learned from his years with Spike that the pup wanted to play.

"So that's it," he shook his head, "You just want some attention, don't ya?" The dog continued to stare at him, now wagging its tail. Flash chuckled at the sight, turning to see if there was a stick or something he could throw. But as he looked around, he saw something that made him freeze up.

Sitting in front of him was a car that looked only two or three years old, but it definitely belonged in a junkyard. The car was an absolute wreck, busted windows, a missing wing mirror and had a roof that had been bent down. Its green paintwork had been destroyed, and the front wheels were pointing in two different directions. It was a complete disaster...but to Flash it looked beautiful.

"Wow," he whispered while moving over to it.

"Flash?!" He heard Shining call out, making him turn around as the dog decided to run off. "You there?!"

"Over here!" Flash called back, not looking away from the car. A minute later, Shining and Rusty showed up.

"There you are." Shining commented, only to see the alternator in his possession. "Got it back. Nice." Flash nodded and handed it to Shining while still staring at the car.

"Ah. Got an eye for the racing wonder I see." Rusty chuckled as he walked up to the teen.

"Where'd you get it?" Flash asked as Rusty moved over to pat the car.

"It belonged to a hotshot street racer that decided winning a race was more important than his own life. He used it pretty well, but one day he took a turn too sharply and well...the family didn't want to keep the car since it reminded them of it."

Shining rolled his eyes at this, "Kids today. Why haven't you taken it apart? There must be some parts that are in good shape."

"I've tried," Rusty sighed, "But every time I try, I get this overwhelming sensation. Like the car's screaming at me that it's not ready to be scrapped yet." Shining raised an eyebrow at this while Flash moved over to touch the dented bonnet. "It's something you have to just...feel. It can't be explained."

Flash didn't need an explanation. He could feel it himself. As he wiped his hand over the metal, the image of this car in its prime shot through his mind. He could feel it. It would be a crime to just leave it like this.

"How much?" Rusty and Shining glanced back at him, only to see a look of pure seriousness on the teen's face.

Shining gave him a 'get real' look, "Flash, why do you want a destroyed car?"

"I can fix it," he replied, "I know my way around an engine."

Shining rolled his eyes, "Even so, the parts you'd need to get this thing road worthy aren't gonna be cheap. By the time you've made enough to fix this thing, the rest of the world will have hover cars or something."

But as he said this, Flash's face didn't change. Rusty stared at him, seeing Flash's expression, only to shine a small smile. "Alright." The two turned to the old man, "Come with me and we'll make a deal." He began to slowly walk off, Flash and Shining following him after the teen gave the car one final fleeting look.

They returned to the entrance, where Rusty pointed to a pair of cars located behind his office. They were old but still in one piece, ready to be taken apart and stripped of all usable parts. "Here's the deal kid. I can't take these things apart with my back a mess. But if you agree to help me, I'll give you the car. Once these two are taken apart, you can start work on fixing the thing."

Flash's eyes went wide at hearing this, "Seriously?"

"Yah said yah knew yer way around an engine. Prove it and the car's yours." Flash remained surprised for a moment, then smirked and nodded.

"You're on." He moved over to a tool box and grabbed it, looking inside as the older men headed inside the office to do the paperwork needed for the purchase of the alternator.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Shining asked as he signed the documents, "Flash isn't one to give up when things get hard. He's gonna keep trying to finish work on that car if he gets his hands on it. I don't want him to bankrupt himself fixing it."

"Yah gotta have more faith in the lad," Rusty replied, "I can see it in his eyes. That boy's something special." Shining wanted to tell him he had no idea, but kept his mouth shut and finished the last of the paperwork before moving onto actually purchasing the part.

A half hour soon passed, Rusty then saying, "Alright, with that our business is done." Shining nodded and the pair headed back outside to see how far Flash had gotten.

"Hey Rusty!" They heard Flash call out, the two walking around the office, only to both freeze at the sight in front of them. Flash was leaning against one of two completely dissembled cars, spinning a spanner around in his hand. The car parts were all neatly stacked together into different piles, ready to be added to the rest of the parts that would be sold off later. "So," the teen smirked, "When can I get started working on my new car?"

Rusty's jaw hit the floor, the older man beginning to rub his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. "How...how...just...HOW?!" Shining watched Flash push his geode back into his shirt, now knowing how he managed this miracle.

"I'm...quick when it comes to these things."

Rusty just stared at him, only to shake his head and show a small smile, "Kid, let's make a deal. I'll let yah keep the car here and work on it whenever yah want. Heck, I'll even let yah use whatever parts yah can find to rebuild it. But in return, yah help me out whenever I ask for it."

Flash nodded back, "You've got a deal." The two spit into their hands and shook, Shining chuckling at the sight.

"Maybe fixing that car won't take so long after all."





The next day...

As soon as Flash woke up the next day, he left the house and rode to the junkyard on his bike as quickly as possible. When he got there, he headed for a garage that Rusty had moved the car into to keep it safe while he worked on it. He opened up the garage and looked the vehicle over, getting the same feeling he had felt the previous day. But before he could get started, a barking sound made him spin around and see the dog from yesterday.

"Oh," he smirked before kneeling down, "Hello again." The dog moved over as he held out his hand, sniffing it before letting out a happy yip as Flash started to scratch him behind the ear.

As he did this, Rusty arrived. "Ah, Flash. I see you've met my yard's recent squatter."

Flash looked up at him, "Is he your dog?"

Rusty shook his head, "No. He just showed up one day and started hanging around the place. He didn't appear dangerous, so I let him stay and give him something to eat whenever I see him." The dog barked and ran over to rub against his leg. "He's a bouncy little guy, I'll tell you." Flash nodded before glancing back at the car. "So you're really gonna try and fix this thing?"

"Not try," Flash replied, "I will fix it."

Rusty chuckled at this, "Well good luck, and remember our deal." Flash nodded before Rusty left. And as he saw the old man was out of sight, he began taking the car apart at magically enhanced speed and strength, the puppy watching as he did so. The dog could barely keep up with him as Flash removed the bonnet, doors and trunk lid, then removed the wheels and took out the suspension. And when he did this, he revealed the first problem he would need to fix.

"Great," he sighed as he removed the fourth suspension block and took out the damaged spring. "That makes four dead springs." He threw it over to the other three, all either cracked, broken or twisted. The dog moved over and gave them a sniff, Flash seeing this, "Don't suppose you know where I can get four springs exactly like those ones, do you?"

The dog stared at him for a moment, Flash swearing it looked like it could actually understand him, then turned and ran off. Flash watched it leave and just shrugged before getting back to taking apart the car. And as luck would have it, almost everything under the hood was completely fine. There were a few parts that would need replacing, but the engine was in tip top shape.

But as Flash began to hoist the car up to check the underside, a sound filled the air. A loud whine of pain, sounding rather canine to his ear. Flash's attention instantly fell away from the car, now running off into the yard. Rusty was also there, having heard the sound as well. But before he could ask Flash what it was, the teen ran into the valley of junk and as soon as he was out of Rusty's sight, he harnessed his magic and raced away.

Parkouring over towers of destroyed cars, Flash followed the sounds of the canine screaming until he arrived at where the sound was coming from. A circle of cars and trucks, stacked one on top of the other, the dog now in a corner as he was whimpering in front of something else: A black fox with a tuff of red on its head and its paws. The fox was slightly larger than the pup, growling at him before it tried to bite the dog. The pup screamed again as he jumped away, only to find himself trapped against a wall of metal. The fox unleashed its claws, ready to strike at the dog, only for a bolt of blue lightning to shoot down and strike the ground in front of it.

The fox howled in shock as it leapt back, then looked up at Flash as the teen sparked with lightning. The teen glared at it before leaping up, doing several flips before landing down between the animals with enough force that a gust of wind flew out, carrying several stray sparks. Flash continued to glare at the fox, who's eyes shrunk at the sight of the super-powered teen. Flash then held up his hand and snapped his fingers, firing a burst of energy that loudly popped, frightening the fox before letting out a yelp and shooting off through the scrap.

Now gone, Flash dispelled his magic and turned to the dog before kneeling down. "You okay?" The dog stared at him for a moment, only to run up and lick his face, "Okay, okay....I'm glad you're alright." The dog pulled away and Flash stroked his head. "But what are you doing here?"

The dog blinked at him before hopping out of his arms, walking off to another pile of junk. A moment later, he came back dragging something in his mouth, Flash going wide-eyed as he saw it was a spring. The dog dropped it and ran back between the cars, Flash staring at the part and seeing it was the exact spring he needed before the pup pulled out another spring, followed by another and another.

The four springs were all identical and all in perfect condition, just what his car needed. Flash stared at them, then turned to the dog, "You...you knew what I needed and where I could find it." The dog sat down and wagged his tail, his tongue happily out. "Wow. You're one smart pooch." The dog barked and Flash pulled him in for a hug, then smiled. "Listen," he focused on the dog, "I'm still gonna need a lot more parts to get my car working. Think you can help me out?" The dog barked again, Flash getting the feeling it was saying 'sure'. He chuckled at this and gave the mutt a ruffle on the head before the pair returned to the garage.

Both shared a glance at this, having a feeling this was gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship.





Cue the music.

Flash and the dog walked into the garage, now smiling at the car, ready to get to work. The pair shared a glance, then charged into the place.





Flash pulls out several wires from under the car's hood and threw them over his shoulder without looking, too focused on the work in front of him.

At the same time, the dog was now dragging new wiring in from outside.





Flash was under the hoisted up car on a creeper seat, using a spanner on something. He then rolled out from under the car and dropped the spanner, holding his hand out as the dog picked up another spanner and gave it to him. He rolled back under the car and got to work, the dog picking up the dropped spanner and placing it back in the toolbox.





Rain was pouring down on Flash, as he worked to dissemble another car Rusty had asked him to do while off to the side, Rusty and the dog were watching from under an umbrella.

The pair were both drinking out of cups, Rusty a mug of coffee while the dog was drinking water.





The sun shined as Flash and the dog made their way through the junkyard, bringing a set of new tires to the car.

Flash was using his magical strength to carry three of them at once while the dog was actually standing atop the fourth and rolling it forward without any issue.





Flash was with Twilight in her personal lab, the teens going over images Flash had taken on his phone of the car's engine. Twilight marveled at the sight of the engine, amazed by the modifications the previous owner had made. Together, the pair determined how it worked, and what Flash needed to do to prepare it back to peak condition.

As they did this, Flash's eyes went wide and a smirk appeared on his lips. Twilight noticed this and wondered what he was planning, Flash whispering his idea into her ear that made her go wide-eyed.





Using a pulley system, Flash managed to remove the engine from the car and lifted it into the air.

He then moved it over to a nearby table, slowly putting it down before removing the straps and smiling at the engine as the dog pushed the toolbox over to him.





Flash removed the dented hood and placed it on a blanket, using a plunger to get the smaller dents out while needing a mallet to undo the larger ones.

As he did this, the dog arrived back at the garage pulling a cart full of car parts.





Flash and the puppy were in the car, working on the wiring. The pair unsure in which wire to connect to another, having a choice of red to blue, blue to green or green to red. The two share a glance before shrugging as Flash grabbed the red and blue wires and put them together.

Rusty was walking past the garage when a bright flash of light exploded out the building, the man running up, only to come to a stop as the Flash and the dog marched out. Both were smoking, their hair sticking on end, making Rusty laugh as they growled back at him.





Flash and the dog were busy measuring multiple cars that had windows in them, only to find one that was the perfect size and shape to fit his car.

Twenty minutes later, Flash was carrying the window to the garage, the dog going on ahead since Flash was being super careful to not break it. Luckily for him, he didn't end up living that sheet of glass trope he had seen on TV and managed to get it to his car without issue.





Flash had the engine hooked up to a battery along with a pair of wires. He picked up the wires and took a deep breath, now channeling his magic. The energy flowed into the wires and through the battery, then into the engine. Flash and the dog smiled as the device revved up, glowing with blue energy as it worked perfectly.

Flash's grin kept growing, only for it to vanish when the battery suddenly exploded. Bits of it went everywhere, Flash's face now black and burnt as he breathed out a ring of smoke, blinking as he glanced down at the now burnt out battery.





At school, everyone was listening to Mr. Doodle as he went over a long and drawn out equation. Everyone except Flash.

He was at his desk, head down with a sketchpad in hand. The teen had multiple versions of the same drawing on the paper, showing the vehicle from multiple different angles, though each one had a different set of paint work.

He scratched his head as he stared at the orange version of his car, black lightning bolts down the sides and along the top. Once he was finished, he pulled back and gave it a good stare before sighing and flipping the page over to start again.

He had been doing this during every class that day, only to growl as he knew he still couldn't think of the right color scheme. But as Mr. Doodle's class came to a close, Flash finished a new design, all black with yellow lightning bolts on the side. He smiled at this, only to tell himself something was missing. And as the bell rang, he began to pack everything up, only to glance down at the image on his shirt, only to smirk as an idea formed in his head.





Flash and Twilight were in her lab, Twilight showing him a new battery she had designed.

They both grabbed some safety goggles before Flash channeled his energy into the battery, which glowed blue for a moment and appeared to be working....only to explode, blasting the pair off their seats.





Flash and the dog were sitting on the roof of a scrapped minivan, Flash having a lunchbox in front of him.

He took out a sandwich he had packed and ripped a third of it off, giving it to the dog. The canine happily accepted and the two began chowing down, sitting in a comfortable silence while enjoying one another's company.





Flash was working underneath a car Rusty wanted dissembled, the teen attempting to remove the vehicle's exhaust.

He put the screwdriver he had been using down, feeling around for the next size up since he didn't want to lose sight of the screw he was trying to undo. But the screwdriver was just out of reach, only to be rolled into his hand by the dog.

Flash smiled when his noticed this and gave the dog a pat before taking the screwdriver.





Rusty was locking up for the night when he spotted a light in the garage, moving over to turn it off. When he did, he found Flash laying on the ground, asleep with the dog laying beside him. Its head was on his stomach, Flash's arm holding it tightly.

The old junk-master smiled at the pair, wishing he had a camera he could use to immortalize this moment.





Flash and Twilight were back in her lab, Twilight showing him another battery.

The pair hid behind a barricade of items as Flash grabbed the extra long wires, channeling his energy into them. They slowly looked up at this, the wires sending the power in as the battery began to light up. Flash was ready to cut the power any second...only for nothing to happen. Instead, the battery remained stable, holding his energy perfectly.

The two cheered and high-fived, only for Twilight to get a static shock from him, making the pair laugh.





Flash was dressed in a white suit with a gas mask and goggles over his eyes, the teen circling the car holding a paint sprayer.

The paint struck the car and it started turning yellow while the dog stayed outside, patiently waiting to see the finished product. Flash painted the entire left and right side of the car yellow, then stopped and left it to dry before switching to blue paint and sprayed the entire bonnet, also leaving it to dry. As it did this, he got some sticky paper and cut it into a pair of lightning bolt shapes and a large shield shape meant to represent his emblem.

And when the paint dried, he placed the three pieces along the side of the car and the bonnet. After that, he switched to black paint and started spraying it atop the uncovered sections of the car. Soon enough, the entire thing was painted black, and when the paint dried, he removed the sticky paper to reveal the yellow lightning bolt shapes running along the side and the blue shield on the hood. He then cut another lightning bolt out of the paper and placed it over the hood, using the last of the yellow paint to spray the finishing touch to the hood.





Flash hooked the new battery up before returning the engine to its rightful position.

Once they were in place, he channeled some of his power into the vehicle, now watching the whole thing begin to glow blue around the gaps in the bodywork.





Flash and the dog stared at the completed product of their hard work, smiling at the results they had achieved.

The pair turned to one another and smirked, Flash holding up his fist before the dog as it jumped up and bumped it. They had finished the hard part, now it was time to see what their creation could do.

Cut the music.





In a large open field, the Rainbooms and the Royal Knights were waiting there. They had all been messaged by Flash and asked to meet him at the field, who also suggested bringing their vehicles with them. They were Iron's muscle car, Rainbow's bike and Applejack's old truck along with First Aid's old white SUV with red stripes and Heather's green off-road moped.

They were all sitting around talking, Iron grumbling at the sight, "Geez, what is taking him so long?"

"He has kept us waiting a while," Rarity added from the back of Applejack's truck. "What on earth could be so important that we need to come to this filthy field?"

"I have an idea," Twilight chuckled, "But I don't wanna ruin the surprise."

"A surprise?!" Pinkie gasped, her form perking up at the word. "What surprise?!" Twilight just smiled back, only for Pinkie to now shake, looking like she was about to explode. But before she could, a sound caught everyone's attention. It was the sound of an engine, which was fast approaching.

Everyone turned to the source, only to see a certain figure in the distance as it got louder. They all went wide-eyed as they saw an amazing looking sports car roll up, jet black with yellow lightning bolts on the side and a familiar lightning shield insignia. The car looked fresh off the line, surprising all those who knew where the owner had gotten it from.

The car pulled up next to them, and they saw the two passengers sitting in the seats. Flash cut the engine and stepped out of the vehicle, rolling down the other window so the dog could stick its head out. He walked around the car and leaned against it, crossing his arms with a smirk. "So...what do you think?"

They all gathered around the car, Rarity being the only one to not get closer since it meant getting off the truck. They stared at the vehicle from every angle, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"This is that wreck you showed use on your phone?" Iron asked, Flash nodding.

"it looks brand new," Heather gasped, "You really managed to fix it this well?"

"Well," Flash smirked as he turned to Twilight, "I had a little help with some of the more technical stuff, but the bodywork, tires, suspension and under-works were all me." They then heard a loud bark, making them turn to the dog. "With the help of my assistant."

The others smiled as Iron opened the hood and stared at the engine, whistling at the sight. "Now this looks good. What's the horse power?"

"Over five hundred," Flash replied, "The upgrades it already had gave it an extra fifty and I...pumped it up a little more. Zero to sixty in four point three seconds." Iron whistled again as they others couldn't believe what they were hearing. Flash had never sounded like a complete idiot, but the way he was talking made him sound almost Twilight level smart.

"This is awesome!" Rainbow cheered, the others nodding in agreement, "You wanna test her out against my ride?"

"Why'd you think I asked you all here?" Flash chuckled, "I really wanna see what this baby can do without needing to worry about speed limits."

The others smiled at this and all those with a vehicle agreed to a race, the rest watching from the finish line. The line would be a long line of trees located halfway through the field, which had large gaps in them that were large enough for the cars to fit through. They all headed over to the trees, Twilight needing to use her magic to lift Rarity over the ground and placing her in the branch of a tree while the others got into their vehicles.

"You ready?" Flash asked his furry friend, the pup letting out a bark as they started the engine. The others did the same and when they reached the trees, Sunset calling them all into a group communication to start it.

"Alright," she said to them through the phone. "You guys ready?"

"Ha!" Rainbow cheered, "Don't be too upset when you all lose."

"Funny," Flash laughed, "I was just about to say the same thing."

First Aid sighed and shook his head, "Let us all just try and be safe. I would hate to see your new car be wrecked so easily."

"Well it's his own fault for thinking he could beat my beast!" Iron growled as he revved his engine.

"Let's do this!" Heather exclaimed as Applejack let out a yee-haw.

With that, Twilight began the countdown and everyone put their foot on the pedals. They were all gonna give this their all. "Three...two...one...GOOOOO!" With that, the six vehicles exploded off the starting line and began to fly across the field. Rainbow, Flash and Iron's rides quickly proving to be the fastest and pulling away from the others, leaving them in the dust but managing to stay relatively equal in pace.

"OH YEAH!" Rainbow cheered, "Come on baby!" The bike started pulling away from the others, Flash and Iron growling at the sight, Iron then putting his car into its highest gear, now getting in front of Flash.

Now Flash was stuck in third place, the dog sticking its head out the window to enjoy the feeling of the wind of his face. He then let out a bark, telling Flash to go faster. Flash did so and tried to close the gap as they reached the halfway point, but Iron and Rainbow kept ahead.

"Sorry Sentry!" Iron cackled through the phone, "But you're not winning this one."

"Yeah!" Rainbow cheered almost hysterically, "I am!"

Flash just smirked at this, knowing it was time to bust out the secret weapon. He whistled, a sign for the dog to pull his head back in. When he did, he closed the window and reached for the gear lever. "Don't count me out just yet. There's one feature of this bad boy that I haven't shown you yet."

"Oh yeah?" Iron asked, "And what's that?" Flash didn't respond, instead closing his eyes and summoning his magic. The energy sparked around him and was channeled into the lever, then pushing it all the way down to a section next to the image of his emblem. This caused the power he was channeling to shoot into the engine, causing it to glow blue before sending the energy to the rest of the car.

Everyone watched the vehicle light up, the underside, wheel-arcs and every other gap in the framework now unleashing a blue light. And before anyone could ask what was happening, the car suddenly accelerated like a bolt of lightning. Rainbow and Iron saw the oncoming light approaching in their mirrors, the pair gasping as the blue blur exploded past them, Rainbow almost knocked off her bike by the wind.

"What the heck?!" Iron yelped.

Inside the car, Flash and the dog were both being buffeted by the wind, knowing they were likely experiencing the same force astronauts felt upon takeoff, the pair now screaming in exhilaration. "YEAH!" Flash cheered as they got closer to the finish line, Flash using his magic to help his brain keep up with the speed.

And within seconds, the car shot past the trees as the others cheered, Flash then hitting the breaks and cut the magic, the car slowing down and spinning to an eventual stop. He stopped the engine at this, getting out and leaning against the car with a satisfied smirk as they stared at him, "Pretty awesome, right?" As he said that, Rainbow and Iron drove past the trees and Iron cut his engine before getting out.

"You cheated!" He barked, "How was that at all fair?"

"We never said no Equestrian magic," Flash smirked as Rainbow got off her bike.

"Rematch!" She yelled, "You in that and me running!" Flash gave her a look that stated he was thinking about it, but Rainbow knew he wasn't really. And in that moment, the others arrived, all just as shocked by Flash's sudden speed boost.

"How'd you do that?" Heather asked.

"It wasn't easy," Flash replied, "The engine could handle the power, but the battery kept bursting until Twilight managed to make one that could handle the power."

Iron and Rainbow glared at Twilight, who just smiled as the dog barked. Flash then let out his furry friend, the dog running around and sniffing all his friend's legs. "Aw..." Fluttershy giggled as she patted his head, "Hello little one. What's your name?"

"Springer," Flash responded as the pup ran over and jumped into his arms, "As you can see, I think it suits him."

"So he's your dog?" Sunset asked, getting a nod from Flash.

"Are mom and dad okay about this?" Twilight added with a raised eyebrow.

"I showed them a picture of him," Flash replied, "And I told them how well behaved he is." He held Springer up, "And look at him. How could you say no to that face?" The others stared at it and Springer gave them all puppy dog eyes that would put Spike's to shame. "Spike is your dog, Springer's mine." Springer turned and licked Flash's cheek, the girls all going aw at the sight.

Rainbow then demanded another race, Flash just saying he would think about it before he and the boys plus Twilight opened the hood while the others helped Rarity down out of the tree. For several hours, they continued to marvel at the car and all its amazing features. And as the sun went down, the group began to split up with Twilight putting her bike in Flash's trunk before she and Sunset got in his car.

Springer and Sunset were in the back seat while Twilight and Flash were up front, the group splitting up to their respective homes, all the while Flash and his passengers began to enjoy listening to some music through the sound system Flash had bought for his ride.

And as they rode and sang, Flash glanced back at Twilight, who helped him get his car to work before staring at Springer. He then smiled at the car around him, knowing it would serve him well in the journey to come.
> Concert Contacts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today was an impressively packed Saturday, the first day of a three day weekend, which had the city of Canterlot bustling with activity. But it was a few miles outside of Canterlot, in a small town was where something different was happening. It was a school, which was having a special fund raising garden party on its sports field. It had all the usual fund raising activities, such as multiple food booths, tons of different games and a large stage where many different bands would be playing throughout the day.

Behind this stage was the Royal Knights, all preparing to go out in play. "Everything looking good?" Heather asked as she took her keyboard case out of the trailer Iron had towed there in his car.

She turned to First and Flash, both busy tuning their instruments. "Guitar's set," Flash replied as he strummed his electric music maker.

"So is the bass," First added as he did the same. "All we need to do is set up the drum kit that Iron brought."

"And I could use a little help with that," Iron grunted as he hoisted a long stand out of the trailer. "You gonna lend a hand or what?"

"You've already got a paw helping you out," Flash chuckled as they looked down to see Springer pushing an amp out of the trailer. "Good boy." He gave his guitar another strum, then turned to Heather. "It was nice of your aunt to let us preform here."

Heather's aunt was president of the PTA at this school, and just happened to be visiting when the Royal Knights were practising at Heather's house. Hearing them play, she was impressed and promised to get them a gig at the festival. "It's lucky one of the bands had to cancel," Heather responded, "Too bad you had to miss your special tour though."

Flash shrugged, thinking of the tour Heather was talking about. At this very moment, the Rainbooms would be arriving at the film studio currently producing the live action adaptation of the first Daring Do Book. Flash had never really been a big fan of Daring Do, but he had been looking forward to seeing the film studio. But that had gone out the window when the band got their chance to play, so he had told the girls to go without him.

"Wonder if they're there yet?" Flash commented before taking out his phone. "They better get me some souvenirs…" He hit Twilight's name in the contacts and after a few seconds, Twilight's face appeared on his phone.

"Hey Flash. How's the gig?"

"Well, we haven't started yet," Flash replied as his friends gathered around and Springer hopped onto his lap. "We were just wondering how things are going over there."

"They're fine," she responded, "The place looks amazing, and they're gonna start film in a few minutes-"

She didn't get to finish as Pinkie's face suddenly showed up on the screen, "Flash!" She happily cheered, "How's the party over there?! Remember, you gotta get me a slice of cake from there!" The other Rainbooms then squeezed onto the small screen, all smiling and giving them their own forms of hello.

"Wow," Flash chuckled, "You all look excited. Wish I could be there, but with great musical talent comes great responsibility."

"Whatever dude," Rainbow rolled his eyes, "Have fun at your garden party while we get the watch the ultimate movie ever being made." Flash gave her a deadpan stare, only for the girls to hear something that made them look away from the screen.

"They're about to start filming," Twilight chimed in, "Sorry. Gotta hang up."

"Don't worry about it. We need to get to work too, so have fun and I'll talk to you later." The girls all nodded and gave their goodbyes before Twilight hung up, the phone's screen saying her's was now in refusal mode. The mode was an app Twilight had made that stopped any calls from going through, so no vibrate or ringtone while Twilight was somewhere that needed absolute silence.

"Come on," Iron told Flash. "We've still got a lot of set up and not a lot of time to do it." They all nodded and started getting everything up, Springer helping out wherever he could by handing them wires or pushing equipment with his head. As for how he did this, it was something all but Flash questioned, the teen saying 'He's just that smart' before the dog agreed to stay offstage when the band were ready.

The Royal Knights started off with one of their best songs, getting the attention of everyone who was there and quickly hooking them. They played their hearts out, the audience loving every minute of it. But after five tunes, they were allowed to take a break, new musicians coming on as they headed offstage to get a drink and a bite to eat.

As they did this, Flash checked his phone and saw Twilight had turned off refusal mode. He called her again and when she answered, the girl seemed to be looking around. "Hey there, how's the movie going?"

"It's amazing," she replied, only for Rainbow to appear beside her, "There were a few issues..." she shot the athlete a glare. "But I think this movie's gonna be amazing. We've all split up right now to do our own thing."

She and Rainbow then gasped, "Wow!" Rainbow exclaimed as Twilight turned the phone to show some objects they were looking at. "These are the three Altoriosa Relics!" They ran up to get a closer look, Flash for a moment looking at Twilight's shoes.

"The Staff!" He heard his girlfriend cry.

"The Sword!" Rainbow spoke up.

"Don't forget the Arrow of Altoriosa." That voice wasn't one Flash recognised. Twilight spun around and Flash got to see the image of a yellow skinned girl with dark and light blue hair, wearing glasses, a purple jacket and a black shirt. "You're from Canterlot High, right?"

"Uh-huh," the girls replied.

"I'm Juniper Montage," the girl responded, "Canter the director's niece." She pointed at the props behind them, "What do you think?"

"They're awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed, Twilight nodding and moving the phone so Flash was staring at a set building.

Flash was about to speak up, but Juniper spoke up before he could, "A. K. Yearling is very hands-on when it comes to the sets and props for the movie."

"Have you met her?" Twilight asked.

"Just once when she came to check out the relics," Juniper replied before leaning in close and Flash got a good look at her shoes. "I did get her to sign a copy of the latest Daring Do book, though." She squeed and Twilight was so excited that she almost dropped the phone.

"Sorry Flash," she whispered while Flash just laughed.

"No problem. I know how you fan girls get when you meet up."

"Oh please," Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Like you don't get the same way when you meet someone who loves the same bands as you." Flash grumbled back, only for Twilight to look back at Juniper, "So what do you do here?"

"Mostly, I bring my uncle coffee and help get everything ready for shooting." She went on about how she had been on the set for all her uncles moves and knew practically the entire set. "I tried to convince him to cast me as Daring Do, but..." Her next words went into a bitter tone, "He really didn't go for that." She then shined a big grin, "Hey!" She clapped her hands, "Have you seen the set for Caballeron's secret lair?" Rainbow gasped at this. "They usually lock the door to that set, but I've got keys that open just about every door in this place. Come on, I'll show you."

They began to walk and Twilight turned to phone toward her. "Sorry Flash. Kinda got sidetracked there."

"Don't worry about it," Flash replied before noticing the time. "I need to get ready for the next set, so I'll call you later. Have fun." Twilight nodded and they hung up, Iron rushing backstage as he put his phone down.

"Come on! We're wanted back onstage." Flash nodded and grabbed his guitar before following the drummer. The crowd was more than excited to hear more, and as the band played, the whole field was paying attention to them. Flash wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, a bad thing because none of the booths were being used, but quickly forgot due to just having too much. So much fun that during the end of one of their songs, he started glowing, looking like he was about to pony-up.

His band-mates saw this and went wide-eyed, only for the song to come to an end and Flash's glow started to vanish. "Thank you!" Heather called out before Flash could ask if the audience wanted an encore, "You've been a great audience! I hope we've inspired you to help the school raise the funds it needs to give these kids a great education!" The crowd all cheered as Heather quickly grabbed Flash before he could do anything to blow his magical cover.

"Hey!" He yelped once they were offstage, "What gives?"

"You almost grew pony ears and wings!" First exclaimed, "How many time do we have to tell you to be careful? It is fine to pony-up during practise, but not during an actual show."

Flash blushed at this, "Oh...sorry. I didn't know I was doing that. I'm still getting used to this whole ponying-up when I play music thing."

"Well why did you wear that then?" Iron asked, pointing to Flash's geode necklace.

"That isn't what causes it," he instantly responded, "I left this at home once during practise and I still ponied-up. I asked Sunset and she has no idea why it happens. Says its just magic and to go with it."

"Right..." Iron rolled his eyes. "We're just lucky you didn't blow your cover and get carted off to be dissected."

"Alright, alright." Flash moved over to his bag with Springer sitting beside it, "Message received." He pulled out his phone. "But now that the gig's over, we can enjoy the fair ourselves." The three nodded as Flash checked to see if Twilight had called, she hadn't, but her phone was also open for calling. "Wonder how the movie shoot's going." He placed the call and waited...and waited...and waited. "Huh, not like Twilight to leave a call-" He didn't get to finish as the call was answered. "Hey...Twilight?" He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Twilight, who was heavily panting and appeared to be running. "What's going on?"

"Someone stole the relics!" She cried, "We think the main actress is trying to stop the movie!"

"And that's why you're running?" Iron asked.

"We saw someone in a cloak we think might be the..." She stopped talking, leaning over and panting.

"Thief?" First asked, getting a nod from Twilight as she, Applejack and Rarity came to a stop.

"I can't believe I lost them!" Rainbow's voice called out, "My geode gives me super speed, but I guess being awesomely fast doesn't help when the person you're chasing knows their way around better than you do."

Twilight turned the phone to Rainbow, as Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Spike stepped out from behind a screen. "Hey girls," Sunset told them.

"Any luck findin' Chestnut?" Applejack asked.

"We couldn't find her," Sunset sighed before Pinkie pulled something out of her hair.

"But we did find a cupcake fountain!" She threw the cupcake into her mouth and chomped down on it.

"Then we got lost and somehow ended up here," the bacon-haired girl continued, "What have you all been doing?"

"We spotted this super-suspicious cloaked figure, but they got away." Rainbow sighed, crossing her arms and flicking her eyes from side to side. "They're here somewhere."

"There you are!" A new voice called out and they turned to see a stage hand staring at them, "W-W-Where are your costumes?! We've got to hurry! I-I-I'm so gonna be fired if you aren't ready." He ran up to them, "The director wants to shoot in three minutes!" Before Flash could say anything, the stage hand started pushing the girls somewhere and in the confusion, Twilight accidently cut the call.

"Wait!" Flash yelped, but it was too late. "Twilight! Augh! What the heck is going on over there?!" He tried calling Twilight again, only to get no response. "Twi..."

"I guess the studio set was the more interesting place to be today," Heather commented.

Flash let out a sigh at this, "Well, it's not like I can do anything. We're an hour and a half away from that place without traffic."

"So what are you gonna do?" First asked, Flash shrugging.

"I guess I'll just have to keep trying to get through," he called again, but got no response. The others headed off at this, deciding to go have some fun while Flash and Springer continued to try and get through. But no matter how many times he called, the call wouldn't go through.

The teen soon gave up, deciding Twilight would call him when she could, so he and Springer got up to go check out the fair. They were happy that the place allowed dogs, the two getting to enjoy a bunch of different games, some delicious treats and even watched a puppet show. After laughing their heads off at Punch hitting Judy, Springer's bark sounding just like a laugh, they started looking around, only for a voice to call out to them.

"Excuse me!" They spun around and saw a blue skinned man with black hair, wearing clothes that were about ten years out of style and shades. "My boy," he told Flash. "You're one of those kids that was playing earlier."

"Uh...yes?" Flash nodded, "What about it?"

"Name's Smash Hit." He held out a hand, "I run a music store and recording studio." Flash shook his hand, "And kid...you're music's something special."

"Err...thanks, I guess."

"You kids ever record yourselves?" Smash asked, Flash shaking his head. "You're wasting your talents. If you kids made your own album, you could sell it and make a fortune."

"Really?" Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "I don't think we're that good yet..."

"Of course! You guys could be the next PostCrush. You could have everything you ever wanted if you just let me get you out there." He slid up besides Flash and put an arm around him. "Imagine it. You and your friends on the cover of every magazine, getting to fly first class to gigs and concerts all across the world. Hordes of screaming fans, wanting a piece of you and waiting hours just to get your signature on something. Girls wanting to be with you. Boys wanting to be you. It can all be yours."

"That sounds...interesting," Flash replied, "But my friends and I don't really plan on going pro with our music. This is just something we do for fun. Actually, my band-mates already know what they want to do in the future."

"I'm guessing those plans require going to college," Smash countered, Flash nodding, "College is expensive kid. Spending a year or two as a musical superstar could go a long way to helping pay for it." Flash blinked at this, Smash chuckling at his response, "Just think it over," he held up a card that Flash took. "Call me if you guys decide to do business." With that, he walked off and disappeared into the crowd.

Flash looked down at the card, wondering what might happen if the Royal Knights did try to make it big and sell CDs. But before he could give the idea a proper thought, his phone went off, the teen quickly answering, "Twilight!" he stared at the screen, "What happen-" His eyes went wide, "What are you wearing?!" Twilight was dressed in a rouge bodysuit with a goggled mask over her face. "Wait..." he squinted his eyes, "Are you...dressed as the Masked Matterhorn?"

"Maybe," Twilight blushed, "Sorry I hung up earlier. I just noticed all the missed calls."

"You can make it up to me by letting me see your full outfit." Twilight blushed even harder at this before glaring at him, Flash rolling his eyes, "Oh, come on. How often am I gonna get to see you in something like this?" Twilight sighed, but then used her magic to lift the phone into the air and move it away enough for her entire form to be seen by the camera. "Wow..." he whispered, "Looking good." It was then that an idea popped into his head, one which made him smirked like the grinch, and the teen pressed a button on his phone.

This caused it to make a snapping sound and the image on the screen froze for a moment, capturing the picture and storing it into his album. Alas, this didn't go unnoticed by Twilight.

"Did you just take a picture of me like this?"

"Maybe," Flash chuckled, Twilight going fully wide-eyed.

"Delete it."

"Nah," Flash shook his head. "I think I'll make it my wallpaper."

"Flash!"

"After I send it to Shining."

"No!"

"And Cadance!"

"You're so dead when I get home!"

"And your mom and dad."

"FLASH!" Flash couldn't help but laugh at his girlfriend's plight, needing to wipe tears from his eyes.

"So what's going on?" He asked, "Were you able to find whoever stole the relic props?"

"No..." Twilight sighed again, "Whoever it is caught us in a net and Rainbow ran off."

"But don't worry," Pinkie's voice told him. "She left a trail of pudding!" Flash raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what the heck Pinkie had been eating on that studio set. "There's no more pudding here, which means she must be nearby!"

"Hello?" Twilight called out, "Is anyone here?"

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack added, "Where are ya?" Flash was about to ask why they didn't just try calling her, but he was interrupted by the rattling of a door. He then heard a voice, but it was muffled.

Twilight pointed the phone toward Fluttershy, Flash snickering at the sight of her and the others in their Power Ponies costumes as she placed an ear to a pair of doors. "Hello?" She asked. "Rainbow Dash? Are you in there?" There was another muffled cry, "It's okay Dashie. We're here." Fluttershy tried to open the doors, but she couldn't pull them open.

"I'll go find somebody with a key," Sunset responded, only for Twilight to speak up.

"Wait." The phone moved as Twilight gave it to Sunset, then stepped up and pressed her hand to the door. Flash watched as Twilight grabbed her geode, activating it with her hands now glowing.

"That's my girl," Flash chuckled as he heard the door click. A moment later, the door shot open and Rainbow leapt out and tackled Twilight to the ground.

"Boy am I happy to see you!"

"Did you just make that lock unlock itself?" Rarity asked as Twilight and Rainbow picked themselves up.

"Nice!" Sunset added as she handed Twilight the phone, Applejack speaking up next.

"Thinkin' maybe we should all start wearin' our geodes around. Never know when our new magic might come in handy."

"That's what I always do," Flash told them.

"How did you find me?" Rainbow asked, "I gave up banging on the door five minutes ago."

"Pudding never lies," Pinkie giggled as she took out a large tub of the brown treat before tipping it into her mouth.

Flash was about to ask what she meant by that, but Sunset spoke up first, "Hey," She pointed to a brown dress Rainbow was holding, "Is that the costume that went missing when we first got here?"

"Yeah," Rainbow handed it to her. "But I didn't see the person who locked me in, and there's still no sign of the relics."

"Huh..." Applejack replied, "Ah say we head back to the scene of the crime. Maybe there's somethin' there that could lead us ta dah relics."

Twilight chimed in at this, "Or, we could let the culprit lead us to them!"

"How?" Rainbow asked, "I just told you I didn't see who locked me in here."

Flash couldn't see it, but he was pretty sure Twilight was smirking at this moment. "I've got a pretty good idea who our thief is. But we're gonna need Canter Zoom's help to catch her."

"Who is it?" Flash asked, only to hear a beeping sound. "What's that?"

"Oh," Twilight looked down at her phone. "That's my battery. I knew I forgot to do something last night. It's about to die."

"What?!" Flash yelped, "You gotta be kidding me! I can't miss out on this!"

Twilight let out a laugh, "Payback for for that photo you took. Now you have to suffer from FOMO." The others laughed while Flash moaned, "Don't worry, I'll tell you all about what happens...if you promise to delete that photo." But before Flash could reply, Twilight's phone died and the screen went blank.

"Oh, come on!" Flash cried, Springer letting out a whine. He tried calling the others, but either they had their phones on silent or Twilight had told them to ignore him. He wouldn't put it past her to do that. Since he couldn't find out what was happening, he headed over to the stage again, now seeing the fair was beginning to come to an end. Here he spotted his band mates, all enjoying candy they had gotten while Heather was cuddling a teddy bear.

"Hey!" Heather waved at him, "Managed to get in contact with Twilight?" Flash smirked back, showing them the image he had captured. The three ended up laughing for five minutes before Heather said, "Please send me that."

"No way," Flash replied as he put his phone away, "I'm in enough trouble taking it. If it somehow spreads around school...well, I like being in a relationship." He then took out the card from Smash Hit, "Also, you'll never guess what happened earlier." He showed them the card, all three going wide-eyed.

"He wants us to record our songs onto a CD?" First asked, Flash nodding. "Incredible."

"He seems to think we've got potential," Flash responded, "What do you guys think? It could be a great way to make some money before we head off to college."

"Yeah," Iron smirked, "I'm liking this. It's not like we'll be able to play as well as we can now forever. Maybe making a CD is a good idea."

The other two nodded, Flash slightly frowning at this. But before he could say anything, Heather spoke up, "Say, why don't we think it over and come back to it another day? Maybe talk it over with Twilight and the rest of your family. Ask them what they think."

Flash nodded back, the Royal Knights soon packing their things up. And as they headed back to Canterlot, lash's mind burned with so many questions. Who was it that stole the props? What would Twilight and the others say when he told them about his unusual offer and if they did decide to sell some CDs, how much would they actually end up making? Those thoughts alone kept him occupied, not responding as they went down the road.





That evening...

Twilight and Spike had finally gotten home from the studio, the shoot taking even longer thanks to Rainbow's constant interruptions while filming. In Twilight's opinion, it had been a pretty good day. They had gotten to solve a mystery, save an awesome film from being ruined, and even got to have small roles inside the film. She couldn't wait to see it when it came to the big screen.

And as the two walked into the house, they were greeted to the sound of her parent's laughter. It was here she instantly remembered what Flash had done and ran into the dinning room, now spotting Flash with his phone out, along with her parents. When he noticed her, he gave a coy smile, confirming to her what her parents had just seen. "FLASH!" She screamed, but Flash ran away, the two soon playing a nice game of cat and mouse around the house until Velvet stopped them. It was at this point Twilight remembered her magic, using it to grab Flash's phone.

"Hey!" He tried to grab it back, but Twilight quickly deleted the image. "Party pooper," Flash sighed before Twilight threw the phone back to him. Twilight smirked and headed back to the dinning room, completely missing the smile on Flash's lips. He had backed it up onto his laptop.

The four, six including Spike and Springer, all sat down to dinner and Twilight explained everything that had happened at the studio. Turns out, the director's niece Juniper had been the thief. She had been trying to delay the film so that the lead actress would quit and she could be cast as Daring Do. Obviously, she hadn't gotten away with it and had unfortunately been fired from the set.

"Well that's what you get," Night Light commented as he dug into some meatloaf. "You can't go around risking people's jobs for your own self interests."

Velvet nodded before turning to Flash. "So how was your day? Did the concert go well?"

Flash nodded as he swallowed his food. "Yeah, it went really well. The audience really liked us. In fact..." He stopped himself, not sure what to say next.

"In fact what?" Twilight asked, Flash remaining silent for one more moment before taking a deep breath and telling them about Smash Hit, the three gasping.

"You should do it!" Night exclaimed, "This would be great for you. You might even end up being world famous one day."

"But I don't wanna be famous," Flash replied, "And it's not like we can really become a real band. Iron, First and Heather are all gonna become cops when they graduate."

"That gives you a few years to be famous," Velvet added, "Lot of famous singers and celebrities retire after a few years so they can do something they really love. This is just a good way of building up a little nest egg for yourself."

Flash nodded as he continued eating, then turned to Twilight to see what she was thinking. "I don't see any harm in you making CDs," Twilight responded, "If they sell well, that's great. If they don't, at least you tried. And if you do start getting offers to go big...well, you can cross that bridge when you come to it."

Flash nodded, and after a few more minutes of thought, he decided he was gonna make the CDs. And when dinner was over and the plates were all washed up, Flash headed up to his room with Springer. Once there, they laid on his bed as Flash texted his friends and told them he was in. They quickly messaged back, all agreeing to meet up and call Smash tomorrow.

And when the last message was sent, he heard a knock at his door and Twilight looked inside. "Hey," she moved over and laid next to him, "You call the others?" Flash nodded and told her his plans. "That's good." The two then laid there, enjoying the comfortable silence. "Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you actually considered what you're gonna do after you graduate? I mean, you never talk about your plans for the future."

"Mostly because I have no idea what I want to do in the future," Flash replied, "I've always been more focused on living in the now, you know. The furthest ahead I usually think is a week."

"Flash..." Twilight sighed, "You need to decide what you want to do. Graduation is not as far off as you think. If you don't decide what to do, you could end up flipping burgers for a living."

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Alright miss smartypants, do you know what you're going to do when you graduate?"

"Of course. I'm going to apply for every college in the country with a strong science program. The one I really wanna get into is in in San Francisco."

"You wanna go to a college on the other side of the country?!" Flash asked, Twilight nodding her head against his chest. "That sounds...far."

"Maybe...but it's only for a few years. I'll probably come back after college, or maybe I'll travel someplace else and do some more studying. I'm not sure yet. But I know for a fact what I want in my life. To continue to pursue the world of science and help find a way to improve the world through it."

Flash chuckled at this, "That sounds like you." Twilight nodded again, the two falling into another comfortable silence. As they laid there, Flash thought about what Twilight had said and wondered what his future goals should be. He had never really thought about it, the only thing he had ever focused on being helping Twilight in whatever way he could. But he also knew she was right, knowing he needed to start thinking about the future.

But as he thought this, a simple question entered his mind that made him smirk, 'I wonder if San Francisco had any school I might enjoy attending?'
> Special: Mirror Magic PT1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot was buzzing with excitement as the first official Daring Do Movie was set to premiere at the Canterlot Mall. Inside, the four friends from yester year were hanging out, that being Lightning Blitz, Heather Bloom, First Aid and Iron Core. They had decided to meet and catch up, Heather asking the first question, "So how're things at Crystal Prep?"

"A lot better now that Principal Cadance has taken over." Lightning replied, "Without the constant need to be the best, everyone's getting along a lot better now."

"That's good," Iron chimed in, "So, any plans to start your own band over there? The Royal Knights could use some competition."

Lightning let out a laugh, "I think you guys have enough competition at your own school." He pointed at a nearby TV screen, which was playing Canterlot's newest hit: Dance Magic, by the Rainbooms and Crystal Preppers.

The four laughed, only for their laughter to vanish when they heard a scream, "Those girls!" They turned to see a girl wearing a movie theater uniform, growling at the screens showing the Rainbooms.

"What's her problem?" Iron asked, only to see her hiss.

"First they get me kicked off the Daring Do set, and now they..." She began to walk away, only to stop as she saw a stand holding a poster of the Rainbooms. "Oh! Its like they're everywhere!"

Everyone soon turned to her, staring at the complaining girl as First said, "I believe she might be Jupiter Montage, the girl that tried to ruin the movie shooting in an attempt to get the staring role."

"I guess she ended up getting a job at the movie theater," Heather added with a raised eyebrow.

"Serves her right," Iron finished as Jupiter took out a walkie-talkie.

"What was that..." She asked before she started imitating static, "Boss? Can't hear you!" She made the static noises again. "Losing you!" She then put the device away and let out another hiss.

"Well, this is boring," Iron yawned as he glanced back at his friends. "Wanna go check out the arcade?"

"Shouldn't we tell the others about her?" Lightning asked, pointing at Juniper as she walked away.

"Don't see why," Heather shrugged. "She's just a girl. She's not gonna be able to do anything except whine and complain." The boys nodded before walking off, not looking back at the girl. And as they did this, a shining blue light suddenly flew into the mall from an open overhead window. Equestrian Magic.

Juniper sighed as she reached a sunglasses booth. "If those girls hadn't shown up, I would have played Daring Do!" She picked up some star-shaped shades. "Tonight would have been about me! I would have been a star!" She put them on and turned to the kiosk clerk, who lowered his shades to give her a head shake. Juniper picked up a hand mirror and looked into it. "You're right," she took them off. "They are a bit much."

She put the shades back down and started glancing at the other ones, not noticing the Equestrian Magic flow over and hit the mirror, causing it to glow before morphing into an almost crystal-like design. Juniper put some new shades on and picked up the mirror, only to go wide-eyed as she saw her reflection change. In the blink of an eye, she was looking at...herself, only it wasn't the plain old Juniper. Instead, it was like she had just stepped out of a limo about to walk the red carpet.

Juniper screamed and dropped the mirror, which amazingly didn't break when it hit the ground. "What was that?!" She reached down and tapped the glass, which sparked and unleashed puff of magic that made her scream again. After a few seconds, the magic died down and she picked the mirror up. She put her glasses back on and stared at her reflection, which once again morphed into the movie star appearance she had seen before. Her reflection gave her an air kiss, Juniper's eyes going wide in wonder.

"Incredible." She reached into her pocket and pulled out all the money she had made working at the theater, which she threw at the clerk without looking away from the mirror. "Keep the change," she told him. "Something tells me this thing is worth it."





In another part of the mall...

Flash and the Rainbooms were all at the foot court, all minus Sunset getting something to eat. Sunset was saving them a table, though that didn't seem to be necessary since there were so many open ones. "Hi," Flash told the guy at the booth, "I'll have the double extra large cheese burger, fries and a large coke." He nodded and Flash smirked, only for that to vanish when he noticed Twilight's stare, "What?"

"You're really gonna eat all that?" She asked, "Even though I know you're planning to get an extra large popcorn at the movie?"

"Heck yeah I am," Flash laughed before pointing at the gem around his neck, "This thing makes my body supercharged, and that includes my metabolism." He looked over at Rainbow, who had just as much on her plate as Flash had ordered. "You know what I'm saying."

Rainbow smirked while Twilight rolled her eyes. "Do you actually intend to use your magic sometime today?"

"Nope," Flash replied while taking his loaded plate, "But you never know. Something could happen at any moment that'll require me to use it. Better safe than sorry."

Twilight didn't respond to that as they walked over to the open tables. And when they got close, they heard Sunset cry out, "Oh no!" She let out a sigh, "Shoot...."

"What's the matter Sunset?" Pinkie asked as she plopped a tray full of burgers down next to the pony turned human.

"Oh..." She held up her book. "I just ran out of pages in my journal. That's all."

"Chillax, Sun-Shim," Rainbow chuckled as she sat down at a nearby table. As she did this, the others all stared at her until Fluttershy asked what they were all thinking. .

"Um, who's Sun-Shim?"

"That's Sunset Shimmer's new movie star name," she replied before taking a sip of her drink. "I just made it up!"

"For sweet apples' sake," Applejack groaned from her and Fluttershy's table. "We only have bit parts in this flick. We're not movie stars."

But then Rarity sat down beside her, "Yet, darling. Yet."

Applejack rolled her eyes as Twilight turned to Sunset, "There's more bothering you than just journal pages, isn't there Sunset?"

"Um..." Was all Sunset could say.

"Yeah," Flash told her. "You've got that, 'I'm feeling worried about something but I don't wanna bum my friends out' kinda look."

Sunset bit her lip at this, only for Pinkie to drag her chair over so she could lean against the girl. "C'mon! Share your troubles." She started pinching at Sunset's cheeks, "It might help soothe your stressed nerves."

"Uh..." Sunset glanced away, "I don't wanna take any of the fun out of our big night-"

"I SAID SPILL IT SUN-SHIM!" Pinkie screamed into her face, making Sunset jump.

"Okay, okay." She pushed Pinkie a safe distance away before opened her book again. "It's just that things have been calm around here...magic-wise, that is." They all raised an eyebrow at this.

"And that's bad how, precisely?" Rarity asked, Sunset shaking her head.

"It's not. It's just that instead of enjoying the fact that things are calm, I'm constantly thinking about things going wrong, even when they aren't."

"Oh dear..." Fluttershy gulped, "Like...like what things?"

"I don't know," Sunset sighed. "I shouldn't even be thinking about any of this stuff right now. And neither should any of you."

"But she does have a point," Flash chimed in, "Until we know for sure whether there are any more magical threats we have to deal with, we should still be careful. What's that old saying? 'The strongest of storms starts with the most gentlest of breezes' or something like that?"

Everyone frowned at this, Flash fearing he might have bummed them all out. But then, Pinkie noticed something and picked up Sunset's journal. "Look! Twilight's writing you back!" She held the book up as Sunset tried to grab it from her. "Hey everybody, Sunset's getting an Equestritext!"

Sunset yanked it out of her hands, opening it up, "What's it say?" Applejack asked as Sunset read it, a surprised look appearing on her face.

"Princess Twilight wants me to come to...Equestria." This statement made them all go wide-eyed.

"Why?" Rainbow added, "What could she need you to go to Equestria for?"

"I'm not sure," Sunset sighed, "She used the last bit of space to just tell me to come. I wish I hadn't written so much now."

"So...will you be going?" Fluttershy asked, Sunset shutting her book and nodding. "Right now?"

Sunset nodded again, making Rarity stand up, "Sunset, you can't do that! What about the movie premiere?!"

"Hopefully, I'll be back before it starts. But if I'm not..." She shrugged, the others frowning. Some were thinking of saying to stay until the premiere was over, but they knew that wouldn't be fair to Princess Twilight. She was a busy mare, and if she needed Sunset to come to Equestria, it was only right she headed there immediately.

"Well, I'd better get going," Sunset stood up.

"You want us to come with?" Flash asked, "I mean...maybe we could come too. I didn't get a real good look at Equestria when I was hurtling to my almost certain doom last time."

Sunset rolled her eyes as Twilight blushed at the memory of what Flash had done to help save her. "No," she shook her head. "I think it's best I go alone. Don't forget, you all have pony counterparts over there. The last thing we need is somepony else thinking you're a Mirror Pool clone, or a changeling or...whatever else and attacking you."

The others nodded, understanding...kind of, as Sunset bid them farewell and headed for the exit of the mall. And once she was gone, the others turned to each other, "Gotta wonder what it's gonna be like." Flash spoke up. "Heading back to the world you abandoned after so long..."

"I hope she doesn't run into any trouble over there," Rarity added, "It would be horrible if something were to happen to the machine Twilight uses to keep the portal open."

"Wait a minute," Pinkie spoke up. "Isn't the only reason the machine works because of the link between the two journals?" The others nodded, "So if the journal goes back to Equestria, then wouldn't the link between our world vanish?"

They all blinked at this, their eyes slowly shifting to Twilight. "Theoretically...the book returning to Equestria would mean there'd be nothing keeping the portal open." She started, "Since it's using the magical link between the two journals as both a power source and a focusing point..." Her eyes went wide at this, "She might end up trapped in Equestria for who knows how long!" The seven quickly took out their phones and madly texted Sunset, telling her not to take the journal through the portal with her.

They began to panic at this, Rainbow preparing to super speed over to check the portal, only for Sunset to message them back, thanking them and mentioning she had also realized this herself. But before they could say anything else, Lightning and the Royal Knights walked up to them.

"Hey guys!" Flash waved, "Having fun?"

"We were," Heather sat down next to him and Twilight. "But then we heard someone complaining about...well, you guys."

They all went wide-eyed at this, "Alright..." Rarity twirled her finger, "walk us through it honey?!"

Lightning sat down beside her, "There was a girl who seemed to work at the movie theater and was...having a grudge against you girls." He turned to First, "What did you say her name was?"

"Juniper Montage," he replied, the others going wide-eyed as they let out a combined 'WHAT' at the top of their voices.

"She's the girl you guys busted, right?" Iron asked, Fluttershy nodding. "Well, she's working at the movie theater now."

"I can't believe she's here," Rainbow chimed in.

"Now hold on," Twilight spoke up, "There's no guarantee it's her. These four haven't actually met her."

"Yellow skin, bluish green hair, wears purple shades and has a seriously bad attitude towards those that wrong her."

"That's her," Flash sighed, "So what do we do about this?"

"Not much we can do," Applejack replied, "If she's workin' there, we can't exactly avoid her. She'll probably be there at the premiere."

The others nodded, only for Twilight to stand up, "You know what? We should try and make peace. Go over there and tell Juniper that we're sorry for getting her kicked off the movie, but we don't regret it. Hopefully, she'll accept that and be willing to move on with her life."

They all shared glances before nodding, Flash then adding, "I just hope she doesn't try anything funny."

"Oh please," Rainbow laughed, "What could she do again to all of us?"





Canterlot High...

Sunset had gotten everything she believed she would need, the girl now standing at the portal. The portal....towards Equestria. She stared at the destroyed horse statue's podium, her former home inside as she took a deep breath. Slowly she put her hand on the stone...and pushed forward.

The stone gave way and began to act like water, allowing her right through. And as soon as she completely stepped in, she felt a tugging sensation. "WHOA!" She screamed as she was dragged through the magical passageway, being swirled around and around until she reached the light on the other side. And the next thing she knew, she was being thrown across a room and slammed into a pile of books.

"Ow..." she moaned as her eyes rolled around in her skull. She blinked as her vision came into view, now seeing a blurry image walking up to her. She couldn't get a clear view, but she could tell they were a pony that had a horn and a purple mane. "Princess Twilight?" She held her head, "Is that you?"

"Nope!" The figure replied as Sunset's eyes adjusted themselves, "Hello there. I'm Starlight Glimmer." The pink unicorn smiled down at her, Sunset letting out a tiny laugh. But before she could say anything, two smaller ponies jumped out from behind Starlight.

"We're here too!" said a red pegasus colt with a yellow mane with orange tips that wore a orange hoodie. Sunset then turned to the other pony and saw it was a silver alicorn with a mane and tail that went from light to dark blue that wearing a bluish-purple turtleneck. "Name's Fire Heart. And this is my sister..."

"Shining Soul," she continued, "It's nice to meet you." Sunset nodded and pushed herself up onto her hind legs, only to find herself stumbling.

"Whoa!" She yelped before she tried to stand still, letting out a sigh a second later, "Phew..." She glanced back up at the trio, now seeing their stares as she said, "Sorry. Its...been a while since I was pony." She rubbed her front hooves against the floor. "It feels a little weird after all this time." She then stared at the older unicorn, "Starlight Glimmer..." She slowly trotted over to her, "You're...Twilight's student, right?"

"Uh-huh," Starlight nodded before Heart leapt in front of her.

"You must know about us, right?" He pointed between himself and his sister.

"Of course I do," Sunset giggled, "You're Flash's apprentice right?" Heart nodded with a smug smirk as Sunset turned to Soul. "And you're Twilight's other student."

Soul shook her head, "I wouldn't say I'm solely her student. Honestly, I take lessons from whoever's willing to teach me magic."

"You should have seen the bread monster she made when Donut Joe tried to teach her how to bake with magic," Heart laughed, Soul glaring at him before turning back to Sunset.

"So...do you know any cool magic you might be able to teach me? Twilight told me you were Princess Celestia's student at one time too!" Sunset stared at the filly, seeing her tail wag. She put a hoof to her chin, thinking about what magic she remembered, that and her mind reading ability. Thinking about this made her look down and see her geode was missing, along with her clothes. The only thing that had survived the trip over was her bag, and that had somehow morphed into a saddlebag.

"There might be one thing I can do that could be impressive," Sunset trotted over to Starlight and placed a hoof on her shoulder. As she did, her eyes were suddenly filled with light. The three all flinched at this, only for the light to fade as Sunset let out a giggle, "Let me guess, Twilight wanted you to give me a new journal because she and her friends all got called off to solve a friendship problem someplace else?"

Starlight went wide-eyed at this, only to use her magic to pick up a nearby book off a table. The book looked like her old journal, but this one had a mix of Sunset's and Twilight's cutie marks on the cover. "How...how did you know that?"

"A little something I picked up on the other side," Sunset giggled before gesturing to the portal. "Hopefully, it'll still be there when I go back."

"Alright," Starlight floated the book over to her, "Well anyway, here you go." Sunset reached out for the book, but Starlight let it go and it dropped to the floor.

Starlight looked down at the book, then up at Sunset. The unicorns smiled at one another before Sunset tried to pick it up with her hoof, only to realize she no longer had the miracle of opposable fingers. She tried several times to pick up the book with just the one hoof, growling at the sight before seeing Starlight pointed to her own horn. Sunset blinked at her before gasping, her horn glowing as red magic wrapped around the book and picked it up.

"Sorry. Been a while since...I had a horn. The magic I'm now used to is a bit...different."

"I understand." Starlight replied, "Anyways, like you figured out, Twilight and her friends had to leave for a friendship problem." She then grimaced at this, "That happens a lot around here."

Sunset, who had been flicking through her new book, snapped it shut before placing it into her saddlebag. "That must be stressful, huh? Never knowing when you might be called on to save the day." As she said that, her mind thought back to her own problems back through the portal. "Dropping everything at a moment's notice...just like me recently." She put a hoof to her eyes, rubbing them for a second before asking, "How does she do it?"

"Do what?"

"Be on guard all the time. You know, ready for anything."

Starlight turned to the others, all shrugging as she responded, "Sorry. She just told me to give you the journal."

"Heh-heh," Sunset blushed before glancing around, "So...are you sure she won't be back anytime soon?"

"Pretty sure."

"And you're not the only one bummed out that they had to leave," Heart groaned, "Flash was supposed to teach me this really awesome flying move!"

"And Rarity was gonna teach me her gem finding spell," Soul sighed.

"Ooookay..." Sunset slowly said as she tried to stand herself up...only to forget once again about being a pony and trying to stand on only two legs. "I guess I'll be going now." She then lost her balance, waving her front hooves around wildly before landing on them. She slowly trotted to the mirror, only for Starlight to speak up.

"What's it like back there?" She glanced back at Starlight, who was staring at the mirror now, Heart and Soul doing the same.

"Yeah!' Heart added, "Flash and Twilight always say we shouldn't mess with it cuz it'll..." He turned to Soul, "What was it again?"

"Something about doppelgangers." Soul replied, "And the world is like really weird."

"She's right." Sunset chimed in, "It's pretty different in there, and not so different at the same time. It's kinda hard to explain. Its like...a half-mirror of this world."

"Huh," Starlight scraped her hooves against the floor, "Guess you kinda have to go there to really get it, huh?" Sunset stared at her as Starlight tried to continue, "I uh, don't suppose..."

Sunset raised an eyebrow at this, "You really think Princess Twilight would be okay with that?"

Starlight then threw her a coy smile, "I don't know for sure that she wouldn't be okay with it."

"That's not a particularly compelling argument."

"She wants me to learn as much as I can about friendship," Starlight shrugged, "And I'm not learning a whole lot just hanging out here in her castle."

Sunset glanced around at the library, then rubbed her chin, "Well...I haven't ever seen you in that world, so chances are you aren't gonna run into yourself."

"That's not something you hear everyday," Starlight giggled.

Sunset grimaced at this, "Well...I mean...if you lay low and don't draw too much attention to your-"

Starlight scoffed and waved a hoof, "You'll barely even notice I'm there!"

"Introducing you to my friends could be a nice distraction," Starlight then zipped up next to her.

"But you'll also totally notice I'm there, and it will keep your mind off of other things that might be bothering you." She gave her a wide-eyed, hopeful look with stars in her eyes, "So?" She elbowed her, "What do you think?" She jumped on the spot, "Can I go back with you?!"

"Hmmm..." She glanced back at the mirror before nodding with a smile.

"YAY!" She cheered like a little filly, Sunset laughing before turning back to the mirror...and seeing a pair of young ponies clearly wanting to go through as well.

"Please!" they asked with big puppy-dog eyes. The sight reminded Sunset of a certain scene from Fluttershy's favorite dis-neigh movie.

She let out a sigh, "Alright. But you stay close and don't do anything unless I tell you too. Understand?" The siblings cheered and leapt up and down. "Alright, one at a time. Give it...two minutes between you all coming through. I don't wanna deal with three terrified ponies turned humans at the same time."

"Why would we be terrified?" Heart asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll see. Remember, you asked for this." With that, she stepped through the mirror and was transported back to the human world. She quickly walked out of the portal, looking herself over and sighing in relief when she saw her geode. But as she did this, the portal sparked and somebody fell out.

"WHOA!" Starlight yelped as a girl flew out of the portal. Sunset saw she was wearing a pink wool hat, a black vest over a green top, black ripped jeans and boots with pink laces. She looked disorientated, Sunset knowing that feeling. "Wha...what happened?"

Sunset kneeled down and grabbed her hands. "It's all pretty weird at first, but try to roll with it." She pulled Starlight up, the new human instantly wobbling as Sunset turned to Tennis Match as she walked by. "Hi there!"

Starlight glanced down at herself, fully wide-eyed as she stared at her arms and fingers. "Are these?"

"Hands," Sunset replied. "You'll get used to them."

Starlight then stared at her legs, "And what happened to the rest of my hoo-"

"Feet!" She interrupted her. "Those are feet." She glanced around at all the students at school, doing weekend activities, then back to Starlight. "Remember the whole thing where I said you need to lay low? Now would be a good time to play it cool."

"Oh...right. Sorry." Starlight nodded, though she kept her hands balled up to resemble her hooves. "Heh. Play it cool. Heh-heh."

But before she could try, the portal glowed again and another one fell out. It was Heart, Sunset helping him up and seeing he was still wearing his orange hoodie, but was also wearing blue jeans and red shoes. On his hands were a pair of red fingerless gloves that showed his yellow fingers, and he still had his freckles, but the white spot he had had on his face was gone. His cutie mark could be seen on the backs of his gloves.

"Whoa..." he moaned as he rubbed his head. He then saw his hands, going wide-eyed before he opened his mouth, only for Sunset to shove her hands over his mouth.

"It's okay," Sunset slowly said, "Just relax." She helped him to his feet, finding he didn't seem to have much issue standing. And as he did this, the initial shock of his transformation started to wear off.

"Whoa...this is awesome! Its like I'm Ace!" He commented as he glanced himself over, only to stare at his back and go wide-eyed, "What the-where are my wings?!"

"Humans don't have wings," Sunset replied, "They'll come back when you return to Equestria."

"I've changed my mind. This place sucks."

"Heart! Language!" Starlight yelled, the mare turned human trying to bonk him with her fist next, only to almost lose balance again.

It was here that the portal glowed again and Soul appeared. She was still wearing her turtleneck, but had a white skirt on with blue leggings underneath, and a pair of long boots with the same color as her jumper. She was also wearing gloves on her hands, but hers appeared to go up to her elbows under her jumper and her cutie mark was printed on her skirt. She looked herself over and her eyes went wide as Sunset feared she was about to scream...only to instantly calm down.

"Are you okay?" She asked, Soul looking up at her, "You're...not gonna scream?"

"I'm good," Soul replied, "This isn't the first time I've suddenly changed into an entirely new species." She pushed herself to her feet, slightly wobbling at this, "So...you walk around on two hooves her?"

"Feet," Starlight corrected, "But yeah."

"Eh, I want my wings back." Heart moaned as he tried to walk around. Starlight started to understand his pain as she realized she didn't have her horn, only to find walking was a bit harder for her. As for Sunset, she smiled at the sight, knowing these three were gonna be a good distraction.





Back at the mall...

The Rainbooms had arrived at the theater, now seeing Juniper Montage behind the counter. She was talking to two customers only to point a mirror at them and say something. The customers didn't look happy and walked off, Juniper smiling at the mirror. "Well, that kinda worked."

"Juniper!" The girl gasped and accidently threw some popcorn into the air.

"So you really do work here?" Fluttershy asked, the girl turning to them before growling.

"As little as possible," she swept the popcorn off the counter. "My uncle Canter Zoom felt bad for firing me, so he pulled some strings and got me this job."

"Huh," Flash shrugged, "Well I guess it's better than nothing. The guy had every right to fire you."

Juniper hissed at the boy at this, not recognizing Flash, but knew he had to be trouble if he was with the girls. But before she could say anything, Rainbow spoke up, "You know, if you hadn't tried to sabotage the movie, you could be celebrating with us."

This statement caused to almost scream, the girl barely holding it back as her face started turning red. "This should be my night!" She growled as she walked past the counter, "I would have found a way to be in the film if you all had 
stayed out of it! I would have been Daring Do! Everyone would've loved me!" She held up her mirror, "See?!"

The seven stared at their reflections, then shared a glance before looking back at her, "Are you okay?" Flash asked, "Maybe you've been spending too long under these hot lights."

Juniper's anger spiked at this, "Can't you see what's right under your noses? Ugh! I wish you'd all just go away and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

As she screamed that, she pointed the mirror at them, and then...it happened. The mirror unleashed a brilliant light that shot out and engulfed Flash and the girls. The seven barely had enough time to register what was happening before the light was sucked back inside, the group screaming as they were pulled into the mirror. In the blink of an eye, the six of the seven people Juniper hated most were gone...along with their rather cute friend. As they vanished, the mirror sent a wave of blue energy up Juniper's arm and into her eyes. She blinked and the light faded, the girl smiling as she looked down at the ground.

In the commotion, Fluttershy had somehow lost her butterfly hair-clip. She reached down and picked it up, then put it onto her vest before looking into the mirror. "Hmm...looks like I may be finally getting the hang of this." Her reflection changed to her glamour model form, the girl looking back giving her a giggle.

"Hi, me!" She waved and Juniper waved back, the sudden feeling that anything was possible washing over her.


To Be Continued...

> Special: Mirror Magic PT2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset had taken her new friends to the mall, the trio now starting to get the hang of their new bodies. "Okay..." Heart commented as he held an ice cream cone in his hands, "I'll admit having fingers in pretty awesome." Starlight and Soul, both with their own triple scoop ice cream, happily nodded in agreement, "If I still had my wings and my fire powers, I'd totally wanna live here."

"Yeah," Soul added, "This place is pretty cool. I'd love to have one of those phone things everypony...body's got. That way I could talk to Diamond and Spoon from my room at nights. It'd be awesome."

"I'd love to check out what video games they have here," Heart chuckled, "I bet Button and Rumble would be so jealous."

Starlight laughed at this, her mouth completely covered in her ice cream. But as she turned to Sunset, she saw a huge frown on her face as she stared at her phone. "Something wrong?"

The girl sighed, "I can't get in touch with my friends. Six cell phones, all straight to voicemail."

"I'm sure they're around," Starlight replied while waving a hand, "What's the worst that could have happened?" She did another lick of her ice cream, only for Sunset to come to a stop, Starlight also stopping so fast that it dropped the top scoop of her ice cream.

"Magic is on the loose here now, and it does not work the same way it does back in Equestria! Any number of terrible things could have happened!" Sunset cried, "And lately, I spend eighty percent of my time thinking about them! I can't stop!" She turned to the three, "I know my friends are probably fine and maybe I'm overreacting but..." She glanced down at her phone, "But what if I'm wrong?! What if they're in trouble?!"

"Whoa..." Heart responded, "You seriously need to chill out."

Sunset turned to glare at him, only for Starlight to pat her shoulder, "Sunset...this is the problem you wanted to talk to Princess Twilight about, right?" Sunset slowly shifted to her as Starlight added, "You know, you can still talk it over with us if you want..." Sunset responded by taking out her new journal and writing in it. "Or you could just journal with Princess Twilight about it. Whatever works."

Sunset grumbled at this before shutting the book, "Sorry. It's just...I know my friends and I have been given special powers for a reason, and I want to be ready for whatever is gonna be thrown at us. I guess knowing that is making me feel like I can never relax and let my guard down, so I end up obsessing about it and can't get out of my own head."

"Hmm," Starlight nodded. "That is a toughie."

"I know how you feel," Soul added before taping her head. "When I first became an alicorn, I didn't know what reason it was for. Even after I discovered why and fulfilled my task, I was still an alicorn and had no idea what I was gonna do with the new power I was given. Not being able to control it didn't help either."

"But you did learn to control it," Heart chuckled as he nudged her in the side. "And you discovered something you were able to use your new magic for."

"They're right." Starlight finished as she gave Sunset a big smile, "My advice would be to just trust things will work themselves out in the end. If you spend too much time worrying about the bad things that might happen, you'll miss out on all the good things that are happening." As she said that, she accidently tipped her ice cream and caused the second layer to fall onto the floor. "NO!"

Sunset laughed at this, "Like how Princess Twilight's student is teaching me a lesson right now?"

"Yup," Starlight nodded. "Like that." She licked the last scoop of her ice cream as Sunset laughed again, pulling her close and snatching the cone from her hand.

"Come on. Let's go take a look around the theater. I'm sure they're fine." The pair walked off, the twins following.





Flash let out a moan, his head now feeling like he had spent an hour riding a non-stop roller-coaster with a ton of loops. And when he opened his eyes, everything was out of focus...making him blink until he went wide-eyed. As his eyes recovered, he saw he was in a white void. "Oh no...I got a bad feeling about this."

He slowly got up at this, only to see his friends were all there, Rarity getting up first, "Um...any clue where we are or what just happened?!" Nobody answered, "Anyone?"

"Pinkie Pie's on the case!" He heard his puffy haired friend say before the sound of creaking filled the air. He turned to see her walk away, "Nope, no wall over here." She began to run off, calling out for a wall that was nowhere to be seen.

"Pinkie!" He yelled, "Don't just wander off!" But she ignored him, the girl continuing to run away...only to become a blip that quickly vanished. "Pinkie!"

"I don't get this place!" He suddenly heard behind him, making him spin around to see Pinkie. She then spun around and walked away in the opposite direction and appeared behind him again, "There's no walls in here anywhere!"

"There's gotta be a way outta-WHOA!" Flash yelped as a purple light suddenly appeared above them. The seven looked up at what appeared to be a giant round window...that showed the real world.

Staring at it made them all remember what had just happened, Applejack commenting, "So...did that just happen? Like, that dang Juniper somehow sucked us all inside of that mirror of hers?"

"Or into some kind of limbo behind it," Twilight added.

"I think I might be freaking out a little bit," Fluttershy squeaked as she began to play with her hair.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "You call that a freak-out?"

"It's sort of a deep-down-inside freak-out," she whispered before screaming as Pinkie spoke up.

"On the upside, there's popcorn in here!" She held up a handful of the treat and threw it into the air, catching some of it in her mouth. "Mmm...sticky."

"How could this happen on the evening of my very first movie premiere? Of all the nights!" Rarity moaned, about to go into mellow dramatic mode, "Curse you, cruel fate!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes at this, "Not our number-one problem right now, Rarity."

"Hmm..." Rarity hummed, "True. But perhaps we can agree it's in the top five."

"That's it!" Flash grabbed his geode and powered up, "I'm getting out of here and smashing that mirror!" He leapt up and tackled the mirror, only to bounce off it and fell back to the ground. But he quickly rolled as he landed before leaping up and grabbing the top of the mirror. He slammed his feet into the glass as hard as he could, but it just shook...and didn't show even a scratch, "Oh, come on!"

The girls all frowned at this, Applejack turning to the others, "Um...should we stop him?"

"Gyah!" Flash suddenly yelped before falling, Twilight barely managing to catch him in her magic. They then found themselves getting pelted with something as it fell through the mirror.

"Oh, my heavens!" Rarity put up a magical shield to protect herself, "What's that?" Rainbow used her super speed to grab one out of the air, only to raise an eyebrow.

"Chocolate-covered...almonds?" Twilight dropped Flash and used her magic to stop the almonds, the sweet treats now hovering while Pinkie jumped up to the candy.

"Dibs!" She cheered before she started sucking the almonds down her gullet in a way that Flash could practically hear the arcade music. He quickly pushed himself up and dusted off his pants.

"Does somebody wanna explain why the heck we were almost concussed by a bunch of chocolate covered nuts?"

Twilight blinked at his question, only to look up and see no more almonds were coming out of the mirror. "Best guess, Juniper's sending them into the mirror." They all turned to her, "Remember what she said about working at the theater as little as possible?"

"Yah think she's usin' it to get out of cleanin stuff up?" Applejack asked, Twilight nodding back.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Rarity sighed, "Ooh, I hope we get out of here soon." She flicked an almond that was floating next to her away, "Spending the rest of my life surviving off of dropped movie snacks is not something I ever hoped for."

"Sunset," Flash whispered, "I hope you're finished in Equestria because we could really use some help..."





Sunset, Starlight, Heart and Soul had now arrived at the movie theater, the four laughing at a joke Heart had just said. But Sunset's laughter vanished when she spotted who was behind the counter, making her gasp before she pushed the four behind a claw machine.

"What's wrong?" Heart asked first.

"It's Juniper Montage!" Sunset replied, Starlight letting out a gasp.

"No!" She exclaimed, only to blink, "Wait...who's that?"

"She's trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Soul asked next.

"Yeah!" Heart added, "On a scale of Snips and Snails to Malafear and Shadow Corrupter, where's she at?"

Sunset was about to reply, only to glance back and see something Juniper was wearing on her shirt. "That's...Fluttershy's barrette." She then gave her bag to Starlight. "Wait here for me."

"Wait! What if she pulls something?" Heart asked, Sunset not answering as she quickly ran up to the counter. As she did this, she noticed Juniper was staring into a mirror. She was so transfixed with it that it was only when Sunset was reflected in it that she noticed she was there.

"Sunset Shimmer," she slowly turned around, "I was wondering if you'd show up."

Sunset took a deep breath, "I'm uh...looking for my friends." She wrapped her fingers around her geode, "I don't suppose you've seen them?" Juniper's only response was a mischivous giggle, Sunset frowning at her. "Where are they?"

"I'll never tell," she giggled while stroking Fluttershy's barrette.

But then, Sunset smirked. "You don't have to," everyone watched as Sunset grabbed Juniper's arm. Her eyes went wide and her friends could see them glow, Sunset gasping as Juniper pulled her arm away.

"Hey!" Juniper yelled as she started to backpedal, "What was that for?!"

Sunset closed her eyes for a second, only to glare at the girl, "Juniper...I know you want people to like you, but trust me, the magic in that mirror is only gonna make things worse for you."

Juniper went wide-eyed at this, "How did you-" She glanced down at the mirror before hugging it like a newborn baby. "Wait...you're just saying that because you want the mirror for yourself!"

"What I want is my friends back," Sunset replied, "I know you put them in that mirror."

"How did you..."

"Please, Juniper." Sunset interrupted, "You wished them into that mirror, so maybe there's a way you can wish them out."

But as she said this, Juniper blinked at her before growling, "I don't think so! This is mine!" She then pointed the mirror at Sunset, its energy beginning to build and wrap around Juniper's arm before entering her eyes. "I wish you'd join them!" And before Sunset could react, the mirror unleashed an energy burst that wrapped around her. Sunset cried out as she was surrounded by the energy, then sucked into the mirror.

"SUN-!" Heart and Soul cried before Starlight covered their mouths, pulling them back behind the machine as Juniper glanced over at their direction, only to look back at her mirror.

"That's...not good." Starlight sighed as she let the two go.

"What do we do?" Heart asked.

"I...don't know," She replied before they looked back at Juniper. "I just hope everyone's okay inside that...mirror. Whatever it is."





Sunset let out a yelp as she flew through a magical tunnel of energy, feeling just like she did whenever she passed through the portal. It was here that the portal spit her out, only to smack the ground and roll along the ground.

"Ow..." she groaned.

"Sunset!" She heard Twilight call out as her eyes rolled in their sockets. She turned onto her back and looked up to see Applejack and Rarity holding out their hands.

"Oh..." She moaned as they helped her up, Pinkie then leaping over to hug her.

"Hooray! We're all together again!"

"But wait," Twilight went wide-eyed, "If we're all together, then nobody out there knows where we are!" As she said that, her geode began to glow. All the magical geodes began to light up next, with the only ones to notice being Flash and Fluttershy,

"Um, girls..." Fluttershy tried to say before Sunset spoke up.

"Starlight, Heart and Soul do."

The girls all raised an eyebrow at this, only for Flash to chime in, "Before we have a go at Sunset for what's probably gonna be a life saving decision," they turned to him as he pointed at his glowing orange geode. They all then looked down at theirs, now seeing them do the same thing.

"Cool," Rainbow commented.

"Odd. They've never done something like this before," Twilight added, "What do you think this means?" And as she asked this, the white void around them began to glow, soon shifting to the eight colors their geodes were glowing. "Something's changed. This wasn't happening before."

"Maybe it's because all eight of us are together now?" Sunset guessed as Applejack pointed to her green geode.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" She got her answer when her geode suddenly fired a blast of magic to the mirror, the other seven doing the same. The light hit the glass and spiraled around one another, the light from their geodes stopping as the eight swirling colors flew to the edge of the mirror and started linking up to form a rainbow around it. The mirror then shifted and turned a dangerous shade of dark green.

"I'm going with not a good thing!" Rarity whimpered.

"What do we do?" Flash asked, "We can't just sit here and let Juniper run wild with our magic!" The others grimaced, unable to respond. Seeing this, Flash remembered what Sunset had said as he stared at the mirror, "If this Heart kid was picked by that other me to be his apprentice, he must have something in him that'll help stop her. I just hope he can do it in time."





Meanwhile...

Heart was now glaring at Juniper, "Alright...if I rush her, I can get that mirror and free the others before she has a chance to whoosh me away."

"No," Soul pulled him back, "You saw what happened. You won't even get within five feet of her before she attacks."

Heart was about to push her back, only for Juniper to let out a yelp, "Huh?" They all turned to her and saw her mirror start unleashing a rainbow of magic. She gasped at this, only to see the energy flow through her. The three pony turned humans watched as Juniper began to grow taller, soon roughly twice her normal height, the magic washing over her and replacing her theater uniform with a black, green and purple dress. She wore green furry gloves and ankle cuffs above black platform shoes, and had purple eye shadow and her hair in a wavy style that was curled at the end.

"No way..." Heart whispered as Juniper looked herself over in a nearby drinks machine.

She smiled at her reflection. "Now everyone will recognize I'm a real star!" With that, she turned to walk out of the theater, swaying her hips the way she had seen movie stars do. Starlight, Heart and Soul watched her leave, the three turning to one another and nodding before chasing after her. And as Juniper walked out of the theater, which was difficult given her new height, everyone around her gasped at the sight of the almost twelve foot woman appear in the mall. Screams followed this, everyone running away as she continued to strut through the place.

"Any ideas?" Soul asked as the three followed after her.

Starlight's eyes narrowed as she stared at the giant, "First things first, we need to get that mirror away from her."

"Got it," Heart nodded before running up to her. The girls called out to him, but he wasn't listening. "Get ready to feel the heat!" He leapt up, attempting to spread his wings while unleashing a blast of fire...only to fall like a rock, hitting and rolling across the floor before stopping behind Juniper. "Oh...right. Human."

Luckily, Juniper didn't notice him as she stared at the people screaming at her. However, thanks to the mirror's magic, she was seeing them not as terrified teens, but as fans and paparazzi who weren't able to stop looking at her out of sheer admiration. She then saw a woman and her son standing close by, both staring up at her in joy. "Want Mommy to take our picture together?" But the illusion was lost on her, the boy dropping and crying before his mother pulled him away and ran past Starlight and the twins.

"I have an idea," Soul told them, "Heart and I will distract her and when she's not paying attention, Starlight can grab the mirror." They nodded, Heart and Soul running up to her, "Wow!" she shouted at Juniper, "Are you who I think you are?"

"Huh?" The transformed girl asked.

"It is you," Heart added, "Wow! I can't believe I'm actually talking to the Juniper Montage!" He gestured to himself and Soul, "We're big fans!"

"Huge fans!" Soul nodded.

"Colossal fans!" Heart continued. "And now, here you are. This is a dream come true!"

Juniper's magically drunk mind made her see them as kids wearing shirts were her face on them, the sight making her stand up straight and correct her hair with a smirk. "Well, it's about time somebody realized how amazing I am!"

As she did this, Starlight snuck around behind her. And as the twins kept her talking, she ran up and grabbed the mirror. However, Juniper's grip on it was too strong, Starlight unable to yank it away. Feeling this, Juniper turned to her and flicked Starlight back, but Starlight kept hold of the mirror. And when Juniper grabbed the girl, Starlight raised her legs up and kicked the mirror with all her might. Juniper gasped as the mirror went flying, Heart and Soul running over to grab it. But they couldn't reach it before it hit the floor, the magical glass cracking upon impact.





Inside the mirror, Flash and the Rainbooms went wide-eyed as they saw the portal began to break apart. And as it did this, the void around them quickly began to follow suit.

"The mirror is breaking!" Sunset gasped as a crack appeared next to Twilight.

"Whoa!" She cried as Flash and Rainbow pulled her away. "If those three don't find a way to get us out of here soon, I don't know what's gonna happen!" More and more cracks appeared on the mirror's surface at this, the eight all shivering at this.

"Starlight..." Sunset quivered. "I hope you know what you're doing."





"What do we do?!" Soul asked as she picked up the cracked mirror.

"I have no idea!" Starlight yelped before Juniper descended on them as her nails turned into almost claw-like blades.

"Give that back!" She screeched, the girls quickly leaping away from the Juniper's slashing nails. Soul then glanced back and saw Heart run behind Juniper and wave his arms around, Soul nodding before throwing it.

"Keep away!" Juniper tried to grab it, only for the mirror to fly over her and land into Heart's hands. He quickly cut into a sprint, Juniper chasing him with her longer legs.

"Get back here!" But before she could get him, Heart glanced back and saw Starlight staring at him behind Juniper.

"Go long!" He yelled before throwing the mirror under Juniper, the item sliding along the floor and under Juniper's feet. This went directly to Starlight, picking it and leaping behind a potted plant.

"I said give it back!" She screamed, Starlight squirming behind the plant as she avoided Juniper's nails.

"No!" She barked back, "This mirror is nothing but trouble! You have to realize that!"

Juniper let out a hiss, "What I realize is that you're just like those other girls!" She picked up the plant, revealing Starlight. "I wish you'd join them!" Starlight's eyes went wide as she held the mirror away from her...only for it do nothing.

"Huh?" She blinked at the mirror before sighing in relief, then ran away as Juniper tried to break the plant pot over her head. "Looks like you can't make that wish unless you're the one holding the mirror!" But then Juniper threw the plant pot at her, knocking Starlight over. The mirror fell to the floor, cracking it more.

The unicorn turned human quickly got back up and grabbed the mirror, not noticing the continued cracks now breaking the dimensional space holding the others to break apart more and more. Inside, those trapped within all cried out as they did their best to avoid falling into the cracks.

It was here that Starlight ducked behind the sunglasses kiosk, then held up the mirror. "I wish Sunset Shimmer and her friends would come back!"

But the mirror did nothing, only for Juniper to let out a chuckle, "Looks like you can't use it, either!" She started chasing Starlight around the kiosk, Heart and Soul running up to them. Heart quickly leapt onto the giant's back, making her cry out as she spun around to try and remove him.

"What do we do?" Soul asked, Starlight showing her the cracked mirror.

"I don't know!"

"GYAH!" Heart yelped as Juniper yanked him off her back and throwing him into a store window, crashing into a pile of clothes.

"Give it back to me!" Juniper hissed as she turned back to the two girls.

"No! My friends are trapped in there!" Starlight screamed, Juniper about to reply until the TVs behind her switched on and started playing the Dance Magic video.

Hearing this made Juniper scream, "Your friends stole my one chance at being famous!" She let out a screech and turned to smash the TVs, Starlight and Soul then leaping into the kiosk.





Back inside the void, the floor beneath them began to crumble apart and fall into the darkness of nothing. Twilight and Applejack now found themselves on their own little islands while the rest remained huddled together and watching their friends slowly drift away. "Jump!" Flash yelled, Applejack taking his advice and running toward the edge of her island.

She leapt as hard as she could and cleared the distance, only to fall back until Pinkie and Rainbow grabbed her. Twilight looked ready to do the same, but Flash knew she couldn't make the distance. Steeling his nerves, he activated his geode and leapt over to her. He cleared the distance and landed beside Twilight, not letting his momentum vanish as he grabbed her and leapt back off the island. They flew through the air and it looked like they were gonna make it, until the section they were gonna land on crumbled away.

Everyone gasped and Flash then threw Twilight into the other's arms before he fell into nothingness. "FLASH!" Twilight screamed as he disappeared...only to float up while encased in one of Rarity's shield spheres.

"Thanks Rarity..." Flash muttered out.

"No problem darling." Rarity replied, only to see another crack happen around them, "Though I have feeling it isn't going to be enough..."





Once Juniper had finished destroying the TVs, she turned back to the kiosk and saw Starlight and Soul trying to hide inside. It was here that Starlight saw Soul show her a huge frown, not knowing what to do. The sight made Starlight glance back at Juniper, seeing the rage on her face...and it reminded her something: Herself, back when Twilight had defeated her back in their final confrontation.

Taking a deep breath, she glared up at Juniper and asked, "Hey! Is fame really what you're after or are you looking for something else?!"

"Like what?!" Juniper replied while ripping the roof off the kiosk. "What else could I be looking for then fame?!"

Starlight hid Soul behind her as she added, "Well...what about a friend?"

This statement made Juniper pause, only to let out a hiss, "Who would want to be my friend?!"

"I would," Starlight responded.

"You?! Why?!"

Starlight didn't even need to think about this. She already knew they answer before she finished the question. "Because I understand you, Juniper."

"Understand me?! Who are you to understand me?! You don't even know me!"

"No...but I know you think getting revenge is going to make you feel better." Starlight took a deep breath at this, "But I know it's not! I've done it and it...it goes nowhere. It doesn't help you at all!"

Juniper had the roof in her nails, about to smash them...only to come to a stop. The giant leaned down to the pony turned teenager, narrowing her eyes, "Oh yeah? Then what am I supposed to do?! Those girls stole everything from me! What else am I supposed to do then get revenge on them?!"

"Because..." Starlight closed her eyes for a second, only to feel herself tear up, "You'll make a mistake...one that you'll end up regretting for the rest of your life."

Juniper blinked back at her, only for a small tear to appear in her eyes, "No. I've already made too many mistakes. What I've done is...is..." She threw the roof behind her at this, "Unforgivable."

"No Juniper." Starlight shook her head, only to walk up, "I know they'll forgive you. But first," she held out the mirror. "You have to set them free!"

Juniper and Soul went wide-eyed at this, seeing Starlight give the mirror to Juniper. And as this happened, those inside the mirror continued to cry out for help. Flash had been lifted onto the floating island and clumped together with the others, Twilight hugging him tightly as their last bit of remaining footing crumbled away.

Juniper swiped the mirror away and walked off, stopping several feet from the kiosk and staring at her beautiful reflection. If she did this, it would all go away. "I..." She stopped and looked back at Starlight, the girl smiling at her along with Soul. I wish I could make up for my mistakes."

With that, the mirror unleashed a brilliant blue light. Inside the mirror, Flash and Applejack were holding the girls up to conserve stable footing. But that didn't last long as the platform crumbled to nothing beneath their feet. And just as they began to fall into the emptiness, there was a flash of light.

The next thing they all knew, they landed in a heap on the floor of the mall. They all gasped as they as realized where they were, smiling and cheering in joy for being out of the mirror. Sunset let out a groan as she picked herself up, then saw the girls in the kiosk. "Starlight, Soul," she ran up and pulled them into a hug, "You did it!"

They smiled as Flash turned to a broken window. Walking up to it, he saw a boy trying to get out of a pile of clothes and stretched out his hand. Heart glanced up and saw the human version of his mentor. "Need a hand?" Flash chuckled as Heart grabbed the hand and was helped up, the pair then turning to the others as everyone who had seen the exchange began to crowd around them.

"So much for laying low," Starlight blushed.

Sunset smirked, "I think even Princess Twilight would understand."

As this happened, Juniper was staring at her now completely normal mirror. The magic had all disappeared, leaving it as nothing more then a hand mirror with only a single shard of glass inside it. She slowly lowered it and looked up at the others, who were giving her different looks. Some still looked angry, others looked upset and others looked sad, "I'm so sorry," was all she could say in return. She then flinched, expecting yells...only for nothing.

"It's okay," Sunset put a hand on her shoulder, "We've all been there."

"Really?" She asked, glanced back up as Starlight lifted a hand.

"Manipulated an entire town into giving up their talents so they wouldn't think they were special."

Twilight chuckled and continued, "Overpowered by a magic I couldn't control and created a rift between two worlds, almost destroying both of them in the process."

Sunset smirked and finished, "Turned an entire school into my own personal zombie army in hopes of conquering a distant pony world."

Juniper's eyes went wide as she registered this information, being able to do nothing but blink while Pinkie spoke up. "Wow!" She giggled, "We are a really forgiving group!" This just got a round of laughter from everyone, the absurdity of the situation now sinking in.





A little later...

After the insane events that had occurred at the mall, they group and their new friends decided it was best to leave for a while to avoid any unwanted questions. They soon arrived back at school and decided to just hang out there until it was time for Heart, Soul and Starlight to head back to Equestria. Currently, Rarity and Pinkie were sitting with Juniper to try and cheer her up while Soul was petting some of Fluttershy's animal friends. Flash and Heart were off to the side, Flash trying to show Heart how to play guitar with his newly acquired fingers.

Over by the portal, Starlight let out a sigh despite smiling. "I'm so sad to leave. I haven't really had the chance to get to know any of you." As she said that, Sunset heard a ringing sound coming from her bag and pulled out her new journal.

"Maybe you don't have to leave just yet." Starlight raised an eyebrow as Sunset began to read, "Dear Sunset, some lessons are better learned in action, and you girls are great teachers. Starlight, Heart and Soul should stay for a few more days. Enjoy the premiere!"

This statement got a round of cheers from the others, Starlight nudging Sunset, "Well...think you can focus on the positive?"

Sunset put her book back and crossed her arms with a smirk. "Whatever happens is gonna happen." She gave Starlight a light punch to the shoulder, "I've just gotta live in the moment, right?"

"Right!" Starlight nodded before the two pulled an arm around one another and started giggling. But before they could break into full on laughter, Sunset's journal rung again.

She took it out and laughed when she read it, turning to Flash. "I think this is for you." She threw the book and he effortlessly caught it, reading it over and laughing before reading it aloud.

"Hey other me, make sure my apprentice doesn't slack off too much. Every morning, get him to run five miles before breakfast and have him do at least a hundred different exercises of your choice after."

Heart groaned and fell back, the others laughing at his plight. The day had been a crazy and terrifying one, but one they would all remember. With the next few days looking to be ones they could enjoy, mostly, the future was looking bright. But what kind of magical fiasco would rear its ugly head next? Only time would tell.
> Overpowered
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another beautiful day as Flash Sentry woke up and walked into the kitchen with Springer. Night Light and Velvet were already there as he called out to them, "Morning. Where's Twilight?"

"She went to school early," Night replied, "Remember? She wanted to show her robotics project to the rest of her club."

"Oh yeah," Flash nodded, "Guess I'll be riding to school alone today." He then noticed that Velvet hadn't made a big breakfast like she normally did, which meant only one thing. "Early appointment?" She nodded as she finished her drink.

"My editor wants to discuss a few changes to my next book. May take a while to iron out the details." She got up at this, "You okay making your own breakfast?"

"Sure," Flash responded, "I'm not completely useless." They all smiled at this and Velvet headed out, Night going with her as Flash poured himself some cereal. But as he went to the coffee maker to get himself a good cup of joe, his geode suddenly started glowing and the energy sparked out. It flew through his body and out of his finger, going straight into the machine and causing it to short-circuit.

"WHOA!" He yelped, leaping back as the device blew up. Springer dashed under the table to avoid the glass that flew around the room, Flash luckily not getting hit. "What the heck?!" He hissed as he stared at his hands that were still sparking with energy. "I didn't summon that...why is it-" He closed his eyes and the energy vanished with a quick thought. "Phew." He looked at the smoking coffee maker and let out a sigh, "Great." He leaned against the counter, only for the energy to flow around him again before shooting into the toaster. "GYAH!" He yelped as the device exploded as well, "AAAAH! What's going on?!"

The energy continued to surge around him, the teen quickly going for the door, only stopping to grab his bag, and leapt outside as the power continued to flow through him. "Just stop!" he yelled as he kept charging. He then ran for his car, onlyl for the thought of his hot-rod overloading appearing in his mind. Instead, he simply ran toward the school and the power flowing through him zipped him into Rainbow levels of speed.

"WHOA!" He screamed as people all across the city found themselves getting blown over by a powerful gust of wind that shot past them in the blink of an eye. As for the teen, he found himself reaching the school's street a good ten minutes earlier then he would if he had driven. And as the building came into view, he started to slow down, the power flowing through him decreasing as he managed to pull himself to a stop in front of the school.

"What...the heck just happened to me?!" He gasped before taking a deep breath. Glancing down at his body to make sure he wasn't gonna unleash a massive thunderbolt, he headed for the front door. As he did, he noticed Sunset walking up while wearing headphones. "Sunset!" He called out, but she didn't hear him. "Sunset!" Sighing at this, he went up and grabbed her headphones. "Sunset!"

"YAAAH!" She leapt away and got into a karate stance, only to tense up, "Flash?! What are you-don't do that!"

"Sorry!" He told her, holding up the headphones. "Not like you can wear these when you get to school."

She quickly swiped them from his hands, "They're the only way to cancel out the voices."

"Voices?"

"I don't know what's going on. Suddenly I can hear the thoughts of anyone within five feet of me." Flash raised an eyebrow, "Probably nothing." She put her headphones back on, "I'M PROBABLY JUST GETTING MORE IN TUNE WITH MY GEODE!" With that, she turned to walk inside, leaving Flash to just stare at the fleeing girl.

"Why do I get the feeling this day is gonna be trouble?" He groaned as he walked into the school.

The rest of the day was like normal, with a few exceptions. Applejack accidently ripped her locker door off its hinges and at lunch, Pinkie accidently made her apple explode. Other than that, the day seemed pretty normal for Flash and his friends...until final period.

Flash was in history, the one period he didn't have with any of the Rainbooms since they all had gym right now. He was half listening to the teacher as he drowned on about something that happened in world war two, only for his fingers to start sparking again. His eyes went wide and put them under his desk, only for more sparks to zap out.

'That's not good. I gotta get out of here.' he thought before carefully raising his other hand that wasn't sparking, "Sir? I really need the bathroom." The teacher sighed, but nodded as Flash ran off before he could change his mind. As soon as he was outside, he zipped into the bathroom as the lightning surged around the rest of his body. He shut the bathroom door, only to see his body sparking more and more.

"Aw come on!" He yelped as he felt the energy surge through him. "Come on...there's got to be a way to burn this off-that's it!" He got down on the ground and began doing supercharged push-ups on the ground. Moving at a blur, he went up and down so many times he lost count. He did this for about twenty minutes without feeling tired, and when he hit the twenty-minute mark, he felt the energy begin to weaken.

"Finally," he sighed as the last of the lightning faded. But when it did, all the exhaustion it had stopped Flash from feeling washed over him like a wave. "Ahh!" He yelped as he fell, soon rolling onto his back and looking up at the ceiling. He lay there for another five minutes, groaning until he began to re-energize. He sighed before pushing himself up and after making sure he wasn't gonna explode again, he headed back to class.

The class stared at him when he returned, most likely wondering what he had been doing the last half hour. The teacher didn't look impressed and told Flash to stay behind afterwards, Flash groaning as he sat down. "Dude," Sandalwood asked from behind him, "What did you eat to spend so long on the can?"

"Don't ask," Flash moaned. He spent the rest of the class drawing as little attention to himself that he could, the bell eventually ringing and allowing the other students to leave. Luckily, the teacher didn't intend to make him stay the full thirty minutes he had missed and told him to read three chapters on the subject of the class by tomorrow.

Accepting the extra homework, Flash headed out of the class.

"Stupid magic," he growled, "Sunset better have an idea what's going on with this." He then ran to the music room, turning a corner to see Sunset ahead of him with her earmuffs on. Before he could call out to her, she pushed her hands over her covered ears and started yelling "lalalalala" over and over again as she ran for the music room.

Flash followed after her, only to see her go into the room and yank the headphones off. "Well, the earmuffs don't work." She threw them to the side as Flash snuck past her. "I'm now hearing everything everyone's thinking without even touching them!" She stepped up to her friends, "Is anyone else experiencing a sudden...uh...surge in their powers today?"

The girls all grimaced at this, Flash about to speak up, only for Sunset's eyes to glow white. A moment later, they stopped and she glared at the group, "So you have!" She then sighed, "Sorry. I just heard all of your thoughts. Can't help it."

"Fascinating," Twilight commented while rubbing her chin, "I wonder what's causing it." They then got their answer when a blue blur shot into the room, revealing Rainbow looking rather excited as she started talking quickly.

"Hi guys! I just ran here from the soccer field in three seconds! Wait, hold on!" Before they could say anything, she zoomed off and then reappeared while holding her bag. "Forgot my backpack!" She reached inside and took out a sandwich, biting it before grimacing, "Yuck! This needs mustard." She threw the sandwich in the air, zipped off, then zipped back and grabbed the sandwich out of the air. "Super speed is where it's at, am I right?! It's like, I can't stop because I've been getting so much done!" She squirted the sauce she had just gotten onto the sandwich and took another bite, and as she did something happened.

All of their geodes started pulsing with light, even making a strange noise they had never made before. Flash felt his energy beginning to build again, the teen glancing down at his fingers as they started to spark. And before he could say anything, Twilight spoke up, "Okay, I may have a theory about what's going on with our magic."

"Well spill it brain box!" Flash yelped, "We need to figure this out before I destroy another piece of machinery." The girls all turned to him and saw the few sparks appearing on his fingertips. "Uh...sorry. Been having a lot of problems with this today."

"Its fine. Just...you know, be careful." Sunset replied as Twilight ran out of the room and came back a minute later with a blackboard covered in words and shapes most of them didn't understand.

She pointed to one part as she started explaining. "Our geodes are all connected, so the more each of us use our magic for everyday tasks, the more all of our powers become supercharged and go...haywire!"

They all exchanged glances, only for Sunset to sigh and say, "I get it. Since Rainbow was using her super speed for everything, all of us experienced an uncontrollable boost."

"Ohhhhh," the others nodded before turning to glare at the girl.

Rainbow let out a nervous chuckle, "Whoopsies."

Rarity turned back to Twilight, "Well, so long as we use it in moderation, our magic should stay under control?"

"And our geodes will go all glowy if it's about to get whack-a-doodle-doo?" Pinkie asked, Twilight nodding.

"It seems that way." She responded, "We just need to use it in moderation." They all then turned to a certain prism haired girl, Rainbow now gulping at their glares.

That is, till a certain voice called out, "Hey, Rainbows!" They turned to see Fluttershy's younger, but much taller, brother Zephyr step into the room. "There you are. Do you wanna go to the mall with-"

"Uh..." Rainbow stuttered out, "Hi Zephyr...I um...I forgot I have to be at a..." She turned to the others, who were all shaking their heads, "Uh...a thing." She slowly, by her standards, headed toward the door, only for Zephyr to get in front of her.

"Okay." Rainbow groaned as she pinned herself against the door, then scooted under his arm and out the room.

"O...kay," Zephyr stated as she disappeared. "That's cool. I don't...care anyway."

And as he stared at the fleeing girl, everyone except Fluttershy began to giggle as the girl hid her face in her hands.





Later that day...

Flash and Twilight were now heading home, Twilight pushing her bike along the ground. "I can't believe you spent twenty minutes doing push-ups in the bathroom," Twilight laughed as the teen rolled his eyes.

"Cut me some slack. It was the only way I could get rid of that energy." Twilight and Spike kept laughing, the puppy riding in her basket as they got onto their street. "Just be glad we figured out what was happening before I like...exploded or something."

"Yeah, true." Twilight nodded, "But how bad could your powers on overload be?"

Flash opened his mouth to answer, only for another voice to scream out, "FLASH SENTRY!" They turned to see Velvet standing at the front door, holding the remains of a destroyed toaster and coffee maker. "What...happened here?!"

Flash let out a long gulp, knowing the day was far from over
> Substitute
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes a story is so special, it can't be put into words. Sometimes a story requires the right words, from the right person. So let us sit back and hear a tale from the perspective of the one most connected to it, and see what their views on the matter make us understand.





It was another happy Monday morning and Flash's super sports car had just arrived at Canterlot High, pulling into the parking lot while the driver smirked.

"Everyone who knows about me and my magical friends seem to think that every day is some super insane adventure. But the fact was, those magical incidents weren't as frequent as many people believed. In fact, most days at Canterlot High were pretty much the same. I got there at the same time." He pulled into the parking space and killed the engine, checking his clock and seeing it was ten to eight. "I saw the same kids." Twilight unbuckled her seat belt and the pair climbed out, spotting Rainbow arriving on her bike while Iron and Fluttershy walked up to the school together. "And I took the same classes with the same teachers."

"Did you hear?" Rainbow asked as they entered the school, "Mr. Cranky Doodle's gonna be gone for a couple of weeks."

"Why?" Fluttershy replied as they arrived at their lockers.

"Apparently, he was in an accident and broke his arm and both legs." They all went wide-eyed at this, Fluttershy grimacing.

"How the heck did he do that?" Iron yelped while Flash's mind began to create a thought bubble above his head about the situation.





Cranky Doodle was riding on a skateboard, being pulled along by a rope connected to his car as his wife drove. The grumpy old guy cheered in excitement as he swerved from left to right, loving every second of this situation.

That was until the car turned left to avoid some road workers. Cranky felt the rope turn, but then it snapped and he continued into the road workers. And as this happened, a plastic dividing wall had fallen over and angled upward, making it the perfect ramp for Cranky to go flying over his car and-





The giant thought bubble snapped out of existence as Flash shook his head, the teen shrugging a second later, "Eh, he probably tripped down the stairs or something."

"So who's gonna be covering his classes?" Twilight asked.

"We're probably gonna get the substitute," Iron replied as they continued down the hallway.

"When it comes to substitutes, you'll find it's a lot like playing the lottery. You never know who the school managed to find on such short notice. Anything was possible."





"You could have out of work actors."

"To be or not to be?" a man dressed like Toy Story's Woody without the hat read from a book. "That is the question."





"You could have out of work dancers."

A woman dressed in eighties dance clothes slid from side to side, then twirled before jumping back into a chair with her head back. She then turned to the students and pointed to a bucket on the desk, "Can one of you throw that water over me?" She struck the pose and waited for a student to do it.





"You could even have out of work teachers."

An overweight guy in a suit that looked like it had never been ironed was taking a deep swing from his flask, then turned to the class. "Enjoy this while you still can," he said, "Cause believe me, it's all downhill from here."





"And as we sat down for third period, we were all excited to see what kind of sub we'd be getting. But nothing could have prepared us for the man that walked through that door."

"Hello class," a man with pale blue skin and snow white hair said as he limped into the room using a cane. He wore a white overcoat that went to his knees with a red yolk, pockets and cuffs atop a purple button up shirt and black pants. "I am your substitute teacher, Cold Steel." He reached his desk and put his briefcase down on it. "I'll be teaching you while Mr. Doodle is away. Any questions?" No one said anything, but they were all focusing on the cane. "You wanna know about the stick?"

Everyone shared glances before nodding back.

"As a matter of fact, I'm a police officer. As you can probably guess, I received an injury in the field and have been undergoing treatment for a while. And while I can't get back out into the field for a while, teaching is more mentally challenging then physically. You can thank my old colleague, Grand Hoof, for the hell you're about to suffer through." As he said this, everyone suddenly felt a chill down their spine.

"Damn. Did somebody turn the air-con up to icy or is it just this guy's attitude."

"Alright," Cold opened his briefcase, "if I'm gonna teach you, then I'll need to know what everyone's skill levels are." He took out some papers. "So, we're gonna be taking a little test to see where you're at." Everyone moaned at this as Cold gave the papers to those on the front row and they were quickly passed around.





Later that day...

The Sparkle family were now sitting down for dinner, Flash, Twilight, Night Light, Velvet and Spike all at the table, enjoying their meal.

"Ever since Spike gained human level intelligence, several changes had occurred to him. Some of the good things were that he could talk and hold a conversation, but one of the bad things was his new sense of ego. Suddenly, the dog food he had once happily scoffed down wasn't good enough for him. Now, he wanted to eat at the dinner table like everyone else and eat the same food that was once a rare treat for him."

"Pass the potatoes please?" Flash asked, Velvet nodding.

"Of course," she grabbed the bowl and handed it over.

"And I'll have more meat," Spike chimed in, only for Twilight to turn to her dad.

"Another roll please?" He nodded and handed her the plate.

"And I'll have more meat," Spike repeated, only to get ignored again, "Hey, what's a dog have to do around here to get something dead?"

Twilight turned to him. "Spike, you've had enough to eat already."

"And no offense," Velvet added, "But recently you've been turning into a furry blimp."

"What?!" Spike yelped, "Don't be ridiculous! I'm as spry as an arctic wolf! Besides, today I've only had ten of the twelve food groups."

Flash snickered at this, "What's left? Chocolate and lard?"

The others laughed while Twilight turned back to her puppy, "Maybe you should try dieting Spike."

Spike huffed. "I don't need a diet, cuz I am not fat!" He then jumped down off his chair, "I am big boned." He trotted over to the front door and tried to get through the pet flap that he had used a hundred times...only to get stuck. "Oof!" he moaned before trying to pull himself back.

"Need a push?" Flash asked.

"You laugh and you die!" They managed to hold their laughter back and continued their meal.

"So how was school today?" Night asked the kids, who nodded back.

"Pretty good," Flash responded, "We got this new substitute who seems a little...intense."

"Well, he did get shot," Twilight reminded him before noticing her parent's reactions. "He's a police officer and got hurt in the field. That's why he's subbing in for Mr. Doodle."

"Huh," Velvet swallowed her food, "I wonder if Shining knows him."

"Probably," Flash replied, "But he's got this super serious aura around him. Like he'd happily put you in a year of detention if you sneezed while he's talking."

"Well, maybe he's what you need," Night added, "A firm but fair teacher to help you learn what you need to make a life for yourself after school. You should pay attention to him and learn as much as you can before he leaves." The pair nodded before continuing their meal, all the while Spike continued to try and free himself from the doggy door until Springer arrived and pushed him through.





"The next day, I learned just how serious Cold Steel was."

"I graded your tests," Cold growled as he started passing the tests to the students. "Some of you did well. Others...not so much." As he said that, Trixie let out a huff at the D she had gotten. "And some of you did fine, but I believe could do better."

As he said that, he passed Flash his test. The teen took the paper and smiled when he saw a B with a line next to it, nodding happily. "Alright." As he said this, Cold shined a quick glare at the teen before handing out more papers.

"It's clear you all have areas of math you excel at, but also have areas you need more work on. Hopefully, we'll be able to improve on those areas and get you all up to snuff."

For the rest of the class, he went over the subjects in the test, asking those that had gotten the answers wrong how to solve the problem before having a student that got it right correct them. When they got to the algebra section of the test, Cold asked Flash to solve three of the questions, ones he had gotten horribly wrong the first time. The class came to an end soon after, the students packing up their supplies as Cold took out a bunch of sheets they would need to complete for homework.

"Mr. Sentry," Cold told the teen as he reached for his sheet. "Hold back for a moment." Flash raised an eyebrow at this and turned to the others, shrugging at their confused looks and gesturing for them to head off without him. Once the classroom was empty, he turned back to the sub.

"Is something wrong?"

"In a way," Cold told him. "You seemed rather happy about your B minus."

"Yeah. Most days I'm lucky to get anything higher than a C when it comes to math. I'll take a B any day, even if it's a minus."

"Hmm," Cold sat down and glared at him, "I've heard a lot about you Mr. Sentry." Flash raised an eyebrow at this. "Grand tells me you're a smart young man with a good heart and great potential." Flash smiled at this, happy the janitor thought that. He knew Grand had a soft spot for him because of how he got to know his counterpart and was happy they got along so well. "But simply having potential isn't enough. It takes real effort in order to unlock said potential."

Flash tilted his head at this, "Well, it's not like I don't pay attention. I listen and I do the best I can. I'm just...not great at everything I try."

"Heck, if I didn't have Twilight helping me study, I'd be even worse off than I am already."

"You can be great if you try hard enough," Cold instantly responded, "The key is focus." He looked Flash up and down, "What do you wanna be when you leave school? What kind of career do you aspire towards?"

Flash shrugged, "I haven't really thought about it."

"Well now is the time to think about it," Cold grabbed his cane and pushed himself up. "Grand said you have a keen eye and a heroic spirit. The kind that would make a great police officer if you applied yourself." Flash rolled his eyes. This wasn't the first time he had heard this stuff. "But it takes a lot more than a keen eye and heroic spirit to join the force. That's why I've decided to have you take mandatory after school classes." Flash's eyes went wide. "I'm gonna teach you everything you need so that no matter what life throws at you, you'll be able to handle yourself."

"I don't think that's necessary," Flash replied, "I can already handle myself fine as is. I'm pretty sure there's others in class that need your help more."

"I suppose...but you can just call this added insurance," Cold responded, "I've already confirmed these lessons with Principal Celestia. Clearly, she thinks you have great untapped potential as well." Flash opened his mouth at this, only for Cold to pull out a note and give it to him. "You should be going now. Give this to your next teacher so he doesn't give you a hard time." Flash took the note and with one final sour look, he left the classroom.

"It was at that moment I realized I was not gonna enjoy having a sub as much as I thought I was."





The next morning...

The Sparkle family were preparing for the day, Twilight and Flash going over their math homework while Night read the paper and Velvet was cooking them breakfast. Springer was sitting at Flash's feet, enjoying a chew stick while Spike scuttled into the room with a yawn.

"Morning," he said before sniffing the air. "Mmm...waffles." He jumped onto a chair and wagged his tail as Velvet carried some plates over. "I'll have mine with peanut butter." But when Velvet put the plates down, Spike noticed there was one plate missing. His. "Err...I think you missed someone."

"No, I didn't," she replied before moving over to the counter. "I've made a special breakfast for you." Spike licked his lips as she brought over a bowl. But when she put it down, he saw it was full of banana slices, blueberries and apple slices with no sugar anywhere.

"What the?!" He yelped as the others dug into their breakfast. "Why do you guys get waffles and I have to have this?!"

"We told you Spike," Twilight booped him on the nose. "You're going on a diet."

"But I don't need a diet!" Spike whined as he pushed the bowl away.

"Fine," Flash told him, "Don't eat your breakfast. That's an even better way to lose weight."

Spike growled at him as Twilight let out a sigh, "You've got two choices Spike. It's either that, or the regular dog food. Those are your only options."

Spike blinked back at her before pulling the bowl back at him, "This in animal cruelty," he grumbled before picking up a banana. "Has it occurred to you guys that the problem isn't the food I'm having, but the amount of walks I get to take?"

"Don't try and turn this around on us," Night replied, "You get just as much exercise as Springer, and he's a picture of health." The dog in question barked at the compliment while Spike continued to frown and eat his healthy breakfast.

Spike pacified; Twilight turned to Flash. "Looking forward to your after school classes with Mr. Steel?" The frown he gave was all the answer she needed. "Come on, it won't be that bad."

"I have to do these extra lessons three days a week!" Flash yelled, "How is that legal?!"

"Well, it's not like you're doing anything else in that time," Night chuckled.

"I was thinking of joining the chemistry and baking clubs," Flash sighed, "Now that's out the window. At least I'll still be able to do band practice."

"Well, it's only for a few weeks," Velvet chimed in as they finished their breakfast. "He won't be around forever, so use this time to learn as much as you can." Flash let out a groan, but nodded as the clock fell to the time he and Twilight needed to leave. They got up, washed their plates and headed for the door. And as they did this, Spike was still struggling to finish his fruity breakfast, finally managing to force down two thirds of it while shivering. It seemed Flash wasn't the only one that would be suffering for the next few weeks.





The school day came and went, their Math Class being much like the previous day with Cold Steel going over the homework and seeing how many of them got a passing score. Flash's was reasonably good, mostly thanks to Twilight helping him with the ones that he really didn't know, but Cold still seemed unsatisfied.

"My first one on one class with Cold was exactly what I feared. As I stepped into the classroom, he was writing a super long and complicated equation on the board. Seriously, was that a math problem or a game of tick-tack-toe?!"

"Good," he said as Flash put his bag down, "You're here. Now we can get started." He sat on his desk and pointed at the board with his cane. "Look at this and tell me what you see?"

Flash stared at the board...and couldn't make hide nor hair of it. "I have no idea," Flash slowly replied, "It just looks like a bunch of numbers and letters to me."

"These aren't just numbers and letters," Cold responded, "Algebraic equations use mathematical statements to describe the relationship between things that vary over time."

"Like X means I'm confused."

"I...still don't understand."

"Exactly," Cold got up and limped over to him. "That's algebra. The math of the unknown."

"Well, I must be doing great, cuz I don't know it." Cold sighed and took the marker before writing out the answer, trying to show Flash how to figure it out.

"Algebra wasn't the only thing I didn't know. And everything I didn't know, he was determined to teach me."





"He taught me language."

Cold finished writing three words on the board, then turned to Flash and explained them. "Veni vidi vici," he pointed to Flash. "I came, I saw, I conquered." He then noticed four words Flash had written on the board.

"Eenie meenie miney mo," he pointed at Cold. "Catch a tiger by the toe."





"He taught me history."

Cold gestured to the image he had just drawn on the board. "The Vitruvian Man." He looked over at Flash and saw the teen had drawn a series of lines that made up a particular shape.

"The hangman," he held the pen up to the board. "Pick a letter."





"He taught me science."

Cold had just finished dissecting a frog and held up the scalpel to Flash. "Your turn." The teen took the knife and looked over to a glass box holding his still living subject, an almost Spike sized green toad.

He stared at it for a moment before glancing over at Cold, "Got anything bigger?"

"Please don't kill me in the name of science, ribbit."





Out in the school's parking lot, Flash was jogging on the spot while holding a heavy textbook in each hand. Circling around him, Cold was dressed like an army general as he sprayed Flash with a hose.

"Is a B minus alright!?" He yelled, Flash continuing to run on the spot.

"NO SIR!" He hollered back.

"Do you wanna learn!?"

"YES SIR!"

"You wanna quit!"

"NO SIR!"

"Then you'd better answer my question! What's A squared plus B squared?!"

"C squared!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"C squared!" Flash replied before falling to his knees, the books falling to the ground besides him. "It's C squared..."

"That's right!" Cold hollered, "That's what I'm talking about!" He kept yelling, but Flash could barely hear him thanks to his exhaustion filled brain.

"Talk about the worst wet T-shirt contest ever."





Three weeks later...

The Sparkle family was once again in the kitchen, minus Flash and Springer. Velvet had gone out of her way to make a delicious looking full english breakfast for them, but one member of the family was now moaning at her every step. "Please!" Spike begged whie sitting on the counter, "Just one little egg, or a slice of sausage or even a scrap of bacon! I'm begging you here!"

"No," Velvet replied as she pulled a plate of food away from him. "It's not healthy for a dog to be overweight." She walked over to the table, "We're doing this because we care about you."

Spike looked ready to cry, as in the three weeks of starting his diet, he had barely gotten to eat anything he really enjoyed. "You don't understand," he whined as Flash and Springer arrived at the kitchen. "Pets like me only live for three things: Eat, sleep and playing fetch. Take away the enjoyment of one of those things and you're taking a way a third of my identity!"

"Right..." Flash commented as he buttered some toast. "That might be real for most pets, but they don't usually spend the day watching reality TV shows, playing video games or pretending to be women in chat-rooms."

"I like the attention," Spike pouted as Twilight scratched him behind the ear.

"The point is that most dogs don't get to have half as much fun as you normally do. Having something healthy every now and then isn't gonna kill you."

"I'm pretty sure it can!" Spike cried as Twilight walked over to the table with her OJ.

"It won't." Flash deadpanned as Spike turned to him.

"At least let me lick the butter of your knife."

"Oh, go get some self-respect."

It was here that Spike was almost reduced to tears as Flash sat at the table and let out a yawn. "Tired?" Night asked. "I hope you weren't up late playing video games."

"Nope." Flash moaned, "Studying. I can't take Cold Steel's lessons anymore. Maybe if I can get my grades up, he'll leave me alone until he's gone."

"Your lessons can't be that bad," Twilight added while rolling her eyes.

"Tell me that again after he makes you run ten miles while reciting the value of pi."

"Besides, he probably won't be around much longer. He'll probably be returning to the police force now that his leg's healed."

In the last week, Cold had stopped using his cane and was now walking around like normal. Hopefully, that meant he would be getting back to his normal job and Flash could get back to not needing to be pushed far beyond the breaking point.





But that thought was quickly dashed during their day's math lesson. "Class," Cold Steel told them, "I thought I should let you know that your principal has offered me a permanent position at the school." Flash went wide-eyed at this, his face going pale.

"And that position is in my behind."

"I haven't decided whether I'm gonna take it or not, but I'll be giving it much thought." He reached into his briefcase and took out a math book. "Until I make that decision, I'll be prepping you all for something rather special. In two weeks, we'll be taking practice test in preparation of the end of year exams." The students all moaned at this, "Be warned, this test is more important than you think. Anyone that gets below a seventy-five will be joining me in a mandatory...Saturday study group." This statement got everyone on the edge of their seats, no one more than Flash.

"It's bad enough this psycho's taking three of my after schools from me, now he's coming after my Saturdays. Oh, that's it. This guy has got to go."





"What do you mean he's gotta go?" Applejack asked as they sat around their table having lunch.

"I can't take this guy anymore," Flash replied, "If he doesn't go, I'm gonna have to transfer back to Crystal Prep."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Do you really think Cadance would let you back just because you wanna get away from a teacher? If she doesn't give you a hard time, Ruby will, and I'd rather deal with Mr. Steel then her."

"Eh, I think Ruby is better than him. She's not obsessed with bullying me into learning junk I don't care about."

"Seriously Flash?" Twilight deadpanned as she glared at him.

"I'm serious!" Flash replied, "I can't take it with this guy much longer! I gotta rid of him!"

But before they could start arguing, Iron chimed in, "We're gonna see you on the six o'clock news, aren't we?" Flash turned to glare at him, "Look. If you don't wanna do the Saturday classes, just pass the test like he wants you too."

"It's not that simple," Flash responded, "This test is gonna be the most ruthless thing I've ever had to deal with, I just know it! It's gonna focus on all my weak points!" He slammed his head on the table, "I'm doomed..."

The others shared glances, fearing Flash might have a mental breakdown if he ended up doing the weekend classes.

"What I don't get is why this guy is even planning to take a full job here?" Rainbow asked, "I thought he was a cop. Shouldn't he be out doing...cop things?"

"Well, if you must know," they all turned to see Cold holding a tray beside their table. "I've been a cop for a long time, but never felt any challenge in the cases I went after. In the weeks I've been here, I've found new challenges." He took a sip from a juice box, "I look forward to seeing how well I can accomplish the challenges I've set myself."

His eyes focused on Flash for a second before heading for the teacher's table. And as he left, Flash slammed his head into the table again, "Well, that's it! I'm done. He's gonna hound me until the day I graduate. Goodbye Saturdays."

They all grimaced at this, Twilight putting on a hand on his shoulder, "Flash, there's still a way out of this. If you can ace his test, not only will you get your Saturdays, but he might also release you from your after school lessons."

Flash looked up at her, "But there's no way I'm gonna ace it."

"Not with that attitude," Twilight countered, "We've got two weeks from now until then. And every spare moment we have, I'm gonna drill as much mathematical skills as I can into you."

"I thought Cold was bad. But it turns out, he's nothing compared to Twilight when she's determined to teach you. For the next week, she hounded me every spare moment I had. From the moment I woke up to the second I went to bed, I was studying. I'm lucky she didn't make me study while I was in the bathroom. But no matter how hard she taught me, I just couldn't get it."

"Alright," Twilight sat on their couch with a textbook in hand while Flash was on the floor with his own. "If eight times X is twenty-four, three times Y is ninety-six, and twenty-one times Z is one hundred and forty-seven, what is X plus Y divided by Z times X?" Flash rocked back and forth, tapping his pencil on his head, but that wasn't much help.

"Nineteen?" He asked, only to see Twilight frown at him. "Augh!" He laid back, "This is hopeless..."

"You're trying too hard," she replied, "You just need to relax and think the problem through one step at a time."

And as she started walking him through the equation, Spike walked past them and carefully tip-pawed into the kitchen. The place was empty, and up on the counter, the cookie jar sat undefended. "Jackpot." He jumped onto a chair to get onto the table, giving him a good leaping off point to reach the counter.

He limbered up, cracking his paws and charged. Picking up speed, he reached the end and leapt for the counter. It looked like he was gonna make it...only to be suddenly grabbed by a purple aura. "No!" He cried, reaching for the jar that was inches away, only to be floated away, "NOOOOO!"

"No cookies Spike!" Twilight yelled as he floated into the room.

"I wasn't gonna eat any of the chocolate chips." Twilight placed him on her lap and started scratching him under the chin, "Oh yeah....right there. That's the stuff."

"Aww..." Flash moaned as he stared at the equations, the numbers and letters looking like they were flying around the page for him. "I'm never gonna get this. Guess I'm saying goodbye to my weekends."

"There's a still a week until the test," Twilight responded, "Plenty of time for you to figure this out."

Before Flash could reply, the front door opened. "Hey!" Twilight's brother called out as he walked in, carrying a large pile of files before seeing what the two teens were doing. "Big test?"

"Huge," Flash moaned, "And when I fail, I'm gonna be spending my Saturdays in school."

"Ouch," Shining chuckled, "Well, you're not the only one having issues." He put the file pile down and sat in an armchair, "The precinct's been having no luck tracking down a criminal calling himself Cloak'N'Daggers. He just stole fifty thousand dollars from the Canterlot Bank and left no clues behind."

"Cloak'N'Daggers?" Twilight asked, "I feel like I've heard that name before."

"Yeah," Shining nodded, "He stole the same amount of money from the same bank two years ago. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's planning on stealing the same amount every two years."

"So he really left no clues on how to find him?" Flash asked, Shining nodded.

"Even the CCTV cut out when he entered the bank. No one knows what he looks like and there was no evidence left behind at the scene." He sighed while leaning back. "If we don't find a way to track this guy down, who knows what he'll do next. Robbing the same bank again and again probably won't interest him for long. He could start targeting other places." He got up and headed for the kitchen, planning to make himself a drink. "Just wish there was a cop that was up for tracking this guy down."

"Hmm..." Flash muttere before smirking like the grinch as he got up and grabbed the top file.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked with narrowed eyes.

"Hopefully, solving both mine and Shining's problems." Seeing he had the right folder, Flash used his phone to start taking photos of the evidence. Once done, he put the file back and headed upstairs.





The next school day...

Cold arrived at his class to find it was already full, the man walking over to his desk. He was about to start talking when he saw something on the desk: A file with his name on it.

Raising an eyebrow at this, he told his students to open their textbooks and start doing the problems whilst he opened the file. As he pulled out the documents, Flash looked up from his work and smiled.

"I knew I had his attention, but now I had to hope he actually took the bait and decided to challenge himself with catching this elusive criminal. Hopefully, the guy would be gone before the test on Friday."





"Tuesday."

Flash walked up to the school and spotted Cold getting out of his car. "Morning," he told a fellow teacher as he entered the school.

"Damn."





"Wednesday."

Flash opened his locker and smiled, having not seen Cold in the parking lot. "You there." His eyes went wide and he turned to see Cold berating Snips. "Don't think I didn't see you hide your gum under the desk. Hope you enjoy scraping gum off of every desk in the school."

Flash slammed his head into the locker, groaning.





"Thursday."

Flash hadn't seen Cold the entire day. Not in the car park, not in the halls and not even at lunch. "I think he's gone," he told Twilight. "I'm free. I'm free."

"Free from what?" He heard Cold ask as they rounded the corner, Flash letting out a moan. "You're lucky your math class is in the afternoon. My car wouldn't start this morning."





When Friday rolled around, I was sure I would be stuck with Cold Steel forever. I guess even an elusive criminal wasn't as much of a challenge as teaching high school."

"Well..." Flash sighed as he, Twilight and Rainbow headed to Math class. "This is it. I'm gonna fail and my Saturdays will be lost forever."

"Oh, quit complaining," Rainbow grumbled, "You're not the only one who's probably gonna flunk." She frowned, clearly talking about herself as they arrived at the classroom. But instead of seeing Cold Steel at the desk, they went wide-eyed to see their former teacher: Mr. Cranky Doodle.

"You're back?" Flash asked, the teacher looking up at them.

"Of course I'm back," he chuckled before standing up. "Simple breaks. Nothing a few weeks rest can't cure." He practically tap-danced on the ground, but stopped when his legs suddenly filled with pain and he bit his lip.

"So...where's Mr. Steel?" Twilight asked as they took their seats.

"He resigned yesterday," Cranky responed, "Said he had something he needed to do."

Flash couldn't believe his ears. He was gone. Flash was free.

"Hallelujah."

"So what about the test he was gonna have us do?" Rainbow asked, "The one that if we fail means we have to come in and take extra lessons tomorrow."

"Are you insane?!" Cranky yelped, "I'm not giving up my weekends! No test." The teens cheered and none were more relieved than Flash. It took everything he had to not start crying.





That weekend...

Flash was celebrating an escape well done by sitting on the couch, Springer's head on his lap, while watching some of his favorite movies. But that enjoyment vanished when the door bell rang. He got up and headed for the door, opening it up and going wide-eyed at the sight of who was waiting for him. "Mr. Steel?" He yelped, the cop smiling at him while holding a briefcase. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to give you your practice exam," Cold replied.

"I don't have to take that test."

"Or let you in."

"You're not my teacher anymore. Remember? You quit!"

Cold raised an eyebrow at this. "How'd you know I quit?" Flash's mouth dried up as he tried to come up with an answer, only for Velvet to appear from the stairs.

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking Cold Steel up and down as Flash turned to her pleadingly.

"Don't help him. Help me."

"I'm sorry," Cold stepped inside and shook Velvet's hand. "I'm Cold Steel. I've been Flash's substitute teacher the last few weeks."

Velvet's eyes went wide. "Oh, that's right." She crossed her arms, "Flash and Twilight have said a lot about you. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah woman. A crazy man is trying to give me a test at home."

"Not at all. I've been preparing Flash for a practice test and I wasn't able to give him the exam before..." He slowly turned to Flash as the teen raised an eyebrow.

"Before I got rid of your crazy behind."

"Before I left Canterlot High." He turned back to Velvet, "I just wanna make sure he's ready."

Velvet tilted her head, "And...why are you doing this?"

"I think Flash is a smart kid," Cold replied, "But I think he can do better." Flash felt like slumping over and turned to give Velvet a pleasing look, the woman thinking for a moment before gesturing to the dining room.

"Better get in there and take that test." Flash wanted to cry as he started heading to the dining room, Velvet and Cold continuing to talk as he did so.

Cold took out his test and an hourglass. "So the funniest thing happened to me," the older man chuckled, "Just when it seemed I would never find any challenge in the police business, I find a strange file that led me to start looking into a mysterious criminal."

"Is that so?" Flash slowly asked.

But it was clear from Cold's expression and words that he knew, "I wonder who it is that could have given me that file. It had to be someone with connections to the police, given how extensive the file was." He glared at Flash, "Don't you know a police officer. Shining Armor, was it?"

"Huh," Flash shrugged, "What a coincidence."

"Right..." Cold smiled before grabbing the hourglass. "You have one hour. Starting...now." He turned it over and Flash got to work, hoping Cold wouldn't kill him too badly when he completely flunked it.





Meanwhile, Twilight was at the Pet Store where Fluttershy worked part time. Fluttershy had Spike on a weighing machine, the dog asking, "So?! Is it over?! Have I wasted away enough for you to stop torturing me?!"

The girls rolled their eyes, Fluttershy giggling before saying, "Spike, you're officially the perfect weight for a dog your size."

Spike sighed in relief as Twilight smiled and picked him up. "See Spike? It wasn't that bad."

"Easy for you to say," Spike moaned, "I'm just glad this is over and I can go back to eating real food."

"Do that and you'll regain the weight you worked so hard to lose," Fluttershy chimed in, "You need to be careful with how much you eat."

"Exactly," Twilight added before taking out an extra large bone-shaped down dog biscuit. "This is a special treat you get to have, and after that, we continue with the diet to a less extreme stint." She handed it over and Spike started devouring it down, moaning at the deliciousness as the girls laughed.





Back at the house, Flash continued to work on the answers, having no idea if the method he was using was correct as Cold stared at the hourglass, the last of the sand dribbling out.

"Pencils down." Flash stopped working and Cold took his test, Velvet now walking into the room.

"So how'd he do?" She asked, Cold's eyes glaring at the paper.

"I'll let you know in a minute." His pen flicked through the paper, Flash not daring to look how many Xs the test had. Then, Cold finally spoke up. "Ninety two. That's an A." Flash's eyes shot open, looking down to see him write the number on the page.

"Oh, Flash." Velvet hugged him, "That's great." She pulled away, "I knew you could do it."

"No she didn't."

She walked off as Cold smiled at Flash, "Congratulations."

"Um...thanks?" Flash slowly nodded, "But...it doesn't make any difference. It doesn't count."

"Doesn't it? You were able to pass this test that I made as tough as humanly possible. What do you think that means for any future test you might have?"

"That...I can pass them?"

"Exactly," Cold nodded. "You just need to stay calm and think it through, but not overthink it. That's always the biggest issue people have with math." He handed the test back, "Keep hold of that and remember that advice whenever you feel like you can't do something. It's proof you can do anything if you put your mind to it." With that, he gathered his things and headed for the door.

Flash followed him and watched him step outside without another word as he headed for his car.

"As much of a pain in the butt as he was, Cold Steel had taught me a lot, and in a small way, I was gonna miss him. And he's right. I can do anything if I put my mind to it.

But I'm also glad that I can still go to Canterlot High and not lose my sanity. Goodbye and good riddance."





"That's great Flash," Twilight told him as they all had dinner together.

"Yes," Velvet nodded, "Now you don't have an excuse the next time you fail a test. You've got proof you can do it." Flash held back a moan as he dug into his dinner, but decided to change the subject.

"So how's Spike's diet going? What'd he end up weighing?" Twilight was about to answer, only to realize Spike was nowhere in sight...and a munching sound from the kitchen.

The family headed into the room, now seeing one of the cupboards open with Spike inside, pigging out on chips, cookies and a bag of vanilla wafers. He froze up as he saw the four glares, swallowing a mouthful before holding out the chip bag. "Want one?" The family frowned at him, the little dog knowing he was in for another few weeks of hellish dieting
> Room to Grow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Rainbooms and Royal Knights had all ran over to the boutique and hair salon that Rarity part-timed at, having received an urgent message from Twilight. "We're here!" Heather exclaimed as they arrived, spotting Twilight, Spike, Springer and Applejack sitting in front of a large screen. It had two silhouettes behind it, one looking like Rarity while the other was sat down so they couldn't tell who it was. "What's the emergency?"

Twilight flinched at the question, "Well uh...I um...I...destroyed Flash's hair." Everyone grimaced at this, knowing that if there was one thing you didn't do, it was mess with Flash Sentry's hair.

"What happened?" Rainbow asked, only for Flash's voice to call out from behind the screen.

"I'll tell you what happened. I was walking Springer, enjoying the first day of my week off from school when..."





Two hours ago...

Flash and Springer were jogging down the street, doing their best to keep a simple but brisk pace as they arrived on the street that Principal Celestia lived on. He had chosen to come see how well Twilight was doing since she had offered to take care of Celestia's garden during their week off.

But as he drew closer to the address Celestia had sent them, he saw someone coming down the other end of the street. "Applejack?" He asked as the girl ran up with a frown on her face, "What's wrong?"

"Ah don't know," Applejack replied, "Twi sent me a bunch of texts ah've got no idea about." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, only to hear something coming from the backyard: Music.

They ran over and saw a large greenhouse that the music was coming from, the pair looking through the window and seeing a bunch of moving shapes. "Oh, this can't be good." They rushed inside, only to be greeted by the sight of multiple giant plants that were moving around like they were alive.

"Whoa!" Applejack yelped, "What the hay is goin' on here?!"

"Looks like the veggie section at the grocery store hit a growth spurt and took up the performing arts!" Flash added as he ran inside, helping Twilight as she tried to get her watering can away from a large vine that was holding it. In that moment, he really wished he hadn't left his geode at home.

"I don't know what happened!" Twilight screamed, "I was just watering them, and...and-

"It's that waterin' can, that's what!" Applejack pointed at the device and the two glanced up, "It's got magic all over it!"

"That's not good." Flash yanked the can now covered in a magical aura, ripping it from the plant's leafy grasp beofre leaping away, "How do we de-magic it?" The girls tried to reply, only for one of the plants behind him to grow a mouth and bite down on his head. It didn't have any teeth, but it was like a giant suction cup. "HEY!" He yelped, accidently dropping the watering can and allowing another plant to grab it. That and he began to feel something slimy cover his hair, "Aw gross!"

Springer barked at the plant and leapt at the stem, biting through it. This caused the suction to vanish, letting Flash to pull it off. But when he did, he found his hair was almost completely covered in green slime.

"Okay, now it's personal!"

"What do we do?!" Twilight asked as she tried to grab the watering can, only for the plant to smack her away. "Aah!"

"Twilight!" Spike yelled, only to be grabbed by another plant, the flowers all still singing to be watered more. And as they did this, Applejack spotted a lever that controlled the overhead sprinklers.

"Quick!" She grabbed the lever and pulled it, "Try this!" The water started raining down, becoming a blinding downpour that Applejack quickly shut off. When the last of the water fell, the entire greenhouse was now back to normal, Spike hovering in the air for a second before falling, Applejack catching him as she and Twilight sighed in relief.

But as they stared at the disaster that had just happened, they turned to see Flash's hair still covered in the green slime, which had mostly been washed away by the water, but there were still large clumps that had embedded itself. And before he could say anything, Celestia appeared at the door.

"Oh, and Twilight?" They turned to her, "Just be careful not to over-water the plants." She then went wide-eyed at the sight of Flash, grimacing as she added, "Oooh, you might wanna rethink that Flash. Green doesn't seem to suit you." Flash glared at her as she left, the girls backpedalling in case he exploded with rage.





"Luckily, he didn't and we came straight here." Applejack turned back to the screen, "How's it going in there Rare?"

"I'm almost done," she sighed, "Just a few more snips and...done." She grabbed a brush off to the side and swept it around Flash's neck, Applejack moving the screen as she spun him around. "Ta-dah!" They found themselves looking at a much shorter haired Flash, his new style lacking the rocker boy aspect he had been pulling off before. Now his hair was more...sensible. "What do you think?"

"It looks good," Pinkie smiled.

"Really good," Sunset added.

First adjusted his glasses and squinted his eyes, "He kind of reminds me of his pony counterpart in a way."

"You noticed?" Rarity giggled as she clapped her hands together. "That does look so good on him that I thought I'd replicate it the best I could. I'm glad it came out so well."

"Maybe a little too well," Iron chuckled, "If the other Flash ever comes over, we're gonna have a hard time telling them apart." They nodded as Flash turned his chair back around, staring at himself in the mirror.

"I gotta admit," he twisted his head to get a better look at it from different angles. "I do pull off this look pretty well..." He let out a sigh and turned back to them, "I just hope pony me doesn't decide to pay a visit any time soon. He might think I'm trying to copy him or something."

"I don't see that as much of an issue," Rarity added "He's probably been copied a little over there, given he is a big time celebrity in his world who is dating a princess. Most people would kill to be like that."

"I guess," Flash sighed as he stood up, staring at the mirror for one final look before turning back to them. "Be honest. It looks okay?"

"You look fine," Applejack waved her hand, "Actually, ah think this look suits yah better. Less kid tryin' ta be cool and more..."

"Young adult who knows that having properly styled hair is the mature thing to do," Heather finished.

Flash glared at them, only to sigh as he turned to Twilight. The girl was still grimacing, feeling a bit guilty about being the cause of his hair's destruction. "What do you think?"

Twilight stared at it for a moment, blinking as she replied, "I liked your old hair." Flash sighed again at hearing this, "But I like this style too. Heather's right. You do look more mature like this. The old style was good when you were younger, but you're a year or so away from college. If you had still had that style before leaving to go there, I think mom and dad would have tied you to a chair and cut it themselves." Everyone laughed at this, Flash smirking at that thought as well.

Flash then looked down at the dogs, Spike giving him a 'thumbs up' while Springer gave his happy smile and tongue wag at the sight of him. Flash turned back to the mirror, nodding at the sight. As much as he loved his old do, maybe it was time for a change.

"Alright," he spun back around to Twilight. "But the next time you decide to work in a garden, do us all a favor and check to make sure you're not using a magical trowel or something."

The others laughed at this, the only one not doing so being Sunset as she crossed her arms, "First the mirror, then the watering can. All these items getting magic isn't a good sign. We need to start being careful. Who knows what the next magical threat could be or where it could come from." The others nodded at this, not seeing a green haired, green skinned girl who had just walked past the boutique. She then took off her backpack and looked inside as a light escaped from the backpack. A magical light
> Special: Forgotten Friendship PT1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the end of another brilliant day at Canterlot High. The students and teachers were happy they had gotten through another day at the school and everything seemed perfect. In the hallways, Sunset Shimmer was walking around with a smile on her face and a camera in her hands. She was taking pictures of everyone she could find, planning on using them in the yearbook that she and her friends were working together on.

As she took the pictures, she thought back to how much things had changed. At the beginning of the year, she had been the queen of the school and not for the best of reasons, but now she had truly changed for the better. And all thanks to the friends she had made. She then spotted her friends by their lockers, all of them talking. When they saw her, they smiled and waved her over. The girl ran over to them, soon spinning around and holding up her camera so the entire group could be in the picture.

This would be just one of many photos she had taken of her friends. There was ones of Twilight and Flash studying, Flash and Rainbow rocking out on guitar, Rainbow and Pinkie playing soccer, Pinkie and Applejack baking apple themed treats, Applejack having her hat sown up with Rarity while adding a few extra decorations, Rarity and Fluttershy enjoying tea, Fluttershy and Sunset playing with animals, Sunset and Twilight working on a science project and so many more.

Once the picture was taken, the seven headed for the room that was being used for the yearbook. As they did this, Sunset couldn't help but sing about how much better her life was since learning about the Magic of Friendship. She sung about when she had been originally beaten by the Pony Flash and Twilight, who were willing to forgive her while the others promised to watch over her. How they worked together to stop the Dazzlings, and how Sunset was able to use what she learned to save Twilight. And of course, how they managed to use their friendship to save the world from those that would use magic to cause problems and found their magical geodes.

Sunset looked around and smiled at seeing everyone working on the yearbook, helping out and having fun in their own special way. She uploaded the picture from her camera to the main computer, then got up to grab something from one of the cupboards. She threw Flash and Twilight a thumbs up and stared at her at all her friends as she finished singing, smiling as she headed for the cupboard. But as she did this, she accidentally slammed into someone, and the pair fell to the floor with a moan.

Sunset shook her head and looked at who she had run into, only to find it was a girl she had never met before. She was a green skinned girl with dark green skin, wearing blue jeans and a shirt that was two different shades of brown. "Excuse me," she told her while rubbing her head.

"I'm sorry," Sunset replied, "I didn't see you come in."

This made the girl glare at her while pointing at one of the desks. "I've been here for a while." This made Sunset blush as she picked up the books and papers she had dropped.

"Sorry. I didn't realize."

"I've been trying to get your attention for, like, half the song." This just made Sunset flinch as Applejack leaned over to Rainbow and spoke softly.

"Ain't she the quiet one?"

"Yeah," Rainbow nodded. "And we know some pretty shy people." She turned to Fluttershy, "Am I right?"

"We do?" The animal lover asked, "Who?"

This just made the pair roll their eyes and smirk while Sunset picked herself up. "I'm Sunset Shimmer," she responded, "President of the Yearbook Committee and editor-in-chief." The girl picked herself up, "Do you want to join? We could always use extra help."

This statement made the girl tilt her head before pointing at herself, "I'm Wallflower Blush."

"Oh yeah," Flash chimed in, "I've seen you around school. Aren't you part of the gardening club? I think I've seen you hauling bags of manure around."

Rarity grimaced at this, while Sunset tried to show a kind smile, "Nice to meet you," she held out a hand and the girl frowned.

"I've been on the Yearbook Committee all year." This got Sunset to start blushing again, her mind telling her that she knew she didn't know who this was as the girl added, "We met in ninth-grade English."

"And..." Sunset tried to think, "I was...saying it was nice to meet you then. You didn't let me finish." Wallflower rolled her eyes and Flash and Twilight held back a snicker, the girl handing Sunset several pages of paper.

"Anyways, I counted up all the votes for the yearbook Superlatives." This got their attention and the group rushed over, wanting to see who had won what.

Sunset started reading through the category. "Most Likely to Succeed, Best Smile, Class Clown-" She would have kept reading, but in that moment, she spotted something that made her gasp. "Ooh! We won Best Friends! Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry and me!"

"Ha!" Flash cheered. "Considering me and Twilight have only been at this school a short time, that's kind of a surprise."

"You kidding?" Applejack asked, "Friendship ain't about how long ya'll been friends with someone. It's about how close ya'll are."

They all nodded at this as Pinkie leapt up onto their backs. "I always knew I liked you all, but now it's official! In yearbook form!" She pulled them all into a hug, "The people have spoken!"

They all laughed at this before Twilight pulled another page up, "Oh, good for Micro Chips." She forced a smile as she read, "Most Likely to Invent Cold Fusion." The others, aside from Fluttershy, stepped away from her carefully. "Not a reason to be jealous." She started crumbling the paper, "Pfft! I'm not!" She let out a laugh as Fluttershy calmly took the paper.

"Don't worry, Twilight." She placed a hand on her shoulder, "We know you're a genius."

"Besides," Rainbow went on, "It's just the yearbook." This statement got a bunch of gasps from the other girls, while Sunset looked almost insulted.

"Just the yearbook?!" Applejack sighed and turned to Sunset.

"Now ya gone and done it!" Sunset stepped over to her.

"The student body has entrusted me with the responsibility of gathering their memories into the pages of this book. In thirty years, we might not remember everything, but we will remember what's in the yearbook." As she said that, Twilight noticed Flash staring at the girl's shoes.

"What are you doing?" She asked her boyfriend, laughing at what he said next.

"Waiting for the soap box to appear below her feet."

"Well, I'm entrusting you not to put us next to Best Muscles." Rainbow grabbed one of the yearbook prototypes. "Every time you close the book, it'll be like we're kissing Bulk Biceps!" She opened and closed the book several times, the group imagining that exact thing happening and shivering in disgust until Rarity took it away from Rainbow.

"Oh. Uh...why don't we take our picture at the beach on Saturday?" Pinkie's eyes went wide at hearing this, "Everyone's bound to look adorable."

The pink party planner leapt up, standing on a desk before screaming happily. "BEACH DAY!" She leapt off the table and landed next to Fluttershy. "I'll make my world-famous fun-in-the-sun cupcakes!" She leaned over to the introverted girl and whisper, "The secret ingredient is edible sunscreen!" Fluttershy eyes went wide, "It's SPF fun-hundred!"

"Yech..." was all she could say back. Before anyone else could say anything, the door to the room was flung open. They all looked over and moaned when they saw who it was: Trixie Lulamoon.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to speak to the yearbook editor immediately!" It was times like this they wished they lived in Equestria. They had heard stories of that world's Trixie changing due to becoming a princess' apprentice, something that likely wasn't gonna happen any time soon for them.

Sunset let out a sigh. "Unfortunately for me, that's me. What do you want, Trixie?" Her reply was to grab the paper in Sunset's hands and read through it.

"Ha!" She yelled, "Just as I suspected! I was not voted Greatest and Most Powerfullest!" She glared at Sunset, "Explain yourself!" Sunset rubbed her chin, trying to make it look like she was actually thinking.

"How should I put this...you didn't win Greatest and Most Powerful because it wasn't one of the Superlatives!" Trixie raised an eyebrow before spotting a book that they had been using as a reference guide, which happened to be a previous year's yearbook.

"Hmm. Neither was Biggest Meanie." Sunset's eyes went wide as she flipped through the book and stopped on a particular page, turning it to Sunset and showing a picture her trying to grab the camera with Snips and Snails behind her. "But that didn't stop you from winning it our freshman year."

The others grimaced at this, knowing that Sunset's past was a sore subject for her. And it didn't help that that photo wasn't exactly flattering for her. "That was different," Applejack chimed in, "The whole school voted for her."

Pinkie then jumped up and whispered to...no one in particular. "She was soooooooo mean."

"Not helping Pinks," Flash added as Twilight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"Of course, we all know you've earned the right to not be remembered that way." She grabbed the book and threw it away, Sunset smiling back at her while Flash noticed Wallflower pick up the book

"Thanks." She then turned to Trixie. "We're not having a Greatest and Powerfullest Superlative. Sorry."

Trixie looked insulted by this refusal, appearing ready to scream, only to take a deep breath. "Oh, you're the one who'll be sorry, Sunset Shimmer! When you least expect it, I'll have my revenge, and then I'll disappear! Like this!" She pulled something out of her pocket, "Behold! The Magician's Exit!" She threw it to the ground, causing a powerful cloud of dust and smoke to appear in the room.

They all coughed at this, Flash grabbing a book and using it to fan the smoke away. Then they all heard a rattling sound and turned to the door, Trixie now pulling at the knob to try and open it, but it appeared to be stuck. "Err...Trixie? Might help if you didn't have your foot on the door."

Trixie saw this and blushed, the others laughing as Sunset picked up a key. "Allow me. We were actually on our way out." Trixie stepped aside and Sunset opened the door, the magician turning her nose up at the help and storming out of the room. They all laughed again and left the room as well, Flash being the last on out before Sunset. A moment later, Sunset's eyes went wide. "Ooh." She walked back into the room, "Forgot to turn off the lights." She slapped them off and left the room, Flash smirking at this, only to come to a stop.

"Did that Wallflower girl leave?" He asked, Sunset raising an eyebrow at this as if to say 'Who's Wallflower?' But after a few moments, she seemed to remember.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure she left. She would have said something if the lights had switched off without her in it."

"I...guess that's true." Flash slowly replied.

"Does anyone actually remember seeing her before?" Rarity asked, "I'm trying to think, and I can't for the life of me recall ever speaking to her or running into her. The way she's dressed, I'm sure I would have offered to give her a makeover at some point."

"Ah don't remember," Applejack nodded. "She said she's in the gardening club, but ah don't remember seeing her in the few times ah've gone ta check it out."

"What exactly do they do in the gardening club?" Rainbow added, getting deadpan stare from the others, "What?! I know they garden, but it can't just be that! Do they do lectures on different ways to plant or something, cause they do that in a couple of the other clubs."

"Other clubs do lectures about different ways to plant?" Pinkie asked before giggling, "That's just silly."

Rainbow let out a long huff, "I mean they do lectures on...whatever subject the club's about! Not just gardening!" The others laughed at this. "So, what do they do at the club?" They all turned to Applejack as she tried to think, but was drawing up a blank.

"Huh, can't really remember. Weird. Ah usually remember anythin' ta do with clubs ah check out, but ah got nothing."

"That is weird," Flash chimed in, "I know I remember seeing Wallflower around a few times. She doesn't seem to have any friends or anything."

"That's kind of sad," Fluttershy quivered, the others exchanging a glance. The group know she probably knew how Wallflower felt more than anyone, given she had been in the same boat during the time Sunset had broken their friendship up.

"Too bad she left already," Pinkie added, "We could have invited her to the beach tomorrow."

"Doesn't mean we can't invite her to something else later," Sunset pointed out, "Next time we run into her, let's get her number so we can send an invite or something." They all nodded as they headed out the door, making their way for Sugarcube Corner to celebrate being chosen as best friends.





That night, Sunset was in her studio apartment getting ready for the beach day tomorrow. It wasn't anything fancy, but the place was her own sanctuary. It still amazed her that a rather common gem she had bought in Equestria sold for so much in this world, which had allowed her to buy this apartment and have enough left over to support herself all the way through college as long as she wasn't stupid with it.

After Sunset had gotten her bag ready, complete with blanket, sunscreen, shades and a couple of snacks, the girl changed into her pajamas and got into bed. Laying on it, she was too excited to sleep, especially after learning over their victory in the best friends category. And after a few minutes of laying there, she looked over and spotted her journal to Equestria. She smirked at it and grabbed a pen before opening it up to write.



Dear Princess Twilight, I thought you'd be happy to hear that the girls and I were voted Best Friends in the yearbook today.



She stopped for a second and pulled out the same yearbook Trixie had shown her that afternoon, opening it up and staring at the image captured by the camera. She frowned at remembering those days, but that frown vanished when the image of Princess Twilight offering to help her out of the crater flew through her mind. She threw it away and kept writing.



After all, if you hadn't forgiven me, I'd still be the arrogant student I was when I left Equestria. You gave me the second chance I didn't deserve, and I'll never forget it. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.



She shut the book and sighed in relief, carefully putting the book away before getting back into bed and switching off the light. This time, she had no issues falling straight to sleep. But as she did this, she was unable to see something come into her room. Flying past her window was a red tape-like energy construct, which glowed a bright red as it flew through the air like a snake swimming through water.

It was followed by a second tape, then another and another and another and so on. If there was anyone out at the time, they didn't seem to notice as these tapes lit up the sky and slithered toward Canterlot High. They then flew past the building and into the small wooded area behind the school and started swirling above it like a whirlpool, the tape slowly flowing down into the trees. And when the last tape flew down and disappeared into the woods, a brilliant glow filled the air. A glow that would have drastic ramifications for everyone in the city, and for one person in particular.
> Special: Forgotten Friendship PT2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Beach front. The best place the hang by the ocean, go for a swim, build a sandcastle and just be yourself on a perfect day. As for today, the sun was shining, the wind being a gentle but refreshing breeze and despite the sun being fully out, it wasn't so bright that it turned every surface into a thousand degree frying pan.

The Rainbooms weren't the only ones that had chosen to spend the day at the beach, as the place was packed with members of the school. But it was the Rainbooms who were having the most fun, especially Flash as he threw a frisbee for Springer the chase after. The pup leapt as he caught it in his mouth before running back to Flash. "Good boy," he chuckled while patting the dog before removing the frisbee. As he did this, a snapping sound made them both turn to see a drone device flying above and pointing its camera at them. He smirked as the drone flew back over to Twilight, who was dressed in her swimsuit, the girl posing as the drone took a picture of her.

Once taken, it flew over and she cheered, "Group picture, practice run number thirty six A, attempt seven, success!" But as she said this, the drone started to stumble, "Oh no!" She grabbed the device and tried to get it to work properly, grunting as she fought against it. As she did this, Applejack just stared at her as Twilight deadpanned, "Your eyes do not deceive you. I finally invented a selfie-sensing camera." The drone started fighting against her again. "It hovers into position whenever it detects a selfie opportunity."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at her, "Ah prefer to take selfies mah-self...ie." Flash laughed at this before walking over to a nearby ice cream stand, getting one and a tub for Springer.

"Hey you!" He then heard, making him turn to see Sunset walking up in a swim suit with her bag over her shoulder.

As she got close though, Flash threw her a frown. "And what are you doing here?" Sunset raised an eyebrow at this, only to see Flash chuckle, "Just kidding. Glad to see you finally made it." Flash gestured to the ice cream in his hand, "You want one?"

"No thanks," she replied, "With my luck, I'll drop it on my suit before we have to take the picture." They both laughed at this and began to make their way back to the others, spotting Fluttershy covered in seaweed while walking out of the ocean. When they got within range, the girls all noticed the pair, all staring as they saw Flash laugh at something Sunset said.

"What are you doing with her?" Rainbow asked, the duo raising an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Flash," Rarity stood up from her deckchair, "Darling, I know you haven't been as school very long, but you must know by now that she's not someone you talk and walk with."

"Uh...why not?"

"Yeah?" Sunset nodded as she noticed Twilight's drone. "Oh. Twilight, you got the Selfie Sensor working?" Twilight frowned as the machine flew toward her and she caught it, "What's going on? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"That's a question we should be askin' you," Applejack responded, "What's yer game, Sunset?"

Flash and Sunset shared a glance, only for Sunset to ask, "Am I missing a joke here?"

Rarity crossed her arms, "The only joke is whatever this is. Why is Sunset acting all nice like you're our friend?"

"And it's not funny!" Fluttershy added before hiding behind Applejack.

"Because you aren't nice," Rainbow continued.

"And we ain't friends," Applejack finished, the two's eyes going wide at hearing this.

"Wait, what?!" Sunset turned to Flash, the teen staring at his friends and seeing that they looked completely serious.

Rarity walked up to them at this, "I don't know how you tricked poor old Flash, but this is a new low." She put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "What, are you trying to steal Twilight's boyfriend just because of what Princess Twilight did to you?!"

Twilight's eyes shrunk at this while Flash gave her a 'did you really just say that' look. "This is nuts," Flash whispered before turning to Sunset. "What the heck is going on here?"

"What's goin on is this varmint's clearly brainwashed yah!" Applejack cried as she stepped up, "She did the same thing to the school when she-HEY!" She yelped as Sunset grabbed her arm, her eyes glowing for a second until Applejack pulled it free. "Are yah nuts?!"

Sunset's eyes returned to normal and her expression was not a happy one. "It's like I've been...erased!"

"Erased?" Flash asked, "What do you mean?"

Sunset backpedaled at this, "This has to be a bad dream," she grabbed her head, "Wake up, Sunset. Wake up!" But then, Pinkie reached over and pinched her. "Ow!"

"Nope. You're awake." She then pinched herself, "Ow!" She giggled "Me, too!" She giggled again.

"Sunset," Flash grabbed her shoulder, "What did you see?"

"All of their memories," she replied, "It's like someone photo-shopped me out of them." She then stared up at him, "Except for you."

"Me?! Why would I be different?" Flash asked before turning to the others, seeing the glares coming off of them, "Girls, you really don't remember everything you've been through with Sunset?"

"The only thing we've been through with her is when she turned into a demon and brainwashed our entire school," Rainbow replied.

"After that," Flash countered, "Like uh...when you beat the Dazzlings. You told me all about it."

"She had nothing to do with beating them," Rarity spat.

"Really?" Flash asked, "Then how did you beat them? I remember you telling me and Twilight. The five of you, plus Twilight and my Pony selves banded together and fought against in a music battle. But then they overpowered you." The girls thought back to that as he continued, "What happened after that? You were down, your magic not strong enough. How did you overcome it?"

The girls turned to one another before Pinkie asked, "Didn't pony you do something?"

"He did they flashy golden tornado thing," Rainbow pointed out.

"But then he collapsed in exhaustion," Rarity remembered. "Then we...we...we..."

"It's kind of a blank," Applejack hummed, "Ah remember being down...then the next moment we beat the Dazzlings."

"But you don't know how?" Flash asked, "That's not something you just forget."

The girls all shared another glance at this, only for Sunset to speak up, "Pinkie Pie, what about when I came to your sleepover before the Battle of the Bands?"

"Ha!" Pinkie turned away and crossed her arms, "The closest you've ever come to a party of mine is freshman year, when you pretended to be Applejack and texted me, 'Your party is lamer than a hungry duck in snow boots.'!"

"Like ah'd ever say that," Applejack yelped.

"It really hurt my feelings," Pinkie looked ready to cry.

"And it wasn't very nice to the ducks either," Fluttershy added.

"That was a long time ago," Sunset replied, "Twilight," the girl flinched as Sunset turned to her, "You remember me, right? We've been through so much together. Please..."

"I only met you once," Twilight responded, "When you yelled at me at the Games."

"That's not what happened!" Flash groaned, "Come on Twilight, you have a photographic memory. If anyone could remember, it's you. Think back. Really think back. When you turned into Midnight Sparkle, you opened a bunch of portals and threatened to destroy this world to go to Equestria. What happened after that?"

"You stopped me," Twilight replied, "You leapt into the portal and came out in that pony form."

"I did jump into the portal, but I didn't stop you. Think back. What do you remember?"

Twilight closed her eyes at this, only to shake her head. "I...I don't know. I just...remember you flying out of the portal, then turning back to human."

"But what about between that?" Flash asked, "I didn't turn you back to human. It was Sunset." Twilight went wide-eyed at this, making Flash sigh. That is, till a bulb went off in his head, "Wait a minute." He threw his now melted ice cream into a bin before running to his bag, ruffling through it, "Ha!" He pulled out his phone and clicked onto his wallpaper, showing it to the girls. "See?!"

They all took a closer look, only to go wide-eyed as they saw them, the Royal Knights and...Sunset, all gathered in front of the Wondercolts statue looking happy. Twilight raised an eyebrow when she saw Sunset with her arm around her. "I...remember this?" Rainbow stated. "When you and Twilight first transferred to our school."

"And Sunset was there," Flash added, "You should all have the same picture. Check them." The girls did so, taking out their phones and looking through their albums until they found the image Flash told them about. They all had the same one and looked exactly the same with Sunset, "See?"

The girls wanted to say that it was a fake, but then they kept scrolling through their albums and saw several more different images with Sunset in them. Some the girls remembered taking, but others they didn't. "Okay," Applejack scratched her head, "This is kinda weird."

"How'd we know these aren't fake?" Rainbow asked, "She's tried to use fake photos before. Heck, she almost got Twilight kicked out of the Fall Formal because of them."

Flash face-palmed at this, "Okay...and how exactly did she get them into your phone albums?! Even if you can hack into someone's phone to do that, does Sunset really seem like the kind of person who has the skills to do that? Twilight couldn't even do that."

The girls all frowned at this as Rarity added, "I mean...no offense darling, but it's just so hard to believe. After everything she's done, how do you expect us to believe that she's changed?"

"Because it's true!" Flash yelped, "What more proof do you need?!"

"Then why are you the only one who seems to remember?" Rainbow asked.

Those words made Sunset gasp and go wide-eyed, "Maybe not the only one." She grabbed her bag and spun around, "I'll be right back!"

With that, she ran off while the Rainbooms crossed her arms. "Don't hurry back, darling!" Rarity told her, getting a glare from Flash. "What?"

"You girls better have actually lost your memories and aren't playing a prank on us!" Flash yelled, "Because if you are..." He stopped himself for a second, only to sigh, "Why is it so hard to believe that what we're saying is true? We've faced giant killer plants, a woman that can control nature and a drama queen turned literal drama queen. Compared to that, something like this would be small potatoes!"

The girls shared a glance, only for Twilight to continue looking through her phone before chiming in, "Hey, look." They turned to her and saw she had pulled up a video which also had Sunset on it. She pressed play and they quickly realized it was the video that had been recorded during the Camp Everfree ball, where the Rainbooms had played. And Sunset was there on stage, playing her guitar.

"There's no way she's in our band!" Rainbow commented, "I'm the guitar player, not her!"

"Then how is that song supposed to go?" Flash asked, knowing that the song was written with Sunset, "And that's not the only one. Look up Dance Magic online."

But before they could, Sunset ran back to them. "Twilight remembers!" They turned to her as she held up a book, "Okay, not this Twilight. Princess Twilight. She remembers she and I used to be friends!"

"And how would you know this?" Rarity asked before Sunset rolled her eyes and opened the book, "What is that?"

"A magic journal that's connected to one in Equestria, which me and Twilight use to communicate. Don't you remember? This is how we told her about the Dazzlings back when they showed up."

The Rainbooms all went wide-eyed at this, Rainbow asking, "How...how did Twilight find out about the Dazzlings?"

"I...I can't remember," Fluttershy muttered, "I remember we agreed we needed Twilight's help, but that the portal was shut."

"But then Twilight showed up through the portal," Pinkie smiled happily. "She...she..." Her facial expression became one Flash had only seen himself do when he was on the toilet, the girl trying to force the memory out of her brain. "How did she open the portal?!" She almost screamed, "And how did she know to come here?!"

"Now do you see that something's wrong?" Sunset asked before putting the book away, "I'm going back to Equestria. Hopefully, Twilight and I can figure out what's going on."

"I'll keep working on these girls," Flash told her while gesturing to the Rainbooms. "Hopefully, I can make them remember something." Sunset nodded before running off, the girls just staring at her retreating form before Flash turned to them. "I know you girls don't trust her right now, but you have to trust me. She's our friend and she's saved our butt a hundred times."

The girls frowned at this, only for Twilight to nod, "I trust you Flash. If you say she's someone we're supposed to care about, I believe it." She then looked down at her phone, "And these photos are proof of that." They showed her and Sunset doing a variety of different things, including being at Camp Everfree. Twilight knew she had a bunk-mate during that time, but she couldn't remember who. "Someone's been tampering with our memories, and if that's the case, we need to find out who they are and how they're doing it."

The others nodded, only for Rainbow to ask, "How do we find out who did it?"

"I guess there's nothing we can do until Sunset gets back from Equestria," Flash replied, "In the meantime, I'm going to tell you girls exactly what happened during all the times you've forgotten." They nodded back, all looking forward to hearing this story.





As soon as Sunset changed out of the beachwear, she ran over to school. After storing her journal in her locker, she headed out to the portal and took a deep breath before stepping through it. In a flash of light, she transformed from human to pony, finding herself walking out of the magical mirror inside Twilight's castle library.

"Twilight!" She gasped as she saw the purple alicorn waiting at the mirror, soon trying to hug her, only to start staggering.

"Sunset?" The princess asked as Sunset landed on her front hooves.

"Oops!" She let out a laugh, "I was trying to hug you. Sorry...been a while since I've been in this form."

"No problem." Twilight replied as she hugged her, only to pull back, "So, what's been happening?" Sunset frowned and explained everything, about her friends suddenly treating her like an enemy and about their memories of her being erased and how Flash seemed to be the only one of the group unaffected and was now trying to persuade the girls she was telling the truth.

"That's when I thought...maybe you'd remember. If it is magic causing this, maybe it only affected the human world. Looks like I was right."

"This is bad Sunset," Twilight replied as they walked out of the library. "It's way beyond anything I've ever heard of." The princess blinked at this, only to add, "Although..."

"What?"

"I just had an idea. But you might not like it."

Sunset got right into her face. "I'll do anything to get my friends back, Twilight."

The princess nodded. "There is one pony who might be able to help, but I don't know if you two want to see each other."

"Who?" Sunset said, only for her eyes to go wide, "...oh."





Back at the beach, Flash continued to tell the girls everything that had happened during the gaps in their memories. "Sunset managed to get Twilight to trust in her magic and in herself, allowing her to overcome her fears. That last step was what allowed us to finally gain our geodes and pony up." Flash stared at the girls as they carefully listened while also enjoying some snacks Pinkie had brought. "Is any of this ringing a bell?"

"No," Twilight shook her head, "But it does feel like it makes sense. I remember being afraid of my magic. But when I try to remember when I overcame it, I can't for the life of me remember anything. I just jump from being afraid to being comfortable with it."

"Huh," Rainbow nodded, "Same. Can't remember how we stopped being worried about losing control."

"That's because Sunset was the one to help you gain control," Flash added, "You girls sung a whole song about it. At least...that's what you told me. I wasn't there for that."

"There's just one thin' ah don't get," Applejack chimed in, "How come ya'll remember all this when we don't?"

The others nodded, Flash shrugging, "No idea. Maybe whoever stole your memories only wanted you girls to forget." He thought for a moment, then noticed someone he recognized from school. "Hey, Derpy!" The girls stopped and turned to him, "What's your opinion on Sunset Shimmer?"

The girls frowned, "Total bully. She was always making fun of my eyes!"

"When did that happen last?" Derpy blinked at him, only to reply, "The last time she made fun of me was...just before the fall formal. I haven't seen her since then."

With that, she walked off as Flash said, "That settles it. Sunset was there when the chemistry club won that contest and congratulated Derpy for finding the solution."

"By accident," Twilight replied, "And I don't remember Sunset being there."

"Which just proves I'm the only one not affected by...whatever's doing all this."

"Which begs the question of...why are you the only one?" Rarity asked, Flash shrugging again.

"No idea."





Back in Equestria...

Twilight and Sunset had taken a Rune Gate to Canterlot Castle. Sunset's head spun after that weird form of transportation, but what she felt in her head was nothing compared to what she felt in her heart as they arrived at a pair of large doors.

"You ready?" Twilight asked, Sunset taking a deep breath.

"Let's do this." Twilight nodded and opened the doors, stepping into the throne room. As soon as she did, Sunset was greeted to the sight of the pony she had betrayed so long ago.

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna by her side, stood in front of the throne with her wings raised and a stern look on her face. When Sunset was younger, she had often admired and coveted the power this princess gave off. The power to disintegrate you with a single look. But now that that look was squared straight at her, Sunset didn't find it admirable.

The pair slowly walked up, Twilight looking like she was about to have a meltdown seeing her teacher that way. "Sooo, Princess Celestia..." She let out a nervous laugh, "You'll never guess who's back! Actually, maybe you can guess, 'cause she's right here. But, um..." Celestia continued to stare at them stoically, Twilight whispering to Sunset. "Am I helping?"

Sunset let out a sigh before stepping up, "Princess Celestia, the last time we saw each other, I was your snide little pupil who betrayed and abandoned you."

"I wouldn't have said it that way." Twilight whispered, only to clear her throat and spoke up, "What Sunset meant to say is-"

"I mean that I come before you a changed pony," she interrupted before bowing her head. "Humbly asking for forgiveness, guidance, and knowledge." Celestia continued to remain quiet, though she did close her wings. She then stepped down, standing right in front of Sunset, the pony quivering at her presence. "Or I can just go, and you never have to see me again." She was about to do just that, but then she felt Celestia put her hoof under her chin and lifted her gaze.

When she did, Celestia's cold expression melted away to reveal the motherly one Sunset remembered from so long ago. "I've missed you, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset almost cried at hearing this. "I...I'm so sorry." Celestia smiled and pulled her into a hug, Twilight letting out a tiny squeal and a smile so big you would think they had just released the sequel to Everything You Need to Know About Aardvarks. This whole situation with her friend's memories might be bad, but at least it had allowed her to finally reconcile with her old mentor.
> Special: Forgotten Friendship PT3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I am not familiar with the exact spell that could have erased your friends' memories," Celestia told Sunset as the four made their way through the castle corridors. "But it sounds like Equestrian magic is at work in your world."

"Indeed. The toilings of this nefarious enchantment could portend unimaginable catastrophe if left unchecked." Luna added, causing Sunset to stifle a giggle, Twilight slapping her side with a wing.

"Sorry," the unicorn replied as Luna turned to her, "I'm just used to hearing you say no student parking in the faculty lot. Heh-heh."

Luna raised an eyebrow at this, "This 'faculty lot' you speak of sounds like a place of great power." The younger mares stopped at this and shared a glance, both giggling again as Celestia gestured ahead.

"The answers you seek are in the Canterlot Library." They nodded, the four beginning to head out of the castle.

"So where's Flash? I figured he'd be at the castle when I showed up." Sunset asked, Twilight shaking her head in response.

"Flash, Springer and Grand were called to deal with a few bandits that have been plaguing a town. He'll probably be back in a day or so. Speaking of Flash, you said the one in your world was the only one who seemed to remember you."

"Yup, but he seems to be the only one." Sunset responded, "Though...I don't get it. Why would Flash be the only person this spell isn't effecting?"

"This isn't the first time a Flash Sentry has been immune to some form of magic," Celestia added as they left the castle. "In fact, it's quite a common occurrence on this side of the mirror."

"It is?" Sunset asked, the alicorns nodding back.

Twilight did another nod, "Our Flash has a mental immunity thanks to his Sacred Light. It's what's protected him against any magic that might try to change him as long as Flash doesn't want to be changed." She turned to Sunset, "My Flash once gave yours a small spark of his Sacred Light to help save your Twilight, right?" Sunset nodded back, "Hmm...maybe those geodes you now have is powering that spark up to a level almost equal to what Flash used to wield before he met Faust."

Sunset blinked at this, "You think a side-effect of having his Sacred Light is giving Flash immunity to whatever magic is affecting my friends?"

"It's possible," Celestia chimed in, "Though we have learned much about Flash's mysterious power, there's still much we have yet to learn. And since Equestrian Magic works differently in your world, there's much we have yet to discover." The younger mares nodded and continued discussing as they made their way through the city, soon arriving at the Canterlot Library.

The building was almost as big as Canterlot Cathedral and as they walked inside, Sunset gasping at the sight, "There's over a million books in here!"

"I wish!" Twilight laughed, "But don't worry, you're looking at somepony who knows this place like the back of her hoof." But as she said that, she noticed Celestia and Luna heading to the section of the library she wouldn't regularly go too...unless the secret behind this strange magic had something to do with bonsai tree care. "Where are you going, Princess Celestia?"

"To the restricted section." That statement caused Twilight's eyes to go wide.

"There's a...a reh...a reh...a reh..." She started hyperventilating, Sunset placing a hoof onto her side.

"Breathe, Twilight." They followed the princesses through the shelves until they reached a back wall with a shelf built into it. On that shelf were a pair of books, one golden with a sun on the spine while the other was dark blue with a moon on it. Celestia pulled these books forward, the entire shelf then sliding into the wall and opened up a new passageway.

They walked in and the pair were shocked by what they saw. A large round cavern that looked more like a cave then part of a library, almost having as many shelves as the public library, which books, scrolls and many other means of storing knowledge hidden on it. "Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh!" Twilight screamed as she pulled several books towards her. "So many books, all unread! Ancient historical artefacts!" She gasped, "I just...I thought...! I can't...!"

She started hyperventilating again, Sunset giggling at this, "You sure you're up for helping me go through all this stuff?"

"DON'T TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!" Twilight screeched before flying off to the nearest bookshelf, Sunset smirking as she looked up at the many pieces of history waiting to be rediscovered. Hopefully, there would be something here that could help her find out the truth.





Flash and the girls had chosen to leave the beach, still trying to figure out what was happening. They were now heading for the school, Flash stating that they would need to be ready as soon as Sunset got back. "Alright," Flash sighed, "Let's try and be smart here."

"That's something new for you," Twilight giggled as Flash rolled his eyes.

"What do we know about Equestrian Magic that'll help us figure this out?" The girls all shared a glance, only to remember that when it came to Equestrian Magic, they usually just winged it and things turned out alright.

"Well..." Twilight hummed, "I do know that it needs proximity. Our geodes don't work for us unless we're near them, and Juniper Montage's mirror was only able to suck us in at close range."

"And your scanner only absorbed our magic when it was close to us," Rarity added, "You're right, Equestrian Magic doesn't have a lot of range to it."

"So whoever stole your memories must have been close by," Flash continued, "But since Twilight was talking about Sunset before bed last night, it must have happened when we were all asleep."

"Wait...you mean someone came to everyone's house and stole our memories?" Rainbow asked, "How did they get around so quickly?"

"Maybe we should retrace our steps from yesterday," Applejack chimed in, "See if we can remember meeting anyone who might have been able to get the magical who haa on us when we weren't looking. Could have just taken a while to sink in."

They all nodded as they arrived at the school. "Okay...we were all together after school." Flash commented as they made their way through the hallways until they arrived at the lockers they usually hang around at, "We were talking and then Sunset showed up." The girls frowned at this, not remembering it at all. "We all took a picture together...then headed to the yearbook room."

"I remember that," Fluttershy nodded. "But...Sunset wasn't with us."

"She was," Flash replied as they went to the room, "There we uploaded a bunch of pictures until Wallflower showed up."

"Who?" The five girls asked, getting a raised eyebrow from Flash.

"Wallflower. From the gardening club." The girls all blinked at him, "We all agreed to invite her to the next big activity we planned. Did you all forget that too?"

The girls frowned at this, Twilight responding, "Um...I think we did."

Flash let out a long sigh, "Okay, this is getting ridiculous. First you forget Sunset's change, and now you forget about an entire person after promising to invite them out to have fun."

"You think someone might have stolen our memories of her too?" Fluttershy asked, the others shrugging.

"But why?" Pinkie asked, "Why steal everyone's memories of two girls who have absolutely nothing in common with each other?"

"Only one way to find out," Flash replied, "You girls keep retracing your steps and see if you can find anything out. I'll talk to Wallflower and see if I can learn anything from her."

They nodded and split, the girls heading to the yearbook room while Flash headed for the main office. Hopefully, he could find Wallflower's home address and talk to her there.





Back in Equestria...

Twilight and Sunset continued to look through the many, many, many documents hidden away in the restricted section. They had been at it for several hours, but so far nothing had come up that might help them find out why everyone had forgotten about Sunset. The unicorn in question let out a yawn, "Did you know Chancellor Puddinghead tried to pass a law mandating Earth ponies drink carrot juice at every meal? I do...know that...now."

"Awww," Twilight turned to her. "Sounds like you got to read all the fun books." She turned a page in the book and let out a yawn as well, "We should probably take a break from looking..." Sunset sighed at this, clearing the table of her reading material, only for Twilight to slide up next to her. "Because I found something!" She plonked a large chest onto the desk. "You're familiar with The Seven Trials of Clover the Clever?"

"Obviously. Why?"

Twilight took out a scroll and unrolled it. "Well, first of all, these date back to before the founding of Equestria. Look at this."

Sunset read part of the scroll and her eyes went wide. "The Memory Stone?!" she gasped. "That sounds promising."

Twilight nodded and continued reading. "It belonged to an evil sorceress who was practically invincible. With the Memory Stone, she could erase any memory from anypony. Even fragments of memories."

Sunset blinked at this, "Fragments? You mean like...memories of me being nice?"

"Mm-hmm," Twilight nodded again. "Clover the Clever knew the sorceress had to be stopped and the Stone destroyed, so she chased her across land and sea. But every time she got close, the sorceress would erase her memory and escape. But she kept finding her."

"How?"

"These scraps of parchment," she replied, "She secretly wrote everything down so she'd know what had happened and where to go next. Like a trail of breadcrumbs."

"Clever!" Sunset smirked before realizing, "Ohhhh. Clover the...yeah, got it." She continued to unfurl the scroll until it reached a second that showed the memory stone being thrown into a swirling vortex. "What happened on the other side of this portal?"

Twilight unfurled it, but found that it ended in a large rip. "The last page is missing. Clover must've hid it to keep anypony else from finding the Memory Stone." She put a hoof to her chin, "Sunset...what if the Memory Stone ended up in your world?"

"And someone is using it to make everyone hate me again?" Sunset added before the pair turned to each other and asked the same question, "But who?"





Flash drove his car down the street, trying to find the address that he had gotten from the school computer. "Number four," he counted, "Number six. Number eight. Number ten!" He pulled up in front of the house and killed the engine, getting out and heading for the door. "Hope this is the right place." He knocked and waited, but nobody answered. "Hello?!" He called out, still getting no response. "Hello?!"

He let out a sigh, "Don't tell me she's not here..." He spun around to leave, only to hear a humming sound and a voice coming from the back of the house. He turned to it and walked around the house, soon finding himself staring at a large garden with many flowers. He wanted to be impressed, but a recent incident had caused him to gain a slight dislike of flowers. But then he noticed a girl with her back to him, a pair of headphones on her head as she was putting some seeds into the soil. It was Wallflower, the girl humming to whatever song she was listening too.

Flash carefully stepped up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, "AAAHHHH!" She screamed, spinning around and throwing whatever was in her trowel at him. Flash didn't have time to escape a got a face full of a brown dirt.

"Gyah!" He staggered back, quickly wiping the dirt from his face as the girl realized who it was and removed her headphones. "Please tell me that was just soil." Wallflower stared at the spot behind her and quickly hid her trowel behind her back.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I came to talk to you," he grumbled, "Something's happening and it could mean big trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Wallflower asked, putting her trowel down before the pair headed inside the house. "And how did you find where I live?!"

"I got it off the school computer," Flash replied, "Anyway, there seems to be a strange bout of memory loss in the school." As he said that, he noticed Wallflower flinch as he continued, "Someone's stolen everyone's memory of how Sunset's changed, and when I talked about you, my friends didn't remember you either."

"Oh," Wallflower looked away, "I don't see how that's any different from usual. Nobody remembers me."

"My friends should," Flash added as they walked in, "Especially Pinkie. She throws a party whenever she meets somebody new and my girlfriend's memory is like a computer." They arrived at the kitchen and Wallflower got Flash a damp cloth to clean his face with. "And even if people did forget you, there's no way they'd forget about Sunset."

"Are you sure?" She asked, "Maybe they're just realizing she hasn't really changed." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "She's still the same, selfish person who never thinks about anyone except herself."

"Great," Flash sighed, "They got to you too." He shook his head, "Alright. I just need to you to go over everything that happened to you yesterday. Hopefully I'll figure out what's connecting the others forgetting you and the others forgetting Sunset."

"I'd rather not," Wallflower growled, "We've both got better things to do then waste the day talking about what happened yesterday."

"It's not a waste if it helps Sunset," Flash replied, "How would you feel if everyone you care about suddenly forgot you even existed?"

Wallflower gave him a look that said 'are you serious right now?', the girl crossing her arms, "If everyone's apparently forgotten Sunset's all nice now, how come you remember?"

"No idea," Flash shrugged, "Maybe whoever did it was only targeting girls or, they just forgot to do me when they cast whatever freaky spell is at work here. It doesn't matter. All that matters is I remember Sunset and I'm not gonna let whoever did this to her get away with it. Now can we hurry up? My friends might have found something important."

"Your friends think something happened to their memories?" Wallflower tilted her head at this, "But if they forgot-"

"I was able to convince them," Flash responded, "Luckily, they have a lot of evidence of Sunset being their friend on their phones. Now come on, I'm not leaving till we do this, so you'd better get talking."

Wallflower rolled her eyes at this. "Fine. Just...go into the living room. I'll be out in a minute." Flash nodded and headed there, only to accidently kicked the leg of a chair with a bag on it.

The bag fell to the floor, spilling its contents out, "Shoot!" He yelped, quickly picking up the bag, only to spot something hit the ground. It was a rock that had an eye-shape carved into it along with a few extra markings. When Flash reached down to pick it up, he suddenly felt a surge of energy coming from his geode.

"What?" He grabbed it, his geode glowing some more as Flash felt something come from the stone itself. An energy he knew all too well. "Equestrian Magic." He continued to stare at the item as his mind put the pieces together. What Wallflower had said about Sunset did sound like someone who had had all of her memories of that erased, only for another thought to enter his head, "Wallflower, you didn't." He whispered, only to suddenly feel something hard hit him on the back of the head. "Augh!"

He hit the floor, the rock falling from his hands. And as he felt himself drifting off into unconsciousness, he saw the person responsible step around him and pick up the stone. "I'm sorry," Wallflower sighed while holding the stone and frying pan close to her chest. "Why couldn't you just forget about her like everyone else?" She looked down at the stone with a large frown, "I've got no choice. I can't let you ruin everything." With that, the markings on the stone began to glow and everything went black.





Sunset had now used her artistry skills to copy the image of the memory stone onto a piece of paper. "I should be getting back to my world," she told the princesses. "Maybe I can convince my friends I'm telling the truth now that I know what we're looking for."

"I'm sure the Flash of your world will be able to convince them that, especially considering how you've told me how he acts in that world." Twilight added as Sunset put the picture into her bag. "I'll stay here and search the restricted section top to bottom until I find a way to get your friends' memories back."

"If that's even possible," Sunset sighed, shaking her head,

"Oh, it's possible. Even if I have to reorganize the whole library by subject. Or maybe chronologically! Oh! And fix the broken catalogue machine..." She then noticed two mares smirking at her, making her clear her throat. "I'll uh...I'll figure it out."

"Thank you," Sunset replied before turning to Celestia. "Both of you." Celestia glanced at Twilight before smiling at her former student.

"This is quite a contrast from the last time we parted ways." Sunset frowned at this, only to see Celestia shine a giant smile, "But you are not that way anymore. With every choice you make, you prove yourself to possess a kind heart."

"Thank you." Sunset responded before turning to Twilight. "I guess I had a good teacher."

Twilight blushed at this, "Well...you were a good student." The pair laughed, but that laughter died when Celestia spoke up with a hiss.

"Are you saying I wasn't a good teacher?" The shorter mare's eyes went wide as they glanced at one another, Sunset starting to backpedal.

"Oh, uh...no! I wasn't-"

"She didn't say that!"

"I mean, what I meant to say...!"

"She didn't mean-" She stuttered out, only for Celestia's face to shine a bigger grin before letting out a dignified giggle. Her students stared at her in shock, only for the pair to burst out laughing as well.

"Princess Celestia has a sense of humor?" Sunset said through her giggles. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's changed."

They laughed again before Sunset turned to the door, only for Twilight chime in, "Oh Sunset," The mare looked back at purple alicorn, "Just so you know, there's a big Friendship Festival happening here next month. I know you're probably not interested right now, but when this is all over, I just thought you might enjoy it."

Sunset nodded at this, "Thanks Twilight. I'll give it some thought." The princess nodded before Celestia showed Sunset out and the pair headed for the castle, Sunset filling her old mentor in on everything that had happened since Twilight defeated her. And when they got back to the castle, Celestia opened the Rune Gate for Sunset and the unicorn gave her former mentor one final hug before running into the transporation machine.





Back at Canterlot High...

The Rainbooms had just walked out of the school. "Strange," Rarity scratched her head, "I'm sure we must have had a really good reason for leaving the beach to come here, but..."

"I'm drawing a blank," Rainbow continued as the others nodded in agreement. Twilight then took out her camera drone out of her bag to check it, the girl ready to suggest going back to the beach to get their picture, only for the device to suddenly turn on and fly into the air.

"Hey!" She tried to grab it, but it flew over to just above the statue before losing power and falling to the ground. Twilight was about to get it, but before she could, the portal flashed. And from it, Sunset Shimmer walked out and didn't see the drone on the floor. "Wow!" She yelped when she accidently stepped on one of the arms, snapping it off as Twilight gasped. "Oh no," she whispered before looking up at her friends.

"What did you do?!" Rainbow yelled as Twilight rushed over to pick it up.

"It was an accident," Sunset responded, "Why was it in front of the portal anyway?" But as she said this, the girls all glared at her, making Sunset flinch as she slowly added, "Look, I'm sorry. I really am. But right now, I need your help." She reached into her bag and pulled out the drawing, "Do you recognize this?" The girls stared at it and shook their heads, "Of course you don't." Sunset sighed before adding, "So...where's Flash? Maybe he's found something."

The group all shared a glance before Applejack asked, "Flash? Who's that?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow at this, "What do you mean, who's Flash? You know, Flash Sentry!" she replied, only to see nothing but confusion on their faces, "Girls...he's one of your friends." They just continued to stare, "A member of the Royal Knights?" Still no response, she pointed to Twilight, "Your boyfriend!" Twilight flinched at this, fully wide-eyed as Sunset saw her expression, only to facepalm, "Oh no. Not Flash too."





Flash's head was killing him when he came around, the teen's hand instantly moving up to his head to rub the bump that was there. After a few seconds, his fuzzy brain rebooted as he found himself laying on a cold hard surface. "Ugh..." he moaned as he pushed himself up, his eyes slowly opening. But when he did this, he found his vision was so blurry, making him lose his balance, staggering until he slammed into something hard and sturdy, the teen then using it to stabilize himself as he let his head properly settle.

As his vision cleared, he saw he was in some kind of stone room with shelves against every wall. The shelves had a bunch of different food stuff on them, mostly nonperishable by the look of things. He then looked ahead and spotted a stone staircase leading upward, Flash quickly pushing away from the shelf and staggering over. But when he reached the bottom and looked up, he saw the staircase wasn't that long and had a large metal door on it.

"Great," he sighed before slowly going up to the door, soon pushing against it...and it wouldn't budge. "Of course. Guess I gotta do this the hard way." He clutched his fist and dug deep, summoning the power of his magic...but it didn't happen. "Huh?" He looked down and his eyes went wide as he saw that his geode was gone. "No!" He struggled against the door handle at this, "Hey! Is anyone out there?!" He banged his fist against it, "Let me out of here!" But nobody came, the door not giving a centimeter. "HELLO?!" He screamed at the top of his voice, but he got no response.

He was trapped.
> Special: Forgotten Friendship PT4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on Flash," Sunset tapped her foot as the phone rang. "Please, please, please." But nobody picked up, "Come on!" She stopped the call and turned to the Rainbooms, all staring at her like she had gone nuts. "Okay, I know this might sound crazy, but you girls have a friend named Flash. He's Twilight's boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend," Twilight instantly replied as the others glared at her.

"Then check your wallpaper on your phone!" Sunset responded, Twilight rolling her eyes and pulling out her phone, only to go wide-eyed. The image of her, Spike, their new dog Springer, and a boy she didn't recognise. She had to admit, the boy looked cute...but she had no memory of him. But he was there, sitting next to her with his arm around her and a charmingly goofy grin on his lips.

"What's...going on?" The others looked at the photo, only to raise multiple eyebrows.

"Oh my," Rarity whispered, "Quite a handsome devil, isn't he? Twilight, why didn't you tell us you were in a relationship with such a hunk?"

"Because someone stole your memories," Sunset chimed in before holding up the picture. "With this, the memory stone. A magical relic that can steal memories from others. Someone used it to steal all your memories of me being your friend, but Flash wasn't affected because of his magic. Whoever did this must have learned about his immunity and used the stone to erase your memories of him too." The others looked up at her with flat stares, making Sunset sigh, "Look at your phones. You must have a picture of Flash in there somewhere."

They did so and one by one, they found pictures of the mysterious teen. There was one of him playing soccer with Rainbow, one of him and Pinkie baking a cake, one of him carrying barrels of apples, one of him and Fluttershy washing an unhappy Springer and one of him being a model for one of Rarity's creations.

"So...where is this guy?" Rainbow asked, "If he's our friend, why isn't he here right now?"

Sunset grimaced at this, only to call him again, "Come on Flash, where are you?"





Flash leaned against the doorway of the metal door, which continued to remain locked no matter what he did. As soon as his head was on straight, he had tried to call somebody, only to find his phone was gone along with his geode. As angry as he was to be stuck in there, the boredom he felt was beginning to overcome it. It got so bad that he got up and started looking around the room, checking the shelves and finding they were all full of canned goods, though a few also had long lasting but still perishable foods.

He then spotted a vent behind one of the shelves and gasped as he moved the cans away, "Hey!" He yelled through it, "Anyone on the other side of that thing?! I'm locked in here!" There was no response, "Come on!" He glanced around at this, only to scream, "There's no bathroom in here!"





"So, do you believe me when I'm telling you someone's stole your memories?!" Sunset asked, the girls just staring at her, "Oh, come on! How much more proof do you need?! Aren't the pictures on your phones enough?"

"I wouldn't believe photos if I were you." A new voice suddenly rang out, the group turning to see Trixie, who looked like she had just gotten back from the beach. "After all, this is the same girl who made flawless fake photos of your friend trashing the gym."

This made the girls frown while Sunset rolled her eyes. "And how would I have gotten them onto their phones?!"

Trixie shrugged at this, "No idea, but I wouldn't put anything past you."

"Yeah..." Pinkie nodded as she kept flicking through some of her phone's pictures. "Wait a minute!" She stared at one of them, "Is this supposed to be me making such a ridiculous face? Ha! I'd never fake a face like that! Preposterous! Fake, I say!"

Trixie smiled at this while Sunset frowned. "It's obvious that Miss Shimmer here is going through some kind of identity crisis, believing she's your friend when she's anything but." Sunset wanted to strangle her at this, "I don't think she's in the right state of mind to be in charge of the yearbook. I believe that means the vice president takes over. And, why..." She pretended to gasp, "That's you, Rarity!"

Rarity rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "If this is your way of asking to be made The Greatest and Most Powerful, the answer is no." She then blinked at her own words, "And didn't we have this conversation yesterday? I can't quite remember."

"Uh..." Applejack tried to think.

"Hmm," Fluttershy added.

"We did have this discussion yesterday," Sunset sighed, "And we all agreed you weren't gonna have that title because if wasn't one of the superlatives!"

"Says you," Trixie growled, "So what do you say, Rarity?"

Rarity let out a groan, "I'll...think about it."

"That's all I ask," Trixie smiled before walking off.

Once she was, Sunset turned to Rarity, "You're not really gonna put her in the yearbook, are you?"

"Of course not," Rarity scoffed, "I just told her that so she would leave us." She then raised an eyebrow, "Though she might have been right about me taking over for the yearbook. Clearly, you're not in your right mind."

Sunset let out a strangled cry, then took a deep breath so as to not say something she would regret. "I'll be expecting an apology for that remark once you get your memory back." She then turned to Twilight, the girl still clutching her destroyed drone, but was also staring at the pictures on her phone. "Twilight," she looked up at Sunset, "I am sorry about the drone. Really. But you gotta believe me when I tell you Flash exists and is your boyfriend."

"It just...seems very hard to believe."

Sunset let out a long sigh, only for a bulb to go off in her head, "Twilight...go home and check his room. He lives with you. You'll find a bunch of stuff in there's that's only his. There's no way I could fake that." Twilight blinked at her, only to nod back. "Alright," she slowly said before looking at the time. "I'm gonna keep trying to get in contact with Flash. Hopefully, he just left his phone uncharged." She headed into the school, trying to phone Flash again.

But as she called, she heard a ringtone fill the air. Part of her hoped that Flash was in the school somewhere and followed the sound. But as she got close, the noise suddenly cut out. Then at that moment, someone hurried around the corner. Someone that looked familiar. "Oh," she stopped before she could run into her, "Sorry." She then remembered her from the previous day, "Wallpaper...right?"

"Wallflower," she corrected.

"Sorry," she replied, "But anyway, did you see anyone else down that hallway? I thought I heard a phone ringing."

"No," she shook her head, "No I didn't."

Sunset pulled out her phone again. "I'm sure I heard Flash's phone." This made Wallflower's eyes go wide, but she quickly played it off before Sunset could notice.

"Flash...who's that?"

"A friend who's been...doesn't matter," she sighed, "Hopefully I'll find him and figure out a way to make everyone remember him." She ran off without another word, leaving a grimacing Wallflower. She ran back to her locker and opened it up, pulling out several objects: The Memory Stone, a phone and Flash's Geode.

She knew enough about the Rainboom's abilities to make sure Flash wouldn't be leaving his little hideaway any time soon. As long as she kept the geode far enough away, he wouldn't be able to bust the door down. "What am I doing?" She asked, putting the items back and slamming her locker shut before sliding down to the floor. Fear filled her entire body. If Flash and Sunset were immune to the stone's power, she couldn't make them forget what they had done. She was gonna go to jail for sure if this got out. "What have I done?"





Sunset had gotten her journal back from her locker and quickly sent a message to Twilight about Flash's disappearance and everyone's memory lapse of him. This worried Twilight, who had yet to find anything that might help Sunset restore the lost memories. The girl headed back to her apartment and tried to think of something, only to find nothing.





Twilight had also returned home with her broken drone, Springer and Spike running up to her as she did so.

"Twilight," Spike spoke up, "Why'd you bring me back from the beach so early?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, thinking back and remembering that Spike and Springer had returned home after they went to school. But she couldn't remember taking them home herself...

"Twilight!" She heard her mother call out, "Dinner's almost ready. Set the table." She nodded and put her drone down before heading into the dining room, taking the cutlery out of the drawers and setting it. It was only when she was done that she realized she had set one place to many, making her frown as she returned the knife, fork and plate to its usual place. A few moments later, her parents entered the room and brought in the food.

"Don't you think you've made a bit much?" Night asked as he put the potatoes down, "There's enough food here to feed four people."

"You're right," Velvet replied, "Strange. Were we going to have a guest over tonight?" Both her parents frowned at this, Twilight then remembering to her earlier conversation with Sunset.

She took out her phone and opened it up, staring at the picture of the boy sitting with her and the dogs. "Twilight..." her father spoke up, "No phones at the table."

"I know," she nodded. "But..." She hesitated for a moment, then held the phone up to them. "Do you recognize this boy?" Her parents stared at the picture, squinting their eyes.

"No," Velvet shook her head before her eyes went wide. "Twily, do you have a boyfriend?" Night's eyes went wide at this, Twilight knowing he was probably about to go into overprotective dad mode. She had to spend the next twenty minutes rebuffing questions and other inquiries, which was hard since she didn't even know the boy that her parents had seen her next to.

When she finally managed to get away from the table, she grabbed her drone and headed up to her room. But as she walked up the stairs, she remembered Sunset's words. And as she reached the top of the stairs, her eyes glanced at the multiple doors in the hallway. Her parent's room was at the end, with hers and her brother Shining's on either side. Next to Shining's room was the bathroom, but then there was the door next to hers.

She stared at it, trying to remember what was in there...but she couldn't remember a thing. Springer came up the stairs and stared at the door, clearly wanting to go in there. Twilight opened it up and he ran in, jumping onto the bed it had inside while the girl looked around. The room looked like that of a young boy's, with a guitar in one corner and a wardrobe full of boy's clothes in another. A desk was by the window, and it had a load of framed pictures on it.

She picked up the pictures and looked them over, seeing photos of her and her family along with this Flash Sentry she had been told about. Pictures showing the two of them as kids, playing or doing science experiments in her room. There was also a picture Twilight remembered posing for, that being on her first day at Crystal Prep. She looked rather excited as she, Shining, Cadance and Flash all stood there with the pair in Crystal Prep uniforms. She didn't remember that teen being in there for the picture, but she did remember the standing in that position in front of Cadance. If Flash wasn't there, standing in front of Shining, she should have stood between them.

"Twilight?" She turned to see Spike at the door, "What's going on?" He glanced around at this, "Never been in this room before..." They then heard a whine and looked over to see Springer on the bed, looking upset. Clearly, he was missing something, even if he couldn't remember what.

Twilight continued to stare at the photos and as she did this, she couldn't help but feel like she should be feeling great amounts of joy and happiness from the sight of them. "Something's happening Spike," she told him. "And I think Equestrian Magic is involved."





Flash was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, eating out of a bean can that was one of the few cans he didn't need a can opener to open. Since he didn't have a spoon or anything, he had to carefully used his finger to scoop the beans out without cutting himself. The cold beans might have been edible, but it didn't exactly make for the best meal. And since there wasn't anything to drink down there, he was worried he would eventually dehydrate.

And as he finished the bean can, he heard something coming from above him. Someone was upstairs. "HELLO!" He stood up, running to the door and banging on it. "Hey! Let me out of here!" He listened and some footsteps began to approach, Flash hoping it was Wallflower's parents or maybe Sunset and his friends.

He got his answer when a small flap in the middle of door opened up. He kneeled down it and found himself staring at Wallflower, "You! Let me out of here! Now!"

"I'm sorry," she replied, looking ready to start crying. "I didn't wanna do this. I just panicked when you found the stone and knocked you out without thinking."

"That stone..." Flash slowly responded, only to growl, "What is that stone?! Tell me!"

"I'm not really sure," she told him. "I think it uses that Equestrian Magic you and your friends use. I found it buried in the school garden. It can-"

"Steal memories?" Flash guessed, the girl nodding, "Why did you take everyone's memories of Sunset?"

"Cause they're a lie," Wallflower instantly replied, "She was the biggest bully in the school. She turned into a demon and brainwashed everyone. How did everyone forget that?!"

Flash blinked at her words, only to say, "They didn't forget it, they forgave her. She's changed."

"She turned the lights in the yearbook room off on me when you all left. That's not changed." She backed away from the door, "She's just pretending to be good. Watch. She'll show her true colors on Monday when everyone at school sees her for what she truly is."

"So what about me?" He asked, "You can't just leave me here."

"You should have forgotten her like everyone else," she growled, "Why'd you have to be immune to the magic?! You would have been happier forgetting the fake Sunset that girl's pretending to be!"

"Still doesn't answer my question. What are you going to do with me?" Wallflower replied by taking something out of her pocket. Some kind of scroll that she held up, showing several images and words.

"According to this, the Memory Stone only holds memories for three days. Come sundown on Monday, every memory will be erased...permanently."

Flash's eyes went wide at this. "You can't!"

"I can," Wallflower nodded. "I didn't want to do this, but I'm in too deep. You'll stay in there until Monday night. I...I don't wanna do it, but I've got no choice."

"Yes, you do," Flash replied, "Wallflower, you made a mistake. You were angry and upset and that made you do something without thinking. If you just let me out and return everyone's memories, they'll forgive you. But what you're doing right now isn't something you can easily come back from. If you do this, you'll be just as bad as Sunset was before. You'll be ruining someone's life, and when it's over, you'll spend the rest of your life feeling guilty about it."

"This is what she deserves," Wallflower hissed before taking something out of her bag. It was a book and a pencil, which she slotted through the opening for him to take. Flash did so and saw that it was some kind of puzzle book, "Here. So you're not bored."

"You won't get away with this," Flash threw the book and pencil away. "My friends know I came looking for you! They'll show up, and when they find me, they'll go all rainbow laser blast on you!"

"They won't be looking for you," she responded, Flash raising an eyebrow before going wide-eyed.

"You didn't," he gasped as Wallflower grimaced.

"I'll return their memories of you when I let you out, promise."

Flash tried to say something, but she closed the flap. "Wallflower," he roared as she locked it, "WALLFLOWER!" He waited, hoping she would respond...but there was nothing. He heard her walk away, Flash's anger peaking as he started hysterically screaming and banging his fist into the wall. Wallflower heard every bit, but ignored it all, glad her parent's work caused them to be away so often.





The next morning...

Sunset moaned as she woke up and opened her eyes, now remembering she was sitting on her couch. She had stayed up late last night trying to figure out where to find the culprit of her friend's lost memories, only to find nothing. The girl felt like she barely had any energy to do anything, only for her phone to start ringing, her eyes going wide. She rolled around on her bed and grabbed the phone, "Flash?"

"No," Twilight's voice replied.

"Twilight?" Sunset responded, only to gasp, "Please tell me you remember we're friends."

"No," Twilight replied again, "But...I'll admit something weird is happening."

"Do you at least remember who Flash is?" Sunset asked, getting another no from the girl as the pony turned human sighed.

"But I do believe you when you said he exists and he's someone special to me. Listen, I'm gonna send you a link to a group chat. I'm gonna tell my friends what I found, and once I've convinced them, I'll send you the link so you can join us. Probably not the best idea to have you in the chat until I've convinced them."

"Okay..." Sunset slowly said, a small smile trying to appear on her face.





Once Twilight had ended her conversation with Sunset, the girl sent the links to all her friends and then ran over to start up her computer. A few minutes later, she was on the group chat and the first one there. Then, Pinkie's face appeared in a window. "HEY!" She cheered, "What's the sitch?"

"Waiting for the others to show up," Twilight replied, "I only wanna do this once." That was the same thing she said to the others as they logged on, and when Rarity joined the party, Twilight took a deep breath. "Listen girls, I think Sunset was telling the truth."

"What?!" Rainbow yelped, "You really think she's our friend after everything she did to us?!"

"Yes," she nodded. "And here's why." She picked her laptop up and took it into the room she had found yesterday, showing it to those on screen. "See this room? I have no memory of it being filled with anything until now." The girls on the screen stared at the room, seeing the guitar and boy items littering it. She then showed them the photos on the windowsill, the five seeing the images of the boy they had seen pictures of on their phones.

"So this boy does live with you," Rarity gasped.

"And I don't remember him," Twilight put the computer down on the desk as Springer got up off the bed and moved over to put his head on her lap. "And I don't remember when we got Springer either, so that must mean this Flash boy was the one who got him."

She chose this moment to send Sunset the link.

"So yah think someone's altering our memories?" Applejack asked, getting a nod from Twilight.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Fluttershy asked, only for a ringing to indicate someone wanting to join the chat. Twilight accepted and everyone else frowned at seeing Sunset.

"Hey," she waved sheepishly, "So...you girls believe me now?"

"I guess if Twilight believes there's something up..." Rarity responded.

"But don't think this means we trust yah," Applejack added, "The moment yah do something we don't like, we'll make yah sorry."

"That's fine," Sunset nodded. "Just...please. Please give me the chance to prove we are friends."

"Well, that's all your getting," Fluttershy said. "One chance."

The others nodded as Rainbow spoke up next. "So what's the plan? If our memories were stolen, how do we get them back?"

"We have to find whoever has this stone that Sunset mentioned," Twilight told them. "If we ask around tomorrow-"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sunset replied, "In fact..." She looked down with an unhappy smile on her face, "It might be best if you all keep acting like you don't believe me."

"What? Why?" Pinkie asked.

"Flash got you girls to believe me before, but then he disappeared and you all had your memories wiped again. If whoever did this knew you believed me again..."

"They'd take our memories again," Twilight chimed in, "So...we need to act like we don't believe you in order to keep from being mind wiped. That makes sense."

"Augh!" Rainbow moaned, "So there's a super awesome magic thing going down and we can't be apart of it?!"

"Sorry," Sunset nodded, "But you girls can still keep an eye out. You should all still have my number in your phones. Act like nothing's wrong, but be on alert in case you see something and text me about it. If I learn anything, I'll do the same thing for you."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Twilight asked, "Doing this on your own?"

"I just got you girls to believe me. At least...partly believe me. If you all got your minds wiped, I'll just be going in circles trying to convince you again and again."

"Okay," Applejack nodded, "But ah'm with Rainbow in hating that we gotta do nothin' while some villain's walkin' around stealin' memories."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rarity added as Sunset put a finger to her chin, then snapped her fingers.

"Twilight, you've got a Find My Phone app for Flash's phone. If you can figure out the password, you might be able to locate his phone and maybe find him as well." Twilight took out her phone, only to see a my phone app. There was one for her parent's phones and one for Flash's, but when she tapped his name, she found it required a password like Sunset had said.

"How am I supposed to figure out the password when I don't know anything about him?"

"Just...look around his room and try to get a good feel for his character. Then try whatever." Sunset leaned back against her chair, "In the meantime, I'll keep looking for who might be responsible for this. And I think I have a pretty good idea who that might be."

"Who?" Everyone asked before Sunset gave them a smirk.





Meanwhile...

Flash had also woken up from a rather restless sleep. The cold hard ground of the basement didn't do much in the way of comfort, Flash now finding himself drifting in and out of his slumber throughout the night. He didn't even know what time it was, his brain unable to process what was happening.

"Err," he moaned as he sat up. And as he did this, he realized he had hit the point he had been dreading. He needed to go to the bathroom. He got up and ran to the metal door, banging against it. "Wallflower!" He screamed, "If you don't let me out right now, you'll need to explain a rather horrible smell to your parents." He continued to bang against the door for several minutes until the slot unlocked and opened up to show the shy girl. "I swear to god, I'll have you thrown in jail for inhuman acts if you don't let me out right now!"

"If you need the bathroom, just use the one down there." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, the girl pointing at a part of the wall without a shelf, though it was next to one where a bunch of toilet paper was stored. He moved up to it and noticed the wall had a square ridge. He used his foot to push it back, only for the wall to fall down and a metal toilet folded out of it.

"Seriously?" He asked, looking back up at Wallflower. "What's with this place?!"

"The previous owner was one of those prep people," Wallflower replied, "He was working on making this place a bomb shelter before he died." She didn't say anything else and closed the flap, Flash sighing but deciding to at least make himself more comfortable. Once he had done his business, being sure to use ten cleaning wipes on his hands before he used any of the food, he started walking around the cell as the boredom returned. His eyes eventually landed on the puzzle book Wallflower had given him and since he had no other way out, he decided it was better that he spent his time not going insane.

"Sunset...you'd better hurry up and find me." He remembered what Wallflower had told the yesterday about how long the memories were held before being erased, knowing not much time was left.





The next day...

Sunset was miserable. Despite her friends believing her about the Memory Stone, it didn't make things any easier. As soon as she arrived at the school, everyone there was giving her a wide birth and whispering behind her back. She hated this, especially when she accidently bumped into Micro Chips.

The techie fell to the ground, then panicked when he saw who had knocked him over. Sunset held out a hand to help him up, but Micro simply dug into his pockets and pulled out several coins and wads of cash that he placed in her hand. Sunset was shocked by this and glared at him, grabbing Micro by his suspenders and pulling him to his feet before shoving his money into his chest.

"I don't want your lunch money! I'm not mean! Got it?!" Micro didn't respond to this and simply legged it, leaving Sunset still upset. "I'm not mean!" But everybody flinched at this, making her sigh before turning to see Trixie over by her locker. She ran over and slammed the door shut, scaring the girl who turned to her. "So..." she crossed her arms, "Here we are."

"Here we do are," Trixie mirrored her as she realized that made no sense. She quickly shook it off and the pair glared each other down. "You really want to do this here in the hallway in front of everyone?"

"Up to you," Sunset nodded as everyone watching backed away from the coming fight
> Special: Forgotten Friendship PT5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset and Trixie glared one another down, Sunset ready to do whatever was needed to get her hands on the stone she knew Trixie must have. Sunset glanced around and saw more and more people backpedaling, soon changing into just two people in the hallway.

Seeing this, Trixie opened her locker and reached inside. "Behold!" She pulled it out, Sunset ready to grab the stone before she could use it. But to her surprise, it wasn't a stone she pulled out, but...a poster. "Canterlot High School's Greatest and Powerfullest Student!" She unfurled it to show an image of Trixie doing her magic act. "If a seven-scale mock-up doesn't convince you, I don't know what will."

Sunset had had enough of Trixie playing dumb, the pony turned teen yelling, "Where's the Memory Stone?!" Trixie staggered back at this as Sunset continued, "You turned my friends against me just because I wouldn't put you in the yearbook as the Greatest and Powerfullest?!" She looked like she was about to have a meltdown. "Powerfullest isn't even a word!"

Trixie's fright slowly turned to confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"It's not a word!"

"No..." Trixie shook her head, "What Memory Stone?"

"The one you used to erase everyone's memory, you manipulative...blowhard!" Trixie just blinked at her as Sunset then yelled, "Where is it?! And what did you do with Flash?! Did you use one of your little magic tricks to trap him someplace?!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Trixie replied, only to tilt her head, "A stone that could make everyone forget all the bad tricks I've done...?" She quickly gasped at this, "Which is no tricks." She plastered the poster over a locker, "Your puny rock pales in comparison to the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Sunset glared at her, only to sigh, "I don't believe it." She glanced away, "You have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I...don't. Sorry." Sunset let out a groan as she leaned against the lockers and slid down, covering her face as Trixie moved closer. "Did somebody really erase everyone's memories of you?"

"Mm-hmm," Sunset nodded as Trixie sat next to her. "Plus they erased the entire existence of my friend Flash. And I have no idea where he could be."

"And even though we all know you're the Biggest Meanie, you're saying you're not mean anymore?"

"It's complicated."

Trixie leaned against the locker and let these thoughts flow through her head, only to say, "So you have this idea of who you're supposed to be, but no one at school sees you that way?" As she said that, several students walked past and stared at the poster, some chuckling at the sight as Trixie asked, "Is that it?" Sunset nodded, "Trust me. I get it."

"Ha," Sunset laughed, "I can't believe the only person who believes me is the one I called a manipulative blowhard." she gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry."

"I took it as a compliment." Trixie got up and held out her hand, "Let me help you find the Stone."

Sunset raised an eyebrow, "What's in it for you?" Trixie smiled as she glanced back at the poster, Sunset going wide-eyed, "No way." She shot up to her feet, "Absolutely not!"

Trixie shrugged. "Well, if you'd rather go on being the Biggest Meanie, that's fine by me."

Sunset growled at her before sighing again, "Fine. If you help me find the stone, I'll think about it." Trixie nodded back, the two starting to walk away as Sunset went for her locker and her journal as she asked, "So, where should we start...partner?"

"How about with what I call you?" Trixie suggested as they kept walking, "I'm thinking the Great and Powerful Trixie's...Pretty Decent Assistant-Detective-Helper Person."

Sunset couldn't help but chuckle at this, completely unaware of a glow coming out from the gaps in her locker. It was a message from Twilight, the girl not noticing as Trixie added, "So this Flash guy, you said he was the only one who remembered you?" Sunset nodded back, "Then everyone suddenly forgot about him?" Sunset nodded again, "So you think this Flash kid might know who has the stone?"

"I wish I knew," Sunset moaned, "For now, we need to focus on finding the stone. If we find that, we'll find who's using it and hopefully we'll find out what they did with Flash." Trixie nodded, "I just hope he can hang on long enough."





Flash was still in the cellar, having spent the entire previous day trapped with nothing to do except the puzzle book Wallflower had left him. Currently, he was doing a crossword. "Six letters, starts with a D and ends in an L." He turned to the description, "An unmarried woman of noble birth. Known in many stories as a prisoner who needs saving by more important characters..." Flash's hands shook the book at this, growling as he whispered, "That's not funny."

And as he began to fill in the letters, his pencil snapped, "No!" He moaned, looking at the broken utensil and sighing as he realized he had no way to sharpen it. Frustration getting the better of him, Flash threw the book at one of the shelves and it hit a box. The container fell off the shelf and hit the floor, spilling its contents, "Great..."

He moved over to pick up the stuff, only to see it was a matchstick box. But the name on the front made him go wide-eyed, opening it and seeing a whole bunch of cotton swabs.

"Huh," he said as a smile appeared on his face before turning to the metal door at the top of the stairs. "Ah-ha!"





It was lunch time now, Sunset sitting alone at the table next to the one the Rainbooms were sitting at. She had texted them after she and Trixie had joined forces, telling them about the girl. Twilight texted back saying she had yet to figure out what the password was to Flash's Find My Phone app, but she had discovered a few quite interesting things about the boy as she searched for clues.

The girls were all laughing at something Pinkie had said, though Sunset knew they were only laughing to keep up appearances. Every few seconds, their eyes would glance over to her for a moment. Sunset wanted nothing more than to join them at the table, but the fear of their memories being taken again made her stop before she could.

Luckily, she wasn't alone in this situation. Trixie sat down beside her, a smile on her face. "A cafeteria full of suspects, two detectives, and only one Memory Stone." Sunset sighed as Trixie listed everything, "Seems impossible, but so does pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and I do that all the time." Once she had stopped bragging, Trixie took out a notebook and pen. "Let's talk motive. Who here hates you enough to erase everyone's good memories of you?"

Sunset glanced around, now seeing nothing but glares and frowns, "If you go back far enough...everyone."

"Known enemies: All." Trixie put her book down and Sunset took out her phone, sending a quick text to the girls and asking if they had seen anything suspicious. "So why aren't they helping if they believe you?" Trixie asked when she noticed who she was messaging.

"Whoever did this doesn't want my friends remembering me," Sunset replied, "They might give you a pass since you don't have any way of fighting back against the stone's power."

"I don't know if I should feel insulted by that remark or not," Trixie huffed, "Anyways, why don't we go talk to nurse? She might have had to treat something dealing with memory issues."

"I doubt it," Sunset added.

"What's the harm in asking?" she finished off her food and grabbed Sunset. "Come on." Sunset didn't fight back as the girl pulled her out of her chair.





Flash growled as he worked on the lock, using the cotton swabs he had found. He was starting to think Shining was pulling his leg when he told him that you could undo a lock by pulling the fluff off a swab. He had been at it for hours, at least he figured it was hours since there wasn't any way to tell time, and he knew he probably didn't have long before the stolen memories of Sunset were gone forever.

"Come on...come on!" he twisted one of the swabs, only for it to snap, "Damn it!" He pulled the broken swab out and threw it away, looking down and seeing he only had one swab left. "Gotta make it count." He pulled the fluff off of it and tried again, slowly shifting it around and feeling the lock react.

Then, he felt it click. "Yes," he shifted it some more and heard more clicking. "Yes." Then he spun the swabs and reached up to turn the handle, a clicking sound filling the air before he felt the door move. "YES!" He pulled the door open, the teen cheering as he quickly ran out and back into Wallflower's house.

A second later, he found his car keys on a table, "YES!" He grabbed them and ran out, cheering all the way till he got behind the wheel, "Nice. I just hope Sunset hasn't done something stupid while I was gone."





School had ended and Sunset was in the yearbook room, having spent the entire day with Trixie trying to find the Memory Stone. Currently, she was staring at a picture that her friends had just uploaded using Twilight's fixed drone. It showed the group smiling, clearly planning to use it for their Best Friends picture despite two of those best friends being missing.

"Oh," she heard Trixie groan, "Stop looking at that. You're just going to wind yourself up. You can't think if you're wound up." She clutched her head as Sunset grabbed the yearbook photos. "Oh, think Trixie! Think!"

"I wanted to come in here and see who we're missing." Sunset sighed as she shuffled through the pictures, "But we've talked to everyone, A to Z." But as she did this, Trixie pointed at one of the photos that didn't have a face.

"Wait....not pictured: Wallflower Blush." She glanced up at this, "Who's Wallflower?"

"I'm right here, you know." They both spun around to see the green haired girl, sitting at one of the tables.

"Uh...who are you?"

"Wallflower," she replied with a giant frown, "I've known you since third grade."

"Ahh!" Trixie blushed, "I remember third grade. Not you specifically, but what a grade it was. The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie debuted her disappearing frog trick." She continued speaking, but Sunset simply began to ignore her, only for her eyes to look down and see her bag glowing. She had retrieved the bag after class, having completely missed the first message. But when she opened it up to read, her eyes went wide.



Sunset, we think the Memory Stone was buried under this rock formation. And if you don't destroy the Memory Stone by the time the sun sets today, all those memories will be erased forever.



Sunset's heart felt like it was about to burst when she read these words. She stared at the image Twilight had drawn, showing three spikes coming out of the ground in a triangular manner. "How am I supposed to find a rock formation that...looks...like..." Her eyes went wide when she noticed something on the computer Wallflower had open. It was photo of a garden that appeared to have three large rocks sticking out of the ground the same way as the way Twilight had drawn. "That rock formation?!" She shut her book with a smile, "That'll work." Putting the book away, she got up and turned to the girl, "Can I ask a silly question, Wallflower?" She pointed at the computer, "Where did you take that lovely photograph?"

"Oh," Wallflower smiled, "that's my garden. Well, the school's garden, technically. I'm the president of the Gardening Club. I founded it, too. I'm also the only member. And the only one who's ever been to the garden. Or seen it. Or even asked about it."

As she spoke, she seemed to get more and more depressed while Trixie raised an eyebrow. "You're not really into other people, huh?"

Wallflower turned to her, glaring as she opened her mouth, only for Sunset's phone to start ringing. "Oh," she took her phone out, "Just a second. Hello?"

"Sunset!" The voice made her eyes go wide.

"FLASH?!" The outcry made both Trixie and Wallflower turn to her, "Where are you?! Where have you been?! The whole school's forgotten you even exist!"

"I know," he responded, "I'm calling from a payphone. I'm on my way back to school right now. But listen, I know who the one responsible for stealing the memories of you is. It's a girl named Wallflower!" Sunset's eyes went wide at hearing this, the teen slowly turning to glare at the girl in question. "She has a stone that's brimming with Equestrian Magic. She's on the yearbook team, so-"

"Flash, I'm gonna have to hang up. Get back to school as quickly as possible."

Sunset snapped the phone shut and turned to Wallflower, the girl shrinking back at Sunset's glare as she squeaked out, "What? What's wrong?" She didn't get an answer as Sunset quickly grabbed her arm, "What are you-" But Sunset didn't hear anymore as her magic kicked in, images now flooding her mind. There was one of Wallflower at the Fall Formal, being completely ignored, then another of her at the battle of the bands, then the Friendship Games party.

The memory then shifted to show Wallflower walking around outside of school, only to then come across the school's garden. Another memory showed her digging around in it, only to unearth something. It was a piece of cloth, and when she undid the string holding it together, she found the same rock Sunset had seen in the images. The cloth had words and symbols on it, while the rock was brimming with energy.

The memory then changed again, now showing the three and the other Rainbooms in the yearbook room on Friday. "That was different," Applejack stated, "The whole school voted for her."

"She was soooooooo mean."

"Not helping Pinks," Flash added as Twilight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"Of course, we all know you've earned the right to not be remembered that way." Twilight threw the book away, but Wallflower picked it up and the memory changed again. This time, it was after they had all left and Wallflower was in the dark yearbook room.

She sighed as she looked at the book. "Why should you notice me? After all, you're Sunset Shimmer." She threw the book away as it opened up to show Sunset's old photo. "Everybody loves you now." She sighed at the sight of the photo, "Why can't they see you haven't changed?!"

She then turned to her bag, her eyes narrowing at the sight. The memory changed again after this, showing her back in the garden, Memory Stone in hand as she took out the instructions. The Memory Stone glowed before it unleashed a bright light, and a few moments later, the garden was filled with a vortex of red ribbons with Sunset's emblem on it. They flew down and into the stone, disappearing as the light the stone gave off turned red. A few moments later, the red light vanished and Wallflower smirked.

The memory changed one last time, showing Flash at her house telling her everything that had happened. How she found the Memory Stone and ended up knocking the boy out and imprisoning him. And as the memory ended, Sunset found herself back in the yearbook room, glaring Wallflower down.

"You erased everyone's memories?!"

Wallflower flinched as her tone, slowly squeaking out, "Uh...yes."

"You kidnapped Flash and locked him up?!"

"Maybe..."

"And you made everyone who loves him forget he even exists?! It's one thing to steal everyone's memories of me, but to do that to someone who's never done anything for you?! To think Flash actually wanted to invite you to the beach with us! To try and help you!"

"I wasn't gonna make them forget about him permanently," Wallflower slowly said, "Just long enough for the memories of you pretending to be nice to fade."

Sunset glared Wallflower down and before either of them could speak up, Trixie butted in. "Wait...who are you again?" Wallflower turned away from them and picked up a picture of Sunset and her friends...and then they realize they were about to sit through a song...yay.





Meanwhile...

Flash was driving as fast as he could through the streets, glancing up to see the sun starting to set.

"Please don't be too late." But as he arrived at the school parking lot, he gasped when he saw six girls sitting around a truck. "There!" He pulled into the parking lot, only for Twilight to turn to him.

"That car," she whispered as the car came to a stop. Twilight's eyes went wide when she saw the boy from all the pictures step out of the car.

"Girls!" He yelled as he ran over to them, panting as he reached them, "I know you don't know who I am, but-"

"You're Flash Sentry," Twilight interrupted, only to run over and hug him. Flash flinched at this, only to feel Twilight hold him tightly, a feeling of rightness washing over her as she did so. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, smiling at the face she didn't know, but for some reason felt attached too.

"You...remember me?"

"No," Applejack chimed in, "But Sunset helped us realize we were supposed to have a friend who's Twilight's guy."

Rarity nodded at this, "Plus, your stuff is scattered all around a room in Twilight's house. I must say, you really need to work on tidying that place up. You had more clothes on the floor than in the wash basket."

Flash blushed at this as Rainbow spoke up next, "So what the heck happened to you? When we lost our memories of you, yah vanished off the face of the earth. Yah picked a rotten time to go one vacation."

"I wasn't on vacation," Flash replied, "I was...imprisoned by the one who did all this."

"Who?" Fluttershy asked, Flash about to say something, only to feel something course through him. He looked down at his hands, sparks of blue lightning beginning to appear. The girls went wide-eyed, only for Flash to shine a big smile.

But as this happened, the school's doors opened to show a green haired girl walk out, looking rather relaxed. Flash quickly jumped behind Applejack's truck at this before pointing at the girl, "That's her." They glanced back at her, now seeing Wallflower calmly making her way up to them. "Don't do anything to tip her off. When she gets close enough, I'll jump her. The Stone she used has gotta be in her bag." They all nodded and pretended to not have noticed her.

Flash got into a ready to pounce position as Wallflower reached them. But just as he was about to leap out and grab her, the school doors flew open. "Wallflower?!" He heard Sunset's voice and looked over to see her running out the school. She then spotted Wallflower and ran after her, the Rainbooms nodding at her to show that they knew who was to blame of all this. She reached Wallflower as the girl was just about to enter the forest that housed the school garden. "Wallflower, stop!"

Wallflower turned to her in shock, "You remember my name?"

"I remember everything!" Sunset responded, the others pretending to now listen to the scene unfolding, "The Memory Stone, how I acted, all of it!"

"What?!" She yelped, "How?! I erased the whole afternoon!" She yelled this loud enough for the others to hear, the girls now dropping their facade and turning to her.

Wallflower flinched at this, now seeing the glares until Sunset said, "Listen...I used to be just like you. Sure, I was popular, but I was lonely."

"You're nothing like me!" Wallflower pointed at her with a look of rage on her face. "And I'm not lonely, because I have...plants!" She then flinched at her words, only to sigh, "That sounded less lonely in my head."

Sunset showed a small frown at this, "I'm sorry, Wallflower."

The girl backpedaled at this, "No, you're not." She pointed at Twilight and the others, "You're just trying to look good in front of your friends!" She saw the frowns on their faces, which weren't directed at Sunset, instead being pointed at her, "And it's working!" Every passing second, Wallflower's rage grew and grew. "Gah! How am I supposed to get back at you if nothing I do matters?! I hate you!"

She slapped her hands over her mouth, as Sunset gasped. "Come on Sunset," Flash whispered. "Just grab the stone already." But then Wallflower took her bag off.

"I wanted to teach you a lesson by erasing your friends' good memories of you. But obviously that didn't work." She reached into her bag and took out the stone, the girls gasping when they saw the image Sunset had shown them. "But what if I erased all their memories of high school?"

Everyone's eyes went wide at this, Sunset yelling, "You can't! You'd be stealing their memories of each other!"

"They'll think of each other the way you think of me! Which is not at all!" She thrust the stone forward and unleashed a bright light. Flash leapt out from behind the truck and shielded the girls, praying his immunity still worked even when it was focused directly on him. But he didn't get to find out.

"NOOOOO!" Sunset screamed as she leapt in front of her friends, the beam hitting her, making her friends gasp as she fell to the ground. She moaned as the light spread around her body, the girl picking herself up. "I've ruined their friendship once before. I'd rather give up my own memories than let it happen again!"

"No!" Flash yelled, the others gasping at the sight. And as that happened, a light flew up to Sunset's head.

"Fluttershy!" She cried before a yellow ribbon flew out of her head, "No!" The memory flew into the stone as a green ribbon came out next, "Applejack!" She grunted as she held her head, a white ribbon flowing out. "Rarity! Her friends could barely watch this, unable to believe they had actually let this happen. "Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie! Flash!" When only one person remained, Sunset turned to that person. "Twilight!" She held out a hand, "Don't forget me!" With that, the final ribbon flew out and into the stone.

"Sunset..." Flash whispered before turning to glare at Wallflower. As he did this, Sunset groaned and opened her eyes. She pushed herself up on her balledup hands, standing on fours like a...pony.

"This isn't Canterlot." She said, only to shrink back, "Where am I?! Princess Celestia?!"

Wallflower saw the girl begin to panic, her mind starting to realize the horror she had done, only for a light to come out of her backpack. It was Flash's Geode, which flew out of her bag and into Flash's hands. The teen grasped the gem as he was completely powered up, a look of rage appeared on his face as he leapt up at Wallflower, the girl unable to respond, "That's it! You're not getting away with this anymore!"

He grabbed her arm and she cried out. "AAAAH! You're hurting me!"

"Call it payback for the frying pan!" He yelled as he twisted her arm, making her cry out in pain and fall to the ground. She dropped the stone and Flash grabbed it, only to stare at it before looking up at the setting sun. Growling at the sight, he opened his mouth to ask her how to undo what she did, but something else caught his attention first. He looked over at Sunset and the others, seeing they all had a hand on her shoulder. "Here," he dropped Wallflower and gave her the stone back, "Hold this for a moment. Someone's about to get blasted." As he said that, his geode glowed again and he leapt into the air. As he did, he and the girls transformed into their ponied-up forms.

Wallflower gasped at the sight, Twilight staring down at her. "Wallflower! You have magic you do not understand! But it is nothing compared to the Magic of-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Pinkie interrupted as the sun drew closer to almost completely setting. "LIGHT HER UP!" They all smiled and joined hands as their geodes unleashed a burst of light. Wallflower screamed as the sight before reflexively holding up the stone. The light struck the relic, the Memory Stone having no way of defending itself from the incoming attack. As such, all it could do was let itself crack and crumble as Wallflower was blasted away. And when it exploded, hundreds of differently colored ribbons, though most of them were either red or orange, shot into the sky. Many flew off in different directions, but several flew towards the heroes.

Soon, all except Flash had a pair of ribbons, multiple in Sunset's case, flying into their heads. As they did, they gasped as the memories returned to them. And when the last memory firmly reset themselves into their heads, the eight young heroes floated to the ground. When they did this, Sunset turned to her friends and gasped. "Twilight...Sparkle?" Twilight nodded back, looking ready to start crying.

"Sunset Shimmer!" She ran over and they both hugged, the others cheering before Twilight pulled away and turned to her boyfriend. "FLASH!" She quickly threw her arms around him, kissing him square on the lips. When she pulled away, she looked at both him and Sunset. "We're so sorry."

Sunset shook her head, "I'm just glad to have you all back."

"Same," Flash added as the sun finally set. "We were cutting it close though." Sunset nodded before turning to Wallflower. The girl was on the ground, staring at the fractured remains of the Memory Stone.

When she noticed Sunset stepping up, she looked away. "I'm so ashamed." She picked up one of the pieces. "When I first found the Memory Stone, I only erased little things – awkward hellos, saying the wrong thing, literally any public speaking..."

Twilight walked up next, "I've had plenty of awkward moments I wish I could erase too."

"Yeah," Flash nodded, "Like that time you-" He stopped when Twilight glared at him, "Uh...nevermind."

"But it's no excuse," Wallflower added, "I was so used to erasing memories that I got completely carried away." She looked back at them, "I'm sorry for everything."

Sunset nodded back, "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I may have stopped being mean, but a Great and Powerful friend helped me realize I still wasn't very nice to you. Everyone matters, Wallflower." She held out a hand, "No matter how insignificant or invisible they feel."

She pulled Wallflower up and after a few seconds, they hugged and all seemed forgiven.

That is, till Flash asked, "So...are we just gonna forget she assaulted and imprisoned me for almost three days?" They all went wide-eyed at this, Wallflower flinching at his remark. But as they all turned to stare at the teen, Flash let out a long sigh, "You know what, let's just pretend the Memory Stone was able to steal one last memory before it got destroyed and this one didn't survive." He put a hand to his face, "I seem to have a major gap between leaving school on Saturday and returning here several minutes ago...and I am too nice for my own good." Wallflower slowly nodded back, giving him a serious apology and promise that she would help him if he ever needed it. "I'll hold you to that."

Everyone laughed at this, all happy that the situation was finally over.





Over the next few days, things seemed to go back to normal. Everyone remembered Flash and Sunset again, Flash needing to do some serious explaining to Twilight's parents, and life was back to how it should have been. Although, there were a few changes everyone was happy with. Sunset and Trixie seemed to have become a lot closer, Sunset even giving Trixie a page in the yearbook, which confused a lot of people, but they quickly let it slide. Another change was Wallflower, who seemed to be opening up to people.

Apparently, a lot of people were interested in her gardening club and wanted to join. Wallflower was worried about this, fearing she would mess up and people would make fun of her, but thankfully her new friends were there and supported her. With that support, she was able to come out of her shell.

What's more, Wallflower also got her own page of the yearbook as the best gardener. That page was signed by Flash and the Rainbooms, Wallflower unable to stop herself from crying when it happened. Now there was no way she would ever be forgotten again.

Yes, things were great at Canterlot High. There wasn't a single thing that could ruin-

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow cried when she saw their picture for best friends, which was located right next to Bulk Biceps. She slowly closed the book and when she did, she saw that she was the only one whose face touched Bulk's muscles. "Seriously?!" The others laughed at this, unable to stop themselves when they saw Rainbow's upset face.

Yup, everything was great.
> A Sandy Competition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another sunny day and the group were enjoying themselves on the beach. Flash, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow were all lounging around since Twilight, Sunset and Pinkie had gone off to follow a treasure map Sunset had found and Fluttershy was off talking to the fish and crabs in the ocean. Flash was listening to some music while Rarity was sunbathing and Applejack and Rainbow were relaxing after the pair had tied at a swimming race.

But it was here that Flash was pulled from his thoughts as something blocked the sunlight. Opening his eyes, he saw Scootaloo smiling down at him with Sweetie and Applebloom beside her. The trio were carrying multiple buckets and spades, almost too many to carry. "Hey!" She smirked when he removed his headphones, "Wanna hear an idea we had?"

"Sure," Flash yawned as he sat up, the other girls listening in.

"Let's have a sandcastle contest," Sweetie declared, "We'll try and make the best structure we can build and at the end, we decide on a winner."

"We thought it might be more fun to have the teams be siblings," Applebloom added as the teens shared a glance.

"Alright!" Rainbow leapt to her feet, "Let's do this! Come on Scoot, let's make the best sandcastle the world has ever seen!"

Scootaloo smiled while the others frowned. "No fair," Applejack stood up. "If both you and Flash help, then that gives you an unfair advantage."

"Indeed," Rarity chimed in as she stood up as well. "Does it even count if you're not technically sisters?"

"Hey!" Rainbow threw an arm around Scootaloo, "Scoots and I are sisters in every way that matters. Not my fault your sisters don't have a brother as well." A cough from Applebloom made the girl turn to her before rolling her eyes, "Well...one that happens to be here."

Flash let out a long sigh before speaking, "Hang on everyone. How about this?" They all turned to him, "We need someone to judge. Why don't I do that and Rainbow help Scootaloo? That way we can all be involved, and the teams are fair. Plus, you know I won't just give the win to Scootaloo even if her castle's the worst one."

The girls all smiled and nodded. "No problem," Rainbow responded, "You'll give the win to us either way, cause our castle's gonna be the best." Scootaloo nodded as Flash took out his phone and looked at the time.

"Alright. I'm setting the timer for an hour and a half. You have until then to make your castles. Ready?" The girls handed their sisters buckets and spades, "And...GO!"

With that, the girls ran to the water in order to get what they needed. Rainbow used her super speed to make several quick trips, wetting the area she and Scootaloo had picked within seconds. Rarity had foregone the buckets and was using her gem constructs to make a giant basin, which she dipped into the water and lifted it up once full. Taking it over to the area she and Sweetie had picked, she made a small gap between two pieces and let the water gently slosh out and soak the sand.

"Wow," Applebloom whistled before turning to Applejack. "Can you do something like that? Maybe if we find a really big bucket-"

"Now hold on sugarcube," Applejack interrupted, "Using their magic to build their castles might work for them, but we in the Apple family do things the way they're supposed to be done." She emptied her small bucket onto the sand as Applejack did the same, barely covering a tenth of the area they would need. "Now go get some more water and I'll start working on the foundation." Applebloom sighed, but did as she was told.

"Oh yeah!" Rainbow cheered as they started building up the sides of the castle. "This bad boy's gonna be the biggest sandcastle the world's ever seen. So big that a person could actually live in it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Scootaloo asked, "We've only got an hour and a half."

"Relax. I got this." With that, she started using her super speed to build up the sides of the castle. She was moving so fast that Scootaloo dare not try and help in fear of accidently knocking into her. So she just sat there, a pout on her face.

Rarity and Sweetie were also starting to work on their castle, with Rarity believing the best way to win was the same way she believed everything was meant to be done: With flare. "Instead of bigger, let's make it better." She started sculpting the sand into a wave-like shape, though the thing looked like it was gonna fall over any moment. "We'll design it to resemble the ocean, as a memento to our time here."

"That sounds fun," Sweetie replied, "Oh, maybe we can decorate with shells or something?" Rarity flinched at the idea as she stared at the fragile shape.

"We'll see how it looks once it's completed." Sweetie nodded and the pair got to work, only for Sweetie to quickly fall under scrutiny. "No dear, not like that. Here, let me show you." She redid the wall Sweetie had made, her sister frowning and trying again. But as she did, Rarity butted in again and remade it from scratch. After the third time of this, Sweetie just sat back and crossed her arms with a pout.

Applebloom had finally brought enough water over as Applejack was slowly packing the sand together. "Careful," the older apple stated as she gently tapped the sand into shape. "Careful. Careful." Applebloom got to work as well, patting the sand together as well. But when Applejack saw how hard she was hitting it, she looked terrified. "Gently!" She yelled, making Applebloom flinch before patting so weakly that it barely any contact. "Perfect. But yah gotta use less sand. Too much and it won't compact right." She showed Applebloom the little amount of sand she was using, barely fitting half her hand.

"But if you use too little, it'll take forever to make a castle."

"Slow and steady wins the race," Applejack responded, "Let the others rush and make a flimsy castle that'll blow over in the lightest wind. Our's will still be standing strong." She kept working again, his pace so slow that the water in the areas they hadn't touched dried out. "Why don't yah go get more water?"

Applebloom huffed and got up to do just that, then noticed Scootaloo and Sweetie sitting back as their teammates worked on their own overly elaborate castles. Flash also saw this and sighed, "Maybe making a this a contest wasn't a good idea." He then glanced back at the trio and gestured to them, "Say, why don't we change things up a bit girls?" he asked them, all three soon grinning at his idea.





Almost an hour and a half later...

In the time since they had started, Rainbow's castle was now almost seven feet tall, though it looked more like a tower than a castle. "Oh yeah!" She cheered while patting more sand on top of it, "Winning castle right here."

Rarity's castle was only two feet tall, but it was probably the most spectacularly built castle ever made on the beach. It looked more like a famous opera house then it did a castle, with multiple wave-shaped protrusions sticking out of it. She was now using her nail file to carefully carve into the sand, making the shell and starfish shapes her sister had suggested beforehand. "Marvellous," she smiled as she finished the final shell shape.

Meanwhile, Applejack's castle...wasn't even a castle. It was just a large mound of sand with a flat surface she intended to build her castle on. "Yeah!" She chuckled, "Now that's a foundation. Whatever's built'll probably last a thousand years."

"Five minutes," Flash's voice filled the air as Applejack's eyes went wide.

"What?!" She yelped, spinning around to see the teen staring at his phone before showing it to her, which showed it counting down from five minutes. "Ya'll gotta be kidding me!" She looked over at Rainbow and Rarity's castles, which were both looking completed. "Errr..." she looked over at the bucket and quickly started filling it with sand, packing it in tight.

"Ha!" Rainbow laughed, "There's no way you'll make a castle better and bigger than mine." She crossed her arms gleefully, only to hear someone yell out.

"Heads up!" Suddenly, a volleyball flew over and slammed into the top of her castle. This caused the top to break off and fall to the ground, while the remaining top half began to crack and break.

"NO!" Rainbow cried before turning to glare at the teens that were playing twenty feet away.

"Sorry," the guy who called out told her. "We spiked it a bit too hard."

"Look at what you did!" Rainbow roared as she pointed back at her sand tower.

"We said sorry. Not our fault you made it so big it's impossible to miss. Can we have our ball back?" Rainbow hissed at him, but grabbed the ball and threw it back, then tried to save her castle. However, the damage done had also caused the foundation to rock and crack without her noticing, so when she tried putting more sand on top of it, the whole thing went timber.

"AHHH!" She cried as her sandcastle collapsed.

Rarity flinched at the sight, only to glance down at her castle, "Not that that was ever in doubt..." she whispered as she continued to do a few more carvings in the side of the sand. But as she wanted to not have a single piece of her castle go without a form of decoration, she had over carved it. The groves that made up the shell and starfish shapes had morphed into structural weaknesses in the strangely designed castle, which caused large cracks to appear.

"Wait!" She yelped at the sight, trying to repair the damage. But the tips of the wave-shaped building began to fall off, causing the rest of the pretty building to start crumbling. "No!" She tried to save it, but the whole thing fell apart before she could even think of a way to do so.

She looked ready to start crying, the pain even more so when she heard Flash call out, "Alright girls, times up!" Flash turned to their three disasters of castles, the only one that even remotely looked like one being Applejack.

"What do yah think?" Applejack asked, smirking at Flash as she looked over at the other two's and knew hers at least looked like a castle.

"Well..." Flash shined a giant grin, "It's obvious who the winning castle belongs too." Applejack nodded, "Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle."

"Huh?" The three sisters looked around for their partners, only to now realize they hadn't been around for a while. They then turned to Flash as he was looking off in another direction, the three following his gaze before their eyes went wide. "WHAT!?"

Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were standing behind a castle they had built themselves. It was roughly three feet tall, with a large flat mound with a moat surrounding it. It had several towers with flags on the top and different shells for windows and a front door.

"Ha...how?" Was all Applejack could say, the other two equally amazed.

"Well, since you three weren't letting them chip in, they decided to do their own castle." Flash stepped over to give it a better look, "And clearly it's the better one." The girls all cheered at this and high-fived, their sisters just staring in shock.

"I see..." Rarity sighed as she walked up to the trio, "I'm sorry girls."

"Guess we got carried away," Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck.

Applejack pulled her hat down over her eyes, "Our bad." The younger girls all giggled at them, soon telling them they forgave them as Flash chuckled.

"Well, I think we should celebrate the girls' victory with some ice cream. Losers pay for winners...and the judge." The girls all sighed, but agreed. With that, the seven went over to the concession stand while the CMC Castle stood strong and proud. A moment later, a crab scuttled up to it as the shell door fell down to make a bridge over the moat. It crawled inside, pulling the shell back up as it found a place to call home until high tide
> Unsolved Selfie Mystery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still enjoying their time at the beach and having recently helped some baby sea turtles make it to the ocean, Flash and his friends were messing around. "Sand ball fight!" Flash yelled as he threw a hunk of sand at someone that had recently joined him and the girls.

"Hey!" Iron cried, as he, First and Heather turned to Flash as the teen smirked. "Oh..." he growled as he made his own sand ball, "You're in for it now!" He threw the sand at Flash, but the teen easily dodged it.

"Ha!" He laughed, "You'll have to do better than-HEY!" Flash yelped as a pair of sand balls hit him in the side. He turned to Heather and First, both smiling as they held up another ball of sand. "Oh, it's double on!"

Springer, who was happily panting beside him, barked enthusiastically as Flash and the others continued their game for several minutes. As they did this, they ran along to an area where Twilight, Sunset, Pinkie and Fluttershy were. "Say cheese sandwich!" The pink party lover yelled as the four huddled close together to get into the frame. She snapped the photo seconds before a sand ball flew past their faces.

"HEY!" Sunset yelled before turning to the Royal Knights, glaring at them. "Careful! If you accidently hit someone in the face and get sand in their eyes, you'll be in big trouble!"

"Oh, don't be such a worry wart," Iron grumbled as he made another sand ball.

"She might be right," First added, "Maybe we should try and find an activity that is not so...chaotic." Iron rolled his eyes as Pinkie checked her phone and saw the picture came out great despite the sand ball.

"Okay," she told the girls, "Once more with Gruyère!" But as she was about to swipe off the picture, Twilight squinted her eyes at the photo.

"Wait." She pointed to a section of the picture above Sunset's head that showed the open ocean. "What's that splotchy thing in the background?" The others followed her finger, the Royal Knights also looking and seeing a strange black shape. They couldn't quite make out the image, but it looked like the neck and head of something that was swimming under the water.

They spun around to the ocean, only to not see see anything that looked like the image, but they were all thinking the same thing. "It's a sea monster!" Sunset gasped, "We just caught it on camera!"

"Hold on," Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

"Twilight..." Flash spoke up, "We live in a world parallel to a magical one full of talking ponies with our faces and have gone up against monsters from that world that were somehow sent here. Hate to break it to you, but it being a sea monster's a pretty valid suggestion."

The others nodded and Twilight growled at him, Flash knowing she hated him using logic. That is, till Pinkie exclaimed, "A sea monster?! I gotta see it to believe it!" She turned to Sunset, "But I already believe it!"

The two girls squeed as Fluttershy activated her geode and listened toward the ocean. "But I don't hear anything."

"Maybe that thing doesn't have a sea monster setting," Heather joked.

"Or maybe it isn't making any noise right now," First added, "If it has stayed undetected this long, it must be a rather quiet individual."

"Something's out there," Sunset announced with a look of excitement on her face. "And I'm gonna find out what it is! Who's with me?!"

"Ooh!" Pinkie held up a hand, "Over here!"

"I'll go." Fluttershy grabbed a pair of goggles and a snorkel, "Maybe I can hear it better underwater."

"I'll come too." Iron stated before slightly glancing over to Fluttershy, "You know...just in case this thing isn't friendly. If it tries anything, I'll clobber it." Fluttershy giggled and nodded before Iron went off to get his own goggles and snorkel, the others chuckling at his attempts to sound macho.

Flash then turned to Twilight, "So what about you? Gonna try and build some weird contraption that you think will locate the creature underwater?"

"Don't be silly," Twilight replied, "All my inventing tools are back at home." She turned to walk away, "I'll do some investigating of my own around the beach."

Heather turned to Flash and asked, "You gonna go with her?"

"Nah," he responded, "She'll be fine on her own." He turned to her and First, "Wanna try and find it ourselves?" They nodded and the three decided to head up to the pier along with Springer while Sunset and Pinkie wanted to look around the beach for any sign of the creature. "So..." Flash said once they were at the edge of the pier. "If I was a sea monster, where would I hide?"

"Out at sea," First suggested, "Honestly, I see no reason why a sea creature would be in such shallow waters."

"Maybe it's a baby," Heather commented as she watched Iron and Fluttershy swimming out to the horse head-shaped rock. "There won't be many predators around to hurt it in such a small amount of water."

"Maybe," Flash continued as he stared out over the pier, only to see nothing, "Hmmm....where are you?" He decided to take a small glance toward the beach and spotted Twilight up on the lifeguard's control base. She had Fluttershy's bird watching binoculars and was looking out at the sea like they were, though she could probably see more. Flash then noticed someone walking up to her, his eyes going wide, "Is that...Timber?"

First and Heather turned to where he was looking, now seeing the Camp Everfree counsellor moseying along the beach and up to the control base. "Oh yeah," Heather chimed in, "I ran into him earlier. Apparently, he's working at the beach this year."

"You know what," Flash tried to casually say as he started to walk off the pier, "I think I'll go make sure Twilight doesn't get into trouble. You now how she is...and how things can go wrong with stuff like this."

"Right..." Heather giggled as Flash turned back to glare at her, only to glance down at Springer.

"Let's go bud." He cut into a sprint, Springer following suit as the pair quickly reached the beach and jumped down. As he did this, Timber reached the control base and walked up to the gangplank, staring at Twilight as she didn't notice him, the girl still staring at the ocean.

"Whatcha lookin' for?" He spoke up, Twilight still looking through the binoculars.

"Answers!" She barked, making Timber slightly flinch as Flash and Springer reached them.

"Hey Twilight," he leapt up the steps. "See anything yet? We weren't able to find squat where we were looking." He turned to Timber with a low stare, "Oh...hey Timber."

"Hey Flash," Timber replied with a slight grumble, a frown trying to appear on his face, "So...you two still going strong?"

"Yup," Twilight smiled while turning to Flash, "And no. I can't see anything out there that might be a sea monster." Timber went wide-eyed at this as Flash walked up and saw Sunset and Pinkie were getting ready to go in the water themselves.

"Hurry!" Flash heard Sunset say, the teen using his geode to heighten his sense of hearing. "We have to move quickly so it doesn't get too far away!"

"I'm ready!" Pinkie cheered as she put on her goggles, Sunset about to rush in, only for Pinkie to stop her. "I'M NOT READY!" She looked around, "Where's my floatie?"

"There's no time!" But as Sunset said that, Pinkie let out a gasp.

Twilight stared where Pinkie was looking, only to also gasp as she saw a dark shape covered in seaweed that was slowly making its way toward Pinkie and Sunset. "Oh no! Our friends!" She shoved the binoculars into Timber's hands as she, Flash and Springer leapt down the gangplank. "Sunset Shimmer! Pinkie Pie! Watch out!" They quickly ran, Flash grabbing some plastic shovels out of the sand as they did so. Timber soon followed them as Sunset and Pinkie ran back up the beach.

"We saw it!" The pony turned human cried, "We saw the monster again!"

"I know!" Twilight nodded. "I saw it, too!" As she said that, First and Heather arrived, having noticed the creature from the pier.

"See?" Sunset told them all, "I told you! It was real!"

"It's not only real!" Pinkie yelped before pointing at the creature, "it's right there!" The being went into the shallows, Timber letting out a scream as he hid behind Twilight.

"Get behind me!" Flash yelled as he raised the shovels in his hands, First and Heather stepping up with him before Flash threw First the second shovel. "CHARGE!" They charged, Springer barking as they did so.

But as they got closer, they quickly saw it wasn't one creature, but two. Both that were covered in seaweed, one seeing the charging quartet and pushing the other one behind them. "Wait!" Flash stated before they stopped, "That's not a sea monster!" The creature pushed the seaweed off its head to reveal Iron Core, "It's just a regular monster that went for a dip."

"Funny," Iron grumbled as he pulled the last of the seaweed off of him. As he did this, Fluttershy stepped up and removed the seaweed covered item currently on her head.

"I think I caught our monster," she giggled as she showed them all a pink rubber blow-up toy in the shape of a flamingo. Pinkie gasped as Fluttershy removed the seaweed.

"My floatie!" She let out a laugh, "Foiled again." The others shared a glance, wondering if this was the first time the floatie had gotten away from the pink girl. Timber, who was still hiding behind Twilight, let out a nervous chuckle as he let go of her and whistled. "Oh!" Pinkie hugged the toy, "I knew you would come back to me!" She then ran off back into the water, the monster hunters all wondering what they should do now.

"I think I'll go back out," Fluttershy put her goggles back on before turning to Iron. "Do you want to come with?"

Iron just shrugged. "Sure." he lowered his goggles, "Beats doing nothing." They headed back into the water while the others headed up the beach.

"Well...that was certainly an adventure."

"Yes," Twilight nodded as she grabbed Flash's hand and pulled him close to put her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for protecting me." Flash chuckled and couldn't help but glance over at Timber, who was back on the lifeguard tower with a pout on his face. Yup, today was certain a fun day.
> New Students
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the first day of summer vacation and Flash and Twilight were sitting in Sugarcube Corner. "How long will it be until they get here?" Flash asked, Twilight checking her watch.

"Can't be much longer. We did get here pretty early, so we shouldn't be surprised they're taking a while."

"True." Flash sighed as they sat there, thinking back to the meeting they had both had two days ago.





Two Days Ago...

The pair were in Celestia's office, having been called there on the second to last day of school. They wondered what it was that Celestia wanted to talk to them about, especially since there was only one day left of the school year. Worry was plain on their faces, only to see a giant grin on Celestia's face as they stepped into the room.

"Flash, Twilight." She gestured to them to sit, "Glad you came. I have some important news to share with you."

"Are we in trouble?" Twilight asked, her face still showing a bit of worry.

"Of course not." Celestia responded while shaking her head, "Just the opposite, actually. I was hoping that maybe you'd be willing to help me with something." The pair shared a glance at this, "You see, you've both settled in rather well here at Canterlot High...and I was hoping you might be willing to help two new students do the same thing."

"New students?" Flash asked, "But tomorrow's the last day of school."

"Yes, these two will be joining us starting next term. I was just hoping you could spend a few days this summer hanging around with them, showing them around and introducing them to some of your friends so they don't feel so out of place next year."

Flash and Twilight shared a glance before Twilight pointed to herself, "Is there a reason you want us to help with this?"

"Well, you two are also still new, so I think you could use that to help them. That and these two have had a rather tricky past. They lost their parents young and have been bounced around the foster care system. If it doesn't work out here, they may be separated."

"That's horrible," Twilight gasped. "Well, we'll do what we can to help them get settled in. Right Flash?"

"You know it," Flash nodded. "So, who are these two?" Celestia looked through her papers and nodded, then handed them a folder with the image of two young people on it.

"Yes, their names are..."





"Fire Heart and Shining Soul," Flash repeated while leaning back in his chair, "What are the odds that this world's version of our counterpart's students would show up, and we'd be the ones to take them under our wing?"

"I guess destiny is just weird that way," Twilight replied, "Though, I don't think we should tell them about that part. We might freak them out."

"We can't exactly leave out the whole magic thing," Flash added, "They'll figure it out eventually, and be even more terrified."

Twilight shrugged at this, "I won't disagree...but we should ease them into it. Not just throw the whole magic thing at them out of nowhere." Flash nodded back as the door's chime rang, making them turn to see the kids they were meant to look after. "Heart," she waved, "Soul." Flash got his first look at the pair and went wide-eyed as he saw that they looked exactly like the humanoid version of his counterpart's students. They were dressed the exact same, and had their hair styled the same way. It was like someone had taken a picture of the pony versions.

"Hello," Soul said quietly as she and Heart sat down, "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Twilight smiled, "We've heard so much about you."

"And we've heard absolutely nothing about you," Heart responded, only to see Twilight frown at him, "Uh...sorry. This isn't the first time we've had to meet students from our new school. Same thing happened last year until we had to move."

"Why'd you move?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Heart...kind of got expelled," Soul muttered, both now raising an eyebrow at this.

"It wasn't my fault!" Heart exclaimed, "This bully put a bunch of cherry bombs in my bag and used them to blow up half the toilets in the school. He ratted me out and I got expelled."

"That's horrible," Twilight gasped, Flash remembering a similar incident happening to Twilight once. Only it had been stink bombs in the teacher's lounge, though Flash had managed to grab the stink bombs and sneak them into the perpetrator's bag.

"Well, don't worry about that." Flash responded, "Nothing like that's gonna happen at CHS. Everyone there looks out for each other. That's why I like it so much." Twilight nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure?" Soul asked, "We've been to schools that look nice on the surface, but they always end with us getting into trouble for something we didn't do."

"Well, don't worry," Twilight assured, "You've got us looking out for you this time, and we don't let anyone get in trouble if they don't deserve it." She got up, "Now why don't I get us all a milkshake and you two can ask any question you have about CHS." They nodded and Twilight headed for the counter while Heart turned to Flash.

"I heard CHS is a super weird place."

"What do you mean?" Flash responded, Heart shrugging.

"Well, I just heard some rumors. Like, apparently there was a massive rainbow-looking light show that appeared earlier this year. And then another one at the nearby park."

"Yeah," Soul nodded, "And apparently there was a huge electrical storm that only covered the school and nowhere else." Flash blinked at this, his mind going back to the many magic events he's already been a part of as she added, "Is it something we should be worried about?"

"What? No. Trust me, CHS is a great place to go to school." He replied while waving his hand, only for Twilight to return carrying four milkshakes. The glasses all appeared side by side, but Flash could tell she was actually using her magic to carry them. "Hey Twilight, these two apparently heard some strange rumors about weird stuff happening at the school."

"Oh?" Twilight raised an eyebrow while putting the milkshakes down. "What weird stuff?"

"Rainbows coming from the school and a nearby amphitheater."

"And the storm that surrounded only the school," Soul pointed out as Twilight felt a bead of sweat appear on her face.

"Oh, you shouldn't take too much stock in those silly rumors." Twilight waved her hand as well, "CHS is just like any other school." The twins' eyes narrowed as they saw her quickly look away and slurp up a bunch of her milkshake until she almost gave herself brain freeze.

"So...there's nothing weird about CHS?" Heart asked.

"Well," Flash slurped some of his milkshake, "Every school has something strange about it. It's just something you've gotta learn to accept." The raised an eyebrow at this, "But enough about that. Why don't we talk about what you wanna do when you get to school next term? There's a ton of different clubs you can join."

As they enjoyed their milkshakes, the two older teens began telling the twins about all the clubs there were. Heart and Soul both seemed interested in a few of them, but still seemed curious about the rumors and kept trying to go back to that. And when they finished their drinks, they decided to head out to show the two the best sights of the town.

"The funny wig club?" Heart asked as they left the bakery, "That can't be a real thing."

"Oh, it's a real thing. Our friend Pinkie came up with it and it's a lot of fun."

"What do you do then?"

"Anything we want," Twilight giggled, "Only we do them while wearing the funny wigs. Like play board games, make paper-mache sculptures, or whatever else is suggested. One time we spent the entire club time learning to break-dance in our wigs." The twins chuckled at that thought, Flash smirking at the memory.

They headed down the street to the area Flash had parked, but as they walked, they heard the sound of laughter and turned to see a bunch of young kids running down the opposite side of the street with a ball in hand. They were throwing the ball to one another, bouncing it off the ground during each pass. However, one kid bounced the ball so hard it sailed over the head and into the middle of the road, the other kids glaring at him as he ran out to retrieve it.

He was so focused on the ball that he didn't notice a bus rolling down the street. "Look out!" One of his friends yelled, but the kid was already in the middle of the street. He grabbed the ball as the bus beeped and tried to stop, but it was too late. Twilight, Heart and Soul all gasped at this, expecting to see the kid's untimely demise, only for a surge of lightning to appear beside them. Flash instantly ran down the street, grabbing the kid before leaping straight up, the bus racing below him. And as he fell back down, he landed on top of the bus, Flash and the kid rolling along until they reached the end. There, he leapt off the bus and landed back on the road while the bus finally came to a stop.

Flash put the kid down and looked him over, "You okay?" The kid nodded. "Good. Now try to stay out of the road. And wait to play with your ball until you get somewhere safer." The kid nodded again and ran off, his friends running off with him. Flash let out of sigh at this, then turned to Twilight and saw Heart and Soul's shocked expressions.

"How...how did you do that?" Heart asked, as Flash stepped back onto the sidewalk with them. "You moved at super speed and leapt liked twenty feet!"

"And what was that lightning around you?" Soul added, Flash and Twilight sharing a glance.

"Ooookay," Flash replied, "There's something about our school you need to know." The twins shared a glance and as the older teens led them to Flash's car, the two starting to tell them about the magic that they all had. They told them about how their school was located beside a portal to a world of magic and how it leaked into their world and affected certain members of the student body.

"So...everyone at the school has magic?" Heart asked with star filled eyes.

"No," Twilight shook her head, "Just Flash, me and five of our friends."

"You have magic too?" Soul gasped, Twilight nodding back. "What can you do? Can you fly?"

"No...er, kinda. When I pony up, I..." Twilight looked around, making sure nobody was watching before turning her attention to a nearby trash can. "Watch this." He grasped her geode and held her hands to the can, which began to glow. Heart and Soul watched in amazement as a bunch of garbage started flying out of the trash can and floated around.

"Wow," Heart whispered, "That's awesome."

The older teens chuckled as Twilight put the garbage back.

"Sorry we didn't tell you earlier," Flash added, "We didn't want to freak you out. We were gonna tell you when you got used to us...and you would eventually see it at school."

"We get it," Soul nodded, "If you had told us, we probably wouldn't have believed you."

"Or we would have freaked out," Heart continued, "So...those rumors we heard about the school, those all have something to do with this magic?" They nodded back, "Cool."

"Just do us a favor and don't tell anyone," Twilight pleaded. "If the wrong person found out that there was a portal to another world besides out school, who knows what problems that could cause." Heart and Soul shared a glance, then nodded back.

"Alright," Heart assured her, "We won't tell a soul."

"But you've gotta show us what the rest of your friends can do," Soul added with a cheeky grin. Flash and Twilight grinned at this as they reached Flash's car. Heart and Soul were now a lot more excited about life at their new school. If magical events were going to happen, they were sure to be in for a fun time. And with their new friends there to watch out for them, hopefully they would be able to stick around long enough to graduate. Time would only tell what interesting adventures were awaiting them and their new friends
> Special: Rollercoaster of Friendship PT1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equestria Land: The newest theme park to grace the land, with tons of rides, games and booths for the paying public to enjoy. It was still two weeks away from opening, but despite that, the place was full of activity as the workers prepared for the park opening. This included Vignette Valencia, the park's public relations officer, who was making sure the park was popular with her extensive knowledge of the local trends. But as she did this, she found she was up to date on trends so much that she kept changing her mind about what was hip and fly every fifteen minutes, the workers not going with her due to this.

Currently, she was talking to her designer about the outfits needed for the opening day parade. "B.Y.B.B," she said as she continued texting and snapping selfies. "Be yourself, but better." She turned to the woman she was berating, who was dressed in a white overcoat and shades. "Do you even have a philosophy?"

"G.W.I.Q," The woman replied after a moment of thinking. "Guess vhat. I qvit." With that, she spun around to march off. This made Vignette sigh and turned to the half dressed actors on one of the floats.

"I need a stress salad!" She ran over to a park table and plonked her butt down, staring at her phone as one of the actors placed a salad down. "Where am I gonna find a new costume designer for the light parade with only two weeks left?!" The performer smiled and was about to speak, but Vignette slapped her hand over his mouth. "I'm not promoting you." He grumbled at this and walked off as Vignette sighed before putting her phone down and turning to her salad. "If only I could put a filter on real life to make everything the way I want it."

Then, as if the universe was answering her desire, a cloud of purple energy flew down from the sky. It flew behind her back and then shot into her phone, causing the pink smiley face phone cover to turn to a purple grumpy face one. Vignette didn't notice this, instead just pointing her phone at her food, "Only way to feel better is getting ten thousand likes with the perfect salad pic." She took a picture, but as she hit the button, the phone's camera unleashed a light that enveloped the salad bowl.

In a flash, the salad vanished and Vignette's eyes went wide. She blinked at this, quickly glancing around to see if anyone else saw that, then focused back on the phone. She pressed a new button on the screen and the salad appeared in the phone's viewfinder...but it didn't return to the table.

She flicked her finger across the screen and when she did, the salad image changed to a different type of salad. She did it again and now found she was staring at a fruit salad, "Did somebody install a new app on my phone?" She pressed a button and the camera unleashed another light, which took shape and formed the fruit salad image currently on the phone. She slowly reached out and touched it, but her finger went straight through the image. It was like some kind of hologram, the sight making her grin, "Cause I like it!"





Summer vacation was in full swing, the many teens enjoying their time off from school the way most did, hanging out at the mall. This included Flash, the Rainbooms and some of their new friends. Fire Heart and Shining Soul hadn't been around for long, but they had quickly started making friends thanks to Flash and Twilight while also being made aware of the magic that each of the teens possessed.

Flash had invited them to hang out, the pair happily accepting the invitation. They had spent most of the morning at the arcade, racking up win after win on any game they found available. But now lunch had arrived, and they needed to stock up on food after the intense gaming they had just done. The only members of the friend group that hadn't been at the arcade were Rarity and Applejack, but when they reached the food court, they spotted the pair sitting together looking a little worried. Rarity had said something to Applejack, who took out her phone and sighed as she replied to whatever Rarity had said.

They then reached the table, some sitting down as Pinkie looked at the two before putting her hands on her hips. "Somebody has un-spilled beans at this table, and it's not me, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, Fire Heart, Shining Soul or Sunset Shimmer!"

Applejack took a deep breath, "Rarity and I applied for summer jobs at the new theme park."

"Equestria Land?" Pinkie asked as she sat down, "Wait...will you get to go there for free?!"

"Actually," Applejack chuckled, "They pay us to go there." This caused Pinkie to let out a bunch of unintelligible squeals, the others chuckling at the sight, "We applied to work side-by-side as caramel apple girls."

"I don't think I could do that," Soul chimed in, "Being surrounded by so much delicious fruit and sweets? There's no way I'd be able to not sneak out some."

Heart nodded in agreement while the others just rolled their eyes. "Well," Rarity added, "It's not that I'm nervous, but...Applejack, you're perfect for the job. And, well, my résumé is less apple-centric."

Applejack laughed at this, "Eh, we'll be together. Ah got a good feelin'." Rarity slowly nodded, but then looked at her phone and huffed.

"No missed calls while we were talking about caramel apples. Shall we practice answering our phones and sounding calm?"

But as she said that, their phones beeped and dinged, causing them both to start screaming.

"That was about as calm as Pinkie Pie on Cake Day," Sunset giggled as Pinkie gasped.

"Was it today?! DID I MISS IT?!"

"No," Flash put a hand on her shoulder, "You're still good. Breath Pinkie." The girl slurped her fruit smoothie as Rarity and Applejack stared at their phones.

"One new e-mail!"

"It's from the park!" Applejack cheered before she and Rarity spoke in unison. "You open yours first! No, you open yours first!" This made them laugh, the others smiling as Applejack made the suggestion. "Okay, okay. Same time. One, two-"

"Too late!" Rarity announced, "I opened mine!" She let out an excited scream, but then red the email. "Oh. They said I'm overqualified for caramel apple girl." The others frowned at this, only for Rarity to gasp, looking like someone had just left a bunch of the latest fashion dresses in her room. "They want me to be lead parade costume designer!"

"Seriously?" Flash asked as the girls cheered for Rarity.

"You haven't even started, and you already got promoted!" Twilight added.

"That's gotta be a record." Rainbow commented.

"Ah didn't get the job." They all turned to Applejack, showing a half frown, half smile. "But ah'm really happy for you Rarity."

"Oh, pffft. There must be a mix-up, darling."

The others nodded as Pinkie spoke up. "Obviously, the internet mailman gave you the wrong letter." Twilight was about to say something, but Pinkie just patted Twilight's shoulder, "I know that's not how the internet works, but I'm trying to cheer you up."

"Technically," Twilight responded, "Rarity didn't get the job either since she got a different job. So, they're probably about to send another e-mail with your promotion."

"Yeah," Flash nodded, "You just wait. You're gonna be manager of apple products at the park. I bet they use so many apples there, they'll need an expert on it to help them use the apples to their best abilities."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this, but then her phone buzzed and she gasped. She opened the email, only to let out a groan, "Just a sale at Stinky Bottom's Discount Hat Emporium."

Rainbow leaned over at this, "Forty percent off!" Applejack then glared at her, "Oh. Sorry...not helping."

"Well," Rarity poked her fingers together, "I'm not going to accept it without you, obviously. Pfft."

"What?!" Applejack yelped, "You cannot let this opportunity pass you by Rarity! Think of all those vision boards, the late-night sewin'. This has been your dream since...since kindy-garten."

Rarity gulped, "Preschool, actually." She looked at the email again, everyone being able to tell she so wanted it. "But that's not the point. My mind is made up. We planned to spend the summer together, and... that's what we're going to do. Riiiiiiiight?"

She gave Applejack a pleading look, only for Applejack to cross her arms, "You're takin' the job, and that's final."

"Okay, if you insist!" Rarity let out an excited squeal as the others gathered around her to congratulate her. "I'm gonna be a costume designer!" They all cheered for her, Flash offering to buy them all celebratory fruit smoothies.

Hearing that, Applejack let out a nervous laugh. "All right. I probably shouldn'ta quit my old job this mornin', huh?"

"I'm sure they haven't replaced you already." But when they turned to a nearby fruit stand, they saw someone Applejack knew hadn't been working there before she quit. As Flash gave his order, Bulk Biceps turned to the many blends and tried to figure out how they worked, throwing a bunch of fruit into them before picking the blender up and shook it himself. This seemed to work, until the blender's lid flew off and sent the smoothies flying all over him.

Sunset and Applejack shared a glance, wondering if the fruit stand would beg her to come back.





Unfortunately, they didn't, and Applejack was stuck helping out on the farm over the summer. Rarity began working at Equestria Land the very next day, and over the next two weeks, her friends barely saw hide nor hair of her. She would occasionally call one of them whenever she had a spare moment, but she was basically silent.

As this happened, Flash and Heart were outside Flash's house with the teen's super car hoisted up on jacks. Flash was on a skateboard, working on something beneath the vehicle as Heart sat beside it, giving Springer a good scratch behind the ear. "You are a cute little guy," he told the pup. "Wish I had a dog like you." The beast let out a happy pant as Flash rolled out from under the car.

"Eighteen spanner." Heart looked over at Flash's toolbox and took out the tool before handing it over. And as Flash rolled back under the car, Twilight and Soul ran out of the house.

"Flash!"

"OW!" The teen groaned, Twilight's sudden calling of his name causing him to lift his head up. Flash moaned as he rolled out from under the car, holding his head. "What?!"

"I just got a call from Rarity!" Twilight replied, "She was able to get us VIP passes to Equestria Land's opening day!"

"Seriously?" Flash gasped, "That's awesome!"

Twilight nodded. "She got passes for us, our friends, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, and even ones for Heart and Soul."

"AWESOME!" Heart cheered, "I've always wanted to go to a theme park!"

"You've never been to one?" Flash asked, the twins shaking their heads. "Well then, we're gonna make sure you get to have the full theme park experience." The twins smiled at this as Flash and Twilight nodded, promising that they would make sure these two got the full experience.





The day of Equestria Land's opening had arrived, the teen all reaching the entrance at around the same time. As soon as they were in, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran off to go have fun on their own. Heart and Soul chose to stick with the older kids, not sure what to do first given their limited theme park experience.

"Equestria Land opening day!" Pinkie cheered as she saw the many rollercoasters, a ferris wheel and even a haunted house. "What should we do first? Appleloosa Wild West Stunt Show? Nightmare Moon's Haunted Castle? Sugarcube Everything?!"

"Now, hang on." Applejack stopped her before she could run off, "Ah got the sense Rarity's overwhelmed, which is understandable. Ah mean, she's all alone here without any of her friends. Which is why ah wouldn'ta taken the job, but that's just me. Uh, point is, we're here to support Rarity."

As she said that, a loud bunch of screams filled the air, and they all turned to see several girls rush over to a woman. Photo Finish had even appeared, and was taking a picture.

"Huh?" Applejack scratched her head. "Uh...which character is that?"

"It's not a character, silly!" Pinkie giggled, "That's Vignette Valencia! She's famous on Snapgab, which you'd know if you actually logged in once in a while." She handed Applejack her phone, "You're missing my 'One Cupcake Every Day' series."

"She posts a lot of pictures of her Welsh corgi named Yas Queen." Fluttershy continued.

"And she's friends with, like, every awesome athlete in the world!" Rainbow added, Applejack turning to Flash and Twilight.

"Don't look at me," the techie replied, "I only follow bots that post interesting science facts."

"Never really been into Snapgab," Flash responded, "What's the point of trying to impress a bunch of people you're probably never gonna meet?"

"Ah agree." Applejack grumbled as she looked through the many images on Vignette's site. "These are her pictures?" She asked, staring at one image of her laid out on the beach. ""Chillin' sandy style? U no how I do? I came, I saw, I vintaged?" She shrugged before turning to another picture, seeing something that confused her. "Okay, somebody tell me why this picture has twenty thousand likes."

She then noticed it was actually a video and played it. In it, Vignette was laid out on her bed with her hair covering half her face. "Hashtag, bangs," she whispered almost seductively.

"Uh, I don't know." She turned to the others, "Spendin' all that time just to look good in a picture ain't my idea of fun."

"There you are!" They turned to see Rarity, who waved at them as she walked up.

"Here comes the lead parade costume designer!" Applejack cheered, stepping up to hug Rarity.

"Guilty as charged!" She giggled and pulled back.

"So?" Applejack looked sheepish, "You've been here solo without your best friends all this time. How can we help?"

"Hold that thought," Rarity spun around and yelled, "Vignette! Over here!"

"You know Vignette Valencia?" Applejack asked, going wide-eyed.

"Pfft. Do I know her?" Rarity turned to Vignette and the pair did that weird kiss kiss on the cheek thing that Flash never understood. "Why, she's my best friend at the park!" Flash heard Applejack gasp, the cowgirl looking like someone had just stuck a knife through her chest.

"Selfie!" Vignette cheered, reaching for her phone but stopping. "Oh, but can we use your phone? Mine's been acting super-weird lately. Thanks. You're the best!" The pair took the picture, completely oblivious to Applejack's look of horror followed by the frown she gave them.

As she let out a low growl, Rarity turned to her friends. "Everyone, this is Vignette Valencia. She runs P.R. for the park, and she's my boss."

"I told you not to use the 'B' word," Vignette grumbled while looking up from her phone. "I'm your...friend..." She looked back at her phone, "Who gets to boss you around!" Rarity let out a nervous laugh, gesturing to the others to do the same. They, minus Applejack, did so for several seconds.

"I don't get it," Pinkie let out as Applejack rolled her eyes and Rarity stepped up to the line of friends.

"Heh. So, this is Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, Fire Heart, Shining Soul and Fluttershy." She stopped and smiled, only to hear a cough coming from behind her. "Oh!" Rarity spun around, "And Applejack. Sorry, you were standing a...I-I didn't see you." She looked back at Vignette, who was more focused on her phone at the moment. "They're my best friends. So...I thought you'd like to meet them." Vignette let out another uninterested hum as she kept typing away at her phone. "Uhhhh, fun fact...uh, we perform together in a band called the Rainbooms."

That statement seemed to get a raise out of Vignette, the woman looking up. "Rainbooms? Why is that familiar?" She looked back at her phone and typed away, "A hundred thousand followers? Focused consumer-centric demographic, too? Does your curated content consistently aggregate across multiple platforms?"

The Rainbooms shared glances, Flash grabbing the twins and pulling them away so they weren't mistaken for members of the band.

"We sing songs together!" Pinkie announced, making Vignette gasp.

"I am going to turn you into the centerpiece of tonight's light parade!"

"Uh..." Rainbow gulped, "The Rainbooms?"

But then, Vignette ran up and placed a finger on her lips. "Shhh...Are you ready?" She put an arm around her, "B.Y.B.B. Be yourself, but better!" She marched around them, "That's been my power phrase since I started my first company. A middle school girl selling artisanal handmade mascara." She wrapped an arm around Applejack and Fluttershy as she mimicked the kids from her middle school, "But isn't that just melted crayons?" She walked away. "Hey, neighsayers gonna neigh. But I say B.Y.B.B."

"Did you get any of that?" Heart asked his sister.

"Maybe every...fifth word," Soul scratched her head as Fluttershy shivered.

"Um...how many people will be watching us?"

"All of them!" Vignette announced. "What do you say?" She gave them all a hopeful smile, turning to Flash and the twins.

"Don't look at me. I'm part of a completely different band. Ever hear of the Royal Knights?" Vignette shook her head. "Eh, just wait. We're getting a CD coming out soon. We'll be an even bigger hit then the Rainbooms."

"Well, right now the Rainbooms are trending," Vignette smirked. "So, what do you say?" The girls all shared a glance, Sunset being the one to speak up.

"Well, if it's gonna help out Rarity..." The others, minus Applejack, agreed with Applejack huffing as Vignette brought up their social medias.

"Like, like, like, like, like, like. Upload and post it, ladies. This'll trend for sure! I'll at you later with the exact deets. B.Y.B.B, Rare. V, out."

She then walked off, Flash and the twins staring at the sight before turning to Rarity, "How can someone older than me make me feel so old?"

"I know. She's amazing, right?"

"She sure is...somethin'," Applejack growled as Twilight stepped up.

"Logistical question: How're we supposed to get our instruments?"

"Pfft, kuh!" Rarity waved her off, "Vignette will handle everything."

Applejack then raised her hand, "Ah got a question, too. When yah said she's yer 'best friend at the park', did you mean 'best friend, comma, at the park?"

"Did I say that?" Rarity asked before smiling. "Listen, tonight's a huge opportunity. And not just for me now, but for all of us!"

"Except us," Flash pointed out as Rainbow looked stoked.

"Let's go see the park!" She cheered as she ran over to Pinkie.

As this happened, Rarity turned to Applejack. "Honestly, I don't know why you're giving me your frowny eyebrows."

Applejack sighed, "It's nothin'." Rarity bit her lip at this, only to shake her head.

"Very well. Anyways, I hope you all uh...enjoy the park." She began to walk off, "I'm gonna be super-busy preparing for tonight. Let's meet in the staging area for sound check and run-throughs. I have three minutes' break at four o'clock, and I can give you two of them. B.Y.B.B.!" She let out a tiny laugh, "Rare, out!"

With that, she ran off as Rainbow stepped over to a still huffing Applejack, "Well, looks like Rarity doesn't need us as much as you thought. So..."

"Should we practice for the parade?" Fluttershy chimed in, "It's a little..." She hid behind her hair, "...daunting, isn't it?"

Rainbow then wrapped her arms around her and Pinkie's necks. "We know every song by heart. Wouldn't you rather go have some fun?" They all cheered and began to walk to the first section of rides, Applejack being the only one to stay where she was. After a few moments, the farm girl sighed and followed, knowing they wanted to have as much fun as possible. But as they wanted it to become a day they would never forget...

Little did they know just how unforgettable this day would truly be.
> Special: Rollercoaster of Friendship PT2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not long after entering the main park area, the friends found themselves splitting up. Rainbow dragged Fluttershy off to one of the park's best rollercoasters while Applejack and Pinkie both wandered off.

"What do you guys wanna do first?" Flash asked Heart and Soul, the two now glancing around as he, Sunset and Twilight smiled at their naivety. "Anything take your fancy?"

"What's that?" Soul asked, pointing at a circular ride with several round booths spinning around a track while spinning themselves. "The Equestrian Waltz?"

"Ooo!" Twilight clapped, "I love the waltz!" Flash nodded and they rushed to get on, managing to get the last car before the ride started up. At first the younger teens weren't impressed, but then the ride started speeding up.

"Oh yeah," Flash turned to the teens. "Are either of you prone to seizures with flashing lights?" They both shook their heads, making the teen relax as one of the workers grabbed the side of their car and spun it around. They all cheered at the movement while looking up at the ceiling. Hundreds of differently colored lights were above them, the spinning of the car causing them to see many strange shapes and squiggles.

Every now and then, a worker would stop their cars and spin them in the opposite direction, Heart and Soul quickly figuring out why Twilight loved the ride so much. It was fun and beautiful. They were almost sad that the ride soon ended, but they also didn't want to deprive anyone else of going on it.

"That was awesome!" Heart cheered, "What else is there?!"

"Games!" Soul cheered, pointing at a series of booths that had a bunch of carnival games. They both laughed and ran off, the teens chuckling at the two's child-like enjoyment. The twins quickly found a game that involved a laser-tag gun, hitting targets for a prize.

"Game on!" Heart exclaimed as he handed over a ticket and picked up the gun, watching carefully as the game started. Then, alien and spaceship targets started appearing, Heart firing and hitting each of them without issue.

"Wow," Twilight commented, "I had no idea Heart was such a good shot."

"Got great reflexes too," Sunset added as Heart hit a spaceship that only appeared for a second. Heart kept getting a higher and higher score and eventually, only one target was left. A mother-ship that's target was constantly moving around, Heart finding himself getting frustrated, only for the ship to leave, the kid hitting the target at the end. The alien ship let out several sounds before mimicking crashing to the earth, his friends all cheering as the store owner smiled.

"You got one hundred points kid. Not bad." He pointed to the prizes, which had a bunch of numbers next to them. "Pick anything you want that adds up to that." Heart pointed to a pair of blue and pink teddy bears, which were each worth twenty-five points. "I'll take those." The owner grabbed them, and Heart gave the pink one to his sister, Soul gasping and taking the bear happily. "I'll also...take five of those Equestria Land hats." Each hat was ten points each, meaning he used up all this points.

"Thanks Heart," Flash said as Heart gave them all caps.

"But you didn't have to waste your points on us," Twilight continued.

"Well, it's not like I could carry all the other stuff I could have got," Heart replied as he held his new bear. "This is fine."

They nodded as they continued to make their way through the booths, only for Twilight to hear a pair of voices call out. She turned to the voice's source, now seeing a stand run by a pair of twin men, both having red and white hair and wearing blue and white striped shirts and white pants with bowties. The only difference between the two was that one had a moustache.

"You like prizes, we got prizes!" Moustache twin declared as he pointed up at all the animal plushies.

Twilight stepped over to the booth, seeing a bunch of bottles on a table. She turned to the twins as the one without a moustache held up a ring. As she did this, Sunset grimaced at the sight, "Oh...it's them."

"You know those two?" Flash asked.

"Not personally," Sunset whispered, "But they caused a few problems for Applejack a ways back. Forced her to work for them while wearing a banana costume." Flash raised an eyebrow while the twins laughed at the thought.

"Toss this ring onto any one of these bottles, easiest game in the park." Non-moustache twin lazily flipped the ring in the air, the ring landing on the bottle without issue.

"Huh." Twilight corrected her glasses, "This game does look easy."

The twins smiled, "Would you lookie here? Somebody who knows a thing or two about a thing or two." Twilight shined a grin and was about to hand over her tickets, only for Sunset to grab her by the shoulders and pull her away.

"Twilight, they're just giving you the old bump and tickle to lure you in. These games are rigged."

"Slanderous!" Moustacheless replied.

"Libellous!" Moustache went on.

Twilight smirked at Sunset. "You know what's not rigged? The laws of physics." And thus, she went into full on lecture mode. "Assuming no air resistance and a vertical displacement of zero..." That was as far as Flash's brain was able to follow, the rest just sounding like a bunch of gobbilty goop. And when she finally stopped, she turned to the booth and put down two tickets before picking up a ring, holding it up and doing the calculations in her head.

She then let the ring fly free and saw it hit the bottle, landing around the neck and spinning.

"Oh, the suspense!" Moustacheless cried.

"The drama!" Moustache continued.

"I can't watch!"

"Hold me." They hugged as they watched. That is, till the ring flew off the bottle.

Twilight's growled at her failure, Sunset now patting her on the shoulder. "That was pretty good," she held up some more tickets. "Maybe we should try one more time?" Twilight smiled and Flash saw the dastardly look that the booth owners were wearing, the teen turning to Heart and Soul.

"I get the feeling they're gonna be here a while. Wanna go check out some more stuff?" They nodded before they soon going to the bumper cars, Heart and Soul teaming up to bully Flash with constant bumps, trying a haunted house, with Heart actually being more terrified than Soul, and got to watch a wild west show.

"Alright," Heart cheered as they checked a nearby map. "What should we do next?"

"I'm not sure." Soul added as she squinted her eyes at the map.

"Why not go in the house of mirrors?" They turned to the voice and saw Heather, Iron and First walking up with drinks in their hands. "We just tried it out and found it was a lot of fun."

"Great idea," Flash replied, "Didn't know you guys would be here."

"Why wouldn't we?" Heather asked, "Great food."

"Awesome rides," Iron added.

"And games that are sure to be both challenging and rewarding," First finished.

"I don't know. I'm willing to bet Twilight and Sunset are still trying to win a game." They all laughed at this as Flash turned to Iron, "You know, Fluttershy's here as well." Iron raised an eyebrow at this, "She got dragged off by Rainbow to try out the rollercoaster. Probably scared out of her mind right now."

"Is that so...well, guess I'll go look for her then." He began to walk off and the others laughed while Flash turned back to the map.

"House of mirrors?"

"Over there," Heather pointed behind herself, "It's not too far away. We'll go help Iron." They nodded and separated, Flash and the twins quickly finding the place.

"What exactly are you supposed to do in here?" Heart asked as they entered.

"Well, we're in Rarity's personal heaven," Flash laughed as he walked up to see him reflecting in the mirrors and there were soon a bunch of him. "Army...march!" He started doing a saluting stance and it looked like an entire battalion was making their way towards them. Flash then began to march further into the building, the pair following after him.

Heart started making funny faces at each of the mirrors while Soul adjusted her hair whenever she spotted something about it she didn't like. "Come on, Narcissus," Flash told her, "If you wanna spend you time looking into a mirror, I'm willing to bet this place as the special kind you'll enjoy looking at." They raised their eyebrows at this as Flash continued leading them to the center of the building. "Here we are."

They noticed a circle of mirrors that were all different colors. "What's so special about these?"

"Step in front of one." Heart did so and found his body was suddenly three times taller in the reflection.

"No way!" He laughed and jumped in front of the next one, finding he was now half his normal height. Soul jumped in front of one and found her head and upper body looked stretched while her legs and waist were squeezed. They all laughed as they continued looking at their many hilarious reflections. But eventually, they had had enough.

"Which way is out?" Soul asked, making Flash laugh again.

"That's the other fun part of a mirror house. Trying to find your way out."

"Can't be that hard," Heart added, "Let's try this way." He started walking, only to crash into something face first and stagger back. "Ahh!" He held his nose, "Mirror." Flash chuckled as the group began to wander around again.

While they did this, Iron, Heather and First arrived at the rollercoaster Flash had told them about. "You see them anywhere?" Iron asked.

"No," Heather shook her head, "They might already be on the ride."

"Well, Rainbow is over there," First pointed at the girl in question. They headed over and saw her looking at the ride, giving it an expression they didn't expect to see on her face: Fear.

The girl spun around and saw someone else coming her way. "Applejack!" She cheered as the farm girl walked up, "Hey! I was just about to ride this thing for, like, the tenth time already!" This resulted in the little girl standing next to her letting out a cough, making Rainbow glare at her for some reason before whispering something that made the girl walk off.

"Uh..." Applejack glanced around, noticing the three approaching teens. "Hey ya'll," she waved, Rainbow turned to them as Applejack continued surveying the area. "Have you seen Fluttershy anywhere?"

"Oh," Rainbow turned to her, "She was with me, super scared of this ride, but I think she went off with Vignette."

"Okay," Applejack began to walk off, "Thanks."

"If you see her, tell her she still owes me a rollercoaster ride!" But then she was grabbed by Heather and First.

"Come on," she told the rainbow haired girl, "I haven't been on this yet."

"Neither have I," First told her. "Since you have been on it nine times already, you can tell us where the best place to sit is." They dragged Rainbow to the ride, the girl babbling as if trying to figure out a way out of what was happening.

Meanwhile, Iron decided to go with Applejack. "You lookin' for her too?" The farm girl asked, Iron shrugging.

"I plan on being a cop some day. Cops are supposed to look after scared kids lost in big scary places like this."

"Right..." Applejack chuckled before noticing a display stand that allowed anyone to take a map of the park. Grabbing one, she looked it over. "Now if ah were Fluttershy, where'd I be?" They looked it over as they passed the bumper cars, but couldn't find anything on the map that Fluttershy would be interested in doing alone. That is, till they heard a whistling noise.

Before they could figure out where it came from, a pink hand grabbed the map and pulled it away from them. "No frowning allowed!" Pinkie yelled, scrunching up the map and throwing it into a trash can as she looked them both over. "As 'Fun Inspector', I'm a little concerned about what I'm seeing here. You're both frowning!" They looked Pinkie over and saw she had changed her clothes and was now wearing...a bunch of stuff too complex to really explain.

"Pinkie Pie?" Applejack scratched her head, "Don't tell me you're workin' for the park now, too."

Pinkie started laughing at this. "No, silly! Fun Inspectors are freelance! And don't get paid! And totally made up by me earlier today when I saw a little girl crying because she dropped her ice cream, and I said to myself, 'Pinkie Pie, this place isn't as fun as it could be!'" She gestured to what she was wearing. "Do you like the uniform? I made it out of things I found in the trash, but you can't even tell!" She pulled a lollipop off of her sleeve and was about it eat it, until Applejack pulled it away from her.

"Geh, uhhh...so, have you seen Fluttershy anywhere?"

"Nope," Pinkie shook her head before taking something out of her pocket. "But I have seen my Deputy Fun Inspector!" She placed it on Applejack shirt and revealed it was a homemade badge. "Ta-da! Now you have all access to the entire park." She then pulled another lollipop from her hair and smirked at Applejack, "Deputy Fun Inspector!" She gave it a lick before turning to Iron, humming as she looked him over.

"If you even try to stick one of those trash badges on me, I'll pick you up and throw you into a trash can where that uniform belongs." He deadpanned, Pinkie rolling her eyes before walking away, Applejack sighing in response.

Back at the mirror house, Flash chuckled as he followed the twins. The pair were carefully walking forward, their hands out like they were blind. "Mirror," Heart stated as his hand touched something hard before the pair turned left.

"Mirror," Soul sighed from her side as they turned right.

"Door!" Heart exclaimed as he spotted the exit.

"Heart, wait!" But it was too late, Heart now slamming into a mirror, moaning as he staggered back.

"This place got a lot less fun ten minutes ago," he groaned as Flash walked by and left through the exit. Heart and Soul followed him out, Heart still rubbing his nose.

"That was fun," the older teen chuckled.

"For who?" Heart asked as Flash took out his phone and called Twilight. It took a minute or so, but she soon answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey," he asked, "You still playing that game?" Twilight didn't reply, giving Flash all the answer he needed. "You are, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"How many tickets have you used?"

"A lot."

"How's Sunset doing?"

"IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PARAKEET!" He suddenly heard over the phone, which actually forced him to pull it away from his ear.

"Not well I take it."

"I...think we're done for the day. Wanna meet up somewhere...where Sunset and I can rest?"

"Sure," Flash laughed, "I'll get you two a snack to wash your sorrows away."

"Thank you," she replied before hanging up.

Back with Applejack and Iron, they were both sitting on a bench as Applejack explained the problem.

"...Or maybe I want her to be my prime suspect because she's Rarity's new best friend at the park." She sighed and scratched her head, "Am I goin' crazy over a whole lot o' nothin'?" She waited for Iron to reply, but he said nothing and then saw he was sitting there looking half asleep. "Iron?"

"Huh?" He opened his eyes and turned to her, "Sorry. I guess I stopped listening..."

"When did yah stop listening?"

"When did yah start talking?" Applejack felt her face starting to turn red, but before she could yell at him, someone spoke up first.

"What's that badge ya got there?!" They jumped and turned to see an old security guard standing beside them, pointing at the badge Pinkie had made that Applejack was still wearing.

"I, uh..." She began stammering, "Y-y-you see, it-it's just-"

"It's a crime to fake security badges, you know." The guard exclaimed, "I'm a fake cop, but I can send ya to real jail!"

"Hold it man," Iron chimed in, "It's not her fault. Her friend gave it to her and if she took it off, it'd hurt her friend's feelings."

"Exactly," Applejack stood up and gave him the badge. "I'm just lookin' for my friend, and-"

"Hands on your head!" The guard screeched, "No sudden moves! Got that?!"

"You're just looking for any old excuse to arrest someone," Iron growled as the guard looked down at the badge.

"Huh!" He then smiled and started laughing, "Why didn't ya tell me you were a Deputy Fun Inspector?!" The teens turned to him in shock, looking between him and the badge. Clearly, this old timer had been out in the sun way to long. "Here you go. Come with me, I'd prefer to get my station inspected as soon as possible" He began to walk off as the pair shared a glance.

"Are we sure this guy's a security guard and didn't just escape from the old folks home?" Applejack shrugged at Iron's question and decided to follow the guard, Iron also coming along as they soon went to a small building that looked rather boring compared to the rest of the park's vibrant atmosphere.

"I am so sorry about that, ma'am." The guard opened the door and stepped inside, "Uh, here's my workstation. It hasn't been fun-inspected in years."

"Ah'm tryin' to tell you mah friend made this badge," Applejack rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It ain't real."

"Oh. An undercover Fun Inspector. I get it. Anyway, have fun ''not inspecting' my workstation. Wink, wink." He headed for the door, Iron still thinking this guy might be a crazy while Applejack sighed.

"How many times do I have to say it?" She asked, only for the guard to wink before stepping out and shutting the door. Applejack had every intention of just leaving, but then she heard a sound and turned to see it was coming from the guard's left behind walkie talkie, which was sitting on the desk of the park's surveillance system.

"Uh...we probably shouldn't be watching that," Iron commented.

"So close your eyes," Applejack added as she stared at the different screens. Then she noticed on one screen, Rainbow Dash was talking to Vignette. "What are you up too?" Unfortunately, the cameras didn't have sound. All she could do was watch carefully and try to pick up context clues.

"Rarity told me you're the coolest, smartest friend who knows what's the opposite of down." She leaned into Rainbow, "What's up?!"

Rainbow chuckled at this, "True."

"I have a bold new vision for the Rainbooms that you are going to love!" Vignette exclaimed, making Rainbow raise an eyebrow as Vignette began to explain her genius. "The Throwbacks! Capital T, hashtag TBT, Throwback Today. Or for short, T.C.T.H.T.B.T.bracket.T.B.T.bracket, pronounced ta-ca-ta-ca-ba-ta!" Rainbow's brain now told her that that made no sense. "You are going to represent the touchstones of cool throughout the ages!"

Now that got Rainbow smiling, "I like it so far, and I assume I'll like what you say next."

Vignette wrapped an arm around her, "Rainbow Dash: '50s Sockhop Sweetheart!" Rainbow's eyes went wide hearing this, "Poodle skirt, adorable blonde hair. How do you feel about shaving your head? I only ask cuz you'll definitely have to do it for the wig."

"Uhhh," Rainbow looked up at her head, "There is no way anyone is shaving my head."

Vignette frowned, "B.Y.B.B.?"

Rainbow quickly countered her, "B.I.A.A.T.B. But I already am the best?"

The woman's facial expression was clear. She was not happy. "Well, if you insist on just, ugh, being yourself or whatever, then at least let me take a picture of the real you." Before Rainbow could reply, she held her phone up and snapped a picture. In a flash, Rainbow was suddenly zapped away by the phone's light.

Applejack and Iron gasped at the sight, "What the...is Vignette zappin' mah friends with a magical phone?! I knew she was up to somethin'! Just wasn't expectin' somethin' so magic and evil."

"You think she did the same to Fluttershy?" Iron asked, Applejack nodding as she stared at the screens.

"She makes 'em disappear, but where do they go?"

"Who cares?" Iron asked, "We've just gotta grab that phone and smash it!"

"No," Applejack shook her head, "This ain't the first time somethin' like this's happened. When mah friends and I got sucked into a magic mirror, breakin' it almost killed us."

"Then how do we save them?" Iron asked, making Applejack sigh as she sat back.

"That's a good question." She closed her eyes, only to say, "We gotta tell the others! Come on!" She got up and headed out the door, Iron following her as he took out his phone.

Flash, Heart, Soul, Twilight and Sunset were at the snack booth. Sunset had gotten an ice cream cup and wrapped her fingers around it, the cold making them feel much better after the cramping that had occurred during her ring toss escapade.

They laughed at something Heart had said until Flash suddenly found his phone go off, taking it out and seeing it was Iron. "Hey," he got up as he answered and walked a good distance away, "What's up?"

"Sentry, we got a problem. A magical problem."

"What?" Flash yelped, only to look up and see Vignette and Rainbow Dash walking by a distance away, only to see Vignette do something with her phone.

"It's that Vignette woman. She's kidnapped Rainbow and Fluttershy using a magic phone of hers." As he said that, Flash saw Vignette press something that caused Rainbow to suddenly be transformed into a horrible dress and blonde wig. And the fact that Rainbow wasn't complaining about it or even moving made him frown.

"I gotta call you back," Flash tapped his phone before running over, "Hey!" Vignette turned to him, "I don't know what you did to Rainbow and Fluttershy, but you better undo it right now." Vignette raised an eyebrow at this, only to see Flash's body start to spark, "One warning, that's all you get."

"Noted?" She slowly said, "B.T.W, that shade of lightning is so last season. Have you thought of changing to a hot pink color?" Flash then leapt at her, the girl yelping before holding up her phone and snapping a photo.

"Gyah!" He yelled as he felt himself be surrounded by light, blinding him until he hit the floor and grunted, his eyes blinking the light away as he looked around. He saw nothing but white all around him, seeing he was now inside a blank white room. He then spotted Rainbow, Fluttershy and...a bowl of salad. "Oh, come on! This again?! This is the third time!"
> Special: Rollercoaster of Friendship PT3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iron panted as he ran through the park, having split up from Applejack after seeing what happened to Rainbow. Applejack had headed off to warn her friends about Vignette while Iron had agreed to be backup. Since it was possible Vignette could end up trapping them all in her phone, they agreed everyone who knew about her evil deeds had to remain separated so that if one should fall, another could pick up the task of stopping her.

"Where are they?" He asked as he kept running, only to see a certain four by a bench.

Heather and First turned to see Iron, Heart and Soul also spinning around to see him, "There you are," Heather said as she waved at him, "Have you seen Flash?"

"He went to take a phone call and disappeared," Heart added, Iron grimacing at their questions.

"It's a good thing we ran into Heather and First," Soul continued, "Or else Twilight and Sunset wouldn't have been able to go to their dress rehearsal."

"We've got problems," Iron replied as he got up to them, "Magical problems." Heather and First's eyes went wide while Heart and Soul frowned. They were still getting used to the whole 'magic is real' thing, so hearing what Iron said next made them shake, "That woman, Vignette. Her phone is...magical. Applejack and I saw her zap Rainbow Dash away and I'm pretty sure she did the same thing to Flash and Fluttershy."

"That does not sound good," First replied, "What do we do?"

"Applejack's going to warn the others," Iron responded, "But if Vignette manages to beat them and zap them all away, it'll be up to us to save them."

"Us?!" Soul yelped, "What do you expect us to do?! We don't have any magic!"

"Yeah, I know. That's why we gotta hope Applejack and the others can find a way to beat her." They nodded and all began to head to the area where the dress rehearsal would be taking place.





In the white void, Flash was walking around as Rainbow spoke up, "You're wasting your time, man." He turned to Rainbow, who was picking at the salad she and Fluttershy were sitting around. "If this is anything like that mirror, walking in one direction's just gonna lead you back here."

"Maybe..." Flash began to walk forward, "But it can't hurt to look. They may seem the same, but maybe its-aah!" He staggered back, having felt himself run into something hard. "Ow." He held his nose and reached out, feeling a hard wall-like surface. "See? This isn't like the mirror. This place has walls."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy curled herself up. "I think I'm starting to get claustrophobia."

Rainbow sighed and picked herself up as Flash started following the wall. "So what's the plan?" She asked as Flash found a corner, "So this place has walls. That's not gonna help us."

"If it has walls, that means there has to be someone on the other side of the wall." Flash knocked, "Maybe we're in a magical app. If we can find a way to break through this wall, maybe we'll end up in another app on the phone."

"I hope it's something calming," Fluttershy gulped, "Like Cupcake Smash. That always calms Pinkie down when she gets hyperactive." Flash nodded, though he was hoping to get into the messaging app so he could message his friends.





Iron and the others quickly got to where the parade was being set up, only to see a door fly open as Applejack stormed out. "Hey!" First yelled as he ran after the girl with Heather.

"Applejack!" As they left, Iron turned to the open door and went inside, Heart and Soul following as they heard Pinkie's voice call out Rarity's name.

They then spotted Vignette and Iron grabbed the twins, pulling them behind a float as the woman spoke to Twilight, Pinkie and Sunset. "Waiting is for waiters, ladies." She grabbed Pinkie and pulled her up close, "We're better off without her."

"We?!" Twilight asked as Vignette smiled.

"The Throwbacks," she replied as she poked Pinkie's nose. "Formerly known as the Rainbooms."

"Hang on," Sunset stepped up and pulled Pinkie out of her grasp. "Why does 'we' include you?"

"Obviously, somebody needs to fill Applejuice's spot." Vignette danced around, "And since it's so last-minute, we are lucky to have someone with as much vision and talent as moi."

"Uh...you?" Pinkie slowly asked.

"And not just that! We'll be playing a song I wrote!"

"That woman has her head in the clouds," Heart muttered.

"That's what happens when someone gets constant praise for every little thing," Iron sighed, "It creates a person who thinks any idea that pops into their head is a good idea. Zero filter."

"Okay," they heard Sunset speak, "One, you are not in the band! And two, we are not performing without Applejack!"

"Which is her name, by the way!" Pinkie crossed her arms, "Not 'Applejuice'."

"And you know what?" Twilight added, "She's not usually one to make things up, like, ever."

"So all that stuff she said about you..." Sunset continued as she glared at Vignette, the girl now using her phone to check her hairdo.

"Eh, is true." With that, she held up the phone and unleashed a beam of light that overcame the girls. The others gasped as they watched the three get sucked inside, Vignette smiling as she fiddled with the screen. "Now let's see if this Equestrian magique is all it's cracked up to be." She tapped and swiped and did a bunch more things before smiling. "Now then. That's better." She hit something and in a flash, a goth rocker version of Fluttershy appeared.

"Whoa..." Iron's eyes went wide at the sight, only for the girl to flicker and glow the way he had seen movie holograms do. "Oh...right. Not real." He whispered, "But dang she looks good..."

Vignette then summoned a puffy dress wearing Rainbow, an eighties clothes wearing Twilight, a georgian dress wearing Sunset and a business suit wearing Pinkie with horribly straight hair. "I wish I'd had this thing years ago!" Vignette cheered as the door behind her opened with a very upset Rarity stepping through. "Think how perfect my life could've looked!" She then turned to Rarity and pulled her up close with a squeal. "Rare, you're not gonna believe this!" She pointed at the fake Rainbooms.

"What? What is this? What am I looking at?"

"Your friends, but better!" Vignette giggled, "Now we can make the parade exactly how I want it!"

"How you want it?!" She pulled away from her, "You said you hired me for my vision!"

Vignette shrugged, "Well, I needed your vision to bring out my vision. But now there's an app for that."

Rarity turned back to the Rainbooms and tried to touch Fluttershy, only for her hand to phase through her leg. "Vignette, wh-what is going on here?" She turned to her boss, "Where are my friends?!"

"She zapped them away!" They both turned to see Heart, Soul and Iron run over, "She did something with her phone and they all vanished!" Heart added, "I saw it with my own eyes." Rarity turned to Iron, who nodded before they all glared at Vignette.

"Caught me," she smiled, "I don't know how, but my phone became magique or something, and now it has this power where whenever I take a picture of something and it disappears. And then I can customize them with a swipe of my finger and make them real again, or...real enough, but hey, blah-blah-blah, O.M.G., I'm boring myself to death just talking about this stuff." Throughout the entire conversation, Rarity felt a flurry of emotions. Anger at Vignette for what she had done, anger at herself for letting her vision cloud her into not seeing something was wrong, and guilt for not believing Applejack.

"Bring back my friends this instant!"

Vignette just smirked as she walked up to her, "Fine. If you wanna be with them so bad, I'll do you one last favor." She held up the phone and hit the button, "You're welcome." The phone unleashed a bright light, Rarity letting out a scream as it did.





Flash and the others were all sitting together, Twilight letting out a moan, "I can't believe we're trapped in Vignette's phone."

"Eh, we're no strangers to getting stuck in magical objects," Rainbow chimed in.

"At least this is only the second time you've been held captive," Flash grumbled as he continued to knock at the walls. "Any idea how we get out of here?"

"None that don't involve twenty pounds of plutonium and a paper clip," Twilight then turned to Pinkie and appeared to be expecting her to pull those items out of her hair...but she just shook her head.

"At least Rarity and Applejack are still free," Sunset added, "Maybe they can get us out of here."

"They have to stop fighting first," Fluttershy whispered as Twilight picked herself up.

"We can't just sit around hoping to get rescued. If we're in the internet, we can hack our way out! Well, I can. Maybe."

"Oh," Fluttershy quivered, "I hope Rarity and Applejack are okay. I wish we knew what's going on out there."





Vignette smiled at the picture she had just taken. "Sorry, Rare, guess you're not so 'rare' after all." But then she looked back up and saw Rarity, Iron and the twins were still there. "Okay, that was your cue to disappear!" She tried again, but this time she watched as Rarity held up her hand and created a diamond shield.

The light struck the shield and the two magics appeared to cancel each other out, leaving the four unharmed. "Hmmm," Rarity clutched her geode, "Never underestimate a good accessory!" She then walked around, the others following her as Vignette stepped in the opposite direction with annoyance.

She fired another beam, but it was also cancelled out. "Stop un-magique-ing my magique thingy!" She fired again, but it was blocked once more.

"I can't believe I listened to you over Applejack!" Rarity yelled as she fired several small gems at Vignette, not hurting her, but making her flinch long enough for them to all to run past her and out of the room.

"Hey!" Vignette yelped when she opened her eyes and saw they were gone. "U-G-H! Whatevs!" She turned away, "I don't need you anyway. Attention, people who work for me!" This seemed to make all the workers appear out of nowhere, the group circling around her. "I am now the lead costume designer because our former lead costume designer is being H.B.W. Herself, but worse! Now pretend I just gave you an inspiring speech and GET BACK TO WORK" They quickly ran off, leaving a rather stressed Vignette to pant.





Meanwhile...

Applejack, First and Heather were now walking through the park. First and Heather had managed to calm Applejack down after her altercation with Rarity, but she was still annoyed with her friend. But as the sun began to set, they noticed many people were beginning to run to the parade. "The parade's about to start!" Applejack gasped before groaning, "If only a'd done somethin' or said somethin' different! Maybe none of this woulda happened." She let out a sigh, "Ah really screwed things up with Rarity."

First and Heather were about to try and comfort her, only for Rarity to call out, "APPLEJACK!" They turned to see her, Iron and the twins running toward them.

"Rarity?!" Applejack gasped.

"Don't go!" Rarity cried before panting, getting her breath back as Applejack tried to say something. "You were right." She interrupted, "I got carried away and let this stupid parade become the only thing that mattered to me!" Applejack smiled at this as Rarity added, "And I let Vignette manipulate me with false flattery into forgetting what really matters. My friends."

"Come on, now." Applejack put a hand on her shoulder, "Your talent puts you so far beyond the need for flattery." Rarity blushed at this, but pushed her hand off her shoulder.

"Stop flattering me! I've not finished apologizing!" She took a breath, "I'm sorry I lost sight of why we applied for jobs here in the first place."

"And I'm sorry ah got jealous," Applejack replied, "All this time ah thought I was bein' honest with you about not likin' Vignette. Ah wasn't bein' honest with mahself. I felt like I was losin' my best friend."

Rarity grabbed Applejack's hand. "You didn't. Caramel apple girls to the end?" Applejack nodded and they both hugged.

"Aww..." Heather and Soul giggled as Iron rolled his eyes.

"Cute moment, but now isn't the time." This made Rarity gasp.

"Our friends!" She cried, "Vignette has them all trapped in the internet! She confessed! We have to get them out! We have to save them!"

"What?!" Applejack yelped, "We've been wastin' all this time chin-waggin' about feelin's?! We need to get crackin' on a rescue plan!" But as she said that, her phone rang and she pulled it out to see who was calling. "Twilight?" She answered and heard Twilight's voice.

"It worked!" The girl cheered, "Applejack, we're stuck in Vignette's phone! I found a way to hack her apple popper app to route a VoIP connection to your IP address!"

"Uh..." Applejack slowly said, "Magic. Got it."

"Listen. We've come up with a plan to set all this right." She started explaining a bunch of techno-babble, Applejack getting lost after word three. She sighed and stepped away from the others to hear better, trying to make sense of Twilight's explanation. "That should get us out of here! How much coding do you know?"

"Uh, none." Applejack put it on speaker and kept walking. "Uh, I can rub two sticks together."

"Oh boy..." When Twilight said that, Applejack suddenly heard two voices. "Okay. Get a pencil." Again, the voice was doubled. One was coming from the phone another was coming from...someplace close.

"Uh, hang on." Applejack listened, "I think I can hear you talkin'."

"What?" It was coming from Applejack's right.

"S-Somewhere close." She turned in that direction and saw a small building about the size of standard living room, which she carefully walked up to and found a door. She reached out and pulled it open, blinking at the amount of white her eyes were bombarded with. When they adjusted, she looked ahead and saw her friends and a salad inside the room. "Really, y'all?"

The previously trapped teens look at one another, clearly embarrassed they hadn't realized that in the first place. "Ohhhhhh," Twilight said, "The phone just teleported us into some random white room in the park." She blushed as Sunset frowned while Rarity and the others stepped into the room.

"We were just sitting in a white room the whole time?!"

"Wait," Pinkie asked, "You guys didn't know that?" Sunset's face slowly turned from orange to red, the girl clearly ready to blow her top. But before she could, a flash of light signaled the arrival of another classmate of theirs.

"Micro Chips?!" Twilight yelped when she saw her fellow techie before gasping, "Did Vignette take your picture just now?"

The teen was still a little disorientated, Flash wondering what the heck he was doing there and why he was dressed in an apple covered shirt and carrying a caramel apple...oh. "I was just minding my own business, making perfect caramel apples, when suddenly, Vignette saw me and said I wasn't as cool a nerd as she thought. Then she took my picture, and I ended up here, violating all known laws of space and time."

"Relax dude," Flash chimed in, "You'll be fine."

"Now hang on guys, this is bad! It means Vignette is on the parade route, and she's using her phone to change whatever she doesn't like!" Sunset exclaimed.

"Oh no! What happens if she decides she doesn't like the crowd?" Fluttershy added, the group gulping at this.

"Everyone in the park is watching that parade!" Twilight gasped, "If her phone teleports that many people into this tiny room at the same time...!"

"Squish city!" Pinkie cried.

"Our friends are in that crowd!" Rarity then gasped, "Sweetie Belle is in that crowd!" Flash then realized Scootaloo was also in that crowd, along with a bunch of people from school he knew. "We've got to stop her!"

Applejack turned to Rarity, "You do realize if we stop the parade, no one will see all your hard work."

Rarity seemed to falter, only to shake her head. "Someone reminded me that none of that matters without my friends."

Applejack smiled at this, only for Sunset to chime in, "We'd better hurry! I'm sure Vignette's getting more corrupted by Equestrian magic every minute!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Flash asked before rushing out the room, the others following. They headed for the parade route and as they did, they heard Vignette's terrible singing voice fill the air. "Augh! What is that?!"

"I think that's the song she wrote," Twilight gulped as she went high pitched and they all flinched. They reached the crowd and saw the float that Vignette and her holo-Rainbooms were on. They also heard the crowd booing at the terrible song and ridiculous outfits their school's favorite band were wearing.

"We need to hurry!" Rarity yelled, "I'm willing to bet Vignette's seconds away from using her phone."

And as they tried to find a way through the crowd, Flash turned to Applejack. He grabbed the girl's arm and channeled his geode's power, "Ready?" She nodded and Flash spun her around, picking up speed before throwing her over the crowd. The girl braced herself as she reached the other side, rolling along the ground in front of Vignette's float.

The woman didn't notice Applejack, too upset with the crowd's poor response to her genius. "Say cheese everyone." She was about to take a picture, only to suddenly find the front of the float being lifted up. Knocking her off balance, the crowd gasped as the other quickly made their way through the crowd.

And once Vignette realized who was lifting up her float, she heard Rarity speak up. "Sorry to rain on your parade!" Applejack dropped the float and smiled at her.

"Nice one!"

Rarity nodded back before focusing on Vignette. "I'm afraid this evening is cancelled. Now turn off your phone and hand it over!" This caused the crowd to start murmuring, the twins and Royal Knights running through the crowd, telling everyone they knew from school to get out of there. The CHS students quickly realized what must have been going on and started getting away as Vignette pushed herself back to her feet.

"Are you honestly asking a social media star to hand over her phone?!" Gasps came from the remainder of the crowd as Applejack smirked.

"Yeah. She is."

Vignette rolled her eyes. "Rarity, this is the version of your friends that will be popular. I have the metrics to back that up." The two girls rolled their eyes at this, "Doesn't matter if they're real. It's what you show people online. This is your chance to be everything you've always wanted!"

"No!" Rarity proclaimed, "It's a chance to look like everything I've always wanted! What I really want has been right in front of me the whole time!" She turned to Applejack, "My friends!" Applejack smiled back and they grasped hands, the rest of the team doing the same. Their geodes glowed and one by one, all transforming into their super-powered pony forms.

"Wow," the twins whispered as they saw this, Vignette just gasping as they all flew into the air.

"No amount of online success is worth it without my real life friends to share in it!" Rarity announced as the others smiled and began channeling their powers to her. Once the energy flowed into her, Rarity let go of the others and smiled as the magic flowed to her hand. She then swung her arm, the magic forming a shining whip-like weapon that the cracked in Vignette's direction.

The whip shot up to the woman, Vignette holding up her phone to try and teleporting it away. But before she could, the end of the whip pierced the phone and forced her to drop it. She gasped as she saw her phone hit the ground and glow, the magic within leaking out and vanished. She then looked back at the holograms as they fizzled out of existence.

"What have you done?!" She cried as the teens floated down, "Now how can things ever be perfect?!"

Rarity shook her head, "I love nothing more than someone telling me I made a perfect outfit, but I'd say you got a bit carried away."

Vignette, the corruption of the magic likely beginning to fade, thought about what she had said, "I-I...guess so."

"You guess so?!" Applejack yelped, "You created virtual holograms of our friends and almost sent an entire crowd of people to squish city!" The returning crowd heard this and murmured their disapproval, Vignette grimacing at the sight.

"But...but...B.Y.B.B! Its-"

"It's not a bad thing to want to be better," Rarity interrupted, "But not at the expense of other people. And especially not your friends."

"Friends?!" Vignette sighed, "I have three million followers, but no real friends." She looked away and crossed her arms, "How pathetic is that?"

Rarity shook her head, "You've got one. If you want." Vignette glanced back at her and Rarity hold out a hand before Applejack stepped up to her.

"Make that two." Vignette smiled and took Rarity's hand as the crowd around them began to cheer and applaud.

"Why are they clapping?" Pinkie asked, "Do they even know what's going on?"

"Eh," Fluttershy shrugged as Rainbow took out her phone.

"Whoa!" She showed Pinkie, "The Rainbooms are trending on Snapgab!"

"People are saying that rainbow laser thing was the coolest light parade show they've ever seen!" Pinkie read before turning to the crowd and saw they were taking pictures and sharing them, Applejack smiling.

"Hey, maybe the parade ain't ruined after all!" Sunset then smirked as she looked over at their instruments that Vignette had somehow gotten for them.

"We do still have our real instruments up there."

Rainbow turned to Fluttershy, "You're not too nervous?"

"I should ask you the same thing," Fluttershy giggled as Rainbow jokingly elbowed her.

Rarity turned to Applejack, "If you're up for it." Applejack nodded and Flash leapt off the stage while the girls began one of their best songs. The crowd cheered as Flash joined his friends, the look applauding the girls as they all thought about their time at the amusement park.

Later, Vignette would give them all access year passes that they decided to use the very next day. This time the group stayed together, Rainbow winning a parakeet at the Flim Flam Brother's booth while the rest enjoyed a bunch more rides. Rarity even got to go on a little fashion show to unveil some of the costumes she didn't get to show in the parade. Of course she was nervous, but Applejack was there to keep her calm.

The day would end with them stuffing themselves into a photo booth, attempting to all look dignified, but the sheer amount of people caused a lot of tripping and fumbling over one another. It was awesome and the photos they got would stay with them forever. No doubt, their adventures in Equestria Land would be something none of them would ever forget.
> Soccer Showdown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summer was in full swing, many students enjoying their time off from school. And as they used the free time to relax, they began to unwind and destress in preparation for a whole new year of stress.

Except for the Canterlot High soccer team, which were currently in the finals of the state championship. The team had the best year the school had ever had, even managing to beat Crystal Prep's team. Many were excited about this, but none more so than Rainbow Dash.

"Oh yeah!" Rainbow cheered as she ran out of the changing rooms onto the soccer field, the rest of her team stepping out behind her. "Come on guys, we're just one win away from the national circuit! A whole summer of playing soccer against the country's best! You guys with me?!"

"YEAH!" They all cheered as they ran off to start warming up.

And as Rainbow began her warmup, she stared at the stadium, seeing many of her fellow school students in the stands cheering for them. "RAINBOW!" She turned to see a large group up in the stands, the sight making her smile as she saw Pinkie screaming her name along with her other friends cheering.

She then turned to her competition, the previous year's state winners: The Cloudsdale Wonderbolts.

She always wondered why their teams were only one letter different from each other, but that would have to be answered another time. Currently, that team was also stretching themselves out, the girl soon spotting the one wearing the captain's band and recognizing him from her research.

Soarin Skies. He had made captain this year after the previous one graduated and was doing just as well leading the team, actually managing to get a higher score in some of their games than in previous years. He was a light blue skinned boy with dark blue hair, wearing a uniform that was a combo of light and dark blue with yellow lightning bolts separating them.

The teen spotted her and smirked before coming over, Rainbow deciding to do the same. The pair met each other in the center of the field, "Good luck today," Soarin told her, "I want our victory today to be hard earned, so give us your best shot."

"Oh, we will. But this victory's gonna be ours." The pair kept grinning at each other, though Rainbow had to look up at him since he was about a foot taller than her. "Don't take us lightly because you guys were last year's champs."

"We don't take anyone lightly." Soarin chuckled, "I'm gonna do everything I can to get my team to the national circuit. Even if I have to score a hundred goals."

"Ha, I bet I could score a hundred and one goals."

Soarin's grin got bigger at this, "Okay then, how about a bet? If I score more goals than you, you have to take me out to the food place of my choosing and pay for everything I eat."

"Deal, as long as you agree to pay for my dinner at my favorite food place when I score more."

"Deal!" The pair shook hands before separating, the teams getting into their positions. Soarin wasn't head striker it appeared, that role instead going to a girl named Fleetfoot. Rainbow and her stared one another down as the ref flipped the coin and determined that Canterlot would be kicking off the match.

And with a blow of his whistle, the game was on. Rainbow got the ball and charged, only for Fleetfoot and another player to dash at her. She had no choice but to dribble the ball to the left, only to realize that's exactly where Soarin was. "They led me!" She gasped as Soarin rushed up to her.

Rainbow was fast. Even without her magical geode, she could run almost too fast for the eye to see. And while Soarin wasn't as fast, she had yet to get up to full speed. As such, Soarin got up to her and stole the ball with a quick flick of his foot.

"Hey!" She cried as Soarin zipped past her, now dribbling the ball toward the goal. Rainbow ran after him while her teammates tried to get to him, but Soarin zigzagged around them instantly, Rainbow seeing that while she was faster, he was more agile.

And it wasn't just him. The entire Cloudsdale Team were just as fast and agile, able to get around any of the Canterlot players that tried to block them. And as Soarin got close, to the goal, he passed the ball to a teammate that was open.

"Oh, no you don't!" Rainbow yelled, trying to get ahead of Soarin, preventing the pass, making Soarin turn and shoot it over to Fleetfoot. The girl got the ball and zipped around the player blocking her, the girl quickly spinning and launching the ball into the goal. In the blink of an eye, the ball hit the back of the net and the crowd exploded, Rainbow going wide-eyed at this.

"What...just happened?" Soarin smirked at the question.

"My team scored. I'm not the only ace player you know."

Rainbow gulped at this, only to see the goalie take the ball from the net and kick it over to Rainbow. Narrowing her eyes, she shot from her end of the field across the pitch and managed to get halfway before Soarin caught up with her, Rainbow finding herself slowed down by his teammates. She quickly passed it, only for another Cloudsdale player to swoop in and take it.

"What?!" Rainbow yelped, only for Soarin to appear before her, "Hey! Out of the way!"

"Not gonna happen," Soarin replied as Rainbow tried to zip around him, but no matter what, Soarin always kept up with her. The distance between her and the ball dribbling player grew larger, only for the player to shoot at the goal. The goalie leapt for it and just managed to deflect the ball with his glove, but as the ball bounced away from the net as another Wonderbolt player hit it back and scored as the goalie hit the ground.

"No!" Scootaloo cried while the Cloudsdale fans cheered. "How is this happening?"

"I think Rainbow's met her match," Flash commented, "She and this Soarin guy are practically even, so they might as well not be there. And that's the problem."

"Rainbow's the linchpin of the team," Twilight gulped as the goalie kicked the ball to a teammate. "Their whole strategy revolves around supporting her. So with her practically neutralized, the rest of the team can't keep up with the opponent."

Sure enough, Soarin blocked Rainbow from getting into position and forced her teammate the pass to another player, the Wonderbolt soon stealing the ball back. Rainbow soon found she just couldn't get away from Soarin, allowing the rest of his team to have free rein to run circles around the Wondercolts. By the time the first half ended, it was four nothing to Cloudsdale.

"Ahhhh!" Rainbow screamed as she sat down on the bench, "We're getting destroyed!"

"It's that Soarin guy!" One of her teammates told her, "He's like a second shadow on you."

"Yeah..." another member of her team nodded, "I think he realized without you, we don't stand a chance against his team. They're just too good."

Rainbow sighed as she looked over the field and saw Soarin gulping down a bunch of water. Clearly, he was just as tired as she was, while his team barely looked like they had broken a sweat. "I'm not gonna get beaten this easily," she growled, "No matter what, I'm gonna score if it kills me."

The rest of her team nodded, knowing there was no way to stop Rainbow once she decided to do something. They promised to do the best they could to give her the chance as the ref announced the start of the second half, the team rushing back onto the field and the Wonderbolts had kickoff.

Fleetfoot kicked the ball to Soarin the second the whistle blew whilst Rainbow exploded forward as fast as she could, managing to reach him before he could start moving. Soarin glared at her and the pair started fencing with their feet, doing everything they could to get the ball away from the other.

It was here that Rainbow managed to pry it away from him and passed it to her teammate. The girl managed to get it before a Wonderbolt could reach her and began to dribble it towards the net, but several more Wonderbolts came up to her. And as this happened, she passed it to another teammate that managed to catch it. At the same time, Rainbow and Soarin were practically dancing around one another to try and stop the other from being able to help their teammates.

As such, when the Wondercolt reached the goal, he shot it towards the net instead of passing it to Rainbow like usual. The ball soared through the air, but was caught by the Wonderbolt goalie. "Not good enough!" He exclaimed, looking for Soarin, but saw he was still being blocked by Rainbow. As such, he kicked the ball over to another player. The girl caught the ball as several Wondercolts charged at her, but she easily avoided all of them and passed to another player.

The boy caught the ball and pulled it back to avoid a sliding tackle, allowing him to charge up the field. And as he neared the goal, he looked to shoot up at the last second, passed it over to a teammate on the other side of the goal. This player then kicked it right into the goal, making it five to nothing in favor of the Wonderbolts.

Once again, the Wondercolts were being creamed by the Wonderbolts without Rainbow there. She and Soarin continued to block one another from doing anything, as two more goals were scored.

"We're down to the final few minutes," the announcer stated, "I don't see how Canterlot are gonna be able to come back from this!"

"It's over Rainbow," Soarin told her as Rainbow's team had the ball.

The girl growled, "I'm not gonna let it end here." She put everything she had into this one last move, the girl calling up everything her body had learned from her time moving at super speed. She jumped left, then right, then right again with Soarin keeping up with her. She then feinted left and as Soarin jumped that way, only to spin around him and they were soon back-to-back. "See yah!" She laughed before zooming off, Soarin going wide-eyed at this.

Her friends cheered as they saw Rainbow moving at her top speed down the field, quickly catching up with her teammates. "Pass it!" She yelled, her teammate getting ready to kick it to her, only for several Wonderbolts to appear.

As such, the ball shot straight up into the air, only for Rainbow to leap up, the speed she had built propelling her higher. The crowd gasped at how high she got, Rainbow swinging her leg around and slamming it into the ball. "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" She roared as she kicked the sphere as hard as it would go, the ball exploding toward the goal.

The goalie dived for it, but as he did, the ball curved and flew past him.

"GOAL!" The Canterlot crowd exploded right as the ref blew the whistle to end the game. "That's it, Cloudsdale is once again State Champions!"

Now it was the Cloudsdale crowd that cheered as the Wonderbolts moved over to hug each other. Rainbow was laid out on the ground, exhausted from that last effort. She couldn't believe she had lost by so much, but was also happy she at least managed to score a goal.

In that moment, a hand reached out to her and she saw it belonged to Soarin. "Nice shot," he said as she took the hand and let him pull her up. "You're really good."

"So are you. I've never had anyone able to keep up with me like that."

"Well, this was fun. We should play again some time."

"Maybe we can play after you're finished paying for my meal," Rainbow countered, Soarin raising an eyebrow, "Don't forget about our deal. Your team might have scored seven goals, but none of them were by you." She smirked at this, "But I managed to score one goal more than you."

"Oh," Soarin gulped, "Right. Alright...I guess we'll have to discuss when you wanna go out."

Rainbow nodded, but realized neither of them had each other's phone number, and neither had a pen to write it down. "You got email?" Soarin nodded and told her the address, Rainbow constantly repeating it in her head as she nodded. "Alright, I'll send you the place I wanna go when I'm free."

"Got it," Soarin nodded before walking away. "See you then." Rainbow headed back to her locker room, where the coach was waiting for them. Despite the horrible loss, he was rather lenient since they were going up against the previous state champions.

And once Rainbow had changed, she headed out and found her friends waiting for her. "Rainbow!" Pinkie ran up and threw her arms around her. "You were great! I don't care that you lost!"

"Thanks Pinkie," Rainbow giggled as the others gathered around her.

"That Soarin guy was pretty good," Flash added, "I didn't think anyone without magic could keep up with you." Rainbow nodded back, "Say, what were the two of you talking about after the game?"

"Yes," Rarity narrowed her eyes, "I hope he wasn't attempting to rub salt in the wound."

Rainbow shook her head, "No. We were talking about the bet I won." They all raised an eyebrow at this. "Since I scored more goals than him, he now has to take me to the food place of my choice and pay for anything I eat." This statement caused Rarity to gasp.

"YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE!?"

Rainbow leaned back at this, "No," she shook her head, "He's just-"

"Taking you out to dinner and paying for the meal, which you two will no doubt be eating together." Rarity smirked as she pointed at Rainbow, "That's called a date, darling."

Rainbow's eyes went wide as she turned to the others, who all nodded in agreement. Rainbow had a date. Her face suddenly turned bright red, as the image of her and Soarin having a sappy date like she had seen in those movies her friends liked appeared in her mind. "No, no, no, no!" She shook her head again, "That's not happening! I don't do dates!"

"Oh, but you do now," Rarity squealed, "This is so exciting!" She quickly grabbed Rainbow's arm, "We have to go and buy you a gorgeous dress for your date." Rainbow blanked at this, "Then I'm taking you to the beauty salon to get a complete makeover!" She started pulling Rainbow along as the girl now tried to escape, but somehow Rarity had gained Applejack strength.

She turned back to the others and whispered, "Help me." But her friends all shook their heads.

"Sorry Rainbow," Applejack giggled, "Looks like yer on yer own." The others laughed at this as Rainbow groaned, then noticed a bus driving past her. That bus had the Cloudsdale team on it, Rainbow happening to see Soarin sitting at the window. As the two locked eyes, Rainbow couldn't help but notice her heart starting to beat really fast as she imagined that image with them again. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad