Prologue - Escaping the Shiitake Planet & New Allies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkbLbfozioc

Somewhere out in space was an exotic planet filled with nothing but many wild and different types of fungi. A morning sun slowly raise from the hill, bathing the entire land of fungi with its golden light. This caused one of the mushrooms, which was red with white spots, to slowly glow from the ground and then opened up its cap. In doing so, the cap part of the mushroom knocked another mushroom over, which was upside-down with a small rounded stone inside to roll off the second mushroom and began the chain reaction.

The stone continued to roll down the hill until it tapped a very small mushroom. This caused the small mushroom to swing over and hit the second smaller mushroom, which caused the second mushroom to swing over and hit the third smaller mushroom. The third mushroom swung over and tapped the second small rounded stone, making it roll briefly before tapping a line of four rounded stones, and every single one of them rolled off the cliff.

Each stone landed in its own slot of a wheel-like mushroom contraption, causing it to spin along with the second “wheel” next to it. As the second wheel spun, it turned the stick over, slowly tipping over a bowl-shaped mushroom with water and pouring the water into another smaller hanging mushroom. Due to the weight of the water, the smaller mushroom was pulled down to the ground where the tilted stone was and tipped over.

The water from the smaller mushroom flowed out through the pathway, carrying an even smaller mushroom along the way. The mushroom flowed along with a man-made mini river briefly before it landed on a swing-like mushroom contraption, causing the whole thing to spin around. The swing stopped in its place due to hitting a taller stick, causing the mushroom to roll into a seesaw mushroom which caused it to tip over.

The end part of the seesaw raised up and knocked the flat platform over, which caused a bunch of mushrooms to fall on top of each other like dominos. They eventually reached a tall red mushroom and it too fell over and landed on one of the spores. This action caused the gas to shoot out of that one spore and pushed the mini boulder to get it to roll.

As the boulder began to roll down the hill, it tapped the cable car contraction along its path and have the cable car to be gliding down to another platform due to the cable and pulley. Once the cable car made it over to the hill, the car opened, revealing a small carriage with wheels and two mini figures at the front, which looked like a certain blue hedgehog and a flaming-haired girl respectively, made of mushrooms. With the door removed, the carriage slowly rolled down the hill, letting gravity take its course.

The carriage rolled faster and faster down the hill, knocking down thin sticks in its path; which held many mini mushrooms and collected them in its bowl along the way. The carriage continued to roll down and collect mushrooms until it reached the end of the cliff with a pebble stopped in its place, causing the carriage to flick the mushrooms and mini figures over the cliff and land in a pit full of spiky toothpicks and water. Despite their brutal landing, the mini figures were safe momentarily…

Until that same boulder suddenly crushed them and all the mushrooms with Robotnik’s emblem painted on the front.

The weight of the boulder pressed the crushed mushrooms and water together, blending them into some kind of liquid substance. The liquid then flowed through the opening at the bottom of the pit and poured into the bottom section of an upside-down bigger mushroom, which was used as some kind of drinking cup.

Robotnik, who happened to be nearby, saw that his "drink" was ready and took his cup off of its "coaster".

"Doctor's log," Robotnik muttered before taking a seat on one of the mushrooms. "It is day 243 in this… portabello purgatory.

He then looked around the area of the planet to where he was currently marooned before he looked down at his cup. He took out one of Sonic’s quills from his pocket, which was glowing in blue light, and began to stir his drink with it.

"My only companion is a rock I named 'Stone'." He glanced at a rock behind him, which suspiciously had the same facial features as his minion back on earth. He looked away and tapped the quill on the side of his cup to dry it off. "The question is, for whom am I narrating this?"

Robotnik then sticks out his tongue and slowly proceeds to taste the quill.

Only to be briefly electrocuted the moment his tongue touched it..

“It seems I have become a feature player in the theater of the absurd. Marooned in deep space by that wretched blue rodent and those teenage high school girls. But it is all good thanks to a breathable atmosphere and my supreme intellect, sharpened against the only competitor savvy enough to br-r-r-r-ring it.”

Robotnik stared at his makeshift chessboard intensely, which has mushrooms on it instead of chess pieces, pondering for his next move. After studying the chessboard long enough, his eyes brightened when he saw his golden opportunity to strike against his “opponent”. Without hesitation, Robotnik picked up one of the mushrooms and placed it forward.

“Chanterelle to D4!” Robotnik said triumphantly.

He looked up, facing his opponent expectedly.

Which turned out to be a reflection of himself in a rock mirror.

With no response from his “opponent”, Robotnik held his chin, studying intensely at the mirror.

“I have been striving to make fungi into a functional drink of choice,” Robotnik lifted the cup close to his face, sniffing it. “...Mushroom coffee.”

Robotnik took a slow delicate sip of his “coffee”…

Only for him to spit it out afterward in great disgust due to bad taste.

With limited…

After using his coffee contraption again, Robotnik took a sip of his second batch…

Only for him to spit it out as well.

Limited...

After using his contraption yet again, Robotnik once again took a sip of his cup…

But he spat that out with great disgust.

Limited...

After using his contraption for the umpteenth time, Robotnik sighed in dread before he picked up his cup and slowly brought it to his lips…

And just like before, Robotnik spat out his drink, but much slower with a look of huge disgust, as if he was in pain.

…Success.

But today, day 243 has brought a new optimism to my most pressing endeavor!

Planetus exodus to returnecus and KICK BLUE BUTTECUS!

After taking some parts out of his Eggpod, Robotnik carried them over toward one of the tallest mushrooms on the planet with a large satellite transceiver on top.

Robotnik admired his handwork for a moment. He had been working on his makeshift radio tower for months since his arrival on this miserable planet. With his super-powered mind, he used all the resources from his pod and this planet to build his tower. His drive for survival and revenge towards those who sent him on this planet in the first place is what motivated him to put together his operation. He only has one final step in order for his new machine to work.

And that involves his two aces up his sleeve.

Once he was close enough to the "tower", Robotnik climbed up the ladder near the mushroom until he reached the top. He made his way over to the monitor that was in the center of the mushroom tower and began to type a few buttons on its keyboard.

"If my calculations are correct… and there is no reason to say this because they always are," Robotnik muttered to himself.

Robotnik then picked up a long jumper cable with Sonic's quill attached to it and Sunset's hair wrapped along the quill.

"This quill… is going to power my masterpiece! And some of the pony girl's hair will help amplify its power thanks to her magic!"

With a huge grin, Robotnik lifted another jumper cable with his other hand and brought it closer to the cable with the quill and hair.

"Let's light this candle… and see who comes a-knocking!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Robotnik connected the two cables together to activate his machine.

A mixture of blue and orange electrical lights came to life, which is a mixture between chaos energy and Equestrian magic, flowing through the cables of the satellite dish. As soon as the energy reached the transceiver point of the tower, the energy beam fired into space, creating a shockwave and sending a screaming Robotnik off the tower and falling to the ground below.

As the energy shockwave from the mushroom tower continued to stretch across outer space, Robotnik let out a small groan before he passed out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BsGISVFkII

Hours passed and it was now nighttime on the mushroom planet. Robotnik, who still appeared to be passed out from his fall, laid on the ground with a hair and quill in his right hand. All seemed quiet within the area until suddenly, a portal appeared out of nowhere with a soft *PHVWOW* and grew into a large golden ring. As the portal ring was suspended in the air, a spear slowly emerged through the portal, along with some strange person who appeared to be a scavenger who was holding the spear.

This scavenger wore dark clothing, armor, and even a helmet with a shape of a bird obscuring their identity of the scavenger. That scavenger was not alone as two more scavengers came through the ring portal with the same armor and clothing with their own weapons.

The three of them slowly entered the mushroom planet from their world and investigated the area. The one with the spear saw Robotnik’s unconscious figure on the ground and slowly approached him. He peered cautiously at Robotnik for a moment, even poking him with his spear to see if he was alive. He then glanced over at Robotnik’s right hand, which lay Sonic’s glowing blue quill and Sunset’s yellow and red hair. Curious, the scavenger slowly reached over to the quill and hair to grab it. Just as he was about to grab the quill…

Robotnik’s eyes flew open.

“Greetings!” Robotnik suddenly exclaimed, surprising the scavenger.

Without wasting time, Robotnik quickly grabbed the hidden rope beneath some grass with his other hand and pulled it, activating his trap. As the scavenger took a huge step back, he failed to notice another hidden rope hidden in the grass around his leg. As Robotnik’s trap activated, the rope pulled back, tightening the scavenger’s ankle in the process, and flung the screaming scavenger away into the distance.

Robotnik quickly sat up. “Klatuu Barata Nikto!”

Before the two scavengers had time to react, Robotnik kicked a stone in front of him, activating another trap of his. This caused a giant mushroom stem to swing over to one of the scavengers and slammed him away into the forest of mushrooms. There was only one scavenger remaining standing against Robotnik, who quickly took out his nunchucks with red glowing blades. As he swung them around threateningly, Robotnik quickly brought his electronic glove to his face.

“Agent Stone? Now!” He muttered, pressing the button on his glove.

This activated part of the engine of his ship to burn a rope, which connected to some kind of catapult contraption. Once the cord was completely burned away, it launched a stone with a “Stone” face and flew off into the air. Around the same time, the scavenger was about to slash Robotnik with his weapon, but Robotnik ducked his head at the last moment as “Stone” flew past him and hit the scavenger right in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Robotnik sat back up and grinned excitedly not only had he defeated these so-called enemies, but he also bought his ticket way out as the floating portal ring remained floating.

"Hey, Stone!” Robotnik slowly stood up. “It's time to say goodbye to this…" He took a deep breath and yelled, "PIECE OF SHIITAKE PLANET!"

After Robotnik tasted the quill, which gave him a brief electric shock, he then made a run toward the portal, eager to escape.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the portal, causing Robotnik to stop and slip on his back. Slowly, a mysterious being stepped out of the portal, revealing itself fully to the doctor.

The mysterious being was a red creature, who appeared to be an anthropomorphic echidna with long quills, which look like locks, over his back, purple eyes, and a white fluff mark on his chest that looks like a crescent moon. He was wearing red and yellow shoes with green socks. The most noticeable thing he was wearing were two huge white gloves with two spikes on the knuckles of each glove.

The red Echidna slowly approached Robotnik, who had a look of nervousness since he had already used all of his resources against the scavengers. The Echidna stopped in front of Robotnik and peered down at him. He then noticed the glowing blue quill in Robotnik’s right hand, which caused him to scowl and brought his face closer to Robotnik’s.

“Where did you get that?!” He demanded with a deep growl in his voice.

Robotnik quickly glanced at Sonic’s quill and hair before he swiftly brought it up between their faces.

“From a little blue menace on the planet called Earth,” Robotnik answered, causing the red Echidna to look at him more sternly.

Robotnik wasn’t sure what this red creature’s story was, but he had a hunch that he had some beef against a certain blue hedgehog from the look of hatred on the guy’s face when he saw this quill. And since this Echidna had no idea of his background, Robotnik realized that he could take advantage of this opportunity to further his revenge against that blue rat and those seven brats.

Especially that pony girl from another world.

Robotnik then lets out his sick grin. “I'd be happy to show you the way.”

Somewhere within the outskirts of Canterlot City, a lone purple and green van was sitting on a dirt section away from the road. From within the van occupied by three teenage sisters, one was reading the newspaper near their makeshift table, and the other two were preparing dinner. As the two girls were discussing dinner plans, the girl with orange puffy hair one glared daggers at the paper in front of her, specifically at the picture of a group of girls in their pony-up forms with the main headline title:

MAGICAL GIRLS AND THE BLUE DEVIL SAVED CANTERLOT CITY!

The girl scowled at the photo, silently cursing them for being praised like heroes while she and her sisters are living in a van down by the river.

She and her sisters were no ordinary teenagers. They were once powerful sirens with magic from Equestria. And after they were banished to the human realm, the trio tried to feed off as much negativity from random people as possible. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to satisfy them. One day, they sensed a huge amount of Equestrian Magic from Canterlot High. Naturally, they want to seize the magic themselves and become the rulers of this world. At least, they would have if not for a certain group who stopped them.

The Rainbooms.

Not only have they defeated them, but they also stripped away their singing magic and their jewels were nearly rendered to dust. After their defeat, they fled from the school and laid low until they started their own tour to entertain those "human scums" to make ends meet.

They managed to fool everyone with careful editing of their voices, but even then, it wasn't as good as their original singing voices. They gained some attention for the first few shows, but afterward, the number of their audience became less and less with every show. They even tried traveling to Manehatten to perform in hopes to get a big break, only for their client to cancel on them at the last second, despite already spent days of traveling and it was a huge blow to their budget.

It was why they were currently sitting in the middle of nowhere, planning their next move. Unfortunately, they couldn't think of a good plan to get themselves out of this mess at that moment. They don't know for how much longer they could live in their poor state, but it was only a matter of time before they lived in poverty and were ignored by society.

And Adagio blamed all of their misfortunes on the Rainbooms for getting in their way.

"Agh! For the last time, Sonata! We are not making tacos for dinner!" The twin purple pig-tailed-haired girl growled in annoyance, bringing Adagio out of her thoughts.

"Aw, c'mon Aria!" The long blue pony-tailed girl whined. "We haven't had any tacos since forever!"

"We had them yesterday you moron!" Aria spat, now getting aggravated. "And I'm sick of them! They're the worst food humanity has ever made!"

Sonata gasped before glaring angrily at her sister. "You take that back!"

"No!"

"Take it back!"

"Never!"

"Take it back right now!"

"Make me!"

Finally losing her patience, Adagio slammed her paper on the table and faced her sisters.

"Will you two idiots shut up!" She roared, causing her two sisters to cease their argument, and stared back at her in fear.

"...she started it!" Sonata pointed at Aria, who glared at her in turn.

Adagio rubbed the bridge of her nose with a huff, already starting to feel a migraine. Ugh! With or without our magic, being stuck with these two, especially without our magic, was unbearable!

She then gritted her teeth in anger. And it was all because of those Rainbrats! I would do anything to get our magic back… and have our revenge!

Her thoughts were interrupted when they all heard a knock on the van's door.

"Now who's at the door?" Adagio wondered out loud in suspension. "Especially at this time of night?"

Aria shot Sonata an annoyed look. "Sonata, did you just order tacos behind our back again!"

Sonata shook her head. "No! I didn't order any tacos… this time!"

Adagio narrowed her eyes. While she wasn't sure if it was a solicitor or a random fan seeking them out, she was definitely not in a good mood at that moment. She made her way over to the van's doors and quickly opened them to tell off the stranger.

"I don't know what you want, but we're not interested in whatever you're–"

She paused briefly when her eyes finally settled on their mysterious visitor.

"...selling," Adagio finished with a stunned expression.

The person in front of her was not what Adagio was expecting. While it was still too dark outside, the full moon helped make out details that it was a tall mature person. They were wearing professional clothing, which tells her that they were a scholar, but their expression just reeked of snootiness and their eyes were as cold as ice. While Adagio was never the one being intimidated by anyone, let alone a human, something about this person sent chills down her spine.

Before she could utter a word, that mysterious person spoke.

"So this is the home of the infamous Dazzlings?" The stranger sniffed and surveyed their tour van with judgemental eyes. "Honestly… I expected better than this rackety old van."

"Hey! We take pride in our van!" Sonata retorted. "It looked way better now than how we found it in the junkyard!"

Sonata yelped in pain after Aria bonked her at the back of her head. "Be quiet, you idiot!" She hissed.

Ignoring her sisters, Adagio narrowed her eyes at the stranger.

"Who are you? And how did you find us?" Adagio demanded, trying to take control of their conversation.

"I pretty much tracked your last location from your tour list and deducted the area," The stranger replied nonchalantly, looking away from Adagio. "As for who I am, well, let's just say… that I'm your ally for our common enemy."

Adagio cocked an eyebrow. "And our common enemy would be?"

The stranger finally turned towards Adagio and looked her in the eye. "The Rainbooms!"

Like a light switch, Adagio's anger returned tenfold from the mention of that very group. Before anyone could react, Adagio grabbed the front of that stranger's shirt and brought them to her face. Despite Adagio's sudden actions, the stranger's face remained calm and stoic.

"You have ten seconds to explain!" Adagio demanded in a dangerous tone, glaring daggers into the stranger's eyes.

The stranger wasn't even phased by Adagio's threat, making the former siren angrier. "I'll answer if you calm down and release me."

Adagio growled. As much as she rather pulverized this person, she still wanted answers. Reluctantly, she let the person go, allowing them to fix their shirt.

"Now then," The stranger stated as they took out their cloth to clean the lenses of their glasses. "To answer your question… let's just say I used to be the best Principal of the best schools in Canterlot City!"

The stranger put their glasses back on with a frown. "For years I was merely trying to carry on my school's legacy by staying on top and putting Canterlot High in their place by any means for the sake of our reputation. But during one of our annual friendship games, those girls from CHS cheated that one year with their magic, so I had my top student use the magic that she took from them and use it against them."

The stranger scowled, their eyes burned in fury. "And how did they thank me? They singled me out for being 'in the wrong' and I was fired for my efforts, despite the fact that they cheated first and that same top student of mine turned into a monster and nearly killed us all!"

Sonata, who she and Aria were listening to from the background, leaned close to her sister's ear. "This person has issues!"

"Those magical girls from Canterlot High," the stranger continued their angry rant. "Including my former student, have ruined me! And my students betrayed me even after everything I've done for my school, those ingrates! And I want to make everyone pay!" She tightened her fist. "Including those Rainbrats!"

"...Sonata, for once... I have to agree with you!" Aria whispered. "This person does have issues!"

Sonata nodded in agreement.

"I heard that!" The stranger snapped, causing the two sirens to flinch in fear.

Before things got out of hand, Adagio stood in front of the stranger, blocking them from her sisters, and narrowed her eyes threateningly.

"As sad as this little sob story of yours sounds, what does this have to do with us?" Adagio said coolly.

The stranger calmed themselves and their expression became stoic again. "Well, I've heard rumors that three teenage girls showed up at CHS and nearly won the Battle of the Bands, but then disappeared after the Rainbooms defeated them."

The stranger adjusted their glasses. "And I've also heard rumors that you three also used some kind of a 'magical artifact' to manipulate others to your will, which is how you three made it so far. And you would have been powerful… if not for those Rainbooms. And now you three are left without any magic!"

"Yes, we know what happened to us! We were there!" Adagio rolled her eyes with an impatient look. "Just get to the point!"

"Very well," the stranger nodded. "Since we were both robbed by our common enemies, I propose you three and I teamed up as partners… and get back at those girls for revenge."

The three girls stared at that person with surprised expressions, especially Adagio. Just a while ago, she dreamed of getting back at that group of girls who took away their magic which was nothing more than a pipe dream. And yet, this stranger was right at their doorstep, offering them this same chance. A part of her was tempted to take this person's offer, but something about this person held her back, along with various other reasons to jump at this opportunity.

"...no," Adagio responded flatly, must to her sisters' surprise.

The stranger's eyes widened, not expecting this kind of response from Adagio.

"No!? What do you mean, 'no'?" The stranger demanded in disbelief.

"No means no," Adagio crossed her arms. "We're not interested."

"Surely you jest!" The stranger exclaimed with a sneer. "Don't you want to have another shot at them? Prove to them that you are indeed superior? And you want to make everyone adore you and make them kiss your feet? Don't you want that?"

Adagio narrowed her eyes at the stranger. "While we despite those girls as much as you do, the last time we faced those girls, we paid the price with our magic! And since there's no hope to reclaim our magic and return to our world, the only thing we can do is live out our lives in this pathetic world and move on! The last thing we need is to run into that group again! The less we see them, the better!" She then leaned her face close to the strangers. "With that said, I will kindly tell you to take a hike!"

Adagio was about to slam the van's door, but the stranger quickly held the door back.

"What if I were to tell you that not only you three will get your magic back, but you'll also be even more powerful than ever before?"

Adagio paused as the stranger's words sank in. "What are you talking about?"

Despite their success to get the former siren's attention, the stranger kept a strong grip on the door. "I've received… an "anonymous tip" that somewhere in this world, they dug up an ancient temple which is unlike anything we have ever seen!"

"Yeah… and?" Adagio grunted.

The stranger's glasses reflected for a moment, blocking her eyes from Adagio. "It's an ancient temple that once belonged to the sirens… probably from another world!"

Adagio blinked before she gave the stranger her skeptical look and let go of the door. "You're joking, right?"

"If you don't believe me," the stranger stated as they took a photograph from their suit's pocket. "Then take a look at this!"

Still skeptical but curious, Adagio snatched the photo from the stranger and glanced at it, letting her two sisters join in as well. As soon as they saw the content of the photos, the trio's eyes immediately widened in shock.

"T-those sculptures!" Aria uttered.

"Is… is that…?" Sonata stammered.

"This… this is a temple from Equestria!" Adagio felt her hand shaking, gripping the photograph a little too tightly. "Specifically… from our homeland!"

Indeed, it was a photograph of a huge old temple, sitting in a crater in the middle of the ocean. The Dazzlings would have brushed it off if it weren’t for the fact that it had an engraving of ancient sirens all around the outside of the temple. The last time they saw anything that was made by their species was before they were banished into the human world. How a temple from their world ended up in the human world was a mystery even for them.

"Now are you convinced?" The stranger stated, getting their attention. "Those archeologists believed that there are ancient treasures hidden in that temple. Unfortunately, the temple is locked up tight and cannot be opened. Unless of course… if it was activated with a certain type of magic." The stranger smirked. "I'm sure you three now see where I'm going?"

The sisters looked at each other for a moment, having a wordless discussion between the three of them. Adagio then faced the stranger again with the same skeptical expression.

"Why are you helping us?" Adagio asked suspiciously. "There has to be some kind of catch."

The stranger adjusted their glasses again. "As I said, we were both humiliated by our common enemy. I will gladly help you restore your magic. What you do with them afterward, I personally do not care. You can even burn the whole world with them for all I care!" Their faces were then covered in a shadow, but their glasses were still visible. "The only thing I want from you in return is to help me bring those girls to their knees… and destroy them!"

As the two sirens gulped at the stranger's dangerous tone, the stranger looked directly into Adagio's eyes again. "So… do we have a deal?"

Adagio only stared at the stranger for a moment, silently debating with herself for a moment. On the one hand, they really don't want to have anything to do with these girls again and rather continue to live out their lives until they find magic and find a way back to Equestria, and they still don't trust this person. But on the other hand, they have a golden opportunity to snatch even more powerful magic than last time, from their own people nonetheless. And it would also be a sweet revenge to use it on those very girls who ruined their lives.

After a moment of silence, Adagio turned towards one of her sisters.

"Sonata! Make us an extra batch of tacos!" She ordered before facing the stranger with a full tooth smirk. "We're inviting a guest tonight!"

The stranger smirked back.

For the two groups, this is the beginning of a very beautiful friendship.

Author's Notes:

Hello, everypony! And happy 1st anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie!

I hope you all are excited as I am, because the official sequel to my previous story Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog is finally here!

Sorry for the long wait. I originally wanted to get this out sooner, but due to circumstances, it took me longer than I realized. I didn't want to keep everyone waiting for as long as I did with volume III of my previous story, so I decided to post the first TWO chapters of this story. After that, the story will be on hiatus until the next chapter. There's no date for the next chapter as of writing, but I will try not to take too long between chapters, but no promises.

Oh, and each new chapter will be posted on Saturdays... whenever they're available!

Anyway, this is by far my favorite Sonic movie to date (at least until Sonic 3 comes out), and boy oh boy I've got ideas for my version of the sequel with the EqG cast!

I should note that right off the bat, there will be no wedding in this story. It is not because I despise this scene as many others. Quite frankly, I think the wedding scenes were fun, but I admit they kinda overstayed their welcome after a while. I have a different idea in mind for this version of the sequel as well as a reason why the girls went to Hawaii (or Hoovaii in this case).

Anyway, just like the previous story, I will list some references/easter eggs and fun facts for each chapter, whether it be Sonic or MLP related.

Speaking of which, here is our first list for this story! :

The entire mushroom planet was a reference to Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic 3 and Knuckles.

At one point, they promoted a sweepstake for Sonic 2 by having fans try out an official Mushroom Coffee flavor along with a free "I Robotnik" coffee mug.

Yes... it's real.

https://twitter.com/SonicMovie/status/1509938674632339458

Those Scavengers actually debuted in the official prequel comic Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill when they kidnapped a certain character for a gladiator-style entertainment in "Always Bet On Red" story and again when they chased after another certain character in "Two For the Road". They only appeared briefly in the movie, but I'm curious if we ever learn more from these guys in future installments.

And do I really need to reference the origin of Robotnik's line: "show you the way"?

...

*sigh* Fine! This was originally a meme "Do You Know De Way" (aka Uganda Knuckles) when players from VRChat controlled a mob of chubby Knuckles to other players, going around saying that line and made clicking sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P31z2qbErpc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD8P8Mq3rVU

Yeah... that was a thing.

What happened with the Dazzlings took place sometime after EqG special, "Sunset's Backstage Pass", and as well as in between the prequel and sequel of this story. And the memory Adagio remembered the events from EqG's second movie, "Rainbow Rocks".

So, who was this creature Robotnik teamed up? Who was this mysterious stranger the Dazzlings teamed up? Where are our heroes now?

Find out... right now, in the next chapter!

Volume I - Chapter 1: The Blue Justice and Party-Crashing Crusaders

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It was a calm night in the city of Seaddle. Many people who lived there were doing their night routines, including an old lady who was pushing her walker with her small dog sitting in her basket. She and her dog slowly made their way to the end of the sidewalk and waited until the lights signaled them to cross. Just as they were about to cross the road, the old lady stopped when she heard an upcoming vehicle and a few sirens coming their way. The old lady stepped back just in time as an armored vehicle flew past her at high speed, followed by many police cars chasing behind it.

The police cars that were chasing the vehicle were getting closer to the back of the van. At that moment, the doors at the back of the van flew open, revealing two guys wearing black clothing and black masks over their faces. One robber growled at the site of many police cars and flew his head towards his partner.

“They’re still on us!”

Wordlessly, his partner gave him one of the bombs for him to use. The robber then activated the bomb and turned back towards the police cars.

“This’ll slow them down!” He growled with a wicked smirk.

He then tossed the bomb directly at one of the police cars. One of the officers of that police car immediately swerved his car just as the bomb landed in front of his path and exploded. Thankfully, the car didn’t get caught in the explosion, but he spun in place, including hitting a trash can until it stopped in place, slowing down other cars in the progress. While there are some police cars still giving chase, this gave the crooks some time and more distance from the police, and a step closer to getting away with all the stolen money from the Lock Load Security Services they robbed earlier.

Unbeknownst to the crooks and police, a certain blue hedgehog was looking down at the car chase from the roof of one of the buildings in Seaddle. With a little smirk on his face and adjusting one of his red shoes, Sonic began to do his brief warm-ups before he began his hero work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBiA_po8TYM

He began by stretching out his legs, then jumped in place and some small electrical sparks out of his body, cracking his knuckles, did some shadowboxing with more electrical sparks coming out of his fists and arms, and then finishing it off with a quick bite of his chilidog to which Pinkie made for him earlier. With his warm-ups out of the way, the grinning hedgehog quickly jumped off the roof and freefall backward with his arms behind his head for a brief second before he fully turned around and ran down along the building and then ran after the crooks with his super-speed.

Sonic ran through the streets of Seaddle with his super-speed, sticking his arms out and gliding around the cars like an airplane. He was even imitating airplane sounds as he does it.

“Watch out! Scuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!” He cried playfully.

He continued to run across the road until he spotted a group of cop cars and the armored car ahead. With a smirk, Sonic quickly cured himself into a ball and then he rolled past the police cars and caught up with the armored car. He sped past the armored car and then jumped to an open window of the passenger side of the vehicle, surprising the robbers.

"Good evening, gentlemen!" He announced, knocking over the passenger robber in the process. "Mind if I drive?"

Before the second robber could react, Sonic kicked him right out of the vehicle. The robber managed to grab onto the door from the outside, screaming, and held on for his dear life. After dealing with the robber, Sonic took the driver’s seat and took over the steering wheel.

"Better buckle up!" He exclaimed briefly, turning the wheel.

As Sonic made a sharp turn around the block, he caught the two other robbers in the back by surprise, launching them to one side of the van. This caused one robber to drop his second bomb, fall off of the vehicle, and explode on the road, slowing down more cop cars in progress.

"How are we doing back there?" Sonic quipped as he made another sharp turn on the road.

The robbers at the back once again were launched and smashed painfully against the other side of the van.

"And now this way!" Sonic remarked, making another sharp turn.

The robbers were roughly thrown again at the opposite wall before they both landed and passed out on the floor.

In progress, money that was secured in the bags was released and a huge amount of them flew out the back of the truck, blinding the pursuing cops in the process. Sonic didn’t seem to notice the mess that he caused, he let out an excited "whoo hoo" as he continued to drive down the road, feeling the thrill of taking out the bad guys.

He suddenly heard some distressed muffled cries behind him. He turned to see a security guard, the original owner of the armored vehicle, all tied up against the gated window with duct tape over his mouth.

"Oh I'm sorry, I don't speak duct tape," Sonic joked as he reached over to the duct tape and ripped it off of the guard's mouth, causing the guard to wince in pain due to the tape.

"What the heck are you!?" The guard exclaimed as soon as the tape was removed from his mouth.

Sonic smirked before going into his heroic monologue. "Fear not, citizen! I am the hero you need and the hero you deserve. The blue dawn that banishes the darkest– HOLY CRAP!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPvwaibHmGM

Sonic noticed a random person walking across the road just in time. He quickly made a sharp turn with the steering wheel before the armored vehicle could even hit the person. The guard screamed the whole way as Sonic was making a turn towards the next block.

"Don't worry! Nobody's gonna get hurt!" Sonic assured as he got control of the vehicle again.

As Sonic completed his full sharp turn, one of the robber's bags slid down across the vehicle, slipped past the grate, and stopped right next to Sonic, which he noticed.

"...huh. What are those?" he wondered out loud.

The guard's eyes bugged out as soon as he noticed some "contents" poking out of the bag. "Bombs! Bombs! They're bombs! Those are bombs!"

"Relax!" Sonic waved his hand with an amused smile. "They're not even lit! so I'll say again, nobody's gonna get–"

Before Sonic could finish his sentence, every single bomb that was in the bag suddenly lit up, causing Sonic and the guard to scream out in panic.

"Ahh! I was wrong! We're all gonna die!"

"Why aren't you slowing down?!" The security guard demanded frantically.

"That would require brakes!" Sonic responded.

To demonstrate his point, Sonic kept stomping on an unconscious robber, which was unfortunately blocking the brakes to stop the vehicle.

As the fuse from the bombs lit up much brighter, Sonic knew that he had to get rid of those ASAP. While trying to keep control of the vehicle, Sonic attempted to lift up the bag full of bombs with his foot. However, due to the heat from the fuse, it nearly burned Sonic’s leg, making things difficult for him to grab the bag.

"Ahh, ohh! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!"

After a few attempts, Sonic finally grabbed the bag handles with one hand while still steering the van with his other hand.

"Why don't you let the police handle this?!" The security guard scolded in frustration and fear.

"Because…” Sonic struggled, now juggling the bombs. “That's not what heroes do!"

At that moment, Sonic tossed the bombs out of the driver’s seat window and landed at the back of a parked garbage truck, which happened to pass by. As soon as those bombs landed in the back of the garbage truck, the bombs exploded, spraying all the garbage in the progress and up in flames. Unfortunately, the garbages only caused more police cars to stop in their place, slowing them down even more.

"Thank you very much!” Sonic smirked, not noticing the damage behind him, even as garbage landed on the windshield. “Please hold your applause!"

The guard only stared at the blue hedgehog in disbelief. With so much chaos this blue creature has caused, he wasn’t even sure if he was safer with him or with those robbers from earlier. Before he could ponder further, he suddenly heard a faint sound from within the vehicle.

"Do you hear that?” He asked, surveying around before his eyes widened in realization. “There's one bomb left!"

Sonic's expression became concerned as he also heard that faint fuse sound. "Uh... uh oh."

Letting go of the steering wheel for a moment, Sonic quickly checked beneath his seat and then the passenger’s seat.

"Did you check under the seat?" The guard suggested desperately.

"Of course, I checked under the seat!" Sonic huffed as if the answer was obvious.

"You are terrible at this!" The guard criticized harshly.

Sonic rushed against the grate, glaring at the guard. "You know what? Your negative attitude is not helping anyone!"

As Sonic resumed his search, the guard noticed a spark coming out the back of Sonic’s quills.

"It's in your spiky things!" The guard shouted.

Hearing this, Sonic quickly spun around at a fast pace until he was able to snag the bomb out of his quills.

"Aha! I can never find anything in there!"

Sonic then tossed the bomb out of the passenger’s side window. The bomb landed on the road, rolled over, and disappeared into the storm drain.

"Drained it from downtown!" Sonic proclaimed before he made fanfare horn sounds in celebration.

The guard let out a sigh of relief, slumping against the wall.

Sonic flashed the guard a smile. "See? I told you no one would get hurt!"

However, the blue hedgehog didn’t realize that they almost reached the end of the road with an ice cream truck parked at the end. Worse of all, there were countless amount of people hanging around eating ice cream and some other sugary treats.

"Holy sherbet!" Sonic shouted, beginning to panic.

Sonic wouldn’t be able to make the next turn without hitting anyone due to the speed of the van and with the robber’s unconscious body over the brakes, he wasn’t able to stop the van either. He needed to find another way to stop this van and avoid people getting hurt, and he needs to do it fast.

Sonic desperately looked around the van until he spotted one of the same robber’s bags, where the bombs used to be, had a power drill sticking out near the unconscious robber’s feet.

"Oh, hello!" Sonic grinned, suddenly having an idea to get themselves out of this mess.

Without hesitation, Sonic used his speed to snatch the drill out of the bag and then he rushed himself out of the driver’s window and then landed on the roof of the security van.

"Don't panic!” Sonic announced, powering up his tool. “This is only a drill!"

With no time to waste, Sonic placed the drill over one of the screws on the van and began his work taking the van apart. Within seconds, Sonic used his super speed to move all around the moving van within a blue blur, unscrewing every bit of screws as he did so.

Meanwhile, the people near the ice cream truck were busy enjoying their treats until they heard a speeding van coming their way and coming in close. The people panicked at the sight and they all immediately got up from their chairs and tried to move out of the way. While many ran away screaming, a lone kid was busy enjoying his ice cream cone, completely unaware of the events behind him.

At that time, Sonic managed to unscrew every screw off of the van before he vanished, letting all the parts of the van come off, even all four wheels that kept it going. It was at this point, the kid finally noticed the people running away and he turned around to see what was all the fuss was about. The security guard screamed as the van, now with only a platform and wheels, slid across the road toward the ice cream truck with sparks flying out. Luckily, the platform was slowing down until it comes to a complete stop only a few feet away from the ice cream truck and the kid.

The security guard stopped screaming and sat with a shaky expression. He slowly turned behind him to see a shell-shocked kid with his jaw ajar. The kid was so shocked by the fact of how close he was nearly crushed by a truck, he didn’t even notice one of his scoops of ice cream fell off of his cone. With only a single blink of his eyes, the guard slowly turned back around, slightly relieved that the worse was over.

…that was until they heard an explosion from the storm drain with flames coming out.

youtube.com/watch?v=6fEtKlUC1S8

Before the guard and the kid could comprehend where the explosion was coming from, the ground began to rumble and water exploded out of the manholes and burst into the sky like geysers. At that point, the robbers come to and were shocked at the display that their van was somehow unassembled and that many random geysers were in front of them. They were so shell-shocked, they didn’t even notice the police finally caught up with them and swarms of officers ran toward them.

As the robbers were being arrested, the security guard was finally out of his shocked state when he hears a voice from above him.

"No need to thank me, citizens!" Sonic announced from the rooftop, making a pose in front of a full moon. "All in a night's work for… Blue Justice!"

"You're a terrible hero!" The security guard screamed angrily.

Sonic, oblivious to the guard’s angry words, ran down the building and fled the scene, laughing gleefully as he made his long trip back home to Canterlot City.

Unbeknownst to the laughing blue hedgehog, a lone figure dressed in a black jumpsuit with green spy goggles and long hair was standing on top of one of the buildings, spying intensely at the blue hedgehog. After seeing the blue hedgehog leaving the city, the mysterious figure activated their jet pack, following after the hedgehog at high speed.

Elsewhere at Canterlot City, an event took place from within Canterlot High School with many students, mostly seniors, already arriving at the gymnasium that night. For you see, tonight was a big deal for the seniors of CHS because their upcoming graduation is just a few days away. And it was a tradition that the seniors get a pre-graduation party and celebrate their accomplishments as the Wondercolts before they moved on with their lives as adults.

However, unlike the previous years, this year's "party" for the seniors was different. Instead of music, food, and social interactions between friends, they were having an "orientation party" where they were forced to learn things that many did not want to learn. All the students were standing around with bored, disappointed, and angry expressions on their faces, waiting to get this "lesson" over with. They all felt they were robbed of their promised fun and relaxed event.

And they all blamed the current "Principal" of their school for all the changes for this "party".

"Welcome senior students of CHS!" Announced their Principal in her sickly sweet voice. "And welcome to our special 'Orientation Lesson' party of the outside world, hosted and arranged by your favorite and generous Principal… ME! Spoiled Rich!"

There were collective groans all around the gymnasium, which Spoiled paid them no mind.

"Now I know most of you would rather dance the night away, drink punch, and sneak off somewhere sucking faces with your significant other as most teenagers do… but I think the best thing we can do for all our time instead is to teach you the ways of business. And I can't think of anyone better to teach you kids this topic than myself. So I hope you are all looking forward to it!"

As Spoiled continued on with her rant, mostly congratulating herself for arranging said "party", a certain group of girls from within the crowd were staring at her with just as much disdain and disgust as the rest of the student body. This group of girls in particular were Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle. They are a well-known and popular group in CHS and heroines of Canterlot City known as Equestria Girls, or by their band name, The Rainbooms.

"Man… this stinks!" The rainbowed-haired girl, known as Rainbow Dash complained with a huff. "We're supposed to be here to have fun, not another school lesson!"

"I agree!" the poofy pink-haired girl, known as Pinkie scowled. "This is the worst party in the history of parties!"

"We all hate this, girls," The girl with long red and yellow hair, known as Sunset Shimmer sighed. "With Principal Celestia… temporary absence, I'm afraid we're going to have to put up with this."

"But why her!?" Rainbow Dash retorted quietly, pointing at Spoiled. "Who thought it was a good idea to have her as Principal!? And why can't Vice Principal Luna be in charge?"

"The school board apparently," the spectacle girl with indigo and pink hair, known as Twilight answered. "They appointed her because she was the most qualified for the job."

The posh girl with long purple hair, known as Rarity, frowned suspiciously at Spoiled. "Though, if you ask me, I think Spoiled Rich has them in her back pocket due to her husband's wealth."

"Normally, I don't like to talk badly behind someone's back," The long pink-haired girl, known as Fluttershy, spoke softly. "But she was awful! Ever since she was appointed as our principal, she has been treating everyone like dirt, including the teachers… and there's nothing anyone can do about it. And she originally was going to expel us on her first day!"

“Ah’m afraid that the best thing we can do is sent our complaints to Vice Principal Luna,” The girl with a farmer's hat, known as Applejack commented, crossing her arms. “She’s our only saving grace to protect us and keep her in check before she became a complete tyrant… for the most part."

Twilight nodded in agreement. “While I usually look forward to any kind of lessons and new knowledge, even I find this to be ridiculous!” She then frowned somberly. “I’ll give Spoiled this much: she’s not the worst Principal I've had to deal with.”

Sunset gave her friend a look of understanding and empathy. “You mean with Cinch?”

“Yes… her!” Twilight shuddered as she closed her eyes and sighed. “Even ever since I stepped foot in Crystal Prep… she made my life difficult since day one… right until the Friendship Games.”

Rarity cocked an eyebrow. “But wasn’t Cinch been treating all the students at Crystal Prep?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not with me! For whatever reason, despite that I gave her school a big score with my knowledge, she still made my life miserable, even encouraging other students to shun me. It’s almost as if she had a grudge against me.”

“But what could she have possibly had a grudge against you for?” Fluttershy asked.

“Even to this day… I still don’t know,” Twilight replied sadly. “I still don’t understand why that woman hates me!”

The girls were silent, hardly paying attention to Spoiled’s speech. None of them have any idea how to respond to this until Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“Well, you know what I think? …I think you should just forget her!” she said bluntly, much to Twilight’s surprise. “That lady was a real piece of work and she doesn’t deserve to have a smart student like you!”

“Rainbow Dash is right!” Sunset added before Twilight could respond. “Cinch’s issues are her own. And quite frankly, I rather not know what those are! But what I do know is that she missed out on having a smart and wonderful person like you at her school. And if she still thinks you’re worthless, well… that’s on her.” She then smiled fondly at her friend. “I for one am glad the Friendship Games happened because I–we all got to meet and befriend you to our group… and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Twilight was touched and grateful for her friend’s words. “You’re right, Sunset! I’m glad I got to meet and befriend you all too.” She then beamed softly at Sunset. “Including you, Sunset! Thanks.”

“Y-you’re welcome!” Sunset answered modestly with a tint of blush on her face.

“While this conversation was sappy and all,” Applejack interjected. “But Ah’m afraid we’re all still stuck in this here’s lesson by Spoiled.”

Rainbow Dash huffed, crossing her arms. “Well, whatever! At least it can’t be as bad as Cranky's formula lessons in math.”

"Obviously, graduation is the foundation of living your own life and contributing to society, but nothing helps you more in life than a big stack of money!” said Spoiled as she set up a giant projection screen behind her. “This presentation on business I put together will teach you all how to earn your own."

Everyone in the audience cringed as Spoiled activate the projector, starting a PowerPoint presentation. "Step one – Equity…"

"…I take that back! This is worse!" Rainbow Dash groaned, slumping forward.

“Just hang in there, Dash," Applejack whispered. "In the next few days, we will never have to deal with her again.”

"Yes… though now I'm worried for my sister while that woman is in charge!" Rarity commented before pausing for a moment. "Speaking of which… where is my sister?"

Applejack blinked, rubbing her chin in thought. “Huh, now that ya mentioned it… Ah haven't seen Apple Bloom or her friends all day!” She turned her head to the rest of the gang. "Have any of y'all seen them?"

Sunset shook her head. "I haven't!"

"Do you, Twilight?"

Twilight shook her head. “Neither do I!”

"Pinkie?"

Pinkie shook her head. "Nope.”

“Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy shook her head. “No… sorry.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Uhhh… I haven't seen Scoots since this morning,” Rainbow Dash answered, tapping on her chin. “But the only thing Squirt had told me is that she and her friends are having ‘big plans’ for tonight… or something like that.”

Fluttershy frowned in concern. "Oh dear, I don't like the sound of that! You don't think they'll try anything tonight, do you?"

As everyone looked at each other in worry, Applejack spoke up. "Look ya’ll, while Apple Bloom and her friends have done some… crazy hijinks before, but even those three wouldn't do anythin’ crazy for this event, right?” Her expression became more uncertain. “…right?"

Somewhere from within the hallways of CHS, a lone door led into the Principal’s office. Normally, it would have been guarded by the school’s secretary, Raven Inkwell, but ever since Spoiled took over, Spoiled only added a special security system by the door while the secretary was “let go”, claiming that she “wasn’t needed”. All was quiet and empty in the hallway until three small shadows appeared around the corner and headed to the office.

The three shadows eventually stood in front of the office door, with one focusing on the door while the other two were surveying the hallway. The one shadow by the door took out a phone from their pocket and brought it to their ear.

“This is Half-Pint Dynamite to Dazzle Tiara, come in Dazzle Tiara, over!” The person spoke quietly.

“I can hear you loud and clear Scootaloo!” The voice from the phone replied.

“Diamond Tiara, we talked about this!” Scootaloo sighed out of annoyance. “We have to use our code names for this operation or people will know it was us!”

Diamond Tiara huffed from the other line. “Okay, first off, this is pointless and stupid because we're breaking into my mother's office, not a military base! Second, it was only the four of us with our phones, I doubt anyone will hear us! Third, you just call me by my real name too! And fourth, I hate my code name!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Oh c'mon, Diamond Tiara! Using code names is what makes this whole thing fun! Try not to be a killjoy for once!”

There was a long pause before Scootaloo heard Diamond huffing again. “...fine! This is Dazzle Tiara, loud and clear!”

“See? That wasn’t so hard, over.” Scootaloo smiled before adding, “Oh, and don't forget to say over, over!”

“Seriously!?” Diamond exclaimed.

With Scootaloo staring at her phone expectedly, Diamond sighed. “...over!”

Scootaloo nodded in approval before she went back to business. “Did you get the code, over?”

“I have her code… over!” Diamond answered.

“Great! then what's the code, over?” Scootaloo asked.

“Password, over,” said Diamond.

Scootaloo frowned in confusion. “Wait… is the password, over, over?”

“No, it's password, over!” Diamond answered in frustration.

“But you just said over, over!” Scootaloo pointed out, now even more confused.

“Oh for crying out– it's password!”

Before Scootaloo could press further, one of her friends interrupted. “Ah’ll talk to her!”

Scootaloo shrugged and handed her phone to Apple Bloom who then started talking to Diamond.

“Sorry about that, Diamond,” Apple Bloom apologized. “Ah know she can be a handful.”

“Don’t worry about that Apple Bloom,” Diamond Tiara answered calmly and relieved.

“So what’s the password?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s password,” Diamond answered.

Apple Bloom frowned. “Yes, that’s what Ah said. What’s the password?”

“Password!” Diamond repeated, now getting frustrated again.

Apple Bloom scratched her head. “So…are ya gonna tell me or–”

“It's Password!” Diamond screamed, finally losing her patience and nearly shattering Apple Bloom's eardrum. “The password is password!”

Apple Bloom blinked in surprise. “Wait, seriously? Well, why didn’t ya say so?”

Diamond Tiara let out a frustrated growl at that.

The third person, which was Sweetie Belle, typed in the password on the keyboard, which unlocked the door with a beep.

“Well, what do ya know!” Sweetie Belle squeaked with a surprised expression. “It really works!”

Apple Bloom blinked before speaking on the phone again. “No offense Diamond Tiara… but that was the worst password your mother ever came up with!

“None taken,” Diamond sighed. “My mother is super lazy when it comes to trivial stuff like passwords.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “Well anyways, thanks again for giving us access to the main office, Diamond Tiara! We owe ya one!”

“Don’t mention it, Apple Bloom!” Diamond Tiara said happily before sounding serious. “No seriously, don’t mention it! If mother finds out that I helped you, I’ll be grounded for the whole summer!”

“Oh, relax!” Apple Bloom assured. “Yer mother won’t find out! We’ll change up the music and atmosphere of this pre-graduation party and then we’ll be gone before she knows it. No need to worry!”

There was a long pause for a moment before Diamond responded, “Apple Bloom… whenever you said ‘no need to worry’ is when I worry the most!”

With that, Diamond Tiara hung up, leaving the three of them alone once more. They quietly entered the Principal’s office and Sweetie Belle gently shut the door behind them.

“She has a point, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle whispered. "Usually after you said that is when our plans went wrong.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, while we’re doing this for the right reason, even I’m worried about all this!”

Apple Bloom paused. It was no secret that the CMCs, aka the Canterlot Movie Club, are infamous due to their shenanigans in CHS or even in town. They're not bad kids by any means, they were either trying to figure out about themselves or to help others out. Despite their innocent nature, their actions would often get them into trouble.

Apple Bloom shook her head and gave her friends her reassuring smile. “Listen, girls! While we messed up before, this time it’ll be different! Just stick to da plan and this will go smoother than our Apple family’s Apple Cider!”

Apple Bloom faced Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, go set everything up and keep her busy!”

“Roger that!” Scootaloo saluted before leaving the room.

Apple Bloom then faced Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie Belle, cue up the music!”

Sweetie Belle gave Apple Bloom a thumbs up. “You got it, Apple Bloom!”

“This is it!” Apple Bloom smirked deviously. “Spoiled Rich won’t know what hit her!”

"And that concludes the lesson of equity!" Spoiled Rich concluded her "lesson", much to the students' relief.

"Thank Faust!" Rainbow Dash remarked.

Spoiled smirked wickedly. "For our next lesson, we'll be going over the basics of Economics. Oh, and don't worry, I condensed it to about an hour at the least!"

Rainbow Dash, along with many others, let out a loud distressed groan all around the gym, causing Spoiled to frown.

"Oh quit your moans! It's either this or spending your free lessons with me during the summer!"

This immediately shut everyone up out of fear of being stuck with Spoiled for the whole summer, which to them was a fate worse than death.

"Hmft! Thought so!" Spoiled scoffed haughtily.

Unbeknownst to Spoiled and the senior students, Scootaloo was at the back of the stage, setting up the mechanism of the stage behind the curtains, ready to take out Spoiled and give everyone the fun that they deserved.

"And as long as I'm in charge," Spoiled continued. "The only kind of party you'll be getting is a business educational party!"

As soon as she said those words, the lights suddenly went out, leaving everyone in darkness. While the students stood around in confusion, Spoiled surveying the area in utter bafflement.

"Wha– Hey! Who turned out the lights!?"

At the same time, the projection screen behind Spoiled extended from the floor to almost the ceiling, and her PowerPoint suddenly disappeared.

"What the–! What's going on here? Who's doing this!?" Spoiled’s expression became furious. "When I found out who did it will guarantee be–"

Spoiled was unable to finish her sentence as Scootaloo pulled a level from backstage, activating a trap door beneath Spoiled and sending her down below with a scream.

Scootaloo let out a quiet cackle before she quickly hurried out of the room to join her friends.

Meanwhile, as the events unfolded, the students were even more bewildered, not more so than the Rainbooms.

“What the hay is going on here!?” Sunset exclaimed.

“It seems that someone has hijacked Spolied’s presentation!” Twilight replied.

“Not that I’m not grateful to be spared by Spoiled’s lessons, but who’s behind this?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

Before either of them could speculate, the image on the projection screen suddenly came to life, revealing a familiar emblem in front of them.

At the same time, a voice speaks out from the school’s intercom.

“Good evening, CHS!”

Rarity’s eyes widened in dread, recognizing that squeaky voice from anywhere. “...oh no.”

“Dat’s enough of this here’s bore fest!”

“They wouldn’t!” Applejack tensed after hearing the second voice’s country accent.

“Now let’s have ourselves…”

“...they would,” Rainbow Dash sighed of resignation.

“...A real party!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGouV7BXcMU

Suddenly, a disco ball dropped from the ceiling, and lights flashed in various colors just as the music began to play.

Pinkie, now with an excited expression, let out a loud whoop. “You hear those mysterious voices! Let’s party!”

Pinkie took out a miniature party canon from her hair, pointed towards the air, and pulled the trigger. After the confetti shot out from that small canon, the next thing they all knew many tables landed on the floor with various food and treats. No one knew how Pinkie managed to fit all of that in that one small canon, but they all shrugged and began to cheer and danced with the music, finally having some fun for once.

The Rainbooms were baffled by Pinkie’s actions.

"Wait, Pinkie… you're in all of this!?" Twilight exclaimed in disbelief.

"Not at first," Pinkie admitted with a shrug. "With Spoiled being a complete party pooper and even as far as banning cake, the CMCs made a very good argument that this day should be about us and not her. So I helped bring in the supplies while they did the rest. With that said…"

Pinkie raised her fist and ran towards the dance floor while shouting in a Pranch accent. "Viva la revolución!"

The Rainbooms stood by, watching Pinkie and all the students danced the night away with stupefied expressions. Some of the students were either dancing with crazy moves, dancing with their "partners" a little too closely, or even busy making out in the middle of the dance floor, worrying the group even further.

“Oh…dear!” Fluttershy uttered meekly in concern.

Rainbow Dash blinked. “This… is… awesome!” she cheered with a toothy smile, surprising the rest of the girls. “I gotta hand it to the CMCs, they really made this party a hundred and twenty percent cooler!”

“Are you mad, Rainbow Dash!?” Rarity screeched, gawking at Rainbow Dash like she just grew a second head. “Our sisters are causing chaos at the party!”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Well… all they did was make this party a little more exciting. It’s not like they’re hurting anyone.”

Somewhere backstage, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo brought various pet cages that they picked up from Fluttershy’s shelter earlier and placed them close to the door leading to the gym.

"Okay, girls, get ready for the next phase!" Apple Bloom instructed.

“Um, girls… should we be doing this?” Sweetie Belle asked with a worried expression.

“Of course!” Scootaloo assured with a grin before cheering. “Unleash those little critters!”

Still feeling unsure but complying, Sweetie Belle opened all the cages and Apple Bloom opened the door, letting all the various animals run out into the gymnasium.

The Rainbooms immediately turned their heads when they heard sudden animal noises coming their way. Their eyes widened as many pet animals, pigs, and mice included, headed their way.

"What the–"

Applejack and the others barely had time to react as the animals ran past them, nearly knocking them down, and heading towards the dance floor.

Fluttershy was quick to recover, trying to talk to these animals. "W-where'd you all come from? How did you all get here!?"

The animals ignored her as they either chased or harassed the other students from within the dance floor.

"Wait! Please don't–" Fluttershy winced as she saw a parrot knocking over one of the school’s banners. "Oh my goodness! Please get down from there!"

The rest of the Equestria Girls weren’t doing much better as they tried to fend themselves away as animals were beginning to crowd around them.

“It seems that we got ourselves some uninvited party animals… quite literally!” Sunset remarked.

“You think!?” Rarity screeched, shooing some dogs away from her.

“Apple Bloom…” Applejack scowled, fanning the birds away from her hat.

From behind the stage’s curtain, the CMCs were watching the event scene unfold in front of them due to their efforts. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had proud and excited expressions on their faces while Sweetie Belle only had a worried and unsure expression.

"Alright, our operation: 'Party Mode' is a complete success!" Apple Bloom cheered before facing her friends. "I told y'all that everything is going to be fine!"

"I don't know girls,” Sweetie Belle frowned, wincing as her sister struggled with one of the animals. “I think this party we set up is getting a little out of hand."

"Oh relax Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo waved off Sweetie’s concerns. "Nothing but a little cleanup wouldn’t fix things. As long as everything goes smoothly as planned, nothing bad will happen!"

As if Scootaloo has tempted fate, the gym doors suddenly flew open, revealing a furious Principal Spoiled with wrinkles and soot on her clothes.

"Alright, you hooligans! Whoever dropped me below stage shall be–" She immediately stopped speaking the moment she noticed the state of the gymnasium. "What the– what in the blazes is going on in here!?"

The CMCs' faces became pale and panicked at the sight of Spoiled. Apple Bloom turned to Scootaloo to scold her. "Scoots! You were supposed to lock the door below the stage!"

Scootaloo blinked. "...I thought it was Sweetie Belle’s job!"

They both turned to Sweetie Belle, who raised her palms in defense. "Hey, wait a minute! I was told that it was Apple Bloom!"

Before the three of them began to argue, Spoiled shouted over the music again. "Stop this! Stop this party at once! Or else I’ll expel every single one of–"

Her threat was interrupted when she got tackled by a pig and then tried to eat her hair. "AHHH! Get this filthy thing off of me!"

Things were starting to get even more out of control with their “party”. The screaming students were chased around by animals, knocking into one another as a result. Some animals were causing chaos by knocking over chairs and eating food off the tables. There was even one section of the dance floor where an animal bumped into people’s backs, causing a misunderstanding between the two groups, and shoved each other as a result.

The CMCs were now staring at the scene with huge worry.

“You were saying, Scoots!?” Sweetie Belle remarked with a side glare, causing the young tomboy to smile sheepishly.

“Well… it can't get any worse,” Apple Bloom muttered.

Unbeknownst to Apple Bloom, a lone mouse has already climbed up the curtain until it reached one of the cords leading to a spotlight of the stage. The mouse chewed into a cord, taking out chunks of the material until it stopped partway after feeling a slight shock. Thankfully the mouse is okay, but due to a large bite mark on the card, the spotlight that was held by the cord slowly descended due to the weight until it snapped completely off the cord. The spotlight shuts off as it fell at a high speed until it crashed onto the stage with sparks erupting from the bulb.

One of that sparks, however, landed on one of the old stage curtains, creating a fire in the process. The fire grew and grew until the whole curtain was completely covered in flames within seconds. As the fire continues to spread, Fluttershy gasped the moment she saw fire coming from the stage.

“Girls, look!”

The Equestria Girls turned and then were immediately panicked at the sight of a huge fire coming from the stage.

“Fire, fire!” Rarity screamed. “Everything is on fire!”

The other students also noticed the fire and then immediately ran towards the outside doors, screaming in panic.

Spoiled, who finally succeed in getting the pig off of her, gasped at the sight of the fire. “Ahhh, FIRE!” She screeched before running out of the gym. “Everyone for themselves!”

The girls watched the fleeing Principal with deadpanned expressions.

“Wow… just wow!” Twilight muttered, feeling more disgusted with their "Principal".

“How was she in charge again?” Rainbow Dash remarked.

Pinkie suddenly showed up near the group. “Wow! I know I heard the phrase ‘this party’s on fire’, but even I find that ridiculous!”

“Now’s not the time for jokes, Pinkie!” Twilight glared.

Various screams caught the girls’ attention. They noticed in horror that some students and animals were unable to flee due to the flames surrounding them. What was even worse was that the flames continued to spread at a rapid pace, putting everyone in danger.

“Oh my gosh, everyone’s trapped!” Sunset exclaimed.

“And so are those poor critters!” Fluttershy added with a whimper.

Rarity gasped. “Oh my gosh! Our sisters could be trapped too!”

“Then there’s no time to waste!” Applejack declared. “Let’s save them all!”

With various nods, the girls immediately activated their geodes and ponied up. A cutie mark briefly appeared on each of the girls’ right side of their cheeks before their bodies glowed into a bright light and then reappeared into their transferred states. Their hairs magically extended as ponytails, their ears replaced into pony ears, and some like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight now have magical wings. And their casual clothes were now replaced with their battle attires, ready for action.

With no time to lose, the Equestria Girls quickly split up, helping out the students. Rainbow Dash used her speed to gather every bowl of fruit punch at each table, ran to a nearby wall of flames, and put them out, freeing some animals for Fluttershy to gently lead them outside. Pinkie Pie took out a bunch of candies from her hair and tossed some to a nearby wall, creating a hole leading outside for some students to escape. Sunset Shimmer approached one of the walls of flames and used her magic to absorb them, freeing more students in the process. Twilight, who noticed that the sprinkler system was broken, quickly used her telekinesis to pick up some tools from the janitor's closet and fixed the nearby system in the hallway. The sprinkler system worked temporarily and managed to put out the flames, freeing the rest of the students.

Most of the girls quickly meet up again at the gym.

"Is that everyone?" Twilight asked.

Sunset turned towards the stage with a worried look. "Almost everyone."

The CMCs were having terrible luck. Ever since the fire started on one of the curtains, the trio panicked, not expecting this to happen. They didn't have time, nor were able to check on the other students as their top priority was to escape to safety. They tried to get out through the door, leading to the hallway, but parts of the ceiling, which were also on fire, collapsed in front of the door, blocking their access to escape.

The CMCs backed away from the flames while trying to find another way out, but it was no use. The flames were slowly surrounding them with no chance to escape. The heat was starting to get to them as sweat dripped from their heads and just seconds away from getting burned.

“There’s no way out!” Scootaloo cried, surveying the area desperately.

“We're gonna die!” Sweetie Belle wailed. "Someone, help us!"

Apple Bloom felt guilt stabbed in her heart. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were just trying to bring in the fun for her sisters and the others. But the school is burning down and everyone is in danger… and it's all their fault.

As the flames were about to reach them, Apple Bloom shut her eyes, letting tears leak from her eyes.

“Girls… Ah’m sorry!”

Suddenly, a magical shield made of diamonds appeared and surrounded the trio before any of the flames could touch them. The shield then disintegrates, wiping out the fire surrounding the trio in the process. The CMCs broke out their shock and turned to see their savior who was busy keeping a second shield up against a second wall of flames, despite her struggle with the heat.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed in relief.

Then they heard a grunt, followed by a loud crash. The girls turned to where the wall used to be, which now has a huge hole leading outside thanks to another savior who just punched the wall.

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried.

“You three alright?” Applejack grunted, staring pointedly at Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom winced at her sister's look and tone, basically telling her that she was in a lot of trouble despite being rescued.

“A-Applejack," she trembled "We–”

“We’ll talk later!” Applejack barked coolly, causing Apple Bloom to flinch as she gestured toward the hole. “Now, go!”

"And please hurry, darlings!" Rarity pleaded urgency. "I can't keep this up forever!"

With various nods, the CMCs quickly ran toward the hole and escaped outside.

Unfortunately for Rarity, the fire became too much for her as the fire finally broke through her shield. Rarity collapsed to the floor due to her weak legs, letting the flames come near her.

"Aahhh! Applejack, help!" Rarity screamed, raising her arms to shield herself.

Without a moment of hesitation, Applejack quickly lept for Rarity, scooped her up, and ran out of the hole before more of the ceiling collapsed into the floor. Once they were outside, safe from the fire, Rarity looked up at Applejack, who had a look of relief on the farmer's face.

"You okay, Rares?" Applejack said softly.

With a blush, Rarity nodded. Her eyes then became alarmed when she looked above Applejack’s head.

“Applejack! Your hat!”

Applejack glanced up, and her eyes widened in horror when she noticed the flames on top of her hat.

“AHHH!" She screamed, nearly dropping Rarity as she tried to swat the flames away. "MAH HAT’S ON FIRE! HELP!”

Suddenly, AJ's hat was yanked off of her head and then thrown onto the pavement, only to be stomped repeatedly by Rainbow Dash with her super speed until the flames disappeared. Rainbow Dash then picked up the now-ruined hat and gave it back to a shell-shocked Applejack.

"You're welcome," Rainbow Dash said with a grin, oblivious to AJ's expression.

Shortly after that, the rest of the Equestria Girls joined up with Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash at the school parking lot, along with the rest of the students who escaped safely. As soon as they were all together, their magic fade out, transforming them back to normal in their normal outfits, just as the firefighters arrived at the scene. Before either of them had a chance to say anything, they suddenly heard a loud argument from a few feet away. They turned to see Vice Principal Luna, who has just arrived due to an emergency, scolding Spoiled Rich for her actions during the fire.

"You just left the students inside!? What were you thinking!?" Vice Principal Luna berated.

“Well, it’s not my fault that these students are too slow!” Spoiled deflected, not phased by Luna’s scolding. "I was only thinking for my own safety!"

"As Principal, your top priority is the students' safety!" Vice Principal Luna yelled, getting into Spoiled’s face. "You really have gone too far this time! I will be reporting you to the school board for this!"

“I would like to see you try!” Spoiled scoffed, pushing Luna away from her face before smirking. “Good luck with that!"

Vice Principal Luna fumed as Spoiled walked away with her nose up in the air, who was not at least concerned about what just happened. As much as Luna wanted to tear into Spoiled for her neglect, her top priority right now is to check on the safety of the kids.

"Vice Principal Luna!"

Luna heed her name being called just as the Equestria Girls joined up with her.

"Girls!" Vice Principal Luna exclaimed in relief. “Are you all okay? And what about the others?”

“We’re all fine! Everyone made it out safely!” Sunset assured before glancing at her farmer friend. “Although, we wish to say the same thing for AJ’s hat.”

“Nooooooo!” Applejack wailed, clutching her charred hat close to her chest. “Mah poor hat! Bessie was far too young to be taken from this world! Why you cruel world!? Wwwwhhhhhhyyyyyyyy!?”

Rarity rolled her eyes at AJ’s pathetic display. “And they say I’m overly dramatic!”

“Well regardless, I'm glad that everyone's safe!" Luna smiled before facing the building in sorrow. "But our school…"

They all turned towards the school, which was still burning as many firefighters were trying to put the fire out. Many were saddened by this display, but Pinkie tried to cheer them up by taking the cake out of her hair for safekeeping.

“Well… at least the cake made it out intact!" Pinkie offered with her cheery smile.

Unfortunately, before anyone could react, a pig jumped on top of her cake, devouring it in seconds much to everyone’s disgust and despair.

“...so much for that,” Pinkie drooped, her hair deflated as a result.

Somewhere in the nearby bushes, the CMCs watched everything in front of them, feeling both shame and guilt at the sight of their school.

“Oh, man! We’ve really done it now!” Scootaloo groaned.

“We are in so much trouble!” Sweetie Belle whimpered.

“No one’s noticed us,” Apple Bloom whispered as she saw an opening to escape. “If we sneak away quietly, maybe we can–”

“Going somewhere!?”

The girls froze at a harsh, snooty voice behind them. They slowly turned around and winced at the sight of not only Spoiled Rich, but also Vice Principal Luna, their sisters, and all of the senior students of their school. They all have furious expressions on their faces, not at least a bit amused by their recent antics. Knowing that they landed in hot water this time with no way out, Apple Bloom could only give Spoiled Rich and the rest of their group an awkward, sheepish smile.

“Well… I guess our party really brought the house down… am I right? Eheheh…”

Yep, they’re definitely in hot water.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all enjoy the first two chapters! They both started off with a bang!

Sonic was causing havoc, despite his noble cause and the CMCs tried to throw a pre-graduation party... only to blow up in their faces... big time! Oops!

Anyway, the next chapter won't be out for a while, but I'll be working on that and other chapters as we speak. While it's okay to ask me when the chapter is out every once in a while but do NOT spam me the same question every day on every hour. The next chapters will be ready when it's ready! ...that is all!

Anyway, some notes and references:

"Seaddle" is obviously a pony spoof for Seattle!

The company of the van that these robbers stole "Lock Load Security Services" was a subtle reference to "Lock-on technology", which was introduced in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The coloring of the Lock Load Security Services might also be a reference to the color logo of Sonic & Knuckles.

The song that was playing at the beginning before Sonic did his warm-ups was called "It's Tricky" by Run DMC.

The food Sonic ate at the beginning was a chili dog, Sonic's favorite food.

The security guard who was tied up in the van was Scott Patey, the actor and voice for on-set Sonic during the shooting for two Sonic movies.

The scene when the water shoots out from the manholes was a callback from an opening/cutscene when Perfect Chaos attacks from Sonic Adventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlqzGDDLjA

And the music that was playing during the water scene was the ending piece of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

Twilight explaining her experiences with her former Principal Cinch was a callback from the events of the third EqG movie, Friendship Games.

Spoiled's line about learning business and Equity, was a callback to the scene of her pony counterpart trying to teach the students about "loyalty" in MLP:FiM Season 9, Episode 20 - A Horse Shoe-In.

While she never has a speaking role in the show, Raven Inkwell is an Earth pony (or Unicorn in some cases) who served as Princess Celestia's aide, hence why I made her human counterpart as Principal Celestia's secretary in the human world.

There is actually a Pokémon anime reference during a phone call between Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara. If you can figure out what that reference is, then you'll get a cookie!

Hint: It's a catchphrase from a character in Diamond and Pearl era.

Rainbow Dash's remark, "Thank Faust!" was a reference to the original creator and of MLP:FiM, Lauren Faust. She was involved as an executive producer for season one, then only consulting producer for season two before leaving the show, and not involved for the remainder of the series.

The song Sweetie Belle played for the party was called "Giddy Up" by Network Musical Ensemble, which I think was used for The Hub commercials during Season 3 of MLP:FiM. And the reason why I have Sweetie Belle play the music was because I was inspired by this PMV by Tweek Studio Animation. It was really good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPxJnvSZrU0

"Pranch" was a pony pun for "Franch".

Applejack panicking about her hat being on fire was a reference to that moment in 1996's Sonic the Hedgehog Movie (aka Sonic OVA) when Knuckles panicked when his hat caught on fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BK3G5fQGdo

So anyway, what's going to happen now? What will become of the CMCs? What about their school? Why is Spoiled their Principal? And what about Sonic? Will anyone find out about his vigilantism? Will Pinkie Pie ever have her cake and EAT IT TOO!?

Find out next time in the next chapter (whenever it is ready) of Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog 2!

Stay tuned!

And don't forget to leave a like and give me any feedback in the comments below, but please be polite!

Volume I - Chapter 2: Morning with the Sparkles

View Online

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=200n3QDRasw

After escaping from the city of Seaddle, Sonic ran through the night, determined to get home before his new family noticed that he was missing.

For the past eight months, he had been sneaking out of the house, using his powers to save people and stop robberies. But almost every time, his new family and friends found out about his late "activities" and got in trouble. He was hoping that this time around that he'd do his hero duty as quickly and quietly as possible.

Despite that, Sonic was in high spirits, still feeling the adrenaline thrill from his earlier heroic action. It was a very good feeling of stopping the bad guys and actually put his power to good use instead of running away. And he planned to keep doing it, even if he had to sneak out at night to do it.

His eyes lit up as he spotted a familiar bridge leading to his hometown. He ran past the bridge at record speed just as the morning sun rose from the mountain. With a sudden idea, Sonic took a quick detour towards one of the tallest mountains in the area and climbed up with his speed. As soon as he reached the top, Sonic faced his favorite town and shouted toward the morning sky.

"Good morning, Canterlot City!" Sonic proclaimed joyfully, hearing his own voice echoing across the town.

Satisfied, Sonic used his speed again to run back down the mountain and resumed his route toward home.

Home. Sonic thought with pure happiness.

Eight months ago, he never thought in his wildest dreams that he’d be able to get any friends, let alone a family. Ever since his battle against Dr. Robotnik, the Equestria Girls, as well as Cadance and Shining Armor, took him in. While he mostly lived with the Sparkles, he was passed around between the girls to spend time with them.

With Applejack, aka Cowgirl, he would either help out at the Apple Family’s farm for the harvest or go play with Apple Bloom. For Rarity, aka Fashion Queen, Sonic would help out by posing for the kids' fashion lineup, much to his displeasure, or learn how to sing with Sweetie Belle. With Fluttershy, aka Animal Girl, he would help her out caring for the sick animals at the shelter. For Pinkie Pie, aka Cotton-Candy Girl, he would assist in baking all the confessionary treats and sometimes eat them afterward. Rainbow Dash, aka Skittles, will either do sports together, race around the town, or, to his surprise, do some yoga in the morning. Sometimes even Scootaloo would join in on the fun. With Twilight, aka Brainic, he allowed her to do some non-harmful experiments on him on his speed and take Spike out on a walk around the park.

And Sunset, aka Equestrian Girl, spends time with her the most. They do almost everything together; playing games, jogging, playing video games, creating art, and even going out for ice cream. Whenever the others see these two together, they are often viewed as brother and sister. Or even…

Sonic quickly shook his head, trying to shake that idea off of his mind.

The Equestria Girls weren’t the only ones. Ever since he and the girls sent Robotnik packing, most of the town, especially the students of Canterlot High were surprisingly welcoming. They would either wave him by with a friendly smile as he ran by or they chased him down, begging him to give them autographs. This surprised and amazed Sonic that none of the people of Canterlot City weren’t freaked out that he is in fact a talking blue anthropomorphic hedgehog. But then again, with magical girls flying around with pony magic and things keep popping up in town from Equestria, nothing surprises anyone in this town anymore.

I better get back home before anyone notices that I'm gone! Sonic thought as he made a quick turn down the road toward the neighborhood.

As he ran past the Canterlot City’s park, he suddenly stopped running when his nose whiffed up a very familiar scent.

Oooh! I recognize that delicious smell! But where was it–

With a quick glance at a very specific direction from within the park, Sonic grinned after he put two and two together.

So she's at it again, eh? Sonic thought with a chuckle.

Sonic glanced in the direction of the Sparkles’ residence and paused for a moment before he faced the direction of the "smell" again.

Well… maybe a quick morning snack wouldn't hurt!

Somewhere in the wooded section of the park, hundreds of harmless trap-like contraptions were scattered everywhere in the middle of the dirted area. There were cages, ropes, metal boxes, oversize sticky patches, large nets, hidden ditches, etc. While this many traps in one place are viewed as “excessive” to most people, but not to this particular teenage girl who was trying to catch this speedy blue devil for years.

This minty-haired girl, who turned out to be Lyra Heartstrings, was hiding from within the bushes, and a camo boonie hat with leaves in place of her pink head brace. She was hiding in the area staking out after setting up the track for over five hours now. Her eyes were bloodshot due to lack of sleep, but the teen’s strong will helped pushed past her tiredness.

That, and several cups of espressos also helped too.

With her mini binoculars, Lyra spied on that one spot at the very center of the area. There were piles of chili dogs just sitting in the middle of the ground with a snare trap hidden beneath the pile. Lyra made sure to rig that trap in a way that it will go off before anyone could even blink, something that not even the blue blur could dodge.

“I got you this time, Blue Devil!” Lyra chuckled with a crazed smile on her face. “The moment, even a fraction of your hair touches those chili dogs, you’ll be trapped like the blue rat you are! And I’ll be the one who has the last laugh!”

Lyra cackled madly, confident that she’ll be one to win this time around.

“So you think you can catch him this time?”

“Oh, I know I’ll catch him this time!” Lyra responded with a smirk. “It took me all night to set this state-of-the-art trap! So it has to work!”

“But aren’t you tired?”

“Oh don’t worry about me!” Lyra assured, waving her hand behind her. “I’ve drank at least six espressos, so I’m as awake as I can–”

Lyra froze. Her brain had finally caught up to her that someone is talking to her directly behind her. Slowly, Lyra turned her head around to see the owner of this mysterious voice, and then her eyes widened when she found out the last person, or most specifically, the last creature she expected to be talking to her right now.

“Hi there!” Sonic waved.

“GAH!” Lyra screamed, nearly jumping out of the bushes.

She quickly turned her head towards her main trap, only to stare in shock that all of the chili dogs had disappeared, despite that they were there a second ago. And worst of all, her trap didn't go off at all.

Angered, she turned her head back at the hedgehog, who was enjoying his chili dog,
and then pointed at him with her shaking arm.

“H-how’d you avoid my traps!?” Lyra demanded.

“Super Speed, remember?” Sonic said casually, finishing his chili dog with one gulp with a smirk. “Aaaaaaand you were slightly off with those settings of your traps. I give it two stars at best!”

Lyra growled, infuriated that he bested her yet again. “Why you little–”

Lyra tried to dive at Sonic to grab him, only for Sonic to casually step aside and for her to land face-first in the dirt.

Lyra looked up just in time to see Sonic making funny faces at her, wiggling his tongue as he did so. This angered Lyra further as she quickly got herself up and then gives chase.

“Come back here you–”

Unfortunately for her, Sonic sidestepped yet again before she could catch him, causing her leg to step into a snare trap. Before she could process her misstep, she felt the rope immediately tighten around her ankle and pulled her up upside down towards the tree, causing her to scream.

Sonic chuckled as he watch Lyra struggled with her own predicament. “Crazy Lyra caught in her own trap! Classic! That never gets old!”

“Curse you, Blue Devil!” Lyra shouted as she tried to shake her ankle to free herself. “Once I’ll get out of this, I’ll–”

“Lyra!”

Lyra stopped struggling as she and Sonic turned to see another teenage girl and Lyra’s best friend, Bon Bon, slowly approaching them with a look of disapproval. She then looked up at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re out here again!?” she scolded, shaking her head. “Honestly, it’s not good to keep doing late-night stakeouts so close to our graduation!”

“Oh, morning, Candy Queen!” Sonic greeted cheerfully.

“Good morning, Sonic!” Bon Bon greeted back with a friendly smile before facing her best friend with an annoyed look. “Why do you keep doing this? I thought the two of you are good now!”

“We are… mostly,” Lyra answered, crossing her arms despite being upside-down. “While he did apologize for humiliating me all these years ago, he still insulted my honor of dodging my traps. Therefore, I will continue to come up with ways to capture him before we graduate!”

“Lyra, graduation is just days away!” Bon Bon huffed, narrowing her eyes. “And you should be a little more friendly to him instead of treating him–”

“Oh it’s fine, Candy Queen,” Sonic assured with a smile. “It was all in good fun. Besides, coming up with ways to foil your friend’s traps is always fun and never boring!”

Lyra growled in annoyance. “Enjoy your victory, Blue Devil! I will capture you if it's the last thing I do! Just you wait!” she then attempted to loosen the rope around her ankle. “Grrr! Stupid snare trap!”

As Lyra continued to struggle, Sonic and Bon Bon stared at her for a moment before they looked at each other and then back at Lyra. Sonic awkwardly cleared his throat loudly, getting Lyra’s attention.

“Um… do you need help? I can get you down in a second.”

“No thanks!” Lyra said coolly, much to Bon Bon's displeasure. “I can do this myself! I got out of this many times before!”

“Eh, suit yourself," Sonic shrugged.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brings you here, Sonic?" Bon Bon asked with a curious expression.

"Oh, I was here because I smelled Crazy Lyra’s chili dogs," Sonic answered.

"No, I mean why are you out here in the first place?" Bon Bon clarified. "It's way too early in the morning even for you to be up at this time."

Sonic froze, moving his eyes back and forth as if he were trying to come up with an answer. "I… woke up early today to, um… take an early morning run! You know, as part of my daily exercise routine!"

Bon Bon cocked an eyebrow. "Did Sunset and Twilight know you were out here?"

"Oh, look at the time!" Sonic said quickly, checking his 'invisible watch'. "I should get going now! See ya around!"

Before Bon Bon could say a word, Sonic zipped away from the area at high speed, disappearing through the trees. Bon Bon stared at the area where Sonic disappeared, wondering about the reason behind Sonic’s strange behavior.

“Finally, I thought he would never leave!”

Bon Bon snapped out of her thoughts when her friend retorted suddenly.

“Do you mind helping me out, Bonnie?” Lyra asked, as she once again tried to untie the snare.

Bon Bon stared up at her friend in both confusion and frustration. “If you actually needed help, then why didn’t you take his offer?”

“I don’t need help from him!” Lyra growled, tugging the rope. “I refuse to give him any satisfaction!”

Bon Bon huffed, throwing up her arms. “You’re so stubborn, Lyra! You know he wouldn’t gloat over you like that!”

“Don’t care!” Lyra retorted, irritating Bon Bon further. “Now would you please get me down!”

Bon Bon frowned at her friend’s behavior, crossing her arms. “Well gee, I don’t know Lyra. Since you said you got yourself out many times before, maybe I’ll just leave you to it!”

Lyra immediately stopped what she was doing and looked at Bon Bon. She was desperately trying to find any signs of humor on her friend's face, but her friend's expression remained serious.

“Eheheh… you’re kidding, right?” Lyra asked, slightly worried.

Bon Bon, who wasn't the least bit amused with her friend's antics, simply turned around.

“I better get back to my family’s bakery,” she said casually. “I should bake some goods before the morning rush.”

As Bon Bon walked away from the area, Lyra tried calling her back.

“Wait, Bon! Bon Bon! Bonnie! Come back here!” Lyra shouted, desperately pulling her snare rope to free herself. “You’re just kidding, right? Please don’t leave me here!”

But Bon Bon ignored her pleas and continued to make her way back to town.

“Bon Bon! BONNIE!”

After Sonic made a quick escape from Bon Bon's prying, Sonic continued to run back towards the Sparkle residence. With a few quick turns around the neighborhood, Sonic finally reached his destination, which was a tall purple mansion. He quickly sped his way up the house and stood on top of the roof, peering down the window leading to his room. After checking to see if the coast was clear, he quietly opened the window and jumped forward into the room, and landed softly on the floor.

Only for him to accidentally knocked over his bowling pin.

Luckily, he managed to catch it before it landed on the ground. He sighed in relief as he gently placed the bowling pin on the floor and focused on his bed.

With the easy part out of the way, he now has to deal with the hard part, which is sneaking back to bed without alerting everyone. He could just speed towards his bed, but due to the old floorboards in this attic, they could cause a loud noise even just a light pressure on the floor. The last thing he needed was for everyone to know that he had snuck out… again.

Sonic carefully took his first step, only for him to make a light creek sound from the floor, making him wince from the sound. He slowly took the next small step, trying to be more gentle this time, only to make another creek sound. Determined, Sonic took another small step toward his bed.

Only to make another creek sound which was louder than the previous two creeks.

“Oh, come on!” Sonic exclaimed quietly.

Sonic looked down and noticed for the first time that something was sticking underneath his right shoe. Curious, Sonic lifted his right leg and picked them off of his shoe, which turned out to be three one-hundred-dollar bills that he accidentally took with him after taking out the robbers.

"...Uh oh!" Sonic muttered, worried about his unintended theft.

Both Sunset and Twilight had a talk with him already about money and no need to steal things for survival anymore, not that he plans to anymore. But even without the knowledge about money, three hundred dollars is a lot and a big deal if they’re missing. He’s already on thin ice for sneaking out, but if Sunset and Twilight find out about this, he’ll be in trouble big time, even if he didn’t mean it.

He quickly made his way over to his dresser with a “keep out” sign on the front. He gently pulled the drawer out and placed the bills inside, making a mental note to somehow return them later. Before he shuts the drawer, he noticed a familiar brown folded-up paper on the side. Gently, Sonic picked up the paper before he quietly closed the drawer.

Sonic then unfolded the paper, revealing an old map that he used to flee many worlds before he arrived on Earth. What always stood out to him on the map were some strange old symbols in front of an image of the emerald, which Sonic still doesn't understand to this day. As he process this, something soft fell off the map and landed on the floor. Sonic gently picked up the item off the floor, which turned out to be a brown and white striped feather, once belonging to someone very dear to him.

“...Longclaw,” he whispered in fondness and pain.

Longclaw, an owl guardian, has been there with him since he was born. Up until he fled to Earth and left her behind, Longclaw was with him until the very end. Despite that she was originally assigned to protect him, Sonic always viewed her as a mother to him and tried to do something nice for her like picking up sunflowers… including the day when they were attacked by the Echidna warrior tribe.

All because of his careless mistake, which still haunted him to this day.

Before Sonic was forced to depart, Longclaw originally advised him to never stop running and keep himself hidden. But thanks to Rainbow Dash’s advice, Sonic decided not to run away anymore and only use his power to stop bad guys and protect his friends. He may not be alone anymore, he still thinks about Longclaw every day. And while this wasn’t what Longclaw had in mind, Sonic hoped that she’d at least approved of him using his powers for good.

Even when she was no longer around.

“I miss you, Longclaw,” Sonic whispered, softly brushing his finger on the feather. “I’m trying to make you proud.”

With a sigh, Sonic took out his ring pouch from his quills, stored the map inside the pouch, and placed the pouch on top of his dresser. As Sonic yawned, he pulled the covers from his bed before jumping in it himself.

“And now, for a little… shut-eye,” Sonic yawned, as he covered himself with the blankets.

Sonic smacked his lips and closed his eyes, getting ready to drift into dreamland.

Or at least, he tried to drift to dream if it weren’t for a certain purple and green dog who ran up the attic stairs and then jumped on Sonic’s bed.

“Wakey, wakey, Sonic!” Spike announced before licking Sonic’s face, waking him up abruptly.

“Spike? Spike! Agh!” Sonic grunted, trying to shoo Spike away. “Knock it off! Morning breath!”

Spike continued to lick him until Sonic scooted away from him to the other side of his bed. Sonic then gave him an annoyed glare to which Spike gave him a knowing look.

“What?” Sonic demanded.

“You went out late at night playing hero again… didn't you?” Spike stated.

Sonic frowned. “I wasn't playing! I am being a hero!”

Spike smirked. “So you admit it! You snuck out again!”

“Shhhh!”

Sonic shushed desperately as he looked behind him. When he saw no one was listening, he turned back to the snooping dog.

“Okay, yes! I did!” Sonic admitted in a whispered tone.

Spike frowned. "Why do you keep doing this? You know Twilight and Sunset told you not to!”

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Because I'm trying to be a hero! It's what heroes do!" Before Spike could argue, Sonic quickly begged in a hushed tone. "Please don't tell them! They're already stressed enough with their upcoming graduation and dealing with the Devil Lady!"

Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Devil Lady?”

“You know! That mean new Principal of CHS who was once the president of the school board and a mother to one of the CMCs' friend?”

Spike blinked. “Spoiled Rich?”

“Bingo!”

"...Fine!” Spike complied, jumping off the bed but not before giving Sonic a stern look. “But you owe me some doggie treats!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Sonic muttered, pulling the covers over his head as Spike walked away.

With Spike now gone, Sonic can finally get some well-deserved shut-eye.

“Sonic? You’re still in bed?”

‘Oh, COME ON!’ Sonic exclaimed inwardly.

He groaned loudly as Sunset entered the attic, along with Spike.

Sunset lightly shooked Sonic. "C’mon Sonic, up and at 'em! It's time for breakfast!"

While Sunset was shaking Sonic, Spike walked to the other side of Sonic’s bed and yanked the covers with his teeth. This caused Sonic to be pulled off the bed with the covers and roughly land face-first on the floor.

"Alright, alright! I’m up!" Sonic moaned, raising his head slightly. “I’m up!”

Sunset grinned in amusement. “Better hurry, Dean Cadence’s pancakes won’t eat themselves!”

As Sunset walked away, Sonic glared at Spike, who was giving him his mischievous expression.

‘Note to self: get back at Spike later!’ he thought.

After Sunset informed Sonic about breakfast, she carefully made her way down both stairs and headed to the kitchen.

As Sunset made her way toward her destination, Sunset glanced all around the Sparkle house. It was still surreal to her that she is now living in a home belonging to her best friend’s family. Shortly after the battle with Robotnik, Sunset confessed to Twilight that she’ll be evicted from her home shortly after she graduated. She would have stayed for another year or so, but her sleazy landlord decided to increase her rent so high that not even her part-time job could cover it. When Twilight heard about that, she offered Sunset to move in with her family until they can find a dorm in whatever college they were choosing.

And she wouldn't take no for an answer.

About a month later, Sunset moved out of her old apartment and into the Sparkle household, who welcomed her with open arms. They even turned their guest room into Sunset’s official room for her to sleep, study, or even game to her heart’s content. Sunset is forever grateful to Twilight and her family’s kindness, and she would help out in any way she can to return the favor despite Twilight and the Sparkles' insistence.

The best part about living with the Sparkles was spending more time with her best friend, Twilight. Aside from studying for final exams, they did a lot together. They watched a lot of movies, stargazing, lab experiments, read books, and even played video games together.

Well, Twilight watched Sunset playing video games than playing them herself, but it’s the thought that counts.

But what they did together the most was having one on one conversations with each other. While Sunset already knew her friend since the Friendship Games, Sunset learned something new from Twilight every day. Sunset is always looking forward to these conversations with her best friend or even just spending time with her in general. The best part about being with Twilight is seeing her smile whenever she discovers something new.

And that smile alone was enough to make Sunset feel…

Sunset quickly shook those thoughts out as she was about to step into the kitchen. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she spotted the married couple who was there before her. Shining Armor, Canterlot's police officer and an Alumni of Crystal Prep Academy was reading his morning paper at the table while Cadance, a former dean and the current principal of Crystal Prep Academy was making pancakes. The two noticed her presence the moment she walked in with Shining Armor nodded to Sunset in greeting before resuming his paper while Cadance gave her a warm smile.

"Good morning, Sunset!" Cadance greeted.

"Morning Dean Cadance. And morning Shining Armor," Sunset greeted back before taking her seat at the table.

"Sunset, you know that you call me Cadance," she said kindly as she was filling up Sunset’s coffee, much to Sunset’s appreciation. "You lived here for half a year, remember?"

"Sorry, force of habit! It's still hard to get used to it," Sunset said sheepishly before taking her first sip. She then smiled at Cadance's large belly. "And how's the little one?"

"Still as active as ever!" She said fondly, softly rubbing her belly. "Hard to sleep with her moving all around in there."

Shining lowered his paper, cocking an eyebrow at her wife's statement. "And just how do you know that our kid is a girl?"

Cadance smirked. "Mother instinct."

Shining scoffed playfully. "Well, my money's on a boy!"

"Wanna bet?" Cadence challenged playfully. "Loser treats everyone to dinner for graduation?"

"Heh! You're on!" Shining accepted with a smirk. "This will be an easy win!"

Sunset shook her head in amusement at the couple's antics. "So when are you due?"

"Around three more weeks," Cadance answered, looking at her belly with her motherly smile. "But I can't wait to meet our child."

Shining Armor smiled at his wife, who was just as excited about the birth of their child.

"For today's news on Equestria Daily," A female newscaster reported, coming from the Sparkles' family tablet. "A fire broke out at Canterlot High last night, which took place within the gymnasium. Luckily, all the students and staff facilities were able to escape safely without any injuries or worse, and the fire was put out by the town's firefighters before more damage was done. The cause of the fire is still unknown and still under investigation."

"Good grief!" Shining sighed, rubbing his temples. "That stunt the CMCs pulled last night really caused a big stir in our town! We haven’t had an incident this big since the baseball incident from Sonic!”

“I’m just glad that no one was hurt,” said Cadance with a frown. “And that Auntie Luna managed to convince the town to keep the CMCs out of trouble. It really was an accident after all.”

“Those girls are lucky that they’re minors and that it was an accident! We managed to cover up their identities,” Shining stated.

"And what about Spoiled?" Sunset asked. "Isn't she in trouble?"

"As a cop… I'm afraid I can't share any details," Shining said vaguely with a deep frown as if he was angry. “But let’s just say… you won’t like it.”

Before Sunset could ask to clarify Shining’s statement, Cadence spoke up. “Vice Principal Luna called earlier. She wanted you to visit her at her home this afternoon. She’ll explain everything to you later.”

“About Spoiled?” Sunset inquired.

“And among other things,” Cadence added.

Sunset’s interests were peaked. After the incident from the CMCs last night, Vice Principle Luna announced that the school is closed for the time being due to the damages. The fact that Luna wanted to talk to her in person suggests that there was something Luna wanted to tell her that couldn’t be discussed over the phone. She hoped that it wasn’t anything bad that would threaten her, Sonic, and her friends.

The last thing anyone would want is another Robotnik incident.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard some sudden footsteps entering the kitchen. Sunset and everyone else looked toward the entrance to see Twilight, who was already all dressed and ready to go. However, they noticed that Twilight was walking rather haggardly and had dark rings under her eyes due to a lack of sleep.

“Morning, Twilight!” Cadence said kindly.

Twilight blinked toward Cadance. “Hmm? Oh… morning.”

Twilight yawned as she took her seat. Cadence gently handed Twilight her cup of coffee, who nodded in thanks. As Twilight took a sip, Sunset stared at her best friend in worry.

“You okay, Twi?” Sunset asked.

“I’m fine,” Twilight answered after finishing her coffee in just one gulp. “Just… still a little tired.”

Sunset furrowed her brows. “But Twilight… you haven’t had any good sleep as of late. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“You haven’t been staying up all night doing experiments again, haven’t you?” Shining interjected with a stern look. “We’ve told you to cut back on that.”

“I haven’t!” Twilight insisted. “I’ve been limiting my late-night experiments as of late.”

Shining Armor then frown deepened. “Are you still upset after that Timber kid broke up with you? I don’t know what he did to you but I swear–”

“No!” Twilight cried loudly, before clearing her throat. “No, it’s not Timber. He didn’t do anything wrong to me. And it was me who broke up with him because our relationship didn’t really go anywhere and we ended on a friendly note. Besides… it’s been over a month ago.”

Cadence frown in concern. “Then what was it Lady Bug?”

Twilight paused, diverting her eyes away from them. “I’m just… nervous about the upcoming graduation.”

Shining cocked an eyebrow. “Since when do you get nervous?”

He suddenly received a slap on the shoulder from his wife, who was giving him a brief glare before facing Twilight. “It’s understandable, Ladybug. Graduation can be nerve-wracking for everyone, even the most gifted of students, but it’s nothing to worry about. With a genius mind like yours, I’m sure you’ll get your diploma, Twilight.”

“Oh! Yeah… “Twilight nodded a little too eagerly. “I’m sure I will…”

“Well, whatever’s the case, just try to get some sleep,” Shining added gently. “You’ve been acting like a zombie as of late due to your lack of sleep.”

Sunset frowned worriedly. While Twilight’s brother was a little too blunt, she silently agreed with him. Something was going on with her nerdy friend that caused her to sleep less, and it was not due to her being nervous about graduation. She remembered that Twilight was super excited to graduate high school, especially being graduated along with their friends. And on top of that, Twilight’s strange behavior happened months before the upcoming graduation. Sunset had a feeling that she knew what it was really about, but didn’t want to press her friend about the subject.

At least, not yet.

"Speaking of lack of sleep…" Shining mumbled, pointing towards the doorway.

They all turned to see Sonic, who was slowly walking into the kitchen with a very sleepy look. He yawned as he took a seat near the kitchen table.

"Morning, Sonic! Did you get any good sleep last night?" Sunset asked, despite knowing the answer already.

"Huh?" Sonic looked at Sunset with a sleepy gaze. "…Oh! Yeah, yeah I um…" He let out a huge yawn, then smacked his lips. "...can you repeat the question?"

Sunset frowned. She knew Sonic had snuck out again after checking his room last night. While the CMCs caused the "incident" at school was bad enough, Sonic secretly being the “hero” behind their backs was just as stressful. It didn’t help that Sonic, while unintentionally, caused some damage in Seaddle due to the flood. Unlike Twilight, she wanted to have a word with him about his “heroic activities”.

Before Sunset could speak, Cadence interrupted.

“I made some fresh pancakes, Sonic,” Cadence said kindly as she placed a plate full of pancakes in front of Sonic. “Fresh off the griddle just the way you like them!”

Sonic blinked sleepily at his pancakes. “They’re so… fluffy. Like buttery… pillows.”

Sonic suddenly fell face-first on top of his pancakes and began to snore.

While the older couple grew concerned about the blue hedgehog, Sunset and Twilight looked at each other with knowing looks. They were about to wake him up, but the news from the tablet interrupted them.

“And in other news!” The newscaster stated with an image of a flooded Seaddle in the background. “An attempted armored truck robbery happened at Seaddle late last night, only to be foiled by what many witnesses described as quote… a mysterious talking blue creature–”

“Aaaaaaand I’m up!” Sonic shouted loudly with a sudden energy, lifting his head off of his pancakes. “Bright-eyed, bushy quilled, and ready to start the day!”

Before everyone could blink, Sonic used his super-speed to rush towards the tablet, shuts it off, and store it in the kitchen drawer before he ran back to his seat.

“This twenty-four-hour news cycle is so exhausting! It might be time to cut the cord!” Sonic cried while giving them his over-the-top convincing smile.

Both Sunset and Twilight had deadpanned expressions. They both knew that Sonic was trying to hide his involvement at Seaddle while also attempting to divert away from their “conversation”. This wasn’t the first time they had that talk with the blue hedgehog about this particular topic. They weren’t sure if Sonic was actually thinking he was fooling them or trying to delay the inevitable.

Either way, Sonic won’t be able to dodge the subject forever.

“Listen, Sonic,” Sunset sighed before giving him her stern look. “I think we should have a little chat–”

“Oh, yes! Let's chat!” Sonic quickly interjected, cutting Sunset off. “How’s the senior’s pre-graduating party? Did you all have fun? Was there any dancing?”

“Not really,” Twilight replied. “The kind of ‘party’ we get was nothing but some useless lecture by Spoiled. But then things got wild when the CMCs took over and gave us their own ‘party’ and then things… just got out of hand.”

Sonic tilted his head in interest. “Oh yeah? What happened?”

“Let’s just say… there were some wild animals and fire involved and the CMCs were grounded as a result,” Sunset jumped in before narrowing her eyes. “Now don’t try to change the subject! We have a bone to pick with you!”

“Did someone say ‘bone’!?” Spike popped up from below their table with an excited expression.

“No, Spike. That was just an expression,” said Twilight, trying her best not to smile at her dog’s happy energy. She turned back to Sonic with a frown. "And Sunset's right. We need to talk to you, specifically about your strange behavior!"

Sonic had a nervous expression as he glanced toward the older couple. Unfortunately for him, they also stared at him sternly, silently telling him to spill the beans as well. Sweat was pouring down from each side of the blue hedgehog’s head and his eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

"W-well…"

Suddenly, the back door of their family kitchen flew open, catching everyone by surprise. Shortly after that, a rush wind flew into the kitchen with a light trail of rainbow color behind it. The rainbow blur then stopped near their kitchen table, revealing to be none other than Rainbow Dash.

“Yo! Morning, everybody!” Rainbow Dash greeted cheerfully before addressing Sonic. “Sup’, Sonic!”

“Skittles!” Sonic cried cheerfully, both happy to see his sister figure and an opportunity to get out of his situation. “And how are you on this fine morning?”

“Well, I’m feeling great!” Rainbow Dash whooped with a full tooth grin. “You up for our daily morning poses!?”

“Would I?!” Sonic smiled back as he pointed to himself. “This hedgehog is ready to become a pretzel!”

“And are you ready for our annual morning jog around Canterlot City?” Rainbow Dash challenged playfully.

“I was born ready!” Sonic responded with a determined grin.

Just as the two speedsters were ready to rush out the door, Sunset quickly interjects. “Hold on, Rainbow Dash!”

“We were actually in the middle trying to have a conversation with Sonic!” Twilight added, staring at Sonic sternly.

Sonic inwardly groaned, his plan to bail was quickly dashed.

Rainbow Dash blinked, shifting her gaze between Sonic and everyone else. “Oh? Was I interrupting? My bad!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes immediately brightened at the sight of Sonic’s plate. “Oh sweet! Pancakes!”

Rainbow Dash quickly took a seat and began stuffing her face with the pancakes off of Sonic’s plate, much to everyone’s disgust.

“Sure… help yourself,” Shining remarked sarcastically.

“Anyway!” Sunset coughed, getting herself back on track from that awkward moment. “We really need to talk to you about your–”

“Oh, I just remembered!” Sonic announced suddenly. “I have to take my bud, Spike out for a walk! The poor dude really needs to go!”

Spike gave Sonic a bewildered expression. “But I don’t have to–”

Sonic quickly rushed to Spike and placed his finger on Spike’s lips. “What’s that? Your bladder is full!? Sonic said loudly. “Don’t worry buddy, I shall take you to your favorite hydrant from the other side of town! We must post haste!”

“Hey, wait!” Spike cried just as Sonic lifted him up and then they disappeared out through the back door with his super speed. “Don’t I have a say in thiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssss!?”

Everyone, except for Rainbow Dash, was staring at the door for a moment before Shining Armor let out a chuckle.

“Heh, he’s a slippery one! I’ll give him that!”

Sunset huffed in frustration, rubbing her forehead. “Okay, are we gonna do this every time he sneaks out? Does he think we didn’t notice?”

“He is probably afraid that we’ll get angry or upset at him if we pried out of him,” Twilight reasoned.

“I’m not angry at him,” Sunset assured with a worried frown. “I’m just… very concerned for his well-being!”

Twilight moved closer to Sunset, giving her a soft look. “Look, I know we’re all on edge since the CMC’s stunt last night, and him doing late-night crime-fighting didn’t help much. But you and I both know that he was only trying to put his powers to good use, just like us with our magic.”

Sunset sighed. “I know that, and I’m not discouraging him to not use his powers. But the problem is… he just doesn’t understand the responsibility of using his powers. His actions nearly put everyone in danger. Heck! He nearly flooded the city! And even with the fact that no one is hurt, Sonic will still be in trouble in the eyes of the law." Sunset frowned. "Including them!"

Twilight had a look of understanding. "You mean, G.U.N.?"

Shining Armor tilted his head in curiosity. "Gun?"

"...yeah, G.U.N. Also known as The Guardian Units of Nations," Sunset nodded. "Those guys are the secret worldwide military and law enforcement of our country, which are hidden in the eyes of the public. It was bad enough that they've been watching me since the Fall Formal, but after an incident by Sonic, they showed up at our school and chased us half a year ago by Ro–"

Sunset paused when she noticed Twilight had a very uncomfortable look.

…him!" Sunset finished.

During that event, not only Twilight was briefly kidnapped by that "man", she, unfortunately, learned from him that Twilight was actually adopted and not related to the Sparkles. And on top of that, she was also that man's so-called "lost cousin". Even after this man is no longer around many months back, Twilight still hasn't gone over her trauma.

Shining Armor’s eyes widened in realization before his expression turned to anger. “Oh, you mean the guy with that huge mustache of his who held me and the students captive, chases you girls, and took my wife hostage?”

“…the very same,” Sunset confirmed.

“If you haven’t sent him to that mushroom planet… let’s just say I’ll end up sending him to the hospital before sending him to jail!” Shining growled.

Cadence grasped her husband’s shoulder to calm him down. “At least that man is gone now. We won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Twilight said nothing as she shrink into herself in worry which Sunset noticed.

Sunset made a mental note to help her friend out to go over her trauma in any way she can, but for now, she has to return to the topic at hand.

"Anyway, if Principal Celestia hadn't gotten involved like she did, we could've been arrested and locked up in some study labs by now. And I'm sure that she's the one who kept them at bay now so that they didn’t bother us."

Twilight tilted her head. "But… isn't that a good thing that they left us alone?"

"Not entirely," Sunset sighed. "Just because they left us alone, that doesn't mean that they stopped watching us. I had a gut feeling that the next time we used our magic or if Sonic had done something, they'll be all over us and Sonic again!" Sunset felt her arms shaking in worry. "And the fact that they haven't done anything yet, even after Sonic's many nightly 'outings'… really scares me."

Sunset shuddered as she shut her eyes. But that didn’t stop those images of her friends and Sonic possibly being hauled by G.U.N. and sent back to their base to get locked up. Or worse, getting experimented on. She would rather be taken in their place than watch her friends becoming lab rats, especially since it was her fault that she brought magic into this world. She didn’t know what to do if that ever happens to them.

Her shaking stopped when she felt someone gently touches her arm. Sunset opened her eyes to see Twilight who was also worried, but also giving her a look of comfort.

“I'll admit Sunset… I'm scared too. I don't know what GUN is planning and what to do about Sonic, but we're not alone. Whatever happens, we got friends on our side, including Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Cadance.” Twilight turned to the couple. “Right guys?”

Both Cadance and Shining nodded in unison without hesitation.

Twilight smiled at them in thanks before facing Sunset again and squeezing Sunset’s hand.

“Don’t worry, Sunset. If those men in suits try anything, we can figure things out… together.”

Sunset blushed but smiled as she squeezed Twilight’s hand. “Y-yeah… together.”

“Aw, look at you two!"

Both Sunset and Twilight immediately turned towards Rainbow Dash who was giving them a teasing look.

"You both are practically acting like worried parents! You're practicing being a couple before making things more official?”

Sunset nearly choked while Twilight’s expression became shocked in embarrassment.

“What!? Rainbow Dash!” Twilight squawked with a tint of red on her cheeks. "We are not a couple!"

“Oh, just leave the two alone, Rainbow Dash!” Cadance commented.

“Thank you, Cadence!” Twilight said gratefully.

Cadance then smirked. “Though, I must say… you two would make a cute couple!”

Rainbow Dash laughed heartedly and Shining smirked at the comment as Twilight’s face became as red as a tomato.

“CADANCE!” Twilight shouted.

Sunset said nothing as she was blushing from all the teasing. She then loudly cleared her throat, desperate to change the topic.

“A-anyway! My issue is that he knows that we know! I just don’t understand why he won’t let us talk to him?”

“Well, he is a teenager,” Shining reasoned with a shrug. “I mean, what do you expect? The last thing any teen wants to do is to talk about their problems.”

He looked pointedly at Sunset, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash as he said it, which the trio took notice of.

“Hey… why are you looking at us when you say that?” Rainbow Dash spoke up for the group.

“Yeah, we talked about our problems!” Twilight added while Sunset nodded in agreement.

“Oh, really?” Shining cocked an eyebrow at her sister. “Were you planning to tell us that you were bullied at Crystal Prep and that your former Principal blackmailed you to join the friendship games?”

Twilight winced at that, memories of her time at Crystal Prep coming back at her.

Shining then turned to Sunset. “And were you planning to talk to your friends about feeling left out after the Fall Formal and that you were about to be kicked out of your old apartment?”

Sunset craned her neck, ashamed for not telling her friends about her feelings, and felt like she should solve things on her own.

Shining then turned to Rainbow Dash. “And were you planning about the trauma of being left behind after the disappearance of your–”

“Shining!” Cadance scolded loudly.

Shining immediately paused the moment Rainbow Dash looked like she was on the verge of tears at the mention of her late uncle. Guilt weighed in his heart for unintentionally hurting the teen.

“S-sorry… I went a little too far there,” Shining apologized softly before resuming his lecture more gently. “My point is while you three are growing up and becoming adults, at the end of the day, you are all still teenagers yourselves… and still have a lot to learn in life. And while you all think you can try to solve things on your own, there’s no shame in talking and asking for help… especially from a close friend who is always there on your side through thick and thin. You just have to let them in. Remember that.”

The entire kitchen was as silent as a tomb, as the three young girls were processing Shining’s words. A moment later, it was Sunset who broke the silence.

“That was a good speech and all Shining Armor, but this doesn’t solve our problem with Sonic,” said Sunset.

Twilight furrowed her brows. “And even if we approach this gently, he’ll just make an excuse and run away. I wish we knew how to get him to open up.”

While everyone was trying to come up with a solution regarding Sonic, Rainbow Dash was in the background in silence. While she didn't fault Shining for trying to offer the piece of his advice, just mentioning her long-lost uncle still hurt her even to this day. So many years have passed since his disappearance during his mission and many, including her father, presumed her uncle to be "gone". While her faith in her uncle diminished year by year, somehow her gut was telling her that her uncle is still alive.

With a sad sigh, Rainbow Dash turned and stared at the picture of younger Twilight, assuming in her pre-school years, and Shining Armor, fishing on a rowboat in the middle of a lake with smiles on their faces. In Rainbow’s mind, however, she imagined the younger versions of herself and her uncle in their place.

Rainbow Dash remembered when her uncle used to take her on fishing trips whenever they had free time, even though fishing wasn't really her thing. Despite that, she missed those days when she got to spend time with him whenever an opportunity presented itself. And sometimes when they didn’t get a single fish, they would just talk about anything that comes to mind, even some problems that she wouldn't share with anyone else…

And just like lightning, an idea suddenly came to her mind. With a small smile, she turned towards the group.

“Actually,” she announced, getting everyone's attention. “I think I may know a way to get through to him!”

Author's Notes:

I am so sorry for the long wait everyone!

Life has been a little... hectic as of late, but I hope this chapter is worth it to you all. I can't promise that the next one is coming much quicker, but I'll try my best not to take too long and I won't stop until this story is over.

And I also forgot to mention from the previous chapters that I'm also planning to write a spin-off story for this series, specifically scenes that were never shown from the previous story or even in this story. And yes, this spin-off story will also include chapters from Sonic 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill comic. There is no official date for that yet, but I will let you know when that's ready!

Anyway, onto some notes and references:

The song that was used at the beginning of this chapter and in the movie, Stars In The Sky sung by Kid Cudi.

For a quick recap, Sonic has many nicknames for each Equestria Girl:
Applejack - Cowgirl
Rarity - Fashion Queen
Fluttershy - Animal Girl
Pinkie Pie- Cotton-Candy Girl
Rainbow Dash - Skittles
Twilight/Sci-Twi - Brainic
Sunset Shimmer - Equestrian Girl

And he has nicknames for other characters too, such as:
Cadance - Crystal Lady
Shining Armor - Donut Cop
Lyra - Crazy Lyra
Bon-Bon - Candy Queen (Credit goes to Battwell for the suggestion).
Tempest Shadow - Scar Lady
Spoiled Rich - Devil Lady
And of course, Dr. Robotnik - Eggman

Speaking of Crazy Lyra, one of the things I was semi-disappointed about in the sequel movie was that Crazy Carl is not in the sequel. It would have been interesting to see what their dynamic was like after the first movie. We only got a glance in the pre-quill comic that while Carl's animosity is somewhat behind him, he still considered Sonic as the "Blue Devil" while retorting that he's "Not as crazy as I look!"

Anyway, I figured I include Lyra in this chapter to show that while these two are now "cool", Lyra still considers Sonic a rival and wanted to capture him for her honor. And as for Bon Bon, she was there not only as humor at Lyra's expense but also to show how others accepted Sonic into their lives (which again, will be extended in the spin-off story someday).

And before anyone rages at the comments, don't worry. Bon Bon didn't leave her best friend hanging... for too long.

While Sonic is hanging out with each girl, most of the time, Sonic lives in the attic of the Sparkle's household in this story.

And sometime after the first story, Sunset Shimmer also moved into the Sparkle household after the rent of her apartment expired. So Twilight offered Sunset to stay at her place before college.

Sonic's racecar bed was a callback to the original Sonic Archie comics when Sonic was seen sleeping in that racecar-shaped bed.

And yes, Cadance is very heavily pregnant in this story.

Now I'm sure some of you have raised your eyebrows or are confused as to where this kitchen scene has come from. That is because the kitchen scene was originally a deleted scene from Sonic 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiAx8GmobcU

This was cut because they decided to have Tom discuss Sonic about him sneaking out during a boat scene instead. While I'll still going to use the boat scene (most likely in the next chapter), I figured I use some parts of the kitchen scene as a way to show what Sunset and the others have been up to since the eight months after the first story.

The news they were watching, Equestria Daily was a reference to an MLP Fan News website with the same name.

Fun fact: In the original deleted scene, the male newscaster was played by Jeff Fowler, the director of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 movie as a cameo appearance which was sadly cut.

While I don't think it was ever mentioned in the original show, for whatever reason, many fanfics have Cadance nicknamed Twilight "Lady Bug", which I thought was pretty cute. So I included it both in the previous and this story.

Rainbow Dash doing Yoga was a callback to one of the endings from the Equestria Girls shorts, Wake-Up, Shake Up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNMaL0kpS6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHhdkJgeUqo

Anyway, that's it for this chapter! See you all next time!

Volume I - Chapter 3: Fishing & Family Talk

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Sweet Apple Acres, a well-known farm of Canterlot City, and the Apple family’s pride and joy. The farm’s been around for many generations since the founding of Canterlot City. While the Apple’s farm grew their best-tasting apples, they were most famous for brewing their own apple ciders and their apple jams for the locals.

This morning, every member of the Apple Family was busy working on their daily chores for the farm. While the young siblings were busy working outside, the elder member, Granny Smith, was busy finishing up the meal for their breakfast. Once she had completed her task, she opened the kitchen's back door and loudly rang her bell for everyone on the farm to hear.

"Soups on, everyone!" Granny Smith hollered.

Granny slowly headed for her seat by the table just as Applejack and Big Mac entered the kitchen from the back door.

"Hmm… smells good Granny!" Applejack sniffed, smiling in approval. "All that work on the farm made me hungry!"

"Eeyup!" Big Mac nodded in agreement.

"Well, dig in before your food gets cold," Granny Smith gestured to the table with her wooden spoon.

Not needing to be told twice, the two siblings quickly grabbed their chairs and sat down near the table.

Before they started to dig into their food, Granny suddenly spoke up.

"Hang on, where's yer sister?"

"She's finishing up cleaning our pig's pen," Applejack answered with a sigh.

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded.

They suddenly heard their back door open, revealing Apple Bloom who was covered in dirt and hay and looked a little exhausted.

"Agh… pig pen's done," Apple Bloom sighed in a tired tone Before taking her seat. "It is now completely spotless just as you instructed, Granny."

"Good," Granny Smith nodded. "After lunch, yer next task is to clean out the entire cow's barn! Both floors!"

Apple Bloom let out a loud groan of distress. "C'mon, Granny, have some mercy! Ah've been doing chores non-stop since early this morning!"

"Sorry, Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith said with a stern look but also a gentle tone. “But after that stunt you and yer friends pulled last night at school, yer punishment is to do most of the chores without yer siblings' help. And you can expect that for the rest of the summer."

"WHAT!?" Apple Bloom cried. "The whole summer!?"

Granny nodded with a frown. "That's right! And you're not getting any help from your siblings, so don't expect this to be easy."

"This is so unfair!" Apple Bloom complained, throwing her arms up. "My friends and I have plans for the summer!"

"Well, you should've thought of that before you set our whole school on fire due to your stunt!" Applejack interjected with her fierce look before rubbing her hatless head. "Even poor Bessie didn't make it because of you!"

Apple Boom cocked an eyebrow with a deadpanned look. "You mean that old hat of yours? You won that old thing from an Apple Bobbing contest during Canterlot City’s Country Fair! You could replace that with any hat!"

"Not that one!" Applejack argued, offended as if she was told to replace her pet. "That hat was important to me! How would you feel if your bow was on fire!"

Apple Bloom stood up, slamming the table. "Hey! You leave my bow out of this!"

Applejack also stood up, slamming the table as she did so. "Which ones? You have over a dozen of them in your closet!"

"Girls! That's enough!" Granny Smith shouted, causing the two sisters to stop arguing.

Granny narrowed her eyes at Applejack with a stern expression. "Applejack, you better keep your temper in check!"

Applejack huffed and sat back down.

Granny Smith then shifted her eyes toward Apple Bloom. "And Apple Bloom, Ah'm sorry, but you and your friends went too far with your antics this time! And you would have been in much bigger trouble if not for Vice Principal Luna and Shining Armor backing you up, so you should consider yourself lucky that working on our farm for the whole summer is your only punishment!"

Apple Bloom threw her arms up. "This is bullcrap! Ah get punished for trying to help out a school while that so-called hag of our 'Principal' is making everybody miserable, leaving everyone behind during a fire, and getting away with it!?"

"First off, language missy!" Granny Smith scolded, causing Apple Bloom to roll her eyes from that. "Second, we're angry about Spoiled too, but we're not talking about her! And third, you still don't seem to grasp the kind of trouble you're in, young lady!"

Before Apple Bloom could open her mouth to respond, Applejack interjected.

"Do you have any idea how idiotic and dangerous that stunt ya pulled? Trapping Spoiled in the supply room, throwing a wild party, and letting out many animals on the dance floor which caused a fire!?" Applejack shook her head in disbelief. "Ah still can't comprehend how and what processed ya to include those critters to the party!"

"Well…putting together our secret senior party wasn't easy," Apple Bloom revealed sheepishly. "Ah made a deal with Angel Bunny that he and his friends can join the party if he gets me the layout map of the school."

Applejack, as well as Big Mac and Granny Smith, were flabbergasted by Apple Bloom's revelation.

"Ya made a deal with Fluttershy’s pet!?" Applejack exclaimed before rubbing her temples. "Good grief! Ah'll have to talk to Shy about that rabbit of hers!"

"Okay! Ah'll admit that we didn't think this through," Apple Bloom admitted, trying to smooth her sister's temper. "B-but you and yer friends used your geode powers to save everyone from the fire. So it all worked out!"

"And what if Ah or any of us didn't have our geodes? Then what!?" Applejack roared, causing Apple Bloom to flinch. "And even so, we still risk our lives to get everyone out!"

Apple Bloom, as well as the rest of the family, were taken aback by Applejack’s loud furious yelling. When Apple Bloom didn't respond, Applejack continued on with her angry rant.

"Rarity was nearly crushed by that burning pillar back there! And heck! You could've been burnt alive if we hadn't shown up! What would ya say to Sweetie Belle if she lost her sister!? What would Ah say to Big Mac or even Granny if Ah lost ya!? You nearly got everyone killed because of your recklessness! Could you live with yourself if anyone got hurt or lost their lives there?" Her face leaned close to her sister's trembling face. "Well, would ya!?"

Applejack immediately stopped her rant the moment she saw her sister's body shaking violently and tears leaking from her eyes.

"Ah–Ah… Ah didn't mean… Ah…"

With a sob escaping from her lips, Apple Bloom fled from the kitchen and ran upstairs to her room.

Applejack, now full of regret, tried to call her sister back. "Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom, come back!"

"Applejack! That's enough!" Granny snapped.

Applejack turned towards her grandmother and winced at the sight of her grandmother's glare that could scare even a bear away. Even Big Mac had a look of disapproval for the way she handled Apple Bloom.

"Granny…" Applejack uttered in a remorseful tone. "Ah–"

"Ah told ya to keep that temper of yours!" Granny Smith scolded with a deep frown. "While she made a huge blunder, you're being way too harsh on her! Don't forget… she's still just a child! We're supposed to help guide her towards the right path, not make her feel like a mule!" Her eyes narrowed. "Would your ma and pa want you to talk to your sister that way?"

Big Mac nodded in agreement with a firm hum.

Before Applejack could respond, her phone went off. She silently checked her phone and saw a text coming from Rainbow Dash, requesting her to come down by Canterlot City’s Pier to have a group "chat" with Sonic. With a frown, Applejack looked back up towards the stairs where her sister went, guilt weighing in her heart for how she was acting.

She let out a long sigh. Her friends would have to wait.

She had more urgent matters to attend to.

Near the lake of Canterlot City, Sunset, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash waited near the boat rentals on the Pier with their fishing supplies. After Rainbow Dash told them her plan, they were both skeptical and unsure at first, but considering that Sonic dodged their conversations time and again, they felt that they had no choice.

They've sent a group chat to their friends as an "emergency friendship meeting" to get Sonic to talk by fishing. After a half hour of waiting, every member of the Rainbooms, except for one, arrived at the scene.

"Thank you girls for coming," said Sunset with a grateful look. "I hope we didn't take up your time!"

"Nonsense, Darling!" Rarity assured with a smile. "We're your friends. We'll be happy to help… even if fishing isn't my thing."

"Yeah!" Pinkie popped up from behind Rarity with a cheerful grin. "Whatever problem we have, we'll tackle them together! And how can we possibly say no to something fun like fishing?"

"...I can think of a few things," Rarity mumbled.

"Where's Applejack?" Twilight asked, surveying the area.

"Just got a text from her," Rainbow Dash answered. "She said there is a problem back at home that she needs to resolve."

"Is she okay?" Fluttershy asked in concern. "What kind of problem?"

"Two words: Apple Bloom."

There were collective "ahs" around the pier.

"That's understandable," Rarity nodded before frowning. "My parents and I had a long talk to Sweetie Belle about her actions before my parents grounded her… it wasn't fun."

"Yeah… same with me," Rainbow Dash sighed. "Scoots' Aunts invited me over that night to have a chat with her before grounding her as well." She paused. "Well… more of me watching than talking. While they're generally nice and friendly people, but when they're angry…"

She then shuddered, reliving that moment.

"Well, while those three caused a big stir last night, I hope these two talked it out okay," Fluttershy said softly.

“Probably for the best,” Rarity frowned, thinking of her friend in pity. “The poor dear gets seasick easily.”

“Even on a lake?” Rainbow Dash questioned in disbelief.

“You’d be surprised,” Twilight stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Anyway, is Sonic coming?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yep! Sent him a message a while ago! Pretty much told him that we were doing a group activity near the lake, which is technically true. He won't suspect a thing!"

Sunset frowned. "Well let's hope that he won't bail before that happens."

"Hey! Here comes Sonic now!" Pinkie announced, pointing towards the woods near the lake.

The girls turned towards Pinkie’s direction to see a cloud of dirt and a blue blur from Canterlot's lake, heading right towards them. By the time they blinked, the blue hedgehog in question appeared standing right in front of them.

"Hey there, girls!" Sonic greeted with a small yawn escaping from his lips. "Sorry to keep you all waiting, I–"

Sonic paused the moment he spotted a boat near a dock, which was ready to be departed before slowly looked at each of the girls in the eyes.

"Uh… what is all this?" Sonic inquired.

“It’s a boat, silly!” Pinkie Pie chirped.

Sonic rolled his eyes. “I get that, but why am I standing near a boat?”

The girls glanced nervously at each other as they were coming up with a response. Luckily, Rainbow Dash answered for the group.

“Well, Sonic… we all haven’t hung out together for a while and were super stressed dealing with finals and pre-graduation, so I proposed we all have some fun by sailing around and fishing near the coast."

While the girls silently nodded in approval, Sonic raised his brow.

“You proposed this, Skittles?” Sonic asked in disbelief, wondering if this was a joke. “No offense, but I don’t see you as a fishing type.”

“Neither do we,” Sunset muttered quietly that only Twilight could hear.

“I get that a lot,” Rainbow Dash acknowledged with a nod. “While I may be a speedster, even I like some downtime every now and then.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie nodded eagerly. “Since Dashie was the one who came up with this idea, then it must be fun!”

Sonic narrowed his eyes. “If this is for everyone to have fun, then where’s Cowgirl?”

“Family emergency,” Twilight responded. “Don’t worry, they’re fine, but AJ said we can go without her.”

Sonic frowned in suspicion. While he agreed that he and his friends hadn't been hanging out due to the upcoming graduation and it was also understandable that the Cowgirl was having a family emergency, he felt that something strange was going on with his friends. And the fact that they're going fishing around the coast, despite them knowing that he can't swim, was a huge red flag for him.

“Listen… while it’s cool that you like fishing,” Sonic stated, raising his hands. “But in case you forget… water and blue hedgehogs don’t mix. I can’t even stay afloat!”

“Oh, no worries, we brought life vests!” Fluttershy assured, holding one of the vests to demonstrate. “So you should be safe, even if you can’t swim.”

“And a nautical dictionary, which I memorized so that we won’t get lost!” Twilight added with a proud smile, causing Sunset to smirk in amusement.

“...Twilight, we’re only going near the center of the lake!” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

“Well, even so… I’m not interested," Sonic turned away, ready to run off again. “As I said, the water and I don’t mix. So if you excuse me–”

“Today is the anniversary of my Uncle’s departure!”

Sonic stopped himself from taking off and then he slowly turned around towards Rainbow Dash who had a forlorn expression.

“Ten years ago today… my uncle was summoned on a mission, which was meant for my dad, and… he hasn’t returned since. I… thought we can all do some fishing together not only for us to spend time before graduation… but also to pay tribute to…him.”

The girls stared at their friend with sorrow. Not long after their adventure to Manehatten, Rainbow Dash finally opened up to them about her missing uncle as she did with Sonic. While the girls felt pity towards her friend, they still supported her and let her know that they were there for her. They were surprised however that today happened to be the tenth year anniversary of Rainbow’s uncle leaving her behind, making their hearts break for her.

“Oh, Dashie…” Fluttershy whispered, her eyes wet from unshed tears.

As for Sonic, his heart was heavy as he looked at his friend with sad eyes. He was aware of Skittles’ story about her uncle ever since the talk they had eight months ago at the motel. Both of them can relate to losing the people that they care for and love at a young age, which was how they bonded in the first place. However, he had no idea that today was the anniversary of Skittles’ uncle's disappearance from her life. He suddenly felt guilty for nearly abandoning an event that was so important to his friend, even after she invited him.

“You… really wanted me to join you that much on this day?” Sonic asked softly.

Rainbow Dash nodded with a soft look. “Yeah… it would really mean a lot to me and the others.”

“We even got some caramel cream puff as snacks!” Pinkie added while holding a basket of various baked sweets to lighten the mood.

Sonic felt torn. He sensed that there was a trap with this so-called “fishing trip” and he wanted to bail out right then and there. But he was also aware of how important this activity was to Skittles’ remembrance of her Uncle. After his inner debate with himself, Sonic let out a resigned sigh.

‘I think I’m going to regret this!’ He thought.

Some time passed and the gang’s rental boat was floating in the middle of the lake. Most of the girls, including Sonic were busy fishing all around their boat with their own fishing poles, hoping to get a catch. None of them caught a single fish, but despite that, everyone had a relaxing time which was well-needed due to recent events.

“The ocean!” Pinkie monologed, staring out into the lake while holding her fishing pole. “Vast, mysterious, wild! We may never fully understand her, but nonetheless, she commands respect!” She grabbed one of her cream puffs and took a bite, her eyes brightening from its taste. “Oooh! Salted caramel!”

Sunset shook her head in amusement at Pinkie’s antics before focusing on her fishing. “I must say, this turned out to be a wonderful day!”

“Indeed!” Rarity commented, who was busy sunbathing on her chair instead of fishing. “And it’s a perfect day for some sunbathing for my skin. It’s looking a little pale as of late!”

Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow at her fashionista friend. “Rares… your skin is always pale!”

“I may not be the fishing type, but I just love seeing all these sea creatures out in the water just swimming by,” Fluttershy said softly as she waved to a school of fish who were swimming by.

“Too bad that none of them wanted to take a bite of our bait,” Twilight sighed, disappointed in another failed attempt to catch a fish. “I feel like I may have miscalculated on how to approach this fishing technique.”

Sunset gave Twilight a friendly bump on the shoulder. “Don’t worry if you didn’t catch any, Twilight. I haven’t caught anything either!” She then smiled. “The important thing is to have fun and spend time with your friends, right?”

Twilight nodded but smiled herself. “Right!”

Rainbow Dash smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm and turned to Sonic who had his back towards her. “Thank you again for coming, Sonic! With everything going on, we haven’t spent much time together as of late.”

“I agree!” Pinkie chirped. “We should all try to hang out more when we have the chance!” Pinkie then zoomed near Sonic. “Did you catch anything, Sonic? All I got was some seaweed, a twig, a shoe, and a half-eaten sandwich, which probably won’t be so tasty if it was in the water!”

When there was no response from the blue hedgehog, the girls became concerned.

“Uh… Sonic?” Sunset pressed gently.

They eventually heard a loud snore, coming from the hedgehog. Sonic’s body leaned back a bit revealing that he was fast asleep with some drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, causing Rarity to cringe somewhat. Despite that, Sonic was still hanging on to his fishing pole in both of his gloved hands.

“Aw… the poor dear, he must be exhausted,” Fluttershy exclaimed quietly.

“Gee… I wonder why?” Sunset remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “We better wake him up.”

Before Sunset could walk up to Sonic, Fluttershy stopped her. “Um… I think we should let him rest a little longer.”

Sunset frowned. “Fluttershy, you know why we’re here in the first place!”

“I know, but I’m just saying that we should let him sleep a little longer,” Fluttershy reasoned gently. “Besides, wouldn’t it be better to talk to him when he wasn’t cranky?”

Before Sunset could argue, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “I think Flutters has a point. Maybe we should let him rest a little?”

While the girls were debating whether to wake Sonic or not, they failed to notice that Sonic’s pole felt a snag, getting a bite from a really big fish. Unfortunately, the tugging from this fish was really strong. And because Sonic was sleeping throughout this event, he was fully unprepared as the fish pulled him even harder until his whole body was pulled out of the boat. The girls did not notice him falling off the boat until they heard a loud splash, follow by some shouting from Sonic himself.

Sunset turned and gasped at the sight. “Sonic!”

“Hedgehog overboard!” Pinkie screamed, alerting the others.

“HELP!” Sonic cried, splashing his arms wildly. “IF I DIE, DON’T LOOK IN MY CLOSET!”

“It’s okay, we got you!” Twilight exclaimed as she grasped her geode necklace, activating her magic.

As the purple arua surrounded Sonic, he still waved his arms around in a panic. He calmed down the moment he was lifted from the water and slowly floated back on the boat towards Rarity’s chair. As soon as he sat on a chair, Fluttershy and Rarity gave the wet blue hedgehog a bunch of towels who was shivering badly due to the cold water.

“It’s okay, take it easy!” Fluttershy cooed, wrapping Sonic up like a burrito.

Sunset sighed in relief after checking Sonic before approaching him gently. “You’re okay?”

Sonic nodded. “J-just a little… c-cold, b-but I’m okay!”

“You know, Darling… you really should be taking lessons on how to swim so you won’t have to worry about drowning,” Rarity commented.

Sonic frowned indignantly. “Maybe if I have fins and gills, I’ll consider it, but I much preferred being on solid ground thank you very much!”

Sunset frowned at Sonic’s attitude. “Well, Sonic, now that you have a nap and a bath… I think it’s finally time we talk!”

Sonic blinked. “Uh… what about?”

Sunset rolled her eyes at his ignorance before getting straight to the point. “Sonic… we know you snuck out last night!”

Sonic’s eyes widened. “W-what!? How?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Well, after our… memorable evening at school last night, I stopped at our local comic store to get you some new Filly-Second comics as promised.” Her eyes then narrowed. “But when I went up into your room as soon as we got home, well…”

After a long night at Canterlot High, the girls went their separate ways and headed back to their homes. Sunset and Twilight, however, decided to take a quick stop at the town's local comic shop and get a new issue of Filly-Second for Sonic. The two girls already arrived home and headed up the stairs to the attic, aka Sonic's room to deliver the comic. But as soon as they stepped into the attic, they noticed that something was strange with “Sonic”.

In front of them, “Sonic appeared to be holding a newspaper, which was upside down, wearing blue pants with white stripes, a different set of red sneakers instead of his usual ones, and white gloves that looked bulkier than usual.

“...what the?” Sunset muttered as she took a single step into the attic.

She suddenly felt her leg pull some string, followed by a sound of a tape player rewinding. A second later, they heard Sonic's voice, which was obviously pre-recording, coming from the “Sonic” in front of them.

“Whoa Whoa Whoa! Stop right there!” ‘Sonic’ spoke, waving his left hand somewhat. “I wouldn’t come any closer because this little hedgehog had way too many chili dogs!”

Before any of the girls could react to what they were seeing, “Sonic” began to make noises like he was passing gas.

“Oh no! Oh no! Pffffft! I’m so embarrassed! Get out of here, quick!”

However, as “Sonic” was talking, part of the newspaper folded back, revealing the rest of his body with a poorly drawn face, causing the girls to frown with a lack of amusement.

“Oh no! Here comes another one! Pfffft! Go now! Save yourself!”

The audio recording of Sonic began to loop, but the audio became deep and messed up due to the audio tape slowly breaking down. As “Sonic” collapsed to the side, Sunset, and Twilight looked at each other with deadpanned expressions.

“...he snuck out again,” they stated simultaneously.

“Ugh! I knew I should use real farts!” Sonic groaned, disappointed in himself that his plan didn’t work.

“...I don’t think that would’ve mattered,” Rarity muttered, a little disgusted at the thought of Sonic 'passing wind'.

“But an A for trying!” Pinkie chirped, earring looks from her friends. “What?! He really put a lot of effort into his little plan!”

Sunset rolled her eyes before she took out her phone and showed him an Equestria Daily news page right in front of his face with the bold headline said:

-MAYHEM IN SEADDLE-
Crime Doesn’t Spray!

Sonic stared at Sunset’s phone for what felt like a minute before he slowly looked up at Sunset’s unamused expression. He tried giving Sunset his sheepish look, but Sunset’s expression remained unchanged as she puts away her phone. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Sunset spoke in a strained tone.

“Sonic… how many times do we have to do this?”

“What? Cast your line and not catch anything? Seems like a billion!” Sonic joked while trying to play dumb, but Sunset saw through it.

“Sonic! You know what I’m referring to!” Sunset said impatiently before listing things with her fingers. “Lying, sneaking out, pretending to be the Masked Matter-Horn?”

“Blue Justice!” Sonic clarified with a smirk. “Trademark pending.”

“Whatever!” Sunset remarked, narrowing her eyes. She had enough of Sonic’s ridiculous game, so she decided to get to the point. “You’re being reckless, Sonic!”

Sonic let out an annoyed groan. “Oh, not this conversation again!”

Sunset flared her nose in aggravation. “Believe me, it’s not fun for me either! But if you continue to be irresponsible, we’re gonna keep having this conversation!”

The exchange between the two of them made the girls feel uneasy. Before Twilight could try to calm them down, Sonic interjected.

“How is it irresponsible to use my power?” Sonic argued.

“Sonic! You destroyed an entire city block!” Sunset scolded, nearly shoving her phone at Sonic’s face again. “Their streets were practically underwater!”

“That block was already messed up! Who cares!?” Sonic argued before pushing Sunset’s phone aside and turning away. “Look, I stopped a robbery!” Sonic posed proudly. “I was a hero!”

“No! You put a lot of people in danger!" Sunset yelled, causing everyone including Sonic to jump from her angry tone. "And that is not what a hero does!”

All was silent on the boat until Sonic turned back around with a sigh.

“You’re supposed to be my friend… stop trying to be my mom!”

The girls winced sharply at Sonic’s words.

“...Ouch!” Pinkie muttered sadly, feeling bad for her friend.

As for Sunset, her anger immediately vanished from Sonic’s statement and was replaced with a hurtful frown. While Sonic was technically true, something from the way he said was like a knife stabbing through her heart. And worse of all, for a brief moment, instead of seeing Sonic in front of her, she was seeing herself as a filly while yelling at her former mentor with almost those similar words.

“You're supposed to be my mentor! …stop trying to act like my mom!”

Guilt weighed in Sunset's heart from the memory. 'Was this how she felt when I treated her that way? I was the worst!'

As for Sonic, he felt guilty after seeing Sunset’s hurt expression. Sonic looked away with a sigh. “Look… I can take care of myself!”

The girls don’t know what to do as they watched the two of them in concern and uncertainty. There was so much tension throughout the boat, it nearly suffocated them. Rainbow Dash's eyes were back in forth between a stubborn but guilted hedgehog and a saddened and hurt friend. While Rainbow Dash was usually a carefree person, she hated seeing her friends having a conflict and felt like she needed to do something to help. After gathering up her thoughts, she softly cleared her throat.

"Listen Sonic… I know Sunset can be a pain in the butt!" Sunset glared at Rainbow Dash for that statement, but Rainbow Dash ignored her. "She was right… but I also understand that you want to use your power to do awesome things like kicking butt or putting it to good use!”

Sonic cocked an eyebrow at Rainbow’s statement.

“Believe me, I do!” She insisted. “But you have to understand that there is more than just kicking butt! You have to consider how you use your powers without having anyone be caught in a crossfire."

Rainbow Dash briefly glanced at Sunset fondly before continuing.

"A good friend once taught me this very important lesson: stop looking for a problem when there isn't one. You just have to be patient and the problem will eventually come to you… and I'm usually an impatient person half the time, so that said something."

Rarity smirked. "Half the time!? More like all the time!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but smiled. "Oh, haha!"

"Rainbow Dash has a point," Sunset gave Rainbow Dash her grateful smile before continuing. "And Sonic… taking care of yourself… is not what being a hero is about. It's about taking responsibility for other people. And right now, whether you wanna hear this or not, you are still just a kid. You got some more growing up to do before you're ready to be a hero. Trust me, when I tell you, there will come a time when your powers will be needed. But you don't choose that moment. That moment chooses you.”

Sonic stared both at Sunset and Rainbow Dash with an awed expression. “Woah… look at you!” He quickly checked his arms. “Look, I just got-- I just got goosebumps!” He paused, before giving both girls his knowing look. “Wait a second! …did you two steal that from one of your video games or any of the Daring Do movies?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, it's… from somepo– somebody else.” She let out a longing sigh, thinking about her formal mentor. “She is very special to me… which I have taken for granted.”

“And in my case, it was from my uncle,” Rainbow Dash added, smiling fondly at the thought of her uncle. “It came from his boat on this very lake. He would always try and steer me in the right direction.”

“And that's what the girls and I always try to do with you,” Sunset explained in a much gentle tone now. She then looked at Sonic in the eye. “So, until your moment arrives, I want you to work on being a little more responsible. Okay… for me?”

Sonic thought for a moment, considering Sunset’s words. "Okay… for you Equestrian Girl," he smiled, raising his right hand. "High five on it!"

Sunset smiled in amusement as she raised her right hand and the two of them then high-fived.

"Yeah! Equestrian Girl and the Blue Blur are back at it again!" Sonic cheered.

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Rainbow Dash joked.

Sonic chuckled, raising his right hand. “Put 'er there, Skittles!”

As the two of them high-fived, the girls smiled in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Fluttershy sighed with a smile. "I'm so glad that everything worked out well."

"That remains to be seen, Darling," said Rarity. "But I suppose all wells that ends well!"

"It's so good to see our friends reconcile!" Pinkie chirped, wiping her tear. "It always warms my heart!"

Pinkie then heard choked-up noises, coming from Twilight who stood next to her. "Aw, are you crying Twilly? You can have one of my tissues!"

Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm not crying, Pinkie! I'm coughing." Twilight coughed a few times again at a much louder volume, and the girls winced from that. "Agh! My dang allergies are acting up already!"

"Oh, dear!" Rarity commented, concerned for her friend. "You want me to give you something for your allergies, Darling?"

"Thanks, but no need," Twilight said politely as she took out a pill from her pocket. "I've already got my medicine from Cadance earlier."

Twilight placed her pill in her mouth and then took a sip from a bottle of water. She swallowed the pill and let out a relieved sigh. "Ahhh… much better!"

Before Rarity could comment on it, they heard some choking sounds from the boat’s engine. They turned to see Rainbow Dash trying to turn the boat’s key a few times, only to hear the same choking sound again and again. After about the sixth time, Rainbow Dash banged the boat’s steering wheel in frustration.

"Aw, nuts! The engine's busted!" Rainbow Dash huffed.

“Oh my, that does sound bad!” Fluttershy frowned.

Twilight opened the side panel of the control panel and frowned at the sight. “Looks bad too! I don’t think even my knowledge of a six-hundred-page online emergency handbook will help me fix this one!”

“Wish Applejack is here to fix it," Rarity sighed.

“Me too,” Sunset frowned. “But there’s nothing we can do from here. Guess I'll have to call the coast guard."

"No need ladies!" Sonic assured with a cocky smile. "I got this!"

Before they could ask what he meant by that, Sonic leaped off the boat, much to their shock. But Sonic managed to hold on to the back of the boat and leaned against it.

"Hang on!" Sonic announced loudly as he began to rev his feet against the water. "Speedboat!"

With his super speed and strength, Sonic was able to push the boat across the water toward the coast. Unfortunately, Sonic pushed the boat so fast, it caused the girls to stumble over and some even held on to the side of the boat for their lives.

"Wait! Sonic!" Sunset screamed.

The girls screamed all the while in fear, all except for Pinkie Pie who cheered loudly with glee like a kid on a ride in Equestria Land.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Ever since her argument with Applejack, Apple Bloom was hiding in her bedroom, crying her eyes out. She doesn’t know how much time she has lost and knew that she’ll be in trouble for skipping out on her chores, but she doesn’t care. What her sister said to her earlier was harsh and hurt her a lot. But the worst part of it was that her sister was right, as much as this pained her.

She didn’t think things through with her plan to throw everyone their ultimate pre-graduation party. She never thought about the possibility of her plan going wrong once they did it. And on top of that, she and her friends almost died in that fire. She couldn't even imagine how devastated her sister will be, or her whole family for that matter after she had perished. And even if she survived but not others, how will she face Sweetie Belle if her sister is the one who has perished? Or anyone else who has lost their friends and family?

Or even… herself?

Apple Bloom was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She frowned when she heard her sister’s voice coming from behind the door in a softer tone.

“Um… Apple Bloom?”

“Go away!” Apple Bloom shouted tearfully, burying her face into her pillow. “Ah want to be left alone!”

Applejack sighed from behind the door. “Apple Bloom, Ah… Ah just want to talk.”

Apple Bloom sniffed. "So that you can yell at me again!?”

"No! No, Ah… Ah won't yell at ya again. Ah promise!” Applejack assured gently. “Ah just want us to have a proper conversation."

Apple Bloom lifted her head towards the door for a moment, before turning away again with a scoff. "Ah still don't want to talk to ya!"

"That's fine… you can just listen," Applejack offered. "Can ya open the door… please?"

Apple Bloom paused for a moment. A part of her stubbornly wanted to tell Applejack to leave or to keep ignoring her, but the other part of her was telling her to just hear her out and get their “conversation” over with. After a brief war within herself, Apple Bloom sighed as she got up from her bed, power walked towards her door to unlock it, and then quickly got back on her bed with her back towards her door.

Apple Bloom heard her door open but still refused to turn around and look at her sister. She remained looking away even as Applejack gently made her way next to her bed.

"...Do ya mind if Ah sit here?" Applejack asked softly, gesturing towards the bed.

Apple Bloom shrugged wordlessly, patting a spot next to her.

As Applejack took her seat beside her, Apple Bloom still refuse to face her sister.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. For Apple Bloom, her guilt, anger, and sadness are what held her back from saying anything. And even so, she doesn’t even know what to say after their “pleasant conversation” from this morning and doesn’t know how to make it better without making everything worse. Applejack didn’t say anything yet either, but Apple Bloom suspected that she was taking her time to gather up her words before giving Apple Bloom another lecture. Apple Bloom waited and anticipated whatever Applejack was going to say in addition to what she did wrong from last night and this morning.

But instead, Applejack started with a different opening.

"Ah see ya looking at our old family photo… back when Ma and Pa were around."

Apple Bloom blinked at her sister’s words, caught off guard.

Her mind had become fully aware once she realized that she was staring at her picture frame without even realizing it until now. The picture itself was a family picture, which took place in front of a combined Apple and a Pear tree. There was Applejack and Big Mac as kids, a younger Granny Smith, and most importantly, there was herself as a baby, which was held by both her Ma and Pa… back when they were still around. From the looks of their smiling faces, it was a very happy memory.

Applejack let out a small chuckle. "Heh. Dat was my favorite memory of them, and I'm sure it's yours and Big Mac's too. We all had a lovely picnic near their tree, which is the same tree where they got married. Ma even made us a bunch of Apple Fritters for the picnic. She warned me not to eat too much of them, but they tasted so good, Ah had over a dozen of them. The next thing Ah knew, Ah was having a tummy ache and Ah kept throwing up quicker than a bird who had a feast of worms."

She paused for a moment before sighing solemnly.

"Ah still miss them. Even now… it hurts to be without them around. While Ah was just a kid, part of me believed that it was mah fault that Ah got sick fer eating those fritters. They had granny watch over me while they went out of town to get me medicine. They've been gone for so long… we were worried sick. It wasn't until the next morning that the cops arrived at our door. They say that there was an accident… and that they…"

Applejack choked up, trying to prevent herself from crying. With a shuddering breath, she continued.

"Ah was always told that it wasn’t my fault… but Ah couldn't help but think that it was. Even so, I've sworn to never lose another one Ah love again."

Apple Bloom finally turned to look at her sister and her eyes widened when she saw that Applejack had tears in her eyes.

"When you and your friends were trapped in our burning school… Ah had never been so terrified in my life! Ah really thought Ah lost ya…" her voice wavered, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Ah don't want to lose you or anybody… like how we lost our parents. If anything happens to you Ah… Ah–"

Not wanting to see her sister in pain anymore, Apple Bloom suddenly flew herself over to Applejack and hugged her tightly.

"Applejack! Ah'm so sorry!" Apple Bloom sobbed, her tears soaking through her sister's shirt. "Ah didn't mean to cause this whole mess! And ah didn't mean to scare ya! Ah just wanted to help out giving ya and your friends the fun y'all truly deserved! Honest!"

"Ah know, Sugarcube… Ah know," Applejack soothed softly, hugging her sister lovingly. "And Ah'm sorry for yelling at ya so harshly! Ah can't help but remember what happened last night."

They broke their hug but Applejack looked her sister in the eye. "When Ah didn't see ya come out of the building during the fire… Ah couldn't help but fear for the worst. Ah haven't been so scared of losing ya since… since–"

"When Dr. Robotnik held us up over the roof of that building in Manehatten?" Apple Bloom guessed.

"...yeah," Applejack confirmed. "Now, Ah know you were trying to help giving back the fun to us seniors, but ya gotta understand that despite that you had good intentions, what ya did was reckless. There are better ways to solve this, you know."

Apple Bloom huffed. "AJ, you know we tried. Every time we complained, we were ignored. It's been this way ever since Spoiled Rich became our new Principal and made our lives miserable! And as graduation day is approaching, Ah… Ah felt that Ah had to do something! So Ah thought throwing that secret party was the only way!"

Applejack frowned. "Well, I'm not exactly happy with Mrs. Rich's role either, but it ain't worth getting yourself in trouble and setting our school on fire."

"Ah don't care what kind of punishment that Devil Lady gave me, it's still not fair that she took away that pre-graduation party! That day was meant for you and your friends, not for her!"

Applejack cocked an eyebrow. "Devil Lady?"

"Sonic's idea!" Apple Bloom explained. "If yer going to tell me to stop calling her that, then Ah'm afraid that's ain't going to happen!"

"...who said that I want you to stop?" Applejack smirked before becoming serious. "But jokes aside, Ah understand yer frustration and also discouraging, but you can't get involved in something big like this. The only thing you can do is to let Vice Principal Luna handle this and have a little faith."

"But what good does that do!" Apple Bloom argued. "She'll just get away with it like she always does! And why can't Ah be involved?"

Applejack sighed tiredly. "Because, Apple Bloom, to put it nicely… yer just a kid. And quite frankly, you shouldn't be worried about this stuff."

Apple Bloom threw her arms up. "But Ah'm not a kid! Ah'm fourteen years old and I'm a freshman in high school!"

"That may be so, but you still have a lot of growing up to do!" Applejack said sternly. "Especially after what happened last night!"

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to argue but then she slumped her shoulders in shame after remembering about that night.

Applejack sighed after seeing her sister's upset face and draped her arm over Apple Bloom's shoulder. "Look, what Ah'm trying to say is… that every decision or action we make, whether big or small… always has consequences. And they can affect not just you… but also everyone around ya. So until yer ready to grow up, Ah want you to really think about what you are planning and try to be more responsible before you make a decision. Do you understand?"

Apple Bloom paused for a moment, considering her sister's words before nodding. "Ah… Ah understand. Ah'll try to be more responsible."

Applejack nodded. "That's all Ah needed to hear." She then smiled. "Are we good?"

Apple Bloom smiled back. "We're good!"

"Good!" Applejack hugged her sister who also hugged her back.

"So does this mean that my grounding is reduced?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack chuckled. "Not a chance!"

Author's Notes:

Sorry it took so long, but life (and video games) took a lot of my time.

So... that was an emotional chapter, wasn't it? While Sonic and Apple Bloom were in trouble, they still received proper talk from their loved ones. But will their words stick with them? Only time will tell...

Anyway, some notes and references:

Granny Smith's line "Soup's on!" was a callback to Pony Applejack's line from MLP:FiM Season 1, Episode 1 - Friendship is Magic, Part 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oF1PfIFwWk&ab_channel=kyrospawn

Apple Bloom pointing out to AJ that she won her hat at the fair for bobbing apples was actually a reference to how Pony AJ got her hat according to that Hot Topic video years back.

https://youtu.be/uWcxeBCOst4

@0:48

I know there are some of you who were worried or upset with Rarity that AJ's hat is burned, believing it to have once belonged to her Pa. I hate to break it to you all, but that wasn't the case. It was just an ordinary hat that she won at the fair (in this story).

In fact, in Season 5 of MLP:FiM Made in Manehatten, after AJ wrecked her hat while trying to restore the stage, Rarity threw out her hat and bought a new one similar to her original hat.

https://youtu.be/wR37EBwBAuA?t=81

@1:21

So yes, it's just a regular hat. However, I do have plans revolving around her missing hat in this story, so look forward to that.

Speaking of which, Applejack counter-argument to Apple Bloom about owing more than one bow is a callback to one scene in MLP:FiM Season 4, Episode 17 - Somepony to Watch Over Me when Scootaloo took one of many Apple Bloom's bows from Apple Bloom's closet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Hn58dReyI&ab_channel=Letupita725HD%E2%98%85

@0:58

Just like in the pony world, this world's Angel Bunny can be evil sometimes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiewooHykbU&ab_channel=PMVUploader2

Rarity mentioned Applejack getting seasick was a callback to Equestria Girls: Spring Breakdown special when Applejack got seasick almost throughout the special while on a yacht trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZp-ORmTuQ&ab_channel=JCPCB

And yes, it is possible to get seasick on a lake, depending on how much motion you feel while on a boat.

Sonic commenting about him and the water don't mix was a callback to his weakness to water, or more specifically his inability to swim in the games. The only exception that he can actually "swim" in water was in one of his games Sonic Colors throughout the Aquarium Park levels. While many hedgehogs can in fact swim, it was because Yuji Naka didn't know that fact as he helped out developing Sonic Genesis games until many years later.

Twilight mentioning about memorizing a nautical dictionary, Pinkie's lines about the sea, and Pinkie eating Salted Caramel Creme Puff was a callback to an Equestria Girls short, The Salty Sails.

The fake dummy of Sonic with a poorly drawn smile that Sunset and Twilight discovered in the attic was yet another Sanic reference.

The Masked Matter-Horn and Filly Second Sunset have mentioned earlier are Power Ponies, their world's equivalent to comic superheroes.

Rainbow's advice to Sonic, "stop looking for a problem when there isn't one" was another callback to Spring Breakdown special when Sunset told her those same words when Rainbow was obsessing over finding Equestria Magic on a ship.

Twilight commented about a six-hundred-page online emergency handbook was another callback to Spring Breakdown when she questioned the boat crew if they even read it.

Applejack mentioning how her parents married by their Apple and Pear tree was a callback to MLP:FiM Season 7, Episode 13 - The Perfect Pair when their pony parents' counterpart did the same thing.

Anyway, next time, Sunset will pay a visit to Vice Principle Luna due to a phone call from the previous chapter. What will they be talking about?

And Sunset is not the only one who will be visiting someone in the next chapter.

Volume I - Chapter 4: Visiting Hours

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Sometime after their memorable fishing trip, Sunset Shimmer remembered that she had a meeting with Vice Principal Luna at her home that Cadance mentioned earlier. After she explained that to the girls and Sonic, she gave them a quick farewell and made her way to visit Vice Principal Luna. She walked twenty minutes through the neighborhood until she eventually reached Celestia and Luna's home.

Sunset frowned at the sight of that house. After Robotnik was sent to another planet, Principal Celestia disappeared and was no longer at home. Only Vice Principal Luna lived in that house and never once mentioned the whereabouts of her older sister. Part of Sunset was hoping to maybe get information about her former Principal during her meeting with Luna, but she doubted that Luna would reveal anything.

When Sunset approached the front door of Luna’s home, Sunset knocked on the door. She didn’t have to wait long as the front door opened, revealing to be Luna herself. To Sunset’s surprise, instead of her usual outfit for school, Luna was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with a red hat and mask logo with a white flame coming out of the mask’s right eye. It even has a quote, “Take Your Heart” underneath the logo.

As a gamer girl, Sunset nearly squeed at the familiarity of the logo.

"Ah, Sunset!" Luna greeted. “I’ve been expecting you!”

"Hey, Vice Principal Luna!” Sunset greeted back. “I got a message from Cadance. You wanted to see me?"

Luna nodded. “I do. Usually, I would have us meet at my office at school. But due to… circumstances, my home will have to do.” She then opened the door further. “But where are my manners? Please, come in!"

Sunset complied as she wiped her feet on the mat before entering inside and following Luna into the kitchen.

Luna gestured toward the table. "But before I begin, you want some coffee?”

“Yes, please!” Sunset replied as she took her seat. “Just a little cream.”

With a nod, Luna took out two coffee mugs from the cupboard and then filled them both with a fresh pot of coffee. After Luna filled a little cream in Sunset’s mug while only leaving her’s black, she made her way over to the table with two mugs.

“Here you go!” Luna offered the cup.

Sunset took her coffee with a grateful expression. “Thanks.”

After Luna took her seat, they both took a sip of their coffees, and then they simultaneously let out contented sighs.

“You can never have a day without a nice cup of hot coffee, or two to make it through the day,” Sunset commented.

“I can’t agree more,” Luna nodded as she placed her cup down. “Now that’s settled, is everything okay with you and the others from the other night?"

Sunset took another small sip of her coffee. "Well, other than some close calls and still a bit shook up, we're okay.”

“I’m glad,” Luna replied before frowning. "And… how are the CMCs?"

"Those three are grounded by their families,” Sunset sighed. “Despite all that, they're okay too." She placed her cup down. "I know it was a lot for us to ask, but thank you again for keeping them from getting into deeper trouble."

Luna nodded. "Just so you know, it wasn't easy for me to convince the school board and the town to give them a lighter sentence, but I've done all I can.” Her expression became stern. “But now it's up to those girls to stay out of trouble. I won't be able to sway them if they were to pull that stunt again. Am I clear?"

"Crystal!" Sunset nodded while emphasizing her words. Her expression then hardened. "And… what about Spoiled Rich?"

Luna hesitated for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "Unlike the CMCs, Mrs. Rich only received a slap on the wrist from the higher-ups despite how she… handled the fire situation."

Sunset immediately stood up and slammed the table with both her hands, causing the Vice Principal to jump back slightly.

"Are you serious!?" Sunset yelled, her eyes burning in fury. "How could she keep getting away with it? This is the worst thing she has ever done since becoming our Principal! She should have been fired for that! Heck, she should be in jail!"

Luna raised her hand to calm her student down. "Believe me, Sunset Shimmer, I'm not happy about this either!" She frowned deeply. "But between you and me… I think there's something going on with Spoiled. I suspected that someone from the higher-ups kept looking the other way and kept her around for some reason despite many complaints from our students and staff. This latest incident, being the worst one, confirmed my suspicion."

Sunset slowly sat back down while her eyebrows furrowed both in anger and confusion. "You think there was some kind of secret agenda for keeping her around? Whatever for?"

"I don't know yet," Luna shook her head. "But I'm looking into this matter as we speak. Until then, you and your friends should stay clear from her while I'll do my best to keep her from abusing her duty as Principal like she did the other night."

Sunset frowned. Ever since Spoiled took over the school, she caused so much misery at the school while also committing acts for her own personal gain rather than the school time and time again. What was even more frustrating was the fact that the school board hadn’t done a thing, despite many complaints and reports against the woman. She didn’t blame Vice Principal Luna that Spoiled never got reprimanded since this was beyond her control, but that doesn’t make it less frustrating or unfair. Sunset hoped that someday, Spoiled would get the real comeuppance she deserved, but for now, she would heed Luna’s advice and stay out of Spoiled’s way until graduation.

"Speaking of which,” Sunset trailed off, changing topics. “Have you spoken to Principal Celestia recently?"

Luna shook her head with a soft, yet sad sigh. "I'm afraid I have not, Sunset Shimmer. I haven't seen or spoken to my sister since after you and your friends defeated Robotnik."

Seeing Sunset’s unreadable expression, Luna offered her hand to her. "You can even try to read my memories if you don't believe me."

Sunset stared at Luna’s hand for a moment, tempted to take her Vice Principal’s offer. She then shook her head.

"No, there's no need… I believe you."

Sunset furrowed her brow, deep in thought. It's pointless anyway. Even if I wanted to, Principal Celestia must have known that I'd try to use my empathetic ability to read her sister's mind for her whereabouts and information, hence why she kept Vice Principal Luna out of the loop. Sunset frowned as a certain Sun Princess appeared in her memory. Always one step ahead and in secret… just like somepony else I know.

"You alright, Sunset?

Sunset snapped out of her thoughts as Luna stared at her with a look of concern on her face.

"I…I'm fine," Sunset assured quietly. "I'm just… worried for your sister’s well-being."

Vice Principal Luna's expression softens. "I appreciate your concern, Sunset. But I know my sister, she'll be alright and she usually has a good reason to keep everything a secret. So try to have a little faith in her."

"...if you say so," Sunset stated, not fully believing Luna’s words.

Luna cleared her throat. "Anyway, while these are important topics… they were not the only reason why I called you here."

Sunset raised her eyebrow with a curious look. "Oh? Then what was it?"

Luna took another sip of her coffee. "You know that our supposed graduation ceremony is coming up, right?"

Sunset looked confused. "Uh, yeah, what about it?"

After taking another sip of her coffee, Luna began her explanation. "Before Celestia… departed from our school, we both talked about what we do for this year's ceremony, including our main valedictorian for our graduation speech. And after everything that happened these past events leading up to this, I think we both agreed on our pick for this year."

"Um, okay? That sounds great… but what does that all have to do with me?" Sunset inquired before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Everything!" Luna responded. “Sunset Shimmer… Celestia and I are honored to select you not only as a valedictorian but also as our honorary speaker for this year’s graduation ceremony!”

As soon as she heard those words, Sunset let out a long spit-take, away from her Vice Principal. After coughing for a brief moment, she turned towards Luna with a shocked expression, wondering if she was hearing correctly.

“W-what!?” Sunset sputtered, her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Are… are you serious?”

Luna smiled, amused by Sunset’s reaction. “I am! …Congratulations, Sunset!”

Sunset couldn’t believe that this was all real. Part of her thinks that this has to be some sort of a dream that was too good to be true and that she is about to wake up at any moment. But it wasn’t the case as she was feeling some spilled semi-hot coffee on her chest and lap. She wanted to feel happy that the Principals chose her and would love to accept it, but she didn't feel worthy of earning it.

Sunset sighed as she looked down into her coffee with a frown on her face.

"I… why? Why me of all the other students of our school?" Sunset asked quietly before looking up. "Don't get me wrong, I'm honored that you picked me, but… do you really want me to represent our school? Ever after–”

“No! None of that, Sunset!” Luna interrupted, raising her right palm. When she knew that Sunset was not speaking anymore, Luna spoke in a matter-of-fact, but gentle tone.

“We’re all aware of your history Pre-Fall Formal incident, but you are not that person anymore. If anything, everything you did and made up for afterward was why you were picked in the first place." Luna then smirked. "And saving the world a few times helped too!"

"Even so, I can't take all the credit Vice Principal Luna. My friends deserved just as much credit and accomplished more than I ever did.” Sunset looked down in shame. “And magic wouldn't have existed in this world if it weren’t for me."

As Sunset was busy with her self-loathing, she felt someone gently grasp her hand. She looked up in surprise to see Luna with a caring expression.

"Sunset, I understand your doubts and thinking you don't deserve this, but believe me when I say that you've earned this and then some. My sister and I, even the whole school saw your development; from a queen bee who only cared about her own ambition, to a wonderful person who is a great leader, an empathic person, and a dear friend. You have come a long way… and my sister and I couldn't think of any other person who is honorable enough for that position. We really are both just so proud of you." She smiled. "And I'm sure that your friends will agree with me too on this."

Sunset felt her eyes water due to emotion but held back a little. "Vice Principal Luna… I–I don't know what to say."

"So does that mean that you'll accept?" Luna inquired, holding her hand out.

"Y-yes! I'm honored!" Sunset happily accepted Luna’s hand, shaking it. As soon as she accepted, a thought entered Sunset’s mind in concern. "But what about our graduation ceremony? Wasn't it supposed to be in a few days?"

Luna frowned. "Yes. But unfortunately, due to last night's… event, I'm afraid that our ceremony is postponed until further notice."

Sunset felt uneasy in her stomach. "How long will that take?"

A sigh escaped from Luna’s lips. "...I wish I knew."

Somewhere on the other side of Canterlot City, a young woman with a huge scar over her right eye wearing dark clothing was walking down the narrow hallway, carrying a medium-sized box. This woman was on a mission to pay someone a visit in this very building, which was a routine every week since eight months ago. And today was the most important day to her and she will complete her mission without fail.

She eventually reached the end of the hallway with two guards standing in front of the door.

“Back for another visit, Agent Tempest Shadow?” The guard asked.

“I am!” Tempest nodded before presenting the box. “And I brought a gift this time!”

The guard nodded, taking the box. “Very well, but you know the drill!”

As one guard checked the context of the box, the female guard walked over to Tempest and performed a quick body search on her. As much as Tempest disliked this part of the procedure, she couldn’t hold anything against these guards since this was all part of their job. The female guard finished her procedure just as the male guard finished checking the box.

“Okay, proceed!” The guard approved, handing the box back to Tempest.

As soon as Tempest received her box, the guard gestured for her to follow him to the next room to which Tempest complied. They entered the room which contained a long wall with many booths, each containing a table, a small seat, a two-way window, and a telephone. There were some people there who occupied some of those booths, either family members or a lawyer. Tempest continued to follow the guard until she was led towards an unused booth for her to sit.

“Wait here!” The guard instructed.

Tempest nodded to the guard before she took her seat, placed her box beside her, and waited.

About fifteen minutes later, Tempest saw the door open from the other side of the window and a different guard entered the room along with another person. Unlike the guard, the second person had chains on their wrists and ankles and wore an orange jumpsuit with the number “100617” on their left chest. When they eventually reached where Tempest was, the guard gestured for the person to take a seat in front of Tempest to which they complied. Both the person and Tempest picked up their phones. and as soon as they were connected, the person smiled.

“Well, hello Tempest! Nice to see you again!”

“And hello to you too, Grubber,” Tempest greeted. “You look well.”

Grubber shrugged. “Eh, this prison isn’t so bad. I’ve been to worse places.”

Tempest hummed as she pushed her box towards the opening slot of the window. “I brought you this!”

Grubber cocked an eyebrow. “Did you now?”

Grubber gently grabbed the box over to him and opened it. He was nearly in years as soon as he saw the content inside the box.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have!” Grubber dug his hand into a box and pulled out what looked like a slice of a pink cake with white frosting and a cherry on top. He then took a bite of it and let out a happy satisfying moan. “Mmm… freshly baked sponge cake from Sweet Shoppe! Man, do I miss this stuff!”

“Figured I got you this cake as a celebration!” Tempest grinned. “You’ll be on parole soon, right?”

“In a couple of days!” Grubber licked his fingers. “It wasn’t easy, but I’m looking forward to being a free man again!”

“You’re not completely free,” Tempest reminded. “They will still watch you for the following months and you have to do community service at Canterlot City.”

“Details, details!” Grubber waved off dismissively. “Being out there doing anything is better than being locked in within the same four walls.” Grubber frowned, looking down at his half-eaten cake. "Though, to tell you the truth… I'm also kinda nervous to be out there again."

Tempest tilted her head. "Why are you nervous? Aren't you happy to be out soon?"

"Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be here," Grubber sighed. "I'm just nervous about how the people out there think of me when they know about my… criminal record."

"Not to put you down, but you did betray our government, working with the madman, putting the people in danger, and nearly blowing up the school," Tempest stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"...I know," Grubber's face fell. "I deeply regretted my actions and I am sorry for the things that I've done."

Tempest's expression softened. "I know you are, Grubber. I've seen it myself. You worked so hard to turn your life around."

Grubber huffed. "I know that you know that, but they don't! And I also know for a fact that once you've done something bad, no one will let you live that down! I mean, how could they not? I nearly killed everyone for crying out loud!"

Tempest sighed. While Grubber did those crimes, she blamed herself for pushing her formal partner towards that path due to how she treated him then. She wanted to make amends by visiting and guiding Grubber to a brighter path of redemption. Things were awkward between the two of them at first, but then they slowly bonded over time, almost like they were best friends.

Tempest nearly laughed at the irony of that thought.

While this won’t completely fix everything that happened, Tempest hoped that it was at least a good enough start to rekindle their friendship. But for now, Tempest’s top priority is to help Grubber out of his funk.

"Look, I know it's not easy,” Tempest spoke gently. “But with time and effort, people’s opinions will change and will see only the person in front of them now than the person they used to be. In fact, I know a certain girl who has also made similar mistakes, and yet she wouldn't let that define her. She worked hard every day to get to where she is today.” She grinned. “So if she can do it… then you can do it too!”

Grubber looked up, surprised that he received a pep talk coming from a stoic person. He was touched by her encouragement, but he cleared his throat to keep his emotions in check.

“T-thanks,” he uttered quietly before changing the topic. "Speaking of which, how's the manhunt going? I'm surprised that you haven't caught him yet?"

“We… still haven’t located former Agent Stone,” Tempest answered, both embarrassed and frustrated with the situation. “Ever since Robotnik was sent to some mushroom planet, his assistant has disappeared almost without a trace, even after I tied him up when I rescued one of the girls. Though, my sources said that he may be hiding somewhere in Canterlot City. We just don't know where he's hiding."

Grubber rolled his eyes, not surprised in the slightest. “Yeah, that’s Stone all right! He’s as slippery as an eel!” His expression became serious. "Despite being Robotnik’s main lackey, he is just as dangerous as the Doctor when he wants to be! I wouldn't be surprised that Stone is taking over the Doctor's plan until he returns to finish the job!"

Tempest frowned. "He was sent to another planet! There's no way he'll return!"

Grubber gave Tempest a look of disbelief as if she had said something ridiculous. "Do you even know him? Aside from his highly intelligent mind, that man is very determined. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes up with a way to get off that planet!"

"Even if he managed to get off of that mushroom planet, you still think he'll make it back millions of lightyears away from here?" Tempest inquired.

"I don't think he'll make it back… I know he'll be back!" Grubber stated firmly. "I'm just advising you to not count him out just yet!"

Tempest frowned. While Grubber made a very good point about Robotnik being relentless when he wanted to be, she was still highly doubtful that Robotnik would return to Earth anytime soon. Despite those doubts, she will keep Grubber’s warning at the back of her mind for now.

"If you say so,” Tempest shrugged.

Grubber took another bite of his cake. "Finding Stone aside, what have you been up to lately?"

Tempest clicked her tongue. "Well, finding the former Agent Stone was actually my side mission. My main one is to keep an eye on these girls who still have magic powers."

Grubber raised his brow. "You mean those same girls who defeated me?"

"The same," Tempest confirmed with a firm look. "You're not planning anything with those girls, are you?"

"Your words wound me, Tempest!" Grubber remarked with a mock-hurt expression. "Despite everything, I have no ill will towards them. I got what I deserved." His expression became serious. "But was babysitting these girls the only assignment G.U.N. have you to do?"

Tempest frowned in confusion. "What are you implying?"

Grubber leaned forward towards Tempest. "You and I both know that you're the top Agent in the agency who can take on many multiple jobs at once or handle some dangerous ones. Then all of a sudden, you were assigned to just one and the most basic job that even interns could handle. Don't you think that was rather odd that G.U.N., let alone your father assigned you to this job?"

Tempest narrowed her eyes, offended by the idea. "For your information, I've been involved in this job since the school incident and I'm already assigned to watch over these girls in the city and currently living in the neighborhood. And I told my father that they're no threat to us, so he should know that he should back off."

Grubber cocked an eyebrow. "But has he talked to you since you began your assessment?"

Tempest opened her mouth to argue, but then she paused.

She recalled that the only time she had spoken to him was the day they visited one of the girls' houses to reward them with a gift card and their bus, along with questioning about the blue creature. After receiving their statements, her father has her stay in Canterlot City to watch over the girls and investigate Agent Stone's disappearance, and she hasn't heard a word from him since.

Tempest thought it was because her father was busy with his own work, but now she was starting to wonder if that was really the truth. In the past, even when he was super busy he had the time to communicate with her no matter what. So why didn't he communicate with her this time around?

"I'm just saying," Grubber continued, breaking Tempest out of her thoughts. "Just because he 'backed off', doesn't mean that he is done. Your father has more secrets and is sneakier than you and even your two sisters… especially when trying to accomplish a secret agenda only for his own benefit." His eyes narrowed. "Even if it means using anyone at his disposal to get what he wants… including you!"

“Don't be absurd! My father won’t do anything that foolish!" Tempest scoffed. "As long as I’m around watching over them, he and G.U.N. won’t do a thing!”

Grubber hummed, taking another bite of his cake. “Well for your sake Tempest, I hope you're right… I really am."

Author's Notes:

A shorter chapter this time around, but it's better than nothing! Also, Tempest is back!

Not of a lot of notes and references in this chapter either, but here is the list:

The logo that was on Vice Principal Luna's t-shirt was wearing was a reference to the Phantom Thieves from Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal video game (which is also published by SEGA). I always liked everyone's headcanon that Luna is secretly a gamer outside her job as Vice Principal.

Luna's quote "We really are both just so proud of you" was a callback from MLP:FiM: Season 9, Episode 26 - The Last Problem when Celestia used that same line to Twilight.

Image by: Quoterific

Grubber's inmate number "100617", was actually the release date of MLP: The Movie in theaters (US & Canada), which was October 6th, 2017.

And Grubber's love of sponge cake is also a callback to MLP: The Movie.

Hope you all stick around for the next chapter!

Volume I - Chapter 5: Meet-up at Sweet Shoppe

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Twilight couldn't remember how long she was held prisoner in Robotnik’s lab. After she was captured by Robotnik’s robot, instead of torturing her for information on her friends (except maybe witnessing his dancing), he's pretty much treating her like a houseguest, despite being handcuffed to a wall. She didn’t know why Robotnik wasn't doing anything to her, however, she suspected that he planned to use her in some way to get to her friends. On top of that, he stole her geode necklace which has access to her magic, and plans to study it to gain its power.

Things were looking bleak when Robotnik placed Sonic’s quill in his machine, which he stole from her house, to measure the quill's power. It didn’t take long for the device to finish and the result of the quill's power to be 'unlimited'.

Robotnik smirked. "Ready the prototype!"

As he announced those words, the back of his lab lit up, revealing more of his drones and a large egg-shaped hovercraft in the center.

"With this kind of power, my machines can finally reach their full potential!" Robotnik rubbed his hands in glee, as he made his way over to the room. "Don't wait for me, Stone. I got a hedgehog to hunt!"

"Um, what about the girl?" Stone asked as he glanced at the captured girl in question.

"Keep an eye on her so that she doesn't try to escape. But then again, I highly doubt that she's going anywhere!"

With that, Robotnik entered his machine room before a large door shut behind him.

With his boss gone, Stone turned to face Twilight. Neither one said a word as they stared at each other in awkward silence. Clearing his throat, Stone stretched one of the cups to her.

"Latte?"

Twilight only grunted in response. She didn’t trust Robotnik despite his “hospitality,” why should she trust his right-hand man? He practically followed and did the doctor’s orders, despite how harshly the doctor treated him; something that Twilight never understood. Just as Twilight was about to reply to Stone’s offer, Robotnik suddenly returned, as if he had never left the room.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Robotnik stated before facing Agent Stone with a grunt. "Prepare my hovercraft while I have a talk with the girl!"

Stone nodded before he quickly walked through the door and disappeared to another room. Once Stone was gone, Robotnik turned his attention to Twilight.

"Now as for you…" Robotnik mumbled as he slowly made his way over to Twilight.

Twilight backed away as far as she could from him, but it was all for naught as the handcuffs held her in place. Once Robotnik was close enough, he slowly reached his hand out towards her, making Twilight shake in fear. Robotnik hovered over Twilight’s head and before she had time to think, Robotnik pinched a piece of Twilight’s hair and plucked it out.

"Ow!" Twilight yelped. "That hurts!"

"You'll live!" Robotnik remarked nonchalantly as he walked away from Twilight.

He then approached a different device with a monitor on its side. He then opened the latch and placed Twilight’s hair inside of a tube. As he gently closed, he suddenly spoke up without looking back at the young scientist.

"Miss Sparkle… you want to know why I didn't lay a hand on you? Why I didn't torture you for information?"

Twilight eyed Robotnik warily, wondering if Robotnik was actually asking her a question or playing games with her. Regardless of his reasons, Twilight answered.

"It's… it's because you wanted to keep me alive to get info on the girls and our magic! And… you also wanted to use me as ransom, so it wouldn't be any good for you if anything happened to me!"

Robotnik hummed, typing the keyboard of the machine. "While you are mostly correct with those answers… there was one other main reason that hadn't occurred to you."

Twilight opened her mouth the respond but paused. What other reason did he imprison her other than getting her friends? She then racked her brain multiple times, trying to figure out what Robotnik had meant. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with the answer.

Her long pause caused Robotnik to shake his head with a dissatisfying sigh before glancing at Twilight. "I must say, I'm actually disappointed that a genius like you couldn't come up with the answer!” He shrugged, facing the screen again. “But then again, since you were a sheltered kid most of your life thanks to your brother… I suppose I can't blame you."

His statement only Twilight confused further. "Just what are you talking about?"

"Right to the point, eh?" Robotnik chuckled, finishing typing his keyboard before facing Twilight. "Refresh my memory; both of your parents passed away, right? And that you are actually adopted?"

Twilight stared at Robotnik in a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Are you playing games with me right now? It was you who revealed it all to me! So why bring it up now?"

Robotnik then lets out a dark chuckle, which sends chills down Twilight’s spine. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle… has it ever occurred to you just how I know those things? And why do I feel the need to reveal the fact that you are adopted to you over the phone?"

Twilight’s anger quickly evaporated and blinked. As much as she hated to admit this, she never thought about why he told her that she was adopted in the first place other than to get to her and rattle her emotions. But now that she thought about it, she wondered why would he feel the need to tell her all of this and what was his gain.

"You could say that I've read about your background," Robotnik continued, interrupting Twilight’s thoughts. "But would you believe I have known you even before I researched you? I guess you could say… that we're both a lot closer than you think!"

"What are you saying?" Twilight demanded, having enough of Robotnik’s mind games.

Robotnik grinned as he turned back to his machine. "I think I'll let this invention of mine speak for itself!"

To demonstrate, Robotnik grabbed a piece of his mustache hair and pulled it off of his face, grimacing in pain a little as a result.

"What are you doing?" Twilight pressed, confused by Robotnik’s actions.

Robotnik ignored her as he paced his hair in a different tube. Once he was done, he typed on a keyboard again for a moment before he activated his machine. While the machine was running, Robotnik faced Twilight to respond to her question.

"Right now, my machine is scanning the DNA between a piece of hair from your head and a piece of hair from my stache." His eyes were then suddenly hidden in a shadow. "And within a minute, it will reveal just how… 'close' we are!"

The way Robotnik emphasized his words, Twilight finally put two and two together as her eyes widened in horror. "A-are you saying… that we may be–"

When Robotnik didn't answer, Twilight quickly shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes.

"N-no! No, that's impossible! There's no way that you and I… I refuse to believe it! You're lying!"

"Am I?" Robotnik laughed in his throat before turning towards his machine. "I knew that you preferred scientific facts as evidence… hence why I'm using this machine with both pieces of our hair. And the results should appear any second now!"

As much as Twilight didn't want to, she felt she needed to see the results for herself, silently begging the universe that he was wrong. With all her physical and mental strength, Twilight slowly looked up and stared at the huge screen of Robotnik’s machine, waiting and dreading the results. After waiting for what felt like hours, the device let out a loud beep, followed by a text result appearing on the screen.

Twilight’s pupils shrunk to the size of pin needles as the result appeared in front of her. There were multiple listings and info from within the screen, but only one word stood out to her, which was big, bold, and green. One word that will hunt her for the rest of her life:

-MATCHED-

Tears were now pouring down her eyes like waterfalls. "N…no!"

Robotnik let out a sinister laugh with a cruel smile on his face. “Hehehe… It is so nice to finally properly meet you… cousin!”

Twilight shut her eyes, trying to mentally block out his laughter. "N-no… no…"

"Noooooooooooooo!"

After Twilight let out her horrified scream, she took a second to process that one of her blueprints was stuck onto the side of her face due to her drool. She then realized that she must have fallen asleep while working in her lab and then had a nightmare again; or more accurately, re-experienced her worst memory was when she was captured by Robotnik and then learned that she was related to that horrible man.

This wasn’t the first time she had a nightmare involving that man. When Twilight was captured by Robotnik, she experienced the most traumatic experience of her life with him before getting rescued by one of G.U.N. agents, Tempest Shadow. While she and her friends later defeated him and then sent him a one-way ticket to the mushroom planet, that does not mean that her scar will disappear.

Twilight had been having nightmares nonstop since that day, and they all involved that evil man as if he never left. It was even worse than those nightmares she used to have of Midnight Sparkle, and that was saying a lot. She didn't want to worry her friends or her family about her constant nightmares, so she never told them.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang.

Twilight screamed and jumped up, startled by her cell phone. In the process, however, she accidentally fell backward along with her chair and then crashed on the floor.

Ignoring the pain from her back, Twilight looked up towards her desk the moment her cell phone rang again. She quickly crawled over to her desk and reached her phone. When she checked her phone, there was an unfamiliar number on her caller ID. Confused, but curious as to who was calling her, Twilight picked up the call.

“H-hello?” Twilight croaked.

“Hello, is this Twilight Sparkle?” A sophisticated female voice spoke from the phone.

“Uh, yes! This is Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight responded, bringing her chair back up in its upright position before sitting on it again.

“Ah, Splendid! I’m glad I remembered this number!” The voice said slightly perking up. “I wasn't able to get ahold of your Principals at your school, but in hindsight, reaching you is actually a better option.”

Twilight blinked, trying to figure out the identity of the caller. “Um, I’m sorry… but who are you?”

“Twilight, don’t you recognize my voice?” The voice teased, not offended in the slightest. “Though, then again, it has been a while since we’ve met at Canterlot’s Celestial Society Member Social event over your friend’s cake.”

After hearing the details of that specific event, Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “Rosette Nebula!? Is that you?”

Rosette chuckled. “It seems that you remembered me after all, Twilight.”

Twilight just sat on her chair slack-jawed, couldn't believe that not only she was talking to one of her idols, it was the fact that her idol was calling her of all people. Part of her believed that she was dreaming and not having a nightmare for once. Even so, her brain couldn't comprehend what was happening to her right now.

“I– I just– You are– With me, and–”

"You still there?" Rosette joked.

Twilight quickly shook her stupider before responding with the main question that had been plaguing her mind since the start of their conversation.

“W–why are you calling me? …not that I don’t want you to call me, and I enjoyed speaking to you last time, and, uh…”

She heard her idol chuckle again. “Don’t worry! I enjoyed speaking to you too, and I know exactly what you mean.” Her tone then became serious. “I'll cut right to the chase: I heard what happened at your school. I’m very sorry for the circumstances.”

“Oh! Y-yeah! That was… unfortunate," said Twilight. "The school is closed for the time being until the building is repaired.” She then frowned. “Although… we don’t know for how long since this will affect our graduation ceremony.”

“I figured that was the case,” Rosette stated. “Which is why I have a proposal to you and your Principal which I’m sure would help solve your and your classmates' problems.”

Twilight brows raised in interest. What can a well-known astronomer possibly offer to help out the situation they're in? And what does she want with them in return? Either way, an opportunity just fell onto her lap and Twilight couldn't just let this slip by.

Twilight brought her phone closer to her ear. “I’m listening…”

Sweet Shoppe is considered to be the top favorite coffee and treat store in Canterlot City for all ages, especially teenagers. The place was filled with both Canterlot High and Crystal Prep students, sitting at the seats to enjoy their coffee and snacks while having a pleasant conversation with their friends. From one of those tables was where the Equestria Girls sat, except for Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset Shimmer.

The girls sat silently, slowly sipping their drinks as they waited for their remaining friends. Rainbow Dash, despite already ordering her chocolate shake, didn't drink her shake as she sat in her seat with an impatient scowl. After minutes of silence, she let out an annoyed huff.

"Ugh! Where is AJ, Sunset, and Twilight?" Rainbow Dash complained. "We've been waiting for hours!"

Rarity rolled her eyes as she finished sipping her tea. "Oh, calm down, Rainbow Dash! It's only been five minutes. They'll be here soon!"

"Still feels like hours to me!" Rainbow Dash muttered, crossing her arms with a pout.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long as they heard the entrance bell ring. They looked up just in time to see their hatless farmer friend hurrying towards them with a wave.

"Howdy, y'all! Sorry Ah'm late!" said Applejack before taking her seat next to Rainbow Dash.

Rarity smiled. "No worries, Darling! We haven’t waited long."

"Speak for yourself!" Rainbow Dash remarked, earning an annoyed glare from Rarity.

"We're still waiting for Twilight and Sunset," Fluttershy added. "They haven’t arrived yet."

"Ah don't mind waiting," Applejack shrugged as Pinkie Pie handed her a tall glass of root beer float with a cheery and a straw on top.

"Thank ya kindly, Pinkie," Applejack said with a smile.

"You're welcome, Jackie!" Pinkie chirped before taking her seat.

Applejack took a long sip of her float and then finished with a satisfied sigh. "So how was the fishing trip? Did y'all manage to get that blue critter to talk?"

Fluttershy took a sip of her strawberry shake. "Well, it took a while and an argument between him and Sunset, but I think things are okay after they talked it out. He even promised to be more responsible."

"All thanks to me!" Rainbow Dash boasted, to which she received stares from her friends. "Well… mostly me."

Rarity rolled her eyes at that.

"Well, that's good to hear," said Applejack before taking another sip of her float. "At least you got him to listen."

"What about you and Apple Bloom?" Rarity asked.

"It was rough at first," Applejack shrugged. "We both had a screaming match this morning, but then we talked after we calmed down."

Rarity frowned in concern. "So, is everything okay between you two?"

"As good as any," Applejack sighed. "Whether Apple Bloom took mah words to heart will remain to be seen. Ah worry about her sometimes, especially the fact that we're almost graduating."

"I completely understand, Darling!" said Rarity. "I also worry about my sister, Sweetie Belle. It would be difficult once we left CHS, but the best thing we do is to let them grow and to be there for them when they need us."

"Well, after that disaster of their party from last night, Ah still doubt it," Applejack stated before taking another quick sip of her float. "Until she's ready to grow up, Ah'll have to keep on watchin' over her."

"And what about you, Applejack? Are you feeling okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, especially now that you're missing a hat?" Rainbow Dash added, to which she once again received stares from her friends. "What? I'm not the only one who's thinking about it."

"Ah'll be fine," Applejack sighed as she rubbed her head in a self-conscious manner. "At least Ah'm still in good health. It's just that mah hat was a part of me. But without it, I felt kinda…"

"Naked?" Pinkie offered helpfully.

"...Ah was gonna say lost, but that works too, Ah suppose," Applejack shrugged. "With mah hat gone, Ah'm having an identity crisis."

Rainbow Dash huffed. "AJ, it's just a hat! Just get another one!"

"It's not 'just a hat', Dash, it's a one-of-a-kind hat to me!" Applejack growled before sighing again. "Ah could never find another hat like Ah had."

Applejack looked down, feeling lost without her signature hat. She was lost in her own mind for a moment until she felt someone gently grasping her hand. She looked up to see Rarity with a look of understanding and sympathy.

"Applejack, I understand how you feel," Rarity spoke softly. "That hat wasn’t just an accessory for your head, that hat is also a huge part of you, just like any dress or jewelry which tells us about the person who wears them." She then smiled, placing her other hand over her heart. "Which is why, I, Rarity, will be the one who will restore your hat!"

Applejack stared at her fashionista friend with wide eyes, completely off guard. "You'll… you'll make a brand new hat… fer me?" She asked softly before shaking her head. "Rarity, you- you don't have to do that! You're already busy with the upcoming graduation. Ah don't want you to stress yourself out further with mah hat added to the pile!"

Rarity waved off Applejack’s concern while making some 'tisks' sounds like she was beatboxing. "Oh, I insist, Applejack! I always have time for my friends! And also…" Rarity shyly looked away with a blush. "You can consider this a thank-you gift for saving my life. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you! So… I would like to do the honor of restoring your hat."

Applejack blushed at her friend’s words before quickly looking away and clearing her throat. "W-well, if you put it like that… then alright." She then looked back at Rarity with narrowed eyes. "But you better not add any froufrous on mah hat, ya hear?"

"Well, that's a shame," Rarity teased playfully. "You would have looked a lot better with some froufrou, Darling."

Applejack pouted. "Rares…"

"I'm kidding, Applejack!" Rarity giggled with a wink. "No froufrous! I promise!"

Applejack nodded. "Good! You better!"

"Oh, get a room, you two!" Rainbow Dash remarked, causing Rarity and Applejack to blush heavily. "Anyway, why are we all gathered in Sweet Shoppe again?"

Rarity snapped out of her blush state and gave her friend an annoyed huff. "Honestly, Rainbow Dash! Do you ever read our texts?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with a huff. "Of course, I read the text! As soon as I read 'Emergency Meeting at Sweet Shoppe' I ran straight here!"

"The fact that's all you read proved otherwise!" Rarity remarked.

Before a fight broke out, Fluttershy quickly jumped in. "All we know is that Sunset Shimmer has something very important to tell us after meeting Vice Principal Luna."

"Well, whatever it is, this better be important!" Rainbow Dash stated before drinking her chocolate shake. "I hate to get dragged out of my daily routine for nothing!"

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a knowing look. "Didn't you give us an emergency meeting because you need guitar strings instead of a real emergency?"

"That was one time!" Rainbow Dash huffed. "And having a broken guitar string is considered an emergency!"

Applejack rolled her eyes at that before addressing the rest of the group. "Anyway, you told Sunset and Twilight that we're waiting at Sweet Shoppe?"

"I did, darling! They both said that they’ll be here soon," Rarity assured before drinking her tea. "Speaking of which, apparently, we got a brand new coffee shop just a few blocks down from here!"

"Really? We have a new coffee shop?" Applejack asked with a surprised look. “How come I never heard of it?”

"What's the name of the place?" Fluttershy asked.

"I believe it was called The Mean Bean Coffee Café," Rarity answered.

"Oh yeah! I saw the place a few times during my runs," said Rainbow Dash. "Didn't it used to be Karen's Café?"

Rarity nodded. "It was… until a few months ago that Karen was arrested after getting caught with money laundering."

Everyone, save for Pinkie, was shocked by this revelation.

"Yer kidding!" Applejack remarked.

Rainbow Dash whistled. "Dang! I knew she had a bad rep for being mean to her customers and her employees. I didn't think she was capable of committing a crime!"

"I'm not surprised," Pinkie remarked with narrowed eyes. "How she made her baked goods taste so bland was a crime in itself!"

The girls were taken aback by her usually bubbly friend's blunt tone, yet strange statement. They then shrugged, figuring that 'Pinkie is being Pinkie' before moving on.

"In any case," Rarity continued. "After Karen was arrested, that place was taken over by a new owner and then completely changed the shop. And the craziest part of all, this all happened within a week!" Rarity shrugged. "But, I'm sure that part was nothing more than a rumor."

"Ah see. So who's the owner?" Applejack inquired.

"No one knows!" Rarity shook her head. "All I heard from the grapevines is that the new owner is a latte connoisseur from out of nowhere. He rarely shows up in his own shop. Though he sometimes appears during the night shift if you're lucky enough to see him." She grinned. "But he went out of his way to upgrade that shop. There are more drink selections, better-baked products, comfortable seats, and best of all… a high-quality Wi-Fi connection!"

"That guy sounds awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a wide smile before frowning. "So why didn't we go there, instead of here?" Realizing how bad her words sounded, she quickly turned to Pinkie. "No offense, Pinks!"

Luckily for Rainbow Dash, Pinkie smiled, not offended in the slightest. "None taken!"

Rarity frowned. "Well, I would have suggested going there… if not for the one main ingredient the new owner puts in his coffee and baked goods."

Applejack raised her eyebrow. "What's that?"

"...goat milk."

Most of the girls immediately grimace in disgust.

"...I take that back. That guy is nuts!" Rainbow Dash gagged. "Who thought putting goat milk in their product was a good idea? No one likes that stuff!"

"Goat milk wasn't so bad!" said Fluttershy, who was the only one not disgusted by the subject. "We had food that contains goat milk before, like–"

"Stop!" Rarity cried, placing her hands over her ears. "Please stop, darling! I don't want to know!"

Suddenly, they all heard the door chime again. They all turned just in time to see Sunset Shimmer walking towards them.

“Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you all waiting!” Sunset greeted before taking her seat.

“It’s no problem, Darling! We haven’t waited long!” Rarity assured.

“Speak for yourself!” Rainbow Dash muttered but the girls ignored her.

“Where’s Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

Before Sunset could answer, they all heard the door chime again. The one who entered the Shoppe this time was their spectacled friend in question who was hurrying over towards them.

“Hey everyone! So sorry for being late!” Twilight apologized.

“No worries, Twilight! I just got here myself!” Sunset smiled and patted an available seat next to her.

“I'm so sorry!" Twilight apologized again as she placed her bag on the seat. "Do you all mind waiting a little longer? I need to order–”

“Here you go!” Pinkie announced, suddenly appearing next to Twilight from out of nowhere, holding a tall coffee cup.

"Huh!?" Taken aback, Twilight turned towards an empty seat, where Pinkie was seconds ago, then back to Pinkie. “W-what–”

“Your double espresso with a hint of cinnamon and less milk!” Pinkie chirped with a smile before handing it over to Twilight.

Slow to respond, Twilight gently took a cup and slowly sat in her seat. She took a quick peek at her drink, surprised to see that her drink was exactly what she wanted.

“I… how did you know?” Twilight asked.

“You always order it, silly!” Pinkie replied with a giggle before giving a second cup to Sunset. “And for you Sunny, a large cup of green tea with a hint of lemon!”

“Thanks, Pinkie! You’re a saint!” Sunset smiled gracefully as she accepted her drink then took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh.

After Pinkie magically returned to her seat (somehow) and another moment of silence, Rainbow Dash finally asked Sunset what was on everyone's mind.

“Okay, Sunset, spill it! What was the emergency!” Rainbow Dash pressed.

Sunset coughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Well… this isn't an emergency per se…"

Rainbow Dash let out an annoyed groan. "Oh come on, Sunset! You're supposed to send us an emergency group text in case, you know… an emergency!"

Sunset crossed her arms with a deadpan expression. "Says the girl who once made an emergency group text for a broken guitar string."

Rainbow Dash huffed, throwing her arms up. "Why does everyone keep bringing that up!?"

"Pay her no mind, Sunset!" said Rarity, ignoring Rainbow Dash’s indignant look. "What is it that you wanted to tell us?"

"A lot of things actually," Sunset began.

For the next twenty minutes, Sunset explained to her friends about her visit to Vice Principal Luna. She told them about Principal Celestia still missing that even Luna doesn't know where she is and Luna convincing the school board to give the CMCs mercy from a harsher punishment, for which Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were thankful. Sunset even told them the news regarding Spoiled Rich and how she was "punished," or lack thereof, by the school board for the fire incident.

Needless to say… the girls weren't happy about this, especially Rainbow Dash who suddenly slammed on the table both in frustration and anger.

"Are you kidding me!?" She screamed, getting the attention of other patrons. "She literally saved herself and left everyone else, including us to burn! And she's still not fired? What the heck is wrong with that school board!?"

"Simmer down, Dash!" Applejack hissed to her friend before standing up and facing other customers. "Sorry everyone, everything is fine! Nothing to see here!"

Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave them a concerned look, but after AJ gave them a thumbs up, they, as well as the customers went back to what they were doing. Applejack sighed as she sat back down, while Rainbow Dash was still furious but kept her mouth shut.

"Rainbow Dash’s outburst aside, I agree that this was getting ridiculous!" Twilight scowled. "How does that woman keep getting away with it?"

Sunset frowned. "All I know from Vice Principal Luna was that apparently, the school board keeps looking the other way just to keep her around for some reason, which Luna doesn't know about yet."

"And I bet it was also the fact that she is the wife of the richest person in this town who funded the school helped too." Rarity added who was also miffed by that despicable woman.

"Either way, this isn't right!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed but kept her volume down. "Isn't there anything we can do about her?"

Sunset shook her head. "I'm afraid the only thing Luna wants us to do is for us to stay low and let her handle it."

"We've been laying low for months and nothing's changed!" Rainbow Dash complained. "We should fight back and put that Rich snob in her place." She then grinned wickedly. "Maybe I'll add some superglue in her chair as a payback prank!"

"Ooh ooh! I'm in!" Pinkie Pie said eagerly, on board with the idea.

"No! That's exactly what Apple Bloom said early this morning when she and her friends threw a surprise party." Applejack retorted, glaring at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. "And need Ah remind you what happened afterward?"

Pinkie winced at Applejack’s words while Rainbow Dash glared back at her friend. She was about to argue, but Sunset cut her off.

"Applejack’s right!" said Sunset. "Luna was able to do what she could to get the CMCs out of trouble, but we won't be so lucky the next time they do it, or us for that matter. Even if it's something minor like small pranks or a complaint, Spoiled will use that as an excuse to keep us from graduating this year… and I can't risk that."

The Equestria Girls' had mixed expressions of worry and disgust. They were worried because their futures would potentially be ruined if they were not careful, and they were also disgusted at Spoiled for having the ability to take their future away for any given reason against them, even if it was something minor.

"Does she really think she can keep us from graduating!? She can't do that!" Rainbow Dash growled, shaking in rage.

"Unfortunately, since she's the 'official principal', she'll do exactly that," Sunset sighed with a firm look. "All the more reason why we should stay out of her way."

The girls nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. They then turned to stare at Rainbow, waiting for her response. After a moment of tense silence, Rainbow Dash frowned, crossing her arms.

"I still want to get back at her!" Rainbow Dash huffed. "But fine… I'll back off. It's not worth it if any of you won't graduate because of that."

Relieved, Sunset gave Rainbow Dash her grateful smile. "That's all we ask, Rainbow Dash."

Whole everyone mulled quietly about Spoiled, Rarity couldn't help but observe Sunset’s uncertain expression. She had a feeling that there was something else that Sunset hadn't told them yet or kept hidden. Deciding to go with her instincts, Rarity pried to the former unicorn.

"While the news regarding Spoiled Rich was indeed important, something tells me that you have a lot more to say after your meeting with Vice Principal Luna."

As Sunset stared at Rarity with a surprised expression of being found out, Twilight faced Sunset in concern.

"Really? Is there more, Sunset?" Twilight asked.

Sunset hesitated. Part of her wanted to keep this last bit of information to herself because she still doubted herself despite Luna’s praises and was nervous about how her friends would react. But after remembering Vice Principal Luna’s words from earlier and her friends' patient, yet warm expressions, Sunset finally spoke.

"You're right," Sunset admitted. "There is something else."

"I hope it's good news for once!" Rainbow Dash muttered.

"It is… I think." Sunset assured somewhat.

"What is it, Sunset," Twilight asked gently, grasping Sunset’s hand. "You can tell us."

"Yeah, Sunset! If it is something serious, even if it involves you, we have your back!" Rainbow Dash assured with a smirk, while the others nodded assuringly.

Sunset smiled. She felt really lucky to have such wonderful friends like them. Their actions finally convinced her to say what was on her mind.

"Well, apparently…” Sunset paused for dramatic effect. “I have been chosen as valedictorian and an honorary speaker for this year's graduation."

There was a brief silence with the girls staring at Sunset with awe expressions followed by loud excited squeals from her friends.

"That was awesome, Sunset!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly.

“That’s amazing, Sunset!” Fluttershy said happily.

“Yee-haw! Way to go, Sunset!” Applejack cheered.

“That's stupendous, Darling!” Rarity praised.

“You rule, Sunny!” Pinkie shouted in joy.

Sunset’s smile grew from each of her friend’s praises. She was then suddenly hugged by Twilight.

"Congratulations, Sunset!" said Twilight with a proud smile. "I'm so happy for you!"

"You are?" Sunset asked with a surprised expression.

"Of course!" Twilight replied warmly. "You worked so hard both academically and as a person! How can I not be happy for you?"

"I agree!" Rarity added. "With everything you did up to this point, I can't think of a better person to get that spot!"

"I-I don't know about that," Sunset said uncertainly. "You girls did just as much, if not more than me. If anything, any one of you deserved that spot."

Rarity scoffed in beat-box-like noises. “Don’t be silly! You’ve more than earned it, Darling!”

"You're the one who worked so hard the most to get you where you are today, and Ah'm not just talkin' about making up for your past," Applejack added with a smile.

"Not to mention, you're also an awesome leader for our group, and that’s coming from me!" Rainbow Dash complimented.

"And you are so fun to be around and super friendly to everyone," Pinkie chirped happily.

"You've changed into a wonderful person that we're all proud to call you our friend," Fluttershy said softly with a kind smile.

"Trust us, Sunset!" said Twilight with a smile, grasping Sunset’s hand. "You deserved this!"

Sunset sniffed, touched by her friends' praises. "Thank you, everyone… that means a lot coming from you all." She rubbed her eyes, wiping her tears away. "The only thing I'm worried about is what to say at the speech."

"Ooh! Do you need help?" Twilight asked eagerly. "I know a lot of good techniques with cue cards!"

Sunset chuckled. "Thanks, Twi, I appreciate it, I really do." Her expression became serious. "But I think this is something that I need to do myself. I wanted to show to everyone how far I've become… and not who I was."

Twilight nodded. "I think everyone knows how far you've become, but we understand. But my offer still stands if you need any help."

"And us too Darling," Rarity added, receiving many nods from the others. "Regardless, we all can't wait to hear your speech at our graduation ceremony."

Sunset neatly winced. She nearly forgot this one last crucial news from Luna about their graduation due to the effects of the CMC’s party.

Sunset nervously cleared her throat. "Uh… about that."

"What? What is it Sunset?" Twilight asked, sensing Sunset’s dread.

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Oh great! We got another bad news coming our way!"

Sunset rubbed her shoulder. "Um, it isn't bad news… per se."

This only made the girls more nervous, wondering what Sunset was trying to say.

"Just tell us, Sunset!" Applejack pressed. "Get it out of yer system!"

Sunset sighed, no longer delaying the inevitable. "...we may not get a graduation ceremony!"

"What!?" The girls shouted, shocked at this bombshell.

"Sunset… are you saying that we do not get a ceremony at all!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in shock.

"How horrible!" Rarity screeched, holding her cheeks in terror. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is the! Worst! Possible! Thing!"

With an over-the-top shout, Rarity fainted back into her seat before Fluttershy caught her.

"It's not fair!" Pinkie sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "If there's no graduation ceremony, that means there's no graduation party! Why must fate be so cruel!"

"Hang on, everyone!" Sunset spoke up. "I didn't say we never get a graduation ceremony. Vice Principal Luna said that our ceremony is delayed until our school is repaired."

Rarity sat back out and sighed in relief. "Goodness, Sunset! Why didn't you say that from the start? You've nearly given me a heart attack!"

Applejack frowned. “So… how long do we have to wait for our ceremony?”

Sunset was quiet for a moment, before replaying, “Months... or possibly next year.”

“Next year!?” Rainbow Dash shouted, shaking her head rapidly. "Uh uh! No way I want to be stuck in High School for another year!”

"Technically, we're not repeating our school year," Twilight pointed out. "We'll still officially graduate, but we won't get an official ceremony until much later."

"Though it's possible," Sunset added with a somber look. "That if it takes much longer than that, we may never get one, and… we'll just get our diploma through the mail."

Sunset's words didn't make things better as the girls felt more upset and disappointed with a possible no ceremony for their final year as CHS students.

"This stinks!" Rainbow Dash retorted, banging the table with her fist. "I've been waiting all year to grab my diploma on stage and to show the world that I made it, and celebrate with you guys! Now that’s going to be taken away!"

Sunset sighed deeply, pretty much expecting this reaction. "I know you're upset. I am too… but with the current state of our school now, there's nothing we can do."

The girls just sat there in silence, disappointed and sad that they wouldn't get their graduation ceremony once they were done with high school. A small part of them wanted to blame the CMCs for ruining it due to their schemes, but the girls knew that they were being unfair since the CMCs only put together that party because they just wanted to help, not for malicious purposes. Even so, if it weren’t for their actions, they would've been looking forward to the celebration and enjoying their final moments as high schoolers.

Too bad that's not going to happen now.

“...Actually!"

The girls' eyes immediately set to Twilight as soon as she spoke up.

“I think I may have a solution to help our school!”

The girls stared at Twilight, both surprised and curious with her claim.

"Really? What is it, Twilight?" Sunset asked.

Twilight grinned. "Well, just earlier today, I received a phone call while I was in the lab today. Take a guess who it was!"

Pinkie raised and waved her hand wildly, acting like a young student in grade school. "Ooh ooh! Was it your Grandma Tara?"

Twilight shook her head. "No."

"A representative from one of the colleges you're applying to?"

"No."

"M. A. Larson?"

"Who?"

"Or how about–"

Applejack suddenly covered Pinkie’s mouth, preventing Pinkie from talking again.

"Why don't we just let her tell us who it was, Pinks!" Applejack suggested before removing her hand.

With a smile, Pinkie nodded.

"Well, as it turns out, it was Rosette Nebula!" Twilight revealed with an excited squeal.

"No way! The Rosette Nebula!?" Rarity exclaimed.

"The astrophysicist?" Applejack asked.

"Your idol?" Fluttershy guessed.

"That lady at that social event party once?" Sunset inquired.

"And loves my atomic chocolate cake?" Pinkie pressed with a huge grin.

"Yep! Yes. Correct. The very same one. And, yes!" Twilight answered each question before smiling. "I love her work in her study of astronomy and her theories of multi-universes. She was so pleasant to talk to during that social event, we exchanged our numbers."

"So… she's pretty much a space egghead." Rainbow Dash joked, earning an annoyed look from Twilight. "In all seriousness, it's cool that your idol called you, Twi. But why did she call you?"

"This is the best part!" Twilight rubbed her hands eagerly. "She heard what happened to our school through the news and reached out to me since she didn't have Vice Principal Luna’s number."

Twilight paused in effect, causing others to wait with anticipation.

"Long story short… Rosette offered she'll help us out by having her organization fund and put together our graduation ceremony!"

The girls were shocked for a moment by this news before the girls cheered in excitement.

“For real? She going to help us?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with her huge smile. “This is amazing! I could kiss you Twilight!”

“W-well, if you want to thank someone, it’s her!” Twilight blushed before quickly composing herself. “But I wouldn’t hold your hopes up just yet. I still need to talk to Luna if she agrees to this.”

“Oh, I’m sure Luna will definitely agree to this, Darling!” Rarity assured with a grin. “With everything that happened last night with less chance for a normal ceremony, this is an opportunity that we can’t refuse!”

Applejack titled her head. “As excitin’ as this sounds, this is awfully generous of her. But I couldn’t help but think that there is a catch!”

“Actually, there is, but it’s not anything bad,” Twilight assured before raising three fingers. “There were three conditions to her proposal. The first was that she’ll have all seniors relocated of her choosing for our graduation ceremony and pre-party.”

“Relocated? To where?” Fluttershy inquired.

“Oh, you’re all gonna love this!” Twilight grinned excitedly. “Our graduation ceremony and party will take place at Hoofolulu, Hoovaii!”

The girls all squealed again, screaming in excitement.

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity gasped happily in delight. “I always wanted to go to Hoofolulu, Hoovaii! I heard that place was simply divine and the number one vacation spot in the world!” She was then in a dream-like state, stars dancing in her eyes. “They’ve got fancy hotels, shops, beautiful sceneries–”

“And the beach!” Rainbow Dash interrupted with an excited smirk, much to Rarity’s annoyance. “A top ten spot to do all kinds of activities, including surfing!”

“And don’t forget about their food too!” Pinkie added with a chirp. “They have all kinds of delicious delicacies over there that you don’t even find anywhere else! Like saimin noodles!” Pinkie drooled, licking her lips at the thought of tasting that food.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to see all those beautiful creatures Hoovaii has to offer!” Fluttershy exclaimed with joy. “Like monk seals, hoary bats, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, pueos, and many more!” She lets out a squee. “I wanna find and hug them all!”

Sunset chuckled, amused at her friend’s excitement despite being usually shy. She then turned to Twilight.

“We’re all excited about this idea,” said Sunset before frowning slightly. “But are you sure that this won’t be a hassle for her?”

“Not at all, Sunset!” Twilight waved off her friend’s concern. “After hearing all of our good deeds, she wanted to help out by any means. But if you’re worried if this is too much, that’s where the second condition comes in.”

Everyone listened carefully as Twilight explained the details. “Rosette happened to be at Hoovaii for research purposes which took place at Hoovaii. And since she heard a lot about our accomplishments, she wanted us to help her with her research as one of our payments for the graduation ceremony.”

Rarity nodded. “Yeah, I suppose that’s fair. Since she’s going out of her way to set this up for us, it’s the least we can do!”

As everyone nodded in agreement, Sunset realized a crucial detail from Twilight’s explanation.

“Hang on! She heard a lot from us?” Sunset questioned. “What exactly did she hear about us?”

Twilight cleared her throat, looking down both sheepish and guiltily. “Actually… I told her about our magic and how we saved the world a few times.”

Sunset groaned. “Twilight…”

“It slipped!” Twilight said quickly. “I was rambling to her about me during the party when I accidentally told her what I did during the Friendship Games. And in turn… I told her everything.” She craned her neck in shame. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Sunset. I didn’t want to make you mad.”

Sunset sighed through her nose. “No, I’m... I’m not mad at you, Twilight. I’m just concerned about letting someone else outside of everyone from CHS and Tempest. Can she be trusted?”

“Of course, Sunset!” Twilight vouched assuringly. “Rosette is a trustworthy and a very kind woman when you get to know her. In fact, hearing how we saved the world many times is why she offered in the first place.”

Sunset stared at Twilight for a moment, making everyone tense as they waited for her reply. Finally, Sunset spoke.

“While I’m not happy that you spilled the beans since I don’t want to risk both Equestria and everyone’s safety,” Sunset said sternly.

Twilight looked away, feeling remorseful.

“...but!”

Twilight perked up from that as Sunset continued with a smile.

“If you say that she’s trustworthy and that she’ll help us… then I trust you.”

Relief washed over Twilight as she hugged Sunset tightly. “Thank you, Sunset! I promise that you won’t regret this!”

Sunset blushed at Twilight’s actions before hugging her back with a smile. “Y-you’re welcome, Twilight!”

They broke out of their hug just in time to see their friends, grinning like cats who ate the canary.

“What? What were you all smiling for?” Sunset demanded with a suspicious look.

“Oh, nothing Darling!” Rarity giggled, annoying the bacon-haired girl further before addressing Twilight. “So what was the last condition?”

Twilight immediately forgot about the exchange as her expression became more excited. “Now this one is the best for last! Rosette also heard about our band and she wanted to hear our music.” There was a twinkle in Twilight’s eyes. “And since we’re having an event about our graduation, Rosette wanted us, the Rainbooms to perform music for the event!”

Rainbow Dash has a huge toothy grin. “Sweet! If hearing us perform is all we want, then we’re more than happy to do it!” She gave everyone an excited expression. “And since our days as High Scholars are almost coming to an end, I say we should all go out with a bang and give everyone a night’s performance that no one will ever forget!” She raised her fist. “So who’s with me!”

“We get to perform while we’re at Hoovaii?” Rarity squealed. “How exciting! I’m in!”

“You can count on me!’ Applejack grinned.

“Me too!” Pinkie jumped in.

“Woo-hoo!” Fluttershy cheered quietly.

“We’re definitely with you, Rainbow Dash!” Sunset grinned, turning to Twilight. “Right, Twi?”

Twilight gave everyone her thumbs up, nodding with a grin.

With a smile, Rainbow Dash stretched her hand over the middle of the table. One by one, the rest of the Equestria Girls placed their hands over each other. Once everyone’s hands were in place, they all immediately threw their hands high with a battle cry.

“Rainbooms!”

“Hey, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie hollered. “Give us a round order of milkshakes on me! We’re celebrating!”

With a smile, Mrs. Cake winked before heading to the back of the kitchen.

As the Equestria Girls sat back down, waiting for their orders, Rainbow Dash sighed. "I don't know about you guys, but after an 'eventful' night the other day and a few dramas today, I would like for us all to chill out for the remainder of the day and hope there are no more surprises."

Suddenly, they heard Sweet Shoppe’s main entrance chimed again, followed by a very annoying, yet familiar voice.

"Hey, Rainbows! Fancy seeing you here!"

Rainbow Dash, along with the others, cringed at the voice and instantly knew who it was. Rainbow Dash let out a loud groan and buried her face in her hands. "Ah, dang it! Not him!"

They all turned (reluctantly in RD’s case) toward the source of the voice. Sure enough, the voice belonged to none other than Fluttershy’s younger brother, Zephyr Breeze.

Unlike, Fluttershy, Zephyr wasn’t shy by any means and craved the attention of the ladies, especially his one-sided crush, Rainbow Dash. Despite Rainbow Dash telling him that she was never interested in him, Zephyr never took the hint and made many attempts to woo Rainbow Dash by any means, only to fail every single time. He was also known to be very lazy, failed to keep a job, and often conned his way out of trouble, including his parents. Even Fluttershy couldn’t stand her brother and his antics.

And that was saying a lot!

As Zephyr made his way over to their table, what caught everyone’s guard off the most was the outfit he was wearing. Instead of his usual hippie-style opened vest, slacks, and sandals, he wore an all-blue uniform, including his hat. He also wore black shoes, a black belt along with a holster, and some other utility storages around his waist. But the most eye-catching of his uniform was a golden badge which was placed over his left chest.

As soon as Zephyr got close to where Rainbow Dash was sitting, he tipped his hat with his most charming smile. "Evening ma'am!"

Rainbow Dash blinked, eyeing Zephyr for a brief moment. "...what. The. Heck. Are. You. Wearing?"

Zephyr smirked, showing off his outfit. "You like? This is my new uniform for my job! The ladies love a man in uniform, am I right?"

"...not really!" Rainbow Dash muttered in disgust.

Fluttershy gasped. "Zephyr! Don't tell me your new job is…"

"You are correct, baby sister!" Zephyr chuckled before striking an officer pose. "Officer Breeze, at your service! As of today, I am officially the newest recruit of the Canterlot police!"

"...you gotta be kidding me!" Rainbow Dash muttered, stunned at the display.

Fluttershy suddenly stood up and slammed the table, surprising everyone including Zephyr.

"Zephyr Breeze! What in the name of Faust made you decide to get that job!?” she scolded loudly in an angry tone. “You never discussed this with our parents! Do you have any idea how dangerous this job entails!?"

"Whoa, Flutters! Calm down!" Zephyr said quickly, raising his palms towards his sister in defense. "While I am a new officer, I'm still technically a trainee. So I'm not assigned to any dangerous tasks. Just some typical stuff like traffic control, patrolling the city, and giving people tickets."

This calmed down Fluttershy somewhat, but she was still peeved at her brother. With narrowed eyes, Fluttershy slowly sat back down to her seat.

"That still doesn't explain why you chose to be a police officer!"

"Yeah, just what are you scheming this time?" Rainbow Dash demanded with a glare.

Zephyr huffed. "Aw, come on ladies! Is everything I've done ever a scheme to you?"

Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash opened their mouths to respond.

"You know what? Don't answer that!" Zephyr added quickly, making the two girls more annoyed.

Zephyr sighed, taking off his police hat and his face becoming serious. "Look… with you girls going away soon to your colleges or future jobs, I can't help but worry for the future of our town. What if something happens to this place and you're not there to protect it? And after I did some soul searching for myself and thinking about what I must do for my life, I've decided to selflessly take up the mantle to protect this town in case of any danger." He put his hat back on his head and then placed his right hand over his heart. "And what better way to protect this town than to be the police officer!"

The Equestria Girls stared at Zephyr both in awe and admittedly a little impressed by how thoughtful and mature his reasoning for becoming a cop was. However, the only ones who were not impressed were Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, not buy his so-called "insightful" answer for a second.

"...you took this job to try to impress some girls, didn't you?" Fluttershy deadpanned.

Zephyr growled, offended by Fluttershy’s blunt statement. "Hey! I resent that assumption!" He pointed at Rainbow Dash. "And for your information, I was only trying to impress Rainbows here!"

"And there it is!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, not surprised at all to hear Zephyr’s true intention.

The rest of the group frowned and shook their heads at Zephyr's in disappointment. It would seem that even for a so-called “noble reason”, Zephyr is still being Zephyr.

“Hang on!” Twilight spoke suddenly. “If you're only a ‘trainee,’ weren’t you supposed to be completing your training first?”

Zephyr paused for a second as if he was caught off-guard by Twilight’s question before he recovered with his not-so-convincing grin. "Well, not for the Breeze here! I'm so good at this job, I don't need any training! Even my boss thinks so!"

"Zephyr Breeze!"

Zephyr immediately froze in terror after hearing an authoritative voice. Everyone turned towards the source and the Equestria Girls were surprised to see a familiar second visitor coming their way who was also wearing an officer’s uniform.

"I thought I told you to wait in our patrol car while I get us coffee!" Zephyr’s superior scolded in annoyance.

"Shining Armor!" Twilight cried, happy and surprised to see her brother.

"Oh, hey Twilight!” Shining Armor greeted with a smile, his annoyance towards Zephyr forgotten. “I didn’t know you and your friends were here!”

“Shining Armor, what brings you here?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I was assigned to train this guy in how to do his job,” Shining explained as he side-glared at Zephyr. “We stopped here to take a coffee and donut break. But I’m supposed to order and get our food while he was supposed to wait in the car.”

Zephyr smiled sheepishly.

“I…see,” Twilight replied simply.

Shining pointed at Zephyr with his thumb. "Was this guy bothering you?"

"That depends," Rainbow Dash responded. "Can you arrest an officer for harassment?"

Zephyr nearly squeaked in fear at that.

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy scolded. Despite that Zephyr was being annoying and a handful at times, he was still her brother, and didn’t want him to get arrested.

"He didn't bother us,” Sunset said quickly.

Zephyr sighed in relief.

“...Too much,” Sunset added.

Zephyr frowned in indignant but Sunset continued.

“But he claims that he just became an official police officer and that he didn't need any supervisor."

"Oh, really?" Shining stated as he turned to Zephyr with a dark glint, making Zephyr squirm as a result. “Well, did he ever mention to you that he was supposed to be working under a supervisor for the first few weeks as a trainee?”

Zephyr gulped, feeling sweat dripping from both sides of his head. “O-oh! Uh… I-I must of f-forgotten about that part! Hehehe…”

“And!” Shining added, glaring daggers at him. “A trainee should never run off on their supervisor during trainee, otherwise they will get demerits on their job records.” He then brought his face very close to Zephyr with narrowed eyes. “And if an officer gets too many demerits on his records or worse, this will lead said officer… to termination.”

Rainbow Dash leaned close to Pinkie’s ear. “Hey Pinks, you got any popcorn for this entertainment?”

Pinkie grinned as she took out a tub of popcorn from her hair before handing it to Rainbow Dash. “Got ya covered, Dashie!”

Rainbow Dash grinned wickedly as she accepted the popcorn and then started eating it.

"L-l-listen, Officer Armor!” Zephyr stuttered with a panicked look. “I-I was only doing what any officer will do; which is to check on and help our fellow citizens!"

“Uh, huh,” Shining responded, clearly not believing him. He glanced at her sister and her friends before facing Zephyr again. "Well, judging by the looks of their faces, it looks like the work you're actually doing is trying to flirt with the ladies… again!” His eyes narrowed. “Now are you going to actually do your job, or would you rather have me report this to our superiors?”

Zephyr gulped nervously before checking his invisible watch. “Oh, look at the time! The traffic isn’t going to direct themselves!” He quickly turned to Fluttershy. “Before I go, sis, please do me a favor?”

Before Fluttershy could speak, Zephyr beat her to it.

“Tell Mom and Dad I have a new job now since I never told them yet,” he said before running towards the Sweet Shopee’s entrance. “AnywayGoodLuckI’mComingHomeLaterByeLoveYou!”

“Hey wait, Zephyr Breeze!” Fluttershy shouted, but unfortunately for her, her brother either didn’t hear her or ignored her as he ran out the door, and disappeared to who knows where.

Shining let out a huge sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Good grief! I’m sorry about all of this! It’s his first day under my training and he’s already giving me a headache!” He then addressed Twilight. “Sorry to cut our meeting short, I have to watch over him. Will you tell Cadance that I’ll be home later than usual tonight?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course, Shining Armor! Good luck training him.”

“Thanks,” said Shining as he was heading out towards the door. “Something tells me that I’m going to need it.”

As soon as Shining left the Shopee, Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to Fluttershy. “Man… your brother is something else! Just when I think he couldn’t be any more annoying!”

Fluttershy sighed heavily. “Yes, Zephyr is a pain… but he is my brother and I still care about him.” She frowned uneasily. “Now I’m worried about how am I going to explain all of this to my parents.”

“We’ll worry about your dumb brother later, Shy!” said Rainbow Dash as Mrs. Cake arrived with a tray of their milkshakes. “Right now, it’s celebrating time!”

“We still need to ask Luna first!” Twilight reminded, as she and the others received their shakes and then thanked Mrs. Cake. “I don’t want to give everyone's hopes up for nothing.”

“It’s no problem, Twi!” Sunset assured. “I have Luna’s personal number. We can call her later when we get home.”

Twilight nodded, taking a quick sip of her shake. “Speaking of which… I wonder what Sonic is up to now?”

Sunset had a thoughtful expression. “I don’t know, but he better not sneak out behind our backs again. We specifically told him that after our boat trip.”

“Sheesh, you two are acting like worried parents!” Rainbow Dash remarked, ignoring Sunset and Twilight’s blushing faces as she took a swing of her shake. “He’ll be fine! We all had a heart-to-heart at our boat trip earlier. I’m sure he won’t sneak out again!”

Sunset frowned. For some reason, she felt that her friend’s words were tempting fate involving their blue hedgehog.

And she prayed to Celestia that it wouldn't be the case.

Author's Notes:

Looks like our heroes is excited to go to Hoovaii!

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait between this chapter and the previous chapter. Life can be a real pain in the neck. But I hope this chapter is worth the wait!

So, first off, if the beginning of this chapter during Twilight's "dream" sounds familiar, it was actually from Medical Attention and New Shoes chapter from my previous with almost word for word. However, what's different here is that Twilight's dream sequence was an extended scene from that chapter which shows how Twilight learned that she is related to Robotnik and how she was tramatised by it. Despite defeating him, the poor girl suffered from that haunted memory.

Ah, Zephyr. Zephyr, Zephyr, Zephyr.

I really, really dislike this character! Never liked him since day one! He takes advantage of others because he's either too lazy or doesn't even try, even after he "learned his lesson" about figuring things out on his own. Not to mention his creepy obsession with Rainbow Dash, despite her telling him that she's never interested in him. How Fluttershy puts up with him is beyond me!

Now, you all may be wondering, "Sonicfan, if you really dislike this guy, then why did you include him?" Well, you see, as I was thinking about how this story will go as a whole, I've run into a snag for this "one major section" of a story which I had a hard time figuring out.

That is until I rewatched MLP:FiM 200th episode, "Sparkle's Seven," when we saw Zephyr himself get a new job as a Royal Gaurd.

As I saw him trying (and failing) to hit on Rainbow Dash, my thought process was that he was such a sleazeball, and yet, he is also perfect for my story. I figured that I could make the human version of him as a cop (since the pony version of him was a royal guard) and then I'll use him for a critical role later down the road.

As for what role he'll play in this story? I'm going to keep that info to myself... for now.

Anyway, onto some notes/references for this chapter:

The ringtone Twilight uses for her phone is called "Moon Girl Magic", an opening theme song from the show Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Since this superhero was about a super genius girl with gadgets (and a dinosaur), I figured this fits Twilight pretty well.

As mentioned, Twilight meeting Rosette Nebula at the Canterlot’s Celestial Society Member Social event while eating cake was a callback to Equestria Girls, short, Twilight Under the Stars.

Applejack's line that she'll "have to keep watching over her," was a play-on word to a title episode, Somepony to Watch Over Me from Season 4, Episode 6 of MLP:FiM.

Applejack fussing about "having an identity crisis" without her hat was a callback to an episode "How Applejack Got Her Hat Back" from... *sigh* ...Pony Life.

Applejack and Sunset's jab towards Rainbow Dash about using an emergency text for a new guitar string was a callback to the beginning of the third EqG movie, Friendship Games.

There are several callbacks/references for this one. The first was the new coffee shop, "The Mean Bean Coffee Café" which was a reference to a Sega Genesis video game, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, which is a Westernized version of a hit video game series in Japan, Puyo Puyo.

But we're not done with Mean Bean Coffee Shop! Rarity's story about the original coffee shop and its owner, Karen (ironically), was exactly what happened in Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill when Agent Stone (under Robotnik's audio instructions) slowly took over Karen's Coffee shop within a week, including "getting rid" of some employees and framed Karen for money laundering.

Don't ever mess with Stone!

Rarity's "beat-box" noises are a callback to all those times she makes those noises whenever she disagrees or disregards what others are saying throughout the series, which I thought was very cute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5pYBK0TYss&ab_channel=LittleshySecondary

Rarity's "Worst Possible Thing" line was a reference to this moment from "Lesson Zero" episode in Season 2, Episode 3 of MLP:FiM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbXh7ZipUuQ&ab_channel=EpicGteGuy

Only two references when Pinkie guessed who was calling Twilight. Twilight's Grandma, Tara was a reference to Twilight's voice actress, Tara Strong. And M. A. Larson was a reference to, well, M. A. Larson, a former screenwriter and writer of MLP:FiM series.

Hoofolulu, Hoovaii, is an obvious pony pun to Honolulu, Hawaii.

I did a lot of research about Hawaii and I've learned a few things:

1. From what I could find in many top ten lists, Oahu, Hawaii is often in the list of the top ten best spots to surf. Some of the lists have Oahu, Hawaii as the number one.

• 9 Best Surfing Spots in the World
• Top 10 Surfing Destinations in the World
• Best Places to Surf in the World

2. Saimin Noodles, which is a soft wheat egg noodles, are in fact a common cuisine in Hawaii.

3. There are lots of animals in Hawaii than I thought, including, as Fluttershy mentioned, monk seals, hoary bats, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and pueos (which is a short-eared owl).

As mentioned, Zephyr’s line, "The ladies love a man in uniform, am I right?" was a callback to MLP:FiM Season 9, Episode 4 (aka 200th episode), Sparkle's Seven, when the pony Zephyr said almost the exact same lines except it's "mares love a pony in a uniform."

Anyway, that's it for this chapter! It may be a while for the next chapter. But until then, hope you all stick around!

Volume I - Chapter 6: A Night Visit and a Phone Call

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Apple Bloom sighed as she was lying on her bed in her bedroom. The talk she had with Applejack improved her mood somewhat and she was no longer upset from their fight during breakfast. However, that doesn't change their decision or reduce Apple Bloom's punishment for her actions the other night, and is still grounded for the summer; preventing her from hanging out with her best friends.

Luckily, she still had access to her cell phone, so at least she could still communicate with them. Apple Bloom opened up her cell phone and then opened a group chat with her friends. Her group chat was originally reserved for the Canterlot Movie Club members, which were herself, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. As time passed, they got two more members of their club, which were their former tormentors, now friends, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Apple Bloom began to type the first message to her group chat before posting it.

Appleseed101: Sup girls?

As soon as Apple Bloom posted her text, several other texts were posted immediately afterward.

Scoota101: Hey Apple Bloom!

Silvey112: Hi Apple Bloom!

StarSong101: Everything ok at home?

DiamondDazzle112: Yeah, we couldn't reach u earlier

Appleseed101: Ah'm fine

Appleseed101: Mah sis and Ah had a big fight this morning

StarSong101: Oh no

DiamondDazzle112: Was it bad?

Appleseed101: Yeah. But don't worry

Appleseed101: We cooled down and talked a while ago

Appleseed101: We're good now

Appleseed101: Ah'm still grounded though 😮‍💨

StarSong101: Yeah… me too

StarSong101: Rarity won't let me stream the Amphibiland in my room. 🙄

Scoota101: I feel ya

Scoota101: My aunts won't let me watch the Owl Hut 😑

DiamondDazzle112: You three think you had it rough?

DiamondDazzle112: Before I was punished, I was forced to listen to my mom's lecture about how hanging out with those "insignificant low lives" won't get me anywhere and instead I should socialize with our kind in order to move up in the world! 🙄

Appleseed101: …she's talking about "us", isn't she? 🤨

StarSong101: who else!? 😑

Scoota101: Her FACE is an insignificant low life! 😆

Silvey112: lol 🤣

DiamondDazzle112: Hey! Watch it!

DiamondDazzle112: That's my mom you're talking about! 😠

Silvey112: Sorry, Tiara 🥺

Scoota101: Yeah, sorry DT. 😕

Scoota101: But no offense, but ur mom made me so mad 😤

Scoota101: She's the one who caused this mess in the first place 😡

StarSong101: Yeah. And she wasn't punished for leaving everyone behind 😒

Silvey112: I hate to say this, but they're right DT

Silvey112: She made our lives unbearable this school year 😖

DiamondDazzle112: No, I get it

DiamondDazzle112: Ur not wrong, and she has been awful as of late 😒

DiamondDazzle112: But despite that… she's still my mom 🫤

Appleseed101: We get it DT

Appleseed101: She's still ur family and Ah respect dat

StarSong101: Still doesn't change that we're grounded 😑

Silvey112: Not me!

Silvey112: I'm a good girl! 😇

Scoota101: 🙄🙄🙄

Appleseed101: In any case, the school is closed due to repairs, but the graduation ceremony is delayed until further notice

Appleseed101: Even so, we're banned from attending the event as punishment for the party 😞

Scoota101: This stinks!

Scoota101: I want to see Rainbow Dash and the others graduate 😞

Appleseed101: It does stink, but Ah think it's 4 the best

Appleseed101: Everyone hates us for burning our school and ruining the graduation 😔

DiamondDazzle112: We don't hate you girls ❤

Silvey112: Much

DiamondDazzle112: SILVER!

Silvey112: They didn't just ruin the seniors' year, DT. They ruined OUR year too!

Silvey112: All because of their dumb scheme 😠

Scoota101: We're in this chat 2 u no! 😠

Appleseed101: No Scoots… she's right

Appleseed101: Applejack said we should've thought about our plans b4 we do it.

Appleseed101: It never crossed our minds that we'd cause a fire 😓

Silvey112: And who thought bringing those animals to the party was a good idea? 🤨

Appleseed101: It was part of the deal with Angel Bunny to help DT get the codes from her mom

Silvey112: You made a deal with Fluttershy’s rabbit!? 🤯

DiamondDazzle112: Silver was right. It wasn’t smart to bring those animals to the party

Appleseed101: In hindsight… yeah, it wasn't 😓

Appleseed101: Even Fluttershy was mad at us for wat we did 😨

Silvey112: Fluttershy!? The girl who is usually afraid of her own shadow was mad? 🤨

Appleseed101: Yes.

Appleseed101: And trust us! You do NOT want to make her mad. 😱

StarSong101: I can vouch for that

StarSong101: She's scary when she's mad! 😨

Scoota101: Only when someone messed with her animal friends 😨

Silvey112: 😮

Silvey112: …noted 😶

DiamondDazzle112: Anyway, just hang in there girls

DiamondDazzle112: At least you all won’t be grounded forever

Scoota101: Yeah… just the whole summer 😮‍💨

StarSong101: It could've been worse

DiamondDazzle112: As I said, just hang in there and things will get better

Appleseed101: We'll see…

Silvey112: Seriously, you made a deal with a rabbit!? 😯😦😵‍💫

Apple Bloom sighed as she stared at her phone. While Silver Spoon's words stung her, she knew that she deserved it. Applejack was right about earlier; her and her friends' actions ruined things for everyone, including her classmates like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Apple Bloom made a mental note to think more carefully before she came up with another harebrained scheme.

Just as Apple Bloom was about to put her phone down, she received another few texts from her app. Apple Bloom checked on her phone again and to her surprise, it was directed to her instead in the group chat. On top of that, the person who messaged her was from Diamond Tiara.

Nervous, but also curious, Apple Bloom opened up Diamond's messages to read them.

DiamondDazzle112: I mean wat I said earlier

DiamondDazzle112: I don't hate u Apple Bloom

DiamondDazzle112: I know u had good intentions when u and the girls executed the plan

DiamondDazzle112: …even if it was a stupid plan 🙄

DiamondDazzle112: I'm here if you ever want to talk 🙂❤

Apple Bloom smiled as she typed her reply.

Appleseed101: Thanks, DT.

Appleseed101: That means a lot coming from you! 😊

DiamondDazzle112: Anytime 😉

DiamondDazzle112: I gotta go

DiamondDazzle112: Mom is making me listen to her lectures again 😑🙄

DiamondDazzle112: See u later! 😉

Apple Bloom chuckled. It was still crazy to think that she and Diamond Tiara used to be enemies. She remembered since grade school that Diamond would taunt and look down on her constantly for being poor and different from all the other kids. After Apple Bloom meets two of her best friends, Diamond torments her further once she has Silver on her side.

This would go on for years even at the start of High School until after the Battle of the Bands when Apple Bloom noticed something different from her former bully's eyes that she never thought she’d see.

Her sadness and loneliness.

It took a while to get Diamond to open up to her. When she did, it was revealed that Diamond was always pressured and constantly controlled by her mother, never becoming the person she wanted to be as a result. Of course, while this doesn't excuse all the years of teasing from Diamond Tiara, Apple Bloom did feel sympathy for the rich girl for dealing with a mother like Spoiled. Despite her friends' doubts, Apple Bloom decided to help Diamond Tiara to change her ways. After Diamond finally stood up against her mother, she became a much better person and eventually befriended the CMCs.

Even though Apple Bloom and her friends forgave her, Diamond still tried to make up to them for all her bullying to this day. Apple Bloom suspected that Diamond was trying to make up with her most of all for tormenting her the longest. But Diamond becoming nicer and being her friend was more than enough for Apple Bloom. Diamond even helped her many times without question, including helping her get her mother's password to her office. While Apple Bloom appreciated Diamond for always helping her right off the bat, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was more than a reason for Diamond to be more friendly with her.

Apple Bloom shrugged. Probably because she’s still too guilty for being mean to me. Ah’ll have to talk to her about this the next time Ah see her.

Apple Bloom was snapped out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard some loud knocks, causing her to jump slightly and nearly drop her phone. She quickly turned towards the source of the noise and was surprised to see none other than Sonic, who was knocking on her bedroom window. Without hesitation, Apple Bloom hopped off her bed and rushed towards her window to open it.

"Hey there, lil' sis!" Sonic greeted with a quick wave and a wink.

"Sonic!" Apple Bloom smiled, hugging the blue hedgehog quickly. She released her hug and looked at her friend with concern. "Not dat Ah'm complainin', but what are ya doing here? Won't ya get in trouble?"

"What? Can't a hedgehog come to see his little sister?" Sonic teased.

Apple Bloom blushed. Shortly after the battle with Robotnik, the Equestria Girls and the CMCs took him in as an honorary family member. Even the CMCs took him in as their honorary older brother, which the blue hedgehog happily accepted. Since then, Sonic would often visit the CMCs, including Apple Bloom at every opportunity and they all grew closer like they were his siblings all his life.

"You know dat we're practically the same ages, right?" Apple Bloom stated.

"Details!" Sonic smirked before pointing at himself. "Anyway, you don't need to worry. I'm faster than the speed of sound! I'll be back before they even notice!"

Apple Bloom shook her head with a smirk. "Yeah well, don't get too cocky, 'big bro'! We're both in enough trouble as is! And Ah just made up with mah sister after our fight this morning."

"Oh yeah! I heard from Equestrian Girl that you nearly burned down the school! How'd you do that?" Sonic asked.

"Nothing much to say," Apple Bloom shrugged with a sigh. "After that 'Devil Lady' took away the party for the seniors, mah friends and Ah tried to throw them a secret party they deserved, but then it backfired… big time! Thankfully, no one is hurt, but mah friends and Ah are grounded fer the summer."

"Oof, that's rough buddy!" said Sonic with a look of sympathy. "I argued with the Equestria Girl myself about being "responsible" after I stopped a robbery." He shook his head. "I mean, how is stopping a robbery not considered responsible?"

"Well, ya did flood part of that town," Apple Boom pointed out. "Ah don't think that's responsible if ya ask me."

Sonic huffed. "Why is everyone so uptight about that? It's not like I summoned an angry Godzilla-sized water God to flood the city on purpose!"

"...that's oddly specific," Apple Bloom blinked before shaking her head. "Applejack said that we should think about our plans before we act on them because our decisions will affect us as well as others around us." She frowned. "But a part of me thinks that AJ was just being a worrywart and wouldn't stop watching over me because Ah'm a 'kid' to her."

"Yeah, I hear ya," Sonic's eye rolled as he leaned on Apple Bloom's window sill. "Both Equestrian Girl and Brainiac treated me like I'm a kid despite that I'm trying to be a hero. Older sisters, am I right?"

Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. "You considered Sunset and Twilight as your sisters?"

Sonic hesitated for a moment. "Well… I considered them more like my best friends than sisters, but they're still like family to me now."

"Yeah, Ah get dat," Apple Bloom nodded. "But Ah always thought those two, especially Sunset Shimmer as more like your–"

"SO, you got any plans for the summer?" Sonic interrupted suddenly.

Apple Bloom cocked her eyebrow at Sonic’s strange behavior involving Sunset, but she chose to let that topic go for now.

"Well, other than farm work… Ah can't have any plans since me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are grounded for the summer."

Sonic frowned. "Oh dang! That's a harsh punishment, don't you think?"

"Well, considering that we nearly burned the school down, it's what we deserved," Apple Bloom sighed dejectedly. "Still… Ah just wish we could do something fun instead of being stuck with chores all summer."

Sonic grinned. "Don't fret, Apple Sister! We'll find a way to bring the fun to your summer!"

Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. "And how'd we do that? Our sisters, especially AJ, are super strict when it comes to sticking to our punishments!"

"Leave that to me!" Sonic winked, pointing at himself.

Suddenly, they both heard a vehicle pulling into the driveway, belonging to AJ's old pickup truck.

This made Apple Bloom nervous. "Uh oh! That sounds like AJ is back from Sweet Shoppe!"

"Then that means Equestrian Girl and Brainiac are heading back home as well!" Sonic turned away from the window, but not before waving. "My cue to leave! See ya, Apple Sister!"

"See ya, Sonic!" Apple Bloom waved back. "And… thanks for visiting!"

With a smile, Sonic fully turned and hopped off the roof. As soon as he landed, Sonic used his super speed to run through Sweet Apple Acres as fast as the wind toward home.

As Sonic ran through the farm, however, he failed to notice the same mysterious figure from Seaddle City, who was hiding from within the trees, spying and tailing on the blue hedgehog.

Back at the Sparkles household, both Sunset and Twilight returned home after hanging out with their friends. As soon as they returned, they immediately headed into the kitchen to make a video call to Vice Principal Luna with Sunset’s phone. Both girls took a seat at the table as Sunset took out her phone.

"Are you sure Vice Principal Luna won't mind if we call her? I don't want to be a bother." Twilight asked in concern.

"It'll be fine, Twi!" Sunset assured. "She gives me her number whenever there are any updates on Equestrian Magic. I'm sure that she doesn't mind we're calling her about Rosette's idea for our graduation ceremony."

Sunset selected Vice Principal Luna from her contact list to begin the video call. The two girls waited for a moment, watching the phone icon while the phone rang, hoping for their Vice Principal to pick up. Eventually, the phone icon on Sunset’s cell screen changed to the face of their Vice Principal Luna in a dark blue room, assumed to be her bedroom.

"Hello?" Vice Principal Luna answered.

"Hey, Luna! It's Sunset and Twilight!" Sunset replied, turning her phone slightly for her friend to appear on camera.

"Oh, hello Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle," Luna greeted as her eyes darted between them and something else off-screen. "Not that I mind talking to you two, but you both were interrupting an important business."

Both Sunset and Twilight cocked their eyebrows in confusion and curiosity.

"What kind of business?" Sunset asked.

Luna grunted for a moment, clearly struggling with something before her eyes turned back to Sunset again. "It's… nothing to be concerned abo–"

Suddenly, they heard a loud dud sound, followed by some type of failing music, which the girls assumed was coming from Luna's TV.

Luna let out a frustrated groan. "Aw, dang it! Now I had to fight that boss all over again!"

The girls winced at this, realizing that they may have interrupted their Vice Principal’s gaming session and Luna lost the game as a result.

"Sorry, Luna," Sunset apologized. "We could've waited for tomorrow, but then we figured we had to tell you right away."

Luna sighed, turning off her game before facing the girls. "Well, since now you both got my attention… I'm all ears."

Sunset cleared her throat and decided to get right to the point. "Well, is the graduation ceremony and party still canceled for the time being?"

"Officially, yes. But if our building didn't get repaired on time, then we may have to skip them altogether," Luna replied before tilting to the side. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, Twilight here proposed an idea that may help solve our problem," Sunset explained, gesturing towards Twilight who blushed due to the attention. "She received a phone call from her favorite astrophysicist that she met at the Canterlot Celestial Society Member Social some time ago."

"I see,” Luna hummed. “Not that I’m not happy for her, but what does this have to do with solving our problem?"

Sunset grinned. "Well this lady heard of our situation and knew our… "good deeds", so she offered to fund our graduation and party and have them take place at Hoofolulu, Hoovaii."

"Really?" said Luna, her expression became curious. "That's awfully generous of her. Just who was this astrophysicist that Twilight talked to?

“It was Rosette Nebula,” Sunset revealed.

Luna’s eyes widened. “Rosette? The Rosette?”

Twilight blinked, surprised by Luna’s reaction. “Do you know her, Luna?”

"…you could say that," Luna responded slowly before she gazed at Sunset with a stern look. "Do you mind if I have her number so that I can speak to her myself?"

"Um… sure," Sunset replied, confused by Luna’s request. "I was gonna give it to you anyway."

Sunset proceeded to have Twilight send Rosette’s phone number to Vice Principal Luna by text. After Luna received the number Luna nodded in gratitude.

"Thanks you two. I'll call you both back as soon as I'm done talking to her."

With that, Luna ended the video call, leaving the two alone.

The two blinked at Sunset’s phone screen for a moment in silence. Sunset eventually faced Twilight, addressing what was on their minds since before Luna hung up on them.

"Twilight… did you know that Luna and Rosette knew each other?"

Twilight shook her head. "No… this is news to me.” She tapped her chin in thought. “Perhaps they're once colleagues?"

"Possibly," Sunset shrugged before furrowing her brows in worry. "But the only thing that's on my mind right now is if Luna will accept Rosette's offer for our graduation trip."

"She has to!" Twilight exclaimed. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer by a famous astrophysicist for the whole school trip! Who wouldn't want to go on a free Hoovaii trip?"

"I would love to take that trip as much as the next gal, but this wouldn't matter if Luna didn't approve,” Sunset sighed, crossing her arms. “Nothing we can do right now except to wait and hope for the best.”

“I know, and I hate it!” Twilight moaned. “It's bad enough that there's a possibility that this trip may not happen, but waiting for an answer regardless is flat-out torture!”

“I hear you, Twi. But again, we must be patient.” Sunset shrugged. “And who knows? If they knew each other, maybe there's a chance that Luna would say yes.”

“Yeah… a slim chance!” Twilight muttered.

Before Sunset could respond, they heard the front door shut from the other room. The girls quickly walked out of the kitchen just in time to see Sonic, who was trying to quietly sneak back to his room upstairs.

Unamused by this, Sunset loudly cleared her throat for the blue hedgehog to hear her. "Ah-hem!"

Sonic froze mid-way up the stairs and slowly turned around. He nearly winced when he saw both Twilight and Sunset staring at him. Twilight had a calm and patient expression, but her eyes told him to explain his whereabouts. Sunset, however, had an annoyed expression while crossing her arms and tapping her foot as if she silently said to him 'I'm waiting.'

"Oh! Hey, Brainiac… and Equestria Girl!" Sonic greeted sheepishly.

"Sonic… where have you been?" Sunset pressed in a stern tone.

"Oh, I was… taking a walk," Sonic fibbed nervously.

Sunset narrowed her eyes. "Sonic–"

"I didn't do any hero stuff!" Sonic raised both her palms in defense. "I was paying a visit to Apple Bloom. I swear!"

Sunset sighed, rubbing one of her temples to prevent a headache. "Sonic… you know she and her friends are grounded right? And quite frankly, you're still in trouble for sneaking out the other night!"

Sonic huffed. "Oh, c'mon! It was only a quick visit! And I figured I could help cheer her up after everything that happened."

Sunset was about to scold Sonic some more, but Twilight interjected. "Sunset was right, Sonic. You shouldn’t even be out right now after what happened at Seaddle! But since you're only helping a friend, we'll overlook this just this once… only if you promise not to go out again for a while."

Sonic sighed, rolling his eyes. "All right, fine… no more going out for the time being."

"And that includes heroing!" Sunset added sternly. "We talked about this."

"I won't! Jeez!" Sonic stomped his way up the stairs to his room, muttering the whole way. "I wonder if Masked Matter-Horn ever dealt with this!"

"And it's also way past your bedtime!" Sunset called up. "You better be in bed, young man!"

"Yes, mom!" Sonic remarked sarcastically before disappearing up the attic.

Sunset stared blankly after hearing Sonic’s remark. Even after Sonic left the area, her mind went elsewhere as she once again revisited her old memories with her former mentor.

But Princess! Do I have to be in a classroom with these ponies?

You must, my little pony. While you are brilliant with your magic skills and mind, your social skills are lacking. It is important to be with other ponies to learn about humility and also to make friends with them.

But I don’t need other ponies! All I need is you!

I'm sorry, Sunset, but my decision is final! Now go to bed. You need to be at the School for Gifted Unicorns first thing tomorrow morning!

Whatever, mom!

Sunset cringed from the memory of her young bratty self. Ugh! Now I know how she feels when she deals with me. Why am I so stubborn?

"Sunset?"

Sunset snapped out her thoughts as she turned to Twilight who was giving her a look of concern. "Is everything okay? You were quiet for a while."

Sunset was silent for a moment before she looked away with a sigh. "Sorry. I was just thinking about Celestia."

Twilight tilted her head. "Principal Celestia?"

Sunset shook her head. "No… the other Celestia.

"...Oh!" Twilight's eyes widened in understanding before her expression became confused. "But… I thought she forgave you."

"She did," said Sunset. "And I'm happy that she forgave me! But…"

"But?"

"But a small part of me believes… that I still blew it," Sunset said solemnly. "She took me in when I was alone in the orphanage, believing that she sensed something great and compassion within me. But I became arrogant, and never took any of her lessons to heart. And I even kept demanding her to make me a princess despite her telling me that I wasn't ready. And after we argued, I fled into this world, but not before telling her that she made the biggest mistake."

Sunset sighed, closing her eyes sadly. "But in reality… I was the one who made a mistake. It only took Princess Twilight and our friends to slap some sense into me. But even after I apologized… I knew that it was too late to make things up with her."

Twilight shook her head. "Sunset… you know that's not true. It's never too late for you to reconnect with her. I'm sure she also wanted to reconnect with you too?"

"But if she also wanted to reconnect with me… then why didn’t she talk to me?" Sunset asked in a broken tone with a sniff. "The last time I ever talked to her is when I needed her help when you–"

Sunset paused, hugging herself. "When you guys… lost memories of me."

Twilight felt her chest tight. Despite that it was all Wallflower's doing with the memory stone, Twilight felt guilty for what she said and how she acted toward Sunset when she didn't believe her that they're friends. Even after Sunset assured her that she forgave her and didn't blame her for what happened, Twilight still felt bad for ditching her until the last moment when Sunset sacrificed her own memories.

She also felt her heart hurt after hearing Sunset’s broken tone. Twilight always hated seeing her friends hurt, but she hated seeing Sunset hurt the most. Slowly, Twilight moved closer to Sunset and gently hugged her side.

"Oh, Sunset…" Twilight spoke quietly. "I'm so sorry for not being there for you that time when you needed us the most."

Sunset sniffed, leaning into Twilight’s neck. "But it's not your fault, Twilight. You lost the memory of me, so you couldn't have known."

"Even so, I should not have been so mean to you when you needed our help… with or without our memories," Twilight said soothingly, hugging Sunset tighter. "As to why your mentor hasn't been talking to you since then… I'm not sure myself. If she cared about you as you said, then maybe she has her own reasons for not reaching out to you. Not to make an excuse for her, but I think that's the only explanation I can think of."

Sunset frowned. What other reason for her mentor not talking to her? Sunset could only think of her mentor feeling ashamed and disappointed in her former pupil for being a failure. While Sunset has no regrets about coming to this world since she eventually found friends of her own, she wishes the way she last spoke to her mentor ended differently. Even as Sunset felt guilt and remorse, there was also another emotion Sunset felt within herself toward her mentor.

But not in a positive way.

Suddenly, the girls jumped when they heard a ringtone coming from Twilight’s phone. When they looked at each other, they immediately blushed due to their closeness, causing Twilight to release the hug.

"Um, sorry! I'll get this!" Twilight coughed in embarrassment as she took out her cell phone to answer it. "H-hello!"

"Twilight! It's me again!"

Twilight’s eyes lit up, her embarrassment with Sunset forgotten. "Oh, Rosette! How can I help you?"

"You already did!" Rosette replied. "Thanks to you, I finally talked to your Vice Principal and we had a long discussion about my proposal."

"Hang on a second," said Twilight with a confused look. "I thought Vice Principal Luna would be the one to call us back."

"Your Vice Principal was caught up with something, so I assisted in breaking the news to you," Rosette explained.

"Oh, I see!" Twilight nodded. "So what's the verdict?" Twilight then became nervous, assuming the worst. "Wait, don't tell me… Luna shot down your proposal!" She then sighed in disappointment. "That's probably why you called instead of Luna! I knew I shouldn't keep my hopes–"

"Hold on, Twilight!" Rosette interrupted. "You didn't let me finish."

Twilight blinked. "Oh?"

"Your Vice Principal and I talked. It took a while for me to convince her… but she is now on board!"

Twilight gasped, excitement slowly emerged in her features. "You mean–"

"Yep! Pack your bags, you and your classmates are going to Hoovaii!"

"Yes!" Twilight cheered loudly, slightly startled Sunset in the progress. Twilight then proceeded to skip all around Sunset in excitement, cheering all the while. "Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes…"

Amused by her friend’s cute display, Sunset crossed her arms with a smirk. "I take that this is all good news?"

Twilight immediately stopped her cheering and skipping before facing her friend with a blush.

"Um… yes," Twilight responded sheepishly.

"Oh, is your friend there? Will you put me on speaker?" Rosette requested.

Twilight heard Rosette’s request and switched her phone on speaker for Sunset to hear.

"As I mentioned to Twilight, Luna and I talked and she finally allowed us to take our trip to Hoovaii for your graduation."

"That's great!" Sunset smiled. "So when's the date?"

"...Tomorrow."

Both Twilight and Sunset's eyes widened by Rosette's answer.

"Wait? Tomorrow!?" Twilight exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, isn't this too sudden?" Sunset inquired.

"Yes, I know. I apologize for this to be so sudden," Rosette responded. "But it is the only date I can make it happen, hence why I wanted to discuss it with your Vice Principal so we can forward this post haste, including updating the staff and students' families."

Twilight hummed. "Well… I guess that makes sense, but won't it be difficult to book a flight to Hoovaii in a short time?"

"Leave that to your Vice Principal and I. We'll take care of that," Rosette assured. "The only thing you girls need to focus on is to pack everything up for the trip."

"We'll do that right now!" Sunset grinned. "Thank you so much for all of this, Rosette!"

"You can thank me when you arrive in Hoovaii," said Rosette. "Anyway, I got to go. I'll call you in the morning for updates. Goodnight you two!"

"Goodnight!" Twilight and Sunset chorused before Twilight hung up her phone.

There was silence for a moment between the two girls. A second later, both of them let out loud happy shrieks and then hugged each other, hopping up and down in excitement.

"I don't believe it… we're actually going!" Twilight exclaimed happily.

"I know! This trip is going to be amazing!" Sunset gushed with a huge grin.

The two stopped hopping after they fully processed what just happened.

"We gonna start packing!" Twilight stated anxiously.

"We gotta tell our friends!" Sunset added, just as anxious.

"I'll go tell Cadance and Shining Armor the news and you can tell our friends!" Twilight stated.

Sunset nodded. "Done!"

The two proceeded to go both ways to begin the trip, but then Twilight stopped and called out to Sunset.

"Oh by the way… is there anyone from Equestria you want to invite?"

Sunset paused and turned towards her friend with a continued expression. "Invite?"

Twilight played with her hair. "Well, graduation from high school is going to be a huge event. Usually, we bring our families for the occasion."

Sunset glanced away with a downcast look. "I… I don't know. You know that I'm essentially alone with no family."

Twilight shook her head. "That's not true. What about Princess Celestia?"

Sunset frowned at the mention of her former mentor, furrowing her brows. "It's… still complicated between us. Besides, I'm not quite comfortable inviting her right now."

Twilight frowned. She felt that there was some other kind of issue with Sunset’s mentor that Sunset was not mentioning to her. Despite wanting to help, Twilight decided to drop that topic for now to focus on the topic at hand.

"All right, you don't have to invite her," said Twilight. "But I still think that you're not completely alone in Equestria. Is there someone over there you know who cares about you and wants to see you graduate?"

Sunset opened her mouth to speak.

"Not even a friend?" Twilight added.

Sunset paused, thinking silently for a moment.

While she wasn't as close to her former mentor as she used to be, there was somepony else in Equestria who was always there for her since they first met. Aside from her best friends in this world, she owned everything for where she is today and is forever grateful for leading her to a greater path, all thanks to her dear friend.

And Sunset wanted her to see what kind of person she has become now.

"Actually…" Sunset trailed off as she glanced towards their dining room table where her certain magical journal was located. "There is one friend I had in mind."

Somewhere outside the Sparkle household, the same mysterious figure from Sweet Apple Acres was spying on the two teens through the window, hiding in the bushes from the darkness.

Author's Notes:

Wow! What a chapter!

On a quick note, huge shout-out to Norisu Ninja and his friends for updating more Tropes in the Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog series TVTropes page. You guys are awesome! If anyone hasn't seen it yet, please check it out if you have the time.

In case anyone is confused about a sudden mysterious figure in this chapter, I recently updated Chapter 1, The Blue Justice and Party-Crashing Crusaders where I added a paragraph about that mysterious character's first appearance who was spying on Sonic after Sonic "saved" Seaddle City. Be sure to read that chapter again when you all have the chance.

I'll admit, the text conversations between the CMCs, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon were the most fun part of writing this chapter... and also the most pain in the neck. With the former, it was fun to imagine how they acted and what they'd say including the emojis, and the latter for manually putting in the quote code (for text bubbles), paragraph alignment, bold, and colors for each text!

Anyway, time for some notes and references:

There are a lot of callbacks within Apple Bloom's group chat:

• "Appleseed101" was based on Apple Bloom's original name for the show, "Apple Seed", but was changed to Apple Bloom due to copyright issues.

• Interestingly enough, Sweetie Belle's singing talent is an homage to G3's Pegasus pony, "StarSong", hence Sweetie Belle's username, "StarSong101".

• Apparently, in some merchandise, Diamond Tiara's alternative name is "Diamond Dazzle Tiara", hence her username, "DiamondDazzle112.

• The number "101" next to Apple Bloom's, Sweetie Belle's, and Scootaloo's usernames was based on their first appearance in the show, MLP:FiM Season 1, Episode 1 -"Friendship is Magic, part 1".

• The number "112" next to Diamond Tiara's and Silver Spoon's usernames was based on their first appearance in the show, MLP:FiM Season 1, Episode 12 - "Call of the Cutie".

• The show Sweetie Belle watched, "Amphibiland" is a reference to Disney's animated series, "Amphibia", in which Amphibiland was the original name of the show.

• The show Scootaloo watched, "The Owl Hut" is an obvious reference to another Disney animated series, "The Owl House".

• The line, "insignificant low life" was based on Spoiled Rich's most infamous line from MLP:FiM, Season 5, Episode 18 - "Crusaders of the Lost Mark".

Sonic's comment about a "Godzilla-sized water God" was a callback to a character "Chaos", or most specifically, "Perfect Chaos" from Sonic Adventure when he became a giant water monster after absorbing the negative energy of the Chaos Emeralds.

And yes, "Apple Sister" is another Sonic's nickname for Apple Bloom.

The "game over" music that Sunset and Twilight heard was the game over music from the original 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Sunset's "I'm waiting" pose is a callback to Sonic's catchphrase in The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog TV show in the 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaoY3OyjQUQ

From Sunset's flashback, "Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns" aka "School of Magic" made a brief appearance throughout the show, as well as IDW Comics and Gameloft's Mobile Game.

Sunset's brief mention of her past was based on "The Fall of Sunset Shimmer" from IDW's My Little Pony Annual 2013 comic. And a recap of what happened with Wallflower's memory stone was a callback to Equestria Girls' special "Forgotten Friendship".

Twilight's "Yes" chant was a callback to her pony counterpart's "yes" chant scene from MLP:FiM Season 1, Episode 23 - "The Cutie Mark Chronicles".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSnfdncZCYo

Anyway, the gang is almost ready to head to Hoovaii! But what to do with the CMCs? Who is Sunset going to invite? ...and who was that mysterious stranger spying on Sonic and the girls?

Find out next time, in the next chapter of Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog 2!

Volume I - Chapter 7: Leaving to Hoovaii

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The very next day, a lot of people were waiting around on the school grounds near the CHS building. There were senior students, families of senior students, and some staff faculty present, chatting with one another as they were getting ready for their school trip. Even the Equestria Girls were there with their families as they were talking excitedly about their graduation at Hoovaii.

Applejack was with her brother and her Grandmother, Big Mac and Granny Smith. But her younger sister, Apple Bloom was not present due to Spoiled Rich banning her from going on a trip; not that it matters since Apple Bloom was grounded anyway. Rarity was with her parents, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles with Sweetie Belle left behind due to the same reason as Apple Bloom. Fluttershy was with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shy, and her brother Zephyr Breeze, who was only here to see his sister off. Pinkie Pie was with her parents, along with her three sisters, Maud, Marble, and Limestone. Rainbow Dash was with her parents, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, who were loudly cheering their daughter much to Rainbow’s embarrassment. Twilight was with Shining Armor and Cadance, who were hugging her with proud smiles.

Sunset Shimmer sighed longingly as she leaned on an empty pedestal, watching her friends happily spending time with their families. While she was happy for her friends for having people come to see them graduate, something about seeing them made her feel lonely and left out. While she deep down knew what it was, she didn’t want to loudly admit that to herself. She shook those negative feelings away after reminding herself that she wasn’t alone because she invited a special friend over to see her graduate and she couldn’t wait to see her.

Speaking of her friend, Sunset has been waiting for her friend to appear for quite some time. She even checked on her phone a few times to see the time and even played some mobile games to pass some time. But even then, her friend had yet to show up, which made Sunset nervous.

‘She's running a little late,’ Sunset thought as she checked on her phone for the umpteenth time. ‘I hope she'll get here soon!’

“Why hello, Sunny!”

Sunset looked up from her watch towards the voice. To her surprise, one of the school's staff, the janitor, made his way over to her with a smile.

He was a slightly older man, partly bald on the front, but he still had long white hair with a bit of black at the end. He also has bushy white eyebrows, a long white goatee, and red eyes. The most unusual thing about him was the uniform he was wearing. Instead of a standard blue janitor uniform, his was brown but had random multi-colored patches like red, green, blue, tan, purple, and white. He even wore only one yellow fingerless glove on his right hand for some reason.

Image by Uotapo

“Fancy seeing you here!” The odd janitor greeted with a toothy smile.

Sunset rolled her eyes but smirked. “Hey, Discord.”

Discord is an odd person, to say the least. Not much is known about him except he is an acquaintance of Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. Despite working as a janitor, he spent most of his time doing chaotic pranks on unsuspecting students and faculty, which are usually harmless. Despite everyone complaining about that man's behavior, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna still kept him around, which is a mystery to everyone to this day.

Back when she was a queen bee, Sunset used to not like him because of how strange and nosey he was. As a result, she attempted to use him as a scapegoat a few times just to throw suspicion off of her. However, each time she did it, Discord would respond with his pranks; like placing his chocolate milk trap in her locker. After falling for his pranks too many times, she decided not to mess with him again but kept him at arm's length.

After the Fall Formal incident, she thought for sure that Discord would get back at her with his pranks just like everyone else in school. But to her surprise, Discord was one of the few faculty who was nice to her (in his own way) by cleaning her defaced locker, defending her from other students, and even giving her advice when she least expected it. When she asked him why he would help her after she tried to frame him a couple of times, he would simply respond, “Us reformed troublemakers, stick together.”

Since then, the two have had a bizarre, but close friendship. Discord then eventually befriended the Rainbooms as well, especially Fluttershy as the two would often spend time at their tea party club. Sunset would later learn that he took part in fixing whatever mess she and her friends made from every Equestrian Magic incident. It was almost surreal to Sunset that in the next few days, she wouldn't see his goofy face anymore.

And admittedly… she'll miss that.

“So, what brings you here?” Sunset asked, shaking off those memories.

“Your Vice Principal is busy attending to important matters, so now I'm in charge of leading this group to Hoovaii,” Discord responded proudly. “Normally, I pass on this type of responsibility, but since I needed a break from cleaning up your messes and the fact that we're going to Hoovaii, how could I say no?”

Sunset grinned sheepishly in embarrassment and guilt. “I know that you've been busy as of late and that you've had my back since day one, so you deserved it.” She then had a knowing look. “Just… don't go overboard with your pranks.”

“You wound me, Sunny!” Discord gasped jokingly. “I would never pull pranks during graduation for our fellow students!”

Sunset simply stared at him, cocking her left eyebrow.

“Well… maybe just a teeny-tiny prank, but nothing harmful,” Discord admitted with a sheepish grin.

Suddenly, they both heard Discord's cell phone ring coming from his pocket. Discord took out his phone to check the caller ID, which caused his eyes to widen somewhat.

“Ooh! I should take this! Scuse me for a moment, Sunny!” He said before answering his phone and walking away.

Just as Sunset was wondering what that was all about, she suddenly heard a magical ripple coming from the base of the statue. She turned just in time to see a teenage girl with long purple hair with a pink stripe, flung out of the portal and landed roughly on the ground. She wore a blue shirt, red bow tie, purple skirt, purple and pink socks, and black shoes. She has a huge pink star as her cutie mark on the side of her skirt.

“Ow!” The girl muttered as she slowly stood up. “I really need to figure out how to make the landing more gently in between dimensional travels.”

“Princess Twilight!” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed in happiness.

Princess Twilight immediately turned towards Sunset with a huge smile of her own. “Sunset Shimmer!”

The two ran towards one another to meet up and then they hugged each other in greeting. Having her friend who helped her shape into a better person made her feel warm and grateful. They hugged for what felt like minutes until eventually, they broke it off.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Sunset smiled. “I hope my invite wasn't too sudden.”

Princess Twilight shook her head and smiled back. “Of course, I would come to your graduation trip! I wouldn't miss it for the world!”

Sunset tilted her head. “You really didn't mind attending our graduation? I know you're busy as the new ruler of Equestria.”

“Don't worry! I have Spike in charge in my place,” Twilight assured. “And he also sends his regards for your graduation.”

Sunset paused and hesitated for a moment. “And… how is she?”

Princess Twilight blinked in confusion until her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, she's fine. She and her sister are taking a trip together the last I heard. She said something about trying out the ‘longest and scariest’ zip-line in Equestria.”

“Oh… I see.” Sunset said quietly, her eyes downcast.

Princess Twilight stared at her friend in concern. “Sunset… are you sure you don't want to invite her? I can go back and have Spike to send her a–”

“No, no… it's fine,” Sunset spoke up quickly. “It's probably for the best. She probably doesn't want to see me, anyway.”

Princess Twilight frowned. “But why do you think that, Sunset? You know she cared about you.”

Sunset frowned back. “If she cared… then why didn’t she reach out to me?”

Before Princess Twilight could answer, they were suddenly interrupted when someone called out to them.

“Princess Twilight!”

Sunset and Princess Twilight turned just in time to see Pinkie Pie flung herself towards Princess Twilight into a hug. Following Pinkie, the rest of the Rainbooms rushed over and brought Princess Twilight into a group hug.

“Welcome back, Darling!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Good to see ya, Sugarcube!” said Applejack.

“We miss you!” Fluttershy squeaked tearfully.

“Long time no see!” Rainbow Dash whooped.

“Hello again!” Twilight greeted with a smile.

They lingered their group hug for a moment before Princess Twilight broke it with a smile. “Hi, girls! It's so good to see you all again!”

“It's so good to see you too, Sugarcube!” Applejack smiled.

Rainbow Dash lightly elbowed Princess Twilight with a smirk. “So how was ruling Equestria, Princess?”

Princess Twilight chuckled. “It was busy! There's never a dull moment as a ruler, but I finally got used to it, especially with Spike’s help.”

“And what are our counterparts doing?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

Princess Twilight listed things off with her fingers. “Well, AJ is now in charge of her farm, Pinkie’s taken over Sugarcube Corner as the new owner, Rarity’s running her fashion empire all around Equestria, Fluttershy is still running her animal sanctuary, and yours, Rainbow Dash, is now the head captain of the Wonderbolts.”

Rainbow Dash blinked for a second before giving Princess Twilight her full-tooth grin. “That's… awesome!”

“And what about our dear Starlight?” Rarity asked, eager for some gossip.

“After I became the new ruler of Equestria, Starlight took over as the head mare of the School of Friendship, along with her friend Sunburst,” Princess Twilight replied. With a smirk, she then slightly covered her mouth and whispered, “And between you and me, I think there's a thing going on between those two.”

“Oooh! How scandalous!” Rarity grinned with mischief in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash shook her head but grinned. “So, Princess, are you excited to see Hoovaii like the rest of us?”

“Well, I don't know much about Hoovaii, but I am excited to see you all graduate,” Princess Twilight smiled before facing Sunset. “Speaking of which, I’m so proud of you Sunset! Being chosen as a valedictorian speaker for the ceremony is a huge honor!”

Sunset blushed as she rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, it's… not a big deal!”

“Oh, making a big speech is certainly a big deal!” said Princess Twilight. “Believe me, I've made a lot of speeches! If you need any advice, I know a lot of great tips with cue cards!”

Sunset laughed, causing Princess Twilight to suddenly have a confused expression.

“What's so funny?”

Sunset cleared her throat with an apologetic expression. “Sorry. Our Twilight said the same thing to me the other day!”

The human Twilight nodded. “It's true! I may know a thing or two about preparing for a presentation.”

Princess Twilight grinned excitedly. “With cue cards!”

“Definitely cue cards!” Twilight grinned with a similar excited expression.

Princess Twilight's eyes then sparkled. “Ooh! We must exchange details with each other!”

As the two Twilights having a pleasant conversation about the tips of cue cards, most of the girls watched in amusement while Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance.

“Good grief! Is this necessary? Listening to these two eggheads geeking out is like listening to a stereo.” Rainbow Dash muttered quietly.

Applejack turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow. “Would you spend hours exchanging many different daredevil stunts with your counterpart?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself when she realized her friend’s point. “...touché.”

“You can't be serious!”

The girls immediately turned towards the source of the noise, only to witness Discord yelling angrily over the phone.

“That was meant for our students and their families! Just because you're in ‘charge’, that doesn't mean you do as you please!”

The girls heard someone speaking through Discord's phone in a snobbish voice, making Discord angrier by the second.

“Oh yeah!? Well… your nose is ugly!”

Discord immediately hung up his phone before facing the girls with a sigh. “Girls, we have a problem!”

“What's wrong, Discord?” Sunset asked in concern.

“Yeah, we have never seen you this angry before,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Get this! The funds that were given to us for our trip were misused!” Discord flared his nostrils in anger. “Instead of using it towards our flights for everyone for our graduation trip, it was used on some private jet that was used by that despicable crooked-nosed woman and her kid!”

Sunset narrowed her eyes in anger, knowing who was responsible for this mess. “Spoiled Rich!”

Discord nodded in confirmation. “Yeah. She thinks that since she's the principal and works harder than everyone else, she believes that she deserves her vacation and can do as she pleases!” Discord crossed his arms with a grunt. “That's the one joke that even I don't find funny!”

This of course caused everyone to feel annoyed and angry at that entitled woman who yet again ruined the fun for everyone.

“Oh, I really dislike that woman!” Rarity muttered.

Rainbow Dash threw her arms in anger. “So great, we have no means to travel!”

“Does this mean that our trip is canceled?” Fluttershy whimpered in disappointment and sadness.

Discord's anger melted at the sight of his friend's sad eyes. “Oh, my dear Fluttershy, if I had any powers, I would get us all there with a snap of my fingers no problem.” He let out a long sigh. “But alas, I do not.”

“There must be something we can do!” Twilight said desperately, not wanting their efforts for their trip to be wasted. “We can't just give up!”

Everyone stood in dreadful silence, not knowing what to do. About a moment later, Sunset’s cell phone began to ring. Sunset checked her phone ID to see an image of Sonic giving the camera his two-finger pose.

“Hold on a sec, everyone!” Sunset announced before answering a video call on her phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Equestrian Girl!” Sonic greeted Sunset from his room. “Are you on a flight to Hoovaii yet?”

Sunset sighed. “No, we're not on a flight, nor are we ever going to get a flight!”

Sonic frowned in concern. “What's wrong? You sound defeated.”

“Long story short, because of our… Principal, our trip is canceled due to lack of funds!” Sunset explained.

Sonic frowned. “Seriously!? Jeez! At this rate, she's going to be up there along with Eggman as my least favorite people!”

“You and me both!” Sunset sighed, her eyes downcast. “I felt terrible because everyone, including the seniors, was looking forward to it and now they'll be disappointed that our trip will never happen. I just wish that there was a way for us to get there.”

Sonic rubbed his chin in thought as his brows furrowed. After a moment of silence, Sonic’s eyes suddenly brighten, and let out a huge grin.

“Don't unpack your bags just yet, Equestrian Girl! I think I know just a solution to get you and your classmates to Hoovaii!”

Sunset blinked in surprise. “You do?”

“Totally!” Sonic assured with a thumbs up before grinning slyly. “If you do one thing for me!”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow, wondering what Sonic was planning and what his condition was.

Sometime later, everyone who was at CHS was now relocated to Sparkle's residence. After Twilight explained the situation to Shining and Cadance, they immediately understood and allowed everyone to come to their home to execute Sonic’s plan.

While everyone from school was waiting outside of the house, the Equestria Girls were inside the house getting ready for the trip. Rarity was already well prepared for their trip to Hoovaii by packing up her things ahead of time. Unfortunately for her, she was currently arguing with a certain farmer about Rarity’s number of bags to bring.

“Rarity, for the last time, we can't take that many suitcases to Hoovaii!” Applejack scolded.

“But why not?” Rarity whined. “We're literally going to jump to Hoovaii. I don't see what the big deal is!”

Applejack huffed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “Just because we're just going to jump there, that doesn't mean you can take everything from your house with ya! And even if we're not dimension-hopping, you were supposed to take a few bags anyway!”

Rarity scowled. “But these are a few bags!”

“Fifty-three bags ain't a few, Rares!” Applejack yelled.

“Will you two settle down!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed while checking her bag from the sidelines. “Jeez, it's like I'm dealing with a married couple!”

While the faces of the two teens were as red as a tomato, Rainbow Dash turned her attention to her other friend.

“Are you almost done, Sunset?”

“Almost, Rainbow Dash!” Sunset answered before resuming her phone call with another friend. “As I was saying, while you do not have to be there, will you at least keep an eye on them every once in a while and be there if they need you?”

“I suppose,” a female voice answered. “It's not like I'm doing anything at the moment since I'm not needed with my other job. But you and your friends should be careful too, Sunset!”

“We will,” Sunset assured with a smile. “Thank you so much, Tempest!”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tempest replied. “Just stay out of trouble and call me anytime.”

Just as Tempest hung up her, Sunset heard another person calling from behind her.

“Sunset!”

Sunset turned just in time to see Lyra Heartstrings walking up to her. “Oh hey, Lyra! Are you ready to go?”

Lyra shook her head. “No, Bon Bon isn't here yet. I'm not leaving without her.”

Suddenly, they heard the front door open. They turned to see Lyra’s friend in question, entering the house with tired eyes.

“Bonnie!” Lyra exclaimed. She frowned when she noticed her friend's tired state. “What took you so long?”

“I'm sorry, Lyra!” Bon Bon yawned, covering her mouth as she did so. “I nearly overslept.”

Sunset frowned in concern. “You alright, Bon Bon? You're not usually this late.”

Bon Bon blinked for a moment before answering. “Oh, well, because of this sudden trip, my family and I spent most of the night preparing the ingredients and bakery for our staff covering us before leaving for Hoovaii. Gotta stay on top of things you know.”

Unbeknownst to Bon Bon, Lyra glanced at her best friend with a little suspicion.

“I see,” said Sunset with a little guilt. “I'm sorry about that. I know this trip was sudden for you and your family.”

“Oh, no worries,” Bon Bon waved off Sunset’s concern. “It's not your fault that this is sudden. Plus, I always wanted to go to Hoovaii. So, I'm sure our trip will be worth it.”

“Well, alright,” said Sunset before pointing at the stairs. “You're welcome to sit near the stairs. Sonic is still setting up in the living room.”

“Thank you,” Bon Bon said gratefully before taking her seat near the stairs along with her best friend.

At that moment, Twilight approached Sunset. “Have any of our friends' parents arrived yet?”

“Last I checked, most of them are outside while Apple Bloom's Grandmother and Sweetie Belle's parents are upstairs laying down some ground rules while we're away,” Sunset answered.

“And my… other self?” Twilight asked unsurely, still not used to seeing her double in the same house.

“She's upstairs changing and packing your clothes for the trip,” Sunset replied. “I hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all!” Twilight smiled. “This is good so far, everything is on schedule and running smoothly. So we don't have to worry about any monkey wrenches thrown in our way.”

“Well, well, well! Fancy seeing you again, Twilight!”

Twilight’s eyes widened by the sudden sound of a familiar voice. She and Sunset quickly turned around and were surprised to see a small group of girls that she had never expected to show up in her house, let alone see them again in general. What took Twilight aback was they were wearing their casual clothes instead of their usual school uniforms.

The first girl had short purple hair with a yellow flower on the side of her head with a snobby look. The second had white hair with two long pigtails and glasses. The third had pink hair with a long ponytail and a sweet smile on her face. The fourth girl had long green hair and was busy with her music with her pink headphones. And the last girl had wild short blue hair with yellow bolt earrings and yellow goggles on her head and had a cocky smirk.

Image by LimeDazzle

Twilight blinked with an astonished look. “Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Indigo Zap? What are you all doing here?”

“What? Aren't you happy to see us?” Sour Sweet said sweetly before her personality and her attitude changed in the blink of an eye with an aggressive tone. “Unless you really weren't!”

Before things could go out of hand, Sunny Flare gently pushed Sour Sweet aside as she addressed Twilight. “What Sour Sweet was trying to say was that we're here for our graduation trip too.”

“Yeah! We wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to take a free trip to Hoovaii!” Indigo Zap cheered before turning to Lemon Zest. “Don't you agree?”

Lemon Zest simply held up her rock n’ roll salute, head banging with a huge toothy smile.

Twilight frowned in confusion. “But isn't this for Canterlot High students only?”

“I can answer that.”

Twilight and Sunset turned their head to see Cadance, who was moving slowly due to pregnancy, and Shining right behind her. “I was the one who brought them here."

Twilight was taken aback. “You brought them here?”

“Yes, Twilight. Since I'm now the principal of Crystal Prep, I was supposed to run the graduation ceremony for that school too.” Cadance looked down, rubbing gently on her stomach. “Unfortunately, with my “condition” and our last-minute trip to Hoovaii, I can't find anyone to take over. So I figured that I'd take them with us for our trip too.” She looked up at Twilight with a guilty expression. “I'm very sorry, Twilight. With so much going on, I forgot to mention that to you.”

“It's no sweat, Teach!” Indigo Zap spoke up before Twilight could speak. “We're friends in the same school once, so I'm sure she won't mind!” Indigo Zap turned to Twilight. “You don't mind us joining in, do ya, Twilight?”

Twilight was quiet for a moment with a blank square, making Sunset feel concerned for her friend. Just when she was about to say something to her, Twilight immediately spoke up.

“Oh no, it's… fine,” said Twilight in a semi-chipper tone with an uneasy grin. “As they say: the more the merrier!”

Indigo Zap grinned before turning towards the other Shadowbolts. “See? I told you Twilight is cool with it! She would never turn us down since we're friends!”

Unbeknownst to Indigo Zap, Twilight felt her left eye twitching after hearing the word “friends” from Indigo's mouth, but Sugarcoat silently noticed Twilight''s behavior with a raised eyebrow.

Cadance stared at her sister-in-law with an unsure expression but decided to let that go for now. “Well, alright, if you say so, Ladybug. We'll get ourselves ready before we leave for Hoovaii.”

Cadance, Shining, and the Shadowbolts left the area to another room, leaving Twilight and Sunset alone.

Twilight was staring toward the direction where her former classmates exited with an unreadable expression, which caused the former unicorn to feel concerned.

Sunset gently approached her friend in a gentle tone. “You okay, Twi?”

Twilight snapped out of her trance and quickly turned to Sunset. “Oh! Yeah, Sunset, I'm fine! It was just… unexpected to see them, that's all.”

Sunset raised her brow with uncertainty. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? We can talk to Candace if you're–”

“It's fine, Sunset!” Twilight insisted while giving Sunset her most convincing smile. “I can handle them! Just as long as I can enjoy our trip and have fun with our friends, I'll be fine!”

Sunset could tell that Twilight’s smile was fake and was not fully convinced. Just as she was about to respond about it, Spike called them from the living room.

“Hey, everyone! Sonic said that the portal is all ready for traveling!”

“Great! Let's go!” Twilight exclaimed loudly, looking for an excuse to move on.

Sunset frowned. She knew her friend was avoiding the issue, but decided to silently put a pin on that for now at a later time.

So Sunset, Twilight, the Rainbooms, and most of the CHS students followed Spike toward the living room while dragging their travel bags behind them. The moment they entered the room, they were all surprised to see what was in front of them.

At the far end of the living room was a giant gold ring, hovering over the floor with a window of a hotel building of Hoovaii in the center of the ring. What caught their attention was Sonic and Spike, who were both wearing black ties and sunglasses, and Sonic was holding a clipboard and a spatula for some reason. There was even some makeshift contraption that Sonic built, which looked similar to a walk-through detector that was usually seen at the airport.

“Welcome to Sonic Air! The fastest way to travel!” Sonic announced in a professional voice with a smile. He then looked into his clipboard. “Now boarding groups one and two!”

“Why am I wearing this again?” Spike muttered in his annoyed tone.

“Relax, dude!” Sonic whispered, still smiling. “Just continue to play your part!”

Spike just rolled his eyes, despite wearing his sunglasses.

“Aw, how cute!” Fluttershy gushed. “They’re running their airport!”

Sunset smirked and leaned into Twilight’s ear. “This might explain what took Sonic so long to set up the portal.”

Twilight giggled quietly but shushed Sunset.

They didn't have to wait long as the first two people approached the blue hedgehog.

“Hey, Sonic!” Bon Bon greeted with a grin.

“Hey, Candy Queen!” Sonic greeted back with a smile before frowning at the second person. “Crazy Lyra.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes. “Blue Devil!”

“Lyra!” Bon Bon scolded before addressing Sonic with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Sonic. Lyra didn't mean that.”

“Yes I did,” Lyra muttered, only to get elbowed by Bon Bon.

Sonic stared at Lyra with an unamused expression.“Riiiiiiight!” Sonic then faced Bon Bon with a smile again. “So are you for group one?”

“You bet!” Bon Bon grinned, playing along.

“Excellent! Please, step through!” Sonic stepped aside politely.

With a giggle, Bon Bon stepped through the “walk-through detector” and stood before the portal. With an eye roll, Lyra attempted to follow her friend until Sonic stopped her.

“Hold it, missy! You're in group three! Please wait your turn!”

“Ex-cuse me!?” Lyra exclaimed with an annoyed frown. “Why am I not in the same group as Bonnie?”

With a stern expression, Sonic began listing off with his fingers. “Well, one, her name starts with a ‘B’ so she's high on a list. And second… she's nicer to me.”

“Oh, you want me to be nice?” Lyra scowled, showing Sonic her fist. “How about I'll give ya a nice knuckle sandwich!”

Sonic wasn't phased by Lyra’s threat. “...just for that, you're now in group four.”

Lyra was taken aback before growling in anger. “Wha– how dare you, Rodent?”

Sonic frowned. “Now you're in group five!”

Exasperated, Lyra threw up her hands. “This is ridiculous! I want to see the manager!”

“I'm the manager around here!” Sonic's eyes narrowed. “You want to make that group six, young lady?”

Lyra’s face was now red and felt steam coming out of her ears. Just as she was about to lunge at the blue hedgehog, Bon Bon quickly stepped in.

“Sonic, I'm very sorry for my friend's rude behavior. Will you please let her through… for me?” Bon Bon pleaded with her sad blue eyes.

Sonic paused for a moment. “I don’t usually bend the rules, Candy Queen.” He then winked. “But for you, I'll make an exception.”

Bon Bon smiled cheerfully. “Thanks, Sonic! You're the best!”

Sonic smiled before turning to Lyra. “All right, you may join your friend.”

“Great, thanks!” Lyra said sarcastically as she was about to join her friend, but Sonic stopped her again.

“Ulp, ulp, ulp! I still have to do a security check on you!”

“Seriously!?” Lyra complained.

Before she could complain further, Sunset joined next to her with an amused, yet apologetic expression. “Sorry, Lyra. Just… let him get it out of his system.”

With a huff, Lyra heeded Sunset’s advice as Sonic was “scanning” her with his spatula, making “beeping” sounds all the while.

“Beep. Beep. Terrible shirt detected!”

Everyone laughed at the display, causing the mint-haired teen to blush and growl in embarrassment.

A second later, Sonic stepped aside. “Okay, you're free to go. Enjoy your trip. Bye-bye now.”

“Thank you, Sonic!” Bon Bon waved before walking through the portal.

“And please watch your step!” Sonic added.

Bon Bon entered the portal and gave everyone a thumbs up. “See you all on the other side!”

Lyra followed her friend behind, but not before giving her “rival” a quick evil glance.

“I hate that hedgehog!” She muttered bitterly before disappearing through the portal.

With a nod towards the two, Sonic turned towards the crowd again. “Okay, everyone. Please approach the portal one at a time in a neat single file line. And don't worry, the portal is stable and safe to travel!”

Almost immediately after his instructions, another person approached him.

“Hey there, Muffin Girl!” Sonic smiled. “You got something for me?”

The girl with blonde hair and crossed eyes nodded happily as she handed him a brown bag. Sonic accepted the bag and opened it, his eyes lit up when he saw what was inside of the bag.

Image by masemj

“Oooh! Blueberry muffins! They look so tasty!” Sonic put away the bag into his quills and smiled at the girl. “Thanks, I'll have some of these later!”

With a huge happy grin, the girl made her way towards the portal, along with a muscled boy with short blonde hair behind her.

“You take care of her too, Muscle Man!” Sonic called towards the muscle boy.

The muscle boy, known as Bulk Biceps, faced Sonic with a grin while flexing his muscles.

“YOU BET I WILL! YEAH!”

“Good to hear!” Sonic chuckled, before turning back around and blinking at the next student.

This new student was a green-haired girl with freckles and brown eyes. She wore a white shirt with a brown vest over it, a blue skirt with images of plants in a planter with see-through black sheer, and grey heels.

Image by punzil504

Sonic tilted his head quizzingly. “I'm sorry… do I know you?”

The green-haired girl gasped before frowning in sadness. “What? You… forgotten about me? It's me! Wallflower!”

Sonic’s expression remained unchanged before he burst out laughing. “I'm just kidding, Plant Girl! Of course, I remember you!”

Wallflower smiled in happiness for a brief moment before frowning in annoyance. “That's not funny!”

“I'm sorry! Won't happen again!” Sonic chuckled sheepishly. “By the way, that sunflower you gave me is getting bigger now.”

“Oh, that's fantastic!” Wallflower smiled, her annoyance forgotten. “You must show me that sometime!”

“I will!” Sonic promised before gesturing to the portal. “Til’ then, enjoy the trip!”

With a happy nod, Wallflower quickly stepped into the portal while Sonic faced the next two students.

The two students are both girls. One had long black hair with a pink bow tie, while the other had short, messy blue hair with purple glasses and light green headphones on her head.

“Sup, Violin Gal, and DJ Gal!” Sonic greeted. “Will you two be performing at the graduation ceremony too?”

“Well, the Rainbooms will be doing most of the work, but Vinyl and I will support them as background performers,” The Violin Gal, known as Octavia responded. She turned to her companion. “Isn't that right, love?”

The DJ Gal, known as Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon3, simply held up a thumb with a toothy grin.

Sonic gave them a thumbs up. “Cool! I wish you two the best of luck and enjoy the trip!”

“Thank you, dear,” Octavia nodded before heading towards the portal. “Come along, Vinyl!”

Vinyl did a quick salute to the blue hedgehog before following her friend through the portal.

Just as Sonic was about to face the next person, there was a sudden ‘click’ followed by a bright white flash.

“Ha! Finally!” The girl with white hair and purple glasses cheered as the photo printed out of her camera. She immediately frowned when she noticed the blurry blue image on her photo. “Hey! Ya moved!”

Sonic chuckled, with a cheeky grin. “Sorry, Camera Girl! Still too slow!”

The Camera Girl scowled. “I vould have spent all day chasing vou, but I was assigned to take photos for the ceremony, so consider yourself lucky!” She then made a dramatic pose. “But von of these days, I, Photo Finish, vill get da photo of you and den you vill be treated with… ‘da magics!’ Until vhen, I go!”

With a speed that almost rivaled Sonic, Photo Finish zoomed past Sonic and disappeared into the portal.

“...what a strange girl,” Sonic muttered before facing the next two guys in line. “Sup, Hippie Guy and Nerd Guy!”

The Hippie Guy with a green beanie, known as Sandalwood, waved at Sonic with a smile. “Sup, Blue dude!”

“Greetings!” said the Nerd Guy with the glasses, known as Micro Chips. He frowned. “Though I wish you would call me something better than Nerd Guy.”

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, pal. I would've called you ‘Chips Guy’, but then people would assume you eat potato chips.”

Micro Chips let out a long sigh. “Very well, I suppose it's for the best. I'm allergic to potato chips anyway.”

“I think it fits, dude!” Sandalwood encouraged. “You're like, the smartest guy in school next to Twilight!”

“True!” Micro Chips smirked, adjusting his glasses. “I was picked for the ‘Most Likely to Invent Cold Fusion’ category in our school's yearbook. So I'm technically the best over Twilight Sparkle!”

“I heard that!”

Realizing too late that the girl in question was in the same room as him, Micro Chips felt a sudden chill run down his spine in fear.

“Uh, I would like to stay in love chat, but we got to go! See ya!” Micro Chips spoke quickly before he ran through the portal with Sandalwood not too far behind.

“Hey, wait up, dude!”

Sonic shook his head at them before facing the next person.

The next guy has short blue hair and blue eyes, wearing a black hoodie with an emblem of a shield and a lightning bolt on each shoulder, jeans, and black shoes with a lightning bolt on each side. He was also carrying his signature red guitar over his shoulder for the trip.

“Yo, Guitar Dude! How's it going?” Sonic waved.

The Guitar Dude, known as Flash Sentry, waved back. “Hey, Sonic! I'm doing fine! Right now, I'm preparing a song dedicated to the Rainbooms!” He then cleared his throat and looked away with a blush on his cheeks. “B-by the way… do you know if the other Twilight is coming by any chance? I… would like to talk to her before we–”

Flash was suddenly interrupted when a girl rudely shoved him forward. “Blah blah blah! No one cares! Now move along, Brad!”

Flash briefly gave the girl an annoyed glance before walking away toward the portal with a confused expression.

“Brad?” He muttered, before disappearing into the portal.

Meanwhile, Sonic also gave the girl his annoyed look for interrupting the conversation he had with Flash. The girl had long white hair with a purple star on the side and purple eyes. She wore a purple shirt with a blue jacket over it with star patterns, a purple skirt with a blue wand emblem on the side, and blue shoes.

“Hey there, Trickster!” Sonic greeted casually despite his annoyed expression.

The girl frowned at the nickname. “It's not ‘Trickster’! I'm the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie! The future generation of Lulamoon, the family of magicians!”

“...Sure, whatever you say, Trickster!” Sonic rolled his eyes, annoying the girl further. “Step right through!”

Trixie humph as she made her way towards the portal. Before she stepped into the portal, she stopped and faced Sunset with narrowed eyes.

“I know they're your friends’ younger sisters, but for their sake, they better not come to our event!” Trixie warned.

“Yeah, we know everyone is still mad at those three,” Sunset acknowledged. “But don't worry, Trixie, they will stay home and be safe away from them.”

“Oh, it's not them they should be worried about!” Trixie retorted ominously before she turned and disappeared through the portal.

The gang stood in silence for a moment, processing what Trixie had said.

“Sheesh! Someone's holding a grudge,” Sonic remarked.

Rarity frowned. “I'll say! That was completely unnecessary!”

“While that was an unnecessary statement, I can't blame her for being angry at them considering the circumstances,” said Sunset.

“Even so, I don't care if we're on ‘friendly terms’ with her or how mad they all are, no one touches Scoots and her friends when I'm around!” Rainbow Dash growled.

Applejack sighed. “Even if Spoiled didn't ban those three, this is all the more reason why we keep our sisters at home.”

The gang nodded in agreement.

Some time passed, and everyone who came from the school, including the students, parents, and staff made it safely through the portal ring with Sonic's guidance. After one more person stepped into the portal, Sonic addressed the room.

“Okay, is that everyone?” he asked.

“Not quite.”

Discord, along with Cadance and Shining Armor entered the living room.

“It's just us adults, and you teens, of course,” said Discord before facing the couple. “I'll give you two a little time to get ready while I go ahead and make sure that everyone is situated and not do anything stupid, you know, per job and all that junk.”

“Before you go, Discord, I need to ask,” Sunset spoke up. “Where's Luna? I haven't heard of her since last night.”

Discord shrugged. “Don't know.”

Sunset and the others were taken aback by his blunt reply.

“You don't know!?” Sunset exclaimed. “What do you mean, ‘you don't know’?”

“It means, I. Don't. Know! How much clearer do I have to be?” Discord huffed.

Sunset frowned, irritated by Discord's antics. “You're not making sense, Discord!”

Discord sighed. “Look, Sunny, all I know is that I was told that Luna was busy with something at the moment, so they put me in charge of guiding everyone to Hoovaii.”

“He's telling the truth, Sunset,” said Cadance, vouching for the janitor. “I had a similar phone call that Luna is away and placing him in charge.”

Twilight furrowed her brows. “Who's placing Discord in charge.”

“Oh it was that woman who was waiting for us at Hoovaii,” Discord answered, flicking his goatee in thought. “Now, what was her name? Rosie? Rosemary?”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Rosette Nebula?”

Discord snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that's it! That's who it was!”

The gang was stunned by Discord's revelation, only making them feel more confused about Luna’s actions.

“But I don’t get it!” Twilight exclaimed with a perplexed look. “Why did Rosette tell you about Vice Principal Luna and not us?”

“Or better yet, why didn’t Luna tell us herself that she is busy?” Sunset added with a frown.

“Wish I knew ladies!” Discord shrugged. “I'm just in the dark as you are. If you want to know, it's best to ask that astrophysical lady yourself.”

“...it's astrophysicist!” Twilight deadpanned with an annoyed look.

“Oh, to-mah-to, tomato!” Discord said nonchalantly, annoying the genius teen further. He began to walk away towards the portal. “Anyway, I like to stay and chat, but I should be off.”

“Now remember Discord!” Cadance called out to him. “Your job is to watch over our students. So no fooling around!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know the drill!” Discord waved Cadance off while his back was still facing them. “See you on the flip side, ladies!”

As Discord was stepping through the portal, the gang could barely hear him humming some kind of random song to himself.

“Discord, I'm howlin' at the moon, and sleepin' in the middle of a summer afternoon. Discord, whatever did we do? To make you take our world away?”

Even after Discord disappeared into the portal, the whole group stared at the portal with astonished expressions.

“...that guy…is a strange dude!” Sonic uttered.

“That's an understatement!” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“He may be strange, but he's actually nice when you get to know him.” Fluttershy defended the janitor in question, causing Rainbow Dash to roll her eyes.

Cadance cleared her throat. “In any case, we should go too. It's also my job to watch the students so they don't get into trouble.” She said before adding with a whisper, “Including Discord!”

“Darling, are you sure it's a good idea for you to go in your condition?” Rarity asked in a concerned tone, pointing at Cadance's stomach.

“Not to worry!” Shining Armor interjected. “I'll be going with her so that I can make sure that she and our child are safe from harm, even in a land of paradise!”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “While it's not necessary, Shining will help me during our trip. And I'm due in two weeks, so it should be fine.”

Twilight furrowed her brows. “But what about Shining’s job? Wasn't he needed?”

“No worries!” Shining assured. “The higher-ups understood and let me go with her. I even placed Zephyr in charge of some tasks until I got back.”

Fluttershy frowned in worry. “You're not assigning him any dangerous work, are you?”

“Not at all!” Shining shook his head. “Just some simple parking tolls patrol, traffic directing, and on parole duty on an ex-con.”

“What!?” Fluttershy shrieked in a panicked look. “He's going to be with a criminal!?”

“Don't worry!” Shining soothed. “This guy has been on good behavior and willing to comply. Your brother will be fine.”

“You sure about that?” Rainbow Dash remarked, only to receive a harsh elbow jab by Applejack after making Fluttershy worry even more.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

They all turned to see Princess Twilight, now in a different outfit, entering the living room. Unlike her usual outfit when she visited the human world, Princess Twilight was now wearing a blue dress with a see-through blue sheer over her shoulders with a red ribbon, light blue waist ribbon, golden wrist brackets, and indigo heels. There were even multiple tiny patterns of her cutie mark along the bottom of her dress.

Image by Lhenao

“Oh my!” Rarity cried enthusiastically. “You look absolutely stunning, Darling!”

Princess Twilight blushed. “T-thanks, Rarity! Are you sure you want to give me this dress?”

“But of course!” Rarity answered with a smile. “Consider this as a gift for being our friend!”

Princess Twilight smiled at that.

“Hey there, Princess Brainiac!” Sonic waved with a smile.

Princess Twilight suddenly had a confused expression. “Princess Brainiac?”

Sonic nodded. “Yeah! You're like our Brainiac, but a Princess!”

Princess Twilight blinked. “Uh…”

“He always likes to come up with nicknames for everyone he meets,” Sunset explained. “It's kinda his thing.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added with a happy chirp. “The fact that he gave you one means that he likes you!”

“Except for Spoiled Rich and Robotnik! They get the bad names!” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack hissed, subtly pointing at Twilight who had her head Down, both in sadness and discomfort.

Rainbow Dash winced, feeling guilty for unintentionally bringing his name up in front of Twilight. “Shoot! …sorry, Twi!”

“It's… it's fine, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said quietly.

Everyone stood in uncomfortable silence. It was no secret to the group that Twilight suffered the most from what happened eight months ago. Every time that certain doctor's name was brought up, Twilight would either freeze in fear and anxiety or worst-case scenario, have a breakdown. While they still don't exactly know what happened to their dear friend, they all agree to be there for her and try not to bring him up the best they can.

Before Sunset or anyone could try to gently change the topic, they heard a quiet utterance from behind them.

“Hey um… Sunset? Everyone?”

The gang turned to see the CMCs quietly make their way over to them with meek expressions, feeling uncomfortable from their attention.

“Ah… just wanted to say… thanks for havin’ us over and to have us stay this house together,” Apple Bloom spoke up for her friends. “We really appreciate it.”

“Don't thank us, girls,” Sunset stated. “If you want to thank someone, it's Sonic. He's the one who convinced us to bring you three to stay here.”

“But keep this in mind, girls!” Applejack frowned, crossing her arms. “You three ain't here to have fun! You three are still punished after what happened with that party stunt at our school.”

“And considering that Spoiled Rich banned you three from coming to our graduation trip, leaving you alone in your own homes would be too cruel.” Rarity added. “So be grateful that you three are staying together in one house.”

Scootaloo frowned. “While we know that we deserved it, it's still not fair that we can't come with you.”

“Cheer up, Squirt!” Rainbow Dash gently rubbed the top of Scootaloo's head. “We'll call you from time to time and we'll even bring back some souvenirs from our trip.”

“Yeah, it's not all bad, Scotta Sister!” Sonic grinned. “You have me here. And we'll be in charge of the house!”

“Oh no!” Sunset crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed. “You're not in charge! Spike is!”

Spike swelled his chest in pride, much to the displeasure of the three young girls and the blue hedgehog.

“Seriously!?” Scootaloo complained. “We're being babysat by a dog… again!?”

“Yeah, no offense to the little guy, but are you all sure he's fit for the job?” Sonic added. “He couldn't even keep track of his chew toy!”

Spike frowned in annoyance. “You know I'm sitting right here, right?”

Rarity shook her head. “No offense, but based on all your track record, I find Spike to be more trustworthy than the four of you combined.”

“And especially after that stunt with the school!” Applejack said firmly.

“We said we were sorry! Jeez!” Apple Bloom remarked, now frustrated for being reminded of their actions so many times.

Sunset felt a bit of sympathy for the young trio and let out a soft sigh. “Look, girls… just listen to Spike and stay out of trouble… alright?”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Yeah… alright.”

The other two CMCs nodded quietly.

“And that goes double for you, Sonic!” Sunset added sternly.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sonic rolled his eyes. “I'll behave.”

“We’ll only be gone for a couple of days,” said Twilight. “But in case there's any emergencies, you can reach out to Tempest. Got it?”

“Got it,” The kids responded in unison, nodding in understanding.

Applejack rubbed the top of Apple Bloom's head in affection. “Ya know that Ah love ya, right Bloom?”

Apple Bloom lightly swatted Applejack's away but sighed. “Yeah… Ah know.”

“Same with me Sweetie,” Rarity added, to which Sweetie Belle nodded.

No words were spoken between Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, but they both fist-bumped each other with soft grins.

“Alright, we should be going!” said Cadance as she gently grasped Shining’s hand. “We'll meet you girls on the other side.”

“And try not to burn this house down, you three!” Shining stated sternly, causing the CMCs to gulp.

“We won't! Apple's honor!” Apple Boom replied earnestly.

With a satisfied nod, Shining gently led his wife over to the portal before they both disappeared through it.

Sunset knelt in front of Sonic and spread her arms open. “All right, bring it in!”

Sonic scoffed playfully, taking off his sunglasses. “Sunset, I'm about to be the hedgehog of the house for the first time. I think I'm a little mature enough to hug you goodbye.”

“Okay, what about a power bump?” Twilight suggested.

Sonic’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Power bump! That's more like it!”

Sunset laughed as she stood back up. “All right then.”

Sunset, Twilight, and Sonic bumped their fists together, followed by the rest of the Rainbooms, CMCs, and even Spike placed his paw in. They lingered their fist bumps for a moment before throwing their arms up.

“Rainbooms!” They all cheered.

As the Rainbooms were getting ready to jump into the portal, Sonic called out to Sunset.

“Oh, before you go, take this Sunset!” Sonic took out one of his rings. “Use this one to get back home.”

With a wink, Sonic flicked his ring over to Sunset with his thumb, to which Sunset caught it.

“Thanks!” Sunset nodded before pocketing the ring.

“All right, we're off!” said Twilight as she and the others stepped through the portal.

“Yeah, be good kids!” Applejack added.

“And stay cool! said, Rainbow Dash.

“And have fun!” Pinkie cheered.

“But not too much fun!” Rarity stated sternly.

“And most importantly stay safe!” Fluttershy waved.

“We will!” Sonic waved.

The CMCs also waved at the Rainbooms.

“See ya, sis!”

“Bye, Rarity!”

“Later, Rainbow Dash!”

As soon as the Equestria Girls completely entered through the portal, Sunset suddenly turned around.

“And if you need anything, call us anytime. You have our number!”

“Sorry, I can't hear you, you're traveling through a cross-dimensional portal!” Sonic joked as the ring portal was closing on the older teens. Sonic then waved. “Have fun graduating at Hoovaii!”

The girls waved back from the other side of the portal until the portal itself closed off completely, leaving the blue hedgehog, three pre-teens, and the purple dog alone in the house.

“Whelp, they're gone now,” Apple Bloom stated.

Scootaloo turned to Sonic. “So… now what?”

“Now…” Sonic paused for a moment before smirking mischievously. “We are going to have some fun!”

This caught the CMCs by surprise.

“We are?” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“You bet we are!” Sonic winked. “Just because our siblings will have some fun in Hoovaii, doesn't mean that we can't have fun ourselves!”

The girls smiled, liking the idea.

Their excitement was short-lived the moment Spike spoke up.

“Hold on, Sonic! Did you forget that I'm in charge? And these girls are grounded and can't leave the house, remember?”

“Who said we'll be having fun outside the house?” Sonic said slyly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Spike’s eyes narrowed. “Oooh no! I know what you're trying to do!” Spike held his head high. “Both Twilight and Sunset gave me instructions on what to do with you four while they were away. So if you think you're pulling a fast one and fool me, you got another thing–”

Suddenly, Spike smelled something, causing him to stop speaking and sniff profusely. Spike lowered his head to locate the smell and stopped once he found the source. In front of him was a used smelly sock, held by Sonic’s fingers. The CMCs recoiled away from the smelly sock in disgust, but Sonic, unaffected by the smell, had a cheeky smile on his face.

“Oh I'm sorry, little guy, you were saying something?" Sonic asked, dangling the sock in front of Spike.

Spike gasped. “Oh! My! Goodness!” Spike moved closer to the sock, his whole body shaking at the sight of it. “I-is that… the classic white ankle sock? The one that's both cotton and nylon blend? About two hundred wears deep? And never washed?”

Sonic smirked, dangling the sock some more. “Yep! And it's all yours to keep… if you allow us to do whatever we want!” Sonic then paused before looking away as if he was reconsidering. “Unless you don't want this, then I guess I'll just return it to the–”

“Wait!” Spike barked, reaching for the sock desperately. “You can do whatever you want! Just gimme gimme gimmie!”

Sonic chuckled, tossing the sock to the purple pup. “Then it's all yours, little buddy!”

With a delightful bark, Spike pounced on the sock and chewed it like there was no tomorrow.

The girls watched Spike with astonished expressions before they leaned close to the blue hedgehog.

“Sonic, is that really the sock Spike was raving about?” Apple Bloom whispered.

“Yeah, I heard that alone cost around two hundred dollars!” Sweetie Belle added in a hushed tone.

“Of course not!” Sonic shook his head quietly. “No way I'll be spending money on that! It's just a random old sock I found from the junkyard during my runs. I figured that'll come in handy.”

“...Dude!” Scootaloo blinked before smirking. “That's so horrible!”

“I know!” Sonic smirked back before clapping his hands. “Okay, it's forty-eight hours until they come back. We've got TV channels, streaming channels, a house full of food, and no supervision!”

The girls smiled mischievously as Sonic put his sunglasses back on and gave the CMCs his two-fingered guns with a smirk.

“Let’s do this!”

Author's Notes:

Guess who's back!

Sorry for the long wait everyone! The holidays and life itself take up a lot of time. So I hope this long chapter makes up for it.

I know this story starts out a little slow to some, but now that the Equestria Girls went to Hoovaii and Sonic, the CMCs, and Spike stayed behind, things will finally kick up a gear a bit. Hope you all stick around, things will get exciting from here on out!

And yes, the human Discord made his debut. While it's typical that Discord is portrayed as the janitor in the EqG world, it does fit him well IMO. The description of his human counterpart was based on the image below by Uotapo, but I added his janitor uniform instead of his casual clothes.

Special shout out to Norisu Ninja and FanOfWriting for letting me use nickname ideas for other EqG characters by Sonic. All credit goes to them. Thank you both so much!

By Norisu Ninja:
Derpy - Muffin Girl
Flash - Guitar Dude
Bulk Biceps - Muscle Man
Trixie - Trickster
Photo Finish - Camera Lady
Octavia - Violin Gal

By FanOfWriting:
Sandalwood: Hippie Guy
Micro Chips: Nerd Guy
Wallflower Blush: Plant Lady
Vinyl Scratch: DJ Gal

On that note, most of the CHS students in this chapter only made a cameo appearance in this story. Some will show up again later. Who will it be? I can't say… yet!

Anyway, here are this chapter's notes and references:

Princess Twilight mentioning Princess Celestia trying out Zip-lines is a callback to MLP:FiM Season 9 - Episode 13, Between Dark and Dawn when Celestia and her sister were riding down the zip-line.

Princess Twilight listing off what her friends are up to now is a callback to what everyone ended up doing at the end of MLP's last episode, The Last Problem. And for the record, this story takes place years before the events of the last episode.

The phrase, “I hate that Hedgehog!” was a reference to Robotnik’s catchphrase throughout the cartoon series, The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QuNPqMGPeU

From what I could gather, Flash's nickname “Brad” was actually given by the fans after the first trailer of Equestria Girls movie because his real name wasn't revealed yet at the time. It is unknown as to how he got his nickname, but some claimed it was due to ZXInsanity's joke video, EQUESTRIA GIRLS *Movie Accurate Remake* involving Nicholas Cage.

youtube.com/watch?v=NCDG5OeMkqo

Don't ask.

Nevertheless, even after his real name was revealed, fans who disliked Flash mocked him by calling him “Brad” and some still do to this day.

Discord singing, er… “Discord,” as well as his ringtone is a callback from a well-known MLP fan song by Eurobeat Brony (Tombstone Remix), one of my favorite MLP fan songs!

youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk&pp=ygURZGlzY29yZCB0b21ic3RvbmU%3D

Spike the dog's love for smelly classic ankle socks is a callback to one of Equestria Girls' shorts, Reboxing w/ Spike.

Images:
Human Discord and CMCs image by Uotapo
Shadowbolts in casual clothing by LimeDazzle
Derpy vector by masemj
Wallflower vector Image by punzil504
Princess Twilight visiting CHS vector by Lhenao

That is it for now! See you all next time in the next chapter!

Volume I - Chapter 8: Arrival to Hoovaii and Home Alone Fun!

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Hoofolulu, Hoovaii; the land of paradise. The island itself is one of the most beautiful places to go whenever anyone wants to go for a vacation away from their stressful lives or to have fun. The beaches were sandy and hot, but full of fun activities; like tanning, volleyball, sand sculpting, swimming, and of course, surfing. The city itself is also a hot spot for various activities for tourists during the daytime and nighttime. That much excitement and activities were why Hoofolulu, Hoovaii was considered to be the number one vacation spot all around the world.

However, despite Hoofolulu being considered to be the most paradise spot in the world, even paradise has its share of darkness.

Within a suite room section of Sandy Hooves hotel, one individual was staring out through the window towards the city and beaches of Hoofolulu, Hoovaii with a calculated look. This person did not care about the environment or the fun activities all around them, all they cared about was to make sure that their plan of revenge was still in motion. They had a small snag in their direction, but that person paid no mind after they were informed that their main “guests” were still attending as planned.

At that moment, the individual heard a door open behind them. The mysterious person didn't feel the need to turn to see who it was since they gave the leader of the Dazzling a copy of their room key to their room.

“Have they arrived yet?” The mysterious person inquired.

“Yes,” Adagio responded with a nod. “I just saw them in front of the hotel with some kind of portal. I don't know exactly what that is, but they're here regardless.”

“Very good!” The mysterious person nodded, before facing the former siren. “I shall see them for myself.”

Just as they were about to leave the room, Adagio spoke up. “Hey, don’t forget! You promised us power after you found us!” She narrowed her eyes. “When will we get that power of ours to crush these Lame-booms?”

“Patience, child! Your time will come soon!” The mysterious person glanced back at the former siren. “And do keep an eye on our ‘luggage’ until I get back!”

With that, the mysterious person calmly walked out of the room, leaving the disgruntled former siren behind in the suite room.

Somewhere outside in front of the hotel, Sandy Hooves, everyone walking along on a busy street, going through their day. All things are calm until they hear a ding followed by a portal suddenly appearing out of nowhere. As soon as the portal became as big as a doorway, one by one, many students and adults came through the portal and stood in front of the hotel. Eventually, Cadance, along with Shining Armor arrived through the portal and then slowly joined with the crowd who were busy conversing among themselves.

“Are those girls still coming?” Discord asked.

Cadance nodded. “Yes, they should arrive shortly."

Shortly after Cadance said those lines, the Rainbooms stepped through the ring portal and stood near the hotel. The girls waved a quick goodbye to the CMCs and Sonic before the portal shrunk and then disappeared. As soon as the portal disappeared, the Rainbooms let out an excited shriek, marveling at the area all around them.

“Oh, my goodness! We're here!” Rarity exclaimed excitedly, placing her palms on her cheeks. “We're actually in Hoovaii!”

“I know! It's so exciting!” Sunset squealed, surveying the area. “It's as beautiful as I can imagine!”

“I concur!” Twilight smiled. “Not only is Hoovaii on the top ten list of the most beautiful places on Earth, it is also the top tourist spot ever.”

“I can see why!” Princess Twilight grinned, surveying the area. “I'm learning lots of new amazing things every time I come to this world!”

Applejack placed her hand behind her ear, listening to the noise from the beach ahead of them. She let out a satisfied sigh. “Mmm… Ah can hear the ocean from over here!”

“And smell it too!” Pinkie added before taking a huge whiff in the air. “Ah! Oceany!”

“Aw, yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a full-tooth grin. “I can't wait to explore this place! So many things to do and so much to see!”

“And so many animals to meet!” Fluttershy squealed. “I would love to befriend them!”

Before either of the girls could do anything, Cadance walked up to the group.

“Okay, everyone!” Cadance announced, getting everyone's attention. “You will all be divided into different groups. And from there, you will be guided by your tour guide for your group, which we hired to help guide you around the island.”

“Ugh! Do we have to!?” Rainbow Dash bemoaned. “I wanted to explore the island myself!”

“Now Rainbow Dash, even though we're at Hoovaii, we're still having a school trip at the end of the day. Best be on your best behavior so you can graduate with us,” Twilight reminded.

“Yeah, yeah!” Rainbow Dash remarked, rolling her eyes.

Twilight suddenly coughed again, which Sunset took notice of. "You alright, Twi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight replied. "My allergies are acting up again. Probably by this hot weather." She took out her pill and placed it in her mouth before swallowing it with her bottle of water. "Ahhh... much better!"

Sunset frowned in concern. "You know Twi, we can always go back if you're not feeling well."

"Don't worry, Sunset," Twilight assured with a smile. "It's just allergies. I can handle it! Besides, there's no way I'm letting some allergies keep me away from meeting my favorite author again!" Twilight then looked around with furrowed brows. “Speaking of which, where's–”

“Well, aloha everyone! Welcome to paradise!”

They all turned to see a woman with bun hair wearing black glasses, a Hoovaiian shirt, a long red skirt, and purple sandals waving at them.

“Rosette Nebula!” Twilight exclaimed with a huge grin. “It's good to see you again!”

Rosette Nebula nodded. “Well, hello Twilight! Nice to see you again, too! I hope you travel well.”

“We… had a bit of a snag, but other than that, we traveled just fine,” Twilight admitted sheepishly before introducing her friends. “Speaking of which, I want you to meet my best friends! There's Pinkie Pie, whom you met at the social event, and then there's Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset Shimmer!”

“Well, it's nice to meet you all!” said Rosette with a polite smile. Her eyes then widened in surprise when she noticed Princess Twilight among the group. “Oh! Am I imagining things, or is that girl standing there looking just like you?”

While Princess Twilight stared at Rosette in confusion, the Rainbooms froze like deer in headlights. They had completely forgotten that Princess Twilight has the same similar looks as their own and they didn't foresee this before meeting anyone outside of Canterlot City. Before Princess Twilight could answer, the other Twilight quickly spoke up.

“Oh, yes!” Twilight said with her most convincing smile. “This is my twin sister! Uh… Twilly! Twilly Sparkle!”

The Rainbooms watched with nervous, disbelief expressions, Sunset nearly facepalmed from her friend's lame improv.

Rosette raised her brow. “Huh… you never mentioned you had a twin sister. And I don't recall seeing her at the social event either.”

“Oh, that's because… she was studying overseas at the time!” Twilight lied, her eyes darted back and forth. “And she came to visit just to see me graduate.”

“I see,” Rosette simply stated before addressing Princess Twilight with a smile. “Well, in that case, it's nice to meet you, Twilly! I bet you're proud of your sister!”

“Oh, I am!” Princess Twilight, aka Twilly, replied before smiling. “And I'm also proud of my friends too! They've come a long way.”

“Well, it’s obvious they mean so much to you that you traveled all the way here,” Rosette said before rubbing her chin. “So where are you studying?”

“Equestria!” Twilight said brightly, causing the Rainbooms to silently gape in horror.

Rosette blinked. “What?”

Before Twilly could clarify, Twilight quickly covered Twilly's mouth with a nervous smile. “Ah ha ha ha ha ha! My sister is quite the kidder! She was studying from *Prance! Very lovely place for sights and knowledge!”

“...riiiiight,” Rosette blinked before clearing her throat. “Anyway, you said that you and your friends had a snag coming here?”

Thankful for the sudden change of topic, Sunset jumped in. “Yes. Just as we were about to get ready to travel, Spoiled Rich used our funds to travel to Hoovaii herself!”

Rosette's eyes widened. “My goodness! That sounds dreadful!” She paused. “But how did you get here without the funds?”

“Well, thankfully… we had help from a friend of ours,” Sunset answered vaguely before frowning. “We wouldn’t have come here if it weren’t for their aid.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re all here!” Rosette frowned. “Still, I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ll have a word with Spoiled Rich later. Her actions were unacceptable!”

“Let’s see if that crooked nose hag gets out of this!” Rainbow Dash muttered before getting nudged by Fluttershy with a disapproving look. “What? Everyone thinks that!”

“We appreciate that,” said Twilight. “Anyway, about our deal–”

“We can wait on that, Twilight,” Rosette said gently, raising her palm. “You just arrived here. So why don't you and your friends get to know the area and relax for a while and we can talk later.”

“Oh… alright then,” said Twilight, trying not to sound disappointed.

As Rosette walked over to a different group of students and staff, Princess Twilight whispered to Twilight with a frown. “Twin sister?”

Twilight gave her counterpart a sheepish expression. “I'm sorry, Princess Twilight! While she was aware of Equestrian Magic, she didn't know anything about your world. So we're still trying to keep it under wraps.”

Princess Twilight nodded. “I understand. But next time, please give me the heads up!”

Twilight chuckled nervously.

As Rosette finished introducing herself to another group, Discord approached her. “So, Rosey– I can call you ‘Rosey’, right? Do we know if our so-called Principal has arrived yet?”

Rosette nodded. “Yes, I think she just arrived just a moment ago.”

“Good!” Discord frowned, turning his attention to Cadance. “While you go handle the kids, I have a few choice of words to say to her!”

With that, Discord turned and walked towards the hotel to look for the “Principal” in question.

Fluttershy watched Discord leaving with worry. “Will Discord be okay? I don't want him to get in trouble.”

“Oh, he'll be fine! He knows to behave without causing trouble… I think,” said Cadance before clapping her hands. “Anyway, you eight are in group D. So please find your tour guide for group D!”

“Anything we should know about the person who guides us?” Rarity inquired.

“Well, I heard that she was once a local to this island before traveling around the world,” Cadance answered. “But she just returned from traveling and is new to the job. So please try to go easy on her.”

Shinning cleared his throat. “Cadance, maybe you should take a break! I don't want you to over-stress yourself!”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “Relax, Shining, I'll be fine. I'm only going to be on my feet for a while.”

“You've been on your feet for hours!” Shining argued. “I'll look after the students and parents while you relax on a bench!”

Cadance opened her mouth to argue.

“And that's final!” Shining added sternly.

Cadance huffed. “Fine!” She then faced the Rainbooms. “Looks like I'm in trouble. You girls will be okay from here?”

Sunset nodded. “We'll be fine. Thanks, Cadance!”

“Take care, Caddy!” Pinkie chirped happily with a wave.

With a nod, Cadance was gently led away by Shining Armor towards the bench far away from the group.

“Your brother is very caring, Twilight!” said Fluttershy.

Twilight smiled. “Yeah, that's Shining for ya! Ever since Cadance became pregnant, he's been out of his way to protect her and make her comfortable… even when he gets carried away sometimes.”

Princess Twilight smirked. “My Shining Armor is like that too! Always protective of his family.”

As Princess Twilight continued to talk about her brother, the other Twilight noticed her former classmates, the Shadowbolts were talking excitedly among themselves about the trip with Indigo Zap being the most animated of the group. Twilight frowned at them, unpleasant feelings stirred up from within her. While she was happy where she was now, she will never forget the treatment she had to put up with other students like the Shadowbolts throughout her years spent at Crystal Prep, especially by her former principal.

“Oh, of course, we’re friends… if you’re the last person on Earth!”

“For someone who is the smartest in our school, you’re super lame, dude!”

“I can’t believe you’re in the same school as us! Maybe you should belong with the losers like Canterlot High!”

“No one likes you here! You should consider rethinking your options!”

“You stay away from me! I’m not friends with you… or anyone for that matter!”

“In Crystal Prep, we’re trying to keep up our reputation… don’t you ever disappoint me!”

“Twilight?”

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and quickly addressed her friend. “I’m sorry, you said something Rarity?”

“I said who is our tour guide, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

Twilight was about to answer but she paused. She then facepalmed herself. “Oh, darn! I forgot to ask the tour guide’s name!”

“Ah, don't fret, Twi! Ah’m sure we can find our guide,” Applejack assured.

“Yeah! We know our tour guide is a she, so that's something we can work with!” Rainbow Dash added.

Rarity frowned. “I don't think that alone is enough, darling. There's still a lot of people to narrow things out.”

“What about them,” Pinkie suggested, pointing behind the group.

The Rainbooms turned towards where Pinkie was pointing and spotted some local people hanging around near the other side of the street. While there were some dressed in beach shirts, shorts, or sometimes swimsuits, the ones who were waiting wore light, long dresses with sandals up to their legs, long hair, and sometimes jewelry. What stood out the most was their facial features made them look like there were more foreigners than locals.

Rarity studied the locals for a moment before her eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh! Aren’t they the Kirins?”

“They are Rarity,” Twilight confirmed with a nod. “Which makes sense. Some of the Kirins migrated to this country from *Japony for many decades.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “That’s cool and all, but why are they here?”

“I guess they’re here for the school to help us for the trip,” Sunset theorized. “Maybe one of them could be our tour guide.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Well, in that case, let’s go to them now!”

Before anyone could say something, Rainbow Dash already made her way towards one of the locals.

“Yo, dude! Are ya our tour guide?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

The local just stared blankly at Rainbow Dash before she turned and walked away from her.

Rainbow Dash frowned, annoyed by the local’s response. “Well, that's rude!”

“Probably because she couldn’t understand us,” Twilight explained as she and the rest of the Rainbooms caught up with Rainbow Dash. “Some locals on this island don't speak English.”

Rainbow Dash let out an annoyed groan. “Oh, that's terrific! Way to make our search harder!”

“Now, now Rainbow Dash!” Applejack gently placated her athlete friend. “We'll find our tour guide as long as we stay calm.”

Sunset nodded. “She’s right! Let’s just keep looking!”

The girls nodded before they split off, looking for their tour guide. Just as Sunset was about to begin her search, she noticed from the corner of her eye that she was being watched by some mysterious woman wearing a sunhat from the sidelines. Sunset turned her head towards the sidelines to face the woman but to Sunset's confusion, the woman disappeared out of thin air.

'Did I just imagine that?' Sunset thought, furrowing her brows. 'I could've sworn I saw someone watching me...'

"Yo, Sunset!" Rainbow Dash hollered, snapping Sunset out of her thoughts. "Are you going to help us search or not?"

'...maybe I was seeing things,' Sunset shook her head before she ran to catch up with her friends. "Sorry, I'm coming!"

“Hi! Can you help us find our tour guide?”

“You wouldn't happen to be our guide, would you?”

“Pardon me, miss, will you help us?

“Hi, friend! Are you our tour guide?”

“Um, sorry to bother you, but are you our tour guide?”

“Do you speak English?”

Nearly a half hour had passed, and the Rainbooms were unsuccessful in finding anyone who could speak their language to help them, let alone find their tour guide. The girls were standing near the road with gloomy expressions, while Rainbow Dash frowned in frustration.

“Agh! This is hopeless!” Rainbow Dash growled, throwing her hands up “We'll never find our tour guide!”

“We can't give up just yet!” said Applejack with determination. “We just have to keep on trying!”

Applejack turned around to begin her search again, only to yelp in surprise when she spotted yet another local person in front of her. This local is a girl, who has long orange hair and yellow eyes with an expressionless emotion. She wore a green dress with a black undershirt, brown belt, long brown wristbands, and brown boots.

After recovering from her shock, Applejack cleared her throat. “So, uh… I don't suppose you're our tour guide we're looking for, are ya?”

Like all the others, the girl didn’t respond and just simply stared back at Applejack with a blank emotionless expression.

Applejack let out a yell in frustration. “Oh, for the love of Pete! Can’t ya just say somethin’!”

Again, with no response from the girl, the Rainbooms watched as Applejack facepalmed herself with a long sigh. Then to everyone’s surprise and confusion, the girl suddenly smiled toothily and then let out a hearty laugh, startling Applejack in the process.

“Gotcha!” The girl declared, pointing at Applejack. She then chuckled again. “Sorry, sorry! That was too good! Oh, you don't know how much I missed jokes. Hi-larity! Am I pronouncing that right? I haven't spoken to another person, I mean, a living person in a will. While! While.”

The Rainbooms, save for Pinkie, were stunned by how this Kirin girl went from a quiet and emotionless to the most hyper and very talkative person they ever met on this island who almost rivaled even Pinkie Pie. Before Applejack could speak, the girl suddenly took her hand and shook it wildly.

“Name’s Autumn Blaze! Nice to meet you all!”

Image by: Lhenao

After finally snapping herself out of her stunned state, Twilight spoke up in an uncertain tone. “Um, are you… our guide?”

“Sure am!” Autumn Blaze replied with a huge grin, almost too close to Twilight’s face. “Best guide in all of Hoovaii! Well, technically, I'm still new as a tour guide, but I practically grew up here, so I still know everything about this island like the back of my hand! I have SO many stories to tell you of my crazy adventures on this island and beyond! So many of them! I don't even know where to start!”

“What. The… hay?” Rainbow Dash mumbled, still stunned by the girl’s display.

Pinkie giggled. “I like her already!”

Autumn Blaze suddenly became aware of her over-eagerness, and she stepped back from the group a bit. “Oh, right! You all just arrived, and perhaps you're all tired or hungry or reflective and want to sleep and eat and journal? Which you should do, of course! But first— Oh!” Autumn Blaze moved close to Applejack again and put her arm around her, causing Rarity to frown in annoyance. “Oh, what joy to talk with another person! It's been so long! You all must tell me everything about yourselves! There's so much to say, so much to do! Oh, look at me. I'm going on, and you all haven't seen— I mean, have you seen—? W-What am I saying? Of course, you haven't. So just— I— yeah— I will j— Follow me!”

With a smile and a gesture with her arm, Autumn Blaze began to skip down the road towards the town, leaving a very bewildered group behind.

“...ooooookay? That was something!” Sunset remarked.

“Yeah… that was somethin’ alright!” Applejack agreed, staring at the Kirin girl in question.

“Well… I’m sure she was just being friendly,” Fluttershy said meekly.

“A little too friendly!” Rarity drily remarked, narrowing her eyes at their tour guide in question.

Rainbow Dash let out a huff in annoyance. “Oh great! Just what we need; another Pinkie Pie!”

“What!? What’s wrong with another me?” Pinkie inquired, offended by her friend’s words. “Another me would be twice the fun!”

Princess Twilight quickly shook her head. “No, I'm with Rainbow Dash! One Pinkie Pie was enough! But having more of them is beyond chaotic! Believe me, I should know!” She then shuddered violently. “I can still hear them chanting “fun” over and over in my memory!”

Before they could ask more about the Princess’s memory in question, they heard Autumn calling out to them.

“C'mon, everyone!” Autumn waved at them with a smile. “We can't start our tour without you girls! And I have a thousand and one fun facts about this island I would love to share!” She paused for a moment, tapping her chin. “Or… was it a thousand and two? I keep losing track.”

As the Rainboom began to follow Autumn, Rainbow Dash let out a dreadful sigh. “This is going to be a long trip!”

Rarity then frowned when a sudden thought of her younger sister entered her mind. “I sure hope our sisters and Sonic are alright back at home… and stay out of trouble!”

“Ah'm sure they'll be fine, Rares!” Applejack assured. “And they're not gonna do anything. How could they possibly get into trouble while being stuck at home?”

https://youtu.be/KP3sd-Fyw0s?si=ncAUtyyUmd_egvtC][u]https://youtu.be/KP3sd-Fyw0s?si=ncAUtyyUmd_egvtC

Back at the Sparkles residence, everything seems to be peaceful and quiet throughout the house. All the types of furniture, knickknacks, and paintings were left spotless and untouched, even after everyone from CHS and Crystal Prep came through to travel to Hoovaii. Everything in the house would remain in place with no distortion or destruction whatsoever.

Suddenly, Sonic, who was wearing a toga, some blings including his golden rings, a red headband, and sunglasses, slid across the floor in the main living room, facing backward towards the front door. A second later, the CMCs also slid backward along with Sonic, wearing their rock outfits. Apple Bloom was wearing a red ribbon around her neck and an all-black tights with white stars across the body and white skulls on her bandana. Sweetie Belle wore an all-magenta tight with green stripes, had one magenta face paint around her left eye, and had her hair long and wild instead of curly. And Scootaloo was wearing all-purple tights with pink and light blue stripes and had her hair in a wild style as well.

Sonic tilted his head slightly and smirked. “Hit it!”

As soon as the music started, Sonic and the girls fully turned around and began to dance. Sonic’s dance style was him raising his arms up and down with the rhythm, Apple Bloom’s was putting her arms out, turning her whole body, and pulling them back towards her chest before starting over again, Sweetie Belle’s was sticking both her arms on one side and stretched her leg out on the other side before switching over cutely, and Scootaloo’s was a simple, yet silly chicken dance.

While having a blast, their “home-alone party” had just begun.

A short time later, the whole living room became a huge mess, with various snacks, candies, and wrappers on the floor and furniture. But Sweetie Belle wasn’t at least concerned as she was hopping on the couch while eating candy with one hand and pouring pieces of potato chips in her mouth with the other, laughing and whooping all the while. It was safe to say that Sweetie’s wild behavior was due to over amount of sugar in her system.

Meanwhile, Sonic, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were upstairs in Sonic’s attic in front of a mirror. Sonic took a huge amount of hair gel that he “borrowed” from Shining Armor and then used his super speed to rub the gel on top of his head to change the style of his quills. The first “hairstyle” he showed off to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle was a tall mohawk style with his brow raised and sunglasses on in a cool style. The girls giggled but shook their heads.

Unbothered, Sonic spun again and stopped in his disco pose with no sunglasses, but had an afro style this time. The girls laughed harder, but again they shook their heads.

With a smirk, Sonic spun the final time before revealing himself in a spiky rock style with a red headband and a rock pose. The girls grinned and they both gave him a thumbs up in approval. Satisfied, Sonic moved himself in between the girls and had his phone out. The three each stuck out their tongues and did a rock pose before Sonic took a selfie picture.

After Sonic took a picture, Sonic took his skateboard while Scootaloo took her trusty scooter and they both dropped down the stairs. Once they’re both out of the attic, Sonic rode across the floor with his board and then he grinds down the stair rails with Scootaloo following after him with her scooter. Once they both landed on ground level, they rode past Spike, who was too busy chewing on his sock to notice anything, and they split up in different directions of the house.

Sonic rode into the media room where Sweetie Belle was still hopping in place on the couch and went straight towards his man-made ramp, which was put together with chairs and some boards. He went up the half-loop ramp and launched himself into the air which gave him a split-second flip trick before landing on another ramp. He then rode up and another made-shift ramp all around the room and Sweetie Belle before exiting the ramp toward the hallway. At the same time, Scootaloo rode her scooter towards the kitchen and onto her made-shift ramp, which was leaning on the countertop. She rode it briefly before flipping herself towards another ramp and then down towards a quick loop-de-loop before she rode towards the hallway.

It was at this time that Sonic and Scootaloo were heading towards each other with a ramp in front of them and huge piles of glasses with a glass bowl on top. But that didn’t perturb them in the slightest as they sped towards their ramps, flew over the pile of glasses, and high-five each other before making a perfect landing on the opposite ramp. They both stopped and turned towards each other with huge smiles.

“Oh my gosh! That was awesome!” Sonic shouted excitedly.

“Yeah! Let’s do that again!” Scootaloo cheered.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle continued to hop up and down with glee while eating her two bags of chips. She was pouring one of her bags towards her mouth until she noticed that none of the chips were coming out of the bags. She stopped hopping and shook two of her bags, and her eyes widened in the realization that they were both empty. She then glanced around and noticed all the empty bags and various snacks were all over the floor as if a tornado had passed.

“...Uh oh!” Sweetie Belle muttered.

Feeling panicky about the mess she made and that there were no snacks in the house, she quickly looked around the room. Her eyes eventually landed on Sonic’s ring bag that was sitting on the table and paused; an idea suddenly came into her mind.

Everything appeared to be normal in Canterlot City’s supermarket as everyone was shopping around to buy food. From within a snack aisle, however, a portal suddenly appeared in front of the cookies and opened up slightly. Sweetie Belle’s arm came out of the portal, grabbed one of the Pone-os cookies, and pulled it into the portal. A second later, Sweetie’s arm popped out again and left some money on the shelf before the arm went back into the portal again before the portal disappeared for good.

Unbeknownst to Sweetie Belle, a lady, who witnessed the event the whole time, stared where the portal was with wide shocked eyes, dropping whatever product she had in her hand in the process.

“Um… are you sure we can clean this up?” Sweetie Belle asked meekly, staring at Apple Bloom nervously from the wagon.

“Absolutely!” Apple Bloom assured as she got herself on a riding lawn mower. “I used one of mah own to cut and clean up the mess back at the farm, so Ah’m sure this’ll work for this mess too?”

“Yeah… for grass!” Sweetie Belle pointed out, cocking an eyebrow. “I doubt that’ll work for snacks too.”

“Ah, quick being a worrywart!” Scootaloo elbowed Sweetie Belle playfully behind her. “It’ll be fine! Right Sonic!”

“You bet!” Sonic agreed with a thumbs up on a wagon next to Apple Bloom. He turned to Apple Bloom. “Hit it, Apple Sister!”

With a huge grin, Apple Bloom activated the riding lawn mower with a key and then they started moving around the coffee table over the discarded snacks.

As they rode over the snacks, the food was sucked underneath the machine, chopped up into pieces, and then shot out of the deck, hitting the wall and furniture in the process. While everyone cheered as they rode, Sweetie Belle cringed at the sight, fearing that they created even more of a mess than they ever started.

After they finished with their “snack mowing” job, the girls quickly took the coffee table and some skating rails out of the media room to clear out. As they did it, Sonic used a garden hose to fill a large inflatable pool with water in the middle of the room. Once the job was completed, Sonic tossed the hose aside and took out a huge jug of bubbles.

With a smirk, Sonic poured the entire liquid soap into the pool for a moment dropping the jug aside into the pool. Immediately after that, Sonic used his super speed to run himself from within the pool, turning himself into a blue tornado. As he continued to spin around, bubbles began to foam and they grew bigger and higher by the second until the bubbles filled the media room.

By the time the bubbles filled out the room, the CMCs reentered the media room and they gasped in awe at the sight. They watched as Sonic quickly dashed up on the ceiling, attached the red and blue siren light to the beam, and placed the steel colander over it. He immediately zoomed away to turn off the lights, allowing the red and blue from the siren to illuminate the room.

“Now it’s time for the real party to start!” Sonic whooped as he danced for a bit before jumping right into the huge pile of bubbles cannonball style.

The girls squealed in excitement as they ran towards the bubbles and jumped right in as well.

A few seconds after the girls jumped in, Sonic popped right back out with a beard made of bubbles. Sonic stroked his bubbled beard for a moment before diving back in and Apple Bloom popped out in his place who also had a beard made of bubbles. Apple Bloom wiggled her eyebrows while stroking her “beard” for a second before she dove back down into the bubbles again. At the same time, Sweetie Belle came up from the bubbles, wearing a bubble “crown” and “earrings”. Sweetie Belle giggled, feeling ticklish from the bubbles before diving into the bubbles. This time, Scootaloo popped up wearing a bubble “top hat”, waving her arms in a wavy pattern.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Sonic resurfaced from the sea of bubbles and they all laughed in glee.

“This is awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“Yeah, best home-alone party ever!” Sweetie Belle agreed happily.

Sonic smirked. “I'm glad you all are having fun because this party… is just getting started!”

“Heck yeah!” Apple Bloom cheered.

They all continued to dance from within a bubble-filled room, keeping their party going throughout the house.

From the outskirts of Canterlot City, was a rock cliff with a beautiful view of trees and Canterlot City with a sun setting in the background. No creature was around the area except for a few birds chirping from within the trees. There was even a gentle breeze, causing a few trees to sway with the wind.

All seemed peaceful.

Suddenly, the wind was picking up, causing the leaves that were on the ground to rustle and then lifted into the air. The leaves then spun around into a mini makeshift tornado, spinning faster and faster. Then, with a sudden sound of a ‘dink”, the ring suddenly appeared and grew into a large portal. The portal lingered for a few seconds longer before a mysterious small creature leaped out of the portal and then landed on the cliff of Earth with his two feet.

That mysterious creature in question looked like a tiny golden-yellow fox with blue eyes. But he’s no ordinary fox. He was also wearing a pair of white gloves, red shoes and he even had a yellow backpack strapped on his back. He even has two tails instead of one like all the other foxes.

The small fox then took out a small yellow device from his backpack and used it to scan something, or someone, from within the nearby town. “If these readings are accurate, he's here,” the Fox muttered. “I found him! I just hope we’re not too late.”

As the fox said those lines, someone else also stepped through the portal and stood behind the fox. Unlike the small fox, this person is a different species, specifically a male human. He stared out towards Canterlot City with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“So… this is Earth, huh?” He hummed, studying the area. “This place is more beautiful than I thought.”

The fox glanced slightly toward his companion. “You know, you don’t have to help me find him,” he offered. “I can just drop you off somewhere so you can find your family.”

The human shook his head. “It’s okay… they can wait.” He flashed the fox his smile. “Besides, I promised that I’d help. And I don’t leave anyone hanging who asks for help.”

“Well, if you say so, but I appreciate it!” the Fox smiled before facing the town again. “Anyway, he’s somewhere in this town, so let’s go!”

The fox twisted his two tails and then he spun them around like a helicopter. The fox slowly lifted himself off of the ground while keeping his tails spinning. With a determined expression, the fox zoomed toward the town at high speed to get to his destination.

The human lingered behind as he took out an old photograph from his pocket, staring intensely at it. It was a picture of a little girl with rainbow hair, wearing blue overalls with a smile on her face.

The man has lost his memories from long ago and he didn’t even know who he is or his past. All he remembered was that he used to live on Earth and that he knew this little girl only by a certain name. He doesn’t know why she was on his mind a lot despite having no memories, but what he does know is that she is very important to him and that he needs to find her.

But that search can wait for the time being.

“Just wait for me a little longer, kid,” He whispered, rubbing the photo gingerly. “I’ll see you soon… Skittles.”

He carefully placed the photo back into his pocket before activating his jet pack, which was hidden in his backpack. He lifted himself in the air before he followed the fox to resume their mission to find this specific person.

Whoever this “creature” is, they need to find him, and they need to find him soon!

Author's Notes:

Hello again everyone!

I'm super excited about this chapter because we are finally introducing the human version of Autumn Blaze!

I loved her the moment Autumn Blaze first appeared on the show. She is one of my favorite side characters of MLP: FiM because of her cute design, her personality was infectious, and her song was the best in season 8.

The only downside... she only made one major appearance in the show. She made a brief background appearance in the last few episodes, but that was it. It was such a shame that she wasn't featured in another episode before the series was done. If only she wasn't introduced so late in the series.

That is why I'm introducing her EqG counterpart in my story and we will see her a lot throughout the story. And that's all I'm going to say!

If the ending section with Tails sounds familiar to you, that is because it was from the mystery chapter from my previous story. Only this time, it is part of this story! So where is he and this "Stranger" are heading? Only time will tell.

Anyway, not a lot this time around, but here are some notes and references:

*Prance and Japony are pony puns for France and Japan.

Autumn Blaze's meeting with the Rainbooms was a callback to her counterpart's first meeting with Pony Applejack in MLP:FiM: Season 8, Episode 23 - Sounds of Silence.

Princess Twilight recalling about dealing with multiple Pinkies was a callback to the events from MLP:FiM: Season 3, Episode 3, Too Many Pinkie Pies.

The rock outfits the CMCs were wearing are a callback to EqG: Rainbow Rocks, as well as a callback to their pony counterparts in MLP:FiM Season 1 - Episode 18, The Show Stoppers, when they wore those same outfits during the battle of the bands and the talent show.

The CMCs dance style was the same dance style from the first Equestria Girls movie during the Fall Formel.

Pone-os is a pony pun for Oreos.

Video:
The song used was called Here Comes the Hotstepper (Heartical Mix) by Ini Kamoze

Image:
EqG Autumn Blaze image by Lhenao

Anyway, that is it for this chapter! See you all on the next one!

Volume I - Chapter 9: Can You Feel the Sunshine?

View Online

It was almost nighttime at Canterlot City. There were only a few people out in town right now, walking through the streets for their last-minute shopping or just to explore for the fun of it. One person in particular was driving in a police car, heading towards the mom-and-pop shops along the road.

Zephyr Breeze was having a rough week starting as a trainee deputy for the police department. He was scolded constantly by Officer Shining Armor for being “lazy” and not doing the job as assigned. He was even in trouble for hitting on ladies during the job, including at Sweet Shoppe yesterday, for which he was banned as a result. Since Shining wasn't around today due to a trip, Zephyr decided to treat himself to some donuts and coffee at the newest establishment, the Mean Bean Coffee.

Of course, he was supposed to be doing paperwork for Officer Shining Armor while he was away and Zephyr should only be using a police car with another officer present, but Shining and the higher-ups didn't need to know that.

Zephyr parked his car in front of the coffee shop. “Ah, this is great! With Shining Armor gone and the higher-ups all busy, I can do whatever I want!” Zephyr then stepped out of his car. “First, some coffee and donuts, and then I'll chillax in this car for the rest of my shift. Ah, life is good!”

With a carefree smile, Zephyr made his way over to the Mean Bean and stepped inside.

It was around the same time when a certain yellow fox and a human with a battle uniform, were hovering over one of the bushes near the coffee shop. The fox slowed down his tails as he landed gently into the bush while his human companion slowly deactivated his hovercraft and landed alongside him.

The human glanced around town with a thoughtful expression. “Hmm… this town looks a little different from how I remembered.” He frowned. “At least… what I can remember.”

The fox turned to him with sympathy. “Don't worry. I'm sure your memories will come back to you in time.” He tilted his head. “You sure you don't want to look for your family?”

“I'm positive!” The human smiled assuredly. “You saved my life despite not knowing who I am and that I'm a different creature from another world. The least I can do is to return the favor. I'll find my family once we're done with our mission, promise!”

“...if you say so,” said the Fox before looking at his tech again. “Hmm… he's close.”

“How close are we talking?” The human inquired.

“About a few miles from here,” the Fox replied.

The human nodded. “That's not too bad. Since it's nighttime, we can walk the rest of the way on foot.”

“I disagree,” the Fox shook his head. “While there are fewer people now, it's still too risky. We just need a way to reach him without being spotted.”

The man hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. While blending in is no problem to him since he's a human himself, the same could not be said for his foxy companion. It'll be hard to hide him from anyone, even if the fox pretends that he is a plush toy. He needs to find a way to hide his fox companion while finding this other creature as quickly as possible.

The man looked around the area until he spotted a lone police car, parking in front of the Mean Bean Coffee Shop with hardly anyone around. The man then had an idea and turned to his partner with a smirk.

“Hey kid… how would you like to ride in a human vehicle?”

Sometime later, Zephyr walked out of the coffee shop with a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of donuts in another.

“Alrighty!” Zephyr grinned as he made his way to his vehicle. “I got myself some free donuts and coffee! Now I can get in my car and–”

Zephyr suddenly froze in shock, dropping his coffee and donuts in the process.

His car, which he left parked in front of the store some time ago, has disappeared. Zephyr frantically looked all over the area in hopes that he misremembered his parking location, but his car was nowhere in sight.

“My car's gone!” Zephyr shouted in a panic, getting some bystanders' attention. “Somebody call the police!”

When he received the bystanders’ odd looks, Zephyr glanced at his uniform.

“...Oh, wait,” he uttered sheepishly before he ran off towards the police station.

As he was running towards the station, only one thought entered his mind.

‘The higher-ups are gonna kill me for this!’

https://youtu.be/-ega1BockHY?si=isYI9IEOSbeyjtq8

Back at the Sparkle's household, three girls and a blue hedgehog were still enjoying their “Home-Alone Party” in a room full of bubbles and listening to some funky dance music. The four of them were currently lounging within the inflatable pool, lying against a large inflatable pink flamingo while wearing sunglasses.

Apple Bloom took a sip of her pink lemonade through a straw and then smacked her lips. “Ahhh… this is the life!” Apple Bloom sighed constantly.

“Totally!” Scootaloo agreed before taking a sip from her own lemonade. “No parents, no siblings, no rules!”

“Yeah! And we can do whatever we want!” Sweetie Belle added with a cheer.

“See ladies, I told you this is a good idea!” Sonic winked as he took a sip from his lemonade. “We deserved some fun too and our families over at Hoovaii were none the wiser!”

Suddenly, they heard a loud vibration sound coming from the bottom of their pool. Sonic took his sunglasses off and took a peek through all the bubbles before realizing that it came from his phone. Curious about who was calling him, Sonic stuck his arm through the bubbles and fished out his phone to see the caller ID. His expression became nervous when he saw an image of an Equestrian Girl, who was the one calling to check up on them. And worst of all, it was a video call.

“Uh oh!” Sonic muttered nervously. “Oooh boy!”

“What?” Apple Bloom inquired as she took off her sunglasses. “What's wrong, Sonic!”

“It's Equestrian Girl! She's calling me!” Sonic responded.

Hearing one of their sisters’ friends calling them makes the CMCs nervous.

“Is it voice or video call?” Scootaloo asked, hoping it was the latter.

“...video,” Sonic replied.

“Oh, crud! We're dead!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed who was now starting to panic.

“Don't worry, ladies!” Sonic quickly assured. “I got this!”

Before the girls could ask what he meant, Sonic quickly got out of the pool and rushed towards the wall switch, turning the room lights on and shutting off the music. Then with his super speed, Sonic quickly got to work in cleaning everything up within the media room.

Sonic first cleared up all the bubbles out of the room until the room became bubble-free. Before the CMCs realized what was happening, Sonic quickly took them out of the pool, replacing their costumes with their normal clothes before removing the pool from the room. He then removed all the snack bags on the floor, cleaned the floor and walls, fixed the picture frames on the walls, and placed the furniture back in its original spot almost simultaneously.

All within a second.

By the time Sonic finished, the girls were amazed at a now clean room, as if everything they'd done here never happened.

“Wow… wish we met Sonic earlier!” Scootaloo remarked, looking around the room in awe. “He could've saved us some of the trouble we faced in the past.”

Sonic, who was now lying on the couch, hushed at them with his finger. “All right girls, act natural!”

With nods from the CMCs, Sonic cleared his throat before putting on a smile and answering Sunset’s call.

Sonic’s phone screen then revealed Sunset, who was smiling at him and was now at the beach with some palm trees behind her.

“Aloha, kids!” Sunset waved. “How are you guys!”

“Oh, ya know…” Sonic drawled while trying to come up with a good lie. “Just a quiet night at home, settling in with a good book.”

“And board games!” Apple Bloom added helpfully.

“And video games!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“And roller skating around the house!” said Scootaloo with her most convincing grin.

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “What was the last one?”

“...video games?” Scootaloo offered.

“SO! What's up with you?” Sonic quickly changed the subject.

“Well, I'm calling you to say we're here,” Sunset narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously. “But now, every word coming out of the four of you is making me suspicious.”

“What?!” Sonic smirked, while still trying to play it cool. “Girl, you just gotta relax! You're in Hoovaii. Have some lemonade! Enjoy some time with your friends! Get sunburned somewhere embarrassing! This weekend is about you and your friends!”

Sunset paused for a moment, still staring at him intensely which nearly made Sonic and the girls sweat nervously. Then almost immediately, Sunset smiled.

“You know what? You're right!” Sunset nodded. “We power bumped on it. So whatever it is you're doing, I'm sure you can undo it by the time we get home, yeah?"

“Exactly!” Sonic exclaimed, silently glad that he and his sisters were off the hook. “I mean, I am deeply offended by such accusations!”

Sunset simply chuckled at him.

“So how is your graduation trip so far?” Apple Bloom cuts in. “Are you and my sister enjoying it so far?”

“So far we're settling in,” Sunset answered as she surveyed the area around her. “Hoovaii is more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. They have beaches, shops, and restaurants! They're all so incredible! And we even have a tour of the area right now by our tour guide.”

“Wow! I'm so jealous!” Sweetie Belle said before sighing. “I wish we were there.”

“If you kids behave, I'll see if I can convince your sisters to bring home some souvenirs.” Sunset offered.

“Still wish we were there though,” Scootaloo muttered with a pout.

“Anyway, I gotta go! I think our tour guide is leading us to our final destination,” said Sunset before pointing at them. “Just stay out of trouble!”

“Trouble? Us?” Sonic joked with a grin. “Don't worry. Everything here is completely normal.”

The CMCs nodded in unison.

Unbeknownst to them, Spike was happily walking across the room with a sock in his mouth and his entire back and head was covered in bubbles. Sunset, however, noticed Spike and wondered how he ended up looking like that but she decided to let that go… for now.

“...riiiiight,” Sunset grinned coyly before hanging up, and the phone on Sonic’s screen turned off.

Sonic and the CMCs let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Oh man… that was close!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“Yeah, I thought we were caught for sure!” Sweetie Belle added.

“At least we managed to fool her!” Apple Bloom smiled.

Sonic nodded as he put away his phone into his quills. “Well, since our party was cut short, how about we end our day for a movie night!”

The CMCs eyes lit up in excitement.

“Oh boy, Ah'm in!” Apple Bloom grinned.

“We haven't had a movie night since forever!” Scootaloo fist pumped.

“I'll get Spike then we'll set up the TV!” Sweetie Belle volunteered before looking for their purple pup.

“You do that! And I'll get us some snacks!” Sonic winked before running towards the kitchen.

“Those kids!” Sunset shook her head in amusement. “They're supposed to be grounded, but I guess with everything that's happened, I don't blame them.”

Sunset put her phone away in her pocket before she walked over to her friends to rejoin the tour. She joined in just in time as Autumn Blaze was explaining facts about the beach as they were exploring it.

“Did you know that our beaches have several different colors of sand in Hoovaii?” Autumn grinned excitedly as she gestured to the area with her arm. “A lot of beaches like this one for example have white sand, but some shores around here have green, red, pink, and even black sand! Doesn't that sound amazing or what?”

“I'm amazed that this tour hasn't put me to sleep yet!” Rainbow Dash muttered, only to receive a jab on a rib by Applejack.

Luckily, Autumn Blaze didn’t hear Rainbow Dash’s remark as she continued with the tour. “Also, Hoovaii is also known for having the biggest and strongest waves depending on the area. Our biggest record for waves was as high as twenty to seventy feet or more! Luckily, this only happened during the winter, so the height for these waves should be as normal as two to four feet high during the summer, which is safe for anyone to ride.”

“Well, that’s lame!” Rainbow Dash scoffed with a cocky smirk. “I would have loved to ride on those monster waves! I bet I could take that on!”

“I wouldn’t ride on them if I were you!” Autumn Blaze advised, glancing at Rainbow Dash. “Unless you want to have major body injuries if you are not careful, including permanent spinal cord damage… or worse.”

Rainbow Dash cringed and shuddered at the thought of having those injuries. “On second thought… I’ll go for the four feet waves.”

Applejack smirked and whispered into Rarity’s ear. “Wow, she shut Rainbow Dash up, color me impressed!”

“Yes… impressive,” Rarity hummed, staring intensely at Autumn Blaze.

“Anyway, we’re almost at the end of our tour!” Autumn Blaze announced with a smile. “I hope you enjoyed your time with me!”

“We have!” Princess Twilight nodded with a grin. “Thank you for showing us around and sharing facts about this island. I never knew just how fascinating Hoovaii could be!”

“Yeah! You made this whole tour so much fun!” Pinkie Pie added with a cheer.

“I’m glad you all enjoyed it!” Autumn Blaze responded, pleased with the feedback. “This is the first time in a long while that I’ve given anybody a tour! I was so nervous, I spent the whole night prepping for today!”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that!” said Fluttershy with a look of concern. “But how are you not tired?”

“Oh, nothing but twelve cups of espressos couldn’t fix!” Autumn Blaze responded cheerfully, taking everyone by surprise.

“Well, that explains a lot!” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what brings you all here in Hoovaii?” Autumn Blaze asked.

“Well, for one thing, we were originally going to graduate back at our school in Canterlot City but… circumstances prevented us from happening,” Sunset answered.

“Yeah, but it was thanks to our Egghead that we managed to convince the school to have our graduation here in Hoovaii!” Rainbow Dash boasted, giving Twilight a playful fist bump on her shoulder.

Twilight blushed in embarrassment.

“She did? How?” Autumn Blaze inquired with a curious expression.

“Oh, well, I have connections to Rosette Nebula and I asked for our school to come here as a favor,” Twilight responded modestly.

“You know the Rosette Nebula!?” Autumn Blaze exclaimed in a surprised tone. “The famous astrophysicist with her work on astronomy and her Multi-universes theories?”

Twilight grinned excitedly. “The very same one!”

“Oh my gosh! I love her books!” Autumn Blaze gushed, clapping her hands. “I even read a biography about her!”

“Oh, really?” Twilight challenged with a smirk. “Pop quiz: does Rosette have any known allergies?”

“Macadamia nuts!” Autumn Blaze answered in confidence. “She was taken to a hospital after eating a macadamia nut cookie when she was six!”

Twilight’s eyes widened brightly. “Impressive! Not many people know about that fact! She has been sensitive to what foods to eat since then. Hence why I requested Pinkie Pie to not include any nuts of some kind for the social event party one time!”

Pinkie Pie nodded in confirmation. “Yepperuni! I may love to bake sweets for everyone, but I take food allergies very seriously and I wouldn’t put anyone to harm!” Her expression became serious. “And that’s a Pinkie Promise!”

“Good to know!” Autumn Blaze smiled. “Still, you are so lucky! I would have loved to meet her myself!”

“Well, you could come along and join us at the event if you want,” Twilight offered. “I’ll even introduce her!”

“Oooh! I would like that!” Autumn Blaze squealed. “Thank you very much!”

“Nerds!” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Just what we need!”

“Now, Rainbow Dash! There's no need fer that.” Applejack scolded. “Besides, she seems cool and a nice gal! Ah say the more the merrier!”

“Of course you would say that!” Rarity muttered quietly.

“Sorry, did ya say somethin’, Rares?” Applejack asked, catching Rarity off guard.

“Oh! Um, I mean…”

“Hey, look at that!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing at something ahead of them.

The girls turned toward the direction where Pinkie was pointing and then they were immediately surprised at what they saw.

At the center of the beach was a stage which was all made into a tropical theme with several seats in front of the stage. The stage itself was made of bamboo wood and some yellow palm leaves for the roof. There were two tiki head statues made as posts for the stage. There were also some palm trees, a few surfboards, some flowers, and a long string of globe lights, which were hung on the ceiling of the stage.

The girls marveled at the sight for a full minute until Rainbow Dash let out a cheer.

“Oh, sweet! A stage on the beach!” Rainbow Dash grinned excitedly. “That is so awesome!”

“You bet it's awesome!” Autumn Blaze swelled in pride. “Lots of great musical events have taken place on that stage for many generations and it's the center of this beach!”

“I can see why,” said Princess Twilight with a smile. “I could tell there was some history on that stage. And the way it was built was impressive.”

“I concur! They truly outdone themselves!” Rarity gushed while eyeing the stage. “The setup and the lightning of the stage are simply dashing!”

“They even have our equipment ready!” Applejack pointed at the equipment in question which was on stage. “This stage makes me itchin’ to play my ol’ Bass Guitar.”

“You girls are in a band?” Autumn Blaze inquired in interest.

“We sure are!” Pinkie Pie sing-songed with a wink.

“Back where we came from, we formed a band known as the Rainbooms. Which was part of why we're in Hoovaii in the first place,” Sunset explained.

“Oh, I love music!” Autumn Blaze squealed excitedly. “Well, my favorite type of music is musicals from musical theaters, but any kind of music is amazing! Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, Classical, Animal noises. There's so many to list that it's hard to choose from!”

Applejack chuckled. “Well, if you like music, then you're in for a special treat!”

“Yeah! The music from our band is awesome!” Rainbow Dash added.

“Well, I don't know about that, but we're pretty good,” Twilight said modestly. “Would you like to hear one of our songs?”

“Would I!?” Autumn Blaze said with a huge smile before taking one of the seats in front of the stage. “I love to hear it!”

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash smiled. “And I know the perfect song to play!”

“Let me guess. ‘Awesome As I Want to Be’?” Applejack deadpanned.

“Good guess, but no!” Rainbow Dash answered before making her way next to Fluttershy. “I'm talking about a new song that Fluttershy wrote last night which I think fits the setting.”

“Oh, um… I don't think the song I wrote was that good,” Fluttershy said shyly.

“You kidding, Flutters!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she put her arm around her. “You're very talented in writing songs before and that one was amazing! Why wouldn't we play it!”

Fluttershy blushed. “Oh, um…”

“I'm with Rainbow Dash on this one!” said Princess Twilight. “That one song you wrote one time during the Battle of the Bands was amazing!”

“Yeah! You are a genius when it comes to songwriting!” Sunset praised.

“And you have a beautiful voice to boot, Darling!” Rarity complimented. “With a combination of your songwriting and your voice, you could be a famous musician.”

The others hummed and nodded in agreement.

Fluttershy, now red-faced, ducked her head. “I-I wouldn't go that far!” she squeaked, twirling her hair bashfully. “I-I'm not into performing in front of big crowds unless I'm with my friends.”

“Well, even so, you're still awesome in my book, Shy!” said Rainbow Dash with a warm smile. “That's why we would be honored to give your new song a try!”

Fluttershy smiled. “W-well, if you say so, Dashie!”

Fluttershy dug into her bag and took out her notebook to give to Rainbow Dash.

The Rainbooms then went on stage and read Fluttershy’s notes to study the song, while Princess Twilight took her seat next to Autumn. A few minutes passed and the Rainbooms were already like the song they were reading and became excited to play it. They all made their positions where their instruments were located and were ready to perform their song.

“All right, is everyone ready to give this song a try?” said Rainbow Dash as she placed her guitar over her head.

Most of the girls nodded and hummed in confirmation, but Pinkie Pie had a look of concern.

“I don’t know. Are you sure we should sing this?” Pinkie Pie inquired nervously, fiddling with her drumsticks. “We're not going to get attacked by a scary little fox doll with a red antenna orb on top of its head and hunt our nightmares after we sing this, right?”

While everyone was looking at Pinkie strangely, Rainbow Dash was taken aback.

“What!? No, of course not! Where the heck did you hear this ridiculous idea?”

“Internet,” Pinkie responded simply.

The Rainbooms looked at each other oddly before they shrugged and moved on to start the song.

Autumn Blaze turned to Princess Twilight with a confused expression.

“What is she–”

“It's best you don't question it!” Princess Twilight responded. “Pinkie… is just being Pinkie.”

Autumn Blaze blinked, feeling even more confused.

“Everyone ready?” Pinkie announced, getting Autumn and Princess Twilight's attention towards them. Pinkie then began to tap her drumsticks.

“One, two, three, four!”

https://youtu.be/XWoekUxnZ7w?si=0nW0DkBEipisJzqv

The girls began to play the music, which sounded like a tropical vibe. It started slow at first, but it then quickly began to build up as they increased the tunes a bit. Then, as soon as they added some beats to the song, Fluttershy was the first to sing the first lyric of the song.

She sang about how the sun was so bright on her and made her feel so alive and to survive. Then, Rainbow Dash joined in and sang about the sky and how it made her feel like she could go high even without her wings. She added her bad times would just pass by on a bright day like this, especially with her friends by her side.

The rest of the Rainbooms then joined in on the song, asking anyone if they could “feel the sunshine” and if it “brightened up” their day. They then asked if they sometimes felt like they could “run away”, which they all thought of their beloved blue hedgehog friend. Then they urged us to reach for the sunshine so we could forget about the rain and remind ourselves of the good times so they could come back to you.

For the next lyric of their song, it was just Twilight who was singing this time. She sang about without her friends, she had nothing to do, which briefly reminded her of her lonely times at Crystal Prep. But with the sunshine like this and her friends by her side, it made her feel happy and brand new. Sunset, who was next to Twilight, can silently relate to Twilight about being lonely, even during her time as a bully. Sunset then sang about when she was with Twilight and her friends, she wished they would always be here with her. To her, everything is clear with her friends by her side, and her days are brighter just like today.

As the rest of the Rainbooms joined in to sing the second verse of the song, Princess Twilight, and Autumn Blaze were clapping along, feeling energized from the song. Autumn Blaze was hooked the moment the song began, but now she loved it and felt the urge to dance along. Princess Twilight meanwhile, felt just as light and happy as they were, especially as she was thinking about her other friends back at “home”.

“Can you feel it?” Pinkie Pie sang with a smile as she was drumming away.

“Can you feel it?” The Rainbooms repeated after Pinkie with smiles of their own.

“Can you feel it?” Pinkie Pie sang again, feeling more energy coursing through her.

“Can you feel it?” The girls repeated with more enthusiasm as they felt energy coursing through them.

It was then that the Equestrian Magic was glowing around the Rainbooms because of their music, followed by their ears changing into pony ears and their wings appearing. This sudden act of display caught Autumn Blaze off guard, which made the Princess nervous, especially since her friends were so into their song to notice. Before the Princess could say anything, the Rainbooms began to ascend themselves off of the stage and into the air. The Rainbooms continued into their song until they played their final note, which caused them to descend back on the stage and their pony “accessories” to disappear.

As soon as they finished their song, the Rainbooms placed their instruments down and got off the stage to meet their two audiences. As soon as the Rainbooms got off the stage, they noticed their friend, Princess Twilight staring at them in awe while Autumn Blaze suddenly stood up in a standing ovation.

“That was amazing!” Autumn cheered. “I can both see and hear why all of you are the best for the job!”

Sunset smiled. “Thanks, Autumn. We appreciate it!”

“Yeah, we are awesome!” Rainbow Dash smirked, much to everyone’s amusement.

“And also, you even got some cool special effects with the pony ears and wings!” Autumn added with stars dancing in her eyes. “How did you all do that?”

The Rainbooms froze. They had completely forgotten that they can “Pony up” whenever they’re into their music. They then glanced at Princess Twilight, who nodded with a nervous expression on her face, confirming that they had indeed used their Equestrian Magic during the song. The awkward silence from the group only caused Autumn to tilt her head in confusion. The Rainbooms glanced at each other nervously, not sure what to say to get themselves out of the situation. Realizing that there was no way around it, Sunset was the one to answer for the group.

“W-well, about that…"

“Well, well, well. If it isn't the Lame-booms!”

Everyone jumped at the sudden mocking and familiar voice from behind them. They all turned toward the source of the voice and then felt shocked the moment their eyes landed on a certain group of three girls, or rather, the former sirens that neither of the Rainbooms expected to meet again. The trio, who were wearing the outfits for the first time since the Battle of the Bands, were making their way toward the group with smug expressions as if they were superior. As soon as the former sirens reached them, the leader of the group gave the Rainbooms her huge taunting smirk.

“Long time no see… Rainbooms!”

“Adagio, Aria, and Sonata!?” Sunset exclaimed with wide eyes.

Adagio clicked her tongue. “Well, it’s so nice to see you all again after last time at the Battle of the Bands! We had the most magical performance of our lives while we were on stage!” She then frowned. “Until you all took everything away from us!”

Aria scowled. “Yeah! It’s no thanks to you losers that we’re scraping by performing some small shows, couldn’t get back to Equestria, and we are now living in a van down by the river!”

“And that Taco Chronicles didn’t get renewed for another season!” Sonata shouted angrily, earning odd looks from the other Dazzlings.

“Sonata, what the heck are you talking about? Your stupid show has nothing to do with them!” Adagio asked.

“I know, but it’s my turn! I couldn’t think of anything to be mad at them about!” Sonata responded.

Aria facepalmed. “Agh! Go back to sleep, Sonata!”

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. “Oh yeah? And whose fault was that?” She glared intensely at the trio. “From what I could remember, you three barged into our school and caused a lot of damage!”

Adagio narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “Well, if you girls didn’t stand in our way, we could’ve got what we wanted. But instead, you ruined our lives.”

“Yeah, talk about cruel!” Aria added.

“Oh, that's so rich coming from you!” Rainbow Dash retorted.

Curious about the newcomers, Autumn Blaze turned to Applejack. “You all know those three?”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Yeah… those three are known as the Dazzlings.”

“They’re the singing group who came to our school once to participate in the ‘Battle of the Bands’,” Rarity added with a glare.

“But they are not very nice and were actually causing trouble that nearly drove everyone apart, including us!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“And they’re not fun… at all!” Pinkie Pie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“So these three are your rivals?” Autumn inquired.

“...something like that,” Rainbow Dash answered vaguely while glaring at the trio.

Sonata blinked as she glanced at Twilight and then at Princess Twilight. Her eyes were back and forth between the two Twilights until something clicked in her brain. “Waaaaait a minute!”

Sonata brought herself closer to the two Twilights. “Wasn’t there only one of you the last time we met? Are you two twin sisters or something?”

The two Twilights looked at each other for a brief moment and then the human Twilight answered. “Er, yes! We are sisters! You meant me while my twin was at Prance at the time.”

Sonata narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Then how come you weren’t wearing glasses last time?”

Twilight blinked. “Uh… contact lenses?”

“...oh, okay!” Sonata said cheerfully, causing the two Twilights to sigh in relief.

Aria narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the two Twilights but didn’t say a word.

“What are you three doing here?” Sunset pressed.

“What? Aren't we allowed to go out for some sightseeing?” Adagio asked innocently.

“...in Hoovaii?” Fluttershy whispered unsurely in Pinkie’s ear, who shrugged in response.

Sunset furrowed her brow. “But I thought you were touring while editing your voices with the loop effect.”

Suddenly, all three Dazzlings’ expressions were quickly replaced with a look of shock as if she was caught off guard. Adagio then scowled as she nearly went up against Sunset’s face.

“How'd you know that!?” Adagio demanded with a growl. “We kept that part secret!”

Sunset opened her mouth to respond but then stopped herself when she remembered a crucial fact.

‘Oh right! I've forgotten that we only met once during one of the time loops at the Starswirled Music Festival, which makes our meeting never happen!’ Sunset thought. ‘And it was because PostCrush used a lost artifact from Equestria, the Time Twirler multiple times just to make their show perfect until Pinkie and I interfered.’

“Well?” Adagio snapped impatiently. “Are you going to answer or not?”

Sunset frowned. ‘I don't know what those three were up to now and our meeting then was a separate matter anyway, so it was probably for the best that I don’t mention that.’

“I… heard rumors,” Sunset lied before quickly changing the topic with a stern expression. “Now don't try to distract me! Why are you here?”

Adagio huffed, her aggravation subsiding somewhat. “Whatever! Who cares how you know!” She then smirked. “If you all must know, we were hired to come all the way here so we can perform for your stupid graduation ceremony and party.”

The Rainbooms were taken aback by the Dazzlings’ claim.

“Excuse me, what!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Now wait just a minute!” Rarity spoke up. “That job was for us!”

“Yeah!” Twilight added. “Rosette Nebula herself told me that she wanted us to perform for our graduation!”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Adagio laughed in her throat. “There’s been a slight chance of plans effective immediately by the person who is in charge of this development.”

“No way! This is an outrage!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Who with an IQ of a coconut would ever decide to hire you three to perform for our graduation reception!?”

“That would be me!”

The Rainbooms turned towards the voice and were shocked to see a woman and her daughter making their way over to them. The woman had a smug expression as if she was superior to them while her daughter didn’t make any eye contact with them as if she didn’t want to be here.

“Spoiled Rich!?” Sunset exclaimed.

“That's Principal Rich to you, young lady!” Spoiled sneered, rolling her eyes.

“Honestly, these commenters, especially children should know their place and respect their superiors! Am I right, Diamond?”

Diamond didn’t answer, still refusing to make eye contact.

Spoiled narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “I said, do you agree?”

Diamond winced at her mother’s tone. “Y-yes… mother,” she responded quietly.

The Rainbooms stared at Spoiled in disgust, not only for wrecking their plans again but for how she treated her daughter. They were aware that Diamond was only around her mother because she was dragged around against her free will. They didn’t blame her for the things her mother had done; quite frankly, they felt sorry for her. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to help without getting themselves in trouble with that very woman in question.

Princess Twilight whispered into the human Twilight’s ear. “Is she always like this?”

The human Twilight nodded. “Yes, but ever since eight months ago, she's ten times worse if you could believe it!”

Princess Twilight frowned. She knew another Spoiled Rich from her world who was just as bad after hearing stories from the pony Apple Bloom. But to see this version of Spoiled treating her own daughter this badly right in front of her makes her stomach sick.

“You… I should've known that you were behind all of this!” Rainbow Dash growled, tightening her fists in anger. “Why are you doing this? Trying to ruin our fun yet again!?”

“Oh, you got it all wrong, Miss Dash,” Spoiled said with fake politeness. “With the upcoming graduation, I figured you’d be too stressful to perform, so I hired these girls in your place! Besides, these girls are more professionals than your so-called third-rate band.”

As the Rainbooms frowned at the insult, Adagio snickered.

“What's wrong? Couldn't you handle that there are people who are more talented than you?” she taunted.

The Dazzlings laughed, making the Rainbooms more angry.

“The only thing that you three are talented for is the fact that you wouldn't shut up about how great you all are… even though we all kicked your butts last time!” Rainbow Dash retorted.

While the Dazzlings took offense to the insult, Rainbow Dash pointed accusingly at their Spoiled.

“As for you, “Principal”, you’re replacing us on purpose! You only did that because you are still too petty and sore for what happened eight months prior at your summer home and took it out on us… even though it was your fault for not heeding our warning and letting that crazy doctor kidnap our sisters and your daughter! And if it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t be here right now and you know it!”

The area around them was so uncomfortably silent, that you could hear a pin drop. As much as the girls wanted to scold Rainbow Dash for running her mouth, she was right about Spoiled. They all knew Spoiled made their lives sufferable in school because of her petty grudge and they were sick of it as her antics as well.

“I don’t know how a crooked-nosed witch like you got the position of being a Principal for so long,” Rainbow Dash continued. “But if ya ask me, you should have been out of a job of any educational position a long time ago! You are nothing more than an entitled brat in an adult’s body who thinks she’s better than everybody and without your husband’s money and his name… you are nothing!”

Everyone’s jaws drop at Rainbow’s bold words. As good as it felt to finally tell Spoiled off, they were now in great fear that they would receive Spoiled’s wrath and not permit them to graduate as retaliation. But to their confusion, instead of her being angry, she instead just stared at Rainbow Dash with a calm expression. They wondered why she was behaving in such an unusual way until Spoiled let out a chuckle.

“I must say… those are such bold words to say to your Principal, Miss Dash!” Spoiled shrugged. “But then again, I’ve always known you were such a troubled child… especially since after the disappearance of your uncle.”

The Rainbooms let out a loud gasp, while Rainbow Dash froze in shock.

‘She wouldn't!’ Sunset thought.

Spoiled shrugged. “I can’t imagine what he thinks of you now once he sees just how rowdy, unstable, and egotistical you can be just for cheap thrills and to have ten seconds of fame that no one cares about! I bet he would be disgusted and disappointed in you!” She then gave Rainbow Dash her haughty smirk. “Or maybe… that’s why he left you in the first place!”

Rainbow Dash snapped.

With a scream of rage, she ran up to Spoiled in an attempt to punch her, only to be held back by Applejack and Sunset.

“Let go of me!” Rainbow Dash screamed, struggling to shake her friends off of her.

“Rainbow Dash, don't!” Sunset pleaded.

“She's tryin’ to rile you up!” Applejack reasoned.

“I don't care! Just let me at her!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

Adagio chuckled and whispered to her group. “Now this is entertainment… and we don't even have to use our magic!”

The other two Dazzlings smirked.

“Sure, go ahead and hit me!” said Spoiled. “Unless you and your friends want to get kicked out of graduation, do you?”

Rainbow Dash stopped struggling but glared at Spoiled in fury.

“...I thought so,” Spoiled laughed in her throat. “You can complain, insult, or cry as much as you want. But at the end of the day… I’m still in charge! And I can run this party as much as I please.”

“You can’t do that!” Applejack yelled.

“Yeah! That’s not fair!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Spoiled scoffed. “Fair? Life's not fair, girls! It’s just how the world works!”

“You mean your world!” Rarity countered in disgust. “You’re just trying to make us miserable!”

“Yeah, that was mean!” Fluttershy agreed.

“You've gone too far, Spoiled!” Sunset retorted. “We'll report everything to Vice Principal Luna!”

“Well, if you all have a problem with me, go ahead and report to her,” Spoiled challenged before smirking cruelly. “Oh wait, you can’t! She's not here right now, isn't she? As long as she’s not around, I’m in control!”

Sunset growled in response.

“Then we’ll tell Rosette!” Twilight spoke up. “She was the one who arranged this in the first place!”

“She's right!”

They all turned just as Autumn Blaze spoke, who was watching silently in the background until now.

“While your school has the final say in this matter, one of the conditions for you to come here by Rosette Nebula is that she gets to pick who will be performing. So technology, she’s the one who’s in control of the reception party and only she decides who gets to perform!”

The Rainbooms smiled at the news.

“Ha! Take that, Dazzlings!” Rainbow Dash goaded, causing the trio to scowl in annoyance.

“Is that so!” Spoiled humphed with a frown. “Then why don't we all go see Ms. Nebula herself and ask her? I'm sure she'll change her mind once she hears talent from real singers!”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “Fine! Then let's all go see her right now!”

Just then, Sunset grabbed Rainbow Dash and pulled her closer to her. “Hang on, Rainbow Dash, are you sure we should do this?” she whispered.

“What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash whispered back. “You want them to get away with this?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, of course not! But I can't help but feel like they were up to something!”

Sunset took a glance at the Dazzlings and Spoiled. For some reason, despite getting denied by Autumn Blaze, they were acting usually calm and not making a huge stink about it. And for some reason, Sunset could have sworn that she saw Diamond Tiara trying to look away from her as if she didn’t want Sunset to get a read on her.

Those strange acts alone were a huge red flag for Sunset.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Don't worry, Sunset. Nebula knows more about us than them and she'll clear this all up once we present our case to her.”

“Yeah, Sunset! Chillax!” Rainbow Dash assured. “Besides, those three lost their singing voices after we battled them the last time! So they'll be gone in no time!”

“If everyone's settled, then follow me! Spoiled ordered before making her way back to the hotel.

As everyone was following Spoiled, Sunset felt a pit in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about all of this and thought that they were playing right into their hands. She could only hope that she was just wrong about this and it was just her active imagination.

Unbeknownst to the group, the same woman with a sunhat was hiding behind the palm tree, watching Sunset and her group the whole time.

Back at the Sparkle's household, it was now nighttime and rainy. Somewhere in the kitchen was Sonic, standing patiently with his arms crossed and tapping his foot while the popcorn was cooking inside the microwave in front of him.

After his phone call with Sunset and cleaning up the house, Sonic suggested to everyone to watch a movie together. The CMCs were excited by this idea of having another movie fest with Sonic, but because they couldn't go to the city's theater due to their punishment, they would have to make do with the TV. While the girls and Spike were discussing what to watch, Sonic volunteered to get snacks in the kitchen and assured them that he'd be back with them in a jiffy.

Too bad that the popcorn took forever to make.

While he was waiting for the popcorn to cook, Sonic glanced at his wrist and smiled at the CMCs wristband that he received from them months ago. To think, all that started after he broke into Brainic's lab to escape to the mushroom world after believing he didn't belong in this world. He always dreamed of being accepted by everyone, especially the Rainbooms. And now, he has not only gained some friends, he also gained a family. Each of the Rainbooms is like an older sibling to him and the CMCs are like the youngest sisters he never had. Sure, they had some hardships, including being chased by some mustache manic halfway across the country.

But he wouldn't trade it for anything.

“Hurry up, Sonic!” Scootaloo yelled from the media room.

“Yeah, we can't start without ya!” Apple Bloom added.

“And where’s our popcorn?” Sweetie inquired loudly.

Sonic chuckled. “It’s coming girls! The popcorn should be ready right about–”

Ding~

“Done!” Sonic cheered as soon as the microwave chimed.

With his super speed, Sonic quickly took out the bag of popcorn and poured it into a huge bowl. Then he grabbed a bunch of snacks and drinks from cabinets and fridge before he rushed with them out of the kitchen and into the media room, where the girls and Spike were waiting for him on a couch in front of the TV.

“All right, everyone!” Sonic announced. “I got us some popcorn, snacks, and sodas for our entertainment!”

“Sweet! Thanks, Sonic!”

“About time!” Spike muttered as he was about to bury his face into a bowl, but Scootaloo took the bowl away. Before he could whine, however, Scootaloo simply flinked a single popcorn to Spike’s mouth and then he chewed happily.

“Alright!” Apple Bloom smiled, as Sonic took his seat on the couch. “We are now commencing the official Canterlot’s Movie Club Movie Night!”

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered.

“This is so exciting!” Sonic said eagerly. “So which movie do you all want to watch this time?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes brightened. “Ooh! There's this new Speedy the Possum live-action movie I always wanted to see!”

Scootaloo frowned. “I don't know. I'm not a big fan of “video game based” movies.” She then let out an annoyed huff. “Seriously, when does Applewood learn that those kinds of movies never work?”

“Well, I disagree!” Sweetie Bell responded. “Some video game-based movies did well like Speedy for example. Even the Super Mare-io movie did well!”

Scootaloo tilted her head. “The first one or the second one?”

“The second one,” Sweetie Belle answered. “The one with the animation.”

Scootaloo frowned. “How come that one is animated and not the Speedy movie?”

“Technically, Speedy himself is an animation.”

“They're not the same!”

“It is!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

Unbeknownst to everyone in the house, a portal ring suddenly appeared outside right by their window. Had they paid attention, they would've seen two shadowy figures emerging from the portal before the portal itself disappeared from existence.

“Girls, girls! Let's not fight!” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Why don't we binge a show instead? Like the Mystery Shack. That show is amazing!”

“Oh, I agree!” Scootaloo said in a bright tone before frowning. “Except for the fact that we have already binged it ten times already!”

“That's just how good that show is!” said Apple Bloom, trying to convince her friend further.

Scootaloo stared blankly at her friend for a moment. “Yeah… we still vote ‘no’ on that.”

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, causing Apple Bloom to pout in disappointment.

“What about Speedy Prime?” Sonic suggested. “The premise of that show sounds–”

“No!” The girls chorused.

Sonic was taken aback by the CMCs’ strong statement. “What? Why not? It looks promising.”

“We've seen the show, Sonic,” Apple Bloom said bluntly. “While the animation was decent, and the story was just okay.”

“But the main character is annoying with his stupidity,” Sweetie Belle added. “And most of the side characters are annoying too, especially that pirate guy.”

“Not to mention, the show got boring after a while and dragged on for too long, especially the final battle which dragged on for four episodes!” Scootaloo scoffed in annoyance. “Seriously, how do they screw that up!?”

Spike cleared his throat. “I don't mean to be that dog, but you four have already picked shows and movies in the past! When is my turn to pick?”

Sonic nodded. “You're right, Spike. It's your turn to pick!”

Spike smiled in appreciation.

“But you better not pick Snow Dogs again!” Sonic added with a smirk. He then placed his hand over his mouth and added in his singsong voice. “That movie is the woooooorst!~”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo smirked before she copied Sonic with her own singsong voice. “The woooooorst!~”

“The woooooorst!~” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sang with that line as well before they broke into laughter.

Spike frowned and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Agh! Everyone's a critic!”

All of a sudden, the power suddenly went out, turning all the devices off and leaving everyone in darkness. The girls were startled by this sudden event and Spike began to shake in fright. As for Sonic, rather than feeling concerned by this, he was excited and let out a loud cheer.

“Ho ho, blackout!”

Before anyone could blink, Sonic disappeared for a second with his speed and then he returned with a blanket over his head and a flashlight. Sonic turned on the flashlight under his chin and then waved his fingers at Spike in a spooky manner.

“Oooohhh… Spiiiiiiikey!” Sonic spoke playfully in his creepy voice.

The CMCs giggled at Sonic’s silly performance. Spike, however, whimpered frightfully before he buried himself under the pillows.

“Aw, Spike! There's no need to be scared!” Apple Bloom coaxed gently.

“Yeah, buddy,” Sonic added, feeling bad for scaring him. “I'm sorry. Everything's okay.”

Before they could coax Spike further, the TV suddenly came to life, causing everyone to jump. On the TV screen was nothing but a black and white snowy static with loud hissing noises. It would usually be the case if they had lost cable connection due to no power.

Except for the fact that they still have no power and the TV turned itself on.

The four of them stared at the screen for a solid minute with weary expressions.

“Okay… that is creepy!” Scootaloo remarked.

Sweetie Belle gulped. “Are we being hunted by g-g-ghosts?”

“D-don’t be ridiculous Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom stammered somewhat. “They ain't real… right Sonic?”

“...you'll be surprised,” Sonic muttered with a gulp. “Especially with the ones with yellow eyes and sharp teeth.”

As Apple Bloom was disturbed by this information, Sonic slowly stood up and walked toward the TV.

“Um, excuse me? We did not order a poltergeist,” Sonic called out nervously.

Then there was a sudden loud knock on the door, startling everyone in the process. There was a tense silence in the room, fear choking in their hearts.

Sonic slowly turned his head at the CMCs and Spike. “Uh, girls? …are we expecting anyone?”

The girls looked at each other nervously for a moment before Apple Bloom was the one who answered. “N-no…” she replied quietly. “At least… Ah don't think so.”

Before she could say further, they heard another set of knocks on the door, much more aggressively this time. Everyone, including Spike, felt even more scared, wondering who the heck was at the door. With a slight ounce of courage, Sonic took it upon himself to investigate this mysterious visitor.

“Stay here!” Sonic ordered as he made his way toward the living room.

“No way! Ah'm coming too!” said Apple Bloom as she followed Sonic.

“Me too!” Scootaloo added before following them.

“Ditto!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, running after her friends.

“W-wait for me!” Spike yelped, jumping off the couch and running after them.

Had any of them stayed longer, they would have seen a huge shadow of a man projected the room after a storm lightning flashed from the window.

Shortly after Sonic, the CMCs, and Spike arrived in the living room, they nervously stood in front of the front door. They jumped as they heard some more knocks coming from the door as if someone was trying to break through.

Apple Bloom let out a loud gulp. “Girls… Ah got a bad feeling about this!”

“M-me too!” Sweetie Belle whispered. “Who could that be?”

“M-maybe it was Snips and Snails!” Scootaloo suggested, trying to make her friend and herself feel less scared. “I-I bet they’re trying to prank us!”

“Well, whoever it was, it’s not funny! Prank or not!” Spike retorted quietly with a nervous expression.

They nearly jumped when lights flickered a few times before they went dark again. The series of knocks continued throughout the event and didn’t help in the slightest as the girls and dog huddled one another. Seeing his family huddled and shaken in fear, Sonic took a deep breath before he slowly approached the front door.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naDmO9Thj_k&list=PLohYzz4btpaQXbCYetMBF5vfeXeSR-W_V&index=6

“Um, if this is the pizza guy, this is really unprofessional,” Sonic remarked.

Just as Sonic finally reached the door, the knocks stopped, confusing everyone in the process. Was this all a prank after all? Did whoever was knocking finally give up and run away? A little curious, yet apprehensive, Sonic leaned his ear against the door, trying to hear from the other side.

He heard nothing.

Against his better judgment, Sonic then slowly reached out to the doorknob so that he could take a peak outside. Before he could do that, however, sparks suddenly shot through the doorknob, causing Sonic to jump back and the others to scream.

As Sonic joined the others, they watched as the sparks slowly went around the doorknob, as if it was slowly trying to cut through it.

“What's going on?” Apple Bloom shouted. “What's happening!?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Scootaloo shot back.

“Girls, I'm scared!” Sweetie Belle yelled, hugging Scootaloo to keep herself from crying.

Suddenly, they all heard Spike let out a ferocious growl, who was glaring daggerly at the door.

“Spike… what is it?” Sonic inquired in concern.

“It’s that smell!” Spike growled, keeping his eyes on the door. “I don’t know what it is, but it smelled foul… but familiar!”

Before Sonic could ask to clarify, the sparks suddenly stopped, causing the doorknob to fall off and no longer hold the door in place. They all stood with nervous anticipation as they heard the door gently pushed away, slowly revealing the intruder in front of them. Once the door was open completely, they couldn’t make out who that person was at first because they were covered in shadow. But when the lightning flashed, followed by a loud boom of thunder, they all stood in horror once they recognized the person who was probably the last person they all thought they would ever see again.

“Robotnik!?” The CMCs and Spike screamed in fear.

“Eggman!?” Sonic shouted in shock.

Unfazed, Robotnik turned his head to his gloved finger, which he used to cut through the door, and blew the spark out of his pointer finger. He then slowly faced the girls with his evil grin.

“Hello, girls!”

His eyes then landed on Sonic and let out an unfriendly growl.

“And hello, hedgehog! …did ya miss me?”

Author's Notes:

Oh, snap! Robotnik is back! And he's invaded the house!

The Dazzlings are back too! Just what are they and Spoiled Rich are up to!?

And what's going to happen next!?

Honestly, the only hard part of this chapter is the confrontation between the Dazzlings/Spoiled and the Rainbooms. I ended up having to re-write that scene about six times until I was satisfied with it. Even then, I still thought I could have done that better.

Other than that, it was a fun chapter to write, but the next chapter is going to be even more exciting for me to write, and I'm sure you all know why!

Before I get to that, here are some notes and references for this chapter:

The mysterious human not sure if Tails could fool anyone by pretending to be a plush was a callback to when Tails pretended to be Chris' toy during a Sonic X episode, "Cracking Knuckles".

The song used during the home-alone party was called, "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordon.

Autumn Blaze's facts about many different colors of sand in Hawaii are surprisingly true. It all depends on which parts of Hawaii you travel to.

https://www.southkohala.com/blog/big-island-info/all-about-hawaiis-many-sand-colors-black-green-sand-beaches

https://bossfrog.com/interesting-hawaii-sand-facts/maui-information/

https://www.randyripley.com/blog/2020/8/28/the-4-different-types-of-hawaiian-sand

Even Autumn's fact about Hawaii's biggest wave is true, which can go as high as 20 - 70ft high in certain areas during the winter according to hawaiianpaddlesports website.

https://hawaiianpaddlesports.com/maui/surf-in-maui/#:~:text=Consequently%2C%20the%20north%20facing%20shores,of%20the%20island%2C%2020%20ft.

And yes... if you're not careful with the waves, especially those monster waves, you can get badly injured, including the risk of spinal cord damage. Yikes!

The description of the stage the Rainbooms are performing on was based on the design of the stage from the Equestria Girls Song/Short, Shake Your Tail.

Rainbow Dash's song Applejack mentions are called, Awesome As I Wanna Be.

In Rainbow Rocks movie, Fluttershy was struggling to get Rainbow Dash to play her songs. Rainbow Dash and the others praising Fluttershy for it is a nice callback for her recognition.

Speaking of which, the song the Rainboom played in this chapter is (no surprise) "Can You Feel the Sunshine?" from an old Sonic racing game, Sonic R. I remember playing this game on a PC years ago. While it isn't the best game, I have fond memories of it. As I was brainstorming for this story, this song first came to my mind, which fits perfectly for the setting!

And speaking of this song, the "scary fox doll" Pinkie was referring to was "Tails Doll" that fans made up scary stories and images about the doll in question over the internet since Sonic R's debut. If you ask me, that's all silly! There's no such thing as a possessed Tails doll!

That's what YOU think! HAHAHAHAHA!

Who said that?

...

Um... anyway! It's obvious at this point, but the Dazzlings are back

I was disappointed that the last time the Dazzlings appeared in the series. Not because they didn't redeem themselves (quite frankly, I kinda expected this to be the case), but because they are only served as red herrings in the special before they disappeared for good, leaving little to no fanfare. Seriously, everyone was begging Hasbro for their return and this is what we get?

Perhaps they were originally going to make another appearance since they were hinting that they were going to find Equestrian magic and still wanted to go back to Equestria, but after the cancellation, we may never know. So that's why the Dazzlings are back as one of the main antagonists for this story and we'll see them a lot throughout the story. Hope you all are looking forward to that!

Speaking of which, Sunset remembering their "first reunion" with the Dazzlings was from the events of Sunset's Backstage Pass special. Sunset only met them in person when she confronted them about "the loop" she heard before the day resets again. In other words, the day they ran into each other again never happened because of the Time Twirler used by PostCrush. I figured that this is an important callback for this story.

The way Spoiled Rich treated Diamond Tiara is similar to how her pony counterpart treated her daughter in MLP:FiM - Season 5, Episode 18, Crusaders of the Lost Mark.

"Mother of the Year" ladies and gentlemen!

On a lighter note, according to Jeff Fowler during a commentary in Sonic 2, there was an original idea with Sonic watching a "video game based" movie with Ozzie, and Sonic joked that those kind of movies "never works". But because they couldn't get the rights for one of those movies (which is never revealed), they scrapped it. I thought it was a pretty funny meta joke, hence why I have Scootaloo comment about the "video game based" movies instead.

"Applewood" is a pony pun for Hollywood, which appeared in the comic series, Friendship is Magic, Issue #66

Just like the previous story, "Speedy the Possum" is a meta-reference to Sonic the Hedgehog movie. And the "Super Mare-io" movie is a reference to 1993's Super Mario Bros. and 2023's Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The show "The Mystery Shack" that Apple Bloom suggested, is a reference to Disney's Gravity Falls series.

The show "Speedy Prime" Sonic suggested, is a reference to Sonic Prime show on Netflix. Long story short, I didn't like it. It started okay, but then it was losing steam as it went on. And the way they dragged the "final battle" on the same location for four episodes... oof.

Of course, if anyone likes this show, then that's totally fine! It's just that the show is not my cup of tea.

Sonic's line, "The woooooorst!~" was a line referenced to Ben's character, Jean Ralphio who used the same line in Parks and Recreation show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKogRnWczZo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETDHptCqRgQ

Sonic remarking about a "ghost with yellow eyes and sharp teeth" was referring to those ghosts appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and some other games, known as "Boom Boos". They even appeared in Sonic X episode, Sonic's Scream Test.

Next chapter I'm sure you all were waiting for! It will be a full debut of a certain Echidna who is "tougher than the rest of 'em!" I can't promise that it will be ready on the week of the Knuckles show. What I can promise is once is ready, it'll be an exciting chapter!

And be sure to bring your popcorn!